The emperor smiled and said gently, "It's hot outside, let's go inside." After speaking, he moved to the side hall of Yanxi Palace. Qingcheng turned into Gong Street and walked to a secluded place on Yongdao, Fang Jue's legs were weak, and he almost wanted to stand uncertainly. Hai An held her with both hands and said worriedly: "Master, what's wrong with you?" Qingcheng shook his head and said, "It's okay, the heat is too much, just plop your face." His indifferent and cold expression was still in front of him, crushing her internal organs, and she seemed to be suffocating.

Hai An took the sandalwood bone fan, fanned the wind for Qingcheng, and said, "Since you are sad, why don't you obey your heart?" ”

The sky is as soft and translucent as a piece of fine blue satin, birds flutter across it, the autumn wind blows the clouds into the shape of feathers, and the sun shines on the golden glazed tiles, folding orange and crimson purple Ambilight. Qingcheng said lonely: "I don't care about rank and power, as long as he treats me as I treat him, I know enough." It's that I'm too stupid, I know I can't get it, but I still hide my ears and think I have it. ”

Hai An said: "The harem has been a place of right and wrong since ancient times, even if you don't think about yourself, you have to worry about the third elder brother." ”

Qingcheng's eyebrows furrowed, and he said extremely lonely: "I was worried about him that I was so angry." The battle for the throne of the Kangxi Dynasty was so tragic, the death of the dead, the imprisonment of the captivity, and the imprisonment did not end well. After a pause, he said: "The eldest brother's mother died early, and I can't see the emperor a few times a year." In the future..."Her voice gradually deepened, and said: "In the future, if I am not there, I don't know what will happen to Yongzhang, he is the child of Concubine Han, and he will not be treated well." ”

Hai An heard that there was decadence in her words, and hurriedly said, "What are you talking about?!" The master has a long life, are you afraid that you can't protect the third elder brother? Qingcheng said: "If you have a choice, I really wish Yongzhang would not be born in the emperor's family!" It is also a great blessing to die in peace. Hai An said: "Master, you should look away, you can't always confine yourself in obsession and leave no place for mediation." Qingcheng smiled sadly at her and said, "Don't worry, I was humiliated in Zhongcui Palace, and I didn't have the emperor's favor, so I didn't live well." Seeing her forced smile, Hai'an became more and more anxious, and said: "The slave maid who stayed in the hospital asked the people from the imperial hospital to send a few prescriptions to relieve the liver and smooth the qi, sometimes the body is not good, and he loves to think crankily." ”

Qingcheng smiled: "You are thoughtful. ”

Cheng Guiren watched the waiter add ice bricks to the porcelain jar with a large lid of entwined branches, and ordered: "The emperor loves to eat ice fruits, so you can get some clean broken ice and come out." The chamberlain respectfully replied "yes" and retreated. Outside, another palace person presented a newly made mung bean smoothie, and the honest nobleman had thin green onion fingers, held them together with both hands, entered the inner room and handed it to the emperor, and called softly: "Your Majesty." ”

The emperor stood in front of the window and looked into the distance, not knowing what he was looking at, and was in a daze for a long time. His expression was calm, no different from Su Ri, and when he heard someone talking, he turned around and smiled: "I suddenly remembered that something has not been dealt with yet, and I will come to see you again when I have time." Cheng Guiren wanted to say: "It's not too late to drink the mung bean smoothie and then leave." In the end, he didn't dare to speak, so he casually put the porcelain bowl on the desk and sent it to the holy driver.

Concubine Yu, the nobles of E, and the nobles of Jin came out of the Yanxi Palace, and they all wanted to go to the imperial garden to relax, so they walked together and talked about the trivial matters in the palace in a whisper. Jin Guiren said with a smile: "Looking at the emperor's expression, he really wants to leave the pure concubine." Concubine Yu fiddled with the enamel armor in her hand and said, "Whether you put it down or not, you can't really say for sure." Jin Guiren knew that she had a very good personal relationship with Concubine Chun, so he asked with a smile: "Why do you say this?" ”

Jin Guiren also said: "It's been a long time since the autumn of the year, and there are still ice cubes in the palace of the honest nobleman, look at her momentum, she actually has the demeanor of a high master and a virtuous master." Concubine Chun's family background is a little thinner, except for the emperor's grace, no one can rely on. Unlike the high master and the virtuous master, even if they fall out of favor, the emperor has to take care of the face of their father's family. I heard that the father of the honest noble man has been in the limelight lately! ”

Concubine Yu smiled and said, "Who the emperor favors, since he has his reasons, you and I can only say it secretly." She paused, her face changed slightly, and she said in a low voice: "In my opinion, Chenggui is arrogant, and last time we went to greet the queen together, she dared to be late and asked everyone to wait for her." What is she, but she is a nobleman, and sooner or later she will get into trouble! ”

Jin Guiren hooked his lips and smiled lightly, and said, "I can't keep the emperor, I just like her arrogance." He added: "That's it, don't say it, don't let the wall have ears, and spread our words out randomly, annoying people to mess up right and wrong." Then he raised the jade ring on his hand to the two of them, and said with a smile: "This is the Mid-Autumn Festival, that day I happened to go to the Xian master to say goodbye, the Internal Affairs Office carried two boxes of rings Zhu Hai came, ready to reward the six palace masters, the Xian master was generous, let me pick up two things first." ”

The noble man really held her hand, carefully compared it in the sun for a long time, and praised: "It's really good, it's better than the one I wear on my hand." The three of them chattered about dressing up, and they talked very long about it, and they waited until the sun set before they dispersed.

On September 15, the emperor went to the Changchun Palace to visit the empress as usual. Shanrou had already prepared everything, and when the holy car arrived at Changchun Gate, he helped the queen to welcome him. gave birth to a princess, the queen felt guilty, and she also knew that the emperor was lost, and it was an unexpected joy that the pure concubine fell out of favor because she did not give birth to a concubine. The emperor said: "You are weak, you don't have to go out to meet you in the future, just wait in the house." ”

The queen was relieved and said with a smile: "Emperor Xie is compassionate, and the concubines will definitely take care of their bodies and spread their branches for the heavenly family." The Emperor nodded with a smile and said, "I am also worried. He added: "Before your body is well raised, the affairs of the palace are still handled by Concubine Xian. The queen wanted to mention the matter of controlling the six palaces, but she didn't want the emperor to open her mouth first, so she had to say: "Concubine Xian is smart and meticulous, everything is handled properly, the queen mother is also safe, the six palaces are handed over to her, and the concubine is very relieved." ”

The emperor entered the inner room and asked the palace people to wait for them to change clothes and wash up, and he said, "That's exactly the reason. However, after a long time, Wu Shulai presented a stack of 800 miles of urgent report, the emperor dealt with the government affairs, and did not want to be disturbed, so he ordered the queen to go to the back garden for a walk, and then return to the palace when the lamp was in charge. The queen didn't dare to refuse, so she led the palace people to retreat.

I don't know how long it took, but suddenly there were a few dog barks, and there was the sound of footsteps. The Emperor stretched his waist, looked out the window, and saw that twilight was approaching, so he got up and walked out. There was a thick blanket on the ground, and he walked lightly, so he walked outside the door, and the palace people under the corridor still didn't know. A woman in a blue palace skirt squatted with her back to the emperor, her voice was immature, and she said softly: "Your name is Lion, right?" I have seen you, you are raised by pure masters. How did you end up here? Long live the Lord in it to review the folds, let's not disturb the drive, I will send you back to Yikun Palace..."Before the words were finished, the lion suddenly jumped up and pounced on the emperor.

The palace maid in Biyi turned around, her face was pale, she trembled, knelt down in a panic, and said, "The slave and maid have disturbed the holy car, please forgive the emperor!" The emperor didn't look at her, kicked the lion, and said angrily: "Little beast, don't stammer in front of the master, what are you doing in Changchun Palace?" The woman in blue clothes kowtowed and said: "Back to the emperor, this is a Jingba dog raised by a pure master, it may be that it has been separated from the pure master, and the slave will send it back to Yikun Palace immediately, please don't condemn it." ”

The Emperor wondered: When did I say that I would condemn the crime? But he asked: "Are you an errand boy next to the queen?" I seem to have seen you. The woman in blue was embarrassed and her face was crimson, but fortunately it was dark, and others couldn't see it clearly. She said respectfully: "Long live the lord, the slave maid is the palace maid next to the queen." The emperor let out an "oh" and said, "No wonder I look at you well." The woman in blue clothes dared to say: "Thank you for the emperor's life-saving grace." The emperor thought it was a palace maid who invited favor and flattery, and sneered: "Nonsense, not in a proper manner!" I don't want the Biyi palace maid to raise her face and say: "The slave maid is not talking nonsense, the emperor has a lot of opportunities, and it is normal not to remember, but the slave maid... The slave will not forget until he dies. She squeaked, seemed to be bold, but her eyes were full of enthusiasm.

She continued: "In the Mulan paddock that year, the emperor saved the slave maid under the mouth of the wolf dog, and the slave maid has always been grateful to Dade, but she didn't have the opportunity to thank her. Today, I took the liberty of speaking out and asked the emperor to punish him. When she mentioned this, the emperor had some impressions, so he smiled and said, "I remembered, it turned out to be the palace maid of Changchun Palace, were you injured that day?" ”

Wei Wan'er said: "With the emperor's grace, the slave and maid were not injured. ”

The emperor said casually: "It's good if you are not injured." The lion had already rounded him several times, and had gone to bite his robe, and the emperor shouted at him, "Bite again, and I have pulled out your teeth!" "Where the lion is afraid of him, he still keeps tearing. The emperor had no choice but to say: "Wu Shu, go get some broken ribs." ”

Wu Shulai said with a smile: "The emperor forgot, the lion is now a big dog, and there is no need to chop it up." The emperor was stunned for a moment, and saw that the lion was pulling more and more cheerfully, for fear that it would really bite the robe, so he bent down and picked it up, and reprimanded Wu Shulai: "What are you doing with the pestle, don't go quickly, wait for it to eat my robe, and then eat you!" ”

Wu Shulai responded "yes" again and again, and walked away.

Wei Wan'er was also surprised to see that the emperor favored lions. The emperor carried the lion into the house and said, "The last time your master was bullied, you went to the Heart Cultivation Palace to look for me, wouldn't it be that there was something wrong with Yikun Palace again?" ”

The lion is not a man, how can he answer?

The emperor said: "If there is something in Yikun Palace, you will sound twice, if there is nothing wrong, you will sound twice." The lion snorted twice in a very cooperative manner. The emperor smiled and scratched its head, and said, "It is worthy of being the lion I have chosen, and it is really smart." He continued: "Are you worried about the pure master? Then the lion barked twice. The emperor looked suddenly enlightened, and said, "The pure master is really in trouble, and you are very worried about her?" Do you really want to go back to Yikun Palace? ”

Hey, the lion still snorted twice.

The emperor's face was strange, and he said slyly: "In this case, I can only listen to you." ”

The autumn night was full of cold winds, the twilight was thick, and the starless and moonless sky was like a huge black cloth, pressing down heavily, swallowing up all the light. Qingcheng couldn't swallow it, and he didn't even want to use a snack, so he blindly read two lines of Li Bai's poems on the kang. Hai'an moved a small pestle and guarded under the kang to be a female red, and the dim candle flame flickered, making the room more and more quiet and silent.

There was a sudden "creak" on the door, and Er Qi stepped inside, blessed himself at the screen, and called softly: "Master." The green orange did not raise his head, his eyes were fixed on the book, and he asked, "What is the matter?" Erqi paused for a moment, took half a step back, and two other eunuchs knelt on the ground and cried: "Master, the slave should die!" ”

Qingcheng slowly put down the book and stared. The eunuch said: "Teach Mama to let the slave take the lion to the imperial garden to play with the third elder brother, I don't want to... Don't want to... Before the chain was unchained, it ran away. He bowed his head again and again, begging for mercy: "It is the slave who has been negligent, please forgive the master." Qingcheng's body stiffened and asked, "When?" Can you find it? ”

Er Qi saw that the two eunuchs stammered and couldn't say clearly, and the master was anxious, so Ma Li replied: "I've searched all around, but I'm afraid I haven't turned over the imperial garden." Qingcheng sat up from the kang, Hai An hurriedly put down the needle and thread, knelt on the pedal and waited to put on his shoes, and said: "Don't worry, master, the lion is smart and clever, and he can't run back by himself." ”

Qingcheng pondered: "Although the words are reasonable, I can't rest assured. Then he asked, "Have you asked the palaces?" Er Qi said: "I have sent people to the palaces and halls along the road to ask, but I haven't replied yet." Qingcheng snorted and said, "I'll take a look." Hai'an dissuaded: "Now that the night is cold, and the autumn wind is very tight, it is better to let me and Er Qi go, you wait in the house." ”

Er Qi also said: "The slave went to find Wang Jinbao, and asked the people from the Internal Affairs Office to help find it." ”

Qingcheng had already walked out, and said, "The lion is the closest to me, and if he deliberately hides there to play, he will surely run out first when he hears my voice." In this way, Hai'an took the scarlet brocade tribute satin cloak, tied the ribbon around the neck of Qingcheng, pushed the door open, and helped her to the porch. The palace maid carried the tulle sheep's horn palace lamp and shone it at her feet, one by one, fainting a dim yellow light.

Out of the Yikun Gate, go to Gong Street, walk to the Imperial Garden, every time you reach a corner or fork in the road, Qingcheng will call twice: "Lion, lion, where are you?" Stop playing, come out and come home with me. ”

The cold wind was bleak, and after searching for most of the hour, there was still no sign of the lion. Seeing that the palace was about to be locked, Hai'an was anxious and said, "Master, it's getting late, let's go back first." Qingcheng refused, and said earnestly: "It may be in front, let's look for it further." It was just when he hesitated, a shout came from afar, and said: "Idle people quickly avoid, honest nobles have arrived!" ”

Er Qi stiffened his neck and said, "It's the pure concubine Niangniang here." ”

An attendant brought a palace lamp to shine, and Hai'an stood in front of Qingcheng and shouted: "Don't be rude!" Only then did I see dozens of people hugging the green tweed sedan chair. There is a palace maid who bowed down and stood in front of the sedan chair and whispered, half a sound, Fang listened to the voice of the honest nobleman, she said: "It turned out to be the sister of the pure concubine, forgive the sister for being unreasonable, I just came back from the Shoukang Palace today, my body is tired, and I can't get off the sedan chair to ask for peace." After a pause, he said, "It's getting late, it's inconvenient to talk, can my sister avoid the road and let my sister go first?" ”

The palace rules are strict, how can there be a reason for "concubines" to avoid "nobles"?

She deceived people too much, and even Hai'an, who had always been steady, couldn't get used to it, and was about to say a few words, but saw that Qingcheng had already walked under the palace wall. Er Qi stomped his feet and said, "Master! Why should we let her? Qingcheng didn't care, and said: "She's not feeling well, just avoid it, I still have to look for lions!" ”

Cheng Guiren was proud, and said loudly: "Thank you, sister, sister will go to you another day to say goodbye." With that, a crowd of people swaggered by. After everyone was far away, Hai An said: "Master, you don't have to be so compromised. ”

Qingcheng smiled slightly and said: "I'm not compromised, if there is really anything, it is to stab the Queen Mother, and I am not afraid, but I can't do it right now." After speaking, he frowned again and said worriedly: "I don't know where the lion has gone." As soon as the words fell, a small shadow suddenly burst out of the side corner door and rushed straight into Qingcheng's arms.

Everyone was frightened, but Qingcheng laughed and said, "Lion, where have you been?" It's easy for me to find. The lion barked twice, and someone in the dark replied, "It went to Changchun Palace." Qingcheng looked up, the bright yellow figure slowly turned into the palace street from behind the door, the emperor was dressed in an apricot yellow flat gold embroidered dragon da, standing in the autumn wind, and his clothes fluttered in the world. Hai'an hurriedly led the palace people to ask for peace, and said, "The emperor is blessed." The emperor walked up to Qingcheng and looked at each other, not knowing where to start for a while.

Qingcheng broke the silence and said, "Why are you here?" ”

The emperor pulled off the bright yellow ribbon around his waist, took off the big coat, wrapped her cloak tightly, and said without a head or tail: "The palace people said that you came to the imperial garden." Qingcheng lowered his face, his breath lingered all over his body, it was a faint dragon fragrance that he was familiar with, but he was inexplicably mixed with a trace of rustiness. The emperor pinched her smooth and warm chin, forcing her to raise her head, he looked at it for a long time, and said softly: "On a cold day, if you catch the cold and accidentally cross Yongzhang, you will have to be tired again." The soft voice was like a spell, making her throat choke and her nose sore, and two lines of tears rolled down her cheeks.

The emperor pursed his lips and smiled, and said, "Hypocritical little thing, when I was angry, you stuck your neck and insisted on singing against me. When I coax you, you will weep. With a sobbing voice, she said, "I've been waiting for you to coax me, why should I wait so long?" I thought that if you had a sincere nobleman, you would have forgotten me. ”

When she was emotional, she made him irresistible. I couldn't help but hold her little face with both hands, bow my head and kiss her tears, salty and sweet, it was her taste. After half a ring, he said: "In my heart, you are unmatched. Even if there are thousands of sincere nobles, they can't compare to a single hair of yours. So—"

He paused, and then said, "Whoever you see in the future, you can't be stupid and just know how to back down." Don't say that the rank of the noble person is lower than you, even if it is a queen or a concubine, you just have to keep your waist straight, even if the sky falls, I will hold it for you! ”

The lion seemed to understand human language, and the two whispered affectionately, and it obediently leaned in Qingcheng's arms, licking the back of her hand from time to time, and gradually, it fell asleep. Qingcheng said: "As long as you are good to Yongzhang, you are good to me." The emperor pinched her cheek affectionately and said, "He is my flesh and blood, how can I not hurt him?" On that day, I was too anxious. "He is the lord of the world, no matter what he does or says, he is right, no one dares to refute it, but it is inevitable to whisper to please her.

The palace lights had been mostly extinguished, and the flickering firelight flickered in the dark night. The two walked hand in hand, Qingcheng snuggled the emperor tightly, even if there were any demons and monsters suddenly appearing in the dark, she would not be afraid, because with him, there was nothing to worry about.

Because he was there, she felt so relieved.

The emperor's mellow voice sneaked into the night with the wind, and he said, "Just now, the honest nobleman told you to avoid it, and you avoided it." Why do I order you to do something, and I don't see you so obedient? ”

Qingcheng laughed coquettishly: "When did I stop listening to you? Besides, Cheng Gui only came back from Shoukang Palace, presumably because he was tired of serving the Queen Mother, and I will let him not lose a piece of meat. The emperor said something again, and his voice was so low that even Wu Shulai didn't hear it clearly. It's just that he guessed that it must be a rare good word, otherwise how could the pure master laugh so happily!

Although the night is deep, the Changchun Palace is brightly lit and crowded. Shanrou paced left and right under the porch, anxious. The queen was waiting in the bedroom, but the emperor was nowhere to be found. There are a lot of palace people sent out, but none of them have a clear explanation, and they are all vague. Looking forward to the stars and the moon, the eunuch of the Heart Cultivation Palace passed the word, saying: "Aunt Shanrou, there are 800 miles of urgent excerpts in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Gansu today, and the emperor summoned Master Zhang to the military plane. The queen's master, please also ask Aunt Shanrou to say a few kind words, don't let the two masters have a disagreement. ”

Shanrou threw half a silver ingot to the eunuch and said, "I know that it is difficult to worry about my father-in-law. He said in a low voice: "The emperor still needs you to mention it, don't let the emperor forget Changchun Palace." The eunuch stuffed silver taels into his cuffs and said, "That's nature, that's nature." If I can help, I will definitely help. Shanrou nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "You go." ”

The eunuch responded, and after a long fight, Fang retreated. He returned to the Heart Cultivation Palace, went to Wu Shulai to report to the front, one by one, took out half a silver ingot, and said, "Master, this..." Wu Shulai glanced at him with a smile, and said: "Since it is for you, you can keep it, put it back smartly, don't say that you leaked your mouth." If things are done well, long live the lord will be promoted. ”

The eunuch replied again and again: "With the master's teaching, the apprentice will definitely live up to expectations." ”

For several days, the emperor loved to run to Yikun Palace, and the Yikun Palace was as solid as an iron bucket, and what happened inside, he couldn't inquire about the slightest rumor outside. The Internal Affairs Office saw that the wind made the rudder habitual, and Cheng Guicai had not seen the emperor for a few days, and the amount of clothing used was drastically reduced, so angry that she ran to the Internal Affairs Office to make trouble twice. Wang Jinbao is not an ordinary person, he has never seen anything, he is smiling and smiling, kowtowing and sinning, when he turns around, he turns his face as if he is turning a book, and he looks different.

When Concubine Yu heard that Cheng Guiren was making trouble with the Internal Affairs Office, she stood in the court and laughed breathlessly, she said to Zhiyan: "She really takes herself seriously, it's really ridiculous!" Zhiyan echoed: "Not really." ”