Meng Xilan opened her mouth slightly, but she didn't speak. Zhou Youchen had already put his fingers against her trembling soft lips and shook his head slightly.

He didn't want her to speak, and he didn't say it himself. He winked at her lightly, his gaze clear and gentle, without the slightest trace of sadness or pain.

Meng Xilan looked at his eyes, and for some reason, her heart calmed down little by little.

Zhou Youchen stretched out his hand, put a warm palm on her forehead, gently closed her eyes, and let her continue to sleep.

Meng Xilan gradually lost consciousness, and her body kept falling, and she couldn't fall to the bottom for a long time.

When she woke up again, it was already early the next morning. Her head hurt a little and she tried to sit up, but she found that she had no strength at all.

Zhulu came over dressed in white filial piety, helped her sit up and said, "Master, you finally woke up." ”

Meng Xilan slowly glanced around the room, but found that Zhou Youchen was not here, but Jiao Changqing was standing a few steps away, looking at her worriedly.

Meng Xilan took a sip of tea, and then asked, "Master, why are you here?" ”

Jiao Changqing came over with a medicine box and saluted slowly: "Weichen was ordered by the emperor to come to take care of His Highness's safety. ”

She slept all night, but her face was still so pale and haggard.

Meng Xilan shook her head: "I'm fine, I have to go and keep a wake for the Queen Mother." ”

Jiao Changqing stretched out his long arm, pressed her shoulder, and said with a heavy face: "No, you can't go anywhere." ”

Meng Xilan's mind was a little groggy, but she knew that she couldn't just lie down all the time, she had to do something.

"Wechen, we'll check your pulse." Jiao Changqing took out the pulse pillow, then checked her pulse, and said after being silent for a while: "Your Highness is overly sad, the pulse is slippery, and you need to rest for a while." ”

Meng Xilan still shook her head: "Master, it's a very moment, I can't rest in bed, I have to do something." ”

The Queen Mother is no longer there, and she must be careful in her every move in the palace, otherwise, she will fall into the hands of others.

Jiao Changqing looked at her with complicated eyes when he heard this, as if he wanted to say something, but he gritted his teeth and still didn't say anything.

"Master......" Meng Xilan was still begging him.

"Your Highness!" Jiao Changqing's tone suddenly hardened, with an irrepressible momentum, his gaze firmly locked on him and said, "It is precisely because this is an extraordinary time that you must act carefully. ”

There was something wrong with his tone.

Meng Xilan held her forehead, raised her eyes to look at him, and asked puzzledly, "Master, is something wrong?" ”

Jiao Changqing frowned: "There is indeed something going to happen, but Weichen doesn't know what it will be." ”

It turned out that after the death of the Queen Mother last night, Jiao Changqing had been kneeling outside the dormitory, feeling extremely worried.

When the emperor was grief-stricken, a palace maid took out a suicide note from under the queen mother's pillow, to be precise, it should be a testament.

It was written by the Queen Mother herself, and there was her seal on it.

Jiao Changqing didn't know what was written in the edict, he only knew that after the emperor read it, his face changed, and then he asked the palace maid where Meng Xilan was. At that time, things happened very suddenly, but Jiao Changqing vaguely felt that the content of the edict must be related to Meng Xilan.

"The Queen Mother left a testament." Half-ringing, Jiao Changqing finally said this.

Meng Xilan was slightly stunned.

Edict?! Why didn't she know about it? She was by the side of the Queen Mother almost all day, when did the mother write the edict?

Jiao Changqing took a long breath: "Your Highness, you have to be careful. That edict may be related to you. ”

Meng Xilan's heart tightened, if it was related to her, why didn't Niangniang tell her before? Is there any secret that can't be found?

The Queen Mother was mourned, and the whole country mourned. The entire palace was shrouded in plain white, and there was no longer the laughter and laughter of the past, only silence.

Meng Xilan did not listen to Jiao Changqing's dissuasion, and insisted on guarding the spirit of the Queen Mother.

Three days later, the queen mother said that she was sick, and five days later, Concubine Ning contracted a cold, and in less than ten days, most of the concubines in the palace were sick. There are only a few people who are still holding on to the Queen Mother's filial piety.

Meng Xilan also insisted until the end, she didn't care about others, she only cared about her own mind.

Among the princes, only Zhou Youchen insisted on it like Meng Xilan, but the reason for his insistence was not the Queen Mother, but for Meng Xilan.

He wanted to be with her.

For that edict, Meng Xilan's heart has always been haunted, because it is now in the hands of the emperor, and no one knows its content except him.

At night, Meng Xilan returned to her bedroom, but saw that Zhou Youning had been waiting there in advance.

"Sister...... Zhou Youning ran over and hugged her and said, "Sister, I'm afraid." ”

Meng Xilan sighed slightly, patted her on the back and said, "What are you afraid of?" What's wrong? ”

Zhou Youning pondered: "I don't know, I'm just scared, sister, can I sleep with you tonight?" ”

It's been a long time since she's come over and sleep with her. Meng Xilan nodded: "Of course you can." ”

Meng Xilan hadn't eaten anything all day, and Zhulu prepared some japonica rice porridge for her.

Zhou Youning was not hungry, just quietly watched her eat, "Sister, you have lost a lot of weight in the past few days." ”

Meng Xilan put down the porridge bowl, rinsed her mouth and said, "It's not in the way." It's getting late, so let's rest. ”

She felt so tired, so tired that she didn't even want to say half a sentence.

Zhou Youning lay beside her, tossing and turning, silent for a while, before he spoke: "Sister, I don't want to stay in the palace anymore." ”

Meng Xilan opened her eyes, turned around, looked at her and said, "Princess, you can't talk nonsense about this kind of thing. ”

Zhou Youning said with a serious face: "Sister, I really want to leave here." ”

"Leaving the palace? So where else can you go? ”

"I can go to Meng's house."

Meng Xilan's eyes condensed slightly, and she hurriedly sat up: "Princess, what do you mean by this?" ”

Zhou Youning also sat up, and said in a slurred tone: "Sister, I know I shouldn't mention this, but I really like Brother Xiran, and he really likes me." My grandmother is gone, the prince's brother is gone, my father's temper is getting worse and worse, and I'm afraid...... I want to get out of here. ”

Meng Xilan pulled her shoulders and said with a serious face: "This is not child's play. You and my second brother are not up to you to make your own decisions. The Queen Mother has just passed away, and you and he can't get married for three years, you know. ”

When Zhou Youning heard this, he burst into tears: "I know, that's why I'm afraid, I'm afraid that I won't be able to survive these three years." Sister, I miss him, I want to be with him......"

"Don't say these stupid things. In the past, I didn't approve of you being with my second brother, but now, I don't mind or hinder you, as long as you are happy. However, everything must be planned and not reckless. ”

Meng Xilan knew about them a long time ago, but she never interfered and didn't say a word.

Zhou Youning said with tears in his eyes: "You really don't object? ”

Meng Xilan smiled helplessly: "You are in love, and you are happy with each other, why should I object?" I am not in a position to object. ”

In the past, she always had many concerns, but now, she is willing to do everything in her power to fulfill the family and friends around her.

Zhou Youning laughed when he heard this, as if he was relieved.

Meng Xilan hugged her again and comforted her softly: "I know very well what kind of person my second brother is. Don't worry, it doesn't matter if it's three years or ten years, he won't change his mind. As long as he likes someone, he won't change. ”

In his previous life, Meng Xiran was separated from his family and died tragically in prison before he got married. And in this life, he has one more person in his heart, which is a good thing.

Zhou Youning leaned on her shoulder and sobbed softly: "But it will take three years...... It's been three years. ”

"Don't be afraid, three years will pass soon." Meng Xilan comforted her softly, but she was a little bottomless in her heart.

She didn't want to leave the palace immediately, but this matter was not so easy.

On the day when the Queen Mother went to the funeral and was sent to the imperial mausoleum, Meng Xilan followed with her wearing white filial piety.

Zhou Shixian stood on top of the city gate and watched her walk in the crowd, only to feel particularly conspicuous.

The queen's edict was still in his hand and had not moved.

Meng Xilan has been in the palace for many years, and she has behaved quite low-key and well-behaved, she has never made any big mistakes in the palace, and the most outrageous thing she has ever done is to withdraw her marriage contract. It's just that he heard that there was a slight entanglement between Meng Xilan and Lin'er, which was a bit ambiguous.

Zhou Shixian's eyes gradually sank, and he coughed lightly suddenly, and muttered for a moment before saying, "Drive Zhaohua Palace." ”

Concubine Ning Murong Qiao pretended to be sick and was idle, thinking that the emperor would be out of interest in coming to the harem today, but unexpectedly, she had just laid down when there was movement outside.

She came out to greet the emperor in a pair of pajamas, but when she saw Zhou Shixian's calm face, she helped her up and said with concern: "Concubine Ai is not in good health, what are you doing when you come out?" ”

Murong Qiao lowered his head and smiled, but then he cried: "Today is the day of the Queen Mother's funeral, the concubine is incompetent, dragging this uncompetitive body, unable to fulfill her filial piety for her old man!" ”

Zhou Shixian didn't like to listen to these words, so he picked up his imperial robe and sat down and said, "Don't mention these words again." Concubine Ai's health is not good, and she can't be forced in everything. ”

Murong Qiao silently passed over when he heard this, sat down next to him, lowered his head and wiped his tears.

Zhou Shixian was silent for a while, and then said, "I came here today because I want to discuss something with my concubine." ”

Murong Qiao hurriedly sat up straight, "Long live the lord, you said." ”

Zhou Shixian gave her the suicide note left by the Queen Mother and said, "Take a look." This is the ...... left by the queen mother."

Murong Qiao took it with both hands, carefully opened it and finished reading, and froze on the spot.

"This ...... It's ......"

Zhou Shixian saw her panicked appearance, frowned and said, "Concubine Ai is so scared like this? I won't even speak. ”

Murong Qiao shook his head and cheered up, "No, the concubine was just too unexpected. ”

She gently closed the queen mother's suicide note, looked at Zhou Shixian with a complicated expression, and said in a worried tone: "Long live the lord, what are you going to do?" ”

Zhou Shixian observed her expression, and suddenly smiled faintly: "Since this is the mother's last wish, I naturally have to obey it." It's just that after three years of national mourning, I can't select concubines to enter the palace, otherwise, it will be unkind and unfilial. Therefore, I can only keep her by my side for three years, and then give her a name. ”