Zhou Youchen raised his eyebrows when he heard this, looked down at her, and reached out to touch her forehead: "It's just a few death row prisoners, why should he think so much." ”

Meng Xilan raised her eyes slightly, and only said: "As a doctor, the master always has many scruples in his heart. Your Majesty, the situation of the old lady Jiao is not good, and the concubines really want to contribute to them. ”

"Got it." Zhou Youchen pressed her head with a big palm, "Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to do it." ”

As soon as these words came out, Meng Xilan's heart was a little relieved.

She leaned into Zhou Youchen's arms and closed her eyes slightly. "Your Majesty, don't leave today."

"Well, I'm not leaving, I'm here with you."

When Meng Xilan heard this, she smiled lightly, and the corners of her mouth showed a shallow and comfortable smile.

Early the next morning, Zhou Youchen sent Gao Fuli to the prison of the Criminal Department to receive people.

Gao Fuli didn't expect the emperor to hand over this errand to himself, and he was a little reluctant for a while.

He still remembered Zhu Lu's resentment in his heart, not to mention that Jiao Changqing was her sweetheart again.

He was awkward and walked out of the palace gate slowly.

It's dark and cloudy, and it's going to rain.

Gao Fuli looked at the sky above his head, his heart was not happy, and he was about to scold, but he heard someone behind him call him: "Xiao Lizi." ”

The voice sounded familiar.

Gao Fuli turned around and saw that Zhulu was standing a few steps away, looking at him with a pair of red eyes.

It's her......

Gao Fuli saw that her face changed color instantly, and anger rose to his eyebrows, and then he turned his head coldly: "Miss Zhulu, what do you command?" ”

Zhulu didn't sleep well all night last night, and her eyes were red and swollen.

"Xiao Lizi, are you going to go to the prison of the Criminal Department?"

Seeing her ask about this, Gao Fuli glared at her and said, "Since you are so concerned about your lover, what are you doing here?" Hurry up and go to Jiaofu Bajie. ”

There were thorns in his words, but Zhulu was not critical: "Xiao Lizi, don't talk nonsense." I said the wrong thing yesterday, don't take it personally. ”

Over the years, the affection that everyone has come over together cannot be thrown away because of a momentary anger.

Gao Fuli looked at her with a smile: "It's late, I have already memorized every word and every sentence you said." ”

"Little Lizi, don't be angry with me." Zhu Lu said with a serious face: "If Lord Jiao is kind to his master, he is kind to you and me." Please do this errand well. ”

How did Niangniang survive back then, if it weren't for Lord Jiao, the emperor and Niangniang would not have the current harmony and beauty.

Although Gao Fuli was angry in his heart, after listening to her words, he still sighed: "You can't remind me how important Jiao Changqing is!" I am acting in accordance with the emperor's orders, so naturally I will not neglect anything. ”

She deliberately said it like this, as if he were a heartless person.

Zhu Lu watched Gao Fu's back and left, silently praying in his heart.

"God willing, bless you all the best."

With the emperor's edict, Gao Welfare can go smoothly wherever he goes.

He personally brought five prisoners to Jiao's house, and because they wanted to avoid people's eyes, these prisoners in cloth clothes could only enter through the back door.

After Gao Fuli sent these people, he went back to the palace. He really didn't want to see Jiao Changqing, so as not to think of last night's incident again.

When he went back to recover his life, he suddenly heard Xiao Luzi beside him say, "Master, have you heard?" Lord Jiao asked the emperor to resign today, on the grounds of taking care of his father, and he will not be in the palace on an errand in the future. ”

"What?" High welfare was taken aback.

Jiao Changqing's official residence is the head of the Tangtang Hospital. How can you say that if you resign, you will resign?

"What did the emperor say?"

Xiao Luzi said in a low tone: "The emperor is approved." ”

Just now in the palace, Jiao Changqing's face was firm, although the emperor was angry, but in the end he nodded in agreement.

Gao Fuli wrinkled his brows: "How can the emperor agree?" ”

"Xu is because Lord Jiao promised the emperor one thing...... That is, as long as the mother summons, no matter at any time, he will enter the palace to visit and be there with the summons. ”

To put it bluntly, he just didn't want an official position, but he could still enter the palace to diagnose the pulse of the emperor and Niangniang.

"Stupid ......" Gao Fuli didn't understand in his heart, and scolded lightly.

Jiao Changqing's resignation caused a lot of turmoil in the palace.

Everyone knows that Jiao Changqing is a close confidant of the queen mother, equivalent to her right-hand man. If he is not there, the mother's heart will definitely not be happy.

Although Meng Xilan had been prepared in her heart, she was still inevitably troubled by this.

In the past, when she was not in good health, when she was suffering from internal and external troubles, and when she lacked skills, Jiao Changqing was the most solid backing behind her. Now, she has no disease, no pain, no disaster, but needs his existence even more.

His medical skills, his wisdom, and his indifference are all what Meng Xilan needs.

Because of Jiao Changqing's resignation, Zhou Youchen returned to Cining Palace early.

"Lan'er, what do you think about Jiao Changqing's matter?"

Meng Xilan shook her head: "The concubine doesn't know. ”

She only knew that Jiao Changqing's heart was full of contradictions and entanglements now, and he was indeed not suitable to stay in the palace.

"If you don't want him to leave, I can let him go back to the palace."

Before Zhou Youchen's words were finished, Meng Xilan shook his head and said, "No, please don't force the emperor to master him...... He'll be back. She raised her head, and said with a look of certainty in her eyes: "Master, he will come back." ”

Zhou Youchen raised his eyebrows slightly: "Are you so sure?" ”

Meng Xilan nodded silently.

……

Since his resignation, Jiao Changqing has been in retreat at home, he doesn't go out, and he doesn't see anyone.

Zhulu went to see him at the house more than once, but he was turned away.

The door of Jiao's house was closed, and no one knew what was going on inside.

After another month, there was finally news from the Jiao family. It's a pity that there is no good news, but the news of the death of Mrs. Jiao.

Mrs. Jiao died of illness three years ago, and now Jiao Changqing's father is also gone, and the two famous doctors have passed away one after another, which is indeed a sad thing.

Jiao Changqing's eldest uncle received the letter and hurried over to handle the funeral.

The news soon spread to the palace as well. Meng Xilan's heart sank when she heard this.

She decided to go to Jiao's Mansion to offer condolences in person, because only in this way could she see Jiao Changqing.

Coincidentally, Zhou Youchen thinks the same as her.

On the day of leaving the palace, the autumn wind was blowing, and people's hearts were cold.

Up and down the Jiaofu, all of them are plain white.

The Jiao family is in the capital, although they are not a famous family, but they have a wide range of connections and are deeply popular.

The funeral of the Jiao family was done decently but unassumingly.

Everything is quiet and quiet. There is no crying and shouting, and there is no busyness of people coming and going.

The guests who came to mourn came quietly and quietly put a stick of incense.

The appearance of Zhou Youchen and Meng Xilan broke the peace here.

The crowd had to stand up and salute, prostrating three times and bowing nine times.

Zhou Youchen turned his hands behind his back and motioned for them to get up and speak.

"I'm out on patrol today, I don't want to work hard to move the people, you don't need to be polite."

Meng Xilan looked around at everyone and soon saw Jiao Changqing.

It's just that his appearance is a little different.

I haven't seen him for a month, and the hair on his temples is actually white, white than the white gauze tent next to him, and it is dazzlingly white.

Meng Xilan was surprised, but also distressed.

Jiao Changqing slowly walked in front of the two of them, knelt down and asked for peace: "Jiao Changqing, a grass citizen, meets the emperor and the mother......"

Zhou Youchen stretched out his hands and helped him up steadily. "Jiao Aiqing, I'll come to see you."

When he got closer, Meng Xilan looked at his face, his face was haggard, not weak haggard, but a gray haggard.

His cheeks were slightly sunken, and the edges and corners were sharper.

A pair of eyes were dark and dark, hiding gloomy emotions.

"How can the grass people be so bothered, let the emperor and Niangniang bother so much!"

Meng Xilan shook her head and said, "Master, we don't need to say anything polite between us." The palace wants to put a stick of incense on behalf of the emperor for the old man to express his condolences. ”

Jiao Changqing bowed down when he heard this, and asked Meng Xilan to go to the mourning hall to offer incense.

"Mother, please ......"

Meng Xilan stepped forward slowly, bowed to the spirit card and offered incense, and whispered: "I haven't seen you for a month, the master is a lot haggard, why do you have gray hair on both temples!" ”

Jiao Changqing saw her talking to herself, and after a deep sigh, she said, "The grass people are fine, please don't worry." ”

After the incense, Meng Xilan turned to look at him: "Master, this palace is really worried about you." After the funeral is done, you should go back to the palace as soon as possible. ”

When Jiao Changqing heard this, he just bowed his head and was silent, and did not answer.

His silence made people slightly uneasy.

Sure enough, after the mourning period ended, Jiao Changqing entered the palace again.

He didn't look any better, still so tired and discouraged.

Zhulu followed him all the way and let him enter the hall to speak, but his eyes were distressed.

Meng Xilan found that she looked like she was about to cry, and hurriedly told her to pour tea.

"Master, please take a seat." Meng Xilan spoke softly and motioned for Jiao Changqing to sit opposite her.

Jiao Changqing lowered his eyes slightly and sat down expressionlessly.

"Master, how are you doing lately?"

Although she asked knowingly, she really couldn't find a better word to say for a while.

Jiao Changqing nodded: "Thanks to Niangniang's concern, everything is fine with the grass people." ”

"Master, you can rest for a while. When you're resting, you'll go back to the hospital to take charge of things, okay? Meng Xilan's tone was a little tentative.

While speaking, Zhulu had already come with tea.

Jiao Changqing was silent again.

Meng Xilan stared at him, only feeling that he had something to say, and it was a very important word.

"Niangniang, the grass people came here today, but they actually said goodbye to Niangniang." He said with a solemn expression: "The grass people are leaving the capital, soon." ”

Sure enough, as she expected, he wasn't here to talk to her. However, what he said still caught her by surprise.

Leave...... He's leaving the capital? Why? Where to?

There was silence in the hall.

Meng Xilan raised her hand and stroked her sideburns, and took a deep breath before saying; "Where are you going?"

Jiao Changqing said in a deep voice: "The grass people want to send the ashes of their deceased father back to their hometown. ”

Although the Jiao family is a famous family of doctors in Beijing, tracing back to the genealogy, they are not from Beijing, but their ancestral home is Cangzhou.

"When is the master going to come back?"

Now that he had a reason to go, she just wanted to know when he would be able to return.

As soon as Jiao Changqing raised her head, she met Meng Xilan's uneasy gaze, she rarely exposed her emotions so easily.

"Does Niangniang want to hear the grass people tell the truth, or is it a lie?"

Meng Xilan couldn't cry or laugh when she heard this: "Nonsense, of course this palace must listen to the truth." ”

"If you're telling the truth, the grass people probably won't come back." Jiao Changqing's eyes gradually sank, and he said this sentence in a quiet tone.

"What?" Meng Xilan couldn't help but be shocked when she heard this, and in a hurry, she almost accidentally spilled her cup, and shook her head again and again: "Master, do you really have to do this?" Why can't this capital stay? Why can't this queen stay? ”

Her tone was slightly excited, and her eyes were erratic, without the slightest hint of her usual calmness and composure.

Jiao Changqing faced the deep incomprehension and questions in Meng Xilan's eyes, and just said lightly: "Niangniang, the grass people are no longer qualified to serve by your side." ”

Now he is like a plate of loose sand, scattered and scattered, and he is not the same.

He really couldn't lift his spirits to deal with all kinds of changes in the palace.

"What do you mean by not being eligible? Who saved Hongu's life? Whose credit is it for the safe birth of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? And the emperor ......" Meng Xilan stood up excitedly, and said to Jiao Changqing in an almost questioning tone: "In this palace and outside the palace, who else is more qualified to stay than Master?" If it weren't for you, this palace would have been dead in this world a long time ago...... It's been twelve years, Master, you have been with the palace and the emperor, it's been twelve years, how do you let the palace let you go? ”

Her emotional questioning made Jiao Changqing's heart move.

He bowed his head and fell silent again.

Meng Xilan looked at him with burning eyes: "Master, if you are not there, how will this palace protect the prince?" ”

"Niangniang, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's body has always been very healthy, and there is no need for grass people."

"What if Hongu insists on keeping you?" Meng Xilan gathered her mind and asked directly.

Jiao Changqing still lowered his eyes and said, "Niangniang, please let the grass people go." The grass people are useless to the mother. ”

"Bastard! Do you think that this palace only wants you to stay just to take advantage of you? Master, this palace is reluctant to ...... you" Halfway through the words, Meng Xilan's tone suddenly choked.

After more than ten years of sharing weal and woe, ten years of kindness, how can she be willing to give it up?

Jiao Changqing's eyebrows trembled when he heard this, and his eyes flashed slightly, as if something was lit up.

He looked up at Meng Xilan with a relieved smile on his face.

Jiao Changqing got up slowly, knelt down again, kowtowed to her, and said, "Grass people knock thank Niangniang...... Xie Niangniang cares so much about the grass people......"

For so many years, he had never hoped for anything, let alone let alone let his own affection. As long as he saw her well and happy, he was satisfied.

"Master, even if this palace begs you, I beg you to stay." Meng Xilan stepped forward slowly, stretched out to help him up: "Without a master, there would be no today, and there would be no prince in this palace." Hongu needs your ......."