Chapter Twenty-Three: Falling Snow
I don't know whether to thank or complain about Huo Chengjun and Liu Ai, the husband and wife were able to get together because of her, and she was obstructed, maybe there is no definite answer to things in the world, only ambiguous hesitation, Liu Ai is no longer entangled in this, as long as Xu Pingjun is happy.
Huo Chengjun gave a salute, "Your Majesty." Seeing Liu Ai, Huo Chengjun wanted to avoid it inexplicably, but he just said a few words to Xu Pingjun, and leaving at this time was too obvious, so he had to stay and find another time to go home.
Shangguan Youhao also saw Huo Chengjun's discomfort, and hurriedly stepped forward to relieve the siege, "Yesterday, the queen wanted to see the county lord, and today I will announce her coming, Your Majesty came by coincidence." ”
Liu Yi's thin lips were slightly hooked, "Oh, I thought it was not the right time", after speaking, he smiled softly at Xu Pingjun, attached his hands to her shoulders, and pulled the cloak on Xu Pingjun's body in, "Zitong is not cold, I will go to Jiaofang Hall to see Xian'er." The bright eyes were full of pampering, and Xu Pingjun's tranquil face was also full of unspeakable sweetness and happiness.
"It is said that the king is ruthless, but His Majesty is a lover." Huo Chengjun looked at the back of Liu Ai, who was gone, turned his head to Xu Pingjun and said, still so gentle, with envy in her eyes that she herself had never noticed, but I don't know how many people envy the clarity in her eyes.
"You are so slim, why can't you find a young man, if you recruit relatives, I am afraid that the relatives of the Manchu Dynasty have already broken through the threshold of Huo Mansion." Xu Pingjun's half-truth, half-joking words undoubtedly shortened the distance between the two.
Huo Chengjun was only a fourteen-year-old woman after all, and she couldn't help but blush and quietly afraid of her pretty face, "Sister Hugh has to make fun of her!" In the coquettish words, I forgot the apprehension in my heart, and the time seemed to return to the days when the two of them were in Huofu, there was no distinction between monarchs and ministers, no interests of the family and the country, just two ordinary women, one willing to help others; A sincere husband seeker.
Shangguan Youhao also smiled, at least, Xu Pingjun had no intention of being an enemy of the Huo family, looking at the current situation, Xu Pingjun and Huo Chengjun were more likely to be on good terms, and in addition, Chengjun had no intention of robbing her of the position of queen, so it seems that the Huo family may have obtained a life talisman, and in the same way, he does not have to live in fear in this deep palace.
The snow outside has also fallen, and the clouds that have been pressed down are slowly moving upwards into the sky, turning into flying flowers, sprinkling and floating on the dead branches and old leaves, and also staining the petals.
"Miss, it's snowing, do you want to go home earlier?" The road is slippery in snow, and the sky is easy to dark, Yunping is worried that the road is not easy to walk, if there is a good one on the road, the old lady will definitely not spare herself, seeing that the sky is getting dark, Yunping is even more worried in his heart, so he asked for instructions.
"It's snowing?" I didn't know how cold it was outside the house, Huo Chengjun moved to the window with a little doubt, pushed the window and looked, as if he didn't believe what he saw in his eyes, he reached out to pick up the white spot outside the window, but the moment he touched it, it melted, "It's true, and I really should go home earlier." Closing the window, Huo Chengjun wanted to say goodbye to Shangguan Youhao and Xu Pingjun, but he didn't want Xu Pingjun to take the first step.
"It's going to be dark, it's a snowy night, it's hard to be reassuring to walk a few steps, how about Chengjun staying in the palace today, just with the Empress Dowager as a companion", seeing Huo Chengjun's hesitation, Xu Pingjun said again: "Huo Mansion, I ordered someone to go to report, and the general didn't even want to give this thin face?" ”
Huo Chengjun glanced at Shangguan Youhao, and after seeing her nodding, he said, "I don't dare to stay in the palace because it is not my parents, my sister can know the rumors before entering the Jiaofang Palace, Chengjun is only afraid that others will think more." "People are terrible, the Huo family finally withdrew from this turmoil, and when they entered the palace tonight, it was difficult to guarantee that rumors came out again.
"Your Majesty, I will explain myself, Chengjun, you can stay with peace of mind, I have been bothering here for a day, and you just happened to talk to the Queen Mother." As soon as the words fell, Xu Pingjun had already gotten up, not giving Huo Chengjun the slightest chance to refuse.
Huo Fu heard the palace people come to report, Huo Chengjun stayed in the palace, Huo Xian was mixed, the worry was that the person who stayed with her was Xu Pingjun, and it was unknown if there was any arrangement; Happily, in the palace, she is one step closer to Liu Illness, and the idea of wanting her to become a phoenix has not been completely eradicated from Huo Xian's heart, and now it has undoubtedly given her a chance to be delusional.
In contrast, Huo Guang is indifferent, he thinks like Shangguan Youhao, and it may not be a good thing to be friendly with Xu Pingjun, and in Huo Guang's heart, the best son-in-law candidate now is none other than Han Zeng, as for Your Majesty, after Xiahou Sheng's allocation, Huo Guang no longer has this thought, and is planning how to match his daughter with Han Zeng, how can he have time to think about His Majesty, who already has a wife.
Han Zeng has not been at peace since he was read by Huo Guang, the general himself has not asked directly, but Guanglu Doctor Bing Ji is three days and two heads to visit the Hou Mansion to drink tea, this Bing Ji Han Zeng is not easy to refuse, not to mention that he will bring Wei Xian and others to come together from time to time, how can Han Zeng take the risk of offending these two people, besides, people are entrusted by the general, and refusing to leave the door is not equivalent to slapping the general's face, thinking that Huo Chengjun was politely rejected by His Majesty's old sword edict, if he is unwilling at this time, how can Huo Guang spare himself, can only use this strategy of delaying the army, pretending to be confused, thinking that after the New Year, find a reason to go to the border, and you can escape.
The night is deep, there is no moon and no wind in this night, only a long snowfall, the sky is dancing, looking at the window, the ground has been covered with a thin layer of white snow, the dead branches have been hung with crystals, the night reflects the silver light, if there is no junction, as if the end of existence, the deeper the night, the bigger the snow, the more transparent the sky, with the arrival of dawn, the second day, is already white, at a glance, it is clean.
"Did you sleep soundly last night?" Looking out the window, the words were said to Huo Chengjun, who was also standing next to him, listening, "Such a snow white, only by getting up early will it not be ruined." A gentle voice, a faint tone, but with deep memories, this sentence was Liu Fuling once said to Shangguan Youhao, that morning, she raised her eyebrows in the mirror, and he sighed in front of the window.
"Gloomy, can the red plum open?" Looking at her expression, Huo Chengjun knew that she had fallen into the past, in fact, a year was not enough, how could it be considered the past, but it was difficult to recover the Si people, so it seemed so precious and so nostalgic.
"It's open, I watched it with His Majesty and Empress a few days ago, and he was still reading Baimei." If you think about it, if you don't think about it, you pass by, and your eyes are only fixed on the falling snow that is shaking from the branches.
Huo Chengjun retracted his gaze from afar, "Treading the snow to find plums, red plums and white snow, self-made scenery, it's a pity to miss it, it's still early, there are few people there, why don't we also look for it?" He smiled and turned his head to look at Shangguan You's side face, which was somewhat similar to his own.
"How many years have we not enjoyed the red plum and white snow in this palace together?" In my memory, the two of them were under the red plum together, still young, at that time, there was Emperor Zhao to accompany them, just like that day, they were also three people, but in addition to themselves, the personnel have changed, the same tree plum, the mood is not the same as in the past.
"The past is gone, why bother thinking about it and disturbing yourself." After speaking, Huo Chengjun took the cloak hanging next to the bed, tied it for Shangguan Youhao, and ordered Yunping and Song to bring two paper umbrellas, only to let people stay with each other from afar, stay outside the plum garden, don't let people disturb the purity in the small forest, Huo Chengjun knows that today is a nostalgic day, and he is glad that he stayed last night. In the past, on such a snowy day, because of the early dynasty, Emperor Zhao would accompany Shangguan You's side, but now, she is the only one left, how can she not see the scene?
There is already a little white snow on the red plum, the jade hand holds the branch, shakes off the scattered snowflakes, revealing the covered plum saffron, and there are scattered red petals on the ground, embedded in the snow-white earth, adding a strong color to this snowy day, and it seems to see the flow of life.
Shangguan Youhao picked up the red plum in the snow, his eyes were shallow and sad, and he was attracted by the falling flowers, "Even if the flowers fall, it still falls under the tree, if the tree does not fall, it will always have a place to rely on." Huo Chengjun still didn't understand what Shangguan meant, he just looked at her quietly, accompanied her, and silently told her that even if there was no blind date in the deep palace, even if the emperor's brother was not there, there was still a young her, with a blood relationship.
"Chengjun, stay in the palace for a few more days." As Huo Chengjun thought, it is one thing to be relieved slowly, facing the coldness of a room alone, how can Shangguan not be worried.
Huo Chengjun nodded, "Okay, what you say is a few days." "Shangguan Youhao's mother is his third sister, for this half-sister third sister, Huo Chengjun has never met a few times, let alone has much impression, but Shangguan Youhao, the niece who is older than himself, is more familiar and close, and the two are more like a pair of sisters.
"The white plum and the snow are finally a little less colorful, and there are few flowers in winter, so that this red plum and white snow are unforgettable, and the plum is light and arrogant, how can it break branches for the snow."
"It's enough to see the beautiful scenery and see the snow falling." Only they knew what they were saying, and they watched the snow fall to the ground one by one, covering the fallen flowers little by little, and looked at each other, smiling, quiet and indifferent.
"It's a pity that the tables and chairs here are covered with snow, and it would be a great pleasure to sit among the plum trees and drink a pot of warm tea." Shangguan's hazy palm stopped at the table that was about to touch the ice and snow, but the corners of his lips were rarely curled.
"Fold the plum to the hall, the reward is still the plum blossom, the snow falls outside the window, and the warm tea is in the hand, which is also a wonderful thing." Huo Chengjun gave another idea, after all, it was cold, and it was not a matter of standing in the snow for a long time, although there was a paper umbrella, it could not block the wind from blowing the slanting snow.
"Since you have this will, you have done it." Shangguan Youhao smiled again, since Liu Fuling followed the ancestors, today is Shangguan Youhao smiled the most and most sincerely, Huo Chengjun saw this, and he calmed down.
Before leaving this piece of red plum, I saw Huo Chengjun squatting down and picking up a handful of snow, and then sprinkled it again, looking at the falling snow he made, Huo Chengjun was like a naughty child, closing his eyes and laughing.