Zhao Zhen did not close his eyes all night, stayed alone in the Funing Palace, and at noon on the second day, he issued an edict after the abolition, saying that the queen had no heirs, voluntarily abdicated and cultivated, and was specially named the pure concubine, Yujing Chong Miao Immortal Master, given the name Qingwu, and lived in Changning Palace.

The heavy snow disturbed for more than ten days, and on Chinese New Year's Eve, Zhao Zhenyin got up, put on a heavenly crown, wore a descending robe, and wore a square heart curved collar, and was hugged by everyone to go to the Jiying Hall to line up the battle, and was bowed down by hundreds of officials, and foreign envoys from Liao, Goryeo, Western Xia, Khotan, and Huiqi came to congratulate.

For a while, the drums sounded in unison, and the warblers sang and danced.

Because the back position is vacant, all matters in the court are in charge of Concubine De. Although it is complicated, it is well organized and enjoyable. According to the rules of the palace, a family banquet should be held in the Hanging Arch Hall on Chinese New Year's Eve, and Concubine De deliberately made it more interesting, in addition to the imperial food paid by the Shang Food Bureau, and specially made people find many delicious snacks from outside the palace to relieve everyone's appetite.

When the official family arrived at the vertical arch hall, the concubines had been waiting for a long time, and when they saw the royal car coming, they all leaned over to say goodbye. Zhao Zhen was tired all day, drank again, and was a little tired.

There is no prince in the palace, and the princess of Xu Guo is the elder, leading the princesses to toast. Zhao Zhen was happy in his heart and said with a smile: "My princesses can also toast." As he spoke, he waved his hand and asked them to come to him, he stretched out his hand and hugged the eldest princess, but he was a little struggling, and couldn't help but say, "Father can't hold you anymore." ”

Princess Xu Guo took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Zhao Zhen's neck and complained: "If my father and mother go to see me and my mother more and hug me more, he will be able to move." ”

If he blamed him like this, the palace people waiting next to him turned white with fright, but Zhao Zhen replied repeatedly: "Okay, okay, my father will definitely go to see you more." ”

Although the other princesses are young, they are also brave to hug at this time, Zhao Zhen suddenly remembered the princess of Lu who died of illness a few years ago, and felt a little more tender, and ordered someone to move the princesses' seats to the side and eat with him.

Halfway through the banquet, the concubines toasted Zhao Zhen, and Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "On Chinese New Year's Eve today, you don't have to be restrained, just have fun." As he spoke, he rewarded Tusu wine, soup, dried fruits and other wine and delicacies to the palace maids in each department, and the palace celebrated. At midnight, fireworks were set off on the upper floor of Changqingmen Mountain, Zhao Zhen was already tired, but he also patiently went to the roof to watch the fireworks, and then returned to the Funing Palace.

Walking to Gong Street, Zhao Zhen got off halfway and did not go to Funing Palace.

Yan Wenying didn't know the holy will, so he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Official, it's getting late, it's time to go back to the palace and sleep." ”

Zhao Zhen pondered for a moment, still drunk, and said, "I want to go to Ruyi Courtyard." ”

Yan Wenying was startled, and knelt on the ground, just about to speak, only to hear Zhao Zhen glance at him and say, "If you dare to talk nonsense, I will cut your position as the eunuch of the palm print." ”

Yan Wenying was half frightened to death, and stopped talking, and as Zhao Zhen walked a few steps, Fang flattered: "The first emperor has already set the rules, Chinese New Year's Eve and Mid-Autumn Festival are only allowed to stay in the Middle Palace, if the Middle Palace is suspended for a while, stay in the Funing Palace." Today, the slave led everyone back to the Funing Palace, and the official family only took Su and He to Ruyi Courtyard, and no one else knew if they wanted to come. ”

Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "You are clever." After a pause, he said fiercely: "If there is a rumor in the palace that I went to Ruyi Courtyard on Chinese New Year's Eve, no matter what else, only you ask." ”

Since the banquet was dispersed, Mo Lan took advantage of the fact that everyone was not paying attention and returned to Ruyi Courtyard alone. Changed out of the large-sleeved Luo shirt and auspicious robe woven with gold brocade, took off the shawl, removed the heavy makeup, took off the vermilion hairpin, only wore a moon white orchid embroidered collared long skirt, wrapped in a cotton brocade long gown, scattered hair and the palace people picked up a bamboo pole full of copper coins, and hit a pile of melon skin confetti in the court, and the mouth was also full of words, saying auspicious words.

Although it was a winter night with a little snow during the day, at night it was full of stars and the moonlight was beautiful. Mo Lan was filming vigorously, and suddenly felt that someone was standing behind him, thinking it was Qingqiu, and he didn't look back, and said, "Good girl, are you ready to burn the pine basin?" When I turned around, I couldn't help but be stunned.

Zhao Zhen was dressed in a green shirt, standing in front of the lamp, reflecting a long figure. He hurriedly came from the Funing Palace, still with a bit of dust, and said with a slight smile: "What are you doing with that thing?" Moran was a little surprised, and gradually, something seemed to slowly swell up in the depths of his heart, and he felt that his toes were happy.

Qingqiu brought the burning pine pot over, and there were palace people holding firewood and Cangshu and other phenology on the side, Mo Lan ordered people to light the fire, and then took a few Cangshu and handed them to Zhao Zhen, "There is a folk legend that burning Cangshu on Chinese New Year's Eve can bless the plague and remove dampness, be safe and healthy, and the official family will also burn it." ”

Zhao Zhen was very willing to have fun with the people, and felt fresh, so he burned medicinal materials with Mo Lan, only to see her eyes slightly closed, her hands clasped together on her chest, and said: "May everything go well in the coming year, may my mother be healthy, and may Mo Chou live a ......comfortable life" Zhao Zhen looked at her stunned, her face was as white as jade, although she did not apply rouge, but it was smooth and shiny, ruddy and pink, exuding a terrifying look.

He whispered, "Why don't you pray for yourself?" ”

Moran opened his eyes, smiled at him, and said, "As long as my beloved is doing well, I will be doing well." After speaking, he also called the palace people to go over and burn it, and he took Zhao Zhen's hand to the palace.

The moonlight is full of infinite sunshine, the candles in the palace are hanging high, and there are happy words and laughter from time to time, which is a prosperous scene in the world.

For a few days in a row, the prince and courtiers all brought their families to the palace to ask for peace, and the rewards of the foreign women were all handled by the concubines.

Zhao Zhen knew that she was working hard, and often took time to visit Linhua Palace.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month, the number of foreign women who met gradually decreased, and Concubine De finally eased down, crooked on the rattan chair and closed her eyes to recuperate, and suddenly heard the waiter coming: "Niangniang, the official family has come to see you." ”

Before the words fell, Zhao Zhen had already lifted the curtain and entered the house, and when he saw Concubine De lying down, he hurriedly said: "Although you are lying down, I will leave after a few words with you." Concubine De peeped at the position of the middle palace, and she didn't dare to be presumptuous for half a minute, so she got up and saluted, and then said with a smile: "The official family can come to see the concubine, and the concubine is very happy." ”

Zhao Zhen sat on the kang and saw half a bowl of black and yellow medicine on the table, so he asked with concern: "Why did you take medicine again?" But what's uncomfortable? ”

Concubine De said: "It's just that I've been working a little hard in the past few days, so I asked the imperial doctor to prescribe a few pairs of medicines to replenish blood and qi, and it's not a big deal." ”

Zhao Zhen saw that her face was pale, and said with pity: "Although you are young, you must also take care of it, if you are too tired, it is good to ask Dong Zhaoyi and Zhang Jieyu to help them." ”

When Concubine De heard this, her brain suddenly exploded, for fear that the official family would share the power of the assistant with everyone, and she didn't dare to show her face too much, so she endured her displeasure and said with a smile: "The concubine knows it in her heart, and the official family is worried about it." ”

Zhao Zhen was about to speak, but he heard a waiter under the corridor calling: "The official family, Niangniang, Mrs. Liu, the county lord of Erpin, asks to see." ”

Just as she diverted from the conversation, Concubine De couldn't help but smile, and said, "Announce her in." He said to Zhao Zhen again: "The official family may not have seen Mi, it is the wife of Liu Congguang in the inner temple." ”

Zhao Zhen nodded, and also corrected his color.

Mrs. Liu is only seventeen or eighteen years old, and she has been raised in a deep boudoir compound since she was a child, and she rarely goes out, and she is forced to enter the palace this time. Who asked her to marry a relative of the imperial family.

Her father's surname is Lu, and her maiden name is Yunbai, also known as Lu Erniang. His father was Lu Zongdao in the Hubu Langzhong, who married Liu Congguang in the winter of the previous year, and was given the title of the second county lord by the empress dowager.

She was wearing a formal grade dress, with a full head and small feet as thin as lotus petals, and she walked swaying. She already knew Concubine De, because her father was an official in the same dynasty, although the two were a few years apart, they often spent time together. After all, she was young, she lifted the curtain and went in with great interest, and before she could call "sister", she saw a strange man inside, and she couldn't help but blush.

Concubine De knew what she was thinking, and hurriedly said, "Hurry up and ask the official family for peace." ”

Wan Bai faced the saint for the first time, and after kneeling and bowing, he dared to ease his tone and call softly, "Sister." ”

Concubine De was also overjoyed to see the deceased, so she said, "You didn't tell me sooner, so that someone could pick you up at the gate of the palace." You don't like to go out, this time it's hard for you. ”

Wan Bai said shyly: "It was sent to me by the official, but I'm not afraid." ”

Zhao Zhen saw that the two of them were talking happily and didn't want to disturb, so he got up and said, "You guys talk well, I have affairs to go, go first." The two of them hurriedly got up to see them off, and only returned to the house when the guard of honor entered the palace street and turned nowhere to go.

Without outsiders, Wan Bai was a little more lively, and said: "I thought that the official family was all white-bearded lords, but I didn't want to be so young, and he was very handsome, and he didn't lose to the officials at all." ”

Concubine De couldn't help laughing and said, "Where did you know that the official family is all white-bearded lords?" ”

Wan Bai pouted and said, "It's all sung like that in the play." As he spoke, he glanced at Concubine De again and said, "Is he good to you?" ”

Concubine De was stunned, but she didn't know how to answer, and said after a long time: "It's okay." After a pause, he asked, "What about you?" Is Lord Liu good to you? ”

Wan Bai's face was crimson, but there was a hint of sorrow in his eyebrows, and he said slowly: "I don't know either." ”

Concubine De asked, "What do you mean I don't know?" Silly girl, good is good, bad is bad. ”

Wan Bai looked at the dusty sky outside the window, his heart was also gloomy, and he said in a low voice: "He treats me very politely." Then he smiled again: "Don't talk about this, I heard at home that you are now the assistant of the Sixth Palace, and the right is the same as the Middle Palace, maybe the official family will make you the queen after the year, but is it true?" ”

Concubine De overflowed with a hint of joy and said, "That's not for sure." ”

Seeing that she seemed to be a little sure, Wan Bai couldn't help but be happy for her, and said: "I look at the appearance of the official family, and I get along very well, but it is not like the play at all." He whispered again: "If you become a queen, not only will you benefit from your family, but you will also be able to stain my face." ”

The two chatted crookedly until the afternoon, and Concubine De wanted to stay for lunch, but Wan Bai pushed back and said: "The official is still waiting for me outside the Yujin Gate, and I don't dare to let him wait for a long time." With that, he got up and took his leave.

Although it was noon, it was overcast and windy, black clouds were falling, and the sky was dark. Wan Bai helped the maid brought by the family, and followed the guide to the maid, along the palace street to Yujin Gate. Her feet were small and couldn't exert her strength, and when she came, she was already sore and unbearable, and when she went back in a hurry, she felt even more pain, and her feet were hot as if they were burning on the stove.

Turning a few palace corridors, passing through the corner gate, the Yujin Gate came to the face, and under the majestic palace wall stood several pro-army guards wearing hoods and chains and armor. Wan Bai never showed his face outside, and at this time he couldn't help but be a little restrained, covering his face with long sleeves, and only ordered the maid to hand over the ivory waist card.

Out of the Yujin Gate, a purple-clothed waiter greeted him, bent his knees and asked for peace, and said, "The county lord is blessed." ”

Seeing that his clothes were different from others, and there was a bit of majesty between his eyebrows, Wan Bai asked politely, "What's the matter with the eunuch?" ”

The chamberlain said: "Lord Liu went to the Funing Hall to face the saint, let the slave wait for you here, and ask the county lord to go to the pavilion with the slave to wait." ”

Wan Bai was thoughtful, and went with the waiter without asking too much.

I walked along the road for a long time, walked to the side of Yigong Street, looked around, and saw a few temples in the middle of the cold stone and dry branches. The chamberlain only stood under the porch and did not go in, and said, "When you arrive, please wait here for the county lord." ”

Wan Bai asked, "When will Lord Liu come over?" ”

The chamberlain said: "There is no time for the monarch and the ministers to discuss matters, sometimes they speak for two or three hours, and sometimes they are finished in a few words. After a pause, he said: "The slave will not disturb the county lord's rest, and will retire first." ”

Wan Bai hurriedly smiled and said, "The eunuch is busy. ”

Although his feet hurt, he didn't dare to walk around, so he only held on to the palace pillar under the corridor and was stunned. The cold wind blew more and more fiercely, and the dead branches around swayed, making a crisp crashing sound. After a while, dark clouds overwhelmed the city, and it was as dark as night, crackling and raining.

The maid shivered and said, "Madam, it's too cold outside, it's better to be warm inside." ”

The two of them entered the house, and Wan Bai had never been out alone, and at this time he was in a strange place, and he was a little nervous, and he didn't sit, but only paced back and forth.

Suddenly, I heard the maid shouting, "Who is it?" ”

Wan Bai looked back, only to see a snow green gauze skirt lady walking quickly from the steps, saw that there were people in the hall, did not call it, only respectfully blessed the blessed body, and said: "The slave maid Renming Hall is in charge of the palace maid, and she enters the hall to avoid the rain." ”

Wan Bai always had a little awe of the people in the palace, so he said: "The lady is at her own convenience." ”

The palace maid put the bamboo box containing the book on the desk, but did not sit, only stood quietly on one side and looked at the rain and mist outside the door. Seeing that the goddess of the palace was demure and well-behaved, Wan Bai couldn't help but secretly marvel at the upbringing of the maids in the palace, and looked at it carefully.

The palace man wore a black and green armor on the outside of the gauze skirt, with a palace bun on his head, only a silver hairpin obliquely obliquely, and a few tassels hanging down at the earlobe. She wore a moon-blue embroidered waist seal around her waist, and several purses hung from it.

Wan Bai looked at it carefully, and exhaled softly, and said, "That purse ......"

Zifei looked up and said, "What do you have to say?" ”

Wan Bai said: "Your purse, my official also has one." ”

Zifei said: "This is a thing embroidered by the slave maid herself, and it is just similar when you think about it." ”

Wan Bai became curious and said, "Can you hand it to me?" ”

Zifei didn't care, he reached out and took it off and handed it to Yunbai, and said, "The embroidery skills are poor, Mrs. Don't laugh." ”

Su Rou's slender fingers stroked the purse, like a green onion, and even Zifei wanted to shake it, but he said unconsciously: "Madame's hands are really good-looking." ”

Wan Bai smiled and said, "I also maintain it all the time, and I haven't even touched the cold water." ”

Zifei was very envious, and said: "It must be that Mrs. is well married and can be so loved by Langjun." ”

Wan Bai suddenly pointed to the tattoo on the purse and asked, "What is this?" ”

Zifei took a look, with a bright smile on her face, which made people feel comfortable, and she said, "It's osmanthus sugar steamed chestnut flour cake." ”

When Wan Bai heard this, he also smiled lightly and said, "It's this, it's really hard to guess." ”

Zifei was deeply concerned, and reluctantly smiled: "It's all embroidered for fun." ”

Wan Bai said: "My family officials also love to eat this, like a little lady." Speaking of Liu Congguang, a sweet and shy smile appeared on his white face, and the corners of his eyebrows and eyes seemed to fly.

Zifei put away his purse, saw that the rain outside the house was gradually lightening, and remembered that there should be rain gear in the side hall, so he went inside to find something. Seeing that it was getting late, Wan Bai couldn't help but be anxious, and went down to the corridor looking forward to it, and saw someone holding an umbrella in the rain from a distance, and he was happy in his heart, so he called: "Erlang." Then he turned his face into the room and said, "Lady, the official has come to pick me up, and we will meet again." ”

Zifei responded "ambiguously", holding a paper umbrella in his hand and was about to go out from the back room to send him off, when he suddenly heard a very cold voice outside the door: "Why are you only standing under the porch, the wind is so strong, if you are injured, you will have to take bitter medicine for several months." This sentence entered the ear, only to feel a bang in the brain, the continuous rain was no longer audible, only his own heartbeat, puff and puff non-stop, as if the blood of the whole body was boiling, surging into the brain, like suffocation, even the strength to step forward was gone.

The whole person seemed to be stupid, standing there for a long time and couldn't come back to her senses, she was afraid of being disappointed, afraid of her own delusion, afraid that it would not be him......

It seemed that it had been so long before she slowly walked to the outer hall.

A red robe came into view, wearing a sable cicada crown, hanging brocade ribbons, jade pendants, jade chuan, and white silk socks and black leather shoes. He stood under the porch with an umbrella facing the rain curtain, his right hand on the lady who had just spoken, and the paper umbrella was slightly tilted to the right.

Zifei's heart suddenly exhaled out, and a dull pain in the depths of his heart slowly surged into his heart, as if thousands of arrows had been shot in, full of holes, and even the slightest breath could tear the whole body.

She seemed to see him take out a bag of pastries from behind her, smiled flatteringly, and asked, "Guess what?" I also remember that he went to the riot room to pick her up, and called her softly in a hoarse voice: "Zifei." I also remember that he squatted in front of her and said, "I'm hungry, why don't I carry you?" ”

On that day, the sound of cicadas outside the window was like weaving, and the heat wave was rolling. He gently wiped away her tears and said, "I don't need you to know how to play the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, I can do these things." I don't need you to make good use of the red needle and thread, because I am not marrying an embroiderer. I don't dislike you being fat, it's a big deal that I'll eat more and be fat with you. As for whether your mother is the main room, for me, you are you, she is her, and you are my main room. ”

When she stood on the top floor of Renming Hall and watched him disappear into Bianjing City, she still thought stupidly that in just three days, he would ask the Queen Mother to go to her, and the two would stay together from then on, never separated.

She thought that she had gradually forgotten those warmth, but unexpectedly, it was just a back, and the memory of the dust was like a torn scar, still painful, as if it happened yesterday.

Every word he said, every action he made, the stretched eyebrows and eyes when he spoke, the amplitude of his skirt when he walked, bit by bit, were like a dream that suddenly woke up in the morning, it turned out to be so clear and remembered in my heart.

A faint voice came, and the woman said, "I just talked to the palace maid of Renming Palace, it's weird and interesting." ”

Liu Congguang heard the words "Renming Palace", instinctively turned his head, the room was dark, and there was a palace man wearing green gauze standing in the hall, leaning sideways, his head hanging down, and he couldn't see his expression at all. For some reason, he felt that the people in the palace were very sad, as if something was pulling him, making him want to go in and say something to her.

His heart was suddenly as soft as a green plum on the wall.

Seeing that Congguang was stunned, Wan Bai suddenly felt a little uneasy, she gently pushed him, and said, "I'm so hungry and panicked, I want to go home quickly." Congguang came back to his senses, smiled at her, took her in his arms, and went to the rain with an umbrella. Out of the Donghua Gate, there was already a carriage waiting outside, from Guangben was riding a horse, at this time it rained, so I had to squeeze on the carriage with Wan Bai.

Although the two have been married for more than a year, they have always been polite to her, and they have never even sat in the same carriage, and there are very few times they are together. Wan Bai thought that it was extremely hard to enter the palace to ask for peace, but he didn't want to be able to stay with Erlang for a whole day, and his heart was densely overflowing with joy.

She saw Congguang sitting beside her dignifiedly, with no color on his face and no words, so she plucked up her courage and said, "Erlang." Congguang still only looked at the curtain, and he didn't know what was worth looking at for so long, and when he heard Wanbai call him, he just said "um".

She smiled again: "I just saw the same purse as you in the palace. ”

Only then did Guang look back, there was only one purse he was wearing, and it was still a return gift given to him by Zifei when he was in Tongjian Hall that day. Wan Bai finally caught his attention, and said with a sweet smile: "I know what is embroidered on your purse." She looked down at the purse hanging from her waist, embroidered with a few white things, round and square, lying quietly on the scarlet brocade robe, only to hear him ask, "What is it?" ”

Wan Bai was still smiling, her face was flushed with a strange flush, even if she had been married for so long, she would still be shy under his gaze, she said: "It's osmanthus sugar steamed chestnut cake, it's the osmanthus sugar steamed chestnut cake that officials love to eat." ”

From the wide chest heaved violently, he clutched the purse tightly, and a thousand thoughts came to his mind.

He tried his best to calm down and said, "How do you know? ”

Seeing Congguang's brows furrowed, Wan Bai became inexplicably frightened, and said after a long time: "It was told to me by the palace maid of Renming Palace, who was hiding from the rain, when I was in the pavilion just now. I saw that she was wearing an identical one, so I casually asked her. After a pause, she deliberately chuckled again, wanting to make Congguang happy, and said: "The palace maid said that the purse was something she embroidered at will, but I didn't say it to my face, but I didn't believe it at all." If the purse was embroidered by her, why would Erlang have it here? I guess it's fooling me. ”