At this time, Zhao Zhen had changed into his regular clothes, wearing a scarlet brocade robe, removing the crown and hat, and using a white jade crown to put his hair in a bun on the top of his head. He stripped away the king's imposing presence, exuding an approachable gentleness and tenderness. Mo Lan turned around and bent his knees to salute, but Zhao Zhen hurriedly stopped him, and hugged him again, "I've always wanted to go to Renming Hall to see you, but I can't find it." ”

Mo Lan'an leaned his head on his shoulder, his cheeks were slightly red, and he said softly, "Didn't you see it at this time?" ”

Su Hehe had just stepped into the temple gate, and when he saw this, his face was embarrassed, and he retreated quietly. The two people in the house held hands and looked at each other, their eyebrows and eyes stretched, and the flowers outside the house shook the window, fragrant and fragrant.

Zhao Zhen smiled at the corner of his mouth, "Why are you here?" I don't know. ”

Mo Lan's face was full of sarcasm, and he said: "I am a slave in the palace, so naturally I dared to come only after listening to the orders of the lady of the palace." ”

Zhao Zhen pinched her cheek, pretending to be angry and said: "In front of me, it is also "me" and "me", and I don't follow the rules. ”

Moran raised his eyebrows and laughed, "At this time, I realized that I didn't follow the rules, but it's too late!" ”

Zhao Zhen saw her smiling brightly, as if the flowers of thousands of trees were in full bloom, and he forgot all the trivial matters of the government for a while, and his heart was full of indescribable joy.

He said, "You unruly slave, do you want to go out for a walk?" ”

Moran was stunned, not knowing what he meant, and looked at him quietly and smiled without saying a word.

Zhao Zhen said with a smile: "Since you are out of the palace and in Gongyi, you naturally want to enjoy the night view." Besides, the officials are in small service to patrol and observe the people's situation, and those officials have nothing to say. ”

Mo Lan has been in the palace for a long time, and he admires the life in the market, so he can't help but smile, "Can I go out too?" What should I do if I am seen by the people of Shangzheng Palace? ”

Zhao Zhen stroked the green silk on her sideburns, pulled it behind her ear, and smiled faintly, "This is the Imperial Palace, and I don't have anyone who keeps a Shangzheng Palace." Even if someone really says go, I am here, what are you afraid of?! ”

At this time, the sky was dark, and the night was getting cooler, and an attendant came to light the lamp and shouted outside the door: "Official, please let the slave and maid light the lamp for you." Zhao Zhen pretended to be angry, and shouted in a low voice outside the house: "You all go to dinner, I want to be quiet, there is no need to light the lamp, if I don't call you, no one is allowed to come in!" ”

The servants were suddenly silent, and they didn't dare to inquire anymore, so they all stood respectfully outside the door, panicked.

Su and said: "Since the official family asks you to step down, let's all go down." "The palace people did not have Zhou Huaizheng by his side to strictly detain them, and there was no one to lead them, listening to Su Hehe say this, it was like having a secret decree, and he obeyed his orders.

After the palace people dispersed, Zhao Zhen whispered in Mo Lan's ear: "Fortunately, Zhou Huaizheng twisted his leg a few days ago and didn't follow, if he comes, if he wants to go out, you have to listen to him for a long time." ”

Moran smiled at him and took his hand again, "Let's go now?" ”

Zhao Zhen bowed his head and said outward: "Su and He!" ”

And in response to the sound, the face has no color. It's just that when Moran heard this name, his heart was shocked, remembering that rainy night, he still felt throbbing, but he couldn't overlap the bearded military attache in front of him with the hearty and elegant young man in the pavilion that day. Fortunately, the sky was dark and the lights were not lit, Zhao Zhen couldn't see her face, but felt that her hands were clenched very tightly and she was sweating.

Zhao Zhen changed into the pre-prepared cyan Confucian shirt, took Guanyu, tied the Confucian scarf, wrapped Mo Lan up and down with a moire cloak woven with embroidered stone blue and silver silk, and advised: "No matter what, you just don't make a sound." With me here, don't be afraid of anything. ”

Moran nodded reassuringly.

The three of them carried a secluded path to the palace gate, at this time it was the time of the shift, the sky was dark, and the soldiers guarding the door were archers who were specially transferred from elsewhere, and few people had seen Zhao Zhen. Knowing that he was a celebrity in front of the emperor, and he took the talisman, how dare the guards embarrass him, they should all go out to do things for the official's family. Although there were many guards inside and outside the hometown, they also let them go out of the palace unhindered.

Outside the palace, there is a goulan tile shop, the traders got the news a few days ago, knowing that the royal car is going to sweep the tomb, there must be many followers, so they bought food and toys early and gathered outside the palace, in the streets and alleys on both sides, set up stalls, and hung lanterns everywhere. The people in the neighborhood are as festive and lively as a festival, and they all go out to have fun. provoked the traders to think of a lot of ways to make money, set up a platform in the restaurant, and made a "lady mask" game that is only available in the flower festival, which attracted many onlookers, laughing and scolding, gongs and drums.

I saw two rows of people standing on the stage, on the left was the Confucian son, and on the right was the lady lady, all covering their faces with masks and wearing neat red clothes. Four or five maiko stood beside them, beating drums and singing, or dancing to the sound of drums. Another person walked to the stage, signaled for the music to stop, and raised his voice: "There is still a son and a lady, is anyone in the audience willing to come up?" ”

Although Zhao Zhen often played in Bianjing City, he had never seen such games, and listened to Moran explain: "This is often played during the Flower Dynasty Festival, these people all wear masks, and they will take turns dancing according to the instructions of the Maiko, and if someone finally takes off their masks at the same time, these two people are a match made in heaven." Zhao Zhen only knew that the flower dynasty wanted to sacrifice to the god of flowers, go on outings and feasts, drink and write poems, and did not know that the people had such a custom of trysts between men and women.

Moran's mother took off her mask with her father on a lady's mask. Since then, he has been amazing, abandoned his family and ancestors, and resolutely went to Hangzhou, only as a concubine, and could no longer extricate himself from lust.

She also wanted to see if she could take off her mask with Zhao Zhen, and from then on she would be amazing and concubine.

She lowered her eyes and called softly, "Rokuro." In the end, he was still red-faced, Zhao Zhen stood in the crowd, and suddenly heard Mo Lan call him like this, and he was suddenly in a state of mind and fascinated. I felt that she was the only one left in front of her in my heart, and the idle people were all hidden like air.

It took him a long time to answer in a low voice, "What? ”

She looked up at him and said with tenderness in her eyes, "I want to play on stage." Zhao Zhen seemed to be confused, he had no opinion, and when he heard her say this, he didn't have time to think about it, so he immediately raised his hand and shouted, "Let's come." ”

Seeing Zhao Zhen's handsome appearance and graceful behavior, the maiko all rushed over to welcome him on stage. Mo Lan took off his cloak, handed it to Hehe, and followed behind Zhao Zhen.

Both of them wore special red coats and masks, blending into the crowd and not recognizing each other. Then, the drums beat in all directions, first slowly and then urgently, like a pearl falling on a jade plate, banging. Moran put on a mask, and his vision became extremely narrow. I felt that I couldn't help myself, and I was pulled step by step by the person beside me, rising and falling with the sound of the drums, and dancing to the music.

Suddenly, someone waved at her, Mo Lan privately thought that Zhao Zhen must recognize him, and hurriedly squeezed over. When the two faced each other, the man suddenly stretched out his hand, Moran did not hesitate, put his hand on the hand, and took off the mask, the man also took off the mask at the same time, and the cheers around him, Moran was also overjoyed. It's just that the light is as bright as day, but she is stunned. The person in front of him is burly and strong, polite, very similar to Zhao Zhen, but not Zhao Zhen.

The other masked people danced around the two of them, and the audience also cheered, Morande frowned slightly, and hurriedly shook off the hand, only to feel embarrassed. The man was surprised to see her unhappy look, and was about to speak, but when he saw a person squeezing in from outside the crowd, he took the woman's hand and said, "Let's go." As he spoke, he took off his red shirt and squeezed out of the crowd.

It doesn't matter if they don't take off each other's masks, they make the wrong promise. Both of them felt lost and depressed.

And he was relieved: "It's just a game, why take it seriously." Besides, I finally got out of the palace and came out to have fun, so don't hurt my interest for this matter. He took the two of them to the gold jewelry shop to buy jewelry, "When I was a child, if my father bought a hairpin bracelet and gave it to my mother, my mother would always enjoy it for many days. Although there are many jewels in the palace, it is not as good as buying them in person, and the official family might as well give them to the same object as the lady. ”

Zhao Zhen glanced at him, "You quite understand, teach me." ”

And hurriedly replied respectfully: "The minister doesn't dare." ”

Mo Lan sneered, "I think Master Su is very right. And said with affection in the corner of his eyes: "Liulang, do you have silver with you?" The girl's household jewelry, gold and silver, is not cheap. ”

Zhao Zhen heard her call Liulang softly, only to feel that her heart and lungs were crispy, how could she be angry, and said with a smile: "Although there is no silver, there is a stack of Jiaozi." ”

The two carefully selected the jewelry of the gold and silver shop, and then decided to buy a pair of burnt blue inlaid gold bracelets, Zhao Zhen paid for the handover, and the three of them went to the restaurant to drink, until they were slightly drunk, only to feel that it was too late, and it was time to go back to the palace.

The palace people of the Shang Sleep Bureau went to the small courtyard to urge the official family to sleep peacefully, stood outside the door and shouted several times, and listened for a long time to confirm that there was no one, and then tremblingly pushed open the vermilion lacquer red sandalwood double phoenix door. Seeing that it was as dark as ink inside, he was busy lighting the lamp again, but where are there any officials? In a panic, he first looked for the guards of the front division of the palace, and the guards were busy informing the commander, and for a while, the entourage officials, the guards of the forbidden army, and the entourage of the twenty-four divisions of the six palaces all got the news, and the entire palace was suddenly turned over.

The commander of the forbidden army was like five thunderbolts, and his heart trembled. He assigned a wave of guards to turn the palace upside down, and there was no trace of the royal driver. He gathered an army and sent him to look outside the palace, and was about to give an order, when he saw someone walking leisurely in the distance.

I don't know who it is in the wind, and I shouted in a trembling voice: "The official family is back!" ”

Tong led all the way over, and when he saw that it was really the official family, he let down his heart, first breathed a sigh of relief, and saw that there was another person behind the official family, wrapped in a cloak, and covered most of his face with a wind pocket.

The official took her hand, hid her behind her, and said with a smile: "The moonlight is excellent today, and there is a night market, so I took advantage of the opportunity to go shopping and have fun with the people." ”

The guards stood under the wall and hung their heads to stand by, seeing that the official family was followed by a petite woman, and they didn't know whether it was a harem concubine or something else, so they didn't dare to speculate, and they didn't know how to ask for peace. Chu Zifu was mixed in the palace people, and from time to time the night wind blew the woman's big pocket, revealing half of her face, and his heart chuckled, and his soul flew out of the sky.

Zhao Zhen summoned the Privy Council in the main hall of the palace, Lord Zhang Qi, the old man sat on the futon, and before he could say three sentences, he admonished: "Today, the official family avoids guarding the courtiers and goes out of the palace without permission. The official family is a member of the Great Song Dynasty, and his actions are really improper. ”

Zhao Zhen didn't care, but said, "Didn't I go back to the palace well?" Neither injured the dragon body, but Aiqing did not need to die. He changed the topic and asked, "How is the matter in Ganzhou?" ”

Zhang Qi frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice: "It is reported that in the middle of the night before yesterday, Zhao Mingde's army had conquered Ganzhou, and he had retreated to the southwest in a hurry, and now he was joining up with the Uighurs who were originally stationed in Shazhou, Guazhou and other places, and retreated to the west and south of Gua and Sha. The Western Xia Department has sent a standing army to garrison the borders of Gua and Shazhou. ”

Zhao Zhen listened, clenched his fist and hammered it on the case, and said angrily: "Zhao Mingde is so aggressive, the Western Xia Department controls the Central Plains, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the Western Plains Frontier, even if the Central Plains marches and has mountains and rivers as barriers, it is not easy to attack." If the small tribes of the Tibetans and Uighurs returned to Western Xia and became stronger and stronger, the Great Song border would be in danger. ”

An attendant entered the temple and added a lamp, and after the candle flame was extinguished for a while, it burned brighter than before.

Zhang Qi waited for the chamberlain to retreat, and then said calmly: "Zhao Mingde threatened to send the Tubo tribes to attack Qingzhou and Huanzhou. This morning, Gyeongju Li Dek has sent the news of the Tibetan invasion to the Privy Council. Zhao Zhen stood up from the throne, "You immediately send an order to officials at all levels of the Zhongshu Province and the Privy Council to discuss matters in the arch hall at noon tomorrow." ”

After Zhang Qi retreated, Zhao Zhen returned to the small courtyard, thinking that Mo Lan was waiting in the palace, but he saw that there was no one inside, only a few crooked words were written on the green and white note on the case: Yiyan drinks, grow old with his son. Qin Se is in the palace, and it is good to be quiet.

Zhao Zhen smiled, and secretly thought in his heart: This handwriting is really not as good as a sentence, and she should be taught to copy it well in the future. I was faintly distressed about the invasion of Tibet, and it was difficult to calm down.

Although Zhao Zhen is in the palace, what he does is always known to the Queen Mother. When the queen went to Ciyuan Hall to say hello, she happened to bump into the person behind her, who was Zhou Huaizheng, the eunuch of the palm seal of Funing Palace. Jingshu was quite angry, Zhou Huaizheng was Zhao Zhen's confidant, but he secretly gave the queen mother's whereabouts to the queen mother, and his heart was hateful, which can be seen.

Zhou Huaizheng was also quite flustered, he had always instructed the little eunuch to come over to do something, and today he also saw that the official family was not in the palace, and he dared to come to Cining Hall to serve the queen mother in person, but he was hit by the queen.

Fortunately, the queen is also the queen mother, and she is young, but she is a teenager, and she can't think of it, so she is a little downset. The queen mother retired Zhou Huaizheng and retreated from the palace, and then said angrily: "As a middle palace, how can you act so recklessly, dare not report it, and break into the queen mother's bedroom without permission!" ”

Jing Shu was afraid of the majesty of the Queen Mother, knelt down and said, "The Queen Mother is angry, Jing Shu is wrong." ”

The Queen Mother saw that her face was full of fear, and she couldn't bear it in her heart, so she stood up from the Huanghuali open-carved rose chair, helped her weakly, and said lovingly: "Get up, I don't want to blame you." It's just that there are some things that I don't want you to know too soon. Now that you've met, I can't hide it from you anymore. ”

As he spoke, he paced in front of the window, folded off the half-yellow leaf on a peony on the table of the Eight Immortals, and gently placed it in the bamboo flower basket next to him. He said softly: "You have been in the palace for a few years, and you have never had an heir, and you can't grasp the heart of the official family, if I don't arrange a few people to explore around the official family, how can you sit so safely?" In the future, if I am gone, you can send these people as you like. ”

Jingshu listened and remembered that after a few years in the palace, Zhao Zhen was gentle and polite on his face, but he was always cold and far away.

She was full of thoughts, sad, the corners of her lips trembled slightly, and she said softly: "Queen Xie is working hard for her concubine." In the blink of an eye, tears fell. The Queen Mother personally wiped away her tears and comforted her softly for a long time, until she dispelled her doubts, and then said: "Late tonight, I'm also tired, you go back to sleep." ”

It was not until noon on the second day that Moran returned to the palace with him.

Zifei and the others of the Renming Palace were already waiting at the palace gate, welcomed her into the residence, surrounded her inside and outside, and asked about things outside the palace. Moran told them everything he had seen and heard, and only hid the matter of going out on patrol at night, and said: "Although the palace is elegant, it is not as magnificent as the forbidden palace. Take a few turns and you're all over the place. ”

Seeing that Mo Lan's face was tired, Zifei drove everyone away, and said, "You are tired of traveling and driving, and if you want to work hard, let's rest first." Shang Gong Niangniang said, you don't need to be on duty today. ”

After everyone left, Mo Lan packed up the toiletries and other supplies he brought to the palace, and saw a pair of burnt blue and gold-inlaid Huadian bracelets he bought yesterday, and liked it in his heart, so he put it on his hand, and took one of them and put it in the brocade box and put it in one place with Zhao Zhen writing love poems. Just as he was about to put it away, he saw a frost-colored handkerchief in the cabinet, which was the handkerchief that Su and He tied for themselves in the Pavilion that day. When she took a closer look, she saw that there was also a golden five-clawed dragon pattern on it, why hadn't she seen it before? I wondered in my heart, thinking carefully about how bold and reckless I was at that time, and I didn't dare to think that this was used by the emperor, and carefully recalled the events of that day, and secretly had a guess, but I didn't dare to be sure.

While she was hesitating, there was a hurried knock on the door, and she quickly put the frost-colored handkerchief on her cuff and shouted, "Who? ”

The man outside the door gasped and said, "It's me, Aunt Qing." ”

When Moran heard this, he was impatient, and opened the door and said, "What's the matter with you?" ”

Unexpectedly, Aunt Qing knelt at the door with a "poof" and prayed: "Please Mrs. Moran must help the slave maid." ”

Moran was frightened and hurriedly helped her up, "Your legs and feet are not well, what can you do if you are injured again?" Moreover, it is not much for you to kneel down here, and let others see it. What's the matter, even if you say it, I will naturally help if I can help, and if I can't help, it's useless for you to kneel. ”

Aunt Qing wiped away her old tears, "Yesterday I went to Hualuotang to see the concubine Niangniang, looking at her appearance, only ...... I'm afraid it won't work...... I wanted to stay by her side and serve her for a few days, but I fell this leg, and I couldn't even ask for it, so how could I serve her well. After saying that, he cried out.

Although Mo Lan didn't like Aunt Qing's usual life, he was also moved by her loyalty, and comforted her while stroking her back: "Bring the herbs, and I'll go and see her at night." ”

Aunt Qing choked up and said, "Thank you." ”

In the evening, Moran wrapped the herbs in a cloth and went straight to Hualuo Hall. Sure enough, the concubine couldn't speak at all, and couldn't even move, but just lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and moaned loudly.

Mo Lan found the old woman of the palace who was serving, ordered her to boil water, and immediately went to boil the herbs. Seeing that it was still early, Mo Lan carefully helped his concubine scrub her body, changed into clean bedclothes, and carefully scrubbed the filth in the house. When he was done, he sat on the side of the bed and fed the medicine, and waited until the concubine fell asleep before getting up and turning back.

Out of Hualuotang and turned into the long street under the palace wall, Moran went early today and did not carry a lantern. At this time, the canopy was closed, and he looked for a remote path to walk, and he could almost only see the four directions in front of him.

In the spring, the grass grows and the warbler flies, and the snake enters and the rat comes out, and Moran has the courage to sweep through the grass, and he doesn't know what he has stepped on, but he feels soft and soft, and it seems that he is still squirming. She was so frightened that she almost lost her soul, and she couldn't help screaming, stomped to the side of the flat ground, and never dared to go forward again.

I don't know where I heard a strange sound of rustling, and I didn't know what was turning out from behind the tree, getting closer and closer to me. Moran's legs were weak, and his heart seemed to pop out, and he couldn't help screaming, almost fainting.

It took a long time to hear that someone was calling: "Zhang Moran, Moran, Moran......"

In the desolate place of the night, he suddenly heard a voice, and called his own name, and felt even more terrifying. Moran panicked, unable to think, only screaming. Until someone covered her mouth and said in a low voice: "I'm Su Jihe, don't scream, the patrolling guards will be lured by you." ”。

Moran recognized his voice, breathed a sigh of relief, stopped screaming, and tried to calm his mind. When he let go, he asked, "Why are you here?" ”

Su Jihe said: "Shouldn't I ask you this?" As he spoke, he picked her up, causing her to let out another small snort. He said coldly: "Don't scream, there may be some insects, snakes and rats in this grass, it is better for me to carry you over neatly." Things are in a hurry, don't blame the lady. ”

He carried her through the grass until he reached the corner of Palace Street before putting her down.

The two turned into Gong Street, and finally lit a long letter lamp in the corner of the wall, and they could see each other's faces. There are palace people coming and going from time to time on the palace street, and in order to avoid suspicion, the two deliberately stay four or five steps away, and only go to the shadows.

Moran calmed down and asked, "How did you end up there?" It stands to reason that it is close to the cold palace, and the guards rarely patrol there. You're a royal guard, how did you end up there? ”

And he took out one thing from his arms, "The official picked up your talisman, I was afraid that you were in a hurry to use it, and I didn't want others to know, so I had to send it." ”

Mo Lan took his palace maid talisman, and then remembered that last night in the palace, when he left a word for Zhao Zhen, he took out the talisman and pressed it on the green and white note. Because he heard someone passing by under the window, he left in a hurry, and forgot to put away the pass for a while.

She put the talisman in her cuff and asked, "Where did you see me?" ”

And he said neatly: "When you just came out of the Renming Palace. ”

Mo Lan frowned slightly, and became angry, "Why didn't you stop me and follow me all the way to Hualuo Hall?" ”

And said lightly: "I just want to know what secrets the official family has such a beloved person and sneaky deeds." ”

Mo Lan didn't want to pay attention to him anymore, and said angrily: "Now that you know, are you satisfied?" ”

And he was speechless, "The thing has been sent to you, and I will also go back to the Funing Hall to restore my life." There are palace lights all the way through, and you don't need to be afraid. After saying that, he didn't say anything else, turned around and left.

Mo Lan suddenly said, "Master Su! ”

And he didn't know what was going on, stopped his steps, and turned to look at her.

I saw her slowly coming from the darkness, and the light was shining more and more clearly. She was wearing a very light pink palace dress, and her eyes were as black as ink, as if she could pour out the shadow of a person. She took out a frost-colored veil from her bosom, tied it to the palm of her right hand, stretched out her hand to show him, and asked, "Is this veil yours?" ”

And I don't know why she has this question, and he tied it to his hand, and said suspiciously: "It's embroidered with a golden five-clawed cloud pattern, isn't it only available to officials?" ”

As soon as Moran heard him, the stone in his heart fell, as if he had been suffocated by the flood for a long time, and suddenly exhaled his breath, only to feel comfortable all over his body, and his body and mind were smooth.

She couldn't help but smile, "Oh, I see. ”

and returned to Funing Hall to resume his life, and told Mo Lan about visiting Concubine Li and other things one by one, and specially said that Mo Lan asked him about the cloth. Zhao Zhen suddenly remembered that he lied that he was Su Hehe in the Pavilion that day, and knew that Mo Lan's move was a temptation, and he wanted to hide it and confirm it quietly, which was really leaky.

He pursed his lips and smiled, "Moran is smart and has no lies. ”

And he looked at Zhao Zhen's joy beyond words, knowing that there must be many things that he didn't know about between him and the palace maid, if it wasn't for the private meeting between the two of them yesterday, I was afraid that Zhao Zhen would hide it from him.

It was just a little light, Mo Lan got up to wash, and heard a little palace maid shouting outside the window: "Mo Lan lady, there is still a situation outside the courtyard, please." As soon as Mo Lan heard the word Shang Zhengju, he felt trembling all over his body, and a bad omen instantly gathered all over his body.