Before the dinner began, it was drizzling.

Chu Nian and Liu Qi stood behind the rockery, Liu Qi's eyes turned to a pale pink lotus flower floating on the water not far away, but he secretly looked at the red figure beside him.

Seeing this, Chu Nian smiled: "The general called me here, not to reward the lotus, right?" ”

Liu Qi coughed lightly, then turned his eyes to look at Chu Nian, his eyes flickered and said, "Xiaguan is just a little curious, what ......was the last time the county lord said goodbye from the general's mansion without saying goodbye?"

Hearing that he suspected that he had something to do with General Huaihua's murder case, Chu Nian half-lowered his eyes, and did not deny it, and said with a light smile: "I just think that the affairs of General Huaihua's Mansion are too troublesome, and besides, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince secretly followed me at that time, saying that he wanted to travel with me, so I left." ”

Liu Qi's face froze, he also heard that Chu Nian and Ming Xiu disappeared together, only to know that Ming Xiu had been following Chu Nian at that time, and now it seems that the crown prince Ming Xiu did not intend to ask Chu Nian to marry General Huaihua's mansion, and Chu Nian did not plan to marry.

Liu Qi touched his nose: "But the lower officials haven't been able to find out who killed General Huaihua's family." ”

When he said this, Liu Qi's eyes were firmly fixed on Chu Nian, as if he wanted to see through those eyes that had always been careless.

Chu Nian let him look at himself inquiringly, and at the end, he sneered: "The general's family died miserably, and the murderer didn't leave any clues, so it really needs to be examined." ”

"But now there is another case of King Ning'an......" Liu Qi took a step in, looked at that beautiful face, and suddenly lost his mind, this was the first time he had seen Chu Nian wear such a flamboyant red, compared to her previous plain white, this red was more suitable.

Liu Qi has also imagined many times that Su Nian is wearing a red wedding dress.

Chu Nian looked at him in a trance-stricken appearance of memories, his reddened lips were slightly hooked, and his gaze turned to the lotus flower on the side, "Liu Qi, do you think that lotus is real?" ”

Withdrawing from his memories, Liu Qi looked at the lotus flower that Chu Nian said for some reason.

This drizzle has a tendency to fall heavily, and a breeze blows, and the lotus flowers flutter on the water, causing ripples in circles.

"Of course the lotus is real, why does the county lord ask so?"

Chu Nian smiled and turned his eyes to look at Liu Qi: "General Liu, why do you think that what you see with your own eyes and touch with your own hands now is real?" ”

"What do you mean?" Liu Qi frowned, and saw Chu Nian walking towards the lotus flower, she squatted down, the red skirt was scattered on the ground like petals, and there were raindrops hitting the red skirt spread on the ground, blooming a beautiful blood flower.

She half-lowered her eyes, and there were raindrops falling on her long eyelashes, which seemed to glow faintly under the gloomy sky.

Touching the petals of the lotus flower with his bare hand, the delicate flower made the moving face more and more gentle: "Just like General Liu sees with his own eyes right now, it is likely to be just a dream, and outside the dream, it may not be the case." ”

It seemed that Chu Nian's words were too shocking, Liu Qi's face was a little pale, and he frowned and said, "I only believe that what I saw with my own eyes and touched with my hands is true." ”

Chu Nian smiled sarcastically, and then said, "That's not necessarily, just like King Ning'an, the general thinks, what you see is real?" ”

When these words fell, a sense of surprise appeared on Liu Qi's face, he frowned and looked at Chu Nian, opened his mouth, but closed it again, his lips were tightly pursed into a straight line, and his face was complicated.

Chu Nian lowered his eyes and smiled: "That's it, the general doesn't have to worry too much, maybe the murderer will jump out by himself?" ”

After that, the flamboyant red flower gradually retracted, Chu Nian stood up, and glanced at Liu Qi with a light smile: "General, the dinner party is about to start, I will retire first." ”

Liu Qi suddenly raised his eyes, and wanted to say something, but saw the bright red jumping towards the palace gate, disappearing into a brightly lit frolic.

When Chu Nian came back, Ming Xiu was already seated, he was sitting on the side of the dragon chair and was chatting and laughing with the officials who came to toast, and sitting next to him was Tao Jinyan, and there was a vacant seat on Tao Jinyan's side, and next to him was Chu Yuanlang, who was now dressed appropriately and had a somewhat mature appearance.

Seeing Chu Nian coming in, Tao Jinyan glanced at her indifferently with slightly sideways eyes, and Chu Yuanlang stood up and stepped forward to greet Chu Nian with a smile, "Sister, Your Highness said that we should sit next to them." ”

Hearing this, Chu Nian raised his eyes and glanced at Ming Xiu, and it happened that the person raised his eyes, and between the two of them, there was a tacit smile.

Chu Nian half-lowered his eyes and sat down with Chu Yuanlang in the vacant seat next to Tao Jinyan, Tao Jinyan did not move at all, but the hand holding the wine cup was slightly stiff, and others came to toast him after Ming Xiu's introduction, and he just nodded lightly, so that the officials in the DPRK and China all felt that this young and promising martial arts alliance leader was too arrogant, but at the same time, he still had a hot face to stick a cold butt, just hoping to have a good relationship with Tao Jinyan and put gold on the face of the family behind him.

When Chu Nian sat down, he found that there were a few more faces at this dinner, Chu Nian secretly raised his eyes and looked at it, and he already had a certain number in his heart, thinking that these were the princes who had just returned to Beijing.

At this moment, Chu Yuanlang saw Chu Nian's expression, and knew that she had doubts, so he introduced Chu Nian one by one: "Sitting on the right of King Huainan is King Weiyuan, next to King Weiyuan is his retainer Ning Lianqi, and further to the right is King Wuchen, but this prince does not seem to be in company with several other princes, it is said that he returned to Beijing because he missed Kyoto, as for the deeper......"

Chu Yuanlang said something later, Chu Nian didn't listen, there was a woman sitting beside King Wuchen, thinking that she was the county lord of the Wuchen Wang's family, this county lord was also a beauty from the slender figure, but now the tulle was masked, but it covered a whole face, only revealing a pair of beautiful big eyes, long eyelashes were flickering and looking around, as if he was very curious about the palace.

The county lord called Chu Nian and felt familiar for no reason, but she couldn't say where the familiarity was.

At this time, the pair of beautiful big eyes just glanced at Chu Nian's side, and when she saw Chu Nian, the big eyes that were originally flashing a little innocent suddenly became a little surprised, and even if she was disdainful, she turned her head to look at King Wuchen on her side, and said something in King Wuchen's ear, and saw King Wuchen's eyes turn to Chu Nian, with a puzzled expression.

Chu Nian drank tea indifferently throughout the whole process without saying a word.

It didn't take long to see King Wuchen raise a glass to Ming Xiu from afar, this King Wuchen was only middle-aged, but his body was weak, and he looked a little thinner than the feminine-looking Li Le, but he was handsome, gave birth to a pair of beautiful big eyes, and was polite and polite, quite a little bookish.

"His Royal Highness the Prince, if you don't die in a great disaster, you will have a blessing."

King Wuchen smiled and raised his glass towards Ming Xiu, and drank all the wine in the cup, Ming Xiu also raised his glass and said: "By the emperor's uncle's auspicious words, the injury on the lonely body has only healed recently, and I haven't found a chance to visit the emperor's uncle, and I hope that the emperor's uncle will not be angry." ”

After that, Ming Xiu also drank the wine in the cup, and seemed to have great respect for King Wuchen, he put down the wine cup, and called the little plum on his side to help add wine and food to King Wuchen, King Wuchen didn't say anything, just smiled and nodded to take advantage of Ming Xiu's love.

At this stall, the emperor and the queen mother arrived one after another, followed by the four concubines, Concubine Chen, Concubine Liang, Chu Nian all knew it, and the other were two women who still had charm, one wore a crested hairpin made of gold, her black hair was tied high, and the red palace dress was very dazzling, but she looked inexplicably a little more fireworks;

The other is a dark blue gown, with only a pendant inlaid with tassels on the hair ornament on his head, a long azure skirt inside, and a jade pendant pinned to his waist, on which the word "Chu" is written.

When she passed by Chu Nian, Chu Nian smelled a faint scent of sandalwood from her, thinking that it was Concubine Ling who had been chanting in Qingshan Temple, and the one in red palace dress should be Concubine Wu.

When the emperor sat down, the hundred officials got up, "Long live my emperor, long live long live, long live the queen mother, long live the queen mother, long live, thousand years old." ”

When Chu Nian raised his eyes and secretly looked at Concubine Ling, the Queen Mother waved her hand and said, "Flat." ”

"Emperor Xie, Empress Dowager Xie."

The Queen Mother has been looking good recently, I don't know if it's because of Zhuqing's medicine, her face finally became a little ruddy, and a pair of originally cloudy eyes gradually became clearer, Chu Nian sat down and looked up at the Queen Mother, and saw the Queen Mother holding up the wine cup and said: "Today is the summer festival, and there is a concubine returning to Beijing, it is worth celebrating!" ”

Baiguan immediately picked up his wine glass, and raised his glass to Concubine Ling: "Celebrate Concubine Ling's return to Beijing!" ”

Concubine Ling's charming face was not shocked, she looked indifferently at the people who were toasting towards her, but slightly bent the corners of her mouth in response, and turned to the Queen Mother beside her and smiled: "Empress Dowager Xie cares." ”

Seeing that Concubine Ling blocked back some of the polite words she should have said, the Queen Mother had no choice but to nod silently: "It's good that you can come back, I don't know what that girl thinks of you these days." ”

Concubine Ling half-lowered her eyes, "This is also for the blessing of the Queen Mother, Ming Qiao will understand." ”

"Well, you have a heart."

Leaving this sentence, the Queen Mother turned her eyes to look at the people present: "Concubine Ling has been fasting and praying for the Buddha for many years, and she has suffered a lot, so the Mourning family naturally wants to reward her, and someone will come and carry all the brocades sent by the princess of Xichu to the palace of Concubine Ling a few days ago." ”

As soon as this remark came out, everyone was surprised by the Queen Mother's generosity, the brocades sent by Xichu Yue Ling were all the best goods in Xichu, and on weekdays, which concubine wanted the Queen Mother would not give it, and now Concubine Ling just found an excuse to hide in Qingshan Temple, everyone tacitly knew that the Queen Mother actually gave all those brocades directly to Concubine Ling?

Before Concubine Ling was grateful, Concubine Chen on the side hid her face and smiled: "Sister Concubine Ling doesn't know, the Queen Mother is precious to these brocades, a few days ago, Concubine Liang wanted to ask the Queen Mother for a reward, but the Queen Mother didn't even reward a horse." ”

As soon as Concubine Chen's voice fell, she saw Concubine Liang, who was sitting beside Concubine Ling, suddenly her face sank, this Concubine Chen was skillful in speaking, holding a queen mother, and holding a concubine Ling, but she didn't forget to step on Concubine Liang's foot, Concubine Liang thought that this had nothing to do with her, but she forced Concubine Chen to pull in.

Concubine Liang opened her mouth, and saw Concubine Ling holding the wine cup and raising her glass to the Queen Mother: "Thank you for the grace of the Queen Mother, the concubine is grateful." ”

After finishing speaking, she took the lead in drinking the wine in the cup, but she also blocked the words in her lungs.

The Queen Mother glanced at Concubine Ling sideways, her eyes flickering.