The second prince also sat down at the table, his face was slightly pale, and he had a cool air on his body.

Baozhu took the hot tea from the palace people and handed it over, and then took a vermilion lacquer plum blossom box. When he opened the lid of the box, Xiao Dong smelled a sweet aroma. It contains peanut sesame candy, osmanthus pine nut candy, rose white cake slices, small soufflé kernels, salt pine nuts and sugar chestnuts.

The second prince picked up the teacup and asked casually: "Father is still in the study?" ”

Baozhu replied: "Yes, the second prince has something to ask to see the emperor?" Is there something going on in school? ”

"No, no, it's not." "I woke up this morning with a headache, so I didn't go to school," he said. ”

"Yo, did you pass on the Imperial Doctor?"

"No, just take a break."

Xiao Dong used his more than ten years of study in his previous life, and he could completely conclude that the two princes were pretending to be sick and skipping school.

Baozhu didn't say anything more, and peeled chestnuts for Xiaodong on the side. This thing is real, it feels heavy to eat, and Xiaodong feels that he can't eat it after eating two chestnut kernels. Baozhu asked: "I don't know if the county lord is used to drinking this tea?" Do you want someone to make honey tea? ”

Xiao Dong nodded again and again.

Although it is said that eating too many sweets will make you fat and bad teeth, she still likes it.

The sweet taste can make people forget a lot of troubles and feel better.

Then he ordered the tea to be served, and then he knelt on one side.

The second prince looked at Xiao Dong several times and asked softly, "What is the little county lord doing here?" ”

Xiao Dong looked at him, and when the second prince thought she couldn't answer, Xiao Dong said, "Wait for Dad." ”

Her voice was crisp and weak, like a newborn thrush.

The second prince was stunned for a moment: "Uncle An is also in the study?" ”

It's not nonsense.

Xiao Dong grabbed a handful of candy and handed it to him: "Give it to you." ”

The second prince's face suddenly -

"Eat, it's delicious."

He slowly reached over and took the candy.

Originally, the sugar was already a little hot by the charcoal stove, and it was grabbed by Xiao Dong, and it was a little sticky. The second prince grabbed a handful of sticky candy like this, and he didn't throw it, but he didn't eat it, and his face became more exciting and rich.

Children who skip school are always weak and generally don't dare to go home, so they just wander the streets. This second prince didn't know that he had been in this side hall for a long time, and his hands were really cold.

As soon as the second prince sat down, Xiaodong was embarrassed to dry her feet anymore, and Baozhu came over to put on her shoes. Xiao Dong's shoes are embroidered with a golden red fat fish on each tip, and the fish mouth also holds a pearl, which is exquisite.

The second prince knew that he shouldn't see more, although they were cousins and sisters, but there was a difference between men and women. But the shoes didn't seem to be half the size of his palm, and the white velvet socks were so cute.

Xiaodong didn't care, she also liked these shoes very much, even if they were inlaid with pearls, they were too luxurious. The heat of the charcoal stove made her little face red, and the second prince only felt that this little county lord was well-behaved and beautiful, much cuter than the golden boy and jade girl doll in the painting. It's much closer than those royal sisters who are not close and arrogant.

The mother of the second prince was originally from the palace, from a humble background, and was named Zhaorong after giving birth to the prince, he was neither very beautiful, but also no longer young, and the status of the second prince was not much valued, but he had a good temper, and the people in the palace were not very afraid of him.

Baozhu asked him in a low voice, "Why doesn't the second prince like to read?" It's been a lot of trouble in the past six months, right? ”

The second prince was asked by her, and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I just can't read it-"

"Then go and peek at the martial arts archery, you will never get tired of it?"

The second prince was a little embarrassed: "Archery is interesting." ”

Xiao Dong understands him very well, compared with dry reading, riding a horse and archery is of course more temperamental to boys, but the atmosphere at this time seems to be heavy on literature and light on martial arts. The fact that a dignified son falls in love with a sword and a stick is certainly not a decent thing.

The second prince sat for a while and left first, and King An talked with the emperor for more than half an hour, and it was almost noon before he came to pick up Xiaodong.

"Go home?"

King An shook his head: "Let's go see the Queen Mother, and then go back to the house." ”

Xiao Dong nodded, and Gonggong He caught up from behind, and said with a smile: "Lord, the emperor has ordered." It's cold, if the prince and the county lord want to go to Changchun Palace, please take a ride. ”

He beckoned, and sure enough, a chariot came up.

King An said, "It is not in accordance with the courtesy." ”

Xiao Dongyan couldn't sit on his feet, and he had to walk on his own two short legs.

King An glanced at her, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, took her hand, and walked forward slowly.

In Changchun Palace lived the Empress Dowager Shengci, the biological mother of the emperor and King An.

Even in front of her own son, the Empress Dowager Shengci is indifferent. Her face was covered with a thin layer of powder, without rouge, and she looked slightly pale. She only wears a plain hosta on her head, which is no different from the makeup of an ordinary widowed woman. The name of Changchun Palace is Changchun, but it is cold and lonely here, and even the palace maids and eunuchs seem to be less silent than other places. Compared to the flowers and laughter of the Empress Dowager Shotoku, this place is simply ...... It's like a temple in the world.

"Stay—let's have lunch and then go."

The Empress Dowager Shengci's words were not hot at all, dry, and sounded very reluctant.

King An said: "Thank you to the queen mother, it's just that the previous dynasty was busy, and the heavy snow in several cities in Shannan became a disaster......"

The implication is that I won't eat this meal.

The Empress Dowager Shengci was not reluctant, she didn't even give a smile from beginning to end, except for asking Xiaodong at the beginning if she was cold or tired, and she couldn't find anything to say.

"That'...... Go back early, and be careful on the way. ”

King An replied and said, "The queen mother should also take care of her body." ”

Mother and son, grandparents and grandchildren, just said goodbye without a word.

The more Xiao Dong thought about it, the more wrong it became, why were this biological mother and son so alienated and indifferent to each other? If she didn't know, she would definitely think that the Empress Dowager Shengde was the mother of the emperor and King An.

After getting out of the Dongning Gate and getting into the sedan chair, Xiao Dong felt that his two feet were not his own. King An took her in his arms, lifted the sedan chair, and walked fast and steadily.

"Hungry, aren't you?"

Xiao Dong shook his head: "I'm not hungry." ”

I ate a lot of food when I was in the side hall.

King An hugged her, lifted the sedan curtain to take a look, and whispered: "When I was your age, I couldn't eat enough all day - at that time, my brother and I were raised in front of the queen...... I couldn't see my mother for a few days, and even if I did, I couldn't speak. After a long time, I don't know what to say......"

What he said seemed to be talking to himself, Xiaodong was still young, although he was telling her, he didn't expect her to understand, and it was more like he was talking to himself.

King An touched her hair, but plucked a broken pine nut shell from her hair: "What is this?" ”

Xiao Dong glanced at it: "Pine nuts." ”

King An smiled at the broken shell: "It's strange that I have to be hungry, I have eaten it secretly." Well, next time you steal it, remember to wipe your mouth clean. ”

Xiao Dong didn't know what he remembered again, the smile was so gentle-

Gentle, but a little melancholy.