The day in September is slightly cool, the day has been like the feeling of walking through the water, the night is even colder, the whirring cold wind whistling through Chang'an City, the noisy Chang'an finally quieted down, the palace maids and eunuchs on duty in the palace added a lot of clothes to their bodies, the vast sky only bends a small moon alone, like a pearl in the dark.

The whole Chang'an City is very quiet, perhaps the reason for the fall of night, the people's homes are sleeping with the lights out. The palace seems to be draped in a black veil, hazy and faint, and there are palace lamps lit in a few corners, and the black night sky seems to be talking to it wordlessly.

The shadows of the trees in the courtyard of Changle Palace are swaying, like a girl dancing in the dark, and the palace is brightly lit. Empress Lu didn't sleep, and Liu Bang, who went to Zhengguoqu to check the water conservancy situation, didn't come back until about 1 o'clock this afternoon, and the group was tired and tired. Empress Lu knew the news of the emperor's return in advance, so he instructed the cooks to make something and wait, and wait for him to come back to eat, but Liu Bang only ordered someone to come over and tell Empress Lu, saying that she would not come today, and don't prepare anything, so she should rest early and come back another day. Looking at the dishes full of several cases, Lu Hou gritted his teeth angrily, put his hands on the cases, stared at the cases without moving, and exhaled an uneven breath.

Faintly, someone outside the palace was talking, the footsteps were getting closer and closer, Lu Hou's eyes lit up, his depressed face changed to a smile, he got up and ran to meet him outside the palace gate, but before he arrived at the door, it was Dai Qing and the two housekeepers who came in, the two housekeepers carried an incense burner in their hands, and the original excited and surprised expression on Lv Hou's face instantly turned into loss, and he glanced at the incense burner blankly and immediately looked away.

Seeing that it was not Liu Bang, Lu Hou walked back a little disappointed. Dai Qing presented: "Niangniang, this is the wrong gold carved red sandalwood incense burner sent by the emperor, the emperor sent someone to make it for you, and the other ladies and beauties do not have it, it is the only one." ”

Dai Qing saw that Empress Lu was unhappy, so he tried his best to change the topic to make Empress Lu happy.

Empress Lu stopped walking but did not look back at the incense burner, but just looked up and tried to bring the tears back into her eyes. Since returning to Guanzhong, Liu Bang gave her too many things, giving her a batch of beautiful Xiongnu BMWs, Qi coral carvings, Chu double beasts ring-eared Dading, Yan deer antlers, Liu Bang gave all the best and most bizarre things in the world to Empress Lu.

Empress Lu's eyes flashed with tears, not because she was moved, but because she knew that Liu Bang wanted to compensate her with these material things, but what she was waiting for was Liu Bang's warm and generous shoulders.

"This palace doesn't want his things, this palace only needs to ......" Empress Lu was very disgusted, disgusted and helpless, hated so much that the roots of her teeth itched, her fingers were clenched together, squeaked, and finally raised her head and said angrily, "Don't blame me one day." There was a trace of killing in his eyes, and the angry Empress Lu stood trembling in place, and finally sat on the couch, still calmly suppressed his anger and said, "Take it away for the palace, don't show it to the palace, take it away, take it away, take it away." ”

Desperately retracting her tears, Empress Lu still didn't look at the incense burner that Liu Bang gave her, she didn't want to see Liu Bang send something to her, she knew that what she sent was his guilt and her own loss.

"Go down, I'm tired." Lu Hou sat sideways on the empty bed, dazed and sad.

Dai Qing saw that she was unhappy, so she didn't dare to say more and bother, so she wanted to go down, and the two people had already gone out, and they were about to step out of the hall.

"Dai Qing and so on." Empress Lu called Dai Qing, who was just about to walk out of the hall, and she pulled back her foot to look at Empress Lu.

"In the evening, if the emperor comes up, you will block it for me." After saying that, he lay down with his head upside down and turned his face to the side.

"Niangniang, this ......" Dai Qing was puzzled, in the past, Empress Lu often hoped that the emperor would come, so the arrangement really made Dai Qing puzzled. Do so. Lu Hou covered her head with a quilt, and vaguely but firmly pulled out two words from the quilt.

Dai Qing had to agree, and went out with the housekeeper to get the incense burner sent by Liu Bang to the Xuanyuan Hall as before, the hall was full of things sent by Liu Bang, and there was no place to put them, looking at these things, Dai Qing sighed and shook his head, and then returned to his room.

Ichthyamo Palace.

Mrs. Qi chatted with Liu Ruyi after dinner, and then asked Zhen'er to take Ruyi down to rest. Jing Tian stayed to serve Mrs. Qi to bed, the emperor was tired all the way, and he came back for only two hours, I heard that he rested in the Longevity Hall for a while, and he couldn't wake him up with dinner at night, so he thought that the emperor would not come tonight, so he took off his makeup and prepared to sleep.

Mrs. Qi sat in front of the yellowish lamp and played with her black hair, and looked at herself in the bronze mirror, watching carefully, looking at her eyebrows and lips, Jing Leaned behind Mrs. Qi and combed her hair.

"Madame's hair is black and shiny, like a handful of black silk in her hand." Jing said with a smile as he combed his hair.

Mrs. Qi smiled and lowered her head, did not speak, and still played with the hair in her hand.

Outside, there was a sound of footsteps, and then a little palace maid came in to report: "Madam, the emperor is here." ”

As soon as she heard that the emperor was coming, Mrs. Qi looked up and was stunned for a while, and soon her face was full of happiness and surprise, just like a woman who was weaving and washing clothes at home waiting for her husband who was working outside the home to come back. In a hurry, he hurriedly asked Jing Tian to help him comb his hair, and he was also tidying up his face as quickly as possible, his eyebrows were shaking, and the excitement in his heart was naturally indescribable.

"Hurry up, Tilt." Because of her excitement, Mrs. Qi called Jing Tilt for the first time in the world.

Jing Tian was stunned for a moment, and continued to comb Mrs. Qi's hair, but before he could comb it, Liu Bang strode in, and saw that his beloved woman was in a hurry for his arrival, and opened his voice and laughed.

Half of the makeup was done, and Mrs. Qi couldn't care about dressing up, so she hurriedly knelt down with Jing Tian to participate in the ceremony: "Concubine, see ......" Before she finished speaking, she was helped up by a pair of big hands, "Madam, we don't have to pay attention to these etiquettes." It was Liu Bang who stepped forward to help Mrs. Qi, who was about to bow down.

"Jing Tian also get up." The two of them helped each other to the bed, leaving Jing Tian with such a sentence, and Jing Tian also got up and stood aside to serve at any time.

"The emperor has just come back from checking the downstream of Zheng Guoqu, and he thinks that the emperor will have to rest when he is tired. How did you come to the concubine? Mrs. Qi asked Liu Bang, who hugged her tightly in her arms, with a sideways face, but she was very happy in her heart, and said next to Liu Bang's chest, "The queen has already prepared a rich flavor there, and the emperor has been there?" ”

Liu Bang pushed her away and looked at her with a smile, "Don't you want me to come to you?" Then I'll leave now. After that, he let go of Mrs. Qi's shoulders and pretended to get up and leave, but Mrs. Qi was tightly wrapped around her waist from behind, "The concubine doesn't want the emperor to leave, just stay with me forever." Hot clinging to Liu Bang's wide back, she felt that his back was so solid, warm and secure, and the familiar smell of his body like an old wine. After staying for a long time, Jing Tian turned around and blushed and didn't dare to look more, and took a few more steps behind the pillar to avoid them.

Liu Bang smiled, his rough hand gently patted her hand on his waist, untied it, turned to face Mrs. Qi, the more she looked at it, the more beautiful it became, Mrs. Qi shyly moved her eyes away from Liu Bang's sight and looked away, the two of them looked like a young couple who had just finished marriage.

"How about a dance for me?" Liu Bang held her cheeks with both hands and prayed, "I've been busy lately, I haven't listened to my wife's singing, I haven't seen my wife's dance, I really miss it." ”

Mrs. Qi's beautiful eyes stared at Liu Bang tightly, his eyes were like an order that could not be refused, so he nodded affectionately. Turning to the middle of the main hall, without any costumes, he began to dance, only the candle flame was the companion dance, and the wind whistling outside the window was the admirer.

Liu Bang lay leisurely on the couch, admiring Mrs. Qi's stunt dance with a pleasant expression. Jing Tian saw Liu Bang's hands following Mrs. Qi's dance steps and unconsciously clapping his palms and singing harmony, and immediately brought a Xun for Liu Bang, Liu Bang raised his head and smiled at her, signaling her to go down, Jing Tian also looked forward to talking to Yun He Xiuyue, and left.

Only Liu Bang and Mrs. Qi are left in the main hall, Liu Bang is blowing Xun, the tune is "The Book of Poetry, Mandarin Ducks", Mrs. Qi is dancing, the dance is called the Sleeves and Bending Waist Dance.

Yellow candles, pale gauze, bright floors, beautiful songs, beloved people. Mrs. Qi's quicksand-like silk skirt is like a fairy and a god floating misty, the cloud sleeves are lightly swinging like a butterfly dance, the slender waist is slowly floating pink ribbon, with the music played by Liu Bang, the posture is graceful and dancing, like a fallen leaf swaying in the air, like a flower in the bush writhing with the wind, the skirt is rippling like a peony about to bloom, three thousand green silk swings around, the skirt pleats are like snow and moonlight, the gait is light and soft, and the eyes of the two are tight and do not leave each other for a moment. The song says:

"Mandarin ducks are flying, and they are Luo. A gentleman for ten thousand years, Fu Lu should be.

The mandarin duck is on the beam, and the left flank is on the left. A gentleman for ten thousand years, it is advisable to be blessed.

Ride a horse in the stable, destroy it. Ten thousand years for a gentleman, Fu Lu Ai.

Riding a horse in the stable, the straw destroys it. Ten thousand years for a gentleman, Fu Lu Suizhi. ”

……

This is the song of "The Book of Songs: Mandarin Ducks". The first and second chapters use the rise of the mandarin duck as a metaphor for the love of husband and wife, the mandarin duck flies together, the two love each other, even if they encounter hardship, they do not fly separately, they are in pairs, and they are unswerving; The last two chapters use the metaphor of destroying the straw and riding a horse to welcome the gift, the talent and the appearance of the woman, and the longing for the beauty and richness of life.

As soon as Mrs. Qi's singing sounded, the stone pillars in the main hall immediately lingered, and it was heard for a long time, and the sound of the yellow bird and the phoenix were transmitted to other palaces and pavilions of the Yuzao Palace, attracting the eunuchs and clothes of the palace people who had fallen asleep to come to the main hall of the Yuzao Palace to watch secretly.

Mrs. Qi was as excited as drinking alcohol, and wanted to jump out of her own sleeves and bend her waist, but she stepped on the skirt and was about to fall, Liu Bang couldn't care about the music, put down Xun, and stepped forward to hug Mrs. Qi who was about to fall to the ground, Mrs. Qi followed the pull of his hand, and she was safely embraced by Liu Bang in her arms. Staying in place for a moment, Mrs. Qi suddenly understood that the emperor was the person who loved her the most, and the person who could give her the most sense of security, and the only person she relied on, and her bright eyes were full of attachment to the emperor. But seeing that the emperor's sideburns had more silver threads, his eyes were no longer as bright as before, and the wrinkles on his forehead had crawled a few more, and suddenly a feeling of cherishing him made Mrs. Qi's heart suddenly feel a little sour.

"Your Majesty, the concubine hopes that the Han Dynasty will be like a night, the concubine hopes that the people of the world will have enough food and clothing, and the concubine hopes that the princes of the four seas will work together to govern the country and create a prosperous world together, and there will be no more conquest and suffering." Mrs. Qi put her arms around Liu Bang's neck and said to Liu Bang solemnly for a moment.

Liu Bang was stunned when he heard this, and then smiled, "Why did you talk about this?" ”

Mrs. Qi snuggled in Liu Bang's arms with a sad face, he was old. He opened the Han Dynasty, he pacified the rebellion of the princes of the four seas, he established a country that was admired by the people of Li, his merits were not under the three emperors and five emperors, but he gradually grew old, and even his successor was wavering, and he was depressed in his heart. As an emperor for several years, he has to go out every year, go east to Luoyang or other counties every month to check, issue edicts to govern the people's livelihood, and many busy state affairs, and finally hone him more and more firmly and experienced in the long river of years, but also hone his aging body. Mrs. Qi felt a lot of uneasiness in her heart, but she didn't dare to say it clearly.

Liu Bang picked up Mrs. Qi, who was stunned in his arms, and Mrs. Qi leaned her side face on Liu Bang's chest, letting him carry herself to the bed. He put Qi Ji on the bed and took off his shoes himself.

Mrs. Qi closed her eyes melancholy, and her eyelashes moved up and down due to the troubles in her heart. Liu Bang's breathing was getting closer and closer, and the warm lips had already been imprinted on Mrs. Qi's lips, soft, soft, Liu Bang held Mrs. Qi's cheek and kissed it, and then slid to her ear, neck, and then took off her clothes for her, Mrs. Qi leaned on him with a sad face, and finally wrapped around Liu Bang's waist again as before.

After the two of them turned over the clouds, Liu Bang put his arm around Mrs. Qi with one hand, let her lean on his chest, and pressed the other hand under his head.

"Your Majesty, do you still have love for the queen?" Mrs. Qi asked, playing with the hair on Liu Bang's shoulder.

Liu Bang was stunned for a moment, rubbed his nose with the hand under his head, turned his head to Mrs. Qi, frowned, and said silently for a long time, "When I married her, she experienced countless hardships for me, and I should be grateful, without her, there would be no big man." Love ......" said that there was no sound here, and Liu Bang smiled for a long time and said, "Husband and wife who are in distress together, how can they once love vigorously like glue." ”

Mrs. Qi figured out the meaning of Liu Bang's words, when the husband and wife had been through hardships together, they were once vigorous and glue-like, and the voice behind the words was that now there is no past feelings? Mrs. Qi immediately raised her eyebrows, broke away from Liu Bang's embrace, turned over and lay on his shoulder, the green silk scattered on Liu Bang's chest, and asked coquettishly, "Is the emperor willing not to be separated from his concubine Bai Shou?" ”

Liu Bang stared at her for a moment, then smiled, patted her shoulder, and swore an appearance, "Mandarin ducks are flying, never abandoning, life and death meet, and they will experience white heads together." ”

Mrs. Qi smiled happily and put her face on Liu Bang's chest with joy. As soon as the words fell, Liu Bang sighed lightly and closed his tired eyes with a guilty face, remembering that he had said such a thing to Empress Lu, which was said on the top of Mount Tai, and it was also 'the hand of the son, meet the elderly', but now it has been replaced by Qi Yi. His face was full of guilt, and he spread his five fingers with one hand to cover his face so that others would not see his guilt.

Mrs. Qi lay on Liu Bang's shoulder and stopped talking, her fingers gently playing with his hair.

Seeing that she stopped talking, Liu Bang held her on the pillow with one hand, looked at her with the other, and asked, "What do you think, so obsessed." ”

Qi Ji remembered that she had seen a lot more gray hair on Liu Bang's temples just now, and immediately frowned, pursed her lips and asked tentatively, "When will the emperor let Ruyi be the prince, the concubine doesn't want to die in the hands of the queen in the end." ”

Liu Bang was stunned, his eyebrows raised, his tongue licked his teeth, his face sank, it was true that he hadn't thought about it for a while, a small change of savings last year had subsided, and he didn't want to make any waves. But he knew Empress Lu's temperament very well, and he was indeed afraid that after his death, Qi Ji would be brutally killed by Empress Lu, so he thought for a long time, sighed, and continued to perfunctory, "I will consider this matter, and I will look at it when the wine is not young." Queen, she's still very good to you, you're sick, and she's coming to see you. Liu Bang smiled, wanting to dilute Qi Ji's hurried and panicked thoughts, not wanting to make Qi Ji so nervous, knowing that he was lying to Qi Ji when he said this, but it could only be like this.