Empress Wu picked up the silk paper with her slender nails, and unfolded it with a shake of her hand, only to see a few lines of heroic characters written on it, which was Xiuwu's handwriting.

"This is a poem that the slave maid overheard in the palace recently, and I specially copied it down for the mother to read." Xiuwu spoke softly.

"The moon is full of the window, and the white clouds are flying. The book leads to the vine as a frame, and people will make clothes with swepters. Empress Wu lightly opened her lips, read out word by word, about touched her heart, and praised, "It's also rare to be in the palace, there is such an open-minded reward in the mountains and forests." ”

Xiuwu seemed to unintentionally echo and said: "This woman is familiar with poetry and books, not only can she recite poems and compose, but she is also knowledgeable and intelligent. ”

"I'm going to ask who it is, so that Erniang can not hesitate to say this beautiful word." Empress Wu instructed the maid to put away the silk paper and sit on the couch, obviously asking a joke, but her eyebrows and eyes revealed majesty.

Xiuwu's face was calm, and she replied calmly: "Yeting Palace maid, Shangguan Wan'er." ”

As soon as she heard this surname, Empress Wu actually sneered: "Who should I be?" He picked up a yellow mandarin and slowly peeled it while elongating his voice, "But the girl of Shangguan Yi's family?" ”

"Exactly." Xiuwu didn't say much.

"I think back then, Shangguan Yi's poems were dominant, and I was also impressed by him, but it's a pity that ......" Empress Wu stopped here, broke out a petal of citrus, and carefully tore the white meridians covering it.

Xiuwu didn't say a word, and stood with his hands down.

"Okay, why be restrained...... His granddaughter must not be too bad. Empress Wu's words were like a perfunctory sentence, and she said while chewing, "The yellow mandarin tribute in Shu is still too sweet!" ”

Xiuwu then took over the conversation: "I think it's still more like Lu Tangerine's Niangniang." ”

"Or Erniang understands me," Empress Wu said a meaningful word, just a twist, and there was a cold light in her eyes, "Do you want to recommend this Shangguan Wan'er?" ”

Xiuwu raised her head slightly, said half of what she thought in her heart, and hid half of it: "The slave maid doesn't dare, it's just that this Wan'er is quite famous in the court, and I heard that the old bachelor Gu of the Inner Literature Museum is also very respectful, which makes the slave and maid inevitably curious." But now that I think about it, it's just that some palace people have shallow knowledge, and it's really not worth talking about it in front of Niangniang. ”

Empress Wu smiled, but immediately restrained: "Old Master Gu is not a person with shallow knowledge as you say. ”

"It's the slave who said the wrong thing." Xiuwu hurriedly corrected.

Empress Wu put down the citrus in her hand, and said slowly: "Erniang, I'm not picking on the mistakes in your words, I understand what you mean." But Shangguan Wan'er is no one else, if one day she learns about her background, how will she feel? It's not that I'm afraid of that, but I don't know if this woman's temperament is really worth the risk, you know, I've never been willing to do toss-ups, and I hate people the most. However, Erniang has always been cautious in doing things, and she must be confident. ”

Xiuwu had the bottom in her heart, and resolutely said: "Please rest assured, the slave will investigate many ways for the mother, and will never do that frivolous and clever thing." ”

Empress Wu hummed lightly, stretched out a hand, and the maid next to her hurriedly stepped forward to support her, "I'm tired, I want to rest for a while." ”

Xiuwu lowered her head: "The slave and maid retreated." ”

With the support of the maidservant, Empress Wu turned around and slowly walked into the curtains of the inner hall, perhaps a gust of wind carried by the corners of the skirt, rolling up the layers of layered, light and wing-like curtains, rising in mid-air, and never falling for a long time.

Through the hazy swaying curtains, Empress Wu seemed to see the gray sky that belonged to her many years ago. She was only fourteen years old at the time, living in an inconspicuous corner of the court, and a childish face and a fearless heart were all that. She remembered her mother's heartbroken cry before entering the palace, and she felt very incomprehensible at that time.

"A-Niang, why are you crying, I'm going to the palace, not to hell." She said this to her mother. But my mother cried even harder.

"This palace is not hell." Empress Wu suddenly said.

"Queen Mother, what do you say, what do you command?" The maid asked timidly.

Empress Wu was not angry: "I didn't say anything, and you don't understand what I said." ”