The close attendants were usually on duty at the ceremonial platform and other official offices not far from the Chengqian Palace, and because the Huangmen squire was a scholar but served in the palace, Gu Yan ordered someone to set up a hut for Shen Zi in the apse. The room is not big, with a wooden table, a wooden chair, and a bookcase, but it is only a screen away from the Xuanzheng room where Gu Yan reviews documents every day.

For a whole day, the only thing Shen Zi'an did was to lie on the desk, prick up his ears, and listen to the sound of the screen on the other side of the screen. As he expected, Gu Yan didn't send him to do anything, and he didn't even see him. But even if it was just that, by the time it was time to respond, Shen Zi'an was already exhausted.

When Rong Xing came in with a thick stack of songs, Shen Zi'an was holding his head, staring at the intricate patterns on the screen in a daze.

"Why is Childe stunned again?" Rong Xing put the song on Shen Zi'an's table and said with a smile.

"Shh Shen Zi'an was so frightened that he almost jumped up, and hurriedly wanted to cover his mouth.

Seeing him like this, Rong Xing was even more happy, "What are you nervous about, the king has already left." ”

When Shen Zi'an heard this, he immediately lay on the table again as if he had lost his strength, and said coyly, "I said why there is no sound at all." ”

"The king said, Childe should familiarize himself with the previous documents these days." Rong Xing laughed.

"Thank you, Brother Rong, for helping me move here." Shen Zi'an looked up at the stacks of booklets that were almost above his head, and suddenly missed the days in the courtyard outside the city.

The two went back to the side room of Xingchang Palace together, Rong Xing brought hot soup and rice, and asked, "Is the son hungry?" ”

As soon as Shen Zi'an sat down, his stomach made a gurgling sound, thin and long. Rong Xing smiled and looked at his embarrassed appearance, put the rice porridge in front of him, and was about to stand aside and wait.

"Brother Rong will eat together?" Shen Zi'an looked up at him.

"How can I have a reason to eat with my son."

Qi Guo is especially particular about his background, even if ordinary people are hard, they will never let their children suffer and then send them to the royal city to be templemen. Most of the people who have embarked on this path have reached the end of their rope and have no choice. Life is not expensive, the body is not complete, so the temple people who have purified the body have always been disdainful, even if they climb to a high position one day, they are still a high body. It's become a common rule.

"What's the matter? I'm eating alone, it's boring. Shen Zi'an grabbed Rong Xing's sleeve, pressed him to the chair, and said with a smile.

Rong Xing picked up the dishes and chopsticks, cramped for a long time, and said, "A few days ago, I heard people in Gongzi's mansion say that Gongzi can't eat heavy oil and salt, so he asked the Taiguan to make the food lighter, I don't know if I am used to eating?" ”

"Brother Rong doesn't have to be so troublesome, what others eat, I can eat."

"Don't bother, if something is wrong with the son, how can I explain it?" Rong Xing laughed.

Shen Zi'an lowered his head and drank half a bowl of porridge in a sullen voice, thought for a moment, and asked, "Why is Brother Rong so good to me?" ”

Rong Xing seemed to have an answer in his heart, and he didn't want to say it, "I said when we met, Gongzi will become a big thing in the future, and when that day comes, I hope Gongzi will carry me." ”

Shen Zi'an thought that Rong Xing would say something "where the duty is, no regrets", but he had never had a friendship before, and he had only known each other for two days, so he didn't believe it if he was close to him. Now that I hear this undisguised selfish answer, I feel more real. "It's not easy for me to live, how can I get things done?" Shen Zi'an said with a smile.

Rong Xing seemed to guess his answer, and asked, "Childe doesn't want to be famous?" ”

"I'm not a competitive person, the king looks up to me and uses me to do things, although I have no strengths, but I can only repay with conscientiousness, that's all." For some reason, Shen Zi'an more or less believed Gu Xuan's words at this time.

"Doesn't Childe want to pursue what happened ten years ago?"

Shen Zi'an knew that Rong Xing was looking at him with his spare eyes, even so, he still had a pause in his hand, and after a while, he smiled, "I don't understand what Brother Rong said, it's obvious that I accidentally fell into the lake myself, how can I investigate it?" ”

Rong Xing's eyes were obscure for a while, "It's me who talks too much, and I hope that Gongzi won't take it to heart." ”

Shen Zi'an took another chopstick to stir-fry the cabbage sum, thought for a while, and asked, "Does Brother Rong have any favorite food?" ”

"It's not easy for people like me to have something to eat, and I don't like to eat or not. Does Childe have any preferences? ”

"I'm more of a fan of pastries. Speaking of which, in the past, I used to make wine-stuffed rice cakes at home, although it was just ordinary food, but the taste was also remarkable. When I went home this time, I asked the master at home to make some and bring them to Brother Rong to taste. ”

"Thank you for thinking of me." Rongxing always looks polite on weekdays, although it is considerate, but it is also a little unreal. It's as if he doesn't have the slightest emotion of his own, and was born to take care of others. However, at this moment, Shen Zi'an saw that a glimmer of light suddenly burst out in his eyes, and even his voice was different from before.

Gu Xuan, will things really be as you expected? Shen Zi'an suddenly didn't know whether he hoped or didn't want this.

That night, the man did not come.

Early the next morning, Rong Xing didn't know where he heard the news, and when he was helping Shen Zi'an to freshen up and change clothes, he intentionally or unintentionally mentioned that Gu Heng would return to the palace this morning. Shen Zi'an didn't answer, Rong Xing said a word, and he responded. Rong Xing saw that he was not interested, so he didn't say more.

Just like the day before, Shen Zi'an stayed in that room for a day. When it was about to darken, the documents that had been read on the table had been piled up into hills, and Shen Zi'an got up and walked out of the Chengqian Hall with Rongxing.

As soon as he approached the residence, he saw two rows of black-armored forbidden soldiers standing on both sides of the road with halberds, and a group of attendants and palace maids waiting in front of the side room with their hands down. Although Shen Zi'an also lives in Xingchang Palace, this side room is far away from the main room, so as long as he doesn't pay attention to it, Shen Zi'an doesn't know Gu Yan's daily whereabouts, let alone see the current scene of knotting and riding.

The sharp-eyed temple man saw the two of them, hurriedly greeted them, and said in a sharp voice, "Shen Shilang is back, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you in the house." ”

Really.

Shen Zi'an thanked him and walked a few steps into the house. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Gu Heng wearing a black satin robe, embroidered with brocade auspicious cloud patterns, a dark green waist seal on his waist, a blue and white jade flute on his head, his face was like an autumn moon, his long body was jade, and he was standing in front of the window with his hands in his hands.

Suave and elegant, extravagant.

"The house where Shen Shilang lives is also a little smaller." Hearing the sound of Shen Zi'an pushing the door and lifting the curtain, Gu Heng turned his head and smiled at him.

Shen Zi'an bowed down and said, "I don't know that Your Highness is coming, and I miss the welcome, and I hope that Your Highness will atone for your sins." ”

"All this red tape is gone." Gu Heng turned around and sat on the chair next to the bookcase and said, "You and I don't have to be polite, sit down." ”

Since Gu Heng said so, Shen Zi'an was no longer polite, said "yes", and sat on the chair next to him.

"In the future, you will definitely be in the market here, and you won't even have a place to meet guests, how can you do it? The next time I see my father, I'll have to judge him. Gu Yan said with a smile.

"Your Highness laughed, I'm just a small Lang official, how can I come to the court to talk about it?"

"Why not? The first time I saw you, it was in ......" Gu Heng thought for a moment and said, "It's in the back garden." Amazing at first sight, goodbye still. You've been much smarter than other children since you were a child, and I'm afraid that in the future, I'll have to come here to ask for advice. ”

It is in front of Shaoyang Palace.

Shen Zi'an remembered it much more clearly than Gu Heng.

Watching Gu Heng's mouth open and close, Shen Zi'an once again recalled the despair that went deep into the bone marrow that night. The high fever that lasted for the next few days, the injuries and illnesses that plagued him for several years, and the ambition of a general that he could not reach in his life were all thanks to the man in front of him. If there is any ironclad evidence to prove that Gu Heng sent someone to push him into the water, Shen Zi'an did not. But who else but him?

Shen Zi'an thought that he could let go of that past. However, at this moment, in this situation, there is a thought in his mind that is growing wildly and shouting.

I can't get by.

Gu Heng, I may never be able to forgive you.

Seeing that Shen Zi'an was smiling and silent, Gu Heng clapped his hands and said to the attendants on the side, "Take it." ”

In a few moments, the attendant brought a very delicate bamboo locket to the table. Gu Heng untied the ribbon on it, lifted the lid of the box, and said with a smile, "On my way back to the palace, I happened to pass by a shop, and I heard that his pastries are the most famous in Pingjing City. I didn't know what Shen Shilang liked to eat, so I bought a few of them on my own initiative. ”

Shen Zi'an smiled, "Your Highness, how can I afford such a big gift?" ”

"A few pieces of pastry, insignificant."

"How does Your Highness know that I love pastries?" Shen Zi'an raised his eyes to look at him.

"Since you are here to visit, you must be prepared." Gu Heng smiled, "Your eldest brother has been by my side for many years, not to mention asking specifically, I have been talking about you more or less over the years." Zi Zheng loves you very much. ”

Shen Zi'an glanced at Rong Xing quietly, and seeing that his face had not changed, he asked Gu Heng again, "I heard that His Royal Highness went to pray for the prince and grandson?" ”

Speaking of Gu Yuanqi, Gu Heng's face suddenly had a trace of sadness, "Yes, somehow, this child has been sick for half a month." If you want to say how serious the illness is, there is no such thing, but I have an intermittent fever every day, and I don't get better after taking various medicines. It's sad too. ”

"Your Highness is relieved. The king and grandson are blessed by heaven, and His Royal Highness prays for him, and he will definitely be healed. ”

"I want you to say good things." Gu Heng smiled, "If he is well, I will definitely let him come to thank him." ”

"Don't dare."

It was getting late, and Shen Zi'an began to worry a little about whether that person would suddenly jump in through the back window. It's fun to jump in in public. Of course, he is going to be unlucky, and that person will not end well. But when the six eyes met, Gu Heng's stunned expression was not a good show.

Gu Heng saw that his expression was distant, and he thought that Shen Zizheng had mentioned before that his younger brother was sick and had a slightly strange temperament, so he felt that he had stayed for a longer time, so he got up and said, "Shen Shilang is also tired, I also have to go to see Yuan Qi, so I will come here first today." He'll come back when he's free. ”

Shen Zi'an didn't keep him, gave him a polite hand, and sent him out.

At night, the city of Mukden was like a giant beast lurking in the dark, solemn and terrifying. Occasionally, the Forbidden Army patrolled with torches, disturbing the crows in the treetops, and their rough and hoarse cries echoed through the palace, sending chills down the backs. Gu Xuan and Shen Zi'an are like a candle in this endless night. There are thousands of people in the palace, and they are in it, although they are alone, but there is still an old person who can see each other.

But until the moon went to the west building, Gu Xuan did not come.

Shen Zi'an stood in front of the window for a while, and finally decided to go to bed. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a fluttering sound when he saw a small blue bird landing on the edge of the window.

This bird's eyes are very familiar, could it be that the "rumors" have come to the letter again? Shen Zi'an's eyes lit up.

When I grabbed it, I saw that there was indeed a folded note tied to the blue bird's leg. Shen Zi'an took down the note, looked around, and took advantage of the fact that no one was working, and as soon as he handed it away, the letter bird flapped its wings and disappeared into the night.

"Zi'an, I haven't seen you for months, and I miss it very much. Fifteen is coming, I have prepared heather wine, can I come and get together? ”

Shen Zi'an folded the note back to its original state, clipped it in the book on the case, recalled the content of the letter, and couldn't help but lean back on the chair and cover his mouth and laugh.

"I haven't seen it all day, but I haven't seen it for a month, so how can I say it's a few months? What fifteen is coming, I'm afraid I want to drink and no one accompanies me. ”