The hand that had held the reins all night was rough, and Xuan Ye rubbed and rubbed on his body before he stroked Shu Shu's cheeks. He said to Sanger: "I know, so she drove me away. ”

They all know that the limit of Chenghu is approaching, and they are afraid that even the imperial grandmother has thought of it. But how to arrange all this, everyone naturally obeyed Shu Shu's arrangement.

And the result that Shu Shu asked for was nothing more than not to regard the death of the prince as a big thing, and not to affect the court because of this, just a child in the palace who failed to raise it.

"I want to go back to the Qianqing Palace, once the queen wakes up, you will come and tell me immediately." Xuan Ye said, "No matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, come and tell me immediately." ”

Sanger agreed, and led the emperor to see the second elder brother for the last time, Xuan Ye kissed his son's hand, with tears in his eyes: "It's the emperor Ama who failed to protect you, and he didn't protect your mother." ”

When leaving Kunning Palace, the wind howled outside the door, but the palace was full of lights, and the festivities were better than Chinese New Year's Eve, and in a few days, it was the 60th birthday of the Empress Dowager, for which the palace had been preparing for two years.

In the past two years, Xuan Ye has achieved the increase in the treasury and the expansion of the army under the excesses and miscellaneous taxes, and he has realized most of his political ideals.

However, the imperial grandmother was getting old and could not even attend her birthday banquet. Then the second elder brother died, and his beloved wife also fell ill. There are also the eldest brother, the third elder brother, and the poor daughter......

"Big plums." Walking towards the Qianqing Palace, Xuan Ye suddenly stopped.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Da Li Zi looked at the emperor sadly.

"My life, isn't it particularly hard?" Xuan Ye, "Children, are you ......?"

Da Li Zi knelt down in a panic: "Your Majesty, don't think so, there are not a few children who die young, although the brothers are precious, but after all, they are also mortal fetuses, and the children of the first emperor Taizong have also died young, Your Majesty, don't take it from yourself." ”

At this time, someone came in from the west gate of Kunning Palace, Ling Zhao was very surprised when he saw the emperor at first glance, and then looked at the emperor's expression, and guessed what she was worried about, and I didn't know why I opened my eyes early this morning, and I was uneasy.

"The concubine knocks on the emperor." Ling Zhao stepped forward and saluted and asked, "Your Majesty, when will you come back?" ”

Xuan Ye said: "Are you going to see the queen?" Don't go now, the queen is still asleep. ”

Ling Zhao lowered his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, is the second elder brother ......?"

Xuan Ye silently rolled up his sleeves and didn't say anything.

Ling Zhao said: "The queen mother instructed the concubines, if the second elder brother has a mistake and can't drink the birthday wine of the great grandmother, he must block the news first, and not mourn for the time being, and then discuss everything after the birthday of the queen mother." ”

Xuan Ye frowned and looked at her: "The queen is also kind to you?" ”

Ling Zhao bowed: "Yes, the queen mother explained so, so, so ......"

Xuan Ye: "The second elder brother is dead." ”

Ling Zhao trembled, and looked at Xuan Ye sadly: "Your Majesty? It's true? Why? ”

"I know, you like Chenghu." Xuan Ye, "Don't be too sad, you have worked hard for two years to organize a birthday banquet for the imperial grandmother, and I don't want anyone to disappoint you." Lingzhao, you go and get busy with you, in Kunning Palace, they will cook themselves. ”

Ling Zhao cried so much that he didn't know what to do, and Xuan Ye could only order Da Lizi: "Send Niang Niang back to the palace." ”

They left separately, Kunning Palace returned to tranquility, from the outside, everything was as before, even if some people guessed the situation inside, after all, they did not dare to conclude whether the second elder brother was alive or dead.

But in Kunning Palace, it was already full of holes, the queen fell asleep for a whole time, and the palace maids and eunuchs were all in a state of mind, for fear that something would happen to the queen and the second elder brother.

When Shu Shu finally woke up, his mind was blank, and he couldn't remember where he was for a while, couldn't remember what year or month, and even who he was, he was a little dazed.

After being overtired, a deep sleep heals the body, as if even the sadness has been erased.

But when she woke up for the first time, she saw Xuan Ye.

"Do you still want to sleep? Thirsty or not? Hungry or not? Xuan Ye said, "Let me let them go first, and ask them to come and serve you to wash, okay?" ”

"Chenghu ......" Shu Shu's memory recovered, and the pain of losing her son was breaking her heart, "Xuanye, I'm sorry." ”

Xuan Ye shook his head: "It's me who I'm sorry for you and my son, it's never your fault." ”

There was a sad smell in the dormitory, and Sanger silently withdrew from the door with hot water, and she saw the emperor holding the empress, and the thin man trembling in her husband's arms, but she still did not let herself cry.

"Sanger, is the mother awake?" Big Plum asked outside the door.

"It's great that the emperor can come back." Sanger said, "Otherwise, how will the mother survive." ”

Da Lizi: "It seems that Niangniang can't attend the Queen Mother's birthday banquet." ”

Sanger said: "Look at Niang Niang like this, how can she attend, if she wants to force a smile, it is too cruel." ”

Da Li Zi sighed: "Who is not, the emperor will definitely not force the mother." But in this way, this birthday banquet is really not decent enough, the queen mother and the queen do not "show" their faces, what they know is sick, and if they don't know, they should not get along with anyone. ”

At this moment, in Yikun Palace, the dinner sent by the imperial dining room was withdrawn as it was, and Ling Zhao was depressed and couldn't eat anything.

Such a lovely child, just left, when the eldest brother died, Ling Zhao had no waves in his heart, and now in retrospect, the queen's sadness at that time turned out to be true.

"I'm still throwing dirty water on her." Ling Zhao said to Dongyun, "Even though she has a thousand things that I don't like or even hate, she has never treated me badly, nor has she ever hurt me. ”

Dongyun said softly: "If this is really the case, the slave also thinks that the queen mother is a good person, but she has a conflict of interest with us and has a different position." ”

Ling Zhao smiled bitterly: "You are like this again now, you are the one who mutters in my ear on weekdays." ”

Dongyun: "That's not because the words of the slave can dissipate the grievances in your heart, and they don't necessarily call you out." ”

Ling Zhao glared at Dong Yun and refused to admit it: "How can you know what I'm thinking, don't let Hu anymore." ”

Dongyun thought for a while and comforted his master: "You see, whether it is the queen's mother, Rong Chang is here, and Nalan Chang is always there, they all give birth at a young age, and the result is ...... So, let's not worry, in a few years, your own body will be completely grown, and you will definitely be able to give birth to a healthy brother. ”

Ling Zhao sighed lightly: "I hope, but at the moment, the emperor has no intention, even if it is me, I can't lift my spirits." Amatta forcibly taught me so many things, but he didn't teach me, don't have feelings for other people's children. Dongyun, why are you like this, obviously not my child, even the child I hate the most. ”

Dong Yunbut: "It seems that the queen mother will not attend the birthday banquet, you have been busy for two years, what are you trying to do." ”

Ling Zhao said: "The Empress Dowager and the Empress are not present, but there are two empty seats on the banquet, which will never affect the dignity of the birthday banquet, didn't you hear the emperor's words, and will never let anyone live up to my hard work." ”

Having said that, the birthday banquet is approaching, and everyone is looking forward to what kind of situation they will see, and even if the Kunning Palace does not send news, it is still gradually spreading in the palace, and the second elder brother is no longer talking.

On the eighth day of the second lunar month, the Forbidden City was very lively, and the princes and ministers entered the palace in order, and went to the Taihe Hall to congratulate the Empress Dowager on her 60th birthday.

Xuan Ye took the trouble to accept the courtiers' congratulations on behalf of the imperial grandmother, while the foreign "women" only met the Queen Mother and Concubine Zhao in Ningshou Palace.

The Kunning Palace was quiet, and the Queen Mother: "The queen is busy taking care of the second elder brother, and she will not be idle today, your filial piety, Concubine Zhao will convey it on her behalf." ”

Such a sentence sent everyone away, and the more shrewd Fujin ladies speculated one after another whether the second elder brother was no longer good.

Busy and busy, it was dark in a blink of an eye, inside and outside the Taihe Palace, hundreds of tables of birthday banquets were placed, even because of the cold in winter, how the guests sitting outside warmed up, how to eat warm dishes, Ling Zhao carefully calculated, from morning to this moment, there was no mistake.

The dinner is about to start, Xuan Ye has changed into auspicious clothes, and after offering incense and praying for blessings in the first hall, he will go to the Taihe Hall to sit down.

When the door was about to be cleared, I saw a group of people coming slowly in the distance, surrounded by more than a dozen palace lights, and the jewelry on Shu Shu's body shone brilliantly.

Xuan Ye hurriedly ushered in it, helped Shu Shu and said, "Why are you here, just go back and lie down." ”

Shu Shu smiled: "The concubine is not sick, but she is tired, the emperor is not usual, at our age, even if you are sick, it is good to sleep, not to mention that you are just tired." ”

"Don't force it." Xuan Ye, "I don't care. ”

Shu Shu stared at him: "But I care about you, Your Majesty, take me to the table." Okay, I'm going to stand by your side forever. ”

With tears in his eyes, Xuan Ye grabbed Shu Shu's arm: "Okay, I'll take you to the table." ”

On the Taihe Palace, the eunuch sang: "The queen mother has arrived, the emperor has arrived, and the queen has arrived ......"

Ling Zhao, who was already waiting at the banquet, unconsciously raised her head, and saw Hesheri Shushu wearing a grand auspicious dress, as calm as ever, she followed behind the emperor and slowly stepped into the palace

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