The gaze was still as calm and restrained as ever, as if the surface of the lake had been frozen all year round, and it could no longer stir up ripples, but at the moment of looking at me, there were still some slight twitches in the corners of the eyes.

It's not a good feeling, because the thought of seeing a madman right away doesn't make it too good for anyone.

But this time, I didn't pounce.

The wind with the smell of ice and snow blew in through the door, and the worn bed tent on the bed was blown up slightly, fluttering with my long hair, and it felt as if the whole room was shaking in the wind, but I was the only one here who was quiet, just sitting at the head of the bed, looking indifferently at the window.

Thin window paper can't hide the cold outside, nor can it block the sun.

The milky white sunlight was brighter because of the snow, and there was an indescribable tranquility on my face.

Pei Yuanhao looked at me like this and was stunned for a while.

There was a look of astonishment in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he still didn't make any moves, he still stood in the doorway and looked at me like this, and kept watching.

Time passes little by little.

There is no hourglass in the cold palace, for the people who are locked here, time is meaningless, only the sound of falling snow reminds people of the passage of time, but I seem to be a person outside the flow of time, and it seems that the two years of confinement have molded me into an ice sculpture without temperature.

I don't know how long it took, but there were footsteps outside.

Then, I heard Mama's astonished voice: "Huh? Emperor-Emperor-"

As soon as Pei Yuanhao turned around, the grandmother had already knelt down, crawled to his feet, and knelt and kowtowed: "Slave maid to see the emperor, long live the emperor." ”

Pei Yuanhao ignored her and looked back at me again, I was still sitting quietly and motionless.

His eyebrows frowned slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "She is very quiet today......"

The grandmother knelt at his feet, and did not know whether he was happy or angry, and said with some trembling: "Uh, yes—yes, sometimes she is quieter, less crazy......"

"When will it be quieter?"

"Huh? Although Mama knelt in the snow, the cold sweat on her forehead was pouring out, and she stammered: "Slave maid, slave maid usually doesn't come often, so it's not very clear......

"I don't know?" Pei Yuanhao's face sank, and he suddenly turned around and kicked the grandmother to the ground: "Then what do I want you to do!" ”

"The emperor forgives the sins, the emperor forgives the sins!"

The grandmother was kicked to the ground, struggled and hurriedly turned over and knelt down, kowtowing again and again to beg for mercy.

Pei Yuanhao didn't pay attention to her at all, but just turned his head to look at me, and it was not until this time that my eyes slowly moved over, and a pair of eyes that were clear without any impurities, as if there was no temperature, emotion, and looked at him indifferently.

His eyes burned at me: "Qingying ......"

I looked at him, but there was no reaction, and after a long time, as if I had seen nothing, I looked away, and continued to look calmly at the faint light that came in through the window.

He stood at the door, and did not say anything or do anything, but his gaze became a little strange, and he looked at me again, and then turned and left.

When he reached the door, he paused for a moment, did not look back, and only said coldly: "I am not allowed to sue anyone about my coming here today." ”

Mama hurriedly kowtowed: "Yes." ”

He paused again, but did not look back, but after a moment of hesitation, he walked away without looking back.

I sat in the room, and there was no movement, and even when the grandmother came to the door to see me with a frightened face, I did not make any movement, until she had also left, and the whole little courtyard had returned to its former calm, and I slowly lowered my eyelids.

The corners of his mouth hooked up a smile that was so faint that he could barely see it.

I know what Pei Yuanhao meant by coming today.

The harem has become like that, Nangong Lizhu and Shen Rou have not spared each other's hands, but for him, these two women are impossible to lose, so he can't dispose of either side, the only way he can think of is to find someone to contain these two women who are about to go crazy.

Once there is a three-legged situation in the harem, neither party will dare to make a rash move, and checks and balances are the best way.

However, the best candidate in front of them, Queen Changqing, has never been involved in their battle.

As for the other women in the harem...... Shuyi, Lu Xinrong, Wanyi, Zhu Fanghua, Liangyuan, Pang Yan, Ronghua, Wensisi...... Even-Zhaoyi Liu Li, their status and means are far from being comparable to these two women.

So...... He thought of me.

Of course, I wouldn't be so naïve to think that he would just want to let me out, after all, I've been a "crazy person" all these years, and he just thought of me and took a look.

However, he was surprised to see a me who was not crazy, nor was it a completely normal me.

I've been crazy for over two years, and he's not surprised, if I slowly regain my senses...... Although he needs a woman to balance Nangong Lizhu and Shen Rou, and I, who is the best candidate, is also the worst candidate.

He must be in turmoil right now......

I slowly got up and walked to the door, looked at the footprints on the snow outside, smiled faintly, and closed the door.

The New Year in the palace is very lively.

The snow-capped scenery is dotted with red lanterns, all the palaces are newly decorated, the palace maids and eunuchs are busy up and down in newly haired jackets, hanging lanterns, sweeping the snow, and receiving rewards, everyone has a rare smile on their faces in the haze of the imperial city, but it is like the most beautiful scenery in winter.

After the New Year, the weather was still not very warm, and the stove in the house was burning every day, not like in the previous two years, when the stove went out after the New Year, leaving me shivering in a shabby quilt.

The days are getting better day by day.

I still sat at the door, smiling and looking at the snow in the yard, the white snow without a trace of impurities, as clear as when the chaos of heaven and earth first opened.

Suddenly, a child's laughter rang out in the chaos.

As soon as I raised my eyes, I saw Xiao Nianshen running in in a bright red jacket.

I also smiled, looking at him holding a string of sugar gourds in his hand, his face was red, and he ran to the door happily: "Grandma! ”

"Your Highness is here."

"Hmm."

I smiled and said, "Today is His Highness's birthday, I'm afraid that the ladies of all palaces have come to congratulate His Highness on his birthday, and they have received a lot of congratulatory gifts, I'm afraid that His Highness will forget here." ”

When Xiao Nianshen heard this, he hurriedly shook his head: "No, no, grandma, although it is very lively outside, I have always remembered you." ”

As soon as he was teased, he immediately became serious, and the solemn expression on his little face only made people feel that they wanted to hurt in their hearts, and because of this, I especially liked to tease him, which was probably something he would not experience in the palace as a prince, so no matter how I teased him, he became closer to me.

I smiled and said, "I've been thinking about Your Highness, today is Your Highness's birthday, I have nothing to give to Your Highness, so I'll give this to Your Highness." ”

With that, I put my hand in front of him.

In the palm of your hand, there is a delicate shrimp bracelet.

Xiao Nianshen looked down, but was a little stunned: "This is a bracelet?" ”

"Well, I hope Your Highness likes it."

"......" He was a little stunned, looked at it for a while, then looked up at me, stretched out his little hand and picked up the bracelet, the expression on his face was a little strange, of course I knew what he was strange about, and smiled silently, Xiao Nianshen finally hesitated and said to me: "Grandma, why did you send me this?" I, I'm a man. ”

I laughed and said, "It's not just an ordinary bracelet, it's meaningful." ”

"Huh? What's the point? ”

I thought about it for a while, and suddenly said, "Your Highness, let me tell you a story." ”

"The story? Yes, yes! Xiao Nianshen listened to it, and hurriedly nodded happily: "I like Grandma's storytelling the most, last time you told the story of the incorruptible man who was not eaten by the mouth, I like it so much!" ”

I laughed and said, "But this time, I'm not telling the story of a cheap man, but a woman's story." ”

Nian Shen blinked his eyes wide and looked at me seriously.

……

This story, in fact, is not long.

Xu Youling's life is very short, in the history of this vast harem, it may not even be a drop in the ocean, but her life is so important to some people, because the child in front of her is what she exchanged for her life.

Therefore, no one can despise this effeminate woman.

When I finished saying the last word and looked at Nian Shen, the immature little face was full of sadness, and he was silent for a long time, and he said softly: "Grandma, the lady you said, she is so pitiful." ”

I said, "Your Highness, she is not pitiful. ”

"Huh?" He looked up at me in amazement.

I looked at his clear eyes and said solemnly: "The weak need to be pitied, but she is not weak, she can give up her life in order to protect her children, which many people can't do, she is not pitiful, she is a respectable and strong woman!" ”

Nian Shen looked at me, was silent for a long time, nodded lightly, and said, "I understand." ”

I smiled slightly, reached out and touched his heart, thought about it deeply, looked up and said to me, "Grandma, why are you telling me this story, I don't-"

Before he finished his words, a commotion suddenly came from outside, breaking the calm of the cold palace.

He was slightly taken aback, and when he looked back, he saw that the door of the small courtyard was pushed open, and as soon as a palace maid saw him standing here, she immediately said loudly: "Oh, Your Highness, why are you here, the queen mother is looking everywhere-"

Before she finished speaking, the palace maid froze suddenly.

She saw me.

And I also saw her, although I haven't seen her for a few years, I still recognize that she is the palace maid next to the queen.

Kou'er is not a stranger to me, at this time to see me, but as if to see a ghost, frozen there for a long time without moving, at this time more voices came outside, these grandmothers in the cold palace also heard the movement, all greeted over, just walked to the door, these people are all not moving, for a long time, only to hear them kneeling in the snow, trembling voice: "Emperor - Queen Mother......"