As soon as I saw the blush coming in the snow, he and I fell silent. For a while, only the sound of falling snow was left, and Pei Yuanzhen's footsteps, every step seemed to step on my heart.

She walked up to us and said to Liu Qinghan with a smile: "Have you finished talking to the imperial brother?" ”

"Wechen has seen the eldest princess."

"Qinghan, you haven't forgotten what the imperial brother commanded just now."

“…… Be. ”

Actually, I was standing beside him, and even-the wind blew my clothes and blew the corners of his clothes, but at this moment, looking at the warm smile on Pei Yuanzhen's face, and his pale face, as if carved by ice and snow, there was a feeling of being far away from them, as if he couldn't even hold it with his straight hand. And Pei Yuanzhen completely ignored my storage, and only smiled at him wholeheartedly: "But the snow is falling so hard, I can't go to the horse farm now." ”

When Qing Han heard this, he immediately said, "That Weichen-"

"I'll take you somewhere else."

"Huh?"

"Anyway, the royal brother also said, let you accompany me. Isn't it? ”

“……”

"Light cold!"

"Yes."

Pei Yuanzhen smiled softly at him, her cheeks were still a little pink, and only then did she turn her head to look at me and said with a smile: "Lord Yue, your face doesn't seem to be very good." ”

I barely pulled out a little smile: "Princess Xie cares." ”

"Come back to Jingren Palace, and when Nianshen comes back later, I'll look for you everywhere."

After speaking, she propped up the umbrella in her hand to the top of Qinghan's head, and said with a smile: "Let's go." ”

Liu Qinghan looked at her frozen white hands, hesitated for a moment, and finally said softly: "I'll come." ”

After speaking, he reached out and took the umbrella, Pei Yuanzhen smiled even sweeter, and turned around with him and walked to the side. And I just stood there, letting the cold wind blow the snow foam to my bones, and I didn't waver, just looked at their backs.

As if sensing my gaze, the man with the umbrella hesitated, as if he wanted to turn his head, but faster, Pei Yuanzhen smiled and turned around and pulled his sleeve: "Light cold, go quickly." ”

“……”

"Hurry up, it's cold!"

He didn't say anything more and walked away in silence.

It wasn't until it was dark and the snow gradually stopped, and I slowly walked back to Gyeongin Palace. When I walked into the palace gate, I only felt that my back was heavy, and my steps could barely cross the threshold. ”

I looked up and smiled at her reluctantly.

She looked at me with a strange look in her eyes, but immediately said, "Why have you been here for so long?" The queen has asked several times. ”

I was a little numb: "Ah, what's the matter? ”

"I don't know, she asked you to come back, so I'll go to the studio."

"Okay."

I nodded, turned around and walked towards the studio.

There was still a warm incense burning, it was a familiar smell, Chang Qing stood at the table, there were already a few strokes of rice paper on the table, and her hand holding the pen was to her lips, and she sighed softly.

I walked over: "Queen Mother." ”

She turned her head with a smile, and when she saw me, the smile on her face was condensed, and the expression was almost the same as that of the button just now, I was a little stunned by such a look, and when I lowered my head, I was surprised to find that I was still wearing Pei Yuanhao's robe.

From the study to here, I don't know how many people have seen it.

Thinking like this, I only feel that the warmth in the studio is not so warm.

Chang Qing quickly regained his composure, hooked the corners of his lips, and said with a smile: "Just now, the steward came over to give me winter clothes, and this palace also wants to tell you that in the future, your part will come out of Jingren Palace, and you don't need to use Jixian Palace, it seems that it is saved." ”

I was less and less in the mood to speak.

She looked at me again, and didn't blame, just reached for another pen, and I hurriedly walked over, and saw that the ink in the inkstone had frozen a little, so I gently helped her to study the ink. She dipped her pen in some ink and continued to sketch on the drawing paper, and said softly as she put down the pen: "The emperor asked you to discuss the scientific examination, has the exam question been decided?" ”

It should be decided, but I remembered the look in Pei Yuanhao's eyes when he saw the exam questions from Qing Han, hesitated for a moment, and said, "It seems that there is no such thing as yet." ”

Chang Qing frowned slightly and said, "This scientific expedition is not ordinary. ”

"Huh?" I looked up at her with some confusion.

Chang Qing pondered for a while before he said softly: "The officials of the six ministries are all appointed every three years, although some old ministers have been in power for many years, but it is time to change. This time, the emperor originally had the intention of promoting talents from among the new officials, but if the people selected were—"

She didn't say anything more than halfway through her words, but I probably understood.

Not only Pei Yuanhao needs the help of new officials, but in fact, Shen Taifu also needs it, no one can escape birth, old age, sickness and death, not to mention that the flow of talents in the imperial court is faster than the flow of water, and only by constantly cultivating new forces can he always control the government. So this time, their eyes are on this year's imperial examination. But if the people selected are all Shen Taifu's protégés, the situation will be even more disadvantageous to Pei Yuanhao and Fu Badai and Liu Qinghan.

"Moreover," Chang Qing said while holding a pen to draw the lines: "The officials serve for three years, and this group of officials is well enveloped, and in the three-year period, the princes are also older." ”

“……！” I froze with my fingertips holding the ink strip and looked up at her.

She nodded at me: "Father asked someone to sue me, Taifu Shen has been making a lot of moves recently, and I can't help but guard against it." ”

Listening to her words, I was a little surprised, not because she said Shen Gongyi, but for the first time in so long, Chang Qing mentioned Chang Taishi in the middle of talking.

For a long time, she was in the harem, and Chang Taishi was in the previous dynasty, which seemed to be a cold and onlooker attitude, but now it doesn't seem to be the same, and even Chang Taishi asked someone to bring her a message, that is...... Taishi is also moving?

It seems that Shen Gongyi's power is too great, and even Chang Taishi has scruples. At the state banquet in the main hall before, the Shen family originally wanted to get rid of me, and even weakened the power of the Jixian Palace, so that it would be convenient to deal with Nian Shen; Their plan did not succeed, but they saw that in front of Nian Shen, there was not only Jingren Palace, there was Jixian Palace, but there might also be an eldest princess who couldn't move the emperor.

In this way, their direction shifted.

The bottom of the kettle is drawn, and the prince will be older after three years, and if Shen Gongjin's power is more stable, then it will be possible to say something like the early establishment of the prince.

I thought about it out of my mind, and saw Chang Qing put down the pen, turned around and looked at me solemnly, and said, "You are the Zhengzi of Jixian Palace, this time in the imperial examination, you have to be cautious." ”

I nodded, "Yes." ”

Even Chang Qing said so, it seems that this time the imperial examination is not so simple.

After the New Year in a hurry, the day of the exam is approaching day by day, and after the exam, people from all over the country will gather in the capital.

This year's capital is particularly lively, but also extraordinarily cold, after the heavy snow fell a year ago, it has not been sunny for five days in a row, the whole world has become a white piece, only the biting cold wind and cold snow remain.

Early in the morning, people came out to clear the snow in the streets.

The sound of the broom falling to the ground also completely broke the silence of the day, I sat in the carriage out of the palace gate, all the way to the Gongyuan, because the snow road was slippery, the carriage did not go fast, occasionally a gust of wind lifted the curtain, you can see the looming figures around.

It's the Shadow Guard.

I smiled faintly and bitterly, Pei Yuanhao really couldn't relax at all to me.

The Ministry of Rites has already placed the Tribute Academy, and as soon as the time passes, the candidates who refer to it will come to the Tribute Academy one by one, and after the examination of the candidates, the Tribute Institute will be closed for three days to prevent cheating. As soon as my carriage stopped at the door, I saw that there were already many guards in front of me, and the air here was cold and solemn.

I got out of the carriage, and immediately a cold air hit, and I couldn't help but shiver, and Zhu Hua, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, who was standing at the gate of the Tribute Courtyard, came over and arched his hand towards me: "Lord Yue." ”

"I wish you, sir." I also respectfully replied and said, "This time I will try, I wish you all the best." ”

"Where, where. It's really hard this time, but it's Fu Lao. ”

"Master Fu has arrived?"

"Arrived early in the morning and was inside. Lord Yue, do you want to go in? ”

"Oh, don't worry, Xiaguan still has things to do here."

He raised his gray eyebrows, and saw that there were several carriages behind me, staggering and heavy, and I was puzzled, and I smiled and said, "This time it snowed heavily, and the students who came from all over the country must have frozen." The queen ordered the officials to come to the Tribute Courtyard to distribute warm clothes to the students, and let them stay up better in the past three days. ”

When Zhu Hua heard this, he immediately said: "The queen is really kind-hearted!" ”

I smiled and beckoned, and someone immediately followed, taking out the warm clothes of the next few cars, and Zhu Hua stepped forward to say to the candidates who were preparing to enter the Tribute Academy, and those candidates immediately said gratefully: "Thank you for the gift of the queen!" ”

"The queen mother is a thousand years old."

So, the gate of the Tribute Courtyard was divided into two groups, on one side was Zhu Hua took other officials of the Ministry of Rites to check the candidates, and after checking clearly, he came to me to get a warm coat, and then entered the Tribute Academy.

I smiled while handing them the cotton clothes in my hand, looked a little nervous, and gave a word of encouragement or two. These candidates are still young, some are only in their teens, their faces are childish, and it is the first time they have come to the feet of the Son of Heaven, and they are a little intimidated by the majesty here; But some of them have obviously experienced a big battle, and their demeanor is calm, and they don't care about the cotton clothes in my hand, but for the sake of the queen's gift, they hastily take it.

Zhu Hua had been standing beside him, and he couldn't help but sigh softly at this time.

I looked back at him and said softly: "Lord Zhu, are those just now the Xie Yuan ...... of several provinces this year?" ”

He nodded silently, brushing his gray beard, and sighed silently.

I glanced at those people, didn't say anything, and continued the matter in hand, although there were many people at the gate of the Gongyuan, it was still orderly.

At this moment, on the long street at the door, there was a neat sound of horses' hooves in the distance, I was holding a cotton coat, and was about to hand it to the students, when I heard the sound of horses' hooves, I looked up and saw a team of people riding horses in front of me.