Pei Yuanhao wanted to canonize Nangong Lizhu as a concubine.

I'm not surprised by this news, Shen Rou has fallen, her position must be taken over by someone, and this position of the concubine who is above 10,000 people under one person in the harem, except for Nangong Lizhu, who else can sit?

Speaking of which, I kind of understand why Mingzhu didn't dare to sue Sù Changqing.

Nangong Lizhu's status in the emperor's heart, as long as anyone in the harem has a pair of eyes, they can see that Shen Rou has been able to share with her over the years, but relying on the power of Shen Gong's court, now that the Shen family has fallen, this concubine can't be done, and the news that Nangong Lizhu is going to be canonized as a concubine immediately came out, which shows that Pei Yuanhao has been extremely fond of her.

However, Mingzhu came to me......

Could it be that because she saw the emperor's care for me these days, or, because of the terrace in the imperial garden, she thought that I also had some weight to the emperor, and thought that I could compete with Nangong Lizhu in front of the emperor?

Thinking of this, I smiled faintly.

Hardly hugged Xiao Nianyun in his arms, patted his back, and whispered: "Oh oh...... Dolls don't cry, don't cry don't cry......"

Nianyun's crying voice was not loud, but it was not easy to coax, no matter how gently I shook him and patted him on the back, I still struggled to cry quietly in my arms, and my little face was flushed.

"Don't cry, don't cry......"

I listened to his weak cry like a kitten whimpering, and I couldn't help but feel distressed, turned my head and carefully pressed my cheek against his face, kissing him carefully.

I remember someone telling me that what a child is most greedy for is the feeling of ironing his skin, almost a lustful lust, because such a touch will make him feel loved and protected. And Nianyun - Shen Rou is only afraid that she will not have such leisure to touch her child; Pei Yuanhao, there is no such time; Although Mingzhu is devoted to him, after all, she is not a mother and has never given birth to a child, and she will not experience this feeling of deep affection for calves.

I don't know if I'm tired of crying, or if this kind of stroking really works, Nianyun's crying slowly quieted down, and finally stopped, with tears still hanging on his chubby face, sobbing and looking at me in a daze.

I carefully wiped away his tears with my thumb and patted him gently in my arms.

The boy didn't seem to react to any sounds or colors from the outside world, but just looked at me fixedly, as if he wanted to imprint the outline of this man in his eyes, and after a while, his little mouth opened wide and he yawned widely.

I hugged him for a while before carefully putting him back in the cradle.

Waiting for the child to lie down and sleep steadily, I raised my head, looked at Mingzhu, who had been looking at me, and said, "Then what do you want to do when you come to me?" ”

Mingzhu hurriedly said: "Lord Yue, I know that this request is very excessive, and the concubine did that to you at the beginning-but, I really can't help it." Lord Yue, can you please tell the emperor that you can raise the second prince. ”

"Me?"

"Yes, yes." She nodded hurriedly: "Lord Yue, please help the child for the sake of his innocence." Just save him his life. ”

Save his life?

I looked down at the ignorant child sleeping in the cradle, and a stream of saliva flowed down from the side of my slightly open mouth. Who can bear to harm such an ignorant and innocent child?

But in this palace, I am afraid that children who are more innocent and harmless than him will die in vain.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but grit my teeth.

Mingzhu looked at me with a wrong face, and didn't know what I thought, so she said cautiously: "Lord Yue......?" ”

I turned my head to look at her and said slowly, "You are so dedicated to this child, it seems that you are very loyal to Shen Rou." ”

She was stunned for a moment, and suddenly blushed a little, lowered her head and said softly, "Lord Yue, don't make fun of it." I...... If you were truly faithful, you would not have come to you in the first place. ”

"Then you-"

"My lord, the human heart is full of flesh. The second prince was born with me, and if I said something arrogant, I too, regarded him as a piece of flesh on my body; Besides, I can't bear to be a child......"

Seeing her rubbing her reddened eyes, I fell silent.

Yes, compassion is shared by everyone.

But why, why some people, just don't!

Mingzhu kept looking at me, and when she saw that I didn't speak, she became more and more nervous: "Lord Yue......?" ”

"You make me think about it."

"Your Excellency."

I can understand her eagerness, and now she completely treats me as a life-saving straw, but I won't be dizzy, and said calmly: "Don't forget, after Shen Guifei fell, who did Concubine Li hate the most?" ”

"......" Mingzhu was stunned for a moment.

As soon as Shen Rou fell, the thorn in Nangong Lizhu's remaining eye was me, although these days may be because of the matter of sealing the concubine, so that she doesn't want to act rashly, but for me, she can't have no hatred, especially in the Juma River Valley, I "don't save when I see death", she will do it sooner or later. This child is more sinister with me, and it is even more dangerous for me to take him in.

I'm not a bad person, but I'm not a stupid person.

At this moment, Shui Xiu's voice came from outside, Mingzhu immediately closed her mouth vigilantly, and heard a knock on the door, Shui Xiu stood outside the door and said, "My lord, are you there?" ”

"Well, Mizuxiu, I'm here."

"Father-in-law Yu has already sent a sign over, let's go."

"Okay."

I stood up, glanced at the child again, and walked out slowly, Mingzhu still followed unwillingly, until I opened the door, Shui Xiu seemed to be a little worried to come over, as soon as I saw Mingzhu, his face immediately showed a look of displeasure, but he still saluted her, and said lazily: "Choosing a waiter, the slave is polite." ”

Mingzhu didn't care about her, but still looked at me: "My lord......"

I turned back to her and said, "I'll take this matter to heart." ”

“……”

"You, take good care of Your Highness."

“……”

"Don't tell outsiders about this casually."

“…… Be. ”

When Mingzhu heard me say this, it was like a person who was about to drown and grabbed a life-saving straw, and nodded hurriedly, I sighed, and walked out with Shui Xiu, and when I walked to the door, I could still see her standing at the door of the house, looking at us helplessly.

Shui Xiu pouted slightly, and said, "My lord, what can she do when she looks for you?" ”

I only sighed inwardly: "It's okay. Let's go. ”

"Oh."

After receiving the sign of the Jade Gonggong, we went out of the palace gate.

Sitting on the carriage and staggering, slowly listening to the originally quiet surroundings become lively, it seems that it has entered the bustling street, and there are some hawkers on both sides of the loud shouting, people coming and going to say hello, and the sound of horses' hooves stepping on the ground and wheels rolling across the driveway.

The curtain also swayed with the carriage, and the people outside could be vaguely seen.

Shui Xiu sat by the window, looking out from time to time, and then snorted and tightened the curtain.

Looking at her childlike temperament, I couldn't help but smile: "He didn't offend you." ”

"I hate it when I see that dead face."

Shui Xiu was not talking about anyone else, but a guard who went out of the palace this time and went out with us, named Du Yan.

This person is not very old, but he is in his twenties, and he looks extremely positive, but he has a stern expression that does not smile, as if he is with a god of evil, which is indeed uncomfortable. In fact, when I left the palace, Pei Yuanhao naturally arranged for other people to follow, I didn't bother to guess and don't bother to look, but this person came with me on the surface, I don't care about him, and I don't have anything to say, only Xiao Fuzi, who is in charge of driving the car, is clever, and I'm afraid of cold him, so I talk to him from time to time and ask ten words, this Du Yan can answer one sentence, it's good, and it won't exceed three words.

As soon as Shui Xiu saw this, he was even more at odds with this person, and he turned his eyes at him all the way.

The carriage staggered for a while, then stopped, and Xiao Fuzi whispered outside, "Girl, this is it." ”

When I heard this, I moved over and lifted the curtain, and I saw that Du Yan was turning over and getting off the horse, and as soon as he got off the horse, he immediately saw a doorway shop on the side of the street, with four gates wide open, and a big signboard on the door - Dulai Hall.

Watari ......

I silently recited these two words in my heart, and didn't say anything, Xiaofuzi had carefully opened the curtain to help me down, as soon as I stood still, he turned back to pick up the water show, this girl squatted on the car and waved away: "I'll come by myself." ”

After saying that, he jumped down from it.

But she is useless, a stumbling almost planted a dog to eat, I hurriedly reached out to help her, but saw a figure around me flash, Du Yan stepped forward with an arrow, and the person was planted in his arms.

Shui Xiu hit his head on his solid chest, and he was also stunned, raised his head and looked at him stupidly, and the next moment, he immediately pushed him away as if he was burned: "What are you doing." ”

Du Yan was pushed away by her and took two steps back, glanced at her lightly, and didn't speak.

Xiaofuzi hurriedly stepped forward: "Shui Xiu, are you okay?" Didn't fall, did you? ”

Shui Xiu rubbed her ankles, pouted and didn't speak, Xiaofuzi hurriedly helped her and helped her rub: "Are you okay?" Broken foot? Does it still hurt? Would you like to sit down and take a break? ”

"It's okay, I don't want you scorpion stinging."

"That's good." Xiao Fuzi smiled heartily, and then turned around to see Du Yan, who was always standing aside with a cold face, and said with a smile: "Thank you just now." ”

Du Yan glanced at him: "It's not you." ”

It means that it is not you who saved it, and you don't need to thank you.

Xiaofuzi was stunned for a moment, choked on these three words, and was speechless. When Shui Xiu heard this, he immediately pulled him behind him: "How did you speak?" I didn't ask you for help. ”

"......" Du Yan glanced at her again and closed his mouth.

I was watching from the side, somehow it was the same as watching a play, but Xiaofuzi looked back and saw me with a smile on his face, and said with a smile: "My lord, it's okay." This is the place, let's go inside. ”

I stifled a smile and turned around and walked towards the "Ferry Pavilion".

The front of this shop is not big, but the inside is well organized, and most of the dazzling goods on the shelves have never been seen, even if there are some commonly used, the style and pattern are different from what you usually see, which is completely different. Shui Xiu looked stupid as soon as he came in, and he was so attracted by the moving villain in the small box that he couldn't turn his eyes away.

I walked slowly, watching.

The price of the things in this is not cheap, there are not many customers in the store, most of them come and go to see a fresh, a guy behind the counter was originally sitting lazily, until he saw a few of us come in in bright clothes, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly came up and laughed: "A few guests, please look at it casually." ”

I glanced at him and said with a faint smile, "You don't seem to see many things here." ”

"Yes, the things we came to the pavilion were all from the sea."

"Oh? Which country? ”

"Franco-Machine."

I laughed, "Then you are the boss of a Franco-Rang country." ”

The guy laughed, "That's right." ”

"Can I meet your boss?"

This guy was a clever man, and from the moment I came in, I could already see that the identities of several of us were not simple, and I was not surprised at all when I said this, but laughed and said, "This is not a difficult thing." It's just that the boss is meeting customers inside. ”

"What guest? So important? ”

"Hehe, I don't know this little one."

"Since you don't know, please help me ask."

I directly took out a piece of silver and handed it over, and when the young man saw it, he only smiled and took it and stuffed it into his sleeve, and said, "Guest, please wait a moment." With that, he turned around and opened the curtain on the other side of the door and walked in.

At this time, Shui Xiu came over and whispered, "Adult-"

I glanced at her, and she immediately changed her words: "Girl, who do you say their boss will be?" ”

Before I could speak, Xiao Fuzi had already come over and whispered: "That boss, he can speak our words, but he looks strange, like a monkey." ”

"Monkeys? How can a man look like a monkey? ”

"Really."

"Haha, what does that look like!"

I frowned and said, "Under the eaves, don't discuss the length of people." ”

When Xiao Fuzi heard this, he immediately stopped his mouth and carefully stepped aside, but Shui Xiu became more and more energetic, staring at the door curtain with blazing eyes, and after a while, he heard a heavy footstep from inside, and a white and thick hand reached over to open the curtain.

A man in satin stepped out of it.

This person is very tall, almost taller than everyone I have ever seen, and his appearance is also very strange, obviously his facial features are still those facial features, and there are many eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, but he looks a little different from the people he usually sees, the outline of his eyebrows is extremely deep, as if he has been chiseled by a knife and axe, his eyes are deeply sunken, but his nose is very high, and his slightly curly hair is actually golden, tied to the back of his head with a scorpion tail.

If such a person appears in Strange Chronicles, I'm afraid they will all be monsters.

Because of this strange appearance, I can't tell his age, I can only guess that he is about forty or fifty years old.

Shui Xiu's eyes widened, and he didn't blink when he looked at him.

The man was followed by the young man, who whispered something to him, and the blond-haired man came up to me, smiled and bowed, and said, "Hello, guest." ”

I couldn't react for a while, and I was stunned for a moment before I slowly said, "I'm bothered." ”

I thought that such a foreigner should have some accent, but I didn't expect him to speak very smoothly, almost unpleasant, and he seemed to be very familiar with the qiē here.

"The guests are looking for me?"

"There are some things I want to ask the boss about. Don't be surprised. ”

"No strange, no strange." He smiled and waved his hand: "It's a coincidence, so many people have come to follow me today to inquire about the news." ”

"Oh?"

I frowned slightly—so the guy said he was meeting a guest, and he had come to inquire about it.

Who is it?

I subconsciously looked at the door curtain, but vaguely saw a figure slowly walking over, as if hesitating, and finally reached out to open the curtain.

A familiar face appeared in front of me.

Liu Qinghan!?

As soon as I saw that emaciated and pale face, I was stunned, and looked at him stupidly, and he also looked at me with some surprise: "Light? Is it really you? ”

For a while, all the people in this shop froze, Xiao Fuzi and Shui Xiu were so surprised that they opened their mouths and couldn't speak, only Du Yan, who had a cold and hard face, was still standing at the door, looking at us without saying a word.

Until I walked into the inner room on the other side of the curtain, I still couldn't get back to my senses, and I just felt like I was in a dream as if I was sitting on the other side of the table.

It's just that he in the dream is not as haggard as he is now.

Maybe it's because of the previous injury, he has lost a lot of weight, but he seems to have a more defined outline, the originally clear eyes are faint, and there are some tired bloodshots in them, just when he smiles and looks at me, he is still as gentle as in his dream.

"How did you end up here?"

"How did you end up here?"

The two of them spoke at the same time, but they said the same thing, and he and I were both stunned for a moment.

I coughed lightly and whispered, "I heard that there are foreign goods sold here, so I came to inquire about the things in the south." ”

He glanced at me with wide eyes, but he was a little stunned: "The teacher also said, let me come and inquire about the south with the foreign goods seller." ”

Fu Badai?

Something flashed through my mind: "He also heard that there is a foreign goods store here, so he asked you to come?" ”

"No, the teacher is inquiring, where is there a foreign goods store, and I found out that there is this one in the capital, so let me ask."

"Oh......"

When I heard this, I knew it.

Then I didn't say anything more, and there was no light chill, and there was silence in the room for a while.

I don't know if it's because Shui Xiu and they didn't speak, or I don't really want to hear other sounds, I just feel that the surroundings are very quiet, only the breathing, heartbeat, and throbbing of the person in front of me are so clearly listened to and reflected in my eyes.

"You-"

"You-"

After a long while, the two of them spoke at the same time.

He paused for a moment, then closed his lips to look at me, and I said softly, "You've lost a lot of weight." ”

He reached out and touched his chin, and smiled faintly: "It's a lot." It's a lot. ”

It's only four words, but it's all over these days, I quietly watched him and didn't speak again, but he looked at me again: "What about you?" ”

"Me?"

"I—" He paused and said, "I heard that a few days ago, the emperor built a terrace in the imperial garden that is exactly the same as the Jixian Palace. ”

My breath couldn't help but choke.

He got it.

I don't worry about anything else, I'm just afraid that he will be cranky, he used to be so hesitant when he was under the cliff, and it was just because of Pei Yuanxiu, who was not in front of him; Now Pei Yuanhao is like this to me, such rumors inside and outside the palace, he-

Thinking of this, I hurriedly raised my head to explain to him, but met his eyes.

Calm, without a trace of hesitation, such a calm look somehow made me feel at ease all of a sudden, I thought about it, and said, "You heard this?" What else have you heard? ”

"I've heard—"

He looked at me and said slowly, word by word: "Gathering and dispersing are free, and my heart is the same." ”

My heart skipped a beat and I looked up at him.

He was still so calm, his eyes were soft and indifferent, but there was a smile on the corner of his mouth, which seemed to be only visible to those closest to him, and I understood everything for a while.

The two sentences I said to Nian Shen that day were actually for Chang Qing, but I didn't expect Nian Shen, the child, to be so honest, and the original was passed on to him, and he understood everything.

Suddenly, I only felt a heat in my chest, and the feeling of swelling made my heart beat wildly, and I didn't know what to say or do, and I almost wanted to reach out and hold his hand.

But at this moment, the curtain behind him was lifted.

The golden-haired boss walked in with two cups in his hand, smiled and put them in front of us: "Two distinguished guests, please use them." ”

I could only retract my hand and pinch the corner of my clothes, trying to calm myself down. Although it was an unexpected joy to see him here, but at this time, this place is indeed not a good place to talk about lovesickness, so he lowered his head and looked at the cup, which exuded a strong milky smell, and seemed to have some tea fragrance, the man smiled and said: "This is the tea we usually use, two distinguished guests to taste." ”

I picked up the cup and tasted it, only to think that the milk was not like milk, the tea was not like tea, and the taste was very strange, but I still swallowed it reluctantly, and said with a smile: "Thank you." ”

Qinghan also took a sip, he couldn't hold his breath as much as me, and the weird smell made him almost squirt.

Seeing that he tried his best to swallow it, and his nose was a little red, I couldn't help but laugh, and I was afraid that this boss would be embarrassed, so I spoke first: "Boss, I'm here today—"

The man smiled and said, "Don't be like this, my name is too difficult for you to pronounce, no one has pronounced it right all these years, but southerners often call me a ghost." When I came to the capital, I simply called myself Uncle Ghost. I don't think the two guests are very old, so if you don't mind, just call me Uncle Ghost. ”

Uncle Ghost, that's an interesting name.

It seemed that this person was also a free and uninhibited person, so I smiled and said, "Well, I won't be polite to you." Uncle Ghost, the contemptible surname is Yue, I came to the Dulai Pavilion today, I want to ask you about some news. ”

"Miss Yue, please have something to ask."

"How long has Uncle Ghost been doing business in the Celestial Empire?"

"Count it up...... It's been more than twenty years. ”

"Oh."

For more than 20 years, he has spent half of his life here, and it is no wonder that he is so proficient in our language and knows how to understand the world.

But that's not what I'm concerned about, but—

More than twenty years, that is to say, more than twenty years ago, he had already begun to do business in the Celestial Empire, to be exact, in the South.

I held the cup in both hands, the temperature of the hot tea soup ironed against my cold fingers, and I said slowly: "Then, Uncle Ghost's business, in addition to those fresh things outside, is there any other goods?" ”

Uncle Ghost looked at me: "Miss Yue is asking—"

"For example—iron tools."

Hearing the word iron, Uncle Ghost's face changed slightly, not like he was panicked, but like a momentary loss of consciousness when he suddenly remembered something, but he still quickly came back to his senses and said with a smile: "The two of you came to inquire about this, is it because of the matter in the south?" ”

My heart moved.

Although this person looks smiling, he is worthy of being a man who has been running the sea route for more than 20 years, and his eyes are like torches, and he can immediately think of the civil unrest in the south from one of our problems. It seems that even if those weapons are not sold by him, they are inseparable from him.

I smiled and said, "Uncle Ghost knows a lot." ”

Qing Han looked at him with burning eyes: "Since Uncle Ghost said about the south as soon as he opened his mouth, presumably, he was also involved in it." ”

Uncle Ghost looked at us, smiled and waved his hand, and said, "You two, you have misunderstood. ”

"Oh?"

Uncle Ghost smiled and said, "Your laws prohibit the private mining of iron ore, and I think your emperor has very strict jurisdiction over weapons; Since this is the case, how can he still touch the emperor's scales and do this kind of business? ”

I looked at each other.

His words are true.

The foreigner who came to the capital to do business, he seems to be really the first, and he naturally has to be more cautious at the feet of the Son of Heaven, if he is really involved in the affairs of the south, if he comes here again, he will simply come to die.

Qinghan and I couldn't help but frown.

At this time, Uncle Ghost said: "However, although I don't do it, there are other people who will." ”

When we heard this, our spirits suddenly sank, and we hurriedly looked at him: "Who is it?" ”

Uncle Ghost looked at the two of us, but he hesitated a little, Qing Han immediately understood, and said to him with a smile: "Uncle Ghost, don't worry. When someone from the government asks questions, they will naturally take you to the yamen to ask. Since we have come to the door, we are just passers-by who have come to inquire about the news, and we have heard it. ”

He said this very ambiguously, but he also gave Uncle Ghost a hint.

In fact, from the moment I entered the door, Uncle Ghost should have seen that my identity was not ordinary, even if the official lady went out, she couldn't bring so many entourages, plus we asked questions about the south and weapons, except for the people in the court, who else had such courage.

Uncle Ghost looked at me carefully, then at him, was silent for a while, and finally said slowly: "Okay, I'll sue you." ”

I hurriedly said, "Who sold them the weapons in the south?" ”