Zhao Zhen and Ye Pei sat back in front of the coffee table, put Mo Yule next to the tea tray, and talked for a while.

Ye Pei talked about what he saw and heard in Qifeng Mountain, and Zhao Zhen said what he encountered in the palace.

Suddenly, there was a mess in the courtyard, and Huang Jinbao shouted outside: "The Queen Mother has arrived!" ”

Zhao Zhen and Ye Pei were both startled, Zhao Zhen stood up, pulled Ye Pei and pushed him inside, and whispered: "Pei'er, hide quickly, don't come out if anything happens." ”

Ye Pei nodded and entered the bedroom, Zhao Zhen straightened his robe and came out to open the door.

I saw the Empress Dowager Liu E walking into the door in a palace dress, Ye Pei hid behind the bead curtain and peeked: Empress Dowager Liu E is in her fifties, although there are a few wrinkles on her face, but her eyebrows are clear and her makeup is meticulous, and she must be a very beautiful character when she is young. She is not tall, wearing a short golden jacket, a big red Luo skirt, double skirts hanging long, a high bun without a crown, and a few hairpins in her bun. In addition to being beautiful and dignified, she has an overwhelming momentum and a majesty that people cannot disobey.

Zhao Zhen saluted respectfully and said: "The sons and daughters welcome the eldest lady and the phoenix." ”

Liu E didn't answer, and stepped into the Funing Palace. She looked down and saw a coffee table in the corner of the hall, on which were placed two tea cups and a grinding and drinking doll. Zhao Zhen looked at Liu E's eyes, and his heart sank and became even more nervous.

Liu E said slowly: "Official, what are you doing in the palace alone?" ”

Zhao Zhen said: "Erchen is reading a book in the palace. ”

"At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, I saw that the official family ate very little, and left the table early, so I was unwell, so I came to see it this night. You haven't taken this doll out to see it for a long time, why did you remember to take it out again today? ”

"Back to the eldest mother, the child is bored for a while, take it out to drink tea with me."

"You're always like this, you like to be alone, and take a doll as a bosom friend. But you must know that being in a high position is already a high place, and this emperor's throne is a lonely seat. Liu E said earnestly.

"Erchen understands." Zhao Zhen replied respectfully.

"By the way, why didn't you see Chen Zhongyi following you?" Liu E said as she walked inside.

Zhao Zhen had just lied to cover the two tea cups on the coffee table, and he was even more nervous when he saw Liu E going into the bedroom. He walked a few steps quickly in front of the bead curtain and said, "Chen Zhongyi is on duty today." ”

"There is a banquet in the Mid-Autumn Festival today, so you should let him follow you all the time. The weather is getting colder day by day, I'll take a look at your futon and they change to thick ones. ”

"Why do you have to do such a trivial matter yourself?" Zhao Zhen's heart was pounding at the moment.

"If you call me a big lady, I will have to take care of you for a day. What's not to worry about for my mother. Liu E still forced her way inside.

Zhao Zhen didn't retreat, and Liu E said: "You haven't married the queen yet, so you won't let your mother enter your bedroom?" ”

When Zhao Zhen heard this, he was so frightened that he was sweating, closed his eyes and said, "Erchen doesn't dare!" ”

Liu E lifted the curtain and went in, turned around in the room and came out again, saying, "I'll ask Chen Zhongyi to change a thick cover for you tomorrow." It's getting late, so go to bed early. ”

Zhao Zhen originally thought that it must be a turmoil, but he didn't expect Liu E to look as usual after he came out, and he didn't have a seizure, he felt like he was carrying fifteen buckets in his heart, seven up and eight down. After sending off the Empress Dowager Liu, Zhao Zhen ran into the bedroom in a panic. He saw Ye Pei standing in the center of the dormitory with the hem of his robe.

"Have you seen the Queen Mother?" Zhao Zhen asked eagerly.

"See." Ye Pei said calmly with a calm expression.

"Did she see you, then?"

"Of course not." Ye Pei pretended to be calm at first, and when he saw Zhao Zhen's eagerness, he laughed with a "flutter".

"Tell me, how can this be? Could it be that Pei'er worshipped the old fairy as a teacher on Qifeng Mountain and learned stealth? ”

Ye Pei was even more amused when he heard it, and said, "Almost! ”

"Pei'er, I'm in a hurry, tell me quickly."

Ye Pei pointed to the beam above his head, Zhao Zhen didn't know what to do, Ye Pei said: "I've been a gentleman on the beam for a while!" ”

The emperor's dormitory is different from ordinary houses, from the ground to the beam, there are five or six zhang. Zhao Zhen looked up and said strangely: "You are joking with me again, how is this possible!" ”

"How can't it be." When Ye Pei spoke, a "dry land onion" had already grabbed a rafter on the roof, used the "ape hand" method to climb up, and another "carp jumped over the dragon gate" and climbed onto the main beam of the house.

This action frightened Zhao Zhen stunned, and he didn't know what to say for a long time with his mouth open.

Ye Pei tugged at the hem of his robe and jumped down, like a tanuki landing on the ground, without a sound.

After Ye Pei came down, Zhao Zhen said, "Sister Pei'er, have you really learned the art of cultivating immortals?" ”

Ye Pei smiled and leaned back, and only after a while did he say, "Come on!" I call it pulling onions on dry land, and when I come down, I call it a tanuki landing. I learned martial arts in Qifeng Mountain. ”

"Oh, I see." Zhao Zhen let out a heavy breath and said.

The two came out and sat down in front of the coffee table, poured cold tea, and changed the water to cook tea.

At this time, the drum sounded, and "Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang" was beaten four times, indicating that it was already four watches.

Zhao Zhen listened, "Oops! A voice said, "It's all four watches!" I'm going to go to court. I wanted to keep you for three days, but yesterday you only came for one night and someone reported to the Queen Mother, if you stay here for three days, you don't know what will happen. You take the royal waist card, go back to the palace as soon as you open the palace door, and let Chen Zhongyi change his clothes and come back. I'll find a way to meet you at the palace in a few days. ”

Ye Pei understood the deep meaning and agreed to prepare to return. Zhao Zhen pulled the bolt of the door, and when the eunuch palace maid who was holding the noodle soup in the morning knocked on the door, he asked them to come in.

On this day, Zhao Zhen retreated to the dormitory to make up for his sleep, but there was nothing abnormal. The old eunuch who served him in the evening bath found a bruise on the official's shoulder, and said with concern: "Guanjia, where did you hit it?" Why is it so big? ”

Zhao Zhen thought of the situation of hugging Ye Pei at that time, and a smile appeared on his face, but he said disappreciatively: "It's nothing." ”

"What's wrong with the official family? I laughed. "This old eunuch is Wei Minxian, who Zhao Zhen has been serving since he was a child, brought to the palace from the Eight Princes' Mansion, he is the one who watched Zhao Zhen grow up, and Zhao Zhen has no shy heart about him.

Zhao Zhen thought about it, and said bluntly to Wei Minxian: "Do you know, I met my cousin Ye Pei again. ”

"What? The daughter of Tobe Ye Yuantai? Wei Minxian looked surprised, "She didn't go with her father to Bashu to take office......"

"Heaven Min regrets that he still left her blood. She was rescued by a hermit and kept in the mountains until she was sent back to the Eight Kings' Mansion. ”

"Oh?!" Wei Minxian groaned as if he was suspicious.

"Aren't you happy? You're the one who watched her grow up! Zhao Zhen asked enthusiastically.

Wei Minxian said worriedly: "But, official, it's been almost ten years." You don't know what she's doing here, so don't be deceived. Now that the official status is different, it is better to be careful in everything. ”

Zhao Zhen smiled, "You said she might have been sent to deliberately approach me?" How can it be? ”

Wei Minxian said: "The official family is kind-hearted, how do you know that the world is sinister, I haven't seen her for ten years, how does the official family know what kind of person she is?" ”

"But we grew up together when we were kids!"

"That was when I was a child, she didn't show up for so many years, why did she suddenly appear now? Be careful. Wei Minxian advised.

"I originally wanted to investigate the old case of Ye Yuantai's extermination back then." Zhao Zhen frowned and said.

"Official, the Queen Mother closed the case that year, and it may be inappropriate to reopen the old case for no reason at this time. A lot of things can't be rushed, wait and see, some things will naturally fall into place. Wei Minxian said to Zhao Zhen earnestly: "Official, I have watched you all the way to the present, and your thoughts are very understandable. You know, a lot of times the more you like it, the less you can show it, and those who have bad intentions will take advantage of your kindness, hurt you, hurt your loved ones, and end up with no good results? If the official family really loves Ye Pei's child, they should keep her away from the political whirlpool, and when you are in power, you will take her into the palace again, and one day you will be able to stay together. If you want to hurry, you can't reach it! ”

Hearing Wei Minxian say this, Zhao Zhen's blood was cold. "Well, it's a long time coming!" Zhao Zhen nodded, soaked his body in hot water, and said no more.

Zhao Zhen is a concubine, he has not been valued by the eight kings since he was a child, and he was often bullied by his eldest brother Zhao Yunxi when he was in the palace. After entering the palace, the eldest lady Liu E is so strong and domineering, he can only keep his throne by being more cautious in his words and deeds. All this has cultivated Zhao Zhen's forbearance and suppression character.

But no matter how forbearance and depression he is, Zhao Zhen always feels hopeful. He once wanted to marry Ye Pei as his wife after he became a politician, he wanted to be good to her, and he wanted to repay Ye Yuantai's family. He loves Ye Pei, and even the habit he has developed since he was a child, because he is the best person for him and the best family for him.

But like a thunderbolt from the blue, when Zhao Zhen heard the news of the death of the Ye family, his heart was like a knife, he was caught off guard, and even felt that all thoughts were lost, and there was no hope. In the following ten years, he seemed to be an orderly manner, and he was also a high emperor in front of outsiders, but in fact he became the puppet of the Empress Dowager Liu E. He is obedient and has no desires, just a puppet puppet who obeys his word.

However, if you think that Zhao Zhen is just a repressed, ravaged, and brainless weakling, then you are very wrong. He only disguised his strength because of his sadness, he was like a holy child wrapped in a hard shell, waiting for the opportunity to break out of the shell. Beneath his effeminate surface is a resolute character, indestructible than any strong man. His weakness is like a tough grass, you can crush him, burn him, but you can't break him, you can't destroy his roots.

Now, Ye Pei came to him again, like a bell hammer that woke him up, waking him up from a big dream, and giving him a different kind of hope. Zhao Zhen felt a high emotion in his heart, he was glad that he was the emperor, and he would always have a pro-government day in the future, and he would always have the ability to love the person he liked. Yes, he wants to be pro-government, he wants to seize the rights that should belong to him! But the basis of all this is still to be forbearing, yes, Wei Minxian is right, he can't let others see his love for Ye Pei, he doesn't want her to be hurt. The superficial repression is not difficult for him, it is his usual disguise, he wants to accumulate strength, he wants to defeat the enemy with one move, he wants to become a strong emperor!

Once he decided he wanted to do it, he was stronger, more resilient, more persistent than anyone else. He has been holding back for sixteen years, and now he has finally found a direction where to go and a reason to fight for it. He has found the spiritual pillar to become a generation of emperors, he wants to protect the person he loves, and he wants her to be by his side all the time.

Zhao Zhen sat at the tea table in the dormitory, although he was not accompanied by Ye Pei at the moment, he felt that there was still the breath left by Ye Pei on the other side. He looked at the bright moon like last night, the moonlight was so bright and clean, it was so bright, illuminating all the gloom in Zhao Zhen's heart, it was as warm as jade, soothing all his uneasy emotions. He has a lot to do, yes, all he has learned is the art of kingship, he feels that all of this is important now, he has to think carefully about what he wants to do first, he has a long-term plan......

Zhao Zhen looked up at the moonlight, and silently thought in his heart: "Pei'er, I finally waited for you, and you have to wait for me!" ”

Ye Pei, who returned to the Eight Princes' Mansion, seemed to have something on her mind, she was no longer a little girl who didn't know how to love. In the face of today's clear confession of the saint, how should she respond? Ask yourself, does she like Zhao Zhen? It can only be said that she never hated him. That faint affection is just because they grew up together when they were children, and she treated him as her own brother.

"I love my fifth senior brother Lou Zijin!" Ye Pei thought he was very clear about his heart. She felt that Lou Zijin was shining on her like the sun, making her warm, and the masculinity in him made her feel at ease and safe. Zhao Zhen is completely different. Zhao Zhen is like a ray of bright moonlight, which will not make people feel excessively warm and scorching, but it is comfortable and relaxing.

The moonlight on a crisp autumn day is also bright and bright, it can pierce all dark clouds and dim the stars. Ye Pei sat on the swing in the courtyard and stared blankly at the moonlight. Where is the senior brother Lou Zijin she misses at this moment? Does he really dislike himself? Why did he flee? Will he miss his little sister? Will he be hungry, will he be tired? Ye Pei was depressed and lost, for a girl who was just starting to fall in love, it was very painful for the person she loved not to like her. But Ye Pei couldn't let herself stop thinking about him, which made her even more painful.

The laurel tree in the moonlight cast a rubbing shadow, like a human figure, which reminded Ye Pei of Zhao Zhen's visit to the garden building that day. Thinking of Zhao Zhen, Ye Pei was in a much better mood, and his gentle and demure appearance made her feel comfortable and peaceful. What is my cousin Zhao Zhen doing at this moment? Is it the first batch of recitals in front of the case? Is it to grind tea and order tea in front of the coffee table? Are you in a daze at that grinding doll? Thinking of Zhao Zhen's cute appearance when he was worried about himself, Ye Pei's face was filled with an idiotic smile. At this moment, she couldn't wait to see Zhao Zhen again, and wanted to talk to him about many interesting things when she was a child.

Ye Pei is an acute person, she loves and hates clearly, her joy and anger are in the form of color, and she does not have the patience of Zhao Zhen. She wanted to see Zhao Zhen, so she thought about him in her heart, and looked forward to him coming to the Eight Kings' Mansion again every day to "meet by chance". However, after more than three months, Ye Pei did not have the opportunity to see him again.