The magnificent Weiyang Palace looks more solemn and cold in the snowy sky of Chang'an. The sun slowly rises and shines on the snow, leaving a golden hue. Zhang Yan stood on the palace steps of Tianlu Pavilion and exhaled a breath of cold air.

The first emperor Liu Bang established the country, and the founding heroes of Dafeng were the princes, and most of the important positions in the court were held by these princes. More than 20 years have passed, the first emperor has passed away, and a number of these so-called founding heroes have also grown old, and most of the remaining people who are still in power are old. Since the fourth year of the previous century, the Son of Heaven established Taixue, after summoning talents, he summoned many talented people to enter the palace to accompany him, called "to be edicted Tianlu Pavilion", these people are good at poetry and books, criminal names, words, scriptures, or medical divination, although the status is not very high, but it is the reserve place for the future employment of the Son of Heaven. Since the prevalence of hand-copied paper, the palace needs to copy the bamboo slips stored in the past dynasties for paper preservation, but also requisitioned a group of scribes, in the Tianlu Pavilion concentrated copying, sometimes in the palace to stay late, will be in the Tianlu Pavilion to live.

In the sixth year of the previous Yuan Dynasty, the palace system was fixed, and Tianlu Pavilion supplied 60 pounds of rice every month, and 30 catties of charcoal in winter. This year's winter in Chang'an is particularly cold, even if the charcoal fire in Tianlu Pavilion is all lit, everyone is on duty in the hall, and they still feel cold. In time, Empress Zhang visited the scholars in the Tianlu Pavilion, and instructed the director of Tianlu to add more charcoal fires and add quilts in the palace. The scholars knelt down one after another to thank him, and in private, he praised Empress Zhang as a virtuous queen.

"Hyun?"

Zhang Yan looked at the snow color of the palace, the corners of her mouth curled slightly, but she didn't smile.

Historically, if you want to sit firmly as the queen of the middle palace, you have never only to win the favor and trust of the Son of Heaven, but also need to get support from outside the Weiyang Palace. Although she has the Xinping Marquis Mansion and the guests of the late Zhao State as her support, she knows that although the heroes and their descendants now occupy the main power in the court, the future of the Great Han Kingdom has a tendency to rise as poor students. To be able to do this while these people are still in decline. Do some small things to win their favor, and she will naturally not refuse. It's just that deep down in my heart, I thought: If she can use such a reputation in exchange for the safety and health of her young daughter Liu Zhi, she will never spare a penny.

"Queen Mother," Shi Nan stepped forward and laughed crisply, "It snowed heavily last night, and the snow in the palace was not shallow, did His Highness summon Feng Yuan over?" ”

"Nope."

Zhang Yan tightened the snow-colored cloak on her body. "It's rare to encounter a snowy scene, and I want to walk by myself."

"What you want to enjoy the snow is to be clean, let others go back first. Just have you and Naruto with you. ”

"No."

Heather bent her knees. Turning around and giving a command, after a while, the middle palace retreated from the crowd, and she turned back and smiled. "Mother, you can go."

Zhang Yan nodded, stopped talking, and walked forward.

Tianlu Pavilion is located in the northwest of Weiyang Palace, and Huijiaofang Hall has to pass through half of Weiyang Palace. Due to the heavy snowfall just before noon, there were no pedestrians on the palace road. The deep snow color is white and dry. The shoe stepped on it, creaked, and sank a little. A long trail of footprints left on the snow. Walk in a flash.

Shi Nan and Ming Feng followed behind Empress Zhang, without saying a word, quietly raised their heads and looked at Empress Zhang's back.

The queen is wearing a flying fairy bun today, because it is the back. You can't see the blue orchid embroidery, only the ankle-length snow-colored cloak. There are light and dark threads of the same color woven into a pomegranate pattern, the hood and the edge of the coat are inlaid with white fox armpit hair, with the pace of ups and downs slightly turbulent, from the back, the back is slender, like a fairy.

The eldest mother once said: People can't enjoy too much blessing. If the blessing is too great, it will overflow and cause damage.

Shi Nan thought that Empress Zhang might be too blessed.

She was young and young, born in a family, married into Weiyang Palace, and became the queen of the middle palace. Your Majesty is in his prime, but he only favors Queen Zhang, isn't it too blessed, this should be on the eldest daughter Princess Fanyang, these days are full of tenderness and depression all day long.

I don't know when, the snowflakes began to fall again, first sparsely, falling on the top of the head, the white one, slowly melting, penetrating into the green silk. in clothes. gradually flew into flocculents, and the people who beat them were all over the place.

"Mother, let's go." Shi Nan said, "At this time, Feng Yuan has already gone away, this place is very close to the Qilin Palace, why don't we go to the Qilin Palace to avoid the snow." ”

Zhang Yan raised her head and looked at the snow in the sky casually, "It's okay." ”

The group hurriedly avoided under the corridor of the Qilin Palace, and Shi Nan cleaned up the snow on the cloak for Zhang Yan, moving carefully and gently. The Qilin Hall is a place for the Son of Heaven to play and feast in his spare time. Because Liu Ying is diligent in political affairs and does not like to have fun, this palace has been a little deserted over the years. Walking along the verandah, I suddenly heard the sound of the palace maid laughing around the corner, but it was three or five small palace people in the Qilin Hall wearing green palace clothes, who were cleaning the snow in the palace, and when they saw that the snow was heavy, they also avoided under the corridor in the hall. A crisp voice suddenly said, "...... Have you heard about the recent events in the palace? ”

Another palace maid with long eyebrows smiled and said, "Ah Dong is talking about the eldest princess?" ”

"Niangniang," Shi Nan's face changed slightly, and she asked, "Slave maid go and stop it." ”

"Not necessarily." Zhang Yan shook her hand, her voice cold.

“…… I heard that the imperial physician of the Imperial Physician Department now frequently goes to the Jiaofang Palace to treat the eldest princess. At that time, the palace people didn't know that what they said fell into the ears of others, and they said happily, "I just don't know if the eldest princess's illness can be cured?" ”

"That's probably not possible."

"What did my sister say?"

"Don't you know, when I didn't enter the palace, there was also a deaf man in my hometown village, who couldn't speak all his life, and after his parents died, his brother and sister-in-law kicked him out of the house, and he couldn't even ask for help, and finally starved to death."

Heather's face was like ashes, trembling all over, and she looked at the queen from the corner of her eye. Seeing Empress Zhang standing in place, her face was on a plate, she couldn't see her expression, and she looked like a crystal jade.

She knew to herself that these little palace people were talking rebelliously and should be stopped immediately. But Queen Zhang said that she would listen for the time being, obviously she had another mental calculation. I couldn't help but be in a dilemma, only to feel that the cold sweat on my back had soaked through my cotton clothes. Suddenly, I heard a palace person say leisurely, "Speaking of which, although the eldest princess is from a noble background, she is really pitiful, I would rather be a small palace person." is also unwilling to exchange with her. His eyes were dark, and he shouted loudly, "Bold, the people of the palace dare to discuss the affairs of the nobles in private, do you want to die?" ”

With an exclamation, the palace people pleaded guiltily and said, "The slave should die." Please also ask for forgiveness of your sins. He knelt on the ground and was silent.

Shi Nan walked out with Zhang Yan and said cautiously, "Queen Mother." What do you think of them? ”

Zhang Yan walked forward with a stove. Delicate moccasin boots crept on the brick surface of the verandah.

The palace people became more and more frightened and buried their heads deeply. trembling all over, he bowed, "Slave and maid see Her Royal Highness the Queen, Your Highness is happy and happy!" "The voice is jagged and out of tune.

"Changle Weiyang?" Zhang Yan sneered. "With palace people like you, how can I stay happy?"

Since Liu Zhi's illness was diagnosed, she vaguely knew that such rumors could not be avoided. However, it is only when you face it that you can know it. What kind of pain is it for the relatives who are closely related. Zhang Yan listened to the fact that even the lowest-level sprinkling palace sweeper in Weiyang Palace could talk about her beloved daughter Liu Zhi in a sympathetic tone. I only felt that I could barely lift it in one breath, and after swallowing the bitterness in my throat, Fang Leng said coldly, "Come on, send these palace people who are talking about the eldest princess of Fanyang down to the silkworm room." ”

The palace people worshiped again and again. "The Queen Mother forgives her sins." But it has been forcibly taken down by eunuchs who poured into the palace from nowhere.

"Niangniang," Shi Nan looked at Zhang Yan's face in horror. Persuaded slowly, "This group of palace people is just talking nonsense, don't take it to heart." ”

Zhang Yan blinked, and Fang said coldly, "Order Director Qilin to go to the Shaofu to receive the punishment." ”

After finishing speaking, he stopped talking, and stepped into the gradually smaller snow with a hood Song Wei.

Returning to the Jiaofang Palace, it seems that suddenly from the snowy winter day, back to the warm early spring. The laying of the Jiaofang Palace, in the near winter, was replaced with vermilion brocade. Coupled with the two stoves that burned day and night in the temple, as soon as he entered the temple, he felt warm all over.

Liu Zhi, the half-year-old eldest princess of Fanyang, was waited by the nurse to put on a tender yellow spring dress and lay on the couch. The nurse helped her turn over half of her body, but she was not satisfied, she tossed and wanted to turn it back, and when she saw Zhang Yan, her dark phoenix eyes suddenly lit up, and she stretched out her white and tender arms like lotus roots, and made a gesture to her mother to hug her.

Zhang Yan suddenly felt that her heart was like thin snow in the sun, turning into water little by little.

took off his cloak and warmed up by the fire for a while, then he went over and picked up Liu Zhi, and said with a smile, "Okay, I haven't seen you for a long time, do you miss your mother?" Is it good for A-Niang to teach you to speak? ”

Groped Liu Zhi's hand, put it on his lips, and slowly repeated, "'A-Niang'." ”

……

In the first month of the spring of the second year of the Middle Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Yan finished handling the palace affairs for a year, felt slightly tired, sat on the couch to rest, and suddenly heard a cheer from the corridor, Tu Yu opened the curtain and came in, and said with a smile, "Niangniang, the plum blossoms in the courtyard outside are blooming, do you want to go and see?" ”

Zhang Yan then got up and pushed open the window to look. In the dim twilight, the plum tree in the northwest corner of the courtyard was only playing with flower bones yesterday, and I don't know when, it has spit out a few red stamens, reflecting the color of ice and snow, which is extraordinarily gorgeous.

"Niangniang," Han Lian asked with a smile, "Do you want to break a branch of this red plum blossom and insert it in the temple for offering?" ”

"No need." Zhang Yan shook her head and smiled, "The plum tree is originally graceful, staring at the wind and snow in the cold winter, why should I do such a thing, I have to fold her back and put her in the greenhouse?" Bring Celestia over. ”

The palace man who was waiting outside the curtain curted his knees and replied, "No." ”

After a while, Sang Niang carried Liu Zhi to the main hall.

Liu Zhi was wearing a bright red dress today, very energetic, and when she was reported to her mother by the nurse, she smiled very happily. writhing in Zhang Yan's arms, her little arms waved very powerfully.

Zhang Yan smiled, "Little naughty, if you can make me worry a little less, how nice it would be." ”

Her gentle voice was doting, falling into Liu Zhi's ears, but it couldn't arouse a trace of fluctuation in Liu Zhi's crystal phoenix eyes. Liu Zhi chuckled for a while, and saw that Zhang Yan was combing her hair like a tuo, and the golden phoenix hairpin hooked up a stack of green silk, and the hairpin was on the right side of the bun, which was very eye-catching, so she reached out curiously and grabbed the phoenix's tail.

The hairpin hooked the green silk and pulled it out, it was very painful, Zhang Yan called, "Oh, little ancestor." You lighten a little. ”

Suddenly, I heard the palace people behind him bow down in unison and said, "The eldest family is happy." Holding Liu Zhi and turning around, he saw Liu Ying wearing a crown robe and entering the hall outside.

Naughty and lovely daughter, a young and beautiful wife, her green hair was slightly scattered by Liu Zhi, and her big apricot eyes were slightly embarrassed, and she opened up slightly. This picture fell into the eyes of the young emperor, and after a moment's pause, a smile welled up, and he stepped forward quickly. With one hand, he held Liu Zhi's small hand pulling the golden phoenix hairpin, and with the other hand, he pressed Zhang Yan's green silk and untied the hairpin. "Why are you so careless?" The voice was slightly reproachful.

"It's obviously your daughter who is naughty." Zhang Yan was slightly annoyed.

"Ahh Liu Zhi held the golden phoenix hairpin and smiled very happily.

"Little villain," Liu Ying laughed. "I like to be beautiful at such a young age, toss your aunt. When you reach the age of fifteen, your father will give you a cart of jewelry and dress you up as a little beauty like your mother. ”

"Say what?" Zhang Yan glared at him, and because the hairpin was untied, a stack of green silk fell on the right side. Add a touch of charm.

Liu Ying couldn't help laughing. hugged his wife and soothed, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. ”

Zhang Yan lowered her eyebrows, blinked her long eyelashes, and answered softly, "Hmm." ”

Liu Zhi played with the golden phoenix hairpin in her hand for a while, feeling a little heavy. Simply threw it to the nurse and raised her head. found that Ah Weng and Ah Niang were leaning together, full of affection, and their expressions were extremely intimate. It's just that he seems to have forgotten about himself, and he can't help but get anxious, "Ah, ah" kicking his legs and looking around, his face is red.

The husband and wife came back to their senses and were stunned, Liu Ying smiled, lowered her head and kissed Liu Zhi, and then leaned over to kiss his wife's lips. In this pepper room hall that the wind and rain can't overthrow, there are only three of them, and the atmosphere is extremely warm.

***********

Chang'an gradually has a late spring birthday, and the grass grows and the warbler flies.

The maid outside the Jiaofang Hall curtsied and said softly, "The eldest princess is here." ”

Liu Zhi raised her head in the arms of the nurse who walked into the hall, and there was still a worried look on her face. Although he is young, he can already see that the child with extremely delicate eyebrows and eyes is very similar to Zhang Yansheng's, only a pair of big phoenix eyes, but it is inherited from his father and the spirit of Qingming. The skin is delicate and crystalline, and in the light of day, it seems to be able to shine through.

"This child is really like you and Your Majesty." Lu Yuan liked it very much when he saw it, and took Liu Zhi in his arms, "It's just that my life is a little harder." The circles under his eyes suddenly turned red.

"Auntie, you can't cry." Zhang Yan pursed her lips and smiled, "Let's see grandma once, if you look at her crying, she will think that you, who are grandma, don't like her." ”

"Nonsense." Lu Yuan scolded with a smile, and he already hugged Liu Zhi with a smile.

Liu Zhi tilted her head, blinked slightly with a pair of phoenix eyes, and looked at her grandmother in front of her.

Although Lu Yuan has a very close relationship with the royal family, the palace is different from inside and outside after all, and Liu Zhi is still young, from birth to the present, but he has seen this grandmother several times, and he is not very familiar. But she was a child who didn't know how to give birth, and after snuggling in Lu Yuan's arms for a while, she wanted to turn over.

The two-year-old child, who already had some strength in his feet, kicked on Lu Yuan's chest, although it was not painful, but after all, he was a little unstable.

"I'll do it."

Zhang Yan smiled and said, "This child is already a little naughty and active, and A-Niang is afraid that she won't be able to hold her." ”

Lu Yuan smiled, held Liu Zhi's little hand, took off a jade bracelet from his wrist, and put it on Liu Zhi's arm.

"Mother."

Zhang Yan saw it clearly, and hurriedly stopped, "This thing is too valuable, she can't afford to wear it, so you better keep it." ”

Liu Zhi is still a baby girl, and although her arms are white and fat, she is not as big as an adult after all. This red plum jade bracelet looks very loose when it is put on the hand. But her skin is as white and tender as a lotus root, which contrasts with the crystal quality of the jade bracelet and the faint flow of red plum blossoms in the bracelet, which is extremely pleasing to the eye.

This Khotanese jade plum pattern bracelet, the jade is clear, the polished light is shiny, it is a piece of fine mutton fat and Khotanese jade, somehow, when it is excavated, there is a touch of red liquid inside. Jade is pure, and if there are impurities, it will lose its inferiority. But this red pattern is better than natural, and in the bracelet head condensed into a small three-petal plum blossom pattern, the color is very bright, very chic. Craftsmen turned it into a bracelet. When Empress Lu returned to the palace from Chudi, when she first sat in the position of queen, she picked out this bracelet and sent it to Zhao Di to give it to her daughter who married a year ago.

Zhang Yan once saw it in Lu Yuan's dressing box when she was a child, it was Lu Yuan's most cherished jewelry, and when she was a child, she occasionally saw it once in her mother's dressing box, and she wanted to pick it up and take a look, but she was stopped by her mother, which showed Lu Yuan's cherished heart. At this time, it was given to Liu Zhi, how could Zhang Yan not be surprised in her heart.

Liu Zhi felt a cold feeling on her wrist, and there was a slight sense of falling, she turned her head and looked at the bracelet curiously, seeing that the jade bracelet was crystal clear, and the plum blossoms were bright and exquisite.

"What is precious or not?" Lu Yuan patted Liu Zhi on the shoulder and said angrily, "We are the eldest princess of the imperial seal, what precious things in this world she can't afford to wear?" This is a little bit of heart for her, as a grandmother. ”

Zhang Yan refused to speak, and after a long time, Fang gently called, "A-Niang,"

"Your love, Ah Yan has received it." She said, her nose was sour, and she quickly turned her head sideways to hide the tears in her apricot eyes.

"Silly boy," Lu Yuan smiled tolerantly, "I'm your mother." ”

Mothers are always willing to give everything for their children. is like Empress Lu to Liu Ying and Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan to Zhang Yan, and Zhang Yan to Liu Zhi.

"Besides," Lu Yuan lowered his eyes, "I'm so old, what else do I care?" The voice was faint, with a hint of melancholy that wanted to be hidden.

"Auntie, what nonsense are you talking about." Zhang Yan giggled, leaning on Lu Yuan's arms, like countless times when she was a child, "You are obviously still very young." If we go out together and walk on Chang'an Avenue, people won't think that we are mother and daughter, but only sisters. ”

"You'll make your aunt happy."

Knowing that Zhang Yan was just coaxing herself, listening to such words, Lu Yuan couldn't help but laugh, "How can A-Niang compare with you?" You are only eighteen years old this year, just the same age as a flower, and you have Your Majesty by your side to protect you wholeheartedly, unlike A-Niang,"

- It's already getting old.

"A-Niang," Zhang Yan frowned.

I don't know why, although Lu Yuan in front of her was smiling, she felt an ominous feeling from Lu Yuan's smile, so she sat up straight and asked, "Is there something wrong with you?" The voice was unconscious, with a slight solemnity.

"Nothing."

Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head, "What can I do." ”

"I am the emperor's sister, the queen mother is my mother, you are my daughter, in this Chang'an City, what else can make me unhappy? I'm just overly worried about hearing about good things. ”

Zhang Yan looked at Lu Yuan, and was suspicious in her heart, but since Lu Yuan didn't want to say it anymore, she could only press it temporarily, and planned to make plans later, so she turned around and ordered, "Sang Niang, you put away the jade bracelet for the princess, lest the eldest princess accidentally knock the jade bracelet when she is playing." ”

Sang Niang responded, stepped forward and grabbed a good hand, took off the jade bracelet, and wrapped it in Chen Liusu silk. Hugged Liu Zhi aside.

Lu Yuan looked at his daughter and was extremely pleased.

The setbacks suffered by the eldest daughter made the young Han Empress grow up rapidly, fade away from the squeamishness and willfulness when she was a daughter, and gradually have the maturity and majesty of the queen of the middle palace.

This is naturally a good thing. But as a mother, seeing her daughter grow up in stumbles is inevitably painful in her heart after all.

She muttered, "You have been assertive since childhood. A-Niang is not smart in her life, and she finally has the Queen Mother and Her Majesty to rely on to live so leisurely. Auntie, I don't know how I can help you. However, A-Niang always thinks about you in her heart,"

Zhang Yan sat upright, "Auntie, please speak, I'm listening." The voice was respectful.

"Okay," Lu Yuan took Zhang Yan's hand and said solemnly, "Ah Yan, you must listen to my advice and have another child as soon as possible." The look was solemn.

********

This chapter has been changed many times, and finally decided not to continue with it. If I keep changing it, I really don't need to update it.