"Princess, why are you so depressed?" The maid Xiaoting gently put the white fungus lotus seed soup on the table and asked curiously.

Li Xi, the princess of Fenyang, looked at herself in the bronze mirror and said lightly: "Should I feel happy?" ”

Xiao Ting was stunned for a moment, and then immediately understood: "Princess, don't worry, it's useless to worry, but it's easy to hurt the phoenix body." ”

Li Xi turned his head to look at her and sighed lightly: "Alas, why don't I understand? It's just that he's my brother after all. Xiaoting, what did I ask you to inquire about before, what's wrong? ”

Xiao Ting turned her head to look at the door, and said in a low voice: "I found a familiar chamberlain, and I heard him say that the emperor has no intention of disposing of King Huaiyang at present, maybe he wants to wait for the wedding to end." ”

Li Xi nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly smiled bitterly: "God is really playing tricks, and I will marry him in the end." ”

Hearing this, Xiao Ting hurriedly persuaded: "The princess doesn't have to be depressed. After all, Murong Xue is a former general, and he is young and handsome, and I heard that he was also very appreciated by the emperor at the beginning. Besides, the Murong family is rich and powerful, and the princess will not be wronged in the future if she marries him. ”

"Maybe," Li Xi replied expressionlessly, "However, my dignity is gone, and my heart is dead." ”

The meaning behind this sentence can certainly be understood by the maid Xiaoting. Previously, Li Jiangyao and Murong Xue successively refused to marry the emperor, which made Li Xi embarrassed and angry, and his brother Li Jiong was defeated and captured, which caused Princess Fenyang to have the will to die.

However, Li Xi did not die. And it didn't take long for Murong Xue to agree to this family affair again. Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, it is inevitable to misunderstand that the princess will not marry Murong, and then force each other to die, which is why there is today's wedding.

All kinds of discussions are really good to say, and they are even more embarrassing to Li Xi.

She originally planned to go to the emperor and push away this annoying marriage, even if she escaped into the empty door in the future and was often accompanied by the Green Lantern Ancient Buddha, it was better than being teased and humiliated by the younger people behind her. However, Li Bing sent someone over in advance to spread the word, saying that this matter could not be discussed at all and must be accepted.

The threat is very obvious.

Li Xi knew in his heart that although he had made his position clear early on and did not approve of his brother Li Kui's rebellious and self-reliant behavior, the emperor did not treat her well because of this. In Li Bing's eyes, she has always been Li Bing's own sister, and you will do whatever you want, and she is not qualified to bargain.

So, she gradually changed her mind and decided to accept the fact of marrying Murong Xue, and use her own methods to take revenge on her sanctimonious, treacherous and hypocritical cousin Li Bing.

Although Xiaoting didn't know Li Xi's true thoughts in her heart, she could understand that the princess didn't like Murong Xue very much, and she was committed to marrying, which was really helpless. So, she tried to comfort as much as she could: "Princess, I often listen to the grandmothers in the palace say, we are women, it is not easy in this world. When he was at home, he had to listen to his father and brother in everything. When they get married, they have to rely on their husbands and sons to make their own decisions. What can I hope for? It's just a matter of living. ”

Listening to this little girl deliberately saying some old-fashioned words to persuade herself, Li Xi suddenly couldn't help laughing, and scolded: "Little hoof, is there no reason to spend this palace in this palace?" When will it be your turn to teach me a lesson? ”

"The slave doesn't dare, the slave knows it's wrong," Xiaoting was so frightened that she begged for mercy again and again: "I saw that the princess was unhappy, so I thought about telling some jokes." ”

Li Xi waved his hand: "Okay, okay, I'm playing with you, don't take it seriously." Remove this soup, no appetite. ”

Xiaoting agreed, and was about to clean up, when a palace maid walked in outside, Shi Liyu reported: "Princess, Concubine Hui is here." ”

Concubine Hui? Murong Ling?

Li Xi was slightly stunned, and immediately ordered: "Please." ”

After a while, Murong Ling, dressed in palace clothes, walked into the pavilion accompanied by the maids. When Li Xi saw her, he gave a blessing in a proper manner, and said loudly: "See Niangniang." ”

"The princess is exempt." Murong Ling stepped forward, stretched out his hand to support Li Xi, and said with a smile: "I came to see you today, and by the way, I will help prepare for the wedding." In seven days, we will be a family, and then I will have to call you sister-in-law. ”

"Aren't you also my sister-in-law?" Li Xi smiled kindly and naturally, and pulled Murong Ling to sit down at the table: "I heard that you are already pregnant, and you are still running this trip, which really makes me feel sorry." The wedding ceremony is so busy with the people of Zongzheng Temple and the Ministry of Rites that I don't even bother to take care of it. ”

Murong Xue smiled and shook her head: "That's different. I am here today to represent the heart of my mother-in-law. ”

As she spoke, she asked for a folding book from the maid and said, "This is specially prepared by my uncle, for the princess, it can't be regarded as a formal dowry, it should be a piece of the Murong family's heart for the princess." ”

Li Xi took the booklet, opened it for a while, and couldn't help but be stunned on the spot.

The booklet was full of priceless treasures: pearls, coral, jasper, agate, mink, brocade, gold and silver jewelry, precious supplements, everything in between. In addition, the number of various treasures is also very large. For example, other people's pearls are usually counted by the piece, at most by the Hu, but the Murong family is good, and by the basket, it is like sending rice and wheat.

This thick folded book, roughly estimated, is worth no less than 100,000 pieces of silver.

Li Xi sighed secretly in his heart: The Murong family is really arrogant, and as soon as they make a move, they are so pompous and imposing.

She smiled faintly, handed the booklet to Xiao Ting, and said, "Niangniang, please thank the head of the Murong family on my behalf, I have to worry about him." ”

"These are as they should be." Murong Xue looked very happy: "You don't know, when I heard that my brother was ordered to welcome Princess Shang, I was very happy. From now on, let's kiss and kiss, how good. ”

Li Xi smiled and said: "I grew up in the palace since I was a child, and it is rare to have friends. ”

Murong Ling nodded again and again: "Of course." After the wedding, I invited the princess to come to the palace to play more, and I always felt lonely by myself. ”

Li Xi smiled and asked, "I haven't been in the palace for a long time, I don't know how Your Majesty is doing lately?" ”

"I don't see much either." Murong Ling's heart is simple, what do you say: "I heard that Your Majesty has been busy dealing with the rebels in the south, and often works until late at night, so he mostly sleeps in the Heart Cultivation Palace." ”

Li Xi bowed slightly: "It's really not easy for the imperial brother." The emperors of all dynasties have taken over the imperial power smoothly, but Your Majesty, with internal and external troubles, ups and downs, cannot use a single distraction. Niangniang, if you see Your Majesty, you must tell him to take care of the dragon's body. ”

Murong Xue responded: "Definitely." By the way, princess, I plan to go to Xiangji Temple tomorrow to pray for Your Majesty, do you want to go with you? Bow to the Bodhisattva and ask her to bless the wedding ceremony with peace and success. ”

Li Xi hesitated for a moment, then readily agreed: "Okay, since the mother is invited, then I will accompany you." ”

-

In the early morning of the next day, the princess's mansion prepared the ceremonial drive early, Li Xi changed into a set of plain cyan skirts, boarded the car and left the house under Xiaoting's service, and went straight to the famous temple Xiangji Temple outside the imperial capital.

As soon as she got out of the city gate, she met Murong Ling's honor guard convoy, so Li Xi stopped and got out of the car, and took the same ride with Murong Ling, under the escort of the forbidden army, all the way to the destination.

At this time, the abbot had already received the news and led the monks in the temple to wait in a queue outside the mountain gate.

Xiangji Temple is very famous in the imperial capital, and there are many believers and pilgrims on weekdays, almost one after another, in an endless stream. However, because Concubine Hui and Princess Fenyang came to offer incense together, according to the rules, this place is already heavily guarded, and a large number of forbidden army sentry posts are lined up, and even half of the pilgrims are not visible.

Murong Ling is pregnant, and she is already slightly pregnant at this time, plus she has been pampered by her family since she was a child, and her body is weak, so after worshipping the Buddha and entering the incense, she is so tired that she is a little out of breath.

Originally, she had made an appointment with Li Xi to visit the scenery of the mountain behind Xiangji Temple by the way, but at this time, she was tired and couldn't walk anymore, so she had to go to the meditation room to rest under the diligent guidance of the abbot.

Out of politeness, Princess Fenyang wanted to stay with Murong Ling, but Murong Ling refused: "The princess doesn't have to pay attention to me." I'll take a nap here, and you can go to the back side of the mountain for a while, and come back to tell me what is so good. ”

Seeing this, Li Xi had no choice but to agree, and told the palace maids to take care of Niangniang, and then accompanied by Xiaoting and others, he went to the mountain behind Xiangji Temple.

After wandering among the lush forests and bamboos for a while, Li Xi felt that there was nothing to go about, and was about to turn back, but at this time, a nun walked out of the corner of the mountain road in front of her, and saluted her from afar.

Li Xi originally thought that there were monks in Xiangji Temple, but he didn't expect that there were also nuns, so he couldn't help but be curious and walked over.

"Hello mage."

"Poor nun has seen Her Royal Highness the Princess, Amitabha."

When he got closer, Li Xi found that this nun was still young and her appearance was quite dignified and handsome, so he couldn't help but feel even more good, and said with a smile: "Is the master from Xiangji Temple?" Or do you place a pending order here? ”

The young nun replied: "The poor nun is a monk in Yongci Nunnery in Luoyi, and she has traveled here, but fortunately she was taken in by the abbot master, and she will leave tomorrow." ”

"Oh, I see." Li Xi nodded: "Yongci Nunnery, I went to this palace once when I was young, and it is a very clean and elegant place. ”

"Amitabha, good, good."

Li Xi looked at the nun and asked, "I haven't asked the master for the Dharma name yet." ”

The nun glanced at Li Xi lightly and replied, "Poor Nifa is pure wisdom, pure is clean and pure, and wisdom is the wisdom of wisdom." ”

Li Xi was stunned when he heard this: It's such a coincidence?

It turned out that when she was a child, Li Xi's mother specially chose a stand-in to keep her daughter safe and auspicious, and became a monk on behalf of Li Xi, and her legal name was Jinghui. However, the bhikshuni who practiced on behalf of him was in the Qingyue Nunnery in the imperial capital, not the Yongci Nunnery in Luoyi.

Only the queen mother and brother Li Kui know about this matter.