"Your Majesty obviously has expectations for you, even if Your Highness has no intention of pursuing a career, why should you sweep Your Majesty's happiness?"

Wang Xianfu sent Bai Ziche back to his residence, followed by a group of palace ministers, and the lanterns illuminated the path as bright as day. Wang Xianfu's words were humble, but Bai Ziche always intentionally or unintentionally lagged half a step behind him and didn't speak much.

"I don't want to embarrass my father." Bai Ziche smiled harmlessly, "Although the escort is meritorious, where should I be placed?" It's nothing more than causing trouble to my father. I can only paint, so I'll stay in the art academy. ”

Wang Xianfu touted: "Your Royal Highness's filial piety, Your Majesty will definitely appreciate it." ”

Bai Ziche smiled silently.

Now obeying the emperor's arrangement and entering the courtiers' field of vision is tantamount to standing up as a target. Even if he Bai Ziche has three heads, six arms and nine lives, it is not enough for the regent to toss with one finger.

"That painting, Your Highness painted it very well." Wang Xianfu said in a low voice, "Actually, His Royal Highness is not inferior to other princes. ”

Where is this comparing Bai Ziche with "other princes", it is clearly encouraging him to compare with the crown prince.

The white flesh on Wang Xianfu's face squeezed his eyes into a slender one, and a cunning light flashed in them. Bai Ziche just listened, didn't say a word, and didn't even change the curvature of the corners of his mouth, as if he had listened to a fart.

——

Deng family.

As soon as Dali Siqing stepped into the courtyard, he saw that the whole room was brightly lit, and the old housekeeper was so anxious that he stomped his feet in the courtyard.

A fist-sized night pearl was thrown out of the open door for a while, and two ancient books were thrown out for a while. There were jewels scattered all over the ground, and the brilliant pearl was more than the moonlight, charming to the eyes.

"What are you doing?" Dali Siqing said angrily.

Deng Mian sat on the high staircase, surrounded by a circle of crying servants and maids. He rummaged through the cabinets, eager to dig open all the floor tiles to see.

Deng Mian lowered his head and saw his father coming, he was not in a hurry or afraid for the first time, and he was not as calm as himself.

He threw down the cordyceps sinensis that had just been turned out, and asked with red eyes, "Back to my father, I'm looking for a blood lotus." ”

"What's the blood lotus, nonsense!" Dali Siqing scolded, "Don't get out of here quickly." ”

"You should have, don't you?" Deng Mian gritted his teeth, "I sent someone out to grab the medicine, didn't you intercept it and copy the prescription to the regent?" Didn't you order someone to buy the blood lotus in the imperial capital? ”

The Deng family is the regent party, and whether anyone in his family is sick or not, Dali Siqing knows it very well. This medicine is obviously caught for others, and it goes without saying who Deng Mian has been messing with recently.

"You're playing wild outside, you don't remember your last name, do you?" Dali Siqing said with a cold face.

"I haven't forgotten, have you forgotten, father?" Deng Mian was so angry that he trembled and could barely sit still, "You can turn a blind eye to my assassination by the regent; If the edict of the painting academy is framed and dies with hatred, you can pretend to be deaf and dumb; You taught me to read the books of the sages, and where did you read the books of the sages? Is this what you are doing as a person and an official? ”

"The man lying in the Akiba Mountain Curie once saved me!" Deng Mian pointed to his heart, as if he was poking his father's conscience, "He is no more than two years older than me, a dumb man who can't even speak, what grand cause can delay you, you want to kill him so deliberately?!" ”

Dali Siqing was stabbed to the pain point by his words, and suddenly jumped like thunder.

"You accuse me? What is not the best for you to eat, wear, live and travel? Without me, you don't know how many times you'd have died! Dali Siqing was furious, waved his hand and called in to hula a guard, "Bring the son down, face the wall and think about it, you are not allowed to go out without my order!" ”

Deng Mian was knocked down by a group of people, twisting his arms and pushing out.

"Learn to become a literary and martial artist, and the goods are with the emperor's family." Deng Mian sneered, "It turns out that the sage and gentleman are just a weapon for fame and reputation; The writings of sages are a stepping stone to fame and fortune. ”

Dali Siqing was furious, raised his hand and slapped him fiercely. Deng Mian staggered from this slap and almost collapsed from the guard's hand. The buzzing in his ears continued, and it took him a long time to spit out a mouthful of bloody spit.

Dali Siqing immediately regretted it, and helped him to see the wound, but was stubbornly avoided by Deng Mian.

"I will never tell anyone again that my father is Dali Siqing." Deng Mian raised his eyes to look at his remorseful father, his eyes were sharp and bright.

——

Akiba Mountain House.

Yuzhu had just sent the people from the palace to reward the medicinal herbs, and turned his head to Shang Chu Zhixia's pale face like a water ghost. She took a deep breath and squeezed her chest hard without screaming.

"Miss, didn't you go out to find medicine?" Yuzhu asked in a low voice, "Didn't you find it?" ”

Chu Shixia shook his head, "I'll come back to see him, knowing that he is still angry, so I won't lose my soul." ”

Yuzhu cautiously asked, "Lord Sword Saint said, how much time is left?" ”

"Twelve hours." Chu Zhixia looked at the skyline that was gradually brightening, and said in a low voice, "If I haven't found the blood lotus at dawn the next day, Shen Zhou will die." ”

Yuzhu looked at her lonely and embarrassed appearance, and was a little unbearable, "Then what are you going to do?" ”

Chu Zhixia didn't speak.

I all know that it is with the regent, it is nothing more than stealing or robbing. As for how to steal, how to rob, whether you can steal or rob, it's hard to say. After all, the regent even dared to raise the assassins of the Nine Shadows, and it was hard to say what traps were waiting for her.

At that moment, the rose-shaded side door was gently tapped. Chu Zhixia vigilantly pushed Yuzhu behind him and saw a famous post inserted in the crack of the door. She pulled out the thin piece of paper, and only the words "Bai Ziche" were written on it.

Chu Zhixia slammed open the side door and looked at the person shrouded in a blue-gray cloak.

"Fourth Highness, what are you doing here?" Chu Zhixia stared at him.

"I think you might need me." Bai Ziche said, "The assassin in the Yuanjue Temple who wants to kill the prince is your man, right?" ”

Chu Zhixia's expression remained unchanged, "Your Highness, don't be joking. ”

"I'm not kidding." Bai Ziche's face was as usual, "I've seen him, I remember his name is Shen Zhou." I was so close to you, and he smelled the same sandalwood as you—and, I remember his eyes. ”

Chu Zhixia didn't speak, just looked at him inch by inch with a cold and sharp gaze.

"Some time ago, the Jiang family, a wealthy merchant in Guangling, entered the imperial capital, was recommended by Dali Siqing, and was put into the regent's door." Bai Ziche took out a copied bill from the bottom of his sleeve and handed it to Chu Shixia, "The name is a full hundred taels of blood lotus, and I have looted the entire imperial capital's medical hall. ”

"How do you know?" Chu Shixia didn't take the hot bill.

"I pretended to be someone else's name and sold a fake at a low price, and the buyer was a shopkeeper of the Guangling Jiang clan." Bai Ziche calmed down, "I also know that the little son of the Deng family is also looking for this medicine." Actually, you want it, right? ”

"I really underestimated you, Your Highness." Chu Zhixia held the sword, a defensive posture, "Say, what deal do you want to make with me?" ”

"It's not a deal, it's an accomplice." Bai Ziche stretched out his hand to her, "My surname is Bai too, isn't it?" ”

Chu Shixia looked at this hand, this was obviously not a pampered hand. Because of the cold, holding the pen, and some kind of pain, there were slight scars and thin calluses on my hands. The fingers were slender and white, and they were so weak that they had no strength.

"What is Your Highness seeking?" Chu Zhixia lifted his long eyelashes and looked at him.

"Whatever you ask, I will ask." Bai Ziche said firmly, "I have lived too much in the days when people are swords and I am fish and meat." You're an eagle in the clouds, and you didn't come into this golden cage to get your claws removed, did you? ”

Chu Shixia raised his hand and patted his palm, holding the hand, and the pain penetrated both palms.

"Your Highness, this is a road of nine deaths and one life. You've figured it out. ”

"If you don't do anything, you may not be able to live."

——

The boat was crowded with people, the smell of filth and smell rushed through people's heads, and the river was so black that the lines on people's faces could be clearly reflected. Overhead, there is a moss-covered bridge hole, which shades the blazing sun, and under your feet is a rootless stream of water, which sweeps away the meager popularity.

This ditch follows the deepest river in Qunyufang, and corpses flow down the river during the rainy season.

Chu Zhixia never thought that there was such a place in the imperial capital.

"The boat has arrived at the dock, and it will take a long way to get to the ghost market." Bai Ziche said in a low voice.

"How did Your Highness know about this place?" Chu Zhixia asked softly.

No matter how poor Bai Ziche is, he is still a prince raised in the deep palace, and he will never end up in this kind of place to beg for a living. Even if you learn about it by chance, you can't even know where and how you got in.

"My teacher told me." Bai Ziche said, "When he was young, he ran the rivers and lakes and went to many places. It was also my first time here. ”

Bai Ziche didn't say anything after a while.

At that time, he was sincerely afraid, and he struggled to please the queen every day, in exchange for a little respite, and forced himself to be sick. The teacher told him about this place and told him that the ghost city is mixed with fish and dragons, and the terrain is unfathomable, and even if the imperial capital is turned over, it may not be possible to find the people hiding in it.

In heaven and on earth, there is always a place for him.

"Shen Zhou, is it important to you?" Bai Ziche suddenly asked.

Chu Zhixia looked at his serious expression and couldn't help laughing: "Many people ask me that. Do you think that I want everything, without a sinking boat, and thousands of silent and gentle men to replace, don't you? ”

"You have brothers who love you, and there are people in the clouds that you hold dear, and I thought you would endure until the day you return to the clouds." Bai Ziche skillfully avoided those cruel words.

Chu Shixia had no way to explain.

In the nightmarish memories of her past life, Shen Zhou was the one who accompanied her to the end. Chu Mingxiu went to the imperial capital, Chu Mingyan stayed in the clouds, there were fewer and fewer people who could hold Chu Zhixia's hand, she was alone, she had no branches to rely on.

In the end, only the sunken boat remained.

Only when Chu Zhixia looked at Shen Zhou could he find a little human temperature from the hard and cold armor, and remembered that under the series of blood-stained titles, there was a flesh and blood mortal fetus named "Chu Zhixia".

She looked for her own shadow in Shen Zhou's eyes.

The fragile feelings like buds after the rain, watered by the blood under the sword, the tears of pain, and the hugs in the middle of the night, grew wildly in the long days of dependence, causing a thick shade that covered the sky and the sun, and the roots were deeply implanted in the flesh and blood.

If you want to pull it out, it is the pain of deboning and cutting the flesh.

Shen Zhou fulfilled his promise and kept Chu Zhixia for the rest of his life. Shen Zhou didn't know what promises, honesty and morality were, but he would do everything he said to Chu Shixia.

So he said on the snowy roof in the clouds: "At the end of the world, I will accompany you to the sword mountain and the sea of fire", Chu Zhixia believed it.

Shen Zhou never broke his word to her, no matter the past and present life.

"Shen Zhou is just a good-looking little mute, dumb, boring and boring, and doesn't understand anything. It doesn't seem to be much useful except to look pleasing to the eye as an ornament, doesn't it? There are thousands of beauties in this world, so why risk such a person. ”

Chu Zhixia turned his head, and his gaze fell on the crack where a ray of heavenly light poured out in the distance, a wisp of light gold was slender and thin, "But he is also my shadow." It was only when I looked down and saw the shadow that I knew whether I was standing on earth or in hell. ”

"There are no two shadows in one person."