Ten years of auspicious charms, twentieth of the first month.

Taimiao.

The clear sky is as clear as a wash, the sandalwood is curling, and the colorful flags are flying. Separated by the faint blue smoke, the empty and deep courtyard, and the swords, guns, and iron edges of the guards, Chu Zhixia knelt down with the hundred officials to worship the Chu Clan's temple from afar.

"The twenty-first generation of the Chu family's grandson Che, pure heart, talented, compassionate, compassionate, good conduct, for the long-standing national plan, the foundation of the ancestors, the crown prince. Now the descendants of Zhan, lead him to visit the temple, and may the heroic spirit on the hall protect the great Zhou Guozuo. ”

After the emperor finished reciting the prayer, he stretched out a hand to support Bai Ziche, who was kneeling down.

Bai Ziche was dressed in a dragon robe, and the dragon embroidered with golden silk threads was lifelike, and as he got up and stepped on, it flew like a cloud driving a mist. The prince's clothes are decorated with gold and jade, but Bai Ziche is still light and light, not showing half cramped and arrogant. Bai Ziche turned around with the emperor and faced the ministers.

The courtiers all shouted: "God bless the society, and the country is long." ”

The ravens on the eaves were alarmed, fluttering their wings and flying away, leaving white feather-like clouds fluttering in the air.

——

Weiyang Palace.

A new pond was dug in the courtyard, and the rocks were stacked and the water was murmuring. The emperor and Chu Zhixia sat opposite each other and under the eaves, and there was little sound of black and white chess pieces falling on the board. Chu Zhixia sat in front of this chessboard and had two sticks of incense, the emperor didn't say a word, just played chess, and Chu Shixia was obediently silent.

"Shen Zhou accepted the jade ring, and I was very happy. What reward do you want? The Emperor asked suddenly.

"Sharing worries and solving problems for Your Majesty is a matter within the minister's responsibility, and the minister does not dare to ask for credit." Chu Zhixia bowed his head and said.

"I cherish this lost child, and I can't wait to hold the best things in the world in front of him, but he doesn't give a damn, and won't even look at me." The emperor sighed faintly and said, "Shen Zhou is really closer to your Yunzhong Chu clan. ”

"He will understand His Majesty's painstaking efforts." Chu Zhixia said this, but he couldn't stop being tired and bored in his heart.

The emperor's every sentence is the love of father and son, but every word is beating and suspicion. Throughout the ages, princes who have befriended the courtiers who are in charge of the military are all eagles and wolves; There are few people who have a deep relationship with the border officials who do not harbor evil intentions.

On the other hand, the Great Zhou Dynasty has already produced a regent who holds the prince hostage and controls the government, and there must be no second one.

The dragon blood jade ring with complex meaning, if Shen Zhou didn't accept it, it would be Chu Zhixia's ineffective work; If Shen Zhou accepts it, it will prove that this pearl of the sea is obedient to Chu Zhixia Yan, and there is only the Chu family in his eyes, and there is no imperial power.

It is also wrong to advance, and it is also wrong to retreat.

"I really love him." The chess pieces in the palm of the emperor's hand fell into the chess pot, staring at Chu Zhixia Dao, "Pei Shoufu advised me, don't go your own way, so that Shen Zhou fell into gossip, and I withdrew the will to worship my ancestors and canonize the king of Jin in Taimiao." Even if Shen Zhou repeatedly made insulting remarks and violated the holy will, I was reluctant to blame him. Our father and son have been separated for many years, and I want to make amends for him, you know? ”

Chu Zhixia felt out of breath, and said respectfully: "The minister understands." ”

"The will to recognize King Jin will come down soon, and he won't live in Akiba Mountain for long." The emperor pushed a red letterhead in front of Chu Shixia and said, "This is the name I chose for him, you go and tell him." ”

A fluttering piece of paper, but like a door lock. The moment Chu Zhixia picked up the letterhead with both hands, she felt that the heavy shackles were locked on her and Shen Zhou's wrists, and there was no way to break free.

"Yes."

——

Jade Fang.

Chu Zhixia threw the letterhead stamped with the seal of the Ministry of Rites on the table, and the ink-colored strokes were like scorched black marks left by the fire, burning in her heart.

There was a tactful and beautiful singing voice outside the private room, and Chu Zhixia leaned on the vermilion railing, looking down at the woman singing on the stage. The audience on the stage threw a lot of copper coins and paper flowers on the stage, and the singers stood up to thank the people in the audience.

Chu Zhixia smiled, turned his back to the noisy singing and dancing, and picked up a pot of wine and poured it into his stomach.

I don't know how long I drank, but the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open.

Chu Zhixia opened her hazy eyes and saw Shen Zhou squatting in front of her, stretching out the back of his hand and touching her flushed and hot cheeks. Shen Zhou looked at Chu Zhixia's drunken appearance and couldn't help frowning, but Chu Zhixia laughed. Chu Zhixia held Shen Zhou's cold face, approached the tip of his nose, and exhaled hot and sweet, with the rich fragrance of fine wine.

"Little mute, what should I do with you?" Chu Zhixia said almost dreamily, "From today on, you are also a bird in a cage." ”

Shen Zhou was silent, pressing the back of Chu Zhixia's neck and holding her in his arms. Shen Zhou learned the posture of his wife to comfort the child, and gently patted Chu Shixia on the back. When Chu Zhixia's breathing evened out and she stopped talking nonsense, Shen Zhou wrapped her in a big husk and hugged her.

Cheng Yuan on the side took out the money to settle the bill, and suddenly saw the big red gilded letterhead on the table. Cheng Yuan faintly heard some rumors, and was a little uneasy when he saw this. He reached for the letterhead and looked at the words on the paper, speechless in shock.

"The second son of the emperor was victimized by traitors and lived among the people. Now blessed by God, this bloodline is found, and the name is 'Zhen'. ”

Perfection is also perfect.

Shen Zhou glanced at it lightly and said to Cheng Yuan, "Put it away." ”

——

When Chu Zhixia woke up, the sky was about to be bright. She woke up with a hangover and a splitting headache and a dry mouth. The person who had been guarding her all night by the bedside helped her up, and the decanting soup that had been kept warm and kept warm by changing the hot water over and over again all night was brought to her lips.

The sour and astringent decanting soup entrance, Chu Zhixia felt sober for a moment.

"You haven't slept all night?" Chu Zhixia grabbed Shen Zhou's sleeve and asked in a daze.

"Hmm."

What Shen Zhou didn't say was that Chu Zhixia slept unsteadily all night.

Chu Zhixia gasped heavily from time to time, as if there was a wound there that made her unbearable. Shen Zhou was so anxious that he called Yuzhu up several times, but after checking it, Yuzhu told Shen Zhou that Chu Zhixia did not have any wounds on his heart, not even scratches. The doctor came to check the pulse in the middle of the night, only said that there was no disease, and prescribed a sobering medicine to give up.

Chu Zhixia's eyebrows lowered, and when he saw the dragon blood jade ring on Shen Zhou's waist, he stiffened, and even his heartbeat stopped a few beats.

"What are you doing with this?" Chu Zhixia asked in a dry voice.

"I don't want you to be embarrassed."

Shen Zhou brushed away the broken hair on her forehead and gently dropped a kiss, "From childhood to adulthood, it seems that I protect you, but in fact, you protect me." If it weren't for you, I would still be 'alive' without ghosts. Even if I have to be trapped here for the rest of my life, I don't want you to swallow all the hardships alone, I implore you to let me bear it with you. ”

Shen Zhou's gaze was clear, without a trace of impurities.

"Chu Shixia, now that I love what you love, I feel what you love, have I learned what you call 'emotion'?"

Chu Zhixia said "yes" in a hoarse voice, but at the moment of speaking, he scratched Shen Zhou's clothes and shed tears. Shen Zhou put his arms around her, patted her back gently, and pressed his chin against the top of her hair, feeling the tremors of her body when she cried, and her heart began to pantothenic.

If you are destined not to be free, let me stay by your side and comfort this long life.

——

On the day the name "Bai Zhen" was written into the genealogy of the temple, the government and the opposition were in an uproar.

This mysterious "King of Jin" is said to have lived among the people when he was young, and was raised by his innocent adoptive parents to be pure and friendly, both civil and military. The newly established prince did not complain about the emperor's preference, and personally visited the king of Jin on the day of the completion of the mansion. The ministers who were worried about the people in the imperial capital were relieved and were eager to step through the threshold of the Jin Palace, but they were told that the King of Jin was unwell and did not see any guests.

Spring is getting warmer.

The Jin King's house is planted with lush flowers and trees, and the pink and white buds are bulging, as if they will explode when touched. The king of Jin didn't like people to serve in front of him, so the female officials had to stand far away and couldn't hear the words of the people in the pavilion.

Bai Ziche was wearing a cyan robe with a white jade ring around his waist, and his noble and self-contained temperament was naturally revealed as soon as he cleaned it up a little.

He read aloud the collected folk rumors, sonorous to the point of humor: "Bai Zhen, the king of Jin, was adopted by a private farmer, and the couple had been infertile for many years. ”

Chu Shixia shook his head when he heard this, and said: "In the eighth year of Jingtai, the regent was in power, the Chen Party was tyrannical, and the people collected taxes according to capitation, and the taxes were heavy. Whoever has more children wants to drown in the river, who will raise a child who picks up? ”

Pei Zhang waved his hand and said, "It's just a curved pen, a curved pen." ”

Shen Zhou fiddled with the fathead fish lantern, and reached out to poke the fathead fish's bulging cheeks twice with an expressionless face.

Bai Ziche insisted on reading it to the end: "King Jin is kind-hearted, and when he was six years old, he saw the child destroying the anthill and teasing the cat and dog, so he stopped it violently. Seeing this, his adoptive parents sent him to study in a private school in the countryside. Seeing his loyalty and courage, the knights taught him martial arts and encouraged him to serve the country. ”

Chu Zhixia and Shen Zhou finally showed disgusted expressions in unison.

Pei Zhang also felt a little sick to his stomach.

Bai Ziche wiped his face and felt a little embarrassed.

"Why should I care about the ant nest?" Shen Zhou asked puzzled.

"Leave those people in the Ministry of Rites alone." Chu Zhixia held his forehead and said, "I'm full." ”

Bai Ziche said euphemistically: "Actually, this is Your Majesty's instructions, so as not to use Shen Zhou's life experience to make a fuss and insult people in the future." ”

Shen Zhou couldn't stand it anymore, stood up on the table and asked, "Where is the ant nest?" ”

Chu Zhixia slapped him on the leg and said, "Don't mess around." ”

Shen Zhou sat down angrily, puffing out like a fathead fish in his hand. He clearly has grown into the size of an adult man, but there is a clear and pure childishness between his delicate eyebrows and eyes, which is not contaminated by the world, making him always look sixteen or seventeen years old.

Some time ago, because the emperor recognized Shen Zhou's matter, he was very deliberate to posthumously crown Shen Zhou's mother as the imperial concubine, nicknamed "Roujia". And Bai Ziche's mother was also posthumously named "Zhenning" queen in a high-profile manner in order to meet the noble status of the crown prince. Everyone was talking about this Empress Zhenning, but no one cared about the concubine of Emperor Roujia, and Shen Zhou was at peace because of this.

The small resentment in Bai Ziche's heart softened in Shen Zhou's angry eyes, and he asked rather funny: "Shen Zhou, now I should call you brother." ”

Shen Zhou gasped, rubbed the goosebumps on his arm and said, "Don't." ”

Shen Zhou called Chu Mingyan "prince" and Chu Mingxiu "second son", and he had never called anyone "brother" softly to his face, let alone been called so. Bai Ziche called him "brother" with a playful expression, which made him feel a chill.

As if he felt that his tone was too cold and disrespectful, Shen Zhou pondered for a moment and said, "Please." ”

Chu Zhixia couldn't cry or laugh, and said, "Your Highness, don't tease him." ”

"Then I still call you Shen Zhou, you don't have to call me Your Highness, just call me Ziche." Bai Ziche approached those beautiful eyes and said, "This house is full of people sent by His Majesty, no better than the people of the Chu family who have served you since you were a child." If there is something that is not used to it, it is not allowed to act rashly. ”

The upper and lower levels of the Jin King's mansion were handled by the emperor, and Shen Zhou was only responsible for living in. Bai Ziche was knocking on the sinking boat, and the emperor's eyeliner was everywhere in the house.

Bai Ziche glanced at Chu Shixia again, and subtly advised: "Mo Xue is already of marriageable age, and if she has a close relationship with King Jin, there will be bad words coming out." ”

Chu Zhixia and Pei Zhang, who understood, fell silent.

Shen Zhou blinked and said, "No one will find out." ”

With his skills, it is easy to deceive the pampered female officials in the house.

Bai Ziche showed a helpless smile.

——

Late at night.

Akiba Mountain House.

Shen Zhou immersed himself in sucking the noodles with moderate hardness and softness, biting into the poached eggs soaked in the soup, and finally tilting his head to drink the dry soup.

Yuzhu was distressed when she saw it, touched his chin and said, "What happened to the cook in King Jin's mansion?" The chin is thin and pointed. Do you still eat it? I'll go cook you another bowl. ”

Shen Zhou held the bowl and didn't speak, Chu Zhixia took a pot of wine and said first: "Don't cook for him, look at his stomach." He eats as much as you cook, it's really late, what should I do if I eat the accumulated food? ”

Shen Zhou hiccuped.

Yuzhu retreated and said, "Then I'll go cut a plate of fruit." ”

Chu Zhixia raised his forehead.

"I just like to eat at home." Shen Zhou whispered, "There are many rules in the Jin King's mansion, you can't eat or sleep, and you can't clip the same dish three times." The female official was also very fierce, chasing me every day and reciting the rules and etiquette of the palace, and she did not allow me to go home. ”

"Eating without saying a word" can not be regarded as a restraint and punishment at all, Shen Zhou did not speak at all, and the female officials once thought that he was mute. What Shen Zhou couldn't bear was being in a strange and empty house, but he couldn't see Chu Zhixia from sunrise to sunset, and the time of the day was racing against time to torment his liver and gallbladder, making him at a loss.

Chu Zhixia is bored and funny, annoyed that Shen Zhou sneaked back night and night is not a long-term solution, and the funny thing is that Shen Zhou is now "going home" one by one. But his name is written on the Bai family tree, and he is a legitimate royal child.

His home can be the residence of the King of Jin, or the imperial city with strict palace bans, but it cannot be the Autumn Leaf Mountain Residence.

"Shen Zhou, your surname is Bai now." Chu Zhixia pondered the words, stretched out his finger to trace his eyebrows, and said, "Your Majesty is your relative, and the Jin King's Mansion is your home." In the future, in front of outsiders, you must not call the clouds and Akibayama home. ”

Shen Zhou nodded sullenly and said he understood.

The sound of porcelain breaking suddenly came from the corridor outside the door, and Chu Zhixia and Shen Zhou were in good spirits at the same time, and pushed the door open suddenly.

Yuzhu knelt beside the broken white porcelain, and a column of red-clothed eunuchs stood on the porch. The emperor in civilian clothes stood under a lantern, half of his face hidden in the shadows, obscure.