The sky is dark, the brilliant color is fleeting, and a crescent moon rises from the east. There are many lanterns hanging at intervals on the palace road, and the faint lights are swaying in the wind, stretching the shadows of the group for a long time.

In Shoukang Palace, Empress Dowager Zhao had already changed into her regular clothes, leaning on the chaise longue with her head propped up, her eyes closed and her breath was even.

Zhu Qing led Xie Wan into the inner hall, and asked the palace maids and eunuchs who were waiting in the hall to exit the hall, and turned around and lowered the curtain in the inner hall. The smile on Zhu Qing's face was retracted, and he pointed to the green brick in the middle of the inner hall and said to Xie Wan, "The Queen Mother is taking a break, so you kneel here." ”

After that, Zhuqing also left the inner hall and gently closed the wooden door.

Xie Wan lowered his head and said yes, thought for a moment and then knelt down carefully without making a sound. Xie Wan's forehead touched the cold brick, the sweat on his back gradually dried, his whole body was cold when the wind blew, and the heart that had been hot and jumping all night finally calmed down.

I don't know how long I knelt down, Xie Wan only felt a sore knee for a while, as if someone had taken a steel needle to drill into it, and his calf was numb for a while, and the coldness gradually lost consciousness. It's just that the beads of sweat on his forehead are fine, and his heart is like a drum.

"Hmm...... What time has it been? ”

There was a small sound of clothes rubbing against each other in the bead curtain, and Empress Dowager Zhao's voice clearly echoed in this empty hall.

Xie Wan didn't dare to act rashly, and said softly at the estimated hour, "Back to the Queen Mother, it's three o'clock in the hour." ”

The bead curtains collided with each other and made a crisp sound, a pair of delicate embroidered shoes stopped in front of Xie Wan, Empress Dowager Zhao lowered her eyes and looked at Xie Wan, "I have slept for a long time this night, you are quite honest when you kneel here, and you have complaints in your heart." ”

Xie Wan's head was attached to the green brick, and his voice was calm, "The thunder, rain and dew are all Jun's grace, and the slave and maid have no complaints." The Queen Mother is a king, and the slaves and maids dare not play tricks in front of you. ”

Empress Dowager Zhao turned the jade bracelet on her wrist, and raised her eyebrows slightly, "Oh? Lift up your head and let me take a good look. ”

Xie Wan was stiff and sore, and she could almost hear the soft sound of bones when she moved slightly, she bit her lower lip, forcibly resisted the tingling sensation coming from her body, straightened her waist and lowered her eyes and raised her head.

The next moment, Xie Wan's jaw was pinched fiercely. Empress Dowager Zhao's hands are well maintained, and because she does not raise her nails because she corrects the recitals every day, her fingertips have been ground out a little callus. However, the strength of his fingertips was not small, but in just a moment, Xie Wan's skin turned red.

"Do you really dare, or do you have a set of yang and yin in front of you and a set on the back?"

Xie Wan reluctantly spit out a few syllables, intermittently forming a sentence, "The slave doesn't dare." ”

Empress Dowager Zhao snorted, loosened her fingertips, lifted her robe and sat down on the main seat. Xie Wan's chest rose and fell violently twice, and after his breath was even, he changed direction again, still kneeling in front of Empress Dowager Zhao.

"If you really don't dare, who came up with the idea of going out of the palace to buy flowers and seedlings to make up the numbers?"

Xie Wan was not too surprised, after kneeling here for so long, she had already figured out the reason for the Queen Mother's trouble, and she bowed respectfully, "It is the slave's idea to return to the Queen Mother." A month ago, the flower seedlings of the Si Yuan Division were deliberately destroyed, and in the end, only three plants were left by luck, but the Queen Mother Qianqiu is a major matter in the hearts of the slaves, and they all want to be perfect to celebrate the birthday of the mother. In desperation, the slave maid thought of such a method.

However, the slave maid thought that the queen mother had worked hard for so many years to calm the floods and destroy the foreigners, so that the people had surplus food. Jingzhong can not close the door at night and the road is not forgotten. All the people in the world are also grateful for your kindness, all the people are your people, these three hundred flower seedlings are not the people's wishes to your mother, the slave is just the courage to present this heart to you. ”

After Xie Wan finished speaking, he waited a little, and the Empress Dowager Zhao didn't say a word, so Xie Wan had the courage to say again, "The slave knows that the palace rules are strict, and this time it is also a broken rule." Please ask the queen mother to surrender, and the slave and maid admit the punishment. ”

Empress Dowager Zhao lowered her eyes and looked at Xie Wan silently, and only after a while did she speak faintly, "It's a very clever mouth, and it's exactly the same as your father, the former Prime Minister Xie Cheng." ”

Xie Wan's brain boomed, and a string seemed to be plucked fiercely. Xie Wan stiffly and hesitantly raised his head, and he didn't care about any unruly rules, "Niangniang remembers me...... Father. ”

Empress Dowager Zhao smiled slightly, nodded lightly and didn't care about Xie Wan's offense and faux pas, "Xie Shi'an is indeed talented, but he shouldn't be, he actually pleaded with the first emperor and wanted to abolish my throne." There is never a shortage of talented people in this world, and there is no shortage of smart people, who stood in my way, so he died. ”

Empress Dowager Zhao leaned down and approached Xie Wan, her eyes were facing each other, and her voice sounded in Xie Wan's ears, "You are very smart and have the means, but be careful and smart but be mistaken by cleverness." Xie Wan, do you understand what I mean? ”

Xie Wan knelt in place in a daze, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time. This is the court, this is the royal family, no one is irreplaceable, let your power be monstrous, a holy decree can destroy people.

Empress Dowager Zhao stood up again, went straight around Xie Wan and walked to the edge of the window, the night was dark, only a few stars were around the moon, and the night breeze was slightly cool.

The birdcage hanging under the porch also swayed gently in the wind, and the birds in it stood on the branches and looked into the distance, chirping twice. It's a pity that there is a red wall as far as the eye can see, and there is still a wall outside the wall, and there is no end in sight.

"I have kept this finch for many years, and I have provided it with good food and drink, and even this cage has been carefully designed. But the bird was still not happy, and sometimes it would not make two calls no matter how much it teased, even if it asked someone to choose a mate for it, but did not make two calls. I used to wonder what it was in this red wall, raised by me, and everything was used for the best, and what was not satisfied. ”

Empress Dowager Zhao looked back at Xie Wan and asked, "Tell me, how should this bird be raised?" ”

Xie Wan pondered for a while before speaking cautiously, "The slave maid thinks that the birds must want to soar into the sky when they give birth to wings. If the mother really wants this bird to be happy, it is better to raise it free-range. ”

Empress Dowager Zhao nodded and beckoned to Zhuqing outside. The golden wire cage was taken down and handed to the Empress Dowager Zhao's hand, and the next moment the cage door opened, and the birds flapped their wings and flew straight into the sky, circling twice, chirping non-stop and then quickly disappeared into the night sky.

Empress Dowager Zhao put down the cage and walked back to Xie Wan's side, "Birds are like this, how can people not be like this?" I can give the birds a chance, and I am willing to give you a chance now, not only to spare you from punishment, but also to allow you to display your talents. Xie Wan, do you dare to give it a try. ”