There is no difference between the palace and the palace, the hall stream is still busy, and there is no one every day, which gives Zhu Qingwu a lot of freedom.

But this freedom doesn't mean much to him now, and he still stays in the house every day.

Until this day, an official below sent an extremely famous opera troupe in.

Tang Xijian was interested, so he took him to listen to it.

Zhu Qingwu didn't like to listen to dramas before, and always felt that those babbling lyrics didn't know what they were singing.

But now he knows that he has no right to refuse, so he still went to the theater with Tang Xijian.

He thought that he would come to pass the time, but I don't know if it was because he was calmer than before, but this time he actually heard the lyrics on the stage clearly.

"The stars and moon are dim and the clouds are thick, and I think back to the past and exchange tears. I wanted to say mantras in every way to Huang Tian, saying that the sky is long and long. ”①

He said that there was joy and joy, and he said that there was sorrow and welcome. Until now, it is just like the autumn breeze passing through the ears, and all kinds of kindness are hooked. I was left alone, and once a good dream rested, ......" (2)

I don't know if the people on the stage sang too emotionally, Zhu Qingwu was also immersed in it, and was sad and happy with the fate of the protagonist.

Until the end of the opera, there was still some confusion.

Since Zhu Qingwu returned to the palace, Tang Xijian has rarely seen him interested in anything, so he hurriedly asked, "Ah Wu likes to listen to operas?"

Zhu Qingwu didn't know how to answer for a while when he heard this, because he didn't know if he liked to listen to it.

However, Tang Xijian only acquiesced to him, leaving the troupe in the palace, and playing in the theater every day.

Zhu Qingwu felt that this seemed to be a good way to spend time, so he gladly accepted it and spent his days in the theater.

It didn't take long for Tang Xijian to get busy again, and Zhu Qingwu came to the theater alone to listen to the play.

He is still not good at these things after all, and God doesn't know where he has run after listening to them for a while.

Tangxi's family loves to listen to operas, so the theater building in the palace has a history of more than 100 years, and every table and chair are soaked in ancient rhyme, babbling on stage, and the time off the stage has become slowly and leisurely.

Sometimes Zhu Qingwu feels as if he is sitting in time.

If you close your eyes and sleep, when you open them again, you will find that everything here is just a dream.

He is still the most ordinary employee in the company, and he is going home in the wind and snow after the wine party, and Xiaodouzi is waiting for him at home when he opens the door.

He worked hard and saved up little by little enough money for the operation.

Little Bean will get better, and he will have a new hope.

One hope after another made up his long and short life.

He can go to the end of his life without regrets.

"Zhu Gonggong, Zhu Gonggong ......" seems to be called by someone.

Zhu Qingwu opened his eyes, only to find that he had fallen asleep at some point, and the little eunuch on the side was calling him.

Standing in front of him were Zhengdan and Wusheng on the stage just now, Zhu Qingwu knew that he should reward them, so he hurriedly took out his sleeves, took out two ingots of silver and handed them over.

Wu Sheng hurriedly took it and said, "Thank you, father-in-law."

However, Zhengdan on the side didn't answer, just stood quietly.

Zhu Qingwu looked at her a little helplessly.

Then I heard her say: "The villain sang badly, and he fell asleep singing to his father-in-law, and the villain couldn't ask for this reward."

As soon as he opened his mouth, Zhu Qingwu realized that Zhengdan was actually a man.

His joke was so tactful just now, Zhu Qingwu thought it was a girl.

The people who can come to sing for Tang Xijian must be famous characters, most of them have some tempers, and they may not want to give themselves a eunuch to sing, not to mention that they are still asleep listening to it, no wonder it will make him unhappy.

So he said apologetically: "I'm sorry, I really don't know how to listen to dramas."

The man didn't seem to expect his attitude to be so good, his expression was slightly stunned, and then he said slowly: "Then please don't force yourself."

Zhu Qingwu nodded when he heard this, and replied, "Okay." ”

Zhu Qingwu walked out of the theater, and he didn't know where to go for a while.

Although the palace is large, the only place he can go to is the dormitory of the theater and the hall stream.

Naturally, he didn't want to go back, so he continued to walk around boredly.

His thoughts slowly emptied, and for some reason Zhu Qingwu actually remembered the time when he was in the Junigong Palace.

As Tang Xijian grew older, he became more and more silent.

All the time of the day is spent reading books and practicing swords, often staying up late at night.

Zhu Qingwu couldn't do much, just accompanied him on the side.

watched him grow from a small point to a slender and upright teenager.

Zhu Qingwu knows that he has ambition and ambition, and he will not be willing to do this forever.

Just waiting for a chance to be seen by the Emperor of Light.

Finally, when Tang Xijian was seventeen years old, he ushered in this opportunity.

It was the autumn of one year, and Emperor Guang led the princes to go autumn hunting.

Emperor Guang originally wanted to set an example for them, and went deep into the forest first, but he encountered a white tiger halfway.

The white tiger didn't know how long he had been hungry, so he pounced on the Emperor of Light despite the guards around him.

Although there should not be such a ferocious animal in this hunting ground, after all, it is a deep mountain, and Emperor Guang did not suspect it, and even stopped the guards next to him from using arrows with great interest, pulled his bow himself, and shot the arrow in his hand at the white tiger.

The arrow passed through the flesh and pierced into the white tiger's back, spurting bright red blood with a "poof".

However, what he didn't expect was that not only did this not kill the white tiger, but it angered it even more.

I saw it raise its head to the sky and let out a long roar, and then pounced on the Light Emperor suddenly.

The imperial horse □□ by the Light Emperor was frightened and ran up violently, but the Light Emperor did not grasp the reins and was thrown to the ground heavily.

Seeing this, the surrounding guards hurriedly pulled up their longbows and wanted to shoot the white tiger to death.

However, the white tiger had already walked in front of the Light Emperor and picked him up with his armor in his mouth.

Seeing this, everyone was afraid of hurting the Emperor of Light, so they could only put down the bows and arrows in their hands.

However, at this moment, an arrow suddenly flew and pinned a bloody rabbit to the side of the white tiger.

When the white tiger smelled the blood, he immediately let go of the Light Emperor and turned around.

At this moment, a young figure ran out of the woods next to him, picked up the emperor, and shouted, "Father." ”

The Light Emperor was stunned, and looked at the young man in front of him who was about to say something.

However, the white tiger on the side found that the food had been snatched away, and instantly turned his head and pounced on them.

Seeing this, the young man pushed Emperor Guang away and fought with the tiger himself.

The tiger was more than two hundred pounds, and where was the young man's opponent, he soon fell behind.

Seeing that the white tiger was about to bite him, the young man was in a hurry and directly stuffed his left hand into the tiger's mouth.

His right hand touched the arrow on its back and stabbed it hard.

The white tiger went crazy in pain, raised his head and let out a long howl, and instantly let go of his hand.

Seeing this, the guards behind pulled up their bows and arrows and shot at the white tiger.

Soon, the white tiger was pierced into a sieve.

The young man stood up with his bloody arm covered, and the first thing he did was not to bandage his wounds, but to check the injuries of the Light Emperor.

Emperor Light looked at his face, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes.

The young man seemed to know what he was thinking, knelt down and said, "Erchentang stream to see my father."

"Tangxi...... Stream? Emperor Guang's expression changed slightly when he heard this name, and then a trace of suppressed embarrassment and guilt flashed in his eyes.

"Jian'er has grown so big." Emperor Guang said with some emotion, "Father Emperor has indeed not seen you for a long time. ”

Tang Xixi didn't say anything, just looked at him with deep eyes, like a son who cared about his father in the most ordinary way.

The White Tiger incident that day was quickly investigated.

It turned out that three years ago, there was a torrential rainstorm that collapsed the surrounding guardrails, and the white tiger was still young, so he got into it.

After that, he was in the hunting ground for three years, but he was never found.

Emperor Guang was furious at this, and killed batch after batch of people in the hunting grounds.

The blood of those days even stained the mountain streams red.

It was also in this hunt that Emperor Guang finally saw the six princes who had been thrown into the cold palace by him and ignored for many years.

When Zhu Qingwu and Yuzhu heard Tang Xijian describe to them how he fought the white tiger, Zhu Qingwu's heart almost jumped out when he heard it.

Hurriedly took his hand and asked, "Is your arm seriously injured?"

"It's not serious." Tang Xijian smiled and reassured, "It's just that the skin is scratched a little, it looks a little scary, don't delay me holding the sword." ”

Zhu Qingwu relieved himself and sighed, "This is too dangerous, don't do such a dangerous thing next time." ”

Tang Xijian didn't answer, just smiled at him.

Zhu Qingwu looked at the smile on his face, and always felt that this matter was not so simple.

The hunting ground is a royal hunting ground, and there are people patrolling it every day, so why can the white tiger live in it for three years?

Obviously, no one has been found for three years, why did the emperor suddenly appear on the day of the hunt, and the target was directly aimed at the Emperor of Light?

There were too many speculations in his heart, but Zhu Qingwu didn't dare to ask any of them, so he could only swallow them all.

However, Tang Xijian seemed to have discovered something, turned his head to look at him, and suddenly said pointedly: "Ah Wu, either I eat people, or people eat me."

-

Zhu Qingwu didn't know how to think of this, maybe he just suddenly realized that in fact, everything was traceable.

Tang Xijian can go from a prince who has been snubbed by the emperor for more than ten years to win the world, how can he be a pure and good boy?

It's just that in the past he would be suppressed, hidden, and disguised, but now he doesn't need it anymore, he has absolute majesty.

Zhu Qingwu wandered outside for a full day, until the sky was getting dark, and then he had to walk towards the dormitory of Tangxixi.

Halfway through, suddenly a black shadow rushed over from the side, probably not looking at the road, and actually hit him directly.

Then I heard an "oops".

Zhu Qingwu looked down, only to find that there was only a teenage eunuch in front of him.

The wooden box that the little eunuch was holding in his hand fell to the ground, and the contents fell out and spread on the ground, black and pitch black.

Zhu Qingwu leaned over and wanted to help him pick it up, but he was startled as soon as he touched it, this thing was slippery and extremely terrifying to the touch.

"What is this?" Zhu Qingwu picked it up and asked curiously.

The little eunuch seemed to be terrified, and knelt on the ground tremblingly and did not dare to speak.

His reaction really made Zhu Qingwu even more curious, and he looked down at the things in his hand.

It's just that it's too dark around me to see clearly.

"Give it back to you." Zhu Qingwu said, putting the things into the wooden box held by the little eunuch.

"This looks like meat, are you a eunuch in the dining room?"

The little eunuch shook his head again.

Zhu Qingwu saw that he really didn't want to say it, and he didn't want to be embarrassed, so he was about to leave to wash his hands, but he heard the little eunuch suddenly say, "It's the tongue."

"Tongue?"

Zhu Qingwu was thinking about whether it was a cow's tongue or a pig's tongue, so he heard the little eunuch continue: "It's the Zhengdan tongue in today's theater troupe, Your Majesty said that he was just a play, but he dared to speak disrespectfully to you, so he cut off his tongue and fed the dog."

-

Zhu Qingwu seems to have fallen into a never-ending dream.

It was dark in the dream, and I couldn't see anything clearly, and I could only hear a sentence that Tang Xixi had said to him many years ago, "Ah Wu, either I eat people, or people eat me." ”

"Either I eat people, or people eat me."

Over and over again, over and over again, it seemed to be carved into his bone marrow and make him understand something.

But what was he supposed to understand?

Understand how different this place is from where he once lived? Monarchs and ministers, there are clear hierarchies, and everything is made up of conspiracy and interests.

He remembered what Xiao Douzi said when he came to see him for the last time, "Your Majesty treats you very well, but Ah Wu, we are slaves after all." ”

Yes, after all, they are nothing more than slaves.

This is ancient times, power is concentrated in one person, thunder, rain and anger are all heavenly graces, he has no way to resist, can only be obedient and respectful.

Besides, compared to others, Tang Xijian is really good to him.

Nice?

As soon as this thought arose in Zhu Qingwu's mind, he was slammed down.

Immediately I felt a chill in my back, since when did it start? He's already starting to accept the rules here.

Even if Tang Xijian is only good to him, he is only the favor of the superior, teasing him when he is in a good mood, snubbing him when he is bad, using power to bind him to a golden cage, and forcing him to feel uncomfortable with his freedom outside with harm.

It's never love, it's two equal souls who are attracted to each other, and they are not equal.

How could he think that such a relationship was good?

Obviously it's just being played with like an object, holding it in the palm of your hand when you like it, and being like the Zhengdan who has her tongue cut off today when you're tired of it.

A sentence from Tang Xijian can decide whether a life will go or stay.

The darkness in front of me finally took on a color, but it was dark red and sticky, like blood.

Zhu Qingwu remembered the tongue he picked up without knowing it, it was slippery and sticky.

Obviously, I can still sing a good opera in the morning, but in the afternoon, only an empty mouth remains.

Years of hard work were all in vain, and that person would never make a nice sound again.

And this is just because of a harmless word, but Tang Xijian will not care.

How can the superior care about the joys and sorrows of the inferior?

The red in front of him became deeper and deeper, as if he had life, and he pounced on him with teeth and claws, as if to devour him completely.

Zhu Qingwu was almost out of breath for a moment.

He'd seen too much gore these days, but none of them had made him react like that.

All he remembered was that he stumbled back to his dormitory.

Tang Xijian was reviewing the recital, and when he heard the movement, he glanced up at him, and then said in the most ordinary way, "I'm back." ”

Zhu Qingwu looked at him, and a trace of fear appeared in his heart.

The fear came too fast and too fiercely, and it actually crushed him in just a moment, Zhu Qingwu subconsciously took two steps back, his legs were weak, and he fainted like this.

He didn't know how long he had been sleeping, and sometimes he could hear the voices of Tang Xixi and the Imperial Doctor in his ears, intermittently.

Sometimes there is nothing, and there is a deathly silence all around.

He had never wished he would never wake up, even if he would be dragged into this endless darkness for the rest of his life.

But he could not sleep for the rest of his life, and on the evening of the third day of his coma, he woke up.

Sunset shines in through the white window paper, dyeing the room a warm yellow, and the next to him sits with a medicine bowl in his hand, and when he wakes up, his eyes instantly flash with a sad joy.

"Wu, you're awake." Tang Xijian said, put the medicine bowl in his hand aside, and stretched out a hand to hold him.

Zhu Qingwu subconsciously trembled slightly, and wanted to withdraw his hand, but because he had no strength, he couldn't pull it out.

Tang Xijian didn't seem to notice anything strange about him, and said to him, "I know that they scared you that day, and it was their incompetence that made you see those dirty things."

Zhu Qingwu looked at him and shook his head, "That's the tongue." ”

Tang Xijian saw that he seemed to be afraid, so he got up and sat on the couch and gently hugged him into his arms, "A disobedient tongue." ”

Zhu Qingwu closed his eyes in some despair, "He told the truth, and I didn't care." ”

Tang Xijian was silent for a moment when he heard this, and then said slowly: "But I care."

"Voice is a second life for celebrities."

Tang Xijian lowered his eyebrows, gently rubbing his fingers, and didn't seem to care, "Ah Wu, I only care about you." ”

If he had heard this many years ago, he would have been happy.

And now I can't be happier.

He couldn't guess the weight of the "care" in the mouth of the Tang stream.

Is it one, two, or three?

And when will it be depleted?

The class that they had once diluted in the palace of the juniper reappeared now, and stood among them.

Zhu Qingwu couldn't tell whether Tang Xijian was calling him "Ah Wu" or calling a servant.

He is no different.

He was just the most ordinary eunuch in this palace.

Zhu Qingwu sometimes feels that his body is rotten to the bottom, and he can linger on the sickbed for more than half a month when he is frightened, and sometimes he feels that his body is so good that he can't do it, and he can still hold on to continue to delay.

Probably because he had taken too much medicine, Zhu Qingwu felt bitter on his body the day he got out of bed.

Today is cloudy, and it is windy outside, but Zhu Qingwu still wants to go out for a walk.

The palace maids and eunuchs who served him around him all advised him not to go out, after all, he had been sick for so many days, and he was afraid that he would be frozen again.

Only a little palace maid found a fox fur to put on for him.

Zhu Qingwu glanced up at the little palace maid, her face was round, with a bit of baby fat, and she looked a little like a jade bead.

For a moment, Zhu Qingwu wanted to ask her name, but in the end she held back.

The people he cares about can't always be protected, so it's good to just be clean and clean by yourself, and no one cares, so that you won't be sad.

Zhu Qingwu walked out of the door, his body became weaker and weaker, and he almost couldn't even cross the threshold.

The wind outside was very strong, and it blew on his body at once, and Zhu Qingwu felt sober.

He didn't seem to be awake for a long time.

Zhu Qingwu looked at the gate not far away, and suddenly wanted to go out,

Even though he knew that there were only bigger doors outside the gate, at this moment, he really wanted to step through this door, so he slowly walked forward as if he was obsessed.

The palace maid and eunuch next to him saw it and hurriedly asked, "Father-in-law Zhu, where are you going?"

"Zhu Gonggong, Your Majesty has an order, you can't go out."

"I wish my father-in-law ......"

Zhu Qingwu didn't understand why they were so excited? He just wanted to walk to the door.

There were more and more voices beside him, and Zhu Qingwu was getting closer and closer to the door.

Finally he walked to the door, and then he stopped and changed his breath.

His body seemed to be even worse, and he was a little out of breath in this short distance.

Zhu Qingwu slowed down for a moment, and was about to raise his hand to open the door in front of him.

However, before he could touch the doorknob, the door was opened from the outside.

Then, Tang Xijian's face appeared in his field of vision.

Zhu Qingwu was stunned for a moment when he saw him, and then coughed uncontrollably, and the cold wind when the door was opened just now penetrated into his lungs.

Seeing this, Tang Xijian immediately frowned, and stepped forward to help him, Zhu Qingwu had already knelt down first, desperately restrained the itch in his throat, and immediately said: "The slave is out of order."

Tang Xijian was stunned for a moment, and slowly withdrew his hand, his fingers curling up at his side a little.

"Where are you going?"

Only then did Zhu Qingwu remember what the palace maid and eunuch said just now, Tang Xijian didn't seem to let herself go out.

I was confused just now, and I actually touched his scales.

So he hurriedly said: "Minion, minion just wants to go around, and minion doesn't go out."

"Ah Wu......" Tang Xijian suddenly sighed helplessly.

Zhu Qingwu didn't know what he said wrong, and subconsciously wanted to kowtow.

However, Tang Xijian had already helped him up first.

"Have you taken the medicine?"

"Eat."

"Why are your hands so cold?"

"It's probably coming out for a while."

"Are you feeling better today?"

"It's better."

Zhu Qingwu followed him back to the dormitory, the fire in the hall burned extremely strongly, and soon his body warmed up again.

Zhu Qingwu naturally wanted to change his clothes for him, but Tang Xijian held his hand.

"I'll be out of here for a few days tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Don't you ask me where I'm going?"

"Where is Your Majesty going?"

"Patrol the camp."

"Yes."

"I'll be back soon."

"Yes."

"Take care of your body."

"Yes."

"Ah Wu ......"

Tang Xijian suddenly called him, and Zhu Qingwu hurriedly raised his head.

"Don't you have anything else you want to say to me other than 'yes'?"

Zhu Qingwu's brain went blank for a moment when he heard this, and it took a long time to come up with a sentence, "Your Majesty, take care of your body." ”

Tang Xijian didn't speak for a long time when he heard this, but he just let go of his hand and replied lightly: "I know."

-

The royal driver of Tang Xijian left the palace early the next morning.

But because of yesterday's incident, Zhu Qingwu didn't dare to go out, and stayed quietly in the dormitory all day.

Until the little palace maid who looked like a jade bead said to him: "Zhu Gonggong, in fact, Your Majesty made a special decree when he left, you can walk around when the weather is good, you don't have to stay here."

However, Zhu Qingwu was no longer interested, just looked at the sunset outside the window and shook his head.

Seeing this, the little palace maid was silent for a moment, and suddenly said as if she remembered something: "Father-in-law, I heard that you like fragrant flowers, I remember that there are ones planted in the herb garden of the palace, do you want to go and see them?"

"Yuuka?"

"Yes."

This name instantly evoked Zhu Qingwu's memories when he left the juniper palace, so he pondered for a moment, and finally nodded.

Seeing this, the palace maid immediately brought a cloak and a soup woman, and accompanied him to the Baixiang Garden.

The garden of herbs and the dormitory are not far away, and you will soon be there.

Listen to the introduction of the little palace maid, the Baixiang Garden is huge, composed of hundreds of flowers, each flower also has a separate garden, together there are hundreds of large and small gardens, hence the name Baixiang Garden.

The Hundred Fragrance Garden was so big that they couldn't find where the incense tree was after walking around for a long time, but instead walked to the Plum Garden.

At this time, the plum blossoms are in full bloom, and various varieties compete for beauty, which attracts Zhu Qingwu's attention for a while.

He was looking at a dragon plum tree and was fascinated by it, when he suddenly heard a voice not far away.

Because of the shade of the plum tree, Zhu Qingwu couldn't see who was standing not far away, and it seemed to be two palace maids listening to the voice.

"This plum blossom is blooming so well, no wonder Zhao Gonggong let me fold some and dress up the palace."

"Okay, this Longyou plum is almost folded, let's go to the front to fold more red plums, there has been a big joy recently, and we must dress up a little more festive."

"Yes, after all, it is His Majesty's wedding, I heard that Miss Nalan is knowledgeable and gifted, and she is especially happy with plum blossoms, maybe this is what Your Majesty ordered."

"So Your Majesty still attaches great importance to Miss Nalan?"

"Sure, that's the future queen, the mother of a country, not to mention ......"

"What?"

"Today's Empress Dowager Nalan is Miss Nalan's aunt, how can Your Majesty not pay attention to it?"

"Isn't this a match made in heaven?"

"That's natural."

The sound not far away is getting quieter and farther away, and they should go picking red plums.

The palace is happy, and it should indeed be arranged to be more festive.

"Father-in-law, father-in-law?" The little palace maid called him beside him.

Zhu Qingwu came back to her senses and turned her head to look at her.

"Are you alright?" The little palace maid asked with some concern.

"It's fine." Zhu Qingwu shook his head, wanting to squeeze out a smile, but it was probably too cold outside, and he couldn't pull the corners of his mouth.

"Just ......"

Zhu Qingwu looked up at the gray sky, and finally tried to come up with an excuse, "It's too cold outside, let's go see those fragrant flowers another day." ”