After a heavy rain, the weather felt slightly cooler. In the evening, when the heat had faded, Shen Huan took Cui Shanggong for a walk by the lake.
"Did the teacher help me deliver the letter to my brother?" he asked casually while pushing aside the weeping willows.
Cui Shanggong followed Shen Huan and replied softly: "It has been sent out."
"That's good." Shen Huan smiled, "The war is tight, even if a lot of people die, no one will suspect anything."
Cui Shanggong was silent. Only she understood what Shen Huan meant in these words.
Unconsciously halfway through, Shen Huan sighed and said: "It's a pity that I didn't go on the cruise ship this year. I remember that when the late emperor was still there, he had a banquet on the cruise ship and ordered the palace maids to wear pink palace clothes to pick lotus seeds. At that time, I played very hard with several princes."
Thinking of this, a smile naturally appeared on her lips, and she said softly: "They are stupid. They can ride a horse, but they can't swim. Although I can't ride a horse, I love to go into the water. At that time, I was always punished for riding a horse. They laughed at me, and I laughed at them too! Haha, cousin... My cousin fell into the lake in order to pick a lotus for me, but it scared everyone, but I went into the water to save him. He gets up..."
Shen Huan squinted her eyes, remembering the scene that day, with a smile on her face and in her heart. However, when she thought about her cousin being in Buddhism now, and when she thought about that gentle and jade-like man, now wearing a monk's robe, she couldn't help but sigh again.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor is here," Cui Shanggong reminded.
Shen Huan retracted her thoughts and saw Xichen wearing a dazzling bright yellow dragon robe from a distance, followed by a large group of palace people, slowly walking towards here.
"Your Majesty, Fang Jieyu has passed away and concubines are banned. It's time for Your Majesty and the Emperor to settle the old feud," Cui Shanggong said again.
Shen Huan suddenly smiled and said, "Indeed, it's time to put aside the past grudges." He turned around, but walked away again.
Cui Shanggong sighed and had no choice but to follow
We walked to a place some distance away from the lake. There were no willow trees planted, only a few maple trees.
Shen Huan raised her head and stared at the maple leaves that were not yet red.
She didn't know how long it had passed, but she heard a slight cough behind her. Shen Huan turned around slightly. When she saw Xichen standing next to her, she didn't salute. She just smiled lightly at him and pointed to the leaves on the tree and whispered. : "Look, the maple leaves are red."
Xichen's heart suddenly moved, and he stared blankly at her side face.
Her long and curly eyelashes were fluttering like butterflies spreading their wings, her eyes were shining with colorful light, her small nose was slightly tilted, her cherry mouth was slightly raised, and her thin chin was raised due to the profile of her face, which matched her slender face. The neck becomes more and more soft and enchanting
Xichen stopped and looked at it for a long time, and then followed her finger and saw a maple leaf hidden behind the dense leaves.
When he saw the light in her eyes, he felt wandering in his heart.
Jumping up, following the shouts of the palace people, Xichen climbed onto the branch with one hand and picked the piece of red maple with the other. Then it fell lightly. Xichen handed the maple leaf in his hand to Shen Han.
Shen Huan held her chest and looked at him reproachfully, saying, "You scared me to death!"
Xichen smiled but said nothing
Shen Huan took the maple leaf, put it in the palm of her hand, and rubbed it gently, with a brisk smile on her lips.
After a long time, he still remembered her raising her head, pointing at the maple tree and saying: "Look, the maple leaves are red." That was the first leaf she discovered about the coming of autumn, and she shared it with him.
And she also remembered that he jumped for her and picked the first red maple leaf.
So many days of unhappiness and haze finally dissipated because of this little maple leaf
The war in the western border is still tense and has reached a point of intensification. Xichen no longer favors the palace people. He is busy during the day and may not sleep for a long time at night.
After finally having a free night, in "Crane and Deer in the Same Spring", the emperor and empress played chess together face to face. Shen Huan's chess style seemed light and breezy, but there were hidden killer moves and a chess game that cherished the dust. It is so calm and unpredictable all the way
"The emperor has no intention of keeping you as a concubine?" Shen Huan said with a smile, while making a sharp move
Xichen smiled and said: "I'm afraid this move is not suitable for Huan Huan's handiwork." After that, he also placed a trick next to him.
When Shen Huan saw it, he was immediately stunned. The whole chess game was actually controlled by him and was airtight.
If it hadn't been for that fierce killing move just now, I wouldn't have lost so miserably.
After such a move, he didn't even have the strength to fight back.
The chess piece in his hand fell down with a "pop", and he pouted and muttered: "No more playing!"
Xichen smiled and said: "How can you be like you? If you can't win, you will cheat."
Shen Huan said angrily: "You don't know how to give in to me!"
Xichen smiled: "How do you know I didn't give in?"
Shen Huan became even more angry: "If you give in and still act like this, if you don't give in, won't you lose even more miserably? Well, Go is not something I'm proficient in. Let's play Beast Chess?"
Xichen waved his hand and said: "That's all, you can't even win the beast battle chess with my father, and I can't even do it."
Shen Huan pushed the chessboard in front of him into chaos and sighed: "What a mistake, the whole board is missing!"
Xichen took the opportunity to hold the hand that loved him and said: "What are you sad about? It's just a game of chess, let's just have a good talk."
Shen Huan smiled helplessly at him, and when his hand was held by him, she felt that his palm was warm, but his fingertips were a little cold, and she couldn't help but tremble, shivering.
Xichen noticed it, stood up and went to her side, helped her close her shoulderless gauze skirt, and said: "It's cold at night now, much cooler than in the past. You should also add some clothes. I know you can't stand the heat." , but you should also worry about your own body."
Shen Huan smiled and said: "I know, autumn is coming soon, pick a day and come back to the palace. I'm tired of living here, and there are a lot of things to do when I get back. The most important thing is to inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make autumn clothes, and about the Mid-Autumn Festival... Thinking about it, it gives me another headache."
Xichen rubbed her fragrant shoulder, unconsciously as if she was crazy, her hands were as smooth as gel, and cool as silk as she went down the fragrant shoulder, her breasts were half exposed, and she didn't feel her throat moving, and the golden peony scholar's clothes moved down. Her plump breasts were wrapped tightly, and when he was about to lean down and pick her up, he heard Xiao Shizi call out: "Your Majesty!"
Xichen frowned and turned to stare at him
Xiao Shizi innocently handed over the folding paper in his hand and said: "800 miles west of the border is urgent."
Xichen hurriedly grabbed it, and Shen Huan also looked over nervously, only to see Xichen's face change from deep to joyful: "Okay, okay, okay! Great victory in the Western Frontier! The leader of the Western Kingdom was injured by General Pei and couldn't afford to fall ill. Yeah! Hahahaha!”
Shen Huan breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she was worried that if General Pei made military exploits again, Concubine Pei might be favored again!
"Congratulations, Your Majesty"
Xichen held Shen Huan's shoulders and said: "The leader of the Western Border Kingdom has withdrawn his troops. I'm afraid they won't be able to harass our country for a while. I will issue an order to let them come back. I want to celebrate their success! Huan Huan, you will see you soon." It’s your brother’s turn”
With tears in Shen Huan's eyes, she smiled softly and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."
Brother... It has been more than a year since we last met. The last time we met, I was still a palace maid. This time, I have become the queen's brother. Will you blame me for marrying the enemy who killed my father?