Forty-three, Luan Mirror and Zhu Yan are shocked and dark
Halfway through the journey, I met the people sent by Xuan Ling to meet me, but they were thousands of troops led by Xia Gui. When he saw that I was being escorted back, he was shocked and said that the flood of the Weinan River had hindered the journey, so he did not come to meet me as promised.
, he didn’t dare to ask any more questions, and just sent me back to the palace quietly according to the previous arrangement.
Everything went well. I hurriedly returned to the palace, and it was already midnight four days later.
Jin Xi was well-informed and while she was waiting for me to take a bath, she whispered: "The emperor was very angry when he heard that the six kings led troops out of the capital without authorization. He also knew that the six kings were escorting the lady back to the palace with Xia Ji, so he must have asked her again.
I am so suspicious. I don’t know how furious I am at this moment.” She looked at me with worry, “The emperor has sent someone to tell you to rest first, and then ask your empress to go to Yiyuan Hall to meet you at dawn. Moge is not dead yet, and
Regarding the birth of the Sixth King, Hu Yunrong has been in the pillow room with the Emperor for the past two days. Has the Empress thought about how to deal with it?"
I shook my head tiredly, and the steam from the mist contained the scent of roses, and it hit my face warmly. Jinxi scooped up a spoonful of warm water and poured it on me, making a splashing sound.
He heard his calm and self-possessed voice, "Since the Emperor said that I was sick from fear, he didn't say that my illness has healed. How can any mother in the world not care about her daughter? It is the right mother to come and see me. The Emperor forbids anyone from doing so.
If you want to disturb my rest, let Hua Yi go to invite her mother and the Ninth Princess into the palace at night, and first go to Yiyuan Palace to ask the emperor for permission to visit me." I slowly closed my eyes, "What if the emperor is really angry and wants to kill me or depose me?
I can see my mother and sister for the last time."
Jin Xi couldn't help but feel sad when she heard the words, so she could only smile and say: "How can the emperor refuse? Ever since the empress entered the palace, even when she was pregnant and giving birth to a child, the old lady rarely entered the palace, and she never met the emperor. The emperor's mother-in-law's face
You always have to give it once." She paused and said, "Your Majesty is right, after all, there is still the Ninth Princess, and the Emperor will never be able to refute her."
Yurao, there was never just Yurao.
The warm water vapor surrounded me gently. In fact, it was more like a shadow that was everywhere and could not be escaped. A cold arc appeared at the corner of my lips, and I closed my eyes silently.
As daybreak approaches, a hint of fish belly white appears in the east, and then gradually turns soft pink, light orange, and shrimp red, each reflecting the clear blue sky.
I stood alone in the Yiyuan Hall, wearing a pear-green double-embroidered light Luo long skirt. The long snow-colored pearls on the skirt were trailing to the ground. The delicately embroidered lotus and cloud pattern on the Tianshui green damask blouse had a simple and gorgeous look.
.The clothes I wear in late summer are still thin and thin, and they cling to my body thinly. After being attached for a long time, they are like the dried mucous membrane of a fish in a rut, forming a cocoon on itself.
Xuan Ling didn't speak, but his eyes were so cold and distant, as if his whole body was filled with cold air.
I lowered my hands and said, "I failed to fulfill the emperor's entrustment and deserve death."
He seemed to smile, "Yes, he deserves death, but it's not this matter that deserves death..." He didn't go on, and I didn't ask even though I knew it, I just stood silently with my hands down.
At dawn, the light was still a little dim due to the vastness of the hall. A bouquet of newly folded sunflowers was placed on the high table nearby. Its fragrance was clear and distant, lingering faintly around people. There were carved window panes printed on the ground.
The shadow moves slowly, like an unknown destiny, pushing me forward gradually.
I looked at him quietly, "I see that I have sinned against the emperor, and I really don't dare to ask for forgiveness for myself. I only hope that the emperor will show mercy to my mother and younger sister. They have been begging for an audience outside the palace in the middle of the night..."
The cool morning breeze penetrated with a hint of a woman's whimpering sound, and she could faintly hear Yurao's voice, "My father-in-law, there is no need to persuade me. If the emperor is not free, my mother and I will just wait."
Li Chang's voice was anxious and helpless, "Oh, if the princess continues to behave like this, how can I bear the blame of the nine kings?"
Yurao was obviously anxious. The silver bracelet on her wrist clasped the palace door with a crisp sound. She said: "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law! My sister has been seriously ill for so long. Please let me and my mother go and see her!"
Xuan Ling's brows moved slightly, obviously moved by Yurao's request. I begged sadly: "The emperor just found a reason to send Yurao and his mother away, but I really can't bear to make them sad. No matter how many mistakes I make, it won't matter.
But please, Your Majesty, please consider our friendship over the years..."
He glanced at me and said coldly: "You shouldn't see people now since you are sick."
I understood, picked up my skirt and walked quickly to the throne behind the six "eight horses" screen. Xuan Ling said in a loud voice: "Please come in, the old lady and the ninth princess."
My throat suddenly became tight, and I unconsciously closed the silver tassels between my arms, as if to find something that would make me feel safe.
I have never been so nervous and couldn't control my heartbeat at all.
Perhaps, this will be the last big gamble in my life.
The suddenly opened door of the palace seemed to flood into the sky and the earth, illuminating the people in the palace so that they could hardly open their eyes for a moment. Xuan Ling squinted his eyes slightly and looked at the two women who entered Yiyuan Palace at the same time in the backlight.
The two of them bowed politely. Xuan Ling's eyes fell on Yurao first, and he couldn't help but breathed a gentle tone and said: "Yurao, tell me slowly, don't be in a hurry."
Yurao was so anxious that her face was filled with tears, and she said, "My sister's illness has not gotten better, and I haven't seen her for a long time. I'm worried..."
The mother's soft and steady voice interrupted Yurao's cry, "Your Majesty, please, Mrs. Xu Chen, please meet Concubine Shu."
Her mother kept her head lowered as per the rules. She was an elderly person, and the hem of her summer dress was very small, so it was a bit inconvenient to kneel down.
He was polite, "Mrs. Zhen, there is no need to salute."
Xuan Ling's eyes fell on his mother's slightly raised face. His expression changed drastically, his shoulders shook slightly, and his whole body suddenly froze. Xuan Ling could hardly control his voice and exclaimed, "Ah? You
——" There was great shock and surprise in his voice, as if a treasure that had been lost for a long time suddenly appeared in front of him again. Xuan Ling stepped in front of his mother in a few steps, stared at her face, and almost wanted to touch her face.
Digging up countless familiar memories from the past.
Yurao's face was full of doubts, not knowing what happened, and her mother was also in shock, wondering why Xuan Ling suddenly lost his composure.
My heart that was about to jump out of my throat suddenly fell firmly back into my chest, and my three souls and seven souls returned to their places. I didn't dare to move, for fear that if I moved, tears would fill my eyes and I would no longer be able to control it.
For a long time, I could only hear Xuan Ling's "Ah!——", accompanied by deep disappointment, condensed into a long sigh, which infinitely and sadly separated the surprise when they first met. At this time, Xuan Ling had already
His back was turned to me, so I couldn't see his expression clearly. I could only see that the golden dragon on his tuanfu embroidered dragon robe was densely woven with fine gold threads. The golden threads kept floating for some reason, up and down, like the setting sun.
The next pool of golden light trembled with the wind, broken, broken, and piercing the eyes. After paying close attention, it was discovered that his body was shaking slightly like the hands behind his back.
The mother still didn’t know what was going on, so she had the courage to ask: “Did Concubine Shu become delirious during the illness and offended the emperor? If so, please forgive me for the fact that Concubine Shu has served the emperor for more than ten years. Please be magnanimous and don’t blame her.
"
Xuan Ling's voice was a bit dazed, and he said in a daze: "Who are you?"
Mother and Yurao looked at each other in shock, and could only reply: "My wife, Zhen Yuandao, is the wife of Zhen Yun."
Xuan Ling slowly took two steps back, "How old are you?"
Xuan Ling's question was so abrupt that Yu Rao's face turned pale, she was surprised and confused. However, she had to answer the king's words, and her mother looked calm, "My wife is over fifty, and she will be fifty this year."
"Over half a century, over half a century..." Xuan Ling murmured in a low voice, "If you were still here, she would still be like this..." His mind gradually became clearer, and he forced a smile and said: "My wife is taking good care of herself. I hope she will be like this now..."
There are about forty people, so I took the liberty to ask."
My mother smiled calmly, which is the most appropriate demeanor for everyone. She advances and retreats appropriately. "The emperor praises me, but I really don't deserve it."
Looking out from behind the screen, in the backlight, the mother and Yurao look like a pair of twin hibiscus blooming in the bright light of the morning sun. If Yurao is a dewy-scented flower that has just unfolded its buds, in the prime of its youth, the mother is born in its prime.
It means withering, the moment of youth, the beauty that grows old in a blink of an eye, but upon closer inspection, it also means the influence of wind and frost.
Except for her eyes, Yuyin is more like her biological mother He Mianmian. Among our three daughters, Yurao looks the most like her mother. When they stood side by side, Yurao looked exactly like her mother when she was a girl.
Shadows, shining on flowers near water, are as similar as reflections.
In fact, in the past few years since my father was demoted to Shu, my mother has also suffered a lot, and has aged a bit. If you look closely from where Xuan Ling was just now, no matter how good the makeup is, it can no longer cover the drooping corners of her mother's lips.
The fine lines at the corners of the eyes, the white hair on the temples and the slack face.
I took a slight breath, Xuan Ling treated Yurao favorably in every way, just because she looked like the young Queen Chunyuan.
So what if the beauty is as beautiful as a flower? The hand of time is so fair, brushing every woman's face without any preference. It is the same for my mother, it is the same for me, it is the same for Yurao, and it is the same for Queen Chunyuan.
I slowly let out a wry smile. Since ancient times, beauties are like famous generals, and they are not allowed to grow old in the world.
If they really grow old together, it may be a painful thing for Yu Xuanling and Yu Chunyuan.
Xuan Ling's tone was very kind, "It's okay for the old lady to see Concubine Shu. It's just that Concubine Shu had just taken the medicine when she got up early, and she's afraid she's still asleep. Madam and aunt will go to Concubine De's place and sit down first, and wait until Concubine Shu wakes up."
, I will send someone to ask for Madam immediately."
Mother calmly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Xuan Ling said: "Madam seems to rarely enter the palace. I have never seen her before."
The mother smiled gently and said, "My wife has always been weak and doesn't know the rules in the palace, so she rarely enters the palace. Sometimes I come to visit Concubine Shu, and I only get to see the dragon's face from a distance with everyone. It's really...
My wife's fortune is poor."
Xuan Ling said harmoniously: "Old Madam, you're welcome. Concubine Shu is my wife, and Old Madam is like my grandmother. It's good for the whole family to see each other from time to time and talk about our family relationships."
My mother answered her words in a pleasant manner, and the pace of advance and retreat was very appropriate. I remembered in a daze that when I was young, about five or six years old, Empress Chunyuan was pregnant for the first time, and the ladies in the palace, the officials in the capital, and their families all went to the palace to look after each other.
He. Everyone knows that he is the legitimate son and the foundation of the country.
It was supposed to be a day of universal celebration, but my mother came back feeling a little unhappy. When my father asked about it, my mother just laughed and said, "Everyone said that I look similar to the queen, but I'm just crazy about how old I am."
My father was such a wise man, and he immediately said: "There is no need to enter the palace if you have nothing to do in the future, so as not to be in danger."
I was still very young at that time, and all I could do was lie on my mother's knees and play with the silk ribbon tied around her waist. As I grew older, I had long forgotten these words. After entering the palace, I went through many ups and downs, but my mother rarely came to visit me, except once in a while.
, and left in time when Xuan Ling came, not to mention visiting the Queen and the Queen Mother. I occasionally had doubts, but my mother just smiled and said, "Mom doesn't know the rules, so don't offend a noble person. What's more, if my mother always
Come on, there will always be people gossiping, saying that you are arrogant and arrogant, and that it is always bad to interact with relatives. You must remember these things and be able to avoid suspicion."
To be able to avoid suspicion... Yes, my mother is so sober and self-aware. Therefore, she and her father have treated each other with such respect as guests. For so many years, except for Aunt He outside, the aunts in the house are just decorations.
I slowly covered my lips and leaned against the screen as if powerless. The bottom of the screen was engraved with passion flowers, such gorgeous flowers, one petal on top of the other, with a deep purple background, finely embroidered with gold powder.
It's outlined, so densely packed that it makes people's eyes dizzy. They are all so dazzling and connected one after another.
The world is like this, I can never escape, let alone resent Chunyuan.
For a long time, I slowly stepped out, the lotus steps I had practiced since childhood were graceful, and my soft-soled pearl embroidered shoes made no sound as I stepped on the gold bricks on the floor. He was not surprised when he saw me appear, he just stretched out his hand and slowly touched my face.
, "Huan Huan, I suddenly discovered something very important."
His fingers were so cold, as if they had been dipped in ice water in the dead of winter. I just said, "What's the matter?"
He didn't answer, but just put his arms around me and said, "It's okay. You don't need to understand."
I said "Yes" softly, "Silang, I have committed a serious crime. You can punish her in any way you want, as long as you don't make yourself angry."
He was quiet for a moment, just holding me in his arms, as if he wanted to find some strength from me to support him, "It's windy and frosty outside the Great Wall. It's me who has made things difficult for you."
I smiled softly, "I was very scared that day, but then Yuyao came. Yuyao was younger than me, and Moge seemed to like her very much."
He patted my shoulder gently, "It doesn't matter, as long as you come back safely." He looked at me, "Since it's your sister who is going to get married, Mog has no objection, so let's leave it at that. We will discuss the future matters in a long-term way."
I nodded, and he stopped talking. After thinking about it for a while, I finally felt uneasy, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sending six kings and troops to rescue my concubine."
He said nothing, his eyes were slightly closed, and he seemed to be asleep, as if he didn't hear anything. The bright skylight shone on his face, and his expression was very calm and peaceful, but a drop of moist water slowly overflowed from the corner of his eyes.
.
This was the first time that I saw him lose his temper and shed tears. He was so tired that he couldn't help himself.