This earth-shaking change was so great that a few days after the burial of Prince Zhaoming, Xiao Gang accepted the title from Emperor Wu and became the crown prince. His previous position as the governor of Yangzhou was also filled by Xiao Lun.
The owner of the East Palace changed overnight.
This move caused a lot of discussion in the court and the public. Logically, the position of crown prince should be given to the eldest grandson of the emperor, that is, Xiao Huan, the eldest son of Xiao Tong. However, in fact, the emperor only gave him a title and sent him away.
Zhao Pei was very confused, but Xiao Yi was not surprised at the result, as if it was supposed to be this way. Zhao Pei wanted to ask him, but seeing that Xiao Yi didn't want to say more, she gave up.
She had long tried to avoid everything and everyone related to it, including Jiankang City. According to the imperial decree, Xiao Yi was supposed to go to Jingzhou in mid-June, but Zhao Pei could not stand the repressive emotions here. She hinted and requested several times, hoping that Xiao Yi could get up early and go to Jingzhou to take up his post.
Xiao Yi agreed and started packing his luggage to move at the end of May.
When we left Jiankang, the sky was white, and the pavilions and towers were sleeping peacefully in the cold blue light. The heavy city gate slowly opened, making a dull sound like a dragon's roar. The golden bells on the side of the carriage jingled, and dozens of carriages loaded with goods quietly left Jiankang City.
This time, they went to Jingzhou with their family and 31 attendants. They had 16 boxes of clothing, accessories, antiques, and utensils, and 10 carts full of books, calligraphy, and paintings. Zhao Pei looked at the endless team and knew that they would never return.
Hanzhen was still asleep, dozing off in the corner of the carriage. Fangdeng lay in Zhaopei's arms, sound asleep, with a smile on his face.
A cold blue light fell inside the car, shining on the faces of the two children, making it feel particularly quiet and warm.
Outside the carriage, Xiao Yi was wearing a black robe and riding on a red horse, with a straight and handsome figure. The cold light reflected his deep eyes, smeared with some emotions that Zhao Pei could not see clearly. He just looked at Jiankang City silently, with a smile on his face.
Zhao Pei stared at him for a long time. Ever since they broke the paper window that night, she thought they would drift apart. However, unexpectedly, they were so calm as if nothing had happened. At least on the surface.
Zhao Pei could never guess what Xiao Yi was thinking. But one thing was certain, he tried hard to maintain such a harmonious relationship.
Xiao Yi felt her gaze and turned his head expressionlessly, looking back at her with a questioning look. Zhao Pei quickly forced a smile. He stared at her indifferently for a moment, then raised the corner of his mouth sarcastically and was about to say something when a hurried sound of horse hooves came from a distance.
From afar, I heard someone calling out, "Seventh brother! Seventh brother!"
Zhao Pei half-sticked her head out and looked in the direction of the sound, and saw several riders and horses coming in the dust. Zhao Pei squinted her eyes and stared at the blurry figures until they got closer, and then she could see clearly that the leader was Xiao Gang.
Her mind was slightly shaken, and Zhao Pei looked at Xiao Yi again.
Xiao Yi just smiled and rode up to meet him. As soon as the two met, they started talking intimately. Zhao Pei sat in the car and looked at the elegant man in white clothes. He looked 60% like Xiao Tong, had the same posture and temperament as Xiao Tong, and had the same identity as Xiao Tong.
Zhao Pei withdrew her gaze and continued to straighten the wrinkles of her dress.
After a while, the sound of horse hooves approached, Zhao Pei smiled and looked up, but what she saw was Xiao Gang's eyes. She had never looked closely before, but in fact, those eyes were about 70% similar to Xiao Tong's. For a moment, she suddenly had an illusion.
After a moment's silence, he smiled to himself. After all, they were brothers from the same father and mother. Xiao Gang saw all those expressions, but he smiled as if he didn't see them: "Take care on your journey, Seventh Sister."
Zhao Pei nodded gently and forced a smile: "Well, Third brother must take care of himself too. From now on... Third brother will have a heavier burden on his shoulders..." Her voice gradually became lower, and she smiled awkwardly, but later she could no longer maintain that smile and it froze on her face.
Xiao Gang looked at her with a complicated expression, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Then he shook his head gently: "Seventh sister, I don't know when you will come back..." His eyes fell on the two children, "Seventh sister, you should live a good life. You won't be lonely with such a pair of lovely children. Seventh brother... he will protect you."
Zhao Pei nodded with a smile: "Pepe understands. Thank you for your concern, Third Brother."
"It's my duty." Xiao Gang responded, and then he was speechless. Zhao Pei's mind was obviously not on the conversation, and he felt a little awkward. He cleared his throat and looked back at Xiao Yi who was riding slowly towards him. He turned back and said softly to Zhao Pei: "Zhao Pei, please accept my condolences. I think... he doesn't want to see you so depressed all day. Be happy, okay?" The tone of his voice was just like what Zhao Jie had said to her before, a brother's persuasion and comfort to his sister.
Zhao Pei's heart warmed up, and her eyes sparkled: "Thank you, Third Brother. I understand. I will make myself happy. As you said, I still have such a pair of lovely children, and a husband who will take care of me."
The two of them exchanged glances for a long time, and Xiao Gang smiled in relief. Xiao Yi rode slowly towards them and saw what they were talking about. Although he could only see her lips moving and couldn't hear what they were talking about, he felt relieved when he saw the rare light in her eyes.
Xiao Gang laughed loudly and said, "We'll say goodbye now. If Seventh Sister is free, please come to the capital to visit. Xiuchun will definitely be very happy."
Zhao Pei nodded, and he smiled back and turned away from the carriage. Zhao Pei stared at him closely, those eyes, those eyes... .
It was not until Xiao Yi returned to the carriage that she slowly withdrew her gaze and lowered the curtain. Her heart was filled with turmoil, and she leaned against the wall of the carriage and took a long breath, only then was she able to suppress it.
The carriage shook violently, and then rumbled forward. The wheels made a dull sound, and she heard the earth humming and humming. Now she was leaving Jiankang City little by little, carrying the sad and sweet past and those heavy memories that made her unable to breathe. She left this sad place with a self-deception, leaving this place where your figure was everywhere.
The carriage had been bumping for an unknown amount of time, Zhao Pei's mind raced as she suddenly lifted the curtain and looked back. Jiankang City was already far away, and the rising sun shone down, casting a golden glow over the heavy Jiankang City.
Zhao Pei stretched her neck and kept looking, as if she could still see the white figure at the city gate. He stubbornly refused to leave, with the same smile as Xiao Tong on his lips, the same throbbing in his eyes, and the same mission as Xiao Tong.
Such a thin body stood stubbornly in the wind, looking particularly lonely and melancholy.
So, Zhao Pei understood what Xiao Gang was hesitant to say, and he lived in place of Xiao Tong.
He thought, shoulder the burden of Xiao Tong and build a prosperous city for him. Zhao Pei kept staring at the majestic Jiankang City under the golden color, which was getting smaller and smaller and gradually disappeared from her sight. But she could still see the figure who was holding on.
Perhaps the sun was too bright, she suddenly burst into tears. (To be continued)