"There is a tung tree on the water of Dongting Lake. It was hit by waves after frost and trapped by severe wind. In the past, it shone brightly in the sun, but now it lies dead in the yellow sand. A famous craftsman in Luoyang saw it and made a pipa. The white jade is like the moon, and the coral is like the wind and flower. The emperor appreciated it and never forgot it. He promoted and helped it to Jianzhang. Zhang Nu played the piano and hid it. She urged Chu Mingguang to play the piano. She met the gentleman year after year and stayed in Weiyang Palace from afar. The girls in Weiyang Palace abandoned the chi and rushed to wipe the light. The dogwood brocade clothes and jade boxes were made. How could they miss the dry branches in the past? If you don't learn from the laurel of Hengshan and Nanling, you still don't know it after a thousand years." The girl in red clothes leaned on the soft couch, chanting "The Road is Hard" in the book in her hand. The sun shone on her face, outlining the delicate contours and also outlining a faint sadness.
"Miss." Ruhua called out from the side, "The eldest master asked you to follow him into the palace."
Zhao Pei opened her half-closed eyes and looked at her in confusion: "Why?"
"Ruhua doesn't know." She shook her head, but said, "The eldest master just asked the young lady to be faster."
Half an hour later, Zhao Pei got into the car parked at the gate of the mansion. Zhao Jie was already sitting in the car. He was surprised to see her: "Why are you dressed like this?"
"Hmm?" Zhao Pei lowered her head and looked at herself. There was nothing wrong. "What?"
The woman in front of me had a simple hairstyle, and a silver hairpin with thousands of tassels was inserted diagonally. The tassels dangling slightly were tucked on the white neck behind her ears, which made a beautiful contrast. She was wearing a red shirt and skirt embroidered with dark golden water cloud patterns, and a thin gauze as thin as a cicada's wing, which covered the red lotus on the skirt, making it ethereal and magnificent. She also had a jade belt and silver ornaments on her waist, and a water-colored sachet hanging on it. Her rings jingled when she walked. Looking at her face, she also had some rouge on her face, which made her look more charming and lovely.
Zhao Jie smiled bitterly: "Why are you dressed like you're getting married?"
Zhao Pei got annoyed when she heard his analogy: "I don't want to either. But when mother heard that I was going to enter the palace, she insisted on dressing me up again. If you think I look like I'm getting married, then I'll go back and wash myself." As she was about to jump out of the car, Zhao Jie held her back helplessly: "Okay, okay. Since this is a private meeting, there's no need to be too formal. It's okay, just dress up. I wasn't completely wrong. This time you're going to the palace to meet your future husband."
Zhao Pei was slightly stunned and murmured, "Xiao Yi wants to see me?"
Zhao Jie stared at her with some pity. He knew that she had no intention of being with Xiao Yi and had even run away, but now that she was caught, she had to marry a man... That kind of pity and reluctance turned into deep helplessness. He didn't want to see his sister being forced to compromise, but since that was her fate, he could only tell her not to struggle in vain and get hurt unnecessary. "Not entirely, Xiao Yi's eyes will have an ending today. Success or failure depends on this day. Although he didn't say it, the Third Prince still thinks it would be better if you were by his side."
Zhao Pei was silent. Zhao Jie regretted that he had said it so early. According to her personality, she would probably say to him at this moment: "What does it have to do with me if his eyes are sometimes good and sometimes bad? What difference does it make whether I am here or not?" Then she would jump out of the car and go home.
But unexpectedly, Zhao Pei sat there silently, and after a long while she said quietly: "Why don't you leave? We'll be late."
The wheels made a dull sound. Zhao Peichui stretched out her hands and hugged her knees. She curled up in her seat, lowered her head, and said nothing. She didn't know what had happened to Xiao Yi. She wanted to see him but didn't dare to. She didn't have the face or the courage.
But there was an urgency to see him safe and sound, so that I could feel at ease. Although I knew that this was just a self-deceptive comfort.
Zhao Jie saw this and felt a pain in his heart. In his eyes, his sister had always been naughty and restless since she was a child, always able to think of some ways to have fun. She always had a beautiful smile and smiling eyes. How could she be so sad and helpless now, forcing a smile
Perhaps, this was a disaster in her life. She could only blame her talent. She could only blame the fact that she was thinking about the wrong person.
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This was the first time that Zhao Pei came to the palace. The palace maid led her and her brother through the winding corridor and stopped in front of a two-story building.
Zhao Pei looked up and knew that this was the medical office. She thought that she would see the results soon, but she became nervous. She hesitated for a long time and did not dare to step in. Zhao Jie smiled slightly and took her hand: "Everyone is waiting." The door of the inner room was half closed, and he walked in.
The atmosphere in the room was very depressing, and no one spoke. At this time, everyone who heard a voice turned around to look. Zhao Pei did not speak, but followed her brother to salute the Third Prince Xiao Gang and the Eighth Prince Xiao Ji who were present.
Xiao Gang nodded slightly, stared at Zhao Pei with a complicated expression for a while, and then slowly said: "Lord Li, it's almost time. Let's... start."
Zhao Pei then turned her gaze to the man in black sitting in the armchair. He had a calm expression, without a trace of joy, anger or expectation, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Li Shiji suppressed his trembling hands and untied the white silk behind his head. Zhao Pei's heart tightened and she subconsciously grabbed the hem of her skirt tightly.
The white silk was slowly unwound, and Zhao Pei's heart tightened a little bit, and she felt it was getting harder and harder to breathe. The white silk fell to the ground silently.
Zhao Pei didn't dare to blink and stared at his closed eyes.
Xiao Yi felt some faint light. After a few days of darkness, he was a little uncomfortable with the sudden sunlight, but he was eager to move. After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes. But... .
"Seventh brother!" Xiao Gang was shocked to see that he had no expression, and could not help but call him. Everyone's heart was in their throat.
But Xiao Yi just stared ahead silently without saying a word.
The string in Zhao Pei's heart snapped under such a dull gaze. She looked at Xiao Yi, his dull eyes filled with endless pain. Her vision gradually became blurred, tears streamed down her cheeks, and she covered her mouth tightly, fearing that he would discover her if she made a sound.
But he raised his lips slightly, and said to her with his usual disdain and sarcasm: "Why are you crying?"
Zhao Pei was shocked when she heard this. She was a little confused, as if she was hallucinating. She subconsciously took a few steps closer and slowly squatted down beside him.
"Seventh...Brother?" He called carefully, looking at him carefully.
There was actually a hint of amusement in his eyes. "What day do you think it is that you are dressed like this?"
Zhao Pei paused. What did Xiao Yi mean by mocking her like this? She suddenly stared at him in disbelief and shouted with great joy, "Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother!" She waved her hands in front of his eyes. "Did you see me?"
Xiao Yi pushed her hand away impatiently, but Zhao Pei was not annoyed. Instead, she smiled happily.
Everyone gathered around, breathed a sigh of relief and smiled from the bottom of their hearts. Li Shiji kept shouting, "Amitabha Amitabha."
Xiao Gang smiled and asked, "Seventh brother, how do you feel?"
Xiao Yi said calmly, "The right eye can see things." As soon as he said that, Zhao Pei's heart, which had just relaxed, tensed up again. Looking at his calm appearance, Zhao Pei felt a pain in her heart. After all, it was still...
Seeing her self-blaming expression, Xiao Yi chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter. One less won't affect anything. As long as I can see it, it's fine."
Everyone quickly agreed, fearing that he couldn't let it go.
Zhao Pei then discovered his eyes. His right eye was as deep as the sky and the bottomless abyss as before, but his left eye was dim and without light. She suddenly remembered a poetry meeting in the past when she and he played a riddle. Her riddle was: "One-eyed dragon." Unexpectedly, it actually came true.
Could it be that everything in the world is really arranged, just waiting for them to step into it
Xiao Yi turned away from her at first. Although he didn't blame her, he couldn't help but feel a little resentful. Looking at the situation, she decided to stay with him, but the feelings between them were not exactly the same. Xiao Yi felt a little uneasy, but after thinking about it for a moment, he laughed at himself.
Looking around, he could not see Xiao Lun and Xiao Tong. He also could not see his father, the emperor, and his mother. He felt a little disappointed, so he asked, "Where are my eldest brother and sixth brother?"
Xiao Gang and Xiao Ji looked at each other for a while, but no one took the initiative to answer.
After a long while, Xiao Ji stammered, "Sixth brother, something happened..."
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Before Zhao Pei had time to change her clothes, she followed Xiao Gang out of the palace in a hurry.
"How could this be?" Zhao Pei still didn't believe it. "Sixth brother...did the emperor really strip him of his title? Doesn't the emperor love him very much?"
Xiao Gang shook his head helplessly: "Sixth brother drank some wine and was very emotional. Father was entangled in a lot of things and was in a hurry. The situation was completely out of control at the time. If the prince hadn't stopped father, perhaps sixth brother would have been..."
"Why?" Zhao Pei couldn't believe they would turn against each other to this extent. Xiao Lun was not a fool, how could he not know that he couldn't offend his father? There must be a reason.
Xiao Gang looked at her deeply, but did not explain. He just sighed and said, "Go ask him yourself later." (To be continued)