The noblewoman in a light green dress was reclining on the beauty couch, and the maid beside her was waving a feather fan, bringing cool breezes and a faint fragrance. Her eyes were still shining, but the corners of her eyes gradually showed traces of time.
The maid opened the bamboo curtain and said respectfully, "Madam Ruan, the Seventh Prince is coming down."
She leaned forward slightly when she heard that, and a smile gradually appeared on her face.
Then Xiao Yi opened the bamboo curtain and walked in slowly. Today he was only wearing a dark court dress without much decoration. Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows, bowed and saluted, then sat down beside her.
Madam Ruan looked at him carefully for a while, then smiled softly, "Qi Fu is really different now that he has a family. He is much more stable."
Xiao Yi's face was calm, and he said, "How could I not feel the same way?"
"Of course there is." Lady Ruan moved slightly and pointed to the fruit plate on the table. "Try it. This is very good. It was brought by the envoy from Jiaozhi."
He just glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and nodded without making any movement. Ruan Niang thought that he had something on his mind, so she thought for a while and asked with a smile, "How are you with Pepe these days?"
Xiao Yi looked up at her, and then said with a half-smile, "I'm fine. Nothing happened recently." The lingering sound of his words clearly contained a sigh, and Empress Ruan could hear it. She didn't ask any more questions, so she said something else, "I got some extra fine brocade a few days ago. Take it back and show it to Peipei today. Maybe she will like it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yi replied: "Keep it for yourself. She doesn't need these things and doesn't care about her clothes."
"Don't care?" Upon hearing this, Empress Ruan's eyes widened immediately, and her hair full of pearls shook slightly, "How can I not care? A woman, and a newlywed, actually..." She was halfway through her words when she saw that Xiao Yi's face was not looking good and then she realized something.
I sighed in my heart, it's the business of young people...
After a long silence, Ruan Niangniang finally felt the awkward atmosphere, and then she smiled and said, "Forget it, Peipei is a casual person. It's just Qi Fu..." Ruan Niangniang called him meaningfully, and then seemed to say casually, "A woman's mind is the most unpredictable. If you want to keep her by your side for a long time, you can't just sit back and watch."
After he finished speaking, Xiao Yi suddenly raised his head, and a hint of indiscernible expression flashed across his eyes. He said nothing, but his mind was full of thoughts.
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Zhao Pei had been feeling tired these days, perhaps because there were too many disputes and she didn't want to face them anymore. She simply stayed at the palace and followed Shui Niang to learn needlework and tea art, which she had never cared about before.
A few days ago, I heard that Xiao Hong had been unable to walk due to depression since the assassination attempt was exposed. Now I heard that Xiao Hong had passed away. It turned out that life and death were so quick. Although Zhao Pei did not have a good impression of him, she could not help but sigh. What made her sigh the most was the emperor. After hearing the news of Xiao Hong's death, he hurried to Xiao Hong's mansion to pay his respects and cried uncontrollably.
She really didn't understand the emperor's heart. In fact, Zhao Pei didn't understand anyone's heart, not even her own.
She went to the West Garden and looked at the big cat that Xiao Hong had given to Xiao Yi in the winter. It must not have known what had happened to its former owner, and it was just lying in the cage leisurely in the sun. Zhao Pei wanted to tease it, but when she saw the sharp claws hidden under its fur, she pulled her hand back.
"Princess, so you are here. The prince is waiting for you in front of the hall." Shui Niang walked in from outside the yard. She looked a little tired, as if she had been searching for a long time.
"Huh?" Zhao Pei was stunned. What happened
The carriage was very quiet, and the only sound in Zhao Pei's head was the clanging of the carriage bells. She couldn't help but lift the curtain and look outside. The scenery outside the window was unfamiliar. It was not the road to the palace, nor the road to any familiar place. Zhao Pei looked back at Xiao Yi who was sitting beside her and asked, "Where are we going?"
Xiao Yi did not explain: "You'll know when you get there." His face was indifferent, but she could feel that Xiao Yi seemed to be in a good mood today.
After about half an hour, the carriage stopped. Zhao Pei lifted the curtain again and peeked outside. This one glance stunned her. This place...
"Go out." Xiao Yi had already stood up and said with a smile.
Zhao Pei hesitated in the car for a while, but finally picked up her skirt and followed him out of the car. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the freshness of soil. In front of her was a sea of flowers. Very familiar, very familiar... Just at this time last year, she had been here. At that time, she was full of shyness and longing, with amazement and joy.
When we were young, we fell in love. The flowers bloomed like the tide, just like a spring outing. The prosperity before us was scattered, but we were unwilling to accept that it would end. The delicate branches could not withstand the power of blooming. The branches have been broken, and when we revisited the old place and recalled the voices and faces of those days, we were at a loss.
The strange thing is that she felt nothing but loss in her heart, and could not find any trace of the pain. Maybe it was because she had been in pain for so long that she had gradually become numb and could no longer feel it.
"What a beautiful view." She smiled and looked at the man in black standing beside her. The breeze blew across his hair, softening his sharp edges. The sunlight shone through his body and into Zhao Pei's eyes. She couldn't open her eyes and had to turn her eyes away.
"Yeah." Xiao Yi also curled up a smile on his lips and slowly walked towards the sea of flowers.
Zhao Pei followed him: "Do you come here often?"
"This is the first time." He looked at the woman in the scarlet dress beside him, "I only knew there was such a beautiful place when I saw a painting once." (To be continued)