Zhao Pei opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something but swallowing it back in the end. Xiao Yan took up the brush and drew a bamboo forest on the snow-white rice paper, and said slowly: "Girl, do you know why I promised you to the seventh brother?"
When she heard this, her chest felt heavy. It was like a blunt knife piercing her heart, causing her to feel pain. She had thought about asking him this question more than once.
Xiao Yan drew a few strokes on the bamboo trunk and said calmly, "I vaguely know about the past between you and Deshi, and I understand what you are thinking." Zhao Pei was extremely flustered. She lowered her head and dared not breathe, secretly cursing herself for coming here for no reason.
He used a few strokes of thick ink to paint the dense bamboo leaves, and then said, "But, I finally promised you to the Seventh Brother." He raised his eyes, looked at Zhao Pei who bowed her head and said nothing, and smiled faintly, "You are a unique woman. It is hard for so many of my sons to fall in love with you. Not long ago, the Seventh Brother came to me and asked me to promise you to him."
Zhao Pei was startled. She still didn't look up, her mind blank as she stared at the phoenix pattern on her skirt.
Xiao Yi once said that he married her in compliance with the emperor's order, but he never expected that it was he who proposed it.
"I wanted to help you and Deshi at that time. But after thinking about it for a long time, I still... Your talent and intelligence will make you unwilling to be a subordinate. The Prince's Mansion is different from other palaces. The changes there are as unpredictable as the palace. You are not suitable for it. Deshi is kind-hearted but he is inevitably indecisive and will hurt you. However, the seventh brother is not like this. He is ambitious and decisive. He is the one who can truly protect you. I know that you have sacrificed a lot, but in my opinion, you may not be unhappy. Only in this way can the two brothers avoid unnecessary conflicts. Do you understand?"
After Xiao Yan finished speaking, the bamboo forest was already painted. Zhao Pei's eyes were already filled with tears. She clutched her dress tightly with both hands and stared at the sky-blue thin-walled tea bowl in front of her.
Was it because he was afraid that the brothers would turn against each other, so he sacrificed her life under the guise of protecting her
Zhao Pei's tears were about to fall, she raised her head and tried hard to restrain the tears from falling. Then he asked: "Girl, do you blame me?"
After hearing this, she couldn't help but chuckle, and said with red eyes: "Father, don't you think it's too late to complain now? Yes, I have complained before, but a woman's destiny is naturally in the hands of others. You are the king and I am the minister. How dare I say anything?" She was very respectful, but every word she said seemed presumptuous.
Putting her hands on her belly, Zhao Pei choked up, "Besides, Zhao Pei is not unhappy now, as you said. Zhao Pei will remember those words, don't worry."
If marriage is a door, then she is now several doors away from him. She no longer asks for anything.
Xiao Yan was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "It's getting late, girl, go back and rest early. I also need to rest. Tomorrow morning, we will return to the palace together."
She left the emperor's bedroom like a lost soul, and walked along the corridor without any strength, repeating Xiao Yan's words and her own words.
She hoped that she could keep the promise she made to the emperor for the rest of her life and never regret it.
It was windy outside, so she put her hands around her belly.
Turning the corner of the corridor, there was a winding path. She went down the steps and looked up at the moon. The moon was like a hook, bright but lonely in the dark sky.
"Pepe." A familiar voice called from behind. Zhao Pei slowly turned around and looked at the man in front of her with some disbelief. He was still handsome, still elegant, still smiling, and still as gentle as a spring breeze. He walked slowly in the moonlight and stopped in front of her. It was as if he had walked in the moonlight from a dream.
Zhao Pei looked at him blankly and asked, "Brother? Aren't you editing the "Wenxuan" on Gushan Mountain? Why are you here?" She spoke very softly, for fear of startling him and disturbing his sweet dream under the moonlight.
Xiao Tong said, "How can I feel at ease after hearing what happened to my father a few days ago? I hurried over here. Where is my father now?"
Zhao Pei heaved a sigh of relief, confirming that this was not a dream. She said, "The emperor has gone to bed, so you'd better not disturb him. He said he will be back early tomorrow morning." After that, she smiled as if relieved, like a child.
He looked at the pale woman under the moonlight, with a hint of sadness between his brows: "You have worked hard these past few days. I just met a little monk who was boiling medicine on the road. I heard... Pei Pei is going to be a mother?"
Zhao Pei was stunned, and instantly felt extremely sad, and then sighed at how quickly the news came. She forced a smile and nodded: "Yeah." But her heart was pale.
Xiao Tong turned his head away and looked at the clear sky. After a while, he turned back and smiled softly at her: "Congratulations."
His tall figure stood in front of her like a jade tree, and his eyes looked at her with a bit of melancholy as he placed his hands unconsciously in front of her stomach.
A gentle smile, like a vast expanse of green light: "Pepe, are you... happy now?"
"I am very happy." She looked back at him calmly, her eyes twinkling with stars and she smiled warmly. She didn't know how much of this smile was true. Anyway, she told herself over and over again, I am very happy, very happy, very happy.
The scene of her first meeting with him suddenly appeared in her mind. Under the fireworks, the woman had a beautiful Yichun bun and her shy cheeks were heavily rouge-colored. Her eyes were full of affection, and she made a promise and expectation for her whole life. But it disappeared like fireworks.
She had thought countless times how good it would be if she hadn't met him that night. If they hadn't met, there wouldn't be so much pain and suffering today. But if you think about it carefully, they will meet in this life after all, love or not, it's just a matter of time.
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The moon was at its zenith, and the night was as clear and bright as water. She looked up at the moonlight, and suddenly remembered what Xiao Yan had said, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Xiao Tong stood in front of her with his hands behind his back and had no intention of leaving. He looked at the night for a while and said softly, "It's late. How about I take you home?" She nodded and slowly walked to his side.
Xiao Tong smiled and said nothing, walking side by side with her with his hands behind his back. Zhao Pei looked at him secretly, and saw his clear-cut silhouette, which looked even more handsome in the flickering moonlight. She smelled the familiar fresh scent on him, which was a little strange and had a melancholy feeling hidden in it. Her chest felt tight, her eyes were slightly red, and she dared not look at him again, so she had to lower her eyes and look at the road under her feet.
"Pei Pei." Xiao Tong called softly, as if he was afraid of waking her up.
"Hmm?" Zhao Pei responded, waiting for him to speak. But he waited for a long time but nothing came of his next words.
After a while of silence, he suddenly stopped. Zhao Pei also stopped and looked at him with a little doubt. Xiao Tong raised his head slightly and looked into the distance with a smile, saying, "The night is beautiful."
She followed his line of sight and realized that they were already standing by the pond. The bright moonlight was like a veil covering the dark pond, dimming half of the lotus in the pond. The petals were delicate and beautiful, revealing a bit of charm and lightness. When the breeze passed, the water in the pond began to ripple. The floating lotus leaves flew towards them with a faint fragrance. She and he stood quietly by the pond, quietly watching such a peaceful and beautiful scene.
Xiao Tong couldn't help but look at her sideways, and her knowing smile was far more beautiful than the scenery. He was slightly stunned, thinking that he had never seen such a quiet and happy smile before. And she didn't know who was the reason for her happy smile that she showed unintentionally. He just understood that her state of mind no longer belonged to him, or had never really belonged to him. Then he realized that what he could give her was really very little. And now he could no longer afford to give her anything.
An unreasonable sadness and loneliness surged into my heart. I didn't know if it was because of the lonely heart in such a silent night, the confusion and hopelessness about the future with her, or even the jealousy that had sprouted in my heart without knowing when.
He was standing beside her at the moment, but he could not and did not dare to touch her sleeves and embrace her. This dreary night had too many invisible shackles. The vines extending from the dark night bound his limbs and body, making him unable to move. Even if his heart was thousands of miles away, he could not really break free from this body.
He feels so tired...
The two of them were both dressed in white clothes that were whiter than snow, standing next to each other in a graceful manner. They looked like immortals descending to the earth and would ride on the wind as soon as the wind blew. Zhao Pei suddenly thought of Princess Nongyu, and then laughed at herself and shook her head.
Xiao Tong sighed and patted her shoulder: "Pei Pei, let's go. You are not an ordinary person now, you can't catch a cold." Zhao Pei forced a smile. How would he feel if he knew that she had been soaking in the cold water pool for most of the day.
The silence was finally broken. Zhao Pei looked at him with a smile, her eyes curved like willows: "Well, you should also rest early. You must be tired after such a long journey." Both of them were avoiding something, she forced a smile and turned away first.
Then her body froze, and the forced smile on her face gradually disappeared. Because she saw the man not far behind them silently watching them. He was dressed in black, hidden in the shadows, and his expression was hard to tell. But she could clearly feel the coldness coming from his body and the extremely cold gaze. (To be continued)