After entering Yige City, several roads diverged, heading south to Simianlou, east to Lingwang's Mansion, west to Zuoxiang's Mansion, they reined in their horses by the roadside, Eleven asked, "How do I get there?"
Ye Tianling looked at Qing Chen, Qing Chen looked out along the Chuyan River, seemed to be thinking about something, then suddenly turned around and smiled: "Please trouble fourth brother to take me to Zuo Xiangfu."
Ye Tianling was silent for a while, and said: "You don't have to worry about me mobilizing the Xuanjia Army. Since I did this, I must have something to say to my father."
Qing Chen said: "But after all, Prime Minister Feng has already said that in front of the Emperor of Heaven, it's better to be like this. Besides, he seems to believe that my daughter can't hide, so it's better not to hide, it's the best policy to follow the trend instead." She Wrapping the whip around his hands lightly, he sighed half-truthfully: "When I enter the Houmen, it's as deep as the sea. I don't know if it's my good luck or my bad luck. Don't forget to give me a big gift when the time comes, Your Highnesses." Congratulations to the second lady of the Feng family for recognizing her ancestors and returning to her family, if you give Qianyuefang dim sum, you must remember to ask for Yuqiongling Leaf Crisp."
Seeing Ye Tianling's frowning and Eleven Jun's worried face, she raised her eyebrows with a leisurely smile, and rode ahead, with a casual resignation in her expression. Eleven caught up to look at her, and asked, "Have you been with Twelve Brothers a lot lately?"
"Yeah, we've covered Yige City," Qing Chen said, "What's wrong?"
Eleven shook his head, and said, "No wonder this fool looks exactly like him. With him and you, how will you live in Tiandu in the future!"
Qing Chen's pretty eyebrows slanted, and he said with a sly smile: "It's easy for others to say, but it may be really hard for you!" Before the words fell, suddenly he raised his whip and whipped him behind his horse, but in his surprise, he withdrew the whip again In vain, it turned out that he was just scaring him.
Eleven's handsome eyes raised and he said: "Okay, how dare you lie to me!" His hands trembled slightly, and the whip wrapped around her like a spirit snake, and immediately wrapped around her whip, Fang wanted to take a little punishment for her, but Hearing her suddenly shout: "Come here! Someone is bullying the girl!"
Although the voice was not loud, it attracted many people around to look at it strangely. Eleven was stunned suddenly, and when she let go of her hand, she pulled the whip away with her backhand and glared at her: "What a villain!"
Qing Chen rode his horse to hide behind Ye Tianling, and smiled proudly by the way: "Haven't you heard that only women and villains are difficult to raise?"
Ye Tianling was nearby, watching her and Shiyi laughing quietly. When Qing Chen passed by his horse, he suddenly realized that it was because of the warm light of the setting sun that it was so soft, there was a clear tinge of coldness on his sharp-edged and cold face. With a faint smile, clear and soft.
She suddenly felt that if such a smile often appeared on his face, then the cold winter would turn into spring, the wind was gentle and warm, the flowers were slightly fragrant, the mountains were high and far away, and the water flowed eastward.
The next day, the maid in Zuo Xiang's mansion brought a person to see Qing Chen, and the person approached and saluted her neatly: "Miss Feng is well!"
Qing Chen smiled and said, "Qin Yue, what are you doing here?"
Holding a small sandalwood box in Qin Yue's hand, he handed it forward and said, "His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince heard that Miss Feng has returned to Zuo Xiangfu, so let me send this first."
Qing Chen took it over and saw that the box was actually the set of blue warm jade four gentlemen's cups. She knew that it was Ye Tianzhan's favorite thing, but now she gave the whole set to her. His thoughts were still so faint but extremely clear, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when he held the cup in his hand.
Gently touching the pattern on the cup, she covered the box and handed it to Qin Yue again: "Take it back for me and tell His Highness Seven that I cannot accept such a valuable thing."
Qin Yue was a little embarrassed for a while: "Miss Feng, please stay. If I take it back like this, I will definitely be scolded by Your Highness."
Qing Chen smiled and said, "No, he has a good temper."
Qin Yue frowned and wanted to speak, but Qing Chen looked away, and someone behind him said softly: "It seems that sometimes it's not a good thing to have a bad temper." Ye Tianzhan walked slowly and raised his hand to him , he hurriedly handed over the things with both hands, and retreated first.
Qing Chen didn't expect Ye Tianzhan to come to Zuo Xiang's mansion in person, and said with a helpless smile: "Who says you have lost your temper? If a normally gentle person becomes angry, it will be really scary."
"Did I scare you?" Ye Tian Zhan asked with a smile.
"No," Qing Chen said, "That's because I don't provoke you."
With a smile on his face, Ye Tianzhan handed the warm jade cup to her eyes: "So please accept it. I remember you said that you can enjoy tea with this set of cups just by looking at it."
Qing Chen said: "If I don't accept it, can I see what it's like to be angry with you?" Even so, he reached out to take the box after all.
Ye Tianzhan said with a gentle smile: "Of course I also get angry sometimes, but only to others, not to you."
The smile in Qing Chen's eyes paused slightly, and he asked casually: "Today is the Queen Mother's birthday, why are you not in Yanxi Palace?"
Ye Tianzhan said: "I didn't have time to come here, but knowing that you have returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion, I couldn't help but want to take a look. It's rare that you have had enough fun outside and are willing to come home."
Hearing his tone of voice as if doting on a child with a smile, Qing Chen felt a little strange in her heart, but the word "home" suddenly appeared, she raised her eyes to look around the Xuanhuang courtyard, and said: " Suddenly having such a 'home', I really don't get used to it, and I feel a little bored after only one day."
Ye Tianzhan smiled handsomely: "Compared to the excitement of singing and dancing outside, the Shenyuan of Xiangfu is indeed a bit monotonous."
Qing Chen folded a leaf casually, held it in his hand, stood there looking at him deeply, then sighed and said, "You always knew I was in the surrounding area, didn't you?"
Ye Tianzhan lowered his head and smiled, "Although I've only heard your piano once, it's impossible for me to forget it."
Qing Chen thought that these days, with such a big fanfare, there were few people provoking and making troubles. He must have been behind the scenes to protect him. When he met Wei Qian drunk that day, it was because of his words of help that he was able to resolve it. From the first day of acquaintance, he always stretched out his hand quietly when she needed it, covering her heart with warmth, making people feel tenderness even if their heart is like steel. If she was always by his side, she didn't know which woman could do it Avoiding such tenderness and consideration, he couldn't help but take a step back, and said, "I should have guessed this earlier, Si Mian Lou really thank you."
Ye Tianzhan said: "Actually, I didn't do anything, but the singing and dancing workshop is different from other places. You always make people feel a little uneasy there."
"Thank you anyway." Qing Chen said in a low voice.
It's been a long time since Ye Tianzhan spoke, she raised her head strangely, but saw a slight melancholy flashing away on his jade-like handsome face, "This sounds very strange." He said lightly.
Qing Chen lowered his eyes, but was speechless to respond. If she was rejecting him, then every deliberate avoidance seemed so pale in his breezy smile, which even made her suspect that she had been following him all along. A wrong decision, doing something very absurd.
She would rather that Ye Tian was as good as Li Tang, hypocritical and hypocritical, maybe then she would be able to spurn or take revenge with a decisive attitude, which would be easier than it is now.
Ye Tianzhan didn't say any more, and only stayed for a while before rushing back to the palace. Qing Chen was fine, so he sent him to the gate of Xiangfu. After he left, he was about to turn around and go back to the mansion, when he heard someone shouting from behind: "Miss Feng!"
She looked back and saw a young man walking towards him, wearing black clothes and light armor, he seemed familiar. Just as she was thinking about it, the man saluted with his hand on the hilt of his sword, and she suddenly remembered that this was Ye Tianling's guard commander, Wei Changzheng, whom she had seen on the Yuema Bridge that night.
Wei Changzheng stepped forward and handed her two packages of things in his hand, and said, "The Fourth Highness asked the general to send two things to Miss Feng." Qing Chen weighed it up and felt that one of the packages seemed to be a few books, so he raised his hand and opened it Look, "Oh!" I was overjoyed.
It turned out to be the "Ming Jing Lun" and several other notes that were lost in Pingdieshan. Some papers became blurred due to water stains, and were more or less patched up with a pen on the side. The steep strokes looked like Ye Tianling's handwriting. The other bag was Qianyuefang's dim sum. Seeing that half of it was Yuqiong Lingye crisps that she liked, she was overjoyed, and said to Wei Changzheng with a smile, "I'm sorry, go back and tell the Fourth Highness, just say... Just say that he still owes me the crispy pigeon with honey sauce!"
There seemed to be an unconcealable smile on Wei Changzheng's face, and he said: "His Royal Highness has something else to say, that the things in Shanglefang should be freshly baked. I heard that there have been a lot of snacks from the Western Regions recently. Miss Feng go taste it together."
Qing Chen smiled and said, "Thank you so much."
The Empress Dowager's 80th birthday, because it is a whole birthday, is extra grand. Tiandu Ninety-Nine and Eighty-One Square Huazhang is full of colorful congratulatory rituals. The Emperor of Heaven prayed for the Queen's mother's birthday, and specially decreed the amnesty of the world.
According to the ancestral system, the Empress Dowager gave a banquet to Yanxi Palace that night. Numerous glazed longevity lamps were lit in the palace, and the brilliance shone into the sky. The green eaves and golden ridges and the reflections in the Taiye Pool reflected each other, like a feast in a fairyland.
Every three steps in the hall, there are servants standing with candles, illuminating the hall as bright as day. The graceful palace ladies entered in a file, holding golden cups in their hands, their steps were light, their long skirts dragging the floor floated past, their rings were clear, and they carried the fragrance of wine.
The singers in the hall have long sleeves and are good at dancing. The singing fans are light and flying, and the crescent eyebrows are in awe. After singing a gorgeous song and dance, they congratulate the Queen Mother for her long life in unison, and she recedes like a cloud.
Ye Tianling drank a glass of wine and was talking to the prince next to him when he suddenly heard the queen mother call: "Ling'er."
"The grandson is here." Ye Tianling stood up and responded, "What orders does the imperial grandmother have?"
The Empress Dowager said: "It has been more than half a year since you and your troops went out. The Mobei Mountains are high and the road is far away. I thought it would be difficult for you to catch up with today's birthday banquet. Who knows that you have come back. The emperor's grandmother is very happy."
Ye Tianling grew up in Yanxi Palace since he was a child, and he has a deep relationship with his grandmother. He said: "Grandmother's 80th birthday, grandson will come back no matter what, but he can't accompany him to fulfill his filial piety on weekdays. Blame the grandson."
The Empress Dowager laughed and said, "What is the crime? The imperial grandmother asked you, do you still have the purple bamboo flute that you begged from Yanxi Palace when you were young?"
Ye Tianling replied: "Grandmother bestowed it, and my grandson will naturally keep it well."
The Empress Dowager turned her head and said to the Heavenly Emperor: "Ling'er is good at playing the flute, but I haven't listened to it for many years."
The Emperor of Heaven also laughed and said: "He often leads troops outside, and I seldom hear of it. How about borrowing the light of my mother today and asking him to play a song to celebrate her birthday?"
The Empress Dowager said: "The Ai family has exactly this intention, Ling'er, do you want to show the face of the emperor's grandmother and your father?"
Ye Tianling never disobeyed the Queen Mother's wishes, and said lightly: "Grandson obeys orders. I'm just afraid that the sound of Xiao Xiao will be too bland and not lively enough, and it will spoil the emperor's grandmother."
The crown prince knew that the fourth younger brother was indifferent by nature, and although he played the flute very well, it was indeed as he said, too cold, and would be incompatible with this birthday feast, so he laughed and said: "Grandmother, there is a flute It would be a fly in the ointment to have no qin, why not invite a qin master to play with the fourth brother, and add some excitement."
The Empress Dowager said to the Prince: "That's a good idea, but Ling'er has been arrogant since he was a child, which luthier can he look up to?"
Feng Luanfei was waiting beside the Emperor of Heaven, and suddenly saw her father Feng Yan winking at her, after a little thought, she understood, and leaned over to whisper a few words beside the Emperor of Heaven. The Emperor of Heaven heard the words and said to Feng Yan: "I really forgot that the second daughter of the Feng family is not a good player at playing the piano. I heard that even Zhan'er's jade flute has been compared?"
Feng Yan stood up and replied respectfully: "Little girl Qingchen can play two pieces of music, but how dare she compare with His Highness the Seventh Prince."
Ye Tianzhan had a gentle smile on his face: "President Feng doesn't need to be modest, I am convinced of Qing Chen's piano skills, it is indeed a masterpiece."
The Emperor of Heaven said: "I would like to hear it, but I don't know what the queen mother wants?"
The queen mother asked: "Is that the elder sister that Luanfei mentioned? The Ai family has long wanted to see her, so ask someone to bring them."
Sun Shi'an, the Taichang attendant, immediately arranged for the servant to go to Zuo Xiang's mansion to announce the meeting, and sent another person to Ling Wang's mansion to fetch the purple bamboo flute.
On this clear night in late autumn, Qing Chen stepped into the Emperor's Palace, Dazheng Palace, which towers over the entire Yige City, for the first time along the brilliant lights. As far as the eyes can see, the brilliance of the full moon is handed over to the scattered palace lanterns, and the halls and houses are magnificently spread under the reflection of light and shadow, far away from the seemingly endless horizon in the distance.
The steps and corridors are full of brilliance. Looking back, you can see the inside and outside of Yige City. The regular layout of the city in the daytime seems to be connected to a deep world of mortals under the lights of the night. joyous.
She never imagined that from this night onwards, the huge gear of fate would irresistibly fit along its established track and turn into the other party's established destiny, changing her and even everyone's future. But thinking about it many years later, if someone had given her the right to choose at that time, she knew that she would still walk into it. Even if there were predictable waves and turmoil ahead, she would still be willing to make such a choice. Just because someone is willing to stand by her side in this choice, hand in hand with her, and go forward together, then everything is joy.
Guided by Gong'e, she entered the main hall of Yanxi Palace, and immediately saw Ye Tianling sitting beside the prince. Compared with this lively court banquet, his azure robe was a bit austere, and the gorgeous lights in the palace were reflected in his eyes, adding a little warmth to his handsome face.
Ye Tianling glanced lightly across her face, and picked up the purple bamboo flute from the satin-covered tray in the hand of the palace woman beside her.
Qing Chen leaned over and kowtowed to the Emperor of Heaven and the Empress Dowager.
"What a handsome daughter." The queen mother said to Feng Yan with eyes full of admiration: "Mr. Feng is very lucky, and all the children under her knees are extraordinary."
Feng Yan hurriedly replied: "The Queen Mother is as blessed as heaven, I can only wait for your protection."
The queen mother smiled and nodded, and asked Qing Chen, "Would you like to play a piece of music to celebrate the birthday of Aijia?"
On the road, Qing Chen knew that he was here for this matter, but he didn't expect that Ye Tianling would be the one performing in the ensemble, and Yingying bowed down: "It's a great honor for Qing Chen."
The servants on the left and right have already prepared the red sandalwood floating cloud case, and brought the Ruifeng Chengxiang Qiongyao Qin from the palace collection. The clear and clear light is like a scene of tranquility. Following Lin Lang's finger counting softly, all the sounds in the hall are quiet, and she slowly retreats into a pure world. She turned to Ye Tianling and said, "Fourth Highness, please." Ye Tianling's gaze fell into her eyes, and she smiled slightly, waiting for him to lead the song.
The Zizhu flute twirled in Ye Tianling's hand, touched her lips lightly, and a clear and ethereal flute sound floated out leisurely.
Everyone could only feel their eyes and ears clear, and following the sound of the flute, it seemed as if the majestic golden palace turned into heaven and earth, a piece of clean, pure white and boundless. In the Qiongyao jade snow, there seems to be a faint fragrance floating, accompanied by light snow falling on the world.
Unexpectedly, Qing Chen closed his eyes and listened attentively, but he didn't move for a long time while his hands were on the strings.
The sound of the flute gradually faded away and was about to disappear. Suddenly, her fingers brushed the strings casually, and the sound of Long Ling was suddenly bright, as if a crystal luster had been opened in this pure white and flawless world, a piece of ice and jade.
The sound of Ye Tianling's flute turned and rose when the sound of the piano came out. Qing Chen moved his fingers lightly to pick up the strings. Every note perfectly followed the clear sound of the purple bamboo flute. In the middle of the ice and snow, little plum blossoms bloomed against the wind, creating an intoxicating atmosphere. The bright red oppresses the frost and the snow forest falls between the sky and the earth.
There was a slight smile on her lips, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Ye Tianling's deep eyes, which were boundless and endless. A little bit of starlight quietly bloomed in the dark depths, from which she saw Hanmei's Lingao looking down on Fengshuang. Thousands of miles of ice, thousands of miles of snow, who knows Mei's grace, Mei's unyielding, Mei's loneliness and Mei's loneliness. Follow him steeply, the sound of the piano is like jade, and the clear low rhyme flows in the wind in this lonely phantom, dancing around.
The sound of the flute is endless, like a song like weeping, the sound of the qin is soothing, singing softly, like a xiao but not a xiao, if the qin is no longer a qin.
The resplendent and resplendent Yanxi Palace seems to appear a peaceful world, with the snow glistening, the sparse branches embellished with jade, and the breeze bringing the snowy shadows and plum fragrances. , so that all the dust and worries in people's hearts go away, leaving only this infinite charm lingering in my heart for a long time.
"Plum Blossoms Falling" is collected with voiceless sounds, the sound of the flute is far away, the sound of the piano is weak, Ye Tianling and Qing Chen bowed to the Queen Mother: "Congratulations to the Queen Mother for a long life and long-lasting kindness."
"Okay, okay!" The Empress Dowager said to Qing Chen with satisfaction: "Come here and let Ai's family take a look."
Qing Chen gently folded his lapels and got up, with the silk cloth stretched out behind him, he walked up the jade steps beside the mat calmly, and gave the Queen Mother a blessing.
The queen mother looked at her kindly, and said: "Well, she has both talent and appearance, and is knowledgeable and sensible." Fu smiled at the emperor again: "Your Majesty, where can I find such a good woman? Why don't Xiang Feng come to our house to be a daughter-in-law?"
The Emperor of Heaven also liked Qing Chen very much, and said: "What the queen mother said is very true, but which grandson would you like to give to you?"
Qing Chen was shocked, and suddenly several eyes fell on her face. But I heard the queen mother say: "Ling'er often leads troops outside, it's not a solution if there is no one in the house..."
Before finishing speaking, Ye Tianling had already left the table and bowed down and interrupted the Queen Mother: "Grandmother, grandson..." He didn't continue, and the Queen Mother suddenly stopped and did not continue.
Ye Tianling's expression was calm and unwavering, Qing Chen saw something in his raised eyes, it was incomprehensible surprise, determination, indifference, and a hidden conflict and pain. All these emotions flashed through his dark eyes, so fast that one wondered if they really existed.
Yanxi Palace suddenly fell into an inexplicable silence, no one spoke.
The brief silence disappeared in an instant, and the queen mother looked at Ye Tianling worriedly, and sighed: "Forget it, forget it."
It seemed that several people suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. At the side, Ye Tianzhan smiled and said to the Queen Mother: "Grandmother, Prime Minister Feng has only found your daughter for a few days, and you married her off. How can Prime Minister Feng and his wife be willing to do this?"
The originally stagnant atmosphere suddenly relaxed with his humorous and warm voice, and the spring breeze blew on Feng Yan's face, Feng Yan followed with a smile and said: "The Queen Mother loves her, this is the blessing of my daughter."
Luanfei and his father looked at each other, and quickly smiled and said to the Queen Mother: "If the Queen Mother really likes my sister, why not keep her by your side, and our sisters can often see each other, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"
Qing Chen remained silent, his eyes fell on Feng Yan, and then he looked at Luan Fei calmly.
The Empress Dowager asked Qing Chen, "Would you like it?"
Qing Chen was only silent for a moment, hesitation in his heart was not revealed in his bright smile, and he respectfully bowed down to the Queen Mother: "Qing Chen is young and ignorant, please teach the Queen Mother more in the future."
"It's so good." The queen mother said to Ye Tianling: "Ling'er, go back and sit down, the emperor's grandmother will punish you with a glass of wine."
"Yes." Ye Tianling replied lightly, retreated to the table, drank the wine in front of him in one gulp, then filled a glass himself, and did not look at Qing Chen again for the whole night.
Qing Chen followed the queen mother, and occasionally turned his eyes to see Ye Tianling's thin side face, and remembered that he had heard a long time ago that a man with thin lips had a heartless heart. Ye Tianling's cold and sharp lips were like a sharp knife, cutting across silently, thin but clear, separating him from everyone else.
At that moment just now, the awe, apprehension, fear, etc., were not as good as the soreness in my heart when I heard his reaction.
Refused, Qing Chen smiled wryly to himself, and told everyone so clearly that he didn't want to.
In my heart, why is it so difficult to calm down? Clenching her fingers lightly under the wide sleeves, she couldn't help laughing at herself. A woman, the embodiment of vanity, even if she is rejected by someone she doesn't want, she still feels aggrieved. So, what about changing him
Xinmu looked at the banquet, except for Ye Tianling who was immersed in drinking, each of the prince, Ye Tianzhan, Shi Shi, and Ye Tianli looked at him consciously or unconsciously.
Or comfort, or smile, or warmth, or a little bit of banter that makes people bite their teeth. But there was a gaze that brought clear anxiety. Ninth Prince Ye Tianming, his palpitating gaze weighed heavily on her heart, which was not easy at all, as if deliberately leaving a rut that could not be ignored. mark.