Autumn in the Otsu Dynasty was extremely cold. It was different from the cold wind in winter, but a kind of desolation when the autumn wind blows the fallen leaves. It was very uncomfortable to whimper and sob.
Today is a cold and gloomy day, and the Lenggong is even more gloomy and desolate. Except for a few dead trees in front of the door rustling in the wind, not even a crow will fly here.
Tang Zhuozhao was lying on the dilapidated bed. He coughed violently after looking out the window a few times. An Xia went out to fetch water for her. Hearing the sound of her coughing, he hurried back into the room. Seeing her He looked a little startled.
The woman lying on the thick wooden bed was as pale as paper, her thin face was no bigger than a palm, her long hair was scattered behind her shoulders, her eyes were softer than ever before.
An Xia hastily handed over a handkerchief, her face full of worry.
Tang Zhuozhao's stomach was full of pain and numbness. After his breathing calmed down, he took off the veil and saw that the original veil was stained with a pool of black blood, and even formed blood clot.
An Xia immediately covered her mouth and sobbed. She sat down in front of Tang Zhuozhao, put away the handkerchief in her hand, and begged in a low voice: "Your Majesty, you are so sick, go back and be soft with Your Majesty." Come on, servant girl, I beg you."
After Tang Zhuozhuo heard her words, there was no fluctuation in his eyes like clear water. He just lifted her arms as thin as dry wood and rubbed An Xia's head, and said slowly: "The past few years, cough cough, You suffer with me."
An Xia pinched the handkerchief so hard that it turned white, wiped away her tears and shook her head, "Your Majesty treats slaves very well, slaves don't suffer."
After finishing speaking, he hurriedly went out to wash the veil, and then brought in a basin of clean water: "Your Majesty, please rinse your mouth."
Tang Zhuozhuo twitched the corners of his mouth, nodded slightly and smiled.
Dark clouds soon enveloped the sky of Leng Gong, and it seemed that a storm was approaching. Tang Zhuozhuo's complexion was a little painful, and the clammy pain in her bones began to haunt her again. Her black and shiny temple hair was a little wet because of forbearance, and every breath was painful and startling.
"An Xia, don't rush to make up, just talk to me for a while." Tang Zhuozhuo's voice was a little weak, but An Xia obediently moved a small stool missing half a leg and stood in front of Tang Zhuozhao's bed.
Thinking of the sound of thunder outside, Tang Zhuozhuo took a few glances, pointed to the bare tree outside the window and said: "I still remember that when I came in, this jujube tree grew very well, but now it has become like this."
The stars have changed, three years have really changed a lot of things.
Following her words, An Xia also felt a little emotional, "I remember that my mother beat the dates with my servant once, they were so sweet and crisp."
Tang Zhuozhuo's eyes dimmed, she had only entered the cold palace at that time, and her temperament was not one to survive in peace, and she did a lot of things to enjoy herself while suffering. But as she stayed for a long time, her enthusiasm, agitation and restlessness all accumulated, and she seemed to be a different person.
She was born with a pampered status, and as soon as she reached the age of Ji, she was married to the crown prince by the first emperor, who is now Emperor Chongjian. explain.
But with such a noble status, she still entered the limbo.
Tang Zhuozhuo didn't know what he remembered, he lifted a strand of long hair by his ear, and smiled a little shyly: "I don't know how he is doing."
This long exclamation carried some different emotions, but An Xia lowered his eyes and pursed his lips.
She naturally knew who Tang Zhuozhuo was talking about. It was because of the little general of the Wang family that the empress had a quarrel with His Majesty and was sent to the cold palace.
The most hateful thing is that this General Wang clearly knows what the empress is thinking, and he wants to tease her in every possible way. He is obviously a relative, and he still wants to mislead the empress to do stupid things. It is really hateful.
No wonder he was dispatched by His Majesty to guard the tomb in a remote area, he deserved it!
At night, the torrential rain came, and the quilt covering Tang Zhuozhao's body was damp and thin, and the raindrops fell on Tang Zhuozhao's face and hair.
Leaky rain in the cold palace, she has suffered these crimes more than once, and there is no other way but to suffer.
It's just that this time, she couldn't hold on anymore, Tang Zhuozhao felt a fishy sweetness in her throat, moved her fingers slightly, but couldn't make a sound, and her eyes gradually darkened.
==
In the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chongjian had just stopped writing. The censer in the palace was scented with wood rosin from the Western Regions. Ask: "Is it raining outside?"
The Imperial Chief Steward has been with him for so many years, and he is very good at reading his face, so he replied in a low voice at this moment.
Emperor Chongjin's knuckle-boned fingers lightly pressed his temples, and Zhang Desheng hurriedly tiptoed over to squeeze his shoulders. Seeing the tiredness between his cold brows, he tentatively asked: "Your Majesty is worried about your empress?"
Emperor Chongjin's slender fingers stopped, and the ice in his voice was more piercing than the rain outside: "You are getting more and more courageous now."
Zhang Desheng's breathing was stagnant, he slapped his mouth, and lowered his head, not daring to speak again.
His majesty's already tough temper would turn into rage when he mentioned the one in the cold palace again, no matter how good he was, it was unthinkable.
Looking at the pouring rain outside, Zhang Desheng thought that he would ask the servants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send some things over later. After all, this empress still occupies the position of the lord of the middle palace, although she has already entered the cold palace.
After His Majesty didn't decree to abolish, that is still the most honorable master and empress.
Zhang Desheng had been serving Emperor Chongjian since he was a child, but now he couldn't understand the emperor's mind more and more.
If His Majesty still missed that person, he would refuse to admit it anyway. If he said that he had no affection at all, he would rather go to sit on the wall courtyard of the Leng Palace overnight after night.
But when he thought about it, that person in the cold palace was so full of thoughts on the outsider, he couldn't help but keep silent.
At this moment, some sounds came from outside, occasionally mixed with whimpering.
Emperor Chongjian suddenly opened his eyes, and a wave of irritability welled up in his heart, "Go and have a look outside."
Zhang Desheng naturally sensed the impatience in his words, and went to the outer hall with a wave of his whisk.
"What's going on? You dare to make noise in front of the emperor, why don't you kill me?"
He reprimanded in a shrill voice, and the two who had been arguing stopped before.
One is Su'er, the maid of honor next to Concubine Zhong of Yili Palace, and she was holding a food box in her hand. Zhang Desheng took a look and understood in his heart that he was ordered to deliver snacks to His Majesty.
The other one was wearing very simple clothes, a thin coat was drenched by the rain, and water was still dripping from his hair. It's An Xia.
Su'er glanced at An Xia with disdain, then quickly put on a smiling face, "Director Zhang, Madam asked me to bring some homemade dim sum to His Majesty."
Zhang Desheng gave a look, and the little father-in-law behind him took it. He smiled meaningfully: "The miscellaneous family will be handed over to His Majesty."
Su'er came back with an umbrella.
Li Desheng sighed, helped up An Xia who was kneeling and said, "The Yili Palace has such a temper, what did your mother order you to come here?"
His attitude towards An Xia is pretty good, after all, they are all old people who came out of the prince's mansion, and Tang Zhuozhuo was so kind to him before, so he has to give this face no matter what.
Seeing that An Xia pursed his lips and remained silent, Zhang Desheng had no choice but to stand up and said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to enter this palace today. If your empress has anything to say, I can tell His Majesty to listen to it."
An Xia's voice was so low that it could even blend into the sound of the rain outside.
"The empress is gone." She struggled to speak, tears kept streaming, "It was raining in the room just now, I held the lamp and wanted to go see the empress, only to find out..."
Zhang Desheng's finely lined face trembled, he could barely hold the whisk in his hand, he didn't care about anything, grabbed An Xia and knelt down in the hall.
Emperor Chongjian seemed to have sensed it, and his eagle-like eyes fell on An Xia, and a sense of uneasiness suddenly arose in his cold heart.
==
When Tang Zhuozhao was conscious again, she could only watch herself floating above her dead body. Lying on the hard plank bed, her complexion was as pale as a female ghost, and her lips began to turn purple, not to mention the blood stains on the bed. Some can't stand it.
Is this... Is my soul out of my body
Tang Zhuozhuo looked at himself who was completely lifeless, with some sadness in his eyes.
Women in the cold palace, even if they still retain the title of queen, they are mostly buried hastily.
Just as she was thinking this way, a bright yellow figure entered the dilapidated house like the wind, and saw her lying silently on the bed, followed by An Xia, Zhang Desheng and others who were stumbling around.
Tang Zhuozhuo opened his eyes wide, he never thought that Emperor Chongjian would come to a place like Lenggong.
I haven't seen him for three years. Emperor Chongjin still has the stern look in his memory, but his eyes are a little red, and his powerful palms are clenched into fists.
The bright yellow dragon robe was stained with salty rain and became a little wrinkled. Tang Zhuozhuo followed behind him involuntarily, unable to control his movements.
A large group of people knelt inside and outside the house, and even some well-informed concubines came and knelt in the rain outside, with mournful expressions, but Tang Zhuozhuo didn't feel the slightest fluctuation when he heard it.
Watching helplessly as Emperor Chongjian wiped his cold body clean, even the black blood stains on the corners of his mouth were not spared, his expression was obviously so scary, but his actions were as if he was treating a treasure in the world.
Tang Zhuozhao felt a lump in his throat.
"I sent Wang Yi to guard the tomb. He got married three years ago. You still don't believe me."
This was the first sentence Tang Zhuozhuo heard Emperor Chong Jian said. These words were like a gust of wind, blowing away the luck at the bottom of her heart. She felt extremely cold all over her body, which was clearly nothingness.
"I have been waiting for you to come back, but who knows that you would rather die in the cold palace even if you die."
The man's deep voice was mixed with a rare fragility, and it seemed to carry some kind of inexplicable indulgence.
Tang Zhuozhao had never seen Emperor Chongjian like this. He had always been a decisive king. Except for his indifference and fury, she had never seen his other expressions. Now that she saw him, it was such a scene.
Her soul wandered for a month, to the desolate concubine mausoleum in Jiangyuan, where she saw Wang Yi secretly cursing her, and also saw the dozen or so aunts in his backyard.
It took only a few days for her to fully understand from the ashes of her heart, and the fantasy that had not been smoothed out by the three years of miserable life in the cold palace was frustrated by life and death. Looking back, she herself found it ridiculous.
Tang Zhuozhao returned to the palace again, drifted into the Qianqing Palace, watched the man she had never cared about secretly decadent, saw the scroll of portraits he drew, and heard the extremely unsteady Jiao Jiao in his dream.
That's right, before they had a falling out, he liked to call her Jiaojiao with a hoarse voice when it came to the bed.
She became weaker and weaker, and could no longer go to other places. She just watched Emperor Chongjin in Qianqing Palace every day. When he was approving memorials, he went up to have a look. Understand government affairs.
On the last day, Tang Zhuozhao's body was almost transparent, and she finally felt a little regretful, and probably understood why she encountered such bizarre things as her soul leaving her body.
Maybe God couldn't bear to see her, her life was extremely glorious, but in the end she didn't know people clearly, and she was extremely desolate.
In the evening of that day, Emperor Chong Jian, who had lost a lot of weight, put his hands behind his back, looked at the flat portrait on the desk, and restrained all the coldness in his body.
Tang Zhuozhuo drifted to his side and smelled a refreshing scent of mint. Emperor Chongjian caressed the person on the portrait, and finally said, "Jiaojiao, I will be buried with you in a hundred years, okay?"
"I don't know if you will lose your temper again."
The man's helpless voice reached Tang Zhuozhuo's ears. She stretched out her hand and scratched his warm palm with all her strength, and her vision completely dimmed immediately.