He had a persistent high fever and was ill for several days, groggy, waking up and dreaming from time to time. In his dream, it seemed as if the ground was covered with clear frost, and the cold moon was like a hook. Under the moonlight, I saw her white clothes better than snow, her long hair draped over her shoulders, like black jade, twirling and falling down to her feet. There is mist curling up from the stream...Suddenly I dreamed again when I was very young, in very cold weather, my fourth brother taught him calligraphy, wrote a stroke, and caressed his hands...but the palace was like an ice cave...It was so cold that he shivered all over …
He woke up from the chaotic dream, and Duo Shun said something, but he didn't hear clearly, because his whole body was hot, he was groggy and fell asleep again.
Someone called his name from far away, Dingluan... Dingluan...as if it was his father...but his father had never called his name so gently...it must be the fourth brother. Only he hides and does not want to see anyone, the fourth brother always sends people to look for him everywhere, he refuses to answer, but the voice is persistent: Dingluan... He finally woke up again, opened his eyes in extreme fatigue Come, a lamp in the room is like a bean, the flames are fluttering, and the cold rain outside the window is like autumn cold. Barely opened his eyes wide, but seeing a very familiar face under the hazy halo, he was shocked: "Fourth brother!"
The emperor came in a modest suit, and only Zhao Youzhi was standing behind him. Seeing him wake up, the emperor stretched out his hand to hold him down, and said softly, "Lie down, don't move." He struggled to get up, and the emperor exerted a little strength on his hand: "Old Seven!"
In fact, he was extremely tired, but was stopped by the emperor after exhausting his strength. He slumped back on the pillow: "Fourth brother... why are you here..."
"I'm really worried, so let's take a look." The emperor smiled calmly, his eyebrows were calm and gentle, as if he was still the young brother who tried his best to protect him ten years ago, "Why are you so sick?"
There was a patter outside the window, like the wind blowing bamboo leaves, Prince Yu murmured: "It's raining..."
"It's raining, and it's cold at night..." The emperor tucked up the quilt for him, and said softly, "Your illness is caused by exhaustion. If you rest for a few days, you will recover."
Prince Yu's heart trembled, and he called out: "Fourth brother."
The emperor shook his hand and asked, "What?"
He hesitated to speak, but finally said: "Ding Zhan has a lot of ambition, fourth brother must be careful about everything."
"I know." The corner of the emperor's mouth rose slightly, showing a sneer, "He gave half of the country to the Hulu, and he also wanted to plot rebellion."
"Qi Erwu's nature is cruel and cunning, with iron cavalry, and the celestial dynasty has fought many times and can't win." Prince Yu took a breath, "Ding Zhan is probably trying to lure wolves into the house, Hong and Yan Zhou are more important."
Guarding the Hong and Yan prefectures is the general Hua Lin of Dingguo, who has been depressed for a long time because of Concubine Hua. Although the emperor comforted him in many ways, the old general Hua still seemed determined, and he handed over a note to resign after a while. Returning to the field, the emperor felt a headache when he thought about it, but right now he only comforted Prince Yu and said: "Although Hua Lin is getting old, he is not a fool. It doesn't matter, you just need to rest in peace and recuperate."
Prince Yu's fever had not subsided, and his mind and mind were exhausted to the extreme. He struggled to talk to the emperor, and after a while, he finally fell asleep again. The emperor came here in modest clothes, except for the internal officials, he only brought the guards in brocade clothes from the imperial camp, but seeing the rain in the deep night, the autumn wind and autumn rain, the cold air invaded the people, and the sound of the rain hitting the bamboo forest added to the sense of bleakness , but had to stay in the temple overnight.
Fortunately, the Great Buddha Temple has always been a place for the royal family to pay respects to the Buddha, and there are quite a few clean monks' houses and meditation rooms. Master Zhiguang ordered someone to clean them up early. Zhao Youzhi supervised the little eunuch to sweep the inside and outside of the bed again, and cleaned it up. Fang personally waited on the emperor to change his clothes. . Zhao Youzhi knew that he was worried about Prince Yu's condition, so he didn't dare to talk too much to persuade him, he just turned on the light, and said: "It's almost four o'clock, Lord Long Live, let's arrange it first."
The emperor hummed, and heard the sound of wind and rain outside the window, and there were rustling sounds in the bamboo forest, as if waves were surging.
He didn't sleep well, he woke up very early in the morning, the rain fell in the middle of the night, and it was still dribs and drabs at dawn. He was concerned about Prince Yu's illness in his heart, so he sent someone to ask after he got up, and he replied that Prince Yu hadn't woken up yet. The emperor couldn't help worrying, so Zhao Youzhi persuaded him: "Long Live Lord, I'd better drive back to Shangyuan. It's very inconvenient to live in this temple, and the disease is rampant in Beijing, and the emperor came here in low clothes. Qi Ye will only feel uneasy."
The emperor looked at the rain outside the window and said, "I'm going out for a walk."
Zhao Youzhi had no choice but to call the little eunuch to get the green oil umbrella, hold it up by himself, and followed the emperor step by step. The emperor seemed to be walking at random, heading south along the Manshiyong Road, turning around a bamboo forest, and saw an old pagoda of blue bricks from a distance. The leaves of the maple tree are so red that they are about to burn.
The emperor stood there with his hands behind his back, staring at the red leaves under the shadow of the tower, wondering what he was thinking, and stood there for a long time. Zhao Youzhi didn't dare to move, but the arm holding the umbrella was sore and painful, and he didn't dare to make a sound. When he was helpless, he suddenly saw a person turning from the other side of the bamboo forest, and he couldn't help being shocked. The emperor also seemed to be aware of it, and turned around, and saw the man in plain clothes and black servant girl, holding a small bamboo basket filled with yellow chrysanthemums, gradually approaching, with slow lotus steps, and his appearance was astonishing. It was colder than the chrysanthemum, and the emperor suddenly felt a little dazzled.
Seeing the emperor standing there, looking back at him, she suddenly smiled and dimpled. She didn't carry the fan, so she pulled the chrysanthemum cover, looked sweetly, and then bowed her head forward again. Surprised and suspicious, the emperor blurted out, "Wait a minute."
She looked at him with dark eyes, full of doubts. The emperor finally called out: "Ru Shuang." She frowned slightly, and it took a while before she smiled shyly. The emperor's heart was shocked, but her smile was gentle, her plain clothes were slightly wet, and she looked thinner and thinner, but her expression was serene and calm. , as if I saw it somewhere a long time ago. He thought in a trance, could it be her? No, it won't be her, it can't be her. It's just that I can't think too much, and I don't want to think too much.
He raised his eyes and saw the two red leaves behind the pagoda, and finally murmured in a low voice: "It's hard to know how to hate yourself forever."
She recited the next sentence casually: "When will the branches and leaves be together, and the wind and rain will be shared."
These two sentences come from the "Tiye Collection" written by Emperor Xianshengwu. More than ten years ago, when the emperor was still a prince, the young man was curious, and he had secretly read this collection of lyrics without telling the Taifu. Today, when he suddenly heard her recite it casually, his heart was shaken. she.
And she seemed to be unknown, with a faint smile on her lips: "It is said that these two maple trees were hand-planted by Emperor Shengwu, and the mid-autumn scenery in Beijing, this tree is the first tree every year."
He asked, "Who the hell are you—who the hell are you?"
She gave a soft "hmm" but didn't answer.
Zhao Youzhi's palms were already clenched in cold sweat, but now he only felt a chill down his back, and it turned out that even his underwear was already drenched in sweat. Rushuang seemed to be ignorant, the emperor saw her standing in the rain, the drizzle wet her temples, and her slender fingers brushed the crow temples, raised her eyes, and smiled again.
The emperor couldn't help smiling, took the umbrella in Zhao Youzhi's hand, waved to her, and said, "Come, follow me to break the red leaves." Rushuang readily agreed, Zhao Youzhi stopped talking, but saw the emperor waved his hand not to let him follow , I had no choice but to stand where I was, watching the emperor hold the umbrella in person, and Rushuang accompanied him, and the two walked side by side.
The leaves of the two maple trees at the back of the pagoda are so red that they seem to be on fire, like frost. This is a daughter's dress, dressed in moon white clothes, standing under the red leaves, she looks even more graceful. She folded a red leaf on her back In his hand, the blood-red leaves clustered on the side of his face, making his cheeks faintly pale like jade. The emperor said: "I have never seen you wearing such clothes."
The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, as if she was smiling, the emperor saw a fresh wound on her forehead, with a faint red mark, thinking of Prince Yu's memorial, his heart felt a little moved. Rushuang suddenly turned away, sighed softly, and the emperor didn't ask any questions. After a long time, staring at the red leaves in the drizzle, he said: "So you have read "Title Leaf Collection"."
She lowered her head and caressed the red leaves in her hands, her long eyelashes were closed, trembling like butterfly wings, her voice was low, as if she was sighing: "I haven't finished reading."
He suddenly asked: "Do you know why this collection of words is called "Tiye Collection"?"
The rain fell on the leaves, which were as condensed as dew. She wiped off the water drops on the red leaves, raised her head and smiled slightly: "Emperor Xiansheng Wudi inscribed the leaf as a poem, which is "Inscribed Leaf Collection"."
The emperor looked at her, as if he had never seen her before, the corners of his mouth were slightly pursed, and there was nothing to see in that expression, he just looked at her, and after a while, he turned his face away, and said slowly: "This red leaf —If it’s on the red leaves, it’s really an elegant thing.”
Rushuang gave a soft "hmm" and said, "The woman's surname is Ye."
This has been a taboo in the palace for decades. When the emperor heard her mention it suddenly, he could only hear the sound of the rain, which was getting heavier and heavier. Hate family feud, always tell her how to deal with herself. Even if the two hearts agree with each other, the love is as deep as the sea, but in the end, they just cut off their robes and break their righteousness, and leave regardless." Half of her body was outside the umbrella, her shoulders were already wet, the emperor He couldn't help reaching out to hold her hand, making her come closer to him, only feeling her palm slightly cool.
The emperor's tone was like a sigh: "Recalling the sun in Xijue Mountain in the past, the bamboo is as deep as the sea, and the leaves and leaves are affectionate, so I know it is like a dream." Under the umbrella, looking at the two red leaves, I was speechless for a while.
Both of them knew that Ye Shi killed himself in the end, and Emperor Xiansheng Wu had been in power for more than 20 years, and he had never set foot in the Great Buddha Temple. When he became seriously ill in his later years, Fang ordered people to build this pagoda in the temple, and then he was lucky enough to visit the Dafo Temple and planted two maple trees on the side of the pagoda.
Every autumn, these two maple trees are always the first to turn red autumn leaves, igniting the autumn colors of Xichangjing. Therefore, the leaves of the second tree are red and darker, and they are more colorful than the other maples, so they are also called blood maples.
"This was originally the place where Mrs. Ye committed suicide. It is said in the palace that the maple tree got bloody, so it is so red." The emperor looked up at the copper bell at the corner of the tower, tinkling in the wind: "I will build a tower for this purpose." Tower, what's the use?" Looking back at Rushuang looking at her with star-like eyes, her interest suddenly faded, "I don't need to say such disappointing things."
The rain was slightly cold, occasionally being blown on the face by the wind, Rushuang just looked at him, there was no sorrow or sorrow in her eyes, and there was no joy or anger in her eyes, she just looked at him, just looked at him like that. He remembered that thunderstorm night, the lightning seemed to tear the sky apart again and again, and the roaring thunder split the endless darkness. He stood alone on the tower. So, it turned out to be so. But the world is like chess, with ups and downs, who knows that it is destined to be like this in the dark. He just felt tired, and a deep tiredness rose from the bottom of his heart. He said lightly, "Come back to the palace with me. Whether you really forgot or not, I hope you will stay by my side."
Rushuang still didn't speak, her eyes were like water, flowing with light and shadow, she turned her head to look at the red leaves, in the drizzle, like two torches, igniting people's sight.
Rushuang seems to have really forgotten all the past, after returning to Shangyuan, she doesn't remember everyone and everything, and her temperament is not as unruly as before, but has become much gentler. Although Zhao Youzhi was worried, the emperor seemed to have calmed down, and he did not resume his title as Rushuang's concubine. She went in and out of the Zhengqing Palace every day, not like a concubine, but like a female official, the people in the palace were embarrassed to address her, so they had to call her "Miss Mu", and gradually called her away, and called her "Muniang". Although the emperor did not treat her with the same unreasonable love as before, she was also very different from the people in the harem, and she was always by his side.
"If Mistress Zhaoyi doesn't care about it, seeing that evildoer is about to harm the harem again, Mistress didn't know that in the past, the Mu family set up poisonous schemes to drive Concubine Hua to death, Concubine Han crazy, and Concubine Qing to death, and then dominated the six palaces and closed the palace. Among them, who doesn't know her heart of snake and scorpion?" The person who spoke gradually leaned over and whispered in a whisper: "If you don't take advantage of her precarious foothold and wipe it out in one fell swoop, there will be endless troubles."
Zhaoyi Wu is half leaning on the smoked cage, her long black jade-like hair is tied low into a pony bun, with twelve staggered gold carvings twisted horizontally, and the fine gold tassels are shaking rustlingly, and there are fine pieces of hair. Golden ripples. Hearing that people said it was so precarious, she just stretched out her hand, half covered her cherry lips with green fingers and yawned, with a lazy expression: "What else?"
"Anything else?" The speaker seemed a little surprised, hesitantly said, "Ma'am, she is a monster."
"Monster?" Zhuxia smiled, "I've heard people say that people in this palace also call me a monster."
The speaker's face was pale, and he barely called out: "Your Majesty..."
Zhuxia's cherry lips parted slightly, and she casually called out: "Come here!"
Two internal officials came in at the sound, and she pointed at her casually: "This person is sowing discord, I can't keep it, drag him out." The two internal officials came up and tried to fight him, and the man shouted anxiously: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please forgive me... Niang Niang..." was finally dragged out, and immediately seemed to be gagged by something, and without a sound, the hall became quiet in an instant, only the gold-burning beast exhaled wisps of pale smoke, Zhuxia stretched out her finger, and slowly stroked the The hanging ring on the incense burner has delicate and exquisite patterns, and the tentacles are slightly cool.
After losing her mind for a while, she called again: "Hui'er, wait for the change."
Hui'er helped her up, and smiled apologetically, "Your Majesty, do you want to go for a walk in the garden?"
"Let's go and see Mu Niang."
Hui'er said: "Your Majesty, the prince has orders, so don't act rashly."
Zhuxia said: "I have my own measure."
Rushuang is a disused concubine, so she has not been re-registered, so the place she lives in is just a verandah room. Although it is tidied up, the room is only a couch, and as soon as Zhuxia enters the door, she sees Rushuang sitting under the window embroidering. A stretch frame was placed under the window, so there wasn't much room left in the room, when she heard footsteps, she looked back and saw that Zhuixia was helping Hui'er in, Rushuang didn't get up, she turned her head and continued to embroider.
Zhuxia sees that she embroiders plum blossoms, dark plums, white satin base and black silk thread, black and white are distinct, like an ink painting, with a few branches slanting, and a cold moon is scattered above, and the moon is also light ink, like a painting. The needle technique is extremely dexterous, in fact, the daughters of the aristocratic families in Beijing are good at embroidery, and the daughter of the Mu family is naturally not inferior to others. Rushuang embroidered with her head down, Zhuxia sat down on the couch, with a slight signal, Huier closed the door and went to guard the courtyard door.
The room was extremely quiet, you could almost hear the sound of the needle piercing through the satin, after a while, Zhuxia finally smiled: "Muniang is really skillful, I can't blame the emperor for liking it."
Rushuang smiled slightly: "Zhaoyi is the most famous person in the harem, and the emperor certainly likes Wu Zhaoyi more."
Zhuxia said: "Forget it, there is no one else here, you and I can't be separated to such a degree, right?"
Rushuang, as if she had never heard of it, lowered her head and continued to embroider.
"It was indeed the prince who ordered me to frame you and Prince Jing, but it was because Prince Jing was the emperor's younger brother. If there was no such thing, he would not be able to touch him. You should know it in your heart, and you can't blame the prince. Besides, you are not so good now. The land is here, the emperor treats you, and there is no dissatisfaction."
The stamen is too thin, the needle is even thinner, one thread is split into four parts, if it is pulled too hard, it will be broken, Rushuang is holding the needle, her mouth is slightly pursed, she concentrates on pulling out the thread very lightly and slowly.
"My lord wants me to pass a message. If you don't change your mind, my lord will naturally help you wholeheartedly as before."
Rushuang finally raised her head, and said lightly, "I haven't seen you in months, Lady Zhaoyi is really impressive." Her eyes were extremely black, the so-called water-shearing eyes, reflecting Zhuxia's gorgeous brocade robe, in the waves of light on the black background It seemed that a touch of black gold was added, and his eyes were slightly gazing: "I don't hate the prince, and I don't hate you."
Zhuxia smiled: "I knew you knew it in your heart."
"The emperor is actually the smartest one. To save energy, he often kills people with a knife." Rushuang lowered her head to embroider, her expression calm and focused, as if she was sitting in her boudoir at ease, "Although the prince has military power in his hands, he still needs to be on guard." One wrong step, one wrong step, don’t act rashly.”
In Zhuxia's hand, a handkerchief woven with the spring colors of golden begonias was twisted tightly on her fingertips: "The big event has been arranged, and nothing will go wrong."
Rushuang looked at the plum blossom that had just been embroidered, and breathed lightly, as if it was not embroidered, but painted, the ink color on the satin was like a cloud of smoke, and there was a slight smile in her eyes: " There is nothing infallible in this world, and besides, does the empress really have the heart now?"
Zhuixia took a little breath, before she could say anything, she suddenly heard Huier's voice coughing twice, knowing that someone was coming, she stopped making a sound, only heard the sound of footsteps, gradually approaching, she called out "Hui'er" didn't hear anyone's answer, she opened the door and saw that the emperor was surrounded by the inner officials, she had already walked into the courtyard, she didn't have time to think about it, so she bowed gracefully, smiling coquettishly: "Your Majesty. "
She hadn't seen the emperor for several days, but the emperor's face was still kind, he motioned to help her up, and asked, "Why are you here?"
"The concubine came to see Mu Niang, she lives here alone, I'm afraid she lacks care."
The emperor smiled and said, "You are very considerate." Turning to Rushuang, "You are actually hiding in the house embroidering, I am just joking, such a troublesome thing, the weather is so cold, and you are not in good health. Get sick again."
Rushuang showed a smile: "The concubine agreed to the emperor, besides there is nothing left and right, embroidering it is also a waste of time."
Zhuxia said: "The concubine has never seen this embroidery method before, I don't want Mu Niang to have such a handicraft, in the future the concubine should learn more from Mu Niang."
Seeing her two standing side by side, the emperor couldn't help smiling when he saw her two people standing side by side, smiling under the window, with beautiful faces, like twins.