Back on the boat at night, Su Qingchen had a dream. In the dream, he returned to his childhood. His childhood memories were hazy. Once he really felt the past.
His father is a child of the Su family in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou. He won the second place at the age of twenty. At the age of thirty-six, he was tired of being an official and served as an envoy to the right. , no matter whether he was famous in the court or among the people, it is a pity that it was all shattered at the age of forty...
Su Qingchen still remembered that it was very difficult for him to come here. His mother, Li Shi, only had it at the age of thirty-two. The three elder sisters above him loved him like a treasure. Play around the neck.
It was also winter that year, my father took his family back home to visit relatives, and arrived here in Qingzhou on an official boat..., docked on the shore, the narrow road on the shore was brightly lit, his father led him, and his mother and sister stood together, dimly lit , the voices were boiling, my father bought a stick of steamed buns and stuffed them into his hands. The steamed buns were warm, and with the smell of food, a puff of heat rose up in the winter, making my father's majestic face and mother's gentle smile, My sister's innocent expression became hazy.
If only time could stop at that moment.
When Su Qingchen woke up, he felt his face was wet, and when he reached out to touch it, his hands were covered with tears... His heart was empty, as if he had lost his soul.
The moon hangs high in the sky, and the air is filled with moist air, which seems to be able to cool down to the bones, making people tremble uncontrollably.
When Su Qingchen came out wearing a cloak, he happened to see Zhao Jinyu who was leaning on the railing on the plywood. As he got closer, he realized that he was holding his breath for fear of disturbing the other party.
"Girl Jin." The nickname that Su Qingchen deliberately called in order to get close to her in normal times, now brings out her full sincerity.
Zhao Jinyu didn't expect to meet Su Qingchen in the middle of the night, and said rather unexpectedly, "Uncle Su, why haven't you slept yet?"
Su Qingchen suddenly felt that the name of this uncle was a bit unpleasant, =. =, is he that old? Still very young, isn't it
"Just woke up, how about you?"
Zhao Jinyu glanced back at Su Qingchen, then turned her head, and said to the mountains shrouded in darkness opposite the river bank far away from the car, "I haven't slept." There was a bit of hesitation when she said this, but she recovered quickly Resolute, "Uncle Su, Aunt Chen and I are going to change boats here."
"Why?"
Zhao Jinyu didn't know how to tell Su Qingchen that Aunt Chen's face turned pale when she saw the two people hugging each other. After returning, she kept telling her how important a woman's reputation is. Fortunately, she was outside and didn't shout. Acquaintances saw it, otherwise they didn't know what to pass on. Zhao Jinyu naturally explained the reason, but she still couldn't reassure Chen Rong... After getting acquainted with Chen Rong, Zhao Jinyu knew that she had a child when she was young, and it was also a baby girl. Not being raised by her side has always been a heart problem for her. This time, the extraordinary concern for Zhao Jinyu also unconsciously superimposes the two of them.
"Miss Zhao, you don't understand how difficult it is for women in this world." Chen Rong sighed heavily, "It's not that I think there is something between you and Mrs. Su, it's just that people in the world can open your mouth and spit on you. Drowning, what's more, Miss Zhao's family matters are not settled... Although Mrs. Su has never been married, she will definitely not marry you at this time."
Zhao Jinyu couldn't deny that Chen Rong was right.
In fact, Zhao Jinyu also wanted to separate from Su Qingchen, but what made her make up her mind was not that Chen Rong was worried about the problem, but that every port would stop for a day, and her letter would not be delivered until the year of the monkey! She was seasick before and insisted on not getting off the ship, mainly because the ship transport was much faster than the land transport, and she could send the letter earlier, but Su Qingchen's plan was disrupted.
When she thought of her adoptive father still staying in the damp and cold cell, she felt anxious.
"It's nothing, I just dare not delay your official duties, Uncle Su."
Although Su Qingchen was puzzled for a moment, he soon regained his senses. He had heard Zhao Jinyu ask more than once, why did she have to stop for so long? Could it be that she was in a hurry
If he can come here, he will naturally find out everything. He knows that Zhao Jinyu went to the prison of the Criminal Ministry to meet his adoptive father Zhao Changchun before going out, and the bodyguard next to Zhao Jinyu is the famous head of Xingtian Bodyguard Bureau. The bodyguard master, who is young but possesses great skills, has seldom played bodyguards in recent years, but this time he took the initiative to follow Zhao Jinyu... All this is unusual.
Thinking of the case Zhao Changchun was implicated in, he frowned again, thinking... Could this be Zhao Changchun looking for a way out for himself
Su Qingchen's eyes stayed on the stone on Zhao Jinyu's neck again, and couldn't help but slander, why did this stone happen to be on her body
The emperor's decree seemed to be still in his ears, "The errand I asked you to do today is a bit unusual. It is to protect a stone. The stone has intelligence and is a very important thing. You treat it as you would me. Do your best, it is just born, it is curious about the world, you have to take it to see more, exquisite food, play things are not to be left behind, as for Miss Zhao, naturally you must do your best to help, don't neglect." Then He also asked Ruifu to bring a brocade box with two jade snow pills lying in it, and said, "Then Miss Zhao is not feeling well on the boat for the first time, so you can take your two pills and give them to her."
At that time, although Su Qingchen was calm on the face, he was extremely shocked in his heart, not to mention the first time he heard that a stone had spiritual wisdom, which was unheard of and very strange, and said that this Yuxue pill was very rare even in the palace. Precious, because the medicinal materials are hard to find, at most ten pills a year, one pill has been copied outside, even if it is so, there is no market, who knows that the emperor will take it out so easily for an ordinary woman, if the woman is seriously ill , urgently need help, but the illness is nothing more than seasickness! How can it not be surprising? This kind of grace is a bit too grand.
As a subject, you always have to figure out the thoughts of the superior, so that it will last for a long time. He guessed that the stone was the one the emperor asked them to look for last time... But why he found it but didn't bring it back, he naturally didn't want to ask, etc. After getting along with each other for the past few days, he guessed roughly, guessed that the stone needs to be kept outside and cannot be kept at home, but Zhao Jinyu has a very important connection with the stone, so she let her carry it.
Who knows, he tried his best, but he was provoked by Zhao Jin, and his mood changed a little bit. The stone, the emperor's will, Zhao Changchun's case, his adopted daughter Zhao Jinyu, and the purpose of going south, Now that I think about it, all these things are twisted together, and some of them don't make sense.
It's just something that can't be sorted out, as long as you give him time, you can always see the clues, right
Su Qingchen thought of her current situation again, and felt more and more pity. Su Qingchen was used to the warmth and coldness of people since childhood, and was extremely indifferent to people, but today he felt that his mood was soft and unbelievable, and said, "If it is for getting to Hangzhou as soon as possible, I would rather I can help you." Anyway, the emperor said that he should take care of her as much as possible, right
Zhao Jinyu was taken aback, "..."
Su Qingchen smiled loudly, his eyebrows were soft, and he was extremely handsome, and said, "Tomorrow, I will change to an official ship, and I will not stop all the way, so as to make up for the time lost in the past few days. What do you think?"
There was a thump in her heart... Why did she feel that Su Qingchen's eyes were discharging? Such a handsome mature man has the charm accumulated over time. If he turns on the horsepower, he really has no resistance at all. How did she tell Chen Rong before? ? Say she can resist
Zhao Jinyu's face was blushing, although she knew in her heart that it was impossible for the two of them to have anything, and she didn't like him, but as a normal woman, she would always be distracted by the other party's discharge and teasing.
At Su Qingchen's age, he has gone through a lot of things. To be able to get to the current position, he has made a lot of hard work that ordinary people can't see. It is normal for Zhao Jinyu to feel this way among the dragons and phoenixes who come out of the big waves. .
There was an ambiguous atmosphere in the air, and Zhao Jinyu always felt that Su Qingchen's last sentence was too gentle, as gentle as a lover's whisper.
At this moment, Zhao Jinyu felt a pain in her neck. It turned out that the stone was jumping up unhappily, pulling the red rope hard, and she almost cried due to the pain.
Although Su Qingchen knew that the stone was not simple, he was still surprised to see it move so much, and stared at the stone in amazement.
Zhao Jinyu was taken aback, because she was afraid of being discovered, Shishi was rarely so excited in front of outsiders, she quickly held the stone and said, "It's getting late, I'm going back."
Back in the house, Zhao Jinyu asked in surprise, "Little thing, what are you doing?"
The emperor squinted at Zhao Jinyu and felt that his heart was very stuffy. Zhao Jinyu's blushing image kept reappearing in his mind, stimulating his heart over and over again, making it difficult for him to maintain his rationality, and said, "You are so stupid There is no cure. For a person like Su Qingchen, even if he is not married, he has countless concubines at home, let alone a frequent visitor to a brothel. He knows women best. It is not easy to coax a woman raised in a boudoir? But a few words Are you moved by sweet words?"
Zhao Jinyu was dumbfounded, shy and angry, and said, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm just afraid that you, a stupid woman, will be cheated." Shitou said harsh words that hurt people invisible, "You really should take a mirror to look at yourself, so that you don't often forget how much you have."
Zhao Jinyu's chest heaved and fell, and her eyes were red, as if she was about to shed tears.
***
The emperor in the Wuling Hall stared at the sumptuous breakfast for a long time in the morning, but he didn't eat a bite, so he was evacuated, and sat on the kang under the window with a gloomy face, as if he was very depressed.
Ruifu couldn't help being surprised, the emperor was in a very good mood these past few days, last time he asked him if the injury from the plank still hurt? If it hurts, he needs to rest for two days, which makes him flattered. He only thinks that the sun is coming out from the west. Why is His Majesty the Emperor suddenly so reasonable? Who knows that something is wrong this morning, and it seems to have recovered a little bit before. temperament.
This appearance only made Ruifu sigh, thinking to himself, when will it be the end
The first emperor has gone, and so has the eldest prince, but the queen mother is half dead, but she is already a useless person, all the past has disappeared, and your majesty should also look forward.
After the morning court, Ruifu served lunch early. There was not a drop of water in the morning. Stewed bacon with potatoes, steamed buns, mung bean noodles, sheep intestines... Today I added a candied haws, =. =
Ruifu didn't know how the emperor knew these many folk dishes. Anyway, the cooks in the imperial dining room were exhausted. In order to make authentic tastes, they urgently recruited several cooks from outside the palace to make local dishes. The dog jump can be regarded as well managed in the imperial dining room.
Because the candied haws were specially ordered by the emperor, Ruifu put the candied haws in the place closest to the emperor.
Sure enough, the emperor seemed to have a special liking for candied haws. He waved his hand to let the maids who served the meal back down. He held the candied haws with his own hands, stared at the orange petals on it for a long time, and then took a bite. Half of it was dropped on the plate again, making a clanging sound.
The maids and eunuchs who were serving at the side all knelt down in fright. Ruifu said with a low face, "Your Majesty, but this candied haws tastes bad? Do you want to punish the cook?"
The emperor looked gloomy and did not speak. Last night, the weather was cold and snow was everywhere, but the narrow road was full of people. Under the dim light, the girl was smiling like a flower, but she was not facing him..., feeling depressed for a while, He stood up again, looked at the window lattice in the distance, and still remembered that she was sitting under the window like this last night, and asked him tearfully, "Is this how I really make you look down on me? As long as a man treats me with a pleasant face In your eyes, is this what I am? Since you look down on me so much, you will live your life from now on, and I will go my way, let's go our separate ways."
The tears were crystal clear, rolling down his cheeks, as if they could scald his heart.
The emperor looked at the candied haws thrown on the plate again. The color of the syrup was round and transparent. Each orange was neat in size, and the white thread was carefully peeled off. The sticks were made of high-quality sandalwood, which can be described as luxurious. Extremely, but that's it, the taste is not as good as the candied haws in a string of five copper coins at the night market. At that time, the candied haws that Zhao Jinyu handed him were sweet and slightly sour. The syrup was not greasy and melted in the mouth.
"Remove." The emperor said impatiently.
Ruifu stood up, and asked unwillingly, "Your Majesty, you should use some. Your Majesty must take care of the dragon body."
Seeing Ruifu bent over with a worried face, the emperor unconsciously replaced it with another worried face, "Little thing, you eat so much, what if you can't get rid of it?"
Ruifu was still thinking about whether his boldness would offend the emperor, and he was a little frightened, but who knew that the emperor said, "Bring me food."
The stewed potatoes were soft and delicious. The emperor took a spoonful of potatoes, mixed them with rice, and ate them bite by bite.
Ruifu's jaw is about to drop... What is this way of eating? How did he know that the emperor watched Zhao Jinyu eat like this several times, so he just wanted to try it.
Although it was not as delicious as after it was turned into stone, the emperor still ate half a bowl of rice, which made Ruifu very satisfied. He looked at the emperor with joy in his eyes, even happier than he had eaten by himself.
The emperor couldn't help thinking that he actually wanted to make them happy... It was very simple, and he still remembered that every time he was obedient, Zhao Jinyu would show such a joyful look.
***
It snowed again in the afternoon, but in a short while the entire palace was covered in white snow again. This year, there was a lot of snow, and reports of snow disasters were reported from all over the country. The emperor will also commend rich households who donate voluntarily.
But for ordinary people, life is still very difficult. Lu Shi, the eldest grandmother of the Tao family, was driving all the way in a carriage. When she saw many beggars, Baoer, the maid who served her, said, "Grandma, this is all from Those who fled from Lincheng, hey, what a pity."
Mrs. Lu bowed her head and said nothing, while Bao'er on the side said, "They all said it was God's punishment. At the beginning, the first prince was kind and generous, and he was extraordinary, but he was..."
"Shut up!" Lu shouted, "Are you impatient?"
Bao'er served Lu Shi since she was a child. She has a lively and active temperament, is smart and quick-witted, and is very fond of Lu Shi, so she is extra arrogant and indulgent, so that she has no scruples about speaking in front of Lu Shi.
"Grandma, back then you had the eldest prince's favor. If it wasn't for..., why would you have married into the Tao family? Now even that aunt who came from a small family would show her face." Bao'er said unwillingly.
Seeing Bao'er mentioning the First Prince, Lu's eyes turned red, but she couldn't say a word.
When we arrived at the gate of the palace, Mrs. Guo, the Duke of Cheng, had long been waiting. This is a very beautiful woman, with jade snow skin, Emei peach cheeks, and a splendid temperament. Just looking at it will make people feel as beautiful as a painting. When she saw Mrs. Lu, she nodded in satisfaction and said, "Come with me."
However, Mrs. Lu hesitated, and said, "Is this really feasible?"
Guo raised her head lightly, and said with arrogance, "Your husband is in danger now, but you still want to live easily. It's really ridiculous."
Yan Shangshu's matter became more and more implicated as more investigations were carried out. Tao's husband was also implicated in the household department.
Mrs. Lu hesitated for a while and finally nodded, and said, "I'll go with you."
"That's it. At the beginning, you and I, as well as His Royal Highness the First Prince... His Majesty the Emperor grew up together. I don't believe that he can really be so ruthless?" Guo said through gritted teeth.
The two entered the palace. Originally, the emperor would not meet the female relatives, but Mrs. Cheng Guogong had a token on her body, which allowed her to face the saint directly, so the two of them were quickly led to the Wuling Palace.
After sitting for a while, they saw the emperor wearing a bright yellow dragon robe approaching surrounded by the crowd, and the two hurriedly bowed three times and bowed nine times, and said, "Long live my emperor, long live, long live."
The windows in the hall were all closed, and the light was dim, but it still couldn't stop the emperor's mountain-like handsome figure and luxurious and extraordinary temperament. Guo thought in a daze, he was as handsome as ever, no wonder he could Compared with the handsome and jade-like elder prince, he was called the most beautiful man in the Han Dynasty.
"Huiniang, I haven't seen you for a long time." The emperor just sat down and said to Cheng Guogong's wife, Mrs. Guo, in a lukewarm way. However, he can be regarded as a playmate of childhood sweethearts.
Guo didn't get up, but knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, if you really miss the old relationship, let go of my husband and Meizhen's husband."
The emperor didn't move, and said, "Cheng Guogong and Tao Yuanwailang are suspected of corruption. Even if I am the monarch, I can't ignore the laws of the country." If it disappeared, Guo Shi was very unwilling, and couldn't help shouting, "What did the eldest prince tell you back then?"
The emperor froze, looked back at Guo Shi, and saw tears in the corners of her eyes, the dim light did not weaken her beauty, on the contrary, she looked more and more charming, she is really beautiful, if the eldest prince is still alive, Guo Shi is the eldest princess concubine... , Speaking of it, he still wants to call his sister-in-law, but now things are different, and many things have become blurred.
Seeing the emperor stop, Mrs. Guo burst into hope, and said, "Your Majesty, you haven't forgotten, right? Otherwise, no one would have issued this token to me, I beg you." Mrs. Guo Finally she couldn't help crying, "My husband is really innocent." She knew that the so-called corruption case was just an excuse, and the emperor was just looking for a reason to eliminate those who had opposed him.
The emperor smiled, but he couldn't see it coldly, and said to Ruifu, "Take back that quick token."
Guo's heart is broken, her only hope is shattered, how can she be reconciled? Suddenly, infinite hatred welled up in my heart, and I said, "What on earth do you want? How do you want to revenge us? Isn't there enough dead people? Isn't it enough to relieve your hatred?"
"You have been tyrannical and cruel since you were young. Everyone is afraid of you, but His Highness the First Prince is different. He is gentle and refined, treats others like a spring breeze, and is an extraordinary person. Naturally, everyone likes him... When it comes to winning the championship, naturally I also hope for him, after all, he is the eldest son, no matter his character or background is much better than yours, why are you not reconciled?" Guo Shi said bitterly, thinking of the eldest prince's jade-like demeanor, he still felt heartbroken. .
The corner of the emperor's mouth was raised, revealing a sarcasm smile, but his eyes were as cold as ten thousand years of snow, and said, "You are right, I am so cruel, so what are you begging me for? It's more important to go back and prepare for the funeral."
When Mrs. Cheng Guogong heard this, she seemed to have been sucked out of her life. She immediately sat down on the ground, burst into tears, and said, "You tyrant! You will have to die! You even the eldest prince I can't compare to a single fingernail!"
The emperor felt that these words sounded familiar, and he thought about it carefully before he remembered that Princess Ningguo had also said this, and he sneered, "Heh." He looked at Mrs. Guo as if looking at an ant, and waved his hand impatiently..., These people are just defeated generals, and they are nothing to him.
Soon the guards rushed in and pinned the two of them to the ground.
Ruifu received the token and watched the two noble ladies immediately become prisoners. He was quite moved. Guo and Lu were both favored by the queen, and those who were chosen to study with the princess in the palace were considered top-notch. There are many characters, one almost became the prince's concubine for the eldest prince, and the other almost became a side concubine, but now the phoenix that has landed is not as good as a chicken. The eldest prince is really a character, he has been away for many years, and there are still so many people who are determined... Thinking of this, Ruifu feels unwilling again, they all say that the emperor is cruel, but who is born like this
His Majesty the Emperor was born with supernatural power, but he didn't know how to control his strength when he was a child. Once, he accidentally slapped the queen's puppy to death. The queen was shocked. Since then, the empress believed that he was cruel by nature and treated him even more harshly. Even the look in his eyes was full of fear... When the emperor was a child, he asked him with a blank face, was he not the queen's own? It's really unbelievable to say that the harsh and cruel queen is indeed His Majesty's biological mother, while the eldest prince who the queen treats as gentle and considerate as her own son was born of the former queen.
He still can't understand this matter, how could someone treat his own son so cruelly
Back in the dormitory, it was still dark, the emperor went to bed after washing early, Ruifu originally thought that the emperor was in a bad mood..., so he was very careful, but who knew that the emperor seemed to have forgotten what happened just now, and instead looked forward to it Be eager to try, have been trying to sleep, =. =
Standing outside the hood, he saw the emperor turning over one after another, and finally couldn't help but said, "Your Majesty, you should have your meal first. I'm hungry, so I can't sleep."
The emperor sat up after hearing this, and said unwillingly, "Let's pass on the meal."
While eating, Qin Hong entered the palace to have an audience. He has been recovering from his injuries at home for the past few days, and today he felt that he was almost well, so he went directly to the palace to thank him.
The emperor drank the soup one after another, and asked, "Aiqing, you said, if there is a person, you will always miss it if you don't see it, but you can't help it when you see it..."
It was the first time Qin Hong sat down with the emperor to eat, and he was very nervous. When he heard the emperor's question, he immediately put down his chopsticks, as if he was listening attentively.
"Can't help but take a second look?" Qin Hong's gossiping heart was raging, and he instinctively remembered that the emperor asked him how to please women a while ago. Could it be that His Majesty has fallen in love with someone? Which woman is which lucky one
"No..." the emperor pursed his lips and said sullenly, "I always want to scold."
Qin Hong, "..."
"Your Majesty, this woman belongs to yin. It is like a metaphor for water. It means to treat them gently. If they are too aggressive, they will be afraid to shrink back." Qin Hong thought for a long time before he stuttered and asked the emperor very tactfully. Give how to attract women to like you.
The emperor didn't hear the voice of the emperor for a long time, and Qin Hong didn't dare to take a breath. After about a quarter of an hour, the emperor said, "How can you be gentle?" The emperor thought of Zhao Jinyu's shy appearance in front of Su Qingchen, and felt that An evil spirit welled up in my heart, and I became more irritable.
She must be full of idiots in her mind, can't she see that Su Qingchen is just a whim to her
Men are fickle, this is what the mother said to him before, he didn't understand at the time.
The first emperor favored a newcomer, and the queen mother gently rewarded those newcomers with things, but he could tell that the queen mother was not happy. One day, when a favored concubine had a miscarriage, and when she seemed crazy and let the queen mother pay for it with blood, he suddenly understood.
As a subject, Su Qingchen is naturally kind, but as a man... the emperor thought of Qin Hong teasing Su Qingchen for provoking the oiran, and he labeled him a romantic man in his heart.
It was hard for him to imagine that one day, in his opinion, Zhao Jinyu, who was innocent enough to be a little silly, would become a woman like the queen mother. Gentleness and consideration were just a beautiful flower on the surface, and behind it was a deadly toxin.
Seeing that the emperor had finally spoken, Qin Hong hurriedly said, "This kind of swearing is absolutely unacceptable." Then with some temptation, he glanced at the emperor secretly, and said, "The women your Majesty met in the past were all concubines in the palace. She has been taught by the foster mother, even if His Majesty beats and scolds her, she will accept it, but... "
The emperor thought of those concubines who entered the draft, they were really submissive, even if they were a little bold, they hid it in their hearts and dared not reveal it, he would think carefully about a word that was serious, and then admit his mistake first.
"Just what?"
"I have the guts to ask, does that person not know the identity of His Majesty?" Qin Hong felt that the emperor was full of aura, but who would bump into someone with long eyes? Only when one does not know the identity of the emperor can there be so-called resistance, and resistance will naturally displease the emperor, because the emperor has long been used to women being obedient to him, so this is the reason for the contradiction.
The emperor murmured as an answer.
Qin Hong knew that he had guessed right, very happy, and became more courageous, and said, "Before a concubine in the palace becomes His Majesty's woman, she is His Majesty's subject first, and a subject must obey the Lord's words... , but what if the woman doesn't know the identity of His Majesty?"
The emperor suddenly turned serious, showing the posture of holding a candle to talk at night.
In the end, Zhao Jinyu decided to stay away from Su Qingchen, so she sneaked ashore with Chen Rong that night and found an inn to live in, hoping to wait for Su Qingchen to leave before changing to another building boat.
Chen Rong was very happy with Zhao Jinyu's decision at the time, and said, "What a good boy." That loving look made Zhao Jinyu's eyes a little red, because it looked so much like... her foster mother.
During the day, Zhao Jinyu nestled in the inn, and Chen Rong went to the shore to check, and did not come back until night, so when the emperor woke up, he suddenly found that the problem that troubled him had been solved in this way.
Su Qingchen, who was annoying and upset him inexplicably, was left behind by Zhao Jinyu just like that. When he thought of Su Qingchen's deflated appearance, he was in a good mood and ate two bowls of rice in one go.
At this time, he completely forgot that Su Qingchen was called by him to serve him as a follower, =. =