"Brother?"
Xiao Keyi touched the back of her neck and repeated these two words meaningfully.
Chu Ning felt a thin layer of pimples behind his rough palms. He couldn't help but straighten his body forward, but it happened to be closer to him.
"Yeah, he is the closest brother." She blinked and looked at him innocently, as if she didn't understand what he meant at all, so she had to ask him clearly.
Xiao Kezhi really did not want to hide the words, so he asked, "Do you have any other affection with him?"
The Chu family has only one daughter, Chu Ning, and Zhao Yanzhou is also surnamed Zhao. This "Brother" is probably just a cousin. It is not uncommon for cousins to have childhood sweethearts and secret feelings.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?" She put her chin on his chest and looked up at him.
His face was expressionless, the dark light in his eyes floated, and his voice was firm: "I thought it was not, and naturally I hope it is."
Chu Ning stopped joking, but looked at him earnestly, and said softly, "He is an elder brother, like a real elder brother."
There is no love between men and women, only brotherhood.
Xiao Kezhi's expression slowly softened. He is not a small-bellied person, and since she said so, she naturally no longer has any doubts.
But this time, Chu Ning was a little surprised, and even a little skeptical.
"Is Your Majesty not angry?"
She had said this to Xiao Yu a long time ago. But Xiao Yu responded with a face, but still turned his back on Zhao Yanzhou.
Everyone knows that women are small-minded and jealous, but aren't men just the same
"You've made it clear, I'm naturally not angry." Xiao Kezhi turned around and put on a supine position, wrapped her arms around her, and asked her to rest her head on his chest. The tension in his tone was indeed gone. , "Why, you don't believe me? I don't even mind that you are married, so do you doubt yourself because you have a cousin?"
Chu Ning was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled. He is a prince who has been neglected since he was a child, and I don't know how he was raised so confidently. Maybe this is the natural king.
She felt a little warm in her heart, and she was not in a hurry to fall asleep. She simply put her pillow on his chest and explained the fact that Zhao Yanju was raised by her parents when she was young. When she mentioned his full of talents, her tone There is a lot of regret and distress.
"... He was raised as a child prodigy at the age of fourteen in response to his disciples. Such a proud young man should have a bright future, but he was wasted by the affairs of my family."
Xiao Kezhi listened very seriously, and then gradually remembered that he had indeed heard of it many years ago, that a young cousin in Chu Qianyu's family was talented, so it turned out to be this one.
"It's really a pity. Obviously, he can enter the Hanlin Academy, but now he can only manage the general affairs in the East Palace." He also knows a little about Xiao Yu, and understands that all the major events in the East Palace are presided over by Xu Rong, a waiter. Although Zhao Yanzhou is a Si Zhi, but he rarely shows up and is not known to most people.
However, thinking of his nephew's temperament, he suddenly felt a strange feeling in his heart: "With such a talented person, and being close to you, can the crown prince tolerate him?"
"Naturally I can't tolerate it." When she mentioned this, her eyes became darker and darker, "He paid... he paid a lot in order to stay in the East Palace."
She wanted to speak out about the prince's private punishment of Zhao Yanzhou, an official to be ruled, but it was a matter of human dignity, and she didn't want to expose her brother's pain in front of others.
Xiao Kezhi didn't ask any further questions. He didn't have many methods to deal with a man who made people feel uneasy. He could guess it after only thinking about it in his heart.
Sure enough, it was his nephew who was generous and tolerant on the face, but sinister and vicious on the inside.
He hesitated suddenly. Previously, I wanted to treat her well, and when she slowly realized his goodness and became as willing to step out bravely as he was, I would take her away from the prince. But every time I get to know her more, I will also know more about how much damage the prince has caused her.
He was a little reluctant to let her continue to live the depressing and fearful life that she used to be.
"You care about fame?" He put his arms around her, stroked her back gently, and mentioned it inadvertently.
To bring her back to the harem, gossip is inevitable. He naturally doesn't care, but if she cares, he will also have scruples.
Chu Ning thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "I'm already like this, how can I care about this anymore? Now I just want to earn my father's innocence."
She doesn't even want shame, how dare she care about reputation
Xiao Kezhi looked at her with complicated eyes, as if he wanted to see her through, and after a long time he said, "I understand."
No one is born to care about their reputation. He didn't care because he was used to it for many years. If he was too disciplined and trembling, he would not be able to make it to today. But she is different. She is a woman, a woman from a good background, but in a dilemma.
Many people knew that the case of Chu Qianyu was a wrong case, and no one believed that he would really do those abhorrent things. Even if he was convicted, there were still many courtiers who admired and regretted him very much.
Under such circumstances, she still wanted to restore her father's posthumous name, which showed that she cared, but the situation she faced made her have to give up.
This is what he asked.
Since she cares, he will endure it for a little longer. At this time, he will act in a hurry, and he will put her on the cusp of the storm and be attacked by countless rumors.
"What's wrong?" Chu Ning asked softly, feeling that he was extra gentle tonight. Originally, she felt a little embarrassed after she said it that day, but now it's all gone. Instead, she feels that she has no worries and is very relieved.
"It's nothing." He rubbed her head and patted her back regularly like a child to sleep. "Aren't you sleepy? Go to sleep."
She was excited for a while, and when she heard this, she was subconsciously knocked down again by sleepiness, she lowered her eyelids directly, and while she was drowsy, she didn't forget to mumble, "I'm not a little girl..."
There was his chuckle and low voice.
"Seven years younger than me, isn't she a little girl?"
But she had fallen into a dream so quickly that she could no longer hear it.
…
After the bad wind and snow, the warm sun finally ushered in.
Chu Ning always wakes up early, and when the day is bright, she has already opened her eyes, but she did not expect that Xiao Kezhi woke up earlier than her, and has been watching her for an unknown amount of time.
"Why did Your Majesty wake up and didn't move?" She was still a little dazed, she couldn't help yawning with her misty eyes, and covered her bright eyes with a layer of water mist.
"You were too tired last night, you should sleep a little longer." He said, approaching spontaneously to kiss her eyes.
Chu Ning snorted softly, and couldn't help but turn her face away to avoid him, but he just caught one earlobe. The strange touch came from the ear, and suddenly a flush was triggered. Starting from the ear, it gradually climbed over the neck and cheeks, and the pink and white were intertwined, which was particularly moving.
"Your Majesty..." She has been sensitive to his change, and hastily pushed him.
He simply turned over and pressed her down and kissed her lightly or hard for a long time before reluctantly let go.
"Did you sleep well at night?"
Chu Ning blushed and panted, nodded lightly, was pulled by him and sat up, picked up the clothes that had been thrown aside and put them on one by one.
Although the weather was cold, the cloak covered with snow was still dry. She wrapped herself tightly, walked to the window, pushed open the lattice, and stuck her head out to look at the weather outside.
The bright sun suddenly came over, and the cold was slightly washed away.
"It's clear." She said softly, exhaling white mist, which quickly dissipated in the air, "It's time to go back."
The voice fell, and the room fell silent.
Xiao Kezhi walked behind her slowly and pulled her into his arms: "I have to wait for the people in Tangquan Palace to clear the snow and clear the way. Why does it take an hour or two."
The guards guarding outside had been paying attention to this place for a long time. As soon as the window was opened, they brought in the washing water and warm breakfast.
It was still the same pickles and soup cakes as last night. After washing up, the two sat down to eat, which was very harmonious.
Cui He came over with Mrs. Tang, who had changed the hot water, and put it in Chu Ning's arms, softly saying, "Zhao Sizhi has already gone up the mountain to explore the way."
"It's so early? There's a lot of snow on the mountain, and the road is slippery. It's dangerous. How many people did he take?" Chu Ning was worried, Zhao Yanzhou was a weak scholar after all, and it would be difficult to travel in the snow.
"Bring two servants over."
"Two people, there are really fewer." Those are the most common servants. They are usually good at cooking affairs in the East Palace. They have to walk through the snow, but they are not necessarily good at it.
Xiao Kezhi listened and waved to Jin Jiang outside the door: "Send three people to follow and protect Zhao Sizhi."
Jin Jiang immediately responded "Hey" and went down to make arrangements.
The guards around the emperor were all strong sergeants and were naturally very reliable. Chu Ning was relieved and turned to thank him.
He glanced at the color of the snow outside the house, and suddenly became interested, reached out to pick her up, and strode towards the outsider: "Go, I will take you out to have a look."
Chu Ning was startled and hurriedly wrapped around his neck, trying to bury his face.
Fortunately, the Taoist priests in the view stayed in the house after being reminded by the guards, and passed by without any strangers snooping.
Xiao Kezhi took her to the side of his black horse, and after making her sit firmly, he immediately turned over, wrapped her in his arms, and pulled the reins to urge the horse to move forward.
"Where is this going?" Chu Ning looked at the white snow in his eyes, and listened to the slight popping sound of horses' hooves stepping into the snow, a kind of pleasant interest emerged in his heart, "Does your majesty want to take Aning to see the snow scene? ?"
Xiao Kezhi laughed, patted her shoulder with one hand, shook his head and said, "Just go somewhere. I've seen snow a lot, and I'm tired of it. In Ganzhou, there is more snow every year than in Chang'an. Not only the snow is over the knees, but wolves often appear, and if you are not careful, accidents will happen."
Speaking of wild wolves, Chu Ning thought of the gray wolf named Vimalakirti that he kept, and couldn't help asking: "Isn't there a wolf under your majesty? I heard that you have some connections with your majesty."
"Yeah, Vimalakirti, it once saved my life." When he mentioned what happened at the time, there was a bit of emotion in his eyes, but there was no pain or embarrassment.
On the contrary, it was Chu Ning. After hearing this, he remembered the surprise of the past: he is the prince of Great Liang, what kind of life does he live in the frontier before his life is in danger, and the court has never heard any news
"Your Majesty - are you having a hard time in Ganzhou?"
"Difficult? Let's figure it out. It's only been two years since I went there. It was really difficult. After I got used to it, it was all right." He wrapped her cloak, which had been blown away by the wind, tightly, and slowly talked about it. "It was in the third year of his arrival that Vimalakirti appeared."