Since Xu Rong came that day, Chu Ning has not heard anything else, and they seem to plan to wait a while longer.
Because Xiao Yu felt ashamed in his heart, his attitude towards her was much gentler than before.
This is a good thing for Chuning. Several times he wanted to get close to her, but she was flatly rejected by her face. If it was in the past, I'm afraid that he had already pushed her down on the foot with a gloomy face, but now he just turned his face down and let her go out on her own.
It's also much easier.
As the first month drew to a close, and the spring was getting stronger and stronger, Xiao Kezhi finally decreed that he should move from Lishan Tangquan Palace back to Chang'an Taiji Palace.
Before leaving, Xiao Yu once again packed his bags, left Lishan, and went to Huazhou to check the situation after the ditch was cleared. This will only last for twenty days, Chu Ning thought, when this matter is completed, when he returns again, I am afraid that he will use the opportunity of discussing his political achievements to bring up the matter of his other marriage.
The East Palace was empty, so Xiao Kezhi would not miss this opportunity.
On the second day, not long after returning to the Taiji Palace, the door next to the Wude Hall that was connected to the East Palace opened silently.
However, this time, it was not as grandly open as before, but the lock behind the door was removed. If they didn't push it, the people in the East Palace would not be able to notice it at all.
Before Xiao Yu set off from Lishan Mountain, the guards in front of the royal family went to Prince Tang, Mingli was supposed to see him off for Xiao Kezhi, but in fact he quietly handed a letter to Cui He, and Chu Ning found out.
In the evening, seeing that the sky was getting dark, after dinner, she sent the maids around her to go back to rest, and she changed into a simple robe and quietly went to the Taiji Palace.
The door opened with a gentle push, she went in gently, and the waiter who was waiting there quickly closed the door again, and handed her a suit of clothes without saying a word.
This time, she was no longer surprised, and went into the room next to her to change her clothes.
This is the ru skirt most often worn by the ladies of ordinary princes and noble families. The color is bright, the fabric is expensive, and the workmanship is fine. Even the accessories around the waist are neatly prepared. After she is neatly dressed, she puts on a cap to cover her face , as if she was a married lady.
On the way to the Nectar Palace by chariot, the palace servants were not as surprised as before when they saw her, probably because they had gradually gotten used to it, and thought of the emperor as a free-spirited young man, so it was not surprising.
It's just that there are still curious eyes and careful speculation.
Chu Ning could almost imagine their guesses. It was nothing more than thinking that the sage is now more and more shy, and even married women are not spared.
Bu Nian landed outside the Ganlu Palace, she covered her hot cheeks and was about to go down, when a gray shadow suddenly flashed in front of her.
Wei Mo, who had just come back from the backyard, jumped to her chariot and was staring at her with his tawny eyes with his head held high.
She froze for a moment, not daring to move.
"Don't be afraid." A familiar low voice sounded from behind, and then, she was carried into a wide and warm embrace and got off the carriage, her hand was also gently held, and she stretched out in the direction of Vimalakirti.
"With me here, it won't hurt you." Xiao Kezhi whispered comfortably in her ear, "It's very spiritual, as long as it gets along more, it'll be fine until it recognizes you."
Chu Ning endured the nervousness in his heart and carefully followed him and stretched out his hand to Vymore's head.
Wei Mo moved vigilantly, but probably because of the presence of the master, he only lightly sniffed at the palm of her hand, and then stuck out his tongue to lick it, then he didn't resist any longer, and let her stroke her head back and forth.
The soft fur swept across the palm of his hand, bringing out a burst of warmth and comfort.
She couldn't help but dared to bend down, and rubbed it twice on its back even closer.
The originally ferocious gray wolf actually made two "woohoo" barks, as if it were just a huge dog.
After it was touched enough, it trotted two more steps with its head raised, swirled around her, and finally pressed against her side, rubbing up affectionately.
Chu Ning was not as frightened as before, and only looked down at it with a slight smile.
"It likes you." Xiao Kezhi's face was gentle, looking at her and Vimalakirti, as if seeing her intersecting with his own past.
After a while, the guards took Wei Mo down, and Chu Ning was about to step up the steps, but suddenly he was picked up from behind and strode into the room.
The hat fell halfway, and no one picked it up. The inner servants stayed outside the hall with winks, and quickly closed the door.
Chu Ning hooked Xiao Kezhi's neck tightly, the moment of shock was over, and now he looked down at the clothes on his body and couldn't help chuckling: "Your Majesty really likes it, it's a palace maid for a while, a dancer for a while, This time, she became a woman."
Xiao Kezhi didn't go in either, he twisted her directly against the door panel, and tore the skirt that he had just put on for a while.
The soft cloth was thrown on the ground, and it was spread out scattered, ambiguous and charming.
"Yeah, I like you as a woman, and I like to snatch you from others. In the future, you will have whatever identity you want."
…
In the Baifu Hall, the Queen Mother Qi returned to the sleeping hall after bowing to the Buddha in the Buddhist hall.
After the maid cleaned her hands, she served the prepared vegetarian food, then stepped aside and told what she had just heard.
"...Many people in the palace have seen it. The person in front of the palace brought it into the Ganlu Palace. It seems that it should be the wife of which family."
Empress Dowager Qi used Su Zhai's action for a meal and asked, "Madam?"
"Yes," the maid replied in a low voice, "I don't know who he is, just look at the clothes, it should be the wife of a prince's family."
"Absurd!" The Queen Mother Qi couldn't help frowning, and she put the jade chopsticks down in her hands, and her already slack face became more and more drooping, "Can he be so unscrupulous when he is the emperor! The previous few are justified. Now even married women can do it!"
Even if she doesn't want to care more about the emperor playing with women, she can't bear it anymore. The dignified emperor, openly entangled with a married woman, it is shameful to spread it out.
"Go to Ganlu Temple and ask him to come to Baifu Temple." She didn't have to fast, she hurriedly drank a mouthful of rice soup, then sat with her eyes closed and moved the Buddha beads in her hand.
The maid bowed her head and hurried to the Ganlu Palace.
…
Outside the Ganlu Hall, Liu Kangzheng was leading people to guard it. When he saw the maid of the Baifu Hall, he rushed forward to stop him: "I don't know, but the Queen Mother has something to say? transfer."
The maid looked at the closed door of the palace, pursed her lips and said nothing. When the servants were not paying attention, she suddenly rushed forward two steps and rushed directly to the place that was no more than two or three feet away from the palace door.
The ambiguous movement in the hall and the gasping sounds of men and women could be heard faintly, and she couldn't help blushing.
"Madam!" The servants did not expect that a weak lady would suddenly be so fast, and they rushed to block her, "Don't go forward! That is the dormitory of the saint, don't trespass!"
The people in the room seemed to hear the movement, but they didn't stop until the woman cried in a low voice, and after another short and high coquettish cry, she suddenly became quiet.
"Liu Kang, what's going on outside?" The emperor's voice was hoarse, with obvious tension and displeasure at being disturbed.
"Everyone, it's the people from Baifu Hall." Liu Kang was sweating profusely when asked, and hurriedly trotted to the door to reply.
The maid couldn't help frowning. For some reason, she only felt that the voice of the woman in the hall seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember where she heard it.
However, she has no time to think about it now, but for a moment she put the voice that was not very clear behind her, and took the opportunity to shout: "The Queen Mother has something to tell her Majesty, please go to the Baifu Palace immediately!"
The people in the hall didn't seem to hear it, and the ambiguous movement gradually sounded, but the woman seemed to cover her mouth, and the voice was muffled, looming, and almost invisible.
After a while, it wasn't until everyone outside looked at each other and didn't know what it meant, and then a nonchalant message came: "I am busy, it is inconvenient to go to the Baifu Hall. If you have anything, please ask the Queen Mother to pass it on."
"Ma'am, please?" Liu Kang was not relentless when he was instructed, but he insisted on sending him away.
The maid did not expect such a response, and her blushing face turned white. She immediately turned her head and left, and told the Queen Mother Qi exactly what happened.
Empress Dowager Qi waited for so long, not only did she not wait for someone to come, but she was angry and couldn't help but get angry from the bottom of her heart.
"He's getting more and more reckless now! But I was negligent. I didn't expect him, a concubine who can't stand on the stage, to dare to be so arrogant." She moved the beads of the bead and became impatient. She took a few deep breaths before she could bear it. With surging emotions, he said coldly, "Early tomorrow morning, let someone deliver a message to the minister."
…
In the Ganlu Palace, after a long time, the two gradually calmed down and hugged each other in sweat.
"Tired again?" Xiao Kezhi patted the cheek of the beauty in his arms, his tone was full of teasing and contentment, "It's only been an hour, I see, you are lacking in practice."
Chu Ning half-closed his eyes, stretched out his fingertips and gently poked his sturdy arm, dissatisfied: "Your Majesty is treating Aning as a sergeant in the military camp! This kind of drill makes Aning tired every time. I can't get up, I'm afraid I won't be able to get used to it in this life."
Somehow, when Xiao Kezhi heard "this life" from her mouth, he felt a touch of sweetness, and even his already satisfied and comfortable mood became more and more relaxed.
"It's still a long time, there will always be a time for you to adapt."
After being calm for a moment, Chu Ning gradually felt coldness coming from his sweaty back, and couldn't help digging into his arms, thinking of what happened just now, he couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty just replied to the Queen Mother like that, it would be inappropriate. ?"
She knew that Xiao Kezhi was not afraid of Empress Dowager Qi, but the Qi family was deeply rooted, and if she offended her rashly, it would always bring trouble.
"Don't worry, I have a measure." Xiao Kezhi followed her hair and said casually.
He is not ignorant of Empress Dowager Qi's plan, but he has been busy rectifying the previous court, and has not yet freed up his hand. If she is really dissatisfied and insists on confronting him, he will not be soft-hearted.
Seeing that he was confident, Chu Ning didn't ask any more questions, and instead told him what Xiao Yu and Xu Rong had said a few days ago.
Xiao Kezhi listened carefully, and when she finished speaking, she asked, "How are you going to deal with it?"
"The prince is suspicious by nature, and he will never let me go, so I will accept it first, and when Xu Shidu asks me to give up the position of the prince, I simply ask your majesty to allow me to enter the Taoist temple and become a monk. ?"
In this way, the prince might think that she was just so resolute because of resentment in her heart, and to become a monk and practice, can be regarded as getting rid of all the false names of the mundane world, and naturally she is no longer one of his wives and concubines.
Xiao Ke immediately understood her plan, nodded and said, "Yes, it's good that you can hold your breath. Don't worry, everything will go well."
Chu Ning made a low "hmm" sound, and was already half asleep and half awake.
"A Ning, is it okay to sleep here today?" he asked quietly close to her ear.
Chu Ning, who had squinted his eyes, nodded subconsciously first, and then seemed to have reacted, suddenly propped up his chest, shook his head and said, "No, the people from the East Palace will find out."
The servant got up early, if she went back to the East Palace early tomorrow morning, she would probably be found.
Xiao Kezhi felt a trace of loss in his heart, but he knew that it was too risky, so he didn't say much, he just hugged her and got up and put her clothes on.
This time, the act of dressing her has become a little more proficient, but when it is matched with those accessories, she seems to be in a hurry.
"I'll come." Chu Ning looked at his movements, and was no longer sleepy, so he couldn't help reaching out to take it.
"No, I'm here." He stubbornly refused to let go, as if he didn't believe in evil.
Chu Ning couldn't, so he had to wait patiently, telling him from time to time how to wear the bracelets, rings, jade pendants, and necklaces.
"Your Majesty has been with the crown for several years, and in Ganzhou all these years, why don't you have a lady by your side?"
She couldn't help but ask what she had been wondering for a long time - even if no one cared about it and didn't hire a regular wife, why didn't she even have a concubine
Xiao Kezhi paused, looked at her expression through the bronze mirror, and said slowly, "Why should there be a lady?"
"His Majesty is the prince after all, and he was also the prince's honor in Ganzhou back then. Which nobleman would be alone for so many years..."
She remembered his jerky and hurriedness the first time she was with him in this Hall of Nectar.
"Others are others, and I am myself. If I don't see someone I like, I will naturally be alone."
He answered simply, without any taboo or concealment.
However, Chu Ning was stunned by his words.
The relatives in Chang'an she met, except for the father and several older, upright uncles who had only one wife in their family, almost everyone had more than one concubines, and even took them home and returned them. Not enough, many people also raised geishas and outer chambers outside, and their romantic debts became more than one.
She thought that they didn't necessarily like those women that much, but they were just impulsive and happy.
When he said this, he was telling her in another way that he really liked her.
Her heart moved, and she felt a complicated taste for a while.
"What are you thinking about?" He pinched her soft earlobes and put a delicate earring into the small ear hole. "If you are so distracted, I won't let you go."
Chu Ning couldn't help but shrank to one side, covered his lips and smiled to avoid his move to kiss him, and went straight to the outside to open the door: "Okay, Aning is going back."
Bu Nian was ready, she took the veil and put it on from the valet handed by the chamberlain, and dodged his move to come over to hug her, lifted the tulle on the veil and smiled at him, then turned around and boarded the veil. .
Xiao Kezhi stood on the steps and looked at her silhouette, with a burst of impulse in his heart. After a long while, he slowly pressed down and waved: "Go, be careful."