The Gilded Cage

Chapter 63: If you can't give up, don't give up

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On a spring night, the stars are shining and the vegetation is lush.

Chu Ning was stunned, then closed his eyes and raised his head, and took the initiative to kiss him.

Across a window, his body leaned inward, her elbows rested on the windowsill, the silver starlight draped over his back, the golden candlelight climbed up her dress, silver and gold gradually approached, slowly blending Together, they form a bright light.

Her elbows were panting, and her waist was leaning back, shaky, so he simply embraced her, gently pulled her, and brought her out of the window.

The dress swept across the bookcase, and swept the raised pen tube to the ground, making a short, crisp sound.

He ignored it, just carried her along the corridor outside the house to the end, and sat down on one side.

She sat quietly beside him, the night wind blew, and the blue lotus-colored robe flew in the air. Just as he was about to smooth out the corners of his clothes, his wrists suddenly became cold. He looked down and saw that a string of crystal clear red jade bracelets had already been worn on his wrists.

"This is for you." Xiao Kezhi held her hand and put it in his palm to examine it carefully.

The blue lotus-colored sleeves slipped down, revealing pure white skin, slender wrists and slender five fingers, and the round and clear red jade set off against each other, like white snow reflecting red.

"It really suits you." He put down his hands with great satisfaction, smoothed the robe, but still showed a rosy color, "You don't even need the clothes and jewelry that I have prepared for you, this bracelet should be worn. "

In the view, Chu Ning's daily robe is a yellow crown, and the rest of the bright clothes and jewelry have never been touched.

He felt regretful and lost in his heart. When he saw a piece of fine red jade that came from the south, he immediately thought of her, so he ordered someone to make this bracelet.

She should keep the red jade on her wrist, right

Chu Ning smiled, subconsciously not wanting to disappoint him, so he nodded and said, "Thank you Your Majesty for your trouble, An Ning will wear it."

He hugged her, held her cheek, and asked, "How would you like to thank me?"

Hearing these words was familiar, Chu Ning's cheeks were inexplicably hot, and he couldn't help but look away slightly, and gestured towards the direction of the room: "Why don't you give that bowl of cherry cheese to Your Majesty as a thank you gift."

"Cheese should have belonged to me." Obviously dissatisfied, he turned her cheeks again, lowered his head and kissed her ear little by little, "Is my heart only worth this bowl of cheese? ?"

The fine touch spread from her ears, causing her to shrink back, her cheeks getting hotter, the hand on his shoulder tightened quietly, and the originally flat clothes were also wrinkled.

"That bowl of cheese is also Aning's heart..."

Her voice was thin and soft, with an unobvious tenderness, which made his heart feel a little sweet.

"Then I'm going to eat Aning's heart." He stopped, stood up and hugged her, who was weak all over, and returned to the room.

On the food table, in a palm-sized celadon bowl, there is snow-white cheese, dripping syrup and a few fresh red cherries on top, which makes people appetite.

He sat on the couch, holding a bowl and a spoon in his hand, scooping up a piece of cheese and a cherry, but instead of putting them into his mouth, he handed them to her.

She looked up at him, then looked down at the cheese on the spoon, opened her mouth slightly, and put the cheese and cherries in her mouth.

The dense cheese melts in the mouth with wisps of sweetness, and the cold cherries slide between the lips and teeth, flowing out slightly sour juice, mixed with sweetness, and the taste is endless.

She was about to spit out the spoon, but he smeared the remaining cheese on her lips as if deliberately.

The pure white covered the bright red, making him look deep.

"How does it taste?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Under his gaze, Chu Ning blushed and nodded, trying to lick the cheese from her lips, but he suddenly approached and kissed him.

"I'll try it too."

The bite of the cherry pulp and the melted soft cheese are sweet and lingering.

The blue lotus-colored Taoist robe was removed, and it landed on the edge of the couch with his black-colored robe.

The remaining cherries and cheese in the bowl were scooped by him and placed in other places, and then he swallowed them little by little, savoring them carefully.

"It's An Ning's will, I can't live up to it."

East Palace, Guangtian Palace.

Xiao Yucai and Zhao Lun quietly sent a general from Bozhou to Chang'an to discuss the next thing with him.

According to his previous assumptions, the Bozhou Army should take advantage of the more than one month before the marriage to practice hard and prepare enough food and grass.

As soon as his marriage to Zhao Yu'e was completed, he immediately looked for an opportunity to leave Chang'an. At that time, even if there were Qianniuwei and Shenwu Army in Gyeonggi, he would not be able to seize him for a while, just giving the Bozhou Army an opportunity to raise troops.

He wanted to imitate Xiao Kezhi's method of leading troops into Chang'an, and let thousands of people disguise themselves in batches and ambushed in various places around Gyeonggi.

It's just that he is not good at arranging troops. Although he has this idea, it is still a long way to go. Therefore, it took more than two hours to complete the discussion.

After Xu Rong arranged for the general to dress up as an ordinary bodyguard and leave from the main entrance of the East Palace, he finally couldn't help lying on the couch, coughing weakly while clutching his chest.

"His Royal Highness!" Xu Rong hurriedly turned around and motioned for the maid to bring the nourishing soup he had been taking all the year round. After watching him drink it all in one gulp, he took a bite of the ginseng and put it in his mouth, and then he felt relieved, "It's busy and diligent again. , Your Highness should also cherish yourself."

Recently, as the wedding date is set, Xiao Yu's daily administration time is getting longer and longer. Not only did he have to deal with the many affairs that the East Palace was responsible for, but he also had to plan all the next arrangements at all times. Hearing from the servant in the East Palace, it was the second and third watch, and the candles in the bedroom were still lit.

Others don't understand, but he can roughly guess that the prince is like this, firstly because he is really busy, and secondly, because the Chu family is not around.

He was the one who watched the prince grow up. When he was young, he was a gentle and courteous gentleman. Because of the ruthlessness and weakness of the first emperor and the cruelty and oppression of the queen mother, he gradually developed a gloomy and suspicious temperament.

The Chu family is one of the few people who can make the prince feel close. Rao is because he, the waiter, thinks that her background and poverty are not worthy of the status of the prince, and he has to admit that in the past two years, she has taken good care of and served the prince, so that he has taken care of his weak body a lot. .

The maids and maids next to him did not dare to approach him because of his uncertain temperament, for fear of being punished if he was not careful, and the prince would never take their words to heart, and naturally they would not give more comfort.

Only the Chu family, whether to persuade the prince to take medicine or go to bed earlier, the prince will listen more or less.

Now that she is gone, the entire East Palace seems to be missing something, empty and lifeless.

He thought that the prince forced himself so much, probably to escape the guilt and anger in his heart.

"I'm fine, the waiter doesn't have to worry." Xiao Yu calmed down for a while, then sat upright on the couch, lowered his head and waved at him, continuing to talk about the deployment, "The 100,000 people stationed in Ganzhou also have to guard against Let them get the news back then."

Xu Rong looked at him for a moment, and saw that although his face was pale, his mind was very clear, and then he nodded: "Yes, although these two armies can compete with each other, they are absolutely safe, so they really have to guard against it. Your Highness has a countermeasure. ?"

Xiao Yu didn't speak, but reconsidered the territory of Great Liang in his mind, especially the area of Ganzhou. After a while, he slowly said: "Ganzhou Army was established to resist Beirong."

"That's right." Xu Rong nodded and replied, "The north is desolate and barren, and the North Rong people drank their blood. In order to seize food and treasure, they repeatedly went south, invading our Great Liang border, causing the people to suffer unspeakably, and the court always worrying. Soldiers - Your Highness, do you want to…”

At the end, he slowly regained his senses, suddenly had a guess, and couldn't help but ask with wide eyes.

Xiao Yu frowned, nodded lightly, and said, "The only people who can contain the garrison in Ganzhou are the Beirong people."

"But, but that is the northwestern frontier, and the people of Beirong are vicious and barbaric. Once they break through the defense line—the consequences will be worrying!" Rao is Xu Rong, who believes that he has always been a person who will do anything to achieve his goals, and this time he is also shocked by the prince's words .

In the past few years, the Ganzhou army has grown, and this has firmly suppressed the Beirong people and calmed the northwest frontier.

Xiao Yu was silent for a moment, then closed his eyes silently.

He naturally knows the consequences of doing so, but once a good opportunity is missed, there will be no more, he just wants to make sure that everything is safe.

"Xu Qing, I-I won't let that happen." He clenched his fists and whispered, "As long as I'm fast enough to win the throne before the accident, everything can be solved..."

"Ah..." Xu Rong frowned, struggled repeatedly, and finally agreed with gritted teeth, "It's okay, take a gamble."

If they really lose, they will be dead. At that time, what will other people's lives have to do with them

In Guizhen View, the sound of insects nearby and the sound of silk and bamboo in the distance gradually calmed down.

Wearing a thin gauze, Chu Ning lay lazily on Xiao Kezhi's chest, and the originally vague thoughts gradually returned to the cage.

She knew that the occasional music in the Hall of Nectar was his intentional act in order to make himself seem greedy for pleasure and absurd. From Shangyuan until now in April, it has been intermittent and never stopped.

She seemed to be more and more able to appreciate this kind of well-intentioned, and even moved by it.

It was late at night, she pushed him and said softly, "Is your majesty not going back?"

Although he often came to the temple, but because he was going to court the next morning, he could not stay overnight to attract attention, and he had to rush back to the Temple of Nectar in the evening.

"Let's go." He said in a hoarse voice, but he didn't let go of her and got up, but turned around to cover her lips, and kissed her, "I'm still a little unwilling."

Chu Ning's wet eyes looked at him in confusion.

"My agate is worth a thousand gold, but you want to send me with a bowl of cheese that was already prepared."

As soon as the words fell, she remembered the situation of Bai Xueying Hongmei who had just been swallowed by him, and her cheeks were flushed.

"Does that cheese taste bad?" she asked in a low voice, looking away.

"Okay, great, I don't think it's enough." He stroked her cheek and fiddled with her soft earlobe, "I still want something else."

"What do you want, Your Majesty?" Chu Ning became more and more confused, and suddenly remembered a few personal items he had taken from him before, and couldn't help but said angrily, "Your Majesty has quite a few of my things."

He laughed, but his eyes moved quietly to the red tassels that she used to tie her hair on the table next to her.

However, it was just a look at it. He would wait until the day when she actually entered the Taiji Palace, and then untie the tassels for her with his own hands.

"There's always something I want." He sat up slowly, "However, I owe it today, and I'll get it later."

With that, he turned around to get out of bed.

However, Chu Ning understood his intentions, his heart moved slightly, he couldn't help reaching out and grabbed his arm and whispered to him.

"His Majesty-"

He stopped and turned to look at her again: "what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty asked Aning to say everything on her mind..." Her cheeks turned even redder, as if hesitating to say something to him.

For some reason, his heart suddenly rose, he nodded, and listened to her next words with bated breath.

"I want His Majesty to know my heart—" She took his hand and placed it on her left heart, letting him feel the pounding heart underneath.

"I seem to be more and more reluctant to part with your majesty..."

Feeling the soft, smooth and brisk beating in the palm of his hand, clusters of fireworks suddenly rose from his dark eyes.

"A-Ning..." He leaned down again and hugged her for a kiss, "If you can't give up, don't give up."