May is approaching, the wedding ceremony of the East Palace is approaching day by day, the Ministry of Rites and Zongzheng Temple are getting busier and busier, but there is new news from the northwest frontier.
According to the report sent back by General Liu Jiping, who was stationed in Ganzhou, the Beirong people, who had been calm for more than a year, have quietly gathered young men from several tribes. It's quite impetuous.
If it was in the past, such news would not have been delivered directly to Tianting, and even if it was reported to Chang'an, it would not have attracted much attention. After all, Bei Rong lived in a bitter cold place, and every year's looting was for a living, and it seldom caused major turmoil.
It's just that the current emperor Xiao Kezhi has a close relationship with the Ganzhou army, which makes everyone care about Ganzhou's affairs.
Several people advocated that the Ganzhou army should be put into a state of preparation immediately, and if necessary, they could even take the initiative to seize the opportunity.
There are also many courtiers who think that facing the strong cavalry of Beirong, they cannot take it lightly. Today's Ganzhou army is different from that of a year ago. A full 40,000 people are left by Xiao Kezhi to garrison around Gyeonggi, and only 80,000 people remain in Ganzhou. Can they cast a copper wall and an iron wall on the border like in the past? Not yet known. Once the real use of force, the 40,000 people stationed in Gyeonggi will probably have to be mobilized.
However, the main players said that now the territory of Great Liang is stable and stable, and there will be no major changes in a short period of time. The 40,000 people were originally transferred back from Ganzhou.
In this way, the two sides have been discussing for many days, but there is still no conclusion.
Xiao Kezhi was noncommittal, and only sent someone to the northwest to deliver a letter, so that Liu Jiping would temporarily hold back his troops.
He didn't seem to have considered that the 80,000 people in the northwest would be unable to cope with the powerful Beirong cavalry.
Seeing this, the courtiers understood that the emperor should have a plan in mind, and gradually stopped talking.
Now that the Qi family has completely restrained its edge, the officials in the DPRK and China have undergone several rectifications, and most of them do not dare to have too much selfishness. , and no one dared to underestimate the authority of the emperor.
In Guizhen View, Chu Ning could still see Xiao Kezhi every day or two.
At first, when she heard about the Northwest, she was still a little worried. It could be seen that he was always calm as usual, and there was no worry in his eyebrows, so she gradually felt relieved.
The weather is getting hotter, and among the green waves in the pond, graceful and graceful buds are gradually growing, either budding, or delicate, and standing in a pavilion, swaying in the wind, the cold frost white is dyed with a layer of light pink. , adding a touch of coolness and comfort in the hot sun.
In the afternoon, Chu Ning and Cui He moved two couches together and sat in the shade beside Linhu Hall, enjoying the lotus while cooking tea.
Feeling comfortable and relaxed, Cui He suddenly pulled her sleeve and gestured towards the corridor not far away.
"Miss, you see..."
Chu Ning just divided the tea soup that had just been brewed into two cups. Hearing that, he looked up and followed her line of sight. He saw Xiao Yu standing alone by the corridor, staring intently at this place.
He was still wearing a red shirt and a single coat with a gold belt, but he seemed to be thinner than before. His expressionless face rarely showed a gloomy look in the Tai Chi Palace. From a distance, people dared not approach.
"Ma'am, do we want to leave here?" Cui He was still a little afraid of Xiao Yu, and when she saw him nearby, she subconsciously became nervous.
Chu Ning looked at him from a distance for a moment, then silently looked away, took a deep breath, shook his head and said, "No, this is the Taiji Palace, not the East Palace." After speaking, he took another sip of tea, "Besides, there are many nearby. The palace servants who come and go, he won't do anything."
He is the person who cares about face and reputation the most, and the wedding date is approaching, so nothing will go wrong at this time.
Hearing the words, Cui He quickly looked to both sides, and he was relieved when he saw several palace servants passing by on the road. It's just that someone has noticed the existence of Xiao Yu, and looking here from time to time makes people feel uneasy.
Fortunately, Chu Ning was very calm, meticulously sipping tea and appreciating lotus flowers, without giving Xiao Yu half a glance, which made her slowly relax.
As expected by Chu Ning, Xiao Yu only stood by the corridor for a moment, then turned and left with a gloomy face.
He came here today by chance.
After explaining his official duties in the Hanlin Academy, he was thinking about the upcoming wedding ceremony. When he passed through the gate of piety in the back garden, he turned his direction unexpectedly, looking for the direction of Guizhen Temple.
He couldn't tell exactly what he wanted to do, and if he really went outside Guizhen Guan, he probably wouldn't go in.
But at the lotus pond outside Linhu Hall, he suddenly saw that familiar figure.
She was in the shade of a tree, wearing a Taoist robe and a yellow crown, smiling and talking to the maid cooking tea. Compared to when she was in the East Palace in the past, this dress was too plain, but for some reason, she looked more agile and relaxed than before, as if she had unloaded her burden.
An indescribable displeasure suddenly surged in his heart, as if he felt that after she left the East Palace, her life was better than before.
Could it be that for her, the monotonous life trapped in the Taoist temple is better than the brocade clothes and jade food in the East Palace in the past
He didn't believe it, and soon, he was going to prove to her that she was wrong.
…
A few days later will be the second day of the fifth lunar month, the wedding day of Crown Prince Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e.
The night before, Xiao Kezhi still stayed in Guizhen View. Before dawn, he got up and left.
The crescent moon in the sky has dimmed, and the morning light in the sky is gradually smearing, bringing some heat to the earth.
Beside the courtyard gate, his tall figure stopped, turned around, and kissed Chu Ning's long hair like a waterfall.
"I'll be back at night."
Chu Ning stood by the door, looked up at his bright eyes, and nodded lightly: "I'm waiting for Your Majesty."
A few days ago, Xiao Kezhi had decreed that the wedding ceremony of the prince today would be suspended for a day.
Therefore, the government office was empty. From the East Palace to the Taiji Palace, and even the nobles in Chang'an City, they all prepared early, and first stood in the Taiji Palace, and when the prince paid the emperor and the queen mother, they went to the Zhao family's mansion to greet them in person. present.
It was evening, and the sun was dim, and candles were lit about, illuminating the broad streets and open porches like day.
Xiao Yu was dressed in a robe and robes. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he was led by the ceremonial officer to get off his horse and came to the door of Zhao's mansion.
This is not his first time getting married. Although he has a gentle smile on his face, there is no joy in his heart. The strings in his mind are even tighter, making him feel tired and tormented. He hinted to himself in his heart that after today, he would leave Chang'an, and then everything would turn around.
The master waiting in the door has hurriedly greeted him and invited him in.
Zhao Yu'e's father was deceased, and her elder brother Zhao Lun also stayed in Bozhou for some reason and did not return, so the one who acted as the master today was the two cousins in the Zhao clan who were slightly closer to this brother and sister.
Xiao Yu came back to his senses, took the wild goose handed over by the owner of the livestock, and stepped into the door surrounded by the crowd.
In the east room, Zhao Yu'e has been waiting for a long time.
She wears a chaise longue hairpin that can only be worn by a princess, and her face is also rich in makeup, which is particularly dazzling under the candlelight. Seeing the prince coming from a distance, she straightened her back and showed a smile that was both content and ambitious.
She is now the woman with the highest status in Chang'an City except the Queen Mother, and she will have more in the future.
In the sound of the music, Xiao Yu came down the steps and reached out to her.
The smile on her face deepened, and she gently stretched out her hand in front of everyone's eyes, put it in his palm, and stepped closer to him.
But before she could stand still, he let go of his hand, turned around quickly, and walked out with a smile.
Zhao Yu'e was stunned for a moment, ignoring his intentional alienation, and followed him calmly out of the mansion, boarded the carriage, and walked towards the East Palace.
The banquet in the East Palace was ready, and even Xiao Kezhi arrived. After leading everyone to their seats, he personally watched the two of them join the prison ceremony under the auspices of the ceremonial official.
Countless eyes fell on Xiao Yu, and then quietly swept over Xiao Kezhi, as if guessing how delicate the relationship between the pair of uncles and nephews is now.
When the ceremony was over, the waiters came in with delicious food and wine, and the singing and dancing of the Jiaofang Secretary also sounded from under the high platform.
Xiao Kezhi glanced at the sky that had completely darkened, and raised his glass to Xiao Yu with a smile on his face, as if he had encountered something that made him extremely happy.
"Today's wedding, is the prince happy?"
Xiao Yu looked at his smiling face, his heart twisted. But because of the unavoidable gazes around him, he had to cheer up and reluctantly smiled and promised: "I am naturally happy when I am newly married."
Saying that, he raised the wine glass in his hand, raised his head and took a sip.
"Okay!" Xiao Kezhi patted him on the shoulder and smiled happily, "It's good to be happy, it's not in vain for my success. I am just like you today, and I am very happy."
He put down the empty glass in his hand and glanced at everyone with a smile.
It was clearly the prince's wedding ceremony, but the smile on his face made people almost mistakenly think that the person who got married should be him.
Seeing this, the others also got up together, toasted the emperor and the prince, and drank several cups in a row, until Xiao Yu's face turned pale because he drank too quickly, and he paused for a while.
"Okay, I won't stay any longer, lest Zhu Qing get stuck, let go of the good days." He turned around and patted Xiao Yu's shoulder again, with deep meaning, "You too, enjoy these days. , never again."
After all, Xiao Yu couldn't help frowning, and in the sound of everyone's salute, he left the East Palace with his attendants and returned to the Taiji Palace.
On the wide palace road, several servants followed the imperial carriage on both sides, walking with lanterns. When they arrived near the Ganlu Palace, they did not stop at all, but continued to go west.
The west side is where Guizhen View is located.
There were more and more surprised eyes and surprised discussions along the way.
"It's late at night. Where are you going, Your Majesty? That's—"
"Returning to the True View?! Then, isn't that the place where the female crown is practiced..."
"Yeah, the ladies in it are all getting older... Only the lady Chu who has just entered..."
"Miss Chu! She, she is the nephew of the saint!"
"It's not anymore. The East Palace has a new crown princess."
…
This time, Xiao Kezhi didn't cover up his tracks, and he didn't avoid the gazes of palace servants and servants along the way.