As soon as the door of the hall opened, the two maids who were standing by the porch from afar quickly stepped inside, one picked up the cups and dishes on the case, and the other twisted a hot towel to wipe Xiao Yu's face.
He stretched out his hand to take it, looking at the very light mist emerging from the handkerchief, but did not move.
"His Royal Highness?" The maid waited awkwardly on the side, not knowing whether to wipe his face directly, or continue to wait, and had to remind him hesitantly.
Xiao Yu's brows suddenly showed impatience and irritability, but he felt that the two maids were very annoying, and waved them out of the hall.
He was the only one left in the spacious room, and Xu Rong's words before he left echoed in his ears again, making the feeling in his heart complicated and indescribable.
He has always kept himself clean when it comes to men and women. Before he got married, the huge East Palace did not even have a servant girl who served him personally.
First, it was because of his mother's early death. When he got older, his father gradually favored Concubine Xue Gui and Wu Wanghuan, but ignored him, the eldest son, and drifted away. No elders were worried about him.
The second is to win over people. He knew that among the courtiers such as Chu Qianyu, there were several very strict family styles, and he did not advocate that men should raise concubines without incident. In order to gain more support in the court, he deliberately restrained himself, kept himself clean, and never contaminated himself. sound.
But now, as Xu Rong said, it is not what it used to be.
Marriage is a good way to firmly bind their interests, especially those who hold real power but have no control behind him, it is even more necessary. As long as he has a chance, he has to consider taking this step.
But thinking of Aning, he suddenly felt a little hesitant in his heart.
The warm towel was already cool, he wiped his face, and the damp coldness penetrated into his skin, which lifted his spirits.
That's all, in the period of filial piety, you are not allowed to marry and take concubines. It is better to put it aside for the time being and make a decision later.
"Someone." He threw the hand towel back to the copper basin, got up and called the waiting servant in, "Prepare water for a bath."
…
In the early morning of the second day, Jin Jiang carried Xiao Kezhi's will to Wanchun Hall. Not only did he announce that Xiao Yu would continue to be the prince temporarily, but he also authorized him, who was frail, to go to Taiji Hall to worship every day, and then he could directly return to Wanchun. Temple recuperates until fully recovered.
Xiao Yu had doubts about Xiao Kezhi's move, but because of this decree, he finally felt relieved for the time being.
Once the decree is made, it will be recorded in the file, and everyone will know about it. He is not afraid that the new king will move the East Palace for the time being.
Taking advantage of the fact that most of the courtiers gathered in the Taiji Hall every day, Xu Rong privately arranged for people to review the previous memorials and archives at the Ministry of Punishment and the Imperial Censor's Desk.
Although he is secretive, his daily rush is still seen by Zhao Yanzhou, who is also a vassal of the Eastern Palace.
In the evening a few days later, when he went to see Chu Ning outside the side hall as usual, he told the truth.
"Xu Shidu is looking for old files?" After listening carefully, Chu Ning asked with a frown.
"Yes, not only did I look through the old files of the East Palace, but it seems that there are other government offices. The minister guessed that this matter should be related to Hou Shilang and others."
He didn't say it outright, but Chu Ning understood the meaning.
Xiao Yu was surrounded by many courtiers who were as unclean as Hou Tongyi. If one Hou Tongyi died, there would naturally be a second and a third. He was taking precautions before it happened.
In the past, when she didn't know the truth, she also euphemistically persuaded Xiao Yu not to be in the company of those with corrupt personal morals and bad conduct, but he always sighed that he couldn't help himself, if not, he would not be able to compete with the Qi family.
Now, these courtiers have finally become his weakness.
With a move in Chu Ning's heart, he quickly went through the stories of the courtiers he had heard over the past two years, picked out a few names, and remembered them firmly, maybe they would come in handy soon.
"I see." She nodded to Zhao Yanzhou and told him to go down first.
In the main hall, after Xiao Yu and the others had finished discussing the matter, she had just served the medicine and fell asleep. At this moment, the doors and windows were closed, and there was no sound.
In order to improve his self-cultivation, the Imperial Physician ordered a few soothing herbs to be added to the decoction. After drinking it, he became extremely drowsy in the past few days.
Chu Ning glanced at the time, leaving two trusted maids to pay attention to the movement of Wanchun Hall, and he took Cuihe out of the Dragon Gate, still following the Qianbu Corridor all the way to the direction of Shanshui Pond.
Under the twilight, the entire back garden was shrouded in a layer of slightly cold mist, cold and lonely. Only when the palace people lit the palace lanterns along the road did they brighten the dull atmosphere.
In the pavilion by the pool, Xiao Kezhi, who was wearing a filial robe, stood alone by the Langan with his hands behind his back. The tea on the table was faintly hot.
When Chu Ning saw the figure from a distance, he knew that he didn't come in vain.
After the funeral, she let Cui He keep an eye on the back garden, and only then did she find out Xiao Kezhi's whereabouts.
He seemed to love the grey wolf named Vimalakirti very much. He would bring it to the backyard in person every one or two days, and every time he came, he would stay in this pavilion for a while to drink a cup or two. Tea, only to return to the Nectar Hall.
She came here today, naturally it was the right time.
"His Royal Highness." Liu Kang, who was standing outside the pavilion, was surprised when she saw her approaching, and hurriedly bowed and saluted.
After Chu Ning nodded and greeted him, he walked to the foot of the pavilion, and Chong had turned around to look at his Xiao Kezhi saluting.
This time, Xiao Kezhi didn't step up to help her, but walked to the stone table and sat down, put one hand on the table, bent his knuckles and tapped lightly, making a faint "um" sound, neither letting her get up nor letting her get up. let her in.
Chuning paused for a moment, then slowly stood up straight, stepped up the steps boldly, and walked beside him.
Liu Kang watched silently from the side, feeling strange in his heart. But the matter of the Son of Heaven is by no means something that others can talk about. After hesitating for a moment, he winked at the other servants beside him, and they quietly retreated a few steps away, turned away, turned their backs to the pavilion, and looked away.
There were only two people left in the pavilion, but both of them were extremely patient, one stood and the other sat, and neither made a sound.
Xiao Kezhi held the teacup and lowered his eyes, while looking at the clear tea soup in the cup, he took a sip.
Chu Ning's eyes also fell on the teacup in his hand, waiting quietly until the bottom of the tea soup, then he took a step closer, stopped half a step away from him, bent down, and nourished the slender body with honey. Soft catkin stretched out from his sleeve, and caressed his generous big hand like nothing.
The delicate fragrance on the beauty and the soft and warm touch on her hands made Xiao Kezhi's eyebrows jump, grabbed her wrist suddenly, and looked up at her carefully: "What do you want to do?"
Chu Ning fell forward by his grasp, and fell on half of his shoulders.
Two pieces of filial piety clothes of different shapes were stuck together, and there was a rustling sound between the friction, which made the atmosphere in the pavilion, which was originally shrouded in the autumn cold, intensified.
She stared at his deep eyes, her lips showed the gentle and submissive smile of her niece when she faced the elders, the other hand that was not grasped gently passed his Adam's apple, resting on his other shoulder for support own.
Xiao Kezhi gritted his teeth, the blue veins on his forehead were looming, and his eyes narrowed slightly, staring at her like a wolf without blinking.
"Last time, when my niece poured tea for His Majesty, I was very negligent. Today, when I met you by chance, my niece wanted to make amends to His Majesty, and then pour a cup of hot tea for His Majesty."
After she said that, she pushed her hands slightly and left his arms, stood up straight again, held up the teapot and waited with a smile.
Xiao Kezhi didn't move, staring at her for a moment before slowly putting the teacup back on the table.
The warm tea in the pot was slowly poured into the cup, and Chu Ning held both sides of the cup with both hands and offered it respectfully, "Please drink tea, Your Majesty."
At the time of the handover, she was still respectful and respectful, and she didn't act in the slightest way, and even her eyes fell on the ground consciously, not looking at him.
The two of them seemed to return to their normal elders and juniors at once.
"How are you, Prince, these few days?" Xiao Kezhi just took a sip of the cup of tea and put it back on the table without touching it again.
"Thank you Your Majesty for your concern, His Royal Highness has recovered a lot after many days of rest." Chu Ning stood by and replied softly.
"Is the prince bad for you?"
His tone was calm and incomprehensible, but Chu Ning immediately reacted to what he meant.
She didn't answer directly, but threw the words back: "Your Majesty thinks that the prince is good to his niece?"
Xiao Kezhi pondered for a moment, did not answer directly, only said: "I only heard that the prince insisted on marrying you at the beginning, and won the praise of many court officials. Since the two of you have been married for two years, the prince has always been by your side only you."
After listening carefully, she couldn't help but chuckle.
She had heard these words many times in the past two years. Everyone said she was lucky, everyone thought she should give up on Xiao Yu, even she herself almost believed it.
But no one mentioned how much benefit Xiao Yu got from marrying her. Even if he later covered up crimes for people like Hou Tongyi, as long as she was the daughter of a criminal minister, people still thought he was a loyal and treacherous person. the merciful prince.
"His Majesty heard these rumors. Could it be that he, like others, felt that the prince married me because he had a great kindness for me. I should be grateful to Dade for the rest of my life?"
"Shouldn't it be?" Xiao Kezhi raised his eyebrows and looked at her.
Chu Ning slowly put away his smile, and a stubborn expression appeared on his originally gentle face: "He did save me, but I don't owe him anything. Whether he treats me well or not is only clear to me and him. It's up to others to guess."
In fact, she held back a lot of grievances and had nowhere to vent, but she knew that this was not a good time.
She didn't know what Xiao Kezhi was like, and what she knew before was just hearsay. At this time, she can't vent her emotions willfully, and she can't directly tell Xiao Yu's death of her father and deceive her, but she should leave room to find out his attitude, and then slowly figure it out.
Xiao Kezhi didn't make a decision, just frowned at her and said slowly, "You are very different from your father."
Chu Ning didn't understand what he meant for a while, and could only guess secretly.
Her father, Chu Qianyu, has always been known for being fair, honest, magnanimous and tenacious. Even if he was later convicted, few people slandered him. What he said was different. Could it be that he accused her of not inheriting her father's upright and unyielding character
She paused for a moment, a layer of grievance and wetness poured out of her eyes, and her voice also brought vulnerability: "If it's the same, how can I live today?"
When she was still in the boudoir, she was also a seemingly weak and submissive little lady, but she was actually a reserved and arrogant little lady. If there were no later changes, she would never have understood that in the face of life, all dignity and pride were nothing.
Xiao Kezhi's eyes flickered as he looked at her, and his heart beat for a while.
Seeing that he didn't speak any more, Chu Ning was hesitating whether to leave first, when he caught a glimpse of a gray shadow quickly jumping into the pavilion, and then, a sturdy gray wolf came to her legs.
The half-human-high Vimo raised his head and stared at her with those frightening eyes, slowly revealing his sharp teeth and claws.
Her scalp went numb for a while, and she stepped back abruptly, but it happened to crash into a broad and solid embrace.
Xiao Ke subconsciously stretched out his hand to hold her shoulders, but did not push her away directly, looking from a distance, it seemed like he was holding her from behind.
Chu Ning's head rested on his chest, and she could just feel the strong heartbeat, which made her slowly relax.
When Wei Mo saw Xiao Kezhi, he didn't come any closer. He just looked up at the two of them, as if he didn't know what to do.
"Everyone—" Liu Kang had been looking at Vimalakirti who was running from far and near. At this time, he turned his head to see the two people in the pavilion, and couldn't help shaking and calling out.
Xiao Kezhi's face did not change, the hand holding Chu Ning's shoulders naturally dropped, and he beckoned to Weimo: "Go back."
After all, don't stay any longer, and stride away.