Shui Xiang walked up behind the consular eunuch, Yan Xun stretched out his right hand and placed it flat on the desk. Shui Xiang knelt down, the veil covered most of his face, and his bangs hung down, even covering his eyes. She lowered her head, her gaze was like water, and it seemed that a dark snowstorm had blown up on the bottom layer where no one could see. It was the same hand, slender and pale, the pads of the fingers were covered with calluses from holding knives and bows for many years, a large part of the little finger was broken, and the new flesh became rough after years of polishing, with a hideous and ugly appearance. scars.
She was only slightly stunned for a moment, then withdrew her senses, put her fingers on the emperor's pulse, and diagnosed him. Yan Xun couldn't help but glanced at her, most doctors would be stunned when they saw his hand suddenly, but this one adjusted his mind so quickly, he is a smart person.
Shui Xiang took a step back silently after checking the pulse, lowered his head and said: "The emperor's illness is not serious, but he is overworked and lacks sleep. The poor nun will prescribe a medicine later. The emperor has drunk it, and pay more attention to rest. Naturally it will be fine."
Her voice was deep and hoarse, it didn't sound like it came from her mouth at all, Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at her indifferently, and said: "Is your voice born like this?"
Shui Xiang said: "Reporting to the emperor, the poor nun suffered a fire at home when he was young, and his throat was damaged by the smoke."
Yan Xun stopped talking, turned his gaze on her face, and then lowered it again. At this time, a servant outside the hall came in to deliver the memorial, and the cold wind suddenly blew in, Yan Xun frowned slightly, and subconsciously exerted some force on the fingers pressing on his temple.
Seeing this, Shui Xiang said: "The poor nun also has a set of massage techniques that can relieve headaches. I wonder if the emperor wants to try it?"
The candles in the hall became brighter and brighter, the sun set outside the window, and the twilight fell, time passed slowly, and Yan Xun's eyes were like snow falling all over the place. He looked at Shui Xiang, his eyes were vaguely filled with deep meaning, he was silent for a moment, nodded and said: "Okay."
Shui Xiang walked steadily behind him, stretched out a pair of white hands, and pressed them on his forehead. Her fingers were icy cold, and the first touch was like the cold snow on the top of a mountain, it was so cold that it made one's heart tremble. Yan Xun looked calm, feeling her nimble and strong fingers pressing on his head, the headache really eased a bit. Then he closed his eyes slightly, and asked casually, "Is your master Master Jingyue?"
Shui Xiang replied in a low voice: "Yes."
"How many years have you been in the capital?"
Shui Xiang said: "It's been five years."
Yan Xun raised the corner of his mouth, but there was no smile in his eyes, and said lightly, "Where did you come from before?"
With a calm voice, Shui Xiang lowered his head and replied, "Minzhou native."
Yan Xun frowned slightly, clenched his hands into fists, coughed lightly, and said, "Your imperial capital speaks well."
Shui Xiang responded with a low voice, but stopped talking. The hall was ridiculously large, and a gust of wind blew from nowhere, light and fragrant. Shui Xiang looked at the person in front of her with a calm gaze. Even though she was looking at the back, even though she hadn't raised her head since entering the hall, she could still imagine what that person looked like. Yes, it must be like this, narrow eyes, deep gaze, high nose bridge, thin lips, even the color of the lips is extremely light, always pursed like that, as if dismissive of anyone. How long ago was that, Shui Xiang stood there, but her memory traveled across mountains and seas and returned to that past era. She hid behind a group of brothers, was held tightly by the nanny, looked through the gap between the crowd, and saw The boy came from a distance. The other little princes and princes were crying and fussing, even the quiet ones had red and swollen eyes, and they were sent in reluctantly. Only he, with bright eyes and a calm smile, had no fear of leaving his hometown and becoming a hostage at all. Seeing himself in the crowd staring at him stupidly, he winked mischievously at himself.
Since then, it has been a series of bright days, the palace is so big and there are so many people, but my eyes can only see him from now on. At that time, she was still so young, but the threshold in the palace was so high, almost higher than her calves. Every day, she ran from palace gate to palace gate, sweating profusely from running, just to hide in Shangwu. peeking at him from outside the door of the hall...
However, those days are finally over.
Shui Xiang silently, slowly, and deeply took a breath. In his mind, the fall of mountains and rivers of swords and fires, the gold and iron horses fighting and conquering, and the struggle of shame and darkness, finally, everything dissipated, leaving only Look at the back in front of you, this man who has been as tall and straight as iron from the beginning to the end.
Shui Xiang's right hand pressed his forehead, his neck, his shoulder, and his back, as if he had pressed her whole life of wandering. She looked at him, seeing the man she had chased, loved, and hated for half her life, and even ruined her entire life, her heart was beating violently, as if it was about to jump out of her mouth. That's it, what else can I do, isn't this the best? She endured the struggle, endured all the humiliation, suffering, and torture. Isn't this moment what she was waiting for
There was a flash of sharpness in her eyes, and with a flick of her wrist, a soft silver light slipped from her sleeve to her palm!
Yan Xun's quiet eyes flickered slightly, his eyes were deep, as if he saw through something instantly.
At this time, the maid in plain palace attire came over with white charcoal to add fire to the incense burner behind the screen. Yan Xun moved his feet, stepped on the carpet, suddenly exerted force, and immediately heard the palace maid screamed and dumped to this side, and the pot of white charcoal in her hand poured down towards Yan Xun and Shui Xiang!
In an instant, the exclamations and screams of the palace people rang out together, Shui Xiang was also shocked by this sudden change, and Yan Xun took advantage of this opportunity to float away.
"Quick! Come quickly!" The consular eunuch turned pale with fright, and rushed to Yan Xun's side in a panic, shaking Yan Xun's clothes up and down in a panic, for fear that he would burn the slightest bit.
And that palace maid had already rolled her eyelids and fainted from fright, and the guards rushed in to hold her down, for fear that this "assassin" would do anything else.
Although the empire has gradually become peaceful over the years, there has never been a shortage of such assassins in Emperor Yan's palace. Whether it is the remnants of the former dynasty who were unwilling, or the followers of the great guild who have fallen and hid, they have all tried again and again. Sneaked into the palace intending to assassinate.
The hall was in a mess, everyone was pale, as if they were facing an enemy, for fear of being angered by the emperor because of this incident. However, Yan Xun did not say a word from the beginning to the end, and frowned tightly, as if he was a little puzzled, a little doubtful, and even a little bit at a loss, but these did not damage his majesty, his eyes were still looking at that person coldly, It seemed to penetrate the broken hair on her forehead, penetrate her thick veil, and look into her heart.
The consular eunuch followed his gaze and suddenly saw Shui Xiang.
The guards were busy dealing with the assassins, summoning the imperial physician, and protecting the emperor, but she was the only one still standing there, with pale skin and blank eyes, like a wandering ghost, with no trace of blood on her face. The clothes on her back were scalded, and her neck was also red, but these were not the most important. The most important thing is that she still has her arms crossed, blocking there like a scarecrow. The clothes on her arms have been burned, and there is a big red fire.
"Ah!" the consular eunuch shouted, "Hurry up and save people!"
A bucket of water was poured on her with a splash, her clothes were messed up, and her arms were severely burned. Several palace people rushed to help her, and the consul eunuch hurriedly said: "Hurry up and help Master Shuixiang to the side hall." Go, hurry up and call the imperial physician."
The maids agreed, and helped her to go out.
"stop."
He suddenly opened his mouth and shouted, the voice was extremely cold, like burnt incense ash, mixed with astringent gloom, lifted layers of gorgeous and luxurious brocade curtains, and reached her ears. Outside the window, the wind and rain were desolate, and the rain slid across the tile eaves, making a tick-tock sound, reflecting his quiet ending, echoing clearly in the empty hall.
"You... turn around."
The light in the room was dim, and it seemed to be a little strangely red, and the bright yellow arm-length candle was quietly burning, sprinkling the light on Yan Xun's slender and straight back. The golden thread on the skirt was shining, the dragon's claws were ferocious, and it seemed as if it was about to break through the black brocade and fly away. He frowned, and in his ears, he could only hear the thunder rolling from the sky, so far away and yet so close.
Shui Xiang stood there, but it seemed that he couldn't hear anything. The world was terribly empty, and everything in front of him became ethereal. All these years of bearing the burden of humiliation, narrow escapes, running away like a bereaved dog, planning, and the loneliness and pain every night came, suddenly turned into a pool of cold ashes, without any heat. She lowered her head and looked at the brocade tulle, which was like a cloud of mist, was held by the jade, double phoenix, green and gold hooks. The wind blew and fluttered lightly, like rootless duckweed, just like her. , this life, this life, has never been truly held in my own hands.
That's it, she moved the corner of her mouth, but she couldn't even pull out a wry smile.
So be it, what else? After all, it is so useless, so stupid, and so despicable!
She clenched her lower lip tightly, almost tearing her lip. She didn't know what she was thinking at that moment, why the needle couldn't go through, and she stretched out her hands in front of her like a demon.
Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind? Bewitched
Still, still... still have that disgusting thought in my heart, which I can't forget for ten or twenty years
She suddenly wanted to cry, she really wanted to cry desperately, to cry out all these years of suffering, these years of tiredness, these years of pain and shame, so that she would no longer cringe and struggle in nightmares every night. But since when have these eyes been dry? Is it the day you fled from the defeat? Or the day when Cheng Huan was humiliated under that old man? Or was it the moment when the beasts tore their clothes apart
Or, was it that night many, many years ago, when she was wearing a bright red wedding dress, knelt in the night sky filled with fire, and watched the two men riding horses, rushing out of the Zhenhuang City Gate hand in hand