In the twelfth lunar month of winter, I don’t know where the days of bleak autumn wind have gone. It was winter, and Qi Yan put on his big velvet robe, which Feng Lin had given him when he was 'favored'. It was said that he was the only one in the entire palace who had such an honor.
I have put up a small shed in my small vegetable garden to avoid freezing the sprouts that are just about to emerge.
It has been half a year since he fell out of favor, but Qi Yan is living quite comfortably here, and his daily life is enjoyable. Feng Lin probably had too many things to do in court and had no time to worry about him and Qi Yan, so he didn't talk to Qi Yan for several days.
On New Year's Eve, Qi Yan was nesting in his small side hall and preparing to go to bed early, but he heard Xiao Anzi coming.
"Brother Qi, the emperor has asked you to come over." Xiao Anzi smiled and narrowed his eyes: "Let me just say, the emperor cannot forget my brother."
Xiao Anzi is a good person. Even if others laugh at Qi Yan, he will not laugh at him because he clearly knows how many times the emperor has called him Qi Yan...
The emperor summoned him and he couldn't sleep anymore. He dressed neatly and put on his clothes and went out. His small side hall is located in the Yangxin Hall. The Yangxin Hall is very large, with one main hall, three side halls and six side halls. The side hall where Qi Yan lives is the smallest.
Originally, Feng Lin was not prepared to give him such a small side hall, but Qi Yan was still afraid of the public opinion in Youyou, so he asked for permission to go to this small side hall.
When we arrived at the Yangxin Hall, the reunion banquet had already ended, and the light of candles was burning in the Yangxin Hall, jumping on the paper windows.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Qi has been brought to you." At the door, Xiao Anzi shouted inside.
A few seconds later, Feng Lin's low and hoarse voice sounded: "Let him in!"
Xiao Anzi narrowed his eyes and smiled at Qi Yan. Qi Yan nodded and strode in with his chest high.
The hall still smelled of ambergris as always, but Qi Yan shrugged the tip of his nose and could smell a trace of alcohol in it.
"Your Majesty?" Qi Yan called out, and a voice came from the dormitory. Qi Yan composed himself and knelt down at the door of the dormitory: "Slave Qi Yan, please see the Emperor."
There was a soft cry from inside, and it took a long time before I heard the voice: "Come in."
Qi Yan pursed his lips and walked in. The smell of alcohol around him became even stronger. Qi Yan raised his eyes and saw Feng Lin leaning on the edge of the bed, his cheeks slightly red, and he was looking at Qi Yan who was leaning over with half-squinted eyes.
Looking at each other, Qi Yan lowered his eyes calmly and said respectfully: "The emperor is drunk, and those servants don't serve the emperor well. I will go and get some sobering soup for the emperor first."
"Are you blaming me?" Feng Lin's voice was as abrupt as a kite, and then as melodious as it was raised.
Qi Yan quickly knelt down and said, "I don't dare."
"You call me my slave?" Feng Lin's voice was slightly raised, revealing deep shock and confusion, even a little sad: "Qi Yan, do you really want to be like this with me for the rest of your life?"
Qi Yan sighed softly and got up from the ground: "Your Majesty, you are drunk."
"I'm not drunk!" Feng Lin shouted, "I didn't even drink a few glasses of wine today, how could I be drunk?" It was just that I was drunk.
Qi Yan sighed again and walked towards the bed under the dim light.
"Your Majesty, have a cup of tea." Qi Yan poured a cup of tea at the table, turned around and handed it to Feng Lin: "After drinking wine, your stomach should feel uncomfortable."
Feng Lin took the tea and suddenly laughed sarcastically: "You know everything that even the queen doesn't know."
Qi Yan pursed his lips and said nothing. Feng Lin's appetite was not very good, and he usually ate food to warm and nourish his stomach. To his stomach, the spicy food was like a violent storm passing over the grass, which was pitiful and destructive.
Although Feng Lin was not happy, he could not stay away from alcohol. Whether it is an envoy from another country, or a family or state banquet, as the host, he must drink. Who would know the bitterness and discomfort at that time
However, Qi Yan knew about it. When Qi Yan was here, he would always prepare some warm tea and stomach-building pastries for him to eat. After it was replaced by Xiao Anzi, he didn't know it, and there was no more.
"The emperor can give orders to Xiao Anzi, after all..." I can't stay with you forever.
The matter of stomach cold was not something that needed to be hidden, it was just that Qi Yan had understood it before, so Feng Lin saved the effort to talk about it. Instead of Qi Yan making preparations now, he could have asked Xiao Anzi to prepare, but Feng Lin didn't have any orders...
Somehow, I felt that this was a secret between the two of them, and only the two of them knew it.
Feng Lin didn't speak. He drank warm tea and leaned tiredly on the bed for a long time before standing up.
"That's all, wait for me to undress and take a bath."
The maid had already prepared bath water. Qi Yan undressed Feng Lin. When taking off his inner clothes, his movements were a little unnatural.
Feng Lin could feel his posture, and it wasn't until he got into the tub that Feng Lin asked, "Qi Yan, what's wrong with you?"
Qi Yan pursed his lips, and after a while he said calmly: "Your Majesty... I have an unkind request."
"You should have told me earlier." Feng Lin said with a hint of joy on his face: "Tell me, how can I not care about your affairs?"
"I want to go to the palace and work as an errand."
The smile on Feng Lin's face suddenly froze.
Where is the palace? Although it was not far from the palace, it was the place where the emperor stayed when he was on tour. If Feng Lin didn't go on tour, he might never see Qi Yan again in his life.
"Is this what you want me to help with?!" Feng Lin's voice suddenly raised: "Qi Yan, do you think too highly of yourself?!"
"Your Majesty, this servant has unethical thoughts in his heart. In this palace, I'm afraid he has the intention but not the strength." Qi Yan explained lightly, without telling him what the 'unethical thoughts' were or who the object was. who.
Feng Lin's eyes suddenly widened. His friend was now in emotional distress.
"That's not right, that's not right..."
"Your Majesty, if you still regard Qi Yan as a friend, please accept it!"
"Qi Yan, if you really have someone you like and I'm here, why are you afraid of being unethical-" Feng Lin's voice suddenly paused, and then he murmured in disbelief: "Could it be that she's not my concubine?!"
"No way!" Qi Yan was convinced by Feng Lin's idea: "She is not the emperor's concubine. This is unethical and unethical in the world, nothing else." Qi Yan sighed and stood up as if helpless. Give Feng Lin a back rub.
"Your Majesty, I may have fallen in love with a man."
A hint of unconscious sharpness flashed between Feng Lin's brows: "Man?"
"Yes, a man." Qi Yan thought to himself: "I want to spend a lifetime with him. For no other reason than just painting and admiring flowers every day. There are so many paradises in the world, where can't we go?"
"But I don't know his thoughts, and I don't dare to guess."
"If that's really the case, it's better to leave first. So as not to make others laugh when the incident comes to light."
…
Feng Lin listened quietly, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in his heart.
Qi Yan fell in love with a man right under his nose...and he didn't know it yet