After the weather turned cold, Zong Ziheng was busy working in his orchid garden for several days. He wanted to prepare for the winter for his flower beauties.
The winter in daimyo is very cold, and many flower species are naturally delicate and afraid of the cold. If the roots are not protected, they will not survive the long winter. Some need to be moved indoors with the roots, and then planted back into the soil in the next year, while others need to be covered with quilts and layer after layer of hay to keep warm.
Zong Ruoning, Zong Ziheng's third younger sister, also loves flowers, and would help take care of them on weekdays, and she will come to help this year as well.
But Zong Zixiao has never been so leisurely and carefree, but he still wants to cling to his elder brother, so he practices his sword at the side.
"Ruoning, touch your hands carefully."
"It's okay, a swordsman cares about whether his hands are delicate or not?" Zong Ruoning said bluntly.
Zong Ziheng smiled and said: "I was afraid that you would hurt your hand, so I was lazy and didn't practice swords."
Zong Ruoning pouted: "Brother, why do you say that about me? I'm not lazy." She looked back at Zong Zixiao, "The ninth brother loves being lazy the most."
"I don't have it, just ask elder brother, how often have I been lazy in the past three years." Zong Zixiao said unconvinced.
"Well, Xiao Jiu is much more sensible now."
"It's not because elder brother is looking at you." Zong Ruoning said, "Stop practicing, take a break and come over to do some work."
"Are you letting me rest, or let me work?"
"Nonsense, do whatever my sister tells you to do."
Zong Zixiao snorted softly, put down his sword, and came to help him, but he was dishonest after a while, rubbing dirt on Zong Ruoning's face, and the siblings started arguing.
"Okay, you two." Zong Ziheng scolded with a smile, "Xiao Jiu, don't make trouble with your sister, Ruoning, you are about to get married, why are you still acting like a child."
"He did it first." Zong Ruoning said sullenly, "Besides, I'm not the one who wants to marry."
"Third sister, since you don't want to, why do you want to marry?"
"You do not understand."
"I'm asking you because I don't understand."
Zong Ziheng looked at his smart and cute younger sister, and felt very reluctant: "Wuling is not far from Daming, elder brother will visit you often."
Zong Ruoning had a marriage contract with the son of the head of Wuyun Sect when she was very young. She is now an adult and will marry after the new year.
People in Xianmen are different from ordinary people, because most of them are young and long-lived, not in a hurry to get married, and they are obsessed with cultivating Taoism all their lives. The home is so easy to manipulate.
It's a pity that they were born in the emperor's family, and under the pressure of too many forces, sometimes they are not as free as ordinary people.
"But I have never left my mother, I have never left my mother, I..." Zong Ruoning glanced at Zong Ziheng anxiously, "Brother, I'm a little scared."
Zong Ziheng gently stroked her hair: "Don't be afraid, Mr. Xue is young and promising, he is a good-looking talent, he is very suitable for you, you will be happy."
Zong Zixiao also said: "Third sister, if he dares to bully you, brother and I will beat him to pieces."
Zong Ruoning chuckled.
A servant suddenly ran into Lan Yuan in a hurry: "Your Highness, Your Highness."
"What's wrong?"
"Concubine Shen is losing her temper in Qinghui Pavilion, go and have a look."
Zong Ziheng put down the shovel in his hand, wiped his hands hastily: "You guys play on your own, elder brother will go first." He ran towards Qinghui Pavilion with his long legs.
Zong Ruoning and Zong Zixiao looked at each other.
As soon as I walked into the courtyard, I heard a crisp sound from inside, like the sound of porcelain breaking.
"Mother." Zong Ziheng rushed into the Qinghui Pavilion, and saw several maids and servants kneeling on the ground, not daring to breathe, and Shen Shiyao smashed vases, tea sets, fish tanks, bonsai, etc. on the ground.
"Mother, what's the matter?!" Zong Ziheng waved his hand, telling the servants to go down.
Shen Shiyao turned her back to Zongzi Heng, her slender shoulders heaved violently, obviously furious.
Zong Ziheng walked over with light steps, holding her shoulder carefully.
Shen Shiyao turned around, her eyes were red, and her pupils were covered with bloodshot eyes, her originally soft and beautiful face was now full of resentment and cruelty.
Zong Ziheng was taken aback. He had never seen such a mother. Although his mother was a little jealous, it was understandable. Most of the time, she was gentle and loving.
"You are..."
Shen Shiyao grabbed Zong Ziheng's hand, looked at the mud between his fingers that was too late to wash off, and said coldly: "You went to tend the flowers and plants again."
"..."
"A dignified prince, why does he like to do these servant jobs?"
The eldest son Heng said helplessly: "Mother, reciting the wind and the moon, enjoying the flowers and plants are all elegant things for self-cultivation."
"You are a cultivator, if you don't spend your time on cultivation, it's just a waste of time to do these things!" Shen Shiyao stared at Zongzi Heng, "Your ninth younger brother is in the limelight now, and in a few years, he may be in the Above you, why don't you know how to worry at all!"
Zong Ziheng was speechless.
"Zong Zimo has the position of the heir apparent and has powerful relatives, Zong Zixiao has great talent and is loved by the emperor, what about you? What do you have?" Shen Shiyao's delicate face was almost distorted, "You have nothing!"
Zong Ziheng pressed Shen Shiyao's shoulder, and said softly: "Mother, what's wrong with you, who made you angry?"
Shen Shiyao had tears in her eyes.
"A son doesn't have nothing, a son has a mother." Zong Ziheng gently wiped away Shen Shiyao's tears that were about to break out of the frame.
Shen Shiyao choked up and said, "The head of the Huaying faction sent someone to ask for a marriage proposal. It was you, but that bastard Li Xiangtong said that Zong Zimo and the daughter of the Hua family met at the Jiaolong meeting, and he never forgets it."
Zong Ziheng was stunned for a moment, then slowly frowned: "Does the second younger brother really like Hua Qianjin, or..."
"If he really likes it, why did he ignore it for three years?! Li Xiangtong just can't see you!" Shen Shiyao shouted sharply, "She wants to rob me of everything, she robs my husband, robs me Take my throne, take your throne, and now even your wife is going to take it!"
"Mother, please keep your voice down, please calm down." Zong Ziheng broke out in a cold sweat. Although this was their bedroom, he was really afraid that the walls had ears.
"How do you tell me to be calm?" Shen Shiyao gritted her teeth, "Don't you understand? Getting married to the Huaying faction is your only chance. Are you willing to do nothing for the rest of your life? You have already missed the Jiaolong meeting, and you must not miss this marriage. !"
"Mother, a person's achievement ultimately lies with himself. Even if I am not the son of Emperor Zong, as long as I devote myself to cultivation, I will definitely have a place in the world of immortality."
"You said it lightly, have you forgotten that you have a younger brother whose talent is not inferior to yours?"
The eldest son Heng is like a stick in his throat.
"You have cultivated him well, but have you ever imagined that one day he won the first prize at the Flood Dragon Meeting, and won the divine sword quenched by Shennong, and you will live under his shadow for the rest of your life?"
Shen Shiyao had expressed her fear of Zong Zixiao overtly and secretly more than once. He didn't want to contradict his mother, but he never took it to heart.
The eldest son Heng sighed: "Mother, why do my ninth brother and I insist on comparing each other? Wouldn't the two of us be stronger together?"
"You... how could you be so stupid!" Shen Shiyao was so angry that she pushed Zong Ziheng away fiercely, "You think you have deep brotherly love, does the emperor treat you equally? Weapons, magic weapons, elixir, cave, these things he gave you before Will it be given to you in the future? You will have nothing in the end! I want you to marry a daughter of a famous family, am I trying to harm you?!"
Zong Ziheng pursed his lips, feeling uncomfortable in his heart, he whispered: "It's not that the son doesn't understand mother's painstaking efforts, it's just..."
Shen Shiyao firmly grabbed Zong Ziheng's arm again, glared at him and said, "Listen well, although Li Xiangtong intervened, Hua Qianjin might not like Zong Zimo's trash, the emperor also knows what kind of virtue his son-in-law is. , so hesitating. At the Flood Dragon Meeting next year, you have to take the initiative and let Hua Qianjin not marry unless you are."
"This, the son doesn't know how to get along with the girl."
"Are you stupid? You have traveled around the palace several times, and you can't even find a woman?"
Zong Ziheng was embarrassed.
"It doesn't matter." Shen Shiyao stroked the face of the eldest son Heng, "Mother gave birth to you so beautifully, any girl would like you, remember, I don't care what method you use, you must marry Hua Qianjin."
Shen Shiyao was exhausted from the quarrel, and was helped into the house by Zongzi Heng to rest. After guarding her to fall asleep, Zong Ziheng came out with a solemn expression.
His mind was still in a mess, and when he looked up, he saw Zong Zixiao leaning on the doorpost, his childish face was a little cold.
Zong Ziheng was startled, Zong Zixiao was already able to hide his aura, and he didn't know when he came and how much he heard.
Zong Zixiao said coldly: "Concubine Shen wants you to pursue Hua Qianjin."
Zongzi Heng nodded dumbly.
"So are you really going to do it?"
"...Brother is very confused, you go back."
"Why?" Zong Zixiao asked viciously.
The sentence "why" contains too many questions.
"Don't ask why, some questions can only be understood when you grow up, and some questions may not be understood in your life." Zong Ziheng's voice was very low, and there were many "whys" in his heart, but there was no one who could ask them calmly. .
He thinks that many of Shen Shiyao's ideas are inappropriate. He doesn't want to compete with his younger brother for favor, and he doesn't want to live in competition and calculation all day long. I am imprisoned here, whether it is body or mind, he has seen the rivers and lakes, and he knows that only the sky is high and the sea is wide can let the birds fly. How can a man be depressed here.
But his mother was already bound by this deep palace, and he couldn't blame her for being narrow-minded, because he knew that she had suffered too much and couldn't dispel the hatred and grievance in her heart. He feels sorry for his mother.
Zong Ziheng's eyes changed, he passed Zong Zixiao and walked outside.
"Brother, where are you going?"
"Go to your second brother."