Pick all the cold branches

It's not that he hasn't tried to escape again.

On the day when the Tatars retreated, colorful flags and drums shook the sky in the city of Yingzhou.

Zhen Xian quietly blended into the sea of ​​people who were immersed in the ecstasy of the great victory and had no time to pay attention to others, and walked to the Cihang Temple in the south of the city alone.

He originally planned to take refuge in this Taoist temple for a while, and wait for the Second Highness to send someone looking for him to chase him out of Yingzhou City, and then pretend to be a scholar who is studying and practicing, and sneak out of the city.

It's just that when he got to the gate of the Taoist temple, Tong Qian was already waiting there.

"My lord still has military affairs and I can't get away. I knew you were going to run away again, and I have been here to wait for you for a long time." Tong Duwei twisted Zhen Xian's arm with one hand, and he grabbed him like a chicken, and he fell asleep. Tucked into the carriage prepared in advance.He pressed Zhen Xian on the soft seat, seemed very angry but also seemed to be so angry that he laughed, "My lord is not that little tartar prince to let you fool me casually. I told you earlier, this matter is not up to you! "

Zhen Xian was stunned for a long time, then smiled wryly.

"Captain Tong doesn't know—"

"I don't know anything." Tong Qian interrupted him, took a deep look at him, and said quietly: "I have entered Prince Jing's Mansion since Yongfu three years ago."

The third year of Yongfu was the year when Jiafei left the imperial mausoleum and conferred the title of King Jing.

Tong Qian was saying that he followed His Royal Highness King Jing from the beginning of the establishment of the palace.And he was not appointed by the emperor.But as far as Zhen Xian can remember, seven years ago, there was no such person as Tong Qian.Therefore, Tong Qian must be Jia Fei's confidant who was taken under his command during the three years of his filial piety in the imperial mausoleum.

What happened in those three years and what it meant to the Second Highness.Zhen Xian had no way of knowing, and never dared to speculate.But there is no need to speculate and he knows that it will be three years of extreme suffering.It was more lonely than the time when the emperor was imprisoned in the Yonghe Palace.

But at such a difficult time, he left His Highness and left.

Like a shameful coward.

Zhen Xian took a deep breath in desperation, suppressed the soreness in the corners of his eyes and the trembling of his fingertips, and tidied up his scattered thoughts.

His Majesty's filial piety in the imperial mausoleum began with the fifth son of the emperor.

Tong Qian said this to him to hint at him.

"Tong Duwei used to...could it be Jinyiwei?" Zhen Xian secretly clenched his fists.

"That's right," Tong Qian saw that he had guessed right, and he didn't hide it, so he said openly: "Yuqing and I—together with the entire Prince Jing's guard, we used to be members of Jinyiwei. King Zhuangmin has no time. , Dongchang took the opportunity to attack, and wanted to use this to purge Jinyiwei and fight for power, it was the prince who saved our lives."

A few words, but what was said was a life and death fight in a bloody storm.

Zhen Xian was in a trance for a while.

He heard Tong Qian ask him: "Mr. Zhen, Tong Qian is a warrior, so I don't understand your thoughts. But the prince has the talent to rejuvenate the country, and he is the best choice for the Ming Lord. He treats you with sincerity and will never change. What is there to escape?" The anxiety in the voice seemed to be questioning.

Zhen Xian held his breath for a long time until he was almost suffocated, finally he could only sigh.

"That's why I said, you don't know."

Naturally, he couldn't know it before childhood.

No one knows the truth about the catastrophe in Beijing seven years ago... The person who killed the Fifth Prince was not King Jing Jiafei in the rumors, nor anyone else, but him, Zhen Xian.

There is a cause and an effect.In this way, it is naturally him, Zhen Xian, who implicated those Jin Yiwei who died innocently or nearly died.

Zhen Xian lowered his head in panic, not wanting Tong Qian to see the sudden collapse of guilt in his eyes.

He closed his eyes and pursed his lips, unwilling to say another word.Tong Qian didn't ask any more questions.

The two walked together in silence, and then returned to Yingzhou Camp.

After entering the barracks, Zhen Xian saw the hot air rising from behind the screen.

There are also two maids standing with nodding heads.

"His Royal Highness Prince Jing ordered the maidservants to serve Mr. Zhen to wash the dust."

Zhen Xian's throat tightened suddenly.

My heart almost jumped out at that moment.He looked around subconsciously, making sure that the man was not in any corner of the barracks.

Zhen Xian stood there suspiciously, grasping his front uneasily.

He heard the maids say in unison: "Your Highness and the four generals still have some unfinished military duties, so I ordered the maids to ask you to rest for a while, and your highness will come to visit you in a while."

As polite as a stranger.

No wonder, after all, it has been seven years... At the beginning, he was the one who wanted to leave.

An inexplicable bitterness welled up in my heart, like a rising tide.Zhen Xian insisted on pushing the two maids and Tong Qian out of the door, then turned behind the screen sadly, and took off his robes one by one.

Behind the screen, in addition to the washbasin, bathtub, and hot water, there are also pigtails, saponins, and medicinal fats, as well as replacement clothes neatly stacked aside, which is very important in the simple frontier camp. It's not easy, which shows that the people who arranged it took great pains.

Zhen Xian first untied her bun and washed her hair carefully, then repeatedly scrubbed her body with soap beans, and then sat in the bathtub and curled up around her knees.

The slightly scalding, clean water almost enveloped his whole body, and even his cheeks were flushed from the steam.The limbs and bones are warm, making people relax involuntarily.

He hasn't been able to take a good hot shower in years.

The conditions on the grasslands are harsh, and it is good to be able to wash casually in the icy cold river water, but more often, you have to rely on the oil on your body and clothes to resist the severe cold.

Sure enough, once a person is greedy for comfort, his spirit will become weak, and he will be so loose that he cannot control himself.

Dare not to look back, and can't look back, the past few years is like a nightmare, and now I wake up and finally feel scared for a while, but I am so dazed that I doubt whether it is a dream or not.

When I see the Second Highness later, what should he say...?

There is no way to talk about it.

Zhen Xian smiled wryly and shrank even more, burying his face in the water.

I don't want to think about anything, I just want to indulge in it.

Then he was suddenly grabbed by the arm and lifted out of the water.

"Xiao Xian!"

I haven't seen him for seven years, and the man's voice has a few more deep guttural sounds, and he is no longer as energetic as a young man at that time, but he still seems to be as impatient and reckless as a young man, and he is in a mess.

Zhen Xian opened his eyes in astonishment, with water stains all over his face that had not been wiped off, he saw the anxious and flustered expression on the face that came into view.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound, and just stared blankly at the person who was still holding onto him tightly.

Jia Fei was also stunned.

He forced himself to restrain his mind, and after dealing with the tedious affairs after the great war, he hurried to see his Xiaoxian, before he entered the door, but seeing Zhen Xian submerged in the water, he was immediately frightened out of his wits.

He thought that this stubborn person refused to meet him all the time, and was forced to come back and there was no escape, so he simply planned to throw himself into the "barrel" to commit suicide.

It wasn't until he fished out the person without thinking, that he realized that he was being reckless and ridiculous.

Xiaoxian is already an adult man in his twenties, not a child, how can he drown in a bathtub?

If he cared about it, it would be chaotic, and he couldn't even judge it with common sense.

After planning for a long time, I have already described countless times in my heart, what should happen to this reunion, but when it comes to things, it is so ridiculous, like a farce.

At least wait for Xiaoxian to get fully dressed after bathing, otherwise what's the point?Xiaoxian is such a "regular" person, so he has to talk about his "nonsense" several times.

Jiafei suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, couldn't help but hold his forehead and let out a wry smile, turned around and hurried to the other side of the screen.

But he heard Zhen Xian calling him behind him.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty...?"

This call, after seven years, with a lot of hesitation and timidity, it is like the first ray of wind pouring into the garden from winter to spring, the first plum blossom from the corner of the wall, and in an instant, nothing can be closed up.

Jiafei couldn't bear it anymore, turned back abruptly, picked up the person who was still in the bathtub, and hugged him whole into his arms.

The splashing water soaked the robe, but he didn't notice it, only the fresh body temperature he felt in his arms was so real that he almost shed tears.

Zhen Xian seemed to be stunned for a long time before slowly raising his hand and hugging him very gently.

This long-lost response made Jiafei tremble all over.

When he was young, Zhen Xian would hug him and play with him unscrupulously.But ever since the two of them grew up, Xiaoxian was no longer so close to him, and he no longer shared the same bed with him without any scruples like before, and even deliberately avoided him. his touch.

This inexplicably extra subtle distance made him very anxious for a time, and finally one day he couldn't bear it anymore and grabbed Zhen Xian to ask why.

He thought that he had done something wrong and offended Xiaoxian, so he got angry with him.

However, he never thought about it, but Xiaoxian was silent for a long time, and after hesitating, he lowered his head and asked him softly: "Your Highness, why...why haven't you married for so long?"

He was stunned.

For the sons and daughters of the heavenly family, the marriage is decided by the father. Which prince is the noble daughter of which family, and which princess is the man of the family are all haggling. Some things have been set since they were born, so they Brothers in the family get married earlier than ordinary people.The elder brother and Saburo both married the daughters of virtuous and virtuous cabinet ministers at the age of 15.The three emperor brothers Silang, Wulang, and Liulang were born in the same year, especially since Wulang was very troublesome since he was a child, and I don't know if his father is looking for someone to control him or what, so he chooses thousands of choices to marry Jiang Zuo early. The talented woman of the Xie family was married to Goro, and she was much older than Goro.Originally, I also wanted to wait for the year of Wulang and Shufa to order the two to marry according to the order. Unexpectedly, Wulang was restless, thinking that once he married this "wife sister", he would be covered by the king of Hades set by his father, and he would definitely not have a good life However, he changed his ways to make trouble and wanted to mess up the marriage. In the end, his father was so angry that he forced the marriage ahead of time. Goro was only 13 years old at the time.And Liu Lang's in-laws had already been arranged.If Shi Lang hadn't been born weak and sick, he didn't know how long he would live, and his personality was extremely fierce and stubborn, so he might have been arranged by his father early on.

Therefore, he, the second prince who "delayed" until the age of eighteen or nine and had not yet married, seemed particularly abrupt.

Sometimes Jiafei even felt that, to his father, these so-called "sons" were just tools, pawns to stabilize the country and stretch the country, so his father could fiddle with their lives as he wanted. No need to consult with them, no need to worry about their feelings and emotions.

He had secretly planned that if the father and the emperor gave him the daughter of a certain family, he would definitely resist to the death.Not only because of dissatisfaction with the father.He knew who he really wanted in his heart, and he didn't want to give the seat beside him to anyone else, and he didn't want any poor innocent woman to become a victim of this emotionless political marriage.

However, the father just left him alone, as if he was the only one who had forgotten him.

The Sacred Heart is unpredictable.He didn't know what was going on in his father's mind.But he felt that this was not bad, at least it saved him the trouble of fighting wits and courage with his father.

He never dreamed that Zhen Xian would ask him this.

He knew that there would be gossip in the ruling and opposition parties, and he never cared about it, and he didn't want to care what gossip those people said.And Zhen Xian is someone who never takes rumors seriously.He originally thought that Xiaoxian would not care about it just like him.

But Zhen Xian asked him: "Your Highness... Is it really because of... that you have been rejecting the Holy Majesty's will?"

He was stunned for a long time when he heard the words, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

So he explained seriously: "Father never mentioned my marriage. If there was, I would definitely tell you."

At that time, Xiaoxian stared closely at his eyes, as if carefully confirming that he was not lying, and then he stroked his chest and let out a sigh of relief.

That look fell into his eyes, suddenly it seemed that a knife had been cut in his heart, and the pain made him frown involuntarily.

"Xiaoxian, you... are you avoiding me because you are afraid of me? Are you afraid that I have unreasonable thoughts about you...?"

He will always remember the fingers bent in the palm of his hand, the nails dug into the flesh, and the pain was excruciating.

However, Zhen Xian suddenly raised his head to look at him, seemed to be startled, but also seemed to be very flustered, waved his hands again and again and said anxiously: "No, no, I..."

At that time, Xiao Xian was speechless for a long while but could not utter a single sentence. He looked like he didn't know what to say, and was almost crying. After a long time, he lowered his head and frowned, and said in a low voice, stumbling: "Of course your highness has to marry a wife and have children. If your highness is delayed because of... because of something else... then it won't work..."

He was stunned for a long time when he heard it, and finally grinned dumbfoundedly.

That day he insisted on holding Xiaoxian's hand, and repeatedly asked: "Why? If I said, I just like being with you every day like this, can't I?"

Zhen Xian was so frightened that his face turned pale, and even his face was like a paper paste. He kept shrinking and retreating until he was pressed against the wall by him, and turned his face away in panic to avoid his sight.

"His Royal Highness...will--"

Zhen Xian didn't finish that sentence.Having said that, it is treasonous.

But he knows.Xiaoxian wanted to say that he would be the emperor in the future, so he had to establish a concubine to continue the bloodline of the Tian family.

He will be the emperor in the future, and everyone around him these years has the same idea, so as to restrain his words and deeds, and he is not allowed to make mistakes in half a step.Even back then, Xiao Xian, who was sent to him at the beginning, would imitate what the adults said that he was "the hope of the future of the holy pilgrimage".

But he really doesn't care.

I don't care if I can be an emperor, I don't care if I can't be an emperor, and I don't care if I have to be an emperor.

For a long time, he has always known clearly that there are two selves in his heart, one is the second prince Jiafei that everyone wants to see, the so-called "hope for the future of the Holy Dynasty", while the other is What he wanted for himself was that he wanted to be self-willed and reckless, to burn this decadent and ugly world full of fame and fortune, and burn him clean.

He always thought that Zhen Xian was his confidant, the other half who was destined to complement his soul, and the him Xiaoxian saw in his eyes was destined to be different from ordinary people.

But now he was suddenly not sure.

"Xiaoxian, did you come back from Lingnan to look for me because I might inherit the great power in the future...?"

That day, he pressed Xiaoxian against the wall and interrogated him persistently, without realizing how fierce his face was.

Xiaoxian seemed to have been greatly frightened, and seemed to have never thought about these questions, his eyes were confused and flustered, and he was unable to answer for a long time.

But he became sad while talking to himself, let go of his hands, turned around and left.

However, Zhen Xian rushed forward and hugged him recklessly.

He heard Xiaoxian's trembling cry.

"Zhen Xian doesn't dare. Zhen Xian can't. Zhen Xian...is not worthy. Please let Zhen Xian stay by His Highness's side like this. As long as he can stay by His Highness's side, that's enough."

Such a proud person, who once dared to tell the emperor that he would rather die than give up his ambition, who once fled thousands of miles from his family without giving up, returned to the capital alone, but at this moment, this person is holding on to his belt tightly. He was trembling behind him, and he refused to show him the predictable tear stains on his face no matter what.

That was the Zhen Xian he had never seen before, so fragile, so humble, so...desperate.

That was the only time in his life that he heard Zhen Xian use the word "beg".

It was also at that moment that he suddenly realized his childishness.

The heart has something to belong to, but the mouth can't speak; the heart has something to do, but the body can't do it.If you can't ask for it, life is hard.

He has caused so much pain to the one he loves.

But even in such pain, Xiaoxian still wants to stay by his side, so what right does he have to call himself a victim of betrayal?

Obviously, he once said arrogantly that he would never let Xiaoxian suffer again, and never allow anyone to bully his Xiaoxian, but in the end, it was he himself who was so arrogant and rude and forcibly tore apart the Tao that was created because of him. Wound.

The young man who buried his face in his back at that moment made him understand so deeply: Without extreme power, there is no willful capital.

If he wants to shelter people from the wind and rain, he must have the ability to call the wind and rain.

If he wants to destroy the dead, he must stand on the top of the dead.

If he wants to be the only one by his side, standing shoulder to shoulder, and returning together hand in hand, then he must make the world respect him and fear him, not dare to look directly at him, let alone speak rashly.

If he doesn't want to be a plaything at the mercy of his father, he can't just be his "son" but must replace him.

So he wants to be the emperor, he must.

That day, it was Zhen Xian who merged the two separate selves in his heart into one.

That day he turned around and hugged Zhen Xian into his arms with all his strength, just like at this moment, but he was so sad that he couldn't say anything, almost suffocated.

The Xiaoxian in front of him is no longer the trembling young boy, but there is already a deeper scratch on the center of his brow.

That's the imprint of pain.It's the same as those scars burned all over Xiaoxian's body.It's no different.

Jia Fei is not blind, of course he can see it, Zhen Xian has too many wounds from being abused, even if they are old, scabbed and scarred, in his eyes, it is still dazzling, as if fishy blood will gush out at any time Blood.

What exactly happened to Zhen Xian when he was taken captive by the savage and vulgar Tartars, Jiafei didn't intend to ask, and didn't want to know at all.

He just hated himself for it.

Since that day, he has made up his mind, thinking that he has such a tacit understanding with Xiaoxian, and he is more and more excited.

He is not afraid to wait.He just didn't want to see Xiaoxian in such pain and embarrassment again.On the day when he can finally stand above ten thousand people, he wants the person he chooses to stand beside him in an upright manner, so that no one in this world dares to speak up again.For this, he can do anything.

It was a faintly flourishing gesture of flapping wings, and anyone with a heart could see it, there were those who were happy, those who were sad, and most of them were self-dangerous.

He wanted to climb up, so naturally someone wanted to push him down.He didn't know if there was his father among these people, but there must be his brother.

And he was no longer willing to retreat and defend with soldiers coming to block water and earth, but showed an aggressive posture of using offense as defense and killing to stop killing.

He did not invite those open and dark arrows, but it was indeed he who was the first to break the delicate balance that had been formed over the years since the death of his mother.

The Zheng party in the court criticized him one after another, saying that he was Sima Zhao's heart, that he would have to worry about Xuanwumen one day when he plotted against his brother and father, and even the people around him began to persuade him to restrain his edge and hide his strength and bide his time.

But he didn't care what those people said at all.

He only cares about Zhen Xian.

He thought that Xiao Xiandang had the same thoughts as him, but he completely forgot that the person named Zhen Xian, after a celebrity, was a gentleman with a natural integrity.

Xiaoxian is different from him.

Looking back now, he finally knows how naive the youth was at that time, but the past is dead, the water is hard to recover, the scars that have been left will never disappear, and those lost years will never come back.

If he had been more restrained and reserved back then, Xiaoxian might not have left.

What kind of pain did he make Xiaoxian suffer...

Jiafei took the handkerchief, wiped the water stains on Zhen Xian's body carefully, and couldn't help stroking the old and new scars with his fingertips.

However, Zhen Xian seemed to be frightened, his whole body froze, subconsciously curled up his body, trying to avoid those touches, and hurriedly refused: "Your Highness, I will do it myself."

It was as if it was not a finger but a sharp sword that brushed against the skin.

Jiafei's movements froze, and the brilliance in his eyes dimmed without a trace.

He persisted in grabbing Zhen Xian, carefully wiped the scarred body clean, and then with a sudden force, he hugged the whole person horizontally.

Zhen Xian immediately let out a soft cry, his face turned pale with fright, and he frowned and begged him to let go.

Jia Fei was not willing to answer, and without saying a word, he carried Zhen Xian onto the couch.

As soon as his body regained some balance, Zhen Xian retreated into the curtain hanging from the corner of the bed, trying his best to cover himself with layers of gauze and silk to hide his shame and embarrassment from others, as if grabbing the last straw to save his life.He stared at Jiafei in astonishment, his eyes full of fear.

It is fear.

It was as if what he saw in his eyes was not the Second Highness whom he had known since childhood, but someone else, even a beast.

That appearance made Jia Fei feel sad for a while, staring blankly at Zhen Xian for a long time, almost shed tears.

He knew that what Xiaoxian was afraid of was not him, but hurt.

There are many injuries in this world. Once a scar is left, it can no longer be healed. Even if you pretend to be fearless, the pain and blood still cannot be hidden, and it is often torn apart without warning, like a thorn in a demonstration.

Just thinking about how that nasty Tartar hurt his little sage in such a way that he couldn't reach him, Jiafei was so sad that he went crazy, hating why he failed to capture and flay that beast alive on the battlefield.

It's not childish and ridiculous desire for monopoly.What makes him hate him so much is that when he acts willfully and impulsively, Xiaoxian is paying the price for his stupidity.

Jia Fei frowned, stretched out his hand and tore off the tulle that was tightly pulled by Zhen Xian.

"Your Highness!"

Almost at the same time, Zhen Xian yelled loudly, trying to cover his exposed body weakly with one hand, but covered his face with the other hand in panic.