Between the vast sea of ​​clouds

The night in Chang'an was dark, and the sound of Geng Le had already sounded several times, but a light rain began to fall.

The gate of the Mansion of the Ministry of Rites has long been silently opened, and a row of palace attendants in Tsing Yi, carrying palace lanterns, filed in. The leader is Liu Zhen, the palace maid next to the Empress. She is standing in front of a door in the inner courtyard, in the cool spring rain. Wait and wait.

After a while, the door was gently opened, and Liu Zhen said respectfully: "Master Li, Your Majesty invites you to come into the palace with your servants."

Qingping stretched slowly, she didn't show any emotion on her face, she just cupped her hands casually and said: "Trouble."

Liu Zhen avoided her salute, and immediately someone held an umbrella to cover their heads.

Seeing that it was just Xiao Yu, Qingping walked out quickly, the servant thought he had offended her, so he froze in place for a while, not knowing what to do.

"Follow up." Liu Zhen said coldly.

Although the rain fell lightly, it was continuous and dense, as if it was covered with a layer of light gauze.When Qingping walked to the side of the carriage, most of her hair was also wet, and her temple hair stuck to her snow-white face, outlining a delicate and graceful beauty.

As soon as Qingping got into the carriage, she lifted the curtain. She silently looked at the lanterns on the side of the street that hadn't been removed, as if she was thinking about something.Liu Zhen sat kneeling beside her, lowered her head, and accidentally caught a glimpse of her tightly pursed mouth, and couldn't help crying in her heart.

Liu Zhen thought it over and said: "Qingping, there are some things, let's put them aside for now."

Qingping lowered his eyes and let out a slow breath.The warm breath turned into white mist when it came into contact with the icy air, blurring her vision.

Liu Zhen said in a low voice: ".......It is not what it used to be, Your Highness, you are already His Majesty."

For a while, only the sound of wheels turning, the lanterns had long since disappeared, and after a while Qingping said: "Thank you, I understand."

The Weihua Hall was built on the side of the Xiling Gate of the palace city, between the former dynasty and the rear palace.Since Emperor Yuan Qi hanged himself in this hall, few people came here.

After the carriage entered the Xiling Gate, it stopped at the side entrance of the Weihua Palace. Qingping got out of the carriage one step ahead of Liu Zhen, and walked inside on his own. It was completely different from the cold spring outside. The palace was warm and pleasant. She walked through the corridor, familiar Arriving at the main hall with familiarity, the servant at the side saw her coming and gently opened the door. Qingping stepped into the hall. There was a huge embroidered screen under the main seat, and there was a faint person sitting behind her. She knelt on the ground. Said: "Your Majesty, Li Qingping, see you."

Behind the screen, the empress said slowly: "Didn't your lord say that Zhang Liangren has an affair with Li Shangshu? Now I have summoned him for you, what do you think?"

Min Guijun glanced at the person kneeling on the ground, and he said softly: "Your Majesty is wise, and the servants are bold enough to ask Mr. Li, on the eve of the Lantern Festival, all the servants in the harem of His Majesty's grace returned to Ning to visit relatives. Someone saw Zhang Liangren with his own eyes the next morning. Come out from the back door of your mansion, but really?"

Qingping didn't even lift his head, and said coldly: "It's just nonsense to hear such things, and even the minister himself doesn't know about it, how can your lord be so clear about it?"

Mr. Min Gui said: "It was expected that Lord Ding would have such excuses, come and bring them here."

Two servants dragged a man into the door. The man's clothes were disheveled, his face was red and swollen from the beating. When he saw Qingping, he was so excited that he wanted to pounce on him, but was pushed to the ground by the two servants.

Min Guijun smiled reservedly, and the empress beside him didn't speak, so he said to himself: "This is Zhang Liangren's personal servant, sir, you might as well ask him."

Qing Ping smiled and said: "I don't know who this person is, and I don't know him. Zhang Liang is the harem servant, how can he know the servants and ministers who serve by his side? What's more, the courtiers are not allowed to enter and leave the forbidden area at will. Inside, isn't your lord entertaining His Majesty and ministers?"

The man underground suddenly called out: "Lord Li, please save this servant, Lord Li, please! Please have mercy on your servant!"

Although the blanket on the ground was very soft, it was very uncomfortable to kneel all the time. Qingping subtly changed his posture, glanced at him, and asked, "Oh, how do you want me to pity you? Tell me."

The man was stunned for a moment, and then cried out: "It wasn't Master Li who sent a letter privately that night saying that he missed Mr. Zhang Liang for a long time, and while he was back in Ning to visit his relatives, he hoped to have a reunion in the house—"

Qingping interrupted him: "Are you sure I passed the letter?" She raised her eyebrows slightly, with a half-smile, "If this matter was really done by a subordinate official, it must be kept quiet, the less people know about it, the better. How can you make such a big fuss, lest people can't see it."

The servant excitedly said: "Who else is there except your lord!" He broke free from the two people who were holding him, and took out a letter from his inner shirt, "I still keep this letter, please Your Majesty and Your Honor! "

A palace official came out of the screen, took the letter, opened it, scanned it, and hurried back into the screen.

Min Guijun said warmly: "Please take a look, Your Majesty, this man has all the stolen goods. Zhang Liang doesn't abide by the palace rules, and it is a death penalty to meet foreign ministers without permission!" Your Majesty, fornication|disordering the harem is an unforgivable crime! Your Majesty dares to issue an order to execute these two people together, so as to rectify the palace discipline!"

There was deathly silence behind the screen, Min Guijun knelt on the ground, before the empress gave the order, his heart sank.

"It's cold, sir, get up."

The vermilion hem slipped past Min Guijun's eyes, the empress left the main seat, walked around the screen and came to the steps, she waved her hand, and the servant was dragged down with his mouth covered, Min Guijun didn't know what happened through the screen, and was very anxious for a while .

Qingping raised his head and glanced at the Empress, not afraid of her sharp gaze, instead he got up on his own, and said softly and gently: "Your Majesty, as Your Majesty said, all the stolen goods are taken away, and the minister has no way to argue, why don't you just let me go?" Give me a foot of white silk, or a cup of poisoned wine if it doesn't help, I am willing to avenge my crime."

The lamps in the hall hung high, sprinkled fine gold dots all over the ground, falling on Qingping's head and body.She raised her head slightly, and the complex and heavy official gown of scarlet color made her complexion whiter, exuding a kind of alienation like ice and snow. The light reflected in her eyes was a clear and light color, like fine wine in a cup, flowing A lively and fragrant breath.

She smiled slightly at the empress on the steps, as if she didn't care at all.

The Empress's complexion was slightly gloomy, the pearls in her hair trembled slightly, and she clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves.

Min Guijun couldn't believe it, for a moment he thought he was hallucinating.But the empress said: "Ai Qing is too worried, where is anyone's stolen goods, there is no proof, how can you convict the dignified minister?"

Min Guijun was in a hurry: "Your Majesty, this letter..."

Suddenly someone took away the certificate in his hand, and he looked back, it was Liu Zhen, the personal maid who served the empress.After Liu Zhen took the letter and tore it into pieces, Min Guijun was horrified: "How dare you—"

The empress said lightly: "Okay, your lord is tired. Liu Zhen, send him back."

Liu Zhen led all the attendants to support Mr. Min Gui and came out from the side door. The hall returned to its former tranquility, and the warm fragrance of acacia was exhaled from the smoked cage. Qing Ping lazily said: "Your Majesty, why bother, I do have an affair with Mr. Zhang Liang, Your Majesty." It's not that I don't know."

The empress immediately turned around, grabbed her by the collar and dragged her to the back of the screen. Qingping began to struggle, and she said angrily, "Let go of me, Chen Jun, you bastard, I'm fucking—"

She was pressed on a phoenix chair paved with vermilion brocade, and a phoenix spiraling up was carved behind the chair. Qingping's waist knelt on the phoenix head, her eyes darkened in pain, and she couldn't speak for a moment.

"You want to make me angry?" The empress laughed softly. Qingping was enveloped in an unspeakable fear. Pushed down on a large chair.

The jade crown that bundled her hair fell at Qingping's feet, and she felt that the clothes on her body were being torn apart one by one. The man's slightly cool fingertips slid across the collarbone, and the hot breath sprayed on the skin. A piece of charming | Ni traces.

Qingping said angrily: "Chen Jun!" She resisted with all her strength, and there was an imperceptible pleading hidden in her angry voice: "...don't, don't be here!"