Tang riddles

She vaguely remembered that she had a dream that night, a terrible dream.Her whole body was full of fire, and someone was calling her name. She stood surrounded by the fire, looking around in panic, but she couldn't see anyone.

"Lotus Maid... Lotus Maid..." the voice called out, and gradually faded away.

"Who are you?!" she asked loudly.

"I'm leaving..." the voice finally said.

When she woke up in the early hours of the morning, she found that the bedding was already wet with sweat.She lay on the bed limply for a while before slowly sitting up.In a trance, I felt that I didn't sleep last night, but ran outside all night.

"Wuya? Wuya!" she called out.

However, Wu Ya, the maid who would respond immediately in the past, for some reason today, has not responded after calling for a long time.

She had no choice but to get down on the couch by herself, put on her shoes, found a thick cloak to put on, and slowly opened the door and walked out.There was no one outside the house, and the servants in her courtyard seemed to have disappeared overnight.The mansion was quiet and the cold wind was blowing. She wrapped her cloak tightly and walked out of the courtyard.

What's going on here?Although last night was the Lantern Festival, and there was a lot of fun all night, it doesn't mean that everyone didn't get up early this morning.Last night she was not able to go out for a parade, and she was a little regretful, because she had contracted a cold a few days ago, had a high fever for days, and had been recuperating at home, even yesterday when Chishi invited her to go out for a night out, she had no choice but to decline.The princess couldn't come out of the palace these days, she spent several days alone, lying on the sickbed, quite lonely.

After sweating all over, she felt much better, and the fever was probably gone, maybe, she could go to look for Chishi today.She must blame herself for not being able to accompany her last night.Thinking of this, she smiled slightly.

She walked out of the gate, walked through the courtyard, walked into the corridor, and walked slowly to the west side of her parents' main courtyard. At this moment, she saw a large group of servants gathered around the entrance of the main courtyard, discussing What.Wu Ya's small figure was also among them. She was small and was hiding behind the adults, as if she was eavesdropping on something.With her back turned to her, she couldn't see the expression on her face clearly.

She wanted to call out, but the cold wind blew away her weak voice.She tightened her neckline and stepped forward.She approached the adults from behind, and originally wanted to pat Wu Ya to scare the little girl, but a terrible word suddenly entered her ears.

"...fire..." a servant whispered, his face full of horror.

She stopped in her tracks and began to listen carefully to the voices of the adults.

"It's terrible, how many people were burned to death?"

"What do you think? Where is Princess Taiping's mansion? There are hundreds of servants and guards, and there may be thousands of people in total. They all disappeared overnight, which is terrible."

"What's going on here? Could it be that at the Yuan Lantern Festival last night, I accidentally went into the water?"

"It's not that simple. I just heard from the boy running errands in the outer courtyard that he was near the fire site last night. The big fire lit up the sky. The fire was like a fire phoenix screaming and neighing in the sky. Many people panicked." I saw it. I heard that Princess Taiping was burnt to death in the coffin, and the coffin floated in the vast artificial sea of ​​the Princess Mansion, scorched to black. Moreover, someone saw Yin Consort Yin’s body on the tower of Danfeng Gate last night. , still dripping blood while hanging upside down, it’s terrible. It seems like I offended the gods and was punished.”

"Oh my god...there is a god when you hold your head three feet up. Don't do anything wrong in the future."

She could feel the temperature on her face fading little by little, not only on her face, but also her whole body. The thick cloak couldn't cover the slightest bit of cold, which came from her bones.She stood there stiffly, her mind was buzzing, she had no idea what she heard, as if her brain had given up thinking and refused to believe what the adults said.

At this moment, Wu Ya turned around inadvertently, suddenly saw her standing behind, and immediately exclaimed:

"Third Niang?!"

The discussion of the servants instantly became silent because of her exclamation, and everyone showed a look of panic, staring blankly at the three young ladies who were all around them as pale as paper.

"San Niang! When did you come here? It's so cold and you're still sick. Wu Ya will take you back!" Wu Ya almost threw himself at her side, hugged her, and was about to take her to the inner courtyard .

"Wu Ya...to prepare the car, I'm going..." She murmured in a low voice, froze on the spot without moving, Wu Ya failed to pull her.

"San Niang..." Wu Ya was at a loss, tears rolled in his eyes.

"To prepare the car, I'm going to... Princess Zhenguo's mansion." She repeated.

"However, the lord ordered before leaving that you are absolutely not allowed to go out today." After Zhang Jiuling received the news of the fire in Princess Taiping's mansion in the early morning, he was called into the palace not long after, and has not returned yet.Before leaving, I specifically instructed the servants in the mansion not to allow the third lady to go out, and not to tell her about Princess Taiping's mansion.How could she know that San Niangzi would be awakened by the nightmare early, ran out alone, and heard all the news.

"To prepare the car, to prepare the car..." she repeated over and over again.

Several servants came to persuade her, but she didn't listen at all.If no one can listen to her, then she will go by herself.She pushed through the crowd and staggered toward the front door.

"San Niang! San Niang!" Wu Ya cried and held her desperately, "You haven't changed your clothes, washed your clothes, and eaten your breakfast, how can you go out just now? Just put on a few more clothes."

While they were struggling, a beautiful woman in white clothes Shengxue walked out of the main courtyard. As soon as she appeared, Zhang Ruohan stopped in her footsteps, Wu Ya didn't dare to make any more noise, and stood aside sobbing.Zhang Ruohan was trembling all over, and the cloak on her shoulders was crooked, but she didn't tidy it up, her black hair was messed up, and she described it as a mess, but she was still shockingly beautiful. At the age of 12, she is already as pure and beautiful as a fairyland white lotus, but the beauty displayed by the white lotus when it is shattered and withered by the cold wind undoubtedly makes people feel sad.

The beautiful woman stepped forward, wrapped her cloak tightly, fastened her belt, straightened her long hair, stroked her cold face, and embraced her in her arms.

"Mother..." Zhang Ruohan whispered.

"My dear boy, go as you please, mother will accompany you."

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhang Ruohan finished washing and changing, and quickly got into the car.Her mother was already waiting for her in the car.Their carriage crossed the streets of Fangshi and headed for Changlefang where Princess Taiping's mansion was located.Changlefang is not far from Daming Palace, just east of Yishanfang on the east side of Danfeng Avenue.When the carriage got out of the square, it was stopped by the Jinwu Guards of the forbidden army. Changle Square was temporarily blocked, and no one else was allowed to enter.The mother showed Zhang Jiuling's waist badge, and the secretary ordered Zuo to pick up the relics, but Jin Wuwei refused to recognize it.Just when he didn't know what to do, he happened to meet a deputy commander of the Jinwu Guard, who was a friend of his father. Seeing Zhang's mother and daughter arriving together, he remembered the relationship between Zhang's family and Princess Taiping's mansion, so he let him go. It was able to enter Changle Square.

The carriage stopped in front of the charred gate of Princess Taiping's mansion, Zhang Ruohan let his mother stay in the carriage, and he and Wu Ya got out of the carriage.Covering an area of ​​half a square, the resplendent and resplendent Zhen Guo Princess Mansion is already a piece of scorched earth.The scorched tall tower silently looked at the girl in white clothes below, as if speechless to express the pain she had suffered.The pungent smoke is still pervasive, and the fire has been put out for a long time, but there are still embers.

Zhang Ruohan stood in front of the tower, looking up silently, his eyes filled with disbelief.No matter what, she couldn't believe why the Princess Mansion, which was fine yesterday, turned into this appearance today.

In the distance, soldiers were constantly digging up charred dead bodies from the charred ruins. They were carried on stretchers and piled into carts, one after another, as if they were never human, but just pieces of roasted meat.She couldn't take a step forward to identify those charred corpses, but she knew without looking that it couldn't be Akashi, as Akashi's body wasn't that big.

Akashi will not die either.

She won't die, how could she just leave like this?By the way, she said that she was going to sneak out to play last night, so she must have sneaked out.She must have escaped the fire, she must be all right.

But...her home is gone, her parents are gone...and Qin Nu...is the child still there?Everything is gone, even if she is still alive, what should she do?

And me, even if she has nothing left, I will take good care of her, and let her... let her live in my house, by my side...

Zhang Ruohan, when did you become so selfish?Have you considered her mood of losing everything?

Besides, where is she?Akashi?

"Wu Ya, where is she?" She couldn't help asking.

Wu Ya slowly covered his lips, crying silently.

Her legs softened, and she knelt down in front of the tower.She stared blankly at the green smoke slowly rising above the ruins, her mind was confused.Sometimes she tries to convince herself that Akashi is still alive, sometimes she panics about what she should do if she loses everything, and then she is despised by her own selfishness, and finally she returns to confusion. Where is the man in red she clings to?

Wu Ya was sobbing and wanted to help her up, but she knelt on the ground, her body was limp and she couldn't get up at all.The black and dirty water stained with charcoal ash on the ground soaked her boots, and after she knelt down, her snow-white dress was completely dirty.Wu Ya couldn't help Sanniang up, so she knelt down too, and knelt with Sanniang.

The mother in the carriage behind saw her daughter kneeling on the ground, sighed heavily, but did not get out of the carriage.She slowly moved the bead in her hand, and said: "Nie Yuan."

She failed to notice that there was a bhikkhuni in white in the distance, with a pale complexion, kneeling like her in front of the ruins of Princess Taiping's mansion, clasping his hands together and silently reciting Buddhist scriptures.The nun looked at her quietly for a long time.Finally stood up and left slowly.

"San Niang, let's... let's get up." Wu Ya finally couldn't bear it, and pulled Zhang Ruohan up from the ground.

Zhang Ruohan pushed her away, and walked along the wall of Princess Taiping's mansion.She staggered and staggered, her body was covered with dirt, but she couldn't take her eyes off the ruins for a moment.If it wasn't for the guards in the ruins that were not allowed to enter, she would have stepped in.

Wu Ya could only follow behind her, and wanted to call her out, but suddenly heard the lady in the carriage say:

"Let her go, let's follow behind."

"Yes." Wu Ya wiped his tears with his sleeve, stepped forward silently, and followed behind Zhang Ruohan.The carriage rattled behind the two girls, and the woman in the carriage wept silently.

The girl in white walked like this, along the wall all the way to the east, out of the square gate, and then to the north, the distance was long, she walked slowly, several times, she seemed to be out of breath, holding on to the wall for a while Staying in shape, he pressed his palms against his heart and struggled to breathe.In the end, she almost moved forward bit by bit while leaning against the wall.Wu Ya at the back felt like a knife to the mother in the carriage, but no one bothered her.

After some time, she finally reached the back door of the Princess Mansion.She touched a small brick on the wall with her hand, and slowly took it off, a smile bloomed on her pale cheeks.

She said that she dug it out quietly, and by stepping on this gap, she could climb up the wall and plug it back from the other side.How many times has she sneaked out of the house like this to find herself to play.

She felt two more nicks on the rear door post.That day, they competed here, and Zhang Ruohan was always a section taller than her. She was so unconvinced, and childishly swore that she would be a head taller than Zhang Ruohan.

Akashi...you will grow taller than me, you will...don't leave me, I want to see what you look like when you grow taller...

Suddenly, she seemed to have discovered something, and almost rushed away, but she didn't notice it for a moment, tripped and fell heavily to the ground.

"Han'er!" The woman in the carriage couldn't bear it anymore, cried out, and jumped out of the carriage.She ran to Zhang Ruohan's side almost at the same time as Wu Ya, and helped her up.

A large piece of skin was scratched on the side of Zhang Ruohan's hand, and blood was slowly overflowing.But she didn't realize it, she just held something like a treasure and smiled happily.

"Han'er..."

"Mother, don't cry, look." She opened her palm, and a dirty jade pendant lay in her palm, "She is still alive, she is still alive. I just said, she is such a smart person, seeing such a How could you not avoid the fierce fire?"

On the carriage back home that day, she held the piece of jade tightly, pressed it to her heart, smiled slightly, and murmured one sentence all the time:

"She's still alive."

But if she is really alive, where is she?Will you come back?At that time, Zhang Ruohan didn't think about it.

The author has something to say: I wish you all a happy new year 2018, a smooth new year and all wishes come true.

The lotus maid will accompany you on New Year's Eve.