Fingers of crossing

The cicadas on the tree are chattering, endlessly singing summer.Although the weather was hot, the Zhaoling Palace probably followed the master's temperament, without any noise and heat outside the palace, it was peaceful and comfortable.

Under the shadow of the mottled whirling tree, Jiang Ningzui skillfully warmed the cup, concentrating on what she was doing, and did not look at Yan Junyao. Seeing her concentrating, Yan Junyao was inconvenient to disturb her, but sat on the stone chair opposite her, silently Watch her graceful movements as she makes tea.Not long after, the fresh fragrance of tea overflowed, floating in the mid-air of the entire Zhaoling Hall.

"I've never seen you make tea yourself before."

It seemed that it was weird to sit dry, Yan Junyao couldn't be as calm and unafraid as Jiang Ningzui, so he had to speak bluntly.

Putting down the kettle in his hand, Jiang Ningzui looked up at him through the dense mist, then lowered his head again, and continued to concentrate on making tea, speaking casually. "Probably because life in the palace is too leisurely, so I just use this to pass the time."

Jiang Ningzui's temper was originally cold, and what she said seemed alienated. When Yan Junyao heard the words, he really regretted that he shouldn't have opened the chatterbox without authorization. Now it is really difficult to answer, and it is also difficult not to answer.Secretly annoyed, he couldn't help admiring his imperial sister, wondering how she could manage to face such a cold Jiang Ningzui but still be calm and composed.

"Prince, please."

Jiang Ningzui held the loose coat between her arms with one hand, and handed the tea to Yan Junyao's opposite hand with the other. When she noticed his thoughtful concentration, she didn't say anything, but quietly waited for him to take a closer look. Tasting hot tea in a cup.

The tea brewed is Pu'er.

Yan Junyao knew a thing or two just by smelling the aroma of tea. He was not used to drinking Pu'er tea on weekdays. Therefore, when he first sipped it, he only felt that the tea tasted bitter and strong, and the aroma was not to his liking, so he frowned slightly.

"The prince is used to drinking oolong tea, so when he first drinks Pu'er, he will feel a bit bitter, which is not as good as oolong tea, which has a sweet aftertaste and leaves a fragrance on his teeth and cheeks." Seeing Yan Junyao's thoughts, Jiang Ningzui smiled slightly and said: "Actually, people are also like this, once you get used to it If you don’t know anything, you will gradually become dependent on her, and you won’t want to try anything else.”

The bitter taste lingered on the tip of the tongue. Hearing Jiang Ning's drunken words, Yan Junyao's heart full of depression became even more irritable.

"Ning Zui," Yan Junyao raised his head and frowned displeasedly, "It seems that you have something to say?"

Yan Junyao's reaction was all in Jiang Ningzui's expectation, she didn't care about the gloomy look in Yan Junyao's eyebrows, and said, "I heard that the prince just went to Shaohua Palace?"

Yan Junyao's tone was not kind, "So what?"

"Although I haven't been in the palace for a long time, I have heard about the prince and the side concubine. I have heard some stories about your first acquaintance." Jiang Ningzui paused, her eyes swept over Yan Junyao said: "I heard that when you first met in the imperial garden, the side concubine was so bright and charming that day, and the world was colorless with a smile. But I know those rumors are all false, because I have never seen her since I entered the palace. Laughed so much."

Yan Junyao's expression froze, and he followed Jiang Ningzui's words back unconsciously. He shook his head thoughtfully, "No, she was not what she is in the palace that day."

"Look, prince." Jiang Ningzui looked at the free birds in the sky, and smiled slightly: "A few days ago, Chen'er was playful and sneaked into my palace, asking me to catch some birds for him. But today In the morning, he told me that the birds in the cages were all dead, does the prince know why?"

Of course Yan Junyao knew the answer, but he didn't know Jiang Ningzui's intention in saying these words, so he didn't answer, but frowned more and more, and looked at her silently.

"Chen'er likes birds, because he likes the joy of them flying freely in the sky, but once they are locked in a cage, losing their freedom and nature, a bird with a broken wing, what is there to live for?" What do you mean?" Jiang Ningzui turned her head to look at Yan Junyao, her tone was so cold and distant, but it also had an unusually cold aura, making it impossible to refute. "Chen'er asked me, what did he do wrong? In fact, there is nothing wrong, but he gave it, not what the bird really wanted."

"Enough!" Yan Junyao stood up suddenly as if he had been poked at the sore spot, and his sleeve accidentally overturned the teacup in front of him. He looked at Jiang Ningzui angrily, and said word by word: "I and her It's not your turn to preach to me about things in between. You will not know how I have treated her these years, nor will you understand how much I love her. "

Looking indifferently at Yan Junyao venting like a raging beast, Jiang Ningzui put down the tea in her hand calmly, and said coldly: "The prince's love is reckless possession, thinking that as long as he pays, he will eventually meet Come to reap. However, I have seen another way of love, which is to accompany her silently, to protect her well even if you risk your life, not to embarrass, not to force, all the sacrifices are just for her Shumei smiled..."

"Prince, you said you love her?" Jiang Ningzui hit the nail on the head, leaving no time for Yan Junyao to breathe. "But in my opinion, that's just wishful thinking."

If Yan Junyao was still able to maintain his composure before, then Jiang Ningzui's last words were tantamount to cutting the last string that was weak and persistent in his heart, and the string was like a knife blade, cutting his heart to pieces at once.

Yan Junyao slumped back to the stone chair, stared at Jiang Ningzui in a daze, wanted to say something, but frowned first.

The pain in the chest gradually subsided, Yan Junyao looked at Jiang Ningzui with a complicated expression, and smiled shyly: "Are you persuading me to let her go?" As he said, Yan Junyao raised his head and drank the remaining tea in the cup, rubbing Jiang Ningzui carefully. Ning Zui couldn't help being curious, "You don't know her very well, and you're not a meddlesome person, Ning Zui, why do you beg for her?"

Although he didn't have much contact with Jiang Ningzui, he could clearly see the coldness in Jiang Ningzui's eyebrows and eyes. That kind of coldness was engraved into the bone marrow and was born with him. , he still couldn't help but have lingering fears.

"It's probably because I've lived here for a long time, so I have a heart of compassion for the people here." Jiang Ningzui's indifferent face was stained with a little smile, and she said: "The side concubine has her in her heart, and the most difficult thing is to force her feelings." , the prince cannot be blamed for this incident, and likewise, she cannot be blamed either."

Hearing Jiang Ningzui's words so clearly, Yan Junyao gave Jiang Ningzui a strange look, and after a long time, he hesitated and asked: "What if one day you find out that Huang Jie has someone else in her heart?"

"If that's the case, what does it have to do with me?" Jiang Ningzui's tone was light, and her long eyelashes showed a layer of light traces under the light and shadow, always giving people a calm and breezy attitude. "I have never tolerated the slightest bit of reluctance in doing things, and the fights are always unsettling. I can't spend my whole life trying to figure out all the tricks, just to fight for the favor of a lifetime. That would be ridiculous. If she had already Others can't force it, in the final analysis, how I treat her is only my business, there is no reason in the world to force others to accept it because of my own feelings."

If these words were uttered by others, Yan Junyao would inevitably feel hypocritical, but for some reason, when they were uttered from Jiang Ningzui's mouth, they seemed so free and easy.He finally understood why Jiang Ningzui always had an aura of alienation and indifference hidden in her body. A cold person like her is an independent existence in the world. The world is so big that there is no other similar person. .

He thought that it was not unreasonable for Huangjie to treat her so wholeheartedly among thousands of admirers.

"I remember that since she was young, sister Huang didn't like her daughter's red makeup. She only liked to ride horses and hunt with her father, dance with knives and guns. My sister is like a fierce horse galloping freely between heaven and earth, and no one can convince her." At that time, Yan Yilan hadn't restrained her nature and lived without scruples. Her existence was in this dull and complicated palace. The thickest stroke.Thinking about it, Yan Junyao couldn't help but glanced at Jiang Ningzui, and said with a smile: "But now it seems that even Miss Huang can't escape the fate of one thing falling down one thing."

No wonder, in the past, Jiang Ningzui always felt that Yan Yilan's coquettish appearance always hides a kind of vigor, such as her awe-inspiring and indifferent gaze in the face of life and death, such as her decisiveness when she sealed the assassin's sharp sword with one hand , These are not only things that can be done by will alone, and now she is finally relieved after hearing Yan Junyao's words.

Only those who have held real knives and guns and touched the tip of the sword can maintain such a calm look in times of crisis.

Her thoughts flew far away, and Jiang Ning came back to her senses drunk. She reached out and poured hot tea for each other to cover up her absence, and said: "I have never seen the eldest princess riding a horse and dancing with a sword."

The entrance of Pu'er is bitter for a while, but slowly, there is endless sweetness, and a tea fragrance lingers on the tip of the tongue.Yan Junyao sipped his tea, and when he heard Jiang Ningzui's words, his expression darkened. "I only heard from my mother when I returned to the palace this time. Since the first battle between Yan and Sui four years ago, I don't know if it was done on purpose or because I was too busy. The emperor is busy with political affairs and has never touched these things again."

That's right, now Dayan is supported by her alone, the crown prince's qualifications are not enough to take on the heavy responsibility, and in the court, the forces are divided by various parties, and there are too few people who can really use it.All kinds of reasons add up, and she is incapable of separating herself. Although she is the eldest princess, she can no longer have the freedom and happiness of the past.

Jiang Ningzui's expression fell silent, Yan Junyao also noticed it at this moment, he couldn't help regretting his slip of the tongue, and said quickly: "But according to the itinerary, King Beiyang will arrive in the capital within seven days, every time he comes to Dayan , always set up a hunting ground to gallop with Huangjie, and then, you can see Huangjie's grace."

King Beiyang?

The name that I never cared about jumped back into my mind again. Jiang Ningzui still has some impressions of this person. The young king of the Yang Kingdom, the head of the Four Kingdoms, not only led the Yang Kingdom to continuously open up territories at a young age, but also Had a marriage contract with Yan Yilan.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ningzui's hands paused, feeling unhappy for no reason.

"It's getting late, and I still have political matters to attend to, so I have to go to Qiluan Palace to discuss with the imperial sister." Yan Junyao said, got up and patted his clothes, as if thinking of something, his expression hesitated for a moment, and finally eased Huan said: "As for Huanxue, I will think about it carefully."

Hearing that Yan Junyao was relieved, his attitude was not as resolute as before. Jiang Ningzui smiled slightly, her eyes were thick and colorful, shining clear light in the sun, her eyelashes were like butterflies, and she outlined a soft and shallow smile between frowns and smiles. radian.

Yan Junyao had never seen Jiang Ningzui smile so brightly and flawlessly, he was startled when he flicked his sleeves, and couldn't help being a little stunned.

He never knew that Jiang Ning's drunken smile turned out to be so glamorous and charming.Thinking about it, he suddenly felt that he had known Jiang Ningzui for so many years, but today was the first time he truly remembered her appearance.