female concubine

The crown prince galloped all the way to the Qian Mansion. When he got off the horse, he supported the stone lion at the gate of the Qian Mansion with one hand and dragged his clothes, panting heavily, his face pale.

The servants of the Qian Mansion saw it and went back to the mansion to report, and the chief inspectors of the palaces went out to greet him with a group of servants.

"His Royal Highness?"

The young Dujian walked down the stone steps and helped the crown prince into the palace, "Why is Your Highness here?"

"Have the flowers in Qiandi bloomed?"

"flower?"

"The crabapple planted by the official family and the empress."

"The flowers of the crabapple tree don't bloom until March in Tokyo, and the crabapple in Qianfu doesn't bloom until the end of February at the earliest." A house came out.

The Crown Prince squatted in the courtyard where the original Chu Palace planted flowers and plants, asking around, "How can I make these flowers bloom earlier?"

Several servants who guarded the garden and pruned the flower branches bowed and replied: "There is day and night, and there are four seasons in the year. There is nothing to change here, unless the sky changes."

"What kind of flower is this?" the crown prince asked, pointing to a cluster of red flowers in full swing without leaves.

"This is Wuyi grass. According to legend, it often blooms on the other side, so it is also called the other side flower. Buddhists call them Manjusawa, which is the flower of death that blooms in hell." The pale-faced Crown Prince immediately stepped forward and put on a large cloak, "Your Highness knows that he is not in good health."

"you..."

"My concubine believes in Buddhism just like Her Majesty the Queen. According to Buddhism, Manjushahua is one of the four flowers in the heaven, but because it blooms on the day of Shangsi and the sad autumn, others are jealous of it being unlucky, so they can stay here and not be eradicated Maybe it's because he has another meaning, endless love, Manzhu and Shahua, the flowers don't see the leaves, life and life are wrong." Cao Shuyao didn't say all the explanations, including the precursors of death.

The crown prince frowned and turned around clutching the front of his cloak, and stared blankly at the crabapple tree in the yard, which was much taller than a human being. "Compared to this, it would be nice if the warmer spring came earlier."

Cao Shuyao then asked: "Why do the officials suddenly want to see Haitang?" There was no rumor in the palace that the emperor loved Haitang.

"When the flowers bloom..." The crown prince was stunned, and immediately reached out to take the handkerchief from Cao Shuyao, "Thank you."

"The begonia flowers in the Qian Mansion always bloom around the mother's birthday. This is also the mother's favorite flower. Outsiders don't know it, because the mother thinks that the begonias are precious. If merchants find out that the inner palace likes them, they will definitely drive up the price. Niang Niang said that they are all just trees growing on the same land, so there is no need to treat them differently."

Cao Shuyao heard a trace of sadness, but also a trace of envy, and at the same time, she was also puzzled. Looking at the crabapple that had already had small buds, "The flowers bloom differently, and the flowers fall differently. Sadness; if you want to ask the place of lovesickness, when the flowers bloom and fall... that's a shame." The flowers are full of branches, turning into two lovesickness; jade chopsticks hanging towards the mirror, the spring breeze..." Cao Shuyao's calm eyes were suddenly touched, "I don't know." Then he murmured suspiciously: "The world... will have... Such an infatuated person?"

Princess Yiguo came out of the Funing Palace, and did not leave the palace or the inner court, but turned around and went to the Kunning Palace on the north side, and sat alone on the swing in the yard, with only sadness in her eyes but no tears.

The servant stood by her side. After some palace people passed by, they felt that the princess was ruthless or indifferent. Perhaps only the servant next to her could understand that silence speaks louder than words.

"Yanchuan."

"The little guy is here."

"You said that in this life, what is the purpose of living?"

"The villain is stupid."

Princess Yiguo leaned her head on the swing, "Some people live just to live, like train tracks, carrying the same people, walking the same way, coming and going, changing batch after batch, accompanying them The years of life will make you feel that it is too long when you are young, but when you are old, you dislike it for being too short. Humans can never learn to be satisfied. Material desires and love desires cannot be parted, but they cannot always be possessed. You can't take things away, and you can't keep love."

"Princess..." The servant opened his eyes that were gradually turning red.

"I knew such a day would come a few years ago." Princess Yiguo sat up from the swing.

"Where is the princess going?"

"Guard the people and things you care about most for Dad."

Princess Yiguo did not go back directly to Tianshui Lane after leaving Da Nei, but continued eastward to the original Han Palace, now the East Palace.

The Crown Princess was ordered to serve tea, "His Royal Highness has gone to the hidden residence of the official family..."

"I didn't come to look for His Highness the Crown Prince," Princess Yiguo raised her head, "Sister-in-law."

Cao Shuyao looked at him and waved, "You all go down."

"Yes."

"The princess is not in the palace and accompanied the officials to the East Palace to find me. What can I, an ordinary woman, do to help?"

"Ordinary woman?" Princess Yiguo picked up the tea that was poured by the Crown Princess herself, "His Highness really knows how to joke. With His Highness's wealth, taking into account the prime minister and the generals, and then being related to the royal family, I am afraid that the entire Tokyo city will not be able to find it." The second one?"

"Beyond the five clothes, it doesn't matter what it is. As for the general, it is the work of Weng Weng and the great grandfather. Besides, I have entered the East Palace as the crown prince."

"I thought you would marry Yan Gui, but in the end..."

Cao Shuyao turned her head, "No matter who you marry, it's just driven by profit."

Princess Yiguo re-examined Cao Shuyao, causing the Lord to feel uncomfortable and said: "What is the princess looking at me like this?"

"Of course I think His Highness looks good."

"..."

Princess Yiguo got up from her seat, put her hands behind her back and walked a few steps forward, lowered her head and said with a smile: "No wonder they chose you as the crown princess. Apart from your family background, you also have a city that your peers don't have. Daddy said that there is no eternal life." There is no enduring family in the dynasties, whether to follow the path and follow the path or find another way to live for yourself, the decision is in your own hands."

At this point, Cao Shuyao stopped playing charades with her, "Our Cao family... is already in the game, what else does the princess want?"

Princess Yiguo stared at the courtyard outside the window with her hands behind her back, "I don't want anything, I just want to protect your lord's hard work."

"What can I gain?"

The person with his hands behind his back turned around, "What do you want?"

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In the 31st year of Qianyuan, the emperor suddenly fainted again after less than a few days of recovery. By the end of February, he could not speak at all, but even had very little liquid food and water. Since he was sick last winter, he came to bed in just a few months. His face was as dry as a bone, and he was extremely emaciated.

On the 31th day of the 22st year of the Qianyuan Dynasty, Da Nei was in a hurry, and the Sanya doubled the number of banned troops to tighten the martial law in Gyeonggi. Taoist temples and temples in Tokyo were crowded with people praying for blessings, most of whom were women praying for the emperor.

- Bang! ——The morning bell rang in the temple, and people from all over the country knelt in front of the Daxiong Hall, "The Buddha is merciful, and I hope that the Lord will protect the common people. I am willing to reduce my life span and pray for the Lord to be prosperous."

In Kaibao Temple, the abbot led the monks to gather in the Daxiong Hall to chant scriptures to pray for the emperor. In the Sanqing Hall of Yanqing Temple, there were also Qiandao and Kundao practices to pray for blessings. Blown to all parts of the capital.

Every day in front of the Xuande Tower, common people gathered and knelt down around the imperial city to pray for blessings. The city defenses in Gyeonggi and Jinzhong were in charge of the Dianqian Division. There are people kneeling down at Huamen, Xihuamen, Gongchenmen, and Xuandemen, do you need to send someone to drive them away?"

Xiao Yunze held the sword at his waist and sighed, "Kneel down, as long as you don't trespass, don't worry about it."

"Yes."

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After the last clock struck before the first shift, Zhiguan and Yageng changed shifts. The drums sounded on the hour, and the libretto changed to night.

On the evening of February 31, Qianyuan 25, a warm wind suddenly blew in Tokyo, and the climate gradually warmed up.

The lights in Funing Hall were on all night, and Sun Hongda kowtowed three times to Xiao Youqing and the emperor on his knees in the hall, and then retreated from the cabinet.

Empress Dowager Li sat in front of the emperor's couch and wept uncontrollably. Outside the hall, all the clan members and ministers knelt down. While crying, the purple robes did not forget to raise their heads. They looked around and asked, "Where is Your Highness the Crown Prince? "

"His Royal Highness has been guarding the hidden mansion for the officials," the courtier sighed, "waiting for the flowers to bloom."

"The benevolent monarch has such sincere filial piety, the officials should also feel relieved."

At the time of the ugliness, the emperor's breathing suddenly increased sharply, and Sun Hongda tried his best to save him, but he was still unable to recover, so he summoned the prime minister overnight to wait for the palace.

The emperor, whose face was thin and bloodless, was lying on the couch in the cabinet of the Palace of Funing, panting sharply and unable to speak, life gradually drained from her limbs, the suffocation feeling enveloped by the darkness made her breathless, and her perception of the surroundings became increasingly blurred. Getting weaker and weaker, the emperor stared at one place with his eyes open.

Empress Dowager Li sat up haggardly, "Queen."

Xiao Youqing wiped his eyes and sat down, then held the emperor's hand to hold back tears, "A Qian, I'm here."

The emperor just gasped and stared at Xiao Youqing motionless, his tightly clenched hands gradually weakened due to the rapid loss of life, he wanted to speak, but he couldn't even say goodbye, the weakness gradually turned into pain, and he didn't even have the strength to struggle.

The person who felt the loss of strength suddenly covered her mouth and panicked, but she had to cheer up and support herself in the face of the next situation, Xiao Youqing leaned down, "I know what Ah Qian wants to say, there is no dream It's not illusory, I am willing to marry you, if there is an afterlife, please... please wait for me."

After listening to Xiao Youqing's words, the emperor's tightly clenched hands stopped moving, and the quilt that was undulating due to panting was also calm in an instant, only two tears gushing from the corners of his eyes slowly fell down.

Xiao Youqing held her hand, the expression on his face and the whole person froze for an instant, and at the moment Wei Huan left, he also hollowed out her heart and took away her heart, and the servant standing aside immediately knelt down to ambush her He vibrated his whole body and bowed, and then walked out from the cabinet to the curtain of the main hall with the help of several servants Huangmen.

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The spring breeze blew across the city of Tokyo, causing a hundred flowers to bloom overnight. The servant in the hidden mansion had been asleep for a long time. The crown prince went back to the house to rest because he was exhausted. Shivering, he opened his eyes and shouted happily: "Your Highness!" The servant rushed into the room, knelt down in front of the crown prince's bed and woke him up, "Your Highness, Hua... Hua..." The servant pointed at the door .

The crown prince immediately lifted the quilt, still wearing the clothes he had when he came, and did not even take off his sleep. When he walked into the courtyard, he found that the garden was full of spring scenery, which bloomed overnight, together with the biggest crabapple in the courtyard.

The servant handed over a pair of scissors and ordered everyone to bring the lanterns. The crown prince picked up the scissors weeping with joy, picked the best one from the tree, put it into the bamboo tube and put it on the inner lid of the bamboo tube, "Prepare the fastest horse."

Holding the bamboo tube in one hand and the rein in the other, the crown prince rushed to the forbidden center at high speed. When the fifth watch was approaching, the palace gate opened, and the crown prince rode in from the gate of Chenhui on horseback. All the courts spread the news of Funing Hall.

In Funing Palace, the two servants on the left and right opened the curtain, and all the servants came out from the cabinet, "The Emperor is on the way, Your Majesty," he said with a sob and trembling, "I'm dead!"

When the news spread, martial law was imposed inside and outside the Forbidden City, and the sound of reports from various halls echoed in the sky and the earth. After hearing this, the Crown Prince suddenly froze and fell off the horse. The mane of the white horse was still stained with a little dark red blood.