Forbidden City of Heze + Dalufei

"Why do not you believe me?"

When the first sentence suddenly echoed in the air with the flags fluttering in the wind through the loudspeaker that was amplified to the maximum extent, the entire square fell silent as the echo was dragged out and gradually weakened.The audience, who hadn't recovered from their senses, stood there blankly. They were accustomed to the stereotyped speech patterns of politicians and were happy to respond in a timely manner. They were obviously at a loss for this strange opening statement.

In the embarrassing atmosphere, Junliu still stood still in front of the stage, scanning the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd below, his ever-changing eyes gathered a sharp penetrating power, even though he didn't know It is possible to find the location of the person he really wants to talk to in this turmoil, but he is absolutely sure that the other person's eyes must have followed him at this time.

He took a deep breath and changed into a more calm tone. In his blank mind and calm state of mind, the smooth words penetrated into every corner of the surrounding streets.

"You who came here in the first place, you who stayed here, what were you expecting? Disguising yourself as humble and numb, just because you couldn't bear the responsibility of forming a bond with me?"

As soon as the words fell, there was a slight commotion in the VIP area below the stage. The bewildered people from all sides couldn't help but look at each other, asking each other the irrelevant questions they had just heard.A formal royal speech, no, even if it is any kind of public speech, shouldn't it be a greeting to the guests first, especially thanks to the people present?

Regardless of the loss of basic etiquette, Junliu raised his voice instead and continued, "...and now you are mixing in this crowd, using the people around you to hide yourself, watching from a distance that won't cause trouble, Observe, what kind of benefits and disadvantages will this guy standing on the stage bring to you? If he is tolerant and reasonable, maybe you can get closer with confidence and show superficial joy and support with everyone, but If he tried to put any pressure and responsibility on you from a condescending position, would you choose to swallow your breath and curse secretly, or run away secretly? You... are really a real coward."

"Strange... Who wrote this speech?"

Amid the uproar from the crowd behind him, finally a high-ranking official couldn't bear it, and took the lead in questioning, which was like a screwdriver opening a bottle cap, immediately triggering a series of echoes around him.

"Ridiculous, is he satirizing the actions of ordinary people?"

"However, this is also an official speech, and it will be regarded as a blatant provocation. I can't believe it..."

"Has he forgotten who granted the ruling power during the royal war? It hurts the feelings of the people too much!"

Already aware of the tense atmosphere caused by the child who violated the rules, Yu Qing also began to lose her composure. Under the questioning eyes of the guests around her, she anxiously asked her husband who had not yet made any moves, " Junliu must have taken the wrong speech, Your Majesty... I checked it myself yesterday, how could it be like this..."

At this moment, the secretary of the chairman of the National Assembly who hurriedly came behind also leaned over and asked softly, "Your Majesty, the person in charge of the news department sent an urgent message, asking if the live broadcast signal should be cut off immediately?"

Yizheng sat unmoved all the time, his eyes did not deviate from the figure of Junliu standing on the stage, that stubborn appearance that made people love and hate seemed to evoke some memories worth chewing in him.

"There is no need to do anything," he lowered his eyes, and said calmly, as if everything was expected, "Since he has already realized that he is responsible for his actions, why don't the parents let him do what he wants?"

"Of course..." With no one coming forward to stop him, the momentary confusion gradually subsided. Junliu looked at the faces with various expressions below him, and then withdrew his gaze, staring at himself on the podium. shook hands, and continued in a vigorous manner, "If everyone standing below insists on having any positive illusions about the days that have been immersed in the flames of war for more than ten years, it is deceiving. It is only the minimum Survival is already on thin ice, and just continuing to use your life to pay for the country’s war in this tragic era is enough to exhaust your hope for the future. Therefore, everyone like this has an extreme desire for beautiful things and wants to Possessed and yet afraid, or aware of one's own insignificance and kept silent."

After finishing speaking, he stopped, and suddenly laughed easily, "It's okay, if you feel that you have been let down... If I failed to meet your expectations, just point the sharp finger at me, curse or convict me. But until then, stop distorting my appearance with your cowardly imagination!"

"Both Darufi and Pang have a highly militarized system. Soldiers who put the interests of the ruling class as the first criterion can indeed condense into a strong fighting force, but I never admit that this is the path that He Ze should take. Don't forget that we took The original intention of using weapons is that there are people who want to protect the weak like me, so countless soldiers will sacrifice without hesitation. If it is not with this mood, war and centralization will only continue to produce the shadow of killing, hatred and death !…So, if you really want to curl up and pursue the happiness that belongs to ordinary people, then just let go of the shell of defense. Come close to me, accept me, trust me, rely on me, and feel free to confess all timidity and If you are dissatisfied, ask me for everything you desire. You will be protected by me in the future."

As Junliu said, he raised his head seriously, and at the same time, he clenched his right hand tightly and placed it solemnly on the position of his left chest and heart. This distinctive gesture that has been used in previous coming-of-age ceremonies or royal ceremonies is to remind everyone to pay attention. The words that come down are not for a moment of quick tongue, but as a member of the royal family, he made the highest promise with his dignity, personality, heart and life.

"I, Shangguan Junliu, swear here that I will use everything I have in the future to protect you, the things you cherish, and the place where you exist! And I will never let anyone or any institution use war and the country to protect you! Under the guise of interests, trample on the dignity of ordinary life, and play them in the applause!"

Sitting in the live broadcast signal car, you can still feel the overwhelming applause and jubilation erupting outside, like a long-lasting tide, one wave after another.The young foreign anchor also seemed to be infected by the excitement, and couldn't wait to point the close-up shot at Junliu, conveying her unexpected surprise to compatriots who were watching this scene from afar.

"Dear audience, as the media that pays attention to the various trends of the allied countries, I have become accustomed to taking the righteous speeches of politicians for granted, but this is the first time I have heard such a distinctive speech. Although it is short, it is very shocking. , as if talking to every ordinary person in the audience, trying to comfort and relieve our inner worries. Personally, I think that in this weak and weak later stage of the war, regardless of how much the Heze royal family can achieve in the future, But the performance of the prince today is really inspiring. I can feel his positive attitude towards taking on the responsibility of the country and the people, obviously, he already has the consciousness and courage of an adult monarch!"

In the corner at one end of the square, the originally limited field of vision was completely blocked by waving hands, flying flowers, and placards of various sizes.Xiao Yi turned his head and turned his gaze to the young pilot standing beside him, but suddenly found that the eyes of the young man who had been standing silently listening had already been shrouded in a hazy fog.

"Major, are you okay?" He took a step closer, and his slight greeting was like a breeze gently blowing past his ears under the hustle and bustle of voices.

Zi Luo hastily avoided his sight, and quickly raised his right hand. The trace left on his face just now, where the softness of his heart was pierced by thousands of loud words, was ruthlessly erased by him.

Thank you, Junliu, thank you.

I am sure that in this life, I can only hear the words from your own mouth that you want to protect me and people who have been distorted by war like me. This is enough.

It's really strange, not long ago, I also started to have similar thoughts to Yanliang, worried that you would be bound by this heavy responsibility, and didn't want you to live against your will because of the family, but I was even more despicable than him, and I could What I do is not to share for you, but to pretend that I don’t know anything, I’m afraid to understand your feelings, I use your gentleness that you don’t want to bother me, and I hide and escape again and again.

You are so kind, Junliu.In the face of my constant timidity, you choose to let me see that you are stronger than me, bravely carry our hope on one shoulder, and tolerate my selfishness and incompleteness. It is really enough up.

As if he was somewhat concerned about the other party's emotions at this time, Xiao Yi stood quietly and waited for a few minutes before politely reminding, "Major, please forgive me, the time is almost up."

"Okay." Zi Luo raised his head, he couldn't find any more inner clues on his calm face, he subconsciously took a last look in the direction of the rostrum that was about to be blocked, and when he didn't find the person who made him Behind his nostalgic figure, he still took steps mechanically, followed Xiao Yi's guidance, slowly walked through the crowded crowd, and walked out of the square from a deserted side passage.

"The future is terrifying."

The gray-haired old man standing in front of him repeated with a smile on his lips, while shaking the clarified amber champagne in his hand, he cast admiring glances at the silent young man in front of him, "The response from all the allies is better than expected. Is the content of this speech all improvised?"

"Chairman He really flattered me," Junliu separated his attention from his heavy thoughts, and replied flatly, "Of course this was arranged before, at most I spent a little effort to memorize it."

"Hehe, don't be modest, this is not the speech style I am familiar with, or do you have a new writer?"

"Yeah, a new writer with a more radical style." He murmured ambiguous words, moved his erratic black eyes, and lowered his head to take a sip of the champagne in his hand.

Xiao Luo is not here... What's going on?Before leaving, she asked her mother-in-law to tell Xiao Yi that after the coming-of-age ceremony, she would take him to the National Assembly's large conference hall to attend the banquet.

Taking advantage of the gap between the conversations, he looked around the entire venue again, but he still didn't notice the figure of the young man, and he couldn't help feeling a nameless anxiety in his heart.

What I wanted to make sure here was whether he had heard the promise he made to him in front of the people of the entire Eastern Continent in the square, so that this disobedient stray dog ​​could stay by his side in peace and never let the old A life of fear and insecurity.

Even the date for the peace talks in the capital has been preliminarily drawn up. The peace you fought for me will come soon, right?In the future, there will be no more needless victims of war, babies who cannot resist, and no more powerful black hands will manipulate their future. They will be born from the warm mother's womb, feel the karma arranged by blood, instead of becoming lonely Soldiers who went to the frontier covered in pain.If restricting my personal freedom gives me a chance to change the status quo and bring a new future to more disadvantaged people, then even if it is the ten thousandth time, I will be on the throne of thorns standing on the edge of the cliff.Xiao Luo, why don't you welcome me and celebrate the birth of that moment?

I don't know what kind of intuition made him more and more uneasy, and finally found an excuse to get away from the chairman of the National Assembly. Junliu didn't even tell his parents who were standing not far away, and walked out of the banquet hall, With dark brown carved handrails painted with bright varnish, he quickened his pace and ran down the long spiral staircase.

The car whizzed and shattered the warm scenery of the suburbs in the afternoon, and when it stopped under the flower stand covered by newly sprouted green rose vines, Junliu opened the door of the car and jumped down before the muffled sound of the engine settled down. The footsteps crossed the grass that had just been sprinkled with dew, and soon stepped on the white stone steps in front of the main door of the main house.

He walked through the foyer without distraction, from the sun-soaked day reception room to the lush garden atrium, and then went straight to the West Garden wing, ignoring the slightly bewildered reaction of the maid who passed by, and quickened his pace Run up to the room with the best view at the end of the top floor.

The sight in front of him left his mind empty. The room had obviously been carefully cleaned and returned to its state before it was used.The quilt and pillows were removed, the bed was covered with a large print cover to block dust, the wooden bookcase full of heavy books was also locked, and the crystal chandelier in the middle of the roof was covered by a silk curtain.There are countless such idle rooms in Xiaxi Garden, and they are rarely used once or twice a year. They are well sealed up and left as the royal family's inheritance.

A panic surged in Junliu's heart. He rushed into the room and opened the closet, only to find that the few clothes he had hung up were gone, the books he had turned over were not on the table, and the luggage stuffed under the bed was gone too. trace.

"Don't make such a joke!"

Anxious and annoyed, he paced around the room a few times in a mess, only the sound from outside the room interrupted his chaotic thoughts.

"Your Highness? What happened? Your Majesty said that you will come back at night..."

Jun Liu saw Peng Si standing behind him with a dazed face, and hurriedly asked, "Mother-in-law, where did Xiao Luo go? You have cleaned the room, so you must know when he left! Don't lie to me!"

"He... left half an hour ago," Peng Si's eyes widened, "Don't you know? Xiaoyi said he had booked the bus ticket, so he was in a hurry, and I helped him pack his luggage..."

"Who allowed you to do this! Why didn't anyone tell me?!" Before she finished speaking, Junliu couldn't help losing his temper, seeing the old butler in front of him who was speechless but aggrieved, Without thinking about it, he left Peng Si who was standing there blankly and rushed out of the room, "I want to contact Xiaoyi immediately and ask him to bring him back to me!"

He hurriedly stepped onto the verandah facing the garden atrium. The carved colonnade was elongated by the sunlight in the west, dividing the long aisle in front of him into black and white intervals. With a vague call, Junliu suddenly stopped, and hurriedly cast his gaze along the source of the voice.

Zilo was still wearing the well-groomed Air Force uniform he had worn when he went to the coming-of-age ceremony, standing motionless in the middle of the garden on the ground floor, surrounded by pale yellow winter jasmine flowers.The fountain behind him is like a set for effects, and the reflected light makes him look a little unreal.But when his gaze was focused on Jun Liushang's face that was still in a state of trance, the gentle smile on the corner of his mouth was as usual, like a source of power, making the other person's heartbeat and even the flow of blood go up. After a second of stagnation, it suddenly broke through the tight blockage and started to operate smoothly.

"...What...you startled me, Xiao Luo! You guys teamed up to play with me?" Junliu heaved a sigh of relief, and responded with a smile on his face, and he couldn't wait to move his footsteps stand up.

"Don't move! Junliu." Zi Luo, who was watching him intently, suddenly stopped him, "Just stand there, listen to me, okay?"

The other party's expression changed to seriousness at some point, and Junliu was a little confused again. He hesitated and gradually stopped in the middle of the outer corridor, asking the young man who was looking up at him from below with his eyes.

"I still can't do it... leave without saying goodbye." Ziluo seemed to be talking to himself in a soft voice. His position against the light made it difficult to discern the subtle expressions on his face from a high place, "You said in the Square of the Sages Those words kept echoing in my mind, your performance today was really beyond my expectation. In comparison, if I didn’t even have the courage to say goodbye face to face, it would be too bad, so I turned halfway I came back to see you again."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" In the blink of an eye, the big rock in Junliu's heart was suspended again, and he couldn't help leaning out of the railing, as if he wanted to convey his voice more directly, "Where are you going in a hurry? Now it is almost entering the truce period before the negotiation. You will not have any tasks when you go back to the front line. Why can't you live here for a while? We haven't seen each other for three years, and you just stayed for less than two It's only a week!"

"Junliu, I have already retired." Zi Luo couldn't help avoiding that anxious gaze, and lowered his head slightly, not wanting to face the shock that was about to appear in his eyes in the next second, "I won't go back to the front line, I want to go back to Daru No."

"What...? Impossible, the war is not over yet, you are still in service..."

"Yes, I applied for retirement in advance, and the military department approved it when I left the Wind Helly Base."

"Why?!" Junliu hit the railing with his fist, and his heart became more anxious, "Why are you?! Do you want to leave me that much?!"

Zi Luo felt his neck stiffen a little, because he could really feel the other party's emotional loss of control, and what he said next made it difficult for him to speak.He was silent for a moment, and calmed down in the soft music-like sound of water flowing around him.Although digging out the thorns rooted in the bottom of his heart would involve deep pain, and exposing them would be a bit embarrassing, but he decided that it was his duty to explain everything clearly in this place.

"My sister had an accident." Even the most heavy things, after a long time of forbearance, appear flat.Zilo exhaled, and continued to speak in a gentle tone as much as possible.

"When I was on the front line, I haven't heard from her for a long time. My sister always told me that she was just helping people wash clothes for a living, but she was doing heavy work in a dangerous place like a military base. The materials allocated to the mezzanine area are limited, and the government's alimony is often in arrears, so it is very difficult to afford expensive prices."

"The place where she works is at the junction of the mezzanine area and the central area, and the law and order in that area is very chaotic. On the way home, she was attacked..." Zi Luo gasped, as if facing his trembling pain hard. Inside, "She was raped by a gangster."

After he finished speaking this sentence abruptly, he tried his best to minimize the space for revealing his emotions, and forced himself not to have any thinking activities when narrating this matter, only then did he relax slightly.

"That bastard wanted to kill people, but fortunately, she was seen by a soldier who was lazy on guard nearby and came out for a stroll, so she saved her life. After that, the soldier's family took her in and wrote me a letter because of it. But He Ze It was a critical period to turn the tide of the war, and the private letter sent to the army was seriously delayed. When I contacted the soldier according to the contact information in the letter, I was told that my sister had already left without saying goodbye. "

"She probably didn't want to tell me about this, so she disappeared like this and never contacted me again... I have completely lost news of my sister since then. Where is she now and what is going on? No way of knowing."

"I don't want to pass on the negativity to you, Jun Liu...but do you know how I spent the rest of my life at the front? Even when I was fighting, my mind wandered. I have worked so hard here for so many years, I have lived and died on the front , Every honor is squeezed out from the fingers of the god of death. But... in the end, everything was in vain, completely destroyed by a bastard who doesn't know the name!"

Speaking of this, even though he had been restrained for a long time, Zi Luo's tone revealed regret that could not be concealed, and the darkness in the corners of his eyes was so deep that his gaze was almost drowned, "So I have to go back, I have to go back to find her! From childhood to Mostly she is taking care of me, making me forget how fragile she is. I can't imagine how frightened and desperate my sister is when she encounters that kind of thing. If I can always be by her side to protect her, what would be better if I don't have delusions life, at least you won’t lose more, if you don’t have too much ambition, you can at least grasp the only happiness around you.”

"No!" Junliu, who had been listening quietly, finally couldn't help interrupting this negative emotion. If he could stand in front of that young man at this moment, he would definitely not be able to restrain the urge to kiss him forcefully, " You are not wrong, this is not your fault! Xiao Luo, why didn't you tell me earlier? Why didn't you tell me?! No matter what happens, we can find a solution together!"

"You have more important things to do." His expression regained his senses, "There are more people who need your help, and what you are going to achieve is a great cause, not only what I dream of, but also a lot of things that were taken away by the war. The wishes of people who matter, and only you can do that."

"If you are not in this group of people, if my career cannot even benefit the person I love the most, no matter how meaningful everything I do, how can it make me feel the slightest bit of happiness? Xiao Luo, don't be too cruel!"

Zi Luo was stunned. Seeing the injured person, he smiled helplessly, "Okay... If you really want to help me, can you listen to me one thing?"

"The reason why I came to Heze to join the army was to realize my dream of taking my sister to live in the outer zone. However, in Dalufei, a defiled woman is not eligible to enter the outer zone. Even if I find her, she will always be in the outer zone." I can only live in that poor and dirty mezzanine area without any hope."

"Your father... His Majesty the King promised me that after I find my sister, he can find a way to bring her to Heze. Although Dalufei's immigration blockade is very strict, it is already one of the allies after all. As long as the king If His Majesty makes a request and puts pressure on them, they should be able to let my sister go abroad."

"Wait a minute..." Junliu felt that he was going to be crushed by him, "How did he know about this? You didn't discuss it with me? You told my father instead? What's going on?"

"It's a long story, Junliu, forgive me for not being able to explain more." Ziluo speeded up his speech, his time was running out, "I like this country very much, and I thought it must be very difficult to stay here forever." Well, you don’t have to be oppressed by the harsh system anymore, you don’t have to worry about being hungry, and you won’t be watched everywhere. So, my sister will be very happy here. If there is such a day, she will be lucky enough to come to your country, Junliu, you Can you take care of her for me? I don't need you to give her anything, I just want her to live like an ordinary person, this is my greatest wish."

"Xiao Luo, can you come with her too?" His voice was weak, almost begging, "I will take good care of you for the rest of your life."

Zi Luo bowed his head in silence, too guilty to speak.He has reached an agreement with the king behind Junliu's back, in exchange for letting his sister out of the sea of ​​suffering, he will leave He Ze immediately and never set foot on this land again.

Although it was to save his only relative, but he completely failed the young man's feelings, Zi Luo felt that he would never be able to forgive himself.

"Junliu, when I heard you say that you want to protect the weak, I was really touched. You are already an independent man. So I think it's time for me to go back to that place and find something about myself. s answer."

When he said this, he suddenly took a step back slightly.The setting sun has turned red like the rich honey that has settled down, dyeing his fluffy hair corners crystal-clear, and the first few gusts of wind blew the sparse new leaves around him rustling.

In such an abrupt silence, Zi Luo suddenly remembered the big banyan tree they owned together. The two of them once closed their eyes together and listened quietly to the cheers of the wind running through the leaves. It is abstracted into a symbol, representing their unrecoverable student time.So he stopped talking, just looked at Junliu silently, admiring his appearance for the last time.When did that boy, who was once too beautiful to be real, be able to look down on me so forcefully?Even if I don't need my existence anymore, he is enough to carry out his will and go on firmly.

"Anyway, thank you, Junliu...thank you for everything you have given me."

"Wait a minute!" The young man who noticed the strangeness couldn't hold back anymore. He began to move hurriedly towards the direction of the stairs, but he never dared to take his eyes off the figure standing there. The close distance in front of him made him feel Unlimited panic. "Stand there and don't move, wait for me to come down! Absolutely don't move! Otherwise, I won't forgive you, Xiao Luo!"

Zi Luo smiled lightly, but didn't answer any more.Junliu gritted his teeth, turned around and ran downstairs like flying.

Just hug him and never let go, never let him escape like this!One day, at least one more day, I still have something to say to you!

He took two steps in three steps, and rushed downstairs like crazy, but there were a full six floors from the guest room on the top floor to the ground of the atrium.When he didn't even have time to take a breath, he finally ran to the place where Ziluo was standing a minute ago, except for the concerto that was still maintained by the breeze beside him, the icy water spray gushing out from the repeated fountain had already borrowed In the deserted garden, the changing light and darkness of the setting sun create mirages.Like a fragile magic, the whisper of the wind gently said that the time was up, and took the person in front of the prince away from the stage where the light and shadow flickered, leaving behind the curtain call song as clear as a music box when large and small drops of water dripped down.