then Li Sao

And look at the wealth and splendor three times. In the end, the railing in front of the palace is startled, and the jade is cracked.

The five years of Dacheng Chaozhenghe.Hay City.midwinter.

Wang Er hurried to the west of the city, stepping on the deep snow.

Not long ago, his elder brother found him an errand. Although the location was not good, he could earn a living at least.Today is his third round of duty. Who knows he accidentally fell asleep, and when he just went out, it was snowing heavily. The old jacket made by his old mother was hard to keep out the cold. After walking a few steps, he was already shivering.

As soon as the clear water snot flowed out, it froze, and all the inhalation was cold air, and I lost consciousness in my nose and ears.The white air exhaled from his mouth almost blinded his sight.

From a distance, he saw the words "Unforgive Prison" engraved on the stone wall, that was where he worked.

No amnesty, as the name suggests, the prisoners who come here can only wait for death. Even if the world is amnesty, they will have no hope of being released unless the emperor himself comes to rescue them.

Wang Er is not a member of the army, not a prison guard, so he can only come here to do some odd jobs, serve tea and water, prepare meals, and simply clean the cell. reward.So although he didn't like this place, he was quite comfortable doing things.

Wrapping the jacket tightly around his body, Wang Er walked forward with his head sullen. Although he had been here for a while, he still didn't quite get used to the atmosphere around here, and he always felt inexplicably cold and biting.

The terrain of Unforgive Prison is low-lying, with steep surroundings, the closer you get to it, the more difficult it is to walk, and in the end it is almost difficult to move.When he arrived at the shift change location, Wang Er was out of breath.

"Wang Er, why did you come here!" Hu Shun, who took over from him, complained.

"I'm really sorry." Wang Er apologized, "Next time I'll do one shift for you."

Hu Shun took advantage, so he left all the work to him. He warmed his hands by the stove, took the opportunity to put a roasted sweet potato into his arms, and walked away leisurely.

Wang Er swept the stove and boiled a pot of hot water. Seeing the prison chief calling him, he carried the pot over and said with an apologetic smile, "Zhang prison head, the hot water that has just been boiled, can I have some for you?"

Prison Zhang said "hmm" and threw the tea bowl to him, and Wang Er carefully poured water for him.At this time, cell leader Zhang said to him, "You don't need to clean the cell today."

"Huh?" Wang Er was stunned for a moment, cleaning the cell was heavy work, so it didn't make sense that lazy Hu Shun would help him finish it.

Old man Zhang said: "Someone from the palace came over last night and cleaned it thoroughly from the inside to the outside."

"What do people from the palace do?" Wang Er was a novice after all, and he didn't know the pros and cons of it. He asked whatever came to mind, and he didn't know how to avoid suspicion.

Zhang Lao glanced at him, saw his dumbfounded face, and reprimanded: "What are you! Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!"

Wang Er hurriedly shut up and retreated to the side knowingly, but still couldn't help but glance over at the cell.

With this glance, he just saw a gray figure walking out of it, and Wang Er didn't realize it for a while—it was obviously a prisoner, and no prisoner could walk out of this prison.

"Look, look, he's really been released!"

"What is he holding in his hand? The emperor's decree of immunity?"

When Wang Er heard the comments of other officials, he couldn't help but fix his eyes on that person.

That man... so thin.

Looking from him, it looked as if he would fall if he touched it, but strangely, the man's steps didn't falter at all, and he walked forward steadily, walking out of a style of elegance and peace.

Zhang Laotou hurried over, negotiated a few words with the richly dressed palace people beside the man, then accepted the order and signaled everyone to let them go.

Wang Er couldn't help being curious. While pouring water diligently, he secretly asked the official who had a good relationship with him: "Brother Yu, which cell is that man from? Why didn't I see him when I was cleaning the cell?"

The officer surnamed Yu coughed twice, then lowered his voice and said, "That's a big shot locked in the Kun cell. Of course we don't see him like that. Even his meals are delivered by the prison head himself."

"Kun cell? Big man?" Wang Er scratched his head, "That man looks very ordinary, what happened to him? Why was he released again?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down." The surname Yu looked at Zhang Laotou in the distance, and said after confirming that there was no risk, "Hey, he, he is the prime minister today."

"Prime Minister, Prime Minister?" Wang Er was startled and almost spilled the water in the pot. Yu gave him a hard look, and he quickly shut his mouth tightly and pretended to clean up the tea bowl.

----

At this time, those few palace men walked out of the sky prison proudly. They seemed to be only responsible for delivering orders, not taking people back, so they were very indifferent to the man who had just been released.The thick fur coats worn by the palace people are enviable by others, but it even more contrasts with the thinness of the "Prime Minister" who is far behind them.

Wang Er still couldn't believe that it was the Prime Minister, how could it be possible?

How could prime minister Luo, who was the elder of the three dynasties at such a young age, who had power in the temple and was most valued by the emperor today, have such an ordinary appearance?He heard the bragging in the book, and he thought he was a godlike and majestic person.

How did the prime minister fall to this point?

Now that he has been pardoned, and since he is still the prime minister, why did he come out of prison alone and no one came to greet him?

In such midwinter, why is he only wrapped in plain light fur, not as warm as a plain-haired commoner like him?

Too many questions filled Wang Er's head, and he didn't come back to his senses until the man walked up to him.

In front of him was Prime Minister Luo, who was famous all over the world, and he was still looking at him with a slightly smiling face. Wang Er suddenly didn't know how to put his hands down, and turned around, not knowing where to make way.

"Little brother, ahem, do you have a bowl?" the man asked him.Maybe because he hasn't seen the sun for too long, he is pale, his voice is hoarse and weak, but it is very comfortable to listen to, and there is a kind of calming power.

"Uh...what?" Wang Er was in a daze.

"Do you have a bowl?" He asked again, still so gentle, not impatient.

"You, do you want to drink water? Or do you want to eat?" Wang Er gradually calmed down and spoke sharply.So this is Prime Minister Luo, it's really unusual, he couldn't help thinking.

"No, ahem, I just want a bowl, empty and clean."

Although he thought it was strange, Wang Er hurriedly fetched him a small bowl and handed it to him carefully.

Others, no one dared to talk to him, but no one dared to block his way. They just looked at this frail scholar indifferently and begged for a bowl from a handyman.

"Thank you." The man got what he wanted, holding the bowl, his smile widened a bit.He walked forward slowly on the snow, his gray-white clothes were blown by the cold wind with snow, revealing a thin arm.

He didn't seem to feel cold at all.

His slender fingers gently stroked the white porcelain bowl in his hand.If you look closely, his fingers are actually more transparent than white porcelain.

He walked towards the north step by step, which was the direction of the imperial city.

Wang Er looked at him fascinated, somehow, as if his soul had followed him.

The whispers of officials and servants came faintly in my ears.

"It's just this stunned young man who dares to talk to him, hmph, he's not afraid of getting into trouble."

"That's right, so what if you let him out. The emperor only gave him a way out after he had been his assistant for many years. Someone like him will be dead sooner or later!"

"... what crime?"

"Poisoning the emperor's heir... usurping the throne and plotting rebellion..."

Wang Er gasped, his soul returned to his place, and he broke out in a cold sweat suddenly.

No wonder, no wonder no one dared to approach him, no one came to greet him, because he was a traitor... He actually helped a traitor?Will it be regarded as an accomplice?Will he be beheaded?

But... Wang Er scratched his head, could that person really make trouble?

He was so pale and thin, his fingers were cold and cold, maybe, he hadn't lived long...

——I like Wanlian, little master, do you still remember the appearance of the first Wanlian you showed me?

——Remember, my lord...remember.

Step by step, Luo Ping walked very slowly, and he didn't get very far after walking for a long time.

Compared with his life of smooth progress, he is walking too slowly now.

north.

The imperial city is in the north.

His emperor, his power, are all in the north...

Finally, he lost all feeling in his feet and fell to his knees.

Looking up at the sky, the snow is falling.

Snowflakes melted on his face, mixed with his tears, rolled down his cheeks, and dripped into the empty bowl.

I don't have any more strength.

Luo Ping lay on his side in the snow, watching the specks of water in the bowl, weeping silently and laughing silently.

Life was being sucked away by the earth bit by bit, he could feel that he was getting lighter and sleepier.Before he closed his eyes, he seemed to see a lotus pond, where a little child was dipping his finger in the water and writing on the ground.

Looking back and smiling, she called him softly: "Little master, you are here..."

Luo Ping held that bowl until death, until everything was covered with snow.

Your majesty, the first bowl of lotus was broken in the hand of the minister.

I will pay you this last flower in my life, I don't know if it can compare to the bowl of Jiangshan in your hand.

A generation of powerful courtiers just froze to death in the snow.

To everyone's surprise, the emperor heard the news of the death of the traitor Luo Ping, and ordered a national funeral for him. The whole country mourned for Prime Minister Luo, and the mourning period lasted for seven days.

During these seven days, the young king never went to court, let alone visited the harem.

The empress dowager, concubines and ministers were very worried, and asked the emperor's servant Gao Fu many times for news, but only got an inexplicable answer: the emperor was concentrating on growing flowers.

There was a white porcelain bowl next to the emperor's pillow. It was not fired in an official kiln, nor did it come as a tribute. It was just the kind of extremely cheap white porcelain bowl at the roadside stall.

In this bowl, there is a lotus flower.

Prime Minister Luo's first seven days passed, and everything was on track.The emperor is still the emperor who governs the country rigorously, and the world is still the world where the world is peaceful.

It's just that the lotus in the bowl fell before it bloomed, which seemed to indicate that Dacheng would go from prosperity to decline.

That night, Gao Fu blew the lamp for the sleeping emperor, and heard the emperor talking in his sleep, repeating that sentence:

"Luo Qing, Luo Qing, Luo Qing..." the voice was crying like a child.

Tears fell into the porcelain bowl, and with a muffled pop, it shattered on the decayed lotus petals.