Can't speak

Before Qin Yueshu had time to react, hurried footsteps began to be heard in the corridor, and someone asked before running in, "My lord, are you alright?"

"Don't come in!" Qin Yueshu shouted, and the footsteps stopped quickly.

Qin Yueshu let out a breath slowly, and stared at Ning Jian's face: "That kid was obviously poisoned, when did you get poisoned, do you know?"

Ning Jian's eyes were full of bewilderment, she just shook her head slightly, and after a while she suddenly called out: "It's Yu!"

Qin Yueshu was taken aback for a moment, then also remembered the scene where Su Yangui put the jade pendant in his mouth and bit it.

If it were an ordinary person, no one would put the jade in his mouth to bite, and he would never think of biting it off.

But now that the stone platform has sunk, unable to take out the jade pendant to confirm, Qin Yueshu was silent for a moment, then took a step away.

"He was wounded and poisoned. Even if he was rescued, he might not be able to survive. It seems... our deal cannot be done."

Ning Jian was shocked, but she didn't speak for a long time, the light in her eyes dimmed little by little, as if she was full of daze again.

Qin Yueshu looked at him gloomyly. After a long while, he suddenly struck out and slashed Ning Jian's neck like a knife. Shu's fingers cut through the clothes, leaving a trail of blood.

Qin Yueshu didn't give him time, and then he slapped Ning Jian on the back, his left hand clawed, and took the box in Ning Jian's arms.

Ning Jian quickly drew his sword, slashing Qin Yueshu's wrist sideways, Qin Yueshu retracted his hand, stretched out his foot to sweep across Ning Jian's lower body, leaped back, and had already drawn his sword.

At the same time, Ning Jian turned back, stood against the wall with her sword in hand, and stared intently at Qin Yueshu, the blankness from a moment ago was no longer visible on her face.

Qin Yueshu looked at him for a while, and finally chuckled lightly, withdrew his sword, and said with a smile, "Fifth Lord has such a good reaction, Qin admires it."

Ning Jian just stared into his eyes and didn't speak, she didn't withdraw her sword, but grabbed the box even tighter.

Qin Yueshu smiled, turned around and called the people in the tunnel to come in, and told them to go down to search for the treasure. After a while, someone came to report that there was indeed a stone room for the treasure below, and there was nothing unusual about it.

Only then did Qin Yueshu follow the man down, not talking to Ning Jian again.

Ning Jian didn't follow either, but kept leaning against the wall, looking at the words all over the wall, her eyes gradually became blurred again.

"Ning Jian, if you were the former emperor and I was Taizu, I would take over your country too."

"Ning Jian, if you were the former emperor and I was Taizu, I would definitely not hurt you like Taizu did and trap you in an unjust place."

"Because I don't want to."

"Little devil..." subconsciously called out, but he seemed to be frightened by his own voice, trembling all over, pursed his lips again, and lowered his eyes.

The tears just fell on the ground drop by drop, and then disappeared quickly after turning into dots, which looked both familiar and strange.

He couldn't even be sure if the tears falling in his eyes were actually tears.

In fact, he only saw Su Yangui cry.

At that time, Su Yan was only [-] or [-] years old when she was young. She was beaten on the ground by several older children in the town. While beating them back, she was ridiculed and said, "You little bastard, you have no mother."He led the horse and passed by, but was blocked. He had no way to deal with the children, so he drew his sword habitually, scaring away all the little devils.

The only one who didn't run away was Su Yangui.

When he bent down to pull it, just as he touched his hand, the child who had never cried after being crushed and beaten burst out crying, which shocked him severely.

This was probably the first time he saw someone cry.

It was only later that I found out that this child was called Su Yangui and was Su Shi's adopted son.

Following Su Yangui back home, just as Su Shi died of illness, Su Yangui cried and burst into tears.

Later, when he hung up the twelve or thirteen-year-old kid for questioning and frightened him in various ways, he also kept crying.

But Ning Jian didn't remember Su Yangui's appearance at that time.

I only remember that when I was fourteen or five years old, the two had been together for a long time. He believed that Su Yangui didn't know the secret of the treasure, and Su Yangui gradually regarded him as a master, and became very dependent on him, so he didn't He kept staring at Su Yangui day and night, and occasionally left for half a day to go to Yecheng to buy some daily necessities. When he returned to Su's house, he even had dinner prepared by Su Yangui.

His life was too plain, yet peaceful, and even he himself was about to forget his purpose.

It wasn't until one day later, when he returned to Su's house from Yecheng, only to find that Su's house was pitch-dark and Su Yangui was not there, that he faintly felt regretful.

He shouldn't have been so close to this child, shouldn't have given so much trust.

Holding a lantern, he searched all the way along the streets and alleys of Crescent Moon Town with a very small hope. It was not until dawn that he found him in a dead wood forest in the west of the city, and fell asleep hugged under a tree. Su Yan returned.

That's when I was really angry.

However, when Su Yangui was pushed to wake up, the kid only took one look at him, then hugged him, and cried out loudly, the anger behind him could no longer be burned.

That day Su Yangui hugged him tightly and cried for a long time, like an abandoned child who found a home again, he didn't know how to coax such a small brat, so he could only hold him in his arms, instead. He repeatedly comforted him, "It's okay, don't cry."

After that day, he seemed to never see Su Yangui cry again.From that day on, he believed for no reason that even if he left, this person would stay in the town and wait for him.

But this time...

After thinking about it, she suddenly panicked. Ning Jian raised her head subconsciously to look for it, but what she saw was strange figures coming and going, and Su Yangui was no longer there.

He lowered his head again, clenched his teeth, and clenched his dagger tightly, as if grasping a life-saving straw, but no matter how he struggled, he would slowly suffocate.

After an unknown amount of time, someone stuck his head out from below: "Fifth Lord, there is a tunnel below, which leads to the outside."

Ning Jian moved for a moment, vaguely remembering that Su Yangui said in his defense that Su Shi does not know martial arts, so it is impossible to come in the same way as them. At that time, he only thought it was sophistry. Now that he heard that there are other channels, he felt very sad Feeling inexplicably dazed easily.

"Fifth Master?" Seeing that he didn't speak, the man called out again, and even reached out and patted Ning Jian on the shoulder.

Although he is also a prince, Ning Jian is different from other people. There are only a handful of days in the palace a year. Be less respectful to others.

It's just that the man's hand touched Ning Jian's shoulder, Ning Jian's sword was already on his neck, his face turned pale, and he panicked: "Master Wu, forgive me, Lord Wu, please forgive me!"

Ning Jian didn't seem to see his panic, she just put away the box in her hand, tightened her dagger tightly, and said lightly: "Let's go."

Only then did the man lead the way back trembling, and after walking for a while, seeing that Ning Jian remained expressionless but did not hurt himself, he understood that he was just taking precautions instead of blaming himself for being rude, so he became bolder again.

"Fifth Master, you don't know that there is a treasure below, gold, silver and jewels, all of which dazzle people's eyes. If the former emperor dug up this treasure for military pay, our Taizu Emperor would not be able to take him away. If we Give me a little of this treasure, and I will have no worries in this life."

Ning Jian didn't reply, but the road wasn't long, and he soon arrived at a very spacious stone room. Qin Yueshu was standing at the entrance, and when he heard the man's words, he said coldly: "Say it again, you Life should be over."

The man quickly shut his mouth, and ran to the side in desperation to help carry things, not daring to say a word.

Qin Yueshu waited for him to walk away, then turned around and waved to Ning Jian, and said with a smile, "The chariots and horses should be waiting outside, fifth master please."

Ning Jian was silent for a long time, and finally walked in the direction he showed.

It was a very long corridor with no lights or even wind in it. Walking in it was dark and stuffy, which reminded Ning Jian unconsciously of Su Yangui holding her hand and walking between the doors. Situation of walking in a narrow alley.

The exit of the corridor is downstream of Huaxi in Crescent Town.

Swim through a stone cave in a water pool more than ten feet deep, and you will arrive at the stalactite cave downstream of Huaxi River.

Wading out of the cave, I saw that there were already chariots and horses parked there, and people who looked like officers and soldiers were guarding around.

When Ning Jian walked out, the sky had already darkened, and the surroundings were silent.

Qin Yueshu gave him a small carriage, and a servant came to take care of him, but he just asked for a set of clothes, went to a corner alone to clean himself up, and nestled into the carriage without saying a word.

Even if he rested for a while in the mountains, after many days of fatigue and tension, he was already close to the limit. He leaned against the corner with his sword in his arms, closed his eyes and rested, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The sound of people moving boxes and occasionally indiscernible conversations could be heard outside continuously. Ning Jian felt a little irritated in her heart. The hand holding the sword couldn't help exerting force, and the knuckles were slightly white. It is even more impossible to relax. Occasionally, there is a moment of blurring, and it will soon be disturbed by the sound outside and wake up again.

Waking up in such a daze for a while, the sky outside seemed to brighten very quickly, it was still dark red in the first moment, and turned white in the next moment.

The things seemed to be almost moved, and Qin Yueshu's voice said: "Everyone guard the car in charge, we have to go around the mountain road before dawn, if anyone has a problem, just wait for me."

Everyone responded in unison, Ning Jianjian heard footsteps approaching, he opened his eyes, and at the same time, the car curtain was lifted.

Qin Yueshu couldn't see the exhaustion from a night's sleep, and smiled pleasantly: "It turns out that Fifth Master has already woken up."

Ning Jian glanced at him coldly: "What's the matter?"

"The convoy should go."

Ning Jian didn't speak, but Qin Yueshu got into the car on his own. Ning Jian raised his eyes at him, and he smiled and said, "The other cars are full of things, but this one is empty. Qin shouldn't have I offended the fifth master, but I am tired for many days and really don't want to ride a horse, please forgive me."

Ning Jian was silent for a moment, then shrank into a corner.

Qin Yueshu smiled and sat down on the other side, closing her eyes generously and resting.

Ning Jian didn't close her eyes any more, just grasped the box containing the edict, sat there with her sword in her arms, and stared at Qin Yueshu intently.

As if feeling the guard in his gaze, after a while, Qin Yueshu, who had her eyes closed, suddenly said, "Fifth Master, don't be nervous. Your Highness has made an agreement with you. He said he won't kill you. Even if Qin wants your life again , and dare not act presumptuously.”

He spoke respectfully, but there was an embarrassing chill in his words, Ning Jian stared at him for a while before slowly turning his eyes away.

They were silent for a while, Qin Yueshu smiled again, half-opened his eyes, glanced at Ning Jian, closed them again, changed a comfortable position, and said: "Besides, fifth master is cruel, Qin is See you."

Ning Jian didn't move.

"Although that little brat is stupid, he's not annoying. He's been with you for eight years, and if he says no, he won't. Now that life and death are unpredictable, I don't see you, Fifth Master, worried or sad. It's really... how heartless you are."

What responded to him was the sound of the dagger being unsheathed. Before the dagger reached his neck, Qin Yueshu had already rolled to the side.

Ning Jian stared at him relentlessly, as if she wanted to swallow him alive, and said bluntly after a long time: "Since you are tired, go to sleep, if you say another word, I will cut off your tongue."

Qin Yueshu listened, just smiled and said nothing.

Ning Jian finally put the sword back, still sitting in the corner with the sword in her arms, her eyes open in a daze.

The journey back to Beijing was a long one, so naturally there was a lot of trouble.Regardless of how many treasure hunters Qin Yueshu provoked when he followed Ning Jian to Crescent Moon Town, and they created such a commotion in the mountains before they left, the rumor of the birth of Crescent Moon Town's treasure naturally spread easily.

However, among the people Qin Yueshu took with him, there were many capable people and strangers, and most of the people in the Jianghu were unwilling to provoke the imperial court. Although there were several vicious fights along the way, Ning Jian just hid in the car and pretended not to know anything. .

It's just that as the days passed, Ning Jian became more and more silent. Sometimes when he was sitting in the car, he seemed to be asleep with his eyes closed, but whenever there was any movement, he would startle up, and without a word, he drew his sword and fell asleep. on the neck of the person.

Qin Yueshu could see the murderous intent in his eyes, so naturally he would not rashly try again.It's just that when others came to call him occasionally, he also put the dagger around other people's necks, and even if he took it back later, it was enough to scare the servants.

Qin Yueshu mentioned several times in his words, asking him to restrain himself, but he did not change.

Not unwilling, but unable.

The closer he gets to Yongcheng, Ning Jian finds himself becoming more and more unable to control himself.

At first, it was just to guard against Qin Yueshu's sneak attack, but when Qin Yueshu changed a carriage and left him alone, he couldn't relax.

It was getting dark at night, except for the night watchman, everyone else was asleep, so he could only curl up in the corner of the carriage, staring blankly with his eyes open.

He can't sleep.

The appearance of Su Yangui was repeated in my mind, from the twelve or thirteen-year-old boy I first met eight years ago; to the pale young man in the mountains who called his name softly.

Even though we separated, the impression was deeper than ever.

Occasionally, a trace of drowsiness can be born, and when the consciousness is blurred, it will be awakened by nightmares.In the dream, without exception, it was still Su Yangui.

The person in the dream was covered in blood and kept calling his name with anger and grievance.Sometimes, like in the mountains, I would ask him in different tones: Are you willing, are you going to kill me...

He couldn't answer in the dream, and woke up again when he got anxious.

In the dead of night, you will feel extremely uncomfortable.

He grew up in the palace for half of his childhood, following Feng Ningxuan, he naturally learned to distinguish various poisons, but he couldn't tell what kind of poison Su Yangui had been poisoned by.He could only keep wondering whether the person who rescued Su Yangui could detoxify him, and whether he was actually dead.

After thinking about it, I would think of Su Yangui's occasional small grievances. I don't know if that kid already hated himself to the bone, or he was aggrieved like when he was beaten and scolded when he was a child and shed tears but refused to cry out.

Thinking so upside down, it's easy to see the light of day.

Ning Jian didn't know where the problem was.

From the first acquaintance, he knew that he was going to kill that brat after all, and that brat always knew he was going to die, but now it has been delayed year after year, and in the end he felt that something was wrong.

The pain in my heart couldn't find an outlet to vent it, so she could only hold it tight, Ning Jian could only tell herself over and over again, when she returned to Yongcheng, saw the third brother, when everything was over and the dust settled, all things will pass.

It's just that when the horses and horses entered Yongcheng, Kyoto, and Ning Jian was about to go to the other courtyard where Feng Ningxuan was under house arrest, people from the palace came first.

Ning Jian recognized that it was the chief eunuch who was with the emperor.

The fat and fat head eunuch who had never looked at him stood there very respectfully, calling him fifth master, saying that the emperor was critically ill, and all the princes and ministers were kneeling outside the palace door, but the emperor only wanted to see the fifth son Feng Ning simple.

Even Qin Yueshu, who was standing by the side, was a little stunned, but Ning Jian just stood there with his eyes open, until the chief eunuch called him again, then he nodded slightly, turned over and jumped onto the prepared horse. , As soon as he clipped his horse belly, he went straight to the palace gate.

It was the first time for the chief eunuch to deal with this prince. He had never cared about this prince who might not be able to see the emperor in a year. Naturally, he didn't know Ning Jian's temper. Now he ran away without saying a word. , just when his heart was arrogant and did not dare to attack, he snatched a horse and hurriedly chased after it.

"Fifth Master, haven't you changed your clothes?"

Ning Jian ignored him.

When he approached the palace gate, the gatekeeper couldn't recognize him, but seeing him approaching menacingly, he held up a long spear to stop him. Ning Jian raised his sword, and the hilt swept across, knocking one of them back three steps, and kicked one of them. Kicking the other person to the ground and rushing in, the other generals also became nervous, and they were about to surround him, so the head eunuch hurriedly shouted: "Don't be presumptuous, that's the Fifth Prince!"

Those people froze in place for a moment, Ning Jian rode straight in without stopping.

When they got close to the bedroom, they saw people kneeling in front of the palace gate. They subconsciously raised their heads when they heard the sound of horseshoes. Ning Jian hesitated for a while before sweeping towards the front.

The ones kneeling in front are all the princes, one of them is in his thirties and looks noble, he is the current crown prince Feng Ning'an.His face was originally full of sorrow, but when he saw Ning Jian, his face darkened, hesitant to speak, Ning Jian gave him a flat look, and then turned his eyes away.

"Fifth Master, the emperor is waiting for you." The head eunuch also caught up at this time, so naturally he would not say anything to ask Ning Jian to change his clothes, but urged him in a low voice.

Ning Jian glanced at the princes again, then walked into the room silently.

Seeing him, the imperial physician and the maids and eunuchs in the room consciously bowed and retreated, leaving Ning Jian alone standing ten steps away from the bed.

The surroundings are filled with the fragrance of medicine, and behind the bright yellow gauze curtain, is a vague figure half lying on the bed.

Ning Jian didn't move.

After a while, the person on the bed said, "Is it Ning Jian? Come here."

The voice was old and weak, and it no longer had the majesty in Ning Jian's memory.

He walked over, lifted the gauze curtain, and saw the old man lying on the bed.

Five, 60-year-old, seven, 80-year-old, with no blood on the face, half-closed eyes, slow breathing, as if it will stop at any time.When he heard him approaching, he slightly raised his eyes to look at him, showing a very faint, blunt smile.

Ning Jian hesitated for a moment, then knelt down beside the bed, and called out in a low voice, "Father."

The smile on the old man's face became clear.

Ning Jian didn't know what to say next, and he didn't know what his father wanted to say when he called him.After a while of silence, he took out a long and thin box from his arms:

"According to the agreement, I found the treasure and also the record left by Su Shi. This is the edict left by Taizu..."

"I'm the blood of the former emperor, right?"

Ning Jian was a little surprised that the emperor did not refer to himself as "Zhen".He nodded: "The recorded stone room has been blown up, and I brought back this edict."

"These are not important, let future generations worry about it." The emperor smiled, "I just want to talk to you."

Ning Jian was even more surprised, kneeling there for a while, not knowing how to react.

"Have you had a good time all these years?"

Ning Jian was stunned: "It's okay."

He didn't understand why his father asked such a question. To him, it didn't seem to matter whether he was happy or not, so he answered a little casually.

The emperor looked at his face: "In my whole life, I have only loved one woman. She is a rare beauty in the martial arts world. She is straightforward and treats me very well. She never cares about my suspicious identity."

Ning Jian knew that he was referring to her own mother.But when he heard the emperor say "love", he couldn't help being stunned.

"But after she knew that I was the emperor, she refused to go back to the palace with me. At first, I thought she didn't love me, but it wasn't until she died that I realized that she loved me too much. She couldn't talk to anyone else. The woman shared her husband and son-in-law, so she had to leave alone, and gave birth to a child for me, but she didn't say anything."

Ning Jian responded vaguely, indicating that she was listening.He didn't know what to say at this time.

The emperor seemed to find his reaction amused, and stretched out his hand tremblingly. It took a while for Ning Jian to understand, and stretched out his own hand.

"So I wholeheartedly hoped that the child she gave birth to me would stay by my side. I found her elder brother, and after a long fight, I was able to split it up for half a year. But the child stayed in the palace without the help of my relatives, and I couldn't help it." If I dare to pet him and love him, in the end, I can only choose a virtuous woman to take care of him for me. But when I look at the people in the palace, they do all kinds of disrespect because I neglected him, and I feel that I owe a lot... Really, sorry……"

Ning Jian tightened her hands: "It's okay, I don't care. Brother San and Niang Niang are very kind to me."

"I know, because you are only close to your third brother." The emperor coughed a few times, lay there, and did not speak for a long time.

Ning Jian clumsily assisted him, lowering her eyes and not speaking.

"In recent years, I have often wondered if I was wrong. In the palace, no one will get close to you. At your uncle's place... I heard from him that because you didn't have much time to stay on the mountain, you didn't get close to you with your brothers and sisters. I'm not close either...doesn't it make me feel lonely when I'm alone?"

"It's okay, I don't care." Ning Jian said the same thing for the second time.

"In the past few years, I have always wanted to get closer to you, but you almost never come back. I was too busy during the Chinese New Year, so I took a look from a distance. When I was free, you left again."

Ning Jian lowered her head: "I'm sorry."

The emperor moved, but finally calmed down again: "Look for it, there is an imperial decree on that table."

Ning Jian was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously stood up to look for it.

The imperial decree is on the most conspicuous place on the table, and the jade seal has been sealed after it is written, to the effect that the prince Feng Ningxuan and Feng Ningjian will be demoted to common people, and they will be far away from Beijing, and they will never be allowed to enter the court. Relief, the two princes must not suffer.

Ning Jian returned to the bedside with the imperial decree, still knelt down, and whispered, "Thank you."

"I was thinking of using excuses to stay with you for a few more years, but in the past few years, we haven't been very close. In the future... I'm afraid there will be no chance."

"You..." Ning Jian blinked, then lowered her head again.

The emperor patted his hand: "Go and call your eldest brother in."

Ning Jian nodded, stood up, and couldn't help asking: "Can you not die?"

The emperor smiled.

Ning Jian stood there with her lips pursed, holding the imperial decree in her hand, and slowly clenched it.

"Stupid child, how can you say no to it, you don't want it, everything in the world will not be so cheap for you."

Ning Jian didn't speak any more, turned around with her head down, and exited the door.

"Ning Jian..." The emperor stopped him again.

Ning Jian suddenly turned her head, and saw this father who had never been close to her show a loving smile: "Find someone who can make you feel not alone to accompany you."

Ning Jian nodded blankly and staggered out.

The people outside the door were shocked when they saw him coming out, Feng Ning'an's eyes shot like arrows, Ning Jian lowered his eyes: "I told you to go in."

Feng Ning'an stared at him intently for a while before striding into the house. The people left behind also noticed the imperial decree in Ning Jian's hand, and talked about it in private, but no one dared to ask about it.

Ning Jian didn't care about those people, she just walked behind the princes and knelt down, staring blankly in the crowd, but couldn't find her third brother.

After kneeling like this for a while, she heard a wail coming from the room. Ning Jian was slightly shocked, but she didn't look up, only hearing the people around her crying one after another.

The chief eunuch came out, his eyes were red, and he announced in a trembling voice, "The emperor is dead."

That crying sound surged like a wave again, making one's heart and soul want to be crushed.

Ning Jian was kneeling with eyes open in a daze, without moving, but the seven or eight-year-old little prince who was kneeling beside him secretly turned his head from under his sleeve to look at him, then gently tugged at his sleeve, and said in a low voice : "Fifth brother, why don't you cry?"

Ning Jian looked at him blankly, blinked at last, and then lowered her head.

On the contrary, the little prince stayed there, and after a while he seemed to be frightened and said, "Fifth brother, you are so amazing, tears came out all at once, my mother told me to learn to cry, but I couldn't cry anymore, because she trained me to cry." After a meal..."

Ning Jian didn't pay any attention to him, just knelt all the time, and he didn't know what those people in front of the hall went up to say in turn.

The little prince seemed to be taken away by his mother. Before leaving, the woman told him in a trembling voice that children are ignorant.

Ning Jian didn't know if it was his own illusion, or if he really heard it, until someone came to pull him, he subconsciously drew his sword, and the person who pulled him backed away in fright, fell and rolled to the ground, and shouted repeatedly: "Fifth Master, spare your life, Fifth Master, spare your life!"

Then someone attacked with a palm, Ning Jian took advantage of the momentum and slashed the sword obliquely. The other hand of the man clasped his wrist like a claw. Ning Jian tried to draw the sword with his backhand, but he was a beat slower and was caught by the man wrist.

"Fifth Lord, is this grief and indignation, or is it too ruthless? Just after the late emperor passed away, you want blood in front of the palace?"

Ning Jian's movements slowed down, and when she looked up, she saw Qin Yueshu standing beside her, looking at herself with a half-smile.Three or four steps away, there was a terrified little eunuch, seeing Qin Yueshu approaching, he shivered and retreated.

After hesitating for a while, he forcibly withdrew his hand, but Qin Yueshu didn't make things difficult for him, but pulled him up and said:

"Look, the others are all gone, so you don't have to keep acting. All the princes of the late emperor have to keep their filial piety. This is the rule. The others go back to their respective mansions to guard them. You don't have a mansion, and you don't have a special mansion for rewards." , what the emperor meant was to ask if you want to stay in the palace and observe your filial piety, or what should you do?"

Ning Jian looked at Qin Yueshu, as if she couldn't understand his words at all.

Qin Yueshu stared at his face for a long time, and finally sighed: "The first emperor passed away, and the crown prince came to the throne, so he naturally became the emperor. After the funeral, there will be the enthronement ceremony, and you will also go there."

Ning Jian was silent for a while, before saying: "I will stay in the palace."

Qin Yueshu didn't say much, just said: "Okay, I'll arrange, you should still live in Ning Xuan's palace."

"I want to see my third brother!"

This time, it was Qin Yueshu who was silent, and said after a long while: "When the matter is over, then talk to the emperor. Now that the throne is not stable, you will never see him again. Even if you do, you and he have to keep filial piety. Still have to stay."

Ning Jian didn't speak any more, but Qin Yueshu seemed to want to appease him. After a pause, he continued: "You know, Ning Xuan's status is sensitive. His grandfather and his grandfather always wanted to put him on the throne. Now that the late emperor died, The position of the new emperor is not secure, so if you don’t find an excuse to kill him first, it’s a gift.”

Ning Jian nodded slowly.

Qin Yueshu added another sentence: "If you want to see him now, you are reminding the emperor that there is such a disaster, and that is to harm him."

Ning Jian nodded again.

Qin Yueshu looked at him, finally didn't say anything, and summoned a little eunuch to order him to settle down. Ning Jian was about to leave, but Ning Jian suddenly asked, "Is it because you can't see third brother anymore?"

Qin Yueshu turned her head abruptly, stared at Ning Jian's face, snorted for a while, and walked away without looking back.

Ning Jian didn't chase after him, but looked at Qin Yueshu's receding back, holding his own sword in his hand, looking like he wanted to catch up and stab him.

The little eunuch waited at the side for a long time before walking forward tremblingly: "Fifth Master..."

Ning Jian finally lowered her eyes and slowly put the sword back into the scabbard.

Ning Jian naturally has her own affiliation in the palace.

At the beginning, he was fostered in Concubine De's palace, and was disciplined with the third prince Feng Ningxuan, so Concubine De allocated a unique small courtyard in her palace to him, and all the eunuchs were also available.

In front of the courtyard of the small hall, there is a plaque with the word "An Ning" inscribed by the emperor at that time. The Pinxian Courtyard is on the left against Concubine De, and the Jingping Courtyard is on the right next to Feng Ningxuan. It is a good place to take care of.

It's just that now Feng Ningxuan is under house arrest outside the palace, and after he was under house arrest, Concubine De spontaneously went to the Puci Temple in the suburbs of Beijing to lead her to practice Taoism.In this huge palace courtyard, it was silent for many years, and it was not until Ning Jian came back that the lamp was lit in the Anning courtyard.

That night, Ning Jian barely fell asleep, but dreamed again in a trance.

The dream was about him when he was three or four years old. There was a tall man in imperial robes, who bent down and held his hand, walking from the palace gate all the way to the harem.

He couldn't hear what was said, but he saw the young and beautiful Concubine Defei standing a few steps away and bowing gracefully. Next to her stood a little prince who was seven or eight years old. Saluting, while secretly looking up at himself.

Ning Jian struggled to reach out, and the child in the dream also clumsily reached out to grab the well-dressed little prince. The little prince walked over to hold his hand with a smile, and the man beside him said softly, "This is your third son." elder brother."

"Three...brother?"

"Ning Jian is good."

Afterwards, things changed, and when I was four or five years old, I didn't seem to be tall anymore. Outside the window of Empress Defei's bedroom, I only reached the window sill when I stretched out my hand.

The young self kept crying under the window sill, and the third brother covered his mouth, so he desperately stuck out his finger and pointed into the window.

The third brother was right next to him. He squatted down, patted his shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Xiao Ningjian, when the third brother lifts you up, you can see your father, but you can't make a sound. If you are discovered, You will be punished, and your father will leave, understand?"

He nodded half-understood, and the third brother asked him to climb onto his shoulders, and stood up tremblingly. He sat on the shoulders of the third brother, saw the window sill approaching a little bit, and laughed happily.

But when he was able to look through the window, there was no one to be seen in the room, neither father nor concubine De concubine were long gone.

He cried out loudly, which startled the third brother, and the two of them fell to the ground staggeringly, and he cried even harder, yelling out of breath: "Father, father!" ..."

The third brother bared his teeth and covered his shoulders and coaxed him indiscriminately, but he didn't appreciate it, so the third brother wiped his tears with his sleeve. As a result, the third brother's clothes were wet, and his face was still wet.

Finally, the tall man came from behind, picked him up, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong with Ning Jian?"

He blinked, buried his head in the man's shoulder socket, and cried again.

These things, when he gets older, he forgets about them. He often lives in the palace for half a year, and he may not see his father, but the third brother still accompanies him, leading him to run around the palace, or to sit in the classroom. He who listens to what the master says is the foundation of the country.

Ning Jian woke up in the middle of the night and sat up on the bed, facing the darkness and emptiness of the room, at a loss.He sat until dawn when the palace maid came to call him, then he slowly got out of bed and put on plain white mourning clothes.

The days of keeping filial piety went smoothly, Feng Ning'an became the emperor, and he also knelt on the square in front of the altar with everyone, shouting long live three times in his ears, but he remained silent.

Three months passed, and the filial piety period was considered to be over. On the evening of the last day, Ning Jian was sitting in a daze under the tree in the yard with her sword in her arms, when she suddenly heard a loud singing: "The emperor has arrived──"

He jumped in his heart for no reason, and quickly looked over to the door, only to see the new emperor Feng Ning'an walking in alone, with no sadness or joy on his face, but a trace of fatigue in his eyes.

Ning Jian stood up, and when he approached, she slowly knelt down and bowed respectfully: "Ning Jian sees the emperor, may my king live long and live forever."

Feng Ning'an stood silent for a long time, and Ning Jian didn't care how long she knelt.The jackdaw mourned in the sky, and it wasn't until the sky darkened that Feng Ning'an smiled lightly: "Get up. You and I have been brothers for more than 20 years, and you are the most polite."

Ning Jian stood up, lowered her head and raised her eyebrows: "You are the emperor, you must be courteous."

Feng Ning'an seemed to know him for the first time, looked at him for a long time, finally looked away, shook her head and smiled, there was a hint of loneliness in the laughter.

Ning Jian didn't say much, and the two of them fell silent, so quiet that when Feng Ning'an spoke again, his voice seemed abrupt and sharp.

"Feng Ningxuan is dead."