The prince in the cold palace

Time flies, Zhifei is six years old this year, and has been studying in Taiyuan Academy for three years.

The sun shines in the school, penetrates the air, and fills the room with brightness. The scrolls in my hand have been replaced by five or six. I don’t know how many books of this kind of governing the country still need to be learned. Turning the pages of the book, Wen Han was copying the articles to be recited, while the other princes were chatting and laughing as usual, no one talked to Zhi Fei, and Zhi Fei didn't take the initiative to provoke them.

A new seat was added on the right hand side of Zhifei, and it was for the eighth prince Zhiyan who turned three years old this year. Zhiyan was born in the winter of the year Zhifei went to the Imperial Academy. When he was one year old, the emperor gave him a ceremony , the little Zhiyan was just able to walk unsteadily, looked at the small objects all over the floor, picked up one to play with, then put it down, went to look at another, felt boring after playing, everyone around looked at him expectantly , he was terrified by the menacing gazes of the grown-ups, he burst into tears, crawled around, and finally crawled to the handicap's feet and grabbed his long gown, opening the hem and trying to get in...

In a blink of an eye, Zhiyan has grown up too, and he has long forgotten about grasping the rituals.

Zhi Fei looked at the seat on the left again, the naive and foolish Si Huang brother Zhi Mo hadn't come to class for several days, and his companion, the one named Wei Xi, hadn't come either.The mother and concubine of the fourth prince is the daughter of the prime minister of the previous dynasty. She was named a noble concubine as soon as she entered the palace. Wei Xi entered the palace to accompany Zhimo since she was a child. She is both a companion and a bodyguard. When two people are together, Zhimo listens to everything Wei Xi's, rather like Wei Xi's little follower, Zhimo's weak temperament made his mother and concubine Wei Xi hate iron for nothing.

Today's His Majesty is a strange person, not only has strange tastes, strange names, but also strange things.

Up to now, he has not established a heir, nor has he established a crown prince. Every time a courtier writes to urge him, he will always refuse him with "Look again" or "The prince is still young". Many people think that the crown prince will be the eldest prince, because the eldest prince Zhi Zhong is an upright and mature man, good at reading, and smart, but some people think that he is the second prince, and the second prince is His Majesty's favorite prince. This is a well-known fact in the palace.

Zhi Fei has no interest in who will be the prince, he just wants to live his life well, as long as his mother and concubine and Wen Han, Mu Ao and Lu Fang are all well, he doesn't care who is the emperor today and who will be the prince tomorrow.

On the contrary, the young princes have already begun to cultivate their influence and divided into several parties.

The eldest prince Zhizhong, the fifth prince Zhiqing, the sixth prince Zhizhu, including his guards and accompanying relatives are one party, the second prince also has his own forces, the third prince's current camp is unknown, the fourth prince and his relatives behind him are one party, Xiao Ba Concubine Xiao, the concubine of his mother, was just a concubine with a lower rank. Concubine Xiao asked him to please each camp, but in the end no one wanted him.

Looking at the empty place on the left, Zhifei felt indescribable doubts in his heart.

Sensing his doubts, Wen Han stopped the pen in his hand and frowned, "The Fourth Highness hasn't been here for more than half a month..."

Zhi Fei was a little surprised, "Half a month? It's been so long..."

Wen Han nodded, Chang Xiangli was still talking non-stop, regardless of whether the princes below could understand or not, the deep voice was like a lullaby, and the eighth prince on the right was already drowsy.

Although Zhifei looked at the pages of the book, his thoughts had already drifted to the distance, "I hope nothing happens in the palace."

I always feel confused, Zhimo didn't come to class, the master didn't find it strange, the princes were not surprised, there was no news of Zhimo's serious illness in the palace, but there was a certain depressive feeling in the air, just like a storm before the tranquility.

Zhi Fei who was sitting in the Tai Academy didn't know that when that foolish brother came to the Tai Academy half a month ago, it might have been the last time he saw him.

In the riding and archery class, Zhi Fei finally learned the difficult equestrian action of royal horse jumping, which can only be seen on TV. Although the price was relatively high, he fell several times, his knee was broken, and the wound was bleeding. The blood mixed with the sand and the cotton wadding from the torn clothes. It might take some time to clean the wound.

I had no choice but to sue Song Jingman for leave, and went back to treat the wound. When I left, I heard Master Song yelling dissatisfiedly, "You are really spoiled!"

Zhifei shrugged his shoulders, there are more people here than he pampered, and look at the third brother who is reading under the shade of the tree, in the past Zhimo would be in a daze beside him, but these days there is only Zhiyu alone, still holding Reading the scroll, he was tainted with the elegant aura of the scroll, even sitting on the grass, his posture is extremely elegant, he really is the prince, don't give up thinking.

Mu Ao, who was on the opposite side of the school field, also hurriedly asked for leave to accompany Zhi Fei back. Mu Ao is 13 years old. He has trained martial arts under the sun for many years and forged a body with strong muscles and wheat-colored skin. The Zhifei below is really indescribably sunny and healthy. He is about 1.6 meters five in height. Mu Ao is growing up, and his appetite is bigger than before.

"Your Highness, why are you in a daze?" Mu Ao supported him, a little powerless, Zhi Fei walked crookedly, one leg could not be used at all, and even Mu Ao was dragged down.

Zhi Fei smiled wryly, tried to balance his body, but the wound was involved, he took a breath unexpectedly, "Hiss...pain..."

Mu Ao put one hand on Zhibao's waist, bent down, put the other hand on the bend of Zhibao's leg forcefully, and hugged Zhibao horizontally with all his strength, "It's really convincing Your Highness that you can still be distracted by the pain. "

Zhi Fei leaned against Mu Ao's chest, very firm and warm. Every time he was injured, Mu Ao's strong arms would support him and send him home, and he became dependent on him unconsciously. He was a few dozen years older than Mu Ao, and his face turned red when he thought about it.

Zhi Fei didn't notice, a suspicious blush also appeared on Mu Ao's face, who was facing the sun.

Concubine Mu carefully wiped away the dirt on the wound with water, Zhi Fei bit his lower lip reluctantly, his brows furrowed slightly, until the medicine was finished, his small mouth was bitten like a cherry, and Lu Fang laughed for a long time.

In the middle of the night, Zhi Fei heard the faint sound of weapons and cries in the distance, put on his clothes and got out of bed and walked to the window. In the night, the sky not far from the imperial city seemed to have a faint smoke and an indistinct fire. The faint feeling of uneasiness gradually expanded, and even the injury on his knee forgot the pain, and he just stared blankly outside the palace. It was so late, if he hadn't turned over in the middle of the night and pulled the wound and couldn't sleep, such a small movement I'm afraid even he won't find out.

Zhi Fei clutched his chest, feeling stuffy and indescribably sad.Most people in the palace don't even know what happened when they wake up, so did many things happen when I was asleep, and it was by my side?

A jerk crawled up his back, Zhi Fei gathered his clothes, he just felt so cold.

In June, His Majesty’s 25th birthday was ushered in. The palace was nervously preparing for the birthday banquet one month in advance, with lanterns and festoons everywhere, and all the palaces were speeding up the production of birthday gifts for His Majesty. It is said that it was far away in Xincheng The prince of Xin will also come to Beijing.The whole country celebrates.The ten-year-old emperor seems to have managed the country in an orderly manner, and is quite well received among the people.

The princes went back to think about what gift to give their father every morning after class.

Being obsolete is also very distressing.

"Didn't it mean that the concubines of the Leng Palace cannot attend the state banquet? If the concubine mother doesn't go, I don't want to either." Looking at the newly made light red coat in the concubine mother's hand, because the birthday banquet is less than ten days away, but The discarded clothes were all worn out. As a last resort, the concubine mother changed her few silk clothes into smaller pieces. The clothes were kept in the bottom of the box by the concubine mother all the year round. She had never seen her wear them. The mother concubine's father, that is, the disabled grandfather gave it to her, and this is the only thing left in her mother's family, and the rest can't be brought in, or has been taken out of the palace to pawn for money.

The mother and concubine carefully embroidered the lace, and it looked vaguely like a peony, using blue silk thread. The beautiful but not coquettish peonies bloomed on the light silk silk, which was indescribably elegant and luxurious, the concubine mother The craftsmanship is really getting better and better, "Mother and concubine can't go, so I have to let the waste son go instead of the mother concubine. Such a lively scene is rare, and the waste will be happy when the time comes."

As she spoke, there was still a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, and the concubine mother seemed to be in a good mood.

Now that the mother and concubine have said so, Zhi Fei should also seriously consider what gift he chooses to give to the father.

That man is the emperor, he has everything, so what can I give him?

"Your Highness the Seventh Prince wants to learn the piano?" The man sitting in front of the table who didn't have much beard and was still touching his chin showed doubts on his face. Xiangli touched his chin and pondered for a while, "Why?"

"Father Emperor's birthday banquet, Zhifei can't think of what gift to give," the immature childish voice was a little urgent, "Although I can't learn much in such a short time, a simpler song is fine..."

Only then did Chang Xiangli raise his head and look at Zhi Fei. He had never cared about this student. The prince in the cold palace has been inferior to other princes since he was born. Will he be able to live in this intriguing deep palace in the future? It is a problem to survive in the future, and he has never looked straight at Zhifei for three years.

He found that the child's eyes were very pure, like a starry sky that was not stained with dust, shining bright and pure light.

"Go and fetch the qin from the sandalwood shelf in the inner room." Chang Xiangli's words were considered to have agreed to Zhi Fei's request.

Zhi Fei brought the qin, and brought a small stool to sit beside the Taifu. Chang Xiangli's fingers were very clean and slender, and when they played on the strings, they seemed to be dancing, and the sound of the qin was melodious. The smoke from the incense burning on the table rises up, exuding a faint and elegant smell.

Chang Xiangli is good at playing the piano, this is what Wen Han inquired about. It is said that the song "Heaven Break" at the master banquet in the hall was the best among all the officials. Even literati would be excited when they heard it. People all praise.

It's just that for some reason, Zhi Fei has never heard Chang Xiangli play the qin during the years of entering the Imperial Academy, let alone that his qin is actually by his side.

In the eyes of many princes, Chang Xiangli is an old pedant, with a stern face like a pedantic teacher, but they don't know that he can tell folk jokes and has a character that cannot be erased by time.

Chang Xiangli grabbed the holding hand, and was so startled that the holding hand almost fell backwards, he only glanced at it, and then kept a serious face, "Your hands are still too small, wait until I get the finger cots to come over. "

Sighing lightly, Taifu Chang stood up abruptly, walked to the inner room, and when he came back, he had a palm-sized camphorwood box in his hand, opened it, picked and picked it from inside, and let Zhi Fei put it on.

Chang Xiangli picked a cheerful and short piece of music to teach Zhifei, the piece was easy to learn, Chang Xiangli only played it three times, taught the fingering carefully, and Zhifei was able to play it intermittently according to memory.

Although he did not learn fast, he was not slow either. Chang Xiangli nodded, "His Royal Highness can practice by himself from now on. I will lend you the piano for my teacher first, and return it to me after His Majesty's birthday banquet."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hands, threw down the waste, walked into the inner room by himself, and closed the door, probably going to take a nap in bed.

Zhi Fei still thanked the closed door, called Wen Han and wrapped the piano in cotton cloth and took it back.