Emperor Que Shaohua

When he returned to Hanxiaozhai that night, King Ning felt a little insomnia.He was lying on the bed, and the scenes that appeared in his mind belonged to ten years ago.When I was nine or ten years old, I was dealing with the Taifu every day, reading and writing, learning martial arts, and playing and acting like a baby. My life was quite fulfilling and busy.But sometimes when he wanted to find the imperial brother Luo Shenhua, but was told that His Royal Highness had gone out of the palace, he would stare at the high palace wall longingly, hoping that the imperial brother would return soon and bring back delicious snacks that were not in the palace. It's a novelty, and it also tells about things outside.It should be said that as a prince, what he thinks in his mind is not much different from that of ordinary children.

At that time, he was often curious and yearning, how much did the emperor see and hear after he left the palace, but did he make friends?It's just that every time I pester and ask, it won't take long before my attention will unknowingly shift to the more interesting things in front of me, so nothing happens.

For Luo Shenhua more than ten years ago, what was the world in his eyes like?At that time, Xue Songnian, who had won two Jinshi lists, was a famous scholar in Los Angeles, presided over the Xifeng Academy of Painting, and secretly served as the master of seal and gold in Langhuan.As the future suzerain, since he was able to leave the palace from time to time at the age of 14, the chances for the eldest son to go to Xifeng Painting Academy or visit Xue's house were not as many as going to Taifu Zhang Yuandao's mansion, but there were still many opportunities.So, it was natural to meet Xue Yingchuan, who was one year younger than himself.

From the 11th year of Tianyi to the [-]th year of Tianyi, the eldest daughter of the Xue family was fifteen years old. The praise gradually spread.Xue's Yingchuan family is famous all over Jinghua.

"It was Ying Chuan who taught me the piano art at the beginning, but at that time I couldn't spare time to practice. It wasn't until I left the palace and lived in the mansion that I had free time." When talking about these past events faintly, King Jing's voice was very Calm, but not as far away as time has passed, perhaps because everything has not really passed.Luo Pingyuan couldn't help but think about Miss Xue's demeanor back then, and how she and Brother Huang met for the first time. It must be because they have a good relationship, so Empress Langhuan thought of making a marriage contract.He couldn't ask, he could only listen, but he couldn't help but feel sad, he didn't notice anything when he was young, he just knew how to play foolishly, and he didn't know anything about the emperor's brother's marriage proposal.Thinking about it again, I can't help but sigh, because even if they live in the same house now, the situation doesn't seem to be much better, and I'm afraid there are still many things that are hidden from the truth.

In the 12th year of Tianyi, if nothing happened, the queen would decide to ask for a marriage for the two; however, a sudden change occurred, and the world that was once woven together suddenly collapsed, and then sank in the hurricane. 17-year-old Luo Shenhua and 16-year-old Xue Yingchuan, the years that should have belonged to them passed away.

"How could Xue Songnian treat his daughter like this? Besides, since he is greedy for power, is it not enough to be married to the clan, why did he choose to betray?" Luo Pingyuan couldn't help listening.Sudden great changes, if Xue Yingchuan is a girl worthy of the emperor's heart, how can she deal with herself?

"I used to think the same way. I realized later that Xue Songnian didn't want to be a relative of the emperor. What he wanted was official power in the court." Luo Yanhua smiled, feeling a sense of emptiness that was unexpected, "Those years How could he be willing to step on Li Mo if he couldn't become an extremely human official? In retrospect, I overlooked many clues. Maybe Xue Songnian was already planning how to become an official at that time, but the mother decided to be an official. The marriage contract he made broke his expectations, if Yingchuan marries me, it means that he will have no hope of official career from now on, even if he comes from a Jinshi background and has money, he is doomed to be only a relative."

He didn't go on, King Ning understood in his heart that Tian Yichao had always tabooed foreign relatives from intervening in politics. Once his daughter was canonized as the future princess, it would certainly bring prosperity to the Xue family, but Xue Songnian's own ambitions could only stop outside the Zichen Palace. The marriage contract, which seemed to be full of flowers, turned out to be the reason for the final betrayal of Zhuan Jin.Who would have thought that the celebrities in Los Angeles, who seem to be indifferent to fame and fortune, would have long regarded Lang Huan, who had taken in and helped him many years ago, as a stumbling block to his future?So I chose to use betrayal to pave Qingyun Road, even if the blood and tears on the road came from the benefactor of the past and the daughter who is like a palm, I still have to walk through it.

Compared to King Ning who tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep, Luo Yanhua fell asleep very early.Nearly ten days have passed since February [-]th, and he still gets sleepy easily. Yingchuan, Ruohan and Pingyuan, the past and the present are intertwined, which is particularly tiring.

But he slept very lightly, as if countless people and things were intertwined in his mind, and he couldn't see or distinguish clearly, and couldn't remember when he woke up, leaving a trace of peace and desolation in his heart.

Only a few days after the assassin entered the palace, the queen mother committed suicide. Xue Songnian drew a line with Langhuan and defected to the court. The marriage contract that had not yet been fulfilled was never mentioned again.After quite a while, I learned that Xue Yingchuan, who was trapped in the Changning Palace, cut off her long hair at home, vowed to pray for her seriously ill mother, and practiced in the family temple for ten years, vowing not to marry.This news was once spread widely in Los Angeles, but at that time, the ups and downs of personnel changes happened every day. Even if the fate of a girl in a boudoir caused a little disturbance, how long could it last?

I used to think that ten years is so long that there is no end in sight. In the past years, Luo Yanhua sometimes wondered why Yingchuan would limit the time limit to ten years, because she felt that such a long time should be enough for her to settle her responsibilities , or because, this is the limit she can wait in despair?I still remember that in summer, we went to the Luoshui River to put the lanterns together, and found that as long as we put down the lotus lanterns on a bank upstream, they would always drift to the garden on Zhang Taifu's mansion with the submerged current in the water. The little secrets in each other's hearts, but It has become the only way for Yingchuan to contact her now.When she took over Mo Lian from Ruohan, she was shocked to realize that time flies by, and the Taotao River has taken away Yingchuan's most precious years.

Luo Pingyuan seldom had the opportunity to go out with King Jing, and the time agreed with Xue's residence was in the afternoon. He thought that the emperor's brother might need to be quiet alone, so he came to Lancang Residence in the afternoon.

The green canopy car was waiting outside the courtyard, Luo Yanhua didn't wear the usual green clothes, and changed into a white brocade suit.Now that the lotus lantern has arrived, Yingchuan should have something to say, or it is definitely the end of everything.I haven't finished my work yet, and I can't bring hope. Even so, I still have to go this trip.

Xue Songnian's mansion is in the east of the city. Although he is a high-ranking official, his house is not very grand and rich. You can still see the style of the Xiangfu.

Hearing that the fifth prince was visiting, Xue Songnian greeted him out of the second door, but saw King Ning in light yellow uniform standing beside King Jing in plain clothes, his expression changed involuntarily.However, his palace is very deep, so he was just a little startled and then let the guests go as usual: "It's rare that the two Highnesses took the time to come, please come to the humble house to have tea."

"No need, Brother Wu Huang is concerned about state affairs and came to discuss with Xue Fuzheng, but what I do is a private matter," Luo Yanhua said lightly, "I wonder if Mr. Xue can make it easier for me to meet my old friend."

Xue Songnian's expression remained the same, but the corners of his eyes twitched imperceptibly. When he was the head of the Xifeng Painting Academy, every time the eldest son of the emperor in his prime came to visit, he always smiled in front of people and called himself Mr. Xue. , it is Xue Lingzhu.Accustomed to hearing others respectfully or respectfully call Fuzheng or Sir, he rarely thought of the old address, especially when it came from King Jing.

"Your Majesty, I have been missing you for many years, I'm afraid I made a mistake, and now the number of people in the house has changed, and there is no one you are looking for. Why don't you go and sit in the hall with me and the Fifth Highness."

King Jing was not in the mood to go around slowly with him, and of course he didn't intend to sit and drink tea with him. After a short pause, he said leisurely: "I came today uninvited, and I want to talk with the people who practiced in the temple in the back garden of your mansion for a while. , to put an end to a long-standing relationship in the past. Xue Fuzheng is not welcome, but he should know that there is no point in obstructing him from the sidelines. It is still for the sake of Ling Ai, don't make things difficult."

Xue Songnian's face became a little ugly. After he entered the court, he always showed that he had nothing to do with Langhuan, and King Jing had never mentioned his relationship with his family in front of others these years.The first thing he thought of was that the prince seemed to be really about to fall, Luo Yanhua came to the door directly even after he was ill, and borrowed the influence of the fifth prince.At this moment, in front of King Ning, the more you talk, the more disadvantageous you will be.

He turned around expressionlessly, made a gesture of "please" with solemn hands, and entered the mansion first: "My daughter is a practitioner, I'm afraid it's inconvenient to meet rashly. But your highness is here, if you want to take advantage of the arrival of spring Walking around the back garden of the humble house, I should order someone to lead the way."

Luo Pingyuan walked side by side with King Jing, and he felt that Brother Huang's complexion was paler than the previous few days when he went out, and he felt a layer of worry in his heart.Knowing that Miss Xue Fu is not at fault, but her words and deeds are respectable, she still cannot avoid lack of goodwill, she thought that the city is full of wind and rain, and the emperor's brother is still sick, so why bother to provoke her at this time.

It's just a slander, he couldn't help but take a look at the appearance of the young lady whom the emperor had cared about for ten years, and said, "I heard that the back garden of Xue's mansion is very elegant, if the assistant government doesn't mind, But please wait for a while, and I will go back to the front hall after a short walk." Without thinking about it, I didn't realize that my mentality at this moment was almost exactly the same as that of my junior brother Yan Yin.

King Jing glanced at the emperor's younger brother, but didn't say anything. If it wasn't for his preoccupation, he would really be dumbfounded.

King Ning directly proposed and made it clear not to follow, what else could Xue Songnian say.It is really not good for him to be present, otherwise it will only be more embarrassing. He can only go to the hall and order his servants to lead the way for the two princes. Out of curiosity, is it intended to stalk?

King Ning's stalking didn't last long. He accompanied King Jing through the hanging flower gate, passed the back house, and approached the back garden with sparse flowers and trees. He saw a young woman in a light purple dress standing at the end of the winding path. About 25 or [-] years old, with a fair face and clear eyebrows.After seeing it clearly at the first glance, he knew it must be Xue Yingchuan. If Bai Ruohan was like a white peony in Qingsheng, the woman in front of him was like a half-tree of white pear blossoms.He had never seen the same aura in other girls. Her jet-black hair fluttered in the breeze, reminiscent of snowy petals falling under a pear tree.

She focused on Luo Yanhua, but there was no emotional fluctuation in her eyes, and she gave a light salute when they got close: "I have seen His Royal Highness King Jing, His Highness King Ning." The voice was clear and melodious.

Luo Pingyuan didn't know how to treat her for a while, she was almost the concubine of the emperor's brother, but now she is the daughter of the enemy's family, what will happen in the future?He had no choice but to make a disrespectful gesture indiscriminately: "Don't dare." In his mind, he thought of Wang Jing's words "end a long-term fate", and he couldn't help turning his head to look at the calm emperor brother.

"Pingyuan," Luo Yanhua sighed softly, "Don't make Xue Fuzheng wait for a long time, I will talk to Yingchuan for a while."

What King Ning, who went back to the front hall to discuss politics, did not know that the first conversation between the two long-lost people in the back garden started with him.

"It turns out that that is the younger brother His Highness was talking about." Xue Yingchuan turned around after making eye contact for a moment, and slowly led the way along the path, "Even I have heard many rumors about His Highness Fifth Highness in the mansion. He is outstanding and in high spirits. Seeing how he came with you, is your Highness doing well now?"

"I'm fine." King Jing said, looking at the woman's waist-length black hair in front of him. He heard from A Su that it had been cut messily and unevenly, which was unbearable to look at, but now it has grown back. "I was thinking , I will definitely come to see you within this year, and I received the lotus lantern if I didn't want to."

"The agreed deadline has not yet come, so I am impatient." Xue Yingchuan Pingting's back trembled slightly, but she did not turn her head back. "Over the years, there have been intermittent news from outside. Every winter when Luoshui is frozen, I feel It was extremely long. A few days ago, I heard the sound of Xiwen’s drum, and I still couldn’t bear to make a lotus lantern. I want to see you.”

Her words seemed to be expressing her affection, but there was neither sadness nor resentment, her tone was very indifferent, as if she was talking about other people's affairs, "You are much more emaciated."

"Really," Luo Yanhua smiled, and he didn't know how else to react, "after all, after all this time, who can be as young as ever? But Yingchuan, you look good .”

Xue Yingchuan also seemed to smile a bit, she stopped talking, and led King Jing to turn around two turns, passing through a wall of blue bricks and gray tiles, when they stopped, they were already in a small meditation room .

Seeing that the surroundings were spotless, Luo Yanhua offered a sandalwood Avalokitesvara statue about a foot high to the south, and there was a pair of six sets of verses hanging on the wall, which should be written by Yingchuan.There are a few futons on the ground, and a small table carved into a chessboard shape under the window. Apart from being clean, the furnishings are extremely simple.This must be the place where Yingchuan worships Buddha every day. Could it be that ten years have been spent in this square inch?Does she still paint? Can someone come to play chess with her?There was a burst of sadness in his heart, and he coughed twice uncontrollably.

Xue Yingchuan instinctively stretched out her hand, as if she wanted to help her, but when her fingertips touched her clothes, she shrank back: "Your Highness, sit here."

She asked Luo Yanhua to sit down at the chess table, took out a set of tea sets, and began to make tea gracefully, smiling: "In the early days, I really stayed in this Zen room all day, and I was a little bored. But later, my brother I went to other places to be an official, and my younger sister got married, so I would come out from the family temple from time to time to do something I like, so I actually lived quite comfortably.”

She pushed the teacup in front of King Jing and said, "After all, in the name of practicing, I am still a vegetarian. I sleep in the family temple at night and worship the Buddha for one or two hours a day. It's freedom. You know, I can always arrange myself very well, and I don't want to suffer or suffer. Over the years, I have lived a much better life than you."

Luo Yanhua smiled faintly. Once upon a time, Yingchuan was hailed as the most talented woman in the capital. Under the acclaimed demure and graceful, she has always been a little cunning, often declaring in front of herself that she is afraid of pain and trouble, Can't stand loneliness.Even if she was sad and tearful, or full of resentment, or even changed her temperament drastically, it would not make him feel such deep pain and guilt.The carefree girl was gone, but Xue Yingchuan was still there, waiting so tenderly and tenaciously; however, Luo Shenhua, the former eldest son of the emperor, was gone, leaving behind a broken self, who no longer had the time and energy to continue his old dreams.

They have been separated for ten years, and the beauty they shared has been cut off in the middle. It cannot be repaired or healed.

Yingchuan must have understood the same, but she was still waiting with a smile on her face. What kind of ending could he bring her?

"Yingchuan, can I have someone pick you up and leave Xue's mansion? Don't stay in a place where there is no right and wrong. When you leave the imperial capital, there are green mountains and clear water everywhere." He slowly put down the tea cup, trying his best to make his voice sound calm and relaxed. Said in a low voice, "In a different environment, within a year, I may be able to finish the matter and go to you. Knowing that you are a talented woman with the ability to arrange your life, then do something that is beneficial to yourself. This time, you must not Declined, okay?"

"I'm thinking, Shenhua," Xue Yingchuan was startled for a moment, her eyes finally misty, and she suddenly changed her address, "If I hadn't put down the lotus lamp, when are you going to come? Will it be?" Is it to choose to order someone to take me out of this mansion before doing anything to my father, so that I don't have to witness the process of the family being ruined?"

King Jing felt something tearing apart in his heart, painful and helpless. After a moment of silence, he said, "I came to see you for ten years. As for the grievances with Xue Fuzheng, I'm not sure it will be When, but there is always a liquidation. So Yingchuan, I hope you can agree. The longer you stay here, the more you will be hurt."

There was silence in the room, Xue Yingchuan shook his head slowly, and said softly: "Yes, in fact, it has been like this for a long time. I understand that you can't give up. I just hope that my father may not have committed those unforgivable sins. I hope that everything is just a misunderstanding. If there is a chance to untie it, it will not come to a dead end."

She didn't sob aloud, but the tears still slid down her fair cheeks and fell on the table drop by drop: "I just can't bear you, the inner courtyard of the palace, the clear water and green mountains today, if there is no you in those places, I will do it." What? All these years I waited for the nightmare to wake up, but it won't wake up. No matter how wrong my father is, he is my father. We can't go back."

Luo Yanhua silently held her hands on the table, feeling that both hands were cold, just like the warmth in each other's hearts.As Tathagata thought when he came, Yingchuan sent a message with a lotus lantern to say goodbye.Her fingers were still slender and slender, and she used to pluck the strings so nimbly, pressing her somewhat at a loss finger one after another, and making fun of him for not remembering the fingering.I once earnestly hoped to hold my son's hand and grow old together with my son. The difference is already a world away.

"I've already thought that even if we are separated, you and I will live on our own. I can't delay forever, so I'm hesitating whether I should take the initiative to disturb you or continue to wait for you to come." After a long time, Xue Yingchuan continued, "That day The bells and drums in the Sun Palace are ringing. I heard that you are seriously ill. Suddenly, I feel that I can’t take it any longer. I think that although I will be willful, it will be the last time. But, Shenhua, what have you done to yourself? "

When it came to the end, her voice that had just regained some stability became choked again, and after a while, she gradually held back her tears and said in a low voice: "There is one thing that I didn't know whether I should say it, but I think it should be told you."