Funing Hall

After thinking like this for a whole night, Zhao Cong naturally couldn't sleep well.

After waking up, he sat silently in front of the mirror, letting Rantao comb his hair.For several years like a day, he has long been used to the situation in the morning.Although Zhao Shiqi lived in the palace these days, he never came in the morning.He also didn't want to wake people up early, so he didn't need someone to say good morning, and wanted Zhao Shiqi to sleep more.

He was squinting, but he heard footsteps again.

He opened his eyes, and Rantao was already pleasantly surprised: "Xiao Langjun is here?" She let go, Zhao Cong turned to look at him, saw that he was wearing an official uniform, and asked: "Is there an errand in the morning?"

Zhao Shiqi smiled: "I'll have breakfast with His Majesty."

"... Oh." Zhao Cong didn't know what Zhao Shiqi's intentions were, and he didn't look at him much, but turned around.Rantao had already tied his hair in a bun, and he just had to put on the court crown.Don't rush to wear it at this time, just wear it when you go out.Rantao wanted to talk at first, but because Zhao Shiqi came, she wanted to add more food for breakfast, she blessed her, turned around and went to prepare.

Although Zhao Cong was in a bad mood, after thinking about it all night, he calmed down a lot. He just planned to discuss some political matters with Zhao Shiqi.

Zhao Shiqi had already sat down in front of Zhao Cong, still smiling and said: "Your Majesty, when I was young, I often watched Rantao comb your hair."

His childhood was also beautiful to Zhao Cong. Zhao Cong smiled and nodded: "Yes." He looked up at Zhao Shiqi again, "Although you are pretending, you are really well-behaved. When you were young, you were always quiet Sitting down, I am willing to read any book I give you carefully, and often go to the back garden to paint. Chaxi likes to dress up you the most. She has a good eye and always dresses you up beautifully, and often brings a roomful of little palace ladies with you They sewed the clothes for you by themselves, and you loved the auspicious cloud patterns the most." He said, with a bit of nostalgia on his face.

Zhao Shiqi thought to himself, Zhao Cong really still likes him like that, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, I can behave well now."

Zhao Cong chuckled and ignored him.

"His Majesty--"

"You have grown up, and you promised me not to pretend anymore, why force it? You are what you are now, and you will be what you are. I still love the real you."

"Then Your Majesty likes me now, or me when I was young?"

Zhao Cong laughed again: "How old you are, let's think about this." After laughing, he got up, "Let's go, have breakfast." But Zhao Shiqi took his hand again.

He looked back, Zhao Shiqi was sitting on the couch, looked up at him standing, and said seriously: "Your Majesty, as long as you like it, I will do whatever you want."

Although Zhao Cong had already guessed that Zhao Shiqi had also fallen in love with him, although he didn't know what was going on ahead, let alone how to deal with the relationship between the two, he still felt that there seemed to be some problems with his view of feelings.

He didn't avoid Zhao Shiqi's hand anymore, but also said seriously: "You don't need to be the you I love, you just be the real you."

There was a flash of light in Zhao Shiqi's eyes, and he said with a smile: "Okay, I will listen to your majesty."

Zhao Cong took advantage of the situation to pull him up, turned around and went out together.

Zhao Shiqi looked down at the hands they were holding.

Zhao Cong won't like him if he doesn't be his true self.With only one identity, Zhao Cong would hate him.

In front of Zhao Cong, he was only the Zhao Shiqi that Zhao Cong loved.

He has an errand, and has made up his mind. From now on, he will only focus on infiltrating everything about Zhao Cong.

When the identity issue was resolved, he could relax and express his heart to Zhao Cong.

Thinking that the two of them might be able to know each other's feelings, they could hold hands and hug more freely...

Zhao Shiqi was so excited that he wanted to jump three feet high.

After living two lifetimes, he finally looked like a teenager.

When Zhao Cong took his lunch break, Rantao couldn't help laughing: "Young Lord, I'm afraid he just got an errand, and he is full of energy. Your Majesty, you don't know. He even jumped up in the courtyard today to catch the pigeons resting on the veranda. Scared the flock of pigeons!"

Imagining such a scene, Zhao Cong couldn't help but also laughed.

Rantao continued to laugh: "After your majesty went to court, he went to stare at Liu Xian who was serving the peony, and asked how the maidservant was cleaning up the box in Luoyang... Your majesty, in the past, the young man always wore black and black clothes. He was born tall and tall, and he really doesn't look like a 16-year-old man. Now he is wearing a green official uniform, and he is tender and raw. He finally looks like a 16-year-old man! The little maid who was afraid of him, now loves to run after him Yes! Today he went to Zangshuge to look through materials, and the little maid went to bring him food. The adults who worked with him all praised our young gentleman!" Rantao said very proudly.

Obviously he is the emperor, and she is the emperor's personal female officer, they stand at the top.

These sixth and seventh rank officials praised Zhao Shiqi, but it still made her so happy.Zhao Cong was actually happy too, probably because of parental psychology.He saw that Xiaoshi was not as gloomy as before, and he was happy for Xiaoshi in his heart.

In the days before going to Luoyang, Zhao Shiqi never said any ambiguous words to Zhao Cong, nor did he have any ambiguous behavior.Zhao Cong breathed a sigh of relief, otherwise he didn't know what to do.In addition, the court was very busy, and the panic caused by the ambiguity in the past few days was gradually dispelled.

Du Yu reflected at home, his official position has not been taken, these few days, there are many people who are dissatisfied.Some people took advantage of the muddy water to fish, and some really believed the rumors, thinking that Du Yu was greedy for money and killed people.

Zhao Cong held his breath and was still watching.

Zhao Shiqi was also very busy, so he called Liu Xian to the side hall to speak through Mudan's words.

Liu Xian knelt down and said honestly: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother has been normal these days."

"Zhao Congde went to Baoci Hall again yesterday?"

"The Queen Mother didn't see him, only Aunt Wang advised him to go back, but he didn't want to, so Aunt Wang had no choice but to bring him in and talked for a while in the side hall before he left angrily."

"In the past few days, he is afraid that he will come to the palace again, so you should keep an eye on him."

"Yes." Liu Xian was very helpless and could only agree.

Liu Xian stared, and he could only stare. After all, he was not from the Hall of Baoci, so he could only go around from time to time in the name of sending flowers, but for now, Zhao Shiqi only needed him to stare.

The next day, Zhao Congde entered the palace again. Empress Dowager Sun was already bored, so she finally caught a glimpse of him.

Because she wanted to avoid people, even if Empress Dowager Sun had no other intentions, she could only see him in the inner room.

Zhao Congde came in and bowed in a serious way: "I have seen the empress dowager."

Empress Dowager Sun frowned: "Say what you have to say!"

Zhao Congde got up with a smile, and said: "Why do you want to avoid me these days, my lady? I just want to ask the Queen Mother to speak well of me in front of His Majesty. I just ask for an errand. My lady is not even willing to help me with this favor?"

Empress Dowager Sun sneered: "Your Majesty, can you listen to me? Besides, how can you get an errand?"

Zhao Congde felt unhappy in his heart, although he has no ability, he is arrogant. The person who begged to marry him more than 20 years ago satirized him like this, can he accept it?

Seeing that he didn't speak, Empress Dowager Sun sneered even more: "If you beg me, you might as well beg your son! A hundred of them can't match a word from your good son!" Empress Dowager Sun felt resentful in her heart. Knowing that Zhao Congde often enters the palace now not because of thinking about her, but because he just wants to use her, her dead heart still feels uncomfortable, she said again, "Don't come into the palace to see me again! I feel sick just looking at you!"

Zhao Congde looked up at her and sneered.

Empress Dowager Sun was taken aback, this was the first time Zhao Congde treated him like this.Zhao Congde is no longer an idiot, he is still the heir of the royal family, his manner and appearance are both top-notch, and he is graceful at all times, otherwise the Empress Dowager Sun would not have liked him back then.

Zhao Congde sneered suddenly, and she felt chills for no reason.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid you forgot, what did I do for you more than ten years ago?!"

Empress Dowager Sun's face turned pale.

"Your Majesty, this is because you don't want to miss the old relationship. Are you really going to break up with me?"

Empress Dowager Sun held hands, her long nails sank into her flesh, she held her breath, and retorted: "It was really helpless back then, you and I had already made a promise to each other. If you really want to get to the bottom of it, you can't get rid of the relationship, so why should you do this?"

"I'm from the Zhao family! Will I harm my uncle?" Zhao Congde sneered again, "Ma'am, I don't want to break my promise, but ma'am, look, there is still a way to survive for our Wei County Prince's Mansion? My son? How could he? Put me in your eyes? If the empress is not willing to help me, I will simply tell the matter and let it go! Do others believe me or you?"

"You!" Queen Mother Sun glared at him.

At this moment, Zhao Congde put away his sneer again, looked at her affectionately, and said slowly: "Long Niang, I didn't want to back then, but that's all I can do. How can I rob a woman from the emperor?"

Speaking of the past, Empress Dowager Sun was moved, and she immediately said angrily: "If you don't dare to snatch it, why bother to provoke me?!"

"How did I provoke you?" Zhao Congde sighed, and then looked up at her, "That year, you were fifteen and I was only eighteen. You stood tall in the back garden pavilion and asked who I was outside the courtyard wall. Remember?"

Empress Dowager Sun's eyes immediately turned red.

The reason why Zhao Congde was tolerated again and again was because of the time.When everyone was a girl, she would always remember that during the spring day, Zhao Congde picked up her round fan from the ground, looked up at her and smiled, and asked who she looked like.

This is her unknown weakness.

She lowered her head, covering her eyes with her hands.

Zhao Congde sighed again: "I did that for you back then, and I don't regret it. I'm sorry for you, do you think I'm willing to marry Jiang Siniang? I have to! It's also thanks to my marriage to Jiang Siniang that I can do this for you I do all this for you, for what? Isn't it for you to be able to ascend to a high position?"

Empress Dowager Sun said in a low voice: "The heart of a high position is just a dream."

"Your Majesty, how long has it been since you and I have spoken like this?"

Empress Dowager Sun looked at him with red eyes, "If you really have me in your heart and married Jiang Siniang, why do you have those concubines in your family?"

"How can I refuse what my elders have given me?"

Empress Dowager Sun slapped the table hard: "You have given birth to so many sons!"

"Long Niang—"

"Forget it, it's been more than 20 years." The Empress Dowager Sun covered her eyes with a handkerchief, and said, "I've already lost power, don't come to the palace to look for me again, I can't help you, and I have no other thoughts In the future, you will guard your Weijun palace to live, and I will guard the harem. Zhao Cong is a soft-hearted person, and he will not touch the Weijun palace. As long as you and I keep that secret, Weijun palace will be safe. You will be the Duke of the county in the future, and you will be safe for the rest of your life."

Impatientness flashed in Zhao Congde's eyes, and he raised his head and said affectionately: "Long Niang, why have you become like this all these years when you treat me like this? Don't you hate me when you treat me? I hate it too! I hate that I am just a prince who has no power! I hate that I marry I can't lose the one I love, and I hate that I can't see her every day. I helped you like that at the beginning, but I just wanted to help you get to a high position. I don't care about your status, let alone that position. No one can stop you and me."

Empress Dowager Sun lowered her head again.

Power and emotion are intertwined, and she later wanted both, but she still remembered how pure her original intention was to ascend to a high position.She just wanted to be with Zhao Congde.

She looked up at Zhao Congde.

Zhao Congde is also over 20 years old. Although he is a jerk and has lines in the corners of his eyes, he kneels on the ground and looks at her bitterly, but it is the same as it was more than [-] years ago.

She can't forget that she was just established as a queen, and the clan entered the palace to congratulate the new queen.

There were people kneeling on the ground, but Zhao Congde quietly looked up at her on the high seat.

The two of them looked at each other in pain.

Empress Dowager Sun covered her eyes again, and said weakly: "You go."

Zhao Congde answered "Yes" in a low voice, and said again: "Long Niang, can I still come into the palace to see you in the future?"

Empress Dowager Sun was full of tears, she covered her face with a veil, unable to speak, Zhao Congde said in frustration, "I only wish that next time I come to the palace, you still wish to see me, after all these years I am sorry for you Just said a lot of angry words, don't take it to heart. Even if I betray the whole world, I will not betray you. What I do for you is all willing, and I will never say it. But now, No one cares about me, and you don't want to see me these days, and I feel uncomfortable, I still think about the dreams I had with you when I was young." After saying that, he quietly backed away.

Empress Dowager Sun lay down on the table and wept bitterly.

When Aunt Wang saw him coming out, she came forward to meet him, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you want to go back?"

There was no affection on Zhao Congde's face, but a distant smile: "What does Aunt Wang think?"

Aunt Wang is not afraid: "Your Majesty knows that, the maidservant has served others all her life, and her wish is only that."

"This is what I promised you a long time ago."

Aunt Wang looked at him directly: "Your Majesty, you have to show your sincerity."

Zhao Congde smiled: "One more you is just a little more help. Do you really treat yourself as a dish? If there is no you, most of the children in this life will be used by others. In the past few years, what have you done?! That matter It's just a lesson for you!"

Aunt Wang's face darkened.

Zhao Congde was holding back hard, he was incompetent, but he had a good helper.Everyone doesn't take him seriously, but he wants to make a career out of it!After five years of depression, it is time to move.Now that even an old guy like Aunt Wang dared to threaten him, he was even more angry, and said with a sneer, "You'd better persuade her, otherwise, you'll be the first to take your good daughter under the knife!"

"My lord!" Aunt Wang panicked.

"Hmph!" Zhao Congde tossed off his robe and walked out of Baoci Hall.

When there was no one in the courtyard, Liu Xian leaned out from behind a vat of water lilies, straightened his clothes, picked up the flowerpot on the ground, pretended not to be careless, and walked out of Baoci hall generously.

When I met Aunt Wang on the road, Aunt Wang gave him a sideways glance.

Liu Xian originally belonged to Empress Dowager Sun and wanted to curry favor with Aunt Wang.In the past five years, he has no longer feared her.He hummed, and said with a smirk: "I'll come back tomorrow, my little one. Your Majesty said that the peonies are blooming very well this time. Your Majesty can't go to Luoyang together, so I will bring some more for your Majesty to watch."

Aunt Wang also sarcastically said: "Mr. Liu really deserves to be Mr. Liu. His Majesty has always relied on him. Such important things as growing flowers are left to Mr. Liu."

Such sarcastic remarks are not even counted as tickling, so what if he is just tending flowers and plants?The flowers and plants he tends are even praised by His Majesty!Liu Xian rolled his eyes and walked away.

Not long after he walked out of Baoci Hall, a maid came behind him, and said crisply: "Mr. Liu, can I help you hold this potted flower?"

Liu Xian looked back and saw that she was an unfamiliar court lady.

He raised his eyebrows and said "Yo", "You are clever."

The maid laughed and reported her family: "The servant girl came to Baoci hall three years ago. Concubine Shu personally assigned the servant girl. The lady also praised the maidservant for being clever, so she let the maidservant be the treasured kindness." Grand Lady of the Palace."

Liu Xian smiled: "You are not humble."

"Senior officer, the servant girl has one thing to say, and another to say two. In this palace, you have to be self-motivated, don't you think so? The servant girl admires High Officer Liu the most. Seeing Aunt Wang like that, I also feel sorry for the high official." .”

Liu Xian glanced at her again and thought, there is someone willing to take the bait.

He nodded: "What you said is that you will definitely be a female officer in the future, better than her."

The maid smiled brightly: "Then accept the auspicious words of the high official!"

Liu Xian also laughed: "I'm not a high official, I'll call you aunt from now on!"

The maid happily talked with him all the way and sent him back to Funing Palace.

After Liu Xian arranged the flowers and plants, he went to the side hall to wait for Zhao Shiqi.

Zhao Shiqi was in a good mood and finished his errands. When he came back and saw him waiting, he smiled and said, "What's the rush?"

"Lang Jun! I went to Baoci Hall to clean up the water lilies today, and I happened to see Aunt Wang arguing with the prince!"

"Oh?" Zhao Shiqi raised his eyebrows, "Did you hear what was specifically said?"

Liu Xian said ashamedly: "The young one dare not approach, I didn't hear clearly." After he finished speaking, he told the story of the maid again.

Zhao Shiqi nodded: "Understood, you go."

"Yes." Liu Xian kowtowed and retreated politely.

In a few days, it will be the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhao Cong will go to Jinming Lake to watch the water battle, and Taichang Temple is already making preparations.At that time, the people will be there, the officials will be there, and both Empress Dowager Sun and Zhao Congde will be present. This is the best opportunity.

When they let Zhao Cong fall into the water, he also let them fall into the water again.

Zhao Shiqi lowered his head to think, and after thinking about it, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

It's just that what made him laugh was not the fate of Queen Mother Sun and Zhao Congde.

But -

Back then, he was the palace where the Dragon Boat Festival was advancing, and now it is another year when the Dragon Boat Festival is coming.

During the Dragon Boat Festival that year, Zhao Cong ordered someone to make new clothes for him. It was also the first time in his two lifetimes that he wore a red shirt.

This year's Dragon Boat Festival, he has handled the most difficult matter well, and he can express his heart to Zhao Cong in an open and honest manner.People have to wear red clothes when they get married. He wanted to wear red clothes with Zhao Cong, and they should be the same red clothes.

Zhao Congding will accept it, even if it can't be done in the short term, it can be done in the long term.Zhao Cong is the most soft-hearted, and also the most reluctant to bear him, as long as he is more well-behaved, Zhao Cong will definitely agree.

At that time, they can also be together.

Zhao Shiqi sat by the window, the sunlight came in, fragmented, shapeless, but trivial and warm.

His face was hidden in such twilight, and his eyelashes fluttered occasionally.He lowered his head and thought alone, the more he thought about it, the deeper the smile on the corner of his mouth.

Even he himself has not been able to notice the youthful spirit in him, which has been decades late.