purple yellow

The mouth of the cup cracked suddenly, and pieces of blue and white porcelain shattered.

The flower hall of Kaifeng Mansion, which was originally noisy, suddenly fell silent.Everyone looked at the young man in white with a livid face.

The young man's brows were wrinkled in anger, and his anger seemed to explode instantly, but was suppressed abruptly.

"Lord Bao, can you arrange for me to enter the palace?"

Bright eyes, the hidden fire that no one can refute is burning...

************************************************** ******************

Fire—it's the fire that burns.

The back seemed to be set on fire by someone, from the cervical spine to the waist. I don't know how long it took to be in full swing before the high fever under the pain was extinguished without thinking.

Uncomfortable and suddenly cold, the eyelids struggled to move, and finally opened loosely.

The soft mattress is smoked with the finest ambergris, and the scattered bed curtains make the sleepy vision even more hazy. You can only see the "crackling" sporadic fire points in the carbon basin, and you can see a bright yellow and wide sleeve shaking your eyes from time to time. .

"Guard Zhan, are you awake?!" The genuinely caring smile was very familiar on the emperor's face.

"Long live." Zhan Zhao saw who was coming, and instinctively wanted to get out of bed to greet him, but was blocked by Zhao Zhen.

"Hey, don't move around, you are seriously injured, you'd better lie down and rest." Zhao Zhen said.

Zhan Zhao looked around and felt that the layout was quite familiar: "This is...?"

Zhao Zhen hooked up the bed curtain and said, "It's the side hall where I usually take a nap. Don't worry, no one will disturb you."

Without the cover of the bed curtain, Zhan Zhao suddenly felt chilly, and realized that he was naked from the upper body.Reaching out to take the clothes not far away, Zhan Zhao hurriedly put them on, but the wound was dragged, and Zhan Zhao groaned in pain.

"Guard Zhan, what's the matter with you?" Seeing that Zhan Zhao was still barely dressed, and made a gesture to get out of bed, Zhao Zhen asked puzzled, "What are you trying to do?"

"It's unseemly to be so naked in front of His Majesty. How dare I go over there and rest on the dragon bed."

Before Zhan Zhao could finish speaking, Zhao Zhen said aggressively: "Why are you being brave when you're injured like this? We'll talk about things like 'decency' after Doctor Dong prescribes the medicine for you. Now, I don't want to hear these two things. Words." Zhao Zhen glanced at the sharp rod marks on Zhan Zhao's back after cleaning, his expression overflowing with pain, "I let you suffer on my behalf, I don't know how much apology I can't express."

"Your Majesty said that, doesn't it mean that you killed the humble minister? Although the minister is not talented, Zhan Zhao knows what your majesty did for the minister, and I am very grateful. The minister is a person who is waiting for the Kaifeng mansion, and the tricks of the board in the yamen are not good. I know a lot of them. Some of them are nothing at first glance, but they are actually bruised and have serious internal injuries. If they don’t die, half their lives must be lost. And some look fierce, but they are actually just flesh wounds. If they are treated properly, they will take two to three days. You will be cured. When Eunuch Liang struck down with the first stick, I already knew that Eunuch Liang intends to let him go. Although I don’t know what method Your Majesty used, but I know Your Majesty, and His Majesty will ask the Queen Mother to report the number of punishments for my minister. Pointless."

"Sure enough, I can't hide anything from you." When the heart is known, you can faintly feel the pleasure of the other party knowing you. Sometimes there is really no need to say anything between them, a look can already understand everything.Zhao Zhen felt unusually warm in his heart, even his smile was gentler than before. "Since this is the case, don't push back and be polite to me. Because..." Long Mei frowned, and the melancholy suddenly came to his heart, "the only things I can do for you are these insignificant things."

************************************************** *******************

Gongsun Ce looked worriedly at the fragments on the ground, then at Bai Yutang's clenched hands, and the faint blood oozing from between his fingers.Bai Yutang's expression was calm, even a little scary.At least for the people of Kaifeng Mansion, this kind of Bai Yutang is a thousand times more terrifying than that impulsive him.

"Lord Bao, I said this calmly and carefully. Of course, if you think that Yutang entered the palace to do something that would harm the Queen Mother, then you don't have to agree to my request." See Bao Zheng being selected as the center Shi's expression froze, and Bai Yutang couldn't help smiling, "Your Excellency, if you really think so, you'll see Yutang as childish. Although I, Bai Yutang, am a reckless man, I lived and lived for nothing in Kaifeng Mansion for so long. There is a difference between the conduct of an upright officialdom and that of the Jianghu."

"Then the reason Bai Shaoxia entered the palace is to..."

"It's okay not to mention what has become a fact. I'm only thinking about the aftermath." Bai Yutang's face was calm.However, Bao Zheng always felt that rather than calm, it would be more appropriate to say that the dark tide was turbulent, but Bao Zheng still couldn't see what Bai Yutang was planning in his heart. "Shu Yutang's words are not pleasant to listen to. All the teams who entered the palace to perform were sent to Dali Temple for strict interrogation. But I don't think anything can be found out."

"What's the best opinion of Young Hero Bai?" Gongsun Ce asked.

"Finding out is a windfall, not being found out is inevitable." Bai Yutang said, "These assassins are highly skilled in martial arts, just as I expected, and they have planned for a long time. If you enter the palace, you will not dare to stay for long after the incident is defeated. You must have already escaped from the palace. It shouldn't be difficult to find a hiding place in the huge palace. I'm afraid that these assassins will make a comeback, and it will be impossible to guard against them. At that time..." After a pause, Bai Yutang clenched his fists more tightly, "When the time comes, His Majesty will die Worrying."

Bao Zheng said: "So Bai Shaoxia means that he wants to enter the palace to escort him to protect His Majesty?"

"That's exactly what the grass people mean."

Everyone in Kaifeng Mansion looked at each other in blank dismay.

Rubbing his beard, Bao Zheng wondered: "Non-ordinary people in the palace can come in and out at will. The palace is very happy for Bai Shaoxia's loyalty to the emperor, but... Bai Shaoxia doesn't have to worry, there are other powerful guards in the palace who can escort him."

"Lord Bao, it's not that Bai looks down on those guards. Which of them can go through twenty moves under Bai's hands? Since they can hurt the emperor in the palace, these assassins must not be underestimated." Bai Yutang resolutely knelt down in front of Bao Zheng, "Your Excellency's concern is nothing more than worrying about Yutang's stubborn temper and not obeying the rules in the palace. However, since Yutang has asked for something, he naturally understands the pros and cons of it. I hope your lord will fulfill it."

Bao Zheng was silent for a long time, before he said: "Young Xia Bai, if you insist on entering the palace, I'm afraid you won't be able to evade this official title no matter what."

"Yutang knows this well. You don't have to worry about it, my lord."

Seeing that Bai Yutang's mind was broken, Bao Zheng knew that no amount of words would change it.He could only cough a few times and help Bai Yutang up.

************************************************** ************************

"According to what Zhanwei you said, wouldn't it be dangerous for me to stay in the palace now?"

"Your Majesty don't need to worry. The palace must be heavily guarded when such a major event happens. I don't think these assassins will take this risk to assassinate again. Moreover, one day when I am around, those assassins will not have another chance to succeed."

Zhao Zhen chuckled, and said: "That's true. With Zhan guarding you, I feel very at ease. So you don't need to be twitchy, and tell me that it is inappropriate, and you should heal your injuries as soon as possible. Imperial Physician Dong went to the pharmacy to get the top grade Yunnan Baiyao from Dali, and before leaving, he told you not to let you catch cold. He said that your back was traumatized, and relying on your own internal skills, you can heal within two days of recuperation. But If you get wind and cold, it will be difficult to treat both inside and outside." Zhao Zhen subconsciously glanced at the brazier and said, "It's a bit cold in the north here, don't you think it's a bit cold? I asked Xiaoxue to add more carbon."

Zhan Zhao raised his hand to stop Zhao Zhen, and shook his head, "Your Majesty loves me so much, Zhan Zhao appreciates it. It will be fine to ask imperial physician Dong to administer medicine to my minister later. However, His Majesty was also injured, please drive back to the palace earlier. "

Zhao Zhen's smile froze for an instant, and he didn't respond. Then he smiled reluctantly and looked towards the window, "There are only you and me here. You don't need to use honorifics for me."

Maybe, he just didn't want others to see his expression at the moment, and didn't want people to understand what he was hiding in his smile.

Zhan Zhao understood that kind of smile.

The so-called emperor does not do whatever he wants, sometimes he is more helpless than ordinary people.What people see is only the condescending brilliance of the superiors, but they cannot understand their desire for ordinaryness.The reason why Zhan Zhao can understand it is because he has seen the expression of the emperor in front of him more than anyone else when he abandons the self-proclaimed "Zhen".

What Zhao Zhen needs now is not a courtier.

"People say, 'If one reaches the ninth five, the six family members will lose their love'. What do you think?"

Zhan Zhao said: "Is Your Majesty planning to leave the problem to the minister to solve it?"

"I just want to know what you would do if you were the emperor."

"Me?" is indeed a difficult question to answer.Zhan Zhao thought for a while before saying, "A person like me can't be an emperor. The emperor uses power to serve the people, but in my opinion, the emperor should serve the people."

"Served by the people?" Zhao Zhen was stunned, and then laughed again, "If the queen mother hears this, your head will definitely move." After carefully recalling what Zhan Zhao said, Zhao Zhen suddenly felt another kind of innocence. I realized something, "Although I, the emperor, can't agree with it, I like what you said. To neutralize it is-'serve the people with the heart of serving the people'. Hehe, if this is the case, just listen to it. I feel very warm in my heart." Putting one hand on his heart, the peaceful expression seemed to really feel the warmth from the inside out, perhaps, he did feel it. "This is the warmth that only the heart of a person who loves the world can make people feel, isn't it?"

Zhan Zhao smiled lightly, "If you don't have a heart of great love, how can you suddenly realize that your Majesty's intentions are also warm?"

Their fixed gazes looked at each other sincerely.Zhao Zhen suddenly pressed Zhan Zhao's arm, his moving eyes flickered, and then he gradually turned lonely, "If the queen mother can also hold such a heart of great love, I won't be as confused as I am now about how to face her. "

"His Majesty……."

"Zhanwei, is power really that good?"

Zhan Zhao seemed to have thought for a long time before slowly saying, "Only those with power know the answer."

"Don't I have power? Why don't I know?"

"That's because His Majesty doesn't think he really has power." Zhan Zhao paused, observing Zhao Zhen's expression, "Actually, His Majesty already has the answer in his heart."

Zhao Zhen was silent, a wordless acquiescence.

Indeed, from the very beginning when he asked "Once he reaches the ninth five, the six relatives will never be loved", no, from the first time he heard the phrase "Emperor's will", he had the answer in his heart.

He hates this sentence.Extremely disgusted!

Whenever this time, there is always a kind face in his mind unexpectedly.

"When I was young, my mother was not as strict as now, so I often pestered Yang Zongbao, who was the general in front of the palace, to secretly take me to Tianbo Mansion. It was very interesting there, and many people played with me. At first, they didn't know me. My identity, I only regard me as an ordinary child, there is a girl named Paifeng who burns fire and teases me with candy. Although they are a little in awe after knowing it, they still love me the same. Later, my father and queen found out , Zongbao was severely punished, and I never went there again. But Princess Cheshire came to the palace half a month later. She said she was here to see the queen mother, but I knew she was here to see me, because she gave I brought a lot of folk gadgets with me, and I still keep these things."

Gentle, kind, strong, fraternal, every time with her is like spring.She would hold his hand and sing a little song for him—the mother would not; she would stroke his head and warn in a soft voice—the mother would not; She can cook his favorite pastries—the queen mother can't.

"Things remain the same, but people are no longer there. After ascending the throne, I will only have the opportunity to visit Tianbo Mansion again on the day of Lord Cheshire's funeral. The Wushen Tower has not changed, but I always feel that the surrounding scenery has changed. Maybe, Because I didn’t see the princess’s favorite orchid that day. The old lady has passed away, the widows of the Yang family died of illness, some died in battle, and even the maid who exhausted the wind was married, it’s really different.” Speaking of this, I can't help feeling sad.

Zhan Zhao listened quietly, without saying a word.He also knew the bond between Princess Chai and Zhao Zhen from Xue Liang, who served His Majesty since childhood.Because he was also present at the funeral of Lord Chai three years ago, standing in front of Zhao Zhen.Originally, as a courtier, he should stand behind, but Zhao Zhen took advantage of everyone's inattention, pulled him to the front in an instant, and ordered him not to move.Then he heard faint weeping coming from behind him, it was very soft, but it lasted for a long time.Although he was punished by the Queen Mother afterwards, he felt it was worth it, because he saw the heart of His Majesty who is above him.

"I think I have failed to some extent as the son of the empress. The empress has never been a weak person, and I... can't be ruthless as an emperor should be. Maybe the empress is right, I do embrace too many things that are unnecessary 'Excuse me', though I don't think there's anything wrong with that. If it's any disrespect, I wish I were Cheshire Lord's son, because she's also my ideal mother."

"Your Majesty!" Zhan Zhao called out, then glanced warily towards the door.

Zhao Zhen knew what he was thinking, and said, "Don't worry. The one outside the door is Xiao Xue. I asked him to guard, and ordered that no one should come near. Our conversation will never be heard by another person." Two voices Smiling wryly, with a trace of resentment in it, "How can you not gain wisdom if you suffer a fall?"

Looking at Zhao Zhen's thoughtful expression, Zhan Zhao thought he understood his pain.

Zhao Zhendao: "Sometimes I think that way, if I'm not the empress' son emperor, not the only one, not someone who is destined to become an emperor, will she not even look at me?" He punched me Thumping on the edge of the bed, her face full of resentment, "The empress mother loves the imperial power. She always weighs the interests of everything, and calculates the value of everyone. Even I will not let it go. That little eunuch actually made my every move Don't you know that I'm His Majesty after reporting to your mother?" He shouted angrily, his emotions were agitated for a long time, and when his expression finally calmed down, he showed a gloomy expression that made it hard to tell whether it was hatred or fear. , "I don't even know who around me will be her eyeliner, and who will become her confidant.... Isn't it scary? Zhan Zhao. Don't you think it's scary to have such a queen mother?"

Zhan Zhao frowned, "Your Majesty, you think so..."

"I know it's not possible. This is disrespectful, and it completely contradicts the rule of benevolence and filial piety that I advocate. But I just can't help it. I even wonder if such a mother will become the second Wu Zetian, and I Which one will become Hong, Xian, Zhe, and Dan?" (Zero: Hong, Xian, Zhe, and Dan are the names of Wu Zetian's four sons. Among them, Li Hong died suddenly, and the cause of death is unknown, but there are legends that he was killed by Zetian Li Xian was deposed, relegated to Bazhou, and died there. It is also said that Xian was the son of Mrs. Han, Zetian's sister, and he was gifted to death by Zetian. Li Zhe became Zhongzong smoothly, but because of In a sentence, the world was given over to Webster—Zhongzong’s empress’s natal family—and was abolished by Zetian and demoted to Fangzhou. The youngest son Li Dan was also named Li Xulun, so he became Ruizong with trepidation, and finally gave up his throne to save his life God.)

"Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. The Queen Mother will never become the second Zetian. Maybe she once had such an idea, but after all, it was once. If she really wanted to be Wu Zetian, it would have been when she defeated Kou Zhun. You can do that, why delay until now?"

"But do you dare to swear that the queen mother has no intention of spying on power?"

Zhan Zhao was stunned, unable to speak for a long time.

"No."

Yes, he can't.

Taking a deep breath, Zhan Zhao looked at Zhao Zhen with a firm and unwavering gaze.

"But Zhan Zhao can be sure, Your Majesty, you are wrong."

************************************************** ************************

"Mr. Gongsun, don't you think Young Master Bai is a bit strange?" Bao Zheng took a sip of the tea, but he couldn't calm down because of the refreshing tea.

Gongsun Ce cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency also thinks so?"

"He was obviously worried about Zhan Weiwei, but he didn't say a word. Did something happen between them?"

"The students are not very clear about this. As far as the students know, it was Bai Shaoxia who sent the guards to Zhan in the early morning of the first day of junior high school. And when he came back, he was normal, just like he promised the students, and he didn't go to the Jingyang Building for a drink after that." Have a drink."

"That's weird."

Gongsun Ce paused, and said: "Students can learn a little bit about Bai Shaoxia's thoughts."

"tell me the story."

"Doesn't your lord think that Zhan Huwei and Bai Shaoxia are rare friends? Zhan Huwei doesn't want Bai Shaoxia to be burdened by the officialdom, so he tries his best to stop him; but Bai Shaoxia would rather plunge into this abyss to help Zhan Huwei. What they do and think It's like tug of war, but it's not for myself."

"It's really rare."

"Bai Shaoxia must be the one who is most anxious to be punished by the Queen Mother. But he didn't dare to show it, and instead used a bunch of righteous words as an excuse..."

"Sir, what you mean is..." Bao Zheng put down the teacup, nodded and said, "I understand. If Young Master Bai enters the palace, he wants to help Zhan's guard, but he also knows that if Zhan's guard finds out why he is an official Are you troubled by that?"

"It should be like this. Bai Shaoxia has a simple mind, and his thoughts are easy to guess."

"However, the government has to wonder if he can really hide the secret from the guards by doing so."

"Of course it can't be concealed. It's just that I don't think Zhan Weiwei will reveal it, right? After all, it's Bai Shaoxia who has good intentions."

***************************************************************************

"Good intentions? I don't understand your words. Since you think that the mother really has covetous intentions, why do you say she has good intentions?"

Zhan Zhao didn't answer right away, but asked, "If you lose everything, your identity, status, money, and power now, and become an ordinary commoner, how will your majesty feel?"

"I used to think about this kind of problem, thinking that the life of a commoner is very happy and free. But now I don't have such naive thoughts. After all, I have lived such a luxurious life since I was born. If I suddenly lose everything, I will definitely not I will get used to it." Zhao Zhen thought for a while, and then said: "I understand the analogy of defending you, but the situation of the queen mother is different from this, she just lost power. Besides, it didn't belong to her in the first place."

"Yes, I think the Empress Dowager also understands this truth, so she returned the government to Her Majesty, didn't she?"

"But now the queen mother wants to meddle in political affairs..."

"I don't think the Empress Dowager really intends to do politics. When the first emperor, the empress dowager helped manage government affairs. To the late emperor, a concubine who has unique insights into political affairs is much more useful than a concubine who can only compete for favor. That's why the empress dowager can only be favored by the emperor. The first emperor is unique in the harem. From the first emperor to acting as regent, the queen mother is probably used to this kind of busyness. People are like this. Once they are free, they don’t know what to do. The queen mother is also a human being, I think it is because of this emptiness Feelings make the Queen Mother become emotionally irritable." (Zero: In fact, the Queen Mother is a symptom of menopause... Zhao Zhao, let me teach you how to identify it.)

"You have received thirty sticks for this exhibition guard?!"

"I don't think the Queen Mother has done anything wrong. What the Queen Mother said is reasonable. In my opinion, the Queen Mother is just a strict mother who is stricter than anyone else. Because what she wants to teach is the king of this country." Miss Any decision made by His Majesty may affect the national destiny of Song Dynasty." Zhan Zhao took a breath and said slowly, "Perhaps Your Majesty didn't realize that His Majesty's handling of political affairs has always been inherited from the Empress Dowager. How to do it. If the Empress Dowager herself does not set an example and is not an upright person, how can she teach Her Majesty to be a benevolent monarch.”

Zhan Zhao's words brought back countless memories, as if he had returned to his childhood, sneaked into the Empress Dowager's bedroom late at night and found that the desk candle was still on, so he lay on the window sill and watched the empress review the memorials piled up like a hill.I fell asleep unknowingly, and it was already the fourth watch when I woke up again. Looking inside, the queen mother still maintained the same posture, one book after another.

The emperor's hard work has been tasted since he was in power, and the numerous memorials alone can wear people to exhaustion.If this is power, it would be too sweet in disguise, and it would not be too much to call it shackles.So he didn't understand why the queen mother was so enthusiastic about this burden?Those high-ranking officials and ministers vying for power are simply ridiculous in his eyes.Most people in the world are bound by others, but these people are bound by others and themselves.

"I admit that you are right. The queen mother has indeed done an impeccable job in teaching me to be a king and an emperor. But you don't understand, this is not what I want. What I want is a gentle mother queen, who is like Princess Cheshire. Love me and take care of my mother."

Zhan Zhao smiled wryly and shook his head: "The one who doesn't understand is actually His Majesty. The Queen Mother has actually considered and given everything His Majesty wants, but His Majesty has never noticed it."

Zhao Zhen's eyes showed distress, "I really don't understand what you said."

Zhan Zhao said: "If you think about it carefully, if the Empress Dowager really spreads eyeliner on His Majesty, and the ministers have smuggled His Majesty out of the palace so many times, the Empress Dowager will not be unaware that Chetai County will visit His Majesty in the palace. Without the approval of the Empress Dowager, how could it be possible?" So often? Maybe the princess’s love for His Majesty is just in response to the Queen Mother’s request, because the Queen Mother doesn’t know how to be a loving mother, does she?”

Zhao Zhen was stunned and couldn't say anything, what Zhan Zhao said might have never occurred to him.If this is the case, if all the Queen Mother knows, even if it is really the Lord Cheshire she found for herself, then he is really...  Zhao Zhen held Zhan Zhao anxiously and said, "Is this really possible?"

"I don't know if there is such a possibility. I only remember that one night, I secretly took His Majesty back to the palace. As soon as I sent His Majesty back to the palace for a turn, I saw the Queen Mother standing there with a serious face. I was very nervous, thinking that the Queen Mother was watching As for what happened just now, I was waiting for the queen mother to punish me, but the queen mother said: "As long as you do your duty, it is not unreasonable to mourn your family. Remember, your majesty's safety is more important than anything else. No matter inside or outside the palace After finishing speaking, he left. In hindsight, the Queen Mother should have known about it." Zhan Zhao pondered, and then said: "Thinking about it from another angle, the Queen Mother didn't want the little eunuch to monitor His Majesty, but sent him to inquire about His Majesty's injuries. Why, I didn't expect to hear those words from His Majesty, and thought that His Majesty couldn't be sympathetic after all the hard work, and also thought that His Majesty concealed the matter of being assassinated before, so I couldn't help but get angry. This is why the latter matter. The Queen Mother may not be gentle enough, After all, the Queen Mother is His Majesty's mother. How can any mother ignore her son's life?... Now that I think about it, it may not only be Your Majesty, but also the Queen Mother who saved my humble minister. Just imagine, the Queen Mother is the mother of a country How could such tricks of sticking to rule the harem escape her eyes. She turned a blind eye."

Thoughts are disturbed, all kinds of thoughts and possibilities are intertwined, and they can't be cut clearly, and the reasoning is still chaotic.It took a long time to calm down, and Zhao Zhen had a special deepness on his face. "I think... I'll go pay my respects to the queen mother later." He suddenly took Zhan Zhao's hand and held it tightly. "However, I still want to thank Zhan to protect you. If it weren't for your careful heart, your generosity to others regardless of past suspicions, and your awakening, I might be in a lifetime of confusion, and I don't know happiness in the blessing."

Standing up, he suddenly laughed brightly, and the previous gloom and mist seemed to have been swept away.Zhao Zhen said: "The charcoal is almost burnt, I will ask Xiaoxue to add some more, and by the way, go to stimulate the old bone that stimulated the doctor Dong."

Just as he was about to go to the gate of the temple, his whole body went numb suddenly, and then a huge heat surged up, making his whole body scald.Zhao Zhen staggered a step, still wanting to move forward, but the intense heat suddenly turned into a stinging pain.He groaned and fell to the ground.

Zhan Zhao was shocked, and hurriedly got out of bed to support Zhao Zhen: "Your Majesty! What's wrong with you, Your Majesty?!"

"It hurts! It's hot and painful. Guard Zhan...help me...it's so uncomfortable..." The pain was so painful that Zhao Zhen gritted his teeth and could only grab Zhan Zhao's arm and ask for help with his eyes.

The situation came suddenly, and everything was as usual when crossing the dragon's veins. Nong Zhan was confused, so he yelled "Come here", and drew Xue Liang in.Xue Liang was also shocked when he saw this, and hurriedly put Zhao Zhen into bed with Zhan Zhao, and then hurriedly went to find Imperial Physician Dong, leaving Zhan Zhao alone to take care of him.

Seeing that Zhao Zhen was really in pain, he stretched out his finger and hit his sleeping point, which calmed him down.Zhan Zhao wanted to wipe off the sweat on Zhao Zhen's forehead, but Zhao Zhen grabbed his left hand tightly. Zhan Zhao gently opened it, but saw something strange in his palm, which turned out to be a red sand mole the size of a corn kernel .Zhan Zhao was shocked all over, and blurted out involuntarily:

"'Red Flame Sand'?!"