long friend

Maybe the comfort Xiao Qichen said really worked, or maybe it was because there was an obsession in his heart that he really wouldn't think of giving up easily. After that day, Li Rong's spirit improved a lot.According to people in the Hou Mansion, she sat in the courtyard in the afternoon recently, holding Su Heng in her arms and teasing her.

Su Heng is thinner and weaker than the children of ordinary families, but other than that, he has not suffered from the root cause of the disease. The nanny has taken care of him for more than half a year, and now he has grown some flesh. He looks white and clean, and he is not afraid of people. Toothless mouth smile.

The child's facial features have not yet formed, and he can't tell who he looks like. He was wrinkled when he was born, but now he is much more obedient.Mrs. Cao only felt that Xiao Qichen really liked the child, and chatted with him: "Heng'er's eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same as Yan'er's when he was a child, and he should look alike when he grows up."

"This is Ayan's flesh and blood." He thought, letting Su Heng hold his finger and put it into his mouth.

As Li Rong gradually improved, Xiao Qichen felt that other things were also developing in the most ideal direction.

Xiao Qiyu has been very proud recently, so he can't take care of him for the time being.On the other hand, the queen seemed to notice that Xiao Qichen and Xiao Qiyu were getting too close, for fear that they would join forces to trip up the youngest son, so she approached Xiao Qichen twice in private, but Xiao Qichen was really not interested in this group, so she just exchanged a few cold and polite words.

On Xiao Qiping's side, ever since he had Xiao Wan, the little princess, he didn't care about other things. He concentrated on chatting with his daughter at home, and the big and small sat there. You said yours and I played mine, but Not embarrassing.

The fighting in the northern border subsided for the time being, and Su Yan replied, "Go home on Mid-Autumn Festival."

It seems that after the turmoil of the previous period, everyone has entered a period of burnout. They just want to live a good life and are too lazy to intrigue.Xiao Qichen went to the Imperial College again, Zeng Xu was getting old and unable to do many things, he could only help the Taifu more, so as to share the burden on the stubborn old gentleman.

Xiao Qichen restrained his ambition in the peaceful atmosphere, let it quietly dormant in the corner of his heart, but never forgot it.Before the time came, he used Xiao Qiyu's relationship to open up contacts in the court, and silently broadened his path.

Some chattering courtiers said behind their backs that His Highness Six was like a dog raised by King Zhao, who couldn't even bark, only wagging his tail and begging for mercy.Tianhui's shoulders trembled with anger, and she immediately informed Xiao Qichen.

But Xiao Qichen said indifferently: "It's okay, haven't you heard of a dog that can bite people so it doesn't bark? In the past, my mother and concubine were still there, and they had everything they said, and later they made more progress... What does that matter? Wait In the future... I will ask them to bark like a dog to listen."

Tianhui was so amused by him that even the serious Tianyou next to him pursed his lips and rolled his eyes.

On the journey of Yu Yinren, there is really no one who can appreciate it better than Xiao Qichen.

The heat subsides, and the autumn wind picks up.

Xiao Qichen remembered clearly that it was the third day of August.

The imperial court received the battle report of the great victory in the north.Su Yan, the commander of Yanmen Pass, led two hundred cavalry to appear at Yunmen Pass without warning. Together with Shen Chengjun, he led an army to destroy the Turkic camp two hundred miles outside Youzhou City. Nodding to Su Yan, he admitted his cowardice.

This was Nanliang's biggest victory after Guangwu City, forcing Huyantu not to dare to commit another crime.And Su Yan proved with his actions that he was indeed different from his father. If he wanted to win, he would win sooner or later.

The atmosphere of the court meeting was rare and harmonious. After the end, Xiao Qichen returned to the Chenglan Hall humming relaxedly. Not long after he sat down, he didn't even drink any tea. Tianyou suddenly pushed the door open, panting: "Your Highness!"

Xiao Qichen had left Tianyou in the Hou Mansion to help for some time, and the other party would not return to the palace for no reason.Xiao Qichen was in a good mood, holding a tea cup and looked at him strangely, and said, "What are you yelling at?"

Tianyou supported his knees and couldn't help panting, rarely embarrassed, his voice changed his tone: "Young Madam...Young Madam is not good!"

The teacup crashed to the ground and fell to pieces, and the hot water scalded a neat row of small blisters on the back of Xiao Qichen's hand.He stood up abruptly, regardless of the pain in the back of his hand: "Who?!"

But Tianyou didn't have time to answer, so Xiao Qichen hurried out.Fortunately, he changed into court clothes when he returned to Chenglan Hall, which saved time for changing clothes. He was about to leave the palace in a light beige-colored uniform. Tianyou followed behind him. Just after taking a few steps, Xiao Qichen suddenly stopped still up.

Tianyou almost bumped into Xiao Qichen, and asked in doubt: "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"The thing you said last time," Xiao Qichen said, "Is that thing still there?"

Tianyou said "Oh" and said, "Yes."

Xiao Qichen said: "Immediately, send a letter to Su Yan, telling him to leave Huyantu alone, and hurry back to Jinling! If he doesn't come back, he will regret it for the rest of his life!"

The Pingyuanhou Mansion was bustling like never before. The last time there were so many people seemed to be the day Su Yan got married.

When the Li family got the news, they crowded in the small courtyard of the Hou Mansion. Li Xu continued to scold Su Yan for being unfeeling as usual, and Mrs. Yushi cried so much that she almost couldn't stand up.The rest of the servants didn't know what to do, they all stopped in the corridor, waiting for the family's orders.

Xiao Qichen appeared suddenly, and no one expected that Mrs. Cao was holding Su Heng and was about to pay her respects when a little girl squeezed out from the crowd, who was Li Rong's maid, and said anxiously: "Is your Highness coming? Miss wants to see you! "

Li Xu frowned and said, "She is the daughter-in-law of the Su family. His Highness the Sixth Highness is not yet married. What does she look like as a widow? Why is Rong Niang——"

Xiao Qichen interrupted him: "There must be a reason for the incident. Rong Niang and I don't mind, Mr. Li, don't worry."

After speaking, he didn't care what Li Xu wanted to say, and followed the maid into the house.The wing room was also lit in broad daylight, and it was as sultry as Xiao Qichen was used to.

Xiao Qichen came once during the Hungry Ghost Festival. Although Li Rong looked sick, he was in good spirits and chatted with him for a long time.Within half a month, she was so thin that she was almost skinny, lying on the bed half coughing and half vomiting.

The maid wiped the corners of her eyes, went to squat down, and wiped the blood from the corners of her lips.The bright red hurt Xiao Qichen's eyes, he said in disbelief: "Why..."

"Miss has been coughing up blood non-stop since the morning. When the doctor came to see her, he only asked Master Hou to prepare and prepare for the funeral..." The maidservant choked up as she spoke, covering her face and crying as soon as she finished speaking.

Xiao Qichen walked over and sat down beside Li Rong's couch.He is a person who likes cleanliness, but at this time he doesn't dislike the unpleasant smell mixed with blood in the room at all, he leaned down and said softly: "Rong Niang, are you uncomfortable?"

When Li Rong saw him, tears filled his eyes that had grown bigger because of his weight loss.

Xiao Qichen took the handkerchief next to her pillow and handed it to Li Rong, comfortingly said: "Ayan is on his way back, his birthday is coming soon, can Rong Niang hold on for a few days?"

Finally breathed out, Li Rong shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

At this moment, she was so tortured by the illness that she lost her sense of proportion. She couldn't hold back the words that she had kept in her heart before, and she said what she wanted to say: "What's the use of him coming back? He has someone else in his heart, why has he ever looked at me? Ah Yan often gets up in the middle of the night to look at a painting at the desk, and sits for a long time, thinking that I don't know—"

What painting?Why did Su Yan suddenly have someone in his heart?

Xiao Qichen was stunned, and still tried to persuade her: "But..."

"Your Highness," Li Rong grabbed Xiao Qichen's sleeve, with a trace of stubbornness on his pale face, "You grew up with Ayan and are his best friend, can you please leave me a few words for Ayan? "

Hearing the ominous meaning, Xiao Qichen shook his head and said, "Tell him yourself, I won't help you pass on the message."

But Li Rong didn't seem to hear it, and said to himself: "How many days have we been husband and wife, I have no fate with him, and I can't force this matter... He treats me with the utmost kindness and doesn't owe me anything, just doesn't like it. Wait for me... ...When I'm gone, if Ayan is willing, His Highness will tell him... Tell him to find the person in his heart, I really don't blame him..."

The word "not here" made Xiao Qichen's nose ache when he heard it, and said in a hoarse voice: "Rong Niang, you need to take care of yourself now, don't think so much about life and death—"

"Ayan doesn't even have anyone to talk to in this house. He's lonely. I can't help him. If that person can treat him sincerely in the future and share his worries, it will be considered...Ayan's luck." Li Rong His voice gradually became softer, tinged with crying, and accompanied by a cough, which was particularly unbearable, "Ayan clearly has someone in his heart, Your Highness, please tell him for me, don't regret it because of me, and don't trap yourself in this forced marriage inside."

Xiao Qichen wanted to cover Li Rong's mouth so that she would stop saying such cruel words.

Every word is like a needle, nailed to his weakest place, and it hurts repeatedly.

Xiao Qichen couldn't stop thinking wildly: "How could Ah Yan have a sweetheart? He even said he didn't know, what is a painting? What is he tired of?"

"The living are much more miserable than the dead. I have been tortured by this disease for many days, and now... I am not afraid at all. It's just that I haven't left Jinling City... Your Highness, I am not reconciled!"

These words exploded in Xiao Qichen's ears, his heart was in a mess, and he could only comfort him in a low voice: "Shh, Rong Niang, stop talking nonsense, take a good rest, you will get better..."

Li Rong nodded, probably realizing that he shouldn't have said so many inexplicable words, so he stopped sobbing.

She was still holding onto Xiao Qichen's sleeve, and after a while, she suddenly asked a very strange question: "Your Highness, am I ugly now? My second brother said I was ugly since I was a child."

Xiao Qichen couldn't hear the word "death" at the moment, and reflexively said: "He is talking nonsense!"

The room was silent, the only sound was the rustle of the window paper being blown by the wind, and there were many vague conversations and crying outside the door.Li Rong was plagued by illness, but she looked calmer than those people outside. She didn't dodge or dodge. After Xiao Qichen yelled this sentence, she calmly repeated: "... Then am I really ugly?"

She is still a young girl, so she naturally cares about beauty and ugliness.

Xiao Qichen tried his best to smile at her. He felt that this disguise was more difficult than his indifference in front of Xiao Qiyu, but he insisted: "It's ugly, you are still the same as when I first saw you. At that time you were standing outside Smiling at us, I thought, Ayan is so lucky..."

After hearing this, Li Rong's cough stopped as if he had just taken a good medicine.

She sat up straighter, leaned against the head of the bed, bent her eyes and smiled silently at Xiao Qichen.

The tears were wiped away by herself, and Xiao Qichen realized that there was a small dimple on Li Rong's cheek. She looked like those people in Jinling City who would invite them to go outing every Shangsi Festival, and then waited for the opportunity to hand a peony to his sweetheart. Girls are no different.

Xiao Qichen was still searching for something to say, but Li Rong said calmly, "I want to see Heng'er."

He took advantage of the situation and said, "I'll call Mrs. Hou", staggered a bit when he stood up, and then walked outside.Xiao Qichen couldn't express his thoughts, he felt sad, but at the same time... at a loss that he couldn't hide.

When he reached the door, Xiao Qichen suddenly heard Li Rong say: "Your Highness."

He stopped stiffly, turned around calmly and looked at the woman on the couch, and uttered a doubtful monosyllable.Li Rong's eyes seem to have changed, there was no emotion in it just now, now it is as gentle as spring water, always pointing.The moment Xiao Qichen met her eyes, his heart beat like a drum, and he was inexplicably nervous.

The smile on the corner of Li Rong's mouth was still there, but it was a little more helpless and indulgent: "...Is it Ayan?"

The four words without beginning and end sounded like ordinary greetings, but Xiao Qichen's luck was instantly exposed to the light of day.There was a "hum" in his head, and then he lost his five senses for a moment, and the whole sky seemed to explode.

Did she see something?

How did she know?

So what she said is all for me?

Xiao Qichen didn't dare to look back, let alone admit it, he covered his ears in his heart, pretending he didn't understand, and went straight out the door.

Later, how he said to Mrs. Cao in a calm tone as much as possible, "She still wants to see Heng'er", and how he pretended to have something important to escape and left the Hou's mansion and returned to the palace. It's blank, only a few fragmented fragments are left, I just remember Li Rong's irrelevant questions...but they can be connected without any obstacles.

"Your Highness, do you have a sweetheart?"

"...Is it Ayan?"

With those two sentences, Xiao Qichen immediately threw away his helmet and armor, and was defeated.He hid back in the Chenglan Hall, where he felt at ease, and blocked everything from the outside world like a deaf ear, and he didn't want to think about anything. He even wanted to ask Tianyou not to pass on the letter, fearing from the bottom of his heart that this truth would be exposed in front of others— —

Xiao Qiyu used it to threaten him, and Xiao Qiping has been separated from him since then, even Li Rong can see that he doesn't care.

He was afraid that if Su Yan found out, he would face it shamelessly in the long years to come.

And no matter how much Xiao Qichen didn't watch or listen, time still wouldn't stop for anyone.He spent the night in a lack of energy, and the next morning it was easy to think clearly, and when he thought that he should go to the Hou's Mansion again, Tianyou suddenly appeared in the palace.

There was a hint of sadness on his face, which had been expressionless for thousands of years: "Your Highness..."

The roses that withered before the withering season became a sign that had been foreshadowed. Li Rong left in the early autumn night, and when the night watch maid returned to the room from outside, she was not breathing, and the dripping by the bed was dry. blood.

It was still ten days before Su Yan promised to return home, so she didn't wait.

The white lanterns in the Hou's mansion hung for several days, and it was heard that Mrs. Yushi cried and passed out, so Su Zhi and Mrs. Cao both stood guard for Li Rong.Li Xu grieved over the loss of his sister, and waited in the Hou's mansion day and night, holding a mouthful of resentment.

There is still no news of someone.

On the night of the ninth day of August, the dew is like a pearl.Jinling City entered into a curfew early, except for Yesi, which was specially pardoned, the rest of the streets were peaceful and quiet, with few pedestrians, and the city gate was about to be closed.

The Jinwu guard guarding the north gate of Jinling City is a newly appointed junior official. He and his experienced seniors are preparing to lock the lock, but the sound of horseshoes can be heard in the distance.He glanced at the senior suspiciously, and the two of them stopped in tacit understanding, pulled out the saber at their waists, and looked towards the direction outside the city vigilantly.

He came riding Juechen, and when he was about to pass by the gate of Jinling City, the little official shouted: "Who is it?!"

The tall black horse suddenly stopped, and the man glanced coldly, his face was actually very young.Under the black cloak, one could vaguely see a suit of light armor with a sword on his waist. He heard that he took something out of his arms and put it under the little official's nose——

The token is the size of a palm, the whole body is copper-colored, and there are two characters engraved on it: Xiaoqi.

Among the Xiaoqiguards, only those with the rank of general or above have a pass token. In order to pass the news, they can pass through the four realms except Taicheng, and no one can stop them.Because the number is extremely rare, the owner must be a general who can personally lead an army.

"...General?!"

The little official took a step back in surprise, and was about to salute when the man on the horse flicked the reins in his hands and gave a soft scolding, without looking at them, he walked straight away.

He and the older defenders looked at the direction the young general was leaving, and shuddered belatedly.

The sound of horseshoes was especially clear in the deserted night, and it didn't stop until the gate of Pingyuanhou's Mansion.The man rolled over and got off the horse, the cloak and hood slipped off immediately, revealing a tired face.

After Su Yan received the message from Tianyou, he didn't even change his battle armor. He hurriedly took the coils and the token, and rode Jingfan all the way without sleep or rest for three days and two nights, and finally rushed back to Jinling from Yunmen Pass.

Standing at the door of his mansion, he almost fell down due to exhaustion.

Holding on to the last bit of strength, Su Yan knocked on the door knocker feebly.When he waited for someone to open the door, he leaned against the wall next to him, wishing he could just sit down and sleep, his eyelids kept fighting.

The Jingfan tethered to the door was also exhausted, and kept rubbing its front hooves on the ground, panting heavily.

The night in Jinling is warmer than that in Youzhou, and the summer heat is still there, and the air is filled with the faint fragrance of grass and trees and sweet-scented osmanthus.

The moment Su Yan received the message from Xiao Qichen, Su Yan had a bad feeling.He came back day and night, and the uneasiness in his heart became more and more intense, and finally reached its peak when he knocked on the door. If he took another step forward, it seemed that he was about to fall into the abyss. Su Yan felt that this was very uncomfortable.

After a while without waiting for anyone to come, Su Yan heard the faint voices of people in the mansion. Su Yan tried his best to move to the door and raised his hand to knock again.Before his palm touched it, there was a sudden "creak" and the door opened.

The man who came to open the door was an unfamiliar man. He seemed to have seen it somewhere before, but Su Yan couldn't remember it.

Su Yan frowned: "You..."

He only had time to utter this word. The next moment, the man grabbed his collar and greeted him with his fist: "Su Yan! You still know to come back?!"

The author has something to say: wave a handkerchief to send Rong Niang offline...

PS: Where the timeline and details in this article are inconsistent with "Northern Wind", this article shall prevail.