long friend

On this day, Xiao Qichen, who was like a drowned rat, was finally taken to the mansion by Su Yan to take a bath.After the half-day home leave after teaching martial arts and practicing archery, Su Yan originally wanted to spend it quietly in the drinking horse pool, but he met such an old man.

They have grown a lot taller, they are no longer children, but they are not like adults either, looking at each other, they are not used to it for a while.Fortunately, if Xiao Qichen is willing, there are a hundred ways not to stand coldly. He talked to Su Yan non-stop, and on the way back to Pingyuan Hou's Mansion from the suburbs, he wished he could talk about several years of things.

"...After my mother and concubine died of illness, my father pitied me for being young. I lived alone in Chenglan Palace and was afraid of the cold and the dark. I was going to find sister Wan's mother and concubine to adopt me. Unexpectedly, before the edict was issued, the empress empress came first. I don't know her yet? My son is blind and has nothing to rely on. I'm afraid that Brother Yu's power will be bad for her in the future, hmph..."

When it came to the end, he was obviously a little angry, Xiao Qichen paused, and couldn't help rolling his eyes after all.Seeing that Su Yan didn't answer, he got used to his quietness, changed his hand to carry the bucket, and casually said: "What's wrong with Hou's mansion, you have to trouble yourself to fetch hot water, where's the maid in your mansion?"

Su Yan didn't answer his question, but said slowly: "I've wanted to ask since just now, Your Highness... Even if it's not the empress's own birth, it's the prince after all, he should be pampered, why didn't you just complain a little while helping me carry the bucket?" No, on the contrary, it is very skillful...?"

As soon as the words fell, Xiao Qichen's face was obviously a little hesitant.He was silent for a long while, listening to the sound of water constantly slapping against the wall of the barrel, until he reached the room, and said: "It is said to be adopted and taken care of, but it is actually just giving me food, don't let me die."

Su Yan couldn't help but lost his voice: "How could-"

Xiao Qichen poured hot water into the wooden bucket, tested the temperature, then emptied Su Yan's bucket, and said: "The maids and eunuchs in Mingfu Palace have long served the most noble couple in Jinling. Naturally, I look down on other people. Besides, my mother... She was the maidservant next to the Empress Dowager, she was favored by her father and became pregnant with a dragon seed. Although Zhonggong kept silent, how could she be happy in her heart—she wished for me to die, but now You have to rely on me to support you in the future, and you can't let me die."

After doing this, he straightened up and beat his waist. Seeing that Su Yan had been silent, he thought he was worried, so he patted him on the shoulder tolerantly like when he was a child, and immediately opened his palm to show Su Yan.

"You see, I'm still very good, at least I haven't done heavy work, and I haven't fallen to the level of those servants. They don't care about me, I can sneak out today to watch the fun, but brother Ping can't do it. "Xiao Qichen's tone was relaxed, but every word he spoke was crying blood, "When the concubine mother was still there, she taught me many things without bothering the palace people. Now I can think about it, and I can live freely. I just wait for the emperor to remember it in the future and seal me up Your lord will be fine."

Today's son prefers the eldest prince Xiao Qiyu, who is young and has already built a mansion and a fief.Prince Xiao Qiping has been living in the East Palace ever since he became blind, and he has not seen visitors all year round. According to others, he is now drinking heavily and beating and scolding his servants all day long.

He was in the army and could not see high officials and dignitaries, so these things were far away for Su Yan.But today he met Xiao Qichen by chance, and it was cruel to hear him casually talk about these facts that he had already heard.

When he said to him with a smirk, "They all bully me", Xiao Qichen just said it lively, but in fact, no one would dare to really offend him.At that time, he could act like a baby in front of the prince, return to the residence of his mother and concubine, and be at his knees. Occasionally, his father would visit him and spoil him very much. He remembered preparing a river lantern for him during Qingming.

At that time, Xiao Qichen was carefree all day long, he dared to draw plum blossoms on paper when he was listening to lectures, and he was so carefree that he didn't look like living in Taicheng.

But now?

He lives alone in the deep palace with no one to take care of him, maybe no one even cares about what he likes.Su Yan couldn't help thinking that when they met in the early years, although Xiao Qichen was arrogant, he was quite arrogant, even a little mature for his age, and he looked like he could live well anywhere.How could it...be like this now?

Born in a heavenly family, he never thinks about the future; he has insight into people's hearts, but is alone, muddling along.

Xiao Qichen shouldn't be like this.

Su Yan felt that an image he had long relied on in his heart suddenly collapsed. He stood at a loss in the ruins and tried desperately to restore it, but he didn't even know what his sudden emotion was.

The hands were held softly, with the feeling of damp water, Su Yan raised his head, and saw Xiao Qichen's almond eyes curled up with a smile: "Why are you in a daze, with such a terrifying expression?"

He is still laughing now.

Su Yan lost his temper in an instant, and shook off Xiao Qichen's hand: "How can you be so decadent! Although you can't rely on your own status to look down on others, Your Highness, you are a noble prince, nothing...you have to live life by yourself. People care about food and clothing - they don't care about you, because they are disloyal and have no master! Today even the palace officials dare to ride on your head, but tomorrow? Will those ministers who follow the wind step on you again? ? Who cares about you in the end?!"

The sudden attack made Xiao Qichen stunned, and Su Yan himself fell into the shock of waking up from a nightmare.

After a long time, he hurriedly said again: "I didn't mean that, I...I just wanted to say, you...you are like this, it is really heartbreaking. Your Highness, you are a prince...how can they..."

Pinching Su Yan's face, Xiao Qichen said tolerantly: "The prince is just taking advantage of it, it's nothing."

"Your Highness, you can't think like that!" Su Yan sternly said, "The others are not as open-minded as you. Do you remember what happened to His Highness the Crown Prince? He was only the same age as you are now. He has a sinister heart, so we have to guard against it! "

Because he had been in the army for some time, Su Yan's speech was extremely serious, which made Xiao Qichen tremble with fright.Seeing the panic on his face, Su Yan couldn't help but soften his voice again: "But it's okay."

He didn't know where his courage and determination came from, it seemed that these words just rushed to the tip of his tongue, and after they were arranged and combined by themselves, they pried open his lips and swarmed out:

"We have known each other since we were young, right? My younger brother is long gone. The only person closest to me besides my parents is you. In the future, I will make contributions and sit in a high position, not only to protect this thousand miles of land, but also to protect you—" —From now on, whatever you want, I will give you whatever I can get.”

Under Xiao Qichen's stunned and then puzzled eyes, Su Yan slowly said those heavy words, "I can do anything for you."

Xiao Qichen blinked his eyes, licked his somewhat dry lips, and pressed his hand on the back of Su Yan's hand: "I have been in Mingfu Palace these years, and it was freezing cold in winter. If I didn't mention it, no one would come to burn charcoal. Human nature is like this, it is instinct to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, so there is no need to criticize those palace people. But I also feel... I met again today, only you, who have never changed."

When he was younger, he had seen through the dispute between Xiao Qiyu and the prince, so Su Yan shouldn't have thought him innocent and ignorant.

If Xiao Qichen was really innocent and harmless, and knew nothing about right and wrong, maybe Su Yan could still comfort himself.But as soon as he said this, Su Yan's helplessness rushed to his heart, and he only felt sour.As if his mouth was full of blood, Su Yan said after a while: "... Your Highness is suffering."

Xiao Qichen shook his head and said, "How could I not know what you said... I just have no choice."

Su Yan said: "There will be a solution in the future. I will protect you and guard you. If you become king, I will be your subject. If you..."

Xiao Qichen raised his eyes suddenly, and the tip of his slightly raised eyes was radiant: "What if?"

When two people meet each other, there is often a secret of "God knows, Earth knows, you know and I know". Perhaps this secret has contributed to Su Yan's rebellion, or maybe he is not a person who keeps his own law and order.His emotions were never revealed, but whenever there was a slight clue, it made people aware of the danger.

At the age of 16, he was just at the time when he tied his hair. He knew some truths, but he didn't know the heights of the heavens and the earth.A little bit of youthful ambition emerges from years of routine, and then it's unstoppable.

The door of the room was ajar, Su Yan lowered his voice: "Among the three princes, His Royal Highness King Zhao has not been appointed as the crown prince for a long time, although His Royal Highness King Zhao has a disability, so he is doomed not to ascend to the throne of God. Your Majesty's attitude has always been ambiguous. Your Highness, you can afford to wait... as long as you want, I will be your sword."

Xiao Qichen squinted his eyes, trying to see a trace of a joke on Su Yan's face, but he spoke so seriously.Xiao Qichen said seriously: "For the time being, I have no intention of arguing with Brother Yu. What you said today must not be known by a third person... But if someone listens to it, we will be finished."

He finished speaking quickly, and before Su Yan could answer, he pulled Su Yan by the shoulder and pushed Su Yan out: "Come on, I'll wash it, and you can help me find a change of clothes—don't be too fancy, otherwise it will be difficult to return to the palace." I was scolded by the empress, saying that I had no heart for playing around during my filial piety."

Su Yan wanted to say something more, but he only uttered the word "you", and Xiao Qichen pushed him out the door without any explanation.He stood in place, listened to the slight movement inside, thought deeply, and then came back to his senses, remembering what he said just now, he was covered in white sweat from fright, and he didn't dare to neglect, so he hurried away.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away, Xiao Qichen stood beside the tub, with his fingers clasped around his belt, and stood in this posture for a long time.

Meeting Su Yan by chance was not what Xiao Qichen expected, but what he said and did after returning home was a temporary decision, not just chatting.He only revealed to Su Yan the tip of the iceberg of the indifference and discrimination he had encountered in the past few years after the separation.

Thinking of this, Xiao Qichen laughed out loud: things are impermanent, people's hearts are fickle, but Ayan is still so stupid.

He took off his outer shirt and unbuttoned his middle coat. The welt marks on his bare back were shocking.Xiao Qichen stroked the scar indifferently. Although the scar had scabbed over, it was still red and swollen.He submerged himself in the water and sighed deeply.After arguing with Su Yan for a while, the hot water was already a little cold, and the wound was slightly painful again when it penetrated the skin.

As long as he closes his eyes, Xiao Qichen can't help but think of everything in Mingfu Palace, torture, abuse and hypocritical care.

That high-ranking woman is no longer young, her mother's family has failed to live up to expectations, and her only hope was extinguished a few years ago, and the mastermind behind the scenes is still at large.She hated, but was helpless, seeing that the owner of another palace in the imperial city seemed to regard herself as the future ruler of the harem, so she had to try her best to climb another straw, so as not to drown herself in the undercurrent in the future.

The mother who gave birth to the prince was once his maid, so the resentment and hatred of those years came back again.She projected all these on the prince, claustrophobic, beating and scolding, doing everything...

A knock on the door interrupted his self-torturing thoughts.When Xiao Qichen got up, he brought a string of water stains, he put on his coat nonchalantly, hurriedly went to open the door, and stepped on a string of wet footprints.

Su Yan handed him the folded clothes in his hand, and said, "Your Highness, you can make do with it."

"Thank you." He said, lifted his long hair when he opened the door, and took a change of clothes from Su Yan, "Not bad, is this yours?"

As if the remarks just now dissipated, Su Yan said with a smile: "I'm not at home all the year round, this is a new dress made by my mother on my birthday, but she doesn't seem to know my size all these years, and I made it smaller, what should you wear?" It's just right."

Xiao Qichen nodded, he turned around and prepared to change.

Touching the soft and not luxurious clothes, Xiao Qichen suddenly had a strange and vicious thought in his heart: If Su Yan were to know all about it, what would happen?If he treats me sincerely, what will he do when he sees this?

Xiao Qichen was holding the outer shirt with one hand, pretending to be casually leaning over to put on his shoes, the inner jacket suddenly slipped off his shoulders, revealing a large back.

"Hey, what's going on..." Xiao Qichen said, pulling him back in a hurry.Even though it was only for a moment, he was sure that Su Yan had seen everything he should see.

Sure enough, the person who just swore to the sky, "I'll give you whatever you want" looked surprised, and then immediately became upset. He stepped forward a few steps, grabbed Xiao Qichen's wrist, and stripped off his clothes involuntarily.When he saw it clearly, he realized that he was not delusional. Su Yan's expression was almost extremely angry.

"Who beat you?" He paused every word, gnashing his teeth, "Tell me, who dares to bully you like this in the palace?"

Xiao Qichen didn't answer, put on his outer shirt and buried his head in tying it.Su Yan waited almost impatiently, so he calmly said: "As you said, no matter how bad I am, I am still a prince, except for that... who would dare to treat me like this?"

Su Yan stayed in place as if struck by lightning, and after a long time, he said with difficulty: "...Empress Empress?"

Xiao Qichen said calmly: "Five days ago, I went to the East Palace to visit Brother Ping, and when I came back a bit late, she couldn't bear to see me, and said that I was going to taunt the prince for fun, and punished me to kneel in the courtyard for two hours. She was puzzled , and asked her servants to beat her with a rattan cane more than a dozen times. Then she bled and passed out, so she panicked and asked the imperial doctor to come and apply the medicine..."

Su Yan lost his voice: "How could it be so—"

"More than that, I had a high fever that night. Thanks to Lvyi finding a cold handkerchief to apply, and passed the imperial doctor overnight, the fever subsided. The next day, the queen seemed to have nothing happened." Xiao Qichen interrupted Su Yan, slowly He said, "But later on, the supervision is not so strict, I can go down the ground, and today I will sneak out of the palace immediately, and I am going to find my father, and let him allow me to return to Chenglan Palace."

Su Yan said: "You can't even see His Majesty's face?"

Xiao Qichen sneered, and said coldly: "Will the emperor know about the Queen's abuse of her adopted son?"

Su Yan was speechless.

In such a good time, if it were Xiao Qiping, Xu would have been involved in state affairs long ago, and Su Yan himself had also experienced in the military.The rest of the dandies I know are either studying hard and preparing to serve the monarch in the future, or they are walking around all day long, happy and carefree.Only no one lived in the haze in a state of anxiety.

Xiao Qichen looked like he didn't care about everything, how could he bear it?

He was worried, but Xiao Qichen suddenly proposed a very strange thing: "Don't mention these, I will be crowned king in about three or four years. When I am crowned king, I will be able to return to Chenglan Palace by myself. A Yan , didn’t you just say that you will be walking in the palace in the future, so can you come and see me from time to time?”

"Of course I can." Su Yan said, "I'm free when I'm not changing shifts, so I'll go find you—secretly."

I don't know which word hit Xiao Qichen, he laughed out loud, pulled the wound on his back, and grinned again.After a long change of expression, Xiao Qichen said: "From now on, don't call me Your Highness, it's strange. We grew up together anyway, I call you Ayan, and you call me Ayan too." Chen."

Just as Su Yan was about to shake his head, Xiao Qichen said decisively: "That's it, if you call Your Highness again, I will get angry."

He had no choice but to call out the first sound.Seeing Xiao Qichen's smiling eyes after listening to it, Su Yan felt that the dignity of the monarch and his ministers seemed not as important as his happiness.

The author has something to say: I will take a leave tomorrow, my eyes are swollen and I feel uncomfortable recently, I can’t stare at the computer for a long time, sorry TT