long friend

In November, Jinling has not yet reached the coldest time. In the past two years, there have been frequent snowfalls, and the warmth in the south of the Yangtze River has turned into damp and cold, which makes people feel unbearable.

There are royal gardens everywhere outside the city, and there are also many dignitaries' other courtyards. They are built with high walls, and basically no one knows anyone. Occasionally, when they come and go, they just say hello.Some people have an outer room in their garden, and some use it for private meetings with friends. Everyone knows it well, so they never pry into the privacy of others.

A simple carriage was parked outside a certain courtyard in the north of Jinling City, and I knew it was already standing there waiting.When he saw Su Yan coming out of the car, he first said hello, and then he saw someone coming out of the car.

Fang Zhi recognized Xiao Qichen in surprise, and saluted hastily. Xiao Qichen called him to lead the way, but didn't say much.When walking in, Fang Zhi shrank to Su Yan's side and asked in a low voice, "Why is Your Majesty here?"

"He has a few words he wants to say to the person inside."

After Su Yan said this, Fang Zhi naturally understood the deep meaning, and pointed to the room facing east: "The person is inside. Don't worry, Your Majesty, you will be served with food and drink all the way, and your body has long been taken care of. It's just nonsense from time to time. Nonsense, it is inevitable to offend..."

"Isn't my brother always talking nonsense?" Xiao Qichen smiled meaningfully at Fang Zhi, and walked straight over.

The wooden door was opened with a "squeak", Fang Zhi stood where he was, and shivered after realizing it, only felt that Xiao Qichen's expression just now made him very strange and a little scared.

But before he had time to think about it, the door closed again from the inside.

This courtyard is not considered luxurious, although the sparrow is small and well-equipped, the east wing room is decorated plainly but elegantly, and all the furniture is made of bamboo, which looks extraordinarily unique.Xiao Qichen looked around, then reached out and pushed open the closed window.

The sunlight poured in immediately, illuminating half of the room clearly.He looked around for a week, and finally saw Xiao Qiyu on the couch.

Before the expedition, the other party was full of spirits, and he was in his thirties, arrogant and noble. Now Xiao Qiyu was curled up on the couch, covered with a thick quilt, his face was pale, his cheeks were sunken, and he closed his eyes as if he was about to die. It's like isolating yourself from the rest of the world.

There were too many people in the room, Xiao Qiyu turned to the inside, and said irritably: "Get out!"

Xiao Qichen looked down at him condescendingly, feeling a sense of pleasure from the bottom of his heart: "Brother Huang, don't you want to see who I am?"

He shuddered when he heard the voice, and struggled to sit up. Su Yan lost no time in helping Xiao Qiyu, and brought him a table and cushions for him to lean on.After doing this, Su Yan stepped aside again, turning a deaf ear to everything.

Xiao Qiyu looked at Xiao Qichen in disbelief, until his eyes touched the dragon pattern on his clothes, and then he said: "What are you doing here, see if I'm not dead yet?"

Xiao Qichen took the time to sit down, poured two cups of tea, and made a gesture to give him a cup: "I'm sorry, Brother Huang, I robbed you of what you dreamed of. Just look at yourself, even if they know that you are still alive, what can you change?" ?”

He seemed to always know how to poke the most embarrassing part of the opponent, Xiao Qiyu almost flew into a rage when he heard this.He lifted the quilt, and the missing left leg was lying there, with an ugly posture: "Did you let him—let Su Yan do this! Let me tell you, why was there suddenly no one beside you on the battlefield that day... "

"My lord," Su Yan interrupted him without emotion, "It's you who don't go with the army. I reminded you that a sword has no eyes."

Xiao Qichen smiled and motioned Su Yan to stop talking, and rolled his eyes: "But I heard that if Ayan didn't save you that day, you would have died in the chaos. Why is the emperor so rude to the savior?"

"Come on!" Xiao Qiyu sneered, "Seeing me like this, you're already happy, right?"

Seeing that he didn't drink the cup of tea, Xiao Qichen simply took it back and held it in his palm to absorb the warmth: "Just because of this joy blooming?...I'm afraid Brother Huang thinks too much of himself."

Under Xiao Qiyu's puzzled eyes, Xiao Qichen said slowly: "Brother Huang, you never looked at me directly, so when you deal with it, you just want to use it up and throw it away. At first, you let Wanqing frame Brother Ping, and then Chaozhong opposed me everywhere , and then threatened me with my relationship with Ayan, do you think that after doing all this, I must hate you to death?"

The bedroom fell into a strange tranquility, the sunlight elongated and tilted to the bed, Xiao Qiyu's face was almost distorted at the junction of light and shadow, he gritted his teeth and said, "Could it be that you still want to cry and say that you never hated me!"

Xiao Qichen put down the teacup and put his hands into his sleeves in a very casual and somewhat rude gesture.He smiled calmly at all times, even when he was threatened by Xiao Qiyu back then, he didn't show the slightest gaffe.

But this cloud is calm and the wind is light, but now it makes Xiao Qiyu feel uncertain for no reason, and feels empty and embarrassed for a while.

The next moment, Xiao Qichen said calmly: "Hate? You think too much, Xiao Qiyu, are you worthy of my hatred?"

Xiao Qiyu's breathing suddenly became heavy, and the hand placed by his side trembled uncontrollably: "You...you..."

"What about me?" Xiao Qichen seemed to find it very amused when he saw his embarrassed look, "Xiao Qiyu, there is nothing in the world that should belong to you, you have to fight for it - you taught me this, if it weren't for you back then If Brother Ping is harmed, I will not even try to fight for it."

Xiao Qiyu: "Do you really think your position is secure!?"

"Back then you were full-fledged, but your ambition was exposed too early. You were discovered by your father and suppressed to death all the way. Do you think it's because he didn't have this idea in his heart at all?" Xiao Qichen reasoned with him slowly, "Maybe there was. , but in the end he still refused to keep you. I am different, my father thinks that I am quiet, undisputed, and easy to control—speaking of which, I have to thank you, I did a lot of shameful things in those days, so naturally ...I have recruited many adults, and now they are willing to use me. As for those who protect you all the time, I have to be ruthless to deal with them. I will not confront you head-on, but if you cut off your wings, you can still fight Have you passed me?"

Under Xiao Qiyu's eyes that were about to kill, Xiao Qichen said happily: "But Father didn't know that I had thoughts about the throne until before he died, so he turned pale with fright—what's the use? He has no choice."

Xiao Qiyu gasped: "You...you murdered..."

Xiao Qichen interrupted him recklessly: "I didn't! Father died of his own illness. Even if I didn't go to Hualin Garden that day, he wouldn't make it to the next day! Of course you can expose me for forging an edict to usurp the throne, but who would? Believe me, who will take care of this world? When you poisoned Xiao Qiping, you probably didn't expect today."

The more he talked, the more Xiao Qiyu trembled.Xiao Qiyu pieced together the truth on his own, everything that should belong to him was taken away by Xiao Qichen at this moment, his voice became sharp, almost piercing: "Xiao Qichen! Forging a will...you are so brave...you are not afraid of retribution !"

"Why do you two like to tell me about retribution?" Xiao Qichen laughed more and more, and suddenly said seriously, "When I was suffering in the early years, no one told me that all hardships will come to an end. After so many things, I don't believe it. Cause and effect."

Xiao Qiyu's words were completely blocked by him, he struggled for a long while lying on the side of the couch, and actually vomited a mouthful of blood.

Patting him lightly on the back, Xiao Qichen said in a warm voice: "Don't forget that my ancestors ruled that those with disabilities in the royal family are not allowed to be heirs, ascend the throne, or become officials."

He didn't care about exposing these crimes in front of Su Yan, stood up and looked at Xiao Qiyu, with a gentleness that was very cruel: "Recover well, after all, you may only be able to spend the rest of your life here——Brother Huang, I won't kill you Yes. Once it kills you, isn't it as disgusting as you were back then?"

After all, he didn't bother to waste any more words, he stood up straight, he didn't even want to help Xiao Qiyu, he turned to Su Yan and said: "Let's go. Ayan, I asked someone to make sweet-scented osmanthus soup. It's just right to go back now."

Xiao Qiyu looked at Su Yan, who had been silent all this time, with complicated eyes, as if he didn't believe his own judgment - he thought he knew Xiao Qichen's ungodly thoughts, but he didn't expect that Su Yan seemed to be obedient to him!

In the end, he lost everything, and the brother he despised the most stomped on him to take away power step by step?

The wooden door isolated Xiao Qiyu's intermittent cursing in the room. Xiao Qichen took La Suyan's hand, and when he raised his head, the gloomy eyes just disappeared. He asked softly: "You care so much about brotherhood, do you think I'm too cruel?"

Hearing this, Su Yan only smiled very plainly, stroked Xiao Qichen's temples, and seemed to comfort him: "It was he who treated you bad first, so don't blame yourself."

The two of them talked again, and at this point, the stone in Xiao Qichen's heart fell to the ground.He was sure that Su Yan was completely on his side, that it was so-called morality not to speak and keep his mouth shut, and he would not speak words without reason to poke his heart.

Facing Fang Zhi who was guarding the door with a troubled expression on his face, Xiao Qichen said calmly: "I will find two people to take over here, Fang Junjun has worked hard."

Knowing that he didn't know, he went in, but still bit the bullet and complied.Not long after he sent Xiao Qichen and Su Yan away, two people who looked like guards came, showed him the hidden guard badge and took over the place logically.

It was later known that he had never seen Xiao Qiyu again, and he did not know whether he was dead or alive.

King Zhao "died" on the battlefield, his light armor and helmet accompanied the army back to the capital, and was buried at the foot of Mount Jiang on the outskirts of Jinling.Because the bones have not returned, there are only clothing tombs in the mausoleum.His mother and concubine Li Shi was depressed, and after spending the first seven days for Xiao Qiyu, she went to the Changlu Temple in Zhongshan alone to lead a practice, and never asked about world affairs.

On the day of the burial, the two concubines of Princess Zhao and Xiao Qiyu cried so much that they passed out on the spot.The rest of the princes were all present, and even Xiao Qiping, who had always had a rift with Xiao Qiyu, appeared in white clothes, as if he had silently settled their suspicions with him.

Jinling became colder after several snowfalls, and Su Yan had to go home after all.

He was used to living in Nanyuan, and Su Yan didn't remember this until his parents sent a message urging him to go back.He intended to say goodbye to Xiao Qichen, but when the other party heard this, he immediately wanted to follow him to the Hou's Mansion. The reason was ridiculous: "I haven't seen Heng'er for a long time."

The Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion is still the same as it used to be. Since Xiao Qichen came to the throne, Su Yan has been at ease in the court, but he has not communicated closely with other courtiers. In addition, he is not in the mansion all year round, so naturally no one comes to greet him.

Uncle Wang opened the door for Su Yan, chatting all the way about recent events, what the young master started to read last year, the young master had an illness a few years ago but he is much better now, Su Heng was the one who opened and closed his mouth.Su Yan didn't feel much about it, he had never played a key role in Su Heng's growth, so he couldn't answer the words at this time, so he could only listen.

Walking through the corridor, I could already hear the sound of reading books.Su Yan frowned, and stopped in front of the study. He looked towards the window and saw the scene clearly through the skylight, and was stunned at that moment.

Xiao Qichen said: "What's wrong?"

Su Yan said: "Heng'er is studying with my father."

Saying "Let's see", Xiao Qichen also leaned over.The two of them were talking too loudly, Su Zhi was already looking this way, and Su Yan immediately felt uncomfortable - he had a ghost in his heart, subconsciously blocked Xiao Qichen behind him, and hastily forced a smile: "Father, I'm back."

Su Zhi still had that indifferent expression, holding the scroll in his right hand and said, "It's good to be back safely. Heng'er, let's see who's here?"

The person sitting at the desk looked up in response.When Su Yan saw him, his heart was empty, and he suddenly remembered that Xiao Qichen said "he is very similar to you". Su Heng is almost six years old this year, so he can't compare to him who has practiced martial arts since childhood. With some meat, the facial features are quite delicate, but childish.

Su Yan hadn't looked at him seriously for a long time. Since Su Heng was born, he has been away all year round, and occasionally returned to Jinling and basically lived in the army.Not to mention fulfilling his father's responsibilities, he couldn't even be by Su Heng's side on his birthday.Therefore, the two of them were not very close, and sometimes Su Yan would feel that he was a stranger.

Sure enough, Su Heng looked at Su Yan in a daze, and didn't call out for a long time.He cast a begging look at Su Zhi, who sighed deeply, patted his head, and coaxed softly: "That's your father."

So this time Su Heng opened his mouth, still timidly, as if he had never called this word before: "...Dad."

As soon as this remark came out, both of them were not used to it. Su Yan said "um" through the window frame, and then couldn't say anything else.It was Xiao Qichen who came out from behind Su Yan excitedly: "Heng'er!"

When seeing him, Su Heng's expression became visibly lively, he stood up straight, after thinking for a while, he called out to His Majesty, and then he stopped being cautious.He was obviously familiar with Xiao Qichen, Su Yan looked over suspiciously, Xiao Qichen hurriedly put his arms around his neck, and said: "I brought you something fun, after finishing reading, come to the main hall, your father and I will go there first."

Su Heng happily agreed, and he dragged the person away from the window to disappear.When he walked to the side, Xiao Qichen said to Su Yan: "As usual, the children of the Marquis of Pingyuan go to the Imperial Palace to listen to the lectures of the Taifu. He studies with a few other children. I have gone to see it several times. To be honest, it is better than when you were young." Much smarter..."

Su Yan forced a smile, and Xiao Qichen saw the shadow between his brows, and asked, "Aren't you happy?"

"It's just a little sad." Su Yan stretched out his hand and gestured, "He was only this big when I hugged him last time... I never hugged him again, and I started studying in a blink of an eye...I..."

The foal in the gap, the fire in the stone, and the body in a dream are all fleeting.The time he lost could never be made up.

Xiao Qichen lowered his head, rubbed his little finger, and said, "There is still a chance in the future."

Su Yan frowned, remembering what he had said that year, and at this moment he wanted to confide in him, so he said: "I swore before that I couldn't help myself, but I won't let Heng'er repeat my mistakes. Now it seems, It seems hard. I wish he wasn't bound by anything, but he's so afraid of me."

Xiao Qichen had never been a father himself, so he had to wait quietly for his next words.

Su Yan suddenly fell silent, and said after a long time: "Achen, I feel that I have failed too much. As a son, as a brother, as a husband, as a father... I have not done everything well, and what is left is regret and guilt."

"But you always have to sacrifice something." Xiao Qichen said, "I have come out before, why are you starting to dig into the horns now?"

His ending sound rose lightly, and he pinched Su Yan's nose.

The young man with a sad face sighed, his shoulders slumped, and he said dully: "It's not because of the past, I've looked away a long time ago... It's just that when I saw Su Heng, I felt that I was very sorry for him. How can I tell him from now on? What about these?"

It was here that he twice witnessed Su Yan's cowardice and sadness once in a century.Xiao Qichen looked around, there was no one else beside the corridor, he gently put his arms around Su Yan, and suggested softly: "The future will be long, I believe you can handle it well."

This may be the most difficult hurdle between them. Fortunately, Su Yan doesn't like to escape, even if he is exhausted every time, he still slowly adjusts himself, so Xiao Qichen can still trust him.

They still have a long life to live.

Su Heng finished his homework for the day, and came out bouncing around to ask Xiao Qichen for a gift from him.When he talked to Xiao Qichen, he was neither big nor small, and he did not repent after being criticized a few times. He tugged on Xiao Qichen's sleeve and took the puppet given by the other party and couldn't put it down.

"I know your birthday is in the twelfth lunar month, and there are too many things this year, so I just happened to come here and bring them for you." Xiao Qichen put his arm around Su Heng's shoulders, pulled him aside with a crooked smile, and asked some irrelevant topics.

Seeing that the two of them were getting along happily, Su Yan felt a little relieved in his heart.

Later, Xiao Qichen didn't leave until the night fell, Su Yan escorted him to the door, interlocking fingers between the sleeves of his robe, and talked for a while.Xiao Qichen's current status makes it inconvenient to stay overnight outside the palace, and Su Yan naturally can't spend the night in the palace like before. It's not a good thing that they have a close relationship. If someone else finds out, they don't know what they will say.

Su Yan sent him away, and stood outside the Hou's mansion on a winter night for a long time before returning.

The family members had already rested, so he went to Su Heng's bedroom to have a look, and he was sleeping soundly.Su Yan walked around the courtyard of the Hou Mansion silently and sat down at the stone table in the middle.

The unfinished wine with Xiao Qichen was still there, and the evening wind blew, the branches and leaves swayed, and the mottled shadows were lightly imprinted on the corner of the frosty wall by the dim starlight.

The courtyard that had been carefully arranged in the early years was full of flowers, and only a white plum was left exuding a delicate fragrance.

Su Yan finished drinking the rest of the wine, sighed lightly, and thought to himself: "This is very good."

The author has something to say: there are almost a few chapters left, a little detail needs to be dealt with, and it is expected to finish a little bit more than 30w