Lang Yi

Since yesterday evening, since Tian Zong returned to the hall, he sat behind the qin table with his head down, motionless and silent.

It wasn't until Ning Xingye came to the hall that he raised his head and asked, "He's leaving tomorrow? Did he leave anything?"

Ning Xingye clasped his hands and saluted: "Brother just said, I am lucky to meet His Highness in this life, I hope His Highness will take care of himself."

Hearing the words, Tian Zong's expression didn't change much, so he ordered Li Qiu to fetch a robe and handed it to Ning Xingye: "It's rainy in the southern region, and the military affairs are hard; this old clothes won't get wet, and it can keep out the wind and rain. He is always well dressed, so you will leave it to him for me.”

The light blue robe is smooth and moist to the touch, and the silk thread is tightly woven but as light as a feather; the dark lines on the fabric are luxuriant, like those unspeakable thoughts stretching intricately.

Seeing that Ning Xingye took the robe in his hand, but still waited in front of him, as if he was waiting for other words, Tian Zong sighed: "Other than that, there is nothing else to say, in the end... I have betrayed him." .”

Ning Xingye shook his head, and said solemnly: "No, His Highness has tried his best, I can see it clearly, and my elder brother also understands it in his heart." After finishing speaking, he put away the old robe and left the hall.

Li Qiu, who was on vigil at night, heard that His Royal Highness was tossing and turning all night.

In the morning, he still got up at the usual time, just raised his head and squinted his eyes to stare blankly at the rising sun for a while, but saw nothing unusual.

Li Qiu sweated and waited carefully, but after a few days in a row, Tian Zong participated in the court meeting, discussed in the study room, picked up the memorials as usual, and there was no trace of running hysterically in the palace yesterday.Even, after passing the end of the Jiuqu bridge, I will still habitually glance at the other end, but it seems that the dream is suddenly awakened, and the undetectable sadness floats in the eyes, which is fleeting.

Li Qiu looked at it, feeling aching in his heart, worried that his highness would get sick again in the long run, but he didn't know how to relieve it; he wanted to hope that Ning Xingye, who usually makes his highness happy, could get along with him, but that kid didn't care about it. He didn't even mention a word, as if he didn't even have a big brother Ning Xinghe.

As time goes by, Tian Zongyue speaks and deeds well. He studies political affairs, meets with courtiers, and never forgets to greet the sick queen. He is always busy every day until late at night.

Soon it was the day of the prince's wedding, and the whole palace was decorated with lights and festoons after a long absence, and it became beaming again.

The wedding ceremony is strictly in accordance with ancestral traditions, grand and grand.Wearing the traditional royal wedding dress, Tian Zong has a jade-like face and a pine-like figure, with a solemn and friendly smile on his face; his radiant demeanor is like a fairy descending from the earth, which won the pious praise of everyone watching the ceremony.

Holding the red silk in his hand—the other end of the red silk was held in the slender fingers of the shy bride who followed half a step behind, he walked slowly on the palace road covered with a long red carpet.He slowed down from time to time, waiting for the veiled bride to keep up with him. He was considerate and gentle, which attracted the envy of the wives who watched the ceremony on both sides of the palace road. The crown prince and concubine, what is even more enviable is being able to marry the best man in the world.

——Exquisite ritual vessels, grand ostentation, blessed crowd... Xinghe, I can't give you these; Others walking on the red carpet...God knows, I'm afraid they will also punish me.

Tian Zong pinches his palms all the time, reminding himself not to be distracted, lest there will be mistakes in the ceremony.After surviving the tedious ceremony, they drank to their heart's content at the wedding banquet, and finally, supported by Li Qiu, walked into the newly furnished bedroom.

In the quiet night, people are quiet, when the sky is dim and the moon is bright.

In the depths of the imperial garden, Tian Zong sat in the shadow of the peach blossom trees.Just now, he tried his best to force himself, but he still couldn't reach out his hand to uncover the intricate red hijab of the bride sitting opposite him, so he quietly exited the bedroom and fled.

He was in a daze when he heard the trampling sound of branches and leaves on the ground behind him, and his heart was beating wildly. He suddenly turned around and looked at the person, and blurted out: "—Xinghe!"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he felt absurd. Ning Xinghe should be on the night patrol in the southern border army at this time, how could he appear here.

Under the shadow of the moon, with similar eyebrows and eyes, Ning Xingye hesitated for a moment, then walked over, and said softly: "Your Highness, on a happy night, you..." He wanted to say "You shouldn't be here", but he said no go down.

"Happy night? Bengong's big happy night has long been..." Tian Zong stopped talking, leaning against the tree trunk, and sighed: "Bengong, I just want to hide here for a while, you go back and don't make any noise."

Ning Xingye stepped back a few steps silently, but did not leave.Even in the sky, he sat under the tree all night until dawn, full of guilt and pain.

A few days later, Princess Qiluo of Nanxu, who had already arrived in Qingdu, was also canonized as the crown prince's side concubine and entered the palace.

Dou was treated coldly by Tian Zong on her wedding night, and she has never stayed with Tian Zong since then. Although Tian Zong bestowed her many favors and tried to appease and make up for it, she was still depressed; Luo was the person who lived in Tianzong's house when he conquered the South Ruins, and now he believes that Tianzong disliked him because he favored Qiluo.So when Qi Luo entered the palace to pay respects to her, it was unavoidable that he had a bad attitude, and Tian Zong felt a headache.

When I was in Nanxu in the past, I was just an insignificant prince, and it would be fine to accept a subjugated princess as a side concubine.Unexpectedly, he later became the crown prince of Daying, so Qiluo would naturally follow him into the palace; but the matter is now, everyone knows that Qiluo spent the night in his room at the South Market, and now he has never changed his mind. The reason for recognition.

Recalling Qiluo's various behaviors in the past, Tian Zong did not take it lightly, and arranged her to a relatively remote palace, and sent a meticulous and reliable inner prison maid to her side to strictly monitor; although he did not dare to tell the emperor the truth, But he tried his best to get the queen to avoid Qiluo's greeting.All of this was seen by others, but it was regarded as the crown prince's exclusive favor for the Nanxu princess, and gradually heard criticism among the court and the harem; Dou's heart was full of sorrow.

Although Tian Zong couldn't bear the disturbance, he didn't want to vent his anger. He just took the time to come to the Qiluo Hall, and after retreating from the people, he directly expressed his condolences: "The baby of the Nanxu royal family that you came to beg my palace to protect in the past, now Do you look okay?"

Seeing that Qi Luo was surprised, Tian Zong sighed with a smile: "At that time you obviously hated it to the bone, but you were willing to go to great lengths to beg Bengong that night, that child must have a special background." At this time, he mentioned the child out of concern, Er also beat Qiluo, reminding her to consider the child's life and death, and not to do excessive things in the palace.

Qi Luo obviously understood his intentions, she just bowed her head obediently and said nothing; Tian Zong looked at her expression, and there was no cruelty hidden in her eyes like before.

Back then when he left Nanxu in a hurry, he didn't explain much about Qi Luo's arrangement, but thinking about it, everyone knew that she was recognized by him, so he probably wouldn't neglect her; Tell me your plan frankly: "You don't have to worry. Since I said at the beginning that I want to protect you, I won't go back on my promise. Just stay in the palace and endure for a while, and I will arrange to send you to a temple outside the palace as soon as possible." Pray for practice; at that time, I will arrange a retreat for you and let you escape."

Qi Luo looked up at him, only silently nodding in agreement.Tian Zong didn't want to stay, so he got up to leave, but he heard her timidly say behind him: "Your Highness...won't you stay?"

Tian Zong kept walking, and instructed: "You must have learned the etiquette and customs in the palace at Nanxu. If you still feel unfamiliar, ask the palace people around you..." Just as he was about to walk out, his sleeve was caught A small hand gently pulled.

Qi Luo lowered her head, looking cowardly: "Your Highness, since you left Nanxu, I have never forgotten you..."

Tian Zong didn't wait for her to finish speaking, put away his sleeves, and said calmly: "It doesn't have to be like this, the climate in Qingdu is very different from that in Nanxu, you should rest and get used to it."

After all, without looking back, he walked back to the study.On the way, Ning Xingye saw him rubbing his forehead in boredom, so he stepped forward and boldly said in a low voice: "Your Highness, in Yichen's opinion, having this concubine around has been a trouble from beginning to end; I have done my best to her, and now you are the crown prince, for the sake of the overall situation, you should stop it..."

Tian Zong didn't blame him for presumptuousness, he hesitated for a moment, but still shook his head: "She has been ruined and has no one to rely on, but she is just struggling to survive; let alone how much of a threat a weak woman can be, why bother to commit more crimes? Hold her and let her out as soon as possible."

Ning Xingye only said that Tian Zong was reluctant to part with his old relationship at Nanxu, seeing his firm attitude, he stopped talking.

*****

The national treasury has been empty for a long time. Although the amount of gold transported from Nanxu to Qingdu has always been small, it has also patched up the faltering finances of the big government;Tian Zong had been thinking about this for a long time, so he summoned several ministers to discuss all day long, planning to make a major revision to the current population tax system.

There are many obstacles to reforming the tax system. Tianzong has been prepared for a long time, but he is determined and not afraid.Unexpectedly, even before the draft was drafted, news of floods came from the eastern and southern borders; not long after, the western border was reported to the imperial court, and there was no rain for more than half a year, and the vast fields were all in drought.Such two flanking situations were rare over the years, Tian Zong was so busy that he only wanted to do his best, and it was even more troublesome to see the faces of the servants in the household department crying and suffering every day.

However, the fleeting time is unfavorable, and a more serious situation is before us: as a large number of refugees fleeing from famine flooded towards Qingdu along the road, they finally brought the plague caused by the flood into Qingdu.Although the refugees were finally stopped and resettled outside the city of Qingdu, the plague struck fiercely, and soon even people in the palace were infected.

The head of the Royal Hospital had just passed away. Although the new head Luo Nan was young, he responded calmly. He quickly developed a prescription to curb the epidemic, and the epidemic in the palace was brought under control.Tian Zong's nerves would be able to relax a bit, but he heard bad news: the empress who had always been weak was also infected with the plague, which made the situation worse.