Mikago

Following Qi Yunchu, Lu You walked out of the courtyard of the Zichen Hall in one breath, and came to the side street inside the Rihua Gate.

Qi Yunchu didn't say a word the whole time, and only gave Lu You a back view all the way.Lu You thought he was angry, so he didn't dare to say much, and just quietly followed behind Qi Yunchu.

After passing Anren Hall and halfway to Huiqing Hall, there is a garden planted with wisteria.It's the flowering season at this moment, and I saw strings of wisteria flowers hanging high on the bamboo frame, like a curtain of smoke and clouds, covering the eyes and ears of outsiders.

Qi Yunchu led Lu You into the wisteria garden, sat down on a stone pier with a drum in the center, and continued to turn his back to Lu You.

"What did King Duan tell you just now?"

Although Lu You was shy, he didn't dare to hide it: "I don't know why... Prince Duan kissed me just now."

Qi Yunchu was not surprised at all, but asked again: "Then what is your reaction?"

"I don't know what kind of relationship he has with Zhao Yang. It happened so suddenly, so I just stood there..."

Speaking of this, Lu You has already begun to feel that he is not doing well enough.

Qi Yunchu finally turned sideways and glanced at him.

"Do you really think that King Kang and King Xuan have that kind of relationship?"

Lu You was startled, and took a breath: "You mean—"

"you were tricked."

Qi Yunchu smiled softly: "I remember telling you to beware of all the princes. Kang Wang must be very proud now."

Lu You couldn't help explaining: "But he looks normal..."

"He is indeed the most normal of all the princes. But normal does not mean he is trustworthy. If I had to choose, I would rather trust Zhao Yang and Zhao Qing."

"So... King Kang already knows that I am not King Xuan." Lu You bit his lip nervously, "What should I do next?"

"Don't worry about him." Qi Yunchu instead fiddled with the vine petals that fell on the stone table, "I'll take care of King Kang's matter for you."

Only then did Lu You let out a sigh of relief: "Then there will be Lord Lao Qiu."

Qi Yunchu nodded: "Your performance today is not bad. But you don't need to be too polite to others. If you don't look so much like Zhao Yang, more people will definitely become suspicious."

Lu You said anxiously: "Since King Kang has seen it, will the emperor and empress suspect me?"

"Do you think I'll let you take risks casually? Don't look at that kid Zhao Yang as crazy. As early as a few days ago, he proposed to the emperor to occupy the West Cherry Orchard of the Forbidden Garden to raise tigers and leopards and other ferocious animals. The emperor did not agree. He deliberately Pretend to be obedient, and even proposed to show off your skills when shooting salutes. Now that you are doing well, the empress only thinks that he does what he says."

Lu You actually didn't care what Zhao Yang did.But knowing that he was safe for the time being, he was somewhat relieved.

Looking back now, he actually didn't hate what happened in these few hours.

On the contrary, this shooting ceremony was almost the most exciting and unforgettable experience in his life.

The moment he stepped onto the shooting range, he was no longer the son of a criminal minister, nor a low-level eunuch, but a high-spirited and highly anticipated son of heaven.

Unfortunately, everything is just a flash in the pan.

"Should we go to Zhao Yang now?" He asked Qi Yunchu.

"Don't worry. I haven't finished my question yet." Qi Yunchu turned to look at him, "Now, tell me about your relationship with that young master of the Tang family."

"...!"

He sees it!

Lu You was startled, and instinctively wanted to lie: "It doesn't matter..."

Qi Yunchu glanced at him again: "I don't like people who lie. I'll give you another chance to make amends."

Lu You's face was green and pale, and he replied reluctantly: "I met him once... many times..."

"I'll save you some time." Qi Yunchu interrupted him, "You all studied in the Imperial Academy before, one at the Imperial Academy and the other at the Imperial Academy."

Lu You never mentioned his real life experience to Qi Yunchu.However, Qi Yunchu seems to have mastered all the secrets in this world as a matter of course.

That being the case, Lu You had no choice but to be honest.

But he opened and closed his mouth for a long time, but couldn't find the right language.

After a while, he reached out to his neck and took off the amulet Tang Ruilang had given him.

"Tang Ruilang gave it to me, but I think it belongs to you."

Qi Yunchu reached out and took the amulet, and rubbed it in his hand.The fingertips slowly slid down along the handwriting embedded with red medicine, with infinite gentleness.

This was the first time Lu You saw that the ice and snow shell covering Qi Yunchu's surface showed signs of melting.

From a beautiful but emotionless deity, to a living human being with flesh and blood.

But this transformation is only short-lived.

"It's not mine."

Qi Yunchu returned the amulet to Lu You's hand: "As far as I know, Rui Lang is very precious about this thing. And he gave it to you, he likes you."

Lu You opened his mouth to deny it, but before he could say it, his face was already flushed, and he could only look at Qi Yunchu with a frown.

Qi Yunchu ignored his silent struggle: "But your father impeached his father."

"His father killed my father!" Lu You finally couldn't bear it, and retorted loudly.

Qi Yunchu glanced at him indifferently: "So, you decided to hate Tang Ruilang for your father, no matter whether Ruilang himself did anything to hurt you. Not only did you completely deny your emotions, but you also believed that it was evil, It must be obliterated. In other words, you hate Tang Ruilang because you have low self-esteem."

self-abasement?

Lu You was at a loss for words again.He felt that he should deny it, but felt that Qi Yunchu would not accept this answer.

He thought for a while, then asked back: "You asked me about Tang Ruilang, are you worried that he will expose my identity?"

"If it's him, I'm not worried. I know him well. He and King An Le have a lot in common, and the most obvious point is that they are far more mature than you think."

It was only then that Lu You remembered that Qi Yunchu had been by Zhao Nanxing's side for a long time, so he was naturally very familiar with Tang Ruilang.In this way, his relationship with the Tang family...

Thinking of possible conclusions, Lu You immediately became nervous, and secretly observed Qi Yunchu's expression.

"What do you see me doing?" Qi Yunchu asked slowly, "Don't be afraid. I don't bother to interfere with your grievances. You can hate whoever you want, love whoever you want, it's all about yourself thing."

Lu You took a deep breath: "Then if one day, my love and my hatred go against what you want me to do, what should I do?"

"That's not possible."

Qi Yunchu chuckled: "The reason why I like you is because I see my own shadow in you. People like us never cherish when we have it, and regret it when we lose it."

Speaking of this, he glanced at Lu You: "Of course, if I want you to like someone or hate someone, you won't be aware of my manipulation at all."

It sounds alarmist, but Lu You knew that Qi Yunchu didn't just talk about it.

He can do it.

However, Qi Yunchu wanted to further prove this point.

"Do you know why Tang Ruilang fell in love with you in the first place?"

Lu You was taken aback: "No, I don't know."

Qi Yunchu smiled slyly: "I'll tell you when I feel better."

The conversation came to an abrupt end.

Qi Yunchu finally got up, brushed off the wisteria all over his body, and led Lu You back to Huiqing Hall.

After resting for a while, Zhao Yang slipped back from the outside when he saw the sunset glow in the sky.

He was overjoyed when he heard that Lu You was taking the limelight instead of him, and he was even more overjoyed when he heard that his father wanted to grant him a wish.

It seems that Qi Yunchu said before that he was "not the most difficult person to deal with", but there is some truth to it.

That Zhao Yang was very happy, but he didn't forget to give Lu You a little bit of sweetness.

However, Lu You did not ask for gold and silver extravagantly, but only asked to keep the peony that he got as a winner.

And this is obviously what Zhao Yang doesn't care about the most.

Lu You asked for a piece of tissue paper to wrap Peony carefully, then changed into the green eunuch costume again, and returned to Jackdaw Falls alone.

In the small courtyard with a single family, he put on the delicate human skin mask again, restored himself to that ordinary appearance, and then sat on the threshold and lost his mind.

It's like having a sweet dream.Although it is very sweet to recall, when I return to reality, I feel more and more empty.

I don't know how long after that, someone suddenly walked over from outside the door.

It was the messenger eunuch named Si Cheng again who asked him to get up early tomorrow and go to the inner courtyard of Shangshi to welcome and send off the new fire.

By the way, tomorrow is Zhengqingming, and it is also the day when the cold food ends.Early in the morning, a ceremony of drilling wood for fire will be held in the open space of Shangshi’s inner courtyard. The new fire obtained will not only re-ignite the candles and stoves in the palace, but also be distributed to the royal relatives and favored officials—this is the A great honor.

The glory does not only belong to the courtiers who receive the new fire, it is also a rare good thing every year for those eunuchs who are ordered to deliver the new fire.

According to the custom, the family that accepts the new fire will light the fire to cook tea and give rich rewards to the eunuchs.

But for Lu You, what is more important is that he can move freely in Zhaojing City for the whole day until the curfew.

In other words, the tomb-sweeping thing can finally be realized.

In fact, the qualification to send fire during the Qingming Festival had already been selected a few days ago.Lu You vaguely understood that this should be an opportunity given to him by Qi Yunchu temporarily, and he was full of joy.

He tossed and turned in the middle of the night, and at the second quarter of Yinshi, he was fully dressed and followed the crowd to the inner courtyard of Shangshi.

It was still early, and the sky was still dark and chaotic.There had been a drizzle earlier, but the air was still filled with the refreshing aroma of flowers and trees.

Lu You raised his head, and he saw the Tianhe River looming in the night, which seemed a little closer than that winter many years ago.

The little eunuchs who were doing odd jobs in the inner courtyard of Shangshi entered the arena.They lined up in the clearing before the eaves, and began to make a fire out of elms and willows.Behind them, a court lady in a green dress held a glass lamp and waited quietly.

The surrounding area was so quiet that only the sound of branches rubbing against each other at high speed could be heard, like the noise of a rain shower.

Not long after, a golden light burst out in the darkness, and someone whispered "Got it".Then there is a spark, at first it looks like a bud, then it blooms like a pomegranate flower, the sky unscrews, and the peony spits out its pistil...it quickly blooms.

The new fire was completed, and the little eunuch who drilled the wood was given three bolts of silk and a golden bowl.The fire was transferred into the lamps held by the maids, some of which were scattered throughout the palace, and the other part was handed over to the eunuchs who carried out the mission of giving fire.

The team of eunuchs who bestowed the fire was very solemn, and the leader was naturally Qi Yunchu, Duke of Changqiu.Afterwards, they lined up side by side, with the servant Yin Suxin and the young supervisor Gao Junhao leading the left, and the young supervisor Hu Yao and the servant Chang Yunu leading the way on the right.

Lu You stood behind Chang Yunu, this eunuch was the gentle man who accompanied Qi Yunchu to Dayefang to fetch the "treasure" a few years ago, and was the most loyal confidant under Qi Yunchu's hands.

The eunuchs in brocade clothes and jade belts, holding glazed lamps in their hands, walked all the way south along the straight and open palace road.With a little bit of candlelight, like stars descending from the nine heavens, they are about to disperse into the homes of rich and noble princes.

Lu You followed the crowd all the way to Chengtian Gate, where the horses had already been prepared, they were all maroon, with red tassels on their heads, and they were as vigorous as wildfire.

Among them, only Qi Yunchu took the vermilion carriage, because he was going to take Xinhuo to the outer temple of the clan hundreds of miles away - Tianwu Palace.

Once Duke Chang Qiu left, the remaining forces would be easily distributed.The servants, young eunuchs and eunuchs on the left rushed to Anrenfang where Empress Xiao's natal family lived.

On the right, the team headed by Chang Yunu and Hu Yao got on their horses and ran towards Shengyefang where the senior officials were next door.

Lu You followed the horse team to the east, and eunuchs kept leaving the team along the way, bringing new fire into the benefactor's house.Lu You didn't know who his destination was, he only knew that he followed Chang Yunu silently, and tried his best to lift the glazed lantern in his hand.

In the end, the remaining seven cavalry came to the west gate of Shengyefang.Lu You was surprised at the beginning, but the result was already in front of him.

All these seven people, all the seven glazed new fires were given to the Tang family.What an honor is this?

But, why did he choose him to send the Tang family a new fire? !

Lu You vaguely knew that this must be Qi Yunchu's plan, but he couldn't figure out what purpose he had in such a plan.

In any case, the horse team stopped in front of the Tang Mansion.At this time, there were already people waiting at the door—the leader was naturally Tang Quan, the head of the Tang family, surrounded by all kinds of in-laws and officials.

Tang Ruilang was naturally among them.

After the seven eunuchs got off their horses, they walked towards the gate, preparing to hand over the glazed lamps in their hands to the Tang family.

Lu You walked forward with everyone, and suddenly found that the person standing in front of him was none other than Tang Ruilang.