Shen Gong Ji

The whole autumn was cloudy, and the maple leaves finally withered little by little. The cold air rushed over like a powerful river, and it became colder and colder.

When the little emperor summoned me, I was lying on the table and copying the pictures of horses in the picture book. Now I can only draw some Chinese paintings. Since the incident of Wenfeng, I haven’t been out of the house, and no one has sent them to me on a regular basis. Here come the oil paints.

After receiving the edict, Qian Yi had a mixed look on his face.

I know what he is happy and worried about.The little emperor has not moved for so long, and now he seems to have finally dissipated, but it is not known whether this summoning is a good thing or a bad thing, maybe it is to call me to teach me a lesson.

I put down my pen and blew out the candle beside me.I used to ask Feng to hold the lamp for me.

The palace servants began to boil hot water for me to bathe and change clothes.I am already very familiar with this set of procedures, and I am a little drowsy sitting in the bathtub.Two remnant moths, coming from nowhere, fluttered around the candlelight covered with a white paper lampshade, bumping into the lampshade over and over again, making rustling noises.I saw them persevering, and simply stretched out their hands to remove the cover, and they rushed towards the flame recklessly, and finally turned into two fire flowers blooming in the air, fluttered brilliantly twice, and then turned into ashes.

Looking at this scene, I felt a little sad in my heart.

It was cold, so Qianyi put on a thicker cloak for me.The custom-made winter clothes have not been sent out for a long time, and this is the only way to survive every day wrapped in a cloak.I followed the four palace servants with lanterns down the stone steps, got on a chariot and headed towards Weiyang Palace.

Weiyang Palace is still so proud and majestic, with the courage to look up to the world.The red palace lanterns on the tall tower reflected the dark sky at night into rose red in the evening. Standing in front of the tall palace gate, I was as insignificant as a mayfly.

The little emperor was reclining on a couch covered with the fur of an unknown animal, holding a pen stained with cinnabar in one hand and writing circles on a piece of paper.When I saw him, I suddenly felt that this person became blurred like a blurred photo, and became out of reach.

I knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Majesty has met Your Majesty. All blessings, Your Majesty."

"Get up, it's cold on the ground." His voice was clear and his tone was soothing.

I stood up and walked over to him.The slightly curved corners of his eyes and the deep dimples on one cheek looked as sweet as poppies.I don't understand why he can still talk to me in this tone and smile at me with this expression after asking about Feng, as if nothing happened.

I didn't expect myself to be able to laugh like this, as if nothing had happened, "Your Majesty, do you still need to approve official documents at this late hour?" I untied the strap of my cloak while talking, and Du Ruo came over to pick me up. cape.I also sat on the low couch, separated from him by a small table.

"There is a snowstorm in Youzhou, and the team sent to Qiguo is ready to go. You can't be busy." He touched my sleeves and frowned slightly, "Why are you wearing such thin clothes?"

I still laughed, "I came out in a hurry."

"What's the rush? How about just wearing a cloak?" He asked Du Ruo to bring over his hand stove and hold it for me.I hastened to thank you, with great trepidation.

After that, he didn't speak for a while, just looked at me quietly, as if seeing me for the first time, "Why do you seem to be so haggard? Didn't the servants serve you wholeheartedly?"

I hurriedly said, "It's just that I have been thinking about my mistakes behind closed doors these days, and regretted it very much, so I may look a little haggard, thank you Your Majesty for your concern."

"I'm also to blame for that palace servant under your command. He was too cruel to you." He said softly, gently holding my hand, "I apologize to you."

"Your Majesty is serious. It's because I lost my dignity. I neglected to discipline my servants and offended Mr. Hui. In the past two months, I have thought over and over again. , arrogant and domineering. The subject is guilty."

The little emperor showed some surprise on his face, raised his eyebrows slightly, and laughed, "Are you still Juntian? You really should treat each other with admiration after three days."

I raised the corner of my mouth, "People always have to bump into each other to understand. I just reflected on myself."

"Well said. I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable." The little emperor sighed softly, "I hate the most that people in the harem are arrogant, or make some messy things to compete for this and that. I am already very tired. I don’t want to go back to the harem and have to face these shitty things.”

"Your Excellency understands."

He stood up suddenly, walked around in front of me, stretched out his hands to hold my face, and brushed my thumbs over the corners of my eyebrows and eyes, "I have wronged you these days."

The deep affection in his eyes is like a bottomless abyss, which makes people fall down and fall to pieces.

I lay down on the bed with him, responding to his kisses and catering to his movements.But my heart was always cold, so cold that I was naked | my exposed skin was also trembling, the happiness that once fascinated me was always lingering in the distance, and the pain that was not worth mentioning in the past was magnified several times.

I know this is not okay, it will be felt by him.So I closed my eyes, let myself temporarily seal the memory, and traced my thoughts back to a few months ago, when Wen Feng was still alive.Pretending to believe in the warmth that the little emperor gave me, trying to immerse myself in the illusion he wove for me.

The method worked, and that night was as hot as every night that passed.

Afterwards, he lay next to me and played with a lock of my hair.I lazily opened my eyes and suddenly wanted to smoke a cigarette...

I should go to Duan Xihe to get me some tobacco later...

"Juntian, right now you only have a personal servant by your side?" the little emperor asked suddenly.

"Yes."

"Then shall I give you another one?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but Qianyi alone is enough."

"How can it be enough? Which lady is not two personal palace attendants." He looked at me with his head upright, feeling a little laziness afterward, "Well, I will give you Du Ruo. He has served you before, so let's call him around. It will be more agreeable.”

There was a sudden hit in my heart.Duruo?This is his personal attendant in charge of the lamp, so he assigned it to me?

He should have seen my surprise and disbelief, and called out, "Du Ruo."

Not long after, the soft figure who was always slightly bent appeared behind the lowered vermilion gauze curtain, and said vaguely, "Your Majesty."

"I intend to let you serve Yang Cairen, are you willing?"

"But it's up to His Majesty to decide."

"Okay, pack up tonight, and follow Yang Cairen to Fuyao Palace tomorrow morning."

"Yes." He backed off after a reply, and I looked at the little emperor uncertainly, "Is this good? Will he be too wronged?"

"What's the point? Serving here and I serving you there, isn't it the same as serving?" The little emperor said indifferently, "It can be regarded as my compensation for you."

I looked at his graceful profile and wondered how such a beautiful person could be so cold?Du Ruo had served him for so many years, so he gave it away as soon as he said it.

However, he was raised as an emperor since he was a child, and I can't understand his worldview.But I guess, for such a person who has been placed in a position above everyone since he was a child, it is impossible for him to understand the pain of the inferiors, right?Perhaps in his eyes, all these lower-level people in this world are thoughtless ants, and they will not be sad or sad.Even if you hurt your heart, as long as you give some compensation, it will be as good as before.

Early the next morning, I dressed him, washed and changed his clothes, and sent him to court. I didn't stay until he had finished his meal like before, but I took Du Ruo with me and went back to Fuyao Hall.Along the way, I looked at Du Ruo who was walking by my side, trying to see some expressions on his face, but it was still flat, neither happy nor sad.

He still hasn't changed, it seems that he can be rounded and flattened at will...

The little emperor put him next to me, so he was here to spy on me, right?From then on, I probably have to be more careful with my words in life.

After returning to the main hall, Qian Yi saw that the eyeballs of the people behind me were about to fall out, and saluted Du Ruo in fear.Du Ruo hurriedly helped him up, with a soft voice, somewhat similar to Wen Feng.

I suddenly felt a kind of kind and trance feeling in my heart, as if Wenfeng had come back again.

"Du Ruo, I have wronged you." I said to him.

He smiled lightly and shook his head, "The talent is serious. I am very happy to serve him."

"Okay, I know that serving His Majesty and serving me are completely different levels. Don't worry, I will find a way to get you back to serve His Majesty when I have the chance."

"Thank you, talent."

I summoned all the palace attendants and asked them to meet Du Ruo, and then ordered Qian Yi to take Du Ruo to the side hall to settle down.He said he didn't mind living in the house Wenfeng lived in before, so I let him live there.

Don't keep an empty room, as if you are paying homage to someone, and you will be honest.

From that night on, the little emperor began to come to Fuyao Palace every now and then, or call me to Weiyang Palace.Moreover, the fact that he bestowed Du Ruo to me seemed to be interpreted by everyone as that I was favored again, so the hospitality that had been neglected in the past began to heat up again.

This time, I no longer refuse to participate in the occasional small gatherings of the guests and wives. On the contrary, I will visit a few guests and hosts who are closely related to the noble young master every day.The Documentary Department also went to report every day, chat with the young masters, or go to the Imperial Medicine Department to find Duan Xihe for tea.Life is so busy that I don't even have time to paint.

Winter has arrived before you know it, and the first snow of the year fell in Lujing the night before.I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, and heard a very quiet rustling sound outside the window, not like rain, much lighter than rain, falling on the window paper.I put on my clothes and got out of bed and opened the window, and a gust of cool night wind blew on my face with snowflakes in it. The snowflakes under the moon were flying all over the sky, as if there was no corner of the world that was not covered by it.

Early the next morning, the entire Zihuan Garden had changed its appearance.This extremely extravagant court beauty seems to have finally shed the heavy lead, the carvings all over her body, and put on a snow and ice gauze dress.Both the sky and the earth are white, and all the colors are simplified, as if the world has never been so clean and quiet.

Today among the nine guests and hosts, Zhaoyi Wei Yongnian, Zhaoyuan Yu Miao, Xiuyi Xu Zhengqing, and Xiurong Duan Zimo agreed to enjoy plum blossoms at Huaiyue Island on Taiye Lake.A few days ago, when Zhaoyi celebrated his birthday, I drew a painting for him, and he liked it very much. Recently, they walked around each other more frequently, so even I called them together.

I put on an ermine cloak and went out with the stove in my hand.Du Ruo followed behind me.Huaiyuezhou is a small island in the north of Taiye Pool. The shape of the island is somewhat like a crooked moon, and many plum trees are planted on it.Strange to say, this plum blossom seems to have made an appointment with heavy snow, and the flowers bloom when the snow steps on it.

The meeting place is Lanxing Pavilion on the top of Huaiyue Mountain. It is an octagonal pavilion with copper bells hanging on each corner. When the wind blows, it is like playing heavenly music.When I went in, besides Zhaoyi, the other three guests had already arrived.

"Juntian is late, please make amends." I walked in with a smile.

There were several braziers burning in the hall, but it was quite warm, and meals had already been set on their big round table, and there was something like a hot pot in the middle, smoking hot and smoking.

Wei Yongnian is two years younger than me, with small and exquisite facial features, and looks as delicate as a little girl.But with a pile of silk and satin all over his body, and the deepness in his eyes that didn't match his age, he still looked quite solemn.He has the highest status among the guests and hosts, followed by Zhaorong. Unfortunately, Zhaorong has a delicate relationship with Wei Zhaoyi, so he did not participate in this gathering.

Wei Yongnian smiled and said, "Since it's late, how about three glasses of wine?"

The other three guests and hosts also laughed and insisted on making me drink three glasses of wine first.I pretended to evade, and finally drank the three cups one by one.The wine is the best Wannianchun, which warms the stomach very much, but drinking three glasses suddenly is really good.

The five of us chatted casually while eating.I also occasionally get some information from their small talk.For example, Huang Yafu actually doesn't like Mr. Hui very much, but because of Lian Taiwei's status in the court, he can't say anything.The people on your side are mainly the four people I saw, and the other five people among the nine guests are more or less on the side of Mr. Hui.In addition to the contest between Mr. Hui and Mr. Noble, the relationship between these guests and hosts is also intricate.

Not to mention these two camps, the four of them are not completely harmonious.Wei Yongnian is naturally the most favored among the four, but Zhao Yuan and Yu Miao are said to be good at dancing swords and are also liked by the little emperor, so there will be occasional friction between the two.But because everyone is a member of your son, even if there are some knots, they can be solved as they arise.Xiuyi Xu Zhengqing has been valued by the nobleman recently, which made Wei Yongnian a little bit dissatisfied, but Duan Zimo took the opportunity to provoke the relationship between Xu Zhengqing and Wei Yongnian, so he always flattered Xu Zhengqing how much he was liked by the nobleman.

"I heard that Xiu Yi recently made a bottle of rose water for your noble son? Xiu Yi is really good at it." Duan Zimo flattered him.

Xu Zhengqing was not an idiot either, so he quickly replied, "After all, I have spent so many days in the Fragrance Manufacturing Department, and I know this stuff. If anyone here wants it, I will make some for you."

"Hehe, that's a good thing. I liked the bottle of Baihua ointment you gave me last time." Wei Yongnian sat back on the chair and said slowly, "I think the things that your son likes must be better than that Baihua ointment." Ointment is better."

"Actually, rose dew is not a rare thing, it's just that your son likes that taste better."

Listening to the three of them discussing such a similar topic for more than an hour, I was actually very annoyed.But I still listened with a smile, occasionally inserting a sentence or two.I dare not say too much, for fear of accidentally helping this and damaging that.

"If you want to talk about skills, I say Yang Cai has the most skills." Unexpectedly, Xu Zhengqing was a little bit overwhelmed, so he brought the conversation to me, "His painting skills are so good that even Guan Meiren has been compared. "

"Hehe, indeed. On my birthday, he gave me a portrait, which looked like looking in a mirror." Wei Yongnian also looked at me with a smile, "I heard that your paints are very special, and you actually used some Something out of the ordinary?"

I grinned at him, trying my best to smile honestly, "Where is it? In fact, many people in my hometown draw like this, and everyone is just looking at it. If I am really capable, I am no match for Guan Meiren."

Just as he was talking, suddenly a palace servant came in to report that the noble young master heard that we were gathered here and was coming here.