The prince is no longer a man

The fireworks in full bloom in the palace rendered the night sky extremely brilliant. Last time, Duan Yueli could only stay in Ganquan Palace alone. The more lively the palace was, the more lonely the Ganquan Palace seemed.

But tonight, the grand fireworks were set off for Duan Yueli alone, and the palace people's attitude towards him became flattering, and more importantly,

Pei Rong was standing right in front of him, he could approach the other party openly, and he could also call his name intimately as he wished.

Duan Yueli's exquisite face was under the colorful fireworks, and there was a thrilling beauty like a demon, his eyes were beating with light, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.

"Pei Rong." Duan Yueli shouted again, he didn't seem to care whether Pei Rong answered, what he wanted was the feeling of saying the name between his lips and teeth.

Pei Rong just didn't know what happened, he was inexplicably dazed while watching Duan Yueli, now he realized it, and smiled embarrassedly: "Fifth Prince."

Duan Yueli was not in a hurry to return to Chonghua Palace, he gestured to Pei Rong: "Tonight the moon is bright and the wind is clear, let's go."

Pei Rong looked back at the location of the East Palace, pursed his lips, and nodded in agreement.

Duan Yueli has never been a talkative person, and tonight is no exception.

Along the way, he paced with his hands behind his back, and only occasionally glanced at Pei Rong, as if just to confirm that the other party was obediently following him.

Realizing that Duan Yueli was always looking at him, Pei Rong couldn't help looking over, and seeing that Duan Yueli was still as pale as before, Pei Rong couldn't help but asked: "By the way, Fifth Prince, I heard you fainted. It fell down at the gate of Baohua Palace, are you all right now?"

Hearing the words in Duan Yueli, the hands behind his back were clenched for a moment, and he asked lightly: "The others only know that I have lived in the Chonghua Palace, but no one has ever mentioned my blood loss and fainting, and they dare not mention it." , Pei Rong, why are you able to ask?"

Pei Rong didn't know these twists and turns in the palace, and thought he had said something wrong: "Yes... Is it wrong for me?"

"No," Duan Yueli smiled lightly, he could clearly feel the joy in his heart at this moment, "Of course not, I asked the wrong question."

"Then you..." Pei Rong didn't understand what Duan Yueli meant, and frowned in confusion.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry." Duan Yueli said.

"That's good." Hearing what Duan Yueli said, Pei Rong nodded reassuringly, "Fortunately, you are fine, and the crown prince is awake."

Now that Duan Jingxun was mentioned, Pei Rong asked Duan Yueli: "Speaking of which, why didn't you see the prince tonight?"

Duan Yueli's smile remained unchanged, as if it was fixed on the face, and asked in a low voice: "Is it important whether the prince comes or not?"

Being asked by Duan Yueli like this, Pei Rong was inexplicably startled, and then murmured: "No, I just feel a little strange."

"Since it's not important, don't mention him."

Duan Yueli stopped in her tracks and looked at Pei Rong steadfastly. She obviously still had that pretty face, but when Pei Rong looked at it, she vaguely felt that Duan Yueli at this time was different from Duan Yueli when he lived in Ganquan Palace back then. It seems like something has changed.

But what it was, Pei Rong couldn't tell.

This is an unreasonable, even unreasonable thought, Pei Rong just thought it was his own overthinking, but his heart became more determined to go to the East Palace.

Pei Rong didn't hide anymore, and said directly: "Fifth Prince, I still have something to do tonight, so I have to leave first."

Duan Yueli watched Pei Rong's footsteps hurriedly walking towards the East Palace, the light in his eyes suddenly went out, he stood in the shadow with an unclear expression, covered his face and smiled lightly.

When Pei Rong came to the East Palace, he raised his foot and was about to leave the bedroom. Chang Bin stopped him in time and said, "Young Master Rong, the imperial doctor said that the prince still needs to rest a lot recently, and it is inconvenient to see people. Please come again sometime later."

The curtain of the bed in the sleeping hall was pulled down, the candle on the lotus stand was burning faintly, and the smoke in the incense burner was extinguished at some point, Pei Rong looked around, and already had a measure in his mind.

"Is the prince resting in the bedroom now?" Pei Rong asked.

"Yes," Chang Bin replied with his head bowed: "Today the fifth prince moved to Chonghua Palace, and the emperor even forbade the prince from attending."

Pei Rong couldn't help but rolled his eyes in his heart, there wasn't a single honest person in the entire East Palace, just like Duan Jingxun!

Then he lifted the lid of the censer and took a look, deliberately put on the airs of the prince, and punctured Chang Bin's words: "When the prince is resting, he must light the dead wood in the bedroom, but now—"

Pei Rong didn't need to say the rest, Chang Bin didn't expect Xiao Shizi to be so careful, even remember such trivial things clearly, he didn't want others to disturb Duan Jingxun on this day, so he said that on purpose.

But now that Pei Rong has discovered it, and thinking of how much Duan Jingxun cares about Pei Rong, he lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Young Master Rong has the eyes."

Pei Rongcai refused to let Chang Bin go so easily, and asked ferociously, "Why did you hide it from me in the first place!"

Chang Bin was always loyal to Duan Jingxun, maybe this move was ordered by Duan Jingxun, otherwise how dare he lie to himself?

The more Pei Rong thought about it, the more he felt that this was the reason. Chang Bin had kept this matter from him, and now Duan Jingxun had kept it from him.

Chang Bin saw it in his eyes and explained: "If Shizi Rong has any grievances, just vent it on the servant. This is all the idea of ​​the servant alone and has nothing to do with the prince. The servant thought that Rong Shizi would not find these clues, but no Thinking of Rong Shizi caring so much for the prince."

"Who... who cares about him." Pei Rong muttered, and asked again: "Then tell me what the prince is doing?"

Chang Bin made a gesture of invitation and said, "Young Master Rong, please follow the servant."

"Today is... the anniversary of Master Hui's death."

"Master Hui?" Pei Rong knew a little about Duan Jingxun's identity. He lowered his voice and asked, "The crown prince's biological mother?"

"Yes, Master Hui has not received any posthumous titles since he left, and those of us who are slaves can only call him master."

While the two were talking, Chang Bin had already led Pei Rong to the gate of a withered and ruined palace.

"The prince is inside, and the slave will go back to the East Palace first."

Pei Rong raised his head, and by the clear moonlight, he saw the words Linguang Temple written on the plaque.

Walking into the palace, a thick layer of fallen leaves has accumulated on the ground, green and yellow in different colors, several doors in the palace are half-drowned, and none of the windows is good, thick white spider webs can be seen everywhere , if the wind blows, it can set off bursts of pungent dust.

At first glance, it looks like a palace that has been uninhabited for more than ten years. How could Duan Jingxun be in such a place?

Pei Rong held her nose and walked slowly in. Suddenly, there was a thump under her feet, as if she had kicked something, and then there was a "squeak, squeak".

The sound was not too small, Pei Rong was flustered for a while, and quickly squatted down to straighten the thing he just kicked, only to find that it was a small wooden horse that lost most of its color.

This little wooden horse has a strange shape, there is a long and sharp horn between the forehead, but the top is polished very round, obviously for fear of hurting the child.

Pei Rong felt that the little wooden horse looked familiar, and when he was about to take a look, he suddenly smelled a burning smell.

Pei Rong's face turned pale, and he didn't care about the familiar little wooden horse anymore, he got up and rushed to the inner hall.

Worship is strictly prohibited in the palace, and today is the death day of Duan Jingxun's biological mother, it is hard for Pei Rong not to think about what Duan Jingxun is doing now.

If this is discovered, the consequences will be disastrous.

Running to the open space in the apse, Pei Rong saw Duan Jingxun as expected.

There was a cluster of flames at the other party's feet, which were burning and crackling, Pei Rong rushed over, pulling Duan Jingxun away from the flames.

"Prince! What are you doing!"

Duan Jingxun was a little surprised when he saw Pei Rong: "Pei Rong? Why are you here?"

Pei Rong didn't bother to answer his question, and opened his mouth to ask, "How can you burn paper in the palace? What if someone finds out!"

Duan Jingxun pulled Pei Rong and walked over again, pointing to him: "Pei Rong, look at what this is."

Pei Rong shook his head again and again, covering his eyes: "I don't look, I don't know anything."

Duan Jingxun sighed helplessly, and said, "Pei Rong, this is a burnt lantern."

lantern?

Pei Rong tilted his head and looked, although most of the things on the ground had been burnt, but it couldn't be seen that it was indeed a lantern.

"It turned out to be a lantern." Pei Rong breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest: "I was scared to death, I thought you were..."

After a pause, Pei Rong immediately pursed her lips and didn't say a word.

Duan Jingxun answered: "Burning paper, right? You already said that when you met me just now."

Pei Rong: ...

"Chang Bin told you I'm here?"

Pei Rong nodded and gave a soft "um".

"Chang Bin will definitely not take the initiative to mention this matter to you. You went to the East Palace to find me and found out that I was not in the East Palace?"

In front of Duan Jingxun, Pei Rong was no longer as airy as he was in front of Chang Bin. He whispered, "You have guessed everything, and you still have to ask me."

Duan Jingxun reached out and rubbed the top of Pei Rong's head, and said with a smile, "You care about me."

Duan Jingxun's voice was very soft but also very firm. Hearing this, Pei Rong felt the urge to run away.

It seems that if Duan Jingxun discovers his little thoughts, Duan Jingxun will always bow his head.

Duan Jingxun seemed to have seen Pei Rong's intentions, and he didn't know why his eyes were so sharp, and he accurately grasped Pei Rong's wrist in the dark: "Since you're here, why do you want to leave me alone?"

"Or, you're shy after being hit by me?"

"Who... who's shy!" Pei Rong seemed to want to prove something, her voice was raised, she stopped abruptly, and looked at Duan Jingxun with her chin up.

Even in the night, Pei Rong's eyes are as bright as stars, so bright that you can't look directly at them, he is always so fresh, as if there is nothing in this world that disturbs his mind, even sorrow is reluctant to fall into his eyes.

Today has always been the most depressing day for Duan Jingxun, but under the gaze of these eyes, Duan Jingxun only felt that the melancholy in his heart seemed to have turned into a spring breeze blowing without trace, leaving only faint ripples in his heart.

"Since you're not shy, I'll have to trouble you to take me back to the East Palace."

"Why do you want me to take you back?" Pei Rong asked.

Duan Jingxun smiled, and his voice was a little hoarse: "The wind hit my eyes just now, and it hurts."