Dongyin

?The day of the ceremony was chosen on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. On this day, all the family members of officials of the third rank and above in the court entered the palace to watch the ceremony. The threshold of the Moon Palace is almost gone.

In the afternoon, the people who greeted him dispersed, and Duan Siyou sat alone in the side hall to check the gift list.At this time, Hongxian came over, the two chatted for a few words, and Duan Siyou said, "Fourth brother, that Miss Chu family is so stingy!"

Duan Hong was surprised, "What?"

"Anyway, it's a daughter of a mansion, and it actually gave away two broken lanterns."

"Flower lantern?" Duan Hong thought to himself, and then remembered that today is the Qixi Festival, because he said, "This lantern is also called Pan Langgui among the people, and if you send two, it means wishing you double happiness..."

Before Duan Hong finished speaking, Duan Siyou murmured in a low voice, "Let's talk nonsense! I knew you wanted to help her speak." After finishing speaking, he pretended to be angry. He didn't think Duan Hong would ignore him, so he greeted her with a smile. "Fourth brother, what gift are you going to give me?"

"Such a big princess mansion, what gift do you want?" Duan Hong didn't think so, seeing her grinning with dissatisfaction, he couldn't help saying, "Look at you, the princess should look like a princess, and be quiet...who let you choose?"

"Sister Mingyan." Hearing this, Duan Siyou blinked proudly and said, "She also said that I am gentle and considerate, understanding, and ingenious."

"..." Duan Hong stared at her twice and said, "You can take your time and see for yourself."

"Hey, fourth brother!" Duan Siyou hurriedly came over to pull her, and said coquettishly, "Today is my big day, you don't even have dinner with her!"

"You..." Duan Hong felt helpless, looked at her again and said, "It's still early, let's talk about it later."

"Understood." Duan Siyou chuckled, threw the gift slip, "Then I'll get someone to prepare it" and ran out bouncing and bouncing as he said.

Duan Hong was speechless, thinking that there was nothing to do in this time, so he took the gift list and looked at it. After reading it several times, Bai Yan's name was not found.At the right time, a court lady came up to refill tea, Duan Hong suddenly called her to stop.

The maid shuddered, but Duan Hong was not angry, and said, "I ask you, is He Jing and Ming Yan on good terms?"

"Back... back to Your Majesty, the two princesses love sisters..."

Duan Hong was silent.The maid thought she had said something wrong, and quickly explained, "Princess Mingyan first came to invite the Moon Palace, and the fifth princess often targeted her, but since Princess Mingyan fell ill that time, the two have settled down."

Duan Hong was startled, and looked at her, "When?"

"About a month ago."

"What did the doctor say?"

"I don't know about this servant girl. I only heard that the princess vomited blood and scared many people."

Duan Hong stopped talking, just looked at the gift list, and remained silent.

At this time, an old eunuch came in quietly, seeing this, he did not dare to shout loudly, "Your Majesty, the princess has set the dinner in the gazebo in the courtyard, and specially ordered the old servant to come and invite Your Majesty to come over."

When Duan Hong heard the words, he got up and left.The palace grid is deep and tactful, and after going down the corridor a few times, going back and forth, the old eunuch who led the way disappeared at some point.Duan Hong was surprised, he opened his eyes and looked around, suddenly there was a Guqin sound in the garden, playing a sad tune, which was heart-pounding.

Duan Hong actually guessed a little bit in his heart, that Duan Siyou would help her like this, it seems that they are really good friends.Before I had time to think about it, the sound of the piano began to be continuous, rushing and slowing down, like a drizzle when the wind blows, and crying and complaining like a woman. This is a song of the Qing Dynasty!

The mood suddenly fell into a trough, Duan Hong stopped and looked at the sound of the piano, listening quietly, but gradually clenched his fists, midnight song? "Lang is taken by others, and he is responsible for the matter of nongfei."The door is restless, and there is no interest in resuming. 'What does Bai Yan mean? Are you accusing her of being heartless?

Duan Hong thinks it's ridiculous, but he can't laugh, so he should feel even more sad.She walked towards the gazebo step by step, and saw a woman playing the piano under the gazebo from a long distance, but she hadn't seen her for a month, the figure was so thin that she almost couldn't recognize her.

Duan Hong didn't know how to describe the feeling at that time, he just felt that all the viscera had shifted in an instant, and her heart was churning up and down. She almost moved her eyes away as if evading, and strode into the gazebo.

The banquet in the gazebo was still steaming, and there seemed to be a court lady standing in the corner, but it didn't seem to be.Slumped down on the stool, the sound of the piano paused once, but the sound of the strings remained the same. Duan Hong's mind was in chaos, and he sat there for a long time before he poured the wine dully, and then poured one after another.

At that time, no one came to persuade him, Duan Hong didn't remember how much he drank, he only remembered that he played the song Yege four or five times over and over again, the food on the table was spilled with wine, and the whole room smelled of wine.

But Duan Hong felt that he was not very drunk, and the night gradually fell, and unconsciously he had to carefully identify the cups in his hands.When I poured the last one, I don't know whether it was because my eyes were dizzy or my hands were trembling, and the mouth of the bottle couldn't match the cup anyway.After doing this two or three times, Duan Hong lost his patience, threw the cup away, and turned his head to call for someone, but he saw a figure standing beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Duan Hong probably knew who she was in his heart, so he didn't look up, he just closed his eyes hard, opened them again as if he was more awake, smiled wryly, and said in a drunken voice, "You...you, why don't you play it anymore? , keep playing."

Bai Yan didn't answer.Duan Hong didn't ask, whether it was because of the alcohol, she lay down on the table to calm herself down, and after a long time, she stood up, "Are you regretting it?"

Bai Yan looked at her, unable to speak for a long time, and choked up with sobs for a long time, "You drank too much."

"Do you regret it when I ask you?!" Duan Hong stood up fiercely and asked her forcefully.Duan Hong cried, almost instantly, she saw tears flashing across her eyes, like the shadow of a knife across the tip of her heart.She knew that Duan Hong understood it in her heart, but she still said, "It's not your fault until now. I will feel sorry for my heartache, but I won't regret it." If she could do it all over again, she would choose the same way and never regret it!

Will I die if I regret it?Duan Hong really didn't know what to say, she hummed and laughed crazily for a while, then suddenly knocked all the food and wine on the table to the ground, bypassed Bai Yan, and staggered away.

After that, I didn't know anything, Duan Hong woke up again, it was already midnight.There was a faint fragrance of orchids on the pillow, which was strange yet familiar. It took only a moment for Duan Hong to go from hazy to fully awake.Sitting up in shock, he saw Chu Xiying sitting by the bed.

This sound probably startled Chu Xiying, she turned her head to look over, and said, "You passed out drunk beside the Linshui Pavilion, and the eunuchs sent you here along the way."

Duan Hong responded, and then said, "Yesterday, the canonization ceremony was held, and He Jing accompanied the banquet, and I got drunk at the moment, so..."

"I was supposed to congratulate Princess Hejing in person yesterday, but because there were too many congratulators, I thought about paying homage to the Moon Palace in two days."

Seeing that her tone was calm, Duan Hong couldn't say anything, both of them were silent, and the atmosphere added a bit of embarrassment, "...I see you sent two lanterns."

Chu Xiying said, "I have very little friendship with the princess, so I don't know what she likes. The river lantern on the Qixi Festival last year was very cute. I think all girls will like it."

"..." Duan Hong felt more embarrassed when he heard her mention Qixi Festival. He looked out of the window and saw that the moon had already passed, so he said, "It's so late, aren't you sleepy?"

"I slept for a long time in the afternoon, so I'm not sleepy." Chu Xiying looked at Duan Hong, saw her avoiding eyes, and sighed softly in his heart, then handed her the silk handkerchief embroidered earlier, got up and walked to the window.The sky is dark and the breeze is leisurely, and there is really a bit of loneliness in the night as cool as water.Duan Hong looked at her silently, the moon was shining in front of the window, the breeze was blowing his sleeves, Chu Xiying was wearing thin clothes, the situation seemed deserted.

Duan Hong held the silk handkerchief, looked at it for a long time before putting it into his arms, got up and followed.A gust of breeze blew, she took a deep breath, and she was already in front of the window.Dozens of lanterns are shining brightly in the lake outside the window, and I casually glanced at it from the corner of my eye, but was amazed by the scenery like overlooking the Milky Way.Duan Hong was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Chu Xiying, surprised with excitement, "You..."

"It's been a year so soon." Looking out the window, Chu Xiying finally smiled, "I really shouldn't have gotten drunk on the Qixi Festival last year, otherwise the river full of lanterns wouldn't be the only thing in my memory."

There was a look of longing in Chu Xiying's eyes, and it was only at this time that Duan Hong suddenly remembered that this was a woman who yearned for freedom in the mountains and rivers, but she was living deep in this palace because of her own hands and feet. " You...don't regret it?"

"?"

"Stay in this deep palace all day, don't you regret it?"

Chu Xiying was taken aback for a moment, then met her eyes, and said, "Hong'er, don't you understand that if you like someone, there is nothing you can't give up for her?"

Duan Hong just looked back at her, without saying a word, Chu Xiying would choose to marry her as a fake marriage in order to avoid the world, so how could he fall into the quagmire and be willing to live in a small room for the rest of his life.

At this time, Chu Xiying's face became serious. She looked out the window, pondered for a while, and then said, "One must put one's heart in one place, so that when you visit the mountains and rivers in the future, or stay in a lonely boat at night, you won't feel that you are so lonely." Lonely and confused."

What does it mean?Duan Hong was startled, but Chu Xiying didn't want to talk too much, "Let's go down for a walk."

The two left Linshui Pavilion one after another.

A crescent moon hangs in the sky like a picture, sprinkled with clear brilliance, the night is always extraordinarily quiet, and waking up in the middle of the night is always extraordinarily energetic. It has been a long time since such a time, Duan Hong inexplicably gave birth to a little joy.However, the two of them didn't have anything to say, only the slight sound of their footsteps remained in the world, neither hurried nor slow.The lanterns on the lake float slowly, the breeze blows, the shadows of the trees intertwine, and everything is beautiful under the hazy moonlight.

Chu Xiying took a deep breath, put aside all worries and sadness in her heart for a while, and firmly remembered this moment.At this moment, Duan Hong suddenly stepped forward, grabbed her and said, "Look!"

Following Duan Hong's gaze, she happened to see a small wooden boat for landscaping floating not far from the shore. Chu Xiying was taken aback for a moment before turning around. Duan Hong had already let go of her and forcibly snapped off a branch. Row that boat over.The wooden boat has not been used for a long time, so Duan Hong just jumped on it, and stepped on it hard, "Come on."

Chu Xiying did not hesitate.

Duan Hong rowed the boat into the lake, and just sat down, she said to Chu Xi with great interest, "Cousin, I think men are like mountains, wise and steady but with an elusive depth, women are like water, gentle and aura Peaceful. I love water!"

Chu Xiying was a little surprised, "Then what do you think you look like?"

Without even thinking about it, Duan Hong pointed to the boat.

"Really?" The corner of Chu Xiying's mouth unconsciously evoked a smile, "What about me?"

"..." Duan Hong pondered for a while, and said, "I think you are like a clear spring in the mountains, self-cleaning, spotless, peaceful and natural..."

Duan Hong was still thinking about it, Chu Xiying stared at it with a smile, noncommittal, and when she really ran out of words, she suddenly asked, "What about Princess Mingyan?"

Duan Hong was startled suddenly, his heart sank, and the atmosphere was slightly dignified.

After a while, Chu Xiying said, "Hong'er, I have wondered more than once, if you met me first, would the ending be different?"

"How can there be any ifs in this world?" Duan Hong didn't want to talk about this topic, and was silent for a while, "...I won't let you stay in a lonely boat overnight." , Even if you regret it, you can't change it.

Although Chu Xiying didn't believe it, Duan Hong's words did make her happy.The two talked a lot more intermittently, and for some reason, Duan Hong fell asleep when it was almost dawn.It's just that she slept deeply at night and woke up when it was dawn.At that time, Chu Xiying was leaning against her in a light sleep, Duan Hong was sore all over, he twisted his neck, and saw a petrified person standing in the gazebo by the bank, with a blurred expression.

It's Bai Yan!

At that moment, Duan Hongxin raised his throat and froze.

The two looked at each other for no more than three seconds, and Bai Yan reached out and took off the pair of earrings between her ears, threw them into the lake forcefully, and then went away resolutely.

Duan Hong's mind went blank, he forgot that he was on a boat, and he was about to pick him up, half of his body was hanging out of the boat, and the boat was swaying.

"Hong'er, you..." Chu Xiying woke up and screamed, but suddenly fell silent.In an instant, she saw Bai Yan who was leaving resolutely, and Duan Hong who was helping on the side of the ship, and -

And the silk handkerchief that fell into the water during the chaos but no one cared.