Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

The emperor went out of the palace in micro-clothes, only bringing a new kid with him.

Before Xi Zhao knew it, this matter had already quietly spread throughout the palace.In the past few days, the colleagues' attitudes have obviously become more polite. The eunuch in the same room usually ignores Xizhao, but now he has warmed up, which makes Xizhao feel very inexplicable.Is it just because I went out of the palace with the emperor?But other than that, Xi Zhao couldn't think of anything else that could make their attitude change suddenly.Anyway, it's not a bad thing, Xi Zhao thought so, and didn't bother to pay attention to those many things.

"You say that Eunuch Liang is sick in bed, that's all. The emperor doesn't take Eunuch Wang or Eunuch Gao with him, but he just brings such a little-known little guy. What kind of virtue and ability does this kid make the emperor do like this?" Pet him?"

Feng Dachuan and Zhou Xi chatted while sorting out the documents.

"It's just going out of the palace once, so it's not a big deal." Zhou Xi said smoothly.

"Hey, you don't understand. This is a signal. Being able to take this person out means that the emperor likes him. Although he is still a newcomer, if he continues with this momentum, he will become a celebrity sooner or later." Feng Dachuan said seriously, " I heard that I used to be the Zhidian supervisor, but I was newly transferred to the Duzhijian to work with Liang Gonggong. Oh, yes, it is said that when I was transferred to the Duzhijian, it was appointed by the emperor. I don’t know why.”

"Oh?" Zhou Xi came to his senses when he heard this, "Is the person you're talking about named Zhang Dexiu?"

Feng Dachuan thought for a while, and said, "I don't have any impression of the name, why, Brother Zhou knows this person?"

"I don't know if Brother Feng is talking about him, but I'll ask if I have a chance." Zhou Xi replied.

"It really is you." In the sunset room, Zhou Xi grabbed a handful of peanuts and sighed while peeling them.

"It's been a long time since you came to see me, why did you come here for this matter?" Xi Zhao raised her eyebrows and took a sip of her tea.

"No, I'm also here to see you, Dexiu." Zhou Xi laughed and said, "However, you're really good at it. You've only been transferred to Duzhi Prison for a long time, and you're so favored."

"Being favored?" Xi Zhao sneered dryly, "Where did you get such a favor? It's just that when the emperor wants to leave the palace, I happen to be on duty."

"Oh, don't say that, the prince is here every day, why didn't the emperor take him out? Do you think you are lucky, or do you have any secrets? Teach me too."

"There's no secret, not to mention it's really nothing." Xi Zhao waved his hand.I don't know why, but the word "secret" made Xi Zhao feel a little bit unhappy.

"Hehe, in short, if you really become a celebrity like the prince, don't forget to help our brother." Zhou Xi patted Xi Zhao on the shoulder.

Anyway, Zhou Xi is indeed direct enough in front of him, even though Xi Zhao has always disliked Zhou Xi's tone. "Wang Gonggong is really a celebrity, I can't compare with him." Xi Zhao stopped Zhou Xi's conversation, and Zhou Xi didn't mention it anymore, and threw the peeled peanut kernels into his mouth, smiling quite deep meaning.

two

Do you want to be favored?

In the south study room, Xi Zhao stood beside Chongzhen, looking at the emperor who was listening to Wang Chengen's report on state affairs, and quietly thinking about what Zhou Xi said yesterday.In the end, it was just a trip out of the palace. After returning, the emperor was still reticent as usual, just immersed in political affairs, and he didn't feel any change in himself compared to before he left the palace.Those around him who began to greet him with smiles probably thought that this newcomer had at least squeezed into the red man's bench, but he was alone and couldn't catch any signs of being favored at all.

They must have thought too much.Sunset thought to himself.

"Your Majesty, Yang He's dereliction of duty should be dealt with as early as possible." Wang Chengen closed the paper and said respectfully.

"Well, let me think about it for a few more days." Chongzhen nodded, "Is there anything else important?"

"That's all for today."

"Well, back off."

"Yes, the slaves retire."

Wang Chengen saluted, took a few steps back, and prepared to leave.For a moment, Xizhao suddenly felt two eyes like swords piercing her face, but when Xizhao looked for it, she only saw Wang Chengen turn around and walk out of the South Study Room as usual.

"Do you think Yang He is not good at recruiting, how should he deal with this person?"

Just when Xizhao was still recalling the chilling gaze just now, Chongzhen suddenly asked a question.

"Is the emperor asking the villain?" Xi Zhao quickly recovered.

"En." Chongzhen looked directly at the sunset and nodded.

"Uh... Didn't the emperor warn the villain not to talk about political affairs..." Xi Zhao was a little at a loss, unable to think of how to answer.

"Oh... that's right. I forgot." Chongzhen was taken aback, and smiled unnaturally.

Seeing the embarrassment of the emperor, Xi Zhao hurriedly said, "Actually, the emperor just let the villain say it, and the villain doesn't understand that much. Why don't you discuss such a major national matter with Wang Gonggong and Gao Gonggong?"

Chongzhen shook his head, smiled but did not answer.After a long time, he suddenly asked again.

"Do you recognize the fortune teller in Baozhu Hutong that day?"

"The villain has lived in that house for many years, and he has never seen him before." Xi Zhao replied truthfully.

"Oh..." Chongzhen replied vaguely, then stood up and paced slowly in the room, "I don't know what he said will not last a year, but what he said is accurate."

It turned out that the emperor was thinking about this matter.Xi Zhao smiled, and said: "The emperor is auspicious, and when things happen, you can turn bad luck into good luck. That gentleman must also have a unique eye, and he can't be wrong when he calculates the period of this year."

"I hope." Chongzhen sighed with his hands behind his back, "It's only a year, it's too long."

"Your majesty, don't be in a hurry." Xi Zhao comforted, "The fortune teller also said that everything has a destiny, so the emperor will wait patiently for a year. Since the fate is like this, by then, even if the emperor doesn't do anything, disasters will come. It will go away on its own."

When Chongzhen heard the words, he stopped in his tracks.

"As the king of a country, he is destined to be the fate of the country. If he is really passive and inactive, his fate will change." Chongzhen looked at Xizhao, saying every word, his eyes were indifferent but firm. "It's enough to be depressed for one day. From now on, you can't waste political affairs like the day before. Dexiu, you have to remind me all the time, remember?"

Dexiu?Hearing the emperor address himself like that, Xi Zhao was taken aback, felt hot in his heart, and hurriedly begged for permission.Chongzhen hummed, then paced again, and walked out of the South Study Room.Xi Zhao followed after a few steps, and while thinking about this slightly intimate title, she was secretly elated—even if the word Dexiu was not her own name at all.

three

"Eunuch Liang, you look better today." In the evening, Xi Zhao went to visit Liang Yi and brought two boxes of ganoderma lucidum bestowed by the emperor.

"I'm in good spirits today. I feel better all over. These two boxes of Ganoderma lucidum, you have to thank the emperor for me." Eunuch Liang stood up crookedly, ordered his attendants to collect the Ganoderma lucidum, and pointed to the chair for Xi Zhao to sit down.

"I heard from them that day that you followed the emperor out of the palace?" Eunuch Liang asked while leaning on the bed.

"Even you know." Xi Zhao smiled shyly.

"Hey, this palace isn't too small, and it's not too big. What's being passed around is all about the emperor's side." Liang Yi said, although his voice was a little hoarse, but it was more than a few days ago. With a little bit of confidence, "The emperor has never been on tour in micro-clothes in the past four years, and now this first visit only takes you alone, so it will naturally become a topic of discussion among the palace people."

"Hey, do you know that the emperor was in a bad mood that day, so he lifted the things on the table in front of several officials, and drove away all the servants. But he called me back for some reason." Xi Zhao sat in the beam The father-in-law was peeling an apple in his hand beside the bed, and gossiped, "Seeing that the emperor is usually gentle and silent, it is really scary to get angry, and I was really shocked in my heart. Fortunately, after going out for a stroll, the emperor is in a better mood." At least, today it looks like it should have calmed down."

"Oh?" Eunuch Liang's eyes flickered slightly, "After going out for a while, the emperor's mood will improve a lot?"

"That's right, when we returned to the palace in the evening, we talked and laughed, so it wasn't as gloomy as in the morning." Xi Zhao cut the apples into small pieces, put them in a bowl, warmed them with hot water, and gave them to Eunuch Liang to eat.

"Really... this is good, this is good..." Eunuch Liang nodded, chewed the apple carefully and swallowed it, looking thoughtful. After a long while, he just opened his mouth and said:

"Hey... the emperor has the emperor's problem. As the saying goes, it's too cold to be high. The emperor is the son of heaven. He sits on the highest position in the country. One can imagine how cold and lonely he is." Eunuch Liang coughed a few times and said again, " The current emperor is different from the two previous emperors. He is diligent and intelligent, but also sensitive and thoughtful. In a huge country and a court of ten thousand people, it is not easy to shoulder the responsibility, but in troubled times. From now on, you must take good care of the emperor. Let the emperor really become a lonely family."

When Eunuch Liang said these words, he kept his eyes on the sunset.His face was pale, his figure was thin, and it was difficult to hide his long-term illness, but his eyes were as clear as when they first met.Xizhao seriously agreed, and said with a smile that when he recovered in the next day, he would rely on Eunuch Liang to take care of him.But at this time, Xi Zhao didn't know that the future he said would never come again—this time, it was the last time he and Liang Yi met in this life.

Two days later, the bad news came.We all know that Eunuch Liang Yiliang, who was in charge of the supervisor, suddenly fell ill last night, and suddenly passed away like this.

After the simple funeral, Eunuch Liang's coffin was transported out of the palace, and it is unknown where it was buried.When she returned to Qianqing Palace, Xizhao's eyes were red, and there were a few traces of tears on her face.

"Is the funeral over?" Chongzhen put down the memorial and asked.

"Well...it's over." Xi Zhao nodded, bowed to the emperor, and then walked to the place where she usually stood.

Chongzhen picked up the memorial again, and was about to continue reviewing it, but he stopped, and turned his head to look at the sunset.I saw him drooping his eyes, wanting to cry but stopped, his head drooping, looking listless, and his body seemed to be much thinner than usual.

"Staying in the room is a bit boring, let me go out for a walk." Chongzhen stood up and walked to the door of the room with his hands behind his back.Xi Zhao hurriedly said yes, and followed quickly.

September is approaching, and the evening breeze reveals a long-lost coolness.Chongzhen was in front, walking slowly in a small step, turning his head half-turned to look back from time to time, while Xizhao followed silently behind, without saying a word, seemingly in a very depressed mood, the two walked from Qianqing Palace to the Imperial Garden, but unexpectedly All the way without words.Birds were chirping noisily somewhere, and a palace courtyard in the distance was being repaired, and sometimes there was the sound of hammering and chiseling. In the huge palace, it seemed that these two were the only ones who were speechless. Limestone carvings.Chongzhen walked slowly, looked left and right, walked half a circle around the garden, and finally stopped by the pool, under a small willow tree.

"There are dozens of willow trees in the imperial garden, but this one is special. Do you know why?" Chongzhen asked standing beside the tree.

Xi Zhao raised her head, looked up and down at the willow tree, her eyes were blank. "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"The other willows around were all planted by craftsmen, but this one was planted by a special person." Chongzhen said.

"The special person the emperor mentioned is...?"

"Liang Yi."

"Hey?" After hearing what the emperor said, Xi Zhao was very surprised, but her eyes suddenly became much clearer. "Eunuch Liang...why did you plant this willow tree?"

"This is what I mean. I remember hearing Liang Yi once say that willow trees are the most popular among ten thousand trees. They are not afraid of cold and heat, and can withstand drought and flood. Although they are soft, they are not easy to break. Although they are tall, they are not ostentatious. They are people and things. This is the best. At that time, the imperial garden was being repaired, and there were saplings left unused, so on a whim, I taught him to plant this willow tree with me." Chongzhen said, with a light smile on his lips.

"So that's how it is..." Xi Zhao stared blankly at the tree, only to see that the trunk was about as thick as an arm, and the branches were delicate and swaying gently in the wind.Just as the sunny day is slanting to the west, the setting sun penetrates through the gaps in the leaves, and the spots are bright like broken gold; the willow leaves cover the setting sun, and the pieces are as clear as jasper.Is this the tree that Eunuch Liang planted himself... Xizhao stretched out his hand to caress the trunk, feeling sad again.After a while, he restrained his expression, pursed his lips, turned around and bowed to Chongzhen.

"Your Majesty, the villain has a merciless request."

"Well. Tell me." Seeing Xizhao's serious expression, Chongzhen said seriously.

"The villain lost his parents when he was young, and has been alone for many years. Since he was transferred to the capital prison, he has been treated generously by Eunuch Liang, and he can't repay him. Now that Eunuch Liang has died, the wing room he lived in may be rejected by the palace people. People clean it, and the villain is willing to move to this house, take care of it, and worship and make offerings. If Eunuch Liang has a spirit in heaven, when he wants to come back to see it, he won’t be alone in the dilapidated and abandoned house.”

Xi Zhao bowed deeply, and spoke sincerely.After hearing Xizhao's words, Chongzhen's heart tightened and he couldn't help being moved.

"I don't know...whether the emperor will grant the villain's request..." Xi Zhao raised her head slightly and looked at Chongzhen.I saw Chongzhen smiling gently, as warm as the pale golden sunshine.Xi Zhao's heart felt hot, she almost forgot to breathe, so she hurriedly lowered her head again, patiently waiting for the emperor's reply.

"allow."