Stranger and Chen in the Palace

Due to the death of Xu He, the eunuch of the imperial pharmacy, the matter of Ling Yichen's poisoning finally came to an end, and he lived a peaceful life for a while.After nearly a year of study, Ling Yichen had made great progress, and even Xue Jingting looked at him with admiration, and had to admit that His Highness the Third Highness was indeed a good candidate for the crown prince.

In a blink of an eye, it was the season of warm spring and flowers blooming again, and even the emperor's mood improved a lot. He suddenly got up and took a group of people to Wuyi Xuan to see how the princes were studying.Ling Muxue, who was in class, was the first to see the emperor coming, she ran over and said coquettishly, "Why is Father so free to come here today?"

The emperor was in a good mood, and said with a smile, "Come and see if you, a ghost, have listened to Master."

"Father, is this suspecting that the son is not working hard?" Ling Muxue pretended to be displeased.

The emperor smiled: "Father knows whether you have worked hard or not."

"Father—" Ling Muxue said coquettishly, shaking the emperor's arm.

The emperor stopped playing with her, turned his head to look at Xue Zimo, and asked, "Zimo, tell me how they are doing."

"Your highnesses and princesses have made progress." Xue Zimo replied with a smile.

Hearing this, the emperor said joyfully: "In this way, it is time to reward. It just so happens that Fanbang recently presented me with a piece of peerless jade. Let me make a piece of jade for each of you. Zimo also has it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." Xue Zimo bowed slightly.

Ling Yihao's heart moved, and he said to the emperor: "Father, since it is a peerless beautiful jade, wouldn't it be a bit disappointing to make it into an ordinary jade ornament?"

"What good idea do you have, let's hear it." The emperor looked at him with a smile.

Ling Yihao said: "It's better to let the jade craftsman open the jade first, and then make the rough outline of the jade according to everyone's requirements, and then let us carve and polish the beautiful jade by ourselves, and make it into the desired jade ornament, wouldn't it be better?"

"That's great. We can also engrave our names on the jade ornaments. It's interesting, interesting!" Ling Muxue clapped her hands excitedly.

The emperor also felt that this was a good idea, so he readily agreed, and then ordered someone to fetch jade.I saw this jade was white and moist, watery and transparent, it was the size of a child's fist, it was indeed a peerless beautiful jade.

The emperor, who was in high spirits, immediately led a group of people to Jinlanfang, where gold and jade ornaments were made. Several jade craftsmen carefully divided the beautiful jade into five pieces, each of which was about the size of Peiyu.In order to have a pleasant surprise in the end, the emperor specially asked everyone to quietly tell the jade craftsman the shape of the jade ornaments they wanted to make.

Soon, all the jade craftsmen in Jinlanfang took action and made the molds according to the requirements of the princes and princesses. With the assistance of the jade craftsmen, several people began to carve and polish the jade.The emperor, on the other hand, tasted tea and admired the flowers very leisurely, and visited the cubicle where they made jade ornaments from time to time. After a few hours, everyone finally completed their work.

The emperor said with a smile to several people: "You have kept me waiting for so long, don't disappoint me, Yihao, it was you who came up with the idea, let's see what you are doing first?"

Ling Yihao smiled, and opened the sandalwood box in his hand generously. When everyone looked at it, they saw a piece of jade in the shape of a double fish. Looking carefully, the two fish were connected end to end, forming a heart shape. Ling Yichen He gave him a meaningful look.

The emperor applauded and said, "Well, that's right, where's Chen'er's?"

Hearing this, Ling Yichen also opened the box and took out a piece of cherry blossom-shaped jade.Ling Yize was curious, and couldn't help asking: "Brother Huang, why did you make cherry blossoms?"

Ling Yichen smiled lightly: "I grew up in the Cherry Garden since I was a child, and suddenly remembered some good memories there, so I made it like this."

As soon as Ling Yichen said these words, two people were touched, the first being the emperor.All this time, he deliberately didn't think about anything about Yingyuan, didn't think about Concubine Yun, and didn't think about how he left Ling Yichen there for more than ten years.After bringing this son out of Yingyuan, he has been trying his best to make up for him, not only because Chen'er is his and Concubine Yun's child, but also because he made the role of "father" missing in Ling Yichen's life for more than ten years.In those more than ten years, he never participated in Ling Yichen's joys, sorrows, sorrows, and the sudden guilt in his heart immediately diluted the emperor's interest in rewarding jade.

And the other person who was touched was Xue Zimo. For some reason, Ling Yichen's words reminded him of the scene when he met him in the cherry garden that year. At that time, Ling Yichen was far more sincere than now.However, in less than a year, Ling Yichen adapted well to the life in the palace, and even quickly integrated into the bloody battle between his brothers for the throne. Is it all because of growing up?

Xue Zimo didn't think about it, because Ling Muxue was calling him: "Brother Zimo, what is your pendant, please show it to us."

Ling Yichen and Ling Yihao set their eyes on him at the same time. Although they didn't say anything, they were obviously looking forward to it.

Xue Zimo gently opened the sandalwood box, and there was also a piece of cherry blossom jade inside, but it was much more delicate than Ling Yichen's. Ling Yichen looked at Xue Zimo with great interest.

Ling Yihao didn't speak, Ling Muxue said in surprise: "Hey, Brother Zimo, why are you made into the shape of a cherry blossom, but your piece is much prettier than Brother Sanhuang's."

Xue Zimo smiled slightly: "I just saw that the cherry blossoms were blooming recently, so I just followed suit."

"Okay, enough trouble for today, Chen'er and Zimo stay, you all go back." After what happened just now, the emperor was a little bit less interested.

Everyone retreated as promised, and the emperor said to Xue Zimo after they had all gone out: "Zimo, how is Chen'er's recent schoolwork?" Xue Zimo knew that the emperor was asking about the lessons his father assigned to Ling Yichen alone every afternoon, and bowed his head. Answer truthfully: "His Royal Highness has made great progress, and my father often praises him."

The emperor was very relieved when he heard the words, he patted Ling Yichen on the shoulder, then nodded, but in the end he didn't speak, and took his men away.

After the emperor left, Xue Zimo was also about to go back, but Ling Yichen who was at the side suddenly said, "Mr. Xue, just now I heard from Mu Xue that your cherry blossom jade is more beautiful than mine. I didn't look carefully. Can you lend me another look."

Xue Zimo was stunned for a moment, unable to understand what Ling Yichen meant, so he had to hand Peiyu to him as promised.Ling Yichen took the Peiyu and played with it in his hand for a while, before he said vaguely: "Well, it looks better than mine, so I will trade it with you, Mr. Xue won't be reluctant, right?"

Although he asked this question, he didn't mean to ask Xue Zimo's consent at all. Instead, he directly put Xue Zimo's Peiyu in his arms, and put his own piece of jade in Xue Zimo's hand.Xue Zimo had no choice but to put it away and said: "Since His Highness likes it, Zimo has no choice but to be respectful rather than obedient."

There was a slight smile in Ling Yichen's eyes, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted.

When the two left Jinlanfang, they saw Ling Muxue standing not far away. Ling Yichen casually glanced at Ling Muxue, and took Shunde away.Seeing that Ling Yichen had left, Ling Muxue ran to Xue Zimo's side and said, "Brother Zimo, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

"What's the matter, Your Highness?" Xue Zimo asked.

A shyness quickly appeared on Ling Muxue's face, she turned her head away, and stuffed the sandalwood box into Xue Zimo's hand: "This is for you..."

Xue Zimo frowned slightly, this box was exactly the sandalwood box they used to hold Peiyu just now, how could he not know what was in the box, but he opened the box anyway.Sure enough, a snowflake-shaped pendant appeared in front of her eyes, and Xue Zimo closed the box to return it to her: "Princess, this Zimo cannot be taken."

Ling Muxue didn't answer, and looked at him with aggrieved eyes: "Brother Zimo, I made this specially for you, how can you not want it?"

Xue Zimo wondered: "Princess gold branches and jade leaves, if you give Zimo such things, I'm afraid it will attract gossip, which will damage the princess's reputation, Zimo absolutely dare not accept it."

"It doesn't matter if that person is Brother Zimo..." Ling Muxue lowered her head in a barely audible voice.

Xue Zimo wanted to say something, but Ling Muxue quickly turned around and ran away, leaving him standing there alone, with the hand holding the box still frozen in mid-air.After a long time, he sighed and had to put the box away.

Xue Zimo walked slowly towards the gate of the palace, recalling what happened just now, he couldn't help frowning more and more. He always knew that Ling Muxue was interested in him.Three years ago, the emperor suddenly summoned him to the palace and asked him to take up the post of Taifu, but he politely declined, the palace was never the place he wanted to stay.But the emperor refused to let go. Considering that he had evaded it several times before and his father was still an official in the court, he really didn't want to offend the emperor because of this matter, so he finally backed down and agreed to serve as a servant for five years.He planned to wait until the five-year period expired before leaving the palace, and from then on he was at ease in the mountains and rivers.

Therefore, he never associated this willful and savage princess with himself. To him, Ling Muxue was just the emperor's daughter and one of his many students.In two more years, Xue Zimo faintly felt that things might not develop as he wished, and Ling Yichen's figure suddenly flashed through his mind, and he felt a little uneasy, something was slowly changing, but he didn't know what it was...

Xue Zimo was meditating as he walked, and unknowingly reached the gate of the palace. He was about to leave in a carriage when he was stopped by a voice.

"Your Highness?" Xue Zimo followed the reputation, and it was Ling Yihao who came.

Ling Yihao walked over with a smile, took out a small box from his arms and handed it to him: "Zimo, here it is for you."

Xue Zimo didn't move, Ling Yihao took the initiative to open the box, and inside was the heart-shaped Pisces pendant he had carved just now: "Only someone like you, Zimo, deserves to have a peerless beautiful jade like this."

Xue Zimo refused to answer, and said with a slight smile: "I have one piece." He had just finished saying this when he realized that Ling Yichen had already taken his piece away, and even gave him his own. It was also given to him, and now it is Ling Yihao again.

"There are not too many good things. We have known each other for three years. Don't you even accept a piece of jade from your friend?" Ling Yihao said with a wry smile.

Ling Yihao brought out the word "friend", and it would be hypocritical if he didn't accept it, so Xue Zimo had no choice but to take it over and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Only then did Ling Yihao smile happily: "Let's go back earlier, it's getting late."

Xue Zimo nodded, turned and left.

Back at the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Xue Zimo put the three boxes on the table, and he took out Ling Yichen’s piece of cherry blossom jade. Yue’an, who was pouring tea for him, couldn’t help but exclaimed when he saw this piece of jade: “It’s so beautiful! My jade!" Turning to regret, he shook his head again and again, "Jade is quite beautiful, but the workmanship is a bit too rough, this jade craftsman is really violent..."

Xue Zimo laughed when he heard the words, wondering what expression Ling Yichen would make when he heard Yue An's evaluation.He turned Peiyu over, and there was a small letter "Chen" engraved on the lower right corner of the jade, which was quite beautiful.Xue Zimo smiled, Ling Yichen's handwriting was always good.Seeing that there were two similar boxes beside her, Yue An couldn't help asking curiously: "My lord, what's in these two boxes?"

"Yu." Xue Zimo answered him casually.

Yue An was surprised: "My lord, where did you get so much jade?"

Xue Zimo couldn't help but think of Ling Muxue and Ling Yihao's gift of jade to him, and felt a little annoyed: "Put them away..."

While packing the two boxes, Yue An said, "Master, where is this one in your hand?"

Xue Zimo was taken aback for a moment, then slowly put the cherry blossom jade back into the box, lowered his eyes and said, "One piece."