The third year after the death of the emperor

Lunar New Year's eve.

On such a day of national celebration, the emperor is not in the palace, but in the southern provinces thousands of miles away. This means that the court is stable and all the princes who intend to rebel have been killed. This happens.If it were His Majesty who had just ascended the throne, I am afraid he would not have dared to leave even half a step.

As night falls, the sound of fireworks lights up in the dark, gathering and dispersing in an instant.Xiao Tianmei rode a maroon horse and came to Rongyuan alone. She wore a neat riding and archery military uniform, bright and flamboyant.The sound of hoofbeats stopped, Xiao Tianmei got off her horse and entered the Rong Garden full of osmanthus trees.

In recent days, the eldest sister's illness has improved a lot. I don't know if it's because of knowing that my husband is alive, or because the imperial physician is more dedicated.When Meier approached, she saw the small window lit by candles in the yard, under the thick fox fur cloak, the silver walking stick with the hairpin slanted on it.

She walked to the window, through the stretched flower branches, she put her arms in front of the window: "Are you asleep?"

Xiao Tianrou looked up at her and sat up slowly.Mei'er sharp-eyed saw the letter pressed under her, the handwriting on it was very familiar, it was Mr.

The husband left a letter for Rong Yuan.

Mei'er immediately said, "Sister, I'll come in and talk to you."

After finishing speaking, the girl in red ran over all the way, walked around the corridor, and passed through the screen. As soon as she came in, she saw Xiao Tianrou's thin and thin shadow. The window had been closed to cut off the lively fireworks outside. But there is still the sound of festivals coming into my head continuously and dimly.

The eldest daughter of the Xiao family sat opposite the youngest daughter on the chessboard. The chessboard was halfway up and down. It was the chess game that Xiao Tianrou and Xie Wen played back then.Mei'er couldn't see the origin of this game, but she also knew that sister was good at playing games, so she couldn't bear to make trouble, and put her arms by her side carefully, and said: "Brother Nine is going to the south, and he will inevitably go to find Mr., I am worried His mind is muddled, what did he do..."

Before she finished speaking, Xiao Tianrou covered her lips and coughed, Mei'er got up and gave her back, the eldest princess drank tea and took a breather, finally she was much better, her face was pale, but her appearance was very beautiful and gentle, If Mr. Xie hadn't declined, this should really be a good match that the late emperor preferred.

Xiao Tianju said: "You told Jiudi last time that it was all under my guidance that you could persuade him. I haven't asked you for a crime yet."

Mei'er hurriedly said: "Didn't I talk to you after I finished speaking? Besides, I also want to live up to my husband's painstaking efforts. Don't worry about him too much. Since Mr. Xie has already predicted the situation that day, it's all his calculations." , Prepared escape plan, he meant to reassure me."

As Mei'er was talking, she couldn't help but cast her eyes down. She looked at the letters backwards, and only after she recognized a few words, the elder sister picked up the letters and checked how well the paper was read. I watched it no less than a hundred times.

"This is……"

"He entrusted someone to bring it to Rong Yuan." Xiao Tianrou said in a low voice, "We haven't seen each other for three years, so it's hard for him to protect himself, and he still wants to comfort me."

Mei'er didn't know much about the few of them at first, but after getting into trouble with Brother Nine, she made indirect and indirect inquiries, and only then did she comprehend a part of them with half-knowledge and speculation.She said, "What did you say, sir?"

Xiao Tianrou glanced at her, and handed the letter in her hand to Mei'er.Mei'er took it over and looked it over carefully, and there were mostly trifles like asking Tian Han to add clothes, how to warm porridge and medicine, but she didn't mention anything about the old things.Mei'er raised her head, saw Xiao Tianrou's misty eyes, and suddenly said: "Sister, you all—"

"I want to be his chess friend for the rest of my life, and that's what I want." Xiao Tianju said, "Back then... I didn't like Xiao Jiu very much, and it's the same now. It's useless, but I know that the way he looks at Mr. is just like mine."

Mei'er's heart skipped a beat, suddenly there was a sense of uncovering the truth and drying it out.

"He hates me not only because of the marriage contract that was not invited." Xiao Tianrou looked indifferent, as if this incident was no longer enough to shake her heart. On that pale and beautiful face, there was an incomprehensible, yet unrequited love. With an expression as calm as water, "Also, I told my father that the ninth younger brother is obedient on the outside, but in reality he hides his deepest nature. He has a nature like a tiger and a wolf. He should not be assisted by a noble and arrogant person like Mr. Otherwise, he will become a tiger."

Mei Er was stunned, she stared at the elder sister's fingertips playing with the chess pieces, she was so fragile, like a withered sweet-scented osmanthus in the deep winter, withered into mud, but in the years that she couldn't see - this eldest princess, She was also the most trustworthy daughter by her father's side. Her gentleness contained the most dense needles, and her softness was wrapped with a tough temperament like iron stone. Even as a woman, she could influence the emperor's view of the heir.

If it wasn't for poor health, Sister Rou should have been the most difficult stumbling block on Brother Nine's ascension to the throne, and Mr. Xie, who is her confidant, might also become the most evenly matched opponent in the political struggle... All this is a pity Now, the eldest sister needs to take care of her body, and if she can't walk on this turbulent and razor-sharp road, the chessboard has never been settled from the very beginning.

Xiao Tianrou lowered his eyelashes, smiled very calmly and said: "He regards me as a political enemy, a rival in love, and has such a strong desire to monopolize Huaiyu. I'm not surprised how he retaliates. It's just..."

The biggest shackles imprisoned on women are involuntary marriages, which is the limitation of the times.She doesn't care about gossip, being married, and even less about Xiao Jiu's harsh insults, because in her heart, as long as her confidant never despises them, those are not important. After that, she was sure that the ninth brother could not be controlled by the husband, and she was afraid that there would be endless troubles in the future.

When the words "endless future troubles" really played out, but she was powerless to stop, this heart disease became more and more serious, and even Xie Wen passed away three years ago, Xiao Tianrou had a great enlightenment overnight, and gained insight into all kinds of human beings in this world, Love hate joys and sorrows, but that's all.From then on, the door of Rongyuan was closed, and she was like an osmanthus flower that was withered and flourishing freely, and never asked the world's right and wrong...until she saw Xie Wen again.

"He was feigning death to survive and left the imperial capital, and I have also experienced ups and downs of life and death, and I have realized it once." Xiao Tianrou tapped the chessboard lightly, "A hundred years of human beings, there are sorrows and joys, and peace and share, all of which have passed. Well, Mei'er doesn't need to explore these past events, if Xiao Xuanqian still has that kind of virtue, he should be unworthy, or he is still unworthy."

For some reason, the other party's tone was light and gentle, indifferent like smoke, even weak and humble, but hearing it in his ears, Xiao Tianmei's heart tightened for no reason, as if his whole body was being held in her hands.

"Sister," Mei'er said, "You...don't you hate Brother Nine very much? I was raised by Brother Nine and my husband, do you think you don't like me too?"

Xiao Tianrou raised her eyes to look at her, and after a moment of silence, said: "Although I hate him, I know that there is only one person who can hurt him. With Huaiyu's temperament, my ninth younger brother still has countless sufferings and scars. Tired, bloodstained, lingering in pain, a hundred times crueler than me personally revenge and resent him, there is a cause and effect, he bears it himself."

"That……"

"As for the final result." Xiao Tianrou raised his head, his eyes were so soft, but they seemed to pierce into people's hearts, "That's Huaiyu's business, I can't choose for him. The reason why we are friends is that Because between each other, there is always room for choice for each other, this friendship of caring for each other is more precious to me than the love between men and women."

Meier took a breath, a little unable to recover.However, Xiao Tianrou took her hand, pushed open the door, and the two watched the fireworks side by side in the corridor of Rongyuan.Dazzling light rose in the night sky, bursting out a cluster of flowers.Xiao Tianmei looked at her side face, amidst the falling fireworks, Mei'er suddenly shouted: "Sister!"

Xiao Tianrou turned around: "Huh?"

"You must get better! Everything will be fine!"

However, this sentence was submerged in the rising sound of fireworks, Xiao Tianrou didn't hear a word, but smiled at her very gently.

----

At the same time, Luodu Peony Pavilion.

Xiao Xuanqian said he would only stay for two days, and sure enough he would only stay for two days, and he left as promised, but although he left, the letters came like snowflakes, and the carriages and horses sent the letters so slowly, but he kept sending them. They sent someone to bring it over, without even notifying them, and put it by the window below Qingyu Tower.

Xie Wen read some of those letters, but not others.He originally thought that there was a problem with government affairs and military affairs, and asked him to help answer it, but it seemed that it was all pouring out his heart - His Highness Ninth Prince even played with these cute and docile words to impress him with admiration .

After reading the letter, Xie Wen burned it casually to keep the handwriting and prevent it from being leaked.Until a few days before New Year's Eve, news came from the south that the emperor had dealt with several major cases and wiped out the local tycoons who annexed the land. There are countless cases of corruption and bribery, bullying, and harm to people's livelihood. It is impossible to return to the capital for a while, and even the New Year will be delayed in the palace.

Xie Wen didn't care, he kept the golden knife and brought the dagger with him again.The Peony House was just as festive and lively, everywhere was filled with human fireworks. In the evening, I had a meal with Qing Niang and the others, and then returned to the small building, where Shi Shi sat in front of him and Tong Tong to grill fish.

Eleven was unexpectedly not punished, just like the emperor said, he would lose his head if he concealed this matter, but His Majesty never asked.

The charcoal fire crackled, and the clean and tender fish meat was threaded on the skewers, making a sizzling sound on the hot fire.Eleven blew on the baked piece, and handed it to Mr. Xie after the temperature had dropped.

Xie Wen took it, tore off a small piece for Tongtong who was eager to see, and said in a low voice: "Did you turn into a real body just to eat and drink?"

The red-haired girl grabbed his hand, bit the fish meat into her mouth, then licked Xie Wen's thin and fair fingertips, and said with a smile: "Then, am I here to be your daughter?"

Xie Wen said: "Being me is nothing, you should be Xiao Jiu, he prefers you to be his heir."

Tong Tonggang's complacent face quickly changed color, from blue to purple, he ground his teeth and said, "Who wants to be his daughter? Don't put gold on his face, this lunatic is hopeless, he is too sick—"

This is not wrong.After meeting with Xie Wen, the doctor Zhang Ze discussed with the well-known doctor in Luodu for a long time, and finally came to the conclusion that he couldn't be cured, he couldn't be cured, just wait for death.

Although they didn't say that, their expressions clearly meant that.

Seeing Tongtong's depressed expression, Xie Wen couldn't help but smile, and took the letters he had read but hadn't had time to burn from the case, and lit them in the charcoal basin in front of him, the fire was on and off, The flames are soaring, and the heat is rising.

Eleven stared at his hand, that jade-white hand was extraordinarily soft under the light of the fire, hazy, like a condensed fog.He saw His Majesty's handwriting on the letters, each of which was "Designed by Huaiyu". For some reason, when His Majesty's name was written in His Majesty's hands, there was always an unspeakable lingering taste.

It seems that facing these two words, one can also see the heart of the letter writer.

Eleven stared at it for a moment, then suddenly said, "Sir."

Xie Wen looked up.

"What kind of relationship do you have with Your Majesty?" the young man in black asked with a dry throat.

Xie Wen said: "He is my student, he used to be."

"So, is there nothing else?" Eleven asked, "Is there nothing else to do? You...do you have someone you like?"

Xie Wen stared at him silently. If it wasn't for the mask on the face of the dark guard, his sight could penetrate almost everything, making it impossible to hide one's emotions.After a while, Xie Wen said: "There is nothing else."

There has never been a real communication between them.Xiao Xuanqian wished to dig out his heart to show him, but the little emperor's heart was thorny, with darkness and tyranny, and an incurable extreme disease. Xie Wenguang was hurt by it just by touching it, so how dare he take it over? ?The more confused Xiao Xuanqian became, the clearer he became, and the clearer he was able to realize—force and harm, if they can also be topped with the excuse of "admiration", then this is not a gift, but a crime.

Xie Wen only felt that it was a lie that Xiao Xuanqian was looking for for possessiveness, emptiness, and loneliness.

At least three years ago, he didn't love himself at all.

Xie Wen withdrew her gaze, let the flames devour the letter paper in her hand, and added: "But I have someone I like."

Even through the mask, Tongtong, who was eating fish beside him, could see the joy of the young man in black froze on his face.She took out a handkerchief from Xie Wen's side and wiped the corners of her mouth, and muttered softly as if she was watching a show: "Don't like him, Xiao Shishi, he is a sentimental and ruthless person, he has no heart, and he is very kind to everyone."

Xie Wen glanced at her, Tongtong immediately stopped talking and smiled.

"That person," Eleven asked hesitantly, "is Xie Tong's mother?"

Xie Wen was stunned for a moment, his hands were almost burned by the flames, he immediately let go of his fingers, and said helplessly: "No."

"I can't figure it out, sir." Eleven said angrily.

"I can't figure it out either." Xie Wen joked, "I'm good-looking and have a good temper. How could he not like me?"

Eleven nodded again and again, thinking that your standard of being okay is too high.

"He must have bad eyesight." Xie Wen made a final decision and continued to burn the envelope, "If he hadn't seduced me, I wouldn't have..."

Before he finished his words, Eleven's eyes sharpened immediately, and he caught two words with a lot of information: "She seduced you!"

Xie Wen teased him solemnly: "Yeah, that man got me drunk and forced me to have sex with me. He cried afterwards, saying that I would be responsible for him."

Eleven froze, and the expression under the mask was wonderful.

"He put his arms around my waist, insisted on kissing me, and told me that he would serve me all his life, stay by my side, treat me well forever, and listen to me in everything." Xie Wen said slowly, "Look, liar. "

Eleven frowned, his Adam's apple rolled: "How can there be such a person!"

Xie Wen sighed, and lightly added fuel and vinegar: "He not only destroyed my layout and controlled my normal communication, but also rebellious and hateful, hurt my friends, and after relying on me to make a fortune, he turned his face and refused to recognize anyone, and regarded me as his own. object, you want to hold my life in your hands..."

Every one of the list of exterminated powerful officials died in Xiao Xuanqian's hands as promised, and he was the last one.The bright red writing surrounded him, which made him feel terrified, he got away quickly, and let the little emperor get his wish... At that time, he didn't even have the strength to confront him face to face, like a drowning man, without even the last straw. Broken, he really sank—to escape from this battle about life and death, love and hate.

Eleven clenched her clothes tightly, and said in disbelief, "How could she do this?! Why do you love such a person!"

Xie Wen raised his gaze, and the fireworks that jumped up in the brazier kept trembling, and he gave a faint smile: "I didn't know he was sick."

Eleven was stunned.

"I don't know that he is sick, nor that he can't be cured." Xie Wen said, "If I had known that he could not be cured, I would—"

The young man in black and the girl with the red hair rope looked at him with shining eyes, as if they were looking forward to his next words.

Xie Wen stopped suddenly, showing a rare look of loneliness, and whispered to herself: "I won't pity him anymore."

There was a loud sound of fireworks outside the building, and the joyful laughter of the little girls pushing and shoving came into my ears.

In the flickering of the flame that was strong and sometimes weak, and burned out the lovesickness, Xie Wen finally felt that the brazier was too bright, and even his eyes were a little sore.He suddenly thought of Chenghua's 40 years, that New Year's Eve, that snowy night, and the tender companionship every day after that. He thought of the boy who hadn't grown up, took the sword and stood in front of him at the risk of death——

After the sixth prince and Concubine Zhuang were frustrated, they became angry and used some indecent means.The assassin who carried out her order was very skillful, and he picked the time period when the guards were weak. The shining silver blade was pulled out of the sheath. The sudden change was extremely thrilling. He wanted to kill Xiao Jiu, but the primary target was Xie Wen——Mr. Xie does not know martial arts, this is a well-known thing.

That sharp edge is enough to pass through the chest and back of a person, enough to nail a person through.When the guards were more than half dead and injured, and they were helpless, Xiao Xuanqian pulled out the sword from the dead man and held his hand. That young and childish face was covered with gloomy emotions, his eyes were so clear and hot, and the voice of the young Ninth Prince was soft. Dumb, tell him: "Teacher, you will be fine."

It was also this time that Xie Wen finally realized—everyone here is alive, they will have their own plans and changes, they will have extreme and direct conflicts, they will assassinate and assassinate, and they will do everything. A moving and docile pawn.

Xiao Xuanqian stood in front of him, his hand tightly clenched Xie Wen's fingertips, as if he wanted to pass on to him the heat that he could not deliver in his life, the Ninth Prince turned his head and glanced at him, the youthful brows were splashed with blood , ticking down along the end of his eyebrows, he said: "Teacher, have I told you...you can't always treat yourself as an umbrella."

……what?

He didn't understand it at the time, but Xie Wen figured out the meaning of his words after several times of reflection later - you can't always shield others from the wind and rain.

He was too young, imprisoned by the original plot of the book, influenced by the painful shadow of his childhood, his strength was still so weak, such a weak seedling, actually told him, don't shelter from the wind and rain.

Didn't I appear by your side just to protect you from the wind and rain?

Xie Wen stood behind him, the fiery warmth suddenly let go, and the rest was the sound of his body sliding across the blade. Although Xiao Jiu's martial arts are not very strong at the moment, he naturally has a madness, falling on his body His injury seemed to be painless, his madness frightened everyone, the blood that flowed that night gushed out from the end of the alley, and the last assassin fell, in this narrow path that could not escape, only Xiao Xuanqian stand in front of him.

The guard died of exhaustion in the battle, and the assassin killed himself loyally.Everything is so extreme and cruel, with the Xiao family's inborn never looking back.The same is true for Xiao Xuanqian, he held the sword with one hand, his tiger's mouth was shattered, and his eyes were still like stars.

And when that line of sight shifted over, the blood-smeared long sword immediately turned around and stabbed straight at Xie Wen's shoulder—raised slightly, brushed Xie Wen's clothes, and lifted the teacher who stood up behind him and attacked him. The assassin pierced the throat.

After the final blow, the sword was released instantly, and Xiao Xuanqian also fell into Xie Wen's arms.He hugged his teacher, breathing hot breath, at the moment when he was seriously injured and life and death were uncertain, Xiao Jiu grabbed his clothes and didn't let go for a long time.

His blood was printed on the green shirt.

When Xie Wen hugged him and knocked on the door of the old doctor's mansion again, through a dim lantern, the old doctor shook his head and said that His Highness Jiu was injured more seriously than last time, and that he might not be able to wake up, please Mr. Xie Inform Your Majesty immediately.He even tactfully told the other party that it is better to prepare for the funeral.

Xie Wen sat not far away, staring blankly at the faded and blood-stained clothes under the lamplight, and suddenly said: "I can wake up."

I must wake up.

The author has something to say: Look, this is a little liar who is willing to die for you.

Yesterday I saw someone talking about the fine jade bead necklace, which is actually the one on the cover.After the new version of the app is updated, click on the cover to view the big picture, and the pine and cypress hosta next to it is also mentioned in the article.