A cold dream is not a dream come true

At the end of October in the fifth year of Yong'an, I returned to Luoyang City in Pingyang Kingdom from Puchakeqi Town in the Great Southern Kingdom, and met Prince Xi.Prince Xi put me under house arrest in Prince Xi's mansion on the grounds that Concubine Li wanted to harm me.

In the blink of an eye, it's November, and the weather is starting to get colder.Prince Xi seldom returns to the mansion, and he is very indifferent to me, so the mansion's cotton coats and charcoal are not fully prepared.The new maids are very young, they are not as thoughtful as they are, and they don't like me very much.Seeing that it was going to be three or nine days, and I didn't even have a cotton coat to keep out the cold, my face became paler and paler.

At noon that day, Prince Xi, who hadn't returned to the mansion for a long time, suddenly came back to the mansion and came straight to my room.

Prince Xi pushed open the door and entered, and put the cotton coat in his arms in front of me.Then Su Cui moved a burning charcoal stove into the house, and the room immediately became warmer.

Although the chill in the body has been dispelled, the pain in the mind cannot be erased.I no longer have any illusions about Prince Xi who put me under house arrest for several days.

Prince Xi said straight to the point: "Chuhan, Concubine Li and all the concubines went to the Xiangyu Temple outside the city to pray for blessings today. Miss Huang wants to call you into the palace while Concubine Li is away."

Hearing this, I smiled wryly in my heart.It turned out that Prince Xi wanted to order me to see the emperor, so he brought the cotton-padded clothes and charcoal stove.I had no choice but to force a smile, took the padded coat, and thanked Prince Xi.

The cotton padded jacket that Prince Xi sent was scarlet red, with noble peonies embroidered on the silk and satin, which looked very festive on me.The new maids are all young women who are very knowledgeable about dressing up. They put on a high bun and a delicate makeup for me.I put the blood hairpin that Prince Xi gave me in my hair, put on a fake smile in front of the bronze mirror, and walked out of the mansion proudly.

Prince Xi has been waiting outside the mansion for a long time, when he saw me coming out, he immediately stepped forward to greet me.But when she looked up and saw my outfit, she couldn't help being taken aback, but then turned around and boarded the carriage, ignoring me.

I boarded the carriage and sat opposite Prince Xi, I was silent all the way, and arrived at the palace hall not long after.After getting off the carriage, Prince Xi signaled me to enter the palace alone.

I smiled wryly in my heart. Ten months ago, the Empress and Prince Xi had a disagreement over competing for me. Ten months later, Prince Xi actually delivered me to the emperor himself.Suddenly, I feel that I am just a woman playing with each other among the royal family and nobles, and I don't care about dignity and will.

A kind-hearted nun took me to the emperor's bedroom and left. I had to push the door and enter by myself.This is the first time I have seen the emperor's bedroom. Although the space is not large, the decoration is very luxurious.There is a gorgeous dragon bed in the deepest part of the bedroom. I took a closer look and found the frail empress lying on the bed.Although the empress had her eyes closed, the heroic aura emanating from her shocked my senses. I shuddered all over and knelt down involuntarily.

Probably the sound of kneeling woke up the empress, and the empress suddenly opened her eyes.When I saw this, I immediately kowtowed and begged: "The emperor spares his life, the women didn't mean to wake the emperor up."

The empress waved her hand, sat up reluctantly, and showed a weak smile: "Princess Xi, please, I invited you here today, not for you to apologize."

On weekdays, Prince Li Xi calls me "Chu Han", and everyone in the house, big and small, calls me "Prince Meng".The empress called me "Princess Xi" today, and it seems that she didn't mean to offend me.

"Yes." I stood up respectfully and stood aside waiting for the emperor to speak.

The emperor didn't say anything, but looked me over from head to toe, nodding and shaking his head from time to time.After a long time, she finally opened her mouth: "A few months ago, I was reckless, but Princess Xi is really like an old friend of mine."

Hearing the empress's tone, I knew she was going to recall her youth, so I followed the empress's intentions and asked cautiously, "What kind of old friend is it?"

The empress fell into deep thought, and after a long time she slowly said: "It was more than 20 years ago. At that time, I was not the emperor, but the second daughter of King Dongsheng. Later, my father led a large number of people from Dongsheng On the way to Chaluo City, I passed the old man I met in Linping Mountain."

Although I was not born at that time, my grandmother mentioned the incident more than 20 years ago, and I knew it more or less.In the first month of the third year of Yongxing, Dongsheng King Su Ping led his children to rebel, fighting from the north to the south, finally annihilating the Yang Kingdom and establishing the Pingyang Kingdom.Although I know that Linping Mountain is the mountain range of our Mengzhou, I have never heard of the town of Chaluo City, so I can't help but feel a little puzzled.

The empress probably also guessed my doubts, and explained with a smile: "Chaluo City was the capital of the previous dynasty, and the father proclaimed himself emperor and made Luoyang the capital, so he abolished Chaluo City."

I nodded my head to express my understanding, and signaled the emperor to continue.

"On the fifth day of May of that year, I led hundreds of people to fight the enemy to the end, but was cornered on Linping Mountain. I jumped into the cliff. I told her my identity, but she was very kind-hearted, not only took care of me for a few days, but also supported my idea of ​​destroying the sun. Afterwards, my injuries were completely healed, and I left her. Before breaking up, We agreed that five years later, on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, we would meet again in Linping Mountain, and if I were still alive at that time, I would take her into the palace and share the splendor and wealth with me."

I thought about it carefully, and the women in the palace did not have older concubines. It seems that the empress did not receive her later, so I asked curiously: "What happened later?"

The empress sighed: "I became the crown prince and was forced to marry by my father. On that day five years later, I was pregnant with Yu'er, and I forgot the five-year agreement..."

It turns out that the female emperor will also be forced to marry.I nodded, waiting for the emperor's next words.

The empress looked a little sad, and she recalled in a low voice: "After Yu'er was born, I became busy, but I never forgot her. It wasn't until a few years ago that I was free and heard about her from others." News that she has passed away."

Hearing this, I feel very sad in my heart.It turns out that the female emperor still has such a story, it is said that the emperor has the supreme power, but if the emperor loses the most important things, he will be lonely in the end.

"If she had married someone back then and had children, the children would be around the same age as you now." The empress looked at me and said with a faint smile, "But Princess Xi is really similar to her."

"Thank you, Emperor, for your compliment." I thanked with a wry smile.It seems that the Empress wanted to take me into her harem ten months ago, but she just regarded me as a substitute for the old person whom the Empress met more than 20 years ago.

After a word of thanks, the emperor's bedroom suddenly became quiet.I wanted to ask the emperor about Concubine Li, but I didn't ask the question after thinking for a long time.Concubine Li is now a celebrity around the emperor, if I say a wrong word, I will be punished more severely than ten months ago.After thinking about it, he gave up the idea.

Time passed by bit by bit, and the silence in the bedroom was suffocating.The empress sat there without making a sound for a long time, and she didn't know what she was thinking about.

Suddenly, the empress moved her body and said softly: "It's getting late, the concubines are going back to the palace."

When I heard the empress order to evict the guests, I immediately felt unprecedented relief and got up to leave.

When I came out of the palace, I kept thinking about the empress' intention to invite me into the palace this time.Just simply tell me that my appearance is similar to that old man?It seems that things are not that simple.

When I was thinking, I suddenly saw an imperial doctor standing at the door, looking furtively into the bedroom.Seeing this scene, I was afraid that I would get into trouble, so I stepped up and walked out.Unexpectedly, as soon as he took a step, he was stopped by the sneaky imperial doctor.

"Madam, may I ask if all the concubines have returned to the palace?"

This voice is somewhat familiar, but I can't remember it for a while.I raised my head and took a closer look at the imperial physician, and suddenly felt that he looked familiar.

Seeing that I hadn't answered for a long time, the old doctor looked up at me strangely, pointed at me suddenly and said in surprise, "Could it be that Madam is the Madam of Chang'an City?"

The lady of Chang'an City?I squinted my eyes and thought about it carefully, and it suddenly occurred to me that the person in front of me was Wu Zheng, the imperial physician I met during the epidemic in Chang'an.A few days ago, I heard from Su Zimo that Wu Zheng was appointed as the Imperial Physician because of his great achievements, but because Concubine Li didn't allow others to get close to the emperor, he kept checking the emperor's body secretly.

"Doctor Wu?" I asked tentatively.

"It's the old minister!"

I looked around and said in a low voice: "Doctor Wu, this place is not suitable for conversation, let's take a step to talk."

Doctor Wu and I came to a safe place and had a general conversation.It turned out that Wu Taiyi had been secretly investigating the emperor's diet, and recently found strange ingredients in the emperor's tea.When he knew that I was the current Princess Xi, he immediately showed a worried expression, and told me that if I encountered special circumstances, I could go to the Imperial Hospital to find him.

After bidding farewell to Physician Wu, I left the palace.It was already late at this time, and Prince Xi's carriage did not leave.I boarded the carriage lightly and found that Prince Xi was sleeping on the seat.

The carriage swayed and drove, but Prince Xi was not awakened. It seemed that Prince Xi was really exhausted these days.I looked at her pale face in the setting sun, but there was still no trace of blood, and my heart began to tingle.No matter how she treats me, I still can't lie to my feelings.Even if I am hated and rejected by her, I still want to stay by her side, look at her, and love her.

I stretched out my right hand and stroked her cheek slowly, only feeling that her thin face was so cold that there was no warmth at all.Many images of being with her flashed through my mind, and tears flowed out uncontrollably.

Suddenly, Prince Xi grabbed the hand that was stroking her cheek, and without opening her eyes, she asked in a low voice, "Why are you crying?"

I was taken aback by Prince Xi's actions, and wanted to withdraw my right hand to wipe away my tears, but Prince Xi grabbed it hard and couldn't withdraw it.

"My lord..." I begged in horror.

Prince Xi didn't speak, she opened her eyes and stared into my eyes, I trembled from her eyes staring at me.After a long time, she approached me and printed a light kiss on my forehead.

I was so overwhelmed by Prince Hee's actions that I was so nervous that I didn't know what to say.

At this moment, the carriage stopped, and the groom reminded that Prince Xi's mansion had arrived.Prince Xi didn't say anything, turned around and got off the carriage.