Qi Huang

There are several more layers of guards outside the Yuhua Hall where the Tenth Prince lives.If someone asked, the guards just shook their heads, not knowing who they were defending.But if someone sees Xie Xuan, even if he just passes by the gate of Yuhua Palace, he will feel like facing a formidable enemy.

It was the day Xie Xuan had just finished school, and wanted to take the opportunity to enter the hall to coax the Tenth Prince, seeing this posture, he immediately turned around and followed the way he came back.

If you are angry, let him be angry.Xie Xuan went back and forth several times, exhausted his patience, and wanted to love someone.

Although he had won the limelight of the Tenth Prince that day and gained the approval of the Empress Dowager, his situation had not changed much.Among the many princes, the tenth prince is the most favored on the surface.

Just now after coming down to court, when the Empress Dowager was discussing matters with the courtiers, she was still accompanied by the Tenth Prince, and Xie Xuan didn't even touch the threshold.

This made Xie Xuan look like an abandoned son who tried his best to fight for favor, but finally lost in embarrassment.

This was also expected by Xie Xuan.

Because there is still a need for fire - that dark fire needs to shake the queen mother's mind, and make her feel that it is far better to support a smart and courageous prince than to support a foolish and loyal person like the tenth prince.

He left Yuhua Palace, walking slowly and aimlessly.

The wind inside the palace wall is quiet, and an unknown bird sings in my ears.Although he has been the lord of the country for ten years, he has never walked this land so leisurely.In the short ten years of his life, there are few peaceful moments, but now the spring breeze is warm and the sun is just right, Xie Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly, showing a somewhat contented expression.

This fire... Who will fill it?

He was thinking so leisurely, completely unaware that he had lost his way and wandered slowly outside the emperor's bedroom.

After more than half a month of careful treatment, the emperor's menacing illness quickly recovered.The imperial doctor said that he should not rest too much, and he should take advantage of the good spring time to walk around.

He and Concubine Shu were having tea at the water pavilion not far from the bedroom, when he raised his eyes, he saw Xie Xuan through the semicircular cave door.Although they were far away, but the sun was high at that time, Xie Xuan was wearing a bluish-white embroidered robe, which was very dazzling.

"Is that Xing Lan?" The emperor snorted, "Where are you going after you stumble?"

The old eunuch Dequan beside him also glanced at him, and said with a chuckle, "I'm afraid I lost my way for fun, is Your Majesty going to call someone over?"

The emperor said nothing, just lowered his head and swiped the tea in his cup.

That's what it means by default.

Their majesty is very fragile when he is sick, but if he is conscious, the feeling of oppression on his body is exactly the same as that of the empress dowager.Dequan was used to observing words and expressions, so he went out immediately and personally brought Xie Xuan into the water pavilion.

Xie Xuan was dressed brightly today, and under the sunlight, his lips were red and his teeth were white, and his eyes were black and bright, even Dequan felt happy when he saw it.

It was originally a good thing to meet the Holy Majesty.The emperor was seriously ill that day, didn't many princes also blush and have thick necks because of the battle for the title of serving in the palace?But today, being able to meet with the emperor in private, Xie Xuan showed no interest on the contrary, and even performed the ceremony of kneeling and worshiping extremely perfunctorily.

This made Dequan suspicious, and the emperor was no exception.

"What? You don't want to see me?" The emperor looked at his youngest son carefully and said with a smile.

Xie Xuan lowered his eyebrows: "I dare not."

"I look at you as if you are unhappy, your mouth is pouted to the sky. If you really don't want to see me, then leave quickly."

The emperor waved his hand, with a little impatience on his face.Unexpectedly, after finishing a sentence, when she inadvertently raised her eyes, she caught a glimpse of redness from the corner of Xie Xuan's eyes.The emperor was taken aback, showing a trace of helplessness: "...why are you crying?"

Xie Xuan shielded his face indiscriminately, but he couldn't stop the choked sobs leaking from between his teeth: "Father, how can I remember Xinglan! Father has so many little princes, how dare one or two unknown people bother Father to remember?" !"

The voice of his words is not too loud.In order to avoid suspicion, Concubine Shu sat behind the water pavilion and poured tea for the emperor, but when she heard this, she raised her eyes to look in Xie Xuan's direction in surprise—why is Xie Shisan so bold?Dare to speak to His Majesty in this tone?

But the emperor raised his eyebrows in an instant.

Holding the teacup in one hand and the bottom of the cup with the other, he laughed until his chest hummed, Dequan beside him also reacted, and couldn't help laughing.

"He is angry with me." The emperor turned his head and pointed at Xie Xuan with red eyes, "Dequan, look at how narrow-minded he is. I just casually joked, and he has remembered it till now."

Dequan echoed with a smile: "His Thirteenth Highness has a sincere temperament, it's hard to have a pure heart. Your Majesty, you said 'I don't remember' at the family banquet that day, I'm afraid it will hurt your Highness's heart."

Laughing enough, at the end the emperor let out a long sigh.He raised his hand to put the teacup on the table, pushed it out, and the bottom of the cup drew a transparent water mark on the stone table.

Dequan understood it wholeheartedly, and immediately sent the little eunuch to pack it up, then walked to Concubine Shu's side, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I will take you back to the palace."

Concubine Shu nodded, looked back at the emperor, and left obediently.

The palace servants left in twos and threes, leaving only Xie Xuan and the emperor in the huge courtyard.

The stone seats for people to rest are placed under the water pavilion and in the shade. In order to make the emperor more comfortable on weekdays, Dequan taught people to remodel all the seats. Now the emperor is half leaning on the bench enough to accommodate three people. In the middle, a loose bright yellow robe, the breeze is blowing slowly, and the water is calm.

The emperor patted the limp beside him: "Come here."

"..." Xie Xuan paused, but followed the emperor's wishes.

In addition to the scent of flowers in the courtyard, and the smell of the sachet he carried around his waist all year round, it was the strong smell of medicine on the emperor's body.The closer you get, the stronger the medicinal smell becomes.As soon as Xie Xuan approached, he heard him say: "I knew you were smart a long time ago."

Xie Xuan didn't stop moving, and calmly sat down beside the emperor: "Father, the emperor is absurd."

"Isn't it ridiculous?" said the emperor, "A few years ago, if you hadn't made up your mind to kill those two eunuchs, you would have starved to death in the cold palace by now. Xinglan, you are not only smart, but also bold."

"..." Xie Xuan remained silent.

The emperor seemed to think of something interesting, and suddenly he was amused: "And just now, that crying and weeping look looks pretty good."

"That's my son's sincerity."

"Oh?" The emperor squinted, "How much?"

"……very."

The emperor laughed again.

In recent years, due to illness and the hardships of being confined in a cage, the emperor has not smiled sincerely for a long time.He looked back at Xie Xuan, only to realize later that the youngest son he had tried his best to protect had grown almost as tall as him.

"Since you are smart, you know why I say I don't know you." The emperor's eyes fell on Xie Xuan's temples, showing his kindness.

Xie Xuan naturally knew.

Otherwise, at the family banquet that day, he would not have sneered at what the tenth prince said, "Father loves me very much".

The love of the puppet emperor is tantamount to drinking poison to the prince.The hand that manipulates the puppet's string behind the back cannot tolerate a second pair.The Empress Dowager's eyes will stare at everyone who seems to have a change, and if there is any mistake, the sickle in her hand will fall.

In other words, she must ensure that the emperor is always isolated and helpless.

The emperor is a tool, and so is the prince.

Xie Xuan lowered his eyes.

"You are smart..." the emperor continued, and he seemed to sigh helplessly, "And why did you come into my bedroom on the day I was seriously ill?"

If you want to take advantage of the Empress Dowager's power to eradicate the rebels, behead treacherous officials, and earn money, you will inevitably be restricted by the Empress Dowager. Smart people know how to protect themselves, but Xie Xuan is doomed to a road of no return. .

"Originally, you could live a lifetime of peace. If you are lucky, you can be granted titles and titles..."

"If you're unlucky, wouldn't your life be hopeless from now on?" Xie Xuan seemed quite naive, her eyes were moist from crying just now, and her pupils became clearer, "Father is also a smart man, why can't he just fight?" fight?"

The emperor was slightly taken aback.

In the garden full of spring, Xie Xuan stood up, behind him was the silhouette of illusory flowers.

"Besides, father, didn't you say that I am bold?"

The author says:

Collect starfish, collect unwanted starfish