Huaibi

Memories are pleasing, Ping Huaizhen caressed the picture scroll with his fingertips, and the corners of his lips evoked some long-lost smiles.

At that time, I thought about cherishing this painting, but now I revisit the old things, and I suddenly realize that it has been so long.

This scribbled painting is immature, but in Ping Huaizhen's heart, it is priceless.Fortunately, even though he was young at that time, he knew how to cherish it, so he didn't throw away the drawing paper, but put it in a sandalwood box, so that the scroll would not be damaged all year round, and it was also stained with pleasant sandalwood.

There was a soft knock from the carved wooden door of the imperial study, Eunuch Jiang stopped outside the curtain, and bowed to ask: "Your Majesty, the jasmine sprouts, the people in the imperial dining room picked some of the tenderest flower buds, and made the first dish of jasmine cake this summer. Would you like to try it?"

Hearing the words, Ping Huaizhen raised his head, looking for his reputation, he looked towards the curtain, not in a hurry to answer his words, and ordered: "Please come to the palace, Mr. Li, and tell him that I have something to say to him."

"When he comes, bring the Jasmine Cake."

"Hey, I'm going now, slave." Eunuch Jiang was clear in his heart, he didn't need to ask which Master Li it was, he left the room, and ordered Li Qingjue to come out of the palace immediately.

It took about half an hour before Li Qingjue came late, covered in official uniforms, presumably the reason for the delay was to change clothes.

Recently, Li Qingjue's face-to-face has always been rigorous and decent, with nothing to spare. Ping Huaizhen knew that he was definitely not in awe of restraint, but deliberately put alienation on his face in order to get angry with him.

"Wei Chen..."

"Qingjue, come here."

Before saluting, Ping Huaizhen had already interrupted him, all the grievances seemed to be nothing, and he called him to come closer with a smile in his eyes.

Li Qingjue was stunned for a moment, and from his words and deeds to the side of the desk, he saw that the table was covered with pure white rice paper, and Ping Huaizhen was just pouring the first ink, fainting out of the lush old trees, flowing clouds and flowing water, pen and ink in a horizontal posture, and then handed over the pen.He took it in his hand, and for some reason sporadic old scenes emerged in his mind, and he drew the outline of the bank of the idle bridge, and the expression on his face became more and more stunned, as if he had remembered something.

Waiting to stop, Ping Huaizhen took out the brush again, and the rest of the scroll was completed in one go, with vivid children leaping onto the paper.Li Qingjue found it very familiar, and saw that he took the old scroll from the side and unfolded it. Compared with each other, they were so similar.

The ink of the new painting is still wet, and the painting technique is exquisite, and the view of the pool in the imperial garden is almost unreal; the ink marks of the old painting have been traced for many years, and the brushstrokes are immature, which contrasts with the childlike fun beyond words.

Ping Huaizhen wrote a few words vigorously in a corner of the new painting: Nian and Jinyi fell into the water.

As the dream opened, Li Qingjue's frost disintegrated, his expression became loose, and he stared at the picture scroll for a long time with complex emotions in his eyes.

At an unknown time, a human voice came from outside the curtain: "Your Majesty, Moxiang Cake is here from the Imperial Dining Room."

Ping Huai allowed people to enter, and the maid followed the sound and raised the curtain, put the white jade dish with delicate snacks and clear water under it, and walked away.He went to the window to wash his hands with clear water, returned to the table, picked up a small piece of pastry and brought it to Li Qingjue's mouth.

"Eunuch Jiang said just now that this is the first dish of Jasmine Cake in summer. Come and taste it."

Li Qingjue couldn't refuse it, so he ate it with his hand, and a sweet scent came over his face, and he asked again: "Is it sweeter than peach blossom candy?"

Having not tasted peach blossom candy for many years, Li Qingjue almost forgot what it tasted like, but still shook his head: "Peach blossom candy is sweeter."

Hearing the words, Ping Huaizhen raised his hand to wipe the crumbs of pastry from his lips with his fingertips, did not ask any further questions, but just looked at him, his gaze made him nowhere to hide, and unexpectedly took half a step back.

Ping Huaizhen bullied her forward, and suddenly changed to a coercive title: "I repeat, there will be no one in my harem. If you still insist on your own opinion and insist on me being the queen, I will make you alone."

Li Qingjue bowed his head and stepped back, Ping Huaizhen reached out his hand in time to stop him, clasping his palms tightly around his waist, even though he didn't want to listen anymore, he still said all the thoughts in his heart: "Qingjue, you want me not to ask for a harem but only for someone of my heart , or marry a male queen, tell the world, you choose yourself."

Li Qingjue listened in vain, his chest couldn't help jumping, he seemed to be suffocated in his lungs, his eyes were red, he looked up at him after a while, and asked himself mockingly: "Is there a choice?"

"I'm not forcing you."

"Then if it is chosen by the emperor, can you choose a minister to be a sycophant for a lifetime?"

Ping Huaizhen was extremely helpless, and sighed softly: "I shouldn't choose you as a courtier, I should choose a good place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and hide you so that no one can see it. I can't hear you say anything."

Li Qingjue was speechless, he smiled wryly in his heart and thought to himself, then this sycophant's hat will be pinned on him for the rest of his life.

Forget it, as long as he was bathed in blood, he would never be a good person for the rest of his life.That being the case, so what about being a courtier for another life, after all, there is no difference, it should be the retribution of going to Shura for decades.If it is rare for Ping Huaizhen to die well, then he will taste the evil fruit together, and fall into purgatory together with him.

"Qingjue, answer me."

Li Qingjue closed his eyes and nodded: "Okay, I won't mention it again."

Ping Huaizhen let out a long breath slowly, embraced him for a long time, and kissed him lightly on the brow.

After a ten-year stalemate, the matter of establishing the future will finally melt away.

Li Qingjue kept his promise, no matter how eager the courtiers were, he would no longer put any pressure on Ping Huaizhen. Walking in the courtyard, reading and writing.

There were some courtiers in the court who were unwilling to let go, and Ping Huaizhen caught one at random, and fined him half a year's salary mercilessly. Although it was not harsh, it served as an example to others, and finally made all the courtiers shut up and never talk about the emperor's private affairs. .

At the beginning of the pure moon, everything is crisp and verdant.

The weather is getting warmer day by day, Li Qingjue placed a bamboo couch in the courtyard, lying on it can comfortably rest for a long time under the warm sun.But today he didn't wake up, he fell asleep until the moon rose in Xushi, Ping Huaizhen went out of the palace every time, and when he entered his dormitory, he saw such a scene at a glance.

Cicadas and insects were chirping, Ping Huaizhen stepped forward with light steps, slowly sat beside him, took off his light coat to cover him from the wind.There was a slight sound on the bamboo couch, and Li Qingjue turned his head to the side without waking up.

All the servants in the courtyard had been dispatched, and the tender leaves were falling down with the wind. Ping Huaizhen stretched out his hand to cover Li Qingjue's face, caught half of the leaf, rubbed it, and felt extremely soft between his fingers.

After accompanying him so considerately for a while, Li Qingjue finally woke up with his eyes moving slightly.

Ping Huaizhen stretched out her hand to caress the side of his face, listening to him still sleepy, she closed her eyes and asked, "What time is it?"

"It's half past Xu."

Li Qingjue sat up and raised his eyes to look at the moon belatedly: "I slept for a long time."

"Have you had dinner yet?"

Li Qingjue nodded when he heard the words, Ping Huaizhen was secretly relieved, thinking that it would be rare for him to have a good rest on the day of his bath.

"I just had a long dream."

"Dream what?"

Li Qingjue recalled with vacant eyes: "The prosperous world is peaceful."

"That's all?"

"'Just that'?" Li Qingjue shook his head, "Your Majesty thinks it's easy to keep peace forever?"

"It's not easy," Ping Huaizhen promised with a smile, "but it will definitely come true."

Li Qingjue smiled slightly after hearing this, and his eyes were serious: "Chen Xin, what I want is for the king to be safe and peaceful, and the mountains and rivers will last forever."

Ping Huaizhen's heart was moved, and he still had something to say when he came to find him tonight, so he took this opportunity to ask: "What I want is not only the eternal existence of mountains and rivers, but also your long-term companion... Qingjue, if there is a The day I have something to do, dare to let go of this country and people, are you willing to go to ordinary people's homes with me and spend the rest of your life?"

Li Qingjue pursed his lips tightly, the expression in his eyes instantly darkened like a night lake, he almost thought that the person in front of him had seen through his dream just now.

Talking about prosperity and peace, it's just a kind word from him.What he dreamed about was nothing grand and grand, just two or three rooms in the courtyard, the lungs filled with coarse tea, and a couple of people.

But now that it's not easy to get pregnant in this world, and there is no child or daughter under her knees, who can she let go of with peace of mind?

Li Qingjue didn't dare to answer.

Ping Huaizhen did not lose her patience, she seemed to be able to guess the worries in his heart, took his hand to comfort him and said: "Don't think too much."

Li Qingjue heard the three characters of gentleness, so he said with all his heart, "How could I not want to?"

"Okay," Ping Huaizhen smiled lightly, and put his hand between his eyebrows, "I'm here today to tell you something..."

Li Qingjue expected that what he said must be extraordinary, leaning over to listen to his whisper, hearing mixed feelings, surprise and shock, his chest felt like a drum beating.

I don't know what to feel for a while, but the prospect in front of me is illusory, and the memories are flooding, as if I was in many years ago...