The second story of the ancient sword II

Lin Hua thanked the spring red, too hastily, the flowing clouds sing lightly, and the scene is like a white horse passing by.The vines are lush and green, and the winding vines hold up a big green umbrella, and the newly produced green seeds are like round emerald beads.The morning glow lays down, and the dewdrops on the grape bunches shine brilliantly.A small wind blew and brought the sour fruit fragrance, Ah Ruan finally couldn't bear the greed, stood on tiptoe, supported the vine with one hand, and stretched out his arm to grab the green fruit with the other.

"Meow——" Ah Li rushed over quickly, patted Ah Ruan's calf with his fluffy and huge tail, with a serious expression on his face.It seems to say that you are inconvenient, so don't climb up and down.

"Hahaha..." The fluffy tail tickled A Ruan's calf for a while: "Okay, I won't scratch. But I really want to try it." A Ruan lowered his arm and touched it habitually. own belly.

"Meow..." Ah Li jumped up, hooking his claws straight into the cracks in the tree, trying to climb up to pick a bunch for Ah Ruan.Nai He hadn't gone foraging in the wild for a long time, he was fat and struggling a bit, turned his head and blinked at A Ruan, feeling quite helpless.

"Ah Ruan." The shoulders tightened suddenly, and Yi Ze came from behind after practicing the sword: "You, you are inconvenient, and you are so naughty. Those are immature, and the taste is not good."

"...But..." Ah Ruan still stared at the strings of green on the treetop unwillingly.

"Whoosh—" The sword light flashed, and a bunch of small grapes fell steadily into Yi Ze's palm: "Eat it, don't regret it."

"Yeah, no." Ah Ruan carefully peeled off one and put it in his mouth. Before he could swallow it, his eyes were already squeezed into small slits: "Sour, sour, sour...but Yi will pick it... ...Mmm, delicious!"

"Alas..." Yi Ze couldn't help sighing softly, a knot tightly tangled in his heart.During sword practice in the morning, a feathered arrow bound with letterheads passed obliquely through his side and stuck on a tree trunk beside him. "It is better to choose a concubine in front of the palace, Confucian girl, if not, the dew grass will show the world..." Yi Ze kept circling this sentence in his mind, thinking about it, like a vicious curse net binding his heart.But when he looked at Ah Ruan's ethereal and pure face, he couldn't bear to vent all his anger, couldn't bear her worry and sadness.Heh... do you really want to do this?If not...then...

"Yi Ze, Yi Ze." Ah Ruan waved his hand in front of him.

"Huh?" Yi Ze came back to his senses, a small green grape was close at hand.

"Come, eat one. What are you thinking about, so preoccupied?" A Ruan quickly stuffed the grape into his mouth when he just realized it.

"I didn't think about anything... let's go back." Yi Ze lightly embraced Ah Ruan's shoulder, biting the grape in his mouth, the sour taste turned into bitterness...

Walking to the main hall, you can see that the prince is already waiting in the hall. When he sees A Ruan and Yi, he immediately salutes respectfully, and then reads the decree: "The Emperor Xuan San Highness enters the palace to discuss matters. In addition, I will bring Concubine Ruan to the family banquet. "

"Yize, should I go too?" A Ruan twisted his fingers, his big eyes filled with anxiety.

"Since it's called, let's go together." Yi Ze patted Ah Ruan's head, and summoned the maid to dress her up.

Even though it was morning, the inner hall of Tai Chi Palace was still dark and unclear. Emperor Sheng Yuan was dressed in a loose dragon robe and stood in front of the window full of thoughts.Plum Blossom and Long Pei, the love is equal... I still remember that this is a love poem you wrote to me.Time flies so fast, and now our son has reached the age of marriage and is about to have a child of his own.Heh... Hongshan, I'm also a little tired... When I was seriously ill last year, if I let go, it would be considered a blessing not to ask, because I can no longer see all kinds of disputes when I close my eyes.But I can't let go...

Emperor Sheng Yuan paced to the side of the bed, groping under the pillow, but there was nothing under the pillow: "Ahem, cough... Hongshan, why is the silk handkerchief you left for me missing? Forget it, look. It’s okay if you don’t see it, you won’t think about it if you don’t see it, and you won’t be sad if you don’t think about it... The deadline is approaching, and I have to be cruel... This situation still has to go on. When I meet you at that time, I will let you go You blame me..."

"Your Majesty, it's almost time, you should change quickly. What are you... looking for?" Concubine De walked in, and the maid next to her was holding a brand new dragon robe.

"Oh, it's Concubine Ai, I didn't find anything. Get ready." Emperor Shengyuan stood up, spread his arms, and let Gong'e and Concubine De take care of his clothes.

"Concubine...Actually, alas..." Concubine De hesitated to speak.

"I know what you want to say, but it's better for Yi."

The glare of the sun pierced through the clouds and hit the ground. Ah Ruan was wearing a heavy palace attire, and it was a bit difficult to walk.As soon as they arrived at the Tai Chi Hall, they saw the female officer of the Shangyi Bureau waiting at the door, and when they saw A Ruan and Yi Ze greeted gracefully: "This year's Silkworm Prosperity Ceremony①, Concubine Ruan did not participate. My daughter-in-law, I still have to go to worship the silkworm king ②, so as to bless my Tang Dynasty with good weather."

"Huh? It must be very interesting to pay homage to the Silkworm King. I remember Shen Nong in the past..." Ah Ruan was about to talk about things in ancient times, but Yi hurried over to interrupt.

"The concubine is in poor health, and there may be a collision in worshiping the silkworm king."

"This is the responsibility of the royal family members. All dynasties and dynasties, all wives must not be disobeyed." Behind the female officer, the concubine De Fei came out of the inner hall, her regular steps were steady and powerful, and a few strands of silver were mixed in her neat hair. , simple golden hairpins are on the left and right, and the weather-stained face reveals a bit of majesty.

"My son and Concubine Ruan have met Concubine De." Yi Ze gave her a brief salute.When I was a child, I often went to play in the palace of the concubine De, so she got along very well with the concubine mother.

"Yan'er, I haven't seen you for many days. I heard that you have suffered so much... Your princess and sister are married far away, and you have never come back to see them off. Sigh... I can't help you with your mother and concubine. What's the matter..." Concubine De's eyes showed some sadness.

"Empress Concubine De, don't worry, you also need to take care of your health."

"This, is Concubine Ruan? It really is Yi Li Wushuang. Let her go with me, Yan'er, what are you worried about? Later, I will go to the family banquet with her."

"My son..." Yi Ze hesitated for a moment, then looked back at A Ruan: "Go, just follow Empress Defei, don't go to other places."

"Yeah, I like Empress Defei very much too." Ah Ruan smiled sweetly at Yi Ze.

Seeing Ah Ruan's disappearing figure, Yi Ze felt inexplicably uneasy.Entering the hall, one can see that besides civil and military officials, there are also ladies from various prefectures in palace attire.Dazzling gauze, satin and silk, complicated hairpin swings, blushing face, drooping head, pretending to be shy... Seeing these, Yi Ze suddenly understood something in his heart.As soon as they settled down, they could see that the ceremony officials at all levels had already stood in the hall.Emperor Shengyuan walked slowly to the front of the hall, signaled the eunuch to read out the will, and presented a jade tablet in front of Yi Ze.

Choose concubine? !It came so fast... It seems that every move of the royal family is in the eyes of that person, I am the light, the enemy is the dark...

Yi took the jade token and put it in his palm, his clenched fists almost crushed the jade token!There are many beauties among the ladies in various prefectures, but none of them attract Yi Ze's attention, and all of them are artificial.His eyes swept over the other women, but only stayed on Kong Miaozhu, the daughter of the Minister of War.

Yi Ze whispered a few words in his father-in-law's ear, and handed the jade tablet to Kong Miaozhu's hand.Kong Miaozhu looked at Yi Ze, his eyes were full of light, as if in a dream, he felt his body became light, and he couldn't even hear the congratulations of the people around him clearly.

"Okay, that's very good." Emperor Shengyuan said: "Yi Ze has already canonized your wife as a side concubine earlier, and now the daughter of Shangshu..." Emperor Shengyuan suddenly paused at this point, thinking for a while.Yi Ze has been hurt so deeply by me. As a father, I always put Li Tang Jiangshan's safety first. Now it is not easy for him to accept the choice of concubine. Should I take a step back?

After thinking for a while, Emperor Sheng Yuan's voice finally sounded from the silent hall: "Then let's also be made a side concubine. We will discuss about the marriage ceremony and the main concubine later."

Kong Miaozhu who was at the side just heard the first half of the sentence, he was still overjoyed and dizzy, he just felt that he was in the clouds and fog.But as soon as the second half of the sentence was uttered, it was like being awakened from a dream, and was literally poured with cold water from head to toe.When I looked at Yi Ze, I felt that there was no shadow of me in his eyes at all, it was just a routine.Although she was a little disappointed, as long as she was the third prince's concubine, she would be willing to be a side concubine.

In the Daming Palace by the Taiye Pool, the royal relatives, nobles, concubines, princesses, and noble ladies gathered together.At the family banquet at noon, Kong Miaozhu, who was heavily made up, was sitting beside Yi Ze on the royal seat on the left.

Concubine De led A Ruan into the palace together, at this moment there was no smile on A Ruan's face, her eyes were red, as if she had cried.She walked carefully.After walking to the front of the hall, he made a pilgrimage to Emperor Yuan and all the empresses, and then slowly walked to Yi Ze's side and sat down, ignoring his anxious gaze.Kong Miaozhu on the other side followed Ah Ruan with his gaze, and when he saw her slightly raised stomach, he seemed to understand something.

"Ah Ruan, I..." Yi Ze held Ah Ruan's cold hand tightly under the seat, calling her softly.

"Don't, don't be like this..." A Ruan tried to pull away: "...I know, actually... I always knew..." A Ruan's dazed eyes kept holding back tears during the dinner.My heart was tense all the time, and I kept hinting to myself: I can't cry, I can't...

The long family banquet was finally over, and Kong Miaozhu was left standing in place outside the dazzling white hall.A tall and handsome figure walked towards her slowly.

"Sister, go home."

"Brother... woo woo woo..." Kong Miaozhu couldn't hold back his tears anymore: "It turns out...it turns out it's not what I thought at all..."

① Silkworm parenting ceremony: ancient ceremony.It is said that the ceremony in which the Empress of the Moon of Jichun personally bows to the silkworm affairs is attended by the Empress and all the appointed wives.

②Silkworm King: The largest silkworm selected.