Changle Floating Life

Chapter 16

Pei Zhaoye's face sank like water, his mood was extremely bad, he helped Zuo Fengmian up, and said, "Get up and talk. This matter is groundless. Zhongzong, Queen Xuanyi, and Princess Zhenguo are all dead, so I can only guess." That's all."

Even though Zuo Fengmian was burning with anxiety, he still whispered: "Your Highness can cheat Zhao Nanxing, he must have evidence in his hand. He once told me that when he was three years old, his aunt gave him a fragrant pear, but when he came back in the first year of Taiping Xu Zhou was in Ganjing before he was four years old, and he has never even met his aunt."

Pei Zhaoye sighed, and said: "You can rest here tonight. I will think about it when I go back. Tomorrow, I will ask the carriage of the Wangfu to wait outside the Suzaku Gate to take you back to Xuzhou." He got up and left seat, put his hand on Zuo Fengmian's shoulder and lightly pressed it twice, then walked away.

Zuo Fengmian couldn't say a word, and watched him walk out the door.

Pei Zhaoye returned to Prince Duan's mansion with a lot of worries, but unexpectedly the mansion was already in a mess.It turned out that at the time of Xiangwan, the palace sent someone to report that the queen fainted and asked Duan Wang to enter the palace immediately.However, King Duan has disappeared since leaving Jinmingchi.The manager ordered people to look around for more than an hour.

When referring to the official family inside and outside the government and the public, they all use the collective name of "the four princes of the emperor and the empress". Few people know that the second prince is not born by the empress Qi's family.Ever since Pei Zhaoye became sensible, he has been extremely filial to his mother and virtuous to his empress, and treats him like a prince or King Ning.Now when he heard that his loving mother was critically ill, Pei Zhaoye felt as if he had been slapped on the top of his head, and hurriedly ordered people to harness their horses and come to the inner courtyard of the palace.

When they arrived at the Queen's Fengyi Palace, all the people who came and went were silent and solemn. Pei Zhaoye's chest seemed to have been hit with a sledgehammer, and he almost couldn't move.At this time, an old palace supervisor came out, who was Eunuch Wu who was beside the queen. As soon as he saw him, he came over and pulled him into the palace. He said as he walked, "Why did the second highness come? The crown prince and His highness King Ning have already arrived." Pei Zhaoye asked tremblingly Said: "How is the queen mother?" Eunuch Wu said: "I just coughed up phlegm, and poured a few bowls of soup and medicine, and my complexion has improved a lot. The imperial doctor said that I will wake up tonight and tomorrow morning."

Only then did Pei Zhaoye let go of a big stone in his heart, and when he was relaxed, he felt that his hands were sweating coldly.The two entered the inner hall together, and saw the crown prince and King Ning standing aside, their faces were not very good-looking, and there were faint traces of tears on King Ning's face.Several imperial physicians surrounded the queen's bed.

The three brothers met after Li in a low voice.The imperial physicians also retreated to prescribe prescriptions, and before they left, they ordered someone to take care of them overnight.Pei Zhaoye peeped over, the queen's face was sallow, and she was sleeping peacefully.Because he felt that he was late and felt guilty, he discussed with his two brothers to stay in the palace to watch the night.The prince nodded and said: "So, please trouble the second brother. The East Palace is close at hand. If there is anything to do, please order someone to report to the orphan. Third brother, you are very scared today, so go back to the mansion to rest." King Ning wiped the corners of his eyes, Went out with the prince one after the other.

The people in the queen's palace moved a small sandalwood couch inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which can be used for sitting or lying down, and placed it beside the queen's bed.Pei Zhaoye sat on the couch until midnight, feeling drowsy.At this time, he suddenly heard a coughing sound, he woke up suddenly, looked up, the queen had woken up, was lying on the pillow and coughing, a palace lady was holding a copper plate in her hand.Pei Zhaoye hurriedly moved to the side of the queen's bed, took the spit basin with his hand, and reprimanded: "There are no rules. When did you come, why didn't you wake me up?" The little maid didn't see Prince Duan often, and saw that his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. I was so scared that I was at a loss.The queen cleared her throat, waved her hand and said, "I won't let her disturb you." Pei Zhaoye heard the queen's voice, although he was out of breath, but he understood clearly, so he said in a low voice: "It's my duty, my son is only afraid Not enough."

The queen took a sip of tea and struggled to get up. Pei Zhaoye hurriedly took a few cushions behind her waist, and put a robe on her.He also ordered people to cook porridge and medicine, and notified the Tai Hospital.The empress looked at him with gentle eyes, and felt a sense of relief on her face, and said: "Mother is much better. These years, Fengyi Palace has seen less and less of you. Come over and have a chat with your mother."

Pei Zhaoye's face froze, and he pleaded guilty again and again.Empress Qi took his hand and looked at it carefully. The second prince's hand was bigger and stronger than when he was a child. The ten fingers and the tiger's mouth were covered with calluses. This was the result of many years of bending the bow and holding the rein . "My son has grown up and doesn't need to hold mother's hand anymore."

Duan Wang's eyes were sour, his throat was hoarse for a while, and he was speechless.Empress Qi said again: "There is one thing, I must do it for you before my mother dies." When Pei Zhaoye heard this, he was about to speak, but Empress Qi stopped him and said: "Listen to me, your concubine Yuan is also dead. After more than three years, the ladies in the mansion are also stingy, not because they have many children and good fortune, so they are not worthy of the stage. I have already told His Majesty that the daughter of Xia Shangshu from the household department is about the same age as you, she is educated, sensible, and born well .When I get better, I will take care of your business."

Pei Zhaoye's mouth was full of bitterness, but he couldn't say "no".I only heard Empress Qi say: "The Xia family has three daughters, and the third one is the most beautiful. I have seen it with my own eyes. If you want to compare it with a person, you are a bit like Queen Zhongzong Xuanyi." Hearing Pei Zhaoye's heart moved, he He raised his head and opened his eyes and asked, "Do you really look like Queen Xuan Yi?"

Empress Qi was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, mobilized the pain in her lungs, coughed once or twice, and said, "Look, men really are lustful and love new things, even when they are old." Pei Zhaoye Embarrassed.It just so happened that the maid came in to deliver porridge and medicine, and made an interruption, temporarily alleviating the embarrassing atmosphere.Pei Zhaoye waited on Qi Hou to take the medicine, and asked: "It's almost dawn, mother, why don't you lie down and sleep for a while."

Empress Qi shook her head and said, "I slept too much during the day." Pei Zhaoye saw that her eyes were bright and she was not sleepy, so he didn't force it, but asked, "Mother, you just talked about Empress Zhongzong Xuanyi. , I was too young at that time, so I don’t remember, how did Mrs. Bai die?”

Empress Qi glanced at him in surprise, he never liked to hear about these court secrets, so he didn't know why he brought them up tonight.But after thinking about it, he realized that last year, he was responsible for the major case of Zhenguo Princess Mansion under the supervision of Jiangnan, and he probably paid attention to the personnel affairs of the Shaokang and Taiping dynasties. "How can you remember that you were still running around in Yunzhou Mansion at that time. Your father and I were in the capital. Empress Xuan Yi died of dying. The first emperor died a few days before his death. After the grand tour, the palace was in chaos, and Empress Xuanyi tried her best to support it. After your father entered the palace, the situation was settled, and he passed away on the fifth day."

Pei Zhaoye sighed: "In this way, the former empress was affectionate and righteous, and she was worthy of the late emperor's three thousand favors. Even though she had no heir, the harem never had a single concubine or concubine. This is how the custom of monogamy came about. Women are lucky to be born in this life."

His sigh made Qi Hou feel like a knife cut his heart.Secretly thought, how many innocent daughters' flesh and bones have been filled in your Pei family's Qianqiu foundation, how can it be explained in a simple sentence.She refused to comment, but went on to say: "During the Shaokang period, Zhongzong and Empress Baishi, Princess Zhenguo and Prince Consort Duwei, they were really two hazy couples. Zhongzong and Prince Consort Ye, one was Fu Fen Helang, One is the thrush Zhang Chang. The queen and the princess, one is tender as water, the other is heroic, they are both crystal heart and glass people. It is rumored that Emperor Zhongzong asked the princess when he was undecided about external affairs, and the queen when he was undecided about internal affairs. Every March, Jin Mingchi was practicing the navy, and the two couples were on two dragon boats, one in front and the other in the back, and there was a crowd of spectators on both sides of the river. If they didn't drown a few idiots who came to see them, that year would be considered a miracle." She said. There was a strange blush on her face, as if she remembered the most secret thoughts of her girlhood.

"If there is anything wrong with Empress Xuanyi, the only thing is that she has been in charge of the middle school for 30 years, and she couldn't plan it early, so that there will be no successors in Taizong's line." She kept silent when she said this, because if she continued , it involves how to ascend the throne today, that is disrespectful.When Pei Zhaoye saw that she had said such a long sentence, he felt a little weak, so he quickly pulled out the cushion, supported it, and lay down to rest.Empress Qi held his hand, and said in a low voice before falling asleep: "Princess Zhen Guo is kind to us, and Marquis An Ning should take care of him a little bit. However, if you want to embarrass you, just be a mother and never say so."

At dawn the next day, King Ning came to take over.After Pei Zhaoye finished explaining, he went back to the mansion to catch up on sleep.He was really exhausted all day and night, and he didn't bother to send Zuo Fengmian, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

In his sleep, he actually turned back to his five or six-year-old appearance, sitting under the eaves of the palace watching a play.It must have happened during the Qianqiu Festival in the last year of Shaokang. At that time, the father had already named the crown prince and entered the East Palace. It was the first time that he brought the eldest son and him into the palace to celebrate the late emperor's birthday.He ate too much herbal tea, so he asked the palace supervisor to take him to the toilet.After coming out of Gong's room, he saw the palace eunuch lounging on the porch to enjoy the shade.When he was naughty, he ran to the garden to wander around.

The magnolia flowers in the courtyard were blooming just right, white and fragrant, but the tree was too tall for him to reach.Pei Zhaoye turned around to find the palace warden to help him fold flowers, but when he turned around the corridor, he bumped into a middle-aged beautiful woman.The woman had a cool moon like eyebrows, a face like beautiful jade, pearls and tinsel shining on Luo Qi, hairpins shaking jade rhinoceros, and asked with a smile: "Whose young man are you, why are you running around here alone?"

At that time, he didn't know how to identify the identity by the color of his clothes, but he felt that the woman was amiable, so he took her hand and walked under the tree, begging her to fold flowers.The woman covered her face with a fan and asked, "Who do you give the folded flowers to, Mr. Xiaolang?" Pei Zhaoye also had done his homework before coming to the palace, so he said, "Give it to Your Majesty, and wish Your Majesty a long life, with pines and cypresses on your shoulders."

The woman was taken aback when she heard the words, her eyes were like crescent moons when she smiled, and her hairpin swayed slightly.The palace supervisor rushed over upon hearing the news, his face pale with fright.The woman ordered the palace supervisor to break off a magnolia flower, but she pinned it on Pei Zhaoye's lapel with her own hands, and said with a smile: "On behalf of Your Majesty, I thank Xiao Langjun. If I can see Xiao Lang Jun, I will go to Qionglin for a banquet next year." On the day of the hairpin flowers in the Royal Garden, I must toast a glass of water and wine to express my heart." After she finished speaking, she ordered the palace supervisor to take Pei Zhaoye back to the banquet.

During the Qianqiu Festival of that year, Emperor Zhongzong had a lot of worries, and when he reached middle age, his waist was heavy and his temples were worn out.Empress Xuanyi excused herself from illness and never appeared in front of everyone.

Perhaps it was because of the warmer weather that spring came, and Empress Qi's illness gradually improved.The sun and the moon are flying like a shuttle, and more than a month has passed, but it is about to usher in the Ching Ming Festival.Pei Zhaoye went to Anning Hou Mansion this afternoon.

On a street close to Miyagi, Princess Zhen Guo's Mansion and Anning Hou's Mansion occupied half of the street.One is on the east side of the street and the other is on the west side of the street. The backyards of the two are connected, and only one corner door is opened to form a house.This was repaired during the reign of Emperor Taizong Zhaoren.The door was still guarded by the Imperial Army, and Pei Zhaoye only entered after showing the fish charm.

Gold nailed Zhumen, ringed animal head, son-in-law Yehou is a noble family in the north, and his mansions in Beijing are known for their dignity and honesty.At the end of Taizong's reign, the princess and concubine's son-in-law respected more than the arched jade and enjoyed a small amount of gold. They were the one and only ones in the capital, and even the East Palace had to avoid the sharp edge.After getting started, go to Ice Flower Trail, Biwu Green Willow, Mizuki Mincer.After a few turns of the corridor, there are small rooms in it, not buildings or pavilions, and Roman leans against the window.He knew the way, and came straight to the small pavilion in the southeast.Next to the pavilion is a lush bamboo forest, folded again and again, like ants wearing nine-curved beads, the twists and turns are fascinating.

Ye Jianqing's residence is in this bamboo forest.He yelled outside the bamboo house, and entered the room.I walked past two or three fold bamboo houses without seeing anyone.When he walked to the study room at the back, he saw Ye Jianqing lying on a bamboo chair by the window, with a copy of "Tao Yuanming's Anthology of Poems" covering his face.He tiptoed over, opened the book, and found that Ye Jianqing was not asleep. He was surprised: "It's only spring, and the bamboo chair is so cold. There is no bedding, no cover on the body, just lying here in a daze .”

Ye Jianqing got up to greet him, but she was also listless.Pei Zhaoye turned over the poem in his hand and saw that it was "Drinking Wine": You Lan lives in the vestibule, waiting for the breeze with smoke.The breeze arrives, bid farewell to Xiao Aizhong.If you lose your way, you may be able to get through.Awareness should be read back, the bird is exhausted and the good bow is useless.

The first sentence has the meaning that Zhilan is in power and has to be hoeed, and the last sentence "all the birds are useless" is even more explicit.Pei Zhaoye felt ominous, so he teased, "You are young, and you don't want to repay, so I read these books about hiding from the world. Even Tao Jingjie has been an official and knows the hardships of the people's livelihood."

Ye Jianqing suddenly rolled his eyes and asked, "Your Highness, do you know how much a bucket of salt is on the market today?"

Pei Zhaoye was taken aback for a moment, and said amusedly: "I have been in charge of the household department for many years, but I don't know how to use firewood, rice, oil and salt. I need you to teach me. Since Taizong's reign, salt has been worth a hundred coins a bucket."

Ye Jianqing also smiled, showing two dimples on his face: "I finally beat my cousin once. In a remote mountain village, salt can be sold for six hundred yuan a bucket, and it's still mixed with sand."

Pei Zhaoye's smile froze, he had mixed feelings in his heart, and both of them looked at each other speechlessly.After a while, a servant came in to serve tea and water.The domestic servants of the two governments were all dismissed after the ransacking of the house.Now one or two servants in this mansion are also confidantes called from Duan Wang's mansion.Seeing that his shoulders were wet, Ye Jianqing asked, "Is it raining?" Hearing this, Pei Zhaoye also cast his gaze out of the window, dark clouds rolled in the sky, and drizzle drifted into the window with the wind.

It is normal for rains around Qingming Festival, good rain knows the season, and this year may be another bumper harvest year.It was good news for the farmers, but not for Ye Jianqing.

"The solitary cloud had no intention of coming out of Xiuxiu, and it turned into a thousand li cloud in an instant." Ye Jianqing glanced out the window and said calmly.Pei Zhaoye didn't want to hear the sad sound, so he explained: "White clouds are like a solution, and when it rains, they will return to the mountain. Why do you make such words that hurt the spring and autumn. What about the things I asked someone to bring in a few days ago?"

Ye Jianqing got up to get a wooden box on the top of the bookshelf, but he was also absent-minded, and he accidentally knocked down the whole bookshelf.The inscriptions, calligraphy and paintings were scattered all over the floor, but he quickly moved aside with a package in his hands.Soon there were footsteps outside the bamboo grove, and Pei Zhaoye raised his voice, "It's okay, the bookshelf is down, you go."

Sure enough, no one dared to come in and disturb him.Pei Zhaoye stepped forward to take the package and put it aside.Seeing that he didn't intend to ask anyone to come in for help, Ye Jianqing habitually squatted down to pick it up.He used to be so pampered that he couldn't even help the oil bottle when it was down. He was tortured in Nanshan for several months, but now he can do these things with ease.

In Pei Zhaoye's hand was a sandalwood box, inside which was a palace-made fan, painted with a budding magnolia flower.He held it in his hand curiously for a while, and saw a line of hairpin flower written on it: I still remember that spring, when the flowers bloomed in the old garden, they led me down the tree and made me fold the branches.

As if he heard a thunderbolt from the blue sky, he was stunned.Everything is shocking like a dream, and it always hurts to see it for a while.

Seeing that something was wrong with him, Ye Jianqing stretched his neck and glanced at the fan, only to find it ordinary, and said: "I remember that there was no such thing in the study before. Grandma Princess doesn't use such a palace fan." He thought for a while, and said : "Maybe someone from the palace came to play and fell behind."

Princess Zhen Guo and Empress Xuan Yi of Zhongzong, named sister-in-law, are actually political enemies.But both of them are exquisite people, and they get along in the palace and the mansion without leakage.Back then, the Queen of Anning must have visited the Anninghou's mansion.

While putting away the fan, Pei Zhaoye seemed to have no intention of asking: "Jianqing, when Aunt Huang was alive, what did you think about the fact that the first emperor had no heirs? Have you heard anything about the first emperor and the first empress?" ?”

Ye Jianqing shot a pair of bewildered eyes over him, wondering why Prince Duan thought of asking this.Pei Zhaoye hurriedly clarified: "I'm just asking casually."

"As far as I can remember, it was already the Taiping Dynasty. Grandma Princess seldom talked about the previous generation. I only heard others say that it was not good to be pinched inside and outside the court. Once, when an old friend of Gan Jing came to Jinling, Grandma Princess seems to have said that the late emperor was deeply in love and would not live long, that it was not easy for the former empress to grow old, and that the daughter's family was too hard."

Pei Zhaoye frowned and loosened his eyebrows, loosened and frowned, and it took him a long time to show off his face and say, "I see."

The two talked again and saw that it was getting dark.Pei Zhaoye put a poncho on Ye Jianqing, and the two walked out through the back door of Anning Hou Mansion together.There were no guards on duty outside the gate, but an oil-walled carriage was parked, with a glazed lamp hanging on it.The two got into the carriage together, and the coachman waved his whip and drove towards Daxiangguo Temple.

It was just before Qingming, and it was dark and raining. This carriage was speeding on the wet bluestone road. The driver was dressed in black, and beside him was a dim yellow fire, which was a glazed wind lantern hanging from the corner of the carriage.People from the capital who were traveling at night were passed by this oil-walled car that was as fast as the wind and as fast as electricity. They felt ghostly and had goose bumps all over their bodies, and they did not dare to look back.

The carriage stopped at the back door of Daxiangguo Temple.Several monks were waiting there holding umbrellas and lighting lamps.Pei Zhaoye introduced the returning monk to Ye Jianqing, and they entered the temple.With a [-]% discount and a [-]% discount, I arrived at a side hall, surrounded by cigarettes, and there were rows of wooden tables in the hall, where countless gods and spirits were placed.The returning monk took the two of them to the small door behind the Buddha statue. In that narrow room, there was a god alone.

Pei Zhaoye went straight forward, knelt first, kowtowed three times respectfully, got up and added oil to the ever-burning lamp on the altar.Only then did he wave to Ye Jianqing, his eyes reddened: "This is my biological mother, Mrs. Qi." Ye Jianqing stepped forward and bowed, Pei Zhaoye took the package from his hand, took out another spiritual tablet, and placed it Putting it aside, he said: "I should wrong Aunt Huang first, so that I can be a companion with my mother."

It turned out that Pei Zhaoye's biological mother passed away after giving birth to him. Pei Zhaoye grew up drinking Empress Qi's milk, and even the Jade Letter of Zongzheng Temple was recorded in Empress Qi's name.He couldn't worship his birth mother at home, which didn't make sense in terms of human feelings, but he couldn't bear the fact that his birth mother could not become a Buddha and ascend to heaven due to lack of offerings, so he found this place in Xiangguo Temple, where he often came to offer incense during the Qingming and Winter Solstice.

However, the rebellion case at Princess Zhenguo's mansion was not settled, Ye Jianqing did not dare to pay respects to her grandmother justifiably, and could only go to Xiangguo Temple to pay homage secretly in private.

After Ye Jianqing paid homage to her grandmother.I just listened to the returning monk chanting words: Husband and wife are predestined, good and evil, and there is no relationship.The children are originally in debt, the debt is collected and repaid, and the debtor comes.

After the two worshiped, they didn't dare to delay, and went out of the side hall again.I saw a magnolia tree in the courtyard reflecting the green vat in the corner of the hall. The flowers were just in bloom, and the eyes were white.The petals are covered with raindrops, like Liren's tearful eyes.

Orchid dew, like crying eyes.Nothing is united, and the fireworks are unbearable to cut.The grass is like a rug, and the pine is like a cover.The wind is the garment, and the water is the adornment.Oil wall car, see each other in the evening.Leng Cui Zhu, Lao Guangcai.Under Xiling, wind and rain.

The two were sitting in the car, with a fist-sized luminous pearl hanging from the roof.Pei Zhaoye saw that his face was blue and white, and his lips were purple from the cold, so he stretched out his hands to warm his green hands.His palms were warm and dry, and Ye Jianqing felt his body and mind drenched in rain gradually warm up.

Ye Jianqing said in a low voice: "Sorry, I thought you were born in the middle palace."

Pei Zhaoye shook his head, and lowered his voice and said, "I didn't know until I grew up. My father and mother are deeply affectionate. My biological mother is the extra person, even me."

Hearing his desolation, Ye Jianqing said, "Why, your mother is just a poor man." He thought about it again, the princess of Duan Wang seemed to have died when she gave birth to a child, and said, "Girls are like a woman. The door of hell is closed and walked through. Because of this, the sages teach us to remember the kindness of our parents in giving birth and to practice the way of filial piety."

Pei Zhaoye held his hand and said: "A woman is as innocent as water, too weak to be a long-term partner in this troubled world."

It was the first time Ye Jianqing had heard this strange talk, and asked curiously, "What is the purpose of a woman born that day?"

Pei Zhaoye tilted his head and thought for a long time before saying: "I have to be a Bodhisattva empress." After speaking, he laughed out loud.

Ye Jianqing also couldn't help laughing, and asked, "According to what you say, is that man a partner?"

Pei Zhaoye looked up at him at this moment, his eyes were so gentle that water could drip out: "Yes."

Ye Jianqing was stunned, her heart beat faster, she quickly pulled out her hands, lowered her eyelashes, and said softly: "Your Highness is joking. As the saying goes, women are weak, but mothers are strong. When Your Highness has a young son, you will have the experience of being a parent." I won’t say such things anymore.”

Pei Zhaoye looked at the empty hands, what Ye Jianqing took away was only a small part of warmth, but it made him sad.

The author has something to say: This Tanabata confession is probably not strong enough~~~~~~~

Next Chapter The Dog Next Door is Older and Crazier