I put down my clothes, wiped my hands on my apron, and said, "Xiao Rong, think about our identity and where are we? The emperor must have a banquet for Li Fei. The guard must be tight. Besides, we are just Even the imperial garden can only go to the lower court ladies in North Point, not to mention mixing into the spring scenery of Wuling on such an important day?" I took a look at Zhiqiu, who was standing in the distance and squinting at everyone: "Moreover, Zhiqiu will definitely watch it. Keep ours tight."

Xiao Rong finally lowered her head in frustration: "I see, Niang Xie."

"Xie Niang, Xiao Rong, what are you doing without work?" Zhiqiu's sharp voice came: "I think you two have not learned a lesson. You are not allowed to eat today!"

Xiao Rong and I looked at each other, both showing anger, but also unable to.

At night, I wandered on the bed, through the window, the stars flickered in the clear night sky, like a handful of silver nails that I dropped, bright and moving. It must be a good weather tomorrow. Thinking like this, I sighed involuntarily. It will be my birthday in more than a month. It's just that I haven't had another birthday since I entered the palace. At most, it's just cooking a bowl of silver noodles to eat.

In the most favored days, Shen Xiyao mentioned more than once that he wanted to celebrate me everywhere. However, before that day, I waited for the sad news of my father's death, and then I left the palace.

In Huangjiacun, I never told Xihe my birthday, but I don't know how he would know. I clearly remember that when I cleaned the bed that night, I found a small red cloth bag under the pillow and opened it, and a silver hairpin with a lotus leaf pattern appeared in front of my eyes.

"Do you like it?" His voice came from behind, soft as a brook.

"Yeah." I nodded, immensely happy and moved.

"Xihe, how do you know..." Before I finished speaking, he gently embraced me and kissed my forehead.

"I know everything about you." He whispered in my ear: "I drew this pattern by myself, how do you think?"

How bad? Isn’t that enough in ancient poems?

"Why do you cross your necks for mandarin ducks? Hustle and bustles fly together.", "How can you die as a man, I am willing to be a mandarin duck and not envy the immortals."

Such a loyal bird, single-minded, loving each other, and growing old. Once one party is lost, the other party no longer looks for a new one, and spends the rest of his life alone and desolately.

There is only Xihe who can be a pair of thousand-year-old mandarin ducks with me. Shen Xiyao, he is the emperor of the true dragon. Although the dragon and the phoenix are good, they are not as good as the mandarin ducks.

I closed my eyes and Xihe's figure emerged clearly, as if he was right in front of me, as long as I stretched out my hand, I could catch his hand, smell the faint fragrance on his body, and hear his affectionate voice. Seeing his joyful smile.

The corners of my lips rose slightly, as if I had a beautiful dream, or, this is indeed a beautiful dream of mine.

Withdrawing my thoughts, the night was getting deeper, and I turned over to go to sleep, when I suddenly found Xiao Rong next to me tossing and turning, eyes wide open.

"Xiao Rong, what's the matter with you? Are you uncomfortable?" I asked worriedly.

"Huh? Xie Niang, did I bother you?" Xiao Rong stuck out her tongue and smiled embarrassedly: "I'm hungry."

She said that, and there was a "gu" in my stomach. Xiao Rong looked at me with apologetics in her tone: "It's because I am not good, you have no food today."

"How many times do you want me to say it!" I pretended to be angry: "It's okay." Then I asked with concern: "Is this hungry?"

Xiao Rong shook her head: "I'm thinking about tomorrow's birthday banquet for Princess Li."

This girl didn't seem to give up yet.

"Xie Niang, you don't know. I especially like those beautiful clothes." Xiao Rong sighed deeply: "Every time I wash it, I think about what would it look like on me wearing such gorgeous clothes? Wouldn't it make me more beautiful?"

"You are already very beautiful." I said softly.

"Huh?" Xiao Rong answered, and said: "Xie Niang, Yi Zhaorong is so beautiful, just like the fairy in the painting. It's a pity that people are good."

"What a pity?" I wondered.

"Everyone said in private that the emperor didn't really like her. It was just because she looked like a queen."

I faintly said: "No, how could Yi Zhaorong be favored because she is like a queen. Besides, the queen has been recuperating on the Pengdao Yaotai for so long, and the emperor did not go to see her, which shows that the emperor is not as deep as the legend has it Love the queen."

I don't know why I said this. It seems to convince myself that Shen Xiyao's love for Yi Zhaorong did not originate from me. Although, this is not the first time I heard that rumor, Haoyue also told me a long time ago.

"The emperor didn't go to see the queen. I heard that the emperor didn't allow it because he was afraid of getting sick." Xiao Rong turned to me, "What kind of illness is the empress empress? I haven't seen it for so many years." Rong muttered to herself, but I didn't speak.

"Everyone said in private that the empress is no longer there." Xiao Rong whispered in my ear: "Master Ling and General Ling asked to visit the Queen more than once, but the emperor refused. Especially this time, General Ling. After returning triumphantly, he said that he would not receive any rewards. He just wanted to see the queen, but was declined by the emperor."

Xiao Rong swallowed and spit, as if she had personally witnessed the scene: "They said, General Ling knelt in front of the emperor and begged the emperor, saying that his brother and sister had never seen him after the arrogant marriage. This time, he didn't want the emperor's. Any reward, even if you just look at the queen from a distance. Even Master Ling knelt down and begged the emperor."

Xiao Rong was very excited when she said this, her voice trembling slightly: "But the emperor still declined, saying only that she missed the queen too, but the emperor made it clear that the queen should not see anyone now. Once the queen gets better, she will call her two brothers. See you."

"This is also normal." I frowned: "It is common for two adults to miss their sisters. It is also common for the queen to be very ill and unable to see people." It's just that the worries in my heart come up again, and my brother's move will inevitably be suspected of forcing the emperor. It's not good for Shen Xiyao to blame.

It’s just that the second brother, I grabbed my clothes tightly while I was under the covers, and I told him clearly that I was no longer there, and I took my allegiance to the emperor, don’t let the Ling family fall into danger again, don’t let my father’s tragedy happen again. But why does he still do this? There is also the eldest brother, who has always taken the prosperity and decline of the Ling family as his responsibility, and is restrained, respectful, and calm. How can he condone and even participate in the second brother's mess.

Did the second brother tell the eldest brother? still is?

"When did it happen?" I asked if lightning flashed across my mind, restraining my emotions.

"New Year's Day." Xiao Rong looked at me in surprise, wondering why I asked like that.

I understand, the message I asked Zhang to send to my second brother should have been delivered. It is not difficult for the second brother to find out that Xi He is in the imperial tomb with his current power. He must be afraid that I will suffer accidents and that I will suffer, so he asked to see me to protect me.

But this move is too dangerous! I can't help worrying. What if, what if Shen Xiyao felt coerced to get rid of Ling's heart? This is not impossible.

"That's why everyone said that the queen might be dead. The emperor kept saying that the queen was ill because he was afraid that Ling's family would get upset." Xiao Rong's voice became lower and lower, as if she was afraid of being heard, as if she was far away. It came from the place, so ethereal and unreal, it made me feel chills.

I sorted my mind and smiled faintly: "Where did you hear these words? How can the emperor deceive the world! The Ling family is the first loyal minister of Daxi, even if the queen is dead, he won't be unhappy. Don't do anything like this in the future. Believe it again. If someone else hears it, your life is hard to save."

Xiao Rong pouted. Seeing what she seemed to say, I turned the subject softly: "Aren't you hungry? You should have food tomorrow."

Rong'er also smiled: "No, my belly is crying all the time."

I shrank my head into the quilt: "Go to sleep, get up early."

I woke up the next day and didn't see Xiao Rong. I asked a few people who were close to her, except that she went out in the morning in a new dress. I was shocked, thinking about it, she still didn't listen to me, and went by herself.

How can this be good? What if it is discovered! After thinking about it, I finally decided to go to her, hoping to bring her back before the banquet began.

Sure enough, entering through a corner door, behind a huge boulder in the corner, there was a small figure of Xiao Rong lying tightly on it. I quietly stepped forward and patted her gently, and I was about to drag her away.

"Xie Niang, why are you here?" Xiao Rong looked surprised.

"Hurry up." I said, but saw a team of guards coming in to guard the guard, hurriedly pulling her to hide in the lush flowers and trees nearby.

Now, I really can't go anymore.

On the day of Li Fei's birthday, the clouds began to come in the early morning, but it was not thick, and it just blocked the hot sun. It was great to have a banquet.

The banquet was set in an open area of ​​Wuling Spring, surrounded by fragrant and pleasant flowers and green grass. Before the banquet began, Shen Xiyao and Li Fei hadn't arrived yet, and the other concubines stood under the willow-shaded flowers in twos and threes, holding the Luo fan, half covering their face, and laughing Yan Yan.

Xiao Rong loves those rare and precious dresses so much that she can't leave her eyes on it. I saw a few familiar figures among those Yingyingyanyan. Standing behind a begonia plant with my concubine, I wore a brocade dress with turquoise poplar blossoms and a pair of amethyst hairpins with missing moons on my head. The fringe hung straight down from the jet-black hair bun, making the white face more cold and expensive.

Next to her stood a woman with colorful butterflies on her light purple brocade gauze, combed in a Yichun updo, a fan-shaped gold eight-treasure hairpin, and a row of thin short tassels hanging down to the neck. She turned her back to me and talked happily with her concubine. I was wondering in my heart that my concubine and concubine have never had much contact with other concubines, but now they are very close to the concubine in front of her, which shows that the relationship is extraordinary.

Just thinking about it, the golden canopy was approaching from far away, and the concubines stood neatly, and the woman turned around, still with an unfolded smile on her generous and dignified face. This face is so familiar, my heart is tight, it is Haoyue.

"Concubines see the emperor." The voice mellowed like a yellow oriole from the valley sounded neatly.

As soon as Shen Xiyao's figure walked into this garden, all the noble and dazzling colors fell down, but he didn't say a word. He just raised his hand lazily, and Zhang Dehai next to him knowingly said, "Sit down, ladies."

Li Fei accompanied Shen Xiyao with a proud and proud smile. The brocade dress of the peacock among the peach and red flowers made her face like a peach blossom, and she was proud of the spring breeze, and she was unparalleled, not to mention the jeweled jade, shining brightly.

She is the protagonist of today, so she has to dress up well. In such occasions where concubines gather, which one is not carefully dressed up, with a suitable expression, from time to time throw gentle and charming honey arrows at the high emperor, yearning for him Favor and grace.

I looked around and didn't see Concubine Liu's figure. Yi Zhaorong sat on the other side of Shen Xiyao, with a quiet face and a simple and generous dress. Although the color of the neon smoke wave silk flower dress was not outstanding, she seemed to be open and slender and quiet.