Chapter 3 From the third round

That night, Jiang Chenyu saw his father's study room was brightly lit, and the dark guards were coming in and out. Two shadows of his father and elder brother were cut out on the window, pacing up and down anxiously. It happened that Mrs. Jiang walked by with her maid, and she quickly called out: "Mother." Mrs. Jiang turned her head, saw her, and said softly: "Chen Yu, why are you still awake?" "Can't sleep." Mrs. Jiang persuaded: "I have ordered people not to disclose the matter of Geng Tie. I even hired a skilled craftsman to restore it. Don't worry, the storage is perfect and there is no trace of being burned. Don't worry too much. Think about it, go to sleep now."

Jiang Chenyu looked at the midnight snack held in the maid's hand and said, "Mother, are you going to the study of father and elder brother?" Mrs. Jiang sighed: "They are all waiting for news from the palace. I'm afraid they won't be able to sleep tonight. I made jade belt soup and crystal dumplings to prevent them from being hungry at night." "Let me go." Jiang Chenyu said as he took the tray from the maid.Seeing her like this, Mrs. Jiang knew that she had something to say to them, so she nodded immediately and said, "Alright, then you can send it over."

Jiang Chenyu knocked on the door of the study with a snack in her hand, and then walked in. Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng were sitting by the desk playing chess, and it was not surprising to see her when she looked up.Jiang Xiaocheng said: "Sister, you came at a good time. I heard that you happened to be there when Mrs. Xihe vomited blood today. Please tell me what happened." Jiang Chenyu described the incident in detail from beginning to end. Seeing his father and elder brother's expressions becoming more serious, he couldn't help asking: "Father, have you found out who poisoned Mrs. Xihe?"

Jiang Zhong let out a wry smile: "The point is not at all who poisoned, but who the emperor wants to poison." Jiang Chenyu was puzzled and asked, "What does dad mean?" "Don't you understand, Chen Yu?" Jiang Xiaocheng said aside, "The letter just came from the palace said that the emperor has imprisoned the queen." Jiang Chenyu was taken aback: "Queen? Was it poisoned by the queen? Impossible! It can't be hers..." "Look, even you can't believe it, who in this palace can believe it?" "Father, what's going on?"

Jiang Zhong looked at the scattered and complicated chess pieces on the chessboard, his expression became more sad, and he murmured: "After all, it is a step late... Oh no, it has been isolated from the beginning to the end..." Jiang Chenyu turned to ask for help from his elder brother, Jiang Xiaocheng's gaze was fixed on the chess game, and he said in a low voice: "Father, what should we do now?" "What else can we do? There is no room for us to intervene." "Just watching like this?" "Yes." Jiang Zhong raised his eyes to look at his little daughter. Under the light, Jiang Chenyu's face became more and more beautiful. It was truly a kind of beauty like a bright spring, pure and flawless without any vicissitudes. The four characters of "every lady" are fully reflected in her... It's a pity that such appearance and jade quality still haven't come in handy...

"Chen Yu, go back to sleep." "If dad doesn't make it clear, my daughter won't leave." "Some things, the less you know, the better." Jiang Chenyu stood in a daze for a while, and said in an unusually tranced voice: "Daddy really thinks that I can stay out of it at this point?" Both Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng were shocked, father and son exchanged glances, and finally Jiang Xiaocheng said: "Sister, do you know why we are so actively promoting your marriage with Qi Aohou?" Why?It's a good question. As far as she is concerned, it is because she loves the son; as far as the mother is concerned, it is because the mother thinks that Ji Ying is a person who can be entrusted to her for life; position of power.

It can be seen that when women and men consider the same thing, there is a world of difference.But how could she say this? So Jiang Chenyu could only remain silent. In her silence, Jiang Zhong sighed and said slowly: "As we all know, Tubi originally had four great families: Wang, Ji, Xue, and Jiang. When the prince seized the throne, the Wang family protected Prince Quan, Xue The family protector is the current emperor. As for the Ji family, at that time the old master Ji Xi was dying of illness and was unable to manage affairs at all, but the emperor was fascinated by Ji Huzhi's talent and insisted on marrying her. It is said that Ji Hu first I did not agree, and then I changed my mind somehow and got married. In this way, the emperor had the support of the Xue family and the help of the Ji family, and finally won the throne. Our Jiang family has always maintained Stay neutral."

These words, like a hand, opened up the past, and at the same time slowly wiped away the chaotic situation in front of him. Jiang Chenyu saw something began to surface, and every texture was so vivid. "That is to say, our Jiang family did not do anything in the matter of the emperor's ascension to the throne. Therefore, although the emperor continued to appoint his father as the right minister, he was always guilty of being a father. For this reason, three years ago, my father hastily sent Huayue to the palace, firstly to show the loyalty of my subjects, and secondly, to hope that Huayue could be blessed and protected by the whole family."

Elder sister... was sent to the palace like that... She always thought that the vain and strong elder sister wanted to enter the palace herself, because she once said: "If you want to do it, you have to be a master; You have to marry the emperor's wife, so that your life will not be in vain!" Jiang Chenyu's hands were slowly clenched in his sleeves, and he suddenly felt that he was so naive and ridiculous in the past, thinking that it would be fine if he didn't hear those intrigues, as long as he was innocent all the time, but he never thought about what made him She can be carefree like that.That is the sacrifice of the family!Father's sacrifice, brother's sacrifice, sister's sacrifice...

"However, although Huayue is favored, there is no hope of being a queen. In addition, since Xihe appeared, even that little favor has disappeared. It is said that the emperor has not entered the Jianing Palace for half a year. Yes." Jiang Zhong sighed again when he said this, "In the past six months, the conflict between Xihe and the Queen has become increasingly acute. In fact, it was Xihe who was right. After all, compared to the queen who had the support of the entire family, is it a miracle that a person like Xihe, who came from a humble background and had no background, was able to survive in the deep palace unscathed? Father began to investigate secretly, and finally I saw the clue..."

"What's the clue?" Jiang Zhong lowered his voice and said word by word: "The real conflict is not between Xihe and the empress, but between the emperor and the Xue family!" Although Jiang Chenyu is not deeply involved in the world, but she is an exquisite person. When her father said this, she immediately understood, and when she understood, she thought about the things that happened carefully. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Finally, I couldn't help but let out an "ah". "Have you thought about it too? Mrs. Xue is tyrannical and bullying, authoritarian and arbitrarily good at governing. The emperor has been on the throne for four years, but he has to listen to his opinions and be controlled by him in everything. If he is an ordinary and mediocre king, that's all. This master is decisive and resourceful in dealing with things, no matter how smart he is, he can't bear it. Therefore, I guess, he has long had the intention to get rid of Xue, but the time has not come. After figuring this out, the father began to observe who is the leader in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty Who is on the side of the Xue family, and who is on the side of the emperor?" "It's young master..." Jiang Chenyu's voice was very soft, and the dazed look on his face became more intense. "That's right. If you say that the Xue family is the most displeasing to the eyes and the most dedicated to the emperor, now only the Ji family." Jiang Zhong looked at his daughter and said with emotion, "That's why my father wants to betroth you. To Qi Aohou, to show that the Jiang family is willing to work together with them to assist the emperor, but it's a pity..." Jiang Chenyu took it for him: "Unfortunately, it's a step too late. The emperor is probably ready and can't wait to attack the Xue family, and the poisoning of Xihe is the first step of the whole plan." Jiang Xiaocheng praised: "Sister is really smart." Jiang Chenyu continued to analyze: "Young Master was the one who came out to mediate the matter of the imperial decree falling into the water; now that Madam is poisoned, it is the disease that Young Master brought someone to find out, that is to say, Young Master and the Emperor joined forces to perform a scene of coercing the palace. Point the finger at the queen. Because everyone knows that Xihe is at odds with her. The last time the imperial decree fell into the water, Xihe grabbed the queen's pigtails and refused to let go, which greatly damaged the queen's face. Even if he is a good-tempered person, They will all have grievances. This time the wife is pregnant, the one who has the most reason and motivation to poison is the queen!" Jiang Xiaocheng interjected: "The news from the palace earlier said that the eunuchs at Baohua Palace had already been recruited, saying that they were bribed by Xue's family to poison Mrs. Xihe, and the source of the poison was also investigated. It is clear, it is said that it was given by Cheng Shi, the nurse next to Empress Xue, and Cheng Shi hanged herself. The emperor was furious because of this, and without saying a word, he issued an imperial decree to put the empress under house arrest." "Xue Huai must be furious seeing his daughter being deposed, but he is now stationed at the border and cannot come back for a while. His son Xue Su is also a lustful and incompetent person. He will definitely not be the emperor's opponent. He was arrested and imprisoned." It's been a few days since the killing, but in this way..." Jiang Chenyu suddenly said in surprise, "Could it be that the emperor's idea is not only to weaken the Xue family, but to completely force Xue Huai to rebel?" As soon as this remark came out, the room was completely silent. Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng obviously didn't consider this step, and their expressions changed upon hearing this.And Jiang Zhong stared blankly at his daughter, even more so surprised that he couldn't speak. Jiang Chenyu, his youngest daughter, was the most well-behaved and sensible since childhood.It is true that she has mastered one by one piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and she is not inferior to others in cooking. Whether it is a nanny, a master or a maidservant and servant, everyone praises her for her good temper.He remembered that one Mid-Autumn Festival, when the family got together to enjoy the moon, he deliberately asked the three brothers and sisters a question: "Which one of you can throw this feather the farthest, I will reward this crystal moon cake." Ever since, the three children lined up, Xiaocheng was thirteen years old at that time, Huayue was eleven years old, and Chen Yu was only eight years old. Xiaocheng was a foolish child who could not bend his mind since he was a child, so he threw the feather out immediately, but the feather flew for a long time, and was blown back to his feet leisurely by the wind. Huayue was obviously much smarter, so she picked up a ball of mud to wrap her feathers, and then threw the mud out two feet away. When it was Chen Yu's turn, she ordered someone to fetch the birdcage hanging on the veranda, tied the feathers to Lark's legs, and opened her hand again, and the bird flapped its wings and flew away. Not only Xiaocheng and Huayue, but everyone present opened their mouths wide open. They didn't expect an eight-year-old child to come up with such a wonderful method.But she didn't show any pride at all, she just smiled slightly and said, "The feathers are originally plucked from the birds, and the right way is to return them to the birds. Brother, sister, let's eat this mooncake together." At that time, the master of the family admired: "Miss San is extremely intelligent, but what is even more rare is that she has a kind heart, and she will definitely do great things in the future." But he didn't take these words to heart at the time, after all, this little daughter Most of the time, she is just a quiet existence, not causing trouble, not being provocative, and even when she grows up, she is usually seen with a gentle and pleasant appearance with lowered eyebrows and narrowed eyes. I have never thought that she would be so sharp Eyesight and precise logic? Is this person who is standing under the lamp calmly talking and analyzing the matter with every detail, really his daughter? Jiang Chenyu said: "Since the emperor dares to imprison the queen, he will not be soft-hearted. Xue Su's head will be cut off, and once Xue Su's head is cut off, Xue Huai will never back down. He has a large army in hand, plus his subordinates The general's instigation is very likely to be reversed. As long as he reverses, the two sides will be in conflict, and war is inevitable. It seems that this catastrophe cannot be escaped..." Jiang Xiaocheng was terrified when he heard it: "Sister, don't be scary." "Shen Yu's words are definitely not alarmist." Jiang Zhong immediately stood firm and asked, "In your opinion, what should we do?" "I just find it weird..." "What's strange?" "The emperor forced Xue Huai to rebel, and he must have planned to win. However, Xue Huai is known as a rare general in a century, and he has 600,000 Xue family troops in his hands. There is no general in the court who can resist..." Speaking of this , She thought of Pan Fang, and what Ji Ying said to Pan Fang outside the teahouse that day, "In the future, you will be useful in the war", and she affirmed her guess in her heart.The young master knew that there would be a big battle, so he even dug out the generals first. Although she didn't know what Pan Fang's ability was, she must not be weak to make the young master condescend to look for it in person.However, Pan Fang was still too naive to Xue Huai's words, and the emperor was determined not to bet on such a chess piece whose winning rate was uncertain, that is to say, there must be a secret trick. So what is his secret move?Have no idea…… At this time, someone outside the door called out: "Master Xiang." Jiang Zhong's expression brightened, and he said quickly, "Come in." A dark guard hurried in and knelt down. Jiang Xiaocheng said: "How, has the matter progressed?" "The subordinates have confirmed that Jiang Wanyi is indeed Jiang Huai's only son. His medical skills are indeed superior to those of his father. However, the relationship between father and son is very bad. Jiang Huai had hoped that he would also enter the Imperial Hospital to take over his position, but Jiang Wan But Yi said, 'A doctor should serve as a hanging pot to help the world and rescue the people, and he is unwilling to be trapped in the deep palace and follow the flames'..." Jiang Xiaocheng sneered when he heard this: "If he really isn't the type to go after the flames, why did he enter the palace eagerly this time?" The dark guard ignored his ridicule and continued to say expressionlessly: "Jiang Wanyi ran away from home after a big fight with his father three years ago, and no one knew where he went. When he appeared, he had already become Qi Aohou's disciple." Jiang Zhong issued an order: "Continue to investigate. We must investigate the relationship between him and Qi Aohou." The dark guard responded: "Second thing, Mrs. Xihe's pulse has stabilized a lot after taking Jiang Wanyi's medicine, but she hasn't woken up yet. If I wake up, I will report again." "Ok." "The third thing is about Xue Su." Jiang Xiaocheng's eyes lit up: "What happened to that pervert?" Jiang Zhong snorted lightly: "Lust, can you compare to you?" When his father said this, Jiang Xiaocheng blushed immediately and coughed a few times in embarrassment.Fortunately, the voice of the secret guard has already sounded coldly: "Xue Su fell in love with the female storyteller at Sanxiang Teahouse a while ago, and summoned her to come to the mansion to tell a story, and became sexually aroused after drunk, intending to occupy her." Jiang Chenyu's heart trembled, it really was Qin Niang!After witnessing the marriage of the two with my own eyes like that, and then hearing about such an ending, I intuited the cruelty of life. "Although the female gentleman was a widow and her husband died a long time ago, she was planning to remarry a few days ago, so she swore against her will and finally committed suicide by biting her tongue. Her fiancé couldn't give up when he heard the news, so he went to Xue's mansion and fought all the way in, but After all, they were outnumbered, and Xue Su was captured before he even saw him. It is said that when Qi Aohou arrived, he had already been beaten until he was half breathed." Jiang Xiaocheng said: "Wait, what does this matter have to do with Marquis Qi Ao? Why is he rushing there?" "That man named Pan Fang, although he is a butcher, is also one of Qi Aohou's disciples." Jiang Xiaocheng smiled and said: "He is good, there are all kinds of traffickers under his door." Jiang Zhong scolded: "If you have half of his ability, your father and I don't need to worry about this at this age!" Jiang Xiaocheng was reprimanded for no reason, feeling unwilling, he muttered: "Why don't you say that you have no skills, you can't even fight a twenty-year-old boy, and you have to covet..." Jiang Chenyu quickly winked at him, Jiang Xiaocheng smacked twice and closed his mouth obediently. The dark guard continued in a timely manner: "When Qi Aohou learned about this, he immediately rode from the palace to Xue's mansion. Xue Su looked at his face and handed it back to Pan Fang without saying a word, but Pan Fang was only half-breathed." , so Jiang Wanyi didn't even eat dinner, and rushed to the Hou Ye's mansion to help him diagnose and treat him, and he is still in the process of rescue, and his life and death are uncertain." Jiang Zhong nodded: "Go to investigate again, and report as soon as there is any progress." The dark guard bowed and retreated. The lanterns splashed twice, Jiang Chenyu looked at the chaotic chess game on the table, and suddenly became tired, tired, and wanted to escape again. Avoid this never-ending power struggle. Even more, he avoided the feeling that he was doomed to be delayed in this battle. In the face of a national crisis, the young master...will not get married. With tears in her eyes, she saw the ending ahead of time. A few days later, Zhao Yin issued a decree, the empress lost her morality, caused troubles in the harem, was demoted to a commoner, and lived in a secluded cold palace——Qianxi Palace. And just as Jiang Chenyu expected, thousands of miles away from Guanshan, the general guarding Yanshan sent an even more earth-shattering news by express mail five hundred miles away - Xue Huai, the general who protects the country, has rebelled. The snow has stopped, and the frost has not stopped. Between the nostrils, there is a curl of white air.Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside the window, Jiang Chenyu sighed inaudibly. Holding Yu at the side said: "Miss, it's cold, you should go back to the Nuan Pavilion first, lest you get frozen here." She shook her head, still waiting in front of the lobby.Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng came back together until the second quarter of Xu time. Both of them looked very tired, especially Jiang Xiaocheng, his eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and he looked like he was still in shock. . Jiang Chenyu hurriedly went up to him and said, "Father, brother." Jiang Zhong motioned for her to follow, and the three went to the study together. "Brother, what happened to your hand?" Jiang Xiaocheng pursed his mouth, feeling aggrieved: "When I ransacked the house today, I was bitten by a little mad dog." Jiang Zhong snorted heavily: "Why don't you say that you are daring? I really don't know what your head is made of. You dare to act so nonsense at such a critical moment. If you ask me, this bite is still hard to beat." lighter!" It took Jiang Chenyu a long time to figure it out, it turned out that when Jiang Xiaocheng was ordered to raid Xue's house today, he saw a maidservant who was extremely beautiful, so he mopped up his hands for a while, but Xue Cai bit him. Jiang Xiaocheng said bitterly: "That kid can't protect himself, and he still wants to protect others, it's ridiculous." Jiang Chenyu asked anxiously: "Brother, what did you do to him?" "It's nothing, kicked him and caught him in the sky prison, where he will be locked up with his pervert father." Jiang Zhong hummed again: "If you go on like this, you will end up not much better than Xue Su!" Jiang Xiaocheng immediately smiled obsequiously: "How could it be? My father is much more self-sufficient than his father, and I just want to take advantage of it, and I don't really think about it..." Jiang Chenyu frowned, but she knew that the country is easy to change, and the nature is difficult to change, and her brother has been lustful for a day or two, and she couldn't persuade him for a while, so she put aside her thoughts and picked important things and said: "Father, today's court meeting Come on, what did the emperor say?" "The emperor is naturally furious. What else can I do? There are still some people who wanted to speak for the Xue family, but they were frightened by him and dare not speak up. The current situation is leaning towards the main battle." "Xue Huai is really rebellious?" Jiang Xiaocheng said: "Is there still a fake?" "Yan Shan's letter didn't come sooner or later, and it happened at this time. It's too coincidental. But it doesn't matter whether it's true or not. At present, everyone thinks that he is rebellious. He has no second way of retreat. Let's go." Jiang Chenyu's eyes flashed, "How is Pan Fang's injury?" "That Jiang Wanyi is really clever. Not only did he save his life, but after these few days of recuperation, it is said that he is already half healed." "Then does the emperor have a leading general who has decided to attack Xue Huai?" Jiang's father and son looked at each other, their expressions all became very strange, and finally Jiang Xiaocheng licked his mouth, and said slowly: "The emperor... wants to be personally conscripted." Jiang Chenyu was taken aback. Jiang Xiaocheng said: "I think the emperor really lost his head this time, it's fine to turn against Xue Huai, but he has to go to the battlefield by himself, to say something disrespectful, this is not looking for..." Looking around, although it is definitely not Someone would eavesdrop, but he lowered his voice, "Are you looking for death? Who doesn't know that our master has been weak since he was a child, unable to carry it on his shoulders, unable to lift it with his hands, and even whether he can ride a horse is a problem, let alone conquest." I have heard a little bit about this Jiang Chenyu. I heard that because Zhao Yin was born of an unfavored court lady, she was neglected since she was a child, and no one cared about her. She didn't get the chance to return to the late emperor until she was ten years old. Don't say it before Martial arts, I don't even know a few words.It was also because of such unbearable encounters that his personality was gloomy and suspicious, and his moods and angers were unpredictable. Jiang Chenyu took a deep breath, and said leisurely: "No, the emperor must personally conquer this battle." "Sister, why do you think so? After all, the opponent is Xue Huai, who has been on the battlefield for a long time. If the emperor is here, if something goes wrong..." "There are three reasons." Jiang Chenyu interrupted him, "Since he ascended the throne, the emperor has not made any achievements. The first is to build up his prestige, the second is to seize power, and the third is just as father said. Forbearance, he has been controlled by others all these years, and he must have accumulated a lot of resentment in his heart. The best way to get revenge on someone is to defeat him in the place where he is most proud. Isn't Xue Huai known as the number one general What? Then, the emperor will defeat him on the battlefield and give him a complete blow." Jiang Xiaocheng opened his eyes wide and said: "Wow, the emperor is really ruthless!" After Jiang Zhong heard this, he didn't speak for a long time, and finally sighed in a low voice: "Unexpectedly, my son is the emperor's confidant..." Jiang Chenyu's face flushed immediately, and said in a low voice: "Chen Yu's humble opinion made Daddy laugh." "No." Jiang Zhong stretched out his hand, and put it on her shoulder slowly and heavily, "Before, Dad didn't realize that you have such insight. It's a pity, a pity, a pity..." He said "Unfortunately" three times in a row.Jiang Chenyu knew that what he regretted was that he was a daughter. If it was a man, the Jiang family would be hopeful. But I don't want to be a man, Jiang Chenyu thought so. Because if it is a man, there will be no destiny for the young master in this life, and she, don't miss him.No matter how difficult the current situation is, no matter how many obstacles stand between them, no matter how turbulent the distant future looks, she must firmly grasp this opportunity, definitely, don't miss it! My sister sent me to be with you forever, I must be so famous, stay with me forever, and never leave. Jiang Chenyu bit her lower lip, staring at the dimly dancing candlelight, her pupils turned from light to dark. Following Xue Huai's rebellion, the entire capital began to be under martial law and fell into panic.It looks very chaotic on the surface, but in fact, everything is happening in an orderly manner as Jiang Chenyu imagined—— First of all, Xue Su was arrested, Xue's family was ransacked, and anyone who was involved with Xue's family was imprisoned.Three days later, Xue Su was executed at the Meridian Gate on charges of collaborating with the enemy and treason, and his head was sent to Luocheng by a Chollima, where it was hung on the city gate to demonstrate. Secondly, Pan Fang, the former light chariot general who was dismissed, knelt for a whole night in the snow outside Qi'aohou's mansion with injuries, begging to lead the troops to conquer Xue Bandit.The young master was moved by his sincerity, and finally agreed.The next day, in the court hall, regardless of the obstruction of the officials, the emperor bestowed Pan Fang as a general. As soon as the emperor's army left, someone preached in the back palace, Jiang Guiren summoned Chen Yu. So, one month after Xihe vomited blood last time, Jiang Chenyu entered the palace again.On the road, I met a lot of crying court ladies and eunuchs who were escorted by the guards and passed by. When I went to Dejianing Palace to ask my sister, Jiang Huayue twitched her lips slightly, and said mockingly: "What else can happen? Isn't it Xue Mingyi?" involved in the case?" "Isn't it already found out?" "The emperor treasures that woman. I'm afraid that she will be poisoned again, so anyone in the palace who has anything to do with the Xue family, who has served Xue Ming, and who has benefited from her will be expelled." Jiang Chenyu was silent, and it took a while before he opened his mouth to ask: "How is the queen doing now?" "What else can I do? Staying in a ghostly place like Qianxi Palace is no different from death." Jiang Huayue felt sorry for herself as she spoke, and sighed quietly, "I always thought that the Xue family could protect her with the scenery that day. For the rest of my life, how could I have thought that the building would collapse as soon as it said it. The Xue family is like this, and the Jiang family will also be like this." "My sister is worrying too much." "Worry too much? It's fine if you really worry too much. The Xue family is so powerful, the emperor will get rid of it at will, let alone our Jiang family... Let me ask you, how is your marriage with the Ji family going? I heard something happened to Geng Tie?" Jiang Chenyu's eyelashes trembled, and then he raised his head, his eyes were as black as ink: "Geng Tie is fine. It will be fine." Jiang Huayue immediately understood what she meant, and changed her words: "That's good. Have you passed the Najina levy?" "There is only an application period left. However, because of the current war, it has been put on hold." Jiang Huayue said in a low voice: "That's something that can't be helped. The spies came to report last night that Xue Huai's army had already marched northward, and they captured the three cities of Jin, Hebei, and Hui in one night. It is worthy of being the number one general in the country of Bi , the treasured sword is not old, and his adopted son Xue Hongfei is said to be extremely powerful and brave and good at fighting, taking down the three city lords is like playing. The emperor is really..." At this point, it turned into a sigh. "Your majesty is the son of the real dragon. With God's help, nothing will happen. Sister, don't worry." Just now, a court lady came to report: "Your Majesty, the princess is here." Jiang Huayue got up quickly, and saw Princess Zhaoluan rushing in with red eyes: "My lord, you must help me this time!" As she said that, she was about to kneel down.She was so frightened that she hurriedly supported her: "What's wrong with the princess? If you have something to say, speak up, you're going to beat me like this." Zhaoluan looked at her tearfully, choked with sobs and said, "I want to go to Ganxi Palace to see the emperor's wife..." Jiang Huayue was stunned, wondering: "Princess, you know that the emperor is very taboo about this..." "But the emperor is not here now, isn't he? Before the emperor leaves Beijing, he will hand over the harem to the nobleman for temporary management. The affairs of the harem are up to you. Please, let me see the emperor's wife, even if she is not my empress. Sister-in-law, she is also my cousin!" Zhaoluan cried, "My lord, I know that you are usually the most pure-hearted and kind-hearted, you value love and righteousness, you just see that my cousin treated you well in the past. Let me go and see her! Such a big incident happened in her family, even her cousin was beheaded by the emperor, and she lives alone in that kind of place. I am really afraid that something will happen to her. His spirit in heaven? My lord, my lord..." Jiang Huayue thought to herself, aren't you giving me a problem? If I really let you go to Qianxi Palace to see Xue Ming, the emperor will find out about it later, so why not blame me?No, at this sensitive moment, you can't make mistakes at every step. I absolutely can't click on this head.She was about to refuse, but Jiang Chenyu suddenly pressed her hand, and said: "Sister, because of the deep love between the princess and the queen, let her go and have a look." Jiang Huayue was stunned again, why even Chen Yu came to join in the fun? Jiang Chenyu gave her a slight smile: "If you are worried, go with the princess. Logically speaking, you should go and have a look." Then, she turned to Zhaoluan and said, "But princess, you can go, But go secretly." Zhaoluan said urgently: "I listen to my two sisters for everything!" "Okay then, go and change into the maid's clothes and prepare some food. Let's go see the queen together." Zhaoluan was overjoyed, and hurriedly prepared for it.As soon as she left the Jianing Palace, Jiang Huayue said anxiously: "You are crazy, how can you promise her such a thing?" "Don't worry, sister, the emperor will not blame you." "How do you know that the emperor won't blame him? He treats Mrs. Xue now..." Jiang Chenyu interrupted her gently: "The Xue family is the Xue family, and the empress is the empress, the emperor can clearly tell the difference." Jiang Huayue tried her best to calm herself down, and said, "How do you say that?" "Think about it, the emperor chopped off Xue Su's head as soon as he wanted to, which shows that he has no respect for the Xue family at all. In this case, why did he just send the queen to the Qianxi Palace without giving him a glass of poisoned wine or a white silk to die?" ?” "Do you think the emperor is thinking of Xue Ming's old love? That's impossible. The whole world knows that he has always been indifferent to Xue Ming. Where can there be any affection?" Jiang Chenyu shook his head: "I'm afraid that everyone in the world is wrong. When the emperor married the queen, he was only thirteen years old. At that time, the late emperor only favored the crown prince Quan, and he was far from being fond of him. Since Xue Huai and the Wang family are deadly enemies, Wang Since Shi is on the prince's side, he naturally wants to support the other one. Therefore, Xue Huai chose the emperor and married his daughter to him. That is to say, for the emperor, Xue Ming is really his life. The biggest turning point in history." Jiang Huayue was puzzled and said, "What does this have to do with old love?" "Since marrying Xue Ming, the emperor got the help of Xue and Ji's family, and finally won the throne. But in the process of getting the throne, the Xue family grew bigger and bigger, and finally even the emperor couldn't control it. When the conflict between him and Xue Huai As it got deeper and deeper, Xue Ming became his protective umbrella, which can also be said to be the relaxation zone of this contradiction. For such an important woman, do you really think that the emperor has no affection for her at all?" Jiang Chenyu said here indifferently With a smile, there was deep meaning in his eyes, "If I'm not wrong, I think the emperor actually likes Xue Ming very much, but his self-esteem as an emperor and his ambition for power make him have to be indifferent to her and deliberately maintain a certain degree of respect." Distance. Because he knew that sooner or later he would get rid of the Xue family. If he loved that woman too much, he hesitated and softened his heart at that time, which would cause great trouble. However, he was soft after all, killed Xue Su, chased and killed all the Xue family, but alone Let Xue Ming survive alone." Hearing that Zhao Yin likes Xue Ming, Jiang Huayue felt very subtle emotions in her heart, and said displeasedly: "This is just your inference, we can't be sure about the truth." Jiang Chenyu smiled again: "If my sister doesn't believe it, let's go to Lenggong to see it together. Chen Yu promises that if you go to Lenggong to see the queen, the emperor will pretend not to know and won't blame you." Believe it or not, but the words have already been released, so Jiang Huayue can only give up.When Zhaoluan changed clothes and brought the food basket, the three of them left the palace and went out together.After half a meal, I arrived at Qianxi Palace. The towering trees are slack, and all their leaves have fallen off. The weeds in front of the porch have all turned yellow due to the cold winter, and the scenery is barren. Two lanterns hang high above the carved beams, one has been blown to pieces by the wind, and the other has a broken rope, hanging there crookedly, wobbled by the wind, and seems to fall off at any moment. down. Seeing this situation, Zhaoluan's eyes turned red, the courtyard was very quiet, only the sound of wooden fish came from the room monotonously and clearly.She hurriedly quickened her pace, pushed open the door of the room that had been stained with vermilion paint, and called out: "Cousin...Cousin..." A solitary lamp faintly illuminated everything in the room. Xue Ming was sitting beside the lamp and was visiting the Buddha. He lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes like an old monk in meditation, but he didn't respond to their intrusion. Zhaoluan put the food basket on the table, went to shake her hand and said, "Cousin, I'm here to see you." Xue Ming still knocked on the wooden fish, but did not respond. Zhaoluan's tears fell suddenly: "Cousin, I know you have suffered, it's so cold here, you wear so little, your hands are so cold... I brought your favorite sweet-scented osmanthus lotus root soup and pine nut cake , do you still remember, I used to cry when I was a child, and when I cried, you used these foods to coax me... Cousin, speak up, don’t ignore Aluan, Aluan knows that Brother Huang is sorry for you, but please don’t You even hate me together, cousin..." As she spoke, she threw her arms around her neck and burst into tears. Jiang Chenyu thought to the side, although this princess is pampered and willful, she is rare with true love, and she is probably the least good at acting in the palace, but it is because of this rare truth that she is even more moving. Sure enough, although Xue Ming still didn't speak, his eyes flashed and became sad. "Cousin, Aluan is soft-spoken and can't help you at all. I can only visit you secretly and bring you something to eat. If you have anything else you want to eat, just tell me. I will take it with you when I come back next time." Bring it here for you." Zhaoluan wiped away tears, turned her head and said, "By the way, there is Jiang Guiren, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to come here either. Cousin, please say something, please..." Xue Ming's eyes turned to Jiang Huayue's face, as if thinking of something, his expression became hot, but soon turned sad.Jiang Chenyu saw her series of subtle expressions in her eyes, and took a step forward and said: "Queen, one person speaks lightly, and three people become tigers. What other wish do you have? Tell me, and I can help you." I think my sister and the princess will definitely help." Jiang Huayue was taken aback, thinking that you still dare to add trouble to me?Zhaoluan over there nodded quickly and said: "That's right, cousin, what wish do you have? Aluan and the nobleman will definitely try their best to help you achieve it!" Xue Ming's hand stopped, staring blankly at the wooden fish, as if in a daze.Zhaoluan was still about to speak, but Jiang Chenyu pulled her hand, motioning her to keep quiet, because at this moment Xue Ming must be engaged in a fierce ideological struggle, success or failure depends on her thought, if others say too much , I am afraid it will have the opposite effect. After a long time like this, Xue Ming suddenly let out a miserable laugh, then shook his head, and knocked on her wooden fish again.Jiang Chenyu thought inwardly that it was bad, after all the queen hadn't passed that hurdle, it seemed that she had to push her.At that moment, she took two steps forward, pressed Xue Ming's hand and said, "Queen!" Xue Ming raised his head dully and looked at her, neither making a sound nor getting angry, with an indifference like ashes on his calm face. Jiang Chenyu said: "The empress lives in the deep palace, so she can stop paying attention to the mundane affairs of the outside world and focus on the Buddha, but do you know that the blood is shining outside, and your people are suffering a catastrophe? Are you really Do you have the heart to abandon them?" Xue Ming murmured: "As soon as I am deposed, what can I do if I can't bear it? Let's go, and I won't come back again in the future." 姜沉鱼盯着她道：“你没试过怎知不能？你只道自己有心无力便可脱罪么？你如今袖手于外，可曾想过百年之后，黄泉路上，如何去见你那一百三十七位族人，以及无数的列祖列宗？” 薛茗重重一颤。 “沉鱼只是一介女流，不会说什么大道理。只不过前阵子看见一件事，很有感悟，现在说出来，与皇后一起分享吧。”她换了另一种口吻，缓缓道，“沉鱼一次路过厨房，见厨娘在烧鱼，滚沸的油锅里，活鳝丢下去，全都挣扎了没几下就死了，唯独其中一条，拼命地弓起身子，迟迟没死。厨娘觉得奇怪，捞起来剖腹一看，原来，那条鳝鱼腹内有籽。它为了保护自己的孩子，所以才那样拼命地垂死挣扎。” 薛茗闭上了眼睛，胸口起伏不定。 姜沉鱼凝视着她，每个字都说得很慢：“皇后，连鱼类尚知为籽求生，更何况人？你，真的什么愿望都没有了吗？” 薛茗的嘴唇颤动着，最后慢慢睁开眼睛，流下泪来。她伸出颤抖的手，一把握住昭鸾的胳膊道：“阿鸾……” “表姐，我在呢！” “我们薛家罪孽深重，死不足惜，唯独薛采，年方七岁，那些个害人的龌龊事，通通跟他没有关系。但皇上既然已对薛家动手，势必要斩草除根，断断不肯独饶了他。如今，我只能求救于你了……” 昭鸾煞白了脸，颤声道：“我我我……我也不想小薛采死啊，但是我，我……皇兄他不会听我的……” “求你去求太后，求太后念在我们薛家保卫疆土没有功劳也有苦劳的分上，留薛采一命！”薛茗说着弯腰跪倒，叩头于地，咚咚有声。 昭鸾慌乱道：“我答应你，我答应你一定去求太后！无论结局如何，这话，我一定给你带到太后跟前！” 薛茗紧紧抓着她的手，一字一字沉声道：“如此，我替薛家一百三十七人一起谢你了！” 旁边，姜沉鱼望着这一幕，静静地站着，没有任何表情。 回到嘉宁宫后，昭鸾便先行回去了，姜画月屏退宫人，独独留下沉鱼，盯着她看了许久，最后跺足道：“我的姑奶奶小祖宗，你究竟知不知道自己做了些什么？” 姜沉鱼淡淡道：“知道。我很清楚自己在做什么。” “你清楚？我看你是疯了！你先是擅自让昭鸾去看薛茗不算，还拉着我一起去看，后又唆使薛茗向昭鸾求救，留薛采一命。估计这几天昭鸾就会想办法去求太后了，此事若惊动了太后，就真的不可收拾了。能不能最终留下薛采我不知道，但我知道皇上知道了肯定会生气！你害死我了，妹妹，你这回，可真的是害死我了！” “姐姐少安毋躁……” 姜画月急道：“我怎能少安毋躁？你这是怎么了？平日里最不愿趟浑水的人就是你，今儿个怎的变得如此主动，非要把事往自个儿身上揽呢？” 姜沉鱼轻轻一叹，低声道：“也许只不过是因为我知道，我们已经人在局中身不由己了。如不反抗，必死无疑。” 见她说得恐怖，姜画月吃了一惊：“你说什么？” “图璧四大世家，王氏已灭，而今轮到薛氏，剩下的姜、姬二家，难道姐姐真的认为会并存共荣？”姜沉鱼嘲讽地笑笑，却不知是在笑谁，“就算姜家肯，姬家也未必肯；就算姜、姬两家都肯，皇上也不会肯……” 姜画月越听越是心惊，发悚道：“妹妹你的意思是？” “一直以来，薛、姬、姜三大世家，与皇帝之间，有一种微妙的平衡。这种平衡牵制着局中的每个人，因此才形成了表面上的平和。而今，皇上执意要打破这种平衡，除去薛家，如此一来，璧国的势力必将再次重组。而这一次重组之后，姐姐认为，对皇上一直不是那么死心塌地凡事讲究个明哲保身的我们姜家，还会有立足的可能么？” 姜画月一颤，再也说不出话来。 “所以，要想姜家没事，薛家就不能亡，而要给薛家留一线生路，目标不在薛茗，而是薛采。”姜沉鱼深吸口气，分析道，“薛茗已废，孤身一人在冷宫中再难有所作为，但是薛采不同，他还很小，还有无数种可能，再加上他与生俱来的天赋、才华，还有薛家根深蒂固的人脉，这些都是他日东山再起的资本。这个孩子，一定要想办法保住！” 姜画月呆呆地看着自己的妹妹，忽然觉得她变得好陌生，纵然眉眼五官还是那熟悉的模样，但从她身上流露出的，却是自己从不曾发觉的慑人气势。 她什么时候起变成了这样？ 又是因什么而改变的？ “能怎么保住？”姜画月颤声道，“就算太后知道了，开口向皇上求人，就皇上那脾气，也未必会卖这个人情。要知道，皇上毕竟不是太后亲生的，供着她，也不过是做做样子罢了……” 姜沉鱼的眼波如水般的朝她漂了过来，明亮之极，亦锐利之极：“太后当然不行，但是姐姐怎忘了有一个人的话，皇上却是绝对会听的。” "Who?" "Young master." 没错，如今满朝文武中，若说谁是真正对皇帝有震慑之力，且真正能救得了薛采的人，只有一个——淇奥侯，姬婴。 当晚，姜沉鱼回到家中，向父兄诉说了此事，姜孝成瞪大眼睛，惊道：“你说什么？你和画月陪公主去乾西宫看望薛茗，并答应她替她保住薛采？” 姜沉鱼点头。姜孝成差点没跳起来，第一个反应就是：“你疯了？你明知道皇上现在摆明了要将薛家连根铲除，你还敢老虎爪下去抢人？嫌自己命不够长吗？” 对比他的激动，老谋深算的姜仲则平静许多，沉吟道：“薛氏一族里，薛怀虽是神将，但毕竟年迈；薛茗虽为皇后，但已被废黜；薛弘飞虽然善战，但却是义子……倒也的确只剩下了薛采。不过，年纪却是太小，很难说他将来成就如何。为何你非要留住薛氏血脉？” 姜沉鱼抬起头，清楚干脆地说了两个字：“竖敌。” “竖谁之敌？” “姜家、姬家，还有……皇上。” 姜仲恍然大悟道：“原来如此……你想用薛家来牵制姬家，不让他继续坐大？” “这么说吧，三大世家里，一旦薛家没了，剩下姜、姬两家，无论从哪方面看，我们姜家都不是姬家的对手，而皇上对我们既不信任也不亲近，没落是迟早的事。但是，皇上虽然倚重姬氏，有薛家势强欺主的前车之鉴，他必定也不会任其坐大。所以，从这一点上看，我们其实和皇上是一样的，都需要一个契机去牵制姬家。试问，目前还有什么比薛族遗孤更好的契物？” 这下子，连姜孝成都听懂了，眼睛开始发亮，不过依然还是有所迷惑道：“薛采一垂髫小儿，能有什么作为？能牵制得了姬婴？我不信。” 姜沉鱼淡淡一笑：“如果，皇上把薛采赐给姬婴呢？” 姜孝成呆了一下，继而跳起道：“怎么可能？” “为什么不可能？皇上如果不能杀薛采，那么对他来说，还有什么地方能比淇奥侯身边更安全也更危险？他将薛采赐给姬婴，因为他信任姬婴，所以把心头大患交给自己最信任的臣子，相信他必定会好好看着薛采，不让他有任何作为；如果皇上不信任姬婴，正好可以借此考验姬婴的忠诚，看看他会如何对待薛采，是把他栽培成材，还是就此摧折。” “可皇上没有理由不杀薛采啊！” 姜沉鱼目光一沉，定声道：“那我们就给他找个非留不可的理由。” 姜仲犹豫了很久，最后低低一叹道：“此计虽好，但为父总觉欠妥，因为，若是由我们出面救薛采，岂非是等于向皇上宣告，我们跟他不是一心的？恐怕不等姬家坐大皇上就先拿我们开了刀……” 姜孝成忽然开口哈哈笑了两声。姜仲皱眉道：“你笑什么，孝成？” “爹的烦恼真有意思，就凭咱们，能救得了薛采？” 姜仲的一张老脸顿时变成了黑紫色，这个儿子，果然笨得就只会拆自家人的台。 姜沉鱼察言观色，连忙安抚道：“爹不要生气，哥哥说的也是事实。薛采一事，当然不能由咱们出面，事实上，沉鱼已想到了最好的人选。” "Who?" 姜沉鱼咬着舌尖道：“淇奥侯。” 姜仲摇头：“不可能，就算皇上有理由放薛采，姬家也没理由救他，薛氏一除，朝中再无可与之抗衡者，他何必多此一举，为自己招惹一只烫手的山芋？” “要不要……跟我赌一次呢？”姜沉鱼抬起头来，双眸灿灿，异常坚定，也异常地自信，“女儿赌公子他，一定会救！” 随着这一句话，一切就此尘埃落定。 第二天，一封书笺恭恭敬敬地送到了侯爷府，未时，绣有白泽的马车如约出现在京郊十里的青岚寺外。 车帘轻掀，走出来的果然是姬婴。两名僧人为他领路，一直带到寺庙后方的庭院中，才躬身退下。 而庭院里，古树，岩碑，石案上，新茶初沸。 一双纤纤素手端起炉上的麒麟黄花梨茶壶，以拇指、中指扶杯，食指压盖，将盖瓯掀起，沿茶盘边沿轻轻一抹，去掉附在瓯底的水滴，再将浅碧色的新茶注入杯中。 做这一系列动作时，但见浅紫色的衣袖轻轻飘浮，姿势美妙如仙，堪比画中人。 姬婴凝望着那个人，不动。 那人回过头来朝他微微一笑，道：“平生于物之无取，消受山中水一杯。不知这以陈年梅雪泡制而成的仰天雪绿，是否入得了公子之口？” 嶙峋的婆娑梅下，但见那人楚腰卫鬓，蛾眉曼睩，柔情绰态，令人望而惊艳。不是别人，正是姜沉鱼。 姬婴释然一吁，笑容顿起：“如此好茶，婴自然谢领。” 姜沉鱼伸手做了个请的姿势，将泡好的茶，推至他面前。冬雪已弥，天青皓蓝，只觉红尘俗世到了此间，都一一远离。两人就这样面对面坐下默默地品着茶，好一阵子不说话。 最后，还是姜沉鱼先开口道：“沉鱼僭越，冒家父之名约公子来此，还望公子见谅。” 姬婴淡淡一笑：“小姐约婴前来，必为有事，既然有事，是谁约的又有什么关系呢？” 姜沉鱼却没有立刻接话，垂下眼睛注视着手里的茶，又是一段时间的沉默，最后像是终于下了决心般的深吸口气，抬头道：“公子可知，这青岚寺的名字，是从何而来？” 姬婴微一思索，道：“如果我没记错的话……此寺是由冰璃公子命名的。” “没错，此名，甚至包括寺前的匾额，皆出自薛采之手。冰璃公子四岁时，同家人外出踏青，不慎走散，在这山中迷了路，正昏饿之际，幸遇一美人。那美人提灯将他带至此处，寺中的和尚发现晕倒在门外的孩童，救了他。他醒来后，感念其恩，想起那人自称青岚，恍然惊觉，原来她就是中的最后一怪——青岚女。遂以伊命以赠此寺。”姜沉鱼说到这里，停了一下才道，“四岁孩童，能有此奇遇，着实令吾辈艳羡。” 姬婴笑道：“纵是奇遇，若非他这般的妙人儿，也成就不了一段佳话。” 姜沉鱼指着身旁的岩石道：“那么公子又是否知道这块抱母石的由来？” “当然，说起来还是跟冰璃公子有关。他被寺僧所救后，日日盼望家人来找，感怀母恩，写就了名彻四国的《抱母吟》，而这块石头，便是为纪念他的那首诗，改作此名。” “嘤嘤稚儿，发初覆额。食母之乳，因母喜乐。桀桀童子，骑竹高歌。母唤归家，厌母苛责。朗朗青衫，异乡之客。袖开袍裂，忆母针盒。苍苍老翁，泪无可遮，墓前枯草，已没行车……”姜沉鱼缓缓道，“婴儿时代腻着母亲，孩童时代烦着母亲，长成之后离开母亲，老了回来难见母亲……短短六十四字，将一对母子的一生都书写尽了。而他当时，不过才四岁。” 这回轮到姬婴沉默。 壶里的茶水沸腾着，顶得盖子扑扑作响，偶有风拂过山林，沙沙沙沙。姜沉鱼凝视着他，眸中有着千种情绪，万般思量，最终归结成为一句话：“公子，求你……救他。”说着，屈膝跪下。 姬婴回视着她，看似平静的眼底，却有着难掩的迷离，最后轻轻一叹。 姜沉鱼咬唇道：“公子耳目无数，必然已经知道昨日我同姐姐还有公主去冷宫看过皇后的事情。你在接到书笺时便应该猜到，我们找你，所谓何事。公子本可以不来，但公子既然来了，就说明，此事可成，不是么？” 姬婴的视线转到了那块名叫抱母石的岩壁上。 “公子，你门客三千，养贤纳士，最是惜才，甚至不惜屈己尊人，亲执车辕。如今，这个四岁就写出了《抱母吟》、五岁御前射虎、六岁出使燕国的神童就要为家门所累，无妄而死，你又怎忍心袖手一旁，弃之不顾，这岂非寒了天下学士的心？” 姬婴道：“小姐请起。” 姜沉鱼却不起，继续道：“若是旁人，我亦不会相求。但唯独是你，只有你，我知道你能救他，所以才大胆开这个口。公子，薛采于皇上而言，只不过是一个逆臣家里微不足道的一个孩子，但是于这天下而言，却是至宝奇葩，砍了他的脑袋，就再也不会有第二个了。” 姬婴似是被这最后一句话勾动了心绪，脸上闪过一抹异色，再看向她时，目光里就多了很多东西，那些东西闪烁着、跳跃着，最后凝成了惋惜：“你说的没错，薛采的确只有一个……”他闭上眼睛，再睁开来，起身道，“人生百年，国仇家恨，于历史长河而言，不过是沧海一粟，转瞬即没。但文采风流，却可以万世流芳，寰古相存。婴虽不才，亦见不得和璧隋珠就此碎损蒙尘。我答应你，姜小姐，我会救薛采。” 我会救薛采。 这五个字，字字坚毅，掷地有声。 姜沉鱼仰着脑袋，目不转睛地看着他，眼中依稀浮起泪光。 这场赌局……她赢了。 因为，公子爱才，而薛采正是百年不遇的玉质良材。她赌的就是公子的惜才之心，而他果然不负她望，最终答应相救。她知道其实以他的身份地位，和他所处的境地，需要做出多大的牺牲才能够应允此事，她虽然猜到了他会心软，却依旧为这样的心软而感动。 公子啊……不愧是她仰慕了那么久心心念念的公子啊……这样的宽仁大度，这样的摒弃私利，这样品德高洁完美无瑕的一个他…… 可是，可是，可是…… 重重雾气弥漫上来，姜沉鱼想，她也许马上就会哭出来了。心里，像被刀割一般，某个位置正在涔涔流血，因为感动，因为爱恋，更因为愧疚： 公子，你救薛采虽是大义，我姜沉鱼却是为了私心啊。 因为，若薛家真灭，姬家必盛，姜家愈衰，如此一来，姜、姬两家的联姻便失去了存在的意义。 而我，怎能眼睁睁地看着这门婚事夭折？ 所以，我只能趁它还没呈现出彻底颓败的端倪前，紧紧抓住不放。 公子，我不能放。我若一放，就会失去你！ 我要嫁你为妻，两相扶持，永结白头。但那一切，都要建立在平等的基础之上。我不要高攀姬家，亦不要为旁人所鄙夷，认为我配不上你。 我要你以我为荣，我要无比光耀地站在你身旁，我要天下所有人都说：姜家的沉鱼和姬家的淇奥乃是天造地设的一对！ 所以，我只能做出这么卑鄙的事情来。 我只能这样阻碍了你的前程。 对不起，公子，对不起…… 因为爱你，因为我爱你，因为……我是如此执著却又卑微地爱着你…… 姜沉鱼垂下眼睛，睫毛如蝶翼般不停战栗，心中难掩悲怆。而就在那时，她听见姬婴道：“原来这里也有杏树……” 她抬头，但见姬婴负手立在桌旁，凝望着不远处的一株杏树，此时寒冬刚过，天气尚未完全转暖，树干光秃秃的，毫无美感。但他却宛如看见了春花烂漫万物复苏的丽景一般，眼神变得非常非常温柔。 她心头一颤，忍不住问道：“公子喜欢杏花？” “嗯。”清软的鼻音后，又强调着补充了一句，“非常喜欢。” 原来公子喜欢杏花，不知为何，觉得有点怪异的感觉，总觉得如此清雅高洁的公子，应该喜欢更另类特别些的花才是。 “有点意外，我以为公子喜欢樱花。” “难道你真喜欢虞美人草？”姬婴如此反问，看来他也想到了庚帖里的那幅对联。 姜沉鱼抿唇一笑道：“冷艳全欺雪，余香乍入衣。” “原来你喜欢梨花……”姬婴望着那株杏树，悠悠道，“真好，再过一月，两种花就都会开了。” 姜沉鱼心念微动，遂道：“每年四月，帝都都有专门的赏花盛典，万卉千芳，犹以红园为最。公子今年，要不要……与我同去？” 姬婴似乎怔了一下，这令她顿