Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Cloud Tears
The sky was not clear yet, and the sky was covered with overcast clouds. I don't know when it started, and the snowflakes gradually fell down.When the king left the bedroom, a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground, and the internal officials had to clean it with brooms.Xuan frowned, walked down the steps and asked:
"When did it start snowing?"
"After Your Highness coughed."
Hearing the internal officer's answer, Xuan felt relieved.Seeing the thick snow on the ground, he first thought of Yue. When returning to the Xingxiu Hall in the early morning, Yue needed to walk all the way to the bottom of the platform in cloth socks. He was afraid that she would freeze.However, at this time, I can't be completely relieved. If the snow keeps falling like this, Yue will still step on the snow to go back to the palace tonight, and the straw sandals will not have any effect on keeping warm. Thinking of this, Xuan feels his heart It hurts slightly.
"For the convenience of walking, the snow in the palace must be cleaned at all times. Not only the royal road, but also the places where the subjects walk, so as not to prevent someone from frostbite their feet."
"Obey, do it right away."
Ti Yun, who followed closely behind the king, didn't seem to see the snow, nor did he feel the slightest cold.Because his mind was completely occupied by the moon and misty rain.
Xuan did not go directly to the side hall as usual, but to the Dafei hall.Xuan's biological mother, the concubine Han, is a poor woman. The Yin family who wanted to monopolize the power of her relatives caused her to lose most of her natal family.Therefore, even though they live in the same palace, and there is only one road in the middle, she hardly meets the princess, even so, it is not that Han is ignorant of the affairs in the palace, she is like an ordinary lady. Like a married woman, she occasionally holds witchcraft ceremonies together with the Constellation Hall. The most important thing is that she has lived in the palace for a while, and has held a ceremony.So so far, no one knows more about Yutan witchcraft than Han.
Xuan sat in front of Han, constantly thinking about how to bring up this topic naturally.But obviously he didn't have to rack his brains about it.Because just before Xuan sat down, Han seemed to understand Xuan's mind, and opened the topic on his own initiative.
"Your Highness, have you summoned the Priestess of the Zhang Clan?"
Although very happy that Han Shi would ask such a question, Xuan deliberately changed the topic.
"Mother, don't worry about those things. It's been so cold recently, is the kang hot?"
Han Shi was a little discouraged, and answered perfunctorily without saying anything.Without saying a few words, the two talked about the Xingxiu Hall again.
"I don't have any wish. As long as His Highness is cured, I will die without regret. You are the only reason I live in this world!"
"My son is healthy."
"Aren't you often sick? Just ask Ms. Zhang..."
"Queen, don't say that again..."
Han Shi sat down in front of Xuan, held his hands tightly, and began to persuade Xuan.
"I heard that the witch was summoned into the palace by His Highness himself. Take this opportunity to let her completely eradicate the root cause of your illness! Who knows if she will suddenly change her mind and disappear one day! She is used to the life of idle clouds and wild cranes, so Even if she leaves the Constellation Hall tomorrow, it is not impossible! I heard that for the past eight years, she has only concentrated on praying, so her divine power is very strong. If she uses witchcraft, it will be effective immediately, isn't it because of this, everyone Why don't you rush to let her perform the spell on yourself first."
Xuan pretended to be very excited, and asked, "Is she really that powerful?"
"Of course she is very powerful, but it's a pity that she is not from the Palace of the Great King and Princess..."
Xuan felt that now is a good time to cut into the topic.
"Has the queen mother ever seen Mrs. Zhang perform witchcraft with her own eyes?"
"Of course not. Watching her perform spells is harder than picking up the stars in the sky. Even if the princess who has a close relationship with her asks for it in person, it will most likely be rejected."
"Then, before this, Zhang's pre-exploration witchcraft before leaving the Xingxiu Hall was the last time she performed a spell."
"What? Yutan witchcraft? Has someone like Mrs. Zhang ever done that kind of humble witchcraft? This is really surprising!"
Xuan was taken aback by Han's words.Because after listening to Zhao Jihao's report, he always thought that Yutan witchcraft was a secret witchcraft that very few people knew about.However, Han's words clearly conflicted with Yue's answer, which made him confused.
"Unremarkable witchcraft?"
"This is a witchcraft commonly used in the boudoir. It is a witchcraft that women pray to their ancestors before they get married. It was originally a witchcraft ceremony held at home after the folks set a wedding date, but the queen mother who was chosen by the royal family as the main concubine It was held in another palace. This kind of witchcraft doesn’t even require a wizard, just put a bowl of water and pray in front of it. It’s really strange that Mrs. Zhang has done this kind of witchcraft.”
"Then, when you were living in the other palace, did you not do any other witchcraft besides Yuqu witchcraft?"
Han Shi shook her head blankly.
"No, Yutan witchcraft is barely called witchcraft..."
Xuan couldn't help showing a disappointed expression, but these words made his mind even more confused.After that, Han kept trying to persuade Xuan to perform a witchcraft, but finally she couldn't stand it anymore, so she got up and left.
Xuan came to Qianqiu Hall, ordered everyone around to retreat, and told the waiting courtiers to wait a little longer.Then, he briefly told Yun what he had heard from Han Shi about Yu Tan's witchcraft, and at the same time sorted out his confused thoughts.
Zhao Jihao, Yue, and Han have different accounts of Yu Tan's witchcraft.According to common sense, what Miko Moon said should naturally be the correct answer.However, Yue is an abnormal shrine maiden who doesn't even know such an ordinary prayer festival.So, is Han's statement, who has had personal experience, the most correct?However, what Zhao Jihao said was very similar to what Yue said about Yutan witchcraft.If two people have completely different answers, there is nothing to say, but it is rare for two people to give the same wrong answer at the same time.Thinking about it this way, what Han said was probably wrong.
Xuan called the officer in the car, whispered to him and ordered him to go back to his private home today, inquire about Yu Tan's witchcraft in detail, and report back quickly.If Yutan witchcraft is as common as Han said, it is not difficult to get relevant information, which can also prove that what Yue and Zhao Jihao said is not true.
However, Ti Yun believed that what Han said was correct, because he had already suspected that Yue and Misty Rain were the same person, and Yue and Zhao Jihao's same wrong answers confirmed his suspicion.At this moment, he was in a very complicated mood, so he withdrew without saying anything.He returned to the Yichuan official hall, intending to take a nap, but he couldn't fall asleep anyway, the moon and misty rain lingered in his mind, like a broken dream.Suddenly his eyes widened and he sat up.
Ti Yun got up and went to the fencing training ground.He swung his sword in the falling snow, but even that didn't calm his mind.He hoped that at this time, someone would come out to find trouble for him like last time, so as to vent the depression in his heart.But because of the snow, all military training has been stopped, and there is a dead silence all around.
If you don't want to continue the confusion like this, it is a direct and thorough way to ask Yan to clarify.However, Yan Yu's death was always Yan's heart disease, which made it hard for him to talk about it.For Yan, who is always brooding over his sister's death, whether it is Yan Yu who survived as Yue, or whether Yan Yu has really passed away, it is a tragedy for him.If you want to understand, you can only click around.
There was still a while before he needed to go back to the king, Ti Yun quickly ran to the stable to pull out the black cloud horse bestowed by the king, and went straight to Beicun.Lying on the bumpy horse's back, the fierce horse's hooves seemed to step on his anxious heart.
It happened that a servant of the Yan family was wearing a straw coir raincoat and holding a broom, intending to sweep the snow before it accumulated. Unexpectedly, when he opened the door, he saw a huge black shadow. He was so frightened that he fell silent and fell to the ground.When he came back to his senses and took a closer look, it was Ti Yun riding high on the horse, looking at him coldly.
Ti Yun stopped in front of Yan's house, did not dismount, but just looked at the gate.The heavy snow fell, brushed his black clothes and the red cloud sword, and the mane of the black cloud horse was also covered with snowdrops.His eyes were stern and unmoving. If it weren't for the heat from the horse's nose, one would wonder if he had turned into a cold statue of a knight.His lips were pursed into a line, as if he wanted to bury all the doubts and unspeakable thoughts deep in his heart.If the servant hadn't opened the door to clear the snow and found him, I don't know how long he would have stayed like this.
The servant scrambled to his feet without even having time to slap the snow on his buttocks, and hurried to the front of Ti Yun.
"Ouch! Didn't I hear you calling the door? It's all because of the snow! How offensive it is to keep you in the snow for so long!"
Ti Yun said coldly:
"I never called the door."
He jumped off the horse, and when the servant was eager to grab the rein, the black cloud horse ruthlessly avoided his hand and leaned towards its master.Ti Yun handed the reins to the servant himself, and comforted the horse's face before letting the stubborn Heiyun horse move forward under the lead of the servant.
"Shake off all the snow from him and let him warm himself."
The servant looked at Hei Yunma in awe and replied, "Yes, of course."
Seeing Ti Yun and the horse walking into the gate together, the little servant quickly ran to the wing room and reported to Yanhui out of breath:
"Master, Ti Yun is riding a black cloud horse!"
Yan, who was immersed in reading, was extremely surprised when he heard the servant's report, and immediately opened the door of the wing room.If there were no urgent matters, Ti Yun would never have come here on a black cloud horse.Besides, visiting in such a snowy day, something important must have happened.Yan walked into the wing room, and saw Ti Yun's figure at a glance.The servants had already run away to see the Heiyun horse.Seeing Yan, Ti Yun lowered his head to say hello, and came to Yan.
"What happened here?"
After seeing Yan with a surprised face, Ti Yun realized that his visit was too sudden.
"I happened to be passing by, so by the way..."
He was too flustered, so he found an excuse at random, but unfortunately this excuse was too clumsy, Yan could only let him into the house first.
"Let's go into the house!"
Ti Yun walked up the steps and took off his boots, and Yan took advantage of the situation to brush off the snow that fell on his head and shoulders.The two entered the room and sat down facing each other, the uneasy look in Yan's eyes still did not disappear.Therefore, Ti Yun needs a suitable excuse to explain his unusual behavior in this snowy weather riding a black cloud horse.Ti Yun pondered for a long time, and suddenly remembered the imperial order to hold a ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven at the Circular Mound Altar.
"His Royal Highness ordered the Zhaoge Department to be in charge of this ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens at the Circular Mound Altar."
As expected, Yan's expression immediately became worried.Before he became Yibin, he belonged to the Shihlin faction. According to his previous position, he would definitely oppose this move.But now he answered as Yibin this time.
"I have also heard the news. But, as usual, I will not comment."
At this time, the maid brought hot tea.Therefore, the two temporarily interrupted the conversation and waited for the maid to leave.The two drank tea and remained silent.Yan silently pondered His Highness' thoughts, while Ti Yun was thinking about how to ask Yan Yu about it.Ti Yun knew that since Yan had already said that he would not make a statement, he really would not say anything more, and could only break the silence by himself.Ti Yun, who doesn't know how to make detours, finally said straight to the point:
"I suddenly remembered that when we were practicing swords, there was always a maid who was peeping."
"When do you mean before? Oh! You're talking about the maidservant of our house..."
Yan said Misty Rain's name without knowing it, and his expression immediately became very sad.He quickly picked up the teacup and drank tea, trying to hide his expression.Ti Yun couldn't bear to continue asking, but he had to, so he also had mixed feelings in his heart.
"That girl, what are you doing now?"
"She may have been sold to another place. Because after that, I never saw her again."
"Do you know where it was sold?"
"That's not clear. Why did you suddenly ask her?"
"It's nothing...do you remember her name?"
Yan recalled for a moment, the sound of snow falling outside the window awakened his memory, he suddenly said:
"Xue! Her name is Xue. If you don't ask me, I really forgot about her. By the way, I gave her the name."
Ti Yun returned a questioning look, Yan smiled and said:
"If I remember correctly, when she first came to my house, she seemed to be called 'this girl'. People should call her casually, and after a long time, it really became her name. Since the original name was not pleasant to the ears, I let her Changed her name to Xue, and changed the name on the selling papers."
Perhaps it was because of her that the long-term memories of Yan Yu were brought back. As he talked, Yan's expression became more sad, and he kept holding up the teacup to cover up.Ti Yun could also feel the pain in his heart, but for this maid who was closely related to Yan Yu's death, he had to ask clearly, and he couldn't care so much at this time.
"I suddenly remembered that Da Tixue once said that even if you are a servant, you should not buy or sell casually, so I would like to ask."
"Huh? My family follows the teachings of my late father. Unless the servants get the status of good citizens and leave on their own, our family's servants will never sell. But, why do you think of that child..."
The two were silent for a while, but Ti Yun didn't hesitate any longer and continued to ask.
"Is your sister very similar to you?"
Yan's eyes were confused, and he showed a faint smile, but tears immediately fell down.Ti Yun turned his eyes away, looked at the teacup, and heard Yan answer in a trembling voice.
"Yes, everyone said that. When relatives get together, they always jokingly say that our Yanyu and I are born siblings. When we were young, we always played together. Like me, my late father was still very worried about this..."
Yan couldn't go on any longer, and drank tea hurriedly as if trying to swallow his sadness.His suppressed sad eyes are so similar to the moon outside the small window. Looking closely, the beautiful hand shape holding the teacup, fair skin, and straight ear shape are also very similar.They even faintly exude the same elegant orchid fragrance.
"Your Excellency always exudes the fragrance of orchids, does it even resemble this?"
"Yes. In our family, Yanyu doesn't use the peach blossom powder that my mother grinds herself, but the orchid grass powder that my late father prepared for me. Although I have repeatedly prevented her from using that Confucian incense..."
Therefore, Yan has been using orchid fragrance in order not to forget his sister's breath, and Yanyu is also concerned about his brother, and has always kept the orchid fragrance on his body, Ti Yun speculates this way.
"Remember you have all read a lot of books."
Yan quietly nodded.Question Yun asked more cautiously:
"As a woman, it's rare to have read so many books at that age. Maybe... If she is still here now, it must be amazing."
"If she is still alive, she will still be jealous of my book..."
"Her grave... isn't in the ancestral grave?"
"Because she died as a daughter's family, she can't be buried there. Seriously, even having a grave is a luxury."
"Then you know where her grave is?"
"The wild mountain next to Sujing Gate."
"Do you go there often?"
Yan slowly shook his head, every time he said he was going to visit the grave, he always missed it intentionally or unintentionally, occasionally wanted to visit, but was still unable to move.Until now, Misty Rain's lively calling always echoed in his ears, as if he could see her laughing and running over when he turned his head.He didn't want the tomb to remind Misty Rain of the cruel fact that he was gone, so he didn't go often.
"I heard that after Miss Yanyu passed away, she was buried hastily."
"This is really my eternal regret... Sending our family Yanyu away like that, I am really an unforgivable brother..."
Yan's voice slowly lowered, Ti Yun felt that he was too cruel, and almost wanted to stop like this, not to give this poor brother any more suffering.He remained silent for a long time, but slowly asked a more serious question:
"Did you...have you personally seen Miss Yanyu's coffin?"
Yan's voice was indistinct, like a long sigh, almost unrecognizable.
"...That's right, there is no wrapping, no burial. Only the clothes she had when she was alive... Our family, Yanyu, has gone so pitifully..."
Hearing such a heart-wrenching answer, Ti Yun's heart was filled with guilt, but he was subtly relieved. According to this, Yue and Misty Rain are indeed not the same person.Yan Yu is the woman chosen to be the crown prince, which means she will become the nave in the future, which is a status that Ti Yun dare not even look up to.For Ti Yun who was born as a concubine, Yan Yu, who is a nave, is really far above the clouds. He would rather Yue is just a witch, so that he can still have something to look forward to.He really didn't want to admit his speculation that Yue and Misty Rain were the same person, such tangled thoughts tormented his heart heavily, making him linger outside the door and dare not go in to face the answer.Now that Yan said so, it seems that the previous speculation was just worrying.His mood had not been relaxed for a long time, Yan's next words suddenly raised his heart again.
"...The strange thing is that after death, the body should harden. It was like this when my father passed away, but our Yanyu's body just became cold. Even the housekeeper said that maybe she would wake up... Such a beautiful child How pitiful it is to be left in the field, I have repeatedly begged my late father not to bury her..."
"The body didn't harden?"
Although the voice of speaking did not change, Yan also heard the unconcealable surprise in Ti Yun's tone.
"The late father speculated that it was the effect of the decoction that the child took when he was sick."
As Yan said, he also felt that something was wrong.Before he experienced his father's death, he really didn't notice the strangeness.But now that I think about it, the state of the remains of the two is very different.Misty Rain just didn't have a breathing pulse, her whole body was cold, and she didn't even feel stiff, as if she was just asleep.But even though he found it strange, he didn't dare to think that she might still be alive.
"Have you ever seen the coffin buried in the earth with your own eyes?"
Yan shook his head.
"Didn't you worry about my unusual behavior and followed me?"
Yes, Tian Yan did not follow the funeral procession, but stayed at home with Ti Yun.Afterwards, Ti Yun was still afraid that Yan would do something that would hurt him because he blamed himself too much for his sister's death, so he kept taking care of him.
"Then, was there someone by your side from the moment the soil fell to the sealing of the tomb?"
"I heard that many people, including my late father and the housekeeper, were watching the whole process."
Covering the coffin and sealing the tomb, there is no reason for the people inside to be alive. Even if they were alive at the time, they would suffocate to death soon. Could it be that someone used black magic?Ti Yun became uneasy, and put the teacup tightly in his hand back on the tea table.Even if it's not sorcery, the priestess of Jangshido, who possesses the highest divine power in Joseon, is by Yue's side!If this famous female priestess is involved in this matter, everything is not impossible.
I heard that there is also a kind of treacherous person among the witches who uses a medicine that can fake death to deceive the people by creating the illusion that they have the ability to bring the dead back to life.If he knew how to use this method, Misty Rain's death could be fully hidden from others.Moreover, the witches of the Zhang Clan also just disappeared from the Xingxiu Hall eight years ago, which is really too coincidental.And the moon is so similar to Misty Rain, it is almost certain that this is the case.Yan calmed down, and asked with a smile:
"It's really strange. It was Ti Yun who asked about our family's Yanyu, not Yang Mingjun..."
When Yanyu was alive, Lord Yangming had always cared about her, but Tiyun never cared about her.
The question cloud did not respond positively.
"I should go, I've been out for a long time."
Yan also stood up and walked outside.The snowflakes are still flying chaotically.The butler standing in the corridor of the middle door saw that the guest was about to leave, so he rushed forward to greet him.After taking a solemn farewell to Yan, Tiyun left.The servant handed Hei Yun's rein to Ti Yun, and then retreated into the courtyard.Only the butler who came to see off the guests was left outside the door, Ti Yun said in a deep voice:
"Today I talked with Master Yibin about Miss Xian."
Ti Yun, who usually cherishes words like gold, took the initiative to speak this time, which made the housekeeper's eyes widen in surprise.Ti Yun ignored the butler's reaction and continued on his own.
"I heard that when she was buried, you were there the whole time?"
"Yes, yes. I still feel sad when I think about it now. My wife has been on the sick bed for a long time and cannot get up, so only the master went there first. He is really grief-stricken, and even others feel sympathy for him."
"Did everyone come back immediately after the tomb was sealed?"
"Yes. Ah! But on the way back from serving the master, he said that the stone offering table would be arriving later, so the villain went back again."
"Stone altar?"
"I can't erect a stone stele, but at least I have to put a stone altar. Although the master objected, the villain still insisted on making his own decision... Anyway, the young lady is a person who has been canonized as the imperial concubine. Why is there only a bare grave?" Woolen cloth……"
The housekeeper sighed for a long time, wondering if he recalled the situation at that time, and said sadly.
"Because I was afraid that the masters would be distressed, so I didn't tell them. After walking away for a while, groups of crows and wild dogs had already pounced on the tomb, digging up the soil. Fortunately, I went back to have a look. Think about that, My heart is going to break..."
Startled, Ti Yun looked at the butler.The housekeeper who mistakenly thought that he was out of caring immediately spoke out to comfort him:
"But then we planted eucalyptus trees around it, and that kind of thing hasn't happened since then."
What if it is not being dug, but dug up and then buried back?What if it was not done by beasts, but by someone on purpose?In Yue's previous life, only the soul of the gods was injected into Yue, which was Misty Rain.The person sitting in the nave should be Xu Yanyu.
Ti Yun got on his horse and galloped towards the palace.Heiyun seemed to feel the torment of his master, and moved forward cautiously.Ti Yun raised his head and looked into the distance. The sky was filled with clouds and mist, heavy snow was flying, and the sun was firmly covered.He let out a long breath, and watched in confusion as the white mist appeared and disappeared in front of him. It was getting colder, and his body began to feel a little stiff, but his heart became more and more restless, which made him more and more annoyed.
"My life is destined to belong to His Highness, but why is my heart in another place..."
Yan was also disturbed by the question cloud, and couldn't calm down for a long time, so he could only stand in front of the hall and watch the snowflakes fall.Although it has been eight years since Misty Rain, the feeling of sadness is still so deep.A gust of cold wind blew by, and the snow on the branches fell in a puff. At that moment, he felt that Misty Rain was playing a prank again.
When Yan Yu was young, she liked playing in the yard where it had snowed, throwing snowballs on Yan.Yan Ye, who was still young, immediately fought back with snowballs, but he was worried that she would be injured, so he always packed the snowballs loosely, and the loose snowballs scattered in the air before they reached his sister.In the snow at that time, misty rain and small footprints were sprinkled all over the place.
Yan walked out of the hall, walked slowly into the courtyard, and carved his footprints deeply on the snow.Now his footprints are much bigger than he remembered.
"Yanyu, have your feet grown on mine? Now my feet are as big as the two of us combined."
Yan began to slowly pace around the courtyard along the track of the two's footprints in his memory, looking for the sound of misty rain in the old days accompanied by the sound of treading on the snow.He smiled slightly, but big tears kept rolling down his eyes.Suddenly there was a series of footsteps behind him, he turned his head abruptly as if awakened, but it was not Misty Rain, but Min Hua who entered his sight.Yan felt a little ashamed, quickly turned his head and secretly wiped away his tears.
Yan turned his back to him, which made Minhua's feet feel very annoyed.She didn't know that he turned his head to wipe away his tears, but felt his back was as cold and lonely as an iceberg.She lowered her head sadly, unconsciously ravaging the ribbons on her clothes.Yan hurriedly wiped away her tears, and tried her best to ask in a calm voice:
"It's so cold, what are you doing out here?"
He still turned his back to Minhwa, even such a gentle voice didn't make her feel any better.Min Hwa just wanted to see him, and there was nothing special about it, so she couldn't answer, so she could only bury her head deeper.Tonight is the stipulated day for couples to have sex, but if the snow keeps falling like this, what should we do?She didn't have much chance to stay with Yan, and it was rare for her to be in the same room, but because of the weather, Minhua felt that this was really a distressing natural disaster.
"Husband, aren't you cold?"
Only then did Yan turn to face Minhua, the corners of his eyes and the tip of his nose turned red due to tears, fortunately in this weather, others would think it was caused by the cold.
"Princess's clothes are so thin, you must be cold?"
Encouraged by his gentle voice, Minhua plucked up the courage to raise her head, but as soon as her eyes touched his peaceful face, her heart beat faster again.The snow kept falling, gently covering her violent heartbeat.
"I am cold."
Minhwa hoped that answering this way would win him a hug, but Yan was too puzzled.
"Yes, look at your nose is red. Don't stay outside, come in."
"Huh? No, it's not... It was a little cold just now, but now that I'm with my husband, I'm not cold anymore."
"How can this be, you look very cold. Where did Min Shanggong go?"
Yanfa genuinely cares about her body, but Minhua feels that he just wants to send her away.She was frustrated and unwilling.
"Husband won't go in? Let's go together..."
"Ah, then go to the wing room to warm up first."
Hearing what Yan said, Minhua immediately walked towards the wing room as if afraid of his repentance.After entering the door, she found that there was already a person sitting in the room, which shocked her greatly, and Yan who followed behind was also surprised.It was Lord Yangming who came, but the strange thing was that no one informed him.
"How did you get in here?"
"I came here over the wall, I am an expert in overcoming the wall."
Although he was joking, his expression was a little heavy.He looked at Minhua, and said in a joking tone:
"You husband and wife have a good relationship. The snowy weather is a bit gloomy, but it's still broad daylight. Just like cats together, haha!"
Minhua was about to refute his nonsensical words, but thinking of Yan being by her side, she swallowed her words again.Lord Yangming corrected his expression, and asked Yan:
"A few rats have come to my house, can I take refuge here tonight?"
Yan remembered what Ti Yun had just mentioned, nodded, and sat down with a heavy face.Minhua didn't know what happened at all, but she knew that if he stayed overnight, she would not be able to have sex with Yan tonight.I used to worry about natural disasters, but now it seems that man-made disasters are even more terrifying!Minhua looked at her with angry eyes, wishing to burn Yangmingjun through, but before she opened her mouth to say anything, Yan had already lowered her voice and spoke to her.
"Mr. Yangming's coming here must be kept a secret, not even to Min Shanggong."
As a princess, Minhwa almost grew up in an environment of court intrigues, and she has a very keen sense of this tense atmosphere.She realizes right away that there must be something serious going on in the court, possibly even with the king.Once she realized this, she blamed Mr. Yangming even more. Something happened, so why did she come to Yibin?When she thought that Yan might be implicated, she became extremely uneasy.Mr. Yangming couldn't detect her little thoughts, looked at the tea table that hadn't been removed and asked:
"Did you two have tea together just now?"
"No, Ti Yun just came here. Didn't you meet him on the way?"
"That's a pity. If I had come earlier, I might have seen him."
Yan gestured for Minhua to go back to the back room with his eyes.Minhua couldn't resist, so she could only walk out of the wing in discouragement.As soon as she left, Yangming Jun whispered:
"I think Xu Neiguan's suicide is more serious than the ritual of offering sacrifices to heaven at the Circular Mound Altar."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Those treacherous ministers have been colluding with the Zhaoge Department for a long time. After Xu Neiguan committed suicide this time, they often come to my place, and their attitude is very flattering."
Although he is a bastard, Lord Yangming is the only elder brother of the king. The king has no heirs so far. If there is any mistake of this kind, Lord Yangming is the logical successor.The more people try to get closer to Lord Yangming, the closer the crisis is to the king.Yan frowned tightly, but Yang Mingjun smiled indifferently and said:
"No matter how wise the Holy One is, isn't he? Nothing will happen. Although he is holding on to the Zhaoge Department, sooner or later his sword will be transferred from the Shilin School to the King of the Poping House. It's not that he will not report, the time has not yet come! Today I will live here first in the evening, and I will go to the market tomorrow morning, drink and sleep with my arms open. The people who come and go will definitely think it is absurd to see me like this! It must be very interesting. Before I freeze to death, I need to find someone to come Get me back, haha!"
Seeing his forced smile, Yan also laughed in agreement.He saw that Yang Mingjun began to touch the earring unconsciously again, which was his habit when he was uneasy.Mr. Yangming is a very intelligent person, you can see that he tries so hard to hide his stupidity.But is even such an intelligent person starting to worry now?Where will everything go?
When Ti Yun appeared in front of Wang, Xuan read the magistrate's proposal and was about to confirm the list of night officials.Xuan glanced at the title cloud of returning to duty, without saying a word, but stamped the signature seal under the list of officials, and wrote down the password for tonight "Yunlei", that is, Yun's tears.Ti Yun felt ashamed and flustered after knowing the password.Although he knew that it should be impossible, the perceptive Wang found that he was entangled in the mystery of Yue and Misty Rain's identities and couldn't extricate himself.Xuan reviewed the official documents, and said to the official:
"Getting ready to take a bath, I feel a little cold and need to get rid of the cold."
Everyone was surprised by this sudden instruction.Official documents and memorials are still piled up on the desks of the king and the six ministers. Xuan, who has always been hands-on and the most diligent, has to take a bath in this busy time. People can't help but feel strange, maybe it's too cold to catch a cold relationship.The eunuch Shang Geng was ordered to rush to the bedroom in a hurry.
After everything was ready, Xuan entered the bathroom of the bedroom.The fragrance of ginseng emanates from the huge bathtub, filling the whole room.Ti Yun stood at the door, and the officials came up to Xuan to remove his clothes, but Xuan waved them away and said to Yun:
"Yun, untie the Yunjian and give it to me."
Ti Yun quickly untied Yun Jian and presented it, Xuan took Yun Jian and said again:
"There is also the Bieyun Sword."
Everyone showed surprised eyes, but Ti Yun still obediently presented the Bieyun sword.Wang summoned Shang Geng, an internal officer beside him, and asked him to keep Bieyunjian.
"Everyone stand down."
Only Xuan, Tiyun and Shang Geng were left in the bathroom.Xuan pulled out the cloud sword from the sheath, and the blade was exposed from the sheath, with the pattern of a dragon riding the clouds engraved on it.Xuan looked at the sword for a long time, and then suddenly slashed at Ti Yun's neck with his sword. This unpredictable scene made Shang Geng almost scream out.The sword stopped in time and landed on Ti Yun's neck, ready to kill him at any time, but Ti Yun didn't even blink his eyes.Xuan patted his neck with the blade of the sword, and said coldly:
"Undress."
Ti Yun slowly unbuttoned his belt, and took off his hat and sleeves.The top was removed by the powder, revealing the white inner robe.Xuan's expression changed suddenly, and he said with a smile:
"Yun, you are really boring! If you are compared with the sword, at least pretend to be a little scared, that's the fun, isn't it?"
Shang Geng's high-spirited heart finally let go, but Ti Yun was still indifferent and didn't respond.Xuan retracted his sword and sheathed it, and asked:
"Where have you been in such thin clothes on a snowy day?"
The question cloud is speechless.Although he went to Yan's house, he definitely couldn't answer truthfully.He used to go occasionally, nothing special.But in such a snowy day, Xuan must be curious about the reason why he didn't even report, so he must go to see Yan.If there is no good reason, he will persist in asking.Wang's keenness made it really difficult for him to speak.
Yue and Misty Rain are the same person, which is completely speculative, there is no strong evidence, and I still have doubts about the incredible thing that the teacher killed his daughter.If the king finds out about it and confirms it, then there will be no moon in this world, only Misty Rain, who is beyond his reach.He really wanted to see her again, so he couldn't say anything.
Xuan looked at the silent Ti Yun, and realized that this serious man was experiencing unusual torment in his heart.
"I only rely on you alone. It seems that you are too tired. But now it is still difficult to strengthen Yunjian. Yunjian also assassinated when Shizu was. This is the closest position to the king. The best assassination position, so you can't rush to add people in."
"I am not tired."
Xuan continued to say in a teasing tone:
"Yun, go soak in the water, since you've already taken off, then take it off."
"No."
"Go in, this is the imperial decree! This is the water I specially prepared for you!"
"Unable to obey."
"How dare you disobey the order? Just standing beside me in such a cold suit, do you want to pass the cold on me? Right now, you are the only guard by my side. What should I do if you fall ill? ? Don’t you know that this is also a kind of infidelity? If you don’t go in again, then I will get you in myself.”
尚更内官也跟着催促题云，题云迫于无奈终于决定去热水里待一会儿。他脱下白色的中衣和黑色的下衣，将它们整齐又叠好，穿着贴身的亵裤，步入热气氤氲的水中。看他老实进去，暄才把云剑压在了他的衣服上，对拿着别云剑的内官吩咐道：
“如果他不在水里待够两刻钟就要从水里出来的话，你就用这把剑把他的头砍下来。”
“啊？！这怎么敢呢！就算是云剑赤手空拳，小人也没法伤到他一根头发啊！”
“你这么说也对……那你就用这把剑自尽吧！哈哈！”
暄把吓呆了的尚更内官丢到一边置之不理，拍拍题云的肩膀道：
“云啊，我虽然没有赐你高官厚禄，但是你是我最珍惜的人。所以不要出问题啊，心里也是。”
暄留下那二人，自顾自地离去了。离开前，他对留守在外的三名内官交代道：
“今天不要让云出寝殿，让他好好休息。”
"yes."
王的身影刚从门口消失，题云就默歌地看向尚更内官，他紧张兮兮地攥着别云剑，好像十分害怕题云突然从水里跳出来似的。
“您可绝对不能出来！”
“但是两刻钟时间太长了。”
“这可是圣旨！别说是两刻，就算是一天，也不能违抗啊！”
题云无奈地摇摇头叹了口气，然后把头也埋入水中，在水中待了好长时间。
隔日一早，旼花迟迟不起身，感觉自己的眼睛都睁不开了。昨晚阳明君寄宿，她因为没能跟炎在一起而独自伤心，哭到很晚才昏昏沉沉地睡着，所以现在脸整个都肿了起来。如果以这副丑样子去用早饭的话，婆婆肯定会察觉，无辜的炎又该挨说了。为这个，闵尚宫一大早就忙个不停，正巧下了厚厚的雪，于是就弄了一个雪球来给她冷敷。还没等浮肿消下去，就到了饭点，所以旼花只好硬着头皮，顶着肿脸去内厅。
她极力避免婆婆看见自己的脸，低着头走进去，背对着她缩成一团。即便这样，还是被申氏发现了。
“公主慈驾，您的脸怎么回事？难道又是炎……”
听到婆婆惊奇的声音，旼花摸了摸脸，心虚地掩饰道：
“不，不是的。只是昨晚睡得太多而已。”
申氏长长地叹了口气。她何尝不知道公主的困惑，炎的个性像极了她死去的丈夫，因此没有人比她更懂公主的心思了。其实相对于申氏而言，旼花的处境还算好一些。丈夫也就算了，申氏可是连两个孩子都整日沉浸在书海之中的。儿子还说得过去，连身为女儿家的烟雨也是那个样子，不喜欢自己亲手做的玩偶，只要看到书就会笑逐颜开；总是抓着哥哥的衣角，反而对自己这个做母亲的不亲近。一想起烟雨，申氏就觉得食难下咽。旼花也没有胃口，胡乱吃了几口就不吃了。现在炎和阳明君一定在厢房开始用饭了，自己却只能在这里想象他的样子，真是气死人了。
旼花匆忙吃完，就赶着回房间想着要把脸上的浮肿消下去，好去见炎。她不停地用冰敷脸。闵尚宫看到了，马上一把夺过冰袋。
“再这样下去脸会受伤的！哎呀，血丝都冻出来了！”
“快还给我！我想快点去见夫君，现在这副难看的脸太讨厌了！”
“您这样下去，不仅浮肿消不掉，反而被冻得更难看了。耐心等一会儿吧，很快就重新变漂亮啦。”
旼花又闷闷不乐起来。难得昨天可以跟炎同房却错过了，再往后新年就要到了，和炎再次同房的日子可能要推迟到一个月之后，要是身体再有不方便，就更加遥遥无期了。没有人能理解她的急切，她只是想和炎待在一起而已，哪怕什么都不做，只看着他的脸也好。只要能感受到炎的气息，她也不敢再多奢望什么。但人们只是对她说再忍一忍，等一等。旼花实在不知道还要怎么忍，怎么等。
她反复地照镜子确认鼓起的脸已经消肿后才敢出门。雪虽然停了，但凛冽的寒风席卷着雪屑，让她的鼻子和脸颊变得通红。她一边跺脚，一边呼出白色的哈气，在进入厢房的小门旁兜兜转转。她非常想去见炎，却又担心炎会觉得自己肿起的脸难看，只能茫然地踱来踱去。她进又不敢，退又不甘，就这样踟蹰了一整天。里屋和小门之间的狭窄小路，原本铺满了蓬松白雪，刚开始只印下旼花的一串小脚印，之后脚印层层叠加，雪层被踩实，最后竟变成了坚固的冰面。
一整天都只是踱来踱去的旼花最终还是连炎的发丝都没看到，就被闵尚宫抓回去关在房间里。旼花完全不能理解到底为什么年轻的夫妻要在外屋和里屋各自分开住。明明夫君就近在眼前的厢房，但因为礼法，身为女人的自己却不能接近，真是恼人，她嘟嘟囔囔地坐在书桌前，百无聊赖地把书本翻来翻去，最后扑通一声趴在了书上。
旼花在十四岁的时候就和十八岁的炎成婚了。还懵懂的她觉得只要能和炎住在同一个屋檐下就很好了，成婚离宫的那天也没有什么不舍之情，只觉得自己幸福得不得了。谁想到一切并不是她想象的那样，虽然成了婚，但根据《朱子家礼》，未满十六岁二人不能同房共住。所以从婚后的第一天开始，两个人就一个在里屋，一个在厢房，彼此分开生活。更让旼花沮丧的是，在她面前炎仍要保持臣下对公主的礼节。
刚成婚时的旼花为了在几天才可能见一次的炎面前保持自己最美丽的状态，每天从早上就开始梳妆打扮，头上戴着华丽的加髢度过一整天。比旼花的脸还大好几倍的加髢的重量让她的脖子痛到不行，只能用让炎看到自己的美丽作为信念苦苦支撑，让自己坚持。但是她的努力成果炎很少能看到，更多的时候她只能怅然望着厢房，形单影只。因此她经常躲在厢房后面的小路上暗自流泪。但偏偏是委屈哭泣的她，却被炎发现了。
不知是因为怜悯公主的泪水，还是因为她旁边无人陪同，炎没有像平时那样，依礼问候然后马上离开，而是询问道：
“公主为何独自一人在这里哭泣？是想回宫了吗？”
旼花被加髢的重量压得无法摇头。虽然她想念并让她流泪的不是皇官，而是炎，但这怎么说得出口。他亲切的询问让旼花的泪水流得更汹涌了，这让炎束手无策，试着哄她道：
“如果想回宫的话，明天就和我一起……”
“不是的，只是……只是因为加髢太重……”
不能说是因为太想见他，只能拿加髢做借口。但炎却听信了她的话，插在头上的加髢确实看起来十分复杂繁重，很容易让人相信小小年纪的她承受不住。炎亲切地牵起仍抽泣不止的她，这是旼花第一次握到炎的手，那一刻一切都被她抛在脑后，仿佛时间上只剩下那只温暖的大掌。她生怕被放开，马上用两只小手紧紧地抓着他。
炎就这么任她拉着，带她回到她的房间。让旼花坐下，炎用生疏的手法拔掉装饰加髢的发簪，卸下加髢，只在发髻上以簪子固定，又简单地添加了几个小发饰。望向镜中的旼花，他露出几乎要把她溺毙的笑容。
“公主的头型非常圆润漂亮，所以不要用加髢遮盖住。我看到加髢就觉得不自在。”
"but……"
“想在外人面前保持威仪吗？那么在家的时候就打扮成这样，外出的时候再戴上加髢，这样好不好？”
旼花用力地摇了摇头，沉重的加髢卸去，摇头也轻松多了。
“从现在起，外出的时候我也不戴了。”
反正除了炎以外，她根本不在乎别人觉得好看不好看，所以再也不能让它继续待在头上让炎觉得不自在。此时旼花依然害怕炎会突然走掉，所以一直紧紧抓着他的衣角。炎只是有点不好意思地笑着看着她紧握的小拳头，就一直坐在那里没有离开。两人相对无言，炎望着地面，不知道在想些什么。但旼花已经觉得幸福得不得了了，视线贴在他的脸上无法移开。被突如其来的幸福冲昏了头的她，鬼使神差间居然亲上了炎的脸颊。那时恰好是一个美丽的傍晚，窗外火红的霞光给这一对新人年轻的脸庞涂上一层娇艳的胭脂色，因此谁都不知道在那个瞬间，这两个人有没有脸红。
从那以后，旼花就掐着手指头期待初夜的日子。虽然她不知道初夜是什么，但听说只要经历过就能成为真正的夫妻了，所以只要自己到了十六岁，就不用再这样每日苦等炎了。旼花长久地沉浸于这样交织着迷茫与期待的遐思之中。但不想没过多久许闵奎就去世了，炎要在祖坟为父亲守孝三年，于是这三年里两人只能分隔两地。那三年并不是无意义地流走，伴着思念和泪水，十七岁的旼花像花一般美丽地绽放开来，也让炎变成了二十一岁的成年男子。他们再也不是那一对少不更事的小儿女了。
炎从山中祖坟回来的那天，旼花拜托闵尚官给她化了最为精致娇艳的妆容。她的心不住地悸动，牵连着全身，手抖得什么都做不了。炎回家以后，接连几日都没去她的房间。旼花等不及，终于在四天后踩上了厢房小门外的那条路，那里已经落满了火红的枫叶。她不顾仪态，趴在门缝上窥视里面，寻觅着炎的踪迹，背后却突然传来了她已思念了好久的声音。
“公主，您要在厢房找什么东西吗？”
即使不用回过头，旼花也知道是谁在说话。虽然记忆中的声线已经变得更为成熟稳重，但熟悉的兰香已经隐隐约约地随风而至。她不敢回头，羞臊地站在原地，用手指摩挲着小门。感觉炎没有要再说什么的意思，她有些灰心地，先开口轻声问道：
“听说您四天前就回来了，为何不来妾身这里呢？”
“从祖坟回来的四天之内是不能到里屋的，所以我直到今天才去看您。但您却不在，所以我就来这里看看。”
只是确认了炎没有忘记自己，旼花原本受伤的心却立刻雀跃起来了。
“您要背对着我到什么时候呢？”
即使不用转过身去，旼花也能感觉到炎在微笑，那是她始终无法抗拒的温柔陷阱。旼花微微转身，低头用余光偷瞄炎的脸。三年前那个站在自己眼前的美丽少年，如今平添了几分男子气息，更让她的心脏窒息般地跳动。以前看着有些不合适的纱帽和长衫，此刻穿在他的身上无比的妥帖与自然。
“您变……变了很多呢。”
“公主也是一样啊。刚刚差点没认出您来。”
枫叶在这对拘谨的夫妻之间不断地滑落下来，其中一片盘旋地飞上了旼花的肩膀。炎向她的肩膀伸出手去，轻轻地拿走它，动作极尽温柔，好像生怕把什么碰碎一样。旼花的目光盯着他用白玉般的指尖拈起枫叶，又像诱惑什么似的用嘴唇碰了碰它，她的视线自然地随着那叶子留在了他美丽的面容上。炎满眼都是温柔的笑意，就那样居高临下地看着她。旼花这次却没法用微笑回应，而是把无名的醋意与怒火发泄在那片枫叶身上。她仰视着炎，或许是泪水的关系，她大大的眼睛明亮得惊人。
“如果您想亲吻红色的东西，又不是只有枫叶！”
炎似乎有些吃惊，微微瞪大了眼睛。此时恰好又有一片枫叶悄然停靠在了他的纱帽上，被炎以指尖取下，恶作剧似的送到了她的嘴唇上。旼花又迷惘又羞恼，下意识地抬手想去拂开，不料却被他有力的手紧紧钳住，原本枫叶所在的位置，突然被炎温热的唇占领了。仍然是那样轻柔到几乎不存在力道的动作，却好像一场巨大的风暴在旼花的世界呼啸而过，让她瞬间陷入万劫不复。彻底被吓呆了的她还未来得及感受这甜美到疼痛的触碰，炎的嘴唇便已迅速离开了，他低头轻笑着，在她的耳边细语：
“您又怎么会知道，我有多么渴求另外一件红色的东西，思之欲狂，才只能暂时以枫叶聊以慰藉呢？”
炎又露出了让她心醉神迷的璀璨笑容，打开小门准备离开。旼花如梦初醒，一把拽住了他的衣衫。
"me……"
“您请说吧。”
“我，现在十七岁了。所以可以……”
炎眉头微动，嘴角轻扬，什么也没说，跨过小门飘然远去。旼花回不过神，木然地望着他优雅的背影，直到彻底消失在她的视线里。火辣辣的感觉突然在那一瞬间涌上她的唇，她的心也呼应着那迟来的亲热，疯狂地躁动起来。
旼花伏在书案上睡着了。一整天都在寒冷的室外打转，她实在是太累了。闵尚宫铺上褥子，小心翼翼地把公主放在上面。就算她熬夜等，炎也不一定会来吧，旼花这么想着。随着冻僵的身体在温暖的被子下一点点化开，她放弃了继续等待的念头，沉沉地睡了过去。但冷掉的心，又怎么可能这么快回暖呢？
炎练完剑就去沐浴了，之后坐在房里，才想起似乎一整天都没见到公主了。自己虽然可以去接她过来，但这么做好像又于礼不合，想起昨天淋着雪跟在自己身后欲言又止的公主，一个念头在他脑海中一闪而过，马上跳起来在抽屉中翻找出写着该和旼花同房日子的纸。
“原来是昨天啊！光想着阳明君在，不想竟然错过了……”
炎不知道是不是刚刚泡过热水的原因，一想起旼花，身体就感到一丝动心。没见到旼花，今天一整天都觉得空落落的。天还不算晚，这会儿走去内堂的话也不会显得失礼。他穿戴好衣冠穿过中门朝里屋走去，不料旼花房间的灯却已经熄灭了。炎望着漆黑的窗口，失望地想要回转，又想到也许她只是刚刚睡下，于是低低地咳了几声。
“咳咳！咳咳！”
先听到咳声的是闵尚宫。值守在外屋的她马上从浅眠中醒来，趴着身子打开偏门去唤旼花，她比谁都了解公主，所以知道这时候一定要叫醒公主。偏偏这次旼花睡得很沉，怎么晃动都不醒。不一会儿外面没了什么动静，炎似平要走了。闵尚宫心里一急，直接打开门冲了出来。炎已经走下内堂的台阶了。
“仪宾大人，您请稍等一下。”
炎停下脚步，身子半转向她。
“公主马上就会起来了。所以……”
“不必了，我只是顺便路过看看。轻点声，不要吵醒公主。”
炎转过身去，迅速离开内堂。闵尚宫很想代替公主抓住他飞扬的白色袍角，求他等一等。如果明天公主知道炎来过却又走了，不知道会有多难过，这么一想，连她的心里也悲凉了起来。
炎没有照原路返回，而是沿内堂后面的小路走去。但没等走到小门跟前，就滑了一大跤。炎抚着屁股起身，低头看到了雪地中布满旼花的小脚印，被踩得结结实实的一大块光亮冰面，仿佛看到了她一整日的踌躇与等待。想到旼花，他的嘴角又不知不觉地扬了上去，但想想她明日可能还会过来，就不免又有些担忧，怕她不小心像自己一样跌倒。
炎找来铁锹，开始铲起变结实的雪。他素来养尊处优，并不怎么会使用铁锹，再加上坚硬的雪冻得硬邦邦的，所以进度十分缓慢，但在他坚持不懈地敲击铲除之下，路面还是慢慢地显现出来。他把路铲出来后，又用扫帚把冰面扫走。虽然这里扫了，但是旼花万一进去小门怎么办呢？他想了想，干脆连同小门到厢房路上的雪也扫干净了。
打扫完的炎独自站在清冷的后院，能和他探讨学问的人不能来这里，可以来的人又不学无术只思玩乐，炎成为融不进任何群休的孤家寡人，此处再也没有什么人往来。或许是因为雪景更生凄凉，他此时感到分外孤独。为了排解这种感觉，炎努力地把视线集中在后院的梅花树上，它每根枝条虽然都压满了雪，却仍能感受到雪下花芽炽热的生命热情。
“难道现在我还能有什么期待不成……”
炎低沉地自言自语，随后又自嘲地苦笑起来，突然间，他半抬的眼帘猛地张大，投向梅花影中隐隐约约的人形。知道炎凝视着这里，阴影后的人也受到惊吓一样一动不动。
“是什么人在那里？窥视之事非君子所为，如果不是女神霜到访的话，还请现身吧！”
黑暗中看不出什么，只能听到积雪被脚踩得咯吱作响。一个面孔渐渐地从暗夜的阴影中浮现出来。
“小人卑微，怎敢以女神霜作比。”
是一个看上去非常陌生的女人。借着月亮和微弱的雪光，炎眯着眼睛上上下下打量她许久，蓦然开口说：
“……雪？是雪吗？”
“做下犯禁的事情，终有业报！”
张氏都巫女的严词告诫回荡在雪的脑海中。但竟然炎还能认出自己，还记得自己的名字，这样的欢欣让她不顾一切，把所有的禁忌都抛在了脑后。
“少爷，您竟然还记得小人？”
炎有些尴尬，微笑不语。如果不是题云昨天刚好问过，哪能这么容易想起来，要说记得她实在是太虚伪了。他避而不答，含糊地转开了话题。
“我现在已经不是少爷了。”
“是啊。现在您……”
炎猜想着雪此时前来的原因，并没有感受到她话语中的悲凉之意。
“你来这里做什么？怎么进来的？翻墙？”
雪没有回答。她放纵自己对炎的思念来到这里，违背了不入仪宾宅院的戒条，忘情地看着他，以至于暴露了自己，被当贼一样地盘查。心中千头万绪，五味杂陈，让她无力开口。炎笑笑说道：
“看你站在那儿，倒让我想起来了。以前你也是这样，不管问你什么，都是冷冰冰的，站着一言不发。”
听他这么说，雪凄苦地笑了。炎可以轻易地影响她的情绪，她尖刻地回应道：
“您只记得小人冷冰冰的脸吗？那您知道一个身份低贱的丫头，要用尽多少力气才能在少爷面前忍住她情不自禁的微笑吗？”
从前有个叫“这丫头”的丫头，父母都是奴婢，所以自打出生，她就被烙下了最卑贱的烙印。听说“这丫头”还在娘胎中的时候，父亲就被卖掉了，母亲在她三岁的时候也被卖掉。没有人去记得她的原名，别的奴婢们对着孤苦的她“这丫头，那丫头”的呼来唤去，渐渐“这丫头”便成了她的名字。她浑浑噩噩地活着，除了这个玩笑一样的名字，她对什么都无所知觉、无所反应，即使是对自己的存在，也没有多了解的必要，只机械地照着吩咐做事情。被别人欺负也无所谓，任他们踢踢打打，她都已经习惯了，甚至被别的奴婢骂“傻瓜，废物”，也不知道那是不好的话。
“这丫头”也像自己的爸爸和妈妈一样被卖掉，来到这所大宅。那是她七岁时候的事情，她连自己被卖了多少钱都不知道。新到的地方除了比之前其他待过的大一些以外，没有什么特别之处，所以她一点也不感到陌生。第一次在楼阁上见到读书的炎，她就丢了魂。
她曾经见过无数穿战服戴幅巾的大家少爷，他们总是家常便饭一样用树枝戳自己、对她拳打脚踢。这个人穿着同样的衣服，应该尽快逃走才是，但她的眼神和脚步都如同被锁死了一般，只盯着他无法移步，连口水不知不觉从大张的口中流出来都不知道。公子从书本上抬起头，望着滴着口水的肮脏丫头，只是这样一个简单的动作，她都觉得美得像画一样。
看这孩子望向这边一动不动，炎有些奇怪，他寻觅着她的视线落处，看到了书桌上的柿饼碟子，他自以为明白了，笑了笑，拿起一块柿饼向她走去。这丫头陶醉在走过来的美丽公子春风般的微笑里，完全忘记了要逃走的事情，等他近在眼前她才如大梦初醒一般回过神来，可想象中的踢打没有到来，一只握着柿饼的修长玉手却停在了眼前。
“你在看什么？是想吃这个吗？”
连声音都这么温和。本以为他会赏她一通拳脚，他却将柿