Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty-Three

I have been my brother's favorite since I was a child. My father died of illness when I was three years old, and my brother who was eleven years older than me supported the whole family, me and my mother.Without the protection of his father, my brother started as an ordinary soldier after the coronation ceremony. Because of his hard work, he gradually became the commander of ten men, centurion and thousand commander three years later.When I was fourteen years old, Prince Duanyu heard about my brother's promise and filial piety, so he transferred him to the palace as a counselor.Although it is only a small official position, it is an extremely honorable thing to serve the prince.

The affairs of Zhongzhou were decided by Prince Yu alone. Apart from paying tribute to the capital every year, the taxation and political affairs of Zhongzhou were all decided by the palace.I heard that he is a handsome and elegant man, and also a prince who is considerate and generous to his subordinates.The former words were said when I listened to the discussions of the female relatives, and the latter words were often repeated by my brother when he returned home. When I was fifteen years old, my mother was seriously ill and was bedridden for a long time. My elder brother was known as a filial son, so he was naturally very anxious, so he had to ask the palace for leave to serve him at the sick bed every day.Fortunately, Prince Renhou approved the approval for five days at first, and then extended it again and again, and it took half a month after that.It was at that time that Prince Duanyu heard about his elder brother, and on May 13th he brought his entourage and the doctor of the palace to visit his mother.

The elder brother felt guilty for not going to work in the palace on such a day, and he was even more flattered that the prince would visit the palace in person today.There was no time to prepare anything for a while, so I just asked someone to clean up in a hurry.Naturally, I couldn't show my face in public, so I hid behind the screen. I only heard the sound of everyone in the room shouting and kneeling, and then I heard a voice like a breeze, "Everyone get up. Don't be too polite, old lady, lie down quickly." Then came the words of gratitude from mother and elder brother.Prince Duanyu listened carefully to everyone's words, and then answered seriously, even if it was just some simple words like "um", "it should be" and "the old lady has praised you".

His voice was humble but powerful, I couldn't help but secretly peeked out from behind the screen to look at him curiously, and was dazed for a while. That day he was wearing a golden indigo blue robe with seven dragons and python nine chapters pattern, a black jade-inlaid belt hanging white jade, and black satin golden dragon soap boots. He behaved calmly and dignifiedly, he was a young prince. I covered his mouth with my sleeve and observed his appearance. He was indeed a handsome man just like his voice. What caught me even more was the upright gaze revealed by his deep black eyes.I put my hands on my chest and lowered my head, ah, there was a lot of thumping there.

The prince has a lot of things to do every day, and he was about to get up and say goodbye after staying for a short time, and many people left the room with a whoosh.I stepped out of the screen, feeling refreshed on happy occasions, and my mother's complexion seemed to have improved a lot. The most talked about in the family that day was Prince Duanyu's visit. My brother used to admire the prince very much, but now he is even more devoted to it. Even my mother solemnly warned my brother to take a good job and not to do anything wrong to the prince.Under the meticulous care of Kaifang, a doctor in the Wang's mansion, Niang gradually recovered within a few days.

After I passed the ceremony, because my mother and elder brother were reluctant to part with me, they were not in a hurry to betroth me to someone else.After that, I occasionally went out in spring and autumn, and I also showed up in public a few times. Gradually, my brother’s friends and colleagues heard that Han Zaizheng had a younger sister, Han Nishang, who was beautiful and talented, and they sent poems and letters to express their love.When I was fifteen, my mother began to mention my marriage to my brother intentionally or unintentionally. My brother didn't worry about it, and he didn't dare to delay me, so he helped me find some sons with good family background and good character for me to choose.

I didn't even look at it, I turned my head slightly and covered my face with a fan and said softly: "Brother, Nishang already has someone in her heart." The elder brother was taken aback and blurted out, "Who is it?" I blushed slightly under the cover of the fan, but said clearly: "He is the one who treats my brother very well, and my brother has always said that he wants to repay him." The elder brother understood, and asked in a complicated tone: "Have you met?" I knew my brother had misunderstood me, he thought what was wrong with the prince to me, so he hurriedly explained: "I just met him behind the screen when he came to visit my mother last year."

Brother seemed to be relieved, and he said firmly, "No." I was taken aback, how could he say such a thing with my brother's respect for the prince. "Why?" I couldn't help asking. The elder brother waved his hand a little irritably, "If you can't, you can't. I can disregard my own life for the prince, but I can't put my own sister's happiness at risk." "Brother, what do you mean?" My brother glanced at me and asked me: "The prince has a concubine, don't you know? How many concubines does he have, don't you know? Wouldn't it be good for you to marry a son of the same age as the wife and live a good life?"

After speaking, I pushed four or five portraits of the sons and their souvenirs in front of me. I stared into my brother's eyes and said, "You tell me which one is better than him, and I'll see." The brother was speechless for a moment.He knew that he couldn't beat me since the novel, so he asked my mother to persuade me. My mother understands the thoughts of my daughter's family better than my brother. favored. "There are so many women, maybe they were still passionate about you at the beginning, but what if they are attracted by other women later? Can your heart take it?"

"Then my daughter will compose poems for him and play the piano for him to restore his heart." The mother smiled, with a look of worry on her face. "Mother, what are you worried about? You have also met the prince, and you often praise him for his noble character. Why are you worried about him like this? Don't you know how he treats your brother well? That, that I blushed, "Such a gentle person will not treat his daughter badly." Niang sighed and said: "Silly girl, the prince treats your brother well because he is his subordinate and you are a woman."

I didn't quite understand what my mother meant, but I still said unwillingly: "My daughter has been loved by her mother and brother since she was a child, and she has never suffered. Now my daughter has no requirements for food and clothing. She just wants a good-looking husband. This is better than anything else. Even if I suffer a lot later, my daughter will recognize it." "Then, even if your brother says it, what if the prince doesn't agree? He hasn't seen you before." Hearing that Mother's tone seemed to be a little loose, I was very happy, and I said confidently to what Mother said later: "Mother, he is the only one in my daughter's heart. This whole Zhongzhou belongs to him, how could he not know about it? " My mother looked at me in amazement and said, "I never thought my daughter would be so intelligent." After my mother agreed, she helped me persuade my brother, and I said that he would not marry, so my brother had to bite the bullet and say it. The Prince declined. I asked eagerly, "Is it because the prince has never heard of me?" My brother shook his head, "At that time, the prince smiled and said, 'It's the younger sister of your family who was proposed by the young masters', so it's not like I haven't heard of you." I felt very disappointed, but I didn't make any noise because of it, and my life was still peaceful. Both my mother and my brother were a little surprised, and I felt relieved. They thought I was a girl's first love that would fade away after a while, so they brought up my marriage again a few months later. I firmly said: "Didn't my daughter once say that she will not marry unless he is the only one?" My brother was taken aback, he didn't expect me to remember.How could I forget?How could I forget that meeting I met?If you can forget me, how can you not forget it. "If I can't marry her, I'd rather not marry for the rest of my life, just by my brother and mother's side." I said. So my brother asked Prince Duanyu again for his wayward sister, but he still declined. I don't understand why the prince rejected me repeatedly, and I don't understand what makes him dissatisfied.I boldly clipped my own letter to him on top of the memorial that my brother had written for him.I told him that the thoughts of my daughter's family are so naive and ridiculous.You rejected the marriage of Minnv twice, what a humiliation to your daughter's family.There are only three things, if you still take this as a joke this time, then Minnv really give up on this, don't care about worldly affairs, and stay with Qingdeng Ancient Buddha forever. The days after that were spent in anxiety. I didn’t know if he would read my letter, and I didn’t know if he would reply to my letter, or ignore it like the previous two times. Then I really planned to become a monk. As a result, one day he really came and came to my house in person. When Hong'er next to me told me that the prince wanted to see me in a panic, I suddenly calmed down. I asked Hong'er to set up the curtains, cleaned the house, and lit the best incense in the family's collection in the smoker. He didn't let his followers follow in, but also let Hong'er go out.I was biting my lips with a handkerchief behind the curtain. I understood what he meant. He must want to reject me, and he didn't want to embarrass me in front of others. "The mansion is too busy these days, so I only have a little time today, so I'll leave immediately." He sat down outside the curtain and said calmly. "Your brother is very worried about you. Don't say anything about becoming a monk when you are young. You are not a child anymore, so you should think about your brother." Hearing what he said, I felt ashamed, rubbed my eyes, and said from the other side of the curtain: "If the prince is so considerate of my brother, why don't you just help him?" Prince Duanyu obviously didn't expect me to say such bold words. I simply gave it up, I didn't want to just say a few words and end it.I stood up, opened the curtain, and the whole person was presented straight in front of him. I think my eyes were already red at that time, but I restrained myself from crying. I said to him with despair and reluctance: "Is it because the girls are not beautiful?" "no." "Is it because the women's intelligence is vulgar?" "no." "Then can you tell Minnv why?" He sighed helplessly, "Your brother loves you very much, and you will have a good and stable life. It's not worth it for you to be with me." Not worth it, that's why. I wiped away my tears and smiled, suddenly having courage.I sat next to him, stared into his eyes and said earnestly: "Whether it's worth it or not is up to the girls themselves, how could the prince think so?" Prince Duanyu was speechless. My brother said that I was weird since I was a child, and I also like myself very much. I finally got my wish and married into the palace. The day before I left, my mother took my hand and told me earnestly. She said that I must not be petty in the palace like I am in my own home. The prince likes gentle and virtuous women. I asked my mother: "How do you know that the prince likes a gentle and virtuous woman?" Mother looked at me with reproachful eyes, and said, have you forgotten all the personnel affairs in the palace that I told me a while ago.The concubine and the favored concubine Yun are gentle people, the other concubines are also well-behaved, and the prince himself is as benevolent as jade.If you continue to be as willful as before, I'm afraid the prince will be bothered, and he won't like to go to your place. Only then did I truly realize that the prince does not belong to me alone. If I want to compete with other women for him, I may not be favored by the prince.Seeing my worry, my mother couldn't bear it, she pulled my sign language and told me her feelings about being a woman: "Shang'er, you don't have to worry too much, you just need to remember that a man cannot do without a woman. Even This man is so cold, ruthless, and bloodthirsty. After a busy day, their hard and tired hearts need a woman's tenderness to soothe. Just remember that the prince needs you, and what you do is to be needed by the prince. That woman." I never thought that my mother would have such wisdom, so I nodded seriously. On a winter day with sporadic snowfall, I was carried into the Duanyu Prince's Mansion through the side door in a sedan chair. Although my family is not a big family, my mother and elder brother also gave me a very decent dowry, just because they were afraid that other family members would look down on me and bully me. My brother is very popular, and I know all the people in charge of the palace, so they were very kind to me when I first met.They also patiently pointed to a door and said, in front of this is the place where the prince works daily, and now the prince and my brother should be inside; behind this is the backyard of the palace, where the wives live, and the prince sometimes comes at night.Men can't be allowed to walk around here, if they want to see brother in the future, they have to tell the prince, concubine, or concubine Yun. I asked in surprise: "Sometimes? Doesn't the prince come back every night?" Eunuch Pei, the eunuch serving the Prince, replied: "There is also a bedroom in the front yard for the prince to rest. When the prince is interested, he will go to the backyard. If the government is busy, he will rest in the front yard at night." I was a little lost after hearing this, and suddenly felt that he was really far away from me.If it is an ordinary family, they would eat and laugh together at night. Did he take this into consideration when he rejected me several times?But I still cheered up, I said it was worth it because I would not regret it easily. After entering the backyard of the palace, Eunuch Pei led me to the Pheasant Palace to meet Princess Yu.Dayin's Prince's Mansion is mostly built in imitation of the imperial palace, but the specifications are one level lower. The imperial palace has palaces and halls, and the palace has halls but no palaces.Concubine Yu is the wife of Prince Duanyu Mingmei, and she is the cousin of the prince's uncle's family, but it is said that the prince only respects her as husband and wife, but has no love between husband and wife.I heard that the princess doesn't take care of things very much, she eats fast and recites Buddha's name every day, as long as she abides by the rules in the palace, she won't make things difficult for you.Sure enough, she seemed to be a woman with a pure heart and no desires. She could not be said to be kind or indifferent when she saw me, as if this was not my first day in the mansion.She rewarded me with a pair of lavender agate bracelets, and said that I should serve the prince well, and I quickly knelt down to thank him. Afterwards is the most important thing, go to Yunyun Hall to meet Yunfei.It has long been heard that the real person in charge of the backyard of the palace is Concubine Yun. She served the prince earlier than the concubine, and she also gave birth to the only son of the prince. Her status cannot be underestimated.The matter in the backyard is naturally to be told to the concubine first, but many things still need to be decided by the concubine Yun. Just now, Eunuch Pei also hinted that if I want to see my brother in the future, I have to talk to the concubine Yun. The Yunyun Hall is very warmly decorated, Concubine Yun treats me much more warmly than Princess Yu, she hurriedly wakes me up, pulls me to ask about people and things at home with concern.They privately said that Concubine Yun was born as an official prostitute and was helpless. Now it is not easy to climb to this position. Naturally, she knows the importance of dealing with people, so she is very easy-going. Just as she was talking, Concubine Yun told the maid next to her, "Bring the things I prepared." The maid brought a sandalwood box.Concubine Yun took it and opened it, and there lay a green jade hairpin inside, she handed it to me and said: "My, this person is not very particular, when the previous ones came, I just pulled out the things on my body to reward them." But I heard that Sister Han never used old things at home before, so I specially gave you one that I have never worn. Let me tell you first, so that you don’t know later, I treat my sister no differently from other people.” She said it with good intentions, but I always felt that there was something else in it when I heard it, so I could only accept it with trepidation. A prince can have one concubine, two children, and ten wives. These are concubines with status, and the rest are concubines without status.Concubine Yun is the only child in Duanyu Prince's Mansion. I married as a concubine, so I don't need to see other people, but I still insisted that Eunuch Pei take me to meet the other three concubines who entered the mansion earlier. Take some presents for them from the dowry. After working for a long time, I arrived at the residence, Peilan Hall, which is naturally smaller than the Pheasant Posture Hall and the Yunyun Hall, led by Eunuch Pei.There are two wives living in one hall, because the prince doesn't have many wives, so each of them can live in one hall for the time being.Eunuch Pei assigned two personal maids for me, one rough envoy maid and one young eunuch. I brought Hong'er from home myself, which is enough for me.When Eunuch Pei left, I gave him an expensive gift, no less expensive than the ones given to Concubine Wang and Concubine Yun. He will definitely come to me in the first three days of my marriage with the prince. The thought of him coming here at night makes me blush, and the heroic spirit of insisting on marrying him in the first place is gone.After the maids served me in the bath, they led me to the dormitory. Although it was not a grand wedding, the room still added some red. I just waited for the prince like this, filled my stomach at night, and waited for a long time before I heard someone greet me outside and say, "Ah, your lord is here." My heart finally stopped being in my throat, I was afraid that I forced him to marry me back then, and he wouldn't even come for three days and nights.I also followed the maid to meet him at the door dully, and when he entered the room, I saw his smile just like the first time I saw him, and I was more than half relieved. I thought over and over again the "tenderness" my mother told me, but even I felt that my behavior was stiff. The aunt next to the prince put a few pieces of incense in the smoker in the house, and then she left with the people around. After a while, a pleasant fragrance filled the room, and the prince lowered the curtains on the bed. I nervously let the prince reach out to untie the knot on my chest, remembering what my mother told me before I got married that the prince understood and let me listen to him. I listened to him, but I was still nervous. Seeing my appearance, the prince couldn't bear it, he leaned down and whispered in my ear: "Don't be afraid." The warm breath blew past my earlobe, and those words were like a warm current spreading through my limbs.It's so strange, his words seem to have a kind of magic power, when he said he was not afraid, I was really not afraid. So I had a very wonderful wedding night. I have always been afraid of pain, so my embroidery skills are terrible, but tonight the prince's tenderness makes my pain sweet, and the loss is accompanied by longing, which is a wonderful and complicated emotion that I can't explain.I was once curious about my mother's wisdom, she told me that girls don't understand many things before they become women, but now I understand, understand this very complicated woman's mind. My performance in those three days was not satisfactory. The more I warned myself to be gentle, the more reserved I became, and I completely lost the eloquence I used to have at home.Fortunately, the prince didn't say anything, and he didn't blame me for anything. He came to my palace for three days according to the rules, and sometimes asked me to boil a pot of wine for him to drink.He is still so gentle to me, but for some reason, even though we are husband and wife, I feel stranger and more distant from him than before we were married. My mother said that it depends on my ability whether the prince will come or not on the fourth day.But I don't have that kind of ability. Fortunately, he didn't go to other people's places. I heard that because he came here three days ago, many things were delayed. He won't come to the backyard these days. Suddenly I felt that I was too wishful thinking before, my talent was nothing in front of him, and I wanted to invite him to play a piece together, but I heard that the prince's piano skills are superb, and I was afraid that I would make fun of him in front of him. I started to embroider on those boring days, and my mother told me that embroidery can pass the long and boring time of a woman better than writing poems and playing the piano, including a whole day and a whole night. There is always some truth in what my mother said. Although I had repeatedly told myself to be dignified and gentle, but after half a month of hard work, my true nature was revealed.That night I had some wine with Mrs. Zhang, and when I came back, I was told that the prince had been here for some time. I hurried into the room and didn't have time to say anything else. First, I was afraid that the prince would be angry after waiting for so long, and second, I was worried that he would see the embroidered sachets I had placed carelessly on the bed.But the prince was indeed looking at the embroidery, frowning slightly. I really wanted to go forward and snatch it back, but how dare I snatch it back, I just stood aside and muttered: "My lord, that, that concubine's skill really insults my eyesight..." I didn't expect the prince to burst out laughing at this time, and I was even more embarrassed, blushing.After a while he realized that I hadn't spoken, and realized that his smile had hurt me, so he held back his smile and stretched out his hand and said to me, "Nishang, come here and sit beside me." I followed him and sat down beside him.There was a smile between his brows and eyes, and he said: "I'm not joking at you, this embroidery skill, you are really not the worst, look, your stitches are fine and even..." I listened in a daze, thinking that this is also a comforting word for me?But seeing the prince happy, I couldn't help feeling warm in my heart, and lowered my eyebrows and said: "It's worth it if the embarrassment of being a concubine can make the prince happy." Looking at the handsome and gentle face of the prince, the uneasiness and longing for the past few days suddenly surged up.I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his lips boldly with alcohol, my skills were rusty, and I could only stop without his response.But I didn't take it seriously, I threw myself into his arms and said aggrievedly: "I thought you wouldn't come, I'm so worried." He patted me on the back and coaxed me: "Don't be sad, I'm really busy these days. I'm here to tell you something happy. I've asked your brother and your mother to come over to see me tomorrow. you." I looked at him in surprise. In fact, I had wanted to apply to see my mother and elder brother a long time ago, but when I thought of what Concubine Yun said when she saw me, I never dared to mention it. Unexpectedly, he helped me think of it. I don't think I've really read the wrong person. In the past, when I suffered three-point grievances at home, I would say ten-point grievances, but now when I see my mother and elder brother, I only report good things but not bad things, and even bad things are good things. This may be the difference between girls and women. I told them that the lord was gentle and considerate to me, and that was indeed the case, so my mother and elder brother were relieved.Mother caressed my face and said lovingly, I seem to be more mature and sensible than before. After that embroidery incident, the prince treated me more kindly, I think I might as well be myself and liven up and down in the palace every day.Gradually, I felt that the prince didn't hate me like this. Who said he only likes gentle and virtuous women? He can tolerate my waywardness and all kinds of small thoughts so generously.This is how I gradually gained the closeness of the prince, and later even my mother said that I couldn't think of it. I entered the mansion in winter, and within a few days of such hot days, I heard that the imperial court approved Prince Duan Yu to pay tribute to Beijing this year.In the first year of entering the mansion but not being able to spend the first day with my husband, I felt an indescribable loss in my heart, but the prince seemed very happy. The maid next to him said it was natural, the prince grew up in the palace since he was a child, and going to Beijing this time is like returning to his hometown, so the mood is naturally expected and joyful. I was very attached to him in those few days. Although I knew that there were many things to prepare before the departure, I still pretended to be weak and forced him to take time to see me.After lingering with him, I am always in no hurry to fall asleep, I like to talk to him broadly. One day I asked: "After the prince enters the palace, he can see the emperor and the empress dowager, right?" "probably." "What will you say when we meet?" He smiled, "What can I say, it's nothing more than business and occasional words." "Have you seen the Empress Dowager?" "Yes," replied the prince, and then let out a breath as if overwhelmed, "I haven't seen you for three or four years." I thought about it, and asked curiously: "Then... what kind of woman is the Empress Dowager? I heard that she is very fierce." I have heard about her laboring and mobilizing people all over the country to taste green plums. I have also heard about how trembling the concubines were in front of her when she pampered the harem. I also heard that the person who is in charge of the country is not actually the emperor, but the people behind her. Empress Dowager. "She? She is a woman with all the capital of indulgence." The prince said lightly. I listened blankly to the prince's unsalty words, but after a little afterthought, I felt that this was the highest affirmation and appreciation a woman could get. "Then, then the empress dowager must be very beautiful?" I asked with my arms stretched on my stomach. "It's not all because of this." The prince seemed a little tired, and turned to look at me, "It's disrespectful to talk about the empress dowager in private. Don't just talk about people and things in the palace. When we arrive, I will definitely blame you. Stop talking and go to sleep." The prince returned to the mansion in February, counting the time on the way, it seems that he didn't stay in the palace for a few days.The prince asked his eunuch Pei to distribute the gifts brought by the capital to the concubines in the backyard, and it was rare that the concubines also had a share. I caressed the brocade with dandelion patterns on a blue background like a sunny day after the rain, and couldn't put it down. I happened to plan to make a new spring shirt for this year. I heard that this is the most popular clothing material in the capital. Did we pick it? It's to our liking." The room suddenly fell silent. Princess Wang didn't move her eyelids, she was still twisting the beads as if she didn't hear anything; Princess Yun was playing with the small smoked balls she brought from the capital, and looked up at me strangely; There is contempt and mockery of me. In the end, Eunuch Pei coughed and said with an apologetic smile: "The prince ordered this old slave to take people to the street to buy it. The old slave specially picked all the new and high-quality things in the capital. I don't know if the masters like it." "Very, very good, thank you, Eunuch Pei." I replied awkwardly and in a low voice. After the prince's royal tribute came back, the palace continued to live as usual. I served the prince with all my heart, and even learned a little dance from Qiu Niang in the mansion. Sometimes the prince came to the Peilan Hall, and he drank some wine below, and I was right in front. dance for him. I was originally a little intelligent person, but after staying in the palace for more than a year, I lost my rigidity and youthfulness when I first arrived, and I became more and more charming as a woman.I was bold and proactive with the prince, sometimes I pressed my hot body against him to seek his tenderness, and I often thought of new tricks to make him happy, so he was willing to come to me more often. When he came to Peilan Hall one day, some temporary documents were delivered in the front yard, so I saw his appearance in office for the first time. He was serious and meticulous in front of the desk.I didn't dare to disturb him, so I just kept quiet until I saw him leaning back, with a slight slack between his brows. I guessed that he might be finishing up soon, so I came behind him while he wasn't paying attention, and stood there. On his left side, he patted his right shoulder from behind. He turned his head to look at me and asked, "What's the matter?" I looked at him in amazement. This was a trick I was very proud of before. I tried it on my brother time and time again. How could it be so easy for him to see through it. He saw through my mind, smiled, and explained: "Your trick has been played by someone before." I froze there, he seemed to be reminded of something, smiled, shook his head again, and smiled again.He proudly said that my little trick was too low-level, and then said with great interest: "Let me ask you, what would happen if there was a bear paw on your shoulder like just now?" Bear claw?Thinking of that scene, my heart skipped a beat.Was it attacked by a wild bear?But how could it be in the study? "How is that possible?" I asked aloud. There was a hint of warmth in the prince's eyes, "Yes, someone once made gloves out of wild bear claws from hunting, and put them gently on my shoulders." "Then how did you react, my lord?" I asked dumbfounded. "What's the reaction?" The Prince smiled, "Naturally he was scared to death." Scared to death?Why does the prince have such an expression?I couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the Prince laughed loudly too. After that, all my tricks were seen through by him. According to him, these tricks are not surprising, and others have already done them. Although I don't know what the prince is busy with on weekdays, I can tell whether he is busy by the number of times the prince comes to the backyard. In the winter of the last year of Pingsheng, the prince was extremely busy, and he hadn't stepped into the backyard for nearly a month and a half Only Concubine Yun occasionally said some instructions that he asked someone to bring. Later, the news of the emperor's death came from outside, and at the same time, there was also the news that Prince Quan Yu had been enthroned as emperor by the order of the empress dowager.I was taken aback when I heard the news, because I remembered that the previous emperor was a young man in his early twenties, a benevolent man who died young.Later, I heard a woman in the backyard secretly discussing that Xiaozong had no children, and that among Muzong's sons, our prince was not bad at all, and I didn't know how the empress dowager chose him. The prince became even busier, but suddenly one day he was not busy anymore. That day was the first time he came to the backyard in so many days. When he came to the Peilan Palace with his entourage, I was flattered to greet him. In my panic, I casually asked something that I later regretted: "Why is your lord not busy today? , have time to come to my concubine's place?" I shouldn't ask. My mother once warned me that the safest thing to be a woman next to a powerful man is to answer more questions and ask less questions. Presumably Princess Yu and Concubine Yun have already learned this well. The prince smiled, and for the first time I saw what a real forced smile was.In front of so many servants, he directly pulled me into his arms, and whispered in my ear: "Ni'er, I used to always complain that I was too busy to come here, but you are not used to it now that I am not busy. Do you want me to be busy or not?" It was the first time that the Prince spoke so wickedly. I was startled and flustered, and I didn't know how to answer this question. I was at a loss and said, "This... I, I..." The prince let me go, and there was a sneer in his gentle words, "Yes, how can I understand your women's thoughts." "Come here, hold the lamp, and go to Yunyun Palace!" Seeing the leaving figure of the prince, I fell to the ground, never expecting to lose his favor because of a single sentence. The servant girl Yurun hurried over to persuade me: "Ma'am, the lord seems to be in a bad mood, it's just a moment of anger, don't take it to heart." Confused, I raised my head and asked Yurun, "Has the prince ever done this before?" Yurun shook his head. After that, I didn't see the prince again for a long time. When he came to the backyard, he would go to Concubine Yun or other women.I thought I was rejected by him just like that, but after more than a month when I was close to despair, one day Eunuch Pei finally came over with the prince by his arm. I rushed to meet him, but I didn't dare to ask any more questions. The prince was a little drunk, but he could still recognize me. He looked at me stiffly with guilt in his eyes, and stretched out his hand to stroke my cheek, "I was the one who vented my anger on you a while ago. I'm not angry with you." .” It was really inexplicable that the prince got angry that time, but I never thought that he would take the initiative to confess his mistake to me, and I was moved and sad at the same time. "Hey." The prince took a breath of alcohol, grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly, looked into my eyes and said, "Ni'er, from now on, let's just live a good life, okay?" He murmured, As he spoke, he fell asleep. That's a really nice word.But this time I remembered what my mother said, don't believe what men say when they are drunk, especially determination and oath, if it is true, it will always be the woman herself who will be embarrassed in the end. But I just looked at the sleeping face of the prince lying beside me, peaceful and innocent like a child, and tenderness gradually filled my heart.What was the Prince like as a child?Is he naughty?I don't understand his mind now, and I can't catch up with his pace.I really want to know him since I was a child, witness him from childhood to youth, and accompany him until his hair is gray. Think about how honored and warm it will be. After that, the prince really forgot that sentence, maybe he never forgot, but it was something that was impossible to achieve, and the life in the palace began to go on like before.Later, a new concubine came to the palace, who was older than me. If the prince's doting on me in the past was based on the respect he gave to his elder brother, now this concubine Feng has an advantage over me.But after a long time, the servants said that the prince treats me more sincerely, and everyone can clearly see who is really favored. I like novelty things very much. I have a cousin who married in Kyoto. From time to time, I correspond with her and ask her to tell me what new things are popular in Kyoto. When the prince comes, I will tell him these things.The prince listened with great interest, but sometimes he would add to what I said that he didn't understand. Sometimes I suspect that the prince might know more about Kyoto than I do.