Chapter 5 Chapter Five

When Trance was still very young, the queen mother knelt down in front of her, reached out her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, and asked with a smile, "Emperor, what are you crying for?" He choked and said, "Mother Liu...Mother Liu is gone..." The queen mother smiled slightly and said, "Isn't there mother Zhao here now?" "But...but I want Mama Liu..." he said stubbornly. "Emperor, I heard from my mother that you are going to rule the people of the whole world in the future, so you can't have someone who stays with you for a long time by your side. The emperor wants to alienate the people around you and care about the people of the world."

"But...but I want Mama Liu..." The queen mother shook her head and said, "Huang'er, you can't do this. The relationship with the people around you is too deep. In the future, the people around you will become your weakness." If the relationship with the people around you is too deep, the people around you will become your weakness in the future. When Shang Xun woke up, those words still echoed in his ears. It was a boundless dark night outside, and I heard the heavy rain rushing down, rushing, and it seemed that the whole world was full of noise and restlessness.

Shang Xun sat up, he was alone in Yusheng Palace, staring at the green landscape hanging on the wall, he heard the sound of rainstorm, stirring in the empty palace. He grew up in the palace since he was a child, and he was not close to his father, queen and queen. Even when he was a child, in order to avoid intimacy with his servants, the wet nurse and personal servant had to be changed every six months. He had no confidant, and no relatives around him.When Sheng Yan appeared, it was like saving him. He always clearly remembers the ordinary room when they first met, the bamboo couch with apricot-yellow brocade mattress, the thick green shade outside the window, the leaves rustling in the breeze, and she sat in front of the window and sewed her own clothes quietly. The clothes, light green spring shirts, lay softly on her knees.

He thought that this must be how a husband feels when he looks at his wife. But who knows, what is the truth? Shang Xun stared at the heavy rain outside until the sky gradually brightened. The day had indeed arrived, but the color was still dull. He raised his head suddenly and said to Jingtai: "Go to Defei Palace and tell her to come see me." It was windy and rainy at the end of April, and the fallen flowers all over the ground were soaked in last night's rain, and their colors were fresh.When Shang Xun saw Sheng Yan approaching, his face was obviously pale, but he still looked down at the ground, carefully avoiding the falling flowers, so as not to stain them with his feet.

In an instant, his eyes became hot. This woman is the one he likes. In any case, no matter what conspiracy, calculation, or scheming there is, she is the object of his heart for the first time in his life. Without realizing it, he stood up and went down the steps to wait for her as before. Shang Xun saw the Nine Dragon Wear given to her by King Rui, all the servants in the palace knew about it, and Sheng Yan knew it when she went back yesterday. In fact, when the umbrella appeared, she already knew that everything was inevitable. She couldn't sleep all night, not knowing what was waiting for her, and she had imagined thousands of times, how she would end up.But looking at him now, there was nothing abnormal, she didn't know what he was thinking, so she raised her head slightly and forced a smile at him.

He also smiled nonchalantly and said, "I saw a few pomegranate flowers bloomed here last night, let's go and have a look." Seeing how quiet he was, Sheng Yan couldn't help being a little scared, and responded with a low voice.He went hand in hand with her to the rear of the palace.Or because there is not enough sunlight in the back of the hall, the color of the pomegranate flowers is not bright red, but bright orange red, which is so delicate and beautiful after the rain. Shang Xun broke off a branch and gave it to her.She held the flower in her hand and was speechless for a moment.

"This flower is so beautiful, it would be nice if it would last forever." Sheng Yan whispered: "No matter what is bright in this world, it is short-lived." "Can't even you last?" he asked. Shocked in Sheng Yan's heart, she looked up at him. He stared at her for a long time, then gently reached out to touch her cheek, and said, "You and I can't live in this world for long. But I will always remember that girl on the rockery. A flower, so beautiful, but you are even more beautiful than that flower..." She hurriedly knelt down: "Long live the emperor."

He pulled her back, stopped her from saluting, and said, "I know it myself. Look at you, how can such a beautiful dress just kneel in the muddy water?" The two looked at each other speechlessly, only heard the faint sound of the wind passing through the branches and leaves of the pomegranate flowers, the rustling sound was constantly rising and falling. Shang Xun said softly: "No matter what, I just want to be with you... How many happy times can there be in a lifetime? Being happy with you for a few years is already a blessing from heaven." Sheng Yan remained silent, tears streaming down her face.

She didn't know that the emperor liked her so much at first, but now hearing his words, she felt extremely bitter in her heart.In such a deep palace, with so many beautiful faces, how can there be one person who can be cared by the heaven like this? Someone from outside reported in, saying that people from Shou'an Palace had come, and the queen mother asked the emperor to go over for business.Shang Xun reached out to wipe Sheng Yan's tears carefully, looked at her carefully for a long time, and said: "Why are you crying like this, when I go to your place, you have to smile to welcome me."

Shang Xun asked people from Yusheng Palace to send Sheng Yan back.When Sheng Yan arrived at Chaoqing Palace, someone chased after him holding a box and said: "The emperor ordered that the dragon-shaped jade pendant I saw at Concubine De's place yesterday may not match the status of Concubine De. The phoenix pendant is bestowed upon the empress." That jade pendant was clear and cold, as if it was covered with mist, even if it was Sheng Yan, it was known to be an extremely good jade, and the carving was excellent, it might be a priceless treasure. Sheng Yan silently accepted the jade pendant, and the servant said quietly: "Ms. De Concubine, this jade pendant belonged to Concubine Qin of the former dynasty. The emperor misses it so much. In the future, Madam will be like Concubine Qin, pampering the harem and living a lifetime of prosperity and wealth." ..."

Sheng Yan once heard people outside the palace say that the former imperial concubine Qin had been favored by the emperor for more than forty years. When she was about to celebrate her sixtieth birthday, a piece of excellent jade was sent to the palace at the foot of Kunshan Mountain. The emperor He called the best jade craftsmen in the world to rush to work day and night, and finally carved a phoenix jade pendant the day before the concubine's birthday. On the day of completion, there were countless auspicious birds circling and singing over the palace. Concubine Qin Gui was later named empress and became empress dowager, and died peacefully in her nineties.This kind of encounter is what the people in the palace yearn for the most. She put away the jade pendant, and the servant said: "Madam Defei, please hand over the dragon-shaped jade pendant to the villain, who will take it to a business." Sheng Yan nodded slightly, and asked the maid to take out the Nine Dragon Pendant and hand it over to him. The palace maid who combed her hair saw her pale face, trembling with fright, knelt down on the ground involuntarily, holding the corner of her skirt, crying, "Mother, I...it's all me..." "It's not you, it's my own fault." She smiled and asked again, "What's your name?" She said in a low voice, "The maidservant's name is Diao Zhu." Sheng Yan turned her head to look at her pale face in the mirror, and said in a low voice, "Actually, your hair is well combed." It is very good, luxurious and beautiful, not messy at all, very commensurate with the status of Concubine De. Just looking at the strange beautiful woman in the mirror, her eyes seemed to be hallucinating, the gorgeous color of peach blossoms in the wind flashed by, the peach blossoms inside the wall, the person looking up at the flowers outside the wall, suddenly turned into a large snow-like phoenix tree. round full moon. In an instant, it was romantic. All this has nothing to do with me. When Shang Xun arrived at the Shouan Palace, the Empress Dowager was paying respects to the Buddha. He watched his mother pray piously outside, with a solemn face, and his heart gradually calmed down. He went to the side and took a copy of the Nanhua Sutra. After reading a few lines, the Empress Dowager had already stood up. , he dropped the book. As usual, she first talked about some trivial matters in the palace, and the queen mother said: "Yesterday Liang Shaofu gave a lecture. The emperor said he was going to go, but there was no one there. Liang Shaofu was in a panic, thinking that he had done something to make the emperor unhappy." Shang Xun knew that the Empress Dowager was smart, and although she read Buddhist scriptures every day, she could never get away from her Dharma eyes when there was anything in the palace. Inspired to come into the palace." The queen mother was surprised and said: "She was recruited by the queen mother in a hurry. At that time, she was in a hurry. The queen mother didn't mention a word to King Rui at all. Only people around me went to announce the imperial edict temporarily." Shang Xun said in a low voice: "But they clearly knew each other outside the palace before." The queen mother shook her head and said: "The queen mother thought that King Rui didn't agree to let her enter the palace from the very beginning. When Concubine Sheng De just entered the palace and had not met the emperor, he once told the queen mother in private that the daughter of the Sheng family was lonely since she was a child. I am afraid that it will be difficult for me to live in the palace, so I ask my mother to send her out..." At this point, the queen mother let out a soft 'oh', frowned and said: "No wonder, Rui The king never asks about things in the palace, but that time he came here specially to talk to the queen mother about such an insignificant girl, so they knew each other outside the palace." Shang Xun turned his head to look outside. There was a garden full of chic purple bamboos, cold and dark, and the breath seemed to be frozen. What else could he say. On the contrary, the queen mother smiled slightly, and asked about irrelevant things: "The emperor has been in power for so long, why has he never taken the affairs of the court to heart? You can think about it yourself before discussing it with King Rui, and insist on working on him. how can?" Shang Xun knew that the Empress Dowager and King Rui had always had a rift, and King Rui had always been brooding over his mother's death, which indirectly involved her.He said in a low voice: "I feel that these affairs in the court are confused and unclear." The queen mother knew that he would never be interested in these things, so she sighed helplessly and said: "The queen mother remembers that the emperor had already recited the Four Books fluently when he was seven or eight years old, and King Rui hadn't finished Zhuangzi when he was a teenager. Now the emperor Where did you put your mind?" Shang Xun looked down at the ups and downs of the tea in the cup, and said softly: "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble the emperor for the rest of my life... In my entire life, I can't learn how to deal with political affairs. The only thing I like is to be with someone who is close to me. Be happy and do something playful." "As for the matters in the court, King Rui will act arbitrarily, who will control them?" She asked. Shang Xun listened in a daze, and replied absently: "The queen mother thinks who in the world can control the emperor?" The Empress Dowager said lightly: "Why don't the Emperor ask Concubine De to try it out and see which side she is on. If she is the person that King Rui is with you, she will inevitably show her whereabouts, and you can clean it up as soon as possible." Shang Xun was stunned: "But they knew each other from the beginning, perhaps the emperor's brother let her into the palace just to act for him..." The queen mother sneered and said: "Since we already know the details, why not go along with the flow and make good use of her, but I think she is a bit clumsy. Since we have already known how to guard against it, if she can be used by us in the future, it may not be a bad thing." "Mother, there is no such thing in this world. A Yan is just a concubine who has just been conferred, how can she replace us in charge of the government?" Shang Xun said in a low voice, "Besides, who has been involved in politics since ancient times can end well? ? Even if I can never hold real power, it’s fine if I can live a peaceful life with her.” The Empress Dowager stared at him for a long time, finally shook her head, sighed, and said: "If you don't even make use of such chess pieces, then the Emperor will have to worry about it and work hard on his own." Speaking of this, she pondered for a long time, and then said: "The former emperor Wu killed the old story of killing his brother and seizing his sister-in-law, has the emperor forgotten?" Shang Xun was startled and looked up at her. But she just counted the prayer beads in her hand and said nothing. When Shang Xun came back that night, Sheng Yan was sitting by the window, unconsciously playing with the Luanfeng Pei. He walked over slowly and hugged her shoulder, and said, "It's cold in the night, don't sit here as a vent." She was startled, and looked up at him, his smile was gentle, as gentle as the jade in her hand.This person, from now on, is his whole life. She was silent and just reached out to hold his hand. She has a slender body, which seems to be unbearable in the wind. Shang Xun's heart trembled slightly, he gently stroked her back, and whispered: "Ayan, I'm sorry." She looked up to see his sad expression, and she didn't know why he said sorry to her suddenly, but she didn't know what to do, when she heard the wind whistling outside, she turned her head to look, the wind passed by, and the flowers fell like rain. The next day was a fine weather, when Sheng Yan woke up, she looked at the blue sky outside, gradually getting brighter.The strong wind last night made the plantain outside the window crooked, and the wide leaves were torn into messy strips. "Why do you wake up so early every day?" He also woke up and asked softly beside the pillow. "It's been like this since I was a child, I'm used to it..." she said.It was still early, neither of them wanted to wake up, Shang Xun was there gently combing her long hair with his fingers, watching her black strands slip through his fingers one by one. When it was bright outside, Shang Xun also got up, leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and said, "I can't be lazy anymore. From today onwards, I won't complain about being sick, and I will go to court occasionally. This afternoon I We are dealing with political affairs in the Chuizi Hall, so come and have lunch with me at noon." He said slowly. She was slightly surprised and asked, "Why are you so busy all of a sudden?" "Things in the court are cumbersome. Since I am an emperor, I should naturally take responsibility for the world." He said lightly. Sheng Yan was dazed and ignorant, so she didn't care, so she nodded and agreed, both of them got up early, after she sent Shang Xun out, she had nothing to do in the palace, so she wrote a letter to her mother and sent it to her , Seeing that it was almost noon, he put down his book and walked casually to the Chuizi Hall with the carved mushrooms. The 12 academicians and the 24 governors in the Chuizi Palace have always been relatively leisurely, because all political affairs have always been reviewed by the Rui Palace first. If there is an important matter, the Rui Palace will make a copy and send the original to the governor. Discuss with the senior scholar, draft several kinds of replies, and submit them to Shang Xun for review, he writes approval on the approved replies, and then sends them back to Prince Rui's Mansion.Therefore, the bachelors and governors are also happy and leisurely.But now that the emperor is working hard, they have no choice but to pretend to be busy, and no one can take care of the concubine De who came over. She sat alone in the back hall of the imperial study, only hearing those scholars and governors discussing in low voices, at a loss, not knowing what to do, she took a book from the side and sat there, reading A few pages later, she looked up again, the birds were chirping, and the sparrows were jumping back and forth on the treetops. A tree of brilliant white flowers bloomed in the distance, too far away to see what it was, but it still made her feel happy.She thought, if she hadn't entered the palace, she should be sitting under the flower tree in the yard embroidering. She was in a trance for a moment, and suddenly thought, if it hadn't been for that heavy rain, and that encounter with King Rui, where would she be now?Will she marry an ordinary man in the future and worry about making a living all day long? However, life has been like this. She met King Rui, she entered the palace, and became a concubine De. Now, she only wishes to forget about King Rui's admonition, and love her husband wholeheartedly. She inhaled deeply, exhaled deeply, as if she wanted to squeeze out her troubles from her heart, and vomited out the thoughts in her heart long and hard.After she calmed down a little, she reached out to the table to take a pastry, stood up and walked outside the hall to feed the fish in the big fish tank below the steps. Shang Xun looked up and did not see Sheng Yan, so he stood up and looked around, only to see her sitting next to the fish tank feeding the fish when he came out of the hall, she stretched out her hand into the fish tank, the goldfish thought it was food, and rushed up to peck and suck her. Finger, she felt itchy, lowered her head and smiled softly: "These idiots." He stood by and watched for a long time, seeing her innocent and clear eyes like a child, reflecting the rippling water, extremely bright. Fate is really unpredictable.If my father hadn't given her a name on a whim, if my mother hadn't had that dream, if I hadn't stopped her the moment she left, I don't know where she would be now, what would life be like? If I never met her, who would be looking at her now?Who would be the person who makes his heart feel warm? Sheng Yan looked up and saw him, and smiled hastily at him, Shang Xun pulled her wet hands out of the water, and said in a low voice, "Look, even the sleeves fell in." Before Sheng Yan could speak in the future, she felt someone was staring at her. She was silent for a long time, and finally, she looked back. In the Chuizhi Hall, the person who looked at her was none other than King Rui Shangjie. The strong wind at the end of April, falling flowers all over the garden.The wind rolled up the beaded gauze curtain and messed up the temples. Perhaps it was because the surroundings were too quiet, she was in a trance for a while, and she saw vaguely two figures standing side by side on the Sansheng Pond. Twist, stretch, twist. Even though her body was full of Yingluo brilliance, she was not surrounded by the person she once hugged and kissed on the Three Lives Pond. The prosperity was extremely prosperous, but with her, it seemed to only add to the desolation. Feeling the stiffness in her whole body, Shang Xun asked her in a low voice, "What's wrong?" She looked up at him, and continued with her smile just now: "It's nothing, I'm worried that my hands will wet your clothes." Shang Xun smiled and said, "It's okay, it's hot, it's just right to cool off." He is her husband, gentle and tolerant, so amiable, even with the dignity of an emperor, he treats her with care. The debate among the scholars in the palace suddenly became heated, Shang Xun let her go helplessly, and said in a low voice, "I can't help it, just wait a little bit, I'll be right back." She watched Shang Xun leave, turned around and walked down the corridor, walking towards the tree full of flowers.Just as they passed the corridor window, someone was inside the window and asked in a low voice, "Why?" She turned her head and saw Rui Wang Shangjie in the window. He looked down at the case file in his hand, but did not turn his head to look at her. His profile face was behind the flower window of Liuyun Bat. He couldn't see the expression, but he was indeed asking her. . Sheng Yan stood outside the window, her throat blocked for a while, unable to speak.She felt an extremely dim soreness surge up in her heart. "Why did you choose to enter the palace, but still keep the things I gave you? Don't you know that the things given by other men will become fatal injuries to you after entering the palace?" He still asked in a low voice. His hands and eyes are open to the sky, and the movements in the palace naturally cannot escape his eyes and ears. How can he hide the matter of the Nine Dragon Pendant from him? Sheng Yan slowly raised her hand and pressed her chest, as if in this way, she could barely breathe.She stood on the porch, looking up at her eyes, covered by the boundless sky, the golden roof, the vermilion pillars, and the jade-white temple foundation, it was like a world where wealth, blood, and sadness merged. Extricate yourself. After a long time, she said in a low voice and slowly: "Prince Rui, I always thought that the person I would meet when I entered the palace was you." It seemed that there was a sudden flash of lightning in the clear sky at this time.He turned his head suddenly and looked at her. However, they didn't say anything. People who are teased by fate have nothing to say. She forced a smile and said, "Look, you met a stupid woman, she didn't know who you were at all, so when she was called into the palace, she unexpectedly got the wrong idea." She felt that if she continued to speak, the sadness and despair would make her tears burst, so she turned around and left quickly without saying anything. In front of her, the flowers bloom infinitely, gorgeous and splendid, as if the whole spring has settled in her life, with an intoxicating fragrance, the future is so beautiful and so lonely. Suddenly someone hugged her tightly behind her, she raised her head suddenly, but saw Shang Xun's face, he looked at her face, and asked in surprise: "A Yan, why do you look unhappy?" Sheng Yan looked at him for a long time, then stretched out her fingers to the flower trees covering them, and said in a low voice: "The flowers are blooming really well, as if... they will run out of life all of a sudden, and they will all wither." "You're really worrying too much. It's thanks. It will open again next year." He hugged her and smiled. "Ok……" She was in his arms, lowly responding. In her heart, there was a great desire to look back at King Rui, to see if he was looking at her, and with what expression he was looking at her. However, he is in the high palace, and she is under the garden full of flowers.She is now in someone else's arms. Life is so beautiful that she can't turn back, can't escape, and can only close her eyes and get drunk. That night, there were rumors all over the palace that the imperial court had drawn up an imperial edict to allow the daughter of the Grand Tutor Jun to enter the palace and be made a queen. After receiving confirmation from Shang Xun, she was silent and didn't know what to say.Yu Li, she should congratulate her, Yu Qing, the person next to her pillow will officially become someone else's husband, what should she say. Seeing her being so indifferent, Shang Xun felt a little disappointed and frowned, "I can't help it. In the current court, except for the emperor, there are still the foundations of the former regent. Although the regent has passed away, But the whole world knows about his sudden death, so the emperor cannot escape the connection." Sheng Yan said softly: "Now the power of the Rui king is in the hands of the government and the people, and the regent's faction has no leader, what will happen?" "On the surface, we are at a disadvantage, but most of the people in this faction are important ministers in Taiwan and the cabinet, and their foundation is extremely stable." Shang Xun said, "Zhongshu Ling Junlan, who is also the prince and Taifu, is the potential leader of the faction that the regent once belonged to. " "When the emperor establishes a king and queen, does he hope for harmony between the court and China, or does he hope that the old forces of the regent faction can help you fight against King Rui?" she asked. Shang Xun said calmly, but word by word: "Ayan, don't meddle in the affairs of the court." She was startled, and immediately wanted to kneel down to plead guilty, but Shang Xun hugged her and said, "It's already the second watch, why don't you rest. What's the point of talking about these things?" Sheng Yan nodded slightly, then silently turned her head to look out at the night. "Anyway, Ayan, I like you." He whispered. She nodded slightly and said, "I know." In June, the world was amnesty, and on the 23rd, the daughter of Jun Taifu was made queen and lived in Yongzheng Palace. She and the noble concubine led the people in the harem to Yongzheng Palace to meet the queen. The queen is an excellent person, with a gentle manner, and her eyes are like a crescent moon when she smiles. Every word is deliberated several times before it is said. When we met for the first time, everyone was very polite and would never call me sister or sister just like that. Everyone was restrained. Sheng Yan likes this kind of alienation. Since she is a person who has no conflicts, she can live in peace as much as possible. live their own days. Back in her own palace, she looked at the bright lights of Yongzheng Palace from a distance, and before she could stare blankly for a while, the sky darkened. The semicircle of the last quarter moon is like a comb, and its brilliance is bright.Standing at the entrance of the hall, she only felt the cool breeze blowing in at night, which was refreshing and pleasant. Today is the day for Shang Xun to marry his wife. From now on, he has an official wife. It has always been something that women in the palace cannot avoid, and she knows it before entering the palace.Anyway, even if you are not in the palace, it will be the same if you marry someone else outside.A woman is always lonely in front of a man who can have three wives and four concubines at will. This is the life of a woman. She thought so, walked down the steps alone, and walked aimlessly in Chaoqing Palace. When she got to the warehouse, she stopped.After thinking for a long time, he asked the guard to open the door. Sometimes Shang Xun is like a child, moving all his things to her. There are glass screens from the Western Regions, exquisitely carved variegated jade, South Sea nine-curved beads, etc., all piled up here, but he forgot all of them. Let's take another look. In the box at the entrance were twelve agarwood fans made by Waigong with hollowed-out silver flowers. He got them all for her, saying that he would change one every month. This month, he should use the one carved with lotus flowers. .She picked it up, looked at it, and put it back again. There is also the ancient copy of the Vimalakīrti Sutra that he dug out from which storehouse. He was afraid that the Queen Mother would be taken away if he saw it, so he hid it with her. However, he never came to read it after putting it here. remembered. Weaving bamboo into a pavilion-like cage for grasshoppers, afraid that others would laugh at him raising grasshoppers, and hid them here. The grasshoppers died soon, leaving this cage empty here. When she got to the innermost part, she saw the box. She hadn't opened the gift that King Rui gave her when she was conferred the title of Concubine De. Sheng Yan knelt down in front of the box and watched it carefully. After a long time, she gently reached out, pushed aside the copper bars on top, and lifted the box up. An extremely strong fragrance rushed towards her. This fragrance was like the essence condensed from the whole spring flowers. It was as bright and strong as agate and amber, but it disappeared in an instant, leaving only a pile of it at the bottom of the box. glass shards. It turned out that what he gave her was exotic perfume in a glass bottle.But because the person who carried it was not paying attention, it was broken. Leave a moment of aroma, give her a fascination, fleeting. Sheng Yan always remembered that on the night when Shang Xun became the Empress, she was alone in the empty palace, unable to sleep peacefully, unknowingly, she walked for a whole night in the flickering candlelight. All the everlasting things seem to be unreliable. Only her mother's words kept ringing in her ears. A Yan, live well.