Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen Out of the East Gate

On that day of Mid-Autumn Festival, I originally wanted to spend it as lonely as in previous years.The one on the left is just eating mooncakes with Jinxi and Huanbi. When it was time for dinner, all the nuns in the temple went to the mountains to enjoy the moon, but Jinxi, Huanbi and I were left in our courtyard. I heard the sound of a horse bell ringing outside, and I heard it with the tips of my ears, and said: "I don't know who is here at this time, let me go and have a look." He opened the door and went out, but saw Ah Jin jumping off the horse with a basket of melons and fruits, and said with a smile: "I know that at this time, the sisters-in-law of Ganlu Temple are all going to watch the moon. The prince wanted to come here in person, but there was a banquet in the palace. There is also the Empress Dowager, so I really can’t go away, I can’t come.” He handed the basket to Huanbi next to him, and said: “These melons and fruits are what the lady likes to eat, and the prince specially asked me to pick them out. Come here for the lady, there is always something to eat while watching the moon."

Huanbi took it and said with a smile: "The prince has a heart, I thank the prince for our lady." I jokingly said, "I thought you were afraid to come to see us, but now you're here in a hurry." Huanbi stomped her feet and said shamelessly, "Miss just likes to make fun of me." Ah Jin scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "I have already explained what happened last time, and this slave only regards Huanbi as his younger sister." I smiled and called Jinxi and said, "Don't we have mooncakes? Give Ah Jin some to eat, and we'll celebrate the festival together."

Hearing this, Ah Jin suddenly had some mischievous meaning in his eyes, and said with a smile: "My lady is talking about moon cakes, our prince also has moon cakes and asked me to bring them to my lady." I was a little puzzled, but I just smiled and said, "What rare moon cakes, I just asked you to bring them." Ah Jin just smiled blindly, "Young lady can tell when she saw it, the prince has ordered me to deliver it to my lady personally." I turned my head and thought for a while, and said to him, "It must be rare to ask you to bring mooncakes so seriously. I don't know if they are snow-skin mooncakes or double yellow lotus."

Ah Jin took out a small package from his sleeve, carefully unwrapped the oiled paper and Supa layer by layer, and presented it to me very preciously, "Young lady, you can see for yourself." It just looks like an ordinary moon cake, and there is nothing special about it. Huanbi smiled doubtfully and said, "Isn't it the same as the ordinary one?" I was slightly puzzled, so I opened the mooncake and took a look. It turned out that the center of the mooncake was hollow, and there was a small note embedded in it. I took it out and unfolded it, but it was neatly written with the words "prepared and safe".

I couldn't think of what it was for a moment, so I asked Ah Jin, "What is this?" Ah Jin said with a smile: "My lord said that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he wanted to give a reward for guessing the riddles, so he asked me to give the answer to my wife, and said that my lady is very smart and will be able to guess the riddle." Huanbi couldn't figure it out at the side, and said with a smile, "Ah Jin, your prince is the weirdest. Guessing riddles is naturally the answer to the riddle. How can anyone give the answer to the riddle?" Ah Jin spread his hands, frowned and said with a smile: "My lord, we only have to listen. Why don't we use words to refute." He smiled at me and said, "Miss, don't worry." After finishing speaking, he stopped laughing , Youyou sighed, and said: "Our lord himself is not happy, but he still wants to make the lady smile."

Ah Jin has always spoken outspokenly, and is also clever, so suddenly he said this, there must be a reason, so he didn't say anything, and just gave Huanbi a faint look. Huanbi laughed and said: "This is a joke. The prince is a man of gold and jade. Even if someone offends him, he will be dismissed with a stick. What's not to like?" Ah Jin said seriously: "This is wrong. Firstly, our lord is not such a person. Second, it is the empress dowager's intention to worry about the lord. The queen mother said that the lord is not young, and she has already met a lady for him. Princess Qinghe, the queen mother is very satisfied, and said that she will arrange for the prince to meet her soon."

My heart was shocked, and I couldn't help but go to look at Huanbi. Huanbi was also greatly surprised, and said in a voiceless voice: "Is it true?" Ah Jin said with a sad face: "Of course it is serious, otherwise how could the prince be unhappy? In the past two years, the queen mother has been pressing her, saying that the prince is twenty-four. How can there be a concubine at this age who doesn't even have a concubine? , not in the royal family. So this time, the lady from Peiguo's family is chosen. Her name is You Jingxian. She is said to be very virtuous and gentle. "

Suddenly there was an indescribable chill in my heart, as if someone's hand had splashed in the icy water in winter, and then covered my heart to keep warm.Knowing that this kind of coolness is inexplicable and shouldn't be there, he hurriedly covered up He Jing with a smile and said: "This is a good thing, if the prince's age is changed, others will have children in groups, and it's time to marry a princess and abbot Housekeeping." Huanbi said softly: "Miss..." I looked at her with a smile, and said: "It's a good thing for the prince to accept a concubine, besides, the queen mother's vision is naturally very good, let's congratulate the prince first."

Hearing what I said, Ah Jin let out a "hey" with a bit of displeasure in his words, and said: "Our prince is full of displeasure because of this matter. I thought the prince treats his wife as a bosom friend, and my wife also You must understand the prince's thoughts very well, but you don't want the lady to say congratulations to the prince, Ah Jin doesn't like to hear it, so let's take a step away first." Saying this, he jumped on the horse angrily, whipped his whip and walked away on his own. The sound of the wind stopped silently, and there was a silent silence all around.I held the note I took out of the mooncake in my hand, and I clenched it tightly.Huanbi held my arm and said, "It's getting cold at night, let's go in."

I heard that there was a sense of sadness in her voice, it was not like usual, and when I looked back at her, she looked really lonely.I sighed silently, and said softly: "Huanbi, do you blame me for saying such things just now?" Huanbi shook her head, then nodded again for a moment, and said, "Miss, do you really want to congratulate Prince Xi? Ah Jin doesn't know, but I can't hide it from my servants." My sorrow stretched out like spring grass. I tried my best not to care about it, and asked Huanbi, "Then what do you think I should say? I should not say anything except congratulations."

Huanbi's fingertips were as cool as a touch of dew on the tip of a leaf, "This is a happy event, but no one would be happy." She lowered her head slightly, "Didn't Ah Jin say that the prince is not happy either?" "Will you like it or not? The prince has reached his age, and it's the empress dowager's intention. Can he really resist?" I didn't turn my head away, and slowly lit a stick of sandalwood. The smell of fireworks and the warm and peaceful aroma of sandalwood made my heart a little more at ease, but it also made me feel more miserable. Huanbi leaned against the door, watched my movements, and said quietly: "When Miss is worried, I like sandalwood the most." My hands trembled slightly, and then I calmly said, "Do I think I'm bothered?" Huanbi just shook his head, smiled and said: "If the prince has a family, he must not be so comfortable, and he will never see him once in a while like now." I sniffed the scent of sandalwood, and said for a long time, "Are you looking forward to seeing the Six Kings often?" In the end, he refused to say any more. It was the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon was full and sixteen on the fifteenth day, when all the nuns were going to evening classes, Xuanqing came under the milky white moonlight and stood tall in front of the door.I didn't realize he was coming until his shadow was moved into my line of sight by light and shadow. Wei Wei was startled, got up quickly and said: "You never come here, why are you here today?" His expression was leisurely, as if nothing happened, he just approached me with a slight smile and said, "What are you doing?" I put down the writing brush in my hand and said with a faint smile, "What else can I do, Zuo is just copying Buddhist scriptures for the Empress Dowager. Fangruo will come to fetch them again in a few days." With a "huh", he quietly flipped through the scriptures I had transcribed, looked at them for a while, and said slowly: "Your writing has improved again. It's just..." He pointed at the writing and looked at me: "Are you in a good mood? Restless, these words are a bit sloppy." I glanced at it lightly, and just said casually: "My lord is careful, I can't hide this from you." Seeing Huanbi came in with tea, I just smiled and said: "Thank you for the mooncake yesterday. Write the words impetuously." Xuan Qing's eyes lit up, a warm smile appeared on his lips, and he said, "You guessed it." The tea made by Huanbi is made of Hangbai chrysanthemum. The yellowish flowers bloom one by one in the boiling water, and the bright and fresh ones bloom one by one, showing the original white color, even the tea has a green color. color.As soon as he lowered his head, he could smell the refreshing fragrance. I know what Huanbi's intentions are. Naturally, I'm not happy about Ah Jin's words yesterday.And Ah Jin has always been straightforward, and he will definitely tell Xuanqing exactly what I said when he goes back, so Xuanqing must be even more unhappy.So she didn't choose any other tea to brew, but just brewed white chrysanthemum, such a calming tea. I took a sip of tea slowly, and said with a smile: "Preparation is the answer to the riddle. It's a bit of a struggle to guess the answer. I also thought about going to "Three Kingdoms" for a long time before I found out, but I don't know if it's right? I still need the prince to decide." Holding tea in his hand, he just smiled, "Let's talk and listen." "Bei, "Three Kingdoms" refers to Liu Bei, the great uncle of the Han Dynasty. Liu Bei has made great achievements throughout his life, established the country in the middle of Shu, and became the lord of the Kingdom of Shu. And safety means peace." I flicked my fingers on the fine porcelain tea cup lightly, The crisp and pleasant sound is like a bell.My smile was relaxed and stable, "Central Sichuan is close to northern Sichuan, the prince wants to tell me that my parents and sisters who are far away in northern Sichuan are safe and healthy." His smile stretched out in relief, "You guessed everything right. The people I sent have come to report back. Your father and mother are in good health and there is no ailment at all. In the past two years, your father has been building water conservancy projects and digging channels to facilitate shipping. His political achievements are quite good, and he has a good reputation among the common people, and he is very much loved." In the barren land of northern Sichuan, my parents are fine, so I feel a little relieved.I was moved in my heart, and my tone was gentle without feeling it, and said: "Thank you, my lord, for telling me this." Then I said worriedly: "The border area is bitterly cold, Daddy's legs and feet have never been very good, what if the bones are sore?" When Xuan Qing laughed, his eyes would bend into beautiful crescent moon arcs. He said: "Winter is coming after Mid-Autumn Festival. I'm afraid the weather will get worse. There was an envoy from the border yesterday, so I asked Doctor Wen to find a few The plaster for dispelling dampness and loosening bones is also sent to Mr. Zhen." I comforted him in my heart, and I was even more grateful for his thoughtfulness, so I said: "Thank you, my lord, for your trouble." He laughed loudly and said, "I don't have anything to worry about. The one who bothered was Imperial Physician Wen. When I heard that the plaster I was going to was for Mr. Zhen Yuandao in northern Sichuan, he selected the best medicinal materials overnight and developed a new plaster and sent it to me. In the family, I am just following the flow of favors." He let out a low sigh in his heart, which was also a relief.Fortunately, there is Wen Shichu in the palace.However, he didn't want Xuan Qing to be careless, so he said with a reserved smile: "Doctor Wen and my family are old friends who have been friends for generations, and now it is rare to be willing to help like this." Little, it's hard to be Wen Shichu's heart. However, there was a smile on his face, and he said half angrily: "It's just that the prince's riddle has nine twists and eighteen turns, and it is really difficult to guess." "If it's simple, with your intelligence, you must have guessed it immediately. What's the point?" He snapped his fingers and smiled, as if savoring the elegant taste of white chrysanthemum tea. I am homesick, so I specially chose a difficult puzzle to ease your homesickness." Xuanqing is always like this, moving me silently and silently in a silent place, it is not the impact of happiness like a stormy sea, but sneaking into the night with the wind, moistening things silently bit by bit, called I don't resist automatically. The heart is warming up little by little, like the white chrysanthemums soaked in water in the teacup, stretching comfortably. Suddenly remembered the words Huanbi said last night - "If the prince has a family, he must not be so comfortable, and he will never see him once in a while like now." I can't even meet once in a while, he can't, and neither can I. Thinking of this, I felt a little sad in my heart, and my expression became lonely. It happened that Huanbi came in with a large bouquet of chrysanthemums, but they were ordinary silver-threaded crab-claw chrysanthemums, not a rare variety, but they were natural in posture, white as frost, and very elegant and impressive. Huanbi only stood far away under the south window, carefully changing the bouquet and vase.Because she was here, I didn't speak for a while, and Xuanqing couldn't speak, so I just sat and drank tea in silence. After a while, Huanbi hugged the replaced Huangju, which was mostly ruined.She walked in a hurry, and a few petals leaked from her embrace, scorched yellow to black, curled up slightly, like a wilted and anxious heart. If he didn't tell me about his marriage, I wouldn't mention a word to him.I just don't know, what can I say. After a long time, the tea became cold too.He finally said: "Yesterday, Ah Jin made you angry?" I shook my head, and kept a faint and distant smile on the corner of my lips, "Ah Jin always speaks frankly, if he says something, I won't be angry." His eyelids were half-closed tiredly, and he said softly: "He has a lot of mouth", after thinking for a while, he said: "So, you know?" I slid my fingers across the table indifferently, and said: "Got it. I'm just happy for the lord." I slowly said: "Miss Pei Guogong Youfu, of course she is good, not to mention the queen mother likes it." I swallowed With a sip of tea in his mouth, the tea was also cold on the tip of his tongue and throat, and he said calmly: "Duke Pei Guo fought with the Emperor Taizu in the past, and he was born and died, so he got this fame, and he got it back with a single blow. The public family has a prominent family background and has been honored for a hundred years. Although it has long since lost real power in its hands, the family education is very good, and the daughters it teaches must be well-known and outstanding. Jingxian..." I smiled slightly: "After listening I know it is the name of a gentle and generous daughter, so congratulations to the prince first." I don't know why I talk so much, as if I can't help myself, the more I talk, the more desolate I feel in my heart, and it rolls up layer by layer like fog. Xuan Qing's expression dimmed bit by bit following my words. He was silent for a long time, and suddenly he smiled like a eucalyptus, looked at me with a hint of melancholy, and said, "Are you sincerely congratulating me?" For a moment, I really wanted to look away, very much.But he finally restrained himself and smiled to the softest state, "Of course I sincerely congratulate you." He just kept silent.I didn't dare to look at him, but his shadow cast in the tea water was so clear that I had to see it so clearly. His hand reached out a little, trying to grab mine.I was startled, and instinctively shrank back, not daring to raise my head again. His smile became colder and colder. Although he was smiling, there was no joyful emotion at all. It was like an empty mask. When people looked at it, they felt that the autumn wind was suddenly blowing through their hearts, leaving only the pulse of the setting sun. His hand has to be kept an inch away from me like this, I can almost feel the coolness of his fingertips.His voice was still calm, "Whether you mean it or not, I just want to tell you that I don't like You Jingxian." He stood up slowly, and stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back. White and bright in front of him, the leaves of the sycamore tree outside the window fell silently. "There is a sentence that can just be used to express my thoughts at the moment." His tone was a little weak, revealing an unchangeable firmness in his tone, "Even if You Jingxian is extremely good, it just isn't what I like." There are women like clouds, and I think about it.He actually used this sentence to express his feelings. I had nothing to say, so I just sighed and said: "But the Empress Dowager likes Miss You's family very much, and the prince is indeed at the right age to get married. Do you want to drag it on like this forever?" His eyes were burning like fire, bright as red flames, "The Empress Dowager doesn't know, but you do." My heart trembled violently, and my clothes were full of scarves. Am I not just a person who is practicing?He said it so directly, without indirection or tact.At that moment, I suddenly didn't want to escape, even if I understood his intentions, even if I understood, so what?So he said: "Even if the lord doesn't like Ms. You's family, the queen mother will choose other matching marriages for you. If the lord can refuse Miss You, can he also reject everyone he thinks? The queen mother's phoenix is ​​not easy to say." Ah." I cleared my somewhat ambiguous voice, and said, "The lord said just now, 'You can chat with me', but the person who wears the kerchief treats the lord, it may not be the lord's thoughts on her, and the lord What's the trouble?" There are autumn leaves flying like butterflies, such a golden color, it is actually a cool autumn season.Standing in front of countless fallen leaves, he said slowly: "Even if the queen mother insists on marriage, I will do my best to refuse. If the mother insists again, I will not be able to win my own heart. I am not a monarch, and marriage matters will not be related to the fate of the country." , Queen Mother won’t force me too much.” He looked at me, the scorching heat in his eyes didn’t recede a bit, but it was like a rising tide, and the rising tide raised all boats, “As for whether the person in the clothes and scarves has the same heart as me, I just insist Just wait for her with my own heart. Because Qing believes that, with sincerity, there will always be a day when gold and stone will be opened." This is the first time he has expressed his heart to me so frankly. I took a deep breath, and when I came back to breathe, there was a little bit of warmth spreading.There was almost a moment of wavering, but finally he didn't think about it any more.She simply didn't want to talk to him anymore, and only said: "As long as you are sincere, there may be a day when gold and stone will be opened. It's just that my heart is like an ancient well, and I swear that I don't want to make waves again. No matter how sincere I am, it may not be useful. Why use my heart in vain? .” But he greeted my indifference with a frank smile, and said: "Whether gold and stone are open, Qing just needs to be sincere." He looked at me, and said: "Qing only hopes that the lady will never say the word 'congratulations' again, Qing is extremely frightened.” I sighed and said with a slight smile, "Okay. I won't just say it casually. It's just that one day, won't you let me sincerely congratulate you?" His brows frowned, and I hurriedly said, "Okay Well, I’m not going to say it.” His smile finally warmed up, and he said: "You know, last night when Ah Jin told me that you congratulated me, I was really going to be mad at you, and I wished I could run out of the family banquet to have a good argument with you. " I spat, and said lightly: "I was kind, why did you ask me to argue." I smiled, "The King of Qinghe has always been conceited, calm and leisurely, a modest gentleman, and never knew that you would also have such a time when you are in a hurry." "You are the only one who is angry with me." He sighed leisurely and smiled wryly, "It is only you who can be so angry with me." I gave a low laugh and said nothing more. -------------------------------------------------- --- Notes: