Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Proud

By August, Ruyi was able to accompany Emperor Mulan on autumn hunting, riding horses and whips.In that year, with her proud eyes, she met Ling Yunche's downcast face again. At that time, Ling Yunche had been in Mulan Paddock for a long time. Mulan Paddock was a grassland with abundant water and grass and animals bred. During this burst of excitement, except for the vast forests and vast grasslands, there are very few people here on weekdays, so they can only be accompanied by the fallen leaves, the mountain wind, and the beasts. This was undoubtedly a great pain for Ling Yunche, and what made him even more unbearable was that he left the court with such a beautiful, wretched and humiliating charge, so when Ruyi saw Ling Yunche in the hard labor of the paddock, When he saw the thin and unshaven face, he was shocked and shocked.

There were a lot of people at that time, the emperor brought along Prince Hongzhou, the nineteen-year-old third elder brother Yongzhang, the fourteen-year-old fourth elder brother Yongxuan, the twelve-year-old fifth elder brother Yongqi, and a group of relatives and ministers. Preparing to compete in the paddock and have a fun autumn hunt, Ruyi followed behind with several elder brothers' biological mothers, looking at the direction in which everyone rode their horses, smiling expectantly. Luyun smiled all over her eyes, and said: "I didn't expect that the fifth elder brother is the youngest, and he can run a horse without losing to the two elder brothers."

Hailan shyly said: "It's a kid's family, the brothers let him go." Yuyan also refused to show weakness: "Is that so? Why do I see Si elder brother running the fastest!" Luyun knew Yuyan's heart well, so she just laughed it off: "Si elder brother followed Concubine Jia to eat so many ginseng supplements from Li Dynasty, could he be in poor health? I'm afraid a tiger will beat him to death later. Be careful Show your hand in front of the emperor." Yu Yanyang raised Juanzi, who was fluttering like a spring butterfly in her hand, and covered her mouth with a smile: "What skills can you show? The eldest brother and the second elder brother are gone. The eldest son, the third elder brother, is so conspicuous. How can it be our turn?" Where's the fourth elder brother?"

Luyun was a little displeased when he heard the words, since the third elder brother was reprimanded at the funeral of Empress Xiaoxian, it has always been Luyun's heart.Moreover, the emperor was getting older, and it was very taboo to talk about Li Prince or Li Chang. The elder brother Yong Huang died of this taboo, who would dare to mention it again. Luyun's face turned cold and cold, and she immediately turned to Ruyi, with a respectful expression on her face: "Concubine Jia is more and more fond of joking, it is the emperor who is holding her tight. No matter how good our child is, he is also a servant. The twelfth elder brother who deserves to be the empress's empress. Not to mention that the twelfth elder brother is in his infancy, even the fifth elder brother is also very good."

Ruyi and Hailan looked at each other without making a sound.How have you taught Yong Qi with all your heart these years, how have you nurtured him carefully, and how you have kept a low profile in front of others, how can you have accumulated more than ten years of kung fu, how can you reveal it all at once?He also smiled and said: "If you don't watch hunting at this time, what are you doing talking about these shadowless things?" The emperor's hunting was the most prosperous, and the guards and relatives who followed knew it, so they deliberately ran slower and slower, and opened a distance. In front of them were all kinds of animals grazing in the paddock, most of them were deer, elk, sheep, rabbits, and deer. , and even a few bred half-sized leopards were mixed in for fun.

How can those docile animals get into the eyes of the emperor? Only the golden running half-big leopard made the emperor's blood boil. He was chasing after him, and a horse that didn't know the horse was galloping past in the crossbow, with shiny mane , tall and tall, with a horse color like frost, piercing across like a snow-white lightning.In comparison, even the imperial horses were compared to be docile and small. The emperor's eyes brightened, and he said excitedly: "Where did the wild horse come from? It is really a thousand-mile horse!" He raised the whip in his hand, and said heavily: "This horse is good, let's see how I tame it!"

The emperor has always loved horses, but he also felt that the royal horse was not gentle enough, so how could he not be delighted to see this fine horse? Everyone knew the emperor's temper and dared not chase after him! The horse galloped across Hongsongwa, the rolling hills, the emperor had all the attendants to follow for a certain distance, but the wild horse ran fast, the emperor became anxious for a while, and hurried away with his whip, regardless of the back. Soon he came to a dense forest, where the fallen leaves were thick and the road gradually narrowed. No matter how fast the horse ran, it slowed down unknowingly and walked slowly.The tall trees in the north are densely covered with thick leaves, blocking most of the sunlight, with only a few mottled bright spots scattered occasionally, like golden copper coins, dangling and dazzlingly bright.The surroundings gradually became quiet, the sound of horseshoes behind him, the sound of flags fluttering, and the whistling wind were far away, only the gradually gloomy and humid air mixed with the dry late summer wind, mixed with the long-standing decay of vines and shrubs, which irritated people from time to time. nose.

The surroundings were dim, and it was hard to find wild horses for a while.The emperor felt a little resentful, and was about to turn around when he saw a small snow-white thing swaying faintly in the bushes in front of him. The emperor caught a glimpse of a hare, but he didn't want to let it go easily, and immediately took an arrow to it.However, before the sound of his arrow whistling, another sound of a deeper arrow feather piercing the air firmly penetrated into his ears. Startled, the emperor instinctively lowered his body and leaned tightly on the horse's back. A dark green arrow just passed the emperor's golden plume helmet. There was a light "click", as if something broke.

Someone is casting cold arrows! Before the emperor came back to his senses, another sound of arrows sounded again.The emperor was about to ride his horse forward when he saw the face of a wild horse raised from the bushes ahead.It was a face that mutated after being frightened. Its face was distorted, its front hooves were raised high, and it kicked towards the chest of the emperor directly in front of him.The emperor hesitated for a moment, if he moved forward, he would inevitably be hurt by the frightened horse, even if he drew an arrow and shot him, it would be too late; but the sharp arrow approaching from behind made it impossible for him to dodge, let alone retreat.

Just for a moment, the emperor felt a gust of wind hit him, someone threw himself off his horse, rolled twice on the ground, and avoided a cold arrow that was chasing after him.The emperor was still in shock when he saw the face that saved him. He was familiar with it, but he couldn't think of the name for a while, so he blurted out: "It's you!" Ling Yunche protected the emperor, and said: "My minister Ling Yunche came late to escort him, so I ask the emperor to forgive me." This huge sound obviously stimulated the wild horse in the bushes ahead, and the stench of the untamed horse gradually approached.

If it is normal, then there is nothing to be afraid of.Compared with Ling Yunche's bare hands, the emperor has a bow and arrow in hand.However, the moment he turned around, the emperor realized that when he fell off the horse, his rucksack was scattered. Although he was holding the bow, the arrows were scattered all over the ground, and even the nearest one was two or three feet away.And that iron hoof kicked up high almost fell three steps ahead of him! Ling Yunche was in despair for a moment. Could it be that after all his painstaking efforts, he was really going to be buried under the hooves of wild horses?His will was only weak for a moment, thinking that no matter how fierce it is, it is just a wild horse, he immediately calmly and firmly said: "This humble minister will protect the emperor!" Before he finished speaking, he saw a figure rolling past the turf in the slant, shouted: "Huang Ama", and stood in front of him.At the same time, a long arrow was released from behind, hitting the center of the forehead of the wild horse in front, and pierced straight into the brain, only to hear a roar, the wild horse jumped several steps in pain, and finally with a stream of thick blood flowing out from the forehead, fell down and died. The emperor let out a long sigh of relief, only to feel that his clothes were drenched in cold sweat.After a while, he finally came to his senses, only to find that the fifth son, Yongqi, had opened his arms, firmly blocking the direction of the wild horse rushing towards him, while the fourth son, Yongxie, was rushing over with a quiver on his back, and prostrated himself: "My son, come to save me!" Chi, is Huang Ama alright?" The emperor recognized that it was Yongxie's arrow from the color of the arrow feathers. Unconsciously surprised, he hugged Yongxuan's shoulder tightly and said, "Good son! He is my good son!" Yongxuan blushed with excitement, and thanked the emperor for his praise.And Yong Qi just stood up as if nothing had happened, let go of her hands and feet, and stood silently behind her brother. It was Ling Yunche who asked first: "The fifth elder brother is not injured, right?" Yong Qi shook her head: "As long as Huang Ama is fine." The emperor smiled, obviously that smile was not as good as admiration for being affectionate to Yongxuan, and he just asked casually: "Just now you came here first to get in front of me, why didn't you shoot the wild horse first, but just waited?" Yong Qi said calmly: "I am just far away, and it is too late to draw the arrow. Moreover, I have heard from my master that fierce beasts hurt people, and they often have to stop at once. My son guards in front of Huang Ama, the wild horse If you hurt your minister, you won't hurt Huang Ama again." For a twelve-year-old child, these words are very sincere.The emperor didn't feel moved, and stroked his forehead: "You are a filial child!" The emperor took off his golden feather helmet with lingering fear, and found that the golden tail feather had been shot off by the arrow.He motioned Yongxie to carefully pick up the two cold arrows, looked at them carefully, and said coldly, "Is it poisonous?" Yongxie inspected it carefully and said, "No poison." The emperor's eyes were as cold as iron, mixed with a trace of undetectable fear and prey: "Who is casting cold arrows? Who wants to harm me?" Yong Qi lowered her eyebrows and said in a deep voice, "Those who want to harm Huang Ama will not succeed in the end." The emperor looked at the surrounding hillsides and woods, and said in silence for a long time: "All those who are loyal to me have come to save me! Those who harmed me must hide farthest at this time!" He lowered his voice and ordered in a tone of entrusting a heavy responsibility Yongxuan: "Yongxuan, lead people to search the paddock, I want to see who has the courage to murder the emperor!" A blush of excitement flashed across the face of the fourteen-year-old boy, and he said loudly, "Yes!" And Yong Qi just snuggled up to her father, held his hand, and guarded him tightly. The emperor took a few steps and turned to look at Ling Yunche: "I remember that you were working by my side, why did you leave?" Ling Yunche was a little shy, bowed his head and said: "My minister was unjustly stolen from Concubine Jia's bellyband, so he was sent to the paddock to do hard labor." The emperor nodded: "I didn't believe you were wronged before, but now I believe it. Because people who covet my woman will not fight to save me. Come back with me, blowing in the paddock is a waste of you!" The wind in the forest is mixed with the autumn in the north in early August, which brings a cool temperature to the skin, but it is not as refreshing as the hotness derived from the bottom of the heart.Ling Yunche suppressed a wave of ecstasy, and said in a respectful voice: "I will obey the emperor's will." The hunting rumors in the Mulan paddock could not tell the identity of the assassin, and completely ruined the emperor's hunting interest.The only known thing is that the wild horse galloped into the forest, and the body fluid of the mare in estrus rubbed against the grass and trees, which made the wild horse go mad.But the cold arrow was already placed in the hidden forest, and it was triggered by a silver thread, ready to go off at any moment.Forestry officials begged for forgiveness again and again, but it is not known whether someone set up a bow and arrow to shoot a horse and endangered the emperor by mistake, or someone really carefully arranged this conspiracy.But there is no doubt that someone broke into the royal hunting ground to arrange all these things. The emperor was shocked and angry, and sent Fu Heng to investigate carefully. However, in a hurry, the storm ended with no trace of the person who cast the cold arrow. Since then, the emperor's heart has become even more hurt, and he occasionally had a few frightening dreams. The general said that he dreamed of the scene of a cold arrow whizzing past that day, but he didn't know who the murderer was. Only with the feeling of a sharp knife in his back, Ruyi had no choice but to hug the emperor's arms tightly. Shoulder, to comfort the anger and anxiety after this inexplicable thrill. When the news reached the palace, even the empress dowager was so shocked that she lost color after a long time of trouble, holding Fu Jia's arm in silence for a long time. Fu Jiawen said in a warm voice: "The queen mother is at ease, the servants have checked carefully, the emperor is all right, the queen mother can rest assured. The servants also passed on the message to show the queen mother's love for the emperor, but this matter... Will the queen mother want to investigate thoroughly? .” The queen mother thought for a moment, and said decisively: "No! The emperor will investigate this matter himself, and everyone is afraid of causing trouble, and the vigilance is the highest. If you ask rashly, it will make the emperor unhappy." Fu Jia felt distressed, and also complained a little: "The Queen Mother also cares about the emperor, but she seems to be afraid that the emperor is paranoid. Instead, she is alienated." The Empress Dowager caressed a handful of lapis lazuli inlaid with coral Ruyi, the coolness of the tentacles always gave rise to a ray of vigilance in comfort.Just like the royal mother's kindness and son's filial piety, they are all prosperous and magnificent on the surface, but underneath is the cold and hard barrier that cannot be touched lightly.After a while, she sighed gloomily: "After all, she is not her own. There are always quarrels. The emperor has been a man with ideas since he was a child, and he hates to be restrained even more when he is old. The Ai family can persuade and never force them. And you see that he is now selecting concubines. How cautious we are, we know that the emperor is aware of our previous affairs, Aijia only wants her daughter to be safe, and the rest should be treated as an old woman who only knows how to enjoy." After returning to the palace from the Mulan paddock, the aftermath of the turmoil faded away, but there was a lively excitement. Apart from Ling Yunche becoming the second-class guard in front of the imperial court and winning the emperor's trust, Yuyan's fourth elder brother Yongxuan was the one who benefited the most. .The first is the emperor's frequent visits to Yuyan, and then the extra attention to Yongxuan's studies and riding and archery, and he must intervene every three days.On the Emperor's Longevity Day this year, envoys from the Li Dynasty came to congratulate him, and the Emperor ordered Yongxuan to wait for him.And Yongxuan is also very competitive, which is quite praised by the envoy.What shocked the harem and the government and the public the most was that after the Double Ninth Festival, the emperor granted Yongxuan the title of Baylor. This is like a boulder entering the water, attracting everyone's attention.Because the third elder brother Yongzhang, who has married as an adult, has not yet been knighted, but the fourth younger brother who is underage has taken the lead.As for the fifth elder brother Yongqi, although the emperor loved and rewarded him a lot, he didn't treat Yongxuan as much, so Yongqi couldn't help being overshadowed. After Ling Yunche replied, he was more cautious in his words and deeds than before, and because he lost the dandyism of the children of the family, the emperor relied heavily on him. On this day, the emperor was about to punish everyone in the paddock for Mulan’s autumn hunting. It happened that the third elder brother Yongzhang came to pay his respects. The fact that the culprit was not found in the hunting incident is also because there are too many people serving in the paddock, so it is difficult to thoroughly investigate for a while. If Huang Ama has been punished, who can continue to serve as Huang Amacha?" These words are also reasonable, but after this incident, the emperor became more suspicious than before, and immediately said angrily: "You are the longest among my sons, and you should be the one to save me! The matter of coming to the paddock If there are omissions, you, the eldest son, are suspected of being ineffective in trusteeship; secondly, it is unfilial and disloyal to come to rescue you late, and your abilities are mediocre, not as good as your two younger brothers; Fame, forgive lightly, don't care about your father's safety! What use is it if I want a son like you?" The emperor was so furious that he scolded Yongzhang so much that his clothes were soaked in sweat and his head was covered with cold sweat, so Nuonuo had to leave. The emperor then asked Ling Yunche, who was at the side, "Look at Yongzhang begging to forgive the people in Mulan's paddock, will the cold arrow incident have anything to do with him?" Ling Yunche said respectfully: "The third elder brother is the emperor's son." The emperor shook his head and breathed heavily: "Father and son in the Tian family are different from ordinary people. They can be father and son, monarch and minister, and Yiyu! The nine sons of the holy ancestor Kangxi took over the throne in his later years. I am shocked when I think about it." Ling Yunche said: "The emperor is young and powerful, no one dares or has the ability to dare to murder the emperor!" Hearing this, the emperor felt a little relieved: "The people in the Mulan paddock, do you think they should be punished?" Ling Yunche lowered his eyes obediently, feeling the light and calm texture of the peacock feathers behind his head, recalling those days in the Mulan paddock when he watched the moon and endured the humiliation and was looked down upon by others, and said: "If you make a mistake, you should be punished. Rewards. The emperor has clear rewards and punishments, and has his own decisions in his mind, so how dare a lowly minister speak nonsense." The emperor smiled and drew Zhu Zhu, and praised: "Very good." I don't know if this sentence is the emperor's approval of his actions or praise of Ling Yunche's prudent words.Ling Yunche was thinking about it secretly, the emperor suddenly smiled and said: "You are over thirty years old, you haven't married yet, and you don't look like one." He pointed casually, called a little maid in Tsing Yi in front of the imperial court, and said, "Maoqian, you are also two It's fifteen, and I'm about to leave the palace, so I'll give you to Guard Ling as his wife, how about that?" The palace maid was startled, then knelt down immediately, and said with a smile on her face, "My servant thanked the emperor." Ling Yunche froze on the spot, his mind went blank, he didn't know how to react, until Li Yu pushed his arm aside, and said with a smile: "Look at Master Ling, is Huanxi stupid? Thank you!" Only then did he come to his senses, seeing the emperor smiling impatiently, he knelt down and saluted in a daze, to accept this sudden grace. At this point, Yongzhang's fall from favor is a foregone conclusion, and Yongqi has been instructed by Ruyi and Hailan to only devote herself to her studies, and will not go to the emperor much unless the emperor summons her. On this day, Ling Yunche sent Yongqi back to Yikun Palace from Yangxin Hall, and stopped by to greet Ruyi.Ruyi was watching the maid fiddle with sweet-scented osmanthus honey in the corridor.She stood quietly under the eaves, her skirt brushed the ground, the lavender bloomed like a magnolia flower, and the radiant and colorful light of the setting sun was behind her, spreading out the magnificence of the day and the ground, reflecting her beauty like snow, light and elegant. Dim and open. Ruyi smiled when she saw him: "After three days of farewell, you should treat each other with admiration." Ling Yunche bowed his knees and cupped his hands, and said solemnly: "The empress once asked my minister to come back dignifiedly, and I dare not disappoint the empress' expectations." Ruyi looked at him for a moment: "Being blown by the north wind made her face even darker. But, it's good to be able to come back like this. I would like to thank you more for saving the emperor." Seeing her joyful look, Yun Che lowered his head and said, "This is the duty of a humble minister." "Only by doing good deeds and not forgetting your roots, can you stand in front of the emperor for a long time. You are very good." She smiled, "You are so honorable in front of the emperor, it is time to get married and start a family. The emperor personally bestows a marriage, which is a supreme honor. Others can't ask for it." Ling Yunche's heart trembled, and suddenly his heart drifted to those days in Mulan's paddock, in those lonely cold nights, what he often thought of was Ruyi's smiling face. That was the only thought, together with her instructions, all the way leading him to walk back to the Forbidden City at all costs, walking back dignifiedly. This kind of thought only flashed in his mind for a moment, then he suppressed it, and said lightly: "I know what I want, not a woman." Ruyi's eyes fell quietly, and she looked at him with a little regret: "Is it because she hurt you?" Yun Che turned his face away, and tightened his thin lips: "Wei Chen doesn't want to remember anymore." Ruyi's smile became more and more mellow, as if reflected by the bright rays of the sky: "It's okay if you don't want to remember. The maids in front of the emperor's court are of noble background, and they are all daughters of full army banners. It is also beneficial for your background and family lintel that you have such a wife. By the way, is there anyone in your family to help you organize the wedding?" Yun Che was a little distracted, and said: "Parents passed away a few years ago, and no one arranged for them." He smiled bitterly, "I can finally return to the Forbidden City, living up to my mother's expectations, but such an unexpected joy as the emperor bestowing a marriage, It was too surprising." Ruyi looked at him meaningfully: "Whether it's accidental or not, the emperor's gift does not allow you to have a little displeasure or evasion. Maoqian is a person in front of the emperor, you must treat her well." She smiled gently. , "As for no one in your family, Jiang Yubin and Xin Xin are in Beijing, and I asked them to take care of you and help you." Yun Che tried his best to smile, cheered up and agreed: "Thank you, Empress, for your kindness." He looked at the baby in the arms of the nurse next to Ruyi, and felt a trace of sad joy in his heart, "Although I am in the paddock, I can listen to the baby." It is said that the empress is happy to have Lin'er, and I am here to congratulate you." Ruyi nodded and said, "I have a heart." Yun Che understood and said: "The best way to care for each other is to live well with each other." He wanted to say something more, Li Yu who was beside the emperor had already come to deliver the decree, and the emperor would come to accompany Ruyi for dinner.He immediately realized that his existence was out of place, as if all the mandarin ducks, dragons and phoenixes depicted in Yikun Palace were in pairs, winged and neck-to-neck, and the patterns were mainly lotus and acacia. When the dusk is still known, mandarin ducks don't stay alone.Why doesn't he understand this truth, even himself, won't he soon do the same?He had no choice but to bow, respectfully and leave.