Retreat, Retreat, Retreat! - Chapter 59

It is said that the spring rain is as expensive as oil, a few drizzle rains fall, the bonus decreases, the willow green thickens, the spring water in the pool is like green, the willows on the moss are cottony, and the masters of the capital are happy to be green, fat, red and thin.

The ground was damp, so Xiao Changning couldn’t get out of the distance, so he practiced calligraphy in the room for recreation. At noon, Shen Xuan, who had gone out on official business, had not yet returned, but she was looking forward to coming to Yueyao.

I don’t know if it’s because of the discord with the new boss, Yue Yao has been more diligent in coming to Dongchang these few days, as if she didn’t want to stay in Jinyiwei for a moment.

Because it was drizzling, Yue Yao didn’t hold the umbrella. When entering the door, she just took off the hood of the black cloak, revealing a bright face, squatted on the window lattice, and smiled: “Your Highness. “

Xiao Changning was worried that she couldn’t find anyone to speak, so she put down the moisturizing pen and waved to her: “Come in just right.”

“A few days ago, the minister wanted to ask His Royal Highness to go out for a walk, who knows that His Highness would not appreciate her face.” Yue Yao raised her eyebrows and feigned anger, but the smile at the corners of her mouth could not be covered, and Dala sat down beside Xiao Changning. Unruly appearance.

Xiao Changning squeezed Yue Yao’s cheek and said, “I’m too lazy these days to go out. Besides, Shen Xu is too busy. Whenever I see him running around and tired, I feel distressed, so I lose my thoughts about going out.”

Yue Yao was disappointed: “It turns out that His Royal Highness is so obsessed with love…No, there is no color for Father Shen.”

Xiao Changning thought of Shen Xuan’s strong and slender body after stripping off his clothes, recalling the fascinating taste of his body and the deep brows and eyebrows when emotional, not feeling the heat of the root of his nose, and enduring a smile, quietly defending: “There are still colors. .”

Yue Yao held Xiao Changning’s face-squeezing hand, and smiled: “His Royal Highness, this is the beauty in the eyes of a lover, and Shen Xuan has lost her ecstasy soup.”

“Don’t talk about him.” Xiao Changning’s conversation turned, and he looked at Yue Yao, as if to see through all the secrets in her body, “I heard that you are always wandering outside recently. Secretary, what? Is there something fierce and evil in your house that can’t be done?”

Hearing that, Yueyao’s eyes became uncomfortable, and she lay down on the case table with a sigh of relief, and said listlessly, “Who else can? Your Highness asks knowingly, revealing scars.”

“What on earth did Master Wen do to make us fearless and fearless, the more frightening the cloud and the wild cranes and flowers, the more fearful it becomes?”

“It’s not afraid. The minister just feels that he can’t get his mind. It’s very difficult to get along with him. It’s even harder than fighting.”

Yue Yao’s two thin eyebrows wrinkled, “On the second day after he took office, he gave Beizhen Fusi a disarm, and whipped dozens of people on the grounds of rectifying military discipline. Now Jin Yiwei dare not obey him, and a few are not convinced. All the guards were expelled from him, which is terrible.”

“With his age being able to rectify Jinyiwei in a few days, he does have some skill.” After all, Xiao Changning glanced at Yue Yao and asked with concern, “What about you? Does he have the opportunity to punish you?”

Yue Yao waved his hand, “The punishment was never before. Instead, he asked the minister to change into the girl’s uniform and go to Huixianlou for dinner with him.”

Have a meal?

Xiao Changning paused, and said, “It’s a bit weird how this palace feels.”

“Right? The minister also finds it strange.” Yue Yao hurriedly replied, “He didn’t speak while eating, but stared at the minister…Of course, the minister didn’t say that he looked terrifying, on the contrary, he looked extremely The handsome, just too cold, like a boring gourd, looked at me with only one pair of eyes, panicking.”

Xiao Changning listened to her from beginning to end, as if he had realized something, and squinted his eyes meaningfully: “Yes, it’s too strange.”

She deliberately prolonged her tone, but Yue Yao didn’t catch her implication, and only sighed: “Don’t mention him. The minister came today and wanted to ask your Highness about something.”

Xiao Changning nodded: “You ask.”

Yue Yao single-handedly said, “Is something wrong with Shen Xuan?”

The wind was blowing, and a few pieces of falling red sneaked in with the wind, and landed alone on the table near the window.

Xiao Changning was startled, stretched out his fingers and twisted a piece of peach petals in his hand to play with, and asked, “Why are you asking like this?”

“Recently, the Dongchang fan came in and out of the city gate, and Shen Xuan rarely stayed in the Dongchang. There must be some big case.” Speaking of this, Yue Yao pursed her lips, a little hesitant in her eyes, as if she didn’t know. Should we continue.

Xiao Changning glanced at her expression and said with a smile: “You and I are so emotional, just say it if you have any words, don’t hesitate.”

“Changning,” Yue Yao changed her name, her expression changed from laughing to seriousness, and she put her elbow on the case table and said, “The emperor may be checking Shenxuan’s bottom.”

Suddenly hearing such a sentence, Xiao Changning was speechless for a while.

Seeing that she was not speaking, Yue Yao thought she didn’t believe it. She sat up a little bit and emphasized: “It’s true. A few days ago, I was ordered to send the file to Commander Wen, and happened to catch a glimpse of the secret file on his book table, which is densely recorded. It’s Shen Xuan’s past, including everything he still called Shen Qishi, as well as his identity as the son of Qingzhou Zhou’s family crime minister. It’s clear… Changning, you think, Jin Yiwei is the emperor’s Jinyiwei, if not the emperor. Instructed, who would dare to investigate Shenxuan so blatantly?”

Xiao Changning unconsciously twisted the petals, raised his eyes and asked, “What else did Wen Lingyin find?”

“I shouldn’t have said these words. After all, I am still wearing Jinyiwei’s official robe. However, there are still a few lines on the secret scroll, which were encircled by Wen with a brush. It must be an extremely important clue.” Yue Yao twisted After thinking about it, he lowered his voice and said, “It remembers the incident of the autumn hunting in October of Guanghe in the fourth year. That year, the queen of autumn hunting, Liang, was assassinated. After returning to the palace, he killed all the eunuchs who were accompanying him, only Shen Qiyi. He escaped death and was demoted to Xibi Palace to do handyman duties. Later, Shen Qi entered the East Factory and changed his name to Shen Xu…Here, Wen Lingyin seemed to have noticed something.”

Xiao Changning didn’t expect this Wen Er to act so resolutely and vigorously. In just a few days, he found out that Shen Xuan’s original surname was Zhou, a descendant of Jing Wang’s clan, and even more keenly captured the inside story of Qiu Shou that year… However, he should It is not Shen Qi’s matter that Shen Xuan has not been found yet.

A hint of surprise flashed across Xiao Changning’s face, and then he returned to calm.

“Actually, my palace had expected that there would be today, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.” Xia Lu was the eyeliner of the waste queen mother, and Xiao Huan went to the imprisonment before she died. Xia Lu knew everything Xiao Huan knew about it.

The admiral of Dongchang next to the emperor’s couch was a fake eunuch, which was something that no emperor could tolerate. Why? After all, no matter how powerful and powerful an **** is, there will be a day when he is old and dead. The **** will not be able to bear children.

However, if this powerful **** is a fake… then the meaning is very different.

Not only Xiao Huan, any emperor would be on guard, she should have known it a long time ago.

“So, what secret is there in Shen Xuan that makes the emperor so jealous?”

Xiao Changning threw the crumpled petals in the paper basket aside, and gently wiped his hands. She knew that Yueyao didn’t mean to be arrogant, but she didn’t have much to say, so she poked her forehead and said, “Think about it for yourself.”

It happened to be lunch time, Xiao Changning proposed to stay in Yueyao for dinner.

Anyway, since Shen Xuan was not in the East Factory today, Yue Yao responded enthusiastically, and asked with a smile, “Is there any wine?”

“Good wine and good meat are indispensable for you.” After that, Xiao Changning stood up. Perhaps she got up too anxiously, but she was in a trance, staggering and standing still.

“Huh, what’s the matter?” Yue Yao gave her a hand quickly.

Xiao Changning eased the dizziness, shook his head and said, “It’s okay, let’s go.”

Yue Yao has always admired wine and meat, but when she started eating, she saw that Xiao Changning didn’t move his chopsticks much, and asked: “How come your Royal Highness eats so little, is it uncomfortable?”

Xiao Changning simply put his chopsticks, wiped his lips with the kerchief, and said, “I have lost my appetite recently.”

“Then you have to eat more sour.” Yue Yao drank the wine in the cup and wiped off the stains on her chin with the back of her hand.

As the two of them were talking, they heard a loud noise outside, accompanied by a fierce dog barking, which came clearly.

Xiao Changning’s eyes lit up and he leaned forward slightly and said, “Shen Xuan is back.”

“Puff!” Yue Yao almost choked and said hurriedly, “I really don’t want to see him, the minister should go.”

“It’s okay, you eat, I’ll go out to see him.” Shen Xuan did not return last night, and she came back after noon today. She must be tired. Xiao Changning wanted to see him for a while, so that she could relax and do it. Own business.

She ordered Dongsui to entertain Yue Yao, so she got up first and walked towards the front courtyard.

In front of the court stood two rows of Dongchang fans in brown clothes and round hats, while Shen Xuan stood at the forefront of the fans with her back facing her, her back was as tall and slender as a mountain. With a heart move, Xiao Changning paced slowly behind Shenxuan, calling out: “Shenxuan…”

As soon as she spoke, she was stunned.

She just glanced over Shen Xuan’s shoulder and realized that the atmosphere in Dongchang today is quite different: everyone looks solemn and stands ready, and a few people even have blood stains on their bodies, a little embarrassed, it seems that they have just experienced an event. Fight with bruises… and in front of Shen Xuan, a corpse covered in white cloth was suddenly parked, revealing only a shocking, **** palm.

People died in the East Factory…

Realizing this idea, Xiao Changning’s breath was choked, his stomach nauseated, and he almost retched.

“Changning!” Shen Xuan quickly turned around, hugged Xiao Changning tightly into her arms, and raised her hand to cover her eyes. The evil spirit in her tone had not completely dissipated, and she said with unconcealed worry, “It’s okay. stop?”

Xiao Changning suppressed the nausea, his eyelashes trembling in Shen Xuan’s palm. In the warm darkness, she tremblingly asked: “Shen Xuan, who is dead?”

“No one, don’t be afraid.” After saying that, Shen Xuan’s tone became cold, but she turned to order to her men, “Carry him down, so he can be buried.”

When he returned to the dining room, Xiao Changning still had some soft legs, and his expression was slightly tranced. The table and chopsticks on the case have not been removed, and the dishes are still warm, but Yueyao is no longer there.

Shen Xuan held Xiao Changning’s fingertips, her eyes fell on the two-person tableware on the table, and asked in a low voice, “Are you a guest?”

There is nothing to hide, Xiao Changning nodded and said, “Yueyao has been here, and I left when I saw you come back.”

“It’s interesting.” Shen Xie snorted and saw Xiao Changning’s face pale again. She couldn’t help but kiss her lips until her white cheeks became blush and her pale lips became bloody. Let go, whispered, “Is it better?”

“It’s much better.” Xiao Changning had recovered from the shock and couldn’t help asking, “What’s the matter? What trouble are you having?”

Shen Xuan held the black hat brim in her hand, and said coldly: “I found several Bei Di’s fine works in the city, all of them are masters. During the match, I accidentally broke a few subordinates.”

Xiao Changning was surprised: “Why did the people of Beidi get into the capital of the capital? How did they get in?”

“Maybe there are officials who collude with the enemy, but it is still uncertain now.” Shen Xu said, “but there must be more than that in the city, and there are more hidden in places we can’t see.”

Xiao Changning couldn’t help much with this kind of thing, so he stretched out his hand to wrap around Shen Xuan, rubbed his sideburns against his chin, and asked, “Is there anything wrong with the Su family?”

Shen Xuan sniffed the fragrance of her temples, her dry heart calmed down a lot, and she lowered her eyelashes and said: “No. Luoyang spy letter, Su Qi did not go home, and lost contact with the master after leaving the capital. It will take some time.”

Xiao Changning nodded lightly and comforted: “Perhaps things are not as complicated as we thought, and it will be fine.”

He was obviously such a weak person, but he wanted to comfort herself in turn, Shen Xuan smiled suddenly, staring at her with deep eyes.

“That’s right.” Thinking of Yue Yao’s words, Xiao Changning’s newly loosened brows wrinkled slightly, and raised his head. “Just now Yue Yao said that the emperor has doubted your identity and is ordering Wen Lingyin to investigate you.”

The smile in Shen Xuan’s eyes remained unchanged, and the affection remained unchanged, with only a ‘um’.

Xiao Changning was confused by his unmoving attitude, stretched out his hand and shook in front of his eyes, “Would you like to sneak into the Jinyiwei General Mansion and destroy the dossier related to you?”

Shen Xuan grabbed her hand and wrapped it in her palm, and said slowly: “In this way, doesn’t it appear that the governor has a guilty conscience, and it is even more conspicuous to deceive the emperor.” The importance of the pile incident is far above me, the emperor will not know it.”

Too. Xiao Changning sighed in annoyance, “My palace is messed up because it cares. Recently, I’m always confused about the problem.”

Shen Xuan’s gaze fell on the bowls and chopsticks on the table, Xiao Changning’s food was obviously untouched. Displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he simply bit her earlobe and said, “Don’t eat well?”

Xiao Changning snorted: “If you are not here, my palace can’t eat it.”

Shen Xuan immediately called the attendants and ordered them to reheat the food. Then he said to Xiao Changning, “I will eat with you.”

This time, Xiao Changning took two more bites, but before he finished a bowl of rice, he whispered that she was sleepy, and asked Shen Xi to take her to the bed for a nap.

After the slightly humid spring rain, Wan Lai was quiet, and the oriole sang softly in the deep red and light green. A faint sunlight shed through the light gray clouds, through the window lattice, and reflected on Xiao Changning’s quiet sleeping face through the light-colored gauze tent.

She slept very deeply and seemed very tired, and she didn’t even know that someone was quietly getting her pulse.

Everyone knows that Chief Wu is proficient in cooking and poisoning, but he doesn’t know that since ancient times, he has no distinction between medicine and poison. This time, he stretched out two short and fat fingers and gently put them on Xiao Changning’s wrist. After a short while, his originally narrowed eyes opened suddenly, and he obviously had an answer…

Shen Xuan stroked the hair scattered from the temples of Fu Xiao Changning, her deep eyes through the gauze tents, Wu Youfu who locked the veins outside the tents: “How?”

…

Hearing that the queen was ill, Xiao Changning couldn’t help himself, so he decided to go to Kunning Palace to see her.

A few days ago, a senior citizen in the DPRK suddenly died suddenly, and another agent of Bei Di entered the city, and Shen Xuan had no time to stay in the mansion. Xiao Changning didn’t need to report to him, only took Dong Sui and the new arrival A Zhu, the two palace maids, and rode the chariot towards Kunning Palace.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Huan was also in Kunning Palace, sitting in front of Liang Yourong’s sickbed, hanging his head and muttering: “…Last night, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry was assassinated and died in the middle of the night. Chen. At present, the capital is full of wind and rain, and everyone is in danger. They said that maybe it was done by a spy who had mixed in with Bei Di.”

“Queen, I feel a lot of pressure. The people of Beidi may see the Queen Mother fall from power, and I’m a hairy boy again, and I’m eager to get a share of the pie.”

“I won’t let them succeed! Queen, you have to get better soon. If you help me, I will definitely be able to attack…”

There was no answer on the couch for a long time, only a pale and thin hand stretched out from the gauze tent, holding it in Xiao Huan’s palm.

Xiao Huan was silent for a long time, his breathing suddenly trembled, and he pleaded with a cry of tears: “Sister Rong, just talk to me, I’m so scared…”

Xiao Changning walked forward. It wasn’t until the palace was passed on that Xiao Huan suddenly woke up. He raised his sleeve and wiped his eyes, before turning his head and saying, “Sister?”

Xiao Changning nodded, and sat down on the Hu chair beside her, “I’ll see the queen.” After speaking, she was stunned.

Even through the screen, she could feel Liang Yourong’s haggard, and when she opened the screen, she was even more shocked.

Liang Yourong has lost a lot of weight, her complexion is pale and bloodless, and her eyes are dark blue, and the cyan veins on the back of her hands are faintly visible. It is not like the girl who used to make double swords and martial arts outstanding, but it is like a flower that has lost nourishment. Flowers that are about to wither.

A flash of pain flashed in Xiao Huan’s eyes, and he was more at a loss. It seemed that only when facing Liang Yourong, all his calculations and scheming would be self-defeating, pitifully stupid.

On the couch, Liang Yourongwu was scattered and more fragile. She lifted her eyelids lightly and opened her mouth as if she had something to say, but before she could speak, she burst into a heart-piercing cough.

Xiao Huan hurriedly gave her a favor, and the maidservants presented medicated soup, but Liang Yourong shook his head and didn’t want to drink it. Xiao Changning looked into her eyes and understood the begging in her eyes.

“The emperor, can you borrow your queen for a use? I’ll talk to her for a while.” Xiao Changning took the medicine soup from the maidservant and stirred it gently. Seeing Xiao Huan sitting still, she smiled: “If you are a girl, you can’t listen. Don’t worry, just borrow a quarter of an hour.”

Xiao Huan pursed his lips. It took a while before he lowered his red eyes, and said to Liang Yourong, “Then, see you later.”

Liang Yourong was silent for a moment, and looked at Xiao Huan and nodded slightly.

She nodded very lightly, but Xiao Huan still saw it, as if he had received a great gift of joy.

When Xiao Huan left, Liang Yourong and Xiao Changning were the only two left in the house. Liang Yourong sat up with a strong support and coughed a few times.

Xiao Changning put an embroidered pillow behind her, then handed the medicinal soup to her, and asked, “Can you hold it steady?”

Liang Yourong nodded, took the medicine bowl, and stared at the slightly rippling brown soup in a daze.

“I take the liberty to tell the truth, this palace has never liked you very much.” Xiao Changning suddenly said, “This palace doesn’t like you, not because you hijacked this palace, but because you are always blind and blind. Genjin’s temperament doesn’t know how to be flexible. Loyalty and filial piety, good and evil, black and white, have always been like lights and shadows intertwined, regardless of each other, but you have to divide the right and the wrong, which makes both parties unhappy.”

Liang Yourong opened her lips, her voice was very hoarse, and asked: “If Admiral Shen hurt your relatives, such as the emperor, would you forget to fall in love with him?”

Xiao Changning was startled, and then smiled: “No, this palace may fight to death with him.”

Liang Yourong was silent for a long time before saying, “But I can’t do it…” She would rather hurt herself than stab Xiao Huan.

“So,” Xiao Changning said, “for the sake of your sincerity towards the emperor, although this palace hates you, it is not happy to see you become like this.”

Liang Yourong took a sip of the medicinal soup and frowned bitterly. Maybe her tongue can’t taste bitterness at all after a long illness, but it is her heart that is really bitter.

Xiao Changning thought for a while, and then asked again: “What are you going to do in the future? Will you continue torturing each other?”

“Princess Changning.” Liang Yourong raised her thin cheeks, with water shining in her eyes. For a long time, Fang said with difficulty, “Can you help me get out of here? Maybe, only after I separate from him, will we find each other accurately? Position…grow up.”

This was a dilemma request. Xiao Changning thought about it carefully, but didn’t give her a firm promise. He only smiled and said: “You are good to get sick. As long as either of you takes a soft breath, the problem will be solved.”

After a quarter of an hour, Xiao Changning walked out of Kunning Palace.

Under the corridor outside the hall, Xiao Huan was sitting alone on the red lacquer carved fence, his back was set against the red of late spring, and he looked a little thin and bleak.

Xiao Changning walked up to him and sat down, and watched the clouds and mist gradually dissipating in the distance with him. After a long time, he said, “Huan’er, you grew up under the protection of one hand. I have to push Sister Away away and the Queen away , Finally let yourself be left alone?”

These words were like a sharp stab in his heart, Xiao Huan retorted in a choked voice: “I don’t! It is you who are stubborn who want to fall in love with an **** of unknown origin, and who are stubborn who want to leave me and fly high. I clearly tried my best to hold you fast. , But, but…”

Xiao Changning withdrew his gaze from the horizon and lightly fell on the young emperor.

He was wearing a vermilion uniform, a purple gold crown, his face was like a crown jade, and he was young and handsome, but his eyes were full of tears. His mind should be broad, able to hold thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, but his eyes are also narrow, so narrow that even sorrow can’t be contained, turning into double lines of tears.

“Huan’er, Shen Xuan once told me a story, do you want to hear it?”

Xiao Huan sniffed, which was considered tacit.

Xiao Changning said: “Shen Xuan said that he didn’t like to read when he was young. He once saw a yellow oriole on the big tree in front of the wing. The song of this bird was so tactful that it moved his heart, so he gave birth to an exclusive mind. He knocked down the oriole bird. The oriole’s wing was injured and thumped desperately in his palm. Shenxuan was afraid that the bird would escape, so she gathered its wings and held it firmly.”

Having said that, Xiao Changning paused and then asked, “Guess what?”

Xiao Huan’s eyes were deep, and he shook his head after a long while.

“The bird is dead and suffocated.” Xiao Changning said, “The bird’s breathing depends on the nasal cavity on the beak, but also on the air sacs under the wings. The wings are clenched so tightly that the bird cannot breathe freely. died.”

Some things, perhaps like the oriole in Shenxuan’s memories, the tighter you hold, the faster you die; like quicksand, no matter how tightly you hold it, it will flow through your fingers. This is true of imperial power, and so does the queen.

Xiao Huan is not stupid, knowing what her sister is talking about.

There was unwillingness and despair in his eyes, and he desperately rubbed his eyes and trembled and said, “Is the queen asking A sister to talk about this?”

“No, it’s just a story. The oriole in the memory can no longer be brought back to life, but Huan’er and the queen must have a new outlet in their lives.” After all, she smiled and got up, “That’s it, I… “

As she said, the sky was spinning in front of her eyes suddenly, and the white clouds and corrugation in the sky seemed to be twisted into a whirlpool, pressing against her…

Xiao Changning’s eyes went dark and almost fell.

With tears still hung on Xiao Huan’s eyelashes, he hurriedly protected her, and said in astonishment: “Sister!”

Xiao Changning was soft and speechless. Before she fell into a complete coma, she only heard Xiao Huan’s angry voice blast in her ears, as if it were very close or far away.

“Come on! Quickly pass the doctor!”