"Rong Zhaozhao, I still owe you a glass of apology wine."

There was a long silence after the man's words fell. Rong Shu hugged the moon pillow and looked at Gu Changjin quietly.

"Is this cup of apology wine related to the reason why you hid me in the East Palace?"

"Yes." Gu Changjin nodded, "Do you want to know why I took you from Minglu Yuan and hid you in Zichen Palace?"

Rong Shu said no. After speaking, his fingers gently and unconsciously picked up the Yue'er pillow in his arms.

Shaoqing, she raised her eyes and said, "If I knew about it, would it have any impact on me and my mother-in-law?"

My mother-in-law should have stayed in Yangzhou to deal with the Shen family's affairs.

Tan Zhi spent almost all the money of the Shen family to buy firearms. The Shen family was in a mess right now. At a time when things were going very hard, his mother-in-law gave up everything and braved the heavy snow to come from Yangzhou. This shows that she started her journey to Beijing. A big change occurred.

Gu Changjin was also uncharacteristic and took her out of Mingluyuan with a strong attitude, indicating that the incident was related to her.

Rong Shu just heard from Lan Xuan today that since she came to Zichen Palace, no one in the East Palace was allowed to leave the East Palace.

A maid like Zhujun, who has a good reputation in the palace, would have been able to get grace to go out of the palace to visit her family on New Year's Eve and the Lantern Festival.

But this year, because of Gu Changjin's order, let alone go home, I couldn't even go out to buy some rouge and gouache to tidy up for the spring.

"Although we can't leave the East Palace, His Highness the Crown Prince has rewarded all of us with a piece of silk, a piece of silk cloth, and a box of reward money." Lan Xuan said with a smile: "This is the first time that this slave has received such a large reward. Listen. She said that Aunt Zhu also got an extra ingot of good ink, and she also said that she would keep it for her nephew at home. "

Not only are people in the East Palace not allowed to leave, it is also not easy for people from outside to come in."

Nowadays, the East Palace is heavily guarded. There are countless secret guards hidden inside and outside the Zichen Palace. These secret guards are now under the control of Zhuiyun.

Zhuiyun and Changji were the most trusted people by Gu Changjin. Gu Changjin sent them to guard the Zichen Palace. Princess Yunhua was not the only person they had to guard against.

What kind of change happened that made A Niang abandon everything and come to Beijing?

Gu Changjin, who is used to being calm wherever he goes, feels like he is facing a formidable enemy?

Recalling what Zhang's mother said to her in Shenyuan, Rong Shu had a vague suspicion in her heart.

The room was bright, illuminating the girl's eyes very brightly.

When Gu Changjin came to this meeting, he was shocked to realize that her eyes were so similar to those of Queen Qi.

His Adam's apple slowly sank, and he whispered: "No, Aunt Shen loves you so much that she even killed Tan Zhi to protect you."

From the moment he knew that Shen Yizhen dropped everything and came to Beijing, Gu Changjin Then she knew that Rong Shu was the most important in her heart.

Not to mention Rong Shu's love for Shen Yizhen. This girl was very affectionate. In her previous life, she cared about her mother's safety until she died. How could she stop loving her mother just because she was not her biological child?

Rong Shu looked at him. After a moment, she curved her lips, raised her hand and pulled the red rope around her neck, revealing the jade Buddha pendant inside, and said, "The first night I came here, you saw this jade pendant of mine." She didn't put the pendant back into my clothes, was that intentional?"

She wore the jade pendant close to her body, and after falling asleep, no matter how irregular her sleeping position was, it would not escape from her pocket.

But when she woke up that day, the jade pendant was outside her coat.

He is the one keeping watch at night, and he is the only one who can read this jade pendant.

Gu Changjin didn't answer.

"After I arrived in Yangzhou, Tan Zhi begged me for this jade pendant at Jing'an Temple. He said it was to suppress the yin energy in my horoscopes. He also said that once this jade pendant was put on, it would never leave my body. My mother-in-law later specially called "I gave Jing'an Temple a lot of money for sesame oil."

Rong Su eased the red string around her neck and said without any nostalgia, "I don't want this jade Buddha bead anymore."

She had been wearing this jade pendant since she was a child. When I handed this jade pendant to the jailer in Dali Temple Prison in order to see my grandma, I was particularly reluctant to part with it.

Now that I take off this jade pendant again, how can I still be reluctant to part with it?

What should be given up should be given away.

Rong Shu put the jade pendant in Gu Changjin's hand, stood up to get the wine, filled a glass, and said with a smile: "Gu Changjin, I've got your apology wine."

Gu Changjin took it and handed it to her. Tu Sujiu looked at her and asked, "Does Rong Zhaozhao like being Rong Shu?"

"Yes." Rong Shu smiled calmly and said, "Gu Changjin has always been Gu Changjin, and Rong Shu has always been Rong Shu."

Gu Changjin nodded, raised his hand slightly, and drank all the wine in the cup.

"No," Rong Shu tilted his head and said, "When grandma comes, I will be Shen Shu. Gu Changjin -"

She looked at him, her clear eyes showing a hint of caution, "I can always be Shen Shu." Are you comfortable?"

Gu Changjin said "Yes".

He had long known that she would not be willing to be someone else's daughter.

Rong Shu nodded and asked, "Will you be in danger?"

Gu Changjin said, "No."

"That's done." Rong Shu poured himself a glass of wine and said, "Shen Shu would like to thank His Highness."

She raised her head and drank the glass of wine, just like she drank the glass of wine in Wutong Lane on New Year's Eve last year. Refreshingly, without any hesitation.

The spicy wine slid down her throat. After a while, the wine was steaming, and her face was gradually covered with a layer of pink, which was even more eye-catching than the bright light behind her.

Rong Shu lowered his eyes and looked at the white jade cup in his hand, his fingertips slowly turning along the wall of the cup.

Last year they had Tusu wine together at Wutong Lane, this year they were at Zichen Hall, what about next year?

Will we still eat Tusu wine together?

Her drinking capacity was always low. Rong Shu knew that she was drunk now, so she should say nothing and go back to the bed to have a good sleep.

But for some reason, she didn't want to move.

The words that had been suppressed in her heart by her reason over and over again slowly came to her lips one by one.

Rong Shu raised his eyes and opened his lips.

Just at this moment, there was a sudden "clang", and the wine cup he was playing with fell to the ground, and the remaining few drops of wine fell on his fingertips, feeling cool.

The coolness climbed up to his forehead along his fingertips. Rong Shu paused for a moment, closed his lips again, and reached out to hold the wine cup on the ground.

Gu Changjin suddenly held her hand.

"Say." He knew she had something to say to him just now, and even vaguely guessed what she wanted to say.

Rong Shu stopped picking up the wine cup on the ground and raised his eyes to look at him, his moist eyes filled with hazy drunkenness.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

Rong Shu said: "Gu Changjin, it's time for me to go back to the bed."

Gu Changjin refused to let go. Instead, he pressed her hand under his palm and slowly leaned over to meet her slightly drunken gaze. , touched her lips like a dragonfly.

"Rong Zhaozhao, you are not allowed to retreat." He said hoarsely.

As night fell, the snow became heavier and heavier, and the glazed tiles on Kunning Palace were covered with a thick layer of snow satin.

The two eldest maids carefully carried the two Buddhist lanterns from the outer hall into the inner hall and asked softly: "Your Majesty, Madam Gui asked the slaves to light up the two Buddhist lanterns. Do you think they are the same as last year?" On the Buddhist table by the window?”

Empress Qi said "Yes": "Remember to close the wooden shutters on the windows so that there is no ventilation." Emperor

Jiayou was slowly flipping through a memorial while leaning on the table on the couch. Hearing this, he raised his eyes and took a look . .

Queen Qi's back was turned to him, and she was only wearing a thin frost-colored pajamas, not even a robe. There was an earth dragon burning in the Kunning Palace and a charcoal basin was placed. She was wearing such little clothes so she wasn't cold.

Emperor Jiayou still frowned slightly, stood up, took out a black cloak from the rosewood shelf on one side, and put it on Empress Qi.

Queen Qi was watching the palace maids placing Buddhist lanterns, and didn't notice the movement behind her. It wasn't until a heavy weight fell on her shoulders that she knew Emperor Jiayou had gotten off the bed.

He quickly turned around and said gently: "Your Majesty, please go back to the couch. The ground is cold."

Emperor Jiayou did not go back, but followed her gaze and looked at the Buddha case.

There were several hand-written scriptures on top, as well as an eight-character postscript. On the eight-character postscript was pressed a string of jade Buddha bead bracelets. Under the illumination of two Buddhist lamps, the Buddha's face on the jade beads shone lightly.

Emperor Jiayou recognized that it was the bracelet left to her by her mother. She loved this bracelet like a treasure and would never leave her body.

Emperor Jiayou put a big cloak on her and went to the Buddha's case. He took the eight-character post and opened it and took a look. The eight-character post on it was the sixth day of April in the second year of Jiayou's reign.

This is... Princess Qingxi’s birthday.

Wen Xi's timid face appeared in Emperor Jiayou's mind, and he calmly put down the eight-character post.

When the child was ill, he went to see her twice in the side hall. Both times she was in a coma and only saw a pale and frail face. Today at the family banquet, father and daughter met for the first time.

Maybe it was because he wasn't raised by someone around him since he was a child, or maybe it was because he was born with a lack of emotion. Apart from a touch of pity, Emperor Jiayou couldn't have any other emotions towards Wenxi.

Emperor Jiayou took Queen Qi's hand, brought her to the couch, and said warmly: "I have arranged everything for that child in Qingxi, and I will not cause her any grievances. You don't have to worry."

Queen Qi lowered her eyes. , the long eyelashes cast a shadow on the white eyelids.

After a while, she responded softly: "I thank Your Majesty for Qingxi."

Emperor Jiayou's eyes narrowed slightly, and he held Queen Qi's chin with his hand, raised her face, and looked at her expression carefully.

Queen Qi was startled by his action, her eyes met his bottomless eyes, and she immediately suppressed the emotions in her heart and said warmly: "What's wrong with your majesty?"

Time has been particularly kind to her.

Although she was already in her forties and had been a mother for more than twenty years, her beauty was still intact. She was still the Miss Qi that countless people in Beijing could not forget many years ago.

Emperor Jiayou released her chin, gently pushed her black hair hanging by her face behind her ears, and slowly stroked her earlobe with his rough fingertips.

Qi Zhen took a breath and called out again: "Your Majesty..."

Although this man had a frailty from his mother's womb, he looked a little more sickly than ordinary men. He was as weak as the wind. Only Qi Zhen knew that. How much he can torment people in bed.

Although Wang Dehai tried hard to suppress the matter of him coughing up blood in Qianqing Palace a few months ago, he still asked her to speak out.

In his current state, he can't act recklessly.

Qi Zhen held down his hand that was playing with her ear beads.

A smile gradually appeared on Emperor Jiayou's pale and gentle face. He still liked to see her like this.

"What are you thinking about, Queen?" The man's voice had a hint of laughter and a pun: "Go to sleep and don't think about anything."

Qi Zhen responded, trying hard to suppress the anxiety in her heart, lying down beside him and closing her eyes. Eye-catching.

I thought she would probably have trouble sleeping tonight, but unexpectedly, the man beside her held her in his arms and patted her back a few times, and she gradually fell asleep.

The lights in the hall are bright.

When the breathing of the person beside him gradually became evener, Emperor Jiayou turned his eyes slightly and looked at her sleeping face, his eyes showing deep thought.

When he canonized the child today, although she was smiling, she was not happy at all.

Just now, she specially took off her bracelet and pressed it on the eight-character post to pray for the child. She even stared at the Buddhist lantern used for blessing, for fear that the wind leaking in through the window would blow out the lantern.

There is something hidden in her heart, and that matter should be related to Qingxi.

Emperor Jiayou used a little force in his arms to hold the woman in his arms tighter. She could always hide her worries well in front of others, but in front of him, her disguise was as weak as paper that could be broken by a poke.

When the two first got married, he could see her vigilance and caution towards him.

The emperor's father granted her marriage to him, but it was actually Prince Qiyuan who was behind it, because he was interested in his weakness and lack of contention.

Xiao Yan knew very well that Prince Qiyuan just didn't dare to disobey his father, so he had to let her go temporarily and let her marry him. The Qi family, including her, actually understood what Prince Qiyuan was thinking.

In the eyes of the Qi family and Prince Qiyuan, he, Xiao Yan, is just a cover, a cover that will kill him as long as Prince Qiyuan is in power.

He didn't really care. Death early or late didn't mean much to him.

When he went to Taiyuan Mansion, he would leave early and come back late every day.

At that time, he thought that since Taiyuan Prefecture was his vassal territory, he had his responsibility to the people of that prefecture. While he is alive, he might as well do more for the people there.

He has loved reading miscellaneous books since he was a child, and he has covered a wide range of topics. He is quite good at dealing with people's livelihood. He built dams, built fertile fields, and even led a large group of miners to explore for mineral sources in the barren mountains and ridges day and night.

Maybe it was to build a good reputation, or maybe it was because she was so busy in Taiyuan Mansion that she brought him meals every day. At first she only stayed for half an hour, then for another hour. After that, she began to accompany him to work for the people, going out early in the morning and coming back late at night.

Once, something happened to the crop fields in a county town below.

She followed him down to the paddy field. When she came out of the field, her entire face was drained of color. She was so stubborn that even the maids serving her could not tell her discomfort.

Xiao Yan glanced at her, shut away the people around him, and forcefully opened the hem of her pants. When he saw the leeches clinging to her legs sucking blood until they were bulging, his face suddenly sank like water.

His usually calm mood became anxious and irritable for the first time. After picking away the leeches, he asked her if she felt uncomfortable, and she bit her lip and said she didn't.

Xiao Yan knew that what she told was a lie, but he did not expose her.

He looked at the blood stains on her legs, lowered his head in a strange way, and licked away the blood bit by bit.

She stared blankly at the top of his hair, but the moment he looked up, she hurriedly looked away and her ears turned red.

In fact, he already knew that she was attracted to him long before she realized her feelings.

He just kept pretending not to know, and didn't think of trying to find out.

But after that time, everything changed.

Whether it's her or him.

On the way back to the palace, a flash flood burst the embankments, and he and she were trapped in a cave.

They had been married for more than a year at that time, and they slept in the same bed every day, but they never exceeded the rules.

That day there was thunder and lightning and heavy rain.

Their clothes were soaked, and the lingering fear of escaping from the flash flood crushed their last shred of reason.

In the dark cave, she kissed him first.

But it was him who responded enthusiastically, who forced her not to hide, who stripped off her clothes and made her completely become him.

She whimpered and called him Xiao Yan.

At that time, he thought, let's just sink in, live or die together.

Now he doesn't have much time left and is not far from death, but he is reluctant to ask her to accompany him. Since you are reluctant to let go, then arrange everything for her so that she will no longer have any worries in the days to come.

Candlelight flickers.

Emperor Jiayou raised his hand to caress the eyebrows of Empress Qi that had not relaxed in her sleep, opened the curtain, and slowly walked out of the inner hall.

Wang Dehai and his two chamberlains were keeping vigil in the outer hall with half-closed eyes. When they caught a glimpse of Emperor Jiayou, he immediately stood up straight, "Emperor—"

Emperor Jiayou raised his hand to interrupt him and said lightly: "Go. Call Guizhong over, I have something to tell him."