Entering the boudoir in the middle of the night, not for money or sex, probably only if he feels like it.
After all, she was only a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old. She was so afraid that she would not be able to turn back for her sister's fault because of the Sun family. That night she dreamed of a city wall approaching and she fell down.
When she woke up, she saw him, lazily like a puppy, lying on the chair farthest from the bed. There was moonlight in the window lattice, but it was not as bright as his eyes, which were looking at her at the moment.
He smiled softly: Hey, I am the ancestor of the Xishan thieves. My name is Zhao Zhen. Why don’t I remember when I kidnapped a little lady like you?
A very beautiful face, but it happens to be matched with such a wild soul, or it may have grown into this appearance, no matter how shocking the world is, it is worthy of forgiveness. is that so? All she knew was that the world was unfair at best, that handsome men would one day fall from grace, and that her reputation was actually false.
She suddenly laughed: What are you doing here?
His eyes were brighter, like washed amber, shining brightly: I came to see the resentful woman.
Sun Xiuying was silent. He looked at her and suddenly smiled: maybe she was an idiot.
two:
The only time Sun Xiuying went to Xishan to find Zhao Zhen was for abortion pills. Sun Xiuxue was pregnant, and the child's father, Zhu Jisu, panicked and was at a loss. He blurted out and asked her to find Zhao Zhen for help.
The Sun family's parents could no longer bear any bad news about their daughter. Sun Xiuying thought about it carefully and realized that the only person she could rely on at the moment was Zhao Zhen, a stranger.
In order not to attract attention, she set out at night and did not arrive at the foot of the Western Mountain until sunrise. The two people watching the mountain actually recognized her, greeted her enthusiastically, and pointed out various things in the mountain to her as they walked. It's summer at the foot of the mountain, but spring flowers are blooming in the mountains. There are many houses and red walls built with tiles. It looks like a small city-state with strict laws and strict internal and external regulations.
She couldn't help but smile. Deep down in her heart, who would have thought that the people who governed this city would be such a willful and willful person. When she asked for saffron, the ocean-like smile on Zhao Zhen's face receded little by little, and his expression was solemn and unspeakable that she had never seen before.
Zhao Zhen said something to his man, and when the man came back, he had a small red box in his hand. Turning the box towards her, the strange and sharp fragrance made her subconsciously turn her head to avoid it, but when she looked closely at him, he had already closed it.
She took it silently. When leaving, I heard him sigh softly behind me: Xiuying, your decisions that you think are good for people are sometimes not what she wants. Smart people are easy to break, you know this truth all too well.
She thought she didn't actually understand Zhao Zhen. The soul hidden behind his playful smiling face was not as rough as his usual words. He will shine, so bright.
She was confused and carried the box of medicine home. It took her an entire afternoon to fry a small bowl. She extinguished the fire several times in the process and accidentally spilled countless cold medicines. When she brought the small bowl to Sun Xiuxue, the last bit of color finally faded from Sun Xiuxue's already pale face.
She raised her head with tears streaming down her face. She called her sister with trembling lips, "Sister, how cruel." She was distracted for a moment, and she had never shown sympathy to this child, but Xiu Xue loved him more than life, so how could she bear to kill her.
After exhausting her efforts, she melted all the medicine into the bowl of medicine bit by bit, and finally poured it under the roots of the camphor tree. Besieged on all sides and without a master, she really ran out of ammunition this time.
At this moment, she suddenly heard someone calling her from high up. When she raised her head, Zhao Zhen jumped down from the tree in a swagger. He pulled her up from the ground briskly, his eyes bright: Here you go.
It's a pill, in a red box. He explained from the side: This medicine can delay childbirth. He asked Sun Xiuxue to take it the night she went to bed in the palace. The king of custody could not tell whose seed it was.
She didn't take the red box from his hand for a moment, and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow in confusion. Sun Xiuying's expression became extremely serious. She suddenly raised her sleeves and forehead and gave him a solemn gift. Zhao Zhen looked at her and smiled slowly: If you trust me so much, aren't you afraid that I'm coaxing you?
If it's still just a joke, it's just fate. But fortunately, fate was not too harsh on her.
Seven days later, the wedding carriage arrived in Qingcheng from Shangjing to greet the second young lady of the Sun family who came from the common people and was lucky enough to be chosen to serve as the palace attendant.
After September, news came from the imperial city that Sun Guiren had successfully given birth to a prince. At that time, there had been no good news about a newborn baby in the palace for nearly ten years. The whole country rejoiced and the whole city celebrated. At the same time, the emperor, who was in an ecstatic mood, announced Jin's grandson Xiu Xue as his imperial concubine.
On the night when she learned the news, Sun Xiuying brought several bottles of good wine and some red eggs to see the child's biological father, Zhu Jiansu, who lived in the east of the city and made a living by teaching and earning a small salary.
To be honest, she didn't like this real brother-in-law. He had a delicate and complex look that resembled a woman. Unfortunately, this was not what she admired. She prefers Zhao Zhen's simplicity, clearness, strong drinking and fast horses, or vulgar pleasure.
She smiled in her heart, feeling a little happy for no reason. She walked briskly under the bright moonlight, with no one around her, but suddenly thought of him. Is that well-organized city also bathed in the same moonlight as her? When he accidentally thinks of her, will he feel slightly sad and happy in his heart?
three:
Zhu Jisu is not at home. The knocking on the door alerted the neighbor's aunt who was still asleep. She came out and told her that Zhu Jisu had gone out early in the morning and had not returned yet.
Sun Xiuying walked to a nearby bridge pier and sat down to rest. The wine was placed at the door. Soon someone came over the bridge, two people, and she finally stopped silently because she heard the voice of another person besides Zhu Jiansu.
It's Zhao Zhen. She didn't know when the relationship between the two had become so good that they would go out together and talk at night. Imagining some scenes of the two living together, Zhao Zhen blew some comforting sentences to her intermittently on the bridge: Sun Xiuxue has given birth to a child, you can feel more relieved now.
Zhu Jisu smiled bitterly: She is now in the palace, and one wrong step could mean life or death. How can I rest assured?
So what if you are worried, Zhao Zhen smiled solemnly, "You and I can't help ourselves in life, let alone death."
Zhu Jisu turned to stare at him and suddenly sighed: My parents are sorry for you and have made your life so unhappy.
Zhao Zhen wanted to laugh, but failed in the end. He sighed and said: There is no bitterness in life, but there are rough roads everywhere. If I had had a choice since I was born, he suddenly became silent at this point.
He saw a jar of wine at the door of Zhu Jiansu's house, which few people paid attention to. He quickly walked over and leaned over to pick it up. His eyes suddenly darkened when he found a pocket of red eggs next to him. He looked around and asked Qingjing Siye: Xiuying?
There was only the chirping of insects and the noise of frogs, but no human voice. Zhu Jisu strode over and glanced at the red egg in his hand, his expression suddenly became as heavy as his. He lowered his voice: Probably gone.
Zhao Zhen nodded reluctantly. She didn't move, even after they left, she still didn't move her feet.
She couldn't understand why the two of them had to pretend to be strangers in front of others if they already had such a good personal relationship. Moreover, looking at Zhao Zhen's demeanor and manner, it is definitely beyond the reach of ordinary bandits. Why would he demean himself to this?
Unexpectedly, some details that were not noticed at first became extremely clear on this dangerous night. Sun Xiuxue gave birth to Zhu Jisu's child in the palace, and Zhao Zhen had repeatedly hinted that she would be merciful to the child. The elixir used by Sun Xiuxue to conceal the birth date was also given by Zhao Zhen himself. Her heart suddenly became cold at a certain moment.
Zhao Zhen came to see her after seven or eight days, one afternoon. He was careless and informal, and his behavior was no different from her usual memory. However, she recalled the sentences he said that night more than once. It seemed that his worry and depression only belonged to the night, and during the day, he was Zhao Zhen, the arrogant and domineering ancestor of thieves, was the king of the mountain.
She asked anyway. She said: Have you and Zhu Jiansu known each other before?
There was a strange moment of silence, and his downcast expression showed a determination that he was about to make a desperate move. She couldn't help but hold her breath, remembering that when she was young, she was taken to a gambling bureau in all directions. The moment the dice rolled away, the gamblers' faces shone with cold light, indicating success or failure. Life and death are just a matter of seconds.
When he looked up at her again, he asked an irrelevant question: Did you come to Zhu Jiansu's house that night?
Sun Xiuying pondered for a moment and answered quickly: Yes. I heard those words clearly.
Changing from his usual joking expression, Zhao Zhen stared at her and suddenly asked: If I said that I was the one who was supposed to marry Sun Xiuxue, would you believe it?
Four:
When the previous dynasty Dayun fell, Sun Xiuying was not yet born, and all information about the previous royal family gradually became taboo after the new king ascended the throne. She only knew that the emperor took advantage of the fact that the late king was critically ill and the prince was young. He gathered the old generals and sent troops from outside the wall to force the palace and took away the throne that originally belonged to his nephew. In the old days, nobles from the royal family, along with their clan in-laws, burned themselves in the imperial city to die for the country.
In order to show that they are obeying the destiny, all the old systems still follow precedents, and even the girls who were selected among the people for the prince are now accepted by the emperor.
The old ministers and generals who still have lingering feelings for the previous dynasty have always believed that the prince is not dead, and are currently preparing for the possibility of a comeback somewhere.
Sun Xiuying never imagined in her life that this Xishan bandit standing in front of her with a half-smiling smile had lived in the Jiuchong Palace many years ago and was the legendary prince who died in an accidental fire. She thought she finally understood his depression and loneliness behind the scenes.
She nodded: I believe it.
He said very slowly: But you still blame me, don't you?
There was a kind of haggardness and sadness in his silent and worried face that he couldn't bear to look at anymore. Sometimes there was still a faint light flickering when he was absent-minded. It was the memory of Kataha Yoshimitsu in the light and shadow of the past, or it was occasionally dotted in the long river of loneliness, those rare lights. Got spiritual ideas?
She looked at him and shook her head affirmatively: I know your difficulties, I understand.
Zhao Zhen smiled in a daze: My family, my country, my country, but I know that what I have done is never for the so-called common people in the world. What I want to fight for is not to let the people who care about me continue to feel sad.
He smiled and suddenly turned his head sideways, a fog forming in his eyes.
Since then, Zhao Zhen has never actively appeared in her world again. The gatekeeper of the Western Mountain has been replaced. One day in the mountain means a thousand years have passed in this world. She went down the mountain depressedly and returned to the world from a thousand years away, but her soul has long since disappeared.
That was the most prosperous year for the Sun family. The world is always like this, dancing and laughing together, sad and crying alone. After learning that the Sun family still had a girl waiting to be married, those unpleasant scandals were no longer an obstacle to her getting married. Soon, matchmakers who proposed marriage appeared in front of the Sun family in an endless stream. After careful consideration by the two elders of the Sun family, , settled with the son of a wealthy businessman in the same city who had a wealthy family but had nothing to do with the royal family.
Sun Xiuying agreed quickly. Accepting the proposal, submitting the invitation, and matching the horoscopes. After both parents learned that this marriage was indeed destined by God, the wedding date was quickly decided on a good day next month that was said to be once in a lifetime.
Since then, there has been no news from Zhao Zhen. Late at night before getting married, Sun Xiuying suddenly remembered that the first time Zhao Zhen appeared in front of her was in such a gloomy dark night. But when he actually appeared, she thought it was just a confused dream.
He held the window sill with one hand and jumped over the low wall with his knees. He was as nimble as a wild cat, flying over the walls but occasionally appearing in the girl's boudoir. She had thousands of words but nothing to say, and she suddenly felt that she was running out of words to express her sorrow. When she finally managed to speak, what she said was: You have been gone for so long.
Leave me here. I care about you so much.
He stared at her: You are the smartest, I thought you could at least stop yourself from working so hard.
I am smart, so how could I be willing to suffer for myself? Sun Xiuying was obviously smiling, but when she turned her face, tears suddenly fell down her face. How could I wrong myself to marry someone I didn't like.
Even the love words were so untouchable, he smiled absently: I'm afraid you will regret it.
Tears filled her eyes for a moment, but Xiuying had already held his hand: I'm just afraid that you will leave me here alone.
five:
Sun Xiuying left very simply that night, carrying only a few changes of clothes and not a single piece of jewelry or hairpins. This bandit who was accustomed to stealing and had made the people hate him didn't steal any treasure this time. He took away Sun Xiuying, his only treasure here.
This shocking elopement will be remembered by the people of Qingcheng for generations. They deliberately or not bothered to mention whether there was love in it, but she didn't care. Love in this world always runs counter to the original intention, she doesn't want that.
On the third night of her stay in Xishan, she decided to marry him. Heaven and earth serve as witnesses, green mountains serve as matchmakers, and Zhu Jisu is their only witness. People who have experienced separation will probably have more compassion for other people's love.
She became his bride that night. After the clouds and rain passed, Zhao Zhen put his arm on her pillow, watching her fall asleep peacefully from exhaustion in his arms, listening to the sound of rain outside the window. The wind in the early spring of March brought the unique crisp breath of the plants in the mountains. He breathed in the air that was filled with the fragrance of the beautiful body, but he also clearly felt that the dark clouds that had always been in his heart never showed signs of dissipating.
He suddenly closed his eyes and sighed softly in his heart.
Sun Xiuying lived in Xishan. Whenever he wanted to go out, she would prepare everything in advance. If he came back late, she would put up a lantern and go to the foot of Xishan to wait for his return.
Sometimes Zhao Zhen would feel that walking alone in the mountains and fields, looking up and suddenly seeing the faint light flickering in the dark night, held in her palm, was far more warm and concrete than Xishan, the meaning of home.
When Zhu Jisu finally went up the mountain to find him one day, spread the account book in front of him, and told him that the property they had accumulated over the years was enough to support a costly war, he suddenly felt a sense of relief.
This was also the first time he clearly realized that the fate he was trying to avoid would never let him go easily. When the unknown future was finally clearly visible, even if the ending was just a dead end, he still felt relieved and relieved.
But there was someone innocent, the one who was involved, and he wanted her to live. Sitting in the room, trying hard to think of the reasons for her to leave Qingcheng temporarily, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and she walked into his world under the moonlight.
Her expression told him that he didn't really need to say anything more.
I saw Zhu Jisu's carriage stopped at the door, and she looked at him intently, so, you have already decided?
Zhao Zhen was speechless because he knew that he could not make any promises to her. It was a long time before he spoke: I will send you away.
In fact, he had already thought of her answer. She said: I will go by myself. She repeated very softly, I will go by myself.
The light finally went out at some point after she left, but he was still sitting in the world where only the moonlight illuminated him. Suddenly feeling miserable, he wanted to drink a glass of wine. In this long night, getting drunk would be an honor.
The decision is made. The moment he stood up to get the wine, he suddenly froze in place. He saw a thin silhouette standing at the door. He saw the tears in her eyes. He also clearly saw her trembling body. Even though she tried so hard to suppress it: Zhao Zhen, please, let’s go together, leave your country behind, let’s go to a bright place and live a good life.
Bright, warm in spring, bright and beautiful, his life was destined to have nothing to do with these words, but when she mentioned it, when his beloved woman promised him these beautiful things, he still felt the pain in his heart that had been dead for a long time, and it was hard to describe. Between the infinite pain and pain, a flower suddenly bursts into bloom.
And he just smiled quietly: Wealth and glory, a bright future
