At the beginning of the month, Xu Nuo woke up.
After getting dressed, she put on a thick cloak and pushed out the door. The cold wind blew in her face, like sharp knives cutting into her face, and at the same time penetrated the layers of clothes she had wrapped herself in.
Looking around, there was no one else in the courtyard except for a lowly palace maid timidly sweeping the floor.
She shivered immediately due to the cold wind, but her head became clearer. She put her hands around her shoulders and quickly observed the situation in the courtyard. At the same time, she raised her ears to listen to the movement in the yard next to her.
The wind was so loud that she could barely hear anything.
She was heartbroken all night, and she had several impulses to sneak into Concubine Liu Defi's room to find out what was going on, but she finally endured it.
After all, there is no use for her to go, the best she can do is watch in the dark.
Looking at the gray sky, she silently said in her heart: Fang Jing, please don't come.
Don't trade your freedom for a reputation that has been slandered many times.
She really didn't want Fang Jing to come. If he came and followed Concubine Liu Defe's wish, then she would owe him even more kindness.
She doesn't like to owe others too much.
After the morning session, Xu Gucheng went to the emperor's study with a somewhat tired face. The emperor walking in front of him was full of energy.
The emperor kept saying that he wanted to talk to him after he was promoted to Minister of Industry a few days ago, but he has been unable to take time off because he has just taken over a new job and needs to be handed over.
The emperor's "Talk" focused on political music, chess, calligraphy and painting, in addition to talking about the governance of the country. Xu Gucheng was good at painting, and the emperor had long been waiting to see Xu Gucheng's hand-painted winter pictures.
The emperor had received a summer lotus painting painted by Xu Gucheng in a pavilion in the palace many years ago. It was very artistic. And it's very real. When you open the scroll, you feel like you are by the pond where the fragrance of lotus is diffused.
Because of his love for that painting, he thought about asking Xu Gucheng to paint another winter picture.
Until the end of morning today. Xu Gucheng just told the emperor that he had almost finished handling the work handover and had time to "talk", so he had the opportunity to meet alone.
Xu Gucheng sent Su Ye to look for Fang Jing's whereabouts yesterday. Unexpectedly, there was news in the middle of the night. He hurriedly thought of a way to stop Fang Jing and prevent him from entering the palace immediately.
If Fang Jing enters the palace at night, Concubine Liu Defi will most likely ask the emperor to come to Fang Jing before the morning court. This was fatal to Xu Gucheng, who could only enter the palace at night and could only enter the palace during court. Fortunately, he stopped Fang Jing last night.
Fang Jing is good at martial arts. It is impossible for ordinary people to follow him and find out his whereabouts, otherwise Liu Defi would not have caught him for so many years.
The news about Su Ye came so quickly that people couldn't believe it.
last night. Make sure Fang Jing enters the palace on the second day. Xu Gucheng then asked Suye, and Suye said that someone had secretly helped him when he was looking for Fang Jing, and he got the whereabouts of Fang Jing only after giving him a piece of news.
After hearing what Su Ye said, Xu Gucheng fell into deep thought. The person who could give Su Ye news must at least know the actions of Concubine Liu Defi, Fang Jing, and the Xu family.
Who can have such ability?
As promised, Xu Gucheng also barely slept, and he always paid attention to the emperor's demeanor when he went to court. Only after confirming that the emperor was not happy did he feel relieved, so he showed his tired face.
The emperor is not a person who can hide his worries. If he knew that King Xu had a posthumous son, he would not look so calm.
While the minister was going to court, Fang Jing, dressed in white, relied on his martial arts skills to sneak into the palace without any pressure and find Concubine Liu Def, asking her to keep the fact that Xu was brought up by him a secret.
Without any hesitation, Concubine Liu Defi told Fang Jing that she hoped he could meet the emperor and tell his story. If he did so, she would ensure that his promised reputation would always be clean and without any stain.
Fang Jing was the posthumous son of King Xu. In addition to the evidence that had been preserved early, this matter also required Fang Jing's own admission.
Fang Jing knew Concubine Liu Defi's plan before entering the palace and just nodded after hearing it.
Concubine Liu Defi smiled with satisfaction and asked her trusted eunuch to bring some food to Fang Jing. Fang Jing waved her hand and refused.
He did not eat palace food.
Concubine Liu Defi was not unhappy at being rejected. She just smiled and said, "Jing Ping, I see that you don't look very good. Go and have a rest first. I will tell the emperor about this and then he will let you pass."
She asked Fang Jing to go to the wing to rest for a while, and then came to the study room according to the emperor's order. Unexpectedly, she arrived a step too late. When she came over, the emperor was meeting Xu Gucheng.
After Xu Gucheng finished talking to the emperor, the emperor wanted to play chess with him, and he readily accepted.
When he agreed to talk to the emperor, he was mentally prepared to play chess and paint.
An hour later, Xu Gucheng was sent out by the eunuch, preparing to paint at the place the emperor had agreed with him.
When I came out, I saw Concubine Liu Defi in the cold wind without any surprise, so she bowed and saluted, her expression was very normal, but her heart was complicated.
Naturally, Concubine Liu did not wait for an hour in the cold wind. Instead, she asked people to pay attention to the situation here. She went to a side room to wait, and came out only when it was almost over.
After she returned the gift to Xu Gucheng, she hurriedly asked the eunuch to send a message to the emperor.
The emperor just defeated Xu Gucheng in a game, and later he was able to get Xu Gucheng's winter picture. At this moment, he was in a good mood and came out to see Concubine Liu Defi in person.
"I have seen the official's house. I saw that the wind is strong today, so I made soup and wanted to bring it to you to ward off the cold. Now the soup is not very hot anymore and it can't ward off the cold even if I think about it."
There was a hint of regret in Concubine Liu Defi's voice. Although she came to talk to the emperor about Fang Jing, she was not empty-handed when she came. She was always very thoughtful and courteous.
"I played chess with Xu Shilang before, but the eunuch didn't dare to disturb me, so he didn't report it as soon as possible. Now that the soup is cold and you're frozen, it's all my fault. It's a waste of your good intentions, Concubine De. However, the soup prepared by Concubine De with her own hands is I’ll drink it even if it’s cold.”
The emperor took great care of his servants, and he would leave the eunuch alone even for the smallest things.
"What are you talking about? Come into the house quickly. How can I let you drink the cold soup? If the officials want to drink it, I can boil it for a while." Concubine Liu Defei said with a smile, and asked the original woman to hold the lunch box behind her. The maid of honor withdrew.
"Concubine De, do you feel cold?" The emperor gently patted Concubine Liu De on the shoulder and asked with concern.
"It's not cold. When I'm with the official family, I won't be cold." Concubine Liu Defe looked like a queen when she was with others, but she always showed the feeling of a little bird in front of the emperor.
Although she is not young, she does not feel any sense of violation when she says such words.
"That's good. Are you interested in watching Xu Shilang paint with me?" The emperor had a thick smile on his face and his eyes were already looking in the direction Xu Gucheng was leaving.
Concubine Liu Def understood the emperor's thoughts best. Seeing that he was very interested, she couldn't bear to refuse, so she agreed.
When the two of them passed by, Xu Gucheng was already standing in the hexagonal pavilion, and the paper and ink on the stone table in the pavilion were ready.
Xu Gucheng was not surprised at all that Concubine Liu Defi would come with the emperor, or rather he expected it. He only started painting when he saw the two of them entering the pavilion. (To be continued...)
140 Winter Pictures (karlking and Shi Bijia:
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