The evening bell in the temple rang, and the long and thick bell echoed in the mountains and forests, and flocks of birds flapped their wings and flew away.
Shanshan sat on the ground blankly for a long time.
The guard with weapons in front of her was tall and his shadow was very long, overwhelmingly covering her little body. His face was fierce and scary, even more scary than a monster. She looked away in panic, and saw the tall man behind the stone table from a distance.
Her little face was still a little dazed and unresponsive, but tears began to well up instinctively, her eyes became red, and she looked extremely pitiful.
The emperor clung to the scriptures and paused.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel unbearable for no reason.
"Back off."
The guard obeyed the order and got out of the way.
The eldest eunuch understood what was happening and quickly stepped forward to help the little girl on the ground.
"Whose child are you from? Where are your parents?" Liang Yong gently wiped the dust off her body and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"
With tears in his eyes, Shanshan answered honestly: "I came here following the fragrance."
"fragrance?"
"The vegetarian food in the temple is not delicious. I smell it very fragrant and want to buy it from you." She lowered her head and rummaged through her book bag to find the money bag and held it up to show him: "Look, I have money. "
Liang Yong was speechless.
This was the first time that the always well-rounded eunuch encountered such a situation. He said: "Our master wants to eat this meal, and we cannot sell it to you."
Shanshan thought for a while and asked, "Then where did you buy it from? I'll buy it from him."
"..."
He was an imperial cook brought from the palace to cook for the emperor alone.
Not far away, the emperor also heard the childish voices over there. He didn't have much appetite at first, but after listening to the child talking, his eyes finally fell on the food next to him. It didn't look like there was much new in it, but it attracted a little glutton.
The eunuch continued to ask: "Where are your parents? Where do you live? I will send someone to take you back."
Shanshan didn't remember where the wing was, so he could only look at him blankly.
The chief eunuch said: "What is your name? I'll find someone to find out."
"My name is Wen Shan."
"Wen Shan?"
I just heard this name a few days ago, and the emperor also looked this way.
The eldest eunuch asked in surprise: "Are you the Wenshan that Master He said?"
"Uncle, do you recognize me?" Shanshan said happily: "I'm going to school soon, the famous Qingsong Academy. Have you heard of it?"
The emperor put down the book: "Liang Yong."
The chief eunuch said hurriedly: "My servant is here."
"Bring people here."
Shanshan was led over, and as she got closer, she could see the full range of dishes on the table. Although they were all vegetarian dishes, they were much richer than the green vegetables and tofu in the temple's vegetarian meals. She couldn't take her eyes away after taking one look at them, and her stomach made a long growl at the right time. She had been running all the way, and all the light and watery vegetarian food in her stomach had long been digested.
She looked at the dishes before looking up at their owner. A tall and majestic man with a cold appearance and a very serious look, but for some reason, she wanted to get close to him at first sight. Shanshan touched his belly and showed him the sweet little pear dimples on both sides of his cheeks in embarrassment.
The emperor was also sizing her up.
The child is fair and cute, with a chubby face and round facial features. It seems that every part of his body is soft and soft, which makes people fall in love with him at first sight. Especially when facing those round black eyes, even the coldest heart will become soft.
He remembered what the prince had said, and he didn't take it seriously at first, but now he was surprised to find a strange and close feeling in his heart.
It's really strange.
"Are you Wen Shan?"
Shanshan nodded and asked curiously: "Uncle, do you also recognize me?"
The emperor raised the corners of his lips but did not answer, then asked: "Are you hungry?"
Shanshan nodded again.
"Eat."
"May I?!"
The emperor nodded and pushed the only pair of bowls and chopsticks on the table in front of her.
Shanshan was even more surprised. She thanked her with bright eyes. Before she picked up the chopsticks, she remembered something, took out her little goldfish purse, and poured out the broken silver coins inside.
Finally, they all pushed forward and said, "Here you go!"
"What's this?"
"Meal money."
The emperor paused and said, "No need."
"No, my mother said that you have to pay for eating outside. I won't eat your food for free."
The emperor did not argue with her, but glanced at the eunuch. Liang Yong immediately stepped forward and collected all the broken silver and copper plates on the stone table.
He took the money and took a step back, wondering: he had been serving the emperor for so many years, and he had never seen the emperor be so close to anyone's child. He didn't pursue the emperor if he disturbed him, and he was even willing to play house with him. . Even the prince has never been so kind.
Even the emperor himself was surprised.
When the prince was young, he first ascended the throne and was busy cleaning up the mess left by the previous dynasty. Later, when the situation in the dynasty stabilized, the prince treated him respectfully. However, he had high hopes for establishing the prince as the prince, and taught him harshly, not to mention being close to him. Other children, such as Jiahe from the eldest princess's family, always hide away when they see him and dare not say much.
Not only was she not afraid of strangers, she looked at him unblinkingly with her round eyes when eating.
Shanshan felt that the uncle in front of her was very kind. She couldn't help but look at him a few more times. She couldn't sit still and lingered for a long time. She couldn't help but ask: "Uncle, have we met before?"
The emperor said: "I have never seen it before."
"really weird."
"What's weird?"
"I seem to have seen you somewhere." Shanshan asked confusedly: "Uncle, have you been to Yuncheng? My home is there."
She didn't know many people in the capital, and the people she met the most were in her hometown.
"I have been there," the emperor said, "a few years ago, when you were not even born yet."
It is even more difficult to think of Shanshan.
She looked at the uncle in front of her again and again, her little face wrinkled up solemnly.
The emperor glanced at her and said proactively: "I...I recognize you."
"Really?!"
"He Lanzhou told me about you."
"Are you a friend of Lord He?" Shanshan said happily: "If you are a friend of Lord He, then you are also my friend!"
emperor:"……"
Liang Yong couldn't help but glance at the child. I'm afraid this is the only person in the world who has become familiar with the emperor.
The emperor was not annoyed, but asked: "Are you friends with He Lanzhou?"
Shan Shan stopped moving.
She suddenly sighed and couldn't eat anymore. Her little face was full of sorrow: "You don't know, Mr. He wants to be my stepfather."
The emperor said in his heart: Of course he knows.
She took care of herself: "Master He is a good man, but I have a father, and I only have one mother, so I can't share it with him."
"your dad?"
"Yes."
"Isn't your father dead?"
"He's not dead, he's in the capital!" Shanshan said proudly: "I asked Bodhisattva today to help me find my father. Bodhisattva will appear and we will find him soon!"
The emperor smiled and said, "What's the use of praying to Bodhisattva?"
Shan Shan opened his eyes wide.
They were in a majestic temple, right under the noses of the gods and Buddhas. Even Shanshan had secretly complained about the Bodhisattva and had no doubts about the Bodhisattva. This is the first time I have seen someone say that Bodhisattva is not effective in a temple.
"You beg Bodhisattva, why not come to me?"
Shanshan looked at him doubtfully: "You?"
"You know He Lanzhou, you should also know how powerful he is. I..." The emperor paused. He wanted to use He Lanzhou to praise himself, but he soon remembered that his favorite was pursuing the mother-in-law of the little girl opposite him, and the words were stuck in his throat. His mouth rolled and he finally swallowed it back into his stomach. He frowned slightly and said reluctantly: "I'm no worse than him."
"Really?"
"You don't believe it?" The emperor calmly said, "If you have anything else you want, you can put it forward."
Shan Shan thought about it seriously. She is a child who is easily satisfied. She has no worries about food and drink on weekdays. Her mother also responds to her requests. The only person who does not give her anything is her father. But she had already asked the Bodhisattva. It would not be good if she asked so many people for one thing and made the Bodhisattva angry.
She thought about it and finally said, "No more."
"..."
The child was so innocent and frank that the eunuch next to him did not dare to express his anger. He was denied face, but there was no anger on his face. Instead, he answered with great interest: "Do you know how many people outside want this?" Chance?"
"Is that so?" Shanshan said generously, "Then let them do it!"
There was a faint smile in the emperor's eyes and he said nothing more. He just ordered his servants to bring more snacks.
It was not the plain cakes in the temple, but the pastries carefully made by the imperial chef. Shanshan was even more happy to eat them.
The sun sets in the west, the birds return to the forest, and the sky is filled with rays of light.
Shanshan was also full. She jumped off the stone bench, and the wooden figures in her book bag collided with each other, making a crisp sound. She glanced at the delicious snacks left on the table and thought of the stone again.
Brother Shitou has a big appetite, and if Su Zhai doesn't have any oil or water, he will definitely be hungry at night.
Noticing her gaze, the emperor glanced at the eunuch, and Liang Yong packed the remaining snacks for her.
Shanshan dug into her book bag again. The little goldfish's purse was already empty, so she took out a wood-carved bird from her book bag and placed it on the stone table.
The emperor lowered his eyes. The bottom of the wooden bird was polished and rounded, and it was swaying like a roly-poly.
The little girl's pimples were deep and her smile was sweet as she said, "Uncle, I'll give you a thank you gift."
He smiled and nodded.
Another guard was sent to send the little girl to find her mother.
His eyes kept chasing that little figure. Shanshan walked far away, but kept turning back and waving to him, looking reluctant to leave. After he turned a corner and was covered by the shade of the trees, and couldn't see anything anymore, he reached out and picked up the wooden bird.
The bird was polished to be round and smooth, whether it was due to poor craftsmanship or intentionality, and the body of the bird was also round and round. Just like the little girl who just walked away, she looked naive and cute.
Liang Yong said from the side: "I haven't seen your Majesty so relaxed for a long time."
"Yeah?"
"This child is also brave. He is not afraid at all when he sees His Majesty." He even ate and took it, not polite at all. "Even His Highness the Crown Prince would not dare to be so presumptuous."
The emperor said: "My child is fearless."
"My servant is blind, the emperor seems to like that child very much?"
The emperor did not respond. He lowered his eyebrows slightly and played with the round wooden bird in his hand. He pondered for a long time before saying, "I think she looks familiar to me."
"Last time I heard Master He mention it, it seems that he lives in Uncle Zhongyong's Mansion."
"Qi family?" He thought of something. "Since you are a Qi family, why do you ask to come to my place when you go to school?"
"This...slave doesn't know."
The aristocratic families in the capital have been entrenched for many years, and there are many filth and evils hidden underneath. The emperor is well aware of these, and he was too lazy to take care of those people's family affairs in the past. But when I thought that the child just now was also implicated, I felt a little unbearable.
Liang Yong asked: "Your Majesty, do you want to send someone to check?"
"That's all, I won't steal Lan Zhou's limelight."
After a while, he added: "I'll ask someone to deliver some dishes tomorrow."
The eldest eunuch smiled and responded: "Yes."
