In February, the east wind urged Liu Xin.
When Yao Ning woke up from her deep dream in shock, the remaining smoke in the Suanni incense burner was gone, and the ashes of the burnt incense seal revealed a cold white color of death.
She heard the oriole outside the window making spring sounds. She raised her tent and looked toward the window. She saw that the sky was bright and the green window had golden shadows. It was almost the time when the flowers were blooming.
"Jinchun, help me walk in the garden, the weather seems to be getting warmer..."
The person outside the screen heard the sound and turned in. It was not Jinchun, but Emperor Changning Li Jiyin. He stepped forward to hang up the gold curtain and knelt down to put on Yao Ning's shoes.
Yao Ning, however, hooked her legs to avoid him and said politely: "Let your servants do these things. Your Majesty, how can I let them pass through your hands?"
Li Jiyin couldn't resist her, so he combed her hair and put on her clothes.
The bronze mirror in Kunming Palace had been replaced by someone who cared about it. It no longer looked like new, but had not been polished for a long time. It was covered with mist and dew, making it difficult to see the sick and tired faces, and only two figures could be seen hugging each other. Looking at the shadow, it looks like a young and newly married woman, loving and affectionate.
Li Jiyin whispered in her ear: "The willows are green and the plum trees are green, and the forsythia is in bud. It's a good time in the garden. I'll accompany you there."
After lying on the hospital bed for a long time, the early spring sun also hurt my skin. Qi Yaoning walked out in a thin sweat and walked to the waterside pavilion to sit down. Li Jiyin waved and followed the maid hurriedly bringing hot tea, nectar, and golden silk handkerchiefs.
Qi Yaoning wiped her sweat, folded the silk handkerchief into a boat, and put it on the lake with gentle breeze.
Sipa couldn't hold back the water, and the boat floated out for only two feet before gradually sinking. Emperor Changning immediately changed his expression and scolded the eunuchs standing by: "The queen's boat is in the water, and you just stand there gasping for air?"
The servants panicked and jumped into the lake one after another. With a few splashes, there was a mess of gold and jade. I originally wanted to lift the silk boat, but instead it was hit by the water and sank faster to the bottom of the lake.
Seeing this, Yao Ning couldn't help but smile bitterly and advised Emperor Changning: "The lake has just thawed. Let them come up and stop doing evil."
The servants were pardoned and climbed ashore one after another, helping each other to retreat. Emperor Changning was afraid that the cold air in the water would hit her, so he carefully gathered her cloak and said, "The Ministry of Industry built a new boat last year. When the weather gets warmer and the Wuzhang River melts and freezes, I will take you on a tour to the north. Go to Luoyang to see peonies, and go to Lichuan to see peach blossoms."
Yao Ning said: "I see the flowers in this garden are very good. Why bother going north? The money saved can also alleviate the difficulties in the army."
Emperor Changning frowned when he heard this, "Who bothers you with these things? I let Brother Ziwang enter the palace to relieve you, not to cause you trouble."
Yao Ning explained: "My brother never told me this, I guessed it myself."
Emperor Changning said: "Just take good care of your health and don't worry about it."
Yaoning smiled and said, "I understand."
Emperor Changning rarely had time to accompany her recently. Because of these few words, he lost interest for a moment. He silently looked at the lake with his hands behind his back and frowned unconsciously.
Yao Ning was concerned about his mood, "Your Majesty, I didn't mean to..."
Emperor Changning suddenly raised his leg and kicked a Taihu stone on the shore into the water.
"Of course I know that the army is short of money, and I already owe half a year's military pay! I also want to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and spend all the money where it should be spent!"
Water splashed and soaked the corners of his clothes. The chambermaids fell to their knees and Emperor Changning told them to get away.
The new willows by the lake brushed the side of his face, so he used the willow tree to vent his anger, and pulled the willow branches down until they were all over the ground. Losing strength, he suddenly turned around and hugged Qi Yaoning, leaning in her arms. Panting in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Aning... I'm not treating you, I'm not blaming you, I'm blaming myself."
His voice was weak due to trembling: "Those who receive money and those who use money are all in the hands of Prime Minister Yao. Even if I demolish the palace in exchange for money, the money will only be cleaned up and down after passing through his hands." , can't reach the army. Instead of asking them to be greedy, it is better to use it on the royal family. Even if they can only build a painting boat to show their face, it is worse than them being greedy at both ends... Look at Yao Qingyun, who eats grapes in winter and ice lychees in summer. Peony is worth the annual income of ten average families, so why should you work hard and be virtuous so that she can take all the glory!"
Yao Ning wanted to say that she didn't care about this, but she was afraid that this would make him more sad, so she stopped talking and only slowly stroked his back, trying to calm his mood.
The sun shines brighter than when we first arrived in the garden.
However, the green lake is churned with mud and sand, and the ground is full of broken leaves and broken branches. The beautiful spring scenery is now full of devastation.
After February, there was another round of medical correction in Kunming Palace. Imperial physician Yang Xushi was ordered to stay at Kunming Palace, writing prescriptions, brewing medicine, seeing doctors and performing acupuncture every day without resting for a moment.
Qi Lingzhan always relied on Yang Xushi to take care of his hand injury. Spring is the time when flesh and blood regenerate, and the wound was itchy. In addition, he was often writing in front of cases recently, and he was too tired. He sometimes felt terrible pain and suddenly felt suffocated in his heart. He suspected that this was some kind of connection between flesh and blood. After being frightened in his dream, he did not dare to sleep again and sat alone all night in despair.
Zhaowei came to his yard early in the morning to pick pomegranate flowers, and unexpectedly bumped into him standing under the pomegranate tree.
The pomegranate flowers are burning like fire, hidden in the dense green leaves, and the wind blows like a prairie fire. The spring scenery in the garden is overwhelming. Qi Lingzhan stood under the tree with his hands behind his hands, looking up to listen to the playing orioles among them.
The robe is light green and the wind dew is pale, all of which are cold in color. Only the eyebrows are beautiful and elegant. However, when you look over, your eyes are deep and silent, like the immortal's inscriptions among the lost flowers. The frost and dew have washed away the dust and revealed the beauty. Aloof and lonely.
Zhaowei stopped walking because of this glance. Qi Lingzhan saw the iron scissors and the white jade vase in her hand and said lightly: "Pingyan said it was windy at night and blew all the flowers down. I stayed here all night." , instead of being devastated by the east wind, we are waiting for the west wind.”
Zhaowei came from the west.
She didn't feel guilty and stepped forward leisurely, "I've only been here twice before. Since the beautiful flowers are blooming for people to see, I'll appreciate them for my brother first."
Qi Lingzhan asked: "There are red pomegranate flowers in March and purple-toothed crows in August. If you cut the flowers today, where will you get the fruits tomorrow?"
Zhao slightly turned the scissors in his hand and said: "The flowers are in March and the fruits are in August. In the meantime, there are insects in spring, sun exposure in summer, frost and hail in autumn. The trees are full of flowers and bear dozens of fruits, and half of them are eaten by birds." Peck first, how many of them can get into my stomach? Besides, I don’t know where August is, and I feel like I have no pomegranates. Rather than hoping for tomorrow’s fruit, how can I feel pity for the flowers in front of me?”
Qi Lingzhan suddenly chuckled, "Wrong logic."
After saying that, he took the scissors from her hand.
He was tall, and he could touch the pomegranate flowers at the top of the tree by raising his feet. The flowers were carefully tended by him and bloomed larger and redder than ordinary pomegranate flowers. At this time, the long branches were cut off without hesitation, and the flowers and leaves were cut off without hesitation. The cold dew shook off the ground, and Zhaowei hurriedly raised his sleeves to cover it.
This pomegranate tree was planted for Zhaowei in the nineteenth year of Cunxu.
When Zhaowei was ten years old, a guest from Xizhou came to visit the Yongping Marquis Mansion and brought two plates of Xizhou pomegranates. Zhaowei tasted the local specialties of her hometown and overheard the hidden secrets of her biological father's death. She was so sad and resentful that she cried and wanted to go back to the northwest. In order to appease her, Qi Lingzhan peeled and washed the pomegranates given to him and planted them in yard.
At that time, Qi Lingzhan pointed to the new soil that had just been covered and said to her: "The pomegranate tree grows seedlings in one year and bears fruit in five years. When the branches are not mature, they are easily broken by wind and rain, let alone the weight of the fruit. Zhaowei, you Now you still need your family to take care of you. When the pomegranate tree grows up, can withstand the wind and rain, and can provide fruits, then you will be qualified to leave the Marquis Mansion and do what you want to do."
Now that the pomegranate tree has been bearing fruit for several years, and there was abundant snow at the beginning of the year, this year's fruit must be especially sweet, but Zhaowei changed her mind and fell in love with pomegranate flowers.
When she gave up her long-cherished wish, she was as free and easy as if she had never thought about it, just like Xizhou, just like the pomegranate fruit. At this moment, she was holding the gorgeous pomegranate flowers, and her heart was filled with joy.
"Sister Yao Ning loves durian flowers the most. I went to the palace to see her today and brought her the reddest one. It can last for half a month."
Hearing this, Qi Lingzhan's fingers trembled slightly, and sharp pain suddenly stabbed from his wrist to his heart.
Although it was a momentary feeling, it seemed like some kind of ominous sign.
He asked Zhaowei: "Did the palace announce the call or did you hand in the post?"
"My sister sent a female official to announce it." Zhaowei fiddled with the vase in her arms, and seeing Qi Lingzhan's expression changed, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Qi Lingzhan shook his head slightly. Nothing wrong, just a sudden premonition.
He checked the flower branches in the micro-vase, fearing that Yao Ning would be upset by the sight, he cut off all the leaves and flowers that showed signs of withering.
"Go on, be careful on the road, don't fall."
Zhaowei hugged the vase and left. Qi Ling looked at a pomegranate flower with broken petals in his hand. It stood still in the wind and dew for a long time.
He knew in his heart that Zhao Wei decided to stay in Beijing and enter the palace because she felt sorry for Yao Ning. In her heart, Yao Ning was still the naive and inexperienced sister in her boudoir. Even though the old lady forced her to embroider for months, she would still smile lightly, helpless and tolerant.
She didn't know the real purpose of Yao Ning and Xuanqi Pingzhi entering the palace to serve the emperor. She was only worried about whether others would bully her sister. Regarding agreeing to enter the palace, Zhaowei asked him not to tell Yao Ning.
She said: "If a person has thoughts, he will live, and if he has no regrets, he will die soon. When I was at Huilong Temple, I met two ladies praying for their sick husbands. The husband of the rich family was seriously ill, and he had no high hall to serve, and he had children at his knees. The husband of the poor family is seriously ill, the mother is blind and demented, the children have high fever, the family is running out of rice, and there is no helper to chop firewood. I thought it would be difficult for the poor family, but unexpectedly, two months later,... In the temple, it was the rich ladies who invited the novice monks to perform rituals, but it was the poor ladies who came to fulfill their vows. It can be seen that in a place where there is no cure, maybe you can still rely on one breath to gamble."
What she said makes sense, but there are not only rich and poor people in the world, but also a kind of people who will do whatever it takes to pursue their obsessions, regardless of life or death.
Yaoning is like this. Zhaowei didn't know the reason why Qi Pingzhi entered the palace, but Qi Lingzhan knew it.
He had weighed it over and over in his mind, fearing that Yao Ning would do something stupid because of his ignorance, but finally told her Zhaowei's decision quietly, along with Zhaowei's story about the rich and the poor.
He said to Yao Ning: "Zhao Wei has never cared about anyone so carefully in his whole life. If you are really grateful to her, don't let her down. Taking good care of your health is the solution to all difficulties."
Yao Ning just smiled after hearing this.
She said something at that time, but Qi Lingzhan didn't understand it. Now, standing under the pomegranate tree, the painful cold sweat behind him was blown by the morning wind, and suddenly turned into a ray of clarity, and a moment of clarity made him suddenly remember That sentence.
She asked him: "Brother, according to Wei's temperament, do you think it is love that will last her forever, or hatred that will burn her to the bone?"
