The ground was covered with pomegranate flowers, flowers were trampled to pieces, pearls were scattered everywhere, and figures were confused.
Zhaowei knelt on the gold bricks of Linhua Palace, with Yao Ning lying in her arms. She heard her breathing become shallower and shallower, but it penetrated her eardrums like needles, making all the sounds around her dim and far away.
Until someone snatched her away from his arms, the endless noise flooded her head again. Concubine Yao's scream, the prince's cry, the emperor's roar... An invisible hand held her tightly. She lowered her head slightly and saw that her hands were full of blood. She was in a trance before her eyes, as if she was holding an armful of pomegranate flowers.
She didn't dare to blink.
She remembered that sister Yao Ning liked durian flowers the most.
It's just that she has a gentle temperament, and others always follow the custom of guessing plums and orchids. They picked up a green moss pomegranate flower fan in the corridor, and they all mistakenly thought it was Zhaowei's fallen flower.
Yao Ning had never looked for it. After a long time, she happened to see it. She just smiled and praised it: the red pomegranate flowers in March are better than fire. Take a shine, this flower sets you apart.
One small thing, another small thing, slowly passed through Zhao Wei's mind. She felt damp all over the place and cold all over. The sky behind her was gloomy, as if it was going to rain.
Until a hand fell on her shoulder. In her stagnant, bright red vision, she saw raven-colored hand clothes, her knuckles trembled slightly, and the veins on the back of her hands were visible.
"Zhaowei," she heard Qi Lingzhan's gentle voice, "don't cry here, it's getting dark."
Zhaowei raised his hand to touch it, and sure enough he felt his hand full of tears. He subconsciously turned around and realized that it was not the sky that was about to rain, but that the night was already dark.
Her voice was almost silent, and she asked him: "Where is my sister?"
Qi Lingzhan said: "In Kunming Palace."
Zhaowei held his hand and stood up tremblingly, turned around and walked out of Linhua Palace. The night was like an abyss, her feet stumbled, and she almost fell from the jade terrace.
Qi Lingzhan supported her and was surprised to find that she was covered in cold sweat. Zhaowei leaned against him and begged him: "Brother, I want to see her off."
Qi Lingzhan was speechless and slowly lowered his eyes.
When he came from Kunming Palace, the palace was already in chaos, with people going crazy and crying bitterly. Instead, he asked his blood brother to suppress his grief and comfort Emperor Changning and the prince who were holding the queen's body and refused to let go.
The female officials washed the queen's body, changed her clothes, and rearranged her hair. The Ministry of Rites sent people to attend to the funeral, summon the souls, and set up funerals. Qi Lingzhan relied on Qi Lingzhan to make decisions on every matter. He arranged all this numbly until the queen's mortal body was properly placed. He knelt beside her and carefully removed the golden hairpin from her neck.
The golden hairpin has become cold, and the blood is as congealed as dirt.
The broken pomegranate flower that he had hidden in his sleeve this morning hung down from his sleeve. It still had some good color. Qi Lingzhan picked up the flower and covered it on the wound on Yao Ning's neck. Suddenly, it was like a thousand flowers. Arrow pierces the heart.
At that moment, Qi Lingzhan was caught in a sudden crash, feeling light and dizzy. Qi Lingzhan vaguely saw his mother holding Yao Ning's hand and saying goodbye to him from afar.
Just like the dream I had last year when there was new snow.
The clouds were covered with mist, the flowers were covered with snow, and Qi Lingzhan was about to get up to chase after him. Suddenly he heard someone calling Zhaowei's name from behind him, like a bell in the clear sky, which shocked him. He felt his whole body sinking, and he fell from the clouds in a hurry. , when he opened his eyes again, he found that he had been unconscious for a while.
Jinchun knelt down and said that Zhaowei was still in Linhua Palace, unattended.
Zhaowei...and Zhaowei.
Qi Lingzhan rushed to Laihua Palace and helped Zhaowei up. She didn't even have the strength to stand. She leaned on his arms and kept calling her sister. Her tears soaked his robe and seeped into him layer by layer. Go to your heart.
Qi Lingzhan picked her up and walked slowly down the jade terrace of Linhua Palace. The night wind was cold, making the huge palace empty and quiet. Zhaowei asked him in a low voice: "Can you take sister home?"
The queen has her own mausoleum and will be buried with the emperor. Qi Lingzhan said: "The whole Zhou Dynasty is her home, don't be afraid, she can see you."
Zhaowei asked again: "Can I see her again?"
Yao Ning died in front of her, which shocked half of her soul. Seeing her still wandering around, Qi Lingzhan remembered the nightmare he had just had when he was extremely sad, and he didn't dare to offend her again, so he subconsciously tightened his grip on her shoulders.
He said: "Zhaowei, you are the only sister I have left. Please be considerate and considerate of me, and take care of yourself."
Zhaowei slowly closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.
Zhaowei doesn't remember much about what happened after that. She fell seriously ill after returning home, and she kept hearing many people crying while she was half asleep. Although she was unable to get up, her mind was extremely clear, and she silently counted the days, thinking that the queen would leave the coffin and all the people would mourn her on the roadside.
The imperial physician from the palace came several times. One time it was Yang Xushi. At that time, Zhaowei was rarely awake and asked him through the curtain: "The quality of the medicinal materials is different. After boiling it into a decoction, is it true that we can't tell the difference?"
Yang Xushi replied: "I don't have any medical skills. I can taste it with my mouth, but I can't see it with my naked eyes."
Zhaowei asked again: "Where did Han Shizhi come from?"
Yang Xushi said: "This matter has been investigated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Dali Temple, but according to my guess, it is probably those people who are behind it."
Zhaowei twitched the corner of her mouth, "Qi Pingzhi is not stupid enough to want to die quickly, and Yao Qingyun will not instruct her to do so. In my opinion, their only method is to secretly change the medicinal materials."
Yang Xushi smiled lightly when he heard this and said, "If we talk about being smart and understanding the situation, of course no one can compare with the Second Lady."
Zhaowei could hear that he was sarcastic, so he pulled his wrist back into the tent and sat up. Yang Xushi was not angry. He had already made a general diagnosis and turned to write the prescription on the desk.
"My sister's doctor was originally Dr. Zhou, but he suddenly changed to you in March. I know that your father and Yao Heshou had a grudge. It is reasonable for you to help your sister find a job." Zhaowei opened the bed curtain and looked at Yang Xushi's thin back. , with a lump in his throat, "I just want to know the truth and why she is so cruel..."
After the prescription was written, Yang Xushi blew the ink dry, packed up and left. When he walked to the door, he smiled bitterly: "I am just a doctor. I only treat diseases and save people. I don't care about intrigues or deceit, or floods."
He walked out, bowed to Mrs. Rong who was waiting in the hall, and said, "I see that the second girl's spirit has slowly recovered. If she takes a few more medicines, she will be fine."
By the end of April, Zhaowei finally felt better. Although his energy was not as strong as before, he still looked like a normal person.
She went to worship in the yard where Yao Ning used to live. She saw that some of the bamboos behind her house were higher than the eaves. She couldn't help but feel sad and reminded of many past events.
She recalled that when she first arrived at the Yongping Marquis Mansion, she could not stand the coldness of her brother, nor the timidness of her sister. She often blew air behind them secretly to see if she could melt one or knock down the other. Occasionally, Qi Lingzhan was caught ignoring her, but Yao Ning always smiled at her gently.
Yao Ning always wears a forbidden ring on her body and makes no sound when she moves. She is the ladylike style that the old lady likes. However, in private, she once gave her a photo of a necklace decorated with golden bells, saying that her biological mother bought it for her when she grew up. Wear it.
This thing, like the green moss pomegranate flower fan, was disliked by the old lady, so she gave it to Zhaowei, but Aoning was happy and said to her: These lively things are better for you.
Zhaowei put the paper money into the basin and murmured, "This life is over. Don't stay in this cage again in the next life. In the next life... it's best for you to be my sister and me to be my sister, and I will treat you well."
After burning the paper money, I bowed three times.
She packed her things and went back, but bumped into Qi Lingzhan at the moon cave door.
Zhaowei vaguely remembered that he carried her back to her home that day. After that, she was ill for several months but never saw him again. At this moment, she couldn't help but be surprised. Seeing his appearance clearly, she felt a little sad in her heart.
He has lost some weight, and his eyes and brows look more deserted. Although his body is as tall and straight as a green bamboo, his demeanor has become as cold as the rocks in the cold pool, as cold as the moon in the autumn water, as if he is carrying a huge bell and cauldron, and as if he is seriously ill. The person present was actually him.
The sky flowers bloomed across the wall, shining like red clouds. The people standing beside the flowers were not as elegant and dignified as before. They were so cold and quiet that they were completely different from the bustle.
Zhaowei looked at him for a moment, then suddenly lowered her eyes and called out "brother" while pulling her skirts together.
Qi Lingzhan said to her: "I am going to Huilong Temple to find a master. You have recovered from your illness. Come with me to fulfill your wish."
When Zhaowei lived in seclusion at Huilong Temple, Zeng Duo received a favor and was happy to visit his old friends. The two of them took a carriage together and drove to Huilong Temple.
There were abundant spring rains some time ago, and when Zhaowei was lying in bed, he often heard the rain hitting the banana trees in the courtyard. It has cleared up recently, and I can see the dense and leafy trees on both sides of the mountain road. The sun is shining warmly on me, and I suddenly feel like the light is fleeting.
Qi Lingzhan closed his eyes and said nothing along the way, as if he was taking a rest and pondering the words in his heart. When Jiang saw the eaves of the stupa in the temple, he opened his eyes and looked at Zhaowei, and suddenly said: "The Crown Prince and Grand Tutor Jiang Yun has a granddaughter who is twenty-eight years old. The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent someone to ask for a visit, saying that she is beautiful, virtuous, and a good collector of poems. Wen, and his family background is pure, so he can be worthy of being a queen."
Zhaowei frowned when he heard this, "Brother, what do you mean by this? You might as well say it bluntly."
Qi Lingzhan said: "Zhaowei, this person has passed away, but the living are still there. Yao Ning broke up with Concubine Yao in such a decisive way. If you enter the palace, you will definitely be like fire and water with her."
Zhao Wei sneered coldly: "So what, I'm not afraid of her."
"Of course you are not afraid of her, but I am afraid of you," Qi Lingzhan sighed softly, "I am afraid that you will follow in Aoning's footsteps."
He knew that Zhaowei's temperament would not be bullied by others, but the palace was as deep as a furnace, and the hatred was as fierce as fire. Even if it was pure gold, it would burn to the point of deformation over time.
This was his only sister, and Qi Lingzhan didn't want to gamble anymore.
Zhao Wei knew that what he was worried about was just destiny, which meant that those who cared about their bodies would perish, and those who were stingy with money would end up in trouble. Huilong Temple was getting closer and closer. She let go of the car curtain, turned around and sat up straight, and said to Qi Lingzhan: "I heard that Taifu Jiang will serve as an official and return to his hometown within the next year. If he leaves an orphan girl to be the queen in the palace, and robs Yao Lingzhan, The queen will not be able to hold the position of concubine for long. On the day my sister committed suicide, she was not only in front of me and Concubine Yao, but also in front of the prince. Do you know what she said to the prince? "
Qi Lingzhan didn't know. When he entered the palace that day, Yao Ning was already dead, and Emperor Changning was almost mad. Only Zhang Zhi, the chamberlain's superintendent, told him the cause and effect with tears in his eyes.
But he didn't follow her to Linhua Palace, and he didn't know what the queen said to Concubine Yao.
Zhaowei heard it, and she leaned against the wall of the carriage with a sad sneer on her face.
"My sister pointed at Mrs. Yao and said to the prince: Ah Sui, you see clearly, she can kill me today, and she will not let you go tomorrow. You must not recognize her as your mother."
Qi Lingzhan frowned deeply when he heard this, and thought to himself, the prince hates him, and whoever caress for the prince will be the enemy of the Yao family. Yao Ning has really blocked all escape routes.
Is it possible that the situation will be changed if Zhaowei is brought in again?
The carriage stopped in front of Huilong Temple, and Zhaowei got out of the carriage first. The peach blossoms in April Mountain Temple began to bloom, and the wind blew on her sleeves, and they fell on her one after another. She picked up the peach blossoms on her clothes, turned around and looked at Qi Lingzhan, and suddenly smiled brightly.
She said: "Brother, don't worry about me. I want to enter the palace, not just to raise the prince. I want to see Yao Qingyun commit suicide in front of my sister's spiritual throne. I want the Yao family to pay with blood."
