Late at night, the harem was quiet.
Li Chengzhen lay on the bed with his eyes open, staring at the dark bed curtains for a long time. He was afraid of the dark, so the candles in the glass palace lanterns in the room were always lit.
He can't sleep.
This evening, Li Yao and Li Chengyou came in through the dog hole again and played with Li Chengzhen for a long time. Li Yao also handed him a fishing rod and said that they would go fishing in the pond together tomorrow.
Li Chengyou smiled and boasted that he was very good at fishing.
"What's so fun about fishing?" Li Chengzhen muttered to himself in his bedroom late at night, with a small fishing rod left by his sister next to his pillow.
Fishing, he hasn't fished for many years.
When his brother Li Chengke was still alive, he secretly took him to the palace garden to fish. The two caught a small red carp, but before they could cheer, they were called back to study by the old nanny who was watching over them.
Now, Li Yao secretly takes him fishing...
Li Chengzhen suddenly looked forward to the dawn and seeing her sister earlier.
His heart was split into two people: one was dark and corrupt, cruel and brutal, and the other was trying to escape from the darkness and get some sun.
Li Yao and Li Chengyou who came out of the dog hole were like two rays of sunshine leaking in Li Chengzhen's repressed life.
It’s not enough to keep me warm, but I cherish it.
Li Chengzhen held the small fishing rod beside the pillow. The fishing rod was very short and made of thin bamboo, with a faint bamboo fragrance. Li Chengzhen slowly revealed a long-lost smile.
He held the fishing rod in his arms, intending to fall asleep early. Maybe when he opened his eyes again, it would be daybreak.
He was not as good at studying as Li Chengtai, nor as good at archery as Li Chengzhen, but he was definitely better at fishing than the two brothers.
Clang——
The wooden door of the bedroom was pushed open, and the cold wind rushed in. Li Chengzhen, who had just fallen asleep, woke up suddenly. He opened the bed curtain in confusion, thinking that a palace maid had forgotten to close the door.
It's dark outside.
The pale light drifted in, and Li Chengzhen saw a shadow wrapped in darkness. The figure approached, and the queen's thin and white face appeared.
The queen had lost a lot of weight, her skin tightly covering her bones, making her dark eyes stand out, and her cheekbones were very high. She held a palace lantern in her hand and stared coldly at her son on the bed.
Li Chengzhen was stunned and stammered: "Mother...Mother..."
He didn't expect that his mother would appear here.
Li Chengzhen was afraid of the queen. Every time he went to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to her, Li Chengzhen would have to prepare himself mentally for a long time. When talking to the queen, he would feel irritated, suffocated, and want to lose his temper.
Instinctive resistance.
As soon as he heard the Queen's voice, Li Chengzhen felt uncomfortable all over.
"You idiot!" The queen put down the palace lantern in her hand and scolded in a low voice, "Not only did you harm the palace maids, but you also failed to clean up the mess. Let your father know about it."
Li Chengzhen opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be strangled by an invisible hand and he couldn't speak.
Li Chengzhen mustered up the courage to walk out of the darkness and get some sun. But the queen said a few words and he was forced to retreat back into the darkness, tormented by pain and helplessness.
The queen walked to the bedside and stared coldly at her useless son: "Your academic performance is not even as good as that of a four-year-old child. You have no future at all."
Li Chengzhen opened his mouth and murmured, "Mother... my eighth brother is more talented than me."
Eighth brother Li Chengtai is talented and hardworking.
Li Chengzhen felt inferior to him.
When the queen heard his words, she immediately became angry: "Your mother gave birth to you and raised you, are you worthy of your mother? A four-year-old child doesn't have any talent. It's just that you haven't worked hard enough. Don't make excuses, think about your own reasons."
Li Chengzhen lowered his head, his heart aching.
Seeing her son was silent, the queen thought he had given in. She held Li Chengzhen's hand and said earnestly, "Mother will not harm you. Be obedient and don't make your father unhappy again. Work harder. When you grow up, the family will find a way to support you to ascend the throne."
The queen said a lot more.
Li Chengzhen listened numbly.
Until he heard a crisp "snap" sound. Li Chengzhen saw the bamboo fishing rod beside the pillow, snapped into two pieces by the queen.
At that moment, Li Chengzhen felt a sharp pain in his heart. The pain spread from his heart to his internal organs. He felt so painful that he felt like he was being burned to ashes.
The voices of guards were heard outside the house. The patrolling guards discovered that the queen had broken in and coldly asked her to return to Kunning Palace.
The queen was holding a palace lantern and reminded him before she was taken away: "Study hard and play with fishing rods less. Don't let your mother down. Your mother and the family are counting on you."
The bedroom door is closed.
In the room, palace lanterns shone brightly. Li Chengzhen lifted the quilt, walked to the edge of the carpet, bent down and picked up the fishing rod on the ground.
The small fishing rod was broken in half.
Li Chengzhen tried to put the fishing rod back together, but the broken bamboo could not be repaired. His nose was sore and tears flowed down. He returned to the bed holding the fishing rod.
In a trance, the palace lantern on the table fell down.
The glazed palace lantern shattered, the candle inside collapsed, and the bright red flames ignited the door curtain, the unfinished ancient books, and the old bows and arrows hanging on the wall.
Li Chengzhen seemed to be unaware. He sat on the bed, looking at the broken fishing rod in his hand, muttering to himself: "Why did it break..."
He also plans to go fishing with his sister tomorrow.
He will definitely be able to catch a big fish and impress that little boy Li Chengyou.
The fishing rod is broken, so I can't fish.
Li Chengzhen raised his head and looked at the gradually burning fire. In the blazing flames, the thin figure of his elder brother appeared faintly. His elder brother Li Chengke stood in the sea of fire, his voice and smile remained the same, and he showed him a gentle smile.
Li Chengzhen burst into tears and said, "Brother, I'm so tired..."
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