Chapter 219 Red Chain Snake
Zhongcui Palace, Yufu Hall.
Su Nanqing, wearing an apricot-colored long dress, slowly walked into a dim room.
He stopped only when he reached an iron cage.
In the iron cage, a red-banded snake curled up quietly, its red and black scales looking extremely strange under the candlelight.
Su Nanqing squatted down and smiled with satisfaction: "Are you sleeping? You're so good..."
The snake in the cage seemed to be awakened, spitting out blood and staring coldly at the person in front of it.
"You're awake..." Su Nanqing raised her red lips, revealing her white teeth.
She casually pulled off the jade hairpin on her head, slowly reached into the cage and lifted the snake's tail.
The moment the hairpin touched the snake's tail, it suddenly arched its back and tried to rush out of the iron cage to bite the person in front of it, but unfortunately it was hit by its sharp teeth.
Su Nanqing quickly withdrew her hand. As the jade hairpin fell to the ground, it broke into three pieces. One of the pieces splashed into the iron cage, startling the snake's red and black scales, which suddenly exploded like a burning flame.
"My dear, why are you so angry?" Her voice was sweet to the point of being sickening, yet it also carried a hint of coldness and sinisterness.
The red-chain snake's head flattened into a dangerous triangle, and its pupils shrank into thin vertical lines as it stared at Su Nanqing.
Su Nanqing held up her handkerchief and waved it back and forth in front of the iron cage. Watching the red-chained snake swimming back and forth anxiously and ferociously, the smile on her face deepened.
He whispered softly, "Are you hungry?"
"Don't worry, I'll let you out tomorrow to suck my blood, okay?"
She tilted her head slightly, teasing the snake in the cage.
Suddenly, the smile on her face gradually disappeared, and turned into a trace of heartache: "Taxue...it's so pitiful."
Taxue had long been accustomed to Su Nanqing's strange words. She squatted down and said softly, "My lady, it's not pitiful. It almost bit you. You saved it."
Half a month ago, the snake hid in the flowers in the courtyard. Su Nanqing went to touch the flowers and was almost bitten by the snake. The eunuch wanted to smash the snake to death, but Su Nanqing said to put it in a cage and keep it well.
Su Nanqing shook her head: "No, she is locked in a cage all alone. She is so pitiful and lonely."
"Perhaps it would be a relief for it to die directly. It will be free tomorrow. I'm helping it, right, Taxue?"
Her voice was extremely soft, and she looked up at Taxue with a smile as beautiful as a flower.
Taxue opened her lips slightly, not knowing how to answer for a moment, and only said in a daze: "Yes, what the young master said is right."
Late autumn is approaching and early winter is approaching.
It was a sunny day.
Su Nanqing and Xiao Heng were strolling along the palace path.
"I have never been to the Imperial Garden with Nan Qing."
Today, Su Nanqing brought some snacks over. Seeing that her eyes were a little red from reading the memorials, she said that the chrysanthemums in the imperial garden were in bloom and begged her to accompany her to appreciate them.
She had been in the palace for more than two years and had rarely asked for any favors on her own initiative. Xiao Heng naturally agreed to this small matter. Besides, she was also afraid that she would be too tired.
Su Nanqing took Xiao Heng's hand and said, "This is the first time that Your Majesty has accompanied me to visit the Imperial Garden. I must admire all the flowers in the Imperial Garden before leaving."
"Oh, why?" Xiao Heng asked.
Su Nanqing lowered her head shyly, her voice like warm water soaked in honey: "Because... I don't know when the next time will be, I must cherish this time."
Xiao Heng smiled lightly: "I will accompany you for another walk when I have time."
"Really?" There seemed to be stars twinkling in Su Nanqing's eyes, full of anticipation.
Xiao Heng nodded, "Sir, don't joke."
Su Nanqing heard this, and a layer of crystal appeared in her eyes uncontrollably. She choked and said, "Ever since my aunt left, no one has been so kind to me."
Xiao Heng frowned slightly: "Is your father not good to you?"
Su Nanqing shook her head gently, tears welling up in her eyes, looking very touching.
"I am a concubine's daughter, and my father has never liked me since I was a child."
"She treats me better than you, the Emperor, treat me."
After she finished speaking, tears rolled down her fair and delicate cheeks.
Seeing her crying sadly, Xiao Heng felt softened and reached out to pat her on the back.
Su Nanqing fell into his arms, stretched out her arms to hold Xiao Heng's warm body, and cried, "Your Majesty, can you call me Qingqing?"
Xiao Heng was stunned for a moment. Except for Concubine Xi and Concubine Zhao, he had never called anyone by their nickname.
Some I can’t remember, some I don’t want to call, and some I can’t even call by their names, let alone their nicknames.
Seeing Xiao Heng remained silent, Su Nanqing rested her cheek against his chest and said, "This is how Auntie used to call me concubine."
"I think the best name in the world is 'Qingqing' as my aunt calls me, and 'Mother' as my children call me. But..."
The corners of her lips couldn't stop trembling: "But my aunt is gone, Bai'er is gone too, and no one will call me concubine affectionately anymore."
As Su Nanqing spoke, she looked at the swaying branches in the flowers in front of her. Only when she saw the eunuchs and guards retreating to the side did she feel relieved.
When mentioning Bai'er, Xiao Heng felt a dull pain in his heart.
Today he still remembers Bai'er's well-behaved appearance.
I didn't even have the chance to hold him a few times before he died young. Whenever I think of this, I feel sad and regretful.
Xiao Heng raised his hand and stroked the back of the woman in his arms, calling out, "Qingqing."
The person in his arms trembled slightly, hugging him tighter, her warm breath brushing across the dragon robe: "How beautiful..."
Before he finished speaking, a sharp voice came to his ears: "Your Majesty, be careful..."
Then, Su Nanqing pushed himself away heavily and rushed forward.
Xiao Heng's pupils constricted and she turned around to see that Su Nanqing was holding a red and black snake. The snake raised its head high and bit her hand fiercely.
Su Nanqing groaned in pain and waved his hand heavily. The snake fled in panic in surprise.
"Nanqing!" Xiao Heng was shocked and rushed forward to help Su Nanqing up.
The guard rushed over and knelt down to apologize: "I am late in rescuing you."
Xiao Heng looked at Su Nanqing in his arms and asked worriedly, "Nanqing, what do you think?"
Su Nanqing's face turned pale, and he forced a smile while suppressing the pain: "As long as the emperor is okay..."
Seeing that she was injured and still caring about him, Xiao Heng felt pity for her. He carried Su Nanqing onto the dragon chariot and said in a deep voice, "Hurry and send the imperial physician to Zhongcui Palace."
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