Chapter 21 Chapter 21 [VIP]
There was a heavy rainstorm outside.
After several heavy rains, autumn deepened and even inside the tent, it was warmer to wrap yourself in a thick blanket.
The decoration in the manor is quite old after several wars.
Maybe it's not as comfortable as living in a dilapidated temple.
The curtains were also a very dark color and not very pretty, but neither of them cared about that.
Yuan Mu lit a candle on the table. The flickering red candlelight was the brightest light in the bedroom.
Her face was a little pale, but fortunately the light was dim and others couldn't see clearly.
Yuan Mu knelt on the couch, raised her head, and kissed Helan Zhen's lips lightly.
Helan Zhen's eyes were filled with hesitation and struggle: "A Luo..."
It was as if he wanted to pull her away, but also as if he couldn't bear to refuse any of her requests.
Yuan Mu took off all his outer clothes.
She was wearing only a light petticoat, the color of which was as bright as the moon, which made her long, thick hair look even darker.
Yuan Mu's expression was filled with compassion and piety.
This makes her look like a goddess.
"Give me a kiss," Yuan Mu said softly, "and hug me."
She seemed calm, but tears kept falling from her watery eyes.
Like big, clear gems.
Helan Zhen leaned over to kiss Yuan Mu's face, pressing her hand with her knuckles, trying to stop her from untying the last thin strap around her waist.
His voice was suppressed. "Have you ever thought about what would happen if I disappeared without a trace and never came back?"
Helan Zhen's kiss did not contain any erotic meaning.
It fell gently on her face and forehead.
Yuan Mu burst into tears and said, "Then I will take the child with me and remain a widow for the rest of my life."
Helan Zhen's tone became sharper: "Don't talk nonsense!"
"You're still so young," he said, controlling his emotions. "If anything happens to me, you can just get married in peace."
Swords and guns have no eyes, and anything can happen on the battlefield.
Yuan Mu climbed onto Helan Zhen's neck and cried even harder: "Then if nothing happens, come and marry me!"
His tone slowed down: "Of course I will come back to marry you."
But the next moment, Helan Zhen's gentle face suddenly overlapped with the emperor wearing a crown and a royal robe.
There was no more tenderness in the same phoenix eyes, only coldness and contempt that was almost cruel.
Yuan Muda sat up panting.
Her face was pale and her back was soaked with cold sweat.
The maids were waiting outside. When they heard Yuan Mu's scream, they immediately came in and leaned over and said, "My lady, don't be afraid. It's a nightmare!"
They skillfully helped Yuan Mu calm down and gave her a tranquilizer pill.
This was the verdict made by Court Zhang some time ago.
Yuan Mu has nightmares too frequently, and his recent dreams are always very deep, and he can only break free at the last moment.
He simply prescribed some medicine for her to prevent her from getting too stressed out.
This medicine is still very powerful.
Yuan Mu drank some water and calmed his breathing for a while, then he felt much better and the intense heart palpitations gradually disappeared.
She glanced at the clepsydra clock and realized it was not yet night.
At noon, the emperor was in a bad mood. Yuan Mu was afraid that he would be angry with the kitten, so he endured it.
Her knees, waist, and back of her hands hurt.
There is no comfortable part of my body.
After she recovered, Yuan Mu asked the maids to leave first. They took pity on her and quietly released the kitten.
The attentive palace maid had applied medicine on the back of her hand, and the red marks on her knees had faded a lot.
Yuan Mu got out of bed, lay down on the couch, and held the kitten in her arms.
Although the process was bumpy, she still achieved her goal.
Yuan Mu has been in the palace for quite some time, and her mood would not fluctuate too much because of the emperor.
People seem to be like this.
No matter how painful something is, as time goes by and you experience a lot, you will gradually become numb.
Yuan Mu held the kitten and played with it slowly, when suddenly an idea flashed through his mind.
If she could leave the palace one day, she would also like to have a kitten.
Yuan Mu spent many years alone in the manor. At that time, she was unable to take care of herself and had never thought about taking on another life.
Her life has been so turbulent lately.
Thoughts can actually change so much.
It doesn't have to be expensive, or even beautiful, as long as I can live with her, that's enough.
It’s not that Yuan Mu doesn’t want the kitten, it’s just that the kitten belongs to the emperor, not hers.
She half-closed her eyes and played with the kitten for a long time, and her mood gradually became less bad.
Yuan Mu even thought that she should not listen to Yuan Wei. If he didn't give her any benefits, she would not help him do anything.
Since he came to find her, it meant that he himself had not succeeded.
Thinking of this, the heavy mood on Yuan Mu's shoulders felt much lighter.
Because of a cute voice, very.
"Sister, are you still sleeping?"
It’s Xi Lanyan.
How come she is here?
Yuan Mu was stunned for a moment, she stood up and put on her outer robe,
She walked out of the inner hall slowly and looked up.
Xi Lanyan wore a delicate pink coat, Xi Rongjing wore a gold-woven robe, and the King of Chu wore a dark purple coat, which was unusual for him.
The three of them were dressed in extremely bright and gorgeous clothes, holding masks in their hands, just like actors walking down from the stage.
It looks good, but it's a little too extreme.
Yuan Mu almost didn't dare to look any further.
Xi Rongjing smiled, his appearance was gentle, and his tone was soft: "Have you forgotten, Your Majesty? Today is the Lantern Festival."
The mountains and rivers never sleep.
There is no curfew on the night of the Lantern Festival. The Jinwu Guards are on duty all night to protect the safety of the capital.
This is the best time to have fun. Men, women, young and old can all take to the streets tonight and have fun.
The emperor and empress would also join the people in the fun and hold a banquet at Jinming Lake, with endless singing and dancing.
Yuan Mu never thought that Yuan Xiao would have any relationship with her.
She had become accustomed to being locked up in the Nine-Layered Palace all day long.
When he got on the carriage and left the palace, Yuan Mudu had not yet fully reacted.
She had not prepared any special dress for going out. The emperor always liked her to wear long dresses of simple style and quality, preferably without revealing an inch of her fair skin.
Fortunately, this hibiscus noodle is beautiful enough.
Yuan Mu had a dot of rouge on her lips and was wrapped in a red cloak with red gold tail feathers. Her face was cold and pure, and her hair ornaments were soft and beautiful.
It is as if the peonies that bloom in the capital are blooming.
The coldness of the past has been wrapped up in beauty, truly living up to the saying that there is only one beautiful woman in the world.
"His Majesty truly loves my sister," Xi Lanyan said with a smile, "He and the Empress are so busy, yet he still thinks of my sister."
She smiled sweetly, her voice sweet as well: "We are able to go out of the palace to play this time because of my sister."
Among the noble ladies of aristocratic families, there are very few girls as cheerful as Xi Lanyan.
The elders in her family loved her very much. Now that they have passed away, her brother still pampers her like she is the most precious.
So when she was sixteen, Xi Lanyan could still maintain the lively and bright appearance of a little girl.
When Yuan Mu was sixteen years old, he had been in the palace for almost half a year.
She struggled, tried to commit suicide, but ultimately lost to imperial power. In the blink of an eye, more than two years had passed.
Yuan Mu supported his chin and looked at Xi Lanyan, with a soft light in his eyes.
She said softly, "I also want to thank Ayan for being willing to accompany me."
The two girls were chatting, and it was not appropriate for a man to interrupt. Xi Rongjing brought the small plate over with a smile: "Your Majesty hasn't had dinner yet, so please make do with this for now."
"We've booked a teahouse," he said gently, "If you want to eat anything else later, Your Majesty, please choose one."
Xi Rongjing is very considerate in the way he treats people.
The small plate was filled with hot snacks, which were delicate and exquisite.
Xi Lanyan said in surprise: "Brother, you are so careful!"
She raised her hand to take it, but the King of Chu, who was watching the scenery at the side, suddenly turned around, pinched with his long fingers, and took away the piece she wanted.
Xi Lanyan immediately became annoyed: "Brother Zhang!"
The King of Chu ignored her and ate the dessert directly.
The two started bickering again. Yuan Mu leaned on the inside, but the corners of his lips couldn't help but rise.
Xi Rongjing looked at her with a smile and whispered, "Stop looking and eat something first."
He sounded like the brother next door, his voice as gentle as the wind.
Yuan Mu responded subconsciously: "Okay."
The time it takes to leave the palace is longer than the time it takes to go to the teahouse after leaving the palace.
But the trip was pleasant and the drive passed by like water.
Yuan Mu brought Mu Li with him. When they got off the car, Xi Rongjing helped her. She didn't react and only felt something was wrong after a while.
But he looked calm and didn't say much.
Yuan Mu simply didn't think much about it, only the King of Chu frowned slightly.
This teahouse can be considered the best in the whole Jingzhao.
They booked a private room. After walking past the screen, Yuan Mu took down the curtain and sat in the seat near the inside.
On her left was Xi Lanyan, on her right was Xi Rongjing, and sitting opposite her was the King of Chu.
The Xi siblings did not sit next to each other.
Yuan Mu hesitated for a moment, then thought that they seemed to have always been like this.
Maybe brothers and sisters are too close and don't want to be together all the time.
Yuan Mu and his brother are biological siblings from the same father and mother, but they are not close.
He is very similar to Yuan Wei. Perhaps because he was once deeply loved by his mother, he hates her existence even more than Yuan Wei does. He hates that she killed her mother as soon as she was born.
The Xi brothers and sisters have a good relationship, and the emperor and the King of Chu also have a good relationship.
Sometimes Yuan Mu really envies them.
But she didn't have time to think about it because the food was served soon.
Yuan Mu had actually eaten at this teahouse before. After she had gone on a hunger strike, her stomach had been uncomfortable for a long time.
I've long been tired of the food in the palace.
These teahouses all have delivery services, but the emperor summoned the chef directly.
Although he entered the palace secretly, if the chef disappeared for a long time, news would still leak out.
As a result, this already famous teahouse became even more famous.
Yuan Mu held the jade chopsticks and ate her food in small bites. Her movements were very small and she was very polite. Even though she was in a teahouse, she felt like she was in a palace.
It is beautiful, but also restrained.
The King of Chu casually picked up the serving chopsticks and put half a fish into Yuan Mu's plate.
He was very skilled with chopsticks. Yuan Mu's eyes widened. "How do you eat this?"
The King of Chu looked at her, picked up a long piece of crispy meat, and ate it in one gulp: "Just eat it with your mouth."
Xi Lanyan was also amused. She giggled and said, "Brother Zhang really knows how to bully me."
Yuan Mu racked his brains, used a fork to separate the fish meat, and then successfully ate half of the fish.
But this squirrel mandarin fish dish is really delicious.
Yuan Mu was used to eating meals in the palace, so when he suddenly ate meals outside, he felt that everything was delicious, and his watery eyes seemed to be filled with stars.
"Is it delicious?" The King of Chu raised his eyebrows and smiled proudly.
They sat facing each other, the night wind blew silently, ruffling Yuan Mu's hair.
Xi Rongjing had just gone out for something, and Xi Lanyan was busy eating dessert.
Yuan Mu looked at the King of Chu's curved phoenix eyes, and his thoughts suddenly became confused for a moment.
He looks a little too much like Helan Zhen.
Even the tone of voice is so similar.
Yuan Mu pursed his lips, stood up and whispered, "I'll go wash my hands first."
After saying that, she walked out quietly.
The private room on the top floor of the teahouse is reserved for distinguished guests. In addition to this private room, there is also a special partition outside so there is no need to worry about being disturbed.
Yuan Mu sat down on the soft couch in the courtyard.
She placed her hands on her chest, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
Yuan Mu's face was flushed unnaturally, and his eyes seemed to be watery.
She sat alone on the chaise longue in front of the private room, her expression showing intense struggle.
When Xi Rongjing came up from downstairs, he saw Yuan Mu in this state.
Just now they were surrounded by servants as they walked into the teahouse, but an old friend still recognized him and sent someone to ask if it was Xi Lang, and also asked the servant to bring a business card.
Xi Rongjing went to meet his old friend.
Unexpectedly, in less than a quarter of an hour, something seemed to have happened.
Xi Rongjing walked up to Yuan Mu, handed her a plain handkerchief, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong, A'luo?"
Only people who are very close to him would call Yuan Mu by his nickname.
Yuan Mu and Xi Rongjing have not seen each other many times in the past two years. He is a close minister of the emperor and always has to travel thousands of miles for him.
But before she entered the palace, she had actually seen him many times.
Qingyun Temple is a Taoist temple in a very remote location.
Even in the suburbs of Beijing, it is a sparsely populated area.
The scenery here is pretty good, but it is close to the mountains and the roads are difficult to walk on. There are very few tourists, let alone believers.
Many people go to Taoist temples just to listen for fun.
Taoist ideas are much more open-minded than Confucianism and Buddhism. They emphasize floating like immortals and seek freedom from the world.
Xi Rongjing always wore green clothes when he came.
He entered the temple alone without any travel companions. He would occasionally listen to the sutras, but spent most of his time buying fish food to feed the koi in the fish pond in the center of the temple.
Xi Rongjing dressed simply and spoke in an approachable manner.
Once, Yuan Mu was in a hurry to rush to the dining hall, but she was still late. She came back hungry and couldn't help crying.
When he saw it, he asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Yuan Mu was young at that time and told him about it with grievance.
Xi Rongjing chuckled and said, "You are not a fully-fledged cultivator, so you don't have any rules about abstaining from meat and fish, right?"
Yuan Mu didn't know how he noticed it, she nodded ignorantly.
Xi Rongjing took her hand and led her down the mountain like an older brother leading a child, and ordered a lot of delicious food in the teahouse.
Yuan Mu was at most a little over ten years old at that time.
She was very naive and simple, but she also vaguely felt that this older brother must be no ordinary person.
His demeanor is very similar to those of the Yuan family.
Xi Rongjing entered officialdom very early, so he did not come to Qingyun Temple often, and Yuan Mu would not meet him every time.
They were like strange friends regardless of age difference. They would nod and greet each other when they saw each other, but there was no more familiarity between them.
Later, something happened in the capital, and Yuan Mu never saw Xi Rongjing again.
The next time they met was after she entered the palace.
It was only at this time that Yuan Mu realized that Xi Rongjing and the emperor were cousins, close friends, and had a very close relationship between monarch and minister.
He must have told the emperor about Qingyun Temple.
Otherwise, why did Helan Zhen go to Qingyun Temple instead of anywhere else when she was in danger?
Yuan Mu managed to get to Xi Rongjing.
She told him the whole story in great detail, and asked with trembling eyes, "Have you heard him talk about me? A girl named A Luo."
Xi Rongjing listened patiently.
When others hear about this, they will just think that Yuan Mu is crazy for wanting to curry favor with the powerful.
They can even make up such a crazy story.
But Xi Rongjing didn't say a single harsh word. He just said apologetically, "I wasn't always with Your Majesty at that time."
"He did stay for a while outside the capital in May," he said regretfully, "but there were no record keepers at that time, and all of His Majesty's personal troops died in a subsequent rebellion."
Death without any testimony is the cruelest thing.
All 132 of the emperor's most trusted personal soldiers died in that treacherous ambush.
There must be someone among them who has seen Yuan Mu.
There must be someone who knows their past.
But everyone died, even the emperor himself was seriously injured and was on the verge of death several times.
But this matter actually coincided with what Helan Zhen said before leaving, that it was more likely to be disastrous than good.
It is very likely that he lost his memory during that incident.
Yuan Mu couldn't produce any evidence, and no one could testify for her.
Even the fact that she had come to Xi Rongjing for help was known to the emperor.
Afterwards, the emperor locked Yuan Mu up. When she thinks of that cruel time now, she still feels extremely scared.
How could I possibly forget the bright moonlight that is imprinted on my heart?
Yuan Mu could not forget Helan Zhen, nor could he forget the love between them.
But from then on, she never dared to mention the past to the emperor again.
Xi Rongjing glanced at the thin bracelet on Yuan Muhao's wrist, then slowly shifted his gaze to her face: "Are you unhappy? Or do you want to go back?"
He often looks after his sister and is a very meticulous person.
Yuan Mu didn't expect Xi Rongjing to come over at this time. She looked a little flustered and subconsciously avoided his gaze.
"Nothing," she said with lowered eyes, "I just felt a little stuffy and wanted to go out for some fresh air."
After hearing Yuan Mu's explanation, Xi Rongjing smiled softly: "So that's how it is."
He said softly, "I thought you wanted to go back to the palace."
Xi Rongjing had a gentle face that was easy to get along with, and it was even easier for people to let down their guard than Xi Lanyan.
When he was at Qingyun Temple, he could talk to children and the elderly passing by very smoothly.
"Your Majesty didn't mean to do what happened at noon," Xi Rongjing said softly, "He couldn't accompany you that evening, so that's why he asked us to bring you out."
He said slowly, "If you go back now, His Majesty might blame me."
There seemed to be gurgling water in Xi Rongjing's eyes, clear and bright.
He didn't mean to blame Yuan Mu in his words, he was just teasing him gently.
Yuan Mu opened his eyes wide in surprise.
When will Li Congliu apologize to her?
He always pretended that nothing had happened and glossed over it.
Xi Rongjing smiled and said, "It's a rare opportunity to come out, let's play for a while longer."
Yuan Mu's face flushed slightly. She hated the emperor's unpredictable temper, but sometimes, in the eyes of others, was she also a little unpredictable?
She nodded and said yes, then stood up obediently.
Xi Rongjingxu supported Yuan Mu and took her back to the private room.
The King of Chu had his back to the door, but as soon as he turned sideways he saw them standing side by side.
He didn't say anything, but just handed Yuan Mu a glass of fruit drink.
"Are you still eating?" the King of Chu asked casually. "If you're full, let's go outside."
Xi Lanyan said angrily, "Why are you only asking my sister and not me?"
Seeing that the two were about to start bickering again, Xi Rongjing immediately raised his hand to stop them. He said softly, "The porridge in this teahouse is Lingnan style, very unique. Let's have some before we go."
They come here often and know which dishes are delicious.
Yuan Mu sat down again, Xi Rongjing sat next to her and scooped a small bowl of seafood porridge for her.
She held the spoon, took two sips, and her eyes lit up.
It’s really delicious.
After finishing the meal, the four of them went downstairs together, and Yuan Mu put the veil back on.
Actually, it is okay to wear a mask, but she is shy and always feels embarrassed.
The lantern festival has begun.
It's extremely lively outside.
The fireworks lit up the night sky, and lights and decorations were everywhere, so gorgeous and bright that it seemed like a fairyland.
The trees are full of fireworks and the star bridges are shining.
Yuan Mu had limited knowledge. The most prosperous street market she had ever seen was actually the Caoshi near Zhuangzi.
She had studied Taoism for many years, but had always been confined in a square cage and had never seen the living beings in the world.
Yuan Mu raised her head, she covered her lips, and her watery eyes became brighter and brighter.
Along the way, there were singing girls singing loudly. They were wearing gorgeous clothes and singing tunes that were quite popular recently.
There were countless merchants selling things, and all kinds of rare treasures were displayed. There were also bearded Hu people selling Hu cakes and roasted lamb along the streets.
The beautiful scenery is so beautiful that the joy seems to have no end.
Xi Lanyan is a noble lady, and due to her status, she cannot often travel at such a busy time.
She raised her arms in joy and let out a loud "Ah!"
After putting on the mask, it seems like anything is allowed.
Xi Lanyan was running so happily that Xi Rongjing was worried, so he hurried over to catch her to prevent her from getting lost while people were around.
The King of Chu was accompanying Yuan Mu. He laughed out loud, full of youthful energy, like a young man in fine clothes riding a horse.
She was not used to such occasions, but she was still overwhelmed by happiness.
Yuan Mu pursed his lips and smiled, his voice soft: "Do you have money? I want to buy lanterns."
She gently pulled the sleeve of the King of Chu, and her face under the veil was delicate and innocent, as if she had turned back into that ignorant girl.
"Of course," the King of Chu raised his eyebrows, "I can even provide you with a hundred."
He had a smile on his lips and raised eyebrows.
The vendors and passersby were also very interested and asked jokingly, "Are you a newlywed couple?"
Yuan Mu was suddenly at a loss.
She waved her hands repeatedly and said, "No, this is...um, my younger brother."
This was the scene that the emperor happened to see when he came over.
After attending the dinner with Empress Yuan, he did not stay there long.
The emperor was extremely calm when dealing with most things. If he was not calm, he would have been angered to death when he was the crown prince.
But when it comes to Yuan Mu.
Emotions always easily cross the boundaries of reason.
There had been a lot of unpleasantness between them in the past two years.
Yuan Mu was reluctant to enter the palace at first, and is still quite afraid of him. Whenever he touches her lower back, she will shiver instinctively.
No matter how good he treats her now, the feelings accumulated over the years are difficult to change.
You shouldn't be so hasty.
The emperor rarely regrets anything, but sometimes he would wonder, if the beginning between him and Yuan Mu had not been so cruel, would things be much smoother now?
Maybe he needs to change too.
After Yuan Mu fell asleep, the emperor sat beside her for a long time.
He finally decided to have someone take her out for some fun, as his mother loved going to the palace when she was alive.
He always thought, they are all palaces, what's the difference?
But now I think that for a woman who has lived in the palace for a long time, even a moment of freedom is precious.
The emperor was born in the palace, and he had no aversion to life in the deep palace, but he had to admit that most people might not like palace life that much.
Besides that, his other idea was that he had to find some friends for Yuan Mu.
She lived a very lonely and boring life every day. Although she was so young, she felt like an old lady in her seventies or eighties.
Yuan Mu had been in the tent for too long, and a kitten could take away all her attention.
Things that were never apparent to me before are becoming increasingly clear.
The emperor sat in the carriage, looking at Yuan Mu and Chu □□ from afar with his eyes slightly narrowed.
Is it his illusion?
She and his brother seemed to be getting too close.
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