Chapter 113 Dream within a dream within a dream
“No…don’t.”
The woman was held in his arms, sobbing non-stop. His fair, slender hands fell on her butterfly bones. His fingertips were cold, causing shivers wherever they passed.
"Pearl, Pearl."
"No!"
Zhao Mingzhu opened her eyes, sat up in a daze, her heart pounding.
What had she dreamed about? Her mind was so foggy that she couldn't remember it at all.
As the night deepened and early summer approached, the frogs in the pond croaked continuously.
Zhao Mingzhu folded her hands on her abdomen and slept very soundly.
Suddenly Zhao Mingzhu opened her eyes again, and she looked around reflexively. It seemed that there was always a strange noise in her ears. Where did the sound come from?
After Zhao Mingzhu sat up and didn't see anything, she stepped barefoot on the cold blue bricks. The gauze curtain danced in the wind, blocking her vision.
When my vision opened up again, my eyes were covered, and the light was as cold and clear as spring water.
"Princess, I've caught you."
The sound was like thunder. Zhao Mingzhu turned around in panic: "Gu Qingheng?"
"Gu Qingheng?!"
Zhao Mingzhu suddenly opened her eyes, her temples were covered with sweat. She supported her forehead with her green hands, listened to her own heartbeat, and pulled her thigh hard. It turned out to be a dream within a dream.
She remembered that she seemed to have called Gu Qingheng's name. It was really weird. Why did she suddenly dream of him?
It's worse than seeing a ghost.
"Miss? What's wrong with you?"
Qiao'er approached with a candlestick in her hand, and seeing the panic in her eyes, she asked hurriedly.
Zhao Mingzhu rubbed her face and shook her head: "It was just a nightmare."
"What time is it?"
Qiao'er looked back outside and said, "It will be dawn in a short while."
Zhao Mingzhu nodded after hearing this: "Then I'll sleep a little longer."
Qiao'er covered her with the quilt and turned to return to her room when she saw Ayu sitting downstairs.
"What are you doing here if you're not sleeping?"
When Qiao'er got closer, she found that he seemed to be making a wreath. The wreath was small and delicate, and the flowers on it were still covered with dew.
"Sister Qiao'er." Ah Yu showed some shyness on her face when she saw Qiao'er:
"I sleep little, so I get up and make garlands of clouds and oranges."
Qiao'er watched his fingers flying, very skillfully. She had been watching A-yu these days and knew that he knew a lot.
She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Ayu, why did you become a slave?"
These slaves were also divided into different levels, and people like Ayu, who were driven around like cattle and sheep and sold, were sold at the lowest price.
Usually it means that their parents come from extremely poor backgrounds.
Ah Yu stopped when he heard this, with a look of embarrassment on his face, and whispered:
"Sister Qiao'er, will you dislike me if you find out?"
The whip marks on his little face had long faded, and unless you looked closely you couldn't tell he had been beaten.
A pale face and twinkling eyes.
Qiao'er guessed, then said, "The young lady said that one cannot choose one's birth. We will not despise you."
Even so, Ayu was still a little depressed, with her shoulders drooping.
His voice was as soft as a mosquito's.
But Qiao'er still heard it.
He said he was the son of a prostitute.
Qiao'er was surprised after hearing this. No wonder no one bought him even though he looked good.
Qiao'er saw that he looked nervous and didn't even realize that the wreath in his hand was deformed.
"Okay, okay, I just asked casually, don't worry, no one here cares."
At this time, someone came in from outside. Daniu saw her and said, "Miss Qiao'er, the master has brought a message."
Qiao'er was very happy after hearing this and took Daniu to see Zhao Mingzhu.
Zhao Mingzhu was just about to pick up her bucket and go fishing again.
After seeing Da Niu, she knew that the letter from the Duke of Zhenguo had come: "Come in."
She and Zhenguogong had agreed to contact each other after everything calmed down.
It seems that there is good news this time.
Zhao Mingzhu was happily preparing to receive the news that her funeral was over and everything was calm.
"The Duke asks you to go further away." said Da Niu.
Zhao Mingzhu:?
"What's wrong?"
Zhao Mingzhu had a bad feeling in her heart, and that erotic dream suddenly emerged in her mind.
"The Duke didn't say anything very specific." Da Niu shook his head. This was all he said when he received the news.
Zhao Mingzhu no longer had the heart to go fishing. She walked back and forth with her hands behind her back, and then prepared to write a letter.
But as soon as she finished writing, she tore it up again.
There must be something that the Duke of Zhenguo noticed, otherwise he would not have said this.
What if the other party is also watching?
Zhao Mingzhu thought for a moment and said, "I understand."
After hearing this, Da Niu nodded and turned back to report.
Qiao'er also smelled something unusual, and she asked Zhao Mingzhu:
"Miss, we've only been here for a short time, and we're leaving again?"
Zhao Mingzhu put down the bucket and nodded, "Yes, go pack your things later, and we'll set off immediately."
There are so many islands, so this is not necessary.
But such an unexpected message made Zhao Mingzhu frown.
The weather at the seaside is changeable. Just when the three were about to leave, it started to rain heavily. The heavy rain made traveling sticky.
The small bridge connecting the town to the outside world was also impassable due to the rain.
Qiao'er stretched her head out and squinted her eyes. She turned around and said, "Miss, the rain is too heavy. Let's wait until it stops before we leave."
Zhao Mingzhu frowned and shook her head: "No, we have to leave now, and the sooner the better."
Qiao'er didn't understand. Ayu was carrying two cats on her back.
"Miss, if we leave now, where are we going?"
Zhao Mingzhu thought about the island book she had read before: "Let's go to Blue Water Island."
It's isolated from the world.
The carriage took the three people out of the town. Few people went out. The people here were very simple. The fishermen who came back wearing straw raincoats saw them about to leave the town and hurriedly stopped them.
"Where are you going? Don't go out!"
Zhao Mingzhu heard the voice and popped his head out to look at the rain curtain. It turned out to be the fisherman he had seen before shouting:
"Don't go out! The bridge outside is flooded by seawater! It's dangerous!"
"Thank you." Zhao Mingzhu thanked him and said to Daniu, "Thank you for your hard work. Go and take a look."
A vague anxiety rose from the bottom of my heart.
After hearing this, Da Niu jumped off the carriage and rushed to the front to check.
A moment later, he came back, all wet, with messy hair sticking to his forehead. He wiped the water off his face and said, "Miss, it's indeed flooded, and the carriage can't get through."
Zhao Mingzhu pursed her lips after hearing this. She looked towards the bridge and could only say, "Let's go back and wait until the rain stops."
The rain at the seaside comes and goes quickly, so you won’t have to wait long.
Zhao Mingzhu thought so, but she didn't expect that the rain would last so long this time.
It lasted for three days.
In the East Palace, Gu Qingheng picked up his pen to sketch the outline. Outside the study door:
"Your Highness, the Duke of Zhenguo who left the city has returned, but he doesn't have any letters on him."
Gu Qingheng was neither hurried nor slow about this. He placed the ink dot on the forehead of the person in the painting and did not move.
Suddenly, his hand suddenly became fierce, and the jade pen shaft snapped and broke in his palm.
"Keep watching and figure out where he's coming back from."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Gu Qingheng stared at the painting intently. The cinnabar, reflected in his eyes, looked like roiling beads of blood.
The next day.
In Shoukang Palace, the Queen Mother was reclining on a soft couch when a palace maid reported that Princess Jingning had arrived.
"May the Empress Dowager live in peace and happiness."
"Good boy, get up. There's no need for so much formality between us."
After hearing this, Gu Yan stuck out her tongue and said, "Grandmother Royal loves Jingning dearly. How can Jingning be so arrogant because of her favor?"
The Queen Mother smiled and pulled her to her side, asking, "Aren't you going to the academy today?"
Gu Yan shook her head: "The emperor's sister-in-law hasn't been there these days, the emperor's sister and An Yun are on sick leave, and the young lady of the Su family has disappeared inexplicably. Without them, the granddaughter feels bored and secretly skips school."
"Grandmother, please don't tell Father, or I'll be in trouble."
The Queen Mother's face showed displeasure when she heard this, but she didn't care about the disappearance of other irrelevant people.
I only heard that Zhao Mingzhu, Gu Yu and An Yun did not go to the academy.
She had indeed not seen Zhao Mingzhu for quite some time.
These three people usually get along as well as if they were wearing the same skirt. It's such a coincidence that they didn't go to the academy. I'm afraid they are not sick, but they are hanging out together to do something bad.
"Someone, go and invite the Crown Princess."
This granddaughter-in-law is always out of tune and has no manners, so she has to give her more advice.
Now that you have become the Crown Princess, how can you still be so willful?
After hearing this, Gu Yan sat next to the Queen Mother, and soon the palace maid came back.
But there was no sign of Zhao Mingzhu behind him.
The Queen Mother was displeased: "Where is the Crown Princess?"
The palace servant trembled and said, "Her Majesty, I haven't even entered the Eastern Palace. The guard at the gate said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that no one is allowed to enter without his permission."
"How can this be possible!"
The old empress dowager was dissatisfied, but she couldn't show any anger. After all, the one who gave the order was her favorite grandson. She just told the palace servants to go to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
"Go and fetch His Majesty."
Gu Yan was the closest and could see the Queen Mother was furious. Then, she wanted to lighten the mood and brought the parrot in front of her.
"Quickly tell the Queen Mother to calm down, and the Imperial Grandmother to calm down."
The parrot flapped its snow-white wings and screamed: "Eat shit, eat shit, eat shit!"
Gu Yan: ...
She quickly pinched the bird's beak, but in the silence of Shoukang Palace, the three words "eat shit" could still be heard faintly.
Gu Yan smiled awkwardly: "This little bastard deserves a beating, please don't be angry, Grandmother."
She looked at the gloomy Queen Mother and changed the subject:
"Jingning heard that the emperor's sister-in-law was assassinated some time ago and fell off a cliff. Although she was eventually found, she was probably injured. That's why the crown prince went to the academy in person to ask for leave."
"Perhaps the Empress's sister-in-law is still recovering from her injuries, so she didn't come out in time."
There is such a thing? The Queen Mother was surprised for a moment after hearing it, but why didn't any news come out about such a big thing?
"Has the assassin been caught?"
Gu Yan shook her head. "Jingning doesn't know either. I just heard about this incident by chance. Grandmother, please don't just believe my hearsay."
The Queen Mother nodded, her doubts in her heart, and her expression eased slightly: "In this case, I must meet her and ask her what is going on."
However, people from Shoukang Palace went there three times and brought back the same message as before. The empress dowager's brows were twitching as people sang outside.
"Your Majesty has arrived."
After Emperor Jingyuan entered, he saw that his mother had an ugly expression on her face. He looked at Gu Yan, who shook her head slightly.
Emperor Jingyuan signaled her to go out and wait until Gu Yan left.
"I have seen you, mother. You look unhappy. Who has upset you?"
The Queen Mother did not hide anything and said directly:
"I heard that the Crown Princess was assassinated. What are the details of this incident? Was Zhao Mingzhu seriously injured?"
Emperor Jingyuan sighed when he mentioned this matter: "To my mother, the Dali Temple is still investigating the details of the assassination. As for Mingzhu, she has not been found yet."
"What?!"
The Queen Mother lost her voice, her eyes tightening. "The Emperor is saying that the Crown Princess's whereabouts are still unknown!"
Emperor Jingyuan and the Queen Mother were biological mother and son, so he felt there was no need to hide it from her. He nodded.
"That's true, but no news is the best news. Mother, don't worry."
The Empress Dowager's face was stern. "The Crown Princess is missing, and even after so many days, she still hasn't been found. Does the Emperor think that even if she is found, she can still be the Crown Princess?"
Emperor Jingyuan was confused after hearing this, but then he understood the hidden meaning of his mother's words.
"Mother..."
"Emperor, a woman's reputation is so important, and she's the Crown Princess. This is so controversial. If we can't find her, then forget it. It's better to just assume she's dead."
The Queen Mother touched the Buddhist beads and then gave her own thoughts.
Emperor Jingyuan disagreed after hearing this and said, "This was an accident, not Mingzhu's fault. This is too cruel to her."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother looked at her son and said firmly:
"Her virtue is unworthy of her position. If the Emperor hadn't insisted, I would never have let her marry into the Eastern Palace. Moreover, they've been married for a long time and have no children. Now such a disaster has happened. Isn't it God's displeasure with her past behavior and punishment?"
"Emperor, the royal bloodline cannot afford to be compromised. It is better to nip the problem in the bud now than to let it go."
Emperor Jingyuan pondered after hearing this and said, "Mother, I think the Crown Prince's opinion should prevail on this matter."
Seeing that he and Heng'er were becoming estranged, he was unwilling to make decisions for him.
When the Queen Mother saw her son, she sighed deeply. He didn't look like a decisive emperor at all.
But he was her own son after all, and she couldn't bear to blame him too much.
"Emperor, I just remembered something else. Xun'er should also be appointed as a principal wife. Which young lady do you think is suitable?"
After hearing this, Emperor Jingyuan thought of many ministers, but in the end he felt it was difficult to choose one. Gu Xun had a hidden illness, and if his daughter married him, she would be a widow.
"Mother, this matter is not urgent. Let's wait and see and slowly find the right person."
The Queen Mother disagreed. She saw the reason for Emperor Jingyuan's hesitation:
"Marriage is a natural thing for men and women. Although Xun'er has some physical deficiencies, this will save the daughters from the pain of childbirth and raising children. Perhaps there will be a young lady who would be very willing to marry her."
This statement was really biased towards his own family, even Emperor Jingyuan couldn't stand it:
"Mother, my daughter was raised in pampered pampering. How could she be willing to be a living widow?"
Naturally, Prince Gu Xun had many people who were good at scheming and sent people to him, but Emperor Jingyuan also looked down on such families.
"Mother, this matter requires long-term consideration."
Even if he had to choose a princess, he felt that it didn't matter if the daughter-in-law came from a lower family, as long as she had noble character.
Outside Shoukang Palace, Gu Yan squatted on the ground and scratched with a branch. She looked up and saw Gu Xun standing in front of her.
"Brother Huang, are you here to see the Empress Dowager again?"
Gu Xun has already made up his mind to find a child for himself. He often comes here these days just to make his presence felt so that the child will not be left without support when he is born.
Gu Xun saw the chief eunuch in front of the emperor and knew that Emperor Jingyuan was also inside.
"How long has Father been here? What has he been saying to Grandmother?"
"Father came very early." Gu Yan continued to toss the ants on the ground, and she said casually:
"Speaking of your marriage, the Empress Dowager wanted to choose a princess for you, but the Emperor Father thought it was inappropriate and refused."
After hearing this, Gu Xun's face suddenly turned gloomy.
Even his own father would despise his disabled body!
But Gu Qingheng, who caused him to be disabled, was unharmed and continued to be the prince and the heir to the throne!
Gu Xun hated the damned Gu Qingheng so much that he would make him taste the pain of having no descendants one day!
When Gu Yan looked up again, the person had left without her knowing.
Gu Yan sighed and muttered secretly, "Did I say something wrong again, reminding my brother of the arrow shot by the Crown Prince in the lower body?"
When capturing the rebels, Gu Qingheng shot at their grandfather, but the other party pulled Gu Xun up as a hostage.
At that time, Gu Qingheng let go, but for some reason the arrow was still shot out.
Afterwards, when Emperor Jingyuan held Gu Qingheng accountable, he simply said that he didn't react in time and the arrow flew out of his hand. If he really wanted to kill Gu Xun, why didn't he do it on the spot to prevent future troubles?
Gu Yan looked at the ants making a mess and wondered what if Gu Qingheng felt that there were too many people around and it would be too troublesome to kill her royal brother if they were seen?
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