Chapter 11
When it was time for dinner, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was brightly lit, but Zhang Dehai was the only one standing in the hall.Shen Xiyao in front of him was holding a lantern in his hand, carefully watching a picture of a lady on the wall.The woman was wearing a long white fox fur cloak, a corner of the moon-white and red plum blossom skirt was faintly exposed, her long hair was tied in the hood, and only one strand was randomly scattered between her temples.Her brows are twinkling, and her starry eyes are endlessly shining, revealing infinite elegance.She stood sideways, holding a plum blossom in her hand and leaning against her chest, her expression was thoughtful, and the corner of her mouth had an imperceptible arc.Behind her is a patch of red plums blooming proudly in the white snow all over the sky, making her look even more clean and unparalleled, elegant and elegant.

Putting down the lamp in his hand, Shen Xiyao sighed deeply, slowly rolled up the painting scroll with his own hands, and murmured: "How easy it is to say goodbye to the day, and the road is long. " Fu raised his head and smiled at Zhang Dehai: "Thank you for your hard work. This portrait may not come easily."

As soon as Shen Xiyao said the word "hard work", Zhang Dehai knelt on the ground and said gratefully: "This is what a slave should do, why should the emperor thank you?" He touched his eyes and his voice trembled.

Shen Xiyao personally helped him up, and slowly said: "President Ling is the chief assistant, and he is always in the crowd all day long, but no one knows that the daughter of the Ling family is a peerless young man. This shows how deeply she hides."

Zhang Dehai lowered his head halfway: "Your Majesty, if you want it, I will do it even if I die." After saying that, he smiled slyly: "However, this portrait came from a wrong way. I hope the Emperor will forgive me."

Shen Xiyao: "Oh" and said: "Is it the right way?" His brows were slightly frowned, but he smiled again: "If it's the right way, then it won't be easy."

Zhang Dehai nodded again and again: "Although Miss Ling's family is in the south of the Yangtze River recently, the boudoir is cleaned every day. The slave sent someone to bribe the cleaner, and quietly stole this portrait in the painting tank this morning. Hurry up and bring it to the emperor to have a look, the slave has already called the painter in the palace to copy it in the past two days, this one will be returned soon.”

Listening to what he said, Shen Xiyao's eyes fell on the rolled scroll in his hand: "Aren't you afraid that the Ling family will find out that the portrait has been stolen?"

"This portrait is placed in the painting jar in the boudoir, and no one enters it except for those who clean it. It will not be found easily. The servant also ordered him to find a picture that is similar to the frame and put it in it, so it seems that it will not be found. There is a problem."

The corner of Shen Xiyao's mouth twitched slightly, and when Zhang Dehai was secretly satisfied with his thoughtfulness, Shen Xiyao said slowly, "Is there nothing else that feels inappropriate?"

Zhang Dehai was taken aback for a while, thinking about it for a while, but he didn't know where there was something inappropriate, thinking that the emperor thought it was a bad way, how could a king of a country get something by using small tricks.However, the Ling family's secrets towards Miss are too deep, without this method, how can they get it without being discovered.But he didn't dare to say it, he just looked at Shen Xiyao and said with a little fear: "I hope the emperor will give me advice."

Shen Xiyao looked at him with sharp eyes, and shook his head almost imperceptibly: "There's no need to call the painter."

Zhang Dehai was startled: "The emperor..."

Shen Xiyao laughed: "Bring a pen and paper, I want to copy it myself."

It was only then that Zhang Dehai suddenly realized that the harem is complex, and the painter inevitably had contacts with some concubines. This copying will inevitably leak the emperor's thoughts. If Prime Minister Ling knows about it, his arrogance will definitely increase.If it is known to the caring concubine's relatives, it may bring trouble to Miss Ling's family.Shen Xiyao knew very well that the harem was dangerous, so naturally he would not let the person he admired get hurt.Especially, before entering the palace.It's just that this young lady of the Ling family might not even be able to enter the palace in this life.

Thinking of this, Zhang Dehai felt regretful, but at the same time rejoiced.It's a pity that the couple had to be separated because of their identities. Even if the emperor wanted to, he would give up because of Ling Xiang.Fortunately, according to the situation he observed now, Miss Ling's family is extremely talented, but she is the kind of character who will never put her mind on fighting.And in the harem, even if you are extremely intelligent, as long as you don't have the heart to fight, even if you don't provoke others, others will not let you be peaceful.So, it's better not to enter the palace.Those wrapped in silk will become poison in this harem with the infiltration of time.

After the recent nobleman entered the palace, Liu Jieyu and Meng Zhaoyi had more contacts.On this day, there was a rare school of singing and swallowing in Hengzhi Hall, not only Meng Zhaoyi was there, but also a few favored nobles were always there, but there was no such recent nobleman.A group of people sat around the big round table carved in ebony in the West Side Hall, and the table was covered with a variety of food.Although Liu Jieyu was the host, it was Meng Jieyu who was more active during the dinner, bringing up topics and chatting with others.

As he was talking, he naturally talked about the concubine who was favored recently.Liu Jieyu looked sideways slightly, but seldom spoke.Meng Zhaoyi also listened with a smile. After all, when it comes to being favored, it is nothing more than her, Liu Jieyu and Feng Shuyi.Occasionally, other concubines were flopped, and the total amount was only three or two times a month. "The recent nobleman Wu lives with Su Zhaorong in Chunxi Palace, what's the matter?" Liu Jieyu suddenly turned her head to look at a plainly dressed woman in a round green palace attire sitting beside her.This Su Zhaorong has been in the palace for a long time, and her family background is good, so she was promoted to Zhaorong two years ago. Although she is higher in status than Liu Jieyu, but she is not favored after all, she also respectfully replied: "Your Wu has a straightforward personality, which is considered harmonious." .”

Liu Jieyu nodded, looked down at the three-inch-long gold foil appliquéd pearl armor on her hand, and said casually: "Sister Zhaorong must be able to see the emperor often."

Su Zhaorong shook his head: "The emperor rarely comes to Chunxi Palace."

Liu Jieyu: "Oh" said: "But I heard that Mrs. Wu is very favored."

Su Zhaorong smiled slightly: "The emperor often summons her to the imperial garden. It is said that she is talking about poetry and painting, but..." She rubbed the blue and white tea bowl in her hand and said: "If it is about being favored, I don't think so. The newcomer I didn't go to bed that day, and I spent most of the night alone in Wangchun Hall."

Meng Zhaoyi glanced at Liu Jieyu, and saw that her complexion was normal, but her pupils were full of doubts.He smiled and handed her a cup of milk tea: "With my sister here, who else can be favored?"

Liu Jieyu stretched out her hand to take it, and smiled in an instant: "My sister's words are wrong, my sister's bedtime is no less than my younger sister's."

At this time, Su Zhaorong interjected: "Although the emperor doesn't see this noble person very often, the queen mother summons him almost every day."

Hearing what she said, Liu Jieyu immediately put down the teacup in her hand, and looked at Su Zhaorong with a pair of almond eyes: "The Queen Mother? What is the Queen Mother summoning her for, a noble person..." Before she finished speaking, she found herself It's a slip of the tongue, after all, not everyone can make unreasonable comments on what the Empress Dowager did.Liu Jieyu picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip of tea slowly, with a look of embarrassment on her face.

The other concubines naturally heard it, but because of Liu Jieyu's favor, and this is her palace after all, they all had to pretend that they didn't hear it. I don't know what topic to answer, and there was a brief silence in the hall, which was a little awkward.

Seeing this, Meng Zhaoyi coughed lightly, and said flatly, "The tea here from Sister Liu is really good, it must be the new tribute this year."

Liu Jieyu glanced into the teacup, a smug look covered her face, but she seemed not to care and said: "The previous emperor brought it when he came to Hengzhi Palace. I always like tea. This is the Yangxian of the new tribute." Tea. It’s rare for everyone to get together today, so I took it out and tasted it together.” After saying that, he beckoned for a maid to pour it for everyone, and slowly began to taste it.

But Meng Zhaoyi put down the teacup in his hand, as if inadvertently, and changed the topic back.She looked at Su Zhaorong and said with a smile: "At the beginning, it was the Empress Dowager who came to the palace as the master, and she even made a nobleman, and the emperor just agreed. It seems that the empress dowager is the one who is satisfied." Glancing at Liu Jieyu, she continued: "I remember that day, the empress dowager also said something that beautiful women are easy to find, and mothers of the country are rare." After saying that, she laughed: "I don't know how lady Wu's morality is."

Liu Jieyu glanced at Meng Zhaoyi and didn't speak, but Su Zhaorong who was on the other side smiled lightly: "Although this woman doesn't know her virtues, she must be quite talented." As she spoke, she took a sip of tea and looked at Liu Jieyu intentionally or unintentionally. One glance: "It is said that the emperor summoned people in the imperial garden, mostly to discuss poetry. If this kind of thing does not make sense, according to the emperor's temperament, he will definitely not summon so frequently."

Liu Jieyu was startled, her gaze was like ethereal thin clouds floating in front of the bedroom door, and she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully: "Talent..." She didn't say anything more, and all the things that happened before Shen Xiyao suddenly appeared like thunder. Before her eyes, she remembered that day at Qifeng Terrace, when Shen Xiyao wrote the poem, the last line was clearly a word of longing. "Lovesickness without reason, longing before the cool breeze." And his expression at that time, his eyes were almost obsessed, not at all like the usual emperor's Yingrui.She also remembered that day when the family members of first-rank officials entered the palace, and Shen Xiyao went there in a completely different manner. That day was also the day when nobleman Wu also entered the palace for the first time.And that painting, Shen Xiyao couldn't hide his excitement when he got it.

The more Liu Jieyu thought about it, the more frightened she felt, and she couldn't help but grasp the fine silver tassels on the side of the willow-leaf tufted flower Tianqing Ru skirt on her body, but her face seemed to be motionless.But Meng Zhaoyi saw it, smiled secretly in her heart, stood up and looked at the sky outside, and said to everyone: "It's getting late, and I should report whoever's brand is found later, sisters, let's Let’s leave now, so we can go back and get ready.”

That's what Meng Zhaoyi said, and the others naturally had no objection, so they saluted and left.Meng Zhaoyi walked out of Hengzhi Hall, instead of getting into the soft sedan chair, but walked slowly with the girl's hand on her arm.On both sides of the palace wall of Hengzhi Palace, there are palace lanterns with a height of one person, spread out in a row, the soft light shines through the milky white veil and reflects on the flat bluestone road, when the night wind blows, the figures on the palace wall are a little faint. Variety.

Meng Zhaoyi waved his hand lightly, and the accompanying maids and eunuchs stepped aside, and a slender figure stepped forward: "Sister Zhaoyi, the emperor has sent a message, and I'm calling tonight." After a moment's pause, he said: " I think the moonlight is beautiful, it would be a pity to watch it alone, I wonder if my sister would like to be with my younger sister?"

Meng Zhaoyi turned around with a slight smile: "Since my sister invited me, how could my sister refuse." After speaking, her gaze crossed the high palace wall, a little blurred, and she seemed to say to herself: "It's called to go again." What..."

Shen Xiyao concentrated on holding an extremely thin and bold brush, and carefully looked at the scroll in front of him for a long time, his hands trembling slightly, not knowing where to start to write.After thinking about it several times, he took a deep breath and finally drew the outline of the initial figure.

Zhang Dehai stood aside and studied Shen Xiyao's ink, seeing the young emperor's focused and attentive expression, he didn't dare to make a sound.The ink is Hui ink from the new tribute this year, and the light yellow paper used on it has just been removed.Because it is new ink, it is gluey. Zhang Dehai used a little force in his hands to grind it evenly in circles. There was a fragrance of ink released, mixed in the light scent of jade bamboo, which lasted for a long time, very elegant. atmosphere.

Zhang Dehai glanced at the scroll carefully, although he had seen it several times, but every time he looked at it again, he was still amazed.However, even he himself admits that the woman depicted on this scroll is far inferior to the beauty of the beautiful woman outside the Huguo Temple.I can't blame the painter's skills, but I can only say that the beauty and temperament of this young lady of the Ling family is difficult to describe even if it is a master of the gods.

Looking at Shen Xiyao again, holding his breath, he wrote very slowly and meticulously, he was depicting the graceful and graceful figure, the long and beautiful facial features, and even the small decorative patterns on the clothes, all of which were carefully and meticulously copied of.And his eyes are as deep as the sea, filled with waves of admiration and love.Without Zhang Dehai's assistance, he stretched out his hand to pick up a wisp of clear spring, diluting the cinnabar sand evenly, diluting it into a faint pink crimson, touching the cherry lips of the person in the painting like petals, and then mixing the indigo with the ink color, lingering finely, carving out the photograph The soul-stirring Qiushui Jiantong.

In the end, the blossoming red plum branches near and far are drawn freehand, which sets off the elegant and fairy-like temperament of the person in the painting.Then mention the matching poem on the left side of the painting, "Who can resemble the appearance of the moon with icy muscles, the sky and the half of the Jinxiu River are kings", and I just finished writing.But the giant candle in the hall has already burned more than half, and the blackness outside the window is deep, and the night is as deep as the sea.

"Okay, Qing will return the original painting quickly." Shen Xiyao put down the pen in his hand, raised his head and said with a smile to Zhang Dehai.

Zhang Dehai bowed and put away the original scroll, and offered a cup of sweet soup: "Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's better to arrange it."

Shen Xiyao nodded, his eyes once again fell on the painting that he had personally painted, a new moon appeared on his lips, his eyes drifted away, imagining the graceful figure in the red plum forest under the powder snow all over the sky.He casually took the soup bowl with slanted bamboo branches, took a sip, and nodded.

"Your Majesty, where is this painting?" Zhang Dehai asked looking at the painting on the imperial case.

Shen Xiyao tilted his head slightly, thought for a while and laughed, but with a bit of shyness, like a child.

"I think the paintings hanging in the Xinghuachun Pavilion should be replaced."

Zhang Dehai was taken aback when he heard the words, and then said with a smile: "Your slave will do it now."

From time to time, a bright light flashed in the sky, followed by the deafening "rumbling" thunder.The surface of the river has been printed into an ominous dark black by the cloudy sky, and the waves are rolling, with layers of white foam pouring up, swirling, as if to swallow everything.The wind was rapid and intense, mixed with pouring rain, pouring on the moving boat, making the boat sail like a swaying autumn leaf, and could only follow the rushing wind and sail towards an unknown direction.

Ling Xuewei sat in the cabin, her face was pale, but her expression was still calm, her eyes were fixed on the closed window that was constantly being hit by the rain outside, but water was still flowing down the gap of the window.Most of the ground was already wet, and coupled with the constant shaking of the hull, the belongings in the cabin had shifted, and they all leaned against the bulkhead.Pei'er sat next to Ling Xuewei, clutching a blue and white package tightly with both hands, her face paled with fright.

The ship shook violently, and Ling Xuewei was almost thrown out, but fortunately she was holding on to the rafters of the bed tightly with one hand, but with this shake, the package in Peier's hand fell to the ground and rolled forward.The package gradually came loose, and the contents inside fell all over the floor, including a few pieces of clothing, a small box, and a purple jade pendant.

Ling Xuewei's expression changed, and the next moment she let go of the hand holding the rafters of the bed, and went straight to the jade pendant, intending to pick it up.Pei'er was taken aback, the ship shook violently, she was about to pull Ling Xuewei, but the ship shook violently.Ling Xuewei half bent her body, put one hand on the ground, her face was embarrassed, but she still clenched her lips and looked back at Pei'er and said: "You don't have to come here, hurry up." After finishing speaking, she looked at the jade pendant rolling left and right, Reach out to hook.Although it was so difficult, she still grabbed the jade pendant at the right time, and was about to stand up, when the boat swung violently, her foot slipped, and the whole person fell out, hitting the wooden table beside her heavily.

Pei'er exclaimed: "Miss" rushed forward, and saw Ling Xuewei lying on the ground, her hair slightly disheveled, her eyes closed tightly, with dark red dripping down her temples slowly.Looking at her hand again, she was tightly holding a purple jade pendant with twined branches, and the two characters "Bi Yi" in golden seals shone faintly.

There was a din of voices coming from outside, revealing ominous and uneasy: "Whirlpool, whirlpool..."

Autumn was in full bloom in the Imperial Garden, and Shen Xiyao took a history book and strolled along the corridor beside the Feilong Pool.This corridor, named Ningqi, winds along the Feilong Pool, connecting Qingyan Hall on one side and Qifeng Terrace on the other.They are all yellow glazed tiles with double eaves and veranda roofs, on which are painted golden dragons and seals.Because of its size and decoration, except for the closest relatives of the royal family, concubines and concubines below the fifth rank in the harem are not allowed to enter.

Shen Xiyao came to Qingyan Hall, which was originally the residence of the princes when they were young.The first emperor died young, and he had only eight sons and three daughters.Except for Shen Xiyao, who was born as an empress, and Yu Wang Xihe, who was born as a noble concubine, the biological mothers of the other princes were all of low birth.Therefore, this Qingyan Hall has always been the place where Shen Xiyao and Shen Xihe studied and had fun.After Shen Xiyao succeeded to the throne, according to the ancestral system, all the other princes had to move out of the palace, but he issued a special decree that Qingyantang bestowed Prince Yu Xihe as his residence in the palace.In this way, King Yu's mansion became empty instead.

Shen Xiyao was in a very good mood that day, early in the court a general proposed to send troops to reinforce Xihe who was in the southwest.Unexpectedly, Ling Xiang didn't object. Although he didn't say anything, he acquiesced.In this way, he can pack up and go to solve Xi He's urgent needs.There was also good news that the northwestern frontier bandits had been annihilated by Ling Xihe, and this hidden worry on the frontier was finally slowly resolved.

So he went to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager early in the morning. Because Concubine Jiayi came from Chu, the Empress Dowager summoned several concubines in Beijing and the family members of the courtiers to gossip and make an appointment to visit the East Lake in the afternoon. Therefore, Feng Ren had to leave the palace early.In this way, it was not suitable for Shen Xiyao to stay for a long time, so he reported the good news ahead and left.The queen mother was very happy when she heard it, but she didn't express anything at the moment. Her pair of phoenix eyes looked at Mrs. Ling who was standing quietly at the side several times.Shen Xiyao left the Compassionate Ning Palace without letting Zhang Dehai follow, and walked to Qingyan Hall by himself.

(End of this chapter)

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