Chapter 31

The palace banquet on New Year's Eve is held by the Secretary of Guanglu temple and is located in Qianwen hall. The plum garden is not far from Qianwen hall. Now the whole plum garden is covered with curtains. The snow in the garden has been cleared. Red lanterns and red silk are hung on plum branches. Under the trees are cushioned tables and chairs. On the tables are preserved fruits and cakes for the officials to have a rest. Because of the cold weather in winter, a pan long six legged bronze stove was placed every two steps on the road. In the stove, the best imperial gold and stone charcoal was burned. It not only had no smoke, but also sent out light pine aroma. When people walk among them, they can't even detect a trace of coldness.

At this time, before the banquet started, the families of the imperial relatives and officials who arrived early were all enjoying the scenery and chatting in the plum garden.

At the end of this year, the most interesting topic is the newly married Princess of the Northern Warlords.

before this marriage, no one was optimistic about it. After all, the Northern Warlord was notoriously fierce, but he was also a general. When several generals of Zhu kingdom were too old to leave and there was no one at the border, he was the only one who could drive the Beidi people to the depths of the northern desert. In this way, even if emperor anqing never liked his son, he could only turn a blind eye to his actions.

There are many people in the court who act according to the wind. Even the emperor can't do anything about this son. All the people in the court can only stay away, so as not to provoke the murderer and have no reason.

But now, they heard that after marriage, the Northern Warlord not only didn't vent his anger on the princess, but also fell in love with the princess and gave her all the power of the palace. This is intriguing.

All thoughtful ministers are trying to figure out his intention. Anyway, he is a prince with a heavy hand. If he has no ambition for the Dragon chair, the courtiers who want to turn three corners will not believe it. Just for a moment, I couldn't figure out what medicine was sold in the gourd. Now, taking advantage of the opportunity of the Palace Banquet, the courtiers who had already stood in good groups began to whisper in small groups.

At this time, the protagonist of the topic center just got off the soft sedan chair. An Changqing was holding a hand warmer and sneezed as soon as she got out of the sedan chair. Although there is no snow today, it is colder than the other days. The cold went all the way to the bone.

An Changqing fell into the water when she was young and couldn't stand the cold. At this time, although wearing fox fur and holding a hand warmer, his hands and feet were still cold and his body was not a little hot.

Xiao Zhige's big palm covered the back of his cold hand and touched it. He frowned: "wait until you go in and drink some hot wine to warm up."

An Changqing was not so coquettish. She looked up at him and said with a smile, "it's OK. Let's go first."

The banquet was divided into two sides. There are special maids to guide the way. Earlier, the palace maids did not dare to come up when they saw that they were talking close to each other. At this time, they listened to an Changqing's words and then came forward with a small step: "the princess's seat is here. Please follow me."

An Changqing was stunned for a moment, subconsciously looking back at Xiao Zhige: "I'm not with Wang Ye?"

The maid of honor bent over and said, "this The ladies are all over there... "

An Changqing's identity is the princess of the Northern War. Although she is a man, according to her identity, she really wants to be arranged on the side of the female dependents.

An Changqing is hesitating, listen to a female voice from far and near way: "let Changqing with me in the past."

The visitor was about thirty years old, well dressed and with a clear face. Seeing the pattern on her dress, an Changqing guessed that he was the only daughter of the empress dowager, the eldest princess Xiao Youxi, the younger sister of emperor Anqing.

The eldest princess is also accompanied by a man with a big figure and a handsome face, who must be the son-in-law Cai Yu.

An Changqing led the first ceremony: "I've seen Princess Chang, I've seen the emperor's son-in-law."

Xiao Zhige also said: "aunt, uncle."

The long Princess showed a smile on her pretty face: "your eyes are sharp. You don't have to be so unfamiliar. Just stop fighting. " Then he turned to Xiao Zhige: "go with your uncle. I'll take Changqing there, and he won't be bullied. "

She wants to take care of people for Xiao Zhige, but Xiao Zhige doesn't appreciate it. She is still cold: "don't bother aunt, Changqing will follow me."

"But I'm afraid it's against the rules..." Long Princess Leng a way.

"As a man, what's wrong with me? Let's go ahead. " Xiao Zhige nodded to them and led an Changqing to the other side.

After a long time, she shook her head and laughed. She murmured to herself, "he protects people well. Well, it's not my turn to worry. "

"The Northern War King's temperament is too hard and inhuman," he said with a frown

The smile on the long princess's face faded, and she looked back at him coldly: "how did he become like this, don't you know?"

He choked, but did not speak. The princess gave him a scornful look and turned to the other side.

……

An Changqing is led to the other side by Xiao Zhige, but the maid in waiting is left behind by the two people and chases after him in a hurry.

Feeling the strength of her wrist, an Changqing looks up at the man's face, but sees that his lips are tightly pressed and his eyes are dark."Wait a minute!" An Changqing called him twice, but the man didn't hear him pull him forward.

Seeing this, an Changqing had to shrivel her mouth and deliberately said, "my wrist hurts."

Xiao Zhige's step was just a meal. He let go of his hand and stared coldly at the lady in waiting. Then he gently rubbed her red wrist: "I'm sorry..."

"What's the matter with you?" An changqingmin. Feeling that his mood is not quite right, tentatively asked: "is it related to the princess?"

He had seen Princess Chang twice in his previous life, but there was no intersection. Only know each other young quite famous, Yejing many aristocratic children are looking forward to the princess. But don't want her who also didn't like, oneself picked a four grade military general to commit to marry down. This general is Cai Xiang. The Cai family was also famous in the past, but the generation of CAI's father declined. Originally, she could not enter the official post after she was still a princess. However, after the eldest princess got married, she went to ask for the emperor's favor in person, but she did not give up her official post and still led the army. Later, he made a lot of great achievements and was appointed a first-class general by Emperor Anqing.

It's said that Cai Xiang loves the eldest princess very much and vows to love only the princess for life. After marriage, he did not take concubines and linger in brothel brothels. He was very kind and had a good story.

But in terms of the only two meetings in her last life, an Changqing felt that Princess Chang was very indifferent to her husband's son-in-law. They are not as affectionate as they are rumored to be. After nearly ten years of marriage, there was not a son and a half of a daughter. Later, Tsai died in battle, and the eldest princess lived in the princess's mansion, eating fast and praying to Buddha.

At that time, an Changqing only felt sorry.

Now look at it again, but I always feel strange in the middle. Especially when it comes to Xiao Zhige He remembers that Xiao Zhige, who lived in the last generation, seemed not very close to this aunt. On the contrary, the eldest princess often goes into the palace, but maybe her aunt and nephew are not intimate. They often go out of the palace after a few words.

Xiao Zhige's expression became more and more strange. He twisted his eyebrows and didn't know how to explain it. At last, he could only say: "from small to large, my aunt is the best to treat me..."

An Changqing became more and more confused.

But listen to Xiao Zhige said: "but she treated me well, always mixed with pity and guilt, make people very uncomfortable."

After his mother's death, Xiao Zhige lived alone in Qiwu palace, and only the eldest princess often came to see him. At that time, the princess just held him in her arms and wept silently. Occasionally, one or two words like "I will take care of you on behalf of your mother's wife" suddenly appeared. At that time, although Xiao Zhige was young, he was also sensible. He always felt that his aunt's attitude was very strange. He asked her several times why she only treated him well, but the eldest princess was perfunctory. So even if she is always good to him, he can't get close to her.

Even every time I see her, I always feel confused.

"After that, it's good to have less contact." An Changqing said.

"Well, it's my own business. It's nothing to do with her. You don't have to be influenced by me. " Xiao Zhige twisted his eyebrows a little impatiently.

An Changqing shook his head, raised his hand to tidy up his cloak, and said in a low voice, "it's said that husband and wife are one. Now we are one, so we should advance and retreat together. Since you don't like Princess Chang, I won't be too close to her

Xiao Zhige looks down at him. An Changqing smiles and takes the initiative to hold his hand: "Lord, please lead the way, or the palace banquet will be late."

***

when they arrived at the hall, the sound of silk and bamboo had already sounded around. When they saw Xiao Zhige coming in, they all got up and saluted. When they saw an Changqing beside him, they were all stunned.

Xiao Zhige nodded coldly, and with the guide maid, he reached his position.

Palace Banquet is one person a few, seat order according to grade in turn after. Xiao Zhige's right hand is the prince Xiao Qie, and his left hand is the third prince Xiao Qile. In this way, an Changqing has no place.

Xiao Zhige's eyebrows were frozen for a moment, and then he ordered the maid in waiting to say, "add another position next to me."

We all have a few people here. We've never seen two people squeeze into a table. The palace maid stayed for a while, waiting to touch his cold face, added a seat busily.

They sat side by side.

The prince poured the wine slowly and said with a smile, "the second brother and the princess are really in love. I'm not willing to let anyone leave? "

Xiao Zhige glanced at him, but did not answer. He picked up the wine pot on the table and put it on the warm wine stove in front of him. At the same time, he said to an Changqing, "this wine is warm and tonic. You can drink some later."

An Changqing nodded cleverly.

The crown prince

His face changed a few times. The ignored Prince coughed and sipped the wine to hide his embarrassment. The third prince on the other side, seeing that he was flat, chuckled twice. He leaned over and said to an Changqing, "second brother is very kind to his sister-in-law. Brother Erhuang doesn't even bother to talk to our brothers on weekdays. Isn't that what we call "color is more important than brother?"

The third prince is the only son of concubine Shu. Now he is only 15 years old and hasn't been out of the palace yet. At present, although the words and expressions are naive, an Changqing doesn't think that he is really a naive child. In his last life, he had heard that when the third prince was fighting for his right, he was fiercer than his two brothers.How can such a person be an innocent child.

An Changqing drooped her eyes and skillfully replied: "the third prince is joking, but the Lord has few words on weekdays. And the brotherhood's feelings are not expressed in words, but in flesh and blood. How can you compare with the blood and family of the heavenly family? "

The third prince shriveled his mouth and joked: "my second brother is a Muggle. I didn't expect that the princess is a good talker."

"The third prince praised me falsely." An Changqing pretended not to hear the irony in his words and took his praise with a smile.

But Xiao Zhige glanced at the third prince who was about to move to their table, and said in a deep voice, "the banquet is about to open. What are you doing here?"

“……” Third prince smile a stagnant, to his line of sight, can only hum a, honest sat back.

Xiao Zhige took back his sight, picked up the warm wine and poured a cup for an Changqing: "do you like it?"

An Changqing took a sip of the wine glass, slightly sweet, and rolled it into his throat with a little spicy liquor. He narrowed his eyes comfortably, drank the rest of the wine, and then stretched out the glass to beg for the wine: "more."

Xiao Zhige poured another glass for him with a gentle look.

As the rest of the audience watched, their faces changed again. The prince also saw this scene. He glanced at an Changqing, gave a cold hum, turned his head and drank in silence.