CH 90

On the day of entering the palace, the sky was not very good, it was gloomy everywhere. There seemed to be a light rain before the Chang Gung Star fell, the ground was wet, the wheels rolled over, and fell on the soaking sand. 

Stepping into the palace again, there was no difference in the oppressive sky framed by the boxy yellow tile and red walls, Li Yuanmin looked at the majestic Xuanwu gate above his head, a feeling of suffocation from drowning could not help but rise in his heart. So he hung his head more and more showing a submissive appearance, this was his usual survival strategy, more like a survival instinct.

After entering the Xuanwu Gate, according to the regulations, the entourage carried by the vessel state kings was not allowed to enter the inner gate. Li Yuanmin turned around and explained a few words to Ni Ying, and asked her to go out of the palace and wait first. If this blessing ceremony dragged on for a whole day, he naturally did not want A Ying to suffer at the cold and freezing door. 

Ni Ying understood his thoughts. Afraid that he was worried, she only responded quickly, then Li Yuanmin was relieved to go in, he did not notice that Ni Ying was still in her original place.

Ni Ying looked at his slightly bowed body, if without paying attention, his back looked as if he was a palace servant, his slender and weak body was sickly thin by the wide robe, as if it could be blown down with the wind.

Ni Ying’s eyes were hot, she almost burst into tears, she didn’t dare to look at it again, only turned around, and walked out of the palace gate without turning her head.

Under the guidance of the inner servant, Li Yuanmin finally entered the front hall of the Temple of Heaven, where many people were already waiting. Several vessel state kings and their relatives were already waiting inside, they were familiar with each other, and when they heard the announcement at the door, everyone turned their faces together.

The originally noisy front hall suddenly quieted down, everyone’s eyes were on his face. Stunned glances took the majority mixed with some contempt, inquiry, and even naked lust.

These wet prying eyes, which could not be shaken off for a lifetime, made Li Yuanmin gag.

However, he was completely oblivious to it, and only sincerely and fearfully carried the hem and stepped forward to pay respect to each and everyone of them. The several vessel state kings here are all brothers of Emperor Mingde, they are also Li Yuanmin’s uncles, in any case, they have their own roles. The complicated looks on their faces have gone, replaced by pretentious questioning. Seeing that Li Yuanmin answered one by one docilely, they no longer paid attention to him, only some young relatives and children still stared at him from time to time, occasionally whispering.

After the eldest prince came in with the presiding elder of the Kaiyuan Temple of the National Temple, the prying eyes that more or less fell on him moved away.

This ritual was for seven days, it was not an easy task. All the royal princes and nobles also had to follow the host to sincerely chant together, only at noon, when the Household Department sent a vegetarian meal, everyone was able to rest for half an hour.

After resting, everyone was drinking tea in the apse, and Li Yuanmin was a little breathless by those prying eyes, so he found a gap and hid in the plum garden in the apse to enjoy the flowers.

The plum garden here in the Temple of Heaven bloomed extremely well, in early spring, when the blossom period was in full bloom, a large group of red plums bloomed, causing Li Yuanmin to dissipate a lot of depression in his heart.

He thought, humans really can’t compare to things. 

He sighed slightly, rubbed his brows, in the end it’s because he had been in Lingnan for a long time, that’s why he’s still reluctant to return to the capital. 

Seeing that the rest hour was nearing its end, Li Yuanmin took a deep breath and prepared to walk back.

Looking back, he saw an imperial physician dressed in imperial medicine clothes looking at him with a frown. When he saw Li Yuanmin looking at him, he immediately looked away and walked forward.

Li Yuanmin was stunned for a while, quite embarrassed, and also pretended as if nothing had happened and took a few steps forward, but finally he stopped.

With a slight smile: “Zhihe, long time no see.”

The man in front of him was shocked, and looked back at him in disbelief, it was He Yunyi, who had not been seen for eight years, he looked at Li Yuanmin’s face in surprise. After a long time, he came back to his senses, clenched his fist to his lips, and coughed lightly.

“ It turned out to be the Third Highness. ”

The two were speechless, Li Yuanmin saw his dilemma, and his heart darkened, he smiled with relief on his face, breaking the deadlock.

“The ritual is about to start again, I will go there first.”

Before the words fell, an attendant hurriedly ran over from the corridor, when he saw him, he immediately looked displeased: “Why did King Guang’an hide here, you made me looked all around for you!” 

Li Yuanmin said apologetically: “I’ve troubled Gonggong, I will return now.”

He glanced back at He Yunyi, nodded at him, and followed the attendant inside.

He Yunyi stood in place for a long time, his face was calm, until a cold wind blew across his face, then he seemed to be awake, took a deep breath, and slowly went towards the back hall.

When he came out of the palace, it was already late, Li Yuanmin was already extremely tired. A Ying was waiting at Xuanwu Gate early, she saw Li Yuanmin come out with a tired face, hurriedly stepped forward to help him, and sent him to the carriage.

“ Your Highness?” Ni Ying looked worried.

Li Yuanmin shook his head, “It’s okay, it’s just that I sat on my knees all day today, that’s why my muscles and bones are a little tired.”

Thanks to Uncle Qian’s medicine, he had vomited less recently, if he vomits, he can always endure it and not lose his state in front of outsiders.

Ni Ying listened and squatted down and rubbed his legs.

Li Yuanmin’s heart was warm, he asked her softly: “Were you tired outside today?”

Ni Ying shook her head, “I found a teahouse on the side street to sit, and fortunately a theatrical trope appeared. It’s just that the play was a bit boring, listening to it over and over, there was no taste in it, it was not as wonderful as our Lingnan.”

Lingnan folk style was open, the theater was full of vulgar but bizarre plays, which were wonderful. Under the roots of the imperial city, these teahouses can naturally only follow the rules, when it comes to perception, it is not comparable to Lingnan.

Li Yuanmin was thinking about going to the bookstore to buy her some books to pass the time later, when the carriage shook and slowly stopped, a voice accompanying him outside the palanquin came out: “King Guang’an, a man who claims to be your old friend is waiting for you in front.”

Li Yuanmin’s heart moved, he hurriedly lifted the palanquin and took a look, and sure enough, he saw that familiar face.

The two were separated by the ordinary people coming and going, at that moment, Li Yuanmin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him.

Ni Ying was very vigilant, and Li Yuanmin hurriedly explained: “This is the only one best friend your Highness Gege had in the capital…. ”

He had some soft colors on his face: “You go back first, let Zhang Long follow.” 

Ni Ying looked at him, without saying anything. Li Yuanmin sighed: “Okay, you just wait here then.” 

***

This tea house’s business was not very good, the tea house upstairs was very quiet, the two sat down, and He Yunyi poured tea for Li Yuanmin.

He looked at the person in front of him, he saw him in the palace at that moment, and he almost couldn’t recognize it, these eight years… He had changed a lot.

The change was so huge that he…was  almost afraid to look at him.

It wasn’t known if it was an illusion, the appearance of the person in front of him had changed from the one in the palace earlier. The cramped posture was stretched out, he seemed to be clear and elegant but his stature still looked as inadequate as before.

Thinking of his foundation, He Yunyi’s heart tightened, he habitually stretched out his hand to take a pulse for him, but as soon as he touched the snow-white wrist, the other party quietly moved away

He Yunyi was stunned, with some embarrassed apologies on his face: “It’s me who was abrupt.” 

Li Yuanmin’s heart was filled with bitterness, but he still cracked a joke: “No, I’m just afraid that you will find an opportunity to prescribe some medicine to me, and have  me suffer in vain for no reason.” 

“ I made you drank all those medicine all for your health. Could it be that you think I am such a random quack?” He Yunyi couldn’t help frowning.

As soon as the words came out, the two of them froze, this conversation seemed similar to those in their childhood which made both sides smile, and something seemed to disappear all at once.

Perhaps because he went through more world affairs later, and after understanding the helplessness of world affairs, He Yunyi gradually looked down on the so-called ones who could not let go at the beginning.

Sometimes, people live in the world, and the judgment of things is not so pure. Unfortunately, he understood this truth too late.

Li Yuanmin interrupted his thoughts: “Eight years have passed, you should also have a family, right?” 

He Yunyi nodded, now there was some warmth: “Her father and I are both medical officers, and now, she is having a pregnancy rest at her ancestral home.” 

“Ah…Good, really good.”

Li Yuanmin was really happy for him, his best friend in his previous life finally avoided the fate of a tragic death in his previous life. In that instant, what he had been entangled in his heart for many years suddenly disappeared, he didn’t feel that what he had lost was anything crazy. 

He Yunyi looked at the unconscious joy on his face, and he didn’t know what the feeling was.