Between the vast sea of ​​clouds

The cold wind blows, and the vegetation in the courtyard withers, which is full of desolation.A few dead branches pointed to the sky in the bright sky, and there was an abandoned bird's nest hanging obliquely on the tree. To the sound of morning drums, jackdaws fluttered from the eaves where they were perched, and dropped a few blue feathers.

With the sound of footsteps, someone leaned over and picked up one, and looked up at the bird's nest on the tree.

"Winter comes to the bird to hide, and it seems that no bird will come back to live in this nest."

A person beside her replied: "When the next spring, they will come back naturally, and the teacher doesn't have to be too sad."

Shen Mingshan turned around when he heard the words: "Really?"

The woman was handsome, because she had been pampered for many years, her face had a kind of richness, she paused, and said: "Yes."

She reached out and patted the man's shoulder, and said with some emotion: "It's good to be young, and you can think about things simply, without so many twists and turns. Jingjie, do you think I should enter the palace today?"

Liao Jingjie didn't expect that she would ask a question suddenly, and after thinking for a moment, she replied: "The students think that they should go, and they shouldn't go."

Shen Mingshan became interested and asked: "What do you mean by this?"

Liao Jingjie said: "Now Your Majesty is sick and needs to rest in bed. The decision of court affairs depends on King Gong and the six departments. But my court system does not have rules for the six departments to make decisions. It is inevitable that the cabinet will come back. Old Yan Ge is no longer able to do it." , the cabinet ministers are all looking towards you. It’s just that the top and bottom of the cabinet are not of the same mind, who doesn’t yearn for that position? If you don’t enter the palace right now, you can’t justify it.”

Shen Mingshan said: "Then why shouldn't you go?"

Liao Jingjie looked around, she was the only two in the garden, and said: "Student guesses, the teacher has been refusing to enter the palace because he is waiting..."

Shen Mingshan smiled and said: "What are you waiting for? Waiting for news from Chenzhou? I can tell you that the news of the mutiny in Chenzhou has already been sent to the mansion before dawn. If I only wait for this news, I have already entered the palace at this time .And the reason why I can't hold back these days is because I'm worried about one thing—"

Liao Jingjie wondered, "What is it that makes the teacher so worried?"

Shen Mingshan suppressed his smile, looked at the bleak garden and said: "I'm worried, is it a lie that His Majesty is sick in bed? Or, this itself is a trap, waiting for you and me to step into it."

The palace people washed away the blood stains on the side passages with clear water. After a night of soaking, those dark red blood stains had already melted into the cracks in the floor tiles and coagulated into lumps in the soil.

It was extremely cold today, and the wind was blowing loudly, patting hard on the window paper.The palace people walked slowly on the undried road with the lamp, and the lamp was covered with a layer of plain white silk cloth, as if it would become brittle if touched.The windproof candles lit inside are bright red, and when viewed through the plain silk, it looks like plum blossoms condensed in ice crystals.

There is no news about the changes in the palace, and no one knows what happened in the forbidden palace last night.But it won't be long before the matter is hidden, presumably after the morning meeting, the emperor's assassination and strict investigation of the palace ban will be known to everyone in the government and the public.

In Zichen Palace, Chen Qi stood in front of the table and said in a low voice: "Will Mr. Shen Ge really enter the palace today?"

The person behind the screen didn't answer, she looked up, and saw that the screen was empty, only a branch of plum blossom was painted on one corner, which bloomed just right by itself.

She also came here in a hurry after receiving a summons, and she was also shocked when she saw the blood all over the ground. Thinking about the previous reasons, she thought to herself, no wonder the emperor wanted to keep her in the palace to wait for the call.

There was a soft ringing of the pendant behind the screen, and Chu Jun came out in full dress. The red imperial robe was embroidered with phoenix birds about to fly, luxurious and solemn.Chen Qi was startled, and bowed down, Chu Jun raised his hand, signaling her to get up.

Her robe dragged to the floor, outlining her slender waist.The gold hairpin in his hair was inlaid with bright jewels, and his movements were shining brightly. He stood in front of the screen and replied: "Even if the palace is now a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, Shen Mingshan dare not not come, he has to."

Chen Qi noticed that her gaze had been on the plum blossoms in the corner of the screen, and felt that the emperor's attitude seemed a little strange today, as if something had changed, but she couldn't tell for a while, so she could only say: "The Dali Temple has already sent the confession Presented, as His Majesty arranged earlier, now Elder Shen Ge should also be unable to resist."

Chu Jun said: "Last night, the news from Chenzhou had reached Beijing. Mu Liangpu of Chenzhou Prefecture was assassinated at the Wanghai Banquet and died. The assassin was the personal guard of the army commander under Zhou Qian's command and asked to see Liang Pu with a token... If If this is true, Zhou Gan will no longer be able to secure his position as Marshal."

She lowered her eyes wearily, and said: "Shen Mingshan wanted to change Liang Pu a long time ago and let his student Liao Jingjie become the state shepherd, but Yan Minghua was there at that time, and there were too many people who opposed it, so I let it go. Now Chen The rebellion in the state, it is clear who profited from it. The court, the family, the clan, and my good aunt, the king of Xinyang..."

Chen Qi was shocked and dared not speak.Fortunately, the emperor was just talking casually and didn't want her to answer.

Then the emperor stood in front of the window for a long time, looking at the dark sky in the distance.

"It's going to snow." She said softly, her voice was in a trance, drowned in the howling cold wind.

As soon as the words fell, a little white fluttered down from the sky, and the wind suddenly became weaker, so the snowflakes fell softly on the window coffin, floated into the hall with the wind, and landed on the back of her hand.

Chu Jun was about to reach out to wipe it off, when the snow suddenly melted into a drop of water, like tears.

She looked at the mark for a long time, until the water stains dried up, she touched it lightly, and said, "My daughter has been in the palace for such a long time, can the king send someone to ask?"

Chen Qi's expression was a little unnatural, and he replied: "I asked about it a few days ago, and Your Majesty took the trouble."

Chu Jun turned his head and asked: "I heard that you have been home for several years, and the place where you stayed the most is the temple. Is it because your aunt and uncle treat you badly?"

Chen Qi was startled suddenly, sighed and said: "Your Majesty knows, I was born in a temple since I was a child, and under the care of my benefactor, I was able to grow up..."

Chu Jun interrupted her: "Are you complaining that Uncle didn't recognize you earlier?"

Chen Qi pondered for a moment, and replied: "To tell you the truth, when I was young, I saw pilgrims in the temple offering incense with their families. The family was happy and the children were cherished by their parents. Naturally, I was envious. I often leaned on the wall to watch. My master said I also have parents, and when I grow up, they will take me back. When I first heard this inquiry, I waited at the door every day, but after a long time, my expectations failed every time, and I no longer wanted extravagantly."

She smiled and said: "Your Majesty is going to be a lobbyist? I have no mother-daughter relationship with the county king, so I can't say a few words. Although I can talk more with the county king, it is always difficult to integrate. I am practicing in the temple. I’m used to it, and sometimes I’ll go back to live for a few days, so it doesn’t matter.”

Chen Qi thought it was her mother who came to the imperial court to complain, but Chu Jun remembered the scene in Yunzhou.At that time, the war was tense, and it was difficult to meet Qingping, sometimes she waited outside the camp for a long time, and the two of them had to meet in a hurry, going back to do their own business without even taking a break.Now that I think about it, if it is hypocrisy, where does the patience and persistence come from?She thought that those were just acting on occasion, but sincerity can be seen everywhere.

The man led the horse and stood by the river, and when he saw her coming, he walked over with a smile, joy welled up in her heart, and she walked towards her lightly, as if drunk.It is willing, it is willing.

The sound of the morning drum came next, the sky was bright, and the snow was falling profusely, soon everywhere was covered with snow, Chu Jun said lightly: "Since this is the case, the daughter of the world should go back and see more when she has time, and there is no need to force it."

Chen Qi complied, and when he saw Liu Zhen stepping into the palace with the palace servants, he retreated to the side.

Liu Zhen bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, the morning court will start in a moment."

Chu Jun put his hands into his sleeves, caressed the tassels on the jade pendant unconsciously, and said, "Has Prince Gong arrived?"

Liu Zhendao: "Your Highness is already waiting in the front hall, everything has been arranged, just wait for His Majesty to move."

Chu Jun nodded: "Then let's go."