outside the imperial city

A huge bolt of lightning pierced the sky, lighting up the night.Immediately afterwards, there was a rumbling thunder.

Jing Lingshuo jumped up from the bed and put his hand on his forehead.It's all cold sweat.

For some reason unknown to himself, he was always dreaming in rainy weather.A dream so real.Some are nightmares, some are sweet dreams, some occur only once, and some occur many times.

Jing Lishuo stroked his hair back, put on his boots and got out of bed, and walked to Yao Zanglan's room.

He didn't lock the door, was it to wait for him?

Jing Shuo pushed open the door.Sure enough, Yao Fanglan didn't sleep, she sat on the window sill, looking at the night sky illuminated by lightning, she didn't know what she was thinking.

"Yao Yao," Jing Yanshuo said softly, "Come back, don't get wet by the rain."

Yao Fanglan turned her head, the corners of her mouth raised gently: "What, are you having nightmares again?"

"That's right." Jing Yanshuo curled his lips, "Your man is useless, so I can only come here to beg you to accompany me."

Yao Zanglan turned over and came down from the window, stretched out her hand and scratched his nose: "Again, this is your master's house."

"I really can't sleep." Jing Shuo put his arms around his waist, "Recently I've been having strange dreams."

Yao Fanglan thought for a while, pushed him away, took off his outer shirt and middle coat: "Let's sleep together."

Although he wanted to find Yao Fanglan to accompany him, Jing Shuo still slept on the outside, hugging Yao Fanglan.He buried his head between Yao Fanglan's necks, his nose was filled with the reassuring aroma of herbs: "That's great."

"What?" Yao Fanglan also hugged him, it's not that he couldn't hear clearly, but he just didn't understand why he suddenly had such emotion.

"It's so good." Jing Lingshuo rubbed his shoulders, "It's like a dream."

"..." Yao Fanglan was silent for a while, then asked, "Tell me about your dream?"

"Well." Jing Shuo said, "Those dreams are very real, as if they really happened. I dreamed that my parents were killed, and my mother made me drink medicine; I met once, and your parents, Yao...Yao Qingyun and Aunt Ye Shan; I also met the emperor and queen for the first time... There are many, many."

"Yao Yao," Jing Yanshuo exerted a slight force on his hand, "Tell me, did my parents get killed?"

"Jianshuo," Yao Zanglan pressed a kiss on his forehead, "don't think so much. They are just dreams. Go to sleep."

In fact, he could press the question further, perhaps one more question, and Yao Fanglan might tell him the truth.But he didn't, only this person, he couldn't bear to see him tangled in pain.

"You're always like this." Jing Lingshuo closed his eyes unwillingly, "Don't tell me anything."

Yao Fanglan's delicate eyebrows were drawn together, and she moved her lips silently: "I'm sorry."

When Jing Shuo was completely asleep, Yao Zanglan quietly withdrew from his embrace, covered him with a quilt, lit the incense burner on the table, and then turned and went out.

Mr. Bai's room was at the end of the corridor, and Yao Zanglan knocked lightly on the door.

Soon there was an angry voice in the room: "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come in."

Yao Fanglan entered the door, did not sit down, but kowtowed on the ground: "Grandpa Bai."

"The last time I saw you, you were a seven-year-old child." Bai Zeyu said, "I didn't expect you to remember me as a bad old man. I don't recognize you."

"Grandpa Bai, thank you for burying the deceased of the Yao family for me." Yao Fanglan knelt on the ground and could not get up, "Great kindness, great virtue, I will never forget it."

Some people gave him blood and blood, and some people gave him a helping hand.The kindness of a drop of water should be repaid by a spring. Since the Yao family was destroyed, Yao Fanglan has recorded every bit of kindness that others have given him.

"It's my job to bury them." Bai Zeyu lit the candle, "After all, the Yao family raised me."

He reached behind his neck and took off the jade pendant he had worn for decades: "Give this back to you."

Bai Zeyu didn't ask Yao Fanglan to get up, but walked over and handed the jade pendant to him.

"Bai Ze." With the help of the dim light, Yao Fanglan saw the delicate carvings clearly, "So this is the second heirloom of the Yao family, Bai Zeyu."

Bai Ze, an auspicious beast that existed in the prehistoric period of ancient times.Because it can disperse diseases and know everything, it has been regarded as a symbol of auspiciousness by doctors since ancient times.

And this Bai Zeyu, in the word of mouth of the Yao family, means that no matter where you go, you will be happy, even if the ends of the world, my blessings will accompany you.

"'Bai Ze' is the name he gave me, and '滃' was added by myself. I am a warrior, how can I afford such a noble name?" Bai Zeyu sat back on the grand master's chair.

"Grandpa." Yao Fanglan held Bai Zeyu tightly in his palm and bit his lower lip.

"Your grandfather and I grew up together. This Bai Zeyu was given to me by him the day I left the Yao family." Bai Zeyu said, "Now that your grandfather is gone, I have returned the treasure of your Yao family to you. , from now on, I have nothing to do with the Yao family."

"Yes." Yao Fanglan kowtowed again on the ground, "Thank you for taking care of Daiyue for so many years."

In fact, if you think about it, you can understand that if Bai Zeyu hadn't secretly taken care of Yao Daiyue, how could she, a weak woman, protect the family's ancient books by herself?

"What about you? It's been 18 years. What have you done?" Bai Zeyu's tone suddenly became serious, "Not only has the grievance been delayed, but you can't protect your sister or the ancient books handed down by your family. Apart from hiding your head and tail Hiding in Prince Li's mansion, what else did you do?"

At this moment, Yao Fanglan suddenly remembered what Bei Qianling said that night: "Those efforts are all meaningless."No matter how hard you try, if you fail to achieve anything, it will be meaningless, right?

"I can't refute it." Yao Fanglan's forehead was pressed against the cold floor.

"Get up." Bai Zeyu put his hands behind his back, "It's not me you should kneel down, but the ancestors of the Yao family."

Seeing that Yao Fanglan couldn't get up, Bai Zeyu said again: "Don't you know how your grandfather and father died? Your father, in order to protect your sister, was a famous medical sage all over the world, and he crawled to death; Your grandfather was nailed to the wall of Yao's mansion. How could you...cough cough."

Because of shortness of breath, Shirasawa coughed twice.

"The scene of that day, I dare not forget for a moment in 18 years. I will definitely avenge the Yao family's vengeance," Yao Fanglan raised her head, but did not stand up, "Even if I sacrifice my life."

"Give your life?" Bai Zeyu mocked, "Then what do you want Shuo'er to do?"

Yao Fanglan froze for a moment, then frowned and kowtowed again.

"I watched Shuo'er grow up, and I can't hide any of his thoughts from me." Bai Zeyu said, "The succession of the family is the business of the Jing family, and I can ignore it. However, you are fighting against the enemy with the idea of ​​dying together." , if you really die, what will Shuoer do?"

"It may be that the memory of his parents being killed still remains in his subconscious mind. Shuo'er has been hostile since he was a child. I taught him the soft sword technique, but he has practiced the firm sword himself." Bai Zeyu stroked his gray beard, " It’s not that he wasn’t gentle before, but it’s the first time I’ve seen him so soft and happy. It’s probably due to you. However, the more he changes because of you, the more he will be affected after you die. Bigger. Why on earth did you accept his will?"

Yao Fanglan stood up from the ground, but because he knelt for too long, he staggered two steps before he stood still.

"I asked you to get up before, but you couldn't afford it, why are you getting up by yourself now?"

Yao Fanglan wrapped her arms around her chest, lowered her head and said, "I kowtowed three times to Grandpa Bai. The first kowtow was to thank Grandpa Bai for burying the dead of the Yao family for me, and to take care of my sister Yao Daiyue; the second kowtow was to Apology, I have not achieved the great cause of revenge of the Yao family in 18 years, and I am ashamed of Grandpa Bai’s expectations for me; the third apology is still apology, because I am indecisive and selfish. A lot of pain."

"After the three knocks, I have nothing to say sorry to Grandpa Bai, so I stood up by myself." Yao Fanglan put down his hands and raised his head, "I accept King Jinyuan's wishes. Because I suffered even the slightest bit of injury. Since I chose this path, I naturally thought it through very clearly."

"Before I met him, I thought about dying together with that woman more than once, but now, saying that we are dying together is just to express my determination to take revenge." Yao Fanglan's voice overwhelmed the sound of rain outside the window for a moment, "I will never Leave him and go alone."

Along with his voice, there was a loud thunder.

Bai Zeyu said calmly: "I don't understand what he likes about you."

Yao Fanglan smiled wryly: "I don't understand either."

"Grandpa Bai," Yao Fanglan said again, "it doesn't matter if you don't forgive me, but don't force him. If he changes his mind one day, I will leave him. He doesn't owe me anything, and I won't force him to stay. But as long as his heart is still in my body for a day, I will not allow anyone to trample or tarnish this heart."

"Okay," Bai Zeyu took a sip of tea, "You have thought clearly."

"It's good to be clear." Bai Zeyu stood up and stood with his hands behind his hands facing the rainy scene outside the window, "Youth is to be more willful, but you are afraid of being confused. Lan Lan, it's great that you didn't indulge in hatred. "

"Grandpa Bai?" Yao Fanglan asked in surprise.

Bai Zeyu said: "That woman is too vicious, and she will do anything for her own goals. If you don't have a strong desire to live, I'm really afraid that the last offspring of that guy will also fall into her hands."

"Grandpa Bai." Yao Fanglan bent his legs and was about to kneel down again, but Bai Zeyu supported him and prevented him from kneeling.

"Hey," Bai Zeyu said with a smile, "You said it yourself. After three knocks, there is no place to apologize to me. Why are you still kneeling?"

"Yes." Yao Fanglan stood up straight as she said.

Bai Zeyu sat back on the teacher's chair again: "Speaking of which, do you have a way to understand Shuo'er's memory?"

Yao Fanglan shook her head: "But recently he always has dreams, dreaming about things in the past, I am very afraid, I am afraid that he will know that the former King Jinyuan and his wife are also..."

"This is your fault." Bai Zeyu said, "Suo'er has the right to know the truth, and he also wants to know, but you keep blocking it."

"I don't want him to bear so much hatred like me." Yao Zanglan pressed his finger on his aching temple, "I can bear his hatred for him. Hatred is too bitter."

Bai Zeyu sighed: "You are selfish. If he knew that he could share the burden for you, but he didn't do anything, what do you think will happen to him?"

"Besides, you just have the heart to watch him being haunted by nightmares every day?" Bai Zeyu continued, "Seeing him suffer from those years of emptiness all his life?"

In the phrase.

Yao Zanglan paced back and forth in the room and said, "Say, what should I do? I once had a letter, which contained the history and evidence of that incident. It was written by Princess Jingyang's brother. But I was addicted to hatred at that time. I was afraid that he would suffer the same pain as me, so I burned the letter. How can I make him believe me now?"

Bai Zeyu smiled again: "Are you still afraid that he won't believe you? Even if you say that the sun rises in the west, I guess he will believe it."

Yao Fanglan blushed, "Grandpa Bai."

"Don't talk about it." Bai Zeyu waved his hand, "Before you go back, can you show me the brand mark? I just want to see it, and I won't touch you."

"It's okay." Yao Fanglan unbuttoned her clothes very simply.Bai Zeyu looked at the door and suddenly smiled strangely.

"What's wrong?" Yao Fanglan asked.

"It's nothing." Bai Zeyu shifted his gaze to the brand mark, "Someone can't hold it anymore."

An ominous premonition surged in Yao Fanglan's heart: "Huh?"

"It's really beautiful." Bai Zeyu praised, "At that time, I thought he was shaking very badly, but I didn't expect him to be so beautiful."

"Were you there when Grandpa transplanted the Holy Pill?"

Bai Zeyu nodded: "That guy started crying when he saw you howling so much. I really miss you. It's been so many years."

Bai Zeyu stared at the brand mark for a long while, and couldn't bear to look away.

"Okay, you can go back." Bai Zeyu waved his hand, "I'm going to bed too."

"Yes. Grandpa Bai, good night." Yao Fanglan saluted and exited the room.

Shirasawa raised his head and looked at the small dark purple flowers planted on the window lattice.

"Ruozhi, it has been so many years since you died."

The author has something to say: Du Heng, also known as Ruozhi, is a plant that blooms dark purple and can be used as medicine all over the body. It is listed as "Shen Nong Top Grade" by Li Shizhen