my demon

"Peach blossoms and flowing water go away, there is no other world than the world."

It is true that Xiao Yan just came out of the South Study, walking in the imperial garden, walking through the pink peach blossom forest, the stream led by the imperial river gurgling past, and the pink and white petals falling on the water surface meanderingly along the way.

Xiao Yan was very surprised when Lich read this poem in his mind, stood there holding a peach blossom branch and smiled: "This poem is very suitable - you actually read poems too."

Sun Xuexiao turned around from the corridor, raised her eyes and saw Xiao Yan's smile, she couldn't help being slightly startled, very surprised, after all, this emperor has been taciturn since he was a child, with an indifferent expression, and the Empress Dowager Sun has no children, so she only thinks this child is quiet and worry-free , out of trouble.But others seem to think that this is not a normal child.

She has been in the palace since she was a child, and has gotten along with the emperor a lot, but when she still gets along, she is in a state of having nothing to say. Almost every time she is forced to find a topic. After all, she is three years older than the emperor. Of course, although the emperor is his cousin in name, he did not actually come out of the Empress Dowager Sun's stomach, so although the Empress Dowager Sun often said "your cousin" on her lips, she was always there. The emperor was cautious in front of him, not daring to overstep, even though he knew he was young.

Since she was a child, she knew that she was the daughter-in-law candidate that her aunt liked, and that the emperor's cousin was likely to be her future husband. This was a family responsibility. She enjoyed the benefits of the family's prosperity and wealth, so naturally she could only bear this obligation, but I have to think that in the future, I will respect each other like a guest.

I didn't expect the emperor to have such a lively smile when he was alone.

The peach blossoms in early spring are not at their peak, but only a little bit or two in the green, but Xiao Yan's smile made the peach branches look very springy, and people noticed that the indifferent and young emperor at this time had a rather indifferent personality. Excellent looks.

"Someone is coming." The Lich reminded Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan saw Sun Xuexiao in a blink of an eye, and his face changed into that silent face again, but Sun Xuexiao saw his starry eyes, which were splashing in the spring light. in the smile.

At that moment, she even felt that she was a mortal, unworthy of seeing the emperor's smile.

She took the palace maid holding flowers behind her, and bowed her knees to salute, Xiao Yan waved: "Excuse me, cousin, come from the mother's side?"

Sun Xuexiao stood up and said with a smile: "Exactly, my aunt is reciting scriptures in front of the Buddha, let me send the newly picked flowers today to the emperor first."

Xiao Yan glanced at the vase held in the arms of the palace maid behind Sun Xuexiao, and nodded: "Thank you, Empress, for my cousin's passing, the Shang Palace Bureau made a set of ivory bookmarks the day before yesterday. Take it back for my cousin to enjoy."

Sun Xuexiao raised her head slightly, felt Xiao Yan walking by, quickly followed in small steps, but was in a daze again, and found that she hadn't seen the emperor for more than two months during the Chinese New Year, and the emperor seemed to have grown a lot taller, three years younger than her. The emperor's cousin, who is [-] years old, has already grown taller than her at some point. Seen from the back, not only has his stature grown, but his shoulders and back have also become wider, showing a man's unique straight waist and back.

Sun Xuexiao was a little surprised, but she was still looking for a topic calmly: "I wonder which bachelor is teaching today?"

"Scholar Fang Helin." Xiao Yan answered absent-mindedly, but in his heart he just regretted what he had just said with the Lich.

"Scholar Fang, I heard that his poems are very clear and beautiful, which is completely different from his people." Sun Xuexiao answered with a smile.

Xiao Yanman followed suit and walked all the way back to Linqian Palace. Xiao Yan ordered someone to get the set of ivory bookmarks: "Have someone go to my study, bring the set of ivory picks I got earlier, and bring them back to my cousin. The key to the palace gate is about to be released, and my cousin thinks she has to talk with the queen mother, so don't waste my cousin's time."

Sun Xuexiao hurriedly said: "My aunt said she would keep me in the palace for a few more days because there is a Buddhist scripture to embroider."

Xiao Yan nodded, looked up and saw Qi Yuan coming out with a crystal green ivory box, his eyes were slightly focused: "Isn't He Changan here?"

Qi Yuan bowed and replied: "Go back to Your Majesty, Chief Supervisor He has gone to the Shang Palace Bureau, and will be back in a while, the younger one is on duty in the study."

Xiao Yan nodded slightly, without saying anything, Sun Xuexiao got up and took the ivory box with both hands and thanked him: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."

Xiao Yan said warmly: "Family, there is no need to be too polite, Qi Yuan will send my cousin out, and when I come back, I will cook a pot of tea for me, I want Baoyuan tea."

Qi Yuan bowed and agreed, Sun Xuexiao saw that she didn't intend to keep her for tea, so she saluted and stepped back, and walked slowly back to Ningshou Palace, watching Qi Yuan quietly along the way, seeing his low-browed eyes, his demeanor and demeanor. The other servants are generally obedient, there is no difference, it can't be seen that he was once the proud son of the family of the hairpin family.

She slowly thought about it, and walked back to Jianfu Palace. The Empress Dowager Sun was still burning incense and worshiping Buddha in the West Buddha Hall of Ningshou Palace. She didn't want to be disturbed, so she went back to the pavilion where she lived, and continued to embroider the Buddhist scriptures. .

On the side, Qi Yuan sent Sun Xuexiao back, and sure enough, he went to the teahouse to make tea, and took it back to Dongnuan Pavilion, but saw Li Sancheng, the little apprentice He Changan usually brought with him, wiping the ashes, saw him come forward to take the teapot and said with a smile: "Thank you for making some tea."

Qi Yuan asked, "Where is Your Majesty?"

Li Sancheng smiled all over his face: "Your Majesty just changed his clothes, had dinner, and went to Meishan. He said he was walking alone, but no one followed him. I will leave this tea. When the Emperor comes back later, he must drink it." .”

There were slight vertical lines between Qi Yuan's eyebrows, he didn't say anything, he just handed the teapot to Li Sancheng silently, and retreated into the room.

Xiao Yan practiced again in Meishan, the weather has warmed up, he just practiced the light sword technique for half an hour, and his body is already soaked.The Lich said: "It's a little bit different, but the strength is not enough, and more strength training is needed." He stood on the side, today he did not personally guide, still wearing the dense magic robe, stood under the plum tree and sucked for a while. Resentful, he turned his head to look at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan looked at his golden eyes that were clearer than glass, panted and smiled and said, "I don't feel dizzy anymore these days, and I can even read books more clearly than before. As expected, my eyes and ears are much clearer." I felt stronger and stronger, and my walk was noticeably lighter. I've never felt so good.

The Lich said: "Well, that's the blessing magic of the High Priest of the Elf. If you wield your sword every day, it will certainly have some effect."

Xiao Yan lowered his head and looked at his palms, different from his pale skin before, the pads of his ten fingers showed some blood, he said: "Looks like I need to get some makeup, otherwise the blood on my face won't be covered. "

The Lich said indifferently: "Are you going to hide it from the doctor? Or is it just a change in appearance?"

Xiao Yan said: "All of them."

The Lich said: "When the doctor comes, I will give you a curse of weakness. When he takes your pulse, he can feel your weakness. The appearance is also simple. I put a confusion circle on the necklace, everyone When I see you, I will subconsciously think that you are pale and sick for a long time."

Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "Then it will be much easier to operate." However, he was a little worried about gains and losses. Lich didn't ask him why he pretended to be sick at all, and he obviously knew his situation.

Seeing that the sun was setting, Xiao Yan put on his outer robe again, walked slowly back to Linqian Palace, and then returned to the sidewalk, and saw Qi Yuan guarding the pillar by the door again, he sighed slightly in his heart, Talk to him: "Come in, I happen to have something for you to do."

Qi Yuan raised his eyelids slightly, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, but he still respectfully followed Xiao Yan into the study with his hands down.

Xiao Yan had just finished practicing the sword, and his whole body was sticky. In fact, he just wanted to send people away quickly. He went into the study and took a few books from the bookshelf, and asked them to bring them to Qi Yuan: "The queen mother often has to chant sutras, but I have read the Buddhist scriptures that my mother often turned over, and I think the characters are too small, and it may hurt my eyesight after a long time. It happens that you can read and write well. The words should be big."

Qi Yuan was silent for a while, took it with both hands, and bowed in response, Xiao Yan continued to instruct: "Zhen will tell He Chang'an to save you from other errands, and you can just concentrate on copying these Buddhist scriptures, and then we'll talk after you finish copying. "

Qi Yuan agreed, Xiao Yan turned around and went to the bedroom, hearing him ordering people to prepare water for bathing along the way.

The water in the bath was misty, and Xiao Yan leaned against the pool, feeling the muscles in his arms and legs, which were sore from swinging the sword, slowly relax in the warm water, which was very comfortable. He let out a long breath, and turned his head back. Leaning on the jade pillow by the pool.

"Why did you let him copy Buddhist scriptures? You put so much effort into saving him, don't you intend to train him as your confidant?"

Xiao Yan was startled, he didn't expect Lich to care about this, the corner of his mouth slightly curled up and smiled again: "I didn't save him, you saved him."

The Lich said indifferently: "It's your request."

Xiao Yan smiled for a while before saying: "The fact is that you saved the man, I can't save him alone, this is not my own ability, if he is loyal to me because I saved him, he will also find me I was actually weak and turned my back on me."

The Lich actually understood what he meant: "I thought you would win people's hearts and develop your own power—in that case, why did you save him?"

Xiao Yan paused: "I just want to save him. I just want to save him. I can't protect myself now, and I can't do anything. No matter who is by my side, they will be paid attention to. The better he is, the more he will be controlled by all means. If he was strangled in advance, it would be better to let him be cold and alive to have a chance."

The Lich was silent, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, his eyelashes were wet and his face was flushed, he saw that the Lich stopped talking, and asked him, "Do you think I'm naive?"

The Lich said gently: "No, you can realize that my power does not belong to you, which is very good. You could have let me save people for you, let me give you money, and use it to buy people's hearts, but for the sake of grace, There will always be others who owe you the favor and betray you. Those who come for money will always leave you for more benefits. But those who come for your personal ability and charm are the ones who will truly be loyal to you people."

He wanted to use the spirit of the real dragon to mend himself, but if the real dragon used the soul box to threaten him with insatiable greed, unsatisfactory desires, and despicable character, then there was no way for him to escape, after all, the king in front of him was really weak Can't stand even a curse.

But these days, this young man is only constantly improving himself with the help of his own ability. Apart from saving people, it is his own proposal, and he has no excessive demands at all. This is indeed very pleasing, and it far exceeds his expectations. outside.

Xiao Yan slightly raised his eyebrows and smiled: "No one will give unconditionally. The weak will always be abandoned. Believe me, I will restore your former ability."

It took a while for the Lich to speak: "There is a proverb over there that the strong don't need friends, and the weak depend on others. You can realize that you should first improve your own abilities and restrain your desires. This is the nature of the strong."

For some reason, Xiao Yan could hear the smile that seemed to be in Lich's voice, and his eyes were also crooked with a smile: "Thank you for your affirmation."

Those who are difficult to hold are like hearts, and those who are easily infected are like desires. Since he got this demon, he has never thought of letting go, but he can't let the lich find out that his desire is so great.

Since entering the palace, he has never been able to have normal preferences, what he likes to eat, what he likes to play, which servants and maids he likes, which wet nurse he gets close to, all will be strictly corrected. Kneeling at every turn to persuade the emperor, it seems that as long as there is no strict admonition, the emperor will become one of those stupid kings in history.

According to the ministers, the emperor who favors treacherous concubines is licentious, the emperor who is keen on hunting and traveling is stupid, the emperor who is obsessed with piano, chess, calligraphy and painting is innocent, and the emperor who loves Buddha and Tao is also the misfortune of the country.

In history, there are many heroic masters who act recklessly and do whatever they want. Why does he even have to sneak around to eat meat?

It's just because the power is not in his hands. He has long been soberly aware of this, and there is no need to teach him. Taking history as a mirror, there are many emperors who were starved to death and smothered to death in history books.

But now he has an irrepressible desire again, he has something he wants no matter what, he will take every step and use the utmost patience to get it.

The author has something to say:

Note: There is nothing in the world that is difficult to hold such as the heart, and there is nothing in the world that is easily stained like desire. ——Song·Zhu Xi's "Four Books or Questions".