Chang Anqing

Chapter 221 Sudden realization
In the early morning of this day, Empress Yang leaned on the window and saw the pleasant spring scenery outside. Under the pouring of a little sunshine, the mood that was originally like sinking water finally gave birth to a bit of greed and yearning.While the spring breeze was blowing, Jiamo walked in with the steaming soup in person, Fang felt a little nervous when he saw the wind blowing in.

"The cold spring is expected, if the cold spring wind hits the head, I'm afraid it will hurt His Highness."

Hearing Jiamo's words, the little Gong'e who came in immediately went up to close the window. Seeing this, Empress Yang lowered her eyes and looked away. She turned her head to see the soup and medicine that was served, feeling extremely tired.

The pain of the body can be healed with medicine, but how can the pain of the heart be healed?

"Your Highness."

After Empress Yang got used to drinking the medicine in one gulp, she took the pickled plums from Jiamo and swallowed it in her mouth.

"Let's go out for a walk."

Hearing Queen Yang's words, Jiamo was taken aback for a moment, and then his face burst into joy, and his heart was even more indescribably happy.

Ever since she returned to the palace, she felt that Empress Yang was always sleepy and not interested in anything. What she did most on weekdays was to sit under the window and watch the scenery outside, staying for a whole noon. , That kind of feeling, it seems that people are here, and their souls have already flown far away without knowing it.

Fortunately, under the prescription of the imperial physician's order, and with the assistance of Qing Zhi's medicinal diet, compared with the postpartum Queen Yang, her complexion is much better and her body is much stronger. If the wind blows, you will be infected with wind and cold for several days.

So at this moment, she was always happy to hear that Empress Yang offered to go out to relax, even at the risk of blowing the wind.

"Okay, servant girl, let them prepare."

Responding to the words, Jiamo happily took the medicine bowl back to the little maid, and he had already gone out to order people to prepare a cloak, a hand stove, snacks, and a soft sedan chair.

After arriving in the garden, the singing of birds is melodious and the warm wind is blowing. You can see the peach blossoms and cherry blossoms covering each other one after another, forming clouds one after another. However, Empress Yang felt that no matter how beautiful the flowers in front of her eyes were, no matter how expensive they were, they were still not as wanton as the mountain flowers in Yuqing Temple.

Accompanied by Jiamo and the others, Empress Yang took a walk for a while. When she saw a two-storey small building with carved beams and painted buildings not far away, she felt that the wind blowing by was gradually cooling down. Jiamo looked up and wondered why. It had already covered up the faint warm sun in the morning, and gradually gathered dense clouds and said: "It seems that the sky is about to change, Your Highness, why don't you go sit in the building in front, take a rest, let people go back quickly With an umbrella, you can be considered prepared.”

Hearing Jiamo's proposal, Empress Yang looked up and agreed. Seeing a fast-footed little maid rushing towards the time, Jiamo and Qingzhi were already supporting Queen Yang towards the attic. .

The attic here is called Zicuilou, as the name suggests, it is hidden behind the rustling bamboo forest, stepping on the pebble path with green moss, and the singing of the oriole is like music, which makes people feel refreshed.When they got to the second floor, the maids who accompanied them had already prepared charcoal fire and served tea and snacks. Seeing that Jiamo was ordering someone to cover the window, Empress Yang just said, "Leave this one, so I can look outside. scene."

Following Empress Yang's gaze, Jiamo saw that outside the window directly opposite, there were a tree of crabapple and a tree of crabapple in full bloom. The two trees seemed to be competing for beauty, trying their best to stretch their flower branches, The bright colors are more affectionate than the delicate dimples of girls.

As the sound of tea boiling sounded, Empress Yang leaned on her side face with her left hand, and sat lazily on the couch, gazing at the begonia flower that looked like a drunken beauty. The crabapple branches swayed gently, and in view of such a peaceful and leisurely scene, Empress Yang drank a sip of tea, then sat down with Jiamo to play chess.

Time passed bit by bit, and when Gong'e who took the umbrella came back, the chess game had already been played. Just as Queen Yang was holding the chess and concentrating on it, Fang pressed a piece, and heard a rush and chaotic sound coming from the first floor. footsteps.

Without waiting for Empress Yang to say more, Gong'e went downstairs to check, but after a while, someone went upstairs and replied: "Your Highness, it is Qingsi Dian Defei who came upstairs to hide from the rain."

After the words fell, Empress Yang paused with her fingertips, and when she raised her head, she suddenly heard that the light rain outside the building had intensified a little, and the sound of piercing through the forest and beating leaves was full of drumbeats.

"The rain is so heavy."

While Gu Zi was sighing, Empress Yang turned her head to look at Gong'e and said, "Since that's the case, please invite Concubine De to go upstairs and drink tea together to keep warm."

Hearing Queen Yang's words, Jiamo raised his eyes slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Since the night of returning to the palace, because Empress Yang was unwell, Emperor Yuan Cheng issued an order that the affairs of the harem will still be managed by Concubine Wei Xian, and the sixth palace should not disturb the middle palace frequently.Because of this, the concubines in the harem only came to visit once these days, but Concubine Dudu Qingsi Diande only gave some things, but no one came.

After the maid came back, she said with a faint uneasiness on her face: "Your Highness, Concubine De said that because of the rain, she might bring the cold air up, so she won't bother you to be clean, and just wait downstairs for the rain to subside. and leave."

Hearing this, Jiamo suddenly felt a little strange, but Empress Yang smiled very calmly, and said immediately: "Then divide our umbrellas into two and send them down."

Jiamo was surprised at first, but seeing Queen Yang lowered her head and continued to play chess as if she didn't care, she finally swallowed her words.

However, just as everything returned to tranquility, the sound of footsteps going upstairs sounded again.I saw Shangguan Yun, who was dressed in plain palace attire and had simple hair accessories, was coming upstairs alone at the moment, crossing his hands under the eyes of everyone, and said: "I thank Your Highness for giving me the umbrella."

Seeing Shangguan Yun in front of her who was meticulously bowing according to the palace rules, and her voice was as calm as a pool of water, Empress Yang couldn't help being a little surprised. , the calm woman was confused with the heroic, proud Shangguan in the Hanyuan Hall in the past.

In the silence, Empress Yang's heart sank slightly. After all, no matter how different women are, they will all look the same when they enter the palace, just like the pastry under the peach blossom mould, there is nothing wrong with it.

"It's just an umbrella, don't worry about it."

After all, Empress Yang carefully looked at Gong Jin standing in front of her eyes, Shangguan Yun with lowered eyes said: "I remember the last time you and I met in Hanyuan Hall, but after a few months, you have changed a lot."

Hearing Empress Yang's exclamation, Shangguan Yun tightened his hands under his sleeves, but said calmly: "Everything in the world has changed through vicissitudes of life, how can people remain the same."

Looking at the cold response from the person in front of him, Jiamo frowned slightly, and Empress Yang beside him only smiled indifferently, and then said: "The Concubine Conferment Ceremony is tomorrow, if there is anything missing in these days, if you need it, you can tell Jiamo stop……"

Seeing that Empress Yang was not angry at her rudeness, but cared about her habit of living in the palace without selfishness, Shangguan Yun finally raised his always lowered eyes, and looked at the gentle and gentle woman sitting on the seat. The dignified Empress Yang said: "Is His Highness always so generous to a person who enters the palace to rob him of his husband?"

"presumptuous!"

Hearing Shangguan Yuan's sarcasm, Empress Yang paused slightly, but Jiamo who was at the side couldn't bear it anymore, and immediately scolded.

Seeing this scene, Shangguan Yun smiled, and said indifferently: "What? Am I wrong?"

Facing Shangguan Yun's provocation, Jiamo's brows were upside down, but Empress Yang held her hand down. At the same time, Empress Yang quietly stared at Shangguan Yun, and said something neither happy nor angry Come on.

"You are different from your elder sister."

"Your Highness and His Majesty said the same thing as my concubine."

In front of the crowd, Shangguan Yun smiled and said indifferently: "My answer is the same."

"This person is not a flower in the garden, why do they have to be exactly the same?"

Hearing this answer, Empress Yang smiled unexpectedly. Shangguan Yun originally thought it was sarcasm, but when she looked over, she clearly saw the comfort and joy that she could not see clearly in the smile.

For some reason, the feeling of punching the cotton made Shangguan Yun very unhappy, so the provocation between his brows and eyes became more open and he said: "I haven't finished my words, Your Highness is probably too early to laugh."

"Jamo, you all go down."

Hearing Queen Yang's order, Jiamo glanced at the perverse Shangguan Yun in front of him, and looked worriedly, but after Queen Yang's signal, he still led a group of people back to the first floor to guard.

"Tell me, what good things are there for me?"

Seeing Empress Yang's amused gaze, Shangguan Yun immediately looked at her with a stern look and said, "There are only three reasons why you can be as generous as His Highness, the first is that you don't love that person at all, and the second is that you are dead." Heart, the third type is just being good at disguising—"

Sensing the momentary trembling of the eyes of the person seated, Shangguan Yun continued: "Which one is Your Highness?"

Facing Shangguan Yun's staring gaze, Empress Yang smiled silently, blowing through the pain in her heart at that moment like a breeze.

"I was wrong."

Shangguan Yun was still a little surprised at the irrelevant words, but he met those soft and strong eyes like spring water blowing willows.

"You are different from Concubine Shu."

While speaking, Empress Yang raised her hand to signal Shangguan Yun to come forward and sit opposite her. Seeing that she was unmoved, she just smiled and shook her head and said: "Concubine Shu is like a rose in front of the court, delicate and beautiful, but she hides her clumsiness all her life. Everyone is close to her, but they don't know that there is always a distance between them, it's just because she also has thorns that she hides, and you are different—"

While speaking, Empress Yang's serious eyes gradually fell on Shangguan Yun and said: "You are more like a mangosteen, with a hard appearance and unwilling to give in, but you have a soft heart, and that heart is your sincerity."

Hearing Empress Yang's serious words relative to her, Shangguan Yun's heart moved slightly, facing those eyes that seemed to see through her, he finally turned his head pretending to be disapproving and said: "Your Highness and I only meet each other on two sides, But it’s pretending to be like a bodhisattva in the contemplation, trying to see through people’s hearts—”

Seeing Shangguan Yun sitting in front of her, Empress Yang insisted on thinking that the small pot would refill her a cup of tea. In the steaming white mist, Shangguan Yun heard something that shocked her from the fragrance of the tea.

"Since you entered the palace, you have deliberately been domineering and rude, and treated me and Your Majesty coldly. Didn't you just want to anger us, take this opportunity to destroy this concubine's grace, and wait to be placed in the cold palace, to end your life?"

Seeing the woman in front of her lose her arrogance and turned into a motionless puppet, sitting there quietly, Empress Yang didn't speak any more, she just pushed the tea over and made a slight sound.

In the silence, Shangguan Yun turned his head in shock, and looked at Empress Yang who was always dignified and picturesque in front of him, and then he suddenly understood.

In her impression before, she was as noble as Empress Yang in the middle palace, but she was just one of the thousands of women in the harem who were bound by the rules of the palace. That's all.

But she was wrong about the person in front of her——

"Since you see it so clearly, why don't you fight? Why are you locked up by this empress? Why do you want to watch one woman after another being stuffed into the harem, and you still generously take care of them for your husband? Everyone in the world Don't you and Your Majesty love each other very much? Why do you want to do this? Why don't you be more selfish?"

Hearing this series of questions, Empress Yang glanced at Shangguan Yun who was excited and even wanted to stare at her, but her eyes were clear, and she asked quietly: "Struggle—"

"Then I will kill all the women and emperor's heirs in this harem, or kill those loyal and upright old officials who are loyal to the royal family, worry about the inheritance of the emperor's blood, and insist on choosing imperial daughters to enter the palace for thousands of years? Or? Disturb this harem and court—”

Hearing these words, Shangguan Yun couldn't help being stunned, unable to answer for a moment.

Seeing this scene, Empress Yang, who was originally serious and low, suddenly smiled, breaking the stagnation here, and just looked at the swallow in the sky leisurely and said: "But what did they do wrong? Why are they fighting for others? To the knife, I became a dead soul in vain."

After all, Empress Yang looked at the pond in front of the building and asked, "What is the shape of this pond?"

Hearing this, Shangguan Yun instinctively blurted out, "It's round."

Empress Yang smiled when she heard the sound, and then said: "In this world, people, regardless of gender, are like water. Water is formless, but when it falls into this pond, river, or vast sea, it takes shape."

The showers came and went quickly. Hearing the sound of the rain outside the window gradually thinning, Empress Yang turned her head and said, "You and I are this water, and our duties are like this pond, river, and vast sea. Even if the vast sea has a boundary, how can people Can there be no constraints from these responsibilities? Therefore, everyone in this world has responsibilities and constraints, you have them, I have them, hundreds of officials have them, even the Son of Heaven above ten thousand people has them."

"And my duty, my bondage, is to be the mother of the world, assist the emperor, and protect the peace and happiness of the world. To do this, if I can't even protect you, I can't keep a benevolent heart." Heart, how can mother honor the world and protect the world's people."

At the moment when the voice fell, Shangguan Yun heard the "ding dong" sound of rainwater falling into the stagnant water on the eaves, but it was not as deafening as the words just now.

Those words, like thousands of troops, carrying swords and halberds, broke all her ridiculousness, innocence and ignorance.

At this moment, she understood.

Her love is the love of one person, the love of men and women.

But the person in front of him is the true fraternity, the love of all peoples.

That's why she can be so selfless, and try her best to give everyone tenderness and respect, even if it's just a humble servant girl.

Whether it is the emperor or the common people, people in this world have never had real freedom and real carefree.

Even if she gets her wish, she will be trapped here in the end, so where is the so-called struggle?It was just the fish on the chopping board slapping its tail innocuously to show displeasure to her family.

And with her actions, what she got in exchange would be another sister entering the palace and hurting more relatives.

"But you're not entirely unreasonable."

Hearing the voice in his ears, Shangguan Yun raised his head and saw those eyes looking at her tenderly and said: "If there is injustice or resentment, you have to fight yourself. The ancients also said that man will conquer the sky, but all this is based on keeping good." Now, until the future is strong enough, it will definitely not be the mantis in front of me."

After finishing speaking, Empress Yang stood up, looked at the drizzle outside and said: "The rain is light, go back to the palace earlier, don't catch the wind and cold."

"Shangguan Yun thanked His Royal Highness—"

When Empress Yang was walking up the stairs, a voice suddenly came from behind. Empress Yang looked at the figure who was facing her sincerely and bowed her hands in salute, but she smiled back and said calmly: "Today is just you and me chatting."

"Your Highness—"

Seeing that Empress Yang had already descended the stairs, she heard Shangguan Yun's voice again. When her eyes met, Empress Yang saw the complex and hesitant eyes of the person in front of her brush away, and said as if she had made up her mind: "The day after tomorrow will be Yongning." The princess is getting married, I know that His Highness and His Majesty will go to watch the ceremony in person, please allow me to take a look at it—"

As soon as the words came out, Empress Yang paused for a moment, and before she could speak, she saw the woman in front of her smiling as proudly as before and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness, now that I am the emperor's concubine, I will never use myself to disturb the wedding ceremony. Shame on the world."

"it is good."

As soon as Shangguan Yun finished speaking, he accidentally saw Empress Yang smiling and said: "At that time, you and I will go in the same car."

While talking, the footsteps on the stairs gradually faded away, leaving only Shangguan Yun standing there but dazed.

(End of this chapter)