The Gilded Cage

Xiao Kezhi seemed to have the intention of repeating the old tricks. Before the banquet started, he first said a few words with his nephew Xiao Yu in public. His attitude was kind and kind and especially eye-catching.

Everyone immediately moved after hearing the wind, like the previous banquet, they all came forward to drink with Xiao Yu. The attitude was not ardent, but they were all respectful and meticulously drank the wine in the glass.

Xiao Yu couldn't refuse, so she could only drink one cup after another with patience, but from time to time he scolded Xiao Kezhi for humiliating him.

Somehow, Chu Ning felt that he was extremely drunk today. Although she had made people prepare tea aside, she asked him to use it slowly from time to time, but before half an hour, his whole face was red and his eyes were chaotic.

The drinks are all prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

She couldn't help looking at the main seat again.

On the other end, Xiao Kezhi was sitting on the couch, with one hand stroking the lines on the wine cup, and the other loosely resting on the wooden handrail. He stared at the courtier underneath who was arching his hands and talking, as if fundamentally. Not paying attention elsewhere.

But when her gaze fell on him, he quickly turned his head and collided with her again, and there was a silent spark.

Under the gaze of everyone, Chu Ning was shocked, lowered his head subconsciously, summoned the green lotus, and whispered: "Let me go back and tidy up the sleeping hall. Your Royal Highness is afraid to go back and rest for a while."

As he said, before she went down, she quietly squeezed her fingertips and winked at her.

Cuihe understood, and went on.

...

On the other side, Zhao Yu'e was not as eye-catching as last time.

As soon as she entered the table today, she first reduced her sharpness, and only sat on the seat calmly. Even her dress was much more elegant than usual, and she was a bit less plump and gorgeous. On the contrary, she looked a bit like an ordinary woman who kept herself safe.

Several relatives who were familiar with her were surprised and asked: "Er Niang, why don't you speak today? But what's the discomfort?"

Zhao Yu'e smiled, and subconsciously touched the spherical hollow carved silver sachet that was quietly burning on his waist, shook his head and said: "It's nothing, it was hot and cold, and I drank two more glasses of wine. I was a little dizzy at the moment. "

"Do you want to go back and rest earlier? I live in Tangquan Palace anyway. If I can't walk, I will ask someone to prepare for a walk." One of the ladies showed a caring expression.

"Thank you, but not for the time being. I'll go outside to get some ventilation. If I can't hold it anymore, I'll go back by myself." She said, motioning Chun Yan to help herself up, and after nodding to everyone, she went to the song station. Go outside and stop at the palace prepared for the emperor's temporary rest.

"Lady, this is the place. The servants have asked people to ask about the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and this is the side hall prepared for the saint." Chun Yan helped her to sit down on the side of the road, and put her thick cloak on her.

It had just snowed a few days ago, and there was still unmelted snow on the mountains, rocks, and trees on the roadside, and the air was chilly, and it was scraped like a knife.

Zhao Yu'e couldn't help shivering, looking at the gate of the palace where only two shivering servants were guarding because the emperor was still in the future, he gave her the silver sachet on her waist and took a deep breath: " Go ahead."

Chun Yan glanced at her, gritted her teeth, nodded, turned around, and said to the two internal servants: "Two internal officials, my lady Zhao is unwell, and she is a little unable to walk. The servants and maidservants are here to beg the two internal officials, can you? Can you bring me a bowl of hot soup to keep the lady warm?"

The two waiters glanced at each other, and one of them hesitated and said, "Then... let me go alone."

Chunyan had expected that the two would never leave at the same time. He nodded in thanks, and apologized to the other person: "This internal officer, can you go with the servant and help my lady?"

As she spoke, she made a "please" gesture to the waiter.

The waiter hesitated for a moment, and when he saw Zhao Yu'e sitting not far away, and would not delay his duty, he nodded and agreed and went over there.

Chun Yan walked behind him, and while he was not paying attention, he quickly lit the two ecstasy incense with sparks in the silver sachet and threw them into the hall through the gap.

...

Press the song stage, at the banquet.

Chu Ning looked at Xiao Yu, who was already drunk and unconscious, only to feel a sudden jump in his forehead. She was almost convinced that something was mixed in the wine, Xiao Yu couldn't notice it when she drank it. She was watching, but she could clearly feel that he was much drunk than ever before.

"Send your majesty back." She rubbed her eyebrows, asked several maids to help the people out of the table, and went back to the sleeping hall.

In the sleeping hall, Cuihe has already prepared the bed, sober soup, etc. with someone.

Chu Ning personally served Xiao Yu in, wiped his body and changed his clothes, and helped him lie down. After reluctantly feeding the soup, watching him quickly fainted, he got up again and walked outside the hall.

"Today is New Year's Eve in the end. There are many envoys from the Pan State. Your Royal Highness left a little earlier. If I also left so early, it would not be appropriate." She said, and waved to Cuihe, "Cuihe followed I'll go back to the banquet, and you will leave a good student to take care of your Royal Highness."

The maids didn't doubt he was there, and they all bowed to "here" and watched her leave.

When she walked to a secluded place, Cuihe whispered: "Lady, the servant and maid just now ran into Supervisor Liu on the way back. He said that the saint ordered the lady to go to Feishuang Palace in half an hour."

Chu Ning couldn't help looking in the direction of Feishuang Temple not far away.

Because the emperor is not there, the lamp hasn't been lit yet. But under the shroud of moonlight, there was still a hazy outline full of momentum.

"Got it."

...

On the main seat, Xiao Kezhi waved back a few courtiers who were still talking to him, got up and pulled the lapels of his clothes, and walked towards the side of the hall.

Liu Kangcai hurried back from the back, hurriedly followed when he saw it, and whispered back: "Everyone, the words have been handed out. The old slave personally said it to Cuihe."

Xiao Kezhi said in a low "um", there was no expression on his face, but his body was inexplicably hot.

The song station was already a little hot, and it was even more restless at the moment. He pulled the collar of his clothes again, wanting to let the cold wind pour into it, but the warm wind was still rushing towards his face.

"Come on with a thinner dress." He wiped his forehead and ordered.

Liu Kang immediately asked people to prepare, then turned around and said, "Everyone, Zhao Erniang has been here before."

Xiao Kezhi paused as he stepped into the hall, raised his eyebrows and asked, "What did she do?"

Somehow, there seemed to be a very light sweet fragrance drifting in the air.

Liu Kang said: "She didn't come near, but just sat outside for a while, saying that she was unwell, and someone sent hot soup, before she left."

Xiao Kezhi didn't speak, but felt wrong in his heart.

After a while, an in-house attendant came over to change him with clothes.

He spread his arms and stood there, and couldn't help sniffing carefully. His five senses are more acute than others, and when he catches the sweet and greasy fragrance again, he frowned and said, "Has the fragrance in the temple changed?"

Liu Kang was taken aback, shook his head, and went to the incense burner to check: "I haven't changed it, but I still use the incense that Fengyu himself tuned before."

Xiao Kezhi didn't speak, and after changing his clothes, he paced slowly in the room.

The fragrance was extremely weak, fainting from time to time, leading him to stop near the gate of the palace.

There, there is a window with a gap open, and a trace of cold air is poured in, and the fragrance is also sent into the inner room.

He stopped for a moment, and finally saw some finely divided gray powder at his feet, just like the incense ash left by the burning of the spices.

There was a moment of blankness in his mind, and then he lowered his face: "Put away this thing and send it to the Imperial Physician to see it."

Liu Kang was shocked, and hurriedly wrapped the scarce incense ash with silk paws, and turned around to let people take down the two servants who had just been guarding them.

"Hold on." Xiao Ke calmly stopped, and quickly turned off the lights a few times, and then led Liu Kang out quickly with the not-so-bright light. "People outside don't have to move, just wait here."

Since someone is doing tricks in his room, he must have a plan, he might as well leave the person behind to create the illusion that he is still in the temple, so that he can invite the king into the urn. It's just that the origin of the incense is unknown, and I don't know what's wrong, it's really not suitable to stay in the temple anymore.

After all, Liu Kang stayed in the palace for many years, with so many eyes, he understood at once, and he hurriedly whispered a few words to the people around him, and quickly led Xiao Kezhi to detour away.

"Do you want to find another side hall for a rest?"

Xiao Kezhi shook his head, listening to the singing and dancing at the banquet, and said, "Go to the Zhongming Pavilion."

Chongming Pavilion is an attic on the singing platform, which is reserved for the fireworks tonight. Without his permission, no one else is allowed to enter. The terrain is excellent, just to overlook everything at the banquet.

The cold wind on the road kept blowing, but somehow, the heat on his body did not recede at all. Instead, it intensified, making his whole body feel unreality.

He reached out and touched the corner of his forehead, and suddenly felt sweat on his hand.

Sure enough, there is a problem with the fragrance.

A vague guess quickly formed in his mind. But at this moment, he didn't have the mind to make careful calculations. He just felt that clusters of thick fog had risen in his original Qingming mind, and waves of heat on his body were also quickly hitting the same place.

"Everyone, everybody? Do you need an order from the imperial physician?" Liu Kang helped him to the Zhongming Pavilion. Seeing his flushed face and dizzy eyes, he was frightened and frightened, for fear of what might happen.

"Go, please ask for a doctor's order." Xiao Kezhi naturally also noticed that he was wrong, and nodded immediately.

But the next moment, he shook his head again to stop: "No, you don't have to ask for an order from a doctor to bring her."

The whole body was eager to tell him clearly that what he needed now was not a doctor's order, but a woman.

His mind seemed to be broken, and he could only silently outline a vaguely beautiful figure, it was her.

Liu Kang was stunned for a moment before realizing that the "she" in his mouth was the Crown Princess Chu. He couldn't help shaking his hand, swallowing, and looking at his strangeness again. Only then did he realize the effect of the incense ash in the end. What is it.

At the banquet below, there were singing and dancing, continuous chatting and laughing, countless heads were moving, and no one seemed to notice the abnormality in the Chongming Pavilion.

Trembling, Liu Kang poured a cup of cold tea and offered it, bitterly he said: "Everyone bear with me, and the old slave will go and invite your Royal Highness."

Xiao Kezhi leaned back on the couch, tightly all over, barely staying a little awake, and said a deep "um".

Your Excellency Chongming, the two servants were covered in cold sweats. Listening to Liu Kang's instructions, they did not leave immediately. Instead, they asked with embarrassment: "Supervisor, there are so many people nearby, your Royal Highness-how do you come here? There will be fireworks in a while. Everyone has to look up at the saint, how can this hide so many eyes..."

Liu Kang was so anxious that he walked back and forth in place, glanced at random from time to time. When he saw the maid walking around, his eyes lit up and he gritted his teeth and said, "Go and prepare another dress and send it together."