The Gilded Cage

By the side of the imperial tent, Xiao Yu was already a little impatient.

He was a little frail, and when the cold wind was blowing, he felt a little groggy, covering his mouth and coughing twice from time to time, and there were a few strange blushes on his pale face.

Liu Kang had tasted the ups and downs in these two or three hours. At this time, the whole person was numb. Seeing the prince coughing, he calmly ordered the people to bring hot tea and serve it personally.

Xiao Yu took two sips until the heat spread in his chest, which made him feel more comfortable.

Although he waited for a long time and was impatient, he was still a little cold and happy in his heart. He probably saw that Xiao Kezhi turned out to be a woman, so he held him as a prince here for so long in public, guessing that he would be discussed by others.

After waiting for another moment, Xiao Kezhi, who had just left, returned on his horse.

"Your Majesty." Xiao Yu calmly stepped forward to salute, the corners of his smiling lips still had a hint of mockery.

"Get up." Xiao Kezhi waved at him, not caring about his weird attitude, and even gave him a kind smile, "You came back early."

"Yes, for dredging the river, my nephew has urged the people to advance the project on schedule according to the previously agreed method. Now everything is progressing smoothly, and it coincides with the new year. My nephew will return to Chang'an two days earlier to see your majesty."

"Really?" Xiao Kezhi patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "I also said that you had to come back because you didn't see the person you wanted to see, and rushed to the air."

As soon as he said this, Xiao Yu's face suddenly froze.

The emperor not only knew the inside story of Huazhou's trip, he even spoke out mercilessly in front of him!

"Your Majesty is worrying too much." He couldn't squeeze a smile anymore, so he had to say something with a blank face.

"That's good." Xiao Kezhi turned around and looked at the undulating hillsides and grassland on the horse farm, "Go back, you are not healthy, you can raise it for a long time."

It was another bright sarcasm.

Xiao Yu was so angry that he could hardly restrain the twitching of his facial muscles, so he quickly bowed his head and resigned abruptly, until he returned to a carriage parked not far away, and finally broke a teapot to the wall of the carriage. on.

The pot is made of copper and will not break, but it is full of hot water, splashed down the car wall, and just close to the car door, immediately seeping out along the gap, soaking the coachman’s clothes, making him painful. , But still didn't dare to cry out, just hurriedly searched for someone to change positions, and went to the side to deal with it.

"Where is the prince? I just said that she was also in the racecourse, but could she find someone?" Xiao Yu was silent in the car for a long time before suddenly raising her voice.

The guard outside the car hurriedly replied: "When the Caichen was looking for it, I heard that His Royal Highness had just returned to Tangquan Palace with the little lady from the Lu State Family. His Royal Highness should just meet him when he is going back at this time."

Xiao Yu took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Go faster."

...

In Tangquan Palace, after Chu Ning sent Guoer back to the residence of Lord Lu, he didn't stay much, and only briefly told Mrs. Xu that his Majesty asked Lady Zhao to teach Guoer to ride a horse, and then left and returned to Prince Tang.

The Tangchi in the yard was already pouring into Tangquan. She took a closer look, then quickly went into the house, took off her clothes and checked carefully, and then changed into a new skirt.

Just now on the racecourse, she saw that Xiao Kezhi did not return to the imperial account directly, but made a big circle elsewhere, and she knew that he was delaying time for her.

She didn't hesitate, and rode straight back to the stable. It happened that Guoer had finished learning today, and the two of them still returned to Tangquan Palace together.

Probably because she met Xiao Yu on the racecourse, she was always a little uneasy, always afraid that he would suddenly find some clues, and subconsciously wanted to avoid him and return first.

At this time, Cuihe's voice came from outside: "Lady, Your Highness is back."

The voice fell, and before Chu Ning greeted him, Xiao Yu pushed open the door and walked in coldly.

This look, you can see at a glance, just before the emperor was angry.

Chu Ning suddenly reduced his expression, stepped forward cautiously, and saluted: "His Royal Highness is back, it's earlier than what was said in the last letter."

"Why, you don't want to see me come back?" There was nowhere to vent the anger in his heart. Hearing her words, he felt very uncomfortable and spoke more aggressively than before.

She grinned reluctantly, lowered her head to change clothes for him, her expression was a bit lonely: "How can your Highness say that..."

Xiao Yu looked at her familiar and beautiful face, and listened to her gentle words, his expression softened a little bit.

"Okay, I was talking a little bit more aggressively. Are you here alone these days?" He spread his arms and let her take off his shirt before embracing her.

"I'm naturally the same." She tried her best to calm her mind, and raised her head boldly to meet his close gaze, "His Royal Highness, why doesn't her complexion seem to be very good? Isn't it too busy to work in Huazhou?"

Xiao Yu's eyes were gloomy, there was no half of a smile on his face, he just hid his mouth and coughed, shook his head and said, "It's nothing, it's just that there was an extra gust of wind blowing outside when he went to the racecourse to meet his Majesty."

"It turns out that I went to the racecourse below the temple." She showed a deep look of surprise, and then worried again, "Since the cold wind is blowing, you might as well take a bath first, just because I let someone prepare the soup pool."

"Yeah." He responded briefly, just about to let go of her, but suddenly saw her empty right ear, "Why is there one missing eardrop?"

Chu Ning's heart beat, touched the right ear, and it was empty, but the one on the left ear was fine. She wore a pair of turquoise and gilt gold earrings today, which must have been thrown in the imperial tent in a panic, and hurriedly explained: "It was probably lost while riding a horse."

Just raising his hand, the big-sleeved shirt slid down a little along the arm, revealing a circle of red marks on the wrist.

"What is this?" Xiao Yu's eyes flashed, and he immediately grasped her arm and pulled it closer.

Chu Ning looked at the traces worn by the belt on his wrist, and his heartbeat missed a beat.

"It's the rein." She pursed her lips and squeezed out a smile that disappeared quickly. "The horse was a little restless today. I wrapped the rein around my wrist and tightened it to contain it."

He frowned and looked at it. After a moment of silence, he said displeased: "Be careful later. I told you earlier that you are my princess, how can you run horses like those restless little ladies? Teach people to see, but I don’t know what to think."

"His Royal Highness said. I am indeed out of line today. Fortunately, when I was riding a horse, I deliberately picked a place with few people and should not be seen by others." She obediently lowered her head to admit her mistake, but she didn't consciously think of Xiao Kezhi's difference in her heart.

"No, let's not take it as an example." Xiao Yu was really tired, and he didn't want to say more, turned and walked towards the Tangchi outside, "Come along with you."

"Here."

Chu Ning had long known that he would want her to serve in the bath, so he followed him to the side of the pool and took off all his clothes for him. He took off the big sleeve shirt outside, leaving the tube top skirt underneath, and sat down on his knees. Chibian kneaded his shoulders and neck for him.

Tang Quan's temperature was a bit high, and moisture was trapped around it, which quickly made Xiao Yu warm up, and a layer of fine sweat oozes from his face.

The muscles and bones all over his body were stretched, and he couldn't help leaning back again, pinching the two catkins that were kneading for him on his shoulders, and dragging them close.

She was forced to walk forward on her knees, leaning over and pressing her face to his shoulder.

He turned his head to look for her lips and kissed carefully, as if inspecting, delicate and slow.

"Your Highness—" She was already tired, and she felt more uncomfortable when she was curled up at the moment.

He ignored it, and continued to kiss all the way down her neck until he touched the edge of the dress.

"Get in the way."

He looked at the only tube top skirt left on her, and simply pulled her directly into the water.

In the tumbling hot soup, she flopped hard for two times before she pushed aside the water rushing from all directions and barely stopped, but her hair and dresses were all soaked and pressed tightly against her body.

He looked at her embarrassed and beautiful look with satisfaction, and slowly covered her body.

Chu Ning was a little bit resistant in her heart, but she was vague, and remembered that she hadn't had a chance to drink medicine today, and it was just right for people to make a bowl of it.

...

At night, in the Feishuang Temple, Jin Jiangzheng reported to Xiao Kezhi one by one the news he had inquired from Bozhou.

"... It has been verified that Zhao Kui did have an association with the Nanzhao royal family before his death, but at that time, Nanzhao had a second prince who was in charge of the court, and he was also the second prince who had good relations with him. Now the fourth prince suddenly killed the second prince and ascended to the throne. Wang, he had a lot of friction with Zhao Kui and his son in the past, so he turned to support Yang Ying, a wealthy family in Bozhou, and wanted to expose Zhao Kui’s association with him in the past, so as to get rid of Zhao and support Yang Ying. Zhao Lun’s younger brothers and sisters, I’m afraid I’m listening. When the imperial court was about to make a big change in the army, it became anxious."

"Huh, the Bozhou army, it was originally used by the court to resist Nanzhao, but now it really has a connection with Nanzhao." Xiao Kezhi threw away the pile of memorial notes in his hand that wrote the details, and couldn't help but sneered.

He naturally knew the plan of the Zhao family’s brothers and sisters at this time. It was nothing more than to let Zhao Yu'e enter the palace as a concubine, so that the Zhao family would have the name of a relative, so that the Nanzhao king would be jealous, so he alienated Yang Ying and re-supported. Zhao's. And this matter is imminent for the Zhao family. I want to come to Zhao Yu'e and touch a soft nail several times, so I won't let it go.

It’s just that the Bozhou Army is far in the south, and it is the largest team apart from the Ganzhou Army. He didn’t plan to move for the time being, so he let them stay away for a while, and waited for the few people in the hinterland of the Central Plains to be cleaned up before starting to move. They are removed.

"Let people watch the movement of the Bozhou army, especially the forged weapons and the coming and going and consumption of local money and food. They must be clear, and then check the situation of a few rich people, find a suitable person, and wait until the Zhao family is moved. Someone has to temporarily take Zhao Lun’s place."

"Here." Jin Jiang didn't say anything, he immediately responded, and after reporting the situation of the generals who came to Beijing to report on their duties, he retired.

Xiao Kezhi was left sitting alone under the lamp. After a moment of contemplation, he was about to get up to take a bath, but suddenly felt something in his cuffs fell out and fell on the wooden floor with a crisp sound.

He stopped, looked down, and saw a delicate and small earring waiting to gleam with gold and jade.

After returning to the imperial tent in the daytime, I found it on the tiger skin blanket. It was what the woman had left.

He stopped for a moment, as if remembering the situation in the daytime, first he smiled, and then he converged as if thinking of something again, and finally squatted down slowly|Go, pick up the earring, and squeeze it gently between his fingers. Rub it until the cold turquoise is slowly warming up.

"Your Majesty, the bath soup is ready." Liu Kang reminded softly at the door.

Xiao Kezhi said with a "um", turned around and walked back to the inner room, putting the earrings in the wooden box beside the bed.