Chapter 22:

Xiao Heng watched Gu Suier closing her eyes. At the beginning, her eyes were tightly closed and she obviously didn't sleep at all. After a while, her body relaxed and her breathing became smooth and even.
With her eyes closed, she was quiet and gentle, and even the strands of black hair seemed obedient. Her small hands gently grasped the corners of the quilt, and her big belly made the quilt bulge.
Xiao Heng stared at his stomach and remembered the night at the inn.
She was under him that night.
At that time, although he was so uncomfortable that he had lost his reason, he could clearly see her face, her white face, through the moonlight.
That night, he planted fruit in her belly, and now the belly is so big...
At this moment, Xiao Heng had a strange sentiment rising in his chest.
Regarding the relationship between men and women, about the fertility of blood and bedclothes.
The midday light came in from the window lattice, and the well-decorated room was quiet and silent.
Xiao Heng stared at the woman lying on the bed, and after a long time, he got up.
"Be guarded outside the door, so you can serve." With his stern brows narrowed, he whispered to Mother An outside the door.
"Yes, yes, the old slave knows." Mother An agreed naturally.
Xiao Heng turned his head and glanced behind him again before stepping into the hall. Only a few guests had just arrived and the host of the conservatory was speaking with him there.
When Xiao Heng walked out, it happened that one of the eyes saw Xiao Heng, and he hurried over to say hello.
"Xiao Heng!"
Xiao Heng stopped and looked to the side lightly. It was the third prince who stopped him.
In fact, Xiao Heng's grandfather was originally an orphan without a surname. Later, he was given the national surname for his military exploits. The national surname is Xiao, and the surname of the current saint is Xiao.
There are three sons in the holy. Xiao Heng has a good relationship with the three princes. The third princes are the elder brothers of Princess Zhaoyang.
The eldest prince and the second prince were not, they were born to the concubine, and the third prince was born to the queen.
At this time, the third prince smiled at Xiao Heng.
"Xiao Heng, you really are here!"
"Something?" Xiao Heng raised his eyebrows.
"Can't I find you if I'm fine?"
"I have something to go out first."
"Then I will go with you!"
"..."
Looking at Xiao Heng’s reluctant eyes, the third prince smiled even more, and said jokingly:
I’ve heard about it, but you’re so angry about looking for Zhaoyang. She hasn’t suffered this kind of loss when she grows up. Crying and riding back to the palace."
As for Princess Zhaoyang, Xiao Heng didn't bother to mention it.
In fact, Princess Zhaoyang, as a royal princess, Xiao Heng still maintained the minimum etiquette to her, but who knew that the other party had been clinging to him all the time, preaching about marrying him everywhere.
Having been so troubled by her, among the hundreds of civil and military officials in Yanjingcheng, who would dare to marry his daughter?
He currently has no intention of marrying a wife, but he doesn't want to marry himself does not mean that Princess Zhaoyang can be left to be so arrogant.
So facing the third prince, he didn't even bother to speak.
The three princes sighed: "You are the only one in the world who dare to be so embarrassed. Admire it!"
Xiao Heng: "Is there anything else?"
The third prince: "Yes!"
As he said that, he sullenly moved towards him: "Where did your little concubine come from? How could you be pregnant with your child? You—"
He was a little unbelievable, look under Xiao Heng: "Aren't you good at it?"
Xiao Heng's response to this was to glance at him coldly, one that was sharper than Leng Jian.
The third prince trembled in his heart.
When Xiao Heng walked out a long way, he was still thinking about it.
Isn't it impossible for Xiao Heng? He tried it on purpose that day, but it didn't work.
So the question is, how did Xiao Heng, who didn't work at all, have a concubine with a big belly?
Gu Suier rested in the greenhouse for about an hour, and when she woke up it was midday, and she was also hungry.
When she moved like this, Mother An got up busy to serve her up, and soon Xiao Heng also came, including Xiao Jin, Xiao Xu and Lu Qingyi.
Everyone obviously knew about Princess Zhaoyang, but because Xiao Heng's face was cold, he didn't dare to mention it too much.
At noon, I went to a restaurant to have a meal. I entered a private room. After the meal, Xiao Heng went out with something to do. Xiao Jinlu, Qingyi and Xiao Xu surrounded Gu Suier and asked about Princess Zhaoyang.
They have heard others mention it, but they are all second-hand third-hand news.
Now it's time to catch Gu Suier and ask.
Gu Suier explained the situation at that time one by one, and answered whatever others asked her.
After listening, everyone was stunned.
Xiao Xu was the first to say: "Princess Zhaoyang is the only daughter of the queen, will she go to the queen to file a complaint?"
Lu Qingyi twisted her eyebrows and thought: "But didn't the emperor always like the third brother? Will he punish the third brother for this?"
Xiao Jin thought for a while: "Then I don't know, wait and see. Besides, it is actually Princess Zhaoyang's fault. She drew it off with a whip. If she really gets her sister-in-law, this appearance will be ruined. Said, I am afraid that even the child in the stomach may not be able to keep it."
When everyone heard about the consequences, they couldn't help being afraid.
Princess Zhaoyang has a high status and is used to being arrogant on weekdays. It's common to bully someone, but it's too much to get up like this and almost kill someone.
Gu Suier listened to everyone talking about this, but she lowered her head and said nothing.
She knew that Xiao Heng must have offended Princess Zhaoyang because of herself.
However, there are small tadpoles in his stomach.
If Xiao Heng is unable to make a move and he is injured, the tadpole may not be protected.
She lowered her head, listening to everyone's enthusiastic discussion, she has been speechless.
When I returned to Ruidinghou's mansion, the people in the mansion also knew about it.
The old lady in turn comforted Gu Suier: "That Zhaoyang has never been too sensible. Don't be familiar with her. A Heng is a good boy. He will protect you when he encounters anything."
With that said, she rubbed Gu Suier's head and looked up and down, her belly is still big, and her whole body is not bad, so she is finally relieved.
"It's fine if nothing happens."
Gu Suier would come over three times a day, and occasionally the old lady called, she would also hurried over to accompany her, and slowly she got acquainted with the old lady.
When the old lady spoke, she understood what it meant.
She seems to be able to understand even the meaning that others can't quite understand.
So now when the old lady said this, she knew what it meant.
The old lady is distressed that she almost had an accident, but the other party is Princess Zhaoyang, so even if Princess Zhaoyang did something wrong, it doesn't matter, as long as there is no accident, then don't care.
Gu Suier didn't think about anything, after all, she was really fine.
But she worried about Xiao Heng: "Old lady, Princess Zhaoyang seems to be very angry, she is angry with the third master."
The old lady didn't care at all: "It's okay. Just get angry. The big deal is to ask her to file a complaint in front of the emperor, and let Ah Heng go into the palace to listen to training. That's it."
Although Princess Zhaoyang was favored, the old lady was even more favored than Princess Zhaoyang. The matter of the royal family is bigger than the sky in the eyes of others, and it is nothing more than that in her eyes.
The emperor is her maiden nephew, and Princess Zhaoyang respectfully called to her grandma when she arrived.
So what originally worried Gu Suier was, after what she said, it was children fighting and playing.
After listening to Gu Suier, she was finally relieved.
I bid farewell to the old lady and went back to the yard. Xiao Heng hadn't come back yet. She took a bit of bird's nest soup, sat outside the yard and looked at the bamboo for a while, then rested.
Now my belly is too big to lie down, I can only lie on my side.
Lying on her side, listening to the rustling sound of the bamboo forest blowing in the wind outside the window, she suddenly remembered that Xiao Jin's once said that when Xiao Xu planted bamboo outside the window back then, she liked that little bamboo shadow on the window when she was studying late at night.
She looked in the direction of the window through the tent, trying hard to realize what he said about the bamboo shadow whirling, but it seemed that there was nothing.
Perhaps the elegance and liking of a scholar would be incomprehensible to her for a while.
"Little madam, go to sleep. You can't help you with the outside affairs. You can worry about it in vain. Now it's better to rest. It's important to have a good baby."
Mother An and Gu Suier had been together for two months, and she knew her temper very well, knowing that such a big event had happened today, she must be upset.
"Well, I know, Mother An."
Gu Suier was very calm: "I also want to understand. I don't understand any princesses. I can't do anything against them. I am such an aunt from the countryside, just trying to keep the tadpoles in her belly. , As long as he is good, I don’t care about everything else."
It's just that I miss him after all, fearing that there is something wrong with him.
Think about it, or ask: "San Ye... are you back now?"
"No, but you don't have to worry, little madam, what can happen to the third master, the emperor appreciates our third master very much. At most, I will say a few words, and then fine."
Madam An was obviously not confident, but she still tried to comfort Gu Suier.
"I'll go to bed first, Mother An, you remember to ask the maid to warm the chicken soup with warm water. I don't know if the third master is eating outside. If not, let him eat something."
"Little madam, don't worry, you can't forget this."
Gu Suier finally felt a little relieved after hearing this, she lay on the couch, closed her eyes, relaxed her body, and let herself fall asleep slowly.
After Xiao Heng sent Gu Suier home, he went to the palace.
Today, he first took Gu Suier around in Guiyuan in front of the nobles of the Houmen of Yanjing City to enjoy flowers and meals, and then offended Princess Zhaoyang for Gu Suier.
Naturally, this matter was a big noise.
Princess Zhaoyang cried to Queen Xiaoxian after returning, and Queen Xiaoxian went directly to the emperor.
When Xiao Heng passed by, Emperor Jing Kang had just persuaded Queen Xiaoxian away.
"A Heng, what are you doing!" Emperor Jing Kang sighed as he watched Xiao Heng kneel before him: "You don't know what kind of temper Zhaoyang is."
"Weichen is guilty, please be punished by the emperor." Xiao Heng didn't say much, knelt on one knee, bowed his head and confessed.
"I have taught you that there are a hundred ways to deal with a problem. Why did you choose the most troublesome one?"
Emperor Jing Kang's expression was not good, he squeezed the jade lion paperweight in his hand and looked at Xiao Heng displeasedly.
"Weichen was wrong."
Xiao Heng returned with four simple words.
"You--" Emperor Jing Kang was angry and choked.
Emperor Jingkang said nothing, Xiao Heng knelt.
Because today was a private call, he did not wear official uniforms. Xiao Heng was dressed in purple civilian clothes. He was born long, like a pine and cypress. Now even if he is kneeling, his back is straight, his momentum is cold and calm, and his face is like ice. Yu, it is rare to see beautiful men in the world.
Emperor Jingkang stared at Ruyuerlang who was kneeling there, and finally sighed quietly for a while: "Get up."
Xiao Heng heard the order and stood up: "Yes."
The on the side came over immediately and handed a tart.
Xiao Heng said calmly: "Thanks to Eunuch Hu, but Weichen should stand still."
Jing Kangdi: "Sit down."
Xiao Heng sat down.
The had tea, first poured a cup for Emperor Jing Kang, then poured another cup, and handed it to Xiao Heng himself.
In the imperial study room, the monarch and the minister slowly tasted it, the fragrance of tea lingered, neither of them spoke.
Later, after taking a few sips of tea and finally feeling better, Emperor Jingkang said slowly: "You have always been deserted, and I have never seen you have a crush on anyone. This time it surprised me. It's a concubine room."
Xiao Heng put down the tea cup, bowed his head, and looked respectful and cold: "Return to the emperor, although she is only a concubine, but in her belly is the flesh and blood of the minister. She is weak and once suffered from tiger and wolf medicine. It's the flesh and blood of the minister."
When he said this, Emperor Jing Kang was taken aback.
Although it was night, the lights in the Imperial Study Room were bright, and Emperor Jing Kang stared at Xiao Heng's eyebrows, but saw the love of protecting the calf flashing through the cold eyes.
He smiled for a while and sighed.
"I said earlier, it's better to get married." Jing Kangdi remembered the past: "A man can only become stable when he has a family. He knows that he will look forward to the future, and he also knows that he is thoughtful. What Wang Zhongzhi said to govern the country and the world, I Seeing that it is all farting, we still need to be together before we can govern the country."
Wang Zhongzhi was a capable minister of the dynasty, and he proposed to govern the country and the world. Emperor Jing Kang was quite dissatisfied.
Emperor Jingkang was naturally a solemn and majestic emperor in front of outsiders, but in private, he spoke very casually.
He always felt that the previous Xiao Heng seemed to have a cool temper, but he was actually a runaway horse, and he had a headache that he didn't know what to do.
It's all right now. With a woman in the room, there will also be a child, and he can accept it.
"The emperor is absolutely right." Xiao Heng boasted blankly.
"Since I'm right, why didn't you listen to it before?" Jing Kangdi raised his eyebrows and asked, "I said that I would let you get married. Which one do you think you have seen?"
"..." Xiao Heng was silent.
"You, just don't listen to me, be respectful in the open, and act arbitrarily in the secret. You are nineteen years old. When the child is born almost twenty, this will be a weak crown. Look at the eldest prince, he will have a child at sixteen Let’s look at the second prince again. They got married at the age of fifteen. They had two at the age of 17, and then look at the third prince..."
Speaking of the three princes, the emperor remembered that the three princes were 18 years old and not married, so he had to stop mentioning them.
But this does not prevent him from continuing to talk about Xiao Heng: "If you don’t have a family, how can you do it? If you don’t have a family, you have to put a few women in the room. You said you were ignorant before. I'll show you. There are so many good girls, you didn't even fancy one of them..."
"The emperor." Xiao Heng suddenly said, interrupting the emperor.
"what?"
"The girls that the emperor pointed out to the ministers were either too ugly or too stupid." Xiao Heng said flatly, "There is no good one."
"You--" Now, the emperor was very angry.
What he pointed out to him was that the righteous wife was not the eldest daughter of the official family, or the progeny princess of a different surname, and even the daughters of ordinary Houfu family didn't want to be rationed to him!
Pointing to see that he didn't like it, so he picked the most beautiful girl in the palace for him to pick, but he didn't like all of them. In the end, he had no choice but to send two casually to serve him.
Is there an emperor who is more dedicated than him in this world?
It's a pity that Xiao Heng doesn't appreciate it.
Xiao Heng raised his eyebrows and continued slowly: "The ones you promised are not good."
Emperor Jing Kang was speechless for a while.
The chief next to him bowed his head respectfully.
He is used to it.
As the dignified emperor, even the empress was respectful when speaking in front of him. Only the third son of the Ruiding Hou Mansion was... hard to say.
After a while, Emperor Jing Kang came over by himself.
He coughed: "Aheng, when the child is born, remember to hold it and show me."
Xiao Heng respectfully and indifferently: "Yes, Weichen will remember."
Emperor Jingkang took a sip of tea: "Hey, I understand now that I am old, and even Ah Heng is going to be a father."
Xiao Heng heard this sentence of emotion in his heart, but said nothing.
He raised his head and looked at the Ninth-Five Lord after Long An, and found that the lines on his face were already very deep.
For a while, I remembered that when he was four years old, he saw him for the first time, when he was in his prime and picked him up.
Xiao Heng, who was held in his arms, could clearly see the love in the eyes of the emperor.
Xiao Heng lowered his eyes and suddenly wanted to ask Emperor Jing Kang a question.
He raised his head, looked at the old emperor on the case, and asked: "The emperor, we will ask you a question."
Emperor Jing Kang glanced at him: "You ask."
Xiao Heng was silent for a moment before he asked, "I want to ask the emperor, how does it feel to be a father?"
When Emperor Jing Kang heard this, he was surprised.
He looked at the stacks of memorials on the case, thought for a moment, and then slowly said: "Most men will be fathers, emperors will be fathers, ordinary people will also be fathers, but they are all fathers, ordinary people. The father of the family is different from the father of the royal family."
Xiao Heng listened carefully and asked, "What's the difference?"
Emperor Jing Kang's dragon eyes stared at Xiao Heng.
"In ordinary people's homes, father and son are father and son, but in this emperor's house, father and son are not only father and son, but also monarchs and ministers. First there are monarchs and ministers, then father and son."
The candlelight in the Imperial Study Room jumped, and the who was waiting next to him still stood with his head bowed respectfully.
There was an unnoticeable tremor in Emperor Jing Kang's solemn and majestic voice.
"The common people are also humans, and the ninth-five-year-olds are also humans. But all humans have a long heart, and they all have the same mind as a father. They all hope that their children will be well. It is only a sigh that when born in an emperor’s house, you should bear it This imperial family's morality!"
Xiao Heng stood there silently and said quietly: "Weichen understands."
There was no more noise in the room, Xiao Heng finished tasting the tea in his hand and got up to leave.
Holding the file on the Long Case in his hand, Emperor Jing Kang reminded him in a low voice, "A Heng, the child will be born in more than two months. Remember to name the child first."
Xiao Heng said: "Yes, the emperor."
Emperor Jing Kang was silent for a moment, then raised his hand and took out the paper on the case: "Here, I listed it yesterday. You can take a look first."
The stepped forward, took the piece of paper, and handed it to Xiao Heng.
On the imperial paper, there is indeed the name of Emperor Jingkang's own pen. There are about two dozen men and women.
Although Xiao Heng looked at it roughly, he also knew that the names on the above were all thoughtful. He was taken aback, then bowed his head and said respectfully: "Thank you, the emperor."
When Xiao Heng came out of the palace, the palace gate was already closed, but he was the leader of the Dragoon Guardian, and he could enter and leave the palace at will.
When he entered the palace, he did not bring any guards, and he rode one person and one ride after he left the huge palace gate.
August and Qiuyue had already slanted westward, and the fallen leaves that had not been cleaned in front of the palace gate were blown up. In the depths of the night, there was only the sound of his horse's hoof stepping on the bluestone road.
He took the reins and the horse stopped.
He lowered his head, but saw the shadow on the bluestone slab.
One man, one horse, stretched slender.
After staring for a moment, he looked back and looked at the palace gate.
The palace gate was closed, and the high courtyard was silent.
He remembered what Emperor Jing Kang said today. He said that in this emperor's house, father and son are not only father and son, but also kings and ministers. And first there are kings and ministers, then father and son.
He also said that people's hearts are all flesh-grown, and the mind of being a father is the same.
Holding the reins tightly and twisting his eyebrows, he thought of Gu Suier and the fleshy kicking baby in his stomach.
There was a trace of warmth in the lonely heart.
Gu Suier was worried about Xiao Heng, she couldn't sleep at all.
But Mother An said that she had to rest well for the sake of the tadpole, and she thought about it.
She knew that she was frightened today, and the tadpole was also frightened. She had to rest so that the tadpole could recover.
So she closed her eyes and tried to get herself to sleep.
But even if I fell asleep, my dream was still unstable.
In the dream, she was sitting by the window. On the window sill, there was a white jade bottle that Xiao Heng gave to herself before, with two osmanthus flowers inserted in it.
She fiddled with the two sweet-scented osmanthus, thinking about Xiao Heng in her heart, fearing that he would be implicated in the daytime.
When I looked up, I saw that the sky was gloomy outside, and the wind was blowing, and the bamboo in the courtyard swayed violently.
She was a little scared in her heart, thinking about what was going on, why didn't Xiao Heng come back, why did Mother An disappear, and where did the maids go?
For a moment she almost thought she was back to Gujiazhuang again, but when she looked down, her belly was sharp and big.
This is obviously not in Gujiazhuang's time.
At this time, the little tadpole in his belly moved. He didn't know what to do. He kicked her belly up and down, arching her belly with his round buttocks. The belly was high and low, like ripples in the water. The same turbulence.
"Little tadpole...what's the matter with you?" she murmured.
Just saying this, suddenly a bright light made her eyes barely open.
She raised her head in surprise and saw a round of sun falling from the sky slowly flying into her window.
She stared at all this, wondering how the sun would go down.
The sun fell on her belly, slowly enveloping her belly, and then disappeared slowly as if it had melted into it.
When the sun melted into her body, her body exuded bursts of warmth. The warmth was like the sun in winter, which made people lazy and comfortable. She felt very comfortable, and she wished to curl up her fingers and slap lightly. Roller.
"Um..." She woke up slowly, hearing her own comfortable muttering, her voice murmured.
It took a while for her to realize that she seemed to have a dream.
She woke up dimly and felt a person standing in front of the couch.
Opening her eyes in surprise, she saw Xiao Heng.
He stood in front of her couch, watching him quietly.
While he was asleep, a man appeared suddenly, ordinary people should be afraid, but Gu Suier did not.
She hoped that Xiao Heng was okay, so she thought nothing of it, and stubbornly hoped that Xiao Heng would be safe, and that Xiao Heng would be okay.
This idea is so simple that now Xiao Heng is standing in front of her, even if it is incredible and sudden, she feels really good.
"San Ye..." She whispered.
He looked at her without saying a word.
"When did you come back?" She said this, struggling to get up.
She has a big belly and it's hard to get up.
Xiao Heng stepped forward and pressed her shoulders to prevent her from getting up, and said dumbly: "You lie down, don't move."
It didn't take long for him to come in from outside, and his hoarse voice still carried the coolness of autumn night.
Gu Suier stopped getting up, she lay there, staring at the man fixedly, without asking anything.
Xiao Heng looked down at the woman, her ink hair scattered on the couch, soft and moving, which reminded men of all the lingering poems they had ever read.
Lying down, her little face was white and her wet eyes were wide open, staring at him earnestly, as if he were her heaven, her land, and everything about her.
He couldn't help thinking of that night, when she was held in his arms, she looked like she is now, with dark and moist eyes open.
He also remembered her body, petite and tender, white as snow, soft and glutinous to incredible.
Maybe it was because he looked too hard and too direct, the thoughts in his heart were exposed to his eyes without concealment, so that Gu Suier was moved and shy, she moved her head and turned her face away.
That shy look...
The fuse at the bottom of Xiao Heng's heart was ignited. He undressed, got on the couch, went into the bed, and surrounded her.
After leaning on his, she shivered slightly.
He hugged her, put his face on her shoulders, sniffed the unique fragrance of her body, and said dumbly: "Don't be afraid, I will hug."
Gu Suier was indeed a little frightened at the beginning, even though she herself had already tried to forget that night, but her body had a memory, and at this moment, she became scared.
But when he spoke, she suddenly felt a kind of loneliness and helplessness. It's like walking on an empty mountain road at night, looking at the mountain that day, everything around is so magnificent and mysterious, only oneself is small, small enough to be homeless, small enough to be swallowed at any time.
She even felt that the man suffocating on her shoulders was not a noble Prince Hou Ding, but a person like her.
Walking on the street in vain, his eyes were blank, and he didn't know where he came from.
So she gritted her teeth and endured the tremor of her body, letting herself relieved from the distant nightmare.
After that, he rolled over with difficulty, leaned his stomach against him, and awkwardly raised his hands to try to encircle him, who was cool and cold.
She even felt that he was like a helpless child now, and when the little tadpole was born in the future, she would definitely surround her little tadpole like now.
He also didn't expect that she would hug him like this, soft and sweet, incredibly gentle.
He was pleased by her actions and couldn't help but raise his head, kiss her chin and then kiss her face.
Her breath was pure and clean, which made him a little bit eager.