The Gilded Cage

At the foot of Lishan, a team of horses and wagons was rushing towards Tangquan Palace.

In the most spacious and luxurious carriage in the line, Prince Xiao Yu was leaning on the thick mattress with his eyes closed and rested.

The weather outside is clear and sunny, but his face is a bit gloomy, and he seems to be upset about what happened.

There are still five or six days to go before the New Year's Day. He planned to stay a few more days on the way back to Chang'an from Huazhou, and took the opportunity to visit several generals around him. As long as he rushed back to Chang'an before New Year's Eve, it would be fine.

Previously, under Xu Rong's arrangement, he had passed letters with them several times. Although they did not have a very clear intention to form an alliance, at least they did not show resistance and indifference.

This should be an excellent time.

However, before he arrived, there were already people in Chang'an City. His sixth uncle, Xiao Kezhi, took the lead and called several generals back to Chang'an to report on their duties.

The hope that had only been ignited was so shattered. Even if he had heard that the DPRK would continue to call military officers to report on duty, there may be some major changes. He still couldn't help but wonder if the emperor knew his plan. This was the intention. Obstruct.

Even if it is not deliberately obstructed, once there is a change, these people will no longer be useful to him.

All the way to the air, he couldn't, so he could only return to Chang'an earlier and think of other ways. If the emperor really slashed too many people, he wouldn't believe that courtiers and aristocrats would obediently let them be slaughtered.

The carriage ran steadily, and the front guard greeted a waiter who hurried back to report the letter. After a few words in a low voice, he rode his horse to the carriage and asked: "His Royal Highness, news is coming from Tangquan Palace. The saint is at the foot of the mountain today. On the racecourse, the Crown Princess didn't seem to be in the palace either, and came down on horseback with the lady of Lu Guo's family."

"Yeah." Xiao Yu opened his eyes, lifted the curtain to look at the clear sky outside, and said, "Then don't go back to the palace, just go to the racecourse."

Arguably, once he returned to Chang'an, he should visit the emperor. Now that he knows that the emperor is on the racecourse, he naturally has to go straight to him. There must be many clan relatives and courtiers on the racecourse, and it is the safest to see them in front of everyone.

…

On the racecourse, in the imperial tent, the heavy curtains obscured most of the bright daylight, concealing the not-so-wide space inside to a bit dim, and blocking the eyes of countless prying eyes.

Xinjun is simple and simple. Although he often comes to hunt on horseback, he never makes people decorate the imperial tent here too luxuriously. Inside, there is only a low couch, a table, a few shelves and a few lampstands. , It is even hard to tell that it is the emperor's imperial account

The only place that can be called luxurious is the thick blanket on the ground, next to the fire, and a large tiger skin, which he hunted personally when he was last year.

The tiger skin is very well preserved, not only is it intact, but the shiny color can even make people imagine the ferocity and hugeness of this beast at the time.

Only now, on that wide tiger skin that interlaced black, white and yellow, there was a beauty lying across it.

The beauty has messy hair, blushing cheeks, and confused eyes, probably because of the heavy cloak for a long time, and finally broke free to breathe. At this moment, her mouth is slightly open, she can't breathe, and even her entire outline is undulating. striking.

Most of her riding attire, which was originally wrapped tightly, had just been unraveled, and as she hung her arms on her side, she was crumbling, becoming more white as jade against the background of the terrible tiger skin.

A touch of enthusiasm was added to the dim tent.

Xiao Kezhi was standing aside, condescendingly looking at the embarrassed beauty on the ground, his throat couldn't help rolling, and his eyes darkened a little.

While loosening the skirt of his clothes slowly, he approached step by step, stopped beside her, and let his tall and sturdy body cast a heavy shadow on her.

"Your Majesty..." She couldn't help but want to hide away, but his oppressive figure hung above her, like a heavy mountain. She couldn't stand up, so she had to turn around and flee forward.

Xiao Kezhi just admired her appearance like this, until she felt a little strenuous and her movements slowed down, suddenly and effortlessly grabbed one of her ankles and pulled her back again.

"What are you running? If you want to go out and let people see that your niece will appear in my account at this time?"

"Aning is wrong, please forgive Aning!"

She lay down on the soft fluff and wanted to struggle, but her feet were firmly controlled by him and couldn't move. She became weaker, so she turned her head and sighed for mercy.

"Every time you are like this, you will pretend to be pitiful." Xiao Kezhi gritted his teeth as if venting his anger, and his tone was both annoying and complacent, and the blue veins on his forehead jumped suddenly, "This time, I won't be on you. Dang it."

Chu Ning turned to look at him with embarrassed red eyes, grievances and complaints.

The two didn't let anyone else, it seemed that they were going to stalemate to the end.

Chu Ning's eyes flashed, biting her lip and tremblingly, he leaned a jade foot over and made chaos.

"You—" Xiao Kezhi's whole body was shocked, his face suddenly froze, he wanted to reprimand, but couldn't speak, staring at her with a bit of irritation, a bit of disbelief, and a bit of suppressed pleasure.

"Your Majesty, Aning is not a fourteen or five-year-old ignorant girl." She whispered and smiled at him triumphantly, her eyes full of amorous feelings and demonstrations.

Yes, although she is young, she is not an ignorant girl, but a woman who has been married for two years. She is more familiar than him.

He was so bitter in his heart that he was a little bit uncomfortable, and suddenly a burst of brutality was born.

"I forgot. You are not an unmanned girl, so I don't have to pity you any more."

He said, without waiting for her to react, he pulled out his belt and tied her hands to the low couch in twos or twos, making her unable to stand up, so she could only kneel helplessly on the soft blanket. .

She was restrained and unable to move. Her eyes were filled with tears in discomfort. Ai Ai wanted to speak out, but he pinched the back of her neck to remind her: "This is on the racecourse, in the imperial tent, there are many people outside."

Her eyes were full of tears, so she bit her lip and desperately suppressed it.

…

After a long while, he sat on the low couch with her in his arms, and slowly kneaded her wrists that were a little red from the belt.

She leaned softly in his arms, frowning and whispering from time to time as he kneaded, her voice was soft, and he felt comfortable.

She has softened into water, and she has no energy to play with him for the time being, but he is still full of energy and energetic, as if he was just coming back from a hunt. Only at this time can he get a little peace and comfort in his heart.

"You always get tired so quickly." He chuckled happily in her ear, biting her chin for a little while, observing her lazy appearance that she wanted to avoid but was too lazy to move, as if he felt very novel." You look like this, I have to be willing to teach Guoer to ride a horse, it turns out to be a flowery."

Chu Ning raised his eyelids and glared at him, and said strangely: "Why is Aning unwilling to teach? It is clear that your majesty does not allow Aning to teach. Your majesty thinks that Aning is to please your majesty, so he intends to approach Mrs. Lu, and he is uncertain. How can I scold Aning for having a deep mind!"

She could see that although he was always indifferent and fierce, he was sincere and sincere to the Lu Guogong family. If it is his blood relatives, he will always pay more attention to it. Especially she still remembered that he had doubts about her the last time he met him outside the palace.

She, the niece who took the initiative to seduce, must be just a cunning bad woman in his heart, not worthy of his mother's relatives.

Xiao Kezhi looked at her clear eyes, moved in his heart, and asked, "Then you are approaching Mrs. Lu intentionally to please me?"

Chu Ning blinked and said half-truth: "Naturally, my niece is indeed a wicked bad woman."

She did not deny that she had a good relationship with Mrs. Lu's mother and daughter, because she had a lot of selfishness, otherwise she would not even believe it. As for her kindness to Guo'er, there is no need to let him know.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "It's okay, I know, you treat Guo'er and Mrs. Lu, you are sincere."

He is not a gentleman, let alone a saint. At first, she naturally thought subconsciously that she wanted to please him through Mrs. Lu.

But today, he saw her with his own eyes when she was wearing Guoer, gentle, kind, considerate, and attentive, without any pretense. Even when petting the newly picked horse, he remembered to pull Guoer behind him. , So as to teach her not to be afraid, and not to be hurt by a horse that may suddenly be agitated.

He could clearly see the actions made subconsciously. Where is she falsehood? Obviously it is sincere.

But when he misunderstood her, she never defended her. Instead, she generously made the mistake and made him feel a little guilty, and even gave birth to some inquiries and speculations.

He stretched out his hand and stroked her bright eyes, and continued: "I asked the Zhao family lady to teach Guoer to teach Guoer to get along with others. She is my cousin and the little lady in the government office. She should learn to let go. For her temper, I have to let her understand that looking at the entire cold, as long as we are there, no one will dare to disrespect her. Lu Guogong and his wife must also think the same way. The two of them will have only one child, and they will definitely look forward to it. She can live better and more at ease. I don't let you teach her because I despise you."

This was the first time he told her his true thoughts.

He seemed to be explaining to her seriously, the sincerity and patience in his tone were very rare.

Chu Ning was in a daze for a while, staring at him blankly for a while, unable to tell whether the feeling in his heart was a little bit more sour or a bit more surprised.

She smiled and couldn't help but whispered: "It feels so good to be cared by so many relatives."

Xiao Kezhi looked at her softly and sincerely, even with a look of envy that was not easily detectable, but he suddenly understood something in his heart.

If her parents were still alive, she would now be like Guoer, surrounded and loved by people close to her, carefree. Whether she is willful or shy, there will always be someone tolerant and pampered.

"What about you?" He looked into her eyes carefully and asked, "If you treat her sincerely, why don't you teach her?"

There was no usual harshness and ridicule in his eyes, only the straightforward inquiry made her feel uncomfortable.

She buried her face on his chest, lowered her eyes not to look at him, and said in a low voice: "I've said it before. Your Majesty didn't let me teach."

"No." He frowned, stretched out his hand to pinch her chin, so she had to look directly at himself, "I shouldn't ask you why you don't teach, but I should ask you why you know how to ride well, but you have to cover it up. Don't show it in front of people."

He just saw it when he rode behind her. If she didn't hide her clumsiness and followed her to a match, then the Zhao family's lady might not be able to come out on top.

Obviously she has a good riding skill, but she insisted in front of everyone that she was "poor riding skill", and other people present seemed to have no knowledge of her true ability. It can be seen that she has been in these years. , Has never shown the skill of just dealing with him in front of others.

He intuitively felt that there was another reason for her to hide herself in this way, maybe it had something to do with his nephew.