Just as the Emperor was cautiously walking towards the Zhu pillar where I was hiding, a "xiu" sound came from outside the window, and a black shadow quickly flashed past. The Emperor heard the voice and quickly turned his head." Cao Yin, there's someone outside the window. Quickly chase after him!"”
"Yes, sir!" Although Cao Yin was extremely worried about Xie 'er's safety, the Emperor had ordered him to go, so he could only brace himself and agree. He hesitated for a while, then looked inside with a serious expression before flying out and chasing after the black shadow.
At this moment, Xie 'er was crouching down, quietly moving from behind Zhu Zhu, slowly moving towards a seat far away from the Emperor. She took a step back and slowly moved backward. Suddenly, she accidentally stuck her head out and happened to meet Yu Minge. Yu Minge looked at Xie 'er and widened her eyes in surprise.
Xie 'er quickly put her finger between her lips and made a " shh " sound. Yumin saw that she was dressed as a palace maid and looked delicate and lovely. She guessed that she was not a bad person and guessed that she might have some unspeakable secrets like herself.
Yu Minge nodded knowingly at Xie 'er. Xie 'er heaved a sigh of relief, bowed slightly, and made a gesture of gratitude to Yumin. Yumin quietly took a sip and found it interesting.
The Emperor composed himself and gripped his sword again, preparing to go behind the pillar to check.
"Brother Emperor, hurry up and chase, the multi-colored cat has run away!”Yumin shouted in panic.
The emperor heard the voice and turned his eyes. Seeing Yumin's anxious and flustered appearance, he probably believed her words. However, he did not let his guard down. He listened carefully for a while and confirmed that there was no movement around him. Only then did he believe it. The Emperor put down his sword and gently pulled Yumin over. He lovingly brushed her hair and asked," Little Yumin, it's so late. Why are you running around?"”
" Well... it's just... it's just that I saw that the multi-colored cat was cute, so I chased it all the way from Chang Ning Palace to here. I didn't expect it to escape..." Yumin lowered her eyes and replied softly.
The emperor loved this sister the most since she was young. Yumin was born with a sensitive and worried personality. The emperor could not bear to blame her when he saw her pitiful appearance. Besides, which other woman in the palace could be as innocent as Yumin and run so far in the dark for a multi-colored cat?
He was used to seeing the women in the palace. They were all lifeless. Every one of them followed the rules and followed the rules. They spoke, walked, ate, and even served the Emperor. They were all so rigid and dull. It was as if they had all been set up. It was really annoying.
"Yumin, brother emperor will send you back. Although it was early spring, one would still catch a cold if they didn't pay attention at night. Come, put it on." The Emperor took off his coat and carefully draped it over Yumin's shoulders, carrying her out of the Hall of Martial Valor.
Xie 'er secretly leaned against the glass screen to observe the movements in the hall. When she saw Yu Minge and the Emperor turn around and leave, her heart that had been in her throat was finally put down.
Just as Yumin closed the door, Xie 'er heaved a sigh of relief. She was dazzled by something. She fixed her eyes on it and saw the white jade steps swaying!
Behind Yumin's black hair was the familiar white jade hairpin. Xie 'er staggered back a few steps. She was a little surprised.
It turned out that Yu Minge was the woman that Ao Lang missed…She was the Ge Ge that appeared at the banquet last time. She was the one that Ao Lang missed and cried at…
Xie 'er carefully recalled the appearance of Yu Minge just now. She had a pair of watery eyes, like the eyes of a spring in the deep mountains. At any time, a few drops of tears would drip out. Seeing her made her feel pity. Her skin was very fair, and it complemented the white jade steps, making her look even more elegant. Her figure was delicate and small, her waist was slender, and her steps were like a small lotus. When she walked, she was like a wisp of a weak willow that could be held in her hand. She was extremely delicate. Although she was dressed in luxurious clothes and had gold, silver, and jewelry on her head, she did not feel vulgar or complicated at all. Instead, she had an untainted temperament. She was faint, quiet, and gentle, like a green orchid.
No wonder Ao Lang, such a wild man, liked her. He should have been convinced by such a stable and stable aura. A woman with such a frown in the palace was really pitiful…Moreover, she had helped him without any explanation just now. It could be seen that Yumin was not only beautiful, but also kind-hearted…
Xie 'er thought about it randomly and suddenly thought of Cao Yin. Oh no, Cao Yin was sent away by the emperor. What should I do now? Should she wait for him here or go back first? Xie 'er wandered uncertainly, and his heart was uneasy.
With a swoosh, another black shadow barged in. The door was opened and then closed tightly.
Xie 'er's nerves tensed up when she heard that. She quickly and quietly poked her head out again, wondering what kind of plague had happened tonight. Why did everyone run here?
He saw the black shadow searching around the room as if it was looking for a place to hide.
Bang! Cao Yin rushed in with his sword. His expression was solemn and his eyes searched the hall.
The black shadow leaped and flew behind the Zhu pillar.
"Ah!" Xie 'er wanted to scream, but a large hand immediately covered her mouth. He lowered his voice and said," Don't move. Be careful of your life!”
Xie 'er was so frightened that she kept quiet and nodded repeatedly. The black shadow held Xie 'er hostage and threatened her in a low voice. Xie 'er lowered her eyebrows and saw a shining sword on her neck. She did not even dare to breathe loudly. She didn't want to die yet. Dying in the Qing Dynasty would be more tragic than dying in a foreign land.
Cao Yin quickly arrived. Seeing Xie 'er being held hostage by the black-clothed man, his face darkened. He seemed extremely anxious and worried. Cao Yin raised his sword and confronted the man in black. He slowly moved around the man in black and was on high alert. He was afraid that if nothing happened, Xie 'er's life would be in danger. Then, he would be in trouble even if he died.
"Don't come over, or I'll kill her with a sword.”The man in black pressed the sword against Xie 'er's neck again, and the coldness penetrated her skin.
"Okay, okay, I won't move. Don't hurt her.”Cao Yin was shocked and quickly pretended to surrender. In fact, he was anxiously thinking about what to do.
At this moment, Xie 'er suddenly turned around and pulled off the cloth covering the black-clothed man's face. Cao Yin and the black-clothed man were both shocked!
"Xie 'er!" Cao Yin could not help but exclaim in shock.
"Ao Lang!" Xie 'er was also shocked.
It turned out that the man in black was Ao Lang. Seeing that Xie 'er had seen through him, Ao Lang could only unhappily put down his sword. Cao Yin quickly closed the door and walked over to them with a serious expression.
"You little girl, are you courting death? How do you know that it's someone you know?”Ao Lang said to Xie 'er indignantly and dejectedly.
Xie 'er burst into laughter and said," Have you ever seen an assassin threaten a hostage with the back of a knife?”
"Oh. So that was the case. Cao Yin was too anxious just now and did not notice it.”Cao Yin asked in surprise.
"Oh right, Ao Lang, why are you dressed like this? What are you doing here? He wouldn't have come to the palace out of boredom, right? Stealing a chicken? Or pet a dog?" Xie 'er squinted and patted Ao Lang's chest playfully.
"F * ck, who's like you, hiding in the Hall of Martial Valor in the middle of the night? You're not here to peep at the emperor, are you? Haha, so you have such a hobby!”Ao Lang laughed loudly and retorted.
" It's already been four hours, and you're still joking…" Cao Yin shook his head helplessly and said," Ao Lang, the Emperor sent me to catch the assassin, and you're Cao Yin and Miss Xie 'er's best friend. Moreover, you're the current Great General. How can I catch you?" Tell me, what should we do now?"
Cao Yin had long been relieved, and his expression was a little relaxed. He looked at Ao Lang and Xie 'er and asked hesitantly.
"That's right, Ao Lang. What do you want to do in the middle of the night?”Xie 'er asked suspiciously. Suddenly, for some reason, Yumin's pitiful appearance appeared in her mind.
" I…" Ao Lang stammered.
"Is it…related to Yumin?”Xie 'er looked at him and probed.
When Ao Lang heard Yu Min's name, his eyes suddenly emitted a strange light. He turned around and stared at Xie 'er, wanting to say something but hesitating.
" You are Ao Lang's close friends, so Ao Lang should tell you everything he knows, but…" Ao Lang's eyes flickered. He could not guess what kind of struggle he was having in his heart. He paused and continued," But, this matter concerns the dignity of the royal family…"
" It's that serious!?" Cao Yin said with a tense expression.
Ao Lang's face darkened when he heard Cao Yin's question, and a trace of sadness flashed across his face.
" Ao Lang…" Xie 'er could not bear to see this. She tugged at Ao Lang's sleeve, and an inexplicable feeling of pity welled up in her heart.
"Hehe, since things have developed to this point, Ao Lang only has one story. Would Young Master Cao and Miss Xie 'er be willing to listen?”Ao Lang instantly smiled in relief.
"Young Master Ao, this is not the place to talk. Please follow Cao Yin.”Cao Yin speculated in his heart. He was afraid that this matter would be serious, so he led them out of the back hall, took a few small paths, and brought them to a short house. Cao Yin pushed open the door and instructed them to hide inside before carefully locking the doors and windows.
Xie 'er and Ao Lang hid in the room and felt that the room was pitch black. They couldn't even see their own fingers until Cao Yin lit the candles in the room and saw the decorations around the room.
The surroundings were quite spacious and the furnishings were simple. There was a shelf full of books, a carved yellow pear wood desk, and a low bed.
"This is Cao Yin's resting place in the palace. It's just a little simple, but it's an emergency. I hope you won't mind.”Cao Yin's face turned red and he looked a little ashamed.
"Haha, Young Master Cao is too polite." Ao Lang laughed.
"Cao Yin, it's fine. Let's listen to Ao Lang's story.”Xie 'er raised her hands, looking like she didn't care at all. Cao Yin gradually calmed down. He led everyone to the chairs in the room.
"Xie 'er, did you see Yumin just now? Is…is she alright? Did the emperor make things difficult for her?" Ao Lang didn't start the story directly. He was obviously more concerned about Yumin's safety.
"Yes, Yumin is very good. The Emperor also loves her very much. At this moment, he is accompanying her back to the palace to rest.”Xie 'er smiled cleverly and comforted Ao Lang.
"Well, that's good." Ao Lang silently lowered his eyes and read thoughtfully.
"Yumin is Consort Dong E's daughter.”Ao Lang suddenly raised his eyes and said.
"Ah?" Cao Yin was shocked at first and said solemnly," Didn't the late Emperor and the late Consort, Consort Dong, not have any children?”
"Yes, outsiders naturally don't know the inside story.”Ao Lang laughed coldly, looking somewhat sinister.
Xie 'er and Cao Yin immediately fell silent and looked at Ao Lang.
"After the death of Consort Dong E, Yumin has been raised by the Borzijit family, which is the current Empress Dowager.”Ao Lang continued," The place where Yumin and I first met was the palace we just escaped from. In fact, it has a mighty name, the Hall of Martial Valor. I remember it very clearly since I was young, hehe. That year, I was nine and Yumin was six. That year, I, Amma, brought me to the Hall of Martial Valor and fought against the Manchurian experts sent by the late emperor. Amma defeated all of them and was conferred the title of Manchurian's number one warrior by the late emperor.”Ao Lang's lips curled into a faint smile. It was obvious that he still admired his father Ao Bai.
"At that time, the late emperor's thirteenth princess, Yumin, suddenly barged in while crying. Hehe, I still remember how she looked at that time. She was like a pear blossom in the rain, delicate and pitiful. Perhaps, from that moment on, I fell in love with her. The late emperor picked up Gege and asked her lovingly what had happened. She said that the kite was entangled by a tree branch and could not fly. When the young me heard about this, I didn't know where I got the courage to volunteer to ask the emperor to allow me to help Gege hold the kite. Not only did the former emperor not blame him, he even agreed very happily and praised his Ao family for being like a tiger father, like a dog son. Yumin happily took my hand and took me to the imperial garden to help her get the kite. I still remember how she cried and laughed at the same time. She was so cute. The person in front of me was all I knew about the world of women when I was young.”Ao Lang recalled with a smile.
Xie 'er and Cao Yin were engrossed in listening, and their lips unconsciously curved.
"Ao Lang's mother died early, and since young, Ma has been strict with him. Other than brother, Ao Lang has no friends. Yumin was Ao Lang's first friend, and she was a little girl. I was really happy at that time. Not only did he climb up the tree to help Gege get the kite, but he also went to the pond to catch fish and tadpoles for her. In short, he did everything a child could do. That day, Ge Ge held my hand and didn't let go for even a moment. I knew that deep down in her heart, she must have treated me as a very good friend. In the evening, we parted reluctantly and promised to play more games the next time we met. However, the child did not know that this farewell might mean that they would never see each other again.”Ao Lang's expression instantly turned downcast.
"Maybe it's God's arrangement. Three years later, Yumin's mother died of illness. The late Emperor granted Concubine Dong E the title of Empress and buried her with the ceremony of national funeral. He also invited all the important officials of the court to mourn. I begged Ama to take me with him. Ama doted on me since I was young and agreed immediately. At the funeral, I met Yumin again. She cried like a tearful person, and my heart ached like blood. We didn't have a chance to talk that time, but before we left, Yumin quietly gave me something. When I got home, I opened it and saw that it was a painting cut from the kite many years ago. I didn't expect that after so many years, she would be like me, cherishing that memory for a long time and never forgetting it. I understood her intentions and was very happy. However, I still didn't know how to connect with her. I wanted to tell her right away that I've always admired her.”Ao Lang's anxious expression at this moment could clearly let people see his anxiety and joy at that time.
"But you should know that in the depths of the palace, even you, Cao Yin, as a first-grade guard with a saber, can't enter the harem without following the emperor, let alone me. At that time, I trained hard in martial arts, thinking that one day, I would fly into the palace to see her. That would be enough. It wasn't until last year when the new emperor went out hunting as usual that I had the chance. Ama and I were lucky enough to be invited to accompany him. Yumin also begged the emperor to go with him. After hunting in the morning, everyone was very tired and went back to their tents early to sleep. Yumin and I had been looking forward to this moment day and night, so we took advantage of the darkness to secretly go out of the tent to meet. "This time, we've privately promised each other for life…" Ao Lang's handsome face was filled with happiness and sweetness.
When Xie 'er and Cao Yin heard this, they smiled knowingly.
"After returning to the palace, the longing tortured us. It had never been so strong. I thought of a way to make an appointment with Yumin. The seventh day of each month was the day we first met. Hehe, the seventh day of the first month. On the seventh day of every month, I wait on the river that flows into the palace. After setting the time, I write down what I want to say on a piece of paper and put it into a paper boat, which flows into the palace with the running water. Yumin waited on the other side of the palace wall. As soon as she got a boat, she threw a stone out.”Ao Lang smiled as he recalled.
When Xie 'er heard this, she also felt that it was very interesting and romantic. She laughed out loud when she met Cao Yin.
"Do you still remember that White Jade Buyao? It's a birthday present I bought for her." Ao Lang smiled as he looked at Xie 'er.
"Hehe, Yumin looks really good wearing it.”Xie 'er praised sincerely.
"Hehe, she told me that she wears it every day.”Ao Lang hurriedly laughed.
"Then why are you here today?" Cao Yin asked.
"One day, Yumin threw out a piece of paper wrapped in a walnut shell. She wrote that the emperor was likely to bestow the Mongolian princess to the Ao family. She was extremely worried and afraid that it would happen to me. I'm afraid that she'll worry. You also know that she lost Ma and Mother since she was young. Everyone in the palace knows about Concubine Dong E and is unwilling to play with her. She's been lonely and silent since she was young. She has a sensitive personality and worries a lot. Her health has always been poor. I was really worried to death outside the palace, so I could only take the risk to meet her tonight. I just wanted to comfort her. " But I didn't expect so many things to happen…I just wanted to detain Xie 'er and run away quickly. I didn't expect this girl to see through me, so it became like this…Young Master Cao, I don't want to implicate you. You'd better take me to see the Emperor…" Ao Lang suddenly stood up and placed his hands in front of Cao Yin.
" Ao Lang…" Xie 'er was also startled and called out to him anxiously.
" It's alright…" Ao Lang smiled, looking extremely sad.
"No, Cao Yin sincerely admires you, Ao Lang. Today, I'm lucky enough to know a different version of you. You're iron-blooded and tender, and you're a real man! "Cao Yin regards you as his confidant, and sincerely hopes that you and Yu Min will be together…" Cao Yin held Ao Lang's hand, his eyes filled with firm admiration.
" Cao Yin…" Ao Lang's heart was moved, and tears almost welled up in his eyes. He did not expect that his love, which could not be accepted by the world, would have two people who understood and supported him silently. Cao Yin was a first-class guard with a saber, and Xie 'er was about to become the palace maid of the Emperor's woman. Haha, there are too many ironic things in this world…Ao Lang suddenly laughed out loud.
"Cao Yin, if you let me go, will you answer to the emperor?”Ao Lang asked with concern.
"Cao Yin has his ways. I'll take you away while the guards are changing shifts.”Cao Yin stood up and pulled Ao Lang over.
"Xie 'er, you stay here first. It's safer here. Oh right, this is food. Eat it quickly.”Cao Yin turned around and took out a bag of things from his pocket, handing it to Xie 'er.
"Okay, you guys go quickly." Xie 'er nodded.
"Let's go!" Cao Yin then carried Ao Lang and flew out of the door.
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