Chapter 48:
Every New Year's Eve in the palace, fireworks are set off in the imperial city. On the opposite bank of Taiye Pond, standing on the second floor of Yongle Hall, you can see the whole picture.
However, on the second floor of Yongle Hall, the first place should be reserved for the emperors and concubines, and the nobles and ministers need to squeeze in behind.
Jun Huailang has come to the palace to watch fireworks every year since he was a child. He was naughty and short when he was young, so he didn't want to be crowded with people. So he sneaked out on his own and looked elsewhere.
I found a corner building on the west side of Taiye Pool.
The turret is usually the place where the guards stand guard. On the thirtieth year, half of the guards in the palace were transferred to the Yongle Hall, and the turret was empty. Its direction is the same as that of Yongle Hall, and there is a vast lake in front of it, so there is no palace tower to block it, and you can just see the fireworks set off by the palace people.
Jun Huailang watched it by himself when he was young, and then brought Jun Xiaowu with him. A few years later, Jun Xiaowu went to Yumen Pass, and Jun Linghuan grew up again, so he took his sister to see it.
But neither of them are here today.
The New Year's Eve banquet is halfway through, and it's almost midnight. Jun Huailang left the table ahead of schedule and took Xue Yan out, leading him all the way to the corner tower he found.
Standing on the terrace of the corner building, he turned his head and said to Xue Yan with a smile. "At 4 a.m., fireworks will be set off on the other side of Taiye Lake. It looks just right from here."
The palace was very lively today, lights were lit everywhere, and the surroundings were bright, brightening the night. The Taiye Pond is surrounded by living water. It does not freeze in winter. The sparkling waves reflect the lights of the imperial city.
Jun Huailang was standing there, and the light outside was just enough to shine mottledly on his face.
Xue Yan stood behind him, bowed his head slightly, and could see his profile.
He hummed lightly.
Jun Huailang drank some wine at the moment, so he talked more. He leaned against the railing, turned around, resting his elbows on the railing.
"Do you have fireworks during Chinese New Year in Yan County?" he asked.
Xue Yan shook his head.
Jun Huailang squinted and smiled lazily.
"That's right," he said with a smile. "Today is the first time I watched the fireworks with me, so it's not worth telling you about this place - even the Sixth Highness doesn't know about it."
It's not that he didn't tell Xue Yunhuan. Every year on New Year's Eve, Xue Yunhuan is always by the Queen's side, and naturally he will not have the opportunity to run out of the Yongle Palace like him.
At this moment, a fire suddenly rose to the sky.
But following closely, Jun Huailang grabbed him by the sleeve.
"Look!" He heard Jun Huailang's clear voice and was a little surprised.
Xue Yan followed him and looked up, and saw the fire exploded in the air, and suddenly a cluster of sparks exploded, and the sparks scattered, becoming a firework.
Following, fireworks burst into the sky one after another, and the sparkling sparks illuminated the large night sky in front of them.
Xue Yan paused, lowered his head involuntarily, and looked at Jun Huailang who was standing beside him.
Xue Yan looked up again and looked at the fireworks in the sky.
For a time, there was only the sound of fireworks exploding, and the subtle crackling sound of the fireworks as they fell. The fireworks displayed in the palace were extremely well-crafted, and the fireworks continued one after another for a quarter of an hour without stopping.
Jun Huailang looked at it for a while, turned his head inadvertently, and saw Xue Yan's profile.
The bright fireworks reflected on his face, illuminating a bright light. Those light-colored eyes seemed to be warmed by fireworks, and they didn't look as cold and ruthless as in the previous life.
Xue Yan seemed to sense his gaze and turned his head to look at him. Those bright eyes stained with fireworks suddenly looked into Jun Huailang's eyes, hot and deep, making his heart beat faster by two beats.
Jun Huailang seemed to have suddenly realized that Xue Yan's appearance was outstanding, and his heart was suddenly hit by his overly beautiful eyes.
However, this slight throbbing was instantly drowned in the sound of fireworks blasting one after another, like ripples on the surface of the water, and disappeared in an instant.
Suddenly, he saw Xue Yan move his lips and say something.
The sound of the fireworks was so loud that it drowned out his voice. Jun Huailang raised his voice and asked, "What did you say?"
Then, he saw Xue Yan's face enlarged in front of him.
The fireworks gave him a soft light, and Jun Huailang felt that Xue Yan staggered his face, stopped by his ear, and his warm breath carried him A steady voice fell on his ears.
"Happy New Year," he said. "peaceful always."
—
He turned his head blankly and looked at Xue Yan.
At this moment, Xue Yan's eyes sank and he stood up straight.
"Someone," he said.
He came back to his senses: "Huh? Who?"
"Someone came up." Xue Yan said, looking back alertly.
Jun Huailang was a little surprised, who was looking for it? The fireworks haven't stopped yet, everyone is watching, why would anyone come here to look for themselves?
He looked back in surprise. Just then, the fireworks stopped temporarily.
He saw a little palace maid climbed up panting, ran in front of him, and blessedly said: "His Royal Highness, the servant has finally found you!"
Jun Huailang asked: "What's the matter?"
The little palace maid said: "Go back to your highness, it was the lady of the country who asked the slaves to find you. Miss Jun just saw that you were not there, so she was eager to find it. Talk about it. I couldn't find this servant in Yongle Hall, but seeing two people upstairs here, I thought it was His Highness here."
Jun Huailang heard the words and looked back at Xue Yan.
He originally wanted to call Xue Yan with him, but his father had something to say to him, so it was not suitable to call Xue Yan with him.
At this moment, the fireworks that had stopped for a while began to go off again. The sky was dark, and the fireworks exploded all of a sudden.
It also illuminated the face of the little palace maid hidden in the dark for a moment.
Jun Huailang turned around and said to Xue Yan, "Then I'll go back first, Fifth Highness, after you finish watching the fireworks, you can go back the same way."
Xue Yan paused, glanced at the palace maid, nodded and said, "Okay."
Jun Huailang said apologetically, then turned around and followed the palace maid downstairs.
The place they came from was remote, and the lights below were thin. After leaving the corner tower, Jun Huailang, who watched the fireworks for a long time, felt that his eyes were dark, and some could not adapt to the dim light.
"This sister, did my father say, what is the matter with me?" Jun Huailang asked.
Jun Huailang nodded.
From them back to Yongle Hall, the distance is not too short, so Jun Huailang has to take Xue Yan out in advance.
But this road is very familiar to him. He walked behind the palace maid for a while, and when he reached a fork in the road, he saw the palace maid go in another direction.
"Sister, did you go wrong?" Jun Huailang hurriedly stopped her. "It's farther there."
The palace maid stopped and turned around, but did not go back.
"Your Highness, I can't walk that way," she said. "The slaves just passed by and saw that the two eunuchs scattered the firecrackers that were carried back to the palace, and almost went off. At this time, the nitrates were being cleaned up."
Jun Huailang was hesitating when he heard the palace maid urged: "Your Highness, don't let the prince wait."
Jun Huailang glanced in that direction again and taught her a reminder, so she quickened her pace and followed the palace maid.
This road is next to Taiye Pool. Although Chang'an is cold in winter, Taiye Pond is living water. Only a thin layer of floating ice is formed on the surface. Walking by the pond, you can feel the chill in the water rising.
He always felt something was wrong.
But after thinking about it, there is nothing wrong.
"Which palace maid are you?" Jun Huailang asked. "It's not from my aunt's place. I see you are very friendly."
The maid didn't seem to hear.
Jun Huailang followed two steps up and asked again.
Then the maid said: "His Royal Highness, the servants are serving in Yongle Hall."
Jun Huailang responded.
But immediately after, he recalled that in the tone of this palace maid, there was a little bit of nervousness and confusion hidden in it.
"The Yongle Palace serves?" Jun Huailang frowned and stopped. "The servants of Yongle Palace are usually the palace servants who are in charge of sweeping. How can you pass the word on behalf of the Duke? Which palace is it from? Don't lie to me."
The palace maid turned around and glanced at him from a distance.
It was dark and Jun Huailang could not see the expression on her face. He was inexplicably flustered and took a step back.
He always felt that there was something wrong with this palace maid, but he couldn't say what was wrong. It's just too coincidental, how could she find herself so far away from the pavilion, and why is she the only one who came alone, and the road she used to travel just happened to be impossible?
Besides, Ling Huan has always been well-behaved, and on weekdays, he rarely starts to make trouble because he can't see himself for a moment.
"You go back first." Jun Huailang took another step back and said lightly. "I'm afraid that the fifth prince will not be able to find the way, I will go back and wait for him to go together."
The palace maid did not speak, and rushed forward quietly.
"His Royal Highness, don't blame the servants." He heard the palace maid say.
Following, Jun Huailang's wrist fell into her hands. The strength is so great that at first glance, it is a person with high martial arts, and it is definitely not an ordinary palace maid.
Immediately after, the world was spinning for a while, and Jun Huailang only felt empty, followed by being thrown into the cold water of Taiye Pond.