Who taught the red lotus night year after year?

Autumn wind bids farewell to old friends, past events cannot be traced.

Fu Lan Chen did not realize, tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away, smiling bitterly: "My mother said I was a bastard since childhood, fearless of heaven and earth."

"Four years old, the young master of the Wuqing Marquis House held his first birthday. I insisted on attending. At that time, my father's favor toward the Pei family was at its peak, so we all went to the Wuqing Marquis House for the celebration."

"My mother said that seeing the swaddled infant, my tearful nature quieted instantly. Every time I held him, I could not let go. From his first year to his thirteenth, I accompanied and protected him."

The jug of wine was emptied. Nan Gong Ming Chen opened a new jug, the fragrance spreading: "Your Highness, do you regret it? For the sake of the Wuqing Marquis's heir, these many years, you and the Emperor have hated each other—monarch not like monarch, father not like father."

Upon this, Fu Lan Chen paused deeply, seeming to think seriously. After a while, he had an answer: "I once believed that our opposing paths stemmed from my inability to tolerate what he did to the Pei family. Later, I gradually realized that even without the Pei family, without Zhao Jin, I and the Emperor were not on the same road. His path to imperial power, his arts of rule, his schemes for the empire, I fundamentally could not agree with."

"My father once said: Trust is insufficient, there is no faith. Lofty and precious are words. My father rose from humble beginnings in his life. To preempt, he betrayed many people, yet could not accept others betraying him. His fear deepened daily until he became an executioner."

He had such cool-hearted parents; he knew better than anyone.

"Your Highness, are you truly the Emperor's own son?" Nan Gong Ming Chen said with some amusement.

"If not, it would be better." If not, he would not have struggled and suffered for so many years.

In his young, foolish days, when he knew nothing, he led Zhao Jin roaming everywhere, occasionally sneaking out of the palace, changing into common clothes to stroll the streets in Guangling City, playing in various places.

Children forget easily, and Pei Zhao Jin's nature was wild. When he played until sweating, he would casually throw off his outer coat without remembering to pick it up. On the way back, Fu Lan Chen had to put his own clothes on him. Over the years, the two young masters' capes and fox furs were discarded countless times.

For this, the madam of the Yongji Marquis House scolded Fu Lan Chen many times, saying the fifth prince's clothes were missing, just go to the Wuqing Marquis House to find them. Looking at those years, how many of Pei Zhao Jin's clothes in his closet were Fu Lan Chen's.

In the cold palace, every difficult night, thinking of this, Fu Lan Chen's heart was like drowning in the deep sea, unable to breathe.

Fate... the living are the most pitiful.

In the south, 480 temples, how many pavilions in the misty rain.

Fu Lan Chen did not go to Zhenqing Temple, instead went to Hongye Temple, stayed two days. He did not meet the Xu family, but Xu Yan came to see him.

Full of divine Buddhas in the hall, Vajra majestic, Bodhisattva lowering brows, peace throughout the world. As the rain sound gradually rose, Xu Yan began to speak of the past. It was over twenty years ago, his debt with a young woman, not a story of talented scholar and beauty.

Xu Yan now steady and dignified, unaware that in his youth, he could bear the title of "rebellious son." Only because of a disagreement with his father, they had a rift, he left home to establish his own household.

He wandered in Zhanghua for three years, and at that time met Bai Shi, the birth mother of Xu Gui Yi. They privately betrothed, performed the ceremonies, and had a pair of twins left.

"I remember in the Pei family genealogy it says Zhao Jin was adopted as heir from the Flying Swan General's clan, how could that be?"

Xu Yan's brows lowered, seeming a bad past: "Your Highness, do you still remember the Bai family from Jingnan?"

"I remember, the Bai family of Jingnan and the Wuqing Marquis House of Guangling are in-laws." He and Pei Zhao Jin were close since childhood, often entering Pei house, so impression deep.

Forty years ago, Bai Qi's young miss, unmarried pregnant, was driven out by the clan, then arrived in Zhanghua. My married wife, named Bai Ke, though not in Pei genealogy, was actually the daughter of Bai Qi young miss and the old Marquis.

Before Xu Yan finished, Fu Lan Chen's pupils were shocked, eyes wide open, absurdly so!

Forty years ago, in Guangling City, who did not know that Wuqing Marquis Pei Yu married Zhang, had two daughters: eldest Pei Xue Yan, the Flying Swan General, Pei Zhao Jin's adoptive mother; second daughter Pei Xue Yun, mother of Pei Shu Fei, Fu Xun's mother.

But this...

Fu Lan Chen was shocked speechless. Luckily Xu Yan had harbored this secret for decades, looking much calmer than Fu Lan Chen. After all, this was the grudge of the upper generation, what they as juniors... could not comment.

Because Zhang and Bai were cousins, Madam Zhang was fiery-tempered, old Marquis had no courage to recognize Bai Ke as his daughter.

Until 18 years later, when the Pei family came looking for a heir for the marquis title, the old Marquis finally remembered his unseen daughter.

How ridiculous!

Coincidentally, at that time Bai Ke gave birth to a pair of twins for Xu Yan, and things developed like that.

The Pei family took the sister, and used a girl to fill the boy, adopting to Pei Xue Yan as heir, which was Pei Zhao Jin later. Bai Ke was injured in childbirth and died soon, and the other girl was raised by Xu Yan in Zhenqing Temple, who grew up with Nan Gong Ming Chen.

"After Bai family deceased half a year, my father resigned and returned to his hometown, settling in Lan Zhou, sending people to fetch me home, only then did I report to my parents about marrying and having a daughter."

"Later, I moved Bai's memorial tablet into the Xu family ancestral hall, and recorded Zhao Jin in the genealogy. So the world only knows that I had a married wife who died young, leaving a daughter, ranked third in the clan." Which was later Xu Gui Yi...

In Cheng Xiao eighth year, Pei Zhao Jin "died" that year late spring, but Zhao Jin actually died that year late summer. One fake one real, fake and true, fate playing tricks, in the world only this one Xu Third Young Miss.

If not for this trip to Lan Zhou, Fu Lan Chen might never know the strange twists between Pei Zhao Jin and Xu Gui Yi.

"I remember Zhao Jin as a child often followed the old Marquis to Jingnan Bai family to visit relatives, originally... " How did it come to this?

Fu Lan Chen still remembered, in Guangling the old generation often privately laughed at the old Marquis, saying he was a wife and daughter slave, not afraid of thousands of troops and horses, but terrified of the fierce wife at home.

This...

Forget it, who can say what the world knows?

The day Fu Lan Chen returned to capital, snow fell in Guangling City. Red plum covered in snow, red face already dead. The red plum in Cold Spring Garden bloomed more beautifully each year, but without the lover to pluck flowers together.

At year's end, Ningdu Prince Consort passed away, Prince Ningdu grieved excessively, decided to withdraw from court, devote the rest of life to guarding his wife's tomb.

Half of the Nan Gong brothers were transferred out of capital, even Nan Gong Ming Chen requested to go to Yun'er City in the far north, they used distance from court to gain the favor of the South Palace Consort.

Eighth of second month, Crown Prince Fu Zhan requested to guard west border, initially emperor refused; after half month persuasion, crown prince insisted, emperor finally agreed.

Many court officials did not understand why send the crown prince while Qi and Zhao princes were enfeoffed.

Actually not much, just because Longping Marquis Song Gu told the emperor, "Your Highness the Crown Prince requesting to guard west border, is stronger than waiting to die in Guangling. Your Majesty, what do you think?"

The emperor first raged in heart, then felt tragic, mourned for long, finally listened to Song Gu's advice, agreed to Fu Lan Chen's memorial.

Before Fu Lan Chen left capital, he specially went to Hua Yun Tang to accompany Prince Chu one day.

"Five brothers, they say you are going to west border?" Fu Xun these two years grown a lot, height reached Fu Lan Chen's shoulder level.

"Yes, five brothers going to west border to stay some time." Fu Lan Chen said calmly.

"Five brothers, will there be a fifth sister-in-law there in west border?" After one year, only Fu Xun dared mention Xu Gui Yi in front of Fu Lan Chen.

Fu Lan Chen's expression unchanged, but eye rims red, softly murmured: "Silly child, how can dead people come back to life?"

"Dead people can't come back, but what if they did not die? The control crane guards searched the whole mountain, did not they find the fifth sister-in-law?" Fu Xun's stubborn nature was exactly like Fu Lan Chen's.

Fu Lan Chen raised finger to touch Fu Xun's brows and eyes, a pair of eyes very similar to Pei family's, sadly: "Five brothers understands your meaning, rest assured, five brothers knows how to do it."

He always held hope in heart, not only him, but also Zhang Qi, Wen Zhi, Qing Yu... they never gave up searching for Xu Gui Yi....

But ten full months passed, no news, cannot say not despairing, last year Ma Wangye and Yan Qi Qin General specially sent envoys to console.

"Five brothers." Fu Xun reached out to hug Fu Lan Chen's waist, murmuring.

Life a thousand miles and ten thousand miles, parting sadly only.

Fu Lan Chen refused Shen Yu's accompanying, took three thousand personal guards, alone went to west border. Once went, stayed over a year, messages cut off, only one family letter a month, transmitted to Changqiu Palace, inquiring about Fu Xun's well-being.

Half inquiring well-being, half written to Fu Xun as reminders, along with Fu Xun's study list.

The queen sometimes could not help sighing, saying when Fu Lan Chen was studying in palace, he did not pay as much attention to his own studies as to Fu Xun.

The queen, since returning from Wu Xing Mountain trip, her temperament became much calmer. This year, Zhao prince and Qi prince were enfeoffed, crown prince not in Guangling, Wei prince also low profile, basically not entering palace without summons, emperor suddenly felt the palace inside much emptier.

West Border - Fu Su City.

Since Song Gu returned to Guangling, the post of West Border General was naturally shifted to his former capable deputy, Shang Guan Hao, who welcomed Fu Lan Chen twice outside Fu Su City.

First time: after the crown prince recovered the three states of Liao Dong, on imperial order inspecting west border. The soldiers of west border first time seeing the crown prince, whose reputation was so divided, were all very curious. Shang Guan Hao led the three armies, waited half a day outside Fu Su City, finally saw the graceful and handsome, spirited crown prince. The yellow sand of west border could not cover the crown prince's light, his bearing lofty, spirit high, making people forget the mundane.

Second time: after crown prince consort passed away, crown prince requested to stay in west border. Shang Guan Hao outside Fu Su City again saw Fu Lan Chen, only felt the crown prince seemed like changed a person, pure and dustless, full of cold air.

Fu Lan Chen guarded west border over a year, traversed every camp and border pasture in west border, even the farthest most harsh place, he would go; the most chaotic most complicated matters, he also willing to do. Whenever assigning tasks, the places soldiers most unwilling to go, the things most unwilling to do, Fu Lan Chen was willing to go.

At first, the soldiers below were all terrified and uneasy, fearing accidentally offending the crown prince, later time passed, everyone gradually got used to the crown prince's temperament.