17.growing

As expected, Na Luo fell ill again.

In a daze, she felt dizzy, and there was a faint sound of someone talking in her ears, mixed with some other noises. She tried to open her eyes, but felt that her eyelids were too heavy to lift up. It was not until she heard a familiar voice that her mind slowly began to clear up.

The moment she opened her eyes, what came into view was the gentle face of Ishtar. She wanted to give him a smile, but the muscles around her lips were stiff and could not be pulled apart.

"Master..." After trying for a long time, she squeezed out these two words.

"Finally woke up." There was a look of relief on his face, "Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Do you want to drink some water?"

Na Luo licked his cracked lips and nodded slowly.

Ishtar got up and took a can of water and came back, gently helping her up, "I already know about this. My second brother is not young anymore, but he is still so naughty."

"I don't know how I offended him..." She murmured, "Maybe he hates me too much."

"He has only seen you a few times, and you are just a child. How can you offend him?" Ishtar paused, "Qu Chi told me this morning that you did not return all night, and other palace people said that they had seen you at Princess Dana's place, so I came here. Fortunately, nothing happened."

"Master, when I saw you appear just now, I thought I was dazzled, and thought it was... a god appearing. If it weren't for you, I think I would have turned into a walnut." Although he was dizzy from illness, Na Luo did not forget to offer a few more sweet words.

Ishtar couldn't help but laugh, "Look, how could anyone hate a sensible child like you?" There was a certain teasing in his tone. As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that Na Luo's expression seemed to become dim. A few faint lights floated in those childish glass-colored eyes, which were actually - so sad.

Why would an eight-year-old child have such a distressing look?

"By the way, why did you run to that tree? A Bao is just an excuse." He felt a little uncomfortable, so he pretended to change the subject casually.

"I..." She frowned exaggeratedly and hummed twice, "Master, I suddenly feel so uncomfortable... I feel dizzy... I think I need to sleep for a while..."

How could these little tricks be hidden from him? A mischievous smile floated in Isda's eyes, and she reached out and took something out of her arms and put it in her palm.

Na Luo felt the touch was cold, and when he looked down, it turned out to be a malachite with extremely delicate texture. There are dark green cloud-like patterns on the blue-green surface, which look like flying clouds under the light, more charming than the most gorgeous peacock tail feathers, and flawless. A silk rope of the same color passes through the black agate base lined with the stone, stringing it into a wearable necklace.

"This malachite necklace is for you." His expression was calm and indifferent.

"Give it to me?" She looked at the stone in her hand without blinking, obviously she liked it very much. After all, she was a child, and it was hard to resist the temptation when she saw beautiful things.

"In our Loulan, malachite has always had the ability to ward off evil and get rid of bad luck, so it is often used to make amulets." He blinked, "Don't you think this is suitable for you, Na Luo?"

Her fingers rubbed the hard stone surface, and a layer of tenderness slowly surged in the deepest part of her heart.

"Master... why... did you give me such a valuable thing?"

"Silly child." He reached out and brushed away the hair hanging in front of her forehead. His slender fingers were as delicate as bone porcelain, and his delicate skeleton outline looked elegant and unparalleled. There was a hint of smile in his voice, "I have accepted you as my last disciple. If I don't even have a gift for entry, wouldn't I be too stingy as a master?"

She clenched the malachite in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "Actually, I climbed up that tree because I wanted to see what Princess Dana looked like."

He said softly, "Is it because of curiosity?"

"Master, do you know the witch doctor Tigu?" As soon as she mentioned this name, her heart ached faintly.

He seemed stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Of course I know. The name of the witch doctor Tigu is almost known to everyone in Loulan. His medical skills are quite good, but it's a pity... If there hadn't been the accident of Princess Dana's child..."

Na Luo bit his lip, raised his head and looked directly into his eyes, "Witch Doctor Tigu is my father."

He was obviously stunned for a moment, but soon regained his composure, "Now that you mention it, I also found that your eyes are indeed somewhat similar to those of the witch doctor Tigu." He paused and asked with a complicated expression, "Na Luo, is this the reason why you entered the palace? If so, I will send you out of the palace immediately. You don't understand the dangers of this palace at all. If you are not careful, you will lose your life."

"No, no, I didn't enter the palace for this." Na Luo hastily denied, "Although I don't believe my father would make such a mistake, this time I entered the palace... It was entirely because Lord Quehu and the queen kindly took me in." Seeing that he still had doubts on his face, she simply told him how she was bullied by her uncle and aunt, and how she met Lord Quehu. As she spoke, she also lifted her sleeves, revealing half of her arm with many scars, and smiled helplessly, "Look, this is all the masterpiece of my aunt..." She actually didn't like to complain like this. But in order to dispel Ista's doubts, she could only put herself on the most pitiful and miserable side.

His eyes slowly passed over the scars, a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes, and his voice became much softer, "Na Luo, you have suffered so much..."

"Dad once told me that malachite is the mirror of our Loulan people's soul. We can see our own souls through it. It has power that we don't know." She tried to force a smile, "So, I don't have to worry about it in the future. Xiaoqing will protect me."

"Xiaoqing?" He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I named this malachite." She blinked mischievously, "Give it a name, it will listen to me more."

"Not just Xiaoqing." His eyes became warm, and his face was gentle as if to melt her, "Na Luo, in the future, I will protect you."

Na Luo opened her eyes wide, and she looked into his eyes. Her figure was reflected in the boy's deep pupils, and there was only tenderness that was about to overflow.

Her heart was filled with an impulse of pain, and she could only bite her lips tightly to prevent the fragile liquid from rolling down.

At this moment, the young man in front of her was not a high and mighty prince, but a person who could be trusted.

At least, now.  

Is this the last comfort given to her by the Buddha?  

It was raining outside the window again, and the cold raindrops blew into the room with the cool breeze and fell on her face.  

For some reason, she didn't feel cold.  

Not long after that, the King of Loulan soon married two new princesses. The newly appointed Xiongnu Chanyu, Xulihu, was not a warlike person by nature, and coupled with the successive natural disasters, the Xiongnu had no intention of confronting the Han Dynasty head-on for the time being. The Han Dynasty was also seriously injured after the Battle of Mobei, and was even more unable to fight again, so the countries in the Western Regions seemed to be relatively calm during this period. The state and family affairs of the royal court had made Xulihu Chanyu extremely anxious, and he had no time to care about Princess Dana who married far away in Loulan.  

Without the powerful backing of the Xiongnu Chanyu, Princess Dana's power suddenly weakened a lot, and the King of Loulan went to her less frequently, and even the palace people were no longer as attentive as before. The bedroom that used to be bustling with people now became deserted. The arrogant Princess Dana changed her temperament and stayed at home all day long. She was almost never seen in the palace.  

Time passed quickly, and more than half a year passed in the blink of an eye. This year, the spring of Loulan Kingdom came earlier than any other year. White clouds floated in the clear blue sky, the white grass of the tung trees by the Peacock River was lush and green, and the reeds swayed in the spring breeze, like a charming dancer. Large tracts of poplar forests were lush and leafy, and occasionally a few deer passed through the forest, startling a group of birds foraging in the trees, flapping their wings and chirping as they rushed into the sky. The river was sparkling, and the fishermen were fishing in canoes under the golden sunshine. There were gorgeous buildings on both sides of the streets, and people were bustling. Languages ​​of different countries were heard one after another. Camel caravans came and went, and merchants from various countries carried a lot of coins and goods looking for a place to stay that day.  

This was a normal day in the prosperous Loulan Kingdom.  

At this moment, the Loulan Palace is also full of spring, with green buds poking out one after another, and the vibrant green seems to be dripping out. When the wind blows, tiny grass leaves float through the air, dancing in the soft light.  

A girl about eight or nine years old is sitting under a tree playing the flute. Her light brown hair shines like satin, and with her beautiful glass eyes, she looks indescribably pleasing to the eye. The boy next to her is even more handsome and elegant, bathing in the clean morning light, looking like a dreamlike painting. But if you look closely, you can find that the corners of the boy's mouth are twitching slightly, which regrettably destroys this harmonious scene.  

The girl glanced secretly and obviously noticed the boy's expression. She subconsciously took the flute away from her lips, puffed up her cheeks and complained, "Master, I told you long ago that I don't have the potential in this area. You see, I have been learning for more than half a year, but I still haven't made any progress."  

The boy rubbed the corners of his mouth and shook his head helplessly, "Alas, I didn't expect that I, Isda, would also make mistakes. Na Luo, how about this, I think you will--"  

- You don't have to learn from now on? Na Luo was suddenly excited, but before she could be happy, she heard the other party's second half of the sentence, "You have to practice more from now on, and I will take more time to supervise you."  

"Huh?" Seeing her smile frozen on her face, Isda's eyes quickly flashed a smile.  

Na Luo then rolled his eyes and said, "Master, in fact, my learning to this level is not useless. At least when you go hunting in the future, you can bring me with you.  

Oh?" He curled his lips leisurely, waiting for her next words.  

"When I get there, I just need to blow the flute, and the birds on the trees will fall down like rain. Not to mention the birds, even lions and tigers can't resist my magic sound."  

Ishtar couldn't help laughing, stretched out his hand and gently tapped her forehead, "Then the next time there is a battle, I only need to bring you, a silly girl, and I will be invincible."  

"Of course, I am the mysterious weapon taught by you, Master. "Na Luo replied shamelessly. After more than half a year of getting along, she became less and less "rules" in front of the eldest prince. And the other party seemed to be very used to this way of getting along with each other.  

Ishda was amused by her again and laughed out loud, with a soft smile on the corners of her eyebrows and eyes, as bright as the clouds in the sky, as if it could drive away all the coldness in the world.  

Na Luo looked at his smile intently and couldn't help but feel envious. It's not that he envied his status and identity, but that he could smile so purely, so truly, so naturally, and so warmly no matter when and where.  

At the same time, Quehu Hou, who came to visit the queen, also told his sister a shocking news he had just received.  

"The Xiongnu is not peaceful again. I just received news that Xulihu Chanyu died of an acute illness. This news should be spread to Loulan soon. "  

"Acute illness?" The queen frowned, "I heard that Xulihu Chanyu has always been in good health, how could he suddenly get an acute illness, there must be a trick. "Sister, this news is actually within our expectations. Xulihu's younger brother, Qie Di Hou, will not be willing to always be under his elder brother, and a gentle Chanyu is absolutely not suitable to live in such an environment. The unrest of the Xiongnu is also beneficial to Loulan on the one hand. However, "Que Hu Hou paused, "Qe Di Hou's character is completely different from his brother's. He is warlike and fierce. If he really succeeds the position of Chanyu, on the other hand, I am afraid..." "You mean, he may be unfavorable to my Loulan?" The queen's face changed slightly. "It shouldn't be for the time being. I'm not worried that he will be unfavorable to my Loulan, but once he launches an attack on the Han Dynasty, he will force our Loulan to confront the Han Dynasty head-on. The current temporary calm situation of the Western Regions will soon be broken." Que Hu Hou showed a worried look in his eyes, "I'm afraid that my small Loulan will be caught between the Han and the Xiongnu, and it will be a disaster if we are not careful. "  

The queen sighed lightly, "Now, the power of the Han Dynasty is growing stronger and stronger. Your Majesty now thinks that it is not enough to just rely on the Xiongnu, but it is even more difficult to please both sides." As she said this, she seemed to suddenly think of something, "By the way, Xu Che, now that the Xiongnu has a new Chanyu, do you think Princess Nadana will have a chance to turn things around?"  

Que Huhou's face fell, "It's not impossible. I heard that the person Princess Nadana trusts most now is the second prince An Gui. If she is favored again and joins forces with An Gui, it may be a big trouble. "  

The queen said nothing more and turned her face slightly.  

The sun was shining outside the window, and the early spring breeze blew into the room, but it brought a certain chill.  

The news that the Xiongnu Chanyu died suddenly due to an acute illness also quickly reached Princess Dana's bedroom.  

After reading the content written on the parchment, Princess Dana threw it into the burning charcoal tray and said calmly, "It seems that our Xiongnu will soon have a new Chanyu."  

The young man sitting opposite her chuckled as he served tea, with a glimmer in the depths of his ice-green eyes, "Maybe this is not a bad thing for you, Princess. Does the letter say who might become the new Chanyu?"  

"It's Qie Di Hou, the younger brother of Xulihu Chanyu." When she read the name, a strange look flashed across her face.  

The young man keenly caught the princess's abnormal reaction and asked tentatively, "I just don't know what kind of person the new Chanyu is..."  

"It doesn't matter what kind of person the new Chanyu is." Princess Dana suddenly laughed, "An Gui, it will be lively here soon."  

Hearing her words, An Gui already understood.  

"Time reveals a person's true heart. I can see clearly who is sincere and who is false." After saying these words, the princess stopped talking and looked at a distant place, as if immersed in some melancholy memories.  

An Gui's eyes revealed a complex expression that was completely different from his age, which made it difficult to see clearly, as if one had to clear away the heavy smoke in his eyes to get a glimpse of the truth. However, his lips quietly raised a slight arc that was not easy to be noticed.  

The room fell into a silence as dark as darkness, and the thoughts of the two people were like the ashes of burnt embers, drifting away to who knows where with the breeze.