"Your Majesty?" There was a hint of ridicule in Fang Ziqin's smile, but more of a pity, "Both your Majesty and that person are just using you. Do you really trust them?"
"I can believe it." Fang Zilan said without hesitation, "Just don't make a mistake, Queen, I believe in myself."
The calm look in her eyes was clearly visible. Fang Ziqin looked at her blankly, took a step back involuntarily, and sighed for a long time.
"If the Queen has nothing else to do, I will take my leave first." Fang Zilan nodded slightly, "It's cold in winter, so the Queen should not stay out in the wind for too long."
She bowed, turned and left.
However, she had just come out of the Queen's Palace and not far away when she met Xiahou's family members who were walking around in the palace.
Xiahou Yunzhao stood under a plum tree with his arms folded. Xie Chen stood beside her as if to say something to her. Xiahou Mingxun winked at Xiahou Yunzhao after seeing Fang Zilan.
Xiahou Yunzhao and Xie Chen looked over together. Fang Zilan couldn't pretend not to see them, so she took the initiative to say hello to the three of them and said with a smile: "What a coincidence, we meet again."
"It's not a coincidence. I'm looking for you, Mr. Fang." Xiahou Yunzhao smiled politely, "I have something to say to Mr. Fang. I wonder if Mr. Fang can give me some face?"
"General Xiahou, you're welcome." Fang Zilan stretched out her hand to make a gesture of invitation. Xiahou Yunzhao took two steps and suddenly turned around and said to Xie Chen and Xiahou Mingxun: "If a woman is talking, don't follow me. I'll be back soon." .”
She said, taking Fang Zilan's wrist and walking out quickly.
It wasn't until there was no one around that Xiahou Yunzhao let go of Fang Zilan, "I have offended many people before. I hope Master Fang will not take offense."
"Before?" There was a hint of inquiry in Fang Zilan's eyes, and Xiahou Yunzhao raised the corner of his mouth and smiled slyly, "Your Majesty has a hard time making a decision, so I had to help him make up his mind. After all, the Xiahou family sits too high in the position of the nine princes. It’s time to come down.”
Fang Zilan smiled slightly and said: "It has only been a few decades since the founding of Dajing, let alone the Xiahou family. How can General Xiahou talk about a long time?"
"The Xiahou family's real name is Xia, and they are former ministers of Baiyue. I think Sir Fang has heard of these old stories, and I have nothing to say." Returning to the capital is always controversial. Ayu married into the palace wall, and I have nothing to do with Baiyue, and I can't stop everyone from saying anything."
Fang Zilan offered words of comfort, "General Xiahou, the breeze is bright and the moon is bright, why should you care about what others say?"
Xiahou Yunzhao shook his head, "I don't care, but some people will care. Although Ayu was favored in the palace, she was always depressed. She passed away when His Majesty was young. And when Your Majesty grew up, he lived in a world of fame and gossip. , it was very hard to be exiled among the swords and shadows of the battlefield. There are different opinions about Emperor Tai'an's edict. Everyone in the world said that I, Xiahou Yunzhao, coerced Xie Chen and induced him to issue it. In fact, otherwise, he still had a sincere heart for Ayu's mother and son. "
She suddenly paused for a moment, then sighed softly and said: "It's rare for the emperor to have intentions, and my Xiahou family doesn't want to let him down. No matter what outsiders say in these years, as long as I, Xiahou Yunzhao, am alive, I will keep my guard. His Majesty will never allow anyone to shake his position. However, now that His Majesty has the power of the world, and the Xiahou family can handle him, it is time to retire. I also promised Xie Chen that when Your Majesty is available, Then I can go back with him with peace of mind, without caring about worldly affairs and without killing anyone."
Fang Zilan listened quietly. After a while, she slowly said: "I have also heard about what happened back then. If Mr. Xie hadn't defected to General Xiahou and surrendered to the capital, Baiyue would not have been easily destroyed, and neither would Concubine Yu and Your Majesty." Falling into the chess game of Dajing. May I ask General Xiahou if he ever regrets it?"
"The fall of Baiyue will happen sooner or later. Everyone is a pawn in the chess game. No matter where I am, I can't be alone." Xiahou Yunzhao smiled with relief, "Master Fang understands in his heart, doesn't he? In fact, we are all struggling with our destiny. People are nothing more than this."
Fang Zilan was stunned for a moment, then blurted out: "Has General Xiahou ever hated Lord Xie?"
She felt it was inappropriate as soon as she said it, but the question was so direct that there was no room for change.
"Do you hate it? It seems that Mr. Fang also misunderstood something." Xiahou Yunzhao smiled slightly, "But it doesn't hurt to tell Mr. Fang. Xie Chen was far-sighted, and he could see clearly better than anyone else that Baiyue had no future at that time. Although It is indeed not the behavior of a gentleman to defect, but he took on all the infamy just to find a way out for Xia and me. I have known him for many years, and he has never hurt me in the slightest through thick and thin, so how can I bear to hate him? ?”
Fang Zilan looked at the upright man in front of her, and couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration in her heart.
Xiahou Yunzhao's magnanimity and magnanimity were her confidence in herself. Perhaps she is also an involuntary chess piece in the chess game, but she is not afraid of any storm and can handle it with ease. She has the responsibility to withstand the criticism of thousands of people, and the freedom and ease to retire after success. Such a person deserves to live in the legends in the streets and alleys, and be praised from generation to generation by word of mouth.
"Master Fang?" Xiahou Yunzhao called out softly, pulling Fang Zilan back from his thoughts, "If you have no questions, how about walking back with me?"
"Okay." Fang Zilan nodded and followed Xiahou Yunzhao in silence. She chuckled and said, "Master Fang, don't worry about the unknown future. I believe in His Majesty's vision, and you must also believe in yourself. After all, you are Wouldn’t it be easy for the person who defeated me to take over the Xiahou family?"
Fang Zilan waved her hand and said: "General Xiahou didn't try his best just now, so my victory is nothing."
"You don't have to be modest. Even though I lost, I still tried my best." Xia Hou Yunzhao had a smile on his lips, and a trace of inexplicable emotion flashed in his eyes, which seemed to be reminiscence and nostalgia, "If this morning Twenty or thirty years ago, when I was the same age as you, I was used to fighting fiercely, and it was hard to say who would win and who would lose."
Xiahou Mingxun saw Xiahou Yunzhao and Fang Zilan coming back from a distance. Xie Chen seemed to be relieved when he saw the two coming over. He exchanged a few polite words with Fang Zilan and left.
Fang Zilan looked at their backs and heard Xie Chen ask Xiahou Yunzhao: "Zhao Zhao and Master Fang have been away for a long time. What did they say?"
Then I heard Xia Hou Yunzhao say: "Xie Chen, you miss me so much after not seeing me for a while? How could you not guess what we said with your intelligence?"
Xiahou Mingxun's tone on the other side was rather helpless, "Sister, isn't my brother-in-law worried about you?"
"He didn't even say anything, so why are you apologizing for him?" Xiahou Yunzhao's voice was a bit teasing.
Fang Zilan didn't listen carefully to the rest of the words. She just felt that the three people had lost their aloofness and arrogance as rumored by the outside world, and their originally lively and lively appearance was particularly gentle and moving.
