Ying Ping was originally chatting with Zhi Tang Ni Wai, but he didn't expect the Queen Mother to suddenly come to him. This was the first time such a thing had happened. After hurriedly tidying himself up, Yingping hurriedly came to the Queen Mother to say hello.
"My son, I pay homage to my mother, who is a thousand years old -"
"Get up quickly!"
The Queen Mother did not stick to etiquette and asked Yingping to stand up affectionately. At the same time, she did not forget to raise her hand to signal Zhitang behind Yingping not to be too polite.
The sudden appearance of the Queen Mother made Yingping feel "flattered". You must know that the Queen Mother usually treated him coldly and turned a blind eye to Zhitang. Today's attitude was completely different from the past.
Yingping cautiously approached the Queen Mother a little bit and asked, "I don't know why the Queen Mother suddenly came here today..."
"Haha, the Ai family is passing by here and stopped by to take a look. It just so happens that I want to tell the Holy One a good thing." The Queen Mother said with a smile, her expression full of kindness.
Good thing? What good can this old witch do? Yingping suddenly felt a little ominous, but he still pretended to be surprised and expectant, and asked: "Oh? A good thing?"
"Yes, a good thing, a great good thing!" The Queen Mother stretched out her hand and took the puzzled Ying Ping, and said affectionately: "Is that girl Yiyi never betrothed to anyone?"
Yingping's heart skipped a beat when he heard his sister's name, and he secretly shouted that something was wrong! Sure enough, before he could ask, the Queen Mother said -
"Han Si, the son of General Han Si of the Northern Wei Dynasty, is also unmarried. Now with the help of the Northern Wei Dynasty's envoy in Chang'an, Lord Shangshu proposed that Yi Yixu be betrothed to General Han Si in order to establish a good relationship between Tang and Wei..."
When Yingping heard that Yiyi was going to be betrothed to Han Si, he was like a thunderbolt from the blue. How could he have the heart to listen to the Queen Mother nagging about the following. If Yiyi really wanted to marry far away from the Northern Wei Dynasty, how should his adoptive father face it? How should Ye Changshan face it? How should Yiyi face it? No! This is absolutely impossible!
Yingping ignored the Queen Mother who was still 'persuading' him. He pulled his hand away and shouted resolutely: "This cannot be done -"
Seeing Yingping's fierce reaction, the Queen Mother did not show any displeasure, but seemed to have expected it. She paused for a moment, then put on her smile again and said, "Your Majesty, the Ai family originally disagreed, but after the persuasion of these ministers, they got to know Han Si. I didn't expect that this person was really a tiger in the general family. Well, your cultivation is high, your military exploits are outstanding, and you are very popular with the soldiers. I think that given time, you will be able to take over the command from your father. In this way, it is not wronged. Girl Yiyi, so Aijia will do it for you. I accepted this master and nodded first. Don’t blame the Ai family. The Ai family also considers your brother and sister...
"No! Yiyi has long been secretly in love with my brother Ye Changshan and has been secretly committed to life. If they are forcibly separated, Ye——"
"Nonsense!" The Queen Mother lowered her face and said unceremoniously: "Secret love? Private life? Humph, the boy is not married and the girl is not married. Do you think this is a game played by childhood sweethearts!?"
The furious Queen Mother stared at the dissatisfied Yingping, and then there was something strange on her face, as if Yingping today was very different from the past. Although she couldn't tell where exactly, her intuition told her that her prince was indeed somewhat different. Ordinary.
Feeling the change in the Queen Mother's gaze, Yingping was startled for a moment, and suddenly a cold sweat broke out on his back, because he finally realized who he was facing -
The woman in front of me is the Queen Mother!
She is the sole owner of this palace, and it can even be said that she is the real power of the Tang Dynasty! Living as a puppet in this deep palace, he always seemed to be walking on thin ice and facing an abyss. How could he dare to refute her over and over again in front of concubines, eunuchs, and maids? Even if I don't want to, how can I be so... so uninhibited and resistant? Even if there is just a trace, this is not allowed! Over the years, I have tried my best to cover up and disguise myself. Wouldn't it be a pity if others could see the clues because of my impatience?
Yingping knelt down silently. At this time, he was struggling in his heart. On one side was the illusion he tried to create, and on the other was his sister's lifelong affair. How should he choose?
Seeing that Yingping had returned to his usual obedience, the Queen Mother no longer thought about it and said: "The Ai family's painstaking efforts hope that Your Majesty will understand that this matter is not just a private matter for our children, but a major matter that concerns millions of people in our Tang Dynasty! "
"Queen mother..."
"The soldiers of the Northern Wei Dynasty entered Hangu Pass and firmly controlled Luodu. The stakes must have been known to the Holy Emperor. If the Northern Wei Dynasty was really determined to blockade the Tang Dynasty, there would be no need for Han Dan to personally lead the troops to the Tang Dynasty. You will be confused first... Which one is light and which is heavy, which is big and which is small? Surely Your Majesty will not know about it, right?" The Queen Mother resumed her aloof posture. At this time, her tone was no longer as soft as before, but filled with a strong and strong tone. Not to be resisted.
Yingping knelt on the ground for a long time and refused to raise his head. Every word in the Queen Mother's words was like a nail, piercing his heart heavily. Yes, this is no longer an affair between children, this is a marriage related to the fate of the Tang Dynasty! Is there any way to change it yourself? Could he just watch his sister and his good brother being torn apart? Yingping shook his head silently, it seemed that he really had no way to deal with this situation.
Since there is no way to save it, we have no choice but to take advantage of the situation...
After some struggle, Yingping feebly chose to compromise. He kowtowed slowly and said: "Everything... depends entirely on the Queen Mother..."
The Queen Mother nodded and said: "As for other people who still have objections, I hope that the Holy One can understand them. As for the others, Ai Jia will not say much.
After saying that, the Queen Mother stood up and walked out of the palace.
"What can I get from this marriage?"
Yingping still didn't get up, he was still kneeling on the ground, not even looking back.
"Three years", the Queen Mother stopped. She also did not turn around. She just looked at the sky outside the palace and said: "If this matter comes to pass, it can guarantee the peace of the Tang Dynasty for three years. Yiyi, that girl, can be regarded as I, Datang, must have made a considerable contribution..."
…
…
The news that the emperor's sworn sister was going to marry the Northern Wei Dynasty spread like wildfire, and it spread throughout Chang'an in one day. All the officials in the court breathed a sigh of relief. Although the matter with the Northern Wei Dynasty was far from over, at least the urgent matter was gone. The public was even more cheering, because compared to these officials, the situation in Luodu seemed to be more directly related to them. Previously, due to the blockage of merchants' trade routes for transporting goods, the lives of the people were greatly affected. At this time, Suddenly such news came out, making everyone cheer. Yiyi was originally a well-known talented woman in Chang'an, so her name became even more resounding. Some people even regarded her as the savior of the Tang Dynasty who understood righteousness and was willing to sacrifice her life to save all people.
Feeling the joy of "surviving a disaster" in the streets and alleys, the courtyard where Yi Hongyan lives is in sharp contrast to the outside world. The usually clean yard was now covered with fallen leaves. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, but instead, this originally cozy little yard felt desolate.
In the yard, Yingping stood alone outside the door. He raised his hand again and again and put it down again and again. At this time, he no longer knew how to face the people in the room. There were faint sobs in the room. Although the sound was very small, it sounded particularly harsh to Yingping's ears. He no longer hesitated and gently opened the door, only to see his adoptive father sitting at the table with a gloomy look, seemingly unaware of his arrival.
Yi Hongyan seemed to have aged much overnight. When he heard the news, he sat here. A full twelve hours passed without him touching a drop of water or eating a grain of rice. It seemed that only in this way could time go slower. Some, only in this way, can their daughter stay with them for a moment longer.
What sins did you commit in your previous life? Why is God so cruel to me?
Yi Hongyan closed his eyes, and two lines of hot tears flowed down. He was loyal to the young lady, but the young lady threw herself into a lake; he and his wife were very affectionate, but the wife contracted a serious disease early; after the wife died of illness, she left only a son and a daughter. For the sake of the young lady's flesh and blood, his own son had suffered misfortune. He thought that everything would be settled after that, and his daughter could find a good home, and she would stay with him for a long time. But he didn't expect that he would have to face separation again. How should he face it?
"Father..." Yingping struggled to shout out this title that he had shouted countless times.
Yi Hongyan turned his head with a dull look, as if his soul had been taken away at this moment, leaving only a shell.
"Father, you -" Looking at Yi Hongyan's lost look, Yingping's heart felt like a knife.
"Yier is inside, you go and stay with her..." When alone, Yi Hongyan may be able to show his weak and helpless side, but when facing Yingping, he seems to instinctively put on a 'strong' side. coat.
"What about you, I...I...I'll stay with you first..." Seeing his adoptive father holding back his sorrow and wiping his eyes, Yingping felt uncomfortable again.
"I...it's okay..."
"Can……"
"Go ahead, Yi'er will marry Daliang soon. She is the one who will really suffer." Thinking of her daughter being alone in the future, Yi Hongyan burst into tears again.
Seeing his always strong adoptive father burst into tears, Yingping knew that this man had really "fallen" - the loss of his wife and son did not knock him down, and his mother's leaving him did not knock him down. The ups and downs of wandering could not knock him down, and taking his beloved daughter away from him was the last straw that broke the camel's back... He was tired, really too tired. He had persisted for most of his life, and this time he finally couldn't hold it in anymore. Maybe Letting him be alone and let him release his inner depression is the best choice right now!
Thinking of this, Yingping silently walked towards the back room, but just when Yingping turned around and was about to leave, suddenly Yi Hongyan asked: "Where is Changshan? When will he come back?"
