The guards stayed in the front yard, and Yang Peng followed the palace maid towards the back yard alone. As soon as you walk into the arch, you will be greeted by beautiful scenery and a quiet atmosphere. A small lake is surrounded by lush trees, with birds singing and flowers fragrant. Exquisite pavilions and pavilions are nestled in the shade of the trees. The breeze blows, and the bells on the far corner of the building make a crisp tinkling sound. Yang Peng's eyes were immediately attracted by the two graceful figures in the water pavilion in front of him. Although they were still far apart, Chen Xiao could recognize that the slimmer one on the left was Zhao Lihua, and the plumper one on the right was Zhao Lihua. Concubine Mu, I didn’t expect that she was here.
Yang Peng walked over quickly under the guidance of the palace maid. The two women in the waterside pavilion saw Yang Peng coming from a distance, so they stopped talking and looked at Yang Peng. The palace maid led Yang Peng to the outside of the water pavilion. Zhao Lihua left the water pavilion. Yingying bowed and said, "I respectfully welcome the prince!" At this time, the palace maid who led the way bowed to Zhao Lihua and retreated. Yang Peng stepped forward to help Zhao Lihua up and patted her delicate hand. Zhao Lihua raised her head and looked at Chen Xiao, with a gentle look in her beautiful eyes.
The two held hands and walked into the waterside pavilion. Yang Peng looked at Concubine Mu, let go of Zhao Lihua, bowed and clasped her fists and said, "Empress!" Concubine Mu bowed slightly and returned the greeting: "No need to be polite, King Yan!" Yang Peng said with a smile: " Let’s not be too polite and just sit down and talk!” The two women smiled. Yang Peng walked to the round table and sat down, and the two women also sat down at the round table. Zhao Lihua naturally sat next to Yang Peng, while Concubine Mu sat farther away.
At this time, a palace maid changed into fresh tea, then withdrew and stood outside the water pavilion.
Zhao Lihua said excitedly: "Your Majesty, this is Jiangnan's new tea. Try it quickly." Zhao Lihua looked happy and excited, like a cheerful girl. Yang Peng picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. He only felt a light and elegant fragrance falling from his mouth into his abdominal cavity. Then this fragrance rippled through his body, far away, floating like a fairy. Although Yang Peng didn't understand tea, he couldn't help but praise: "Good tea, good tea!" He took another sip.
Zhao Lihua said with a smile: "This is the Dragon Well tea before the rain this year. It was sent by Mr. Wang." Yang Peng said with a smile: "It turns out to be Longjing tea. It is really extraordinary!" Zhao Lihua said: "Your Highness, I am my concubine, I have you." Please ask your Majesty for this matter, and please His Majesty's permission." Yang Peng held Zhao Lihua's delicate hand and smiled: "You are my wife, don't ask for anything, as long as I, the husband, can do it, I will do it for you. You can do it!" Zhao Lihua was so happy that she pressed the back of Yang Peng's hand with her other delicate hand. Her beautiful eyes looked at Yang Peng excitedly. Concubine Mu couldn't help but reveal resentment on her beautiful face when she saw this scene. Come on.
Zhao Lihua said: "Your Majesty, I want to prepare some gifts for my relatives to bring to my relatives. I don't know, what do you think, brother?" Yang Peng smiled and said: "It is human nature to bring gifts to relatives. , I agree very much." Zhao Lihua felt that Yang Peng was really kind to her and was extremely moved. If there were no outsiders present at this time, she would definitely throw herself into Yang Peng's arms. However, at this moment, she suppressed her impulse and her eyes were filled with affection. He looked at Yang Peng tenderly.
Concubine Mu felt that it was inappropriate to stay here, and she couldn't help but feel bitter in her heart. She stood up and said, "You guys want to talk about something, I'll leave first." The two of them turned their eyes to her and stood up together. Zhao Lihua Said: "My Lady, please sit down for a while!" Yang Peng smiled and said: "I'm going to see Zhao You later, let's leave together then!" Concubine Mu couldn't help but see Yang Peng looking at her with a smile. Her pretty face turned red, she hurriedly looked away, and couldn't help but sit back again.
Zhao Lihua looked at Concubine Mu, then at Yang Peng, pursed her lips and snickered. Zhao Lihua and Yang Peng also sat down again. Zhao Lihua told Yang Peng about the gifts she had prepared. They were all specialties from Tianjing New City or Cangzhou area. They were not very expensive, but they were local specialties. Yang Peng didn't know much about these specialties. Hearing Zhao Lihua talk about them like a treasure trove, most of them couldn't figure out what they were. But seeing Zhao Lihua looking so excited, she couldn't help but feel happy.
His eyes turned to the guest house where the Tibetan envoy was staying.
The Tibetan envoy Zambala stood on the upper floor facing the street, looking through the window at the blossoming Tianjing Xincheng market, frowning tightly. As the Prime Minister of Tubo, one of the most important reasons why he asked the emperor to send an envoy to Yan Yun was to see Yan Yun's situation with his own eyes. Ever since he entered Yan Yun's sphere of influence, what he saw and heard touched and shocked him all the time. The Shaanxi-Gansu region, which had been devastated by the war, was now a thriving scene. This Tianjing Xincheng City It was crowded and extremely prosperous. All of this gave him an unreal feeling. It felt as if the war that ravaged the entire Central Plains did not exist. Otherwise, how could the entire Central Plains region be so prosperous?
Zambala sighed and retracted his thoughts. His eyes wandered over the endless rows of houses, and his brows furrowed more and more tightly. A feeling suddenly arose in his heart. Joining forces with Yanyun was clearly seeking the skin of a tiger. So what if we could successfully annex Xiliang and Xuanhua? If Yanyun's army pressed the border, these lands that were finally won would be lost in an instant. We have to hand it over to others, and we may even lose our inherent territory! As soon as he thought about this, he couldn't help but murmured: "It's not wise! It's not wise! We should unite and not kill each other!"
Zambala actually didn't think so not long ago. Although he was not too in favor of joining forces with Yan Yun to destroy Xixia, he was not opposed to it either. However, after seeing Yan Yun's miraculous development speed, his previous thoughts completely changed. He only felt that if everyone did not unite to destroy this growing beast, sooner or later, everyone would be doomed!
Zambala thought about it, and he wanted to come up with a way to sabotage the peace agreement between the two parties and change His Majesty's attitude. He suddenly thought of Princess Gesang, who had been sent to Yanyun as a hostage before, and decided to go see this princess.
Look back. Yang Peng and Concubine Mu sat with Zhao Lihua for a long time, and even accompanied her to see the generous gifts she had prepared. Then they returned to Zhao Lihua's embroidery building and chatted for a long time before Yang Peng and Concubine Mu said goodbye and left. Zhao Lihua sent the two of them out of the door, looking at Yang Peng with beautiful eyes, looking reluctant to leave. Yang Peng was touched by her tenderness and couldn't help but said: "I will accompany you tonight." Zhao Lihua was overjoyed and suddenly realized that her empress was beside her. She couldn't help but look at Yang Peng with her cheeks and eyes.
Yang Peng and Concubine Mu left. Zhao Lihua watched the two go away until they could no longer be seen, then turned and returned to the gate. Yang Peng rode beside Concubine Mu's carriage and wanted to talk to Concubine Mu, but the curtains of the carriage were always hanging down, making it inconvenient.
On the other side, Zambala led several entourages carrying gifts outside the mansion where Princess Gesang lived. Zambara's entourage knocked on the door and handed in a name card. The door was closed immediately, and after a moment, it was reopened. Two maids in Tibetan attire ran out, bowed and said, "Princess, please go in and speak, Prime Minister." Zambala immediately led several of his entourages into the door. The two maids entered last and closed the door.
Zambala's entourage was left in the front hall, and Zambala was led by a maid to the study in the backyard. I saw a woman in Tubo costume standing in front with her hands behind her back. Although she hadn't turned around yet, a very touching and feminine temperament came to her face.
Knowing that it was Princess Gesang, Zambala immediately stepped forward to pay homage: "Your Majesty, Zambala, pays homage to Her Royal Highness the Princess!" Princess Gesang turned around and looked at the person in front of her with a complex expression, her red lips parted slightly: "Prime Minister Sir, get up and speak!" "Thank you, Princess!" Zambala stood up, looked up at Princess Gesang, and couldn't help but feel her heart tremble. I saw that Princess Gesang was still the same Princess Gesang, but without the youthfulness of a girl, revealing the unique charming charm of a young woman, just like a fully blooming rose, exuding fatal temptation everywhere, but her His expression was too cold.
Gesang asked: "Why are you here?" Zambaradang briefly talked about the previous war, and then talked about the fact that the Tibetan emperor was preparing to destroy Xixia. Gesang frowned, glanced at Zambala, and said, "The Prime Minister came to see me. You must want me to do something for you!" His tone was very cold, and seemed to have a hint of hostility.
After hearing Gesang's tone, Zambala couldn't decide whether to ask Princess Gesang for help. After a moment of silence, she bowed and asked: "Your Highness, may I ask, does King Yan often come to please Princess?" Princess Gesang's eyes showed a complicated expression, which seemed to be a bit gentle, but also a bit hateful. I feel a little bit expectant, but also a little bit confused.
After coming back to his senses, he glanced at Zambara and said coldly: "What exactly do you want me to do?"
Zambala was not sure about Kelsang's attitude for a while and did not dare to reveal her trump card easily. Although Kelsang was the princess of Tubo and there was no doubt about her feelings for Tubo, she should be willing to do anything for Tubo, but she After all, she is a woman, with all the characteristics of a woman. She has followed Yang Peng for so many years, and her virginity has been given to that man. Whether her mind has changed, it is really hard to say. After thinking about this, Zambala asked tentatively: "Is the princess still willing to do anything for Tubo?"
Gesang said calmly: "This is my fate, I have no choice!" Zambala was still worried and said: "If the princess's life is needed to save the entire Tubo, I wonder if Her Royal Highness is willing to do it!" Sang glanced at Zambala and said calmly: "Since I decided to be a hostage, I have already decided not to take this life. Why do you need to ask me again."
Just when the flames of love were getting out of control and were about to turn into a prairie fire, Concubine Mu suddenly regained her consciousness, pushed Yang Peng away, and said anxiously: "No, it can't be done!" Yang Peng staggered back a step. , looked at Concubine Mu in confusion. At this time, Concubine Mu's stunning face was so red that she seemed to be bleeding. She didn't dare to look at Yang Peng and looked terrified.
Yang Peng asked softly: "What's wrong?" Concubine Mu shook her head and said: "No, we can't do this! I, I am the concubine of the Song Dynasty, I can't..." Yang Peng sighed and said: "It turns out that my cousin still can't let go of this. The baggage of identity.”
Concubine Mu was silent for a moment and said: "I can't let your reputation be tainted with even a little bit of filth!" She looked at Yang Peng, "I don't care what outsiders say about me, but you are a great hero who shakes the world and is the one in my heart. God, I will never allow your reputation to be tarnished!" Yang Peng was so moved that he couldn't help but hold Concubine Mu into his arms. His heart was filled with gratitude and love for this extremely noble woman. He lowered his head and whispered softly but firmly in her ear: "I don't care about any of this. I just want you to be my woman and let me love you well!"
When Concubine Mu heard this, she couldn't help but feel confused, and couldn't help but want to agree. Suddenly he came back to his senses, hurriedly pressed Yang Peng's chest, raised his head, shook his head and said: "No, no!" After calming down for a while, he raised his head and looked at Yang Peng, his beautiful eyes full of tenderness, He begged: "King Yan, please don't force my sister, okay?"
Yang Peng smiled bitterly, retracted his hands around her slender waist, and said with a gentle but helpless expression: "How could I force my cousin!"
Concubine Mu felt the other person's palm moving away, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss in her heart. She really didn't want the other person's palm to leave her like this. An impulse suddenly came to her heart, and she wanted to throw herself into the other person's arms, but in the end she resisted. She didn't want to hurt the other person. She felt that she was an ominous woman, and if she followed him, she would only hurt him. , his inviolable statement will inevitably be compromised, and she never wants this to happen.
Concubine Mu lowered her head, and there was a battle between heaven and man in her heart.
Yang Peng smiled slightly and said: "My cousin must not be ready. As a younger brother, I naturally cannot force my cousin. Cousin, please think about it again. I am really not a bad man!" Concubine Mu wanted to laugh but was also a little sad. Painfully, he glanced at Yang Peng with a complicated expression.
Yang Peng reached out and took Murong Feihua's delicate hand, then walked together to the couch in Shuixie and sat down. Yang Peng looked at Concubine Mu's beautiful profile and couldn't help but be fascinated. Concubine Mu's heart was pounding and she didn't dare to turn her head to look at Yang Peng. Although she was nervous, she was also very happy. After a long while, Yang Peng said: "Cousin, how have you been during this time?" Mu Guifei nodded quickly and said: "Very good! There is nothing missing, there is nothing to think about, I have never felt so comfortable. !" Then she thought of her son, her beautiful eyes could not help but reveal the brilliance of a loving mother, and she smiled and said: "Watching Zhao You grow up day by day, I am happier than anything else!"
Yang Peng said depressedly: "I thought my cousin would say that living in the same city as me would make me happier than anything else! I didn't expect that my cousin didn't take me to heart at all!"
Concubine Mu blushed and said quickly: "No, I am actually here day and night..." At this point, she saw Yang Peng's narrow smile and immediately realized that her family had been deceived. Cheek, full of embarrassment, said angrily: "King Yan, you, you are so abominable! You actually teased my cousin!"
Yang Peng stretched out his palm to hold Mu Guifei's hand, looked at her affectionately, and said softly: "I have never teased my cousin. Doesn't my cousin understand my feelings for her?" Mu Guifei's heart was filled with excitement, and she couldn't help herself. He lowered his head and suddenly thought of his own identity, sighed quietly, and said resentfully: "I'm afraid we have no fate in this life!" Yang Peng held Mu Guifei's palm with both hands, and said sincerely and emotionally: "As long as we have no fate in this life!" My cousin nodded, I will marry my cousin tomorrow, no, today!"
Concubine Mu felt an impulse and looked at Yang Peng, but then she frowned slightly and slowly shook her head. Yang Peng felt very helpless and very angry. It was clear that his cousin loved him, but he didn't dare to go too far because of his identity. This thing about identity is really killing people! Immediately, an impulse arose in my heart, and I wanted to take Concubine Mu back to the bedroom, and then force her into her. After the two parties had cooked the rice, my cousin would no longer have many worries.
Concubine Mu couldn't help but feel strange when she saw a frightening look in Yang Peng's eyes. But soon I saw that the excitement quickly faded and turned into helplessness.
Yang Peng sighed, glanced at Concubine Mu, and said with a wry smile: "Are we both going to have to live with this love for the rest of our lives?" Concubine Mu sighed, full of sadness.
Yang Peng suddenly smiled bitterly and said: "Fortunately, we have Zhao You, so we finally have something to rely on." Concubine Mu couldn't help but smile on her face. Although Zhao You is of the Zhao family's blood and has nothing to do with Yang Peng, but in The two of them felt as if Zhao You was their biological son, and their mutual feelings were devoted to Zhao You.
Jiang Li suddenly walked in from the archway in the distance, and at the same time there was the sound of rapid footsteps. Their worries were temporarily forgotten. Jiang Li quickly walked into the waterside pavilion and bowed to the two of them: "Master, empress." Then she said to Yang Peng: "The Dali delegation has arrived." Yang Peng nodded and ordered: "Put them in the guest house for the time being. I'll see them tomorrow." "Yes. There is one more thing. News has just come from the ocean caravan."
Yang Peng's heart moved and he asked, "What's the news?" Jiang Li shook her head and said, "I don't know. What was sent was a letter with the highest-level seal, and the ladies didn't dare to open it without permission!" The so-called highest-level letter The seal is a red clay seal. A letter marked with this clay seal indicates that it is the most important message and can only be opened by King Yan himself. No one else is allowed to open it without permission, otherwise it will be a crime.
Yang Peng felt that something big must have happened, so he turned to Concubine Mu and said, "Cousin, I have something to deal with. I have to go!" Concubine Mu said, "Business matters are important. King Yan, please go and do your work!" Then he warned with great concern. : "Prince Yan, please pay attention to rest and don't tire yourself out!" Yang Peng nodded with a smile, then turned around, and Jiang Li followed closely.
Concubine Mu looked at Yang Peng's retreating figure in a daze. When she realized that she could no longer be seen, she came back to her senses and sighed quietly. Returning to the couch, he bent his knees and sat down on his side, looking at the rippling blue water in front of him, and couldn't help humming a song: "The rain has passed over Bailuzhou, and I miss the Tongque Terrace..." He kept humming all the way, and the song ended. Boundless tenderness lingered in her chest, and a touching smile appeared on her face. She was truly the most beautiful woman in the world, unparalleled in her generation.
Yang Peng and his party rushed back to the palace hall. Yelu Hanyu and Han Bing immediately came up to pay their respects. Then Yelu Hanyu handed Yang Peng a letter sealed with red clay and said, "I just received it."
Yang Peng received the letter and felt a little damp in his hands. He opened the envelope, took out the letter paper, unfolded it, read it, and frowned. After a while, he put down the letter and said: "The fleet of Guanshan Guanping encountered a hostile fleet in Ceylon. A fierce battle broke out between the two sides, causing casualties on each other!" Ceylon, which is the Sri Lanka where I want to be, whether it is ancient or modern, Ceylon is a choke point on the trade route across the Indian Ocean, and its strategic position is extremely important.
Yelu Hanyu and Han Bing looked at each other, Yelu Han Bing said: "It's not surprising to encounter an enemy, but I don't know who the enemy is?"
Yang Peng looked at the letter in his hand and said: "According to the prisoners' confession, the other party is the Seljuk Empire. They want to control the maritime trade routes, so they have a conflict with our army. In fact, friction has occurred before, and this time the Seljuk Empire The Seljuk Empire came well prepared and wanted to capture our stronghold in Ceylon in one fell swoop. Fortunately, the Guan brothers were prepared and did not let them succeed, but they also suffered a lot of losses." The Seljuk Empire, considered Turkey A distant ancestor, but the territory of the Seljuk Empire in this era was very different from that of today's Turkey. The territory of the Seljuk Empire at that time included the western part of Iran, part of Syria and Iraq, and a small part of the northeastern part of modern Turkey. ; And the territory of modern Turkey was basically the territory of the Byzantine Empire nine hundred years ago.
The Byzantine Empire is considered the true descendant of the Roman Empire and believes in Orthodox Christianity. The Russians also believe in Orthodox Christianity, so they also declare that they are the authentic descendants of the Roman Empire. The Russians in this era did not have such a large territory as later generations. In this era, the Russians had two countries, one was the Grand Duchy of Kiev and the other was the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. The former was in the south, bordering the Black Sea, and the latter was in the north, bordering the Black Sea. Facing the Baltic Sea.
Yelu Hanyu frowned and said: "When a country is at war, you must know yourself and the enemy to survive a hundred battles. I wonder how strong this Seljuk Empire is?" He looked at Yang Peng. Yang Peng didn't know much about this, and could only judge the strength of the Seljuk Empire based on the information obtained so far. He thought: "According to reports obtained from various parties, the Seljuk Empire is a very powerful country. But it's hard to judge how powerful it is!" After a pause, "Since the two sides have already fought, it will definitely not be settled without a victory or defeat!"
Han Bing said: "According to what the eldest brother just said, the Seljuk Empire should be the first to attack, and the two brothers should be defensive and counterattack. After such a battle, the Seljuk Empire did not take advantage, which shows how strong it is. "
What happened after all, let’s see what happens next.
