In the winter of the fifteenth year of Yongshuang, the Dajing Dynasty was experiencing a cold wave in the twelfth lunar month. As New Year's Eve approached, the festive atmosphere was strong, but the border war started quietly.
Chiang's 200,000-strong army, except for the more than 10,000 who were massacred in the capital, was all entrenched on the border front. After the death of the Jiang family and his son, the army was leaderless, and internal strife was serious. In the end, the power was firmly held by eight generals. Although they appear to be united to the outside world, they actually have their own hidden agendas.
How easy is it to swallow up an army of 200,000 people? The emperor Gui Qi and his imperial masters made various deductions and planned twenty-one moves. They took advantage of the ordinary and skilled hands to seize the gaps and defeat them one by one. In the end, they were invincible.
But even so, it was still a huge upheaval for the Dajing Dynasty. The national strength that had been keeping a low profile for decades would probably be lost by less than half.
This is just the case at the border. Above the temple, the current prime minister Zhuang Tianji was seriously ill and all the court officials knew that the old man had reached the end of his life and it was only a matter of time before he would leave. His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress would go to the Zhuang Mansion every day to express their condolences to the most important hero of Dajing.
In addition to this incident, Emperor Guiqi issued an edict to appoint the chief examiner and deputy examiner for the spring period, and moved the spring examination which was supposed to start on the ninth day of February five days forward. The Chunwei Examination is held once every three years, and its importance is self-evident. The Ministry of Rites in the capital is very busy with this matter. The ministers on the left and right, and even the Minister of Rites, have begun to take care of it personally. Only the Chunwei Examiner appointed by His Majesty the Emperor is still traveling thousands of miles away. There are no plans to return to Beijing and resume work.
The sun is three poles high, and the warm sun is slightly drunk. New Year's Eve hasn't arrived yet, but the sweet smell of roasted sweet potatoes and fried chestnuts is already in the wind. A carriage left the palace, took a secluded path, and soon arrived at Chunxian Tower.
Inside the building, the charming woman was still lying on the bed. When the sun shone on her face, she lazily turned around and continued to sleep.
Qin Fang stepped out of the carriage and unexpectedly was followed by Gui Qing. The building was very quiet during the day. Most of the women were resting after a night of hangovers. Walking straight up to the fifth floor and pushing open the intricately carved door, Qin Fang saw the remaining wine on the desk at first sight.
Seeing that the man on the bed was still sleeping soundly, Qin Fang frowned slightly and said somewhat reproachfully: "Qing'er, how did Xiao Humei learn to drink? Did you teach her bad things?"
Gui Qing didn't say anything, walked straight to the bed, stretched out her slender jade hands, and the next second, suddenly opened the quilt.
Hu Meizi suddenly woke up and sat up quickly, her moist and clear peach blossom eyes full of confusion and fear.
Qin Fang sighed helplessly and stepped forward quickly. Her daughter had obviously taken her anger out on Xiao Hu Mei. How could she wake someone up like this?
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he looked at Gui Qing with some dissatisfaction and asked softly: "How much wine did you drink last night? You got up so late today."
Hu Meizi glanced at Gui Qing quietly, and met her cold gaze. She immediately thought that she must be disliked, so she curled her red lips in frustration, feeling a little depressed.
Qin Fang saw this scene in her eyes and felt more and more distressed in her heart. She said softly: "Drinking is harmful to the body. You are not allowed to drink so much in the future. Do you hear me?"
Hu Meizi hummed slightly.
Qin Fang clasped her hand and looked at her with stern eyes, as if she could not tolerate disobedience, and said: "There are only a few days left before New Year's Eve. How about following your mother to the palace today? Don't you most want to be with Gui Qing?" Do you want to live and eat together? Mom promises you."
Gui Qing frowned but didn't say anything.
"Then, what if you don't go?"
Those peach blossom eyes blinked.
"I'm not going." Qin Fang tilted her head and smiled, "I'll tie you up in the car and take you back."
The charming woman lowered her head and remained silent.
Qin Fang also narrowed her eyes, feeling somewhat uncontrollably sullen. What she said just now was definitely not a joke. When she came here today, she had made up her mind to bring Hu Meizi back to the palace no matter what.
The reason why Qin Fang was so determined was not just because he wanted her to stay in the palace as a companion, but also for her safety. Zhuang Tianji's time is running out, and the capital seems peaceful, but in fact it is no longer stable. The overt and covert fighting between the Gui family and the banker must not involve an innocent woman.
In other words, she was afraid that Xiao Humei would become the second Chen Luyao.
The woman asked cautiously: "Can I wait a few more days?"
"I have to go with my mother today."
Qin Fang spoke resolutely, grabbed the woman's white wrist, and used a slight force, "Xiao Humei, mother made it clear at the end, no matter what happens today, you must go with mother!"
The atmosphere was tense, as low as zero.
This was the first time Qin Fang put pressure on Hu Meizi with such a tough stance.
"Mom, please go out first."
But it was Gui Qing who spoke, staring at Hu Meizi expressionlessly.
Qin Fang just glanced at her daughter, and she had a general understanding in her heart. Her tone was a little softer, "That's great. Mom is waiting for you in the carriage."
When there were only two people left in the room, Hu Meizi raised her head and looked at her aggrievedly with wet eyes, "Qing'er, do you dislike me?"
"I feel a little disgusted." Guiqing turned around and looked at the desk, narrowed her eyes, and said with a half-smile, "Should I tell mom? You said you were drinking with a man."
Hu Meizi's moist eyes suddenly widened. Before she could defend herself, Gui Qing tilted her head and thought, "If mother knew about it, would she be very angry?"
Hu Meizi lowered her head and looked like she was being manipulated. She whispered, "Don't tell mother, I promise you everything else."
Guiqing sat down at the desk, regained his previous indifference, and said, "He probably won't be able to come back years ago."
Hu Meizi didn't speak, but suddenly raised her head, with a look of unwillingness to give up, her eyes were moist and trembling: "Where should I live?"
Guiqing stared at her coldly, and after a long time asked: "Where do you want to live?"
Hu Meizi knelt down on the bed and begged pitifully: "I want to live with Qing'er."
Gui Qing stood up and walked out, leaving a faint sentence: "Whatever you want."
Hu Meizi was stunned for a moment, wondering if she had heard wrong just now? How could Qing'er agree?
Suddenly, she saw Gui Qing leaning against the door and not leaving. Then she heard a cold urging voice, "Hurry up and freshen up. I don't like waiting for others."
Hu Meizi got off the bed happily, and suddenly remembered that she had hidden several bottles of famous wine. She turned around and was about to ask Gui Qing if she wanted to drink, but found that there was no one at the door.
Qin Fang was sitting in the carriage and saw her daughter coming downstairs from a distance. When Gui Qing opened the curtain and entered the carriage, she smiled and asked, "Done?"
Gui Qing hummed and didn't say much.
Qin Fang was a little surprised, "Xiao Humei didn't make any conditions?"
"You want to live with me, that's all."
Qin Fang took Gui Qing's hand, and the latter shrank back, then let it go.
"There is a high probability that your brother will not come back for the New Year. If Xiao Humei does not enter the palace, mother really feels that the new year will not be enjoyable. If the family cannot be reunited, no matter how lively the festival is, it will only add to the worries. "
Qin Fang sighed softly and said with a smile: "Your brother is not here this year, and even my mother doesn't want to attend this year's banquet."
"There's more." Qin Fang flicked a rose to clear her eyebrows, with a hint of blame, "Drink less wine on New Year's Eve, and don't fall asleep like last time. Although the ministers don't understand our royal family's jokes, they are As a princess of a country, you must pay attention to etiquette. You still don’t know what your brother said about you behind your back, right? He said that you are an alcoholic princess. It’s hard to imagine that you are usually so cold-faced, but your sleeping posture is so cute. moving."
Qin Fang knew her daughter's temper. Seeing that Gui Qing's face was getting colder, she stopped mentioning the topic, smiled, and asked again: "Last night, my mother went to Qin Gui Palace to look for you and found that you were not there. It was so late. A curfew has been imposed in the palace, where have you been?”
Gui Qing replied coldly: "If mother can guess it, there is no need to ask my daughter again."
Qin Fang stopped talking and covered her heart. There seemed to be a little tears in her eyes, as if Gui Qing's words were extremely sharp arrows that maliciously hurt her mother's heart.
Gui Qing sighed helplessly, out of sight, simply opened the curtain and went out.
Qin Fang was stunned for a moment, and laughed and cursed "little beast". Looking at the snow-white silhouette, warmth slowly flowed in her heart.
Just now I asked Guiqing where she went so late last night. In fact, she could guess a rough guess. It was probably that her daughter had dressed up as a handsome young man and went to Chunxian Tower to have a drink with Xiao Humei.
So today, as long as I use this matter as a coercion and add some benefits, including a big stick and sweet dates, it will be hard for Xiao Humei not to obey.
I just don't know what kind of temptation my daughter threw out, so that Xiao Humei could be willing to drink with her as a stranger last night.
Guiqing didn't want to say it, so she, a mother-in-law, wouldn't take the initiative to ask.
When Hu Meizi came down from upstairs, there was no doubt that even the hard-hearted coachman was stunned and briefly lost his mind.
Why did Guiliu call her Hu Meizi?
Why is she ranked first in beauty rankings?
And why could the Empress be allowed to brave the disapproval of the world and write the shocking four-character comment "disastrous to the country and the people"?
Her charm is not charming, but gentle and calm, like a weak willow supporting the wind, and all kinds of amorous feelings. She does not deliberately seduce people with her flattery, but her every move is extremely beguiling.
The tassels of the hairpin swayed slightly with her unhurried steps, making a clear and sweet sound like broken jade. When Hu Meizi saw Gui Qing standing outside the building waiting for her, she felt flattered and slowed down, like a ignorant little elk that dared not move forward.
Guiqing, who stood coldly, seemed to be hunting.
Qin Fang held her chin in her hands, lying on the railing and watching this scene with interest.
Hu Meizi walked slower and slower, and finally stopped not far from Guiqing.
But Qin Fang never expected that her daughter would actually give a sweet candy to little Hu Mei when the sun came out in the west.
Just because Guiqing said: "Why don't you leave quickly? Do you want me to continue waiting for you?"
After saying this, she still stayed where she was, but waited for Hu Meizi to come to her side.
Finally, the car curtain was opened, and the two people boarded the car one after another.
Gui Qing sat down first. Hu Meizi hesitated a little, but still mustered up the courage to sit close to Gui Qing.
The carriage drove slowly back to the palace. There were charcoal stoves placed at the four corners of the carriage, so it was relatively hot. It was too hot to have Hu Meizi press against her, so Gui Qing couldn't help but move to one side.
Unexpectedly, Hu Meizi was like a dog-skin plaster. As soon as Gui Qing moved, she pressed tightly against her.
This happened several times in a row.
Finally, Guiqing couldn't bear it anymore and said coldly: "Stay away from me."
Hu Meizi looked at her with big watery eyes, an expression that showed she couldn't be more aggrieved, and said in a trembling voice: "I'm cold."
In the end, Guiqing could not escape the fate of being stuck.
Qin Fang always smiled and said nothing. She knew very well that this kind of "torture" had probably just begun for Gui Qing.
She also felt a little stuffy, so she raised a corner of the thick car curtain, and suddenly a cold wind blew in, making the coals sizzle.
The sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes comes again.
She was so lost in thought that she forgot to put down the curtain.
There is only one person in my heart.
I want him to go home for the New Year.
