It's almost late autumn, there is a chill inside and outside the palace, the fragrance of flowers is everywhere, the west wind blows all over the gardens, but the mournful chirping of cicadas can be heard, and the fallen leaves are piled all over the ground, which makes this square city even more desolate and desolate.
The Royal Garden is located in the back garden of the palace, close to Jinming Pool and adjacent to Qionglin Garden. At a glance, it is full of pavilions, waterside pavilions, ingenious rockeries, and gurgling streams. It is like a landscape painting with exquisite brushwork. Walk out of it, lifelike.
Here, hundreds of flowers are planted, with bright colors, including datura, poppies, albizia, peonies, green bags, purple chrysanthemums and other flowers. It was early in the morning, and the sky was full of clouds, like a cloud. The fine brocade reflects the sea of flowers in the garden, making it colorful for a while.
A golden flower shadow dyed a bright rouge among thousands of flowers. It was the most eye-catching golden chrysanthemum. Because the emperor loved chrysanthemums the most, the imperial garden was filled with various kinds of chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums, among them, a group of golden chrysanthemums, solitary and elegant, proud and frosty, can be regarded as the crown of flowers, adding a different color to the imperial garden where hundreds of flowers are blooming. It is so gorgeous, but also so desolate. , exactly in line with the current autumn scenery.
Bypassing the Imperial Garden, along both sides of Jinming Pond, all the way to the south, there are actually two sea ponds, one in the south and one in the north, or in other words, a wide lake flowing quietly there. This is Qionglin Garden. "Taiye Pool" to the north.
On the Taiye Pond, blue waves rippled, and a clear lake swayed like a bright mirror, reflecting the reflections of the willows and palaces on both sides of the bank. The mist on the lake was like a gauze, looming, seeming to shuttle back and forth among the clouds.
Occasionally, there are a few swallows hovering among the willow branches. Their happy and contented appearance can't help but arouse the reverie of countless palace ladies; they are thinking about how wonderful it would be if people could fly freely between heaven and earth like these swallows. There is no need to worry about here and there, nor will the cold palace etiquette restrain personal emotions and trap oneself in this lonely city for life...
However, this is just an illusory fantasy after all. How can everything go smoothly in life! As soon as you enter the palace gate, it is as deep as the sea. No matter how hard you struggle, the people in this square city will never be able to escape the shackles of fate in the end, just like the current Emperor of Zhou, His Highness the King of Qin, and the Imperial Concubine.
The autumn wind blew gently, blowing across the lake surface of Taiye Pond and the flowers in the Imperial Garden, wafting the fragrance of large flowers. Gradually, gradually, the flowers became astonishing and fell into a rain of petals all over the sky.
At this time, it was already the end of autumn, and the weather was slowly getting cooler, far less hot than the midsummer heat. It had rained all night again last night, and in the morning there was a thick mist. But in the palace garden, there were green willows and the fragrance of flowers was fragrant.
At this moment, the Imperial Garden is extremely quiet and quiet. Apart from the autumn colors in the garden, the flower stamens soaked with moistening raindrops, and a few elegant Elaeagnus trees, there is only the invisible and intangible sound of the wind. Willows bring with them a refreshing fragrance.
In the distance, several little palace ladies in purple clothes were pruning flower branches. They are just a group of young girls. Their beautiful faces, tall figures, and purple palace clothes, coupled with their flower-cutting postures, depict the beautiful and beautiful years of their marriage.
The palace maid lowered her head to cut flowers, her smile was like a peach-petal flower, complementing the frown on her cheeks. From time to time she would sing softly, humming a small order softly, her singing voice was as soft as the white clouds in the sky, clear and melodious.
"Sit alone and grieve as my head grows old,
Hairpin flowers are too much to worry about.
Holding hands and looking forward to each other,
The slave is also ashamed of the man. "
The autumn light is melting, the girl is singing and picking flowers, and her skirts are fluttering in the wind. This is a very beautiful thing. And on such an autumn morning, the subtle fragrance floating in the sea of flowers is even more beautiful. The ethereal singing is actually It aroused the interest of these little girls.
"What song are you singing?" One of the maids cutting flowers asked curiously as she looked at the maid Su Qiu who was singing just now.
"This is a poem by His Highness the King of Qin. It's called "Changgan Xing". Does it sound good?"
When she heard it was the poem written by King Qin, the palace maid who was cutting flowers was slightly startled, and the movement of her hands stopped. She did not expect that she spent half her life in the army, conquering the world with iron and blood, and was known as "the first in military achievements of the country and dynasty". Xiao Changling, the famous King of Qin and the God of War of the Zhou Empire, could actually write such a fresh and refined poem.
"Unexpectedly, such a wonderful sentence was actually written by His Highness the King of Qin."
"And what you can't even imagine is that I heard that King Qin's poem was specially written for the noble concubine..."
Before Su Qiu could finish her words, the palace maid suddenly turned pale, as if she was frightened, and hurriedly pinched Su Qiu lightly.
"Shh..., please keep your voice down. If these words reach His Majesty's ears, then that's okay!"
Unexpectedly, Su Qiu looked nonchalant, waved her hand and said.
"What are you afraid of! No one in the palace knows about the matter between the imperial concubine and King Qin. Do you think His Majesty doesn't know about it?"
Undoubtedly, Su Qiu's words aroused the interest of these palace maids more than the previous poem by His Highness King Qin. Then, another palace maid named Ziyun said with a mysterious face to the sisters beside her, "Yesterday Have you heard about what happened late?”
"What's going on?"
As the saying goes, "One stone stirs up a thousand waves." The other palace maids stopped pruning the flower branches and turned to look at Ziyun. Everyone had doubts on their faces.
"I heard that after King Qin left Xianyang Palace yesterday, he did not leave the palace immediately. Instead, he went to Chengqian Palace. It is said that he also met with the imperial concubine. The two chatted for a long time." Ziyun said with added jealousy. .
"real or fake?!"
"And there's this!"
As expected, the maids were all surprised. They thought this was incredible, so they began to whisper with curiosity in their hearts.
Unexpectedly, Ziyun didn't seem to show any signs of stopping, and instead became more and more arrogant.
"Of course it's true. Many people saw it at the time. Do you think King Qin and the noble concubine would..."
"presumptuous!"
Suddenly, a clear scolding was heard, like the biting wind and frost in the middle of winter, sweeping coldly from behind, sending shivers down one's spine; although one could tell that these words came from a woman's mouth, it still You can feel a chill to your bones.
The sudden slight rebuke made the palace maids who were chatting just now shudder. They subconsciously turned their heads and looked around, only to see a group of palace maids, surrounded by a noble and calm woman, walking slowly towards them.
This woman has a graceful manner and a graceful figure. Her waist is as slender as a weak willow in the wind. Her eyes are fragrant, her eyebrows are red, and her lips are red. A touch of crimson rouge is placed under the beauty's lips, making her look even more charming. Together with her hair, Her upturned bun and well-tailored light blue dress complemented her elegant demeanor.
Compared with Xie Wan's heart, which was as cold as an iceberg and snow lotus, this woman's face was more like a blazing rose flower, blooming in the spring breeze of peach and plum blossoms, every inch of it, making people intoxicated.
The person who came was none other than Concubine Chen, Li Yan, one of the four concubines of "Shu De Xian Chen", who was second only to the imperial concubine Xie Wanxin in favor.
"Who allows you to discuss His Highness the King of Qin and the Imperial Concubine here?"
Li Yanguang's sleeves were like rainbows, her face was cold, and her bright amber eyes were a little fierce. She looked seriously at the chattering palace maids, approaching them step by step.
As soon as they saw Concubine Chen coming, the little palace maids were immediately horrified, and they quickly fell down and worshiped, their beautiful faces turned pale, and they said.
"Concubine Chen, I don't dare."
Everyone in the palace knew that when Concubine Chen Li Yan was young, she and Xie Wanxin were close friends, and they talked about everything. I remember that when His Majesty was still the Crown Prince, the two of them were selected by the late Emperor, and together with the current Queen, they entered His Majesty's East Palace and became His Majesty's concubines. Later, when His Majesty ascended the throne, Xie Wanxin was named a noble concubine. After entering the Chengqian Palace, Li Yan was named Concubine Chen and ranked as one of the "Four Concubines".
As Xie Wanxin's best friend for many years, Li Yan is certainly aware of the past between Wan'er and Xiao Changling. She also knows that Wan'er had no choice but to enter the palace back then. Over the years, she and Xiao Changling have always been together. Tormenting each other painfully. Because of this, Li Yan would not allow anyone to slander Wan'er as unscrupulously as he did today.
I saw Li Yan with a cold look on her face. Accompanied by her personal maid Yun Shang, she slowly approached the palace maids. At this moment, these little palace maids who didn't know the heights of the world were already scared out of their wits. They were trembling all over and didn't dare to do anything. Look directly at Concubine Chen's beautiful face.
Soon, Li Yan spoke coldly, and her words were filled with the chill of the coldest days.
"How dare you, a little slave, to overstep your bounds and discuss palace matters? Are the King of Qin and the noble concubine as unworthy as you say?"
"I don't dare, I don't dare..." The maids no longer chatted and laughed as before. Now they can only kowtow and apologize.
After a while, Li Yan still had a cold face, paused slightly in her tone, and then said calmly.
"Today's matter ends here. It was an unintentional act to miss you, and I will not pursue it. But if you dare to be so ignorant and talk nonsense again in the future, then don't blame me for being ruthless. Do you understand? ?!”
Although Li Yan's voice was not loud, it was extremely majestic and had the demeanor of the head of a palace.
The lives of the servants in this palace are as low as dust. Their life and death, honor and disgrace, all depend on the emperor's whims and the personal preferences of the nobles. If they make a mistake, a tragic ending awaits them.
Therefore, the palace maids who knew that they had made a big mistake did not dare to say anything more. They could only express gratitude to Concubine Chen for letting the past go. "I am very grateful to you for your great kindness."
"Go down."
"Here."
The little maids were submissive and with uneasy feelings, they retreated angrily.
At this time, Li Yan's expression did not change, she just tilted her head slightly and whispered instructions to Yun Shang, who was standing quietly beside her.
"Don't say anything about today's matter, especially don't let His Majesty know about it."
"Yes, empress, I understand." Yun Shang lowered her head, and Nono said yes.
Li Yan nodded, then paused briefly, staring for a long time, as if thinking about something, then led a group of palace maids and left the imperial garden, leaving only the fragrance of flowers in the garden, still gradually filling the air with the wind. .
However, rumors are rumors after all, and their spread is beyond everyone's imagination. As the saying goes, "people's words are terrible." Rumors are as harmful as the plague. Once they spread, they can no longer be contained.
Within a few days, the overwhelming rumors became more and more intense in the palace.
Chongde Palace was depressing and solemn, and the atmosphere was as condensed as a thousand-year-old ice cellar.
In the palace, Queen Cao Qingxi was dressed in red, with a face full of cold snow. She was sitting on the phoenix throne. The maid Yue'er stood quietly aside, fanning the queen's hand; and below the queen, a man in purple clothes The palace maid, Rujin, was kneeling there, too frightened to speak.
As the empress of the Zhou Dynasty, Cao Qingxi's appearance could not be regarded as the most beautiful one in the world, but she could still be said to be graceful and luxurious. Her eyes were as full as autumn water, filled with the word gentleness. Wearing a red dress that symbolizes the queen's status, the brilliance shines, and she is so noble that it is impossible to look directly at her.
But on top of the phoenix seat, there is a bright red flower-like figure, with a hint of brightness in its gentleness, just like a rising sun on the calm sea, its rays of light spreading across the blue sea, with magnificent waves.
Wearing a red dress and a head of black hair, she perfectly brought out the grace of the queen.
However, at this moment, Queen Cao's mood was not as bright as the red dress on her body. Instead, it was more like a stormy late autumn, extremely gloomy; after all, in the past few days, rumors had spread in the palace, and now they have reached Chongde Palace. Coming, it can be seen that the situation is serious. As a queen, of course I cannot be happy.
Cao Qingxi's face was gloomy, his eyes dimmed with autumn light, and he stared at Rujin who was kneeling on the ground.
"Tell me, when did the rumors about King Qin and his concubine spread in the palace?!"
Perhaps because of the coercive momentum of the Empress, the young palace maid was already frightened and overwhelmed. She was so trembling that she even felt awkward speaking.
"Back to the saint, slave,... slave, I don't know when this will be..."
Unexpectedly, Cao Qingxi coldly stared at Rujin with an unmistakable sharp look, as if he was telling her as the mother of a country, I don't believe a word of your words.
"Do you think I am a three-year-old child? It's already this time and you still want to hide it from me! Don't you say so? Okay, then I can only send you to Yeting and let you be imprisoned under the Nine Nethers for the rest of your life. ."
When the queen said this, Rujin finally couldn't hold it any longer, and her tone gradually relaxed, "The saint forgives me, I said, I said..."
"Tell me what you know and get it from me." Cao Qingxi said sternly.
"The servants also heard what other palace people said. They said that His Highness King Qin did not leave the palace that day, but went to Chengqian Palace. They also said that King Qin's return to Beijing was actually for the sake of the imperial concubine. They also said that King Qin and the imperial concubine Falling in love at a young age is a match made in heaven. If His Majesty hadn't fought for love back then, maybe the two of them would have..." Rujin broke into cold sweat and said cautiously with a trembling voice.
"absurd!"
Cao Qingxi still sat on the main seat, maintaining the dignified and majestic style of the mother of the country, but a cold and solemn light was drawn at the edge of her eyes; soon, the queen's face suddenly darkened, and even The tone of his speech also revealed a hint of coldness.
"Do you know what you are talking about?! The King of Qin is your Majesty's younger brother. He has served the country in the city and has served the country for a long time. The imperial concubine has served your Majesty for many years and has always been chaste and self-sufficient. Weird power is strictly prohibited in the palace. Chaos God, where do you have the courage to slander King Qin and the noble concubine? Do you think I am too lenient?"
"Sage, please calm down, this servant will never dare to do it again." Rujin was obviously crying.
At this time, Cao Qingxi's expression returned to its usual calmness, and his beautiful eyes became as clear as water, and he finally spoke calmly.
"It is my decree that from now on, if anyone dares to cause trouble in the palace, they will be dealt with according to the palace rules."
"Here."
After Rujin stepped back, Cao Qingxi frowned and said nothing, as if she was deep in thought. Her mood was extremely complicated at this moment. Perhaps because she saw the queen unhappy, Yue'er beside her quickly offered a cup of hot tea. He said with relief.
"Sage, don't get angry over these trivial things, as that can easily harm your body."
The queen took the tea cup, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly turned her head to look at Yue'er.
"Yue'er, go and send a message for me, asking King Qin to come to the palace tomorrow. Remember, this is a invitation, do you understand?"
"But saint, I'm afraid it's inappropriate..." Yue'er said hesitantly.
"You have something to say?"
After much thought, Yue'er made up her mind and spoke slowly.
"Sage, the harem is not allowed to interfere with politics. This is a rule set by His Majesty. What's more, the King of Qin and you are even more different from your uncle and sister-in-law. If you meet the King of Qin rashly, I am afraid that you will give people falsehoods. I am worried..."
After hearing what Yue'er said, Cao Qingxi thought for a moment and then smiled softly.
"I don't know what you said. However, this matter is related to the honor of the royal family. As the queen, I naturally have a duty. Okay, Yue'er, you don't need to say any more. Just do as I say."
In the end, Yue'er couldn't resist the queen and finally agreed.
"Here, slave, take your orders."
After finishing speaking, Chongde Palace fell into silence again. In this cold imperial family, no matter how deep the friendship is, it cannot withstand unreasonable suspicion and words!
The Queen, who had been sitting for an unknown length of time, finally stood up slowly. A rare loneliness appeared on her sacred face that always carried the inviolability of being the mother of a country. She walked into the inner hall alone.
…
At dusk, the sun gradually set towards the west, and the sky became darker and darker. A deep sunset emerged from the gloomy clouds, shining on every corner of Shangjing.
To the west of the city is the Palace of the Prince of Qin.
This Qin Prince's Palace is located on Zhuque Street in the west of Shangjing City, a certain distance from the imperial palace. It is the palace of Qin King Xiao Changling in the capital. It is also the highest-standard prince's palace in the entire Shangjing City. It covers an area of more than 120 acres. He has five hundred servants, doing everything he can to prosper the country.
The stern Qin Prince's Mansion has a total of two hundred iron pagodas, with layers of guards. There are swords and spears all over the house, filled with the murderous intent of an iron-blooded conquest.
In the courtyard courtyard and outside the corridor, the setting sun was shining slantingly, and the autumn wind was blowing across the ground, bringing with it a chilling chill, as if covered with a thin layer of frost, spreading all over the palace, and the cold light on the tip of the iron Buddha butcher's knife. , integrated into one.
Reflecting the dim sky and the whistling wind, in the courtyard, the withered yellow leaves all over the ground were swept up in the air by the west wind, and fell scattered like drifting clouds and flying snow.
In the courtyard, there is an open area, surrounded by silence.
Under the dusk, Xiao Changling's eyes were as dark as obsidian, and his expression was unusually calm. He was dressed in slender white clothes, lined with soft armor of snow-silver fish scales, with a pair of silver wristbands on his arms, and a pair of Feiyun combat boots at his feet. , heroic and awe-inspiring, towering like mountains standing side by side, just standing motionless, as if they were already standing at the pinnacle of the world.
The wind is blowing.
The strong wind blew gently along Xiao Changling's handsome face, ruffling his inky hair and tugging at the corners of his white clothes, stirring up heroic feelings and leaving behind a heroic spirit.
That handsome figure, plump demeanor, paired with a tailored white dress, is so outstanding; the fair face, heroic sword eyebrows, high nose, especially under the thick, dark eyelashes, that A pair of shining cold eyes.
With such handsome appearance, tall and straight posture, clear eyes, and heroic attitude, who would not be deeply attracted by the charming demeanor of His Highness the King of Qin?
At this moment, time seemed to stand still, condensed into ice, vaguely exuding an icy murderous aura.
Deserted and silent.
Xiao Changling wore a frosty mask and said nothing. He remained as solid as stone and stood in the center of the courtyard, letting the strong wind sweep around and blow up the white clothes on his body.
Immediately, Xiao Changling raised his eyes. The pair of black pupils, like falcons, burning with the light of stars, changed in an instant, turning into a biting cold pool. It was unknown how many undercurrents and huge waves were hidden.
At this moment, Xiao Changling's sword eyebrows were raised, his mind was slightly chilled, he raised his head and looked straight ahead, a hundred steps away; two faint lines of symbols traced along the depths of Xiao Changling's eyes. , suddenly slipped out, like two arrows from the string, shooting straight out, two absolutely straight lines.
Immediately, Xiao Changling crossed his arms, intertwined his hands, caressing the silver wristbands under his arms, and tapped the two ends of the wristbands with his index finger from time to time.
After a while, Xiao Changling let go of his hands, gently turned his wrists, his eyes became more determined than ever before, and then he raised his hands to hug him. In just the blink of an eye, an iron-tied divine bow was held in Xiao Changling's hand as if by magic, and he held it tightly.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Changling calmly raised his right hand, and an "Iron Bone Wolf Fang Arrow" was clasped on the bowstring at some unknown time. His movements were sharp and swift, so fast and agile that it was dizzying to see.
Finished drawing the bow and setting the arrow.
Xiao Changling's figure is upright, standing on the spot, his left arm is slightly lowered, holding an iron bow, his elbows and shoulders are rotated inward, his feet are spread outward, parallel to his shoulders, like a spear piercing the sky, and like a horizontal spear. The sword kills everywhere.
Soon, Xiao Changling, who was full of murderous intent, held a strong bow in his hand, slowly leaned forward, and pushed the bow away with the tiger's mouth of his left hand. But he saw that he was holding a strong bow in his left hand, and the middle and index fingers of his right hand clamped the nock of a long arrow. With a sudden movement, he opened the bow string forcefully, making it look like a crescent moon.
The long arrow has been strung, and the "Iron Wolf Fang" is placed on the bow string. The tip of the arrow is glowing with cold light, mixed with soul-eating murderous intent. It points coldly forward, directly at the pile of arrow targets, ready to be released at any time. This arrow.
Despite this, Xiao Changling picked up the bow and nocked the arrow, and stretched the bow string with all his strength. However, from the beginning to the end, his arms holding the bow remained as stable as before, without any tremor, as if he was carrying a thousand kilograms of divine power.
At the same time, Xiao Changling stared forward, his stern and solemn gaze, and the cold light on the tip of the long arrow, faintly pressed into a snow line, blending into one, blooming with infinite brilliance, and sparking brilliant sparks.
Suddenly, in front of Xiao Changling's eyes, a familiar scene vaguely appeared. When he led his army for the first time on an expedition, the flags were flying, the horses were rustling, the armor was clanking, and the lineup was solemn. That familiar scene seemed like it. Like yesterday.
It seems that once his arrow is shot, it will reach across the clouds thousands of miles away, shoot down the Sirius star in the northwest, and stabilize the world.
"blow!"
With a thunderbolt sound, Xiao Changling held his breath and concentrated, holding the long bow in his hand, twisting the bowstring slightly with two fingers, and then slowly released it.
Just for a moment, the long arrow named "Iron Bone Spike" flew out like a gust of wind. Outside the long bow string, the tense fingertips were still swinging and shaking fiercely.
Arrows flew across.
On the archery target three hundred steps away, the red heart in the center was crowded with long fang arrows, forming a circle, including, of course, the arrow just now.
It can be seen that just before shooting that arrow, Xiao Changling stood in the courtyard and fired several arrows continuously. The arrows hit the target and none of them missed.
It must be admitted that such superb archery skills are rare in the world and rare in the world. It is no wonder that he, Xiao Changling, always looks down on the heroes of the world with his unrivaled martial arts and unparalleled riding and shooting, and claims to be the best in the world!
Then, Xiao Changling's eyes were like arrows, his brows were like blades, and there was no smile on his face. His unruffled face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, and he stared at the target in silence.
At this moment, Long Xifeng walked in from outside carrying the "Jingbei Sword".
"Your Majesty."
"What's the matter?" Xiao Changling did not turn around, still staring at the arrow stack.
So, Long Xifeng replied in a deep voice, "To inform the king, someone in the palace sent a message saying that the queen would like to invite the king to the palace tomorrow to have a talk."
"Queen?!"
Xiao Changling was slightly startled at first, but soon returned to the indifferent expression he had had for more than ten years. Seeing that he looked solemn, he put down the iron bow in his hand, shook the corner of his clothes, and patted his left arm wristband with his right hand. The dust was dusted off and dispersed into the setting sun.
He smiled slyly.
"It's interesting. I haven't returned to the capital for ten years. As soon as I entered the capital, the couple asked me to meet them one after another. They really had a good understanding."
"Perhaps the Queen just wants to chat with you about home affairs." Long Xifeng said in a low voice.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Changling's face showed a cold and sharp expression, and a disdainful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"The word "friendship" had nothing to do with them in the past. They used to be dismissive of it, but now they have become more affectionate."
When Long Xifeng saw this, he just hesitated for a moment and then asked subconsciously.
"Then..., will the king go tomorrow? If the king doesn't want to go, the general will refuse."
For a long time, Xiao Changling lowered his gaze, with a chill in his eyes, and looked quietly into the distance; suddenly, he slowly showed his face and smiled slightly.
"Go, of course I have to go. The knife is in Gu's hand. It's up to Gu to decide whether to go or not. Gu Dao wants to see what my imperial sister-in-law has to do and whether she will be like Gu's. That royal brother is just as shameless."
"Okay, I understand." Long Xifeng bowed his hands and turned to leave.
…
The cool west wind whistled and rolled, blowing every plant and tree in Prince Qin's palace, and gently passed by Xiao Changling.
Dressed in white, it feels like back then!
