In late autumn in Shangjing, the weather is unpredictable. Sometimes the golden breeze brings coolness, and sometimes it is gloomy and depressing.
The bleak autumn wind swept away the withered yellow leaves all over the ground, and the vast sky looked gloomy, like a huge black cloth covered with ink covering the sky, making people feel extremely suffocating.
An autumn rain and a cold.
An autumn rain came quietly without any warning, leaving people in the capital unprepared for it; the rain fell in patter, as fine and smooth as silk, and continued all night long. The sky was gray and misty, just like people's moods, which are cloudy and sunny. Shangjing, the core of the entire Great Zhou Empire, was shrouded in a misty and hazy illusion.
By dawn the next day, the rain had not stopped, but was getting heavier and heavier.
The heavy rain is pouring down, and the rain is becoming more and more violent. The sound of wind and rain, the thunder and lightning, and the crackling raindrops seem to be carrying a faint gloomy atmosphere, washing away the tall walls of Shangjing City; now the Great Zhou Dynasty Shangjing is like An isolated island in the sea, surrounded in all directions by endless ocean.
The Chongde Palace in the rain, just like this, stands alone in the pouring rain, showing its solemnity and solemnity even more; countless raindrops like mutton-fat white jade, covering the sky and the ground, knocking on the palace made of countless colored glazes From far to near, the palace tiles made a pleasant sound, gradually turning into a beautiful note.
The rainwater dripped down along the glazed tiles, like gurgling water, dripping on the smooth ground in front of the palace, and wet a large area in less than a moment.
The Queen's Chongde Palace is located in the center of the palace. It is only separated from the Emperor's Imperial Study Room by the large square. Standing on the corridor of Chongde Palace and looking from a distance, you can see the side hall of the Imperial Study Room; and in Behind Chongde Palace, directly opposite, is the highest and widest place in Chongde Palace, the "Wangyun Tower".
Between Chongde Palace and Wangyun Tower, there is a long corridor covered with colorful glazed tiles, connecting the two sides together and embedded in one place. At first glance, it looks like a gorgeous pavilion, blocking out the sun from the sky. Hanging in mid-air.
At this moment, on Wangyun Tower, Queen Cao Qingxi was wearing a red dress and a red lantern brocade-patterned cloak. Accompanied by her personal maid Yue'er, she stood in the long corridor, slightly raising her head, watching this scene. The heavy rain was pouring down, and looking at the bent and messy albizia branches on the porch due to the wind and rain, I couldn't help but feel a trace of sadness in my eyes.
Look at this graceful queen, her snow-skinned face is embellished with a touch of bright red, but with a touch of melancholy; her bustling and gorgeous tapestry flower and bird red dress, with the raindrops and cool breeze, It spread out in layers around her, like a circle of red ripples, so beautiful and wonderful.
Although the queen's eyes were always looking at the autumn rain scene in front of her, a hint of uneasiness could be seen in those beautiful watery eyes; listening to the patter of rain outside the corridor, Cao Qingxi's state of mind unexpectedly Like this autumn rain, it is extremely misty...
All the maids and chambermaids in the Queen's Palace stood far away, waiting quietly, and no one came forward. There was only Yue'er beside Cao Qingxi. Maybe others didn't know what the Queen was thinking at the moment, but as a waiter, Yue'er, the queen's maid for many years, certainly knew that the queen was waiting for someone, waiting for that person's arrival.
At this moment, a crisp sound of footsteps sounded slowly along the end of the corridor of Wangyun Tower; only the sound of footsteps coming from far to near was heard, sonorous and powerful, as fast as the wind, as if coming from the flat ground, quite It has the power to shake the heaven and the earth, and swallows thousands of miles like a tiger.
A tall and tall white figure, like an ethereal white ghost, and like a white-feathered roc flying high, appeared at the other end of the corridor with a fierce pride; he strode forward , slowly walked up the long corridor between Chongde Palace and Wangyun Tower.
But they saw Xiao Changling holding his hands behind his back, wearing flowing white clothes, brushing off the rain stains on the corners of his clothes; he walked steadily along the corridor, his eyes were always as cold as frost, and there was no trace of a smile. .
On the corridor, Xiao Changling walked over alone, striding over. The spurs on his iron boots struck the ground paved with bluestones, making a clanging sound. It seemed that the sound of these boots was That's where the Jingbei cavalry's long swords are pointing, and Wang Qi is pointing at the thumping drum sound in the distance.
At that time, it was raining continuously. A layer of moist rain and mist was removed from the sky, and the clouds were all gray. It was obviously morning, but it seemed like night.
Xiao Changling was dressed in white and remained silent. He walked to the end of the corridor, climbed the stairs, and slowly walked towards Cao Qingxi.
The cool autumn wind passed through the eaves, filled the sleeves, blew over Xiao Changling's handsome face, blew the corners of his white clothes, and made a hunting sound, as he moved forward against the wind.
However, at this moment, Cao Qingxi was still leaning on the railing and looking into the distance. She did not feel anything strange coming from not far away, nor did she realize that the person she was waiting for had arrived.
"Sage, King Qin is here."
Finally, it was Yue'er's gentle reminder that brought Cao Qingxi back from endless meditation to the skinny reality.
Cao Qingxi turned around and saw that stern face and those cold eyes. Ten years have passed, and he is still so proud and confident; suddenly, the high-spirited white-horse general appears in front of him again.
Ten years of wind and rain have never left any traces of time on Xiao Changling's body. Only his innate heroic spirit remains new day after day, year after year. The outline of Xiao Changling's jade-like face is still firm, as calm as an ice lake, and as cold as a snow-capped mountain; the only difference is that compared with ten years ago, between the eyebrows of His Highness the King of Qin, There is a bit more calmness and majesty, as well as the awe-inspiring demeanor of being the Lord of Jingbei.
The rustling autumn wind gently blew over Xiao Changling's temples, and the wind blew up a lock of black hair and stuck it to his handsome face; occasionally, a few tiny raindrops were blown by the wind and stuck to his face. On the bridge of his tall nose.
Looking at the white clothes behind him, Cao Qingxi's face showed many complicated expressions, but he still maintained the noble demeanor of being the mother of a country, just standing there quietly, watching the man named Xiao Changling man.
At this moment, Xiao Changling, who was standing face to face with the Queen, still had an almost indifferent expression on his face. His two handsome eyebrows were always tightly locked together, and few people saw it on his face. It's not that he doesn't know how to smile, it's that his heart has already been covered with a layer of frost, and no one can really see through his heart.
He did not raise his head to look at the queen. His entire body was like a weathered stone sculpture, standing there straight, without emotion or warmth.
The uncle and sister-in-law had not seen each other for ten years, but when they met again, they were so embarrassed; because their identities had already undergone essential changes, one was the queen, the other was the King of Qin; one was the mother of the country, and the other was a foreign vassal. Xiao Changling and Cao Qingxi is both uncle and sister-in-law, as well as a monarch and minister. More importantly, they all came with their own purposes today. The so-called family affection is actually just a cover to whitewash peace. For them, interests are the most important. of.
Whether it is Xiao Changling or Cao Qingxi, they all know that this deadlock will not last long, and it depends on who can break it first. In the end, it was the empress who was the mother of the world, who took the lead in breaking the two of them. a stalemate between them.
I saw Cao Qingxi smile faintly, and the Queen Zhou's wind in the forest came out.
"King Qin, you are well."
Looking at Xiao Changling, there was no wave in his expression, he was always as cold and arrogant as a cold pool; the depths of his eyes were deep and clear, and the perseverance on his cheeks became more and more obvious.
Xiao Changling's face was as cold as frost. After more than ten years of fighting and fighting, His Highness the King of Qin, who had an army of 400,000, forgot what fear was and what fear was. All he had was endless indifference and fierce killing. meaning.
Suddenly, Xiao Changling stared at the queen and spoke in a deep voice. His voice was cold yet warm, and an extremely cold title slowly burst out from between his teeth.
"Queen."
Late autumn, cool autumn rain.
The corridor was as cold as ice.
…
After a while, Xiao Changling moved forward and stood beside Cao Qingxi, leaning on the railing independently; he held the railing with both hands, motionless, looking far into the distance, staring quietly ahead, with a calm gaze, Looking at this continuous autumn rain.
The sound of rain fell one after another, falling into the stagnant water, stirring up countless loud splashes; these sounds from nature poured into Xiao Changling's ears, so logical and fitting, perhaps because he was used to wind and rain, and Perhaps he has long been numb to all this; therefore, no matter how strong the wind is or how heavy the rain is, it is all the same in Xiao Changling's eyes.
Standing on Wangyun Tower, Xiao Changling lowered his head secretly, pondered for a moment, then lifted up the white cloak on his body, and suddenly tightened the corners of his mouth, and his entire facial expression became extremely cold. , giving birth to waves of awe-inspiring chills.
Xiao Changling finally spoke, "The queen invites me to the palace today. Why do you want me to do so?"
Seeing Xiao Changling getting straight to the point, Cao Qingxi was momentarily distracted, but soon regained her usual calmness. She looked around silently, turned to look at Yue'er, and spoke softly.
"Yue'er, please go down first. I want to talk to King Qin alone."
"Here, saint." Yue'er was very sensible, and after finishing her bow, she retreated obediently.
Seeing the queen retreating, Xiao Changling turned back coldly. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the palace maids inadvertently. His solemn expression relaxed slightly, but he never relaxed.
"Queen, it's just you and me. If you have anything to say, please speak up."
Xiao Changling stood and looked.
Now that the King of Qin has gone straight in, Cao Qingxi no longer hides and tucks in. She raised her head slightly, her face was elegant and dignified, and smiled lightly; the queen's smile was very soft and calm, even if her heart was as cold as your majesty's today, facing The queen's smile will also make her heart move.
"Okay, let me not beat around the bush. I invite King Qin to the palace today. It is indeed important. I wonder if King Qin has heard some rumors in the palace recently?"
These words are both a question and a test; because only Cao Qingxi knows best. His Highness, King of Qin, is an invincible god on the battlefield. He is the king who commands the 400,000 Jingbei army. He is as immovable as a mountain and attacks like fire. But only when facing that woman, all his reason and restraint would be lost bit by bit. Xiao Changling's lifelong weakness was the woman named Xie Wanxin.
When he heard the word "rumor", Xiao Changling's face tightened, and a faint and distant look of longing swept from his forehead to the tip of his eyebrows, and gradually came to his heart; it seemed that that beautiful silhouette was just like that. Not far away in front, looking at the figure that he thought about so much, Xiao Changling's eyes unknowingly showed a look of sadness, which was a look of deep attachment to the person he loved.
But soon, Xiao Changling came back to his senses. He smiled coldly, but there was a sharp sword energy in his smile, and the sharp look between his eyebrows became stronger and stronger.
"I don't understand what the Queen means by saying this, please tell me clearly!"
The coercion in Xiao Changling's words came face to face; however, as the mother of a country, Cao Qingxi's frown and smile were so light and gentle. She was not suppressed by the powerful momentum of the Great Zhou War God, but that This kind of innate nobility formed a sharp contrast with Xiao Changling's arrogance.
"Second brother, after so many years, can't you let go?"
This time, Cao Qingxi's name for Xiao Changling changed significantly. Instead of continuing to call him "King of Qin", he called him an affectionate title that Xiao Changling had not heard for a long time - "second brother"; she I hope that in this way, I can impress this iron-hearted brother-in-law. From "King of Qin" to "Second Brother", Cao Qingxi wants to tell Xiao Changling that no matter what, we will always be a family, and I am your royal sister-in-law. , you are my brother-in-law.
As everyone knows, it was Cao Qingxi's words that struck the deepest pain in Xiao Changling's heart; deep in his heart, it seemed as if a raging fire was ignited, burning his internal organs into pieces. Ashes.
At this moment, all that could be seen was that Xiao Changling lowered his eyes, with a solemn expression on his face, and a pair of bright black eyes with an unprecedented indifference; he turned around, leaving only a white shadow for the queen. his back, and his voice seemed to be mocking himself.
"Let it go?! Sister-in-law, tell me, how do you ask me to let go of my close relatives and enemies? The Queen is meeting an orphan today, presumably to act as a lobbyist for him!"
Cao Qingxi smiled sadly.
"Second brother, at the beginning, His Majesty was indeed sorry for you and Wan Xin, but he couldn't help himself. In fact, he had no choice in many things. I am not trying to defend Your Majesty, but no one can be a saint. No fault. Let the past go by. Gratitude and resentment can never be clarified. Hatred has been entrenched in your heart for a whole ten years and has made you suffer for a whole ten years. This is another Why bother."
Xiao Changling did not turn around, he still stood upright on the dangerous building, leaning on the railing to watch the wind and rain; and the two glances in his eyes were already like two unsheathed swords, the swords broke through the obstruction of the heavy rain, and the swords cut through the fog. of cover.
"I can't help myself?! It's a joke! My father was originally going to pass the throne to me, but it was he who used despicable and shameless means to steal the throne that belonged to me; and it was he who took advantage of my expedition to force him away from me. I stole Wan'er. Sister-in-law, if you were me, what would you do?"
In this scene, Xiao Changling's uncertain face was already filled with turbid waves, and no emotion could be seen. The gaze projected in his eyes was as deep as the sea, but this sea was a world of love. Hatred of the sea; and at this time, Cao Qingxi's shining eyes were also covered with a layer of gray color.
"But now the facts are like this, what can you do? What else can you do? Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about Wanxin. She is a noble concubine, His Majesty's woman, and now you are in front of everyone. On the other hand, I have never forgotten His Majesty’s noble concubine. What do you want Your Majesty to think? How do you want Wanxin to behave in this harem? It has been ten years and it is no longer possible between you."
"Yes, yes, it's impossible, it's impossible..." Xiao Changling gave a bitter smile. In addition to helplessness, this laughter was full of unwillingness.
In the end, Cao Qingxi slowly turned around. She didn't speak, but just looked at Xiao Changling blankly. Looking at that handsome face, the queen's originally soft heart couldn't help but feel a trace of emotion at this moment. , the Xiao family finally had a love affair.
Cao Qingxi sighed deeply in her heart, but a faint smile appeared on her lips. This was what she had expected. If she had not expected this, then she, Cao Qingxi, would not be the empress in charge of the Sixth Palace; fortunately she Xiao Changling's weakness has long been figured out, and the only person in the world who can control Xiao Changling is the imperial concubine in Chengqian Palace.
However, she miscalculated.
I saw Xiao Changling take a deep breath, his stern expression, bit by bit, condensed into a piece of cold iron; he stood tall and sneered somewhat self-deprecatingly.
"Ten years! There is actually no difference between me ten years from now and me ten years ago. Without a father, no Wan'er, and no throne, I still have nothing and nothing. Yes, I now hold military power and sit in charge of the three states. , there are 400,000 supporters of the army, but this is the only thing I have in this life. I, Xiao Changling, went through life and death on the battlefield and fought for my life bit by bit. This is something that truly belongs to me. Other than that, I have nothing.”
Perhaps, everyone only saw how glorious and proud Xiao Changling must be as the master of 400,000 cavalry, the king of Qin with unparalleled achievements, and the power in the world; but what they don't know is that standing at the pinnacle How lonely and helpless the people above are. As a king, there are too many things that cannot be controlled by oneself, and there are too many helplessness. Even if it is one's own feelings, everything cannot go as planned.
At this moment, Xiao Changling's body was as solid as stone, his hands clenched tightly together, and his scorching gaze fell directly on Cao Qingxi's dignified cheek, as if the two armies were facing each other at the moment of the final charge, without hesitation.
"The throne, Wan'er, one day, I will regain everything I have lost. The debt between me and him will never be settled in this life, and will continue to be settled in the next life!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Changling strode away without looking back.
On the quiet corridor, a slender figure dressed in white swayed with the sound of wind and rain; that white back, in the torrential rain, looked so free and unrestrained, yet so lonely. Gradually, He disappeared at the end of the rainy day.
"Your Majesty, if you could have foreseen today, would you have regretted your mistake back then?"
At this moment, Cao Qingxi's heart was bleeding silently.
…
The rain is still falling.
The pouring rain washes away this majestic Shangjing, standing alone in this vast world.
