In the first year of Tiansheng, early winter.
This year's winter came earlier than any time in previous years. As soon as it arrived in early October, you could feel the chill coming from deep in the air. By mid-to-late October, the north wind was blowing and heavy snow was flying.
This is the first year of the new emperor's accession to the throne, and it is also destined to be a very unusual year; October has not yet passed, and this majestic Shangjing City seems to have been covered with a thick blanket of snow. Looking around, the capital city is covered with white snow.
Accompanying the heavy snowfall in Beijing was a frontier army flying cavalry from the western border of the Great Zhou Dynasty. At this moment, these two thousand men, led by the talented female commander, were driving all the way towards the hinterland of the capital.
That's right.
The eldest princess is about to enter Beijing.
Just like when King Xiao Changling of Qin led his troops to Beijing, the news of the eldest princess's arrival in Beijing was like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, resounding over the temples of the Zhou Dynasty, and deeply shocked His Majesty the Emperor on the Dragon Throne.
When Huanghuang went to Beijing, he first heard the clanking hooves of the Jingbei Iron Horse, and then saw the horses from the Northwest neighing for thousands of miles.
You must know that the people who lead these two thousand elites in the Western Region are not ordinary people, let alone the noble daughter of Tianhuang who grew up in the deep palace. She is the eldest princess of the Great Zhou Empire, the only one since the founding of the Great Zhou Empire. A peerless female commander who was conferred by the emperor and could independently control an army of 300,000 people - Pingyang Princess Xiao Yingxue.
This eldest princess of noble birth put on a military uniform and went to the battlefield at the age of sixteen. At the age of eighteen, she rode a horse alone and entered the battle alone. She challenged the general of Xiyan in the rebellious army and frightened the enemy. At the age of twenty, she was conferred by the imperial court. , took charge of the armies in the northwest, and officially became the commander-in-chief of the western region. He was in charge of the military affairs of the two states of Gansu and Liang, and had made great achievements for fourteen years.
She was born into a noble family and was a royal daughter of the country, but she was careful to compare herself to men. She did not like red clothes and preferred armed weapons, and she showed the power of being a woman and not inferior to men.
She is not only a heroine husband, but also a hero among women. As a female, she has controlled the western frontier alone for fourteen years, intimidating the Qiang and Hu barbarians, and is a powerful prince.
She looked northwest and maneuvered vertically and horizontally. Although she was a daughter, she was able to make the 300,000 officers and soldiers of the Western Suppression Army bow to her with all their heart and soul, thus raising a big flag to support the western border defense line.
As far as the royal family is concerned, she is the eldest princess and the eldest daughter of the late emperor; as far as the world is concerned, she is the master of the 300,000-strong border army; as far as the Zhenxi Army is concerned, she is the meritorious commander-in-chief who commands the three armies and speaks one word.
The world only knows that King Qin Xiao Changling rode his horse and whip, smiled proudly, led an army of 400,000 from Jingbei, destroyed Southern Chu, conquered Rouran, conquered the world, made unparalleled achievements, and finally achieved great success, dominated the north, and controlled the Three Kingdoms. However, what is little known in the world is that as the only female commander-in-chief of the Zhou Dynasty, the eldest princess of Pingyang, Xiao Yingxue, is also indispensable. As a female, she wears armor and joins the army, fighting on the border. She once killed the Western Yanerlang without a single piece of armor left, until the country was destroyed and their species was destroyed. She also killed the Qiang and Hu allied forces in pieces and fled into the Western Desert... And the 300,000-strong Suppressing Western Army under her command had already been defeated once Amidst the bloodshed, it became a flag of the Zhou Empire in the western border.
If Xiao Changling is a tiger from the north, then Xiao Yingxue is a wolf rising in the Western Wilderness; these two siblings, one is the lord of Jingbei, and the other is the handsome lady of Zhenxi, with the same spirit flowing in their bodies. The bloodline of them are also unparalleled talents in the world, and together they hold up half of the sky of the Great Zhou Empire.
In terms of military strength, the Jingbei Army has 400,000 soldiers and the Zhenxi Army has 300,000 soldiers. In terms of combat strength, the Jingbei Army has an unparalleled array of iron cavalry, and the Zhenxi Army has brave soldiers that are rarely seen in the world. In terms of territory, the Jingbei Army has secluded, Hebei and the three prefectures were merged, and they dominated the northern Xinjiang. The Zhenxi Army controlled Gansu and Liang, and dominated the northwest. The two armies, one holding the northern border and the other guarding the western border, are the two most powerful forces in the world today.
Moreover, for many years, almost everyone in the imperial court of the Great Zhou Dynasty could see clearly that Xiao Changling and Xiao Yingxue, the two siblings, relied on the powerful military power in their hands to split the earth with their swords and conquer Jing. To the west of the north town is a horn, and no one in the world can stop it. In the eyes of those prime ministers and ministers who claim to be clean, this is the source of chaos.
In addition, in the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor, these two close relatives who hold heavy troops, and the hundreds of thousands of troops under their command, have always been Xiao Changyao's serious concern, which makes the emperor feel like he is in trouble; as the lord of the world, Xiao Changyao can't do anything. What you accept is that the imperial power of the king of your own country can only be limited to the court in Beijing and cannot spread to the four borders.
In fact, since the day he ascended the throne, Xiao Changyao has made great ambitions. He wants to be the emperor of the world, not just the emperor of the Xiao family. Therefore, even though so many years have passed, whether it is the Jingbei Army in the north or the town in the west. In the heart of Emperor Zhou, the Western Army was an extremely unstable factor, and even the root of war in the world.
This winter, along with the rolling cold current, the overwhelming snow has enveloped the entire Shangjing City; and the rumbling iron cavalry from the border has cast a gloomy color on this silver-covered imperial capital.
Beijing is filled with snow and wind.
At this moment, the temple in Dazhou seemed calm, but there were many undercurrents hidden there.
…
Plum blossoms fell in a night of wind and snow.
The snow in the capital seemed to have just stopped, but also seemed to have never stopped; in the gray sky, a few fine snowflakes slowly drifted down the clouds.
At this moment, outside the city, the land is frozen, and the snow is white as far as the eye can see.
Under the flying snow, the imperial palace stood in the center of the capital. With the howling north wind, it looked particularly deserted, giving off the aura of a heavenly king. Even the gates of the palace city were completely different from other places and looked extremely... With royal bearing.
The broad square was also white, empty and cold. The north wind blew in, picking up ice chips all over the sky. Gradually, it turned into a thin white mist, covering the sky and the sun.
Suddenly, the gloomy black clouds on the horizon cast a faint ray of moonlight without any warning, hitting the white snow, but it quickly disappeared.
The imperial study room in the palace was dull, solemn, and depressing, as cold as a dark night, and as lonely as the polar night. There was a strange aura, if present or absent, that seemed to tell the ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness of the emperor's family.
Emperor Xiao Changyao of the Great Zhou Dynasty, wearing a light blue dragon robe, with his hands behind his back, stood in front of the wind and snow in the imperial study, looking at the snowy scene of the dark night with a stern face, letting the biting cold wind sweep across his face face.
At this moment, Xiao Changyao's state of mind was just like the snowstorm in the sky, cold, gloomy and gloomy; even though at this moment, there were several braziers in the imperial study room, they still could not withstand the coldness in the heart of a generation of emperors. .
Xiao Changyao stared at the night sky without saying a word. He seemed to be using this silent silence to cultivate his majesty as an emperor; he remembered that his father once said to him that a person who is an emperor is always alone. As long as it is for the sake of the country, no one should be sacrificed, even his own relatives. Since he is an emperor, he is destined to be surrounded by loneliness for the rest of his life. Only today, when he sat in this seat, did he truly understand The profound meaning of this sentence may be the curse of imperial power.
The wind blew across the emperor's temples. Xiao Changyao stared at the snowy night with no end in sight. He was lost in thought. His eyes became more serious and he couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"It's snowing so heavily."
At this time, Lei Hao, who was standing by His Majesty's side, quickly stepped forward upon seeing this and whispered caring. "Your Majesty, it's cold outside, so be careful of the dragon body."
I saw that Xiao Changyao's face darkened slightly, as if he was deep in thought, but the imperial aura on his face did not diminish at all, but became stronger; he stretched out his hand, and a crystal snowflake fell on the palm of his hand. on, instantly melting into ice water.
The Emperor Zhou's face was as condensed as water.
"I hate snow the most. I remember that year, my father took me and Ah Ma to the Western Mountains for hunting. On the way back, the mountains were blocked by heavy snow. The wind and snow hit my body, which hurt like a knife. Nearly half of the Yu Linjun just fell in the snow and never stood up again. At that time, Ah Ma and I only had one horse. He hugged me from behind and said to me, 'Big brother, save me, big brother, save me...'. Who could have expected that now, he and I would actually..."
When he thought of this, tears flashed faintly in Xiao Changyao's eyes; this iron-fisted emperor who ruled all the people and the country of the Great Zhou Dynasty rarely showed his true feelings, and even his voice became deeper.
In that deep voice, there was melancholy, confusion, sadness, and even memories of the past.
But soon, such sentimentality disappeared without a trace from Xiao Changyao's face, as if it had never appeared before. Instead, there was still the supreme coldness; because Xiao Changyao understood that as the leader of this thousands of miles of country, The king, the master of the Great Zhou Empire, cannot have too much tenderness, otherwise it will only become his shackles and affect his judgment.
So, without any hesitation, Xiao Changyao slowly raised his noble head, turned around and walked into the inner hall without looking back, leaving only a night of heavy snow outside the door.
"Bang" sound.
The door to the royal study was slammed shut with a sudden loud noise, cutting off the silvery white ground outside from everything inside.
It was already late at night, and there was heavy snow falling; therefore, the spacious imperial study room was now brightly lit, with candles as thick as a child's arm illuminating the imperial study room, as if it were daytime, and suddenly flickered out. The vast area is bright and the fire is dazzling.
Under the bright light, Xiao Changyao, dressed in a dragon robe, stood in front of a wall, motionless, staring at the wall; and that wall was blocked by a thick cotton curtain. It covers half of the wall; no one knows what is hanging behind the cotton curtain, whether it is a calligraphy and painting, a scroll, or something else...
However, they saw that the aloof Emperor was standing upright, neither speaking nor showing any expression. He just frowned and looked very melancholy.
At this moment, Xiao Changyao waved his hand gently, and the small yellow doors on both sides immediately understood, stepped forward and pulled open the cotton curtain; when the cotton curtain was pulled down, a piece of The extremely accurate and huge "Atlas of the Mountains and Rivers of the World" was hung on the wall and appeared in front of the Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty.
This "map of the mountains and rivers of the world" is more than ten feet long and wide, and it is eye-catching when hung on the wall. It is the most detailed and well-made map of Kyushu since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. Seeing this map, the various offices, state capitals, counties and counties under the rule of the Zhou Dynasty are clearly depicted, including the vast prairie on the northern border, the thousands of miles of desert in the western fortress, and the continuous coastline in the southeastern part of the empire.
Countless scarlet lines are connected and inlaid on the large map, clearly marking the cities, military towns and fortresses in the four borders of the border, as well as the Northern Zhou armies stationed in various places; for example, the Jingbei Army and the Zhenxi Army , Jianghuai Army, Yanzhou Frontier Cavalry, Xiangfan Navy and other main field forces, where they were garrisoned, from the leading generals to the number of soldiers and horses, to the distribution of troops, were all marked in ink.
The great rivers and mountains are slowly unfolding like a magnificent blueprint.
Xiao Changyao stood under the map, looking at the majestic outline, the graceful texture, the emperor's sharp gaze, becoming more and more profound, and gradually becoming fascinated; this is his country, his world, but at this moment , a trace of inappropriate confusion also arose in the emperor's heart. How long can he appreciate the picturesque scenery in front of him?
Slowly, Xiao Changyao raised his hand, stretched out two stable and slender fingers, and slowly moved them on the map in the direction outlined by the red line; but he saw that the two fingers of Emperor Zhou moved to the top of the map. Everywhere, there is darkness, like a sharp sword of the Emperor, representing hundreds of thousands of the Zhou Empire's cavalry, full of murderous intent and sharp soldiers, sweeping across the entire Chinese continent.
When the emperor's two fingers fell over the three northern states and Jinyang, Xiao Changyao's eyes flashed with an unnoticed chill; he then spread out his five fingers and patted the hand gently. , like a majestic mountain, pressing down on the word "Northern Territory" on the map.
No one knows what His Majesty the Emperor is thinking in his heart at this moment. Perhaps he is enjoying the vast land of the Zhou Dynasty, or perhaps he is planning the bright future of the empire, or perhaps... Unfortunately, they are not after all. The emperor himself has a heart as deep as the sea. How can an ordinary person guess it?
Soon, Xiao Changyao put down his hands, and the frown he had been frowning relaxed a little; and the expression on his face was still as calm as ever, but his eyes also moved little by little from the north to the west, falling down. Arrive at the capital of the Western Region - "Pingliang".
Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, Emperor Wen Xiao Shiyuan issued an edict to establish the Four Realms Platform to deal with wars in all directions. After Emperor Jing came to the throne, he added four capitals on the basis of the four major platforms to command the surrounding armies. For example, in the hub, the capital of the northern border is Jinyang, the capital of the southern border is Xiangyang, the capital of the eastern border is Linzi, and the capital of the western border is Pingliang. The four major capitals govern the four borders, like four scimitars, guarding the hinterland of the Zhou Dynasty.
Therefore, for more than ten years, Xiao Changling, with the dignity of the King of Qin, sat in Jinyang, served as the commander-in-chief of the northern border, commanded 400,000 Jingbei troops, and relied on this tiger and wolf army to flatten Southern Chu in one fell swoop, show his power to the north, and intimidate Rouran. Millions of cavalry; Xiao Yingxue, as a female commander, was stationed in Pingliang, commanded 300,000 soldiers to suppress the Western Army, and governed the two prefectures of Gansu and Liang. Later, she led these 300,000 warriors to defeat the Xiyan and defeated the Qiang and Hu. With his illustrious achievements, he became a unique northwest prince.
It can be seen that although the Great Zhou Dynasty has unified the Central Plains, the pattern of the empire's frontiers is still divided into vassal towns and numerous factions. The only difference is that the princes holding large armies today are no longer the arrogant generals of the past, but are a family connected by blood to the Zhou royal family.
Take Xiao Changling, King of Qin, as an example. Xiao Changling guarded the northern border for ten years and built an invincible Jingbei Army. Therefore, the foundation of Xiao Changling and the Jingbei Army had long been established in the northern border. In Jinyang; as an emperor with great talents and great strategies, Xiao Changyao will not allow the existence of a state within a state. In his lifetime, he will inevitably adopt the thunderous strategy of cutting down vassals to end this deformed status quo.
"Lei Hao."
Xiao Changyao did not turn around, he still stood there with his hands behind his back, staring at the map on the wall, motionless, leaving only a lonely figure behind Lei Hao.
"The slave is here."
"Tell me, am I a good emperor?" Xiao Changyao said coldly.
Facing the question from the soul of the Emperor, Lei Hao couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. He didn't understand why His Majesty, as the king of a country, would ask such a profound question to a slave of his; but after a moment of hesitation, Lei Hao Hao still tried his best to calm down and said slowly.
"Your Majesty is wise and wise, diligent and caring for the people. Under your governance, the Great Zhou Dynasty is prospering day by day, and all the people in the world are grateful for your great kindness. There is no doubt that you are the most amazing saint king I have ever seen."
The words were kind words, and they were full of compliments from a slave to his master; however, these words of flattery, when poured into Xiao Changyao's ears at the moment, were extremely ironic and ridiculous.
The stern emperor laughed at himself.
"You glazed egg, how did you become infected with the rotten spirit of those Confucian scholars?"
"The slave deserves to die, the slave deserves to die..." Lei Hao slapped himself.
It was only at this moment that Xiao Changyao's heart gradually became clear; the gloom on his face was swept away, as if he had reconciled with himself.
"I also know that you are comforting me. Sometimes I wonder, I am the emperor and I am rich all over the world, but why do even the people closest to me regard me as my enemy. Yes, I am the emperor now. , everyone is afraid of my power, but how do they know how lonely the people at the top are. Just like the dragon chair in the Tai Chi Palace, it is tall, majestic, and heavy. In fact, it is the most unstable in the world. of a chair.”
After the words ended, there was deathly silence again. Lei Hao stepped forward and put a bright yellow cloak on the emperor. "Your Majesty, please do not overthink."
Soreness and pain filled Xiao Changyao's eyes. He blinked slightly, and the dim look in his pupils was like a stone thrown into water, suddenly clear. Xiao Changyao gathered his cloak and changed the subject casually. "Pingyang, it's almost time to go to Beijing."
"Yes, Your Majesty, judging by the distance, the eldest princess should arrive the day after tomorrow." Lei Hao responded.
"Well, okay, my will will be conveyed to the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple at their discretion without any mistakes." Xiao Changyao nodded and said expressionlessly.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Time stands still again.
Standing under the vast territory, Xiao Changyao's thoughts wandered for a moment; his soul seemed to have drifted from the cold nine-layered palace to the smoke-filled outside the Great Wall, and he could not calm down for a long time.
"Tell me, what is Ah Ma doing at this time?"
…
Go up to the north of the capital and visit the Tiefu Tu camp.
At midnight, the stars are so bright.
The Chinese military camp of Tiefu Tu is located at the foot of Yunding Mountain; the huge military camp is filled with murderous intent that reaches the sky.
The biting north wind swept across the undulating hills, the solemn camp, and the iron pagoda soldiers who were like wolves and tigers.
The Silver Dragon King flag engraved with the word "Xiao" in Douda stood in the middle of the military camp with the gusts of wind. It made a hunting and rolling sound and swept across the open wilderness...
Layers of wind and snow, unknowingly, fell on the majestic Tiefutu Middle Camp, which stretched like endless mountains and valleys. A sky garment as clear as snow was draped over the camp.
Here, the flags are buzzing, the camps are continuous, and the endless black is standing in the wind and snow, like a beast that is resting temporarily, licking its bloody wounds, and may attack at any time!
Suddenly, in the Chinese army camp, Xiao Changling, dressed in white armor, smiled slightly, picked up the black "Chengying" sword, stood up gently, walked slowly outside the tent, opened the The curtain of the big tent looked at the Gyeonggi night covered with ice and snow, with heavy eyes.
Dressed in white, standing in front of the tent.
Suddenly, a gust of cold wind in the winter night, mixed with howls like rumbling thunder, blew extremely hard, pulling the "Xiao" king flag directly.
Xiao Changling's battle robe was whiter than the snow, as if blending with the white snow everywhere; and Xiao Changling's battle armor seemed to be blown through by the knife-like night wind, vibrating countless vibrations. Majestic momentum.
On a snowy night, Xiao Changling held a long sword and stared up at the snowy starry sky. A faint feeling of loneliness enveloped the heart of this generation of heroes.
"Sister, you shouldn't have come."
The endless killings spread thousands of miles away and spread all over the world, like a lingering shadow, covering the night sky in Beijing during the Great Zhou Dynasty, and also covering the thousands-mile-long border line, making it impossible to see the light of day...
