The cold weather has not eased with the passage of time. On the contrary, the weather has become colder day by day. The horns of winter and the spectacular scenery of ice and snow have become more and more clear.
The shrill north wind whistled loudly, blowing the "Dragon Banner of the Great Zhou Dynasty" on the top of the capital city, making a hunting sound; everywhere on the city tower, you can see a large number of golden-armored forest guards standing upright, each with their own hands. Holding a spear, red tassels fluttered, the golden armor on his body and the spear in his hand shone with a dazzling cold light.
And the imperial palace standing deep in Shangjing was even more daunting at the moment.
At the moment, the biting cold wind was whistling back and forth in the air with an extremely violent momentum like a dragon; the sudden strong wind brought an overwhelming heavy snow to Shangjing City in the middle of winter.
The snow fell suddenly. From the night before yesterday, I felt extremely cold. Until dawn the next day, I saw countless snowflakes falling everywhere in the huge palace.
However, I saw that the towering Phoenix Pavilion and Dragon Tower were all covered with a layer of white snow. At a glance, it looked like a large continuous snow mountain; the crystal-clear snow fell on the palace with blue bricks and black tiles, but it did not bring any trace of snow. There was no intoxicating atmosphere at all, and it did not give people the pleasure of enjoying the snow, because at this time, the entire sky was gray, making it look even more depressing.
Today is a snowy day, but in the Xianyang Hall of the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there are lights everywhere, the lights are bright, the bluestone floor tiles can be seen, like a pool of spring water rippling with blue waves, and both sides of the hall are used by the royal family. High-quality chimes and various musical instruments are neatly placed on the music stand, all of which are well made.
At this moment, in the huge Xianyang Palace, the lights are like daylight, and a grand banquet has been set up in the palace. There are all kinds of royal delicacies, nectar and jade liquid, fruits and vegetables, all of which meet the standards and standards of a palace feast. The extravagance just brings out the grandeur of this nine-layered imperial palace.
After a while, the carriages and horses of the princes and nobles came one after another. Lei Hao, the noble man in charge of singing, stood in front of the Xianyang Hall, shouting until his voice was almost hoarse; in the hall, people were coming and going, all of them were the busy figures of the palace maids and servants. among the palaces.
The kings entered the palace one after another.
It turns out that today is the birthday of the Imperial Concubine. As His Majesty’s most beloved woman today, her birthday is naturally a grand event. Therefore, Xiao Changyao held a banquet in Xianyang Hall today and invited the royal family members to the palace. Gather together to congratulate the noble concubine on her birth.
Of course, among the royal family members who were invited to the palace, there was one person who was particularly special. He was King Qin Xiao Changling. Everyone knows why His Majesty specially invited King Qin to the palace. The purpose is self-evident. Regarding the past between King Qin and the noble concubine, almost everyone knows it, but no one dares to mention it in front of Your Majesty. But this does not mean that , Your Majesty has no grudges about this matter.
In fact, for Xiao Changyao, the old relationship between Xiao Changling and Xie Wanxin was like a sharp thorn, piercing deeply into the heart of the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty, making him extremely fearful and extremely sad, even after so many years. Even after it has passed, this scar will still hurt; perhaps, this knot in Xiao Changyao's heart is just like Xiao Changling's unforgettable hatred for himself, which is difficult to let go even after ten or twenty years.
Therefore, no one knows whether His Majesty specially invited King Qin to the palace on the birthday of the noble concubine. Is it a test, a declaration of sovereignty, or another intention... They have no way of knowing; after all, the enmity between His Majesty and King Qin is not It happened overnight, but it has been going on for a long time, and it is not so easy to resolve.
The luxurious palace banquet was arranged in the main hall of Xianyang Hall. The emperor's throne and the seats of the imperial concubines were placed side by side at the top of Danqi; and in the center of the spacious and bright main hall, there were also many distinguished guests gathered together, including princes, princesses, and other officials from the Zhou royal family. The princesses and wives were all seated at this moment, and there was no empty seat.
Because today is the birthday of the imperial concubine, it is an extremely important day. Therefore, there are not only two to three hundred people, but also at least dozens of people in the palace, including the royal relatives and their relatives. For such a grand event as today, Apart from the great court meeting on Yuan Day, the birthday of the emperor and empress, and the holy birthday of the empress dowager, I am afraid I will never see it again.
Not only that, for today's feast, the emperor decreed that nearly half of the music officials and dancers in the palace should be present; among these people, some played the piano, some played the sheng, and some played the drums. , and some people were ringing the bell; all in all, Xiao Changyao smiled for Bo Jiaren and almost moved half of the Yuefu. Such favor, even Cao Qingxi, who was the queen, had never had it.
In Xianyang Hall, the banquet is about to begin.
I saw three people sitting in front of the clan table, two men and one woman. They are: Princess Pingyang Xiao Yingxue, King Qin Xiao Changling, King Yan Xiao Changche; speaking of which, these three people here are all The close relatives who are connected by blood to His Majesty today, it is no exaggeration to say that in this world, they and His Majesty are the real family.
Although Emperor Xuan had many concubines during his lifetime, his descendants were not prosperous. He only had three sons and one daughter: today, Xiao Changyao, Princess Pingyang Xiao Yingxue, King Qin Xiao Changling, and King Yan Xiao Changche; among them, Xiao Changyao, Xiao Yingxue, Xiao Changling The three of them are the direct children of Emperor Xuan and Empress Zhang Xian. Only Xiao Changche’s biological mother is Emperor Xuan’s favorite concubine Yang. Because of this, King Xiao Changche of Yan is also the youngest of the four siblings. One is just twenty years old this year.
The maids and chamberlains serving on both sides stood behind with their heads lowered, their eyes quietly sizing up the three nobles. As they watched, they were amazed in their hearts. At present, most of the princes and nobles in the capital admired the lazy style, so In an air of pretentiousness, the three siblings are the only ones sitting in the hall. Whether it is between their brows or their clothes and manners, they can always make people feel that there is a spirit of radiant spirit and vigor.
Xiao Yingxue and Xiao Changling were originally warriors in battle. After more than ten years of fighting and fighting, they had already forged a body as strong as iron, and their demeanor was unique. Xiao Changche, who was twenty years old, Although he is not fighting on the battlefield like his elder brothers and sisters, his handsome face, regular facial features, and gentle expression, coupled with a green shirt, give people the illusion that the young man in front of him does not seem to be a The pampered prince is more like a romantic and elegant poet.
However, among the three siblings, Shan Lun has the most outstanding appearance and charming demeanor. No one can surpass Xiao Changling. However, he saw this all-powerful His Highness the King of Qin, sitting in front of the case, dressed in white clothes, spotless as snow. , like a snow eagle soaring in the nine heavens, with a stubborn pride, rushing out of the mist of the snow-capped mountains, looking so lonely, elegant and noble.
At this moment, Xiao Changling said nothing. His tight cheeks seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, making the outline of his face more and more obvious; and his cold eyes were always fixed on the Danchi. That empty seat was blurry, empty, and hazy.
Under the solemn expression, there is a scarred heart and a soul that has been numb for a long time; who would have thought that Xiao Changling, who killed countless people on the battlefield and was regarded as a god by the Jingbei soldiers, had no children long ago. A man with a long love actually has an unknown softness and infatuation deep in his heart, and his softness is only reserved for one person from beginning to end, the woman he has loved for half his life.
Just when Xiao Changling was feeling sad alone, he heard a long call coming from the inner hall.
"Your Majesty has arrived——"
"The royal concubine has arrived——"
As a result, everyone immediately stopped communicating and bowed their heads one after another.
"See Your Majesty——"
"See the noble concubine——"
Even if he is as noble as Xiao Changling, at this moment, dressed in white, he can only do what everyone else does, interlocking his hands, kneeling upright, bowing three times and kowtowing nine times; just imagine, as the person in charge of 400,000 The king of Jingbei on cavalry, Xiao Changling was born with pride. In addition, his illustrious military exploits in conquering the world for ten years made him develop a kind of arrogance that goes deep into his bones. In the whole world, apart from his father, emperor, mother, mentor, and elders, the only person in the world who could make him kneel down willingly was that woman.
Amidst the thunderous sound of worship, the Emperor Xiao Changyao of the Great Zhou Dynasty walked out side by side with the stunning beauty beside him; but seeing that the emperor's face was as gentle as jade, he gently held Xie Wanxin's catkin in his arms, Under the gaze of everyone, he slowly walked up the Danqi from the inner hall.
It can be seen that Xiao Changyao is very energetic today. He is dressed in light blue imperial uniform. Although it does not have the majesty of the Twelve Crown Crowns, it still highlights the slender figure of the king of the country; the emperor's eyes are blazing and his eyes are bottomless. , with a bit of comfortable leisure in his movements, but also revealed a chilling kingly style.
Xie Wanxin followed the emperor and slowly came out of the inner hall.
To be precise, Xie Wanxin is very beautiful. Although she is dressed very calmly and elegantly at this moment, wearing a long aqua dress, no hairpins, and only a water-blue ink jade hairpin holding up her long, soft and elegant hair. Hair; Although this kind of dress is not eye-catching among the harem beauties surrounded by pink and white, it still cannot hide the beauty of this noble concubine under her elegant face.
With a pure and pure appearance, a soft and graceful figure, coupled with those bright autumn eyes full of resentment, how many men in the world would not fall under her pomegranate skirt with such grace and style? No wonder that back then, Xiao Changyao and Xiao Changling were deeply devoted to her, and even went so far as to turn against each other for her sake. It seems that "love is the saddest thing for both of them", and this statement is true.
She followed a generation of kings, letting the emperor hold her hand, and her beautiful face was still as cold as ever, with no trace of a pleasant smile; it must be admitted that Xie Wanxin's facial features were... It was as exquisite as natural carvings and impeccably beautiful. However, at this moment, it was like a touch of snow under the setting sun, desolate, cold, and indifferent; her originally beautiful pupils were now only numb.
Perhaps, from that day, from the moment she was forced to separate from Erlang, from the moment she entered the palace as a concubine, her heart had died.
"Everyone, get up."
However, he saw Xiao Changyao wave his hand casually, his two dark eyebrows raised in an uproarious manner, and then he pulled Xie Wanxin and sat on the main seat.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Immediately, all the kings and clan members stood up one after another and sat down again.
After the kings were seated, Xiao Changyao raised his eyes slightly and looked around the hall with his calm yet majestic eyes. During this process, the Emperor of Zhou deliberately cast his keen gaze directly. It came to Xiao Changling; under the bright lights, Xiao Changling sat on the seat like a dream, his whole face expressionless, extremely indifferent, as if he had lost his soul, only one thing about him Wearing white clothes made him look more energetic.
Xiao Changyao smiled coldly, turned to face the kings, and spoke leisurely.
"Today is the birthday of the noble concubine. Don't be formal, please be casual. All of us here are members of the Xiao family. I am hosting a banquet today. Firstly, I want to congratulate the noble concubine on her birthday. Secondly, I also want to meet everyone. Today, regardless of the monarch or his ministers, I am hosting a banquet. Think of it as a family dinner!”
"Thank you Lord for your grace!"
After saying that, Xiao Changyao smiled and held Xie Wanxin's hand in an unusually doting manner. His eyes were full of love and affection. Perhaps the aloof emperor was using this fair and upright way to express his deep love for the woman in front of him. love.
Xiao Changyao's movements and every move are so gentle, exuding the nobility of an emperor; even others who have nothing to do with him can feel his majesty's consideration for the noble concubine; despite this, even everyone Moved by the emperor's infatuation, Xie Wanxin's beautiful and elegant cheeks were always the color of cold snow, and her heart was just like the goose-feather snow outside, desolate, misty, and without a trace of warmth.
What Xie Wanxin doesn't know is that at the same time, there is another person, the man who once had a heart-to-heart with her and promised to protect her for the rest of her life. The young hero who will always be in her heart, isn't his heart the same as hers? Bleeding silently.
She saw Xiao Changling's eyes looking at her dreamily at this moment; she could not imagine that the man in front of her was once such a powerful and invincible commander, but now, Xie Wanxin saw him, There was only endless sadness, melancholy and decadence in her eyes. Is this still the Erlang she knew?
Xiao Changling pursed his lower lip, looking at the love of his life so infatuatedly and deeply. The memory of one year old and one prosperous, at this moment, turned into a green youth, gone forever.
The two people who love each other are now so close and yet so far away from each other. They clearly care about each other in their hearts, but they can only bury this concern in their hearts. Just like that day outside the Chengqian Palace, he and she were destined to return. It’s not over yet. All this seems to be God's arrangement, even if the love is deep, it is just a loss.
In the end, the two infatuated hearts were separated from each other by the palace wall.
…
"Have a banquet and play music——"
Accompanied by a high-pitched chant, the Xianyang Hall feast officially began.
For a time, the orchestra burst out, the sheng and pipas sounded in unison, and the melodious melody struck by countless chimes floated gently in the hall; this sound, this rhythm, this melody was like a beautiful sound of nature, which made people feel excited. I was intoxicated and couldn't extricate myself for a long time.
Immediately afterwards, a group of pure and charming dancers, wearing fringed dance skirts, slowly entered with light and graceful dance steps; to the clear and melodious Sheng music, they stretched their sleeves and danced gracefully, like a cluster of flowers blooming in the imperial garden. The peony suddenly took away the fragrance of the flowers.
Raising their sleeves, dancing, and spinning, the bright candle shadows highlighted the graceful figure of the dancer; only at this moment did everyone realize that the woman standing in the middle leading the dance was actually Concubine Chen Li Yan; they saw that Li Yan danced softly , surrounded by a group of dancers, accompanied by the music and melody filling the hall, showing off her superb dancing skills, like a fairy from a scroll, which makes me feel pity for you.
At this time, in the splendid Xianyang Hall, banquets were in full bloom, with singing and dancing to add to the fun. The wine on the table was warm, the dishes were fresh, and there was a happy atmosphere among the people drinking and drinking.
At this moment, the royal family members, princes and nobles present were either immersed in tasting the delicacies on the table, or sipping the wine in the cup; or they were chatting cordially with each other, and they didn’t know what they were talking about; and some The young clan members are enjoying the songs and dances obsessively, and sometimes they don't forget to point and comment...
Xiao Changling was the only one, sitting there in a daze, his gloomy face not even a bit clear, just like before the heavy rain, the dark lead clouds filled the sky thousands of miles away; he was holding a wine bottle, silently drinking by himself , until he was a little drunk and his eyes were blurry, and the gloomy look on his face calmed down slightly.
The dance ends.
All the dancers left the stage one after another. Li Yan slowly walked to the seat, picked up a glass of longevity wine, faced the emperor's throne, and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, today is the birthday of the imperial concubine. I specially performed a dance to express my feelings. I am here to wish that your majesty and the imperial concubine will enter into an alliance and their love will be as deep as the sea."
As a result, everyone stood up and cheered for Concubine Chen.
"Okay, Concubine Chen is interested." Xiao Changyao was overjoyed and said happily.
At this time, even Xiao Yingxue, the eldest princess of Pingyang who had always rarely spoken, couldn't help but speak slowly and praise her heartily.
"Concubine Chen is a very skilled dancer, as graceful as a giant dragon. It's a pity that as a soldier, I really can't appreciate her. I'm afraid I will let down your good intentions."
Facing the praise from the eldest princess, Li Yan smiled gently and said, "The eldest princess has been praised too much. How dare I be so praised by Your Highness for my beauty."
Xiao Yingxue also smiled in return.
Just when everyone was marveling at Li Yan's stunning dance, His Majesty the Emperor on the throne suddenly turned around, stretched out his hand to gently hold Xie Wanxin's slender wrist, his eyes were as tender as water, and he seemed to be unlike those of an emperor. Hehe Longwei is more like an ordinary infatuated boy.
"Yao Yao, I know you and Ayan are close friends, how about it? Are you satisfied with the surprise I have prepared for you?"
In fact, from the very beginning of the banquet, Xie Wanxin had been keeping her head and eyebrows furrowed, saying nothing, and showing no sign of joy at all. Xiao Changyao was surprised to find that the woman next to him, with her innate snow-skinned appearance, was faintly Against the background of the fallen plum blossom makeup, she is still so calm and composed, unmoved by external objects.
Xie Wanxin smiled happily, but in this seemingly beautiful smile, there was still a hint of coldness that was not easily noticed.
"Thunder, rain, and dew are all gifts from God. I dare not be dissatisfied."
As the leader of a majestic empire, Xiao Changyao could certainly hear the sarcasm in Xie Wan's inner words; if it were any other concubine, whoever dared to speak like this in front of him would have been thrown into the cold palace long ago, but who Let that person be his favorite woman. Besides, Xie Wanxin has always treated herself with this attitude for so many years. He may have been used to it. In addition, Xiao Changyao was in high spirits today, so he didn't Calculate.
At this time, Xiao Changyao gently stretched out his arms and hugged Xie Wanxin into his arms; the soft green hair, like lingering grass, brushed against the emperor's cheek, making him, the leader of a country, feel something he had never experienced before. Comfortable.
"Yao Yao, I have always responded to your requests. As long as it is what you want, I will give it to you. Because I firmly believe that you and I are a perfect match. I just don't know when you can give birth to a child for me. Prince."
"Boom!"
But there was a crisp sound, which was clearly the sound of the wine glass falling to the ground.
Xiao Changling frowned slightly, and his drunken eyes, which were already hazy, quietly felt a faint pain. It was more of sadness than pain; his hands trembled slightly, and the wine glass fell to the ground with a crisp sound. There was a noise and drinks were spilled on the floor.
There is no doubt that this crisp sound not only alarmed His Majesty the Emperor who was speaking softly, but also shocked everyone present. Xiao Yingxue and Xiao Changche, who were sitting next to Xiao Changling, felt a little shocked at first. Then he raised his eyes and looked at Xiao Changling.
"Aha."
Xiao Yingxue called Xiao Changling, but Xiao Changling did not respond...
"Second brother."
Xiao Changche called Xiao Changling, but Xiao Changling still didn't respond...
Seeing that Xiao Changling did not respond, Xiao Changche could not help but feel anxious. At this moment, the third prince of the late emperor, who had always been gentle and elegant and was known as the "poetic bone of the Tian family", no longer cared about his status as a prince, and hurriedly pulled his brother hard. Dressed in white.
"Second brother, second brother..."
Finally, Xiao Changling slowly came to his senses. However, he did not pay attention to his third brother, but cast his dark eyes on Danqi.
This was the first time for Xiao Changling to lose his composure in public. I think back then, when he faced the hundreds of thousands of troops from Nanchu and the millions of cavalry from the Royal Court of Rouran, he was calm and fearless. , it was not like today, but today... because of that woman, the iron-clad His Highness the King of Qin felt sad.
The pain in the bottom of my heart tortured the lovers. Xie Wanxin's eyes were moist. With a woman's intuition, she was keenly aware that her husband was obviously on the verge of losing control. The hands that had held her deeply in his arms countless times were now clenched tightly, with veins prominent. It also trembled slightly from time to time, just like the two of them were in a state of mind at this moment. In addition to being sad, they were still sad.
Xiao Changling's whole body seemed to be out of control, but his eyes, the eyes that stared at him affectionately, were still as calm as before. Although a little blurry, it was still difficult to hide the fact that he had maintained it for ten years and supported him. Half my life, my love for that woman.
However, Xie Wanxin quickly looked away. She did not dare and could not continue to look at those eyes that were full of pain. She was afraid that if she continued like this, she might no longer be able to control her inner emotions, which would not only harm her but also hurt her. If you harm yourself, you will harm Erlang even more.
"puff!"
Xiao Changling's eyes were slightly closed, and he slid down from his seat as if a mountain was falling. No one expected that at that time, he was so powerful in the nine provinces and dominated the world that he personally led the Jingbei Iron Cavalry to attack all directions and conquered the south. The Chu ashes were wiped out, and the great hero of the Mobei who was killed so softly, the King of Qin Xiao Changling, is now like a wronged child, lying on the smooth bluestone ground, sobbing deeply.
"Wan'er, Wan'er, don't leave me, don't leave me..."
After a plaintive protest, Xiao Changling fainted.
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
Xiao Changyao was sitting on the throne, his expression getting more and more ugly. His gentle, jade-like eyes lost the calmness just now, and countless dazzling sparks burst out, seeming to devour everything in front of him.
"Your Majesty, forgive me, Ah Man..., he is drunk." Seeing her brother's behavior, Xiao Yingxue stood up, helped Xiao Changling, who had fainted, and faced the emperor.
"Since I'm drunk, I'd better go back and rest early. Someone, come and take King Qin back to his mansion." Xiao Changyao said calmly, with a sense of solemn dignity in his words, domineering and brooking no provocation.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
…
Xiao Changling got drunk and left, disappearing outside the noisy Xianyang Palace and disappearing into the snow in the cold winter, leaving only a desolate back for her.
Xie Wanxin closed her eyes in pain, letting the clear tears gurgling down her beautiful cheeks, staining them lightly.
Her heart was bleeding.
"Erlang, I'm sorry, I failed you. I will never forget the days we were together."
