Chapter One
It's late autumn, and the feeling of desolation is getting stronger. There was a heavy rain last night, and the entire Chang'an was shrouded in a layer of moist water vapor that has not dispersed.
In the dilapidated courtyard of Qiuai, the ground was piled with withered yellow branches and leaves, and no one was cleaning them.
Two little maidservants sat in the corridor, turning a blind eye and chatting to themselves.
"I heard that the rebels were defeated in Hejian County. I wonder what the saint will reward Lord Xiao Yanxing this time. If it weren't for Lord Xiao, I would have feared that the rebels would fight all the way to Chang'an. It would be really scary," said Shu The maid, wearing a bun, rests her chin in her hands with a look of fascination on her face.
Next to her, the maid dressed in blue and green clothes held a broom in her hand and said jokingly: "I heard that Mr. Xiao is not married yet, why do you still want to work in his mansion?"
The little maid who spoke first had a look of dissatisfaction: "The saint favors Mr. Xiao so much. When he returns to Chang'an, he will be rewarded with servants in the mansion. We have a chance. Princess Zhaoyang and the consort are about to get married, so the saint will reward him Hundreds of servants..."
Before she could finish speaking, the maid opposite threw the broom in her hand and covered her mouth with her hand.
"You're going to die," the maid covering her mouth looked towards the room behind her with a warning look.
The maid who spoke realized something, and immediately shrank back, not daring to say any more.
Hey, why didn't they say anything?
The woman lying on the bed in the room slowly opened her eyes, thinking with some regret.
Xie Lingyu was woken up by the cold. When she woke up, the room was empty.
There were only two little maids chatting happily outside the house.
She has been imprisoned here for five months since the new emperor ascended the throne.
It had been too long since she had known the outside world, and what these two unruly little servants said was so new to her.
So much so that she couldn't bear to make any noise and let them continue chatting.
After a while, Xie Lingyu reached out to lift off the thin quilt covering her body. She pressed the edge of the bed with her palms and seemed to use all her strength to sit up. Her long hair fell down to the front of her snow-white shirt, and her hair was obviously dry and yellow. The tail has long lost the soft and dark brocade-like luster it had when it was pampered.
When Xie Lingyu lowered his eyes and looked at his long hair, the door was pushed open.
"Your Highness, why are you up?" With a creaking sound, Yingyue pushed the door open and walked in. Looking at Xie Lingyu who was sitting beside the bed, she hurriedly walked over.
Xie Lingyu looked at her and said softly: "I told you earlier, don't call me Your Highness again."
This sentence made Yingyue, who was still a little happy, feel sore on the tip of her nose and almost shed tears.
At this time, Xie Lingyu stood up, and Yingyue quickly stepped forward to support her without worrying about being upset.
Until Xie Lingyu sat down at the dressing mirror, compared with the simple and dilapidated wing room, this mother-of-pearl inlaid bronze mirror was out of place. Not only was it made of gilt, but the mirror surface was so smooth that it could be clearly seen. It was obviously only used by nobles in the palace. of objects.
She sat quietly and looked at the figure in the mirror.
The woman with long hair hanging loosely in the bronze mirror had an originally beautiful oval face, but because she was too thin, her lower jaw looked particularly sharp, her lips were dry, and her face looked pale.
Only those dark pupils glowed coldly and clear, still retaining the nobility that once belonged to the superior.
Xie Lingyu, King of Yongning, was the first and only queen of the Zhou Dynasty.
As a royal daughter, her status is as noble as ever before.
The biggest turning point in Xie Lingyu's fate began ten years ago. At that time, her father, King Xian Yongning, was still alive, and she was just a noble and happy little girl in the palace.
That year was the fifteenth year of Jiaming. During an assassination, her father used his body to block the sword of the late emperor. The sword was quenched with poison. Even though the Imperial Hospital tried its best to treat him, it still could not save his life.
When his father was dying, he held the hand of the late emperor and promised that he had only one daughter. After his death, he would not let anyone else inherit the throne. He begged the late emperor to make his young daughter Xie Lingyu the King of Yongning. Otherwise, he would die. Close your eyes.
As soon as these words came out, everyone around, including the Queen Mother and the palace servants and maids, were shocked.
Throughout the ages, and looking through history books, I have never seen a daughter of a royal family being named a prince.
If we follow the usual practice, after the death of King Yongning, the saint, in gratitude for his role in saving the king, canonized Xie Lingyu as a princess, and then adopted a descendant of the clan to inherit the title of King Yongning. This not only showed the love of the saint, but also took into account the overall situation. .
However, her father had been a wild and unrestrained person throughout his life, and he was used to going his own way.
On his deathbed, he was not afraid to risk the disdain of the world to make such a request.
Although her father and the late emperor were not of the same mother, they had been raised under the Queen Mother's knees since she was a child. They had a deep brotherly relationship with the late emperor. After the late emperor ascended the throne, he was very fond of and tolerant to him.
Now seeing his younger brother who was about to die for blocking his sword, the late emperor was so grief-stricken that, whether out of guilt or pity, he finally issued an order on the spot, allowing Xie Lingyu to inherit the throne of King Yongning.
But all this dignity disappeared the moment the new emperor ascended the throne and she was imprisoned.
"Is the wedding of Zhaoyang and Pei Jingan in half a month?"
Xie Lingyu looked at herself in the mirror and asked softly with the corner of her mouth slightly curved.
Behind her, Yingyue knelt on the ground: "Your Highness, please don't be too sad."
Pei Jingan, the quasi-consort of Princess Zhaoyang, the new emperor's sister.
Half a year ago, his identity was Xie Lingyu's husband.
*
A few days later, there was a sound of uniform footsteps in the courtyard, and there was also the sound of soldiers and armor clashing from time to time.
Xie Lingyu sat on the chair next to the square table and looked calmly at the closed door until the door was pushed open and a slender figure appeared at the door.
After being imprisoned here for half a year, this is the first time Xie Lingyu has met outsiders.
She raised her eyes to look at the handsome and handsome man in front of her. Her dark eyes were calm and cold, without even a trace of ripples.
Half a year ago, the late emperor was seriously ill and the throne of the crown prince was still vacant. Several princes were eyeing the throne, and the storm was about to come. In the end, contrary to everyone's expectations, the sixth prince Xie Ling, who had always been unshowy, actually took the throne. Win the fight.
But just over a month after he ascended the throne, the fourth prince Xie Cong suddenly disappeared from Chang'an. By the time the court heard the news, he had already returned to his fiefdom and raised the banner of Qingjun to rebel.
It was during this period that Xie Lingyu was imprisoned on the charge of assisting Xie Cong to escape, which was tantamount to rebellion.
The evidence is a secret letter found in the palace's study, which proves that she secretly colluded with the fourth prince Xie Cong and secretly helped him escape Chang'an, which eventually led to Xie Cong's rebellion.
Xie Lingyu once didn't understand why the new emperor attacked her alone after he ascended the throne.
It wasn't until the news came that Princess Zhaoyang and Pei Jingan were getting married that she suddenly realized it.
It turns out that all this was just to clear her obstacle.
At this moment, Xie Lingyu looked at his former pillow, now the future consort of Princess Zhaoyang, the sister of the new emperor, and asked: "Why?"
To this day, even though she had already seen clearly, she still couldn't help but ask.
The man opposite took a few steps forward, and his face, which was originally facing the light, was gradually seen clearly. He still looked so elegant and handsome, not at all the same as the face in Xie Lingyu's memory.
Pei Jingan, the gentle and elegant son of Zhilan Yushu in the eyes of the world, looked down at her and said: "Your Highness, boating on the lake has never been my wish. You have such a status, and it would be a mistake not to fight for it."
Xie Lingyu looked at him and suddenly smiled.
Pei Jingan was born in a wealthy family, and he was a handsome and talented young man. He was a Jinshi at the age of twenty, and he was the most perfect husband in the eyes of all the ladies in Beijing.
Moreover, his grandfather was a loyal and pure minister, loyal only to the saint.
When the late emperor arranged for her to marry Pei Jingan, Xie Lingyu was satisfied with the marriage.
Due to her status, she never wanted to get involved in government affairs. She thought Pei Jingan was a person like his grandfather.
It turns out that they were not a good match from the beginning. She only wanted to live a stable life, but he cared about power.
"Your Highness, if you really have the secret decree of the late emperor, you know that it will be enough to make you irrecoverable, so I kindly ask your highness to hand over the secret decree."
Pei Jingan looked at her, his voice slightly condensed.
In the past few days, a rumor suddenly spread in Chang'an City that King Yongning Xie Lingyu had a secret decree from the late emperor.
Although no one knows the content of this secret decree, at the juncture of the rebellion, people have to think about it.
"Immortal," Xie Lingyu slowly repeated these four words in a very soft voice. She raised her eyes and fell on his face, her voice was cold and crisp: "How is my current situation different from that of eternal damnation? "
Pei Jingan faced her cold black eyes and finally shouted: "Ayu."
Hearing these two words, Xie Lingyu's originally calm expression suddenly became slightly distorted. She and Pei Jingan also sang in harmony, and he called her with such intimate words in private.
Now that she heard him scream like that again, all she could feel in her heart was the burning disgust and disgust.
"Prince Consort Pei, respect yourself."
Xie Lingyu replied word for word.
When Pei Jingan heard this, his eyelashes drooped slightly, unable to tell what was in his heart.
Until he spoke again: "Your Majesty has no intention of killing you, but you are a woman, and the position of prince is just a whim of the late emperor. Now as long as you are willing to hand over the secret decree, after I marry the princess, I can invite the princess If you plead with His Majesty on your behalf, your life will be safe."
"So I still want to accept your love?" Xie Lingyu said sarcastically.
It's ridiculous to say that they were the ones who framed him, and now they are the ones pretending to be kind and generous.
It's a pity that she didn't see through it until now, the principle of treating people like swords and fish while others are like flesh and blood.
She was of royal blood, and with such a noble status, she never found out why her father insisted on making her king before his death.
Her father didn't trust anyone, and he wanted her to have the ability to protect herself.
However, she has always lived a cautious life and never participated in party and government disputes.
Thinking that by not fighting, you can protect yourself.
Little did she know that when others tried to touch her, she was completely powerless to resist.
If she was a powerful prince, how could the new emperor dare to treat her so mercilessly when there was a rebellion outside? He just felt that she was a woman occupying the throne and no one in the court would intercede on her behalf.
"Let's go," Xie Lingyu stopped talking nonsense with him, because she already knew what she wanted to know.
Pei Jingan did not expect that she would mercilessly issue an ejection order, "Your Highness, now is not the time for your dispute. If you really have the late emperor's secret decree, please bring it out to extinguish the arrogance of the rebels and save the people from the war." suffering."
Xie Lingyu looked at him funny: "If your Majesty really wants to save the people from the suffering of the war, why doesn't he abdicate in favor of someone worthy of his honour?"
Pei Jingan was shocked and looked at Xie Lingyu in disbelief.
He then looked out the door and saw a man wearing eunuch clothes standing there.
"Ayu, don't talk nonsense, but what you said is just deceiving me," Pei Jingan finally showed anxiety in his expression.
Xie Lingyu supported the armrest of the wooden chair with her palms and stood up slowly. She looked at Pei Jingan coldly: "That is your king, not mine."
She has never bowed down to this new emperor.
Pei Jingan was silent for a long time, seeming to have made up his mind, and whispered: "Your Majesty once said that King Yong'an died to save the late emperor, and could not bear to leave him without an heir. Half a month ago, Princess Yong'an wrote to Your Majesty, wishing to adopt an heir."
"Ayu, you really have to make plans for yourself as soon as possible."
Mother concubine...
Xie Lingyu felt that a string in her heart suddenly broke.
If Pei Jingan's betrayal was because of his ambition.
Why did even the mother and concubine abandon her mercilessly? After the death of her father, she thought that mother and daughter depended on each other for life.
When she was imprisoned, the only thing she thought about was her mother and concubine. She was afraid that she would think too much and worry too much.
But in the end, this was just her one-man show.
The music of the harp and the music are fake, and the kindness of a mother and the filial piety of her son are nothing more than a mirror.
When disaster strikes, she is just something that everyone can throw away.
Xie Lingyu stood still and didn't move, but suddenly she felt like the world was spinning. Her cold and noble black eyes lost their luster for the first time. She looked around blankly and found that there was nothing in the world worth remembering.
*
On the sixth day of October in the first year of Jingyun, half a year after the new emperor ascended the throne, Xiao Yanxing, the commander-in-chief of the army, won a great victory in Hejian County. He and Wen'an County encircled and suppressed the remnants of the rebels, and the rebel king Xie Cong was dying.
On the same day, Princess Zhaoyang and her consort Pei Jingan got married in Chang'an City. Taking advantage of the great victory, His Majesty gave them a large number of rewards.
It's just that everything happening outside has nothing to do with Xie Lingyu.
She raised her eyes and looked at the group of people in front of her. Just a quarter of an hour ago, this deserted and decayed small courtyard once again welcomed outsiders.
Xie Lingyu has met the leader.
It was the eunuch who came with Pei Jingan that day.
The eunuch stepped forward and saluted Xie Lingyu respectfully: "My slave Yang He, I would like to pay my respects to His Highness."
Xie Lingyu glanced at the person behind him. One was holding a tray with a pot of wine and an exquisite and gorgeous wine glass. She asked calmly: "Is this the wine your Majesty gave me?"
Poisonous wine has always been a decent way to die for the royal family members who have made mistakes.
Yang He raised his head slightly and saw that Xie Lingyu looked calm, without any trace of panic or fear, and couldn't help but secretly praise him.
As expected of a woman who holds the position of a prince, her noble demeanor is unmatched by others.
"Your Highness, Your Majesty said that as long as you are willing to turn around and hand over the secret decree, he will be lenient to you and let you regain your honor," Yang He said respectfully.
Xie Lingyu stood up, walked two steps past Yang He, and raised his hand to pick up the wine glass.
The glass is now filled with wine.
A way out?
It's just a way to deceive her.
If she believed it again, she would die and die of stupidity.
When Yang He raised his head in fear, Xie Lingyu had already finished the poisonous wine in the cup.
There was a loud bang, the cup fell to the ground, and the porcelain pieces shattered into pieces.
Xie Lingyu lowered his eyes and looked at Yang He: "Go back and tell your Majesty that the secret decree will appear when he least wants to see it."
Yang He was shocked and couldn't help asking anxiously: "Is it possible that you have handed it over to the anti-king rebels?"
Xie Lingyu did not answer, but walked towards the small couch by the window. She stretched out her hand and used her last strength to push open the window lattice, and a small square of blue sky appeared in front of her eyes.
The sky turned blue, a rare clearness in this autumn.
A bit of cool wind blew in, lifting a strand of hair from her temples.
"Your Highness, why do you insist on going your own way? Do you know that if you do this, you are a sinner of the Zhou Dynasty?" Yang He did not expect Xie Lingyu to be so decisive. Before he could ask what the secret purpose was, he took a sip of the poisonous wine.
Your Majesty sent him here this time because the most important thing was to find out the whereabouts of the secret edict.
He originally planned to use coercion and inducement first, and if that failed, he would then execute his Highness to extract a confession.
How could such a noble person who had never suffered endure the severe punishment?
Unexpectedly, Xie Lingyu was not even afraid of death and drank the poisonous wine directly.
No matter how anxiously Yang He pressed at this moment, Xie Lingyu never looked at him again. She just looked quietly at the small sky peeking out of the window, coughing a few times, and blood overflowed from the corner of her mouth until her lips were completely dyed red with blood.
In fact, there was never any secret purpose.
Everything was just a way for her to protect herself when she was dying, but now she didn't care about anything.
As for what impact this so-called secret edict will have.
The brilliance in her dark eyes gradually began to fade, and she felt that her hearing was being eroded step by step. The noisy questioning began to disappear, and the figures in her peripheral vision gradually became blurred, and she was surrounded by large groups of black shadows.
The moment before he completely lost consciousness, Xie Lingyu had only one thought left.
After her death, there will be no floods.
