The north wind was getting stronger, and the imperial guards and chamberlains retreated outside Xuanyou Gate. The snow-covered Lian'an Road looked like a long and narrow jade belt, and a lone dragon-shaped sedan chair with emerald and red covers was parked.
Zhaowei knelt in the snow in front of the sedan. Her voice passed through the rustling snow and penetrated the thick felt curtain of the sedan.
"In the twelfth year of Cunxu, the Jin people went south to invade the Zhou Dynasty. Yao He, who was the censor Zhongcheng at the time, did not want to serve the country. Instead, he took the opportunity to frame the general of Xizhou, leaving no one in the court and the Jin people gained power. Later, he declared a truce to show mercy to the people. ', he single-handedly promoted the Pingkang Alliance, cut off the sixteen states of Yanyun, and gave the Jin people 300,000 taels of silver every year. He also overturned the principle of monarch and ministers and made me, the Great Zhou Dynasty, turn against the Jin Dynasty and declare himself a minister. of bad intentions.
Yao He kept his mouth shut and said that he would stop his troops to support the people. This is the third year of Jiashi, fifteen years since the Pingkang Alliance. Your Majesty, please look far into the palace and inside. Since the Zhou garrison has retreated from Xizhou, the people of our court are not only worried about the gold men and cavalry, but also worried about the annual currency taxes. Where will they rest and where will they be raised? How many days can the people get peace in the temple by cutting meat to feed the wolves?
But Yao Heshou took the opportunity to join the party and defeat the dissidents, and became the prime minister. Now they have colluded with the harem to bully the queen and covet the heir apparent. His power is greater than that of Wang Mang, and his crimes are greater than those of Dong Zhuo. Why is Your Majesty not afraid and why is he not eliminated? ! "
Zhaowei knelt in front of the sedan chair proudly, his voice was high-pitched and every word hit the ground. Along with the clear sound of the wind hitting the eaves and bells, it was transmitted into the sedan chair.
After a long time, Emperor Chang Ning's gentle voice came from inside the felt curtain: "You want me to punish Prime Minister Yao for his crimes. Is this your wish or the queen's wish?"
Zhaowei stared closely at the felt curtain depicting dragons and phoenixes, and asked, "Isn't this what His Majesty meant?"
"You can't say this nonsense," the man in the sedan said warmly, "There are so many difficulties and the country's affairs are so complicated, I still have to rely on Prime Minister Yao Xian."
"Rely on...Yao Xianxiang?"
Zhao Wei seemed to have heard a big joke.
The late emperor Li Pingyuan favored Yao Heshou and deposed two princes in order to negotiate peace with the Jin Dynasty. If the Yongping Marquis Mansion had not spared no effort to protect him, Emperor Changning and the fourth prince Li Jiyin, who are now sitting in the sedan chair, would also have opposed the peace negotiation. But he was killed by the late emperor's staff outside the Zichen Hall.
Now he actually said that he would rely on Prime Minister Yao.
The wind and snow were blowing hard, and Zhao Wei felt a chill in his heart. She was still unwilling to give up and said: "My daughter has lived in seclusion at Huilong Temple outside the city for four years. There is a stone tablet in the temple. There are four unknown poems on the tablet. I often try to figure it out and have memorized it by heart. Your Majesty, do you want to hear it? ?”
The people in the sedan did not say anything, but looked at the small path and thought to themselves: "Looking to the northwest, there are countless mountains. When will I swing my sword to kill the Khan? The gold and stone of Huijiao are all earth-colored, and the place where the bright moon shines is Han Pass."
"Your Majesty, it seems familiar to you. Do you still remember this poem?"
This poem was written on a stone tablet when Zhaowei was forced to live in seclusion in Huilong Temple in the 23rd year of Cunxu's reign. Li Jiyin, then the fourth prince, was entrusted by her sister Qi Yaoning to visit her in the temple.
At that time, they were half close friends, and they shared the same hatred of the late emperor for his ignorance, the weakness of the court, and the arrogance of his sycophants. The two of them drank together in the Moon-Wang Pavilion. The wine was hot in their intestines and filled with high spirits. Li Jiyin thought of the past and bit his finger angrily. He used blood as ink and inscribed these four lines of poetry on a stone tablet in the temple.
At that time, Zhaoweishang advised him: "The court has lost two princes. Your Highness is the hope of the future. You must cherish yourself. The Yongping Marquis Mansion will always stand behind you."
Li Jiyin promised her that when he ascended the throne and overthrew Yao Heshou, he would take her back to the capital from Huilong Temple.
But now it is the third year of Jiashi, and Li Jiyin calls Yao Heshou a "virtuous prime minister".
Even after listening to these four lines of poetry, Emperor Changning remained unmoved. He only smiled warmly and said: "Young people are crazy and rebellious, why bother mentioning it again. Zhaowei, I haven't seen you for many years, you still have the same temper, but I am already the emperor, so I can't I will sing and talk to you again and do whatever I want."
Zhao Wei knelt dumbly in the snow.
The snow water soaked her knees, and the chill slowly climbed up along her meridians. She felt hot and cold in her chest.
Zhaowei sneered again and again, "What a young and rebellious person... Your Majesty, have you ever remembered that on the New Year's Eve of the 22nd year of Cunxu's reign, the late emperor arranged for you and your sister to be married? During the Lantern Festival during the Lantern Festival, you swore to the moon, We must never betray her, never make her sad... The sworn alliance is still ringing in our ears, is this also youthful rebelliousness?"
There was silence for a moment in the sedan, and after a long time, a light sigh came from the car: "Didn't I tell you not to eavesdrop?"
"Your Majesty! Li Jiyin!"
His familiar tone made Zhaowei's eyes slightly sour, "Even if you don't pity the poor and weak people, don't you pity my sister for her worries and harm to her health? You made Yao Heshou your prime minister, and you brought Concubine Yao into the palace, which made the husband and wife estranged, and the mother and son separated. Don’t you feel sorry for me that my sister is depressed and can’t feel relieved? Do you know what she said to me when she summoned me into the palace today? "
Emperor Changning's voice was lowered amidst the sound of falling snow, "She probably... misses you."
"She told me..." Zhaowei's throat was choked and she took a deep breath before settling, "She said that she knew that she would die soon, but you and the prince couldn't be separated from each other, and she wanted me to enter the palace and become the queen after her death. Raise the prince and help your majesty."
The person in the sedan did not respond for a long time, Zhaowei took a few steps forward and said, "Your Majesty Changning, did you hear that, my sister has no thoughts of life! She is such a delicate and innocent person who does not know the sorrows of the world, but now she has to personally plan her own life. I want to give my husband to my sister for my funeral, she can no longer survive... Did you hear that, Li Jiyin!"
The cold wind rushed through the palace road, knocking against the four corners of the sedan chair and ringing loudly, and the snowflakes were as big as mats, pressing down silently.
The felt curtain of the sedan chair could not be blown by the wind. A hand wearing a black glove reached out from the sedan chair and slowly opened the felt curtain.
The face of a young man is revealed under the curtain. He has a very handsome appearance, with long eyebrows and deep eyes, and his beautiful eyes are slightly closed. The mink velvet cloak lined him, like a wisp of smoke rising from the fresh snow, cold and calm.
He looked at Zhaowei quietly, and saw that the expression on her face was first shocked, and then turned pale as a blank sheet of paper.
At that moment, all the emotions in Zhaowei's chest suddenly stopped, tears gathered in her eyes, and even blinking became very difficult.
"Brother...brother."
She never expected that her brother, Qi Lingzhan, the prince of the Marquis of Yongping, would ride in the same sedan as Emperor Changning.
On the other side, Emperor Changning slowly turned his face to the darkness, closed his eyes, and two lines of tears fell.
In the Kunming Palace, the stove was hot and the charcoal was warm. Queen Xiangyi was about to sleep and woke up. Jinxia brought a bowl of black soup.
Seeing the queen's frown, Jin Xia advised: "This is made with thousand-year-old ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, and deer antlers cooked all night. It is the most nourishing and nourishing food. Please take a bitter bite to make your body feel better."
Qi Yaoning took the medicine bowl and swallowed it down her throat one spoon at a time.
Even after drinking it for so many years, I still haven’t gotten used to the bitterness of the decoction. She knew that these medicinal materials were valuable. In ordinary people, a few inches could save her life, but in Kunming Palace, they could only keep her warm for a while. Her illness is no longer curable by injections and medicines, and she can only rely on these medicinal materials as if she were drinking water.
Putting down the medicine bowl, Qi Yaoning asked, "Is Ah Sui back?"
Jin Xia said: "According to your instructions, Jinchun took His Highness the Crown Prince to take a detour from the Chui Gong Palace. Today, Taifu Jiang was on duty, and the old man saw him, so he left His Highness behind to confer the book."
Qi Yaoning nodded, "That's good, so as not to fall into Yao's hands and teach him to hang out with the palace people at such a young age."
Jin Xia looked at her and asked carefully: "Has the matter you and the second girl discussed today been settled?"
Qi Yaoning shook his head silently.
Jinxia sighed in her heart. For her own sake, she sincerely hopes that the second girl can enter the palace and become the queen. Otherwise, the Yao family will become dominant in the future, and all the old people around the queen will not end well.
But she couldn't speak clearly, so Jin Xia advised the queen to relax: "You still have to take good care of yourself. In the future, the second girl will have to rely on you to support her husband's family."
While they were talking, Jin Qiu hurriedly walked in and said to Qi Yaoning: "There is news from Xuanyou Gate that the second girl bumped into His Majesty and the eldest son on Lian'an Road."
"Brother has entered the palace?"
Qi Yaoning stood up slowly and walked to the window. Jin Qiu put a cloak on her and listened to her murmuring in a low voice: "Then this is even more unfeasible...My brother has always protected her."
The carriage left Zuoyemen and drove slowly towards the Yongping Marquis Mansion. The small copper kettle on the charcoal stove was slowly steaming, like a moving screen of cicada gauze, separated between Zhaowei and Qi Lingzhan.
Zhaowei didn't look at Qi Lingzhan, pretending to listen to the wind and snow, leaning her head against the felt curtain of the car window.
But if you don't look at him, his appearance is still in front of you. You can hear the sound of his breathing, and the sound of him reaching out to gather his cloak and brushing his ring.
They haven't seen each other for four years.
Four years ago, when Qi Lingzhan kicked her out of the Yongping Marquis Mansion and sent her to Huilong Temple to live in seclusion, he didn't even want to see her off. But now he can calmly ride a carriage back to his home with her. I don't know why. The reason why his health has improved in recent years is because he naturally has a broad mind as he becomes an official.
Zhaowei was distracted when he suddenly heard Qi Lingzhan say: "Don't agree to what Yaoning said today."
She sat upright and said, "I have made an engagement with Han Feng, so naturally I will not agree. I advise my sister to relax and let her recover well."
"Han Feng..."
Zhaowei seemed to hear a very light sneer. She turned to look at Qi Lingzhan and saw that he lowered his eyes and closed them slightly. The ends of his eyes slightly raised in an arc that was almost mocking.
Zhaowei knew that Qi Lingzhan looked down on the Han family and thought the marriage had disgraced the Yongping Marquis Mansion. But a queen from the Yongping Marquis Mansion is enough. According to her temperament, staying in Yongjing is not a good thing. Qi Lingzhan understands this better than anyone else.
Zhaowei said: "Han Feng has passed the martial arts examination, and the Ministry of War has awarded him the title of Zhaowu Colonel. In two years, he will be able to rotate to Xizhou. If I get married to him at that time, I will go with him and leave Yongjing. This way Good for everyone.”
Qi Lingzhan asked her: "What's good?"
Zhaowei replied: "So that I can teach you to be a good disciple of Prime Minister Yao without any distractions. I can teach the emperor to be a virtuous minister like a fish in water and be harmonious. I can teach you to be wise and wise in protecting yourself and prospering forever."
Upon closer inspection, these words were somewhat sarcastic. Qi Lingzhan frowned slightly, with a look of hesitation on his cold white face.
He couldn't bear the bumps and cold in the carriage. He was slightly aroused by the light, and he covered his lips and coughed a few times. This reminded Zhao Wei of the pain he had suffered because of her, which was still secretly tormenting him. She felt a little guilty in her heart, and slowly suppressed her dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction.
Zhaowei picked up the copper kettle on the charcoal stove and poured a glass of water. He tested the temperature with the back of his hand and handed it to Qi Lingzhan: "Brother."
She rarely learned to show kindness, and Qi Lingzhan did not embarrass her. After taking the water glass, his tone softened: "Mother hopes that you stay in Yongjing. If you marry too far away, she will care about you. What's more... Ah Wei, do you really like Han Feng?"
Zhao Wei blinked and answered decisively: "I like it."
Qi Lingzhan sighed: "I'm not talking about liking a bow or a sword. If he can't take turns to garrison the northwest in the future and can't take you out of Yongjing, do you still want to marry him?"
"Then what kind of love is your brother talking about? Is it like my sister's love for Li Jiyin, where she will be let down and sad?"
Zhaowei looked at him with clear eyes. Under her questioning gaze, Qi Lingzhan was speechless for a moment.
He had a lot to say, but he was always afraid that explaining it would make it worse.
What's more, what she saw was not all an illusion. Yao Ning was indeed very unhappy in the palace.
When the carriage arrived at the Yongping Marquis Mansion, Si Yan raised the threshold, and the coachman drove the carriage into the gate of the mansion and stopped in front of the eaves screened by the flying geese.
Zhaowei jumped out of the car first. She hadn't been back for many years. She looked around and compared the appearance of every part of the mansion with what she remembered.
The Yimen was made more open, the cobblestone paths were paved with bluestone bricks, and a new covered bridge was built over the lake. The dead lotuses on the side of the bridge were still pavilions, and the remaining leaves were covered with fallen snow.
Today's Yongping Marquis Mansion is more impressive than when Zhaowei married in with his mother. Zhaowei knew that this was all because of Qi Lingzhan, and now her brother was not only the eldest son of the Yongping Marquis Mansion, but also a close minister of the Emperor and a disciple of the Prime Minister.
Qi Lingzhan walked slowly behind her, watching the snowflakes falling on her bright red cloak, shaking off with her light footsteps, or melting into her hair, soaking her hair. The bun becomes more shiny.
"Zhaowei."
He called her softly, and when she turned around, he said slowly: "Maybe staying in Yongjing is the best choice for everyone."
