"Why not? I live in the Daming Palace, less than three hundred steps away from there. I have enough motivation to do this. No one will think that someone is instigating me behind my back! After the matter is completed, I will end it My life, Wu Xiaoyi will also die, and no one can get anything from our mouths. Isn’t this great? You can go to Liaodong with peace of mind, the country will be at peace, and I can also succeed in revenge and leave this world peacefully !”
"Nonsense!" Wang Wenzuo said angrily: "In any case, she is also His Majesty's biological mother——"
"That is also my mother-killing enemy, Sanlang. I know that you always turn against the enemy. You are worried that the death of that woman will destroy the trust between Your Majesty and you. But I am different. Your Majesty saw me with his own eyes in Ye Ting. He also knows how my mother died. If I killed that woman, he might be surprised and angry, but it is reasonable, and he will not blame you. He can only blame his own parents, it was his parents who caused the evil in the first place!"
"Okay!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "I admit that if you did it, the Holy Emperor would not blame me. But the question is is it worth it? The Supreme Empress has stepped down. In a sense, she is dead. Everything is over. You are still young and have a lot of good days ahead of you, so why sacrifice yourself for a dying person?"
"You don't understand, you don't understand how I feel!" Li Xiayu shook her head violently, her hair flying like a crazy woman: "Have you ever seen your mother being dragged away from you by her hair? ?Have you and your sister been locked up in a shabby small room with no bed, no blanket, no change of clothes, eating moldy corn and wearing tattered clothes, and only a little bit of charcoal in the whole winter in Chang'an? Have you been trapped in countless pairs of clothes forever? Eyes watching, always on tenterhooks, being accused of some ridiculous crime and losing your life, having to beg from the most despicable eunuch in exchange for a little food and clothing? Have you ever had to grow up immediately even though you were still a child? Are you here to take care of your younger sister and find a way to survive? Suwen can cry, but I can't. I have to laugh, but the laughter is worse than crying! You don't even have it! Now you tell me that everything is over, no , all this has not passed, and will never pass. As long as that woman is still alive in the world, for me, all this will never pass!"
Wang Wenzuo opened his mouth, but found that he had nothing to say. If he had experienced all that personally, maybe he would be crazier and more unreasonable than her. Her calmness at this time was cruel to her. No matter which nation or culture she was from, revenge was one of the most indisputable justices.
"I don't know what to say!" He sighed: "Maybe I shouldn't let you come back from Japan. It would be better for you to stay there!"
"Sanlang, you don't need to feel sorry for this!" A smile appeared on Li Xiayu's mouth: "Really, even in Namba, I can't get real peace. It's better during the day. The innocent children can comfort me. It can make me feel real happiness. But at night, when I fall asleep, the past things will reappear in my dreams. My mother will blame me, why haven't I avenged her? She is thirsting for the blood of that woman. , only then can you get true peace! Me too!"
"Okay!" Wang Wenzuo sighed helplessly. He found that he could not convince the other party. Facts are more powerful than all words: "I hope you will think again and don't give up your precious life for me. I admit that if I leave Chang'an, the Emperor The future will be a hidden danger, but don’t worry too much, after all, Pei Shizhong is still there! He may be more worried about the restoration of the Supreme Emperor than I am. Taking a step back, even Pei Shizhong did not prevent the restoration of the Supreme Emperor. By then I should have taken the It is estimated that Hebei will win most of Liaodong, Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, and Japan, and they may not lose! There is absolutely no need to do such a thing!"
"Sanlang, what I just said is very clear. I did this just for myself and it has nothing to do with you!" Li Xiayu showed a shy smile: "After I left, there was only one thing that I still couldn't let go of, and that was Yanliang's child. He is a very good child, smart, brave, and very considerate, but he is a little too sensitive. I like him very much. I know that you will have a child with that little Lady Cui, and that will be your legitimate son. If you still have a child, You think of me well, please promise me not to treat Yanliang badly!"
Wang Wenzuo was stunned. He didn't expect Li Xiayu to suddenly mention his son who was the king of the Japanese country. However, he immediately understood the other person's intentions - Li Xiayu had been in Namba these years, taking care of Yanliang and others in the Japanese country of Baekje. Most of the seeds left behind must have placed their emotions on that child. Now she had made up her mind to die together with Empress Wu, and the only one she couldn't let go of was Yan Liang, so she made this request to herself.
"Don't worry, Yan Liang is the king of Japan, and all the four islands belong to him. Others, even my children, will not touch it at all!"
"That's good, I'll be relieved with your words!" Li Xiayu smiled and said, "Take me to see Xiao Yi now!"
"Xiao Yi? Do you have to see him?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"Do you think there is no need to involve him?" Li Xiayu smiled and shook his head: "Sanlang, you still don't understand the hearts of us unlucky people. Let's put it this way, if Xiao Yi knew afterwards that he had a chance Killing an enemy with your own hands, but being left aside, even if you know that the cost is your own life, you will regret it for the rest of your life! I will tell him the whole story clearly later, and it is up to him to decide whether to go or not! "
When Li Xiayu said this, Wang Wenzuo had nothing to say. He sighed: "Okay! Let me do it! I really can't comment on my parents' feud!"
The jailer was a lame man, and judging from the scars on his face he was a veteran. When Wang Wenzuo came in, there was a large glass of village wine and leftover biscuits on his table. It looked like he had drunk a lot. When he noticed Wang Wenzuo's eyes resting on the wine glass, he quickly straightened his back: "General, it's cold, take a few sips to warm yourself up, just two sips!"
"Leng, then put on this!" Wang Wenzuo took off his thick cloak and threw it to the jailer: "Save the wine and drink it after work!"
"Yes!" The jailer breathed a sigh of relief. He rubbed Wang Wenzuo's thick and warm fur cloak with joy and said with a smile: "General, don't worry. If I drink while on duty from now on, you will cut off my head and play it as a ball! "
"Keep your head, I'm afraid of stubbing my feet!" Wang Wenzuo snorted coldly: "Open the door!"
"Yes!" the jailer responded and quickly opened the cell door.
"Let's continue eating! Let's drink wine after work!" Wang Wenzuo took off the oil lamp from the hook on the ceiling and lit the flame: "Don't let others disturb us!"
"Don't worry, General!" The jailer puffed up his chest: "When you need me, just speak up!"
Wang Wenzuo pushed open the heavy iron door with his shoulder and walked into the filthy darkness. Like all dungeons, it smells bad. Straw that had not been replaced for a long time was scattered on the ground, making a rustling sound when stepped on. There are spots on the wall, no color visible. Under the dim light, there was a bucket filled with overflowing feces at the foot of one wall, and a huddled figure on the other side.
"General?" Wu Xiaoyi raised an arm to block the dazzling light. After being in the darkness for a long time, he had difficulty adapting to the light, and his voice also changed a little: "Why did you come to see me? You have finally waited for that day?"
"Don't I want to see you?" Wang Wenzuo turned sideways and let Li Xiayu stand behind him.
"The light hurts my eyes. If you are willing, please wait a moment," Wu Xiaoyi has been locked up here since that night. He has not shaved his face, and his handsome face is now covered by a fluffy and messy beard. Under the light, his beard and hair were connected together, expanding his size three times. He looked like a tiger. Even though he was cuffed, he was still very powerful. His unwashed hair was tangled and hanging down his shoulders, his clothes were in tatters, and his face was pale and withered...but the man was still extremely handsome.
"Your Highness, Princess, is that you?" Wu Xiaoyi's eyesight finally recovered, and he recognized Li Xiayu: "Please forgive me for being shackled below and unable to salute!"
"There is no need to be polite between you and me!" Li Xiayu's voice was cold and crisp, making people feel the sound of hard ice: "You have two choices in front of you now: either leave here with me and kill someone, no matter whether you succeed or fail afterwards, you They will all die; or stay here, it won’t take long before the general will release you and give you freedom!”
"Haha!" Wu Xiaoyi laughed. He lay on the floor, squinting and looking up. His civet-like eyes gradually adapted to the light. "This is really a difficult choice. Can I ask who you asked me to kill?"
"The Supreme Queen is the mother of the Emperor!"
The chains on Wu Xiaoyi's body jingled, and his breathing became rapid: "Did I hear correctly? You are talking about the woman named Wu!"
"Yes, you heard that right!"
"You said that I would die regardless of success or failure. Do you want to use me as a knife and use my hand to get rid of that woman?" Wu Xiaoyi laughed: "This is really a good strategy, General, you are always so smart , hiding behind the scenes, good at using others to achieve his own goals, but his own hands are clean and not stained with a drop of blood!"
Wang Wenzuo ignored Wu Xiaoyi's sarcasm, and Li Xiayu said coldly: "You are wrong, the whole thing has nothing to do with him. It was me who wanted to kill that woman, and it was me who came to find you. You and I will be together regardless of success or failure afterwards." Die, if you don’t want to go, you can stay here, I will do it without you. I came to you just because I want to give you a chance!"
"A chance? A chance to die?"
"That's right, aren't you Chu Suiliang's grandson?"
"Chu Suiliang's grandson!" Wu Xiaoyi's eyes flashed. This already unfamiliar name seemed to bring back his memories. Suddenly he laughed: "Yes, this is indeed a good opportunity. Your Highness, thank you for not taking me Forget it, go alone! Come on, give me the key and unlock the shackles!"
Wang Wenzuo coughed twice, and the jailer hurried in. Wang Wenzuo pointed to Wu Xiaoyi on the ground: "Open the shackles!"
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Daming Palace, Qinghui Pavilion.
The hall of Qinghui Pavilion seemed particularly empty to Li Zhi and his wife who were enjoying dinner. Long shadows were cast on the wall. One candle was extinguished quietly, leaving only three remaining. Li Zhi sat silently, looking at the wine glass in front of him, the wine on his lips was a little bitter. Empress Wu sat opposite, and the other seats at the long table between the two were empty. The four maids serving the meal and the same number of chamberlains stood silently by the wall, just like the columns on the outer corridor.
The walls of the Daming Palace are very wide. Even so, the noise in Chang'an City in the distance can still be heard. In order to celebrate the opening of the Shaanzhou section of the river to water transportation, the emperor ordered King Wu to stay in the city for three days to enjoy himself with the people. From the dignitaries to the peddlers and footmen, they all raised their glasses and celebrated the greatness of the Tang Dynasty together.
"Obviously Liaodong is in a tight situation, but Chang'an is in a tight situation!" Empress Wu put down her wine glass with a sarcastic smile on her lips: "After Hong'er came to the throne, he didn't learn anything else, but he learned the art of whitewashing peace to a first-class level!"
"This can't be said to be whitewashing the peace!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "It's unprecedented for a ship to be able to pass the mainstay. With this, the grain from Jianghuai and Jiangnan can go straight to Guanzhong, and the situation in Longyou can naturally be reversed. . As for Liaodong, as long as Wang Wenzuo can get out of Hebei, pacifying it will be a matter of time. Wouldn’t the world be too peaceful?"
"You really think highly of Wang Wenzuo!" Empress Wu snorted coldly: "You are still thinking of pacifying Liaodong while I am still in Chang'an City. Xue Rengui is not an incompetent person. If he can't do it, Wang Wenzuo must be able to do it?"
"Xue Rengui is a clever woman who cannot make a meal without rice. Even if he has great abilities, what can he do without soldiers? Wang Wenzuo is different. He has many old troops there, so it will not be difficult to quell the chaos!"
Her husband's answer left Empress Wu speechless for a moment, but she became more and more angry. She tore off a piece of biscuit but did not put it in her mouth. Suddenly she heard a cat meowing from outside the corridor, which was extremely scary. .
"Why is there a cat meowing? You guys, please go out and take a look!" Empress Wu threw down the cakes and gave a stern order to the palace maids and eunuchs behind her. They responded, rushed out the door quickly, and started searching, only two maids were left in the house.
"Meiniang, what are you doing? What's wrong with the cat's meow? Isn't it normal? Why are you making such a fuss?" Li Zhi asked in confusion.
Empress Wu did not answer, but her face was pale and silent. It turned out that before Xiao Shufei was ordered to be killed, she cursed: "Awu is so charming and cunning that I have fallen into this situation! I hope that in the next life, I will be a cat and Awu will be a mouse. I will pinch him for the rest of my life." Her throat!" So Empress Wu ordered no cats to be kept in the palace, but Li Zhi kept this matter in the dark.
