In the twelfth year of King Chang of Qin, winter.
There was snow falling outside the window.
The air was filled with cold air, and the palace servants on the palace road wore heavy winter clothes to sweep the snow, rubbed their palms from time to time, and bursts of white smoke came out of their mouths.
The snow and ice lowered the branches of the plum blossoms, forming a layer of frost.
There was not much warmth in the house either, and the charcoal fire in the stove had burnt out. The chill penetrated the bones, making the limbs and bones freeze stiff.
The young man in the snow-white fox fur was sitting by the window, and the hot tea he was holding was also blown by the wind and snow that poured into the window. The fingers are slender and jade-like, with well-defined joints, very beautiful.
Changshou walked up cautiously: "Master, it's cold outside, let the slave close the window."
Hearing the words, the young man turned his head, and his face was beautiful and radiant.
Even Princess Chonghua of Yan Kingdom, who was known as the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, would feel ashamed when she saw him. The city is beautiful, and it is not as good as a man's appearance.
Wei Lian smiled: "With the window open, I can still see the wind and snow in my home country. When it is closed, I can't see anything."
His voice was warm and lingering like jade, and there was still a three-point smile on his face. Anyone who sees it will feel that this is just a noble son who enjoys the snow leisurely and is flawless.
Changshou heard a sour nose, and almost burst into tears.
Chu country is snowy. The son is homesick.
But since he was in the Qin state as a hostage, I am afraid that the son will never go back for the rest of his life.
The son is only nineteen now, and the rest of his life will be wasted in a foreign country.
Changshou wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingers, but he was choked up when he said: "Young master needs to take care of your body, if you catch the cold, I'm afraid..."
I'm afraid that Qin people won't even invite a medical officer to the son.
The son is the royal family of Chu, but he has come to such a level.
When the seven points fall today, Qin, Chu, Yan, Lu, Liang, Chen, and Xia will be separated from one side, and each will be king.
Ji Yue, the king of Qin Chang, ascended the throne at the age of nine, and it has been twelve years so far. He was a valiant and scheming careerist, known for his tyranny and cruelty. In the 12 years of his reign, he launched nine wars, annexed countless cities, forced the five kingdoms to surrender, and paid tribute every year.
The weakest country, Xia, is only one step away from destroying the country.
Chu is also a strong country, and it has been with Qin soldiers for many years.
But this time, the battle of Yanling was defeated, and Qin Lian broke the three protection barriers of Chu. Seeing that the country was in danger of subjugation, Chu State hurriedly sent Young Master Lian to Qin State as a pledge, and promised to offer gold, silver, jewelry, wealth, silk and horses to show submission.
It is said that it is quality, but in fact it is sent to death. Qin Chu had been at war for many years, and both sides hated each other deeply. When a young son of Chu State arrives in Qin State, it is like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth. It is normal to be torn to shreds and strangled immediately.
He is the abandoned son of Chu State.
Wei Lian's biological mother was just a palace maid, and she died after giving birth to him. Although he has the respect of a son, he is also full of human affection. He already knew his own destiny.
The Chu envoy entered the capital, but he was not received by the King of Qin. He only got a message: "Young Master Lian stays behind, and the rest go home. I don't want to see you."
In this way, the envoys of Chu State left, and Wei Lian was left behind. The only ones who stayed with him were Changsheng and Changshou, who had served by his side since childhood.
Wei Lian stayed in the inn for two days without waiting for any summons.
He arranged flowers and brewed tea with equanimity, and his longevity and longevity were in a hurry. Changsheng even said: "Young Master, let's escape."
The two confidants around him, longevity, quick-witted, and pleasant to speak, are responsible for serving tea and pouring water on weekdays, and serving him personally. Wei Lian often teases him, and seems to be closer to him. Changsheng has high martial arts skills, is unsmiling, respectful to Wei Lian, and never oversteps the rules.
In this world, I am afraid that only Changsheng knows that the handsome and weak son, Lian, is actually better than him in martial arts. It is not impossible to escape from Qin.
"Escape?" Wei Lian casually trimmed the branches, "Where can I escape to?"
"The world is so big, as long as you leave Yongping, where will the son be at ease? With the son's ability, he will not be caught without his hands!"
"Under the whole world, there is no king soil." Wei Lian trimmed the flower branches into a beautiful shape and put down the scissors with satisfaction, "Even if I can escape from Yongping, I will not be able to escape from this Qin country. To escape from Qin country, as long as he As soon as King Qin gave an order, all the six countries will help arrest me as a sinner, even my home country. One is the son of Chu State alone, and the other is the King of Qin who has a million troops. Changsheng, they know who to please."
After hearing this, Chang Sheng felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart: "But Young Master... You will die if you don't run away... The King of Qin has not moved for the past two days, who knows if he will pass a decree tomorrow to put you to death. Chu people's anger?"
Wei Lianyun said lightly: "Then I will die."
Changsheng was stunned: "What did you say?"
"It's either Ling Chi, or the car is cracked, or the King of Qin gave me a glass of poisonous wine." Wei Lian raised his eyes and smiled, "There's only one death left, why should you be afraid?"
Changsheng lowered his eyes: "Young master is clearly...not such a person who sits and waits for death."
"Changsheng." Wei Lian smiled, "I can escape. But if I escape, what will happen to Chu?"
Changsheng said angrily, "Chu has abandoned you, why should you worry about it!"
"I have no nostalgia for it. The palace of the state of Chu is the same as that of the state of Qin. There is no warmth." Wei Lian shook his head gently, "The state of Chu sent me here to stop the war. If I run away, the king of Qin will be furious and start the war again, killing me. It will be the thousands of soldiers and people of Chu State. I exchanged one life for their thousands of lives, and it was worth it."
Changsheng was speechless. After a long time, he knelt down on his knees and gave him a great gift from the state of Chu.
Wei Lian chuckled: "I'm not dead yet, how do you want to see me off? Things may not be the worst."
- On the third day, King Qin's decree came, not to be executed, but to... Feng Weilian was appointed as a servant, and he entered the palace to accompany him.
Servant... what is it
The king of Qin was twenty-one years old. Due to years of wars, he was so busy expanding territory that his harem was useless. Not only was there no queen, but even the concubine was not accepted.
For the first time, Namie...it was actually a man.
There are four concubines, three wives, and numerous concubines under the queen. What is the servant? No name and no points, equivalent to a concubine.
A concubine.
This is an absolute humiliation - even if it is the son of Chu country, when he comes to Qin country, he can only be a male pet, a gadget.
The ministers of the Qin state obviously thought so, so they had no objection to His Majesty sealing a man into the harem, and even applauded. Killing one's heart and letting a man lie down is even more painful than killing one.
Your Majesty is really wise.
Longevity and longevity heard the news like a bolt from the blue. Changshou's eyes immediately turned red: "Young Master, King Qin is also deceiving people too much, to actually humiliate you like this!"
Wei Lian said: "Isn't this good? At least save one life."
Changshou cried: "It's better to live in this world than to die!"
Wei Lian: "...don't do this, I still want to live."
Wei Lian still entered the palace.
Everyone in the palace knew that His Majesty named this servant as a servant, not a favor, but a humiliation, and naturally he had no good feelings for him. After waiting for half a month, His Majesty did not call for luck, and everyone was even more convinced that Wei Lian's status was unbearable.
Without the palace servant assigned to him, Wei Lian and Changsheng Changshou were also at ease. The food delivered was rough and bland, as long as it wasn't cold, it could barely be swallowed. It's just that this winter is really hard.
In the cold winter, the charcoal fire in Wei Lian Palace was inferior to that of the maids, and there was no thick bedding, only a thin quilt. If it weren't for Wei Lian's martial arts skills, an ordinary man wouldn't be able to survive the harsh winter.
Changshou went to the House of Internal Affairs, but was ridiculed and kicked out.
The days were also difficult.
"Young Master, the tea is cold, I'll go change a pot again." Changshou was only eighteen, but he was always worried. The tea leaves sent to the Green Bamboo Pavilion are of inferior quality, not for drinking, but to warm a pot of tea and warm hands.
Wei Lian glanced at him and his eyes narrowed: "What's wrong with your hand?"
Changshou hurriedly retracted his hand into his sleeve, but Wei Lian grabbed his wrist.
The fingers were swollen and had frostbite.
Wei Lian and Changsheng have martial arts and are not afraid of winter cold. Longevity but not.
Changshou said urgently: "Young Master, don't worry..."
"I still have some ointment there." Wei Lian's eyes drooped slightly, "In the third compartment at the head of the bed, you can use it first."
Changshou shook his head again and again: "No, son, you should keep that ointment for yourself. The people in the Taiyuan Hospital don't care about us, use a little less of the ointment, so you can't waste it here."
"Speak up, this is my order." Wei Lian couldn't doubt, "Go quickly."
Changshou covered his mouth, as if he wanted to cry or not, he bowed and went to the back room to get medicine.
Wei Lian stared at the cold pot of tea for a while.
Then get up and close the window.
The house just warmed up a little.
Longevity came out, and I was very moved to see the window closed.
The son is taking care of him and can't stand the cold.
Although this warmer temperature was nothing, it was still bone-chillingly cold inside.
Longevity feels a warmth in his heart.
Dinner is as usual for three people to eat together.
Living in a foreign country and the situation was difficult, Wei Lian didn't pay attention to the distinction between master and servant, and directly greeted the two to have dinner together. Longevity and longevity were quite restrained at the beginning, and gradually let go over time.
In their situation, it is obviously impossible for the meals to be delivered by a special person, and they have to pick it up by themselves. In the past, all he brought were some cold noodles with steamed buns.
Today, Changshou came back with red eyes.
"Why are you crying again?" Changsheng frowned, "Did the people in the imperial kitchen make things difficult for you again?"
"They said that I went too late, and this is the only one left... But I clearly went first!" Changshou said sadly, "How can this thing be eaten by the young master!"
When Changsheng opened the food box, he immediately closed the box because of the bad smell.
… How many nights did this meal take
Qin people are bullying the son intensified, and even the meals are getting more and more perfunctory.
"No reason!" Changsheng gritted his teeth, "I'll go find them—"
"Who are you looking for?" Wei Lian came out of the house and saw two valetes at the door.
Longevity and longevity choked for a while.
Wei Lian glanced at the eye food box, and when he opened it, he saw unsightly leftovers and a foul smell coming from his nostrils.
He covered it back without changing his face, and his tone was slightly cold: "Don't eat."
Longevity wants to cry but has no tears: "But son, if they are like this every day, we can't skip meals every day."
Wei Lian sighed lightly: "They dare to be so scornful, but it's because I'm not favored."
"I'm a bit too Buddha. I've been in the palace for half a month, and I still don't know what King Qin looks like. I can't go on like this." Wei Lian murmured and suddenly said, "Longevity, do you think I'm so good-looking, do you have a high probability of being favored by King Qin? "
Longevity: "… "
Changshou wailed loudly: "Young Master, you can't make compromises, commit yourself to King Qin!"
Longevity is also a forbearance gesture.
A soldier can be killed but not humiliated. The son is from the blood of the royal family, how can...
"I'm not wronged." Wei Lian turned around lazily, "Everyone wants to live a good life, and so do I."
"Being a man is either a happy death or a happy life. I don't want to suffer from this fuss."