For more than 100 years in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the most beautiful woman in the world has been recognized as the most beautiful woman in Qiantang in the south of the Yangtze River in the Hongjing Dynasty.
Emperor Hongjing was a Taiping and Shoucheng monarch. Although he could not be called a dynastic ruler when he was on the throne, he was considered diligent in government. In addition, he was also a clear master of Kenneth's advice. A capable minister and official who has been named in the history of the Qing Dynasty.
He has been a "Ming Jun" all his life. The only thing that has been criticized by later generations is that this emperor is too obsessed with women and has a magnificent three palaces and six courtyards. Even at the age of fifty-three and a year before his death, he sent palace envoys to the people to select the sons of good families to enter the palace.
So in the 28th year of Hongjing, Qiantang Qu's daughter was selected by Duan Linglong, the envoy of Qingluan in Jiangnan Province, said goodbye to her parents and family, and followed the motorcade to the distant capital.
She is beautiful in nature, absolutely stunning, good at singing and dancing, melody, and good at painting and calligraphy. As soon as she entered the palace, she won the blue eyes of Emperor Hongjing, was awarded the title of noble concubine, and was favored by the six palaces.
However, Concubine Qu was born in the south of the Yangtze River, and her body was fragile. When she first arrived in the capital, she was not adapted to the northern climate. As soon as winter came, she fell ill, like a delicate and difficult canary. In order to please her, in the early winter of the 30th year of Hongjing, the emperor took her to the palace to escape the cold.
One evening, Emperor Hongjing suddenly fell ill. Concubine Qu Gui urgently called the imperial doctor.
Duan Linglong and Concubine Qu Gui served Emperor Hongjing until the last moment in front of the dragon couch. After the imperial doctor confirmed that the emperor had died, Concubine Qu Gui came out and handed the edict to Grand Fu Yang Gong to read. Emperor Hongjing's favorite Zhou King did not accompany him, only the eldest prince Sun Zhang and the second prince Sun Xun accompanied him. However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Emperor Hongjing did not pass the throne to King Zhou, but chose the second prince, the later Emperor Yuantai.
Later generations often suspect that Emperor Yuantai's position was not right, and he came from here. Some people say that it was Taifu Yang Gongjiao, and some people say that Duan Linglong and Concubine Qu jointly forged the imperial decree.
Emperor Hongjing passed away and the queen's position was vacant for many years. Emperor Yuantai originally wanted to honor Concubine Qu as a concubine, but she invited her to become a monk in Wanxiang Temple. A generation of national beauty, like a flower that blooms early, Jiaoyan has only been two years old, so she resolutely cut off the silk of love, turned around and escaped into the empty door.
Another year passed, and on the third winter of coming to the capital, Qu died in the Wanxiang Temple.
The unparalleled beauty in the past hundred years of the Great Zhou Dynasty is like a gorgeous and ethereal silhouette in the history books. There is not much ink, and it has been handed down even less. After a few strokes, it disappeared in a blink of an eye.
But the truth is much more than that.
There is only a small part of the things that the Tianjia can put on the bright side, and the history books are limited and not exhaustive - at least in the case of Concubine Qu.
She hides more secrets than anyone knows.
For example, the reason why she refused to stay in the palace to be a concubine was that when Emperor Hongjing was still in the palace, the new emperor repeatedly drove her to the palace where she lived in the middle of the night. After returning to the capital, his daughter, Concubine Zhengfei, the second prince, finally became the empress due to the help of Taifu Yang Gong's support to Emperor Yuantai's enthronement.
For another example, when she left the palace to go to the Wanxiang Temple, Concubine Qu was actually pregnant.
The host of the Wanxiang Temple is a kind-hearted and compassionate old nun, and the eunuch Duan Linglong manages on her behalf, covers up the arrangements for her, and finally hides it from the sky and crosses the sea, giving birth to a baby in the twelfth lunar month of the second year of Yuantai.
On the night of giving birth, Concubine Qu supported the child until the lamp was almost exhausted when the grass fell, and Duan Linglong carried the child to her bedside, her eyes were red, and she said softly, "Niangniang, give him a name."
Concubine Qu Gui turned her head slightly in the green cloth tent, and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Outside... Has the snow stopped?"
Duan Linglong said: "Yes. As soon as the little nobleman landed, the snow stopped outside."
"The End of the World Frost Snow... Ji Han Xiao," Concubine Qu Gui said in a fit of rage, "It's called 'Han Xiao'. My name is 'Yan', so let him use 'Yan' as the surname..."
Duan Linglong subconsciously felt that the name was too desolate, but just seeing Concubine Qu speak reluctantly, she did not dare to interrupt her, so she nodded.
Concubine Qu Gui rested for a while, gathered up some strength, and continued: "Don't let him recognize his ancestors and return to the ancestral... Heavenly family is ruthless, I hope my son will be safe, happy and free in this life, and don't be trapped in this cage like his mother. can not go out… "
Duan Linglong: "Niangniang..."
"Brother Duan," she stretched out her thin hand with difficulty and grabbed the corner of Duan Linglong's clothes tightly, "I beg you one thing..."
She doesn't have much strength in her hands. In fact, Duan Linglong can get rid of her hand and get rid of a big trouble in the future with just a little effort. But for some reason, he stood stiffly for a long time, and finally sighed in compromise and gave in. Step one: "Mother, please speak."
"I want to beg you... Accept him as your adopted son, take care of him for me, bless him when he grows up, and don't let others bully him... In the future, let him take care of you in the end... Little sister can't repay in this life, she will be weeded in the next life. The ring…”
Duan Linglong suddenly held down the back of her hand and stopped her words.
"When I brought you into the palace back then, I never thought that there would be today," he said in a low voice, "I made a mistake for you. You don't need to say anything in return, just treat it as what I owe you."
Concubine Qu looked at him, her eyes gradually filled with tears, but the corners of her mouth slowly raised, drawing a very subtle arc.
She has been tortured by illness and is inhuman, but with such a smile, Duan Linglong recalled in a trance that when she was sent to Beijing two years ago, she was supported by her maid and walked into the car step by step, with tears in her eyes, but when he looked at her When he did not forget to show him a very shallow smile.
Peony with dew, bright and scorching, that is called the real national beauty and heavenly fragrance.
Who would have thought that once the rain and the wind blow away, the youth will not die, the beauty will not grow old, and it will become an eternal formula.
"I can't wait for him to grow up," her voice was getting lower and lower, "Big Brother Duan, you are the foster father, just give him a word..."
Duan Linglong thought about it for a while before saying, "'I haven't seen a visitor for a long time in a foreign country, and I often dream of returning home in winter nights'.
He turned his head to look, suddenly there was no sound.
In the simple and plain bed, Concubine Qu Gui's eyes were tightly closed, her face was serene, her chest no longer rose and fell, and the moment was gone.
Han Xiao frequently dreams of returning, but she will never go back to Qiantang again.
The child in his arms suddenly burst into tears, interrupting Duan Linglong's trance. He coaxed a few words softly, stood up with the child in his arms, placed Concubine Qu's hand that was exposed outside the quilt, and pulled the quilt up for her to cover her pale and thin face.
He promised softly to the empty room and the soul that was not far away: "It's a word."
Later, Duan Linglong felt that the name "Yan Hanxiao" was really bad. In order to avoid the concubine Dao Qu Guifei, he changed his name to "Yan Xiaohan", and took the child with him and cultivated it carefully. .
It's just that Yan Xiaohan and Concubine Qu Gui look very similar. When Yuan Tai first saw him, he couldn't sit still. He called Duan Linglong and asked him what was going on.
As early as after the death of Concubine Qu Gui, Duan Linglong began to plan for today. He had thought about sending Yan Xiaohan outside to be raised by others, but who knew what he would look like outside? Not to mention that in this world, if you don't go to temples, have no money or power, you will be a commoner all your life, and it will be difficult to even eat. How can you talk about "freedom"
He is also the son of Emperor Yuantai who had an affair with the emperor and his concubine during the period of filial piety. His identity cannot be seen in his life, and even his existence is a potential threat to Emperor Yuantai.
Fortunately, Duan Linglong was well prepared. He honestly described the process of concubine Qu Guifei giving birth to a fetus to Emperor Yuantai, emphasizing her wish—not wanting her child to be a prince, as long as she lived her life in peace and stability. Finally, he took out his trump card - a small portrait "supposedly" drawn by the imperial concubine, as a memory for Emperor Yuantai.
Emperor Yuantai was originally greedy for the beauty of Concubine Qu, and when I heard that she died early, she was quite sorry. The small portrait suddenly brought back many memories in him, seeing things and people, but he didn't have the heart to pursue Duan Linglong's concealment.
Not only that, but as he got older, Concubine Qu Gui was in his heart, just like Mrs. Li was to Emperor Wu, the more elusive it became, the more unforgettable it became. Emperor Yuantai sometimes looked at Yan Xiaohan and felt that he was also pitiful, but he couldn't help but think: If Yan Xiaohan was a righteous prince, would he be better than his current sons
Under the subtle influence of these fantasies, Emperor Yuantai acquiesced to Duan Linglong to cultivate Yan Xiaohan, and led him to Feilongwei. Even after Duan Linglong died, he made an exception to promote Yan Xiaohan to the position of Feilongwei Qipchae.
Regarding Yan Xiaohan's life experience, both Emperor Changzhi and Yan Xiaohan were well aware of it, and they both knew that the other was clear about it. Over time, it gradually became a self-evident tacit understanding.
As long as Yan Xiaohan abides by his duties as a courtier, Emperor Yuantai will give him the highest possible weight in addition to his status as a prince.
Over the years, Yan Xiaohan has always been "abiding by the rules". The only time he asked Yuantai for something almost directly was when he personally went to the middle of Shu to borrow troops from the Emperor Taishang before retaking the Central Plains.
The territory was torn apart, and a prince who was abandoned by him and could never have an identity, asked him to borrow troops in order to rebuild the Great Zhou Jiangshan.
It was also at that time that Emperor Yuan Tai finally felt something wrong in the relationship between Yan Xiaohan and Fu Shen.
Emperor Daxing stopped the funeral in the palace, the new owner was too young to be in charge, the queen ordered the ministers to assist in the funeral, the maids and maids made arrangements, and the officials cried to the Highness. The palace was very busy until the evening.
In the northern winter, the sunset is early, and it snows only during the day, and when there is a national mourning, the imperial city is covered in silver and unspeakable. Yan Xiaohan, dressed in sable fur, walked over the unswept snow to a palace. Without waiting for anyone to report, he gently pushed the door and entered.
The room was dimly lit and the fragrance lingered. A slender figure was sitting at the table, taking a nap with his head on his hands. I don't know how long he had been sleeping here.
Yan Xiaohan unconsciously pursed his lips, not knowing why he was nervous.
He walked silently in front of Fu Shen, and looked at his sleeping face through the meager light of the sky. His eyes were like carving knives, bit by bit, he carved a high nose bridge, a clear outline, and a slightly raised... .
"Look at me, huh?" He smiled with his eyes closed, "Don't show it for nothing."
Yan Xiaohan's slightly frowning brows loosened immediately. He reached out and touched Fu Shen's face: "Why did you fall asleep while sitting? Isn't it cold?"
Fu Shen clasped his hand, opened his eyes, and said lazily: "It's okay, take a nap, I'm lazy. Is the Queen Mother already busy?"
"Um."
Yan Xiaohan was worried that Fu Shen would recover from his serious injury and his leg injury, so he refused to let him kneel outside all the time. When it came to some less important procedures later, he found a palace for him to be lazy. Anyway, now that the palace is under martial law, no one dares to say anything in front of him.
"you… "
The two opened their mouths at the same time, looked at each other, and closed their mouths again. It was Fu Shen who said first, "Seeing that you've stopped talking for a long time, let's talk first."
Yan Xiaohan didn't know how he saw that he was "hesitating to speak", but he did have something to say: "Did you already know?"
These words were a bit vague, but Fu Shen immediately understood what he meant.
"I said before that you look a bit like Emperor Daxing," Fu Shen said, "I saw a picture of a beautiful woman at Emperor Taishang's place last night, and I almost thought it was the person next to the pillow that I got along with all day long and changed clothes and stood there. . What else is there to guess?"
"It's not serious," Yan Xiaohan made him laugh, "I'm a illegitimate child who can't see the light. The Emperor Taishang suddenly made such a move, which makes me a little worried. I'm afraid he has already guessed our relationship and wants to use it. This decree divides you and me. What if I rob your nephew's country in the future?"
"You are too heavy-hearted," Fu Shen sighed, "what else can I do, feed the tiger with your body, please raise your hand... Prince Regent."
Yan Xiaohan hurriedly covered his mouth with his hands: "My ancestors, shut up. I'm really scared of you, can you scream?"
Fu Shen laughed heartlessly in his palm: "Promising, you have the heart but the guts."
Yan Xiaohan: "…"
He couldn't bear it any longer, so he had to bend down and bow his head, intending to put all his ridicule back in his throat.
"Oh," Fu Shen raised a hand to block his face, and said solemnly, "What about the national mourning, why is it so dignified."
Yan Xiaohan maintained this posture and stayed in the air, looking at him through his fingers, his eyes were deep and calm, but he was inexplicably overwhelmed.
Fu Shen couldn't help being stared at by him, so he turned to support his face with his hands, leaned forward resignedly, and pecked his lips.
"Forget it... The court doesn't allow the bridal chamber, and no one is allowed to kiss it?"
[Note 1] "The End of the World Frost Snow Ji Han Xiao" - Du Fu's "Ge Ye"
[Note 2] "Frequent Dreams Returning in Cold Nights" - Yu Wuling's "Guest Zhong"