Qingning Palace, outer study room.
"The king of Khotan was attacked in the desert. General Dingyuan Shanchao led five hundred soldiers to fight against them. He killed more than two hundred enemies and wiped out the horse bandits. They have now reached the border."
Xie Yun read it word by word, and put down the Qianli express report.
The study room is decorated elegantly and richly. Although it is late autumn, there are large white peonies with emerald jade stamens in the glazed pots. Outside the pearl curtain, jade icicles, red gauze brocade ware, and the priceless ambergris slowly spewed out from the golden animal head, accompanied by a soft and gentle voice from Dongshou, slowly drifting in the air: "The word bloodbath expresses I don’t know, my palace has already punished the emissary. I asked later, and said that there were a total of 212 horse thieves who attacked, and they were all killed. The leader of the horse thieves and his cronies were all beheaded... "
"One of them was cut in half by General Dingyuan's sword because he slashed at a soldier, and none of the horse thieves survived." Empress Wu paused, and said, "I really didn't expect Shan Chao's behavior style to become like this. ,What do you think?"
Xie Yun picked up the tea bowl, lowered his head and blew away the heat, his eyes were hazy in the white mist.
After a while, he took a sip of tea and said, "Eight years is enough to change a person."
"Well, what you said makes sense." Empress Wu laughed and said, "In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, when I first met the Holy Majesty, who had just been conferred the crown prince, compared with the state of mind when he re-entered the palace from the Ganye Temple eight years later, it was a world-changing state of mind. What's more, the eight years of being stationed at the border, training in the battlefield, and getting used to seeing life and death?"
"Probably because of the blood connection." Xie Yun said lightly.
Empress Wu gave him a slightly surprised look.
Xie Yun sat sideways behind the table, his eyelids drooped slightly, and the arcs on the tip of his eyes were deep and obvious, and the corners of his lips were tightly pursed, and there was no trace of relaxation at all.
"Are you praising him?" Empress Wu asked.
Xie Yun didn't answer.
"Since Feng Chan's Martial Arts Conference that year, this is the first time I have heard good things about Shan Chao from you—the time you insisted on calling him and Xue Rengui to the front line in Qinghai, I only thought that you must call him in your life. When he died, he still wanted to find an opportunity to untie it for you, master and apprentice."
Empress Wu looked at Xie Yun with an imperceptible temptation in his eyes, but he shook his head: "No need."
Just three words were absolutely decisive, and then he raised his hand and pressed the position of his heart: "My old wound here will hurt as long as it is cloudy and rainy, and I have to take Mabosan regularly every year. After the Martial Arts Conference for two consecutive years Winter is very difficult, every time I wake up in the middle of the night, I want to go back to the Taishan Martial Arts Festival that year... "
"Put this scoundrel to death with one sword," Xie Yun said coldly, "then what happened later will not happen."
Empress Wu fell silent.
The house was quiet, and the sound of birds jumping among the flowers and trees could be heard outside the alizarin red window screens, and they all went away quickly.
"... Back then, I sent an order to Mobei to kill him before returning to the capital. You were the one who let it go." After a long while, the queen sighed, seeming to blame: "What's the use of talking about it now."
The corner of Xie Yun's mouth hooked coldly.
"—Don't talk about that!" Empress Wu changed the subject and tapped the edge of the table with her knuckles, which was her usual action when thinking about problems. Sure enough, she said in a deep voice immediately afterward: "The Holy Majesty's head disease is getting more and more serious, and it has gradually become difficult to see things in recent days, so he intends to entrust all the government affairs to this palace, so that this palace will officially become the regent of the court. However, the East Palace has a party There are so many opponents, and the prime minister even explicitly asked the emperor to entrust the state affairs to the crown prince, which is really tricky!"
"Perhaps the prime ministers have forgotten the old story of Shangguanyi being punished," Xie Yun said.
In the first year of Linde, Shangguanyi asked the emperor to abolish Empress Wu. At that time, the emperor was quite moved because of Empress Wu's growing arrogance, and ordered Shangguanyi to draft an edict to abolish the empress. However, this matter was tipped off to the Qingning Palace. Empress Wu made a decisive decision and went to the Zichen Palace at night to interrogate the Holy Majesty face to face.
So Empress Wu went on a killing spree, arrested Shangguanyi and sent him to prison, and punished him all over the house.
Whether it was the emperor or the empress who killed Shangguanyi is really hard to determine. But in any case, since Empress Wu went to the court to discuss state affairs, not half of the civil servants put forward the slightest opinion.
"At this time and at that time, nowadays we can't just rely on killing people to make civil servants submit, we need to do it both ways." Empress Wu turned to Xie Yun, her tone a little kind: "I called you here today because there is something unresolved and I want to talk to you." You discuss."
Xie Yun calmly made a gesture of respectful listening.
"Although you are in charge of the Beiya Imperial Army, and the palace is as airtight as iron barrels, my palace has always had insufficient control over the troops stationed in Beijing. It is probably because Yu Wenhu and others are used to adapting to the wind and never want to really The reason for surrendering to the palace. The troublesome thing about this matter is that it is not a short-term thing to conquer these nobles from the previous dynasty, but in the past two years, the Holy Spirit's intention to ascend to the Zen position has become more and more obvious, so it has become extremely important to grasp the initiative."
The queen's tone stopped, and she said slowly: "So this time my palace insisted on ordering Shan Chao to escort the King of Khotan to the capital, just because I wanted him to stay in the capital to help my palace. With heavy responsibility... "
Xie Yun was expressionless.
The queen looked at him for a moment, her tone soft and gentle:
"Can you accept it, Xie Yun?"
It is estimated that Xie Yun is the only one in this world, who can allow Empress Wu to issue such a consultation before making a final decision.
Xie Yun's gaze and demeanor did not change at all, it was a kind of composure and restraint that was approaching perfection. Even with eyes as sharp as Empress Wu's, she couldn't see any emotions that she didn't want to see from that flawless face.
"I have old grievances with Shan Chao, and this is what the empress knows." Xie Yun said.
This answer was not unexpected by Empress Wu, and then Xie Yun nodded slightly, which was a gesture of surrender: "But the empress thinks what is appropriate, so please do it with confidence. Since I entered the palace twenty years ago, all Everything is just for one purpose, which is to make the empress fulfill her wish; this time is of course no exception."
Empress Wu laughed.
She got up and opened the bead curtain, stood in front of Xie Yun's table, stretched out her hand condescendingly, passed by his side face, and then tapped his injured heart: "I know, you are the number one here!" The first place is always this palace and yourself."
Xie Yun said without changing his face: "Yes."
"But I can promise you one thing." Empress Wu leaned over and sat down, so that they almost looked at each other, and she held Xie Yun's left hand on the table, and said softly: "At present, although the You make compromises, but this is a helpless move. One day you will be paid back for the injuries you suffered. Xie Yun, when I enter the Ninth Five-Year Plan, when Shan Chao dies, you can How about taking his life with your own hands?"
Xie Yun clenched his right hand under the table suddenly. But the range is very subtle, hidden under the sleeves, almost imperceptible.
Immediately, he smiled slightly to meet Empress Wu's gaze, and said softly: "—Okay."
·
Imperial Garden.
"Hey—Lang Jun, walk slowly, the ground has just been watered, and the stones are slippery, your body is not yet safe..."
The palace behind was panting, but the crown prince ignored it, and rushed through the backyard sullenly: "Master Liu has finally entered the palace, no matter what, I should go and ask him to be safe. I will be suffocated to death in the palace these days drinking that bitter juice." Well, it’s rare that the weather is good today—”
The prince stopped abruptly.
Under the porch at the end of the backyard, a girl with jade hairpin and black hair and plain white clothes was startled, she withdrew her hand from the hibiscus branch, and looked back.
The girl has graceful eyebrows and a delicate appearance, which is naturally not so dazzling compared with the various beauties in the palace. But when she looked back, all the flowers and viburnum behind her turned into the background, and the glint of water was concentrated in her eyes, as if she had stepped out of an ink painting, which made people hold their breath unconsciously.
The prince was stunned.
"Your Majesty, wait for the servants..." The eunuch ran up and almost bumped into the Prince's back, and immediately said, "Ouch!"
The girl glanced at the palace people, then looked at the golden clothes on the crown prince, took half a step back, bowed down, smiled and said: "The daughter of the people pays homage to His Royal Highness the crown prince."
"..." The crown prince opened his mouth, then coughed subconsciously, and softened his voice: "Young lady, you don't need to be too polite. May I ask who is the young lady... Where is she from, and why are you here?"
·
Qingning Palace.
"It's not early today, so you should go back." Empress Wu stood up and said with a smile, "It's rare that the weather is good. You might as well take a walk on the way back. It's good for your health."
Xie Yun then got up and saluted, and was about to leave when Empress Wu suddenly changed her mind: "Wait, I'll go out with you—it's been a long time, so I also took the opportunity to go out and relax."
Only then did the confidant maid push the door and enter, holding a cloak, jade fan and other things, ready to serve Empress Wu and leave Qingning Palace. But just as the maid was about to move forward with her cloak, Empress Wu waved her hand to stop her: "It's not cold outside, what clothes do I need to add after two steps? Take it off."
"Your Majesty is in good health," Xie Yun said.
Empress Wu glanced at his hands folded in his sleeves, and asked with a smile, "Do you feel cold?"
Xie Yun shook his head noncommittally.
Empress Wu walked in front, Xie Yun was half a step behind, chatting while leaving the gate of Qingning Palace. It was noon at this time, and the two of them walked to the gate of the imperial garden. The palace people who came and went saw them from a distance, and immediately knelt down and bowed their heads not daring to raise their eyes; the queen seemed to remember something, and suddenly asked: "Are you here alone? Are you here?" What about the prospective daughter-in-law?"
Xie Yun said, "Wait outside."
"How are the wedding preparations going?"
"Thank you, Madam, for your concern. The answer is still complete."
Empress Wu nodded, as if she wanted to say something, suddenly frowned suspiciously and said, "Huh?"
Following her gaze, I saw a girl in white was leaning against the flowers and trees beside the hibiscus bushes in the pond under the corridor, and she was smiling and saying something in front of her, who is it not the prince
Xie Yun said casually: "Miaorong!"
The girl in white turned her head and saw Xie Yun, she immediately showed an obvious smile, and then bowed her body: "The daughter of the people pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen of Heaven!"
The prince obviously didn't expect to see the queen and Xie Yun here, he froze immediately, and immediately saluted when he realized it, and all the eunuchs knelt down behind him.
The queen stepped forward slowly, her eyes moved from the top of Miaorong's black hair to the prince, her face was thoughtful but she did not refute, she said slowly for a long while: "Get up—" Then she asked: "What are you talking about, so Interested?"
The prince didn't dare to get up immediately, and his gaze was still fixed on the ground under the queen's feet: "Returning to the empress, my son passed by here by chance, and saw the girl waiting here, so he asked a few more questions..."
The queen said "hmm" and said, "No wonder you don't know her. This is Miss Yang, whom Commander Xie is betrothed to. She should be married by the end of the year."
The prince's heart skipped a beat.
He absolutely did not expect that there was such a relationship, and besides the surprise, he was also a little indescribably disappointed. All kinds of complicated emotions were intertwined, so he didn't answer immediately, and he couldn't help but secretly glanced to the side.
I saw the girl standing beside Xie Yun, both of them happened to be in white clothes with black hair and beautiful appearance, just like a pair of pleasing couples, which made the prince feel subtly ashamed.
"Yes... Erchen's eyesight is dull, and he didn't recognize it."
The prince bowed again, as if he wanted to make an excuse, but Empress Wu didn't give him this chance, and interrupted mercilessly: "Okay, that's it. Since you are the prince, you should abide by the etiquette in every word and deed, go back Think carefully about what I said—go down."
The queen said this to the prince, but she also imperceptibly captured Yang Miaorong's army. Immediately, she swallowed the words she wanted to defend the prince, and her face became slightly stiff.
The prince replied yes, and retreated resentfully.
— This episode is not big or small, and everyone didn't know how to react for a while, and Yuhuayuan fell into an awkward and tense atmosphere. Seeing this, Xie Yun didn't say anything more, and euphemistically excused that Beiya still had urgent business to deal with, so he bid farewell to Empress Wu.
Empress Wu obviously didn't appreciate Miss Yang very much, so she snorted lightly and let them go.
Xie Yun's eyes signaled Yang Miaorong to come with him, the two left the imperial garden one after the other without talking. After about a cup of tea time, she left the harem from the north gate. Seeing that no one was passing by, Yang Miaorong said displeasedly: "Why is the queen so—"
Xie Yun raised his index finger and made a silent gesture to stop her.
Immediately afterwards, he spread his right hand, finally revealing the palm that had been tightly held in his sleeve since just now.
Yang Miaorong's complexion changed drastically immediately.
I saw blood and flesh in Xie Yun's right palm, which was obviously caused by the nail piercing into the muscle, and the blood around the wound had dried up.