The cook Li Daozong brought from Chang'an is really good at cooking. Even a girl as picky as Princess Gaoyang cannot be said to be picky, which shows her superb cooking skills.
There was no one else at the table, so the three of them sat in two seats. Li Daozong was an easy-going man. Seeing that Princess Gaoyang insisted on eating at the same table with Qin Mubai, he was not surprised and allowed them to do so.
The three of them ate and chatted, talking about Xiangzhou's customs and customs from what they saw along the way, and had a great time talking.
Princess Gaoyang didn't have a big appetite and didn't like drinking, so she was full in a short time. But he was like a child with ADHD, pacing around the room, looking around curiously, and not paying attention to what Qin Mubai and Li Daozhong were talking about.
"My lord, I would like to ask, why did your majesty allow the princess to leave the palace and follow you to Xiangzhou?" Qin Mubai asked a question that he had been thinking about for a long time.
Previously, due to the turmoil surrounding the marriage between the princess and the Fang family, Li Shimin was very unwilling to allow Princess Gaoyang to continue to appear in public. In addition, Concubine Yin De moved into the Taoist temple, and Princess Gaoyang felt ashamed and volunteered to stay in the palace to accompany her mother. From then on, she rarely left the palace.
"Actually, His Majesty has never restricted Gao Yang's freedom by force." Li Daozong smiled indifferently, but it revealed a bit of mystery.
Qin Mubai vaguely understood the meaning of his words, nodded, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty is indeed always magnanimous, and he is extremely doting on the princess. However, this time, your Majesty allowed the princess to openly go south to Xiangzhou. Is it true? Meaning…”
"You are very smart." Li Daozong smiled slightly and said, "I have asked His Majesty about his intentions before, but he did not state it directly. He just said that since the prince, King Wu and myself have all gone to Xiangzhou, let Gao Yang follow It doesn't hurt to go play with something. He also said that Gao Yang has been very well-behaved during this period, and he has never been so well-behaved since she was a child. He was worried that Gao Yang would be bored after being in the palace all day, so he asked me to take her out to relax. ”
It is taboo for ministers to speculate on the holy will in private. Qin Mubai already understood what Li Daozong said - this was actually Li Shimin taking this opportunity to worship in Xiangzhou to ask Gao Yang to come and meet me openly. At the same time, he also understood It was a disguised announcement that he had tacitly approved and acknowledged my "relationship" with Gao Yang.
"This also means that from now on, my relationship with Gao Yang has been completely 'open' and 'legalized'." Qin Mubai thought secretly, "Maybe it's because of what I did in Xiangzhou Not bad. I have made great achievements in slaying the water ghosts and recovering the jade seal. Although I am not in Chang'an, I must have made a lot of limelight in the court, making Li Shimin feel that I, as a 'prospective son-in-law', can be considered a favor to him... "
"Boy, you are really a blessed general." Li Daozong said with a smile, "I have only been in Xiangzhou for half a year, and you have done a great job. I heard Li Ke talk about the twists and turns in detail. It was a thrilling battle of wits and courage. , even this king has a bit of admiration for you. It’s okay to crack the treasure map to find Emperor Yang’s mausoleum and recover the jade seal at the same time. The jade seal is not a big deal to ordinary people. The meaning is great, but it is of great significance to the emperor. You have recovered the jade seal and returned it to His Majesty's Imperial Palace. This achievement cannot be measured by accurate things, such as how many enemies you have won and how much land you have captured. , this can be seen at a glance; whether the governance is clear and the performance is outstanding can also be seen. But this contribution of yours is in His Majesty's heart. You make him very happy."
Qin Mubai smiled and said, "I am just lucky."
"Hey, this is the second time you have said this today. It is not good to be too modest!" Li Daozong said with a smile, "His Majesty has been on the throne for more than ten years. In the past few years, he used the self-engraved ' The ordered treasure is used as a jade seal. To put it bluntly, it is just for self-comfort. Although he has taken the throne, he always feels that there is something missing - that is, the jade seal. Don't underestimate the official. To declare one's identity, the woman who marries her husband needs a marriage certificate. These are all essential, otherwise it will look like a fake and will not be recognized by others. Although the emperor lacks the jade seal, although others dare not say anything, he will know it in his heart. He had such thoughts. When he returned from Ping Tujue, his Majesty was really happy. But later, he soon found out that the seal was fake, so he was extremely disappointed, but he couldn't tell anyone about it. "
"What, your Majesty knows that the previous jade seal is fake?" Qin Mubai asked in surprise.
"Of course." Li Daozong nodded and said with a smile, "It was Xiao Yu who helped him distinguish the authenticity. Because in the previous dynasty, Xiao Yu had helped Yang Guang keep the jade seal. His Majesty did not accept it at that time, because he just didn't want to He wanted to make this matter public to avoid causing trouble, but he knew very well that Xiao Yu was an upright person and would not lie, nor would he tell the truth because he was afraid of upsetting the emperor. If the jade seal is fake, it must be fake. Therefore, over the years, His Majesty has been secretly sending people to search for the whereabouts of the jade seal, but to no avail. It is a coincidence that you are in Xiangzhou. The jade seal was recovered in an incredible way. Why is this not a timely help to His Majesty? Therefore, His Majesty praised you many times in public, saying that you are a 'blessed general of the Tang Dynasty', haha!"
"It turns out there is such a secret and reason, no wonder." Qin Mubai shook his head and smiled, "If it were me, I have been searching for something for many years but could not find it, and suddenly one day someone gave it to me. Then I will definitely be happy.”
"That's what it means." Li Daozong chuckled, glanced at Princess Gao Yang who was admiring the pictures on the wall, and whispered in a low voice, "So, Your Majesty asked the princess to come with me. Do you understand?" "
Qin Mubai smiled and nodded.
"When a person has luck and ability at the same time, and is humble, prudent and profound in his way of life, then he is really not far away from making great achievements." Li Daozong nodded and smiled meaningfully, and said, "Mu Bai, You have a bright future!”
"The prince likes to make fun of me."
Before Qin Mubai's laughter faded, a disciple came outside the door, and he was Li Daozong's personal attendant. He reported that there was a general from King Wu's palace outside the palace who wanted to see General Qin on urgent matters. He claimed to be Xue Li.
"Oh, it's him. He must have come to me with something important. Prince, wait until I go out to see him." Qin Mubai stood up hurriedly and said.
"It's okay, just invite him in." Li Daozong ordered.
The attendant bowed and went out, asking Xue Rengui to come.
Li Daozong said: "I have heard Li Ke talk about Xue Rengui many times. He is a man of outstanding virtue and ability. It is said that he has extremely good martial arts. You recommended him to him, right?"
"That's right!" Qin Mubai laughed.
Li Daozong nodded and smiled, and said with emotion: "Li Ke is really a great blessing to meet you."
Just as he was talking, Xue Rengui came in.
After Li Ke left Xiangzhou, Xue Rengui no longer stayed in the military mansion. He stayed in the governor's mansion. He was mainly responsible for commanding the palace's soldiers and taking care of security and garrison.
Seeing Xue Rengui, who was wearing a military uniform and armored robe, walking in, Li Daozong couldn't help but his eyes lit up and he praised: "Yingwu!"
"Xue Li, a humble official, met the prince and General Qin." Xue Rengui saluted with clasped fists.
"No need to be polite." Li Daozong looked Xue Rengui up and down, and said with a smile, "Since you have something to ask Mu Bai, you two can feel free to do so! However, I have heard many times that your martial arts are very outstanding, and I always want to see it. experience."
Xue Rengui looked slightly surprised and hurriedly clasped his fists and said: "Xue is a poor and lowly martial artist. He has taught himself some crude fists, feet, swords and spears, but they cannot be called martial arts. I am afraid that he will not be able to attract the attention of the prince."
"You and Qin Mubai have the same problem, being too self-effacing!" Li Daozong laughed, "Okay, if you have any business to talk about first, I won't delay you. Anyway, there will be plenty of time in the future."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xue Rengui saluted and said to Qin Mubai, "General, just now the servant of the palace came in a hurry to report that... the princess is ill and is very critical!"
"What?" Qin Mubai was shocked, "I went to see her in the morning and she seemed to be quite stable. Why did she suddenly..."
"I don't even know about my humble position." Xue Rengui frowned and said, "The doctor is already giving first aid. Su Lianqing said that the situation does not seem to be too optimistic. If it is difficult to save, the King of Wu is not here at the moment, so he has to ask the general to come over. "
The meaning of Xue Rengui's words can be regarded as clear. If the princess dies at this time, if she leaves any last words, it is best to ask Qin Mubai to convey them on her behalf. After all, when Li Ke left, he entrusted the princess and the princess to him.
Qin Mubai stood up immediately. Before he could speak, Li Daozong also stood up and shouted to Princess Gaoyang who was still playing in another room -
"Gao Yang, let's go to your third brother's house!"
"What are you doing, screaming so urgently all of a sudden?" Princess Gao Yang ran over with a smile on her face.
"Your sister-in-law is critically ill!"
"Ah!—" Princess Gao Yang was startled.
"Let's go!"
The whole group only rode horses and quickly left the camp and rushed to the governor's mansion.
Princess Gaoyang and Qin Mubai rode together and were held in his arms. She asked anxiously: "Mu Bai, why did the emperor's sister-in-law suddenly become seriously ill?"
"It's not sudden. I've been seriously ill for a long time." Qin Mubai said with a frown.
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and send a letter to urge Third Brother to come back!"
“…I can’t stop writing now!”
Everyone rushed to the Governor's Mansion quickly. The backyard was solemn and no one dared to speak loudly. Several maids and doctors nervously went in and out of the princess's bedroom, often taking out bags of clothes with a fishy smell.
Qin Mubai, Li Daozong, and Princess Gaoyang were about to go in. A doctor hurriedly stopped them and explained the difference and origin. He still refused to let them go and insisted: "Your Majesty and General, please stay. Your Highness, Princess, it's okay to go in and take a look." , but don’t stay too long!”
"Oh, then let me go in and see the emperor's sister-in-law..." Princess Gaoyang nodded suspiciously and a little panicked, and then entered the room.
When the doctor said this, Qin Mubai and Li Daozong probably knew the condition of the princess.
In fact, Qin Mubai knew about the princess's illness to some extent. To put it simply, it is probably a disease like "uterine cancer"!
I heard from Li Ke that the princess's body was already weak and she often suffered from abdominal pain. Qin Mubai guessed that she probably suffered from tumors very early. However, medicine in this era was obviously not yet developed to that extent, especially since "women's" diseases were quite private, and it was not convenient to tell them publicly or ask for treatment. Later, the princess suffered from dystocia during pregnancy and gave birth, which further aggravated the condition. In one year, it has actually deteriorated to this extent!
Qin Mubai knew very well that the princess's time was indeed running out. If she hadn't been gritting her teeth and waiting for Li Ke to come back to see him again, she might have already...
The two of them stood in the courtyard waiting, neither saying much. After a long while, Li Daozong sighed leisurely and shook his head: "A beauty has a bad fate!"
"Princess Wu is a good person. An admirable and good woman." Qin Mubai sighed.
"Their father and son are really similar." Li Daozong suddenly said, "Even the women they met are so similar. These two women are both equally miserable!"
Of course Qin Mubai knew that he was referring to Queen Changsun and Princess Wu Yang.
"I will write a letter immediately and rush it six hundred miles to Chang'an to urge His Highness to come back." Qin Mubai said.
Li Daozong thought for a moment and nodded: "If the matter is urgent, just write it! So that he doesn't have to wait to come with the prince!"
"good!"
Immediately, Qin Mubai went to the study and wrote a letter, stamped it with an urgent order from the governor's office, and sent someone to the post house to send it to Chang'an immediately.
At this time, Princess Gaoyang had come out of the princess's room, with a sad and sad face, and there were still tears on her eyelids. "The imperial sister-in-law is so pitiful. She is so skinny that she is no longer beautiful. She is in so much pain that her face turns yellow and white, and there is only a trace of breath left. I am so worried that she will..." Princess Gao Yang murmured sadly. road.
"Don't worry." Qin Mubai took her hand and patted it gently to comfort her.
Li Daozong stepped forward and stopped one of the doctors, saying to him: "The matter has come to an end. No matter what, we must save her breath until King Wu comes back!"
"Those in this humble position must do their best!" The doctors all knew that the princess's life would definitely not be saved, it was just a matter of time. Nowadays, if you can live a moment longer, count it as a moment, do your best, and obey fate!
Qin Mubai stepped forward and said to Li Daozong: "Your Majesty, it will take you two days to get to Chang'an at the earliest for the six hundred miles of urgent documents. There will always be a delay in the middle. Including His Highness's journey, we will be able to reach Chang'an in the end." It will take six or seven days for His Highness to come back soon."
"Yes, I know." Li Daozong frowned, shook his head and sighed: "My poor child, I really hope she can endure this unbearable pain for a few more days..."
"Poor sister-in-law... ugh!" Princess Gaoyang had already started crying.
"Let's go, don't cry here, don't let the princess hear you." Qin Mubai took her away from here, and Li Daozong also left. The three of them temporarily left the palace where the princess lived and took a break in the hall where Qin Mubai usually conducted official business.
After a long time, the doctor came back with relief and said that the princess had survived. Next, I used various methods and acupuncture potions, but I am afraid it will be difficult to survive three days!
"It's only been three days!" Li Daozong and Qin Mubai were disappointed together.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuah"
At this moment, Qin Mubai was completely helpless and could only shake his head regretfully and said: "If I had my way... I wouldn't stand idly by here."
"God's will is like this, what can people do?" Li Daozong sighed, closed his eyes and shook his head.
For the next three days, no one could be happy, let alone have fun. In the evening of that day, the doctor said that the princess only breathed her last breath. She suddenly woke up after being in a coma for a long time, as if she had returned to the light. If there are any last words, someone must be sent forward to listen.
At this time, everyone no longer cares about any taboos. Princess Gaoyang hugged the young princess and entered her ward with Qin Mubai and Li Daozong.
The princess was covered with a brand new brocade quilt, only her face was exposed, and her hair was neatly combed. Just as Princess Gao Yang said, she was so thin that she was reduced to skin and bones, her face was sallow and her eyes were sunken, her lips were gray and blistered, her whole person was gray, and she no longer had any of her former beauty.
She half-opened her eyes when she saw Qin Mubai and others coming in. With the help of the maid, she turned her head with difficulty and said angrily: "Uncle Emperor, Sister Emperor, General Qin, I am seriously ill and cannot get up to see you." Welcome, please forgive me..." "No need to be polite, we are all one family." Li Daozong stared at her with a smile and said, "You gave birth to a good daughter for Ke'er. She is so beautiful, just like you."
The princess forced out a smile of shame and gratitude, closed her eyelids twice in return, and said, "Is he unable to come back?"
"Yes." Li Daozong nodded, with a smile still on his face, and said as if chatting: "I will scold him for you."
"Thank you, uncle." The princess actually smiled, but there were already two lines of tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this scene, Princess Gaoyang burst into tears, but she covered her lips with her hands to prevent herself from crying. Qin Mubai had no choice but to stretch out his hand and pat her back gently to express comfort. She leaned against Qin Mubai, her body trembling with sobs.
"If you have anything to say, just tell me. We can convey it to you." Li Daozong hugged the little princess and said.
At this time, the little princess who was less than one year old suddenly burst into tears and stretched out her tender little hands towards the princess.
The princess's eyes were a little dazed, staring blankly at her baby daughter, tears streaming down her face, her lips moving, speechless. He stretched out a hand with difficulty, but it kept shaking. Li Daozong bent down and let her hold the little princess's hand.
"Let him... take good care of... my daughter..." the princess said with difficulty, breathing heavily. At this moment, her eyes were widened, and the light in her pupils was dimming.
"Okay, I will tell him." Li Daozong frowned and nodded solemnly. At this moment, his eyes were also a little moist.
"Oh... Your Highness the Princess!" The two maids serving beside him couldn't help crying.
Seeing that one of the princess's arms was about to fall, she took her last breath!
Suddenly, a figure rushed in from the door, quickly ran to the princess's bed and squatted down!
Li Ke!
With a "pop" sound, Li Ke held her hand tightly and put it against his face.
"I'm back!"
"Ke...ke!"
`When the princess said the last two words, a happy smile finally appeared on her face, and it was frozen forever...