The moonlight is cold and the night is slightly smoked. It is a godsend to have such a cool and quiet night on a hot summer day.
The Crescent Princess sat in front of the Roman-style pure white floor-to-ceiling window, her body filled with silvery moonlight. A chromium-gold ivory vertical harp plays an ethereal, melodious and refreshing music under the gentle caress of her delicate jade fingers.
There was peace outside the window, and even the chirping of frogs was much quieter, as if these creatures were intoxicated by her music.
Wu Meiniang sat on one side, looking at the Crescent Princess who was bathed in the moonlight and looked like a fairy and an illusion. She had the illusion that she was both real and illusory, as if she was in a dream.
Even though she was a woman, Wu Meiniang couldn't help but admire in her heart that this Crescent Princess really had a different kind of beauty.
In one word - quiet!
So quiet and elegant, so quiet and so perfect.
Wu Meiniang couldn't help but think of Yao'er again. In terms of appearance and figure, Princess Crescent Moon is very similar to Yao'er. After getting along for a short time, Wu Meiniang felt more and more that the two of them were more similar in temperament, the same quiet and elegant, the same gentleness. Even their smiles and gestures have too many similarities.
"Your Highness, may I ask a personal question?" Wu Meiniang couldn't help but ask.
Princess Crescent Moon smiled calmly and stopped playing and said, "Please tell me."
"I see that Her Royal Highness the Princess looks exactly like a Han Chinese, with no appearance of a Sogdian at all. Excuse me..." Wu Meiniang smiled a little apologetically and said, "Excuse me, are you really a Han and a Sogdian? A mixed-race descendant?”
Princess Xinyue seemed to have expected that Wu Meiniang would ask some questions, so she smiled calmly and did not answer immediately. After arranging the konghou, she stood up, dragged her long milky white skirt and walked around the room for a few steps. She shook her head slightly and said, "No."
Wu Meiniang raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at Princess Crescent Moon.
Princess Crescent Moon also looked at her with complicated eyes. There seemed to be a lot to say, but he also seemed to have some scruples.
Wu Meiniang was such a smart person. She got up and closed the window. She went to the door and took a closer look. She asked her two maids to guard the door. Then she walked to Princess Crescent and whispered: " If the princess has something to say, she might as well say it clearly."
"Can you answer my two questions first?" Princess Crescent Moon's expression became a little solemn and she asked seriously.
"Please say!"
"Are you...really Wu Meiniang, the wife of Marshal Qin Mubai of Guanxi?"
"yes!"
"How to prove it?"
Wu Meiniang was stunned for a moment, then asked: "How do you want me to prove it?"
"Unless you can really make Su Dingfang's army appear in Samajian, I will believe you!" Princess Crescent Moon said.
Now it was Wu Meiniang's turn to be surprised, "The princess wants General Su's army to come, what do you want?"
Princess Crescent Moon turned around and her voice became a little cold, "If you can't do it, I won't say the rest of the words to you!"
Wu Meiniang gritted her teeth and walked around to her and said: "Your Highness, you must know that General Su is leading his army to attack Gongyue City, the capital of Beiting. This is a major military and national event for our Tang Dynasty. If there is not a sufficient reason for him to mobilize his troops before Come on, even if General Su wants to help me, he can't bear this responsibility! - So, if you can give me a good reason first, I will definitely help you invite General Su's army to Samajian!"
Princess Crescent Moon's brows furrowed slightly as if she was deep in thought. After a moment, she said: "I still can't believe you. Because I feel like I can't see through you at all. You are far smarter than the average person. A little bit different Shen, I'm afraid I'll fall into your trap! I can't afford such a joke!"
Wu Meiniang's heart beat loudly.
Judging from Princess Crescent Moon's performance, it is obvious that she has a huge secret hidden in her heart. And this secret is likely to lead to a big crisis, and this crisis is most likely related to Qin Mubai and Datang!
"Then I won't leave Kang Wang's palace and will always be with you, is that possible?" Wu Meiniang said, "I have no power to restrain a chicken, and I am surrounded by weak women. If you don't let me go, I will definitely not be able to escape. .If I cheated on you, you can kill me at any time!"
Princess Xinyue was slightly surprised, "Are you really...Qin Mubai's wife, Wu Meiniang?"
"It's absolutely true!" Wu Meiniang said sternly, "Who should I pretend to be? Wu Meiniang? - In fact, I can leave tomorrow without getting into any trouble. However, I saw the princess and an old friend of mine They look very similar, so I feel that the princess is particularly kind! Please believe me, at least I have no ill intentions towards you!”
Princess Xinyue stared at Wu Meiniang and nodded slowly. After still hesitating for a while, she said: "Actually... I am a real Han Chinese! And my adoptive father is one of the three ministers who care about life in Kang Ju Kingdom today. Balelihan is my father-killing enemy!"
"Ah?" Wu Meiniang was surprised!
Princess Crescent Moon frowned and whispered: "Actually, I didn't know this until two years ago. At that time, I had grown up, and Balelihan was planning to marry me to King Kangju. You know, our Islamic A woman has been wearing a veil since she was a child, and her face is not allowed to be easily seen by outsiders. When I was baptized before the wedding, a female believer saw my face and casually said, "I don't look like a Sogdian at all." , and like a pure Han Chinese? ... I realized at that time that I looked nothing like my father! My mother died when I was very young. I asked my father what he was. Nor would he say it.”
"Since then, have you had doubts about your life?" Wu Meiniang asked.
"Yes..." Princess Crescent took a deep breath and continued, "But no one could give me the answer. Until a few days before the wedding, I went to the mosque to worship and met a... pagan from the Tang Dynasty."
"Infidel?" Wu Meiniang was startled at first, then smiled and said, "By the way, Muslims regard people who do not believe in Allah as infidels."
"Well, he is a... Taoist priest." When the Crescent Princess said this, a strange look bloomed in her eyes, and she said, "Speaking of him, I have a close relationship with you. And... with your husband, Marshal Qin, It’s also quite relevant.”
"Oh, who is it?" Wu Meiniang was quite curious.
"Yuan Tiangang."
Wu Meiniang was immediately surprised, "This person... is indeed unusual, well, very unusual! - He has been to Kang State to find you?"
"Yes, he made a special trip to see me." Princess Crescent Moon took another deep breath and said, "He told me many things, including my life experience."
"Do you believe him?" Wu Meiniang asked.
"I didn't believe it at first, but then I believed it." Princess Crescent Moon said, "I bribed my adoptive father Balelihan's lover outside, got Balelihan drunk, and then asked him... As a result, Balelihan What he said is exactly the same as what Yuan Tiangang said! "
"What did they say?"
"It turns out that I am a real Han Chinese!" At this point, Princess Xinyue's face turned red with excitement and anger, and her voice trembled a little. She pulled Wu Meiniang to sit on the bed, pulled up her hair gauze, and whispered to her. , "About twenty years ago, my father and mother came to the Western Regions to escape the war, and then settled in Kangju State. They gave birth to me and my twin sisters. My father was a good businessman, and the family lived a good life. I was very happy. When I was only more than a year old, Balelihan, an important minister of Kang State, fell in love with my beautiful mother, so he used his power to expel my father from the country, and then occupied my mother and us. Two sisters."
Wu Meiniang heard her heart pounding and thought - "Twins? Could it be..."
Princess Crescent Moon continued: "My father resisted desperately, but he was no match for Balelihan's powerful force and could not take back my mother. He only took back my sister... It was in that battle that my sister became blind. ”
"Ah!" Wu Meiniang exclaimed, "Your sister, isn't she... Yao'er?"
"That's her!" Princess Crescent Moon couldn't help but cry. "My seriously injured father took his dying sister and fled to the east. They met the Tang army who was resisting the Turk Jieli Khan at the Weishui River. There was a general among them. Save them. His name is...Qin Shubao!"
"Oh my God! Is there really such a wonderful thing in the world?" Wu Meiniang was extremely surprised and said, "The Yao'er later worshiped my father-in-law as his adoptive father. Is it true that everything has its own destiny?"
Princess Crescent Moon burst into tears and choked with sobs: "When Qin Shubao rescued them, the Tang Dynasty and the Turks formed a bridge alliance over the Weishui River. The Tang Dynasty withdrew its troops and Qin Engong followed the army. At that time, my father didn't even know that Qin En I never saw him again. Later, my father took my sister to live in Chang'an. Because my father was loyal and kind-hearted and knew how to run a business, he recommended himself to be a minister of Wannian Yamen in Chang'an. Gradually, as the years passed, he became the chief secretary. Later, my father also married another wife and concubine. In order not to affect Yao'er's life, he buried his previous hatred and blood debt deeply in his heart, and never talked to anyone. People have said that.”
"Then what happened next?" Wu Meiniang felt quite thrilling while listening to the story of Princess Crescent Moon.
"After Balelihan took possession of my mother, my mother would rather die than obey. Not long after, she went on a hunger strike and died. I was left alone..." Princess Crescent Moon cried, "Ballihan was jealous and very angry. , tried to kill me several times, but was saved by her wife. God bless, although Balelihan was a complete devil, her wife, who was my adoptive mother, was really kind--Later, Balelihan. He kept sending people everywhere to inquire about my father's whereabouts, and finally he discovered my father's traces in Chang'an. Then, he sent a killer... "
"It turns out that Yao'er's family was wiped out and it was Balelihan who did it!" Wu Meiniang gritted her teeth with hatred and said angrily, "It's so pitiful! Yao'er's family was killed and his house was burned to ashes by the fire. This case also It became an unsolved case in Chang'an for a while, but Yao'er escaped by chance! Later, Yao'er lived in the market and sold music at my restaurant to make a living, and then met Mu Bai... "
Princess Crescent Moon clasped her hands and prayed devoutly, "My unfortunate sister! I have heard all her stories... She is happy! Because she not only repaid her benefactor's kindness to my Murong family, but also died in her In the arms of my favorite man!”
"Your... surname is Murong?" Wu Meiniang asked.
"Well..." Princess Xinyue nodded lightly and said, "My father fled to Kang State and changed his surname to Kang. But our ancestor's original surname was Murong, and he was a descendant of Emperor Chengwang Murong Chui... "
Wu Meiniang held Princess Xinyue's hand tightly and said softly: "Although Yao'er never said she had a name, I once heard her say by chance that her surname was Kang... It turns out that your family still has such a painful experience. ! Your Highness, Yao'er is as close as a sister to me, and she is Mu Bai's adopted sister and savior. If you need help, just ask!"
"I'm afraid I'll hurt you." Princess Xinyue also held Wu Meiniang's hand tightly and said, "Yuan Tiangang told me that it is impossible for me to change my fate and avenge blood hatred by myself. Because I am destined to live as a widow for seven years and then die of sorrow and anger, unless...unless there is a demon star who can change my fate!"
"I have been a widow for seven years and died of sorrow and anger?..." Wu Meiniang was stunned for a moment, "Yuan Tiangang, a great master, is telling you this? It's a demon star again - I'm tired of hearing it!"
"What's wrong..." Crescent Princess wondered.
"Don't believe in him, don't believe in fate, believe in yourself!" Wu Meiniang raised her eyebrows and said loudly, "This great magician only knows how to confuse people! When I was a child, he read my fortune and said that I had the appearance of an emperor. Seriously? Ridiculous! Also, he and Li Chunfeng said that Mu Bai was a demon star. If someone close to him could prevent him from suffering, the demon star would break out of his shell and fly into the sky - I don't have a good spirit or a bad spirit! As emperor, my father-in-law and Yao'er died unexpectedly!"
Princess Crescent Moon blinked in embarrassment and murmured, "But... there's no reason for him to travel thousands of miles to lie to me, right?"
"By the way, I forgot to ask, why did he come to you and tell you this?"
"He didn't say..." Princess Crescent Moon shook her head in confusion, "I'm also very curious, why would he do this for me if we are not related to each other? After repeated questioning, he only said... Our Murong family has a deep connection with him."
"A deep connection?..." Wu Meiniang pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "I must ask him clearly next time I see him. I hate him most for pretending to be mysterious in front of others. If he doesn't tell me, I will burn him. His Taoist temple, pluck out his beard!”
"Haha!" Princess Crescent Moon was so amused that she burst into laughter.
"Princess, don't be sad, and don't be anxious." Wu Meiniang said, "I really didn't expect that I would meet... Yao'er's sister in Kang State. I was scared when I saw you for the first time. I thought it was Yao'er reborn. Woolen cloth!"
Princess Xinyue nodded and smiled, "At that time you screamed 'Yao'er' in a low voice, and I knew your true identity and whereabouts. In fact, Yuan Tiangang expected that you would come to Kang State today. As early as more than three months ago, Yuan Tiangang told me that in the next few days, I would meet a nobleman from the Tang Dynasty, who is also an 'old friend' who has a close relationship with me. I guess this is what he was talking about. is you!"
"This great master, is he also in Kang Juguo now?" Wu Meiniang was a little dumbfounded. She sighed and said, "Let's not mention him for now! - Let's talk about the current situation first. You asked me to invite Su Dingfang's army to come, what is the root cause?"
Princess Xinyue's expression suddenly became solemn, and she said in a deep voice: "Not long after the Dashi Kingdom conquered the Sasanian Dynasty (Persia), they coveted the wealth of our nine surnames Zhaowu, especially the Kang Kingdom, and wanted to invade the Western Regions. Their Generalissimo Nurman has sent three envoys to Kang to ask Kang to ally with them, first against the Western Turks Beiting; then Beiting was defeated by Su Dingfang, and Numan sent envoys together with Beiting , asked Kang to call on the nine surnamed Zhaowu countries to join forces to fight against the Tang Dynasty - Now, Numan defeated the 300,000 troops of the Sassanid Dynasty and has transferred them to the west bank of the Amu Darya River as long as the king of Kang agrees to the alliance to raise troops and open the border. , Numan will lead his army into the Western Region and launch an attack on Su Dingfang! "
"Oh my god!..." Wu Meiniang's face suddenly turned a little pale, "Did the king agree?"
"Not yet." Princess Crescent shook her head. "Although the king is very old, he is not confused. He knows that the Arabs who believe in Allah are not kind people. However, the people of Kang have never been good at diplomacy and war. King Hayamanno was also a little cowardly and did not dare to offend the Arabs and the people in Beiting, so the stalemate continued. "
"Fortunately, I haven't agreed yet! If the border is opened to allow Nurman's army to enter Kang State, then it will lead to a wolf entering the house!" Wu Meiniang said in shock, "Among the thirty-six strategies in Sun Tzu's Art of War, there is one called 'Destroy Guo by false way'. If Let Numan lead his army into Kang State, and the first one to be attacked is not Su Dingfang, but Kang Juguo!" - Numan has sinister intentions. He is here to rob the wealth of the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu and conquer the people and land here! "
"Although I am not a real Kangju person, I grew up here. Except for Balelihan, my father-killing enemy, most of the people in Kangju Kingdom are kind and innocent." Princess Xinyue said anxiously, " That's why I asked you to ask Su Dingfang to send troops! I'm afraid something will happen if this stalemate continues! In that case, disaster will really happen!"
"An accident? What accident?" Wu Meiniang asked.
Before he finished speaking, a woman's frightened scream suddenly came from outside the door. The door was suddenly kicked open, and a group of armored sergeants wearing cockscombs and military benzo hats broke in!
Princess Crescent Moon's face suddenly turned pale and she trembled: "The accident... has happened!"