For three consecutive days, the two of them had a great time accompanying Ruda at Donglin Temple. Early on the fourth day, they received a report from the guards, saying that an imperial edict had arrived. The person who delivered the edict was waiting at the Zhizhou Mansion.
The two smiled bitterly, knowing that it must be Zhao Deji who urged him to return to Beijing. Hua Rong also thought of a hidden worry that could not be delayed, so he had to say goodbye to Luda.
Along the way, Hua Rong lowered his voice and said, "Pengju, we really have to go back."
Yue Pengju saw her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and suddenly thought of her Qingluo Zhai clothes, and immediately said: "Sister Seventeen, don't worry, I will put the clothes in a safe place, and there will be no mistakes."
She nodded and smiled: "As long as I hand back the clothes, my mission will be completed."
The two rushed to Zhizhou Mansion, and it turned out that after Zhao Deji received the news of the defeat of the puppet Qi army, he ordered a eunuch to pass a message saying that Yue Pengju had been injured for the country. He expressed condolences to him and asked him to return to Beijing as soon as possible to face the saint.
Hua Rong was worried about Yue Pengju's injury, but saw that he was fine sitting and lying down, and although he could not use swords, guns and sticks, he could walk without any problems. The two discussed it and decided to leave for Beijing that day.
Because he was afraid of hurting his back, and because Zhao Deji's imperial edict stated a very broad deadline, Hua Rong insisted that Yue Pengju take a carriage. Since the carriage was slow, it was only three days' journey from the capital, which was usually a quick march. It took almost It took eight days to arrive.
As soon as we arrived in the prosperous area of the capital, there was a big difference from the outside. It was also a war, but Lin'an was full of singing and dancing, and peace was prosperous.
King Qin's generals Han Zhongliang, Zhang Jun, Liu Guang, etc. all arrived before Yue Pengju, and they had already begun their happy life in the capital. They were eating and drinking in the house rewarded by the emperor, and they were very comfortable. As long as Yue Pengju arrived, the emperor would Give a banquet to the four generals.
On the way back, Hua Rong deliberately inquired about Qin Hui, but she had not yet received any appointment about Qin Hui becoming prime minister. She felt relieved, knowing that if Qin Hui became prime minister, Yue Pengju would never be able to fulfill his ambition. Since then, I have never heard of the principle that a general can make meritorious deeds outside even if the prime minister is harmed within his office.
She saw her husband's brows furrowing more and more as he approached the capital. Knowing what he was thinking, she took his hand and said softly, "Qin Hui may not be the prime minister."
"I hope so."
As soon as the two returned home, they went their separate ways, and Hua Rong entered the palace immediately.
The Queen Mother, Tianwei, Wanwan and others who had been waiting for a long time gathered together and waited nervously for Hua Rong's arrival. Hua Rong entered the inner palace, saw the Queen Mother, and was about to salute. The Queen Mother immediately said: "Madam, you don't need to be polite." …”
Tianwei and Wanwan immediately took advantage of the situation to support her, and she no longer insisted on saluting.
The Queen Mother saw that she was wearing the brand-new Qingluo Zhai embroidered flower crown dress, and she felt happy and exchanged a look with her. Hua Rong immediately took off the crown dress, and Tianwei took it and handed it to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother saw that the collar was intact. The even stitches were sewn by her own hands. She nodded, and Tianwei immediately used small scissors to unwrap the silk thread and took out the small note hidden inside. The Queen Mother reached out to take it and placed it on the lit candle next to her. Soon, a burst of In the blue smoke, this huge secret was turned into ashes.
Several women breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, feeling infinite joy in their hearts.
The Queen Mother said: "Mrs. Yue has accomplished such a great feat. She is truly a heroine."
Hua Rong sighed: "The Queen Mother has worked so hard and reconciled, and she is the great hero of this event. However, because she is a female, her achievements will not be recorded in the annals of history. There is nothing we can do."
The Queen Mother experienced "listening to politics behind the curtain" some time ago. She was worried and anxious every day, and she aged even more severely. She stroked her white hair and said sadly: "The country is in trouble. There is nothing I can do about it. I just hope that when I go underground in the future, I will not be caught by the Taizu officials." If you beat me at home, thank God."
Tianwei saw that her aunt was sad. Although she had experienced many tortures and storms, she was still young and good-natured. She smiled and said: "Thanks to the loyalty of Xianggong Yue and others who worked hard to eradicate the Miao Liu, Nu and my aunt will have a stable life in the future."
When she smiles, the atmosphere becomes much more relaxed.
Wanwan was also smiling, but she held Hua Rong's hand tightly. She wanted to say something, but when she looked at the Queen Mother, she hesitated.
The Queen Mother didn't seem to notice that Hua Rong knew that she must be asking about Wang Junhua, so he squeezed her hand slightly, understood in a gentle way, and stopped asking.
The three of them made good friends and saw that each other was safe. They all asked about Yue Pengju's injury, and the Queen Mother ordered a banquet in honor of him.
At this moment, the emperor was reported to have arrived.
The emperor was pleased to see Hua Rong and stopped her from saluting. He only said, "Thank you for your hard work, Rong'er."
The moment the palace door closed, Hua Rong had already completely cut off any personal grudges between herself and Zhao Deji. She understood that the relationship was just a relationship between a monarch and a minister. Therefore, she was neither disappointed nor sad in her heart. She only answered politely according to etiquette: "Your Majesty's blessing reaches heaven."
"For this great achievement, Rong'er will be rewarded with three hundred taels of gold and three hundred pieces of brocade."
Hua Rong didn't refuse, and just said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."
Zhao Deji was in a very happy mood that day, so he took the initiative to stay and dine with everyone.
At dusk, everyone left happily. Wanwan excused herself and Hua Rong, and they said goodbye together. Wanwan insisted on riding in the same sedan with her, and Hua Rong did not refuse. As soon as the sedan left the city gate, Wanwan Fang couldn't wait to ask: "Sister Hua, is that evil woman Wang Junhua arresting you?"
Hua Rong nodded: "I have long suspected that she was the one who caught you."
Wanwan was filled with indignation: "This bastard colluded with the Jin people and betrayed the country for glory. But I told Brother Ninth, Brother Ninth just didn't believe it. It is said that he once wanted Qin Hui to be the prime minister..."
Hua Rong couldn't take over. Zhao Deji actually didn't doubt Qin Hui, but he had his own plans. Perhaps, as Jin Wushu said, Zhao Deji was bent on seeking peace, and even if he reused generals, he would just win a few more games. Victory only adds weight to the peace talks. Therefore, it is not surprising that he reused Qin Hui, who had always advocated peace. Could it be that he wanted to find a prime minister who was determined to resist the war to compete with him every day
She could only think about these truths in her heart, but could not tell Wanwan, who was not very experienced in the world. She thought that it would be a kind of happiness for Wanwan to be raised in a boudoir like this, with wealth and wealth. What would it do to herself if she worried too much? benefit
She first sent Wanwan back to the Prince Consort's Mansion, then no longer sat in the sedan chair, but rode a big maroon horse. After Jinses was lost, she no longer had a mount to take advantage of, so Yue Pengju found one for her in the army. Although the bay horse is not as good as Kinses's ability to run a thousand miles a day, it is still strong and strong and can easily run four to five hundred miles a day. She is very satisfied with it.
I don’t know since when, whenever she goes to a place, she likes to ride a horse or walk to see the customs, people and folk customs of the place. Lin’an is prosperous, but after nightfall, after all, it is no longer the dream of Tokyo in the past, and the bustling scene shown in the Qingming Riverside Map , everywhere is closed, and because the Lantern Festival has passed, the night market lights disappear. Occasionally, three or two hotels pick out their flagpoles facing the wind, revealing dim lights to attract drunken guests.
Hua Rong walked to West Street and suddenly saw a person staggering walking on the street in front of her, crying faintly. Her voice sounded like an old woman. She was a little curious, how could this old woman cry on the street
She turned over and dismounted, signaled to the guards behind her to keep an eye on her, then walked up a few steps and called out to the old woman: "Mother-in-law, what are you sad about?"
Through the dim light of the hotel in front, I could see that the old woman had sparse buns and a head full of gray hair. Although her face was tear-stained and she was very haggard, she naturally had a luxurious demeanor.
The old woman was a little wary when she saw a strange woman questioning her, but when she saw her elegant face, she was even more surprised that she was carrying a quiver and a unique little bow. She stared closely at her bow and arrow, looking a little surprised. , just said: "Girl, who are you?"
When Hua Rong saw her asking back, he was not angry. He smiled and said, "My name is Hua Rong, and I am the wife of Song general Yue Pengju."
The old woman's eyes lit up and she lost her voice and said, "Are you Hua Rong? That famous heroine?"
Hua Rong was even more surprised than she was. Could it be that he was so famous all over the world that even an old woman knew about it
She smiled shyly, but the old woman grabbed her hand: "I am Li Yian..."
Hua Rong took his head and bowed, rubbing his hands with joy: "It turns out to be layman Yi An, disrespectful, disrespectful..."
When it comes to lay scholar Yi An, she is truly world-famous. She is the most talented woman in this dynasty. Her poems and songs are not inferior to those of the great writers Su Dongpo, Liu Yong, etc. When Hua Rong was young, she was already famous all over the world. She grew up "you know, you know, she should be green, fat, red and thin", but she never thought that one day, she would meet her here.
The opportunities in life are truly wonderful.
Seeing her like this, Hua Rong guessed that she was in a bad situation and immediately warmly invited her to his mansion. After thinking about it, Li Yian actually agreed.
Hua Rong personally helped her get on the horse. Li Yi'an had obviously gone through many disasters since crossing south, but he was still able to ride for a while. Hua Rong got on another horse and followed her, her heart also rising.
After exiting West Street and heading towards her mansion, Hua Rong saw a person standing in front of her from a distance, followed by several guards. She smiled slightly and whispered: "It's her husband Yue Pengju..."
Li Yian was very surprised. She naturally learned that Yue Pengju was the most brave general in the southern crossing, but this brave warrior could actually go outside to greet his wife.
As they got closer, Yue Pengju saw an old woman beside his wife. Hua Rong jumped off his horse and said, "Pengju, this is the famous layman Yi An. Why don't you pay your respects quickly..."
Yue Pengju always respected Confucian scholars, and naturally he respected this talented woman all over the world even more. He immediately bowed down and said, "I have met the layman Yi An."
Li Yian returned the gift with mixed feelings in her heart. Since the fall of Kaifeng, she, like thousands of northerners, had traveled southward and fled for many years, suffering a lot of hardships. She never expected that this couple who met by chance would be so enthusiastic.
When everyone returned home, Li Yian saw that although Yuci's mansion was large, there were no gorgeous furnishings inside. It was simple, bright, clean and tidy, which was in sharp contrast to the extravagant and lustful image of ordinary military commanders.
She solemnly said: "I traveled south and heard about the deeds of Xianggong Yue and his wife along the way. I knew that they were the best and most loyal generals in our dynasty. I am truly lucky to meet them today."
Yue Pengju smiled slightly. He was dull and didn't know how to answer. Hua Rong smiled and answered for him: "Thank you, Master Yi An, for the compliment." She smiled and offered a cup of hot tea with her own hands, "It's cold, Master Yi An, please." Let’s drink tea first to warm up…”
Li Yian took a sip of hot tea, the vicissitudes of life on his face became even more miserable, and he let out a long sigh.