Later, even though a long time had passed, when Mu Fulan closed her eyes, this scene would often appear in her mind:
The man seemed to be afraid that she would refuse him, so without waiting for her to speak, he got off the carriage and rode away.
On that autumn night, the sky above Xiguan was like a lake of Dongting Lake hanging upside down overhead, high and deep. The Milky Way was shining, the stars were sparse, and the moon was white as frost. The back figure became smaller and smaller under the moonlight until it turned into a black dot and completely merged into the depths of the blurry night.
He left Xiguan and she returned to the palace.
As if nothing had happened, she assisted the prince in handling state affairs and discussing government affairs every day, perfectly fulfilling her duties as regent. Just as the ministers were amazed at the prince's increasing wisdom and decisiveness that were inconsistent with his age, the ministers also praised the queen.
But no one knew that as the days passed, beneath her seemingly calm exterior, her hesitation, bewilderment, and even fear grew day by day, until one day, during the day, the court received another victory report from Hexi: His Majesty the Emperor personally led the army to fight, the military and civilians were reassured, and the wars were won repeatedly. Perhaps soon, the northern border would be settled, and His Majesty the Emperor would return to the court.
On this day, half a year had passed since Mu Fulan and the man parted in Xiguan, and the season had also entered the second year of Yuan'an.
Such good news caused the whole court to rejoice and celebrate. But that night, Mu Fulan could not fall asleep again.
He is coming back.
However, she still didn't know how she should respond if they met again and he brought up what happened that night in Xiguan.
She felt that she had thought it through clearly. She had thought it through clearly as early as that night.
She would tell him that she could let go of everything, including hatred, but she had no intention of renewing their relationship.
She had been so sure about this. But as the days went by, when the news about his return became more frequent and clearer, for some reason, she seemed to become confused and even uneasy.
And today, this feeling that had been tormenting her reached its peak.
She dismissed all the palace servants, did not light the lights, and walked alone in the large and deep bedroom of Ziwei Palace, like a ghost, constantly moving back and forth.
When she was tired of walking, she would lie down and fall asleep naturally - this was a late-night habit she had gradually developed in the past six months.
This was especially true tonight. She wanted to go to bed early.
But unfortunately, this method suddenly failed.
She wandered in the dark for a long time, still not feeling sleepy at all. Her heart was getting more and more agitated. Finally, she stopped walking and sat down, sitting in the living room facing the south window, looking at the vague shadow of the magnolia tree in the night outside the window, gradually becoming lost in thought.
"Mother, what's wrong with you? Are you worried?"
At this moment, a soft questioning voice came from behind her.
Mu Fulan turned around and saw Xier holding a candle in her hand and walking towards her slowly.
Mu Fulan hurriedly stood up and went to meet him. She did not answer him, but just asked him: "It's so late, why haven't you slept yet?"
Xier stopped walking. "Mother, I see that you seem to be worried these days. I heard from the palace servants that you can't sleep well at night. Mother, what's wrong with you?"
Mu Fulan looked at Xier in front of her.
He was growing taller quickly, and his figure had the thinness that was typical of a teenager.
Mu Fulan looked at him, and on his face she seemed to vaguely see the shadow of the young man in white who had been filled with hatred and indignation for ten years and who finally drew his sword and committed suicide.
Her heart became more and more confused.
She stood in front of the young boy, silent for a long time, and said softly: "Xi'er, mother wants to ask you something, okay?"
Xier nodded: "Mom, you say."
"Mother will tell you a story first."
Mu Fulan held the boy's hand and took him to sit down, mother and son sitting side by side.
"A long time ago, there was a father who hurt his child. The child could not resolve his hatred for his father and finally chose to commit suicide in front of his father. Before he died, he swore to his father that he hated him and did not want to be his son in the next life."
Mu Fulan closed her eyes.
Xier listened quietly without saying a word.
Mu Fulan managed to calm down and continued, "Later, the child was reborn as a human being, but he had forgotten everything that happened before. And his father loved the child very much in this life. When he learned about the past, he felt extremely regretful and tried his best to give the child everything he could, hoping to gain forgiveness."
"Xi'er, let me ask you, if you were in this situation, would you forgive your father?"
After she asked the question, her five fingers unconsciously tightened slightly as she looked at the little boy sitting beside her.
Xier said, "Mother, if I were this child, it would be fine if I didn't know. But if I knew what happened, I would not forgive him. Even if the father used his life to make up for it in this life, it would not be able to offset his past mistakes. A mistake is a mistake and it does not deserve to be forgiven."
His tone was firm.
Mu Fulan held his hand and slowly loosened her fingers.
"Xi'er, let me ask you again, if this father was your father, would you not forgive him?"
She asked in a low voice.
A gust of night wind suddenly rushed in from the window and blew out the candle.
The hall fell into darkness again.
In the endless darkness of the night, the young boy was silent. Finally, he slowly shook his head.
"Mother, even if this father is the emperor, I don't think I will forgive him."
Mu Fulan sat quietly in the darkness for a long time, then slowly held the hand of the young boy beside her again.
"Mother knows. Come on, mother will take you to bed."
She said, her voice gentle and calm.
"Mother, I will go back to sleep by myself. Mother, you have worked hard, your son will take you to rest."
He stood up, walked to the extinguished candle, relit the lamp, held it, walked back, and like an adult, stretched out his other hand, held Mu Fulan's hand, and led her inside.
Mu Fulan was sent back to the bedroom by the young boy.
"Mom, don't let your mind wander. Just go to sleep."
The young boy's voice was extremely gentle as he coaxed Mu Fulan.
Mu Fulan nodded with a smile and watched him turn and leave.
He walked a few steps, then suddenly seemed to remember something, stopped and turned around.
"Mother, I want to ask you for one more thing. I hope you can agree to it."
"you say."
"Didn't we receive good news from Hexi during the day?" he said, with a gleam of joy in his eyes.
"Father has worked hard for the country and has made great contributions. When he returns, I want to go out of the capital to welcome him. I beg mother to agree to this."
Mu Fulan hesitated.
The young boy knelt down.
"My son really wants to go and welcome Father back in person. Please agree, mother!"
Mu Fulan looked at the face of the young boy in front of her, which was full of expectation. She hesitated for a moment and finally nodded: "Okay, when the time comes, we will arrange it according to the situation."
The young boy showed a look of joy, kowtowed to her and thanked her before retreating.
He left the main hall of Ziwei Palace, but did not immediately return to the side hall where he lived. He stood on the steps outside the palace, lost in thought for a moment, then came to the palace gate and ordered the night watchman to open the door.
He walked out, wandering alone in the palace late at night. Behind him, several palace servants followed him, not daring to get too close, nor too far away. They followed the prince and finally came to the Imperial Stables, where they saw him stop in front of a stable door.
In this stable is the prince's mount, the little dragon horse.
The little dragon horse was a Hexi horse, not a rare horse with precious bloodline. In the prince's stable, there were several other horses that were tributed from foreign countries, some of which could travel a thousand miles a day, and some of which could run as fast as the wind and lightning. But the prince's favorite was still this Hexi horse. He often fed it and washed it himself, and everyone in the palace knew it.
The palace maids were puzzled to see that he was awake late at night and came here, but they could only wait from a distance.
The young boy opened the door of the stable, walked in, picked up a handful of wheat with both hands, and put it to the little dragon horse's mouth.
After feeding the horse, he took the horse brush and carefully combed its mane.
The little dragon horse turned his head affectionately, stuck out his tongue, and licked his hand.
The young boy let out a few low laughs.
He touched the little dragon horse's head affectionately, put his head close to its ear, and whispered softly: "I'm telling you, mother promised me. In a few days, you accompany me, and we will do something together."
After he finished speaking, he slowly stood up, turned his head, and looked at the night sky in the northwest direction outside Shangjing.
His gaze seemed to penetrate the boundless night and look into the distance thousands of miles away.
Thousands of miles away, Emperor Dacheng Xie Changgeng personally led the army to fight. Half a year later, in the second year of Yuan'an, the northern border was pacified and Hexi was stabilized.
As usual, a part of the troops will remain here, and the rest will return to the capital with him.
On the eve of his departure, the old native chieftain held a farewell banquet for the emperor, and the emperor and the people enjoyed themselves together until late at night. The place where he stayed was the governor's mansion where he had lived when he was a governor.
Everything here still retains the same appearance as it did back then.
He walked through the gate of the mansion that was so familiar to him, walked around the screen wall, crossed the courtyard paved with bluestone, and slept in the same bedroom as before.
That night, he clearly did not drink a drop of alcohol, but he seemed to be drunk, and time seemed to have gone backwards. He returned to the scene many years ago when she was still here and lived in the same house with him.
So many years have passed, but there still seems to be a hint of her fragrance left in this room.
He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly found himself in the mountains, with birds singing, rippling water, and an island like a leaf surrounded by water. He suddenly realized that he had traveled to Junshan Mountain in Dongting Lake.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
He heard a tender girl's voice behind him.
He turned his head and saw a cliff, an old cypress tree, and a little girl with beautiful hair and a pretty face, running towards him with her skirt lifted up.
He was stunned, his heart beating wildly, then he reacted and immediately turned around to meet her.
At this moment, a fog suddenly appeared in front of him. She was on that side, and he was on this side. No matter how hard he chased, he could not find the way to her side. Just as he looked around in confusion and anxiety, the fog in front of him gradually dissipated.
He finally saw clearly that she was in the center of the lake, like a fairy under the moon, rowing towards him.
He waved his arms desperately and swam towards her. She sat on the bow, smiling, as if laughing at his stupidity. He swam close to her, climbed up the boat, and finally, lay down beside her skirt.
The night breeze rippled the lake, the boat rose and fell gently, and she sat quietly beside him, her face as beautiful as a lotus and her clothes as colorful as clouds.
The moonlight is like flowing water, even dreams are washed through it, wet, yet extremely clear.
Xie Changgeng knew what the person in the dream was thinking at this moment.
He was thinking, if the rest of his life could be like this, with her laughing till he was stunned, what else could he ask for
His eyelashes twitched slightly. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked at the figure standing in the room.
"Xier, are you here to pick up your father?" he asked.
"I came here to tell you that the government is now stable and I can rule the country myself. You don't have to go back."
The young boy answered him in a calm tone, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.