At this moment, a group of people at Xianyang's ferry had just disembarked, and a few men with weathered faces were leading some horses, and said in a deep voice: "There is news from home that no one knows that the young master is not here. Do your own business, just go back within ten days, don't worry."
The man in purple frowned slightly, with a handsome face, red lips, and a pair of eyes that looked like deep pools and ancient wells, deep and distant.
He got on a horse neatly, with a hint of dust on his face.
"Going to Tangjing here, if you take a shortcut, it will only take three days, but there are no big towns along the way, so it will be a bit bumpy."
"Time is short, let's take a shortcut."
One of the attendants turned to the man in purple and said, "Young master, should you prepare a carriage, you haven't had a good night's sleep for many days."
"No need." The man shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Is there any news from Tang Jing?"
"After the girl defeated Zhan Ziyu in one fell swoop, the government and the public calmed down, but recently there has been some noise about who will assist the government. According to my subordinates, with the girl's character, she is likely to follow other people's ways."
"She dares?!" The man snorted coldly, his expression quite gloomy, "I want to see who dares!"
Everyone followed him and got on their horses one after another. The horseshoes flew like flying, and disappeared on the Xianyang Ancient Road in a blink of an eye. After a while, they left the West City Gate and ran along the remote post road.
An hour later, the royal envoy entered Xianyang City and read out the imperial decree that Chu Qiao was named the Xiuli Empress and Concubine. The city guard of Xianyang knelt down to worship, and then hurried back to the mansion, organizing the wealthy households of Xianyang to start preparing congratulatory gifts for the new master.
After a long absence, the world has turned upside down and everything has changed.
Time flies, and in a hurry, ten years of time are looming. Vaguely, she is no longer the childish girl with a bun, nor the stubborn boy of the past. Years have drawn countless boundaries among them, family hatred, national hatred, love, war, ups and downs, life and death, after all, Friendship and debt also appear one by one, just like the long silk satin, no matter how you pull it, you can't finish the endless thread.
The wind blows from Yanbei far away, blows across the vast land of Great Xia, blows into the veins of Bian and Tang in late autumn, sweeps into the brocade flowers of Huai Song Dynasty, rushes to the vast blue sea in the far east, and is submerged in the snow-white among the waves.
"The road hasn't gone to the end yet, maybe there will be other variables, are you afraid?"
"I'm not afraid."
"Remember, I'm waiting for you."
The night is cold and the moon is shining brightly, all over the ancient road Hualin.
The warm fragments in the memory of that scene were finally washed away by the endless bloody wind and sword light and sword shadows, leaving only a bit of coldness, which clearly distinguishes the past expectations from the current situation.
"Unfortunately, I don't believe in fate after all!"
The horseshoes are rolling day and night, and the ancient city of Tangjing, which has not been seen for a long time, is right in front of you. The news that Chu Qiao, the beautiful general, was going to be canonized as a concubine spread throughout the Bian Tang land overnight. Shennan, Western Yunnan, Yuelin, Yunmo and other places collectively opposed it. King An, King Duanqing, and Grand Duke Huayang raised their troops one after another.
Those royal family members who were able to hold out during the Luo Wang mutiny, and who were able to hide their strengths and bide their time when the Zhan brothers and sisters were in power and dictatorship were furious in an instant. Coming from Kyoto, all the government and counties opened their doors to welcome him, and no one dared to stop him.
Sun Di had expected this to happen a long time ago, so he mobilized 200,000 Eastern troops in advance, led by Xu Su to block the Hanshui River, and 100,000 wolf troops defended the imperial capital. Like an iron bucket, the swords, guns, swords and crossbows are bright and sharp, waiting for the invading Southern Region Tiger Division.
Everything is ready, but due to the east wind, everything is ready, just waiting for the canonization ceremony three days later.
The autumn wind is chilling, because of the preparations for the ceremony of Feng Youtai, the entire Tang capital has imposed a curfew since the day before yesterday. At this moment, there is no one on the long street, and the autumn wind blows the fallen leaves and sweeps over the tall sycamore trees with black curtains, like a group of yellow butterflies flying around the night.
In Sun Di's Sikong Mansion, a man dressed as a court servant knelt on the ground, and said in a high-pitched voice unique to a servant: "Master Chu had a quarrel with Miss Meixiang last night, which alarmed His Majesty and Princess Xiao. Hearing with your own ears that your lord promised His Majesty that you will not leave Datang."
Sun Di raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "Did you hear clearly?"
"Clearly, Miss Mei Xiang cried loudly, His Majesty even drew his sword, and Lord Chu burned Lord Sima Daxia's letter."
"What time did Mei Xiang leave this morning?"
"I left before dawn, and the young man named Ping An sent her away. Master Chu said that she has returned to Xuefu City."
Sun Di nodded, and after a long time, he said in a deep voice, "It's fine if she leaves, but staying here will always get in the way."
The man stood tall, with cold eyes, took out two gold bars and put them on the table, "Go back and do your errands well, I won't treat you badly."
"Thank you, Master Sun!"
After the servant left, Sun Di summoned a personal entourage, and after deliberating for a while, Fang slowly said: "You immediately take people out of the city to find the whereabouts of Master Chu's personal maid, Mei Xiang, and if she returns to Xuefu City, you will escort her all the way back; If she goes anywhere else the other way around, you know what to do."
The man's voice was low, and he immediately replied: "Your subordinate obeys orders." After saying that, he turned and went out the door. After a while, there was a horse neighing outside the door, and he disappeared into the long street.
Sun Di pushed open the window, only to see a crooked crook of the moon, like the plain eyebrows on a woman's forehead.
"I hope... everything goes well."
After two days of calm, all civil and military officials were silent at the same time. Except for a few scholars from the Imperial Academy and more than 20 censors from Yushitai who objected, the rest were silent. Either he succumbed to Sun Di's official authority, or he was afraid of Chu Qiao who now holds the military power. For those stubborn veterans, Sun Di originally wanted to take them into custody with his own hands, but the Xiuli Army took the lead and put them in prison.
When Sun Di knew about it, he couldn't help being a little worried. Although these people were stubborn, they were truly loyal courtiers to Datang. Xiulijun respected Chu Qiao like a god, and she didn't know what punishment these people would suffer.
For this reason, he went to the palace in private, hoping to persuade the future concubine Jian Guo, but in the end he was rejected. He knew that Chu Qiao might have known about what he had done before, so he didn't dare to be too radical, and could only secretly ask the officials of Shangli Academy to take care of those veterans.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night, because tomorrow is Chu Qiao's concubine ceremony, and it is also the first royal marriage since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. The Ministry of Rites rushed to work all night, trying to perfect the construction of Fengyou Terrace. While the other officials sat at home with their own minds, no one knew what kind of direction Datang would take after tomorrow, and what kind of future this woman who was inextricably linked with dignitaries from all over the world would lead Datang to. Is she a loyal subject, or a thief who steals the country? Does she want to maintain the original social system, or do she want to follow the example of Yanbei and establish a brand new Datong regime? Nobody knows.
After tomorrow, will Datang still be surnamed Li
Tonight, countless people are thinking this way.
The Xiuli military camp was quiet, and the soldiers were not at all suspicious or shaken by the various voices from the outside world. The cold moon's clear light sprinkled in the huge military camp, and the open space where they usually practiced was completely silent.
He Xiao's big tent curtain moved slightly, and a person wearing a black cloak and a hood that completely covered his head walked in.
He Xiao was drinking before the case. He was wearing an ordinary brown shirt, his hair was loose, and the front was slightly open, revealing half of his bronze-colored skin. Seeing someone coming, he frowned slightly, but didn't make a sound.
The visitor took off the hood, revealed a beautiful face, smiled slightly, and said, "Drinking alcohol in the barracks late at night, I remember it is a violation of military regulations."
When He Xiao saw her, he didn't speak, but just lowered his head and continued to drink.
Chu Qiao stepped forward, sat cross-legged across from him, raised her head slightly and said, "Won't you buy me a drink?"
With a bang, He Xiao casually threw a wine bowl over and didn't pour it for her. Chu Qiao was not annoyed, she poured out a bowl calmly, raised her head and drank it, only to feel that the taste was acrid, as if burning coals rushed into her throat.
She frowned slightly and said, "What a strong wine."
Seeing that He Xiao still didn't speak, she said with a serious face: "Does it mean that if I don't come to see you, you will never come to see me again?"
He Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his eyes around her face, and suddenly said in a low voice: "I'm really surprised, can you still laugh now?"
"What's the matter, isn't the current situation much better than when we defended Beishuo?"
He Xiao looked at her steadfastly, then suddenly sneered, turned his head and said, "Yes, it's much better. It's really much better when you are in power and you are in the top position."
Chu Qiao leaned forward slightly, her eyes were like pitch-black stars, and said coldly, "He Xiao, do you miss me that much?"
Although he knew what was going on in his heart, the fire couldn't be extinguished no matter what. He Xiao looked directly at her, his face was very cold, with a bit of anger, but also a bit of indisputable distress.
Chu Qiao half-knelt up, leaned over the young couple in front of her, and whispered a word in the man's ear.
He Xiao didn't pay much attention to it at the beginning, but in an instant, his face suddenly changed, he raised his head suddenly, and stared at the bold woman in front of him in shock.
"He Xiao," Chu Qiao looked at him with a faint smile, but her voice was unprecedentedly solemn and calm, "Are you willing to help me?"
The young general was silent for a long time, and finally a smile gradually appeared on the corner of his mouth. He stretched out his hand, just like many times over the years, the two of them suddenly clapped hands, and then clenched their fists tightly.
Under the cold night, on the desolate post road outside the Tang capital, a group of people and horses are running at high speed. Suddenly, a figure riding a horse came in front of him.
The leading man in purple immediately reined in his horse. I saw the horse galloping towards me at a high speed. The person on the horse was galloping. When he saw him, he jumped off the horse with a plop and shouted: "Fourth young master!"
This night is destined not to be a night suitable for a peaceful sleep. Countless planning games are pushed and blocked in the dark night, waiting for the grand ceremony tomorrow.
The night is so long.
The rooster breaks the dawn, and the red sun rises in the sky, illuminating the world.
In the Imperial Palace, the white-haired King Runan read out the late emperor's edict in a trembling tone, and bowed tremblingly on the jade steps of the main hall.
Chu Qiao is wearing the auspicious costume of golden durian flowers, nine-colored clouds, brocade and sea patterns, phoenix and xiang auspicious clothes, eighteen red gold phoenix jade crowns, and a gold medal, purple ribbon and jasper belt around her waist. With black blue, dark purple, dark green, iron red, black gold, sandalwood gray, dark blue, cold orange, and silver as the embroidery threads, the black luan and phoenix are embroidered on it, with small patterns of golden sea of clouds all over the text. The wreath is also made of inkstone, sapphire, moonstone, Hetian jade is the main decoration. The whole person looks solemn and simple, yet somewhat heavy and depressing, making people afraid to stare at him.
The phoenix chariot drove from the Imperial Palace, all the way out of Zhangyu Square, Bishou Tiantai, Qiangwei Main Road, Anhua Gate, Qionghua Gate, Taiqing Gate, Tai'an Gate, out of Jinwu Palace, and entered the palace of the rich and powerful families in the inner city. Qingyun Road, and then on Tianqi Street around Tangjing, all the way to Fengyoutai in front of Taimiao.
The people knelt on the ground along the way, and when they saw the chariots, they all shouted for a thousand years, their foreheads were deeply buried in the ground, and the dust splashed up as the chariots passed by, like a gray-yellow storm.
Autumn leaves are rustling, black curtains wrap the entire Tang capital, the sky is high and blue, and the sun is vast and far away. Some bloody.
The carriage stopped, Fengyou Terrace was cast by 366 white jade steps, nearly 100 feet high, standing on it, you can overlook the entire Tang capital, and the majestic and majestic Jinwu Palace also seems to be trampled under your feet.