On the other hand, the Zhuge family is hard to see clearly. Many people are willing to compare Zhuge's lineage with Lingnan Mu family and Huaiyin Helian. But Chu Qiao knew that Zhuge's family would never be so simple. What was hidden under Zhuge Muqing's mediocre and gentle face was unfathomable scheming and unfathomable calculations. A wealthy family that has been prosperous for three hundred years will definitely not be as docile as it appears on the surface. This point can be seen only in brothers Zhuge Yue and Zhuge Huai.
However, most of the generals in the army, such as Meng Tian and General Le Xing, chose to rely on the powerful and close to the imperial power, and could not form a system of their own.
Secondly, there are the vassal kings scattered all over the place.
Twenty years ago, the feudal lords in the south of the Yangtze River rose up and attacked the imperial clans, but they were suppressed by the clans. King Lingxi, King Jingjun, and King Yan Shicheng were all survivors after that battle. The powerful kings at the time have long since disappeared.
When the royal family was massacred back then, Yan Wang Yan Shicheng tried his best to intercede for the vassal kings. It was precisely because of this incident that he, the vassal king who did not get involved in it, was expelled from the vassal and removed from the Zhao family ancestral temple. Changed Zhao's surname to Yan, sent him to the bitter and cold land in the north of Yan, and was not allowed to return to Beijing.
To this day, how many people still remember that King Yan of Yanbei is also from the royal line of Daxia, and grew up drinking the same mother's milk as Zhao Zhengde
Chu Qiao smiled indifferently, Zhao Zhengde was an emperor who worked really hard. Since the founding of the Great Xia, the imperial power has been falling sideways. Compared with the emperors who have been tied to military and political power for thousands of years in China, it is really too aggrieved.
At this moment, the sound of the door opening in the front yard was suddenly heard. The girl glanced at the window, her ears pricked up, and she was quietly lost in thought.
"Girl, are you asleep?"
Lu Liu's voice sounded outside the door, Chu Qiao agreed, and the little maid walked in cautiously.
"Girl, it's cold at night, and this servant will replace you with a brazier."
Chu Qiao nodded, and asked in a deep voice, "But the prince is back?"
"Well," the little girl replied crisply, "I heard from the little Li who opened the door that the prince went to Jinxiaolou to entertain the generals of the Xiaoqi camp for dinner, and also gave them all the dancers that Mr. Ji sent yesterday. .”
Chu Qiao was taken aback when she heard the words, and stopped talking when she saw the red brazier.
"Girl?" The little maid frowned, "Girl?"
"Huh?" Chu Qiao raised her head, "What's the matter?"
"If it's okay, the servant will go down first?"
Chu Qiao nodded, "Go down."
"The girl go to bed early." The little maid closed the door, the wind outside suddenly became louder, whizzing through the window lattice, the sound in the front yard gradually became quieter, and gradually returned to silence.
Five days later, she will go to the Xiaoqi camp to take up her post, Yan Xun's intention to entertain the generals of the Xiaoqi camp tonight can be imagined.
They always tell each other that they must be honest with each other, never hide anything, trust each other all their lives, and never feel jealous. But as they grow older, there are still some things that prevent them from speaking honestly to each other. For example, the grievances between her and Zhuge Yue, her disgust and disapproval of the aristocratic style in her heart, and his other appearance on the outside, the prodigal face of a prodigal son who confuses others.
However, some things will not change. The tacit understanding that goes deep into the heart and lungs, and the friendship that they work together make them always silently make the most appropriate arrangements for each other. Although they don't say it out loud, they will always be close comrades-in-arms and family members who live and die in the face of the bizarre world outside.
Just like that snowy night many years ago, when she was looking for medicine and was beaten, covered with scars, she staggered step by step in the snow, holding his life-saving medicine in her arms, trying to rush back with the last bit of strength, but in the cold In the secluded Huangyuan, seeing him who was dying of illness but was holding his body in panic, calling her name in a low voice to find him.
That day, the frail young man was full of illnesses, but he resolutely carried the scarred young girl on his back, with blue lips and pale face, walking alone in the dark night. Even though he faltered, his expression was extremely firm.
That day, he knelt by her bed, held her hand, and whispered each word before the girl's fainting eyelids that in this life, he would never let her be bullied again.
At that time, they didn't even dare to speak loudly at night. But it was such a lackluster promise that deeply shocked her mind, causing her to tie this lucky life to the blade of his grand plan and dominance.
On the second day, when Wei Jing brought people to persecute him again, Yan Xun, a powerless young man, had a part of his little finger chopped off. If Zhao Song hadn't arrived in time, his whole hand might have been broken on Wei Clan's neck. Under the knife.
That night was the first and only time Chu Qiao cried after entering Shengjin Palace.
She didn't shed tears when she was short of food and clothing; she didn't shed tears when she was bullied; cowardly. But that day, when Yan Xun had a part of his little finger cut off, and he stubbornly refused to show her the wound at night, she couldn't bear it anymore and cried bitterly.
She can endure hunger, pain, contempt, and pain, because she knows that she will grow up, escape from trouble, and avenge herself with a sword. She has patience and time.
But she can't stand the people around her being hurt, Yan Xun's finger is broken, who will heal him
That night, she cried for a long time, Yan Xun was at a loss what to do, in the end he could only clumsily hug her, patted her sobbing back, raised his right hand and said, "Look, it's only a small section broken, don't delay holding the sword, don't delay practicing." Knife, don't delay eating, don't delay writing, it's fine.
This was the first time Chu Qiao cried bitterly after coming to this era, more tears than the one she shed in the woodshed of Zhuge's house. It took a long time for her to understand that just because she was always alone in the past, even if she cherished those children, she still didn't have the slightest sense of belonging. But on the day when Yan Xun cut off her finger, she suddenly discovered that she also had relatives.
Therefore, she was able to let go of her short-term emotional weakness.
Both of them are lonely, in this world, there is no one else but each other.
The light of the fire shone on the woman's face, the night became more and more hazy, and the outside of the window became longer and longer, and the night was heavy with dew. Chu Qiao raised her head, looked at the swaying tree shadows outside, and slowly curled up on the soft couch. She didn't eat at night, and she was quietly waiting for someone to knock on the door.
"Achu," sure enough, after a while, a mellow and gentle voice sounded outside, "Are you asleep?"
The girl's lips twitched slightly, and she smiled in a low voice, which is rare. There was no sound outside, after a while, she jumped off the couch and ran to the door barefoot.
The door panel opened with a creak, and there was no one outside the door, only a carved nanmu food box, which was quietly placed on the ground, and a note was pasted on it. When you picked it up, it was in chic and elegant handwriting, which was very familiar.
"I know you sleep late. If you're hungry, eat some. This is the duck from Xiguifang. It's oily, so don't be afraid of getting fat."
Chu Qiao raised her head, and saw a green-faced bamboo umbrella propped on her head amidst the fluttering white snow. Under the cloak of the white fox fur, her blue shirt was scattered and her figure was handsome, gradually disappearing in the dark corridor. between. The white snow was falling, and for a moment she almost saw the young man whose surname was not Yan who stood by Chishui Lake many years ago and shouted to help him one more time, instead of the man who was hiding in the darkness all day long, wearing a black robe and gloomy eyes.
Perhaps, only in front of her, would he occasionally show the way he was back then.
It's not that he hasn't changed, it's just because of her that he has left such a soft boundary in his heart, where no one else can set foot in, surrounded by high walls, and the courtyard gate is closed, open only for her.
Chu Qiao stood there holding the food box in a daze, the wind and snow were blowing, and the ground was covered with nothingness.
Two days later, it was the gift of the Eighth Princess Zhao Chun'er. The Eighth Princess and Zhao Che were both born to the same mother, and she is the princess with the most respected status in the royal family today. Naturally, her gift of age must be arranged extensively.
Because of the dispute in the hunt that day, Yan Xun gradually ran out of patience with this unruly girl, so he just sent Ah Jing to send a congratulatory gift, and the matter was hastily settled.
When Chu Qiao was looking at the gift list, Yan Xun was drinking tea in the hall, and saw a few auspicious words respectfully and politely written on it, and below was a row of gifts: two pairs of Hetian Ruyi, four gold and jade colored lions, and eight pregnant Song Yujin.
It is neither expensive nor shabby, and it is in line with etiquette.
Chu Qiao shook her head, wondering how Zhao Chun'er would feel when she received the gift. For so many years, the story of Princess Chun's love for Yanbei's son has long been spread in the upper circles of the capital. The three no-regard policy made the little princess even more unscrupulous.
"Guizhi Jiayuan, Yueding Zhushan, Ah Chu, if we have a chance, we really want to go to Biantang to have a look and taste Zhushan wine."
Chu Qiao raised her head, the sun was very good today, it was rare that there was no snow, Yan Xun called her to the conservatory early in the morning, the two of them sat opposite each other for the whole morning, neither said a word, she read a book, he drank tea, they were quite contented. Hearing him say this suddenly, Chu Qiao nodded and smiled, "Okay, we have a chance to go together."
Seeing her happy, Yan Xun smiled, "Ah Chu will be a beautiful woman when he grows up."
Chu Qiao sneered, "What did you eat today, your mouth is so sweet? Or are you used to being glib outside, and you can't take off your dissolute son-in-law when you come back?"
Yan Xun shook his head lightly, "You still don't understand, no matter how gorgeous the flowers are outside, you have to act on the spot. My Ah Chu is the most beautiful woman in the world, no one can match her."
He said this very naturally, as if saying that today's food is delicious. Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback when she heard the words, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she rarely showed a trace of a young girl's coquettishness.
Although they are close, they have never revealed their thoughts. Over the years, they have been getting along like comrades-in-arms or relatives, but there is no relationship between men and women. Suddenly hearing Yan Xun say this, the girl who has experienced two lives can't help feeling a little flustered.
"Achu," Yan Xun suddenly looked serious, looking at her very seriously, "You and I have known each other for eight years, during which time we have shared good and bad, we have shared adversity, and now, everything is going to pass. Wait for the things here to come to an end." , back to Yanbei, we will..."
Before he finished speaking, Ah Jing's slightly panicked voice suddenly sounded outside the door, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty has summoned you."
All the lingering emotions disappeared in an instant. Chu Qiao stood up abruptly, and the scroll in her hand fell to the ground with a slamming sound.