When Qingxu came up to her, she also stared at the queen boldly. She was a wild person like Jingniang, and had no manners at all. Jingniang was fine, she only glanced at her secretly, but Qingxu stared at her intently. She had been in the mountains all her life, and it seemed that she had never understood that there were etiquette and the concept of high and low in the world.
However, Qingxu's single eyelid oval face looked clean and pure, and her eyes were clear. The queen was not angry at all when she looked at her like this, and she still smiled and touched her hand. At this time, Fu took off a gold bracelet inlaid with colorful gems from her left wrist, put it on Qingxu herself, and smiled happily: It fits perfectly, one for you and one for me.
It's so beautiful. Qingxu looked down at the ornament on her wrist, not even trying to refuse. I don't know if she was praising the queen or the gold bracelet.
Fu spoke to Qingxu very gently, and the content of the conversation was nothing more than the simple method of breathing and inner alchemy, and some shallow topics. Fu found that this girl was very simple-minded and naive. Even if she was only fourteen or fifteen years old, she could get married at this age in ordinary families. How could she not know anything? But Qingxu was not pretending at all. She really didn't know anything. It was really worry-free to get along with her.
Qingxu and Fu quickly became familiar with each other, and she asked quietly: Why are your breasts so big even though you are all women, but mine are so small? When I first came in, I was laughed at by the woman and told that I was not a woman.
Fu was stunned for a moment, her face flushed, and she had to hold back her laughter. Thinking that Qingxu was bought by Guo Shao from a Taoist temple, he was a monk. A monk actually asked such a shameful question. Fu was teased by the young lady and whispered: You can let Guo Dushi rub it for you and it will grow up. Don't tell anyone.
Qingxu blushed and said in astonishment: Really, you are not lying to me
Fu pretended to be serious and said: It’s true, beautiful women never lie.
At noon, she invited her to have lunch with Jingniang, showing her favor to her without hiding it. Everyone in the palace knew that Qingxu had cured the queen's illness, so they didn't think it was strange. Later, the queen asked Jingniang and Qingxu to stay in the palace.
Lanterns and lamp stands were lit inside and outside the palace. Fu Shi first soaked in the big wooden tub as usual, smelling the red petals on the water and drinking sweet grape wine. Then she ordered the maids to let Jing Niang and the others enjoy the same. There were always all kinds of petals in the palace. Even in the dead of winter, the maids could collect and dry the petals and soak them in water.
There were two palace maids who never did anything else, for fear of hurting their hands, and they specifically massaged Fu's body at this time. Their fingertips were as soft as warm jade.
Whenever this happened, Fu would forget all her worries and become intoxicated in a state of intoxication, imagining only those wonderful things, with her thoughts flying freely like the wings of a bird. If these ideas could be realized in the human world and would not make the emperor and his ministers feel overly arrogant, she would generally find a way to realize the experience.
But tonight she didn't think about it, she just pondered the secret that Shao Ge'er brought, which was really clever. Fu's mouth showed a smile: Shao Ge'er said that he would report important matters when he had no choice, but don't I know what he was thinking? A bold guy, I guessed what he was thinking when I just got married in Li Shouzhen's mansion. He didn't have the courage to do anything, but he must have thought more dirty than me.
Fu thought to himself: But I forgive you.
The despair of death was so unforgettable that Fu would never forget it in her life. She felt that she had walked through the dark and terrifying abyss of hell, and now that she could return to the human world, no sin or pain could be more serious than the fear she had experienced that time.
She planned to write a paragraph to Shao Ge'er while Jingniang and others were out of the palace, using the method he designed. It seemed that there were many things to say, but when she really thought about it, she didn't know what to write. She had to thank him for everything he had done for her, and then she would express her gratitude for saving her life. It didn't seem enough, but some thoughts and feelings were really hard to express in words.
Fu gradually thought of more far-reaching things. Shao Ge'er couldn't waste his time in Tokyo. Zhao Kuangyin also rose to power after the Battle of Gaoping. He is in such a high position now. What's the position of Shao Ge'er? He needs encouragement. This is also for his own good. In this world, people without strength and status are like grass and their lives are too unimportant.
If you go to Huainan and perform outstandingly like you did in the battle to attack Shu, I will marry Fu Ermei to you and let her satisfy you on my behalf. Fu's face suddenly turned red. What was she thinking? You can't use the word "replace". Just say that you will like her. That's enough.
Although it was a secret letter, Fu's words were very restrained. There was restraint between the lines, but she thought it was very appropriate and not revealing.
South of the Huai River, Shouzhou. Chai Rong was still looking out from under the city. He didn't understand why the Southern Tang army had been defeated repeatedly, but their Shouzhou city had been able to hold out despite long-term attacks. Now the siege had temporarily stopped because of the rain.
Amid the rain curtain, Shouzhou City still stands tall in the depths of the clouds.
A military officer of the imperial family came to pay his respects and said that the person who had escaped first from the city yesterday had been brought in by four generals and a dozen soldiers.
Chai Rong withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at the group of people kneeling in the rain, and said angrily: Behead them!
The general turned and left the tent, walked straight into the rain, and shouted: "If you escape from the battlefield, you should be beheaded according to military law. Drag him down!"
Your Majesty, spare my life, Your Majesty, I have fought with you all my life, so your brothers have no choice. If you go up, you will die. You have a wife, children and mother at home. One general even cried loudly: Why is the queen not here
Chai Rong's face turned pale and he avoided looking.
At this time, the inspector Si Chao went to the central army in the rain to report that more than 3,000 Southern Tang soldiers were captured in Huangzhou and other places. He also said that among the captured Tang soldiers, dozens of Shu soldiers were found. After interrogation, they were found to be pardoned Qinfeng defeated soldiers sent by Wang Jing to the front line; they turned out to be the military generals of Southern Tang when they were stationed in the upper reaches of the Huai River. Chai Rong was furious and ordered all those Shu soldiers to be beheaded.
Summer rains come and go quickly, and the rain stopped the next morning. The troops lifted the oilcloth covering the catapults and other equipment, waiting for them to dry and repair. The damp bowstrings, tendons and cowhides were also taken out to dry, and the siege was temporarily suspended.
Suddenly, it was reported that a messenger from the Southern Tang Kingdom had arrived in Chuzhou first. Zhao Kuangyin sent someone to escort the messenger and others to the outside of the Shouzhou camp.
Chai Rong learned that in addition to the messenger, there were also high-ranking generals captured in Chuzhou City, including Huangfu Hui, the commander of Qingliu Pass. Chai Rong then asked the messenger to wait and sent Huangfu Hui to the central army tent first.
As a result, under the gaze of all the generals, a big man with gauze tied on his head and splints on his legs was carried in on a bamboo frame. He looked like he was dying. He lay on the frame and turned around to see a man in a dragon robe sitting on it. He said: "I am sorry that I cannot pay my respects to the Emperor of the Great Zhou."
When Chai Rong heard him speak so politely and call him the Emperor of Great Zhou, he felt favorable towards him and said in a friendly way: If you recover from your wound, I will not kill you.
Huangfu Hui sighed and said: I will not surrender. Although I am a defeated general, I am a minister of my emperor whether I live or die. I was defeated by General Zhao Kuangyin, and I am convinced. General Zhao shook the morale of our army with just a few words, and dared to charge into the battle alone. He has insight into people's hearts and is brave and resourceful. I am not as good as him.
Chai Rong thought to himself: Even the enemy generals respect Zhao Kuangyin. It turns out that I was right about him. He is a capable person.
The emperor recalled how smoothly the battle of Qingliu Pass and Chuzhou went, and his mood eased a little, so he summoned an envoy to see him.
The envoy did not kneel, but bowed respectfully, then handed the letter from the Southern Tang ruler to the eunuch, who shouted in a sharp voice: "How dare you not kneel before the emperor?"
The envoy said neither humbly nor arrogantly: I am a seven-foot-tall man, and I only kneel to heaven, to the earth, to my own emperor and to my parents, and I will not kneel to the ruler of another country.
Chai Rong's face suddenly turned ugly. He was angry and opened the envelope at random. He saw that Li Jing called himself the Emperor of Tang at the beginning. Although the content was a bit humble, it did not sound like surrender. Li Jing said that the Zhou Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty had the same ancestors and should not fight against each other. He regarded the Emperor of Zhou as his brother. Chai Rong thought: Damn it, we have the same ancestors and you still want to collude with Khitan and other countries to fight me together
Of course, what Chai Rong was most upset about was that Li Jing, who had been defeated in battle after battle, dared to call himself the emperor. Since ancient times, there has only been one emperor in the world, the Son of Heaven. I have heard of the First Emperor of Zhou, but have never heard of the Emperor of Zhao or the Emperor of Chu.
When two countries are at war, they don't kill envoys. I won't bother with villains. Chai Rong said coldly.
Immediately, two big men came forward, grabbed the messenger's arms rudely and left. The man immediately hung his head in dejection and was speechless.
Chai Rong left his seat and walked back and forth between the generals on both sides. He remembered that the eunuch Cao Tailai had come to ask for merit from Guo Shao two days ago, so he said: Huainan’s troops are not enough. The first and second armies of the left wing of the Hujie Army are both capable divisions. Send someone to Tokyo to ask Guo Shao, the commander of the left wing of the Hujie Army, to lead the second army to Huainan immediately.
Wei Renpu hurried out to receive the order. This kind of mobilization of troops from afar is not as easy as issuing orders on the battlefield. It requires the Privy Council to issue a formal mobilization order, and then send Privy Council officials to Tokyo. After the Tokyo garrison and other civil and military officials have verified it, the troops can be mobilized.
Chai Rong walked out of the tent and looked at Shouzhou City for a long time. He felt that Li Jing was still unwilling to submit to the throne because the important cities along the Huai River, including Shouhao and Sihai, were in the hands of the Southern Tang, and even Ezhou upstream had not been taken.
We must intensify the fierce offensive and give Li Jing, the ruler of Southern Tang, a clear understanding. Chai Rong put his hand on the hilt of the sword, and his face showed murderous intent. The civil and military officers beside him were all shocked when they saw this. Some of them bent their waists and looked at the ground without daring to look up.