I can't go back to your house. Fu Jinzhan's face turned pale and she whispered, "Second sister has a girl named Yuqing who grew up with her. She can tell at a glance. Besides, second sister now thinks that I am handling important matters in the palace. When she returns tomorrow, she will know that I went to your house. Your guards outside
Guo Shao said: My guards usually don't even see my second sister, so I have no place to complain. Who will remember when my second sister went back after a while
Fu Jinzhan was still worried and murmured: "Except Cao Tai and Mu Shang Gong, no one else knew that it was me who came out; Cao Tai used the excuse that there was an emergency, and only my second sister knew about it."
She thought about it again, feeling extremely conflicted.
What have I done? Fu Jinzhan placed her hand on her smooth forehead, pursed her red lips, shook her head gently and sighed.
At this time, Guo Shao said calmly: Don't panic, instead of getting entangled in those trivial details, it is better to think like this: Even if everyone in the world knows about you and me, so what? Who can rebel because of such trivial matters? The good examples of Li Chongjin and Li Jixun are just there. Everyone in the world knows that Yang Yuhuan is the daughter-in-law of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, but no one has rebelled because of this; Wu Zetian was also the empress dowager, so what if she openly summoned her lover? Having power can make it easier to do whatever you want, otherwise why do people fight for that power
Fu Jinzhan felt relieved. She had thought these things through, so she thought the consequences were not too serious at first. After all, it was difficult to have real evidence for such things, and people could not do anything to her just because of rumors.
But what bothered her most was Fu Ermei. She thought: Ermei treated me as the closest person to her and loved her the most, and she also regarded Guo Shao as more important than anything else. If the two people closest to her betrayed her, she would be so sad if she knew.
Then she thought: The Fu family is a famous and noble family and they care a lot about their reputation. If my father and brothers knew that I, as the empress dowager and the most respected woman in the world, had lost my virtue as a woman, I wonder how they would despise me.
Fu Jinzhan suddenly frowned and said: Otherwise, why don’t you send me back now? I regret what I did today.
Guo Shao pondered for a moment and said in a low voice: Since the Queen Mother has made the decision, I will not force myself to think of an excuse and ask the coachman to turn around and return to the palace.
Under such circumstances, the Queen Mother's words slightly hurt Fu Jinzhan. She couldn't help but say: You went to Jinzhou for the war, and it was only a month before and after, and you wrote three letters to my second sister; the letters were full of affection. But the only thing you wrote to me was a memorial, nothing but military information.
Guo Shao was a little surprised that my second sister showed you my letter, because it was hers.
Fu Jinzhan said coldly: Not only did she show it to me, she also acted very happy and showed off in front of me.
Guo Shao said helplessly: Second sister is a simple-minded person, she may just be happy and not want to show off.
After all, she is a legitimate wife. Fu Jinzhan said quietly, "Do you gradually feel that the second sister is the one who is suitable to accompany you? I am just your ally now."
Guo Shaodao: If I thought so, why did I check on your body for so long last time in the palace? Did you not know what kind of person I am? Do you think I would do something like that
Fu Jinzhan's face turned red and she felt her cheeks burning.
At this time, Guo Shao slapped the wooden board in front of the carriage and shouted: Go to the Fu family's house in the west of the city.
Fu Jinzhan did not object, she just sat there without saying a word, still deep in thought. When she handed over the military seal a month ago, the waist ornament Guo Shao wore appeared in front of her eyes again, and her heart suddenly became turbulent.
I was really too nervous just now, so I said nonsense. Guo Shao was writing letters while on the battlefield, so of course he couldn't write private letters to her. Those memorials would most likely be seen by the Privy Council first, and then reach her hands. After all, officials would think that the letters sent back from the front to the Queen Mother were military intelligence.
After a long silence, Fu Jinzhan finally calmed down. She still felt guilty towards Fu Ermei and was ashamed of her status. So she neither objected nor took the initiative, just sitting in the car and getting by.
The Fu family's house in the west of the city has no owner living there now, as the King of Wei is now in Hebei. However, there are a dozen servants left there to look after it and clean it up. When they arrived in front of the mansion, Guo Shao got off the carriage and asked someone to knock on the door. The servant who was guarding the door recognized Guo Shao and hurried out to greet him. Guo Shao said: "My lady wants to come and see, please open the door and let us in."
"We are here to welcome General Guo and the Second Lady," the servant said hurriedly.
Guo Shao ordered the groom to drive the carriage straight into the yard, and everyone led the horses in. This house covers a large area and was originally the residence of King Wei in Tokyo; now that the Fu family does not live here, more than ten gardeners and servants are left to take care of it.
Guo Shao settled things outside, then went to the back of the carriage and held Fu Jinzhan's hand. Fu Jinzhan put on a veil and walked down from the carriage. The two walked along the corridor for a long distance before entering a gatehouse and reaching the inner house.
Night had already fallen, and from time to time there was a lantern under the eaves and on the roadside; but because no one lived there, there were few lights, and the inner house was quiet and dim. Fu Jinzhan was used to the palace being brightly lit at night, and for a moment she felt a little scared.
Holding a lantern, Guo Shao turned around, closed and bolted the gate of the gatehouse, then said: There are only two of us in such a big place, and no one will know what we do.
Fu Jinzhan looked at him with a smile and said slowly: What do you want to do
Guo Shao was speechless.
After they walked for a while, Fu Jinzhan stopped and pointed to a place and said, "I used to live in that wing room." Guo Shao then said, "Let's go over and take a look."
The door was not locked and opened with a gentle push. Inside was a large hall. The bedroom was behind a screen. Maybe there were curtains behind the screen, but they were removed now. The hall had been swept, and although it was not spotless, it looked clean.
Fu Jinzhan walked to a table, touched it with her finger, twisted it with her fingertips, and sat down gently. There was only a lantern in the room that Guo Shao brought in. The light was very dim, and it was dark a little further away. Guo Shao looked around with the lantern in his hand before walking back.
He put down the lantern and sat down next to Fu Jinzhan, saying: Sometimes I can't help but wonder, if the Queen Mother hadn't recovered from her serious illness in Huainan, what would her situation be like now? What would have happened to my second sister
After Fu Jinzhan heard this, it was easy for her to follow his words and make some inferences. Guo Shao was already a general in the Imperial Guards at that time. He might still be promoted in Huainan, but he would definitely not be able to marry Fu Ermei because no one was in charge of this matter, and the late emperor had already planned to replace the queen with the second lady of the Fu family and continue to maintain a reliable relationship with the Fu family.
Guo Shao had no one in the central government, so he was unlikely to participate in decision-making. Zhao Kuangyin or Zhang Yongde would take the throne after the death of the previous emperor, and their status would be far different from Guo Shao. If it wasn't Zhao or Zhang, there must be someone else; but Zhao Kuangyin had a better chance, because he was the most trusted by the previous emperor among the capable generals. Guo Shao might be eliminated by them as a threat, or he might surrender early and continue to work for Zhao Kuangyin.
But the second sister was miserable. As the queen mother, she had neither the experience nor the talent for political intrigue, nor could she gain the respect and loyalty of the powerful. She would definitely be played around with by others with a little trick, and it was obvious that she would lose her country in the end.
The Queen Mother created me as I am today and also changed the fate of my second sister, Guo Shao said in a daze.
Fu Jinzhan pursed her red lips and said softly: But you saved my life more than once. Her voice was gentle and soft with a slight tremor. She was usually calm and majestic, and it was difficult for her to speak in this tone.
Guo Shao turned his head to look at her face, and said in a suppressed voice: My life in this world is actually a process of slowly approaching Jinzhan. When I am by your side, I own the whole world. You have a mysterious power over me. I have always believed in this. If you are gone suddenly, I will feel empty. I feel that the whole world has no meaning and no faith. So I will not change at all because I married my favorite wife, and my love for my second sister will not be shaken by anything. It is a different kind. Sometimes she is like a sister and sometimes like a real wife. I have never confused her with Jinzhan.
Fu Jinzhan felt warm at heart, even though the empty room was really cold. She just wanted to hear Guo Shao's words, which would make her feel at ease and make her feel that everything she did was worthwhile.
But Fu Jinzhan felt that it was too greedy to plunder his heart so unscrupulously. She had relied on him for a long time to protect her, but the rewards were too little. He had paid with his entire life, but she didn't seem to be so greedy.
She was a little confused now: What else can I give him to show my sincerity
Fu Jinzhan felt a little guilty for a moment. The wealth and power that Guo Shao had obtained could not be considered a reward from her because on the one hand, he had fought for it, and on the other hand, Fu Jinzhan had no choice but to give it to him. If she didn't give him power, how could he have the strength to defend himself? This kind of thing could only be considered a mutual compromise, not a concern.
But she herself didn't understand, and when the words came to her lips, she said: You say it nicely, I have heard such words many times. Do you really think so
Fu Jinzhan looked at his face carefully. She knew that her eyes were very bright. Looking at Guo Shao like this must have put pressure on him. Most people would immediately behave themselves if they were scrutinized by her and heard her questioning tone. It was mostly like that anyway. People could not resist the pressure of the insight of the superiors.
Guo Shao looked at him boldly and said seriously: If I told a lie just now,
Fu Jinzhan quickly reached out and pressed his lips, her face slightly reddened: "Don't keep cursing and swearing. I believe it."
Actually, you are right. If we hadn't trusted each other and persevered, my second sister would be even more miserable now. So I am not too sorry for her, Fu Jinzhan said to herself. She is indeed a person who is very good at finding excuses for herself and finding ways to let go. So after going through so much, she is still very optimistic and is willing to let go of most things.