"Take out my golden armor," Meng Chang shouted as he returned to the harem.
The concubines kneeling on both sides quickly stood up to persuade him not to touch the evil creature in the harem, and they were arguing and making a lot of noise. Meng Chang sent eunuchs to the storehouse to bring it over, so that he could see what his golden armor had become.
The concubine grabbed Lady Huarui again and said: Sister, please persuade His Majesty.
Lady Huarui asked: Your Majesty, do you still want to believe Wang Zhaoyuan's words and become an enemy of Zhou's army
The enemy has reached the gate of the capital. I will lead the army in person. Meng Chang has a face full of ambition.
Madam Huarui asked carefully: Is it still too late
Meng Chang frowned and asked, "What do you mean, my beloved concubine?"
Madam Huarui murmured for a while, and said kindly: "I risk my life to persuade Your Majesty to surrender. However, a real man can bend and stretch. Your Majesty, why don't you think of a way out while looking for a way out?"
Meng Chang said: What retreat? Chengdu is the capital of the Great Shu. Where can I retreat to
Madam Huarui said: "The Zhou army has already broken through the national border and marched into Suizhou like entering an empty land. Your Majesty should have seen this clearly. However, the Zhou army's northern route has not yet broken through Jianmen, and the eastern route has fewer troops and cannot take Chengdu for the time being. At this time, if Your Majesty talks to them, perhaps some conditions can be negotiated. In the future, the Zhou court may be more lenient in consideration of Your Majesty's actions."
Humph, women's views, weak and vulnerable. Meng Chang said angrily, I treat you well, do you have second thoughts
Lady Huarui was shocked and knelt down quickly, her skirt dragging on the carpet. She pursed her lips and said: If Your Majesty really wants to lead the army in person, I will wait in the palace. If I hear any bad news, I will commit suicide to show my determination.
Meng Chang shook his head, but he didn't know what he meant.
The look in Lady Huarui's eyes was very serious, and her tone was filled with sadness: "I had a very difficult life before, but I managed to get through it. Perhaps people like us, singing girls,
Hearing this, all the palace ladies around felt sad. Lady Huarui was a noble concubine, but now she said that she was a singing girl.
She choked up and said: People like us are just struggling to survive, so we seem weak and have no integrity. But if Your Majesty does not listen to my advice and is determined to go to the battlefield, I will never live in vain to repay Your Majesty's kindness over the years.
At this time, several eunuchs brought over a set of golden armor hanging on a rack. The armor was made of pieces of gold connected together, and it looked glittering and very precious and gorgeous.
Meng Chang was also very happy to see this, so he asked the eunuchs to help him put on the armor, wanting to try it out. The eunuchs finally put it on him and brought him a helmet. Unexpectedly, Meng Chang suddenly sat down on the ground, struggling for a few times but unable to get up.
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the eunuchs and palace maids hurried up to help him. After finally standing up, Meng Chang was shining with gold, but his face was pale and his legs were shaking. It's too heavy to take it off. This armor is not practical.
At this moment, an eunuch came in hurriedly, bent over and said: Your Majesty, something bad has happened. The Zhou army is rushing northward along the Fu River by land and sea, approaching Mianyang, Mianzhou. The governor of Mianzhou submitted a memorial saying that all the troops have been transferred to Chengdu, and there are no soldiers to defend it. He said that he would surrender the city. I'm afraid it has already surrendered now.
You are so surprised. They are not coming to Chengdu. What a big deal, Meng Chang said angrily. Because a while ago, reports of surrender from Kaiwanzhong, Fuyu, Hechang and Suizhou came in one after another. So many places have been lost, and now another state has been lost. Meng Chang has not reacted yet.
Madam Huarui whispered: Mianzhou is the only way for soldiers and food to go from the capital to Jianmen Pass in the north. The Zhou army’s target is Jianmen Pass, right
Meng Chang slapped his forehead and said to the eunuch who had just come in: Go and gather all the ministers to discuss matters. Then he was about to leave.
Your Majesty. Madam Huarui hurriedly said, "I dare to say something. If Your Majesty is really determined to fight the last time, you can lead the imperial army to attack Mianzhou. One hundred thousand imperial army against more than ten thousand Zhou army, at least the morale will be higher; if the Zhou army takes Jianmen, the two armies will join forces to besiege the isolated city of Chengdu, the situation will be hopeless, and no one will be willing to fight again."
Meng Chang said nothing, turned around and was about to leave.
Madam Huarui said hurriedly: If Your Majesty does not want to fight, send someone to talk to Zhou Jun as soon as possible.
After Meng Chang left, all the women surrounded Lady Huarui, calling her "Imperial Concubine" on the left and "Sister" on the right, treating her as their backbone. Someone said: Is that really the case? The Zhou Dynasty's army is about to attack Chengdu. What should we do
In the past, Lady Huarui could not determine whether the Zhou army could conquer Shu, after all, the mountains were thick and the roads were difficult; but now, she has determined that Shu is doomed. Whether Meng Chang wants to fight or surrender, the result is almost the same.
That's why Lady Huarui advised Meng Chang to be more submissive and try to please the Zhou generals. After all, he was the king and had a noble status. If he showed his true loyalty and obedience, he might be able to survive like Liu Chan in the Three Kingdoms, who was happy and didn't miss Shu. It was a wise move. There was no other way out. If he still showed his ambition, wouldn't that be courting death
As long as Meng Chang could be spared and alive, his life would not be too bad. No matter how cruel the Zhou Dynasty was, at least they would give him a salary and a title, in keeping with the identity of a person who had once been a monarch. To Lady Huarui, such an end was already very good. He could have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of his life and maintain his aristocratic status, which was much better than the lower-class people she had seen before.
Lady Huarui also hoped to see such an outcome, and hoped that Meng Chang would take her with him. She was willing to live a carefree life with Meng Chang. She used to be a singing girl, but the brothel owner saw that she was beautiful and wanted to sell her, so she kept her innocence. Later, the eunuchs went to Qingcheng Mountain to find beauties for the emperor, so the brothel owner dressed her up as a secluded orchid in a Taoist temple. However, Lady Huarui didn't want to live in a lie later, so she told her life story; but she was innocent before, and Meng Chang still doted on her.
She thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait and see. When there is a chance, I will ask His Majesty to allow you to go back to your parents' home."
She herself didn't know how to be a singing girl. The music house had already sold her for money from the eunuchs, so she didn't have a family to go to. Unless she went back to that kind of place, she had nowhere else to go.
She can only rely on Meng Chang, and she wants to help Meng Chang overcome this difficulty.
At this moment, a eunuch came in, but stood there without saying a word. Lady Huarui was very careful and saw it immediately, so she said, "I'm a little tired, please go get some hot water and bring it to my bedroom."
Yes. The eunuch turned around and left.
Madam Huarui got rid of the women and returned to her own bedroom. Soon the eunuch came in with hot water. The maid beside her knelt on the ground to take off Madam Huarui's socks and wash her feet. When she started, she saw the skin on her feet was as white as jade, the soles of her feet were slender, and the toes were small and cute.
Madam Huarui did not say anything. The eunuch bent down and asked: "Madam, do you still remember Bai Lao of Wushan?"
Madam Huarui thought for a moment: I remember, didn’t I send someone to ask her for some medicinal herbs last time? I remember I even rewarded her.
The eunuch said: I have heard that she is in the Zhou army camp and is being treated with courtesy by the Zhou army's commander, Guo Shao.
After hearing this, Madam Huarui raised her eyebrows slightly.
The eunuch asked again: Your Majesty, do you remember Taoist nun Yuzhen
Lady Huarui thought about it for a long time. It had been so long, but she finally remembered it and suddenly said: Is it that magical woman who wants to build a Taoist temple to honor the Queen Mother and asks me to help her do good deeds
The eunuch said: Your Majesty has indeed done good deeds. Taoist nun Yuzhen is now called Jingniang, and she is Guo Shao's confidant.