After a brief silence, Guo Shao looked at the girl in front of him and felt a sense of being in another world for some reason.
He really couldn't remember the historical details. But there was a character in the TV show about the Yang Family Generals that left a deep impression on him, and that was Empress Xiao. Her name was Xiao Chuo, and it roughly matched her identity. She was a very powerful woman.
Guo Shao had a sudden desire to kill this key figure, who was also an enemy. If he killed him with a single blow, nothing would happen. He would kill Zhao Kuangyin directly as soon as he got the chance.
Guo Shao looked at the young lady in front of him. The sunlight coming in from the door allowed him to see her clearly. He could even see the fine hairs on her face and the tiny wrinkles on her lips. He felt that Empress Dowager Xiao had turned into a little girl and stood in front of him. This scene was very strange.
Xiao Yanyan was also afraid and curious, looking at the man staring at her. This young girl was very smart at a young age, and she could feel that Guo Shao was not a violent person, even if Wang Zhong had just said something to scare her.
However, Guo Shao's expression was usually quite gentle. She might not have realized that her life depended on his thoughts.
At this moment, Guo Shao burst into laughter.
No one understood why he paid so much attention to a young girl, and no one knew why he was laughing.
He realized that he was too nervous. A person's small achievements mostly depend on himself, but to achieve great things, he really depends on the general situation and luck. After the Liao Kingdom lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, it was probably difficult for the country to become a historical climate; Xiao Chuo, a woman, wanted to be in power, firstly relying on the status of her husband and secondly on the status of her son. In this situation, how much of a threat could she still be
She was just a clever little girl. Killing a little girl for no apparent reason showed that he had no tolerance for others.
Guo Shao breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lu Chengyong: Take her there and settle her down, and take good care of her.
Lu Chengyong hurriedly said: I will obey your order.
After waiting for a long time, Qin Shitou came in and said: Your Majesty, all the people we could find have been brought to the middle of the yard, but Bai Shi was not found. The brothers below are searching everywhere in the mansion, and they will try to look for her again.
Guo Shao was a little confused after hearing this. Xiao Siwen didn't even take his daughter with him, so it was impossible for him to take a concubine with him. Could it be that Bai Shi didn't come to Youzhou
Tan Shitou said again: "None of us knows Bai, but the servants in the mansion should know her. If we don't find her later, we will interrogate those servants."
Wang Zhong bent down, glanced sideways, and said to Tan Shitou: Just do it this way.
Yes. Qin Shitou bowed and left.
Soon, General Wu came to report: We found Bai, but she didn't want to come out. We couldn't force her.
Tan Shitou usually interacted with the people of the Military Department, and probably understood that the emperor wanted to save Bai, so he must have ordered the soldiers not to be rude. Guo Shao remembered how Lu Xiaoniang had begged him with tears in her eyes, and how she had loyally helped him a lot, so he stood up and said, "I'll go and see."
Suddenly, Wang Zhong and Qin Shitou looked at each other at the same time.
Guo Shao asked the general to lead the way, took off the helmet on his head, and threw it to Wang Zhong to hold. The group passed through a moon-shaped door and entered another courtyard. Although Xiao Siwen was a Khitan, his mansion in Youzhou was completely in the Han architectural style.
Walking into a study, I saw that a bookshelf on the wall had been moved away. There was a partition behind the bookshelf, and there was a cabinet inside. A woman wearing a futou was curled up in the cabinet, trembling all over. I am not a Khitan, so don't arrest me.
As soon as Guo Shaoyi walked into the room, the soldiers standing inside hurriedly bowed and clasped their fists, saying: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
The woman immediately turned to look at Guo Shao, and stood there in surprise.
When Guo Shao saw the woman, he felt she was very pleasing and friendly at first sight, probably because he knew that she was Lu Lan's mother, and Bai was indeed beautiful, otherwise Xiao Siwen would not have liked her.
He walked from the respectful soldiers to the front of the cabinet and said as gently as possible: Madam, don't be afraid. I know you are one of us. I led the army to the north to save the people of Youzhou from danger. How could I harm your wife? Guo Shao couldn't help but said, if there is danger, it's useless for you to hide inside.
Bai hurriedly said: I am unable to perform the ceremony.
No need to be polite. Guo Shaodao.
Bai tried to climb out, but got stuck after a few attempts. The cabinet was deep, and she couldn't get any strength to climb out, and couldn't straighten her legs. Her face turned red, and she looked embarrassed and funny.
Guo Shao was anxious, and without thinking much, he walked forward, holding her back with one hand and her legs with the other, and gently hugged her out. He was a warrior who was good at archery, with strong arm strength and very stable arms, and he carried Bai out steadily, and his body just came out of the cabinet without touching anything.
Bai's face flushed. Guo Shao put her down immediately.
Bai immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to His Majesty.
Get up. Guo Shao breathed a sigh of relief.
He then said to Wang Zhong: Go get a cup of tea to calm the lady down.
Wang Zhong hurriedly said: I will do it immediately
As soon as Wang Zhong left, the study was full of men. Guo Shao wanted to help Bai, but he felt it was inappropriate because he was just in a hurry. He stretched out his hand, but it froze in mid-air. He had to take it back and pointed to a chair and said, "Madam, sit down and calm down."
At this time, Lu Chengyong led the generals and soldiers and bowed and left the study.
Two people who had never met before were suddenly alone in a room, not knowing what to say, and felt very awkward. Bai pinched the corner of her clothes nervously and said in a trembling voice: I don't want to see the royal family here, and be so rude. I am originally from Zhuozhou, and I was robbed in Xiao's house. I don't want to join the Liao people.
Guo Shao sighed and said: I have made you suffer.
Bai hurriedly shook her head: Your Majesty is very good to me.
Guo Shao came to his senses. He was the emperor, so it was a bit strange for him to be so enthusiastic about a woman. He was about to explain, but realized that it was a long story. He pondered for a moment and wondered where to start.
At this time, Wang Zhong came in with tea. It had only been a short while, and no one knew how he had done it. Anyway, this eunuch was very helpful in taking care of Guo Shao's daily life.
Wang Zhong stepped forward and placed the tea on the table. "Madam, His Majesty has given you tea. Please calm down. Our emperor is a benevolent and wise monarch who never harms innocent people."
Wang Zhong whispered again: “Your Majesty, General Lu just said that Deputy Envoy Wei is waiting in the outer courtyard, and it seems that something happened.”
After hearing this, Guo Shao was relieved to see that Bai was not hurt at all, so he stood up and said, "I will go to see the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, you can rest first. Wang Zhong, take good care of the lady."
Wang Zhong said hurriedly: Your Majesty, just trust me and I will do my job.
Guo Shao immediately strode out of the door.
Wang Zhong smiled and stood aside, saying, "Madam, don't be anxious. Take your time and breathe. Now that you have seen His Majesty, no one will dare to touch you. You can really put your mind at ease."
Bai had been with the King of the Southern Court for so many years, and even women from small places had seen a lot. She saw that the eunuch was very familiar with the emperor. Even though he nodded and bowed and called himself a servant, he was a close confidant of the emperor.
Mrs. Bai stood up immediately, regardless of her confused mood, and bowed politely, saying, "Thank you very much, father-in-law."
Oh, no, no, no. Wang Zhong's face was broken from laughing.
Wang Zhong looked Bai up and down, slapped his forehead and said, "How could I be so stupid? No wonder I have been trying to recommend someone to sleep with me but failed. What the emperor likes is...
When Bai heard this, her face felt hot as if she had caught a cold, and her throat felt like it was blocked, so she couldn't utter a word.
Wang Zhong came back to his senses and slapped himself on the mouth. Look at my mouth, Madam is much better than that Lady Li. You can see that His Majesty cares a lot about you.
Bai didn't say anything. She wasn't stupid. Even if the emperor was a benevolent ruler, he couldn't be so nice to anyone. He even personally carried her out to meet a stranger for the first time. Apart from her looks, she couldn't think of anything else that could make the emperor treat her so specially.
Wang Zhong was talkative when he was happy, and he advised earnestly, "Madam, Xiao Siwen is a barbarian and old. How can he compare to our emperor? Our emperor is young, noble, and rich. You should serve him well, and you won't have to worry about wealth and luxury in the future."
Bai couldn't answer and was too embarrassed to raise her head.
Wang Zhong said: Xiao Siwen's mansion has captured some slaves, some of whom are from Youzhou. I will pick out a few smart ones for you later. Madam, wash yourself clean, find a nice set of clothes to dress up, and sleep with you tonight. The emperor has not had enough women for several months, how can we, as slaves, not think about the emperor
Bai said helplessly: Eunuch, you have done a great job, no wonder His Majesty trusts you so much.
Wang Zhong was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth, but his smile disappeared as soon as he said it. His brows suddenly frowned, and his wife's hair
Bai said hurriedly: I was captured by the Khitans and forced to shave my head. When Youzhou was conquered by the Zhou Dynasty, I was afraid of being mistaken for a Khitan woman, so I had to cut off all my hair.
Wang Zhong nodded: "Fortunately, my wife is naturally beautiful, with a pretty face. I will just find a beautiful hat to cover it up later."
Bai secretly sighed, but there was nothing to be sad about. She was homeless during the chaos of war, and being favored by the emperor was a good thing. She thought of Guo Shao's appearance just now. He was indeed heroic and young, and gentle to her. Moreover, although he was the emperor, she was very satisfied when she thought about it. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Guo Shao was very good.
As for her former husband, the Lu family, she had been occupied by a Khitan noble for so many years. It would be hypocritical and meaningless to care about that matter anymore.
Bai sat there silently, feeling that today was just too chaotic, with all the ups and downs making it hard for her to cope with it.