"You can call me Duota, or you can call me...Aqi." Helian Shi said slowly.
Duota... Helian Shi is indeed the new king of Northern Qiang.
And Ah Qi...
Yuan Zhao stared closely at Helian Shi, oh no, now it was Duota, "You are from Northern Qiang, how could you be Ah Qi?"
Hearing this, the smile on Dota's lips widened, showing that he was very happy.
"It seems that Ah Chao still remembers me..."
"It's my honor..." He spoke softly, always staring at Yuan Zhao with his black eyes.
Hearing the name "A Zhao", Yuan Zhao paused slightly. The longer she looked into those eyes, the clearer her memories became.
How many years ago was that?
The year his mother passed away, Huo Yan went to the northwest at the end of the year, and Yuan Cheng began to be busy with political affairs.
The empty Changchun Palace was so oppressive that Yuan Zhao had no way of living there any longer.
So she returned to Qingshan Academy by herself.
She always went up the mountain to relax and picked some fruits from time to time.
One day, someone used a slingshot to knock the wild fruit out of her hand and snatched it away like the wind.
It was so fast that she could only see a black silhouette.
It was snowing heavily in winter, and Chen Yunzhou took her to the mountain to see the rime. She accidentally took the wrong path and entered a cave.
The cave seemed to have an owner, but the owner was almost frozen to death.
She thought about it, left her fox fur coat to cover him, and fed him the cold medicine she had brought with her from the kettle.
Later, the little mute would sneak by her from time to time when she was going up the mountain and throw some mountain fruits to her.
They are all good-looking, sweet and juicy fruits.
He was unkempt, never spoke, and only looked at her with his dark eyes.
So Yuan Zhao gave him a name, "Aqi".
In order to prevent Ah Qi from being driven away, she did not tell Shen Yunzhou and her uncle and others, but only went up the mountain occasionally and sat on the top of the mountain with Ah Qi for a while.
Ah Qi knows everything, from making fire to hunting. It seems like he was born in this mountain and lives off the mountain.
She told Ah Qi that her name was "A Zhao".
Ah Qi pointed at the morning glow in the sky and asked: "Chao" in "chenxia"?
So to Ah Qi, she is called "Achao".
Yuan Zhao likes to sit on the big rock on the mountain and watch the changing sea of clouds between the mountains and forests.
Ah Qi always stayed with her quietly.
Later she finally spoke and told him about her deceased mother.
Ah Qi listened, and from time to time a hint of envy flashed in his eyes.
By the way, Ah Qi can also draw.
He could burn sticks into charcoal and draw on the spot.
According to her description, he drew the queen mother in her memory.
Based on their shared vision, he painted those magnificent landscapes.
But these paintings were not left on paper and were blown away by the wind.
…
Yuan Zhao's memories slowly overlapped with the many towers before him.
The person in front of me had delicate eyebrows and eyes, and his face was a mixture of Central Plains and Northern Qiang, with a bit of charm, but not gentle.
A pair of narrow and long phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing a dangerous aura.
Her skin was sickly pale, without a trace of red except for her crimson lips.
It is undeniable that Dota is extremely good-looking, and can even be described as "beautiful".
But because of this, how could he be Ah Qi?
In the few memories she recalled, Ah Qi was a good listener, a very well-behaved child, and very kind...
Who is Dota?
The fourth prince of Northern Qiang was said to be the most ruthless, with an archery skill that never missed a target. He was the new king who killed all the other members of the royal family.
He acted mysteriously but arrogantly, and as soon as he ascended the throne, he used thundering means to clear up the chaotic government order in the Northern Qiang.
Could this person be the little mute Ah Qi who went up the mountain to pick fruits and painted on the rocks?
…
Yuan Zhao didn't believe it.
Dota's eyes remained fixed on her face, not missing a single change in her expression.
"Remember?" He laughed carelessly, "If I knew... that tying you up would make you remember..."
"I should have killed Huo Yan that night..."
Yuan Zhao's expression suddenly changed when he heard this, but this change made Duota's expression obviously surprised.
"I don't remember any Ah Qi." Yuan Zhao said indifferently.
Dota let out a light click of his tongue, then he reached out and, with a little force, clamped her chin with his slender, cold fingers.
His fingers gently stroked the area under her lips. Yuan Zhao tried to break free, but her strength had not recovered.
She could only stare at Dota. "My father and brother won't sit idly by if you tie me up like this. Have you considered the consequences?"
Dota didn't answer, but just stared at her, which made her feel a little uneasy.
"Consequences?" He scoffed. "Your Highness, why don't you tell me what the consequences will be?"
"Would Emperor Xuan and Yuan Cheng send troops to attack Northern Qiang just for a princess?"
Will it? Yuan Zhao knew clearly that this was not a reason at all.
"Or do you think, Your Highness, that General Huo, your childhood sweetheart, would risk his life for his beloved?"
Yuan Zhao remained silent.
Dota smiled again, very satisfied with the current situation between the two of them.
It feels so good to have her in the palm of my hand.
He lowered his head slightly and was very close to Yuan Zhao, his breath spraying on her face.
"A Chao, it doesn't matter whether you remember it or not..."
"But you should think about it. If I send something to those people in the capital next time, will Huo Yan still be able to spare the time to save you?"
Yuan Zhao understood in his heart that the portrait was indeed given by him!
But why? Helian Chang is now the Grand Marshal of Northern Qiang, second only to the emperor. How will this benefit Duota, the King of Northern Qiang?
Dota loosened his hand and called out "Achao" slowly.
"I'll take Huo Pingchang in exchange. How about you?"
"The Northern Qiang people are asking Dacheng to marry Princess Zhaohe in exchange for the title of queen, and to return the traitor Huo Pingchang from the Huo family, and to ensure peace on the border between the two countries for fifty years."
As Duota spoke these words word by word, the shock in Yuan Zhao's heart was self-evident.
Is he crazy?
Duota just smiled and asked her seriously, "A Chao, what do you think?"
Yuan Zhao was speechless.
If he really made such an exchange with Dacheng in his capacity as the King of Northern Qiang, her father and brother might not be willing, but His Majesty and the Crown Prince of Dacheng would certainly be willing.
Yuan Zhao tried hard to suppress her emotions. Her face was pale as she spoke slowly, "I'm a married woman with four children... and you know that Huo Yan and I have been in love for a long time..."
"Why must it be me..."
Dota looked at her and smiled softly.
"A Chao...it took me so long, so far, and so much effort to finally get to you..."
There was an indescribable emotion in his eyes, word by word,
"Why would I...care about your past?"
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