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These days, after leaving court, Zhao Gou would come to Qingyi Hall, sit there for a while, and then return to Chengxuan Hall to review memorials.
That day, Zhao Gou arrived at Qingyi Palace on time and asked Liang Hongyu to sit on the chair. Zhao Gou half-knelt beside Liang Hongyu, first rolled up the edge of her trousers, then picked up a smear of ointment with his fingertips and gently applied it to the red and swollen area of her ankle, and then bandaged her wound with a clean white cloth. His movements were as gentle as a feather brushing past.
Her heart trembled as she looked at the arrogant emperor before her. He was willing to go to such lengths for her. Was this still the emperor who had disregarded the safety of the people and only cared about his own escape? It was as if she had never truly understood him.
The young Zhao Gou who bravely broke into the Jin camp, the Zhao Gou who fled to the sea to seek refuge even at the risk of infamy in order to avoid the pursuit of the Jin people, the Zhao Gou who would give rewards for the delicious food made by the people, the Zhao Gou who would kill innocent soldiers because his escape was obstructed, and the Zhao Gou who was so condescending and gentle to her at this moment, which one is the real Zhao Gou? Maybe they are all him, and maybe they are none of them.
Her heart suddenly turned to confusion. Looking at his furrowed brow, she actually felt a little pity for him. She tried to smooth his frown with her fingers.
The cold touch of the fingers struck Zhao Gou's heart deeply. He raised his head in confusion and met Liang Hongyu's clear eyes.
Seeing him staring at her, Liang Hongyu immediately lowered her eyes and tried to withdraw her fingers, but Zhao Gou held them tightly in his hand. Her touch was like a promise to him, and he became bolder. He put his other hand on her slender waist, gently grasped it, and leaned down to capture her lips.
Liang Hongyu was startled at first, then she closed her eyes. The matter was settled. Now that she was trapped within these towering palace walls, she might as well forget the past.
When Zhao Gou saw that she did not resist, he felt ecstatic. The soul-stirring feeling he felt at that moment when his skin touched that of his beloved was something he had never experienced with any other concubine.
He waved his hand and the hibiscus tent fluttered closed. Deep in the curtain, in the hazy light of the red candles that permeated the gauze curtain inside the tent, he gently embraced her, untied her clothes, and caressed her body greedily. The faint fragrance of her body lingered around his nose and penetrated into his heart, making his whole body feel like it was electrified.
She lay softly in his arms, accepting his caress. This contact lasted for a long time, but he did not make any further moves. She felt a little strange and could not help but open her eyes to look at him.
But he frowned, with a hint of worry and fear in his eyes. He suddenly stopped all his movements, stood up abruptly, and rushed out of the hall wearing only a single piece of clothing.
Liang Hongyu was surprised to hear Eunuch Rong shouting, "Sir, put on your coat before you go. Be careful not to catch a cold."
At that time, a sudden autumn rain fell outside the window at some point in time. The sound of rain hitting the glazed tiles on the roof of the temple made a loud rustling sound.
After Liang Hongyu put on her clothes, she sat on the bed for a long time before she understood the emperor's fear: his body hadn't responded to her desires. Before, she would have been overjoyed, but now, her pity for him seemed even greater. This man, who looked down on everyone and acted so high and mighty, perhaps had a helplessness she couldn't imagine.
The sudden downpour soaked Zhao Gou's clothes. After Zhao Gou returned to Chengxuan Hall, he flicked his sleeves and overturned several rows of porcelain.
The porcelain shattered all over the floor, making a "ping pong pong" sound.
Eunuch Rong didn't know what was going on. He pushed the door of the palace, but found that it was locked.
He could only shout outside the hall: "I have brought you your coat. Please put it on quickly or you will catch a cold."
After waiting for a moment, he only heard the official's roar coming from the hall: "Get out!"
Eunuch Rong said helplessly: "I'll put it outside for you, remember to put it on." Then he sighed and left.
"Why, why does God treat me like this!" The desolate cry echoed for a long time in the empty hall. After venting his anger, Zhao Gou sat on the ground in dejection, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.
He finally met the woman he loved and finally got her approval, but God treated him like this. How lonely he would be walking on this bloody road of imperial power in the future.
In the following days, Zhao Gou did not go to Qingyi Palace or to other concubines. After court every day, he stayed in Chengxuan Palace.
On this day, all the concubines gathered in the courtyard to appreciate the flowers, and Liang Hongyu happened to pass by.
Wu Cairen, with her sharp eyes, spotted her immediately and shouted to Liang Hongyu, "Look, isn't this Concubine Xuan?"
The concubines followed Wu Cairen's gaze and saw that it was indeed Concubine Xuan.
Concubine Pan was eating grapes at the time. She spat out the grape seeds and said, "Who am I thinking? Isn't this Concubine Xuan, who fell out of favor just a few days after gaining favor? Why is she leaving in such a hurry? Is she going to see the emperor?"
Wu Cairen agreed, "Looking at the direction she's going, she's going to Chengxuan Palace to see the emperor. It's a pity that the emperor is too lazy to pay attention to her now. This prostitute is nothing special." After she finished speaking, she burst into laughter, and this devilish laughter filled Liang Hongyu's eardrums.
When the concubines heard this, some sneered, some laughed awkwardly, and some covered their faces with their hands, with different expressions. Their previous jealousy of Liang Hongyu turned into ridicule.
Jinxiu wanted to go forward to argue, but was stopped by Liang Hongyu. She gave Jinxiu a look and said, "Don't cause trouble." After that, she hurried to Chengxuan Hall. She wanted to ask the emperor why he had been avoiding her recently. If it was because of that incident, she didn't mind. Since she decided to stay in the palace, she should get closer to the emperor. Within the palace walls, without the emperor's care, she would have no choice but to collect her own body.
Outside Chengxuan Hall, Liang Hongyu asked the eunuch guarding outside the hall to pass on the message.
When Zhao Gou heard that Liang Hongyu was outside the palace, he felt mixed emotions. This was the first time she had taken the initiative to ask to see him, but he didn't want to see her at this time. He had lost that function in front of his beloved woman, and seeing her would only add to his sadness.
So he said to the eunuch who was delivering the message, "Tell Concubine Xuan that I have important matters to attend to and cannot see her."
The young eunuch turned around and walked away, relaying Zhao Gou's words to Liang Hongyu who was outside the hall.
Hearing this, Liang Hongyu turned to Jinxiu and said, "Let's go back."
Jinxiu hurriedly followed and asked, "What's wrong with the emperor these days? He doesn't even want to pay attention to you. If it were in the past, he would have been trying to please you."
Upon hearing this, Liang Hongyu stopped and scolded her, "Stop talking nonsense! If the emperor heard you say this, he would cut off your tongue. Look at you, you've been in the palace for so long, and you haven't made any progress at all."
Jinxiu blamed herself and said, "Miss, I was wrong."
"Also, in the palace, you should call me 'Niangniang', not 'Miss' anymore."
"Oh, I see, my lady."
Liang Hongyu shook her head upon hearing this and turned to walk towards Qingyi Palace.
On the way back, she deliberately avoided the road she had taken before, so as to avoid seeing those concubines and being gossiped about by them again.
Unexpectedly, she saw a familiar figure walking towards her from a distance. She turned around and walked back, but a sharp and cold voice came from behind her: "Your Majesty, you don't recognize me?"
Upon hearing this, Liang Hongyu had no choice but to turn around and said to Jinxiu beside her, "You go back first. I have something to say to General Han."
After seeing Jinxiu leave, Han Shizhong stepped forward and pulled Liang Hongyu behind the rockery nearby.
He leaned forward, grasped Liang Hongyu's hands tightly, and leaned over to kiss her lips. These days without her were like years to him, and the longing in his heart was like a tide that swallowed him in endless darkness. At this moment, he wanted to make up for all these longings.
Liang Hongyu was startled at first and wanted to resist but he held her tightly. His unique scent overwhelmed her and her throat tightened. His kiss was aggressive and overbearing, making her breathless.
He kissed her for a long time, but seeing that she had no reaction, he let her go and said angrily, "I heard that your Majesty had your bed. Did the emperor satisfy you?"
With a loud "slap", a loud slap echoed in the rockery, and Han Shizhong felt a burning pain on his face.
Liang Hongyu raised her eyebrows and said, "General Han, please respect yourself. I am the official's woman now." After that, she tidied her clothes and left without looking back.
Watching her retreating figure, Han Shizhong felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if stabbed by a blunt knife. Could it be that she had fallen in love with someone else so quickly, or was it, as she said, a woman who was always after wealth and fame?
After he sighed, he straightened his clothes and walked towards Chengxuan Hall with heavy steps.
After Liang Hongyu returned to Qingyi Palace, she fell headfirst onto the bed. Thinking of the kiss behind the rockery, she was still frightened and her heart was beating wildly. How dare Han Shizhong overstep his bounds towards her in the palace? If others saw this, he would have more than ten heads to chop off.
It's been a long time since we last saw each other, and the stubble around his lips seemed to have turned a lot darker, and he looked much more haggard.
When she saw him within the palace walls, he was dressed in a turquoise robe, slowly walking towards her. From that moment on, her heart never stopped beating. She had thought she had forgotten him, forgotten their past. Little did she know that no matter how long it had been, the moment she saw someone she had loved again, the same thrill remained as when they first met. All those moments spent together flooded back into her mind. What should she do? Within these palace walls, how could she control her longing for him? He had thought she had already accepted the emperor, but he had never imagined that the walls she had built up in her heart would be easily shattered by a kiss. She tried her best to restrain herself from responding to him, not giving him hope. For him, that was the best thing.
In the hall, Zhao Gou looked at Han Shizhong in front of him, feeling a surge of emotion. He thought back to how it was Han Shizhong who had used his imperial power to separate him and Liang Hongyu, forcing her to be his concubine. Little did he know that things were unpredictable, and he had already lost the dignity a man should have. He could no longer face the woman he loved, so why not...
In the deserted hall, with only the two of them, Han Shizhong knelt and said, "Your humble servant greets the Emperor. I wonder why you summoned me here today?"
Zhao Gou, upon hearing this, finally came to his senses from his deep thoughts and said to him, "My dear minister, there is no need to be so polite. Just stand up and answer."
After expressing his gratitude, Han Shizhong stood up and stood in the main hall.
Zhao Gou asked tentatively, "Now that Yue Fei has recovered the six counties of Xiangyang, he has repeatedly petitioned me to launch a northern expedition. I am undecided, so I am asking you to come and discuss whether a northern expedition is feasible."
Han Shizhong thought he had misheard. The emperor had always been afraid of the Jin army and only wanted to stay in a corner. So, was the sun rising from the west today? So, he asked doubtfully, "Are you serious, emperor?"
Zhao Gou said, "Concubine Xuan once told me that the Northern Expedition at this time is in line with the people's wishes. If the people settle down in the south, they will not support the court when the Northern Expedition is discussed again."
Han Shizhong thought: So that's how it is. Yue Fei had written to the emperor many times about the Northern Expedition, but the emperor didn't seem moved at all. Now Liang Hongyu can make the emperor change his mind with just one sentence. It seems that Liang Hongyu has a very high status in the emperor's heart. No wonder she is so indifferent to him today.
He should be happy that she is living well in the palace. It is a blessing for the country and the people that the emperor has such a woman by his side. But why is he so painful in his heart?
Zhao Gou saw that he stood in the hall for a long time without saying anything, with a look of pain between his brows, so he asked: "My dear, what are you thinking about?"
Han Shizhong then replied, "The Northern Expedition is something the people of the Great Song Dynasty have been eagerly awaiting. Recovering the lost territory will be a monumental achievement for generations to come. The current situation is very favorable, so the Northern Expedition is feasible."
"In that case, I will write a letter to Yue Fei, instructing him to prepare for the Northern Expedition as soon as possible. Tomorrow, you will lead your troops north, cross the Huai River, and serve as the Eastern Route Army of the Northern Expedition to fight against Liu Yu's pseudo-Qi coalition forces."
Liu Yu's pseudo-Qi coalition was another puppet regime supported by the Jin people after Zhang Bangchang.
Like many northern nomadic peoples, the Jin were not acclimated to the Central Plains. They excelled at warfare but were not adept at governing. After conquering the Liao, they had not yet fully mastered the Liao territory and had no resources left to govern the Central Plains. The Jin could only temporarily foster a Han Chinese ruler to rule the Central Plains, providing them with wealth and personnel, a far more convenient option than governing themselves.
Just like he had enthroned Zhang Bangchang before, Wanyan Wuqimai chose Liu Yu to ascend the throne and established a country on the vast land south of the Yellow River and north of Qinhuai River, named "Da Qi".
The next day, Han Shizhong was ordered to lead his troops to Huaiyang City, where most of Liu Yu's pseudo-Qi troops were gathering.
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