Chapter 93: Yuan Chaolu's First Encounter with Xiao Zhuo. ...
The afternoon sun shone in, its light a melting gold. The Empress had her arm around the Emperor's shoulder, and the Emperor, impeccably dressed, looked like lovers whispering sweet nothings. However, below their waists, their scarlet skirts and white robes were piled up together, wrinkled beyond recognition.
At the height of their passion, at the crucial moment, Xiao Zhuo suddenly released his grip on her waist.
Yuan Chaolu was caught in a limbo, feeling the heat still lingering. She opened her eyes and looked at him through her sweaty eyelids, puzzled.
Xiao Zhuo leaned back in his chair, his face bathed in sunlight. He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Didn't the Empress say that I should rebel?"
The veins on Yuan Chaolu's neck throbbed slightly. Hearing this, she paused for a moment, then used her hands to support herself as she got off the chair, smoothing out the wrinkles in her robes as she did so. "If Your Majesty says so, then I shall take my leave."
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Zhuo reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Yuan Chaolu raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, weren't you unwilling just now?"
Xiao Zhuo tightened his grip on her waist, the silk around his palm sinking deep into her skin. His strong body pressed against her delicate frame against the windowsill, so close they could feel each other's contours. Yuan Chaolu struggled for a moment, but then felt that heat wash over her again, and her heart skipped a beat.
In stark contrast to his actions, he looked gentle, took her wrists in his hands and brought them to his face, lowered his cheeks, his lips parted slightly, and raised his eyelids: "The Empress still owes me an imperial heir, does the Empress remember?"
Yuan Chaolu's wrists went weak from his kisses. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, finally managing to utter only, "Your Majesty."
She nestled her soft body into his embrace, but little did she know that no man could refuse when called by such a tone.
Xiao Zhuo took her hand in his, his lips sliding along her wrist.
Xiao Zhuo's phoenix eyes are beautiful. If there is no emotion in his eyes, they can be sharp and piercing. But if he wants to seduce people, the corners of his eyes will be gentle and tender.
He is so adept at using himself to achieve his goals.
Was he faking it? How much genuine emotion was he truly in love?
In the afternoon, Prime Minister Lu's words rang in Yuan Chaolu's ears.
Don't overestimate your importance in the eyes of a cold-blooded emperor.
That statement is indeed correct.
“Your Majesty, I have something to ask you,” Yuan Chaolu said. “Your Majesty said before that you would teach me well, and I would like to ask you about this matter. I have two maids under my command, and I only learned a few days ago that the two of them have an irreconcilable conflict, which has reached a point of no return in private.”
"What is the Empress worried about?"
Yuan Chaolu sighed, "I don't know who to choose. One of the maids is reliable and a trusted confidante of mine, while the other is closer to me and I like her very much. If Your Majesty were in such a situation, what would you choose?"
She looked at him and said, "Just like two ministers under Your Majesty, there are times when they are at odds and have conflicts of interest, aren't there?"
Xiao Zhuo said, "Since you know the two are not on good terms, you shouldn't have put them in the same place."
"But what if the two sides have already reached a point of no return? Before I entered the palace, the two had a deep-seated grudge, and even if they were separated, I'm afraid it would be impossible to resolve the conflict."
Xiao Zhuo said, "You are the Empress."
When Yuan Chaolu heard these words while he was in the throes of passion and his body was burning up, he felt a chill run down his spine.
The implication is that she is the Empress, and everything revolves around her.
Since the subjects receive the emperor's salary, they should each remain in their proper positions.
How could we allow certain matters to reach her? How could we allow two ministers to overstep their bounds and disrespect the Empress's dignity?
"Since things have come to this point, they should all be dealt with together." The emperor looked at her with a smile.
Yuan Chaolu said, "But if that's the case, I'll feel bad, since they're all my trusted confidants."
“Nothing in this world is irreplaceable.” His figure almost enveloped her, his high nose bridge nestled in her neck, showering her with warm breath, making Yuan Chaolu’s neck go weak. “And nothing is irreplaceable.”
His warm breath brushed against her reddened earlobe, his voice low and gentle, “Managing subordinates is like playing chess; keep those who are useful, discard those who are not. And others will naturally fill the gaps.”
Yuan Chaolu wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her head in his shoulder, and whispered, "Is that what Your Majesty thinks?"
"yes."
She looked at the sunlight dancing on the window.
But she and Helan Yi were irreconcilable; their fate was sealed—a fight to the death.
**
Inside the Xuande Hall, it was warm as spring, but outside, the autumn wind was bleak.
Helan Yi walked out of Xuande Hall, with Zhong Changjun following behind, whispering a reminder: "General, watch your step."
He Lanyi chuckled upon hearing this, his gaze sweeping over Xuande Hall: "On the day of the Jingming Temple fire, His Majesty disregarded his own safety and rushed into the sea of fire to rescue the Empress. Today, seeing His Majesty and the Empress so affectionate, the Emperor and Empress's relationship is truly excellent."
Zhong Changjun smiled, “The general is right. His Majesty and the Empress have a harmonious relationship, which is known throughout the palace.”
Helan Yi said, "It is a pity that I was far away on the frontier on the day of Your Majesty's and Empress's wedding, and was unable to come and witness the grand ceremony. It is a great regret in my heart. Now I will soon be setting off back to the Northwest, and I will not be able to pay my respects to Your Majesty every day like Zhong Gong and the other officials in the court."
Zhong Changjun hurriedly said, "General, you are a pillar of the state, guarding the frontier. Even though you are not in the capital, His Majesty still thinks of you. Don't worry, General, I will definitely speak well of you to His Majesty."
Helan Yi laughed loudly and said, "Then thank you very much, Zhong Gong."
He looked at the trees swaying sadly in the autumn wind and said, "Speaking of which, the first time I met Your Majesty was also in late autumn, in Jiangnan."
Zhong Changjun pondered for a moment, a look of surprise crossing his face: "General, did you and His Majesty meet in Jiangnan? That was four years ago, wasn't it..."
Helan Yi's eyes gleamed: "That was then, but Zhong Gong wasn't by my side? I have no recollection of Zhong Gong at all."
Zhong Changjun came to his senses: "At that time, the new dynasty had just been established, and His Majesty was still a prince. He went to Jiangnan alone with only one or two guards. No one knew his whereabouts. Even the late emperor was helpless. How did General Helan meet His Majesty? This is the first time I have heard of this."
However, by this time, the two had already reached the outside of the courtyard. Zhong Changjun had to return to serve the king, so there was no reason for him to see them off any further. He simply cupped his hands in greeting.
Helan Yi watched Zhong Changjun walk down the corridor until he could no longer see him, and the smile on his face gradually turned into indifference.
The autumn wind slipped into his sleeves, and the icy chill penetrated his skin like needles, causing his robes to flutter loudly.
His first encounter with the current emperor...
Helan Yi remembered this vividly.
At that time, the Great Qi Kingdom had just been established. The Helan family went from the northwest border to Luoyang to receive their fiefdom. After the founding ceremony, the Helan family traveled south on their way back to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and rivers, all the way to Jiangnan.
In late autumn in Jiangnan, the weather is too damp and cold, and everything begins to wither, with no trace of the vibrant life of March.
The Helan family had long heard of the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, but seeing this scenery was quite disappointing. However, in addition to the increasingly desolate scenery along the way, there was another matter that disturbed Helan Yi's already bad mood.
The female slave Chaolu was unruly and attempted to escape several times along the way.
She was taken back to the Helan family not long ago, but she remained resentful. Helan Yi had only allowed her to accompany him because he was worried about leaving her alone in the Northwest. What was a great honor to the servants was a disgrace to Chaolu.
On their journey through Jiangnan, amidst heavy rain and mist-shrouded roads, the Helan family settled in an inn.
The female slave was escorted up to the second floor, struggling and making a huge commotion.
She broke free from her restraints, passed a half-open guest room, saw a figure moving around, and rushed in, kneeling down inside.
"Please, someone save me..."
However, the disobedience of the servants in the household is seen by outsiders as a private matter between other families, and who would be willing to invite trouble and wade into this mess to lend a helping hand?
She didn't even catch a glimpse of the guest in the room before she was almost immediately dragged out and locked in the damp, cold woodshed. Afterward, Helan Yi sent his men to inform the manager to clear the area.
The shopkeeper looked embarrassed and politely declined.
"The rain was pouring down outside, and with such heavy rain, the inn couldn't just arbitrarily evict the other guests."
"Besides, it's really inconvenient today, as a young master is staying here."
Inside the room, Helan Yi held a teacup. Upon hearing the message, he said, "This place is remote and desolate. How could there be any noble family here? Go and inquire about them. Tell them that I intend to befriend them. Remember not to reveal my name."
The guard obeyed and left, knocking on the door of the very guest room that had been hastily pushed open by the Helan family's female slave at dusk that very night.
Helan Yi heard everything clearly from next door. Before the conversation had even ended, his guards had already been politely refused by the other party's servants.
The Helan clan guarded Longxi, controlling a vital strategic pass, and made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Great Qi Dynasty. Yet now, in this small inn, they were turned away by an unknown nobody.
He Lanyi's lips curled into a slight sneer, but he didn't insist too much on meeting her.
Helan stayed at the inn for several more days until the day she was to depart, when the female slave caused another disturbance.
As the convoy prepared to depart, the female slave tried every means to attract the attention of the surrounding crowd, attempting to find an opportunity to escape.
At that time, a misty rain shrouded the sky and earth, and raindrops pattered against the ebony carriages. The entire convoy was stuck in the middle of the road, all because of her.
Helan Yi, soaked by the cold rain, ordered her to be bound and covered. As he stepped into the carriage, he noticed a gaze and looked up to see a tall, slender figure by the window.
He had thin lips and a straight nose, and a beautiful appearance. He wore a snow-white brocade robe, and the lanterns hanging under the eaves cast a faint candlelight that flickered on his face, making his deep features appear somewhat hazy. He was surrounded by a languid air.
With an unparalleled air of refined elegance, he is indeed a noble young man.
Through the rain, the person's gaze was as light as the mist and rain as they looked at them.
Helan Yi nodded to him, boarded the carriage, and ordered the caravan to head to the northwest.
He thought this encounter would be a fleeting glance, but he did not expect that the next morning, when the Helan family's caravan stopped by the lake to rest, in the vast twilight, a magnificent carriage slowly drove up and came to a steady stop next to Helan Yi's caravan.
A guard dressed in dark, close-fitting clothes stepped out of the carriage first and bowed to Helan Yi, saying, "My young master invites Young Master Helan to have a chat."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a clear, steady voice came from inside the car.
"I have long admired General Helan's name. Although we exchanged information through military reports and documents in the past, I have never been able to meet him in person, which is a great pity."
The carriage curtain was gently lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles. "I wonder if the general would do me the honor of moving into the carriage and having a seat?"
**
Even after a long time, Helan Yi still clearly remembers the shock that welled up in his chest the moment he learned the other party's identity.
Not long after Da Qiding gained control of the empire, he broke with the emperor, went into seclusion, refused the position of crown prince, and insisted on leaving Luoyang.
If he is not the crown prince, then who in the world is more qualified to be the ruler?
It was through years of military correspondence that Helan Yi knew the other party's methods and shrewdness, as well as his profound knowledge of military affairs and his ingenious and comprehensive planning, which led him to submit from the bottom of his heart.
Helan Yi boarded the ornate carriage and finally saw Xiao Sanlang's handsome face.
The young man, dressed in a light fur and brocade robe, exuded the nobility of a nobleman. His every move carried an air of authority that commanded respect, making no one dare to show the slightest disrespect.
What Helan Yi couldn't ignore was the man's eyes and demeanor...
An overwhelming sense of world-weariness.
**
This was Helan Yi's first encounter with the current emperor.
Although the two had been exchanging military reports and letters for some time and were very familiar with each other, they talked face to face for an hour before Helan Yi finally lifted the carriage curtain and left.
As he slowly stepped down from the carriage, his subordinates approached and reported that Chaolu had disappeared and run away...
Four years have passed, and the female slave under his command has transformed into the Empress in the inner palace.
Even Yuan Chaolu herself probably didn't know that she and the current emperor had a long-standing relationship back in Jiangnan, so close that they were only one step away from meeting.
She seemed to be firmly in her position, enjoying all the riches and honors, but she was completely unaware that something out of control was brewing in the shadows.
This matter hangs like a sharp blade over her head; if it were to dissipate even slightly, it would crush all the honor and wealth she currently possesses.
Helan Yi did not have to wait long before he got the opportunity to tell Yuan Chaolu about this matter in person.
On the third day of the twelfth month, the Empress Dowager passed away at Penglai Palace, and the whole country was in mourning.
On the fourth day, the Empress Dowager's coffin was moved from Penglai Palace and temporarily placed in Zhaoyang Palace.
On the fifth day, all the officials of the court entered the palace and stood solemnly in Zhaoyang Hall to pay homage to the Empress Dowager.
A cold wind blew, and in the corridor of a secluded side hall of Zhaoyang Palace, Helan Yi stood backlit, looking at the woman in front of him.
Yuan Chaolu was dressed in mourning clothes, her hair was only fixed with a plain silver hairpin, and her face was extremely simple without any makeup, which made her even more pure and beautiful.
He Lanyi's men delivered a message, saying there was news about her younger brother.
When she saw Helan Yi, her expression remained unchanged, and she stood quietly in place.
"General Helan will be returning to Longxi soon. Your Majesty and I should have held a banquet, but now that the Empress Dowager has passed away, we really cannot see him off."
"Your Majesty is too kind." He raised his eyebrows and looked at Yuan Chaolu, pacing slowly around her.
"Hasn't the Empress always been curious about news of your younger brother?"
The soles of the boots rolled across the ground with a dull, tight sound, like an invisible net tightening.
Yuan Chaolu did not answer; the white ribbon hanging down her temples swayed in the cold wind by her ears.
The footsteps stopped abruptly behind her, and the man's voice came over her shoulder, each word clear yet sharp as an arrow.
“If he were in my hands, he might still have a sliver of hope, and I would suppress this matter, but—”
"He colluded with the enemy."
Yuan Chaolu suddenly looked up.
Helan Yi said, "At the beginning of the year, his whereabouts were unknown. He infiltrated the Roulan tribe, disguised himself as an internal spy, and led the enemy country when I led troops to fight against the Roulan and Roulan. Later, Roulan surrendered, and he was almost captured. Then he turned west, surrendered to the enemy country, and betrayed Daqi."
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