Chapter 62 Chapter 62 [VIP]
The emperor stayed here for some time.
Yuan Mu took him to see Qin Su. If the emperor wanted to find out anything, he could find out, but Yuan Wei concealed Qin Su's affairs.
Everyone who served nearby knew that the emperor hated this man very much.
I wish I could dig three feet into the ground to find this traitor and kill him.
However, after several years, Qin Su seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth, with no trace left.
"I don't know what he went through," Yuan Mu said, lowering his eyes. "I don't know what happened back then either."
She raised her eyelids and said slowly, "But he...maybe he's not what you think."
The emperor gently embraced Yuan Mu.
"I believe everything you say," he said gently. "It's okay. Tell me everything you know."
Although his long-time enemy appeared before him, there was no negative emotion in the emperor's dark eyes.
He just looked at Yuan Mu with a gentle expression.
Yuan Mu raised her pale eyes and said, "You should know that I once stayed in Xi Rongjing's residence for a while, and I should have been suspicious of him a long time ago."
"He volunteered some of the information," she said, looking at the emperor. "Some of it was my guess."
Yuan Mu did not omit anything. She told the emperor everything that had happened, word for word.
She is a person who cannot keep secrets, especially such important matters.
Yuan Mu has very naive and simple ideas. She hopes that justice can be upheld and that bad people can be severely punished.
"So I think at that time," she said finally, "perhaps Xi Rongjing wanted to kill Qin Su, forcing him to flee. Xi Rongjing couldn't find him, so he fabricated a charge of treason against him."
When Yuan Mu first learned the truth, he was in pain for a long time.
But now, she can face it all calmly.
Yuan Mu never thought that suffering and hardship were good things, nor did he think that they were necessary in life.
She just managed to get out of the nightmare.
All the emperor's personal soldiers died in the fire, but Yuan Mu wanted to carry their will and continue to move forward.
After she finished speaking, she raised her eyes and looked at the emperor.
The emperor listened carefully to Yuan Mu's words. When facing her, he always looked very serious, as if he was afraid that a careless word would anger her.
But at this moment his expression was almost cold and heavy.
The emperor remained silent for a long time, but he did have some speculations about what had happened.
But when he suddenly knew the whole truth, there was still a flash of madness in his eyes.
Xi Rongjing is currently under house arrest in the mansion. After all, he is a member of the late queen's family and the head of the main branch of the Gaoping Xi family.
The emperor had thought a long time ago that Xi Rongjing might have coveted Yuan Mu, but even he did not expect that Xi Rongjing's mind was so despicable and morbid.
You can know a person’s face but not his heart.
The emperor and Xi Rongjing grew up together, and he even served as the prince's tutor for a time.
Xi Rongjing is a well-known gentleman.
He is gentle, elegant, peaceful and calm, and he doesn't fight for anything. Apart from being a little overly caring towards his sister, there is nothing else to criticize about him.
Even though the emperor later became suspicious of Xi Rongjing, Xi Rongjing did not feel any resentment.
He was calm and peaceful, like a mannequin.
The emperor's expression was frighteningly cold, and there was a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.
"I'll deal with him when I get back," he held Yuan Mu's hand, "Don't worry, he'll be fine."
The emperor lowered his voice, and there was a coldness in Danfeng's eyes.
But his slender finger bones did not forget to embed into Yuan Mu's fingers.
The emperor really liked holding hands with Yuan Mu. When their knuckles were pressed together, their hearts and souls seemed to be connected together.
Yuan Mu looked at Qin Su, his eyes full of sadness.
She was unaware of the emperor's actions until she left the courtyard, then she opened his hand.
He had said at the beginning that he would move to the guest room after she recovered from her illness, but much time had passed and there was no sign of her moving out.
All his attendants also moved into her mansion.
The sky was dark. The emperor put his arm around Yuan Mu's waist and picked her up. His voice was hoarse: "I will be your son-in-law. Please keep me here for one more night."
"What use are you to me?" She kicked her legs. "You want to be my son-in-law?"
"I can serve you," the emperor kissed Yuan Mu on the lips, "If you don't believe me, try it tonight."
He walked in the corridor, and the subtle fragrance around him floated silently into Yuan Mu's lungs.
When Yuan Mu was young and most greedy for happiness, she felt tortured every time she got close to the emperor. Gradually, she became indifferent to this matter.
If it weren't for some addiction in her body, she could abstain from sex for a long time.
But since the Mid-Autumn Festival, they have been partying almost every night.
Even when Yuan Mu was most resistant to the emperor, he could not resist his active kisses and caressing.
Her knuckles gripped his shoulders, through the cloth.
The emperor's back was covered in blood, but he didn't even frown. He hugged Yuan Mu's waist.
She came out of the bathroom and went straight into the tent, pulling the curtains.
"You can't be so heartless, Luo," the emperor drawled. "Did I serve you poorly just now?"
He lifted the curtain, bent his knees and pressed on the quilt, then picked the person up, held her in his arms and continued to kiss her.
"Speak," the emperor said in a hoarse voice, "where have I failed? Where do I need to improve?"
He seemed to have really taken on the role of a male favorite.
Yuan Mu's waist was held by the emperor, and her ankles were held in his palms. Her long eyelashes trembled as she avoided his kiss.
He said with a smile, "Good A'Luo, can't you tell me about it?"
Yuan Mu's face turned red and she could hardly bite her lips anymore.
After finally catching her breath, she kicked the emperor's hand with the sole of her foot and said in a trembling voice: "If you say another word, get out."
This sentence is very useful.
The emperor immediately quieted down, but his hand gripped her ankle annoyingly.
The slender and delicate ankles are as white as jade.
When it was grasped by the man's knuckles, it looked even more delicate, with thin raised joints, slightly pink, so beautiful that it was breathtaking.
Two days ago, the emperor pretended to be pitiful to Yuan Mu, saying that he had helped her block a poisonous arrow that day and the injury on his shoulder was very serious.
But at this time, he seemed to be fine, without any sign of illness at all.
Yuan Mu wanted to pull her ankle out of the emperor's hand, but he took advantage of the situation and started to touch her calf, thigh and lower back.
She was like a kitten, her fur about to explode.
But the next moment the emperor kissed Yuan Mu's red lips and held her whimpers between his lips and teeth.
His voice was hoarse: "Good boy, be obedient."
It's almost September and the weather is getting colder.
But inside the hibiscus tent, there was an endless spring scene filled with warmth.
-
By early September, the affairs of Beiting were basically dealt with, and the border, which had been in chaos for a long time, finally returned to peace.
Yuan Mu nominally surrendered, but these states were still in a state of vassalage and autonomy, no different from before.
To appease the barbarians has always been the policy of the Central Plains dynasties.
This has been the case since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, or even earlier.
Yuan Mu held the golden seal and tried to stamp it on the rice paper several times.
This golden seal of the marquis is not only a symbol of power, but also a transcendence granted by the court.
Originally, even the leader of the big clan, Guiyi, would not need such a luxurious gold seal, but the seal in Yuan Mu's hand was obviously made with great care.
She said nonchalantly, "After thousands of years, it will become an ancient relic."
"Play with it," the emperor chuckled, "just don't crack the walnuts."
His brows relaxed and he held Yuan Mu in his arms.
Yuan Mu had a poor appetite these days and his stomach occasionally ached. When he heard him say the word "walnut", he felt his stomach churning.
The emperor quickly supported her and asked repeatedly, "Is your stomach ailment acting up again?"
Yuan Mu dry-heaved for a moment.
She hadn't eaten anything and couldn't vomit it out, so after drinking half a glass of water, she sat back on the couch.
Yuan Mu's health is not good, no matter how well he takes care of himself, it will be useless. His foundation is damaged, and it cannot be healed overnight.
Every time this happened, the emperor would look very unhappy.
Guilt and self-loathing were etched in his eyes. He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, A'Luo, I..."
The emperor would rather be the one suffering from illness than see Yuan Mu frown.
But Yuan Mu's expression didn't change much. She held the cup, then took the hand warmer beside her and held it in her arms.
She interrupted him softly: "Let me rest for a while."
It's still too cold at the border.
It's only early September, and there are already signs of snow.
The emperor stayed by Yuan Mu's side, holding her on his lap and wrapping his outer robe around her.
The two of them were very close to each other, and such close cuddling only happened when he was still Helan Zhen.
The village was cold and dilapidated, with drafts leaking through the cracks in the walls.
At that time, they often snuggled together like little birds.
Such a noble person didn't even complain at all. He would rather suffer from the cold himself than let Yuan Mushu feel comfortable and warm.
So even though she only thought of him as a soldier of extremely humble origin, she still liked him very much.
Yuan Mu's heart is always empty.
She hopes there will be another person to fill her heart, and she is willing to warm his heart with infinite warmth.
Yuan Mu thought of that past, and the emperor naturally thought of it too.
"I used to be so self-righteous," he whispered, "I always thought that what I gave you was the best, and I always forced you to accept everything I gave you."
Yuan Mu sat in the emperor's arms and looked at him with raised eyebrows: "You know that too."
Her body gradually became hot, the corners of her eyes turned slightly red, and her cold face inexplicably showed a bright color.
But the emperor just kissed Yuan Mu's forehead.
"But I don't want to do that anymore," he touched her knuckles, "I want to understand A'luo's heart, I want A'luo to be happy all the time."
Yuan Mu once thought that people like the emperor would never bow their heads.
She even wondered if he felt ashamed of their experience together when they were in trouble, and that's why he pretended to have amnesia and forget about him.
But even when Yuan Mu hated the emperor the most, she could not deny his paranoid and morbid love for her.
If she lost even her memory, she would definitely not fall in love with him again.
But he just caught her again and again in that ridiculous way.
Perhaps even if Yuan Mu changed her body, the emperor could find her again and fall in love with her at first sight again and again.
He reached out, hooked her little finger, and put a piece of red thread on her finger bone.
Yuan Mu looked at the light red on her knuckles silently, thinking that the emperor's behavior was extremely childish, but a moment later the light red turned dark red, and she realized that the emperor's long eyelashes were wet.
He whispered, "I know that no matter how I talk or how I try to make amends afterwards, it will be useless."
"But what I want to say is, take my entire life first," the emperor's voice trembled slightly. "If this life is not enough, I will give you everything in the next life and the next, okay?"
In fact, this is still not enough.
What he wants to give is his whole life.
Yuan Mu was a little confused as to whether the emperor was speaking words of love or confessing to her.
She just moved her little finger and kissed the red string between them.
Yuan Mu gently hit the emperor and raised his voice slightly: "Why are you still eating and taking?"
There was a faint smile on her lips, but the emperor's already slightly red eyes became even redder.
He held Yuan Mu tightly in his arms, his voice low and hoarse: "A Luo, I love you..."
Yuan Mu is not used to overly direct love words.
"I know," she turned her face away, "the robe is about to fall off, pick it up quickly."
Yuan Mu lowered her hand and hooked up her robe that was about to fall off, but the next moment her red lips were kissed by the emperor.
The two of them were affectionate for a long time. He put his arms around her slender waist, leaned over and kissed her forehead and face, and kissed her finger bones devoutly, as if he wanted to hold her in the palm of his heart.
There were few moments of such intimacy and peace between them.
The feelings that had been separated for a long time were finally connected.
Yuan Mu found a very comfortable place in the emperor's arms, and then, like a curled up kitten, he lowered his long eyelashes and fell asleep peacefully.
The emperor was reluctant to fall asleep like this.
He traced Yuan Mu's face with his eyes, wishing he could imprint her features in his heart.
But the quiet night is too peaceful.
The emperor's heart, which had been restless for half his life, calmed down on this night.
He hugged Yuan Mu and fell asleep with her.
The first snow fell on the border at night. There was a howling wind and snow outside, but the room inside was immersed in a safe warmth.
When Yuan Mu woke up the next day, a layer of white had already fallen outside.
She knew that the weather on the border would get cold early and the snow would fall early, but she didn't know it would come so early.
Yuan Mu put on the crane cloak and went straight to the outer room.
She has grown up a lot, but her love for snow is still the same as when she was a child.
Yuan Musu woke up late, and when the emperor came back from outside, she had already been playing for half an hour.
He held her red, frozen fingers tenderly and said helplessly, "Why don't you wear gloves?"
"It's just a little snow," Yuan Mu stared at him, "if you don't play quickly, it will melt away."
It’s just the first snow, how big can it be?
The emperor covered her small hand with his hand, warmed her knuckles with his palm, and said in a soft voice: "Okay, okay, I will listen to A Luo."
His indulgence of her had no bottom line and no limit.
But when the servant handed him the gloves, Yuan Mu did not refuse.
In the afternoon they left the city together.
The mountains are silent and white, and the wilderness is desolate.
This is a level of refinement that is completely different from the artificially carved scenery of the palace.
The wildness and unrestrainedness of nature are a hundred times more vivid than those of freehand paintings, and every stroke is a masterpiece of nature.
If it wasn't so cold, it might be better.
After coming back, Yuan Mu caught a cold. She leaned weakly on the couch, drinking ginger soup with a lot of sugar, her eyes and brows looking listless.
There may be countless places on the border that she cannot let go of.
But Yuan Mu really couldn't stay here any longer.
The emperor's expression was solemn, but he didn't know how to talk to Yuan Mu without appearing to be forcing her to leave this beloved fertile land.
For the first time, she had a home and everything she cherished.
He didn't want to ruin her happiness and joy.
-
Yuan Mu's cold came on suddenly, but fortunately she died quickly. After drinking ginger soup for two days, she recovered.
But she didn't dare go out of the house often anymore.
It is an indisputable fact that Yuan Mu is in poor health. Yuan Wei suppressed all the news, but he could not suppress his nervousness for Yuan Mu.
The court physician and the imperial physician both looked embarrassed when taking the patient's pulse.
However, the emperor did not dare to advise Yuan Mu, let alone others.
On September 14th, the weather turned warmer.
"I've invited a guest over," the emperor said slowly, "I wonder if A'Luo wants to see him?"
His expression was hesitant, and he gently raised his eyelids to look at Yuan Mu.
Yuan Mu stamped the last seal, put down the golden seal in his hand, looked up and asked, "Guest? Who is it?"
The emperor whispered, "It's an old friend."
The fire dragon had been lit in the library early in the morning. Yuan Mu was wrapped in fox fur. The moment she put the documents away, the bead curtain was lifted.
When that familiar yet unfamiliar face suddenly appeared, she almost didn't recognize it.
It was the King of Chu.
His face became much more resolute, and there was a faint scar on the peak of his brow, breaking his sword-like brows that were about to reach his temples.
But when the King of Chu smiled, he still looked the same as before.
He smiled and bowed, saying, "My humble Highness greets the Marquis of Guiyi."
Many years ago, the King of Chu also smiled and said exaggeratedly: "My little king greets the queen."
Yuan Mu stood up, and her eyes suddenly turned red.
The emperor had told her about the King of Chu's situation earlier. After he got into trouble, he ended up in Rouran. Because he could speak some of the Rouran language, he lived a relatively stable life in Rouran. In the end, he even sneaked into the royal court.
Later, the King of Chu contacted the government troops and secretly became an insider.
Because of his presence, the war went exceptionally smoothly.
Now the King of Chu is in charge of the affairs of Beiting. On the surface, he is the Protector-General in power, but secretly he also assists in many matters.
Beiting was established not long ago, and fearing an incident, the King of Chu has not shown up.
But no matter how much news he heard, it was not as reassuring as seeing the King of Chu with his own eyes.
She always felt sorry for him, and only when she knew that he was safe and well could her noisy thoughts completely calm down.
Yuan Mu's tears immediately fell.
They talked for a long time, but the emperor did not show any displeasure and waited until they finished speaking before entering.
Yuan Mu's eyes were swollen from crying, the corners of her eyes were wet and red, and her face was covered with tears.
The emperor held the handkerchief and wiped her tears gently: "Don't cry, A'luo, if you cry any more you will turn into a little cat."
He leaned over and kissed her forehead with his back to her.
It took a long time for Yuan Mu's tears to stop. They had a meal together, and then it was soon time to say goodbye.
The King of Chu is only on a southern tour this time and happened to come here. He has a lot of affairs to attend to, and Beiting has only been settled down not long ago, so he has things to deal with every day.
"I'm sorry, I..." Yuan Mu burst into tears again, "I've always wanted to find you, I didn't know you were so far away..."
She spoke incoherently, as if she felt that it was because she had not been diligent enough that the King of Chu was exiled to the Rouran.
The King of Chu looked much more composed, and his words were no longer as frivolous as when he was young.
But his tone was still cheerful: "As long as A Luo still misses Xiao Wang, Xiao Wang will be very satisfied."
Yuan Mu stood in front of the King of Chu's carriage, his fox fur coat moving slightly in the wind.
The King of Chu leaned over and gently stroked Yuan Mu's black hair, saying slowly, "Knowing that you are safe and happy, I feel at ease."
"Have you forgotten?" He raised the corner of his lips, "My biggest wish is that A Luo can be happy every day. Don't let my wish go unfulfilled."
The once dandy boy has lost his youthfulness, and the young man in front of him has become an important official who can stand on his own.
The King of Chu finally said, "We will meet again."
He waved to Yuan Mu and left in a carriage.
Yuan Mu burst into tears. The emperor picked her up, leaned over and kissed her face, and said helplessly: "Don't be sad, he won't stay in Beiting forever."
When he hated his younger brother the most, he did think about killing him.
But now the emperor gradually understands Yuan Mu's feelings.
The King of Chu is a very important person in her heart. He is her partner, her benefactor, and her concern in this world.
The emperor wants Yuan Mu to be happy and wants Yuan Mu to be happy.
His attitude towards King Chu has also changed a lot. When he was about to force Yuan Mu to death, King Chu saved her and taught her many useful things, allowing her to learn how to survive independently.
He should thank the King of Chu.
Love is not about picking flowers, love should be about letting flowers bloom freely forever.
The same is true for lovers. True love is not about unlimited possession and control, but about caring for her and giving her the space and possibility to grow freely.
Yuan Mu cried bitterly, but her mood was relieved a lot.
After bathing in the evening, she grabbed the emperor's sleeve and whispered, "Let's go back. If we don't go back now, we won't be able to celebrate Ah Fei's birthday."
In fact, it’s too late.
But the little prince often has another birthday on the winter solstice, and that birthday can be caught up.
The emperor held Yuan Mu in his arms and said softly, "Okay."
She had actually prepared to leave a long time ago.
Yuan Mu knew that this day would eventually come, but now all her obsessions have been resolved, and she can calmly push through the fog and move towards her future.
She has seen all the scenery inside and outside the city, and has completed all the arrangements inside and outside the city.
No matter who takes over here in the future, there will be no problem.
But the emperor held Yuan Mu's hand and shook his head: "No, you have to choose your own successor."
He smiled and said, "Guiyi Hou went to the capital for his meritorious service, so naturally he will choose his successor himself."
The emperor was extremely concerned about this kind of thing. He was a person with a strong sense of ritual and would always preserve important things carefully.
Yuan Mu only found out later that the two bookstores she had opened in Lingzhou were run seriously by the emperor.
This border town that she rebuilt with her own hands should preserve its traces forever.
Yuan Mu's eyes were slightly red.
"Let me think about it," she lowered her head, "I haven't made up my mind yet."
The emperor chuckled and said, "Don't worry, think about it slowly."
Yuan Mu only decided on the candidate the next day.
At the same time, when the emperor gave Yuan Wei the option, he chose without any hesitation to abandon his old identity forever and go to Beijing as Yuan Mu's attendant.
Everything went smoothly on the day we left the city.
The snow that had been falling for two days stopped again.
But just as the two were about to hold hands and get into the carriage, one of the guards suddenly stabbed Yuan Mu with a knife.
The man was too close, and the emperor didn't hesitate at all and immediately stood in front of her.
The dagger pierced the emperor's heart.
At that moment, Yuan Mu's blood turned cold.
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