Old friend
He walked on the long and dark road, with candlelight lighting up the path ahead.
The stone chamber was empty, but he was not too nervous because he already knew her secret. She tried to escape from him along the same path they had taken before, but this was no longer his father's world. He was the master of this palace, and she could not escape.
Liu Che seemed to have known her identity. He blocked the road to the Golden House, so she followed her memory and walked out along that road.
The mechanism turned, and the emperor's bed gradually moved away, and she walked up from the secret passage. This was how she had sneaked into the emperor's uncle's bedroom and sneaked into the underground palace in the past.
It was a secret that Liu Che entered the underground palace, and there must be no one guarding it at this time, so she patted her skirt and prepared to walk out the door.
As soon as she pushed the door open a crack, she froze in place.
A grayish-blue silver light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the man kneeling before the temple. His jade crown was slightly cool, his body like bamboo, his face a frosted look. Time seemed to have left no trace on his face; his eyes were clear, as bright as ever...
Zhang Yannian heard a slight noise at the door. He looked up and saw a woman walking out of the door, looking at him with a strange look.
He opened his mouth and was about to speak when he saw her suddenly rushing towards him with a panicked look on her face.
"Master Zhang, please save me. Your Majesty used the false name of the Queen to deceive me and wanted to do something to me..."
As if she couldn't continue speaking, she grabbed Zhang Yannian's sleeve tightly and wiped her tears.
Zhang Yannian looked at his messy sleeves and frowned slightly. "Are you Madam Huo? Madam, don't worry. This is why I came here."
"I knew your Excellency was a virtuous man, upright and loyal. He would not stand by and watch in fear of death." She glanced back and said anxiously, "I ran away secretly. They are about to catch up with me. Can your Excellency take me out of the palace?"
Zhang Yannian thought for a moment, then silently pulled out her robe and said, "Come with me."
Perhaps considering that the emperor would not be so absurd, he made preparations to take Mrs. Huo out of the palace smoothly, and therefore specially came in a carriage.
Wen Dao was startled when he saw a woman suddenly appear in the carriage. "Sir, who is this?"
"Take off your coat."
“Ah…ah?”
Wen Dao suspected that he had heard wrongly, but saw that Li Yannian had already started to untie his outer robe.
"Wait, sir, please wait, I can do it myself."
Wen Dao said this as he turned around and took off his outer robe. Without hesitation, Gillian also took off her own outer robe and put on Wen Dao's clothes. Then she tied her hair and did Wen Dao's makeup...
The carriage reached the palace gates, where guards stopped them. "Master Zhang, are you going home?"
"yes."
"Please let us check it out."
Gillian glanced at Zhang Yannian nervously. He nodded at her, stood up, and opened the curtain of the car.
The guard took a quick glance and saw that the boy inside was already asleep with his head tilted against the wall of the car.
He bowed and stepped back, "Please, sir."
"Wen Dao, come out."
After successfully exiting the palace, Zhang Yannian and A Jiao stood up and pulled Wen Dao out of the carriage. Wen Dao scratched his head and crawled out with his teeth bared. "Hiss, I was squeezed to death. I hit my head with three big bumps."
Gillian laughed out loud when she heard this, "Your parents are still so simple. It would be strange if such a small car wasn't crowded."
Zhang Yannian gave her a strange look, and Wen Daoyi asked curiously, "Do you know my master?"
She smiled and said, "Master Zhang is incorruptible and has a good reputation. This is a blessing for the people."
"Madam, you are so kind," Zhang Yannian said calmly. This woman's words and actions were frivolous. Although the emperor was known to be promiscuous, seeing her today, he knew she also had ulterior motives. Perhaps he hadn't expected things to develop to this point.
He looked out the window and said, "The General's Mansion is ahead. Madam and I will say goodbye here."
Gillian seemed a little worried, "But..."
"I heard that the general has won several battles and will be returning to the capital soon. Madam, you can rest assured that no one will dare to break into the mansion and offend you again."
No matter how lustful the emperor was, he wouldn't be so foolish as to run to a minister's house and snatch someone away. Mrs. Huo already knew the inside story and wouldn't be fooled again. She was safe once she left the palace.
"What will you do after I return? If His Majesty punishes you..."
"Although His Majesty may have a momentary lapse of judgment, he is still a wise and sage ruler. He will not blame me for such a trivial matter. Madam, rest assured."
Over the years, he had contradicted the emperor before. Although he was sometimes so angry that he wanted to beat him with a stick and remove him from his official position, he never really did it after calming down. It's not that he was so kind, but that His Majesty was a wise man.
Sometimes he needed to stand before him and shield him from the attacks, and sometimes he truly agreed that his words were for the good of the court. Perhaps his absurd behavior today was a spur of the moment, and he would probably figure it out after calming down.
He couldn't help but secretly look at Mrs. Huo in front of him. She was beautiful, but there were many people in the harem who were more beautiful than her. Why would the emperor want to steal someone else's wife?
Feeling Zhang Yannian's gaze, Gillian suddenly turned to look at him, and saw that the man quickly shifted his gaze away and lifted the car curtain to look at the scenery outside the window.
She curled her lips and said, "I feel at ease with Master Zhang here."
Zhang Yannian frowned slightly. He thought that there was a reason why the Emperor favored Mrs. Huo. Not wanting to engage in excessive small talk with her, he pretended not to hear her.
"Laofu, hurry up."
The driver quickly turned around and responded before turning back, "Okay, are we going to General Huo's Mansion?"
Zhang Yannian nodded and said, "Let's go to the Huo Mansion first, and then go home. Mother should have made lotus root powder candy today..."
The driver suddenly interrupted him as he turned around, his smile turning into one of fear. "Sir, it seems like those people behind us are chasing us..."
Zhang Yannian's heart raced the moment he turned back. A sharp arrow whizzed by, nearly blinding his left eye. He saw a face that shouldn't have been in this bustling city, now fixed on him, holding a bow and arrow, its eyes a mixture of coldness and excitement. Though its fingertips were steady and powerful, the muscles on its face trembled faintly.
His heart trembled violently. The Emperor? The Emperor! He actually chased her out of the palace for another woman?
Now he was going to use this bow and arrow to point at his ministers and vent his dissatisfaction...
The emperor was mad. This was his only thought.
Zhang Yannian turned around and grabbed the driver's sleeve, "Hurry up, faster!"
The carriages were heavy, and the road was sparsely populated, so the journey was smooth and unimpeded. Liu Che, a horse capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, led dozens of cavalrymen at a rapid pace. Arrows rained down from behind them.
He made a decision. "Turn to Bluestone Lane."
Just as he was about to catch up, the shabby carriage in front turned and drove into a narrow alley. Although Jiang Chong chased Liu Che desperately, he could not catch up. However, he noticed that when the carriage was mixed with the crowd, a man in a cloak got out of the carriage and walked into the crowd.
The carriage paused for only a moment before continuing towards the path on the left.
"Your Majesty..." Jiang Chong pointed at the fleeting figure and reminded him that there might be no one in the car and that person had slipped away in the chaos.
Liu Che also saw the sneaky figure. Looking at the direction the carriage was leaving, he waved his hand and chased after it on the avenue on the right.
Riding a tall horse, Liu Che spotted the figure in the black robe at first sight. He beckoned to the people behind him, and they surrounded the figure from all sides. He put down his bow and arrow, dismounted, and placed his hand on the figure's shoulder. However, just as he was about to turn her around, he saw the face of a thin man.
"This...why is this thing?"
Jiang Chong saw Zhang Yannian's attendant Wen Dao, who had a woman's bun and a tall and strong figure. He looked at him with a little panic, then knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Liu Che sneered, pulled off the hairpin on his head, and held it in his palm. He could hide for a while, but could he hide forever?
He jumped on his horse and said to the people behind him, "Let's go to Zhang Yannian's house."
The cavalry surrounded the walls of the Zhang family's courtyard. Before Liu Che could knock on the door, Zhang Yannian was already waiting at the door to apologize.
Liu Che glanced at him and walked in without saying anything.
Zhang Yannian stopped him in his tracks. "Your Majesty, are you really going to make the same mistake again? This is my residence. Your Majesty is making such a grand display. The people of the land, including all the civil and military officials, are watching. If Your Majesty makes one wrong move, the prestige you've accumulated will be completely destroyed."
"You don't have to threaten me. The emperor's prestige doesn't come from this. I ascended the throne at the age of sixteen and have worked diligently to expand the territory and stabilize the people. This is just a private affair, not a fuss."
"If it were anyone else, it could be considered a private matter, but the person Your Majesty wants is General Huo's wife, a relative of General Wei and the Empress. They have expanded Your Majesty's territory and hold immense influence within the court. If they knew that while your subjects were fighting bravely on the front lines, Your Majesty was humiliating their wives and children in the palace, wouldn't it chill the hearts of the people and, worse still, lead to unforeseen disasters in the future?"
"Your Majesty, don't forget that there is the King of Yan in Shu County..."
"The Prince of Yan and I are brothers from the same mother. How can I allow you to alienate and slander me?" Liu Che was impatient to listen to his nagging any longer. He had made up his mind today. He was determined to bring her back to the palace and explain everything to her.
He pushed Zhang Yannian away, and Zhang Yannian was too weak to fall to the ground. But he quickly grabbed Liu Che and entangled him again.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please think twice—"
Liu Che struggled forward with a huge man hanging from his body, pulling and trying to pull him off. "I have reconsidered this. If you continue to pester me, I will have my personal guards execute you on the spot."
Zhang Yannian gritted his teeth and tried to hold Liu Che's legs back. "Your Majesty, there are tens of thousands of women in the harem, yet you turn a blind eye to all this and only bother with this one woman? Kidnapping someone else's wife and imprisoning her in the palace is no different from being a traitor."
Liu Che seemed really fed up with being dragged along by him. He paused and said, "She told you that I have evil intentions towards her? That's nonsense!"
He frowned at Zhang Yannian, "Did you know she was a spy from the Western Regions? She tricked Jiang Chong into telling me about a crucial secret, but then she took advantage of our inattention and injured the guards to escape. The palace is heavily guarded. If she were an ordinary woman, how could she have escaped?"
Zhang Yannian was stunned when he heard this answer. Indeed, if it was true as the woman said, that the emperor had imprisoned her in the palace, how could an ordinary woman like her break through the heavy guards and escape to seek help?
But if she was a spy, why would she ask him for help? They were strangers, so why was she so sure that he would offend the emperor to save her just because of a bamboo slip?
Seeing that he believed it a little, Liu Che waved his hand and several guards walked into the inner courtyard to search.
Cheng Jiao watched from the dark. Seeing that things were not going well, she fastened the latch and shouted, "Your Majesty says I'm a spy, and I have no right to deny it. But since I've married you, General, I will never do anything that would bring shame upon you. My future in the palace is uncertain, so instead of doing that, I'd rather end my life on my own, and save your dignity..."
The sound of broken cups echoed from inside the room, and Zhang Yannian came to his senses. This matter was full of doubts, and one could not simply rely on the two men's one-sided statements to determine right and wrong.
"Your Majesty, I have been investigating cases for many years. Since I have doubts, why don't you hand the person over to me for the time being? I will temporarily take the lady into the Censorate's office for questioning. After the interrogation, I will definitely give Your Majesty an explanation."
Liu Che paid no attention to the noises within. As he entered the inner courtyard, his gaze fell on another spot—the flower shed, constructed from rows of wooden frames, festooned with honeysuckle branches and leaves, and lined with pots of peonies. Even in the sweltering heat of summer, they blossomed brilliantly. Even before approaching, he could smell a refreshing fragrance, mingling with the ice basins filling the shed.
He retracted his gaze, his dark eyes looking at the person in front of him, "I heard that Master Zhang has always been frugal. Even on a hot summer day, Master Zhang himself is reluctant to use ice. If you put the ice basin in this flower shed, it shows how much Master Zhang cherishes flowers."
"If I'm not mistaken, this is a Yaohuang peony, right? Ten gold coins for each plant. The flowers here in your house are worth at least a thousand gold coins, and they're in excellent condition. Where did you buy them?"
Zhang Yannian's eyes flickered slightly. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for laughing. I am poor and cannot afford to buy this flower. It was given to me by an old friend. I brought it here and unexpectedly it came back to life. I am usually away from home and my mother is blind. My only leisure time is to plant flowers and grass, so I cherish it."
Liu Che's expression softened slightly. "You have served the country with loyalty and dedication. I understand your heart. However, this woman is deeply involved. It is best for me to interrogate her personally."
"Jiang Chong, bring the person out."
Zhang Yannian said, "Your Majesty's actions are illegal. Since there is suspicion, it must be handed over to the Imperial Censor for investigation. Otherwise, it is Your Majesty who has appointed officials. No one would take the initiative to judge a case by private punishment."
"Zhang Yannian, I am the emperor. The people of the world are my subjects. The laws are my laws. It is not your turn to have any say in them!"
The repeated obstructions made Liu Che lose his patience. He gave him some face and tried to persuade him in every way, but he still didn't know his place and wanted to talk to him about the word law?
However, Zhang Yannian refused to give in. "Laws have their regularities, measures have their rules. A ruler has his weft, and laws and measures have their warp. Only by adhering to these rules and regulations can the warp and weft last forever. Your Majesty's words are wrong, and your actions are not right. I risked my life to offer this advice. Even if you kill me today, I will not let Your Majesty take your wife away."
He found the strength to push Jiang Chong away and stood in front of the gate. "If Your Majesty insists on doing this, you will have to step over my dead body!"
Liu Che sneered, took the crossbow from the guard, aimed it at Zhang Yannian, and pulled it open. "Okay, then I'll grant you your wish. Today, I'll let your family collect your body and buy a coffin for you."
"Your Majesty, by doing this, aren't you afraid that it will chill the hearts of the Han soldiers who are fighting bloody battles for you on the frontier?"
The door suddenly opened from inside the house. A Jiao held a candlestick in her hand, and the sharp copper pillar was against her throat. She glanced coldly at Liu Che and others, and pulled Zhang Yannian behind her.
"Your Majesty, I will not go anywhere until the general returns. If you must take me with you, then take my body with you."
When he saw the person in front of him again, Liu Che's heart started beating uncontrollably again. When she looked at Zhang Yannian, he stared at her intently. He treated every inch of her body and every movement as a treasure.
But when he met her cold eyes, he felt inexplicably nervous and afraid, and dodged unconsciously.
Even though he knew she wouldn't really hurt herself, he couldn't help but worry when he saw the tip pressing against her fragile skin.
"careful--"
"I know what you want. Follow me and I will give you everything you want."
"You know?" Ah Jiao almost laughed out loud when she heard this. "No, you don't know. Your Majesty is so powerful and noble, how could he know what a woman in the inner chambers is thinking?"
Liu Che's eyes were sincere, as if he was extremely nervous. Seeing his expression like this, she seemed to be even more disgusted and tilted the candle a little deeper.
"I will not go with you. Your Majesty, please take your people and leave first. When the general returns, I will naturally go to the palace with him to see the emperor."
Liu Che's heart ached slightly for a moment. She didn't believe him, but believed in that person who had nothing to do with her...
No matter, she had misunderstood him deeply. A three-foot-thick ice doesn't form overnight, and he would slowly make her trust him again in the days to come.
He sighed deeply in his heart, but finally couldn't bear it anymore. He lowered his head and turned away.
"Jiang Chong, let's go..."
Ah Jiao watched Liu Che's receding figure and stood there for a long time. Until she felt a warm touch on her hand, Zhang Yannian pulled her fingers apart and took the candlestick from her hand.
When she came to her senses, she saw that Zhang Yannian was in a state of disarray, his official uniform covered in gray footprints. Liu Che's guards were brutal, and he himself had been hunting and practicing martial arts for years. They had just pushed and hit him, and his body must be covered in bruises.
Pulling his sleeve, she led him into his room. "Where's the medicine? They hit me so hard. If the swelling doesn't go down in time, you'll be in pain all over tomorrow."
Zhang Yannian seemed frightened by what had just happened. He was a little dazed. He rummaged through the cabinet and grabbed a few bottles and put them on the table.
Seeing his distraught look, she couldn't help but laugh. "I thought Lord Zhang was so heroic, but it turns out he's just a weakling. That fearless attitude he showed in front of His Majesty just now was all an act."
Give me the medicine."
Zhang Yannian grabbed a medicine bottle and handed it to her. She glanced at it, and said with a mixture of anger and laughter, "This is your mother's medicine. Give me that."
She pointed to the green porcelain vase in front of him.
Zhang Yannian remained seated, seemingly not hearing what she said.
She knocked on the table, stood up from her seat and walked to Zhang Yannian's side.
The waterfall of black hair behind her ears slid down as her slightly slumped shoulders, gently brushing his ears and cheeks, and falling to his chest.
A faint fragrance floats in the air.
"Master Zhang, did you hear me say..."
Gillian smiled and playfully joked with the person in front of her, but her watery eyes suddenly met the sharp gaze of the man who was just looking up.
"Madam, did you know Zhang before?"
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