Chu Qiao frowned slowly, "How long have you been standing here?"
"Just a moment." Li Ce staggered over, sat beside her, handed her a silver wine jug, and said, "Want a drink?"
Chu Qiao shook her head, "I never drink."
Li Ce shrugged slightly, "Your life is really boring."
"You're not sleeping in the middle of the night just to make fun of me?"
Li Ce took a sip of wine. It was obvious that he was not very good at drinking. After just a few sips, his cheeks turned slightly red. His eyes turned slightly to Chu Qiao, then he pointed to a small island in the middle of the lake and said, "Do you know how many years that tree has lived?"
Chu Qiao was stunned. She didn't expect him to say this suddenly.
Li Ce answered his own question and said, "It's been more than 400 years. You wouldn't have thought it would be even older than the history of Daxia." Then he pointed to a small flower beside the ebony bridge and asked, "Do you know what flower this is?"
The small flower is lavender, with a very small disk. It sways in the wind, as if it will be blown away at any time.
"This is called Youyan. It blooms at midnight and withers in the morning. It blooms only once in a lifetime, for just a few hours, but it takes a whole year to complete."
The silver wine pot was engraved with tiny flower patterns, which looked very similar to Youyan. Li Ce raised his head and took a sip of wine, then turned around and said with a smile: "Qiao Qiao, life is short, the morning dew is like a flower, and the hair turns white in the blink of an eye. You should enjoy yourself while you can, and don't waste your good time."
Chu Qiao slowly shook her head and said in a low voice: "But if I were given a choice, I would rather be like Youyan, a short-lived flower, than be like an ancient tree, living a mediocre life."
"Haha," Li Ce sneered, "Everything has its own way of survival. The ancient tree You Yanxiao lived a life of mediocrity and could never amaze anyone, but it didn't know that its long-term existence and standing is a kind of stunning beauty. Standing for years and not being damaged by wind and rain is a kind of strength. How can a mayfly understand the beauty of time?"
Chu Qiao turned around and saw Li Ce's bright eyes and carefree smile. She couldn't help but stare at him. She asked in a deep voice: "What about you? Would you rather live a life of splendor day and night, or experience the beauty of years?"
"Me?" Li Ce turned his head and smiled brightly. "I have big ambitions. I hope to be as long-lasting as an ancient tree, and I also hope to be as gorgeous as Youyan at all times. Haha."
Chu Qiao shook her head slightly and said calmly: "When life is happy, you should enjoy it to the fullest, don't let the golden cup face the moon empty."
"Good poem!" Li Ce smiled, raised his head to drink, and said with a sneer, "I didn't expect Qiao Qiao to be such a talented woman."
Chu Qiao just smiled and said nothing, nor did she refute.
"Qiao Qiao, I have something to say, I wonder if I should say it?"
Chu Qiao smiled faintly and said, "If you consider me a friend, just tell me directly."
Li Ce tonight was a completely different person from usual. Although there was some laughter in his conversation, he sat quietly and peacefully under the moonlight, surrounded by flowers and trees. His voice and words were less absurd than usual, and more clear and peaceful like the bright moon. The breeze blew lightly across their sleeves, and the pearl-colored skirts and pine green hems intertwined, adding a touch of softness.
Chu Qiao reached out and brushed her messy hair. Li Ce looked at her, and his eyes suddenly became more serious.
"Although Daxia is in chaos now, with the princes of all parties ready to make a move and the people rising up everywhere, the tree is big and has deep roots, and the century-old foundation is stable. Even if there are storms, as long as the rudder is steady, it will be easy to turn things around. On the other hand, the Yanbei regime seems to be showing its edge, forcing Daxia to move its capital, but they are internally unstable and have mixed power. In the north, there are the Quanrong coveting, and in the south, Daxia is eyeing them covetously. Moreover, they are not recognized by the regimes of other countries. It is actually sailing against the current. If you are not careful, there is a possibility that the boat will be destroyed and people will die." After saying this, Li Ce suddenly smiled, pulled up the Youyan tree with one hand, and said, "Yanbei and Daxia are like Youyan and the ancient tree. The night is only temporary. When the day comes, the superiority and inferiority will be immediately apparent, and the victory and defeat will be determined immediately."
A gust of wind blew, and the purple flowers were blown away by the wind, and soon scattered into the clear pond and blue lake.
Chu Qiao looked at Li Ce and suddenly felt as if there was a thick fog in front of her eyes, making it hard to see clearly and understand clearly.
A long time later, she told Yan Xun what Li Ce had said. The man was sitting on a horse at the time. The Yanbei wind blew sharply across his eyebrows, and fine snow swept across his temples. When the man heard what she said, he did not show the slight surprise she had shown that day. He just remained silent. After a long time, he slowly said in a low voice: "If this is the case, then let this long night never pass."
She didn't understand Yan Xun's words at the time, but just thought quietly that Li Ce didn't understand Yan Xun after all. Daxia is indeed a thousand-year-old tree with big roots and deep roots, spanning the entire Hongchuan Plain. However, in addition to the advantages of an ancient tree, it also has too many branches and leaves. These branches and leaves need nutrients, water, and sunlight. They are like vampires, relying on the roots of the tree.
And Yanbei, though weak, has the same tenacious vitality as Youyan. As long as there is an inch of soil, it can grow. No matter it is the dead of winter or the scorching summer, it will lie dormant quietly, waiting for the opportunity. And how could Yan Xun wait quietly for dawn, sit back and watch his own demise, and turn into ashes?
But all this happened much later. Under the cold moon, Chu Qiao looked at Li Ce quietly, and suddenly felt that she had never seen through him. Under this rebellious appearance, there were too many things hidden, so deep, like a thousand-foot deep pool, with dim water and no way to explore. And just now, this man's heart opened slightly for a moment, and he let his shadow lightly into it.
She whispered, "Li Ce, are you my friend?"
Li Ce chuckled and replied in a seemingly irrelevant tone, "I am the crown prince of Bian Tang."
Chu Qiao was not moved at all and continued to ask: "Will you help us attack Da Xia?"
Li Ce shook his head and replied softly: "No."
"Then will you help Daxia attack us?"
Li Ce was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "Pero Zhenhuang took away the eighteen states of Hongchuan from Bian Tang in the past. The two countries have been in constant conflict for a hundred years. Even if I am shameless and make trouble, I can't just sit back and watch myself become a sinner of the family."
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows, "So that's the case?"
"In the war between Daxia and Yanbei, Bian Tang did not help either side. Not to mention marrying his daughter to me, it would be useless even if Zhao Zhengde married his mother to me. Haha!" Li Ce suddenly laughed as he spoke.
Chu Qiao raised the corner of her mouth and said, "In that case, you are my friend." She slowly stretched out her hand, her eyes bright and a smile on her lips.
Li Ce was laughing, and was stunned when he saw her appearance, but in a moment, the man chuckled, and imitated Chu Qiao, slowly stretched out his hand and shook hers tightly!
Then Chu Qiao smiled gently and looked at Li Ce with bright eyes. Her smile suddenly became so dazzling. She tilted her head back slightly, and the moonlight sprinkled on her face like the finest silk, making her look crystal clear and dizzy.
She smiled and said, "Li Ce, Yanbei is not Youyan, and we are not mayflies. Although the tree of Daxia is big enough, its roots have begun to rot. It cannot be supported by a few ambitious princes alone. Haven't you heard that he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world?"
At that moment, Li Ce suddenly felt a little dazzled. He frowned slightly and murmured to himself: "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world?"
Chu Qiao laughed softly. In this era, such remarks might really be too unbelievable. She nodded, looked ahead, and said slowly: "The monarch rules the people, and the power of the people is infinite. All the armies, weapons, gold, silver, and food come from the slaves and common people who are despised and looked down upon by the nobles. They are the most tolerant people. As long as they have a bite of food or a piece of land, they are willing to give most of their food to feed others, but what if they can't survive?" Chu Qiao turned her head and looked at Li Ce steadily, and said in a deep voice, "No one is willing to wait for death. Li Ce, if all the people in the world come against you, then can you still sit firmly on the throne?"
Li Ce was stunned, frowned and said: "How is that possible?"
Chu Qiao smiled, "How is it impossible? If something has never happened, will it never happen again? Three hundred years ago, did you ever think that a foreign race outside the Great Wall would rise? Did you ever think that they would break through the Yin Mountains, establish themselves as kings in the eighteen states of Hongchuan, and compete with Bian Tang from then on? Did you ever think that the leader of the family, the Nalan family, would rebel against the empire and establish an independent Song Dynasty?"
Li Ce stopped talking immediately and frowned tightly.
Chu Qiao chuckled. Perhaps the empires of today are just like the Xia Dynasty in Chinese history. Because their authority has never been questioned by the people, they think their authority is granted by God and that the untouchables will obey and endure like this for thousands of years?
"Li Ce, just watch. Everything has changed. It won't work if you cling to the past glory. Sooner or later, you will see how powerful the angry people are. That power is enough to open mountains and fill seas, to call the wind and rain, and to turn the world upside down. Daxia, Yanbei, Bian Tang, Huai Song, and even the foreign tribe Quanrong outside the pass will be as weak as an ant in front of this power. Whoever can adapt to the situation will be the final winner."
There was no trace of smile on Li Ce's face anymore. He frowned and looked at Chu Qiao steadily without saying a word.
Chu Qiao turned around, looked at Li Ce with a smile, and said in a deep voice: "Li Ce, you are my friend, so I hope that when the big wave comes, you will not be the first person to be swept away."
A cold wind blew, and the man's eyes suddenly became a little cold, and then a sharp edge like a knife flashed, like a sharp arrow. He looked at Chu Qiao steadily, without blinking or speaking. The wind blew between them, cold and carrying the chill of the night. After a long time, he calmed down, chuckled, and then said: "Qiao Qiao, I have never heard these words, but I think they are interesting. I will think about it carefully."
Chu Qiao knew that at that moment, Li Ce wanted to kill her, but in the end, he did not do it. Although they represent different powers and different positions, as she said, they are friends, or something else, but they can't explain it clearly.
Suddenly, Chu Qiao understood something that had troubled her for many years, why Emperor Xia chose to start with Yanbei among so many vassal kings, and why he wanted to kill Yan Shicheng who was the most loyal to him. If the emperor wanted to reduce the power of the princes, shouldn't he start with other princes? For example, King Ling, King Jing, and those unruly iron-hatted kings? But now, she suddenly understood. The reason was very simple. It was because Yanbei had entered the Datong Guild and Yanshicheng had accepted new ideas. Different flowers bloomed and different fruits were produced on the cold Yanbei Plateau. From a standpoint, Yanbei has gone against the empire. This is just like in a capitalist country, if a political party suddenly and loudly advocates that all property should be owned by a communist republic. This is impossible to be accepted or allowed. This is blatant hostility and unforgivable betrayal.