The sunlight was blinding and my palms felt like they were burning, as if words were deeply engraved on them.
Blood filled her eyes, thousands of mountains and rivers collapsed before her eyes, wild grass grew in her memories, huge cracks appeared in the earth, and sea water gushed out. She was alone and abandoned, standing in the wilderness blazing with fire, watching the avalanche in the sky and the raging sea water from the east, burying her completely in it.
She was exhausted and weak, so she closed her eyes and sank slowly into the dark and lonely cemetery.
When Chu Qiao woke up, the drizzle had just stopped. The moonlight broke through the clouds, casting its bluish-white light softly on Mi Heju's bedroom. The autumn was fading, and dewdrops dripped on the broad and thick sycamore leaves, making crisp sounds.
The hall was empty and silent. For a moment, it seemed as if everything in the world had died, leaving only her. She sat up slowly. The dry and cold wind seemed to penetrate her dead body, making her realize more clearly than ever that she was still alive.
There was a noisy sound of stringed instruments coming from Roufu Palace. It was Li Ce who was hosting a night banquet for his concubines. At this time every evening, there would be grand singing and dancing to embellish this glittering palace.
When Chu Qiao was just rescued, there was a fierce impeachment in the whole court. Civil and military officials cried, died, or hanged themselves all day long to protest. Li Ce glared at them and argued for more than ten days and finally got annoyed. At the morning court session, he kicked over the throne and shouted angrily that he would not be the emperor anymore and whoever wanted to be the emperor could do it.
All the officials were so frightened that they knelt outside the Changxin Palace for two whole days before they finally invited the emperor, who had gone on strike seventy or eighty times just a few years after ascending the throne, to take the throne. From then on, no one dared to mention Chu Qiao again.
Fortunately, Li Ce's performance afterwards really put everyone's minds at ease. Except for the fact that he was extra attentive when diagnosing patients a few days ago, he acted like a hands-off boss afterwards and returned to his romantic and philandering style. There was a small banquet every two days and a big banquet every three days. The censors finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it seemed that this vixen from Yanbei who had done so much harm to others did not have much charm. The emperor went to save her, perhaps on a whim as usual.
When Li Ce came in, Chu Qiao didn't say anything. He thought she was still sleeping, so he tiptoed around like a thief, causing the little palace maids outside to giggle and cover their mouths, holding their stomachs but not daring to laugh out loud.
Li Ce was slightly startled when he saw Chu Qiao sitting on the couch after he opened the beaded curtain. Then he walked in with a smile, carrying an exquisite basket, and said as if offering a treasure: "Someone sent pomegranates. Do you want to eat some?"
Chu Qiao didn't say anything, her eyes were a little dazed, as if she had not yet woken up from her sleep.
Li Ce sat beside her, looking at her still pale and thin face, his brows slightly frowned and then slowly relaxed. He took out a pomegranate, broke it open with his own hands, revealing the bright red pearls inside. He leaned over to look at Chu Qiao, smiled and brought it to her mouth. He opened his mouth, made an eating gesture, and said, "Qiao Qiao, open your mouth, like me, ah——"
"Li Ce, I'm cured." Her voice was as clear as water and very calm.
Li Ce looked at her and often had such an illusion, as if everything was still the same as three years ago when she was injured and living in the Jinwu Palace, and nothing had changed. But he soon discovered that things were no longer the same. She would no longer confidently tell him about her ideals and aspirations, nor would she talk about that man with hope, nor would she be full of hope and yearning for the future. Even her eyes no longer had the brilliance they once had, but seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog, dim and dark.
"Yeah, it's almost done."
"I wanna go."
Li Ce was not surprised that she would say this. He smiled and asked with interest, "Where do you want to go?"
Chu Qiao shook her head blankly and said honestly, "I don't know yet, but the world is so big, there will always be a place for me to go. If it really doesn't work, I will go outside the Great Wall."
"Is there any difference between you going outside the pass and you staying here?"
"Li Ce, Da Xia will not let me go. If you keep me here, it will bring disaster upon you sooner or later. I have killed countless Xia soldiers, twice made their northern expeditions fail, and even killed the third prince Zhao Qi with my own hands. Da Xia is not at war with Bian Tang at the moment, and when they are free, you will be in trouble."
Li Ce did not answer, but looked at her quietly. The cynicism in his eyes gradually faded away, and became peaceful, calm, and composed like water. After a long while, he whispered, “You fought against the Zhuge family for the sake of the child of the Jing family. You followed Yan Xun as a slave for eight years to survive in Shengjin Palace in order to repay his kindness. You risked your life several times to protect the people of Yanbei. You turned against Yan Xun for the Southwest Town Envoy. You lived in seclusion for two years for Zhuge Yue. You broke off a complete break with Yan Xun for the sake of the Datong Guild. Now, are you going to leave the Great Wall to avoid getting me into trouble?” The man’s voice was low and cold, with a hint of fatigue that could not be concealed. He said calmly, “Qiao Qiao, when in your life can you think about yourself?”
Chu Qiao was stunned, the night wind blew through the hall, blowing on her hair and clothes. Li Ce gently put his arms around her shoulders, held her head down with his hands, and embraced her naturally without a trace of lust.
He exhaled lightly and said softly, "Qiao Qiao, there are many ways to live in this world. You can live in poverty, you can live in wealth, you can live in mediocrity, you can live in achievement, why do you always choose the most difficult way to live for yourself? You are not as good as ordinary people in the market."
Li Ce's voice came slowly and entered his ears. Chu Qiao leaned in his arms, her thoughts frozen. She thought, isn’t it? If they were really ordinary people in the market, they would not have such a heavy karma, such deep ties, and even if there were betrayal and letdown, deception and abandonment, it would not be as heartbreaking and bloody as it is now.
The moonlight shone in quietly, sprinkling on his and her shoulders. Chu Qiao suddenly felt very tired. But Li Ce, I spent eleven years climbing a mountain. Someone told me there was a snow lotus on the mountain. But when I climbed up with all my might, I found that the top of the mountain was bare and there was nothing. The mountain is so high. I climbed up with great difficulty. Now that I am disappointed, how can I get down?
"Qiao Qiao, hope is in your own hands. If you don't let yourself go, no one can save you."
As the days passed, the cold winter came, but Bian Tang did not feel the slightest bit of winter. Chu Qiao finally settled down in the Jinwu Palace. Although she was nameless and without status, this palace was full of nameless and without status women. In addition, given her previous great reputation, no one dared to provoke her.
The imagined coercion and revenge from Da Xia did not come. It was as if they also believed that Chu Qiao was already a useless person. All previous grudges were wiped out and they did not even send a messenger to question her.
Chu Qiao thought that this was very abnormal. Her current status was almost equivalent to that of a Japanese prisoner of war. Given the current angry anti-war sentiment in Da Xia, why would she give up the opportunity to kick a fallen dog so easily?
She went to ask Meixiang, and Meixiang said shamelessly: "If they dare to come, tell Commander He to tear off their heads one by one."
Meixiang was her maid in Huihui Mountain. Her parents and relatives died in the war, and she was a slave waiting to be sold before she met her. After she came to Bian Tang, this girl actually rode a horse alone from Yanbei to find her.
Qiu Sui, the little maid sent by Li Ce, put down a bowl of iced pears with a smile and said proudly, "Sister Meixiang is right. Besides, His Majesty is so kind to the young lady, who would dare to come and shout?"
Chu Qiao shook her head, feeling somewhat worried. It shouldn't be that simple. Could it be that Li Ce was forced to agree to some conditions of Da Xia?
Chan Er said timidly, "But I heard that it was a certain Sima Li from Da Xia who wanted to make peace with our Bian Tang, so Da Xia did not come to trouble you."
Grand Marshal? Chu Qiao frowned slightly. The Grand Sima of Da Xia was the chief elder of the Council of Elders. Could it be that Wei Guang let her go?
She had not inquired about what was happening outside for a long time. She was in a daze all day long and did not see outsiders in Mi Heju. She really became what Li Ce said, "living in mediocrity is also living."
She had been tied to Yan Xun for half of her life, going through darkness and silence, blood and rain, and swordplay. Now, she had finally reached a dead end, a dead end, and could go no further.
Later, she asked Li Ce why Da Xia didn't come to trouble her. Li Ce was showing her a picture of a lady who was selected in this year's beauty pageant with great interest. He raised his head and threw her a wink, then smiled with a scoundrel look and said, "Maybe Emperor Xia still has fantasies about me."
No matter how inappropriate her current mood was, Chu Qiao couldn't help but chuckle and accompanied him to look through the more than three-foot-high scroll of beauties. Looking at the girls of similar age to her with graceful charm in their eyes and brows, she felt that those gazes were from another world.
Before leaving, Li Ce stood at the door, suddenly turned around and said to her with a smile: "Qiao Qiao, think about it carefully, who else in this world would be so good to you? Willing to give up many things for you, go through life and death for you, spend all your family wealth for you, throw away everything for you, save you from danger and life and death, but don't tell you. There are not many people like this, you have to think about it carefully, and tell me when you have made up your mind, and I will buy you a dowry and marry you off in a grand manner."
Outside the window, the sycamore trees are red and yellow, blocking out the sun. The sunlight shines in through the gaps between the leaves, making it all golden and decadent.
She stood in the quiet hall, thinking about Li Ce's words before he left, and carefully pondered the last battle in Yanbei, when to attack, when to set up defenses, where to retreat, who would provide cover, how many armies would attack, how many armies would block, who could deliver information in time, who could appear in the territory like thunder, and as Li Ce said, who would be so good to her?
The dusty thoughts emerged bit by bit, like a vine, entangling her body. The moon rises, the moon moves to the west, the moon hangs on the treetops like a crescent moon, the moon sets, the sun rises, and the sky is gorgeous again.
She stood there all night, pondering and verifying her astonishing idea. Excitement gradually welled up in her eyes and crystal tears fell on her chest, rolling out in big drops, but there was not a trace of sadness or sorrow. She was caught in a web of surprise and hope, and her body was shaking uncontrollably.
At that moment, golden sunlight shone through the window lattice and sprinkled on her pale face. She smiled like a carefree child, laughing through tears.
It was still raining on the day Chu Qiao left the palace. She did not say hello to him, but just took a simple bag and rode out of Zhengyang Gate. The drizzle sprinkled on her shoulders, but it seemed so vibrant.
Li Ce was still the emperor who did things his own way. At this moment, he was sitting on the roof of the Imperial College Hall, wearing a dark red gown with gauze, sitting on the high eaves. A group of ministers were kneeling under the Imperial College, crying and roaring in worry, but he seemed not to see them. The fragrant breeze blew on the corner of his clothes, lifting the arrow sleeve pattern inside. He looked at the Rose Imperial Road in the distance. He saw a girl in a goose yellow cloth dress, riding a white horse. On both sides were continuous sycamore trees. The dazzling colors were like a gorgeous painting.