Four months, that's enough.
He smiled slightly and played a cheerful tune on his flute to bid her farewell. The clear flute sound, like the melodious song of a lark, penetrated the luxury and prosperity of the palace, followed her figure all the way, walked out of one palace gate after another, crossed the golden thresholds, high corridors, and dark red palace walls, and went to a vast world.
Bian Tang protected him, but was ostracized and suppressed by his family, and his bright future was almost ruined.
He fled to Yuegong after a narrow escape, but he was like a cunning rabbit that had no three burrows. He was put in a desperate situation with no way out. His country and family abandoned him, he became a villain and was cursed by thousands of people. Even after his death he could not be included in the ancestral temple and family tree, and he eventually became the number one traitor in the empire.
A strange man rose up in the Jedi, and with his own strength, he changed the fate of Qinghai in the outside world. His mighty power intimidated Simon. Although the time was not yet ripe, he led his troops eastward just to save his beloved's life.
Daxia was sharpening its knives to attack Bian Tang, and Yanbei sent troops eastward to avenge the loss of his wife. He was willing to abandon his glorious foundation and return to his homeland, betting an army of millions, and finally got his meager wish fulfilled.
Zhuge Yue, I have always thought that I was the craziest person in the world, but when I face you, I finally realize how shallow and arrogant I am.
Li Ce smiled in his heart. How could he compete with a madman?
We are all chess pieces that have long been chosen by God. I can't break free, and Yan Xun can't break free either. Only you have the courage to break free and escape again and again, and the courage to jump into the vortex again and again. In the end, I lost to you, and I lost with my whole heart.
The tune was unusually brisk, and it sounded so funny when combined with the heavy cries of the officials below.
Sun Di stood under the palace, looking at the seemingly rebellious figure and listening to the cheerful tunes that filled his ears, but he felt extremely lonely.
The road to the palace is long and cold, with high palace walls on both sides. You can vaguely smell the sweet fragrance outside the palace.
Under such a bright and warm day, a gentle ripple is rippling in someone's heart, breaking through the lonely mist of every midnight and disturbing the delicate jade dust in the silent brocade palace.
He has always been like this, looking through all the sobriety in this world with his slightly drunk eyes.
As night fell, the officials cried until their voices became hoarse. Several old ministers had epilepsy and were carried away early.
The entire palace was shrouded in luxurious lights. The brilliant palace lanterns shone through the thousands of doors and windows of the Jinwu Palace, quietly illuminating the night of the Jinwu Palace. Memories are in disarray, like a thin thread torn from a piece of silk. With a gentle pull, the entire piece of gorgeous silk is scattered, leaving only a piece of luxurious red.
Li Ce climbed down the ladder step by step. All the officials climbed over crying, shouting at the emperor to take care of his health and not to act recklessly.
"You are indeed loyal to me. Today I have figured it out. My dear ministers, please stand up quickly."
Everyone burst into tears, thinking that the emperor had finally gotten the epiphany.
"In order to reflect carefully on what I said and did, I have decided to suspend court for three days. Everyone should go home and think carefully, and study ways to help the world and enrich the country." After saying this, he walked away in the stunned eyes of many ministers. Before leaving the Imperial College Hall, he couldn't wait to say to the eunuch, "Hold a banquet for three consecutive days, and bring all the selected beauties to Roufu Hall."
Everyone was speechless, and the emperor walked away laughing triumphantly.
After leaving Baizhi Pass, it is the land of Daxia. Although it is already midwinter, Xianyang is located in the southwest and has a mild climate. It was still raining when Chu Qiao left the pass.
Standing on the official road outside Xianyang City, she suddenly hesitated, not knowing whether she should go in. The eleven years of her life were a magnificent painting. The first eight years were the reflection of the cold moon in the dark night under the waves, and the last three years were bloody and hideous knife marks. Now that she had suddenly thrown off the shackles of fate, she didn't know where to go.
The initial excitement gradually disappeared, and the cooling consciousness collided violently in his mind. If it was true, what was his current identity, and how could he have any intersection with someone like her? She had nearly killed him several times, and now was she going to destroy everything in front of her with her own hands? And if what she thought was all wrong, and what Li Ce said was just that Yan Xun was merciful and let her go, then how would she feel?
But now, she no longer has the courage to even ask a question.
She settled down in Xianyang City and rented a small house with a separate door and yard in a remote location. There were two weeping willows in front of the door, but they were bare at this time.
In the blink of an eye, seven or eight days had passed and the New Year had arrived. The city of Xianyang was decorated with lights and full of joy. Seeing that she was a single young woman living there alone, the landlord next door invited her repeatedly to spend the New Year with her, but she declined each time.
A few days later, the annual Lantern Festival arrived. There was a light snowfall in the early morning, but the snowflakes melted before they hit the ground. Instead, a thin layer of snow accumulated on the tree branches. Looking from afar, the mountain peaks in the distance are all white, the water below the mountains is flowing, the city is full of sycamore trees blocking the sun, and it is a beautiful scene of lakes and mountains.
The landlord was a plump woman in her thirties, who looked very kind. She had a pair of children and her husband was a teacher in a private school in the city. Her family was considered well-off. The girl seemed to like Chu Qiao very much. Every day when she passed by the door, she would stretch her neck to look inside. Her brother saw that she was curious, so sometimes he would hold her up from below and let her lie on the green wall to take a look.
In the evening, Chu Qiao left the house on her own because she was afraid that the landlord would come to call her for dinner again.
It was not yet dark and the lantern market had not yet opened, but the streets were already very lively, with crowds of people everywhere. Various snack stalls were lined up around the street, and vendors selling wine, food, tobacco, rouge and toys filled the main street of Xianyang. Chu Qiao thought it was too lively here, so she avoided it a little.
Because it was a festival, the ladies of wealthy families who usually did not go out also went out one after another. Sedan chairs, soft chairs or horse-drawn carriages carried by several people could be seen everywhere on the street. One after another passed by Chu Qiao, and occasionally a few bursts of laughter could be heard, and the warm breeze blowing in from afar created a peaceful and quiet scene.
Compared to the red, pink and bright green everywhere, Chu Qiao's clothes were very plain, but after all, they were from the Bian Tang Palace, and were more gorgeous and exquisite than ordinary civilian clothes. A thin lotus-colored gauze dress and a light blue and lotus-white long silk skirt, with faint magnolia flowers embroidered with very light-colored silk threads, look like fresh new lotus flowers from a distance. In addition to her calm and gentle temperament, when she walked alone on the long and quiet street of Wutong trees, all the scholars and young men passing by were vying for her attention. Occasionally, some wanted to come forward to chat with her, but hesitated when they came to her. They only felt that her cold and relaxed aura was not like the reserved and artificial one of ordinary women, but that she really did not take the many figures of people seriously. After a moment of hesitation, she had already gone far away.
The sky gradually darkened and dusk fell. The weather was nice, with a full moon tonight. The stars were sparse, and the faint moonlight gently fell on her shoulders.
This was not her first time to come to Xianyang City. Three years ago, she led her troops to escape from Zhenhuang City. On the way, she met Zhao Chun'er and his sister who were in distress. After escorting them, she was chased by Zhao Chun'er and fled all the way to this place.
Time flies, and there has been no news of Zhao Song for many years. The prince of the royal family who once made the wind and rain call the wind and rain must have faded out of the competition of Daxia because of his hidden illness. Zhao Chun'er was even more torn into pieces, step by step, as she entered the underworld. Now she was scattered and no one knew where she was.
A faint smile appeared on Chu Qiao's lips. The smile was so faint that it disappeared before it slid to the side of her face. It looked like a cage of thin smoke, dispersing sadly in the cold wind.
Perhaps, Li Ce was right. In this world, people who are too smart are always unhappy.
In the distance, large areas of bright lights lit up, red, green, golden and dark pink, looking like colored glaze. The sound of firecrackers, the cheerful laughter of children, and the shouting of vendors came in the wind along the lakeshore. To her ears, it sounded like a warm cold fire, burning warmly but without any warmth, as if it came from another world.
It’s been a long time since we had the Lantern Festival.
She looked up, her gaze seeming to penetrate time and freeze on the first day.
The scarlet pony, the child in white fur, and the snow-white rabbit lantern in hand followed the young man. The man turned around with cool tranquility in his eyes. She had always thought that it was cold-blooded cruelty, looking down on the common people below with disdain from a high position.
However, now that she thought back to that time again, she seemed to see clearly into his eyes and saw a hint of timelessness.
If there hadn't been the lanterns that day, if the children's firecrackers hadn't startled her pony, and if she hadn't galloped out of the city and trudged through the snow with Yan Xun all night, would everything have been a little different?
Maybe not. Maybe the hands that should be held tightly will still be held tightly, the sword that should be raised will still be raised, the oath that should be betrayed will still be betrayed. Everything will proceed slowly according to the process set by God. No one can escape the cycle of fate.
But, at the very least, if there had not been that separation, then when we think back to the Lantern Festival with him today, there would not just be a blurry back and a warm candlelight.
Before I knew it, I had walked a long way. By the lake stood a big, thick and tall elm tree, probably thirty or forty years old. It was covered with red strips of cloth and colorful paper-cuts. That is the superstition of the country people. They believe that there are gods living in the elm trees. The thicker and older the tree is, the more powerful it is. Over time, people who encounter difficulties often come here to worship, praying for success and the safety of their old friends.
Chu Qiao stood under the tree, an inexplicable emotion arising from the bottom of her heart. She didn't know what was on the tree, she just looked up quietly, half-closed her eyes, and stared for a long time, without joy or sadness. Her sight penetrated the dust of the years, like a clear lake.
She didn't know that when she was bought by the Zhan family here three years ago, a man also passed by on horseback. The sun was pale that day. He was in tattered clothes, standing quietly under a tree, and passed by her by a hair's breadth.
Chu Qiao reached into her bosom, but only touched a jade pendant. She held the jade pendant and suddenly lost her mind.
This was what she had snatched when she and Zhuge Yue had a night fight at Tian Chengshou's residence in Wupeng City. Afterwards, she was found pretending to be a dancer by him, and he had asked her for it back. She was still angry at the time, so she said she had thrown it into the lake in the residence. This caused the servants in Tiancheng Shoufu to be busy all night, digging the lake and diverting water, but in the end it was in vain.
The day she left Yanbei, she took nothing with her except this thing.
As time goes by, memories are like a piece of cold jade against her heart. She tilted her head back, her eyes filled with bitterness.
After many twists and turns, it finally turns to the face of the departed person. Even though the mountains and rivers are no longer there, the years have been tortuous, and they are separated by Yin and Yang, there is still the lingering family and national hatred separating them. Besides, with her current physical and mental condition, how could she have the qualifications and courage to get close to him?
Chu Qiao closed her eyes, waved her hand and threw the jade pendant up. It was only a moment, but thousands of thoughts flooded into her mind. The universe was playing tricks on her and he, after all, were nothing.
She turned around and was about to leave, but she heard a crisp ding sound behind her ear, like slender fingers gently plucking the strings of a guqin. The sound was long and pleasant, and instantly penetrated the spine. Chu Qiao looked back in panic and saw two bright rays of light falling from the elm tree, landing squarely in her hands, one on the left and one on the right.
They are crystal clear, warm and smooth, and are exactly the same in style and quality. They are actually a pair of twin jade pendants.