At that time, even if Li Ce was strong enough to protect Chu Qiao, he would definitely not be able to protect the Xiu Li Army unless he wanted to openly break with Da Xia.
At this time, the King of Qinghai, who was located outside the territory of Simon, suddenly and unexpectedly raised the banner of Daxia and sent envoys with an 8,000-mile map to surrender to the royal court. It was not until this time that people all over the world knew that the King of Qinghai, who was famous in Simon, was actually Zhuge Yue, the fourth young master of the Zhuge family who died in Yanbei two years ago.
What happened next was very natural. Zhuge Yue returned to the imperial capital and, with his powerful military strength and the support of the Zhuge clan, overwhelmed Wei Guang and replaced him as the chief elder, becoming the Grand Marshal of Daxia and naturally suppressing the military strategy against Bian Tang.
She no longer wanted to think about how much blood and gore was hidden beneath this brief gossip. They were all people who had waded through the bloody road of power and knew how deep the water was. Even if it seemed calm on the surface, there were countless fierce waves surging underneath.
The lake was filled with dim lights, shining like gold. Chu Qiao raised her head, her eyes filled with a hint of sadness. She looked at Zhuge Yue and said in a deep voice, “I heard that elm trees can communicate with gods. The older the tree is, the more effective it is. As long as you give your treasured things to them, they will bless your relatives and friends with safety. I don’t know if it’s true.”
Zhuge Yue still stood there quietly, without saying a word.
"Do you believe it?" Chu Qiao asked in a low voice.
Zhuge Yue narrowed his slender eyes slowly and said softly, “I don’t believe it.”
Chu Qiao looked at him and smiled slightly. It was hard to tell whether her expression was happy or sad. Don't you believe it?
She slowly stretched out her hand, her slender white palm slowly unfolded, her eyes were as bright as stars, but there was a hint of pain at the corners of her mouth, and she asked softly: "You really don't believe it?"
Zhuge Yue lowered his head and immediately saw the two crystal clear jade pendants. Time passed by and instantly nailed his figure to the spot.
“Zhuge Yue, I originally thought I would never have another chance.” Chu Qiao smiled gently, her eyes curved up with tears glistening in them, her lips trembling slightly, “I thought I would never have the chance to repay your kindness in this lifetime.”
The night was thick with darkness, and Zhuge Yue's back seemed so heavy that it was hard to breathe. His eyes looked straight at her, his pupils were dark and unfathomable. He didn't say anything, just looked at her straight, as if he wanted to see through her and see somewhere else.
Suddenly, Zhuge Yue sighed heavily, stretched out his arms to hold her shoulders, and said calmly: "Who asked you to pay it back?"
Chu Qiao's tears just fell, and she snuggled obediently in his arms, with many inexplicable emotions lingering in her heart. She pressed against his chest, a familiar scent floating faintly on his body, and a gentle warmth spread throughout her body. She closed her eyes quietly, the night breeze blew on them, and in the distance was a jubilant crowd. For the first time in her life, she felt that joy was so close to her, so close that she could smell the joy with just a breath.
“Zhuge Yue,” Chu Qiao suddenly raised her head, raised the corners of her mouth towards him with tears in her eyes, and said with a smile, “It’s great to be alive.”
Zhuge Yue felt a pain in his heart when he heard this, but there was probably no one else in this world who could understand the meaning of these four words better than them. He lowered his head gently and kissed the side of her face, murmuring repeatedly: "Yes, it's great to be alive."
There are glazed lights everywhere, and the New Year in Xianyang City is approaching. This New Year, everything is new.
The days seem to be stolen.
When no one was around, Chu Qiao would always get distracted from time to time. She would quietly watch the sun rise in the east and set in the west, the nights fall again and again, the New Year came and went, time quietly flowed through her fingers, and she could even see the surging veins, like clear water.
The initial excitement gradually fades away and life begins anew. She looked at the sky. Birds were flying from the north, passing through the high sky and leaving blue or white traces behind. She thought they probably went home.
She moved into Zhuge Yue's Xianyang villa, without any excuses or reasons. Zhuge Yue simply asked her if she was willing to spend the New Year with him. She thought about it and agreed.
This is a really simple New Year.
There are no extravagant court songs and dances, no melodious actors' long songs, no sumptuous delicacies, but there is a rare quietness and true peace in the heart.
In the past few days, she and Zhuge Yue went to many places, walked through long and lonely alleys, walked through ancient and dilapidated temples, ate street food, visited crowded temple fairs together, and even set off firecrackers together for a long time on New Year's Eve.
The sound of firecrackers crackled, just like that night two years ago. She stood on the busy street, her eyes full of lights. A long-lost happiness quietly surrounded her. The lights were bright all around. He stood in front of the crowd, blocking the crowded crowd for her, and occasionally frowned and turned back to scold her, like an awkward child.
Fireworks bloomed in the sky above his head, colorful and beautiful, and the afterglow shone on his cheeks, very beautiful.
Yes, it is very beautiful.
Chu Qiao couldn't think of any other adjectives to describe what she saw. She seemed to be suddenly swept from the battlefield into this bizarre world by the wind. She saw the genial sunshine, the warm lake, the happy crowd, and Zhuge Yue who had let go of all his struggles and defenses. The man who had once glared at her, drawn his sword against her, helped her many times, and risked his life for her, was now standing in front of her alive, frowning and scolding her for being a bumpkin. She suddenly felt that time was stolen from God, and every second was so precious.
The world is full of fireworks, but her eyes can only hold one person.
Like deep sea water, it surged out from the bottom of her heart after being frozen, warming her chilled limbs and numb brain.
Life blooms into gorgeous flowers in the dead end, colorfully blooming on the rotten trees. She stood on the other side of the underworld, looking into the distance, and thought to herself, perhaps, that was something called rebirth.
Although, even when watching it with my own eyes, it still felt so far away.
The door of the room was half open, and he was standing in the yard. His blue-purple clothes were embroidered with large golden brocade flowers. The moonlight shone on him, so bright that it was dazzling.
He looked at her, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't open his mouth for a long time.
The moonlight was a little sad, and from the square a few streets away there came the sound of lively gongs and drums, ping-pong, so festive. Even though she couldn't see it, Chu Qiao could still imagine the ordinary people dancing happily.
It seemed like a long time had passed, but it also seemed like only a moment had passed. He said, "Go to bed."
Chu Qiao nodded and smiled calmly, "You too."
The door closed slowly, blocking the moonlight outside. One line, one thread, and finally, it returned to darkness.
She stood at the door, pressing her fingers on the door, and the person outside did not leave for a long time. The wind was a little cold, blowing in a whistling sound. The shadows of the trees outside the window swayed, casting ferocious, swaying shadows on the window.
The time in the night watch passed by little by little, and finally, the sound of rustling footsteps was heard, very slowly, but gradually getting farther and farther away.
The wind outside the window suddenly became so strong that even the door couldn't block it, and it blew in coldly through the crack in the door. Chu Qiao leaned her head against the door and slowly closed her eyes in the darkness.
When Zhuge Yue returned, Yue Qi had just received Xiao Fei’s letter. The young guard, now a general, had a wide smile on his face as he cheerfully put the letter into his sleeve.
Yue Qi was standing outside the door in a good mood, and he couldn't hide the joy on his face when he saw his master.
"Did Xiaofei write to you?"
"Well," Yue Qi laughed and said, "Hai'er is one month old."
After years of fighting side by side, Zhuge Yue and Yue Qi were in name only, but in reality they were almost like brothers. Thinking of how Xiao Fei had just given birth to Yue Qi's son before he left, Zhuge Yue couldn't help but smile and said, "I'll prepare a great gift for your son when I get back."
Yue Qi smiled and said, "Thank you, Master."
"How is Mo'er?"
"good."
Yue Qi answered crisply that Ouyang Mo, who was taken back by Zhuge Yue, was now being raised by Xiao Fei. For this child who had lost all his relatives, perhaps this was the best choice for him.
"I'm learning acupuncture from Master Bai. He has a very high talent."
"Master," Fang Chu walked in from outside, "General Feng has sent a letter." After Yue Qi went out to lead the troops, Fang Chu became Zhuge Yue's personal bodyguard. He was born in Qinghai. His ancestors were criminals who were banished from Ximen for committing crimes. After being subdued by Zhuge Yue, they followed him all the way back to Daxia. He was a taciturn person, but he had a strong character and was definitely not an ordinary mediocre person. Even Yue Qi looked at him differently.
The wax on the letter was intact, and Zhuge Yue read it without changing his expression. He then handed it to Yue Qi, and after he finished reading it, he said in a deep voice, “What do you think?”
"Zhao Yang will not give up so easily. Once the Seventh Prince returns to join forces with the Young Master, the power he has built up over the past two years will be weakened. Wei Guang is already very old, but Wei Shuye has other ideas. He must be on guard."
Zhuge Yue nodded calmly and said softly, “This person is very sensible of the current situation and has a lot of ideas, but he has been deceived and is still making such plans at this time.”
"What should we do?"
"Follow the original plan and tell Xu Yang to be more careful. He can't make any waves at this time. Instead of worrying about him, it's better to pay more attention to Yan Bei's movements."
Yue Qi nodded, and Zhuge Yue asked again, "How is the extradition going?"
"Master, rest assured, all of Chenyue's businesses are running urgently. Lord Zhaoming and Mr. Liang have secretly recruited a large number of talents from all walks of life. Emperor Bian Tang is very concerned about the matter we entrusted to him and personally sent Lord Sun to assist. Moreover, this year's grain harvest is great, so we don't have to rely on the inland anymore."
Zhuge Yue nodded, "Is everything okay at home?"
The person in charge of Qinghai now is Fang Guangqian. Fang Guangqian is Fang Chu's uncle and also Zhuge Yue's subordinate in Qinghai. Fang Chu said expressionlessly, "My uncle wrote to me yesterday saying that everything is fine at home and everyone is waiting for the master to return."
“Yes.” Zhuge Yue nodded silently and said, “Tell everyone to speed up. Once things here are settled, we will go back.”
Fang Chu nodded, lowered his head and retreated. After seeing Fang Chu leave, Yue Qi frowned slightly and said, "Master, I don't understand."
"I know what you want to say."
The moonlight was quiet, and the bright light sprinkled softly on his shoulders. The man's face was somewhat cold, and his eyes were narrow, but he no longer had the excitement of his youth. Instead, he was as calm and gentle as the ripples in an ancient well.
"You mean, why not take advantage of the great opportunity of internal strife in Daxia, the exhaustion of the clans, and the strong enemies outside to rise up, control the family, and then replace the Zhao family, right?"
Yue Qi was shocked and immediately knelt on the ground, but said bluntly: "I am bold, but I do think so. Daxia is unkind to us, and the family is also unjust to us. The young master has been humiliated for two years, why should we help them now? At worst, we can go back to Qinghai. Anyway, the girl is here now, and we are not afraid of their threats. Qinghai is vast and rich in resources. Even if Simon is unified, we may not be afraid of them."
After Yue Qi finished speaking, she did not hear Zhuge Yue’s voice for a long time. He bravely raised his head, only to see Zhuge Yue looking up at the sky. His originally handsome face was now covered with a layer of fatigue, his brows were deeply furrowed, showing the vicissitudes of life.