“I knew he would rebel.”
Li Ce talked to himself, and Chu Qiao did not say anything. She knew that he did not need anyone to answer him right now, he just needed someone who was willing to listen quietly.
"I have waited for him for many years, but I also have a glimmer of hope that he will change his mind and not rebel again."
Li Ce laughed at himself, raised his head and drank a glass of wine, then turned to Chu Qiao and said with a smile: "You know, Li Luo has never been as smart as me since he was a child. He is not as good as me in military law and martial arts, but he is better than me in poetry. When he was a child, he said that he hoped that when he grew up, he could summon all the learned scholars of the time, find a beautiful place to open a government office, and compile the most detailed Simon Code."
His eyebrows were slightly curled, and the moonlight leaked in through the window panes covered with white gauze, sprinkling on his handsome cheeks. He said quietly, "In fact, he doesn't know that I have been building a library for him in Anqing since the day I ascended the throne as the crown prince. It's a pity that after Fu'er died, I never had the chance to tell him about it."
His brows suddenly knitted tightly together, and his voice was filled with a hint of hatred as he squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Why did you say he had to rebel?"
The wine cup broke into two pieces with a snap, and the sharp jade object pierced into his palm, and bright red blood spurted out like a bunch of gorgeous crabapple blossoms.
Chu Qiao suddenly remembered that many years ago, in this palace, under the parasol tree in the autumn night, a man in a green shirt stood there quietly, and said to her with gentle eyes: "I am the King of Luo."
Faintly, in a dusty corner, the wind gently blew the waves of time, and time went back many, many years ago, when three young children once ran and played in this empty palace. Their laughter was like the June breeze, blowing away the thick fog in this cold and quiet palace, and blowing away this unpredictable and dark imperial residence...
"Fuer, you agreed to be my wife today. He was my wife yesterday and the day before yesterday. Today it's my turn."
"I don't want it!"
"Why? You don't keep your word!"
"Just don't!"
"Humph, I'll tell my father that I'll marry you right now."
"I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it!"
"Ah! You damn girl, why are you biting me?"
"Okay, you two stop messing around, it's time to go to the study room for class."
"Brother Luo, the prince bullied me."
"What do you mean brother? You should call me uncle! Uncle, Fu'er is sick and is biting people randomly. I have to go to the clinic to find the imperial physician. I can't go to class today."
…
The night is as cool as water, and the flashy lights and shadows of the past gradually fade away, leaving only a faint glow. The cold moon is like frost, and the ground is suddenly chilly. In such a hot summer, my skin feels slightly numb. The wind climbs up along my back and eventually lingers in my mind, spreading a sense of decadence and luxury.
Li Ce drank too much, and walked out of the gate of Mi Heju with a thin back.
Little by little it disappeared into the moonlight under the phoenix tree.
Chu Qiao stood in front of the window, watching him gradually leave, she felt her heart was empty, like a broken ice lake.
The struggle for imperial power has always been cruel and bloody. Either you die or I die.
Just like the relationship between Yanbei and Daxia, there is no reconciliation.
She suddenly thought of Yan Xun, and recalled how she felt when he killed Mr. Wu and others.
Maybe the circumstances are slightly different, but it's still a struggle for power. Now Li Ce would be sad because of the death of King Luo, so would Yan Xun regret what he did that day?
The desperate roar of Huan Huan before his death and the final screams of the Xishuo army on the banks of the Handan River merged together little by little, like a series of sharp roars, surging in his mind like a raging sea.
The edifice of power rises up bit by bit, and in the end only one person can step on it. Before that, thousands and millions of people must fall down and lay the foundation for progress.
There were a few faint water stains on the ebony table, without any smell of wine, but it sparkled with a crystal color under the moonlight.
"There is a string of wind chimes over there, but they are covered by dust. If you have time, you can ask the palace maids to clean them up. The autumn wind is cool and the sound of the chimes is clear and pleasant to the ears."
A light voice sounded slowly in my mind.
Chu Qiao walked over slowly, stretched out her fingers, and gently touched the wind chimes. With a swish, the silk thread hanging the wind chimes suddenly broke, and the whole string of wind chimes fell down and landed in the Taiqing Pool below, creating a white splash of water and rolling ripples. On August 20, 780, Li Luo, the King of Luo in Meishan, was defeated and died at the Handan River. On September 11 of the same year, Li Luo's three sons and two daughters were beheaded at Wutong Terrace in Meishan, and twenty-one of his capable generals were brutally beheaded. General Xu Su personally supervised the execution. After issuing the order, there were dozens of ownerless ghosts.
That day, Meixiang came in from outside the hall, with a few snow-white petals falling on her body, and she looked a little dazed. Qiu Sui called her several times before she responded and murmured, "I just heard that Prince Luo's concubine Xu has been found."
Xu? Xu Su’s sister Xu Peining?
Qiu Sui patted her chest and said, "Finally I found her. I heard that General Xu Su lost his parents when he was young, and he only had this sister to depend on. He loved her very much. Now he has made great contributions to Your Majesty. It would be a pity if Miss Xu met with an unexpected accident."
Meixiang frowned slightly, and her expression seemed to be shrouded in a layer of faint green smoke. The tall candle that was as thick as her forearm emitted a bright light, making her face look a little pale. She lowered her voice, her voice was sharp and low, "I heard that it was found on Luofu Mountain, hanging on a dead tree in Luofu Mountain, and both legs were taken away by wild wolves."
When Qiu Sui heard this, she screamed "Ah" and her face turned pale instantly.
Chu Qiao's heart went cold, and a trace of chill surged up from the bottom of her heart, like the milky white smoke in the incense burner, swirling and turning leisurely.
The moonlit night was cold, but singing and dancing began again in Roufu Palace, with string and bamboo music playing at its peak. Madam Ziming is now Concubine Rou, the most powerful and highest-ranking woman among Li Ce's concubines. She was diagnosed with pregnancy by the Imperial Hospital a few days ago. In two days, she will go to the imperial farm outside the palace to take care of the baby.
This long night is so long, with a dead silence amidst the hustle and bustle.
Another half a month passed like this, summer went away and autumn came, and after a few cool rains, the air became cold and humid. The summer lotus has fallen, and the Taiqing Pond is covered with black lotus leaves. Nowadays, no one in the Jinwu Palace is in the mood to draw a pool of hot spring water to prolong the flowering period.
The southwest experienced a great chaos. The Xuefu City was close to Meishan, and the Student Inn that Chu Qiao had carefully managed was also destroyed in the war, leaving only a pile of broken walls and ruins. Meixiang, Jingjing and others felt sad after hearing this. Li Ce said that he could rebuild it for her, but Chu Qiao lost interest. After all, she would not live in Simon for long.
Chu Qiao stayed in the Jinwu Palace like this, watching the sunlight passing through the vermilion window frames day after day, waiting for the arrival of another day.
She seldom saw Li Ce. After the incident with Prince Luo, although Bian Tang's military strength was damaged, the southwestern clans were completely eliminated, and the national treasury was full and prosperous. Li Ce seemed to have changed his personality and became extremely busy. Even the singing and dancing in the harem had not been heard for a long time.
Autumn is fading, light and shadows are floating, and another two months have passed quietly. Chu Qiao got up early in the morning and opened the window, only to see a thin layer of snow outside and a layer of white icicles on the sycamore trees outside the window. Living in the academy, it has been a long time since they have seen snow. Meixiang and others were very happy to see it. Jingjing took a group of little palace maids out to play. She wore a red satin cloak and looked cute and adorable.
Zhuge Yue's letter arrived again. Over the past few months, due to the impact of the Bian Tang war, Li Ce's pressure on the border of Daxia was greatly reduced, giving Zhao Yang a chance to breathe. Last month, Zhao Yang used the excuse of a training march to drive the Southern Army to quietly station at the West Camp, thirty miles outside Zhenhuang City. At that time, the northern Hu land happened to encounter a snowstorm. Zhao Che went to the northern Hu and was not in the capital. Zhuge Yue immediately took 5,000 Qinghai guards to the West Camp and confronted Zhao Yang for more than three hours.
If Wei Shuye hadn't arrived in time, there would have been a big mess.
He did not mention this at all when he wrote to her. Chu Qiao learned about this from the guard Tie You. Thinking of the danger of confronting 30,000 Southern troops with only 5,000 troops, she felt a chill on her back and beads of sweat appeared.
Emperor Xia is running out of time, and he has not attended court for more than two months. The struggle for imperial power in Daxia is becoming increasingly fierce. If one is not careful, there is a risk of defeat. When Chu Qiao has nothing to do, she will go to the Buddhist temple and copy two volumes of "Peace Sutra" and "Lanzhi Sutra". Firstly, it can kill time, secondly, it can bring inner peace, and thirdly, it is because there are people in her heart that she wants to bless.
Sandalwood incense was curling in the temple. Looking through the swirling smoke at the solemn Buddha statue, Chu Qiao suddenly thought of the Queen of the Tang Dynasty whom she had only met once. That afternoon, she woke up from her sleep. The gentle woman looked at her quietly and told her calmly to persuade Li Ce not to demolish the Buddhist temple to worship the Laughing Buddha.
At that time, Li Ce was still the mischievous Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. Now, he has become the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty who has the power of life and death and can command troops with ease and laughter.
Qiu Sui is now the head aunt of Mi Heju. The little girl grew up in the palace and has sharp ears and eyes. She can tell the coming of autumn by the falling leaves. She looked at Chu Qiao with doubt from time to time, frowned and whispered: "This time when I met the young lady, I felt that she has something more than last time."
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "Oh? What's extra?"
Qiu Sui smiled softly, combed Chu Qiao's black hair from top to bottom with a horn comb in her hand, and said quietly: "Last time the girl came back from Yanbei, she looked like a lotus withered in late summer, but now, it's winter."
“Really?” Chu Qiao tilted her head and ran her white fingers through her thick hair. The face in the mirror was like the willows on the lakeside that had survived the cold winter. The fierceness in her eyes was gone, as if the past ten years of military service were nothing more than a passing fancy. Now, she lives peacefully in the Jinwu Palace, waiting patiently. Time flies, and finally gives her some peaceful time.
At the end of the year, she met He Xiao once.
The winter wind was blowing hard, and she was wearing a fur cloak with silver tips. When she and Meixiang passed by Baizhe Pavilion in Shanglin Garden, they happened to meet He Xiao who had just come out of Yixin Palace.
He is now the head of the Ministry of War in Bian Tang's South Camp, a third-rank official, and is highly regarded by Li Ce. Even this harem is where she frequently goes in and out.
This was the first time they met since Chu Qiao left without saying goodbye, and both of them felt a little awkward when they first met. He Xiao's lips moved for a moment, as if he wanted to call her "Master", but in the end the words remained frozen on his lips, and he called out in a low voice, "Miss Chu."
Chu Qiao waved away the servants and went up to Baizhe Pavilion with only Meixiang.
He Xiao was dressed in a navy blue court robe. He was calm and handsome, with a demeanor and grace on his face that had been tempered through hardships.
Meixiang was standing outside the pavilion. The wind blew up, lifting the hem of Chu Qiao's cloak, making it float lightly like a wisp of green smoke. She didn't speak for a long time, just stood there facing the wind. The pavilion was very high, and below it was the outlet of the Taiqing Pond, which had also been built into a flowing stream, with clear water flowing, making a gurgling sound. He Xiao's voice sounded behind him, quietly and calmly.
"It's windy here, and the girl is weak, so you'd better go back early."
"Isn't the wind stronger in Yanbei?" Chu Qiao turned around, her face calm, her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of light, making it hard to see through them, "He Xiao, are you blaming me?"