Half an hour later, the scale of the fight escalated, and Prince Ling's personal soldiers also joined the battle. The local patrol team of Zhenhuang just watched from the other side. No matter how the people in the west of the city cried and shouted, they just blocked it all with one sentence "wait for orders from above", stood on the periphery and waited for the two groups to fight inside.
At this time, gangs and hooligans in Zhenhuang City took advantage of the situation to rob. After a while of small-scale robbery, they found that no one paid attention to them, so they became more and more domineering. There was wailing everywhere in Zhenhuang City, and the common people were hiding in their homes, trembling in fear for fear of getting burned.
Chu Qiao ordered the soldiers in the mansion to take strict precautions, keep the doors closed, and not go out at all.
He Xiao and Zhuge Yue's personal guard Yue Liu were responsible for the defense of the mansion. After a while, the lights outside the mansion suddenly came on, as if it was surrounded by a large number of people.
Yue Liu and other personal guards gnashed their teeth, rubbed their hands, and drew out their wolf swords, looking as if they were ready to fight to the death. Chu Qiao found it strange and asked He Xiao to go out and get some information.
He Xiao came back soon and told Chu Qiao with a smile that he was an inspector general from the government, who was ordered from above to protect Sima Mansion. Soon, the noise from all directions became much quieter. It seemed that this so-called inspection army had played a role. However, when Chu Qiao asked about Yue Liu, the young guard scratched his head and said in confusion that he had never heard of any Inspectorate Army.
At the second watch, there was a sudden commotion at the gate. Chu Qiao had just stepped out of her room when she saw Zhuge Yue hurriedly walking in in a dark purple fur coat. Seeing her, he asked, "Did I scare you?"
Chu Qiao laughed and said, "Do you think I'm made of paper? When I was out there killing people and setting fires, you didn't even know where you were reincarnated as a human being."
Zhuge Yue picked up the teacup and took a sip, then forced a smile and sat down.
Chu Qiao asked: "What exactly is going on?"
Chu Qiao rarely asked about Zhuge Yue's affairs. Firstly, her position and status did not allow her to know too much, and secondly, she no longer had the energy to meddle in other people's affairs. But she was really worried about what happened tonight.
Zhuge Yue raised his head and saw her worried look, feeling somewhat guilty. He held her cold hand and said, “It was Mu Yun and the others who caused the trouble. The South Gate was controlled by Zhao Yang’s men. I came out from the North Gate, so I was a little late.”
"What good will it do them to make trouble? If the situation gets out of hand, the elders will drive the border troops back to their territory, and then no one will be able to gain any advantage, right?"
Zhuge Yue smiled coldly and said, “That’s exactly what they were planning.”
Chu Qiao frowned, then immediately figured out what was going on. She couldn't help but sigh, "That was a close call. Luckily you got out quickly."
Zhuge Yue patted her cheek and said, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t be tricked by this.”
Today, the confrontation between Zhao Che and Zhao Yang is basically the confrontation between the Southwestern Army of Daxia and the Eastern Hu Army. Zhao Yang has the Prince of Ling and Young Master Mu as his arms, and Zhao Che also has Zhuge Yue's Qinghai Army. Now that Emperor Xia is critically ill, almost all the border troops are staying in Kyoto with their master. This is against the rules. If anything goes wrong, they will definitely be sent back to their territories. However, whether it was Zhao Che, Zhuge Yue, or Jing Han, their subordinates were all local border troops, and only Zhao Yang still controlled the Jingji Xiaoqi Battalion. These 30,000 cavalry battalions may be insignificant on the battlefield, but once all the border troops are repatriated, these 30,000 troops will be the most powerful force in the imperial capital. If Zhao Che does not return to the north with the Donghu army, he will definitely fall into the hands of Zhao Yang. Once he returns to his territory, the candidate for the next Emperor Xia will basically be determined.
During the year when Emperor Xia was critically ill, similar competition dramas were staged almost every day in Daxia. Chu Qiao had led troops before, so she naturally knew the pros and cons of this. She stepped forward to comfort Zhuge Yue, saying, “Be careful and don’t worry about me. We have enough soldiers in our mansion. Even if 10,000 people come to attack the gate, we can still defend it for two hours. You don’t need to divide your troops to protect me next time.”
Zhuge Yue was stunned when he heard this, and asked, "When did I send my troops back to the palace?"
Chu Qiao was stunned and said, "Just now, the government's inspectorate came and guarded us for more than two hours."
Zhuge Yue frowned and thought for a long time before shaking his head and saying, "That's not my person."
Chu Qiao looked at him doubtfully, her face full of seriousness.
Zhuge Yue smiled, held her hand, and said, “It’s okay, they probably don’t mean any harm.”
"Is it Wei Shuye's people?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be Zhao Shisan's people."
Chu Qiao felt as if a handful of snow was sprinkled on her heart, and it suddenly became cold. Zhuge Yue's voice was a little low, "The Emperor is critically ill, and almost all the powerful people in Zhenhuang City are in the palace. He is the only one who is not in the palace at this time and has the ability to mobilize the government."
A trace of solemnity flashed across Zhuge Yue's eyes, and he slowly said, "It's been so long, I really forgot about him."
The hall was filled with the smell of burning incense and the heat was so great that people could only wear thin gauze. But Chu Qiao stood there, still feeling the chill spreading from her fingers, climbing up her spine, and drilling into her mind.
Zhao Shisan, Zhao Song, had one arm cut off by Yan Xun, his brother also died at his hands, and his mother's family was destroyed by himself and Yan Xun. Has the most powerful prince in Zhenhuang City back then been forgotten to this extent now? He is not even allowed to enter the palace to serve the sick?
He held her in his arms, feeling distressed when he saw her pale face and blue lips, and said softly, "Xing'er, why don't I take you back to Qinghai first?"
Chu Qiao was still in a daze, as if she hadn't heard clearly. It was not until he said it again that she quickly shook her head, nervously grasped his sleeve, and shouted, "I don't want it!"
She raised her head and looked at him stubbornly, like an unruly little lion. Zhuge Yue sighed helplessly, stretched out his arms to hug her, and whispered: "It will be soon."
Yes, it will be soon. Every time the ministers and princes saw the emperor’s appearance, they would say this when they returned home. They told their subordinates and relatives that it would be soon, the emperor would not have much time left, and the days of anxiety would be over.
However, day after day, the emperor's mouth became crooked, the emperor became confused, the emperor could not recognize people, the emperor could not eat...
It sounded like the emperor was hanging on to his last breath, and would pass away in the next moment. However, winter came day by day, heavy snow blocked the doors, the sky was covered with silver, and the Spring Festival was approaching, but the emperor still survived day by day. Not only did he not die, it was said that he could occasionally utter a few complete sentences, and from time to time he could open his eyes and drink a few sips of ginseng soup.
No one knows what that old and broken body is still holding on to. It seems that he has some unfulfilled wish and is waiting for someone, just dragging on day after day, refusing to close his eyes.
The atmosphere in the capital has been tense because of him. Because no one was completely sure, no one dared to take the initiative to kill the king. The tension in Zhenhuang City seemed like a bow with a fully drawn string. Any loud cry from a beggar on the street would startle a flash of knife light. Even newborn babies did not dare to cry loudly at night.
That morning, just as Zhuge Yue was leaving for the morning court session, someone came to visit him.
The girl was wearing a pure white fox fur cloak and standing in the snow. Her eyes were dark and her lips were red. She was as beautiful and refined as a person in a painting.
The winter light is dim and distant, as if it is coming from another world, and it feels cold when it shines on our bodies. Chu Qiao stood at the door facing the wind, wearing a Su Qing cloak. Suddenly, she froze and just looked at her, not moving for a long time.
The visitor smiled slightly, a very faint smile, and walked forward slowly, standing in front of Chu Qiao, and said with a sweet smile: "Sixth sister, don't you recognize me? I am Xiao Ba."
Time suddenly passed so quickly, like a river of spring water, winding eastward, and its shadow could no longer be seen.
The little child from the past knelt beside her. He was so small and thin as a wolf cub who had never been fed. He kowtowed in the cold moonlight and swore to his dead brothers and sisters, asking them to wait and see until she avenged them.
In a blink of an eye, fourteen years have passed.
Chu Qiao recalled the day of the execution. She hid in the crowd and listened to the child crying out her name, asking her to save her. However, Chu Qiao did not go out after all. She just snatched the broken corpse from the mouth of the wild dog at night when the moon was covered by clouds, and then let her sink into the cold blue lake without even a straw mat.
Fourteen years had passed, and Chu Qiao thought she was dead. She had dreamed of her stubborn tears countless times, and she blamed herself for fourteen years. It was also because of this that she hated Zhuge Yue for so long.
Her eyes became hot and she almost shed tears. She stood at the door, stretched out her hand, and smiled slightly. It was so bitter, but also carried the joy of surviving a disaster, like a full bottle of water, overflowing bit by bit.
Xiao Ba held her hand, smiled very lightly, and said, "I'm very powerful, I'm still alive, you didn't expect it." Her voice was very familiar, light and always with a hint of alienation.
They entered the room together. Xiao Ba walked around the room very familiarly, then sat down on a couch in the corner, took a deep breath, and said with a smile: "Zhuge Si still has this habit, he likes to use agarwood incense in the room."
She looked around with a familiar look, and casually mentioned Zhuge Yue's living habits, then picked up a pomegranate and played with it in her hands.
Chu Qiao looked at her, with thousands of words on her lips, but she didn't know where to start.
Xiao Ba smiled at her and said, "Sixth sister, don't be surprised. It wasn't me who died that day. At the last moment before the execution, your husband replaced me and raised me for many years. He and I have our grievances, but I am not here today to force you to fulfill your promise to avenge your family, because even I have given up the idea of revenge a long time ago."
A breeze suddenly blew in the room, causing the curtains in the corners to flutter slightly. Through the sunlight, tiny dust particles could be vaguely seen flying in the air. The sunlight was so glaring between Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba that she had to squint her eyes, but she still couldn't see Xiao Ba's face clearly.
Chu Qiao looked at her, feeling a sense of strangeness. She thought for a long time, and then asked gently, "Xiao Ba, how have you been these years?"
“It’s OK.” Xiao Ba said nonchalantly, “Zhuge Si was pretty good to me. I think I might have benefited from you. Later, he went to learn from Mr. Wolong and took me with him. I studied calligraphy with him, but he always restricted my freedom and wouldn’t let me leave. I ran away several times but was caught by him every time. This went on for many years until…” At this point, Xiao Ba raised his eyelids and glanced at Chu Qiao. He suddenly burst into laughter and said, “Until the rumor spread that he died in Yanbei and the Zhuge family took him away. I was driven out of the family, and we in Qingshan Court were also driven out of the house, so I was free. Later, I wandered outside. As a girl, I didn't have any skills to make a living, so I fell into the dust. I wandered in the brothel for more than a year, and then I met the Thirteenth Prince. It was all thanks to you, Sixth Sister, because I look like you, and I was immediately favored by the prince. Now I am a slave in the palace. Haha, after so many years, I am still a slave, but the treatment has been improved a little. "
Chu Qiao listened to her casual tone, heard her mention Zhao Song, and thought of what she saw on Xiangzhi Mountain a few days ago, and the woman in men's clothing. She couldn't help but frowned slowly and asked in a deep voice: "You knew I came to Zhenhuang a long time ago, why didn't you come to find me?"