Qinghai is a vast land. If you have never set foot here, you will never be able to imagine that behind the blood-stained forest, there is such a beautiful paradise hidden.
The red wind goes eastward for more than 280 miles, to a pass as strong as iron, named Cuiwei, which is majestic and towering like the Canglang Mountain.
Zhuge Yue rode on, followed by more than a hundred war horses. His current personal guard captain Guo Huai walked at the end with twenty or thirty soldiers, guarding dozens of blue cloth carriages. The wind blows from the east, bringing with it the scent of earth. It is spring again and flowers are blooming. The Qinghai continent is already a sea of gorgeous flowers.
When they arrived at the gate, the guards had already received the news. When they saw Zhuge Yue, they bowed respectfully and opened the heavy city gate.
Zhuge Yue said calmly to a carriage, “Uncle San, please forgive me for not seeing you off.”
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing an old but still handsome face. But the owner of this face was frowning at the moment, and his narrow eyes were full of regret. He raised his head and pleaded for the last time: "Your Highness, I was confused. Please forgive me this time."
Zhuge Yue remained silent, merely looking at him calmly, his eyes calm and indifferent, yet like a frozen mirror lake, reflecting everything back coldly without a trace of emotion.
The old man continued to plead, "Daxia has been destroyed. My elder brother and his group have long gone to the north with the Seventh Prince. Now the little wolf cub Yan Xun is in charge of Hongchuan. If you let me go back, what should I do?"
"That's your business, not mine."
The old man almost cried, he got up and knelt on the carriage, saying sadly: "Your Highness, it's Third Uncle's fault, I was bewitched. But Third Uncle wanted to marry Chou'er to you because he saw that you had no offspring. I have no ill will towards her, I just..."
Before the old man had finished speaking, Zhuge Yue had already turned his horse's head, his back like a spear, without a single hesitation.
The old man was startled and suddenly shouted: "I didn't do anything! I was just thinking about it!"
"It's no use even thinking about it." Zhuge Yue's voice echoed calmly in the wind, like a leaf floating on the water.
"They are my wife and children. Even if you just think about it for a moment, it won't work if I find out."
A snow-white bird flew over from the Qinghai Plain, holding a branch in its mouth. It looked like a male bird that had just settled down and built a nest.
"Guo Huai, send them out."
The door opened for a long time, then closed again. He led the team back without saying a word. There were the sound of horse hooves, green grass, and eagles circling. Everything was peaceful and calm.
This is Qinghai, his home. He controls everything here with an iron fist, rules everything here, and will certainly protect everything here. Anything that might threaten this peace would be ruthlessly eradicated. Even if, just think about it.
A crisp sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out. Zhuge Yue raised his head and saw her wearing a goose yellow dress, riding on a horse, running towards him from afar.
“Whoa—” Chu Qiao pulled the reins, stood up straight on the horse’s back, looked towards the pass in the distance, frowned and asked, “Is your third uncle gone?”
Zhuge Yue nodded, "Yes."
"Why didn't you ask me to deliver it?"
Zhuge Yue smiled and said, “He can’t leave his hometown, he wants to go back home, why are you bothering him?”
Chu Qiao frowned unhappily, "He is your elder, it would be embarrassing if I don't see him off."
“What’s so ugly about it?” Zhuge Yue sneered casually, rode forward, and said, “I’m not close to him.”
Since they had already left, Chu Qiao sighed helplessly and said with a pout, "You didn't let me send this off, so don't blame me later and say that I didn't give you face."
The two chatted happily and walked towards home. The post road was straight, with lush green grass and flowers on both sides, and a faint alluring fragrance wafting from afar. This post road is the only way to the outside of the Great Wall. Now the situation in Hongchuan has been settled, Yanbei has taken control of the East, the civil war in Bian Tang has subsided, and Huai Song has surrendered to Dayan. With the political situation stable, trade gradually developed. Qinghai's policies were enlightened, and Bian Tang also established formal trade relations with Qinghai. Therefore, this post road was very prosperous and bustling. In a short while, more than ten merchant convoys passed by.
Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were both wearing ordinary clothes, and the guards behind them were not wearing armor, so they looked like ordinary people going out for a trip.
After a while, I heard the sound of gongs and drums ahead. I looked up and saw that someone was getting their daughter married. A white horse and a red sedan were riding, with music and drums, winding their way towards us.
Seeing this, Zhuge Yue smiled and said, “Today is a happy day. I encountered people celebrating a wedding when I went out.”
After saying this, he ordered Guo Huai and others to make way, and everyone retreated outside the post road. The wedding procession came from afar. The groom was sitting on his horse, looking very handsome. He bowed to Zhuge Yue from afar, thanking him for giving way. Zhuge Yue smiled and nodded in return.
Chu Qiao looked at the happy team and suddenly felt a little dazed. She vaguely remembered that it seemed like a long time ago that she had once sat on a festive royal chariot, accompanied by drums and music, walking on this newly built post road.
At that time, she was already pregnant and her waist could no longer be hidden. She understood the local customs. When a woman got married with a big belly, there would inevitably be some rumors. But he insisted that he must give her a formal status before the child was born. So, she once again became the most controversial bride in the world, wearing a loose wedding gown, sitting on the emperor's jade sedan chair, and walked into the magnificent palace gate built specifically for her.
Things in this world are always strange and bizarre. Many times, you work hard for something, but you may not be able to achieve your ideal. But sometimes, an unintentional glance back on your part is destined to create a bond that will last a lifetime.
That day, on the Wutong Terrace, she wore a phoenix crown and a red bridal robe, and married him in the presence of the whole world of Qinghai. Purple, gold, green thread, brocade and gorgeous clothes, he spent half his life's hard work to weave this grand wedding for her, and gave her a home where she could rely on for the rest of her life on the land he had built with his own hands in difficult circumstances.
She bowed her head and kowtowed, her heart filled with gratitude. She had never respected gods or Buddhas in her life, but in the end she was blessed by them. After hundreds of battles and escaping death, she finally got the man that all women in the world desired.
A man like him is worthy of the lifelong love of all loyal women in the world.
And she is the luckiest one among all these living beings.
That night, he took off her hairpins and makeup for her. The red candle was still burning and the west window was already bright. After going through life and death, he finally waited for this day.
It is like the wind on the Qinghai Continent, which has traveled thousands of times, blowing in all directions, but will eventually return to the land of red wind and find its home.
"Xing'er?"
Zhuge Yue frowned and asked, “What are you daydreaming about?”
Chu Qiao came back to her senses immediately and said with a smile: "I remembered that you didn't come to pick me up on horseback when we got married."
Zhuge Yue looked thoughtfully at the team that was gradually going away, and nodded, "Yes, how about we do it again?"
"Okay, I have no problem with that."
The two walked and laughed, and soon they entered Qiuye City and entered the Xingyue Palace through the harem gate.
However, just as he walked outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he heard a commotion coming from inside. Just as the eunuch was about to report, Zhuge Yue waved his hand and walked in with a frown.
As expected, in the yard, all the servants stood by trembling with fear. His son was sticking out his little butt and trying his best to pull his thing into the palace gate, while someone's pillow was placed at the door, obviously he had been exiled.
"Zhou'er, what are you doing?"
The three-and-a-half-year-old child was startled by the sound and sat down on the ground. He turned around cautiously, covered his eyes with his hands, and looked out from between his fingers. Sure enough, he saw his father's sour face.
I've done it and I've been caught red-handed. What else is there to say?
Zhuge Yunzhou took the risk, stood up, puffed out his belly, and said loudly: "Zhou'er is moving!"
"Why are you moving again?"
But he heard his son confidently say: "Five days for Daddy, five days for Zhou'er, it's five days now."
Zhuge Yue was overwhelmed. Yes, there was such a saying at the beginning. Although he and Chu Qiao look smart and capable, they are lawless when it comes to spoiling their child. The child lived in the same room with them until he was two years old. But this is still very inconvenient sometimes. For example, when it is late at night and it is dark and windy, and you are doing something good for your physical and mental health, there is always a little creature with ears better than a rabbit staring at you with wide eyes. This is too scary.
Finally, Zhuge Yue could no longer tolerate it, and made a pact with his son: father and son lived in separate palaces, and each of them occupied Chu Qiao for five days. Only then did they temporarily get a few nights of freedom and indulgence.
Unfortunately, from then on, Zhuge Yunzhou's trust in his father dropped drastically. Every three to five days, this man would refuse to return his mother for various reasons. The little guy is becoming more and more dissatisfied. What are you doing? You’re bullying me because I’m young and no one listens to me, right? My mother said, if you work hard for yourself, you will have enough food and clothing. If the mountains don’t come to me, I will go to the mountains. If you don’t move out, I will move in.
So today, while Zhuge Yue was out on business, Zhuge Yunzhou persevered and moved all his belongings into Chu Qiao's bedroom, and even threw out Zhuge Yue's pillow to show his determination.
“Hmm,” Zhuge Yue cleared his throat and said meaningfully, “Zhou’er, you have grown up. You must learn to be a man and stop clinging to your mother all the time.”
Little Zhuge tilted his head back, blinked his eyes, and looked at his father very seriously. Zhuge Yue thought he had succeeded in preaching, and shamelessly struck while the iron was hot, “When your father was as young as you, he was already able to bend the bow and ride a horse, and was well versed in poetry and literature. You should focus your mind on serious matters, and stop thinking about these useless things every day. Do you understand?”
Little Zhuge nodded and said obediently, "I understand."
Zhuge Yue was overjoyed. This kid finally got the idea.
"But it doesn't work." Little Zhuge pouted, stretched out a pair of red hands to Chu Qiao, and said aggrievedly, "Mom, my hands hurt, I'm so tired."
Chu Qiao looked at her precious son and suddenly her strength softened. She took two steps at a time and directed the servants to help him move the things.
Zhuge Yue stood in the yard, watching his wife betray him in an instant, his heart as desolate as fallen leaves swept by the autumn wind.
Late at night, someone got up quietly, put on his clothes and left the hall.
The person in charge of the connection outside asked proudly, "Is he asleep?"
"Yes." Chu Qiao nodded, "Hurry up, hurry up, I have to get up early tomorrow morning."
"You want to fight me, you bastard?!"
"Keep your voice down, the little guy has very good ears."
The night was as dark as ink. A child leaned against the window, staring at the two people walking side by side outside, and sighed sadly, "My mother has betrayed me."
A long time ago, Qinghai was not called Qinghai. A long time ago, this place had no name. A long time later, someone walked onto this land and saw green grass like the sea and the vast sky and earth, so they gave it this name.
Zhuge Yunzhou was not called Zhuge Yunzhou before. His name was Zhuge Kongming. Later his mother had a dream in which an old man with a fan brought thunder god to strike her, so she changed his name to this.
The Xingyue Palace was not called Xingyue Palace before. It used to be a deserted land. After a family came here, a big palace was built here and people now have a peaceful and tranquil life.
The heroes walked out of the magnificent battlefield and returned to the trivial and peaceful life. When life is no longer ups and downs like sailing in the raging sea, you will experience the joy of life.
After all, this is life.