As time passed, when Chu Qiao, now a wife and mother, stood here, she suddenly understood everything Yan Xun had done. She had no relatives in her previous life and never watched the people she loved die with her own eyes, so she would never understand what kind of crazy hatred that was. If someone were to harm Zhuge Yue, Yun Zhou, and Zhen Zhu now, I’m afraid her desire for revenge would not be much less than Yan Xun’s.
Because it is not the one you love, you cannot empathize with him/her.
At this moment, she finally understood.
The sky and the earth were vast and the moon emerged from the clouds. Yan Xun's figure disappeared on the horizon. Chu Qiao looked in the direction where he disappeared. In a trance, she seemed to see that afternoon many years ago again. The young man's eyes were shining with bright sunshine, and the corners of his mouth were raised proudly, with the spirit of a young man full of vigor and vitality. He bent his bow and drew his arrow, which shot towards him like a meteor, brushing past her neck and giving her a ray of sunshine of rebirth.
Then he raised his eyebrows slightly, looked over and looked at her with interest.
Their eyes met for a moment, as if they had forged a long lifetime. He was on that side and she was on this side. A mountain thousands of feet high now stood in the place that was once within reach. The light and shadow lingered in her dreams, and gradually became taller and more majestic. In a trance, it was the same year when the grass was swaying and the sky was ethereal. Looking up, the sky was still as blue as a mirror, and it seemed to reflect the innocent face of my young age.
I can vaguely see time slipping through my fingers. Going upstream, it is that year when the grass is lush and the warblers are flying. A sunny boy sits on a lush tree, picks up a pine cone and hits it on the girl's bun. The girl raised her head angrily, raised her middle finger and gestured from a distance. It was originally an insult and ridicule, but the other party thought it was an apology.
The years have gone from "I will always be by your side" to "We are done with each other from now on", and finally reached the end where it can no longer continue. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and recall that innocent face from many years ago. It is already blurry and I can’t see the features clearly. Only those words drifting in the wind keep echoing in my ears: “If I help you once more, I will not be named Yan!”
But in the end, I still forgot the oath I made in anger. Just like the promises made later, they were torn into pieces.
The hair is disheveled and the eyes are clear. The picture is old and worn-out, but still pure and tranquil.
It turns out that so much time has passed, but those memories are hidden deep in my mind, turning into lonely migratory birds, lingering around, over and over. Finally, time told them that everything had come full circle.
The wind was blowing strongly, but she didn't feel cold. Compared to this cold world, she had already gained so much. The sorrows of youth gradually faded away, were covered by dust, and gradually became a monument whose head and face could not be seen clearly. The past is like the wind, flying messily in the air, like a broken kite that has broken free from its string and is gone forever.
The sound of horse hooves sounded behind her, but she did not turn around. Then, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, hugging her tightly without mercy. The jealous voice of the man sounded sourly in her ears, "What? Have you finished catching up with your old lover?"
Chu Qiao turned around and looked at Zhuge Yue's face which had become noticeably thinner in recent days. She suddenly reached out her hands to hug his waist, buried her head in his chest, and remained silent.
Zhuge Yue panicked immediately. Normally, Chu Qiao should have acted like the Queen Xiu Li and argued with him at this moment. But wasn’t it too strange that she was acting like this now?
“What’s wrong?” Zhuge Yue pushed her shoulder, frowned, and suddenly said in a sinister voice, “Did the Yan guy bully you?”
Chu Qiao didn't say anything, just leaned in his arms. In the cold wind, her thin figure looked particularly thin.
Someone suddenly got angry and said, "You are so good, Yan Xun. I lent you my wife with good intentions for a while, and you dare to bully me?"
Zhuge Yue pushed Chu Qiao aside and strode towards the warhorse, saying as he walked, “I’ll go and beat him up!”
"Don't go." Chu Qiao suddenly grabbed him, put her arms around his waist from behind, and pressed her cheek against his cold armor, like a blade of grass leaning against a big tree.
The wind blew from afar, blowing up the snow on the ground. Zhuge Yue turned around helplessly, hugged his wife, and asked softly as if coaxing a child: "Xing'er, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine." Chu Qiao shook her head, "I just miss you a little."
The moonlight was dim, but one could still see a smile gradually spreading across someone's lips. Zhuge Yue tried his best to control his joy and not show it too obviously. He coughed lightly and said, "I've only been gone for a few days, why are you becoming more and more like a child?"
"Just a few days?" Chu Qiao leaned in his arms and said in a muffled voice, "But why do I feel like it's been a long time?"
Zhuge Yue smiled even more happily, lowered his head and kissed Chu Qiao on the forehead, "Okay, it's cold here, let's go back."
"Um."
Chu Qiao obediently followed him onto the horse. The two of them rode together, not pulling on the reins, and slowly walked towards the camp.
"Yue, don't be so reckless and go into battle yourself in the future. I will be worried."
The word "Yue" was enough to make Zhuge Yue's bones soften. He no longer paid attention to what she said. He immediately put on the appearance of a model husband and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
"If anything happens to you, what will happen to Yunzhou, Zhenzhu and me? How will I live without you?"
Chu Qiao has always been thin-skinned, and as seldom speak sweet words as rain clouds in the desert. Now that she is acting so abnormally, how can someone still remember those spoiling questions just now?
"Yes, I understand."
"Ten thousand Yanbeis, ten thousand Qinghais, and ten thousand Simons put together are not as important to me as you. Whatever you do in the future, you must think of me first. If anything happens to you, I will definitely not live alone."
Chu Qiao continued her tender offensive.
Finally, the Qinghai King's defense line was breached, and someone who never apologized made an exception, lowered his head and behaved like a little rabbit, "Xing'er, I know I was wrong and shouldn't have made you worry."
"Well, it's good for you to know."
"I will remember that."
"Okay, let's go back. I'm hungry."
"good."
…
If you love, you should say it boldly.
Chu Qiao, who had just had an epiphany, made full use of this sentence. What's more, saying these words can make someone forget some unpleasant topics, so why not do it?
The north wind is blowing and the snow is flying. People who walk alone are all alone, while those who are together are dependent on each other. In this world, power, status, money, and authority are open to all those who are mentally strong and unyielding, but love is something that only those who are sincere can obtain.
At the foot of Sunset Mountain, Zhao Che and Zhao Yang stood under the imperial flag of Great Xia, looking at the two colored battle flags of Yanbei and Qinghai returning together, and could not help but be stunned.
After a long while, Zhao Che raised his lips. He had fought in the North for many years, wiped out countless Northern countries, and created a large foundation. He smiled at Zhao Yang and said, "The world is so big that there are all kinds of things. If those three people can join forces, why should we two fight?"
Zhao Yang turned his head away with disdain and said calmly, "I didn't fight with you. It was you who kept chasing after me."
Zhao Che frowned and said, "If you hadn't come to fight me during the civil war, would I have been driven out of Simon by Yan Xun? Hitting you twice is not enough."
Zhao Yang immediately retorted: "I fell into Yan Xun's trap. But if it were you, with such a good opportunity to get rid of me, wouldn't you not do it?"
Zhao Che said angrily, "You damned boy, you have been like this since you were a child. You and I are brothers, why should I get rid of you?"
Zhao Yang curled his lips and said, "Brother, humph."
Zhao Che: "I really don't like your weird look!"
Zhao Yang: "Same here, I also despise your hypocritical behavior!"
Zhao Che: "Say it again, do you believe I will really beat you up?"
Zhao Yang: "Come on, who's afraid of who?"
…
Wei Shuye stood behind the two of them and sighed helplessly.
"Alas, this is not the youthful arrogance. After all these years, I still can't let go of this face. Who saw that Zhao Che had a hard time beating Ximoye, so he secretly disguised himself as a horse thief in the north and went to Ximoye's subordinate city Zibo to beg for money? And who saw that it was snowing heavily on the border of the north and was afraid that Zhao Yang would not be able to provide food and grass, so he deliberately sent 20 soldiers to escort 200 carts of military rations, and then they were robbed? Although this pair of brothers are not born of the same mother, their temperaments are really ridiculously similar."
War eagles circled and screamed, and the great battle against the Quanrong was finally coming to an end.
The Quanrong came with great force, but under the attacks from various forces, they could not hold out for even half a year. Three months later, most of the Quanrong people withdrew from Simon's territory. Only small groups of bandits who did not have time to escape hid in the mountains and wilderness. Sooner or later, they would be killed by wild beasts or by the angry people of Yanbei. Princess Zhao Chun'er of Jing'an disappeared during the war.
Although this result made the people extremely angry, it also gave many people peace of mind. After all, there are also troops from Da Xia in this coalition. If they capture this Da Xia princess with an embarrassing identity, they really don’t know what to do with her.
Yan Xun integrated the Great Yan cavalry, and together with Zhuge Yue and the other three allied forces, they chased the Quanrong out of Meilin Pass and beat them so hard that they fled in panic. It is believed that it will take them at least thirty to fifty years to recover.
In October, most of the troops responsible for the pursuit returned. There were more than 100,000 captured Quanrong cavalrymen, who marched in a mighty force across the Yanbei Plateau. Now they have ceased to fight and no longer have the mighty force they once had.
On the third day of November, the Yanbei Plateau cleared up after heavy snow, and the whole place looked bleak and desolate.
Civil and military officials from all over the country gathered at the Goddess Peak in western Fujian. The army was endless, the officials were like tides, and the colorful flags and armor covered the sky and the sun, stretching for miles.
In front of a tall temple on the top of the mountain, on top of a stone hall built of Xilan stone, a two-faced goddess looks down at the world with compassion in her eyes. The vermilion brocade, the dark prayer flags, the contrast of red and black fluttering high above the stone temple, just like the bulging belly and sharp battle axe of the goddess, protection and killing coexist.
Emperor Yan Xun of Great Yan, Lord Zhuge Yue of Qinghai, King Zhao Che of Great Xia, Commander-in-Chief of Great Xia Army Zhao Yang, as well as Princess Xiuli Chuqiao and Regent Grand Tutor Sun Di of Bian Tang, signed the famous "Treaty of Shennu Peak" here.
The treaty has a total of 28 articles, which make relevant agreements in military, commercial, political, diplomatic and other aspects. Bian Tang, Daxia and Qinghai also officially recognized for the first time Dayan's ruling power over the Eighteen Prefectures of Hongchuan and the territories of Huaisong. They also agreed that there would be no war within 30 years and that a peaceful land would be restored to the people of Simon.
This treaty lasted for more than seventy years until the 852nd year of the Baicang calendar, when Nalan Tianhe, the vassal king of Song, rebelled and was suppressed by Emperor Zhaowu, the second emperor of Dayan. Bian Tang took advantage of the situation to attack Dayan, and the famous Battle of Tanghu broke out on the border. This was the first war after the Treaty of Shennv Peak.
Over the past seventy years, Simon's economy has developed rapidly, its people have been open-minded, its commerce has flourished, and its politics has been clear. Driven by Qinghai and under the strong leadership of King Xiu Li, Bian Tang reformed the social system and amended the laws in 796, abandoning the original slavery system and replacing it with a feudal system.
Five years later, a reform broke out in Dayan that shocked everyone. The Emperor of Yan followed the will of the people, abolished slavery, and completed the transformation from slavery to feudal autocracy. As a result, Yan Xun won the unanimous support of the people. All officials submitted a petition to honor him with the title of "Emperor Beici". Yan Xun vigorously weakened the power of clans, vigorously selected common officials, firmly controlled military power, and greatly consolidated the Great Yan regime. For three hundred years, the Yan cavalry roamed across Simon, invincible and no one dared to stop them.
Under the leadership of Zhao Che, Daxia destroyed the Northern Rus Empire and the Maro Empire, expanded northward by hundreds of thousands of miles, and established the unprecedentedly powerful Daxia Dynasty. Its territory was so vast that even Dayan could not match it. However, a hundred years after Zhao Che, his descendants were unable to maintain such a huge empire, and the Great Xia Dynasty finally fell apart again. Fortunately, the Fourteenth Prince Zhao Yang had been operating on the northern border for decades. At the critical moment, he gathered the remaining troops of Zhao Che and the huge wealth accumulated over the years, and continued to maintain the Zhao family's rule in the north.
Qinghai declared independence in 791, with the country's name "Qing", the national flag being the Star-Crescent Flag, and the capital being Haiqing. Zhuge Yue, the King of Qinghai, proclaimed himself emperor and was given the title Bai Yuan. In 791, the year was officially changed to the first year of Daqing Bai Yuan. After the King of Qinghai ascended the throne, he abolished the system of concubines in the harem, gave up the position of queen, and had only one wife. Princess Xiuli Chuqiao was made the Queen Mother of Qinghai, who participated in state affairs and assisted the King of Qinghai throughout his life. Her figure can be seen behind every government decree in Qinghai.
Because the monogamous system of the King of Qinghai was similar to the imperial concubine system in the Western Regions, King Xiu Li was also known as the First Imperial Concubine of Qinghai, or the Imperial Concubine Xiu Li.
Thanks to the enlightened policies of Emperor Bai Yuan and Empress Xiu Li, Qinghai became the richest country on the continent thirty years later. The economy is developed and the technology is advanced. In the 321st year of the Bai Yuan Dynasty, Qinghai was the first to experience the Industrial Revolution. Science and technology spread throughout Simon and promoted the scientific development of the entire continent.
Fifty years later, a democratic party uprising occurred in Qinghai. As the royal family was unable to suppress it, the civil and military officials, led by the emperor, opened the imperial edict on national crisis left by Emperor Bai Yuan and Empress Xiu Li four hundred years ago. After reading it, they took the initiative to reorganize the state power, and Qinghai embarked on a democratic republican social system. It was more than 1,800 years earlier than the Western countries across the ocean.
Time flows away like a flood. Three years after the Battle of Simon, Chu Qiao gave birth to her third son, Zhuge Yunye. The whole country of Qinghai was celebrating. Inside the Xingyue Palace, there were toasts, singing and dancing, and the atmosphere was filled with joy.
Inside the inner hall, Chu Qiao's hair was already in disarray, and she was panting. Her nails scratched across Zhuge Yue's back muscles, and sweat flowed down her shoulders, dripping into the red gauze curtain.
"Yue... didn't Mr. Gao say... my... my body..."
"Huh... He just said it's okay..."
His gums creaked, the temperature of the warm tent was scorching, and it was not until the banquet in the front hall was over that Zhuge Yue's long-accumulated desire was released. After the clouds cleared and the rain stopped, the two of them lay in each other's arms. Chu Qiao leaned in Zhuge Yue's arms, quietly closing her eyes, her fingers unconsciously drawing circles on his chest.
Suddenly, the woman who was known as Simon's number one general raised her charming eyebrows, bit her bright red lips, and asked, "Zhuge Yue, I have given birth to three children. Am I too old? Will you dislike me?"
Zhuge Yue stared at her with his phoenix eyes slanting sideways, and saw that her hair was disheveled, and she was sweating profusely. Because of the birth, the white breasts on her chest were particularly large. The flame that had just been extinguished suddenly burned fiercely again.
"I will immediately tell you with my actual actions whether I dislike you or not."
An evil voice suddenly sounded, and the second round of wind and rain arrived in an instant.
After two consecutive battles, Chu Qiao was so tired that she could not even open her eyes. She leaned in Zhuge Yue's arms and fell into a deep sleep.
Zhuge Yue wiped the sweat off her forehead, covered her with a blanket, and then held her in his arms, calling softly, “Xing’er?”
“Hmm…” Chu Qiao closed her eyes, not knowing whether she heard it or not, and responded muffledly.
Zhuge Yue’s eyes were as gentle as spring water. He lowered his head and kissed her between the eyebrows. The smile on his lips was gentle and lingering for a long time. Finally, he said slowly in a low voice: "I will always love you."
The red candles were burning brightly, and the person in her sleep had no idea what precious words her husband had said to her while she was sleeping.
The nights were long and this life was filled with ups and downs, but fortunately, there were countless nights like this ahead where they could sleep in each other's arms.
"Go to sleep."
(End of this volume)