When she sent Xuan Mo to the southeast, she didn't want to kill him, nor did she want to take away his military power.
At that time, Huai Song was weak and the armies of all parties were ready to take action. She intended to use the power of Yanbei to save the Nalan family and the people of Huai Song in case of an emergency. However, those courtiers in the court and the country who were loyal and interested in the country refused to agree. At that time, whoever surrenders the country will be considered a traitor and will be infamous for eternity and will never be able to turn over a new leaf. She just didn't want the Xuanwang Mansion, which had been loyal for generations, to bear the stigma for her, so she transferred him far away from the central government. She was also worried that his personal soldiers would make a fuss. If they all spoke out in unison, even if Xuan Mo refused to agree, when Yan Xun came to power in the future, the ministers of Yanbei would also frame Xuan Mo with charges. That was why she transferred his subordinates away and asked him to lead the Southeast Naval Office, which had nothing to do with him.
However, she had never expected that the southeastern bandits would take advantage of the civil strife in Huai Song to unite and attack the Southeastern Yamen. She had also never expected that Xuan Mo, a prince, would personally put on armor and charge into battle to kill the enemy.
All in all, her current situation is retribution.
She has been in politics for many years and her hands are stained with blood. One imperial decree from the emperor can mean the death of millions of people. She never regrets a move she makes. She understands. She understands everything.
So, when she saw that Yan Xun was calculating the days to come to her palace every month, she suddenly understood that he didn't want her to give birth to a child for him.
Even though she had once promised Huai Song that she would protect Song's ministers' status, she was unwilling to force it on this matter, nor did she want to label everything about them as political.
This was the only time in her life that she acted on her own will.
After each visit thereafter, she would swallow the bitter pill and kill all his worries. Later on, he came less and less frequently, and now, he hasn't spent the night in the Southeast Hall for two years.
Everything she desired in her life was like quicksand through her fingers. The more she tried to hold on to it, the more it slipped away. Now, there was nothing left.
The flames spread, engulfing each letter. The fire burned the last evidence of their acquaintance, bit by bit, along with her shattered life.
Some love is sweet, some love is burdensome. She had let Xuan Mo down and felt guilty for the rest of her life. Now, she is about to die, why should she let him know everything and make him feel guilty towards her for the rest of his life?
His life has been bitter enough, why should she add salt to the wounds?
Burn it, burn it all.
Everyone talks about wealth and glory, and power, but she is the only one who knows, and sees, what kind of scarred heart is hidden under all the splendor.
It’s not that I don’t love you enough, it’s that I can’t afford to love you.
She, like him, carries too many responsibilities and missions. She cannot afford to be willful, impulsive, passionate, or naive.
Burn it, burn it all...
Thick smoke rose, and she began to cough softly, with a fishy and hot liquid slowly flowing down. Vaguely, it seemed like the spring flowers were in profusion that year, white pears and pink apricots were flying like clouds in the early morning, his clothes fluttered, he stood in the spring garden in March, suddenly looking back, his eyes were like stars, the corners of his mouth were smiling, he looked at her who had barged in rashly, his eyebrows were long and thin, his eyes were bright, he chuckled and asked: "Are you lost? Which palace are you from?"
She was dressed in men's clothes, her face flushed red, and she mustered up the courage to speak, but her voice was still very small:
"I... I am the son of King Anling of Song Dynasty. My name is Xuan Mo..."
Maybe it was wrong from the beginning.
The beautiful spring and bright morning light were eventually covered with heavy dust by the smoke and dust of this turbulent world. The sky is clear, but it is no longer filled with colorful clouds as it was back then. Invisible swords and sabers have cut away the innocence of youth, leaving only broken walls and ruins, flashing dark yellow spots in the dark night. The funny thing is that she still stubbornly clings to those simpler days that have passed.
In his life, only two people are the most important. One has been exiled by him, while the other will eventually become his most beloved brother and live forever in the softest place in his heart.
It’s a pity that neither of these two people is her.
The hall was brightly lit, but to her, it seemed as if there was a layer of dark red gauze covering it, making it obscure, gloomy and dim.
In this life, with perseverance and persistence, and going through many ups and downs, it all eventually turned into a silent pain, falling into the cold and lonely palace. Countless lives, blood and gore were all quietly turned over by a pair of white hands. Looking back now, I only feel tired and up and down, the fleeting beauty, the floating life is like a dream, and suddenly I fall into the vast void.
The letter in the palm of my hand suddenly slipped and fell like snowflakes, floating gently and scattering all over the ground. The black ashes in the brazier rolled up, whirring, rising faintly, and spitting out pale tongues of fire.
She smiled sadly and her wrist dropped silently.
On the fourth day of the twelfth month in the fifth year of Kaiyuan reign of Emperor Taizu of Yan, it snowed heavily at night, and Empress Nalan died in the southeast hall of Yanli Palace.
"Your Majesty." The eunuch whispered behind him, "We found it."
Yan Xun turned around slowly. The Southeast Palace was now deserted. There was no one in the hall. The mourning period for the Queen had passed, and the former residents of the Southeast Palace had been assigned to different palaces. Now, the only two elderly eunuchs left here are responsible for cleaning in the morning and evening.
He opened the lid of the box, and inside was a dark gold robe embroidered with blue cloud patterns and small round "Fu" characters on both lapels. It looked simple and elegant, but there was a cut on the left cuff, which had been sewn up. If you didn't look closely, you could hardly see it.
Yan Xun stood there, watching silently for a long time, and finally raised his head, handed the clothes to the eunuch, and said, "Return to the palace."
"yes."
A group of eunuchs followed him. The door of the hall was wide open, and the cold wind blew in, raising fine dust all over the ground. The sunlight outside the palace was a bit dazzling. He squinted his eyes slightly and stood in front of the door. He suddenly turned his head and looked at the soft couch behind the deep curtain. It seemed like a month ago. She sat there and asked softly: "Tonight, I will ask the kitchen to make a few more delicious dishes. Your Majesty, are you coming again?"
Your Majesty, are you coming again?
The sunlight pierced his eyes, making his heart suddenly desolate.
It was just a momentary delay, but unexpectedly it became a farewell forever.
His brows slightly frowned, then slowly relaxed, and bit by bit, the sadness disappeared.
He was about to leave when he suddenly smelled a hint of smoke in the distance. Turning around, he saw a little palace maid squatting at a corner far away, burning something.
He was slightly stunned and led his men over.
When the palace maid saw him, she was startled, jumped up, and knelt on the ground to pay her respects.
Yan Xun looked at her, frowned slightly, and said, "Are you Wen Yuan from the Queen's palace?"
"Yes, this servant is."
"Why are you here?"
"These are the old things of the Empress. Before she passed away, the Empress said that she wanted to burn all these things. These days, I have been transferred to Concubine An's place and have not had time to come back. Today, I have some free time, so I will come back to take care of them."
Yan Xun saw Wen Yuan wearing the clothes of a low-ranking servant and with faint red marks on her neck. He knew that after the Queen passed away, her old friends in the palace must have been bullied somewhere else. He thought for a moment and asked, "Where is your home?"
Wen Yuan was stunned. She didn't expect the emperor to ask this. She quickly replied, "I came here with the queen. My home is in Song."
"Is there anyone else at home?"
"In reply to the emperor, I have an old father and mother, three brothers, two sisters, and a younger sister at home."
Yan Xun nodded and said to the eunuch beside him: "Send a message to the Ministry of Slavery to grant her the position of a fourth-rank Zhaorong female official, enjoy the salary of a fifth-rank court official, and grant her 100 taels of gold. Send her out of the palace today and send her back home."
"Yes, I remember it."
Wen Yuan seemed dumbfounded by what she heard. She just knelt there and didn't say anything for a long time.
Instead, the eunuch smiled and said, "Madam Zhaorong, you are so happy that you are silly. Why don't you accept the order and thank the emperor?"
Wen Yuan burst into tears and fell to the ground, shouting, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
Yan Xun remained silent, his eyes swept across the white papers on the floor, and finally turned and left.
The snow has stopped and the sky is as blue as a pool of clear water. The wind blew from afar, rolled up a piece of letter, and flew up so lightly, passing through the flames. The end of the letter curled up and burned slightly. The letter just floated in the wind, chasing in the direction where the man was going away.
Many years ago, under the light of a solitary lamp, the dying general used up his last bit of strength and struggled to write this letter. This letter passed through many hands, but no one thought it was wrong. It was just an ordinary letter to the Emperor of Yanbei, which detailed the troop strength stationed by Huaisong on the border of Daxia, the permanent troops stationed in the rear, and the temperaments, strengths and weaknesses of the border generals.
However, there are only three people in the world today who can understand this letter, and two of them are no longer with us.
The writing was vigorous and powerful, with Xuan Mo's name and seal written on it. However, the handwriting was definitely not that of the old friend who had been writing letters to Yan Xun for many years.
The wind continued to blow, and the letter chased after Yan Xun, circling and flying. The flames spread up from behind little by little, burning the letterhead, the greeting, the regards, and half of it...
The wind suddenly picked up, and the letter flew high up, about to pass over the figure of the person in front. However, at this moment, a pear tree suddenly appeared in front of him, with the letter paper hanging high on the pear tree. He was only one body length away from getting in front of the man.
Yan Xun was slightly stunned and looked at the tree quietly. Thinking back to when he was a kid, it was here that he first met Xuan Mo. At that time, he was lost and was wandering around stupidly, his little face flushed with anxiety, like a shy little girl.
"Your Majesty?" the eunuch called softly, "Your Majesty?"
Yan Xun came back to his senses, said "hmm", turned around and walked towards the palace gate.
The flames spread upwards little by little, and with the pear tree blocking the way, they bit by bit swallowed up the letter that had been delayed for five years. Finally, only a piece of soft black ash was left hanging on the treetops, fluttering down when the wind blew.
Far away, the little palace maid, who was still crying, picked up the other letters on the ground and poured them all into the brazier. The flames jumped up high with a whoosh, raising a bright red flame.
Even though the love is deep, the fate is shallow.
It was always like this, and it always has been like this.
According to historical records:
In the sixth year of Kaiyuan, the underground palace and tomb of Empress Nalan were completed and located south of the Sunset Mountain in Yanbei.
Twenty-three years later, Emperor Taizu of Yan died and was buried in Taiji Mausoleum, which is located north of Sunset Mountain, facing the tomb of Empress Nalan in a distance.
Qianhua River, a tributary of Chishui River, flows through this area and connects the two tombs. Because of the snow in the cold winter, it falls on the surface of the river, resembling pear blossoms, so the locals call this river "Pear Blossom River".
——End of text——