1. Liu Chen got married in the third year of Yan Xi. To everyone's surprise, he married a beautiful girl from a small family and promised her the position of queen. The woman was not stunningly beautiful, nor did she have a prominent family background. The court officials and the queen mother all had objections, but at this time, no one could easily stop Liu Chen from making any decision. Outside Juliang Pass, he completely captured the hearts of the army. After breaking Princess Roujia's conspiracy, he vigorously held the noble families accountable, severely punished a group of officials who attempted to abandon the city and flee south, and quickly rebuilt his prestige. This time he did not rely on the power of Prince Ding. After experiencing many betrayals, he finally grew up and looked like a king of a country.
He always clearly remembered the day when Liu Yan resigned from him. The uncle and nephew talked for a long time in the study. The more tea he drank, the more sober he became. However, the more sober he became, the more painful he was.
"After this incident, your majesty is now able to take charge of things on his own. No one in the court can threaten your majesty anymore. It is time for me to retire, resign from the post of the Council of State, and return power to your majesty."
"Is your uncle leaving?" He was shocked.
"I have better places
to go." Liu Yan gave many reasons for leaving, and he knew that what he said was right. Although Beiliang had surrendered to Chen, its evil intentions would not die and it would always be an unstable factor. Only if he stayed in Shuobei could Beiliang be truly stable. And to make Beiliang truly return to its heart, it would take three to five years, or even longer, and the most suitable person would be Mu Zhuohua.
He vaguely remembered the imperial examination that year. When he saw Mu Zhuohua's policy of raising barbarians, he was so angry that he lost his mind. For a long time, he was prejudiced and hostile to her. But Liu Yan, who had actually fought against Beiliang for many years, read that article. Probably from that time on, she came to his side.
Liu Chen suddenly felt that the tea was a bit bitter, so bitter that it was hard to swallow, and so bitter that he couldn't speak.
Liu Yan looked at him quietly for a long time. The study was silent, with only the candle tears dripping.
Suddenly, Liu Yan said, "One day, Zhuohua asked me, since there is no poison in the wine, why did Your Majesty give her the token to save people."
Liu Chen's heart tightened, and he lowered his head and didn't dare to look at Liu Yan's eyes. His gaze seemed to be pressing on his neck. Liu Chen thought he was fearless, but at this moment he dodged because of his guilty conscience.
Liu Yan said, "I know the reason, but I can't tell her."
Liu Chen clenched his fists. He knew that he couldn't hide it from him.
"Your Majesty, you must be a wise ruler." Liu Yan laughed and filled his cup of tea for him. "A wise ruler is always soft-hearted."
Later, he couldn't remember when Liu Yan left. He just watched the tea in the cup lose its heat. He drank the cold tea and remembered many things in a trance.
He remembered the day of hunting, when she carefully treated his wounds, the Royal Garden, and the fragrance of her hair scattered in his palms, and she knelt in front of him sadly and resolutely, her eyes always clear and bright filled with tears, begging him to release Prince Ding...
He didn't know when Mu Zhuohua entered his heart. He only regarded her as a confidant with similar sentiments and a smart and considerate minister, but when he thought about it carefully, she was different from others. When she cried, his heart would also ache. So at that moment, his emotions overwhelmed his reason. He was afraid to see her grief and resentment because of Liu Yan's death, and he couldn't bear to see her kneeling and kowtowing. He wanted to tell her the truth, but in the end he didn't say anything, just threw out the token and gave up the plan of faking his death.
She would never understand his mind, because even he himself understood it too late.
He was confused by the authorities, while Liu Yan was a bystander.
As for Mu Zhuohua...
Oh, it was just because she had never really put her mind on him. Her eyes could only see one person.
In the end, he could only drink this cup of cool tea alone, letting the bitterness soak into his heart.
After a sleepless night, in the early morning, he picked up a heavy red pen and wrote a word of approval on Liu Yan's resignation memorial, removed his position as the Council of State, and appointed him as the Grand Protector of Shuobei Protectorate, Mu Zhuohua as the Deputy Protector, and ordered the two to go to Shuobei.
The Queen Mother said, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, sitting on the four seas, why should you wrong yourself if you want a woman?
But he didn't feel wronged...
He didn't want to destroy his most cherished family and friendship for a relationship that didn't belong to him, nor did he want to break her wings and imprison her in a cage to listen to her cry. What he lost was just a vague lovesickness, but what he gained was two sincere and loyal feelings.
At this time, he really understood why his father would pass the throne to him. Because his father believed that he would make the right choice.
In the third year of Yan Xi, he finally obeyed the Queen Mother's arrangement and married a beautiful woman as his queen. She was nothing like Mu Zhuohua. Although she was not very beautiful, her whole body glowed when she looked at him. When he spoke, her face would turn red and she would be so clumsy that she could not speak. She was born in a humble family and had never thought that she would be chosen as the queen. On the day of the wedding, she placed her hand in his palm in a daze. Until the wedding night, when he lifted her wedding veil, she still had a look of confusion and uneasiness on her face as if she had fallen into a dream.
She was not smart, especially in front of him. She did not have the most beautiful face and outstanding family background. She only had a sincere and passionate heart. She looked at him with eyes full of tenderness and admiration, without a trace of disguise or perfunctory.
He never thought of looking for the shadow of Mu Zhuohua in other women, because that would be a defilement to Mu Zhuohua and an insult to others.
In the fifth year of Yan Xi, he had his first prince. As a father for the first time, he happily pardoned the world. Two years later, the queen was pregnant again. Many voices urged him to expand the harem and take more concubines. Even the queen felt the pressure. She clutched his sleeve with tears in her eyes and begged him to select concubines.
He held her cold hand and asked, "If I marry another woman, will the queen be sad?"
She looked at him hesitantly, lowered her head, and said very softly, "I can't be sad."
Although she was born in an ordinary family, she was taught since childhood that as a wife, she should be generous and virtuous, not jealous, not to mention that she should be a queen, and have the bearing of a mother of the country.
He smiled and said softly, "You can be sad, you can be jealous, but I don't want you to be sad."
She stared at his handsome and gentle face in a daze, her heart was sour and sweet, but she couldn't help red eyes and tears.
The young emperor wiped away her warm tears and said softly, "It's just that without a concubine, you will have to work hard..."
She blushed and stammered, "It's not hard..."
How could it be hard to serve your husband? She loved and admired him so sincerely that she didn't want to let anyone else do it. But he often pitied her for doing everything by herself, worried that she would tire herself out.
She smiled and said, "I used to hear people say that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Now I know that your majesty is the most gentle person in the world."
He couldn't help laughing, as if he was lost in memories. He was silent for a long time before smiling faintly, "I was also arrogant and looked down on women in the world, but there was someone who taught me kindness..."
She said that most women in this world are not easy, so he should give them more pity.
But she didn't need such pity.
The heartbeat of youth is just a dream after all. If you haven't caught it, how can you let it go? It's a blessing to be a monarch and a minister with her for a lifetime.
The mountains and rivers are all in vain, and the falling flowers and wind and rain make spring more sad. It's better to pity the person in front of you.
Liu
Yan and Mu Zhuohua also got married in the late spring of the third year of Yan Xi, but the resistance to this marriage was really not small. When the people of Shuobei heard about this, they were all horrified and believed that the Grand Protector General was lustful and immoral, bullying the court officials. Lord Mu sacrificed himself to feed the tiger and suffered enough grievances.
The officials of Dingjing believed that Mu Zhuohua was no longer suitable for official duties, especially the post of Deputy Protector General, since she became the Princess of Ding. On the one hand, it was detrimental to the dignity of the royal family to show up in public, and on the other hand, it was unfair for the couple to discuss politics. If they let the two of them govern Shuobei, wouldn't it become their world?
Liu Chen heard a lot of these words. He smiled and said, "In this case, why not recall the Prince of Ding back to the capital?"
The officials changed color when they heard this. Thinking of the horrible years dominated by the Prince of Ding, they thought it was better to forget it. If Mu Zhuohua didn't die, why did they care about other people's family affairs? The current Majesty is terrible enough. With the addition of a Prince of Ding, will he still live?
Therefore, no matter how many rumors and discussions there were from the outside world, they failed to stop the marriage in the end.
On the wedding day, Emperor Yan Xi could not come, but he sent many gifts. The escort team was endless, which shocked the people of Shuobei.
This couple was also different from others. At the wedding banquet, they came out together to toast the guests. Lord Mu did not have the shyness of the bride, but under the gorgeous dress, it was a charming face that made people unable to take their eyes off. They had seen Lord Mu wearing official robes and men's clothes many times, but it seemed that this was the first time they saw her dressed in such a gorgeous and bright way. Everyone had a thought in their minds-no wonder the Grand Protector was tempted by her beauty and forced her to marry...
Shuobei's wine is all strong wine, not as sweet as the peach blossom wine in the south of the Yangtze River. After a few glasses, the bride's face was red and her eyes were blurred. Seeing this, Liu Yan did not pretend to be with the guests, and directly put his arm around the bride's shoulders and walked towards the bridal chamber.
He knew what she looked like when she was drunk.
The bride was confused, pushing his chest and muttering in dissatisfaction: "Why are you so rude? It's not good to abandon the guests. There are also the royal family of Shuobei sitting here."
Liu Yan pinched her red and hot face and laughed softly: "You still have the mind to think about others now?"
The misty almond eyes stared at him a little dully: "No, what else?"
Liu Yan sighed softly, and seeing that she was staggering and uncooperative, he simply picked her up horizontally, held her tightly in his arms, and strode towards the wedding room.
This was the big day he had been looking forward to for a long time, and he must not let anyone disturb him. However, in the territory of Shuobei, no one who was blind dared to disturb him, except for the one in his arms who was stupid after drinking.
He couldn't help but think of the first time he saw her drunken charm, which made his calm heart waver, but her soft little hand held his hand, and said sincerely and confusedly that he was better than her father...
Even in bed, he didn't have that kind of bad taste.
He kicked the door open, then hooked it with his back foot, and the door closed tightly. Liu Yan walked to the bed and gently placed her on the soft bed with several layers of mattresses.
Her dark hair spread out on the red mandarin duck quilt, her lively almond eyes were stained with misty drunkenness, and her cheeks were rosy, more beautiful than peaches and plums. He supported his hands on both sides of her, pressed his lower body against her, and slowly leaned over to kiss her soft and plump red lips, but she said belatedly: "Wait, wait, we still have to drink the wedding wine..."
Liu Yan laughed and said: "Haven't you drunk enough just now? If you drink more, I'm afraid you won't be able to get up?"
Drunkards can't stand provocation. The more he said so, the more she wanted to drink. She twisted under him, half playing tricks and half acting coquettishly: "I want to drink, I can drink another pot!"
Liu Yan took a breath, pressed down her restless legs hard, and gritted his teeth and said: "I'll get it!"
Shuobei's wedding wine was divided into two scoops from a gourd. This scoop had quite a lot of wine. Liu Yan added some warm water to Mu Zhuohua's half, and then returned to the bedside to give it to her. Mu Zhuohua had already sat up, but her hair was disheveled, her eyes were hazy, and her clothes were messy. She took the wine from Liu Yan. The two gourds were connected by a string. They sat side by side on the edge of the bed and drank the wedding wine together. Liu Yan's eyes were always fixed on her face. He saw her hands trembling uncontrollably, and half of the gourd of wine spilled out, soaking her chin, and then sank into the bright red wedding dress along her slender swan neck, and the front was also wet and turned deep red.
Liu Yan laughed and shook his head. With a pull, the empty gourd in Mu Zhuohua's hand fell into his hand. Before she could react, she was thrown onto the brocade quilt by the man again. His hot and wet lips and tongue wandered on her slender neck. The diluted strong liquor had less alcohol taste, but because it was stained with her delicate skin, it added a bit of tempting sweet fragrance. He patiently used his lips and tongue to absorb the remaining wine on her neck, and heard her unbearable gasps.
"Don't...itch..." Mu Zhuohua pushed his body weakly, but it only backfired, making the two bodies stick closer together, and they could clearly feel every emotion and change of each other's body.
His nimble tongue picked up her already loose collar, and his slender index finger untied her corset. The thin callus on the man's palm pressed against her thin waist without any obstruction, stroking her sensitive skin. Her fair and delicate body arched unconsciously under the caress, her skin showed a light pink color, and her body fragrance seemed to be more intense, arousing the surging heat and desire in his lower abdomen.
This should not have been a restrained night, and he did not endure it anymore.
This was the first time he really had her in the name of husband and wife, but they were already familiar with each other's bodies. This time there was only pleasure, no pain.
She climbed on his strong shoulders and made a hoarse moan. The traces of love were left on her delicate skin. It was unknown how long it took before she fell asleep in his arms, letting him fiddle with and scrub her body.
Liu Yan combed her sweaty hair with his slender fingertips, looked at her sleeping on her side in his arms with a smile, and gave her a light kiss on the center of her eyebrows.
Her cunning, her cuteness, her dignity, her charm, how lucky he is to have everything of her.
This year, she is twenty and he is twenty-eight, both are the best years of their lives.
This life is still long, long enough for them to go hand in hand and see all the prosperity in this world.
In fact, he has already reached the peak, but only with her can he see the real scenery.
He leaned over her ear and called softly: "My wife."
Could she hear it in her dream?
It doesn't matter if she can't hear it, when she wakes up, he has a lifetime to talk to her slowly.
In the tenth year of Yan Xi, Liu Yan and Mu Zhuohua completely pacified the situation in Shuobei, one with civil governance and the other with military achievements, pacified all the unstable factors in Shuobei, built a bridge between the east and the west, opened trade routes, expanded border trade markets, and vigorously promoted culture and education, so that the people of Shuobei accepted the Confucianism of the State of Chen, and conquered this unruly and barbaric land from the inside out. Under the rule of the State of Chen, the people of Shuobei lived a more stable and prosperous life than before. In the sixth year of Yanxi, the court of the State of Chen issued an official document allowing the people of Shuobei to participate in the imperial examinations and serve as officials in the court. This move greatly encouraged the people of Shuobei, and gradually they regarded themselves as part of the State of Chen.
At this time, many officials in Dingjing realized that what Mu Zhuohua said in the policy of raising barbarians was not just empty talk, but that castle in the air had become a reality. Liu Yan and Mu Zhuohua's prestige in Shuobei was unprecedentedly high, and they were deeply loved by the people of Shuobei. There is a saying in Dingjing that the people of Shuobei only know the protector general, not the king.
In the winter of the tenth year of Yanxi, Liu Yan and Mu Zhuohua left Shuobei and returned to Dingjing. Tens of thousands of people went out of the city to see them off for hundreds of miles, crying bitterly. In
the eleventh year of Yanxi, Mu Zhuohua was conferred the title of Minister of Rites and entered the cabinet. His son Liu Zhen was extremely talented and was selected as the prince's companion.
The court was in a state of debate about the princess' participation in government affairs. Prince Ding Liu Yan sacrificed himself to protect his wife and asked to be removed from the title of Prince Ding to help Mu Zhuohua's talent. The court and the opposition were divided into two factions, and the debate lasted for half a month. The people of Shuobei sent a letter to the emperor, pleading for Mu Zhuohua and begging the emperor to release Liu Yan and Mu Zhuohua to return to Shuobei.
The ministers were speechless and finally gave in. Mu Zhuohua was allowed to participate in government affairs as a princess, and she eventually became a first-rank official and even the chief minister.
Mu Zhuohua and Emperor Yanxi were loyal to each other for a lifetime. They ruled for 30 years, promoted culture and education, promoted women's education, supported the economy, and made all industries flourish. They created a peaceful and prosperous era and won the hearts of the people from all over the world.
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