The Taiji Palace was the hottest and most sultry place. Ice basins were placed at the four corners. The ice cubes melted slowly, and the sound of dripping water echoed in the empty hall.

Li De looked at Yao Ying carefully for the first time, his eyes slightly raised and tiny wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Yao Ying noticed his suspicion and vigilance, but remained calm.

She knew that Li De was suspicious and she shouldn't have said these things to him, but things had come to this point and she was about to marry far away, so there was nothing to worry about.

Before leaving, she had to make plans for Li Zhongqian and Concubine Xie.

"Aye." Yao Ying looked directly at the gloomy emperor in front of the dragon case. "Back then, you formed an alliance with the Xie family and promised that if you could achieve great things, you would share wealth with the Xie family. The Xie family used all their strength to recruit soldiers and horses for you, helped you recapture Wei County, and united with the Zheng family, Cui family, Xue family, and Zhao family to recommend you as a general. This is the second bill."

Li De said nothing.

Yao Ying paused and said, "My uncle Xie Wuliang is dead. The Xie family, old and young, women and children, committed suicide by taking poison. There is no bloodline left in the Xie family. The Xie clan elders who formed an alliance with you are no longer alive... But my mother is still alive. She is a daughter of the Xie family. My brother is the grandson of the Xie family, and I am the granddaughter of the Xie family."

She said word by word, "I, Li Yaoying, as the granddaughter of the Xie family, ask Weijun Li De to fulfill his promise."

Li De narrowed his eyes and his expression became increasingly stern.

Yao Ying continued, "When my uncle was alive, he told my brother not to rely on their old relationship to ask the emperor for anything, because he knew that the emperor had long been willing to break his promise. Forcing the emperor to fulfill his promise would only anger him and make life more difficult for my mother and my brother."

"My uncle is a gentleman. He cares about the world and wants to support the country. He always considers the overall situation and does not care about his own gains and losses."

Yao Ying paused, and her cold eyes fell on Li De's face: "My uncle is a broad-minded person, and that is not a reason for you to break your promise."

…

Xie Wuliang was good at physiognomy. When he met Li De only once, he immediately determined that this down-and-out man was a hero who could break the separatist pattern in the Central Plains and was willing to form an alliance with the Li family.

But he firmly opposed his sister Xie Manyun's marriage to Li De.

The direct descendants of the Xie family are dwindling, and Xie Wuliang and his sister have been dependent on each other since childhood. Xie Manyan has never set foot outside Jingnan. Innocent and simple, he questioned his brother: "Brother, since you said that Li De is a hero unparalleled in the world, why don't you allow the elders of the clan to arrange a marriage? Don't you always lament that we don't have a son who can lead troops to fight?"

Xie Wuliang replied, "Sister, Li De is good at fighting, strict in military management, good at winning people's hearts, and dares to break the barriers and employ young people from poor families. I am willing to follow him and assist him. He will surely achieve great things in the future and become a good king who is clear-headed and prudent. However, that does not mean that he is a good husband. Besides, my Xie family has been passed down for hundreds of years. We have guarded the area and protected the people. We are extremely noble. There is no need to seek wealth and glory as a relative of the emperor."

Xie Manyan said anxiously, "Brother, how do you know that Li De is not a good husband? His first wife was of a lowly family and died in the war. He risked his life to avenge her. Everyone says he is a man of loyalty and righteousness."

Xie Wuliang shook his head and sighed: "Sister, you don't understand Li De. He is loyal and righteous only to his subordinates and his followers."

Xie Manyan didn't understand Xie's infinite worries and thought that all this was just an excuse for his brother to refuse the marriage proposal, so he became depressed.

Seeing that his sister was not convinced, Xie Wuliang turned to persuade other clansmen: "Li De is from a noble family. Since he started his army, he has only appointed relatives who are dependent on the Li family and generals who come from humble families. He is very wary of the noble families. If the Xie family can assist him, they will surely be extremely glorious in the future. However, if the Xie family wants to take a step further by relying on their relatives, it will only bring disaster."

"Second Mother can marry Li De's brother or Li De's nephew, but she cannot marry Li De!"

"To marry Li De is like trying to pull chestnuts out of the fire!"

The Xie clan members thought that Xie Wuliang was worrying for no reason. Li De took the initiative to ask for marriage, so how could there be any trouble? They were determined to marry into the Li family.

Xie Manyan was in love for the first time and was obsessed with Li De. She refused to eat or drink for him and became unrecognizable due to weight loss.

The Li family came to Xie Wuliang for help again and again, swearing and vowing that if they could welcome Xie Manyuan into their family, they would treat her with great respect and not let her suffer any injustice.

Xie Wuliang could only be grateful for having such a sister. He could not bear to see her crying every day. Seeing the Li family's sincere attitude, he had no choice but to agree to let his sister marry.

"Well, as long as I am here, I can protect you."

On the day of the wedding banquet, Tang and Li Xuanzhen, mother and son, suddenly appeared at the banquet. Xie Manyan was stunned and didn't know how to respond.

Xie Wuliang took Xie Manyan away, sighed, and warned her: "Sister, remember, don't make things difficult for Madam Tang and her son. If you make things difficult for them, Li De won't distance himself from you, but he will remember every detail until the day he can no longer bear it."

Xie Manyan was confused and troubled, but he remembered his brother's advice. Although he and Tang had quarrels in the inner house, he never harmed them.

No one expected that Tang would die of asphyxiation while pregnant.

When she died, Li De's hair turned white overnight and he completely ignored Xie Manyuan.

Thank you very much, but I am disappointed.

Xie Wuliang found his sister again and told her over and over again, "Sister, don't mention the alliance with the general. Remember, don't mention it even once!"

Three years later, the frail Xie Wuliang defended Jingnan with his weak body.

When the city was broken, he ordered his men to cut off their heads and offer them to the enemy.

"Tell Second Mother not to feel sad for me. This is what a son of the Xie family should do!"

"Second Mother, Brother will no longer be able to protect you. Take good care of yourself, Hu Nu and Qi Niang. Don't let Hu Nu join the military, and don't mention the alliance to Li De."

"Brother is gone."

…

It has been eleven years since the downfall of the Xie family.

Yao Ying understood why Xie Wuliang left such a will.

Because he understood Li De.

Tang was dead, and the alliance between the Li and Xie families became a death warrant for Concubine Xie. The only way for the mother and her two children to save their lives was to try not to mention the matter.

Concubine Xie didn't mention it, Li Zhongqian didn't mention it, and Li De wouldn't reveal his own scars.

They all seemed to have forgotten their promise.

The former relatives of the Xie family in the court knew Li De's jealousy and tacitly agreed not to mention the Xie family.

Everyone forgot about the Xie family.

Forgot the generations of Xie family men who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.

Forgot the heroic souls buried in a foreign land.

I have forgotten the green tomb of the Xie family’s ancestral tomb in Jingnan, which is covered with weeds.

I have forgotten Xie Wuliang, who worked hard and ran around everywhere to quell the chaos despite being sickly since childhood.

Yaoying didn't forget.

Not only because she is the granddaughter of the Xie family, but also because she was born and raised in turbulent times, and was once stranded outside when she was five years old. She has witnessed too many separations between family members and the separation of life and death.

The mountains and rivers are broken, and the land is filled with sorrow.

Yao Ying is also one of those who struggle to survive in this chaotic world where human life is worthless. She admires the Zhu family who saved the situation, the Xie family whose ancestors sacrificed their lives for the country and regarded death as returning home, and her uncle Xie Wuliang who, despite his frail body, did not give up his ambition to support the country.

It is precisely because of the ancestors of the Zhu family, the Xie family, and the countless heroes who resolutely stood up when the country was in danger and sacrificed their lives to protect the people that we can gain peace and tranquility, and the people can live a peaceful life.

Some people admire the Xie family.

However, more people could not understand the ancestral teachings of the Xie family. They laughed at the Xie family's pedantic and foolish loyalty, and laughed at the Xie family for not knowing how to plan for themselves and only knowing how to lead troops to fight. That is why they did not fall behind after the direct descendants and the 100,000 Xie family soldiers were all strong, forcing Xie Wuliang, a young master of a noble family, to humble himself and deal with businessmen, becoming a money-grubber.

Yao Ying once thought that if her uncle Xie Wuliang were still alive, she would definitely advise him to protect himself and do more for the Xie family.

Because she is just an ordinary person who wants to live a good life with her family.

Xie Wuliang would not listen to her advice, he would just laugh it off.

The sons of the Xie family are not the kind of people who are greedy and afraid of death.

Fight for your country and die for a good cause.

For the world, for all living things, for the people, but not for yourself.

The Xie family's bloodline has been completely severed.

Like smoke disappearing, like clouds dispersing.

Eleven years later, Yao Ying stood in front of Li De, in the spacious hall of the Two Yi Palaces, and said word by word: "Your Majesty, I am not begging for mercy as a girl from the Li family, but as the granddaughter of the Xie family, I am asking for justice from the king that the Xie family is loyal to!"

"My grandma is the only bloodline of the Xie family in this world. My uncle does not ask for anything else. He only hopes that you can treat my grandma well. You once swore that you would take good care of my grandma. Your Majesty, have you done that?"

Every word was so tearful and the words fell to the ground with a sound.

Li De said nothing and just looked at Yao Ying quietly.

The Suanni incense burner continued to emit wisps of light fragrant smoke.

Yao Ying was exhausted and trembled. She stood up and continued, "The third bill was collected by me for my brother."

She twitched her lips and said, "Father, back then the Li family supported my brother to be the crown prince, and the Queen of Tang and my mother argued over this. I want to ask you a question."

Li De's face was still as gloomy as water, but the scrutiny in his phoenix eyes gradually faded, replaced by surprise and something else: "What do you want to ask, Qi Niang?"

Yao Ying's face was calm: "Father, from the beginning to the end, have you never thought of enthroning my brother as the crown prince?"

Li De was stunned for a moment, his expression becoming more and more shocked.

Yao Ying sneered: "It is true."

She said sarcastically, "Aye is very calculating. From the moment you knew that Queen Tang and my elder brother were still alive, you decided that my elder brother was your successor. But you hadn't recovered at that time, so you had to rely on the Xie family. You were afraid that the Xie family would harm Queen Tang, so you deliberately ignored her and let my mother think that you had feelings for her."

This was one of the reasons why Concubine Xie later became crazy: she thought Li De loved her.

"Later, Aye became more powerful and no longer needed to be afraid of the Xie family. By then, you had already gained the support of the noble families, and conflicts between the poor families who had joined you and the noble families continued. My brother's maternal grandfather was from the Xie family, and you deliberately pretended that you couldn't make a choice between my brother and my eldest brother, in order to paralyze the noble families and balance the noble families and the poor families."

Li De had far-sighted considerations in everything he did. For the sake of the overall situation, he could sacrifice everything, even dragging the young Li Zhongqian and the teenage Li Xuanzhen into the turmoil of the dispute over the crown prince.

Yao Ying closed her eyes: "My poor brother always thought that Aye had really placed high hopes on him. In order to get a compliment from Aye, he studied poetry and practiced martial arts every day... It turns out that he was just bearing the false reputation in vain..."

Li Zhongqian always thought that the dispute between him and Li Xuanzhen for the position of crown prince led to Tang's death, which made Li De hate him and Concubine Xie. The young man was depressed and miserable because of this, but he didn't know that all this was just Li De's scheme!

The emperor's mind is so cold and cruel.

The Zhu family of the previous dynasty was destroyed by the aristocratic families. Li Xuanzhen has always been jealous of the aristocratic families and never truly trusted them. In order to suppress the aristocratic families, even the Tang family and Li Xuanzhen became pawns in his hands.

In his life, he only loved one woman, Tang. He loved her, respected her, and also used her.

The humble-born Concubine Rong in the harem was also a chess piece of Li De. Most of his concubines were girls from aristocratic families, and people like Concubine Rong were used to balance the harem.

Yao Ying stood in front of the dragon table, her eyes fixed on Li De's graying hair.

"Li De, being your child is the greatest sorrow for my brother and me in this life."

Li De smiled faintly, as if he was mocking himself, but also as if he didn't care.

Yao Ying did not care about his reaction. "A king can be ruthless, unscrupulous, shameless, and can use brutal means to achieve his goals. As long as he can convince the people, maintain long-term stability, and ensure that the people under his rule have enough food and warm clothes, he does not have to worry about being overthrown."

"The Zhu family of the previous dynasty was eager to get rid of the constraints of the aristocratic families. They tried to suppress the aristocratic families by reforming the civil service, promoting people from poor families, and vigorously promoting the imperial examination system. As a result, they were sidelined by the aristocratic families. The last emperor was a tyrant who intensified conflicts and provoked wars, causing the people to live in misery and uprisings in various places. However, it was the rebellious aristocratic families who really destroyed the Zhu family."

If it weren't for the uprisings of powerful aristocratic families in various places, how could the last emperor be forced to flee south and eventually die at the hands of traitors?

Yao Ying looked at Li De and said, "Father, the moment you made an alliance with the Xie family, you had already figured out how to suppress the Xie family. Even without the Empress Tang, my mother would still be ignored by you, and my brother is destined not to be loved by you."

Li De put away his half-smile and remained silent for a long time.

Yao Ying met his deep gaze that showed no emotion, her eyes were like a pool of still water: "Your Majesty, how are you going to pay back these debts?"

A bright beam of light passed through the mullioned window, fell into the dark hall, and enveloped Yao Ying.

It was like a quiet night, with hazy light and pear trees full of blossoms blooming in the moonlight.

In the world and in the sky, the silver clouds are clear.

Li De looked at Yao Ying and suddenly thought of someone.

The author has something to say: I updated less yesterday, I’m sorry, we are in an epidemic area here, it’s completely blocked off, I’m a bit anxious, I was so angry when I was scrolling through Weibo yesterday.

I forgot to thank you all:

Thanks to the little angels who threw the grenade: Xiaoyame Xiaoerlang, Rose Blood Rose

Thanks to the little angel who threw the rocket launcher: 2 Gudong balls;

Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: K-someone's sugar water beauty; peachxin, Chenchen; Shanweng keeps me for another stay, 666 cold medicine, moonlight, daytime dream boat, hairpin tofu loves reading, An Ya, eat eat eat, CJY, spring and bright scenery, An Ya, pear blossom candy, Xunyang, ignorant ghost, Lin Ping, I am a little fool, firefly, untouchable, Thirteen, be good! , 26647948, Yan Zhi

ps: The sentence "The night is quiet and deep, the light is hazy" is quoted from a poem.