The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 619: The Moon Reflects the Light of Frost

Ying Zheng came suddenly today, and Ji Qiong did not have time to hide Ju Rong and Bo Shuang. Of course, hiding them was useless, because Ying Zheng came today to see them.

When Ying Zheng arrived near Bugao Palace, it was already four quarters past ten. It was getting dark and the bustling palace was slowly becoming quiet.

But when Ying Zheng arrived near Bugao Palace, he heard a low, ancient, deep, mournful and sad sound of the xiao.

Ying Zheng waved his hand, and the driver stopped the golden carriage silently. Ying Zheng listened carefully, and the sound of the xiao was really touching.

In the weeping and plaintive sound of the xun, Ying Zheng could hear sorrow and grief, loneliness and longing, as well as worry and concern.

The ancient sound of the xiao, this simple musical instrument has a heritage of thousands of years. The xiao can also be lively and cheerful, but only its depth can touch people's hearts the most.

Amid all this complex and sad music, the sound of the xiao, though low yet continuous, deeply reveals tenacity and perseverance.

Ying Zheng got off the golden carriage, stopped everyone from speaking, and one person quietly entered.

Under the tall locust tree in the Bugao Palace, a dozen people sat on the ground in a circle. They were of different ages, but all were quiet and silent.

There was only one palace lantern burning in the circle of people. The tiny candlelight cut through the darkness of the night, bringing a little bit of light.

It was Ji Qiong, her mother, sisters, and Bo Shuang who was playing the xiao.

Even the little Zhenji looked up with a worried look on his face, supporting his little head with his hands and looking at Bo Shuang blankly. At such a young age, he already knew other emotions besides being carefree.

In addition to the little boy Zhenji, there were several young girls, all of whom were daughters of King Xi of Yan.

Jiang Zaoyue, Bo Shuang's daughter, is now in the arms of a beautiful woman next to her. She must be Ji Qiong's sister.

The child, who is not even one year old, is not asleep either. The baby in swaddling clothes opens her amber black pupils and looks at her mother quietly, not making any noise at all, as if she also understands the heavy sound of the xiao.

Of course, Ju Rong and her friends are not among these people. They don’t have the time to enjoy it, nor are they accepted.

Ju Rong and her friends are now cleaning the palace while almost everyone is in the courtyard. The amount of free time they have every day is very pitifully short.

At this moment, everyone in the courtyard was immersed in the sad sound of the xiao, just like the beautiful night sky today.

The night sky is bright and beautiful, but in the eyes of those whose hearts are full of sadness, the night sky is also full of sadness.

The moonlight shines gently and equally on everyone, and this gentle moonlight soothes everyone.

When the song ended, several people shed tears quietly.

Just at this moment, someone suddenly discovered that there was a person standing behind him, and the tall figure blocked the glow of the stars and the moon.

He suddenly looked back and exclaimed, "My King?!"

This cry startled everyone. No one had time to be sad or think too much. They all looked at Ying Zheng in a hurry and prostrated themselves on the ground to pay their respects.

Ying Zheng said "no need to be polite" and everyone stood up, still timidly bowing their bodies and lowering their heads, not daring to look directly at him.

Ji Qiong was so happy to see Ying Zheng that she hadn't seen him for several months.

After paying her respects, she hurried forward, wanting to throw herself into Ying Zheng's arms, but after taking two quick steps, she still didn't dare to do so. She took two steps in front of Ying Zheng and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have come to greet you. I beg your forgiveness for not coming to greet you."

Ying Zheng smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I'm here to take a look."

He glanced casually at the women around him who were cautious, reserved, and even fearful. The atmosphere of unity and harmony that they had just briefly enjoyed was long gone.

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "Don't be shy. The moonlight is beautiful today. You are in a good mood. Candlelight and elegant music are very good. I have come here uninvited to join in the fun."

Ying Zheng waved his hand, and a eunuch beside him was very sensible. He hurriedly brought a chair, and went to the hall to get a dozen cushions and placed them in a circle. The women knelt carefully and bowed their heads. Ji Qiong knelt beside Ying Zheng's right hand, and Zhen Ji was held in Ying Zheng's arms.

Sang Ruoyu was very sensible and arranged for Bo Shuang, who had just played the xiao, to sit on the left side of Ying Zheng.

The small palace lantern was also taken down, and the eunuch lit a bonfire in the middle of the crowd.

For safety reasons, it was forbidden to light bonfires anywhere in the palace, which was why these dozen people could only face one palace lantern.

Although life in Bugao Palace was indeed difficult now, with no better cushions to sit on, only mattresses and no mats to sit on, they were not so short of firewood.

A bonfire was lit, the fire illuminated everyone and also illuminated the darkness. Although the night still enveloped everything, the light of the bonfire was enough to illuminate the darkness of the palace courtyard and bring enough warmth to everyone, even if this warmth was only temporary.

Ying Zheng asked knowingly, "Who was playing the xiao just now?"

Bo Shuang stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, it is your servant."

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "Stand up."

Bo Shuang stood up slowly, still with his hands hanging and his head lowered.

"Keep your head up."

Bo Shuang lowered her head and pursed her lips. Her pair of willow-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed. After calming down, she slowly relaxed her eyebrows and raised her head.

Ying Zheng had already seen the thin frost clearly just now, and now he could see it even more clearly under the light of the campfire.

The firelight flickered and reflected the red light, and the moonlight spread gently, adding a layer of brilliance.

This is a truly stunning beauty, who looks to be around twenty years old. Even though she is now wearing coarse cloth, no makeup, her lips are pale, and her face is a little haggard, she is still a beauty that one will forget at first sight.

(Reference picture of thin frost:)
She has a thin, angular face and a heroic air. She is a typical northern beauty.

Her eyebrows are like the dark green of spring mountains, which should show the girl's brightness and reveal the radiance of spring, but they cannot hide a few traces of autumnal melancholy.

His brows were slightly frowned, as if quietly stained by the thin frost of fate, hiding a sob in his heart. He has already experienced the vicissitudes of life in his prime years.

Her eyebrows were neither thick nor thin, outlining her eyebrows and eyes perfectly, delicate and gentle. The tip of her eyebrows was slightly raised, with a hint of irrepressible stubbornness, just like a plum blossom that stood proudly in the snow and frost.

The brow peaks were not as gentle and soft as those of ordinary women, but slightly raised, revealing an unstoppable strength. Even in the bitter cold winter, she still exuded a tenacious aura, and no matter how stormy it was, it could not destroy her character.

Especially the eyes that are like the calm surface of a lake before a storm. There are thousands of helplessness and sadness in the eyes, but there seems to be a wisp of stubborn wind quietly surging in them, proving the greatness and vitality of life. This firm wind will never return to silence.

Thin frost, oh thin frost, it is so small and fragile, yet so noble and tenacious.

Ying Zheng vaguely saw Gongsun Li's temperament between her frosty brows. That was the quality he admired most, the quality of perseverance, a quality that could not be defeated no matter what difficulties or hardships occurred.

If Gongsun Li continued on a path full of pain, then her temperament would probably be the same as the beauty in front of her.

They are all so gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, tough and stubborn, so dazzling and heart-warming.

Ying Zheng nodded inexplicably and asked, "What's your name?" Bo Shuang lowered her head again and replied softly, "Your Majesty, my name is Bo Shuang."

Ying Zheng raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you Jing Ke's wife?"

Ying Zheng's question frightened Ji Qiong so much that her delicate body trembled, her hands clenched together, and her knuckles turned white. Except for her, everyone else was also worried.

Bo Shuang bowed down and said softly, "I am Ci Fei's wife."

After Bo Shuang said this, Ji Qiong's pretty face turned pale. Ji Qiong hurriedly wanted to stand up and speak, but Ying Zheng didn't even look at her and waved his hand for her to sit down.

Ying Zheng chuckled and asked, "You are using a respectful title for a traitor. You yourself are also guilty. Don't you know the consequences?"

Bo Shuang prostrated herself on the ground, calm and composed, and said softly: "The criminal has been dealt with according to the king's law. Now I am the king's slave."

"And Cifei is also my late husband. How can a wife insult her husband in this world?"

"No matter how others view my late husband, that is their business, but as my late husband's wife, my late husband has never wronged me, and I cannot wrong him either."

Ying Zheng sneered: "You have fallen to this point, isn't Jing Ke sorry for you?"

Bo Shuang kowtowed and said softly, "My Lord, I admire my husband for his bravery and loyalty. Marrying him will bring me wealth and honor. We are one as husband and wife. No matter what he did, the consequences should be borne by him and me."

"People stand between heaven and earth, so they must naturally abide by the principles of being a human being. Although I am a low-browed and ignorant person, I know what loyalty and righteousness are."

Although Bo Shuang was well-mannered and respectful, what he said could not be considered weak.

Ji Qiong, who was standing by, felt her hands and feet go cold and her mind was spinning after hearing what Bo Shuang said. She almost fainted.

Ying Zheng rebuked him, "You know little etiquette but no great righteousness, you are loyal to someone who is not righteous but destroy morality, you use a guest to plot against your master and have lost all conscience. Is this also the way to be a human being?"

Bo Shuang kowtowed heavily, and the sound of his forehead hitting the blue bricks was audible.

"Replying to the king, a man stands between heaven and earth. If he does not repay a favor, he is not a man. Yan Dan has done a great favor to my husband, and I have no choice but to repay him. My husband has committed a rebellious act, so he should naturally bear the consequences he deserves."

"No one is more wise than Your Majesty, and no one is more benevolent than Your Majesty. Loyalty is loyalty, and mistakes are mistakes. The world's affairs are always clear."

Ying Zheng calmly looked at Bo Shuang with his sword. Ji Qiong, who had been observing carefully at the side, really wanted to faint now. Now he was kneeling and only supported himself with his hands to avoid falling.

The others were also frightened to the point that their hearts were beating wildly, and they were all worried that they were doomed.

Ying Zheng suddenly smiled and said, "You are a very courageous person. You follow your husband's example and are just as courageous as him."

He laughed and sighed again: "The most difficult thing in this world is to discuss things based on facts and distinguish between the affairs of the world."

"The Qin Empire has its own laws. Since we have dealt with it according to the law, it is naturally over."

Ji Qiong couldn't help but let out a long sigh, finally feeling relieved. The feeling of being reborn made her body go weak.

It was a good thing that the king came in the middle of the night. He hadn't come for a long time, and I was almost blinded by the sight. I had finally waited for him to come, but it almost turned into a disaster. It was only because the king was magnanimous and forgiving that he would have been so.
Ji Qiong quickly stopped thinking about it. She didn't even dare to think about it.

Bo Shuang also quietly let out a sigh, kowtowed again, and replied: "No one is more lenient than Your Majesty. I thank Your Majesty for your grace."

Bo Shuang was aware of the danger of saying this, and she was also aware that the best decision was to curse along and draw a clear line between them. Even though she would be looked down upon, she would be able to protect herself and her daughter.

However, there are principles in life.

A real man has his own principles, and a little woman has her own principles.

If a wife denies her husband, what qualifications does she have to be his wife?

If you deny and humiliate your husband for the sake of your children and bloodline, then what is the point of continuing the bloodline? It's just an excuse for yourself to live a miserable life.

Once words are spoken, they are like water spilled, and it is difficult to take them back.

If you speak carelessly today in order to compromise, you will ruin everything.

Things in the world are always clear, but that is in the eyes of those who truly understand.

In the eyes of those who do not understand, the world is always chaotic. And those who do not understand will always be the majority.

Ying Zheng changed the subject and asked, "Does the song you just sang have a name?"

Bo Shuang knelt down and replied, "My Lord, it has no name, it is not a complete piece of music, I just played it casually."

Ying Zheng praised: "You are indeed very talented, truly outstanding, please sit down."

Bo Shuang bowed again before standing up and sitting down, with her head lowered, quiet and reserved, very low-key, completely unlike the way she had just faced Ying Zheng's boldness.

"Wait a moment." Ying Zheng's sudden words made everyone, who had just been relieved, worried again.

"Give me the Xun."

Bo Shuang hurriedly took out the clay xun from her arms and held it up in both hands. The maid beside her hurried forward to take it, checked and found nothing wrong with it, then presented it to Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng took the pottery xun and took a look at it. It was just an ordinary eight-hole xun with ordinary workmanship. But he did not despise it and picked it up to play it.

Music has always been an excellent way to cultivate one's mind and adjust one's mentality. There were many music masters around Ying Zheng, and with Ying Zheng's talent and ability, he was also expected to achieve remarkable results.

He is extraordinary in playing the qin, xiao, flute and sword dance. Although he is not proficient in the xiao, he has tried it before. It is not difficult to play the xiao, and it can even be said to be simple.

At least that's true for Ying Zheng.

The sound and artistic conception of Ying Zheng's xiao are completely different from those of Bo Shuang.

The sound of Bo Shuang's xiao is full of low emotions such as sadness and resentment, but the sound of Ying Zheng's xiao is full of ancient grandeur, vicissitudes and deepness, with a distant and magnificent artistic conception.

The sound of the xiao is telling of Ying Zheng's great ambitions, full of lofty aspirations, as if a god is looking down on the world.

Ji Qiong's eyes were sparkling with stars when she heard this. She looked at Ying Zheng infatuatedly. All the sadness and resentment in her heart disappeared and she only thought about the beautiful things that would happen tonight.

"I can serve the king again."

As soon as Ying Zheng finished playing the song, Ji Qiong praised him: "Your Majesty's music is truly heavenly. I am honored to have heard it. Your Majesty's xiao sound is majestic and magnificent. Although the song has ended, it still lingers in my heart. I will never forget your xiao sound in my life."

Ji Qiong's pretty face was bitter, and she said sadly: "I just don't know when I will have the honor to hear the king's music again."

(End of this chapter)