The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 228 My Wife's Heart Is as Sharp as a Knife
The mountains are dark green and the carriage is moving in the drizzle.

The Queen looked haggard, and Zhu Youzhen and Zhu Lingya, who were holding her hands on either side, looked pale, and the mother and son looked lifeless.

Yes, it was so embarrassing. They fled, oh no, they entered the court in a hurry. Although Wang Yanzhang and his group of warriors were loyal, they were simple-minded and only brought some dry food. Of course, Bianliang was in chaos at that time, and there was no room for cleanup. Therefore, they only had hard vinegar cakes, fried rice, and soybeans to eat, and lacked clean clothes and clean drinking water.

On the way, they encountered many deserters and thieves. When they saw the carriage, they all scrambled to grab it. Fighting all the way, 1,900 soldiers were killed or wounded, and many horses and insufficient dry food were lost.

The last meal the Queen had had was a snake or bird that Huangfu Lin had caught for her the day before. She didn't dare light a fire, so she skinned it, gutted it, and removed the parasites before eating it raw. Her stomach was still churning. The soldiers had killed some dried meat for her, but she refused to eat it.

Even going to the toilet had to be done under the protection of warriors... She hadn't showered for seven days, and had been living in the wilderness. Her hair was so greasy that it would stick to her fingers if she touched it, and her body odor was unbearable. When she opened and closed her legs, she could clearly feel the wetness and stickiness in some parts of her body...

Dignity in ruins!

Can't even maintain the most basic decency!

This is not a life for human beings...

wanna die.

"Huangfu Qing." The Queen called softly.

"I'm here." Huangfu Lin, a horse-riding attendant beside the carriage, responded.

"Where have you been?"

"Luoshui. After crossing the river, we will be able to meet Li Sheng in the afternoon. We have sent Liu Kuang and his party to the court to report the news. If everything goes well, the saint will know and will send people to pick them up. We will probably meet on the other side. Even if Liu Kuang fails in his mission, he can slowly rush to Xin'an. This area is already under the control of the royal army and is quiet."

The Queen Mother felt relieved for a moment, and then continued, "When Huang Chao was killed, his subordinates surrendered to Pu with his head. Pu killed Shang Rang, Lin Yan and others without exception, and took Chao's head as his own achievement. If you encounter the reinforcements from the royal army, be sure to be alert and talk to them from a distance."

"As long as the support troops are sent by Li Sheng after knowing the situation, they will have no guts to do it even if they have the intention to do it."

Don't be afraid, the saint has already considered this and appointed Zhang Xian as the person in charge.

After a pause, the Queen called out again, "Huangfu Qing."

"exist."

"Are there any beans or millet?"

"Only this." Huangfu Lin handed a piece of meat to the car window.

The Queen lowered the curtain in disappointment.

"Mom, I'm hungry, let me eat..." Zhu Youzhen curled up into a ball, breathing in but not out.

At the age of 33, the queen felt like crying but also ashamed.

"Boom boom boom..." The sound of thunderous hooves could be heard amid the pattering rain. Before the dizzy and shaky Queen of Heaven could react, Huangfu Lin's face suddenly changed. He rode away on his horse, shouting, "Hao Zuo, who is that?"

"On the other side of the river, I can't see clearly. They could be Li's men, or they could be Zhu Youyu's men coming to hijack the emperor! I'll go and ask! Hi! Hi! What?..." Hao Zuo's voice gradually faded away, and outside the car came a noisy, panicky, joyful, and excited conversation.

"It's Thief Li!"

"Wu, the Saint is here to pick up the Queen!"

"..."

The sound of horse hooves approached rapidly.

"Mom, I'm scared, woooo..." Zhu Lingya's faint sobbing voice echoed in the car.

The Queen Mother forced herself to be alert and looked out to observe the situation. The vanguard of several hundred riders quickly arrived near the carriage, but did not come up immediately, but stopped and wandered three hundred steps away. Huangfu Lin and others protected the carriage that was forced to stop, staring at the other party nervously.

"Hurry!" More and more knights gathered here in dozens and hundreds. They restrained their restless horses, stuck their lances in the mud, held the ropes with both hands, formed a dark arc in the rain, and cast their eyes. The joy and excitement of the more than a thousand Bian soldiers disappeared, their faces turned pale, and their calves trembled wildly.

Wang Yanzhang sat still, staring straight ahead at the patrolling vehicles.

Huangfu Lin returned to the chariot, dismounted, and seemed ready to engage in a foot battle with those chattering barbarians and wolves.

The queen bit her lower lip and covered Zhu Youzhen's mouth as he cried out in pain.

But the other party had no ill intentions. After they searched the surroundings and confirmed that the environment was safe, a lieutenant rushed to the edge of the 100-step area and shouted, "I am Shelifa, the tenth general under Mo Li! Where is Wang Yanzhang?"

Wang Yanzhang rode forward: "Here."

After some negotiations, the arc-like tide retreated more than a hundred steps.

The Bian army, with their hair standing on end, put away their weapons one after another and calmed down with lingering fear. After a while, two generals came with more than ten riders on horseback, crossed their arms and said, "Mo Li's envoy Ashina Yingchen and Leopard Tactics Lieutenant General Zhang Xian have been ordered to escort the Lady of Wei to the court."

The queen's heart was beating fast.

The younger brother was one of the generals who came to support her. Obviously, the saint was worried that his subordinates would kill her in exchange for the title of king. He was also trying to reassure Wang Yanzhang and other guards to avoid unnecessary conflicts and troubles.

Really thoughtful.

Lady of the State of Wei. This was the title bestowed upon her by the sage when he ascended the throne in the first year of the Wende reign. Zhang Xian and Ashina Yingchen now addressed each other as Lady of the State of Wei in public, indicating that the sage still recognized her and did not regard her as an accomplice, and showed his intention to protect her and the Bian army that brought her to the court.

He is indeed a kind and loyal person.

Soon, the guards were half-pushed and half-asked to step aside, and their weapons and armor were confiscated. I don't know if it was Ashina Yingchen's fault or the saint's special instruction, but they also distributed dry food to the Bian army.

"Madam Wei, please have some food." The car door was opened, and a basket of steamed cakes, fruits, and cheese was placed at the door.

Before the Queen spoke, a childish voice rang out: "We have food to eat, we have food to eat..."

With a gust of wind, Zhu Youzhen, Zhu Lingya, Zhu Lingrou, and Zhu Youzi climbed to the basket and stretched their hands into it impatiently... With a "pop!", Zhu Youzhen burst into tears. The Queen Mother pulled her son back and said, "Give it to the soldiers first. They have all eaten. You can eat later..."

"Your Majesty..." When these words were spoken, the accompanying Bian army was moved.

"Don't be afraid, madam. There is plenty to eat." Ashina Yingchen said.

Hearing this, the Queen did not stop him.

While wolfing down her food, the Queen sat there maintaining her reserved demeanor. She was too embarrassed to do this in front of others. Ashina Yingchen and his gang of idiots could not understand, so they stood by the car door and watched her.

Lao Tzu!

After waiting for a while, seeing that she did not eat, Ashina Yingchen bowed and said, "Madam, since you have entered the court, you can no longer use the chariot. This is presumptuous. Please switch to the white bronze calf-decorated chariot that the saint prepared for you."

So careful?

She thought she would have to ride a horse to Xin'an.

Fortunately, the saint did not trample on her last bit of dignity.

The Queen calmed herself down and was about to get off the car when she suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you have any clothes?"

"What do you need clothes for?" a military student nearby asked.

The Queen kept silent.

"General, this thief is Zhu Wen's first wife. Should we search her body to prevent any hidden weapons?" someone suggested.

Wang Yanzhang and Huangfu Lin on the side, seeing that the Empress might be humiliated, immediately stood up to argue with Ashina Yingchen, but were restrained by their subordinates in a low voice.

The Queen of Heaven clenched her sleeves tightly with her ten fingers, and a feeling of despair rose in her heart.

Fortunately, Ashina Yingchen still had some brains. Seeing the reaction of Wang Yanzhang and his ilk, he was worried that they would become enemies in the future, which would not be conducive to the Saint's winning people's hearts. He waved his hand and said, "We will just pick up Madam Wei and her entourage, and let the Saint search for them himself when we return."

The queen looked very embarrassed, her cheeks burning, but she remained calm.

Compared to being searched in public...

That’s fine…

Afterwards, he took Zhang Yueyi, Zhu Youzhen and others and boarded the neat white bronze-decorated calf cart.

Sitting in the new car, the Queen was distracted.

It all happened too fast and too suddenly.

without any precautions.

There was no sign at all.

Unconsciously, it brought her the kind of surprise and tenderness that only a similarly intelligent person could experience and be pleasantly surprised by.

Unconsciously, he quietly appeared in her world. From official documents, the generals' mouths, Zhu Wen's scolding, and midnight imagination, without any prelude, he walked into her reality hastily, hurriedly and directly, as if it was God's will.

How should we meet?

She didn't want to look so disheveled, ugly and sloppy.

It was unclear whether it was out of pride or something else. In her current state, she could be calm and indifferent in front of Huangfu Lin and others, but she couldn't do that in front of the person she was about to meet. She subconsciously wanted to appear in front of him in the most beautiful and best way.

Why is that?
As the white bronze carriage swayed, the Queen of Heaven, no, now I should call her Madam Wei, Madam Wei began to feel nervous, uneasy, irritable, afraid, and self-blaming.

****
In the evening, the troops arrived at Xin'an. They were settled separately, and Mrs. Wei and her family were taken to a courtyard near the imperial court to wait for an audience. Mr. Li received the news while he was deploying military affairs, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The two saints of the false Liang Dynasty, the male saint was executed, and the female saint was finally captured.

After the meeting, he rushed to the courtyard to see what was new.

In the yard, the Queen Mother comforted the four children: Zhu Youzhen, Zhu Youzi, Zhu Lingya and Zhu Lingrou.

Zhen and Ya were her biological children, while Rou and Zi were born to Concubine Shi. Zhu Wen had threatened to slaughter Li Shimin's entire family more than once, and if Li Shimin held a grudge and wanted to retaliate, the Queen Mother dared not think about it.

My younger sister Zhang Yueyi sat next to me, feeling uneasy.

Suddenly, a group of quick footsteps were heard outside the yard.

The queen's heart began to pound.

Don't you give her the time and space to fix her clothes and makeup?

Do you think she is ugly and dirty?
Very disappointed?
He covered his face with his sleeves, tried to go into the house, but then sat down again.

So be it.

"Creaky." The door was gently pushed open. The Queen Mother looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man in dark green Taoist robes, a purple gold hibiscus crown on his head, and a jade sword in his hand standing at the door.

He has a tall and strong figure, standing there like a bamboo in the stone that is strong despite thousands of polished stones.

He has regular features and a handsome face. His face and pupils reveal a vicissitude that is inconsistent with his age. He is deep, steady, cunning, and hypocritical, like an old fox. There are white spots in his hair, which makes him look haggard. The only flaw is that there is an arrow wound on the right side of his face, and there are dense scraping lines on the left side of his face, which destroys his natural appearance. In addition, the thick beard under his nose and chin makes him look more dangerous, sinister, and domineering, which makes people fear and fear.

He looked like he had just finished a job, with beads of sweat on his forehead, but a seductive fragrance wafted from his body in the breeze.

It turns out that men can also be fragrant.

Based on his temperament, age, and the greed and pride that was faintly visible in his eyes, the queen immediately figured out the other person's identity.

The saint stood in the doorway, looking down at her.

The Queen Mother sat with her hands clasped together, looking up at him.

Perhaps seeing a few children in the yard, he turned around and gave some instructions to the outside, suppressed the sound of the armor leaves colliding, then took his hand off the hilt and went into the yard alone.

The Queen breathed a sigh of relief.

If it only shows the ugly side to one person, it's okay.

"Which one is Zhu Youzhen?" He looked at the children and asked.

The Queen was startled and Zhu Youzhen threw himself into her arms.

The saint snatched it away!
Zhu Youzhen burst into tears. Seeing Saint Li's ferocious expression, the Queen of Heaven panicked and reached out her hand: "No!"

This was actually the first sentence the two said when they met.

The saint ignored him and picked up Zhu Youzhen in front of him with one hand, looking him up and down.

Isn’t this Zhu Hanlin!
The unauthorized division of Wei Bo caused Wei Bo to defect to Li Yazi, which enabled the usually sluggish Wei army to achieve remarkable feats and become invincible in the battles with the Bian people.

The unauthorized relocation of the garrison triggered rebellions in the three towns of Xu, Yan and Yun.

He employed the wrong people and trusted only Zhang's relatives, causing chaos in the court and the country. Zhu's old servant Jing Xiang threatened to commit suicide to force Zhu to adopt his advice.

He not only massacred the royal family members, but also made enemies with them, and then sent them out to guard the city, which led to the royal family members rebelling with the Zhongwu Army.

Do not……

Forget it, there is no end to it. If Li Cunxu had Zhu Wen's brains, he would not have been able to turn the tables. He was too naive and childish in governing. Of course, the bottom line is that he lacked experience and had not been beaten by society.

The saint lost interest and let Zhu Youzhen go.

The Queen was a little relieved. She realized that she had been deceived by Saint Li's appearance and temperament. He also had a violent side, which was revealed just now, but was quickly controlled by reason.

Then, the saint's attention shifted to Zhu Lingya.

Later, this girl was married to Wei Bo by Zhu Wen and became the daughter-in-law of Luo Shaowei.

He died suddenly on the eve of the elimination of the Ya soldiers, and it was most likely that he was killed by Zhu Wen and Luo Shaowei.

The event line is as follows. Li Gongquan plotted a rebellion - Shaowei decided to massacre them and conspired with Quanzhong - Zhu Wen agreed, then claimed to attack Henghai and transferred 20,000 Wei troops to Cangzhou in advance. Then - Princess Anyang died in Wei, Quanzhong sent a thousand elite soldiers to Wei as a funeral team, saying that they would help with the funeral of the daughter.

After making preparations, Quanzhong led his army across the river, saying that he was going to Henghai to supervise the battle. Just when the Yajun family thought he was really going to fight Henghai, the massacre began.

In the eyes of the saint, Zhu Lingya was a tool and excuse for the coup, and was sold out by her father-in-law and father-in-law. If it were someone else, this conclusion could not be drawn, but Zhu Wen, this kind of despicable, shameless, and unscrupulous style was exactly his style.

Poor guy.

The Zhu Lingrou next to her should be the other daughter of Zhu who married Zhao Yan of the Zhongwu Army or became the second wife of Luo Shaowei's son.

Tsk.

The sons-in-law that Zhu Wen chose were all worthless.

As for Zhu Youzi, he had double pupils and because of this he thought he should be the emperor. So he tried to seize the throne, but failed and was killed by Zhu Youzhen.

After looking at this nest of evil creatures, the saint walked up to Zhang Hui.

She was indeed very beautiful. She was tall and well-proportioned, with a round chest. When she sat, her slender waist and peach-shaped buttocks were seductive. Not to mention her appearance, in this life or the present, the saints had never seen a woman more beautiful than her. She was a kind of appearance and temperament that could not be described in words or compared with examples. It could make a mad butcher like Zhu Wen obsessed, poisoned, and forced to restrain and disguise himself. It could also make many Bian army officers protect and return to her.

Being beautiful cannot solve all problems, but it can solve the problems caused by being ugly or ugly.

Seeing the Queen of Heaven, Li couldn't help but sigh that the Creator was really unfair and only favored a very small number of people. He couldn't help but lift the other's chin to admire for a while: "I heard that the Queen of Heaven might be carrying a murder weapon, please let me check it."

Zhang Yueyi hid in the house with several children.

The queen's eyes are red. Can't she help it?

"Don't worry, I'm just checking for weapons. If the Queen doesn't let me check, then the rude old female officials and the eunuchs who smell like urine will come to take off the Queen's clothes. By then, she will be naked and tossed over and over by more than a dozen people..."

"But this is so embarrassing... How is the Saint going to check it?"

"I will investigate the Queen just as Rounu investigates others."

"Who is Rounu?"

"I am a woman."

The Queen Mother observed the saint's half-smile and half-smile and thought that he was deliberately teasing her to vent his anger towards Zhu Wen.

"No, I won't do such a thing."

"Just touch it, don't go in... No, just make sure the Queen doesn't have any sharp weapons."

"Only a teenage girl would believe that."

"I have a reputation and the Queen can verify it."

The Queen remained silent and turned her face away.

"No one will know."

The Queen's chest heaved, her face turned red, her ears and her whole body burned with shame: "Heaven and earth know, you know, I know, how can you say no one knows? Zhu Wen's body is still warm... I am a human..."

"You care about him a lot?" The saint's expression turned cold, and he said suddenly: "Don't mention Zhu Lao San in front of me! I didn't kill Zhu Youzhen with a sword out of personal morality. With his crimes, any emperor would still want to have a successor."

The Queen shook her head painfully: "I don't care about him, but after all, she is his wife, it is reasonable..."

The saint turned and walked away.

The Queen suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

a long time.

"A real man should keep his word... and he should not show off to others... I am not a whore, and I don't want to become one..."

"I was just checking for weapons. What did the Queen think? The Queen is not a slut. Am I the unscrupulous one who takes advantage of any flower I see?"

The two fell into silence and awkward silence.

"...Saint, come here..."

"The queen stood up, put her hands on her head and turned around, facing the wall with her back to me, and pouting here."

"What kind of posture is this? That's not how the palace examines. I won't stick my butt out."

"This is the rule of the Tang Palace that has been in place for 300 years. The Queen Mother has never been there, so she doesn't understand." The saint stretched out his hands and began to explore the Queen Mother inch by inch using the same method that Rounu had used to examine the palace maids.

"The saint is forcing me to fall——"

"Did I threaten the Queen with a knife?"

"Invisible power is also a knife. The saint frightened Zhu Youzhen and Zhu Lingya when he came in because he knew that I couldn't let go of my children..."

"The Queen has a keen eye, and her little trick has been discovered."

"A saint has all the women he wants, why——"

"The Queen is wrong. I am not interested in vulgar women, nor do I have the habit of Cao thieves. This is only for the Queen, and it is also a punishment for the Queen who gave Zhu Wen advice to deal with me. The Queen must understand that if Zhu thief's Queen was someone else, I would never accept him into the court."

"I heard that the saint also raped his two sisters-in-law?"

"The Queen Mother cares about me a lot. What did the Queen Mother call Zhu Zei before?"

"Your Majesty, Saint, Official, Zhu Wen, Zhu San, Young Master..."

"You are not allowed to use any of the titles you used on him to address me again. From now on, call me Li Lang, Your Majesty."

"..."

After a while, the Saint shook his numb arms. Turning back, he saw the Queen leaning against the wall, straightening her messy clothes, and covering her face with her hands: "We agreed to just check if anyone is carrying a weapon. What did Your Majesty do? How can I face people... I am a bitch!"

"Not the diva."

"Your Majesty, please stop talking about this. Do you do the same to other conquerors?"

"I'm mad?"

"If Your Majesty were to end up like Zhu Wen, and his wives and concubines were forced to do good deeds like I did... How would Your Majesty feel? A good man is not Zhu Wen. Women cannot be like me. He always indulges in lust, and today, I feel like killing myself. Since the difficult times, etiquette has collapsed and music has been corrupted. There are more and more people without bottom lines, and it's because scum like Zhu Wen was not eliminated in time. Your Majesty is the master of restoration, and you should set an example."

"Except the Queen of Heaven, of course," the saint vowed.

"My husband just passed away, and I did something shameless, even worse than an animal. Will His Majesty despise me and look down on me in his heart?"

"will not."

"Don't force me anymore. My heart is broken. I was abducted by Zhu Wen and never intended to remain faithful to him, but the reality of being a husband and wife is there and I can't convince myself. I want to mourn for him, and the emperor cannot..."

"If you have not decided to observe the festival for him, why observe the mourning?"

"We are husband and wife. Secondly, he should be completely worthy of me after marriage. I owe him. Also, Zhu Youzhen and Zhu Youzi must not die in any accident in Chang'an, whether they are killed by assassins or hit by horses when they go out... If we pacify the Central Plains in the future, the Zhu family of Dangshan must not be exterminated."

"The Queen is really a complicated and strange person." The saint caressed the Queen's facial features lovingly. "For the Queen's sake, I promise. During this period, the Queen will stay at my place. I am afraid that the soldiers will not be able to hold back in other places. In addition, we will enter Luoyang the day after tomorrow. I would like to ask the Queen to meet the Bian army tomorrow who came to the court this time and surrendered before."

"Now I just want to shower and change."

"Change clothes? Yes, that's right. You and Zhang Yueyi will come back with me to the hall later and wash them there."

"Is there no other place?"

"Now Xin'an is full of dead bodies, and all the people have fled. Apart from the imperial palace and my general's tent, where else can a woman go out in peace?"

"…I don't have a change of clothes."

"Wear mine."

The queen felt dizzy and overwhelmed with uncontrollable sadness.

She met his gaze, looked at his face, and was a little lost in it. In the past ten years, she had never loved a man. And this young man who was a few years younger than her... Anyway, she felt very comfortable when she saw him. He made her say so many words that challenged etiquette and violated reason as soon as they met. He made her reveal her woman's emotions without noticing, and he made her subconsciously show her true character and even her girlish attitude... This feeling was unprecedented. But the feeling of betrayal tortured her, and she was tortured by morality, even though she was the wife robbed by Zhu Wen.

Li Sheng is really a devil who lures people to hell.

She suddenly lowered her head and said softly, "I'm hungry. I haven't eaten for three days."

"Didn't I ask Ashina Yingchen to bring you some dry food?"

“They were staring at me.”

The saint almost thought he had mistaken her. He had never thought that the queen, who was always calm, elegant and cool, actually had this side of her. The saint was even happier. He was the first person to be shown such a private side by the queen, right?

"Yin Shouzhi!" the sage shouted loudly to the outside of the courtyard, "Send some food and drink!"

Soon, Yin Shouzhi and his men presented vinegar cakes, fruits, shallot and tofu soup, mung bean and rice, roasted lamb, mare's milk, steamed eggs, sashimi, mixed cucumber, spinach...

What the Queen of Heaven said about not having eaten for three days might be true. As soon as Yin Shouzhi and others left the hospital, she looked at the Saint. Her eyes seemed to be saying, turn away, don't look.

The saint knew the queen's shyness and reserve, but he did not turn around. Instead, he went to the sink to wash his hands. After washing his hands, he sat down at the opposite table. When the queen finished washing her hands, she sat down at the opposite table. The saint, who was dining with her, raised his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Have a good meal, my Lord."

Compared to the cold and arrogant look when he first came in, as if he would kill someone if he disagreed with her, the Queen also saw the private side of the saint, just like the warm sunshine shining into the dark palace, an inexplicable emotion took root like a vine, and the Queen curved her beautiful eyebrows and said: "Good luck to you, my Lord."

Then he started eating slowly.

The roasted lamb was left over from lunch and didn’t taste very good, and mare’s milk is not something southerners are used to, but the Queen Mother ate it in small bites and enjoyed it very much.

The saint moved his chopsticks intermittently, admiring the Queen of Heaven leisurely.

It is Quanzhong's turn to enjoy the blessing.

A list of surrendered and captured Bian army officers will be given to the Queen Mother one day.

The Queen Mother said that it was okay to keep it alive and could be used, so he considered it carefully and observed it.

Those who the Queen Mother suggested to be expelled or executed would be dealt with as she saw fit.

(End of this chapter)