Golden branches and jade leaves
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Although Concubine Yun's murder of the emperor's heir caused a lot of discussion and whispers in the harem, but soon, the arrival of the New Year dilutes all the unhappiness.
Today is the New Year's Eve, and the entire palace is celebrating like never before. Although there have been a series of incidents in both the court hall and the harem recently, first the assassin case has no clue yet, and then the war in the Southern Dynasties broke out again, and the Northern Dynasties The Liao bandits plundered the border, and in the harem Concubine Yun murdered the emperor's heir, and the Empress Dowager was still ill...
However, the New Year's celebration became more and more colorful. Qi Taki still made a special order to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to reset it. Maybe it was the series of unhappiness that made him make such a special order. An arrogant emperor does not allow his own glory suffer any loss.
Starting in the morning, first sacrifices were made to the Ancestral Temple, and then Qi Long accepted the congratulations from the officials, and at night there was a night banquet from the palace. The grandeur of this night banquet was naturally not comparable to ordinary banquets. Come in a harmonious posture.It is divided into the banquet of officials in the first half of the night and the royal family banquet in the second half of the night.
Early in the morning, Su Mi woke up and dressed meticulously. This time, only concubines and concubines who are concubines or higher can participate in the sacrifice to the Ancestral Temple. They must wear formal attire, court clothes, and a phoenix crown.
Mi Hong carefully took out the phoenix crown court dress stored in the box, put it on the dressing table, took a look at the phoenix crown, but couldn't help laughing: "From my servant's point of view, the style of this phoenix crown is really too simple. Just look at a few of these beads, they are not even as good as the ones on ordinary hairpins, and the quality of the jade is not good. I really don’t know what to think, and the design is not beautiful.”
"The ancient sages often said the four characters 'De Rong Yan Gong' when discussing women's moral character. It can be seen that among women's qualifications, virtue is the first, and appearance is the second. This phoenix crown was designed by Queen Qian'an, the founder of Daqi. , the style is simple, solemn and harmonious, and the materials are not very precious, just to remind the concubines in the harem to remember the virtue of simplicity and simplicity, and not to be extravagant and wasteful." Su Mi said casually while brushing her hair : "The harem advocates luxury, causing people all over the world to follow suit. Is it the work of a virtuous person? You haven't seen what was written in Qu Guiren's sin-giving document a few days ago. One of them is 'excessive luxury, Extravagance for daily use! Using gold and silver threads to form brocade, costing tens of thousands of dollars per inch, using the state treasury to cover yourself, spending a lot of money every day. Countless people in the world have imitated it, and the trend of folk extravagance is becoming more and more popular...'"
"Concubine Yun, ah no...it's Mrs. Qu, I'm really wronged. Did she ask for those gold and silver threads? It's obviously the emperor..." Mi Hong couldn't help muttering in a low voice.
"How dare you say these words?" Mi Qingmi glared at her, "I haven't improved much, and I don't know the truth of being cautious in words and deeds."
"What she said is not wrong," Su Mi said with a smile: "When you are favored, of course everything is good and everything makes sense, but what about when you lose your favor?" Change.Concubine Yun was at fault, she was wrong because she didn't know, in this harem, there is no love that will last forever, no love that will last forever...
Because you need to wear a court dress, it is surprisingly simple to dress up. You just comb your hair and put on the phoenix crown. When wearing the phoenix crown, you can’t wear other jewelry to show solemnity, so you can’t do any complicated hairstyles. , just a simple wishful bun or floating cloud bun.Su Mi put on a court dress with blue and pink as the main tone, embroidered with a hundred birds in Chinese, and matched it with a jade belt, and her makeup was completed.
Before going out, Mi Qing handed over a hand stove, and said worriedly: "I'm afraid I will stand in the wind for a long time today, master must be careful."
It is said that they are going to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices, but of course they are not really participating in the sacrifices. With Su Mi's status, he is definitely not allowed to enter the Taimiao.
Only the queen can enter the ancestral land.
Therefore, before the end of the series of sacrificial activities, all the concubines had to kneel outside the Taimiao to show their respect.Today, the weather is cold, and usually the sacrificial activities last almost an hour. Kneeling outside for such a long time is enough for the delicate concubine.In the past, because the empress hated the concubine, she deliberately extended the time inside, dragging the sacrificial activities to several hours before the end.
"I don't know how many people are eager to endure this day's cold." Su Mi laughed.She didn't know how many people were jealous of her being promoted to the concubine.
Seeing that the hour was approaching, Su Mi got up and boarded the chariot.After a while, they arrived at Fengyi Palace, where all the concubines gathered, waiting for the time of offering sacrifices.
As soon as he entered Fengyi Hall, he saw Qi Long sitting in the hall. According to the previous rules of Qi Palace, he stayed overnight in the Queen's Palace the day before.Seeing Su Mi coming in, Qi Long showed a hint of surprise on his face, and said: "Mi'er is here, I was just talking about you with the queen."
"I don't know what the emperor and the empress said about the concubine?" Su Mi smiled while saluting calmly, feeling the burning eyes of those around him who seemed to be filled with jealousy.
"Just saying that you are weak and injured, the emperor is really worried that you will not be able to bear today's sacrifice." The queen said with a smile: "This palace also sees the same reason, this time the sacrifice is not as good as you, so let's avoid Just kneel, just wait in the side hall."
"I'm still injured, but I still receive favors every day..." Someone around whispered something, and it was blown into Su Mi's ears by the wind.
Su Mi seemed to have never heard of it, neither sight nor words could kill anyone.Since I have chosen this path, these are inevitable.
She said softly: "The kindness of the emperor and the empress is something I can't thank enough, but kneeling and respecting the ancestral hall is a matter within the duty of the concubine, how can I shirk it, not to mention, it is the honor of the concubine's life to participate in the ancestor sacrifice. , how hard is it to say."
"The days to come will be long, so why worry about this once or twice," the Queen laughed.
"How can etiquette be neglected lightly? The empress works hard day and night, and the concubine has already healed from some minor injuries. How dare you become pregnant with the ancestor's rules because of a trivial matter?" Su Mi calmly replied: With a humble body and broken etiquette and laws, the concubines cannot atone for their sins even if they die."
Seeing Su Mi's insistence, the queen turned to look at Qi Taki. Qi Taki hesitated for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright, then let's participate."
The queen also said as she said: "That's fine, I am also pleased that you can be so polite and righteous."
Qi Long got up and walked down, helped Su Mi up and said: "But if there is anything wrong, you must send an order to the imperial doctor in time, don't force yourself."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, my concubine is fine." Su Mi got up and smiled.
Looking at Su Mi's slender and weak figure, Qi Long's eyes flashed a hint of admiration: "They are all ordinary clothes, but they show Mi'er's refined and unparalleled beauty. It is the hibiscus that comes out of clear water, which is naturally carved."
Concubine's court clothes are only subdivided above the rank of noble concubine, and the rest, no matter Jieyu, Jing'e, Ronghua or concubine, are all ordinary dresses.There are not many high-ranking concubines, and now there is one less concubine Yun, so there are only five or six people in the field with different costumes, and the other dozen or so concubines are all dressed like Su Mi.
Su Mi bowed her head shyly, but her heart sank a little. She didn't need to look back to know what kind of faces those sisters with the same clothes as hers would turn into.
Qi Taki was simply looking for trouble for her.She sighed secretly.
She didn't say any more modest words. If she refused to be modest, she might have something more exciting to say.Qi Long has such a temperament. His noble status as a son-in-law since he was a child and the smooth sailing of his ascension to the throne make him a little ambitious, ambitious and talented.Everything is self-centered and doesn't care about other people's feelings, especially for those who don't care.
Seeing that the time had come, a group of people boarded the chariot and headed for the Taimiao.
Kneeling outside the Taimiao is not as hard as the legend says.On both sides are accompanying palace servants standing with their hands down, blocking the biting cold wind, and neat cushions are placed at the entrance of the hall for the concubines to kneel down.
Su Mi knelt in almost the last position. She raised her head and looked at the concubines in front of her. A few particularly delicate concubines were about to complain after kneeling for less than half an hour. Knowing that the laws are strict, they dare not call out.When he knelt for almost an hour, he was even more crooked and barely supported.
Leading the concubines to kneel at the front is naturally Concubine Ni. She doesn't seem to be tired at all, her figure is tall and elegant, but her face is a little pale. Maybe it's because of her status as a general's tiger girl that she is stronger than anyone else. She was staring intently at the busy figure in the Taimiao, the cold wind blew her neatly combed hair, and a few strands of bangs fluttered, revealing her burning eyes full of longing...
Su Mi looked at her silhouette, and followed her gaze to the two bright yellow figures who were following the ceremonial officials in various sacrificial activities in the Ancestral Temple. A complicated and unspeakable look flashed in her eyes , I can't tell if it's disgust, impatience, or something else..., let alone the busy people in the Taimiao, or the figure kneeling in front of the steps, or simply for participating in this kind of Instinctive resistance to solemn etiquette... Not wanting to show her malice, she lowered her head and hid everything in her eyes...
The sacrificial ceremony lasted until the middle of the day, and the busy morning was finally over.After returning to Caiwei Palace from Taimiao, Miqing and the others had already prepared ginger soup and hot juice to keep warm from the cold.
When Su Mi entered the warm pavilion, the heat blowing towards her face evaporated most of the tiredness and chill accumulated in the morning.She took off her heavy and oppressive court dress, and changed into a homely aquamarine embroidered jade-embroidered gown. She drank half of the ginger soup brought by Miqing and put down the teacup. Her physical fatigue had recovered, but her heart The depression and fatigue that I feel are long gone.
Wei Wei lost her mind for a while, and she suddenly said: "Xiao Luzi, go to Tianxiang Garden and pick a Hanying red plum for me, and tell them that I have nothing else to do tonight, so I have to pray all night in the room alone. , choose a good one."
"Master, why did you think of this?" Mi Hong said with a smile, "Praying to flowers is not effective if you have invited a Buddha. Isn't there another eminent monk coming to perform deeds in the past few days? Why don't you send someone to invite a Bodhisattva?" Come back, it’s very effective.”
Most of the women in the harem believe in Buddhism. Among them, the Queen Mother is the representative, who often invites eminent monks and Zen masters to the palace to give lectures on the scriptures.
"It's a big effort to invite a Buddha statue, and it may not be when we will see it. Master will pray tonight, can you invite one back now?" Xiao Luzi retorted at Chao Mihong, and then suggested: "Master, according to my servant, it would be more auspicious to pick off a pine branch."
"An ignorant boy knows that pine trees are rich and long-lived. Is such a vulgar thing used by the master?" Mi Qing laughed.
"Okay, just go if you're told, don't talk nonsense," Su Mi said, "I'll take your vacation when you come back, anyway, there's nothing important tonight, so go play by yourself later."
"Okay, slave will go right away. Master, please wait for a while." Hearing that it was a holiday, Xiao Luzi regained his energy and immediately trotted away.
After a while, Xiao Luzi came back with a large branch of half-full plum blossoms.
"Have you met anyone?" Su Mi asked casually while fiddling with plum blossoms.
"I met a few gardeners and eunuchs guarding me. I heard that it was the plum blossom that my master wanted, and they all rushed to recommend it to my servant. One said that this plant bloomed well, the other said that that branch bloomed beautifully. Qizui Gossip, very noisy." Xiao Luzi laughed.
"Well, it's okay, you can go and do your own work, you don't need to wait tonight," Su Mi said with a smile, "I see you are all in a hurry."
In the afternoon and evening, there are family banquets for the officials and the harem. The banquet for the officials is held in the main hall of Qianqing Palace, while the family banquet for the harem is held in the main hall of Fengyi Palace. The scale and luxury of these banquets are natural All far better than usual.Su Mi's body was fine, but she hated these ceremonial ceremonies. After participating in the sacrifice and worship in the morning, she simply used the excuse that her injuries hadn't healed.After shaking around the table for a while, he got up and said goodbye.
All the concubines are well-dressed one by one, competing for splendor. On such an occasion, they naturally wish that she, the number one in the way, would be far away from the ground.In order to ask the emperor to look at him more.
Su Mi said goodbye after some polite greetings.Back to Caiwei Palace, there was no one in the palace.Caiwei Palace is located in the northeast corner of the harem, not far from the Leng Palace. It was originally one of the most deserted places in the harem.On such a festive day today, even the servants in the palace looked happy and gathered together to celebrate and join in the fun.People like Xiaoluzi and Mihong who are usually active were already ready to move early in the morning, and Su Mi also looked at it funny, so he simply sent them all to participate in his own activities and watch the fun.The masters of the rest of the palace stayed at the banquet, and the servants either followed them to serve, or sneaked away to join in the fun.
So at this time, Caiwei Palace is extremely deserted inside and out.
"These two didn't live up to expectations, let them go, they really ran away." Seeing that the palace was almost dark, Mi Qing couldn't help cursing.
"Today is New Year's Eve, so don't complain, let them go and play, this year has been hard, and it is rare to have such an opportunity," Su Mi said with a smile: "Miqing, you don't have to work hard, go first have a rest."
"I'm going too, who does the master want to serve?" Mi Qing asked.
"Tonight is the New Year's Eve, and I don't have anything else to do. I want to sit alone for a while, and I'll fall asleep right away. You don't have to watch the night anymore. After working hard for a year, at least I can sleep peacefully." Su Mi laughed.
"That's fine, master, don't forget to call your servant if you have anything to do." Seeing Su Mi's resolute expression, Mi Qing told her worriedly, and she resigned.
After sending Mi Qing away, Su Mi sat alone in the room, lost in thought.
At noon today, the plum blossoms picked up by Xiaoluzi were placed by Mihong in a jasper vase carved with passionflowers, exuding a fresh fragrance that makes people linger and forget to leave in the dark room.
"He will definitely come. I have too many things to ask him." Su Mi thought uncertainly while looking at the details.
It's past Haishi.The night is getting dark, maybe the dinner party over there is celebrating right now?
Su Mi looked at the lights in the distance and was in a trance when she heard someone tap on the window a few times.
coming!Su Mi got up, walked quickly to the door, put her hand on the doorknob, but felt that she had lost the courage to open the door, and didn't know whether it was sadness or joy for a moment.
She took a long breath and finally opened the door.A figure flashed in, and the two faced each other.
Su Mi raised her head slightly, and there were several old scars criss-crossing on that familiar delicate face, and a pair of cold and clear eyes like ice were flickering and excited indescribably at this moment, as if something was about to come. Break out of the ice.
"Lie Chen." Su Mi called softly, "You are finally here." There was an irrepressible joy in the voice.
She has grown up, how long has he not seen her?
Gu Liechen, who is now Chen Lie, quietly stares at Su Mi who is almost unrecognizable in front of him, it seems to be a moment, and it seems to be as long as a lifetime.Finally, he knelt down on one knee and said in a low voice, "Second Miss..." His voice trembled slightly.
"Liechen," Su Mi helped him up, and looked at the companion in front of him, "I really didn't expect that there are still people alive in our Gu family." Gu Liechen is the son of the housekeeper of their Gu family, and a confidant of Su Mi's father. Next, the person who had been by his father's side when the city was broken.
"Let me take a closer look at you, Lie Chen, I really didn't expect you to be alive, that's great," Su Mi said with mixed feelings of sadness and joy, "I thought I was the only one who cared about my family in this world." Remember the last time When I saw him, I still looked at him at the same level, but now I needed to raise my head. The time passed so quickly, it was just a few short years, but it seemed that I had experienced a lifetime of ups and downs.
"Second Miss..." Chen Lie didn't know what to say.He was equally excited and uncontrollable, especially on the day of the night banquet in Tianxiang Garden, which made him meet the most unexpected person in this most unexpected place.
"Come and tell me, how have you been these past few years, I haven't seen you for several years." Su Mi wiped away her tears gently, she took his hand, came to sit at the table Come down, just like when you were a kid.By the side of her childhood playmate, she finally had a moment of relaxation and could turn back into that carefree little girl.
Su Mi's slender fingers like white jade spring onions touched his hand, Gu Liechen was in a trance for a moment, as if time went back in a flash, and he was pulled back to the past by these slender fingers...
He is the son of the housekeeper of the Gu family, and his father was General Gu's companion when he was a child.General Gu has no son, Mrs. Gu only gave birth to three daughters, so the family has always treated him as their own son. His martial arts was taught by Gu Qingting himself. He has been determined to practice martial arts since he was a child. Like the General Gu whom I admire the most, he became a great general on the battlefield, killing enemies for the country...The days of innocence and happiness passed quickly. At that time, the second young lady who had lived in the mountains for many years would occasionally come back to the mansion. She was a naughty little girl, just about the same size as him.The two will also hold hands and secretly run into the pond to play when the adults are not paying attention...
"How have you been in the past few years? How was the situation in the customs back then? You were also stationed in Wancheng at that time, was there anyone else?" Su Mi eagerly asked a series of questions, in this cold and lonely deep palace Here, in this crisis-ridden place, she really needs someone who can speak her mind.
Gu Liechen came back to his senses, by the way, it was not when they were young anymore, they could never go back to the past, he smiled wryly, settled down, and began to tell about his experiences in the past few years.
With a hint of shrillness that shouldn't have been there, the voice was still as clear and clear as before, slowly rising.The past is like flowing water, gently slipping past the two of them in this quiet time.
"...
This time the siege was particularly difficult. The Qi army was mobilized strictly, advanced and retreated in a certain way, and the offensive was also fierce.Even the general sighed from time to time, and Mr. Ge was often worried.
After the siege battle lasted for about half a year, it slowly quieted down. It seemed that the siege was going to be the main task. Fortunately, there was enough food and grass in Wancheng, which was enough for our guards and the people in the city for three years. Back then, the Qi army He failed to siege the city several times, and tried to siege the city, but retreated within a year.
Therefore, seeing that the Qi army began to encircle and not attack, everyone began to feel relieved.
When the Qi army had been besieged for about two or three months, suddenly one day, the sentry guards woke up early in the morning and found that the opposite camp was empty, and the Qi army retreated.
When he first heard the news, the general didn't care.In the past, Wang She, the great general of the Qi State, used this strategy when he was leading his troops. He deliberately pretended to retreat and actually ambushed secretly.
So, the general sent a few scout teams to reconnaissance outside the city, and the news they brought back was that the Qi army's camp had been vacant and abandoned, and all the axle loads in it were taken away. It seemed that they retreated calmly.Those who chased for dozens of miles did not see the enemy.Everyone thought that they had really retreated like they did several times before.
After the news spread, everyone was very happy to hear the news of Qi's retreat, whether it was the people in the city or the officers and soldiers.Perhaps it was because this time the offensive was particularly fierce and difficult to resist.
But both the general and Mr. Ge are worried and don't think so.
The general often said that although Ni Yuan was as famous as him and well-known in the world, he was far behind him in his fortitude and ambition. Just looking at his rebellion against Liang and surrendering to Qi in the past, it can be seen that he was extremely good at grasping Opportunity, plan and then act, in order to seek the greatest benefit.Mr. Ge also said that abnormality is a monster, and the Qi army has clearly gained the upper hand this time, so it is impossible to retreat like this, unless there is some major event in the Qi State court.
In the end, the two still couldn't rest assured, so Mr. Ge decided to lead his troops out to investigate.
That day happened to be the eighth day of March, and on the same day, King Wei's car arrived..." Chen Lie's voice was indescribably bitter.
"I also followed Mr. Ge's team. We went out of the city together and explored all the way north. There was no trace of the enemy. Instead, Mr. Ge became more nervous and suspicious. If it was an ordinary retreat, scouts and stragglers would definitely be left behind. In the back, no matter how strict Ni Yuan leads the troops, this is inevitable, but it is unusual to not see a single Qi army along the way.
As a result, on the third day after I came out, I met the Qi army's troops, not from the front, but from behind. "
Chen Lie's voice paused, and then said: "We were all surprised, but fortunately, the team that came out this time were all carefully selected elite soldiers, and there were not many Qi troops catching up, so everyone worked together to fight After a while, the Qi army was defeated and returned.
However, the Qi army who came from the captives got the news that Wancheng had been broken.
It turned out that Ni Yuan saw that there was no hope of a strong attack and the damage was huge, so he put on a siege posture and surrounded Wancheng, making it impossible for the news to be delivered for a while.Secretly arranged for an elite soldier to dress up as a civilian husband and hide in the mountains with enough rations for several days.
Then he ordered people to go to the rear to spread rumors that the city was about to be broken, and at the same time secretly sent envoys to meet King Wei in secret, promising him that as long as he surrendered to Daqi, he would be rich and honorable and enjoy his title safely, and the Wei family would not harm him.
In the past few years, the Qi army has come to attack several times, which made King Wei tremble all day long. At this time, he heard rumors in the city that the Qi army might have broken through Wancheng and was about to enter.At that time, no one paid attention to the surrender... So... King Wei surrendered," Chen Lie said with a wry smile, "while the soldiers in front were still fighting bloody battles..."
"What about after that?" Su Mi asked in a cold voice, her eyelashes drooping, showing no expression.
"Afterwards, the envoys of the Qi State immediately came to King Wei's seal, disguised the troops as envoys and civilian husbands who rewarded the army and transported food, opened the gate of the city, and then hid and killed them...
As a result, the general and the brothers who stayed inside... were not spared.Moreover, because the Qi army suffered heavy casualties during the siege, according to the Qi army's rules, it was necessary to massacre the city for revenge. "Chen Lie's voice softened.
"And what happened later?" Su Mi asked. These events were not secretive. Breaking through Wancheng and destroying Weiguo is a great achievement that Ni Yuan should be proud to show off. However, the army still often mentions the resourcefulness and decisiveness of this great general.The people of Qi State often sang about the bravery of the Qi army, and even the servants and eunuchs in the palace would mention it from time to time....Although Su Mi has heard this experience from various angles more than once, every kind of narrative will make her feel unbearably painful.
"Later," Chen Lie's voice had a trace of ethereal sadness: "Later, Wancheng has completely become a dead city."
"Afterwards, the Qi army began to encircle and suppress the remnants of the remnants of the forces that refused to surrender. The big guys didn't give up. We met several groups of Qi troops and rushed to kill them a few times. Many brothers died in battle, and we were the only ones left. Hundreds of people, relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the surrounding countryside, finally broke out of the siege, escaped, and hid in the mountains..." Chen Lie narrated in a calm tone.
Although his voice was smooth without the slightest ups and downs, Su Mi was still shocked. What a casualty rate this is. Those few battles must have been extremely hard and fierce. The scars on his face must have been left at that time.She couldn't help reaching out to hold Chen Lie's face. The scars on the original handsome face had gradually faded, but the hideous appearance could still imagine how serious the injuries were at that time.
"Does it hurt?" She couldn't help asking.It's like when the two of them sneaked into the pond to catch fish when they were young, and he fell into it and hurt himself.
"It's nothing." He stretched out his hand and pressed Su Mi's hand down. The heat on those slender fingers made him palpitate, as if he wanted to melt all the layers of protection he had accumulated over the years. "It's all It's an old wound, and there are many people who have been hurt more than me, my small wound is nothing, but it's on my face, it looks more scary." He forced a smile.
"Afterwards, Mr. Ge suggested that the troops of the large army must arouse the vigilance of the Qi army. Instead, it is better to send a few people back and forth to check on the situation. What happened to Wancheng and the general? We fled all the way and couldn't find a time to inquire about the current situation. The domestic news can only be learned from the mouths of the Qi army who came from the captives during the interval of the battle. The news only heard from their mouths is not realistic, and there are many contradictions.
Therefore, Mr. Ge personally took me and two or three other people to dress up as ordinary mountain people and go into the city to inquire.
At that time, Wancheng had been slaughtered, we didn't dare to stop on the way, and rushed to the capital as soon as possible, hoping to see our family members in time..." Chen Lie paused, not daring to look at Su Mi's mind, in the dark night , his voice was ethereal and ethereal: "But it's already too late, the city was looted, and even Gu's mansion was burned to the ground. I heard that my wife committed suicide and died for her country. The two ladies..."
"Stop talking!" Su Mi interrupted him suddenly, with a tone that was almost screaming, her voice was sharp and shrill, like a sharp sword, abruptly shattering the entire blurred dream-like narration of the past.
"Needless to say, I already know it all." She blushed abnormally for a while, and then calmed down: "What about after that?"
Chen Lie paused, and then continued: "After that, everyone's family members are from the city. Now that the city has been massacred, there is no chance of survival. Everyone hugged their heads and cried for a while, and immediately a few of them became irritable If you have a bad temper, you should fight with the Qi army. Anyway, everyone in the family has been killed. Now they have become lonely ghosts. They can kill one by one. Almost everyone agreed at the moment, anyway. There is no other way out, and surrendering is definitely not on my mind. Instead of putting down my weapons now and running to the countryside incognito to live my whole life alone in bleakness, it is better to fight like this, which can be regarded as venting anger, etc. If you die in battle, you can go down and reunite with your family.
Mr. Ge disagreed, thinking that this was just a waste of life, and after discussing with everyone, everyone was finally persuaded by him... Finally, he led everyone to join Nanchen..."
While he was talking, he raised his head, Su Mi was listening attentively, her fair neck was exposed in the air, with a fog-like luster, her eyelashes were trembling slightly like the cold dew in the middle of the night.
"Her eyelashes are longer," he thought.
There was a sudden throbbing in his heart for no reason, and a feeling of near despair spread through his heart, and he felt that his heart instantly became as white as the ivory skin in front of him that occupied all his sight.
He didn't dare to look any more, lowered his head, and continued: "...Now everyone is working under the command of Prince Cheng Chen Qian...I was ordered to sneak into the palace as an internal response..."
"So Nan Chen's hidden power here in Qi Jing is not small." Su Mi raised her head and asked, "Who is Nan Chen's person in charge here?"
This was originally a great secret, news that should never be revealed, but Chen Lie said the name in her ear without any hesitation.
"It's him?" Su Mi was surprised.Then he nodded, "Mr. Ge is very resourceful. His father relied heavily on him back then, and Prince Cheng is also a person who knows people and makes good use of them. He can be considered to have met the confidant again."
"By the way, were you planning the assassination a few days ago?" Su Mi thought of this and asked again.
"No, it's the remnants of the old Liang, Dongliang will plan, because they are all anti-Qi organizations, and they have always been in contact with us, so Mr. Ge also issued an order, without damaging our own forces, We must help as much as possible, and I heard that we have also sent experts to support this time. It is the man in yellow who is in charge of offering tea. It is said that it is one of the talented people recruited by Prince Cheng, Nan Chen's number one killer Wen Xian. "Chen Lie revealed the secrets of the organization without any concealment.
Thinking of the man in yellow, thinking of that thunderous sword, Su Mi couldn't help being a little startled, what a brilliant sword technique!
She sighed slightly, then raised her head to look at him and asked, "Did you do what Imperial Doctor He did?" This is the doubt that has been bothering her these days.
Chen Lie nodded.
He unexpectedly met Su Mi from Tianxiangyuan, and after being shocked, he immediately thought of today's assassination, and immediately hinted at Su Mi.At first, I thought that with my own reminder, even if Su Mi could not evade in advance, she could avoid the danger in time. After all, at the critical moment, the assassin should not waste time to hurt the insignificant concubine, but then I heard about it Many concubines were killed, and one of them, Su Cairen, was seriously injured in order to save the emperor.
He was so anxious that he rushed to the Caiwei Palace immediately. Su Mi was injured because of rescue, so he was naturally the key care object of the imperial physician. There were people coming and going in the room, wandering in and out. He didn't dare to approach until Qi Long and the imperial physician had left and only Mi Qing was left in the room who was not good at martial arts.Soon Su Mi woke up, he was secretly guarding the door beam at that time, Su Mi and the others' "abortion" behavior was well heard, so naturally he knew that Su Mi was a fake pregnancy, and later he wanted to come down and meet each other. See, but suffering from no chance, the imperial physician and Qi Long arrived soon, followed by the queen's suspicion, he heard the queen's water-tight words, contacted Su Mi's watery miscarriage just now, and immediately knew that something was wrong, so he hurriedly whispered Withdrew silently and rushed to kill Imperial Physician He.
"I just guessed it was you." Su Mi laughed, her smile was still as bright and clear as it was then: "In this palace, no one else will help me."
During the long night talk between the two, the sky in the distance had changed from pitch black to gray, and the sun was about to rise.
Chen Lie looked at the face in front of him, and Su Mi's slightly turned cheeks reflected the rising sun behind him. At this moment when the night and morning light alternated, every change of light and shadow on this face would make people unconscious The mind is ecstatic, agitated and addicted.
"Second Miss..." Chen Lie asked hesitantly, looking at Su Mi's face that seemed to have changed a lot but didn't seem to change at all.
"The sky is about to light up, if you delay it, you will be in danger," Su Mi said with a smile, "You go back today, wait a few days, and I will find a reason to transfer you to my side."
"Yeah." He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.Immediately bid farewell to Su Mi and left.
Seeing Chen Lie's figure disappear from sight, Su Mi felt sad for a while.
She knew what Chen Lie wanted to ask, he wanted to ask why she became Emperor Qi's concubine, enjoying such favor and wealth, and asked if she had forgotten the hatred of the Gu family, wanted to ask her... …
But how should I answer?
"I know what you want to ask." Su Mi knew that she should smile naturally like this, "You have told me about your experience, and you should listen to mine." She wanted to say this, and she wanted to be so bland However, the tone of voice told all the experiences of these days, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know how to open them.She never wanted to recall the dilapidated memories of those days, but when she dreamed back at midnight, they would appear in her sleep from time to time, entangled... making her inescapable, inescapable.
Su Mi suddenly felt at a loss, didn't she want to take revenge?Of course I want to!Hatred is always like the most greedy and vicious insect, constantly gnawing at her heart, keeping her from resting for a moment, supporting her to survive in this man-eating palace, supporting her to devour others, and Don't let yourself be swallowed up by others.
She wanted revenge, not for the country of Wei, even King Wei himself didn't want his own country, so what else do these courtiers have to miss.She took revenge for her family, for her parents and sisters, for their family...
However, revenge, how to revenge?Su Mi suddenly felt in a trance, sometimes she would think of this question, but she hardly dared to think about it.
It was too far away, too long, and she suspected that she would not wait until this day, and would die of old age in this palace first. Such fear made her panic, and she didn't even dare to imagine it anymore.
But now facing this problem, she doesn't want to think about it. Is it because she has no hope, feels that the journey is far away, and is unnaturally timid, or because she doesn't know what to do...
How to take revenge?Kill Ni Yuan's family, just like what he did to himself, so that the whole Daqi will not be safe, let Daqi also perish in the flames of the enemy's war, let it also be destroyed by Nanchen or Beiliao... let These people who indulge in comfort every day, let these people who treat her father, brother and family as a joke, pay the price, let them also taste the taste of the country's destruction and family destruction?
Su Mi leaned against the head of the bed, looking at the fading moon outside the window.
The next day, Mi Qing came in to help Su Mi wash up, but she saw Su Mi lazily sitting on the edge of the table, her face was as pale as snow, as if she hadn't slept all night.
"Mother?!" she exclaimed, "What happened!"
"It's nothing." Su Mi came back to her senses and gave her a comforting smile. "Last night I lay down for a while and then got up. There was so much noise outside that I couldn't fall asleep anyway. Let's catch up on sleep this afternoon."
Last night there were fireworks outside the palace, the sound was indeed deafening, many masters and servants were celebrating all night, the meaning in Su Mi's words was normal, but Mi Qing just felt something was wrong,
"Your Majesty, do you want to ask the imperial physician to come over and have a look? Your complexion is not very good. I'm afraid you may catch a cold."
"It's nothing, why don't I know about my own body?" Su Mi laughed, "It's just that I was disturbed by the recent series of celebrations and other things."
As she spoke, she stood up, "Okay, there's nothing else to do today. It's time to visit the Empress Dowager's bedroom, so don't delay."
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to the rules of the palace, there is still a whole day of business, seeing that the time is coming, Mi Qing has no time to think about it, and hastily tidy up for Su Mi.
Mi Qing helped Su Mi to sit in front of the pear wood dressing table covered with embroidered and beautiful tablecloth, and put the bronze mirror carved with vines and vines on it.Open the rouge gouache, and the elegant aroma diffuses.
"Mi Qing, have you ever thought about your relatives at home?" Su Mi asked suddenly.
"Ah?" Mi Qing was startled, and then said: "Sometimes I miss it, but after so many years, I've gotten used to it, and there's nothing to miss."
"So many years?" Su Mi asked with a bit of surprise, it seemed that it was less than a year since the Kingdom of Wei was destroyed and they were sent to the palace.
"I should be elected early," Mi Qing said with a smile, "I was selected into the palace when I was 13 years old, and I said goodbye to my parents at that time." I can't help but miss it.
She was talking about Wei Guo's talent show, Su Mi was stunned, she never knew that she had such a background, she always thought that Mi Qing was also one of the noble girls who were taken into the palace.
"When you were in Wei Gong..." Su Mi asked.
"It's no different from now." Mi Qing neatly arranged Su Mi's long black hair: "...First he was selected into the palace, and later he was assigned to Chunhui Palace to take care of a concubine in the palace. Empress, later, about two years later, that empress saw that my behavior was not bad, so she pointed me to Xinqing Zongji and followed me out of the palace. Zong Ji was selected into the Qi Palace, and I was brought into the palace as a girl." When mentioning the past, Mi Qing couldn't help but sigh.Opportunities in life are so unpredictable.
Su Mi was also brought in by Wei Qing'er who was selected into the palace.She was sallow and thin at that time, because Wei Qing'er insisted on taking her personal maid, and begged several eunuchs who were in charge of selection, and the eunuchs saw that although Su Mi's face was sallow, her face was clear and beautiful, and she couldn't hide her refined air.Only then were they sent to the court together, avoiding the fate of being eliminated and assigned to meritorious soldiers.
"...Unfortunately, Zong Ji is a miserable person," Mi Qing mentioned the old master, and couldn't help sighing, "I finally got some favors, but because of my careless words, I was thrown into the cold palace by angering the queen. ..."
For these people, fate is just a floating duckweed, whether it is Wei State or Qi State, there is no difference, but it is the chief culprit that makes them leave their homes and children, and say goodbye to their parents and mothers.
The sun has risen, and the light is deflected and refracted into the room. The delicate sunlight in the morning is divided into fine and scattered light spots by overlapping branches and neat panes, hitting the bronze mirror of the dressing table and reflecting on her delicate cheeks , the light is so warm and bright, but Su Mi feels that her mood is gloomy and dark, sinking in the place where the light can never shine...
It is also like this light, broken into invisible pieces...
What should I do?Su Mi couldn't help but be at a loss.
Let's take one step at a time, she laughed, why think so far away, maybe, she will die tomorrow, be given the title of a virtuous concubine, and then be buried in Daqi's cemetery, together with her secret hatred Together with Youyou, they were buried thoroughly, and then they enjoyed the sacrifices of the descendants of Qi State...
The road ahead is really too slim and too illusory.Where is the end, is a relief.
(End of this chapter)
Although Concubine Yun's murder of the emperor's heir caused a lot of discussion and whispers in the harem, but soon, the arrival of the New Year dilutes all the unhappiness.
Today is the New Year's Eve, and the entire palace is celebrating like never before. Although there have been a series of incidents in both the court hall and the harem recently, first the assassin case has no clue yet, and then the war in the Southern Dynasties broke out again, and the Northern Dynasties The Liao bandits plundered the border, and in the harem Concubine Yun murdered the emperor's heir, and the Empress Dowager was still ill...
However, the New Year's celebration became more and more colorful. Qi Taki still made a special order to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to reset it. Maybe it was the series of unhappiness that made him make such a special order. An arrogant emperor does not allow his own glory suffer any loss.
Starting in the morning, first sacrifices were made to the Ancestral Temple, and then Qi Long accepted the congratulations from the officials, and at night there was a night banquet from the palace. The grandeur of this night banquet was naturally not comparable to ordinary banquets. Come in a harmonious posture.It is divided into the banquet of officials in the first half of the night and the royal family banquet in the second half of the night.
Early in the morning, Su Mi woke up and dressed meticulously. This time, only concubines and concubines who are concubines or higher can participate in the sacrifice to the Ancestral Temple. They must wear formal attire, court clothes, and a phoenix crown.
Mi Hong carefully took out the phoenix crown court dress stored in the box, put it on the dressing table, took a look at the phoenix crown, but couldn't help laughing: "From my servant's point of view, the style of this phoenix crown is really too simple. Just look at a few of these beads, they are not even as good as the ones on ordinary hairpins, and the quality of the jade is not good. I really don’t know what to think, and the design is not beautiful.”
"The ancient sages often said the four characters 'De Rong Yan Gong' when discussing women's moral character. It can be seen that among women's qualifications, virtue is the first, and appearance is the second. This phoenix crown was designed by Queen Qian'an, the founder of Daqi. , the style is simple, solemn and harmonious, and the materials are not very precious, just to remind the concubines in the harem to remember the virtue of simplicity and simplicity, and not to be extravagant and wasteful." Su Mi said casually while brushing her hair : "The harem advocates luxury, causing people all over the world to follow suit. Is it the work of a virtuous person? You haven't seen what was written in Qu Guiren's sin-giving document a few days ago. One of them is 'excessive luxury, Extravagance for daily use! Using gold and silver threads to form brocade, costing tens of thousands of dollars per inch, using the state treasury to cover yourself, spending a lot of money every day. Countless people in the world have imitated it, and the trend of folk extravagance is becoming more and more popular...'"
"Concubine Yun, ah no...it's Mrs. Qu, I'm really wronged. Did she ask for those gold and silver threads? It's obviously the emperor..." Mi Hong couldn't help muttering in a low voice.
"How dare you say these words?" Mi Qingmi glared at her, "I haven't improved much, and I don't know the truth of being cautious in words and deeds."
"What she said is not wrong," Su Mi said with a smile: "When you are favored, of course everything is good and everything makes sense, but what about when you lose your favor?" Change.Concubine Yun was at fault, she was wrong because she didn't know, in this harem, there is no love that will last forever, no love that will last forever...
Because you need to wear a court dress, it is surprisingly simple to dress up. You just comb your hair and put on the phoenix crown. When wearing the phoenix crown, you can’t wear other jewelry to show solemnity, so you can’t do any complicated hairstyles. , just a simple wishful bun or floating cloud bun.Su Mi put on a court dress with blue and pink as the main tone, embroidered with a hundred birds in Chinese, and matched it with a jade belt, and her makeup was completed.
Before going out, Mi Qing handed over a hand stove, and said worriedly: "I'm afraid I will stand in the wind for a long time today, master must be careful."
It is said that they are going to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices, but of course they are not really participating in the sacrifices. With Su Mi's status, he is definitely not allowed to enter the Taimiao.
Only the queen can enter the ancestral land.
Therefore, before the end of the series of sacrificial activities, all the concubines had to kneel outside the Taimiao to show their respect.Today, the weather is cold, and usually the sacrificial activities last almost an hour. Kneeling outside for such a long time is enough for the delicate concubine.In the past, because the empress hated the concubine, she deliberately extended the time inside, dragging the sacrificial activities to several hours before the end.
"I don't know how many people are eager to endure this day's cold." Su Mi laughed.She didn't know how many people were jealous of her being promoted to the concubine.
Seeing that the hour was approaching, Su Mi got up and boarded the chariot.After a while, they arrived at Fengyi Palace, where all the concubines gathered, waiting for the time of offering sacrifices.
As soon as he entered Fengyi Hall, he saw Qi Long sitting in the hall. According to the previous rules of Qi Palace, he stayed overnight in the Queen's Palace the day before.Seeing Su Mi coming in, Qi Long showed a hint of surprise on his face, and said: "Mi'er is here, I was just talking about you with the queen."
"I don't know what the emperor and the empress said about the concubine?" Su Mi smiled while saluting calmly, feeling the burning eyes of those around him who seemed to be filled with jealousy.
"Just saying that you are weak and injured, the emperor is really worried that you will not be able to bear today's sacrifice." The queen said with a smile: "This palace also sees the same reason, this time the sacrifice is not as good as you, so let's avoid Just kneel, just wait in the side hall."
"I'm still injured, but I still receive favors every day..." Someone around whispered something, and it was blown into Su Mi's ears by the wind.
Su Mi seemed to have never heard of it, neither sight nor words could kill anyone.Since I have chosen this path, these are inevitable.
She said softly: "The kindness of the emperor and the empress is something I can't thank enough, but kneeling and respecting the ancestral hall is a matter within the duty of the concubine, how can I shirk it, not to mention, it is the honor of the concubine's life to participate in the ancestor sacrifice. , how hard is it to say."
"The days to come will be long, so why worry about this once or twice," the Queen laughed.
"How can etiquette be neglected lightly? The empress works hard day and night, and the concubine has already healed from some minor injuries. How dare you become pregnant with the ancestor's rules because of a trivial matter?" Su Mi calmly replied: With a humble body and broken etiquette and laws, the concubines cannot atone for their sins even if they die."
Seeing Su Mi's insistence, the queen turned to look at Qi Taki. Qi Taki hesitated for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright, then let's participate."
The queen also said as she said: "That's fine, I am also pleased that you can be so polite and righteous."
Qi Long got up and walked down, helped Su Mi up and said: "But if there is anything wrong, you must send an order to the imperial doctor in time, don't force yourself."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, my concubine is fine." Su Mi got up and smiled.
Looking at Su Mi's slender and weak figure, Qi Long's eyes flashed a hint of admiration: "They are all ordinary clothes, but they show Mi'er's refined and unparalleled beauty. It is the hibiscus that comes out of clear water, which is naturally carved."
Concubine's court clothes are only subdivided above the rank of noble concubine, and the rest, no matter Jieyu, Jing'e, Ronghua or concubine, are all ordinary dresses.There are not many high-ranking concubines, and now there is one less concubine Yun, so there are only five or six people in the field with different costumes, and the other dozen or so concubines are all dressed like Su Mi.
Su Mi bowed her head shyly, but her heart sank a little. She didn't need to look back to know what kind of faces those sisters with the same clothes as hers would turn into.
Qi Taki was simply looking for trouble for her.She sighed secretly.
She didn't say any more modest words. If she refused to be modest, she might have something more exciting to say.Qi Long has such a temperament. His noble status as a son-in-law since he was a child and the smooth sailing of his ascension to the throne make him a little ambitious, ambitious and talented.Everything is self-centered and doesn't care about other people's feelings, especially for those who don't care.
Seeing that the time had come, a group of people boarded the chariot and headed for the Taimiao.
Kneeling outside the Taimiao is not as hard as the legend says.On both sides are accompanying palace servants standing with their hands down, blocking the biting cold wind, and neat cushions are placed at the entrance of the hall for the concubines to kneel down.
Su Mi knelt in almost the last position. She raised her head and looked at the concubines in front of her. A few particularly delicate concubines were about to complain after kneeling for less than half an hour. Knowing that the laws are strict, they dare not call out.When he knelt for almost an hour, he was even more crooked and barely supported.
Leading the concubines to kneel at the front is naturally Concubine Ni. She doesn't seem to be tired at all, her figure is tall and elegant, but her face is a little pale. Maybe it's because of her status as a general's tiger girl that she is stronger than anyone else. She was staring intently at the busy figure in the Taimiao, the cold wind blew her neatly combed hair, and a few strands of bangs fluttered, revealing her burning eyes full of longing...
Su Mi looked at her silhouette, and followed her gaze to the two bright yellow figures who were following the ceremonial officials in various sacrificial activities in the Ancestral Temple. A complicated and unspeakable look flashed in her eyes , I can't tell if it's disgust, impatience, or something else..., let alone the busy people in the Taimiao, or the figure kneeling in front of the steps, or simply for participating in this kind of Instinctive resistance to solemn etiquette... Not wanting to show her malice, she lowered her head and hid everything in her eyes...
The sacrificial ceremony lasted until the middle of the day, and the busy morning was finally over.After returning to Caiwei Palace from Taimiao, Miqing and the others had already prepared ginger soup and hot juice to keep warm from the cold.
When Su Mi entered the warm pavilion, the heat blowing towards her face evaporated most of the tiredness and chill accumulated in the morning.She took off her heavy and oppressive court dress, and changed into a homely aquamarine embroidered jade-embroidered gown. She drank half of the ginger soup brought by Miqing and put down the teacup. Her physical fatigue had recovered, but her heart The depression and fatigue that I feel are long gone.
Wei Wei lost her mind for a while, and she suddenly said: "Xiao Luzi, go to Tianxiang Garden and pick a Hanying red plum for me, and tell them that I have nothing else to do tonight, so I have to pray all night in the room alone. , choose a good one."
"Master, why did you think of this?" Mi Hong said with a smile, "Praying to flowers is not effective if you have invited a Buddha. Isn't there another eminent monk coming to perform deeds in the past few days? Why don't you send someone to invite a Bodhisattva?" Come back, it’s very effective.”
Most of the women in the harem believe in Buddhism. Among them, the Queen Mother is the representative, who often invites eminent monks and Zen masters to the palace to give lectures on the scriptures.
"It's a big effort to invite a Buddha statue, and it may not be when we will see it. Master will pray tonight, can you invite one back now?" Xiao Luzi retorted at Chao Mihong, and then suggested: "Master, according to my servant, it would be more auspicious to pick off a pine branch."
"An ignorant boy knows that pine trees are rich and long-lived. Is such a vulgar thing used by the master?" Mi Qing laughed.
"Okay, just go if you're told, don't talk nonsense," Su Mi said, "I'll take your vacation when you come back, anyway, there's nothing important tonight, so go play by yourself later."
"Okay, slave will go right away. Master, please wait for a while." Hearing that it was a holiday, Xiao Luzi regained his energy and immediately trotted away.
After a while, Xiao Luzi came back with a large branch of half-full plum blossoms.
"Have you met anyone?" Su Mi asked casually while fiddling with plum blossoms.
"I met a few gardeners and eunuchs guarding me. I heard that it was the plum blossom that my master wanted, and they all rushed to recommend it to my servant. One said that this plant bloomed well, the other said that that branch bloomed beautifully. Qizui Gossip, very noisy." Xiao Luzi laughed.
"Well, it's okay, you can go and do your own work, you don't need to wait tonight," Su Mi said with a smile, "I see you are all in a hurry."
In the afternoon and evening, there are family banquets for the officials and the harem. The banquet for the officials is held in the main hall of Qianqing Palace, while the family banquet for the harem is held in the main hall of Fengyi Palace. The scale and luxury of these banquets are natural All far better than usual.Su Mi's body was fine, but she hated these ceremonial ceremonies. After participating in the sacrifice and worship in the morning, she simply used the excuse that her injuries hadn't healed.After shaking around the table for a while, he got up and said goodbye.
All the concubines are well-dressed one by one, competing for splendor. On such an occasion, they naturally wish that she, the number one in the way, would be far away from the ground.In order to ask the emperor to look at him more.
Su Mi said goodbye after some polite greetings.Back to Caiwei Palace, there was no one in the palace.Caiwei Palace is located in the northeast corner of the harem, not far from the Leng Palace. It was originally one of the most deserted places in the harem.On such a festive day today, even the servants in the palace looked happy and gathered together to celebrate and join in the fun.People like Xiaoluzi and Mihong who are usually active were already ready to move early in the morning, and Su Mi also looked at it funny, so he simply sent them all to participate in his own activities and watch the fun.The masters of the rest of the palace stayed at the banquet, and the servants either followed them to serve, or sneaked away to join in the fun.
So at this time, Caiwei Palace is extremely deserted inside and out.
"These two didn't live up to expectations, let them go, they really ran away." Seeing that the palace was almost dark, Mi Qing couldn't help cursing.
"Today is New Year's Eve, so don't complain, let them go and play, this year has been hard, and it is rare to have such an opportunity," Su Mi said with a smile: "Miqing, you don't have to work hard, go first have a rest."
"I'm going too, who does the master want to serve?" Mi Qing asked.
"Tonight is the New Year's Eve, and I don't have anything else to do. I want to sit alone for a while, and I'll fall asleep right away. You don't have to watch the night anymore. After working hard for a year, at least I can sleep peacefully." Su Mi laughed.
"That's fine, master, don't forget to call your servant if you have anything to do." Seeing Su Mi's resolute expression, Mi Qing told her worriedly, and she resigned.
After sending Mi Qing away, Su Mi sat alone in the room, lost in thought.
At noon today, the plum blossoms picked up by Xiaoluzi were placed by Mihong in a jasper vase carved with passionflowers, exuding a fresh fragrance that makes people linger and forget to leave in the dark room.
"He will definitely come. I have too many things to ask him." Su Mi thought uncertainly while looking at the details.
It's past Haishi.The night is getting dark, maybe the dinner party over there is celebrating right now?
Su Mi looked at the lights in the distance and was in a trance when she heard someone tap on the window a few times.
coming!Su Mi got up, walked quickly to the door, put her hand on the doorknob, but felt that she had lost the courage to open the door, and didn't know whether it was sadness or joy for a moment.
She took a long breath and finally opened the door.A figure flashed in, and the two faced each other.
Su Mi raised her head slightly, and there were several old scars criss-crossing on that familiar delicate face, and a pair of cold and clear eyes like ice were flickering and excited indescribably at this moment, as if something was about to come. Break out of the ice.
"Lie Chen." Su Mi called softly, "You are finally here." There was an irrepressible joy in the voice.
She has grown up, how long has he not seen her?
Gu Liechen, who is now Chen Lie, quietly stares at Su Mi who is almost unrecognizable in front of him, it seems to be a moment, and it seems to be as long as a lifetime.Finally, he knelt down on one knee and said in a low voice, "Second Miss..." His voice trembled slightly.
"Liechen," Su Mi helped him up, and looked at the companion in front of him, "I really didn't expect that there are still people alive in our Gu family." Gu Liechen is the son of the housekeeper of their Gu family, and a confidant of Su Mi's father. Next, the person who had been by his father's side when the city was broken.
"Let me take a closer look at you, Lie Chen, I really didn't expect you to be alive, that's great," Su Mi said with mixed feelings of sadness and joy, "I thought I was the only one who cared about my family in this world." Remember the last time When I saw him, I still looked at him at the same level, but now I needed to raise my head. The time passed so quickly, it was just a few short years, but it seemed that I had experienced a lifetime of ups and downs.
"Second Miss..." Chen Lie didn't know what to say.He was equally excited and uncontrollable, especially on the day of the night banquet in Tianxiang Garden, which made him meet the most unexpected person in this most unexpected place.
"Come and tell me, how have you been these past few years, I haven't seen you for several years." Su Mi wiped away her tears gently, she took his hand, came to sit at the table Come down, just like when you were a kid.By the side of her childhood playmate, she finally had a moment of relaxation and could turn back into that carefree little girl.
Su Mi's slender fingers like white jade spring onions touched his hand, Gu Liechen was in a trance for a moment, as if time went back in a flash, and he was pulled back to the past by these slender fingers...
He is the son of the housekeeper of the Gu family, and his father was General Gu's companion when he was a child.General Gu has no son, Mrs. Gu only gave birth to three daughters, so the family has always treated him as their own son. His martial arts was taught by Gu Qingting himself. He has been determined to practice martial arts since he was a child. Like the General Gu whom I admire the most, he became a great general on the battlefield, killing enemies for the country...The days of innocence and happiness passed quickly. At that time, the second young lady who had lived in the mountains for many years would occasionally come back to the mansion. She was a naughty little girl, just about the same size as him.The two will also hold hands and secretly run into the pond to play when the adults are not paying attention...
"How have you been in the past few years? How was the situation in the customs back then? You were also stationed in Wancheng at that time, was there anyone else?" Su Mi eagerly asked a series of questions, in this cold and lonely deep palace Here, in this crisis-ridden place, she really needs someone who can speak her mind.
Gu Liechen came back to his senses, by the way, it was not when they were young anymore, they could never go back to the past, he smiled wryly, settled down, and began to tell about his experiences in the past few years.
With a hint of shrillness that shouldn't have been there, the voice was still as clear and clear as before, slowly rising.The past is like flowing water, gently slipping past the two of them in this quiet time.
"...
This time the siege was particularly difficult. The Qi army was mobilized strictly, advanced and retreated in a certain way, and the offensive was also fierce.Even the general sighed from time to time, and Mr. Ge was often worried.
After the siege battle lasted for about half a year, it slowly quieted down. It seemed that the siege was going to be the main task. Fortunately, there was enough food and grass in Wancheng, which was enough for our guards and the people in the city for three years. Back then, the Qi army He failed to siege the city several times, and tried to siege the city, but retreated within a year.
Therefore, seeing that the Qi army began to encircle and not attack, everyone began to feel relieved.
When the Qi army had been besieged for about two or three months, suddenly one day, the sentry guards woke up early in the morning and found that the opposite camp was empty, and the Qi army retreated.
When he first heard the news, the general didn't care.In the past, Wang She, the great general of the Qi State, used this strategy when he was leading his troops. He deliberately pretended to retreat and actually ambushed secretly.
So, the general sent a few scout teams to reconnaissance outside the city, and the news they brought back was that the Qi army's camp had been vacant and abandoned, and all the axle loads in it were taken away. It seemed that they retreated calmly.Those who chased for dozens of miles did not see the enemy.Everyone thought that they had really retreated like they did several times before.
After the news spread, everyone was very happy to hear the news of Qi's retreat, whether it was the people in the city or the officers and soldiers.Perhaps it was because this time the offensive was particularly fierce and difficult to resist.
But both the general and Mr. Ge are worried and don't think so.
The general often said that although Ni Yuan was as famous as him and well-known in the world, he was far behind him in his fortitude and ambition. Just looking at his rebellion against Liang and surrendering to Qi in the past, it can be seen that he was extremely good at grasping Opportunity, plan and then act, in order to seek the greatest benefit.Mr. Ge also said that abnormality is a monster, and the Qi army has clearly gained the upper hand this time, so it is impossible to retreat like this, unless there is some major event in the Qi State court.
In the end, the two still couldn't rest assured, so Mr. Ge decided to lead his troops out to investigate.
That day happened to be the eighth day of March, and on the same day, King Wei's car arrived..." Chen Lie's voice was indescribably bitter.
"I also followed Mr. Ge's team. We went out of the city together and explored all the way north. There was no trace of the enemy. Instead, Mr. Ge became more nervous and suspicious. If it was an ordinary retreat, scouts and stragglers would definitely be left behind. In the back, no matter how strict Ni Yuan leads the troops, this is inevitable, but it is unusual to not see a single Qi army along the way.
As a result, on the third day after I came out, I met the Qi army's troops, not from the front, but from behind. "
Chen Lie's voice paused, and then said: "We were all surprised, but fortunately, the team that came out this time were all carefully selected elite soldiers, and there were not many Qi troops catching up, so everyone worked together to fight After a while, the Qi army was defeated and returned.
However, the Qi army who came from the captives got the news that Wancheng had been broken.
It turned out that Ni Yuan saw that there was no hope of a strong attack and the damage was huge, so he put on a siege posture and surrounded Wancheng, making it impossible for the news to be delivered for a while.Secretly arranged for an elite soldier to dress up as a civilian husband and hide in the mountains with enough rations for several days.
Then he ordered people to go to the rear to spread rumors that the city was about to be broken, and at the same time secretly sent envoys to meet King Wei in secret, promising him that as long as he surrendered to Daqi, he would be rich and honorable and enjoy his title safely, and the Wei family would not harm him.
In the past few years, the Qi army has come to attack several times, which made King Wei tremble all day long. At this time, he heard rumors in the city that the Qi army might have broken through Wancheng and was about to enter.At that time, no one paid attention to the surrender... So... King Wei surrendered," Chen Lie said with a wry smile, "while the soldiers in front were still fighting bloody battles..."
"What about after that?" Su Mi asked in a cold voice, her eyelashes drooping, showing no expression.
"Afterwards, the envoys of the Qi State immediately came to King Wei's seal, disguised the troops as envoys and civilian husbands who rewarded the army and transported food, opened the gate of the city, and then hid and killed them...
As a result, the general and the brothers who stayed inside... were not spared.Moreover, because the Qi army suffered heavy casualties during the siege, according to the Qi army's rules, it was necessary to massacre the city for revenge. "Chen Lie's voice softened.
"And what happened later?" Su Mi asked. These events were not secretive. Breaking through Wancheng and destroying Weiguo is a great achievement that Ni Yuan should be proud to show off. However, the army still often mentions the resourcefulness and decisiveness of this great general.The people of Qi State often sang about the bravery of the Qi army, and even the servants and eunuchs in the palace would mention it from time to time....Although Su Mi has heard this experience from various angles more than once, every kind of narrative will make her feel unbearably painful.
"Later," Chen Lie's voice had a trace of ethereal sadness: "Later, Wancheng has completely become a dead city."
"Afterwards, the Qi army began to encircle and suppress the remnants of the remnants of the forces that refused to surrender. The big guys didn't give up. We met several groups of Qi troops and rushed to kill them a few times. Many brothers died in battle, and we were the only ones left. Hundreds of people, relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the surrounding countryside, finally broke out of the siege, escaped, and hid in the mountains..." Chen Lie narrated in a calm tone.
Although his voice was smooth without the slightest ups and downs, Su Mi was still shocked. What a casualty rate this is. Those few battles must have been extremely hard and fierce. The scars on his face must have been left at that time.She couldn't help reaching out to hold Chen Lie's face. The scars on the original handsome face had gradually faded, but the hideous appearance could still imagine how serious the injuries were at that time.
"Does it hurt?" She couldn't help asking.It's like when the two of them sneaked into the pond to catch fish when they were young, and he fell into it and hurt himself.
"It's nothing." He stretched out his hand and pressed Su Mi's hand down. The heat on those slender fingers made him palpitate, as if he wanted to melt all the layers of protection he had accumulated over the years. "It's all It's an old wound, and there are many people who have been hurt more than me, my small wound is nothing, but it's on my face, it looks more scary." He forced a smile.
"Afterwards, Mr. Ge suggested that the troops of the large army must arouse the vigilance of the Qi army. Instead, it is better to send a few people back and forth to check on the situation. What happened to Wancheng and the general? We fled all the way and couldn't find a time to inquire about the current situation. The domestic news can only be learned from the mouths of the Qi army who came from the captives during the interval of the battle. The news only heard from their mouths is not realistic, and there are many contradictions.
Therefore, Mr. Ge personally took me and two or three other people to dress up as ordinary mountain people and go into the city to inquire.
At that time, Wancheng had been slaughtered, we didn't dare to stop on the way, and rushed to the capital as soon as possible, hoping to see our family members in time..." Chen Lie paused, not daring to look at Su Mi's mind, in the dark night , his voice was ethereal and ethereal: "But it's already too late, the city was looted, and even Gu's mansion was burned to the ground. I heard that my wife committed suicide and died for her country. The two ladies..."
"Stop talking!" Su Mi interrupted him suddenly, with a tone that was almost screaming, her voice was sharp and shrill, like a sharp sword, abruptly shattering the entire blurred dream-like narration of the past.
"Needless to say, I already know it all." She blushed abnormally for a while, and then calmed down: "What about after that?"
Chen Lie paused, and then continued: "After that, everyone's family members are from the city. Now that the city has been massacred, there is no chance of survival. Everyone hugged their heads and cried for a while, and immediately a few of them became irritable If you have a bad temper, you should fight with the Qi army. Anyway, everyone in the family has been killed. Now they have become lonely ghosts. They can kill one by one. Almost everyone agreed at the moment, anyway. There is no other way out, and surrendering is definitely not on my mind. Instead of putting down my weapons now and running to the countryside incognito to live my whole life alone in bleakness, it is better to fight like this, which can be regarded as venting anger, etc. If you die in battle, you can go down and reunite with your family.
Mr. Ge disagreed, thinking that this was just a waste of life, and after discussing with everyone, everyone was finally persuaded by him... Finally, he led everyone to join Nanchen..."
While he was talking, he raised his head, Su Mi was listening attentively, her fair neck was exposed in the air, with a fog-like luster, her eyelashes were trembling slightly like the cold dew in the middle of the night.
"Her eyelashes are longer," he thought.
There was a sudden throbbing in his heart for no reason, and a feeling of near despair spread through his heart, and he felt that his heart instantly became as white as the ivory skin in front of him that occupied all his sight.
He didn't dare to look any more, lowered his head, and continued: "...Now everyone is working under the command of Prince Cheng Chen Qian...I was ordered to sneak into the palace as an internal response..."
"So Nan Chen's hidden power here in Qi Jing is not small." Su Mi raised her head and asked, "Who is Nan Chen's person in charge here?"
This was originally a great secret, news that should never be revealed, but Chen Lie said the name in her ear without any hesitation.
"It's him?" Su Mi was surprised.Then he nodded, "Mr. Ge is very resourceful. His father relied heavily on him back then, and Prince Cheng is also a person who knows people and makes good use of them. He can be considered to have met the confidant again."
"By the way, were you planning the assassination a few days ago?" Su Mi thought of this and asked again.
"No, it's the remnants of the old Liang, Dongliang will plan, because they are all anti-Qi organizations, and they have always been in contact with us, so Mr. Ge also issued an order, without damaging our own forces, We must help as much as possible, and I heard that we have also sent experts to support this time. It is the man in yellow who is in charge of offering tea. It is said that it is one of the talented people recruited by Prince Cheng, Nan Chen's number one killer Wen Xian. "Chen Lie revealed the secrets of the organization without any concealment.
Thinking of the man in yellow, thinking of that thunderous sword, Su Mi couldn't help being a little startled, what a brilliant sword technique!
She sighed slightly, then raised her head to look at him and asked, "Did you do what Imperial Doctor He did?" This is the doubt that has been bothering her these days.
Chen Lie nodded.
He unexpectedly met Su Mi from Tianxiangyuan, and after being shocked, he immediately thought of today's assassination, and immediately hinted at Su Mi.At first, I thought that with my own reminder, even if Su Mi could not evade in advance, she could avoid the danger in time. After all, at the critical moment, the assassin should not waste time to hurt the insignificant concubine, but then I heard about it Many concubines were killed, and one of them, Su Cairen, was seriously injured in order to save the emperor.
He was so anxious that he rushed to the Caiwei Palace immediately. Su Mi was injured because of rescue, so he was naturally the key care object of the imperial physician. There were people coming and going in the room, wandering in and out. He didn't dare to approach until Qi Long and the imperial physician had left and only Mi Qing was left in the room who was not good at martial arts.Soon Su Mi woke up, he was secretly guarding the door beam at that time, Su Mi and the others' "abortion" behavior was well heard, so naturally he knew that Su Mi was a fake pregnancy, and later he wanted to come down and meet each other. See, but suffering from no chance, the imperial physician and Qi Long arrived soon, followed by the queen's suspicion, he heard the queen's water-tight words, contacted Su Mi's watery miscarriage just now, and immediately knew that something was wrong, so he hurriedly whispered Withdrew silently and rushed to kill Imperial Physician He.
"I just guessed it was you." Su Mi laughed, her smile was still as bright and clear as it was then: "In this palace, no one else will help me."
During the long night talk between the two, the sky in the distance had changed from pitch black to gray, and the sun was about to rise.
Chen Lie looked at the face in front of him, and Su Mi's slightly turned cheeks reflected the rising sun behind him. At this moment when the night and morning light alternated, every change of light and shadow on this face would make people unconscious The mind is ecstatic, agitated and addicted.
"Second Miss..." Chen Lie asked hesitantly, looking at Su Mi's face that seemed to have changed a lot but didn't seem to change at all.
"The sky is about to light up, if you delay it, you will be in danger," Su Mi said with a smile, "You go back today, wait a few days, and I will find a reason to transfer you to my side."
"Yeah." He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.Immediately bid farewell to Su Mi and left.
Seeing Chen Lie's figure disappear from sight, Su Mi felt sad for a while.
She knew what Chen Lie wanted to ask, he wanted to ask why she became Emperor Qi's concubine, enjoying such favor and wealth, and asked if she had forgotten the hatred of the Gu family, wanted to ask her... …
But how should I answer?
"I know what you want to ask." Su Mi knew that she should smile naturally like this, "You have told me about your experience, and you should listen to mine." She wanted to say this, and she wanted to be so bland However, the tone of voice told all the experiences of these days, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know how to open them.She never wanted to recall the dilapidated memories of those days, but when she dreamed back at midnight, they would appear in her sleep from time to time, entangled... making her inescapable, inescapable.
Su Mi suddenly felt at a loss, didn't she want to take revenge?Of course I want to!Hatred is always like the most greedy and vicious insect, constantly gnawing at her heart, keeping her from resting for a moment, supporting her to survive in this man-eating palace, supporting her to devour others, and Don't let yourself be swallowed up by others.
She wanted revenge, not for the country of Wei, even King Wei himself didn't want his own country, so what else do these courtiers have to miss.She took revenge for her family, for her parents and sisters, for their family...
However, revenge, how to revenge?Su Mi suddenly felt in a trance, sometimes she would think of this question, but she hardly dared to think about it.
It was too far away, too long, and she suspected that she would not wait until this day, and would die of old age in this palace first. Such fear made her panic, and she didn't even dare to imagine it anymore.
But now facing this problem, she doesn't want to think about it. Is it because she has no hope, feels that the journey is far away, and is unnaturally timid, or because she doesn't know what to do...
How to take revenge?Kill Ni Yuan's family, just like what he did to himself, so that the whole Daqi will not be safe, let Daqi also perish in the flames of the enemy's war, let it also be destroyed by Nanchen or Beiliao... let These people who indulge in comfort every day, let these people who treat her father, brother and family as a joke, pay the price, let them also taste the taste of the country's destruction and family destruction?
Su Mi leaned against the head of the bed, looking at the fading moon outside the window.
The next day, Mi Qing came in to help Su Mi wash up, but she saw Su Mi lazily sitting on the edge of the table, her face was as pale as snow, as if she hadn't slept all night.
"Mother?!" she exclaimed, "What happened!"
"It's nothing." Su Mi came back to her senses and gave her a comforting smile. "Last night I lay down for a while and then got up. There was so much noise outside that I couldn't fall asleep anyway. Let's catch up on sleep this afternoon."
Last night there were fireworks outside the palace, the sound was indeed deafening, many masters and servants were celebrating all night, the meaning in Su Mi's words was normal, but Mi Qing just felt something was wrong,
"Your Majesty, do you want to ask the imperial physician to come over and have a look? Your complexion is not very good. I'm afraid you may catch a cold."
"It's nothing, why don't I know about my own body?" Su Mi laughed, "It's just that I was disturbed by the recent series of celebrations and other things."
As she spoke, she stood up, "Okay, there's nothing else to do today. It's time to visit the Empress Dowager's bedroom, so don't delay."
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to the rules of the palace, there is still a whole day of business, seeing that the time is coming, Mi Qing has no time to think about it, and hastily tidy up for Su Mi.
Mi Qing helped Su Mi to sit in front of the pear wood dressing table covered with embroidered and beautiful tablecloth, and put the bronze mirror carved with vines and vines on it.Open the rouge gouache, and the elegant aroma diffuses.
"Mi Qing, have you ever thought about your relatives at home?" Su Mi asked suddenly.
"Ah?" Mi Qing was startled, and then said: "Sometimes I miss it, but after so many years, I've gotten used to it, and there's nothing to miss."
"So many years?" Su Mi asked with a bit of surprise, it seemed that it was less than a year since the Kingdom of Wei was destroyed and they were sent to the palace.
"I should be elected early," Mi Qing said with a smile, "I was selected into the palace when I was 13 years old, and I said goodbye to my parents at that time." I can't help but miss it.
She was talking about Wei Guo's talent show, Su Mi was stunned, she never knew that she had such a background, she always thought that Mi Qing was also one of the noble girls who were taken into the palace.
"When you were in Wei Gong..." Su Mi asked.
"It's no different from now." Mi Qing neatly arranged Su Mi's long black hair: "...First he was selected into the palace, and later he was assigned to Chunhui Palace to take care of a concubine in the palace. Empress, later, about two years later, that empress saw that my behavior was not bad, so she pointed me to Xinqing Zongji and followed me out of the palace. Zong Ji was selected into the Qi Palace, and I was brought into the palace as a girl." When mentioning the past, Mi Qing couldn't help but sigh.Opportunities in life are so unpredictable.
Su Mi was also brought in by Wei Qing'er who was selected into the palace.She was sallow and thin at that time, because Wei Qing'er insisted on taking her personal maid, and begged several eunuchs who were in charge of selection, and the eunuchs saw that although Su Mi's face was sallow, her face was clear and beautiful, and she couldn't hide her refined air.Only then were they sent to the court together, avoiding the fate of being eliminated and assigned to meritorious soldiers.
"...Unfortunately, Zong Ji is a miserable person," Mi Qing mentioned the old master, and couldn't help sighing, "I finally got some favors, but because of my careless words, I was thrown into the cold palace by angering the queen. ..."
For these people, fate is just a floating duckweed, whether it is Wei State or Qi State, there is no difference, but it is the chief culprit that makes them leave their homes and children, and say goodbye to their parents and mothers.
The sun has risen, and the light is deflected and refracted into the room. The delicate sunlight in the morning is divided into fine and scattered light spots by overlapping branches and neat panes, hitting the bronze mirror of the dressing table and reflecting on her delicate cheeks , the light is so warm and bright, but Su Mi feels that her mood is gloomy and dark, sinking in the place where the light can never shine...
It is also like this light, broken into invisible pieces...
What should I do?Su Mi couldn't help but be at a loss.
Let's take one step at a time, she laughed, why think so far away, maybe, she will die tomorrow, be given the title of a virtuous concubine, and then be buried in Daqi's cemetery, together with her secret hatred Together with Youyou, they were buried thoroughly, and then they enjoyed the sacrifices of the descendants of Qi State...
The road ahead is really too slim and too illusory.Where is the end, is a relief.
(End of this chapter)
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