Yuxia Palace

In the huge bedroom, there was only one candle burning. The light was weak, there was no wind or movement, and it was deathly quiet.

In the dimness, a slender figure sat in front of the dressing table, her eyebrows lowered, looking directly at the beaded flower in her hand. The beaded flower that had been replaced by a hairpin, after countless twists and turns, still returned to her hand, exuding soft white fragrance. Light……

'Miss Qingyue, the Ai family has an unkind request, I hope you can agree.'

'Qingyue doesn't dare, please tell me, Queen Mother.'

'Since the emperor ascended the throne, General Yu unfortunately passed away. In the court, except for Gu Xiangguo and General Tian, ​​my orphans and widowed mother can only rely on the efforts of the late Emperor Fuze and the remaining veterans to stay in this palace. They are in panic all day long. Nowadays, the border passes have been lost one after another, the princes have been captured, Jin and Liao are greedy, the princes are agitated, and the situation is troubled by internal and external troubles. As a last resort, I ordered people to secretly investigate the whereabouts of Mr. Xu, find him back to the palace, and return him to the imperial court. I hope that I can use the talents of the generals to help me. The Song Dynasty punished evil and eradicated evil, consolidated the country, and made the people live and work in peace and contentment, not to mention living up to the great trust of the late emperor.'

'Do you know why I say this to you?'

"Qingyue doesn't know." Mei Niang raised her head, her eyes filled with confusion. The Queen Mother showed no expression and stood up steadily and walked to her.

‘This marriage with the Kingdom of Jin is not just a simple marriage, there is also a more critical task to be entrusted to Mr. Xu.’ The last word fell on the word “Xu”, and Mei Niang had a premonition that she had no intention of messing around.

'Your Majesty, please speak directly.'

'Okay, you and Yu Yan are as close as sisters, and I won't beat around the bush with you. Now, the overall situation is at stake, and it concerns people's lives and the country. The Ai family wants you to replace the fourth princess and marry the eldest son of the Jin Kingdom.'

‘Ah? This…’ I thought that the Queen Mother would ask me to leave so that Shi Lin could concentrate on participating in politics, but unexpectedly it was…

'But Qingyue is just a commoner, how can he replace the princess?'

'Only you in the world can do it.'

'I?'

'Because, you have a past.'

"In the past?" Her eyes were dull, as if she had lost her soul, and she uttered a sentence dullly.

‘Yes. Your past and present lives are known to the Ai family.’ Upon hearing this, Mei Niang’s face turned pale, and she staggered back to the chair, almost falling down.

'You don't need to panic. I believe in those stories about gods and ghosts. I have also read "The Legend of Yi Yao" written by my ancestors, and I admire the story of you and Mrs. Tianxian very much. Therefore, you are the one who reassures me the most. The Queen Mother took the opportunity to sit her down, and Mei Niang obeyed silently, sweating from her embroidered handkerchief. The Queen Mother did not pay attention and continued:

"Master Xu has a heavy responsibility here, and the marriage is only part of it. The Kingdom of Jin wants more than just the princess, not only the territory and the city, but also himself." Mei Niang immediately raised her head and looked at the calm Queen Mother in front of her, feeling gentle and soft. Without the previous solemnity, she mentioned Shilin again and again with sincere eyes. Is the situation really as serious as she said?

"If you don't believe it, the Ai family will ask Gu Xiangguo to come. He is Mr. Xu's mentor. You will know as soon as you ask." The Queen Mother summoned Gu Zhong.

'I see that the Queen Mother is a thousand years old and a thousand years old.'

"Gu Xiangguo excuses himself from the gift. Please excuse me for taking the time to make a trip. This is Miss Lu Qingyue." When Gu Zhong stood up, he saw Mei Niang standing next to the Queen Mother. She had been Shilin's master and apprentice for many years and rarely interfered with his private affairs. , but I have heard about it. This is the first time I saw this "legendary" today, so I couldn't help but take a closer look. The elegant face is still pale with a little makeup, a pair of curved eyebrows are frowned, and the eyes are reddish. Slim. She moved lightly in front of him with lotus steps, bowed and saluted.

‘The daughter of the people has met Gu Xiangguo.’

"Miss Lu doesn't need to be polite. Since she is called by the Queen Mother and a close friend of Mr. Xu, I don't have to hide it. Shi Lin is a literary star who has come down to earth, has extraordinary wisdom and an unusual life experience. King Jin appreciates her very much and has long wanted to invite her to meet him. Knowing that he has a tough attitude,

He would not compromise easily, so he planned to capture the consort and threaten Mr. Xu, and asked him to personally deliver him by name before letting him go. This is also the real reason why the emperor wanted to find him back. There are also more complicated situations, which I will not explain.

.I can only tell you that even if King Jin gives up, there are still people who want to take this opportunity to get rid of him. What is the reason? Miss Lu is smart enough to guess how much. It was my idea to negotiate peace. Call him to return the favor.

As a teacher, there is nothing I can do to send my bride off." Gu Zhong said sincerely, sighing deeply, which made him burst into tears. Among the many students, the one he was most proud of was Shilin, but it was a pity... In troubled times...

, The world is unstable. Mei Niang listened quietly, Gu Zhongde was highly respected, a decent man, and the enlightenment teacher of the clergy. He would not do harm maliciously, and his words were trustworthy.

"Whether Master Xu can rescue the consort and return safely together is what the Ai family is worried about. I only hope that God will bless you. Good people have their own destiny. Our court can no longer lose such a virtuous minister, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable." The Queen Mother said.

At this point, Gu Zhong wiped away his tears and immediately knelt down to persuade him.

'The Queen Mother takes care of her body, and I will do my best to assist the Emperor in ensuring peace and order for the country, and live up to the great trust of the late Emperor.'

'Hey..., the old Prime Minister has worked hard and should have enjoyed his old age in peace. It's a pity that talented people in my court are scarce, and the Emperor is young and has no job. I can only trouble the Prime Minister to be personally involved in state affairs and worry about state affairs. I really feel ashamed."

"The Empress Dowager has made a serious statement. I have been entrusted by the late Emperor and should dedicate my whole life to my filial piety. However, I am approaching the end of my twilight years and have too much mental and physical strength to save the situation. This worries the Empress Dowager and makes me panic."

"Is it true that there are no worthy people to save my life, the Song Dynasty? Will my consort return to the court safely after saving me? Late Emperor, please show your spirit quickly." Empress Dowager Cao shouted excitedly out the window, the trill between her teeth was distorted

Pulling every pulse of others' hearts.

'The daughter of the people... is willing to marry the Kingdom of Jin on behalf of the princess.' Mei Niang knelt down, tears and pain swirling in her eyes, but her heart was extremely firm. Gu Zhong listened and sighed secretly: What a righteous and infatuated woman, the so-called deep love

No complaints at all, that's all.

"You agreed?" The Queen Mother was overjoyed, although everything was within her expectations.

‘Yes.’ After the weak response, two lines of tears fell instantly, falling clearly on the smooth jade slab.

"You really didn't disappoint the Ai family. Get up and talk." The Queen Mother helped her up with one hand, feeling relieved and smiling lightly.

'The emperor summoned Mr. Xu today, and he must have a complete plan, right, Gu Xiangguo?'

'Go back to the Queen Mother, there is a rescue plan.'

'Okay. Please step aside first. The Ai family still has something to say to Miss Qingyue.'

‘Yes, I will leave.’ After Gu Zhong left the hall, the two of them sat down one after another.

'Now you understand, the situation is really not optimistic. In addition to asking you to get married, there is one more thing you must do. But you have to promise me that you will never reveal a word to anyone. Otherwise, not only will you not be able to be saved,

People can even kill people. I am definitely not threatening you, and you'd better believe what I say.'

‘The daughter of the people promised that if a third party finds out, she will end it on her own.’ Qingyue knew that she had no way out, so since she agreed, she would not look back.

'Okay. This matter is not difficult to say, nor easy to say. All you need to do is forget the past and be a charming bride.' The Queen Mother stood up and walked towards her. She took out a white jade bottle the size of a date stone from her sleeve.

Put it into her hands.

‘Without the past, will the Queen Mother still feel relieved?’ The jade bottle in her hand seemed to exude an extremely cold air, making her tremble involuntarily and unable to find any strength to resist.

"If you don't worry, I won't mention it. I believe you care about Mr. Xu's life and death more than anyone else." The Queen Mother's words were like a needle pricking into Mei Niang's heart, and she suddenly shed another line of tears.

'This is the red color of a crane's head. It is colorless and odorless. It will seal your throat when you see blood. You should know what to do, right?'

'The Queen Mother wants a daughter of the people...'

"That's right. In order for Mr. Xu to rescue the consort and Mr. Xu and save their lives, and for the sake of the people of the world, you must complete it." The Queen Mother spoke firmly, and her sharp look completely melted away her last hesitation.

'The daughter of the people... knows.' Mei Niang felt numb all over her body, holding back the tears that were about to burst out of her eyes, but her thoughts couldn't be controlled. The lives of Xiaoshan and Gu'an were at stake, and Shilin was in danger. Good or bad luck was unpredictable.

There was no room for her to hesitate.

The candle burned out and was blown out by the wind. Mei Niang came back to her senses and stared at the green hairpin on the table with her pale face. At that time, Shilin's parents got to know each other because of the hairpin, and they met again because of the hairpin, and the indissoluble bond continued. Now what is in front of me

Hairpin, it is not a heart-warming token of love, nor is it a lunar incarnation that pulls strings together. It is an end, a conspiracy, pitiful...sad...

Suddenly, a beam of light came in, and as the door opened, someone came in. Qingyue shouted in fright:

"who?"

"Shh! It's me."

"Yu Yan, how did you get in?" The figure shook, frightening her, but she felt relieved when she heard the familiar voice.

"Of course I have my own way." As he spoke, the candle light was lit, illuminating two people dressed as chamberlains, Yu Yan and Runzhu.

"Why are you dressed like this? If the Queen Mother knows, it will be troublesome."

"Don't worry, my mother has gone to bed long ago. I specially chose this time to come, so no one will notice. You and Runzhu change clothes immediately, and I will take you out of the palace."

"What about Runzhu?"

"She... goes to the Kingdom of Jin on your behalf."

"How can this be done? How can she survive if she is discovered?"

"No, my mother is busy with the wedding reception and has no time to come here. On the wedding day, she will be covered with thick red makeup and a veil, making it difficult to recognize her. Just listen to me and come with me quickly."

"No, I can't leave."

"Why? Do you want to be married to a place where birds don't shit? I heard that the crown prince of the Jin Kingdom was dissolute and had several concubines ruined by him. Do you still want to die?"

"If this is really the case, how can I let others lead me to suffer? I will have an uneasy conscience for the rest of my life."

"Miss Qingyue, Runzhu is willing. Runzhu was sold into the palace since she was a child, and she followed several masters, and was beaten, scolded, and bullied. Since she followed the princess, she treated me like a sister, and she only lived a good life for a few years.

I am willing to do whatever the princess wants me to do, not to mention that Miss Qingyue is kind and treats Runzhu well, so I am really willing."

"No, you are pitiful enough, why should you suffer anymore. Besides, this is my own business. Since I have made a promise to the Queen Mother, I must keep it to the end. Don't try to persuade me anymore. I have made up my mind." For such an important matter, no one can do it.

It could be done for her, let alone a poor girl, so she refused without hesitation.

"Qingyue!"

"Stop talking. Just leave quickly. If people find out, you won't be able to explain it clearly."

"Okay, I can't persuade you. Someone can do it. Just wait." Yuyan opened the door and brought in another person. Qingyue's eyes widened and she was even more surprised.

"Shi Lin." I saw Shi Lin, who was also wearing a chamberlain uniform. He raised his head in shame, with a deep longing lingering in his eyes.

"Let's keep the story short, I'll go outside to look after the storm." Yuyan and Runzhu closed the door and retreated to the outer hall. There were only two people left in the room, and the dim yellow light illuminated the two hearts as if they had been separated for a thousand years.

Together, hold hands.

"Shi Lin..."

"Mei Niang!" They looked at each other, still speechless. They hadn't seen each other for a few days, and they had lost weight, which made people feel distressed.

"How are you? Are you used to living and eating in the palace? Is anyone giving you a hard time?" A series of concerns warmed Mei Niang's almost desperate heart. She looked deeply at Shilin and shook her head without saying a word.

.

"Why did you agree? This shouldn't fall on you. Come with me out of the palace."
To be continued...