Chapter 16 Catching and Diving

  Feng attentively presented ginger tea, hanging hands at the side, see I only frowned and drank a mouthful, busy smile and said: "Wangfei but the flavor is too heavy, slave girl this will let people re-fried."   I waved my hand, and only asked coldly, "Have they all been placed?"   "The slave girl has already sent the silver to the Qingliu family, enough for her to do the dowry, but Yu'er does not know what to do day after day noisy ......" Feng skimmed her mouth, was about to say more, I interrupted her, "always served the king a, can not be treated thinly. "   "Wangfei house heart benevolent, is our subordinate's blessing." Feng's busy bowed and said.   I laughed, only to find the phrase "kind and generous" incomparably ironic.   I asked Feng and realized that it was no coincidence that none of the concubines had heirs.   Feng said that every time there was a concubine, the king would give medicine, probably because he thought that the concubine's status was lowly and unworthy of bearing the king's heir.   I don't believe this. I don't believe this. It's not strange for a son of a family to do this, but Xiao Qi should not be this kind of person.   Feng has a flexible mind and is a good judge of character. Seeing that I pay attention to ask the king's living, she peeped at me on the one hand, on the other hand, smiled and came closer, whispered: "This period of time the king is a person alone sleeps, now that the princess has seen the health of the good, but also the king is still cold aside, I'm afraid that in the rite of passage is also not ......."   I turned my head to hide the heat on my face.   But she said more and more unlike words, "the king came to visit every night, although the princess nature chaste, but this husband and wife boudoir things ......"   My ears burned, coldly said, "Mrs. Lu, you also have years of deacon in the house, every word and action is the example of all the people underneath, you can't not know the master-servant division."   Feng's face gusts of green and white, retreated to the side and did not dare to say anything.   I frowned and looked at her, only to feel that this person is good to flatter, the heart is not right, to stay by the side of the end can not be long. At that moment, I thought, want to expel her together, however, considering that she is quite old, and in the mansion toil for some days, in the end, some intolerance.   Cheeks behind the ears of the heat but a long time did not subside, Feng's words although slang and wannabe, but not completely without reason.   These days, Xiao Qi more and more busy, often all day to see people, once back to the house and there will be generals constantly in and out of the proceedings ...... Even so, he still came over every night to see me, more or less always have to accompany me to talk for a while, and sometimes have to look at me sleeping peacefully, before leaving.   Since that night, he treats me no more light and abrupt behavior, occasionally behave intimately, but never overstep the rules.   Even Yuxiu had asked me with a red face why the king never stayed overnight.   They don't know, but I understand that Xiao Qi is just waiting. He is too proud a person to allow a little reluctance and yielding - this point, we are very similar. He wants to wait for me to be willing, to wipe out the shadow of others, as he said, "Between us, there is no one else."   I stood in a daze on the porch, my heart full of frustration, a hundred flavors I could not distinguish.   Xiao Qi won't understand, that's not someone else, that's Zitan ...... There are too many feelings intertwined between Zitan and me, even if we put aside the love of men and women, we are still brother and sister, confidants, people who have shared those wonderful years. Even if you use a "side", you can wipe everything clean, however, those engraved in the life of the memory, I'm afraid that this life can not be erased.   Afternoon just want to take a nap for a moment, a servant girl hurriedly came, "report to the princess, the king has just arrived at the house, please Wangfei immediately to the study to go."   I was slightly stunned, since I arrived here, I never set foot in his study, and I felt apprehensive.   I didn't have time to comb my makeup, and only gathered my hair at the temples, I hurriedly went, and on the way, I felt uneasy, and vaguely felt that something was going on.   To the door of the study, I was in a hurry, not waiting for the guards to report, they pushed open the hidden door.   When I stepped in, I was stunned to see that there was someone else in the room - Xiao Qi stood with his hands folded, staring intently at a map of public opinion, and behind him stood a general on the left and right, and when they saw me come in, they were all stunned.   Seeing that I had disturbed their deliberations, I smiled apologetically and turned to exit.   However, I heard Xiao Qi's voice coming from behind me, a faint smile flowing from his majesty, "Where to?"   I could only turn back around and enter with a slight nod and smile to the two generals. On the left, the thick-bearded and sturdy general, only froze and glanced at me, then scrambled to bow his head, his face embarrassed. The right side is a handsome and upright young general, see me come in, also do not know to bow his head to avoid, between the elegant eyebrows, actually is a faction of the infatuation look.   I converge my eyes and lowered my eyebrows, slightly raised the corners of my lips, and bowed to Xiao Qi.   Xiao Qi converge to smile, said in a deep voice: "Since the princess is here, you first retire, this matter will be discussed tomorrow."   "Subordinate obeys." The two responded in unison, the brash general bowed slightly, turned his head and left, but the elegant general seemed to freeze for a moment before turning around hurriedly and retreating.   It was only then that I couldn't help but laugh out, "All are reckless generals who don't know how to be courteous."   Xiao Qi laughed and shook his head, "His own recklessness, but smacked the other people rude, where there is such an unreasonable woman."   I raised my eyebrows at him, "I came to see my husband, who else do I need to be courteous to?"   These words made Xiao Qi's eyes full of smiles as he took my hand and led me to the front of the huge map.   "This is the Imperial Opinion Map of the rivers and mountains?" My eyes widened, deeply attracted by the vast territory on the map.   Xiao Qi smiled faintly, reached out and pointed at the map, saying proudly, "This is the mountains and rivers that I have spent half my life on horseback, leading millions of generals and soldiers, guarding and pioneering."   I was shocked by his look, at this moment Xiao Qi, vaguely actually have the attitude of the dragon and tiger. Followed where he pointed to look, that stretches on the maps of the beautiful rivers and mountains, also make me heart and soul stirring, a long time speechless.   These days, although I have not heard a single whisper, but I vaguely perceive unusual tension. Those hurrying in and out of the generals, all night deliberations, in front of the huge public opinion map ...... this moment, I finally know, must be something happened.   Since I came to Ningshuo but more than a month, those peaceful and quiet days have inadvertently flowed away, at this time to think of, steeply frustrated.   I sighed and raised my eyes to look at Xiao Qi, waiting for him to speak.   Xiao Qi gazed at me, "Do you remember Wen Zongshen?"   I was stunned, no matter what, I would never have thought that he would mention this name - the right minister of the dynasty, a powerful minister who rivaled my father, the only one who dared to fight against Wang, and also my father's old rival for many years. I couldn't help but smile, "Why did you suddenly mention the Right Minister?"   Xiao Qi looked indifferent, turned around and walked back behind the case, and said with a sideways glance, "He is no longer the Right Minister."   I was unable to come back to my senses for a moment and asked in a daze, "Minister Wen has another promotion?"   "Nine days ago, Wen Zongshen was convicted and dismissed; seven days ago, Wen's entire family was imprisoned." Xiao Qi's voice was as cold as iron, "If we calculate according to the itinerary of the delivery of the secret letter, three days ago, it was the date of his beheading."   I suddenly backed up a few steps, back straight against the screen, in front of my eyes swept over that once familiar face. In the past, the bones of the elegant, proud and unity of the world's famous scholar, one of the top ministers, is now a corpse lying in the coffin?   The bone-chilling cold from the soles of the feet straight up, I was in a trance, murmured: "What happened in the capital? Aunt, father, mother ...... how are they ......" thought of the capital may be drastic changes in the cross, I was in a state of turmoil, all kinds of grievances are thrown out of the sky, fearing that there is a failure of the family.   Xiao Qi stretched out his hand to me and said softly, "Come here."   I blankly let him hold his hand, was wrapped in the crook of his arm, and met his gaze in a daze. It was as if there was a strange power in his eyes that made me feel peaceful, and my mind gradually tranquilized.   "Sooner or later, these things must let you know, it's nothing, in the future you have to bear more." He smiled calmly, for me to gather the scattered temples hair, "even if the sky turned over, I am still here, nothing to be afraid of."   The border in May is surprisingly cold.   I listened to Xiao Qi will Wen Xiang case briefly said, fingertips more and more cold, cold from all directions.   I thought that Xu Shou was executed, Helan was defeated, all the crisis has passed - but I never thought that this is just the beginning of another killing.   Prince of lightness and lack of virtue, has long disappointed the emperor, although the aunt and the emperor since childhood hair, but no deep favor. Over the years, the emperor has been exclusively Xie Guifei, favoring Zi Tantan, between the emperor and the queen is increasingly estranged, so that the emperor once up to the abolition of the heart. When Noble Consort Xie died and Zi Tan was expelled, my aunt interfered in the internal affairs, my father was in power outside, and my marriage to Xiao Qi made Wang's power rise.   With Xiao Qi's return to the north, the struggle between the royal family and the foreign relatives finally became a fire and water situation. The Emperor finally realized that the Crown Prince's wings had been formed. The tiger returns to the mountain, 400,000 troops and six counties in the north are in the hands of Xiao Qi, one day with him, one day can not shake the Wang family.   Once the crown prince is crowned in the future, the world will fall into the hands of the Wang clan.   The emperor is alone in the capital, the royal family of the kings are divided into various places, the power of the northern kings has long been in the war in the extinction. Only the kings of Jiangnan, when the corner, luckily saved a considerable strength, but with the capital thousands of miles away, can not reach the whip.   Only the right minister Wen Zongshen support the emperor to abolish the crown prince, in the dynasty and the father of the counterweight, secretly conspire with the kings of Jiangnan.   Xiao Qi after the marriage of the north back to Ningshuo, in the aunt and father's support, quickly take control of the northern six towns, a number of times on the grounds of military urgency, disobedience to the imperial order, refused to return to the capital by imperial decree. The court is afraid of his hands of 400,000 soldiers and horses, for a time there is nothing to do.   Prince within the power of the relatives, outside the heavy military hostage, if you want to abolish the Crown Prince, the first to remove is the hands of Xiao Qi military power.   Seeing Xiao Qi blatantly disobeyed the king's orders, the emperor finally came down hard, and the right minister Wen Zongshen together set up a poisonous plan - to send close general Xu Shou, with the Ministry of the Army, left minister Du Meng, in the name of the heavenly hunting in the name of the Ningshuo, plans to secretly hostage Xiao Qi, waiting for an opportunity to seize the power of the army.   Unexpectedly, Xu Shou's ambition was so high that he wanted to take the opportunity to replace Xiao Qi, and he even colluded with Helan Zhen to kill Xiao Qi with a borrowed knife, and then put the blame on Helan's head, so as to end the trouble forever.   Xiao Qi is such a character, has long been informed of the wind, simply will be the plan, will Xu Shou's kill with a knife, into a double arrow - the bright arrow to kill Xu Shou, routed Helan; secretly an arrow, but it is shot to Xu Shou behind the Wen Zongshen, and even the real mastermind behind the Minister of the Wen, to the emperor to counterattack.   The assassination failed, Xu Shou died, Du Meng escaped, more than ten Helan assassins were arrested and imprisoned, falling ironclad evidence.   Xiao Qi, a rustic, and cited thirteen ironclad evidence, impeached Wen Zongshen collusion with foreign invaders, treason and rebellion. At the same time, his father in the capital, together with the ministers of all ministries, together with the impeachment report, forcing the emperor will Wen Zongshen party in prison, according to the law of the beheading.   The Right Minister's party counterattacked with impeachment of Wang's foreign relatives' authoritarianism, and counter-accused Xiao Qi of having troops and resisting the decree to commit crimes.   The emperor was forced by his father and aunt's pressure, but had to abandon Wen Zongshen, his prison awaiting trial, making him a scapegoat - Wen Zongshen was convicted of a felony, dismissed from his post to reduce the title, his family migrated to Lingnan. Originally, things have come to this point, the emperor has lost everything, bowing to the relatives. However, I do not know why, my father even ignored the aunt's dissuasion, insisted on the execution of Wen Zongshen can not give up.   Father finally bent on having his own way, tampered with the decree and directly ordered the Ministry of Justice to execute Wen Zongshen three days ago.   "No way!" I can't listen to any more, Huo Ran whisked his sleeve up, touching Xiao Qi's frosty and snowy gaze, but his body stiffened, and finally fell back into the chair. Xiao Qi to me no longer hidden, he and his father to convey the secret letter, are one by one spread in front of my eyes, my father's handwriting, is that I am more familiar with but ......   Even when I learned that my father and aunt secretly planned my marriage with Xiao Qi, I was only sad and disappointed, but at the moment, I can not in any way Xiao Qi's mouth of the left prime minister, and my graceful, elegant, outstanding as the immortal's father linked together.   Who knows, whether it is because of my father's domineering or because of other reasons, that son of heaven, who has always been cowardly and sentimental in my impression, has finally been pushed to the brink of extinction, enraged by my family, and vowed to let go of Wang!   In the secret letter just delivered by my father, the small hand of beautiful and vigorous block letters, written in shocking words and phrases - just a few days ago, the Emperor issued an imperial edict to depose the Crown Prince and install Zi Tan as the Crown Prince, and appointing King Jianning as the Crown Prince's Major, ordering King Jianning to go north immediately to the Imperial Tomb to welcome the Crown Prince to the capital!   King Jianning of Jiangnan is the cousin of the Emperor, and among all the feudal lords, except Xiao Qi, he is the one who has the most powerful 150,000 soldiers in his hands. When the Emperor ordered him to come to the capital to assist Zi Tan, he was clearly declaring war on the foreign relatives.   My father and aunt immediately closed the palace, proclaiming that the Emperor was seriously ill and dying, and that the Crown Prince had been appointed to supervise the country in his stead. Uncle at the same time mobilized 50,000 forbidden troops to defend the capital on all sides. Auntie sends the inner court guards to the royal tomb to keep Zi Tan in seclusion.   The situation in the imperial court is a hot mess and is about to explode.   Once King Jianning sends his troops, the only way to break the siege of the capital is for Xiao Qi to march south.   My father's secret letter was to ask Xiao Qi for help, asking him to quickly prepare all the food and grass and go south to prepare for the war.   I slowly turned back to look at the huge map, and when I saw the red lines outlined on the map, I did not know why. At this moment, I suddenly realized that the scarlet vermilion markings were Xiao Qi's military strategy - from Ningshuo out of the three passes, across the Yangtze River, straight into the heart of the Central Plains, cutting off the north and south strongholds, and splitting his troops into three paths at Linliang Pass to block the enemies from the east, west and south, and firmly controlling the capital city in his hands as if it were a projectile isolated city!   I looked straight at the map, from my fingertips, to my hands, an inch of cold.   Things are finalized, this battle is inevitable.   The people involved in this dispute are all my closest relatives.   I don't know when Xiao Qi came behind me, pressed my shoulders, and I realized that my body was trembling slightly.   He was silent, gazing at the huge map with me, and only after a long time did he faintly say, "You know how to read a map?"   I nodded my head, stiffly responding to his questioning, "Yes, my brother used to love drawing waterway opinion maps ......"   "Wang's children do have extraordinary talents." He smiled, wrapped me in a hug from behind, his demeanor relaxed, as if he was just making small talk, "These things should have been known to you long ago, but you have not yet recovered from your injuries, so I'm afraid that it will add to your worries."   He said so easily and calmly, almost let me wrongly think that this is just a small trouble, rather than a major event that concerns the survival of my family and the world's disputes. I looked at him in a daze, unable to believe that he was still wearing a smile on his face.   Does he know that once the army goes south, what awaits him will be a life and death battle? He will stand on the edge of destiny with my relatives, one step back is the abyss.   "In the end for what?" I cover my face in dismay, no longer able to suppress the trepidation in my heart, and lose my voice and choke on it.   I don't understand what all this is for. The golden wind and rain of the capital, all the beauty of the past, the family members ...... who are dear to me and loved by me, and even the heaven and earth that has just blossomed again in front of me, have all collapsed with this strife. I and everyone around me, perhaps will change from now on. This absurd and terrible everything, in the end what is it for?   "Why the abolition of the Crown Prince, why the war?" I asked him in a mumbled, trembling voice.   He steeply laughed, Lang Lang laugh but cold through the bone, I can not hear half a smile.   "For what ......" he faintly repeated my question, the corners of his lips slightly raised, "nothing more than four words, imperial hegemony."   I suddenly raised my eyes to look at him, shocked speechless.   Since ancient times, how many heroes, competing in this emperor domineering four words.   "Once you set foot on this road, you will become a king or a bandit, and there is no turning back." He even looked at me with a smile on his face and lightly said what I was thinking at the moment.   I gazed at Xiao Qi, and for a while, the thoughts in my mind turned a thousand times. He understands what I am thinking right now, just as I understand the meaning of his four words. If everything were to start over again, would I like to be a weak woman in a marquis's boudoir, enjoying a life of honor and glory like my mother, or would I still be willing to stand by his side?   He quietly waited for me for a long time, his eyes gradually lost.   "The left minister also has a family letter for you." He turned around without moving and took out a lacquered letter stamped with my family's emblem from the secret box on the case.   This is the first family letter my father has delivered since I arrived at Ningshuo.   Previously, he and Xiao Qi had exchanged secret letters, but not a single letter to me, as if he had long forgotten me as a married daughter.   Perhaps he knew that I would learn the truth from Xiao Qi and would not forgive him.   I received my father's letter, silent eyes, heart bleak.   Xiao Qi did not make a sound, turned around and walked to the window, stood with his arms folded, waiting for me to open the family letter alone.   I look at his lonely back, will father's letter tightly pinched in the hand, do not realize that has been pinched wrinkled.   "Since you and I are already husband and wife ......," I gently sighed, "the height of the temple, the distance of the rivers and lakes, I always have to follow you."   Afternoon sunlight through the window pane, dappled sprinkled on his shoulders, will be his upright figure long cast on the ground, more and more lonely.   He turned his back to me, couldn't see the expression on his face, and only after a long time did I hear him say in a low voice, "Good."   I stared down at my father's handwriting on the letter.   "Ah Charming." He suddenly called me.   "Uh-huh." I answered in a manly voice, suddenly dumbfounded that he had called me by my breast name.   Xiao Qi suddenly turned around and looked at me with a smile on his face, "Your name is Ah Charming."   I have never seen such a bright and warm smile from him before, as if there was a faint light glowing from the bottom of his eyes, causing me to look dumbfounded for a moment.   "How do you know my maiden name at home?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I remembered the letter in my hand, on which my father had clearly written "Ah Chou personally". I couldn't help but smile as I raised my eyes to meet his gaze and smiled at each other.   In the study, there is a hidden fragrance of ink, diffused in the May sunshine, seemingly back to the old days of willow charm and good flowers.   Being looked at by him like this, I was more and more a little nervous, lowered my head to open my father's letter.   But his wrist was suddenly caught by him, and the letter was also snatched by him. He pressed his finger on my lips, stopping my questioning, and said with a low smile, "Come back to read it, first follow me to a place!"   I was stunned for a moment, being held by his hand, and brought out of the study without being told. Corridor courtyard so many guards and servants, he also ignored someone in the side, all the way tightly holding my hand, walk through in stride, shocked the servants in the house have to avoid. At first I was shy and embarrassed, but gradually I felt inexplicably excited, and lightly and curiously followed his pace, not knowing where he was going to take me.   His palm was so big that he held my hand in his. I steal a glance at his side face, only to be caught by him ......   "Here it is." He smiled and pointed ahead, which was actually where the stables were, "Go pick a horse!"   "Pick a horse?" I was stunned and puzzled, crowing and looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "Are you going to take me to lead the army into battle?"   He laughed out loud, "Where are you getting off, just pick a horse, and when you're done, I'll ask my subordinates to find you a set of cloth clothes."   I suddenly understood and said in surprise, "We're traveling in microclothes?"   He glared at me, "If you yell louder, the whole city will know that the princess is traveling."   Suddenly heard a clear horse neighing, the most eye-catching horse in the stables, a tall black horse greeted us, his fur was as bright as ink, his hooves were sturdy and slender, his mane was hunting, and his spirit was soaring.   "That's the Ink Jiao." Xiao Qi smiled, dropped my hand, and went straight towards his favorite horse.   Seeing that he treats horses with more enthusiasm than people, I felt annoyed, and suddenly became playful, putting my fingers between my lips and blowing a short whistle, which is a signal commonly used by horse trainers to warn the horses, and which I pestered the best herdsman of the Imperial Servants' Temple when I was a child to learn for a long time before I learned it. The horses in the stables really flinched and looked towards me, even Mo Jiao also looked at me slightly sideways.   Xiao Qi turned back in surprise and laughed, "You actually know this!"   I smiled faintly and raised my eyebrows at him, "Aside from dancing with swords and marching in battle, what you know, I may not necessarily not know."