Because she wanted to enter the palace to face the saint, Zhou Qingqing got up early in the morning to prepare, originally to wear the ruffled piping silk skirt she bought yesterday, but after thinking about it, she changed into a plain brocade white dress that she usually wears on weekdays, and her hair was only combed by the maid Bihe in a double flat bun.

Bihe took out a little emerald golden hairpin from her makeup, and was about to insert it into her bun, but she stopped her: "No need." ”

Bihe was startled and said: "Miss, when you enter the palace to see the emperor today, you have to dress up very much!" ”

Zhou Qingqing took the hairpin in her hand, put it back in the box, and fiddled with it to find an ordinary golden hairpin and handed it to her, and said with a smile: "If I dress up too proudly, won't I disappoint the emperor?" ”

Bihe didn't understand the meaning of her words, so she only smiled and said: "Do you think that the emperor remembered that our young lady has no father and mother, and she has reached the age of marriage, so he summoned you to the palace and arranged a marriage for you?" ”

Zhou Qingqing smiled: "You think too much." ”

Although she didn't know why the emperor, who hadn't asked their family for a few years, suddenly summoned her to the palace, an emperor would never have this idleness.

After dressing up, the girl in the mirror is plain and elegant, but it is not shabby, not like the prince's daughter, but also not like the people in cloth.

Zhou Qingqing was quite satisfied with his outfit, and when he walked out of the boudoir, he heard the lively sound of the outer courtyard.

She casually asked, "Is Ah Jin back?" ”

Bihe nodded: "It seems to be." He pulled Zhou Qingqing again and said happily, "Miss, let's go and see how many prey Ah Jin has hit?" ”

The two walked to the front yard, and sure enough, they saw Zhou Xun, as well as the old housekeeper and a few subordinates, talking enthusiastically around a man. The man is the "Ah Jin" in Zhou Qingqing's mouth, Nie Jin, the guard of the Dingxi Palace.

Nie Jin stood up from among the several people, looked in the direction of Zhou Qingqing, and said, "Eldest Miss, I heard Uncle Chen say that you and the second lady are going to enter the palace to see the emperor today." ”

Zhou Qingqing snorted, walked over and looked at the prey on the ground, a few muntjacs, a few pheasants with colorful feathers, and two gray-haired hares, and exclaimed: "Ah Jin has been in the mountains in the past two days, and the harvest is so rich?" ”

Nie Jin said: "Now that the weather is getting warmer, the prey in the mountains are coming out of the caves, which is the most suitable for hunting. ”

He is tall and heroic, with good facial features, clear contours, a little cold and hard, and a little loyal, not a handsome man common in Jinling City, and at first glance he is a person who practices martial arts.

Speaking of Nie Jin, he was a wandering beggar, he was exiled in Jinling at the age of twelve, and he fainted outside the Dingxi Wangfu on a snowy day, and was found by Zhou Qingqing, who was four years old, and asked his subordinates to rescue him. Later, Zhou Qingqing's father saw that he had a clear skeleton and was down-to-earth, so he adopted him in the mansion and asked him to teach him martial arts, and then took him into the military camp, and he became a general in the army before he was twenty years old.

After the death of the king of Dingxi County, the 100,000 troops under his command were recovered, and the new commander and general could not fight, but they were very good at all kinds of intrigues, Nie Jin had no intention of participating in it, so he unloaded his armor and returned to the palace. If you have nothing to do, you can use the ability to kill enemies to go into the mountains to hunt, and improve the food for the only dozen or so people left in the house.

This room was lively, and when Xu heard the movement, he led the two children and walked out, stepped forward to take a look, and sighed: "Ah Jin has fought so much this time!" ”

Zhou Ranran, who was following her, was so frightened that she covered her eyes and shouted coquettishly: "It's scary!" There was still blood on the rabbit. ”

Zhou Qingqing glanced at her angrily, her eldest sister, is less courageous than the eye of a needle, she is afraid of anything, she doesn't dare to do anything, and she can't wait to embroider in her boudoir every day. Now that she has reached the age of marriage, Zhou Qingqing is worried about finding someone for her to marry, so that she will not be wronged.

Xiao Zhou Yue ran over and hugged Nie Jin's leg to spread joy: "Brother Jin, you will also teach me to hunt when you catch up with Ming'er." ”

Nie Jin touched his head: "Okay, when Brother Yue grows up, Brother Ah Jin will teach you." ”

After Xu Shi finished reading the prey, he noticed Zhou Qingqing today, sighed, and said hurriedly: "Qingqing, why are you dressed like this?" We're going to go to the palace to see the emperor later! ”

Zhou Qingqing glanced at her, and said in her heart, I will drop a day! Dressed in brocade and red, he was covered in jewels, and he probably wore all the jewelry at the bottom of the box. The rouge gouache on the face is very exaggerated, a little more glamorous than the bride, but as she gets older, the color has been lost, and it looks nondescript.

Zhou Qingqing shook his head: "Auntie, you said that the emperor has ignored our palace all these years, is he willing to see us as noble as before?" ”

Xu Shi looked at her inexplicably, and touched the bead chain around his neck a little apprehensively.

Zhou Qingqing patiently explained to her: "The emperor's snubbing of us is nothing more than dissatisfaction with my father's death. Dissatisfaction is naturally because he doesn't want to see how well his father's family is doing. When you went to see him like this, you thought that our family did not have the care of heaven, and we lived a rich and comfortable life. ”

Xu Shi finally understood, and hurriedly nodded in fear: "Qingqing, what you said is right, then I will change my body again." ”

Nie Jin looked at Zhou Qingqing and asked her, "When did the emperor summon you and the second lady into the palace?" ”

Zhou Qingqing spread his hands: "I don't know yet, the father-in-law who announced the decree didn't say anything." ”

She tossed and turned in bed last night, thinking about it for a long time, but she still didn't guess the emperor's thoughts.

Nie Jin's thick eyebrows frowned slightly, and said: "I heard that the envoys of Western Qin came to Jinling to ask for relatives, I don't know if it has anything to do with it?" When the prince was alive, he had fought with Xi Qin for many years, and it was very important for Xi Qin. Maybe after the peace talks, I want you to enter the palace and talk to the envoys of Western Qin about the prince's past. ”

Zhou Qingqing originally felt that he was thinking too much, but after thinking about it, he felt that there was some truth. Although she has never been to Western Qin, she heard that her father Zhou Hao and his Xuantie Army are known to everyone in Western Qin, and as the king of Dingxi County, who led the army to kill tens of thousands of Western Qin troops, he is the enemy of Western Qin.

The father's debt was repaid, and the envoy of Western Qin came to ask for marriage, maybe by the way, he came to her, the daughter of the enemy, and it was not impossible to settle the old account.

Although this idea was a little ridiculous, Zhou Qingqing was still taken aback by himself.

Zhou Ranran listened to Nie Jin's words, and even coincided with Zhou Qingqing's thoughts, took her mother's hand, and said worriedly: "Mother, the emperor summoned you to the palace, wouldn't he really want to dedicate you to the envoy of Western Qin to vent his anger!" ”

Xu Shi was really frightened by her words.

Nie Jin shook his head and chuckled: "Don't scare yourself, the war between the two countries represents the imperial court, how can Western Qin be so ridiculous as to find trouble with you female dependents, at most, I will talk to you about the prince's life." ”

Zhou Qingqing also knew that he was worried, waved his hand and said: "That's it, it's useless to speculate, you will know when you enter the palace." ”

The family had breakfast happily. When the sun was getting higher, a carriage inlaid with gold and jade came from the palace to pick up people.

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the palace gate and stopped.

He hadn't stepped into the palace for five years, Zhou Qingqing got off the carriage and stepped on the white marble slab, he was a little stunned for a while, until he was led into the emperor's Jinluan Palace by the eunuch, and he came back to his senses slightly.

After the salute, Emperor Yongguang, who was sitting on the dragon chair above, ordered the two of them to be exempt from the courtesy, and Zhou Qingqing raised his head slightly, and quietly glanced at the emperor who had not been seen for many years.

She still remembered how handsome and dignified this emperor was five years ago. Five years have flown by, and there are still people's faces who have passed away, and now Emperor Yongguang is no longer in the style of the past, just a man who has entered middle age and is slightly declining.

Presumably because in the past five years, the Western Qin has grown stronger and stronger, and the Southern Zhou border has been restless, making it difficult for him, the monarch, to sleep. In the troubled times, the emperor will probably only live more bitterly than the people.

And just when Zhou Qingqing was thinking about this, Emperor Yongguang couldn't help but be a little stunned when he looked at the two women below. Especially Zhou Qingqing, who is sixteen years old.

The last time he saw this niece was at the funeral of the king of Dingxi, when she was just an eleven-year-old delicate child, and she cried with grief. And now, the little girl of the year has grown into a slim girl, although she is like a flower and jade, but she is dressed plainly, and she can no longer find the shadow of the golden branches and jade leaves in the past, and even contaminated with a little market atmosphere. Only between the eyebrows, vaguely like his father, has a little heroism and tenacity.

Emperor Yongguang has ignored the Dingxi palace for many years, but he also knows a little about the situation of the palace. He is happy to see such a decay, and the king of Dingxi County can't help him defend the country, so he will no longer give him any grace in the palace.

It wasn't until this time that Western Qin sent someone to ask for a kiss that he remembered the Dingxi Palace, which he had neglected for many years.

Emperor Yongguang sighed slightly, and said: "Qingqing, the affairs of the court and the central government are busy, and I have no time to take care of the Dingxi Palace, I don't know how you have been doing all these years?" ”

This Qingqing voice was natural, as if he had called her young a few years ago.

Zhou Qingqing replied: "The emperor is in the shadow, and the family has lived a fairly stable life over the years. ”

Emperor Yongguang saw that she was respectful, but she was not humble or silent, but she really had a little shadow of Zhou Hao, and smiled slightly: "Do you know what is the reason for summoning you into the palace this time?" ”

Zhou Qingqing said: "Forgive Qingqing for being stupid. ”

Emperor Yongguang smiled again: "This time, King Wu of Western Qin sent someone to ask for marriage, you should have heard of it, right?" ”

Zhou Qingqing said: "The streets and alleys of Jinling City are talking about this matter, and Qingqing has also heard about it. ”

Emperor Yongguang said: "I came to call you to meet this time, just to talk to you about this matter. ”

Zhou Qingqing chuckled secretly, but let Nie Jin guess accurately. She quietly raised her eyes and glanced at the emperor, but she didn't see the reason in his expression, so she said: "Qin Zhen is the younger brother of the emperor of Western Qin, and he is also the commander of their Western Qin. ”

Emperor Yongguang nodded: "You're right. However, ......" he paused slightly, and then continued with a smile, "Xi Qin came to ask for marriage, but he did not want to marry the princess of the royal family, but to ask to marry the daughter of the king of Dingxi County. ”

The envoy of Western Qin said, although the king of Dingxi County has been west for many years, but the king of martial arts Qin Zhen has not diminished his admiration, and now the two countries have formed an alliance and have the heart to marry, so they want to marry the daughter of the king of Dingxi County as a concubine.

Only then did Emperor Yongguang recall that for so many years, the king of Dingxi County had made meritorious deeds in the border, and he had kept the Southern Zhou peaceful for nearly ten years. His merits are real and cannot be erased, even if he deliberately ignores them, Xi Qin will help him remember them. He blamed him for his untimely death, but in fact, life and death were fateful, and no one could help it. If it is really guilty, it is just those wine bags and rice bags that can't support the wall after Zhou Hao's death.

The courtship of the Western Qin royal family finally reminded Emperor Yongguang of the goodness of the king of Dingxi County, and faced the ingratitude that he did not want to admit. He looked at the eldest daughter of the king of Dingxi who had grown up at some point, and he felt a trace of guilt.

And this eldest daughter, because of his words, couldn't come back to her senses for a long time, and the aunt Xu next to her didn't react.

Emperor Yongguang saw that the two of them were stunned, and then opened his mouth and continued: "Actually, it is natural for the princess to marry and kiss, but Qin Zhen indicated that he wanted to marry the daughter of the king of Dingxi County. He hesitated slightly, "It stands to reason that when Xi Qin asks for marriage, I should refer to marrying the eldest daughter to show my attention, but I know that Qingqing, as the eldest daughter, has a heavy burden on your body, and the son is underage, I am afraid that the palace will not be able to leave you." Your eldest sister has also reached the age of marriage this year, and I plan to order her to marry, how about it? ”

He knew that when Zhou Hao was alive, he loved this eldest daughter the most. This can be regarded as his benevolence and righteousness to the Dingxi Palace, and it can be regarded as the king of Dingxi County, who knows about the spring.

Xu, who had always been cautious, finally came back to his senses from his apprehension, hurriedly kowtowed, and said in a trembling voice: "The emperor is wise, the little girl is timid by nature, and the concubines are afraid that she will not be able to take this position." ”

Zhou Qingqing was silent, this is not an ordinary family matter, but about the overall situation of the two countries. Even if she was shocked when she first heard the emperor's words, she didn't dare to say a word, seeing Xu kneeling on the ground and panicking, Yu Guang went to the emperor again to show displeasure, afraid that she would say something out of the ordinary again, so she hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, my aunt is right, the eldest sister is timid by nature, and the matter is big, whether you can give two days and let our family discuss it a little." She was afraid that Emperor Yongguang would misunderstand, and added, "Qingqing doesn't want to disobey the holy decree, it's just that the eldest sister lives in a simple place and doesn't understand the current situation very well, so I want to take some time to clarify the stakes of peace with her, so that she can take on the responsibility of peace between the two countries." ”

Emperor Yongguang smiled happily at her being so sensible, and said, "The envoy of Western Qin asked us to reply in three days. I'll give you two days. ”