(a)

The day Liu Shen left Beijing. After dark. In the royal city of Yunjing, the lights in the palace are bright, like a sky full of stars.

The decisive battle in the city of Tongcheng tied the hearts of all the women in the palace. In all the palaces, the women were tossing and turning, unable to sleep at night, and they were all silently waiting for the judgment of fate with their own apprehensions.

The palace attendant came to report that after the king of Han left, Concubine Wang Taishu had eaten and eaten and was restless, and now the second watch had been knocked for too long, and she had not been able to rest yet.

Seeing that the night was already dark, I instructed the attendants not to alarm the other concubines in the palace, and I took the maids to Shangyang Palace to serve Concubine Wang. The chamberlain received the order.

I also sent a decree to let the imperial dining room make Concubine Wang's favorite supper, and personally carried it to Concubine Taishu's bedroom.

The candlelight illuminated Mrs. Wang's bedroom.

Our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have their own thoughts under the lamp, facing each other.

I advised Concubine Wang Taishu and said: "Mother, these snacks are very light and delicious, even if you don't have an appetite, you can rest assured that King Han is on the front line, and in order to make the concubines in the palace feel at ease, you can eat a little bit." ”

Concubine Wang sighed deeply and said, "Alas. Qin'er, since King Han left, my heart has not been stable for a moment, and I have always been worried, where can I still eat. ”

Liu Shen's mother sighed. She said: "I wonder where he is leading the army now?" How long does it take to get to the city? ”

I said, "Calculating the distance, I will probably be in the Hongzhou Mansion area tonight, and it will take about three or four days to reach the Dongcheng War Zone." Hongzhou Mansion is already our territory, and King Han will definitely be safe tonight. Mothers can relax, eat and sleep well, and nourish their spirits. Wait for the news of the start of the decisive battle".

Concubine Wang said: "Alas, it's really inappropriate for me to lose my temper like this." In the past, the first king often led his troops to battle, and even the king of Han often led his troops to battle. However, I have never been so anxious as I am today. I don't know what happened this time. Maybe it's because I'm old. However, when a person is old, shouldn't he be more able to face all kinds of tests and blows? ”

I said: "The battle of Dongcheng is the most dangerous battle since the formation of the chaos in the world. Mother and son are connected, and it is normal for mothers to be so worried. It's just that before King Han left, he repeatedly instructed Qin'er and others to serve his mother well, so that his mother could wait for his triumph with peace of mind, and now his mother is so worried. Qin'er is afraid that King Han is far away, and she can also sense her mother's concern. And I feel that it is difficult to settle down, and I can't devote myself wholeheartedly to the battle. ”

Concubine Wang said, "Yes." I should believe him, believe that the elite of the Han army forged by the general, should not be so cranky. ”

Under my repeated persuasion, Concubine Wang used a little supper. Seeing that she was able to eat and drink as usual, I, the chamberlain, and the palace people let go of a hanging heart.

(b)

After Concubine Wang put down the soup bowl and silver spoon, she said, "After they arrive at the war zone, they will soon go to war. Is it? ”

I said, "Yes." Mother. The two Han Dynasty have been fighting each other for a long time, and between the Han brothers, sooner or later there will be such a battle, and sooner or later there will be a final ending. ”

Liu Shen's mother said: "Actually, since the King of Han came to tell me that he would personally lead the army to attack Dongcheng according to the general's advice before his death, I have always felt very uncomfortable in my heart. I couldn't sleep for a long time at night. I remembered a lot of things when I was young, and I also dreamed of the old Han King. I felt so guilty. ”

Concubine Taishu said: "Now, I really understand the importance of a woman's virtuous virtue. Speaking of which, I am also guilty of the way things have developed today. ”

She took my hand and said to me from the bottom of her heart: "Qin'er, if I were young and beautiful, when the former king had been in a thousand favors for me, I could be more sensible, more considerate of the queen's worries and her inner pain, more understanding of her feelings, and more patient and humble in the handling of various things in the palace, the first king would not have been caught between his two women and his two sons, so dilemma, and these two children would not have been as terrain as they are today. You have to fight to the death. ”

I said: "In the past, the rights and wrongs of the past, there has long been a public opinion in the world, and my mother and the king of Han have forbearance many times, leaving the city and setting up another court, which is also a last resort, and I have to do it, it is not the original intention of my mother and the king of Han." Now that times have changed, my mother doesn't have to blame herself so much. ”

Concubine Wang said: "When I was young, my thoughts were what you said just now. I always thought that since I was favored by the previous king, I could still be willing to be a concubine, respect the queen, tolerate everything, and keep to myself, it is not easy to do that, and women's morality is quite good. Now, I realize that I'm not good enough. ”

She sincerely repented: "If I am truly virtuous and virtuous, this war in the south now is completely unnecessary, such a protracted period and such a loss of life are unnecessary. I'm really guilty! All I wanted to do in my life was to keep my son safe, but in the end, the deceased king and queen had exhausted everything, but everything was still in vain, and my son did not become safer. ”

She said: "Now, my son, he is also on the battlefield, and he is also in the rain of swords and arrows. I now truly understand the pain of all the soldiers' mothers in the world. ”

(c)

Concubine Wang said: "Actually, King Han and Prince Yan, their two children were innocent when they were young, and their relationship with each other was very harmonious, and there were many happy and worry-free days between brothers. They were all sons of the first king's love for ten minutes, and the love of the first king for their brothers was one and no one, and there was no superiority. And now, they are under the capital of the previous king, and the vassals and people of the first king are fighting each other and killing each other. When the spirits of the former kings in heaven saw all this, how would they condemn the former kings and queens, and how should they be disappointed in me? If a woman is not virtuous, the world will be in such chaos. ”

She said: "For many years, I felt worthy of the love of the former king, and I raised and preserved such an excellent son for him. Now, I understand that I still have a deep affection for the previous king. I'm sorry for him! ”

"My fault was that I was still too selfish," she said. I only love my son, and although I have no ill will towards the queen's son, I have never truly loved him like a mother. I never saw him as my son. Didn't really care about his mood, his feelings, and his fate. ”

Mrs. Wang said, "But I understood too late. Many mistakes have been made, and they are hard to return, and now, with the strength of a woman, I can no longer change them. ”

She held my hand tightly and said to me, "This is the biggest mistake and the deepest lesson of my mother's life. Now, Qin'er, I'll tell you the truth. You must learn from your mother's lesson, be a good wife, and handle your relationship with the concubines in the palace well, and don't make the same mistakes as your mother again, and don't let my future grandchildren make the same mistakes between the brothers of the Han King again. ”

I said, "Mother is so heartfelt to Qin'er, and if she gives such heartfelt words, Qin'er will definitely obey Yi'er and live up to her mother's expectations." (To be continued.) )