Ying'e gently plucked the wick of the candle and watched the flames beat, the scene when she first entered the palace seemed to be yesterday. She remembered that she was only ten years old at that time, and she was the pearl of her father's palm, and when her father told her that she was going to leave Erzhuchuan, where she lived, and go to the Luoyang Imperial Palace, she cried and begged her father.

However, her father just told her to listen to the Queen Mother, and she wondered why her father asked her to obey a strange woman, just because she was the Queen Mother. From the sigh of her mother, Princess Yuanxin of Beixiang, she probably knew that she was a woman that her father couldn't ask for in his life, and her father had always guarded her wholeheartedly, and he married his mother only because of his mother's family background.

Princess Beixiang is the granddaughter of Emperor Jingmu of the Northern Wei Dynasty Tuoba Huang (Chai Zun), the daughter of Tuoba Zhen, the daughter of Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the sister of King Yuanying of Zhongshan. When Yuan Ying saw that Er Zhurong was a promising young man, he wanted to marry him. They never asked Yuan Xin if she was willing, because she didn't have the right to choose her own marriage, everything was arranged, she just had to do it step by step. She is two or three years older than Zhurong, although she does not live in Luoyang City, but the rumors in the deep palace are the talk of the people outside the palace. When the Empress Dowager Hu had just given birth, the child was going to move to the Xuanguang Palace, the Empress Dowager Hu was difficult to give up, so she chased all the way to the imperial garden, fell down due to physical weakness, and Er Zhurong, who was the envoy of Rouran, saw that he was carried back to the Pujia Palace, and all kinds of rumors in the palace were boiling for a while. Yuan Xin also heard of it, but at that time he felt that it was not related to himself, how did he expect that before his brother died, he begged the emperor Yuan Ke to marry him, Er Zhurong initially shirked it on the grounds that he had not made a meritorious career and was a home, and later heard that it was the Empress Dowager Hu who wrote a letter to the matchmaker to achieve this marriage. After marriage, although the husband and wife respect each other like guests, Yuan Xin deeply felt that her husband's love was not in herself, she had just given birth to Er Zhu Ying'e, Er Zhurong married a homeless woman in Pingcheng, her eyebrows and eyes were a little like the Empress Dowager Hu, and Er Zhurong personally named her Zhenzhen. After all, Yuan Xin is from the royal family, the whole body, knows the overall situation, does not quarrel or make trouble, regards this woman as her sister, and then the second daughter of this girl is named Er Zhu Qingmao. Within a few years, the woman fell ill and died, and Yuan Xin recognized Qingjiao as his child and raised her by his side.

On the way from Erzhuchuan to Luoyang that day, Erzhurong sent his most powerful general, his cousin, Murong Shaozong, who was the king of former Yan Taiyuan, Murong Shaozong, to send his relatives. Murong Shaozong, who is in his early twenties, has the burly and strong Xianbei clan, and has the elegance of being a descendant of the nobles. Er Zhurong was worried about the long distance, so he specially arranged for Murong Shaozong to lead a thousand soldiers from the Benhu Battalion to escort him.

Xiao Ying'e took her girl Sai Wan to sit in the carriage and never cry anymore, she knew that tears were useless, her father would not change his mind, and her mother could not stop it. She didn't know what kind of life awaited her, the breeze moved the curtain, and the faint fragrance of flowers floated in from the curtain of the carriage, elegant and pleasant. Ying'e is still a child after all, and her thoughts are attracted by this fragrance. She lifted the curtain and saw a large sea of fiery red flowers through the window, the sunset on the red and gorgeous Ruoerzhu River, the warmth that shined into the bottom of her heart if the fire was lit, and the beauty made people want to pounce into the sea of flowers and wander freely. She looked out over the endless sea of flowers and caught a glimpse of an army following their carriage no more than a hundred paces away. Soap-black armor, wearing a white cloak, all the same color of jujube red horses, holding a white flag embroidered on a black tiger down the mountain, that is Er Zhurong's personal soldier black tiger battalion.

Ying'e's tears couldn't stop dripping, and she said to Murong Shaozong outside the car, "Uncle, why didn't you tell me that my father was behind, let the car stop." ”

Murong Shaozong Lerma waved his hand to signal the troops to stop, and said to Ying'e, "It's your father who won't let me tell you, he has already followed all the way." ”

"I knew that my father couldn't bear me." After speaking, Ying'e lifted the corners of her skirt and jumped out of the carriage by herself, ignoring the repeated calls of Sai Wan behind her, "Miss, slow down." "All the way to the army behind.

Er Zhurong saw his daughter running towards him, ordered his subordinates to stand by, dismounted and ran quickly, hugged his daughter in his arms, and rubbed his stubbly face against Ying'e's delicate skin, "Girl, run so fast, look at this sweat, you wait for your father to pass." Along the way, but you still blame your father? ”

If Er Zhurong's beard stinged his face in the past, Ying'e would definitely shout, "Daddy, it hurts." Then she ran away, but today she felt happy to be tied by her father's beard like this. She touched Er Zhurong's beard with her little hand, and in Er Zhurong's arms, she nodded hard and said, "E'er blames Daddy, but E'er loves Daddy even more, Daddy asked E'er to do it, E'er will not violate Daddy's will." ”

Er Zhurong hugged Ying'e tightly, "It's Daddy's good daughter, I didn't hurt you in vain." He pointed to this sea of flowers and asked Ying'e, "Daughter, is this flower good-looking, do you know what kind of flower it is?" ”

Ying'e got up from Er Zhurong's arms, took Er Zhurong's hand and walked into the sea of flowers, she squatted down and carefully looked at the flower for a long time, shook her head and said, "This flower is very beautiful, but why there are no leaves, but I don't know what it is called." ”

Er Zhurong folded one and handed it to Ying'e, "This is the flower on the other side, and my father didn't recognize it before." I still remember that year's tribal disaster, most of the cattle and sheep died of the plague, and there was no food for the winter. When Daddy was worried, your Uncle Dulu heard that we had a merchant from Luoyang, who was secretly looking for a killer, and was willing to pay 3,000 gold to buy two lives, and the deposit would have 1,000 gold. This is the timely rain, Daddy thinks this thing is done, then this year's winter will not be worried. So he sent you Uncle Dulu to find this man, and took a deposit, and came here to ambush him according to the address given by the man. E'er, guess who Daddy is going to kill? ”

Ying'e's curiosity came up, her eyes widened, and she anxiously pulled Er Zhurong's sleeve, "Daddy, say it quickly, say it quickly." ”

Er Zhurong smiled upward, and his eyes seemed to reveal the frivolity and uninhibition of his youth, "At that time, my father didn't know that it was her who killed her, our queen mother, and the king of Qinghe." On that day, she passed through here to go to the Deer Garden, and the King of Qinghe should have heard the news and came to find her, and after Daddy only followed the portrait to match the two, he and your Uncle Dulu and Uncle Shilong began to assassinate with a few warriors of our tribe. It was the first time I saw her, my father never thought that there was such a woman in the world, she was such a bright and delicate woman who seemed to be like a clear breeze and a bright moon. But my father took the money to do things, but he still did something to them, and King Qinghe was seriously injured in order to protect her, and I thought that I had succeeded and could get the bounty smoothly. Unexpectedly, this woman was so brave that she wanted to die with me, and pulled me to jump down the cliff. Daddy was shocked, Daddy had never seen such a strong woman, maybe Daddy began to treat her as a star in the sky at that time, and if he could look up to her brilliance every day, he would be satisfied. It was the first time Daddy looked at her so closely, the fortitude in her eyes was not what a woman should have, Daddy thrust his sword into the crack in the stone and saved us. Later, her subordinates rushed to save her, originally her father thought that his life was at stake, but she let her father, and your two injured uncles, King Qinghe is also a real man, gave Daddy some silver taels, and promised to go back to arrange for someone to send food and clothing, to solve our year's famine, and every year after that, King Qinghe will send people to send money and goods to help us. After the queen mother came to the court, she has always trusted our Erzhu family and entrusted her father with important responsibilities. So today, the Queen Mother sent someone to marry me, E'er, do you think Daddy can refuse because he is reluctant to you? ”

Ying'e bit her lip and was silent for a while, just shook her head, Er Zhurong saw this, and continued to comfort, "Daddy is now not only a general in Wei State, but also the leader of Er Zhuchuan, so many people need to be supported. You are Daddy's favorite daughter, Daddy and Mom are reluctant to let you go, not because they don't love you to send you to the palace, but because you feel that you have grown up and can share it for Daddy. ”

Ying'e threw herself into Er Zhurong's arms with tears in her eyes, crying and saying, "Daddy understands what Daddy said, and Daddy values love and righteousness. E'er is just reluctant to her father, afraid that she will never see her father and mother again, as well as those younger brothers and sisters when she enters the palace. Because of this E'er, she was sad and sad, but she didn't want to listen to her father's arrangement, and now her father has made it clear that E'er understands her father's difficulties, E'er is obedient, and E'er is willing to go. ”

Er Zhurong stroked his daughter's hair lovingly, raised his head to look at the sky, swallowed back his tears, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, let Ying'e look at the direction of Luoyang City, pointed and said firmly, "E'er, Luoyang is not far away, although Daddy can't send you forward, but Daddy promises to ask the Queen Mother to allow us to meet." It's going to be fast, trust Daddy, okay? ”

Ying'e held back her tears, she knew that tears couldn't change anything except make her father feel guilty, she straightened her chest and tried to squeeze out a smile, "Daddy, it's time to go back after sending E'er for so long, E'er is about to leave, you can't miss the time, E'er believes in Daddy, E'er is waiting for Daddy to come in Luoyang." After speaking, he stretched out his little finger, "Daddy, pull the hook." ”

Er Zhurong saw that Ying'e was so sensible, the reluctance and relief in his heart made his eyes moist, he stretched out his hand to hook Ying'e's little finger, and said solemnly, "A word is a certainty." ”

After she finished speaking, she turned around and pretended to be happy and shouted at Sai Wan who was standing under the carriage, "Sai Wen, let's go, let's go to Luoyang." She left Er Zhurong and ran to the side of the carriage a few steps, not daring to look back at her father, for fear that her tears would be seen by her father. Sai Wan helped her into the carriage, looked at Ying'e, who couldn't cry, and asked cautiously, "Miss, shall we go?" ”

Ying'e nodded desperately, "Let's go, I'm afraid that if I delay any longer, I really don't want to go." ”

The girl who grew up with Ying'e was a group of captives captured by the Erzhurong tribe when they conquered Rouran. Although she is only five years older than Ying'e, she is also used to seeing things, because she is flexible and good at observing the eyes of others, so Yuan Xin chose her to enter the palace to assist Ying'e, for fear that other stupid girls would cause trouble for Ying'e.

Sai Wan lifted the curtain and instructed the guards who saw her relatives off, "Let's go, Miss said hurry up." After the order, Ying'e, who looked at the crying pear blossom with rain, didn't say a word, but just handed her a piece of brocade.

Er Zhurong looked at Ying'e's pretended cheerful figure, knowing that his lovely daughter was already in tears at this time, he called Murong Shaozong and asked a few more words to entrust Ying'e again.

Murong Shaozong comforted him and said, "Our little Ying'e has grown up, the general should be happy, and when everything is settled, I will come back as soon as possible to report the good news to the general." ”

"Okay, with you, I'm relieved, let's get on the road, don't delay the trip."

Murong Shaozong turned back to the team and said, "Let's go." ”

The coachman waved his horsewhip and shouted, "Drive." ”

The horse opened its hooves and galloped wildly, the swaying carriage, the shaking Ying'e suddenly stopped crying, she lifted the curtain, and leaned out of the carriage half of her body, just to see the father who led the horse to see her again. I saw my father waving his hand vigorously at her, and sang the folk song "Folding Willow Song" from her hometown: Looking at the Mengjin River from afar, the willows are swaying. I'm a captive child, and I don't understand Han nursery rhymes. She understands that this is her father who told her not to forget her identity as a Qihu, and not to be Sinicized and forget her book.

After the deer garden, he arrived in Luoyang in two days, and Murong Shaozong was a foreign minister who was not allowed to enter the palace, and only lived in the post station outside the city for a few days. Empress Dowager Hu prepared 100 heads of all kinds of livestock, 100 brocade mats with various patterns and patterns, 1000 stones of grain and rice seeds, and some cures for incurable diseases, and sent them back to Murong Shaozong to show her favor to Er Zhurong. Ying'e and Sai Wan lived in the side hall of Changqiu Palace, and with several other concubines to be selected, they began to learn court etiquette from Mama Xi, waiting for Yuan Xu to be canonized.