Chapter XII: Expulsion

That night, not long after Qin Xi returned to the dormitory, he fell asleep, and there was Li Xuan's shadow in his dream, but unfortunately it was not a beautiful dream.

She sat up in shock, rubbed her temples and gasped, and out of the corner of her eye, the smell was curling on the bedside table, but the smell was not very familiar. She pointed to the censer and asked, "What kind of incense is burning here?" ”

She has always liked the natural fragrance of flowers and fruits, and has no pursuit of the interest of noble incense, the palace maid only said that it was a soothing incense, she knew in her heart, guessed that it was Chu Hong, and she was not embarrassed by the palace maid: "Go and get a chess game for me." ”

The people in the southern court like to play chess, Chu Hong is no exception, Qin Xi will feel unhappy, and he will inevitably have to make up a few tricks to frustrate his spirit. She admits that she doesn't have much energy and can't stand being bullied, and she is unhappy when she is provoked, and she will definitely find a way to win back a game before she will give up.

She is used to being lazy, although she is more serious and temporary, but she is unfamiliar with playing chess, and she has several points that she does not know, and it is very difficult to gnaw a chess game. So I couldn't sleep all night. As usual, at dawn, Qin Xi obediently climbed into bed to catch up on sleep, and she ordered the palace maid to make the dormitory extremely dark, like night.

The hall was gloomy and unpopular, Chu Hong frowned badly when he came, he made an appointment with her last night to kill two sets in his spare time, he came over after the court was empty today, and walked into the hall in the bright light, and his eyes couldn't adapt for a while. He asked the palace maid a few words, only to find out that she didn't sleep well last night, and her anger was half gone. With her temper, not sleeping well is a big deal.

"Give me a brighter house, what kind of words does it look like?"

Qin Xi slept lightly, and was disturbed by the movement in the hall, and his eyes were bright, and he woke up after a while.

"Go get the chessboard from my study and make another cup of tea."

Qin Xi lay on his back on the bed and did not move, staring directly at the exquisite pattern on the bed curtain, already displeased.

"Go get some porridge and side dishes, she wakes up and wants to eat."

Qin Xi listened to Chu Hong's order and that, his soft voice was a little low, but there was an imperial majesty that could not be ignored, the palace was his, he could fiddle with it as much as he liked, she tossed and turned face in and pretended to sleep, but after a few hours, she didn't want to open her eyes and see him again.

This person is still a little cheeky when he is the emperor: "Go and call her up." ”

Jun didn't joke, she had to get up late, but she still got up. After a simple freshening up and changing her clothes, she sat down in front of him with a sleepy look, and the meals were all on the table, clear soup porridge and water, and small pastry plates, all of which were complete.

Chu Hong smiled and said, "I don't have much for breakfast, you can eat some more with me." ”

It didn't look like he was going to admit his mistake with her, Qin Xi lazily drank two mouthfuls of porridge, which was soft and delicious, and listened to Chu Hong praise: "This porridge is boiled well, what do you think?" ”

She lowered her head and drank porridge obediently, her movements were very slow, and she said casually: "You can't wait to come to me in the morning, shouldn't it be so simple as playing chess." "Counting the hours, it has not been long since the end of the early dynasty, and an emperor will not be able to ignore political affairs in order to play chess with an inconsequential person.

Chu Hong looked at her, his eyes softened: "Sometimes I want to be a faint king, don't I care about those rules and regulations, isn't it too tiring to live?" Besides—I don't come to you more often than I do now, and I'm afraid I won't have a chance again. ”

"Oh? So you changed your mind, are you still going to kill me? When she talks about life and death, she seems to be talking about other people's affairs.

Chu Hong was stunned for a moment, and his voice became a little low: "I said that it was a mistake to decide to kill you before, you have no jokes, I promised to leave your life and will not break my word." ”

"It's only to blame Li Xuan for being cunning, spreading the news that I took his beloved wife hostage, sending troops on the front foot to make trouble and refusing to make peace, and inciting my courtiers to write a book on the back foot, I have spent a lot of effort just to suppress the grievances of the Manchu Dynasty civil and military in the past few days, which is really hateful."

It was precisely because of the defeat in the south and the deficit in the treasury that the war between the two countries could not be sustained, so he took the risk to go to Qinzhou to bring back Qin Xi, in order to coerce Li Xuan to withdraw from the army.

"So-" Qin Xi raised his eyes and looked at him: "You have to hand me over to Daqi in exchange for a few years of stability in the southern kingdom and save some face for this war." Thinking that Chu Hong's calculation had failed, he was in a hurry to push her out.

Chu Hong's mind was pierced by her words, and his face couldn't hold back, and his face sank: "You always have to return to Li Xuan's side." ”

It's funny, she's a person, not an object, so she can go wherever she says?

"Do you remember what you said in this hall that day, disdain to exchange a woman for a victory, how sonorous and passionate, don't you count this time?" Fortunately, she originally knew that Chu Hong was such a person. For the sake of his throne, he even did the murder of his father and forced the palace, where would he really take her to heart?

He defended: "I treat you with sincerity, don't you feel it? ”

She put down the soup spoon in her hand, and suddenly wanted to laugh, how can a person who has no heart at all be qualified to say that he has a true heart? It is okay not to listen to such arguments.

"When are you going to send me to Daqi?"

"Li Xuan doesn't give me time to think about it at all, tomorrow is the deadline, if I don't send you to Yancheng safely before sunset, he will give the order to attack the southern kingdom. There's one thing I want to say to you. Li Xuan returned to the barracks with serious injuries, he would not have purged the army so quickly, when he heard the news that you had been kidnapped, he immediately ordered someone to go to your mansion to negotiate with my unsuccessful imperial brother, I should have killed Qi Ao a long time ago! ”

Qi Ao opened the city gate for the Qi army, and even gave the Qi army sufficient supplies, so I was caught off guard and neglected to take precautions. There is also Dugu Hao, I received a private message from Dugu Hao early in the morning, he threatened that if I don't let you go, I won't be able to keep the throne, it turns out that he colluded with my useless brothers early in the morning, and any one of them can be the new emperor of the south as long as he forces the palace to succeed. In the past few years, there have been many Dugu Hao's spies in the Nanguo Palace, and the Concubine Yao you saw that day was one of them. ”

"Are you saying these three people are ridiculous? Rivals in love with each other actually united and attacked me in unison, or should I settle this account on your head? Xi'er, why do you have such charm? Let Junjie of the three pay for you so far? ”

Qin Xi looked directly at Chu Hong: "The reason for this is something you will never understand. Because selfishness is like you, you have never given your heart to others, and you don't understand a love word at all. ”

"Dugu Hao helped me for the friendship of childhood sweethearts; Qi Ao helped me because of my Qin family's kindness to him; Li Xuan helped me because of the love we had as husband and wife. And you, who are not kind to the courtiers and the people, are hypocritical to the harem concubines, and wantonly trample on the dignity of other people's lives, with you being so cold and unrighteous, who will put your heart to you and treat you sincerely? ”

Chu Hong's face was blue and white for a while, and her gentle face looked like it was about to tear, but she didn't care much, she had nothing to lose, she just had to get by.

"In your heart, I am a merciless person? Don't you take my thoughts on you completely insignificant? Would you rather be heartbroken by Li Xuan again and again than accept my love? ”

Qin Xi only felt that she was playing the piano to the cow, and her body was already uncomfortable, and she was yelled at by Chu Hong, and she said impatiently: "The person you really love in this world is yourself." All you need is my submission to a king, and if you want me to stay with you, I will gladly accept and thank the emperor; If you drive me away, I will not have a whisper. If the women you imprisoned in the harem were not to satisfy your fanciful desires, how could you have given them a trace of love? ”

No one had ever accused him so directly, no matter how good Chu Hong's temperament was, he couldn't help it, he shook his palm on the table, stood up suddenly, and said angrily: "Okay! Very good! Originally, I was still hesitating, and I fought with Daqi to break the axe, but I didn't want to lose. Your words forced me not to worry too much. I'm the emperor, all I want is submission, what's wrong? Since you are so strong, tomorrow I will personally escort you to Daqi, which is better than the war in my country and mountains! ”

The breakfast ended unhappily.

Chu Hong left in a hurry, the palace was full of eunuchs and palace maids, all of whom were frightened by the emperor's anger, Qin Xi looked bored, and they were all dismissed. Going around and around, she wanted to go back to Daqi and return to Li Xuan, in the troubled times, she had no choice at all.

I don't know when it was cloudy again, and it rained endlessly, Qin Xi stood under the porch, his heart was as calm as water. Looking through the rain curtain, she saw Concubine Yao dressed in a pink palace dress, sitting outside her hall, the palace maid took an umbrella, and Concubine Yao's lotus steps moved lightly, like a pretty peach blossom.

Concubine Yao stood in front of her and said coquettishly: "Miss Qin refuses to go to the palace to appreciate the light, so the palace has to go in person." ”

Those who come are not good, and those who are good do not come.

Concubine Yao retired from the palace maid and invited Qin Xi to the octagonal pavilion to listen to the rain and make tea, her cooking technique was very skillful, she really didn't look like the daughter of a small businessman, she served a cup of hot tea for Qin Xi, and recalled to herself: "In this palace's life, I have loved two men together." At that time, the palace was young, and when he met a suave figure like Dugu Gongzi, he fell in love at first sight and was willing to do everything for him. He asked someone to teach me to play the piano and dance, but Bengong only thought that he didn't mind that my background was not worthy of him, and he didn't sleep until he learned the arts, and was full of joy waiting for him to marry Bengong. ”

"It wasn't until Dugu Hao asked me to enter the southern kingdom as a concubine that the palace woke up in vain that his kindness to me was just a ruthless use. It's ridiculous that the moths in the palace put out the fire, and he did not hesitate to come all the way to this foreign country for him, but he left the palace here to fend for himself. ”

"I think if it weren't for Miss Qin, Dugu Hao would probably not contact me again. That night, she only had to take a look at Miss Qin, and the palace knew where she had lost. It is easy to draw skin and difficult to draw bones, and Miss Qin's appearance and temperament are indeed not like mortals. Otherwise, the emperor would not risk the condemnation of the world and trap Miss Qin in the palace. ”

Concubine Yao was calm and steady, her feelings were sincere, but Qin Xi was unmoved, she had seen too many thoughtful people, and she was too lazy to care about other people's affairs, she was really tired, other people's stories were like a gust of wind, the wind blew by, and nothing could be left in her heart.

"Chu Hong already knows that Niangniang is doing things for Dugu Hao."

"Heh-" Concubine Yao pursed her lips and smiled, so pretty: "This palace has never been confident, and it can always hide from the emperor." From the main palace into the harem of the southern country, the emperor seems to favor me, but I just want to see another person through me. What is virtual and what is real, this palace has long been unable to distinguish clearly. ”

"Expelling you from the southern kingdom, this palace also has a selfish intention. The emperor's ambitious brothers are the threads drawn by the palace, a woman like Miss Qin, the farther away the emperor is, the more sober the emperor is, Miss Qin wants to blame the selfishness of the palace, the emperor really wants to keep Miss Qin, but there is no time, place and people. ”

Qin Xi stared at the cup of tea lazily, and didn't drink it for a long time: "I listen, Niangniang came over this time, but she was speaking for Chu Hong." ”

"Dugu Hao treats the palace ruthlessly, and there are some interests between the palace and him, but the emperor is different, the palace is glorious and rich, all tied to the emperor alone, the emperor is the husband of the palace, this is a fact that cannot be changed. This palace is different from Miss Qin, and this palace is more willing to follow the destiny of heaven. ”

Concubine Yao confessed that she was a straightforward person, and Qin Xi didn't need to pretend: "Niangniang should know that Chu Hong has a suspicious temperament and is a ruthless person. ”

"Miss Qin is different from people who are idle, this palace stabbed Miss Qin, and Miss Qin reminded this palace in turn."

Qin Xi asked himself if he was not a lenient person, and he couldn't repay his grievances with virtue for this disobedient thing: "I'm just going with the flow and following the two-dimensional thing, I'm not as upright as my mother, this is my life, I still have a breath, why don't I be angry?" ”

Concubine Yao's eyes showed appreciation: "Talk to Miss Qin for a few words, this palace knows that the girl is more transparent, and I really admire the girl's generosity." The emperor escorted the girl to Yancheng on this trip, but he was still unwilling. She took out a small and delicate dagger from her sleeve and put it on the table: "This dagger was made by Murong Ying, sharpening iron like clay, and it is a sharp weapon for self-defense." Miss Qin, accept it, the soft tendons on your body have not yet been dissolved, so it is better to protect yourself. ”

Qin Xi was not hypocritical, and accepted it generously: "Thank you, Niangniang." ”

Concubine Yao said with emotion: "In your eyes, you may feel that the emperor is crazy and cold, but in the eyes of this palace, you just feel that the emperor is dedicated, and you still hope that Miss Qin will go here, and there will be no day when you will see each other in this palace." ”

"Tuo Niang Ji Yan, I will never set foot in the south again in this life."