The north wind is howling and the snow is falling.

The entire eastern capital of Luoyang seemed to have fallen into a chaotic and chaotic atmosphere, and the faces of the people were numb from the freezing of the wind and snow, and even their emotions and actions were numb, and when they watched the emperor's royal car walk through the market and go to the city gate, they even forgot to bow and salute.

At the right time, the emperor was embraced by the Praetorian Guards, sat on the dragon chariot, and left the eastern capital that he had operated for many years, and went south to the river capital where he dreamed of Mulan sculls and kingfishers crying in spring.

400,000 horses set out from the four city gates and walked for a full day before they completely left the eastern capital.

When the last group of people walked out of the city gate and disappeared into the wind and snow, Queen Jiang, who was standing on the city tower to see her off, was already cold, but she didn't seem to feel cold at all, and her gentle and affectionate eyes were still not frozen in the wind and snow, and even lingered with a wisp of warmth, looking at the person who had gone far away in the wind and snow.

At this time, the soft voice of the Crescent Moon Princess sounded behind him-

"Queen Mother, my father has already gone away, let's go back."

「……」

Empress Jiang was still motionless, the heavy fox fur on her body had been dyed with a lot of snow foam, and even her eyebrows were covered with a little frost.

A pair of slender jade hands held her arm, Queen Jiang came back to her senses, looked back, and saw that Princess Crescent Moon was wearing a goose-yellow dress, with a circle of white fluffy fox fur on the collar and cuffs, which made her cheeks full as the moon and her skin as white as snow.

She whispered with concern, "Queen Mother, your body is important."

「……」

"You've been standing here for most of the day, and if you blow like this, your illness will get worse again."

「……」

"Doesn't the queen mother want to recover from her illness earlier and go to Jiangdu to find her father earlier?"

Hearing her say this, Empress Jiang's face finally had a hint of relief, and she nodded silently: "Let's go."

Princess Xinyue and Gonggong Lu beside her, as well as a few palace maids who accompanied each other, breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, she hurriedly helped Queen Jiang to walk slowly to the staircase, and when she went down the city tower again, Queen Jiang couldn't help but look up again.

This time, she saw not only the vast snowy scene outside the city, but also the desolate scene inside the city.

Then, with a light sigh, he was helped down the tower by his daughter.

As soon as they walked below, the soldiers defending the city immediately stepped forward to salute, and one of the lieutenant generals who defended the city said respectfully, "Queen Mother, do you need to close the city gate?"

Empress Jiang said, "Usually, don't you always close the city gate at three o'clock? Not yet."

The lieutenant general said, "No, it's just—"

He looked around hesitantly.

Empress Jiang also looked up at the open city gate, although 400,000 horses have walked today, but the city gate is not quiet, on the contrary, there are more people walking out in a steady stream, they are either driving horses, or carrying large and small packages, at a glance they know that they are going to move out of Luoyang.

These people had planned to leave for a long time, and they were worried that they would encounter rebels on the way, so they stayed until today and left with the holy driver. At least, the rebels would not dare to harass such a large group of men and horses at will.

….

Seeing the way these people were struggling to walk, Empress Jiang sighed softly.

"The people are innocent."

She said, "You don't have to close the gates early, but you can close them when the time comes."

"Yes."

Empress Jiang took Princess Crescent Moon and turned around and got into the sedan chair, and soon, the surrounding palace maids and guards gathered all the people and escorted her to Ziwei Palace.

At the gate of the snowy city, several tall and strong men went against the flow of people and came to the city, and they exchanged glances with several people who had been waiting in the city for a long time, and they all dispersed, and after a while, they disappeared into the chaotic and turbulent crowd in the eastern capital.

When she returned to the East Palace, Empress Jiang's face was a little paler than before.

Princess Crescent Moon helped her to lie down in front of the couch in the inner hall, and ordered the imperial dining room to bring ginger soup, and drank it steamingly, finally dispelling the chill around her, and her pale and emaciated cheeks were also flushed.

Princess Crescent Moon whispered, "The Queen Mother can't take care of her body like this anymore."

Looking at her daughter's intimate appearance, Queen Jiang smiled slightly, with a gentle and relieved look on her face.

Just as Princess Crescent Moon was tucking the blanket on her body more tightly for her, out of the corner of her eye, she accidentally saw a few bags on the other side of the couch, and several large boxes in the corner, which seemed to be packing luggage, and couldn't help asking, "Queen Mother, what are you doing with your luggage?"

Empress Jiang glanced at her and didn't speak.

Princess Crescent Moon said, "Does the Queen Mother want to follow her father to the Jiangdu Palace? But didn't my father say that he would wait for the queen mother to recover before leaving, and he would not be in a hurry for a while."

「……」

Empress Jiang looked at her again, but this time, she stopped talking several times.

This daughter of hers is smart, delicate and lovely, and she is a golden branch and jade leaf who has been cared for since she was a child, and a beautiful girl in the sky. Probably because she understands too well the heaviness and hard work of being responsible, she always protects her well for this daughter, and does not let her participate in any affairs of the imperial court harem from childhood to adulthood; And Chu Yang is even more fond of this daughter. is because she has grown up to the age of sixteen, and she is still so innocent, sophisticated about people, without a trace of vigilance and defense.

Not to mention, those treacherous conspiracy traps.

But now, she regrets it.

There is nothing eternal in the world, and if she can't always protect the peach blossom source around her, then she shouldn't be allowed to live only in the peach blossom source in the first place......

Now, she really, somewhat regretted it.

Feeling the tenderness in her mother's eyes gradually dyed with a trace of sadness, Princess Crescent Moon said suspiciously, "Queen Mother, you, what's wrong?"

「……」

Empress Jiang looked at her deeply, and after a long time, she finally said softly: "Not only the queen mother's own luggage, but even you, you and Fei'er's luggage, the queen mother has already asked people to help you pack it."

"We?"

Princess Crescent Moon opened a pair of bright almond eyes and said suspiciously, "Queen Mother, we just sent off our father, and your health is not yet well, so we don't need to rush on the road."

"No, you've got to get on your way."

"But the queen mother, you—"

"We're not on the same path."

….

「…… What?"

Princess Crescent looked at her mother's face in amazement, and although she did not understand what she meant, her sensitive heart had immediately sensed a little uneasiness, and even ominous.

She whispered, "Mother, do you want to be separated from us?"

「……」

"Where are you going?"

Empress Jiang stretched out her hand and gently held her trembling hand, and said, "The queen mother is the queen, the queen, and naturally she wants to accompany the emperor. Therefore, the queen mother will follow your father and go south to Jiangdu Palace."

Princess Crescent's mind became even more confused, and she whispered, "But, shouldn't we go together? Didn't the queen mother say before, your health is sick, Xinyue and her brother will stay in Dongdu to accompany you, and when you are healthy, we will be—"

"No,"

Empress Jiang interrupted her words and shook her head gently: "You guys, don't follow this palace."

Princess Crescent's breath stopped, and she whispered, "So, where does the Queen Mother want us to go?"

「……」

"Why should we be separated?"

「……」

"Mother, what are you going to do?"

That feeling of uneasiness and ominousness became deeper and deeper, as if a huge stone was pressed on her heart, the more Princess Crescent Moon spoke, the more she felt that it was difficult to breathe and her heart to beat, she gasped slightly and grabbed Queen Jiang's hand, but her own hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

Look at my daughter like this

Son, the emotion of regret at this moment is beyond measure.

However, it is too late to regret it.

Empress Jiang smiled indifferently, and then said softly, "Xinyue, do you remember that the Queen Mother once told you that people are selfish."

Princess Crescent nodded stiffly.

Empress Jiang said: "As the queen, the queen mother is also selfish in her heart, and this selfishness is - to her relatives, she will always be tolerant, too tolerant."

「……」

"He makes small mistakes, and they are tolerable; He has made a great mistake, and he can be forgiven."

Princess Crescent Moon said, "Because relatives are special, they can be loved by selfishness."

Empress Jiang nodded slightly, but continued, "But, what if he makes a heinous mistake?"

「……」

Princess Crescent froze.

This problem was never taught to her by both the queen and the teachers in the study in the past, in her beautiful and simple world, there were small mistakes and big mistakes, but she never thought that there would be "monstrous mistakes", and she didn't know how to deal with it for a while.

After a while, she looked at her mother and said in a daze, "Xinyue doesn't know."

「……」

"What a big mistake...... Can it be tolerated? Or, to be forgiven?"

The smile on Empress Jiang's face gradually faded, and was replaced by an almost cold solemnity. She said, "A heinous mistake is a heinous mistake, which cannot be tolerated or forgiven."

Princess Crescent's heart sank heavily, as if the stone she had just pressed on had become countless times heavier in an instant, and she was almost out of breath.

She was a little puzzled and said, "Why?"

Empress Jiang said word by word: "Because, people can be selfish; But people must also distinguish between right and wrong."

Princess Crescent suddenly felt a tremble, as if some chill was born from the deepest part of her heart, and in an instant, it spread all over her limbs and five bodies, so cold that the blood around her seemed to freeze at this moment.

She suddenly spoke, her voice trembling, "Queen Mother, who are you talking about?"

「……」

"Who is it that has made a heinous mistake and cannot be tolerated or forgiven?"

Speaking of this, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and her voice choked: "What the queen mother said, isn't it—"

Cold green shirt