Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Confidante Sorrow (Part 2)

Ruyi took a step back in shock and almost fell to the ground, but luckily Rong Pei held her up.Ruyi immediately changed color, and shouted: "Get out!" Rong Pei turned around in fright, and Ruyi said sharply, "You didn't hear what I said to the emperor just now. You didn't have a long mouth when you came out of this door, and you didn't have any words." Ears, don't let out a single word!" Seeing that the surroundings were all cleaned up, she finally couldn't help but become weak, "Is the emperor saying such words to hurt the hearts of my concubines? I didn't allow others to know what I said just now, because I was afraid that people would ridicule the emperor!"

The emperor was probably also dizzy with anger, and said angrily, "What is there to ridicule? I just really love a woman." Ruyi Qiran faced each other, "Since it is sincere, it should make people happy. How can it be forced and sad, forcing Han to want to die!" The emperor was slightly at a loss for words, and immediately said: "I am preparing a gift, as long as it takes time to finish, I will definitely make Xiang Jian change her mind and serve me by my side!" Ruyi opened her eyes wide, and the sadness in her eyes gradually showed a hint of contempt, "Really? But the emperor can ask himself, is it because he really loves and pities Han, or is it because of his own selfish desire and competitive heart?"

He murmured: "Before today, even I myself thought that what I liked was Xiangjian's appearance. It wasn't until she destroyed her appearance that I realized that what I liked was her stubbornness in insisting on herself, and her love for Han Qi." Consistency. These are all things I don’t have.” Her voice was astringent, as if it was difficult to speak, but she still couldn't help asking: "Because the emperor doesn't have it himself, so he must get it from Mrs. Han?" The emperor lowered his head and leaned on his body, as if helplessly exhausted, but his eyes were still flickering with longing, "Ruyi, there is never anyone I can't get, and Xiangjian is the only thing I can't get." One. Don't tell me to leave any regrets, okay? Ruyi, Xiang sees that she doesn't want to live anymore, but I can't lose her, really. Ruyi, let her live, let her be willing to live, by my side, OK?"

She couldn't agree, her throat could not be opened, and her lips were tightly pressed together.She was just a woman, a woman with a husband.However, my husband asked me so. Ruyi smiled wryly, "When the emperor said such a request to the concubine, did he not feel that the concubine is your wife, your woman, but just a queen?" The emperor was surprised for a moment, and then he was relieved, "Ruyi, since you are a queen, you should assume the position of the middle palace, and not focus on love for your children." "What the emperor wants my concubine to do, I really find it very difficult. Since I ascended the throne, my concubine gradually realized the difficulty of empress Xiaoxian back then. If a woman who has no affection for her husband, how can she do it?" Let the emperor handle the affairs of the sixth palace with peace of mind? But if you have feelings of admiration for your husband, how can you go against your own will and let go of the affection of your children to deal with it impartially? Put courtiers and concubines in a dilemma."

"A dilemma?" The emperor looked vainly in the distance, "Ruyi, if Queen Xiaoxian is still here, she will do it. She is a virtuous queen, and she will fulfill her duty as a queen to deal with it for me. appropriate." It was as if ice water mixed with countless sharp icicles poured down the head for nine cold months, even the blood was frozen, but the weakness that was irresistible in the face of pain could still be discerned.Ruyi shivered, as if looking at someone she didn't know, a vacant smile gradually emerged.All kinds of dissatisfaction he had with Empress Xiaoxian in the past, finally because of the resolution of the misunderstanding behind her, because of years of remembrance, because of all the honing between himself and him, it turned into the tenderness that refused to grow old in time, and turned into his own in the past. What he didn't like in his heart.

She looked sad and cold, "If the emperor is so heavy, my concubine can't bear it." The emperor put his hand on the back of her hand, as if he wanted to suppress her reluctance and resistance, "Since you can't bear it, then do it well. Don't disappoint my intentions for you." Ruyi raised her head and met his piercing gaze, but her mind was attracted by the strength of his wrist.It was his injured hand, which fell on hers unintentionally, but it did not have the intimacy of the past, and it was a kind of silent suppression.However, she couldn't feel the strength brought by his hand.

His injured left hand couldn't exert any strength at all. The meaning of sadness arises spontaneously.There were tears, falling sadly, soaking into the white gauze stained with his blood. She finally compromised, "The emperor entrusted me, and my concubines dare not live up to them. We can try our best to persuade Han's desire to survive, but we can't make her willing to be by the emperor's side." She stared at the emperor's wound, "The emperor's wrist is injured, but Cover it with your sleeves for the time being. Please don't see your concubines these few days, and don't invite anyone to sleep with you, lest more people know about the emperor's injury."

The emperor sighed, feeling a little relieved, "I think so too, but there is no reason for suffering." Ruyi concentrated for a moment, "Yes. The general situation of the war has been decided, but there are countless casualties. The emperor will fast for several days to comfort the souls of the dead." The emperor immediately understood, "The war will harm the peace of heaven, I will hold rituals, and I will live alone in the Hall of Mental Cultivation to fast." He paused, "The king is the ultimate human relationship, and all five relationships are tied to the king. Ministers serve the king, sons obey Father, wife follows husband, and it cannot be reversed. The empress understands the truth, is gentle and courteous, and I am very pleased. Then I will also entrust you with the matter of seeing each other."

Ruyi faced each other with a serious expression that had never been seen before, "The emperor entrusted me, and my concubine, as a queen, dare not refuse. But the concubine's permission is only as a queen, not the emperor's wife. From now on, As entrusted by the emperor's words, the courtiers and concubines dare not lose the dignity of the queen, but they only use the queen's dignity. But please understand." The emperor's haggard face was full of astonishment and shock, "Ruyi, what did you say?" Tears welled up in her eyes, and the scalding heat seemed to make her unable to see clearly what was in front of her eyes.If she could, she would really like to be blind, unable to see clearly the cruel and cold truth after all the ignorant warmth is punctured, but she upholds the last etiquette and tolerance, "Concubines are loved by the emperor, and they take the second place. What can be done is only what the queen should do."

She bowed three times, humbled herself with an extremely respectful attitude, and slowly retreated. It was two days before Ruyi saw Xiangjian. It's not that she never thought about what kind of attitude she should take to face Han Xiangjian's single-minded desire to die, but that there was too much chaos and shock. After the conversation at the Hall of Mental Cultivation that day, the rationality she was trying to maintain was hit as close as possible. Flour. She arranged everything the emperor wanted to see one by one in a state of numbness.Fortunately, the majesty of the middle palace is still there, and the intimacy and warmth that the emperor tried to make up for before made everyone in the harem dare not question her words and deeds in the slightest.

Ruyi watched all this going on slowly, but couldn't help but want to sneer.What is a fox pretending to be a tiger is like this.She is the fox that relies on the power of the tiger, thinking that she gets everything she wants, but she is just a kite that flies into the blue sky with the good wind, with only a thread of gossamer.Once the wind goes away, there will be only the fate of falling heavily and being smashed to pieces. But as time goes on, there will be another meaning.Something she had never noticed before gradually sprouted.If you don't have a trace of your own feelings, but do your best to be a queen, it is not too difficult.Even, because you only need to abide by the already mature rules and regulations, you can do nothing, live in peace, and you can be considered a good queen. Xiang Jian's injury is not something that can't be spread, so it quickly made the concubines even more curious and gloating, and it was the best topic of conversation after dinner.And the emperor no longer set foot in the Chengqian Palace, as if he was extremely disappointed with her damaged face, which also gave the concubines a little more hope and joy, hoping that the emperor would abandon her like a wretch and ignore her. Any ordinary person would think so. Because for a man, a slender figure with a snowy appearance is the biggest attraction, and a woman who has lost her beauty is not even as good as an ordinary woman. So everyone speculated that this crazy obsession finally ended with Yu Hanxiang's self-destruction when he was arguing with the emperor. It was Jin Bao, the middle-aged eunuch with a serious face and a rigid face beside the emperor, who often received news. These are not good news, but also expected news. Xiangjian went on a hunger strike. This is very natural.If destroying one's own beauty cannot cut off a person's fanaticism, then cutting off one's life is the last and most helpless measure. If Xiangjian is allowed to die, it will satisfy the wishes of many people and make people breathe a sigh of relief. But if she really died... Ruyi suddenly remembered the hand that the emperor was holding down on her, the injured left hand, trying to press down on her hand, but couldn't use the strength.Ruyi's nose was sore, she had never felt that this man was so weak that she felt pity in her heart.And after the shock and sadness that disturbed her mood day and night, pity actually became the emotion that occupied her heart the most. Moreover, isn't it the duty of a queen to make the emperor happy? Ruyi laughed at herself, and picked out an apricot-yellow plate with golden embroidered phoenix and a purple silk robe with peony flowers, Zhu Jin Luo shoes with a phoenix pattern on her feet, and nine-turned red-gold colored glass flying luan steps on her hairpin. It is embellished with tin and vermilion precious tree and coral flower decorations. Hua Guangming's bright color made her eyelids ache a little, only to realize that the silk clothes are courage, and the flesh gives warmth, supports her gray heart, and gives her surface a brilliance.Day after day, walk on. In fact, it is also more reliable than a man who has been facing each other for decades. When Ruyi supported Rong Pei's hand and stepped into Chengqian Palace's bedroom, he already took a breath of air-conditioning.The emperor likes extravagance, and three years after Empress Xiaoxian's funeral, except for the Changchun Palace, which remains the same, the other palaces and pavilions connected with the Empress Dowager's Compassionate Palace should be newly decorated, extravagant and luxurious.However, Chengqian Palace has been unoccupied for a long time, and Naixiang hastily cleaned it out after entering the palace. Its regulated furnishings are even more gorgeous than her middle palace.Even Jin Yuyan, who loves the most prosperous life, has to be at a disadvantage.With a casual glance, the Tibetan blue and white jade phoenix lotus revolving heart vase was collected by Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, and a pair of Longxiang holding fish belonged to Zhao Feiyan, empress of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty.A clump of three-foot-high coral trees randomly placed in the corner of the hall, the whole body is rosy and moist, fresh and beautiful, with a faint precious light overflowing.On the dressing table was a large box of pearls from the East China Sea, each round as big as a thumb, plump and clear, just opened the box and put it away, no one cared.The forest is colorful, scattered and well arranged, and the brilliance is blurred. Even if she is a queen, she has never seen some of them. However, Xiang Jian, who is peacefully lying on the golden brocade of colorful mandarin ducks, is incompatible with this gorgeous world of gold and jade.She is like a handful of spring snow, as cold as frost, but so beautiful that it can melt away in an instant. At that time, the warm autumn sun in the afternoon penetrated into the pea-green Luoying gauze, illuminating the dormitory with dusty dust, as diffuse as broken gold.Because of Ruyi's arrival, the palace people retreated.In the hall, there is a pot of Xiangshanzi on a low shelf of pear blossom wood. The fragrance is faint, but there is no smoke and fire.The Xiangshanzi was originally carefully carved from about a hundred catties of purple oil and jalan incense.Naga blue incense is rare, it is considered interesting for the palace people to take one or two stars to make a golden silk sachet, let alone such a big one.Ruyi didn't think about it, just stared intently. She has never seen such a woman, even at the moment of dying, she can still be so beautiful, like a banished fairy. A disrespectful thought flashed through my mind.Although the years have shown great love for the emperor, so that he still looks like a maple maple and a jade mountain, but compared to the fragrant view, it is just the moss and greasy rotten wood beside the purple sesame, which is not a good match. She was curious for a moment, what kind of person would that man who made Xiang Jian miss her so much? This kind of thought breaks the embarrassment of not seeing each other's eyes. She turned sideways, and sat down along the mahogany, bamboo, and fancao pattern embroidered pier that Rong Zhuo moved, and motioned for everyone to back down, before slowly opening her mouth: "I heard that when a person is dying, he can see the person he most wants to see, you Are you waiting for this moment?" Xiangjian's expression was dull, and she stared at Lantian Yuqing's light feather tail tent hook to pull up the pear blossom green ice silk wrapped branch Baoluo tent.The palace people forcibly changed her into a sky-shui green and white dotted plum gauze shirt, which was also the standard of her tribe. The long snow-colored long beads were winding and flowing, as lifeless as her. Ruyi didn't care about her silence, she was just fascinated, "Actually, I'm also very curious about what kind of character Han Qi is. If you don't tell Bengong, I'm afraid there will be fewer and fewer people who know that he remembers him." .” Xiangjian's eyeballs were two balls of amber fixed in white mercury, clear but dead, without a trace of vitality, only trembling slightly when hearing Han Qi's name, and then dead still again.She murmured, her voice was hoarse and almost cracked, because she hadn't been in the water for two days, "Han Qi? No one mentioned him to me for a long time." "Although the maid next to you is a member of your tribe, she doesn't want to mention this man who caused war for your tribe." Ruyi raised her head, and flicked the southern red and song blue tassels hanging from the tent. Nanhong is as bright as brocade, with a waxy texture, soft and calm in the hand. "However, I am really curious. Why does he keep you thinking about it? It's funny to say, since I came out of the boudoir, I have only met a few men. Every day I get up and sit and I am served by eunuchs. I am really It's hard to imagine, what have you guys experienced before, that you can have such deep affection?" Xiang Jian raised the corners of her lips with difficulty, revealing a trace of sarcasm, and said hoarsely: "You and that emperor will not understand." She coughed when she wanted to say more, showing that it was difficult to speak.Seeing her entering the urn, Ruyi secretly felt that she was innocent and stubborn, so he took the soup cup left by Rong Pei on the table, and slowly brought it to her lips, "Really? I don't understand, because there are rumors outside that he killed people like numb?" Xiangjian didn't care what the soup in the cup was, at first she choked on a few sips, then gradually drank a couple of times, and hurriedly argued: "No! No!" Tears welled up in her eyes, "He just wanted too much To be a hero, I really want to be free from other people's control and restraint, and do whatever I want. He... is really not a bad person." "Overthinking one's strength and hitting a stone with an egg has been used too much. Han Qi just wanted to get it, but he forgot the price he might pay. I am really worried. If you die, the good people who remember him in this world will be lost." No more." "No more?" Her tears glistened and dripped into the pillow with the sunflower pattern on the panchi.The pattern of okra flowers with golden threads is as bright as life, showing her unbearable despair, "Yes. I was only thirteen when I liked Han Qi, and he was sixteen at that time. His eyes are so bright, heaven No star can compare to him. I was chased by wolves in the wild, and he came to rescue me and fight the wolves. He took me to ride horses, graze, and took me to see snow lotus on the iceberg. He said snow lotus I can’t pick it, because in his heart, the snow lotus is as beautiful as me. He knew that I like the aroma of sandy date flowers, so he planted sandy date trees outside my house. He promised me that as long as our tribe can break free With the shackles of the Qing Dynasty, he can marry me with glory." Ruyi sighed softly, "In the end, the world is nothing but a fantasy to you and to him." "Yes. His pride burned himself and the peace of the entire tribe. The battle lasted for several days and nights. The women and children in the tribe and I hid until the sound of fighting disappeared. .I searched for him in the night and found him in the morning under piles of dead bodies. He was covered in blood, lost an arm and had stab wounds all over his body. He would never smile at me, speak to me again, Take me to pick snow lotus." Ruyi wiped the soup from her lips for her, and said slowly: "A person is too eager to be strong, just because of his insignificance, Han Qi has a thousand mistakes, and it is good for you. I don't want to talk about an already The rights and wrongs of the dead are just for you to understand that Hanbu has already lost a Hanqi, and he cannot lose another you." Xiang Jian's eyes are the silent eternal night after the fall of the stars all over the sky, "I am just a gift. I have stayed here for these days, and there will always be times when it will be damaged. I died in this filthy place, and I also used up my gift." duty?" "You just drank red ginseng soup, not white water. You won't die for a while. If you can't die, listen to what I have to say before you die." Ruyi plucked the translucent nails dyed by the impatiens, these During the day, she didn't care about makeup, and she didn't even notice that the light red on her nails had faded.She looked calm and focused on talking, "Your Han Qi died in the hands of the generals of the Qing Dynasty, and your tribe was almost wiped out under the iron hoof. But think about it, why did your father put you, a dying man, to death?" People sent to the capital, and your clansman readily agreed? Because they all know that you are a hope, a hope for your clansman to live well." "Hope?" Xiang Jian's face was full of tears, and she shook her head sadly, "No. From the time when my tribe was bloodbathed by blades, from the time when Han Qi's body became cold in my arms, I have no hope? How can I be someone else's hope!" Ruyi stared at her calmly and calmly, "Of course. You don't have to make this wish. Wipe your neck with a knife, hang yourself on a beam with a long scarf, take poison or hit your beautiful head against the wall, and it will be settled once and for all. There are many ways, you can choose one. But if you die, whoever persuades the emperor to destroy your tribe and exterminate your tribe, who else will persuade them to save their lives? and home?" Xiangjian was shocked and angry, and couldn't add more, "Your Majesty... your army... are all devils, all devils! The gods will punish you!" "Winners and losers, even the gods are the same. Otherwise, how could Sun Wukong be crushed by the Tathagata under Wuzhishan? If you Hanbu destroyed the Qing Dynasty today, we would definitely shout loudly, shouting that you are the devil!" She stretched out She moved her hand and signaled Xiangjian to sit up, "We are all women, we can't control a man's ambition, and we can't control a man's world. What we can control is to rely on a woman's ability to protect the people and things she wants to protect. Keep it without leaking, " Xiangjian's face was covered with Yingran tears.If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Ruyi could hardly believe that there are people in this world who can even cry, even with a scarred face, like Fairy Lingbo.She finally understood a little bit that her husband was middle-aged, and the reason for his sizzling enthusiasm like autumn water. Xiangjian put her hand on Ruyi's, leaned up with difficulty, and wept sadly: "Thousands of warriors can't keep our homeland, so what can I do?" Ruyi took a deep breath, looked at the clear blue sky outside, and said in a deep voice: "What men can't hold on to, often women can do it. Because a woman's resilience and patience are unmatched by anyone. Yes. Everyone says that Gou Jian, the King of Yue, endured humiliation and endured humiliation, but I think the wife of King Yue is the real hero. The country of Yue was defeated by Wu, and the suffering Gou Jian suffered was just what he should bear. The wife of King Yue was in In the deep palace, she was also implicated and humiliated by her husband, and she had to comfort her frustrated husband to endure and work hard, her perseverance and tenacity are the most admirable." Xiang Jian opened her eyes full of tears, "But I'm not Mrs. Yue Wang, I..." Ruyi's eyes were extremely sharp, and she stared at her, "You said just now that you are just a gift. It is not a bad thing for a person to understand his situation and identity. I will ask you. As a gift, are you willing to fulfill all the responsibilities and obligations of a gift, and keep yourself safe and make your gift well?" Xiang Jian's beautiful big eyes were full of confusion and puzzlement. Ruyi Chunshan frowned slightly, and said patiently, "If the dead lover is more important to you than the living clansman, then I don't need to bother to say anything to you. But you have to feel that the dead Chase, those who are alive are more worthy of your concern, just like the original intention of your father to send you, make a good gift. Beautiful, eye-catching, and benefit the person who sent you. This is the essence of a gift Minute." Xiangjian's lips were dry, and the blood in her eyes was like Rob's spider web, but she couldn't contain her grief and indignation, "Can't I have other choices? Make your own choices like ordinary people?" Ruyi leaned down and looked at the beautiful and sad face, like a flawless and clear snowflake blooming on the ice.But even if it is freezing cold, the snowflakes will not stay for long, they can only be frozen and wither on the ground.The beauty of Xiangjian seems to convey her unspeakable sorrow, which makes those who see it feel sad.Ruyi took her hand and got up, "This palace is like you, the greatest sorrow is that there is no choice. So in this palace, from the queen to the maid, everyone lives and struggles to have more choices. .For example, if you have grace and confidence, you can choose to speak for your people or not, and choose how to speak useful words. If you don’t have grace, you don’t have any choice.” Xiang Jian wept bitterly, "Then you, you are the queen, have you ever had something you could choose?" "Empress is just an identity, even an identity that is more restrained than you. So I have never had a choice, I just force myself to adapt to the times, that's all." Ruyi got up, and put the leftover half cup of ginseng soup on the table. In front of her, the clear red soup reflected her beautiful face, "You have to know, there are many people who wish you to die, but they are all your enemies and insignificant people. People who hope you live also Quite a few, they are all your close relatives and your clansmen. It is up to you to choose which side to fulfill." She turned and left, not wanting to stay any longer.It seems that Xiangjian's grief is also her helplessness. There is no difference between a queen with thousands of people and a gift from a defeated one.She suddenly remembered the day when Concubine Yu was about to enter the palace, the emperor's joke, "It's just a decoration". The jokes that day, now I only feel thrilling when I recall them. Ruyi supported Rong Pei's hand and walked for a long distance, his expression still restless, after a while, he whispered, "Rong Pei, do you feel that we all look like a decoration?" Rong Pei looked at the dozens of palace people following behind him in bewilderment, and asked in confusion, "A display?" "That's right. Concubine Xun is a decoration of Huo Shuote's department, Concubine Yu is a decoration of Borzigit family, Concubine Shu is a decoration of Yehenala family, and Imperial Concubine Shujia is a decoration of the royal family of Li Dynasty. They each Individuals placed in the palace are a symbol of the family and the glory of the clan. Princes and princesses are decorations for the reproduction of offspring and the prosperity of the royal family. As for the empress dowager, it is a decoration for the mother's kindness and filial piety, and it is a decoration to show the world the royal kindness. In addition to the need on the surface, the taste inside is like drinking water, knowing whether it is warm or not." Rong Pei was full of melancholy when she heard this, and quickly persuaded with a smile: "Your Majesty, you think too much. It's cold outside, let's go back to the palace." Ruyi raised her head and squinted at the sunny day, like golden debris scattered all over the sky, making people feel warm.In fact, what she envied was that even dust, a rootless and light thing, could go wherever she wanted with a gust of wind.But in this lifetime, her body and her heart are destined to be imprisoned in the Forbidden City.No matter how you float, you can't get out of this high wall.No, she doesn't have the qualifications to be aloof! Vaguely, when I was a child, I followed the nurses and nurses to visit temples.The tall and majestic Buddha statues are decorated so preciously and goldenly that people dare not look closely at them.It seems that they were born so high and high, admired and worshiped by thousands of people, and enshrined by thousands of incense in the world.No emotions, never, all their responsibilities are to be in that seat, as long as they are there. Ruyi shrugged her shoulders, as if she couldn't help the chill in autumn.The autumn is intoxicating in front of her eyes, but the intoxicated maple red chrysanthemum has nothing to do with her.Ruyi seemed to be isolated in her own world, even though the autumn scenery was thick outside, she was still cold and frosty, with the leaves rustling. Rong Pei was a little uneasy, and called again: "Your Majesty..." Ruyi smiled slightly, "Do you feel that this palace is like a statue in a temple, a decoration in the palace?" Rong Pei knew that she would inevitably be depressed after going through these things, so she could only persuade her: "Mother...don't think too much about it." "That's right. A decoration doesn't even have your own thoughts. Only when you don't have thoughts can you be content with making a decoration!" She smiled weakly, "If Mrs. Han listens to Bengong's persuasion, I will be able to complete it." Fulfilling the emperor's entrustment, fulfilling the queen's duties." She snorted lightly, with tears in her eyes, "What a beautiful decoration!"