Chapter 182 Chapter 26 Reunion

This autumn is slowly passing away in such sweetness and joy. Although the autumn leaves are falling, golden chrysanthemums are in full bloom, decorating a golden and beautiful Sima Mansion even more magnificently.The days pass by in a flash, like a spring lake in March, flowing from the fingers, leaving the sweetness and hope of spring in the palm, which will not disappear for a long time. On the day of the autumn festival, Chu Qiao followed Zhuge Yue out of the mansion, went to Xiangzhi Mountain thirty miles away, and visited Anyuan Temple on the mountain. Although Chu Qiao lived in Zhenhuang City for seven or eight years, she has almost never been to some places of interest around the imperial city.Firstly, his status was not allowed at the beginning, and secondly, he did not have this state of mind.But now that the vicissitudes of life have changed, everything is not as good as before, so she let go of her embrace.The weather that day was very good, the sky was bright and clear, although there was a cool breeze, it was even more refreshing.Chu Qiao wore a moon-white pleated satin dress and a long velvet satin cloak, and led a group of attendants who had a good time when they heard that they were going out to play.

Xiangzhi Mountain is located in the south of Zhenhuang. It rises upright in a plain. The top of the mountain is covered with snow, which does not melt all the year round. It looks like a crouching dragon, lonely and lonely.There are maple forests all over the mountainside, and now at a glance, it is as bright as fire, and the scenery is bright and beautiful.Today is the autumn festival, and the wealthy households in Zhenhuang City are all traveling together. Visitors from Linz, laughing and laughing, are very lively. All the way up the Xiangzhi Mountain, in the middle of the red maple forest, the magnificent scenery is so beautiful.Jingjing and Pingan led Mo'er to lead the way, yelling for you to chase after me, He Xiaoduoji and a group of Yue Wei guards were around, Yue Qi also brought Xiao Fei, taking advantage of the festival, let this good wife and loving mother let go leave.

Zhuge Yue took Chu Qiao's hand and went up all the way, talking and laughing with everyone citing scriptures from time to time.It is rare for the eldest and young master to be so happy and easy-going, and everyone is happy to join in the fun, they are surrounded by their stars, and occasionally tourists pass by, they all look sideways, and they don't know which noble family is traveling. Zhuge Yue has always been very busy. He is the Sima of the military department of Daxia, and the vassal prince of Qinghai. Now he has become the talker of the Zhuge clan. And Yanbei's internal and external attacks.These days, although he returns home on time every day, eats and chats with Chu Qiao, and rests with her, but every time Chu Qiao wakes up in the middle of the night, he does not see him by his side. lights.

At times like this, she always pretended not to know, went to bed and slept peacefully until the next morning, then smiled and asked him if he slept well, and looked at his blue eyes with a smile and replied to her that he slept very well . His body was not as good as he showed. He suffered such a serious injury back then, and he had been diving in the water for a long time.Now that the weather is getting colder, his illness is becoming more and more obvious. Every autumn rain is like a cool one. Whenever it rains on a cloudy day, his complexion will be very bad.Occasionally, when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he can hear his deep and depressed breathing, see the fine cold sweat on the back of his neck, and the wet pajamas on his back, softly sticking to his spine.

At times like this, she can always say nothing, but keeps her eyes wide open in the dark, looking at the shimmering pearl ceiling, clenches her fists, her lips are blue and white, and counts the details in the hole bit by bit. Sha, quietly waiting for the dawn.Then on the second day, she desperately put a brazier into the house, and she even directed the craftsmen to build a heater for more than ten days, turning a bedroom into a fire room. When having breakfast yesterday morning, Jingjing and Pingan talked about the excitement of the autumn festival, she just echoed a few words, and he wrote it down.He didn't say anything at that time, but on the second day, he turned down everything and took her out on a trip under the banner of going up the mountain to worship Buddha.

For so many years, he has always been a stubborn and proud person, never believed in gods and Buddhas, and rebelled like a child. Chu Qiao laughed at him for turning his sex to worship Buddha, but he smiled at her and said goodbye mysteriously There are many Buddhas who do not need to worship, but there is one Buddha that must be worshiped. When Chu Qiao and others entered the side hall of Anyuan Temple, her cheeks could not help but blush slightly, Jingjing and the others laughed, only Xiao Fei bowed and kowtowed seriously, and turned her head to stare at a group of disrespectful The junior of the gods.

The sacred incense is lingering, the hall is solemn, and the statue of Guanyin who sends the son sits on the Buddhist hall with kind eyebrows and benevolent eyes. The noon light shines from outside the hall, penetrates layers of fine incense ash, and sprinkles on the empty hall.Zhuge Yue's voice was close to his ears, with mellow warmth and a smile, he whispered: "Worshiping Buddha must be sincere." Chu Qiao turned her head and saw him with bright eyes, looking at her with a smile, with some seriousness, but also a bit of childish naughtiness. She turned around with a smile, knelt down calmly, put her hands together, and silently recited the wishes made by thousands of women, then put her hands on the futon and sincerely bowed down.

One kowtow, bless him with good health, good fortune in every situation, and good luck in every calamity. Two kowtows, bless us to stay together safely and never be separated. Kowtow three times, bless us to get our wish and have a healthy child. She bowed down one after another, so devout, with unprecedented satisfaction and peace on her face. Bodhisattva, you have blessed so many people, now, please keep me for once. Jingjing Mo'er and the others were laughing earnestly in the back, Xiao Fei was earnestly persuading them to respect the gods, Yue Qi, He Xiao and the others stood outside gossiping, talking about which battalion and which army's second lieutenant went to the flower building and was caught by his wife Seeing the embarrassing incident of being beaten up in the street, all the guards laughed in unison.

The weather in late autumn is a bit cool, the sky is bright and high, she kneels there, looking up at the gods above, she just feels that life is peaceful and peaceful, the bloody storm in the memory of the past has long been gone, her state of mind has never been As peaceful as it is today. Zhuge Yue helped her up, wrapped his arms around her waist lightly, kissed her brow with his cold lips, and then smiled lightly. With sharp eyes, Jingjing grabbed Xiao Fei and kept yelling, "Sister-in-law Qi, sister-in-law, look quickly, sister and brother-in-law are the blasphemers!" Everyone snickered when they heard it, but Zhuge Yue didn't care. Chu Qiao's cheeks were slightly red, and she gently pushed away from his embrace, but she held his arm tightly with just two hands, not letting go. open.

"Do you want to stay on the mountain and eat vegetarian food?" Zhuge Yue asked, but before Chu Qiao replied, she saw Ping An winking at her, she understood immediately, and said, "Let's go down the mountain, we are all carnivores, so don't force yourself to be arty." Mo'er giggled foolishly, while Ping'an ran forward happily and told Zhuge Yue how delicious the certain dishes in Yuelou were, and Jingjing also echoed her.Zhuge Yue slammed a chestnut on Ping An's head, scolded "Stinky boy" with a smile, and led the crowd out of the solemn Buddha Hall of Baoxiang.

After sprinkling a lot of sesame oil money, the temple prepared a clean courtyard for them, Yue Qi and others went to prepare the chariots and horses, only Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were left sitting among the maple leaves all over the sky, drinking tea. After sitting for a while, Xiao Fei became restless. Chu Qiao thought she was going to urinate and was embarrassed to say so, so she dragged her to the side courtyard.Unexpectedly, her face was red, and after thinking for a long time, she said that there is a fortune teller in the Songzi Guanyin Temple, who is very accurate in divination, and the pills he sells are also elixir. Yao Yunyun, but Yue Qi and the young master didn't believe it, this time they came, so they could only buy it secretly. Chu Qiao naturally wouldn't believe it, she thought to herself that you were pregnant and gave birth, it was Yue Qi's credit, what does it have to do with a fortune teller on the street?Seeing her earnest words, he couldn't bear to refuse, so he greeted Zhuge Yue and accompanied her to the fortune-telling booth on Fenglin Road outside the main hall. The fortune-teller had white hair and white beard, was thin and lonely, but he was somewhat immortal. Seeing Chu Qiao, she immediately said that she is a very rich and powerful person, but there are many entanglements in her life, as long as she is sincere to the Buddha, she has her own way to solve the disaster.The talking Xiao Fei nodded repeatedly, and kept blinking at Chu Qiao, as if to say, look, how effective this gentleman is. But Chu Qiao knows that this is a must-say word for all fortune-telling. Who doesn't have a few troubles in their life, as for the rich and powerful, just look at the two of them's clothes, and you can guess that they are almost the same . Xiao Fei was sitting in front of the booth, drawing lots and divination to ask good and bad luck, very busy.Chu Qiao stood aside bored, and suddenly saw a very familiar figure flickering in the distance, and immediately froze in place. After a while, he bowed his head to give Xiao Fei a word, and then quietly followed. In the blink of an eye, it has been six years. Among the red maple brocades, he was wearing a white shirt, looking plain and unpretentious, without the glamor of the day.When the autumn wind blows, a sleeve flutters up, like catkins without branches, fluttering softly. "Your Highness, do you want some water?" An eighteen or nineteen-year-old attendant came forward, his voice was cold, although he was wearing men's clothes, he could tell that it was a young girl, but his back was facing Chu Qiao, so he couldn't see her face clearly. Zhao Song turned around, and the cheeks that were slightly baby-fat because of his carefreeness were now as thin as a knife. Although his figure was still tall and straight, he showed some traces of fatigue and thinness. His eyes no longer had the same radiance as before, calm There is no wave like a century-old well, only in his early twenties, but his temples are already gray. He shook his head and said calmly, "I want to walk alone." The girl didn't move at all, just lowered her head slightly, holding the water bag in her hand, the breeze blew past her side face, with a hint of inexplicable familiarity.She suddenly raised her head, looked at Zhao Song, and said firmly, "Is Your Highness waiting for someone?" Zhao Song looked slightly unhappy, frowned and said, "What did you say?" "How long has it been since His Highness left the mansion? Why are you so interested today?" Zhao Song's brows and eyes became more and more unhappy, he took a deep look at her, turned around and left.The girl was startled, hurried to catch up, grabbed his sleeve, and said sadly: "Did your Highness forget what His Highness Fourteen said?" Pulled by her sleeves, Zhao Song turned his head slowly, his eyes were like a deep pool, staring deeply at the girl in men's clothing, and said in a deep voice: "Wuxin, it's not that everyone in this world owes you, your hatred , is it too long?" After all, he turned around and disappeared into the layers of maple forest. The girl stood there blankly with her back facing Chu Qiao, her back was whirling, her blue hair was like a willow, and her figure was so thin that it could be blown away by a gust of wind.The lingering loneliness flowed slowly from her brushed fingertips, floating layer by layer in the forest. She stood silently for a long time, and finally, she wiped her cheek with her sleeve, as if to wipe away the Seeing something like that, he raised his foot and chased in the direction where Zhao Song left. Birds were flying and singing in the forest, and Chu Qiao seemed to see him wearing a royal blue robe many years ago, with colorful birds embroidered on it. Holding a small golden whip, he said triumphantly to her: "I think you are the most pleasing to the eyes of this maid in the house. I will make you my gatekeeper. How about it?" A gust of wind blew, and she suddenly felt so cold. Xiaofei's voice gradually approached, she came back to her senses, and went back hand in hand with a good mother who was still not satisfied after having two children. Everyone was a little tired after walking around for a long time, so they took carriages and horses on the way down the mountain.The carriage wobbled away, seeing that she was not in high spirits, Zhuge Yue frowned and asked her if she was tired.Chu Qiao nodded and said yes, she leaned on his shoulder, closed her eyes drowsily, but couldn't fall asleep anyway. Zhuge Yue held her hand coldly and worried, so he told Yue Qi to hurry up. "In a few days, Zhao Che will get married." Chu Qiao was taken aback, then raised her head slightly, Zhuge Yue said with a smile: "He has had bad luck these years, and he is almost becoming an old bachelor. You don't know the bride, but you probably like her. It's the youngest daughter of the leader of Donghu, named Wan Yan Rou, although her name has the word soft, she is not gentle at all, she is an arrogant and domineering crazy girl, but her heart is simple and kind. When she comes to Beijing, I will take you to meet her." Chu Qiao nodded, thinking of something, but did not say it after all. After the autumn festival, the sky started to get cold, the lake was frozen, a heavy snow fell, the sky and the earth were completely white, the house was warm all day long, and people became lazy. These days, Sima Mansion was full of people coming and going, and Zhuge Yue seemed to be very busy, even Yue Qi hadn't seen him for a long time.Hearing from Xiao Fei, Zhuge Yue sent him on an errand, and he has been away for seven or eight days. That night, Chu Qiao inadvertently asked Zhuge Yue a question, but he pretended to be mysterious and didn't answer, he just said that he wanted to give her a surprise. The surprise came very quickly. Three days later, Sun Di sent someone from Bian Tang to bring her personal letters and palace documents. It turned out that Zhuge Yue, the Sima of the Great Xia Military Department, sent someone to Bian Tang to ask for his marriage. He wanted to marry the King Xiuli of Bian Tang. When Chu Qiao received the news, Zhuge Yue was lying on the bed and hadn't gotten up yet. He was wearing a translucent white satin pajamas. He propped his head on one hand and looked sideways at her, with a half-smile and a lazy look. Chu Qiao walked up to him, spread out the letter, and asked, "What's going on?" Zhuge Yue said calmly: "What's the matter? It's only natural for a boy to marry a girl and a girl to marry." Chu Qiao frowned: "But my status is embarrassing after all. With your current status, aren't you afraid of the imperial court's criticism?" Zhuge Yue smiled lightly, and said disdainfully: "I, Zhuge Yue, are married, what does it have to do with others criticizing me?" It was as if a hot water bottle had been punctured, and the warm water flowed into her heart. Her smile couldn't overflow and slowly flowed out. She squatted down and rested her head on his lap, just motionless. . Zhuge Yue sat up and hugged her, bent down and rubbed her hair with his chin, and said softly: "I have been thinking for so many years, how can I let you enter my house quietly like this, I will definitely tell the world , tell everyone that you are mine." The days that followed suddenly became busy. Chu Qiao didn't know what methods and methods Zhuge Yue used to make the entire Zhenhuang upper class lose their memory overnight. No one remembered that she had assisted Yan Xun to escape Zhen Huang, no one remembers that she shattered Daxia's Northern Expedition twice, no one even remembers that she once killed Daxia's third prince Zhao Qi with her own hands. Over the past few days, ladies from various families and aristocrats have come to the door one after another, and all kinds of rare gifts have been sent into the Sima Mansion like a stream of water. Even some royal ministers who are not close to Zhuge Yue and Zhao Che have also sent gifts one after another. . On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, news suddenly spread from the Holy Golden Palace that the emperor was critically ill and Zhuge Yue was urgently recruited to serve him in the palace. It stands to reason that the emperor is seriously ill, except for the prince and prince, he should not invite ministers into the palace to serve the sick.However, the emperor was dying, and no one knew what would happen in the next quarter of an hour.Prince Jing Xiao, Lord Mu of Lingnan, and the sons of feudal lords from all over the world came to the palace one after another. It was unwise to let Zhao Che stay in the palace alone at this time. As a last resort, Zhuge Yue had no choice but to ask for permission. The emperor was ill. How can there be any opinions, Zhao Yang and others are not worried about letting Zhuge Yue go out at this time, so the Shengjin Palace is very lively for a while, and the forces of the whole Great Xia are gathered. However, on the night when the heads of all parties entered the palace, the Donghu army stationed in the west of the city started fighting with the personal guards brought by Prince Jing.No one knows the exact reason, but when Chu Qiao was woken up, the sky in the west was ablaze with shouts of killing, but the scouts from all over the palace were blocked outside the palace gate. , obviously someone deliberately connives. Half an hour later, the scale of the fight expanded, and the soldiers of Young Master Mu of Lingnan also joined the battle circle, but the local picket team in Zhenhuang watched from the other side. No matter how the people in the west of the city cried and shouted, they waited for the order from above and blocked them all. Standing on the outside and standing still, waiting for the fight between the two groups inside. At this time, the big and small gangs and hooligans in Zhenhuang City took advantage of this opportunity to loot, and after a while, they found that no one paid attention to them, and became more and more domineering.The southeast and northwest of Zhenhuang City were full of wailing, and the civilians hid in their homes shivering, fearing that they would get burned. Chu Qiao ordered the soldiers in the mansion to take strict precautions, shut the gate tightly and never go out. He Xiao and Zhuge Yue's personal guard, Yue Liu, were in charge of the defense of the mansion together. After a while, the outside of the mansion was suddenly brightly lit, as if surrounded by a large number of people. Yue Liu waited for the guards to grit their teeth, and eagerly drew out the wolf knife, looking like they were going to fight someone desperately.Chu Qiao found it strange and asked He Xiao to go out to find out the news. He Xiao came back soon, smiled and told Chu Qiao that it was the government's inspector army, who was ordered to protect Sima's mansion.Soon, the clamor in all directions became much quieter, presumably the so-called inspector army played a role.However, when Chu Qiao asked about Yue Liu, the young guard scratched his head and said doubtfully that he had never heard of any inspector army. At the second watch, there was a sudden commotion at the gate, Chu Qiao had just stepped out of the room when she saw Zhuge Yue hurried in in a deep purple fur, and asked, "Didn't it scare you?" Chu Qiao laughed and said, "You think I'm a piece of paper? When I was killing people and setting fire outside, you still don't know where to be reborn as a human being." Zhuge Yue took a sip from his teacup, forced a smile and sat down. Chu Qiao asked: "What's going on?" Chu Qiao seldom asked about Zhuge Yue's affairs.Firstly, her status and position are really not suitable for knowing too much, and secondly, she no longer has the energy to meddle in other people's affairs.It's just about what happened tonight, but she is really worried. Zhuge Yue raised his head, seeing her worried look, felt a little guilty, held her cold hand, and said, "It was Jing Han and the others who made trouble, the south gate was controlled by Zhao Yang's people, I came out from the north gate , so it was a little late." "What's the benefit of making trouble for them? If there is a big trouble, the elders will drive all the frontier troops back to the territory, so won't everyone be able to take advantage of it?" Zhuge Yue smiled coldly, and said, "That's what they came up with." Chu Qiao frowned, and thought about the joints in a second, and couldn't help but sighed: "It's so dangerous, fortunately you came out quickly." Zhuge Yue patted her on the cheek and said, "Don't be afraid, I won't be tricked by such means." Now the confrontation between Zhao Che and Zhao Yang is basically the confrontation between the Great Xia Southwest Army and the Eastern Hu Army. Zhao Yang has Jing Han and Mu Xiaogong as his arms, and Zhao Che also has Zhuge Yue's Qinghai Navy.Now that Emperor Xia was critically ill, almost all the frontier troops followed their masters to stay in the capital. The frontier troops guarding the imperial capital were not in compliance with the rules. If something happened, they would definitely be sent back to the territory.However, whether it is Zhao Che or Zhuge Yue Jinghan, their subordinates are all local frontier troops, only Zhao Yang still controls the Jingji Xiaoqi Battalion.The 30,000 Xiaoqi Battalion may be insignificant on the battlefield, but once all the frontier troops are repatriated, the 30,000 troops will be the most powerful force in the imperial capital. hand, and once he returns to the territory, then the candidate for the next Emperor Xia will basically be determined. In the year when Emperor Xia was critically ill, similar competitions were staged almost every day of the summer. Chu Qiao was a person who had led soldiers before, so she naturally knew how powerful it was.She stepped forward to comfort Zhuge Yue and said: "Be careful, don't worry about me, the mansion has enough soldiers, even if 10,000 people attack the door, we can defend for two hours, next time we don't need to divide our troops to protect me." Zhuge Yue was taken aback when he heard the words, and asked, "When did I divide the troops and go back to the residence?" Chu Qiao was stunned and said, "Just now the government's inspectors came and guarded us for more than two hours." Zhuge Yue frowned tightly, and after thinking for a long time, he shook his head and said, "That's not mine." Chu Qiao looked at him suspiciously, her face full of solemnity. Zhuge Yue smiled, held her hand, and said, "It's okay, they shouldn't have any malicious intentions." "Is it from Wei Shuye?" "If I'm not mistaken, it should be Zhao Shisan." As if a handful of snow had been sprinkled on his heart, it was cold for a moment, Zhuge Yue's voice was slightly low: "The emperor is critically ill, and almost all the powerful people in Zhenhuang City are in the palace. They are not in the palace at this time, and they still have the ability to mobilize He is the only one in the government." A solemn look flashed across Zhuge Yue's eyes, and he said slowly, "It's been so long, I really forgot about him." Incense was burning in the main hall, and it was so hot that people could only wear thin gauze.But standing there, Chu Qiao still felt cold, and felt the cold spread from her fingers, climb up her spine all the way, and get into her mind. Zhao Shisan and Zhao Song had their arms cut off by Yan Xun, their elder brother died by their own hands, and their mother clan was destroyed by themselves and Yan Xun. The prince who was the most popular in Zhenhuang City back then is now Was it so forgotten?He doesn't even have his share in serving the sick in the palace? The fragrance on Zhuge Yue's clothes pierced his nostrils, he hugged her in his arms, seeing her pale face and blue lips felt a little distressed, he said softly: "Xing'er, why don't I send you back to Qinghai first?" Chu Qiao was in a daze, she didn't seem to hear clearly, until he said it again, she shook her head hastily, grabbed his sleeve nervously, and shouted repeatedly: "I don't want it!" She raised her head and looked at him stubbornly, like a rebellious little lion. Zhuge Yue sighed helplessly, stretched out his arms to hug her, and sighed in a low voice: "It will be soon." Yes, it will be soon, every time the ministers and princes see the emperor, they will say this when they return home.Saying this to their subordinates and their relatives, it will be soon, the time of the emperor is numbered, and the days of fear are coming to an end. However, day after day, the emperor's mouth was crooked, the emperor lost his mind, the emperor didn't recognize people, and the emperor couldn't eat... It sounds like the emperor is still hanging there with only one breath, as if the next moment, the emperor will pass away and his soul will fly away.However, with the arrival of the cold winter, the door was blocked by heavy snow, the sky was full of silver clothes, and the Spring Festival was approaching, the emperor survived day by day. Open your eyes and drink a few sips of ginseng soup. No one knows what that old and damaged body is still holding on to. He seems to have some unfulfilled wish, as if he is waiting for someone, and he just drags on day by day, unwilling to die, unwilling to close his eyes. The atmosphere in the capital has also been tense because of him.Because no one is absolutely sure, so no one dares to be the first to kill the king and launch an action. Zhenhuang City is tense like a bow and arrow fully drawn, and any beggar on the street shouts loudly, and everyone will be shocked. , Even newborn babies dare not cry loudly at night.This morning, Zhuge Yue had just left to go to court when someone came to visit him. The girl was wearing a pure white fox fur cloak, standing in the snow covered in silver, her eyes were pitch black, her lips were bright red, she was as elegant and refined as a person in a painting. The winter light is dim and high, as if it came from another world, and it is cold when it shines on the body.Chu Qiao stood at the door against the wind, wearing a Su Qing color cloak, suddenly froze, just stared at her, without moving for a long time. She smiled slightly, her smile was extremely weak, she came forward slowly, stood in front of Chu Qiao, said with a sweet smile, "Sixth sister, you don't recognize me anymore? I'm Xiao Ba." Time passed so quickly suddenly, like a river of spring water, meandering eastward, and no shadow could be seen anymore. The little child in the past, she knelt beside her, her body was so small, she was as thin as a cub that hadn't eaten milk, she kowtowed in the cold moonlight, facing those dead brothers and sisters Swear, say let them wait and see, wait for her to avenge them. In a blink of an eye, it has been fourteen years. Chu Qiao remembered the execution that day, she hid in the crowd, listening to the child crying and shouting, calling her name, calling her to save her.However, she did not go out after all, but at night when the moon was covered by clouds, she snatched the broken corpse from the mouth of the wild dog, and let her sink into the cold green lake without even a straw mat. middle. Fourteen years, fourteen years, she thought she was dead, she had dreamed countless times of her being stubborn and crying, she blamed herself for fourteen years, and because of this, she hated Zhuge Yue for so long. Her eyes were hot, and she was about to shed tears. Standing by the door, she stretched out her hand far away, but the corner of her mouth smiled slightly. It was so bitter, but it also carried the joy of the rest of her life, like water full of water. A little bit overflowed. Xiao Ba held her hand, smiled very lightly, and said, "I'm very powerful, I'm still alive, I didn't expect that." Her voice was very familiar, light and ethereal, always carrying a touch of alienation. They entered the room together, and Xiao Ba walked around the room very familiarly, then sat down on a soft couch in a corner, took a deep breath, and said with a smile: "Zhuge Si still has the habit of smoking in the room. Chen Shuixiang." She looked around with a familiar posture, and what she said casually was Zhuge Yue's living habits, then she picked up a pomegranate and played with it in her hand. Chu Qiao looked at her, thousands of words froze on her lips, but she didn't know where to start asking. Xiao Ba smiled at her and said, "Sixth sister, don't be surprised. I was not the one who died that day. At the last moment before the execution, your husband replaced me and raised me for many years. I have a debt of gratitude to him." There are grievances, but I didn't come here today to force you to fulfill your promise to avenge your family, because even I myself have long since given up the idea of ​​revenge." There was a sudden gust of wind in the room, and the curtain at the corner of the wall was slightly rolled up. Through the sunlight, fine dust could be faintly seen flying in mid-air.Between Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba, the sunlight was so dazzling that she had to squint her eyes, but she still couldn't see Xiao Ba's face clearly. Chu Qiao looked at her, and suddenly felt a sense of strangeness. After thinking for a long time, she still asked gently: "Xiaoba, how have you been all these years?" "So-so," Xiao Ba said casually, "Zhuge Si is very nice to me, I think I may be in your favor, he later went to Mr. Wolong to learn art, and he took me there too, I followed by reading and practicing calligraphy , but he restricted my freedom and didn't let me go. I ran a few times and was caught by him. It's been like this for many years, until..." Speaking of this, Xiao Ba raised his eyelids to look at her, suddenly burst into a smile, and said: "Until it was rumored that he died in Yanbei, the Zhuge family expelled him from the family, and those of us in Qingshanyuan were also expelled from the house." , I was able to be free. Then I wandered outside. I was a girl, and I didn’t know how to make a living. Later, I fell into prostitution and wandered in the brothel for more than a year. I met the Thirteenth Highness. I still want to delay your blessing, Sixth Sister, because I look like you, and His Highness immediately took a fancy to me. Now I am a servant of the palace. Hehe, after so many years, I am still a slave, but the treatment has been improved a little." Chu Qiao heard her casual tone, heard her mention Zhao Song, and remembered what she saw on Xiangzhi Mountain a few days ago. The woman in men's clothes frowned slowly, and she asked in a deep voice: "Have you You know I'm here, Zhenhuang, why don't you come to me?" "What do I want you for?" Xiao Ba's sharp eyes swept over him, and he smiled coldly, with a trace of disdain and chill on his young face, and said slowly: "Sixth Sister has a noble status now. General Xiuli, the King Xiuli of Bian Tang, and now Madam Sima of Da Xia, I, a little slave, came rashly, wouldn't I embarrass Sixth Sister?" Xiao Ba's eyes were cold, especially when he said the word "Mrs. Sima", his eyes could almost burst into flames. The incense in the incense burner was lit little by little, and a thin line of smoke rose slowly. The light golden light was like sparse water, flowing in layer by layer, casting mottled spots on the clean floor. Fragmented.There was silence in the room, Chu Qiao looked at her silently, her hot heart was cooling down inch by inch, and when she reached her mouth, she swallowed fiercely, her heart was bewildered, like the white snow in Yanbei , a piece of cool. She heard her asking in a flat voice: "Then what's the matter with you today?" "His Royal Highness is leaving, I want to ask you to get me a document to release the royal slavery, so that I can go with His Highness." Chu Qiao was slightly surprised: "Where is Zhao Song going?" "Where else can I go? Go to the barrier to guard the racecourse. A majestic Prince of Xia, the son of the empress's son, was demoted to guard the racecourse." Xiao Ba's expression became gloomy, she gritted her teeth and said coldly, her voice was full of great anger, almost irrepressible. "why?" "Why else? Isn't it because of you?" Xiao Ba turned his head and said coldly: "Since an arm was cut off by the Yanbei dog, His Highness has been living in seclusion, never paying attention to any disputes between the government and the opposition, the battle for the throne , the princes of various families are busy fighting for power and profit, and no one pays attention to him. However, a few days ago, he used the government's soldiers and horses for you, and he clearly showed his favor to you. Do you think His Royal Highness and those people can let him go? Do you stay in the capital with such an identity?" Chu Qiao's hands were extremely cold, and her mind was buzzing, only to hear Xiao Ba's voice piercing in her ears, and said angrily: "I don't ask you to find a way to let His Highness stay in the capital, I just ask you to help me Get a piece of paper, if His Highness refuses to take me there, I will go by myself, at least I can serve the soup in the morning and evening, so as not to let him go on the road alone. Your Highness has kindness to me, and I will not be like some others. ,ungrateful." After a long time, Chu Qiao raised her head, fixedly looked at Xiao Ba's picturesque face, and said lightly: "Xiao Ba, do you have to be born like this with me?" "What is Sixth Sister talking about, what is your identity, what is Xiaoba's identity, how dare I cling to you? What's more..." "If you talk like this again, leave me immediately. You don't have to beg me for anything. I'll just pretend I don't have a sister like you!" Chu Qiao suddenly said in a cold and angry voice, Xiao Ba was stunned for a while, staring blankly at the furious Chu Qiao, unable to say a word for a while. "What are you complaining about? What are you angry about? Are you angry that I couldn't protect you and take you away? Or angry that I couldn't avenge Zhi Xianglinxi today, but still consider a thief as my husband and commit myself to the enemy?" Chu Qiao said angrily: "These years, you have lived a hard life, and I may not be happy. I thought you were dead, and I felt guilty and blamed myself for fourteen years. Today you came to the door and sneered. This is you and my sister. love?" The noon light shone in, casting bright spots of white light on the ground.Chu Qiao stood up and looked at her coldly: "It's been fourteen years, how many things happened during this time? All you think about is your own misfortune and sorrow, and then blame everything on others. I really doubt that you are still the strong and brave sister I knew back then, you named yourself Wuxin, is it true that you have no heart?" Xiao Ba stood on the spot, her complexion slightly pale, but Chu Qiao suddenly felt so tired, as if every piece of skin in her body was clamoring for fatigue. She turned around slowly, and said lightly: "You go, I will take care of Zhao Song's matter." Then went back to the room. After a long time, Xiao Ba left. Chu Qiao watched her leave the Sima Mansion under the escort of Mei Xiang and others through the window paper. Chu Qiao looked at her, and remembered what she said just now, she was under house arrest, wandering alone, and fell into prostitution... She bit her lips tightly, feeling more and more miserable in her heart, and sat alone until dusk. Zhuge Yue hugged her from behind, and a deep voice sounded from behind, with a hint of reprimand: "Why didn't you eat tonight?" Chu Qiao just leaned against his arms, like a fish swimming in the water, so relaxed.She held his hand, which was so big that it almost completely wrapped her little hand. She was so depressed that she didn't want to talk, so she just looked at his hand and counted the calluses in his hand carefully. "Xiao Ba is here?" "En," Chu Qiao nodded, "You already knew, why didn't you tell me?" "I've always wanted to say it, but I didn't find the opportunity." Zhuge Yue smiled, and said helplessly: "Believe it or not, this matter has always been on my heart, and it is also a heart disease. After all, I didn't treat her very well in those years. A few times when she ran away, I even beat her up." I used to have her, I had a weird temper back then, and I kept holding onto her after saving her, but I just didn’t want to let her go. When I was in a good mood, I taught her to read, practice calligraphy, and practice martial arts. When I was in a bad mood, I felt that she looked like you. Look at the face. Those years on the mountain, there was no maid by her side, and she was always on the sidelines. Now she has a strange temper, and I think it is also the reason for me." "How long has she been with Zhao Song?" "It's been two or three years." Zhuge Yue recalled, "I heard that Zhao Song loved her very much. She once accidentally killed one of Zhao Song's favorite concubines, and Zhao Song didn't pursue her." Chu Qiao was silent for a long time before slowly saying: "Maybe she is interested in Zhao Song." Zhuge Yue smiled and said, "It doesn't matter who she is interested in, as long as you don't get angry with me." “那赵嵩的事？” “你放心，赵飏想要一手遮天，还要问我们答不答应。只是我却觉得赵嵩离京并没有什么不好，这真煌城早晚会有一场大乱，对他来说，离开总比留下要安全的多。” 楚乔其实也想到了这一层，她微微皱眉：“那怎么办呢？” “我打算让他去羌胡，一来那里靠近北地，在赵彻的势力范围之内，二来那里是羌人的聚集地，生活富庶，沿海气候还温和。” 楚乔点了点头，说道：“就按你说的办吧。” “那我明日就安排，你要不要送送他，见他一面。” 楚乔默想了许久，还是摇了摇头：“他也许并不想见我，还是不要多事了。” 诸葛玥道：“我却觉得，你应该去见他一面。” 楚乔仰起头来，皱眉望着他。诸葛玥洒然一笑，说：“你别这么看我，我没别的意思，只是不想你终日这样自怨自艾，当年的事，不能怪在你的身上。” then? 楚乔的视线渐渐变得空蒙，脑海中又闪现过那日香脂山上，男子长身而立，衣衫轻舞，墨发染霜，一条空荡荡的衣袖，像是无根的柳絮。 记忆早已被尘封，如今撕开，物是人非，只有红枫层染，一如当年。