Chapter 46 Section VII

"I heard that you have been very busy these two days?" The emperor casually asked Pei Xuanjing who was kneeling in front of him, "Even Princess Xiangyang went to Yuchen Temple. As far as I know, she has never been close to Yong'an, and they have nothing to do with each other." Contact." He looked at Pei Xuanjing thoughtfully again, "Princess Xiangyang went to Yuchen Temple because of you, right?" Chen Hongzhi had already placed a pen and paper in front of Pei Xuanjing, but she didn't even move.If she could speak, she would probably ask directly, why didn't His Majesty directly ask the two princesses?However, such provocative words are neither suitable nor necessary to be written, so let's omit them.

It was only after her tongue was amputated that Pei Xuanjing realized how much nonsense she had said in the past. Seeing that Pei Xuanjing didn't respond, the emperor changed the question again: "What are you doing in the Persimmon Garden?" Pei Xuanjing picked up the pen and wrote a few words on the paper. The emperor told Chen Hongzhi: "You read it." "Yes." Chen Hongzhi read out respectfully, "Your Majesty, please call Song Ruolun for questioning." "Oh?" The emperor smiled slightly, "You found someone to speak for you? Why is it her?"

Among the five sisters of the Song family, Ruo Lun is the youngest and the most unremarkable.Compared with several older sisters with their own demeanor, Song Ruolun's character is mediocre, weak and cowardly.After Song Ruozhao had an accident, she even huddled in the persimmon forest courtyard behind closed doors.If Pei Xuanjing hadn't mentioned it today, the emperor would have almost forgotten her. Song Ruolun was summoned to go to the hall, knelt down in front of the steps with shrunken shoulders, looking very weak and pitiful.The five sisters of the Song family who were once well-known have all withered, and now only this thriving one is left.

She said timidly: "Your Majesty, this concubine brought these by order of Master Pei Lian." "What is it?" "These are shadow puppets made by Third Sister, Your Majesty." "Shadow puppet?" The emperor was surprised. Song Ruozhao replied: "Yesterday Master Pei Lian came to the Persimmon Forest Courtyard and said that she wanted to perform a shadow puppet show for His Majesty. Because when Master Pei Lian visited the Persimmon Forest Courtyard in the past, he saw a shadow puppetry in the third sister's house, so he wanted to find some tools. I replied to Master Pei Lian that the third sister really liked shadow puppetry in the past, and she made some herself. A few suitable ones, as well as the curtains needed for the performance, etc., I brought them all together today.”

The more the emperor heard it, the more puzzled he became, and he couldn't help asking: "Can Pei Xuanjing play shadow puppetry?" "I taught Master Pei Lian how to operate, and she learned it very quickly." Song Ruolun replied in a straightforward manner, apparently all taught by Pei Xuanjing. The emperor frowned and looked at Chen Hongzhi. Chen Hongzhi understood, quickly picked up the baggage brought by Song Ruolun, and carefully placed it on the imperial case.In addition to the snow-white curtain, there are shadow puppets of three characters in the package.Two of them are wearing crowns and dragon robes, so they should be two kings.The third figure is dressed in yellow eunuch clothes.The two kings can be distinguished by their beards, one is older and the other is relatively young.

The emperor's face was clouded.He remembered that Song Ruoyin had indeed performed a shadow play in the palace.In order to win the emperor's favor, she also specially selected the deeds of Emperor Taizong in daily life, such as Wei Zheng's admonition to make Emperor Taizong suffocate the parrot, and made it into a small play.It's not surprising that emperors and eunuchs appeared in Song Ruoyin's shadow puppets. Could it be that Pei Xuanjing is going to perform a shadow puppet show composed of these three characters? The emperor cast his eyes on that beautiful and dusty face.She also looked at him without hesitation. There are very few people in this world who dare to do so.

"Shadow puppet show? Interesting." The emperor said, "I would like to see it." Then he asked Song Ruolun, "Would you like to play together?" "No." Song Ruolun replied, "Master Pei Lian only ordered Ruolun to help prepare, and the other concubines don't know anything about it." The emperor nodded: "Okay, then you can step back." Pei Xuanjing took advantage of the ready-made conditions of the Persimmon Forest Court, but carefully avoided involving Song Ruolun.The emperor also approved of her approach.At the end of the day, it's just a secret between the two of them, isn't it?

The snow-white curtain was raised.The curtains were lowered layer by layer, blocking the moonlight outside the window, only the faint candlelight swaying behind the curtain.Ambergris and the chill of ice blend together, making the hall cold and lonely, as if in the deepest part of Guanghan. Everyone retreated as ordered, only the emperor sat in front of the curtain.Pei Xuanjing stood behind the curtain.Except for the constant "tick" from the fairy copper leak, there was no sound in Qingsi Hall. Pei Xuanjing thought for a long time, and in the end it was Lingyan Pavilion's development that inspired her.Because everything she was going to show the emperor next, the scenes that couldn't be described in words, should not be preserved in any form.

She will find it from the depths of the years, and let it disappear at the end of memory.Only fleeting shadows can meet her requirements. A silent shadow play began. It was the young king who first appeared on the screen.He stepped on the stage quickly, came to the old king who was half lying on one side, and knelt down. The emperor in front of the curtain couldn't help clenching his fists.He knows!He already knew he would see this scene!Pei Xuanjing!He said the name silently in his heart - kill her!Let it all end now, before it's too late. He did nothing, however, but sat motionless, staring intently at the curtain.

The young king is serving medicine for the old emperor.Suddenly, the medicine bowl was overturned by the old emperor.The young king jumped up, gesticulated at the old emperor, seemed to be cursing furiously, and then walked away. Then the eunuch appeared.Kneeling in front of the old emperor, he picked up another bowl of medicine and was about to send it up when he suddenly saw a dagger in the old emperor's hand. The eunuch was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground. In an instant, the old emperor had inserted the dagger into his chest. The emperor in front of the curtain suddenly straightened his body, his lips moved but he couldn't make a sound.

The play went on. The eunuch rushed over, trying to grab the dagger. The young king hurried up, as if he had heard something.Seeing the scene in front of him, he was stunned. The eunuch knelt down again and kowtowed again and again. The young king stepped forward step by step, reached out and pulled out the dagger stuck in the old emperor's chest.Immediately turned around and stuffed the dagger into the eunuch's hand. The scene on the curtain stopped at this moment.Afterwards, Pei Xuanjing blew out the candles behind the scenes. Everything is gone. The only source of light was the swaying fire in the incense burner, which shone on the emperor's pale and ferocious face, making him look like a ghost. "You...how did you know?" He pointed at Pei Xuanjing with a trembling hand. Pei Xuanjing was silent.No need to answer, he should be able to guess. "Why didn't Ju Wenzhen tell the truth... I always thought that Chungou was, it was him..." The emperor stood up staggeringly with his hands on the pillar, murmuring incoherently. He always thought it was Ju Wenzhen who killed the first emperor.It was precisely because he had this terrible thought in his mind that he didn't dare to ask Ju Wenzhen for the truth.And Ju Wenzhen also took advantage of the emperor's most fundamental cowardice.Because the old and cunning eunuch knew that only by becoming an accomplice of the emperor can he save his life, and a witness will be ruthlessly eliminated.What's more, what he witnessed was a human tragedy worse than killing the father and the king! The first emperor committed suicide. However, the emperor always misunderstood that it was Ju Wenzhen who presumed her own intentions and laid a cruel hand on the former emperor.He didn't want to admit the crime of patricide, but what was even more frightening was that he couldn't deny it either.Year after year, he must have thought about it countless times in his heart, and confronted his conscience countless times, but he could only sink deeper and deeper into the darkness. Now that the truth is revealed, can he be freed from it? "You!" The emperor pointed at Pei Xuanjing, "How dare you..." He wanted to say something, but his throat was blocked by something fishy and salty.Suddenly, a large pool of black and red blood was spit out in front of Pei Xuanjing, followed by another pool.The emperor's body was crumbling, and Pei Xuanjing reached out to help him, but he threw it away with all his strength. "Get out!" the emperor roared hoarsely, "Get out!" Pei Xuanjing walked straight out.Chen Hongzhi led a group of servants past her and rushed into the hall in a panic. She walked all the way to the end of the imperial steps before stopping. How magnificent is the night in the Daming Palace.There are stars above the head like a cover, and a round of bright and clear moon will sprinkle the clear light all over the place.In the city of Chang'an under your feet, the lights of thousands of families extend infinitely, as if you can stare at it from generation to generation, never stop, never die. She imagined that after thousands of years, people would look up to the glory of the Tang Dynasty just like looking up to the bright moon tonight.But they don't think about it, everyone in this prosperous world has shed tears, no matter the king or the pawn. All tears are insignificant, all prosperity is fleeting. Pei Xuanjing held her face in both hands, hot tears gushed from between her fingers.It was the first time that she burst into tears in Daming Palace. Until dawn, Pei Xuanjing was called into the palace again. "Just now, I got good news." Pei Xuanjing raised her head upon hearing the sound, and saw another radiant monarch. After only a few hours, he defeated his weakest self and regained the status of an emperor with his astonishing willpower. No matter what kind of opinion he had on him, at this moment, Pei Xuanjing was still in awe. "Although the battle with Tubo in Yanzhou was fierce, the Tang Dynasty won in the end! Li Wenyue, the governor of Yanzhou, defended for 27 days, and waited for the reinforcements of Lingwuya General Shi Fengjing, and defeated Tubo in both attacks." Pei Xuanjing really wanted to say a word of congratulations, but there was no paper and pen in front of her.Did Chen Hongzhi forget to place it?Impossible, that can only be the emperor's special arrangement. It also means that today he no longer needs her to say a word. "Do you know where Yanzhou is?" the emperor said to her, "Come and see." Pei Xuanjing followed him to the huge map hanging at the side. "This is Yanzhou." The emperor pointed to a small dot on the map and said, "From the early years of Yuanhe to the present, Tubo has repeatedly asked for an alliance, and I have delayed it for various reasons. Now they couldn't bear it anymore, so they took the lead Sending troops to invade. But Tubo did not expect that the Tang Dynasty is no longer what it used to be, and I will no longer have to pretend to them." The more he talked, the more excited he became, and his radiant expression concealed his serious illness. "The town has been leveled, and the next step is to regain it. The old land of Hehuang. The people of the Tang Dynasty are still waiting for the Tang army. They have been waiting for decades, and I will not let them wait that long! The first victory in Yanzhou was provoked by Tubo. It's time for Tang..." The emperor suddenly stopped talking, and the hand that was rubbing the map also stopped. He turned his face, stared at Pei Xuanjing and asked, "Have you ever seen the territory of Tang Dynasty?" She shook her head. "I look at it every day. Here, this is Chang'an." The emperor clicked on the center of the map, "Look, isn't the Tang Dynasty very vast?" certainly.Pei Xuanjing admired sincerely in her heart: the vast Tang Dynasty, the incomparable Tang Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty that we live and die together! "It's a pity that I have never had the opportunity to really get close to such a beautiful and magnificent mountain and river. Except for the time when I fled with my grandfather when I was young, I have never left Chang'an in my life." The emperor said, "Do you still remember? In Jiachang’s small courtyard outside the Chunming Gate, when you and I met for the first time, I told you the allusion of ‘I see the sun with my eyes, but I don’t see Chang’an’.” Pei Xuanjing nodded. "Actually, I am a little envious of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty. He could ride a dragon boat down the canal to the south of the Yangtze River, and he could also go north to Tuyuhun. But I can only regret it for the rest of my life. Not only I, but also my grandfather, father and my children are the same. We have been prisoners of Daming Palace for generations, and we must dedicate our bones and blood to Datang. This , is the life of our Li family." As the emperor said, his fingers going down the canal stopped: "Yangzhou. Oh, I almost forgot, my Thirteenth Lang is in Yangzhou." He said in a loving tone, "He is still young and a fool, so Let him go to broaden his horizons, it is much better than staying in Chang'an. However, he will come back in the end." The emperor turned around, turned his back to the complete map of the Tang Dynasty, and said solemnly: "Pei Xuanjing, I don't want to see you again." Pei Xuanjing straightened her body.She knew very well that her fate would be decided at this moment.A few hours ago, she revealed the truth to the emperor.But now, the emperor will still judge her. But it's not at all ridiculous.Pei Xuanjing was even grateful to the emperor for allowing herself to accept the final arrangement of fate in front of the rivers and mountains of the Tang Dynasty.No matter what the result is, she can face it calmly.Because she is sincere to herself, to Datang, and to the emperor, and she has no regrets in her heart. She is more convinced than ever that the truth cannot change the past, but it can determine the future. "I thought about killing you. It's the easiest way to do it. But last night when I received the battle report from the front line and stood in front of this map of the Tang Dynasty, I changed my mind. Every inch of the mountains and rivers on this map belongs to me. The Great Tang is so vast, why can't there be a woman? The Great Tang belongs to me, and it belongs to the people of the world. Of course, it is also yours. Therefore, Pei Xuanjing, I order you to leave Chang'an immediately, and follow you to the place of the Great Tang Any corner. There is only one condition, never come back to Chang'an again!" The voice fell, and the silence returned.Pei Xuanjing felt a little dizzy, not knowing what night it was. After waiting for a moment, the emperor said: "I will give you freedom." Pei Xuanjing remained silent. The emperor frowned slightly: "What? You don't want to leave?" There was an inexplicable light in his eyes, and he stared firmly at her face. Pei Xuanjing raised her hand, and slowly traced a character on the territory map of Datang with her index finger - "Return". The expression on the emperor's face changed rapidly, and finally formed a profound smile on his lips. "Okay." He said, "Pei Xuanjing, I will give you back your freedom." Pei Xuanjing knelt down and kowtowed deeply to the emperor of Tang Dynasty.She can finally be sure - there is no conspiracy, no trap.He was worthy of her prostration, the last prostration. "Go! Before I regret it, go as far as possible, don't look back!" Pei Xuanjing sprinted down from the imperial steps of Qingsi Hall.Behind her, the dawn is gradually rising from the east, the morning bell has not yet sounded, and the endless night is still ahead of her. "Master Pei Lian!" Chen Hongzhi came up, holding a tall, snow-white horse in his right hand. He ran out of breath: "This is the Holy Majesty's snow-treading horse! The Holy Majesty ordered the refiner to ride out of the palace on this horse. The palace gates, square gates, and city gates along the way will be opened, and no one can stop it!" Pei Xuanjing took the reins, and Ta Xuecong raised his head to the sky and let out a neigh. Zichen Gate, Chongming Gate, Hanyao Gate, Wangxian Gate, all palace gates opened in front of her.Pei Xuanjing first left Daming Palace in the south, ran up to Tianjie, then passed through Changle Square, Daning Square, Anxing Square, Shengye Square, turned east in front of Dongshi, and went straight to Chunming Gate. The sun is rising. Wan Dao Shuguang shot from behind the white pagoda where old man Jia Chang's bones were placed, and it was so bright that Pei Xuanjing couldn't open her eyes. is he therewhere is he? Pei Xuanjing looked around anxiously, but there were only balls of gold in front of her eyes, and she couldn't see anything clearly. In Chang'an City behind her, the morning bell rang one after another.