Chapter 145: 145th Kyoto
Chapter 145 145 Return to Beijing
The Crown Princess stroked her sleeves gracefully, her nails dyed with bright red cinnamon shining like pearls, and said with a smile: "I asked Lan Ruo, all the girls from the Chu family know something about riding and shooting, and the second girl Chu is still with me every day. The Fourth Young Master of Chu is practicing archery together."
"By the way, the Third Emperor's Sister also said that her archery skills are good."
"This second girl from Chu is beautiful and has a good temper. It's no wonder that the third emperor sister likes her."
The third princess, Anle, likes beauties. This is no secret in the palace. The maids around her only choose beautiful ones, followed by ability.
In the past, the Crown Princess was noncommittal about the third princess's preference, but it is different now. The third princess is likely to marry Nan Hao far away, so it would be better if the people around her are beautiful, and they can help her maintain her favor in the future.
"Don't worry, Prince." The Crown Princess added comfortingly, "She's just a concubine."
She had seen a lot of concubines like Chu Qianchen, and she was raised by her aunt. She had a small family, so what potential could she have? ! Even Chu Qianhuang, the eldest daughter of the Hou family, is just like this. She only knows how to get close to Anle and work hard, which is very shallow.
Gu Nanjin raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows, but also laughed, feeling that he had indeed thought too much.
He really had too many things going on recently, and he didn't have the time to focus on Chu Qianchen anymore, so he warned the Crown Princess: "Princess, Miss Chu... you'd better pay attention."
The Crown Princess agreed and advised Gu Nanjin to close her eyes and take a nap.
She also knew that with such a big thing happening today, the prince would not be able to have a good rest. After returning to the palace, he would definitely have to meet the emperor.
After that, there was silence in the carriage until they returned to the palace.
The Crown Princess returned to the East Palace, while Gu Nanjin went to the Imperial Study Room to meet the emperor.
Immediately afterwards, a group of important ministers including the elder of the Liubu Pavilion and the commander of the Jinyiwei, Lu Siji, were announced into the imperial study.
As soon as they entered, they did not come out until night fell, the moon was above the willow branches, and the lights in the imperial study were always bright.
Not only the royal study room was brightly lit, but also the posthouse in the south of the city.
Yi Cheng looked at the lit courtyard and did not dare to get close. The night wind occasionally brought some vague sounds.
This night was destined to be a sleepless night.
"First Prince, these Northern Qi people are so shameless!" Tama slammed the table and said harshly, "The Emperor of Northern Qi didn't show up. Is there something wrong in his heart?"
Another young man with a square face also said dissatisfiedly: "Even if it is the Emperor of Northern Qi's intention, I'm afraid they turned a blind eye on purpose!"
“…”
Jialou, who was sitting by the window, was still wearing a white monk's robe. The corners of his robe were spotless, without any blood stains. He had obviously changed into a monk's robe.
The white monk's robe shimmered in the light, like the small porcelain jar between his fingers.
He had already seen it, and it contained a pill.
The piece of paper given by Chu Qianchen stated that the pills were for life-saving and emergency treatment, to give dying people a chance to survive.
Jia Lou did not doubt the effectiveness of this medicine, just as he did not doubt that King Chen Gu Jue was indeed seriously ill.
He casually played with the small porcelain jar between his fingers, and what Chu Qianchen said during the day came to mind: "Everything is like a game of Yin and Yang. When Yin is strong, Yang is declining, when Yang is strong, Yin is declining; one is declining, the other is growing, and the other is declining. This long?”
The candlelight reflected in his eyes like the vast starry sky, jumping and twinkling, making his handsome face exude a solemn and sacred temperament.
He gently placed the small porcelain jar on the table and said calmly and firmly: "It's Haoren."
Tama and the others fell silent for a moment, their expressions showing nothing but conviction.
If Garuda says yes, then it must be so.
Silence fell in the room.
A moth was attracted by the light of the fire, flew in, and circled around the lantern.
Jialou continued: "If I die in Northern Qi, it will only be a thankless task for Northern Qi."
He is an envoy of the Hao Kingdom. When the two countries are at war, they still have the principle of not killing the envoy.
Emperor Gu Lang of the Northern Qi Dynasty was not only suspicious, but also a man of face. He didn't like others questioning his reputation, which can be seen from the way he treated Chen Wang Gu Jue.
"Furthermore, even if Northern Qi really wants my life, why bother to do it now? When I leave the capital and return to Hao Kingdom, thousands of miles away, in Northern Qi's territory, Northern Qi will have a chance to kill me, so why bother? This time."
"Especially that guard's last stabbing blow. It was completely unnecessary. It seemed like he wanted to kill people and silence them, and put the blame on Beiqi. It was really too deliberate."
Jialou spoke eloquently, and everyone was thoughtful. One of the middle-aged scribes said: "Also, judging from the attitude of the Northern Qi Crown Prince, the Northern Qi Emperor should want to marry me, Dahao."
Northern Qi did not hesitate to use 5,000 Xiji horses as a dowry to marry Dahao, which shows how strong the determination to seek peace is.
Tama clenched his fists and said angrily: "First Prince, the people behind the scenes can place people in the Northern Qi Palace. I'm afraid they have been planning for many years."
The middle-aged scribe gave Tama an appreciative look, as if to say, you finally learned to use your brain.
"First Prince," the middle-aged scribe looked at Garou, "You should know what's going on, right?"
When he said this, others also thought of something, and the square-faced young man blurted out: "Uhaduluo."
In Dahao, everyone knows that Emperor Hao's third emperor's younger brother, Wuwang Wuhaduluo, is very ambitious. His vassal territory occupies the three states of Hao Kingdom, ranking among the nine vassal kings.
Garou didn't speak, just looked at the moth with its wings fluttering quietly. The moth's wings flapped on the lampshade and made a "pop" sound.
Over the years, Uhaduluo has been trying to connect the other eight vassal kings, and his ambition has long been obvious.
Everything is like a game of yin and yang.
Northern Qi and Nan Hao are also like the yin and yang of Tai Chi. Northern Qi is afraid of Nan Hao, and Nan Hao is also afraid of Northern Qi.
Therefore, my father did not dare to attack Wuhaduluo easily. Once there was a civil war in Hao, it would inevitably lead to a huge turmoil that would not subside within two or three years, which would definitely give Northern Qi an opportunity to take advantage of it.
This is also Wuhaduluo's fear. He wants to seize the throne of Emperor Hao, but does not want Da Hao to perish.
Wuhaduluo had endured it for so many years, but he finally took action. Killing him would be like cutting off his father's arm, and he could blame the Northern Qi people.
Seeing that the moth was about to get into the lampshade, Garou suddenly flicked his sleeves and swept the moth out of the window.
Without its interference, the lights returned to a stable state.
Tama asked again: "First Prince, should we return home as soon as possible?"
Jialou pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Wait until King Chen gets married before leaving."
He thought that maybe he would have to visit Prince Chen's Mansion again. Chu Qianchen's meaning today should also be what Prince Chen meant.
Tama frowned and felt something was wrong: this was Daqi's territory, their manpower was limited, and he was afraid that Wuhaduluo's people would attack again.
Jialou seemed to have read his thoughts and said again: "It's too urgent to leave now."
The middle-aged scribe immediately understood what he meant and echoed: "The eldest prince is right. The Emperor of Northern Qi is suspicious. If we set off immediately at this time, maybe others will notice that something is wrong."
Once Northern Qi discovers the crisis in their Hao country, they will always be waiting for an opportunity to bite back.
The room was quiet for another moment, and the air became solemn and depressing.
The middle-aged scribe added: "Eldest Prince, according to my investigation, His Highness King Chen has not seen anyone else in these days..."
What he wanted to say was that since King Chen had not even met the Emperor of Northern Qi, there was a high probability that he would not meet Jialou either.
Garou gently stroked the Canaan rosary in his hand and looked up out of the window.
The courtyard was pitch black at night, with several green bamboo clumps dancing in the night wind, as if whispering.
No one knew that Gu Jue was not in Prince Chen's Mansion at all, but thousands of miles away in the northwest.
This night was also a long night for him.
In the Helan Gobi Desert at night, the wind was strong and the dust was everywhere.
This battle has lasted for most of the night. Torches burned the night sky above, and the shouts of killing shook the sky!
On the barren gravel ground, twisted corpses, scattered weapons, and fallen horses could be seen everywhere. Blood gurgled out from the wounds of people and horses, staining the ground below red, and blood flowed into rivers.
In the air, a strong smell of blood spreads with the night wind...
"Whoosh whoosh!"
Dozens more feathered arrows streaked across the night sky like shooting stars, and screams and the sounds of falling horses came and went.
The young boy holding the military flag of Lin State fell off his horse, and the frantic horse stepped on his chest. He clearly heard the sound of rupturing internal organs in his chest, and he vomited a mouthful of blood uncontrollably. .
His eyes couldn't help but look in the direction of Silver Moon.
The silver moon is like a hook, shining cold moonlight.
On the rugged stone mountain below, a figure in silver armor is so eye-catching, as if it is the brightest pearl on the barren Gobi, shining brightly.
In the eyes of this young general from Lin State, that tall silver figure looked like a demon from hell.
And they have been targeted by the devil!
"It shouldn't be like this..." He moved his mouth slightly and muttered to himself in Lin Guoyu.
Although their country, Lin, had reached cooperation with the Second Prince of Nanyang, they did not completely trust the other party. They chose to go to the Helan Gobi this time to guard against the Second Prince of Nanyang, lest the other party defected in the battle again.
This piece of Helan Desert is as complex as a maze, and only they themselves know the route they chose.
However, they encountered an ambush from the Daqi people, as if the other party had already known that they would pass by here.
He vomited another large mouthful of blood, and then returned to darkness forever, with only his eyes wide open.
Even if they knew they had been tricked, it was already too late.
They are already a turtle in a urn.
When the sky turned white, the war finally subsided. The soldiers of the Nanyang Army strode on the battlefield littered with corpses, still full of energy. Even though they had not rested all night, they were not tired at all.
The Nanyang Army had suffered repeated blows due to the death of King Nanyang and the truth about Qin Xuan's father-killing, until this victory finally cleared away the gloom and boosted morale.
King Chen is worthy of being King Chen, and his reputation is well-deserved. The people of Lin State are not afraid at all!
Suddenly there was a sound of horse hooves from the direction of the rising sun in the east, which was particularly eye-catching in the Gobi desert at dawn.
The patrolling soldiers immediately noticed the person coming and hurried to report: "Your Majesty, someone is coming from the Nanyang Military Camp!"
After a while, Tang Yuchu was led to the stone mountain where Gu Jue was, looking happy.
"My lord, I have finally found you!" Tang Yuchu almost cried with joy.
Tang Yuchu and the five Nanyang Army officers who were accompanying him had been searching in this desert for several days, but they had not found anyone.
Gu Jue's deployment was too subtle, and Tang Yuchu was afraid of attracting the attention of the people of Lin State, and could not find people in a big way, so he could only look for needles in the haystack, until Gu Jue ambushed the Lin State army.
As soon as the fighting started here, there was a lot of commotion, and there were even more remnant soldiers of Lin State running around. Only then did Tang Yuchu find the trace, and he immediately rushed over at full speed.
Seeing Tang Yuchu, who was supposed to be in the capital, appearing in the northwest, even Gu Jue's eyebrows showed a bit of surprise.
His first reaction was that something happened in the capital, but then he felt something was wrong. Looking at Tang Yuchu's happy face, it really didn't look like something big had happened. "What happened to the capital?" Gu Jue asked directly.
Therefore, Tang Yuchu also answered directly: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has decreed a marriage between you and Miss Chu. The wedding date will be nine days later."
A slightly cold morning breeze suddenly came towards him, blowing the cloak behind Gu Jue. The silver-white cloak fluttered in the wind, making a hunting sound.
The brilliance of the rising sun coated his whole body with a layer of light gold foil, giving him a dreamlike brilliance.
Gu Jue's pupils shrank slightly, and the girl's bright and delicate face appeared in front of his eyes.
When she looked at him, her beautifully shaped phoenix eyes seemed to reflect the stars in the sky, exceptionally bright, exceptionally clear, and a bit coquettish.
When she smiles, she is so charming that the trees and flowers lose their color.
While Tang Yuchu was reporting this, he was also looking at Gu Jue's expression, and secretly sighed: The prince is indeed a prince. When they heard the news, they were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped. That is to say, the prince is still so... stable as a mountain!
Tang Yuchu went on to report. Starting from June 10, when the emperor suddenly arrived at Prince Chen's Mansion, he talked about Taoist Master Xuanjing, the marriage grant, and Chu Qianchen's proposal to postpone the wedding...
The wind seemed to be stronger, and the flying cloak was dancing wildly.
Gu Jue's brows furrowed and his thin lips pressed into a straight line.
What a nonsense!
Gu Jue shot a cold glare at Tang Yuchu, making him lower his head silently, feeling aggrieved for himself: This was all the idea of that guy Su Mubai... No, there is Miss Chu Er.
He is just an errand boy!
Tang Yuchu felt that he was more unjust than Dou E and more miserable than Kuafu who chased the sun.
Is it easy for him to come all the way from the capital to find the prince? !
Gu Jue originally planned to wait until the battlefield was cleared before leaving, but now he had to change his mind temporarily and left two thousand Nanyang troops to finish the battle. He himself took the rest of the troops back to the Nanyang Army camp.
The good news of the defeat of the Lin people has reached the Nanyang Army camp. The whole army is full of joy and excitement, and their morale is rising steadily.
Especially those Nanyang Army officers and soldiers who participated in this battle were a little light on their feet.
They originally thought that this battle would last at least more than a month, but they did not expect to defeat the enemy so quickly.
King Chen is really clever and clever, and his use of troops is really superb!
This battle was won happily and easily!
Today, these soldiers who returned home in triumph were all warmly welcomed by their comrades. Those soldiers of the Nanyang Army and the soldiers of the Beidi Army who had fought side by side were as close as if they were a family, and the previous barriers were no longer there.
In this lively atmosphere, Gu Jue was probably the only one who couldn't laugh.
As soon as he returned to the camp, he took Tang Yuchu to the central tent with him.
"Brother Ninth," Qin Yao showed an overly bright smile and a row of neat white teeth to Gu Jue, and happily raised his hand, "Congratulations!"
He was in a cheerful mood and used a pun in just one sentence. He was congratulating Gu Jue on his triumphant return and also congratulating him on being the groom's official soon.
Gu Jue: "..."
Gu Jue naturally heard the two meanings of Qin Yao, and felt that this brat just wanted to be beaten.
Qin Yao's young servant Yuan Bao felt a cold sweat in his heart because he felt that he really had to pluck the beard from the tiger's mouth.
Tang Yuchu felt that he had nothing to do here anymore, so he confidently waved to Yuan Bao and asked him to take him out to get some food. For example, the chicken shredded cold noodles and meat buns he had eaten last time were quite good.
Only Gu Jue and Qin Yao were left in the big tent.
Qin Yao did not dare to continue to challenge Gu Jue's patience. He put away the teasing look in his eyes and diligently poured Gu Jue a cup of warm tea.
"Brother Ninth, drink tea." He said with a smile, "Actually, this marriage is quite good, and our emperor rarely does a good thing!"
Qin Yao thought about it over and over again and felt that this was a perfect match sent from heaven.
"I see that girl Chu Qianchen is thinking about you, otherwise she wouldn't let Su Mubai and the others drag her along like this..."
Gu Jue's injuries had to be treated by Chu Qianchen. Based on this alone, Qin Yao believed that Su Mubai and Cheng Linhua would not ignore her wishes if Chu Qianchen was even the slightest bit dissatisfied.
In the eyes of all of them, Gu Jue's safety was the most important, and no one would risk it.
So does he.
The smile on Qin Yao's face deepened, "Brother Ninth, maybe that little girl is also happy..."
Gu Jue glared at him coldly, and Qin Yao could only shut his mouth and touched his chin. He really felt that Chu Qianchen's treatment of Ninth Brother was unusual.
He poured himself another cup of tea, took two sips, and then said: "Brother Ninth, there are only a few days until the wedding. Even if you rush back now, it's too late..."
As he spoke, the expression on his face became less serious again, and he patted Gu Jue's shoulder with his free hand, "It's already like this anyway, you might as well... admit it."
He abruptly changed the word "I accept it" to "accept it". The more he spoke, the happier he became, and he felt quite excited about "it's not too big a deal to watch the fun".
"Nonsense!" Gu Jue casually grabbed a golden apricot from the fruit plate and threw it towards Qin Yao. Eating can't stop his mouth.
Qin Yao caught the apricots from Gu Jue without looking and took a delicious bite.
Sweet and juicy.
He took another bite and shrugged, feeling that the marriage was most likely on the cards. Ninth Brother is not ordinary to that little girl from the Chu family. When he returns to Beijing, the gift has been completed and the deal is done!
If his legs hadn't healed yet, Qin Yao would have crossed his legs, thinking about what gifts to give to Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen.
Gu Jue's cold voice suddenly sounded in his ears:
"I don't have much time left."
Gu Jue's voice was clear and light, like a calm lake with no waves, no joy, no sorrow, no desires and no desires.
The atmosphere turned cold, and the tent was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
The smile on Qin Yao's lips disappeared instantly, and even the apricot in his hand felt tasteless.
"Brother Ninth, don't curse yourself!" Qin Yao scolded unhappily.
He knew that Gu Jue's injuries were serious, and many so-called famous doctors had sentenced Gu Jue to death, but since Chu Qianchen said he could be saved, he must be saved!
Gu Jue just smiled and said nothing.
The light in the tent was slightly dim, making Gu Jue's face look a little pale.
At this time, Tang Yuchu, who was biting the meat buns, came back and felt that the atmosphere in the tent was a bit strange.
"Prepare pen and ink." Gu Jue ordered.
Tang Yuchu swallowed the buns in three or two mouthfuls and quickly went to prepare the Four Treasures of the Study.
Gu Jue pondered for a moment and wrote a letter in one go.
"Xiguang," Gu Jue called out Qin Yao's words firmly, "you have a flying pigeon pass a letter to deliver this letter to the capital."
"Prepare your horses, I want to return to Beijing!"
When they said the last six words, both Qin Yao and Tang Yuchu changed their expressions slightly.
Qin Yao pushed the wheelchair to Gu Jue and objected without thinking: "Brother Jiu, do you want to die? No, you can't leave today!"
Gu Jue had just come off the battlefield. He must have been exhausted in the past few days. At this time, asking him to rush all the way to the capital was simply a life-threatening act!
Tang Yuchu nodded frequently on the side. That's it. He rushed from the capital to the northwest. He didn't sleep for several days and nights. Even he felt that half of his life was gone, let alone the prince.
"Brother Ninth, if you dare to leave today, I will die for you!"
"Brother Ninth, if you die, then Chu Qianchen will become Kefu's broom star. The emperor will definitely let her guard you for the rest of his life."
"Your life is tied to the lives of three of us, plus Tang Yuchu, that's four..."
Qin Yao started talking nonsense again, and he almost lost his temper, but he was still messing around, and the effect was still there. After a lot of effort, he finally "coaxed" Gu Jue to agree to leave tomorrow morning.
Tang Yuchu looked at the Qin Crown Prince with admiration.
High, really high!
He can kill his brother, but he can also spill his beans!
Qin Yao was afraid that Gu Jue would run away secretly, so he clung to him, going in and out together, eating and sleeping together... until the rooster crowed the next day, and Qin Yao personally escorted Gu Jue and Tang Yuchu out of the camp.
This time, he didn't have the chance to say much, because without saying a word, Gu Jue mounted Jueying and led a group of guards to fly away in the direction of the rising sun.
Only a piece of rolling yellow sand was left, and the sound of horse hooves broke the cold silence of the morning.
Qin Yao sat leisurely in his wheelchair, looking ahead, and suddenly asked: "Xiao Yuanbao, do you think Brother Ninth can catch up?"
Yuanbao: "..."
Without waiting for Yuan Bao to answer, Qin Yao touched his chin and asked himself: "I bet Brother Ninth will definitely not be able to catch up."
Yuanbao: "..."
The figures of Gu Jue and others in front were getting further and further away, Qin Yao asked again: "If Ninth Brother doesn't show up on the wedding day, I wonder if Chu Qianchen will still turn to Ninth Brother?"
Yuanbao: "..."
Yuan Bao's expression was a little subtle.
This marriage is a wedding. If King Chen doesn't show up, the second girl Chu will have to carry a big rooster into the sedan chair.
Qin Yao burst out laughing, and murmured with a hint of regret: "Hey, if I hadn't stayed to clean up the mess, I really wanted to follow and watch the fun."
Yuanbao: "..."
Qin Yao's eyes suddenly became cold and stern, and he moved his knuckles casually, making a "rattling" sound.
He said to himself: "I missed Brother Ninth's wedding. This account must be recorded."
Yuan Bao silently shed tears of sympathy for those Lin people.
The rising sun is rising slowly, and the bright red sun hangs in the blue sky, reflecting the surrounding things with a warm color.
This is true in the northwest, and so is the capital.
Chu Qianchen also rarely got up early, and of course there was a reason.
Today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent a wedding dress for Chu Qianchen to try on. The princess's dress was naturally expensive and complicated, and with so many eyes staring at the wedding in the court, this wedding dress must not be sold. A bit wrong.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs sent more than ten people to help try on the clothes, record the areas that needed to be modified, or make marks directly on the clothes.
Just trying on the dress took nearly two hours.
Chu Qianchen was at their mercy like a puppet on strings, and he had long been out of his mind.
Finally, the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs finally left, and the room suddenly became empty.
Amber asked for instructions: "Girl, the third girl has been waiting outside for an hour. Do you want to bring someone in?"
Chu Qianling came to see Chu Qianchen an hour later, but because Chu Qianchen was trying on a dress, she was asked to wait outside for a full hour.
(End of chapter)