Chaos in the Chu Palace

Chapter 8
Ouyang Ruo's face tightened, she sat down again, picked up the jade comb on the table, and combed her already tidy hair.Aunt Wanhui took a deep breath, quickly moved to the door, and stood respectfully.

A slight cold wind blew, and a tall and burly figure approached.He was wearing a black gold-rimmed cloak, which fluttered like an eagle's wings in the wind, with a chilling air.He has handsome eyes, a complexion as fair as jade, eyebrows flying like eagle wings, and lips that are tightly pursed into a thin line.He is wearing a deep purple robe, a jade belt and a golden crown, and golden auspicious clouds are drawn on the surface of the soap boots.The dignity of the whole person is indescribable, and the kingly aura in him is even more shocking.

He walked into the hall, first raised his head and glanced lightly.With just one glance, Wan Hui felt that the warm and fragrant inner hall suddenly turned a little cold.

"My servant pays homage to Lord Hou." Aunt Wanhui went up to pay his respects and hurriedly took off his cloak, and then a palace servant handed him a towel, handkerchief and hot water, twisted it carefully, and then lightly cleaned his face and changed his clothes.

Ouyang Ruo stood quietly by the dressing table, not bowing down with the crowd.He just didn't see it, and let the palace servants take care of him calmly.Aunt Wan Hui softly pointed at the palace servants to do things, and glanced at Ouyang Ruo from time to time, her eyes and eyebrows were full of worry.After the palace servants brought the lily scented tablets to soothe the nerves, they all retreated. Aunt Wanhui finally looked up worriedly, and saw the two Bodhisattvas in the hall with expressionless faces, so she had no choice but to close the hall door softly.

Chu Huotian waited for the sound of people to go away before turning around and looking at her. Ouyang Ruo raised his head and looked at him with beautiful eyes without blinking, without any fear or expected hatred.

Chu Huotian saw that she was wearing a light purple palace dress, and her upper body was wearing a short skirt with red gauze of the same color.Her hair is like a cloud of blue hair, only a few pearl hairpins are inserted lightly, and she does not apply makeup without makeup.The whole person is like a noble and proud orchid, luxurious and dignified.

A strange smell like green grass wafted around her. She raised her eyes in a daze and saw that Chu Huotian was already standing beside her. She couldn't see his expression clearly, but she could only hear him speak slowly: "Li Jing just talked to Ben today. Hou Dao, you demand that you bring an imperial concubine with you. Ben Hou knows that she is not your own. What do you want to say to Ben Hou now? Or what request do you have? Now, once you bring it up, it will be... This Marquis owes you."

Ouyang Ruo smiled in a trance, the smile was misty and illusory, falling into his eyes, he felt that the woman in front of him was too beautiful to be real, the expression on her face was unspeakable, and there was an urge to embrace her in his arms.

"Yes, she is not my own. The concubine sent her own Diji out of the city as early as the day the country was destroyed. The concubine does not want her to become a subjugated slave with her useless mother. She is dead, so she should go out There is also a three-point chance for her to survive. The most miserable thing in the world is to be born in the emperor's house." Ouyang Ruo said coldly, with a calm and dazed face: "The child who is picked up today, the concubine brought it with me because I promised The promise of the dead."

She suddenly withdrew the slight smile on her face, bowed down gently, her trembling shoulders seemed to be trying to suppress something: "If the Marquis wants to accept the concubine, please stop chasing after the concubine's biological concubine, Just let her be an ordinary citizen and live her life in peace. Furthermore, let the concubine take the child with her. From then on, there will be no such person as Emperor Lingxiang on the list of captives. As long as the Lord Hou agrees, the concubine will be born as a marquis in the future. Master's people, death is also Lord Hou's ghost, life after life, never leave."

Little by little, the whole hall seemed extraordinarily empty and quiet.I don't know how long it took, Ouyang Ruo suddenly heard him say slowly: "Okay, I will promise you. But..." He paused, and the next moment, Ouyang Ruo was pulled up by a powerful arm and threw himself into the In a firm embrace.

"However," his sharp eagle-like eyes burst into brilliance, and he calmly searched for every trace of her expression on her face: "From now on, you can only call yourself a concubine, and you are no longer the concubine of the Hua Kingdom, It's Benhou's woman."

The dim red candle was extinguished suddenly, shaking the ambiguous and charming room.

On the second day, when Ouyang Ruo got up, he realized that Chu Huotian was no longer there, and he presumably went to deal with political affairs.He looked at the empty space beside him.She was in a daze, who could tell herself that last night was just a chaotic dream?Even I am not sure, no matter who I am, it is not the same to be a woman, left and right are just accessories around a man, if she wants to die, she has died once, since God made her die, she must plan her life well hope.After thinking about it, I felt a little happy in my heart, but my face was still gloomy.

After washing and washing, Aunt Wanhui came in to report that it was Li Jingcai's father-in-law who asked to see her.Ouyang Ruo thought about it for a long time, and vaguely remembered that it was the servant next to the handsome Chu Huotian, so he allowed him to come in suspiciously.

"Greetings to the empress. This is something that Hou Ye asked the villain to leave to the empress to deal with." After finishing speaking, he handed over the things wrapped in yellow silk.Ouyang Ruo took it and opened it, her face suddenly turned pale.He nodded and waved him away.Li Jingcai didn't say much, he pursed his lips and was about to back down.

"Wait!" Ouyang Ruo said suddenly, "Please Eunuch Li thank Lord Hou on my behalf, please tell Lord Hou, and I will handle it properly."

Li Jingcai smiled all over his face and hurriedly said yes.Ouyang Ruo turned around and took out a purple gold inlaid ruby ​​ring from the makeup, motioned for Aunt Wanhui to put it in his hand, forced a smile on his face and said, "Eunuch Li has worked hard these few days. I have to trouble my father-in-law to take care of me too, really. I don’t think I’ll ask my father-in-law to accept it.”

Li Jingcai said with a slight smile on his delicate face: "Your maidservant doesn't work hard, as long as you serve Lord Hou well, no matter how hard your servant servant works, it will be worth it. I hope you don't have to worry about it. Your ladyship has worked hard."

Ouyang Ruo's heart tightened, remembering that he and the General Su sent her here that night, she seemed unintentional and said: "Elder-in-law really promoted the concubine, I don't know which life the concubine has cultivated. Thanks to my father-in-law's blue eyes, I need to take more care of him. I still hope that my father-in-law will give me some pointers." Said he couldn't help but stare at him a few times at the end, as if he wanted to see clearly.

When Li Jing heard this, he raised his head and looked at her generously. Ouyang Ruo's heart was aroused by his scrutiny, but he could only pretend not to care.Li Jingcai raised the corners of his mouth, and said with a half-smile, "I don't have any opinions, I'm just three-point smart and seven-point luck. The empress has deep blessings, so she can turn bad luck into good luck, and have a prosperous fortune."

Ouyang Ruo listened to him laughing and spitting, if it was normal, she would not take it to heart, but now every sentence is like a needle in her heart, looking at him again, it is obvious that she is talking slippery words , but his expression was serious, and he couldn't find a single fault.Forget it, whatever you say at this time is just asking for guilt.Ouyang Ruo waved his hands disheartened, then leaned over to the beauty.

"Let me tell you, the lady is a blessed person, so she naturally knows how to cherish blessings. The servant has stepped back." Li Jing suddenly said another word, and then slowly bowed and retreated.

Hearing this, Ouyang Ruo slowly closed her eyes and said nothing.

"Your Majesty, do you want to put this thing away?" Wan Hui hurriedly asked when she saw that the things Li Jingcai had just brought were put aside.

There was a flash of light in Ouyang Ruo's eyes, and he said sadly, "Bring a brazier. Just burn it." Wan Hui didn't know why, so she had to send someone to bring the brazier.

Ouyang Ruo didn't shy away from her, and uncovered the silk cloth wrapped in the thing, and three booklets appeared in front of her eyes.When Aunt Wanhui saw it, she immediately felt her hands and feet were a little cold.

"This... this is not..." she said in surprise.

Ouyang Ruo nodded, his eyes turned slightly, his eyes as bright as black jade were as clear as water waves, and there was a sneering smile on his face: "This is the jade plate of the palace, and the royal family book of Ling Xiang and Ling Yu .Now it’s completely burnt with a fire.” After saying that, he chuckled a few times, and threw his share of jade battlements into the fire first, and after a few strokes, wisps of green smoke came out.The wealth and honor in the Huaguo Palace for three years has now dissipated like wisps of green smoke. How can it not be ironic?

"Your Majesty!" Wan Hui wanted to grab it, but it was too late.

"Auntie, now I have no turning back. I begged Master Hou to hide these two children last night, so I followed him." Ling Xiang said with pity: "I sent my own child out, but took Defei's sister's child with me. Maybe God has pity on me. Don't let me have peerless thoughts. National affairs, I A woman has no right to control, but the people around her must always plan for them."

After thinking about it, the two volumes in his hand were about to be thrown into the brazier again. He seemed to think of something, took it back, and sighed: "Auntie, take these two volumes and take care of them for me. One day, maybe I can send them to you." Use it, let them know the origin of my identity." After talking about Ling Yu, who remembered her, now that she didn't know what was going on with her, her heart ached, and tears blinded her eyes again.

Seeing her like this, Ling Xiang, who was playing on the bed, kept yelling "Mother Concubine!" and crawled over to lie on top of her, acting like a baby, seeming to know that she was unhappy.Holding Ling Xiang in her arms, Ouyang Ruo felt that the grievances in her heart were gone, and it seemed that it was God's will that she had another daughter.After thinking about it, a little gloomy look finally dissipated on his face.

For several days in a row, Chu Huotian rested in Lingyun Pavilion, and often got up early in the morning without waking Ouyang Ruo. He just washed up briefly, and then hurried out to deal with political affairs.He treated her neither well nor badly.Every time he came back very late, he would simply say a few words to her, then turn off the lights and go to bed, and his behavior at night was not frivolous and anxious, as if he was a couple who had been together for several years and had nothing else to say.I don't see any rewards for food and clothing on weekdays, unlike Huadi, who often exhausts his energy to collect treasures from all over the world and rewards his concubines as a show of favor.

After all, men are different from men.

Ouyang Ruo sighed softly in his heart, just this one can see that there is such a high-ranking and powerful person in Chu State who works hard, works hard, and works well. How can the national power of Chu State not be strong?On the other hand, the Hua Kingdom is extravagant, boasting among the clans, ignoring government affairs, and corruption. If it is a century-old rotten tree, its vitality is exhausted, and it is a matter of course that it will be destroyed by the Chu Kingdom, not to mention that the Chu Kingdom has worked hard to attack the Hua Kingdom. Xin Li found many excuses, but if Ren Hua country continues like this, sooner or later it will be a day of subjugation.

Even knowing that he is such a diligent person.But she didn't treat him well, she didn't smile at each other, let alone bothered to please him.Wan Hui often reminded her to find a way to keep Chu Hou's mind, but Ouyang Ruo replied lightly: "I am a concubine who destroys the country. If I am a servile servant, I will be inferior. It is better to do it rashly, so that he can rest assured." I have no plans. Don't worry, aunt, I have my own ideas."

Chu Huotian didn't ask her about her, and didn't say a word about taking Ling Xiang in Nuan Pavilion. He only said to her one night: "When you go to Chu State, you will be called the daughter of her relatives. You Seeing that she was pitiful, he kept her by his side as a daughter. There are also those few booklets that are related to the lives of several people. If they are not willing to destroy them, they should be kept well. "The words are cold and indifferent, and there is no joy or anger.His face was as calm as water, and a pair of star-like sharp eyes on his handsome face stared at her, not as cold as usual, but there seemed to be a hint of gentleness.

Ouyang Ruo was stunned for a while when he heard the words, and finally showed a faint smile on his face for the first time in a few days. Under the dim candlelight, he looked like a crabapple under the night, charming and gentle.

"Thank you, Lord Hou, for your mercy. I understand." She said in a low voice, reached out to undo the brocade buttons on his body, and changed his clothes.

At that time, she was wearing a scarlet nightgown with auspicious cloud patterns, standing in front of the bed, the nightgown was wide, revealing a small piece of snow-white skin at the neckline, her cloud-like hair was braided into a long braid, hanging behind her head, The faint fragrance of roses came from his body, Chu Huotian only felt that the person in front of him was extremely charming, and his heart throbbed suddenly.

Ouyang Ruo was startled and raised her head to look at him. The meaning in her bright eyes as deep as a deep pool was hard to discern, and the jade face of Ruxue seemed frightened and shy.The two looked at each other silently, and suddenly, only the beeping of red candles could be heard.

Chu Huotian's eyes gradually blurred, and she under the lamp was like a dream, elusive and even more difficult to see through.He had seen many women, but he could not understand her alone.However, these actions clearly told him that this was her, not a trick to seduce a man.

"In ten days, I will leave this place and go to Chudu. You are ready to go." Chu Huotian withdrew his palm, and withdrew his thoughts, and whispered to her.Ouyang Ruo froze all over, responded in a low voice, and turned her head, not wanting him to see the strange look on her face.

It is finally time to leave.she thought in a daze.

The red candle on the table flickered on and off, finally trembled a few times, shed all the wax tears, and finally went out.

The actions of the Chu army in China were swift and effective. First, the original army was reorganized, and the disabled soldiers were eliminated from the original soldiers. They were also classified into a branch, and additional manpower was sent to treat and nurse them. The remaining soldiers were then reorganized.In this way, the various teams of Chu troops who were a little chaotic because of the destruction of the city before gradually gathered together and became a sharp sword, which wasted everywhere it went.In particular, quelling several counterattacks led by the royal family of the Hua Kingdom is like a divine soldier.Because in the past half a year, the Chu army conquered several important counties south of the Yuanjiang River in Huaguo, such as Ling County and Fengxian County, forming a semicircular encirclement. , took advantage of the geographical advantage, and within ten days, they defeated several scattered armies of the Hua Kingdom's royal family one by one, and captured Hua Kingdom's King Jing, King Ning, Uncle Ning Hui, and several others, large and small. The official of the Hua Kingdom, it is easy for such a small counterattack, just like after a big fire, there are only a few small flames that do not care about each other.

Ouyang Ruo was trapped in the Lingyun Pavilion, and rarely went out of the pavilion to relax every day, but the news of the big and small things happening outside was secretly known sporadically through Aunt Wanhui.Although the news came very rarely, she was still secretly surprised that the Chu army marched so quickly. It seems that among the four countries, the Chu army is indeed the strongest.

The country of Hua has been weak for too long, if it weren't for the barrier of Youyuan Jiang Tianxian, it would have become a delicacy in the mouths of the other three countries. Now that the emperor of Qin has a new funeral, and the new emperor has not long been enthroned, the domestic situation is unclear, so naturally he dare not rush to take a share of the pie; Liang State is a land of northern cold, separated by Qin and Chu, surrounded by the covetous Di Rong clan, it is unwise to attack the southernmost Hua State, and this year ago, Liang Guoyu met once in a hundred years The heavy snow froze to death and injured countless livestock, and their vitality was severely injured.Qin Guo seized this opportunity, found an excuse, and rushed to attack.In just over a year, the country of Hua was destroyed.

Such broad-minded vision and firm determination may not have been formulated by the emperor of Chu, who is said to be known for his gentleness and amiability, but must have been planned by Chu Dinghou, who is known as the "God of War" of Chu.

Ouyang Ruo thought about it for a few days, and the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. I am afraid that he cannot be classified as a certain type of man among the men she has seen.This person is so scheming and the city is so deep that it is frightening. In addition, he is decisive in doing things, has a strong wrist, and is well versed in the way of controlling people. I am afraid that the world of Chu in the future...maybe may change hands.Thinking of this, Ouyang Ruo broke out in a cold sweat, as if she had glimpsed a secret that she should not know. Although she knew the situation of various countries in the past, she seldom thought about the general situation of the world. last for decades.Unexpectedly, a Chu Dinghou would easily end everything that was prosperous but empty in Huaguo.

From now on, if I want to get anything from him, it seems that I have to re-plan everything, otherwise... Ouyang Ruo smiled bitterly, with ten fingertips, like white lotus roots and green hands, gradually grasping them tightly, bending them into fists, otherwise everything would be in vain. If you seek skin with a tiger, you will die without a place to die!

Ouyang Ruo didn't leave Lingyunxuan all day long, but he couldn't escape the fate of going north with the Chu army.

"Auntie, are you tidying up?" She leaned on the bed of the beauty and asked lightly, the clutter in the room seemed unable to disturb her calm expression.

Wan Hui hurriedly put down the sundries in her hands, and said, "I'm telling you, it's almost nine out of ten, and I'm just thinking about taking some small things away. These small things are exquisite, but I'm afraid that someone will accidentally break them on the way." gone."

Ouyang Ruo still smiled faintly, as if the plum blossoms were just blooming in the cold winter, with a hint of bitterness in the coldness: "Auntie, it's possible that you still want to keep them here. This place is no longer our Huaguo."

Wan Hui said with a face full of shame: "Damn the servants, I told them to wrap them up. Although these little things are worthless, they are hard to find. Maybe they can come in handy."

After hearing this, Ouyang Ruo hugged Ling Xiang beside her chest, and said calmly: "It's good that my aunt understands. Sometimes it's vulgar to give gold and jade to others. It's better to have some thoughtful things to please people. Take them all. Didn’t the Marquis send Eunuch Li over here to pass on the message? Find a few careful palace maids to wrap up these pieces and make them into a booklet.”

Wan Hui hurriedly responded and went down to get busy again.Ouyang Ruo teased Ling Xiang in his arms, but his mind began to drift away again.Sure enough, he still treated him differently, and the entire treasure of Ling Yunxuan belonged to her.It's a whole lot, and it can't fit in several cars.

That's fine too, Ouyang Ruo smiled coldly, maybe he would have to rely on these things to survive when he got there.

The day of heading north has arrived.

That day, the thick armor shone coldly in the sun, Ouyang Ruo was supported by Wan Hui and walked out of Ling Yunxuan.Every step she took, she took a closer look, and she could not find a trace of blood on the path made of good Gunzhou bluestone. It seemed that everything was just a dream, but why did everyone in Huagong have a sad look on their faces? , there was despair in the dull eyes.

She took every step very carefully.She has to remember!She didn't allow her eyes to miss everything, she saw it in her eyes, and then firmly engraved it in her heart.

Every step declares: she is no longer a Huaguo, but a spoil of war.

hate it?She didn't feel anything, only a dull pain in her heart.The timid palace people around were already sobbing, and the sadness quickly began to spread, and Wan Hui's face also had a faint look of sadness.

From then on, the body is like duckweed, the life is like an ant, and the leaves that are separated from the roots leave the country with hatred.

(End of this chapter)