Queen Sun

Chapter 74 Chang'an
Zhenguan 23 years, May.

In the dead of night, His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the King of Wei left the emperor's bedroom together, looked at the siblings in front of them, shook their heads sadly, wanted to speak, but stopped.

Mingda threw himself into the elder sister's arms and sobbed softly: "Father... he will be fine, right?"

Ming Yao's voice was broken and hoarse: "Brother, Brother Qingque, Daddy really..."

"After Dad drove you away, he fell into a coma for a while, and then he seemed to wake up a little bit. I'm afraid it's just..." Li Tai's words faltered. The will has also been prepared, so..."

Mo Zi closed his eyes as if unwilling to accept, his body trembling involuntarily: "Brother, what did the imperial doctor say?"

Cheng Qian embraced the youngest son in his arms: "Even Sun Simiao said that the medicine stone has been used up, maybe tonight or tomorrow morning Dad will..."

The last son tightly grabbed the elder brother's sleeve. Father always said that even though he is the youngest child in the family, boys should know how to protect their mother and sister from an early age, so that they can protect their wives and children in the future, so he must Can't cry.

Cheng Qian patted his younger brother on the back: "Mo, cry if you want to, don't hold back."

Mo Zi raised his red eyes: "Brother, do you think that if I cry, Daddy will stand in front of me and tell me that you are the son of Tian Khan, so you must be strong."

Chengqian's face was full of sadness without tears, at this moment he couldn't have any weakness, he raised his head slightly, as if this would prevent the tears from streaming down: "Mother said to me when she sent us out, if, Dad is gone, so maybe she... She also said, I hope we don't blame her for being selfish. "

There was a dead silence in the empty hall, suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry echoed in the four walls, Mingda broke free from his sister's arms, and wanted to run to the inner hall: "No, I want a mother, Don't be an orphan, Sizi, don't!"

Li Tai was the first to react, and stopped his sister: "Son, don't do this, both father and mother will be sad."

Mingda cried: "No way, if father and mother are really reluctant to part with us, then why did they leave, why!"

"Si, don't..." Li Tai could only hold his younger sister's arm, muttering the same words repeatedly.

"They don't want Sizi anymore... They don't want us anymore..." Mingda cried weakly to his older sister, older brother and twin younger brother.

"Everyone will have such a day, Sizi." Ming Yao raised her tearful eyes and persuaded.

Mingda's face was pale, and he held his hands firmly: "Mother once promised me that she would watch me get married, and father promised me that I would live a long life, but why didn't these promises count? Since they couldn't make it, they And why did you promise me, why did you have to give birth to me so late! In the end, they were going to leave before I grew up... This... Brother Qingque, what are you doing to stop me?"

Suezi quietly walked over from the side, shook his head towards his elder brother, and slowly pulled Mingda's hand away: "Sister, in fact, we should all understand, shouldn't we? Father and mother have separated once before There will never be a second time."

Mingda suddenly raised her head, glaring at the face similar to herself, after a long time, she slumped down the pillar and slowly slid down, with her arms around her bent knees, looking at the dark night outside the hall, she murmured : "When will it be bright on this day?"

Inside the locked door of the inner hall, Li Shimin held his wife's hand and stared at it for a long time: "Ruoshui, is your heart with me?"

There was a faint smile on Ruoshui's mouth, like the epiphyllum in the dark night, she nodded, if love is pure, then her purest love has already been given to him in front of her.

"Then, these years, have you been happy?" Li Shimin's voice became more urgent.

Ruoshui's eyes trembled slightly, and she fell on the haggard sick face. She stretched out her other hand and gently stroked his cold forehead. Best wishes, and they seem to have achieved it.

In the summer of the 14th year of Zhenguan, Hou Junji led a group of generals to return triumphantly from Gaochang. It took only half a year to take back 22 cities in three states and five counties. She said excitedly: "Ruoshui, soon, we have captured Gaochang, and we will be able to unify the entire territory of the Western Regions in a short time." Her voice was full of pride, as if she had returned to the battle of gold and iron horses. The days of the world,

However, this ambitious century-old hegemony was interrupted by unexpected disasters one after another. Li Shimin is not a god, he cannot predict the future, and even if Ruoshui knows the direction of history, he cannot avoid all the dangers. Pain and blows.

In the 17th year of Zhenguan, Qi Wang Li You rebelled in his fief, and soon Li Shiji put down the unsuspecting rebellion.On the day Li You was executed, Li Shimin locked himself in the main hall of the Tai Chi Hall and stood alone for a long time.Ruoshui pushed open the door, walked slowly behind him, and put her arms around her husband's waist tightly.He was wearing plain clothes, without turning around, he just said in a hoarse voice: "Ruoshui, do you think this is my retribution from God?"

Ruoshui understood in his heart that what he wanted to ask the most was not this sentence, but whether this was the poisonous curse Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji left for him. "Second brother." She murmured in a low voice, "People always have to pay for everything he does, just want to live up to his heart, what is the relationship between Li You's matter and the past?"

Li Shimin sighed deeply: "As long as Chengqian and Qingque live in peace, I don't have to worry about retribution, and I don't have to worry that Datang will die like the second generation of the previous dynasty."

Suddenly, Ruoshui felt that his hands were so weak, and his comforting words were extremely pale. Even if he could know the future, so what? Suddenly fell ill.

The unidentifiable cause of the disease, the drowsy daughter almost tore Ruoshui's fearful heart, the 19th year of Zhenguan was the year when Princess Jinyang died young, every moment of panic, I don't know One day, maybe this unparalleled baby will leave me quietly like this.

The torment and tears throughout the day forced Li Shimin, who was also distraught, to put down the government affairs in his hands. For a whole month, they stayed together in front of Mingda's bed, calling Sizi, Sizi over and over again.That was the first time that Ruoshui completely relied on the man beside her. She trusted him, was attached to him, and loved him.

One day, Mingda woke up so inexplicably, and slowly resumed eating, regaining his usual cuteness and anger.Seeing the lost and recovered daughter wrinkling her nose at the dark soup, watching the scene where the father and daughter play together, watching Li Shimin face the courtiers who have recovered from a serious illness while holding his son who has recovered from a serious illness, Ruo Shui's heart It is complete and stable like never before.That's right, even God can't change everything, and all her wish is that the relatives around her can get rid of the entanglement of bad luck, Chengqian and Qingque will no longer fight for the throne, Mingyao has found her own future, brother And she won't fall into the situation of death and family extermination because of her insistence on the crown prince. There is also Yixin, and Du He. She has changed the fate of so many people. People should always be content and happy.

But the peace was completely broken at the moment when Li Shimin decided to go to Korea personally, Ruoshui could hardly believe her ears, she was silent, knowing that this was a forced evacuation expedition, knowing that Li Shimin's body would be completely destroyed in this difficult war.But I couldn't persuade myself, facing a man who had been away from the battlefield for almost 20 years because of his status as emperor, all persuasion was futile.Ruoshui can have countless reasons to stop the momentum of large-scale construction, but there is no way to stop the emperor's high-spirited footsteps because he is about to face the battlefield. After conquering the two territories in the northwest, Goryeo in the east cannot be ignored for several dynasties Hidden dangers, and there is nothing more proud and exciting than stepping down a land that few people have conquered in the past.

It is impossible for Li Shimin not to be aware of Ruoshui's unusual silence and worry. He comforted his wife who was awakened by the nightmare, and told her the reasons and confidence for his victory over and over again.

Only once, Ruoshui asked him in a low voice: "Second brother, isn't it the same to send someone else to go, so why do you have to recruit yourself?"

Li Shimin's eyes are piercing, but his voice is extremely gentle: "Fighting against Korea is not as good as in the past. If Li Jing can still go into battle, I can stay in Chang'an with peace of mind, but now he is old after all, and I am really worried about other people." .”

Seeing Ruoshui's still hesitant expression, he laughed loudly and said, "Don't worry, Ruoshui, I will definitely leave to our descendants an unprecedented Tang territory and prosperous dynasty in my lifetime!"

In the first month of the 19th year of Zhenguan, Ruoshui sent away her husband in the Daming Palace. Everything seemed to follow the trend of history. He arrived in Luoyang in February, arrived in Dingzhou and Youzhou in March, crossed Liaoshui River in May, and He personally led the elite soldiers and Li Ji to besiege Liaodong City, and then defeated the city. In June, they continued to break through several cities. However, in July, Anshi, which stood in front of Pyongyang, could not be attacked for a long time. At the end of the day, it was not appropriate to attack again, so Li Shimin had to order the withdrawal of troops in September, ending this embarrassing Eastern Expedition.

On the way back to Bingzhou from Koryo, the news of Li Shimin's illness had already reached Ruoshui's ears. The emperor left the capital. If the empress left at this time, the front court and the rear palace would have no masters. It has been a while since Ruoshui went to Bingzhou without worry.

The reunion after a long farewell made Ruoshui almost unable to hold himself in. The always strong and proud emperor was lying weak and thin on the soft couch, with obvious anxiety and depression in his expression.Ruoshui hugged her husband tightly, and burst into tears: "Second brother, you said you wanted me to rest assured, do you remember?"

Li Shimin didn't expect Ruoshui's appearance at all, but the embarrassment and depression in his heart were always lingering in his heart, so that he said directly: "Ruoshui, go back quickly."

Ruoshui suddenly felt a pain in his heart, is this proud and domineering man afraid of his weakness being seen by her?Holding Li Shimin's haggard face with both hands: "Second brother, what else do you have that I haven't seen before? You were so arrogant at the beginning and were suppressed by your father's two concubines. In the end, you didn't It's all over, who are you angry with?"

Li Shimin stared fixedly into his wife's eyes, there was only affection and distress, without any strangeness or evasion.I always thought that being relied on by Ruoshui was the most gratifying thing, but in fact, over the years, after every narrow escape, every sword rain, the peace of mind in my heart was due to this slender but warm figure.In the past few months, he smiled for the first time: "I'm angry that we probably won't be able to go back to Chang'an this year's New Year's Eve and next year's first month."

"It's fine if you don't go back to Chang'an, then you don't have to sit at the banquet all day until your body is almost stiff." Ruoshui said with a smile, "What should I do with those children?"

Li Shimin couldn't help kissing the red lips that he had missed for a long time, and said after a long time: "It's hard for us to be alone together, why should they join in the fun?"

The two months in Bingzhou were probably the freest two months in their life. There were not too many court affairs, no audience with ministers, and no many trivial matters in the harem. Li Shimin was sick leisurely, and Ruoshui took care of him happily Looking at the man beside him, they are like an ordinary couple, loving each other deeply.

But the root cause of Ruoshui's worry finally fell. After returning to Beijing in March, Li Shimin still fell ill. She left a patch of medicine on her body, and then told Ruoshui without any concealment that it could save His Majesty's life for at most two years, and after two years, life and death would be up to God.

Two years, indeed, there were only two years left. Ruoshui sent Sun Simiao away with a smile, hoping that he could return to Chang'an again after two years.Afterwards, like the people around me, I watched Li Shimin's health improve day by day with joy, sent off one after another courtiers and relatives with him sadly, watched the children's happiness and growth together with pride, and faced the difficulties together. Flowers bloom and fall, clouds gather and clouds disperse, and walk through the last two seasons of life.

"Yes, second brother, I'm really happy." Ruoshui looked at him firmly.

A faint smile appeared on Li Shimin's face, and his voice was very low, almost whispering: "Ruoshui, in the next life, I will no longer be the emperor, and you will no longer be the queen. Let's be husband and wife for the rest of our lives, okay?"

Ruoshui leaned down and said clearly in his ear: "Have you forgotten, I told you that in the future, there will be no royal family in this land, so we must be like ordinary people, Give each other all the love."

Li Shimin stretched out his hand reluctantly, hugged her for the last time, kissed her for the last time, and said for the last time: "Ruoshui, you are the luckiest thing in my life." Then, those deep eyes slowly closed, saying goodbye The land and wife he is attached to.

Ruoshui's tears finally fell, she stretched out her hand and slowly slid across the familiar face, muttering to herself: "Eldest grandson, we have obtained the happiness we want, right?"

At dawn, Chengqian and his four younger siblings quietly pushed open the door of the inner hall, and their parents lay side by side on the couch. The emperor and empress of this dynasty did not cry, panic or fear, they knelt down at the same time, They kowtowed three times in front of the couch. At this time, they really understood what their father often said about each other being like half their bodies. Maybe it was a feeling deeper than love, and they could only choose to use their lives to draw this perfect ending.

In the 23rd year of Zhenguan, in May Jisi, the emperor died, and his posthumous posthumous title was Wen, and the temple name was Taizong.In August Gengyin, the emperor and empress were buried together in Zhaoling.

(End of this chapter)