in the sound of swallows

Chapter 128 Where Does Freedom Come From?

I stuck to the door of the hall and took a look. It was quiet inside. Through the carved door rails, one could see the Empress Dowager kneeling on the ground of the incense table, her hair bun removed, and she was wearing plain clothes.

On the incense table, if Shen Guiyan remembers correctly, there was a blank wooden tablet, which was probably dedicated to the late emperor, but due to the rules, it was not allowed to set up a spiritual seat, so he didn't dare to engrave anything on it.

Shen Guiyan always felt that the Empress Dowager Nian would not be very sad, even if the first emperor passed away and the government changed.She was serving in the Beigong at that time, and she didn't see any special expression on the Empress Dowager Nian's face.So she thought that the Empress Dowager Nian did not have much affection for the first emperor.In the court, under the fight of the fans, the emperor has three thousand confidants, so how can he be single-minded?
But now, the Empress Dowager Nian is kneeling in front of the incense table, all her prosperity faded away, she doesn't look like a graceful and luxurious Empress Dowager, but like a young girl entering the palace at the age of seventeen or eighteen, frail and helpless.

"You selfish man," she said.

The words were said to the wooden sign, and there was no address, but Princess Duanwen beside her suddenly had red eyes.

"Don't be afraid of the dead. Those who suffer are often those who survive. You have loved me all your life, and I have loved you all your life. In the end, you refused to let me go with you."

The Empress Dowager Nian's voice was hoarse and she murmured softly, as if she was smiling in his arms and whispering in her ears when she was in her prime.

"How do you know that what I want is glory and wealth, not you?"

The Empress Dowager Nian raised her head, tears were streaming down her face, her face was mournful, she looked at the empty wooden signboard with resentment and pain.

She wasn't there when he went.It's not that she doesn't want to go, but that he doesn't let her go.

Now that the emperor is strategizing, far ahead of him, and has seized power from the Empress Dowager Wen so quickly, he should be happy watching from the sky.But what about her?She is unhappy, the person she loves is gone, and she is left alone in the old palace. At midnight, her dreams are full of pictures of them being together. How can she live in peace?

The sound of sobbing came through the doors and windows.

Shen Guiyan was taken aback, and took a few steps back, Duanwen gritted his teeth and squeezed Shen Guiyan's hand, turned around and dragged her to the garden.

It's because she is ignorant, and the queen mother is sad, how can she bother her.

When Duanwen was a child, he had seen a lot of affectionate appearances between the late emperor and the empress dowager Nian, and he felt a little sad when he thought of it. He dragged Shen Guiyan out and stood in the garden for a while before he recovered.

"It's a day of great joy, but the harem is gloomy." Duan Wen said flatly, "Shouldn't everyone be happy for the emperor? He is officially in charge, and from now on, no one in the world will dare to underestimate him."

Shen Guiyan nodded: "We should be happy for the emperor, but Empress Dowager Wen suffered a stroke, and Empress Dowager Nian was so sad, so everyone is not in high spirits. Waiting for the tribute from the foreign kingdom, there will definitely be an interesting banquet to cheer you up."

Duanwen's focus was not on the Fanbang banquet, but he opened his eyes wide and said, "Mother Wen had a stroke?"

"Yeah." Shen Guiyan nodded: "Can't speak, paralyzed on the bed."

Nemesis!Duanwen only had these three words in his heart.

Lost the power of the previous court, and suffered a stroke.Let's not talk about whether the stroke will be cured, even if she is cured, with Brother Huang's ability, the whole world will probably have changed a lot.

Duanwen clapped his hands lightly, and even felt that his vision was really right at the beginning, he chose Gu Chaobei after thousands of choices.

Although it is his own brother.

"The Empress Wenmu has become like this, so there must be no one forcing the marriage in this Palace." Princess Duanwen smiled: "Originally, the foreign kingdom paid tribute, and the Empress Wenmu intends to find a concubine for the Palace."

Shen Guiyan raised her eyebrows: "Fanbang is thousands of miles away from the capital, and now the country is strong, so there is no need to marry, right?"

"It's not necessary." Duanwen snorted softly: "But if you marry a foreign country, the military power in my palace's hands must be returned to King Huainan, so the help from the emperor's brother will be missing?"

That was the original plan of Empress Dowager Wen, but the emperor's brother was decisive, he captured the king first, and dealt with Empress Dowager Wen directly, then all the problems were no longer a problem.

Shen Guiyan smiled slightly, she couldn't help but feel proud that her husband is so smart.

"By the way. Since Empress Wenmu is paralyzed and unable to speak, then the emperor should make you queen too?" Duanwen said with a smile: "When the time comes for the empress conferment ceremony, I will personally escort you."

"It's still early." Shen Guiyan shook her head: "Let's talk about it later."

Empress Dowager Wen fell, and her remnant forces hadn't been appeased yet. In addition, Fanbang was about to be welcomed. Even if Gu Chaobei had the intention, he should wait until the middle of the year.

"Looking at your eyes, you must be thinking of the emperor." Duanwen winked mischievously: "I won't delay you, go back to accompany the emperor, and I will leave the mother's place to me. Tonight is yours." It's a happy day with the emperor."

With her face flushed, Shen Guiyan gave her an angry look.That girl Duanwen runs fast.

tonight?In fact, after pregnancy, the imperial doctor said that the first three months are not suitable for intercourse, and Gu Chaobei has been busy planning, and the two have not been close for a long time.

Turning around and walking towards Xiuzhuang Palace, Shen Guiyan smiled, she already had a plan in her heart, and she planned to prepare for life.

Gu Chaobei stood in the East Palace, followed by Concubine Hua.Fu Xueshi and Yuwen Changqing had already visited, and both of them were silent.

"I will serve my mother well." Gu Chaobei said with a serious face: "Don't worry, my loves."

Fu Xueshi knew that it was the emperor's hands and feet, but the imperial physician couldn't find anything wrong, and he couldn't find any clues.

"The minister will discuss with Uncle Wen Guo the matter of serving the Empress Dowager, and I will report to His Majesty tomorrow." Fu Xueshi saluted, turned around and glanced at Yuwen Changqing: "General Yuwen wants to leave the palace with the old man?"

"Of course I want it." Yuwen Changqing lowered his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I will retire."

"Resignation." Fu Xueshi followed Yuwen Changqing to salute.

Gu Chaobei nodded, watched the two go out, and then took Concubine Hua back to the imperial study.

"The Queen Mother suffered a stroke, what should we do?" Fu Xueshi's face was clouded with sorrow: "Master Wen is thousands of miles away, and Uncle Guo is not able to do anything. General Yuwen, what do you think?"

Yuwen Changqing said solemnly: "Until the queen mother recovers, you and I can only manage well, there is no other way. I will recommend the candidates I mentioned to the queen mother last time to the head of the country as soon as possible, and wait for everyone to be promoted. The queen mother Recovery, it is not difficult for the imperial court to return to its former state."

Fu Xueshi twirled his beard, frowned and said: "When I went to Gu Mansion to visit the Shen family on behalf of the queen mother, I felt that this woman is different, maybe it is really Wangfu's life."

She actually turned a playboy, Gu Chaobei, into an emperor all the way from mud.

Or the real emperor in power.

Yuwen Changqing was stunned for a moment, then smiled lightly and said, "A dignified scholar, do you also listen to the legends of the world?"

"It's really unbelievable." Fu Xueshi squinted his eyes and said: "Whether it's true or not, I think that Shen Guiyan must not be taken seriously as the queen. Empress Dowager Wen has always suppressed her a lot, we You should do things according to the Queen Mother's will."

An old man is an old man, and all major events in the country are all due to the woman.Yuwen Changqing still had a smile on his face, and said softly: "I have no opinion on what Master Fu wants to do. As for matters in the military..."

"This old man is a civil servant, not a general." Fu Xueshi said with a smile: "The literature is under my control, and the military affairs are left to General Yuwen to worry about."

"That's good." Yuwen Changqing took out the recommendation letter from his bosom, looked at Fu Xueshi and said: "The next person will not take it seriously. This recommendation letter, please trouble Mr. Fu to press his fingerprints, so that it will be soon. send out."

"It's easy to talk about." For so many years as a colleague, Fu Xueshi was not wary of Yuwen Changqing, and pressed his fingerprints after receiving the letter.

"Master Fu, walk slowly. The sword below seems to have fallen into the East Palace. I have to go back and get it." Yuwen Changqing took the letter and put it away, stopped and smiled.

"Okay." Fu Xueshi was worried about the Queen Mother, so he turned around and left without asking any further questions.

Yuwen Changqing walked slowly to the imperial study.

"I remember all your meritorious service." In the study, Gu Chaobei was looking at Concubine Hua and said, "Before I ascended the throne, if you hadn't been in Zuihuayin, I would not have been able to become the servant of the household department smoothly. Thinking about that At that time, it was still beautiful for a while."

Concubine Hua pursed her lips, looked at Gu Chaobei with her eyes and said, "All concubines are willing."

"Now that the big things are over, there are only some trivial matters left, so you and the nobleman don't have to continue to work for me. I think, how about giving each of you a thousand taels of gold and sending you back to your hometown to spend the rest of your life?"

Concubine Hua raised her head in surprise: "The emperor doesn't want us to be by his side anymore?"

Gu Chaobei was a little embarrassed: "It's not that I don't want to, but the harem is not suitable for you."

Seeing that he has the intention of crossing the river, demolishing bridges, dismantling mills and killing donkeys, he is not. He has no real relationship with these girls in Zuihuayin. He just sees them as pitiful, so he stays in Zuihuayin.

Zuihuayin is the intelligence building where he usually collects information.Even if he has ascended the throne now, that place cannot be abandoned.On the contrary, more words must be heard from officials.He never forced the girls inside, but Narcissus and Baihe didn't want to stay, so he took them into the palace.

The white fox is gone, and there is no Empress Dowager Wen in this harem, but there are still all kinds of women.Gu Chaobei really remembered his kindness, that's why he wanted to send them out of the palace, how nice would it be to take the gold and live a free life?

But the concubine Hua didn't think so.

The prosperity in the palace, who has seen it before, who would be willing to go out?What's more, of the three of them who came into the palace, which one didn't come in because they gave their hearts to Gu Chaobei?

Concubine Zhuang died, and she and Xi Guiren were also very sad.But what if the heart is on the emperor, so what if he takes countless gold and flies away?If you can't get your freedom back, you will miss it for the rest of your life.

"The concubine promises not to do anything to hinder the emperor and the concubine Yan." Hua concubine bit her lips and said, "Please show mercy to the emperor and keep the concubine in the palace."

Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows slightly: "I thought you would prefer to go out."

We like you more.

With these words on her lips, Concubine Hua didn't dare to yell out, she raised her eyes, her eyes were full of tears: "May your majesty do it!"

After hesitating for a while, Gu Chaobei nodded.He is not a single-minded person, although he does not pretend to be romantic, but he does not feel that the women around him are a sin.

(End of this chapter)