Chapter 91 Dead Refusal
Guan Suyi cooked a few dishes that her grandfather and father loved the most, fetch a few pots of wine she brewed, picked out a little and fed them to the rabbits, chickens and ducks, and made sure they were not poisoned before letting Baifu personally deliver them.
"Madam, won't you go and accompany His Majesty to have dinner?" Jinzi asked bravely. No one knew better than her why His Majesty was here. Once he lost control of his emotions, it's unknown what would happen. Although recently he became a bear (tn: meaning timid), bears can eat people too!
"I have guessed before that you were sent from the palace, eight out of ten is the emperor's person. But I never thought that the emperor was Hunnar." Guan Suyi washed her hands expressionlessly and scraped her nail seams clean.
It was precisely because she had a plan in her mind that she did not avoid Jinzi in everything she done. No one is perfect. Grandfather and father were very loyal, capable, and their reputation was increasing. There were hardly any slander for them on the street, they were all praises. This was not a good thing in the eyes of the superior. It was often said that "those whose accomplishments overshadow the master is always in danger, and those who are brave to shake the master will die." Defeating oneself at the right moment was an effective way to avoid it.
She was actually reluctant letting her grandfather and father pour dirty water on themselves, ruining their clean names and nobleness. Even when she leave Jinzi behind, she did not expect that there were even more dirty conspiracy hidden behind it.
Jinzi's tears came out, and she quickly knelt down and pleaded guilty, "Madam, don't think too much, this servant is ordered to protect you and have no intention to spy on you. Since this servant came to you, have never done anything to let you down, please don't drive this servant away. Madam please!"
"You are a good girl, very capable, and loyal to the master." Guan Suyi's tone was flat, "Get up, I won't drive you away. If I drive you away, I don't know who else he will send to take over, it's better for everyone to save all of these back and forth things."
Jinzi felt ashamed and guilty, and repeatedly kowtowed. Seeing that Madam left the dining room and walked toward the mourning hall, she hurriedly followed suit, never dare to ask her to go back to serve His Majesty again.
Emperor Sheng Yuan waited bitterly for Madam who didn't return, but he was accompanied by Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies so it was inconvenient to inquire, let alone chase after her, he had no choice but to eat without tasting the food.
At the same time, the news of the emperor's visit to the Zhao Mansion had already spread to everyone, and some judicial officials had received signal from the top, and spread the word of how the Emperor Teacher, Chief of Ceremonies and Song Xuan presented the memorials in the court, justifying Guan family's name, Madam's name, and the child's name; and sent dozens of Confucian scholars to explain the regulations of the new law in detail for the common people.
What happened in the Zhao family was nothing but anecdotes, after it was passed along on the street, it would not be long before people forget them. But the laws of the country were closely related to their livelihood and even their life, how could they not care? In the past, there were also small officials who distributed the pamphlets of "The Law of Civil Punishment" from house to house, telling them to study the law of the country well, which could come in handy at critical moments. They also said that The Law of Civil Punishment was a law specially formulated by the emperor for the common people, and its purpose was to maintain the people's interests.
Those officials, what pleasant thing can they says? What nasty thing that can't be done? Just listen to it, don't take it seriously. This was the thinking of most people, but it was completely subverted at this moment. For a newborn baby, in order to wash away his demon's stigma, Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies both resigned from their official positions and returned to their old home!
That was the Emperor Teacher, a big man more honorable than the prime minister! Chief of Ceremonies also the head of Nine Ministers, too high to reach! But just like that, the two Mount Tai and North Star* took off their official robes and leave just because the words "wrongly save", which showed that The Law of Civil Punishment was by no means a joke. After the emperor's reprimand and Song Xuan's answer, he explained the content of civil law vividly and in detail. Let's not mention the other things for now, just one sentence "the government should not be careless about people's lives" could make the people feel grateful and then ran to tell each other.
They said tyrannical government is fiercer than a tiger, this statement was not exaggerated at all. Before the establishment of Wei Kingdom, the common people never knew that their own people were also person, and their own lives were also life. Used to be, the grain grown with their blood and sweat was plundered by the tyrant noble families in a blink of an eye, and if they wanted to survive, they could only pick up the bark, dig grass roots, and even eat the soil; When the border was fighting war, the noble families hid behind, and instead pushed the common people to the front of the line to block the knifes and spears; Even if they stayed honestly at home, disaster would fall from the sky, suddenly a group of officers or robbers broke in, burning, killing, looting, and commit any imaginable crimes.
This was the life they lived in the past, with starvation and cold, and precariousness. Compared with the present, one was hell and the other was heaven.
At this time, who cares about what happened to Ruan shi, what happened to Madam Guan, and what happened to the child? Quickly understanding the specific content of the "The Law of Civil Punishment" was the top priority. After hearing about the civil law, there were also national law, tax law, commercial law, land law… everything was all-inclusive. Every code was based on the people, loves the people and protects the people. It might sound very unbelievable, but to have the Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies who resigned their official positions angrily for an infant at the front, and there was the emperor who dismissed judicial secretary Song Xuan at the back, the concept of "human life is beyond value" had been heavily engraved into the people's mind.
"His Majesty said it very well. An official should be like Madam Guan, for the sake of human life willing to defy world's opinion. If you know that there are injustice hidden in the case, but you give up because you encounter resistance, what kind of parent official will you be?" An old man sighed.
"That's right. The process of finding out the truth is like cutting open the belly. If you don't even have the courage to hold a knife, how can we expect them to stand for the people and not be afraid of the powerful? That judicial secretary Song Xuan is that Prime Minister Wang's party. Just the noble family's running dog."
"What kind of prime minister, don't put gold on his face*. Because of inciting civil unrest and shaking the country, the emperor has already dismissed him as an official. In order to save his face and family reputation, he had to beg for bones* and return to his hometown, otherwise he would be in prison by now, there are no comparisons between them. Both are officials and both are resign from their positions, but some people are comparable to wolves, tigers and leopards, have black hearts and ruthless; and some people have noble character and unquestionable integrity, benevolent and righteous. Some people are for personal gain, and some people are for the sake of justice. If there are more good officials like Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies, the people will be saved."
"Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies are good officials, and the emperor is also a good emperor. He is wise and heroic, govern the country with benevolence. Our good days are still to come." As soon as the man finished speaking, he was greeted with many happy laughter.
The matter of taking a child by cutting open the stomach was gradually forgotten, and although some pedantic old Confucian were still holding on to it, it was not a hindrance.
—-
Due to the emperor's personal visit, more and more people came to the Zhao Mansion to offer condolences. Even unrelated passers-by came to the door with gifts, not to mention the honorable people in the capital. Old Master Guan and Guan Father accompany the emperor to finish the meal and get ready to send him back to the palace, but unexpectedly the person had already reached the door when he suddenly changed his mind, "How about Zhen take a look at the child before leaving? Where is Madam, let her show the way. The two of you can just go to the front hall to help entertain guests, don't worry about Zhen, Zhen is too lazy to deal with unrelated people."
Seeing that the son-in-law have his hands full, and he also had no official position, it was inconvenient to deal with all these honorable people, so Old Master Guan and Guan Father hurriedly agreed, and then sent someone to call Yiyi.
Hearing that the emperor wanted to take a look at the child, the old madam and Zhong shi were worried of snubbing him, hurriedly urged Guan Suyi to go. The two walked to the main house one after the other, pushed open the door, saw two nurses dozing off on the table, while Minglan held the child and rocked gently, humming an unknown nursery rhyme.
"This servant, this servant have seen the emperor." Seeing the tall figure standing at the door, she shivered with fright, but did not recognize that this person was the guard who wanted to eat the swan meat.
The drowsiness of the two nurses disappeared, and they knelt down in fear.
Emperor Sheng Yuan indifferently called "Get up", and walked straight to hold the child. His movements were very wild, as if he was carrying an object. Guan Suyi, who didn't want to pay attention to him, finally couldn't hold back, and immediately stopped him, "The baby's bones are soft and vulnerable, so the emperor should leave him to this subject woman." As she spoke, she skillfully took the child, gently held the back of his head, wrapped the other arm around his body.
"Madam will be a good mother in the future." Emperor Sheng Yuan stared at her with a burning gaze, and his tone was gentle, "If the child can inherit Zhen's tall and strong physique, and inherit Madam's intelligence and wisdom, he will be the best crown prince of Wei Kingdom in the future. Of course, if you give birth to a princess who is completely like Madam, it will be even better. Zhen will definitely dote on her like a pearl in Zhen's palm."
Seeing the horrified expressions of Minglan and the two wet nurses, Guan Suyi couldn't bear it any longer, and scolded sharply, "Still ask the emperor to speak carefully!"
"These words have been brewing for many months, and the scene of those children circling around Zhen's knees has also imagined for many months, why still have to be careful?" Emperor Sheng Yuan looked back innocently with a sincere expression.
Guan Suyi's cheeks were flushed, and she didn't know if she was ashamed or angry, she raised her chin at Jinzi and ordered, "Take these two out and teach them the rules, what to say and what not to say, they should have a bottom line in their hearts." Then continued with a slightly slower tone while handing the child to Minglan, "Take the second young master to the crib, some words are not suitable for him to hear, let's not stain his ears."
Her hidden words of pointing the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree did not cause Emperor Sheng Yuan to feel ashamed at all, but instead made him chuckle, as if it were very funny.
Guan Suyi was also angrily laughed, raised her eyebrows and asked, "Who is the person standing in front of me today, the guard of Marquis Zhenxi Mansion, Hunnar or the Golden Palace's Emperor Huo Shengzhe?"
Emperor Sheng Yuan did not dare to answer at will, and tentatively said, "What if it's Hunnar, and what if it's Huo Shengzhe?"
"If it's Hunnar, I'll slap you hard and tell you to get out of here! If it's Huo Shengzhe, I'll use death admonishment* to prevent you from destroying the law and disturb the discipline, and breaking the ethical code!"
Facing her eyes that were as bright as cold stars, Emperor Sheng Yuan's breathing slightly stopped, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Zhen is both Hunnar and Huo Shengzhe, then what you're going to do?"
"Very well, then I'll slap you a few times, and then ram my head on the door beam to death! Do you dare to test it?" Thinking of Ye Zhen who was still in the palace, Guan Suyi felt her stomach churning, feeling nauseated and wanted to vomit, she said sharply, "Your Majesty, after listening to my grandfather and father's remarks, I thought you were a wise man, but I didn't expect you to be so muddle-headed to this point. Is it your hobby to rob other people's wife? It's not enough to rob Ye Zhen, do you still want to lure me too? What do you think of me? Where do you put the Guan family? Do you think I will cry like Ye Zhen, half pushing half approaching? Then you're thinking too beautifully! The Guan family is no Ye family, we have moral character, have courage, and don't fear power. Today I deadly refuse, and tomorrow my grandfather and father will be ready to give death admonishment, even if my Guan family is torn to pieces, we will not yield!" As she spoke she took off the silver hairpin, and aimed the sharp end at her throat.
Mount Tai and North Star*: means outstanding figure in one's field.
put gold on his face*: intentionally saying good thing, with a slight derogatory meaning.
beg for bones*: to ask for resignation and ask for the bones to be buried in their hometown.
death admonishment*: when the minister took the risk of offending the emperor in order for his ideas to be adopted.
Chapter 92 Pamper
What a strong person Madam was, Emperor Sheng Yuan knew very well, and had already anticipated many kind of consequences from his confession. Anger, refusal, and even destroying her family from death admonishment were all within the controllable range, but the matter of Ye Zhen shocked him a little.
A single slip may cause everlasting sorrow, it was only at this time that he deeply understood the meaning of this sentence. People really couldn't make mistakes easily. Take a wrong step, and in the future you will have to pay a hundred times, even a thousand times the price, and now this price was definitely not something he could bear – Madam loathed him, hated him, never mind, she actually disgusted with him! She looked at him like she was staring at a mass of filth, and even approach a little closer would stain her territory.
Everyone said that he indulged in beauty and robbed other people's wife, how could they know that he was the most innocent one! How much infamy did he bear for that husband and wife? How much glory was given to them? They even used that unwarranted sense of guilt to make him miss out the one he loved, putting him in such a dilemma. Who could understand his suffering? Who could justify his name?
In front of Madam who was full of cold air but at the same time seemed to be about to burst into flames, Emperor Sheng Yuan felt very powerless, but he couldn't help but love her more deeply. Her words and deeds were just as he thought before, she refused so directly, her hand holding the silver hairpin exposed some blue veins, and she didn't even tremble.
She stood on the opposite side with furious brows, clearly in a weak position, and even more in the abyss of despair, but her jaw was raised so high, her back was so straight, like a pine rooted on a cliff, high and steep. She also wanted to slap him a few times and tell him to beat it!
In the land under heaven only Madam dared to do this. She could be insulted, but she would never be crushed; she could be destroyed, but she would never bow her head and admit defeat.
Somehow, Emperor Sheng Yuan remembered the night Ye Zhen was sent to him. She knelt at his feet, weepingly begged him to let her die, and pretended to commit suicide, leaving him in a dilemma, with no room to advance or retreat. If he directly threw her a dagger at that time, how could there be so many messy things now?
Both were refusal, one was straightforward, with deep inner strength; the other was sticky, oily, and pretentious. It's a pity that he didn't read more books and had more insight back then, to actually fooled by a woman to this point, and Madam somehow also learned about those scandals!
The more Emperor Sheng Yuan thought about it, the more embarrassed he became, and the more he thought about it, the more awkward he became. If there was a crack in the ground, he would to immediately drill to get in. But Madam still held the silver hairpin to her throat, how could he not care, he had to endure his shame and persuade, "Madam, don't be impulsive, Zhen will never hurt you, you put down the hairpin first, then we'll talk about it calmly, okay?"
"Talk what? How do you lust for beauty and steal other people's wife? You study Confucianism all day, but have you ever known the word 'shame'?" Guan Suyi gritted her teeth.
Emperor Sheng Yuan wiped his face and said helplessly, "Zhen naturally know the word 'shame', but it doesn't know Zhen, so bound to disappoint Madam."
"You, you are so shameless!" Guan Suyi was shocked by the shamelessness of this man, she stretched out her index finger tremblingly, but because of this short inattentiveness, it let the other person to seize this opportunity to approach quickly, snatched the silver hairpin, and hold her tightly from behind.
"If can get Madam, why Zhen need any shame?" He tried his best to soften his voice and soothe her in a low voice, "Madam, don't be angry, Zhen is more uncomfortable than you when you're angry. How did you know about Ye Zhen? Who told you?"
Guan Suyi couldn't help but sneer, "Even Zhao Chunxi knows it, how can others not? Do you still think you handled everything carefully?" The best answer was to avoid answering and let the other person guess it for himself.
Emperor Sheng Yuan didn't think too deeply about it, and said bitterly, "That's right, Madam is so smart, how could she be deceived by those little tricks. However, Madam doesn't know, Ye Zhen and I don't have the kind of relationship you think of. After all these years, I have never touch a single hair of her, and only responsible for providing her with a place to live. The only one Zhen have ever loved, and loving, is Madam."
How could Guan Suyi believe those nonsense, she twisted and stomped her feet, panting heavily.
Emperor Sheng Yuan was really distressed, and even more his lower abdomen was tightened by her rubbing, so he had to cover her eyelids with his big hands, and whispered softly, "Madam, don't move, listen to Zhen. Madam is a clear-sighted person, who is sincere and who is fake will not escape your eyes. Don't think that Zhen as the emperor, and don't think that Zhen deliberately conceal identity to approach you, you only need to recall every meeting and every conversation you had with Hunnar, did you ever feel half deceived and any perfunctory? Hunnar can't wait to dig his heart out and give it to you."
Guan Suyi's sight were pitch black, and her movements were restrained. Only the heat and the voice that implicit appeal in her ears were prying on her senses. She slowly regained her composure, and said with a sarcastic smile, "'In this life, I will never marry if it's not with you', but it turns out that there are already three thousand beauties in the harem. Your Majesty, isn't this called perfunctory, isn't this called deceived? People actually can be shameless to this degree, I finally see it today."
Emperor Sheng Yuan hugged her tighter and said cautiously, "Madam, it's inconvenient here, Zhen can't explain more to you, but Zhen will definitely answer your questions one by one in the future. You just need to know, don't use hurting yourself as a way to reject Zhen. There is a saying in Central Plains – Porcelain does not touch rubble. You are precious a porcelain, Zhen is a rough rubble, why bother to break yourself for a piece of rubble? Zhen will never hurt you, let alone hurt the two Mount Tai, you can rest assured." The words fell on her jade white ear and he kissed it gently.
His cheeks were full of stubble, so the kiss was not only a little hot and wet, but also prickly and numbing, making Guan Suyi red from the roots of her ears to her neck.
"You bastard, you shameless!" She was so angry that she stepped on the back of the man's instep and crushed it a few times. However, just as he said before, he was really a piece of rough rubble, and didn't feel any pain at all, but instead laughed lowly, his voice full of joy.
"Madam, your blushing look is so beautiful, just as Zhen thought. You are kicking and making trouble in Zhen's arms, so cute, Zhao Luli must have never seen such a vivid side of you, right? Madam, you yourself may have not noticed that you are not afraid of Zhen, you are absolutely unrestrained and willful in front of Zhen, because you know in your heart that Zhen love you, love to the extreme, so reluctant to hurt you even a tiny bit. These days, every time Zhen confide in you, you're also not completely without feelings."
All Guan Suyi's struggles and scoldings were stopped dead by his last sentence.
With great difficulty she could live again, even if not for herself, she should also consider for her family. It's not easy for her grandfather and father to have today. She was indeed strong, but she also understood the truth that "the strong will be easily humiliated, and the strong will be easily broken". When facing Emperor Sheng Yuan, even if she didn't obey him, she shouldn't offend him too much.
But she really didn't have the slightest scruples. As soon as she met this man's blue-black eyes that seemed to contain everything, all the anger and grievances came out one after another, and she couldn't suppress it. It turned out that she had been certain that this person would never hurt her, so she had no fear?
When she fell into a trance, Emperor Sheng Yuan quickly kissed her delicate cheek and exhorted, "Madam has misunderstood Zhen. Someday Zhen will explain everything in detail. Zhen never have anything to do with Ye Zhen, and it's not as bad as you think in your mind. There are people outside, Zhen has to leave."
He was about to let go, but felt uneasy, so he added, "Madam, Zhen beg you not to hurt yourself again, Zhen will never ruin you, let alone the Guan family. You don't have to worry about anything, just wait for the opportunity to finally reconcile with Zhao Luli." The words landed on her cheek and he kissed her, slightly loosened his arm and kissed again, and after four or five kisses, he let go completely under Madam's fiery eyes, then turned around and left.
Guan Suyi's left face was stabbed red by the stubble, she slammed the door with force, scolded "bastard", lose her mind for a while and then cursed bastard again, angrily said, "Two Mount Tai? You really dare to put gold on your face (self-praise)!" As for the rotten affairs between the other party and Ye Zhen, as well as her true feeling, she didn't want to think about it, she sorted out her appearance and asked Minglan to carry the child in.
"Miss, when you with the emperor, with the emperor…" Minglan wanted to speak but hesitated, her expression horrified.
Jinzi was very calm, and warned, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, you will understand when the time comes. Madam, this servant have already dealt with the two wet nurses, and there is no fatality, so you can rest assured. The one who sold you to outsiders about the matter of cutting up the stomach is Mingfang, do you want to let this servant kill her?" She put her five fingers together and made a throat-slashing motion.
"What you did in the past was burning, killing and looting?" Guan Suyi asked nonchalantly.
"Yes. This servant come from dead soldier's background. Since childhood, has already been thrown into the wilderness to fight with wild beasts, only knew how to kill people, but never saving people. This servant is very happy and honored to be able to stay by Madam's side and experience the joy and true feelings of the world. I beg Madam to be merciful and let this servant continue to follow you." Jinzi's tears were about to flow out. She finally understood why His Majesty was so infatuated with Madam, because Madam deserves everyone's sincere treatment.
Guan Suyi looked at her with amazement, and saw that although there was vicious currents between her eyebrows, her eyes were full of admiration, and she finally said softly, "Forget it, just follow if you like. Staying by my side is a hundred times better than sending you back and continuing to let you live the days of licking blood from the knife's edge."
"This servant is not afraid of licking blood from the knife's edge, but this servant are reluctant to part with Madam." Jinzi quickly confessed, but a dark box was stuffed in her arms, and she got a dilemmatic assignment.
"In order to prove that what you said is true, burn your master's things with your own hands." Guan Suyi urged, "Hurry up, there are people at the front."
Jinzi unable to refuse, hurriedly took the things and ran to the base of the wall, and burn it down. Fortunately, paper money was burned everywhere in the mansion, so it did not attract the others' attention. As soon as she left, the old madam and Zhong shi arrived. They said that the grand princess came to express condolences and asked her to rush over to accompany her. In addition, many dignitaries also came. They poured incense one after another, bowed to worship, and turned the originally deserted mourning hall into a lively scene.
At this time, no one dared to mention the matter of cutting the stomach to take the child, and even less dared to put the names "witch" and "demon" on Madam Guan's and the child's head.
Chapter 93 Sacrificial Eulogy
Even if the Ruan family didn't come to make a noise, Guan Suyi planned to hold a large transcending ritual for her sister-in-law. Because the emperor personally visited the Zhao Mansion yesterday to worship, many relatives and important people came to Jueyin Temple to participate in the ceremony, and there were also Zhao Jinyu's comrades in arms that come to help, the scene was grand. And he himself was still fighting on the battlefield, and it's unknown when he would be able to return.
The Ruan family didn't arrive until after noon, all of them with bruised noses and swollen faces, as if they had suffered a great disaster. Without saying a word, they rushed to the old madam's feet and shouted for help, bluntly saying that all the money was looted by the bandits, and now they didn't even have the money to return home, begging the Zhao Mansion to be kind enough to take them in.
After all, it was the Ruan shi's family, and at her funeral, even if the old madam hated them, she had to pinch her nose to prepare a few rooms and settle them in the Jueyin Temple.
At the same time, Guan Suyi was locking herself in her room to write a sacrificial eulogy for Ruan shi, and later would recite and burn it on the altar to comfort her spirit in heaven. As she said before, she would never admit her mistake for taking out the child by cutting up the stomach, not for her own reputation, but for the child's future. So what should she write?
She abandoned her distracting thoughts and carefully recalled every bits and pieces of her time with Ruan shi. Not only felt distressed that she was burdened by her appearance and was trapped in poverty, but also admired her for her filial piety to her mother-in-law and kindness to the juniors, and maintaining a harmonious relationship with herself, supported and considerate to each other. Eventually teardrops were dripping down, wetting her lapel.
After a while, she finally picked up the brush and slowly wrote, "In September of the fourth year of Sheng Yuan, at the Jueyin Temple I mourned my sister-in-law Ruan, first met at the beginning of the year…" After writing for a full hour, she cried and wrote, cried and wrote until her eyes turned red before slowly finished the last stroke and sat in a chair in a daze.
At this moment, her mind was filled with Ruan shi's voice, face, smile, and dying cries, and completely forgot that Hunnar and Huo Shengzhe person. What continuous love between men and women, what pursuing glory and wealth? Being able to live well and raising a few children is the sweetest thing in the world.
Remembering the heartbroken Mu Mu and the little baby who was waiting to be fed, whom she had named Zhao Huai'en, she finally wiped away the last tear and went to the mourning hall with the sacrificial eulogy.
"Benefactor Guan, has the sacrificial eulogy been written?" Master Xuan Guang asked in a warm voice.
"It's written, do you want to see it, Master?" Guan Suyi cupped her hands and saluted respectfully.
"No, let the deceased see it first." Master Xuan Guang stretched out his hand and motioned her to walk up to the altar. When she sat down and struck the wooden fish, he ordered the monks sitting around the altar to start chanting. Damaging a deceased' body was a major taboo, and it required sincere repentance and recitation of the rebirth scriptures for seven, seven and forty-nine days to make up for it.
The Sanskrit sound and the hazy smoke lingered in the air, a strong sandalwood fragrance invading the left and the right sides, which made people feel solemn and at the same time extraordinarily calm and peaceful. The relatives and dignitaries who came to worship knelt down one after another on the praying mats, put their hands together, and chanted the scriptures.
They looked up to Madam Guan on the viewing altar, wanting to hear how she consoled the dead.
Guan Suyi knelt in front of the coffin with her back to the crowd, and recited a passage of rebirth scriptures sincerely, and then picked up the manuscript paper to recite the sacrificial eulogy. At this period of time, most of the sacrificial eulogy imitated the four-character rhyme of the "Book of Songs" elegant ode, or used parallel prose, aiming to be solemn and serious; but she recalled the sadness of the past, and did not want to limit the expression with four or five characters or six or seven sentences that blocked the grief-stricken thoughts. So she broke the convention and format, and wrote an essay.
The first few paragraphs recall how the two people had familiarity at first sight, loved each other like sisters, and how Ruan shi was filial to her mother-in-law and caring for the juniors. Next, she briefly described several major changes that occurred in the Zhao Mansion, and how the family stayed calm when facing death, supported each other, and took care of each other. The process of overcoming difficulties together was written so expressively that it seemed to be in front of the eyes. There were many sufferings and fears, but there were more warmth and peace, which vividly rendered Ruan shi's idyllic, gentle and suppleness image.
The next few paragraphs turned sharply, and she began to detail her poisoning and dystocia until she died of blood loss. In order to save the child, how she struggled desperately and tried to survive; knowing that both the mother and the fetus were in danger, how she resolutely abandoned herself and asked to keep the child alive. With layers of peeling brushwork, it showed how she was soft on the outside and firm on the inside, and her most affectionate side were completely revealed.
The voices and shouts before her death, accompanied by Guan Suyi's choked recitation, seemed to ring on the altar and touched people's ears, causing the relatives, friends and nobles in the audiences to burst into tears, feeling grief-stricken. Even the monks who had never been sad or happy, and who had attained great enlightenment, also cut off the scriptures and stopped knocking the wooden fish to wipe their tears. They had never heard such a mournful sacrificial eulogy, which made people feel like they were at the scene, felt it had happened to themselves and wished they could lift the coffin and shake the dead with all their might, crying and begging her to come back to life.
The chanting ceased, and the reciting continued. Everyone listened carefully with tears in their eyes.
The last few paragraphs finally emerged from the tragic scene and began to describe the arrival of the newborn. He spit out a mouthful of amniotic fluid, and then cried out loudly; when he was hugged into the arms, he automatically grabbed his aunt's clothes, his small hands were soft but so strong; he laid down beside his mother to say goodbye to her, a little child who was still ignorant, but he used his surging vitality to dispel the breath of death, the mother's wide-open eyes slowly closed, and she left with satisfaction.
Three turns in a row, rising and falling, laughing after crying, but wanting to cry even more after laughing, a sacrificial eulogy less than a thousand words, but the entire Jueyin Temple fell into silence, only the sound of choking with emotions and the cry of pain reverberated in the air. Not to mention the relatives who come and go frequently, even those who had never know Ruan shi, all cried until their eyes red for this gentle and strong mother, and felt pain like their liver and intestines were broken.
Guan Suyi's throat was completely hoarse, and when she was about to throw the sacrificial eulogy into the brazier, her hand was firmly grasped by someone, and when she looked to the side, it was Master Xuan Guang.
His eyes were red, his lapel were soaked, it was obvious that he had just cry. After doing so many rituals and helped transcend so many departed spirits, this was the first time he had interrupted his chanting because of a sacrificial eulogy. But he loved literature so much, and he must not let this outstanding article that mourns the heaven and the earth to be burned.
"Benefactor Guan's writing ability is superb, it can moved emotions, breaks the limit of rhythm, and creates the peak of a eulogy. This sacrificial eulogy, written with the beads of tears and the blood in the heart, is enough to make the dead sleep peacefully and the living to be relieved, so why do we need to recite the scriptures? Benefactor Guan, please sacrifice this article in front of the spirit and do not burn it, otherwise this poor monk will worry every day and feel uneasy." He carefully took the manuscript, packed it in a sandalwood box, and placed it on the altar table, and then put his hands together and bowed three times.
He had already heard about the fame of the Guan family's literary name, and he had also read a lot of works by Old Master Guan and Guan Father, but he was still shocked when he listened to this sacrificial eulogy.
Madam Guan broke the parallel prose into pieces, not imitating the ancients or imitating the present, not sticking to the form, not trapped in the routine, and the writing followed the heart, provoking the emotions and thoughts. The entire writing forged with tears and painted with blood, making the grief pierce the bones and the sorrow pierced the heart, so how could everyone bear it?
Master Xuan Guang reminisced over the words and phrases again and again, his eyes were red again and again, until his tears fell, and in his heart he had already enshrined this sacrificial eulogy as the poetic masterpiece of this era and the highest attainment of literary world. When it came to the power of writing, describing the scene and generating emotions, Madam Guan stood at the forefront, not to mention Xu Guangzhi, even her grandfather and father had to take a step back.
Most of the people who came to worship today were powerful people, and there were also relatives and friends of the two great literary families of Guan and Zhong, who were proficient in literary and calligraphy. Moreover they were from the secular world, their feeling were abundant, so they felt more touched than Master Xuan Guang.
"This article is the pinnacle of sacrificial eulogy, and such a sorrowful reciting!" A great scholar praised with tears in his eyes, and the rest choked up and agreed, it was actually hard to say a word.
Old Master Guan and Guan Father hurriedly waved their hands in humble manner, but in their heart they were proud of their beloved daughter. They knew that Yiyi did not write this article for fame, but to rectify the name. The scene of taking a child by cutting open the stomach must be bloody and terrifying for ordinary people to think about. Although the emperor had his eyes open, but it couldn't stop others from feeling disgusted. But she described this passage from Ruan shi's perspective, all the blood had turned into a mother's love that gave up her life and a grief that was too thick to be dissolved; all the horror had turned into the ultimate joy of the newborn's birth and hope for the future life.
By the time this poignant and unusual, sincere and moving sacrificial eulogy were spread, no one would scold witches and demons again, but they would only remember Ruan shi's chastity and bravery. That's the power of words.
When the crowd around the altar was weeping sadly, Emperor Sheng Yuan in the white dragon fish suit stood in an inconspicuous corner, silently listening and staring.
"This is the first time I shed tears for unrelated people." He turned back to look at Baifu, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Madam's writing is so good and touching. Let this servant, let this servant cry for a while. That wretched Miao people, he poisoned the Zhao Mansion, causing Ruan shi and her own child to separate forever and never see each other again. Woohoo…" Baifu burst into tears and was out of breath from crying.
Emperor Sheng Yuan didn't blame him, and after he had cried enough, he order in a low voice, "Go and invite Madam to the backyard room, I want to talk to her."
Baifu didn't dare to delay, blew out his snot, wiped it with a handkerchief, and then sneaked away.
After the first day's ritual completed, Guan Suyi was exhausted. Hearing that Master Xuan Guang had invited her, she thought he was going to discuss the next day's ritual with her. Before she even had time to drink tea she hurried to the backyard, and as soon as she opened the door, she was pulled into a broad and warm chest, firmly hugged, and tightly clasped.
"You bastard, you're here again!" She was so angry that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were spitting fire. She clenched her hands into fists and kept pounding the man's back, but it felt like she hit the iron wall, instead her joints hurt badly.
"Stop hitting, be careful of hurting your hands." Emperor Sheng Yuan held her wrist and gently pulled it down to his side.
"Madam, can you let Zhen hug you for a while? Zhen is very sad." He buried his cheeks in Madam sweet neck curve and pleaded in a muffled voice.
Guan Suyi noticed that her shoulder was wet, it seemed that tears soaked through the fabric and touched her skin, and she couldn't help but feel a little dazed. This man was crying, the majestic emperor was actually crying beside her ear, why? Or – for whom?
She stopped struggling, waited quietly, and then said solemnly when the person's mood eased a little, "Your Majesty, please look up to see where this is, and what am I wearing? Doing such frivolous things at my sister-in-law's sacrificial ceremony, aren't you ashamed?"
Emperor Sheng Yuan slowly raised his head and said as if it was matter of course, "Just holding one's own madam and crying for a moment, how can it be considered frivolous? What Zhen did is completely in line with the solemnity and sadness of the sacrificial ceremony."
Chapter 94 Confide
Guan Suyi was speechless by the Emperor Sheng Yuan's shamelessness, and was silent for a long time before she said, "Your Majesty, this subject woman finally understand why you can become the emperor."
"Why?"
"Because you are invincible."
"Oh? Madam praised me so much. Indeed, Zhen swept thousands of troops back then…"
"No," Guan Suyi interrupted him, "there are two kinds of sayings in Central Plains. One is that the benevolent is invincible; the other is that the despicable is invincible. Your Majesty, you are already invincible in the world!"
The smugness on Emperor Sheng Yuan's face was replaced by astonishment. After a while he hugged Madam and laughed softly, his eyes flashed with a happy brilliance, "Madam, Madam, you can dominate the Central Plains with this mouth alone, even Zhen has to bow down to you. There are two kinds of sayings in one sentence, how should Zhen choose? Of course, you can't put 'invincible' on the despicable, you can only eat your dumb loss. Madam, no matter how unhappy, it's alright to scold, but by any means don't hit Zhen again. Zhen is not afraid of pain, just afraid you hurts your hand."
Guan Suyi was ashamed and angry but couldn't struggle free, so she could only persuade softly, "Your Majesty, let go of this subject woman first, shall we sit down and talk slowly? This subject woman often hears grandfather and father compliment you for your generous heart, benevolence and calling you a rare wise ruler. When walking in the street market, the people also praise you and love you very much. With great difficulty you built the country, accumulate all the prestige, could it be you are willing to ruin it for the sake of an insignificant woman? Have you ever wondered how this history will be written by the future generations? How can you add a stain on your glorious achievement that will never be washed away? You say that this subject woman is porcelain and you are rubble, but you are so wrong! This subject women may be porcelain, or it may be a little exquisite and precious, which makes people want to collect, but the world is equally exquisite, equally precious, so much so that an exquisite and precious porcelain is nothing. You are richest in the world, you can get everything that you want, not only it's justified but also very easy."
She continued in a sincere tone, "Your Majesty, you are not rubble, you are a national weapon, you are the Eastern Emperor Bell* that guards the mountains and rivers, and the Nine Dragon Cauldron that supports the fate of the country. Your reputation and prestige cannot be tarnished. Still ask the Emperor to preserve some dignity for yourself and for this subject woman."
Emperor Sheng Yuan tapped his chin on her shoulder, looked sideways at her flickering eyes, her open and close lips, and his heart was full of longing and tenderness.
"Preserve some dignity for you? Zhen thought you would cry and shout for Zhen to keep your chastity. Don't you all Central Plains women value chastity? You have been hugged and kissed by Zhen, so your chastity has been lost, then you can be considered as Zhen's person, right? Besides, Madam is also very wrong. There is no woman in the world who can compare with Madam. In my heart, Madam is a unique treasure."
Guan Suyi furrowed her brows, and said with some restraint, "Chastity is for others, but dignity is for yourself. I don't know what other women think, if I lose my dignity, it is no different from killing me. Your Majesty, you are high and powerful, so you never put us ants in your eyes. But you must know that ants also have the right to live and have the determination to fight everything. If they were played too much, they would rather turn into mud than compromise. Don't think that you are the monarch and can arbitrarily manipulate my life. You have already ruined my expectations for marriage. Would you please let me live the rest of my life in peace? I can't afford to play your game!"
Emperor Sheng Yuan felt her violently heaving chest and her more and more rapid breathing, finally slowly let her go, sighing, "Madam, don't be angry, Zhen will feel distressed if you are angry. You sit tight and listen to Zhen." At the end of the sentence he tapped her shoulder blade.
Guan Suyi's shoulders went numb, and she couldn't move her legs, she couldn't help but shout, "What are you doing?" Did he really want to destroy her chastity and force her to submit?
However, she was wrong. Emperor Sheng Yuan just carried her to the soft couch on the other side, and made her recline on the pillow. Afraid that she would be cold, he covered a thin blanket, then stuffed a hand stove, and carefully tucked the messy hair on her forehead behind the ear, all the movements were thoughtful.
It was almost late autumn, and the north wind was blowing outside, making the withered and yellow leaves rustled. A gust of cold wind came in through the damaged window paper and circled around the incense burner on the table, causing the vertical upward smoke to disperse in all directions.
The quiet atmosphere infected Guan Suyi, and Emperor Sheng Yuan's gentle attitude also made her vaguely aware that he had no intention to hurt her.
She eased her tone and asked again, "What on earth are you trying to do? You tapped my acupuncture point?" Since she saw the magic of martial arts, she spent a lot of time researching it, so she was able to distinguish one or two tricks.
"If I don't hold you and restrain you, I'm afraid you'll try your best to run away. Zhen said that Zhen will not hurt you, just want you to sit down and listen to what Zhen have to say." Emperor Sheng Yuan took out a few pieces of rice paper full of words from his arms and laughed at himself, "There are many things Zhen want to say to Madam, but didn't know where to start, so Zhen imitated the Emperor Teacher and wrote many drafts before coming here, but after listening to Madam's sacrificial eulogy, Zhen suddenly realized that even the most beautiful words are nothing if they don't have deep emotional support."
He threw the draft paper into the brazier and watched it slowly turn into ashes, his face indistinguishable from joy and sorrow. When the smoke dissipated, he walked to the couch and sat next to Madam, took off her small and delicate embroidered shoes, put her feet covered with a thin blanket on his knees, and gently patted, "Actually, the first time Zhen saw Madam was at Jueyin Temple. At that time your tongue was like a knife, refuting a group of Legalist scholars until they were speechless."
Guan Suyi glared at him sternly and ignored him.
Emperor Sheng Yuan wrapped her slightly cold jade feet with his big palms, and smiled bitterly, "Zhen really had no eyes at that time, thought that this little girl's mouth was full of hypocrisy, very sour, and the temperament was still so strong and impetuous, don't know which unlucky egg will be able to endure it in the future. So when Zhao Luli came to ask for a marriage decree, although Zhen already had the intention of admitting you into the palace to lift up the Guan family, Zhen still gave you to him."
Guan Suyi sneered and said, "Thanking the emperor for the marriage. Although it was a bit difficult at first, but now my husband loves me, my mother-in-law protects me, my children are filial to me, and my servants respect me, there is nothing unsatisfactory. If my brain got crushed by the door, only then I will reconcile with Zhao Luli and become one of your three thousand beauties, waiting for your occasional visit."
Emperor Sheng Yuan pulled her white fingertips over, and said with astringent voice, "Madam doesn't need to stab Zhen, Zhen have already regretted it. What three thousand beauties, Jieyu is the favored concubine, that just rumors. Madam, also doesn't need to beautify the Zhao family, whether you regard yourself as the Zhao family's daughter-in-law or not, you know very well, Zhen also know very well."
"However, as long as I want, I can become the well-deserved Madam Zhao at all time." Guan Suyi stared at him.
Emperor Sheng Yuan's eyes darkened, and his tone became very dangerous, "If Madam is willing to surrender to Zhao Luli, why would you wait until now? What is the point of saying these words other than disgusting yourself and making Zhen uncomfortable?"
He gently stroked her cheeks, which were particularly rosy because of anger, and recalled, "However, when meeting Madam again and have deep conversation with you, Zhen realized what Zhen had missed. Because of this regretful mistake, Zhen learned how to judge a person and measure a thing, from then on, be more cautious and dare not make a rash decision; Because Madam is proficient in literary and calligraphy, so Zhen have the patience to read through the Confucian classics that Zhen once scorned, and listen carefully to every sentence of the Emperor Teacher's teaching, so as to improve day by day; Because Madam sees the suffering of the people in her eyes and feel pains in her heart, so Zhen learned to love the people like one's own children, and govern with benevolent; Because Madam wrote the article to fight false flattery and guide public opinion, Zhen understand the importance of people's hearts and opinions. It is because of Madam that Zhen become this way. Zhen can study all night without sleep; Zhen can sit in the court hall and plan strategies; Zhen can hold back the anger and accept admonishment like a stream. Zhen have changed from a reckless man who only knows how to kill, a violent Rakshasa, into an outstanding master in the mouth of the courtiers, and the wise monarch in the hearts of the people."
Countless dots of light flashed in his eyes, and he sighed, "In order to match such a beautiful Madam, Zhen willing to become a better version of oneself. In order to get Madam's affirmation, Zhen willing to create a peaceful and prosperous world." He leaned closer and looked straight at Madam's stunned pupils, "Madam, do you still think Zhen's feelings are ridiculous? Do you still think it's just a tease, a game?"
Guan Suyi's throat was dry and it was difficult to speak for a long time. She was stunned by this man's words, and she never imagined that behind his various benevolent actions, there were her own shadows everywhere. No wonder he denounced Xu Guangzhi several times and resolutely prevented him to become official; no wonder he revised the legal code, cleaned up the court, and encourage free airing of views for the people; no wonder he refused to accept the "four-class system" and avoid the division of the country.
Although it seemed like she thought too highly of herself, the reality was really in front of her. In order to cater to her and gain her approval, this person had done a lot in silence, so much so that it changed the fate of the Guan family, changed the fate of the dynasty, and even changed the pattern of the world.
Guan Suyi found that she couldn't spit out a word, but it was no longer because of anger, but because of emotions that were too complicated to describe. In a trance, she had a strange thought—perhaps the deepest feeling is not to give everything to a person, but to use all your capability to change everything for her, change yourself and change the world at the same time.
Of course, in this world, not everyone could do this, because only emperors have the power to change the pattern of the world.
It turned out that this was the love of the emperor that everyone scrambled for, and it was indeed had a lot of weight and power. Guan Suyi avoided his affectionate eyes, looked into the boundless distance, and thought to herself: Unfortunately she can't afford this love, let alone want it. Reconciling, remarrying, and then locked in a deep palace to compete with a group of women for favor, that is not the life she wants, and the ensuing criticism will cut off her grandfather and father's careers, and then ruin the Guan family's thousand years reputation.
The love of the emperor is indeed rare, but how long can it last? She had already lost once and would never gamble on a second rebirth.
Emperor Sheng Yuan knew what she was worried about, and his heart was anxious, but he was very helpless. Now, no matter how sincere and careful the word, it would sounded empty to her. As the saying, 'Just as distances determines the stamina of a horse, so does time reveal a person's true heart', everything would be proven by time.
He slowly untied his jacket, took off his robe, and said bluntly, "Madam said just now that Zhen is high and powerful, but yourself is an ant, at my mercy. Madam, you are wrong, there are also times when Zhen is humbled into the dust and live like ant. At that time, if you know more about Zhen, you would understand that Zhen never play games, let alone play tricks on people's hearts. What is human heart and what is emotion, Zhen have no way of knowing in the past twenty years, because since childhood Zhen was always in the company of wild beasts, illiterate, did not speak, only knew how to hunt."
Guan Suyi saw that he had even took off his inner clothes, revealing his strong body, immediately turned her head and reprimanded, "What do you want to do? Quickly put on your clothes!"
Emperor Sheng Yuan squeezed her chin lightly, turned her face around, and sighed, "Zhen want Madam to see, under the cover of gorgeous robes and monstrous power, what the real Hunnar, or Huo Shengzhe, really looked like."
Eastern Emperor Bell*: a sacred artifact that can destroy the heavens and earth. I don't know if it is a real legend, it seems comes from a novel or a game.
Chapter 95 Heart Demon
Guan Suyi was stunned after just a quick glance. If this person didn't take off his clothes, she would have never imagine what kind of trauma this body had suffered underneath the gorgeous robe.
He was indeed tall and majestic, and every bulging muscle contained terrifying power, but in addition to this, there were also scars intertwined over it, one by one, one after another, healed and injured, injured again then healed again. The so-called "cuts and bruises all over the body" was exactly this.
He had the deepest and deadliest scar on his left chest, which could be distinguished with the naked eye alone. At the beginning of the injury, it must have reached the heart and he almost died.
"You, aren't you the young patriarch of the Jiuli clan?" Guan Suyi felt that she could hardly breathe, and she perfectly aware that she shouldn't see things that don't conform to etiquette, but she couldn't look away no matter what.
"Young patriarch? How is that possible! That's just the gold that was put on Zhen's face by the courtiers after Zhen ascended the throne. You people from Central Plains likes a good face, whoever becomes the emperor has to make up an extraordinary origin and reputation." Emperor Sheng Yuan's eyes were dark and his expression was in a trance, as if he was remembering something.
"Madam, look at this," he pointed to the scars on his left shoulder, "this is the scar left over from fighting with a lone wolf for food when Zhen was five years old. Due to the summer heat and mosquito bites, it festered for a month or two before gradually healed. And here, this is from the first time Zhen have been on the battlefield, and was slashed open by the enemy…"
He ran through them down one by one, each one was a piece of unforgettable pain, and each one was an unimaginable life and death situation. Guan Suyi thought it was a miracle that he could stand here calmly and recalled the past with her.
"How about this scar? Is it the most dangerous one?" Guan Suyi clearly didn't want to respond, but it was difficult to restrain the pain and concern in her heart.
Emperor Sheng Yuan was silent for a long time before he said in dumb voice, "This is when Zhen stabbed oneself."
Guan Suyi looked at him in horror, it was hard to imagine that a tyrant with heart as strong as iron and incomparable valiant like him would have the idea to kill himself. Why? What kind of tragic thing happened that made him so desperate that he didn't even have the courage to live?
Emperor Sheng Yuan gently stroked the corners of her reddish eyes, and laughed in a deep voice, "Madam, it was you who saved Zhen. If it wasn't for you, this stab would be nothing, maybe in the future Zhen would still stab a second, third, or multiple times until Zhen kill oneself."
Guan Suyi's face was pale, she wanted to ask but didn't dare to. Her intuition told her that behind this fatal scar, there must be a deadly secret buried in it, and she was definitely not qualified to know. However, even if she didn't ask, Emperor Sheng Yuan had already made up his mind to tell her everything.
"Speaking of which, Zhen's life experience is not a secret. The entire Jiuli clan knows it. If the Han courtiers want to inquire, they should also know a thing or two." He walked around the room without his shirt. As if remembering something, he handed over a piece of wood covered in silk cloth, and commanded softly, "Madam, open it and take a look."
"This is a picture of hell?" Guan Suyi looked puzzled.
On the wooden board was a painting with extremely strong colors. In the center of the painting lies a woman with loose hair and a machete in her hand. A Rakshasa demon with green face and fangs cut through her towering belly and crawled out with a few pieces of intestines to suck the blood from her wrist. Blood, there was blood everywhere, and a large area of red was like flames burning the eyes of the onlookers, making people felt extremely uncomfortable and felt creepy at the same time.
The tragic death of the woman and the greedy and ferocious expression of the demon were vividly rendered by the superb painting skills, as if this was not a scene of hell, but a real occurrence.
Emperor Sheng Yuan's answer confirmed this guess, "This is not a picture of hell, it's the scene when Zhen was born."
Guan Suyi's heart skipped a beat, but she was not frightened, rather had a strong suspicion. Even if she didn't want to see Emperor Sheng Yuan anymore, she had to admit that he was a benevolent ruler in this life. Even in the previous life, his idea of governing the country was correct, and his original intention was to benefit the people, but he had no way of doing it and took many detours.
If such person was a demon, then what about the last emperor of the previous dynasty?
"No, you are definitely not a Rakshasa demon. This painting is fictional." She shook her head in denial.
The haze between Emperor Sheng Yuan's brows completely dissipated, "It's true that Zhen is not a Rakshasa demon, but this painting is not fictional. The woman in the painting is Zhen's biological mother, Husu Liya, the first side wife of Zhen's late father. You also know that our Jiuli people have three wives and four concubines system, one main wife and two side wives. If the side wife is strong, it can be on an equal footing with the main wife. Zhen's mother was the most favored side wife of late father, and she was also the most capable, which means she had a tendency to replace the main wife, that is, the current Empress Dowager. Especially after she became pregnant, the contradiction between the two was almost irreconcilable, and it was on the verge of erupting. "
He took the painting, his eyes were empty, "Do not know who did it, the Empress Dowager or other wives and concubines, in short, when Zhen was about to be born, she was chased down and fled into the valley for refuge. There, she gave birth to me, her belly was torn, her wrist was cut, and blood flowing all over the ground. The scene was very tragic, and there were wolves constantly wandering around, but because of the poisonous powder she cast, they never dared to approach. It was the Empress Dowager who first found her body, and Zhen was lying in a pool of blood at that time, sucking her wrist, feeding on blood, not dying of thirst and starvation, nor being eaten by wild animals, Zhen lived for three whole days before finally rescued."
"After going back, the Empress Dowager found the most skilled Dongyang painter, described the real scene according to the narration of everyone present, and presented it to the late father." He nodded at the painting and sighed, "So that's how this painting of Rakshasa descending to earth was made."
Guan Suyi didn't show it on her face, but a storm had already set off in her heart. If this painting was sent to the late emperor, the result could be imagined. If he could pierce his mother's belly, emerge from her body, and eat her blood to tenaciously survive, how could one know that he would not kill his own father and harm the clan in the future? How much the late emperor loved the side wife, that's how much he hated this demon baby, how could he allow him to survive?
Emperor Sheng Yuan smiled and stroked her pale cheeks, comforting, "Madam, don't be afraid, late father is not such a heartless person, he didn't kill Zhen personally, he just threw Zhen into the deep mountain to feed the wolves."
Isn't that called heartless? What horrific things have he experienced to think that it was good that his father did not personally kill him? Guan Suyi's eyes turned red, and a layer of water mist slowly emerged from her dark eyes.
"Madam, don't cry, everything is over. You feel sorry for Zhen, Zhen know." Speaking of the most unbearable past, at this moment Emperor Sheng Yuan did not feel the slightest pain, and he would not pick up the sword and desperately harm himself. He just wanted to hug Madam who was crying for him, looked at her quietly for a while, kissed her for a while, listened to her choked sobbing and even exasperated scolding, then all the pain would be smoothed out.
"Who cares about you? Shameless bastard!" Guan Suyi barely suppressed her tears, but her voice was trembling.
"Okay, Zhen is a bastard, Zhen is shameless." Emperor Sheng Yuan held Madam's soft and boneless hand and slapped it twice on his face, and said while sighing, "Unexpectedly late father didn't want Zhen, but the wolves took and carefully raised Zhen. Before the age of three, Zhen followed them to learn to hunt, eating raw meat and drank animal blood, couldn't speak and only roared. One day, accidentally the imperial sister was lost in the mountain and ran into Zhen, and gave Zhen a roasted chicken leg. That taste, Zhen can never forget until now." As he spoke, he laughed, as if it was such a beautiful memory.
"The imperial sister is the grand princess?" Guan Suyi asked in a hoarse voice.
"Yes, it's her. Since then she often came to see Zhen, taught Zhen to talk, make a fire, eat cooked food, drink boiled water, and tell Zhen that Zhen is not a beast, but a human being, a person with flesh and blood and thoughts. So no matter what the imperial sister did, Zhen can always forgive her, because without her, there would not be Zhen right now. After a few years, the clan threw a group of children into the mountains, to let them fight for their lives with wild beasts, tried to cultivate a group of dead soldiers, and then Zhen got mixed in. Zhen's martial arts were all learned from beasts, the dexterity of apes, the ferocity of tigers, the ruthlessness of wolves, which definitely much stronger than those children, so Zhen naturally became the leader and led them to stumble and survive. One group of children left, another batch of children came, and unknowingly Zhen took control of the dead soldiers of the Jiuli tribe."
"You are really blessed!" Guan Suyi was shocked, and said in her heart: this person is really the true dragon emperor, right? Otherwise, how could he come back from death's door over and over again?
"Zhen did have a little bit of luck. After cultivating a large number of dead soldiers, the Jiuli tribe gradually annexed the surrounding small tribes and began to expand outward little by little, so Zhen mixed into the army again, defeated the enemy one after another, and made great achievements. When late father discovered Zhen's identity, Zhen was already holding a heavy army and become unstoppable, so he had to pinch his nose and recognize Zhen. However, Zhen was never his son, just a sharp weapon, and had no existential value except to expand territory for him. Waiting for this sharp weapon to break, then it's time to throw it away. While he directed Zhen to fight in the front, he let a few of Zhen's brothers to devour Zhen's forces, and coldly watched them unite to strangle Zhen."
Having said this, he sneered, "But waste is waste, let alone joining forces, even if they were given another hundred of lives, they were no match for Zhen. Later, Zhen went straight to Yanjing and became the emperor, and later, the Empress Dowager gave this painting to Zhen as a gift for ascending the throne, making Zhen felt death was better than living." His eyes began to turn red, "Zhen has always been thinking since Zhen was a child, why do others have fathers and mothers, but Zhen have no one; why can others growing up at home, and Zhen was the only one who was abandoned in the wilderness. Who is Zhen's mother, and why Zhen is regarded as a demon by the clansman? In the passage of time, in the torment of suffering, this question gradually became Zhen's inner demon, and the Empress Dowager completely released this inner demon, intending to kill Zhen without a fight, and she almost succeeded."
Guan Suyi was shock speechless for a while, and slowly straightened her train of thoughts. She looked at the painting in her hand again, and said with certainty, "Your Majesty, she lied to you. This painting is not a Rakshasa descending to earth, but a goddess protecting her child! "
Emperor Sheng Yuan suddenly laughed, gently wrapped his arms around Madam's thin shoulders, and murmured, "Madam's eyes are still the brightest and can penetrate deeply. Without Madam, Zhen might be haunted by this inner demon for the rest of Zhen's life, mad to the point of death. Madam, it's you who saved Zhen."
