At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

The only one who loves is Cao Lan alone, so compared to Mi Zhen and Tian Rou, he is more reluctant to see Cao Lan.

But in order not to irritate Cao Lan further, he even disappeared with Tian Rou and Mi Zhen, only seeing Xiaoqiao and Xia Houlin.

So much so that during the New Year's Eve, the atmosphere of the usual family gatherings became a little strange.

Whether it was Cao Cao, Qiao Rui, Guo Hong, or Xia Houyuan, even Guo Jia, who was most active in previous years, tried his best to revitalize the atmosphere.

There are always some things that once lost can never come back.

In the end, Guo Jia simply stopped talking, and the New Year's royal dinner ended hastily.

Guo Peng's face was normal, and he didn't seem to have any feelings, but his heart was not completely untouched.

On the contrary, he was still quite uncomfortable.

So much so that even the usual trip to the hot springs has become very weird.

In the past, the hot spring trip was an important opportunity for Guo Peng to chat with his wives and concubines and his father to exchange feelings. Guo Peng would indulge himself after a long time and show some emotions.

But this year is different.

Guo Peng and Cao Lan did not have a single conversation during the entire New Year's Eve.

Perhaps Guo Peng was avoiding Cao Lan, or Cao Lan was avoiding Guo Peng.

When they arrived at the Hot Spring Palace, Cao Lan voluntarily left the room she had spent with Guo Peng in previous years, and lived in another room by herself.

Guo Peng didn't go back to that room either, but hid in the tender village of Xiaoqiao and Xiahoulin, venting his negative emotions crazily, like an emotional beast.

Xiaoqiao and Xia Houlin were exhausted by Guo Peng's torment.

In the past, the Supreme Emperor, who might be able to persuade him, did not come to the hot spring with him this year, and seemed to be complaining about Guo Peng's ruthlessness towards his family.

Or he was disheartened by the reality of his inability to protect his family, so he lived in the palace and never went out.

Guo Peng went to invite him in person, but Guo Dan blocked him at the door, didn't let him in, and didn't want to meet him.

The rest of the younger children can't become lubricants in the family.

Only two brothers, Guo Jin and Guo Jun, had accumulated a certain amount of age and experience, and had some exchanges with Guo Peng. The three of them soaked in the hot spring together and talked about this matter.

"I went to see my mother, and I also asked my mother, and my mother didn't seem to blame my father for this matter."

Guo Jun, who returned from the locust control in Guanzhong for vacation, sat on the left of Guo Peng and looked at Guo Peng: "Father, why don't you go see your mother? Mother really hopes to meet my father."

"I also went to see my mother. What Ajun said was true. Father and mother really didn't blame father. Mother said that this was something she could have expected a long time ago. She was not surprised. As long as Wei Guo can be good, what It doesn't matter."

Guo Jin continued.

Guo Peng looked at his two sons, sighed slightly, and smiled wryly.

"What a strange woman who understands righteousness, Ajin, Ajun, do you think your mother's words are from the heart? Are you sure your mother has no opinion at all?"

Guo Jun and Guo Jin looked at each other, not knowing what Guo Peng meant.

"Father means..."

"How can she not complain about me? How can she not be dissatisfied with me at all? If she does, she is not human. I told you that I did not marry your mother by my own will, but by my own will. There is a political need.

At the beginning, my status was not enough, I had no support in Luoyang, and no one could help me find a future. I took a fancy to the power of the Cao family in the court, and the Cao family took a fancy to my background and future, so we hit it off, and I Married to your mother.

This is the result of both of us having our own needs. At the beginning, I didn't expect that today would happen, but later, when I gradually became stronger, I realized that this day will come sooner or later, sooner or later, it will definitely be arrival. "

Guo Peng plunged his body deeper into the hot spring water, so that the hot spring water did not reach his neck.

"Father……"

Guo Jin and Guo Jun were quite surprised.

"Don't think it's unbelievable, the road you have walked for your father now, you will walk it again now or in the future, because your marriages are all political marriages, not all of your own wishes.

Ah Jun, did your wife say anything to you when Yuan Shi was targeted by Cheng Yu?Did I ask you something?How did you cope? "

Guo Peng looked at Guo Jun.

Guo Jun's expression froze.

When Cheng Yu dealt with Yuan Shi, Yuan Shi didn't take the initiative to ask Guo Jun's wife Yuan Wei for help, but Yuan Wei was very worried when she knew about this matter, and begged Guo Jun to say a few words for Yuan Si.

Guo Jun is well aware of the dangers involved, and he also knows that his identity is sensitive and he cannot speak. Once he speaks, he will make a political mistake. It is very dangerous, so he explained these principles to his wife.

After Yuan Wei knew about it, she didn't say anything, as if she knew that Guo Jun could do nothing about this matter, or she was not willing to do anything at all.

Later, Yuan Shi was hit a little bit, but he didn't hurt his muscles and bones. The husband and wife never mentioned this matter again, but they were more or less uncomfortable when getting along.

Yuan Wei always has such an indifferent feeling towards Guo Jun.

Such a thing happened not long after the wedding, Guo Jun was unhappy, and spent more than ten days in a row on the front line of locust control, paralyzing herself with work.

When Guo Peng said this, he remembered this experience.

"It's not a good feeling."

Guo Jun told the truth.

The entanglement of family interests in the relationship between husband and wife really makes young men and women very embarrassed and uncomfortable.

This is also an unavoidable problem of political marriage.

Emotions are mixed with interests. Even if you want to eliminate the interference of these problems, it is impossible for both parties.

So Guo Peng felt a little guilty.

Guo Jun and his wife are afraid that from now on they will only have different dreams in the same bed, it will be difficult to confess, it will be difficult to talk to each other, and they will not have a real relationship between husband and wife.

However, due to the needs of the royal family and Yuan's status, this marriage must be maintained.

Both sides are victims of politics and must be victims of politics.

Guo Jun had no choice, just like Guo had no choice back then.

Chapter 1338 One thousand two hundred and forty eight If you hadn't been emperor

Guo Peng knew very well that Guo Jin was lucky.

Cai Yong and the Cai family behind him did not cause trouble, and they would not be targeted by Guo Peng, so the harmonious relationship between husband and wife has been maintained so far.

But this is also something that cannot be said.

The emperor's road to centralization is the road of betrayal, so the supreme emperor is the widow.

After Guo Peng's death, or after Cai Yong's death, it is very difficult to say whether the Cai family will do anything in the era when Guo Jin dominates the empire.

What Guo Peng did to the Cao family today, Guo Jin may not do the same to the Cai family in the future.

The possibility is great.

After all, their personal feelings cannot override national interests. When a choice needs to be made, Guo Peng believes that Guo Jin's choice will be exactly the same as his for the sake of power in his hands.

Therefore, Guo Jin was also a victim in the end.

A widow who has nothing but power.

Even so, Guo Peng has no regrets, and will never do other things to try to make up for it.

The word naive has never been in his dictionary.

"Don't blame being a father, you can't do it if you are a father. You were born in the royal family, so you have to be aware of this. It's the same for your father now, and it's the same for you. This kind of thing won't happen just once, and it will continue to happen in the future. "

Guo Peng did not have any idea of ​​giving up centralization because of this.

On the contrary, he would rather betray his relatives and die alone, but also hold the power in his hands tightly and be the supreme widow.

Although he really loves Cao Lan.

This is his choice, and this is what he paid for by fighting and shedding blood at the cost of millions of lives!

For today, there is already a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood under his feet.

The corpses and blood of those who died for his cause, and the corpses and blood of those who opposed him, were entangled and inseparable for a long time.

It is impossible for him to change, and there is no turning back, he must go on until the end of his life.

As his sons, Guo Jin, Guo Jun, and other children are the same, there is no other choice but to accept this cruel fate.

Because they were born in the royal family, they became the children of someone Guo.

Guo Jin and Guo Jun stopped talking.

They know that such a thing is not something they can solve.

The conflict of interests cannot be resolved with a few simple words. There is no one who doesn't mind it at all. As long as you have tasted the taste of power, you will understand that this thing is addictive.

Those who say that they yearn to live in Yuantian are those who have never tasted the taste of power. No matter how close they are, for the sake of power, they can turn against each other and never stop dying.

A relationship that is not pure from the beginning, even if it is harmonious for a while, will face collapse one day.

It's just that Guo Peng really loves Cao Lan and cares about Cao Lan, so he has some insights.

If he didn't love her at all, he would treat Cao Lan like Liu Hong treated Empress Song. He would have no psychological burden at all, and would directly put her in the cold palace, leaving her alone, and would not collect her body until she died.

From this point of view, Guo Peng is not even as cold-blooded and ruthless as Liu Hong.

It is precisely because of caring that Guo Peng fluctuates emotionally, and Guo Peng doesn't like this feeling at all.

The road of being a loner is supposed to be lonely, painful and sad.

Mastering the supreme power will also be forced to enjoy the unique loneliness.

This feeling, no one can share with him, share for him, and no one is allowed to share for him.

So he put his arms around his two sons and was silent for a long time.

"I'm sorry for my father."

That's all there is to say, that's all there is to say.

After the New Year's Eve, the royal family returned to Luoyang City, and everything went on as usual. Guo Peng continued to deal with government affairs, and continued not to enter the harem. He occasionally went to Xiaoqiao and Xiahoulin's place a few times.

I don't go to other places, basically I eat and live in the South Study Room, and I also meet the courtiers for government affairs in the South Study Room.

So at the end of February, Guo Jin wrote to Guo Peng, hoping that Guo Peng could visit Cao Lan.

Said that when he went to visit Cao Lan, Cao Lan shed tears and looked very sad, he really couldn't stand it anymore.

Although he is the emperor, Guo Jin also hoped that Guo Peng would not be so decisive towards Cao Lan.

This is the first time that Guo Jin, as a son, has been involved in an issue between his parents.

Guo Peng read Guo Jin's letter, hesitated again and again, and asked Su Yuan to drive to the inner palace of Yangxin Hall.

That was the Queen's residence, and it was also Guo Peng's former bedroom.

After more than two months, Guo Peng visited the Hall of Mental Cultivation again. It was undoubtedly a happy event for the people in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and it seemed to be the same for Cao Lan.

Seeing Guo Peng, Cao Lan's eyes immediately turned red, but she didn't shed tears after all, but only showed a faint smile.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm hungry, get me something to eat."

"it is good."

Cao Lan asked Guo Peng to get some of his favorite foods from the small private kitchen in the Palace of Mental Cultivation, which was independent of the Imperial Dining Room, and put them on the table. The husband and wife sat facing each other.

"Is it tasty?"

“Delicious, as always.”

"Then eat more."

Cao Lan still picked food for Guo Peng as before, and put it in Guo Peng's bowl. Guo Peng held the big bowl and ate with big mouthfuls. The more he ate, the faster he ate.

This made Cao Lan feel amused.

"Usually you teach children not to eat too fast, but to chew carefully before swallowing. Why didn't you do it when it was your turn? Eating so fast, isn't it afraid of stomach discomfort?"

Guo Peng chewed the food in his mouth, swallowed it, and smiled.

"It's been a long time since I've eaten anything from your place. I've always eaten from the Imperial Dining Room. I'm tired of eating it, so if you try other flavors, you'll find it particularly delicious."

"Then why didn't you come sooner?"