Golden Stage

During the hundred years of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the most beautiful woman in the world was recognized as born in Qiantang, Jiangnan during the Hongjing Dynasty.

Emperor Hongjing was a peaceful and successful monarch. Although he could not be said to be vigilant during his reign, he was considered diligent. In addition, he was also a wise master who was willing to accept advice. Famous capable ministers and officials.

He was a "Ming Jun" all his life, and the only thing that was criticized by later generations was that the emperor was too obsessed with women and had a magnificent Sangong and Liuyuan.Even at the age of 53, one year before his death, palace envoys were sent to the people to pick good sons into the palace.

So in the 28th year of Hongjing, the daughter of the Qu family in Qiantang was selected by Duan Linglong, the envoy of Qingluan of Jiangnan Road, bid farewell to her parents and family, and followed the motorcade to the capital city with mountains and rivers.

She is naturally beautiful, she is an out-and-out beauty in the world, she is good at singing and dancing, good at rhythm, and also good at calligraphy and painting. As soon as she entered the palace, she won the favor of Emperor Hongjing, was named a noble concubine, and was favored by the sixth palace.

However, Concubine Qu Guifei was born in the south of the Yangtze River, and her body is delicate. When she first arrived in the capital, she could not adapt to the northern climate, and became ill in winter, like a delicate and hard-to-raise canary.In order to please her, in the early winter of Hongjing's 30th year, the emperor took her to the palace to avoid the cold.

One evening, Emperor Hongjing suddenly fell ill. Concubine Qu Gui called for the imperial doctor urgently, but the emperor finally died of illness due to insufficient treatment.

Duan Linglong and Concubine Qu served Emperor Hongjing to the last moment in front of the dragon couch. After the imperial doctor confirmed that the emperor had passed away, Concubine Qu came out and handed over the imperial edict to Taifu Yang Gong to read.Emperor Hongjing's favorite king of Zhou did not accompany him, only the grandson Sun Zhang and the second prince Sun Xun accompanied him.However, to everyone's surprise, Emperor Hongjing did not pass on the throne to the King of Zhou, but chose the second prince, who would later become Emperor Yuantai.

Later generations often suspected that Emperor Yuantai's position was not correct, and that's where he came from.Some people said that it was Taifu Yang Gong who corrected the edict, while others said that Duan Linglong and Concubine Qu joined forces to forge the imperial edict.

Emperor Hongjing passed away, and the position of empress was vacant for many years. Emperor Yuantai originally wanted to honor Concubine Qu as a concubine, but she invited her to become a monk in Wanxiang Temple to practice.The national beauty of a generation is like a flower that has bloomed early, and Jiaoyan has only been two years old, so she resolutely cut off her love, turned around and escaped into Buddhism.

Another year passed, and the third winter in the capital, Qu died of illness in the Vientiane Temple.

The unparalleled beauty of the Great Zhou Dynasty in the past hundred years is like a gorgeous and ethereal silhouette in the history books, not much ink, less handed down, just a few strokes, it disappeared in a flash.

But the truth is much more than that.

There is only a small part of what the Tian family can show grandly, and the history books are limited after all, and they are not exhaustive - at least this is the case with Concubine Qu.

She's hiding more secrets than anyone knows.

For example, the reason why she refused to stay in the palace as a concubine was that when Emperor Hongjing was still in the palace, the new emperor visited the palace where she lived in the middle of the night several times.After returning to the capital, because Taifu Yang Gong helped Emperor Yuantai ascend the throne, his daughter, the second prince and concubine, finally became the empress logically.

For another example, when she left the palace for the Vientiane Temple, Concubine Qu was actually pregnant.

The abbot of Wanxiang Temple is a benevolent and merciful old nun, and the powerful eunuch Duan Linglong takes care of it on her behalf and covers up the arrangements for her. In the end, she actually cheated the world and gave birth to a baby in the twelfth lunar month of the second year of Yuantai.

On the night of giving birth, Concubine Qu supported the child until it was nearly exhausted. Duan Linglong carried the child to her bedside, her eyes were slightly red, and she said softly, "Your Majesty, give him a name."

Concubine Qu tilted her head slightly in the green cloth tent, and suddenly asked in a soft voice: "Outside... Has the snow stopped?"

Duan Linglong said: "Yes. As soon as the little nobleman landed, the snow stopped outside."

"Frost and Snow in the End of the World...Ji Hanxiao," Concubine Qu Guifei said intermittently, "I'm called 'Hanxiao'. My name is 'Yan', so let him use 'Yan' as my surname..."

Duan Linglong subconsciously felt that the name was too bleak, but seeing Concubine Qu speaking reluctantly, she didn't dare to interrupt her, so she nodded.

Concubine Qu Guifei rested for a while, gathered up some strength, and continued: "Don't let him recognize his ancestors and return to his ancestors... Tianjia is ruthless, I hope my son will be safe, happy and free in this life, and don't be trapped in this cage like his mother Can't get out..."

Duan Linglong: "Your Majesty..."

"Brother Duan," she stretched out her thin hand with great difficulty, and firmly grasped the corner of Duan Linglong's clothes, "I ask you one thing..."

She doesn't have much strength in her hands. In fact, Duan Linglong can shake off her hand and get rid of a big trouble in the future with just a light struggle. But for some reason, he stood still for a long time, and finally sighed as if in compromise, and gave in. One step: "My lady, please tell me."

"I want to beg you...Accept him as a adopted son, take care of him for me, bless him when he grows up, don't let others bully him... In the future, let him take care of you until the end of your life...Little sister can't repay you in this life. Then tie the grass to hold the ring..."

Duan Linglong suddenly pressed the back of her hand and stopped her words.

"Back when I brought you into the palace, I never expected to see you today," he said in a low voice, "I missed you. There is no need to repay you, just treat it as what I owe you."

Concubine Qu Gui looked at him, her eyes gradually filled with tears, but the corners of her mouth slowly raised into a very slight arc.

She has been tortured to the point of being inhuman, but this smile made Duan Linglong recall in a trance that when she was sent to Beijing two years ago, she was helped by the maidservant step by step into the car, with tears in her eyes, but when he looked at her At that time, he did not forget to show him a very shallow smile.

Peony with dew, bright and scorching, that is the real beauty of the country.

Who would have thought that once the rain and the wind blow away, the youth is not gone, the beauty is not old, and it has become an eternal farewell.

"I can't wait for him to grow up," her voice became lower and lower, "Brother Duan, you are a adoptive father, just give him a name..."

Duan Linglong thought for a while, and then said: "'Long-lost guest in a foreign country, returning home frequently in cold nights', the word is called 'Menggui', such as——"

He turned his head to look, and suddenly there was no sound.

In the simple and plain bed, Concubine Qu's eyes were tightly closed, her face was serene, her chest no longer rose and fell, and in an instant, she was gone.

She returned home frequently in the cold night, but she would never go back to Qiantang again.

The child in her arms suddenly burst into tears, interrupting Duan Linglong's trance.He softly coaxed a few words, stood up with the child in his arms, placed Qu Guifei's hands exposed outside the quilt, and pulled the quilt up for her to cover her pale and thin face.

He made a soft promise to the empty room and the soul that hadn't gone far: "It's a deal."

Later, Duan Linglong felt that the name "Yan Hanxiao" was really not good, so in order to prevent people who cared about him from associating with Concubine Dao Qu, she changed his first name and surname to "Yan Xiaohan", and took the child with her, nurturing her carefully. .

It's just that Yan Xiaohan and Concubine Qu are very similar in appearance, the first time Emperor Yuantai saw him, he couldn't sit still immediately, he called Duan Linglong and asked him what was going on.

Long after Concubine Qu passed away, Duan Linglong started planning for today.He once thought about sending Yan Xiaohan outside to be raised by others, but who knows what he will look like outside?Not to mention that in this world, if you don't enter the temple, have no wealth and power, and live as a commoner all your life, you can't even eat. What is the "freedom"?

He was also the son of Emperor Yuantai who had an affair with the first emperor and concubine during the filial period, and his identity could not be seen for a lifetime, and even his existence was a potential threat to Emperor Yuantai.

Fortunately, Duan Linglong was well-prepared. He honestly described to Emperor Yuantai the process of concubine Qu Guifei giving birth to a fetus, emphasizing on her wish - she doesn't want her child to be a prince, but only wants to live her life in peace .In the end, he took out his trump card - a small portrait "supposedly" drawn by the imperial concubine himself, and kept it as a memory for Emperor Yuantai.

Emperor Yuan Tai was originally greedy for the beauty of Concubine Qu, when he heard that she died young, he was quite sad, he only thought that since ancient times, the concubine's life was so unlucky, but he didn't realize that there was such a hidden secret in it.That small portrait suddenly brought back many memories in him, and he thought about others when he saw things, but he didn't have the heart to pursue Duan Linglong's concealment and failure to report.

Not only that, as he got older, Concubine Qu was in his heart, just like Mrs. Li was to Emperor Wu, the more ethereal and unforgettable he became.Emperor Yuantai sometimes looked at Yan Xiaohan and felt that he was pitiful, and couldn't help thinking: If Yan Xiaohan was a righteous prince, wouldn't he be more up-to-date than his current sons?

Under the imperceptible influence of these fantasies, Emperor Yuantai acquiesced in Duan Linglong's cultivation of Yan Xiaohan, and led him into Feilongwei, and even promoted Yan Xiaohan to the position of Feilongwei's inspector after Duan Linglong's death.

Regarding Yan Xiaohan's life experience, both Emperor Changzhi and Yan Xiaohan were well aware of it, and both of them knew that the other party knew about it, and over time, it slowly became a tacit understanding that was self-evident.

As long as Yan Xiaohan abides by his duties as a courtier, Emperor Yuantai will give him the maximum position and weight in addition to his status as a prince.

Over the years, Yan Xiaohan has always "followed the rules". The only time he asked Yuantai Emperor for something almost straightforwardly was when he went to Shuzhong to borrow troops from the Supreme Emperor before recovering the Central Plains.

The territory was torn apart, a prince who had been abandoned by him and would never have an identity, borrowed troops from him in order to reorganize the Great Zhou.

It was also at that time that Emperor Yuantai finally noticed something wrong with the relationship between Yan Xiaohan and Fu Shen.

The Emperor Daxing stopped in the palace for the funeral, the new lord was too young to take charge of the funeral, the empress ordered the ministers to assist in the funeral, the maids and servants made arrangements, all the officials came to His Highness crying, the palace was extremely hectic, and did not rest until evening.

In winter in the north, the sunset is early, the snow only falls during the day, and there are national mournings. The imperial city is covered in silver, which is unspeakably bleak.Wearing a sable fur, Yan Xiaohan walked to a palace through the unswept snow, without waiting for anyone to inform him, he pushed the door lightly and walked in.

The light in the room is dim, and the lingering fragrance is lingering. A slender figure is sitting by the table, resting his head on his hands and dozing off. It is unknown how long he has been sleeping here.

Yan Xiaohan unconsciously pursed his lower lip, not knowing what he was nervous about.

He quietly walked in front of Fu Shen, looked at his sleeping face in the thin light of the sky, his gaze was like a carving knife, carving out a tall nose bridge, clear outline, and slightly raised...lips bit by bit. horn.

"Sneak at me, huh?" He closed his eyes and smiled, "Don't let me see."

Yan Xiaohan's slightly frowning brows immediately relaxed, and he stretched out his hand to touch Fu Shen's face: "Why did you fall asleep while sitting? Isn't it cold?"

Fu Shen clasped his hand, opened his eyes, and said lazily: "It's okay, take a nap, it's just lazy. The queen mother is done with her work?"

"Ah."

Yan Xiaohan was worried about Fu Shen's serious injury to Fang Yu and his old leg injury, so he refused to let him kneel outside all the time, and found him a palace room to be lazy when he waited for some less important procedures later on.Anyway, now that the palace is under martial law, no one dares to say anything in front of him.

"you……"

The two spoke at the same time, looked at each other, and shut their mouths together.It was Fu Shen who said first: "Seeing that you have stopped talking for a long time, you should speak first."

Yan Xiaohan didn't know how he saw that he was "hesitant to speak", but he did have something to say: "Did you already know?"

These words were a bit rambling, but Fu Shen immediately understood what he meant.

"I've said before that you look a bit like Emperor Daxing," Fu Shen said, "Last night I saw a picture of a beauty at the Emperor Taishang's place, and I almost thought it was the person next to my pillow who had changed clothes and stood there .What else can't be guessed?"

"No seriousness," Yan Xiaohan made him say with a smile, "I'm an illegitimate child who can't see the light. I'm a little worried that the Supreme Emperor suddenly did something like this. I'm afraid he has already guessed our relationship and wants to use it This decree separates you and me. What if I rob your nephew of the country in the future?"

"You have too much heart," Fu Shen sighed, "What else can you do, feed a tiger with your body, please raise your hand... Regent."

Yan Xiaohan quickly covered his mouth with his hands: "My ancestor, shut up soon. I'm really afraid of you, can this be barking?"

Fu Shen laughed heartlessly in the palm of his hand: "Promising, there is evil heart but no courage."

Yan Xiaohan: "..."

He couldn't bear it anymore, so he bent down and lowered his head, intending to block all his ridicule back into his throat.

"Ah," Fu Shen raised a hand to cover his approaching face, and said solemnly, "It's a national funeral, why is it so undignified?"

Yan Xiaohan kept this posture fixed in mid-air, looking at him through his fingers, his eyes were deep and calm, but somehow there was a sense of longing.

Fu Shen was so stared at by him that he had no choice but to support his face with his hands, resigned himself to his fate, and pecked his lips.

"Forget it... the imperial court doesn't allow the bridal chamber, and no one is allowed to kiss?"

[Note [-]] "Frost and Snow at the End of the World" - Du Fu's "Ge Night"

[Note [-]] "Frequent Dreams Returning During the Cold Night" —— Yu Wuling's "Ke Zhong"