Chasing death and chasing north

When winter came, Mingyuan suffered from wind and cold, which caused the relapse of old diseases, and eventually he couldn't afford it.Every time I went there, I saw that he was getting weaker and weaker, but when we met, he still cheered up and talked and laughed. I couldn't bear to see him force himself, and instead sent people to greet him every day, and I rarely visited the door.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the Hou Mansion sent someone to invite me over. The chief manager's face was full of sorrow, and I felt a heavy weight in my heart.

When he opened the door and walked in, there was a strong smell of herbs. He had been taking medicine since he was a child, and only in the few years in the army, he was in good health.I hurriedly closed the door, Mingyuan was afraid of the wind, the room was tightly covered, and I had to turn on the lights in broad daylight to see the surroundings clearly.

"You're here."

"Um."

He looks good today, leaning on the bed and smiling at me, except for the sunken eye sockets, his handsome appearance is the same as before.

I was about to say hello, but he said seriously: "Time is running out, a friend invites you to meet."

He clapped his hands lightly, and a figure flashed behind the tent. I looked up, and it was General Ge Zhonglin of the Yi Mansion.

"See His Royal Highness King Wei."

"General Ge, you don't need to be too polite." I returned the courtesy for a while, and looked at Mingyuan puzzled.

Ming Yuan said: "General Ge is someone you can trust. Last time the crown prince sent a secret letter to Xizhou, General Ge told me. Zhong Lin, if there is anything going on in the future, please report directly to King Wei."

Ge Zhonglin took a quick look at Mingyuan, then lowered his head again. "The general will obey." He cupped his hands towards me, "Ge Mou is at King Wei's order."

"What did the prince and King Lu talk about yesterday, please tell King Wei again."

"Yes. The crown prince discussed with King Lu that the military generals from Prince Wei's residence should be sent out to serve as local officials, while the civil servants should be recruited into the court."

Ming Yuan laughed, and then he couldn't stop coughing. I hastily beat his back lightly, and raised my head inadvertently, but saw Ge Zhonglin's face showing concern, and he clenched his fists.

Ming Yuan intermittently said: "According to the law, the prince is not allowed to make friends with foreign ministers, they are going to cut off your... cough cough, cut off your left arm and right arm, cough cough, what did you do to force them to use you?" Such a...cough cough, ruthless move? Before the Chinese New Year, didn’t your majesty just...cough cough, used to be a peacemaker, I want to persuade you to reconcile, okay?"

I smile wryly.Can you tell him that it was because of that incident that the relationship between the three brothers became more and more sinister?

Zhaolong listened to my frank and honest feelings for my brother, ridicule, sarcasm, and insults poured out.For a hundred years, the world has always regarded masculinity as filthy, and his reaction is also expected.It was me who was stupid, thinking that he had the same background as me, and he was also very attached to my elder brother. Perhaps he was more tolerant of my feelings than others.

I asked that day, when you were young, didn’t you also say that you wanted to marry your eldest brother?

Zhaolong widened his eyes. "How old was that? I didn't understand anything at that time. Thinking about it now, it was just a childhood joke. Do you take it seriously?

"You are really wrong. He is a man and our elder brother. Whether you want to gain fame and wealth from him or replace him, it is ten thousand times more serious than that dirty idea. There are so many beauties in the world , There are countless people who are willing to commit themselves to you, what is wrong with you, that you have such thoughts about big brother?"

The knife-like words and eyes slashed and became a nightmare that disturbed me from time to time. I didn't expect that the first time I confessed my heart to others, it would attract unexpected contempt.

These days, Prince Lu's faction has been attacking what they believe to be the "King's Party" in the court hall. Yesterday, on the pilgrimage, I met Zhaolong on the way home. When he walked past me, he deliberately said loudly: Do those thankless tricks under the table? To deal with the shady rats and silverfish, you can do it with real swords and guns. This kind of insects and rats look majestic, but in fact they are guilty and short-tempered. Do you think he really dares to resist? "

Since I'm an abnormal person, he probably doesn't see me as an older brother anymore.

"What are you in a daze for?"

Mingyuan pulled my sleeves, and I just came back to my senses.

"I think, sooner or later, I will have nothing."

Mingyuan's eyes were very big because of his thin face. He stared at me for a long time and said to Ge Zhonglin, "Zhong Lin, you should go back first, be careful on the road."

Ge Zhonglin said yes, pushed the door out, and at the last moment before closing the door, he looked straight at me, the inexplicable emotion in his eyes was... hatred?

I couldn't help asking Mingyuan: "How did you find this hidden stake?"

Ming Yuan answered the question: "You really want to know all the words, deeds and daily life of His Highness the Crown Prince, right? You can do it in the future."

I avoided his seemingly knowing gaze. "What am I going to find out about his diet and daily life?"

Mingyuan's pale lips curled up to both sides. "I'm already like this. If you don't tell the truth, no one will listen to you in the future."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" I scolded in a low voice.

"Don't be like them, taboo this and that, what should come will always come." He raised his hand reluctantly and smoothed my gathered brows. I thought the kiss was a little too much, but I didn't avoid it.

"Zhaoan, have you ever thought that if the world is yours, then anyone you want can be easily grasped."

I understood the unhidden meaning in his eyes, and knew that I could not lie to him no matter what. "He is the prince, if I take the world by force, how can he live."

"If you are the emperor, the power of life and death is naturally in your hands...or do you insist on getting the "heart" to count?"

Heart?I shake my head. "How dare I think?"

"Yeah, I don't dare to think about it either." He stared straight at me.

I was shocked. "Mingyuan..."

"If you make up your mind, go to Song Shijian, a member of the criminal department. He has something that can solve your problem. I'm tired and want to sleep."

He closed his eyes tiredly, pushed away my outstretched hand, and moved his body by himself. When he lay down flat, he was already sweating profusely, followed by a severe cough.

I pulled the quilt for him, looked at his thin figure in a daze, stood there for a long time, and finally didn't know what to say. "Then... you should rest well."

"Hmm." He stopped coughing, his guttural voice still muffled.

I hesitated for a while before turning around.

"Wait a minute." Lying quietly, he made a rare request to me: "Open the window for me."

I knew he had his eyes closed, but I still shook my head: "You can't blow the wind."

"It's okay, you know." He smiled on his almost transparent face, and it was the first time I realized that this guy was really not ordinary good-looking.

I walked to the window with heavy steps, bit by bit the cotton batting that filled the gap, and pushed open the two windows.

The spring wind blows against my face, and amidst the whistling wind, I can only hear him sigh: "It's so cold."

I walked up to him and reached out to touch his face which immediately became cold. "Do you want to close it again?"

"No, that's fine." His eyelashes trembled slightly, and even his tone of voice was trembling. "Do you remember, that year I was ordered by you to lead troops to outflank the retreat of the Great Khan of Moxi and burn his food and grass?"

I nod.That battle was a great victory, and Ming Yuan made great contributions.

"The matter will be finished soon. I will lead the army to retreat to the western border, waiting to join the army. The weather in that ghost place is more than ten times colder than today. I heard from the locals that there is a kind of purple on the snow mountain not far away. If you can pick the lotus flower when it is in full bloom and give it to your sweetheart, you will definitely get a happy ending.

"I went out of the camp alone, and it took me three hours to climb to the top of the mountain. I was lucky. I only stayed there for three days and three nights. One of the lotus flowers just opened, and I picked them back to the camp. The army arrived the next day. His Royal Highness, who came to greet the labor force, has already taken people to the post station to wait, so I gave the broken flower to the camp prostitute who served that night." He spoke incomparably fluently, without hindrance, and his eyes sparkled .

"You bastard, you actually left your post without authorization." Knowing that such a response was too tactful, I had no choice.

he laughed. "Yeah, I forgot that His Highness King Wei's military law is strict." Slowly, he closed his lips, and his expression gradually became serene. "How beautiful the purple lotus is, you must not know."

I looked at him deeply and walked away silently.

In the early morning of the eighteenth day of the first lunar month in the seventh year of Yongchang, Zhai Ming, Marquis of Dingyuan, passed away.

When I arrived with my wife and children, the small mortuary was over, and the family servants were crying bitterly in front of the mortuary bed.He only had one wife, who gave birth to a daughter for him. Brothers and sisters from the Zhai family came over one after another, and they didn't know they would meet Cai Guogong.

Mrs. Zhai is his most beloved younger sister, she has cried until she passed out on the way, and now she is resting in the wing room.I burned incense and prayed alone, and then ignored his family's repeated persuasion and stood upright beside his funeral bed.

Mingyuan's face was lifelike, and there shouldn't be much pain before he passed away, but according to his temperament that he can keep everything in his heart, no matter how painful it is, it won't show on his face.

He always has a smile on his face, and treats people well. The soldiers in the army respect and love him very much, and they will tell him anything.The brothers and sisters were not close to him when they were young, but when they grew up, they looked down on the distinction between concubine and concubine, walking around frequently, and now they all cry so much that they can't help themselves.

The scene of the last meeting came to mind.

I have never noticed that someone has invested such a deep emotion in me.If I knew, maybe I wouldn't be able to be intimate with him until today.Or, will I give up the person I've always dreamed of and turn my attention to him?

No no, impossible.How determined I am, he probably knows better than myself.So when he repeatedly persuaded me to replace my elder brother, did he also have selfish intentions?It's not my villainous heart, that guy has never been a saint, he followed me to this day, if he said it was all for pure love, pigs wouldn't believe it.

He is my most loyal ally. We have played together since childhood. For 20 years, no matter what the situation is, we have never betrayed each other. Within the scope of our ability, I have always given him the best reward, the highest official title.

I have always been glad that I had such a good friend when I was young, and I always thought that when the children of the two families are older, I will try to ask him to marry my daughter to the best child of my grandson family, and I will become a princess or even a prince in the future Concubine, empress, so our Sun family's imperial lineage will always have the blood of his Zhai family.

However, these are far from all he wants.How did that happen?Looking at his calm face by candlelight, I feel more and more ridiculous.He and I have already made great achievements at a young age. It is not an exaggeration to be arrogant about the world, but deep down, we both have unspeakable secrets and unsatisfactory wishes. It is really pitiful and ridiculous .

After he said something so simple, he stretched his legs and walked away. He knew that I would care about it for the rest of my life, but he still said it deliberately, making it clear that he wanted to take the final revenge. If it's not treachery, what is it?

But from now on, I don't have to keep in the dark and accept what he thinks is great... He must be doing things for me, secretly having fun, and then treat the fame and fortune I gave him like dirt, secretly scolding me for being vulgar, and calling people We all know that he didn't want to die by himself, but that there is no holiday, and he made a sigh of relief for nothing. Then even if I lose my reputation and lose my reputation in the fight with my brother, it has nothing to do with him.

Are you running for your life, Di Mingyuan?The more I thought about it, the more I hated him, and I almost wanted to drag him out and beat him up.

"Your Highness, it's late at night, it's time to go to rest, you've been standing here for almost three hours..."

The attendant approached cautiously, I raised my head and saw that he was holding a square scarf in his hand.

Is it used to wipe my tears?

I have nothing to cry about, it's a good thing that he's freed from struggles and entanglements.In a sense, I have escaped a long-standing debt of favor.

Haha, sure enough, the members of our Sun family are as cool as each other.

"Your Highness, Your Highness?"

The attendant was startled by my sudden laughter, and looked like he was going to run out to find the medical officer at any moment.

I pulled the square scarf in his hand to cover Ming Yuan's face, and strode out of the mourning hall.

Mingyuan is to me, just like I am to my elder brother.I don't want to repeat his mistakes, until I die unspeakable.I used to think that being able to endure that kind of pain was considered a hero, but when I look at him now, I just feel so useless and a jerk.Thank him for exploring the way for me. If I follow his mistakes, I will regret it when I die.

It was Kui Ye's visit again, and I was ready to use my sword to open the way, but I didn't expect someone to lead me into the inner hall immediately after this notification.

The elder brother stood behind a few desks, watched me approach, and said, "Ming Yuan left?"

"Yes."

Maybe my expressionless face frightened him a little, so he murmured: "...sorry."

"Hmm." I nodded slightly.

He was even more at a loss and couldn't help but ask, "What are you here for?"

I looked around, but he showed hesitation, so I took off the sword on my body and threw it outside the door.

Although the elder brother was puzzled, he finally raised his hand and said, "Back off."

The attendants and guards left one after another and closed the door behind them.I took two steps forward and knelt at his feet.

His seat was leaning against the wall, there was no way to retreat, he had to lean on the back of the chair and said anxiously: "Erlang, what are you doing?"

I raised my head and stared into his surprised eyes: "I won't fight with you for anything, and tomorrow I will show up to my father and voluntarily depose him as a commoner, do you think it's okay?"

His eyes changed several times, and he finally said, "What's your condition?"

"I want to stay with you."

He frowned in confusion.

"I have always loved you in my heart, not as brotherhood, but as love between a man and a woman."

He opened his mouth slightly, stunned.

"You and I are both men or brothers. I know it well. I'm not as good as a beast. I've been enduring, and I can't restrain myself after all."

His eyes were wide open, and he stammered, "You, what are you talking about?"

"You heard me right. I know you only like women. As long as you respond a little bit, I will do everything for you. Jiangshan was brought down by me. It's not that I don't want it, but if you can look at me more, let me go I’m in my heart, you can take this country.”

"I don't understand." He leaned closer to me, his inquisitive eyes approaching, "What do you want?"

I took his right hand and held it tightly in my hand, saying word by word: "I only want you, I want to hug you."

As soon as the words fell, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen, couldn't help letting go, and sat down on the ground.

He retracted his feet, sat down in the chair very slowly, and stared straight ahead.

"roll."

"I'm not joking, Goro knows about it too."

"Get out!" He was so angry that he tossed the copper paperweight in his hand without any thought. I didn't intend to guard against it. It brushed my forehead and fell to my legs.

This level was nothing more than bleeding, but his disgusted expression made the pain extremely strong, the wound was hot, and my tears almost flowed down.

He was furious and growled in a low voice: "You don't have to use such ridiculous excuses to humiliate me, if you want Jiangshan, just let the horse come over, even if I fight to the death, I don't need your concession!"

"I see." I stood up, smoothed the upturned corner of my robe, and cupped my fists in salute to him. "Brother, take your leave."

I walked out the door, and the sound of objects falling behind me kept ringing.If he didn't believe my words, he was completely annoyed. If he went to ask Zhaolong for verification in another day, it would be another monstrous wave.

Then, as expected, I only have one path that Mingyuan said.