fleeting photos

The hall was silent for a long time, and with a slight sigh, the unbearable silence was finally broken.

"Azhao."

Xie Jin raised his hand, gently caressed Jiang Zhao's side face, called her name, and said lightly: "Such stupid words, don't say any more in the future, if someone overhears..."

"So what if someone overhears you?" Jiang Zhao interrupted her, "As an emperor, I neither covet the enjoyment of the people, nor do I make great achievements. I just want to choose a queen I really like. Why? no?"

Xie Jin pursed his lips into a smile, and said softly: "In the former dynasty, Emperor Ming of Jin, his direct son and heir, was in the East Palace.

He and General Changping had known each other since childhood, and they had a deep affection. Even the history books recorded that the monarch and his ministers were compatible, and their love gradually increased. General Changping never married in his life. "

"However," Xie Jin changed the subject, "Emperor Ming has one empress and nine concubines, seven sons and five daughters. When the descendants sang praises for him, that General Changping, who has made great military exploits, never stood side by side with him for a moment as a lover. .”

Some anecdotes about Emperor Ming of Jin and General Zhou Wei of Changping are still circulated among the people, but as Xie Jin said, even the love between the emperor and his ministers recognized by the history books could not make Emperor Ming break through the shackles of etiquette and secularism. In the anecdotal and unofficial history of later generations, the identity of General Changping was ridiculed repeatedly, and he was called the Ming Emperor's spoiled pet.

Emperor Ming reigned for 35 years, but Zhou Wei has not been able to give Zhou Wei a recognized identity. Even in the eyes of many scholars, he is just a leisurely pastime of Emperor Ming, and even a stain that cannot be mentioned in Emperor Ming's career as emperor.

And Jiang Zhao has only been on the throne for three years, and he has already begun to look like a wise monarch, and his reputation among the people is also very good. How can Xie Jin have the heart to let her be confused for herself, and she will be despised by all officials and ridiculed by everyone in the future?

She would rather be a nameless and humble female pet beside Jiang Zhao.

But Jiang Zhao obviously didn't think so.

She has also read history books and read anecdotes about Emperor Ming. Indeed, in her eyes, Emperor Jin Ming can be regarded as the Ming emperor of the previous generation in terms of governing the government and ruling the world, and is worthy of praise by future generations.

But for Zhou Wei, the general of Changping who "lived next to him and depended on food and shelter", he probably could only be called a heartless one. Wei has a name.

If it is true that Emperor Ming only regarded Zhou Wei as a pastime, as the unofficial anecdotes say, then Zhou Wei can only be blamed for flying moths into the flames.

However, according to historical records, when Emperor Ming built the imperial mausoleum, he added an extra coffin to his tomb. As for who left it for, although there is no clear record, everyone knows it well.

In the 35th year of Zhanghe in the Jin Dynasty, the brilliant Emperor Ming of Jin died of illness at the age of 57 and was buried in the imperial mausoleum.

Half a month after Emperor Ming's death, General Zhou Wei of Changping, who was three years younger than him, also passed away. According to historical records, the general was in good health, able to control a horse and wield a spear, but suddenly died suddenly at home. .

The place where Zhou Wei was buried is not clearly recorded. What is interesting is that many years later, when the descendants of the Zhou family were drunk, it was reported that Zhou Wei was not buried in the Zhou family cemetery at all, and that Zhou Wei was buried with Emperor Ming. The saying spread widely.

After Jiang Zhao was clearly aware of her thoughts on Xie Jin, she deliberately checked the historical records about it, especially related to the royal family, and the matter of Emperor Jinming and Zhou Wei naturally attracted her attention.

Regardless of the official history and the unofficial history, Jiang Zhao has studied it thoroughly. She never thought that Xie Jin would use Emperor Jin Ming to reason with her.

She had already sneered at Emperor Ming's actions, and she didn't want Xie Jin to compare herself with him, so she immediately promised: "I am not Emperor Jin Ming, and I will never let you become Zhou Wei.

Jinniang, I will not marry anyone else, and I will not let anyone other than you be my queen. After a hundred years, you and I will be buried together, and I will not be judged by anyone. "

Seeing her sincere words, Xie Jin couldn't help but feel sour.

But her sense remained, she turned her eyes away from the raging flames in Jiang Zhao's eyes, leaned on her shoulder and said softly: "As the emperor, you should set an example for all people. Emperor Ming never opposed the officials in his life. You will be famous forever, if you act recklessly, you will be ridiculed by all people."

"I don't care what the eternal name is."

"But I care."

Faced with Jiang Zhao's waywardness, Xie Jin was well prepared. She didn't want to use quarrels to intensify the conflict, so she put her palm on Jiang Zhao's back and stroked it gently, which gradually calmed down her agitated emotions.

"You once asked me if you thought you were a fool, remember how I answered?"

Feeling that Jiang Zhao's emotions were calming down, Xie Jin stepped back and let her go, looked her in the eyes and asked a question.

Jiang Zhao nodded, "Why don't I remember what you said? I asked you this question because I asked Han Xuan to design the Zhao family in the Royal Garden. Your answer was to praise me as a person who thinks about the people. good emperor."

Xie Jin smiled, and looked at her more tenderly, "Actually, long before I knew your identity, I had heard about His Majesty many times in Gong Zhengsi. Although I didn't dare to be blatant, there were some rumors about it."

She hadn't heard these Jiang Zhao mentioned before, so she couldn't help moving her ears, becoming interested.

Xie Jin stretched out his hand to pinch her soft earlobe, and continued: "Your Majesty has been diligent in government affairs since he took the throne, frugal and loving the people, and many of them have reduced punishment, reduced taxes, and lenient policies, which have made the world a blessing and admired by all people.

At that time, I didn't know that His Majesty was my Azhao, but I just lamented that His Majesty was young and a woman, but he could do things that many men could not do. It was really admirable. "

Knowing that Xie Jin was cautious, Jiang Zhao had rarely talked to her about the current Holy Majesty in the past, for fear that she would see through her identity, so she never knew that Xie Jin used to treat her like this.

After receiving her praise, she felt a little flustered, Jiang Zhao didn't show it on the face, but Xie Jin watched her earlobe that was kneaded by him gradually rise to a rosy color, and couldn't help laughing out loud.

With a thin face, Jiang Zhao pulled her hand away, pretending to be fierce and asked: "What are you laughing at?"

Xie Jin said: "Your Majesty is so overbearing, you won't even be allowed to laugh?"

Jiang Zhao snorted, folded his arms and sat back on the chair, Xie Jin stood there looking at her, waited for her shame and indignation to pass, and then said again: "Later, I found out that Ah Zhao is His Majesty, how could I not be upset?" shock?

Apart from the anger caused by you for concealing your identity, I also feel extremely distressed and proud, because I know that it is not so easy to be an emperor, and it will only be more difficult for a woman to be the emperor. What you have roughly said to me before Your Majesty's troubles belong to you. "

Speaking of this, Xie Jin couldn't help the bitterness from the root of his tongue.

When they were just sisters who depended on each other, Jiang Zhao went to Xie Jin. In order not to let her worry about him, he always reported good news but not bad news. Therefore, Xie Jin never heard any troubles about herself from her mouth. It's about His Majesty's troubles, and I will occasionally mention it, and sometimes I will ask Xie Jin for his opinion.

At that time, Xie Jin didn't know her real identity, and he was afraid that she would bring trouble out of her mouth, so she always told her not to talk about the emperor, and told her to keep her mouth shut, and she had to be extremely cautious when serving in front of the emperor, so as not to cause trouble to her upper body.

Thinking about it now, how upset Jiang Zhaowei must be about those things before he can't help but reveal it to her.

But she rarely gets a response.

"Jin Niang?"

Seeing that Xie Jin was suddenly in a trance, and was about to shed tears in a daze, Jiang Zhao called out, hurriedly moved up to wipe the corners of her eyes, and asked again: "Don't cry, I won't dare to lie to you again gone."

Xie Jin shook his head, held back his tears, couldn't help but put his arms into her arms again, and said in a low voice: "Azhao, it is precisely because I know your difficulties and how you have come to this day that I cannot let you make mistakes. Confused."

"But I just want you to be my wife in an open and aboveboard manner. Is this considered confusing?" Jiang Zhao lowered his brows, reached out to catch a strand of her hair, and wrapped it around his fingertips a few times.

Xie Jin closed his eyes in her arms, even though his heart ached unbearably, he still chose reason.

"I can stay by your side and spend my whole life with you, but I can't allow myself to dishonor your reputation.

I don't want to be Zhou Wei, and I don't want to be a stain on your life. There has never been such a precedent in the past and present. Emperor Jin Ming didn't give Zhou Wei an identity, not because he couldn't, but because he already understood the stakes. Because of this, I can't let you take the road he dared not take, and pay the price he dared not pay. "

These are the truths that she has thought about for a long time, and she finally peeled them out and told Jiang Zhao.

Jiang Zhao was silent for a long time after hearing this, and said in a low voice: "Partitioning peaches and breaking sleeves has existed since ancient times. Which emperor does not have some anecdotes that attract people to spy on? Sooner or later, people in the world will understand that even if I am a good woman, I can do this well." emperor."

"But we will have no heirs."

Xie Jin finally said the words that were suppressed in her heart. She clasped Jiang Zhao's shoulder with her backhand, trying to make her voice calm and calm, so that Jiang Zhao would not be aware of her entanglement and pain.

"If you are just a good woman and hide me in the deep palace, the officials will not say much.

But I can't be your wife, let alone a queen, because I can't give birth to your child, and Dameng Jiangshan needs an heir, this is your unshirkable responsibility as a king, not me, you know ? "

Xie Jin bit her lower lip tightly, tears slipped from her cheeks to her chin, and finally fell silently on Jiang Zhao's clothes.

"If I stay by your side, I can only become Zhou Wei in the end, Ah Zhao, do you understand?" Her voice was a little hoarse, and she finally made up her mind, telling Jiang Zhao softly: "But, if you really If you let me choose, I will."

Willing to be the next unknown Zhou Wei.

I am willing to be by her side to watch her have children, to see her become a generation of Mingjun who will last forever.

To be willing to bury her in the Imperial Mausoleum together is not justifiable from birth to death.

This is Xie Jin's answer to Jiang Zhao.

After going through countless torments in her mind, she finally decided to obey her heart. Seeing that her parents are reunited, Fang Chang said that it is no longer a family reunion, and it is impossible to accept any destination that Xie Yuzhe wants to arrange for her. .

She asked Jiang Zhao in the past, the sky outside the palace is high and the sea is wide, and the wonders of the north and south of the Yangtze River, don't you want to take a look?

Now that the problem came back to her, she realized what it means to be involuntary.

How come there are so many perfections in the world, why are there so many things that are satisfactory, and there is a price to be paid for any choice. Since she chooses to fulfill Jiang Zhao, she has to give up her freedom.

Because for her, the two are not in a comparable relationship.

During the eight years in the palace, reunion with his family has become Xie Jin's obsession. Only after Jiang Zhao solved this obsession with his own hands, can Xie Jin have the energy to think about other things and make other choices.

Without a doubt, she chose Jiang Zhao.

The moment Jiang Zhao wanted to set her free at the Huguo Temple that day, Xie Jin had already made a choice. She had no way to go home with her parents without any worries, nor could she truly separate from Jiang Zhao.

So she made a choice and was willing to bear all the price for it.

But Xie Jin didn't expect that those who she considered later, those who were tempted first would make choices earlier.

"If it's the issue of heirs that makes you feel helpless and can only compromise, then let me tell you, I have already considered this from the very beginning, so you don't have to worry about it, just leave everything to me."

Jiang Zhao took Xie Jin out of her arms, and saw that her eyes were red and tears were streaming down her face at some point, because she was too forbearing to fear that she would find out, and she bit her lower lip, bleeding out.

Her fingertips lightly landed on the bottom of the wound, touched it gently, and asked Xie Jin: "Everyone thinks that I left Anle in the palace to keep the uncle in check, what do you think?"

Xie Jin shook his head and said: "I don't know. But you are not as harsh as the rumors about the princess."

Jiang Zhao laughed and looked back at the closed door of the palace, then lowered his voice and whispered in Xie Jin's ear: "Not only will I not treat her slowly, but I will try my best to teach her so that she will move from the Qingyuan Palace to the East Palace sooner or later." go."

"East Palace?" Xie Jin was shocked by the two words, his hands and feet trembled, and he suddenly understood all Jiang Zhao's intentions.

This is the secret that Jiang Zhao rubbed into her lips and teeth, swallowed it into her throat, and swallowed it into her stomach. From the beginning to the end, she planned it alone and decided it alone. Now she finally told the truth to the person she trusted the most. Contrary to Xie Jin's shock, she seemed extremely at ease up.

"That's right, I plan to take her as the heir apparent, adopt her to be educated under my own name, and then inherit the throne and become the second empress of Dameng."

After finishing speaking, she rubbed her forehead with Xie Jin who was dizzy and didn't know how to react, and said affectionately: "Jin Niang, since I deprived you of the right to be a mother, I should pay the same price."