Jiang Qing

All the way north, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the weather becomes more and more comfortable after autumn.

Although Zhao Jingning can't show her face easily, she can't stay idle when she can stop on the road, either to taste the local specialties, or to look at the mountains and rivers along the way. If she didn't follow such a group of people, Qingxuan really thought She is out to play.

From Pingdu to the north, I visited half of the country of Li, and it was the season of refreshing autumn. There were often small temple fairs, and the customs were different in different places. Although it was not possible to stay for two or three days everywhere, Zhao Jingning almost used it. I devote all my time and energy to enjoying the scenery along the way, and sometimes I even prefer to participate in the night market all night, and catch up on sleep in the carriage the next day.

Sometimes Qingxuan looked at her from a distance, and felt that she looked like a flower that should have grown in a wild place in the mountains, gorgeous and clear.

Even if she was traveling in the wilderness with few people, she could still find some flowers that were not blown away by the autumn wind when the convoy was resting, tie them into bouquets and hang them upside down on the curtain of the carriage.

The wind blows and the flowers move, and the faint scent also follows.

Seeing that the flowers turned into dried flowers, trembling in the wind, I walked forward, and the replacement flowers became fewer and fewer.They will be able to reach Yanzhou tomorrow, and they stopped in a forest with water.

The trees in the north are tall and strong, blocking most of the sunlight, and in the gap between the fallen leaves, the broken sunlight slides down along the lines of the light, and the ground is full of light spots that are suddenly far and near.

Zhao Jingning's mood was visibly depressed, and she didn't get off the carriage until the next evening, when the carriage drove out of the forest, which was the south gate of Yanzhou, she suddenly stopped the motorcade.

The maid who followed the road got out of the car and whispered something to the people in the convoy. All the accompanying guards turned their backs to the carriage, stepped back twenty or thirty steps, and stood there with their heads bowed.

Qingxuan watched the maids move the wooden boxes containing the wedding dress and jewelry to the luggage cart at the back, and then realized that Zhao Jingning was going to change into the wedding dress and enter the city. He was wondering why no one told him to avoid it, and was about to move away When he was about to retreat, he heard a maid calling to stop him.

"His Royal Highness said that it is enough to stand here."

Qingxuan, who was originally five or six steps away from the carriage, suddenly felt like he was standing on a pegboard, neither moving nor not moving for a while.

Two more maids got into the carriage, and the rest waited under the carriage holding wooden boxes. Qingxuan could clearly see that the wooden boxes were empty one by one, and the sound of rustling in the carriage was amplified countless times at this moment , lingering in his ears.

I don't know how long it took, Qingxuan felt that his feet were numb.The movement in the carriage also stopped, Qingxuan heard Zhao Jingning's voice.

"You all go down."

As the two maids in the carriage got off, the other maids retreated with them to a distance of twenty steps and turned around.

All of a sudden, the wind blows through the jungle, disturbing the swirling of dead leaves, as if there are only two of them in the world.

"Come here." Zhao Jingning lifted the curtain, and what met Qing Xuan's eyes was a strange yet familiar face.

Zhao Jingning had never used such a gorgeous rouge before, the blush on her lips at this moment contrasted with the flowers on her forehead, which was faintly hidden under the red veil.

Qingxuan couldn't see her face clearly, but he saw the flowing red all over her body and the solid vermilion on her lips very clearly.

"Taoist." Zhao Jingning called him again.

Qingxuan paused for a moment, then stepped forward and stood under the window of the carriage, looked up at her, and replied, "Princess."

Zhao Jingning smiled lightly under the red gauze flowing in the fine sunlight, sat up straight, and held a pipa in his arms.

Qingxuan's eyes fixed on her for a moment, then Zhao Jingning lowered his head and touched the wedding dress on his body, like a child who got something new, with some joy and tenderness in his eyes.

"Actually, you don't need to wear it at this time." She whispered, as if talking to herself, and didn't expect Qingxuan to answer.

But he complied.

His extremely plain voice had a blunt meaning at this moment, "I know."

Along with these three words, there was a faint sigh.

Qingxuan knows.

After entering the city, it is the formal ceremony to change into the wedding dress when we get married tomorrow.She changed it so early, just to let him take a look, just like these years in Pingdu, she would run over to show him any good things she got.

Qingxuan had never looked sideways at the rare treasures that Zhao Jingning found, only at this moment his eyes never moved away from Zhao Jingning, and he said after a long while: "It's beautiful."

With a smile in his eyes, Zhao Jingning said: "The Taoist priest taught me how to use swordsmanship, and Jingning reported Changyi Beige. Thank you Taoist priest for your indulgence and support these years."

She lightly plucked the strings of the pipa, twitched her ten fingers, and played half a que of "Liren Beige".

It was obviously a song about the general's homesickness, but she deliberately turned it up a tune, and the original melancholy sound at her fingertips was a little more free and easy.

The string plucked the last note under her fingertips, Zhao Jingning held down the trembling thin string, stood up, and stretched out his hand towards Qingxuan.

Qingxuan was still immersed in the lingering sound of the pipa, caught a glimpse of Zhao Jingning's hand from the corner of his eye, subconsciously avoided suspicion, and turned his face sideways.

"Don't move." Zhao Jingning didn't know when a hairpin was added to his hand, and he was leaning over and slowly getting stuck into Qingxuan's hair.

The drooping sleeves blocked Qingxuan's eyes, and the incense on Zhao Jingning's body seemed to linger on the tip of his nose, the redness bewildered and the sandalwood was alluring.

Qingxuan's heart twitched slightly, like water ripples floating in the breeze, and the sea of ​​heart returned to calm in an instant.

He didn't know what the sudden stirring in his heart was, and a rare blank expression appeared on his calm face.

Zhao Jingning's green fingertips caressed the cluster of fiery red maple leaves on the hairpin in his hair, and then leaned back to see Qingxuan wearing a light blue Taoist robe.His whole body is clean and light, even the shape of his lips is thin and light, only the touch of red in the hair she dyed by herself is gorgeous.

"At this time, the maple leaves in Luofengzhai should be completely red, but this year's maple leaves are not destined to be seen." Zhao Jingning cast his eyes on the road they came from, as if seeing through the yellow and gray eyes that are thousands of miles away. The bright red scene.

Qingxuan raised his hand to touch his hair, vaguely squeezed out the shape of the hairpin head, paused, but still didn't take it off.

"In the future, Jingning will look at each other from afar in the north. I hope that Taoist priests will have a heart like a maple, and it will remain the same every year." Zhao Jingning smiled slightly, tilted his head, and covered the small maple leaf hairpin in his phoenix crown, as if covering his eyes. Get rid of my little thoughts for so many years.

"Thank you princess for the reward." Qingxuan saluted, then silently took a small step back and opened the distance.

There was neither sadness nor joy in his eyes, like a pool of still water without the slightest ripple.

Zhao Jingning suddenly wanted to be presumptuous, to see the ripples in his eyes.

"Xiang Wandi."

Qingxuan froze for a moment, raised his head but before realizing it was him who called him, the familiar incense enveloped him again, and climbed onto Zhao Jingning's shoulders along Zhao Jingning's wedding dress, Zhao Jingning grabbed his Taoist uniform and leaned out , through the red gauze, she kissed his lips like a dragonfly.

She looked at his slightly widened eyes and the slight ripples in them with a smile in her eyes, and pressed her lips a little more.

The fine red gauze was printed between their lips, rubbing against their lips, itching slightly, and being pinched by the gold foil on the top, which made Qingxuan feel more tactile, what they are doing now .

Zhao Jingning let him go quickly, but the short two or three seconds magnified into a long time in Qingxuan's mind, so that Zhao Jingning's eyes lingered nostalgicly on the little gold leaf printed between his lips, He didn't even notice it.

"The days I went to the north were the happiest I've ever been. Thank you for coming here with me." Zhao Jingning's last words fell into Qingxuan's ear, and after a gust of wind passed, Qingxuan came back to his senses, and only had time to catch the curtain That flash of red when it's closed.

"Let's go." It was Zhao Jingning who was in the carriage who raised his voice, and all the people who had their backs to them started to move. The sounds of harnessing the carriages, talking, and the natural wind flow all rang in Qingxuan's ears. .

It's like waking up from a big dream, with no trace left.

In the distance, the setting sun is setting, and it is hanging on the tower of Yanzhou city.

-

On September 23, the sky is cloudless and the autumn sun is warm, suitable for marriage.

Qin Chengtao deliberately opened the gates of the city, and let the people of several prefectures captured by the Liang Kingdom come to watch the marriage between the two countries.

Only half a year has passed since the Yanzhou massacre, and their most honorable princess will marry the instigator on this massacre ground. Ten miles of red makeup is spread all over the streets and alleys of Yanzhou, and the charred and dilapidated houses are all pasted with red "囍" characters .

From early in the morning, Zhao Jingning began to bathe and change clothes, comb his hair and make up, and was not helped out until dawn by the nanny who led the way.

Zhao Jingning walked out of the courtyard calmly, and glanced at the bearers waiting outside the courtyard—they were all dressed in festive clothes and waiting outside the gate of the mansion after washing off their powder and ink, their backs were as straight as forwards waiting for the general's order.

Zhao Jingning pinched the cold sleeves through the complicated wedding dress, calmed down a little, stepped onto the sedan chair, ignored Qing Xuan who was standing beside the sedan chair, and said coldly to the bearers: "Get up."

The horse team welcoming the bride opened the way with trembling spirits, and the sound of suona behind them began to beat, but it failed to warm up the atmosphere at all.The people along the street silently watched Zhao Jingning's car drive by on the red-eyed street, and the attendants walking along with the sedan chair were also sullen.

In the silence of the crowd and the shouts of the suona, the sedan chair went all the way north to the high platform in the city.

After about a stick of incense, the sedan chair stopped, and a slightly disdainful voice sounded.

"Princess, get off the sedan chair."

Zhao Jingning lifted the door curtain of the sedan chair, but did not get out of the sedan chair. Her eyes were covered by the red veil, and she could only vaguely see that the person who came forward to greet her was only wearing the clothes of a servant, and it should be one of Qin Chengtao's personal guards.

"Where's Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Zhao Jingning's mother-in-law said dissatisfied with the candidate who came to pick her up.

"Brother Huang was drunk yesterday, so I'll do it for you." A cold voice sounded, and Zhao Jingning frowned slightly.

Zhao Jingning saw a dress embroidered with dragon patterns appearing in her line of sight. Looking at the patterns, this person should be His Royal Highness the fifth prince who had just come back from Liang Kingdom.

"Sister-in-law, please." Qin Chengze called out in a low voice, and stretched out his hand into the sedan chair.

The cool people behind all laughed softly because of Qin Chengze's call. Zhao Jingning stretched out her hand amidst their different laughter, and put it on Qin Chengze's wrist. She raised her eyes to meet Qin Chengze's blue eyes, and got off the sedan chair. His steps paused for a moment, and then quickly recovered, thanking him: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Qin Chengze took a quick look at Zhao Jingning, and his eyes fell on the bearers standing on both sides behind her, with some playfulness in his eyes.He raised his eyebrows, didn't say anything, and supported Zhao Jingning to walk towards the high platform through the cover of his sleeves.

As he walked up, Zhao Jingning gradually saw clearly the scene of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth on the high platform, and more importantly, Qin Chengtao, who was sitting in the center sloppily until Zhao Jingning stood still and had no intention of getting up.

"Brother Huang, wake up." Qin Chengze stepped forward and called twice, Qin Chengtao slowly opened his eyes, pulled his wedding clothes, and stood up, his eyes looked half drunk.

Getting drunk was just an excuse, not coming out to meet him in person was just to save Li Guo's face, but Li Guo's face had already been wiped out when Zhao Jingning embarked on the road of getting married, so he didn't care about his tricks.

Zhao Jingning looked at him coldly and stood there without moving.

There were only the three of them on the high platform, and the accompanying attendants were waiting below. Zhao Jingning watched Qin Chengtao walk towards him step by step, while Qin Chengze was still standing where he was sitting just now, without moving half a step.

The distance between them was only a dozen steps, Qin Chengtao quickly walked in front of her, lifted her red gauze to take a look, and said with a chuckle: "The princess has been troubled all the way."

Zhao Jingning lowered his eyes to catch a glimpse of his outstretched hand, put the slightly sweaty hand on his palm, and smiled slightly, "I've been in the palace for a long time, I heard that His Royal Highness wants me to..."

The smile in her eyes floated on the surface, looking at Qin Chengtao was like looking at a dead person.

Zhao Jingning staggered towards Qin Chengtao with his strength, and then the dagger in his sleeve sank into his heart following her remaining words.

"This palace is here." Zhao Jingning gritted his teeth and dug in another inch, the entire dagger was submerged into Qin Chengtao's chest, and greasy blood flowed on her hand.

"Bitch!" Qin Chengtao raised his foot and kicked, covered his chest and shouted, Qin Chengze and the guards under the high platform turned their heads together.

The accident happened in an instant, the Liang soldiers under the high platform rushed up in a few quick steps, and the troupe brought by Zhao Jingning also pulled out their short knives from their boots, wrapping around Liang soldiers' necks.

"Princess, take the sword." Someone shouted and threw a sword up. Zhao Jingning caught it with his backhand and wanted to move forward, but was blocked by Qin Chengze.

He held the blade of the sword in one hand and stood in front of Qin Chengtao, Zhao Jingning was unable to take a step forward.

"Brother Huang, let's go!" Qin Chengze shouted in a muffled voice.

Qin Chengtao didn't try to be brave at the moment, he clutched his chest and was about to run down the high platform, Zhao Jingning became ruthless when he saw this, and the blade of the sword ruthlessly pressed into Qin Chengze's palm. Down.

Zhao Jingning drew his sword in the air, stabbed Qin Chengze to the ground, and walked towards Qin Chengtao step by step.

Qin Chengtao raised his breath and wanted to take a few steps, but suddenly felt that his energy channel was blocked, his face showed panic, and he said: "This sword..."

The blood dripping from the tip of the sword slowly fell on the high platform, leaving behind a series of dark blood drops. She stepped on Qin Chengtao who was out of strength, lowered her head and sneered, "Marry me?"

The sword fell heavily, piercing through Qin Chengtao's chest, and wet Zhao Jingning's wedding dress.

She gasped for a few short breaths, pressed Qin Chengtao's neck, and turned around to make sure he was dead.

The thirteen people she brought had been forced to the high platform by Liangbing soldiers, surrounded her. Zhao Jingning glanced at the more and more Liangbing soldiers, bent down indifferently, cut off Qin Chengtao's head with great effort, and threw it on the ground. In the cool soldiers under the high platform.

For a while, the world was silent, and the soldiers stared at the head on the ground for a long time, but no one dared to take a step forward.

"Li Guo has been in power for 300 years, and there has never been a princess married. You Liang Guo wants this palace, and you deserve it?" She lowered her eyes contemptuously, her hands were shaking, and the few people around her were also wounded, but she The look of disdain is like looking at a group of ants.

The crowd that had been silent for a long time finally broke out in mourning, and they rushed up, drowning the redness.