[Twelve Kingdoms] Twilight and Dawn Rain

?It is completely dark outside the window, announcing the coming of night; the sound of the torrential rain is like the clanging of iron armor; the damp swirling wind is full of blood; the heavy depression makes the pen in the hand feel like it weighs a thousand catties , can't remember.

All kinds of symbols are densely printed on the map, but Yiruo can't read it.Sitting in the position of Xia Guan is not for the purpose of fighting against his own army one day, but at this time there is no escape - the lives of the people are in his hands, and the future and hope of how many people are on his shoulders, he can't let it go regardless of.

But, when he thought that Ye Ming might have fallen into the hands of Zai Zhong, he panicked for no reason.

If the persistence so far is for the sake of Qiaoguo, he can't afford it, maybe subconsciously, he wants to create a sky for the children he raised.

Ye Ming, in his heart, does not exist in the form of a king, even if it is for Ye Ming, it is still not for coincidence.

He is actually very selfish.

That day, the pain reflected in Ye Ming's clear eyes seemed to ask: "Am I your daughter's substitute?"

He had no face to answer, and fled away.

He knew that he had hurt Ye Ming, so she would run away recklessly, so when Taifu took Ye Ming back, he didn't dare to see her and ran away again.

If they could all have the courage to face each other squarely, maybe everything would be different.

A gust of wind blew in, the candle flame flickered slightly, and as soon as he regained consciousness, a snow-white figure emerged from the window, swayed twice, and slid down from the window with a "chuck".Then there is the chaotic sound of objects falling into a puddle, mixed with the whine of an animal.

what?

Yi Ruo grasped the knife by his side, quietly approached the window, and listened quietly for a while, but there was only the sound of raindrops.

He cautiously leaned out of the window slowly, and there was a mass of white stuff wriggling under his vision. He looked down and saw a petite clouded leopard sitting on the uneven ground with its head drooping, its two snow-white front paws unnatural Fiddling with the wet fur on his head, a pair of cute little ears drooped down in frustration.

Is it a beast?

Yi Ruo stretched out his hand and tried to pull it in through the window, his firm arms carefully encircled the little guy's soft body, he raised his eyes, a pair of star-like black eyes seemed familiar.

"Woo." It let out a small cry, buried its head in Yiruo's warm chest, and rubbed its little head against his chest.

"What's the matter? Are you lost?" Knowing that it won't answer, Yi Ruo couldn't help asking, looking down, he saw a patch of fur on its right shoulder, which seemed to be injured.He carried it to the bed, turned and walked out of the room to get some medicine.

That little guy is exactly the same as the baby he discarded back then. Could it be that God gave him a chance to make up for it, using this little clouded leopard to test him?Is it too late?Those who have been hurt by him can never be saved again.

Tsukazai glanced at the bathroom settings with a gloomy expression. The water in the barrel was still covered with water mist, the clean clothes on the hangers had no trace of being touched, and there was a pile of changed clothes on the floor. A cold, clammy wind poured in.Such an environment is absolutely impossible to escape.

He looked at Xiusu, "What's going on?"

Xiusu bowed his head and replied, "This subordinate doesn't know."

"I don't know?" Zukazai sneered, and turned to Qiu Guan who had heard the news, "Immediately send someone to chase her, she must have gone to Yiruo, search strictly along the way, and be sure to bring the king back."

"Yes."

"Also," he ordered the guards around him, "search the entire mansion and its surroundings, and don't miss any place."

"Yes!" The guards swarmed away, and all of them left immediately.

"My lord, I too..." Xiusu begged for orders.

"No need." Zhong Zai ignored him, left him and left alone.

Needless to say, Xiusu also understood what this meant.Sure enough, this is the fate of a traitor, no matter which side it is for, it is the same.

Yi Ruo gently opened the door.

The little guy seemed to be hiding in the quilt. There was a lump in the middle of the thin quilt, with a few strands of silver protruding from the edge of the quilt.

Its fur...isn't that long.Yiruo suddenly grasped the handle of the knife and slowly approached.He was sure that it was human hair, and the color...was familiar.

The quilt moved, and the person inside seemed to be pulling down the quilt. Little by little, the silver-threaded head was exposed in the air, the face was slowly raised, the eyes full of expectation... Yiruo's hand With a sudden release, the half-drawn knife fell back into the scabbard with a "clang".

night light.

He walked over in a slight daze, and unknowingly landed on her right shoulder—it was indeed injured.

Oh it's you.

The nerves that had been tense all this time were suddenly released, and the eyes of the two finally met each other.

The day just broke dawn, and the heavy rain poured down, extinguishing the aura of Jin Ge and Iron Horse.

The right general stood in front of the battle on horseback, looking helplessly at the enemy's camp. He really didn't want to fight this battle.Although it is a rebel army, Mr. Yiruo has been his boss for many years after all. His resourcefulness and courage once convinced the whole army, but why did he want to rebel?Is it not enough to be in the position of Chief Xia and lead the three armies?Could only the throne satisfy his appetite?

"Master Yiruo, please surrender quickly, why bother to argue and disregard human lives."

If you don't say a word.surrender?If he surrenders, who will return Ye Ming's fate full of future?What he once promised, he must not break his promise this time.

Seeing that he ignored him, General Right turned to Ye Yan who was beside him, "General Left, do you want to help the evildoers?"

Aiding evil?Ye Yan sneered, "I don't know who is helping the tyrant, General You, just wait and see the result."

"Then you must fight?" General Right asked through gritted teeth.If possible, he didn't want to take this mission, but the lieutenant general resisted the order to the death and refused to send troops, so he had to come.

"General You," Yiruo said suddenly, "you are still obsessed with your obsession? Where is the king and where is Taifu? Isn't that enough to explain which side is the rebel army?"

"You..." The right general was at a loss for words for a while, and only heard a lieutenant next to him shout: "It is clear that you have kidnapped the king and Taifu, and you dare to quibble here and confuse the public! Hurry up and hand over the king and Taifu, obediently capture them with nothing !"

"I'm sorry," Ye Yan said coldly, "I have no intention of betraying my lord and Mr. Taifu, so I'm sorry."

"You all heard me." The lieutenant yelled at the soldiers below, completely putting the right general aside, "They refused to hand over the master, intending to rebel, the evidence of the crime is solid, everyone rush up and take the heads of these treacherous officials! "

Immediately there was a response from below, the drums were beating loudly, and the army slanted out like a tide, trampling the rain like tears!

"Taifu." Que Ji suppressed the annoyance in his heart and stared at Cao Lin's back and called out.

What's the matter with the monarch and his ministers?The king didn't want to be king, and kept running away; Taifu was as weak as an inexperienced baby, who only knew how to ask "Where is Yeming" over and over again.Damn it, he almost forgot that Qilin was originally born for the king, so since there is a master who doesn't want to be king, will there also be a Taifu who abandons the country?

Seeing her looking out the window with a dull expression, Quji felt that she was going crazy.Calm down, calm down, he and Yiruo are the ones who can hold their breath the most in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. If Yiruo can bear it, there is nothing he can't control! "Taifu, if there is news from there," he paused, watching her reaction, and sure enough——she was still dumbfounded.The following words will make her "resurrect from the dead", he took a breath, "The king has returned to Yiruo, and the two armies are currently fighting."

Cao Lin didn't hear anything else, but only took the word "Wang" into his ears.She didn't care that he was only called the king and not the master, she only thought about her own thoughts.Any news from the king?What did he just say?Has Wang returned to Yiruo?What else...the two armies are at war?Isn't the king in danger?

Before she woke up from the ecstasy, she suddenly fell into extreme panic again.

Seeing her, her eyes lit up first, and then her brows were furrowed again, Quji tried her best to resist the urge to sigh, and quietly exited the door.

This time, let her decide what to do, no matter what, the unicorn represents the will of God and the will of the people, so why not just let him watch the arrangement of God?

A life-and-death struggle is taking place on the battlefield. A soldier who has been cut down on the ground is still dying, looking up in pain and confusion. A small shadow in the gray sky is gradually enlarged. It is——

"Kirin!"

As soon as he yelled, people beside him, whether it was the enemy or his own side, stepped on his mouth in confusion, and only a vague whine was heard.It took another moment for the people around to react dully to the meaning of those syllables, and looked up one after another.

Afterwards, those few syllables were repeated continuously, like a storm, gradually expanding to the entire battlefield.

In the end, no one remembered what they were doing, they just stared blankly at the divine beasts in the sky and their hopes.

Zhao Lin finally got his wish to meet Ye Ming.

Faced with Ye Ming's usual indifference, Cao Lin's grievances and dissatisfaction for many days finally broke out:

"Ye Ming is clearly the king, why do you always refuse to admit it? Will embarrassing me make you happy? Does Ye Ming still hate me? I didn't make a contract with you ten years ago because Ye Ming was still too young and it would take time to grow Big. For the sake of Ye Ming's safety, I can't leave you alone in Qiao, but I can't take you to Pengshan. I sent you to Qing to let you receive formal education. I didn't tell King Jing about your identity because I was afraid You bear too many burdens! Later, King Jing kindly sent you to study in Yanyan. Who would have expected that demons would appear on the border of Qingheyan, which has settled down, and kidnap you!

"I didn't think carefully enough to put Ye Ming in danger, but since you have survived safely and grown rapidly by Yiruo's side, why didn't you ascend the mountain? Do you know that I sit in the Penglu Palace every year? What's it like to wait once and be disappointed again and again?

"This time I went down the mountain to greet Qing. King Jing said that you had arrived at Yan, and I went to confront Yan again, but I still couldn't find you. Do you know how hurried I was? Ye Ming is indispensable to me. Why does Ye Ming never face me? Now that you have come to Qiao, you should at least inform King Huijing or King Yan, so that I won’t let me look around without a clue.

"But Ye Ming didn't say anything. I finally found you again, but you always avoided me! I know you hope that Yi is the king, and everyone has the same hope, but in fact he is not! You always have to Accept the reality, even if you can abandon your name, you will never abandon your responsibilities. I can tell you clearly again, you are the king, not Yiruo, not Yiruo, do you understand? "

She was standing outside the door in spite of everything, shouting at Yeming at the top of her lungs, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Ye Ming glanced at her quietly, "I understand. The one who doesn't understand is you, Mr. Taifu. You Qilin choose the king by God's will, but you never understand what the person you choose really wants. Because you It's a beast, a beast born for only one person, the person who is the king in your eyes is just the master of the country, but you don't understand the complex emotional relationship between human beings at all."

"Yes, I don't understand!" Gaolin wiped away tears with his hands, "But what does this have to do with whether you become a king? Will your feelings change with your status?"

"Master Taifu was born as Taifu, so you don't understand how subtle the change of status has on people's mentality."

"Maybe there are many things I don't understand, but that's why the existence of the king is needed! Just like the current situation, if Ye Ming doesn't stand up, it's impossible to quell the war just by me. Ye Ming, I beg you You, you can't put the lives of these soldiers and people in disregard, can you?"

Ye Ming didn't speak, and looked at Yi Ruo's figure in a daze.

"Ye Ming! Even if Yi is not the king, he will still be by your side. What are you resisting?"

Ye Ming closed his eyes.What a joke!Everyone thought that her feelings for Yiruo should be like that of her father, but only she knew it was not.When the old woman asked her if she had someone she liked that day, the moment of fear and shame that she felt would be unforgettable for the rest of her life.

Yes, Yi is the father, but during the ten years of being together, her relationship has already quietly deteriorated.The hope that did not exist from the beginning was hidden in the deepest part of her chest like a treasure, but it was shattered by the arrival of Gao Lin in advance. It is impossible to say that there is no complaint.But she is not resisting because of this, she thinks more, and it is all places that Cao Lin can't think of.

"Ye Ming!" Gao Lin's voice had already started to become hoarse, "Qiao is waiting for you, waiting for the king's rescue!"

Ye Ming finally raised his eyes to look at her, "It doesn't matter... even if the king is a half-beast?"

Gaolin was startled, and asked as if unsure: "What did you... say?"

"I'm a half-beast." Ye Ming stated calmly, "It's a place that doesn't accept half-beasts, so I can't."

Gaolin was stunned on the spot.

Ye Ming looked at her pale face indifferently, "Even Master Taifu can't accept me like this? Then, if you want the people of Qiao to accept the half-beast king, do you think they will be convinced?"

Gaolin's eyes filled with tears again, and she threw herself into Ye Ming's arms, crying loudly: "Whether it's a half-beast or a sea guest, as long as you have the stamina of a king, what's wrong with that? Even the heavens admit it." Isn’t it? As long as it takes some time, Qiao will also accept half-beasts like Yan and Qing, can’t these be obtained through our efforts?”

Ye Ming lowered his eyes, unable to see any expression, "If Taifu accepts me, I will accept Taifu. Similarly, if Taifu wants me to accept this country, he must promise that the people will accept me in the future."

"Of course!" Gaolin smiled through tears, with a bright face.

In the end, the rain will pass and the sky will shine.

On the battlefield where the truce has been reached, both sides are waiting for the development of the situation.

In the silence, only the sound of rain falling can be heard endlessly.

After a long time, Yiruo's figure reappeared. Behind him, there was a touch of gold and a touch of silver, and a pair of young girls' figures overlapped one another.Yi Ruo stopped in front of his own formation and retreated to one side, while the two girls continued to walk forward until they reached the center of the battlefield.

"It's Master Taifu!" The deputy general shouted, "Master Taifu, please come here, if you are a traitor!"

Gaolin smiled and said nothing, then turned to face Ye Ming beside him.

The two armies immediately clamored, and many people had already guessed Ye Ming's identity, so everyone opened their eyes wide to see what would happen next.

The two stared at each other silently, the rain gradually washed away the dust in the memory, and Kao Lin knelt down slowly, his heart filled with happiness and joy.

Wang, I am finally back, back to your side.

Please accept my eternal oath.

"Following the order of heaven, I came to meet the lord. I will not leave the front of the emperor, and I will not violate the imperial edict. I will make an oath with my loyalty."

The dark clouds parted, and the sun gradually broke free from the rain and fog, illuminating the haze of dusk.

"I agree."

The downpour stopped in an instant, and the unprecedented fresh wind after the rain passed through the bloody things, and the contract was established.

The dense clouds that had condensed for several months, and the yellow sand that had been flying for ten years finally melted and dispersed without leaving any traces.

"My lord." Among the kneeling crowd, the right general raised his head and said sadly, "I am foolish, I listened to Zai Zuo's flattery, and begged my lord to make meritorious deeds and atone for my sins, and arrest Zai Zuo and others who rebelled against the party."

Ye Ming glanced at him and nodded, "Don't go to war, try to minimize casualties."

"As ordered."

This is the measure of a king. ?

☆, final chapter

?In Dangui Palace, female fairies dressed in black were busy changing clothes for Hanlin. The Penglu Palace, which had been deserted for a long time, became lively overnight, and everywhere was full of vitality.

Yi Ruo, who escorted Ye Ming and Tai Fu, stood patiently outside the palace gate. He knew that in a short time, the King Qiao would ascend the throne and the new court would begin to operate. As the center, he should feel relieved.

Sure enough, after a while, Ye Ming and Cao Lin, surrounded by female fairies, appeared in front of them, like the sun and the moon shining together.

Seeing Yi Ruo, Ye Ming only nodded slightly to signal, at this moment, she is not allowed to make other actions.Led by the fairies, the two came to a vermilion gate.

The fairies lay flat on the ground, the gate opened slowly, and the nearly transparent stairs stretched far away. At the top of the stairs, a snow-white bird looked down with bright eyes.

"I wish King Gao and Tai Fu enjoy happiness forever." Yu Ye bowed deeply to the two of them.

The two responded with courtesy.

Immediately, Ye Ming stepped onto the steps.

Yuye turned around, looked Yiruo up and down, and said with a slight smile: "Please go down the mountain as soon as possible, the king and Taifu will take Xuanwu to cross the sea of ​​clouds and return to Qiaozhou country, Pengshan will no longer entertain you gone."

"Yes, thank you Xuanjun." Yiruo cupped his hands, turned and walked towards the beast rider.

"Please stay a step, as if you are an adult." Yu Ye suddenly stopped him.

"Does Xuanjun have any other orders?" Yiruo turned his head in surprise, held the rein with one hand, and the beast rider shook his head impatiently.

"Please assist the king with all your heart, and don't disappoint the expectations of the people." Yu Ye's eyes were warm, and she urged her earnestly.

"Please don't worry, Yiruo will do his best." Yiruo smiled, turned over and stepped on the beast.

Looking at the dark shadow going away, Yu Ye secretly sighed.This person had a short-lived royal air in the early days of the former king's loss of justice, but after all, he failed the test of heaven, and because of his own obsession, he made irreparable mistakes and lost his qualifications to ascend the throne .However, in the future, he can still be a courtier who fulfills his duties.In this way, the fairies should feel relieved about that child, Cao Lin.

As soon as Yi Ruo stepped into the gate of the palace, he found that all the other officials were waiting there.When Cao Lin saw him, he immediately greeted him, "If you are an adult, I will wait for you."

"Wait for me?" Yi Ruo looked around, but Ye Ming was nowhere to be seen, "Where is your lord?"

"The lord went to the apse to change clothes and take a rest, but he has left a will." She pointed to the scroll in her hand and smiled.

That's how it is, move very fast, Ye Ming.Yi Ruo nodded slightly, "Taifu please read it."

"Okay." Gaolin unfolded the book and read aloud:

"Because Zhong Zai and Qiu Guanzhang committed a rebellion, their immortal status was cut off; Tai Shi and Dong Guanzhang confused right and wrong, and took the opportunity to embezzle the treasury silver. The above four people were examined by the Ministry of Criminal Justice to find out their crimes and give appropriate sentences. Yuan Xia If the official is appointed to the post of Zukazai; the former Zuo General Yeyan was promoted to Xia Guanzhang; the former Central General was transferred to the position of Left General; If merits and demerits are balanced, look at self-examination; the spring official is upright and upright, and he is appointed as the grand teacher; the former prince and prince are appointed as the autumn official, and the former king's princess is the winter official; all states and officials below the state level must be in half a month. Report the handling of the post transfer to the national government within a few days, above."

Fang finished reading.There was an uproar all around.That's right, the large-scale transfer of official positions was so rapid that no one expected it, but it is not surprising that all the officials who hold real power, especially military power, are all kings.

"This is a fake!" Suddenly someone shouted, "Where is the Lord? I want to meet the Lord. This kind of transfer is simply nonsense, someone must be playing tricks!"

"Please take a closer look, the one standing here is Mr. Taifu." Yiruo shouted, "Could it be that Mr. Taifu, who is a Qilin, would do such a thing behind his back?"

The man stared at Yi Ruo coldly, without fear, "I didn't doubt Mr. Taifu, what I doubted was whether this piece of paper was really the Lord's will."

Gaolin took a closer look, "It's true, there is a jade seal on it."

"Then, if it's true, I still have to meet the lord and ask her face to face, why do you want to mobilize officials in such a turbulent period? Aren't you afraid that the newly established court will be overthrown?"

"You want to see the Lord?" Yi Ruo looked at him a few times, "What position are you in now?"

"I'm currently working in the household department."

"Then, you should be recommended by the local official or household servant to the lord, and you can only enter the palace after the lord summons you. Why do you appear here?" Yiruo questioned.

"Now that neither the local official nor the servant is in the country, can't the household department send even one person? Because of this thought, I came here."

"So that's how it is." Yi Ruo nodded, "Then Taifu-sama will take you to see the master, and hope the master's answer can satisfy you."

"Is this okay?" Gao Lin was a little uneasy, "Will the Lord not be angry? If you lead people in like this without authorization..."

A petty official suddenly ran in in a panic, "Master Tai, Taifu!"

Before Cao Lin could ask what was the matter, there was a voice of reprimand from all around:

"who?"

"A petty official like you can come in?"

"What are you doing in such a panic?"

"Didn't you see that Master Taifu is discussing state affairs?"

"Quickly retreat!"

"But, but..." the little official swallowed and said in embarrassment, "The lord has left the palace."

"what?"

Cao Lin grabbed his sleeve, "What did you say? How could it be possible for the Lord to leave the palace? Tell me clearly!"

"Yes." The little official shrank his neck in fear, "I... no, the younger one is the gate official, just now the Lord suddenly appeared at the palace gate, and asked the little one to lead a horse Meng Ji, and then rode out on it. gone."

"Why didn't you stop her?" Kao Lin stamped his feet anxiously.

"However, because it's the master, and Meng Ji is very fast..." Xiaoguan was so frightened that he couldn't speak coherently.

"Did the Lord tell you where you went? How long will you be going? Or something else." Someone interrupted and asked.

"Yes, my lord asked me to give this to Mr. Zhongzai." The little official tremblingly took out a small bag from his bosom, looked around, and didn't know which one was Zhongzai.

"He is." Gaolin let go of his hand and pointed.

Yi Ruo took it over silently, felt the uneven texture inside through the fabric, coupled with the heavy hand, he already knew what it was without opening it, "It's a jade seal."

Gaolin was startled, "How could it be? You have clearly accepted the destiny, why did you do such a thing..."

"No, that's not the case." Yi Ruo opened the small bag, and there was indeed a jade seal inside, but there was a strand of silver hair tied on it, "This is just lent to me by the Lord. I will return it to her untouched."

"Is it...?" Gaolin looked at him dubiously.

"It must be so." Yiruo smiled, holding the jade seal tightly, "The lord will definitely come back again. Before that, we must first complete the tasks assigned by the lord."

"That's good!" Cao Lin felt relieved, "Kun, you who once raised the Lord and brought the Lord from Qing's border, you must be able to protect her well, right?"

"Yes, Taifu." A deep voice came from the ground.

Standing under the clear sky for the first time, Ye Ming's usually gloomy face finally had a radiance.

Where should we start our inspection?Which country should I go to observe and study after I have a general understanding of the national situation?

Sure enough, there is still a long way to go...

She reached out and touched Meng Ji's head, and it rubbed against her palm docilely. Is this the way a beast expresses its attachment to its master?

Suddenly, a trace of fear appeared in Meng Ji's eyes, what's wrong?

"Lord."

Ye Ming shivered, is it an envoy?

"I'm Kunji." Shi Ling leaned out half of his body from the ground, looking gently at the child he had raised.

"So that's how it is." Ye Ming stared at its familiar feathers, "I've always wondered—if your lord found me from that hidden cave, it turns out that you became the envoy of the haggard lin, then it's no wonder."

"My lord," Kuni leaned her head on Ye Ming's thin body, "There is no mother in the world who doesn't understand her child."

Ye Ming smiled, "Thank you."

Whether it's a home or a country, everything you should have and what you shouldn't have are all piled up around you, so why resist?

From now on, the sun and rain will come at the right time.

No breach of contract.