Between the vast sea of ​​clouds

The protracted national war finally came to an end, and the imperial court breathed a sigh of relief as news of victory came from the front line one after another.Naturally, the cabinet didn't have to keep turning around, and was on standby day and night in the side hall of Zichen Palace.After a year of many changes in the huge empire, it can finally usher in a festive new year. Although the smoke of Yunzhou is not exhausted, the ruthless enemies and poor bandits are no longer to be feared.

Chang'an, which was shrouded in the cloud of war, gradually restored its original prosperity and tranquility. After the battle of Yunzhou, the various disadvantages of the six departments of the imperial court's barely operating were gradually exposed to everyone.But at least now it seems that the situation is still calm, just like the lake in autumn, only the fallen leaves disturb the tranquility, but the small ripples did not destroy this inherent tranquility.

At the same time, Chu Jun, the princess who supervised the country for one year, led the cabinet to face the national crisis with her calm and calm attitude, which turned the tide of the government and the opposition. The original voice of opposition gradually decreased, and the family no longer waited and watched. On the contrary, it shows the intention to move closer.

In Yuxiao Palace, lights are burning day and night, and a faint mist is spit out from the mouth of the phoenix-shaped incense cage, drowning in the deep palace.

Sitting at the table, Chu Jun finished reading the last memorial presented by the Ministry of War. When someone from the palace brought tea, she just glanced at it and slightly moved the teacup away.

Although this is the palace where the empress often cultivates, it is quiet and natural, and all the gold and jade pendulums have been removed, but it roars and spreads its wings, hanging between the algae wells in a volley and falling posture, with fluffy feathers, and an air of aloofness, looking down on everything.

"..."

The slight sound of the teacup colliding with the table woke up the person leaning on the bed. The gray-haired empress was wrapped in a red imperial robe, as if her blood had been swallowed by the color that represented dignity, and her pale face was even more decayed. , Chu Jun's eyes fell on her aging face, and then the empress' eyes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened them.

She was panting with difficulty, and coughed violently: "...Yunzhou, are you still there?"

Chu Jun nodded, and said: "The Hanjia camp has been reorganized, and Zhou Gan has won."

"Hanjia camp?" The empress narrowed her eyes slightly, "You are really bold. During the Jianwu period, the Hanjia camp was withdrawn and divided into the Yunce Twelfth Army. It was because these generals were afraid that they would support their own troops, and they would turn against it if they said otherwise! How dare you Bringing the Hanjia camp back again, isn't it afraid that Zhou Gan will rebel?"

The person in front of her just smiled lightly, and said in a leisurely manner: "It's not Zhou Gan, nor the garrison of Yunzhou. The command of Yunce Army has been tightly held in the hands of the emperor throughout the dynasties. There have always been only aristocratic families who are rebellious, and there are no military generals who have heard of rebellion in the frontier."

"Aristocratic family? Haha! You are so arrogant that you want to be an enemy of the family? Since Taizong, the family is intertwined and connected with each other. Whoever is above the third rank in the court is not from a rich family. The first emperor can't shake them in the slightest. It's up to you -"

The empress coughed in pain, grabbed the handkerchief to cover her mouth, and said slowly: "Do you think I never thought about touching them? Hehe, those people may not be able to listen to you..."

"This is the reason why you hide in the deep palace and don't want to intervene in the affairs of the court?" Chu Jun's eyes flickered, and he said softly: "If you know what you can't do, you will naturally back down and avoid it? When things are at their worst, there can be a turning point. As long as you can grasp it firmly, you will definitely have a chance. If you have decided to give up from the beginning, that is the saddest thing. If you have a heart of fear, the result is doomed to lose."

"Hahaha..." The empress laughed, her voice was vague, echoing on the pillars in the main hall, there was a ghostly feeling, the palace servants standing by the side couldn't help lowering their heads, their two legs trembled, and their legs twitched. Ruan, "I have been the emperor for several years, and I don't need you to teach me this truth! Let's talk about today's words after you can put this position in prison. The position of the lord of the world is not so easy to sit on." The old man The emperor looked carefully at the young and stable daughter in front of him, as if the young and vigorous new king and the old old king in the herd looked at each other. She suddenly felt endless emotions, which naturally came from the sorrow of the ruthless erosion of time. Even a high-ranking emperor cannot escape the fate of reincarnation.

"You, you are not like your father." She sighed, her voice slowed down, showing a look of nostalgia, "He is much gentler than you, but he is very stubborn, not as smooth as you. If he had been able to You won't end up like this with one or two points."

When Chu Jun heard her talking about his father, he paused his hands and said casually: "The man has passed away, even if we mourn all the time, it is useless."

The empress's eyes were like lightning, and they suddenly became sharper. She looked at her and said, "When you get to this position, you will understand that there are some things that you will never be able to get again. Wealth in this world cannot be changed... This is the price, this is—fate!"

After she finished speaking sharply, it was as if someone had squeezed her neck tightly, she raised her head vigorously, her bloodshot eyeballs bulged, her complexion turned from white to blue in an instant, and finally her hands fell powerlessly under the quilt.

The hall was silent, Chu Jun's eyes flicked across the row of weak lamps, one of which was only about the size of a bean, and suddenly extinguished, she tapped her hand on the table, and ordered the servants beside her: "Call the imperial physician."

In the sixth year of Taiqi, the Holy Majesty was seriously ill, and once again summoned the entire Imperial Hospital urgently. The news from the palace was vague, and half a month later, the Empress summoned several cabinet ministers and the Empress to have an audience at Yuxiao Palace. , now everyone knows it in their hearts, presumably at this time, they must write a will.

In the main hall of Yuxiao Palace, there is a row of red-robed officials kneeling, including Yan Minghua, the chief assistant of the cabinet, Shen Mingshan, the second assistant, and several scholars of the Wenhua Pavilion. The appearance of such an occasion naturally has its profound meaning.Yan Minghua knelt in front of Majesty Dan, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and choked up, "Your Majesty..."

The empress opened her eyes in a trance, and said in a flustered voice, "Take out the things."

The palace servants came out from behind the screen with red jade scrolls in their hands, and the empress said: "... I, from a few years ago, I have always regarded respecting the heaven and the ancestors as my top priority... Take the heart of the world as my heart, share the interests of the four seas as my interests, and protect them." The state is not in danger... and the matter of the master, the hexagrams and six lines, have not been exhausted, so we know that the master has no place to rest and can retreat, and he can stop serving when he is not as good as his ministers, and there is no excuse. The female Chu Jun, who is deeply humbled by me, will surely be able to inherit the great rule, and succeed me to the throne, that is, the emperor's throne..."

This edict was obviously written by the empress herself, and was not handed over to a bachelor to write.As soon as this remark came out, all the important officials lowered their eyes and wept. Yan Minghua lay down on the steps and cried, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

After all, it was an old minister who was picked up by the empress alone, the empress said slowly: "Why are you crying, you are the chief assistant of my cabinet, get up and stand up."

Chu Jun walked out from the crowd and knelt down under the stage. The empress looked at her young but steady face, and there was a trace of longing and nostalgia in her cloudy eyes.She pushed away the support of the palace servants on both sides, and stood up tremblingly from her seat. Although she was hunched, her old face still retained the majesty of an emperor. She looked down at Chu Jun from a high position. At this moment, she As if he had understood all the causes and consequences, he said very calmly: "Madam, I entrust the world to you."

Chu Jun and her looked at each other deeply, then leaned over and bowed, and said loudly: "My son will never be entrusted to me again!"

"That's good..." The empress turned and sat down step by step, looked at the ministers kneeling in the hall, and closed her eyes on the throne.

In November of the sixth year of Taiqi, the capital was under martial law, the city was closed and the workshops were closed. Three days later, the scholar of the Wenhua Pavilion read the will in the court, and it was announced to the world. The courtiers were all dressed in plain clothes and white crowns. Fuling, Zigong was buried in the mausoleum, accompanied by the queen's daughter and grandson, and the assistant ministers and senior officials of the third rank and above served as usual.

From the temples in the city to the first day of the funeral, it takes [-] bells to ring, and the bells ring continuously throughout the night, echoing over Chang'an.The wind and clouds are turning, the light and shadow are changing, and they pass quickly over the glazed tiles, silently watching the vicissitudes of life.

Music is forbidden for the national mourning, soldiers and horses in the five cities patrol every night, the whole city has a curfew, and the whole city is extremely quiet.The singing and dancing workshop near Qingping's residence was also closed.It also got a few days of cleanliness.She stayed in the study every night, and was still sitting at the desk reading a book late at night.The death knell has stopped, but it seems to be echoing in my ears.Seeing that the candle on the table was about to go out, she took a new one from the drawer and replaced it.

The cold moon outside the window is like frost, and a piece of cold silver falls on the window coffin.The windows on the east side were not closed, and the moonlight poured out all over the place.There was a wind blowing, and the pages of the book on the table were turned rattlingly, and the candlestick was also blown to the book by the wind. Before she had time to close the window, she walked quickly to the table to hold the candlestick steady, and put the book in the towel again. The stone was pressed well, and the candle was flickering, which happened to reflect the phrase "like a fish swimming in a net, it will be a long stream, if you take off or leave temporarily, you will be caught in the net again". Some chills.

After she finished putting her things away, she turned around to close the window, and suddenly saw a speck of white spinning down from the air, shining like silver flakes, and then densely packed silver flakes falling, unexpectedly, it began to snow.

She reached out to take a piece, and then closed the window. The cold snow quickly melted in her warm palm, and the door of the study suddenly rang.

Qing Ping was a little surprised, it was so late, and it was time for Zhang Wei to rest early in the morning.The servants in the mansion knew her habits, so they definitely wouldn't disturb her, so she asked vigilantly, "Who is it?"

"Master Li," Tianshu's voice came, "please follow me."

She frowned slightly. At this time, it was the time of national mourning, the new emperor was first established, and the former emperor's palace had not yet entered the mausoleum. The inside and outside of the palace were tightly closed. At this time, Chu Jun wanted to see her?

She didn't want to see Chu Jun at this time, so she didn't bother to talk to her.It is expected that Tianshu can't do anything about her, so he can't tie her into the palace.

Sure enough, there was no one answering outside the door, Qingping guessed that she had already left, so he made the bed, who knew that the door opened with a slight push, Tianshu said indifferently: "Please, Master Li."

Qingping said coldly: "Entering the palace? There is a curfew at this time, how can you walk freely in Chang'an neighborhood?"

Tianshu said: "You don't need to worry about that."

Seeing that she was determined to take him into the palace, Qingping had no choice but to pack his clothes and prepare to leave.But Tianshu took a set of royal blue official robes. She was very familiar with the decorations on it. The peacock feathers were hanging down. This is the court dress of the fourth rank. Tianshu said: "Please, Li Shizhong."

Qingping looked at the court uniform and said word by word: "What Li Shizhong?"

Tianshu replied: "Your Majesty has not had time to congratulate you when you are restored to your original post. Please, Your Majesty is waiting for you in the palace."