Rong Xuan

Until a group of horse-drawn carriages arrived at the Jingyang Manor of Jinglinghou Mansion in Jingyang, Cao Huisi couldn't figure out why Sima Xuan left Chang'an and came to Jingyang at such a time of "internal and external troubles".

But she was certain of one thing - Sima Xuan's trip must have something to do with the eldest son-in-law of the Sima family, the loyal general Wei Jingting.

"Mother, mother, look, that horse has horns!" Xiao Qing'er was held in Sima Xuan's arms, calling Cao Hui on the side in a very small voice, and pointing to the horse not far away. A buffalo: "It's so strange!"

"..." Sima Huan, who was led away by Cao Hui, endured for a while, and finally pointed out his sister's ignorance helplessly in the chat between his father and the manager of Jingyang Village: "Sister, that is not a horse with horns , that's a big buffalo."

The low-pitched conversation between the two children reached Sima Xuan's ears. The man with a distant and stern face didn't stop talking with Steward Ren, but just stopped and bent over to put Xiao Qing'er on the ground, pampering himself when he came to Zhuangzi for the first time. The two children on the board went to play wantonly.

Seeing that the little brothers and sisters ran to the big buffalo by the river after getting the silent permission of "Daddy", Cao Hui also followed him wisely, not disturbing Sima Xuan talking to Steward Ren .

……

In the evening, the sun had gradually moved westward, and the sweltering heat had gradually dissipated. Sima Xuan, who had talked with Steward Ren all afternoon, sent Steward Ren away, and then brought Liu Sheng and two subordinates assigned by Steward Ren. , strolled out of the yard where the steward handles business daily.

When she inquired all the way to find a river with clear water, she happened to see Cao Hui alone stopping the two little guys, Xiao Huan'er and Xiao Qing'er, from going down the river to catch fish—obviously, the flexible and fat Sima Qing had already Jumped into the water.

Sima Xuan walked over, she looked at Sima Qing who was playing in the water with many children of similar age, then she turned her eyes to Cao Hui again, she smiled, eyes filled with the brilliant sunset and sparkling water. Full Halo: "What is this doing?"

Cao Hui held Xiao Huan'er's arm in one hand, and Xiao Qing'er's embroidered socks in the other. Seeing Sima Xuan walking leisurely with his hands behind his back, the young lady approached with a sense of reproach The reporter waved the children's socks in his hand.

Said: "What are you laughing at? Hurry up and pick up the child!"

"Well," Sima Xuan raised his hand and touched his nose, walked over and freed Xiao Huan'er from Cao Hui's grasp.

"Go and play." Sima Xuan let go of Xiao Huan'er, and by the way gave the child a kick on the buttocks.

"Thank you daddy hahahaha... sister, I'm coming too..." Sima Huan, who had always been calm and introverted, covered his buttocks, laughed happily and rushed to the wide Huanyi River where the water was only knee deep , I went to play in the water with my playmates.

"Just leave him alone." Cao Hui slapped Sima Xuan's arm, still with a sense of reproach: "It's cold in the evening, if the two of you catch a cold and have a fever at night, or have diarrhea, I'll see what you do then."

"Then go ask the doctor, otherwise what else can I do?" Sima Xuan raised his hand and pointed to the pavilion not far away: "Go and sit for a while?"

"Leave someone to watch them." Cao Hui raised his chin to the two little lunatics in the water who were playing with the children in the village. "Don't fall into the water and something happens."

"He's six or seven years old, how can he be so delicate?" Although Sima Xuan muttered a few times in dissatisfaction, he obediently asked Liu Sheng to lead people to guard the river.

The Huanyi River runs across Jingyang Village, the widest part is more than five feet wide, and the deepest waters are no more than Sima Xuan's knees. The river is clear, and there are countless small fish and shrimps in the river.

The bottom of this river is full of all kinds of pebbles, no silt and quicksand, and the water is gentle, rushing, hitting the stones in the river and flowing eastward happily.

On the north bank of the river, there is a small pavilion for people to rest and enjoy the coolness, called "Diaying Pavilion". Under the pavilion, there is a small stone table and four small stone benches-it was Cao Hui who ordered someone to buy it.

Sima Xuan spread a veil on the short stool in the north, and then let Cao Hui sit down.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Cao Hui said, his eyes naturally fell on the sparkling water that was several feet wide, reflecting the brilliance of the setting sun.

The evening breeze is blowing, the waves are rippling, and the water by the river is cool. Standing next to it feels quite refreshing.

Sima Xuan didn't make a sound, and didn't even stop beside Cao Hui. She turned around and sat down on the south steps of the gazebo with her clothes up.

Bending down, he picked up a small stone from the bushes nearby, and wiped off the moist soil on it with his fingertips. Sima Xuan raised his hand lightly, and threw it into the water from a distance. There was a "boom" sound. Quite crisp sound of falling into the water.

"What did the female family members of Ren steward's family invite you to eat at noon?" Sima Xuan turned his back to Cao Hui, and his calm tone was as usual with a touch of alienation: "Jingyang Village has newly opened two hundred acres of paddy fields in recent years. Crucian carp is fat, have you tried it?"

Apart from collecting various books, calligraphy and paintings, Cao Hui's only hobby is food. This is the first thing on Sima Xuan's mind, so he naturally wants to ask.

"Never," Cao Hui stared at Sima Xuan's back, seeing the setting sun shrouded her body, warm and peaceful, without any ferocity and hostility unique to those who killed people: "However, Mrs. Ren mentioned something to me about the paddy fields. In other words, I remember that the field under Linqiu is excellent, with abundant sunlight and abundant water, so it is indeed a good place to set up a paddy field."

Sima Xuan nodded, her complex expression was forcibly suppressed by her alienated and indifferent expression.

Cao Hui is no stranger to Jingyang Village, and Sima Xuan is far behind Cao Hui when it comes to his familiarity with Jingyang Village. It was decided by Cao Hui herself when she was in charge of the Hou's residence, not to mention that she visited almost every piece of land in Jingyang Village in person.

Just to take care of the Jingyang Village that was distributed from Huangzhuang.

Cao Hui's voice fell, and there was a moment of silence under the gazebo.

"I got the news that you withdrew all the people." Sima Xuan bent his long legs and casually stepped on the steps two steps below, with his elbows on his knees and his fingers crossed. Pressing his chin, "You...don't you continue to investigate? You will soon come across..."

"I don't know why, I seldom dream about my parents recently." Cao Hui took off the plain gauze that was used to cover the scars on his face, half of his body was also bathed in the orange-red sunset, and he took a night photo with one skirt: "The last time When I dreamed of them, my mother told me that this time they were really leaving—then, they really never appeared again.”

Even though every time they appeared was accompanied by bloody storms all over the sky and raging fires devouring the sky, even if Cao Hui was in a dream, he could clearly feel the pain and despair of the fire again, but she Still reluctant to leave them.

She missed her parents and her brother, and she didn't want to secretly live as a homeless duckweed in this world of mortals.

When a certain human feeling has nothing to cling to, sometimes it’s just that empty thought that can support her to walk alone for a long time without saying a word, even if her body is covered with bruises, and she is even more fearless when she looks back. What remains is a bloody body and half a life with no way out.

"Then do you miss him?" Sima Xuan asked, "Your brother, Cao Zheng."

As soon as this sentence came out, Sima Xuan suddenly let go of his fist that he did not know when he was quietly clenched. His palm was stained with blood, and her fingernails that had sunk into the flesh pinched her palm—no one knew that she asked Cao Hui this question. In a word, how long did it take her.

Eight years, she spent eight years, not too long, not too short.

"The mountains and rivers are peaceful and the universe is stable. In this prosperous age, we can live up to the life and death of the four major frontier armies." Sima Xuan raised his face and let out a long sigh of relief, "Hui'er, our Sima family has been in the army for generations, and the achievements of the previous dynasty are not suitable To put it bluntly, since the Chao Kingdom alone, the Sima family has had two generations, and dozens of sons and daughters of Ma Ge have been shrouded in blood and spilled blood on the northern border—father said that the sons of the Sima family, even if they die, are all steadfast If you die on the battlefield, your bones are buried in the yellow sand, and the sky and the earth are your tombs, you will definitely not make a nameless small grave in those beautiful mausoleums."

"And I'm not Erlang, but I went to the battlefield by accident... Fortunately, I realized that my Sima family's allegiance is not the emperor, not the royal family," Sima Xuan turned around and stood up, half of his body exposed in the light, half The figure is hidden in the shadow cast by the pavilion pillars.

She raised her head slightly to look at Cao Hui who stood up from the stool, her expression was bright and dark, making it impossible to distinguish her emotions, "My Yanyang Sima family has always been loyal to and guarded by the people of the world, Hui'er, let me say that, Do you understand?"

Cao Hui looked at the person in front of her who was full of light and darkness, and she suddenly had the illusion that Sima Xuan would be in front of her, on a bright sunset evening, with a certain concern that was not revealed at the end, Quietly, withdraw from her life forever...

An inexplicable fear crept into Cao Hui's heart densely, causing her to break out in a cold sweat in the late summer evening.

"...No! No!" Cao Hui shook her head fiercely. She clearly wanted to move forward, but her feet subconsciously retreated. She smiled, her eyebrows and eyes full of sarcasm. Not right, foolish and reckless, dedicated to playing with power, good at checking and balancing the court, common people, you mean common people? Sima Xuan, do you know how important the people of your Sima family are to his heart?"

"Light as a feather," Sima Xuan naturally couldn't say the answer, so Cao Hui said it on her behalf, "In the spring of the 31st year of Wanshou, the new king of Nanyue Kingdom ascended the throne as a bastard son. Emperor Hui of my dynasty was seriously ill, and he united with Bailuo and other dozens of small countries to invade, the southern border was still his fiefdom of Zhao Yujing, foreign enemies invaded, he did not raise his army to meet the enemy, do you know what he was doing at that time?"

"He fought the enemy's army a few times, then immediately claimed that he was invincible, and withdrew his troops to the north, leaving twelve cities in the southern border, leaving millions of unarmed old and young women and children to be slaughtered and humiliated by the enemy. Sima Xuan, at that time After all, you will know better than me when you become an adult."

Sima Xuan frowned and looked at Cao Hui without making a sound.

In the spring of the 31st year of Wanshou, Hui/Shun'an Emperor Zhao Shunjing, who was still in Dabao, fell ill, and the world of Dachao was full of flames overnight. Just around the corner, Chang'an, the capital of the emperor at that time, was even more chaotic.

Emperor Hui/Shun'an had no son, and the position of crown prince had been vacant for many years. The ministers of the court were divided into two factions. One faction advocated adopting the young son Lang from the clan's children to succeed him, and the other faction advocated selecting a worthy successor from the emperor's siblings to succeed Dabao.

However, in the other faction that advocates sibling succession, there are also several small factions: some of them support the third son of the ancestor Zhao Zhuanjing, and some support the sixth son of the ancestor Zhao Yuanjing. There are as many kings and so on. The eighth/ninth place, of course, among them there are those who support the youngest son of the grandparents, Zhao Yujing, King of Zhennan, but the voice is the lowest.

However, it was Zhao Yujing, the King of Zhennan who seemed to everyone to think that he had little chance of winning in this battle for the throne, who finally became a big deal—among all the kings, he was the only one who dared to allow the country to be invaded, and dared to secretly abandon millions of people. Regardless of his surname, he dared to connive at the flames of war going north, exacerbating the chaos of the court, and forcing the emperor who was in poor health to issue twelve golden orders to recall him to Chang'an and order him to be a supervisor of the country.

Later, Zhao Yujing became a great treasure and changed to Yuan Jingchu.

From the first year of Jingchu to the present, the case of Duke Chu’s death, the first minister’s minister Cao Ke and his son Cao Zheng’s rebellion, and even the appalling case of Zhu Xuhou treacherous and collaborating with the enemy, one after another. Which one is not the sacrifice made for the emperor to check and balance the imperial court to rule the world?

Sima Xuan covered her eyes with slightly cool palms—and, her left ear, and her almost speechless voice were also thanks to that person.

"But what can I do?!" However, she finally spoke in a deep voice, her hoarse voice trembling uncontrollably, but it was to protect the person who had to be defended:

"Yuanrong, he, he, he is unbearable, he is stupid, but under his rule in Dachao Kingdom, since the fifth year of Jingchu to the present, all civil and military officials have performed their duties, the people of the four directions live and work in peace and contentment, the world's government is well-organized and people are harmonious, and all wastes are prosperous. , these things, can't you feel these things?

After the Ninth Five-Year Plan, the first thing he did was to worship the general Meng Yi as his commander, and sent troops to the southern border, directly attacking the Huanglong capital of the Yue Kingdom, and forcing the monarchs of the 42 southern border countries to bow their heads and tie their necks to the court and proclaim themselves ministers.

From the following few years to the present, internally, he worships Duke Xun as the chief assistant of the cabinet, lightly pays and taxes, and lives with the people.On the outside, he dispatched heavy troops to the east to attack the Japanese kingdom and wiped out the Japanese pirates, so that there would be no more sea troubles in the East China Sea; on the west, he opened up a mutual market with Daliang and established a good alliance; The expansion has caused the Huns, who have troubled the northern border for many years, to have never launched any large-scale wars in recent years. Yuanrong, it is true that these credits belong to the frontier soldiers, but you can say that among these great credits, there is no His share? "

"You're right, of course you're right..." Cao Hui, who took a few steps back, has already put a certain distance away from Sima Xuan. The sun has already set in the middle of the night, and the faint sounds of children playing in his ears have gradually dissipated. , she quietly looked at the person in front of her, and suddenly remembered a daily description of the person in front of her by the storytellers in the teahouse and restaurant.

"Sima Jingling's body is more than eight feet tall and his appearance is beautiful. He wears court clothes and a crown. He looks into the mirror and gently strokes the scar on his forehead. He said that his wife said..."

Close your eyes, time flies in the long river of time, right and wrong have their own right and wrong, and there is no absolute standard for judging.Cao Hui forced himself to calm down for two breaths, and all the composure he should have returned to his mind. Suddenly, an instinctive fear from the depths of his soul suddenly invaded all of Cao Hui's perceptions.

"In the eighth year of Jingchu, the Hindu Kul battle between you and Beiman general Bi Kansuhe shouldn't have just been such an aggrieved result," Cao Hui shook his head lightly, his face slowly turning pale. With a smile as clear and shallow as breaking through the world of mortals, she said: "The life-and-death contract between Datong and the side hall should not have appeared. At the beginning of Yuan Dynasty, maybe you and I were wrong from the beginning. "

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Thank you for reading

Don't worry, the author will try his best to make the ending concave to HE, um, that's right.