La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 80

Wanqiu rushed in and said, "Your Majesty, General Chenglie is here, he will be here in a moment." Although Yelü Huan was granted the title of king in the Liao Kingdom, people still habitually called him a general, as if only the four words "General Chenglie" could highlight his achievements.

"Really? Could it be wrong again?"

A hearty laugh rang out, followed by a magnetic voice that said, "The person is right in front of us, of course there can't be any mistake!"

"Sixth Senior Brother!"

Upon hearing Yelü Huan's voice, Qin Zhen hurried over to the sound. Seeing her stumbling and falling, Yelü Huan was startled: "Junior sister, slow down!"

The two men stood clasped hands at the gate. Yelü Huanyu, clad in brocade robes and a high-tied golden crown, looked every bit the prince. He sported a mustache, which gave him a masculine air and exuded the aura of a mature man. Unfortunately, Qin Zhen couldn't see it.

When Yelü Huan saw Qin Zhen's blind eyes, his heart skipped a beat. Although he had prepared himself before coming, he still found it hard to accept when he actually saw them.

Qin Zhen simply said happily, "It's been years since I've seen my sixth senior brother. I'm truly happy to see him today." She casually uttered the word "see," without thinking anything of it, but Yelü Huan felt a pang of unease. Their relationship was like that of brothers and father. He never expected that their reunion today would turn out this way.

Yelü Huan helped Qin Zhen sit down, then sat down beside him and asked, "Has Fifth Senior Brother gone to gather herbs yet?"

Qin Zhen said with some guilt, "Not yet. The Eight-Leaf Lotus Eye Grass is only a legend that it exists on Kunlun Mountain, but no one has ever seen it. Fifth Senior Brother's trip is really hard on him. Now that Kunlun Mountain is covered in ice and snow, what will he do alone on the mountain!"

Yelü Huan comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, your second senior brother is also near Kunlun Mountain. Perhaps the two of them are together. So don't fret. Just take good care of your health."

Qin Zhen nodded obediently. Suddenly remembering something, he asked Wanqiu to bring something out of the inner room. Qin Zhen handed a square wooden box to Yelü Huan and said, "These are some things I do when I have nothing else to do. Sixth Senior Brother, see if you can use them."

Yelü Huan opened the wooden box and was surprised to find it contained knee pads, leg guards, and shoulder pads made of cotton cloth, each item embroidered with a coiled dragon pattern in brocade thread—exquisitely beautiful! Yelü Huan had suffered many injuries in battle. In rainy, stormy weather, his whole body ached. Qin Zhen's gift, though not expensive, was more heartwarming than anything else. But how could she have made these things while blind?

Seemingly sensing Yelü Huan's doubts, Qin Zhen said, "I'm not as good as I used to be. My needlework skills are much worse, and I can only try to do it by trial and error. If Sixth Brother can use it, then make do with it. It's better than feeling unwell."

Wanqiu suddenly interjected, "After Her Majesty the Empress knew the General was coming, she started preparing. Her fingers were almost pricked raw from sewing these things, and she wouldn't allow us servants to help!"

"Stop talking so much," Qin Zhen said softly, and Wan Qiu quickly shut up and retreated.

Yelü Huan was already moved, and after hearing Wanqiu's words, he felt the gift was even more precious. He carefully examined each item and put it away, saying, "I will use these things well! This time, I also prepared a special New Year's gift for you."

Qin Zhen asked curiously, "What is it? Let me see it."

"Just now in"

After much effort, the gift was finally handed over to the Emperor, who would then examine it.

—

Qin Zhen pouted and said, "Why should I give the gift to him? Take me to see it!" She was very bored in the palace all day long, and now that she had something to do, she was eager to do it.

Yelü Huan couldn't refuse her, so he had no choice but to say, "I sent someone over to you, Li Yunluo."

Qin Zhen trembled upon hearing this, not expecting Li Yunluo to be captured by Yelü Huan. The color drained from her face, turning her pale. Seeing her worsening complexion, Yelü Huan said regretfully, "Looks like this isn't a good gift..."

"No... Sixth Senior Brother has helped me a lot again, but I haven't thought about how to face her yet."

Yelü Huan asked, puzzled, "She has harmed you so much. Just kill her with your sword to avenge yourself. What's the point of facing her?"

Qin Zhen shook his head and said, "I hate her for blinding me, but I am also the one who twisted her personality into this way. If it weren't for me and Zhao Gou back then, she wouldn't have become like this."

Yelü Huan said somewhat angrily, "Why are you taking all the blame on yourself when it has nothing to do with you!"

"Isn't this any of my business...?"

Qin Zhen sent someone to tell Zhao Gou that he wanted to see Li Yunluo. However, when Wanqiu returned with the news, she was told that Zhao Gou had already imprisoned Li Yunluo in the Ministry of Justice's dungeon.

Li Yunluo was, after all, a princess of Western Xia. How could she be sent to the Ministry of Justice's dungeon? The obvious path of revenge was not an option. What was Zhao Gou trying to do?

Fearing that Qin Zhen could no longer stay in the palace, he ordered a carriage to be prepared and went to the Ministry of Justice with Yelü Huan.

When she rushed to the Ministry of Justice, Liu Qi was leading the imperial guards to surround the dungeon. Seeing Qin Zhen get off the carriage, Liu Qi walked over in surprise and bowed, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Upon hearing Liu Qi's voice, Qin Zhen became even more certain that Zhao Gou was inside, and instructed Liu Qi, "Take me in to see the Emperor."

Seeing Yelü Huan standing nearby, Liu Qi guessed that Yelü Huan had already told Qin Zhen about Li Yunluo. So he sent someone in first to inform Zhao Gou, and then led Qin Zhen and Yelü Huan deeper into the dungeon.

The reason Zhao Gou imprisoned Li Yunluo in the dungeon was solely for the torture instruments there. He hated Li Yunluo for blinding Qin Zhen and now only wanted to torment her thoroughly!

The scorching air from the dungeon hit her face, carrying a faint, burning smell. Qin Zhen winced in disgust and covered her nose. Several large braziers sat in one cell, some with branding irons on them, others with enormous steamers. Besides these, various iron instruments of torture hung on the walls. Fortunately, Qin Zhen was blind; otherwise, if she had seen the scene in the dungeon, she probably would have been too frightened to speak to Zhao Gou.

Even Yelü Huan's expression changed upon seeing the scene in the dungeon. He hadn't expected Zhao Gou to torture Li Yunluo to this extent! The brand on Li Yunluo's forehead must have been freshly burned, and her swollen, red hands must have been boiled in hot water. Her whole body was a mess.

The huge steamer in the cell caught Yelü Huan's attention the most. He was horrified. Could it be that Zhao Gou wanted to steam Li Yunluo alive?

Zhao Gou sat on a chair in the corner. When Qin Zhen came in, he was somewhat displeased, but he only frowned slightly before pulling Qin Zhen to the corner, as if he didn't want her to be tainted by the filth of the prison cell.

Qin Zhen grabbed Zhao Gou's hand and asked, "What are you doing? I think I smell... something burning... What have you done to her?"

Zhao Gou patted Qin Zhen's hand and said, "Nothing much, I only gave her a small punishment."

Qin Zhen wanted to speak, but didn't know what to say. She couldn't plead for Li Yunluo, but she also couldn't bear to watch Li Yunluo suffer and die in front of her. What should she do?

Zhao Gou gestured to the two jailers in the cell who were carrying out the execution. The two men then pulled the unconscious Li Yunluo up from the ground, chained her to the iron chain on the wall, and then left on their own.

Qin Zhen thought for a long time before saying, "It's the New Year now, and it's not good to see bloodshed. Let's deal with her after the New Year."

"Alright." Zhao Gou agreed with a smile, then led Qin Zhen outside, saying, "The air inside isn't good, let's go back to the palace."

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 151 The Final Discord

The carriage rumbled along the road back to the palace, but Qin Zhen still smelled that burnt, foul odor. This unpleasant feeling made her unconsciously clench her hands.

Zhao Gou placed his hand on her fist and whispered, "Leave some things to me, don't worry about them."

Qin Zhen finally couldn't help but say, "Give her a quick death, stop torturing her."

Zhao Gou said coldly, "How can I let her off so easily? She blinded you and tormented you every day. How can I let her just die?"

Qin Zhen couldn't quite describe her feelings. Zhao Gou still deeply hated Li Yunluo because of her, so what right did she have to oppose his actions?

While the two remained silent, Liu Qi reported from outside, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from the border."

Zhao Gou opened the carriage curtain and took in the urgent report. He unfolded it and a smile appeared on his lips. He held the report in his hand and smiled at Qin Zhen, saying, "This year's Lantern Festival will surely be very lively. Brother Yue and Brother Han will be back soon."

Upon hearing this good news, Qin Zhen completely forgot his earlier displeasure and hurriedly asked, "Really? Has the matter in Xixia been resolved?"

Zhao Gou said, "The old emperor of Western Xia did not survive the winter and died. The crown prince ascended the throne, and the empress's power collapsed immediately. The new emperor of Western Xia has already submitted a letter of surrender to our dynasty."

The Western Xia dynasty underwent a dramatic change. After a final act of resistance, Yelü Yazhu died suddenly in the palace, ending her life filled with hatred. Her resentment towards the Song dynasty remained unchanged for decades, solely because she could never forget the person who had held her dear throughout her life…

When Tang Yufeng learned of his mother's death at Fuyun Manor, he remained silent for a long time. Until midnight, gazing into the darkness, he murmured, "Father... now that Mother is gone too, you can finally be reunited. You loved and hated your whole lives. Now, live well in the afterlife..."

Nongying's figure appeared and disappeared outside the room. After hesitating for a long time, she finally knocked on Tang Yufeng's door and called out softly, "Young Master, are you asleep?"

Tang Yufeng said, "Not yet. If you have something to say, come in and say it."

Nongying slowly approached, her expression a strange mix of joy and sorrow. She said, "Young Master, the Empress has passed away. Nongying is now free. Would Nongying like to continue staying by your side?"

Tang Yufeng lowered his head and said, "Now that you're free, you should have your own life. I... don't want to hold you back..."

Nongying asked sadly, "Is Young Master angry with Nongying? I know I shouldn't have listened to the Empress and done those things before. I will never do anything against Young Master's wishes again. Please let me stay!" With that, she knelt down in front of Tang Yufeng.

Tang Yufeng reached out to help her up and said, "I'm not blaming you, it's just... you should have your own life. You're not my slave. You should think more about yourself."

"But...but..." Nongying whispered, "But Nongying really doesn't know what life would be like without you, young master..."

They had been together for many years, and now that things had come to this, how could Tang Yufeng not understand her feelings? Unfortunately, Tang Yufeng still said, "I am not worthy of your entrusting your life to me. You should leave."

Nongying shook her head: "I won't leave. If I leave, who will take care of Young Master? Young Master has difficulty moving around, Nongying absolutely cannot leave!"

Tang Yufeng grew anxious and half-roared, "Precisely because I am a cripple, I cannot let you live!"

Nongying was stunned, and so was Tang Yufeng. In his desperation, he blurted out his pent-up frustration! Tang Yufeng sat in his wheelchair, Nongying kneeling beside him. Staring at Tang Yufeng's turned face, Nongying grabbed his neck and cried, "Is this the reason? Nongying has been with you for so many years. How can you leave me like this? I don't care. I've never cared!"

Tang Yufeng hadn't expected Nongying to be so persistent with him. After considering it for a long time, he finally couldn't resist his soft heart and pulled her into his arms. He gently patted her back and asked, "Have you thought it through? Are you really not going to regret it?"

Nongying nodded hurriedly on his shoulder, and as they looked at each other with tears in their eyes, they finally smiled.

On the tenth day of the first month of the second year of the Jingkang era, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong returned triumphantly with the letter of surrender from the Western Xia. The whole city cheered and danced, and Zhao Gou personally welcomed them at the city gate.

Such great merit naturally warranted high rewards. Yue Fei was appointed First-Rank General of the Northern Expedition, in charge of the northern defenses, while Han Shizhong was appointed First-Rank General of the Western Expedition, in charge of the western defenses. Each was granted a general's mansion and countless amounts of gold, silver, and land, truly becoming prominent figures in the court!

Yue Fei had heard about Qin Zhen's eye ailment while on the battlefield, and now that he had returned to the capital,

After finishing his business, his first priority was to request permission to visit Qin Zhen in the palace. The surrender and handover of Xia had taken several days, and it was now nearly the Lantern Festival. Upon receiving Yue Fei's request, Zhao Gou replied, "The Empress has been nagging me to see you every day these past few days. A Lantern Festival banquet will be held in the palace tomorrow night; both generals should arrive early!"

Along with Yue Fei and Han Shizhong, two women, Liang Hongyu and Wu Shaofen, returned to Beijing from the border. They followed their beloved men through hardship on the frontier, never uttering a word of complaint, truly loving them to the core. However, they did not marry for a long time, and no one knew why.

The following afternoon, the four of them went to the palace early to visit Qin Zhen. They sat together in Yuxiu Palace, very affectionately. They were certainly saddened to see that Qin Zhen's eyes were damaged, but they deliberately avoided mentioning it. Qin Zhen herself did not show any sadness, only jokingly asking them when they would get married.

—

Yue Fei blushed and said, "I should have given Shao Fen a proper title long ago, but I always thought that I would wait until I had achieved success before marrying her so that I wouldn't feel wronged. So I kept putting it off until now." Wu Shao Fen was also from a military family. Over the years, she had followed Yue Fei without a clear understanding of his identity, which caused a lot of trouble in her family and made her suffer a lot of grievances.

Qin Zhen clapped his hands and said, "Brother, you are now a first-rank general. Hurry up and pick a good day to marry Sister Shaofen back to the general's mansion. If you don't marry her, I won't stand for it anymore."

Yue Fei readily agreed, and Wu Shaofen, listening nearby, was overjoyed. Han Shizhong, seeing that Yue Fei's marriage was settled, was incredibly envious. His next words were to Liang Hongyu: "Hongyu, you should marry me soon! Look, they're all getting married; you can't keep leaving me hanging like this..."

Han Shizhong's words carried a hint of grievance; it seemed Liang Hongyu had been dragging her feet on marrying him. Liang Hongyu, seeing him "propose" so directly in front of everyone, especially Qin Zhen, was extremely embarrassed and simply lowered her head, remaining silent. Han Shizhong seized the opportunity, saying, "If you don't object, I'll take that as your agreement. I'll marry you next month!"

Seeing that he had even revealed the date, Liang Hongyu spat at him and said, "I'm all alone, so you can bully me all you want!"

Although that's what they said, everyone could hear the affection in their words, and the whole room was filled with joy. Qin Zhen insisted that they all get married, and the four of them, who were very close, agreed; all that was left was to choose a good day.

No sooner had this matter been discussed than Yue Fei, that blockhead, brought up something Qin Zhen was extremely reluctant to mention: her father, Qin Hui.

"Sister, there's something I've been wanting to confirm with you, and I've finally had a chance to ask you today. The Western Xia say that Lord Qin was behind the late emperor's arrest. Is that true or false? Were you and the emperor aware of it at the time?"

The moment these words were uttered, the entire room paled. Yue Fei was straightforward; if he were to learn that Qin Hui was indeed behind this, and that Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen had tacitly approved it, who knew what might happen! Wu Shaofen, sitting beside Yue Fei, was even more nervous. If Yue Fei knew that she was the one who led the bombing of Tokyo and then secretly sent Zhao Huan to Fuyun Manor for detention, this marriage would likely be off!

Everyone looked at Qin Zhen, waiting for her answer. Considering that times had changed and she couldn't afford to create a rift between Yue Fei and Zhao Gou, she lied and said, "I know nothing about this matter. Due to pressure from the ministers, my father has been imprisoned in the dungeon. He will only investigate this matter once things have settled down in Western Xia. I believe he will give the world an explanation."

Yue Fei nodded and said, "We must really investigate this thoroughly. We cannot wrong Lord Qin, and we cannot let the late Emperor be wronged!"

Qin Zhen forced a smile, and no one was interested in the rest of the conversation. Fortunately, the banquet was ready, and Zhao Gou sent someone to invite them over, so the group went.

The palace was brightly lit. Although Qin Zhen couldn't see, the constant sounds of singing, dancing, and firecrackers filled the air with a lively atmosphere, filling her heart with joy. Zhao Gou took Qin Zhen's hand from Wan Qiu's and they sat together at the head of the banquet. The emperor and empress were perfectly at ease with each other, displaying their deep affection!

The music troupe and the dance troupe rehearsed many programs, all singing about peace and prosperity, which was very pleasant to listen to. Although the current situation was far from that good, Qin Zhen gradually "saw" the beautiful future. After all, the world was now in Zhao Gou's hands, and she was confident that Zhao Gou would create a peaceful and prosperous world for her.

This concludes the "Imperial Ambition" chapter. Starting tomorrow, we will begin updating the final volume, "A Prosperous and Peaceful Era." This story will likely conclude in mid-to-late July, as there are still some internal conflicts within the Song Dynasty that need to be resolved.