——————
Nowadays, there is nothing for Ming Jin to be afraid of, especially the people of the Chu family.
Ming Jin opened the box lightly with his fingers, took out the black dragon pattern scroll inside, opened it and took a look, frowned slightly, and looked at Shu Baiyi.
She was speechless, but Shu Baiyi said: "It was passed down from our ancestors. I was shocked when I got it. When my master didn't say much, he just said that Baiyi Jianxue Tower was founded by the order of the great ancestor of the Chu family.
The ancestor Qin Wuyou later obtained this from Taizu, and it has been preserved to this day. The leaders of the White Sword Snow Tower in the past generations must strictly abide by its sect rules, but the highest sect rule is it, which is above all the sect rules, because this
It is the last order left by Taizu."
Just like the wills of many ordinary people, the final will is naturally the last one that is valid.
The highest rules followed by Baiyi Jianxue Tower also originate from this.
But what kind of rules could allow Baiyi Jianxuelou to violate the three-hundred-year rule of protecting the Chu family's royal power and silently watch Ming Jin almost massacre the entire royal family?
Ming Jin tapped the scroll with his finger and said, "Senior, do you think I need it?
Or do you think I will go easy on the Chu family because of this? Or maybe you are afraid that I will kill Chu Lanai."
Her tone was as polite and gentle as ever, at least that's how she always treated the people in Baiyi Jianxue Tower.
But the content of his words was also full of indifference towards Chu.
No one knows whether she killed the Chu family for the sake of the world or for hatred. They only know that if she takes action, she will never look back.
"I don't have such delusions either."
"Those who conquer the world will not be able to defend the world if they can really hold back."
Shu Baiyi didn't say it clearly, but Ming Jin knew what he meant - Chu Xie didn't hold back on Zhou either.
Thinking of some deep hidden meanings, Ming Jin said nothing and just closed it. He had no intention of letting the people below see it, let alone letting the probing Taifu Yan and others know. He also ignored the prince, the only one still in the court.
The Chu people.
"Really not making it public? This will be much better for your future." Shu Baiyi advised.
In the end, Ming Jin just smiled lightly.
"It doesn't matter if someone turns against me in the future. Since ancient times, the throne of the Great Emperor has been occupied by those who are capable. If I can kill the Chu family, I won't be afraid of others coming to kill me."
Ming Jin, who turned around and held his sword, looked coldly at the civil and military officials, nobles and ministers standing under the altar, and spoke in a very soft voice that almost only Shu Baiyi could hear.
"I want this world, it has nothing to do with who I am, just because I want it." Shu Baiyi was stunned by these words, as if he vaguely saw the open-minded and heroic Taizu back then, and Xie Laozu, who had no plans to leave the world and be independent.
.
He closed his eyes, sighed, and got off the altar with only the box.
That day, none of the civil and military officials could see the only empress of Zhao Kingdom worshiping heaven until she knelt down. She just stood on the altar and looked into the distance at the rising smoke.
Resolute and determined.
The next day, the female relatives and young children who were detained in the Chu clan's residences all died of a plague in the Supervisory Council.
Among them is Chu Lanai.
——————
But on this day, Chu Lanai woke up in a daze and smelled the fragrance of the mountains. When she woke up, she saw the empty space outside the window.
The looming clouds and mist shrouded the place, and the elegant yet classical architecture seemed familiar.
"Bai... Baiyi Jianxuelou?"
She was a little confused, but couldn't react for a long time, until Li Baiyi walked in carrying medicine.
"Junior Sister Li, what is this?"
"I don't know, you were sent here last night."
Li Baiyi put the medicine aside and noticed that Chu Lanai seemed to be thinking, and murmured to herself: "She actually let me go?"
Being able to send her to Baiyi Jianxue Tower means letting her go.
She didn't understand whether this was Xie Mingjin's own intention, or whether Xie Mingrong or Li Baiyi was interceding on her behalf?
"I shouldn't have that much influence, but she did hold back. Maybe... she didn't mean to kill you in the first place."
Li Baiyi was not sure whether it was appropriate to say kind words to Ying Jin in front of Chu Lanai, but the latter remained silent for a while and said in a very complicated tone: "This is not wise for her."
"I don't know. When it comes to life and death, it's not appropriate to speculate on other people's intentions."
"Especially hers."
Indeed, Chu Lanai smiled softly, "Being able to survive is already the greatest blessing."
Her smile seemed open-minded, but Li Baiyi had experienced too many tragedies of life and death recently. From a swordsman who did not eat the fireworks of the world, she understood the joys, anger, sorrows and joys of the world. She could see the color and fatigue in Chu Lanai's eyes.
"I... hope you can cherish it." Li Baiyi was extremely soft and extremely serious. She held Chu Lanai's hands as solemnly and persistently as if she were holding her own sword.
"Everyone's life is unique. If you pass away, some will mourn. If you survive, some will be happy. I don't ask you to live for the joy of others, but I ask you to think about the meaning of this world."
Chu Lanai was startled, but Li Baiyi said in a low voice, "The reason why I can't blame her for being too cruel is because this world has never shown mercy to her. She has survived so many encounters and found something for herself."
Independence means more than the name Xie Mingjin, why can't you?"
"You always said that you wanted to be friends with her, but unfortunately your fate was different."
"Actually, fate has nothing to do with us."
"Because we never admit defeat."
In the end, Li Baiyi convinced Chu Lanai with his determination to stick to martial arts and never give up.
The day Chu Lanai walked down from the Snow Tower in white clothes, the winter snow finally fell this year. She had changed her name and was determined to travel around the world with her considerable martial arts skills. She put on coarse clothes and rode across the river, almost passing the capital city.
When he entered the city gate, he hesitated for a moment, then put on his mask, and went to the city gate and stared at it quietly for a long time. Finally, with tears in his eyes, he pulled the reins and walked across the river without looking back.
Many years later, when she looked back on her life, she realized that she had walked out of the prison, but Xie Mingjin was still trapped in the biggest prison in the world.
The world, power, and loneliness.
But she didn't know that on the same day she left the capital, Xie Mingjin returned to Guijia Mountain alone, leading a majestic but not very smart beast through steep mountains and rivers and into Yuanshan, where the palace hunted.
That was the place where she spent the longest time besides the palace for many years to come.
——————
For many years after that, whether it was Chu Lanai who traveled around the world, Fei Wudao who still didn't give up looking for his master's son, or Chen Bunian and other Zhao Kingdom martial arts elites who had begun to thrive, they all saw the true spirit of Zhao Kingdom.
situation.
In the third year of the Empress's reign, due to the failure of two invasions, public dissatisfaction within the Great Wilderness boiled and the national power declined greatly. The merchants who controlled large sums of money but were eager to be exploited took advantage of the loopholes in the merchant slave system of the Great Wilderness to raise a large number of slaves and smuggled them from Zhao Kingdom.
He acquired many weapons and eventually became ambitious. He repeatedly seized power from the great nobles. As a result, the internal class fighting resulted in chaos in the court. The already exhausted King Huang finally protected the nobles and suppressed the merchants in a large-scale and bloody manner. The merchants were dissatisfied and fought for the bottom.
In the name of cutting taxes and abolishing slavery, the people of the Great Wilderness rebelled and rebelled in order to promote reforms. This conflict became more and more intense, and eventually turned into the most tragic massacre in the history of the Great Wilderness.
The massacre ended with both sides suffering losses, but it was not over yet. Zhao's 500,000-strong army marched northward...
After the fourth year, Dahuang was defeated, and the whole country surrendered and submitted unconditionally... The Zhao Kingdom made Xie, the lord of the Dahuang merchants, the vassal king of one side and surrendered to the Zhao Kingdom.
Nine years later, the remaining tribes of the Dahuang royal family in the Dahuang territory once again colluded with each other outside the Great Wall to restore the kingdom. They first wanted to hunt down King Xie, but were discovered in advance and were strangled by the Zhao army and Xie's army.
In the tenth year, the twenty-eight tribes outside the Great Wall that remained between Dahuang and Zhao were completely annexed. At this point, the territory was completely connected, creating the most powerful territory of Zhao.
In the fifteenth year, Prince Chu Ye was already in his twenties and was in his prime.
This year, the empress was nearly forty years old.
——————
"Your Majesty has returned from Yuanshan. Would you like to see His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The old palace servant bowed and saluted the prince Chu Ye. When he raised his head, he saw that the young prince who was once noble and elegant was no longer so elegant, but his eyebrows and eyes were much heavier and steady, like a rock.
After all, it has gone through bloody hardships and is stable, but I don’t know what will happen in the future.
The old palace man didn't dare to show any sigh, and just obeyed the strict instructions and immediately led the person into the deep and secluded palace in a low voice.
But he probably didn't expect to bump into Concubine Ling who had just come out of Qian Palace.
Speaking of which, when the Chu family was executed, everyone inside and outside the court believed that Xie Mingjin would bloodbath the harem, but they did not expect that all three thousand beauties in the harem would be given a choice. Those who wanted to leave the palace could leave the palace and be given a resettlement fee. If not,
Those who leave the palace can also serve the palace until their old age.
In the end, some women appeared, most of whom were women who really wanted to belong, but were forced by their families, or had no other choice for various other reasons, or they were afraid of being lonely in the harem and it was difficult to decide between life and death...
Concubine Ling didn't leave, which was unexpected but also seemed to be reasonable.
Her family has relied on her favor for many years to rise. If she loses her position and becomes an ordinary woman, most of the time she will be sold by the family for her beauty. In her words, as a woman, she can only sell herself once for her family.
It's enough to be both loyal and filial, so there's no reason to sell it a second time, it's not cheap.
This sentence was said in front of many people and spread outside the palace, which made her family extremely embarrassed, but they did not dare to say anything because it was said that the empress smiled after hearing this that day.
Smart people can see that this Concubine Ling, who has been "favored" for many years but was not favored by Emperor Zhong, has two reasons why she could not die tragically for the sake of the empress.
She was right when she said that the way of the world at that time was when the empress was the master, and women should not be so contemptuous of themselves.
Wouldn't it be good to keep him in the palace, eat well and spend the rest of his life?
What's more, Xie Mingjin doesn't like to talk to them. She goes in and out as she pleases. Because she is a woman, even if the concubines in the harem get pregnant because of hooking up with someone outside, they can't fall into her trap. In fact, the concubines in the palace live their lives.
Life is not too good, and the official women outside occasionally murmur to themselves when they are unhappy - this is much happier than when a man is the king.
But even so, there must be Concubine Ling inside and outside the palace. She is extremely loyal to the empress and greets her every day. If the whole world hadn't known what kind of person Xie Mingjin was, there would have been rumors about her.
Prince Chu Ye naturally knew these things.
His expression remained unchanged, he just bowed briefly to Concubine Ling, but he noticed that Concubine Ling was looking at her slightly as she accepted the gift in return.
Concubine Ling is very smart, so she knows etiquette. Now that Emperor Zhong is dead, the last person they and other concubines in the entire palace cannot afford to offend is this last Chu family member.
So she lowered her eyebrows, looked cold and indifferent, and left quickly, as if she was dignified and self-possessed.
When she walked to the small garden, she looked back and glanced at Chu Ye, who was waiting outside the palace door and made some small body movements. She frowned slightly and curled her lips.
People outside are saying that she wants to ignore the relationship between men and women and cling to the current empress. In fact, she just wants to hug Chu Ye, but this Chu Ye... It seems that Xie Mingjin has no intention of raising him.
She doesn't kill people, she doesn't care for the dead, she teaches government affairs step by step, and entrusts her with important responsibilities, but she is cold and unclean. No one knows what she thinks.
The most important thing is that she didn't even have the intention to persuade her civil and military officials to take a husband and leave an heir to inherit the throne.
It is really like a rock that cannot be moved in the wind and snow in the world, but it is so high above.
There is no human desire at all.
——————
Chu Ye got permission and entered the hall. He was hit by a strong cold air, which made him feel chilly. He walked into the hall and saw Ming Jin sitting in the open-air courtyard outside the hall.
The beauty leaned up, facing the small garden with excellent land outside.
She rarely wears dragon robes. When she goes to court, she wears ordinary clothes. Sometimes black ink, sometimes red blood, they are all single colors and uncomplicated. She has long hair shawl, and cool eyebrows, but her whole body is like a god, even if she is holding it
The bait is fed casually, and there is always a sense of calmness.
After all these years, her appearance has remained unchanged, as if the years have finally treated her much more kindly.
Chu Ye walked over and saluted from a few steps away, "Your Majesty, I am here..."
He came to ask for errands, and every word he spoke was formal and rigorous, and his eyes never lingered on her. Until he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
after a long time.
Only then did he hear Ming Jin say, "How long?"
Chu Ye was confused and looked up, seeing that she was still looking sideways at the fish swimming in the pond.
"What are you asking about?"
"It's been fifteen years."
Only then did Chu Ye understand, he lowered his head and said, "Yes."
"Do you want to be an emperor?"
Chu Ye was shocked, but when he saw Ming Jin turned his face, he asked lukewarmly, "Do you want to sit in my seat?"
Chu Ye was afraid to kneel down, but he didn't because he knew that the other party didn't like people who were too humble.
The one who can catch her eye must be an unparalleled leader, at least not inferior to Xiao Rong.
"As long as it's your decision, I can accept it."
Ming Jin smiled lightly, put one hand on his cheek, and looked at him with a half-smile, "If you and I can only live together, how would you choose?"
Are you going to kill him?
Chu Ye lowered his eyes, "I should have died fifteen years ago."
Realizing that Ming Jin called himself "I" from the beginning, he also changed the title to "I".
At that moment, he suddenly decided that there was no identity difference between them.
"There are no people who deserve to die, only choices without regrets."
She looked at him deeply, as if she was hesitating or thinking about something. He didn't understand the look in her eyes, he just felt that she had seen through his heart and soul, as if...
"I killed Yao Yuan, do you hate him?"
Chu Ye's body felt slightly cold, but he finally responded, "Hate."
His eyes were red.
It was like going through infinite pain.
Ming Jin no longer looked at him, but said softly: "If you gain something, you must lose something. If you can't let go of what he has measured for you, you will only lose some of what you want."
Snap, she poured a plate of bait into the pool.
"Get ready to pick me up."
"Get out."
Three months later, Ming Jin was transferred to Chu Ye, and then Shi Shiran left the capital. No one knew where she went. Many people thought that after she left, there would be civil strife in the Zhao court, such as Chu Ye and Xiao Ronghui.
There was fighting, but nothing.
As always, Xiao Rong should lead troops, hand over power, and not get married. Just like Xianyun Yehe, he would only run out of the capital occasionally when the holidays were long. But for some reason, the new emperor Chu Ye became more fond of entrusting him with important tasks because of this.
He must be tied up in the capital and at the border, leaving him unable to do anything else.
As time goes by, some people will taste it, but they dare not say more.
After all, it is a secret that cannot be told.
Just like the day she left, Chu Ye stood on the top of the highest pavilion in the palace with tears in his eyes, looking into the distance and unable to see the world of mountains and rivers.
It was not that he didn't know what King Shu and Yao Yuan were planning back then, but it was many years later that he understood why Yao Yuan was planning this way.
Because he saw through the young man's uncontrollable heart palpitations, which violated etiquette and violated his father's taboos.
If Emperor Zhong does not die, he will die.
If Xie Mingjin were in the court, he would always be like Yao Yuan, trapped in the pain of hopelessness and unattainability his whole life.
Perhaps, she also knew, she had known for many years, but she just didn't say anything.
To this day, he still doesn't know why she is so tolerant to him.
Chapter completed!