Empress Chu

He hissed twice, as if the wound was still hurting.

……

……

It seems that the autumn wind has turned into a cold wind in the blink of an eye.

The cold wind from the northwest first rolled the dead grass and flew around, and then the dead grass turned into snow particles.

Standing under the eaves, Chu Zhao took off his hood and looked up to see if it was snowing.

"Hey, what are you doing." Xiaoman's voice came from the side, "Put the hat on."

Chu Zhao looked over and saw Xiaoman coming out of the kitchen, holding a basket in his hand, staring at her.

"Don't be naughty, if you catch a cold in the wind, you will have to take a pot of bitter medicine." Xiaoman said, "If you beg me to pour the medicine back then, I won't help you!"

Chu Zhao smiled and put his hat on obediently.

I don't know if the hat is too big, or the face is too small, once she puts it on, it covers her face, only revealing a pair of eyes blinking, and the cloak she wears is very thick, but it still looks very thin when wrapped around her body , It seems that the next moment will be blown away by the wind.

Xiaoman looked at her with her basket in her arms. Whether she was leading the army in battle or dealing with the officials, although she would be tired and thin, she was never this thin.

The poison hurt her body, and that incident also hurt her spirit.

"It's time to eat, go in quickly." She said loudly, carrying the basket and stomping towards the house, "I made the stewed lamb you asked for this time, if you don't eat more, I won't give up."

Chu Zhao said loudly: "I will eat two big bowls."

When I said this, there was a noise from the yard next door, and a group of children, big and small, poured out of a room, like chickens and ducks released from a cage.

"get out of class is over." Chu Zhao also came alive and waved enthusiastically, "Come to my house for dinner."

The children looked over. Some were shy, some hesitated, some shouted "Thank you, sister Afu." "We don't eat." Then they ran away noisily.

Chu Zhao watched off with a smile, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone coming out again.

"Mr. Zhu Er." She smiled, "Do you want to come to my house for dinner? Stewed lamb."

Deng Yi glanced at her and said, "No need, my family has them too."

Chu Zhao wanted to say something else, but Xiaoman shouted impatiently inside, "Come in." She smiled at Deng Yi, turned around and walked in, and Deng Yi's servant who was listening also ran out to call Deng Yi to eat, It seemed that the boy was very happy to hear her invitation.

"Miss Ah Fu is so nice, she always invites us to dinner, unlike that Ah Jiu who only comes to steal our food."

Deng Yi glared at him and stopped: "Say less." Then he looked at the girl over there.

The girl didn't seem to hear, stepped over the threshold and disappeared from sight.

Chapter 6 An Office

This room is not big, one partition is divided into three parts, there is a bedroom, a living room and a study.

This is the humblest house that Chu Zhao has lived in in his past and present lives.

"After rushing for two months, it was finally built as scheduled." Mu Mianhong told her at the time, with a look of relief, she wrapped her cloak tightly and touched her face by the way, "I'm still worried that I won't be as good as my darling." place to live."

Chu Zhao has been listening to his mother calling him various nicknames along the way. Now that he is conscious, he is still a little embarrassed, feeling that he is getting smaller and smaller.

"Where is your mother, there will be no place to live without me." She also said something embarrassing.

Xiaoman rolled her eyes at the two of them at the side.

Thinking about it, Chu Zhao sat down in front of the table with a smile, and Xiao Man ran out to bring in the mutton again.

"You feed it yourself." She said, "You are well now, don't expect me to feed you again."

Chu Zhao hurriedly said, "I can feed you."

Her eyes fell on Xiaoman's right shoulder. Although she was no longer wrapped in a wound cloth, Xiaoman always used her left hand no matter whether she was cooking and serving food, or chopping firewood and riding a horse.

He also began to practice swords with his left hand.

Xiaoman glared at her, put the rice in his left hand, and started to eat.

Chu Zhao smiled as he served his meal, when footsteps sounded outside, and Mu Mianhong walked in.

"I can smell the fragrance outside." She smiled, took off her cloak, washed her hands in the copper basin beside her, and sat down.

Both Xiaoman and Chu Zhao got up, and when they saw each other get up, they both sat down again.

"Xiaoman, serve food for aunt." Chu Zhao said with a smile.

Xiaoman lowered her head to eat the meat, and said, "I have served my aunt for a long time, now it's time for you to be a filial piety."

Mu Mianhong smiled and said: "You two children are suffering, let me take care of you." After speaking, he broke off the steamed cakes on the table, and each of them took a piece.

Chu Zhao accepted it with a smile, and Xiao Man also took it, lowering his head and giggling.

The three sat around the table talking while eating.

"Xiaotu and the others have reconnected." Mu Mianhong said, "Do you want to take Ale over?"

The imperial court officially withdrew the investigation of the relatives of Empress Chu, but it did not mean that Xie's entourage would stop there.

Although Chu Lan and the others were not arrested, they were also under surveillance in the dark. After all, Empress Chu was charged with treason and was still on the run.

Chu Zhao shook his head: "No, I'll write her a letter and let her stay outside."

Xiaoman couldn't help but said: "She must cry every day outside."

"It's okay, she won't cry if she knows I'm safe, I'll write her a letter to say, and." Chu Zhao said, smiling, looking at Xiaoman, "I have Xiaoman here, and I have my mother to accompany me." So, she doesn't have to accompany me, it's more useful outside."

Xiaoman pouted, what's the use.

I know that the current situation is not good, so I am afraid of causing trouble to everyone.

However, A Le is not the only one. Ding Dahui still stays outside. My aunt said she would not pick him up and came back, so that he can live a stable life in the future.

Xiaoman stopped talking and lowered her head to eat.

After dinner, Chu Zhao and Mu Mianhong cleaned up together, let Xiaoman rest, and then dragged Xiaoman away: "Auntie has something to tell you."

Xiaoman glanced at Chu Zhao, a little twitchy: "Auntie, if you have something to say, just say it."

Although she felt that the mother and daughter were tired of being together and a little jealous, but if her aunt felt that she was neglected and wanted to whisper to her, she felt that it was unnecessary.

She and her aunt have been together for more than ten years, and Chu Zhao is only a few months old.

Mu Mianhong hugged her shoulders with a smile, and said, "Come on with Auntie." Then she whispered to her, "Zhong Changrong has been squatting outside for a long time, let's make room for him."

Xiaoman snorted: "He came to us and still dislikes us, why do we let him!"

Mu Mianhong smiled and said, "Okay, everyone who comes is a guest, so treat them better."

The two walked away talking and laughing. Chu Zhao stood in front of the door watching, then looked behind the house and saw Zhong Changrong squatting wrapped in a fur coat.

"Uncle Zhong." She greeted happily, "Come on, I've left some food for you."

Zhong Changrong came earlier than her, and this house was built by Zhong Changrong himself.

After the imperial court announced that Empress Chu was rebellious and absconded, Zhong Changrong was not surrounded by soldiers and horses like Chu Lan's family. Because of concerns about the prestige of the Chu family, the imperial court only increased troops outside Yunzhong County to prevent border riots.

But Zhong Changrong didn't have time to riot, and was immediately taken away by the soldiers.

Koyama is the mastermind.

"The queen has an accident, you will definitely not give up, and the court will not give up on you, in order to avoid conflicts and troubles, Zhong Shuai, please stay away for a while." He said soothingly.

Zhong Changrong was tied up after being drunk, and cursed at these bastards for defecting to the enemy.

"No, Zhong Shuai, you still don't trust me?" Xiao Shan patted his chest and shouted, "I will guard the border army for you. At this moment, it is more appropriate for me to do this, but Zhong Shuai is not suitable for you."

Zhong Changrong scolded angrily: "You are a ghost! What? Do you think you have climbed to Xie's house? You are omnipotent?"

Xiao Shan corrected him: "The one I climbed was Ah Jiu, and it has nothing to do with the Xie family."

Isn't Ah Jiu the Xie family?Zhong Changrong was about to scold, but he thought of something: "Did that kid Ah Jiu ask you to do this?"

Although the news that Xie Yanlai and Xiao Xun died together spread all over the world, Chu Zhao had already told Zhong Changrong the truth, but how did Xiao Shan know?

It is impossible for Chu Zhao to tell Xiao Shan that it must be Ah Jiu!

But Xiao Shan refused to say it, and with an attitude of being strict and obedient, he handed Zhong Changrong over to the people at Mumianhong—even though Mumianhong hadn’t returned yet, the garrison was surrounded by soldiers and horses.

Zhong Changrong was taken away, and then he heard that the frontier army reported that Zhong Changrong had absconded in fear of crime, and elected a general to temporarily take charge of the frontier army, waiting for the court to investigate and appoint a new commander. The troops surrounding the border county withdrew .

The frontier army deployed heavy defenses again, seemingly to guard against Zhong Changrong, but in fact they built a dam to prevent them from being discovered--Mumianhong's troops can still go to Yunzhong County to buy and sell supplies as usual, as long as they come from here, Even with weapons, the guards pretended not to see them.

Zhong Changrong suppressed his depression and waited for Chu Zhao to come back. After Chu Zhao came back, he concentrated on guarding her and recuperating until the cold winter.

Zhong Changrong thought that he was living under someone else’s fence, and what he sent was the deeply hated kapokhong, so he refused to deal with the people here, so he built a shed outside the village, raised a few sheep, and walked alone.

Chu Zhao was angry and funny at the same time.

"Uncle Zhong, you are really confused. If you don't think about it, you gave Mu Mianhong nearly [-] soldiers and horses here." She said, "This is obviously your territory, and you are the boss."

Zhong Changrong took a few mouthfuls of his rice bowl and shook his head: "Ah Zhao, don't try to comfort me."

Chu Zhao said with a smile: "A few days ago, I heard a few people chatting with the big boss, saying that there are no Xiliang people around, and there is no place to rob, and they have to forget that they are bandits. People are now wandering around the place where they live in peace, but they are dismissed by the head of the family, saying that they have no skills."

She winked at this point.

"Uncle Zhong, you go with your troops."

Zhong Changrong's eyes flashed, and he shook his head again: "I also have no spare parts, so I'd better guard you."

Chu Zhao raised his arms and waved at him: "I'm fine, I'm all fine now."

Zhong Changrong looked at her thin arm with kindness in his eyes.

"Azhao, don't worry, I'm fine, life is actually pretty good today." He said, with an angry look on his face, "What good is it for you to be the queen? In the past few years, you have been fighting everywhere, protecting the country and the people, but in the end, you became a queen. You are a thorn in the side of others, one or two are staring at you, plotting against you, harming you, let's quit this bitch queen, let them go to the dog to bite the dog."

Then he sighed again.

"I know Ah Jiu's intentions. He built a dam outside to make our place an independent place, free and easy, and don't have to be troubled by those messy things anymore."

Having said that, he snorted again.

"Ah Jiu has a conscience, it's not in vain that you treat him so well."

Chu Zhao put his hand on his chin and asked with bright eyes, "Uncle Zhong can also see that I treat him well?"

"No one treats him better than you!" Zhong Changrong said with a stare, "I can tell from the first time I saw him."

The first time, when she didn't know that he was Xie Yan, Chu Zhao smiled and shook his head again: "Actually, I didn't treat him well. After he got to know me, he was even more unlucky."

In the past, Zhong Changrong would definitely have to refute, but at this moment, he didn't really want to complain about that kid.

If the kid hadn't found out in time and rushed to the capital with Mu Mianhong and others, Ah Zhao might have died in Xie Yanfang's hands.

"I don't know you, and he doesn't know what sweetness is. He doesn't know sweetness so he doesn't know bitterness. It's not that life is not bitter." He muttered.

If you can taste the sweetness, even if your life is bitter, you will be happy when you look back.

Although he didn't curse that kid, he didn't want to talk too much, lest Ah Zhao would be unhappy.

"This mutton stew is good." He said, holding the bowl with one arm, "Ah Zhao, give me another bowl."

Chu Zhaodao: "Don't eat too much, it's late at night, be careful of food accumulation."

"I'm not so delicate." Zhong Changrong retorted, and was full of enthusiasm. "The sheep I raise are good, and the stew must be better than this." He frowned at this point, "But it's a pity to stew it. You can understand me giving orders to discharge the army formation."

Chu Zhao was amused and laughed: "Then don't eat them, Uncle Zhong, take good care of them and let them charge forward."

……

……

As night fell, Zhong Changrong left, and Xiaoman hadn't returned yet, Chu Zhao's house fell into silence.

She stood under the eaves and looked around. The houses were scattered, and the lights were on every house. There were playful children running around on the street. It was no different from the common villages in the mainland. But looking into the distance, there were people patrolling and walking around. However, the newly built outpost in the distance is shining with lights, which shows that this is not an ordinary village.

"It's late at night, what are you doing outside blowing cold wind?"

Deng Yi's voice came from the next door.

Chu Zhao closed his eyes and looked at him, seeing that Deng Yi was holding a scroll in his hand.

"Sir, I really can't put it down." She smiled, "Be careful to burn your eyes at night."

Deng Yi said: "Miss Ah Fu is too worried. In order to make me a good teacher, the master gave me enough lamp oil, which is as bright as day, and it can last all night."

Chu Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "You're having a good day, I wish you a good mood, right?"

Deng Yi sneered slightly, and said, "I'm different from you. I'm here as a prisoner. Do you know how prisoners feel?"