Thousands of miles with the wind

It was extremely hot at the end of summer, and even if there were ice mirrors placed around, a lot of water vapor would evaporate from the two of them huddled together.After everything was over, Gu Siyuan was already like a fish fished out of the water, leaning against Zhong Liran's arms and gasping for breath.

Zhong Liran tidied her messy clothes, leaned over and kissed her forehead, and asked in a low voice, "Gu Siyuan, do you want to take a bath?"

The body was so sticky, which made Gu Siyuan feel uncomfortable.She leaned against Zhong Liran's arms and whispered, "What time is it?"

"It's time for you." Zhong Liran replied in this way, stood up and leaned over to hug Gu Siyuan horizontally, and walked towards the bathroom with messy clothes.Gu Siyuan was born slender, tall but not very heavy.Zhong Liran mastered the technique, carried her all the way, and when he came to the bathroom, he took off her clothes and soaked them in the pool.

The spring water is mild, and Gu Siyuan finally recovered after soaking for a while.Zhong Liran held her in his arms, reached out and rubbed her ears, and while cleaning her, he asked lazily, "You went to see Gerqin again today, what did you say to her?"

Gu Siyuan leaned in her arms, closed his eyes and replied, "I told you about the customs and customs of going north. I heard her say that the grasslands are vast and the glaciers are steep, which is very exciting."

Zhong Liran read travel notes when he was young, so he naturally experienced the vastness of going north in the book.If she wasn't an emperor, she might have traveled northward when she was young.She smiled when she heard the words, and said, "Subei is indeed very good. I have read it in a book. The hinterland of Subei is rich in water and grass, which is extremely nourishing. It is the longevity paradise in the grassland. The current Golden Tent Royal Court in Subei is stationed here." around there."

"The barbarians are good at fighting. If it weren't for the quarrels of the eight tribes, I'm afraid the entire north of Shenzhou would be in their pocket."

The Central Plains where the Chu State is located only occupies a small part of the vast continent, while the territory of the northern border of the Chu State is far wider than the Central Plains.According to the records of those travelers who have traveled the world, the northern border grassland, which has always been called Subei by Chu State, is inhabited by eight barbarian tribes. Most of them live on hunting and are brave and good at fighting.

To the south of the state of Chu, there is a vast expanse of sea water. Only after going to the sea for tens of thousands of miles, can we occasionally see continents and people from different countries.

According to the legend of Chu State, only Chinese and barbarians live in this continent, and it is surrounded by a piece of sea water called Tangtang.The sun of the Eastern Emperor shone over Kyushu, protecting the mainland from being submerged by sea water.But one day, when the faith is dimmed, the sun of the Eastern Emperor will leave the sky above the mainland, and the sea will pour in and swallow everything.

Therefore, in the hearts of the people of Chu State, the sea is mysterious and unpredictable.Some people even regard it as the incarnation of Lord Ye Muli.Thousands of years ago, when Chu State never came east, it was so afraid of the sea.Later, after the Zhongli royal family dominated the Central Plains, a very curious Emperor Chu ignored the objections of his ministers and decided to build a ship to go to sea. Since then, the fear of the sea has gradually dissipated among the people.

But in the hearts of Chu people, the sea is still terrifying.While believing in the Eastern Emperor, they continued to explore, trying to see the essence of the world clearly. Under such extremely contradictory psychology, they gradually figured out what the world looks like.

Thousands of years have passed, and the people of Chu have a thorough understanding of the situation of the barbarians in the northern border, and there is also a nautical chart in Emperor Chu's study.

Zhong Liran is also such an emperor who fears the gods but yearns for the truth.She heard Gu Siyuan talk about the prairie in Gerqin's mouth, and hidden worries arose in her heart. She frowned and said, "The barbarians are nomadic, and they are not good at farming. But last year, there was only a severe drought, and the eight major tribes of the barbarians could get rid of it." The former suspect has attacked Chu State. Gu Siyuan, if "

She hesitated for a while, and continued to talk to Gu Siyuan, "A few days ago, I asked Mr. Xiang and Mrs. Xiang, and they reported the situation in the northern border. Over the years, the winter in the northern border has become longer and the summer is extremely hot. The herdsmen The harvest has been reduced. I really think they will come again."

"When people are hungry, they need to eat."

17-year-old Zhong Liran has sat on the throne for seven long years.Xu Shi inherited her father's prudence, coupled with the teachings of the Taifus, she did not have any grand and pioneering ambitions in politics, and she did not look like a heroic young monarch at all.

Compared with the illustrious military exploits of opening up the territory, she cares more about improving people's livelihood and bringing about people's safety.She has been on the throne for seven years, building water conservancy projects, raising funds to build roads, promoting business and enriching the people, and she has done everything well.Although there were quite a few corrupt officials, Zhong Liran turned a blind eye to the extent that he could tolerate it. Over the past few years, the state of Chu has undergone great changes, making it more and more prosperous and peaceful.

But once the war starts in the north, the government will inevitably be tense, and the bottom will be uneasy.Thinking of this, Zhong Liran became worried.

Knowing her difficulty, Gu Siyuan took her hand and rubbed it on her face, saying, "Your Majesty always has a solution to everything. The soldiers of Chu State are strong and strong, so they are not afraid of a battle. But the key is whether your Majesty wants to fight or not." If you don't want to, His Majesty has to think about how to solve this matter."

"I heard a proverb among the barbarians that a friend has meat to eat when he comes, but if a wolf or leopard comes, he should be served with a sword. Do you remember what you asked me a few years ago, Your Majesty?"

Zhong Liran frowned, subconsciously said "what?"

"It's just a matter of breaking the rope." Gu Siyuan reminded her, and said with a smile, "There are so many barbarians from the eight tribes. More than 200 years ago, the Xuan family of Lanzhou Ranch was also a member of the barbarian tribe, but now, they have all integrated into Chu. In the country, who remembers which ethnic group they are from?"

"Your Majesty, there will always be someone who agrees with you in this world. Divide and transform, and get twice the result with half the effort."

As Gu Siyuan said, he rubbed Zhong Liran's palm again, and said with a smile, "It's really a blessing for Chu to have such a compassionate monarch as His Majesty."

Zhong Liran had some thoughts in his heart, and when he heard Gu Siyuan's praise suddenly, he felt his ears burn.She pursed her lips, stretched out her hand from behind to pinch Gu Siyuan's cheek, rubbed it gently, and said in a low voice, "Gu Siyuan, I don't want to be a wise king who has been passed down through the ages, nor do I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great achievements of my ancestors. May there be peace in the world."

The prosperity of the country and the peace of the people, the peace of the world, is the vision in Zhong Liran's heart.

Gu Siyuan smiled and said to her, "Yes, Your Majesty."

After soaking in the bathtub for a while, the two got up and put on their coats.It was not evening at that time, and the scorching sun dragged its tail and slowly slid westward, and came in through the window, reflecting a radiance.Zhong Liran tied up his slightly wet long hair with a wooden hairpin, sat opposite to Gu Siyuan who was wearing a middle coat, and reviewed the memorial together.

Until the two finished their review, the setting sun had not yet completely set, but hung in the western sky, reflecting a large cloud of red.Zhong Liran looked from the window and saw the bright sunset glow on the eaves of the palace, stretched his waist, and said to Gu Siyuan, "Gu Siyuan, let's play chess with me."

Gu Siyuan's eyes lit up, he looked up at her and smiled, "Do you really want to go down?"

"Play." Zhong Liran bent his lips, ordered the servant to fetch the chessboard, and played with Gu Siyuan.

Although Zhong Liran is not good at martial arts, and she is not very good at some fun games that require strong luck, but the chessboard that requires careful calculation is her home field.Her chess skills were taught by Gu Siyuan, but Zhong Liran is better than Lan, and has always been able to beat Gu Siyuan by a few pieces.

It is rare for Gu Siyuan to meet a comparable opponent, so he especially likes to play chess with Zhong Liran.But Zhong Liran was busy with political affairs, and only occasionally accompanied her.Even so, Gu Siyuan would feel very happy.

The maid took the chessboard, Zhong Liran tidied up the memorial and put it aside, and said to Gu Siyuan while taking the pieces, "What if you lose?"

"One son and twelve taels," Gu Siyuan inquired.

Zhong Liran nodded and motioned to Gu Siyuan, "You go down first." After saying that, the two of you came and went, until the night fell and the sky was full of stars.

Gu Siyuan lost dozens of taels of silver, but he had a great time betting.She originally thought that Zhong Liran's leisure time was only for one day, but she never thought that in the evening of the second day, after Zhong Liran finished changing the memorial, she played a game of chess with Gu Siyuan.

After a few days like this, when Gu Siyuan was playing chess with Zhong Liran, he suddenly remembered that Zhong Liran hadn't gone to the school to practice martial arts for several days, so he asked, "Is it all right if your Majesty doesn't go to the school for a few days?"

It's a bit strange, it's not the freezing weather, nor the stormy weather, but the emperor interrupted the practice in the school field, which inevitably attracted Gu Siyuan's attention.

Zhong Liran held the chess piece and put it down lightly, and said calmly, "It doesn't matter. I can punch in the morning, and I also walked to Zhaohui Hall, and I never stop strengthening my body. Gu Siyuan, play faster."

"Let me think about it." Gu Siyuan pinched his hand and quickly returned his thoughts to the chessboard, staring at the intricate patterns on the chessboard in silence.

Zhong Liran had already calculated the next few steps, put his hand to his lips and coughed lightly, and tentatively said, "I have time to play with you, don't you think it's good?"

I don't know if Gu Siyuan heard it clearly, but she nodded and took a step while holding the chess piece.Seeing this, Zhong Liran sighed lightly.

What a lovable nerd, Zhong Liran thought so.She thought to herself, why did she think this woman was smart and knowledgeable before? Sure enough, it was because she was young and ignorant.

Zhong Liran dropped his breath steadily, making Gu Siyuan frown and think about it again.

The surroundings were peaceful, and the late summer evening breeze came in from the window, gently playing with the roller blinds hanging on the window.Zhong Liran was playing with the chess pieces, staring at Gu Siyuan's ten-year-old face opposite him, and listening to the sound of the pieces falling from her fingertips, he felt peaceful.

Zhong Liran sat upright, his eyes never left Gu Siyuan.But when Gu Siyuan takes the next step, she can often settle immediately.Gu Siyuan, who was immersed in the chessboard, did not notice the burning gaze on the opposite side, and only focused on competing with the complicated chess game.

The cool wind blew over Zhong Liran's cheeks, and she played with the chess pieces in her hand for a while, thinking that it would be great if she could keep doing this.

She will never get tired of watching Gu Siyuan who is so serious to the point of being silly.