Qing Emperor Kangxi years
Spring was neither hot nor cold. It was the season when flowers bloomed and competed for beauty.
In the back garden of Prince Rong's residence, a young girl stood there and admired the beautiful flowers that were blooming around her.
The flowers were beautiful, but the girl's appearance was not inferior to theirs. At the age of 15, her appearance and figure still did not shed the innocence of a young girl. Strictly speaking, she could not be considered a mature woman, but a young girl.
However, even though she was still young and was still far from being a real woman, her innate beauty was enough to dazzle normal men.
However, her snow-white skin seemed to be able to squeeze water out of it. Her starry eyes sparkled like obsidian, making people unable to help but be intoxicated. She had two curved eyebrows, a straight nose, and a rosy, beautifully shaped cherry mouth that made people want to bite it. Her impeccable facial features, coupled with her exquisite figure, made many of her admirers infatuated with her. They waited patiently for her to grow up and see who would be the first to get the beauty.
However, she had grown up under the care of her parents and brothers since she was young, so she did not know how much others loved her. In the residence, everyone treated her as a treasure and protected her. She lived a carefree life in the sturdy fortress of Prince Rong's residence and had never had a chance to worry.
Everyone thought that she would live like this for the rest of her life, and even she herself had never doubted it.
"Ge Ge, Ge Ge, something big has happened!”
The person who shouted all the way to the garden was the personal maid of Haoyue Ge Ge, Shan Hu. The little Ge Ge was one year old, and she looked pretty. Her pair of big, flexible eyes and round face made her look very friendly, making people want to get close to her.
That's right, this little beauty in the back garden was Prince Rong's favorite youngest daughter, Haoyue Gege. Prince Rong had one son and three daughters. The eldest son, Hao Yun, and the youngest daughter, Hao Yue, were both from the first wife.
Hao Yun, who was eighteen years old, was the eldest son, so he was naturally valued. Among the three daughters, Prince Rong especially favored Haoyue, who was the most beautiful and had a gentle personality. This pair of children was his favorite and his greatest pride.
"Coral, what's the matter? Look at you running so fast." Haoyue pursed his lips and smiled at the coral, reflecting the spring scenery in the garden, making her seem even more charming than the flowers.
" Ge Ge, His Highness is back!"
"Ama is back?" Haoyue's small face was filled with pleasant surprise.
This time, Prince Rong had personally led his troops out to capture the rebels. He had been gone for more than a month. Haoyue, who was worried about his father's safety, was very excited when he heard the news that his father had arrived safely. He immediately rushed to the hall.
"I wonder how Ama is doing? I really want to see him right away.”
" Ge Ge, wait a moment!" Coral suddenly stopped Haoyue. "His Highness is fine. Ge Ge, don't be anxious. This isn't what I'm talking about.”
"Oh?" Haoyue looked at Coral in confusion. Ma's return was not a big deal. Could it be that there was something more important than this?
Ge Ge, please listen to Coral." Coral said quickly. "It's like this. When I passed by the hall just now, I saw wangye and some soldiers. wangye's face was radiant and full of energy. It was nothing, but strangely, there was a person lying in the hall.”
"A person upside down?" Haoyue was quite surprised when he heard this.
"Exactly!"
Coral continued," I didn't see who it was from afar. I only saw him lying on the ground with injuries all over his body. However, he was conscious. He even contradicted His Highness!" I heard his highness calling him a traitor or a rebel and asking him to surrender to our Qing Dynasty. Although that person was lying on the ground and was still pressed down by the soldiers, his voice was as loud as a bell. He told the prince that as a person of the Ming Dynasty, he would never be a lackey of the Manchu people.”
"How did this happen?" Although Haoyue still didn't understand the situation, he knew that Ma Ma had already caught the so-called 'anti-Qing and restoring the clearness'. This should be the case.
"Is that person a descendant of the Ming Dynasty's royal family?”
"This servant doesn't know." Coral shook her head. "However, from his appearance, it seems so! Anyway, I heard him calling wangye a Manzhou dog and saying some words that he would rather die than submit. wangye was so angry that his face turned red and immediately asked someone to slap his mouth!”
"What, Ama him?" Haoyue thought that this traitor must have made Ama extremely angry, otherwise even if it was a traitor, Ama would usually hand him over to the court to deal with after he was caught, and rarely would he use a private punishment.
"Ge Ge, I pity that person!”Coral's eyes glistened with tears. "He was beaten so badly, but he didn't even say a word. He really has a backbone. If he died just like that, it would really be a pity!”Because she was also a Han Chinese, Coral was especially sympathetic to him.
Haoyue was silent. In fact, she had the same feeling as Shanhu.
As a young girl, she had never understood why these Ming Dynasty people who refused to acknowledge the Qing Dynasty went against the current emperor and court. Their country had already been destroyed, and it was impossible for them to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. She did not understand why these people refused to submit to the court and live a stable life instead of choosing to flee to the ends of the earth and suffer the pain of being displaced.
Was it that important who became the emperor? Can't a Manchu be an emperor?
As long as the country could be governed well, there was nothing wrong with living a peaceful life like now.
Although she didn't agree, it didn't mean that she didn't sympathize with them. She had never encountered such a thing before. Now that she knew about it, she could not sit idly by.
Because she didn't want Ama to become an executioner for these rebels.
From what Coral said, she felt very uneasy for this person with a backbone. Usually, it was difficult for people who offended Ama to escape unscathed.
Accompanied by Coral, Haoyue came to the hall.
"Ama." Haoyue entered the hall and didn't see the person that Shanhu mentioned. Prince Rong was the only one in the hall. It seemed that the man had already been taken away.
"Haoyue, you came to see Ma?”Seeing his beloved youngest daughter, Prince Rong's weathered face was filled with smiles. He could not wait to hug his daughter.
"I miss you so much, Ama." Hugging his father whom he worried about day and night, Haoyue probed,"Ama, is everything okay when you went out to do something?”
"No, it should be said that it didn't go very smoothly." Prince Rong would never hide anything from his daughter. "According to the information, we successfully found the rebels. However, many of Ma's men were killed or injured. Fortunately, we managed to capture a famous general from the Ming Dynasty. It was a pity that he would rather die than submit. He took the sword and slashed it at his own neck in front of Ma, sacrificing himself in vain.”
" What? H-he committed suicide?" Haoyue called out in shock.
King Rong nodded. "It's a pity we didn't catch him alive. However, his son was now in Ama's hands and was locked in the cell.”
Coral was probably talking about this person! Haoyue anxiously asked again,"How will Ama deal with this general's son?"”
"Why? You seem to be very concerned about this matter?”Prince Rong was a little surprised that Haoyue, who was usually gentle, would be so anxious about this matter.
"I…" Haoyue was afraid that Prince Rong would find out what was on her mind, so she smiled and said calmly,"It's not that I'm concerned. I'm just curious because this has never happened before!”
"I see." Prince Rong accepted Haoyue's explanation. "Ama hasn't made a decision on him yet, so he'll be imprisoned for the time being. Because he is a rebel and has killed many of my subordinates, he is definitely going to be a prisoner. As for what would happen in the future, it would depend on his performance.”
Haoyue looked at King Rong uneasily. His meaning was clear. That person's future could be said to be completely in his hands. If he wanted him to die, he definitely could not live.
If hell really existed in the world, then Zhai Sheng, who had just turned seventeen last month, had witnessed the horror of hell with his own eyes.
Not only had he seen it, but he was also in hell right now.
He, Di Sheng, was a Han. His father, General Di Yan, was one of the few generals who refused to abandon the Ming Dynasty and join the Qing Dynasty.
This hell was caused by his father's identity.
Until now, he still could not believe that this was the truth. His parents and his only sister had died in front of him. From then on, Yin and Yang were different, and there were no more relatives in the world.
There were too many people on the other side. Even if he had learned martial arts that could rank him among the best in the martial arts world at the age of seventeen, it was impossible for him to deal with more than ten people at the same time. He couldn't protect his mother and sister, who were powerless. Their desperate faces before they died were still deeply imprinted in his mind. He knew that he would never be able to forget the pain of this life and death separation. This nightmare would torture him at all times and haunt him for the rest of his life.
And in front of his eyes, his father ended his own life and used his blood to swear loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.
When he saw his father make a move, he was so shocked that his mind was in a mess. He only had time to rush over and hug his dying body, crying for his father, who was going to the Yellow Springs with his mother and sister.
A man does not shed tears easily because he has not yet reached the point of sadness. He was crying because he was in extreme despair. He was crying because he had to bear the pain of losing three of his closest blood relatives.
"Sheng 'er, don't cry!" He felt his father's weak breath close to his ear. He said weakly and with difficulty,"Don't die, live! Only by living can there be hope."
These were the last words his father left him before he died. After that, he was brought back to the prison by Prince Rong.
Now, he was in a dark cell, like another hell.
It was so dark here that he had to struggle to see his outstretched fingers. It was so dark here that it was as dark as his heart.
He had been locked up for a day and a night. He had not touched the food and water that had been brought in. He was not afraid that Prince Rong would poison him. If he really poisoned him, he would be able to get a pleasant release.
He didn't know how King Rong would deal with him. Anyway, he didn't care about anything now. Whether he lived or died, it was all the same to him.
Living was too heavy. He would always remember how his loved ones died that day. This kind of heart-wrenching pain haunted him at all times. He was in so much pain. If he had died together with him, he wouldn't have to face this pain now!
He really wanted to die, but he couldn't. His father wanted him to live. There was only hope if he lived. If he died just like that, how was he going to take revenge?
He had survived, but he had to struggle to survive. He had to live in this prison cell, living in the fear of not knowing if there would be a tomorrow.
From the moment his loved ones left him, he swore in his heart that as long as he, Di Sheng, did not die, he would definitely take revenge. He would do anything to take revenge.
What time is it now? He looked at the only window on the wall, and the round moon entered his line of sight.
A full moon was a reunion, but a full moon like this was so unbearable for him.
Although the wounds on his body were hurting, compared to the pain in his heart, the injuries on his body were nothing.
"Di Sheng, can you hear me?”
Upon hearing this sweet voice, Di Sheng could not help but be stunned. He wondered if his ears were injured as well. Otherwise, how could he hear such heavenly sounds on such a night?
"Di Sheng, can you hear me?"
The call once again confirmed that the voice was real. He endured the pain of his wound and stood up. The window was very high. Among boys of his age, he was considered tall and could not reach the window even if he stood on his tiptoes.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?”Judging from the voice, it should be a girl younger than him. This was strange. Other than the owner of this place, King Rong, who else would know his name?
Hearing Di Sheng's voice, Haoyue who was on the other side of the window was overjoyed.
Great, he was awake. Initially, she thought that he might be seriously injured and unable to speak. Now that she heard his voice, she thought that his injuries should not be serious.
"I'm Coral, a servant here.”Haoyue knew that he would ask this question. In order to prevent him from rejecting her, she thought that it was better to use someone else's name.
Coral, a servant here? "I don't know you. Why are you looking for me?" Di Sheng asked in confusion.”
Hearing his voice full of distrust towards him, Haoyue hurriedly said,"I want to help you. I have no other intentions.”
"Why are you helping me? I've never met you before, haven't I?”
Haoyue was momentarily speechless, unable to answer this question.
Why? Di Sheng wanted to know the answer. Even she wanted to know.
Perhaps it was because he did not want Prince Rong to kill another innocent person. Perhaps it was because she knew that Zhai Sheng had lost everything overnight and she sympathized with him deeply. Perhaps she didn't want to see the Han and Manchu people hurt each other again. Perhaps there were so many possibilities that made her want to help him so badly. She had to risk being reprimanded by her father and brother to help this poor man.
"Because I'm also a Han Chinese. The Han Chinese should help the Han Chinese, right?”This was the best excuse she could think of.
There was no response from the other side of the window.
"Di Sheng," Haoyue called out softly. Could it be that he still didn't believe her?
"You can go now!" Di Sheng's voice was so cold.
"Let me help you, Di Sheng." Haoyue refused to give up. "Other than me, no one else can help you now!”
"I don't need anyone to help me.”
"Why?" Haoyue didn't know he would be so stubborn. "I heard from the prison guards that you don't eat or drink. If this continues, you will die.”
"I want you to leave. Didn't you hear me?”Di Sheng roared furiously. He didn't care if this girl was sincere in helping him or if she was pretending. All of this was not important. What was important was that he didn't want to implicate anyone. He didn't care about his life or death, but he couldn't let her suffer with him!
"Leave. No matter who you are, don't come here again!”He sent the words out the window angrily.
After a long time, he could no longer hear any sound from outside.
That coral should have given up and left!
He looked up at the window. The bright moon from before had disappeared at some point, and he could only see heavy black clouds.
The next day, Di Sheng was finally exhausted.
Perhaps it was due to the inflammation of his wound, or because he had not eaten or drunk, his body had become weak. He was on the verge of death.
He had been in a deep sleep. Even if he woke up, he could only stay awake for a short while. Soon, he would fall asleep again.
Even though he had not been awake for long, his consciousness was strangely clear.
He knew that he had a fever, and it was very high. Other than the fever, the pain from his wound became more intense. Even though he was unconscious, he could not help but moan in pain.
The high fever and pain kept tormenting his increasingly weak body. He felt as if death had come before him.
He didn't know how much time had passed. It might have been a day or two, but he suddenly woke up and completely regained consciousness.
He listened attentively to the voice that had been around him since he was awake. This voice came from the flute.
What a pleasant and gentle flute sound! That's right, it was this flute sound that stopped him from falling asleep.
With the help of the moonlight streaming in through the window, he could clearly see that there were a few more things around him.
There were water bags, food bags, and a bag of Golden Creation medicine and various medicinal salves.
Looking at these things, he, who was like a dead tree, rekindled his will to live.
That night, he listened to the sound of the flute outside the window and sat upright to regulate his breathing.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed.
That night, Di Sheng listened to the flute as usual, crossed his legs and circulated his inner energy to heal his injuries.
After two hours of hard work, he said to the other side of the window,""Miss Coral, thank you."
The flute music suddenly stopped, Haoyue's hand holding the flute couldn't help but tremble.
She was so happy that she almost cried. It was great that he was finally willing to talk to her.
"How is your body now?" She knew that he was sick because she heard it from the guard.
"I'm fine!" Di Sheng said gratefully. "If it wasn't for those things you gave me, I think I would have reported to Hades by now!”
"Fortunately, you're willing to accept my kindness. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to help you.”She had used a long bamboo pole to send those things through the window one by one. She could only help him so much.
"You saved my life. I really don't know how to thank you.”Now, Zhai Sheng completely believed that this person named
She was the lady of Coral and treated her as a close friend.
"Brother Zhai, don't say that. It's normal for people to help each other, isn't it?”Haoyue felt guilty, she was only doing this to atone for her father's sins!
"You're really a kind-hearted girl.”Di Sheng really wanted to see her and see what this kind girl looked like.
He imagined her appearance. People said that looks were born from the heart. Her heart was so beautiful, so her appearance naturally wouldn't be too bad.
"The sound of your flute is really nice. Thank you for coming here to play for me these past few days.”Her flute music was not only beautiful, but it also had a calming power. After listening to it for the past few days, his originally restless and irritable heart calmed down a lot.
"Uh, it's because Gege knows how to play the flute. She taught me a little, so I only know a little."”She was afraid that Zhai Sheng would suspect how a servant could play the flute, so she stuffed it in randomly.
"Ge Ge? Is she Prince Rong's daughter?"
"Yes, I am. The person I serve is His Highness 'youngest daughter, Haoyue Gege.”Hearing Di Sheng ask about him, Hao Yue's heart was inexplicably excited.
Unfortunately, this feeling of excitement came and went quickly. Di Sheng was obviously not interested in Haoyue, he continued to ask about corals.
"You come here every night. Aren't you afraid of being discovered?”
"No, this is the deepest part of the wangfu. No one lives around here. Moreover, I only come here late at night, so no one will know that I'm here.”
"That's good." It seemed that Di Sheng completely trusted Haoyue, but he had forgotten the most important point. Why was Haoyue playing the flute here, and none of the guards actually discovered it?
To be able to make these guards obediently shut up, how could a servant do this? If he had thought of this, he would definitely suspect Haoyue's true identity.
"By the way, Brother Zhai, do you have any plans in the future?”
"You mean…"
"You should know what His Highness is thinking!”Haoyue said worriedly. "In my opinion, you only have two paths. One is to submit to the Imperial Court. If you are unwilling, then…"
"Then there's only death, right?”Di Sheng laughed as he spoke.
"How can you still laugh at a time like this?”Haoyue pouted. She was worried to death, yet he could still smile?
Di Sheng was still smiling. "I'm laughing because I've already prepared to die.”
He stopped laughing and continued in a heavy tone,"I know that my ending will never be good, but no matter what, I will definitely not choose the first path you mentioned. My father would rather die than submit. If I sell my dignity for the sake of living, how can I face my father in the afterlife after I die?”
"I'm sorry." Haoyue muttered sadly. Amma's sin was her sin. She owed her family too much!
Di Sheng didn't hear Haoyue's 'sorry', he was immersed in his own sorrow at the moment.
"I don't understand, I really don't understand.”He said in pain. "What heinous crime did my father commit? Yes, he did not surrender to the Qing Dynasty, but was it wrong for him to hide in the countryside with his family and not care about the world? Why did Prince Rong have to force him to submit? Did he have to die just because he refused to be a lackey of the Manchu people? Wasn't this too unfair? Was there any justice in this world?”
Haoyue felt very uncomfortable hearing this, she didn't know how to comfort him.
She had already heard about what had happened from Prince Rong.
In fact, Prince Rong did not intend to kill the Zhai family. He went to the door because the Emperor had heard about Zhai Yan and believed that he was a rare talent. He sincerely wanted to recruit him to serve the court.
However, no one expected that Di Yan and Di Sheng would resist them so fiercely.
At that time, the scene was chaotic. In this situation of losing control, the two women who had never practiced martial arts were the first to bear the brunt and died inexplicably in the chaos.
Then, Zhai Yan also committed suicide.
Although the deaths of the Zhai family of three were not caused by Prince Rong, in Zhai Sheng's eyes, it was no different from Prince Rong killing them personally.
After knowing the truth, Haoyue couldn't blame or blame Prince Rong. She could only treat Di Sheng better and try her best to make up for her father's mistakes. This was all she could do.
Therefore, Di Sheng could not die. She did not care how many people he had killed. She only knew that he could not die. If he were to die, she would feel ashamed of herself as a man. Like Di Sheng, she would doubt the existence of justice in this world.
"I must take revenge!"
Di Sheng's hateful voice made Haoyue tremble.
"Coral, just you wait! If I am not destined to die, I will use these hands to avenge my family. I will kill Prince Rong with my own hands!”
No! Haoyue shouted loudly in his heart. She hugged her trembling body and hid in a place where Di Sheng couldn't see.
What should he do? What should she do to save Zhai Sheng? What could she do to resolve the hatred between the two of them?# Daguan Review Passed: Daguan Time:1024201810:31AM
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