In the depths of the palace, lurks a secret forgotten by time. This secret, along with the fate of a dynasty, is carefully hidden under the dust of history. However, on that stormy night, a forgotten past suddenly surfaces, revealing a story of love, power, and sacrifice.
The story begins with a yellow ribbon, which is not only a symbol of imperial power, but also a testimony to a deep emotion. The Emperor, the being who is regarded as the Son of Heaven, every decision he makes affects the fate of the entire empire. However, in the last moments of his life, he is faced with a difficult choice: whether to protect the beloved Zhen Huan or expose her possible crimes. His choice not only determines his own fate, but also affects the stability of the entire empire.
1. The entanglement of imperial power and emotion
In ancient Chinese court, the emperor was often seen as a symbol of transcendent mortal emotion as a supreme being. However, there are many cases in history where emperors changed their decisions due to personal feelings, showing that even emperors could not completely get rid of the shackles of human nature. In this story, the emperor's affection for Zhen Huan made him take an unusually gentle attitude in dealing with the relationship between Zhen Huan and King Guojun, reflecting his deep affection for Zhen Huan.
In this story, in the courtyard of the deep palace, in the splendid palace, the emperor sits on a dragon chair with a solemn face. His eyes sometimes fell on Zhen Huan, and sometimes turned to King Guojun. Zhen Huan stood aside, her eyes lowered, her clothes gorgeous but did not hide her sadness. King Guojun stood up straight, his eyes firm, and despite the emperor's questioning, he still looked calm.
In this corner of the court, the atmosphere between the three was tense and heavy. The emperor's tone was calm, very different from his usual majesty in the court. He asked: "Zhen Huan, is the relationship between you and the King of Guojun really as rumored by the outside world?" Zhen Huan replied softly, with a hint of choking in her voice: "Your Majesty, the concubine and the King of Guojun are nothing more than old friends, and there is no behavior beyond the norms." King Guojun also echoed and said, "Your Majesty, these rumors are completely groundless. ”
The emperor was silent for a moment after hearing this, his gaze turned from Zhen Huan to King Guojun, and then back to Zhen Huan. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon chair, as if weighing something. Eventually, he took a deep breath and said, "In that case, I will not pursue this matter anymore. But I hope that in the future, you will be more mindful of your behavior and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. ”
Zhen Huan and King Guojun saluted and thanked each other at the same time, but their expressions could not hide the feeling of relief. The Emperor's decision was clearly unexpected, and they expected to face harsher interrogation and even punishment.
After the meeting, Zhen Huan returned to her palace. She stood alone in front of the window, looking out at the sky beyond the palace. The clouds in the sky fluttered slowly, just like her mood at the moment, flickering and dimming. Her hand gently stroked her own bun, which had once been combed by the emperor himself. She recalled the bits and pieces with the emperor, those memories of happiness, sadness, sweetness and pain.
At the same time, King Guojun returned to his mansion. He sat in his study, his brow furrowed, as if thinking about something important. His fingers unconsciously tapped on the table, as if worried about the uncertainty of the future. King Guojun knew that although the emperor's decision had temporarily freed them from danger, this tolerance could turn into an even greater risk at any time.
Night in the court soon fell and the lights were bright. The emperor sat alone in the imperial study, with a pile of music in front of him. His eyes looked deep and complex in the candlelight. He picked up a piece of music, but seemed absent-minded. His thoughts seemed to drift far away, to the place where he and Zhen Huan had laughter and tears.
2. The complex relationship between love and hate
The relationship between Zhen Huan and the emperor, as is often seen in historical stories, is full of love and hate. In a chance encounter in the imperial garden, Zhen Huan walked lightly between the flower paths, holding an embroidery fan, and her face looked particularly delicate among the flowers. The emperor came from a distance, wearing a gorgeous dragon robe, and his eyes fell on Zhen Huan.
"Zhen Huan, the flowers in the garden are blooming particularly gorgeously this year. The emperor said with a smile.
Zhen Huan nodded lightly and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, the flowers seem to be rejoicing at your arrival as well." ”
The Emperor came closer, with a subtle hint of tenderness in his eyes, but he did not express his emotions further. Although Zhen Huan had a subtle feeling in her heart, she could only smile faintly and turn around to continue admiring the flowers.
At this time, Zhen Huan still had deep feelings for the emperor in her heart, but she also knew that as a harem concubine, she could not express her love directly. And the emperor's attitude, although mild, did not have obvious tendencies. This subtle sense of distance makes the relationship between the two always stay in an ambiguous state.
With the passage of time, Zhen Huan's status in the harem gradually increased, and she began to participate more in court affairs. At a court meeting, Zhen Huan sat with her as a concubine, and her words were just right, showing her wisdom and talent. The emperor was quite appreciative of her performance, and his eyes fell on Zhen Huan from time to time, with appreciation in his eyes.
However, at the moment when this emotion gradually warmed up, Zhen Huan began to feel a kind of alienation. She used to love the emperor deeply, but in the harem, her heart gradually became numb. She began to realize that no matter how hard she tried, the distance between her and the emperor was always insurmountable. This realization made her more and more indifferent in front of the emperor.
The emperor noticed Zhen Huan's change, and he began to try to close the distance between him and her. On a cold winter day, the emperor specially went to Zhen Huan's palace and brought a warm stove and a velvet blanket that he had personally selected. He asked Zhen Huan about her physical condition with concern.
"Zhen Huan, it's cold this winter, you have to take good care of yourself. The Emperor said softly.
Zhen Huan looked up at the emperor and smiled slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, you will pay attention to it." ”
Although this exchange was brief, the emperor's actions clearly showed his concern for Zhen Huan. However, Zhen Huan's heart is no longer as excited as before. Her response, though polite, lacked the enthusiasm of the past.
3. The final choice of power
In the emperor's final moments, he is faced with a big choice: to expose Zhen Huan's possible crimes, or to protect her to death. His palace, decorated with intricate gold and silver fabrics and magnificent paintings, was particularly silent at this moment. The Emperor was lying on his bed, his face pale, surrounded by several loyal guards and chamberlains. Zhen Huan stood quietly aside, her expression was calm, and her eyes were fixed on the emperor.
The imperial doctors in the palace were busy nervously, trying to save the emperor's life, but their expressions already revealed the helplessness of being powerless. The Emperor's hands trembled slightly, as if he was making a final struggle.
Suddenly, the emperor's hand slowly lifted and pointed to a yellow ribbon hanging from the wall. A guard quickly stepped forward and carefully removed the yellow belt and handed it to the emperor. The emperor's fingertips lightly touched this ribbon symbolizing imperial power, and his eyes revealed mixed emotions.
Zhen Huan watched this scene intently, her hand tightly gripping the placket, as if she was expecting something. The Emperor's hand began to tighten slowly, and the Yellow Belt trembled slightly in his hand. The people around them were staring with bated breath, and there was a tense atmosphere in the air.
Just when everyone thought that the emperor was going to break the yellow belt, his hand suddenly stopped moving. His eyes turned to Zhen Huan, and the eyes of the two met in the air. At that moment, there were no words, but it seemed to convey a lot of meaningful information. Then, the emperor slowly loosened the yellow belt in his hand and gently placed it on his chest.
This action caused a shock among everyone present. Giving up the act of pulling off the yellow belt means that the emperor chose to protect Zhen Huan instead of exposing her possible crimes. This decision was undoubtedly a great sacrifice for an emperor who was about to die. He could have used this last opportunity to clear himself and ensure his reputation and the stability of the country, but he chose to protect Zhen Huan.
Zhen Huan looked at the emperor's move, and a trace of elusive emotion flashed in her eyes. She approached the Emperor lightly, reaching out and gently caressing his forehead. At this moment, her movements are full of tenderness and respect.
The Emperor's breathing gradually became weak, and his eyes began to become hazy. In his last moments, he chose to protect Zhen Huan with his life, an act that left a deep mark on the history of the court.
Zhen Huan slowly stepped back, her eyes revealing deep respect and gratitude. The emperor's choice is not only for her protection, but also for the ultimate interpretation of the intricate emotional relationship between them. In the entanglement between imperial power and emotion, the emperor chose emotion, which undoubtedly gave Zhen Huan great comfort and strength.
The emperor's life gradually came to an end, his eyes slowly closed, and he left this world with unfinished emotions and deep concern for Zhen Huan.
Fourth, Zhen Huan's silence and choice
For Zhen Huan, the emperor's death was a turning point. She had loved the emperor deeply and experienced hatred for him. At the moment of the emperor's death, she chose silence. This silence, deep and meaningful, seems to be a kind of farewell to past emotions.
The emperor's funeral was held in the palace, and the whole palace was shrouded in solemnity and mourning. The palace ladies wept in low voices, the guards stood expressionlessly, and the whole scene was filled with an air of grief. Zhen Huan was dressed in plain mourning clothes, she stood in the middle of everyone, her face was calm, and there were no tears.
As the funeral progressed, officials took turns to offer words of condolence. Everyone's words were full of praise and regret for the emperor. Zhen Huan listened quietly, her eyes passed through the crowd and fell on the emperor's coffin. The coffin is covered with yellow brocade embroidered with dragons, phoenixes and auspicious patterns, giving it a solemn and solemn look.
After the officials' mourning ended, Zhen Huan slowly walked to the coffin. Her steps were steady, and every step seemed heavy. She stood in front of the coffin, bowed her head, and bowed silently. Although her movements were simple, everyone present could feel her sadness and respect.
At this time, the bells in the palace rang, and the long bells echoed in the empty palace, adding a solemnity and tragedy. Zhen Huan raised her head slowly, there were no tears in her eyes, only deep calm. She turned away, a steadfastness in her steps.
After the funeral, Zhen Huan returned to her palace. She sat alone by the window, looking out of the window with confused eyes. In the garden outside, spring flowers were in full bloom and the fragrance of flowers was overflowing, but in her eyes, it all seemed to have lost its color.
The maids of the palace waited cautiously by the side, and no one dared to disturb her contemplation. Zhen Huan's hand gently rubbed a piece of court jewelry on the table, which was a gift from the emperor to her. The jewelry on the jewelry sparkles in the sun, but in Zhen Huan's eyes, it is just an ordinary item.
With the passage of time, Zhen Huan gradually resumed her daily court life. She handled court affairs, met with officials, and participated in various court activities. Her demeanor has always been noble and elegant, but her silence has always been with her.
In the following days, Zhen Huan often walked alone in the garden of the palace. Her gaze often rests on the flowers, as if looking for something. The scenery in the garden changes with the seasons, but Zhen Huan's heart never seems to change.
This silent and solitary behavior of hers caused speculation and discussion among the people of the palace. Some say she is mourning the emperor, others say she is thinking about the future. But no matter how the outside world speculates, Zhen Huan always keeps her silent and does not reveal her true feelings to anyone.
"The Legend of Zhen Huan"