The Scheming of Heaven and Earth 006 Five Years Time

  Fifteenth year of celebration, winter.

  It's another cold winter, the wind is howling, snowflakes are fluttering, and the entire Yuanleng Palace stands in the snowy wind. Except for the three black and solemn characters of "Yuanleng Palace", everything else seems to be submerged in the snow. The tightly closed palace gate also seems to isolate the people inside from the world.

  In the past five years, Yu Zhu had grown accustomed to all aspects of Princess's life and diet. Since entering the Cold Palace, the princess had been drinking plain boiled water and eating meals brought from the front hall. She had never seen a hint of depression on the princess's face, who had been smiling, calm, serene, and gentle in the face of everything since the moment she entered.

  Day by day passed, and gradually even she and Yu Cui became calm and composed, no longer sorrowful, no longer fearful, no longer indignant.

  Because on the princess, they found that they were just moving from Wuyou Palace to Yancan Palace. Although the palaces they lived in were different, what they ate and drank were not the same, and what they wore was also different, but there was one thing that they had never had before when they were in Wuyou Palace.

  That's why the princess treated them very well, never getting angry with them, always smiling at them. Sometimes, she even had a kind of illusion that the princess, who was much younger than her and Yu Cui, looked at her with a tolerant gaze.

  "Yu Zhu, Princess, wake up quickly, is the water ready?" Yu Cui asked as she carried a wooden basin into the kitchen.

  Yu Zhu came back to her senses and only then did she realize that she had forgotten to start a fire because she was distracted, the water in the pot was cold. She slapped her forehead hard and said: "Look at this pig brain of mine."

  Yu Cui looked at the cold stove, quickly put down the wooden basin in her hand, and skillfully lit a fire. She looked at Yu Zhu with a puzzled expression: "Yu Zhu, you seem distracted, what's wrong?"

  "It's nothing, I was just distracted for a moment."

  "This is rare, Princess was just praising you for being more and more calm yesterday." Yucui said.

  Yu Zhu looked out the window at the snowflakes drifting down and said softly, "I didn't expect that we've spent five years here. Time really flies. It feels like just yesterday when we entered the You Leng Palace."

  The princess was calm, but she always had some worries in her heart. Since entering this courtyard, the princess had not stepped out of it for five years. She often advised the princess to go out and take a walk. Although the Cold Palace was not big, there were no rare flowers or grasses to admire, nor was there a garden to stroll through, but it was still better than staying in this small courtyard all day. However, every time she gave such advice, the princess would just smile faintly and remain silent.

  Yu Cu's movements paused, and after a moment of silence, she said in a low voice: "So you've remembered all this." It was really unexpected that five years had passed like this. During these days, she had learned a lot from the princess. The princess said, "If your heart is at peace, everywhere is home." At first, Yu Cu couldn't do it, but later, watching the princess, she slowly achieved it.

  Just as the two people were feeling a bit down due to their memories, footsteps could be heard from outside. Listening to this sound——

  The two of them exchanged a glance, both with serious expressions. Yu Zhu walked out, while Yu Cui continued to add firewood to the stove to boil water.

  Yu Zhu walked out and respectfully but not humbly went forward to greet the visitor, bowing her body: "Yu Zhu greets Lord Wei!"

  Wei Gonggong, who usually takes it for granted to be asked about his well-being by her, today unexpectedly avoided her gesture of asking about his well-being. Yu Zhu's heart was slightly moved, but her face didn't show any ripples, and she smiled at Wei Zhong: "It's a great honor to have you here, Wei Gonggong, I don't know what brings you here today?"

  Wei Zhong chuckled: "Yesterday, Queen Liang gave birth to the seventh imperial son, and the emperor was overjoyed. He ordered a reward for the entire palace, and even our humble palace didn't miss out. Everyone got a share. These are cotton clothes and quilts sent by the Imperial Household Department. Today happens to be our turn on duty, and look, it's snowing heavily again, just in time for us to deliver them to the princess."

  Yu Zhu was surprised in her heart, but on the surface she showed gratitude, and hurriedly stepped forward to bow again: "Yu Zhu is here to thank you on behalf of my family's princess."

  Wei Zhong hastily avoided the courtesy and feigned anger, saying: "Yu Zhu, this is where you don't understand, Princess is a noble person, our family is a humble servant, how dare we accept your thanks?"

  Listening to the conversation outside, Yu Cui's eyebrows rose higher and higher. Wei Zhong called himself a slave today, and he actually called Yu Zhu "Yu Zhu Niang". This really surprised her. If it were five years ago, she would have rushed out early. But now, she endured her curiosity and did what she was doing.

  Yu Zhu smiled and took over the package from the small eunuch behind Wei Zhong's back.

  Wei Zhong glanced at the house behind Yu Zhu and asked in a low voice: "Has the princess not gotten up yet?"

  Jade beads hung down, and she respectfully said: "The princess has not yet risen." She had not gotten up but was already awake.

  "Hehe, that's right. It's freezing outside, so it's only proper for the princess to sleep in a bit later. I'll head out first, you quickly attend to her, and I'll have someone send over some firewood later." He hadn't expected that after five years, Butler Shi would still come to this desolate palace of his. Although he didn't say it outright, the implication was clear, and he understood perfectly well. Fortunately, over these past five years, due to certain considerations, he hadn't been foolish enough to cheat or mistreat these three servants, providing them with food, firewood, and seasonal clothing as needed."

  Yu Zhu knelt down: "Thank you, Your Excellency! Yu Zhu sees off Your Excellency!"

  After Wei Zhong left, Yu Cui came out of the kitchen and looked at the big package in Yu Zhu's hand, revealing a surprised expression: "This...". The Empress Dowager only gave birth to an imperial son, even if the Emperor was overjoyed, he would only reward all the palace people in Liang Jing Palace. How could he reward the entire palace? And everyone has a share? Is this specially rewarded for the princess?

  Jade-like eyes shining brightly, holding a bundle, hastily entering the inner hall.

  Yu Worry glanced at the package and saw that there were about four sets of clothes inside, all of which were exquisite, not something that the cold palace would give.

  Calmly looking at Yu Zhu and Yu Cui, who were trying to appear calm but couldn't contain their joy, he said lightly: "What I said earlier, it seems that neither of you has remembered it in your hearts."

  She doesn't take pleasure in material things and isn't saddened by personal misfortunes, this is her expectation of them.

  The joy in Yu Zhu's eyes disappeared, and the two of them lowered their heads, unable to show their faces. With a thud, they both knelt down: "This slave knows her mistake."

  "Put this away, both of you go down." Compared with five years ago, the progress of these two is indeed a lot, but it's still far from her requirements for them.

  "Yes, Princess."

  Yu Cui, holding a bundle in her hand, pushed the bundle into Yu Zhu's arms: "The water is ready, I'll go get some water for the princess to wash up."

  Yu Zhu looked at the package in her hand, feeling very ashamed. How could she have forgotten the words that the princess had told her to remember just for this small reward? No wonder the princess was disappointed in her, and she herself felt very disappointed with herself.

  Inside the house, the former carefree and calm eyes, the five-year sentence of being confined at home can finally come to an end!

  She was indeed appreciative of Emperor Qing, for that thread of suspicion, surveillance lasted five years, and he had patience, and she too had patience and endurance, for a full five years, she did not step out of this courtyard.

  She idolized Kusunoki Masashige, who was good at self-cultivation and introspection, profound in understanding the psychology of others, well-versed in the art of adapting to situations, and possessed a unique wisdom that could see through everything.

  In her previous life, she used her willpower to overcome illness and her perseverance to control her body.

  Her heart disease was inherited from her family, her grandmother died of heart disease when she gave birth to her mother, and her mother also died of heart disease when she gave birth to her. However, she alone managed to pull through the ordeal that was not too dangerous for ordinary people but a matter of life and death for her.

  Chen Bai couldn't believe she would survive, everyone didn't think she could successfully give birth to a daughter and still be alive, even the doctors who knew her condition were surprised and admired that she came out of the delivery room alive...

  For five years, she silently recited in her heart all the knowledge she could remember from her memory.

  She repeatedly analyzed, pondered and calculated the dead end she was in now. Five years ago, the dead end had no solution, she used five years to wait for this opportunity to turn things around.

  In her previous life, she liked reading books, so she went to work in a library. Working in the library, what she didn't have to worry about was books and materials.

  She likes to read domestic and foreign detective works, but occasionally also flips through some records of famous strategists and military strategists in Chinese history.

  Throughout history, there have been countless strategists and military tacticians: the ancestor of strategy Jiang Shang, the humiliated and crippled Sun Bin, the horizontally and vertically connected Su Qin, the strong Qin and weak Chu Zhang Yi, the far-reaching and nearby attacking Fan Zeng, the one-generation strategist saint Zhang Liang, the precise and ingenious plotter Wang Yun, the planner without a plan left behind Guo Jia, the creator of the Ming Dynasty Liu Ji, and the assistant to the Qing entering the pass Fan Wenlong... Each of these figures has created legendary stories.

  She used to be enthusiastic about it and also wanted to study their past, but often when she flipped through the books, those dry and dull documents would make her lose interest.

  But accidentally found a historical figure with the most mysterious color while archiving these books - Gui Guzi.

  As she flipped through his file, the three words "Master of All Trades" caught her attention even more. She was shocked to discover that Sun Bin, Pang Juan, Su Qin and Zhang Yi, all legendary figures who had created their own legends, were actually his disciples.

  She was like a little girl idolizing a star and ignited with star-chasing frenzy, although the object of her star-chasing was a dead person.

  She almost looked through all the data and literature related to Kōkotsu.

  After comparing, she found out that reading reasoning works is just the tip of an iceberg.

  Wisdom, cunning, conspiracy, strategy... In the literature left behind by Guiguzi, there is nothing you can't think of, but nothing you can get. He is the greatest man in history.

  "Princess, the water has arrived, your servant is here to attend to your washing."

  Yu Cu's voice broke Yuan Wuyou's thoughts, she raised her head and looked at the sky outside the window where snow was swirling everywhere. The corner of her mouth curled up slightly, it had been five years, she should leave this courtyard!