As mentioned in the dialogue between Lin Yi and Qi Zhuji, the Northern Wei Dynasty was indeed very powerful at this time.
It was so powerful that no one in the Southern Dynasties felt confident that they would win this war.
In the morning light, Luoyang City is bathed in a faint golden glow. This city of Northern Barbarians is a bit unsightly in the writings of many Southern Dynasties literati who never left home but relied on their imagination to stretch their thoughts to infinite distances. However, the real atmosphere seems to be better than Jiankang.
It is much more majestic and glorious.
Luoyang was not the royal city of the northern dynasty before. Its location was actually very close to the southern border. Before the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital here, it had always been a very tolerant city.
It tolerates the differences between the north and the south, tolerates many people who have fled from the south, and allows many people who have returned from studying in the north to flourish in this city.
Therefore, the styles of many buildings in this majestic city are actually somewhat similar to those in the great cities of the Southern Dynasties.
But in some respects, this northern royal city still retains its inherent habits.
For example, the residences of some powerful people, including the palaces in the imperial city, are very large.
If it is too big, it will actually look empty.
If it is too empty, even if you have enough wealth to fill it with things, it will be easy to add more things. If it either loses taste and piles up like a nouveau riche, or it does not look like a house for people to live in, it loses the taste of daily life.
However, being too big and too empty sometimes has its advantages.
For example, it makes people feel solemn.
The palace of the Empress Dowager of the Northern Wei Dynasty was very large.
Even though Yuan Yan is no longer the little girl who knelt here waiting for her unknown fate, even though she has been here countless times, when she stood outside this magnificent hall, the feeling of this hall still gave her.
Like a huge monster.
Bathed in the shadow of this hall, her shadow is still as small as a black, inconspicuous ant.
Faced with the Nantian Yuan's deliberate attack on her, Yuan Yan, the eldest princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty, finally escaped from Meishan and came here on the first morning after returning to Luoyang.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess is here to see you!"
A majestic voice sounded from deep inside the hall. Waves of echoes echoed in the empty hall, hitting the thick walls and turning into countless tiny needle-like sounds that pierced her eardrums.
Yuan Yan thanked her and walked into the hall with low eyebrows.
Even the voices of those around the Empress Dowager still sounded majestic to her at this time.
There is a bead curtain deep in the hall, and behind the bead curtain, sitting on the phoenix couch, is the majestic old woman.
The heavy bead curtain can deepen this sense of ritual and majesty, making people feel more mysterious. More importantly, it can prevent people from seeing the real emotional changes on her face and the traces of time on her face.
traces below.
Aging sometimes makes people feel that she is losing her original strength.
"Mother."
Yuan Yan arrived in front of the bead curtain and bowed Yingying.
Over the past many years, she has figured out the other person's temperament, and the other person really doesn't like to talk too much.
So before she arrived, the documents she wanted to state had already been submitted. Calling her in now meant that the old woman had read the documents she wrote last night.
The palace maid who had made a sound before and the rest of the palace maids had also quietly exited the hall.
On the treasure couch behind the bead curtain, the old woman also lowered her head abnormally, apparently thinking about something that even she found difficult to handle.
"It's not your problem. Before you came back, we already found out that there is an important figure in Nantian Courtyard and he is a traitor from our Northern Wei Dynasty." After being silent for more than ten breaths in the dead silence, Zhu Lian said
The old woman opened her mouth and said the first sentence.
Yuan Yan lowered his head and said nothing.
This sentence is a response to her failure in Meishan.
She failed to bring Chen Baoyuan back and caused many powerful practitioners of the Northern Wei Dynasty to die in battle. This was naturally her failure.
However, the old woman's words determined that this incident was not a mistake in her strategy or control.
"We won't investigate Lord Demon Sect's affairs, but you have to."
The old woman then said the second sentence.
She said these words very slowly, and there were even pauses in between. It was obvious that even when she said these words, she was hesitating slightly, thinking, and giving herself time to change her words.
But now that she has finished saying this, that is the final result.
Yuan Yan still lowered his head.
The expression on her face did not change at all, but the hands hidden in her sleeves were clenched tightly.
The meaning of this sentence is difficult for ordinary people to understand.
But the old woman inside knew she would understand.
We won’t investigate us, it’s her and the Northern Wei Emperor.
This sentence clearly told her that since many years ago, the Northern Wei Dynasty's use of the Demon Sect had been a double-edged sword.
The more one relies on the Demon Sect, the more powerful the Demon Sect becomes.
To this day, the campaigns of the Northern Wei and Southern Dynasties are inseparable from the Mo Sect and those under the Mo Sect.
Therefore, even this old woman is still addressed as Lord Demon Sect.
It was impossible for her to completely trust Mo Zong. In fact, she could not completely trust anyone.
But even though she was increasingly worried about the power of the Demon Sect, she and her son still did not dare to take any risk that might offend the Demon Sect.
But she was worried about the Demon Sect, and she didn't want the Demon Sect to become infinitely powerful.
By this time, I am afraid that in her opinion, the Demon Sect has the ability to endanger her son's country.
But she still only dared to let her investigate.
Because she is not among "us".
She only represents the eldest princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty, not the royal family.
So even if she offends the Demon Sect, even if something goes wrong, she can be discarded and used to appease the Demon Sect's anger.
This may be a normal thing for this old woman.
She is just the daughter of a shepherdess.
After being recognized and included in the imperial court, of course she must repay the favor and take on the responsibility of protecting the imperial court.
"I'll definitely find out."
Yuan Yan's voice sounded in this hall.
She would make the old woman think she felt the same way.
But when she said these words, the hand clenched in her sleeve never let go.
There is a gray stone in her hand.
If this old woman regards her as "us", even being an enemy of the Demon Sect will make her pay a heavy price, and she will hand over this gray stone as a substitute for her failure in Meishan.
Give it to this old woman and tell her that this is the legendary Jinzhu.
Only now, she changed her mind.
"Be careful."
The voice behind the bead curtain was gentle.
Yuan Yan nodded, but when she exited the hall, her heart became even colder.