The midsummer is coming to an end, and the summer heat is gradually subsiding. In order to prepare the Changzhi Emperor to go to the south of the Yangtze River in September, Yan Xiaohan was assigned to rush to Jinling first to arrange the defense of the palace and other matters.
The day before his departure, he and Wei Xuzhou and the others handed over official duties, and then went home and sat in the corridor, watching people rush in and out of packing their luggage, idly and boredly fiddling with the snow-white hydrangea flowers beside them. The sunset on the horizon shone golden light all over the ground, and Master Yan sighed in the wind, always feeling that if he continued like this, he would utter words such as "Xiehui's pulse and water is long".
Fu Yuanyuan has been in the southwest for more than three months, but Yan Xiaohan is not worried about his safety, but feels panicked. The separation was long, the lovesickness was tormenting, and I had already tasted enough in Jinling, and now I have to go back and taste it again, that is, he has good patience, and his reason is still alive.
"Master!" The butler walked quickly from the other side of the courtyard, holding a thin letter in his hand, and handing it over with both hands, he said, "Master, just now, a military official came to pass the letter, saying that it was just brought back from the southwest. The family letter of the grandfather of the country."
Yan Xiaohan's hands trembled violently, and the hydrangea was instantly bald, and the white flowers fell to the ground. His ears were filled with the sound of his own heartbeat, and he said barely calmly, "Bring it to me."
The envelope was very thin, with a tight seal. There was only a thin piece of paper inside. When Yan Xiaohan pulled it out, he was afraid that his hands would be too strong and the paper would be torn.
Why only one sheet of paper? Back then, the words "Is my wife safe" were still etched in his heart. What would he write this time
When Yan Xiaohan opened the folded letter, Yan Xiaohan kept holding the letter, and his whole body froze completely.
What is this stuff
There were no words, only a cloud of black ink like a ghostly talisman. Yan Xiaohan stared at it for a long time before relying on his poor imagination to keep up with Fu Shen's unrestrained brushwork.
The black one is the back, the white one is the belly, the mouth sticking out in front, the claws sticking up at the back, and the slanting strokes above are... wings
That's not right, what has four wings
After all, Fu Shen is a son of an aristocratic family. Even if painting and calligraphy cannot be handed down, people have to see what the painting is. What's the matter with this large black group that can be posted to ward off evil spirits!
Yan Xiaohan was completely unaware that the way he gritted his teeth while laughing and sneering might be more scary in the eyes of others than a painting. He was like a child attracted by novelty things, and was engrossed in searching for the answer, without thinking about whether the painting was at all. There is no possibility of meaningless smearing.
Of course, Fu Shen wouldn't travel all the way to entertain him, but he really tried his best to be able to draw like this.
Yan Xiaohan took a long time to identify, looking up and down, and finally realized that his judgment just now was wrong. The one that stretched out in front was not the mouth, but two bird heads, and the one that was raised in the back was not the claws, but the tail. The ink marks are two pairs of wings, coupled with a black back and a white belly, the answer is finally ready to come out.
On the paper is... a pair of geese.
The moment he wanted to understand, his eyes suddenly softened, as if something had hit his heart suddenly, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, but his eyes seemed to be filled with water.
The letter was sent back together with the military newspaper. Because of the risk of being stolen, Fu Shen couldn't express his feelings directly, so he used this method to send him a "Book of Wild Goose".
What does "Hongyan" mean, that is the tacit understanding that only the two of them can understand.
The wild goose is a loyal bird, a companion for life, flying together in the world.
That night, when Yan Xiaohan was disturbed by this family letter and couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, there were also people who couldn't sleep in Xue Shangshu's residence on the other side of the capital.
Recently, the Metropolitan Procuratorate impeached two officials of the Sixth Department. After the emperor read the document, he allowed the two to temporarily resign and self-examined behind closed doors. The case was handed over to the Dali Temple for investigation. This was originally a normal process, and the so-called "impeachment" was nothing more than a trivial problem, and no one took it as a major event. Unexpectedly, as soon as the Dali Temple shoveled down, the old bottom was lifted-the evidence that the two people were embezzling and perverting the law and accepting bribes was actually found!
Once the hole is opened, it is out of control. Zhu Can, the minister of Dali Temple, was famous in the court for being upright and ignorant. Even if he knew that these two were figures in the Jiangnan faction, he had no intention of raising his hand to let it go. Not long after, the excerpts from the Dali Temple were heard in the sky, and the Changzhi Emperor was furious.
Xue Sheng lost two capable generals in one fell swoop, and his situation suddenly became more delicate, and Emperor Changzhi's attitude towards him was also slightly indifferent recently. Tonight, a guest came to his house. It was Zheng Duanwen, a right servant of the Ministry of Rites and a lecturer from Jiangnan, who brought him some good or bad news.
"This afternoon, a messenger brought a military report from the southwest. The army has been stationed outside the city for more than a month, but the two sides have never confronted or tried. The Duke of Yasukuni wrote in the military report that Duan Guihong has sent messengers to the station many times to ask for the commander-in-chief. In a few days, I will talk to the King of Xiping County to persuade him to surrender."
"The emperor read the military newspaper, his face was unreadable, his hands were trembling, and he asked me, 'I sent people to the southwest again and again, he said that he was sick and refused to see each other, why did Fu Shen rush to make a petition when he arrived? What kind of grievance does he have that I can't deal with, and can't apply for it without getting in front of Fu Shen?'"
Xue Sheng was the first person to agree with Emperor Changzhi's expedition to the southwest, so whenever he encountered the military situation in the southwest, Emperor Changzhi would ask him to enter the palace to discuss. However, now that he has a dirty idea on his body, he actually missed the opportunity and asked Zheng Duanwen to show his face in front of the emperor - it sounds like the Changzhi Emperor still trusts him quite a lot.
The matter was of great importance, Zheng Duanwen was uncertain and asked cautiously: "Brother Yunping, do you think the emperor is dissatisfied with the King of Xiping County, or does he have some thoughts on that...?"
The Jiangnan Party has always regarded Fu Shen, the Duke of Jingguo, as a confidant and enemy. Not to mention the fact that this person had a heavy army in his hand, the move on the golden stage almost swept the Jiangnan gentry out of the court, so that Xue Sheng and the others had to advance in front of Emperor Changzhi with a few words of admonitions, such as high merit and self-respect. . Nowadays, when Emperor Changzhi mentions Fu Shen, he has a bad face, and most of it is thanks to this group of people.
Xue Sheng groaned coldly in his heart, put away his thoughts, and did not rush to answer, but asked, "How did Fang De deal with it?"
"This..." Zheng Duanwen said hesitantly, "My brother only said that Duan Guihong is rebellious. Even if this person is recruited, he may not have any resentment in the future. This move by Duke Jingguo is somewhat inappropriate."
Xue Sheng raised his hand to stroke his beard, and said meaningfully, "Fang De still remembers that year when Ta Zhe came to Jinling to negotiate peace with the court? At that time, Yan Xiaohan and Fu Shen were on the front line, and the only memorials sent back were Six words, 'I would rather die in battle than negotiate peace'. Why are you now facing a mere county king, but you are timid?"
"You mean..."
"Duan Guihong is from Beiyan's old part, but it's the friendship of his fathers. It's outdated. How can Fu Shen have an old relationship with him? It's just an excuse." Xue Sheng said, "Don't worry about it for the sake of What, Fu Shen refuses to meet with Duan Guihong. This is a fact that no one can erase. My court used such a person to fight against the enemy. If he and Duan Guihong should cooperate with each other, wouldn't it cause trouble? Big mess?"
But wasn't that the one who pushed your majesty to go to the southwest front
Zheng Duanwen heard a murderous intent from his unhurried words, and couldn't help but feel a chill behind his back: "Brother Yunping, what do you mean... Fu Shen colluded with Duan Guihong, intending to rebel? This is a serious crime that will cost you your head. What's he doing here?"
"It's not his 'why is this', but our 'why is this'," Xue Sheng said calmly, "There is obviously someone in the DPRK targeting us, if we don't act, the next person who can't keep the Wusha will be you and me. It's important, as long as the emperor believes that he rebelled."
"As long as he is overthrown, the Beiren's alliance will naturally disintegrate. If we don't need to take action, they will have internal strife themselves. At that time, it will be our chance to let go."
The summer night was sultry, but a drop of cold sweat fell from Zheng Duanwen's temple.
It is true that he is on Xue Sheng's side, but he has also heard the praise of Beiyan's iron cavalry for many years to pacify foreign enemies and guard the territory. Forming a party is one thing, but why did it suddenly get to the point of framing the hero and wanting to kill Fu Shen
"As long as the emperor believes that he rebels, it's enough." Isn't this... unnecessary
Zheng Duanwen bid farewell to Xue Sheng in a trance, and was led by the housekeeper through the courtyard to the gate.
It was late at night, but there were still voices outside the door. The two walked to the door and found a young man standing under the steps outside, who squinted at him and cursed in a sloppy mouth. Hurry up and go back! If you dare to go wild again, be careful that I will report the officer to arrest you and put you in jail!"
Zheng Duanwen was shouted back to his senses, took up the majesty of an official, and said slowly, "Why are you making noise here late at night?"
The housekeeper of Xue's house frowned imperceptibly, and immediately smiled at Zheng Duanwen: "The servant has no status, and the little one must be strictly disciplined, Lord Haihan."
At this time, the young man suddenly looked at Zheng Duanwen and asked unceremoniously: "You came out of the inside, do you recognize Xue Sheng? This young master wants to see him, so you go in and report quickly. Don't talk nonsense, you've delayed the big event, don't blame me when you look back. I didn't warn you."
Zheng Duanwen, the minister of rituals, was called to and fro as a servant, and he was immediately annoyed. However, just as he took a step forward, he was about to scold the young man, his eyes fell on his clothes, and then he turned his mouth and asked, "Who are you? What is the matter with Mr. Xue?"
The young man said impatiently: "Let me go in, and I will tell you naturally when I go in."
The housekeeper couldn't stand it any longer and planned to call the servants to drive the kid away, but Zheng Duanwen suddenly raised his hand to stop him and said, "Go in and report to Master Xue." He said to the young man, "Come with me."
The housekeeper was at a loss, but he couldn't resist him, so he had to go in and report to Xue Sheng. After a while, Zheng Duanwen led the young man in, and whispered a few words in Xue Sheng's ear.
Xue Sheng looked surprised. After a while, he turned to the young man and asked politely, "I'm rude, sir, don't blame me. I don't know why you came to visit late at night, why?"
"Tell everyone else to go down," the young man said coldly, "Just you and me." He pointed to Zheng Duanwen again: "He also stayed."