At three quarters of Yin Shi, Qiao Tianya lifted the curtain.
Yao Wenyu was dreaming, and the pain in his legs made him fall asleep and sweat. The mattress was not too thick, the rainy season had not yet arrived in Ibaraki, the windows were open, and the bamboo curtains swayed in the wind. Yao Wenyu lay in the wind, like a spring rain.
A few months ago, the Taixue turmoil hit the impoverished officials in the court, Kong Qiu and Cen Yu bore the brunt, and Yao Wenyu was not spared either. After the turmoil, Yao Wenyu was sheltered by Kong Qiu, and rarely showed up in Qidu. He only accompanied Hai Liangyi on Bodhi Mountain every day until the carriage was attacked.
That day Yao Wenyu met Xue Xiuzhuo.
* * *
Xue Xiuzhuo and Yao Wenyu were classmates. Long before Hai Liangyi, the two read a book together in Mr. Changzong's school. Hai Liangyi's preference for Yao Wenyu was initially because of Mrs. Yao. At that time, Xue Xiuzhuo had already submitted three famous posts, but none of them were left behind by Hai Liangyi.
Yao Wenyu often heard Xi Hongxuan talk about Xue Xiuzhuo because Xue Xiuzhuo lived very hard in Xue's mansion in his early years. After Father Xue's death, the various houses of the Xue family fought fiercely for the fertile land. Xue Xiuyi, the direct descendant, is arty and doesn’t know anything about antiques, but he spends a lot of money all day to coax him. Within a few years, the Xue family was completely defeated, and the Xue family’s collateral gradually separated from the main family, not even fighting the autumn wind. . Xue Xiuyi hung out all day long and wanted to enter the Hanlin. Before and after, he sent a lot of gifts to Hua Siqian, who was also a bachelor of the Hanlin and the minister of the cabinet at the time. They were all warm-faced and cold ass, and even Helian Hou Fei was disdainful. .
Everyone thought that the Xue clan was about to lose, and Xue Xiuzhuo was killed at this moment. He was chosen to enter the Hanlin because he passed the examination in earnest. At that time, Hai Liangyi reviewed it, and Xue Xiuzhuo's strategy theory was very good, and it was no coincidence that he was listed on the list. Yao Wenyu has read all of Xue Xiuzhuo's strategies. When Xue Xiuzhuo first entered the Hanlin, he was full of energy, and he could even see the shadow of Qi Huilian. He repeatedly mentioned the matter of the weight of the land, which was something Qi Huilian had not done in the past. Taking the eight cities of Qidu as an example, the family annexed the land without reporting it, thereby offsetting the tax on the ten thousand hectares of land.
But Xue Xiuzhuo did not meet the Prince of the East Palace who could protect him. His memorial not only offended Hua Siqian, but also offended the courtiers of the aristocratic family at that time, and even offended Pan Rugui. These people were all inextricably linked to the defeat of the Zhongbo soldiers. They had reached an alliance as early as the end of the Yongyi year, and even the seemingly marginalized Helian Hou Fei had taken measures to occupy civilian fields in Dancheng. Xue Xiuzhuo is like a young rabbit who has fallen into a heavy siege. It caused a thousand waves in the court, and the criticism came so quickly. Hua Siqian used Xue Xiuzhuo as an excuse to attack Hai Liangyi, who promoted him, and the poor family represented by Hai Liangyi. officials.
Those days were very difficult, Yao Wenyu could hear the wind when he was in the rivers and lakes. Kong Qiu was among the officials who were brought down at that time, and Liang Luoshan, a low-ranking official, was indirectly impacted. Hai Liangyi avoided Hua Siqian's edge and retired as the last second assistant in the cabinet, reducing the number of participation in court proceedings, and the poor family entered a period of dormancy again. Xue Xiuzhuo's future was limited, and he was publicly criticized by Hua Siqian before he entered the court. He didn't even get a firm seat in the Hanlin, and he was demoted and became a pen for revising the history of the country.
But what was behind Hai Liangyi's retreat was not fear, but the beginning of the poor family's preparations for a counterattack. Hai Liangyi had long been concerned about the problem of the national treasury. They did not take the method of attacking the capital, but began to trace it from the local account books. The person Hai Liangyi chose at that time was Xue Xiuzhuo, and Xue Xiuzhuo's ability to serve as Hu Kedu was entirely due to Hai Liangyi's advice, and Xue Xiuzhuo did not disappoint Hai Liangyi. After going through that attack, he became cautious and sophisticated.
Xue Xiuzhuo stayed in the position given by Hu Kedu for eight years, during which time, according to Ducha's evaluation, he should have been promoted long ago. However, Hai Liangyi pressed him and put him under him to grind. Yao Wenyu felt that this person was born to be an official, because he understood Hai Liangyi too well, not only did he not complain, but he did a pretty good job. He memorized all the local political conditions of Juexi and the eight cities of Qidu by heart. Jiang Qingshan's greatest contribution to the restoration of Juexi's granary was the greatest contribution, but Xue Xiuzhuo also contributed greatly.
Jiang Qingshan doesn't respect Yao Wenyu, or even reads Yao Wenyu's articles, because they are hard workers. For officials like them, even if Yao Wenyu is really a genius, it is not as important as Xue Xiuzhuo.
Xiao Chiye once said that Xue Xiuzhuo is more like a student of Hai Liangyi than Yao Wenyu. Because he fulfilled the wishes of Hai Liangyi and the officials of the poor family, his shocking performance at the Nanlin Hunting Ground forced Hua Siqian to turn against him, so that the years of painstaking efforts of the poor family were not in vain. Emperor Xiande died of illness, the Queen Mother was forced to retreat, and the Hua and Pan parties disintegrated, and they ushered in a young and healthy new emperor.
It's a pity that the day did not go as expected, and Li Jianheng was not expected to be an emperor.
Before Hai Liangyi's death, Yao Wenyu had no ill feelings towards Xue Xiuzhuo. In Yao Wenyu's eyes, he is a person with a delicate position. He seems to have abandoned the aristocratic family, but he can get the full support of Xi Hongxuan and others. He seemed to be standing on a certain line, and both sides were pawns, including himself.
* * *
It was raining when Yao Wenyu met Xue Xiuzhuo in Bodhi Mountain. They sat down in the thatched pavilion and played a game of chess. There was no answering, not even looking at each other. The game was played for several hours, and finally ended in a draw.
Xue Xiuzhuo opened his umbrella before leaving. He looked back and said to Yao Wenyu, "Next year's Spring Festival, are you going?"
Yao Wenyu collected the pieces one by one and said, "Since there is you Xue Yanqing in the court, why do you need me, Yao Yuanzhuo."
The two sat and stood one by one, listening to the wind and rain outside the pavilion intensifying. When the wind passed Yao Wenyu's sleeve robe, he held the chess box with one hand, and when the pearls and jade collided, he was like a fairy sitting idle, as if he would ride away in the next instant. During the speech, the mud dots splashed on Yao Wenyu's blue clothes with the wind and rain, wetting the floating sleeve robe, making him a common man.
Xue Xiuzhuo looked at the mud spot and said, "When the teacher was seriously ill, Kong Qiu once came to visit. You gave him advice in the hall, but it was Han Cheng." He turned his eyes away, and his eyes fell on Yao Wenyu's face. As if looking at this person again, "I found out at that moment that Yao Wenyu was nothing more than that."
The chess piece between Yao Wenyu's fingers "gumbled" into the chess box and said, "You're right, Yao Wenyu is nothing more than that."
"A year ago, the teacher thought it was an opportunity. With the trust of Emperor Tianchen, the poor family can play a big role, but in the end it was all his wishful thinking." Xue Xiuzhuo said calmly, "The struggle between the two factions continued for several years, but the problem solved was not. There are very few. Twenty years ago, Qi Huilian proposed to measure the local land, restrain the annexation of the family, and restore the normal income of the local land tax. This matter has not been implemented until today. What did the teacher do with the steady maintenance of Da Zhou?”
Yao Wenyu said: "In the third year of Xiande, Juexi was hit by disasters, and the national treasury was in short supply. Hua Siqian refused to provide relief to the thirteen cities of Juexi, causing tens of thousands of people to be displaced. Jiang Qingshan opened the granary with one person's power and owed a huge amount of money. Debt. Without the full help of the moderate faction headed by the teacher, who coerced Hua Siqian by auditing the account books in Qidu, the food of Zhongbo would fall into the pockets of the family. Saving one person is not an act, and saving tens of thousands of people is not an act. So in your opinion, what does saving work count as an act?"
"If the Moderate faction saved tens of thousands of people in Juexi, then the Moderate faction also caused the tragedy of Zhongbo. In this world, it is the doctor who saves one person, and the courtier is the one who saves the world." Xue Xiuzhuo tightened his fingers and turned back. , said, "For many years, the teacher still regards the struggle between the two factions as his responsibility. Look at Kong Qiu, and look at the current Tai students, is it only the aristocratic family that divides factions by family? Instigating it, Kong Qiu has yet to realize that the poor clan under their leadership have the same prejudice against the officials of the aristocratic family. The moderate faction gradually controls the Taixue, which has long run counter to your grandfather's original intention to revive the Taixue."
"You planned to murder Emperor Tianchen, intensified the factional struggle, and put the cabinet in danger. You instigated Han Cheng to besiege Xiao Chiye, forced the rebellion against Libei, and asked the queen mother to reinforce Qidong's military power. You urged the queen mother to exercise the power of the emperor, and then support the princess. Boss. You arrange every move properly and take everyone into account." Yao Wenyu stood up slowly, and the black and white chess pieces rolled to the ground, "You forced the teacher to death."
The sound of rain intensified, and the pieces were smashed together, making people bloody.
The heavy rain wet half of Xue Xiuzhuo's arm, he and Yao Wenyu looked at each other without any wavering in their eyes. They were classmates and students, taught by the same teacher, led by the same teacher, and did the same problem, but they became diametrically opposed people.
"One day I will die," Xue Xiuzhuo said in a hoarse voice, "Whether it's betrayal by the people, or my reputation is ruined, I will follow this road to the end."
"You kill yourself and kill yourself by any means." Yao Wenyu let go of the chess piece he was holding, "You can't save the so-called common people in the world."
"Zhongxing Da Zhou is at this moment," Xue Xiuzhuo took a step closer, "all the old schools of the aristocratic family have been re-washed, the unification of the party leaders of the poor family has been frustrated, and the trouble of the eunuch party no longer exists. The cabinet, the queen mother and the prince are restrained by the three parties, and the rising stars in the court are like crucian carp crossing the river. Da Zhou is about to have fresh blood. Yao Wenyu, I am fearless to die, even if I leave my stench for thousands of years. I have already melted myself into the fire of the teacher, and I am myself."
After Xue Xiuzhuo finished speaking, he opened the umbrella again, turned around and stepped into the rain.
"You win for a while."
Yao Wenyu stood there and raised her voice.
"You win a game, it's not a victory at all. There are infinite variables in the world, and you can't count everyone, Xue Xiuzhuo!"
The torrential rain is like a note, venting in the heaven and earth. The green bamboo on Hailiangyi's tomb broke off in response, and the muddy water trickled down the slope, like a face that was crying bitterly.
"Today is a draw, the outcome is not decided." Xue Xiuzhuo stopped and did not look back, "But since there is Xue Yanqing in the world, why should Yao Yuanzhuo be kept? You and I are different. After tonight, there is no need to see you again."
"This game is not over," Yao Wenyu said. "Through my hands, there is no draw."
Xue Xiuzhuo seemed to smile. He looked back for the last time and stared at Yao Wenyu for a while. Separated by the rain curtain, they seem to have been separated from the sky since birth, as if they are the shadow of the sky and the earth, and they will never become fellow travelers. The three words Xue Yanqing have always been blocked by Yao Yuanzhuo. From the birth of a concubine to the choice of Hai Liangyi, Xue Xiuzhuo has never won, but at this moment, he is condescending and compassionate.
You are defeated.
The carriage galloped along the mountain road, dogs barking everywhere, and the chasing soldiers and horses chased after them. Yao Wenyu's coachman died, he couldn't control the direction of the carriage, so he could only let the carriage flee hastily in the mountains. The flowing arrows were inserted into the carriage from the back, and some of them had been nailed to the horse's hoof. The horses were frightened and completely escaped the reins.
Someone had already jumped to the back of the car, stabbed the car wall with a knife, tore open the tent and stabbed it inside. There was no one else in Mount Bodhi, and Yao Wenyu's death date had already been set. When he went up the mountain, Xue Xiuzhuo never thought of letting him go out alive.
The carriage rolled down the ditch and crashed into the wall of the carriage, causing Yao Wenyu's internal organs to be turned upside down. The horse was in pain from the fall, but Yao Wenyu untied the reins and got up with difficulty. The dog behind was barking too fiercely, and the horse continued to run away with a lame leg. Yao Wenyu had no saddle, and was almost scraped off by a branch in the bumpy ride. But the horse ran for less than a moment before being shot in the other leg.
The chase had already reached the foot of Mount Bodhi, and the leader was worried that Yao Wenyu would miss the hour by running down again, so they tied Yao Wenyu's ankle with a rope and pulled him along the mountain road to his carriage. During the process, the rain eased, and it was still dark. They wanted to make it clean without leaving any traces, so they first broke Yao Wenyu's legs with a scabbard, and then dragged people into the carriage.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rushing out from the mountain road. The chasing soldiers had a bad road, pulled down the curtain, and said in a hurry, "Stop the knife!"
There was a lot of people coming, and the guards on both sides of the carriage were from the Eighth Battalion, blocking the originally narrow horse path. The chasing soldiers motioned for the driver to pull away the carriage, and the group lowered their eyebrows and let out the way.
Yao Wenyu's mouth was gagged, and the severe pain stirred and made him twitch all over, but his reason remained. Sweaty, he bumped his forehead against the plank.
When the leader heard the sound in the carriage, he gestured to his subordinates with a wink. One of them whipped the horse a few times and shouted, muting Yao Wenyu's voice.
But the visitor didn't leave. The carriage surrounded by the middle lifted the curtain, revealing the Princess Zhaoyue dressed as a woman. She frowned slightly and said, "Don't make a noise, there are children in the carriage."
Yao Wenyu heard the voice of the Zhaoyue County Master, and there was a vague voice in her throat, bumping her forehead into blood red.
Zhaoyue County Lord suddenly said: "Is there anyone in the car? Let your Lord's family come to see me."
The man at the head recognized who she was, saluted, and said, "It's the outer room of the master's family, who is looking for life and death. It's not easy to let it out and collide with the county lord. The county lord will go first."
The Lord of Zhaoyue County raised his eyebrows and said, "This is the place where the patriarch sleeps. You close your eyes and talk nonsense! Come on, lift the curtain of the car for me!"
The man in the lead immediately showed his waist badge with the bronze seal of the garrison on it. He said, "We are on a mission, and we have a search document in our body, which is an order from the Ministry of Punishment. How can the county master, who has no position, interfere in the important affairs of the court at will. ? Even if Helian Hou is here in person, you can't forcibly lift the curtain!"
Zhaoyue County Master has been living in Dan City since she married the Pan family. After Haige passed away, she followed her husband into the capital, and today she had made an appointment to visit Yao's house. Who knew that after their arrival, the couple learned that Yao Wenyu had not returned after entering the mountain. She knew that Yao Wenyu was a human being and would never miss an appointment without a reason, so she drove to see it, and now she has determined that this group of people are ghosts.
The man at the head had no way to be the master of Zhaoyue County. Now that the Fei family has no important ministers, Hou Helian would not easily offend anyone. Thinking of this, he sneered: "The county owner won't leave, then we will go first."
However, before he moved, he saw the guards of the eight major battalions hold the handle of the sword together.
The jade finger in the car slightly lifted the curtain, revealing a flowery temple. The narrow-sleeved palace dress hangs down in the car, revealing the toe of the satin shoes of extraordinary quality, and the dongzhu is hanging around the neckline. Her voice is soft and gentle: "The county master has no job, can I also?"
The leader was still stunned on the spot, when he heard a loud shout from the guard: "Miss San Yuka, don't kneel to greet you!"
In this city, apart from the empress dowager's apex, who would dare to be called the third miss
The man broke out in cold sweat, immediately knelt on the ground, and kowtowed: "Blocking Third Young Lady Yuka is a crime that deserves death!"
The author has something to say: This chapter was originally arranged in the perspective of Qidu, and I will not read the comments for the time being recently, and I still follow my original rhythm. Don't worry, the plots are all within my sniping range, and the pits that should be buried will not be forgotten. Those characters who have been showing people from the side will appear one by one. There are some places that I can't explain beyond the story. That is the failure of the story and the failure of the author. There should be some stories, so I won't retell them.