A detailed map of the Tang Dynasty was spread out on the table in Zongzheng Temple's cell. Li Hong threw Li Xian to the table, took the brush handed over by Xiong Qu, casually drew a large circle on the map, and then coldly He said in a loud voice: "You can choose any of the states and counties outside the circle!"
"What on earth do you want to do?"
"Demoted to common people and exiled for three thousand miles!" Li Hong looked at the map, then threw the brush on the map and said.
"You...who do you think you are? You are not the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Why do you demote me to a commoner? Why do you exile me." Li Xian was shocked. Fang Muqing was pregnant. He thought that this would happen. His father would not have exiled him, but now Li Hong suddenly arrived and wanted to exile him overnight.
"For no reason, choose it yourself immediately. If you don't choose, I will choose it for you." Li Hong looked at Li Xian coldly and said.
"I want to see my father. Unless my father agrees to punish me, I will never choose." Li Xian's only remaining arm refused to grab the brush.
Li Hong stared at him coldly. After a moment of silence, he picked up the writing brush on the table and drew a black circle directly on Bazhou, the place where Li Xian was exiled in history. He said coldly: "Zongzheng Temple listens to the decree." , escort him to Bazhou immediately tomorrow morning, no mistake!”
"You..." Li Xian looked shocked, and his originally pale cheeks became even paler and frightened. Although he had committed a heinous crime, he still did not believe that his father and mother would agree to Li Hong's exile.
"Yes, Your Highness." Qing Zongzheng Temple took the token from Li Hong's hand. With this token, there would be no obstacle to the exile of King Pei, unless His Majesty issued another decree, ordering Zongzheng Temple to stop escorting Pei. The king was exiled to Bazhou.
After explaining to Zongzheng Temple, Li Hong didn't even look at Li Xian again. He turned around and took Xiong Qu and others with him. He let Li Xian roar behind him and left Zongzheng Temple without looking back.
And Li Xian's fate truly went on the right track of history on this night.
The high-ranking officials of the chamberlain are called jian, and they are of the third rank, and they have two persons. The number of young eunuchs is also two people, including four chamberlains, all of whom are the fourth rank.
Under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there are the so-called six bureaus that manage palace affairs: Yeting Bureau, Gongwei Bureau, Xiguan Bureau, Internal Servants Bureau, Neifang Bureau, and Prince Neifang Bureau.
Similarly, the functions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have some overlap with those of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but have their own functions. It is the Ministry of Internal Affairs that manages the daily affairs of the emperor. It oversees: the Food Bureau, the Medicine Bureau, the Clothing Bureau, the House Bureau, the AM Sheng Bureau, and the Shangsheng Bureau. Chariot Bureau.
Accompanied by the eunuchs and the Yeting bureau chiefs, the only people Li Hong could take with him at this time were eunuchs and maids.
Xiong Qu and others are not allowed to enter this place, and even Li Hong would not be able to enter at will if it were not for the Queen's will.
A house near the south wall stood quietly in the night. As the eunuch heard that His Royal Highness the Prince had arrived, the originally dim lights in the room began to brighten the wicks, and the whole house became brighter than before. A lot.
Looking at the dozen eunuchs and maids behind him, Li Hong said calmly: "Wait outside."
"Your Majesty, my servant, welcomes you." Fang Muqing and an old woman saluted together.
"There's no need to be so polite. Sit down." Li Hong looked at the room, which was furnished similarly to other rooms. They were all equally plain and clean.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Fang Muqing and Mrs. Fang kept their heads down, looking at their skirts, and then sat down carefully.
After a day of settling down, all the farce of yesterday has settled down in everyone's heart. It all happened so fast that even before people had time to react, all the bad luck came to them one after another. body.
When the two of them raised their heads, the expressions on their faces were just as Li Hong expected. They were full of numbness and exhaustion, and their eyes were full of dullness and confusion. They didn't even bother to think about their future lives, and even... they were like two bodies. Like a walking zombie, he sat in front of Li Hong, confused and helpless.
After listening to Li Hong's narration, Fang Muqing's tears seemed to have burst, and they couldn't stop overflowing. The crystal tears wet the skirt of his clothes silently, and his hands trembled violently because he heard that Li Xian was demoted to a commoner.
"This slave is willing to accompany your husband to Bazhou, and I ask for your permission." Fang Muqing seemed to have unconsciously slipped from the chair to the ground, and knelt there helplessly, sobbing.
Li Hong looked at Fang Muqing quietly. Her messy hair was draped over her shoulders. She was still wearing the bridal clothes from today's wedding. It was supposed to be the happiest day for a woman, but in her case, it became the saddest day for a woman. day.
Falling from the cloud of happiness to the hell of misery all at once, this must be what Fang Muqing is going through now.
"Are you sure?" Li Hong asked calmly, with a calm tone without any emotion.
Fang Muqing knelt on the ground and nodded silently. Mrs. Fang's eyes finally showed a hint of emotion. She also knelt on the ground pleadingly, hoping to get His Highness the Crown Prince's permission.
"That's right." Li Hong looked at the two people kneeling on the ground and said calmly.
Before dawn the next day, in the chamberlain department, which had already been busy early, two thin figures slowly boarded a carriage and then slowly drove out from the side door.
Similarly, in Zongzheng Temple, a carriage pulled Li Xian and slowly drove out of the imperial city after being inspected by Zongzheng Temple and Dali Temple.
In the hanging garden of the Daming Palace, the rare flowers and green leaves in winter are still vying to bloom with their beauty and fragrance. Li Zhi is wearing a thick fur, his face is a little flushed, accompanied by Wu Mei, looking at the two cars On the carriage shaft, lanterns like will-o'-the-wisps gradually came together.
The two carriages, one behind the other, were full of loneliness and depression. After the city gate opened, they were escorted westward by a group of soldiers.
Li Zhe stood at the gate of the city, looking at the back of the carriage. In his carriage next to him, the cold-warming clothes originally prepared for Li Xian, as well as some other things needed for the journey, were all silently picked up by Li Xian and Fang Muqing. Refused.
"If I had known this, why did I do it in the first place? I had to fight for that seat. What's the point? There's nothing to cause trouble now. Even... Let's go back." Li Zhe hurriedly got into the carriage, and the cold wind in the morning gradually started to rise. The biting chill made people afraid to stand in the wind.
Behind Li Zhi in the sky garden, Hua Ji hurriedly came over and whispered: "Your Majesty, Queen, at the gate of the city is King Li Zhe of England, who is seeing off King Pei. There is no one else. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince only left the Ministry of Internal Affairs early this morning. Those who arrived at the East Palace did not go to see off King Pei."
"Where is the morning court today? Was he stopped too?" Li Zhi's sight slowly returned to the imperial city from the blurred night. Under the illumination of rows of palace lanterns, not even a single courtier who came to court could be seen.
"Yes, Your Majesty. In the night, Toudong Palace issued an edict and informed all government offices that they will go to court in three days." Huaji lowered his head and looked at the ground under his feet.
Since yesterday, the entire palace has been immersed in a depressing atmosphere. Even now, standing in the highest sky garden in the Daming Palace, one can feel a heavy and depressing atmosphere.
The people in the palace who got up early were even more cautious and cautious. Even their voices were lower than usual.
"Go to court in three days! How many people will accompany Li Xian to Bazhou? How many of his retainers and servants will follow?" Wu Mei asked lightly with a sneer flashing across her lips.
"Going back to the Queen, apart from Fang Xianzhong's wife... there is only one person who compiles Wang Bo from Prince Pei's Mansion." Hua Ji replied again.
Li Zhi's brows suddenly frowned, and he looked quite dissatisfied. There was no one in any dynasty or generation who deposed a prince and only allowed people to travel. Retainers and slaves were privately owned, so in terms of crime, they should be punished. It would be wise to follow Li Xian and be exiled to Bazhou.
"Your Majesty, this is the crown prince asking you to make the decision. Have you seen the people coming from the East Palace?" Wu Mei looked at the blurry figures in the hazy morning light, walked quickly into the palace and said, "I'm afraid the list is all It’s been prepared for you, just waiting for your approval.”
Li Zhi pondered for a moment and sighed silently. If it was true as the Queen said, it was Li Hong who gave up this friendship to himself and let Li Xian remember his kindness to the Queen. This matter, from beginning to end , it seems that the most aggrieved person is Li Hong.
In the study room of Zichen Palace, a dense list of names was, as expected, placed in the most obvious place on Li Zhi's desk. As the vermilion pen rose and fell on the paper, a list of more than thirty people appeared. Outlined by Li Zhi.
Wu Mei, on the other hand, smiled helplessly. Seeing that Huaji picked up the list and was about to leave, she reached out to stop him. He took the piece of paper with a list of thirty names, selected it, and sketched it in the original On the list, ten names were rejected, and then handed to Hua Ji again.
"Twenty people are enough. If there are more, I'm afraid we won't be able to reach Bazhou." Wu Mei said lightly.
Li Zhi waved his hand silently, signaling Hua Ji to go down. When no one was in the study, he said: "Then why is Wang Bo so valued by Li Hong? I was kicked out of Chang'an when he wrote "Essay on the King of Chickens" , and was later recalled by Li Xian because of his talent. Why was this person exiled by Li Hong and Li Xian? "
"This man is talented, but Li Hong has never looked down on this man since he was a child. However, Li Hong admires this man's talent. A few days ago, Wang Bo also wrote a poem for the county captain of Huayin County:' The city is auxiliary to the Three Qin Dynasties, and the wind and smoke are looking at Wujin. We are both friends in the world, and our children are on the same road." Wu Mei said, picking up the brush and writing it. The poem was written.
"There are close friends in the sea, and we are like neighbors at the end of the world. Inaction is on the wrong road, and children share the same fate." Li Zhi read the last two lines of the poem and said involuntarily: "It's a pity that such a talent is... I hope that after going to Bazhou, I can still make great achievements." Such a masterpiece.”
(End of chapter)