At night, Jiang Heng and Geng Shu were busy with their work. They removed the scales from the fish, put them in an iron pot, and set up firewood to boil the fish soup. Xiang Zhou sat aside, filled two glasses of wine, and placed one in front of Jiang Zhao.
Geng Shu looked as usual and said, "I'm coming, don't stab your hand."
Jiang Heng and Geng Shu got together, Jiang Heng smiled and told him that he caught this fish and how Xiang Zhou helped him.
Geng Shu turned to glance at Mrs. Zhao and Xiang Zhou. The two were sitting not far from the fire. They didn't talk and looked at Jiang Heng's back together.
"The Broken Jade Heart Art that I practiced matches with the Tianyue Sword," Mrs. Zhao said from a distance, "You are a man, so you can't learn it. The Black Sword Art Art must be practiced regularly and should not be neglected."
"Yes." Geng Shu knew that it was natural to remind him.
"What is the broken jade heart formula?" Jiang Heng asked with a smile.
"It's better to be broken than jade," Mrs. Zhao said indifferently, "I'm just like your mother, you must have known it long ago."
Jiang Heng looked at his mother, and sometimes he always felt that he didn't know her at all.
"Jiang Heng," Mrs. Zhao waved to Jiang Heng again and said, "Come here."
"Ah?" Jiang Heng went over after washing his hands, and Mrs. Zhao said cheerfully, "Mother will leave here tomorrow."
"Where are you going?" Jiang Heng said with a little daze, "Didn't you go to Luoyang?"
"Return to Yuedi for treatment." Mrs. Zhao replied, "Geng Shu will take you to Luoyang, go straight along this road, there are still three days' journey, and then you will enter the capital of the emperor."
Jiang Heng opened his mouth and wanted to go with his mother, but Mrs. Zhao's unequivocal temperament would definitely not agree to him. Maybe she would be slapped in the face, and it would be useless to cry.
But he stood stubbornly and did not speak.
Mrs. Zhao took off the sword Tianyue, handed it to Jiang Heng, and said, "Take it and go to Emperor Jin. He will naturally recognize this sword. You should stay in the palace and wait."
Jiang Heng finally said, "I don't."
It was too late to speak, but Mrs. Zhao raised her hand, but Jiang Heng controlled herself, did not hide, just stood, turned her head slightly, and closed her eyes tightly.
It was quiet before the bonfire.
But the slap didn't fall. Instead, Mrs. Zhao's cold fingers pressed against the back of Jiang Heng's head, pulling him gently towards her.
She hugged her son in her right hand, and held the Tianyue Sword in her left. She put it on her son's neck and whispered in his ear, "Be obedient, Heng'er, don't let your mother kill you..."
As she said that, she sighed and whispered: "Mother always thinks, should I just take you there with a sword, and there will be no more suffering, no need to live in this world and suffer endlessly."
Jiang Heng was a little overwhelmed. In his life, he had never seen such a tender moment of his mother, but what he said was life and death, but it frightened him.
"Mother... when are you... coming back?"
Mrs. Zhao looked into her son's eyes, and after a long time, she smiled lightly, with calmness in her smile.
Life is long, and life is short. At this moment, the wind and clouds are scattered, and the last brilliance of the sun falls into the mountains.
It was a smile of forgiveness and a smile of no concern. Jiang Heng was surprised to find that Xiang Zhou did not lie to him. When his mother laughed, there were shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth.
"Three years," Mrs. Zhao raised her eyebrows and said lightly, "Wait, after entering the Jin Palace, study hard, and I will come back to test your homework in three years."
"Does it take so long?" Jiang Heng said with tears rolling in his eyes, "Can I see you?"
"No," Mrs. Zhao turned serious, and returned to her majestic expression, and replied, "You know about your mother's illness. If it weren't for Lord Gongsun, this life would be just a drag on your life. If you cry now, it's a curse. If I die, think about it for yourself."
Jiang Heng didn't dare to shed tears. His mother's decision had never been made by him. What's the use of crying? She still has to go.
"Geng Shu." Mrs. Zhao said again.
"I know." Geng Shu turned the grilled fish over, sprinkled it with salt, and motioned to Jiang Heng, asking him to serve the fish soup for Mrs. Zhao.
It was night, and Jiang Heng wanted to have a few more words with his mother, but Mrs. Zhao deliberately ignored him. After drinking, she coughed a few times. With the light of the bonfire, she saw that the bowl was full of coughed up blood. .
She poured the soup on the ground, got up and went into the room, just like the routine she had been accustomed to these days, and fell asleep on her own.
Jiang Heng still slept with Geng Shu, covered with torn cotton wool, and placed Mrs. Zhao's Tianyue Sword by his side, until the sky was twilight, and he was awakened by a slight noise.
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Under the sky, Xiang Zhou got into the carriage, and Mrs. Zhao stood in front of the carriage, turning her head to cast a glance at Jiang Heng.
Jiang Heng stood on the dirt road and shouted, "Mother! Mother!"
"Go back!" Mrs. Zhao said sharply with red eyes, then ignored him and got into the carriage.
Xiang Zhou said from a distance, "Geng Shu! Take him back!"
"Mother!" Jiang Heng caught up and ran behind the carriage.
The carriage drifted away in the spring breeze, Jiang Heng chased the carriage, and Geng Shu quickly chased behind Jiang Heng.
In the end, Jiang Heng couldn't run anymore, watching the carriage disappear at the end of the road.
Geng Shu followed, took Jiang Heng's hand, and hugged him. The spring was cold, and Jiang Hengshang was trembling in Geng Shu's arms.
On the carriage, Mrs. Zhao cried so hard, blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
"Driving!" Xiangzhou drove the car silently, and turned to the road of returning to the south. Peach blossoms bloomed along the way. At the end of the distant mountains, the snow has melted, the cuckoo is in the spring, and the spring breeze is in the wild.
From here to the southeast, leaving the Central Plains, there should be apricot blossoms when the peach blossoms are in full bloom, pear blossoms are like snow behind the apricot blossoms, and there are still tea millets on the silent day of the flowers. The sky and water of Jinghu Lake are the same color, the clouds are in the lake, and the flowers on the water surface are like floating in the sky.
She also once sat side by side with Jiang Qing at the stern of the boat across the lake. The bottom of the boat was a thousand miles of sky, just like passing through snow-white stratus clouds and across the blue sky.
Geng Yuan stood at the end of Jinghu, dressed in black, and looked at Jiang Zhao from a distance. His eyes were like stars, as bright as Geng Shu.
"Mountains have trees, and trees have branches," Jiang Zhao said softly, "Today and tonight... in the same boat with the prince..."
Xiangzhou slowed down the speed of the carriage and slowly passed through a large peach forest.
The peach blossoms, scorching their flowers, the spring breeze rolled the peach petals, flew into the carriage, and landed on Jiang Zhao's body. In the spring breeze, there was a slight smile on the corner of her mouth.
Luoyang, the capital of the world.
After thousands of years, how many rains and winds have blown away, has made the heart of this land of China appear dilapidated. Once upon a time, the majesty of the capital radiated to the whole world, like the powerful heart of a giant, sending blood to the world.
Today, a thousand years later, the capital of the emperor under the control of the emperor has become like an old god, and there is only a sigh of death.
Standing under the word "Luoyi" in ancient seal, Jiang Heng chewed to a somewhat complicated taste, like a cake that had been left for many years, the surface was covered with mildew, and the inside had already changed. He is still persistently looking for the power of the "kingdom" mentioned in the book, just like trying to peel off the bark of a hollow tree, recalling the former glory from clues.
In front of the city gate, there is a black wood and red lacquer stele, on which is engraved the king emblem of the emperor of Jin, and the four characters "King of the World".
At the height of the city gate, there is a huge ancient bell that has been used for thousands of years.
He walked through the dilapidated shops, lingered in front of the sporadic shops that opened, and tried to imagine the style of Luoyang many years ago from the spacious street scene. The drum towers high in the inner city, the unattended forest gardens, the streets and alleys where weary people pass by...
"It shouldn't be like this." Jiang Heng said disappointedly.
"What should I do?" Geng Shu asked. He had never been to Luoyang, but to him, it was the same everywhere except Anyang, the capital of Liang. On the way to Xun Dongcheng that year, he glanced at Luoyang from a distance, that's all.
Jiang Heng shook his head: "Where are we going now?"
"Go to see Emperor Jin." Geng Shu dialed Jiang Hengchao himself, let him come closer, looked at the passersby vigilantly, and said, "Don't get too far away from me."
"Will he meet us?" Jiang Heng learned from the book that the emperor of Jin is the one who inherits the destiny, the king is the father, and he is the father of all the people in the world. The majesty of the king, shocking the four seas, the princes guarding, and the honor of ten thousand cavalry.
When Geng Shu arrived at the gate of the Imperial Palace in the inner city of Luoyang, there were only two very old guards, too old to seem to be able to hold the halberd, so he yawned and looked at him lazily.
He did as Madam Zhao ordered, and the guard said, "Wait a minute."
"Go in." The guard said to them after they came out.
The interior of the Luoyang Palace was dark. At noon, the black curtains on all sides blocked half of the light. Jiang Heng saw a young man sitting in the palace. Next to the young man was another young man in a military helmet. He was looking at the Tianyue Sword that Geng Shu handed in.
"Your name is Jiang Heng?" the young man asked lightly.
Jiang Heng looked up at him and saw that the young man was handsome, with a sickly white face, wrapped in a thick spring robe, and a charcoal fire was burning beside him, which was a symptom of congenital deficiency.
"Is Your Majesty okay?" Jiang Heng, according to what he had learned, knelt down to worship the young man and the generals first, and asked, "How long does it take to eat? How long does it take to go to bed? All people in the world miss the Son of Heaven. I will see you in this life, and you will be blessed with infinite honor. ."
When the young man heard this, he laughed and glanced at the general.
The general was hidden in the shadows, his face could not be seen clearly, like a night owl peeping in the dark, while Geng Shu was like a tender falcon, confronting him far away from the shadow of the huge black curtain flying in the spring breeze in the palace.
"It's been a long time since I heard something like this." The young man said, "Your Majesty is very good, don't read it. Eat two meals a day, and eat a single basket. When you go to bed, you will be pain free."
Jiang Heng knelt on the ground and sighed again to show his peace of mind.
"Where's the Emperor?" Geng Shu asked, "We came to see him."
Jiang Heng was about to signal Geng Shu with his eyes that the emperor must be resting, but the young man said, "I am the emperor Ji Xun."
He looked at Jiang Heng, made a gesture, and said, "How old is Qing?"
"Nine years old."
In Jiang Heng's imagination, the emperor was supposed to be a dignified old man with a gray beard hanging down to his chest, but was he actually so young? !
Ji Xun glanced at the generals beside him, but the generals did not respond. Ji Xun stretched out his hand again, stroked the Tianyue Sword, and said in a low voice, "It's not easy, Geng Yuan's boy, how old are you?"
"Eleven." Geng Shu went to Jiang Heng and knelt down with him, "My mother is Nie Qi."
"You have to change your name," Ji Xun said to himself, "otherwise there will be too many people in the world who will kill you, so you can no longer be named Geng."
"I won't change my name," Geng Shu replied indifferently, "I won't change my surname while sitting."
Ji Xun laughed again, but Jiang Heng exclaimed, "Wang, be careful!"
Ji Xun's fingers touched the edge of the Tianyue Sword, and with just a slight touch, shocking, red blood flowed down. "The Son of Heaven is hurt, the world mourns." Jiang Heng was shocked and wanted to go forward to check, but the general heard the sound of the sword unsheathed in the darkness.
Jiang Heng didn't dare to move any more, and knelt down honestly. Ji Xun said again: "It doesn't matter. Since your mother is Nie Qi, what's the harm in taking your mother's surname? Five years ago, your father Qin Mingming the world, and the four countries only want to recover this blood debt after Geng Yuan. If you die, There is no one to protect your younger brother, why do you have to be arrogant for a while?"
Geng Shu didn't insist any longer this time, Jiang Heng vaguely guessed a little from his mother's sporadic words, but he didn't ask more, and turned to look at Geng Shu.
Ji Xun said lightly: "Give you a new name..."
Geng Shu said, "If I have to change my name, I want to be called Nie Hai."
Ji Xun didn't care, and said, "Just call it Nie Hai. As for Jiang Heng, the world doesn't know your origin, and the living people who know you now... Except for your mother, it's just me and Xiang Zhou, so there's no need to change it. ."
"Got it." Geng Shu said.
Ji Xun said: "In the past, I was favored by the Jiang family, and now I am even more entrusted by Mrs. Zhao, and I should treat myself well. Luoyang is your home, and General Zhao will protect you two, so you don't have to worry anymore."
"Long live my king." Jiang Heng respectfully kowtowed to Ji Xun.
I saw that the general finally got up, walked to the sun, looked down at the two from a height, Jiang Heng got up, followed behind him with Geng Shu, and left the main hall.
Geng Shu wanted to ask Ji Xun for the Tianyue Sword, but Jiang Heng pulled his sleeve and saw that Emperor Jin was still fascinated by the sword, so he should not be disturbed at this time. It's not too late to ask.
In a glance, Geng Shu has seen the entire body of the general in his eyes. He is tall and thin, with an imperceptible cold blood in his eyes, thick wrists and powerful fingers, like a well-trained killer. There is a waist card tied to his waist, and two seal characters "Zhao Jie" are written on it, presumably the general who guards the emperor Ji Xun.
He remained silent, brought the two of them to the front of the West Palace, pointed to the sleeping hall, and drew a circle with his slender fingers, indicating that this was their territory, and they were free to do whatever they wanted.
"Are you dumb?" Geng Shu suddenly asked.
Zhao Jie turned his head and glanced at Geng Shu. At this time, Jiang Heng sensed danger and was about to let Geng Shu back, but Zhao Jie nodded slightly and left.
Geng Shu and Jiang Heng were left behind, and they were silent in front of the huge deserted room.
"This will be our new home from now on." Geng Shu said.
Everything came too fast, Jiang Heng had not recovered yet, and this journey of thousands of miles came to an abrupt end.
"Yes... yes," Jiang Heng said, "there is a place to live."
These days, their lives of eating and sleeping in the open air and covering their heads with tiles came to an abrupt end, causing Jiang Heng to be like a dream.
Geng Shu heaved a long sigh of relief and checked the high walls on all sides. Of course, no one knew who he was or where he was hiding, and there would be no enemies to hunt down the brothers.
He walked into the bedroom, put down his tattered baggage, and said, "Let's rest for a while. I'm worried, I'm really tired."
Jiang Heng stood for a moment, suddenly cheered, ran to the wall, and said, "The new home is bigger than our previous home!"
"Yeah." Geng Shu was sitting under the porch, as if he already had the appearance of a little adult, with a smile in his eyes, watching Jiang Heng running around in the courtyard.
This is the place where Luoyang Jin Concubine lived in the past. After the last Jin Concubine, Ji Xun's mother, died of illness, there was no one to manage the West Hall.
Ji Xun is approaching his age, but he has no heirs. The world no longer regards Luoyang as the capital, and the princes and kings naturally do not come to urge him. He is happy to see him die as soon as possible, and no one will inherit the throne.
The money and grain contributed by the feudal lords decreased year by year, and in recent years, it was like chasing beggars, sending the envoys of the Son of Heaven who came to the door to ask for tribute. Today, Luoyang City has only 800 soldiers, and less than 500 servants and officials of the capital. They all rely on the fields around the capital and Song County, where the emperor of Jin made his fortune, 400 miles away.
The palace had no money to repair for many years, and the valuable furnishings were pawned by the servants. But in Jiang Heng's eyes, this is already a magnificent and majestic little world.
The yard was overgrown with weeds and overgrown with wild flowers. Jiang Heng looked at it in turn. Geng Shu took off his shirt, shirtless, sniffed, and had to take a shower and do laundry as soon as possible. Then remove the grass."
Jiang Heng said, "Don't, let them grow."
Jiang Heng wanted to climb the wall, but Geng Shu frowned and said, "Come down! This place is no better than home!"
Jiang Heng went to see the well in the courtyard, and Geng Shu hurriedly got up and said, "Don't go! Be careful of falling! Why can't you sit still?"
Jiang Heng walked around the whole yard, and Geng Shu suddenly became depressed. The majesty of his brother seemed to be accompanied by the journey along the way, slowly dissipating and disintegrating, and Jiang Heng began not to listen to him very much.