Changes in the sky
Volume 2: The Edge of Heaven
Chapter 177: Shangsi Festival (Part 1)
Not long after Master Zhang left, I was still jumping up and down, talking about the future with Yinling, when my parents' carriage arrived. Two couples, they came together, probably in the palace at the time. Master Zhang reported the matter as soon as he came back. We were so panicked that we didn't know what to do. We didn't even have time to change into formal clothes. We picked up our clothes and hurried out to kneel down to greet them.
Naturally, they quickly helped Ling'er up, and the two mothers, one arm each, carried her into Pingle Pavilion. The two fathers followed her in with laughter.
Then they finally remembered me. Half a moment later, a eunuch came out in a hurry and woke me up from the ground. After chatting and laughing for a while, he found that I didn't respond, so the emperor remembered that I was still outside and asked me to get up and go in quickly.
The whole Pingle Pavilion was filled with laughter. I had to ask Song to invite Lord Xu to stand by his side and have him send the ** as far as he could. Qiu Luan and others were busy delivering things inside and outside.
The most exciting thing was "Long live our godfather, the Emperor."
In fact, I don't understand why he is so happy. It is natural and reasonable to ask for my biological parents; it is unreasonable to ask for the queen, because she still mistakenly thinks that I am the deceased prince.
Seeing the unnatural glances from my father, mother and Her Majesty the Queen, we all obviously had doubts. However, His Majesty the Emperor did not hold it back and soon expressed his joy.
"When the child Zirui was given the throne, he had been married for a long time, but he had no children. Brother Mowang and sister-in-law were anxious, and the queen and I were also a little worried. That day, I remembered that there was a White Horse Temple built by the previous emperor outside Yongmen in Luoyang. I thought that the child Zirui had some affinity with immortals, Buddhas and Taoism, so why not go and ask. I took the queen with me to pray. Unexpectedly, within a month or two, I heard that the daughter-in-law of Anguo was pregnant, and now the daughter-in-law of Pingguo is also pregnant. Haha... Zhier has an heir, and I have at least half the credit!"
The entire Pingle Pavilion was silent for a moment.
His Majesty finally realized the problem, "Ah, I was wrong. I am, my son Zirui. Without me, how can you have an heir?"
The entire Shanglin Garden seemed to be completely silent.
It is indeed a good thing that the position of Grand Historian is still vacant. If these two sentences were recorded in the history books, I wonder how future generations would laugh at the current emperor, and I would inevitably be wrongly accused.
My father had obviously thought of something similar to me, so he changed the slightly awkward topic and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for taking so much trouble for me. I suddenly remembered that the position of Grand Historian is still vacant, and the Shangsi Festival is only a few days away. Someone will have to take charge of the calendar and history compilation in the future. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks."
The emperor obviously wanted to find a way out as well: "Indeed, oh, Zirui, what do you think?"
I am particularly smart at times like this: "It would be better to reinstate Lord Zhu to preside over the reign. Originally, a leap month was required in the thirty-third month. (Note: This is indeed the case) Lord Zhu added it three months early, and added one less leap month than usual. I think it was for the sake of the reign title of Chuping, hoping to have a good omen at the beginning of the year. It should not be considered as deliberately going against the yin and yang and confusing the four seasons. I am ignorant, so maybe you can reinstate him."
"My son Zirui has always been kind-hearted. Today he is very happy, so I will do your bidding. Brother, please ask the ministers to draft a proposal." My father naturally agreed, and I thanked Your Majesty for his grace.
On this day, we talked about Shangsi Festival again. I really don't know what Shangsi Festival is about. Until now, I only know that Huo Ran's sister used to go out and do those things with others on Shangsi Day, which always feels a bit strange. In previous Shangsi Festivals, I watched the sisters and sisters from the neighboring families go out together, but Yinling stayed at home with me. When I was a little older, Yinling was afraid that I would get into trouble in crowded places; when I was a little older, she was not interested in going there, perhaps because she was afraid that I would get into trouble with others. It seems that it was only in the past two years that I heard from others during Shangsi that Shangsi Festival was originally a festival to worship Jiaomei (Note: the god of fertility, usually worshipped in the suburbs, also called Gaomei), and all kinds of customs were related to marriage and childbirth. The day was chosen as the first Si day in early March as Shangsi Festival, which was originally to pray for the prosperity of descendants. However, there was no such festival in the past allusions, and it seemed that it was only popularized by the Han Dynasty (Note: It is true). For so many years, I have not been there to play once, so naturally I can't know what Shangsi Festival will be like. Moreover, the statue of the deity has a fat and pregnant appearance. In the past, when I passed by the Gaomei Temple upstream of Baishui, I never went in to see it because I always felt embarrassed.
The emperor wrote the word "Si" on a bamboo slip and asked me if I knew what it meant.
I didn't expect the emperor's handwriting to be so good, and I just didn't know. I often make mistakes unintentionally, so how could I know the difference between the strokes in and out
The emperor seemed very happy that I praised his calligraphy. But after thinking for a moment, he suddenly came close and hit me on the head. I had just seen his calligraphy, and he was justifiably indignant that I was not familiar with political affairs and had never seen the memorials he reviewed. After a moment, he hit me again without any warning, and expressed great indignation that I actually doubted his calligraphy level, even raising it to the level of filial piety.
Apart from getting beaten, admitting my mistakes, and humbly asking for advice, I can't think of any other solution.
Your Majesty finally got back to the point and proudly wrote an ancient character that was somewhat similar to the character "子", but with a mouth shape on top. Explanation: In ancient texts, the character "巳" is very similar to the shape of "子" (this is indeed the case in bronze and oracle bone inscriptions), which is the shape of a child with arms outstretched. Later, "子" had its shape, and "巳" became the current shape. After the Qin Dynasty destroyed Dongluàn, the population dropped sharply. When our dynasty established its capital in Chang'an, this festival was established to encourage childbirth. The third month is the beginning of the late spring, when the weather gradually warms up and all things flourish; the day of "巳" may be taken from the meaning of the baby in the character "巳".
I say I am learning.
But a question suddenly occurred to me: there are twelve Earthly Branches, and the first ten days of the ten-day period. What if the Si day in March jumps out of the first ten days of the ten-day period
The answer is: the beginning of the middle of the month is also fine.
Me: Wouldn't it be better if we set it on a certain day? What if it happens to be a leap February in a certain year
While the emperor was still thinking, my father was a little surprised by my opinion. He said: Meng De mentioned this that day.
The emperor seemed to be wavering and asked me, Zirui, which day do you think would be suitable
Since March cannot be changed, March 3rd is the best day. If a newlywed couple has a new child, the family will be three people. Since it is to encourage marriage and childbirth, it is better to set March 3rd as the day of the festival.
Obviously, many times this meaning itself is meaningless, it is just one more thing to think about.
The emperor followed my advice and issued an edict upon his return. In addition to restoring Mr. Zhu's official position, he also decided that from now on, the third day of the third month would be the day of the third lunar month every year. (Note: The above reasons are purely fictitious. If they are similar, you must not be living in our parallel universe. Another note: The following is also true)
The emperor seemed to be unaware of the things that happened between the queen and me. He just boasted that he was connected with gods and Buddhas. He didn't have any special intention to get close to me or be curious about me, but he was still very happy. My father and I both said that the emperor was the son of heaven, so he naturally had the ability to hear everything from the heavens and the people below. The emperor was even happier and kept talking about the various differences in the White Horse Temple and his own thoughts.
This shows that my father and I have a fairly appropriate and high level of flattery ability.
Before sending off His Majesty, who was in a good mood, His Majesty only told him one important thing: let father prepare quickly, as we will return to Luoyang after Shangsi Festival. Father, yes, come with me to see the emperor and empress off to the palace. It seems that the preparations for Shangsi Festival have been left to father. Father, in previous years, Shangsi Festival and other festivals were great times for officials to make money. With the emperor's edict, they could withdraw money from the official treasury at will, and ask for money from the nearby government offices at will. Of course, a lot of it was swallowed up, and the rest was used for the ceremony.
Father, this time he will do it in a grand manner, spend as much real money as possible, and then settle the accounts, and let the Grand Historian, Shangshu Ling and others keep a record. In the future, if the chief official exceeds this amount by too much, he will be impeached and his accounts will be checked. Those who cannot provide accounts will be directly executed. Let's see who dares to do it in the future.
My head is good.
Father, in fact, if the officials in charge of expenditure and deposit had been a little more strict, and the emperor had stopped spending money everywhere, the treasury would have become more and more full. But every few years there are always some corrupt officials, and usually there is not just one, but a group of corrupt officials centered around a corrupt official who is in charge of everything. Officials protect each other and accept bribes from each other.
What my father has to do is to find a way to prevent this. Father, this requires clear rewards and punishments, and heavy rewards for meritorious service. Heavy rewards for individuals will not hurt the national treasury, but if dozens or even hundreds of corrupt officials are allowed to embezzle excessively, it will be troublesome. I will always remember my father's face with yearning. If the world's virtuous and talented people can gather in Luoyang and give full play to their talents, and the treacherous people will be afraid to flee and dare not do evil, that would be the best.
Although I nodded in agreement, I always felt that it was not that simple.
But when my father and I did this, he just smiled and shook his head.
It's a bit strange, I always feel that my father is much simpler than me. Although my father is more proficient in the rules of officialdom than me, from the bottom of my heart, I always feel that I am much more cunning. I think when he climbed the tower to check the poor people, my father must have been a kind and simple boy.
Perhaps the only difference is that I grew up in a humble family, while my father was born into a wealthy family.
That day, Yinling must have thought there was something wrong with me.
I remember that after sending my father away, I should have sat opposite Yinling, and then I kissed Yinling's belly: "Yan'er or Miao'er, did you hear what father said?"
Yin Ling couldn't help laughing, "How can they hear it? And as for the naming, wouldn't it be better for you to ask your father for his opinion?"
"Well, OK, I'll go ask. But don't rush, there will be plenty of time in the future." I sighed, "I was thinking, after all, my father is a kind-hearted son of a wealthy family. Although he has experienced setbacks and knows the risks of officialdom, he is still much more comfortable than a poor scholar, and he can't see the filth behind the scenes. I'm afraid our children will be like our father in the future. If they can reach our father's position, it will be fine. If they are inferior to others, I'm afraid they will be bullied."
Yinling laughed even louder: "Zirui, it's too early to think about it. Don't think too much. We will have time to think about it later."
I suddenly stood up and Yinling seemed to be startled.
"When I get back, I will send those children, including those in our government school, to travel around. Traveling thousands of miles is more practical than reading thousands of books. The government treasury will pay for them to go out and see the world."
"Husband, do you think there is a lot of money in the treasury?" Yin Ling appeared in time to pour cold water on me. "Before the autumn harvest, there are many places where money needs to be paid. There are still several counties in the south that are still in turmoil. Even if we recruit people, the treasury will need a lot of money and grain. Not to mention the tens of thousands of troops that need to be maintained. Being a Yuehou means you will be generous. Do you think the treasury is inexhaustible?"
I suddenly felt lost again: "That's right."
"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. There are two harvests a year there, and all kinds of edible and usable products are abundant. If we cultivate the land there, we can greatly improve our income and expenditure within a year." Yinling seemed to feel that the blow to me was too heavy, and hurried to comfort me.
But I continued to wander in my own world, but everything was already planned. This time I wanted to let Yinling hear her opinion: "The first step is to supervise the construction of the navy and first recover Yazhou (now Hainan Island). There is a need for the help of the locals there, so I can teach them the farming skills of the Han people and recruit them from the dangerous mountains and forests to settle down. That would be a good thing."
"Zi Rui, Zi Rui!" Yin Ling kept waving her hands in front of my eyes: "Hey, are you okay?"
I seemed to be back, and I seemed to remember that I looked at Yinling with a smile: "What's wrong? I was thinking about doing something pleasing before our child is born."
"Zi Rui, are you missing the point?" Yin Ling thought for a while and said to me seriously, "The war in Yulin is not a big deal now. It can probably be pacified before midsummer. The wars in Hepu (Leizhou Peninsula and its surrounding areas), Jiuzhen, and Rinnan (both in present-day Vietnam) are still a threat. I've heard Zi Rui say that he would take back Yazhou before, but that was after the war was pacified. Why do you want to attack Yazhou first this time?"
I searched around and finally pulled a quilt from the couch to make a semicircle. Starting from one side of the semicircle, "The coastal roads are Hepu, Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan in order." I sat at the center of the semicircle and said, "If I own Yazhou and have a strong navy, I can suppress these four counties at any time. Otherwise, I will send troops from Cangwu, and the mountains and rivers along the way will cost too much for baggage and food. And the road is not smooth. Even if I repair the road, it will be easily destroyed by local bandits." Coincidentally, there was a copper basin next to the couch with some water in it. I casually ran my finger across it: "And who can destroy the vast waterway on the ocean? The navy is the most appropriate."
After saying that, I punched Hepu, Jiuzhen and Rinnan counties in turn, and finally clenched my fists and punched Jiaozhi.
"Zirui is worried about Shi Xie?" Yinling is not a fool.
"Shi Xie controls one-third of Jiaozhou's population. It would be best if he was loyal. However, his cousin's actions and the fact that Jiaozhi merchants can buy male prisoners from various hells always make me a little worried about him as the governor of Jiaozhi."
"Although Shi Feng cut off the rice and salt supply to Yulin, I don't know why; but as the head of a county in my Han Dynasty (Wu'an's population was less than 10,000 at the time, so he could only be called a county head), how could he dare to cut off the rice and salt supply to another county in my Han Dynasty? This matter really puzzled me. No one around me knew about it, and no one could tell me. So I simply put Yulin under his management, both to give Shi Xie a face and to see what he would do next."
"Ah, I thought you made this decision after reading various reports and documents!" Yin Ling said in surprise: "After reading some of them, I felt that your decision was well thought out. I didn't expect that Zirui was more of a test." Yin Ling obviously found it a little unacceptable.
"I've seen it, too. I was in the court every day during those days and saw a lot. I know he has some skills. Wu'an can be said to be in order, and there really is no chaos this time. Hand Yulin over to him as well. If he can sort out Yulin, it will be a good thing." I calmed down Yin Ling, who was unusually excited, and continued, "Look, except for Cangwu, nothing happened. Among the chaos in Jiaozhou this time, only Jiaozhi and Yulin's Wu'an did not cause any trouble. The Shi family is really capable. However, the prisoners in Cangwu, Guangxin, and Yulin were all bought by Jiaozhi merchants, and Lord Xu could not do anything about it. There must be something behind it. And since buying and selling prisoners has become a common practice, how could Shi Xie not know? What is Shi Xie doing?"
Silver Bell Head, looking at me and the quilts around me, she finally agreed with the importance of Yazhou. Return Jiuzhen, there are many Nanyue people in Rinnan, even if it is pacified in the future, we need to work hard.
I nodded my head and Yin Ling seemed relieved. She praised me for my far-sighted strategy, which was beyond the reach of a woman like me. I kissed her and praised her for her good teaching. She also asked me who I would send to govern the three counties after I pacified them.
The candidate for Yazhou has not been decided yet, but it will definitely be our own person.
This sentence was obviously off topic, but Ling'er was smart enough to understand it: "Will you let Shi Xie nominate the other three counties?"
I nodded: "If his people do a good job, it will be better; if there is a big mistake, how can he not be punished? Besides, I can send a few of his right-hand men to my side so that I can supervise."
Yin Ling suddenly had some morning sickness reaction, but after a while she calmed down and smiled. Yiren lay lazily in my arms, and said with a peaceful face: "Ling is finally relieved. Zirui should be able to be the Marquis of Yue. These days, Zirui has been thinking about things and always forgetting things, which makes his wife feel worried in the future. But I didn't expect Zirui to think so far. However, if we fight one against one in the future, Ling can rest assured; if there are more neighbors, when it is unclear whether it is a friend or an enemy, Zirui needs to be careful."
I nodded yes and kissed the person in my arms.
It was already dark, it was the darkest day of February, and there was no moonlight. The lights were on outside the corridor early, and a familiar figure was reflected in the window pane in the distance.
The silver bell in my arms was alert, and she was about to call for inquiries. But I immediately covered her mouth and whispered in her ear: "I have been speaking a little loudly, but in fact, I hope he can hear it and attract him to listen. Later, when I saw him, I lowered my voice. He may not believe some of the words I said in front of him, so I can only let him eavesdrop. I want to borrow him to watch over Shi Xie, and only he can restrain Shi Xie when I need him. But he only dares to eavesdrop from a distance, and his heart is not open enough, and I need to deal with him in the future. Maybe, I will let him nominate the governor of Yazhou, and then select some loyal and honest ones from his sons and nephews to stay by his side. Don't worry, his Xu clan members rely on his power and the Liu clan to bully others in Tanzhong and dominate the court. But Yulin is not Luan, and Wu'an in Yulin is not Luan. I firmly believe that the Xu clan, including the Yulin prefect, the Liu clan, and the Shi clan have nothing to do with each other."
Yinling's eyes were full of surprise, and she seemed to be feeling a little unbelievable.
I have been troubled by this feeling several times during my four years as a vassal, but it's okay. I am young, I can learn, and I am willing to learn, and that is enough.
Maybe that's why I've survived.
That day, Yinling first wanted to eat some sour fish, then some spicy beef, and then some plain vegetables and fruits. Her taste changed very quickly. But fortunately, I was there. I asked them to cook everything. Whatever she didn't eat was eaten by me.
So, I ate a lot.
I decided to go for a walk. I asked my wife what she thought, and she said she felt a little tired, so she let me go for a walk by myself.
Unexpectedly, I ran into Lord Xu and invited him to go out for a walk, and Lord Xu gladly agreed.
As the husband of a woman who just got pregnant, I naturally brought up the topic of offspring, and asked how many children Lord Xu had. He replied that he had three sons and four daughters, and that his eldest daughter was of marriageable age, and was worried about not being able to find a husband.
I laughed and said, there are many people who want to marry into Xu Situ's high position, so there is no need to worry about finding a partner. When I go back, I will help to manage it.
Xu Situ naturally thanked him very much.
I asked him how old his sons were. He said one was about to have his coming-of-age ceremony, one was sixteen, and one was still young.
I asked if there was any official rank. He replied that my son was unsophisticated and unworthy of any important position, so he had never been promoted.
I was also worried whether they were playboys, but I still comforted them by saying that I should let them become palace attendants first and teach them some things, so that they will be useful in the future.
Lord Xu thanks you again.
So, I changed the topic I was discussing with Yin Ling: "To be honest with you, Lord Situ, after I go back, I will train the navy, recover the old territory of Yazhou, and ask Your Majesty to set up Yazhou and appoint a governor to take charge of it. However, although it is a governor, it is actually a tough job. The location there is important and the population is sparse. Maybe I will move some people there. But there will be a lot of dealings with the locals there, and I need to govern them with etiquette and benevolence so that they will no longer be enemies of the court. But the selection of people is giving me a headache. Most of my subordinates are rough people and cannot handle this task. I wonder if Lord Xu has any candidates.
Lord Xu thought for a long time before he came up with a name with certainty, and only he could accept it. I really don't know this person, but his surname is not Xu, but Chen.
I wondered if it was after the "Three Chens" that Lord Xu happily clapped his hands and said, "That's right."
My head, that must be him.
Lord Xu wondered why Marquis Yue didn't wait until after the meeting to make a decision.
Since I am the result of Lord Xu's careful consideration, there is no need to check me. Please come here to do other things first, and send me back after Yazhou is pacified.
Lord Xu praised it.
Lord Xu seemed to be much more lively that day, and he talked to me about many things afterwards, which were indeed of great interest to me.
On that day, Lord Zhang was stranded in the palace to treat the emperor and could not come out, but he still sent someone to bring me medicine. This person was not familiar with Shanglin Garden, and happened to meet the emperor who was returning from hunting, so he followed him all the way back.
The more I looked at this young man, the more suspicious I became; the more that guy looked at me, the more familiar he seemed.
He first asked me: "Are you Brother Xie Zhi?"
I immediately asked him back, "Are you Brother Dong Feng?" Note 1
Suddenly the scene became lively. He was delivering abortion-preserving medicine to a Yuehou lady on behalf of Lord Zhang, but I first asked him how he got to Lord Zhang's side.
He came to the north to seek a famous teacher to learn medicine. However, at the Jinkou on the Luo River, he heard that the imperial physician had been demoted and was living in a settlement near Luoyang.
I suddenly felt hopeful that I would never be able to meet the person I had thought I would never be able to meet.
He asked and searched all the way, and finally found it. Master Zhang was impressed by his dedication to medicine and his mastery of the properties and effects of herbs, so he accepted him as his apprentice. The master and apprentice went around collecting herbs and treating patients every day, which was quite fulfilling and happy.
When the imperial physician was reinstated this time, he followed him.
That's fine by me. I asked how to decoct the medicine and gave it to Qiu Luan to prepare.
He asked me what I did, and I said I was the husband of the wife of Yue Hou.
He suddenly hesitated and asked me whether he should call me Yue Hou or brother.
I smiled and asked: What do you want to call me
He smiled innocently: Brother.
I spread my hands and said: Then just call me brother!
I asked him again: Come to my brother in the future, I will let you be my medical officer, and I can provide you with anything you need.
He continued to smile foolishly: Why don’t you ask me what I want to do
I smiled and tried to ask seriously: What do you want to do in the future
He smiled naively, even showing his nice teeth: "My most respected doctor Hua travels around the world all day long, treating patients everywhere. The teacher wanted to write a book, leaving it for future generations to learn medicine and know medicine. I want to go back to my hometown, settle down at a roadside intersection and treat patients. Others who can't find the doctor Hua to treat them, can't read the teacher's books and can't learn medical skills, can come to me. I can treat them and teach them what the teacher learned. Isn't it great? But brother Xie Zhi, when you need me in the future, just ask someone to send a letter, and I will go to treat everyone in your family immediately. Hey, why are you crying
I cry easily. I cry for the death of a friend, I cry for the happiness of the past, and I cry for the good deeds I respect.
I introduced my brother to Yinling and told my wife how we met and his ambitions.
The lady also liked this honest doctor and quickly took out some Hepu beads for him.
But at the scene, my brother and I were admiring the pearl, saying that it was big, round, and had a good color. I thought it was a good gift for my sister-in-law, but he kept talking to himself: Judging from the bright color of the pearl, it must be very good for medicine.
So we gave him a few more.
He left happily, and I wanted to see him off, but he wouldn't let me. I could only shout to his receding figure: Come often when you have time, I will go to look for you too. He suddenly stopped, fluttered his fingers under his sleeves, and suddenly came back happily, saying to me: From the sound of his voice, I know you have a hidden lung disease.
I felt that my brother's job as a doctor was to find out some problems. He was so happy to see the residual effects of my arrow wound.
He took out a cloth bag from each of his sleeves and asked me to stretch out my hands to take them.
"I've cooked the almonds. Eat a few every morning and evening, but don't eat too much, or you'll get a sore throat. Eating less is good for your lungs. You can't eat them, sister-in-law, because they're bad for your fetus." He smiled like a simple farmer and said, "I was planning to leave half for the teacher and eat the other half myself. If you're sick, take some tonic."
After saying that, he didn't say much, pushed me to stop me from sending her off, and then turned and left, leaving only one sentence: "Take care of your sister-in-law."
Yinling and I were both touched, and we talked a lot that night. I ate a few almonds, which were sweet and fragrant.
But Yinling asked me how it tasted, and I said it was a little bitter. If I was sweet and fragrant, Yinling would probably let me eat it because she couldn't eat it herself, but it would be good for my lungs. But my life will not be particularly good in the next few days, because I will be retaliated for the "crime" of "deliberately tempting her". I only know that since Yinling was laid off from her position as a sister and re-employed as a wife, she seems to have become less tolerant, or extremely timid.
As expected, she immediately lost interest. I knew she was most afraid of bitter and smelly things. This person even taught me a lesson with dignity: "You have to eat it, listen to your brother."
I think she also considers Dong Feng as her brother.
Having such brothers really warms one’s heart.
The next day was the first day of March. I went to visit Mr. Zhang, but actually I went to see my brother. But I was blocked by the Emperor and Empress at the door of the temporary hospital, and was even praised for my filial piety. Because of some dead eunuch who reported it, I was boiling medicine for the Emperor with a subordinate of the imperial physician.
I was really lucky. I complained to the emperor and the empress, but none of them heard anything. I sat and chatted with my brother, and I didn't even know that the medicine was for the emperor. But if I knew... I would have to stay there, accompany them in, and act like a good boy outside the door.
I can deeply appreciate my improvement in the art of flattery, and of course I can also realize that this perhaps unintentional flattery is more vivid and has reached a level of "a big fart rarely heard".
I feel like I stink when I think about it.
It was the Queen who quickly calmed me down and made me notice that the palace was still fragrant and there was no smell of fart at all.
The Queen unexpectedly whispered in front of the Emperor, and even cried a little sadly. The Emperor saw that there were people around and asked her to stop talking. I knew she must be talking about the prince. But the Queen refused and continued to talk and cry. Although I felt sorry for her, I even wanted to stand up and scold her and ask her to stop thinking about the consequences.
Of course, I dare not.
The older I get, the braver I become. The emperor was right in his evaluation of me. I still remember the heroic act of standing up and scolding my two adoptive parents.
The Emperor suddenly seemed to be moved by something and asked me if I knew if I had any moles on the back of my neck. I remembered that the Empress had looked at the wound because His Majesty had hit me that day, and Yinling had told me a few days ago that there was indeed a mole on the back of my neck. But when he suddenly asked me this, I couldn't help but be a little cautious. But thinking that since I have it, then it's really mine, and it's unlikely that the prince would have it by chance, so I decided to answer truthfully. When Yinling told me, it seemed that there was a mole, but the back of my neck was injured several times because I grew up, and now it's no longer visible.
The emperor said "oh" and was silent for a while, then let me leave.
I felt more and more puzzled, so I ran to my father. As soon as I saw him, I told him everything that had just happened.
My father was reading a report. At first, he continued reading while listening to me. But as he listened, he frowned and closed the book.
After seeing that there was no one around, he waved for me to come closer.
"Zi Rui, do you know the tomb with your original name Shen Gongshe written on it?"
"Yes. Before I knew about this, my mother took me to visit the tomb. It was that tomb that was robbed this time."
"That's right, Zirui doesn't know that the person buried there is the emperor's real eldest son, and he is the same age as you." My father said this and gestured with his hand to me not to be surprised. Suddenly he found that I was quite calm and couldn't help but be surprised: "Zirui knows?"
"The Queen has spoken to me about this."
"What?" My father was agitated. He looked around and lowered his voice: "Could it be that the Queen has suspected..."
I nodded.
"This is a long story. Zirui, come with me."
So, we rode out on horseback and ran to a secluded forest in Shanglin Garden. My father told me everything, but I had heard some of them before. It was basically the same as what happened in Chencang Tavern that day.
For example, the first things buried with him were all things that were previously bestowed by the emperor. As he was a prince, he dared not neglect them. After a few years, He became the queen and bestowed some more, hoping to complete the burial objects in the tomb. That’s why my father dug up the tomb and expanded it again. But because my father’s fiefdom was in Shanghe at that time, the tomb had its own guards and no one dared to rob it. When my father was granted the fiefdom of Zhao State and no longer had the Shanghe territory, the guards of the tomb became lax, and tomb robbing occurred.
The first troublesome thing now is that my tomb is out of order. The burial objects and specifications are all for a prince, but the tombstone is mine. The impeachment letter has not been seen yet, but it will be a trouble in the future, especially if the emperor still doesn't know about this.
The second problem is obviously my identity.
Father, when he received the prince, the prince was already dying. In order to avoid the eyes and ears of the Song family, he traveled by boat and carriage without stopping. The prince was a newborn, how could he withstand such hardships, and soon died.
The prince died a few days later. My uncle was ordered to arrest the culprits, so he thought of taking him out first, dragging some burial objects with him, and secretly burying the prince in a secluded place. But he didn't expect this to happen.
My father had examined the corpse of the prince and had seen the mole on his neck. When he sent me away, he hoped that we would have a chance to meet again in the future even if we lost all the evidence; inspired by this, he burned a scar on me, like a mole. And not only do I have it, but Jiang Wei also has it, the only difference is that mine is on the left and his is on the right. Father, he burned it with incense. Burning it on the outside is too obvious, and burning it too deep inside is not visible without taking off clothes, but this one can be seen by lifting the collar.
After listening to this, my father and I sighed together. Things in this world are really troublesome.
My father still recalled that time with a smile. After a few words, he suddenly slapped me on the head with more force and lectured me: "What did you pretend to be a descendant of the Rongdi tribe? Do you think I look like a Hu person?"
He looked at my collar again and continued to lecture me, "When I gave birth to you, you were a fat, white kid. Now, there are scars on your neck from arrows, blades, and armor. Sigh..."
I was impressed by the way my father looked at the wound, and said that I couldn't see it, so out of sight, out of mind.
My father smiled and told me to get on the horse and go back to look after Yinling and his grandson, as he had to go back to continue reviewing documents.
But when we finally parted, my father looked closer and kicked me: "Get lost! Son. Just because of your words, I only had two days to prepare."
I must admit that the thought of kicking someone often comes to my mind, but it is purely inherited from my father, so I am still innocent.
For example, after he had tied up his horse in the stable and entered the yard in the dark, he gave a kick that seemed innocent. The man was peeking in through the window with his butt sticking out. It would be a waste if he didn't kick such a protruding thing that deserved a beating.
I asked him why he did that. He had another group of women inside.
When I turned around, I saw many cars parked outside the yard. Most of them were cars of the royal family. The one leading the way was obviously from the royal family.
She thought to herself, could it be that the Empress mother-in-law has come to visit her daughter-in-law again, and has brought all the officials' wives to care for Ling'er as well? Ling'er will be in trouble then.
But thinking of **, there should be beautiful girls. Maybe it's time to bring a group of big sisters to learn advanced pregnancy experience. But sī thought there was nothing to learn, so let their husbands work harder.
I walked closer with all kinds of evil associations in my mind, and finally confirmed that the one whose butt I kicked was right. Although the sound was not loud, the chattering girl's voice was unmistakable.
Just then, Qiu Luan led the maids out in a hurry, as if they were going to get something to be delivered. She quickly asked who was inside.
The answer was that the eldest princess brought a group of official sisters to see the lady.
It seems that the second brother must still be sleeping, and as a result, the eldest princess was released to disturb the world and endanger the country.
I am most afraid of seeing them, mother and daughter. Her Royal Highness the Queen always wants me to be a son, and Her Royal Highness the Princess always wants me to be the youngest.
So I decided not to go in. I picked up the Iron Wolf given by the emperor from the weapon rack in the corridor and went straight to the stable to strengthen my muscles. On the way, I reminded the still-bent ** and Qiu Luan and others who were busy, not to come back.
After taking only two steps, he decided to turn around and give the guy who was still peeping a little kick.
Qiu Luan suggested that I go in for a while. When I was serving, I heard many sisters wanted to see me once.
I waved my hands. What was there to see? This was just a chance meeting, it would be better if we had never met in this world.
Many people want to see me, mostly because of the me who has long been said to have lost my humanity. If we are not going to stay together forever or become close friends, why do we have to be admired like a rare animal
But before I could leave the corridor, a girl in gorgeous clothes suddenly rushed in. I couldn't avoid her and she ran straight into my arms, and then sat down in front of me.
She covered her head and looked up, her groan of pain suddenly became lighter: "Ah, it turned out to be Brother Zirui."
"Ah, ah, it turns out to be Her Royal Highness the Second Princess. Chen Yuehou... uh, sorry!" He quickly put Tianlang behind him and knelt on one knee: "Greetings to Her Royal Highness the Second Princess."
"Brother, why are you being so polite?" The girl immediately tried to pull me up, but with a man of more than 200 pounds and a weight of several dozen pounds, there were probably not many girls in the world who could pull me up. So I still followed the etiquette and waited for her to help me get up. As expected, she was completely unable to help me up, so she had to let go and gasped, "Brother is like a mountain, and I am like an ant trying to shake a tree. Hai, please get up, brother Yuehou."
I stood up and asked, "Why did Your Highness come here alone?"
The girl probably exerted too much force just now, her face is still red, and her eyes are looking away: "Brother Zirui, don't call me princess all the time, just call me sister. Oh, I wanted to look for my sister. But when I arrived at my brother-in-law's house, I heard that my sister had called a group of officials to visit her and discuss how to celebrate the Shangsi Festival." The princess was obviously a little aggrieved: "In the end, my sister was really unkind and forgot about me, my sister, so I rushed here!"
"Oh, they are in the main hall. Princess Shimei, please follow me." I quickly led the girl to the main hall, otherwise I was really afraid that she would cry in front of me, which would be a big trouble.
Walking to the door, "Brother Zirui won't come in?"
"Well, there are only girls from the official family inside, it's not appropriate for Zhi to go in."
"No way! They will definitely want to see you. The daughters' club organized by the Queen Mother is all there, so they know everything. That day, the Imperial College had a garden party, and my brother was a hero. But it was too dark that day, and the sisters were all far away, so they couldn't get close."
"It's still not appropriate. Ah, there are no guards here, so I'd better wait outside the door! I hope my second sister and princess will not be outside with them."
The girl hesitated for a moment, then quickly smiled, "Then I'll go in first. Brother Zirui, please guard for us?"
"promise."
There was a commotion inside. Apart from the sounds of greeting and paying respect, there was also the sound of the two sisters complaining to each other.
The Second Princess really didn't betray me. At least I didn't hear any more noise.
Since I have promised others, I must at least keep my word. I had to straighten my clothes and asked Qiu Luan and the others to put on a simple set of armor for me. I stood outside the door with my back to the enemy and waited for the sisters inside. This way, if someone inside came out, they would not be suspicious.
He had only half dressed, and thought that the hedgehog in his hand was too eye-catching, so he decided to go to the weapon rack in the corridor to change the gun before coming back. He forgot to remind the people around him, and turned back, so tired that the maidens scattered their upper body armor on the ground. Before he could apologize to the maidens, he suddenly heard someone inside shouting: "There is an assassin!" He was startled and rushed to the corridor and broke open the door.
The officials and ladies in the hall stared at me with their eyes wide open, seemingly unfrightened. Only a young lady sitting next to Yin Ling on the couch opposite said leisurely, "My brother Zirui, you've fallen into the trap!"
My heart skipped a beat. Ignoring the girls' screams of fear, the left half of the door suddenly broke in the middle and collapsed.
It was the first day of the third month of the second year of Chuping, two days before Shangsi. That year, I was twenty years old, Yinling was twenty-three, Guo Pei was twenty-four, Jiang Wei was twenty, the eldest princess Liu Ru was twenty, and the second princess Liu Shi was eighteen.
Note 1: Dong Feng is a historical figure. The Chinese medicine community is represented by Xinglin because of this person. But he appeared early, and I was born many years earlier. He appeared in the book before. In the part about the road to find his wife, the guy who was rescued in Huangshan was named. But it must be made clear again that I made this person appear many years earlier because I wanted Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, and Dong Feng, the three great doctors at that time, to have an intersection. It is also to avoid the appearance of a person who has no influence on the direction of history but is an important historical figure decades later.