Changes in the sky
Volume 2: The Edge of Heaven
Chapter 178: Shangsi Festival (Part 2)
Apart from roughly understanding that I was being plotted against by the sisters, I only knew that half of the broken wooden door was resting on my left shoulder.
I thought this was a bit inappropriate, so I didn't move my body and used my shoulder to push the wooden door open. Amid the exclamations of the officials, I quickly put my weapon behind my back and knelt on one knee: "Your servant, Yue Houzhi, was unaware of the truth and rashly entered, disturbing Her Royal Highness the Princess and the other sisters. Please forgive me for my rudeness."
"All right, all right!" The eldest princess' sister-in-law's temper seemed to be corrupted by her second brother. She had a clear sense of chastity in her words. She sighed softly, "Alas, don't pretend to be a gentleman in front of your sister. Your madam has informed us of your past virtues. Why do you need to pretend? You will look more elegant if you tie your crown, but the door is innocent."
"Suddenly I heard a cry for help from inside. The situation was urgent and no time could be lost, so I acted rashly." I decided to bury my head and compete with the door for innocence.
"Never mind." It seemed that the eldest princess was not deliberately trying to make things difficult for me. Instead, she wanted me to show off: "Hey, in the past, sisters like me only knew about the general's might from our parents' conversations. Today, let us girls see the power of the Marquis of Ping An Fengyun."
"Your Highness, you are too kind. A man of crude intelligence cannot be accepted in the elegant hall." A faint fragrance began to surge in front of my nose, and the whispers of the sweet girl flowed in my ears, which made me feel a little uncomfortable. Especially with Yinling there, I felt that I was in a dilemma. If I glanced at both sides, I would obviously be retaliated; if I didn't glance, I felt that it was a waste of nature. Of course, it is better for me to pretend to be righteous. After all, there will be a chance to see her, but Yinling will be with me for the rest of my life. It is not a big sin to act like a gentleman at this time, but to glance at her secretly may be a "lifelong crime". In the future, Yinling will be criticized and scolded when she thinks of me, and my life will be more than miserable.
"Brother, you are too modest. In fact, many of your poems are widely circulated. When I practiced calligraphy, I used your poems as practice words." The princess took the initiative to help me out: "Especially the poem "Peaches", which is really a masterpiece of expressing love."
I was suspicious. That was what I did for her when I met her again on the Silver Bell Cliff. How come even the Second Princess knew about it? Suddenly, I heard soft voices in my ears, most of which were echoes. Obviously, they all knew about it, which surprised me even more.
"Alas, if you were just a valiant warrior, why would all the ladies from noble families want to see you? It's because your literary works have been circulated in the world, so they are famous all over the world." Even I had to nod in agreement. If I was just a strong and brave man, how could I catch the eyes of these girls
I really want to ask Yinling, but it's not convenient. I don't know when this situation will end.
"Are you tired of standing among us women and want to run away?" The eldest princess's mouth is even worse than that of a concubine. Maybe it's because her second brother is back and can't do those things, so the princess is bored.
"I dare not, but I am too rude and vulgar to stay among you sisters. How can the dust of the army be contaminated by the bodies of you sisters?"
"You can leave if you want. Just compose a poem here and we can enjoy it. If you can do it, you can go. If not, just kneel here. I am your sister. My parents are not around, so I take you in as your elder sister." The girl spoke as if I were her twin. I really wanted to give her a good scolding, but I couldn't afford to offend the emperor and empress, and I couldn't let my second brother down. I had to swallow my anger and started racking my brains to come up with some sentences.
This is simply asking too much. I don't consider myself a scholar. If I had any sour words in the past, I would have used them to appease Yinling. How can I come up with so many flowery words now? I looked up at Yinling who was beside the princess, hoping that she could help me. I knew that they always had a good relationship as sisters-in-law. Yinling was indeed looking at me, but she seemed to have been prepared. She pulled out a yellow silk scarf from her sleeve and wiped her forehead, then casually placed it on the table, and then left a corner outside the table. I immediately realized that Yinling wanted me to think of her. Perhaps Ling'er wanted me to borrow the words from the poem between her and Miss Huang. However, since my love poems to Yinling will be known to the world, I am afraid that I will be exposed if I borrow other people's poems. Moreover, the poems of the two are indeed feminine and cannot be borrowed. Perhaps they want me to find some ideas from their poems.
I only know one thing: Yinling also wants me to write a poem, and I definitely can't escape it today.
Although it has been very warm during the day, it is still quite chilly at night. A gust of wind blew behind me, and I still felt an uncontrollable chill on my body. I shivered in a cold sweat. This feeling seemed familiar, as if it was on the way to Chencang. I stood up, holding the Iron Wolf in both hands, thinking about the trip and everything in Chencang, and suddenly I felt something. I moved the weapon in my hand and said slowly:
"In the northwest, the fierce and stubborn rise up, and the righteous cavalry gathers in Shanglin; they are silent but humble, and sacrifice their lives for the country. The young man knows no sorrow, and only thinks of his wife in the boudoir; the old father still talks and laughs, and loves his daughter until she reaches the age of marriage. The minister repays the country's kindness, and there is no need for a letter of loyalty and bravery; as long as the world is at peace, there is no expectation of unexpected encounters. In the deep night, the icy river is cold, and the horses are in a hurry under the moon; hawks and falcons scream in the mountains and forests, and the horses splash in the mud. The armor is condensed with frost and snow, and the north wind breaks the cold clothes; once trapped in the enemy camp, life and death hangs in the balance; even if the Rongdi are driven away, the wife and children are left crying; there may be differences in victory and defeat, but the same sorrow is shared by a hundred miles. In ancient times, there were few warriors who returned from the wars; after a thousand years, who will remember the past? How many things have happened in the rise and fall, and the sun is setting in the west. Poor old woman at home, who can she rely on for her white hair?"
When it was over, I couldn't help but cry. Looking around at the onlookers, many of them looked sympathetic. Those who could empathize with the sufferings and hardships of the poor and humble were also kind-hearted people.
Quickly wiping away her tears, the princess finally reacted, and her voice seemed to change: "Zi Rui is still quite talented... This war was difficult, and all the families were loyal to the emperor. Father is very relieved, and we can also feel at ease."
The princess poured the wine herself and gave it to me, but she said I had to finish a poem before I finished drinking it. I was relaxed, holding the wine cup, and seemed to have not thought about it. I just said casually as if I had found a rhyme:
"I hold a cup to warm the cool evening, the wind blows through the fog and frost condenses. I am drunk into the night, when will I be able to return home?"
"Not good. Apart from changing the rhyme, everything else was perfunctory." The princess shook her head. "Get another one. If everyone says it's good, I'll let you go."
This really cannot be blamed on her, because this poem was probably composed casually when she was bored in the thatched cottage in the past. However, at that time, it was a fake work that imagined that she had entered the officialdom and missed her hometown while drinking and chatting. I didn't expect to use it today. Although it is appropriate, it is really not very good, because she was not in the officialdom at that time, so how could she have real feelings.
"Sister, forget it! Brother Zirui has already written two poems, and I only wanted to write one." I remember that the princess used to be just a girl, dull and timid, but now she is smarter and more considerate. If you have a sister like this, you will be very happy as a brother.
"Which side are you on?" It was obvious that the eldest princess was used to being a boss at home. She actually taught her younger sister this. The princess felt a little wronged. She looked at me and said that she could do nothing to help me. She had to keep me on the chopping block. To be honest, it's better not to have a sister like this. I'm afraid of her being a sister-in-law.
But since we have to wait, we might as well do a favor.
The kid arrived in an instant and must be hiding between the cracks of a window nearby.
"The door has been broken, hold my weapon and stand at the door to protect it." He didn't tell me where he was facing. But I was not shy to see a head with eyes rolling around at the threshold.
"But please fill it up." There was really no other way, I had to rely on the strength of the wine, but I had a good alcohol tolerance, and these few sips had no effect, and it was inconvenient to ask for more wine.
Suddenly, I heard Qiu Luan calling for help from the door behind me. I turned around and saw several maids carrying a jar of wine in a sedan chair. I didn't refuse and took it in my hands, tilted my head back and drank it, which caused exclamations from the people around me.
He drank half a jar of it, just to quench his thirst and to get some energy.
I didn't feel anything else, except that I was full. I tried to suppress a burp, and then I felt my nose getting hot, and my body slowly became lighter. I knew I was reaching my peak. I felt like I could say anything to anyone, but I couldn't suppress it, because I had drunk just the right amount of wine.
When I can even pretend that I am not drinking, that is the best time, at least I think so.
Many people like alcohol, perhaps for this reason. You may feel uncomfortable saying many things before, but after drinking some alcohol, you dare to say them. In fact, many times, you will find that it is not a big deal to say them, and it is even better if you should have said them earlier. But when you are sober, there are always taboos.
Flowers bloom in spring, rain stops in summer, leaves fall in autumn, and snow drifts in winter. In these four seasons, invite two or three good friends to sit by the window, drink some aged wine, look out the window, and chat about everything under the sun. It is indeed an indescribable feeling. When the wine is drunk, the heart suddenly opens up, and all the depression caused by the festival disappears in an instant, which is really refreshing.
Of course, being so drunk that you don't know your name is not good either. In short, everything in the world has a limit. Once it is excessive, everything becomes bad. Confucius said: "Too much is as bad as too little." This is the truth.
I felt that I could still control this balance. At least when I looked at the princess, I could still hold back the words in my heart: "You little girl, you keep making fun of me." At the same time, I realized that it was best not to drink anymore. I felt that I could still control myself, especially that I still remembered to compose poetry.
I no longer looked at the girls around me with fear. They were really a beautiful sight. These girls must have received strict education from their parents since childhood. Most of them had a bookish air and some were smart. They were either whispering or smiling and waiting. While waiting, they seemed to be thinking about the poem I just wrote. In fact, I couldn't even remember what I wrote. To be honest, I was worried about them. If they married Zhongdao and Yudong, it would be fine. If they really fell into the hands of the guy staring at the door, how would they spend their lives
Frankly speaking, I have been wanting to go out and rid the people of harm.
I also wanted to see Yinling, which was necessary. She always made me feel warm, but she was a little reserved. She looked at me for a short while before lowering her eyes, and then raised them again after a while, as if to encourage herself.
I might be strolling in the halls in a frivolous manner, but no one would interrupt me. My eyes might be floating everywhere, but no one could guess.
"Zhongchun is green and makes my heart happy. Take off your battle clothes and put on your black collar. Don't say you are stupid, what you do is not proper; it is difficult to understand the customs of the soldiers. The farmers are endless, so they raise ministers; the weavers have inheritance, and their collars are not broken. The sky also has its own way, how can it say that people are despised; are you a fairy? You live alone in heaven?" I subconsciously pointed to the seat above, and heard a few laughs in my ears. I was happy in my heart. Among the noble women, there are also people who can hear the taste of poverty and resentment in it. They are really not to be underestimated: "Evil deeds are endless, how can there be an end? If you neglect the people, disaster is imminent. For example, the tyrannical Qin Dynasty was destroyed in the second generation; and the rebellious Xin Dynasty was overthrown in half a generation (generation originally means thirty years). The magnificent sky, the endless my feelings; right and wrong, look back to the past to know the present. The bright hall, the splendid hall; the workers do not go out, stay in the wild to watch the stars. I think of all the beautiful women, they are talented and virtuous; they help their husbands and raise their children, and do not forget the people; then I will be blessed to be alive; let's get drunk in the forest and celebrate with wine. The sun sets over the southern mountain, and the water merges into the Wei and Jing rivers; when you wake up from a dream, don't ask, which is turbid and which is clear? Don't argue with me, who is dreaming and who is awake? "
"Ah, I don't know what you are made of, but you have come up with such a long list, which is hard work. Please allow Lord Yue to sit down."
I was shocked. This time I stayed here permanently. But I couldn't do what the princess promised me before. Wouldn't it make me feel uncomfortable here? I wanted to leave. The princess didn't ask everyone's opinion on this poem. She was just trying to drag me. I don't know what everyone thinks of my long chatter, but I'm really not interested. I think that after drinking so much, I will be worried if I go out to play. I feel a little dizzy, so it's a good thing to find a place to sit. I didn't realize that this poem later brought me a small but serious problem. The rest is fine, but one sentence, especially one word, I really should change it.
I didn't react at all at that time. I just took the cushion and sat in the middle aisle facing the princess.
"Hey, why aren't you in a hurry to leave?" This woman was indeed mean.
"Didn't Her Royal Highness the Princess ask me to sit down?" But since no one stood on my side, I had to push the question back.
"That's better." It was a rather shameless word to use, but I had to accept it calmly.
I have begun to reflect on whether I have made such harmless attempts on my subordinates in daily life.
But ** doesn't count, I don't think that's a quibble, it's just a casual correction.
Although he was a little tipsy, he was able to control his body and did not fall asleep when sitting down.
The girls seemed to quickly turn back to discussing how to celebrate the Shangsi Festival. From what they saw when they came here, it seemed that they were planning to use this place as a meeting hall for girls to play house. They would also ask the princess for her opinion, and I just said "this is very good" and "it should be no big deal" as a routine. Since it is the Girls' Day, as long as the girls have fun and nothing goes wrong, I won't bother to criticize them. However, I didn't know who it was, but I guessed that the princess was very familiar with this person - I was perfunctory, so I still asked questions, such as: Is there a suitable place for this event here? It's only two days, can the necessary things be prepared
I only know that my poems and essays did have an effect on some of them, and they began to consider the servants, and often felt that there was no need to be so extravagant. Only the princess thought that this matter was very simple and did not require much effort.
Of course, it is not allowed that these sisters are so kind, but I am just being too sentimental.
We talked a lot and it was dark when we left.
I was mostly sober, and when I saw Yinling's eyes, I woke up completely. I knew that troubles were still waiting for us.
I could only worry at the door. What should I do with the door? It was fine if it was off the hinge, but now it was broken into two pieces. Where could I find someone to fix it at night? It happened that all the officials and workers in Shanglin were imprisoned. If I looked for the replacements at night, they might commit suicide if they couldn't find a carpenter. It would be unfair to his family. Even if I found a carpenter, it would not be a good idea to have him work all night.
Being a good person will definitely come at a price, but I quickly thought of a temporary solution. I found a screen in the wing room and moved it over to block it. Yinling is pregnant, and my brother warned me not to be exposed to the wind at night. Then I measured the size of the door and planned to find a house where no one lived and remove its door first.
But I had just moved the screen and had not yet gone far to look for the door. As soon as I left the museum, I saw two doors swaying in the distance among the lights. Of course, the door would not come by itself, so I moved closer to see the people around me, and said to the two people I knew in the middle: "Master Northwest Chief, General Hongxiu's sister, why are you here?"
Zishi laughed loudly and ordered the door to be sent and installed. He said, "Don't forget, I am still the chief official of Shanglin. When I came here to inspect, I supervised the manufacture of such things as a backup for emergencies. Fortunately, most of the doors and windows of the official residences are of the same shape and color, so they are easy to make."
"I am asking how you know that?"
"That's obviously the credit of your sister-in-law. Don't forget those sisters, most of them practiced horseback archery under my Red Sleeves Army Tent. Your heroic deeds will definitely attract the sisters who live near our residence to visit and talk about it. When Brother Zhen heard it, he asked: How many doors are broken? The answer was one. He must have hit the left door when entering. Those sisters were very surprised, and Brother Zhen smiled and explained: Zirui is left-handed, so he must have hit the left door when he used his hand."
"Then why did you send two more?"
"Haha, one door is new and the other is old, the colors don't look good. As the saying goes, if the doors are not well matched, even the door latch may not fit well. Let's just change them together." It can be seen that Zishi is in a good mood. Since the two of them came together, he invited them in.
Zhou Yu was completely immature, jumping and skipping in front of us and running in. As soon as we entered the official residence, there was already a constant chatter of "sister, sister".
Zishi seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly congratulated me, saying that he had been very busy recently and forgot to congratulate me.
It's fine with me. I should have gone to see you earlier. I didn't discuss it with you. I thought you would be satisfied, but I'm sorry, sister Zhou Yu.
It's okay, it's a little harder there, but I can stretch my body and feet, and there's no trouble behind me. My arrangement is really for his consideration, and I'm grateful to you, but it may make Yuzi suffer. But we are not children of aristocratic families, so we can endure such hardship.
I asked Sister Zhou Yu if there was any news yet.
Zishi shook his head, obviously helpless.
My imperial physician is here, please ask him to diagnose and treat me.
Zishi shook his head. The imperial physician had been with the emperor recently, so it was inconvenient to ask him to move.
I suddenly thought of someone and asked Qiu Luan how many doses of Madam's medicine had been boiled and whether there was any left.
Qiu Luan used it up last night.
He immediately smiled and said: You can chat with Sister Zhou Yu here and wait, someone will be here later.
The door was installed quickly, and Zishi sent the group of people back. The door was indeed newly completed not long ago, and the paint smell was very fresh.
At the moment, Yinling and Zhou Yu were chatting about women's matters, and occasionally about taking good care of themselves when going north. Zishi and I were discussing on the map where to build a city, where to set up beacon towers and sentry posts, how to settle the herdsmen and prisoners, and so on.
In fact, Zishi is not as advantageous as He Miao. Relatively speaking, the terrain of the Northwest Changshi Mansion is more convenient for cavalry to enter and exit, and He Miao has mountains and water, and there are many terrains that can be used. But I just look forward to the help of my father, Ziyu and the two Liangs in the Northwest, and Zishi can basically only rely on himself in the Northeast. In the northwest, as long as there is support, it should be no problem for Zishi to stand firm with his ability. The Xianbei people are good at archery and horse fighting, but not good at siege. As long as the beacon fire is arranged and a few strong cities are built, when the enemy troops are approaching, we can collect the livestock in the neighboring pastures, temporarily protect our people, and then try to find several troops from the surrounding princes to encircle and annihilate the enemy.
Zi Shi and my father talked about this. My father mentioned that Lord Zhang, the prime minister of Zhao State, was planning to design a chariot, which would usually be used as a nomadic carriage by the herdsmen, and could be put together to form a city in wartime.
I expressed my interest, and Zishi would definitely visit Zhao before taking up his post. I was really interested in Zhang Kai's design of this thing. If we have this, even in the open field, the disadvantage of my Han army will become the disadvantage of the Xianbei, which is great.
As we were talking, I suddenly thought of someone and said with a smile: Brother Zishi, I remember I once met a man who seemed to be a general under Brother Mengde, and he looked very much like your father.
Zhou Yu seemed to have heard it, and quickly joined in the conversation: Yes, yes, if Brother Zirui hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten it. That day, I had nothing to do, so I went to visit Princess Qi, your sister. Since she helped me to rectify the Red Sleeves Army, your sister and I have always been good friends, often sleeping on the same bed at night, and talking about everything. When I arrived at your father's house, it was at the Duke of Wei's place, so I hurried over. At the door, I saw a general coming out. That look scared me, and I almost knelt down, but the eunuch was about to shout. Suddenly I thought it shouldn't be right, and then I found Princess Qi and described her appearance and figure. She was a general under the Duke of Wei named Li Zan.
"Li Zan?" Zishi stood up immediately: "He's here too? Why haven't I seen him before?"
"Li Zan?" I also stood up: "Yes, he is the son of Master Yuanli (Li Ying)!"
How can a descendant of a party member, or a descendant of a party member, not know about Li Yuanli? His admission to Li Yuanli's mansion was like entering the Dragon Gate. Speaking of this, we have to mention Wen Ju. Lu Bo Kong once pretended to be an old friend of Li Yuanli when he was very young. There are only two things about Kong that are well-known to the world, one is giving up the pear, and the other is entering the Dragon Gate. (Note 1) And they were both things of his time. "Time is clear, but the great may not be good." (In fact, this is the phrase used by people in the Southern Dynasties to introduce this story. Whether there was such an idiom in the Eastern Han Dynasty is doubtful) Kong Yuanli's quick wit at that time may not be a kind of irony when I think about it today. Maybe he is still living in the time, but I know the dirtiness there, why can't Kong see it
"My daughter, did you see him at Duke Wei's mansion?" Zishi didn't fall into wild thoughts like I did.
"Yeah, Zhen brother, yes."
"You stay here with Sister Yinling for now. I'll be back soon."
Zishi left like the wind, luckily, he didn't break the door. We were left staring at each other, Zhou Yu was really staring, Yinling and I were using our eyes to signal each other, we all believed that Zishi might have something to do with Lord Li Yuanli.
However, this kind of real effort has to wait for my brother to come first.
He came to deliver today's medicine, and I asked him to see my sister.
I am not good at diagnosing other people's illnesses, but there are some problems with this pulse. I have also written down my daily diet and daily life. I will go back and ask the teacher, maybe it will be helpful. If it really doesn't work, let me take this sister to the palace and let the teacher take another look.
I bowed my head to thank him and went out to see him off.
Zishi didn't come back, but my brother came back a few moments later, bringing the imperial physician's order. The emperor had gone to bed, so there should be nothing to do, so I came to check. I quickly thanked him. Lord Zhang didn't have any taboos, and asked some questions about eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, and sleeping. He asked Sister Zhou Yu to stick out her tongue, exhale and smell, and then took her pulse for a while. Suddenly he asked, "Is this lady from the Red Sleeve Army's tent?"
"The doctor can see that it's a girl." I felt a little uncomfortable with this.
"She is General Hongxiu." Because I was not used to it, I decided to help her fill in the blanks.
"Oops, my eyesight is so poor that I failed to recognize the general."
"The Imperial Physician is too modest. A woman does not dare to call herself a general. It is just a nominal title conferred on me by the grace of my family and my husband's merits." These words made me break out in a cold sweat. I thought Zhou Yu was still the same as before, but I didn't expect that she had learned such official language. But when she was with us, she could still be as happy as a carefree girl. It seems that she treated us as family. Maybe I was too distant with her and treated her as an ignorant sister.
"Imperial Physician, what's the hidden illness of my sister? Why can't she get pregnant?" She originally wanted to say something more affectionate, but somehow, she ended up getting involved in the rumors of His Majesty the Emperor and Fourth Sister-in-law's illness. As soon as she said this, she knew it was not a good idea.
Zhou Yu was a little embarrassed. But I dare not do it again. From experience, I know that the additions made by His Majesty the Emperor, His Foster Father, and Xiliang Princess's Fourth Sister-in-law are all the type of making things worse. I can't guarantee that I won't repeat the same mistake.
"Nothing serious. I seem to have diagnosed a woman in the past who also couldn't get pregnant for years. Her pulse is very similar to this. It's mainly because she worked hard day and night, and her blood and qi were insufficient to warm the cold uterus. I think it might be caused by General Hongxiu's overwork. This is a noble woman. If she has this kind of pulse, she must be overworked. I think General Hongxiu often needs to practice riding and shooting arrows, so I'm just guessing."
"Yu'er, you are already thin. You will go to the north in the future, so you must take good care of yourself." Yin Ling was a little anxious and scolded her.
"Don't work so hard in the future. Let you do some practical work. Let my sister take more responsibility for the Red Sleeves Army. I will go with her."
"That won't work. Doesn't Princess Qi also need to have a baby? Besides, Princess Qi will either go to Zhao or Wei in the future. I really don't know what to do with this Red Sleeves Army in the future."
"Oh, that's true, and it would be best if it could be available soon." I actually strongly support the establishment of the Red Sleeves Army. At least tonight those sisters can understand the hard work of ordinary soldiers, which will eventually be beneficial to the descendants of our Han Dynasty in the future.
The Imperial Physician felt that our topic had strayed too far from medicine, so after writing down the prescription and talking about various things to pay attention to in daily life, he quickly said goodbye. My brother followed him, and I felt a little embarrassed to see him off. The Imperial Physician reminded him along the way about the key points of medication and maintenance. My brother asked the Imperial Physician to get in the carriage, gave him a few more words of advice, and then quickly got in the carriage and drove away.
As soon as I came back, I saw a new horse in the yard. I thought to myself, who would tie the horse in the yard instead of leaving it in the stable
But thinking that anyone who dared to do this must be a ruthless person, I went in first without saying a word.
"I just heard about my third brother's heroic deeds today - he angrily slashed the gate of Pingle Pavilion." I only know of one person in the world who can smile so serenely.
"Oh, second brother finally woke up?" This was the first sentence I said when I entered the room, my hand still holding the door, as if the door was about to fall down again.
"It's the door on the left, so I thought it should be the left one. Also, don't think I don't know what's going on between you and Captain Qin? Are you cursing me to die in my sleep?" It seems that Captain Qin did not convey the truth.
"I believe you didn't ask Captain Qin to come back to look for him in two days or something like that. Are you telling that brat not to disturb my sleep?" It was not convenient for me to "betray" the captain.
The second brother took the initiative to change the topic. It was obvious that everything was as we thought. The captain was a relatively stable and not rigid person.
"I woke up in the evening, but I didn't see the princess. I asked my subordinates to take a group of sisters from the families of princes and ministers to see Sister Yinling to discuss the Shangsi Festival. I always feel that seeing Sister Yinling and discussing the Shangsi Festival is just a cover, and you can't escape the bad luck of looking for you, the third brother. The princess is very dissatisfied with you for pretending to be more powerful than her in front of the emperor and empress. She always talks to me about it. I don't know what will happen to you." The second brother still has brotherly friendship, of course, this idea was soon shattered: "So, I decided to find Zishi to have dinner to celebrate, and make fun of Zirui together."
"Hey." Zhou Yu and even Yin Ling laughed without any attitude, and I jumped up immediately: "Your words are not coherent, how can there be a second brother like you?"
"Why not? What can she do to you? Eat you?" The second brother was still as contented as ever. He had escaped from the Huangmen Temple, bathed at the eldest brother's place, and even chatted with him from time to time. His character seemed to have never changed: "Alas, it turned out that you made a lot of noise. When I got to Zishi's place, neither he nor Yu was there. After questioning, he brought a group of people to carry two doors from the warehouse to Pingleguan. It was not clear what happened. I thought it was too noisy, so I hurried over. Hey, you came back alone? Where's Zishi?"
"I don't know. It seems he went out for something just now."
"Well, Brother Zirui just talked about a general under Duke Wei named Li Zan, and Brother Zhen seemed to have something to do and went out."
"Oh, by the way, I was planning to have dinner with Zishi tonight. That General Li Zan seems to be Uncle Li."
"Yeah, yeah." The remaining three people echoed together.
“Could it be…” I think everything is self-explanatory, just like Zi Yu knew that his biological father was Fan Pang, I knew that my father was actually the father given by the emperor. There are too many stories left in that era.
"What?" A voice suddenly sounded. This voice was very familiar, so familiar that I broke out in a cold sweat again.
Soon, a person came in, leaving the maids outside the corridor.
"Your Highness, your Highness, the Princess's sister-in-law, is here to meet your Highness, the Princess's sister-in-law." The word "sister-in-law" was added deliberately, and it was the only word that was not appropriate to be included in the entire paragraph of official language.
"Princess, how did you know I was looking for you?" I instantly got goosebumps all over my body and glanced at Yinling. Yinling gave me the same look.
"My husband is not in the guesthouse. I heard from the servants that after you woke up, you asked me where I had been, so I thought you would come here to find me." I couldn't help but look at Yinling again. As usual, Yinling and I were in sync.
I will omit all the sentimental words that the two of them exchanged as if they hadn't seen each other for 20 years. I tried to appear calm, and Yinling also tried to look like she wasn't stressed.
The eldest princess praised me for my talent in a very strange way. I composed three poems off the cuff. When I went back, the sisters recited the best lines from them again and again. Many of them admired my talent, while others were so moved that they shed tears.
When Ziyu asked what kind of poem it was, the princess only recited a few lines that she thought were good, and asked me to repeat them myself. Ziyu showed his understanding of me at this time. Zirui would definitely not remember everything. Most of his poems were memorized and spread by his classmates. His most famous poem, "Peach Blossom", was spread by some famous scholars in Jiangzuo at banquets of wealthy families.
I really don't remember it completely. It was originally a sudden inspiration, and I have always had a bad memory. Looking back, I may still remember that I wrote it. But at least from their conversation, I understand that the leak of my poem is probably related to my father-in-law, and my father-in-law probably knew about it because Yinling repeated it to him. And Yinling repeated my poem to express my feelings to my father-in-law.
The eldest princess seemed to have changed into a different person. The evil and sinister sister from an hour ago suddenly disappeared, and a virtuous sister-in-law appeared. When she mentioned me, she often spoke in a praiseful tone. When she mentioned my father, she often used words like "Uncle Wang", without any airs of the eldest princess.
This was indeed difficult for me to adapt to at first, but later I finally understood it. However, I didn’t want to come out. I just wanted to feel that warmth.
Only when I lie on the couch at night can I talk with Yinling. She wanted me to write a love poem based on various love stories. Most of these girls have reached the age of marriage and must have all kinds of thoughts, and love poems should complement each other; but I am eloquent and casual, but I never leave the common people, I have the appearance of a wise minister. Isn't this what I learned from you and the teacher? Yinling smiled sweetly. After that, she didn't say anything to me because of any inappropriate words or deeds I said today. She just curled up in my arms with a smile, and occasionally rubbed her head on my arm. Then we fell asleep quietly together, maybe something happened, maybe nothing happened, maybe I didn't remember what happened, maybe nothing happened, I thought of something myself.
The next day, I went to see Marquis Xuanyue. In addition to wishing his daughter-in-law a happy pregnancy, he also asked me if I missed home. I wanted to go to Xiangyang to see my former classmates and neighbors for a long time.
The emperor thought you were thinking about the Kingdom of Yue.
The answer was: Yue Guo would naturally think about it, especially since his wife is pregnant, but the emperor has more important things to do. If it really doesn’t work, just bring them here.
In recognition of his loyalty, he gave a special order to escort the second princess and the second prince to travel around Mount Taiyi.
In fact, I was puzzled by this strange task, and no one told me the reason. My father didn't say much. He had already decided on the other regents two days ago. Now my mother has taken people to take care of Yinling, so I can rest assured. Teachers should act like escorts, and don't be too relaxed or take it lightly, so as not to be criticized by others. Brother Mengde smiled and asked me to relax.
Most of the princes and ministers congratulated my family on the happy event. I could see that some of them were just doing it for show. But it didn't matter. My response was just a formality.
"Relax?" I tried to digest what Brother Meng De was saying, but I didn't understand. At this time of year, I don't think anyone wants to relax, but the imperial decree is as important as the sky. Since it has been decided long ago, I can't say anything. But aren't the senior officials too boring to specifically decide on such a thing
The princess and the prince had already prepared to leave, so I didn't want to delay any longer. I didn't have time to go back to change clothes and get weapons, so I changed into a hunting suit at my father's place, sent someone to take a letter to Yin Lingming, and brought back the Iron Wolf, and set off with a bow and arrow. I didn't want to bring weapons, but the emperor's "escort" and the teacher's instructions made me feel that it would be unprofessional not to dress like a guard.
The prince rode in a carriage, the princess rode a horse led by a special person, and I followed them. We chatted a little bit, and the second princess would praise my poems when she remembered, or ask what fun things there were in Yue State. I was so tired that I didn't have time to find prey to "relax". The prince was mainly silent, which was completely inconsistent with his age. Occasionally, I took the initiative to ask if he needed anything, but most of the time he gave a short negative answer. Not long after entering the mountain, there was a pavilion away from the garden. The prince suggested taking a rest. The second princess didn't seem to want to continue walking, so she also rested for a while before leaving.
This garden in the mountains seemed to have been cleaned. It was still early, and the two nobles had no intention of eating, so he invited them to go in and rest, and ordered someone to serve them.
After settling the guards around and taking off his military belongings, he went in to talk with the two of them.
The mountains are shrouded in mist, and I always think that is the most wonderful thing. Without the mist, the mountains would have no artistic conception. The outlines that appear from time to time are still covered with remnant snow. The mist is like white silk entangled in the abrupt places of the rocks, and from time to time it disappears in the wind. There was no sunlight in the mountains that day. There was a corridor in the courtyard with a pool in it. The water in the pool was clear and there was a little steam. Some scaled fish swam among the water plants. It was a bit cold outside the corridor in the mountains, but for some reason there was some warmth inside the corridor, which made people quite comfortable. It was another flavor to look at the surrounding mountains and rivers from the patio. The four eaves outlined a picture scroll. Walking in any corridor at will would be a different scenery. Even if you stand still, the picture scroll will come alive with the constant wind in the mountains, making people unable to take their eyes off the scroll and just look around and wander.
Unconsciously, he delayed for a moment before going in. After some formalities, the princess spoke first as usual.
"Arrangements have been made today, and everyone is busy. My younger brother, Bian, needs to stay with mother as the eldest prince, and my sister has to accompany her brother-in-law, Marquis Qin, so Xie and I are left with nothing to do. Many days ago, we had the idea of visiting Nanshan, and my mother had made arrangements, so my father asked us to come today. I didn't want to bring too many people to avoid trouble, so I thought of asking my father to ask my brother Zirui to escort my sister and me out. My father and mother agreed soon after they discussed it." This girl has really grown up a lot. I remember that she was a girl who didn't talk much last time. I don't know who influenced her to become quite talkative now.
But from her words combined with what her father and the others said, it was a little strange. Why did they send these two out on this day, and only these two? Was it to establish an heir? But the prince was not present at the occasion of establishing an heir, which seemed to be inappropriate. There should be etiquette for the prince to pay respect to the crown prince.
But for some reason, Prince Liu Xie was in low spirits today and sat silently at the side. Children at this age are supposed to act recklessly and be naughty and playful - at least that's what it seems from my and my classmates' experience of knowing each other for so many years.
After thinking about the cause and effect for a while, he still didn't understand. It seemed that the second princess had not stopped talking in his ears, so he just nodded in response.
"Brother Zirui, what are you thinking about? When Shi asked when he would set off again, why did he just say yes?"
That is me: "As long as the princess and the prince have rested, we can continue our journey. You can just say yes. How about we leave now?"
"Why not?"
"How dare I urge your Highnesses?"
"Brother Zirui has become more and more worldly-wise. I heard from mother that you scolded our father and mother. Every time you come, my sister and I laugh non-stop."
"At that time, I was young and ignorant, and I was abrupt and rude. I violated the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects, and did not follow the etiquette between the elders and the young. How can the ignorant behavior of a young boy be used as the rules for being a subject?"
"Alas, I always feel that I like Brother Zirui more at that time." Actually, I like him more too, but I can't do that here. She suddenly felt that she had done something wrong, perhaps she felt that she was not respectful enough to me. She sat upright and changed the subject, saying, "Brother Zirui's literary talent really makes me admire him. The few poems he wrote last night are still lingering in my mind. Especially the last sentence, don't ask when you wake up from a dream, which is turbid and which is clear? Don't argue with me, who is dreaming and who is awake? It is really thought-provoking."
I noticed that the Second Prince suddenly smiled, then stopped smiling and his eyes wandered around. I was a little confused as to why.
Because of this thought, he delayed his reply and hesitated for a while, "Ah, thank you for the compliment, Princess."
The second princess seemed to be disturbed by my inexplicable trance and was a little hesitant. Suddenly, the whole atmosphere became silent.
The girl may have some obscure words that she couldn't say, but I didn't know what she wanted, so I naturally didn't know how to respond. The second prince was just a cold bystander, and I had no idea what he was thinking.
Finally, this unpredictable young man suddenly said: It’s getting late, let’s go!
Nanshan is the residence of Taiyi God. Not only the law but also the customs of the Sili do not allow ordinary hunters and woodcutters to enter the area to hunt and cut trees. Naturally, the further you go, the quieter it becomes. The plank road is paved with wood in the forest, and the two sides are covered with dense forests that are almost black. Most of them are pine and cypress trees that are more than ten feet tall. There is still snow in between, but there is no wind. In the quiet and peaceful environment, there are only the bells under the bridle and the sound of carriages and horses on the plank road. Hei is obviously not used to the creaking sound of wood. From time to time, a cloud of white air comes out of his nose, indicating that his mood is not stable, and he always wants to rush forward or turn around to avoid this annoying noise. I still need to keep pulling the reins and patting its neck with my hand, trying to make it not so restless.
Along the way, no one spoke except for the sound of horses neighing and bells. I walked in front, so it was inconvenient to look back from time to time, so I could only look left and right in the hope of seeing some information out of the corner of my eye. However, that section was all straight, and there was a dark green expanse in front of me that I couldn't see the end of. I might have seen someone out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't tell whether he was happy or angry or sad.
When I looked around, I did notice something unusual. It wasn't from behind me, but right in front of me. I felt that the needles of the four pine trees in front of me were different in color, and looked a little yellow. And they were facing each other vertically and horizontally, as if forming a square on the road ahead.
I felt my scalp tingling, and I figured out all the connections in an instant. I didn't know why, I just hurriedly reined in Hei, who seemed to be even more anxious. I turned around and signaled the driver to turn the horse back. I looked up at the second princess who looked at a loss, slapped the horse a few steps forward, and got close to her, "There seems to be an ambush ahead! Don't make a sound, hurry back!"
Suddenly, he felt a sudden gust of wind coming from behind him. Thinking something was wrong, he stretched out his body to shield the girl before turning around.
He felt force on his right arm, and an arrow pierced through his sleeve and hit the second prince's carriage!