For three consecutive days, the emperor did not show up.
In the past three days, there was no court meeting, no discussion, no minister saw the emperor's face, and the memorials sent to him were not approved.
The courtiers only remembered that the emperor was diligent in the administration, even if he was sick, and he never stopped the court on weekdays. Such a situation has never been seen since his enthronement. When I inquired about Li Yuangui, Li Yuangui only said that on the eve of Long Live, he accidentally contracted an illness and felt unwell, so he quit the court to take care of his health. The first day was fine. On the second day, the ministers began to discuss privately. On the third day, there were many different opinions. Some of them had a high-ranking position and frequented the imperial study. They were recommended to visit the doctor. After waiting outside for a long time, Li Yuangui finally came out. After coping with the anxious ministers, and finally passing the emperor's oral decree, stating that the early dynasty would be resumed early, everyone was relieved.
Li Yuangui watched the backs of the ministers leave, turned around and entered the palace.
There was no one in the palace, and all the people in the palace were cleared out.
Li Yuangui walked lightly to the depths of the bedroom, and came to the dragon bed with the hanging tent. He bowed and said carefully through the tent, "Long live, everyone is gone!"
There was no sound in the tent.
Li Yuangui waited for a while, and finally reached out and gently lifted the tent.
The weather is only in early October, at noon during the day, wearing a jacket, walking a few steps in the sun, and sometimes feeling the heat of sweating, but at this moment, the emperor is wrapped in a big quilt from head to body, and the person is sitting on the bed. , showing only one face, with two eyes staring straight ahead, motionless, as if in meditation.
The light in the tent was dim, and the eyes looked dark and terrifying.
Li Yuangui said again: "Long live, the ministers are all gone. Long live tomorrow morning, the servants will go to call an imperial doctor and give you a prescription for regulating Qi..."
"I'm not sick, I've been here for decades, and I can't die for such a small matter - tell me, what has he been doing in prison these few days?"
"Master Pei didn't do anything—" Li Yuangui whispered.
The emperor hooted twice: "I understand! He didn't enter the oil and salt, and all my hard work that night was in vain!"
He turned his head slowly, and said in a stern voice, "I dig my heart and my lungs out, hoping that he will be loyal to me, and my father and son will be of the same mind, but he treats me like this without caring about my face! I am the emperor, and I want my face! Li Yuangui, you say, How shall I deal with his sins?"
Li Yuangui burst into tears, wiped the corner of his sleeve quickly, and knelt down: "Long live, the dragon's body is important, don't think about breaking your body, as for Mr. Pei, long live and give him some more time, father and son nature, Bone and blood dictate, slowly he will understand the painstaking efforts of Long live."
The emperor seemed to have not heard of it, and after a long while, he sneered: "I'm afraid that he will see it as a donkey's liver and lungs. Forget it, looking at her face, I will give him another chance. If he is still obsessed, he will be scolded by her desperately. , I can't recognize this son!"
Li Yuangui was stunned: "Long live, I want to..."
"I'll go to appraise the memorial first!"
The emperor threw away the quilt that had been covered for a day, turned over and got on the bed, his hair was disheveled, he was wearing only a white tunic and no shoes. He stepped on the cold and smooth palace floor with bare feet, and strode forward. When he left, his clothes were blowing in the wind, and his sleeves were fluttering.
When he was young, he had a flamboyant personality and a beautiful appearance. Now he is old. Although his temperament has changed greatly and his personality is sinister, he is not wearing a dragon robe and is not trimmed, but his shoulders are still on the mountain, and the back looks a little more like an outsider. Uninhibited taste.
Li Yuangui was stunned for a moment, then sighed, picked up the pair of shoes on the ground, and hurriedly chased after him: "Long live, be careful with cold feet, this servant will put on your shoes..."
…
In the middle of the night, the moon was dark and the wind was high, and the lights were dimly lit in the Xiyuan secret prison that was holding Pei Youan. Pei You'an leaned on his side on a straw mat on the floor of the prison cell.
Gradually, there was a sound of footsteps outside the cell. The footsteps got closer and closer, and finally stopped in front of the prison door. With the sound of unlocking, someone stepped into the prison door and stood on the ground.
Pei You'an opened his eyes, turned his head slowly, glanced, got up, smoothed the hem of his clothes, knelt down, and bowed to the figure in front of him.
Half of Xiao Lie's face reflected the dim candlelight, as if it was plated with a layer of light color, while the other half of his face was hidden in the dark side that couldn't be illuminated by the candlelight.
"You'an, from the time you were sixteen to the present, you have been by my side for nearly ten years. In these ten years, you have shared my worries and solved problems for me, and you and I have faced each other day and night. Now you know that I am your father, and you are to me, Is there really no sympathy at all?"
Xiao Lie asked in a deep voice.
Pei You'an said: "Long live, the life of the sinful minister was saved by Long Live. In these years, everything the sinful minister has done for Long live is not only a repayment of kindness, but also the duty of a human minister. Long live is the world's people. The emperor is also the parent of the world, who is envied by the world, and the way of the king is the way of the king, not to mention the 20 years of Long Qianwu Ding's voyages on the mountains and the cutting of the belt."
The corners of Xiao Lie's eyes twitched, and he took a deep breath: "Very good, since you compare yourself to a monarch and a minister, I will give you one last chance as a monarch."
"I ask you, about the young emperor, you still have nothing to say?"
Pei You'an was silent for a moment, and said, "Long live back, the guilty minister has nothing to say."
Xiao Lie's breathing was rough again, his palms clenched tightly, and several blue veins on the back of his hands slowly bulged, like a green worm running wild under his skin.
"Are you really not afraid of death?"
"I'm afraid. But thunder and rain, is it God's grace."
Xiao Lie's eyes shot violently, he raised his arms straightly, pointed at Pei You'an who was kneeling on the ground, and lengthened his already changed voice: "No king, no father, unfaithful and unfilial! I can't tolerate your rebelliousness here. You! I brought you from Su Ye City back then, and now you are going back to me! From now on, the two will be cleared, and neither will owe each other!"
After he finished speaking, he turned around abruptly, the corner of his robe swayed, and he hurried out. With the sound of his steps, the figure gradually disappeared at the end of the aisle.
Pei You'an still knelt up straight, his face turned pale, his back slowly curled up, his forehead touched the cold mud, and his body remained motionless.
He suddenly felt a sweetness in his throat, he straightened up slowly, swallowed back the dark red blood that had accumulated in his chest for many days, then sat back on the straw mat and closed his eyes.
…
A few days later, the entire Great Wei Dynasty Hall was completely turned upside down by a sudden news that spread wildly in private. Some clues come out.
After the inexplicable three days of leaving the court, the emperor in the past few days has returned to his original appearance. As long as the ministers did not respond properly, they would be punished and punished, just like the emperor's style. Ministers are no better than walking on thin ice and dealing with them with all their heart.
No one dared to believe that the secretly circulated news was true.
A few days ago, at dawn, someone saw a person being held by two old pawns out of the north gate of the imperial city.
Many people in the capital recognize Pei You'an. It is said that the person's appearance is very similar to Pei You'an, but that day he was no longer in purple, and he was dressed in blue. After leaving the city gate, he went north.
Then, someone confirmed that Jingxiang has not seen Pei You'an arrive on any day until now. So the news spread.
It is said that when Pei Youan went to the southwest to take up his post, for some reason, he left his post without permission, disobeyed his orders, and angered the emperor.
As for the inside story, why the emperor did not publicly reveal it to the public, there were different opinions for a while. On this day, Liu Jiushao and Anyuan Hou face to face together, with Pei You'an as the important minister of the court, if he is really guilty, he will also be the reason for the tribunal to examine the news from the emperor. Not wanting the emperor to be furious, he ordered the two of them on the spot and fined them three months' salary. Since then, the whole dynasty has been silent, and no one dared to discuss any more, the three words Pei You'an have become unspeakable.
On this autumn morning, a ray of white fish-mammed dawn just appeared in the east, the remnants of the willows hanging on the road, and the cold reeds fluttering. Pei Youan joined the old man and continued on the road.
If you are lucky enough, if you go on like this for a few days, you may be able to meet the military contingent sent by the imperial court to the north.
Gradually walking to the bridge pavilion in front, suddenly there was the sound of a carriage coming up from behind, chasing it, it was a small green felt car, and after it stopped, a woman climbed out of the car, dressed in plain clothes, with arms in arms. He was just a burden and told him to stop.
"Sir, there is a little lady chasing you!"
an old man said.
Pei Youan's figure was certain, and he turned his head slowly.
Chi Hanzhen chased after him, stopped, clenched the burden in his hands tightly, stared at him with his eyes, and breathed slightly.
The old man looked at each other and stepped aside.
"Are you okay?" Pei You'an nodded slightly at her, as gentle and polite as before.
Chi Hanzhen's breathing gradually calmed down, looking at his thin face, tears gradually filled his eyes.
"Master Pei, I heard your news, I have settled my brother. It is bitterly cold outside the customs, please allow Master Pei to walk with me, I have nothing else to do, I just want to stay with Master Pei to serve, even if I am a slave or a maid, this No regrets in life.”
Pei You'an raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly: "Your kindness is accepted by Pei Mou. I am guilty, and this is a distribution. Long live my life, and my family is not allowed to travel together. If you travel in private, the crime will be added. Go back."
He turned around.
"Master Pei—"
Chi Hanzhen chased after a few more steps.
"The Buddhist scriptures say that there are three thousand weak waters, just take a scoop and drink it. In my life, I have my wife with me for two years. For my luck, I have no regrets. Come back!"
Pei Youan didn't turn his head back, and strode forward.
Chi Hanzhen stopped in place and stared at the cyan back in front of him.
The back was straight, like bamboo and pine, and the morning breeze was blowing at the corners of his clothes. He strode forward and gradually disappeared at the end of the road.