Carrying the Sword into the Rivers and Lakes Chapter Fourteen: The Secret Letter Comes North
Jianglin City.
At that time, King Ying ruled the world and toured all over China. When he passed through the city of Yanjing, there was a severe drought and the people were miserable. However, when King Ying arrived at Yanjing City, sweet rain fell from the sky. The people all said that King Ying was so powerful that God had mercy on him.
Kneeling on the roadside and shouting long live, the King of Winning was so happy that he changed the name of Yanjing to Jianglin.
Later, the Zhao family conquered the world and replaced him. During the Zhao Mu period, the princes became independent. King Qi Yun destroyed the princes and returned power to Emperor Zhao. He was granted the title of fiefdom in the eighteen counties of Zhongzhou. Then Qi Shao, the second son of King Qi Yun, was killed to avenge his father and brother.
Zhao then designated Jianglin in Zhongzhou as the capital of the country. After Qi Shao proclaimed himself emperor, the country was peaceful and the people were peaceful, and the country's power was growing day by day. As the capital, Jianglin became the most prosperous place in China.
Years of stability have made Jianglin City now crowded with thousands of people, and nine markets are open. Even at night, Jianglin City is brightly lit. The vendors setting up stalls in the East Market are bargaining with customers at the moment, and the drinkers in the West Market are toasting.
Talented men were drinking wine and secretly talking about whose young lady was so beautiful. The horse-drawn carriage vendors in the northern market were shouting at pedestrians to get out of their way. The richly made-up madams and the hunchbacked turtles in the southern market were frivolously courting the guests.
Walk into the fireworks field.
As a carrier pigeon flies over the outer city of Jianglin, ahead is the inner city of Jianglin. Compared with the outer city, this inner city is much quieter. The royal family, nobles and important officials of the capital all live in the inner city of Jianglin.
Ordinary people will be convicted of disrespect if no one takes them into the inner city. There is an official residence in the inner city at the moment, with bright lights. Looking from a distance, it seems incompatible with the silence of other official residences in the inner city. The gate of the official residence
It is bright and wide, with the front eaves decorated with purlins painted with flying geese and birds below. The three-open red door is tightly closed, with stone lions and horse posts in front of the door looking majestic and solemn. "Fan Mansion" is written on the door.
The carrier pigeon was causing trouble in the outer city of Jianglin and landed in the Fan Mansion. When an old man in Chinese clothes saw the carrier pigeon returning, he hurriedly took off the secret message from the carrier pigeon's foot and hurriedly walked through the flower gate verandah and the layers of wing rooms. He walked quietly all the way through the mansion.
When the maids and servants saw the old man in rich clothes walking slowly, they all gave way and saluted "Old Butler Wang". When they came to the study on the side of the main room, Butler Wang screened the maids outside the concierge, bowed and lightly opened the door of the study and then bowed respectfully.
He said in a voice: "Master, there is a secret message coming from the north."
Although it was already late, the lights in the study were bright, and an old and majestic voice came: "Come in."
After hearing that the person in the study allowed him to come in, Butler Wang hurriedly straightened his clothes and then pushed the study door gently and entered. Behind the screen, in front of the table in the study, there was a person sitting, wearing a brocade gown, a jade belt around his waist, and black leather feet.
Liuhe official boots, with a thin face, high cheekbones, and slender eyes, he is holding a book and reading it carefully close to the candlelight on the desk. The slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the three long white beards under his chin are reflected in his eyes.
He is nearly sixty years old.
Butler Wang closed the study door, walked through the screen, and saw his master concentrating on reading. He did not dare to interrupt, so he could only hold the secret letter in his hand and stand aside quietly to wait.
About a cup of tea, the master put the book in his hand on the table and rubbed the corners of his slightly sore eyes. Seeing the scene, Mr. Wang quickly went to get a hot water wet handkerchief from the stove. The master took the hot handkerchief and wiped it.
With a tired face, he said: "Is there a letter from the north?"
"Yes." The old housekeeper bowed and replied.
The old man abandoned the hot handkerchief on the table and reached out to get the secret letter held by Butler Wang. Seeing that the old man was about to open the secret letter, Old Butler Wang was about to exit the study. Old Butler Wang was about to push the door open and go out. The old man's slender eyes
A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes and he called the old housekeeper: "Tell your nephew to stay at peace in the world. In recent days, the emperor has always mentioned things about the world inadvertently. There is nothing wrong with the chaos in the grass. If you accidentally
It’s a big deal in the north, hehe, you have to weigh it yourself.”
Butler Wang was stunned as he was exiting the study. Although he was bowing down, he was so frightened when he heard the master's sudden words that he immediately knelt on the ground with his forehead on the ground. He was so frightened that he said: "I must restrain my nephew well. I dare not
I've missed something big, Master."
The master looked at the kneeling steward Wang gloomily for a long time. His slender eyes retracted their dagger-like gaze. Without looking at the kneeling steward again, he opened the secret letter. After a while, the master finished reading it in his hand.
After writing the secret letter, he looked at Butler Wang, stroked his beard and said: "Get up, you have been with me for many years. Today, I do not want to punish you. Your nephew is doing whatever he wants in Bianjing, and he is doing more and more outrageous things.
"The matter of contacting the north is too important. I am worried that if he continues like this, the court will be aware of it. The Holy One is the best at discerning people's hearts. If the slightest flaw is revealed, you and I will be in ruins."
Old Butler Wang knelt on the ground. Even though it was winter, the cold sweat on his body had already soaked his underwear. He said: "Master Mingjian, I will write a letter of divorce and return it to my unsatisfied nephew. I must ask him for it."
Restrain your words and deeds, and concentrate on doing your master's work well."
The old man stroked his beard and said: "No, you go in person this time." The old man looked at the old steward Wang who still didn't dare to get up, and said again: "When I defeated the Xiongnu with my ancestors, I had the help of the Central Plains Sword God Li Kurong.
, and after I, Qi Yun, founded the country, Li Kurong founded Wangli Villa in Wangli Mountain outside Bianjing City. Now Li Kurong cannot go out in seclusion. His Wangli Villa sends out messages to those who practice martial arts in China every three years.
Invitation, what your nephew said in your letter this time is that Li Kurong has been practicing in seclusion for many days, and there are rumors in the world that he has gone crazy. The three-year period has come again this year, and Wangli Villa has arrived again. Yingli ordered to reappear in the world.
At that time, the separation party will also be held after the New Year's Day. Your nephew has already gained some fame. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be invited. I want you to go and let your nephew visit.
The first step is to find out what Li Kurong is from Li Shanzhuang; the second step is to go to Langzhou to deliver my message to Gao Lian. We must get that thing as soon as possible."
"Yes, I will live up to my master's instructions even if I don't do it at night," Old Butler Wang said. Xu had been kneeling for a long time and was staggering when he got up. He still held on to his waist and walked away.
Looking at the figure of Old Butler Wang getting up and leaving, the master stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then looked out the window at the distant place where Qi Yun was exerting all his strength. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and then he called out: "Come here, please."
Prepare the sedan chair."
The servants who were rejected by Butler Wang outside the study heard the master's call and hurried to the door of the study, said yes and left.
After a stick of incense, a two-person sedan was waiting at the back door of Fan's Mansion. The old man put on casual clothes and lowered his head to get into the sedan, "Go to the Prince's Mansion." After hearing what the old man said, two strong sedan bearers lifted up the sedan and walked quickly all the way.
Go to the Prince's Mansion.
After Emperor Qi Yun and Qi Shao founded the country, he raised two sons. The eldest prince, Qi Wu, was taken by Qi Shao since he was a child to teach him how to govern the country. However, Qi Wu, although his name contains the word "武", was cruel by nature and had poor conduct.
He behaves badly and does not behave like a prince of a country. On the other hand, the second prince Qi Tao, just like his name, is a civilized and military officer. He is benevolent, courteous and filial. He is upright and honest in dealing with people. He is kind and courteous to others. He is praised by all civil and military officials. In recent years,
Qi Shao became more and more close to Qi Tao, and asked Qi Tao for his opinion on all matters in the court. This year, Emperor Qi Yun, Qi Shao, appointed the second prince Qi Tao as Prince Ning, and personally selected the site for Prince Ning's palace. There have been rumors in the court recently.
People everywhere said that sooner or later the emperor would depose the prince and install the second prince as heir apparent. A large number of officials even signed a petition asking the emperor to establish another prince. However, all the officials strongly refuted it, saying that "establishing a direct descendant and establishing an elder" is an ancient ancestral system.
Unable to disobey, the two parties first presented their memorials to each other, and then in the court, a group of officials headed by Zheng Zhi, the Minister of Civil Affairs, listed the prince's lack of virtue and asked the emperor Qi Shao to re-elect the prince, and Zuo Duyu
A group of officials led by Shi Ouyang Wei strongly advised the emperor to abide by the ancestral system and not abolish the elders and establish younger ones. The two important ministers quarreled fiercely, and finally Qi Shao became furious and decreed that if anyone talks about the prince's affairs again, he will be punished.
The turmoil was calmed down by the determination to be executed without mercy. However, after this turmoil, Qi Wu and Qitao, who were originally brothers and sisters, were no longer as harmonious as before.
Prince Qi Wu was drinking wine in the prince's palace and was upset. Recently, he was reprimanded by his father in court, saying that he had mishandled the affairs in the southwest. He also praised Ning Wang Qi Tao in court for his contribution to the relief of the victims on behalf of the court.
He lost face again in front of Zheng Zhi and other officials. Although his father had been furious a few days ago and kept his position as the crown prince, if things continue like this, his brother Prince Ning might really replace him.
He became the crown prince, but he was not as good as his younger brother in terms of statecraft and horse archery. Thinking of this, Qi Wu could no longer hold back his irritability. He waved his hand and was about to dismiss the maids who were still singing and dancing in the hall, but in the middle of his wave,
He knocked over the wine bottle of the maid who was pouring wine for him.
"Bold", Zhao Lun, the eunuch of the Prince's Palace who was waiting at the side, scolded him.
The maid hurriedly knelt down on the ground, shaking like chaff, and kept kowtowing: "I am guilty, I hope the prince will forgive me."
"It's okay." Qi Wu waved his hand to stop the eunuch from scolding the maid. He stood up and walked to the maid, leaned down, held up the maid's young face with his hands, took out a brocade handkerchief from his arms, and gently wiped the maid's face.
The forehead that was bleeding from kowtowing for mercy showed a cruel smile: "You also look down on me, this incompetent prince, right?"
"I made a mistake, please forgive me, the prince." At this time, the maid looked at the young and handsome face of the prince with cruel eyes, and she still muttered begging for mercy.
Qi Wu smiled and wiped the blood from the maid's forehead, caressed the maid's weak face, stood up, played with the bloody brocade handkerchief in his hand, and said softly with his thin lips: "Death with a stick." After the prince finished speaking, just now
The scolding eunuch waved his hand, and two black-armored Qi Yun guards immediately appeared and dragged out the little maid who was too frightened to even cry out for mercy.
At this moment, in the main hall of the Prince's Mansion, both the dancing eunuchs and the serving servants were silent. For a moment, everyone in the hall stood with their heads bowed. The bursts of wailing coming from outside the hall made everyone unable to bear to listen anymore. Only the Prince Qi Wu in the hall was playing with it.
He stood smiling with a bloody handkerchief in his hand.
A young eunuch came out from behind the screen and whispered a few words in Zhao Lun's ear. Zhao Lun waved the young eunuch away, quickly walked to Qi Wu's side, and whispered in his ear: "Prince, right Prime Minister Fan
"We are planning to visit you." When Qi Wu heard this, he gestured with his eyes. Zhao Lun turned around and waved to everyone in the hall. All the maids and servants in the hall bowed and left. For a while, only the prince Qi Wu and the eunuch Zhao Lun were left in the hall.
Fan Mou came from his Prime Minister's Palace. Under Zhao Lun's guidance, he walked through the corridor of the Prince's Palace and caught a glimpse of the little maid who was killed with a stick on the bench outside the hall. He then lowered his head and followed Zhao Lun into the hall without saying a word.
As he walked away, an imperceptible sneer flashed across his lips.