Four hundred and sixtieth chapters stay under the knife
I wanted to buy sweet-scented osmanthus and drink it with me, but it turned out not to be the case. I was a young man traveling.
——Excerpt from "Tang Duoling·Luye Mantingzhou" by Liu Guo (Song Dynasty)
…
Under the lonely willow tree in the southwest of Chang'an City, there is a sea of people, because today Gongsun Auntie and the "Thirteen Hairpins in Colorful Clothes" are to be killed here.
Aunt Gongsun and her disciples are famous all over the world. They usually compete in dances, and the streets are empty. Unexpectedly, they have ended up in such a bad situation today. The people watching are all sighing and sighing.
Although everyone felt sorry for him, it was a major case involving the assassination of the emperor. He accidentally became an accomplice and implicated the nine clans.
Not only did the literati and poets who were usually friends with Gongsun keep silent, but even the civil and military officials did not dare to go to court to plead for mercy.
Today the sky is blue and the sun is warm in winter. It is a good weather for an execution.
Seventh sister Jianluo said to Yingxiu: "Nine sisters, do you think Qingluan can think of a way to save us from the execution ground? His Majesty the Emperor loves her the most?"
Yingxiu sighed: "Well, if it were something else, Qingluan might be able to handle it. But this time, the master committed a serious crime of treason!
We can know this from the fact that no one comes to see us. The princes and nobles who are usually good friends with Master don't even dare to visit the prison for fear of getting into trouble. This shows how serious the consequences are."
Ruoling's eyes dimmed and she cried: "Third sister, I don't know what's wrong with Mr. Sima. I really want to see him again."
Hong Xiao said disdainfully: "I can't see Mr. Sima of yours. It's been more than ten days, and I haven't seen even a single person. Even if you can't get into the prison, you can always ask someone to bring you a message."
The flowers in front of me and the moon under the moon on weekdays are all lies to you!"
Ruoling put away her tears and said, "I don't believe it. There must be a reason why he didn't come. It's a pity that I can't ask him face to face.
Let him go, remember me or forget me, from now on people and ghosts will go their separate ways and live in different worlds."
Hong Xiao snorted coldly and said: "If you don't believe it, go to the Red Sleeve Moves in two days to see if Mr. Sima has fallen in love with any pretty girl."
Jian Luoqi said: "Third sister, do you mean that we can't die?"
Hong Xiao closed her eyes to rest her mind and said, "Maybe."
Yingxiu said: "Third sister, how did you know?"
Hong Xiao spat: "You have a stupid brain? Use your brain to fight. Don't fall in love all the time. You will be fooled by the young masters."
With Qingluan's temperament, if she can't save her master, she will come to the execution ground today to say goodbye to us and see her master for the last time despite all odds!
If you haven't come by this time, you must have found a way!"
Jian Luo looked up at the blue sky and white clouds and said expectantly: "Little junior sister, please come quickly. If you don't come, Master and the sisters will become the ghosts of the sword!"
…
"The time has come for execution!"
The prisoner threw a fire sign, and a dozen executioners wearing red scarves and with broad arms and waists drank strong wine, then sprayed it on the knife head, and then raised the execution knife high.
"Close your eyes quickly." Many women covered their children's eyes, unable to bear to look directly at them.
"Save someone under the knife!"
A light scolding came from the distance, and two horses galloped towards the execution ground.
The prisoner was indifferent to the roar and shouted to the executioner: "Do it!"
Dozens of snowflake knives were swung down in the air, drawing an arc that reflected dazzling light against the backdrop of the sun.
"Swish, swish, swish", several hidden weapons were shot out from the crowd, hitting the torture knife and deflecting it. The disciples of the Tang Sect hidden among the people took action at the critical moment.
The horse is like a shooting star, arriving in an instant, it is Princess Qingluan and Bai Fu.
Princess Qingluan did not wait for the horse to stop, stepped on the stirrup, made a flying spin, jumped onto the execution platform, raised the gold medal with the coiled dragon in her hand, and said to everyone: "Your Majesty has a decree, the real culprit in this case has been found, and Aunt Gongsun and his disciples are innocent."
Sin, release immediately!"
The crowd burst into cheers, which showed that Aunt Gongsun was indeed loved by others.
Princess Qingluan walked up to Marquis Jianzhan, flicked her skirt, and kicked him over. Princess Qingluan shouted to the soldiers on her left and right: "This guy dares to disobey the imperial decree. I will tie him up and hand him over to Dali Temple for strict investigation!"
"
Qingluan turned around, knelt in front of Gongsun Auntie, and cried: "Master, I am late, and I have made you suffer."
Aunt Gongsun opened her eyes, sighed, and said, "Qingluan, did you find her after all?"
…
The original clues have been cut off and we have to find another way.
Fang Shuliu was worthy of being a 'god hunter', and actually discovered some clues from Zhang Xu's cursive script.
There are many dignitaries in the capital who know Gongsun Gongsun, but those who can accurately capture the charm of Gongsun Gongsun are none other than the "Grass Sage" Zhang Xu and the "Painting Sage" Wu Daozi. Both of them realized Gongsun Auntie's sword dance.
The way to use a pen.
In particular, Zhang Xu, a native of Wu, often went to Ye County to see Mrs. Gongsun dancing with the Xihe sword, from which he understood the artistic conception and charm of the calligraphy. So far, cursive calligraphy has made great progress, bold and exciting, uninhibited, established a sect, and established a sect of its own.
Fang Shuliu took Bai Fu to find Zhang Xu, wanting to know more about Aunt Gongsun.
Zhang Xu was an alcoholic and answered questions inappropriately. He held a crab claw in his left hand and an alchemy sutra in his right hand. He was in a frenzy and did not know whether he was drunk or awake. After a few perfunctory words to the two of them, he fell asleep at his desk.
Although there are only four walls in Zhang Xu's home, the entire living room is covered with handwritten banners.
What the 'catcher' is best at is surveying the scene. When Zhang Xu fell asleep, he didn't say goodbye and left, minding his own business looking at Zhang Xu's calligraphy throughout the house.
Bai Fu had been copying the inscriptions on the stele for several years in the Stele Forest of Hongwen Hall. When he saw Zhang Xu's original work, it was like entering a treasure house.
Zhang Xu's wild grass is magnificent and arbitrary, but all stipples and lines have rules: pen and ink, lines, like dragons and snakes, rigid, round and powerful; structure, the layout is sometimes light and sometimes heavy, dangerous and dangerous, and expresses the intellectual form; mood,
The momentum is sudden and unpredictable, as unstoppable as a violent storm.
Bai Fu made imaginary strokes with his fingers and used his fingers to refer to the pen, copying Zhang Xu's handwriting in the air. He felt so happy that he forgot both things and me.
Before Bai Fu finished copying, Fang Shuliu called Bai Fu aside, pointed to the two pieces of writing in the middle of the living room and asked: "According to the signature, these two pieces of writing were written by Zhang Xu after watching Lady Gongsun's sword dance.
As far as I know, Brother Bai is also a national player in Danqing. Can you see the clues?"
Bai Fu had worked hard for several years on his calligraphy journey. When he saw these two characters, he immediately discovered something fishy.
Both of these paintings are from the same year, and were written only three days apart.
However, the momentum of the two characters is quite different: one is like a wild horse and a bird, running at full speed, its solitary hood is vibrating, flying back low and flying in the sand.
The other painting is like paper falling from the sky and the earth, with violent storms rising up quickly like clouds and smoke, blind wind and rain, and thunder and lightning. When I put down the pen, the wind stopped and the clouds stopped, the steam and clouds merged, and suddenly it was thousands of miles away.
Bai Fu shook his head and said, "No, with Zhang Changshi's exquisite skills, it is impossible for his handwriting to change so much in three days?"
Fang Shuliu nodded and praised: "Yes, the crux of these two characters is not Zhang Xu, but Aunt Gongsun!"