Lanting prelude
Chapter 13 Lineage
Chapter 13 Lineage
From the Chunming Gate in the east of Chang'an City, walk twenty li to the southeast, and you will find the well-known Bailuyuan.
The terrain of Bailuyuan is majestic, with the towering Mausoleum of Emperor Wen of Han at the north end, and the [-]-mile Qinchuan River, which is as flat as a stone, in the south. prosperity.
On this day, a new tomb was erected on a grassy hillside on the north bank of Bashui River.
This is Xiao Henian's tomb.
At this moment, Xiao Junmo was respectfully inserting the three sticks of incense in his hand on the incense burner in front of the tombstone.Since it was impossible to find his father's body, after discussing with Uncle Jiu, Xiao Junmo put the black leather boot and a few pieces of cloth that he had found, as well as the clothes his father wore before his death, the used pen, ink, paper and inkstone, etc. Into the coffin, buried in the tomb.
Xiao Junmo's face was calm, without a trace of tears in his eyes.
He Chongjiu led a group of servants standing behind him, but they all sobbed and wiped away their tears.
There was a sound of hoofbeats, and He Chongjiu and the others looked back, only to see a group of black armor galloping down from the loess plateau in the west, and they were approaching in a blink of an eye.The person in charge is wearing black armor and looks heroic. It is Huan Dieyi.
Huan Dieyi got off the horse, and after kneeling down to worship the incense, he looked at Xiao Junmo worriedly, and said: "Brother, I am ordered by my uncle to leave Beijing for a few days, so I can't accompany you. You have to mourn, don't be too sad."
"It's a lie to say you're not sad." Xiao Junmo said lightly, "But I still promise you, try not to be sad."
"You have to be well, so that I can leave with peace of mind."
"It's just a few days away, and it's not life and death. What's there to worry about?"
"I don't know why, as long as I don't see you for a day, my heart will be up and down." Huan Dieyi said, suddenly realized that this sounded like a confession, and quickly explained, "Don't get me wrong, I It means that you have kept too many things from me recently, so I will think wildly in my mind. "
"I didn't misunderstand." Xiao Junmo glanced at her, "But your explanation is a bit redundant."
"Are you really not mistaken?" Huan Dieyi stared at him.
"Of course I didn't misunderstand." Xiao Junmo also looked at her, "What do you want me to misunderstand?"
Huan Dieyi was very embarrassed, waved his hands and said: "Oh, don't say it, anyway, I just don't like you keeping everything from me."
"I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just that I haven't figured out a lot of things myself, so I can't tell you clearly for the time being."
"Anyway, you always have something to say." Huan Dieyi pouted.
Xiao Junmo glanced at the team of black armor not far away, and said in a low voice: "With so many brothers, you have to show some upright style, don't act like a girl, and be careful to be underestimated by them."
Huan Dieyi heard the words, quickly put away her daughter's attitude, and put on a solemn expression.
"Let's go quickly." Xiao Junmo said, "Xuanjiawei's missions are all urgent, how can you dawdle like you?"
"Don't you ask me, what mission is this trip? Where are you going?"
"Xuanjiawei's rule is not to ask questions." Xiao Junmo said, "You say that I am a dignified Xuanjiawei general, so why make such a low-level mistake?"
"Then you're not curious at all?"
"Huan Dieyi, if you go on, I'm worried that someone will report you." Xiao Junmo pretended to be serious.
"Report on me?" Huan Dieyi was slightly startled, and subconsciously looked at the black armors, "Report me on what?"
"First, delay the time for no reason and delay the fighter plane; second, whisper to those who are not performing the task, and there is a suspicion of leaking secrets."
Huan Dieyi snorted coldly: "Scaremongering! Make a fuss out of a molehill!" Although he said so, he was already uncomfortable in his heart, and then moved his feet and said: "Then, I'm leaving, you take care of yourself."
"Let's go, carry out the mission well, don't think about it." Xiao Junmo said, "The most important thing is don't think about me."
When Huan Dieyi heard the words, he was so angry and funny, he couldn't help but turned around and made a face at him, then got on his horse and galloped towards the official road in the east with the team of black armor.
There was a drizzle of rain in the air.
Xiao Junmo watched Huan Dieyi and the others drift away in the rain and mist, and said in his heart: Dieyi, I hope you don't make things too difficult for Chu Lisang, that girl was ruined by me, she suffered enough, she shouldn't be hurt anymore... …
In fact, Xiao Junmo already knew about Huan Dieyi's mission this time.Because there is no impenetrable wall in the world, and it is difficult to have absolute secrets in the palace, when Xiao Junmo heard the news of Biancai's hunger strike, he had a premonition that the emperor would use Chu Lisang to force Biancai to submit.
Regarding this, Xiao Junmo naturally had mixed feelings in his heart.Because he was the one who caught the debate, if he really went on a hunger strike and died, he would not be able to forgive himself, and he would be condemned by his conscience for the rest of his life.Now that the emperor ordered Xuanjiawei to arrest Chu Lisang, Xiao Junmo's guilt and self-blame became even deeper.However, he couldn't stop it all.After thinking about it, he decided to wait until Chu Lisang arrived in Chang'an.In short, he already owes her too much, so he can only do his best to help her, and when the time comes, he will play by ear and try not to let her get hurt again.
When Xiao Junmo, He Chongjiu and the others were about to leave, a carriage drove over without haste and stopped beside the willow tree on the bank of the river, followed by several guards on horseback.
In the drizzle, an old man with gray beard and hair and dignified expression got out of the car and looked at Xiao Junmo from a distance.
It was Wei Zheng who came.
After offering incense in front of Xiao Henian's tomb, Wei Zheng stood quietly, his eyebrows, beard and hair were all wet by the drizzle, and his eyes seemed to be a little moist too.
He Chongjiu and the others had left first, leaving only Xiao Junmo standing behind Wei Zheng.
After a long time, Wei Zheng turned around and looked at Xiao Junmo: "Nephew, this man has passed away, please give me condolences!"
The guard not far away wanted to come over with an umbrella, but Wei Zheng stopped him with his gaze.
"Grand Master, no one was notified of my father's burial today, but you not only knew about it, but also came here on purpose, which surprised and moved the younger generation!"
Wei Zheng didn't pay attention to his implication, and said calmly: "This old man is an official in the same dynasty as your father, and the personal relationship is not bad. Naturally, we should come and see him off."
"Then why didn't the grand master ask why my father passed away suddenly?" Xiao Junmo stared into Wei Zheng's eyes.
"Your father's whereabouts were unknown a few days ago, and this old man has heard about it. I wanted to inquire at the mansion, but I was entangled in trivial matters." Wei Zheng said calmly, "Until this morning, this old man accidentally heard that my nephew helped the coffin out of the city, so I guessed that my father might have passed away. So... for fear of making my nephew feel sad, this old man dare not ask questions lightly."
With such a city and such determination, it is no wonder that it ranks among the princes, officials and prime ministers.Xiao Junmo sneered in his heart, and said: "The grand master just said that I have a good personal relationship with my father, but what kind of personal relationship is it?"
"Together with Mu Gu Shengge, to be honest and upright, to practice Qi Zhiping, and to learn from the sages to cultivate oneself and others, and to benefit the world and the people! That's all, nothing else."
"Really? Since you are so like-minded, then my father must often come to the house to disturb you?"
"Occasionally, not often."
Wei Zheng's face was like a thousand year old well, his expression was almost motionless.Xiao Junmo saw it in his eyes and decided not to make circles with him anymore, so he went straight in: "In the middle of the night on the 26th of last month, it was actually already the early morning of the 27th. My father suddenly came to your house despite the night ban imposed by Marquis Wu. This I don’t know if the grand master still remembers it? I don’t know what kind of sages and sages you were talking about that time?”
Wei Zheng was slightly startled, and then smiled and said, "I'm getting old, and I've become more and more insensible recently. I can't remember what my nephew said. Maybe there is such a thing, maybe it isn't."
"The grand master is too modest!" Xiao Junmo also laughed, "Even if the Wangchuan Tea House in Yongxingfang has changed a potted plant, you can see everything clearly, so how can you say that you are old and stupid?"
As soon as this remark came out, it was nothing more than a thunderbolt to Wei Zheng!No matter how deep his palace is and no matter how strong his concentration is, he can't help showing a look of astonishment at this moment.He tried his best to conceal the turmoil in his heart: "What my nephew is saying, I can't understand at all!"
"Grand Master, this junior has already talked about this point, do you still need to hide it?" Xiao Junmo looked directly at Wei Zheng, his gaze was like a knife.
Wei Zheng regretted it in his heart.In fact, since Xiao Henian disappeared, he was not worried that Xiao Junmo would follow the clues to find him, because he knew Xiao Junmo's ability well and never dared to underestimate it.However, he was still lucky after all, and felt that even if Xiao Junmo wanted to find out the whereabouts of his father, he would start with Wei Wang, and it was unlikely to look in his direction, so he lost his vigilance and had no defense against Xiao Junmo. The secret contact point of Wangchuan Tea House has been exposed.Besides, how much did Xiao Junmo know, he really didn't dare to think about it anymore.
At this moment, Wei Zheng could only force himself to be calm: "Nephew, I am deeply saddened by your father's passing, and I can understand your current mood, but you can't talk nonsense because you are too sad!"
"Since the Grand Master can't understand what this junior is saying, let's change the subject." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "Recently, this junior suddenly became interested in the ancient poems of the Six Dynasties. There is a sentence that this junior likes very much, but he has never been able to understand its meaning. Taking advantage of this opportunity today, I hope the grand master will give me some advice."
A trace of panic flashed in Wei Zheng's eyes, and he said coldly: "It's not at this time or this place to talk about poetry and prose! My nephew, it's raining heavily, and I'll leave now, and you should go home quickly. After finishing speaking, he walked quickly towards the carriage, and the guards not far away hurried over with umbrellas.
"Grand Master!" Xiao Junmo shouted at his back, "Wangyan is ashamed to take off his clothes, and Linchuan thanked Jiegan. You should be familiar with this poem, right?"
Wei Zheng was shocked again, and stopped unconsciously.
He never expected that Xiao Junmo had already found out this step!In an instant, Wei Zheng, who was mature, prudent and resourceful, lost his position and didn't know how to deal with it.
Xiao Junmo slowly walked behind him and stood still: "Grand Master, I know you are deeply shocked now, but please forgive me, I have not only found this step, but also found more interesting things. If you don't want me to By saying these things, you have only two options, and it's best to decide now."
Wei Zheng signaled the guards to wait for him at the carriage, still turned his back to Xiao Junmo and said, "What choice?"
"First, let your guards silence me now, I will never resist!" Xiao Junmo said, "If you don't have the heart to do it, then there is only a second choice - tell me all the secrets that you and my father have been keeping , let me know why my father died!"
The drizzle on Wei Zheng's forehead merged into water droplets, which flowed down with difficulty along his furrow-like wrinkles.
A celadon vase was slammed onto the ground and shattered into countless small pieces.
Li Tai was full of anger, panting heavily, pacing back and forth in the study.Liu Ji and Du Chuke sat aside, staring at him blankly.
"Your Highness, calm down, it's not worthwhile to lose your temper!" Du Chuke persuaded.
"This king never expected that the prince would be such a despicable and insidious villain, and would do such a shameless thing!" Li Tai was still striding back and forth, furious.At this time, Li Shimin's teaching of "be calm in the face of major events" has long been thrown out of the blue by him.
"Your Highness, please forgive me for saying something you shouldn't have said." Du Chuke said, "You really shouldn't have told the truth to the Holy Majesty that day, you just made up any dream and passed away, why bother to mention King Hailing? "
"But I was really scared!" Li Tai's lingering fears still persisted, "I have never had a good night's sleep since I lived in Wude Hall, and I have been wondering in my heart, and I always feel that there is something evil going on there. , but there was lightning and thunder that night, and that headless ghost is so terrifying, if it were you, I think you would have been scared to death!"
Du Chuke curled his lips and stopped talking.
"Your Highness can be forgiven for saying so." Liu Ji said slowly, "Wu De Palace is originally full of yin, and His Highness's insomnia for many days is a clear proof. In addition, there are people deliberately pretending to be gods and ghosts. It is reasonable to be frightened. No wonder Your Highness .”
"That's right!" Li Tai finally relieved his anger, and stopped in his tracks, "Liu Shilang is reasonable when he says that!"
Du Chuke gave Liu Ji a sneaky look, and said awkwardly: "Yes, brother Sidao always likes to pick up nice things to say, but is it useful? What practical problems can it solve?"
Liu Jie smiled lightly: "Brother Shan Shi said it is true, Liu is here today to help His Highness solve practical problems."
Upon hearing this, Li Tai finally sat down: "Liu Shilang has something to say, please tell me."
"Your Highness, have you ever thought about the real reason why Your Majesty asked you to leave the palace this time?"
Li Tai was furious again: "Isn't it all the work of the prince, a despicable villain!"
Liu Jie smiled and shook his head: "No, no!"
Li Tai frowned: "Is there anything else?"
When Du Chuke heard this, he couldn't help looking at Liu Ji.
"Your Highness, the haunting is only a superficial reason. The real reason is that His Highness has been too close to the noble children of the court in the past half a month, which has violated the taboo of the Holy Majesty. The Holy Majesty suspects that you are suspected of forming a clique for personal gain. I feel that you have been a little arrogant and over-ostentatious recently."
Li Tai suddenly realized, and it took him a long time to say: "What you say makes sense, what you say makes sense! It's all my fault that I didn't listen to what the servant said. It would be great if I could keep a low profile and keep a low profile. Alas, it's too late to regret!"
"Your Highness, even though this is the reason, there is no need to give up eating because of choking. There are several important and powerful children in the court, and they should make friends with each other, as long as they are not too ostentatious and not too promiscuous." Liu Ji said, "Furthermore, What is lost is the east corner, what is harvested is mulberry elm. If His Highness can eat a ditch and gain a little wisdom, then a bad thing will become a good thing, how can it be too late?"
"Brother Sidao's words are good, I love to hear them!" Du Chuke said, "His Royal Highness, those who plan big things don't depend on the gains and losses of one city or one place. Although the East Palace was lucky to win a round, as long as His Highness cheers up and regroups, we can win back." A city is by no means difficult!"
When Li Tai heard this, he immediately lifted his spirits.
"Brother Shan Shi is right." Liu Ji said, "In fact, the crown prince is pretending to be a ghost this time, and the Holy Majesty may not be able to guess it. It is because the Holy Majesty knew it well, so after the eunuch committed suicide in prison, the Holy Majesty would not let it go I have pursued it, but I am actually afraid that if I go deeper and dig out the East Palace, the matter will be difficult to deal with. Therefore, what the prince did this time is actually a stupid move that hurts the enemy a thousand and hurts himself eight hundred. Naturally, the position in the middle is even more unstable. This is exactly where His Highness's opportunity lies!"
Hearing this, Li Tai was even more energetic, and the depression of the past few days was swept away immediately, and he laughed loudly: "Back then, my father had 'Fang Mou to stop the decision', and this king has 'Liu Mou to stop the decision' today! Haha, with the help of two sages, why should I be afraid of such a petty bastard like Li Chengqian!"
Hearing this, Du Chuke's heart was immediately elated, and a smug expression appeared on his face.
Liu Jie smiled lightly, with little change in his expression: "His Royal Highness, Liu is very grateful that you can rekindle your fighting spirit. However, having said that, you have to eat every bite, and you have to play chess step by step. The dangerous thing of licking honey with a knife head must be done with care and caution!"
Li Tai nodded, deeply agreeing.
"Brother Sidao, that's what you say, but once you seize the opportunity, you still have to attack decisively, right?" Du Chuke asked with sideways eyes.
"That's natural."
Li Tai looked at Du Chuke: "Do you have any ideas?"
"Your Highness, the prince likes to wield knives and swords. Blood is often seen in the East Palace, and there are many people killed by him. Do you know this?"
"I know, doesn't Father hate him because of these things? However, I heard that he has restrained himself a lot recently."
Du Chuke sneered: "Recently, I have restrained myself, but those people who committed suicide in the past deserve to die?"
"As far as I know, the ones he killed were all the Turkic people who violated our Tang Dynasty and burned and plundered in the Western Regions. These people should have been killed. Although it is against the law for him to use the knife, it is no big deal after all."
"If the prince killed all the vicious Turkic people, then that's fine. The problem is, among the people he killed, there were people from my Tang Dynasty!"
Li Tai was taken aback: "Is it really true?"
Du Chuke nodded, and said to Liu Jie: "Brother Sidao, the source of the news is yours, so you should tell it."
Li Tai quickly looked at Liu Ji.
Liu Jie also smiled: "Brother Shan Shi is offended by saying that, we are all doing things for His Highness, why do we have to make such a clear distinction?"
"The point is still to be scored!" Du Chuke waved his hand, "I never covet the achievements of the heavens or the beauty of others!"
"What's the difference? Is this the time to worry about it?" Li Tai was anxious, "What's going on, you should tell me quickly!"
"It's like this, Your Highness." Liu Jie said slowly, "A few days ago, I received a memorandum from Chen Xiong, the governor of Yizhou, which said that two months ago, Prince Zuowei led Feng Shijin to Yizhou. , and captured dozens of Turkic people, but thirteen of them were out-and-out Yizhou people, Qimin, a registered household registered in the Tang Dynasty, but he offended Feng Shijin because of something, and was falsely accused of The Turks brought them back to Chang'an and locked them up in the East Palace. According to my estimation, the prince may have killed all these thirteen people."
"There is such a thing!" Li Tai was a little surprised, but even more delighted, "However, is this Chen Xiong so courageous that he dares to participate in the performance of the crown prince for the sake of a few common people?"
Liu Jie smiled: "At first I thought it was strange, but Brother Shan Shi explained a little bit, and I was relieved."
Li Tai quickly looked at Du Chuke.
Du Chuke couldn't help laughing: "Of the thirteen people, five are Chen Xiong's brothers-in-law."
"Five?!" Li Tai was surprised, "Where are there so many brothers-in-law?"
"Before Chen Xiong was released as the governor, he was a colleague of mine in the court. This man was lustful and married a total of twelve wives and concubines. Do you think he has too few brothers-in-law?"
Li Tai couldn't help laughing, and asked Liu Ji, "Did Chen Xiong say, how did these brothers-in-law offend Feng Shijin?"
"It is said that they collided with each other on the road. Chen Xiong's brothers-in-law are used to domineering in Yizhou, and they must have never expected to provoke the prince in such a place."
"It's a good show this time." Li Tai said with a smile, "Hurry up and report this to Father."
"It's natural." Liu Ji still said calmly, "It is Liu's responsibility to review the four directions and report to the emperor in time."
"Chen Xiong's memorabilia alone is not enough." Li Taidao, "In my opinion, it's best for you to refer to another book, saying that the ancients said that a prince who breaks the law is the same as the common people, and now the prince is so lawless and disregards human life. , It is really unbearable to set an example for the subjects, and should be punished, so as to calm the hearts of the savages."
Liu Ji pondered for a while, and said: "I will follow His Highness's order."
Xiao Junmo did not expect that he would be invited by Wei Zheng to drink tea in the private room of Wangchuan Tea House as a guest.
Wei Zheng brewed tea himself, and his techniques were skillful, which showed that this teahouse had been their secret contact point for many years.While drinking tea, Xiao Junmo looked around at everything in the room, and suddenly felt that his father was sitting next to him, and the three of them were drinking tea and talking and laughing together.
In an instant, Xiao Junmo's eyes became moist.
"This freshly brewed tea has a strong ginger taste, and it's a bit spicy to the eyes." Xiao Junmo tried his best to hide it.
"Jun Mo, why do you need to hide it in front of me?" Wei Zheng looked at him, with an elder's kindness in his eyes, "Cry as much as you want, no one will say you are weak."
Xiao Junmo was seen through, but he didn't feel any embarrassment at all, instead he suddenly relaxed.As soon as she relaxed like this, tears really came gushing out, silently falling down her cheeks onto the skirt of her clothes.
"Jun Mo, I have to bear the main responsibility for your father's affairs." Wei Zheng just opened his mouth, his eyes turned red, "I should have thought a long time ago that Wei Wangfu is a dangerous place, and he should not be allowed to go back..."
"Teacher, how many years has my father been with you?" Xiao Junmo wiped his face vigorously, and changed the subject.
"It's probably been 30 years since Qu Zhi." Wei Zheng recalled, with a sad smile, "When your father followed me, he was almost as old as you. Young, courageous, courageous, and ambitious... ..."
"You and my father, apart from officials, what are your real identities?"
Wei Zheng was silent for a moment, and slowly said: "Jun Mo, things are not as complicated as you imagined. Your father and I are just old people from Wagang. Back then, the world was in chaos, and there were many heroes. We will follow Wei Gong and Li Mi, and swear Taking saving the common people and eradicating tyranny as our own responsibility, we set up an uprising flag in Wagangzhai to compete in the Central Plains, and later returned to the Tang Dynasty with Duke Wei. However, after Duke Wei entered the court, he was squeezed out, so he secretly organized us and other old ministries Get up, just in case..."
"Who is included in this old department?" Xiao Junmo frowned. "As far as I know, my master, General Li Shiji, and other generals in the army, such as Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie, were all from Wagang. Could it be that they all joined?"
Wei Zheng shook his head: "At that time, Shiji was still in Liyang, Hebei, and he hadn't surrendered yet. Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie voted for Wang Shichong of Luoyang. Therefore, only my lineage and Uncle Wang were recruited by Duke Wei..."
"It is said that Li Mi surrendered and rebelled in the name of appeasing the old Central Plains. He ran away from Chang'an, and was beheaded and killed in Xiong'er Mountain together with Wang Bodang. Where were you at that time? Why didn't you go with him?"
Wei Zheng smiled wryly: "That's exactly what I want to say. Back then when Duke Wei went out to appease the old troops, he also got Gao Zu's consent, but Gao Zu was suspicious of him after all, so he didn't let him take away all the people under his command. Instead, I ordered my part to stay in Huazhou, and only let Wei Gong take the Wang Bodang part out. As you know, they encountered misfortune, but I escaped the "surrender and rebellion" He was charged with the crime and survived by luck.”
Xiao Junmo was slightly startled: "So, back then, you and my father actually had the intention of 'rebelling'. It was only by accident that they escaped the catastrophe, and in the end they became loyal ministers and elders of our dynasty?"
Wei Zheng laughed at himself: "It's possible to say that, but it's not quite accurate. In fact, I didn't agree with Duke Wei when he rebelled against him after he surrendered. In the world, if you rebel again, you can only bring your own destruction. However, after all, I have followed Wei Gong for many years, and I couldn't bear to abandon him, so I decided to do it with my life and death. Unexpectedly, in the end, I didn't die for Wei Gong, but it was fulfilled. The loyalty to Datang is embarrassing even thinking about it!"
"Since you are loyal to my Tang Dynasty, why did you keep this secret force of Wagang for so many years? To put it lightly, it is a secret alliance; , don't you think so?"
Wei Zheng laughed again: "Jun Mo, you are still young, and things in the world are far from being so black and white, with clear distinctions. Sometimes, keeping a little gray is not necessarily for ulterior motives, but for... to keep Some kind of balance."
"Keeping balance?" Xiao Junmo was puzzled, "What kind of balance?"
"Let's use an analogy. Back then, I worked in the East Palace and was a person who concealed the crown prince. The Holy One, who was also the king of Qin, surpassed the crown prince in terms of prestige, strength, and other aspects. This is a dangerous imbalance. Therefore, As a member of the East Palace, I must do my best to maintain the balance between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin, and prevent the King of Qin from doing unreasonable actions that endanger the Crown Prince. Because of this, I must keep some gray power, otherwise how can I be in the dark? Survive in the cracks with Bai? How can you compete with King Qin?"
"The grand master is outspoken when he says that." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "This junior admires your frankness."
"This is an old story, so why should I keep it secret?" Wei Zheng felt a little emotional, "When I served in the East Palace, I naturally had to be loyal to Prince Yin; when the Holy One became the throne, I naturally wanted to be loyal to the Holy One. The two are not the same. contradiction."
"According to what you said just now, Prince Yin also knew about this gray force under your command?"
"Yes."
"Then, in the confrontation between Prince Yin and King Qin, this force must have participated, right?"
"It's natural. To tell you the truth, I once persuaded Prince Yin to attack the King of Qin as soon as possible, but Prince Yin was a bit indecisive, that's why the matter of Xuanwu Sect happened later."
"After the Xuanwumen Incident, everything has been settled, and you have turned to assist the Holy Majesty, and the monarch and his ministers have worked together to create the situation of Haiyan and Heqing in my Zhenguan Dynasty. It stands to reason that the power under you has long since disappeared. If necessary, you can disband it at any time, but why didn't you do so?"
"Junmo, it's because you take things too simply." Wei Zhengdao, "On the surface, the sea is clear, but it doesn't mean that there is no undercurrent surging behind it. In fact, in the past few years, the crown prince and the king of Wei have formed an incompatible relationship. It is obvious to all that the government and the opposition are competing against each other. Therefore, out of the need to maintain balance, it is still necessary for gray forces to exist.”
"Could it be that you predicted today's situation many years ago?"
"I don't dare to say that it was completely predicted, but I always have hidden worries. Because the lessons of the fight for the succession were too profound, so I don't think that with today's peace, the succession will disappear automatically. "
Xiao Junmo looked at Wei Zheng deeply, and had to admire his foresight and foresight, as well as his unswerving defense and persistence of the heir apparent inheritance system.However, although Wei Zheng's answer just now partially resolved Xiao Junmo's confusion, the most fundamental cause of his father's death - debate and the mystery of "Lanting Preface" is still not involved.
"Teacher, I still have a question I want to ask."
"Let's talk." Wei Zheng smiled, "I'm here to answer your questions today."
"Thank you, Grand Master!" Xiao Junmo looked at him, "You, my father, and this faction under your command, what does it have to do with Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface"?"
Wei Zheng hesitated for a moment, and immediately said: "It doesn't matter. Your father and I were just worried that King Wei would use his eloquence to do something against the prince, so we intervened in this matter."
"That's exactly what I want to ask. Biancai is just a monk, and "Lanting Preface" is just a copybook. How could the two be unfavorable to the prince? What are you and my father worried about?"
Wei Zheng was stunned again, and hurriedly said, "This is also the confusion between me and your father. Since his enthronement, the Holy Majesty has spared no effort to find the "Lanting Preface", and the King of Wei has used the opportunity of compiling "Kuo Di Zhi" to find eloquent talents. There must be some extraordinary secret. It is precisely because you don’t know what this secret is and what kind of harm it will cause, that your father took the risk to steal information about Biancai, and I also sent people to rob Biancai.”
Waterproof!
Wei Zheng obviously didn't tell the truth, but his lies were so reasonable that there was almost no flaw to be found.Xiao Jun looked at Wei Zheng silently, and suddenly laughed.
Wei Zheng was a little terrified by his laughter: "You...why are you laughing?"
"I laugh at the grand master, some nobles have forgotten that the ancient poem I mentioned to you in Bailuyuan just now is the code for your connection, and it just comes from "Lanting Collection"! How can there be such a coincidence in the world? Grand Master still wants to tell me, does the two have nothing to do with each other?"
"This... this is definitely a coincidence!" Wei Zheng said, "I just used this ancient poem as a code because I like it, there is absolutely no other reason."
"The grand master should know that my father not only wrote a copy of "Lanting Collection" by hand, but also read it often, and couldn't put it down! Could it be a coincidence?"
"Your father and I both like ancient poems from the Six Dynasties, isn't that surprising?"
"Then can you tell me the reason why you like it?"
"I like it, I like it, what reason can I have?"
Xiao Junmo laughed again: "Grand Master, if you really can't remember, let me help you find another reason."
Wei Zheng looked at him alertly: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Xiao Jun remained silent, but dipped his hands in the tea in front of him, and wrote two words on the food table.
When Wei Zheng saw it, his expression changed drastically.
The two words on the food table are exactly "Wei Pang".
"Wei Pang, a famous scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, once served as a meritorious officer in Kuaiji County. On the Shangsi Festival on March [-], the ninth year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he met with Wang Xizhi and others by the Lanting River in Shanyin, Kuaiji. They drank wine and wrote poems. There is a five-character poem, in which there is this sentence, "Wang Yan is ashamed to get rid of the scorpion, and Linchuan is thankful for uncovering the pole."
Xiao Junmo observed Wei Zheng's expression, and continued: "Since I was interested in Wei Pang, I checked his lineage and learned about some of his descendants. I will read it again now, and the grand master will help me see if I have read it." False: Wei Qian, son of Wei Pang, grandson of Wei Guangling, great-grandson Wei Kai, great-great-great-grandson Wei Jishu, grandson Wei Chu, grandson Wei Zhao, grandson Wei Yan, grandson Wei Changxian, grandson Wei Zheng Wei Taishi. In short, you are You are the ninth grandson of Wei Pang! Since the code you used came from a poem written by your ninth ancestor at the Orchid Pavilion, doesn’t that just mean that you have a deep connection with the "Orchid Pavilion Preface"? If I guessed right, in this house In the teahouse, many people don't call you "Tai Shi", but "Sir", right? If you want to add two words in front of "Sir", I guess, it must be in this Lanting poem The word 'Linchuan'! Right?"
Wei Zheng's face turned pale, and he was speechless, obviously acquiescing to Xiao Junmo's guess.
After a long silence, Wei Zhengcai said: "Wei Pang is the ancestor of this old man. That's right, he participated in the Orchid Pavilion, and the code I used was indeed from his Lanting poem. These are all facts. The solution is, what can you prove by finding out these things?"
"At least one thing can be proved - you know the secret of "Lanting Preface", but you have been hiding it from me. Until now, you are still doing it!"
Wei Zheng sighed deeply: "Jun Mo, why do you have to pursue these things? Sometimes, it is not a good thing for people to know too many secrets."
"As I said just now, I must know why my father died! Therefore, I will not give up until I thoroughly find out the secrets of "Lanting Preface."
Wei Zheng looked at him with extremely complicated eyes: "It is because your father sacrificed his life for this that I don't want you to get involved again..."
"I'm already involved!" Xiao Junmo met Wei Zheng's gaze.
"However, you still have a chance to escape unscathed..."
"Teacher, since you don't want to tell me, then I won't force you." Xiao Junmo stood up, interrupted him coldly, and then bowed deeply, "Thank you for visiting my father just now, and thank you for answering many of my questions , Junior farewell."
After finishing speaking, Xiao Junmo walked out without looking back.
Until Xiao Junmo left for a long time, Wei Zheng still sat motionless.
What he said today made Wei Zheng's back break out in cold sweat several times, which really caught him by surprise.In his life, he was used to seeing swords and swords on the battlefield, as well as intrigues in the court. Even in the court battle with the emperor in the hall, he never panicked and calmed down. Sweating and embarrassing under the pressure of a young man.Of course, this is firstly because the secret that Wei Zheng wants to keep is no small matter, but at the same time it is because—this young man's insight is too amazing!
Wei Zheng knew that with this young man's blood and courage, no one could stop what he was determined to do.If the secret of "Lanting Preface" is like a blazing flame, then this young man is undoubtedly a brave but blind moth, flying towards the flame recklessly.
Since you can't stop the moth, you can only try your best to cover the flame for him.Thinking of the promise he made to this young man's biological father back then, Wei Zheng's heart inevitably became heavier...
When Xiao Junmo walked out of Wangchuan Teahouse, the sky just cleared up, and the sun hesitantly revealed half of his face from the clouds.
The scenery on the street became brighter in the sunlight.
However, Xiao Junmo's heart was full of gloom.
Just now Xiao Junmo almost asked Wei Zheng about his life experience, because he expected that Wei Zheng would know everything.However, in the end he held back.The reason is simple: since Wei Zheng has kept the secrets of "Lanting Preface" tight-lipped, even if Wei Zheng knew everything about his life experience, he would definitely not reveal a word.
Therefore, Xiao Junmo can only tell himself in the end: Whether it is the secret of "Lanting Preface" or the mystery of his life experience, you can only rely on yourself to find out the truth!
In the inner hall of Ganlu Hall, Li Chengqian knelt facing the imperial couch. Although his expression was a little panicked, it was more of an injustice.
A gold and jade cane was placed by his side, and a silk scroll was thrown on the ground in front of him.
Li Shimin paced back and forth in front of the imperial couch, with an angry expression on his face: "As the crown prince, you dare to kill civilians without authorization, and treat human life like nothing. You simply don't pay attention to my laws of the Tang Dynasty! Tell yourself, what should you do?"
"Return to the father, the son is innocent."
"You still dare to quibble? Didn't the thirteen Yizhou people be captured by you and killed in Chang'an?"
"Yes, he was killed by his son."
"Then what else is there to say? Kill people to pay their debts and pay their debts, and the crown prince broke the law and committed the same crime as the common people. Don't you understand this truth?"
"My minister has supervised the country many times under the order, helped my father handle the military and state affairs, and was praised by the whole court. How can my minister not understand this truth?"
Zhao Dequan, who was standing by the side, was very worried when he saw the crown prince contradicting every sentence, and tried his best to wink at him, but Li Chengqian turned a blind eye to it.
Li Shimin became more and more angry, pointed at Li Chengqian's nose and said: "Since you understand, then you killed these 13 people for no reason, should you take your life?"
"Although my son killed them, it was not for nothing."
"Isn't it just that the horses and chariots ran into your subordinates? You can kill people indiscriminately because of this?"
"The collision of vehicles and horses is just Chen Xiong's one-sided statement, not the truth."
"Then tell me, what is the truth?"
"The fact is that these 13 people are all villainous dandies in Yizhou. Relying on Chen Xiong's power, they have been committing crimes and harming the people! I have investigated them before arresting them. They have been in Yizhou for just two years. , raped dozens of women, killed 27 civilians, seized more than 300 hectares of fertile land and five manors, and there are countless incidents of extortion, kidnapping and wounding people! It seems that such lawless local bullies, because of Chen Xiong The government and the people of Yizhou dare not speak out, and if the sons and ministers don't kill them, who would dare to kill them?!"
Li Shimin was taken aback for a moment.He never expected that this would be the case, so he calmed down immediately and said: "Since there is a reason for the incident, it's because I blamed you, get up and answer."
"Thank you, father!" Li Chengqian stood up leaning on a gold and jade walking stick.
Only then did Zhao Dequan at the side breathe a sigh of relief.
Li Shimin also sat down on the imperial couch: "If the facts are as you said, you can report this matter to me, and I will order the Ministry of Punishment to punish severely according to law. Why do you have to go to Yizhou to arrest people?"
"Father, since ancient times, those with power have been protected by officials. Although our government is clean and clear, there are still many people who are corrupt and pervert the law. Moreover, Yizhou is far away on the border of the Western Regions. If you act according to the law, it will take time and effort to come and go. It is said that Chen Xiong and others will forge evidence and buy witnesses when they hear the rumors, and in the end it will be a big matter and a small matter, so it would be easier for the minister to treat him in his own way!"
Hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help smiling wryly: "You're being straightforward, but according to what you said, aren't the three legal divisions of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Dali Temple, and Yushitai in the Tang Dynasty all in vain?"
"Of course not! But there is authority in everything. The three legal divisions follow the regular routine, and the sons and ministers act on the basis of expediency. The two cannot be neglected, and both have reasons for their existence."
"I haven't seen you for a long time, but I didn't expect that your eloquence is getting better and better." Li Shimin said with a smile, and he didn't know whether it was a compliment or a tease.
"Thank you, father, for your compliment!" Li Chengqian was straightforward and didn't bother to speculate at all, "However, what I said came from the bottom of my heart, and it wasn't just a flash of tongue."
"There is still one thing I don't understand. Since you want to catch them, you can just catch them directly. Why do you want to design a scene of horses and chariots colliding?"
Li Chengqian smiled secretly: "Returning to my father, if my ministers arrest them directly, they will have to explain the reason. In this way, Chen Xiong knows that he is in the wrong, not only does not dare to show up to participate in the performance of the ministers, but also operates secretly, trying his best to cover up the crime; on the contrary, Chen Xiong will think that the son-in-law, like his brothers-in-law, is a domineering dandy, so he dares to participate in the performance. In other words, the son-in-law did this to make Chen Xiong himself Jump out and expose your crimes in front of your father."
Zhao Dequan was stunned when he heard it, he was surprised and admired, and even looked at Li Chengqian with strange eyes.
Li Shimin suddenly realized, and couldn't help but look at him deeply: "Chengqian, you are so scheming, even I can't help being shocked. It is a good thing to use your brain and change your mind when doing things, but don't forget, you are the prince. The future Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The way of governing the country should be based on integrity. Such tricks and tricks can only be done occasionally when it is absolutely necessary. You can't rule the world by power, remember?"
"My father's teachings, my ministers will keep in mind."
"Also, if you encounter this kind of thing again in the future, you must report it to me, and you must not kill it first and then report it. In addition, killing people in the East Palace is also a very ominous act. Although you have a reason to kill, it is still a violation of the law of the country. , It will make the government and the public criticize it. Therefore, these problems must be eliminated from now on, and they must not be repeated!"
"Yes, my son must correct his mistakes, please don't worry, father."
Li Chengqian stepped out of the Manna Hall with a cane, and several accompanying eunuchs wanted to step forward to help them, but he drove them away with a wave of his hand.Under the steps in front of the hall, there is a shoulder car that can be carried by four people parked, which was licensed by the emperor because of his limited mobility.Li Chengqian signaled the eunuchs to wait in place, while he walked up a corridor next to the main hall.
As soon as he turned a corner in the corridor, he saw Li Yuanchang standing not far away waiting for him.
"How about it, did the emperor scold you?"
When Li Chengqian approached, Li Yuanchang hurried forward and asked with concern.
Li Chengqian smiled coldly: "What do you guess?"
Li Yuanchang looked at his expression and shook his head: "I can't guess."
"Father was naturally furious at the beginning." Li Chengqian smiled complacently, "But when he figured out that I dug a hole for Chen Xiong to jump, he was completely taken aback."
"No wonder the emperor brother will be fooled. This move of yours will fool anyone who sees it!"
"Okay, stop talking nonsense, what happened to the matter I asked you to inquire about?"
Li Yuanchang looked around and leaned closer to him: "You will never guess who is behind your back this time!"
"Who?"
"The person who has been appreciated by the emperor recently."
Li Chengqian glared at him: "Where is there so much nonsense? Who is it?"
"The servant of the Huangmen, Liu Ji."
Li Chengqian was startled, and then sneered: "Unexpectedly, this old boy also took refuge in King Wei."
"That's right, he is now the most sought-after candidate in the court, and he is just around the corner to join the court!"
Li Chengqian's eyes were gloomy and cold: "When I inherit the throne, let me see what kind of cabinet he will enter and what kind of appearance he will worship!"
"Let me tell you, the hole you dug this time is really big enough. Not only did Chen Xiong jump into it stupidly, but even a scheming guy like Liu Ji fell in." Li Yuanchang gave a thumbs up, "I am convincing you gone."
"I expected a long time ago that many people would fall into this pit." Li Chengqian snorted coldly, "Next, I'll see what tricks this kid Li Tai will use!" Walked forward with a cane.
"Whatever he does, the soldiers come to cover the water and the earth!" Li Yuanchang quickly followed up and said with a smile, "Anyway, my prince of the Tang Dynasty can always strategize and win a thousand miles!"
"Don't give me the ecstasy soup." Li Chengqian gave him a white look, "Didn't you say last time that there is a beautiful Taichangle man who wants to bring me to see me? I have nothing to do today, so I might as well go to Taichang Temple to see it." .”
Li Yuanchang hurriedly stopped him, and said with a smile: "Look at how anxious you are, there are so many people in broad daylight, you are a dignified prince who goes to Taichang Temple to meet a musician, and you are not afraid of people's gossip? Turn around and the emperor will scold you again." , don't blame me."
"Forget it then, don't bring her here." Li Chengqian said coldly, then turned his head and walked back, "It's so mysterious, why is it so beautiful, it's not like I haven't seen a woman before! "
Li Yuanchang smiled: "Yes, what kind of beauties have you never seen in the Tang Dynasty? But I promise, this one is absolutely extraordinary!"
Li Chengqian looked at him, and suddenly smiled narrowly: "Look at how disrespectful you are! If you want me to say, you might as well go to Pingkangfang and open a brothel!"
"Hey, why is it about being old and disrespectful?" Li Yuanchang was anxious, "Where am I old? I'm in the prime of my youth, okay? Really, I'm two months younger than you! Old man, you are more than 60 days older than me, and you have more wrinkles than me..."
Li Chengqian interrupted him with a smile, made another sarcasm, then laughed loudly, beckoning to the accompanying eunuch in the distance.The eunuchs immediately raised their shoulders and ran over.
At this moment, Liu Ji just came hurriedly from the other side of the hall, and was about to step into the door of the hall when he heard talking and laughing in the distance, he raised his head and looked up, his eyes suddenly sank.
Now that the emperor summoned him urgently, Liu Ji already had a premonition that something was wrong, and now seeing the prince and the King of Han so relaxed and comfortable, he immediately realized that he must have been killed this time.
It seems that Li Chengqian is not as easy to deal with as he imagined.
(End of this chapter)
From the Chunming Gate in the east of Chang'an City, walk twenty li to the southeast, and you will find the well-known Bailuyuan.
The terrain of Bailuyuan is majestic, with the towering Mausoleum of Emperor Wen of Han at the north end, and the [-]-mile Qinchuan River, which is as flat as a stone, in the south. prosperity.
On this day, a new tomb was erected on a grassy hillside on the north bank of Bashui River.
This is Xiao Henian's tomb.
At this moment, Xiao Junmo was respectfully inserting the three sticks of incense in his hand on the incense burner in front of the tombstone.Since it was impossible to find his father's body, after discussing with Uncle Jiu, Xiao Junmo put the black leather boot and a few pieces of cloth that he had found, as well as the clothes his father wore before his death, the used pen, ink, paper and inkstone, etc. Into the coffin, buried in the tomb.
Xiao Junmo's face was calm, without a trace of tears in his eyes.
He Chongjiu led a group of servants standing behind him, but they all sobbed and wiped away their tears.
There was a sound of hoofbeats, and He Chongjiu and the others looked back, only to see a group of black armor galloping down from the loess plateau in the west, and they were approaching in a blink of an eye.The person in charge is wearing black armor and looks heroic. It is Huan Dieyi.
Huan Dieyi got off the horse, and after kneeling down to worship the incense, he looked at Xiao Junmo worriedly, and said: "Brother, I am ordered by my uncle to leave Beijing for a few days, so I can't accompany you. You have to mourn, don't be too sad."
"It's a lie to say you're not sad." Xiao Junmo said lightly, "But I still promise you, try not to be sad."
"You have to be well, so that I can leave with peace of mind."
"It's just a few days away, and it's not life and death. What's there to worry about?"
"I don't know why, as long as I don't see you for a day, my heart will be up and down." Huan Dieyi said, suddenly realized that this sounded like a confession, and quickly explained, "Don't get me wrong, I It means that you have kept too many things from me recently, so I will think wildly in my mind. "
"I didn't misunderstand." Xiao Junmo glanced at her, "But your explanation is a bit redundant."
"Are you really not mistaken?" Huan Dieyi stared at him.
"Of course I didn't misunderstand." Xiao Junmo also looked at her, "What do you want me to misunderstand?"
Huan Dieyi was very embarrassed, waved his hands and said: "Oh, don't say it, anyway, I just don't like you keeping everything from me."
"I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just that I haven't figured out a lot of things myself, so I can't tell you clearly for the time being."
"Anyway, you always have something to say." Huan Dieyi pouted.
Xiao Junmo glanced at the team of black armor not far away, and said in a low voice: "With so many brothers, you have to show some upright style, don't act like a girl, and be careful to be underestimated by them."
Huan Dieyi heard the words, quickly put away her daughter's attitude, and put on a solemn expression.
"Let's go quickly." Xiao Junmo said, "Xuanjiawei's missions are all urgent, how can you dawdle like you?"
"Don't you ask me, what mission is this trip? Where are you going?"
"Xuanjiawei's rule is not to ask questions." Xiao Junmo said, "You say that I am a dignified Xuanjiawei general, so why make such a low-level mistake?"
"Then you're not curious at all?"
"Huan Dieyi, if you go on, I'm worried that someone will report you." Xiao Junmo pretended to be serious.
"Report on me?" Huan Dieyi was slightly startled, and subconsciously looked at the black armors, "Report me on what?"
"First, delay the time for no reason and delay the fighter plane; second, whisper to those who are not performing the task, and there is a suspicion of leaking secrets."
Huan Dieyi snorted coldly: "Scaremongering! Make a fuss out of a molehill!" Although he said so, he was already uncomfortable in his heart, and then moved his feet and said: "Then, I'm leaving, you take care of yourself."
"Let's go, carry out the mission well, don't think about it." Xiao Junmo said, "The most important thing is don't think about me."
When Huan Dieyi heard the words, he was so angry and funny, he couldn't help but turned around and made a face at him, then got on his horse and galloped towards the official road in the east with the team of black armor.
There was a drizzle of rain in the air.
Xiao Junmo watched Huan Dieyi and the others drift away in the rain and mist, and said in his heart: Dieyi, I hope you don't make things too difficult for Chu Lisang, that girl was ruined by me, she suffered enough, she shouldn't be hurt anymore... …
In fact, Xiao Junmo already knew about Huan Dieyi's mission this time.Because there is no impenetrable wall in the world, and it is difficult to have absolute secrets in the palace, when Xiao Junmo heard the news of Biancai's hunger strike, he had a premonition that the emperor would use Chu Lisang to force Biancai to submit.
Regarding this, Xiao Junmo naturally had mixed feelings in his heart.Because he was the one who caught the debate, if he really went on a hunger strike and died, he would not be able to forgive himself, and he would be condemned by his conscience for the rest of his life.Now that the emperor ordered Xuanjiawei to arrest Chu Lisang, Xiao Junmo's guilt and self-blame became even deeper.However, he couldn't stop it all.After thinking about it, he decided to wait until Chu Lisang arrived in Chang'an.In short, he already owes her too much, so he can only do his best to help her, and when the time comes, he will play by ear and try not to let her get hurt again.
When Xiao Junmo, He Chongjiu and the others were about to leave, a carriage drove over without haste and stopped beside the willow tree on the bank of the river, followed by several guards on horseback.
In the drizzle, an old man with gray beard and hair and dignified expression got out of the car and looked at Xiao Junmo from a distance.
It was Wei Zheng who came.
After offering incense in front of Xiao Henian's tomb, Wei Zheng stood quietly, his eyebrows, beard and hair were all wet by the drizzle, and his eyes seemed to be a little moist too.
He Chongjiu and the others had left first, leaving only Xiao Junmo standing behind Wei Zheng.
After a long time, Wei Zheng turned around and looked at Xiao Junmo: "Nephew, this man has passed away, please give me condolences!"
The guard not far away wanted to come over with an umbrella, but Wei Zheng stopped him with his gaze.
"Grand Master, no one was notified of my father's burial today, but you not only knew about it, but also came here on purpose, which surprised and moved the younger generation!"
Wei Zheng didn't pay attention to his implication, and said calmly: "This old man is an official in the same dynasty as your father, and the personal relationship is not bad. Naturally, we should come and see him off."
"Then why didn't the grand master ask why my father passed away suddenly?" Xiao Junmo stared into Wei Zheng's eyes.
"Your father's whereabouts were unknown a few days ago, and this old man has heard about it. I wanted to inquire at the mansion, but I was entangled in trivial matters." Wei Zheng said calmly, "Until this morning, this old man accidentally heard that my nephew helped the coffin out of the city, so I guessed that my father might have passed away. So... for fear of making my nephew feel sad, this old man dare not ask questions lightly."
With such a city and such determination, it is no wonder that it ranks among the princes, officials and prime ministers.Xiao Junmo sneered in his heart, and said: "The grand master just said that I have a good personal relationship with my father, but what kind of personal relationship is it?"
"Together with Mu Gu Shengge, to be honest and upright, to practice Qi Zhiping, and to learn from the sages to cultivate oneself and others, and to benefit the world and the people! That's all, nothing else."
"Really? Since you are so like-minded, then my father must often come to the house to disturb you?"
"Occasionally, not often."
Wei Zheng's face was like a thousand year old well, his expression was almost motionless.Xiao Junmo saw it in his eyes and decided not to make circles with him anymore, so he went straight in: "In the middle of the night on the 26th of last month, it was actually already the early morning of the 27th. My father suddenly came to your house despite the night ban imposed by Marquis Wu. This I don’t know if the grand master still remembers it? I don’t know what kind of sages and sages you were talking about that time?”
Wei Zheng was slightly startled, and then smiled and said, "I'm getting old, and I've become more and more insensible recently. I can't remember what my nephew said. Maybe there is such a thing, maybe it isn't."
"The grand master is too modest!" Xiao Junmo also laughed, "Even if the Wangchuan Tea House in Yongxingfang has changed a potted plant, you can see everything clearly, so how can you say that you are old and stupid?"
As soon as this remark came out, it was nothing more than a thunderbolt to Wei Zheng!No matter how deep his palace is and no matter how strong his concentration is, he can't help showing a look of astonishment at this moment.He tried his best to conceal the turmoil in his heart: "What my nephew is saying, I can't understand at all!"
"Grand Master, this junior has already talked about this point, do you still need to hide it?" Xiao Junmo looked directly at Wei Zheng, his gaze was like a knife.
Wei Zheng regretted it in his heart.In fact, since Xiao Henian disappeared, he was not worried that Xiao Junmo would follow the clues to find him, because he knew Xiao Junmo's ability well and never dared to underestimate it.However, he was still lucky after all, and felt that even if Xiao Junmo wanted to find out the whereabouts of his father, he would start with Wei Wang, and it was unlikely to look in his direction, so he lost his vigilance and had no defense against Xiao Junmo. The secret contact point of Wangchuan Tea House has been exposed.Besides, how much did Xiao Junmo know, he really didn't dare to think about it anymore.
At this moment, Wei Zheng could only force himself to be calm: "Nephew, I am deeply saddened by your father's passing, and I can understand your current mood, but you can't talk nonsense because you are too sad!"
"Since the Grand Master can't understand what this junior is saying, let's change the subject." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "Recently, this junior suddenly became interested in the ancient poems of the Six Dynasties. There is a sentence that this junior likes very much, but he has never been able to understand its meaning. Taking advantage of this opportunity today, I hope the grand master will give me some advice."
A trace of panic flashed in Wei Zheng's eyes, and he said coldly: "It's not at this time or this place to talk about poetry and prose! My nephew, it's raining heavily, and I'll leave now, and you should go home quickly. After finishing speaking, he walked quickly towards the carriage, and the guards not far away hurried over with umbrellas.
"Grand Master!" Xiao Junmo shouted at his back, "Wangyan is ashamed to take off his clothes, and Linchuan thanked Jiegan. You should be familiar with this poem, right?"
Wei Zheng was shocked again, and stopped unconsciously.
He never expected that Xiao Junmo had already found out this step!In an instant, Wei Zheng, who was mature, prudent and resourceful, lost his position and didn't know how to deal with it.
Xiao Junmo slowly walked behind him and stood still: "Grand Master, I know you are deeply shocked now, but please forgive me, I have not only found this step, but also found more interesting things. If you don't want me to By saying these things, you have only two options, and it's best to decide now."
Wei Zheng signaled the guards to wait for him at the carriage, still turned his back to Xiao Junmo and said, "What choice?"
"First, let your guards silence me now, I will never resist!" Xiao Junmo said, "If you don't have the heart to do it, then there is only a second choice - tell me all the secrets that you and my father have been keeping , let me know why my father died!"
The drizzle on Wei Zheng's forehead merged into water droplets, which flowed down with difficulty along his furrow-like wrinkles.
A celadon vase was slammed onto the ground and shattered into countless small pieces.
Li Tai was full of anger, panting heavily, pacing back and forth in the study.Liu Ji and Du Chuke sat aside, staring at him blankly.
"Your Highness, calm down, it's not worthwhile to lose your temper!" Du Chuke persuaded.
"This king never expected that the prince would be such a despicable and insidious villain, and would do such a shameless thing!" Li Tai was still striding back and forth, furious.At this time, Li Shimin's teaching of "be calm in the face of major events" has long been thrown out of the blue by him.
"Your Highness, please forgive me for saying something you shouldn't have said." Du Chuke said, "You really shouldn't have told the truth to the Holy Majesty that day, you just made up any dream and passed away, why bother to mention King Hailing? "
"But I was really scared!" Li Tai's lingering fears still persisted, "I have never had a good night's sleep since I lived in Wude Hall, and I have been wondering in my heart, and I always feel that there is something evil going on there. , but there was lightning and thunder that night, and that headless ghost is so terrifying, if it were you, I think you would have been scared to death!"
Du Chuke curled his lips and stopped talking.
"Your Highness can be forgiven for saying so." Liu Ji said slowly, "Wu De Palace is originally full of yin, and His Highness's insomnia for many days is a clear proof. In addition, there are people deliberately pretending to be gods and ghosts. It is reasonable to be frightened. No wonder Your Highness .”
"That's right!" Li Tai finally relieved his anger, and stopped in his tracks, "Liu Shilang is reasonable when he says that!"
Du Chuke gave Liu Ji a sneaky look, and said awkwardly: "Yes, brother Sidao always likes to pick up nice things to say, but is it useful? What practical problems can it solve?"
Liu Jie smiled lightly: "Brother Shan Shi said it is true, Liu is here today to help His Highness solve practical problems."
Upon hearing this, Li Tai finally sat down: "Liu Shilang has something to say, please tell me."
"Your Highness, have you ever thought about the real reason why Your Majesty asked you to leave the palace this time?"
Li Tai was furious again: "Isn't it all the work of the prince, a despicable villain!"
Liu Jie smiled and shook his head: "No, no!"
Li Tai frowned: "Is there anything else?"
When Du Chuke heard this, he couldn't help looking at Liu Ji.
"Your Highness, the haunting is only a superficial reason. The real reason is that His Highness has been too close to the noble children of the court in the past half a month, which has violated the taboo of the Holy Majesty. The Holy Majesty suspects that you are suspected of forming a clique for personal gain. I feel that you have been a little arrogant and over-ostentatious recently."
Li Tai suddenly realized, and it took him a long time to say: "What you say makes sense, what you say makes sense! It's all my fault that I didn't listen to what the servant said. It would be great if I could keep a low profile and keep a low profile. Alas, it's too late to regret!"
"Your Highness, even though this is the reason, there is no need to give up eating because of choking. There are several important and powerful children in the court, and they should make friends with each other, as long as they are not too ostentatious and not too promiscuous." Liu Ji said, "Furthermore, What is lost is the east corner, what is harvested is mulberry elm. If His Highness can eat a ditch and gain a little wisdom, then a bad thing will become a good thing, how can it be too late?"
"Brother Sidao's words are good, I love to hear them!" Du Chuke said, "His Royal Highness, those who plan big things don't depend on the gains and losses of one city or one place. Although the East Palace was lucky to win a round, as long as His Highness cheers up and regroups, we can win back." A city is by no means difficult!"
When Li Tai heard this, he immediately lifted his spirits.
"Brother Shan Shi is right." Liu Ji said, "In fact, the crown prince is pretending to be a ghost this time, and the Holy Majesty may not be able to guess it. It is because the Holy Majesty knew it well, so after the eunuch committed suicide in prison, the Holy Majesty would not let it go I have pursued it, but I am actually afraid that if I go deeper and dig out the East Palace, the matter will be difficult to deal with. Therefore, what the prince did this time is actually a stupid move that hurts the enemy a thousand and hurts himself eight hundred. Naturally, the position in the middle is even more unstable. This is exactly where His Highness's opportunity lies!"
Hearing this, Li Tai was even more energetic, and the depression of the past few days was swept away immediately, and he laughed loudly: "Back then, my father had 'Fang Mou to stop the decision', and this king has 'Liu Mou to stop the decision' today! Haha, with the help of two sages, why should I be afraid of such a petty bastard like Li Chengqian!"
Hearing this, Du Chuke's heart was immediately elated, and a smug expression appeared on his face.
Liu Jie smiled lightly, with little change in his expression: "His Royal Highness, Liu is very grateful that you can rekindle your fighting spirit. However, having said that, you have to eat every bite, and you have to play chess step by step. The dangerous thing of licking honey with a knife head must be done with care and caution!"
Li Tai nodded, deeply agreeing.
"Brother Sidao, that's what you say, but once you seize the opportunity, you still have to attack decisively, right?" Du Chuke asked with sideways eyes.
"That's natural."
Li Tai looked at Du Chuke: "Do you have any ideas?"
"Your Highness, the prince likes to wield knives and swords. Blood is often seen in the East Palace, and there are many people killed by him. Do you know this?"
"I know, doesn't Father hate him because of these things? However, I heard that he has restrained himself a lot recently."
Du Chuke sneered: "Recently, I have restrained myself, but those people who committed suicide in the past deserve to die?"
"As far as I know, the ones he killed were all the Turkic people who violated our Tang Dynasty and burned and plundered in the Western Regions. These people should have been killed. Although it is against the law for him to use the knife, it is no big deal after all."
"If the prince killed all the vicious Turkic people, then that's fine. The problem is, among the people he killed, there were people from my Tang Dynasty!"
Li Tai was taken aback: "Is it really true?"
Du Chuke nodded, and said to Liu Jie: "Brother Sidao, the source of the news is yours, so you should tell it."
Li Tai quickly looked at Liu Ji.
Liu Jie also smiled: "Brother Shan Shi is offended by saying that, we are all doing things for His Highness, why do we have to make such a clear distinction?"
"The point is still to be scored!" Du Chuke waved his hand, "I never covet the achievements of the heavens or the beauty of others!"
"What's the difference? Is this the time to worry about it?" Li Tai was anxious, "What's going on, you should tell me quickly!"
"It's like this, Your Highness." Liu Jie said slowly, "A few days ago, I received a memorandum from Chen Xiong, the governor of Yizhou, which said that two months ago, Prince Zuowei led Feng Shijin to Yizhou. , and captured dozens of Turkic people, but thirteen of them were out-and-out Yizhou people, Qimin, a registered household registered in the Tang Dynasty, but he offended Feng Shijin because of something, and was falsely accused of The Turks brought them back to Chang'an and locked them up in the East Palace. According to my estimation, the prince may have killed all these thirteen people."
"There is such a thing!" Li Tai was a little surprised, but even more delighted, "However, is this Chen Xiong so courageous that he dares to participate in the performance of the crown prince for the sake of a few common people?"
Liu Jie smiled: "At first I thought it was strange, but Brother Shan Shi explained a little bit, and I was relieved."
Li Tai quickly looked at Du Chuke.
Du Chuke couldn't help laughing: "Of the thirteen people, five are Chen Xiong's brothers-in-law."
"Five?!" Li Tai was surprised, "Where are there so many brothers-in-law?"
"Before Chen Xiong was released as the governor, he was a colleague of mine in the court. This man was lustful and married a total of twelve wives and concubines. Do you think he has too few brothers-in-law?"
Li Tai couldn't help laughing, and asked Liu Ji, "Did Chen Xiong say, how did these brothers-in-law offend Feng Shijin?"
"It is said that they collided with each other on the road. Chen Xiong's brothers-in-law are used to domineering in Yizhou, and they must have never expected to provoke the prince in such a place."
"It's a good show this time." Li Tai said with a smile, "Hurry up and report this to Father."
"It's natural." Liu Ji still said calmly, "It is Liu's responsibility to review the four directions and report to the emperor in time."
"Chen Xiong's memorabilia alone is not enough." Li Taidao, "In my opinion, it's best for you to refer to another book, saying that the ancients said that a prince who breaks the law is the same as the common people, and now the prince is so lawless and disregards human life. , It is really unbearable to set an example for the subjects, and should be punished, so as to calm the hearts of the savages."
Liu Ji pondered for a while, and said: "I will follow His Highness's order."
Xiao Junmo did not expect that he would be invited by Wei Zheng to drink tea in the private room of Wangchuan Tea House as a guest.
Wei Zheng brewed tea himself, and his techniques were skillful, which showed that this teahouse had been their secret contact point for many years.While drinking tea, Xiao Junmo looked around at everything in the room, and suddenly felt that his father was sitting next to him, and the three of them were drinking tea and talking and laughing together.
In an instant, Xiao Junmo's eyes became moist.
"This freshly brewed tea has a strong ginger taste, and it's a bit spicy to the eyes." Xiao Junmo tried his best to hide it.
"Jun Mo, why do you need to hide it in front of me?" Wei Zheng looked at him, with an elder's kindness in his eyes, "Cry as much as you want, no one will say you are weak."
Xiao Junmo was seen through, but he didn't feel any embarrassment at all, instead he suddenly relaxed.As soon as she relaxed like this, tears really came gushing out, silently falling down her cheeks onto the skirt of her clothes.
"Jun Mo, I have to bear the main responsibility for your father's affairs." Wei Zheng just opened his mouth, his eyes turned red, "I should have thought a long time ago that Wei Wangfu is a dangerous place, and he should not be allowed to go back..."
"Teacher, how many years has my father been with you?" Xiao Junmo wiped his face vigorously, and changed the subject.
"It's probably been 30 years since Qu Zhi." Wei Zheng recalled, with a sad smile, "When your father followed me, he was almost as old as you. Young, courageous, courageous, and ambitious... ..."
"You and my father, apart from officials, what are your real identities?"
Wei Zheng was silent for a moment, and slowly said: "Jun Mo, things are not as complicated as you imagined. Your father and I are just old people from Wagang. Back then, the world was in chaos, and there were many heroes. We will follow Wei Gong and Li Mi, and swear Taking saving the common people and eradicating tyranny as our own responsibility, we set up an uprising flag in Wagangzhai to compete in the Central Plains, and later returned to the Tang Dynasty with Duke Wei. However, after Duke Wei entered the court, he was squeezed out, so he secretly organized us and other old ministries Get up, just in case..."
"Who is included in this old department?" Xiao Junmo frowned. "As far as I know, my master, General Li Shiji, and other generals in the army, such as Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie, were all from Wagang. Could it be that they all joined?"
Wei Zheng shook his head: "At that time, Shiji was still in Liyang, Hebei, and he hadn't surrendered yet. Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie voted for Wang Shichong of Luoyang. Therefore, only my lineage and Uncle Wang were recruited by Duke Wei..."
"It is said that Li Mi surrendered and rebelled in the name of appeasing the old Central Plains. He ran away from Chang'an, and was beheaded and killed in Xiong'er Mountain together with Wang Bodang. Where were you at that time? Why didn't you go with him?"
Wei Zheng smiled wryly: "That's exactly what I want to say. Back then when Duke Wei went out to appease the old troops, he also got Gao Zu's consent, but Gao Zu was suspicious of him after all, so he didn't let him take away all the people under his command. Instead, I ordered my part to stay in Huazhou, and only let Wei Gong take the Wang Bodang part out. As you know, they encountered misfortune, but I escaped the "surrender and rebellion" He was charged with the crime and survived by luck.”
Xiao Junmo was slightly startled: "So, back then, you and my father actually had the intention of 'rebelling'. It was only by accident that they escaped the catastrophe, and in the end they became loyal ministers and elders of our dynasty?"
Wei Zheng laughed at himself: "It's possible to say that, but it's not quite accurate. In fact, I didn't agree with Duke Wei when he rebelled against him after he surrendered. In the world, if you rebel again, you can only bring your own destruction. However, after all, I have followed Wei Gong for many years, and I couldn't bear to abandon him, so I decided to do it with my life and death. Unexpectedly, in the end, I didn't die for Wei Gong, but it was fulfilled. The loyalty to Datang is embarrassing even thinking about it!"
"Since you are loyal to my Tang Dynasty, why did you keep this secret force of Wagang for so many years? To put it lightly, it is a secret alliance; , don't you think so?"
Wei Zheng laughed again: "Jun Mo, you are still young, and things in the world are far from being so black and white, with clear distinctions. Sometimes, keeping a little gray is not necessarily for ulterior motives, but for... to keep Some kind of balance."
"Keeping balance?" Xiao Junmo was puzzled, "What kind of balance?"
"Let's use an analogy. Back then, I worked in the East Palace and was a person who concealed the crown prince. The Holy One, who was also the king of Qin, surpassed the crown prince in terms of prestige, strength, and other aspects. This is a dangerous imbalance. Therefore, As a member of the East Palace, I must do my best to maintain the balance between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin, and prevent the King of Qin from doing unreasonable actions that endanger the Crown Prince. Because of this, I must keep some gray power, otherwise how can I be in the dark? Survive in the cracks with Bai? How can you compete with King Qin?"
"The grand master is outspoken when he says that." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "This junior admires your frankness."
"This is an old story, so why should I keep it secret?" Wei Zheng felt a little emotional, "When I served in the East Palace, I naturally had to be loyal to Prince Yin; when the Holy One became the throne, I naturally wanted to be loyal to the Holy One. The two are not the same. contradiction."
"According to what you said just now, Prince Yin also knew about this gray force under your command?"
"Yes."
"Then, in the confrontation between Prince Yin and King Qin, this force must have participated, right?"
"It's natural. To tell you the truth, I once persuaded Prince Yin to attack the King of Qin as soon as possible, but Prince Yin was a bit indecisive, that's why the matter of Xuanwu Sect happened later."
"After the Xuanwumen Incident, everything has been settled, and you have turned to assist the Holy Majesty, and the monarch and his ministers have worked together to create the situation of Haiyan and Heqing in my Zhenguan Dynasty. It stands to reason that the power under you has long since disappeared. If necessary, you can disband it at any time, but why didn't you do so?"
"Junmo, it's because you take things too simply." Wei Zhengdao, "On the surface, the sea is clear, but it doesn't mean that there is no undercurrent surging behind it. In fact, in the past few years, the crown prince and the king of Wei have formed an incompatible relationship. It is obvious to all that the government and the opposition are competing against each other. Therefore, out of the need to maintain balance, it is still necessary for gray forces to exist.”
"Could it be that you predicted today's situation many years ago?"
"I don't dare to say that it was completely predicted, but I always have hidden worries. Because the lessons of the fight for the succession were too profound, so I don't think that with today's peace, the succession will disappear automatically. "
Xiao Junmo looked at Wei Zheng deeply, and had to admire his foresight and foresight, as well as his unswerving defense and persistence of the heir apparent inheritance system.However, although Wei Zheng's answer just now partially resolved Xiao Junmo's confusion, the most fundamental cause of his father's death - debate and the mystery of "Lanting Preface" is still not involved.
"Teacher, I still have a question I want to ask."
"Let's talk." Wei Zheng smiled, "I'm here to answer your questions today."
"Thank you, Grand Master!" Xiao Junmo looked at him, "You, my father, and this faction under your command, what does it have to do with Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface"?"
Wei Zheng hesitated for a moment, and immediately said: "It doesn't matter. Your father and I were just worried that King Wei would use his eloquence to do something against the prince, so we intervened in this matter."
"That's exactly what I want to ask. Biancai is just a monk, and "Lanting Preface" is just a copybook. How could the two be unfavorable to the prince? What are you and my father worried about?"
Wei Zheng was stunned again, and hurriedly said, "This is also the confusion between me and your father. Since his enthronement, the Holy Majesty has spared no effort to find the "Lanting Preface", and the King of Wei has used the opportunity of compiling "Kuo Di Zhi" to find eloquent talents. There must be some extraordinary secret. It is precisely because you don’t know what this secret is and what kind of harm it will cause, that your father took the risk to steal information about Biancai, and I also sent people to rob Biancai.”
Waterproof!
Wei Zheng obviously didn't tell the truth, but his lies were so reasonable that there was almost no flaw to be found.Xiao Jun looked at Wei Zheng silently, and suddenly laughed.
Wei Zheng was a little terrified by his laughter: "You...why are you laughing?"
"I laugh at the grand master, some nobles have forgotten that the ancient poem I mentioned to you in Bailuyuan just now is the code for your connection, and it just comes from "Lanting Collection"! How can there be such a coincidence in the world? Grand Master still wants to tell me, does the two have nothing to do with each other?"
"This... this is definitely a coincidence!" Wei Zheng said, "I just used this ancient poem as a code because I like it, there is absolutely no other reason."
"The grand master should know that my father not only wrote a copy of "Lanting Collection" by hand, but also read it often, and couldn't put it down! Could it be a coincidence?"
"Your father and I both like ancient poems from the Six Dynasties, isn't that surprising?"
"Then can you tell me the reason why you like it?"
"I like it, I like it, what reason can I have?"
Xiao Junmo laughed again: "Grand Master, if you really can't remember, let me help you find another reason."
Wei Zheng looked at him alertly: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Xiao Jun remained silent, but dipped his hands in the tea in front of him, and wrote two words on the food table.
When Wei Zheng saw it, his expression changed drastically.
The two words on the food table are exactly "Wei Pang".
"Wei Pang, a famous scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, once served as a meritorious officer in Kuaiji County. On the Shangsi Festival on March [-], the ninth year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he met with Wang Xizhi and others by the Lanting River in Shanyin, Kuaiji. They drank wine and wrote poems. There is a five-character poem, in which there is this sentence, "Wang Yan is ashamed to get rid of the scorpion, and Linchuan is thankful for uncovering the pole."
Xiao Junmo observed Wei Zheng's expression, and continued: "Since I was interested in Wei Pang, I checked his lineage and learned about some of his descendants. I will read it again now, and the grand master will help me see if I have read it." False: Wei Qian, son of Wei Pang, grandson of Wei Guangling, great-grandson Wei Kai, great-great-great-grandson Wei Jishu, grandson Wei Chu, grandson Wei Zhao, grandson Wei Yan, grandson Wei Changxian, grandson Wei Zheng Wei Taishi. In short, you are You are the ninth grandson of Wei Pang! Since the code you used came from a poem written by your ninth ancestor at the Orchid Pavilion, doesn’t that just mean that you have a deep connection with the "Orchid Pavilion Preface"? If I guessed right, in this house In the teahouse, many people don't call you "Tai Shi", but "Sir", right? If you want to add two words in front of "Sir", I guess, it must be in this Lanting poem The word 'Linchuan'! Right?"
Wei Zheng's face turned pale, and he was speechless, obviously acquiescing to Xiao Junmo's guess.
After a long silence, Wei Zhengcai said: "Wei Pang is the ancestor of this old man. That's right, he participated in the Orchid Pavilion, and the code I used was indeed from his Lanting poem. These are all facts. The solution is, what can you prove by finding out these things?"
"At least one thing can be proved - you know the secret of "Lanting Preface", but you have been hiding it from me. Until now, you are still doing it!"
Wei Zheng sighed deeply: "Jun Mo, why do you have to pursue these things? Sometimes, it is not a good thing for people to know too many secrets."
"As I said just now, I must know why my father died! Therefore, I will not give up until I thoroughly find out the secrets of "Lanting Preface."
Wei Zheng looked at him with extremely complicated eyes: "It is because your father sacrificed his life for this that I don't want you to get involved again..."
"I'm already involved!" Xiao Junmo met Wei Zheng's gaze.
"However, you still have a chance to escape unscathed..."
"Teacher, since you don't want to tell me, then I won't force you." Xiao Junmo stood up, interrupted him coldly, and then bowed deeply, "Thank you for visiting my father just now, and thank you for answering many of my questions , Junior farewell."
After finishing speaking, Xiao Junmo walked out without looking back.
Until Xiao Junmo left for a long time, Wei Zheng still sat motionless.
What he said today made Wei Zheng's back break out in cold sweat several times, which really caught him by surprise.In his life, he was used to seeing swords and swords on the battlefield, as well as intrigues in the court. Even in the court battle with the emperor in the hall, he never panicked and calmed down. Sweating and embarrassing under the pressure of a young man.Of course, this is firstly because the secret that Wei Zheng wants to keep is no small matter, but at the same time it is because—this young man's insight is too amazing!
Wei Zheng knew that with this young man's blood and courage, no one could stop what he was determined to do.If the secret of "Lanting Preface" is like a blazing flame, then this young man is undoubtedly a brave but blind moth, flying towards the flame recklessly.
Since you can't stop the moth, you can only try your best to cover the flame for him.Thinking of the promise he made to this young man's biological father back then, Wei Zheng's heart inevitably became heavier...
When Xiao Junmo walked out of Wangchuan Teahouse, the sky just cleared up, and the sun hesitantly revealed half of his face from the clouds.
The scenery on the street became brighter in the sunlight.
However, Xiao Junmo's heart was full of gloom.
Just now Xiao Junmo almost asked Wei Zheng about his life experience, because he expected that Wei Zheng would know everything.However, in the end he held back.The reason is simple: since Wei Zheng has kept the secrets of "Lanting Preface" tight-lipped, even if Wei Zheng knew everything about his life experience, he would definitely not reveal a word.
Therefore, Xiao Junmo can only tell himself in the end: Whether it is the secret of "Lanting Preface" or the mystery of his life experience, you can only rely on yourself to find out the truth!
In the inner hall of Ganlu Hall, Li Chengqian knelt facing the imperial couch. Although his expression was a little panicked, it was more of an injustice.
A gold and jade cane was placed by his side, and a silk scroll was thrown on the ground in front of him.
Li Shimin paced back and forth in front of the imperial couch, with an angry expression on his face: "As the crown prince, you dare to kill civilians without authorization, and treat human life like nothing. You simply don't pay attention to my laws of the Tang Dynasty! Tell yourself, what should you do?"
"Return to the father, the son is innocent."
"You still dare to quibble? Didn't the thirteen Yizhou people be captured by you and killed in Chang'an?"
"Yes, he was killed by his son."
"Then what else is there to say? Kill people to pay their debts and pay their debts, and the crown prince broke the law and committed the same crime as the common people. Don't you understand this truth?"
"My minister has supervised the country many times under the order, helped my father handle the military and state affairs, and was praised by the whole court. How can my minister not understand this truth?"
Zhao Dequan, who was standing by the side, was very worried when he saw the crown prince contradicting every sentence, and tried his best to wink at him, but Li Chengqian turned a blind eye to it.
Li Shimin became more and more angry, pointed at Li Chengqian's nose and said: "Since you understand, then you killed these 13 people for no reason, should you take your life?"
"Although my son killed them, it was not for nothing."
"Isn't it just that the horses and chariots ran into your subordinates? You can kill people indiscriminately because of this?"
"The collision of vehicles and horses is just Chen Xiong's one-sided statement, not the truth."
"Then tell me, what is the truth?"
"The fact is that these 13 people are all villainous dandies in Yizhou. Relying on Chen Xiong's power, they have been committing crimes and harming the people! I have investigated them before arresting them. They have been in Yizhou for just two years. , raped dozens of women, killed 27 civilians, seized more than 300 hectares of fertile land and five manors, and there are countless incidents of extortion, kidnapping and wounding people! It seems that such lawless local bullies, because of Chen Xiong The government and the people of Yizhou dare not speak out, and if the sons and ministers don't kill them, who would dare to kill them?!"
Li Shimin was taken aback for a moment.He never expected that this would be the case, so he calmed down immediately and said: "Since there is a reason for the incident, it's because I blamed you, get up and answer."
"Thank you, father!" Li Chengqian stood up leaning on a gold and jade walking stick.
Only then did Zhao Dequan at the side breathe a sigh of relief.
Li Shimin also sat down on the imperial couch: "If the facts are as you said, you can report this matter to me, and I will order the Ministry of Punishment to punish severely according to law. Why do you have to go to Yizhou to arrest people?"
"Father, since ancient times, those with power have been protected by officials. Although our government is clean and clear, there are still many people who are corrupt and pervert the law. Moreover, Yizhou is far away on the border of the Western Regions. If you act according to the law, it will take time and effort to come and go. It is said that Chen Xiong and others will forge evidence and buy witnesses when they hear the rumors, and in the end it will be a big matter and a small matter, so it would be easier for the minister to treat him in his own way!"
Hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help smiling wryly: "You're being straightforward, but according to what you said, aren't the three legal divisions of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Dali Temple, and Yushitai in the Tang Dynasty all in vain?"
"Of course not! But there is authority in everything. The three legal divisions follow the regular routine, and the sons and ministers act on the basis of expediency. The two cannot be neglected, and both have reasons for their existence."
"I haven't seen you for a long time, but I didn't expect that your eloquence is getting better and better." Li Shimin said with a smile, and he didn't know whether it was a compliment or a tease.
"Thank you, father, for your compliment!" Li Chengqian was straightforward and didn't bother to speculate at all, "However, what I said came from the bottom of my heart, and it wasn't just a flash of tongue."
"There is still one thing I don't understand. Since you want to catch them, you can just catch them directly. Why do you want to design a scene of horses and chariots colliding?"
Li Chengqian smiled secretly: "Returning to my father, if my ministers arrest them directly, they will have to explain the reason. In this way, Chen Xiong knows that he is in the wrong, not only does not dare to show up to participate in the performance of the ministers, but also operates secretly, trying his best to cover up the crime; on the contrary, Chen Xiong will think that the son-in-law, like his brothers-in-law, is a domineering dandy, so he dares to participate in the performance. In other words, the son-in-law did this to make Chen Xiong himself Jump out and expose your crimes in front of your father."
Zhao Dequan was stunned when he heard it, he was surprised and admired, and even looked at Li Chengqian with strange eyes.
Li Shimin suddenly realized, and couldn't help but look at him deeply: "Chengqian, you are so scheming, even I can't help being shocked. It is a good thing to use your brain and change your mind when doing things, but don't forget, you are the prince. The future Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The way of governing the country should be based on integrity. Such tricks and tricks can only be done occasionally when it is absolutely necessary. You can't rule the world by power, remember?"
"My father's teachings, my ministers will keep in mind."
"Also, if you encounter this kind of thing again in the future, you must report it to me, and you must not kill it first and then report it. In addition, killing people in the East Palace is also a very ominous act. Although you have a reason to kill, it is still a violation of the law of the country. , It will make the government and the public criticize it. Therefore, these problems must be eliminated from now on, and they must not be repeated!"
"Yes, my son must correct his mistakes, please don't worry, father."
Li Chengqian stepped out of the Manna Hall with a cane, and several accompanying eunuchs wanted to step forward to help them, but he drove them away with a wave of his hand.Under the steps in front of the hall, there is a shoulder car that can be carried by four people parked, which was licensed by the emperor because of his limited mobility.Li Chengqian signaled the eunuchs to wait in place, while he walked up a corridor next to the main hall.
As soon as he turned a corner in the corridor, he saw Li Yuanchang standing not far away waiting for him.
"How about it, did the emperor scold you?"
When Li Chengqian approached, Li Yuanchang hurried forward and asked with concern.
Li Chengqian smiled coldly: "What do you guess?"
Li Yuanchang looked at his expression and shook his head: "I can't guess."
"Father was naturally furious at the beginning." Li Chengqian smiled complacently, "But when he figured out that I dug a hole for Chen Xiong to jump, he was completely taken aback."
"No wonder the emperor brother will be fooled. This move of yours will fool anyone who sees it!"
"Okay, stop talking nonsense, what happened to the matter I asked you to inquire about?"
Li Yuanchang looked around and leaned closer to him: "You will never guess who is behind your back this time!"
"Who?"
"The person who has been appreciated by the emperor recently."
Li Chengqian glared at him: "Where is there so much nonsense? Who is it?"
"The servant of the Huangmen, Liu Ji."
Li Chengqian was startled, and then sneered: "Unexpectedly, this old boy also took refuge in King Wei."
"That's right, he is now the most sought-after candidate in the court, and he is just around the corner to join the court!"
Li Chengqian's eyes were gloomy and cold: "When I inherit the throne, let me see what kind of cabinet he will enter and what kind of appearance he will worship!"
"Let me tell you, the hole you dug this time is really big enough. Not only did Chen Xiong jump into it stupidly, but even a scheming guy like Liu Ji fell in." Li Yuanchang gave a thumbs up, "I am convincing you gone."
"I expected a long time ago that many people would fall into this pit." Li Chengqian snorted coldly, "Next, I'll see what tricks this kid Li Tai will use!" Walked forward with a cane.
"Whatever he does, the soldiers come to cover the water and the earth!" Li Yuanchang quickly followed up and said with a smile, "Anyway, my prince of the Tang Dynasty can always strategize and win a thousand miles!"
"Don't give me the ecstasy soup." Li Chengqian gave him a white look, "Didn't you say last time that there is a beautiful Taichangle man who wants to bring me to see me? I have nothing to do today, so I might as well go to Taichang Temple to see it." .”
Li Yuanchang hurriedly stopped him, and said with a smile: "Look at how anxious you are, there are so many people in broad daylight, you are a dignified prince who goes to Taichang Temple to meet a musician, and you are not afraid of people's gossip? Turn around and the emperor will scold you again." , don't blame me."
"Forget it then, don't bring her here." Li Chengqian said coldly, then turned his head and walked back, "It's so mysterious, why is it so beautiful, it's not like I haven't seen a woman before! "
Li Yuanchang smiled: "Yes, what kind of beauties have you never seen in the Tang Dynasty? But I promise, this one is absolutely extraordinary!"
Li Chengqian looked at him, and suddenly smiled narrowly: "Look at how disrespectful you are! If you want me to say, you might as well go to Pingkangfang and open a brothel!"
"Hey, why is it about being old and disrespectful?" Li Yuanchang was anxious, "Where am I old? I'm in the prime of my youth, okay? Really, I'm two months younger than you! Old man, you are more than 60 days older than me, and you have more wrinkles than me..."
Li Chengqian interrupted him with a smile, made another sarcasm, then laughed loudly, beckoning to the accompanying eunuch in the distance.The eunuchs immediately raised their shoulders and ran over.
At this moment, Liu Ji just came hurriedly from the other side of the hall, and was about to step into the door of the hall when he heard talking and laughing in the distance, he raised his head and looked up, his eyes suddenly sank.
Now that the emperor summoned him urgently, Liu Ji already had a premonition that something was wrong, and now seeing the prince and the King of Han so relaxed and comfortable, he immediately realized that he must have been killed this time.
It seems that Li Chengqian is not as easy to deal with as he imagined.
(End of this chapter)
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