Chapter 23 Twenty-three, the twilight of the Tang Dynasty
Chang'an Suzaku Gate.
The bustling crowd of people filed in and out at the gate of the city.Men, women, old and young, scholars, farmers, businessmen, and businessmen are constantly flowing.
Dicui followed the crowd, bowed her head and hurried out of the city gate.
Just as she was leaving the city gate, there was a galloping horse coming from behind, and someone shouted: "Attention the guards of the Suzaku gate! The emperor ordered to immediately search for a young woman named Dicui, who was about five years old. Two inches long, wearing a light green skirt, if you find it, take it back to Dali Temple immediately!"
The guards responded quickly, and someone asked again: "What did the woman do that needs to be sent to Dali Temple?"
Dicui lifted her skirt, buried her head and sprinted forward, hoping to drown herself in the crowd and not be found.
The messenger who came on horseback said: "What Dali Temple? This is an oral order from the Holy Majesty himself! I heard that her father is related to the death of Princess Tongchang, and the Holy Majesty will have his family executed!"
Someone asked in a daze: "Is this the meaning of the Holy Majesty not letting the murderer's daughter live when he lost his daughter?"
"Are you going to die? Do you dare to say such a thing?" The person next to him shouted in a low voice.
The man shrank his head and dared not speak any more.
Dicui stood among the crowd, listening to the discussions around her, thinking about her father in a dazed and flustered manner.
The man who has always disliked her as a daughter, when she was very young, he told her, what's the use of you girl, you will go away with the man one day, your father and I have to live alone .
That person always said disgustedly when she was bullied by other children and came home crying: "Women are just useless, and they dare not fight back when fighting." But after a few days, those children saw her and didn't care Dare to bully again, so far she still doesn't know what's going on.
She has no mother, and has been cooking for her father and herself since she was a child.He eats it every day and never says yes.One day she went out to offer incense with her girlfriend, and when she came back, she found that he had left the pancakes sent by Aunt Wu next door and was just waiting for her to come back to cook.I remember at that time he said that he was not used to eating.
What he wanted was a son, and she was a burden he didn't want.But for so many years, compared with several female companions, she has no shortage of food, clothing and accessories.He always said that her daughter should dress up better so that she can ask for more gifts when she gets married, but sometimes she also thinks that the hard work of the past ten years will not be able to pay back after all.
Her father, with a rough temper and a stubborn personality, never knew how to say a gentle word or do a gentle thing all his life, let alone how to have a warm home.
She grew up like this, and she also felt sad that she didn't have a mother, and she also envied others to have a father who spoiled her, but she had nothing but the stubbornness inherited from him.
After her accident, he has been trying every means to drive her away, no matter how much she begged, he was always driven out.
However, when Yang Chonggu approached her ear and said the word "escape", it was almost like a hallucination in her ear. , the word "scroll" said to her.
At that time, the word that made her so painful that she wished she could die in front of him on the spot, but thinking about it now, made her burst into tears, and she couldn't hold it back anymore.
She suddenly thought, maybe at that time, her father had already decided to let her go away, and he was going to wash away all the hatred for her and kill all those who hurt her daughter.
Under the sunlight, she wept and walked forward in a daze.
I don't know where the future is, whether my lover can be reunited, or what will happen to my father.
There was noise from behind, and she saw a group of city gate guard soldiers chasing her in the crowd.The leader yelled, "You, the one in green, stop!"
She knew that she had been discovered, with the vast mountains ahead and the pursuers behind.Where could she go alone?
The world is very different, and all thoughts are lost.
Dicui stopped and slowly turned around to look at them.
"What's your name?" they asked.
The tears on Dicui's face were still wet, and she looked at them in panic, not daring to speak.
"No matter what the name is, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old woman in green clothes is walking alone again, so take her back first and then talk about it!"
The guards rushed over and grabbed her with their arms raised.
Dicui closed her eyes, only to feel endless desolation and sadness flooding her eyes, a vast darkness.
Just when the guards grabbed her arm, a very clear and soft voice suddenly came, saying, "You arrested the wrong person."
Everyone looked to the side where the voice was coming from, but it was a young man as elegant as bamboo and orchid, riding on a yellow horse.He was wearing a sky-blue narrow-sleeve shirt, the most ordinary clothes, and the most ordinary horse, but when everyone saw him, they felt that the colors of the world in front of them were extraordinarily bright, like the dawn of dawn.
Dicui moved involuntarily.
It's him……
Although we only met once, who would not remember such an outstanding person?What's more, he was the benefactor of Zhang Xingying's family—the kind-hearted man who searched for Bao in the capital for two days, traveled all over Chang'an, and finally sent the child home amidst the vast crowds.
The leading soldier also recognized him, and hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Isn't this Yu Xuezheng? Do you know this woman?"
A soldier nearby asked in a low voice, "Who is this Yu Xuezheng?"
"You weren't there last time? It was Yu Xuanyu Xuezheng, the imperial supervisor who went out with Concubine Guo Shuzheng and Princess Tongchang together! We stopped the car for inspection. If you get angry, all the people in our city gate will have nothing to eat!"
"Oh! I've heard of Yuxuan..."
The leader gave him a sideways glance, blocked back the gossip he was about to say, and bowed his hands to Yu Xuan with his usual expression.
Yu Xuan also dismounted to return the gift, and said, "I know this girl, she is a maid in the princess' mansion. Now that the princess has passed away, she has just been sent out of the mansion."
After speaking, he turned to look at Di Cui and asked, "Although your home is in the suburbs, there is always a distance, why is there no escort?"
Dicui looked into his clear eyes and suddenly realized that he was saving her.
She didn't know where the courage came from, and she stammered: "Yes... yes, now the princess... the princess is gone, and the house is in chaos. How can anyone send me away?"
"I'll go along with you, and I'll take you for a while." He said, bid farewell to the soldiers, and signaled her to get on the horse.
The leader hesitated: "Yu Xuezheng, this..."
"What's the matter, Captain Zha is still worried that I won't be able to walk, so you want to lend me a horse?" Yu Xuan said with a smile, "But I'm going back to Chengdu Mansion this time, so I don't want to repay the horse if I borrow it."
His smile was so clear that it was so clean that it was embarrassing.The leading soldier suddenly suspected that it was his fault, so he hurriedly said, "Yu Xue is in contact with the princess mansion...well, very close, of course there is absolutely no problem with what you said. But borrowing horses is not enough, horses They all have the fire seal of the Army and Horse Commander, even if I dare to borrow them, you won’t dare to ride Yu Xuezheng, hahaha!"
Yu Xuan patted the horse's neck with a smile and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."
Dicui got on the horse in a daze, and she didn't feel that her back was already drenched in cold sweat until she walked a mile away and the soldiers were no longer there.
Walking to a ferry, several people were loading goods on board.Yu Xuan led the horse to a stop and asked, "What are your future plans?"
She froze for a moment, shaking her head silently.
He motioned for her to get off the horse, took out two pieces of money and a set of clothes from the package, and gave her them, saying: "You will put on the clothes first, anyway, you can't wear this green dress. I don't have much money with me, so I'll give it to you." Half. If you are with me, it will be easy for the government to find you, so if you take this boat, you can go wherever you can."
She hesitated, seeing him holding something in both hands and keeping it in front of her, she could only take it, and said in a low voice, "Thank you... your benefactor."
He said nothing more, packed his package, got on his horse, and said, "Be careful on the road, don't pass by now."
She stood at the ferry with her things in her arms, watched him leave without looking back, and finally couldn't help calling him: "Senpai, I want to know...why did you save me?"
He stopped his horse and looked back at her.In those clear and clear eyes, there was a thin layer of worry and trance drifting past.
But after all, he concealed all his worries, only showed a slight smile, and said: "I was at the gate of Dali Temple once, and I saw you hugging Bao tenderly and carefully. I think that such a woman must not be a bad person. I hope that in the future, You can also hold your child like this and live a good life."
She looked up at him in a daze, her throat was choked, and she said with difficulty: "But I, I don't know if I can have such a day again..."
"There will be. God will not treat good people badly."
As he spoke, he nodded slightly to her, turned his horse around and left.
She watched him go, held back tears, put on his clothes in the bamboo forest, and stepped on the boat.
The boss of the ship is urging the guests to board the ship, and the merchants are sitting on the deck holding their goods staggeringly, and a kind-hearted old woman warmly invites her to sit beside him.
The full boat drank the deep water, and staggered along the reeds all the way forward.
Yuxuan's clothes were too big, Di Cui barely gathered the cuffs and hem, sat in the cabin, and leaned his head against the window woven with bamboo strips.
When the boat sails on the water, the surface of the water is like smooth silk trembling slightly.Dicui stared blankly at the water, thinking about those important people and things in her heart over and over again.
But in any case, those who hurt her have been punished, and the haze covering her has gradually dissipated.She thought, she must live and live well.
For Brother Zhang, but also for her father.
Like every ordinary woman, one day, she will reunite with her lover, hold her and his lover's child, be peaceful and calm under the sun, and forget all the sorrows that have eroded her.
Kui Wang's mansion, pillow flow pavilion. Jing Yu came back and reported her mission: "My lord, that Lu Dicui... I don't know where he went." Li Shubai frowned slightly, put down his pen and asked, "Didn't you be told to follow her from outside Dali Temple?" "Yes, but when she got outside the city gate, she attracted other people's attention. The servant was thinking about how to go up to protect her, but a passerby saved her," Jing Yu said, "The servant remembered that the prince's order was to escort her." She left the capital, and saw that she had boarded the boat and left, so she stopped following her." "Well, Prince Kui's Mansion can help her for a while, but it can't control her forever, let her go." Li Shubai said when he heard that she was out of danger. Jing Yu responded, but did not leave.Seeing him like this, Li Shubai understood that he still had something to say, so he motioned for him to finish. "The person who saved Lu Dicui at that time was Zheng Yuxuan, a student of the Imperial Academy who had just resigned." Li Shubai pondered for a moment, hummed, but had no other reaction. Jing Yu saluted very cleverly: "Your maidservant will leave." Li Shu Bai raised his hand, and after he stepped back, he sat alone in the water pavilion, but he felt the water and wind blowing from all around him, and it was scorching hot. He stood up unconsciously, walked along the curved bridge across the lake covered with lotus flowers, and walked towards the front yard. Jing Ju, who was on duty today, was sitting in the side hall, happily talking to Huang Zixia across the way, and peeling lotus pods with her to eat. "Hey, Chonggu, I heard that you are going to Shuzhong with the prince? Shuzhong is great, the land of abundance, I heard that the scenery is very beautiful!" "Well, I guess we'll be leaving soon." She held her chin, looked out at the lotus pond, and said softly.Her gaze was looking at a point of nothingness in the sky, as if she was looking at a person who was far away but close at hand. Li Shubai looked at her from the window, thinking of Yuxuan who had promised to wait for her in Chengdu Mansion. Yu Xuan. A rather complicated person who I don't know how to describe. He is suspected of murder, which may be related to the death of her parents, but he is also pure-hearted, helping children and orphans, and never leaving a name for retribution; Such a woman dares to have entanglements.If it is said that he likes Huang Zixia, why did he present her love letter as evidence of the crime, and insists on thinking that she is the murderer; if it is said that he hates her, why did he really abandon his future and go back to Chengdu Mansion to wait for her to return to clear her grievances? Huang Zixia and Jing Ju had already seen him, they quickly stood up and walked out, waiting for his orders. He motioned for her to follow, and the two walked along the shade of willows by the lotus pond. The lotus wind came slowly, rolled up the hem of their clothes, occasionally touched each other slightly, but immediately separated. Li Shubai stopped in his tracks, stood under the shade of willows and looked at a red lotus in full bloom nearby, finally put aside that thought and didn't talk about Yuxuan. "There's something I want to show you." He said, leading her to the Yubing Pavilion. This is the Nuan Pavilion. The weather is so hot now that he no longer lives here.When the two walked in, the stuffy atmosphere inside reminded them of the treasure house of Princess Tongchang. Li Shubai took out the nine-square grid box from the cabinet and opened it, then opened the inner box like a magnolia, took out the talisman inside, and handed it to her. Huang Zixia stretched out both hands to take it, her eyes widened in surprise. On the thick yellowish paper, between the weird shading patterns, the six characters "Widowed, Disabled, Lonely, Disabled, and Disabled" are still as clear as they were written just now.But at this time, in addition to the character "孤" delineated at the beginning, there was another faint red circle delineated above the character "Waste". Declining and withering is called waste. The red circle is still light in color, as if it just came out of the paper.But the appearance of smearing the fate of others seems to have a bloody smell, which makes people shudder. Huang Zixia looked up at him in astonishment, her voice trembling involuntarily: "My lord... when did this appear?" "I don't know. Ever since the incident with Concubine Li passed away and the red circle surrounding the word 'widower' faded, I was busy with business and never thought of it again. Until a few days ago when I was restless, I suddenly thought of it again, so I took it out to look at it." After a while," he pressed his hand on the talisman paper, his face seemed to be stunned, but not frightened, "It seems that another unavoidable storm is about to emerge around me." Huang Zixia asked: "Who are the people who have been in and out of the Yubing Pavilion recently?" "Many, from Jing Yu and Jing Xiang to gardeners and handymen, not to mention the few days when I'm not here, after the patrolling guards pass by, if someone wants to sneak in, there is always a way," Li Shubai frowned slightly, "Suspect The scope is too large, I am afraid it will not be easy to thoroughly investigate one by one.” "Well, it's better to have another breakthrough." She nodded. "Let's talk about it when we come back from Chengdu Mansion." He put the charm back into the box, but he couldn't prevent it anyway, so he simply put it behind his back at will. Huang Zixia frowned and looked at the box, and said, "Actually, at first, I thought that the theft of Jiuluan Chai in the Princess Mansion would be similar to the appearance and disappearance of the red circle on this talisman." "The switch access of this box, I never give it to others." Huang Zixia nodded, and said, "Yes, so exactly how the other party did it, and who did it... I still have no idea." "Since it gave me an omen, I will face the omen directly," Li Shubai said with a stern face, extremely calm, "I want to see whether a piece of paper determines my destiny, or I can control my own life. " Huang Zixia looked at him in awe.In the backlight of summer, he stood in front of the spell that bound his destiny, but he was straight and straight, like a jade mountain that had stood for thousands of years, shining brightly, not to be looked at directly, and never to be shaken and collapsed. She looked at him and said softly, "It's better to be careful in everything." He nodded, locked the box back into the cabinet, took out the scroll from the Zhang family, opened it, glanced at the graffiti on it, and said, "Also, I don't think the true face of this painting is the so-called three-dimensional scroll." Deadly graffiti." "Yes, we were just joking with the painting, it was far-fetched," Huang Zixia sighed, "Who would have thought that Lu Zhiyuan would be inspired by our jokes at that time, linking this case with the late emperor's posthumous writings, in order to confuse the public." "From a certain point of view, he is also an admirable old man." When Li Shubai led her out, he thought of another thing, and casually mentioned, "There is another person worthy of admiration——Empress Wang Back to the palace." Huang Zixia was slightly surprised, and said, "The queen moves so fast." "Both the government and the public are dissatisfied with Concubine Guo Shu, not to mention that she is not even the only reliable Princess Tongchang, how can she stop the queen from returning to the palace? And..." He looked back at her with deep meaning in his eyes: "This time, it was Concubine Guo Shu who asked the emperor to let the queen return to the palace." The reason, of course, is that the queen has put pressure on her. There are rumors in the market that Concubine Guo Shu frequently goes to and from the Princess Mansion, and she has an affair with her son-in-law Wei Baoheng, and she has no scruples. A woman who falls in love with a boy who is as old as her own daughter is like a wilderness on fire, sweeping through the air, unscrupulous.Even if the other party indifferently burned the letterhead that she had written at a huge risk, she was still obsessed with it. But now, Princess Tongchang, who helped them cover up, has passed away, and the chance for her to meet Yuxuan will be very rare.This relationship that ended without anyone knowing it will be buried in their hearts forever, leaving only that sentence, which becomes a rope around her neck, ready to drag her into the abyss all the time. She will never be the opponent of Queen Wang, no matter what aspect. "It's good that Queen Wang comes back. Princess Tongchang's tomb is overdue, and there is another commotion in the court over this matter. I don't have time to ask about it. I don't know if the queen who just returned to the palace can suppress this matter." Huang Zixia asked in surprise, "My lord has no time?" In her impression, he has the ability to separate himself, how could he not have time to deal with this kind of thing? Li Shubai turned his head to look at her, his eyes were deep and deep: "Naturally, I don't want to care about it. Sometimes I think, maybe when the person I cherish the most has an accident, whether it is a trafficker or a king or a general, they will not be able to control themselves. Do something that no one can stop." Therefore, regardless of the obstruction of the courtiers, the emperor will insist on building for his daughter, and use the grandest mourning gift to express his grief. Therefore, Lu Zhiyuan, a stubborn and wimpy old man, would painstakingly murder all those who hurt his daughter, and he never hesitated even in the face of death. And a princess who is loved by thousands of people but can't get what she wants most, and a girl who has a pitiful life but someone sacrifices everything she cherishes, who will be the happier one? "I don't know, will I have a daughter in the future, and what will my daughter be like?" Li Shubai said suddenly, looking at the lotus leaves and flowers fluctuating in the wind. Huang Zixia said softly: "There are many people who dote on their children in the world. I think the Holy Majesty must also feel that if he presents the best of everything in the world to Princess Tongchang, his daughter will definitely get the happiest and most complete marriage in the world." Life...it's a pity that he was wrong." Li Shubai nodded, and thoughtfully said: "Everyone thinks that the emperor loves Princess Tongchang like jewels and treasures, and there will be no regrets in her life, but in fact, who can see her life full of holes?" Her father was extremely doting on her, but never knew what she wanted.When she was a child, she cut her hand on a piece of porcelain and lost her toy forever.He rewarded her with countless treasures, but deprived her of her youthful happiness. Her mother used her as her high-ranking bargaining chip, and even pulled her over as a shield when she did something absurd, to cover up the invisible secret between herself and Yuxuan. The first thing she considered after her death was to kill her. All those around her keep their secrets. She chose Wei Baoheng as her husband just because the high-spirited man on the court smiled at her, but who knew that while he was greedy for the power she brought, he was also infatuated with another woman who was inferior to her in every way. "So, she, who has never experienced a normal life, will meet Qian Guansuo again and again. Maybe she can only get something from him that she will always be missing." The long-forgotten little porcelain dog, the never-before-experienced world situation, and the never-before-feeling love of civilian father and daughter made her unable to resist meeting Qian Guansuo again and again.Because she had never seen this in her life. A princess trapped between the golden house and jade pillars, no one understands her barren and barren heart.Because of her unhappiness, her father piled more treasures around her, but he didn't know that what her daughter needed was maybe just a little porcelain dog on the corner. Li Shubai was silent for a long time, then he suddenly let out a long breath, and said as if talking to himself: "I don't know, what kind of father I will be in the future." Huang Zixia said silently: "It's best...don't be like the emperor, who loves and spoils your daughter so much, but doesn't even know what she really wants. "Don't be like Lu Zhiyuan, who is silent and stubborn, doesn't know how to take care of his delicate daughter, thinks it's a shame for a man to show tenderness, and let his rough attitude hurt his daughter day after day. "Don't be like Qian Guansuo, who abandoned her daughter at the most difficult time, and went to look for it again when the situation improved, thinking that she could still be the same as before, but completely ignored the gap that was already difficult to bridge." Li Shubai turned to look at her and asked, "Then, what is a good father in your mind like?" Huang Zixia was silent, thinking about the person who secretly looked at her under the garden tree when he was young.The person who pretended inadvertently mentioning that someone else's daughter would make shoes for his father in front of her, but in private, boasted to everyone that this daughter of my family is better than ten other sons, her father. That was her father. When she was young, she felt that her father was ordinary and would not be able to accomplish anything in her life. She once thought that he was about the same as other people's fathers. However, to this day, she finally still got wet eyes, and said to him: "The best father in the world I have ever seen is my own father." Li Shubai looked down at her without speaking. In his heart, he also thought of the person who left forever when he was thirteen years old.He used to be the majestic and stalwart mountain in his childhood, and he seemed to be able to hide under the protection of the huge wings for a lifetime without seeing the wind and rain. Today, they are all orphans. In this world, you will never be able to rely on others, and you can only go on step by step by yourself, no matter whether it is wind and rain or sunshine ahead.
The day before they left the capital, it happened to be Zhou Ziqin's father's burning tail banquet.The chef in his family is very skilled, and the guests enjoyed themselves and returned home happily. It was noon after dinner, and when Zhou Ziqin sent them out, he said regretfully, "It's a pity that there is one less perfect ancient building." King Zhao also nodded and said, "Yes, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat such delicious Gulouzi again in the future." E Wang Li Run went down the steps with them, and when he was walking towards his carriage, he suddenly remembered something, and turned to Li Shubai: "Fourth brother." Li Shubai looked back at him. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a low voice: "Although this case is over, I don't know the picture my mother and concubine drew... Can Fourth Brother and Eunuch Yang come to a conclusion?" "Although this painting is related to this case, it is only used to confuse the eyes and ears and add the color of 'scourge'," Li Shubai mused. "Recently, I have thought a lot about this painting. I think about the painting of the concubine, It must be after the late emperor passed away, she recalled the late emperor's pen during the occasional waking period, and because of her deep memory, she secretly drew a picture based on her own memory." "However, what we don't understand now is why the first emperor drew that painting in the first place? What is the meaning of the expression?" Huang Zixia thoughtfully. Li Run's face was full of sadness. He had been to the Buddha for many years. He was originally a person with clear facial features and misty eyes.After a long time, he said in a low voice: "Isn't it strange that when the late emperor was sober, he did not arrange any major government affairs, but instead drew such a picture? She was delirious, but when she was the only one sober at the end, she gave me a copy of the father's posthumous pen... I think this painting must be very important, and what is contained in it may be... that can determine the future of the world. The secret of the direction of the Tang and Li royal families." Just because when his mother gave him the painting, she told him that the Tang Dynasty was about to perish!The country has changed hands! And at that time, she also said to him, Run'er, you must remember not to get too close to King Kui... Li Run looked at Kui King Li Shubai in front of him.Among the current Datang royal family, the most outstanding figure, he is the mainstay of the court and the only force that can support the Li family.However, why did my own mother not let herself get close to him? Is it because she has lost her mind, or has she once seen the terrible truth, so she revealed the secret to him? The mother and concubine went crazy overnight after the death of the first emperor. Is it really too much grief, or... there are other unpredictable and terrible inside stories? He didn't dare to think about it anymore, he thought for a while, and was about to bid farewell to Li Shubai, when Zhou Ziqin, who had finished seeing off the guests, ran over in two steps: "My lord, Chonggu, I just talked about Gulouzi, I remembered One thing happened! Did you know that Second Brother Zhang has resigned from Zuo Jinwu Guard." Huang Zixia asked in surprise, "Why?" "Here, you will find out when you follow me to the West Market." They were dragged by Zhou Ziqin to West Market.Lu Ji incense and candle shop was still open, but the people sitting inside were Zhang Xingying and his eldest brother and sister-in-law. Seeing them, Zhang Xingying quickly stood up and saluted Li Shubai first. Li Shubai nodded, motioning for him to be excused, then glanced at the incense and candle shop, and asked, "Are you going to take over this shop?" Zhang Xingying nodded, then shook his head again, and said, "I only found out about this when the local security came to the door yesterday. It turns out that Lu... Mr. Lu's shop was originally rented, and he spent all his savings at the beginning of the month. The shop is down." Huang Zixia looked up at the pair of flamboyant flower candles on the counter, finally couldn't help it, and said, "Second brother Zhang, this pair of flower candles, old man Lu said before, is not for sale." "Well, I think, when Adi and I get married... we can use it ourselves." Zhang Xingying said softly. Huang Zixia nodded, feeling a lot of emotion in her heart. Li Shubai frowned slightly and said: "The crime of copying and beheading all over the house, I'm afraid this shop will also be searched." "No, this shop, Mr. Lu...he sold it to me immediately after he bought it." He said, showing them some documents in a panic, "Look, this is the land deed, house deed … At that time, Ah Di had just been released from Dali Temple, and he came to my house. I thought that the ten coins exchanged for that painting was a gift from Dicui, so I pressed my fingerprint on the receipt issued by him, and it turned out… ..." This Lu Zhiyuan has already arranged everything, which can be regarded as his acknowledgment of Zhang Xingying's expression. Huang Zixia couldn't help sighing, and asked, "Then do you want to run a shop here?" Zhang Xingying shook her head and said: "No, this is left to her by Ah Di's father. My family and I have already discussed it. The name of the store will not be changed, and it will be placed under the name of me and Ah Di. The profit will be three to three points, and a share will be given to my brother and sister-in-law. , they promised to help me keep the shop; one part for Adi, to save first; the other part, I took out to find Adi, as expenses on the road... In this way, even if I can't find her, if one day, When Ah Di is back, she will also find her own home, and wait for my return with my brother and sister-in-law..." Huang Zixia couldn't help but blushed, and asked, "Where's your father? Does he agree?" "When he was sick before, I was busy outside every day. It was Adi who took care of him day and night, and he gradually got better. This time, he told me that if I can't find Adi, don't come back." Zhou Ziqin's voice was choked with sobs: "Second brother Zhang, I believe Adi will definitely come back!" "It's best not to come back in the next few years, and wait until the time is right." Li Shubai looked at Zhang's brother and sister-in-law who were tidying up the shop, and then at the ingenious flower candle, and said, "However, regarding this shop, there is no need for government affairs. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Zhang Xingying bowed down gratefully.Huang Zixia didn't expect that Li Shubai would take the initiative to help Zhang Xingying, so he looked at him in astonishment, speechless. Li Shubai turned his gaze to her, and on that face that was always calm and unwavering, the corners of his lips were raised at this time, revealing a slight smile. Like the dawn of dawn, a touch of gentle color that makes people's heart beat.
When the three of them came back, they passed by Jianfu Temple, and they went in together to burn incense and pray for blessings. "May this journey to Shuzhong be safe and smooth. May the murderer come to justice as soon as possible, and may my parents and family members rest in peace underground." Huang Zixia clasped his hands together and prayed softly in front of the Buddha. Cigarette smoke curled up, floating on her face, like a light mist enveloping peonies, ethereal and scattered. Seeing her from the side, Zhou Ziqin couldn't help being stunned for a moment, quietly stepped back, rubbed against Li Shubai's side, and asked softly, "My lord, have you noticed..." Li Shubai looked at Huang Zixia from afar and asked, "What?" "As an eunuch, Yang Chonggu is prettier than a woman... You said, if he hadn't been castrated, what would he look like now?" Li Shubai was stunned for a moment, then turned his eyes away as if nothing had happened, and said, "Maybe it will be taller, darker, with wider shoulders, and tougher facial features." Zhou Ziqin quickly reintegrated Yang Chonggu's skeleton and appearance in his mind according to what he said, and then said regretfully: "Forget it, it looks much better now." When I came out, a group of monks were pulling the two giant candles with ropes in front of the Daxiong Hall, and they were putting down the erected candles. Zhou Ziqin ran up and asked, "Are you afraid that you will be deformed by the sun and rain, so you want to put it in the treasure house?" The monks were sweating profusely from exhaustion, and while paying attention to retracting and releasing the ropes, they said angrily: "Who has time to receive the treasure house? I heard that the craftsman who made this candle killed people like hemp, and even Princess Chang died under his hands." , how can I want this kind of thing?” As they said that, they lifted the two huge candles that had been down together, and carried them to the empty release pool after the water had been drained. A large pile of firewood had already been erected there.The pair of huge candles were thrown on the pyre, the fire ignited, and the candle body quickly melted.The firewood that had been saturated with wax creaked, and the flames rose to a height of one foot. The monks gathered by the release pool bowed their heads and recited scriptures silently to purify evil spirits. In the summer afternoon, the breath is hot, and the flames are rolling in, almost drying the people standing next to them. Zhou Ziqin quickly took two steps back, and shouted to Huang Zixia who was standing there, "Chonggu, step back a little, be careful of getting burned!" Huang Zixia didn't seem to hear it.She stood motionless by the fire, looking at the wick that was revealed as the wax block melted.On the sackcloth tightly wrapped around the reed, two lines of small characters were written vertically in gold lacquer—— Standing in front of the raging fire, she looked at the two lines Lu Zhiyuan secretly wrote in the candle.This should be enshrined in front of the Buddha, and it will never be known until the candle is burned out. But at this moment, the golden handwriting was curled and peeled off in the high temperature, and all the secrets were swallowed by the fire, leaving only gray and black flakes, which were lightly rolled up by the flames and scattered in the air, leaving no traces . Buddha verses and Sanskrit are heard all around. The twilight of Chang'an City gently enveloped millions of people. The dusk of the Tang Dynasty has arrived.
Kui Wang's mansion, pillow flow pavilion. Jing Yu came back and reported her mission: "My lord, that Lu Dicui... I don't know where he went." Li Shubai frowned slightly, put down his pen and asked, "Didn't you be told to follow her from outside Dali Temple?" "Yes, but when she got outside the city gate, she attracted other people's attention. The servant was thinking about how to go up to protect her, but a passerby saved her," Jing Yu said, "The servant remembered that the prince's order was to escort her." She left the capital, and saw that she had boarded the boat and left, so she stopped following her." "Well, Prince Kui's Mansion can help her for a while, but it can't control her forever, let her go." Li Shubai said when he heard that she was out of danger. Jing Yu responded, but did not leave.Seeing him like this, Li Shubai understood that he still had something to say, so he motioned for him to finish. "The person who saved Lu Dicui at that time was Zheng Yuxuan, a student of the Imperial Academy who had just resigned." Li Shubai pondered for a moment, hummed, but had no other reaction. Jing Yu saluted very cleverly: "Your maidservant will leave." Li Shu Bai raised his hand, and after he stepped back, he sat alone in the water pavilion, but he felt the water and wind blowing from all around him, and it was scorching hot. He stood up unconsciously, walked along the curved bridge across the lake covered with lotus flowers, and walked towards the front yard. Jing Ju, who was on duty today, was sitting in the side hall, happily talking to Huang Zixia across the way, and peeling lotus pods with her to eat. "Hey, Chonggu, I heard that you are going to Shuzhong with the prince? Shuzhong is great, the land of abundance, I heard that the scenery is very beautiful!" "Well, I guess we'll be leaving soon." She held her chin, looked out at the lotus pond, and said softly.Her gaze was looking at a point of nothingness in the sky, as if she was looking at a person who was far away but close at hand. Li Shubai looked at her from the window, thinking of Yuxuan who had promised to wait for her in Chengdu Mansion. Yu Xuan. A rather complicated person who I don't know how to describe. He is suspected of murder, which may be related to the death of her parents, but he is also pure-hearted, helping children and orphans, and never leaving a name for retribution; Such a woman dares to have entanglements.If it is said that he likes Huang Zixia, why did he present her love letter as evidence of the crime, and insists on thinking that she is the murderer; if it is said that he hates her, why did he really abandon his future and go back to Chengdu Mansion to wait for her to return to clear her grievances? Huang Zixia and Jing Ju had already seen him, they quickly stood up and walked out, waiting for his orders. He motioned for her to follow, and the two walked along the shade of willows by the lotus pond. The lotus wind came slowly, rolled up the hem of their clothes, occasionally touched each other slightly, but immediately separated. Li Shubai stopped in his tracks, stood under the shade of willows and looked at a red lotus in full bloom nearby, finally put aside that thought and didn't talk about Yuxuan. "There's something I want to show you." He said, leading her to the Yubing Pavilion. This is the Nuan Pavilion. The weather is so hot now that he no longer lives here.When the two walked in, the stuffy atmosphere inside reminded them of the treasure house of Princess Tongchang. Li Shubai took out the nine-square grid box from the cabinet and opened it, then opened the inner box like a magnolia, took out the talisman inside, and handed it to her. Huang Zixia stretched out both hands to take it, her eyes widened in surprise. On the thick yellowish paper, between the weird shading patterns, the six characters "Widowed, Disabled, Lonely, Disabled, and Disabled" are still as clear as they were written just now.But at this time, in addition to the character "孤" delineated at the beginning, there was another faint red circle delineated above the character "Waste". Declining and withering is called waste. The red circle is still light in color, as if it just came out of the paper.But the appearance of smearing the fate of others seems to have a bloody smell, which makes people shudder. Huang Zixia looked up at him in astonishment, her voice trembling involuntarily: "My lord... when did this appear?" "I don't know. Ever since the incident with Concubine Li passed away and the red circle surrounding the word 'widower' faded, I was busy with business and never thought of it again. Until a few days ago when I was restless, I suddenly thought of it again, so I took it out to look at it." After a while," he pressed his hand on the talisman paper, his face seemed to be stunned, but not frightened, "It seems that another unavoidable storm is about to emerge around me." Huang Zixia asked: "Who are the people who have been in and out of the Yubing Pavilion recently?" "Many, from Jing Yu and Jing Xiang to gardeners and handymen, not to mention the few days when I'm not here, after the patrolling guards pass by, if someone wants to sneak in, there is always a way," Li Shubai frowned slightly, "Suspect The scope is too large, I am afraid it will not be easy to thoroughly investigate one by one.” "Well, it's better to have another breakthrough." She nodded. "Let's talk about it when we come back from Chengdu Mansion." He put the charm back into the box, but he couldn't prevent it anyway, so he simply put it behind his back at will. Huang Zixia frowned and looked at the box, and said, "Actually, at first, I thought that the theft of Jiuluan Chai in the Princess Mansion would be similar to the appearance and disappearance of the red circle on this talisman." "The switch access of this box, I never give it to others." Huang Zixia nodded, and said, "Yes, so exactly how the other party did it, and who did it... I still have no idea." "Since it gave me an omen, I will face the omen directly," Li Shubai said with a stern face, extremely calm, "I want to see whether a piece of paper determines my destiny, or I can control my own life. " Huang Zixia looked at him in awe.In the backlight of summer, he stood in front of the spell that bound his destiny, but he was straight and straight, like a jade mountain that had stood for thousands of years, shining brightly, not to be looked at directly, and never to be shaken and collapsed. She looked at him and said softly, "It's better to be careful in everything." He nodded, locked the box back into the cabinet, took out the scroll from the Zhang family, opened it, glanced at the graffiti on it, and said, "Also, I don't think the true face of this painting is the so-called three-dimensional scroll." Deadly graffiti." "Yes, we were just joking with the painting, it was far-fetched," Huang Zixia sighed, "Who would have thought that Lu Zhiyuan would be inspired by our jokes at that time, linking this case with the late emperor's posthumous writings, in order to confuse the public." "From a certain point of view, he is also an admirable old man." When Li Shubai led her out, he thought of another thing, and casually mentioned, "There is another person worthy of admiration——Empress Wang Back to the palace." Huang Zixia was slightly surprised, and said, "The queen moves so fast." "Both the government and the public are dissatisfied with Concubine Guo Shu, not to mention that she is not even the only reliable Princess Tongchang, how can she stop the queen from returning to the palace? And..." He looked back at her with deep meaning in his eyes: "This time, it was Concubine Guo Shu who asked the emperor to let the queen return to the palace." The reason, of course, is that the queen has put pressure on her. There are rumors in the market that Concubine Guo Shu frequently goes to and from the Princess Mansion, and she has an affair with her son-in-law Wei Baoheng, and she has no scruples. A woman who falls in love with a boy who is as old as her own daughter is like a wilderness on fire, sweeping through the air, unscrupulous.Even if the other party indifferently burned the letterhead that she had written at a huge risk, she was still obsessed with it. But now, Princess Tongchang, who helped them cover up, has passed away, and the chance for her to meet Yuxuan will be very rare.This relationship that ended without anyone knowing it will be buried in their hearts forever, leaving only that sentence, which becomes a rope around her neck, ready to drag her into the abyss all the time. She will never be the opponent of Queen Wang, no matter what aspect. "It's good that Queen Wang comes back. Princess Tongchang's tomb is overdue, and there is another commotion in the court over this matter. I don't have time to ask about it. I don't know if the queen who just returned to the palace can suppress this matter." Huang Zixia asked in surprise, "My lord has no time?" In her impression, he has the ability to separate himself, how could he not have time to deal with this kind of thing? Li Shubai turned his head to look at her, his eyes were deep and deep: "Naturally, I don't want to care about it. Sometimes I think, maybe when the person I cherish the most has an accident, whether it is a trafficker or a king or a general, they will not be able to control themselves. Do something that no one can stop." Therefore, regardless of the obstruction of the courtiers, the emperor will insist on building for his daughter, and use the grandest mourning gift to express his grief. Therefore, Lu Zhiyuan, a stubborn and wimpy old man, would painstakingly murder all those who hurt his daughter, and he never hesitated even in the face of death. And a princess who is loved by thousands of people but can't get what she wants most, and a girl who has a pitiful life but someone sacrifices everything she cherishes, who will be the happier one? "I don't know, will I have a daughter in the future, and what will my daughter be like?" Li Shubai said suddenly, looking at the lotus leaves and flowers fluctuating in the wind. Huang Zixia said softly: "There are many people who dote on their children in the world. I think the Holy Majesty must also feel that if he presents the best of everything in the world to Princess Tongchang, his daughter will definitely get the happiest and most complete marriage in the world." Life...it's a pity that he was wrong." Li Shubai nodded, and thoughtfully said: "Everyone thinks that the emperor loves Princess Tongchang like jewels and treasures, and there will be no regrets in her life, but in fact, who can see her life full of holes?" Her father was extremely doting on her, but never knew what she wanted.When she was a child, she cut her hand on a piece of porcelain and lost her toy forever.He rewarded her with countless treasures, but deprived her of her youthful happiness. Her mother used her as her high-ranking bargaining chip, and even pulled her over as a shield when she did something absurd, to cover up the invisible secret between herself and Yuxuan. The first thing she considered after her death was to kill her. All those around her keep their secrets. She chose Wei Baoheng as her husband just because the high-spirited man on the court smiled at her, but who knew that while he was greedy for the power she brought, he was also infatuated with another woman who was inferior to her in every way. "So, she, who has never experienced a normal life, will meet Qian Guansuo again and again. Maybe she can only get something from him that she will always be missing." The long-forgotten little porcelain dog, the never-before-experienced world situation, and the never-before-feeling love of civilian father and daughter made her unable to resist meeting Qian Guansuo again and again.Because she had never seen this in her life. A princess trapped between the golden house and jade pillars, no one understands her barren and barren heart.Because of her unhappiness, her father piled more treasures around her, but he didn't know that what her daughter needed was maybe just a little porcelain dog on the corner. Li Shubai was silent for a long time, then he suddenly let out a long breath, and said as if talking to himself: "I don't know, what kind of father I will be in the future." Huang Zixia said silently: "It's best...don't be like the emperor, who loves and spoils your daughter so much, but doesn't even know what she really wants. "Don't be like Lu Zhiyuan, who is silent and stubborn, doesn't know how to take care of his delicate daughter, thinks it's a shame for a man to show tenderness, and let his rough attitude hurt his daughter day after day. "Don't be like Qian Guansuo, who abandoned her daughter at the most difficult time, and went to look for it again when the situation improved, thinking that she could still be the same as before, but completely ignored the gap that was already difficult to bridge." Li Shubai turned to look at her and asked, "Then, what is a good father in your mind like?" Huang Zixia was silent, thinking about the person who secretly looked at her under the garden tree when he was young.The person who pretended inadvertently mentioning that someone else's daughter would make shoes for his father in front of her, but in private, boasted to everyone that this daughter of my family is better than ten other sons, her father. That was her father. When she was young, she felt that her father was ordinary and would not be able to accomplish anything in her life. She once thought that he was about the same as other people's fathers. However, to this day, she finally still got wet eyes, and said to him: "The best father in the world I have ever seen is my own father." Li Shubai looked down at her without speaking. In his heart, he also thought of the person who left forever when he was thirteen years old.He used to be the majestic and stalwart mountain in his childhood, and he seemed to be able to hide under the protection of the huge wings for a lifetime without seeing the wind and rain. Today, they are all orphans. In this world, you will never be able to rely on others, and you can only go on step by step by yourself, no matter whether it is wind and rain or sunshine ahead.
The day before they left the capital, it happened to be Zhou Ziqin's father's burning tail banquet.The chef in his family is very skilled, and the guests enjoyed themselves and returned home happily. It was noon after dinner, and when Zhou Ziqin sent them out, he said regretfully, "It's a pity that there is one less perfect ancient building." King Zhao also nodded and said, "Yes, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat such delicious Gulouzi again in the future." E Wang Li Run went down the steps with them, and when he was walking towards his carriage, he suddenly remembered something, and turned to Li Shubai: "Fourth brother." Li Shubai looked back at him. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a low voice: "Although this case is over, I don't know the picture my mother and concubine drew... Can Fourth Brother and Eunuch Yang come to a conclusion?" "Although this painting is related to this case, it is only used to confuse the eyes and ears and add the color of 'scourge'," Li Shubai mused. "Recently, I have thought a lot about this painting. I think about the painting of the concubine, It must be after the late emperor passed away, she recalled the late emperor's pen during the occasional waking period, and because of her deep memory, she secretly drew a picture based on her own memory." "However, what we don't understand now is why the first emperor drew that painting in the first place? What is the meaning of the expression?" Huang Zixia thoughtfully. Li Run's face was full of sadness. He had been to the Buddha for many years. He was originally a person with clear facial features and misty eyes.After a long time, he said in a low voice: "Isn't it strange that when the late emperor was sober, he did not arrange any major government affairs, but instead drew such a picture? She was delirious, but when she was the only one sober at the end, she gave me a copy of the father's posthumous pen... I think this painting must be very important, and what is contained in it may be... that can determine the future of the world. The secret of the direction of the Tang and Li royal families." Just because when his mother gave him the painting, she told him that the Tang Dynasty was about to perish!The country has changed hands! And at that time, she also said to him, Run'er, you must remember not to get too close to King Kui... Li Run looked at Kui King Li Shubai in front of him.Among the current Datang royal family, the most outstanding figure, he is the mainstay of the court and the only force that can support the Li family.However, why did my own mother not let herself get close to him? Is it because she has lost her mind, or has she once seen the terrible truth, so she revealed the secret to him? The mother and concubine went crazy overnight after the death of the first emperor. Is it really too much grief, or... there are other unpredictable and terrible inside stories? He didn't dare to think about it anymore, he thought for a while, and was about to bid farewell to Li Shubai, when Zhou Ziqin, who had finished seeing off the guests, ran over in two steps: "My lord, Chonggu, I just talked about Gulouzi, I remembered One thing happened! Did you know that Second Brother Zhang has resigned from Zuo Jinwu Guard." Huang Zixia asked in surprise, "Why?" "Here, you will find out when you follow me to the West Market." They were dragged by Zhou Ziqin to West Market.Lu Ji incense and candle shop was still open, but the people sitting inside were Zhang Xingying and his eldest brother and sister-in-law. Seeing them, Zhang Xingying quickly stood up and saluted Li Shubai first. Li Shubai nodded, motioning for him to be excused, then glanced at the incense and candle shop, and asked, "Are you going to take over this shop?" Zhang Xingying nodded, then shook his head again, and said, "I only found out about this when the local security came to the door yesterday. It turns out that Lu... Mr. Lu's shop was originally rented, and he spent all his savings at the beginning of the month. The shop is down." Huang Zixia looked up at the pair of flamboyant flower candles on the counter, finally couldn't help it, and said, "Second brother Zhang, this pair of flower candles, old man Lu said before, is not for sale." "Well, I think, when Adi and I get married... we can use it ourselves." Zhang Xingying said softly. Huang Zixia nodded, feeling a lot of emotion in her heart. Li Shubai frowned slightly and said: "The crime of copying and beheading all over the house, I'm afraid this shop will also be searched." "No, this shop, Mr. Lu...he sold it to me immediately after he bought it." He said, showing them some documents in a panic, "Look, this is the land deed, house deed … At that time, Ah Di had just been released from Dali Temple, and he came to my house. I thought that the ten coins exchanged for that painting was a gift from Dicui, so I pressed my fingerprint on the receipt issued by him, and it turned out… ..." This Lu Zhiyuan has already arranged everything, which can be regarded as his acknowledgment of Zhang Xingying's expression. Huang Zixia couldn't help sighing, and asked, "Then do you want to run a shop here?" Zhang Xingying shook her head and said: "No, this is left to her by Ah Di's father. My family and I have already discussed it. The name of the store will not be changed, and it will be placed under the name of me and Ah Di. The profit will be three to three points, and a share will be given to my brother and sister-in-law. , they promised to help me keep the shop; one part for Adi, to save first; the other part, I took out to find Adi, as expenses on the road... In this way, even if I can't find her, if one day, When Ah Di is back, she will also find her own home, and wait for my return with my brother and sister-in-law..." Huang Zixia couldn't help but blushed, and asked, "Where's your father? Does he agree?" "When he was sick before, I was busy outside every day. It was Adi who took care of him day and night, and he gradually got better. This time, he told me that if I can't find Adi, don't come back." Zhou Ziqin's voice was choked with sobs: "Second brother Zhang, I believe Adi will definitely come back!" "It's best not to come back in the next few years, and wait until the time is right." Li Shubai looked at Zhang's brother and sister-in-law who were tidying up the shop, and then at the ingenious flower candle, and said, "However, regarding this shop, there is no need for government affairs. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Zhang Xingying bowed down gratefully.Huang Zixia didn't expect that Li Shubai would take the initiative to help Zhang Xingying, so he looked at him in astonishment, speechless. Li Shubai turned his gaze to her, and on that face that was always calm and unwavering, the corners of his lips were raised at this time, revealing a slight smile. Like the dawn of dawn, a touch of gentle color that makes people's heart beat.
When the three of them came back, they passed by Jianfu Temple, and they went in together to burn incense and pray for blessings. "May this journey to Shuzhong be safe and smooth. May the murderer come to justice as soon as possible, and may my parents and family members rest in peace underground." Huang Zixia clasped his hands together and prayed softly in front of the Buddha. Cigarette smoke curled up, floating on her face, like a light mist enveloping peonies, ethereal and scattered. Seeing her from the side, Zhou Ziqin couldn't help being stunned for a moment, quietly stepped back, rubbed against Li Shubai's side, and asked softly, "My lord, have you noticed..." Li Shubai looked at Huang Zixia from afar and asked, "What?" "As an eunuch, Yang Chonggu is prettier than a woman... You said, if he hadn't been castrated, what would he look like now?" Li Shubai was stunned for a moment, then turned his eyes away as if nothing had happened, and said, "Maybe it will be taller, darker, with wider shoulders, and tougher facial features." Zhou Ziqin quickly reintegrated Yang Chonggu's skeleton and appearance in his mind according to what he said, and then said regretfully: "Forget it, it looks much better now." When I came out, a group of monks were pulling the two giant candles with ropes in front of the Daxiong Hall, and they were putting down the erected candles. Zhou Ziqin ran up and asked, "Are you afraid that you will be deformed by the sun and rain, so you want to put it in the treasure house?" The monks were sweating profusely from exhaustion, and while paying attention to retracting and releasing the ropes, they said angrily: "Who has time to receive the treasure house? I heard that the craftsman who made this candle killed people like hemp, and even Princess Chang died under his hands." , how can I want this kind of thing?” As they said that, they lifted the two huge candles that had been down together, and carried them to the empty release pool after the water had been drained. A large pile of firewood had already been erected there.The pair of huge candles were thrown on the pyre, the fire ignited, and the candle body quickly melted.The firewood that had been saturated with wax creaked, and the flames rose to a height of one foot. The monks gathered by the release pool bowed their heads and recited scriptures silently to purify evil spirits. In the summer afternoon, the breath is hot, and the flames are rolling in, almost drying the people standing next to them. Zhou Ziqin quickly took two steps back, and shouted to Huang Zixia who was standing there, "Chonggu, step back a little, be careful of getting burned!" Huang Zixia didn't seem to hear it.She stood motionless by the fire, looking at the wick that was revealed as the wax block melted.On the sackcloth tightly wrapped around the reed, two lines of small characters were written vertically in gold lacquer—— Standing in front of the raging fire, she looked at the two lines Lu Zhiyuan secretly wrote in the candle.This should be enshrined in front of the Buddha, and it will never be known until the candle is burned out. But at this moment, the golden handwriting was curled and peeled off in the high temperature, and all the secrets were swallowed by the fire, leaving only gray and black flakes, which were lightly rolled up by the flames and scattered in the air, leaving no traces . Buddha verses and Sanskrit are heard all around. The twilight of Chang'an City gently enveloped millions of people. The dusk of the Tang Dynasty has arrived.