Chapter 3 Chapter Two: The Forbidden City is Deep
The lantern went farther and farther away, and soon disappeared into the depths of darkness.After a while, a bush on the side of the road rustled, and Le Zhiyang popped up, his eyes sparkling.Just now when he saw Zhang Tianyi talking with someone, he knew that the lie would be exposed, so he got impatient and burrowed into the bushes beside the road.Zhang Tianyi murdered and threw the corpse, he saw all of them, he was so frightened that he froze, he didn't dare to move, now that he was free, he didn't dare to stay where he was, he just wanted to stay as far away from Zhang Tianyi as possible, so he went against him To, run wildly.
The corridor in front is twists and turns, with endless divergences. Sometimes, there are overgrown vegetation and flowers and branches, and sometimes high walls stand and stand on both sides.I don't know how far he ran, Le Zhiyang's legs felt weak, and his heart and lungs seemed to explode, so he stopped, bent over and gasped for breath.After panting for a while, he turned his head and looked, there were many houses, endless alleys, and the night was boundless, and he didn't know where he was.
Le Zhiyang just felt discouraged, and sat on the ground slumped, he was already trapped in the palace, and he had to wait until dawn to make plans.
I have been frightened all night, and now I am out of danger, and I feel tired immediately.Just about to fall asleep, I suddenly heard the sound of a piano in the distance, playing the song "Wu Ye Cry".The qin player's technique is exquisite, which is rare in the world. The timbre of the guqin played is mellow, moist as pearls, as cool as spring, sometimes like the sound of pines and ravines, sometimes like the sound of empty valleys, without a trace of noise between the cadences.
The music is good, the music is fascinating, and the drowsiness does not disappear. When you hear the subtleties, you can't help but take off the flute and tap the ground lightly with the beat. "Wu Ye Cry" was written by Wang Yiqing, a great musician in the Southern Dynasty.The high-pitched part is like the mountains and sky cold at night, and the birds are frightening, while the low-pitched part is like green yarn like smoke, talking to each other through the window. The more sublime the skill of the piano player, the more unforgettable the parting and hatred.
Le Zhiyang's youthful mind, after listening to it for a while, he felt suffocated and forgot that he was in a dangerous situation. As soon as the sound of the piano ended, he couldn't help playing the flute and played "Hai Qing Na Goose".This piece of music comes from the north, and it specializes in galloping across the desert, bending a long bow, shooting big eagles, releasing sea greens, and catching swans.When Le Zhiyang was blown up, a flute changed into two tunes, like a handsome falcon flying into the sky, like a swan piercing the clouds, one was agile and sharp, and the other was soaring into the sky angrily, the two tunes fluctuated up and down, lightly intertwined by.
Together with the sound of the flute, the sound of the piano is quietly silent, and the music is blown to the subtle point. The two tunes merge into one, and the complex sounds resound.
The sound of the flute stopped, and the sound of the qin played again, but it was a song "Falling Geese on Pingsha", the tune was light and clear, and the charm was unrestrained, just like autumn geese crossing the river, the waves are bright and beautiful, the Changsha by the river is like a belt, and the flying geese rise from time to time Falling, up and down chirping, flicking to the sublime, it is really like dozens of wild geese chirping at the same time.
Le Zhiyang listened comfortably, immersed in it, completely forgetting himself, until the flock of geese flew away, the lonely geese mourned, and the song "Pingsha Luoyan" fell silent, then he played the flute horizontally and played the song "Heming Jiugao", the flute The sound is like a lone crane in the sky thousands of miles away. Its sound is heard in the sky.
When playing the flute, the sound of the qin stopped again. As soon as Le Zhiyang finished playing the qin, the sound of the qin immediately picked up and played a piece of "Long Xiang Cao", which was like a flying dragon soaring into the sky, full of elegance and change.
After listening to it quietly, Le Zhiyang responded to "Qiuhong", the tune is chic and unrestrained, as if a lonely bird flies away, whatever.But before he finished playing, the sound of the qin suddenly sounded again, playing a piece of "Fisherman's Song", which was eloquent and unrestrained.
Le Zhiyang is a fool, and he could hear that the other party was competing with him. He was young and vigorous, and as soon as the piano sounded, he immediately played a song "The Song of Woodcutters". The wind and cloud, the smile proud of the sun and the moon's mind, don't wait for the "Song of Woodcutters" to be sung, the sound of the piano is ding-dong, very old-fashioned.Le Zhiyang was slightly taken aback, and heard that it was the ancient song "High Mountain". This song was written by the ancient qin Sheng Boya. Compared with later generations, the music score is quite simple, but the simpler the tune, the less brilliant it is , but in the hands of the piano player, a sense of grace and grace is naturally revealed, Mu Mu is like a towering mountain, vast and vast like a long wind blowing through the forest, bullying the sun and the moon, Ling Xiaohan, with the momentum of climbing to the top and conquering the world.Not to be outdone, Le Zhiyang played "Flowing Water" on his flute as soon as the qin music was over.High mountains and flowing water have been known together since ancient times. The best is like water, and nothing can fetter it. It is in harmony with Le Zhiyang's temperament. Contemplating and thinking, listening and forgetting.
Halfway through the melody, the piano sounded again. Listening to the melody, it turned out to be "Questions and Answers for Fisherman and Woodcutters".Le Zhiyang was surprised, and the sound of the flute turned quietly, and it also became "Questions and Answers for Fisherman and Woodcutter".He and the player who played the qin had never met before. At this time, the ensemble of the qin and flute was a rare tacit understanding. When it came to the "question and answer" section, the sound of the qin mainly asked questions with deep meaning, and the sound of the flute mainly answered, with a free and easy expression, just like the majestic mountains and the water. Yangyang, fluttering over the palace city, is full of the interest of mountains and rivers, making people think of being born in this world.
After a song was played, the aftertaste was endless, Le Zhiyang put down his flute, there was silence in his ears, the music just now was still circling in his heart for a long time.He stood in the depths of Yongxiang, motionless, and the moonlight shone through the eaves, like silver like water, dragging a long shadow behind him. In a dream, I forgot where I was.
Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps behind him, and Le Zhiyang woke up like a dream. Looking back, two wind lanterns floated in the distance, and the lights were on and off. Light white, but his expression is cold, like wearing a mask.Seeing the two, Le Zhiyang's heart beat wildly, he wanted to turn around and run away, but just now he played the flute, almost exhausted his mind, watching the two approaching, he couldn't summon up the courage to run away.
The two stopped, and the eyes of the person on the left turned and fell on the flute in Le Zhiyang's hand. His expression was very confused, he hesitated, and asked: "Just now... you were playing the flute?"
Le Zhiyang nodded helplessly, the two looked at each other, and the person on the right smiled and said: "Good guy, come with us!"
Le Zhiyang was full of frustration, thinking that trespassing in the Forbidden Palace would be a capital crime, he should have been hiding, but on a whim, he played the flute, and after this melody, the entire Forbidden City might be alarmed.Now that he falls into the hands of the people, he deserves death, but it is a pity that before he dies, he cannot say hello to his family, and his head will be beheaded later, so my father doesn't know where he died.
After walking around for a while, a wisp of sandalwood came out from the dense forest, mixed with the fragrance of flowers, which made people ecstatic.Le Zhiyang was in a trance, only suspected that he was in a dream, and turned around a bush of hibiscus like a walking corpse, and suddenly saw a small pavilion of agarwood, with a lantern on each of the four pillars, and a few people sat under the light, right in front of the pavilion, horizontally He picked up a swarthy guqin.
Suddenly someone gasped, and a soft voice said: "What? He's the one playing the flute?"
Le Zhiyang followed the prestige, and the one who spoke was a girl in yellow shirt, about the same age as him, sitting behind the guqin.The girl's jaw is pointed, her cheeks are plump, and she is as delicate as a lotus flower in bloom. Her almond eyes are as bright as water, and she stares at Le Zhiyang in amazement. sharp spirit.
"So it's a eunuch?" The middle-aged man on the left of the girl snorted, with a look of disdain. He was nearly forty years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, and a beautiful black beard blowing in the wind.
"Strange! There are such characters among the eunuchs?" The man who spoke was in his early twenties, with a handsome appearance and a romantic flair, with a half-smile on his face, which made people feel close.
The two of them claimed to be eunuchs.Le Zhiyang felt strange, looked down, and suddenly realized that the robe on him was a different color from the two men holding the lamp, but the style was the same.Thinking back, Zhang Tianyi also killed two eunuchs.
Suddenly the middle-aged man said with a smile: "Seventeenth brother, you are not as good as me when you are riding a horse and archery. There are tens of thousands of flute players here, how can he be so strong at such a young age?"
The handsome man smiled and said: "I'm just talking casually. Thirteenth sister has fought with him before, and her words are the most credible!" The girl glanced at Le Zhiyang, and smiled softly: "Fourth brother, my little sister has limited knowledge. All the flute players I've heard seem to be inferior to him!"
"Really?" The fourth brother turned his eyes, stared at Le Zhiyang and said, "You can play the flute so well, why don't you go to the music workshop to be a musician, and why come to the palace as a eunuch?"
His gaze was menacing, Le Zhiyang immediately lowered his head with ulterior motives in mind.The girl laughed and said, "Fourth brother, don't scare people, yes, little eunuch, what's your last name? Which father-in-law do you work under?"
"I..." Le Zhiyang saw sweat on his forehead, his whole body was weak, and the words came out of his mouth, like a mosquito humming, "My name is Le... yes, yes..." He wanted to make up a lie to get away with it. , but he knew nothing about the eunuchs in the palace, even if he wanted to break his head, he couldn't think of a single person.
"That's all!" Seventeenth brother shook his head, showing disappointment on his face: "There is a saying that 'the flute is like a person', this little eunuch plays the flute freely, but his temper is not very good!" Fourth brother grinned, and said in a rough voice Said: "He lost two eggs, what kind of shit is there?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard a quiet voice say: "Fourth uncle, men and women are different. In front of Thirteenth Aunt, please be polite!" The young man, dressed in fine clothes, with a reserved expression, felt a little uneasy after saying this, rubbed his hands together, and stared away.
The fourth brother glanced at him, sneered slightly, and said in a drawn-out voice: "His Royal Highness has something to say, how dare you disobey?" Turning to the girl in the yellow shirt, he said flatly, "Thirteenth sister, don't blame me, fourth brother, I am a rough man, a rough man Don't take it to your heart when you speak foul language!" The Seventeenth Brother said with a smile: "What a rough man, with just these two words, he can get by with anything!"
"That's not necessarily it!" The fourth brother half laughed, half seriously, "The grandson Tianzong is wise, how can I get away with this little trick of mine? Your highness, otherwise I will kowtow and kneel to the thirteenth sister to redeem my mouth How about sin?"
The cautious man waved his hands hastily, and said repeatedly: "Fourth Uncle is overthinking, and my nephew is just talking casually." The fourth brother laughed and said, "I don't dare to take the word 'Uncle'. As long as His Royal Highness is happy, you can call me Zhu Di." .” The cautious man said repeatedly: “Don’t dare, dare not!”
"Why don't you dare?" Zhu Di said loudly, "I've been an idiot for a generation, but I'm just a vassal king. You are under one person and above hundreds of millions of people. In the future, you will inherit the great treasure. I hope you will be merciful and let my uncle go. Horse!" The cautious man was silent for a moment, and said in a shy voice: "What do you mean by fourth uncle? You and I are of different generations, but we are both descendants of the Zhu family. Could it be that I will do you harm?" Zhu Di laughed and said: "Your Majesty No jokes, your highness will ascend the throne tomorrow, don't forget what you said today! The little fate of being an uncle is all in your highness's mind."
The stiff man stood up abruptly, staring at Zhu Di with anger.The seventeenth brother hurriedly said: "His Royal Highness, fourth brother likes to joke, it's not like you don't know it." The girl in yellow also said: "Yes, you all came for me. If you hurt your peace, tell me to take it to heart." He An." The restrained man gave a wry smile, cupped his hands at the girl in yellow shirt and said, "Don't blame Thirteenth Aunt, Yun Wen has lost his temper. For some reason, Fourth Uncle is targeting my nephew tonight, and my nephew endured it again and again, really aggrieved! "
The girl in the yellow shirt smiled at him, like an orchid blooming in the moonlight.She was about to persuade, when Zhu Di said coldly, "Your Highness is calling, it's not Fourth Uncle, it's Zhu Di!"
"Fourth brother..." The girl in the yellow shirt showed a slight reproach.Zhu Di looked up at the sky and just sneered.The stiff man frowned, and was about to speak, when out of the corner of his eye, there was a startled look on the ground, his hands drooped, and he called out in a low voice, "Grandfather!"
Everyone turned their heads and looked away. Under the shade of flowers in the distance, there stood quietly an old man with white hair, his jaw protruded outwards, his cheeks were thin and long, he probably suffered from smallpox when he was young, and as he got older, he had dark spots. Covering his face, he looked even more stern and fearsome.
The old man's clothes are simple and plain, with a gray cloth robe and a Dongpo hat. His appearance is very ugly, but his body is very tall and straight, like a goshawk that is full and ready to fly. Standing there casually, he has a frightening aura .All the people present stood up and stared at the old man with an air of respect.
The handsome man was about to speak when the old man waved his hand and walked towards him. In the darkness behind him, an old eunuch quietly appeared. The feet rise and fall in the same way, almost exactly.
Le Zhiyang stared at the old man in a daze, but he didn't realize that the eunuch beside him knelt down on the ground, one of them pulled his skirt, and shouted in a low voice: "Do you want to die? Kneel down quickly?"
Before Le Zhiyang came back to his senses, the gray-clothed old man shot his eyes, and said slowly: "Little guy, your surname is Le?" Le Zhiyang nodded slightly, and the old man raised his eyebrows: "Who are you, Le Shaofeng?"
Le Zhiyang was taken aback, and blurted out: "It's my adoptive father..." As soon as the words came out, he was too late to regret, thinking that sneaking into the palace was a serious crime, and it might implicate the whole family.It's good this time, if you don't call yourself, not only will you kill yourself, but even your father will get involved.
"Is he your adoptive father?" The old man stared at Le Zhiyang, his eyes were very strange, seemingly indifferent and gloomy, but deep in his eyes, there seemed to be a flame hidden, "Is he not dead yet?"
This question was very rude, Le Zhiyang glared at the old man, feeling angry in his heart.The old man smiled again, turned around and sat down, and asked in a manly voice: "Who is training the new eunuch?"
An eunuch replied tremblingly: "Ni Mingbao, Eunuch Ni?" The old man nodded, and said lightly: "The young eunuch's demeanor is negligent and his eyes are rude, which shows that Ni Mingbao is negligent in his post and ineffective in training. Beat him a hundred times." Tingzhang, if he does not die, he will be sent to Qiongzhou to serve as an army." The eunuch trembling all over, said in a low voice, "Where is this little eunuch?" The old man said coldly, "I have other arrangements!"
The eunuch didn't dare to ask any more questions, and retreated scramblingly.This old man is so imposing, he judged life and death with one word, Le Zhiyang stared at him, his face turned pale, his heart was beating wildly, suddenly he remembered the name of a cautious man, and seeing everyone's expressions, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and he blurted out Out: "You, you are Zhu Yuanzhang?"
This sentence is like a boulder falling into the water, "Bold, presumptuous..." A series of reprimands rushed over, Le Zhiyang's face was on fire, but his hands and feet were cold, he bit his lips tightly, thinking that he would call the emperor by his name, this time It's really dead.
Just as he was thinking, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand, and the cursing fell silent. The side of Chenxiang Pavilion was like a secluded ancient tomb.
"That's right!" Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Le Zhiyang with a half-smile, "I am Zhu Yuanzhang, but speaking of it, no one has called my name for more than twenty years."
Le Zhiyang opened his mouth, a gust of cold air stuck in his chest.He only felt despair in his heart. He had heard for a long time that the old emperor killed people like hemp. Since he was sensible, he had seen countless heads fall to the ground.
"The name is for people to call." Zhu Yuanzhang continued casually, "Those who dare not call me, either please me or fear me. It's really boring to come and go all day long. People are not turtles. Who can live to be 10,000 years old? Last month, there was an alchemy alchemist who sent a bottle of elixir, which he said was the medicine of immortality, and taking it would give him a long life. Guess how I dealt with him?" said With a slight smile, his eyes swept across the crowd.Everyone had scruples and dared not answer.
Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly disappointed, his eyes fell on Le Zhiyang, and he said with a smile: "Little guy, if you were me, what would you do?" How can it be compared to you?"
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "It's just talking, why bother to be serious. Yun Wen, you are benevolent and filial, but you are not chic enough. You have to learn this from your fourth and seventeenth uncles." Zhu Yunwen's face darkened, and he nodded helplessly.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Le Zhiyang and said with a smile: "Little guy, don't be afraid, but it's okay to say." , let him take the elixir, and then send someone to watch him to see if he will die!"
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and looked back at Zhu Di: "Fourth, what about you?" Zhu Di smiled and said, "I'll let him take medicine first, and then let him starve for a month or two. See if he won't die?"
This trick is more than a test of medicine, it is simply killing people.Le Zhiyang's heart felt cold when he heard this, but Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Sure enough, it's the fourth child. The method is the same as mine. It's a pity that the Taoist starved to death within seven days. Compared with Qin Shihuang, Han Dynasty Emperor Wu and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, but they are obsessed with immortality and longevity, are they stupid?" Zhu Di laughed and said: "Father expelled the Tartars, and his achievements surpassed China. Now the world is peaceful, and thousands of people come to court. The book of merit goes as far as the Han and Tang Dynasties! "
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, noncommittal, and said to Le Zhiyang: "Le Shaofeng has an old relationship with me. Does he know that you have fallen to this point?" Le Zhiyang shook his head, and Zhu Yuanzhang said again: "Your flute He taught it?" Le Zhiyang nodded helplessly.Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a while, and sighed: "What a pity, what a pity!" He said a few times about pity, and then said, "Little guy, can you play "Fei Long Yin"?"
"Feilong Yin" is also known as "The Song of Qilinhao", which is originally a hymn praising Zhu Yuanzhang's rise from the humble beginnings and his pacification of the world.From Le Zhiyang's point of view, this piece is more than grand and not flexible enough to be considered a good tune, so he replied: "I can play it!"
"Very good!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, "You can play a song for me!" Huang Shannu smiled and said, "Daddy, you are so partial, don't you only listen to the flute, not the qin?" Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at her, revealing With a loving air: "Wei'er, if you are partial to your father, it will only favor you! Just now I listened to your piano and flute ensemble, it was very interesting, it's good, you two will play together again!"
The girl in the yellow shirt pursed her lips and smiled, glanced at Le Zhiyang, wrinkled her nose and pouted her mouth, making a small grimace.Le Zhiyang's face was red and his ears were red, and his heart was even more messed up. The flute was brought to his mouth, and he played two wrong notes one after another. Play the piano and go with it.
"Flying Dragon Yin" is a Ming Dynasty gala music, magnificent and magnificent, with a hundred responses, the sound of the flute and the rhythm of the piano together, the surrounding atmosphere is austere.The seventeenth brother stood up and said with a loud smile: "Father, the child is not talented, dare to sing a song to cheer up the father!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Yes!"
The seventeenth brother straightened his chest and looked up at the sky, but when he heard the tone getting higher and higher, he suddenly raised his voice and sang: "For thousands of years, the holy master of China has been born, and the king has become a dragon and a tiger. Raise the sword in Huaixi, and lead the brave masters, and win a hundred battles." Force the captives. Drive the pommel horse through the cold and heat, and the soldiers share the joys and sorrows. The next step is to calm the wind and dust, eliminate violence and calm the people, and the achievements are like soup and martial arts."
His voice was clear and clear, with a wisp of breath coming from his heart, his voice was like a yellow bell, resounding through the dim night sky.
Zhu Yuanzhang sat in the pavilion, closed his eyes slightly, and patted his knee with his right hand in response to the rhythm, without a trace of his stern look.At the corners of the eyebrows and eyes, various expressions flowed like water, sometimes joyful, sometimes gentle, sometimes uplifting, sometimes sad.For a moment, the seventy-year-old was no longer a ruthless king, but an ordinary old man looking back on his life.He rose from poverty, fought for his life, went through many lives and deaths, gave up his emotions and desires, and finally leveled the heroes and stabilized the country.It's a pity that the good times don't last long, time is pressing, and the hero of a generation is finally getting old, with white hair and wrinkled face. Others don't know how much effort he has spent to straighten his back in front of others.Because of the passage of time, even the memory is disappearing, and the past of many old people is often blurred. The joys, sorrows, sorrows and joys of starting a business are like a cold moonlight, which slips quietly through the fingers every time I dream back at midnight.
After "Fei Long Yin" was played, Le Zhiyang was about to put down his flute, when the sound of the piano changed slightly, and suddenly changed to the tune of "Feng Yun Hui".He glanced at the girl, and bit the bullet to play the flute in response.The seventeenth brother also sang along: "The jade base overlooks the river city, and the wind and clouds surround the emperor's camp. Flying cannons drive away Liujia, surrender captive generals, and defeat Hu soldiers. Talking and laughing drives long whales, and the courage of the three armies increases. .One uniform, the universe is peaceful. From now on, Huayi will be unified, the emperor will be established, and the peace will be celebrated.”
This song, also known as "The Song of Kai Taiping", tells the story of the battle of Poyang Lake, when Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Chen Youliang in a building boat.That battle was full of dangers, and the victory and defeat were repeated several times. Since Zhu Yuanzhang started his army, this battle was the most dangerous. Since then, it has been easy to rule the world.Therefore, the music opens and closes, and the waves rise and fall. At first, it is like waves and wind, and then it is like a gold and iron horse. Gradually, it merges into one, like a whale rushing into the sea.
Infected by the melody, Zhu Yuanzhang slapped his knees more quickly, as if straddling his horse into battle again, but what he was facing was no longer a stubborn old enemy, but the unpredictable will of God.This time, he is doomed to defeat.On Poyang Lake, he gave up his life just to seize the country, but who knows, at this moment, he would rather use this beautiful mountain and river to exchange for decades of life.
The old emperor suddenly felt lonely, like an aging tiger. It used to be proud of the mountains and forests, arrogant, but now it is exhausted, with its paws bent and its head bowed, surrounded by jackals that prey on opportunities.
Jackal?Where?I kill them all!Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes suddenly, and a fierce light burst out, scanning his surroundings.His gaze fell on Zhu Yunqi, and suddenly became soft again.He looked at his grandson for a long time, wishing to inject all his wisdom and strength into his body through these old eyes, so that the fire could be passed on, and when he passed away, this young emperor would be able to take on the responsibility of the Zhu family.
"Holding a yellow axe, flattening Jingchu, clearing Wuyue. Clearing Wuyue, twilight Qin Dynasty and Jin Dynasty, how many heroes. Youyan, Qilu, wind and dust are clean, Yiliang, Shulong, people are happy. People are happy, cars and books are unified, and all directions are the same..." the seventeenth brother sang When it came to "Song of Cutting Heroes", in an instant, the faces of Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen, Ming Yuzhen, Wang Baobao, and a group of opponents passed by, all of them frowning and desolate.
"The winner is me after all!" Zhu Yuanzhang felt relieved for a while.Compared with these losers, he gained far more than he lost.
"Heh..." There was a chuckle from behind the rockery not far away, and the sound of the flute stopped abruptly, followed by the sound of the piano.The seventeenth brother flicked his sleeves and looked around in response to his reputation, only to see a person slowly turning around from behind the rockery.
Le Zhiyang looked at that person, his heart almost jumped out.Zhang Tianyi took off the eunuch's clothes, his white clothes were stained with blood, the blood stains turned purple, like flowers intertwined.
"Who are you?" Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the person coming, calmly.Zhang Tianyi gave a treacherous smile, clapped his hands lightly, hummed and sang: "Ping Jingchu clears Wu Yue. Qing Wu Yue, Twilight Qin Dynasty Jin, how many heroes? So powerful, so majestic, Zhu Chongba, do you still remember the old man?"
"Chongba" is Zhu Yuanzhang's nickname, Zhang Tianyi said it casually, with a lot of sarcasm in his tone.Zhu Di stood up, his eyes were cold, and he pressed the hilt of his waist with one hand.But Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, motioned his son not to act rashly, and said, "Excuse Zhu for being blind, which old friend is this?"
"The old man is already dead!" Zhang Tianyi narrowed his eyes slightly, "My surname is Zhang, from Pingjiang!"
"Zhang Shicheng!" Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhang Tianyi with surprise, and said literally, "Are you his son?
"Your Majesty's lesson." Zhang Tianyi waved his hand, pulled out the soft sword from his waist, and said with a smile, "Zhu Chongba, next, I will tell you the past on behalf of my father!" Come.
"Come on!" Zhu Di chuckled, and blocked the way, "There is a saying, father to father, son to son, if you want to reminisce about the past, don't mess up your seniority!"
Zhang Tianyi glanced at him, his eyes were as cold as ice: "Who are you?" Zhu Di smiled, and said loudly: "Yan Wang Zhu Di!"
"It's you?" Zhang Tianyi turned his gaze, "I heard that you are guarding the north, and the Tartars fear you like a tiger. If you use troops on horseback, you will be willing to bow down." He paused for a while, with a sly smile on his face, "But this time, with Fighting is different!" Speaking of which, he raised his long sword.
Zhu Di smiled and drew his sword out of its sheath.Compared with Chang Jian, his sword is five inches longer and one inch wider. It is as bright as snow, and the moon is cold.
"Good sword!" Zhang Tianyi stared at the sword, "Does it have a name?"
Zhu Di laughed and said, "The sword name is Jueyun! Three feet and six inches!"
"Floating clouds in the upper hand, will the ground be destroyed in the lower hand?" Zhang Tianyi sneered, "The tone is not small, but I don't know how the sword is?"
Zhu Di laughed and said, "You'll know once you try it!" Zhang Tianyi snorted, his gaze slightly slanted, and fell on the Seventeenth Brother beside him.Zhu Di's heart sank, and he followed him to look around. In an instant, the cold wind hit his face, and a blue light came into his eyes.
Knowing that he was in the tiger's den, Zhang Tianyi decided to kill Zhu Yuanzhang to avenge his country and family, so he couldn't bear to tangle with Zhu Di. He pretended to look at the 17th brother to distract his opponent.
Ding, there was a scream, and the swords of the two men met, sparks burst out.Zhang Tianyi missed a sword, and was slightly surprised: Zhu Di returned the sword quickly and defended it tightly, he is actually a rare master of swordsmanship.The situation did not allow him to think too much, Zhang Tianyi took the lead, jumped up and down, and let go of the attack, a piece of blue sword light seemed like the reflection of the Milky Way, almost covering Zhu Di.
Zhu Di retreated step by step, swung the Jueyun sword to the east and pulled it to the west, and set up a heavy sword curtain, which was almost airtight.The opponent's soft sword was close to him, and he either stabbed the blade or was picked away by chance. In a blink of an eye, Zhu Di retreated ten steps.Zhang Tianyi attacked more than a hundred swords, but unfortunately the torrential rain did not end, so the sword's power has weakened.Zhang Tianyi was about to slow down his sword moves, when suddenly he heard Zhu Di's sharp cry, holding the sword with both hands, he picked it up obliquely, he picked up the soft sword with a ding sound, a string of sparks flashed, Zhang Tianyi felt his tiger's mouth heat up, and the hilt almost dropped from his hand.
The opponent's inner strength is strong, far beyond Zhang Tianyi's expectation, the soft sword was forced by the Jueyun sword, and he swung upwards in the opposite direction, revealing his empty door.Zhu Di swung his long sword horizontally, and swept towards his waist and abdomen like lightning.At a critical moment, Zhang Tianyi pierced the sword body with energy, the soft sword forced into an arc, swished back, and hit Jueyun with a ding.The blades of the swords met, and a surge of force rushed towards him. Zhang Tianyi's tiger's mouth was numb, and he turned around to Zhu Di's side with his strength.
"Heh!" Zhu Di turned around and swung his sword, and Jueyun Sword went straight to Zhang Tianyi's throat. The angle of the sword was so strange that even if Zhang Tianyi stabbed his opponent to death, he could not escape the sharp sword piercing his throat.He was aiming at Zhu Yuanzhang, and he refused to die with him. He turned around and walked behind Zhu Di, but in case Zhu Di had eyes in the back of his head, he swung his long sword back. Giving up on hurting people, he moved his sword once, and there was a clang and clang, and the two fought ten swords in a blink of an eye.Zhu Di took a step forward, but Zhang Tianyi jumped away and shouted sharply, "Xi Yingzhen, who are you, the 'Yixing Sword' of Taihao Valley?"
"Half-teacher, half-friend!" Zhu Di smiled slightly, "The 'Flying Shadow Excalibur' under your feet is very accomplished, and must have received the true biography of King Yundao!"
Zhang Tianyi let out a soft snort, rushed forward, and was about to stab, Zhu Di knew how powerful it was, so he took half a step back, holding his sword still. "Yi Xing Sword" uses the stars as chess pieces and the sky as the chessboard, and follows the celestial phenomena, secretly playing chess.Although Zhu Di didn't move his sword, the point of the sword's edge was the blind spot where Zhang Tianyi's sword came out. As long as Zhang Tianyi entered the sword circle, he would immediately turn into a starry sky and a falling shadow in the sky.
Zhang Tianyi was in the middle of the body, suddenly swayed, and the soft sword circled backwards.Seeing him turning from offense to defense, Zhu Di was surprised. At this moment, Zhang Tianyi smiled at him secretly, raised his left hand, and a cloud of light flew towards the pavilion.
Suddenly, Zhu Di understood Zhang Tianyi's trick. He made a feint attack to attract his attention, but his original intention was to shoot his father with a flying needle.The hidden weapon went like flying lightning, and it was too late to stop it. Zhu Di was filled with grief and anger, and he moved his sword like the wind, and stabbed at Zhang Tianyi. Hundreds of tricks, sneaked in with the wind, moistened things silently, under the moonlight, only a bright light shrouded the entire agarwood kiosk.
Le Zhiyang was also in front of the pavilion, he was almost dumbfounded, seeing needles raining on his face, he didn't know what happened.At this time, a white shadow flashed, and a person jumped out. He was an old eunuch in white clothes with a dust whisk. without a trace.
The old eunuch put away his concealed weapon and stood upright in front of the pavilion, his haggard face seemed to have a radiance, which flashed, like embers of a charcoal fire, and slowly faded away.He hunched his back, shrunk his body, and disappeared behind Zhu Yuanzhang in the blink of an eye.The old emperor sat quietly, with a leisurely attitude, and his eyes were full of interest, staring at the sword fighting in front of the pavilion.
"Yixing Sword" is originally a Taoist swordsmanship, which pays attention to responding to the enemy's situation and attacking later.Zhu Di rushed to attack with his sword, and immediately fell into Zhang Tianyi's plan. Before he sent the needle, he retracted the soft sword. Seeing the opponent's sword coming, the sword made a circle, and a soft force lifted Jueyun away. Take Zhu Di's heart.
Zhu Di was disturbed by the needle rain, and when he woke up, he was already in a dangerous situation. He tried his best to withdraw his sword, and defended in the "Tianmen style". With a sound, the soft sword flicked to the right, and the blade swept across his shoulder, bringing up a spray of blood.
"Ah!" the yellow-clothed woman screamed, Zhang Tianyi was proud of her tricky move, but when she heard the cry, she was taken aback, looked sideways, and saw that everyone in the pavilion was safe and sound, her heart sank, feeling a little bad.He was distracted, and his sword was a bit slow, Zhu Di recovered his breath, and made a move of "Tian Chong Style", wide open and close, determined to counterattack, swishing several swords in succession, forcing Zhang Tianyi to retreat again and again.
Between breaths, the two reversed their offense and defense, their movements were astonishingly fast, coming and going like ghosts sneaking, rising and falling like night owls soaring into the sky, two sword lights, like two lightning bolts, one blue and one white, sometimes entangled, sometimes separated, dancing Ups and downs, unpredictable.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the time, and said with a beard: "Xiang Zhuang's sword dance is aimed at Pei Gong, and Zhang Sheng's sword dance is aimed at widows. Since it is a sword dance, how can it be accompanied by music? Wei'er, you play a song with the little eunuch. Your fourth brother has a strong voice!"
The girl in the yellow shirt smiled and said, "What song to play?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said, "Let's play "Ambush from Ten Daggers"!" The sound of the music, the sound of the music is calm, and the flute is also blown. The sound of the flute is passionate, like a warrior drawing a sword, and a cavalry galloping.
When Zhu Di heard the music, his momentum became stronger, and he drew his sword even more swiftly.The Jueyun Sword was originally a battle sword, used to break an army and kill a general, and to cut a galloping horse in front of the battle. At this time, Xingfa made a buzzing sound from the sword body, and every time the sword was drawn, a gust of wind would be brought up and swept across Zhang Tianyi's body , not only the skin hurts, but the sword is also suppressed.He has always moved lightly with his swords, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, but "Yi Xing Sword" is in harmony with the way of chess. Every time he makes a sword, there are several back moves, sealing off all angles. After several rounds, Zhang Tianyi has no chance to take advantage of it. , the momentum was greatly weakened.
A few more swords were handed over, and the tune reached the part of "Farewell My Concubine", Farewell My Concubine, the tune was bleak and sad.Zhang Tianyi asked the song to recall the past, recalling the scene of parting from his parents in Suzhou city that day, he felt disturbed for a while.When his mind was flustered, flaws appeared in his swordsmanship, Zhu Di could see clearly that the Jueyun sword was pierced with thorns, ding ding ding broke through Zhang Tianyi's sword curtain, and shouted sharply: "Go!" The sword edge slashed across Zhang Tianyi's left chest, Flesh rolled and blood gushed out.
Zhang Tianyi jumped back in pain, waved the long sword in his right hand, resisted Zhu Di's pursuit, raised his left hand, and shouted: "Look at the needle!" Zhu Di was always on guard against his flying needle, so he retracted the sword in response, and dodged to the left. Zhang Tianyi was just bluffing, as soon as his opponent retreated, he turned around and left, Zhu Di pursued him closely, piercing his shoulder with a flying sword, Zhang Tianyi walked around behind a hibiscus tree, raised his hand, and called again: "Look at the needle!" Zhu Di closed The sword dodged, Zhang Tianyi ran forward again, Zhu Di was fooled twice, angry in his heart, and chased after Zhang Tianyi suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and shouted again: "Looking at the needle..."
Zhu Di was annoyed, and was about to shout and curse, when suddenly he saw Zhang Tianyi's sleeve flickering, he was startled, and wanted to dodge, but it was too late, at this moment, a gust of wind blew from the side, thousands of silver threads were like flowing light and flying snow, Standing between the two of them, the sound of chi chi could not be heard, and the needle rain fell into the silver thread, like a mud cow into the sea, disappearing without a trace.
Zhang Tianyi jumped out backwards, stared at the old eunuch with a look of surprise, and shouted: "Who are you?" Sweeping out, Zhang Tianyi waved his sword to resist, and the dust whisk lightly touched the blade, like a spider spinning silk, tightly entangled the blade.
Zhang Tianyi's mouth went numb, and he struggled forward to free the long sword as if it was alive, and hurriedly used his energy to grab it back, unexpectedly a force surged in and poured into his body like a tide.He couldn't help but let go of the hilt of his sword, and jumped back, but the internal energy remained unabated, and it still went straight to his heart, Zhang Tianyi suddenly felt a pain in his chest, and spit out a mouthful of blood.
He was injured by one move, which has never happened since he became an artist. He knew that he was meeting an expert, and he jumped back immediately, with his hands rising and falling, shooting two needles, one at the old eunuch, and the other at the old eunuch. Everyone in the pavilion shot away.
这一下攻其必救，老太监不敢迟疑，拂尘急舞，扫落飞来金针，跟着手足不动，向后飞掠，去势之快，仿佛有人在后牵扯，众人眼前一花，他已到了亭子前面，拂尘卷起一股狂飙，漫天金针簌簌而落。破了金针，老太监转眼望去，张天意身影一闪，消失在一面高墙之后。
老太监皱了皱眉，回头看了朱元璋一眼，后者点了点头，冷冷说道：“不留后患！”老太监一晃身，忽也消失不见。
琴声忽断，黄衫女起身说道：“四哥，你的伤不碍事么？”朱棣笑道：“皮肉伤，不碍事！”朱元璋哼了一声，冷冷道：“小伤大治，不可耽误，那人诡谲多诈，剑上未必没有古怪。速传太医，给老四瞧瞧！”一边的太监应声退下。
朱棣苦笑道：“惭愧惭愧，若非冷公公，几乎着了这姓张的道儿。”朱元璋沉默一下，忽道：“他飞针厉害，多了一样本事，单论剑法，你也未必输给他。何况剑法厉害，不过一人之胜，兵法厉害，才是万人之敌。”朱棣肃然道：“父亲教训得是！”
朱元璋又说：“老四，十七，你们明天一早，就回北方去吧！”朱棣吃了一惊，忙道：“明天可是十三妹的芳辰，我与十七弟特意赶来……”朱元璋打断他道：“北方风烟未静，胡虏窥我燕云，你兄弟二人镇守北疆，责任重大。至于微儿，你们兄妹情深，固然很好，但她小小人儿，生日过与不过，也没什么关系！”
十七弟站起身来，还想说些什么，忽见朱棣目光射来，登时苦笑一下，住口不语。朱元璋打量二人，又见黄衫女怏怏不乐，不由笑道：“微儿，怎么不高兴啦？”黄衫女轻声说：“孩儿不敢，父皇说的都是正理，两位兄长当以国事为重！况且女儿才德浅薄，何劳两大藩王为我庆生？”
朱元璋拍手叹道：“你这孩子，越是懂事，越叫人心疼。唉，你母亲去世得早，我忙于国事，很少见你，可是每次见你，我的心里就很欢喜。也罢，他们走了，我与你庆生，比起两大藩王，为父这分量如何？”
朱棣与十七弟忙说：“父皇万岁之躯，儿等岂敢相提并论？”黄衫女破颜笑道：“父亲说得好听，就怕到时候忙碌起来，又把此事忘了！”朱元璋笑道：“若我来不了，就让炆儿来，不过既是庆生，不可没有礼物，老四，你送的什么？”
朱棣笑道：“孩儿送的都是俗物，一对和田玉如意，九升合浦大珠，两件紫貂皮氅，还有十四支高丽老参！”朱元璋笑道：“十四支老参，一岁一支么？十七儿，你又送的什么？”
十七弟笑道：“十三妹雅好音乐，孩儿费尽神思，制作古琴一张，送与妹子作为贺礼！”
朱元璋指着亭前古琴：“这一张么？”十七弟笑道：“父皇明断！”朱元璋站起身来，伸手拂扫琴弦，一串琴声涌出，铿铿泠泠，好似流泉滚珠，不由点头道：“好琴，可有名号？”
“有！”十七弟答道，“名叫飞瀑连珠！”
朱元璋笑道：“这名字贴切。”转向黄衫少女，“微儿，你两位兄长一雅一俗，把好处都占尽了，你说，为父送你什么礼物好呢？”
少女眼珠一转，笑道：“父皇若要别出心裁，不如送我一个人！”朱元璋一愣，问道：“什么人？”少女指着乐之扬：“这个小太监！”
乐之扬大吃一惊，在场众人也觉诧异，朱元璋笑道：“微儿，君无戏言，为父答应了你，可就变不了啦！那时候，你可不要后悔！”少女笑道：“千金易得，知音难求，女儿决不后悔！”朱元璋沉吟一下，轻轻叹道：“我诸女之中，就数你与众不同。很好，这礼物不但你喜欢，也很合为父的心意，我就把这小太监赏给你，你好好调教他，下次见面，不可再对我无礼！”
乐之扬十分气闷，自忖大好男儿，被人当成太监也罢了，现如今，更被当作礼物送给一个小姑娘，简直岂有此理。正胡思乱想，朱元璋已转身离去，朱允炆跟在祖父身后，亦步亦趋，神情恭顺。朱棣受了伤，由十七弟陪着回宫就医，两人告辞离开，亭子前顿显冷清。
两个宫女上前收拾琴桌香案，一个年长的宫女冲乐之扬喝道：“死阉鸡，还不过来搬琴?”乐之扬本想趁人不备，一走了之，可是没有讨债鬼的手段，要想逃出这座宫城，简直就是痴人做梦，到了这个地步，只好走一步算一步。想到这儿，转眼看去，黄衫少女背着手冲他微笑，她一笑起来，眼如月牙，嘴似红菱，白玉似的双颊上浮起一对浅浅的梨涡。
乐之扬只觉双颊发热，低头去搬古琴，那张琴大漆涂面，摸上去布满断纹，或如流水，或如梅花。乐之扬摩挲琴面，不觉微微入神，忽听黄衫女笑道：“你也会弹琴么?”
乐之扬心头一慌，古琴几乎掉在地上，支支吾吾地说：“会一点儿，可弹得不好!”黄衫女见他拘谨，不觉莞尔，年长的宫女见他呆头呆脑，忍不住喝道：“死阉鸡，当心一点儿，摔坏了琴，你十个脑袋也赔不起!”
乐之扬“唔”了一声，忽觉后腰一痛，被那宫女掐了一把，乐之扬几乎跳起来大骂，忽听那宫女又叫：“呆什么?还不回宫去!”一听这话，乐之扬才省悟到这里不是秦淮河，而是紫禁城，往日的泼皮手段到了这儿都不中用，只好垂头丧气，挟着琴跟在宫女后面。
曲折走了一会儿，香泽微闻，一个温软的身子凑了上来，两人肘尖相抵，乐之扬抖了一抖，一股酥麻流遍全身。只听黄衫女轻声笑道：“小太监，我把你要过来，你似乎不大乐意!”
乐之扬心想：鬼才乐意，我又不是一张琴、一管笛子，任你要来要去的，你做了公主就了不起吗?公主，公主，呸，我看叫公猪还差不多!想到这儿，笑嘻嘻说道：“哪里话，公猪殿下．能够服侍你老人家，我高兴得快要死了!”
少女听了这话，有点儿失望，她本见乐之扬一身傲气，跟别的太监大不相同，谁知交谈起来，仍是一嘴的陈腔滥调。她身处深宫，受惯了尊崇，万料不到这小子话里有话，暗地里骂人。
默默走了两步，少女又问：“小太监，你姓乐，可有名字么?”乐之扬本想编个假名糊弄她，可是转念一想，大丈夫行不改名，坐不改姓，倘若连真名也不敢说，岂不真如太监一样，成了无卵之人，当即答道：“我叫乐之扬!”
“乐之扬……”少女轻轻念了两遍，笑道，“小太监，你糊里糊涂的，大概也不知道我是谁吧?”乐之扬笑道：“我当然知道，你不是公猪吗?”少女笑道：“公主也有好些个，我是宝辉公主，大号朱微，将来有人问起来，你可别答错了!”乐之扬“嗯”了一声，心想：“大号猪尾，没错，她老子朱元璋是老公猪，带了一群小公猪，这个紫禁城，就是一个大猪圈，哼，不知这大号的猪尾巴长在什么地方?”想着掉过头来，贼眼兮兮地冲着少女打量。
朱微见他眼神无礼，心中有气，低喝一声：“你看什么？”
乐之扬慌忙耷拉眼皮。老宫女破口大骂：“死阉鸡，活腻了么？公主，他方才可是对你无礼，我马上禀告李公公，打他三百皮鞭！”
朱微皱了皱眉，看了乐之扬一眼，冷冷说：“算了，一点儿小事，不用劳烦别人。”宫女摇头叹气：“公主，你就是心慈手软，哼，再这么下去，这些太监宫女都要翻天了！”
朱微冷冷道：“宋茶，翻天二字也是你该说的？”宫女应声一颤，面色如土，忙道：“婢子口不择言，该死，该死，……”反过手来，猛打双颊。朱微叹道：“好啦，别打了。人谁无过，我要真这么狠心，你们这些人还能活么？”宫女的脸色红了又白，满心闷气无处发泄，狠狠瞪了乐之扬一眼。
抵达宝辉宫，夜色已深。朱微自去寝殿歇息，老宫女领着乐之扬来到一间狭小厢房，掷给他一床被子，冷冰冰自顾去了。
床板又冷又硬，躺了一会儿，心口隐隐作痛。乐之扬猛可（校对认为此处“可”应为“地”）想起，这儿刺入了讨债鬼的金针，讨债鬼说了，要不及时起出，金针必会扎穿心脏。看样子，讨厌鬼如果斗不过那老太监，死在宫里，或是被俘囚禁，无人取出金针，自己非死不可。再说自己骗他入宫，叫他吃了大亏，讨债鬼即使活着，也决不会来救自己。
他越想越灰心，好在天生率性，一旦无法可施，也就抛在脑后，大被蒙头昏昏入睡。
睡的正香，忽觉身上疼痛，睁眼一看，一条棍子从天而降，落在他的背上。乐之扬倒抽了一口冷气，弹坐而起，木呆呆盯着来人。好容易神魂入窍，却见昨日跟自己拌过嘴的老宫女站在床前，一手叉腰，一手拿着他的笛子，粉面含威，锐声叫道：“死阉鸡，快起来抬水!”
乐之扬恢复知觉，手腿肩背无处不痛，再听这声喝骂，登时勃然大怒，劈手抢过笛子，狠狠抽在宫女臀上。那女子大感意外，口中发出一声尖叫，眼看乐之扬再举笛子，吓得转身就跑，边跑边叫：“杀人了，杀人了……”
乐之扬追出门外，恶狠狠挥舞长笛，一边的宫女太监前来阻拦，给他一人一下，打得缩头缩脑。他从小在秦淮河边打架，身手敏捷，少有敌手，这些宫人柔弱无力，哪儿是他的对手，眼睁睁望着他赶上宋茶。老宫女听见脚步声响，吓得魂不附体，脚下一绊，摔了一跤。乐之扬赶上去，手起笛落，向她身上抽去。
“住手!”一声锐喝响起，从旁横过一柄带鞘长剑，轻轻一挑，乐之扬虎口发热，笛子“嗖”的飞出。掉头看去，朱微俏脸苍白，黑幽幽的眸子里喷出火来。
这一下，乐之扬清醒了过来，想起自己身在禁宫，打的均是宝辉宫的太监宫女，刹那间，他出了一身冷汗，盯着朱微张口结舌。
“宋茶!”朱微冲那宫女喝问，“到底怎么回事?”
“公主殿下!”宋茶抱着朱微的小腿哭哭啼啼，“我叫这死阉鸡起床抬水，他不但不听，还拿棍子打我!”
乐之扬又气又急，叫道：“放狗屁，明明是你先打我的!”宋茶叫道：“胡说，谁看见我打你了?你打我，大家可都看得明明白白的。公主，你要为我做主呀，我跟了你十多年，人老珠黄，还要受这个死阉鸡的欺负!”她一把鼻涕一把泪，哭得伤心伤意，乐之扬张嘴站在一边，苦于无人作证，心里急得要死。
朱微盯着宫女瞧了半晌，叹道：“宋茶，你要怎样惩罚这小太监?”宋茶眼露凶光，恶狠狠说道：“交给李公公，打他三百棍，打死了喂狗吃。”
“臭婆娘!”乐之扬一腔怒气冲口而出。朱微脸一沉，喝道：“你骂谁?”她素来温婉，可是一旦发怒，自有一股威严，乐之扬为她目光所逼，到嘴的话咽了回去，鼻子里发出一阵哼哼。
朱微瞧他一会儿，皱了皱眉，忽道：“宋茶，三百棍是不是太狠了一点儿。”宋茶恨恨道：“这叫以儆效尤，宫里有宫里的规矩!”
朱微沉思一下，上前两步，拾起那根笛子，轻轻拭去灰尘，看了乐之扬一眼，低声说道：“笛子是用来吹的，可不是用来打人的。”说完递给乐之扬，乐之扬接在手里，满心不是滋味。宋茶眼看舆情不对，忙说：“公主，你干吗把凶器还给他?”
朱微笑道：“宋茶，你跟了我八年，你是什么人，我还不知道吗?你打小宫女、小太监，也不是一次两次，以前有人向我诉苦，我碍于情面，不好说你。可我也不是傻子，你是先母留下的老人，这小太监初来乍到，给他个天作胆，也不敢无故打你的。好了，这件事就此作罢，三百棍就免了，由你监工，罚他添满四缸水就行!”不容宋茶分说，笑嘻嘻提剑出门去了。
水缸不过四口，但都是黄铜大缸，添满一口．非得十桶井水。宋茶算盘落空，刻意报复，一板一眼地当起了监工，为防乐之扬反抗，同行的还有两个年长的太监。老宫女遍寻由头，连掐带骂，乐之扬不胜其怒，要不是对手人多势众，真想把一桶水淋在她头上。
四缸水添满，乐之扬累得两腿发软，心口中针处更是一阵阵刺痛，痛处有酒杯大小，似有烈火从内燃烧。到了中午，吃了饭，正想小睡一会儿，朱微忽又派人来叫。
乐之扬怒不可遏，心中大骂：“臭公猪，死猪尾”，闷闷地进了寝殿，只见墙上挂了十余张古琴，式样有伏羲式、师旷式、灵机式、仲尼式、凤势式、神龙式、连珠式，颜色有黑色、褐色、玉白色、金黄色，还有几张琵琶，曲颈的、直颈的、长颈的，短颈的，另有方响、铜磬、大小皮鼓，长短萧笛、胡笳箜篌，但凡乐之扬知道的乐器，寝殿里应有尽有，一边的角落里甚至还有一架青铜编钟，囚为年代久远，上面积满了斑斑绿锈。
除此之外，桌椅床铺无不简素，萦绕着一股淡淡的女儿香气。朱微坐在“飞瀑连珠”后面，见了乐之扬，脸上浮现笑意，招呼道：“快来，我要练琴，你来给我伴奏!”
乐之扬悻悻上前，他心中烦乱，吹起笛子也是走音窜板，朱微听得皱眉，忽地止了琴声，吩咐宫女们道：“你们先出去，把门带上!”一转眼，寝殿里只剩下两人，朱微盯着乐之扬，乐之扬也怒目相向。两人对望一阵，朱微忽地咯咯咯笑了起来，起初只是笑，跟着一手捧腹，一手扶着琴，笑得几乎直不起腰来。
乐之扬莫名其妙，忍不住问道：“公猪，你笑什么?”朱微直起腰来，微微喘气：“想到早上的情形，我就忍不住要笑，宋茶那个样子，哎哟，打我认识她，从来没有见过，哎哟，笑死我了!”
乐之扬更加惊奇，结结巴巴地说：“公猪，你不生我的气吗?”朱微笑道：“我生气干吗?这个宋茶，本是母妃的贴身宫女，母妃去世以后又来服侍我，仗着资格老，一贯作威作福。因为先母的关系，我一向得过且过，不愿跟她计较，可是看着那些小宫女、小太监挨打，我的心里也很难受。如今可好了，遇上你这个愣头青，叫她吃了一只大甲鱼。”
“大甲鱼?”乐之扬一愣。
朱微眨眼笑笑，说道：“大甲鱼，不就是大鳖么?”
乐之扬一听，不由得眉开眼笑，连连点头，心想：“小公猪还会说笑话，不错，不如我想象中那么讨厌!”
朱微盯着他上下打量，自言自语地说：“奇怪了，你这个小太监，跟别的太监不大一样，别的人个个胆小怕事，打不还手，骂不还口，如无旨意，什么事儿也不敢做。你倒好，跟我斗曲儿一点儿也不谦让，第一天来宝辉宫，就打了这里的女史。”
乐之扬心想：“那是，太监与我何干?本人男子汉大丈夫，输人不能输气。”这话能想不能说，但见朱微小女儿神情流露，不觉心生亲近，笑着问道：“公猪殿下，你去过宫外吗?”朱微摇头说：“没有，我生下来就呆在宫里!”
乐之扬见她失落神气，心生怜悯，说道：“看来当公猪也没什么好的，这地方一到晚上，又黑又空，就跟一座大坟墓差不多!”
“大胆!”朱微变了脸色，扬眉喝道，“你敢说紫禁城是坟墓？”
乐之扬笑道：“急什么，我不过打个比方!”他一副嬉皮笑脸的样子，朱微反倒无从发作，盯着这个小太监怒也不是，笑也不是，心中暗暗佩服他胆大无忌，竟敢对着大明的公主，诋毁大明的皇宫。她想了想，故作冷淡地说：“皇宫你也嫌不好，那什么地方才好?”
“秦淮河啊!”乐之扬冲冲而出。
“大胆!”朱微下意识又是一声怒喝，“你、你把皇宫跟那种、那种下流地方相比?”
乐之扬笑道：“你去过秦淮河吗?”朱微面涨通红，支吾说：“没去过又怎样?那儿，那儿不是、不是……”声音越见低微，乐之扬接口说道：“是妓院没错，可是比起这皇宫，热闹一百倍，好玩儿一千倍。”
朱微还没想好怎么训斥对方，一听这话，好奇心起，忍不住问道：“怎么热闹?怎么好玩儿?”乐之扬抖擞精神，绘声绘色地讲起秦淮河的花船花灯、轻歌曼舞，夫予庙的说书看戏、诸般杂耍，还有各种小吃玩物——糖人、面人、桂花糕、羊肉饼……他常去悬河楼听人说书，无意间也练成了一副好口才，又怕朱微身份尊贵，眼界甚高，平常之物难入法眼，故而越发添油加醋，说得天花乱坠。
朱微默默听着，各种奇妙景物宛然就在眼前，心中热乎乎的，一时好不神往，许久听完，不由叹道：“这么说，那秦淮河，似乎，似乎真比皇宫好一些，可惜我没你的福分，不能亲眼去看一看。”
乐之扬笑道：“你是公猪啊，什么地方不能去?”朱微摇头说：“你不知道的，父皇定下规矩，公主嫁了人，才能离开紫禁城!”
乐之扬随口说：“这个容易，你嫁个人不就成了吗?”
朱微白他一眼，说道：“你胡说什么?一来我年纪还小，二来那些王孙公子，一个个十足讨厌，哼，像你跟十七哥这样的人，
可是一个也没有……”说到这儿，自觉失言，心想自己一定失心疯了，怎么能对一个太监说出这样的话。
乐之扬全没听出弦外之音，随口问道：“这排行也真怪，他排十七是哥哥，你排十三倒是妹妹!”朱微盯他半晌，奇怪道：“乐之扬，你进宫的时候没人告诉你吗?父皇有二十五个儿子，十六个女儿!”
“哎哟!，乐之扬惊叫起来，“你老爹还真能生!”朱微又好气又好笑，骂道：“乐之扬，你想死么?什么你老爹，你该叫陛下，叫万岁!”乐之扬陀道：“是，是，陛下还真能生……”
朱微只觉这话还是不对，如何不对却说不上来，只好接着说：“十