Beyond the Great Wall

Today is the sixth day of the lunar new year, a little snow has fallen, and the eaves are thinly stained.

Min Wan, the little guard, woke up early, and when he saw the snow, he was happy: auspicious snow heralds a good year!He happily walked through the Yin Bodhisattva Palace and came outside his master's house. "Your Highness, are you up?" He asked, knocking on the door, "You have to take some time, today is a good day, don't miss the hour."

Min Wan said, pushed open the door and walked in gently.He is the personal bodyguard of His Highness the Third Highness, so he has the right to do so.Oh no, His Highness the Third Highness will become the new emperor of Dashuo in a few hours, so remember to change your words when the time comes.He secretly reminded himself.

"Minwan." Shen Wancong sat in front of the window, he had already put on his clothes, but his hair was not tied up, and he looked outside thoughtfully.

Now the snow outside has almost melted, and he was a little tired from organizing his father's funeral a few days ago, but he is still used to getting up early in the morning. "Your Highness, why are you still wearing this dress? From now on, you will wear that shining dragon robe." Min Wan stood up after getting the permission, with joy that could not be concealed on his simple and honest face, "That's so majestic."

"Really..." Shen Wancong raised his eyes and looked at the gray magpies on the plum tree outside, "The concubine mother passed away the year before last, and so did the emperor father. I used to think that being emperor could protect them, but now No need..." He looked at the magpie jumping and jumping, with some snow sprinkled on his back, "He hasn't come back either. If he doesn't come back in a few days, it will be four years."

Min Wan has always liked to listen to his master, because Shen Wancong's voice is really nice.But now Shen Wancong's voice was long, like a sigh.Min Wan was stunned for a moment, and said, "Farewell, Your Highness, isn't there still His Highness Ninth?"

"Wanqing," Shen Wancong recovered a little bit of energy, "How is the little girl now?"

Mentioning Shen Wanqing, Min Wan smiled, and replied: "It's all right. But I've been arguing all day long to eat General Meng's Tangzhi Cake, no, my mother took a nap yesterday during the lunch break, and went to sleep on my own. He ran to the imperial dining room. That guy was so frightened that Hengyang Palace was jumping like a dog..."

"Wanqing follows her concubine's temperament and likes to eat desserts." Shen Wancong smiled, "But she can't be left to eat cakes every day. I guess she is about to change her teeth, so she can't eat more sweets." .”

"Okay Your Highness, now it's time for you to change your clothes." Min Wan finally saw his master back to normal, reminded.

Shen Wancong exhaled softly, left the window and walked into the screen inside the house.

The magpies on the plum trees outside have long since disappeared, and even the snow on the original trees has disappeared.I don't know if it was the masterpiece of the magpie just now, or some idle maid swept it away bit by bit.

In front of Heze Hall, there are hundreds of civil and military officials standing, solemn and strictly prohibited.The palace under the leaden sky is getting colder and colder, and the edges and corners of the houses are like knives cutting the ground.The chirping of birds from time to time could not break the serious atmosphere on the field, because it was already half an hour before the new emperor ascended the throne.

Shen Wancong gasped slightly, it wasn't that he had never seen so many people, but the seriousness of these people made him a little nervous.After listening to an order, the musicians began to play music.The solemn music resounded through the sky, and it seemed that dragons, phoenixes, lins, and sparrows were summoned to come down to celebrate this grand ceremony together.

"The auspicious time has come—" Another command was issued, and thousands of people knelt down in unison, shouting "Long live my emperor!"The music got louder and louder, it made his ears ring, and also startled countless birds soaring into the sky, creating a commotion.Shen Wancong regained his composure, walked through the crowd step by step with Minwan's support, and approached the dragon chair placed on the nine steps in front little by little.

When he reached the bottom of the steps, Min Wan could no longer accompany him up the stairs.He must climb to the highest point alone, sit alone on that glorious chair, look down on the crowd, and overlook all living beings!

Shen Wancong took a step forward and climbed up the first step.He was thinking of his father's last sentence "We must guard the country of Dashuo", thinking of the territory of Shuo Kingdom that he had seen since he was a child, and thinking of the tenacity and fearlessness in the eyes of every soldier...

In the second step, he began to feel that he was gradually higher than others.For some reason, the figure of Meng Che appeared in his mind.Meng Che, wearing armor, riding a horse and wielding a long knife, stood under the moon, and the thousands of horses and horses behind him were overwhelming...

It was the third step, and he watched himself getting closer to the dragon chair, and closer to power.Meng Che's sharp blade in his mind cut through the moonlight...

The fourth level, the fifth level... The lead clouds are billowing, and the mountains and rivers are continuous.The knife was dyed red, and it was extremely coquettish under the cold light, like little bright red flowers flying from the sky...

In the last step, he climbed onto the high platform.Looking at the golden chair, he felt that it was extremely cold.Shen Wancong closed his eyes, and Meng Che's figure suddenly disappeared.Turn around and sit down, black hair flying.

"Seeing the emperor, long live my emperor, long live, long live!—" He accepted the blessings of thousands of people, but felt a little helpless.When he looked up, he suddenly bumped into a pair of very familiar eyes, and the smile in those eyes was like a river of spring water, moistening the barren land in his heart for three years.

Shen Wancong dismissed the guards and came to Meng Che's residence alone.He had been lingering in front of Meng Che's house for a long time, and his hands holding the chess bag were sweating from tension.

He wanted to turn around and run away several times, but when he thought of those smiling eyes in the daytime, he felt a pity that he couldn't see them.Maybe I won't see it this time, and it will take another three years for the next time.Seeing the sky getting dark, Shen Wancong finally mustered up the courage to knock on the door: "General Meng, have you rested?" He was a little annoyed as soon as he finished speaking, his voice just now seemed to be low, maybe Meng Che wouldn't hear.

But it wasn't what he thought.Meng Che quickly opened the door: "See Your Majesty, long live my Emperor." He was kneeling, unable to see his expression clearly.Shen Wancong guessed that he might have just finished taking a bath, because the ends of his hair were still dripping.

"The emperor is here tonight, but what should I do?" Meng Che got his permission and stood up.Shen Wancong looked at Meng Che, who was more than an inch taller than him, and was a little embarrassed: "It's nothing. It's just that I'm idle at night, thinking that I haven't seen General Meng for three years, I want to play chess with General..." He brightened up. Putting down the chess bag in his arms, he added a sentence, "If General Meng feels really tired just after returning home, let's forget about it. After all, the general has worked hard in the frontiers, and it is my fault that I didn't cleanse you up when I returned to the capital."

"How could it be the emperor's fault? The last general is not so precious." Meng Che chuckled, "Come on, the last general also misses the days of playing chess with the emperor very much. It just so happens that I got my wish tonight. I am really grateful." Meng Che took the chess piece in his arms and led him to go inside.

"If it's just you and me, you don't have to care about those etiquettes..." Shen Wancong dawdled for a while, and said, "Those are really cumbersome." It was not his intention to be completely alienated.It seemed that the voice was lower this time, and he really wanted to find a crack in the ground to get in.

Meng Che set up the chessboard, made tea and brought it to him: "I don't have any good tea here, I've wronged you." He paused, his tone frivolous, "Is Wan Cong satisfied with talking like this?"

Shen Wancong looked at the cup of Shifeng Longjing, hummed in a low voice, and said: "Three years of military service outside the Great Wall, have you suffered a lot?"

"It's nothing to play for Dashuo. The moon outside the Great Wall is also very beautiful, especially on the Mid-Autumn Festival night." Meng Che pondered, it seems that Shen Wancong is good at chess, "It's a pity that no one will eat Tangzhi cake in the future. Oh, your taste is bland, and Tangzhi Cake is much sweeter."

"It's okay to taste some once in a while." Shen Wancong paid attention to Meng Che's chess pieces, "It's delicious. Wanqing has been clamoring to eat this recently."

"This little girl, is it almost time to change teeth?" Meng Che laughed.

"You still remember this." Shen Wancong raised his head all of a sudden, his eyes were shining brightly under the candlelight, like the sparkling waves of a clear lake under the sun.

"Why, don't you believe me?" "That's not true," Shen Wancong's voice was as smooth as water, "I'm just surprised that you still remember..."

After a while, the two became silent, because the chess game began to become tense.It was already midnight when the two of them finished playing.Shen Wancong bid farewell to Meng Che, and Meng Che offered to send him back, but was declined.

Shen Wancong has been away for a long time, but Meng Che still doesn't want to put away the chessboard.There are black and white pieces on the chessboard, and the black pieces are defeated and eaten to death.A smile flashed across his eyes.Suddenly, Meng Che thought of such a line of poem, and laughed after thinking about it.

——Lighting lamps at the bottom of the well and deep candles, Gong Lang Changxing Mo Go.