Chang'an ancient meaning

Xue Chongjian took Wu Linglan back to the mansion in a hurry, and went straight to Princess Tianping's bedroom, and saw Taiping lying on her side on the couch, and Wu Youji sitting beside her, fanning her with a fan to keep her cool.Hearing the footsteps, Taiping opened his eyes and saw his son, and said with a slight smile, "The flower slave is back." Xue Chongjian rushed to the side of the couch, held his mother's hand, and said, "Auntie, what's wrong?" Taiping stroked his son's hair and said "It's okay. I think it was too hot in the afternoon, and I just felt a wave of nausea in my stomach. After vomiting, I drank a cup of mung bean soup, and now I feel much more stable." Xue Chongjian was relieved to see his mother's face was still good, Slightly complaining and laughing: "You didn't let the person who sent the message speak clearly, you scared my son to death." Taiping glanced at Wu Youji, and said with a smile: "It's not your uncle, the wind is the rain." She saw Wu Linglan, who had just entered the room at this time, was slightly taken aback: "Alan is back too."

Wu Linglan also went up to kneel down to salute and greet, Taiping comforted her a few words, then smiled and said: "I disturbed your mother's birthday banquet." Wu Linglan said: "I just ate mother's birthday soup cake at home. Mother's body is important." Xue Chongjian felt somewhat guilty, and hesitated: "How about I send someone to take you back?" Taiping stared at his daughter-in-law for a moment, then smiled and said: "The carriage and horses are not stable at night, and Alan's body can't stand the bumps Don’t go, go back to your room and rest earlier.” Xue Chongjian took the fan from Wu Youji, and said to Wu Linglan: “You go back first, I’ll fan grandma for a while, and I’ll go find it after grandma sleeps. You." Wu Linglan couldn't help feeling joyful when she heard the words "I'll go find you", and she also sat down beside Princess Taiping and said, "I'm also here to accompany Grandma."

Taiping saw Wu Linglan looking at Xue Chongjian when she was talking, with a shy and fresh smile on her lips, pinching the two skirts with her fingers, and twisting them back and forth repeatedly, just like when she first entered her mansion and was a bride.Taiping closed his eyes in the gentle breeze, feeling a pang of pity in his heart for some reason.

Li Chengqi couldn't fall asleep for a long time that night. Hearing the update report had passed three times, Fang felt a vague sense of chaotic drowsiness in his mind.Suddenly he heard a noisy sound, he thought he had fallen into a dream, and in the dream he returned to the night of the Shenlong Revolution, he was sitting with his father in Nanya, and he could only judge from the distant sound of soldiers and revolutions that this was related The battle of life and death, after all, is success or failure.Different from Yuan Shuji's anxious and excited expression, his father's expression was always slightly sad.In his dream, Li Chengqi heard his father say that no matter whether he wins or loses in this battle, he will be guilty of a heinous crime.

It's just that the voice became clearer and clearer, the faint clamor of human voices, accompanied by special horseshoes, came in wave after wave like a sea tide.Li Chengqi woke up suddenly. In the dark bed curtain, only the golden incense sticks hanging on the four corners of the curtain gave off a faint gleam. This is by no means a sound that dozens or hundreds of people can make, not to mention the late-night curfew, who dares to make noise near the palace?mutiny!The dream and the reality merged into one, Li Chengqi broke out in a cold sweat, and sat up suddenly, the maid A Luo who was sleeping outside also woke up when she heard the sound, she got up and said in surprise: "Your Highness, what happened?" Li Chengqi put on his boots in a hurry Then she ran out, and Ah Luo hurriedly asked the waiter holding the sword outside the door to follow.

Li Chengqi walked through the corridor from the back door of Shouchun Prince's Mansion, and went straight to the adjacent Xiangwang's Mansion. Outside the gate of Xiangwang's Mansion, he met Li Longji who also heard the sound and came to protect his father.Although Li Longji was disheveled and barefoot, he held a torch in his left hand and a sword in his right, and there were several young men with swords behind him.The two brothers met each other in a hurry and immediately entered the mansion hand in hand. Li Dan had heard the report and personally brought his servants to the steps to meet them. Brother Li Chengqi heaved a sigh of relief seeing that his father was fine, and then he knelt down and bowed his head to say hello. Li Dan helped them up and said: "There seems to be a change in the city. I have sent people to inquire, and ordered the guards in the mansion to guard at the door. You wait here for news."

The Prince Xiang's mansion was closer to the palace, and the indistinguishable noise could be heard more clearly, and even the sound of horseshoes, boots, and soldiers' leather could be heard, as if troops were constantly passing by outside the mansion.Li Longji said in shock: "It's an accident in the Taiji Palace!" Li Dan stood silently in the dark night, and the shaking torches illuminated his quiet and slightly sad face. Li Chengqi felt in a trance. exactly the same.Only then did he see that Li Dan was wearing a blue round-neck gown, with jade hairpins on his head. Compared with the disheveled mess of his two sons, he seemed more relaxed.

Li Dan was silent for a while before waking up, smiled slightly at Concubine Doulu beside him and said, "Let's go into the house, you go and get two clothes, and find a pair of suitable boots for San Lang." Li Longji said to himself The guard Wang Maozhong ordered: "Take two people and bring my second brother, fourth brother, and fifth brother here." Li Dan led them in, and Li Longji sat down and put on his shoes and asked, "Why is Daddy not asleep?" ?” This was a very common sentence, but Li Dan was slightly taken aback, and seemed to hesitate for a moment, before answering: “It happens that I am late in studying.”

A guard rushes into the palace, throws himself on the ground and shouts loudly: "Your Highness, I have met Li Qiao, the Zhongshu Ling who led the troops into the guard. Master Li said that the crown prince rebelled and killed King Dejing's whole family. Entering the palace, Your Majesty and the Empress are being besieged on the tower of the Xuanwu Gate!" Li Longji said in shock, "You heard me right! Is the prince rebelling against you? Prince Li Chongjun?" The guard said urgently: "There is no mistake, Mr. Said that the current situation is unknown, please keep your highness safe in the mansion, and don't leave lightly!"

Li Longji was about to ask again, when he saw Li Chengqi's fair face almost turned dark blue, staggered and ran out, he quickly caught up and grabbed his sleeve: "Where are you going, brother?" He was about to explode, his feet seemed to be stepping on a pile of cotton wool, his head was full of buzzing sounds, and even the dark night scene in the courtyard outside the door was distorted by the flames into a bizarre and bizarre way.He slammed Li Longji's hand hard, and he didn't know whether it was because of his weakness or Li Longji's grip was too tight, but he didn't fall down several times, he took a couple of heavy breaths before he could speak: "Let go! I'm going to find Hua Nu!" Li Longji was taken aback by his hoarse voice, Li Dan frowned and took a step forward, and said, "How do you know Hua Nu is in Prince Dejing's Mansion?" Li Chengqi trembled violently and his eyes hurt He could hardly distinguish the light, but could not shed a single tear. He tremblingly said: "I let him go..." He almost died of remorse, did he push Hua Nu into disaster with his own hands?

Li Longji was stunned for a moment, and Li Chengqi had already ripped his sleeves out. He saw his elder brother, who had always advanced and retreated politely, rushing out of the hall like a lost soul, and shouted angrily: "Prepare the horse! Prepare the horse for me!" Li Dan's face turned pale. Only then was he a little pale, and he hurriedly told Li Longji: "You take the guards of my mansion and go with your elder brother, and report back immediately if you have any news!"

Li Chengqi rode his horse galloping in the city of Chang'an at night, and rebels passed by him constantly, enveloping his horse, making him unable to control the direction like a small boat caught in a hurricane.He kept beating the people around him with a horsewhip, or begging them to make way for him, but it didn't help. The crazy drumming noise was next to his ears, and he felt in a trance in the anxiety of wanting to die. Why are these people in such a hurry?Do they also have relatives caught in the flames of war?The scorching torches stretch out like a galaxy, reminding him of the Obon Festival, and the countless river lanterns floating in the river guide the ghosts on their way.

Before they reached Xingning Square, they could see the flames in the east from a distance, rendering half the sky like a morning glow, and there was an unidentifiable smell of burnt or bloody smell floating in the wind.All the dignitaries and dignitaries live here, and the servants of each family go out one after another, gather under their own doors to watch, pointing to Dongfang and whispering.

Li Chengqi breathed heavily, the wind blowing through the fire was still hot, but he felt that the blood all over his body was frozen into ice, and the ice edge pierced his heart and lungs like a sword, causing severe pain in his abdomen Almost seized his consciousness.Li Chengqi ran towards the burning place, he had no time to think about why the prince Li Chongjun suddenly rebelled and why he wanted to destroy Wu Sansi.He only knew that Hua Nu was there, and Hua Nu curled up in his arms acting like a spoiled child, saying that he didn't want to go to celebrate his birthday or go to Wu Sansi's house, but he forcibly dragged Hua Nu up, and he personally sent Hua Nu to death.

They finally rushed into Xingning Fang where the Dejing Palace was located, only to see that the majestic Palace had been engulfed in raging fire.The firelight reflected the exquisite pattern carvings between the beams and eaves. This magnificent palace was bathed in the firelight that soared into the sky, and it was unprecedentedly grand and bright.The flames had spread to the surrounding mansions, and the streets were full of people running and crying. Taking advantage of the wind, the flames licked the cheeks of Li Chengqi and others like long tongues of flame.

In a trance, Li Chengqi returned to the dungeon of the judge's courtyard, back to the hell in the distant dream. The ghost soldiers poured pot after pot of boiling oil on him, and his flesh was scorched and rotten. In the pain of wanting to die, there is only one person's name, Hua Nu.Every time he encounters a catastrophe, Hua Nu will come to him in response. For a long time, these two words have become a mantra that is more sacred than Amitabha, and it has become a bright and good thing in the world only for him.He never knew what it would be like if one day he called this name but no one answered.

Li Longji saw a ray of determination flashing across Li Chengqi's eyes illuminated by the flames, and then Li Chengqi galloped his horse towards the sea of ​​flames.He was taken aback, and it was too late to stop him, so he had to slam his horse into Li Chengqi's horse. The two horses neighed in unison, and fell in front of the flame-blocked door of the palace. Roll down the steps.At this time, the huge roof beams collapsed and hit the two horses, and the horses wailed mournfully.

While Li Chengqi's eyes were dark, he suddenly heard someone shouting loudly behind him: "Cousin!" commonplace.Xue Chongjian jumped off the horse first and ran towards him.

Li Chengqi didn't know if he had an illusion in his dizziness, that illusion was a lotus flower blooming in the Styx, even if the road ahead was a certain death, he could only go to that illusion.Li Chengqi, in the severe pain that seemed to be breaking every inch of his bones, forcibly propped up his body, ran two steps forward, his feet were soft and fell down again, Xue Chongjian ran two steps and knelt down, hugging Li Chengqi into his arms .Long tongues of flame were swallowed by their bodies, and their hair and clothes were stirred up by the hot wind, as if they could swallow this pair of people at any time.Xue Chongjian hugged this man with all his strength, and his fingers almost sank into Li Chengqi's flesh and bones. He roared in a low voice, "Are you crazy! You've had enough!"

Li Chengqi looked up at Xue Chongjian's face, two lines of hot tears finally flowed down, he leaned on Xue Chongjian's chest, and sighed softly: "I thought you were inside." Xue Chongjian was slightly startled, his movements were gentler, Wiping off a bloodstain on Li Chengqi's forehead, he scolded him tearfully: "What a fool." Li Longji fell beside his elder brother. He was shocked by his elder brother's intertwined eyes with Xue Chongjian in the light as bright as day. The scorching fire is more turbulent, but it hides an inextricable tender love.

"Father! Mother—!" Wu Linglan's desolate call sounded particularly frightening in the constantly rumbling and collapsing houses. She got off her horse and ran towards the crumbling palace. Tuo, shouted eagerly: "The county master! The county master can't come near!" Wu Youji also shouted: "Huanu! You quickly retreat!" Xue Chongjian gritted his teeth and picked up Li Chengqi, Wang Maozhong rushed up to help Li Longji, desperately to run after.Huge rafters, covered in flames, fell rumbling down. Those who escaped stared dumbfounded at the most magnificent palace in Chang'an City, those Qionglou Yuyu, which were more than a hundred feet high, collapsing like flying smoke.

Wu Linglan kept crying and screaming: "Let go of me! Let me go! My parents are inside!" Wu Youji covered his mouth and nose with a wet handkerchief, comforting him angrily: "Alan, Alan, don't Urgent, first find someone to ask, ask..." Finally, a guard found a slave who had escaped from the palace and grabbed Wu Youji in front of him. The slave kowtowed and cried loudly: "Master! The king, concubine, concubine, and all the young and old in our house were killed... Those soldiers killed the king, piled their corpses in the courtyard, and set fire to the house..."

Wu Linglan let out a weak and painful moan from her throat, and her body collapsed limply.Xue Chongjian ran over to hug his wife into his arms, Wu Linglan held Xue Chongjian's arm tightly with her fingers convulsed with pain, her chest heaved rapidly, but she was speechless.Wu Youji exclaimed, and he saw a stream of bright red blood winding out from under Wu Linglan's skirt, slowly flowing towards the sea of ​​flames.

Xue Chongjian didn't know the whole story until the next day. At night, Prince Li Chongjun, out of resentment at the insult and persecution of Empress Wei, Princess Anle and Wu Sansi, joined Zuo Yulin General Li Duozuo, General Li Sichong, Li Chengkuang, Dugu Yizhi, Sha Zha Zhongyi and others coerced more than [-] cavalry soldiers from Yulin, killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun in their ranks, and punished more than ten of their relatives.Li Chongjun also ordered Zuo Jinwu's general Cheng Wang Qianli and his son Tianshui Wang Xi to divide their troops to guard the gates of the palace city, and he and Li Duozuo led troops to enter from Suzhang Gate.

As the crown prince, Li Chongjun couldn't openly point the war against the emperor, empress and his sister. He could only ask Shangguan Wan'er for leading Wu Sansi into the palace to have an affair with the queen.Shangguan Wan'er immediately knelt down and said to the emperor: "The prince wants to ask Wan'er first, then the queen, and then your majesty." The emperor took Empress Wei, Princess Anle, and Shangguan Wan'er up to the Xuanwu gate to avoid the attack. The cowardly man in the novel showed the courage a man should have when his beloved women were in danger.Li Xian leaned over the threshold and shouted to the thousands of cavalry soldiers led by Li Duozuo: "All of you are my old guards. Why do you rebel from Duozuo? If you can kill the rebels, don't worry about not being rich." Li Xian Chongjun was able to mobilize thousands of knights to kill Wu Sansi, but relying on the false imperial decree, when the emperor personally went up to the building to reprimand them for treason, these guards immediately mutinied.Li Chongjun saw sadly that he wanted to get rid of a group of evil women around him for his father, but his father stood with these evil women without hesitation.

Li Chongjun, who was dubbed by his father as a rebel, became a rare commodity for the soldiers to seek wealth. In addition, Yang Zaisi, Su Gui, Li Qiao, Shangshu Zong Chuke of the Ministry of War, and Zuowei General Ji Chuna came to rescue him. At that time, Li Chongjun's situation was over, so he had to flee to Zhongnan Mountain with less than a hundred servants from the East Palace, where he was killed by the left and right servants, and Li Duozuo and others were beheaded by the Xuanwu sect.In the early morning of the second day, in addition to the rising sun in the east, the grand bells of the Tai Chi Hall as always, and the head of his son Li Chongjun greeted the emperor.

The angry emperor ordered his son's head to be hung in the Taimiao to pay homage to the coffins of Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun.The emperor proclaimed Wu Sansi Taiwei and Liang Xuanwang, and Wu Chongxun as Lu Zhongwang. The funeral ceremony was like that of a prince, and he planned to use the imperial ceremony to build a mountain mausoleum for the Wu family father and son.It's just that the whole family of the Wu family was punished, and the only person in mourning in front of the coffin was Princess Anle, a woman from the tomb. She didn't go to the Wu family to pay respects to her aunt because she didn't want to bow down to her aunt. Her arrogance and rudeness allowed her to escape by luck.Everyone in the court knew that Wu Sansi's only surviving daughter, Princess Taiping's daughter-in-law Fangcheng County Lord, also had a miscarriage due to fright.