Chang'an ancient meaning

In the evening, King Xue Liye came to Li Chengqi's residence. To avoid the crown prince's taboo, he only removed the word "Long" from his name in the past half a year. The emperor himself sometimes called it wrong.Li Chengqi welcomed him to the study, and said softly, "Wulang, it's so late, what's the matter?" Li Ye looked around anxiously and said, "You let them go down." Li Chengqi was surprised to see him like this, and dismissed his servants , said: "What's the matter, so careful?" Li Ye leaned up, hugged Li Chengqi's arm and said, "Brother, did Daddy hit my cousin?" Li Chengqi was stunned, and said: "How do you know?" ?” Li Ye said with a more bitter face: “I heard that they went to Wude Hall to get the board, and Cousin Hua Nu even asked someone to recite it. Is it for... Song Jing’s business?”

Li Chengqi's heart sank, today the emperor ordered Li Longji to press down on this matter, although Li Ye is now working in the East Palace, but with Saburo's temperament, it is expected that he would not tell Li Ye.Li Chengqi only felt that his heartbeat was gradually speeding up, and he faintly felt that something was wrong, and said in a deep voice, "Who told you that!"

Li Ye saw that his elder brother's face changed, and he became more and more frightened. He was so anxious that he was about to cry, and he just pinched the belt around his waist and rubbed it.Li Chengqi gasped and said in shock, "You know that Song Jing was pushed into the water, you recognize Gao Jin from Nanya, don't you!" Step down, crying: "Brother, save me!"

When he yelled four words, Li Chengqi's legs went limp and he staggered, and he hurriedly supported the bookshelf behind him. He couldn't tell whether he was sad or happy, but amidst the buzzing in his ears, there was only one thought that was so anxious that he almost wanted to Burn all his skin and bones to ashes.He grabbed Li Ye's shoulder and shouted, "Tell the truth!" Li Ye was young, and Li Chengqi loved him all the time. It was the first time he saw his elder brother speak so harshly to him, and he panicked and cried, "I didn't mean it!" , I just want to teach the old man a lesson, they said that old Dong Hong drove away the eldest brother first, and then it will be the second brother, the fourth brother and me, I don't want to leave the capital and go to the domain..." Li Chengqi interrupted him and said anxiously: " Why did Gao Jin confess Hua Nu?" Li Ye cried: "I was afraid that Daddy would be angry if he found out, so I asked him to borrow the name of Hua Nu's cousin, Daddy and you both love him so much, if it is revealed I won’t do anything to him... Now that Gao Jin has fled to my house and refuses to leave, if the third brother finds out, I will be finished, big brother, daddy has always listened to you, you go to daddy to intercede for me..."

Li Ye was talking about his grievances, but Li Chengqi couldn't hear clearly.The great fear made him breathless. This fear was different from all the ordeals he had experienced in this life. In a trance, he saw the back of the man who galloped away in the smoke and dust many years ago. He was left behind the smoke and dust, knowing that I couldn't catch up with him, and I was obviously very anxious, but I couldn't cry out.Li Chengqi grabbed Li Ye and shouted, "Let's go!"

He jumped on the horse, but the slave asked in surprise, "It's so late, where is your majesty going?" He didn't answer, but swung the whip and lashed off his mount vigorously. The horse rushed to the gate of the workshop, but he was stopped by Jin Wu, who was watching the night. It's Chang'an, and it's not as far away as Luoyang Tiangao Emperor. If he says a word, the guards can let him go.Li Chengqi suppressed the anxiety in his heart, and ordered Jin Wu that he had important military affairs and had to open the door at night. Jin Wu hesitated to ask him to record the file and leave a certificate, and he threw the fish charm at his waist over.He can't care about tomorrow's affairs anymore, he only knows that he has done something enough to make him regret his whole life, if he doesn't hurry to redeem it, some extremely precious things will be lost in the morning light like tonight's night.

Li Ye, who came over, reined in his horse in panic. He saw that the sleeping door was being pushed hard, and there was a difficult and painful moan. This sound frightened him, and he just wanted to cover his ears.The night watchman King Wu's fire lights dimly outside the door, reflecting their surprised faces.When the gate was only two feet wide, Li Chengqi galloped out, and the damp night fog swallowed his figure, leaving only crisp and eager horseshoes, stepping into the silence of Chang'an night.

Li Chengqi went all the way north, and opened the gates of Xingqingfang, Yongjiafang and Xingningfang in turn.He knew that after dawn, the bullets about his good fortune and forcing Jin Wu to open the door at night would be placed on his father's desk.The law and reputation have become insignificant compared to his heart-wrenching remorse, and he can no longer think about more consequences—or he hopes to make some mistakes and bring punishment for himself to make up for what he did to Hua Nu today. harm.He thought of Hua Nu's state of mind when he was punished twice today, and his eyes were like this night, dark and cold, making people tremble.

Finally entered Xingning Square and came to the gate of Princess Taiping's mansion.Li Chengqi jumped off his horse and slammed on the door. The gate guard came out in a panic. After recognizing that it was King Song, he told him that King Lijie had not returned home since he went to court today. , The family does not know where the owner has gone.

Rejecting the guard's request to invite him to rest in the mansion, Li Chengqi staggered down the steps, his heart was in a mess and his limbs were weak, so he could only sit down slowly leaning against the stone lion in front of Princess Taiping's mansion.He didn't have the strength to call for more doors to be opened, and he didn't know whether Hua Nu was still in Chang'an City at this time.The cold wind in the middle of the night calmed down his scorching and chaotic consciousness a little bit, allowing him to reflect on today's mistakes in detail.He self-righteously thinks that he has a reason to punish Hua Nu, but he never realizes that he is imposing his own burden and fear, his sloppy concession to life, on Hua Nu.

Hua Nu gave him too much love, and she was spoiled by his care and attachment, thinking that this attachment was as eternal as the sunshine he bathed in every day.Every time he turned his head, Hua Nu was there, he opened his arms, and Hua Nu would fall into his arms.He thought that he could be harsh to Hua Nu for a while, and even alienate him, and they were together after all.But where is Hua Nu now?Did he go to Puzhou, or did he go to his wife's annex?Li Chengqi sat shivering outside the silent mansion, only to realize that the sunlight had finally been squandered by him to the end. Maybe what he was going to face was a punishment more terrible than death——let him live, but never again. Without seeing Hua Nu, his long and humble life will face the fear and cold like this night alone.

Li Ye finally caught up with Li Chengqi. He thought that his elder brother was going to take him into the palace to surrender, but when he saw Li Chengqi's horse rushing into Xingningfang, he realized that he was looking for Xue Chongjian.Seeing Li Chengqi sitting in front of the mansion gate with a look of despair, he felt fear and remorse in his heart, so he came forward and begged, "Brother, take me to cousin Hua Nu, if he will spare me, Daddy You won’t blame me.” Li Chengqi was startled and said: “He’s not here.” Li Ye was startled and said: “Where did he go?” Li Chengqi smiled bitterly: “I don’t know... I don’t know he’s here Where..." Li Ye heard his elder brother murmur, "I lost my flower slave."

Xue Chongjian arrived at Furong Garden in the evening, and the slaves in the garden hurriedly cleaned up the house and prepared food for him. Today, his body and mind are in extreme pain, but he just feels numb, and he refuses to call for a doctor, as long as there is water to drink After a few mouthfuls, he only took off his outer robe and didn't even change his clothes, so he lay down and fell asleep.Like a thirsty and tired traveler who walked alone in the vast desert for a long time, but couldn't find a green shade, he simply fell down and fell asleep everywhere.His hopes had been exhausted, and he had no energy left to think about anything else about that man.

When he woke up the next day, he felt a splitting headache, and he wondered if it was because the smoke cage in the room was too hot. His lungs felt as if he was being roasted slowly on the fire, and the sweat stung his buttocks like needles. .He didn't bother to call anyone, so he simply lay on his stomach silently, not knowing what time it was outside, suddenly Shi Chun panicked and knocked on the screen, and said, "Is your lord awake? King Song and His Majesty are here!"

Xue Chongjian's heart trembled a little, but his mind was as aching and paralyzed as his body. Shi Chun said it again, and then he tried his best to raise his hand to push aside the barrier of the screen, and said: "Go and report back, please wait a moment, Your Majesty and His Highness I change clothes." Shi Chun was surprised and said: "Your Majesty and King Song are not outsiders, Mr. Lang has injuries, why bother to pay attention to these..." Xue Chongjian's expression sank, and said: "You are not outsiders with them, you go and accompany them! I will change If you let them in before getting dressed, you will take my dead body to my mother!"

Shi Chun didn't know what happened in the palace yesterday, his face was frightened by Xue Chongjian's nonsense, and he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, calm down!" He quickly stepped back and passed on the message.The servant girl standing there heard that he wanted to change, so she took the purple robe from yesterday. Xue Chongjian glanced at it, shook her head and said, "Go and find a piece of plain clothes that you usually wear at home, and a wooden hairpin." The maid said in surprise: "Lang Junjin has a lot of jade hairpins, why do you need a wooden one?" Xue Chongjian said lightly, "Go and find it." The maidservants didn't dare to ask any more questions, and they searched for all the clothes and hairpins he wanted in a short while. When Xue Chongjian dressed and combed his hair, he was so tired that he leaned on his pillow and panted for a while before ordering someone to help him out of bed.Those maidservants didn't serve him on weekdays, and they were not familiar with him. Seeing that he had a gloomy face when he got up early, and she flinched and supported him but didn't dare to use any strength. The already soft weight couldn't hold it up anymore, and he sat down on the ground immediately, touching the place where he received the stick yesterday, and the pain was so painful that Venus shot out in front of his eyes.

With great difficulty, he knelt under the bed, wiped off the sweat on his forehead, nodded and said: "Go and invite Your Majesty to come in."

The emperor took Li Chengqi and an imperial physician with him, and hurried straight to the south of the city after he came down to court, but he was stopped for a long time when he arrived at the Furong Garden.After finally entering the house, seeing Xue Chongjian kneeling on the ground respectfully, without raising his head, he just kowtowed and said: "I am guilty of failing to go out to greet Your Majesty and Your Highness, and I deserve death."

The emperor was taken aback, if it wasn't for the fact that the voice belonged to Xue Chongjian, he would almost have thought that he had found the wrong person, before he could speak, Li Chengqi had already stepped forward, supported Xue Chongjian, and shouted anxiously: "Flower slave!" With Xue Chongjian's support Raising his head, Li Chengqi couldn't help being startled. Xue Chongjian was wearing a white ramie silk robe, tied around his waist with a cloth belt, without any decorations. His head was neatly tied up in a bun, but a half-old wooden hairpin was stuck in it.Li Chengqi was used to seeing Xue Chongjian's usual brocade and embroidered clothes, and often admired him because of his flair and beauty. It was the first time he saw Hua Nu dressed so plainly, and he was kneeling, so thin and emaciated, which aroused pity.There was a pain in Li Chengqi's heart. He clearly felt a little alienation and indifference, which quietly emanated from Xue Chongjian's attire and from his face that was almost indistinguishable from his clothes.

Seeing Xue Chongjian's appearance, the emperor was also secretly startled, and hurried forward and said, "Huanu, what are you doing? It's not the first time for uncle to visit your house, so go back to bed quickly, uncle has brought the imperial physician here to give you Look at the injury." Li Chengqi heard that he wanted to help Xue Chongjian up, but Xue Chongjian slowly raised his hand, pushed Li Chengqi's hand away from his arm, and said in a low voice, "Don't dare to work, Your Highness." He was not strong enough during his injury However, Li Chengqi was startled. He watched his hand retreating slowly to Xue Chongjian's wrist. With a slight turn of the wrist, he escaped from his grasp, as if the water was passing by like a year. and go.

Xue Chongjian forced himself not to look at Li Chengqi's face, he raised his head and said to Shi Chun, "Help me up."

Shi Chun was at a loss, and didn't know what was wrong with his husband and the king of Song, so he stepped forward to help Xue Chongjian, and carried him back to the bed staggeringly, tossing and turning a few times, Xue Chongjian's forehead was sweating again.The emperor stepped forward to sit beside his bed, raising his hand to wipe his sweat, but he was surprised: "Why are you so hot? Wang Gongfeng, show him quickly." The imperial physician hurriedly stepped forward to cut Xue Chongjian's pulse , and said: "Can I see His Highness's injury?"

The emperor waved his hand and dismissed the servants in the room. He personally lifted the hem of Xue Chongjian's robe, and gently took off the outer trousers and inner jacket for him. After retreating an inch or two, he froze his face.The exposed skin was covered with bruises, which could still be divided into layers. On the top was a black and purple swollen scar that was two fingers wide, and on the bottom was a four-finger-wide stiff scar. Under the stiff scar, there were many tiny purple blood spots.Suddenly Xue Chongjian's body trembled violently, and there was a slight noise when his gums rubbed, the emperor hurriedly stopped, but it was already too late, the scar that was broken yesterday was already stuck to his clothes, being pulled like this, Immediately cut off a thin layer of blood scab, a wisp of light-colored blood mixed with a few traces of yellow water dripped out.The emperor turned around in amazement and asked Li Chengqi inexplicably: "What's going on?!" He clearly remembered that the thirty rods yesterday did not beat Xue Chongjian to such a serious injury.

When Li Chengqi saw the scar, his limbs became weak for a while, and he couldn't even breathe. When his father asked him, he couldn't bear it anymore, and fell to his knees, saying: "Damn my son, yesterday...yesterday was..." He said no Going down, he had no choice but to choke with guilt and repentance and said: "Please punish me severely." He didn't mean to be perfunctory, he really hoped that someone would beat him up immediately, and if he couldn't share some pain for him, he could be with him Suffering is also good.

The emperor understood what was going on, he sighed softly, turned his head and said to the imperial physician, "Give him medicine quickly." The imperial physician hurriedly asked for water to scrub Xue Chongjian's wound, the emperor hugged Xue Chongjian and shook like chaff On his shoulder, he sighed in a low voice: "Huanu, that matter has been found out, it was Goro's fault, uncle blamed you by mistake." Xue Chongjian understood this sentence even though his eyes dimmed from the pain.The fact that the truth came to light so quickly was beyond his expectation, but he didn't feel any joy in his heart.This misunderstanding, humiliation, and pain are not what he fears the most. The thing he fears the most has already been uttered verbatim from that mouth yesterday, and it has not changed in any way because of this quick grievance.On the contrary, it made him feel a little helpless and desolate, as if this ordeal was just an opportunity for him to realize the truth.Like a flower plucked by the World Honored One, like a stick struck by the Buddha to a fool in the world.

At this time, he was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, so he could only grit his teeth and let out a "huh", but to Li Chengqi's ears, it passed by his ears like a sneer.