Changle Floating Life

People in the capital all remember that the suburban sacrifices in the last years of Taiping were shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere from the very beginning.

On the winter solstice, three months after the death of Empress Minhui, it rained for seven consecutive days.The ministers of the third rank and above followed the emperor's law all the way out of the city. Although there were canopies along the way, everyone's legal clothes and shoes were all muddy. It was not until they entered the Taimiao Zhai Palace in the south of the city that they breathed a sigh of relief.

Along with the wind and rain, there was also a wave of rumors, which filled the team of Jiaosi.This rumor started when the crown prince contracted a serious illness and became insane. It proved that the eldest son never attended the funeral of Empress Daxing, and the latest added that the crown prince was deprived of the role of the crown prince because of his loss of love to Jiuzhong. post.

On the day before the winter solstice, the emperor stayed overnight in the Taimiao.Thousands of cavalry surround the fasting palace, and all the troops are in purple scarves and scarf clothes, in the fields of Luobu.Each team raises fire and patrols back and forth, until night, the police call and probe as before.Gu Tingrang, the commander of the twelfth regiment of the admiral, strode into the fasting palace wearing his military uniform.In the drizzle, a young man stood in front of the blazing torch in front of the hall.Wearing a crown of heaven, wearing a robe, holding Yuangui, the crown and clothes are like the clothes of a star official, and the pearls are knotted on the head, which makes the appearance like a jade mountain ascending, and the light shines on people.

"King Duan is a thousand years old," Gu Tingrang bowed in salute.Pei Zhaoye's face was covered with raindrops, he turned his head to look at him, and nodded in greeting: "Master Gu. Your Majesty is enshrining the late emperor and divine lord inside." Gu Tingrang stopped talking, and stood with him in front of the fasting palace, straight as Two door gods.

Emperor Pei Zhan stood on the west side of the southeast corner of the hall, facing a vermilion lacquer gold plate with the words "Emperor Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty" and saluted.In the room, there are the Minister of Taichang Temple, King Ning and King Fu and other clan deacons.After the emperor saluted from room to room, the deacons left the room after worshiping the gods, and strictly distinguished the outside world during the performance.

Taichang Temple Qing Yang Buwei came out of the fasting palace and was shocked when he saw the two door gods. He stammered and said, "His Royal Highness Duan, Lord Gu, the emperor went to the funeral palace to see Queen Minhui. Both of you What's the matter?" Because the mausoleum has not been completed yet, Empress Zi Palace of Daxing is temporarily parked in the side hall behind the Zhai Palace, which is the funeral palace.

Gu Tingrang glanced at King Duan, and said: "Then I would like to ask Master Yang to report on your behalf. Your Majesty ordered earlier that Tingrang should report back." Except for clan relatives and Taichang Temple monks, ordinary people are not allowed to enter the Taimiao.

Yang Buwei agreed, and asked someone to send a message, and asked Duan Wang with his eyes.Pei Zhaoye smiled wryly, and said, "Your Majesty asked me to guard the ancestor's spirit here."

Yang Buwei and Gu Tingrang felt their scalps tingle when they heard this.

During this year, the court was full of treacherous and turbulent events. It was common for the prince to lose love and lose power. When the courtiers thought that Prince Duan would be the lucky one to replace him, the cold silence from the nine palaces would "God's will has been difficult to ask since ancient times." The old saying is vividly interpreted.

Soon the emperor's voice came from the fasting palace, ordering Gu Tingrang to come in for an audience.Gu Ting asked Pei Zhaoye to cup his fists and entered the hall first.The fasting palace is a place where the emperor priests ancestors and heaven and earth fasted and bathed. All the furnishings are simple and solemn.Pei Zhan took off the crown for the time being, and sat cross-legged on the futon in white clothes. Before tomorrow's sacrifice to heaven, he would maintain this posture of neither eating nor sleeping.

"What's the matter?" Pei Zhan asked.Gu Tingrang stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty ordered me to send someone back to the palace to deliver a message in the afternoon. The messenger has returned in the evening, and there is nothing wrong with it." Pei Zhan still closed his eyes and rested, and waved his hands, but Gu Tingrang did not intend to leave.So the emperor opened his eyes and asked, "What's the matter? What else do you have to do?" Gu Tingrang hesitated, and said, "Your Majesty, something is wrong. The security of the palace gate is extremely strict, which is unreasonable." There was a slight smile in Pei Zhan's voice Revealed: "Why is it not normal to be rigorous?"

Gu Tingrang said solemnly: "Your Majesty, treat it with human affection. If you go out, the palace should be a little more relaxed. It doesn't matter if the minister is overhearted."

Pei Zhan restrained his smile and went to the East Palace to see the prince before leaving the palace.The prince seemed to be in a bad mood. He said a few words of relief at the time, and finally left a verbal instruction of "righteousness to restore etiquette".He pondered for a while, and then said: "Let's do this first. From now on, send messengers back to the palace to meet the prince every two hours, and then take the prince's handwritten letter and write back to me."

There is still an hour and a half before the third watch, enough for the messenger to go back and forth quickly.Gu Tingrang was about to leave, but suddenly remembered something, hesitantly said: "Your Majesty, King Duan is still outside..." "Who?" Pei Zhan shouted in surprise, and when he realized it, he said hesitantly: "Oh, Let him also go to rest for a while. The third watch is coming soon."

After the emperor drove out of the city, the court hall in Beijing was empty.Dali Temple Shaoqing Zuo Fengmian is on duty in the temple today.Shaoqing is the fourth rank, and is not included in the list of worshiping with the emperor, and Dali Temple has been vacant for a long time, becoming the only important position among the nine ministers who does not accompany the emperor to worship the sky.

There are eighteen cypress trees planted in front of the main hall of Dali Temple, with intertwined roots and hidden fronts, known as "Eighteen Arhats and Cypresses".The cold winter rain rustled on the leaves of the ancient cypress trees. It was still early in the day, but the days were cloudy and there was no light in the temple.A temple was holding candles to light the oil lamps in the hall one by one, and said to Zuo Fengmian who was sitting upright: "Zuo Shaoqing, it's cold and rainy at night, and your majesty is out of the city to worship the sky again, there is nothing wrong with you, why don't you go home and rest first. "

Nothing to do?Zuo Fengmian held a volume of books in his hand, and smiled slightly, this is the mountain rain is about to come, the wind is all over the building, wandering and tormenting at the moment of life and death, I don't know when it will end.Seeing that he didn't respond, Sizheng secretly thought that he was a donkey's liver and lungs, stuck out his tongue, and went to the side hall to stay up late.

Holding the book in his hand, he sat there from day to night without turning a single page.After the time of Xu, the rain was getting heavier, and someone stepped on the water outside the temple, and said loudly: "Shaoqing, there is a handwritten letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who is in charge of the palace."

finally come!Zuo Fengmian gently put down the scroll in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said: "It's raining and it's dark, it's hard to tell the truth from the fake. I have something to say when His Majesty Tianming returns. Please go back."

After people came and went, he picked up the scroll and read slowly, listening to the sound of wind and rain.

It took only an hour and a half before someone came to report: "Shaoqing, the whole city is arresting bandits. Just now Jingzhao Mansion sent people to surround the Suxin Pavilion in Yuyin Hutong. Now they are going to Duanwang Mansion. Jingzhao Yin Du adults sent Someone came to ask Dali Temple to help catch the robbers."

Zuo Fengmian stood up abruptly, smashed the scroll on the desk, and just about to speak, a gust of cold air in the room sucked into his lungs, and he swallowed it abruptly, feeling cold-hearted.Pei Zhaoye's words "do not move like a mountain" still ring in his ears.He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and when he opened his eyes again, he was calm and calm: "It is not the duty of Dali Temple to catch robbers. Please forgive Zuo for being helpless."

Because Dali Temple is located in a heavy prison, there are more than [-] elite soldiers guarding it all year round. There are more than [-] jailers responsible for escorting and guarding prisoners.

He sat back on the chair, but he couldn't even flip through the already messy scroll.The rain hit the tiles like it was blowing on his heart.Back in time to that rainy night 15 years ago, Jing Zhaoyin led a group of tigers and wolves in the same way, and broke into the gate of his house under the name of the late Zhen Guo Princess.The sound of wind and rain, crying and shouting, came into my ears.He was only four years old, hid in the closet and shivered, but was finally pulled out and thrown into the muddy water on the ground...

The oil lamp on the case burst out a flicker.

Zuo Fengmian's muscles were stiff all over, and a figure stood behind him at some point, covered in the smell of rain, glanced at the books spread out on the desk, and said with a sneer, "Master Zuo is very interested in the "Southern China Classic."

He turned around and stood opposite him, also smiling without warmth: "Young Master Ye, why did you break into Dali Temple late at night?"

Ye Jianqing's clothes were drenched, his face was pale and pale, he raised his eyebrows and said, "The four gates of the capital are closed tonight, and the wind and rain are turbulent. Is Mr. Zuo still not moving at all?"

Zuo Fengmian said indifferently: "Young Master Ye, you don't have to be tight-lipped, it doesn't matter if you have something to say."

Ye Jianqing was so tired that he sat down on his seat, only then did Zuo Fengmian see that his clothes were stained with blood. "The prince conspired against him, the gates of the palace were closed tightly, the imperial guards were deployed differently, and the four gates of the capital were also closed ahead of time. Just now, the Jingzhao Mansion sent people to surround the Suxin Pavilion and Duanwang Mansion. It would be better if Mr. Zuo didn't take action at this time." when?"

Zuo Fengmian frowned, doubts arose in his heart, and asked: "Are you sure you are from Jingzhao Mansion?" It is true that Jingzhao Yin and Du Chao belong to the Crown Prince, but does he have the guts to do so?

When he asked, Ye Jianqing was stunned.After a while, he suddenly realized: "Do you think the crown prince is making a fraudulent move? Do you want to force us to make the first move, seize a conspiracy of treason, and catch them all?" He paused, and continued: "In that case, Duan Wangfu Zhou The housekeeper must be able to take care of it, the crown prince can't find anything, and the emperor will come back tomorrow to tell him a big imperial statement." His appearance was very different tonight, and he was irritated in his ruthlessness, and in his agitation he also had a tinge of anxiety. A bit excited, completely different from his usual gentle and watery appearance.

Zuo Fengmian stared at the flickering candles and said, "In troubled times, no matter how ambitious you are, you must hide your minions."

He made a pun, and Ye Jianqing restrained his ferocious expression, looked at him strangely, and said, "Don't you want to make contributions to King Duan?"

"In short, His Majesty will make a decision after the heaven sacrifice is over tomorrow." Zuo Fengmian thought to himself, I am naturally different from you, you helped him to overturn the case of Princess Zhen Guo's mansion, if you ask him, you are naturally eager to make contributions.I have no desires or desires, and I only want to be good for him.

Ye Jianqing also thought about it in his heart, and suddenly said: "Master Zuo, you don't have to ask about other matters. The Zhao family's ancestor's house in Tianshui Hutong has been unoccupied for many years, why did someone go there to check it tonight?"

Zuo Fengmian blurted out: "What did you say?"

When it was three o'clock, the emperor drove to the suburban altar to salute.From the Zhai Palace, there is a round altar "Circular Mound" about one mile away.Outside the altar, a large curtain is surrounded by green cloth, which is called "Daci", where the emperor changes his sacrificial clothes.Pingtian crown, 24 旒, green dragon suit.The deacon helps the waiter to go to the front of the altar, and there is another small scene under the altar, which is called "Xiaoci".There is a royal seat inside, the altar is three stories high, 72 levels, the altar is about three feet in diameter, and there are four steps.There are two yellow mattresses on the altar, one is called "God of Haotian" and the other is called "Emperor Taizu".The emperor went up to the altar and entered the Juezhan to worship the sky, and returned to the "Xiaoci" after the ceremony.King Duan was dedicated to the end of the year. After the emperor, he went up to the altar, performed music as before, knelt down after drinking, and descended to the altar.After offering sacrifices to heaven, I went out of the altar to see all the civil and military officials. All the people were in awe, but I heard the sound of the light wind ringing around me.

Pei Zhan, under the service of everyone, went to Daci to wear the crown, and was ready to board the emperor and return to the palace.At this time, it was just after midnight, and the sky was still dark.The emperor heard Gu Tingrang begging for an audience outside the green screen, with anxiety in his voice, so he swung back to the left and right and asked him to come in.After Gu Tingrang came in, he knelt down to plead guilty, and said: "Your Majesty, the four gates of the capital are closed tightly, and there are faint shouts of killing in the city. The guards are all strangers, and no one answers. The envoys sent by the minister earlier did not come out."

After Gu Tingrang finished speaking, he waited for a long time and did not hear a response.He looked up boldly, and the expression on the emperor's face was not so much shocked as it was dull.The Zhonglang who guards the palace gate will be Li Yuanshan, and Du Xian, who guards the capital, is a fellow villager of Jingzhaoyin Du Chao.These people are the prince's cronies.

"Ni Zi dares to plot to deceive the sky!"

King Duan, King Ning, King Fu and other royal family members outside the green curtain all looked at each other when they heard the old emperor's deep and angry roar.Pei Zhaoye's heart sank, King Ning was still in the dark at first.

"Call the second and third to come in." After Duan Wang and Ning Wang entered the green curtain, Pei Zhan's chest couldn't stop heaving with anger, and Gu Tingrang's face sank like water.After King Duan and King Ning heard him tell the whole story, the emperor looked at King Ning and said, "You hang out with your brother all day long, did you hear any rumors? If you don't report the news, I will be the first to tie you up." This circular mound worships the heavens!"

King Ning was so frightened that he fell to the ground with a plop, and said incoherently: "I don't know, I don't know anything!"

Pei Zhan pointed at him and said, "Come here, take good care of King Ning, and don't allow him to talk too much and make mischief." King Ning was so frightened that his face paled, and he was helped down.

Beifeng Yeyu beat the curtain, Pei Zhan looked up at King Duan, and calmly said: "Drove him crazy, you got your wish? All the good sons I gave birth to are good. An emperor who was locked up outside the capital city! This disaster has never been heard before!" As if to confirm the last sentence, he just heard a boom in the sky, lightning and thunder, and Pei Zhaoye's face was illuminated. It was pale.After the thunder, Pei Zhan sarcastically said: "So you are also afraid! I thought you were not afraid of anything! When your mother passed away, I didn't see you shed a tear..."

"The sage will change color when he hears the thunder and the wind, and he will not be afraid of peace!" Pei Zhaoye interrupted him, suppressed his emotions, and said with great restraint: "What orders does your majesty have, my son will not hesitate to die!"

Seeing that the two were about to collapse, Gu Tingrang mediated: "Your Majesty, I think that no matter how capable Du Xian is, it is impossible to control all the forbidden troops. The most urgent task is to find out what happened in the city. Please send someone to sneak into the city and open the city. door, I will dispatch the nearest Tianji and Tianshu Second Battalion to escort them."

His proposal was very appropriate. "You are fully responsible." The emperor nodded in agreement, turned to Pei Zhaoye and said, "Go and help Mr. Gu." Before Pei Zhaoye could reply, Gu Tingrang knelt down and cupped his fists and said, "How dare you trouble the king?!" Pei Zhaoye said calmly "Master Gu, which one is farther, Tianji or Tianshu Camp?" "Tianji goes here for fifty miles, and Tianshu is a hundred miles away." Pei Zhaoye thought for a while and said, "I will go to Tianshu Camp to transfer troops, and I will return in the morning." , Master Gu, please send someone to Tianji Camp. If the two battalions reach the city, they will raise the flames as a banner." In front of the emperor, the two of them divided their labor and cooperated with each other, and everything was well organized and handled properly.Pei Zhan's tense face also gradually eased.

They didn't know at this time that the situation in the city was as turbulent as a pot of boiling hot water.

In the main hall of the East Palace, the crown prince was sitting nervously on the throne wearing a tuanlonghuang robe, shaking like a candle in the wind.An eunuch next to the throne was bowing his head and whispering to him.The prince timidly said: "Isn't that good?" The eunuch sternly slapped his thigh and said, "At this moment of life and death, what else can you not bear? If you want to win the position, you must do great things. As long as you left If Feng Mian dares to act presumptuously, he can find a mechanism to trap him, and once the Prince Duan's mansion falls, His Highness can rest easy." The prince thought about it, finally nodded, and handed him a gold seal around his waist.The eunuch happily took over the golden seal and quickly disappeared into the rainy night.

After the man left, the crown prince was fidgeting on the throne. He heard the sound of rustling silk and satin from behind the curtain, and asked, "Who is there?" The crown prince Li's white clothes came out, without makeup, her hair disheveled.The prince had never seen her crying like this before, and said with disgust: "Why are you dressed like a ghost?" Li Shi knelt down in front of him, and cried: "What face will the concubine see you again? Your Majesty before leaving Earnest teachings, His Highness is required to correct his heart in order to return to the etiquette. It is not the ancestor of the primate to kill the flesh and blood. Please take back your life, Your Highness, and return when you are lost."

The crown prince sighed and said, "It's late!" The crown princess cried, "Your Highness, there are less than [-] defenders in the city, and the Tianji, Tianshu, and Tianxuan battalions have [-] cavalry, and the nearest one is only fifty miles away from the city. Du Xian Although defending Gyeonggi, it is not a single army decisive victory, and military affairs may not be the director. Even if Duan Wangfu is overthrown, the throne is not easy to get. The next day the emperor will drive back to Luan, what face will His Highness show to see His Majesty?"

The prince said naively: "It's enough to be rebellious and upright. As long as a few words are found from Duan Wang's mansion, it is enough to prove that Gu is obedient and rebellious, and the Emperor Kuang eliminates treacherous officials, and His Majesty can't say anything."

Li looked up at him, couldn't help feeling sad, almost collapsed.They have been husband and wife for 20 years, but they have never seen this fool clearly.

Miyagi was closed and no news could be heard, but from time to time, groups of people came out of the forbidden palace, carrying important positions, and rushing to every corner of the capital.

The resplendent Duanwang Mansion with five spines and six beasts has long been surrounded by hussars.As soon as Steward Zhou opened the front door, he was held hostage and knocked to the ground, splashing mud all over his body.Warriors in uniforms of the imperial army with their teeth and claws swarmed into the courtyard like a tide.He listened to the cries of ghosts and wolves everywhere, he was secretly happy, and sent Young Master Ye out of the house a moment earlier.

The horseshoes clicked, and the rain splashed everywhere, and the glazed lamp hanging on the horse's head swayed in the night rain.A group of men and horses were rushing on the dark street, rushing on a rampage.The blurred reflections of the buildings and houses on both sides of the street were instantly crushed by horseshoes.The passers-by rushed to Tianshui Hutong in the south of the city, and saw that many people had already gathered in the narrow alley.As soon as the two groups of people met each other, they all shouted at the same time: "Jingzhao Mansion is here on business, who is here?" "Dali Temple is handling the case, quickly avoid it!"

Zuo Fengmian immediately stepped forward, met the leader, and said with a sneer, "Mr. Xue, it's raining late at night, and you don't live in the East Palace. Why are you here?" , proudly said: "There is an assassin to assassinate tonight, and His Highness the Crown Prince ordered that the assassin come here after him." As he spoke, he gave his subordinates a wink.Suddenly, a horse rushed up from behind Zuo Fengmian, and the horse's hoof trampled the man to the ground.The man was still struggling, but the man on the horse had already put a cold sword around his neck: "Don't move all of them!"

Eunuch Xue changed his face and said: "Zuo Shaoqing, what do you mean? The servant is ordered to arrest the assassin, are you trying to resist the order? You don't mean to plot rebellion!"

Zuo Fengmian sneered endlessly: "Treason? The crown prince is waiting to give me this shit. Today I will fulfill your wishes!" After he finished speaking, he turned to the soldiers behind him and said, "The guards of Dali Temple Hearing the order, the East Palace falsely preached the imperial decree, isolated the inside and outside, and wanted to do something wrong. The Jingzhao Mansion framed the clan ministers, which is against the heavens and justice, and the crime will not be punished. I will take all the people here!"

I only heard the "clank" sound of swords and swords cutting one after another, and the shadows of swords and swords in the dark night were bleeding and drifting.After fighting in the narrow alley for a while, someone suddenly shouted: "Fire, fire!" Zuo Fengmian looked up, and the backyard of the Zhao family's old house was wrapped up by a flickering red light in the shower.

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The process of suburban worship is based on "Tokyo Menghualu" and "Old Stories of Wulin".

The author has something to say: In the next chapter, the brothers will stir up Xiao Qiang