Changle Floating Life

"As long as you read the yellow book, you will find that there is an account that is really suspicious."

Twelve yellow books recorded the bribes and kickbacks given by salt merchants to officials from all walks of life since the founding of the country, as well as the deficit of the salt industry.Among them, every year, a small amount of money is given to a procuress who runs a brothel in Xuzhou.It is common for salt merchants and officials to be sensual and have fun, and there is no need to record it.Even if it is recorded, why is the number fixed every year and has not changed for decades?Zuo Fengmian went to the south of the Yangtze River for the second time, tracked down the old bustard, and finally found out what the money was for—it was rent, and the old bustard was the nominal landlord of Hongye Waterside Pavilion.As for who the real landlord was, she refused to say to the death.

"Red Leaf Waterside Pavilion?" Ye Jianqing remembered that after the Princess Mansion was raided, he was put under house arrest by Pei Zhaoye.As if he had been splashed with a bucket of ice water, he tremblingly said: "You suspect that the behind-the-scenes owner of the Red Leaf Water Pavilion is..." But Zuo Fengmian knew that he was thinking wrongly, shook his head and said: "This account has been for 30 to [-] years. Duan Wang is only so old, he is not behind the scenes."

Ye Jianqing felt relieved: "If the landlord is not Duan Wang, then it can only be the one above him."

Zuo Fengmian nodded and said, "You must have understood. The man behind Hongye Waterside Pavilion is the Holy One. Moreover, His Majesty's plan to copy Princess Zhenguo's mansion is not for the yellow book, but for other reasons. The yellow book is just a pretext. Even if there isn't one, he'll find someone to fake one."

Ye Jianqing asked in confusion, "Then what is he looking for?"

Zuo Fengmian stretched out his index finger, dipped some tea, and wrote the word "Changle" on the table.Zuo Fengmian told him the pieces of paper he saw at the prefect's mansion in Xuzhou and the lettering he saw at Zhao Nanxing's ancestral house. "Zhao Nanxing's identity is quite suspicious. The young master has also seen the "Han River Fishing Picture" in Zhao's house. I suspect that he is the posthumous son of the former emperor and has been protected by the princess."

Ye Jianqing shook his head and said: "There have been too many fakes of calligraphy and painting since ancient times, and it is impossible to determine anything with just one painting. Besides, it has nothing to do with the word Changle." In fact, he suddenly remembered that the first time Gu Su took him to find Shen When he was young, he once asked him who owned the Changle Jade Bi in the Princess Mansion.At that time, Shen Wei said that Gu Tingrang took it.Could this Changle Jade Bi be their real purpose?

If he hadn't quarreled with Gu Su at this time, maybe he could still ask him, no matter how bad he was, he could also follow Xiao Lanshan's words.When he thought of Gu Su's expression that day, he felt even more sad.Being rejected by those around you is far more uncomfortable than being chased and killed by strangers.What's more, someone as arrogant as Gu Jiaozhu?

Seeing his pensive look, Zuo Fengmian tentatively said: "I heard that the Nanxun Gate in the capital was originally called Changle Gate. On the night of the winter solstice, there was a strange man playing the flute at the top of the city." It echoed in his mind, it seemed to be familiar, but there was no trace to be found.

Not wanting to talk too much about Gu Su with others, Ye Jianqing stood up and said, "Don't worry about this matter. You want to clean up the corruption of the Jiangnan Salt Administration and restore your father's reputation. But neither King Duan nor His Majesty I promise you, one day the cover of Jiangnan Salt will be lifted, and the case between the Princess Mansion and your father will be settled one day."

Zuo Fengmian looked at him fixedly, and said, "Young Lord, don't talk so full. What if Lord Hou investigates the case halfway and finds that the truth is not what he thought? And if someone is completely innocent, In order to achieve your goal, can you sacrifice this person?"

He vowed to make Ye Jianqing crawl in the muddy water as well, but when that day came, King Duan who had rescued him once extended a helping hand to his enemies.A fragile life is vulnerable to a single blow.He finally understood that what could save them was not the lover's embrace and the enemy's tears.True salvation is that truth.

Although good and evil follow different paths, where is the cause and effect?

Ye Jianqing took a deep breath, and said firmly, "Since you cross me, I will also cross you."

The world is really unpredictable, yesterday was an enemy, today it is an ally.Zuo Fengmian stood up, raised his hands high above his forehead, and made a deep salute.

Gu Tingrang, the commander of the twelfth battalion of the admiral, entered the palace to face the saint.

When he walked outside Yanbo Hall, he was stopped by the palace supervisor, who said that His Majesty was talking with King Duan.He waited on the steps outside the hall.The threshold of Yanbo Temple was half broken at some point, as ridiculous as missing a front tooth.Voices continued to be heard in the hall. "You have made a great contribution this time, and you should be rewarded long ago. It's just that your brother's matter has not been investigated yet, so let's issue it together at that time." Picture a reward."

The emperor snorted coldly, and suddenly said: "When your mother was alive, she told me many times that she wanted to find a good marriage for you. I have a roster here, which is the portrait of a virtuous woman in Beijing who is waiting to be married. Tell me whoever you want. I will always make your wish come true."

Gu Tingrang overheard this, and Ye Jianqing's face appeared in front of his eyes.He looked up at the white clouds and dogs in the sky, with that malicious smile on his face again.

There was silence in the hall.After a long time, I heard King Duan answer in a deep voice: "For marriage, the two surnames are the best, the parents' order, the matchmaker's words. The children and ministers respectfully obey the holy order."

When King Duan came out of the hall, he was almost kicked by the remaining half of the threshold.Gu Tingrang came up to greet him, Duan Wang's eyes were gloomy for a while, but he soon regained his clarity. "Master Gu is busy with military affairs, and it's been a long time since the winter solstice."

Gu Tingrang said: "Congratulations to the lord for taking over the Tianxuan and Tianshu Second Battalions." These two battalions were originally under Gu Tingrang's command, and on the night of the winter solstice, the emperor assigned them to Duan Wang because he was afraid that Gu Tingrang would not be able to take care of them.King Duan killed the commander of the "Silver Knife Guard" with an excuse, and the backbone was completely replaced. The two battalions are now in the hands of Pei Zhaoye as a matter of course.

Pei Zhaoye couldn't catch his eyes with a smile, and changed the topic: "Why did Mr. Gu come to see the emperor?" He just asked casually, and didn't expect Gu Tingrang to tell the truth.Unexpectedly, Gu Tingrang said solemnly: "Tingrang is here to ask for leave and go back to his hometown to visit relatives." Pei Zhaoye was taken aback, and asked, "I don't know where Mr. Gu's fairy hometown is?" The emperor's voice came: "Who is talking outside? Is Gu Tingrang here?"

Gu Tingrang didn't have time to say goodbye, and entered the hall with his hand cupped.Pei Zhaoye stared at his back, and suddenly an ominous premonition rose.The prince's party has just stopped, and the Jingzhao Mansion has a new master. The emperor lost two battalions, and he is willing to let him, a confidant, go back to his hometown to visit his relatives?

Besides, after Ye Jianqing came back from Zuo Mansion that day, he was always restless.Most of his club sores have healed, so he went to Sihai Casino.He squeezed back and forth in the crowd, but couldn't find Xiaolanshan.However, an apprentice from the casino recognized him and told Li Sihai that Li Sihai asked someone to take him upstairs.

It was the first time I came to the account room, with huanghuali furniture and black lacquerware, but it was no longer Xiaolanshan who was serving tea.Ye Jianqing waited for the boy to go out, and asked Li Sihai, "Shopkeeper Li, I don't know Lanshan..." Li Sihai fiddled with the counting chip with one hand and marked it with a pen in the other, without raising his head: "She went to work with Teacher Gu."

Ye Jianqing sat there drinking tea, while Li Sihai ignored him and focused on settling accounts.After adding the tea three times in a row, Ye Jianqing drank until his stomach was full of water, and he couldn't tell if he was suffering.The boy came to add water again, Li Sihai saw that he was silent, and asked: "Master Ye, you didn't come to my gambling house for tea today, did you?"

Ye Jianqing took a sip of tea and said, "Shopkeeper Li, my uncle, how is Teacher Gu?"

Li Sihai stopped the calculation in his hand, glanced at him, and said, "Master Ye, let me tell you what you want. Master Gu, he is going back to the Snow Mountain tomorrow..."

The celadon teacup fell to the ground and shattered into powder.Before Li Sihai had time to call him, Ye Jianqing swept out the door like a gust of wind.Li Sihai squatted on the ground distressedly and muttered: "My ice flakes from Ru kiln..."

The hutong outside Suxin Pavilion was still lined with carriages and horses, crowned like clouds, and it was as lively as usual.Ye Jianqing sneaked into the pavilion from the corner gate, and went to Meiwu with ease.In the cold winter of March and September, some early plum blossoms in Meiwu have bloomed.He stood in the plum grove in a daze, remembering the scene when Gu Su played "Three Lanes of Plum Blossoms" on the bamboo flute in Nanshan.

The moonlight in the old days, counting how many times it shines on me, playing the flute beside the plum blossom.

When he arrived in Meiwu, Shen Wei had already noticed it.Seeing him outside without any movement, he walked out unconsciously and said: "Junior Nephew Jianqing, you are unlucky to come, your uncle has already left."

Where the orchestral sound is intermittent, the melancholy young man wanders away.

Ye Jianqing felt a little peace in his boiling heart, if he really saw Gu Su, he might still not be able to speak.At this moment, he walked to the corridor, looked up and asked: "Pavilion Master Shen, I have something to ask. You have been in my house for 20 years, have you heard of Changle Jade Bi?"

Shen Wei's face remained unchanged, nodded and said: "Changle Jade Bi is a treasure of your Snow Mountain Sect. When Zhen Guo Princess was still in the Snow Mountain, Qing Jun returned the jade to her. Although I have stayed in your house for 20 years , but I have never seen the face of a real Buddha." "Why does the emperor want to get the Jade Bi of Changle?" "I really don't know." Shen Wei shook his head, his expression did not seem to be fake.

Ye Jianqing gritted his teeth and said, "I don't believe that just for a piece of jade, my family was forced to die." His face was bright, but his eyes were stained with blood.Shen Wei looked at the young man's face, and sighed inwardly, what kind of royal relatives did not enjoy many blessings, and their whole life was ruined, it was purely a crime.

Ye Jianqing asked again: "Is this jade bi in Gu Tingrang's hands?" Shen Wei said: "I'm afraid it's already in the hands of the emperor. Young master, don't act rashly."

Ye Jianqing responded, but then asked again: "Pavilion Master Shen, do you still remember the case of Shi Qian, the imperial envoy who inspected salt 15 years ago?" ?”

Ye Jianqing stared closely at his eyes, and said, "I heard that Mr. Shi didn't commit suicide back then, and the princess grandma also went there the night the house was ransacked, didn't she?"

Shen Wei's expression changed a little, and he hesitated and said: "It's been too long and I can't remember. Why use Zhen Guo Princess to come forward when you search a mere patrol envoy? Where did the young master hear these nonsense?"

Ye Jianqing knew it in his heart, but he also knew that there was no rush, so he bowed his hand and left.

After waiting for him to leave, Shen Wei turned into Meiwu.In front of the window, a man in white was flipping through the music score.Shen Wei approached, and asked with a half-smile: "Amei, are you sure you won't see him again?" Gu Su's eyelashes trembled slightly, his eyelids rolled, and he looked at him and said, "Don't talk to him about Yubi." There are too many leaks.” Shen Wei shook his head and said, “You won’t be able to hide it for long, I guess he knows more than you imagined. He just asked about Shi Qian. Before, you went down the snow mountain."

Gu Su ignored him and just looked down at the piano score.Shen Wei waited for a while, and couldn't help but said with concern: "Tomorrow's appointment in Xishan, Sihai and I will accompany you. One more person has a better chance of winning."

"No need." Gu Su played a finger on the music score: "This is our Snow Mountain Sect's business. No matter what happens tomorrow, when the limelight passes, I will urge Li Sihai to send Lanshan away. Pei Zhaoye has already set his sights on it."

When Pei Zhaoye returned to the palace at night, his face was gloomy. Housekeeper Zhou thought that he had suffered some anger in the palace, so he didn't dare to say something important to make him angry, and only picked up some irrelevant things to report back.Unexpectedly, when Pei Zhaoye heard that Ye Jianqing's injury had just healed, he ran outside for a whole day, and his face darkened again.He threw the album of palace costumes in his arms to Steward Zhou, put on his normal clothes and went to Ye Jianqing's yard.

Salt particles fell from outside, rustling on the roof tiles, leaving two lines of shallow footprints on the ground.Ye Jianqing also came back not long ago. He had just changed his clothes. When he saw Pei Zhaoye push the door in, he didn't lift his head: "What are you doing here so late? It's snowing outside, so it's very cold."

Pei Zhaoye walked over and hugged him from behind, resting his head on his shoulder.Ye Jianqing was taken aback, and said, "What's wrong with you?" Pei Zhaoye breathed in and said, "Father said today that he would marry me." Ye Jianqing replied smoothly, "Then congratulations. Who is the new princess?" Xianyuan from home?"

Pei Zhaoye couldn't bear his heartless appearance, turned him around, and said face to face: "Don't you have anything to tell me?"

Ye Jianqing put his head against his head, thought for a while, then lowered his voice and said, "Have you heard of Changle Jade Bi?"

"You", Pei Zhaoye told him to choke, he threw away his hands angrily, walked to the table and sat down, and said, "At the bottom of the Xiaojing Lake in Liushanzhuang, Gu Tingrang took a piece of blue jade from the secret room. What's the matter? Is this thing important?"

Ye Jianqing thought about it: "It's nothing. I thought about going to the south of the Yangtze River in a few days, and I won't come back years ago."

"So you only have these words to tell me." Pei Zhaoye smiled instead of anger: "Ye Jianqing, what do you think my palace is, where you can come and go as you want?"

Ye Jianqing was stunned for a moment, although he knew that there would be a day when he would turn his back, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.The first time he saw Pei Zhaoye getting angry, he was a little at a loss, the room was silent, only the sound of snow falling outside.

After a while, Ye Jianqing walked up to him and knelt down, and said softly: "Your Highness, I am very grateful for everything you have done for me. But I am only grateful. You know, there are too many years between us. obstacle."

"What obstacle?"

Ye Jianqing bit her lip, and said after a while: "We are all men, and His Highness is going to take the throne."

"so what?"

"It's harmless to start with a small loss. Over time, it will eventually become a big problem."

Pei Zhaoye was shaking with anger, stood up abruptly, and said condescendingly: "You speak with your conscience, how have I ever betrayed you? When I first saw you, you were still in your infancy. As the queen mother of the princess of Yunzhou County Take me to the princess mansion to drink your full moon wine. The princess saw me curious, and put you in my arms. You were passed around crying and crying, and fell asleep peacefully in my arms. Princess He said: It seems that you are destined. I respect and love Huang Auntie, and I have been silently paying attention to you, always remembering the words of the princess back then."

He only felt chills when he said this, and his face gradually turned pale: "Our brothers have been at odds since we were young, and our father became even more distant after he inherited the throne. In those years, we were studying in the Ruisi Hall and fighting with each other. Fortunately, there was a little For you, you were making jokes and fooling around, and you survived those few years. After you returned to the Jinling fief, I often miss you, thinking that you can come to accompany me, I don’t know how happy it is..."

It was the first time Ye Jianqing heard him talk about his childhood, his face was full of surprise, but he couldn't hold back his tears after hearing it. "I can't expect to live on the mercy and generosity of others. Your Highness, if you are truly merciful, tell me, who is responsible for the Ning family's case? Why did the Holy Majesty copy the Princess Zhenguo's mansion? What exactly is Changle Jade Bi?" Why are you and me here? Your Highness, Prince Duan, what kind of role did you play in the case of Princess Zhenguo's mansion?"

It turns out that you don't trust me all the time. It turns out that there are so many doubts and lies between us.The two faced each other, their eyes focused together.Pei Zhaoye's eyes were very hurt, and he said sadly: "That's all, it's up to you." After he finished speaking, he opened the door and flung his sleeves away.

The lies were woven to the end, and there was no way to continue, and finally there was only cold wind and snow in the room.

The next day when Pei Zhaoye went to court, Housekeeper Zhou came to report in a panic. At some point last night, Ye Jianqing's side was already empty.Pei Zhaoye looked up at the heavy snow outside the house, smiled wryly, waved away the rain gear handed by the servant, and strode out the door.

Ye Jianqing did leave in the middle of the night.He turned his face against Pei Zhaoye because of his indiscriminate words for a while, and he was always suspicious in his heart, and felt that he couldn't stay any longer.When he came out of the palace, he only brought a small package, a few taels of silver, and two changes of clothes, so he didn't disturb too many people.

He came out of the corner door and walked straight into the opposite alley, when someone suddenly said in the darkness: "Little Ye Zi, you finally got out." Ye Jianqing was shocked, and saw a person standing up from the snow nest under the wall, his eyes were so bright But it was Xiaolanshan who left on the night of the winter solstice. "You, why are you here?" Xiao Lanshan dragged his nose, stomped his feet and said in a low voice, "I heard that you came to the Four Seas Casino yesterday to look for me. I was locked up by shopkeeper Li, and I escaped." Ye Jianqing asked curiously, "What did you do wrong again?"

"Ah bah, bah! Listen to me, the leader and Gu Tingrang have an appointment to meet at Famen Temple in Xishan tomorrow. The leader won't let Shen Wei and Li Sihai interfere. Let's go secretly to help the leader Gu, what do you think?"

After the first snowfall, the Xishan Mountains are lush and lush, and the snow becomes firmer, and the world is as clean as ice.

In the cave on the mountain behind Famen Temple, there is a man wearing a black cloak.He tied his horse to the trunk of a towering fir tree and looked up at the sun.The sun gradually rose overhead.At noon, a man in white turned out from the woods ahead without anyone noticing.

The man in white clothes and white hat was one with the snow, and he walked on the snow without a trace, but the man in black seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, looking back, "Master Gu, you are really on time."

Gu Su lifted off the white fox fur, revealing the sword at his waist, and said calmly, "Let's stop talking nonsense. If you return the Changle Jade Bi, I will spare your life."

Gu Tingrang stroked his short beard, and said: "Master, as long as you agree to my request, I will return the jade bi. The master's previous visit to the palace to treat the queen must have gone through the medical records of the Imperial Hospital over the years, have you confirmed it?" .”

Gu Su nodded and said bluntly: "So what. The Pei family has had a hematemesis disease since Emperor Lie. Pei Lie, Pei Shao, Pei Xu, and Pei Siyuan all died of this disease. Although Pei Zhan concealed it in many ways, Already ill?"

"This disease, can the leader cure it?"

"I can't even save the Queen. How do you think my medical skills are compared to Qing Jun?" Gu Su retorted: "Birth, old age, sickness and death are the normal state of human beings. Going against the sky is not a good thing."

"You have exactly the same reaction as Princess Zhenguo back then." Gu Tingrang sighed with regret on his face, "Emperor Xuanwu Bai Yansheng lived to be over 70 years old and still looks like 30 years old. The leader has passed forty this year, but he is still A boy in skirts. Isn't the leader himself a kind of existence against the sky?"

Even Gu Su, who always takes no offense at all, turned dark and lost his temper at this time: "I see. Why did I fall out with Princess Zhenguo when I was Pei Zhan? It wasn't for money or power. He thought Do you want to live forever? The princess must have flatly rejected him." When the power and glory of this world could no longer satisfy the desire, the emperor turned his interest to the road of immortality to the afterlife.Immortality, what a tempting proposition, who can resist?

"The human heart is not enough to swallow the elephant, and the evil thing has a long life. You deliberately lured me into the palace to treat the queen's illness, just to let Pei Zhan confirm the existence of this monster with my own eyes."

When Gu Tingrang heard that he called himself a "monster", there was a crack in the expression on his face, but he still calmly said: "Under the Luofu Mountain, there is a road secretly connected. I heard that as long as you have this Changle Jade Bi as a guide, you can enter. Luofu Mountain, learned the supreme magical skill of the Snow Mountain School. The emperor repeatedly asked Princess Zhen Guo to hand over the jade bi. As long as she agrees, there will be no such disasters."

"But for the uncle, this is the only thing that can never be agreed. You concocted everything that happened later and snatched the jade bi. You led me down the mountain to rescue Jianqing, and then went to Luofu Mountain by yourself, but you didn't find the jade bi." The path of the mountain." Gu Su's eyes were full of sarcasm and ridicule that could not be concealed. "Jianqing is an idiot who thinks that by helping King Duan ascend to the throne, he can overturn the case of Princess Zhenguo's mansion. In fact, it doesn't matter who is appointed as the crown prince. Because the emperor himself will live forever. Hmph, not old Is it really that good to not die?"

The wind blows the snow waves, and the horse neighs.

Gu Tingrang's heart trembled slightly, he squinted his eyes, and said, "Okay, isn't the leader the clearest? The Snow Mountain School has been in existence for more than 100 years, and only Xuanwu Emperor Bai Yansheng and the leader have practiced the magical art of immortality. Not even Meng Ziying and Pei Qing What an honor..."

"Shut up!" There was a clear whistle in the forest, startling countless jackdaws.The wild snow fluttered with the wind.

The white fox fur on Gu Su's body was agitated by the true energy, making a sound of hunting.He untied his cloak, drew his sword out of its sheath, and said solemnly: "How can you call the names of Emperor Shu and Qingjun? After the Wutong half died and the frost cleared, the white mandarin ducks flew away. You don't understand the pain of the ancestors." !"

The author has something to say: The leader is really popular this time...