Spring Breeze Crossing Guanshan

There was a faint fragrance of plum on the plain white letter paper, just looking at the handwriting on it, one couldn't help holding one's breath.

There are only a few lines of writing that flow like clouds and flowing water, and the pen moves like a dragon and snake, and the gestures are elegant. It is quite leisurely and interesting like cooking tea and appreciating plum blossoms.

This handwriting cannot be faked.

Master Yan——

The teacher of the emperors of the Three Dynasties, a great Confucianist in the world.

As soon as Guan Junchen saw Grand Master Yan's handwriting, his expression immediately became solemn.

He carefully read the letter paper several times, then put the letter paper in his arms and fell into deep thought.

Grand Master Yan actually invited him to come to Meiyuan tomorrow to have a talk.

Guan Junchen only felt that the timing of this invitation was quite strange, one must know that Grand Master Yan lived in seclusion in the imperial court, although he still lived in Chang'an, the imperial city of the Great Zhou, and never returned home, but he did not care about current affairs and political affairs for many years.

Even though Pingnan Wang Mounui was detained in Bird Clothes Lane for several months before, he had never disturbed this humerus old minister who was hiding from the world, but now he is actually invited to the meeting, which is a bit sudden.

Grand Master Yan Hong was a truly extremely personable minister for hundreds of years during the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In the eighth year of Emperor Gaozong's magical skills, Yan Hong ranked first in high school. From then on, a thin white-clothed Confucian student stepped into the court. Since then, he has accompanied Gaozong, practicing Zhou rituals, respecting Confucianism, and setting a national policy of recuperation. To prosperity and prosperity.

Yan Hong once accompanied Gaozong to the north to enshrine Zen, and together he quelled the chaos of the five kings in the last years of Shengong. There were times when he ascended to the top, and there were also times when he struggled in the mire. After decades of ups and downs, he finally established the name of a generation of virtuous ministers.

The pinnacle of being a minister is not one of great power, but an achievement that will be remembered forever.

Before Emperor Gaozong died, he clung to Yan Hong's hand and said: "Yan Aiqing, I entrust the new king to you, and I will protect the country for a hundred years. I am very fortunate to have you, and Da Zhou is very fortunate——!"

At this point, Gaozong left with a smile.

Ming Jun Qiang Chen, a great story in the history books of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Even though this old man who is nearly a hundred years old has not been involved in government affairs for many years, Emperor Zhou Ying still respects him extremely, and even Yan Hong was ill a few times. Emperor Zhou Ying not only sent several imperial physicians there, but Jia Yanhong's residence is personally served by the side.

It is really great wisdom for an emperor to be able to maintain such a humble student attitude for many years.

You must know that there is not only a teacher-student relationship between Zhou Yingdi and Yan Hong, but also a sense of filial piety.

This kind of filial piety is not only a general one-day teacher and a life-long father, but also the filial piety of serving the teacher on behalf of the father.

Therefore, Emperor Ying of Zhou paid respect to Yan Hong, he respected the rituals of Zhou, and he respected the entire Confucian school that was the only one respected by the Great Zhou——

No matter how much Guan Junchen resisted him as the emperor's elder brother, sometimes he had to admit that, due to natural selection, Guan Jinning was indeed the most suitable person to sit on the throne among their brothers.

Guan Junchen reckoned in his heart that it might not be the current political situation that could alarm Yan Hong.

After thinking about it, he realized that maybe it was because he handed back the death-preventing golden sword.The death-preventing golden sword involved the first emperor, and it was related to the rituals of Zhou that Yan Hong valued most, and it was probably for this reason.

But no matter what, he would naturally want to see this side.

……

Just when Guan Junchen was deep in thought about Yan Hong's rendezvous, Yan Chunxi was also resting his chin on the firelight in the cave.

"You sat there blankly for a long time, what were you thinking?"

Xia Baimei sat cross-legged against the mountain wall on the other side, Guan Shanyue brought some wound medicine and thick clothes, so at this time he was also wearing a rather luxurious leather jacket, which made him feel more comfortable than the previous few days some.

Yan Chunxi was awakened suddenly, his face flushed suddenly, and he said, "No, it's nothing."

Xia Baimei originally asked casually, but seeing Yan Chunxi's reaction at this time, she became a little interested: "Mr. Yan, sleeping in the cold night, you and I share weal and woe. If you have anything on your mind, you can tell me a thing or two." .”

His voice was even more hoarse in the deep cave. Although his long and narrow white eyebrows looked strange under the firelight, for some reason, his words sounded particularly convincing.

"I, I..." Yan Chunxi nervously pulled the fire with the branch in his hand: "It's not really on my mind. It's just..."

"I just miss Prince Ning, don't you?" Xia Baimei asked.

When he speaks with jokes, he is quite flirtatious, and there are three parts of teasing in his pair of straight phoenix eyes, but also three parts of concern, which makes people see the truth and falsehood, and can't figure it out.

Yan Chunxi raised his head, hesitated for a while before saying: "Lord Xia, I heard that you used to go to Nanwan often, and I also heard that those little ladies... like you very much."

He seemed to know that what he said was far-fetched and really over the line, so the more he said it, the lower his voice, obviously a little bit lacking in confidence.

But what he said stunned Xia Baimei for a moment, then he narrowed his eyes playfully, and said, "So what?"

Yan Chunxi opened his mouth, hesitated to speak, his face was flushed, and finally asked cautiously: "Lord Xia, are those young ladies really happy?"

Xia Baimei looked at Yan Chunxi, a big battle was going on, but this young man seemed to always be curious about this and that——

He is like a little white rabbit who has been spoiled, unaware that he has been put into the treacherous world, still looking up his head, feeling novelty about every drop of water and every wind in this world.

Xia Baimei thought it was funny at first, but because of his deep heart and deep insight, he immediately felt a little bit bitter.

He checked Yan Chunxi, who was well-clothed and well-fed when he was young, but when his father was convicted of a crime at the age of 16, his family was ruined and he became a helpless little criminal slave.

Young masters who are in the middle of nowhere are often more self-suffering and extreme than those who are born in poverty, just because they get it and then lose it, it is far more sad than never having it.

But Yan Chunxi has a transparent temperament, with a pure and natural cuteness.

Xia Baimei originally thought, the young man is indeed cute, no wonder such nobles as Prince Ning have to give his sincerity, but after thinking about it, he thought about it a little deeper.

Yan Chunxi's behavior was due to her inherent nature, but it was also because of Prince Ning's loving care.

If you raise flowers with care, the branches and leaves will stretch out and the stamens will flourish; if you raise dogs gently, the dogs will be able to spread their paws to show their nature.

The same is true of raising people.

Who wants to be a goshawk if he can live like a white rabbit in the palm of his hand.

"Lord Xia...?" Seeing that Xia Baimei was in a daze, Yan Chunxi couldn't help reminding her in a low voice.

"Huh?" Xia Baimei responded, and then came back to his senses, and said in a low voice: "Yeah, of course. Don't you believe that eunuchs can make them happy?"

"No, I believe it." Yan Chunxi shook his head hastily, a gleam flashed in his eyes, and asked again: "Master Xia, then, are you happy too? Also, if there is a young lady following you, always, Always making love like this... Will you get tired of it after a while?"

His words were rather vague, obviously thin-skinned, and it was always inconvenient to say some things, but his expression was concerned, obviously he was very concerned about what he was asking.

Xia Baimei was actually amused, the corners of his lips curled up, and then he said lightly: "Whether you're happy or not depends on what you want, and it's not for outsiders to tell. If you say it's annoying, you can say that ordinary couples share the same bed for more than ten years." Wouldn’t you be bored? Desires give birth to love, and love gives birth to desires. Love and desires are love. If there is less here, there will be more. Most of the world’s love and love are just like this. Staying together is the same principle, it’s no different.”

Yan Chunxi seemed to be caught in something by what he said, nodded, and looked at the fire with a pair of big eyes thoughtfully.

Xia Baimei only said that he was curious about the eunuch's secret tricks in the house, but he didn't know that what Yan Chunxi was actually thinking about was Guan Junchen's unspeakable secrets, and the two of them had no chance to talk about it since they parted that night.

Yan Chunxi thought to himself, it was really wrong for him to leave so emotionally that night, thinking about it now, it would always make Guan Junchen feel that he cared about this matter.

Of course he also hoped that Guan Junchen would get better, but if he couldn't...he always thought about the good side.

At this time, after talking so many things with Xia Baimei, he couldn't help but think that the next time he sees Guan Junchen, he must tell Guan Junchen——

He doesn't mind.

There are many ways to have fun when the two of them stay together, maybe in the future he can have the cheek to ask Master Xia...

Ever since Guan Junchen told him that day that he wanted to marry him and grow old together, he couldn't help but think wildly about their future life, always thinking about it and falling into a trance.

"Mr. Yan," Xia Baimei said suddenly, "If you are asked to choose, where do you want to go with Prince Ning?"

"Wandering in the rivers and lakes." Yan Chunxi obviously thought about the answer countless times, and immediately answered with bright eyes.

"Although the rivers and lakes are good, you can't plan for the long run."

"That's right." Yan Chunxi nodded approvingly, and continued: "I think, when I've had enough fun... I've seen enough, I can quietly find a small town in the south of the Yangtze River with my lord, and I will open a small restaurant. This is for living."

Xia Baimei smiled, and asked warmly, "You drive, or Prince Ning?"

"I'll open it." Yan Chunxi said earnestly: "I have already thought about it. I will open a small restaurant on the second floor, specializing in Gusu cuisine. I have also drawn up the recipe-the signature in autumn is stewed duck, and it is served in spring." Mandarin fish, Chinese toon head, and guests are invited to drink tea according to the season, I learned how to count when I was young, and I will be the shopkeeper when the time comes."

"Then Prince Ning will not do anything?"

"I raised him..." When Yan Chunxi said this, he seemed to know that the words were absurd, but there was a tinge of sweetness in the absurdity, so his cheeks became more and more red as if they had been scorched by fire: "He, he can rest more, he is... exhausted these days."

"Yes."

The smile in Xia Bai's eyebrows gradually became stronger, but for some reason, it gradually turned into a trace of sadness, and he said softly: "It's very good that it's so natural."

"Lord Xia," Yan Chunxi looked at Xia Baimei's expression, suddenly seemed to remember something, and asked hesitantly, "You really have made up your mind to go to Meiwu together?"

He knew that Guan Junchen and Xia Baimei had already agreed on this matter, but in his mind, Xia Baimei wanted to use other people's hands to capture Zhou Yingdi, and the meaning of killing his beloved was completely different from killing his beloved.

Xia Baimei's smile has not faded, and he explained: "I am going. Regardless of the fact that Meiwu is among the mountains and the mountain roads are complicated, even though there is a rough topographic map, I still need to lead the way. Furthermore, Regardless of whether Prince Ning can kill the emperor in Meiwu, he and I have already made an agreement - the one who kills Emperor Zhou Ying can only be me."

"Why? You, when did you make such an agreement?"

Yan Chunxi's eyes widened in surprise. He had been listening in before, but he had never heard Guan Junchen and Xia Baimei say this.

"Young Master Yan, you are still too young."

Xia Baimei looked at the young man with clear eyes, sighed and said, "There are some things that don't need to be explained."

"I'm already a lost dog. Apart from the secret of Meiwu's location, I'm not qualified to cooperate with Prince Ning. Capturing you is a chance to speak up, but if the siege of Meiwu is really going to happen, it's up to Prince Ning." The plan, and the elite soldiers under him. The Emperor of the Great Zhou died suddenly outside the city, there must be a reason why the official historian can write it down—"

"Prince Ning can't be a traitor and traitor; but I'm just a eunuch in Wuyixiang, abandoned by heaven and man. I deserve the reputation of murdering the king and betraying the lord for thousands of years. Prince Ning contributes, and I make a name, so that I can show my sincerity." I have been an official for many years, so I naturally understand this truth, if I don't understand, I am not worthy to talk to Prince Ning."

Yan Chunxi couldn't speak for a moment, but felt a chill in his heart.

There are many things hidden in it that he will never understand, and he also hopes that he will not have to understand in this life.

"It's getting late, Mr. Yan, don't take these things to heart, rest." Xia Baimei said calmly, "I'll keep watch until midnight."

Yan Chunxi felt quite uncomfortable. He turned his back and lay down facing the mountain wall, but he tossed and turned for a long time without falling asleep.

For some reason, that night he already had a vague sense of foreboding——

The Meiwu matter may not be consummated.

……

In the afternoon of the next day in Chang'an, the heavy dark clouds dissipated a little, showing a ray of brilliance that has rarely been seen for several days.

Guan Junchen was wearing an ocher brocade robe and only brought two attendants, sitting in the chariot with a dignified expression.

The chariot passed the mansions of the royal family and dignitaries in Chang'an City all the way, but among the high walls of Zhuwa, there was a carefully planted plum grove.

In the snowy winter day, each red plum tree is more elegant and self-admiring.

Outside the Meilin, the boy in Tsing Yi who came to deliver the letter that day was still standing to welcome the guests.

Although Guan Junchen was also among the three princes by name, he didn't dare to be arrogant in front of the grand master's residence.

He stepped out of the chariot, followed behind the boy who led the way, and passed through the secret path between the Merlins.

Between the red plum blossoms and the pure white snow, there is a simple and simple house. There is a peach wood plaque hanging on the gate, and the word "Plum Garden" is simply written.

"Prince Ning—please."

With a creak, the little boy pushed the wooden door open, bowed and bowed before quietly retreating.

Guan Junchen waved his hand, indicating that the attendants he brought were also waiting outside, then lifted the hem of his brocade robe, and stepped into the plum garden.

……

In the middle of the small courtyard, there is a red plum tree growing very well.

An old man in a light blue cotton robe was sitting on a low bench under a tree. He had white beard and hair, a tall but slightly stooped figure, and a pair of drooping long white eyebrows and squinted eyes made him look like he was of the same age. The majesty and solemnity of the emperor's teacher, on the contrary, has a trace of childlike innocence.

"Come on—"

Yan Hong seemed to be greeting a junior who was in the future for a long time, and poured a cup of tea for Guan Junchen with a small purple clay pot: "Sit."

Guan Junchen glanced out of the corner of his eye at the death-preserving golden sword he had handed back to Taishi Yan earlier, and now it leaned on the root of the plum tree. He hesitated for a moment, and finally made a big gift, and said in a low voice :"teacher."

It had been a long time since he had called Yan Hong by this title. Yan Hong was not only the emperor's teacher, but also his teacher.

Many years ago, the late emperor's princes were still very young.

He was the seventh eldest, and when he was studying, he sat between the two talented elder brothers, King Xiang and Emperor Ying of Zhou, and fell asleep whenever he read "The Analects of Confucius" and "University".He has always been uninterested in these studies, and only vaguely remembers being distracted and looking at the grasshopper outside the window, counting how long the spring will last with his fingers.

But there is one sentence that he always remembers clearly. Yan Hong said: Confucianism is the study of governing the world, not the study of emperors.

Until now, he still doesn't quite understand the difference between the two.

He later joined the military family according to his own temperament, so he didn't have to think about what Confucianism was.

"How is the teacher recently?"

Guan Junchen sat at the bottom. His legs were extremely long, and he hadn't sat on such a low stool for a long time, so he had to curl up his legs aggrievedly, but his demeanor was still extremely respectful and polite.

"I am nearly a hundred years old, and the days left are numbered, and so are I." Yan Hong smiled slightly: "I called you here today because I was afraid that after a while, if I have something to say, I will come again." I didn't have a chance to say it either."

"Teacher, is it because of the golden sword?"

"That's right. I called you here today to get back the golden sword." Yan Hong stroked the purple sand teacup with his skinny fingers, and said every word.

Guan Junchen raised his head suddenly, his expression was very surprised.

Yan Hong looked indifferent, and continued: "As for returning the sword, I naturally know that you are under the control of others. It was indeed a wrong decision for the late emperor to hand over the death-preserving golden sword to you. Although it was for the sake of protecting you, it was really tiring You have been jealous of the emperor for no reason. But even if everything is wrong, since the golden sword has been given, there is absolutely no reason to take it back."

"Considering his reputation of filial piety, the emperor refused to issue an edict to withdraw the sword, which forced you to return the golden sword to me in person. However, the emperor was confused by this. You must understand that the bestowment of the sword is the order of the late emperor. , you are a subject and a son, even if this sword is a great reward from the late emperor, you can only receive the reward and cannot refuse it. If you really want to withdraw the sword, this order can only come from the current emperor—— It's not you, a courtier. The first emperor gave the sword and the emperor took it away. Although it is slightly against filial piety, it is still a king's order. But if you refuse the sword, it will be a violation of the superior and self-destructive Zhou etiquette. I will never tolerate it! "

At the end of the centenary old man's speech, he looked at Guan Junchen with squinted eyes, and his eyes were bright for a moment, completely different from the kind and stooping demeanor before, which made Guan Junchen speechless for a while.

……

……

After a long time, Guan Junchen finally spoke slowly: "Teacher, since you said that taking the sword is not something I can refuse, and returning the sword is naturally not something I can decide. Teacher must be able to understand this point. Today the teacher wants to say If so, I'm afraid it's not just about the golden sword, right?"

He spoke very slowly, obviously thinking about every word.

Yan Hong's resourcefulness was the highest in the Great Zhou Dynasty as early as the reign of Emperor Gaozong. Although he is nearly a hundred years old now, his demeanor is still very hale and hearty, his eyes are clear, and when he raises his eyes, he vaguely reveals the appearance of a generation of famous officials galloping in the court and the public.

If it wasn't for Guan Junchen's deep scheming and confidence that what he planned would never be leaked at this moment, I'm afraid that Yan Hong would lose his composure if he were to be stared at by Yan Hong at this moment.

"Of course I understand." Yan Hong said: "You can't disobey the emperor's wishes. But the golden sword is here with me, and the emperor didn't ask for it. It means that there is no such thing. The late emperor ordered to reward you with the golden sword "It's not enough for you alone. The emperor is waiting for me to say yes. It's justified to break the emperor's edict. This is the emperor's cleverness. But since the emperor wants to push it to me, I will take advantage of the opportunity to say no." There is no need for the emperor to express his opinion, let alone hurt the emperor's face, each has left enough room. If the emperor really wants to be annoyed in the future, I will take care of it."

"Teacher has far-sightedness and rectified the name of Da Zhou's etiquette. The emperor will not be annoyed."

Guan Junchen's eyes were deep, and he said indifferently: "It's just for this matter, I'm afraid the teacher will send a letter, it's enough, and there's no need to specially invite students to come here to talk about it."

Yan Hong raised his head and stared at the red plum petals falling lightly on top of their heads in the cold wind for a moment, then heaved a long sigh: "Prince Ning, when the old minister first saw you, you were still in your infancy. The concubine mother was holding her in her arms, she didn't cry or make trouble, she just looked at me with wide eyes, I thought in my heart at that time, this little child was born in the most noble and prominent family in the world, I don't know whether it is luck or misfortune. Time flies by like water, and more than 30 years have passed in a flash. At this age, I shouldn’t have any attachments, but recently I feel more and more worried and sleepless.”

"A person's life is only a hundred years, and 70 years of devotion is only enough to assist the dynasty for a hundred years. The fate of the country after the Great Zhou Dynasty will be handed over to the emperor and the civil and military heroes of the Manchu dynasty. I have no time Duo, I have been a courtier of the Great Zhou for a lifetime, and if I can do my part, I will do my part—I called you here today to bridge the gap between you and the emperor. I only hope that you can still help the emperor with all your heart. You have to develop a heart of resentment and rebellion.”

Guan Junchen was shocked.The fingers holding the purple sand teacup couldn't help but strengthened a bit. He looked at Yan Hong and said calmly: "The teacher said that there is a difference. The student is a courtier and worships the emperor wholeheartedly. How dare there be any estrangement? How dare you have the slightest resentment?" Rebellious heart?"

"The human heart is water, and it is guided by the situation. Obedience is the human heart, and rebellion is also the human heart. There is nothing wrong with it."

Yan Hong put the purple sand teapot back on the fire, and looked at Guan Junchen calmly with a pair of old eyes: "Prince Ning, if you really worshiped wholeheartedly, why did you enter Beijing with the guard of honor of a champion? Commander Xiang ordered Wang Jinzhi to bring me the death-preserving golden sword? You are an arrogant person, and you are not willing to bow down, but you still want to be the one who plays games with the emperor, right?"

Guan Junchen's face remained normal, he smiled and said: "Teacher, everyone has the desire to protect themselves, this is by no means a rebellion, let alone a big fault."

"Prince Ning, the late emperor has many heirs, but he has always loved you very much. You have won several outrageous victories after joining the army, which made him feel more at ease. By the end of Linqing, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace had been in office for many years, and he was still quite happy before he left. I was thinking of you, and I didn’t even listen to my dissuasion. I want to pass down the golden sword to save you from death. It’s been more than a hundred years since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but this is the first time you’ve seen such a golden sword that will last forever. Have you ever wondered why? ?The prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty has a generous salary and each has a fief, and you are a great general of the Great Zhou Dynasty and a pillar of the country. You should have been prosperous and rich all your life. Why did the first emperor worry so much, and even forcibly protect you if you want to establish yourself? Have you ever thought about it?"

Guan Junchen was drinking warm tea, but for some reason, when he heard Yan Hong's words, he felt a sudden cold sweat on his back.

It's not that he hasn't thought about this problem before, but every time he thinks about it deeply, he can't grasp the key points, and he always feels that there seems to be a monster in the dark, waiting for him at the corner with a big mouth open. After a few years, I didn't think about it any more.

"Prince Ning, you are a military genius, proficient in the art of war, but you can know the art, but you can't see the way, so it will be difficult for you to sit on the dragon seat."

Yan Hong paused every word and said: "During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, there were only about [-] princes and county kings of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the total number of princes, marquises, and uncles was only more than [-]. Fanbang fought continuously, and the military power was very valuable, so the clans and clans were often used to lead the army, and the foreign ministers were the staff. After years of this, there were several rewards and titles for meritorious deeds. At the beginning, there was no problem, but after decades Hard to return."

"Prince Ning, at the end of Linqing's reign, do you know how many clans and nobles in the Great Zhou Dynasty were crowned kings and nobles?"

Guan Junchen didn't speak, but he didn't know the answer.

"I won't talk about the others, but there are 480 seven princes and county kings alone, and there are more than ten of them who are hereditary and irreplaceable for generations to come."

Yan Hong's gaze was as sharp as a sharp blade, and he said word by word: "A county king has a salary of three thousand shi and a fief of a thousand mu of land. A prince has a salary of [-] shi and a fief of ten thousand mu of land. Prince Ning—you are a prince , How much land do you occupy in Jinling mansion? How many guards do you need to raise? How much do you harvest every year when you entrust ten thousand mu of land? And do you know that an ordinary farmer in Dazhou can only cultivate four mu of land in a lifetime? Five hundred feudal lords , Prince Ning, can you calculate this account—five hundred vassals, each with thousands of nobles in their fiefs, and the treasury is empty after years of war in the Great Zhou Dynasty, how many years can you afford to support these clan nobles?"

Guan Junchen suddenly felt restless. He clasped his hands so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"In the last years of Linqing, it is imperative to cut down the feudal clan."

Yan Hong said calmly: "It has always been difficult and dangerous for emperors to cut down their vassals. Clan relatives, relatives, courtiers, how to check and balance the forces of all parties has always been the emperor's primary strategy. During the Linqing period, many clan vassal kings It is meritorious deeds, they are all people who have made great contributions to the late emperor and the Great Zhou Dynasty. The glory and wealth that they have spelled out under the sword will not be handed over easily. Therefore, although it is a national policy to cut down the vassals, it is the father who established the role of the sons. What the emperor is doing now has a reason why he has to do it."

"Okay, what a national policy."

Guan Junchen said in a trembling voice: "Master Yan, I have spent my whole life as a soldier of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I almost sent my life outside the territory - there is no credit, but there should be hard work. Now that I have ended up like this, it turns out that it is already predestined? Cutting the feudal clan Cut off the feudal clan, did my elder brother, King Xiang, get cut down and turned into a traitor Guan Zhenyang?"