Everyone loves Huo Qubing

The afternoon sun shone on her face, and the autumn wind blew her hair into a mess.Along the eastern foot of Luliang Mountain, my uncle took me out of Hedong County and got on the Yellow River ferry after a day and night journey.This is the first time for me to take such a big ferry. Looking from a distance, the waves are rolling, thousands of sails are racing on the river, and the sky is full of sunset when the sun is setting. It is very magnificent.

The water of the Yellow River has nine bends and eighteen bends. It passes through the Loess Plateau and turns around here, forming two plains: the Hedong Plain in the east and the Guanzhong Plain in the west. The Wei River divides the Guanzhong Plain into north and south. .The north of the Weishui is called Zuofengyi, the west is called Youfufeng, and the south of the Weishui is Jingzhaoyin. The three places are collectively called "Sanfu".Our destination, the capital, is located on the south bank of the Weishui River.There is a saying in the Book of Songs: I sent my uncle's family to Weiyang, why should I give it to you?Duke Kang of Qin passed here to send Chong'er back to Jin. Today, my brother-in-law and I came here from Jin to enter Beijing. Every time we go back and forth, our mood is probably very different.

After crossing the Yellow River, it enters the Guanzhong Plain.Compared with Hedong, Guanzhong has accumulated a hundred years of wealth in Qin and Han Dynasties, so it is more prosperous.After getting off the boat, we entered Huayin County. The famous dangerous mountain Huashan should be nearby. The uncle and nephew became playful and wanted to find out the location of Huashan. Unexpectedly, the Jindi accent and the Guanzhong accent chicken and duck talked for a long time. Huashan was not found either.

"Go again next time, it's important to hurry." My uncle comforted me, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

***

Going west along the south bank of the Weishui River, after a day and a night, they finally arrived at the capital.Guanzhong is worthy of being a land of fish and rice, and Beijing is worthy of being a capital of gourmet food.Strolling in the east streets and alleys, even though I had already eaten dry food, I was still attracted by the bursts of aroma and refused to move forward.

My uncle bought a delicious meatloaf for me, and asked the vendor by the way: "Master, do you know where Wei's house is?"

"The Wei family? Are you asking the new Mrs. Wei?"

"Yes, I'm her younger brother, and I'm here to visit her in the capital," said the uncle.

"Ha, here comes another brother!" Before the pancake master could answer, there was a burst of laughter from the porridge stall, and one person put down the bowl and chopsticks and walked to the front, looked us up and down, and said in Jin dialect, "Since my niece and daughter-in-law My son is pregnant, and people from the countryside like you run to the capital every day, pretending to be three aunts and six relatives of the Wei family."

This person was dressed in plain Beijing-style deep clothes, made of high-quality materials, but eating breakfast at this common people's porridge stall, he looked like a down-and-out nobleman.What's more, he is not dressed properly, has a messy bun, a goatee beard, and is short and strong, but he stares at us with those two black bean-like eyeballs, and there is a shrewd light in his eyes.

"Weird man, don't pay attention to him." My uncle dragged me and left quickly.

"Could it be that you were exposed by this Marquis and became angry from embarrassment?" Qian Bian's laughter echoed on the streets of the capital.

We continued to walk forward, and after asking several passers-by, we found out that the news of Mrs. Wei's favor has spread throughout the capital, and His Majesty has bought a house for the Wei family in the east of the city to show his favor.The craftsmanship of fondant masters in the capital is much better than ours. I begged my uncle to buy a mouse fondant. I ate and walked along the East Street. When the majestic city wall came into view, I arrived at a new house in the north of the road. The word "Weifu" is written on the plaque.

"What are you doing knocking on the door early in the morning?" the servant yawned and poked his head out.

The uncle cupped his hands and said, "I'm looking for the eldest son Wei."

"Not here." The servant shook his head.

"Is Wei Qing here?"

The servant asked suspiciously, "Who are you?"

"I'm his younger brother." The uncle said.

"I'm his nephew." I also put my hands on my hips.

"The children are playing." The servant looked at us, waved his hand impatiently, and was about to close the door.

My uncle stretched out his knees against the door, and I took the opportunity to squeeze through the crack of the door.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get out."

Before the servant finished speaking, the door of the inner room was pushed open with a squeak, and a Pian Pianjia young man walked out on the threshold.He is quite tall, dressed in a light blue tunic, with wide shoulders and narrow waist, he has a strong figure, walks with the wind, his skirts swing, and has an imposing manner.When people get closer, you can see that the blue silk is tied on the top of the head, not crowned, fixed by a white hairpin, with a high nose and deep eyes, and a high-spirited look, which is in stark contrast to the servant's yawning.The eyebrow shape of this person is similar to Princess Pingyang's eyebrows, with a beautiful arc at the end of the eyebrows, toughness reveals toughness, and gentleness reveals majesty.Seeing us, the visitor's expression changed from doubt to joy.

"Buguang, Qubing, why are you here?"

"I miss my second brother." The uncle ran away, rushing into the man's arms.

"When did you arrive?" The second uncle said happily, "Why don't you let me know, so I can arrange to pick you up."

"Isn't it safe to arrive?" The uncle was proud of his ability to recognize the way.

I watched their brothers reunite warily. My second uncle’s face was already blurred in my memory. I only remembered him wearing a servant’s clothes and teaching me how to practice swords. The young master of the capital in front of me seemed to be noble and imposing. He hesitated for a moment, not daring to recognize each other.

"What? Qubing doesn't remember me?" The second uncle easily picked me up, "I've grown a lot taller, and it's quite heavy!"

"Second brother Qubing was still a little kid when he left, and we haven't seen each other for almost two years. I don't believe that he can remember you, second brother." My uncle teased me.

"Qubing is not a little boy now." The second uncle said with a smile.

This refreshing smile belongs only to the second uncle.I buried my head on my second uncle's shoulder blades, regaining the familiar feeling, and by the way, wiped all the meat pie oil and sugar residue I ate in the morning on his beautiful clothes.

***

On that day, the eldest uncle was serving, and the second uncle was resting.When it was arranged for my uncle and I to settle down, my second uncle couldn't resist my strong request and agreed to take us for a stroll in Chang'an City.

A group of people entered the city from the Qingming Gate in the east of Chang'an City, and the magnificent Changle Palace was on the south side.This palace was built on top of the Daqin Xingle Palace. It was built by Prime Minister Xiao He in the fifth year of Emperor Xiaogao's Yuan Dynasty, and it took two years to complete. It was the first palace in Chang'an City.Since then, Emperor Xiaogao moved his capital to Guanzhong from Pingcheng, and the surrounding area of ​​Chang'an City is regarded as Jingzhao, which is the place we visited this morning.Since Emperor Xiaohui, the emperor moved to Weiyang Palace, and Empress Dowager Xiaogao lived in Changle Palace. Since then, Changle Palace has been called "East Palace".Today, the Changxin Hall of Changle Palace is the living place of Empress Dowager Dou, the Changqiu Hall is the living place of the Empress Dowager, the mother of the Son of Heaven, and the residence of Princess Dou, the mother of Empress Chen, is the residence of Princess Tao.

The most famous incident that happened in Changle Palace was the tragic case in which my most admired general, Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, was beheaded and killed by Empress Dowager Lu in the Room of Hanging Bells for the crime of treason.The recent incident in the Changxin Palace is the gossip about Mrs. Dou's attempt to murder the second uncle, and our Wei family's ascension to heaven overnight.Being kidnapped, the second uncle must have suffered a lot.Once a woman is in a high position and has some power, is she going to have trouble with a good man?

Taking advantage of the fact that the guards were not paying attention, my uncle and I each kicked outside the wall of Changle Palace, which was regarded as revenge for my second uncle.The second uncle caught a glimpse of our actions, shook his head and said, "Her Royal Highness Princess Pingyang and Cao Shizi also live here.

"Sorry." I stuck out my tongue.

To the north of Changle Palace, there is a very wide open space, which is almost endless, and it is the garrison of the Royal Guards.There is a guard battalion stationed inside Xuanpingmen, and there is a racecourse in Dongshi. The second uncle said that he has been working here recently and is responsible for recruiting troops for the gate army.

"Qimen Army? I remember that my second brother worked in Jianzhang Yingqi in Shanglinyuan before."

The second uncle smiled shyly: "I have been promoted, and now I am in charge of the Qimen Army."

Qimen, as the name suggests, Qizhudianmen, is the imperial guard directly under the emperor. Its actions are not controlled by the East Palace, but its scale is small.

A look of admiration appeared on the uncle's face.

"Brother, why don't you find me a job too, I want to be a soldier too."

"Wait until you reach the age, now you can't even mount a war horse." The second uncle poured cold water on it.

"I can be an infantry!"

"The Qimen Army only accepts cavalry."

"Then I'll go ask my brother."

"Brother doesn't care about recruiting troops."

"..."

The open channel enters from the Qingming Gate, passes through the arsenal from the north side of Changle Palace, and flows into the north wall of Weiyang Palace.A group of us continued walking along the open channel. I looked around along the way, admiring the magnificence of Chang'an's inner city, while my uncle followed in resentment.

After passing Changle Palace, we arrived at Weiyang Palace, which was also built by Xiao He and was completed after Changle Palace.There is a cloud in the Book of Songs: The night is still young, and the light of the courtyard burns.Wei Young fights against Changle, taking the auspiciousness of "immortality" and the auspiciousness of "eternal life".Weiyang Palace, also known as "West Palace", is opposite to the Empress Dowager's East Palace. It is the place where the emperor lives and works. There are carved beams and painted buildings on it, inlaid with gold and jade, pavilions, terraces and pavilions.

Standing on a high ground outside the north wall, you can see the majestic front hall.Under the red glazed tiles, there are patterned burnt brick walls, blue carved windows, and a giant dragon sculpture winding out on the east side, voicing letters in the morning sun.On that day, every day, every five days to meet all the officials, it was in the front hall.

"At this time last year, His Majesty bid farewell to Zhang Qian, the special envoy of the Great Han, from this front hall, and ordered him to lead a team of hundreds of people to go west to find the Da Yuezhi Kingdom." The second uncle introduced.

I have heard the story of Zhang Qian. This man volunteered to go west to the desert to find the allies of the Han Dynasty and jointly resist the Huns. His travels have been spread among the people.While the people admired this man's courage, they worried that this trip was useless, and it was difficult to return to the vast desert.

The main hall in front of Weiyang, known as the Xuanshi Hall, also has allusions about celebrities in the Han Dynasty.Emperor Xiaowen met Jia Yi, a doctor of the Taizhong, and asked about ghosts and gods and how to govern the country.However, Jia Yi was impeached for carrying out the restructuring, and finally died of depression, regretting his whole life.

"Brother and I are usually on duty here." The second uncle said.

"Isn't that very close to His Majesty?" I was surprised.

"Well, it's very close." The second uncle nodded.

To the north of the front hall is the Jiaofang Hall where Empress Chen lives.The aunt's room is located in the Yilan Hall in the east of the Jiaofang Hall.

"Shall we go visit my aunt?" I suggested.

The second uncle shook his head: "Not today. The third sister is pregnant now, and His Majesty has ordered people to strictly protect her. You will not be allowed to visit until I get the approval."

I stick out my tongue, I'm just pregnant, why is it like being in prison?

Approaching the West Zhimen Gate of Chang'an City, I saw a row of cavalry in armor, riding on tall horses, passing by.The color of the armor is silvery gray, slightly different from the pure black armor of the imperial guards at the gates of Changle and Weiyang Palaces. It must be the soldiers and horses of the Qimen Army.

The leader, a tall rider with a black beard, saw the second uncle jumping off the horse, and looked at us in surprise.

"General Wei, who are these two?"

"Brother Buguang, nephew Qubing." The second uncle pointed to the dejected younger uncle who was following behind, and then pointed to me, "They are all newcomers. I will take them to Chang'an City to open their eyes."

He pointed to the heroic knight and said to me: "This is Gongsun Ao, the deputy commander of the Qimen Army, and my savior."

"Qu Bing met Deputy Commander Gongsun." I was very grateful to this man.

"My nephew really looks like my uncle." Gongsun Ao laughed and compared me with my second uncle, "I still have military duties today, so I will definitely visit my brother and nephew someday, and ask for a drink by the way."

"You are busy with your work, the Qing Mansion is waiting for you at any time." The second uncle waved.

Saying goodbye to Gongsun Ao, we headed northward, passed many luxurious mansions, and some open areas, and arrived at West Market.The East Market is responsible for the horse trade in Chang'an City, and the West Market is a high-end consumer area in Chang'an City, which is exclusively for the emperor's relatives, high-ranking officials and ministers.Clothes include silk and satin, deep clothes and skirts; decorated with crowns, jade clogs, hairpin jewels;

After leaving Xizhimen, we arrived at a scenic spot outside Chang'an City.Looking around, the mountains are full of lush and golden forests, the setting sun is shining, and the birds are flying in the forest.

The second uncle said: "This place is Shanglin Garden. The royal hunting ground."

My uncle and I said in unison: "Can we go in and have a look?"

The second uncle quickly denied our idea: "In the beginning of winter, the beasts are looking for food for the last time, so it's better not to go in."

***

When I saw my aunt again, it was a snowy spring day.One moment the sun was shining brightly, and the next moment it was cloudy. First it was raining, and soon there were snowflakes flying continuously.

We have lived in Weifu for a while, and my second uncle went on a business trip, and we haven't seen anyone for a month.That day my uncle was on duty in the palace, and my uncle had planned to take me to visit my aunt's house in Maoling Township in the north of the city, but the door was closed due to heavy snow.

The wind and snow gradually stopped at night, and the next day the sun was warm and the clouds were light and the wind was light. The entire Weifu was covered with white snow, and the sound of birds singing and melting snow could be heard endlessly.Weiyang Palace in Chang'an City sent a carriage, and hurriedly took me and my uncle into the palace.

The morning of Changle Palace is relatively quiet, but the morning of Weiyang Palace is full of officials and people, and the voices of people are noisy.The carriage stopped at the North Sima Gate of Weiyang Palace, and the eunuch led us to get off the car and go southward. We passed a tall pavilion, which was very magnificent. There was a plaque in the south of the pavilion, with the word "Tianlu" written on it. I remember that this is the treasure pavilion of the emperor's collection of scriptures. .

Going south along the North Sima Road, we walked all the way to a wall. After checking the talisman with the guards, the eunuch took us into this place called "Yongxiang".I recognize that the main hall here is the Jiaofang Hall of the Queen's bedroom, and there is a small hall on the east side of it, which is called "Yilan Hall" on the plaque.Yilan Hall is located in the south of Yongxiang, with red tiles and gray walls, carved and inlaid with tree bricks; across the street is Jiaofang Hall, with red tiles and red walls, carved dragons and inlaid with phoenix bricks.The two halls echo each other, and looking from Yilan Hall to Jiaofang Hall, the queen's bedroom is magnificent and dazzling, reflecting the sparkling snow, which is particularly eye-catching.

The eunuch led us into the Yilan Palace, raised the curtain, and before we entered, we heard a baby crying.My aunt is half lying on the couch, with thousands of strands of black hair hanging on the side of the couch, her lips are slightly pale due to blood loss, and her eyes are filled with unstoppable joy; and the one sitting by the bed happens to be the aunt we are going to visit yesterday, she is pregnant Holding a crying candle bag in the middle.My uncle, I and the two aunts have not seen each other for a long time, and the family is very affectionate when they meet in Weiyang Palace.

"Qubing, you are here." My aunt waved to me, "Come and see, this is your little cousin!"

cousin?Isn't it cousin?

I leaned forward and saw a new life lying in the candle bag in my aunt's hand. It was a small lump, soft and sticky, with red skin, wrinkled cheeks, and some small spots scattered on the upturned nose. White dots, eyes closed, eyes red from crying, as if crying to death at any moment.

——It turns out that my cousin looks like this, she is so small and noisy.

I poked the little white spot on her little nose with my finger, but she stopped crying soon, pouted her little mouth, and tried to hold my finger as if she was about to nurse.

The aunt smiled pleasantly and said: "Cousin and cousin are indeed a natural family, she likes you!"

I retracted my fingers and thought to myself, I don't like this wrinkled little guy.