Summer wraps autumn, water keeps wind

Chapter 36

But he said that the three of them were not in Beijing at this time, and the weather in the capital was hotter than in previous years. Today is May 27, and the whole month of May was lingering in the heat wave, and it was even more unbearable to stand under the scorching sun.At that time, the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs brought the ice before the sun was up. Qin Huan asked the palace people to put the ice into the blue and white jar, and took a wind wheel with a gold-painted shaft to let the little maid spin it. Then put down the window curtain of Zizhu to block the heat.

There was a cool breeze in the bedroom, and Wan Zhao was washed by two palace servants.Seeing Wan Zhao sitting down in front of the dressing table, Qin Huan took a sandalwood comb and dipped it in osmanthus oil to comb her hair.

Wan Zhao laughed and said, "I know it's a hot day today through the curtain." Qin Huan said, "It's a pity that the emperor didn't take the empress to the palace. I heard that it's chilly to sit in the room without ice."

Wan Zhao smiled at the bronze mirror: "Others are busy running outside, let's just hide in the house to get some shade." Qin Huan nodded and said, "That's right, today is a good day after all, many people will inevitably have to move around. "

The ban on taking the exam in the south gradually subsided, and there were no traces of the bloody storm in the bustling streets.At Chenshi, Shishen dressed carefully, left the thatched hut and went all the way to the Xianru Academy, chatting with the neighbors along the street, seeing that he was about to arrive at the academy, he turned a corner and walked into the Guanyin Theater .

The theater is very lively today, far away from the capital, many rules are not strictly enforced, although it is during the national funeral, but it is not a new funeral, as long as there is no censor to check who cares about singing and prostitutes in your place.It is said that in the past few years, the princes in the theater have set an abstention date, which is called "Tong Yin Ji".

It turned out that the late emperor took his salary back to the palace to escape the summer heat, and the two arranged the fourth chapter of Bai Pu's "Wu Tong Yu". It is said that Tang Xuanzong lived in the West Courtyard in his later years, thinking of the dead Concubine Yang every day. , and finally meet in a dream.It's a pity that the phoenix rain awakened Xuanzong, but in the end it was nothing.

The two dressed up as Tang Minghuang and Yang Guifei and sang this sad and melancholy old story, accompanied by Bai Pu's "spiritual style and strong etymology" style. It's really a good story.It's just because the two of them are as perfect as a qin and zither, although they don't have as many twists and turns as the singing voices of the gentlemen of Liyuan, but it is the performance of the two without embellishment that seems to be a perfect match, even the late emperor admired it.

So the actors in the capital all learned to sing "Wu Tong Yu" on this day, and later the good friends set this day as a memorial day, to forge eternal friendship, in order to be rich and happy like the return of their salary.Later, when it spread to various places, the relatives all learned it, and the story became more and more evil, and many gossips were deduced.

The rumors that the two of them shared the habit of breaking their sleeves became more and more year after year. Later, not only the actors lived this day, but even the brothers and sisters also burned incense and prayed on this day.No wonder Shishen entered the theater today, there was a lot of people everywhere, and the festival was held in a mighty manner, even the outside of the garden was crowded with vendors selling small goods, and it was about to catch up with the excitement of the temple fair.

When Shi Shen went straight up to the second floor, he was blocked by a young man, who smiled and said, "Master Juren, isn't he going to the study hall? It's a good day to come here, I'm afraid it's not because I want to find my husband to make a life-long appointment, so that he can be the teacher." A 'Mrs. Champion'."

When Shi Shenhuang was asked, he blushed with embarrassment, and his face was hot from the noise of the people below. With a "wow", the door was pushed open, Su Yanqi looked annoyed, spat softly and said, "I forget eight things, and I want to be slapped again!" The slender palms hit each other, and there was a soft "pa".

The little servant stood sideways and said with a smile: "Ah, I will prepare tea and fruits from here, and I invite you to enjoy the show." After saying that, he ran away.

Seeing Ah Cong go away, Su Yanqi said softly, "Is this meeting coming?" Shi Shen replied yes.

Yan Qi took two steps closer and looked downstairs, and said with a smile: "It's noisy, you should join in the fun."

Shi Shen took his hand and whispered softly: "They don't sing very well, we will sing when we go to your house." Yan Qi pursed his lips and smiled, then pulled his hands and said, "It's not the rules here." Then the two of them went together Went to Yan Qi's house.

All the way to the Su residence, Shi Shen's little boy was already waiting there, holding a pot of Lingjian lotus in full bloom.Shi Shen said: "Lian, you can watch it from a distance and not play with it. This flower can temporarily replace the lotus and grow it in the yard for viewing." Yan Qi laughed and said, "I have nothing to give you, and I owe you favors in vain." Shi Shen also laughed and said, "The canna you raised looks just right to me."

Yan Qi entered the house, pointed to the middle of the courtyard and said, "That pot of perennial phlox is suitable for you, so don't you want to waste the canna?" Shi Shen said, "Even you think I'm one of those sour scholars chasing after Qiu Wei?" Qi sprinkled some water on the flowers and said, "I'm afraid I don't have a choice, I'm not someone who will stay in thatched cottage all his life."

Although the Shi family was clean and honest, it was not enough to live in a thatched cottage. Shi Shen didn't like the sour and rigid atmosphere in his family, so he made an unscrupulous appearance and moved to live alone in the thatched cottage.

Shi Shen didn't want to mention it again, so he said, "Let Ah Cong burn some chaff charcoal and put it in, the flowers will bloom better." Yan Qi attended to the flowers and said, "He's very lazy. If you don't call him, he won't come to me. Zhaizi, you still have to do these things."

The two dressed up and sang "The Rain of the Indus", but when Shi Shen remembered that he was about to enter Beijing to participate in the Enke Qiuwei, he couldn't help being distracted, and the raindrops broke his heart.

Yan Qi stopped, and said to Shi Shen: "Do you know why the Holy Majesty sang this "Wu Tong Yu"?" He said with a smile, "I just don't want to be that Yang Guozhong." The tactful opera sound stepped on the wall and left.

At that time, Li Ji sat in the study and took a copy of "Spring and Autumn" to read carefully. Jiang Shen invited An to come in.After a few words of official business, Liji gave up his seat, Jiang Shen said with a smile, "I guessed that the son is studying Chunqiu." Liji closed the book and said, "Mr. still remembers. I only read it today when I have free time."

Jiang Shendao: "I remember that the first treatise written by the prince was "On the Spring and Autumn Annals", and the prince admired it very much. Once the article was published, Luoyang paper was expensive. After reading it, Hongru couldn't believe it was written by a teenage Shaoai. So today is It's the right day to write."

Li Ji said with a smile: "After all, I am young and light-tempered. I still care about my petty fame and fortune. My husband laughed at me." Jiang Shen said: "This is also a good day for you, as it should be."

At noon, the small kitchen made a new product of roasted round fish with golden legs, which tasted very good. Wan Zhao thought it was good, so he tasted another product of three fresh dragon and phoenix balls and said with a smile: "The small kitchen's cooking is good today, it's time to reward it." Qin Huan said yes.

Wanzhao ate a few more mouthfuls of lunch and felt a little greasy, so he served a plate of five-spice cooked mustard, and picked up a small pickle to relieve the greasy.The palace maid served a cup of jasmine sparrow tongue, Wan Zhao drank it and said, "Hui Xu went to the banquet, and she must feel greasy when she comes back, so prepare some chrysanthemum bergamot cakes for her, and Xinyang Maojian, it's always hard for her this time. "

Qin Huan said: "Mammy and Ling Shunyi are old friends, today is Yiren's birthday, and Mammy praying for the mother's birthday on this good day is also doing her best."

Wan Zhao took a nap in the afternoon to do some idle things.At the time of application, Sister Huixu hurried into the palace with a nervous expression. She went to Wanzhao to bless Fu Jin and came forward and said, "Your maidservant is going to the banquet, and it is pleasant to keep this maidservant coming back late. Who would have heard the wind when I arrived at the gate of the palace?" It is said that Liu Huanghu committed suicide in the Prince's Mansion."

Wan Zhao was taken aback, and hurriedly asked carefully.Huixu continued: "The servant just saw Liu Dutong at the banquet. After the banquet, he suddenly said that the Shizifu had something to do and left. Yiren talked to the wives and let him go. Later, when the servant returned to the palace, he bumped into the person who reported the Shizifu. I think the empress in the palace should be the first to know about it."

Wan Zhao asked anxiously, "He died?" Hui Xu said in a daze, "No, the dagger pierced his chest, and the blood seeped out of the door, and the passing guards were so frightened that their legs went limp. I heard that the scene was horrible. "

Wanzhao recited a Buddha's name, feeling very sad.She suddenly thought that the emperor, Prince Xuan and the eldest son were not there, and Liu Huanghu chose to commit suicide on his mother's birthday. No matter how she thought about it, she felt suspicious.Furthermore, he is an open-minded and optimistic person. He just returned to Beijing just when he was about to show off his grand plans, so how could he seek death?

Wanzhao is clever, this Liu Huanghu is Prince Xuan's baby brother, and he is working in the Shizi Mansion, who will bear the responsibility if he is killed?Could it be that someone wants to take the opportunity to stir up the situation?Wan Zhao had a thought, he didn't know the depth of this matter for a while, so he had to find out clearly so that his father could be prepared.

Wan Zhao first said to Hui Xu: "Madam, please go to Yiren's mansion again, firstly, to appease Yiren, and secondly, to inquire about some suspicious news." Huixu took the order and went.

Wan Zhao called Qin Huan again. She thought it would be inconvenient for the palace maid to pass away, so she asked, "Where is Ji Gonggong in charge?" Qin Huan said, "It turned out that he was on the job, but he recently settled a small house outside and married a Widows often ask for leave and go home."

Wan Zhao spat: "The slave who doesn't exist will disappear when he is used. What other eunuchs can be used?" Qin Huan thought for a while and said, "Look at the little eunuch who beat Concubine Rong last time, servant girl Pretty clever."

Wan Zhao said: "That little Dongzi is okay, let him go to Han Tan to inquire about Liu Dutong carefully."

Han Tan is no longer a servant, but an errand in Jingzhao Yin's Mansion. Xiao Dongzi hurried to find Han Tan first.Han Tan and Liu Huanghu also knew each other, but they were not familiar with each other, but this time they were surprised by the sudden change. After the chief official passed away to investigate the case, Xiao Dongzi followed Han Tan to the Shizifu.

The Shizi Mansion is surrounded by three floors inside and three floors outside. The soldiers of the Shizi Mansion are surrounded on the inner floor, the Military Patrol Court is outside, and people from the Jingzhaoyin Mansion and the School Affairs Office entered the inner room to investigate.Because there are so many interested parties involved, it is inconvenient for people from Jing Zhaoyi, who have a special status in the Shizifu, to enter, but it was Prince Xuan's brother who died and was sent by the emperor to die in the Zifu. The people went in together, surrounded by the soldiers of the Shizi Mansion, making a mess.

In order not to damage the scene, the chief investigator brought Han Tan and a person from the school affairs office into the house, while the rest stayed outside.There were bloodstains all over the ground in the house, the most bloodstains in front of the house, all the way to Liu Huanghu's cold corpse in the corner of the room, with a dagger stuck in his chest, his hands drooping, and his body sitting close to the wall.

There was no sign of a fight in the room, only a wooden door bolt fell to the ground. Judging by the blood stains, the deceased should have been stabbed by a knife and fell to the ground near the door. He did not die immediately, but crawled to the wall and sat down before dying. , very strange.Han Tan found a suicide note on the desk. The chief officer saw that Liu Huanghu's hands were covered with blood, and he seemed to be hiding something behind his back along the blood. He asked the people from the school affairs office to remove the body. The blood-stained little thing turned out to be a canine tooth after wiping it clean.

"Canine teeth?" Wanzhao gasped. She immediately remembered that Quan Rong had failed to obtain a reward from the White Wolf Kingdom a few days ago, so she took advantage of the opening of the border market to seize five cities in a row. The hero of the Flying Wolf Warriors, the famous dog army, the two countries turned against each other at this time, could it be that they sent assassins to kill people for revenge?Maybe this is their warning.

But she also thought that the emperor has always been worried about the Yi family, and Liu Huanghu is a trustworthy person, so letting him be the deputy capital of the prince's mansion means to restrain the prince. If it is the Yi family who wants to get rid of him, it is not without reason, just right The eldest son is not in the capital, so he can disregard the relationship.If someone wanted to kill him and put the blame on someone else, based on Liu Huanghu's status, it would be tantamount to offending the emperor, Prince Xuan, and the prince of Weiyi at the same time, and whoever wins would be doomed.Xiaodongzi handed over another copy of Liu Huanghu's suicide note.Wan Zhao hurriedly took it and read it carefully.

Your Majesty, Madam:

The sinful minister has no virtue and no merit, and is ashamed of receiving the grace of the shade. His corpse is a vegetarian meal, and he has no face.The minister is humble and clumsy, and he only asks for land and housing, which is unusable.The son of the prince, Min Chen, is obtuse, and he bestows favor on him. It is difficult to repay his great kindness, but he only makes a grass knot.The guilty minister has poor ambitions, but he has no one to rely on for his lonely mother.Fortunately, Long En never gave up, his long-cherished wish is over, and there is no concern for his life.Zeng Meng took the exam first, and his face was as solemn as before, he reprimanded his ministers and sons, and restrained his father and mother.Hu cried and asked first, the strict father sued the minister to hit Gusha, and the life of his parents was no more than forty.I remember that my mother's birthday was just around the corner, so I cut the flesh and returned it to my mother to repay her kindness.It is a violation of the minister's festival for a sinful minister to kill himself. The first filial piety is the first of all good deeds. I hope that the crime of the minister will be forgiven.Unworthy sons and mothers are happy and happy, don't think of their children, respectfully kowtow.

Unworthy Son of a Criminal Minister, Liu Huanghu's Last Writing

After Wanzhao finished reading, she buckled the letter on the table, upset.She seemed to be sure that Liu Huanghu's death was caused by others. Countless conjectures rushed into her mind, and the fog cleared. She gradually saw only one person's face, which was haggard to the point of being colorless, and only dried up tears shimmered. Her absent-minded face made her heart tighten.That person's sadness would make her heart ache. She suddenly wanted to die for Liu Huanghu. If she died by herself, maybe that person would not be so sad. Although she hadn't seen him yet, she could already imagine the pain and despair of that person. The eyes as bright as almonds boiled into cloudy fish eyes.Wan Zhao came back to his senses, secretly poked the armor into his palm, and whipped himself for impermanence and absurdity.