Jianglin City.
At that time, King Ying ruled the world and toured all over China. When he passed through Yanjing City, there was a severe drought and the people were miserable. However, when King Ying arrived at Yanjing City, sweet rain fell from the sky. The people all said that King Ying was so powerful that God had mercy on him. Kneeling on the roadside and shouting long live, King Ying was so happy that he changed the name of Yanjing to Jianglin.
Later, the Zhao family conquered the world and replaced him. During the Zhao Mu period, the princes became independent. King Qi Yun destroyed the princes and returned power to Emperor Zhao. He was granted the title of fiefdom in the eighteen counties of Zhongzhou. Then Qi Shao, the second son of King Qi Yun, was killed to avenge his father and brother. Zhao then designated Jianglin in Zhongzhou as the capital of the country. After Qi Shao became emperor, the country was peaceful and the people were peaceful, and the country's power was growing day by day. As the capital, Jianglin became the most prosperous place in China.
After years of stability, Jianglin City now has thousands of people and nine cities. Even though it was night, the lights in Jianglin City were brightly lit. The hawkers setting up stalls in the East Market were bargaining with customers at the moment. The drinkers and talented people in the West Market were drinking and talking about whose young lady was beautiful and picturesque. , the horse-drawn carriage vendors going north and south in Beishi City were shouting at pedestrians to get out of the way, while the heavily-made-up madams and the hunchbacked turtles in Nan City were frivolously coaxing the guests into the fireworks field.
As a carrier pigeon flew over the outer city of Jianglin, ahead was the inner city of Jianglin. Compared to the outer city, this inner city was much quieter. The royal family, nobles and important officials of the capital all lived in the inner city of Jianglin. Ordinary people will be convicted of disrespect if no one takes them into the inner city. There is an official residence in the inner city at the moment, which is brightly lit. Looking from a distance, it seems incompatible with the silence of other official residences in the inner city. The gate of the official residence is bright and wide. The front eaves are decorated with purlins decorated with flying geese and birds below. The three-open red door is tightly closed. The stone lions and horse posts in front of the door look majestic and solemn. "Fan Mansion" is written on the door.
The carrier pigeon was causing trouble in the outer city of Jianglin and landed in the Fan Mansion. When an old man in Chinese clothes saw the carrier pigeon returning, he hurriedly took off the secret message from the carrier pigeon's foot and hurriedly walked through the flower gate verandah and the layers of wing rooms. He walked quietly all the way. When the maids and servants saw the old man in rich clothes walking slowly, they all gave way and saluted "Old Butler Wang". When they came to the study on the side of the main room, Butler Wang screened the maids outside the concierge, bowed and lightly opened the door of the study and then bowed respectfully. He said in a voice: "Master, there is a secret message coming from the north."
Although it was already late, the lights in the study were bright, and an old and majestic voice came: "Come in."
After hearing that the people in the study allowed him to come in, Butler Wang hurriedly straightened his clothes and then pushed the study door gently and entered. Behind the screen, in front of the table in the study, there was a person sitting, wearing a brocade gown, a jade belt around his waist, and black leather feet. Liuhe official boots, with a thin face, high cheekbones, and slender eyes. At this moment, he is holding a book and reading it carefully close to the candlelight on the desk. The slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the three long white beards under his chin are reflected in his eyes. He is nearly sixty years old.
Butler Wang closed the study door, walked through the screen, and saw his master concentrating on reading. He did not dare to interrupt, so he could only hold the secret letter in his hand and stand aside quietly to wait.
About a cup of tea, the master put the book in his hand on the table and rubbed the corners of his slightly sore eyes. Seeing the scene, Butler Wang quickly went to get a hot water wet handkerchief from the stove. The master took the hot handkerchief and wiped it. With a tired look on his face, he said, "Is there a letter from the north?"
"yes". The old housekeeper bowed and replied.
The master abandoned Repa on the table and reached out to get the secret letter held by Butler Wang. When Old Butler Wang saw that the old man was about to open the secret letter, he was about to leave the study. When Old Butler Wang was about to push the door open, a coldness flashed in the old man's slender eyes and called the old butler: "Tell your nephew to settle down in the world." Separately, in recent days, Sheng has always mentioned things about the rivers and lakes inadvertently. It is natural that there is nothing wrong with this chaos in the grass. If you miss the big event in the north, hey, you have to weigh it yourself."
Butler Wang was stunned as he was exiting the study. Although he was bowing down, he was so frightened when he heard the master's sudden words that he immediately knelt on the ground with his forehead on the ground. He was so frightened that he said, "I must restrain my nephew well. I dare not I've missed something big, Master."
The master looked at the kneeling steward Wang gloomily for a long time. His slender eyes withdrew his dagger-like gaze. Without looking at the kneeling steward again, he opened the secret letter. After a while, the master read it in his hand. After writing the secret letter, he looked at Butler Wang, stroked his beard and said: "Get up, you have been with me for many years. Today, I do not want to punish you. Your nephew is doing whatever he wants in Bianjing, and he is doing more and more outrageous things. "Duo, the matter of contacting the north is too important. I am worried that if he continues like this, the court will be aware of it. The Holy One is the best at discerning people's hearts. If the slightest flaw is revealed, you and I will be in ruins."
Old Butler Wang knelt on the ground. Even though it was winter, the cold sweat on his body had soaked his underwear. He said, "Master Mingjian, I will write a letter of divorce and return it to my unsatisfied nephew. I must ask him for it." Restrain your words and deeds, and concentrate on doing your master's work well."
The master stroked his beard and said, "No, you go in person this time." The master looked at the old steward Wang who still did not dare to get up, and spoke again: "When my first ancestor defeated the Huns, I had the help of the Central Plains Sword God Li Kurong. After I established the country of Qi Yun, Li Kurong was in Bianjing City. Wangli Mountain founded Wangli Villa, and now Li Kurong cannot go out in seclusion. Every three years, his Wangli Villa will send out invitations to people who practice martial arts in China. This time, as your nephew said in the letter, Li Kurong He has been practicing in seclusion for many days, and there are rumors in the world that he has gone crazy. The three-year period has come again this year, and it is time for the Yingli Order to reappear in Wangli Villa. The Yingli Conference will also be held after the Yuan Day Festival. Your nephew has gained some fame now, and he will be invited if nothing unexpected happens. I want you to go there. First, let your nephew go to Wangli Villa to find out what Li Kurong is; secondly, go to Langzhou, Pass on my message and Gao Lian, you must get that thing as soon as possible."
"Yes, I will definitely live up to my master's instructions even if I don't win the night," Old Butler Wang said. Xu had been kneeling for a long time and was staggering when he got up, so he still managed to hold on to his waist and walk away.
Looking at the figure of Old Butler Wang getting up and leaving, the master stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then looked out the window in the distance, where Qi Yun was working hard in the palace, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and then called out: "Come here, Prepare the sedan chair."
The servants who were rejected by Butler Wang outside the study heard the master's call and hurried to the door of the study, said yes and left.
After a stick of incense, a two-person sedan was waiting at the back door of Fan's Mansion. The old man put on casual clothes and lowered his head to get into the sedan. "Go to the Prince's Mansion." After hearing what the old man said, the two strong sedan bearers lifted up the sedan and walked quickly all the way. Go to the Prince's Mansion.
After Emperor Qi Yun and Qi Shao founded the country, he raised two sons. The eldest prince Qi Wu was taken by Qi Shao since he was a child to teach him how to govern the country. However, Qi Wu, although his name contains the word "武", was cruel by nature and had poor conduct. He behaves badly and behaves like a prince of a country. On the other hand, the second prince Qi Tao, as his name suggests, is civilized and military, he is benevolent, courteous and filial. He is upright and upright in dealing with others. He is kind and courteous to others. He is praised by all civil and military officials. In recent years, Qi Shao became more and more close to Qi Tao, and asked Qi Tao for his opinion on all matters in the court. This year, Emperor Qi Yun, Qi Shao, conferred the title of Prince Ning on the second prince, Qi Tao, and personally selected the site for Prince Ning's palace. There have been rumors in the court recently. Everyone said that sooner or later the emperor would depose the prince and establish the second prince as heir apparent. A large number of officials even jointly submitted a petition asking the emperor to appoint another prince. However, all the officials strongly refuted it, saying that "establishing a direct descendant and establishing an elder" was an ancient ancestral system and could not be violated. The two parties first submitted memorials separately, and then in the court Above, a group of officials headed by Zheng Zhi, the Minister of Civil Affairs, listed the prince's immoral behavior and asked Emperor Qi Shao to re-elect the prince. Meanwhile, a group of officials led by Ouyang Wei, the censor of Zuodu, tried their best to remonstrate with the emperor. In order to comply with the ancestral system, the elders cannot be abolished and the younger ones established. The two important ministers quarreled fiercely, and finally Qi Shao became furious and decreed that anyone who discussed the prince's affairs again would be punished without mercy, so the turmoil was calmed down. After this turmoil, the brothers who were originally respectful Qi Wu and Qi Tao are not as harmonious as before.
Prince Qi Wu was drinking wine in the prince's palace and was upset. Recently, he was reprimanded by his father in court, saying that he had mishandled the affairs in the southwest. He also praised Ning Wang Qi Tao in court for his contribution to the relief of the victims on behalf of the court, which made him proud. He lost face again in front of Zheng Zhi and other officials. Although his father had been furious a few days ago and kept his position as the crown prince, if things continue like this, his brother Prince Ning might really replace him. He became the crown prince, but he was not as good as his younger brother in terms of statecraft and horse archery skills. Thinking of this, Qi Wu could no longer hold back his irritability. He waved his hand and was about to dismiss the maids who were still singing and dancing in the hall, but in the middle of his wave, He knocked over the wine flask of the maid who was pouring wine for him.
"Bold", Zhao Lun, the eunuch of the Prince's Palace who was waiting on the side, scolded.
The maid hurriedly knelt down on the ground, shaking like chaff, and kept kowtowing: "I am guilty, I hope the prince will forgive me."
"It doesn't matter." Qi Wu waved his hand to stop the eunuch from scolding the maid. He stood up and walked to the maid. He leaned down and held up the maid's young face with his hands. He took out a brocade handkerchief from his arms and gently wiped the maid's face. While he was kowtowing to beg for mercy, a cruel smile appeared on his bleeding forehead: "You also look down on me, this incompetent prince, right?"
"I made a mistake, please forgive me." At this time, the maid looked at the young and handsome face of the prince with cruel eyes, and she still muttered begging for mercy.
Qi Wu smiled and wiped the blood from the maid's forehead, caressed the maid's weak face, stood up, played with the bloody brocade handkerchief in his hand, and said softly with his thin lips: "Death with a stick", the prince finished speaking, just now The scolding eunuch waved his hand, and two black-armored Qi Yun guards immediately appeared and dragged out the little maid who was so frightened that she could not even cry out for mercy.
At this moment, in the main hall of the Prince's Mansion, both the dancers, eunuchs and servants were silent. For a moment, everyone in the hall stood with their heads bowed, and the bursts of wailing coming from outside the hall made everyone unable to bear to listen. Only the prince Qi Wu in the hall stood smiling while playing with the blood handkerchief in his hand.
A young eunuch came out from behind the screen and whispered a few words in Zhao Lun's ear. Zhao Lun waved the young eunuch away, quickly walked to Qi Wu's side, and whispered in his ear: "Prince, right Prime Minister Fan" "We are here to visit you." When Qi Wu heard this, he gestured with his eyes. Zhao Lun turned around and waved to everyone in the hall. All the maids and servants in the hall bowed and left. For a while, only the prince Qi Wu and the eunuch Zhao Lun were left in the hall.
Fan Mou came from his prime minister's palace. Under the guidance of Zhao Lun, he walked through the corridor of the prince's palace and saw the little maid who was killed with a stick on the bench outside the hall. He then lowered his head and followed Zhao Lun into the hall without saying a word. As he walked away, an imperceptible sneer flashed across the corner of his mouth.
