The banker's mansion is very close to the imperial palace and was given by the emperor to take care of the old prime minister Zhuang Tianji, who was in frail health and had difficulty walking.
The snow has melted and the roads are muddy.
An old man wearing a purple official robe stood in the yard, looking up at the sky, muttering something unknown.
The old man surnamed Zhuang was the one who brought the Dajing Dynasty into an unprecedented prosperous period, which made even the Emperor sigh: "There is no credit for his achievements." His life story will definitely be written into official history, and future generations will also look up to him with rich ink and color. He wrote a beautiful talk about "the monarch and his ministers are in harmony".
Zhuang Tianji walked around the garden casually, seemingly not treating this place as a royal palace. After a brief walk around, the elderly man was a little sweaty and sat down in the octagonal pavilion.
He looked at the stone table with the chess board carved on it, and felt no stranger to it. In the past, when he was in high spirits and His Majesty the Emperor was still young, he often played chess here. At that time, there would always be a demure and gentle woman watching the chess game. She would occasionally point and point. She would often be scolded by His Majesty the Emperor: "A true gentleman watching chess without saying a word" would often retort with that sentence, "I am a true gentleman." A woman is not a gentleman.”
The emperor's house was on the side of the couch, and no one was allowed to snore or sleep. It was often criticized by literati, and some even joked that "accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger."
But Zhuang Tianji didn't think so. "Eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor" are things that do not owe each other. As a minister, especially a high-ranking minister, you should not do things that exceed your duties, otherwise how can you not be suspected? It is precisely because everyone has ambitions, otherwise, what is the difficulty in "finishing the affairs of the king and the world and winning fame before and after life"?
His Majesty the Emperor, wearing Japanese clothes, quietly entered the garden, holding the chess box in both hands. Seeing that the frail old minister was lost in thought, he walked up behind him without anyone noticing, and then put a hand on his shoulder coldly. .
"What do you think, Aiqing?"
Zhuang Tianji hurriedly turned around and wanted to show his courtesy to this ninety-five-year-old man, but was held back by a pair of hands.
"Okay, okay, play chess with me."
His Majesty the Emperor sat down, pushed a chess box full of black stones to Zhuang Tianji, and said with a smile: "It's still the same, you go first with black, I'll fight back with white."
Zhuang Tianji was stunned for a moment and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, your words can make me feel like I'm walking on thin ice."
Gui Qi held up a white piece and said with some pride, "I learned a few sets of chess records from the national players a few days ago, and they are all lost and unique copies. You didn't show mercy to me before, let's see if I kill you this time. Keep."
Zhuang Tianji stretched out his two fingers and picked up a sunspot, his eyes dazed.
The last game of chess was twenty years ago, right?
At that time, the young His Majesty was so high-spirited, and he was not so old that he could no longer walk.
Perhaps it is in line with the old saying, "People go to their graves from the time they are born."
Zhuang Tianji placed a piece on the chessboard, just like the opening of the chess game twenty years ago, occupying the star position in the upper right corner.
His Majesty the Emperor smiled and said nothing, and the chess piece fell, with the white piece occupying the lower left star position.
Then the monarch and his ministers raised their heads and smiled at each other.
This is how the chess game started twenty years ago. At that time, His Majesty the Emperor was just a bad chess player. When he saw Prime Minister Zhuang Tianji's moves, he followed his example and ended up playing the chess game into an imitation chess game. , but this little trick still couldn't defeat Zhuang Tianji, a national player.
Zhuang Tianji was a little undecided, and after hesitation, he settled on the Tianyuan position.
His Majesty the Emperor raised his eyebrows, "Hey, you still don't take me seriously."
If the chess skills are equal, you should naturally go all out. As for Luo Tianyuan, if he wasn't a master of chess and could pick it up at his fingertips, he would be disdainful and disdainful of using his full strength.
Of course Zhuang Tianji was not the former, it was just a joke from Gui Qi.
The sound of pieces falling on the chessboard was very fast, because of the two people in the Octagonal Pavilion, one was the common master of the world, and the other was an extremely human minister. Their chess ability and mental strength were both national players, so the excitement of this chess game was rare in the world.
Gui Qi currently had a very small advantage on the chessboard. He sighed and suddenly said: "It's a pity that the queen didn't come to watch the chess. Otherwise, she would have praised me sweetly when she saw my superb chess skills."
Zhuang Tianji joked: "With all due respect, if the Queen were here, Your Majesty might not be able to stop playing this game."
Guiqi snorted coldly, "What does a female prostitute know about chess? If she dares to point fingers at me again, I will punish her!"
A voice suddenly came from behind him, soft and clear, "I have committed a serious crime, please forgive me."
Gui Qi was so excited that he almost overturned the chessboard.
It turned out that Qin Fang had quietly walked over when the game started, and had been standing behind her man without making any sound.
When this empress, who was the mother of the world, walked in front of the emperor, she slightly lowered her sleeves, as if she were kneeling down to apologize.
This is like what?
It's like an emperor kneeling down to a beggar!
That's right, Qin Fang is the emperor and he is a beggar. This is family status!
Seeing this scene, Gei Qi was so frightened that she almost flew away. He quickly grabbed her hand and lifted it up. The huge strength made the queen feel pain, and she immediately threw away his hand angrily.
Qin Fang glared at him, "Go to sleep elsewhere tonight, Jiaofang Palace won't accept you!"
After saying that, she stepped on her man again and left in anger.
Gui Qi was crying, like a child who was sad after losing his toy. There was no trace of an emperor at all.
Why? Because today he can have that once-a-month sex.
I have been holding it in for a month, and I wanted to take advantage of tonight to let it out until dawn.
But what's the result?
The results of it? !
I only give you a chance once a month! Once a month!
Just gone!
Who can bear this? Geiqi felt like crying to death!
In the Octagonal Pavilion, His Majesty the Emperor sobbed, crying like a little lady whose love had been betrayed.
As the "chief culprit", Zhuang Tianji, instead of comforting him, quietly moved a chess piece on the chessboard.
White's chess, which was originally only playing more and more powerfully, suddenly fell into a huge disadvantage.
The great prime minister of the dynasty was so happy that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear. Hehe, I can't lose this time.
I don’t know how long it took, but when His Majesty the Emperor finally recognized the facts and came out of the haze, he immediately realized that the move was wrong and angrily shouted: "Did you play my game?!"
Zhuang Tianji looked confused and shook his head like a rattle, "No, no, no, how dare I dare to do anything secretly while playing chess with the sage?"
Gui Qi was suspicious for a moment, sighed helplessly, and had no choice but to bite the bullet and start playing chess.
The result can be imagined, White's army was defeated like a mountain, and the army was completely defeated by the black piece.
Frustrated in love and chess, His Majesty the Emperor was in an extremely bad mood. He stormed out of the courtyard without even saying a word, and went somewhere to relax.
Zhuang Tianji slowly packed up the chessboard, sorted the chess pieces into boxes, looked far away in the direction of the Jitu altar, and began to feel heartache and physical pain.
Kneeling there was his granddaughter.
His life might be in danger at any time, but he never asked for love once.
"Eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor" are the duties of the emperor and his ministers, and they do not owe each other anything. The heart of a minister is like water is also based on this. Beyond that, to make any demands would be to overstep one's duty.
Could it be that just because he begged for mercy, his granddaughter could walk out of Ji Tu Tan Society? Could it be that just because he begged for mercy, His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress would pardon a sinner?
Zhuang Tianji doesn't think so, there is no such reason in the world.
But who in the world doesn’t feel sorry for their children? He felt distressed, his bones were old and his heart was still trembling.
So after the court meeting ended today, he offered to stay and wanted to play a game of chess with His Majesty in this garden very close to the Ji Tu Altar and talk about old things.
Even if I can't see my granddaughter, as long as I'm here, not far from her, and say a few words to her, that's great.
"Bingyan, grandpa is here."
"Grandpa misses you."
But here, the queen pushed open the vermilion door, walked to the earth altar of Ji, and gently picked up the dying man.
He took her back to the bedroom, covered her with a thick quilt, placed charcoal stoves around the bed, and then Qin Fang began to cook the medicine.
The fire was boiling, Qin Fang returned to the bedside, looked at the young woman who was supposed to be the princess, and sighed quietly.
She is also the younger sister in the family, but her situation is so different.
Although one has a cold temperament, it does not affect him being pampered by his brother at all.
A person who was originally dignified and gentle was used as a pawn by his brother, and he didn't even care about his life or death.
Even if Zhuang Tianji loves Zhuang Bingyan again, how long can he live? An old man in his dying years may die suddenly at any time.
His son died early, and then his grandson Zhuang Zimo took over as the head of the family. He continued to do the business of the rebellious minister and traitor, using the sweet family affection as bait, and continued to manipulate his own sister to be the puppet.
She, Zhuang Bingyan, sacrificed everything she wanted to get the family affection, but in the end it was just his Zhuang Zimo's pretentious pretense.
How unfortunate it is to grow up in such a family.
This is why she, like Wu Junzhi and the little girl from the Bai family, are poor people who can't help themselves.
The forbidden woman next to Wu Peixian also suffered the same tragic fate.
Men are strong enough to protect themselves, but what about women? If you don't have the strength to tie a chicken with your hands, if you are as rootless and groundless as duckweed, you will simply not be able to survive in this cannibalistic world.
When will the world be kinder to women?
Qin Fang sighed and stood up, suddenly hearing a faint voice behind her.
"The Queen."
Qin Fang quickly sat down next to her and said softly: "Don't talk. You are still very weak and need to rest."
"Please let my brother go."
Zhuang Bingyan's first words after waking up were actually like this.
Qin Fang was a little angry, "Your brother is so virtuous that he doesn't even care whether you are dead or alive. Have you, silly girl, been drugged with ecstasy?"
Zhuang Bingyan closed her eyes and stopped talking.
Qin Fang's chest rose and fell, and she was very angry. After exhaling heavily, she twisted an exquisite bead in her hand and said softly: "Open your mouth and hold it."
When Zhuang Bingyan took the bead in her mouth, Qin Fang said: "So far, I have given your brother two chances. I can give him another chance. If he still doesn't repent, I will never show any mercy again." .”
Zhuang Bingyan nodded slightly and closed her eyes.
Qin Fang's voice was much gentler, and before leaving, she did not forget to tell her: "Take good care of yourself."
After walking out of the palace, she looked up at the sky and whispered: "They are all poor people."
