The capital of Eastern Wu was built at Ye, also known as Jinling City and Stone City.
Compared with Luoyang and Chang'an in the Wei Dynasty and Chengdu and Hanzhong in the Shu Han Dynasty, Ye City is even more elegant.
Ye City is built in an excellent Fengshui terrain. It is adjacent to the river in the north, Longpan Zijin Mountain in the east, Qingliang Mountain in the west, Xuanwu Lake in the north, and Yuhuatai in the south. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers. Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the terrain is extremely dangerous. It is difficult to defend and attack.
When Zhuge Kongming, the prime minister of the Shu Han Dynasty, went down the river as an envoy to Jiangdong, he saw the Jinling City in front of him and couldn't help but admire this place sincerely: "Zhongshan is a place where dragons and tigers are nestled, and it is really the residence of an emperor."
This is also a legend and story that officials and people in Jiangdong's government and people have always been proud of.
About a thousand years ago, this place was the fiefdom of Zhou Zhang of the Zhou Dynasty, but at that time, the south of the Yangtze River was humid and desolate, and there was no good climate.
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, King Wu Fu Chai also built a smelting city here and began to cast swords and smelt bronze wares.
Nine hundred years ago, the State of Chu, one of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period, also established Tangyi City here and appointed Tangyi officials. At this time, the first large city was built on this beautiful plain on the south bank of the river.
Eight hundred years ago, Xiong Shang, King of Chu Wei, built Tangyi into Jinling. The name Jinling originated from this.
Not only that, there is also a legend in Jinling City that is rarely mentioned by the people of Soochow, that is, the legend that more than 500 years ago, Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng cut off the royal energy of Jinling's dragon veins.
It is said that Qin Shihuang visited Jinling City and was attracted by the scenery and vitality of the place. But the alchemists accompanying Qin Shihuang didn't say a word. Qin Shihuang asked, and the scholar said that the city of Jinling was very royal, and in five hundred years, the emperor would appear here.
Qin Shihuang, who wanted to pass on the throne of Qin Dynasty to all generations, was shocked when he heard this. He asked the alchemist if there was any way to break the king's aura here. The alchemist pointed to Fangshan and said, the top of Fangshan is as flat as an official seal, so it is called Tianyin Mountain. Only by cutting off the dragon veins of Fangshan can the imperial energy of Jinling be blocked. In addition, the Huaihe River can be directed through Jinling and reach the river. In this way, the Qinhuai River can wash away the imperial energy!
This legend not only confirmed the destiny of the emperor of this dynasty, but it was also accompanied by a curse on this dynasty. Therefore, the officials and people of Jinling kept this legend secret.
After Sun Quan, the emperor of this dynasty and King of Wu at that time, established his capital here, in order to consolidate the city's defense, he also built a stone city at the mouth of the Qinhuai River. This is where the name Jinling City Stone comes from.
Not only that, the layout of Jinling City has Taichu Palace and Nangong in the imperial city as the core, while Yuancheng and Xiyuan are respectively the back garden of the imperial palace and the residence of the Imperial Guard. On both sides of the Qinhuai River are shops and markets that are becoming increasingly prosperous.
At this moment, Han Qianwei, a secret agent of the school affairs office who was personally appointed by Cao Zuan, the general of the Wei Dynasty and the commander of the Imperial Guards Battalion, was waiting for news from Jinling City at a secret stronghold on the Qinhuai River. Han Qianwei has been spying on intelligence in Soochow for several years. He knows that in recent years, Sun Quan, the leader of Wu, has become older and is no longer as wise as he was when he was young. And Lu Yi, the newly appointed school official of Soochow, is a cruel official who only knows how to flatter and flatter others. Therefore, it is not as difficult as imagined to find out some information about Soochow.
Han Qianwei knew that at this moment, Emperor Sun Quan of Eastern Wu was secretly discussing with Prince Sun Deng, school official Lu Yi and others in the Taichu Palace about forming an alliance with Liaodong Gongsun Yuan. Not only that, through contacts with spies, he also knew that Yu Fan and Yu Zhongxiang, who had been demoted to Jiaozhi County in the far west of Guangzhou and south of the Five Ridges, were still concerned about state affairs. Yu Fan learned that Sun Quan, the Lord of Wu, wanted to After crossing the sea to Liaodong, Lu Dai, the governor of Jiaozhou, sent a special remonstrance to the prince Sun Deng.
But this matter had long been known to Han Qianwei, who was waiting for someone to do something, and the secret report had already been obtained by Han Qianwei at this moment.
Speaking of Yu Fan, Han Qianwei did not dare to look down upon him. It is said that this man could travel three hundred miles a day on foot and was good at using a spear. Not only that, he was also a master of Confucian classics. He was proficient in the "Book of Changes" and also had medical skills. He could be said to be a versatile scholar in both civil and military affairs. Sun Quan, Lord of Wu, also praised him as comparable to Dongfang Shuo of Han Dynasty. Even when Emperor Wen of the Wei Dynasty was alive in the past, he was obsessed with this foreign minister thousands of miles away, and even often set up a virtual seat for Yu Fan at banquets.
However, Yu Fan had a rough and outspoken personality, which offended many officials, and was slandered many times. Only then was he sent to Jiaozhou thousands of miles away by Sun Quan.
Han Qianwei thought about this, shook his head helplessly, and drank down the Wudi yellow wine in the bowl at hand.
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After Cao Ruidong's tour to the East lasted for more than two months, it was summer and the weather was hot, so he planned to stop the ceremonial guard and chariot at Xuchang Palace in advance to escape the heat.
Although it was much cooler inside the Xuchang Palace than outside, it still couldn't completely block the scorching summer heat. Listening to the chirping of cicadas outside the palace, Cao Rui gradually felt sleepy, so he leaned on the throne to take a nap.
After a while, Cao Rui suddenly saw an old woman in black clothes, holding a baby in her arms, slowly walking into the palace. When Cao Rui took a closer look, he discovered that the son in the old woman's arms was actually his own Yin'er!
The old woman continued to walk up the steps and said to herself: "Your son has reached the end of his life, so let him die with his old age..."
Cao Rui was furious when he heard this and wanted to get up to snatch the emperor's son. At this time, there seemed to be an urgent voice calling him.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... What's wrong with you..."
Cao Rui suddenly woke up and realized that it was just a nightmare and a false alarm. When the accompanying lady Guo saw that the emperor had woken up, she hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.
"I just...had a nightmare..." Cao Rui said in shock: "I dreamed that my Yin'er...he left me, but...but I couldn't do anything..."
"Your Majesty, this is just a dream. Don't take it to heart. Yin'er has a strong body. How could something happen to him? In two months, His Highness Yin will be one year old." Mrs. Guo comforted the emperor with a smile.
"Yes, in two months' time it will be Yin'er's first birthday gift." Cao Rui thought about this and felt a little calmer.
"Your Majesty!" At this moment, a chamberlain from outside the palace rushed into the palace, knelt on the ground and cried while saying: "Your Majesty, at the end of the day, when His Majesty Yin was playing by Tianyuan Pond... he accidentally slipped. , fell into the water...died..."
"What did you say!" After hearing this, Cao Rui suddenly jumped up from his seat, but before he could stand still, he spit out a mouthful of blood and fell on the cold steps.
After a long while, the accompanying doctor diagnosed and treated Cao Rui, and then Cao Rui slowly woke up.
On the second day, inside the Xuchang Palace, dozens of maids from Luoyang Chonghua Palace knelt on the ground, trembling. But among these people, there was no Han Yong, the chief servant of Chonghua Palace.
Cao Rui was busy with everything, but he didn't take note of this ordinary Han Yong, who was recently promoted to the chief minister of warding off evil in Chonghua Palace. In addition, under the secret management of Wuyang Hou Sima Yi, the internal official Zhang Dang also immediately transferred Han Yong to other palaces after the incident with Pingyuan Princess Cao Shu.
Zhang Dang, who has always been timid and fearful, not only did not dare to offend Wuyang Hou, who was powerful and had his own reasons, but he also believed that Princess Pingyuan just died of illness. To say the least, even if there is something fishy about this matter, it should be absolutely It has nothing to do with the people recommended by Wuyang Marquis. It was precisely because of this thought that Zhang Dang dared to do this.
The emperor Cao Rui on the steps seemed to have aged ten years. At this moment, he turned his back to everyone and stood with his hands behind his back. His shoulders were still rising and falling slightly, and the crown on his head was trembling slightly. At first glance, it was Yu. The anger remains.
"Tell me! What happened to Yin'er..." Cao Rui turned around, his eyes were like lightning, and he glanced coldly at the trembling slaves at the foot of the stairs. Although he was very angry and majestic at this moment, But this still couldn't hide the sorrow and mourning in his tone. My Yin'er had just learned to speak. Before I went on the tour, I remembered that Yin'er called me "Father". Thinking of this, Cao Rui's heart felt cramped again, and he suppressed his emotions so as not to faint again.
In just six months, two beloved children died one after another. This kind of thing is really difficult for anyone to accept.
"Your Majesty... Yesterday, Your Highness Yin heard that... I heard that there were fish and dragons playing in Tianyuan Pond... I was curious... So, I kept babbling and crying, and shouted inarticulately. To go and watch, the servants did not dare to disobey His Highness Yin, so... so they sent the palace maid Qixiu to accompany His Highness..."
After a while, the maid in charge of Cao Yin's side finally had the courage to answer Cao Ruidao.
After the accident happened to Princess Cao Shu of Pingyuan, although Cao Rui also suspected that someone was trying to assassinate the emperor, the imperial doctor found no abnormalities in everything Shu'er used that day, including all Yin'er's utensils, so he could not continue the investigation. Shuer, who had always had a slight wheeze and cough, really died of illness.
Hearing that it was Qixiu again, Zhang Dang, the chief official on the side, felt a little panicked. At the request of Wuyang Hou's confidant Han Yong, he arranged for Qixiu to be a palace maid in Chonghua Palace. He originally thought it was just an ordinary personnel transfer, but since Han Yong and Qixiu appeared in his field of vision, , something happened one after another. Is there really something fishy in this?
But Zhang Dang still didn't dare to express his doubts to the emperor. After all, Wuyang Hou Sima Yi still held his own handle.
"You only sent her alone, but you dare to let my Yin'er go to Tianyuan Pond!"
After hearing this, Cao Rui was even more filled with grief and anger. He rushed down the jade steps and kicked the eldest palace maid. Cao Rui continued to roar:
"Where's Cao Xi! Where's the queen! Didn't I ask them to take good care of Yin'er!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. In order to protect Her Highness Yin, Her Majesty the Queen stayed at home every day, but that day, Her Royal Highness suffered from cold pain in her lower abdomen. Compared to the Queen's Jiaofang Palace, Chonghua Palace was slightly colder. As a last resort, the Queen She just temporarily returned to Jiaofang Palace to cultivate, and everything... was Qixiu. For several months, she had always taken good care of His Highness, and on that day she offered to accompany His Highness to Tianyuan Pond. The slave girl thought to herself, Your Highness just went to the pool to take a look, Qixiu is always cautious, so this slave..."
General Wuwei and Shaolinghou Cao Shuang on the side saw that the emperor Lei Lei was furious and involved his third brother Cao Xi, so he persuaded him in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, Deputy General Wu Wei is responsible for the defense inside and outside Luoyang City. It is indeed difficult to cover everything..."
Cao Rui and Cao Shuang have always been on good terms. Although he was emotional at the moment, he also understood that what Cao Shuang said was true. After all, it is difficult to prevent hidden arrows.
"Where is the palace maid Qixiu?" Cao Rui didn't wait for the eldest palace maid to finish speaking, but he shouted angrily, making everyone tremble again. Cao Rui understood that if the mastermind was not caught, this conspiracy would be difficult to avoid.
"Qixiu, she said she was feeling unwell today, so she didn't come..."
"Come here!" At this moment, Cao Rui thought that the emperor's death was inseparable from the palace maid Qixiu, so he was even more furious. He said to the personal imperial guard beside him: "You guys set out overnight to kill the palace maid Qixiu. Arrest and detain him, take him to Xuchang, and I will personally interrogate him strictly!"
"No!" the two soldiers shouted and immediately rushed to Luoyang to get someone.
