After Xia Houxuan attended the funeral of Grand Sikong Chen Qun, he specifically inquired about Fu Lanshi, the former subordinate of Sikong Mansion.
After all, Fu Gu was not only a very important friend to him, but he had already decided to turn against the Sima family after the death of his sister Yuanrong. The previous incident of creating Lingxiao Que caused the emperor to relinquish Sima Yi's military power and become a virtual The high and powerless Taiwei is just the first step in his own plan. If he wants to move to the giant tree of Sima's house, he will definitely need the support of many friends.
According to Xia Houxuan's knowledge, although Sima Yi, Sima Shi and his son seem to have lost power, the courtiers who support the Sima family include, in addition to the two old foxes Liu Fang and Sun Zi, Jiang Ji, Gao Rou, Sima Fu, Wang Su and other important ministers, as well as the young talents and descendants surrounding Sima Shi, there are also brothers Zhong Yu, Zhong Hui, Sima Qi, Sima Zhao, Sima Shi's new brother-in-law Wu Ying, Xun Can's brother Xun Yi, and Chen Ben's brother Chen Qian , Gao Xun and other talented people.
He has many friends, but Xun Can, Yu Huan, brother-in-law He Kui, cousin Xia Houfeng, Qian Jia, Qian Hong and others have not yet grown up, and Zhuge Dan, Li Feng, Li Yi, Bi Gui and others have grown up because of their flashiness. The case was dismissed, and apart from his cousin Xia Houxian and his cousin Cao Xi, the only people available were Chen Ben, Xu Yun and Cui Zan.
Therefore, Fu Gu, who was very talented, was undoubtedly a very important one among Xia Houxian's friends.
"Are you asking Mr. Fu Lanshi? He was transferred to the Taiwei Mansion a few days ago and became the Taiwei's official." The person in question answered Xia Houxuan.
After hearing these words, Xia Houxuan felt a chill in his heart and couldn't help but be stunned.
Fu Gu had known him as a boy, didn't he know that he had already broken up with the Sima family? And when Fu Lanshi embarked on this road, was he telling himself that he had decided to sever ties with him?
Xia Houxuan still couldn't believe it.
Although he has long been the master of Changlinghou Xiahou Mansion, deep down in his heart, he values friendship more than any other young man.
It is precisely because he has been accustomed to the cruelty of court and battlefield over the years that he cherishes those simple friendships.
But now, is Fu Lanshi, who used to be inseparable from me, his brother Xi and brother Xun, who was not good at words, and loved ancient artifacts and books, about to join the Taiwei Mansion and completely break off all relations with him, or even become his enemy?
After Xia Houxuan's surprise subsided a little, and after some thought, he finally decided to visit Fu Gu in person.
―――
Fu Gu's ancestor was a famous foreign minister and Han Dynasty who served as an envoy to Dayuan during the reign of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty Liu Fuling. He bravely killed the evil envoys of the Huns, beheaded the rebellious King Loulan, and was granted the title of Marquis of Yiyang. The warrior Fu Jiezi.
Fu Gu lost his father when he was young and was raised by his uncle Fu Xun since he was a child. A few years ago, during the Taihe period, after his uncle died of illness, he was valued by the Grand Sikong Chen Qun for his outstanding talents and good at planning military affairs. Therefore, he became a subordinate of the Sikong Mansion and was able to live in the Yingyin Marquis Mansion for a long time. Therefore, Gu and Sikong Chenqun became known as master and slave, and their relationship was like that of father and son.
Chen Qun was also a close friend of Sima Yi, Marquis of Wuyang, so Fu Gu always respected Sima Yi very much.
Ever since he roughly learned about the almost irresolvable grudge between Xia Houxuan and Sima Mansion, his heart was also painful.
But my uncle taught me since I was a child that a man should do something and not do something. In his opinion, Sikong Chenqun not only showed him the kindness of knowing him, but also the friendship between father and son, teacher and student, which he should never let down.
Although Chen Qun and Sima Yi did not form factions with each other, they had always been on the same side regarding temple planning and national policy. Fu Gu also knew that their long-cherished wish was to weaken the power of the royal family, clan, and nobles and suppress Those poor and uncultivated families allowed talented ministers with foreign surnames to gain a foothold in the court.
In Fu Gu's heart, Da Sikong's old love must never be let down.
This is Fu Gu's principle.
Therefore, after repeated weighing, Fu Gu finally decided to give up his personal relationship with Xia Houxuan and turned around to join the gentry camp headed by Sima Yi.
Xiahou Taichu, after all, he is a royal in-law, so he is not on the same path as him.
At this moment, he was packing up letters and other belongings at his uncle Fu Xun's former residence, planning to move to the shogunate's residence in the Taiwei Mansion.
"Fu Lanshi, you want to move to the Taiwei Mansion and you didn't tell me to send you off. How unjust!"
As soon as Fu Gu heard the blaring tone, he knew that it was Xun Can and Xun Fengqian who was here. He was slightly surprised at the moment, and he turned around and asked:
"Xun Fengqian? It's rare that you think of visiting me today? This time I am just going to serve in the Taiwei Shogunate. There will be many opportunities to meet in the future, and we are not going far away. Why do you want to say goodbye?"
Although Fu Gu said this, he still put down the bookcase he had just carried on his shoulders, added a few pieces of charcoal to the charcoal stove that was not completely extinguished, and placed a ceramic teapot on top of the charcoal stove. He smiled at Xun Can and said:
"Sit down. Why didn't you go with your wife today? You come to see me when you have time?"
Xun Can did not joke as usual, but put on a rare serious expression. He looked at Fu Gu's hesitant eyes and said word by word:
"Of course the Taiwei's Mansion is right in front of us. It will be extremely easy for you and me to meet in the future. But Fu Lanshi, have you ever thought about Xiahou Taichu, Cao Zhaoshu, Li Anguo, and Brother Gongxiu?"
At this moment, Fu Gu was struck in his heart and fell silent.
At this moment, a boy from the mansion came into the hall and said, "Master Qi, there are two guests coming from outside the mansion."
"who?"
"It seems to be Prince Consort He Pingshu, and the former Shang Shulang Deng Xuanmao."
He Yan and Deng Yang?
Fu Gu sneered from the bottom of his heart. These two people's desire to make friends with him has long been gone. However, he has never looked down upon people who are talented but hypocritical in nature.
"Tell them that I am not feeling well today and no foreigners will be seen!" Fu Gu said coldly.
The boy seemed to have been accustomed to this kind of scene, so he didn't feel embarrassed, but immediately turned around and walked towards the door.
After a while, He Yan and Deng Yang were probably sent away, and the boy came into the hall again.
"Young Master, Yulin Supervisor and Changling Marquis Xiahou Taichu are asking for an audience outside the mansion."
When Fu Gu heard this, he was suddenly stunned, but after a moment, he returned to his indifferent normal state.
"Just say that I am not in the house and let him come back."
"Yes." The boy walked out of the door again.
"Lan Shi, are you really so heartless? In Taichu, he can be regarded as a hero of the moment. You and I have been close friends with him since we were young. I also know that now he is here to win over you, and the friendship between Da Sikong Of course it is important, but Sikong is dead and Taichu came here with humility and sincerity, but you are so stubborn. Have you not heard that in ancient times, there were cases where prime ministers were so incorruptible?"
Fu Gu did not waver this time. He said decisively without hesitation:
"Xiahou Taichu, a man of great ambition and hard work, who can live up to his false reputation, can be said to be a man who can conquer the country with his sharp tongue! He Yan and Deng Yang are promising and impetuous, rich but few important, externally fond of profit but internally devoid of virtue, valuing the same thing and hating the different, many I am jealous of you. From what I see, these three wise men are all corrupt people. I avoid them for fear of getting into trouble, so how can I make close friends with them?"
[Note 1: "Shishuo Xinyu" records: "He Yan, Deng Yang, and Xiahou Xuan all asked Fu Gu to make friends with him, but Gu refused in the end. Because of Xun Can's words, they combined them and said: 'Xia Hou was born in Taichu at the beginning of the year. A distinguished scholar should be modest in his attitude toward his son, but his ambitions cannot be reconciled. If they work well together, success will be achieved, but if they do not work together, there will be rifts. If two virtuous men are mutually respectful, the country will fall apart, and this is why Lin Xiangru was incorruptible. "Fu said: "The Marquis of Xia was very ambitious in the early days. He Yan and Deng Yang are ambitious and impetuous, rich but not important, they are interested in profit outside but uninterested in inside, they value the same and hate the different, talk too much and are jealous of others. They talk too much. They are provocative and have no close relatives before being jealous. From my perspective, these three sages are all degenerate people. They are afraid of disaster if they are far away. How about the evil of being amiable?'"]
"Lan Shi, I didn't expect you to say such unkind words! It's true that He Yan and Deng Yang are not close friends, but what is our relationship with Taichu? Don't you really know that Taichu has What is it like to be a human for the first time?”
"Feng Qian!" Fu Gu seemed to be deliberately avoiding something. He quickly picked up the book box and said in a deep voice with a red face: "It's getting late, I should go!"
Xun Can, who was a little tired, looked at Fu Gu's stubborn back and was helpless. After a long time, he couldn't help but sigh slightly and said his last words of care:
"Fu Lanshi, be careful when you get there."
―――
A few months later, it was early spring.
This is the first snow since spring and the last snow in late winter.
There was a feeling of sadness in Xun Mansion.
The plain colored soul-calling flags and the pure white snow set off against each other, making people feel even more sad and uncontrollable.
The woman that Xun Can had been waiting for for more than ten years since he was a boy, the true love in his heart, and his beloved wife Cao who had only been with him for less than a year, died like this.
What Cao suffered from was a "fever". Since the beginning of winter, my wife has had a high fever every day. Xun Can begged Luoyang famous doctors everywhere, and even the imperial doctors in the palace were consulted. Unfortunately, all the doctors were helpless.
Xun Can panicked and had no choice. Regardless of the dissuasion of his family members, he was so grief-stricken that he ran into the snowy courtyard to keep himself cold. Then he ran back to the room and hugged his wife, cold ironing her to relieve her fever. .
It's a pity that God was not moved by Xun Can's sincerity. After spring, she went anyway.
After Fu Gu heard the bad news, he knew that with Xuncan's character, he must be heartbroken. He immediately put aside the official duties at hand and ran to Xun Mansion to visit.
In the courtyard, in addition to Xun Can, who was sitting in the courtyard with an ashen face, dull eyes, and disheveled hair, there was also Xia Houxuan, who was helpless and silent standing aside.
The three of them were relatively speechless.
After a long while, Fu Gu opened his mouth to persuade Xuncan: "You once said that a woman's talent and virtue are not important, and beauty should be the main thing. Since ancient times, it is rare to find a woman with both talent and beauty in the world, but there are only beautiful women. There are countless of them, so why should you be sad like this?"
When Xun Can heard this, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
After a long while, he said word by word: "A beautiful woman is rare to find again. My deceased wife was the most beautiful woman in the world. No one can match her in this world..."
This year, Xun Can was twenty-nine years old.
A year later, in the winter of the first year of Jingyuan, on a snowy night, Xun Can finally followed his deceased wife because he was exhausted and drank too much.
On that winter day, at the funeral of his best friend, Xia Houxuan, the recently established Marquis of Changling, couldn't help but shed tears and lamented: "Xun Lang's incident is enough to make the world sad..."
[Note 2: Although Xun Can was romantic, he had a deep affection for his wife. Cao was beautiful but died young, so he was very sad. Later, "Xun Ling's spirit was hurt" was often used as an allusion to mourn the death. Luo Qiu of the Tang Dynasty wrote "Bi Hong'er's Poetry", which said: "The beauty is different from that of ordinary people, the clouds are far away in the sky, and the jade is in the dust. I miss Xun Fengqian because of my affairs, and sitting idle all my life is in vain." Volume 2 of "Warning Words": "Killing Wife Wu Qi is too ignorant, and Xun Ling can be derided even if it hurts his nerves. Please look at Zhuang Sheng's troubles, he is my teacher who is free and unhindered."]
