At dusk, a wisp of lingering clouds in the western sky wedged deep into the thin clouds. In an instant, most of the sky was dyed red. At this moment, the dusk was sinking, and the sky was gradually covered with a light orange-red halo, like apricots floating all over the sky. The rain of flowers falls gently on the earth.
As the sun sets in the west, the clear outline of the earth gradually becomes hazy, faintly turning into countless hazes, curling up, and then slowly dissipating, making people dazzled and showing unprecedented colorful colors; the summer dusk is Silent, the place where heaven and earth meet is as poetic as picturesque, as dreamlike as fantasy, without a ripple or a whimper. Only the distant mountains are vast and the tired birds are flying back, painting a golden picture that makes people feel as if they are infatuated. drunk.
Before night falls, the afterglow of the setting sun is reflected on the gray walls of the imperial capital. In an instant, it renders the huge Shangjing city into a beautiful golden yellow, and the earth is also surrounded by gentle light, spreading to the sky and spreading. Toward the wilderness... As evening approaches, Dazhou goes to Beijing. The whole city is silent. Even the endless chirping of cicadas in the grass gradually disappears, replaced by the intertwined sounds of insects and the clear summer night. The cool breeze creates a sense of tranquility and poignancy, as if the summer heat and depression are forgotten. This is a kind of comfort that has never been experienced before.
At the moment, the setting sun in the sky is like blood, and the breeze blows, blowing the fragrance of flowers and plants.
At dusk on a summer night, the evening breeze is gentle, and the "Situ Mansion" located in the Wuyi Lane area in the east of Shangjing City, with its silver roof, blue bricks, and red lacquer door, is shrouded in endless splendor, as if it has been painted with rouge. Bright and colorful, bathed in the golden sunset.
This is Xie's house, a simple yet strange mansion; more importantly, behind this ancient house, there is a Xuanhe family that has stood for a hundred years - the Xie family of Chenjun!
The Xie family of Chen County has lived through ten generations and is famous all over the world. Since the time when they were dynasty in Beiyu, the Xie family has always been the leader of the family. They passed down the family tradition with poems and calligraphy etiquette, and established themselves with a honest family tradition. Therefore, this family, known as the "Scholarly Family", is extremely wealthy among the aristocratic families. Moreover, looking at the Xie family, there have been many famous Confucian officials in the past dynasties, such as Tai Fu Xie Heng, Taichang Qing Xie Yao, Xuancheng Neishi Xie Yi, Jiangzhou Governor Xie Chen, etc., all of whom are role models for the children of the Xie family. He left behind a good reputation that was passed down to later generations, and was deeply admired and worshiped by scholars all over the world. He led Han Zao and was well-known among scholars. He was well-deserved as the "No. 1 Prominent Family in a Century."
In fact, the prosperity of the aristocratic families originated from the early days of Beiyu.
At that time, the foundation of the Gongsun family was unstable, the royal family was weak, and the old royal families from all over the country were eager to counterattack at any time. Under such a background, out of the need to consolidate the country, the Beiyu royal family began to spare no effort to support various powerful families to balance the situation. The imperial court faced powerful enemies from all directions; soon, the power of the family rose rapidly. From the Xie family down, the Langya Wang family, the Qinghe Cui family, the Yingchuan Yu family, and the Lanling Wen family were all the mainstays, and they had formed alliances with the royal family for generations. Marriage, shared control of the court, brought the power of the family to an unprecedented peak, and sometimes even equaled that of the royal family; the glory of the family continued until the founding of the Zhou Dynasty.
In the last years of Beiyu, the world fell apart. During this time of great chaos, the father and son of the Xiao family, who dominated Ganyongliang, took advantage of the situation with their powerful 100,000 cavalry and impressive martial arts skills, and drove into the pass, and finally wiped out the whole country in one fell swoop. Destroy Beiyu and establish the Great Zhou Dynasty; in that world-famous founding battle of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, nearly half of the elites of the four major clans Cui, Yu, and Wen were killed on the battlefield, and no one survived. Also, the blood and life were forever fixed in that piece of cold soil.
Since then, the once extremely glorious era of the family has finally become a thing of the past under the fierce attack of the Great Zhou cavalry and the sweep of the Zhou army's battle flags, and will never return.
After the national war was settled, the three major clans lost power, their clans withered, and their sons became dandy. Although there were still relatives and branches who joined the new dynasty, their power and position in the court was far from what it was at its peak.
In the past, those aristocratic families who were able to control the wind and rain, cover the sky with one hand, and even once influenced the political structure of the government, have basically disappeared after experiencing the national war that lasted for several years. Under the mighty force of the Great Zhou Empire, which is proud of all the heroes; now, the only remaining aristocratic families, the Wang and Xie clans, have not declined due to the changes in dynasties. Instead, they still stand on the temples of the Great Zhou, forming the royal family. The two families of Xie and Xie are evenly matched.
Among them, the Xie family in Chen County is the most famous, with disciples and former officials all over the world, a wide range of factions, and upright clothes. When Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, Xie Hao, the current head of the Xie family, was the eldest son of Xie Tan, the Taibao, and the crown prince of Emperor Xuan. Because he was an attendant in the East Palace at that time, and because he was a well-known literary leader and scholar leader, his status in the court quickly skyrocketed. He became an official in the imperial court, wrote orders, was granted the title of Situ, and was promoted to the Duke of Wu; his younger brother Xie You will be in charge of the general affairs of the province under the clan, the official will be the servant of the clan, and the minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Therefore, the government and the public have always complained about this, and the Yushitai has repeatedly impeached the Xie brothers. They believe that Xie Hao and Xie You, "the elder brother is in charge, the younger brother is in charge of the big plans, and the power and responsibility are too heavy, which is detrimental to the country." "
For a time, the Xie family was full of nobles and became the most popular family in Shangjing.
The faint fragrance of magnolia flowers filled the surrounding world of Situ Mansion, and a familiar smell and sound immediately hit my face. It was the wind chimes under the eaves tinkling under the eaves, making bursts of sweet sounds. With scattered petals, it blends into the sunset.
This mansion, which has withstood hundreds of years of wind and rain, is nestled among green trees and bamboos. The bricks on the ground are relatively solid. They are all paved with bluestone tiles. There are attics, corridors, pavilions, and antique rockeries. , covered with large areas of green moss, and a clump of green bamboo planted at the foot of the mountain. The fragrant fragrance of the bamboo leaves, carrying the tranquility of the moss, permeates the sky above the long corridor and floats in the empty back garden. Been around for a long time.
Passing through the moss and bamboo, walking past the rockery and flowers, you can clearly see a courtyard, to be precise, a small study room - the "Luomei Temple" located in the West Garden of Yunquan Shuixie.
This is the study of the head of the Xie family, and also the bedroom where Lord Situ lives.
I saw that outside Luomei Temple, the setting sun gradually faded, reflecting the mottled shadows of the trees. Countless crystal clear horse breast grapes, graceful and graceful, lingered on the wisteria trellis, setting off the plump fruits, leisurely hitting Qian'er, like The beauty's slender waist, graceful grace, and all kinds of amorous feelings can delay a lifetime with just one glance.
At this moment, it was getting late, and the sinking sun was shining in the courtyard of Luomei'an, illuminating a small pool in the courtyard with golden light. Although it was not yet night, there were bright lights hanging high outside the study. Swaying in the evening breeze of summer evening.
The dim shadows of the lights were deeply imprinted on the plain window grilles, dancing and looming, sometimes making a slight rustling sound.
Although the layout of this study called "Luomei'an" is not very large, it is filled with a strong bookish atmosphere. However, in the middle of the living room of the study, there is a large and wide plaque hanging, which is very eye-catching. It has four large gilt characters, which are vigorous and powerful, and the writing is smooth. At first glance, it is written by a famous artist - "Poetry and Book Hairpin"; The splash-ink landscape painting hanging next has a concise and solemn pen and ink, a majestic and meaningful style, a sense of tranquility, a rhyme of sparseness, a profound artistic conception, and full of humor...
The spacious Luomei Temple has bright and clean windows. There is no red carpet on the smooth floor, and there are no luxurious items such as gauze curtains around it. It is extremely ordinary. There are three rows of stacked bookshelves, except for books. The books seem to be voluminous and vast; especially the large rosewood desk in the middle is filled with old thread-bound books. Two large books are the most eye-catching: one is "Xie Family Instructions" and the other is "Lin Zhi Ge".
All in all, this simple study has a rich ancient style everywhere.
At that time, night was approaching, and there was no sound in Luomei'an. No, to be precise, it was not that there was no sound at all. The rosewood bookcase was placed next to the window, and it was filled with books, and the one next to it was full of books. On the jasper table, a small red clay stove has been set up, and a full set of tea sets has been prepared. On the stove is a small silver octagonal teapot, with boiling water rolling inside and green smoke lingering.
"Gurgling..."
Under the blazing fire, the silver teapot made a sharp whistle, which was the sound of boiling tea soup; the water was the best clear spring water, the tea was the best Dragon and Phoenix Group tea, new water When new tea is cooked, the tea is fragrant and evaporates with countless heat.
A small Luomei Temple is filled with the fragrance of books and refreshing tea.
At this time, the sun was setting in the west. Although there was the afterglow of the setting sun outside the courtyard, staining the grape trellis, the indoors were already brightly lit, with candles as thick as a baby's arms lit, illuminating a quiet study with a large glow. The light overwhelmed the gloomy dusk outside.
In the study, the lights are dim, and a handsome middle-aged man is holding a book in his hand. He stands tall and tall. He is walking back and forth slowly on the polished bluestone floor of Luomei Temple, which is as smooth as a mirror, as if there is someone there. As he was thinking, he stopped from time to time, lowered his head and meditated, with a long beard under his chin, flowing in the wind, and increasingly showing his gentle and jade-like gentlemanly demeanor.
This elegant middle-aged man is now the head of the Xie family in Chen County. He is famous for his outstanding literary talent and clear poetic style. He is also the leader of the family, one of the three nobles, and the prime minister. He was favored by the Zhou Dynasty. Emperor Xuan praised a generation of famous ministers as "the most romantic prime ministers of the day" - Zhongshu Ling, Wu Guogong, and Situ Xie Hao.
Thinking back to those days, this handsome young man who was once known as the "Jade of the Xie Family" by the world, this talented man from the family who once supported His Majesty when he was young, has now entered middle age. Although he has lost the youthful spirit of the past, his upright Her face and tall appearance still retain the graceful demeanor of Zhilan Yushu in her youth. She has a slim appearance, slender and dignified appearance, her eyes are as clear as a god, and her figure is well maintained. She is tall and thin, with the appearance of a century-old family. He has a unique bookish air, free and easy; at this time, he is wearing a set of half-old household robes, a black cloth square scarf on his head, and a jade belt around his waist. There are no other luxurious accessories, revealing a certain His noble character cannot be looked up to.
His handsome demeanor and calm expression evoked a past that had been forgotten for many years:
In the 16th year of Kaiping, the three-party alliance of Southern Chu, Xiyan, and Tubo planned to invade the Zhou territory and carve up the southwest territory of the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the enemy and our forces were greatly disparity. The three-party coalition had 200,000 troops. The troops were pressing down on the border, and the military camps stretched for dozens of miles, directly pressing against Qiong. State, the front is in danger. At the time of the national crisis, a young prince, Zuo Shuzi, was alone, wearing black clothes and a black crown, and went deep into the enemy camp with an ax and ax threatening him without fear. The King of Tubo thought of his courage and invited someone into the king's tent; , this man stood in the big tent, facing the Tibetan nobles, his tongue was like a sharp blade, and lotus flowers were spitting out of his mouth. In a snap of his fingers, with his unshakable tongue, he forced the Tibetans to retreat and disintegrated the tripartite alliance. Then, the Northern Zhou army took advantage of the situation to counterattack. , defeating more with less, reversed the crisis in Qiongzhou in one battle.
The envoy who came from a hairpin family, talked and laughed freely, was unparalleled, and turned the tide of the situation with his own efforts, was none other than the humble and jade-like person in front of him, who had already been a highly respected minister and the commander-in-chief of Bai Kui. A young man—Situ Xie Hao!
Xie Hao held the scroll in his hand, lowered his eyes and bowed his head, sighed quietly, and chanted in his mouth, it turned out to be a beautiful seven-character poem:
The white moon shines on the silent river,
Chang'e flies under the wind and the purple is faint.
The emperor's son in the palace was heartbroken,
The goddess sang a sad song...
When he reached the point of chanting "Sounds of Sorrow", Xie Hao's voice dropped slightly, and a hint of compassion flashed through his eyes as bright as jade, and there was a hint of unnoticeable sadness.
In the past, he was a young man with bright moonlight; now, he is a pillar in the temple, Xie Situ; for this unparalleled leader of the family, it is good to be ranked among the three princes, to rule the court forever, and to honor the lintel of the Xie family, but it is more important. What he will never forget and always look back on are those turbulent years, those old friends who are as vivid as ever, and the days and nights with His Majesty the Emperor who supported him when he was young...
As a descendant of the Xie family, although he was a famous person and a literary sect, he was once a young man in black clothes, passionate and passionate. He was also granted the title of marquis and Prime Minister, and he only hoped to leave his name in history and enter the temple a hundred years later.
However, things in the world are unpredictable, and time flies by. It seems that his glory has only lasted for a moment, and his hair has long since faded away. He has lost his youthful beauty, leaving only a face that has been weathered by vicissitudes of life, erasing the glory of his former glory.
…
A breeze of summer evening blows in from outside the high wall of Situ Mansion and gently flows into Xie's residence. Along the huge mansion, it passes over the corridors and pavilions in the mansion, the garden, and the sky above Jinghu Lake, gently brushing away the heat. Floating into the study room of Luomei'an, it felt a bit cooler.
Suddenly, at this moment, a pair of catkins, as bright as plain snow, turned into an elegant frost gauze, quietly covering Xie Hao's eyes from behind. The slender jade fingers, as tender as green onions, followed the movements of the catkins. , gently covering Master Situ's slightly white eyebrows, the picture looks so beautiful, at first glance, it looks like a pair of girl's hands.
His originally clear sight was suddenly covered by a pair of girl's white jade hands. A trace of doubt appeared on Xie Hao's face at first, but soon he smiled; because, along with the girl's jade hands, a look of doubt appeared on his face. What came next was a faint and intoxicating fragrance. Xie Situ knew that it was his little daughter without opening his eyes. The reason was very simple. This faint fragrance came from the styrax on his youngest daughter. .
This kind of storax was produced in Yanqi, the Western Region. It was a gift from the palace. The female relatives of almost every prince's palace were particularly fond of this spice. As Lord Situ's beloved daughter, Xie Wanxin was no exception and loved storax alone.
Xie Hao smiled, patted his beloved daughter's catkin, and said dotingly.
"Yao Yao, you are so old, why are you still acting like a child?"
Seeing Xie Wanxin standing behind her father after being spotted by her father, her beautiful face suddenly lost its youthfulness and added a bit of faint melancholy, which outlined her slightly cold cheeks. Unparalleled beauty and splendor.
Not long after, Xie Wanxin put down her hands and slowly moved away from her father. Her face was immediately covered with blush, showing the reserve and dignity of a descendant of a family. She stepped forward and grabbed her father's sleeves, with a peach-colored smile under her lips. Rui's smile turned into a coquettish one.
"Dad, how can you be so disappointing? Can't you just let your daughter be happy for a while?"
"Okay, okay, stop making trouble. As you are now, no husband's family will dare to want you in the future."
At this time, Xie Hao finally turned around, and his clear eyes slowly shifted from the book he was holding on to his little daughter. The moment the Third Prince turned around, he was surprised to find, My favorite little daughter, she is very different today: her long hair is combed up high, with a flowing bun, lightly applied with light pink, and her lips are rouged. The ordinary girl's dress does not deliberately conceal her gracefulness as a woman. Her eyes are clear and bright, just like the Dongzhu pendants on her ears, shining brightly and highlighting the charm and charm of a passionate beauty.
The afterglow of the setting sun shines in through the window panes and shines on the father and daughter, making the two shadows standing side by side appear tall and tall...
The father and daughter sat down by the window.
At this time, the tea was ready. Xie Wanxin smiled beautifully, gently picked up the silver pot on the stove, put water around the teacup, poured a little, made a cup of tea, and then slowly handed it to her father.
"Daddy, please have some tea."
Xie Hao picked up the tea cup and took a deep breath first. He saw that the tea was as green as jade and the cup was like tea. The usually elegant scholar leader took a leisurely sip of tea and felt refreshed.
At the same time, Xie Wanxin sat next to her father and massaged his arms very sensibly. The faint fragrance of her body also floated faintly, blending with the fragrance of tea and books, and it was so beautiful for a while.
Seeing that his little daughter suddenly changed his mind, Xie Hao twirled his long beard and couldn't help but smile. He stared at his daughter's beautiful face and spoke slowly.
"Yaoyao, where did you go yesterday? Why did you come back so late?"
"I..." Xie Wanxin continued to massage her father, but upon hearing these words, the movements of her hands slowed down slightly, and her clear pupils showed a slight flicker of wandering; however, in just a moment, the fourth Miss Xie's His expression was as calm as a windless lake, as if nothing strange had happened just now.
"Oh, my daughter and Ayan went to attend the Ziwei Poetry Festival in Sikong Mansion yesterday, so... she came back late."
It can be heard that when Xie Wanxin said this, she obviously lacked confidence, her eyes flickered, and she tried to avoid her father's gaze as much as possible; Xie Hao, such a smart person, saw the clues about his daughter at a glance, then put down the tea cup and casually said, "Oh "Sounded.
"Really?! But how come my father heard that you seemed to have gone to Huanhua Creek last night, and you didn't go alone. It is said that a handsome husband was traveling with you."
When Xie Wanxin heard the words, she could only raise her head little by little. Her beautiful eyes were like a pool of spring water, illuminating her life with the joy of spring. And deep in the spring mood, there was an innocence and a girlish atmosphere. It seemed that her father already knew everything about her and Erlang; she almost wanted to speak, but she never said it.
The Xie family and their daughter at this moment are just like Emperor Xuan and Xiao Changling and their son a few days ago.
The confusion that she had never felt before slowly seeped out from Xie Wanxin's eyebrows, which had always looked like green mountains, like the cracks that appeared before the glacier broke; in the end, she still imitated the delicate tone and spoke.
"You know it all."
"Silly boy, you underestimate your father too much. When dad was fifteen years old, he began to take charge of the Xie family. If he doesn't even have this ability, how can he be qualified to be the head of the Xie family." Xie Hao lowered his eyes. There was confidence in his voice and the majesty of the head of the family.
At this moment, Xie Wanxin suppressed the coquettish expression on her face, bit her lips lightly, and looked straight at her father's face with eyes full of autumn water, and her heart was filled with mixed feelings.
"Dad, I heard that you have been very close to King Qin recently."
Sure enough, my father still said it. Xie Wanxin knew that she could no longer escape. However, he saw that there was a faint glint of amber jade in her eyes, but the smile on her cheeks was still as gentle as before, like a roll of hazy landscape.
"Dad, you don't understand Erlang. In Yaoyao's heart, he is a humble gentleman and a strange man in this world. What's more, Erlang and I are just in a normal relationship, and we can't even talk about..."
"Is that just this?!" Xie Hao's calm gaze was directed towards his beloved daughter, as if he could see directly into her heart.
Facing her father's sharp eyes, Xie Wanxin's delicate face lost a bit of the snowy color, and the large blush on her cheeks was like catkins flying all over the sky, or like walking in the snow to look for plum blossoms under the shadow of a flying star.
"Well, dad, I like him too, I like him very much. I don't care what others say, my daughter just likes him and can't help but be attracted to him. No matter he is a prince or a commoner, as long as I can be with him, I will be satisfied. ”
Seeing his daughter being so infatuated, Xie Hao frowned slightly.
"Yao Yao, you have to think clearly, he is not an ordinary man. He is His Majesty's son, the prince of Dazhou, and the commander-in-chief of the Jingbei Army. Although His Majesty has not appointed a crown prince yet, our Dazhou , has always been the eldest son of the emperor. Not to mention the distance, the late emperor is the eldest son of Taizu, and your majesty is also the eldest son of the late emperor. No matter how outstanding King Qin is, he is not the eldest son after all. King Qi is your majesty's eldest son. No matter how much Your Majesty favors the King of Qin, it is impossible to change the ancestral system for him. Yaoyao, you are so close to the King of Qin now. In the eyes of everyone, what do you let them think? They will think that our Xie family has clearly established the Stand on the side of King Qin. I'm afraid that by then, the entire Xie family will be at the forefront."
As he spoke, Xie Hao narrowed his eyes, subconsciously picked up the tea cup on the table and took a casual sip, but he didn't know whether it was cold tea or hot tea.
"Yao Yao, you were young in the past, so there are some things that your father has never told you. Our Xie family, with its scholarly reputation, has produced three generations of imperial masters, two prime ministers, and five state pastors. It is a well-deserved century-old family; However, what the world doesn't know is that when your grandfather was a child, the Xie family was once in decline and there was no one in the court. In order to revive the family, he went to the late emperor's residence at a young age and took care of his family by drafting memorials. Later, he became famous for his talent and learning, and was appreciated by the late emperor. He was awarded a doctorate in the Five Classics, compiled the history of the country, and became a regular servant of Sanqi, so that the Xie family could flourish. Later, your grandfather became a Taifu and a Taibao, accompanying him in the temple of the great ancestor. . It is not easy for the Xie family to be what they are today. However, our Xie family has never been attached to any power. In the past, it was common for aristocratic families to enter into marriages with the royal family and maintain family ties; but throughout the Xie family, For hundreds of years, we have never relied on marriage to the imperial family, but the spiritual inheritance of the Xie family's children from generation to generation. So, Yao Yao, dad just hopes that you will not regret it in the future."
Xie Hao's voice was deep, rich, and clear, full of the earnest teachings of a father.
"Dad..." Suddenly, Xie Wanxin looked straight at her father, her eyes suddenly filled with mist, and her long eyelashes were covered with crystal tears; but she could see that her lips were as thin as snow, and her bright eyes were like mist, Her beautiful face was filled with a slightly sad look, but after a moment, she showed determination that she had never seen before.
"Dad, I don't care about the title of Princess Qin or what others say about me. I love Erlang. For him, I can sacrifice everything, even my life. As long as he has me in his heart, that's enough. "
Staring at his daughter's firm eyes, stubborn expression, and charming fairy figure, Xie Hao finally stopped talking. He just sighed and murmured repeatedly.
"Growing up, growing up..."
…
At night, everything is silent.
The long night and the everlasting bright moon speak of a deep love that lasts for thousands of years.
