October 10th is a light snow day. The deep white snow covers the Zhuhengbi tiles of the palace. Everywhere you look, there is no color. Among the covered bridges and ponds, the summer lotus leaves have turned into withered soil.
At the corner of the corridor and outside the courtyard wall, there are only a few red plum blossoms peeking through the eaves and tiles, raising their branches to face the wind and snow.
Outside the golden gate of Fu'an Hall, Wan Yanliang is holding a black porcelain sunflower cup and sipping hot tea. In the courtyard, you are playing with Xiao Ning.
The two threw snowballs at each other and ran in the snow. When they were tired, He Ru ran over unsteadily, unable to stand still, and called to his father: "Daddy!"
Wan Yanliang placed the cup on the shelf, held her up with both hands, wiped the sweat from her cheeks, and held her cold red hands.
She was so hot that she pulled off her velvet hat with one hand, revealing a bun on top of her head. This kind of baby hair style is called "growing hair." When a child is one to four years old, a ring of hair on the top of his head is grown first, and all other fetal hair is removed, so that the hair will grow as long as possible in the future.
"Hey, you can't take this off, be careful if you catch a cold! Put it on quickly,"
He put her velvet hat back on her and kissed her delicate cheek again.
"Daddy, your beard is so... so prickly..." She was pricked painfully by the short beard on her father's cheek, and she quickly turned her face away and lay on his shoulder.
After hearing this, Wan Yanliang was stunned for a long time, and then habitually looked at the red plum trees in the corner, lost in thought for a long time.
"But I like daddy's beard..." Heru shook his head and kissed his father's cheek, speaking delicately.
"Okay, if you like it, I'll prick you every day!" He pinched her little face.
After a while, he held his beloved daughter and sat in the room with Xiao Ning, when someone came to report that it was Pingzhang political minister Wanyan Wudai asking to see him. Xiao Ning didn't want to disturb him in handling state affairs, so he acted like a child. Be sure to kiss him on the cheek before withdrawing.
He still had the same doting words in his mouth: "It's so inappropriate!"
After the two of them dispersed, Wu Dai came in, bowed to him first, and then sat down on the seat he gave him. When the superior asked him what he wanted to do, he motioned to the waiting people on the left and right, and then the superior dismissed the waiting people on the left and right, leaving only an internal prisoner of the Gao family to accompany him.
Wu Dai bowed in formal attire and showed some seriousness in his expression.
"Your Majesty, I have a secret message!"
"Your words!" Wan Yanliang said.
"Yesterday, I, my wife, and Bingde went to the home of Zongben (Wanyan Zongben, Wanyan Liang's uncle) for a small gathering. Because Zongben was transferred away from the capital. After the banquet, I and a few people gathered to enjoy the paintings and chat."
"There is a portrait of Zhao Taizu among them. I and a few people were admiring the painting, but among the crowd there was a Haizhou governor who was drunk. His words and virtues looked like Zhao Taizu's. His skin, eyebrows and eyes were all of a noble character. This Instead of rejecting it immediately, Bingde sat back and accepted it with a smile."
"My wife once talked to me, and Bingde's wife often secretly accused His Majesty. She made a few remarks about King Hun's dethronement. Her words were full of malice, which was very unfavorable."
"Before leaving last night, I stood outside the door waiting for Bingde to return with him. However, I heard him criticize Your Majesty, saying that Your Majesty forgot about the meritorious officials after taking over the country, and wanted to demote him to the position of Minister of Xingtai. He also said, "The King of Yue is a human being. "A bird with a long neck and a beak can share hardships with it, but cannot enjoy pleasure with it." This is to accuse Your Majesty of being unkind and unjust. "
Wan Yanliang was so furious that he stood up and swept the memorial to the ground. Wu Dai was so frightened that he quickly fell to the ground and knelt down, not daring to face the saint.
"I demoted him to Xingtai Shangshu to save trouble because he was not careful in his duties. If he did his job well, why would I do this? Doesn't he want his head when he accuses me like this?"
Wu Dai replied: "Your Majesty, I have sent someone to pay attention to the fact that Bingde and the Minister of Punishment had a close relationship in private. The two of them had talked about secret matters. Bingde once said, "We talked about that official matter before. Do you remember it?" The Minister replied, " "How can you talk to everyone if you don't have a life?" Such perverse words. "
"Your Majesty, isn't this rule of thumb just a sign of contempt for the monarch? Wanyan Bingde wants to commit treason!"
There was no blood left on Wan Yanliang's face. His eyes seemed to be frozen in the air, and his dark eyebrows were raised, showing the majesty of an emperor.
"Is that true? You're not lying?"
"How dare you bully a humble minister? Everyone who gathered last night can testify!"
"Wanyan Bingde... Okay!" He then pointed to the internal supervisor beside him and said, "Order someone to investigate this matter thoroughly. If what he says is true, he will be hanged immediately!"
After a moment, he turned the cup and drank a cup of tea, then stamped the cup on the table.
"Your Majesty, I still have some advice!"
"Taizong's descendants all hold heavy troops and are stationed in Tokyo (Liaoyang Prefecture), Zhongjing (Dading Prefecture), Xijing (Datong Prefecture), and Nanjing (Kaifeng Prefecture). They are extremely powerful and threaten the central government. Why don't you get rid of them? Of?"
After hearing this, Wanyan Liang glanced at him, turned his back silently, looked at the portrait of Taizu hanging in front of him, and sighed.
Wu Dai knew that he had softened his heart, and was afraid that this trip would make him ashamed of his ancestors.
"Your Majesty, the descendants of Taizu and Zonghan do have too much power. If their power grows day by day, they will definitely threaten you, Your Majesty. Please put aside your personal agenda and put the country and the country first!"
"How reckless! These are the uncles of the lonely king. If we kill them, what will happen if the court becomes empty and everyone rebels and abandons their relatives?" Xin
"Your Majesty, I risked my life to make a statement. If Your Majesty refuses to do so, I am willing to be punished. Your Majesty came to the throne because of his unjust reputation and his words. The clan all values the honor of the direct descendant and has complaints about the dethronement of the Hun King. If One day, the old thing happens again, what should I do?"
"Your Majesty, in addition to Wo Lun, there are a whole line of Taizong's descendants who hold heavy troops. If they are all in the same spirit, how can they care about you, a distant relative's nephew?"
"Absolutely not! They only know how to kill bloody people, and they will not protect the children of the Hun King like Your Majesty."
Wan Yanliang was silent, still not obeying, and waved for him to leave. Wu Dai would not give up until he achieved his goal. After leaving Fu'an Hall, he stood at the outer door for a long time, standing in the heavy snow in the sky, refusing to leave.
"Your Majesty, I ask your Majesty to think twice. This is an act to protect the country!"
"If these people are left here any longer, there will definitely be chaos! Your Majesty!"
The falling white snow stuck to his shoulders, accumulating a thick layer, and he was waiting for someone to come with an umbrella and hold it open for him.
Wan Yanliang looked at his kneeling figure by the corridor and said to the eunuch: "Go and tell him that if he doesn't come back quickly, he will be punished with the crime of disrespect."
Before the eunuch could reach Wu Dai, he heard him shout loudly: "Your Majesty, please put aside your personal feelings and put the country and the country first! Think about your rule."
"Master Prime Minister, please go back first! The Holy One must have his own thoughts!"
Wudai sighed softly and bowed again, leaving quietly in the snow. Then he refused to attend court for three consecutive days claiming to be ill. Because of this, Wan Yanliang demoted him to the military governor of the Chongyi Army, but he would also whisper in his ear from time to time. Blowing air, but most of them were reprimanded.
Wan Yanliang didn't want to seize the military power, but if he suddenly said that seizing power, it would definitely cause chaos in the clan, and the ministers would oppose him. If he said that he would kill people to seize power, the clan would bleed again, and he would have no face to face his ancestors.
The mass murder of the clan had been lingering in his mind for a long time, until the spring of the third year of Tiande, when there was a royal spring outing dinner.
The bonfire at night reflected everyone's faces, and the stars in the sky shrouded the spring scenery in the south of the city. Calm down, and among the laughter of everyone, you could hear a few birdsong and insects, and the graceful dancer in front of you. They were singing and dancing around the bonfire. Although the dance was graceful and graceful, what fascinated Wan Yanliang who was sitting high up the most was the song "How Bright is the Bright Moon" that the musician was playing.
Sitting next to her, she looked down at Qingya, who was clapping her hands and happily sitting next to Wanyanyong's left hand. Next to Wanyanyong's right was Mingxuan.
Looking at him unintentionally, she could only smile politely and ignore it for a long time.
Wan Yanliang felt uncomfortable, so he ran alone to a hill not far away. It didn't matter if he didn't go there, but something happened as soon as he went there, which completely changed his mind.
From the hillock, he could see the birch forest. In the sparse birch forest, he looked out and saw several bright lights getting closer and closer. He was thinking about which courtiers were so elegant and interested in walking at night, and let the waiting people quietly explore. look.
The waiter glanced for a moment, then turned around and came back to see him. They were Cai Wang Wanyan Orie, Bi Wang Wanyan Zongzhe, Yuan Wang Wanyan Zongben and other five people.
He thought, aren't these people all Taizong's sons? These people all hold heavy troops. Why are they gathered here?
Just as he was stunned, he remembered last winter
What Wanyan Wudai said: "If these people are left here, there will definitely be chaos!"
Just as he was thinking about it, he quickly summoned Wanyan Wudai and said to him, "Why are King Cai, King Bi, and King Yuan gathering here?"
Wudai rubbed his eyes and stepped forward to take a look, but was pulled over by him again: "Hey, I've already sent someone to check it out. How many people are there!"
With his long bow and his narrow sleeves held together in front of him, he kowtowed on the grass and said, "Your Majesty, this time, please believe what I say!"
"I sincerely request your Majesty to eliminate those who hold heavy troops, including Taizong and Zonghan, to prevent future troubles!"
Wan Yanliang was furious and scolded with his hands on his waist: "I gave them a huge salary, but they actually want to do this!"
"Well, I'll let them know how powerful I am!"
He turned around again and thought: "The Dragon Boat Festival is coming. At that time, I will invite the clan members to come to the palace to play polo. Before then, no other movements are allowed to avoid disturbing the situation."
He waved his palms and looked at Wanyanyong, who was sitting quietly by the bonfire in the distance, and then at Qingya.
"I'll give you one more move to scare the monkeys!"
"Huh? What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Since I came to the throne, I feel that Wan Yanyong has calmed down more and more. He just takes a rest all day long. I don't know what he is thinking in his heart and whether he is sincere to me!"
"I want to test his patience. I want him to see the death of these elders with his own eyes. If he makes any move, it will be regarded as disloyal. If he doesn't, I will rest assured!"
Wu Dai paused for a long time, looked at his face and said again: "Your Majesty, it's just a matter of King Yong, I know this secretly!"
"You speak!"
"Your Majesty, don't blame me!"
"Say it!" He was a little impatient.
"Weichen's fourth sister-in-law is from the Bohai Gao family, and she is related to the Li family by Jianjia. She has a deep personal relationship with the third daughter of the Li family, and she once heard her say that the current marriage of the Wan State lady was something else. Just keep it secret!"
Wan Yanliang said in shock: "Is it her? The former wife of King Qi?"
"Yes, she said, it was Li Shi who set up a drinking bureau, drugged Lady Wan, and burned incense in the lady's boudoir, so that King Yong fell into the trap. After the lady became unclean, she had no choice but to agree to this door. Marriage!"
"Because of this matter, the eldest lady of the Li family was depressed all day long, and finally died of illness."
"What? Qingya..." After hearing this, Wanyan Liang froze on the spot. At that moment, his heart almost broke.
