"Your Majesty, Duke Zhao Guo has come to the palace to ask for an audience. He is waiting for an edict at the palace gate!"
The Long Live Hall has recently become Liu Chengyou's dormitory, where he studies, writes, and practices martial arts.
The winter wind stirred up the chill outside the palace. The doors and windows were left open, and smoke curled up from the heater in the palace. The steaming heat helped Liu Chengyou fight against the cold winter. The chamberlain carefully walked into the Long Live Hall and reported to Liu Chengyou who was practicing calligraphy on the desk.
Liu Chengyou's hand was very steady. After writing the word "climb", he stopped, raised his eyelids slightly, and said calmly: "Announce him to the Long Live Hall!"
"yes!"
Beside the table, the second prince Liu Yang was weighing his little feet and diligently applying ink to Liu Chengyou. There were some ink stains on his hands and sleeves. Seeing that he was struggling, Liu Chengyou smiled slightly and said kindly: "If you are tired, just sit down for a while!"
Liu Yang shook his head: "I'm not tired!"
After dipping his hand in ink again, Liu Chengyou continued to write with an awe-inspiring attitude. His calligraphy was learned from the late calligrapher Yang Ningshi. Although he didn't practice hard, he succeeded after all, and he could barely read it. Compared with just. Of course, Yang Ningshi's bold and indulgent attitude has not been learned at all.
"Erlang, I heard that you can recite "The Road to Shu is Difficult"?" Liu Chengyou asked casually.
"I can memorize the first and second steps!" Liu Yang answered honestly.
"Come back and listen!" Liu Chengyou said.
Liu Yang walked to the small table and took a sip of the boiling hot tea before reciting aloud. Listening to the child's clear reciting voice, Liu Chengyou's mind showed a little doubt. Meng Chang actually asked for a meeting. Did he hear some rumors?
Outside the Long Live Hall, Meng Chang was slightly bowed and dressed in gorgeous brocade clothes. After the Meng family was moved to Kaifeng, Liu Chengyou did not treat him harshly and rewarded him with a large amount of money and silk goods for his family's expenses. Of course, it is impossible to be as luxurious as in Chengdu to satisfy him in Tokyo.
Meng Chang was granted the title of Duke of Zhao by Liu Chengyou, and his three sons were also honored with honorary titles. His mother, Li, had a reputation as a virtuous person and was granted the title of imperial edict. From time to time, the Empress Dowager Li of the Han Dynasty summoned the female family members of the Meng family to the palace to talk to her for comfort. Demonstrate the benevolence of the heavenly family.
It has been less than three months since the fall of Shu, but Meng Chang is obviously a bit older, and the gray hair in his hair is very obvious. The feeling of being a king who has subjugated his country is by no means so pleasant. The only thing I feel fortunate about is that after arriving in Tokyo, the Han Dynasty treated me well. Although it was slightly inferior to that of the Gao family in Jingnan, the luxurious aristocratic life was still guaranteed without any humiliation.
After settling in Tokyo, Meng Chang devoted himself to the extravagant aristocratic life for a long time, becoming more decadent and decadent than before. On the one hand, he wanted to eliminate the wariness of the Han court as much as possible, and on the other hand, he also wanted to ease the grief of the country's subjugation through a life of drunkenness and dreams, and to adapt to it. new identity.
However, people have a desire to avoid disaster, and the weather is unpredictable. The news of the Shu Rebellion interrupted Meng Chang's peaceful life...
Under the guidance of the palace attendants, he entered the Long Live Hall. The warmth in the hall could not relieve Meng Chang's inner tension. The childish recitation sounded in his ears: "The difficulty of the road to Shu is as difficult as climbing to the blue sky. It makes people wither their beauty even after hearing this!" When the peaks are gone, the sky is not full, and withered pines hang upside down on the cliffs. The rushing waterfalls are noisy, and the cliffs turn into rocks and thousands of valleys are thundered..."
After listening for a while, Meng Chang was a little dazed. A trace of memories and a bit of regret flashed through his hazy eyes. To be honest, even if he had been in Shu for decades, the difficulties and dangers of the Shu road were still a little blurry to him.
Still reminded by the chamberlain, Meng Chang came to his senses and hurriedly stepped forward to prostrate himself: "Your Majesty, Meng Chang, pay homage to your Majesty!"
"Oh, Duke Zhao is here!" Liu Chengyou put down his pen and said with a warm smile, but always with a high attitude: "Quickly excuse me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The Han Emperor's gentle smile and attitude made Meng Chang feel a little relieved.
"Mr. Zhao is also good at words and has extraordinary knowledge. It's just right. How about taking a look at my handwriting?" Liu Chengyou waved to Meng Chang cordially.
"Yes!" Meng Chang stepped forward and read Liu Chengyou's book "The Road to Shu" written by Banque, with a look of compliment on his face and words of flattery in his mouth: "Your Majesty, this character is painted with iron and has a silver hook. It penetrates the back of the paper and is powerful and bold. , I felt that it was like a flying dragon tumbling in the sea of clouds, a luan and a phoenix singing in harmony in the sky, the vast and majestic momentum coming towards me, it is heartbreaking..."
Hearing what he said, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but feel happy. He didn't know whether it was because of Meng Chang's praise or because of his surrender gesture.
"Sit down! Serve tea!" Walking to the table aside, Liu Chengyou hugged Liu Yang and sat with him, gesturing towards Meng Chang.
Looking at Meng Chang calmly, he looked much older, fatter, and looked slumped, and his handsomeness was no longer there. Liu Chengyou asked: "Mr. Zhao's hair is pale on the temples, and his complexion does not seem to be very good. Could it be that he can't adapt to Tokyo?" Life, or is there someone below who is deducting benefits?"
Hearing this, Meng Chang shook his head quickly and said cautiously: "I am a sinner in Shu and resisted the king. Your Majesty will not remember the old evil, put aside the past grudges, and treat my family well. I am very grateful!"
Liu Chengyou smiled again, and the laughter made Meng Chang feel uncomfortable. He asked: "What's the matter with Mr. Zhao's visit? If you have encountered any difficulties, please feel free to speak frankly!"
Upon hearing this, Meng Chang's expression became more serious, he paused, then quickly stood up, and bowed at Liu Chengyou's feet with a dignified attitude: "I am here to apologize to your majesty!"
"I'm surprised by this!" Liu Chengyou looked surprised and asked curiously: "What crime are you guilty of?"
Gritting his teeth, Meng Chang bowed his head and said: "I heard that there is chaos in Shu. The rebels and thieves are using the name of the minister to plot rebellion. I am very frightened!"
Liu Chengyou's smile slowly faded. Looking at Meng Chang who was lying on the ground, Liu Chengyou's thoughts gradually drifted away, and he felt particularly deeply in his heart. This must be the king of subjugated country. He is so groveling, anxious, and even the slightest disturbance. , so frightened and helpless.
Because of the chaos in Central Shu, someone in the DPRK and Central Government has indeed written a letter during this period, saying that they want to strengthen control over Meng Chang and reduce his treatment. Especially when the rebels in Central Shu clearly put forward the slogan of "supporting the Meng family and restoring the country" after.
Although everyone who understands knows that it is just a slogan, and the entire Meng family has been moved out of Shuzhong, there are still people who pretend to be confused while pretending to understand. He even suggested that Liu Chengyou kill Meng Chang to put an end to the thoughts of the people in Shu, but Liu Chengyou just laughed at this.
The silence of the Han Emperor made Meng Chang feel more and more uneasy. It was winter, but his body couldn't help but sweat. Seeing this, Liu Chengyou patted Liu Yang on the back and pointed at Meng Chang to signal him.
During the meeting, Liu Yang stepped forward, stretched out his hand to convince Meng Chang, and said, "Please get up, Mr. Zhao!"
Facing Liu Yang's support, Meng Chang seemed a little flattered and hurriedly said: "Thank you, Your Highness! I don't dare to accept this!"
Looking at Meng Chang, Liu Chengyou considered his words and said: "It seems that Mr. Zhao has also heard some rumors! However, I still said what I said, never mind the past and let bygones be bygones. The Meng family has surrendered to the Han Dynasty, and I have no regrets afterwards. The meaning of questioning.
I can clearly see the rebellion in Shu. They are just a group of treacherous people who are ignorant of current affairs and have ulterior motives. They are using their whims as a chariot. I don’t take the criticism from the DPRK seriously, so you don’t have to be afraid. I dare not boast that I am broad-minded, but I can still accommodate you, Meng Chang, and the entire Meng family! "
After listening to Liu Chengyou's words, Meng Chang couldn't help crying and bowed: "Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty has such a big heart, I admire you so much! I..."
"Hey, hey!" Seeing his excited look, Liu Chengyou waved his hands repeatedly: "It doesn't have to be like this!"
Probably because he was afraid that Meng Chang would break the floor of the Long Live Hall, Liu Chengyou asked him to sit down and stared at him with stern eyes. His tone revealed the strength and confidence of the Central Emperor: "I might as well be honest with you. Over the years, You have indeed caused a lot of trouble for me and the Han people, but times have changed, and when you have more than two hundred states and counties in Sichuan and Sichuan, and millions of soldiers and civilians, I can climb mountains as easily as walking on flat ground. What's more, now that he has lost his country and become a vassal, he lives in Kaifeng?
You can relax and live in the capital with peace of mind. I promise you a lifetime of wealth and stability for the rest of your life. If your heirs succeed in their studies in the future, they can also become officials in the Han Dynasty! "
After Liu Chengyou finished speaking, Meng Chang was stunned, his eyes were red and swollen, and the tears at the corners of his eyes even looked a little funny. But in the face of Liu Chengyou's frank smile, Meng Chang stood up again, bowed and choked with tears: "Your Majesty is magnanimous and magnanimous. I am very grateful to you, and I admire you wholeheartedly!"
After Haosheng comforted Meng Chang for a while, he ordered people to send him away. Is Liu Chengyou really tolerant? It seems so, but his tolerance is also conditional, that is, it is not harmful to his authority and rule. In addition, Meng Chang's performance since entering Beijing has been very good, and he has not openly worried about his motherland. , and keep your duty.
"Erlang, what do you think of Meng Chang?" Liu Chengyou suddenly asked Liu Yang with great interest.
When asked about this, Liu Yang was a little confused. He blinked a few times and said, "He loves to cry and he also likes to kneel!"
"Yes!" Liu Chengyou nodded, reached out and touched Liu Yang's head, and said to the child seriously: "You have to remember, this is the sorrow and helplessness of a subjugated king. As a loser, life and death are honorable and disgraceful. It’s all decided by people’s words, and we can only survive by relying on the tolerance and mercy of the victor! Always remember!”
Liu Yang was still confused, but seeing his father's serious expression and tone, he nodded vigorously: "I remember!"
...
In Ciming Hall, three women walked out slowly. Although they were wearing brocade, their clothes were simple and elegant. One was an old woman and two were young women. The old woman is Meng Chang's mother, the Li family, and the two young women are his female relatives, the Xu family and the Li family.
This is the third time they have been invited to the palace. They are both wise women. The Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty and Meng Chang's mother seem to have a good affinity, and they are almost considered sisters. As for Meng Chang's two female relatives, they are just for company. After all, on weekdays, the palace Ladies and imperial ministers from other places were also invited into the palace from time to time to chat with the Queen Mother and Empress.
As a woman who has subjugated her country, when entering and leaving other people's palaces, her mood is naturally full of strangeness, anxiety and uneasiness. Fortunately, the previous time, she has been entering and exiting safely without any abnormality?
But this time, something seemed to have happened. Before leaving the palace, two eunuchs blocked the way. His eyes wandered wildly over the enchanting bodies of the two young women, looking at the beautiful faces, and asked in a low voice: "You are the family members of Duke Meng Chang of Zhao, right! Which one is Mrs. Xu?"
Hearing this question, Mrs. Xu's delicate body trembled, her beautiful face showed a little fear, and she responded softly: "I am my concubine!"
Nodding, the eunuch said: "Concubine Shu heard about your talents and invited you to come to the palace to make friends with your poems..."
"I don't know Concubine Shu!" Xu said softly, biting her red lips.
Hearing what he said, the eunuch's eyes widened: "This is not what you guys care about, we just follow orders!"
Mrs. Xu couldn't help but look at Ms. Li next to her. Ms. Li was so shrewd that she couldn't detect any problems. There was a hint of gloom and a hint of humiliation in her kind face.
