The next day.
In the snow-capped Qingguo Palace, Zhongshu Sheng drafted the edict, the old emperor verified it, and then conveyed the essence of the edict.
Seal: Under the Gate of the Three Saints of the Temple, the Heavenly Master's Mansion; Zhao Zhengli, the Seventh Taoist of Qingcheng Mountain, the Taoist Holy Mansion, Chengdu County Road; a fourth-grade official title, awarded the Four Beams and Five Mountains crown, silver embroidered white Taoist robes, and yellow, green, red, and purple carvings Gold belt.
Seal: Under the gate of Confucian Academy; Fang Na, Longxing Prefecture, Xijun Road, Jiangnan; official title of fifth rank, awarded the crown of three beams and five mountains, a white Taoist robe with dark silver threads, and a silver belt with yellow, green and red carvings.
Title: Under the Imperial Master's Office; Mingwu of the Leshan Grand Buddha Temple in Chengdu County; from the fifth rank official title, he was awarded the crown of the Five Sacred Mountains, a silver silk white Taoist robe, and an emerald silk embroidered belt.
None of the above official titles has real power, just accept their salary and get their title!
While the three were being crowned, the jailer of the Ministry of War prison was bribed by an official from the Ministry of Rites to send a letter to Zhang Ziya. After reading it, Zhang Ziya tore the letter into pieces and sat in the cell laughing and talking nonsense for half a day.
The jailer who delivered the message was frightened and lost his sense of control by Zhang Ziya, who usually entertained him with good food and drinks. Fortunately, he restrained his weird behavior and did not scare the senior officials of the Ministry of War.
In the next two days, Zhang Ziya was a completely different person. He was taciturn and his expression was sometimes dazed and sometimes sinister. There was no trace of the usual laughter and laughter between him and the jailer, and they spent their days leisurely.
Daochang Zhao, who was awarded the fourth-grade official title, suddenly became a popular guest of the dignitaries in the capital. The neutral bureaucrats in the court took the initiative to build relationships, and the military generals of the court went straight to the door without hesitation. Zhao Zhengli was very dissatisfied with these unsightly warriors. , doesn’t this mean that you are tied to a boat?
Zhao Zhengli originally thought that the Heavenly Master would give a warning. After all, the three saints of the temple were not allowed to cross the line in the court, but it was obvious that the wind in Zhao Zhengli's mansion was not in the right direction these past two days.
What puzzled him was that the old Heavenly Master turned a deaf ear. Even the old emperor in the palace did not make any move. The prince and the civil servants of the party also made no move. All the forces ignored him. Naturally, Daochang Zhao no longer had any scruples and took this opportunity to ask for help. Guan Guan managed to save Zhang Ziya from prison.
Just when he was exhausted, Li Zhanyi came in a hurry and informed Zhang Ziya that he was released from prison!
It was the old emperor who issued the pardon. The problem was that it was the Crown Prince Song Chaoyan who interceded for Zhang Ziya.
Zhao Zhengli vaguely sensed something was wrong and rushed out to the Ministry of War, followed closely by Li Zhanyi and the Bi sisters.
The three of them went to the Ministry of War one after another and saw Yu Shangshu pacing in the courtyard with a frown on his face. Seeing Zhao Zhengli's arrival, he sighed without any surprise, then led him into the mansion and handed several letters to Zhao Zhengli: "The prince came to pick up Zhang Ziya in person. After he was released from prison, he left you a letter and left with the prince!"
Zhao Zhengli quickly opened the letter, and there were a few lines of handwriting written on it: "You and I are ruthless. Our journey north to the capital should have come to an end long ago. Congratulations to Renshi Zhao for being awarded the fourth-grade official title."
Zhao Zhengli put down the envelope for a long time, and he read Zhang Ziya, who was as indifferent as water. He didn't know what he had posted in the past few days, but he was sure that the prince had played a role in it. However, the person who rescued him from prison was the prince. Zhang Ziya was probably very disappointed with Zhao Zhengli. Well, I thought I was only interested in getting promoted to a higher position and leaving him behind in prison.
How did he know that Zhao Zhengli had been trying to rescue him from prison?
The ending has been decided, and I'm afraid any explanation would be in vain.
In the afternoon of the same day, rumors spread that Zhang Ziya was a guest of the prince's family. It spread rapidly inside and outside the capital, because these days, Zhang Ziya has represented half of Zhao Zhengli in a sense, and the civil servants of the prince's party are completely hostile to Zhao Zhengli. Everyone in the capital knows that Zhang Ziya has now turned towards the prince, and the whole capital is naturally excited. Everyone is speculating whether it is a trick used by Taoist Zhao or the two of them are quarreling!
.
The high pavilion has warm spring scenery, and the deep pavilion is full of morning light.
At the end of the year, the old is replaced by the new, the whole family is reunited, the emperor in the palace, the ministers in the court, either everyone is reunited or small families are reunited. The bustling capital is mostly filled with people who have never been reunited, including businessmen who are doing business and opening shops, people who are wandering and traveling, and more There are beggars begging on the streets. They lack a complete reunion, but this night they vaguely feel reunited in the huge capital. Everywhere in the capital is full of Chinese New Year. dignitaries, restaurants, businessmen and travelers will donate their money to do good deeds on this night. The streets and alleys are filled with harmonious good deeds. Cheap fireworks, Kongming lanterns, free stage, cakes and snacks, acrobatic performances, poetry and music, etc. are all provided to help the lonely people in the capital find a taste of "reunion".
The sky is full of fireworks in the capital, and there are constant laughter and laughter. Even the concubines in the palace and the royal heirs are out of the palace to play, and the bureaucrats in the inner city even take their families on a tour. The inner and outer capitals are harmonious, regardless of high or low, and it is a greater reunion!
On this night, the emperor in the palace had the grace to feast all the officials, and all the civil servants and generals received a dragon's gift. Naturally, Daochang Zhao, who had the rank of fourth rank, was also among them. It was a "sweet and sour Yellow River carp" that could be heard even from a distance. Seeing the aroma of sugar and vinegar blending on the skin of the fish, Daochang Zhao and the sisters of the Bi family sat around the large round table in the hot pavilion and ate the reunion dinner for three people.
The Bi sisters took a small bite and praised the superb skills of the royal chef. Zhao Zhengli also took a chopstick out of curiosity. The fish was extremely tender, with a rich sweet and sour flavor, and a long aftertaste between his lips and teeth. This was his first time tasting royal food; he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Everyone in the world wants to be the emperor, and even a simple meal can be far more delicious than anything in the world.
Zhao Zhengli was chewing and suddenly felt that something was wrong. Normal logic gave the word 'carp' the meaning of 'more than enough every year', but Zhao Zhengli was a Taoist and believed in 'carp leaping over the dragon's gate'. Now that the fish is being brought to the table and eaten, wouldn't it be in vain?
What did the old emperor want to express?
Zhao Zhengli couldn't figure it out and decided to find some time to listen to the old emperor's habits.
After the reunion dinner, Zhao Zhengli paid New Year's money for the two sisters according to custom. The Bi sisters covered their mouths and smiled. In terms of age, the two sisters were older than him. Logically speaking, the older one should give the younger one New Year's money. Thinking of his current official title and winning With hundreds of thousands of dollars coming in, it seemed normal to give red envelopes to the two of them.
The two sisters accepted Daochang Zhao's New Year's red envelope in a daze, and the three of them went shopping for lanterns in the outer city and lit Kongming lanterns to make wishes, a series of fun activities to celebrate the New Year and welcome the New Year.
The next day is Yuan Day, also known as New Year's Day.
The imperial government and the whole country were on a seven-day long holiday. These seven days were not peaceful. First, there was the first verbal sparring between civil servants and military officers. The military commanders who were not good at brain power naturally lost. Before the civil servants were happy for a long time, there was another news. A civil servant in the outer city accidentally fell into the moat and froze to death while returning home at night.
For a time, the old emperor had to ask the imperial army to fully assist the Yushitai investigation. Cai Wenming, the imperial doctor, was very busy inside and outside. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that it was a dispute between the two parties in the court, but the old emperor liked to solve things in a roundabout way. He didn't dare to get angry or speak out, so he had to pretend and let it go.
As soon as this matter came to an end, Prince Song Chaoyan met the emperor overnight.
The old emperor thought it was another innocuous little report, but he was so frightened that he stood up and stared at the prince: "Is there any evidence?"
The prince was careful and would not act rashly. Seeing the old emperor's expression, he quickly took out the evidence from his sleeves: "I don't dare to tell any lies. I am a guest at your residence, Zhang Ziya. Zhang Ziya personally stated that the Miaoyin Pavilion is a remnant of the previous dynasty lurking in the capital." I don’t believe it, so I sent people to investigate secretly overnight in recent days, and found out the clues, which are all recorded in the record, please ask my father to take a look."
The old emperor received the letter, which contained a detailed list of Miaoyin Pavilion personnel, as well as the names of bureaucrats who had contacts with the court. Several bureaucrats were "honest people" in the eyes of the old emperor. The old emperor's hands were trembling, and for the first time he felt that the situation in the temple was separated from him. Under the control of the emperor, his deep voice revealed the murderous intent of the emperor: "Cao Yan! Go and send the message to Cai Wenming, the imperial censor." He quickly changed his words: "No! Send the message directly to the commander of the imperial army, He Shaozheng."
Seeing that the time was right, the prince added: "I hope that my father will tell his third brother to stay away from Zhao Zhengli." Jushi Zhang revealed that that man had a lot of ups and downs. He had a deep connection with Miaoyin Pavilion when he first entered the capital. This time he was imprisoned for no reason. Thanks to the gift of Miaoyin Pavilion, it is difficult to tell whether it is disconnected from Zhao Zhengli, so..."
"Prince, it's getting late. Please step aside today." The old emperor interrupted, holding his forehead. Naturally, the emperor could tell that he was a bit of a frivolous person. The second half of the sentence was the focus of what he wanted to say, but at the moment, the old emperor He only cares about the remnants of the previous dynasty, and doesn't listen to anything else.
The prince kept silent. The second half of the sentence was all made up on the spur of the moment, and he just found Zhang Ziya to use it as a basis. Because he slandered Zhao Zhengli in vain and seemed to be a villain. On the contrary, it was betrayed by a friend who had been with him for several months, which made it even more true.
The prince has been his son for decades, and he naturally knows that the old emperor is most suspicious of half-transparent words. The Miaoyin Pavilion is a definite fact. When he calms down, he will definitely think about the second half of his sentence, and the effect will be better at that time, so Respectfully bow out and leave.
On the fourth night of the first day of the Yuan Dynasty, Miaoyin Pavilion was burned inexplicably. It burned for a full day and night. No one escaped from the sea of fire, and half of the sky in the West City was immersed in thick smoke and fire.
Rumors abounded inside and outside the capital. Some said they were massacred and burned by a mysterious organization, and evidence was destroyed. Others said that the Miaoyin Pavilion accidentally caught fire during the market closing. Some even heard the sound of people fighting the fire in the attic...
Daozhang Zhao was restless in the fourth-grade mansion he had changed. He always felt that there was something hidden in Miaoyin Pavilion. On the night of the sixth day, Daozhang Zhao was about to stay and fall asleep. He was startled by a black figure that broke through the window. His first reaction was Assassination, he instinctively used his true energy to protect his body, and then slapped a palm at the intruding shadow, only to hear a weak female voice groan and fall to the ground.
Zhao Zhengli was stunned. The killer was so fragile? He looked along the dark night and confirmed that it was a woman. Then he decisively clicked on the acupuncture points and turned on the oil lamp. What caught his eyes was a woman in tattered clothes. Her face was haggard, and her peerless face could be vaguely seen under the dirt and muddy face.
"Ji Yanyu?"
Zhao Zhengli looked at the fairy who fell into the mud pit in disbelief. In addition to being surprised, he was also surprised. It was said that no one from Miaoyin Pavilion survived?
The beauty with a dirty face smiled sadly: "What? I'm surprised that I'm still alive? I said that if my news is leaked, you will be hunted to death."
Zhao Zhengli couldn't understand her mood at the moment, but he still explained: "Miss Ji, there are many misunderstandings, and I can't explain it to you at the moment."
"Ha! The misunderstanding is that I am a fish that slipped through the net? Now you can rest assured and follow the Dog Emperor..."
The more she spoke, the more excited she became, as if she wanted to eat Zhao Zhengli alive. Daoist Zhao directly tapped her mute point, and then let out a long breath: "If you speak louder, someone will arrest you in less than a moment, and they will also implicate the Taoist priest." . Then again, what benefits can I get from reporting you? Do you really think I like high-ranking officials with high salaries in name only?"
Ji Yanyu's hatred was still unabated, and Taoist priest Zhao added: "Everyone knows that the two parties in the temple are fighting. The civil servants and officials have always been a thorn in our side. Although the generals have official contacts, they do not have any in-depth communication. I believe you have also heard about Zhang Ziya If you are right about joining the prince as a guest, you on the eighth floor of the Miaoyin Pavilion were betrayed by the prince's party and sacrificed, and the next one may be the one you belong to!"
Ji Yanyu's mood calmed down a bit, but her murderous intention towards Zhao Zhengli remained undiminished. The Taoist priest smiled and said, "I will unlock your acupuncture points and let you go. If you are lucky, you can see the truth after a few more days. Don't. I want to hide in my mansion, because all the maids and servants in the mansion are the old emperor’s spies, so you can imagine the consequences if you are discovered!"
After hearing this, Ji Yanyu's eyes flashed with a trace of schadenfreude and ridicule, but Zhao Zhengli didn't care about her, unblocked the acupuncture points truthfully, and then let her leave.
Zhao Zhengli turned off the oil lamp and fell asleep again. Unexpectedly, Ji Yan Yuchu stayed at the window for a long time and did not leave. Director Zhao said impatiently: "What are you doing? You want to stay and sleep with me? Then you have to clean up and come back!"
Ji Yanyu turned her head and said awkwardly through her teeth: "Is there...is there anything to eat?"
Zhao Zhengli was stunned for a moment, and then he thought about the worrying situation of the famous courtesan in the past. He pointed to the tables against the wall: "You can take away snacks and fruits!"
Ji Yanyu scurried to the table like a tabby cat, grabbing the cakes with her dusty slender fingers and wolfing them down without caring about the image. Because she ate too fast, she choked her throat and couldn't breathe. She hammered the high bulge with all her strength. breasts.
When she almost lost her breath, Zhao Zhengli brought a glass of water. She instinctively took it and drank it. When her throat relaxed and there was food in her belly, she wiped her chest and let out a long breath. She still had the noble and noble oiran temperament of the past!
Zhao Zhengli looked aside. She sighed and fell soft again until she watched Ji Yanyu leave.
