As the saying goes: Plants and trees predict autumn. He also said: Qiu Qiu dives into the human world first through the mountains.
Today is the last day of June, and the beginning of autumn will be four days later.
As autumn approaches, the weather has turned colder without noticing, most of the seasonal flowers and fruits have withered, and even the leaves of many trees have gradually turned yellow. Soon after, they will dry up and fall off in pieces with the autumn wind.
When a tree meets soil, it grows. It absorbs nutrients from the soil through its roots, and absorbs the essence of sunlight through its leaves to supply the needs of the trunk, so that it can grow. The earth can be said to be the mother of all trees.
In autumn, billions of leaves in various shapes leave the branches and return to the embrace of Mother Earth. This is not only the most grand funeral in the world, but also is it not the most original repayment of life?
Although it is located in a busy city, Yiwang Mansion is surprisingly quiet. After Xia Muren's funeral ceremony was completed, everyone in the house seemed to be in a cold winter night, sparse in words and deeds, not wanting to make a sound. Soon, this huge mansion became so deserted and quiet.
"Your Majesty, the matter has been settled." A man in black bowed behind Xia Chengxuan and reported.
Xia Muren is dead, and according to the rules, his title should be inherited by Xia Chenghuan. However, Emperor Yonghua couldn't afford to fall ill. He was groggy and unable to manage politics all day long. King Duan did not dare to grant the title easily without Shang's permission. Therefore, Xia Chenghuan was still called "Crown Prince" throughout the mansion and inside and outside the court.
"They all arrived at Baihe Temple?" Xia Chenghuan asked softly.
"Yes. Xia Jingyu personally came to Baiheguan and took them to the white army camp on the outskirts of the city." The man in black lowered his head and replied.
Xia Chenghuan did not turn around, but nodded slightly, paused and asked again: "How many of our people were injured?"
"We sent out four hundred and twenty experts on this trip, but only two hundred and ninety-five came back. Twenty of them were seriously injured. I'm afraid..." The man in black took a deep breath and stabilized himself a little. Breathing, he lowered his head and replied. His voice was low, even choked, and he was obviously feeling very uncomfortable.
Yesterday at Shenshi, after receiving the news from Xia Chenghuan, Qin Yinzhen took her two sons and one daughter out of Prince Zhi's mansion through the small door, escorted by more than thirty personal guards.
However, after they could not travel more than a hundred feet, someone followed them and followed them all the way. Qin Yinzhen remembered Xia Chenghuan's words and did not look back, urging the men and horses to move quickly along the road.
When we arrived at Timbi Street, we saw no one on the street. The road ahead was blocked by a group of masked men in black. They each held knives and blades. They were obviously coming for their group. Qin Yinzhen was about to ask the guards to turn around, but found that a large group of masked men in gray followed them quickly, surrounding more than 30 people in the middle.
"I'm so stupid! I was fooled by Xia Chenghuan? Could it be that all four of us, mother and son, are going to die here today?" Qin Yinzhen was anxious and regretful, and almost cried.
Just when she was on the verge of despair and preparing to make a death struggle, she saw a masked man in gray walking up behind her, bowing and saying: "Princess, I and others have been ordered by Prince Chenghuan to secretly escort you to Baihe Temple in the south of the city. If these thieves want to do something bad, let us take care of them. Please ask the princess to take the people from Prince Zhi's palace to the side first. After I have taken care of them, I will send you out of the city gate."
Tingpi Street is one of the three largest streets in the south of the city. It is the only way to Chengguan and is nearly six miles long.
In the past two days, robberies and killings have occurred frequently in the north of the city, resulting in dozens of casualties and panic among the people. The Jin Ling Mansion received a strict order from Hu Xiu'an last night to search the north of the city to catch the evildoers. Therefore, this morning, almost all the five thousand Jin Guards who were supposed to patrol the streets in the south of the city were transferred to the north of the city.
Hundreds of men in black gathered on the street, each wearing a mask and holding a knife. When the street vendors, shopkeepers, and passers-by saw them, those who were closing their doors and those who were finishing work all hurriedly ran away. No one is stupid. After seeing this battle, how could they not know that there is going to be a fight here?
At Xu Shi, it was dark early in the morning, and the last masked man in black finally fell...
"In addition to the previously agreed remuneration, these one hundred and twenty-five people will give each of their families another thousand taels of silver. They will ensure that their wives, children, and parents have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives! For those who are seriously injured, please ask the most famous doctor in the capital to go Look, give them the best medicine. No matter how much time or money it takes, they must be cured! If there are any disabilities or root causes of disease, a sum of money will be allocated from the account of the palace to support them and their families. Until death." Xia Chenghuan said lowly and resolutely, "Anyone who sheds blood for Prince Yi's Mansion will never be forgotten by me, Xia Chenghuan!"
... ...
"Your people failed to stop him?" Xia Muyan asked coldly. He has always been calm and reserved, and calm in situations. This is the first time in so many years that He Fukai has seen him angry.
The people from Prince Zhi's Mansion actually left the city? There must be Xia Jingyu's people outside the city to help him, and it would be extremely difficult to do anything about it.
He Fukai knew that he was not doing his job well, so he did not offer much excuse. He knelt down with a bang, put his hands on the ground, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, Fu Kai is incapable of ruining your important affairs. I am willing to accept the punishment!"
"Fukai, what are you doing?" Seeing He Fukai actually giving such a great gift, Xia Muyan was a little stunned, with an unhappy expression on his face, and frowned, "Why is this! Get up!" Seeing that he was still lying on the ground, I had no choice but to step forward, reach out to hold his arm and pull him hard, and said slightly angrily, "What can't be said between you and me? If the people from Prince Zhi's palace can break through your blockage, then naturally there will be more powerful people among them. The obstruction is either from Prince Yi's Mansion or Prince Jaw's Mansion, or from Prince Yi's Mansion, Prince Jaw's Mansion or the Qin family. No matter which of the three families it is, it is a force that cannot be underestimated. Your people can't stop it, and they are also there. It makes sense. Blame me for underestimating the enemy and overestimating the enemy. It’s not your fault!”
The day before yesterday, Xia Muyan made a plan to hunt down the messenger, hoping that Qin Yinzhen would panic and take her family out of the palace to join Xia Jingyu in Baihe Temple outside the city. The people from Prince Yun's Palace could capture them on the way and force Xia Jingyu to lead the way. The army in white clothes returned to Xiahe County.
He even did not hesitate to send people to commit murder on the streets in the north of the city. He also communicated with Hu Xiu'an in advance and lured away all the gold guards in the south of the city. He thought that catching Qin Yinzhen and a few of them would be easy, but he didn't expect that hundreds of grays were killed on the way. People in clothes lead to success and failure.
"Your Majesty, I failed to keep an eye on Prince Zhi's Mansion and actually let them find foreign aid. I have made a big mistake after all!" Although He Fukai stood up, he was still hunched over and said with a look of shame on his face.
Xia Muyan specifically told him that he must keep an eye on Prince Zhi's Mansion. He didn't expect that such an easy thing would be messed up by him. He Fukai had indeed done this before.
"Who has no fault?" Xia Muyan raised his eyebrows, waved his hand to show that he was not to blame, and then said, "In the battle for the reserve, we have gone too smoothly, which may not be good. Having this setback is not a good thing. Remind us that the battle for reserve positions is so cruel and we must not let up until the last moment. Haha, we have really underestimated them."
Qin Yinzhen took her children and joined the White Army. Logically speaking, it was really bad for Xia Muyan. However, although there was surprise in his expression at this time, he was not panicked at all, and he still looked confident.
"Your Majesty, the White Army has nothing to worry about now. If Xia Jingyu is determined to do something, I'm afraid... we have to think of ways to check and balance him?" He Fukai was not so calm and worried. asked.
"It doesn't matter. Let's leave this matter to Prince Duan. How can he, the regent, be so easy to do?" Three princes have been framed and killed. Whoever wants to deal with the last one is probably the mastermind behind this. Didn’t Xia Jingyu learn the art of war from Prince Duan in Huazijian before? There are many people who know about this. Don't say more, don't say more, just let people pass it on. How high-spirited King Duan was when he was fighting for the throne. Adding some spices to those past events is enough for those who want to talk about it. Also, his sons and grandsons Aren't they all very promising? Haha, you can think of it yourself. In short, within three days I will make the people in the city believe that Xia Jingyu and Chen Bing were outside the city under the secret order of King Duan, under the guise of begging for the three kings. The banner of justice is going to kill me, so the next step is to force my father to abdicate and make Crown Prince Duan the new king. Do you think this is good?"
He Fukai didn't know how to answer, and then heard Xia Muyan ask: "When will the people from Honghai arrive?"
No matter which dynasty, seizing the heir is an extremely dangerous matter. If you want to participate in it, you must not kill people and be careful of being killed since childhood. Eight years ago, after receiving the support of Jue Country, Xia Muyan secretly cultivated a force of his own. Over the years, they have been hiding on an isolated island in Honghai.
Now, Xia Muyan is only a stone's throw away from Ji Chu. At such a critical moment, he can no longer hold anything back. Half a month ago, he had sent people to Honghai to give orders to call back all the people there.
"Your Majesty, according to the itinerary, it should be within a day or two." He Fukai made an estimate and gave his answer.
... ...
The dew begins to reveal the coolness of the weather.
The top of the mountain is high and unobstructed, and you can feel the fullness of autumn when you are there.
The trees on Guoshan Mountain are luxuriant. As far as the eye can see, the mountain is covered with colorful clothes. Autumn maples, Chinese toon, black locust, and holly are mixed together. Red and orange mottled are sparsely dotted in the green, stretching to a distance that cannot be seen clearly.
Autumn has not yet arrived, but the prosperity is still before us. In a month or two, the weather will get colder and the rain will decrease, and the gorgeous flowers and plants will become silent. Spring and Autumn are the laws of heaven and earth, and nothing can be ignored.
They flourish and then decline, as do vegetation and people.
"Junior brother, is the emperor's illness getting better?" Zhan Ming asked Zhan Wei as he walked.
Zhan Wei has been in the palace all year round, but in recent years it has been rare to spend a day or two in the palace. After breakfast, the two brothers walked slowly along the stone steps on the mountain. It had been more than two hours at this time. Fortunately, both of them have been practicing martial arts for many years and have strong internal energy, so they don't feel tired at all.
"Brother, to tell you the truth, the emperor may not be able to survive this time." Zhan Wei said with a sad face, "Since the emperor fell ill, I have been taking his pulse every day, and I have seen that the vitality in his body is getting weaker and weaker. , but there is nothing I can do. Looking back today, I just want to see if the master is back. I think with the master’s ability, there may be a way."
After hearing this, Zhan Ming's face darkened, and he frowned and asked, "What kind of disease is it? Is it so serious?"
"What kind of disease can there be? In fact, there is no disease at all. If we say there is a disease, it is just a heart disease. Recently, the country is in crisis, and the three kings have died one after another. Amid internal and external troubles, the emperor's heart has been excessively sad, which has damaged his internal organs. This He was only less than a month old, but he seemed to have aged more than twenty years." Zhan Wei shook his head and sighed, "After taking the Yangsheng liquid, the emperor's body and spirit were much better than before. However, when I heard that King Yi had passed away After the funeral was announced, he couldn't bear it. Since he passed out in the study, his condition has worsened day by day, and now he is haggard and terminally ill."
"Didn't you say that Master might be back soon? Maybe Master has other ideas." Zhan Ming patted Zhan Wei on the shoulder and comforted softly.
Zhan Wei stopped and had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Why didn't you stop?" Zhan Ming turned around and asked, "But what did you remember?"
"I'm thinking about the hexagrams in the morning. 'Dayou'... The lower line of the main hexagram is the yang line, and the three lines of the guest hexagram are all out of place. It should be the solution for a guest who wants to be troubled and comes to visit the main house." Zhan was stroking his beard with one hand. , mused, "The lower line of the guest hexagram is a Yang Yao, and the corresponding lower line of the Main hexagram is also a Yang Yao. Obviously the guest is not good for the host, hiss... It's more like my junior brother is coming."
"It's not good for the Lord?" Zhan Mingqi asked, "Junior brother, does it have something to do with the tough fate of my junior brother you mentioned last time? Now that you have time today, you can talk to me properly."
Qingxuan had three great skills in his life: martial arts, physiognomy, and painting. He was unwilling to teach apprentices only about fortune-telling.
Zhan Wei relied on self-study to learn physiognomy at first. Later, Qingxuan was worried that he had gone astray, so he was willing to teach him. However, physiognomy is even more extensive than martial arts. Zhanwei has been studying it intensively for more than twenty years, but he still feels that he has not yet grasped the great path. Zhan Ming has no experience in this and knows very little about it.
"Hmm... that's fine." Zhan Wei took a long sigh and added, "The study of fortune-telling is so profound and profound that I can't describe it all at once, so I'll just give it a brief introduction. There are yin and yang and three stops in physiognomy. , Sidu, five elements, five senses, five mountains, six mansions and six yao, Bagua, Jiuzhou, and twelve palaces. Women are yin and men are yang, and the back is yin and yang is yang. There are three stops on the face to show the person's destiny, from the hairline to the forehead and eyebrows. Stop is the destiny of the owner when he was young; stop from the eyebrow to the edge of the nose is the destiny of the owner in middle age; stop from the nose to the chin is the destiny of the owner in old age. Then there are ears, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth, which are listening "
Zhan Ming listened attentively and nodded silently.
"Oh, our little junior brother's appearance is very bad!" Zhan Wei shook his head and sighed.
"Junior brother has beautiful features and a handsome face. He is a rare and attractive person. How could it be bad?" Zhan Ming asked curiously, "What does this mean? I still don't know."
Zhan Wei waved his hand and explained: "It's irrelevant, it's irrelevant, good looks and bad looks are two different things." He thought of an example, and then said: "Senior brother, you must have heard Just a broom star?"
"Oh, of course I've heard of this before, and it seems to be a bad fate." Zhan Ming replied.
"Yes, the broom star is indeed an extremely bad appearance." Zhan Wei nodded, "However, in physiognomy, the broom star has another name: the killing wolf star. Tsk tsk...this kind of fate The people of Qi Sha, Po Jun, Greedy Wolf and Three Stars are in the same palace. They are doomed to live a life of wandering and being tortured and killed alone."
"Oh~~~That's it." Zhan Ming suddenly realized and said yes.
Just as he was about to ask Mei Yuanchen about his appearance, he heard Zhan Wei say in a deep voice: "Although Sha Po Lang Xing is famous for his evil appearance, there is an even more evil and bad destiny in the world, and that is the fate of Heaven." Evil star. The evil star is the most evil one; the solitary star is the solitary one. The evil star comes from the sky and defeats the six relatives and all directions. The evil star is the most vicious and evil appearance in the world."
Zhan Ming's face fell, and he said in a trembling voice: "You said, my junior brother actually has this...this kind of appearance?"
"No." Zhan Wei's eyes narrowed slightly and he said with a confused look on his face: "My junior brother's face does not match the Sha Po Lang Star or the Tian Sha Lone Star, but another extremely rare fate: the Tian Sha Twin Lone Stars."
