"Really?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "This is Wang's first summer in Chang'an, but I don't know how it compares to previous years!"
"So that's it!" The eunuch had gray hair, a face like a full moon, a high nose and a wide mouth, and straight eyebrows. He had a pretty appearance. He sighed: "I entered the palace at the age of fourteen, and I am already fifty-two this year. Well, it has been thirty-eight years since I entered the palace. The year I entered the palace was the seventh year of Zhenguan, and the summer of that year was also very hot! I remember clearly that on the first day after entering the palace, I wanted to cool off and walked in the palace with my bare back. I was enjoying the cool breeze in the yard, but the master saw it and said I didn't understand the rules, so he slapped me three times!" At this point, he shook his head with a smile, his face full of bitterness.
When Wang Wenzuo heard what the old eunuch said, his heart moved: "You must have hated that master back then!"
"Yes!" The eunuch nodded and sighed: "I was still a child at that time and didn't understand anything. I felt wronged when I was beaten, but I didn't know that I was wronged in the palace and not at home. Rules are life-threatening. The elders beat you to make you remember it, so as not to lose your life due to confusion!"
"Yes!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "After I came to Chang'an, I also felt that there were a lot of rules here. I was always afraid that I would break the rules unknowingly and endanger my own life. I hope there is a master who can give me some advice!"
"Haha!" The eunuch glanced at Wang Wenzuo and said with a smile: "General Wang is joking. You are a noble man, not a miserable person like us. Don't say you won't break the rules. Even if you do break the rules, there is a prince. The emperor and empress protect you, what are you afraid of?"
"You can't say that!" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "Nobles also have noble rules. If I really break the rules, even if the prince or the emperor wants to protect me, they may not be able to protect me. After all, the national law was made by the late emperor, even if it is An emperor cannot be forgiven by personal love! Don’t you think so?”
The eunuch took a deep look at Wang Wenzuo, and after a moment he sighed: "Xu has been in the palace for more than thirty years. You, General Wang, are so beloved by His Majesty. You must be the first one to know how to advance and retreat like this!" I will definitely enjoy a long and prosperous life and have many descendants!"
"Then I'll leave it to Mr. Xu to give Jiyan!" Wang Wenzuo cupped his hands and said with a smile.
"I don't dare to take it seriously!" The eunuch quickly turned aside to avoid Wang Wenzuo's salute: "How dare a disabled person named Xu be turned into Duke Xu by General Wang!"
"The elder is respected!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "As for the matter of entering the palace in the first place, Mr. Xu must have had no choice but to do it. Who doesn't have a few things in life that he cannot bear to talk about and does not want to mention again?"
When the eunuch heard this, he glanced at Wang Wenzuo and saw that his expression was magnanimous and his eyes were clear. He had served the Second Emperor in the palace for more than thirty years and had seen many kinds of people. His eyes were so sophisticated that no one could compare, and he could tell the difference immediately. Seeing that Wang Wenzuo's words just now came from the sincerity and were not pretentious to please himself, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "General Wang is indeed a hero in this world. The people Xu has seen in his life are either contemptuous in his heart but pretending to be respectful, or they are despised in his heart but pretend to be respectful. Simply treat us as non-human beings, General Wang is the first person who can understand our suffering and yet be able to deal with it indifferently."
"Xu Gongnai has an incomplete body, but there are so many people in the world who have sound bodies but incomplete minds, and are limited by prejudice?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Compared with those who have incomplete bodies, I think the latter is more sad and deplorable. !”
When the eunuch heard Wang Wenzuo's words, he felt as if he had heard the drums at dusk and the bells in the morning. His expression changed drastically. He lowered his face and bowed down: "Only when Xu heard General Wang's words today did he realize that these fifty years have been in vain. He has learned a lesson!"
"It's just a few gossips, Mr. Xu doesn't have to be like this!" Wang Wenzuo stretched out his hand to help the eunuch up, and the two chatted for a few more words. The eunuch stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Seeing General Wang today is like seeing the sun through the clouds. I wanted to ask for more advice, but unfortunately I have to take my leave now because of my duties. I will come back for advice next time when I have free time!"
The eunuch left the East Palace and returned to the Daming Palace. As soon as he arrived at the Hanyuan Hall, he saw a palace maid on duty coming forward, bowing her head and saying: "Xu Shaojian, Her Majesty the Queen has a decree. You can go see her after you come back from the decree." !”
"My servant obeys the order!" Xu Shaoyun responded quickly. He was Xu Xuwen, the Shaoyun of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the Tang Dynasty, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was established to specifically govern the eunuchs in the palace. They were responsible for conveying imperial edicts, guarding the palace gates, cleaning the inner court, and the inner treasury. Cashier and taking care of the emperor's food and daily life and other matters. Among them, there are two eunuchs from the third rank; two young eunuchs and four chamberlains, all from the fourth rank, are their chief officials and are in charge of six bureaus: Yeting, Gongwei, Xiguan, Internal Servants, Neifu, and Neifang. Xu Xuwen was a young eunuch in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was already one of the most important figures among the thousands of eunuchs in the palace at that time.
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"Tell me, what did Wang Wenzuo say after receiving the order?" The queen was eating her lunch. Due to her busy schedule, her second meal would often be delayed until close to You hour (close to 17 o'clock). Her lunch was very simple, consisting of boiled eggs, wheat porridge, half a piece of biscuit and some dried fruits. Perhaps to ensure a clear mind, the queen did not eat much for both breakfast and lunch.
"General Wang thanked your majesties for their kindness, and then said that the weather in the house is hot, please sit down in the courtyard and talk!" Xu Xuwen said.
"Well, what did he say?" the queen asked with interest.
"The slave mentioned the weather and said that this summer was hotter than in previous years. He said that it was his first summer in Chang'an, so he didn't know how hot it was in Chang'an in the past. Then the old slave mentioned the summer more than thirty years ago. , it was the first year that the old slave entered the palace, and it was also very hot. He also said that the old slave was young and greedy for coolness, so he was enjoying the coolness with his bare back in the yard, and ended up being slapped a few times by the master——" At this point, he Suddenly stopped.
"Then what?" The queen cracked the shell of the boiled egg: "What did Wang Wenzuo say?"
"The old slave said that he was a disabled person, so Wang Wenzuo comforted the old slave and said that he had no choice but to enter the palace in the first place. He also said that no matter who he is, there are some past events that he cannot bear to talk about and does not want to mention again! Later, I invited the old slave to come and sit at his place during his free time!"
Empress Wu's hand stopped, and a trace of confusion slipped across her face. A few minutes later, she sneered: "Wang Wenzuo's mouth is really powerful. It specializes in poking people's hearts. Mr. Xu, did you feel that at that time?" Did his words reach your heart?"
"I did feel this way at that time!" Xu Xuwen replied honestly.
"Yes, I would feel the same way, but this is useless bullshit!" The queen slammed the half-peeled egg in her hand to the ground: "Yes, Wang Wenzuo has some things that he cannot bear to say. , past events that I don’t want to mention. But can those few things about him be the same as what happened when you entered the palace? He is now the confidant of the Prince of the East Palace. Once the Prince ascends the throne in the future, he will be inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people. Surrounded by children and grandchildren. And what about you, Xu Xuwen? You will always be a prisoner. A hundred years from now, there will be no one to worship at the grave, and you will only be a hungry ghost!"
Xu Xuwen stood there, trembling violently all over. The queen's words were like an invisible whip, lashing him. Beads of soybean sweat slid down his cheeks, sticking together the gray hair on his temples. His usual demeanor The kindness and demeanor have long since disappeared, leaving only a pitiful and humble old man standing there, as if he might collapse at any time.
"Do you hate it very much?" The Queen asked: "It's okay to hate. People like you can only hate, and only deserve to hate others. Yes, even I, Your Majesty, cannot make you return Gain those lost things, but you can let those who are happier than you fall into the abyss and fall into a more miserable situation than you. At that time, you can stand in front of them and look at the expressions on their faces, Wouldn’t that be much better than now?”
"Yes, yes!" Xu Xuwen replied with a trembling voice.
"Very good, you should know what to do, right?" The queen sneered, "Back off!"
Xu Xuwen kowtowed and retreated. The queen looked at the food on the table and suddenly felt that she had no appetite. She was about to have the food taken away when she saw the palace maid coming in from the outside and whispered: "Liu Neifu is asking to see you outside!"
"Liu Yuanzhen? What's wrong with him?" the queen asked with a frown.
"He brought someone here, saying it was about the Yang Mansion case!" the palace maid said.
"Okay, let him in!" The queen nodded: "Also, take these things away, I have no appetite!"
Liu Yuanzhen brought Zhou Xing in. The queen looked at them kneeling in front of her, as stiff as two leather bags. She looked down on the two guys in front of her. Compared with Wang Wenzuo, these two guys were just two piles of camel dung, but , there is no harm in listening to what they have to say, maybe there will be unexpected gains?
"Your Majesty the Queen!" Liu Yuanzhen knelt down and whispered: "After receiving the order, I have been running around until today -"
"Shut up!" The queen interrupted Liu Yuanzhen's words: "Don't talk nonsense, my time is precious. I will give you two sentences now. If you can't explain clearly, just get out!"
Liu Yuanzhen's voice was stuck. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, but he couldn't say a word.
"Zhou Guogong was framed. He fell into a trap set by others!"
The queen's eyes turned to the man behind Liu Yuanzhen, and a smile appeared on her face: "Very good, you stay, and you, get out!" Her last words were to Liu Yuanzhen.
"I, I obey!" Liu Yuanzhen kowtowed in embarrassment and walked backward on his knees. He could see the muscles on Zhou Xing's neck and cheeks twitching - it was a smile, a proud smile. He almost hated this bastard. Why did I introduce this guy to Her Majesty the Queen?
The queen looked at the man kneeling on the ground without blinking. "What's the basis for you to say that? Also, who is the other person who set the trap?" Finally, she said word by word.
"My evidence is very simple. Duke Zhou never left the small building where he lived that night, let alone stepped into the small building where Yang Yueniang lived!" Zhou Xing replied: "As for the person who set the trap, Who, I don’t have enough evidence yet, but I very much suspect that person is Wang Wenzuo!”
Hearing Wang Wenzuo's name from Zhou Xing's mouth, the queen immediately burst into ecstasy. She suppressed the urge to jump up and said coldly: "County Magistrate Zhou, you have to think clearly. General Wang is the confidant of the Prince of the East Palace. , an important minister of the imperial court. If what you say is untrue, the crime of rebelling will be punished by the clan!"
"Wei Chen knows!" Zhou Xing suppressed the fear in his heart and said in a deep voice: "But I am not talking nonsense, but there is evidence!"
"Okay! Then let me hear your credentials!" The queen moved her shoulders and let her back rest on the brocade cushion.
"I obey the order!" Zhou Xing took a deep breath: "I have spent a lot of time examining the servants of the Yang Mansion these days, and finally learned from a servant that after Duke Zhou stayed at the Yang Mansion that night, he was arranged in a two-story building. In a small building, after he was woken up that night, he went to deliver sobering soup to Duke Zhou. Shortly after he delivered the sobering soup, he heard someone screaming, and then saw Wang Wenzuo and his party running towards the place where Duke Zhou lived. Past."
"Sending sobering soup?" The queen was slightly startled: "Has your servant ever seen Zhou Guogong with your own eyes?"
"That's not true!" Zhou Xing said, "But the person who opened the door was Duke Zhou's personal slave!"
"Okay, where is that slave?" the queen asked.
"Wei Chen has placed her in the county government office and no outsiders are allowed to contact her!" Zhou Xing replied carefully. He saw with satisfaction that the corners of the queen's mouth turned up slightly, knowing that he had made the right bet.
"What about Wang Wenzuo? You said he was the one who set up the trap. Do you have any evidence?"
"Yes!" Zhou Xing said with a smile: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen handled a case for Duke Zhou not long ago. I think the reason why Wang Wenzuo set a trap to assassinate Duke Zhou was because of this case!"
"What case?"
"Your Majesty, do you remember that Duke Zhou compiled a book called "The Spring and Autumn of the Thirty Kingdoms" during his lifetime?"
"Is there such a thing! Or did I ask him to compile it in Hongwen Hall?" The queen asked, "Is this related to the death of Duke Zhou Guo?"
"It matters a lot!" Zhou Xing replied categorically: "After Zhou Guogong completed the compilation, he listed this book and invited scholars from all over the world to taste it. He said that if anyone could find a flaw in it, he would give it a thousand pieces of gold. . Later, a madman jumped out and uttered evil words, criticizing the book as useless. Duke Zhou then asked his subordinates to take it down!"
"Why bother? He's just a man with a good reputation!" The queen smiled disapprovingly: "Just give him a few dollars to expel him from Chang'an, but doing so will give others a handle! How stingy! "
"Her Majesty the Queen is indeed as rich as the sea!" Zhou Xing said with a smile: "But it's no wonder that Duke Zhou, that madman's surname is Lu, Zhaolin, is a famous person in Hebei. He worked as a pawnbroker for more than ten years under Li Yuanyu, Prince of Deng, and later went to I went to Chengdu and only recently returned to Chang'an. As soon as I returned to Chang'an, I met with Prince Deng Li Jiong and Dongtai Minister Hao Chujun, and then the events of "The Spring and Autumn of the Thirty Kingdoms" happened!"
After listening to Zhou Xing's analysis, the queen's expression gradually became serious: "Is what you said true?"
"Of course it's true!" Zhou Xing said with a smile: "There is Lu Zhaolin's own confession as proof! Your Majesty, please read it!" With that, he took out a confession from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. (End of chapter)
