Chasing death and chasing north

On the next day of the pilgrimage, the expedition officers and men were rewarded, especially Mingyuan was granted the title of Marquis of Dingyuan, and he was just one step away from being equal to his father.I got a false title of "General of the Shangzhu Kingdom", but the actual seal has not changed, only the jewels and treasures are brought into the mansion by car, which makes everyone in the mansion dizzy.

In the evening, my father gave me a banquet, which didn't end until midnight. I tried my best to refuse, but I was still drunk a lot, and when I got home, I couldn't stop vomiting.After that, more than a dozen invitations were sent every day, and all the invitations that could be pushed were pushed.

After the government soldiers have rewarded each other for their achievements, they have to send them back separately. I have never bothered with the cumbersome statistics and bookkeeping, so I let Xu Bo and the others talk to Yousi.I got tired of the flattery and flattery of officials in central Beijing within two days. I simply rode to the station alone, and stayed with each of the military sergeants for a while, saying goodbye to my previous life.

That morning, when he was about to go out, Mingyuan paid a visit. He was also a favorite like me. He was so busy that he took half a day off, so the two of them found a tea shop to hide and talk.

After Dr. Tea brewed a pot of Yuqian Longjing, he closed the door and left.Mingyuan poured it for me first, and the room was filled with fragrance in an instant.

"Believe it or not, someone will secretly complain to His Majesty soon, saying that you are dissatisfied with His Majesty's award and harbor resentment?"

I said indifferently: "Bright wind and bright moon, why be afraid of people's words?"

He put the teacup close to his nose, turned it around and sniffed lightly, with an elegant look, but he said something completely different: "You think that if you push back the invitation to the banquet, you can get rid of the suspicion of traffic officials. I hate you. In addition, you go to the Chanhe camp to hang out every day, and it is more than enough to be labeled as an incitement to the army."

I sigh. "So I'm not even allowed to go to places where I can relax a little?"

"When you relax, others will be nervous. It's easy to say anything else. His Majesty must hold it firmly in his hands. I think if you want to get the head of this item, you'd better stay at home obediently and want to play. Just learn from others and spend the day and drink recklessly."

"So from now on, you will spend your heavy waist and temples until you die?"

Mingyuan raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you content?"

"You don't have to act so happy." He and Xu Bo and others have persuaded me to "do big things" over the years, not once or twice.

He smiled slyly, the corners of his eyes raised high. "When we fought in the Northeast the year before last, the mountains and forests along the Tuosi River were only about eighty miles away. The terrain was unfamiliar and the weather was extremely cold. The soldiers couldn't stand it. Regardless of everyone's opposition, you insisted on leading the attack yourself. After winning the battle, I also lay in bed for a full month. Who would believe that a person who is desperate to fight for every inch of land on the battlefield will suddenly become a sick cat when he returns to the court?"

"That's opening up borders for the country. How can we say the same thing? After all, the world has stabilized. Father and elder brother are about to show their talents in running the common government. I'm a warrior, why should I join in the fun?"

His eyes were wide open, and he sprayed out a mouthful of tea, I turned sideways quickly, almost being splashed all over my head and face by him.

"What are you doing?" I frowned.Is this person Zhai Mingyuan, a Confucian general recognized in the military as an outstanding man?

He didn't feel guilty at all, wiped his lips with a handkerchief, and said, "I just feel that the words 'a martial artist' have nothing to do with you. In terms of literary talent and martial arts, how can you not compare to that Highness?"

To me, it would be great if he was just such a simple meeting.

Seeing that I was silent, he had no choice but to start another topic: "I met Xu Bo today. He heard from someone in the Ministry of War that after the imperial court was dismissed yesterday, His Majesty discussed law revision with the important ministers."

"That's good." I agreed casually.

Mingyuan stretched out his finger and poked my forehead. "Hey, are you really ignorant or are you just pretending to be stupid? Your Majesty's revision of laws is not for the sake of military power?"

"Do I understand the importance?" I rested my chin on my hand and held the tea set in front of my eyes to observe.

Even if he didn't say it, how could I not know the joint?I lead troops to fight, and the soldiers I use are not only the government soldiers recruited from various places, but also the government troops belonging to the Prince Wei's residence.

With the continuous fighting, the number of my pro-military forces has also swelled to the point where it can threaten the capital. Once the laws of this dynasty are revised, there is no reason why I should not be attacked.Not to mention that the other brothers have never been to the battlefield, but if you want to talk about it, although the soldiers and horses under the elder brother and Zhaolong will not surpass me, they must be more restrained.

Throughout the dynasties, as long as the emperor was not particularly fatuous, he would never leave any room for his subordinates to support their own self-respect.Although we are all the biological sons of the father, and the crown prince will inherit the throne, as long as the father is still on the throne, there is no certainty that changes will not happen.

Mingyuan frowned. "What's the matter with you? You're so listless."

I simply put down the tea bowl, lay down on the table, and said weakly: "If I am full of energy every day and hang out with the rich and powerful, I will not seek death."

He grabbed my head by the braids of my hair, and said bitterly: "You don't do anything, you are still waiting to die! Do you want to learn from this past half a century before doing big things? You and him are not in the same situation. Similarly, now that the world has been settled, your reputation is rising, the hearts of the people want you, and you have soldiers and horses in your hands, if you don’t start now, you will never have such a god-sent opportunity in the future!”

It's all about these!I waved his hand away and said impatiently: "The emperor and the crown prince are my close relatives. What's wrong with them that forced me to raise an army in order to replace them? You and I are indeed heroes in the eyes of everyone now, but as long as If you take one more step, the label of inhumanity, injustice, loyalty and filial piety will be immediately buckled. In a war, it is the people of Li who suffer the most. How long do you think you can survive like this?"

He stared at me blankly, and then said after a long while: "It's all about taking the wrong way and keeping the right way."

"Okay, don't say these words again, I won't do it."

I stood up and pressed his shoulders, "Elder brother is not very talented, but as long as you work hard, it is not difficult to keep the promise, whether you are excluded or suspected, let's give it a try and enjoy a few years of peace."

"What tone? Do you think you are an old man?"

Seeing that I was determined, his attitude changed very quickly, and he laughed and scolded, "I've never seen you so respectful and filial, and I've never said anything bad about my brother in my life."

I laughed dryly and looked away with some guilt.

"I don't know what you're thinking." He muttered, then coughed violently.He has been weak since he was a child, and he has been fighting with me all these years, and his body has become much stronger. However, during the battle of Qiongbu Pass more than half a year ago, an arrow in his right chest injured his lungs, and the root cause of his illness has since fallen.

Neither the prince nor the title of Wusan stipulates that government affairs need to be dealt with. According to the law, only the first and fifteenth faces of the first day are required.

The day after drinking tea with Mingyuan, I specifically asked for a pilgrimage, and proposed to my father to return the part of the military power that Yue made to the court. By the way, I explained my previous stay in Chanhe as a dispute with the old subordinates.

The number of troops I want to return is about [-], and they are all elites. All the officials were shocked for a while, and the emperor was very happy, and praised my father-in-law for his loyalty to the country.

Since I was the one who suffered the most, I took the initiative to speak up, and within a few days, my brother and Zhaolong also went to the court to surrender their troops.

I have no dissent, but in order to seek stability, I must not let my father feel the slightest threat. Sure enough, if someone later hinted at my father's intentions in front of my father, I would be reprimanded without exception.

Ming Yuan and Lu Shuanghu both regretted that I had broken my arm, and only Xu Bo agreed with the surrender of military power.He said that if this move works, it can be advanced, attacked, retreated or defended, which is a brilliant move.

I understand what he means. These [-] elite soldiers must be in batches to enrich the imperial palace guards and the army of the princes and nobles everywhere. Although they are broken down into pieces at the moment, as long as the army's heart is with me, if something happens, it may be even more effective.

I don't hope that "something will happen", but I am not afraid of "something will happen". No matter what happens, I am confident that I can remain invincible.

Looking back many years later, how naive I was at that time.

The factions in Jingli are more complicated than I imagined.In the second year of Yongchang, his mother died of illness. Although he had established the title of emperor at that time, he was just like the Caotou kings everywhere, occupying a little territory and precarious.

The mother did not enjoy the blessings, and the father took it as a pity that he would never be a descendant in his life.The eldest son has only his elder brother. I thought his crown prince position should be considered stable. After all, no one is qualified to compete with him. I didn't expect that once people have ambitions, qualifications and other things, they will throw them away without hesitation. the back of the head.Compared with them, I am really a bit pedantic.

The affairs of the harem are currently under the control of Concubine Guo Shu.Concubine Guo Shu is an old man of the Duke's Mansion, she is only one or two years younger than her father, and she has already passed the age of being favored, because her mother's family is a prominent family in Hejian, she has a pair of children, and she acts cautiously, so she is very prestigious .

She is cautious, but she can't restrain her brothers and sons. Guo Shufei's fourth brother Zhaohong and her younger brother Zhongshusheren Guo Tan take turns to fight, and they keep sending people to me, from antique calligraphy and paintings to stunning beauties to magical soldiers Sharp weapon, everything has been given a round.

Not to mention anything else, except for my elder brother and fifth younger brother, I have never been close to any brothers, so this kind of big gift is absolutely unbearable, so every time I write a letter expressing my gratitude and return it to them together with the gift.They invited a banquet, I asked if my elder brother and Zhaolong were invited, so I also said I was sick and declined.

Such an attitude should be obvious, Zhaohong can pretend that he doesn't know, and bring his wife and children to the door, and come to be an unexpected guest affectionately.

Since people are here, it is not good to neglect them. Li and Zhai arranged a banquet to entertain them, and invited several officials from the palace to accompany them.During the meeting, he praised my achievements as a powerful force in the world, repeatedly implying that the prince did not contribute as much as I did at the time of the creation, and he kept talking about his brother's bad deeds with embellishments.

He is obese and has poor manners, and his words are annoying to listen to. I don't want to look at him, and I don't bother to speak perfunctory words, so I just eat my food in silence.

The banquet was boring, and finally he got up to say goodbye. I happily saw off the guests, but when I arrived at the gate, he held my hand and said softly: "I know how important I am, I didn't dare to be more If you think about it unreasonably, the second brother doesn’t need to avoid me like a snake and a scorpion. I just came to the door to say: If it’s useful, my sixth and seventh brothers and I will stick to each other to the death.”

These words really exceeded my expectations, and I couldn't react for a while.He opened his hands lightly as if nothing happened, bent slightly to pick up the youngest child, moved his obese body, and climbed into the car with difficulty.

I used to think that there are only two kinds of people who show affection to me, one is to win me as a strong support for the faction they belong to, and the other is to hope to gain my favor so that they can climb the line of the prince.I didn't expect that there are still people who want to join me and confront my brother, it seems that there are not a few.

The sixth and seventh brothers, their respective close officials, and several princes' sons-in-law probably all had this idea.Is it because my brother is unpopular, or am I unknowingly being regarded as Sima Zhao, or are these people just afraid that the world will not be chaotic?

The intimacy of people in the officialdom is different from the outspoken friendship of reckless tycoons like Lu Shuanghu. They spend a lot of time inquiring about all your likes and dislikes, and they are thoughtful of you in every way. Flattery is not just lip service. Living and traveling, even traveling and sightseeing, every detail is spared, so as to serve you to the bone and marrow, and introduce them as bosom friends.

I have not been loved by my father since I was a child, and I have never seen such a battle in the army. Now I am praised by a group of people. Yes, I still know what's going on in my heart, so I have been dealing with it in a non-salty and not indifferent manner, as if I were watching a world.

I think I can handle it, but others may not see it that way.

First, Zhaolong came to the door, and after saying some unreasonable things, he suddenly asked: "I heard that Zhang Shaojian gave my second brother a good bow? Can you open my eyes?"

I sent someone to present that bow. The shape of this bow is very different from that of the Central Plains. The young supervisor in the hall said that this bow was obtained from the country in the far west. It was extremely heavy, and it was fully inlaid with ivory and emerald patterns. Zhaolong couldn't pick it up, and took another deep breath before holding it in his hand.

He plucked an empty string, and the whole hall resounded.

"It really is a good bow!" he praised.

I took the bow he handed back, raised my arms and stretched it to the full, compared to the sky outside the corridor, and said: "It's a pity that there are too many extravagances, flashy."

Zhaolong chuckled: "The so-called bird is exhausted, and now the world is unified, Zhang Shaojian still wants to give such a sharp weapon to the second brother, it really doesn't make sense."

I stayed on his face for a while before I said, "That's true, but it can still be used when hunting."

Zhaolong sighed exaggeratedly. "Second brother hunts every day and lives a carefree life. I really envy others."

I suppressed my displeasure, and said with a smile: "Didn't Wu Lang also persuade me to be a rich and idle person? A rich and honored idler should be like this."

"Speaking of wealthy and idle people, I remembered that I met my eldest brother yesterday, and he told me that he was studying history, "Taikang lost the country, and the five Kun and younger brothers must write "Song of the Five Sons" in Luoyang." I said that was also very good. , the brothers are together, share the joys and sorrows, enjoy the joys of suffering. But he is still entangled in military generals stealing the country, and hates it."

When he talked about elder brother, I listened intently, who knew it was such a bastard pointing at a monk and scolding a donkey, so I couldn't help frowning and said: "Second brother, I'm a rough man, I don't read much, so I don't understand your nonsense. Literal words."

In fact, Taikang indulged in field hunting and did not practice political affairs, and this was the disaster of losing the country. No matter what the elder brother did, he would not think of Taikang himself. The song of the five sons is also a song of complaint.Most of these remarks were made up by some half-literate scholar Zhaolong heard, and seeing how frothy he said, I didn't bother to expose them.

He waved his hand. "Second brother, don't be too modest. When I was young, my teacher taught me homework. You always read well, so I don't need my elder brother to worry about it. But it's good for me to skip classes. My elder brother took care of me more at that time, and I still move around frequently." , the young and vigorous face is quite attractive.

I said coldly: "Friendship is the most important thing. If you walk around and be lazy, you may not be able to do it accurately." I was fed up with Zhaolong showing off the close relationship between my brother and him. When the elder brother retired, he still stayed at home to eat and drink, and lived comfortably as a dandy.

Zhaolong was young after all, when he heard what I said, his expression immediately changed, and he said angrily, "If you really know your heart, the second brother should know what you are most taboo about being a prince. I think sometimes, you'd better restrain yourself." !"

"I have no regrets. I'm afraid that there are some unworthy people who have a villain's heart and spread some false words every day. They always hope that your second brother will be destroyed." I shook my head and sighed pretendingly, and then coughed again. He said several times, "Oh, I'm a little tired. Zhaolong, let's stop here today, Boss Jin."

"exist."

"see a visitor out."

Any more and I'll beat him up!

It's not that I didn't feel the change in my brother's attitude. When I first returned to Beijing, my brother not only met frequently, but also sent his family's cronies to visit him every now and then, and exchanged gifts.But gradually, the private invitations disappeared, and the servants who greeted him disappeared. I thought that my brother was only temporarily blocked by the public talk, and based on the friendship between us, it would be fine if we figured it out after a while.

That day when I came home from the Marquis of Changqing’s mansion, I was sitting in two carriages with Mrs. Li and Mrs. Zhai. The attendant said that the prince’s carriage was coming towards me. , A few words, it is a good opportunity to restore the relationship, if he is not busy, I simply propose to sit in the Jiaofang for a while, to make him happy.

It stands to reason that when vehicles and drivers meet on a narrow road, the humble person should avoid the venerable one. With my mind set, I ordered the carriage to be parked aside, got down and stood by the roadside, and greeted him personally when he came over.

The convoy flying the Eastern Palace flag gradually approached and stopped less than five feet away from me.

It seems that my brother also knows that I am here, and intends to chat.

I happily walked forward a few steps, and suddenly I saw a middle-aged man who looked like a temple servant waved his guard of honor and ordered loudly: "Left!"

The whole convoy turned in an instant and turned into a passage on the left.The passage was so small that the Prince's carriage could barely pass through, and the group of people was packed to the brim.

They go clean quickly.I froze in place, standing blankly on the empty street, and the ingratiating smile that I hadn't put away in time seemed extremely stupid.

"My lord?" Consorts Li and Zhai lifted the curtain and poked their heads out of the car.

Where did I have the mind to pay attention to them, and walked on the road with drooping shoulders.The coachman probably also understood the situation just now, and he didn't dare to call me back, so he drove the carriage and followed behind him at a leisurely pace.

Elder brother has eyes and ears, so how can he not know the little actions of those people below.He wasn't afraid of me, he just used distance to warn me and the "careful people" to keep to our duty.

He doesn't believe me.This infuriates me more than apathy.

I can do anything for him, I don't ask him to understand, and I don't expect him to return. Now I just hear rumors that are not true, and I don't even want to give me alms when I meet and say a word?He can ask me to question, scold me or beat me up, it's not that there is no straightforward solution, how can he control me?

Could it be that after all these years, I still only have such a little weight in his mind, and I only deserve this kind of treatment?In his view, me and other siblings and other relatives are just the same existence?

I came to him several times to explain, but was turned back with various excuses.The tenth time I was rejected, facing the stiff tone and posture of the prison guards, I couldn't bear it, so I rushed into the East Palace.

It was almost late at night, and the guards on duty kept stopping me. My eyes were red, and I drew out my sword and slashed wildly.There was a huge disparity between the number of people and I couldn't fight it alone, but they didn't dare to hurt me. In the end, no one dared to approach me, so they could only try to surround me.

Not long after I arrived at the dormitory, I rushed in without even thinking about it. My brother, wearing only his shirt, pushed open the door and shouted at me, "Erlang! What do you want?"

When I saw him, I stood still and was about to speak, when a large number of guards stood between me and him, pointing their sharp weapons at me.

"Get out of the way!" I swung my sword, cutting off the spears of several of them.

A deputy leader of the prison gate led the mansion shouted: "His Royal Highness, what is your intention to enter the East Palace with a sword?"

I snorted, and said angrily: "Even if I, Sun Zhaoan, kill all the people in the world, I will never hurt your master's hair! Are you going to let me go or not?"

The guard didn't respond, and there was a stalemate.

"Get out of the way." Brother's voice sounded from behind the crowd.

"Your Highness?"

The elder brother emphasized his tone: "Get out of the way!"

The deputy leader of the prison gate waved his hand, and the guards immediately lined up on both sides, their weapons still aimed at me.

He approached me slowly, his brows and eyes became clear gradually, I hadn't seen his face up close for a long time, it seemed like a lifetime ago.

I threw down the sword, and the sound of "Kuang Clang" was extremely ear-piercing in the night.

My brother stood still three steps away from me. I really wanted to get closer to him, so I couldn't help but step forward, and he immediately took a step back.

Ha, this is what he considers the distance between monarch and minister, isn't it?

"After all these years, haven't I trusted you enough?" I asked in a hissed voice, my eye sockets were hot and sour, but my whole body was bone-chillingly cold.

Elder brother hung his head and said nothing, I waited until I felt that the long night was about to pass, then he raised his head and said with a sad face, "Erlang, talk inside."

I followed him into the bedroom under the watchful eyes of the guards, and the maid held his clothes in panic. It seemed that he had not gone to bed, but had just finished his bath.Thinking about it this way, the fragrance from my brother's body became clearer.

He repelled the palace people and led me to sit in the outer hall.

I looked down at my knees and could still feel his probing eyes. I was so angry that I didn't want to speak first.

"Erlang," he has a soft voice. He has been the crown prince for six years and has never been able to learn a strong tone, "I didn't mean to break your heart."

I suddenly looked up at him, and couldn't help but say in a child's awkward tone: "But I'm sad."

He smiled wryly. "You have to know that everyone is innocent, but pregnant is guilty."

"I didn't ask for that piece of jade myself!"

What did he say?I slammed the table and yelled at him: "Father ordered me to send troops everywhere, do you want me to refuse? Are you just now jealous that I have won too many battles? Are you too heartless? Or would you rather Dingyang?" A soldier loses his bet and is punished by the Nine Clans?”

"Father only believes in you. Even if others ask for a fight, he won't allow it."

At this moment, I saw the jealousy in my brother's eyes, the naked eyes that tried to hide but failed, and I saw a burst of resentment and sadness in my heart.

"In the eyes of my father, only you are the successor. I just worked hard for you. Even my father can believe that I have no heart for you. Why can't you?"

The world is so big that Sun Zhaoan is not the only one who can be the commander in chief, but the emperor only uses one Sun Zhaoan.It sounds good to be a father and son soldier in battle, but after all, they lack stamina and are hard to tolerate.Father, father, you think that other people's success is considered as the master of merit, and your son's merit is your own merit. Let's see, how naive your decision is.

The number one family in the world, Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, and King Lu are not the father, elder brother, and Goro back then.No one has the clean expression of that year. Under the dark palace, deep suspicion and hostility are wrapped in layers.

I can accept all kinds of calculations from my father and all my brothers and sisters, but I can't bear the slightest alienation in my brother's eyes.But now his attitude towards me is clearly more defensive than his other siblings.

"You don't have a second heart, so what?" The elder brother was not moved at all, looked at me, and thought he analyzed logically: "When the father was in Dingyang, he didn't have the determination to win the championship, and his strength was not half of what you are now. , Aren’t we all trying to force him into trouble? There are too many things that people can’t help themselves in the court.”

I grabbed his shoulder and said through gritted teeth, "I am different from my father, I will never betray you."

I used too much force, he frowned, and said in confusion: "To be honest, I still don't understand what you can get from swearing loyalty to me. Those ministers and royal relatives assisted me, some for fame, some for profit, You don’t lack both, right? Even if I ascend the throne, I can’t give you more than now, and I don’t see the need for you to follow me.”

He didn't know what to think of, smiled weakly, and continued: "To be honest, if I were in your position, I would never be satisfied with the title of Prince."

I just want to be by your side, I just want to see that you are all right!Long Yang is rebellious, brothers are rebellious, and the two barriers are blocking me. I can't even reveal to you what is on my mind. What else can I ask for besides being close to guard?

Suppressing the sadness in my heart, I said quietly: "I just want to see my eldest brother from time to time and talk about my brotherhood."

He stared at me as if he was being insulted by the sky, and said coldly: "Erlang, although elder brother is not as talented as you, but he is still young, and he is no longer a child. If you use this kind of perfunctory words, you will treat me as a child." What?"