Xijing Chronicle

In the empty waterside pavilion, there is a melodious sound of Xiao, interspersed with the crisp sound of the piano, which is like a carefree girl born in spring, and like an orchid in a mountain stream far away from the world. It is ethereal and beautiful, pure and beautiful.

This piece of music has never been heard before, the rhythm is cheerful, the player's fingering is smooth, it is indeed a good piece, King Kuilang closed his eyes leisurely, his knuckles could not help tapping lightly on the table along with the tune.

However, what is very disturbing is that there will always be a painful muffled sound between the songs. A broken groan/groan, even if you don't open your eyes, you can almost imagine what kind of inhuman torture the man lying in the middle of the room is enduring.

King Kuilang finally opened his eyes unbearably, and looked at the center of the room: on the floor tiles made of white jade, the man was curled up in pain, his eyes were filled with water, but he lost his spirit, and his long black hair seemed to be knotted. Like withered grass, disgusting and embarrassing—not long ago, Grandpa Quan said that he wanted to make him remember well, and asked people to rub the sweet and greasy syrup on his wounds, and then asked people to put a bunch of different Knowing what kind of bugs were on his body, those bugs were addicted to sweets, and after smelling the smell of honey syrup, they crazily burrowed into his wound.The well-informed King Kuilang paused for a few breaths, and almost vomited while holding the table.

Even though he had been prepared for the ruthlessness of Grandpa Quan, King Kuilang still felt a sense of fear from the bottom of his heart when he saw that scene for the first time.

This person, Quan Chengen, can't be messed with, can't be messed with!

As for the man on the ground, he was able to remain silent while being tortured, which made King Kuilang respect him while pitying him.

"Middle official, a good banquet, it's not worth the loss to let a pariah ruin their taste for nothing." The music came to a short end, and suddenly fell down. Taking advantage of this gap, King Kuilang uttered a voice to persuade.

"Since His Highness is begging for mercy, let's spare his life for the time being." Eunuch Quan stuffed a grape into his mouth, looked at the tortured man under the steps, with a perverted pleasure in his eyes, and his breathing was heavy After a few minutes, he calmed down after a while, and ordered, "When this piece of music is over, you go and wash him up."

"Yes."

Just at this time, the tune was lifted up again, like a girl falling in love, making people feel sweet and joyful. Eunuch Quan seemed to love this tune so much that he even squinted his eyes and hummed a few lines, waiting until the tune He stopped and giggled happily.

"What tune is this?"

"Returning to the Zhongguanren," Gu Huaisheng said meekly, "it's a song I made up myself, called 'Spring Love'."

"As expected of the person recommended by the crown prince, he is indeed quite talented. The Sa family is waiting for you to make up a birthday song." Eunuch Quan was in a good mood, and his hand was very generous, "Reward!"

After the song, Eunuch Quan let go very graciously, and Xue Zinu followed Gu Huaisheng out of the waterside pavilion holding the piano, feeling that his whole body was drenched in sweat, as if he had saved his life. This whole mansion is really not a place for people to stay.

After tossing all afternoon and evening, they hadn't eaten anything yet, and they were already starving from hunger, but when he thought of what happened in the water pavilion just now, he didn't have any appetite. He just wanted to find a place to vomit.

After walking a section of gravel road, Xue Zinu tripped over something and staggered. Fortunately, he reached out a pair of hands from the slanted ground to support him in time, so that he was saved.

With a bitter face, Xue Zinu said tremblingly: "Brother Gu, after the birthday banquet is over, let's go back quickly..."

"Ah."

Gu Huaisheng held his hand, as if he wanted to lend him strength, but this hand was even colder, without a trace of heat. Xue Zinu couldn't help shivering under his hold, "Gu, Brother Gu, Are you OK?"

"I'm sorry..." Gu Huaisheng had lost his mind just now, but he suddenly came back to his senses after being called out, and calmly withdrew his hands and hid them in his wide sleeves, and said slowly, "I'm fine, and you will be fine. "

"Well, we are also the sons of the prince..." Gu Huaisheng's tone was too calm, and Xue Zinu became much calmer after being infected by him.It was only when he calmed down that the curiosity he had suppressed for a long time surged up, Xue Zinu looked around like a thief, and lowered his voice, "Besides, at our age, Grandpa Quan should also look down on... but It's strange to say, I heard that Eunuch Quan only likes young boys, but the man at the banquet today is about our age, I don't know why he fell into Eunuch Quan's eyes..."

Gu Huaisheng interrupted him: "Don't talk nonsense."

"Oh," Xue Zinu closed his mouth obediently, but in the blink of an eye he brought up another topic, "By the way, I've been wanting to ask, how did you omit that piece of music just now, where there was obviously a section of your solo at the end?" gone."

Gu Huaisheng pursed his lips and glanced at him lightly, but Xue Zinu was not afraid of him, and laughed: "Brother Gu, are you pitiful for that person? I knew you were soft-hearted."

Are you soft-hearted?

Gu Huaisheng lowered his eyes and sighed silently, unable to express his mood.The so-called kindness is nothing but a pastime that the rich and powerful can have after dinner. For someone like him who has nothing, this kind of thing is really too extravagant.

After going to the kitchen to collect a pile of cold food and stuffing it into his stomach, it was already time, no matter how lively and noisy the whole house was during the day, there was only silence left at this moment.

In order to digest, Gu Huaisheng walked aimlessly in Xiyuan.The Xiyuan is full of unworthy things such as male pets, musicians, etc., but the scenery has not been downgraded because of the owner. During the day, it is already a scene of exquisite luxury. Flowers, grasses, mountains and rocks are shrouded in layers, and there is a sense of mystery and tranquility.

Gu Huaisheng strolled, and unknowingly reached the westernmost point, stopped slightly, looked around, this place is probably the most desolate place in the whole mansion, only one courtyard stands alone in the corner, and the flowers and plants grow wilder than other places, The constant chirping of insects adds a bit of natural wildness.

The gate of the private courtyard was not closed, Gu Huaisheng couldn't help but take a look inside when he passed by, but he didn't want his glance to meet the kneeling people in the courtyard.

It was this glance that made his feet seem to have taken root, and he could no longer take a step forward.

This was the first time he had seen this person's eyes so positively.

What kind of eyes are those?

Dark, dead, numb, lifeless.

Probably all the most hopeless words in the world can be piled on top of it. Watched by these eyes, his heart, which he claims to have practiced long ago, suddenly contracted suddenly, so he frowned, and couldn't help but walk two steps forward. step.

"What's your name?"

The man knelt there motionless, as if he hadn't heard anything, Gu Huaisheng waited patiently for a moment, and asked again.This time it was finally nothing, the man blinked dryly, struggling to identify who was coming, his movements were like rusted gears turning slowly, it was extremely difficult for all the signals from the outside world to reach his mind It took a long time before he finally had a slight reaction to Gu Huaisheng's arrival.

And this slight reaction was just moving his chapped lips, but he couldn't make any sound. Gu Huaisheng hesitated for a moment, and leaned forward, feeling the warm breath in his cochlea. Just as he was about to listen carefully, his hands fell. At this moment, he suddenly grasped his wrist!

The man was like a prisoner beast trapped in the abyss. At this moment, all his strength suddenly broke out, and he squeezed his wrist forcefully, firmly, and firmly.

Gu Huaisheng was startled. He wanted to struggle, but he froze when the hoarse, earnest, and weak voice reached his ears.

"help me!"

This person... obviously has such hopeless and empty eyes, but there is such a desire to survive in his voice. Is it because of his sister in Jiaofang?Living in such a state of neither life nor death, I don't know whether to call him respectable or pity him.

The next moment, the man seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and he closed his eyes and fell forward. Gu Huaisheng quickly caught him, his eyes lingered complicatedly on his face for a long time, and finally landed on his closed eyes, sighing heavily tone.

The episode of this night was quickly forgotten by Gu Huaisheng. After getting used to living in Quanfu, his daily life became dull. During the day, he and Xue Zinu discussed the music to be played at the birthday banquet, He would take a walk in the evening as usual, but he didn't know whether it was intentional or not, he never went to that lonely yard again, and he never saw the man who didn't want to die again.

But the good times didn't last long, and the man he wanted to avoid somehow came to the door one afternoon on his own initiative.

It was the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and the weather gradually became hot and humid. After eating, the two maids disappeared. I don't know where they went to play. Gu Huaisheng and Xue Zinu also put the table that was originally placed in the courtyard. The chair was moved under the veranda, so as to block the increasingly blazing sun.

And at this moment, there was a sound of rustling footsteps from the Moon Gate.

"Who—ah!"

Xue Zinu raised his head while yawning, but when he saw someone coming, the yawn was stuck in the middle of the way, his eyes were rounded, and his mouth was half opened, which looked cute and funny.The protracted "ah" also changed suddenly after being frightened.

"Ok?"

Gu Huaisheng could not help but raise his head when he heard something was wrong, and then couldn't help frowning.

The one standing in the courtyard was none other than Quan Chengen's male favorite.

The few times I saw him before, he was either naked or covered with scars. This is the first time I saw him dressed so neatly. As the saying goes, a man depends on his clothes, and it is true. This person has broad shoulders and a long body With the clothes rack off, standing there still has an unspeakably upright temperament. If someone doesn't know, he will definitely think him as a son of some family.

Just a pair of eyes has become the only flaw.

These eyes are no longer out of focus and absent minded, but instead they are more like a pool of stagnant water, without the slightest expression, only the lifelessness buried under the calm of the sea.

Gu Huaisheng couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but then he thought he was funny again—these eyes, after all, are only similar in shape, how can anyone have such a pair of eyes that are so energetic that they seem to be full of the scorching sun? He just died... His head was taken off the city wall by himself, and his body was buried with his own hands...

When he came back to his senses, Gu Huaisheng realized that he had lost his mind again unknowingly. He cleared his throat to cover up his gaffe just now, and asked calmly, "Why did you come to our place?"

Probably because of the pair of godlike eyes, there was a little more hostility in his tone that he didn't even notice.

"Don't worry, both of you, no one saw me when I came," the man said indifferently, and he didn't seem to feel uncomfortable at all because of Gu Huaisheng's slightly alienated and repelling tone, but he didn't go any further, but stood where he was , took out a palm-sized cloth bag from his arms, hesitated for a moment and gently put it on the ground in front of him, lowered his eyes and said, "This is all the silver taels I have on hand. , I'm afraid I won't live until today... My wound healed very quickly, and the medicine the young master gave me must not be cheap, but the money should be enough."

This is...remuneration?

This person's attitude of not owed to each other is also interesting. He is obviously in prison and will never see tomorrow, and he looks ashamed all day long, but he still has the leisure to do such superfluous things.

Gu Huaisheng raised his eyebrows imperceptibly, but was quickly suppressed by him, nodded and said indifferently: "Got it."

Hearing his words, the man turned around and left.It's just that he looked very calm from the beginning to the end, but the steps of leaving seemed a bit hasty and messy. Gu Huaisheng looked at his back steadily, as if he saw the humiliation, patience and inferiority that were desperately suppressed in his heart. At this moment They all danced and jumped out, eating away the little ridiculous dignity left like demons.

That's right, it's ridiculous, isn't it ridiculous, a male favorite who is struggling to survive, but still cares about these...

Unable to tell what thoughts were churning in his heart, Gu Huaisheng pressed his chest uncomfortably, trying to suppress those inexplicable thoughts.At this moment, Xue Zinu, who couldn't sit still, had already picked up the purse, patted the ashes on it, and handed it to Gu Huaisheng.

"Brother Gu, I think this is quite heavy, open it and have a look?"

"Ah."

Xue Zinu couldn't wait to open the purse, poured out all the bits and pieces of silver inside, counted them, and exclaimed: "This, it's four or five taels! What kind of medicine is worth so much money?" , Brother Gu, let's send him back..."

"Send it back for what?" Gu Huaisheng took the money bag from his hand, and slowly swept all the broken silver into it.The Yulu Muscle-Increasing Ointment prepared by the genius doctor Gu Yuwuyan is not worth a thousand dollars. This amount of money may not even be able to afford the size of a fingernail.Moreover, even if the value of the plaster is not mentioned, "I saved his life, can't I even afford this little money?"

Gu Huaisheng said unintentionally, but Xue Zinu became a little angry: "How can you say that, he is in such a situation now, I don't know how to save the four or five taels of silver, he gave you all his belongings," said At the back, he lowered his voice again, blinked his eyes and begged, "Brother Gu, we are not short of money anyway, why don't we return the money to him..."

Gu Huaisheng was startled, shook his head and sighed: "You... Do you mean that I want his life-saving money, but the money has to be collected."

"Is not it……"

Xue Zinu looked at him blankly, and Gu Huaisheng had no choice but to continue to explain: "He gave me the money to protect the dignity of being a human being in the end. If you return the money, it is out of kindness for you. But to him, it is alms, pity, and cruelly tearing up the last thing he wants to protect."

His eyes fell on the money bag in his hand, his eyes were misty and far away, thousands of thoughts rushed in, but they were quickly suppressed under the calm sea, no one could see them.

The purse is obviously not heavy, but it is heavy in the palm of his hand. Through the purse, he seems to see himself a long time ago, who is also imprisoned, lonely, struggling with the broken body of an ant.

But the difference is that I was determined to survive, and finally stood up after breaking through, seeking benevolence and benevolence, but this man was determined to die, but he couldn't.