Clam Pearl

When Gu Maochang became ill, his family never dared to mention the matter of him again. Even in the past few days, the old man and the old lady have been around him, looking for anything delicious and interesting for him, as long as he is willing. Open your mouth and ask everyone in Yue Yue's family to build him a ladder.

Unfortunately, he just refused to say.

From Gu Yan's point of view, the child is promising, nothing else, he knows how to write the word "shame and ugly".So he looked forward and even imagined that his son could be like him when he was young. If he was bullied by someone, he would definitely hide in a corner and take revenge.It's just that in the future, I'm afraid I won't hear Xiao Si's smirk again.

There was really no other way, so Gu Yan had no choice but to take his son with him wherever he went, accompanying him from morning till night, just like a 24-filial father.

In the early morning of this day, Gu Yan went to Xiaosi's courtyard early, saw that the servant had cleaned up for him, and then led him for a walk in the garden, and after a stroll, he arrived outside Gu Zhao's courtyard.

"Your uncle Seventh, he's been busy recently, so let's not disturb him! Let's go to the back, your Uncle Seventh asked someone to practice some kind of water technique, he can spray water by himself, and Dad will take you to see it." Gu Yan has a good temper , took his son and left.

It's a pity that Gu Maochang didn't move, just staring at the gate of Suyunyuan.

During this time, Gu Zhao was doing stone miracles. Gu Yan never dared to let anyone disturb him. Even his two disciples, Gu Yan sent them to Beidi to pick up his second son's family. Gu Yunjing, the grandson of Gu Zhao, has gone. Didn’t the second child say that he brought two white camels and a pony for Gu Zhao? Anyway... he told him to go, who would dare not go.

The father and son were in a stalemate, and the round door of Suyun Courtyard slowly opened, and inside the door stood a handsome young man, wearing a short cotton robe, and saluted with an amiable smile: "Master, Fourth Master, Seventh Master!" Lord invites you to go in." After Fu Ji saluted, he stepped aside.

Gu Yan sighed slightly, and had no choice but to drag his son inside. Xiao Si was so skinny that he almost lost weight, and he felt distressed and hated at the same time.

In the open courtyard of Suyunyuan, Gu Zhaozheng was climbing on a ladder, painting the beams with a paintbrush.

"Xiaoqi, what are you doing climbing so high?" Gu Yan looked scared and shouted while standing under the ladder.

Gu Zhao turned back and smiled, there was still a patch of color on the tip of his nose, he waved his paintbrush and said, "This house is old, I'm going to paint all the gallery paintings in this yard, anyway, I bought a lot of dyes, I'll do it tomorrow waste."

"Hurry up and get off, carefully fall!" Gu Yan looked scared and asked someone to help him up.

Gu Zhao got off the ladder, looked at the stunned Gu Maochang, smiled slightly, gave the paintbrush in his hand to Xizi, took the cloth handkerchief to wipe his hands, and turned around to order: "Go and fetch my best wine." , I will have a drink with my fourth nephew."

"He has been asleep for several days and you still tell him to drink!" Gu Yan disagreed.

Gu Zhao smiled lowly: "Brother doesn't understand, we have to be together to talk about this kind of young people's affairs, you, it's better to go back to your yard."

Gu Yan ignored him, and took his son to sit under the gallery, watching those slaves quickly set up a table of food and wine, and brought four or five jars of wine.

"Brother, you are not allowed to touch a drop today. You are taking medicine, so don't drink alcohol." Gu Zhao ignored his greedy look, just brought a large wine bottle, poured two bottles full, and handed it over. A cup was put into Gu Maochang's hand and he said: "There is a kind of person in the world who is the most hateful. Sometimes you know that he lied to you, blackmailed you, and betrayed you, but you just can't hate it. When you think of it, you will feel embarrassed." It hurts."

Gu Maochang's eyes were sore, so he picked up the wine bottle and drank it dry in tears. Gu Yan poured another glass for him: "You think about him, read about him, hold him, and he just doesn't know how good you are. Sometimes, Obviously it's done, you've thought of all the retreats for him and arranged everything, but he just has his own ideas and doesn't take you seriously at all, which is the most annoying thing."

The uncle and nephew clinked a glass and felt bored.

"People say that a man should not be easily shaken like a rock. It's a pity that there is such a steel knife of love in the world. It has been sharpened for you a long time ago. Just wait until that day, and it will cut you apart with one knife. , the wound is not big, but the whole body is full, one by one, not a piece of good flesh. That wound! It doesn't bleed, it just hurts, the pain that crushes you, so painful that you can't breathe, you can't speak, No one can say it, I can only hold it back, swallow it, hold it back, laugh when I see people, tell me, Xiaosi, what's the matter?"

Gu Xiaosi looked down at the wine bottle, tears flowed down, patter, patter, a few drops at first, then merged into a river, and then roared, hugging his uncle and crying loudly: "Uncle... woo..."

This crying made Gu Yan's liver tremble. Gu Zhao put his arms around his nephew who was one year older than him, and patiently patted his back to comfort him: "It's good to cry, cry, just cry this time, We won't cry in the future, the men of our Gu family can die and bleed, but they can't cry..."

Gu Yan was so angry that Xiao Si was close to him when he was young, what happened now, he betrayed?

"Uncle... woo woo!!!"

"Hey, hey! Tell me, those people are so boring, and you are advising us, men, whatever your identity, you should forget it and put it down. How plainly are these words? Why, who is not stupid once in this life, could it be because of us? The family background is precious, because people like us who are well-clothed and well-fed can’t encounter such trivial matters? The master is also a human being, not a piece of wood, so why don’t you cry, cry... we all cry together.”

Gu Yan sniffed, stood up, and slowly walked out of the yard. When he was out of the yard, he looked at his younger brother, why was he crying too?

The uncle and nephew got very drunk, and after waking up, the family no longer dared to keep Gu Maochang locked up. He could do whatever he wanted, and go wherever he wanted, just begging him not to look like a dead man.But Gu Maochang really learned it well. This time, he brought back many military books and read them carefully.

Eldest brother said that he will go to Guozi Academy in a few days, and while going up, he will also take a errand job at the military department. The Gu family is.

It is really reassuring to see Gu Maochang start to work hard, the whole family is big and small.Even Gu Yan was extremely grateful to the Jinzhu girl from the Yan family.If she hadn't been married, Xiaosi would have worked so hard today.

Well, Mr. Gu has made up his mind, if one day, that girl becomes a widow, he must ask someone to build a big archway for her!

Summer is hot and the heat is unbearable.The atmosphere of getting married in Beijing remained undiminished. On the [-]th day, there was a rumor from the palace that from now on, the whole capital would be under curfew, and people would be whipped thirty times when walking on the streets at night.In the middle of the night, every house is lit, and the whip is forty.

The general idea is that after the second watch today, I wandered around the street and received thirty lashes. At night, I went to the house at the third watch to light the lamps and received forty lashes.

Whenever there is a curfew, it is because the current situation is unstable, there are wars, and when disasters occur, extraordinary means are used. Now that Beijing and China are just safe, the world is settled!Could it be that His Majesty is crazy?

Many people think this way, but His Majesty does not see people, crazy or not, he has the final say, he says curfew, he says curfew, he says not to go out, everyone should stay at home together.

In a blink of an eye, the first day of curfew.

After the second watch, Xizai led the way slowly with a leather lamp. Gu Zhao held something in his arms and walked along the corridor in the garden to Gu Yan's study. Can't help chirping a few times, huffing and flying around, so frightened that the cranes that had been sleeping peacefully with one foot under the tree roots lifted their heads out from under their wings, looked at the visitor carefully, and then Turned around and went to the other side.

The master and servant walked for a while, and when they reached a rockery near the second gate, Xizai extinguished the lantern and Gu Zhao went around the rockery and entered a flower corridor behind the rockery. Gu Zhao pushed the door of the flower corridor open, and Xizai Zai sat at the door, standing very vigilantly.

This place is called Crane Garden, a small garden in Duke Gu’s mansion. It was named after twenty or thirty cranes. This courtyard originally belonged to Suyunyuan and Fufengyuan, but the owners of these two courtyards were not the same. They are not elegant people, nor do they love birds, so no one comes here often in their spare time, but Mianmian and the others often come here to collect flower petals and so on.

Gu Zhao entered the gallery in Heyuan. On the surface, this room is no different from the elegant room in ordinary homes dedicated to painting, drinking tea and playing. However, there is an extra small single room here. After that, you can go directly to a secret room in Fufengyuan over there.

Everything had been arranged long ago. If Gu Yan hadn't said anything, Gu Zhao would not have known that there was such a place in the small garden behind the study.

Butter candles are lit in the secret room. In the room, there are seven or eight holes that are as thick as bowls leading directly to the rockery in the Crane Garden, so you don’t feel stuffy. You can’t hear the lights and talk outside.

Gu Maobing had prepared the stationery long ago and polished the ink for a long time. Although he was uneasy, he still calmed down and waited silently for Qi Shu.

Finally, the low door behind him rang. Gu Maobing sat up and silently saluted Gu Zhao: "Uncle Qi, you are here."

Gu Zhao laughed and said, "What's the matter today? There's so much courtesy."

Gu Maobing forced himself to laugh and said, "It's not that bad, I just feel very flustered, and I don't panic when I see Uncle Seven."

Gu Zhao waved his hand, pulled him to sit down with him, and took a copper bar to make the candle light bigger.

Gu Maobing's face was pale by the candlelight of the butter candle, like a blank sheet of paper, Gu Zhao sighed, still frightened the child.

"Are you scared?" Gu Zhao asked him pretending to be relaxed.

Now, even a small random voice can scare Gu Maobing to the ground. Gu Zhao asked casually, which made the child tremble in fright. , Seventh Uncle, I had a nightmare yesterday, it scared me..."

Gu Zhao was still laughing there, and after laughing, he said to him: "Sing a part, vent... vent."

Gu Maobing nodded stiffly, stood up slowly, raised his hand casually, and walked around the room a few rounds of unsightly lotus steps. Gu Maobing's shadow flickered in the candle shadow, he was frightened by himself, almost He wanted to open his mouth, but couldn't utter half a word. In desperation, he had no choice but to go back to the desk, sat on the side, hugged his knees, and began to cry softly.

Gu Zhao ignored him and let him vent. For the ancients, this test was really difficult, especially for poor children like the Gu family who were brainwashed by loyalty and patriotism since childhood. Rapid tongue pain.

Gu Maobing cried for a long time, and suddenly heard the drumbeat of the third watch, he slowly raised his head, and murmured: "This is Shangjing, and the lights of Wanjia will not be seen tonight."

Gu Zhao smiled: "Well, we just look at his family lighting up the lamps. Do they have the right to die if they tell us to die, and to live if they tell us to live, no matter how hard the fathers died?" How many people have died, and your father, for them, we should die for them, we should be more honored, and we should be more grateful. For them, not everyone has the honor to die for them dead."

The ancients would not have thought of Gu Zhao's words with strong sarcasm, and even dared not even think about it. The education they received was like this. Monarchs and ministers, fathers and sons, this is the way of heaven.

"Uncle, shouldn't it be like this?" Gu Maobing was very puzzled, but he felt that what his uncle said was right, and he even felt that there was a little bit of relief when he said this, but this was said casually?

Gu Zhao sneered: "Of course not, Mao Bing, what do you think the emperor is?"

Gu Maobing thought for a long time, and borrowed a description from a set of ancient books: "There is a saying in ancient books, there are three emperors of heaven, earth and man in ancient times, the emperor of heaven has thirteen heads, the emperor of earth has eleven heads, the emperor of man has nine, and the ancient sage Emperor, it is said that he has a dragon face."

Gu Zhao smiled, picked up a brush and drew a picture of the emperor on the table. He has recently learned to paint, and he has made some progress in the line drawing of characters. At least the people he drew finally have a personal image, not like Gu Yan. , a rod with four forks, and a stick figure of a circle.

Gu Zhao painted the body of a person. This person is wearing a dragon robe, but his face is a dragon face, just like the Dragon King of the West Sea in the modern Journey to the West.

After painting, Gu Zhao turned the paper around, pushed it in front of Gu Maobing, pointed at the painting and said, "If you saw this person in Fangshi, what would you say?"

Gu Maobing looked at it carefully, and then said stupidly: "Monster... monster..."

Gu Zhao laughed: "That's right, a monster, but what does a monster look like?"

Gu Maobing's thoughts suddenly jumped to Nie Xiaoqian's appearance, and he murmured: "Very beautiful...can fly, very beautiful..."

Gu Zhao took a tube of unused pens and knocked him hard on the head: "Hey, the monster you think of is what you think, very beautiful, very beautiful. The emperor doesn't think so, the emperor thinks he is very great, so great, They don't want to be human anymore, they all want to be such monsters, a good human body needs eleven heads, think about it, how can such a slender neck grow eleven heads?

All these are just the ancestors of the emperors, who have long fabricated such miracles to frighten the illiterate common people and ordinary people, making people fearful and frightening. Sitting on the dragon chair, writing, in accordance with the heavens, the emperor said. "

Gu Maobing opened his mouth, thinking of something. Recently, he has read a lot of history books. There are also some history books of the previous dynasty that have long been banned by this dynasty and ordered to be burned. These history books were inadvertently snatched by Gu Yan during the war. Yes, I snatched them and put them away in the secret room at home. Now that I need them, I just turned them out. Unfortunately, there was no paper in the previous dynasty, and the tools were bamboo slips and sheepskin, so the book was kept intact.

"Seventh Uncle, it is written in the history books of the previous dynasty that the founding ancestor of the former dynasty, Emperor Yuanqi, when his mother gave birth to him, dreamed of a flash of lightning, and a dragon in the shape of a dragon entered her bosom, and she conceived and gave birth to Emperor Yuanqi. "After finishing speaking, Gu Maobing stood up abruptly as if he had touched something, and then sat down again, his head was in a mess, and he had thousands of words, but he didn't know what to say.

Gu Zhao took the copper pot that was boiling on one side, and made tea for Gu Maobing, and put a large piece of sugar in the tea.Sugar is food for the brain, and it helps him think when mental work is heavy. After the tea is brewed, Gu Zhao holds the teacup and chats casually while drinking.

"Emperor Yuanqi of the former dynasty was an enlightened emperor, no matter how he got here. The former dynasty ruled the world for 400 years, with ups and downs. An empire has its beginning and its end. The former dynasty was not the first dynasty to be extinct. Daliang will not become an eternal empire, we can read all the history, every Mingjun will write some articles when he was born, you count, you have read hundreds of volumes during this time, but there is one who has no God trace?"

Gu Maobing had forgotten his fear, so he began to think about it seriously. After thinking for a while, he said: "There are all!" He was excited, and said loudly: "There are giant beasts dreaming, and hundreds of flowers are blooming! There are immortals. Delivery of tires, there are... some!"

Gu Zhao nodded, beckoning him to be quiet, and after seeing him sitting down, he started talking again: "Emperors need blood, and they need someone who can prove that they are heirs to the throne. The name is justified, and he is the one who has received the true blessing from heaven. Therefore, today, If you don’t write it, in less than 20 years, people will naturally fabricate all kinds of auspiciousness to please the higher authorities. You don’t have to think that this is rebellious, even, this is the real thing of loyalty to the emperor.” After finishing speaking, Gu Zhao took a sip of tea Sigh: "We are the real anonymous loyal ministers, those who do good deeds without leaving names..."

Gu Maobing was teased by his little uncle, and he finished laughing and said: "Uncle, why do you have to have such a book today? Isn't the world now owned by the Zhao family? Could it be that he said that he is not, and someone will rebel against him?"

Well... how do I answer this question? This is the most helpless unspoken rule of the emperor's family. Hey, if you don't do good people, you have to say that you are a Dan Sheng, a Niu Sheng, a Long Sheng, and a Xiong Sheng. Refuse to say that you are human.

"How should I put it? Today's Shang family was originally the old ministers of the previous dynasty. They turned against the previous dynasty. In terms of loyalty, morality, and the most important etiquette, they are not righteous. In the past, they were ministers, and they prostrated themselves in the court. On the ground, they recognize that the former dynasty is the son of the dragon, the son of heaven, and they have recognized the sacred status of the former dynasty.

So now that the Zhao family has rebelled against the previous dynasty, isn't that going against the will of God?Although they now call themselves the Son of Heaven, it has only been 40 years since the former dynasty perished, and many families still remember the former dynasty, and it is inevitable that they will feel that the name is not right and wrong.But let me tell you, I’m too worried today. In fact, whoever has a hard fist has the final say. God or the emperor or something is just deceiving myself. "

Gu Maobing is no longer afraid now, he has entered a mysterious atmosphere, and even speaks in harmony with Gu Zhao: "Uncle Qi, in fact, this book is not only for the emperor to lie to himself, but also for those scholar-bureaucrats, those who pretend to be noble A moral paradigm needs a book that goes down the ladder, right?"

Gu Zhao nodded vigorously, and praised his nephew: "Xiao Panzi, you are the most transparent child in our family, you see Maochang is an idiot, he made himself a ghost for a woman .”

Speaking of this, Gu Maobing's face became gloomy again, and he said with hatred: "Those people who follow the trend just see that the Gu family is going downhill now, so they go to climb high branches. If there is a chance in the future, I will not spare them!"

Thumbs up, Gu Zhao praised: "Yes, take this temperament down. Remember, the most powerful weapon in the world is not a sword. Sometimes, a pen knife kills without blood... En."

Gu Maode stood up slowly, and saluted deeply: "Uncle Qi, my nephew understands today that Uncle Qi does everything for the Gu family, and everything Qi Uncle does is for our children and grandchildren, and Uncle Qi is honored by me." , knelt down in a bowing posture, and kowtowed three times very cautiously.

Gu Zhao accepted it calmly, he deserved it, he fully understands how important this book is to a family.

After the worship, Gu Maobing sat down upright, rolled up his sleeves, picked up a brush and sat uprightly waiting for Gu Zhao to dictate.

Gu Zhao coughed twice and let out a long sigh in his heart. Finally, this time has come. This year, for this book, he has really worked hard and suffered unspeakably. He wanted to cry for a moment, just thinking about it.

"Maobing."

"exist."

"In ours, it's called 'Yunlong turned the thunderstorm night Gan's night at the Wudi Temple'. It is said that the late emperor's mother Gan was forced to stay overnight at the Wudi Temple on a rainy night. On this night, Gan had a fetal dream. I saw a young man in white armor wearing white armor, a jade crown on his head, two horns on the top, and scales on his skin, walking on the clouds with a smile on his face.

The young man said, I am originally the ninth son of the Heavenly Emperor, named Ze, because the Heavenly Emperor saw that there are living beings in the world, so he sent me here to manage them.

Gan said, don't lie to me, there is already an emperor here who has been entrusted by heaven, why is he here again now?

The young man said, there is a reason for this matter, just listen to me, the one sitting in the hall was originally a black loach from the back garden of my gentleman's house, because he listened to the preaching of the Emperor of Heaven every day, he became spiritual and began to practice Dao, and then there were some microclimates.

On that day, the heavenly father had a thought, knowing that the next generation had already been found, so he was very happy, took the token and ordered me to follow the way of heaven and manage the lower realm of Kyushu..."

Gu Maobing suddenly interrupted: "This person is the late emperor, right?"

Gu Zhao glared at him: "Spoilers are shameless, listen to me continue, the boy said, he took the token, turned around and placed it on the lotus platform in the heaven, but was accidentally stolen by the black loach in the lotus pond, the lotus pond The black loach got the token, turned around and jumped into the Tiandao Pond to join the household, and then pretended to be yellow, and deceived the next generation of fairies to win the world..."

Speaking of this, Gu Zhao smiled slightly at Gu Maobing and said, "I'm just giving a general idea. How to write it depends on you. I'm not a book writer, and I don't know the wording here. So, you It’s just about listening to the meaning.”

Gu Maobing nodded, and said with a smile: "Seventh uncle can tell a Chinese ghost story, so he is a storyteller. It's okay. The introduction of this book sounds amazing, and it's fun to write it out." You Long, swishing, swishing, has entered a complete creative state.

Gu Zhao sat down, helped him store water, and continued: "The dragon son went back to the mansion to prepare for the lower realm, but he didn't think that one day in the sky, a hundred years in the world, and 400 years passed in a blink of an eye. On this day, the Emperor of Heaven was sitting in meditation, and suddenly felt something. , Hearing the resentment from the lower world, he couldn't help opening his eyes, counting his fingers, it turned out that a false emperor ascended the throne, confusing the common people, and now the earth's energy in Kyushu is chaotic, and there is no righteousness in the world.

The Emperor of Heaven was furious, called Longzi to come, and punished him by cutting off the dragon's tail. When the Longzi and Gan said this, they turned their backs, and the rear of their ass was dripping with blood.Longzi wept, because your family is a good man of the nine generations, and deserves this reward, today I come here alone for your son..."

Speaking of this, a strange smile appeared on Gu Zhao's face. After Gu Maobing finished writing, he wanted to ask, but he didn't dare to ask. He couldn't help but guess what the little uncle was thinking. What emerges from the inside is the image of the little dragon from the previous life, a little broken child with baby fat and a pair of small horns.

According to Gu Yan's recollection, when my father fought against the late emperor, he saw the late emperor bathing in a small river, and there was a black birthmark the size of a bowl on the back of his buttocks. Is it a miracle?

Another reason is, hmph, my parents died so many people for your family. Now your family doesn’t know how to be grateful, but turns around and bites people. Then, I will unceremoniously make your family ancestors sacrifice a bald tail Long, thinking of this, Gu Zhao burst into laughter. He can fully imagine how depressed historians of later generations will be when faced with piles of tomb objects.

The dragon on the totem has no tail, the dragon on the clothes has no tail, and the dragon on the jade seal has no tail. Oh, what a wonderful picture it will be. Maybe, thousands of years later, historians will give it to the Liang dynasty. Come up with a good name, um... what is it called, Bald Tail Dynasty, eh!Very good!Ah ha ha……

Gu Zhao laughed, and saw his nephew's face was weird, so he coughed a few times in embarrassment, and continued with a serious look: "The dragon son was talking, and there was a movement of stars in the sky, and someone laughed loudly in the sky. Dao, my brother went to the lower realm to suffer, why didn't he bring his brothers with him? Who are you, but you are the 36 stars in the sky that day.

These 36 star kings are the guardians of the emperor stars in the sky. They grew up with Longzi and studied together. The relationship is deep. Now seeing that Longzi was punished, he felt uneasy, so they discussed it together. Come and help Long Zi go down to earth to upright the way of heaven..."

Gu Zhao was so excited that he was about to say the name of the 36th Road Xingjun in a row. It was a good idea, but he didn't want Gu Maobing to sigh quietly: "Our grandfather is here too..."

Gu Zhao was furious, picked up the brush, and beat him on the head hard: "I've said it all, no spoilers are allowed! Shut up! Listen to me, write well, and then interrupt, I'll beat you to death!"

Gu Maobing trembled all over, and nodded again and again: "Say it, tell me, my nephew doesn't dare to interrupt anymore."

Only then did Gu Zhao get emotional. In his previous life on a ship at sea, they often played a kind of card mahjong. He had read the entire book of Water Margin, and it was impossible to memorize it. However, he has played Mahjong like Water Margin for more than ten years.

It's about money, and he can recite a hundred and eight. Now these names, he opened his mouth very smoothly and said: "These 36 stars are, respectively, Tiankui Star, Tiangang Star, Tianji Star, Tianxian Star , Tianyong star, Tianxiong star, Tianmeng star, Tianwei star, Tianying star, Tiangui star, Tianfu star, Tianman star, Tiangu star, Tianshang star, Tianli star, Tianjie star, Tian Dark Star, Blessed Star, Sky Star, Sky Speed ​​Star, Tian Yi Star, Tian Killing Star, Tian Wei Star, Tian Zhu Star, Tian Tui Star, Tian Shou Star, Tian Jian Star, Tian Jing Star, Tian Sin Star, Tian Huan Star, Tianbai star, Tianlao star, Tianhui star, Tianbai star, Tiancrying star, Tianqiao star, these 36 positive stars, will be the generation of famous generals and famous ministers who will fight the world for the late emperor and make countless military exploits for the late emperor in the future!"

As soon as Gu Zhao finished speaking, Gu Maobing had already finished writing. After finishing writing, he lost his brush and couldn't enjoy himself, so he yelled "Okay!"

Gu Zhao smiled, unavoidably complacent!I can't wait to raise the inkstone and slap it, but I'm afraid that the ink will splash and dirty the clothes, so I can't do it.