The Eight Winds of Rebirth

Gu Xiangtan didn't sit in a sedan chair, and walked along the alleys to the long street. Although the north of Beijing is not as prosperous as the area around Changping Street, it is also a boundary lined with shops, small vendors lined up, selling what Everything is there, very lively.Gu Xiangtan's footsteps naturally couldn't go anywhere, and there was a lot of people in the place, so Zhao Yuan always followed him silently not far away, while Bi Fu and Mou Fei were on one side, carefully separating the gaps on both sides. hit people.

Gu Xiangtan turned suddenly and walked into a restaurant, An Yin and Su Xi hurriedly followed, the restaurant was a bit shabby, when the boy came up to him, he was startled by Gu Xiangtan's plain clothes at first, and then saw The guards and attendants followed behind him, and someone with a magnanimous attitude like Zhao Yuan was behind him. He froze for a moment and then hurriedly showed a courteous smile to greet him to the private room.

It is said to be a private room, but it is just a clean place randomly separated by a screen, with wind leaking from all sides, and from a distance, you can see the market below clearly.

Gu Xiangtan randomly ordered some vegetarian food and pastries, and when they arrived, he picked up a piece of soy bean cake and took a bite. The bean paste was greasy and sweet, and the glutinous rice skin on the outside was so thick that it stained his teeth, but Gu Xiangtan silently put it all together After eating, it doesn't count if I ate one, but I also ate the second and third. When I was about to take the fourth, my hand was held down.

Zhao Yuan pushed lightly with the other hand, and the bowl slid to the corner of the table, and was picked up by Bi Fu firmly, and directly took it off the table.

"Tummy trouble after eating too much," Zhao Yuan said.

Gu Xiangtan frowned: "I don't eat much!"

Zhao Yuan ignored him, and asked Bi Fu to collect all the indigestible food on the table, leaving only a plate of shredded radish and some fresh fruit snacks for him to make a tooth-tasting sacrifice.

Gu Xiangtan looked at Zhao Yuan, and Zhao Yuan also raised his eyes to look at him, and the two looked at each other speechlessly. In the end, it was Gu Xiangtan who was the first to lose. Much better than him, he can break the skin to the bone without making a fuss, as if if he looks at him a few more times, everything in the center of his brain will be emptied out, and there is no way to hide it privately.

Gu Xiangtan took a sip of water with lowered eyes, and gradually calmed down some restless heartbeats, and then said in a normal tone: "Your Excellency Xue, you need to pay more attention." Xue Yiyang was walking straight in the court hall before, Although it sounds very satisfying, it may not be what everyone wants to see in the officialdom. Maybe there will be a desperado who is unwilling to be cornered. After Beijing...

Zhao Yuan said: "Of course it will be properly arranged."

Gu Xiangtan asked again: "What do you think about the imperial examination?"

The imperial examinations in Daye were held every three years, which was originally very regular, but after the death of the first emperor, Emperor Zongzheng ascended the throne, the foundation was unstable, the government and the opposition were in turmoil, and the frontiers were in danger, so the imperial examinations were always postponed again and again, and the time was uncertain. Years ago, many evil deeds such as collusion and cheating, buying and selling official positions, and tampering with examination papers were exposed. The mastermind was the faction of the Three Kings, but Emperor Zongzheng couldn't escape the responsibility, but he lost the other party in a secret game It's just one end, and I don't have the ability to make a judgment, so I simply stopped the selection of the imperial examination on the pretext of the Nanban war.

Now that it is mentioned again, it can be seen that his ambition is clear, but this imperial examination is a good opportunity for Emperor Zongzheng, and it is also an opportunity for the three kings to take advantage of it. Colluding with parties for selfish purposes.

Zhao Yuan said: "Go to the court."

Gu Xiangtan nodded: "Young Master Gao is very talented, and he is already well-known in Beijing. If he takes part in the exam, he will be named on the gold list just around the corner."

Zhao Yuan understood that Gu Xiangtan's question was definitely not just to praise Gao Jinting, so she didn't say much and waited for him to talk later.

Sure enough, Gu Xiangtan's eyebrows and eyes twitched, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smile again: "But...a good general uses troops, the more the better."

Zhao Yuan asked, "Who is it?" Thinking of the person Gu Xiangtan had mentioned, "Meng Su?"

Gu Xiangtan smiled and nodded.

Zhao Yuan didn't understand: "How do you know he has such a talent?" Gu Xiangtan had neither read his articles nor was he familiar with him, but why did he look at Meng Su so differently because of the restaurant?

Gu Xiangtan paused, then lowered his eyes and said: "I know how to look at physiognomy. Mr. Meng has a round face with a full sky and straight eyebrows. At first glance, he is destined to be an official, and he must be a good official."

How could Zhao Yuan be deceived by his perfunctory words, but she didn't ask further, just stared at Gu Xiangtan for a while, and then said: "But he has no intention of becoming an official."

"To be or not to be is all based on one's heart, and one's heart is easy to change with the situation. It's up to man to make things happen."

Zhao Yuan frowned, hearing Gu Xiangtan's last words, did he want to lobby Meng Su himself?

"The people are the foundation of the country, the foundation is solid and the country is peaceful, the people are uneasy, and the country is in trouble."

Gu Xiangtan leaned on the railing as he spoke, and Zhao Yuan followed his gaze, and saw three or four beggars lying prostrate in the streets less than five or six feet away, although it was not very eye-catching when submerged in the vast crowd. The people of Daye also believed in Buddhism, and most of them were willing to do this meritorious deed, but those beggars were still so hungry that they were skinny, old and young, disabled and sick.

Even if this is the case in the capital, it is even more difficult to imagine what the frontiers and distant borders look like?This world needs a general who can put the people first.

Thinking about Gu Xiangtan's words, Zhao Yuan couldn't help thinking.

-

After returning from Duke Yu's mansion, Gu Xiangtan just chanted scriptures behind closed doors in the palace for a few days, and he didn't have much appetite, which only made An Yin and Su Xi break out in sweat.

Here, Yanfang brought another lunch, but Gu Xiangtan just glanced at it and didn't move any more.

Yan Fang wanted to persuade, but he opened his mouth and didn't know what to say, so he could only stand aside at a loss.

Gu Xiangtan suddenly stopped chanting, turned his head and asked him: "Has the emperor summoned the sixth son into the palace recently?"

Yan Fang unexpectedly said: "Yes."

Gu Xiangtan narrowed his eyes: "When?"

"Just now."

"Why?"

Yan Fang paused: "It is said that there are some things to reward before leaving."

Gu Xiangtan's heart skipped a beat: "Who else is there besides him?"

"It should be gone."

The Shenwu army set off, and there was a see-off wine party, so why did you single out Zhao Yuan as a reward?

Gu Xiangtan thought about it, and slowly stood up.

……

When Zhao Yuan entered the palace, the place where the emperor summoned him today was neither in Ziwei Palace nor in Qiankun Palace, but in the Yuyuan Garden in the palace, where beautiful flowers and Yao grass are everywhere, and peach blossoms are flying in the spring equinox. Looking at it, a piece of red and green is the best place to enjoy the scenery.

Emperor Zongzheng sat at the main seat, and beside him were these two humerus veterans, one was Jing Guogong, the other was Ci Guogong, and the other was Guan Yonghou.

Zhao Yuan approached, and Emperor Zongzheng hurriedly gave him a seat and wine, and said with a smile: "I talked about the past with Ci Guogong before, and I couldn't help but sigh, so I called you over, now It's the end of the month, but in a few days, Yuan'er, you will leave camp with the army and return to Chenzhou, and it's been less than a year since you returned to Beijing, so I feel a little bit reluctant."

Zhao Yuan looked at Zhao You's hypocrisy and did not reveal it, bowed her head and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern."

"I am worried, but no matter how much I worry about it, I don't think as much as your grandpa. The children are not around, but the two grandsons, one of them has to leave, how can I rest assured." After finishing speaking, he looked at Ci Guogong.

The Great Princess was pregnant with Zhao Yuan, and it was late at night, and now, Lord Ci Guo has white beard and hair, but his eyes are still burning, and his back is like a pine tree. Hearing Emperor Zongzheng's words, he looked at Zhao Yuan, and then turned his eyes lightly away .

"You don't care about your children and grandchildren, they have their own future, so how can I interfere with this old man." This was said so coldly that anyone could hear the meaning behind it.

However, Emperor Zongzheng laughed: "The Great Princess is gentle and courteous, but I didn't expect Yuan'er's temper to follow the Duke's."

It's good that he didn't mention this matter, but Zhao Yuan and Ci Guogong's complexion suddenly changed, especially Ci Guogong.No one in the court knows that the Lingzhou family of Duke Ciguo's mansion and the great prince Zhao Mi are in the same situation. Even if the princess died that year, Duke Ciguo never went back to see his daughter for the last time. For Zhao Yuan and Zhao Ze's two grandsons Seeing it as nothing, let's look at Zhao Yuan's return to Beijing for so many years, and even experienced life and death before, but Ci Guogong has never been indifferent and can see a thing or two, but Emperor Zongzheng deliberately mentioned it, not to embarrass the two. what is it.

Ci Guogong snorted coldly: "It's a pity that I can't afford to be an old man with such kinship."

Emperor Zongzheng glanced at Zhao Yuan's sad and joyless face, as if he was indifferent to what Duke Ci Guo said, and continued: "My lord, don't say that. Raising children and grandchildren is to guard against old age, and children and grandchildren are inevitably stubborn. , the elders will be more lenient, look at Duke Jing and Lord Mei, don’t they both teach daughters well, and have a happy family.”

Ci Guogong's old face twitched, his nails sank into his flesh.

Duke Jing shook his head again and again: "Don't dare, the princess is still today thanks to the queen's good teaching."

"I don't even dare, my little girl is not talented, I am grateful for the emperor's praise." Guan Yonghou hurriedly followed.

"My lords are being modest. I can see how good Yiling is, but today I see Miss Mei Er, but I don't want to think that she is already beautiful and beautiful. Mrs. Mei hides really well. "

Mei Sisheng had just finished speaking, the queen had already come, and beside her were two people, one on the left and one on the right. Yiling, and the person on the right is dressed in light blue, although his eyebrows and eyes are clear, but beside Gong Yiling, it is really lacking in brilliance. It is the concubine daughter of the Mei family, Mei Jianyou.

Hearing the Queen's praise, Mei Jianyou blushed hurriedly, and shook her hands hastily: "Little girl, don't...don't dare, the empress is too praised..."

"Where is the reputation, Ms. Mei is a good girl with a virtue, a beauty, a beauty, and a heart." After the queen said, she pulled Gong Yiling to sit beside her, and asked Mei Jianyou to sit on the other side, next to Zhao Yuan. not far.

Mei Jianyou didn't know how to answer, and Mei Sisheng over there was also a little flattered. In his opinion, this concubine was worthless, but now she was summoned suddenly, and she was praised as such that there is nothing in the sky, let him For a while, he was a little cloudy, and looking at the face of Emperor Zongzheng in front of him, and Zhao Yuan who was sitting beside him, he seemed to have faintly sensed something.

Sure enough, Emperor Zongzheng said: "Since Second Miss Mei is as good as the queen said, she must find a good home, but who in Beijing can be worthy of it?"

The queen smiled slightly: "Isn't there just one in front of me?"

As soon as these words came out, Mei Sisheng was startled suddenly, and then ecstasy flashed across her eyes, while Mei Jianyou almost buried her head in her neckline, and quietly looked at Zhao Yuan with only one pair of eyes.

Duke Jing remained calm, Gong Yiling frowned slightly, and Duke Ciguo turned cold all over his face.

Zhao Yuan, on the other hand, was still in this posture, sitting silently, her face as cold as water.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Emperor Zongzheng could only ask in person: "Yuan'er, what do you think?"