The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

Let's say that Xue Pan entered the palace together with the eunuchs who responded to the decree.Xia Shouzhong, the governor of the Sixth Palace, personally sent the person outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and Dai Quan had long been guarding the door with his fly whisk.After Xue Pan stood still, he was not in a hurry to enter the palace. Instead, he took Dai Quan's sleeve and took two steps outside, and asked in a low voice, "Do you know what is urgently calling me into the palace?"

Dai Quan shook his head, and after a while, he said suspiciously: "The Holy Majesty just received a secret report, and after reading it, he ordered Xia Shouzhong to go to the mansion to deliver the decree."

Xue Pan hurriedly asked, "Do you know where the secret music came from?"

Dai Quan laughed lightly and said, "You must be confused, since it's a secret performance, how can we, the slaves, know the wind."

Xue Pan nodded, chatted with Dai Quan again, and then he sorted out his thoughts and stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

When I just entered, a beautiful and beautiful concubine walked up to me.He looked lonely, with tears on his face.She was wearing a bright yellow palace dress, embroidered with a pattern of a phoenix wearing a peony, and a phoenix embroidered with beads of silk was inserted obliquely on her head.Trembling and trembling, lifelike.

Xue Pan hurriedly backed away, bowed and knelt down and said, "Xue Pan has seen the empress."

The queen stood still, raised her hand to Xue Pan and said with a smile: "Young Master, you don't need to be polite, get up quickly!"

Xue Pan replied, "Yes."

Before getting up, I heard Tu Zhen who was behind the imperial case say coldly: "I hope the empress will keep one thing firmly in mind, that the harem is not allowed to participate in politics. The empress should retreat quickly, and this Qianqing Palace of Mental Cultivation is not the concubine's place to come. The place."

The queen's expression turned serious, her eyes turned hot, but she was concerned that Xue Pan beside her would not lose her composure, so she could only bow her body hastily and said: "The concubine obeys the order."

Before he could finish a sentence, he went out in a state of embarrassment.

Xue Pan was suspicious and stared at the Queen's figure for a while.

Seeing this, Tu Zhen snorted coldly, "Does it look good?"

Xue Pan came back to his senses, walked to Tu Zhen's side and asked, "How did the Empress offend Your Majesty?"

Tu Zhen said indifferently: "The affairs of the harem have nothing to do with you."

Xue Pan sighed softly, and persuaded: "No matter how you say it, the Empress Dowager is the Empress Dowager's direct niece and niece. If you show her face now, aren't you afraid that she will cry in front of the Empress Dowager?"

Tu Zhen's expression turned cold, and he said stiffly: "I am the emperor, I don't need a woman to tell me how to handle political affairs."

It seems that he is not light.

Xue Pan shook his head, and stopped speaking for the queen, instead he asked, "Why did your majesty ask me to enter the palace in such a hurry?"

When Tu Zhen heard the words, his expression eased.He lowered his voice and said, "Come to my side."

Xue Pan stepped forward according to his words.

Tu Zhen casually picked up a secret note that had just been opened from the imperial case and said, "The business of selling opium in the Ryukyu area is over."

Xue Pan was overjoyed when he heard the words, and asked softly, "Really, how much has been gained in just two months' work?"

Tu Zhen rarely laughed easily and said, "Guess."

Xue Pan estimated a number in his mind and compared it to Tu Zhen.

"More than that." An obvious smile appeared on Tu Zhen's face, he stretched out his hand to hold Xue Pan's hands, broke his fingers and said with a smile: "At least this is the number."

Xue Pan was shocked, his eyes widened in disbelief and said: "6000 million in two months—"

Tu Zhen quickly covered Xue Pan's mouth and said, "Shut up."

The soft and moist lips slid across the palm, and the strange touch made Tu Zhen's heart skip a beat.

Taking advantage of the situation, he stretched his arms around Xue Pan's soft waist and brought him into his arms. He lightly kissed Xue Pan's lips and said with a smile, "I love you for your merits in the country. How should I reward you?"

Xue Pan wiped his lips and said with a smirk: "It's not necessary to make a promise with your body, it's a little bit more affordable."

Tu Zhen raised his eyebrows, "Oh?"

Xue Pan flattered and said with a flattering smile: "Be an official. You don't have to be a big official, you don't have to go up to the court, but you can't be too small, you have to bow and bow when you see everyone. You can't be too tired, I don't want to wait for the yamen every day. It’s best to be a leisurely position. When I greet others, I can also call him a ‘little official’ or ‘my official’ or something. Every day, the grassroots come and go, and I’m embarrassed to say it.”

Tu Zhen listened to Xue Panluo shaking his head, and sighed: "Your request is more difficult than giving me a real lack."

"No matter how difficult it is to defeat the king of a country?" Xue Pan sneered, "I have earned so much money for you, can't you even buy an idle official?"

Tu Zhen pondered for a moment, then said, "I'm missing a first-class guard by my side, can you come here?"

Xue Pan curled his lips and said, "I don't know kung fu. If there is an assassin or something, I have to block the knife for you. It's too dangerous, so I don't want to do it."

Tu Zhen continued to persuade: "It's just a name, and you don't need to do anything. Who dares to ask you to protect my safety, even if you want to, I won't worry about it! It's just that this position is really free. If you like it, I don't care. It doesn't stick to you. It doesn't involve real power, and it won't cause conflicts among ministers in the court. It doesn't violate your father's modest and implicit way of being an official. And this position is from the fourth rank! It fully meets your requirements. "

Xue Pan thought for a while, then nodded and said: "Okay! When you give me the official uniform and seal, I will go back and show off."

Tu Zhen said with a smile: "When you leave the palace later, you can directly put on the armor of the guards and bring the seal. Do you want me to send a team of guards to support you?"

Xue Pan shook his head and said, "Forget it. After all, I'm a low-key person, and I don't like to make troubles in the city."

Tu Zhen nodded Xue Pan's forehead helplessly, let go of Xue Pan, and said seriously: "Let's stop gossip, let's talk about business! How many poppies do you have in your hand, is it enough for them?"

Xue Pan pondered for a moment, and then said: "I also plant these poppies in the greenhouse for opium. But I do know that there are two places where the poppies are very good, and they are not in the territory of the Dayong Dynasty. One of them is Siam. , The poppies there are not only produced in large quantities, but also of very good quality, much better than the batch I got before."

Tu Zhen's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously repeated: "Siam?"

Xue Pan nodded and said, "Not bad."

Tu Zhen immediately raised his voice and ordered: "Come here, take the map of Wan Guokun."

But for a moment, a huge map of Wan Guokun was placed on the dragon case.

Xue Pan stepped forward and pointed to the location of the Golden Triangle between Thailand and Myanmar in later generations and said, "Both of these countries are rich in poppies, and the poppies here are the best."

As he spoke, he pointed emphatically at the Golden Triangle.

Tu Zhen decided to look at it for a while, then smiled softly: "Okay, I understand."

Later, he told Xue Pan about his second uncle Xue Zhiwen.

"...I have already sent [-] blood drops who are good at artillery and swimming to follow Xue Zhiwen to the sea. If there are no mistakes, they will come back in two years. At that time, whether they can expand the territory and confer the title of Marquis Yinjue will be determined. It's up to him."

Hearing this, Xue Pan raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Blood drop?"

"Not bad." Thinking of this, Tu Zhen also pondered a little. "Almost everyone of the blood drops under Mr. Shi is good at swimming and naval battles. It made me very suspicious of Mr. Shi's identity."

What's more, there is also the matter of exterminating the Qianxiang country agreed by the two.Although it has been a long time, Tu Zhen has never forgotten it.If it weren't for the fact that Qianxiang Kingdom's navy was too powerful, Tu Zhen might not have been able to resist sending troops to attack him in the first year of his ascension to the throne.

Hearing Tu Zhen talking about Mr. Shi, Xue Pan kept silent out of spite.Of course he is not a fool. Judging from Tu Zhen's establishment of the sticky pole and his various attitudes towards the blood droplet, this young emperor definitely has a grudge against Mr. Shi.Forbearance so far is just because the current forces are not strong enough to make a move.If one day...

"What are you thinking about?" Tu Zhen stroked Xue Pan's hair inadvertently and said, "You don't have to worry about your lord's affairs. This is an agreement between us, and it will be settled sooner or later."

Xue Pan held back for a long time, but he still couldn't help asking: "My lord, do you hate my master very much?"

Tu Zhen smiled lightly: "How come, I am very grateful to him."

Xue Pan said with some embarrassment: "But he..."

Tu Zhen took a fixed look at Xue Pan, and said sternly: "Pan'er, you have to know that people's hearts are not old when the world is declining. Even father and son can't be said to work together, let alone outsiders. No one is born to be another. What people pay. Between me and Mr. Shi, we are just using each other. I was weak back then, so I was naturally controlled by others. In the future, when Feng Shui turns, maybe Mr. Shi will rely on me to do something. This is a transaction, it doesn’t matter Hate or not hate."

Xue Pan was a little bored and didn't know what to say.

Tu Zhen saw Xue Pan as if the eggplant had been beaten by frost, and was devastated.With a helpless sigh, he said: "Back then, my status was embarrassing, my situation was terrible, and being controlled by others was just an expedient measure. Although Mr. Shi's methods are a little despicable, it is undeniable that without him, I would not have been an apprentice." Zhen's today. Compared with my brother who personally tried to kill me, Mr. Shi has threatened me a lot, but he has never done me any harm. Instead, he has always supported me. For this alone, I will not do anything to him in the future .”

Xue Pan hooked the corners of his mouth, and said with a flattering smile: "I knew that Fourth Master is a person who values ​​love and righteousness."

Tu Zhen patted Xue Pan on the head, and said disapprovingly, "This tall hat is a bit fake."

Xue Pan covered his chest and said, "My heart is true."

"Okay, stop talking nonsense. The Emperor's Longevity Day will be in two days, and the two plays in your hands are the most important. Don't make any mistakes at the moment."

Xue Pan waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry! I have been preparing for a long time, and I just waited for the Longevity Day to surprise the Emperor and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty."

"Surprise?" Tu Zhen looked at the frivolous Xue Pan, feeling a sense of uneasiness.

...the dividing line of the Longevity Festival...

Wanshou Festival, as the name suggests, is the birthday of the emperor.Taking the meaning of longevity without boundaries, and longevity equal to heaven, is really a good catchphrase.On the Longevity Day, the emperor will accept congratulations and gifts from civil and military officials and envoys from various countries in front of the palace.Slaughtering is prohibited for a few days before and after Wanshou Festival, punishments are ignored, and some exaggerated ones even amnesty the world to show the meaning of celebrating with the people.

As far as everyone is concerned, Longevity Day is naturally a happy and lively day.There is no need to elaborate on how the palace is decorated with lanterns and streamers, and the sound of gongs and drums.The entire Sijiu City outside the palace is also wrapped in colorful paintings. From Changchun Garden in the west of Beijing to Xizhimen, through Xinjiekou and Xi'an Gate, it leads to Zhongnanhai, and connects with Qingyi in the Forbidden City. There are countless colorful walls, colorful corridors, opera performance platforms, singing platforms, lamp houses, lamp buildings, lamp corridors, dragon sheds, and lamp sheds. The words "longevity is boundless" and "shou and Tianqi" made of colored silk are large and small in Beijing. Small streets are everywhere.The temples and temples along the path also set up large celebration altars.

The emperor personally urged all the officials in Beijing to organize this feast that lasted for half a year, and finally showed his jaw-dropping magnificence today.

Tens of thousands of words have been reduced to one sentence—extremely extravagant.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this was carefully arranged by the new emperor to make the emperor happy.While the emperor was relieved, he just said "too extravagant" lightly and stopped thinking about it.The satisfaction of the expression and the movement of the voice can be felt even by dull people.So the imperial court felt the Sacred Heart, and praised the Holy Majesty's benevolence and filial piety one after another, and sent the luxurious and extravagant birthday gifts into the Qiankun Palace.

By the time the evening birthday banquet started, the atmosphere was already like a raging fire cooking oil.

Xue Pan waved his fan and hid in the corner of the backstage, watching the crowd change clothes and make up in a hurry, with a calm expression.

Tu Huang, who had already dressed up, walked up to Xue Pan with a sword in his hand, and asked softly, "Idiot, what are you thinking?"

Xue Pan raised his eyes to look at Tu Zhen, and replied indifferently: "I didn't think about anything. But the prince... won't be stage fright when he goes on stage, right?"

Tu Huang sneered. "What do you take me for? You can do stupid things like stage fright?"

After a pause, he lowered his voice with a little worry and said, "You said that after the master has performed, can the fifth brother really be reused by the emperor?"

Xue Pan sneered, and asked back, "How do you think this song is flattering?"

Tu Huang pursed his lips and said, "If you say that you, Xue Pan, have limited knowledge. If you only care about flattery, this is definitely it."

As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up quietly.

"That's all." Xue Pan tilted his head and said, "As long as you don't make any mistakes, there will be absolutely no problem on my side."

Tu Huang pursed his lips nervously, nodded and said, "That's good, that's good."

Suddenly there was a sound of applause outside.Xue Pan got up and raised his voice and said: "It's almost time, everyone go on stage in order."

As soon as the voice fell, all the lights outside were extinguished in an instant.The crowd was suddenly quiet, and after a while, someone shouted in a panic: "There are assassins, protect the emperor and the empress dowager—"

Tu Zhen sat on the dragon chair, his cold eyes swept across the noise below.He waved his hand to signal Dai Quan to step forward.

Dai Quan bowed slightly, took two steps forward, cleared his throat and shouted: "Everyone, don't panic, this is the Longevity Day gift from Lord Zhongxin to the Emperor. Please sit down and watch quietly."

Before Dai Quan could finish his sentence, he suddenly saw candlelight lit up on the nine-level stage from the bottom to the top.Everyone looked intently, but it turned out that it was the actors in colorful silk with the number less than [-], walking up the steps of the stage one by one holding a golden palace lantern with the word "Shou".

The lights come on sequentially along the steps, counting them in detail, there are exactly 95 of them.Demonstrate the meaning of the ninety-five emperors. The 95 actors stood in the positions they had rehearsed countless times before. From a distance, there was another huge Chinese character for longevity. In the extremely dark night, the flickering candlelight was extraordinarily dazzling.

At the same time, there were faint sounds of horseshoes and killing cries from behind the stage.A group of gentlemen who are good at ventriloquism stood in front of the amplified loudspeaker and tried their best to imitate the sound of swords and soldiers. The white curtain hanging above the stage suddenly lit up, and a general on a horse and soldiers holding weapons appeared on the curtain. It can be vaguely seen that there are mountains and rivers of beautiful mountains and rivers.

"Why are there even shadow puppet shows?"

The civil and military officials were baffled, and couldn't help raising their eyes to look.

A soft and clear sound of the piano sounded, followed by a deep and deep voice singing: "Along the gentle curves of the mountains and rivers, let the horse love the Central Plains love the North Country and the South of the Yangtze River, face the affectionate company of ice knives, snow swords and wind and rain, cherish the heaven and earth. The golden age bestowed upon me by God..."

A burst of smoke suddenly spread from both sides of the stage to the middle of the stage.Xue Pan waved his fan and stood under the stage, and said softly: "Hurry up, hurry up, make the smoke bigger."

Xiao Weizi on the side said cautiously: "It can't be any bigger. There are so many fireworks and firecrackers in the palace today, it would be bad if sparks accidentally ignite the palace lanterns and curtains."

Xue Pan glared at him, and said bitterly: "You are the only one who has a lot of things to do. Why did the sage send you here? Isn't it just to watch the flames! Don't delay my artistic creation, I don't care when the time comes, be careful Zhongrui The Prince tore you up."

Xiao Weizi had no choice but to point to a bitter face and ordered all the eunuchs to watch carefully.

Xue Pan shook his head, turned his head and gestured to the actors who had been waiting for a long time, and then shouted loudly: "Hurry up, make the smoke bigger, and fan it on the stage."

On the stage, after a puff of smoke, Tu Zhen, Tu Zhan, dressed in armor as generals, and a group of actors in military uniforms came onto the stage in order.Step on the beat and start practicing.

"...Looking at the clattering of iron hooves, walking all over thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, I stand on the cusp of the storm and hold the sun and the moon tightly..."

The actors in military uniforms walked around the stage, following the pattern of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, and finally settled into the four characters of "Longevity and Boundless".

The reason why these two formations were chosen was because the emperor used these two formations when he was in charge of conquering the feudal lords. They not only reversed the precarious situation of the battle, but also captured King Dongguang and King Xiping one after another.This experience has also become the most proud thing for the emperor.It is mentioned every time I chat with the minister.

"... May the world of fireworks be peaceful and happy, I really want to live another 500 years, I really want to live another 500 years..."

At the end of the music, all the actors on the stage and those in the audience who arranged the characters for longevity immediately knelt on the ground and shouted loudly: "Congratulations to the emperor for a long life, long live, long live, long live."

Tu Huang and Tu borrowed their helmets.Kneeling on one knee, he bowed in a marching salute: "My son, Tu Huang, I wish my father a long life, and my emperor, long live, long live, long live."

The emperor was startled, and looked carefully, and it turned out to be Tu Huang and Tu Chou.Dazed for a moment, Longyan immediately smiled with his hands clapped, "Okay, okay."

Seeing this, all civil and military officials and princes and dignitaries also got up and left the table in fun, went to the front of the stage and knelt down and said: "The emperor's life is boundless, long live long live long live long live."

The emperor hurriedly shouted to be free from courtesy.

Prince Zhongyu, who wore the pattern of four-clawed dragon and auspicious clouds, said with a smile: "Huang'er and Tian'er are both pure and filial. They don't hesitate to wear colorful clothes to entertain relatives for the sake of making the emperor smile. It can be seen that he really cares about the emperor most in his heart."

Hearing what Prince Zhongyu said, the emperor felt more and more respectable, and immediately waved and smiled: "The fifth and sixth come forward."

Tu Huang and Tu Zhan stepped forward according to the words.

The emperor looked at Tu Huang and Tu Jue who were dressed as generals.In his impression, Tu Huang had always been more feminine and arrogant, but he didn't expect that today's appearance showed a bit of masculine grandeur and simplicity.

The emperor nodded in satisfaction, and said: "This is how you look like the prince of my Dayong Dynasty. Immediate skill is what our Dayong royal family is most proud of. You must work hard in the future, and don't lose the pride and dignity of your ancestors." yes."

Tu Huang immediately bowed and said, "I would like to follow my father's teachings. From now on, I will practice martial arts diligently, and strive to earn merits for my father as soon as possible."

The emperor responded with a smile.Only then did he turn his attention to Tu Bian.

This time the survey took longer.It took about half a day before he heard him faintly sigh: "Old Wu, you... have lost weight."

Even though there was a lot of resentment in Tu Jue's heart, he almost shed tears when he heard this sentence.He took two deep breaths, calmed down his thoughts, and then said: "Report to the emperor, my son—"

Speaking of this, he shut his mouth in embarrassment for a long time, and murmured: "Wei Chen——"

The emperor waved his hand and asked softly: "I haven't seen you enter the palace much in the past two years, how are you doing?"

This is pure nonsense.That day, the emperor insisted on expelling Tu Teng from his family regardless of family affection, so he should know how embarrassing Tu Teng was.It's just that he couldn't answer like that, so he had to bow his head and reply respectfully: "It's okay."

The dry words made outsiders feel a little sad.

The emperor was silent again for a while.Back then when the prince seized the heir apparent, the emperor looked around, but none of his sons was truly loyal.The pretense was even more excessive, and he even acted in a dark and sneaky way to instigate the prince to divorce their father and son, and finally coaxed the prince into obsession and forced the palace at the risk of danger.

That was his son from childhood.When he was young, he was afraid that he would be lonely and scared, and wished he could sleep and eat at the same table every day.He told him to read and write by hand, and taught him how to be a qualified emperor by precept and example.He taught him so wisely and wisely, telling him time and time again that the world will belong to him in the future, and everything he did was to leave him a beautiful land of singing and dancing in the future.In the end, he betrayed him because of that chair, even refusing to bear it until his death...

The fact that the father and son had turned against each other was like the flesh and blood that had been peeled off the surface, and it was laid out in front of him bloody. The pain of scraping the bone made him burn with anger, and Long Yan was furious.Although she hated the prince's coldness, she turned against him for the sake of the throne.What I hate even more is the vain excuse to sow discord in order to gain the fisherman's profit.That's why he ignored the rules of etiquette and insisted on expelling Tu Teng from the royal family.If the Queen Mother hadn't stopped him, I'm afraid he would have directly expelled Tu Teng from the clan and relegated him to the frontier as a commoner...

However, seeing Tu Zhan again after so many years, only faint disappointment remained in the emperor's heart.Since ancient times, the Tian family has no family ties. Although the princes were restless and eager to make a move in the matter of seizing the heirloom, it is not without his deliberate temptation.In today's lonely and widowed situation, it is not because he has brought the blame on himself, and he is no different from others.

Thinking about it this way, the Emperor's attitude towards Tu Tzu eased a lot, and he asked out of words, "What errand are you doing now?"

Hearing the words, Weiwei fell silent in embarrassment.

Tu Huang who was on the side immediately said: "Fifth brother has not been in good health for the past two years, and has been recuperating in the palace."

The emperor glanced at Tu Huang casually, and sighed: "I remember that the relationship between the two of you and Lao Qi was always the best. But Lao Qi has a wild temper, and he has gone out to play wildly for so many years, but there is no news. Only The two of you, the relationship is still so good..."

When it came to the end, there was a faint sigh of relief.

Everyone guessed what the emperor was thinking, and for a while, none of them dared to speak out.

In the end, it was the emperor himself who recovered himself, and smiled at Tu Teng: "I see that your movements on the stage today are very capable and powerful. I think your body is almost recuperated. As the prince of Dayong, naturally Taking the society as the duty, your uncle is still doing business for the court at such an old age, so it's not a big deal for you to spend time in the mansion every day at such a young age."

As he spoke, he raised his voice and asked, "Zhen'er?"

Tu Zhen immediately leaned forward and smiled, "My son is here."

"Didn't you always complain to me about the lack of talented people in the court? You know the skills of the fifth son, how is it?" the emperor asked indifferently.

"The fifth brother's ability is naturally clear to me." Tu Zhen said with a smile: "I understand what my father means. Tu borrow, come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation tomorrow morning after the court."

Tuju immediately bowed his head and thanked him: "My son thanked the emperor, thanked the sage."

The emperor waved his hand, straightened up and looked at the venue for a while, then suddenly said: "Where is Xue Pan, who is loyal to the Hou family, why didn't I see him today?"

Immediately a voice from behind the stage replied, "Wei Chen is here!"

As he spoke, Xue Pan ran up to the emperor with his clothes on his hem.He bowed and knelt down and said: "I have seen the emperor, the emperor has a long life, and his life is as long as the sky."

The emperor's expression froze, and seeing Xue Pan who was in a somewhat embarrassing figure, with black marks on his fair and tender face, Fox couldn't help asking: "What's going on with you?"

"Don't mention it, Xiao Weizi didn't watch it for a while, and the sparks of the smoke almost burned the backstage curtain. The humble minister didn't want to disturb Shengjia, so he took the backstage handyman and ventriloquist to put out the fire. Make it look like this." Xue Pan said, wiped his face with his sleeve nonchalantly, spread the black ash on his face more evenly, and said with a simple and honest smile: "Fortunately, the fire has been extinguished, it's no big deal. "

The emperor shook his head helplessly, raised his arm and nodded Xue Pan in the air: "You!"

After a pause, he asked again: "Didn't you say there is another play?"

Xue Pan laughed immediately and said: "The following is, the emperor, just watch it!"

Before he finished speaking, he raised his palm and struck three times in a row.I saw another puff of blue smoke suddenly rising from the stage.A looming pipa sound slowly floated into the field from the sky, the pipa sound was intermittent, like weeping, mournful and lingering.

The smoke gradually dissipated, and I saw a scholar-like actor walking onto the stage with a bookcase on his back, looking for it, as if he was also looking for the source of the pipa sound.

The sound of the pipa became more and more sad and desolate, as if a girl with a spring heart was trapped in her boudoir and missed her lover.A faint female voice also began to sing softly with the sound of the pipa. The clear and melodious singing voice was like a nightingale singing, which immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The white curtain hanging on the stage suddenly fell, everyone was startled, and looked away quickly, but were stunned by the scene on the stage——