All your life is gentle

In October of the fourth year of Xijin Tianyou, Fu Yang, the king of Xirong, ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor. He set his capital at Changyang and renamed it Shunjing;

Originally, Fu Yang liked Xi Rong's "Rong" character very much, but Mo Siyu did not dare to hide his selfishness on such a major issue, and repeatedly hinted euphemistically: Rong is a fierce soldier, and it must not be used in the country's name.It is recommended to use the thriving "Rong" instead.

In order to show that she is also very knowledgeable, the order of the inner government, Benying, told the king that "wood is called splendor, and grass is called glory". The grass and trees are weak and easy to break, and the word "Hua Rong" does not mean long-term. next to.

Lao Mo stopped talking.My heart said Ben Da, you are dead now.Don't say that you have grass in your own name, but the king's name is still next to wood! "Weak and easy to break"?Hehe, you are so busy fighting for face with me that you dig your own grave without knowing it.

After hearing what his brother-in-law said, Fu Yang was naturally a little unhappy.But the son of Xirong never cared about the details, so he only asked the three sons: "What do you think?"

——That's right, on the eve of Xirong King Fu Yang's enthronement, his three sons gathered at his knees.No matter what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future, at least for now, fathers are kind, sons are filial, brothers are respectful, brothers are respectful, careers are prosperous, and family relationships are shared.

Changsheng did not return to Changyang until the beginning of September.

From Fenglan Pass to the north, if he takes a straight road, at his speed, he can return to Beijing in about ten days.But after he went down the mountain, he walked for a while and stood by the "Bulaohe River", a tributary of the Lianjiang River connected to Chengshui, for a long time in a daze, then suddenly changed his mind.Quietly cross the river, turn east, enter Yuzhou from the north of Chuzhou, and touch the territory of Zhuozhou from Yuzhou, then turn west and return to Yongzhou.

This big circle went around for three full months.

There is no rush along the way, stop and go, look around, like traveling in mountains and rivers.His kung fu is getting better and better, and he is good at hiding his whereabouts, and he knows the details of the Xirong army.Whether it is the countryside outside the city, the wilderness, the government office or the private house, the streets and alleys, it is like entering the land of no one.

But in fact, most places along the way have no rooster crowing for thousands of miles, and bones are exposed in the wild, which is truly a land of no one.

In Yuyong territory, there are scattered human bones everywhere.Some of the more recent ones can still see the knife marks on the bones, it is actually the dead who were picked clean by the living.Although the famine in Chuzhou was severe, after all, the climate was mild and the land was fertile, so the proportion of starving to death was much smaller, so it was not so miserable.

Changsheng picked up the skeleton lying on the side of the road with a knife. It was a man, probably not very old.I don't know if it was killed because it was eaten, or if it was killed and then eaten.Looking up and looking around, there is no one inhabited.If the person who survived by cannibalism was not a Xirong soldier, he might have also sacrificed to other people's internal organs temple and became a lonely soul in the wilderness.

Just sat down here and lit a fire.The weather was hot, but there was not a drop of sweat on his head.He took out a large bag of locusts caught on the road, skewered them with twigs, roasted them on the fire, and began to chew slowly.When you're done eating, add more wood to the fire, and drag that skeleton over and burn it.While burning it, he chanted: If he is here, he will have to make a sacrificial oration for you and recite a few mantras for salvation.It's a pity that it was me who ran into it, so let's just let it go.

Looking at the bones in the fire, I felt an extremely deep and broad sense of compassion, whether it was sadness or melancholy, I couldn't tell.I feel like my heart has softened, and it seems to have hardened again.Looking up at the gray sky, there is no desire, no excitement, no ambition, and no ambition.But it is something that must be done, and it must be done well.I just thought: Let him stay in Shuzhou.How dare he see Bei Bei like this?

At that time, the work of the Xirong army to suppress the hunger riots in the northern region had entered the final stage.I often walk hundreds of miles, and finally come across a city full of abandoned ponds and trees, desolate and desolate.Only the corners of the city are mourning, and the endless desolation is blowing out in the scorching sun.In many places, Changsheng passed by during the Eastern Expedition last year. Although there were bloody battles all the way, after the surrender, there were still many merchants and people. It is not the current desolate scene at all.

After being a gentleman on the beam a few times, and listening to the wall a few times, I learned that it was not that Yan Yang didn't think of a way, but that it was difficult to work for a while.

The food transferred from Chuzhou to the north is only enough to save the emergency of the capital, and it does not care about other places.

In March, the secretary Ling Mo Siyu asked for amnesty for the hungry people who rioted, exchanged knives for plows, and returned the people to the fields, which caused an uproar in the army.Some troops ate human flesh and drank human blood. They were blood-red from top to bottom. Even war horses were wild and irritable when they saw the enemy. How could they give up easily?The two sides have already forged a bloody feud, and no matter what Lao Mo said, the military generals would not believe that the hungry people would surrender obediently and go back to farming.Fu Yang was also a little worried about Lao Mo's idea, so he put the matter on hold.When the riots were basically calmed down in June, the weather was wrong, manpower was scarce, and the plague of locusts was still raging.We had to let the fertile land continue to be barren and the city outline continue to be depressed.

In desperation, Mo Siyu turned to ask to take advantage of the spring plowing and sow seeds, and cultivate large-scale fields in the three southeastern states to solve the inevitable food shortage crisis in autumn and winter.This method is beneficial to the eyes, and no one opposes it.It happened to enclose all those disobedient thugs to farm the land, so that they could count on one fell swoop.Fu Yang ordered to execute immediately.

In July, when the early rice was ripe, grain from Qingzhou and Yuezhou was continuously sent to the northwest by land and water.But the speed of delivery can't keep up with the speed of eating. If there are too many monks and too little porridge, no matter how fast the delivery is, it will not be enough.The garrisons all over the country came up with their own unique tricks, except for those sent to the capital who dared not move, the rest would be the ones who intercepted them first.They secretly fought dozens of battles with each other, covering each other only from their superiors.

Once Changsheng passed by a canyon on the official road, and saw three parties confronting each other at the mouth of the canyon from a distance, so he sneaked into the bushes to hide.After listening for a while, I froze on the spot.It turns out that among the three parties, one is the food delivery team, which belongs to the Qingzhou garrison.The other two parties, one is Puyang garrison army and the other is Puyin garrison army. At the same time, when they got the news that the food was entering the country, they both ran to this gorge to intercept them, not wanting to bump into them head-on.

Those who intercepted the food looked at each other, and there were almost the same number of people, and both sides would suffer from the fight.The leader who delivered the food was the biggest, and the leading general smiled and said, "You guys have to offer a price, whoever has the highest price will take the food away." ——It is already a common practice in the army to bribe officers and soldiers who deliver food with money.

Before they could reach a conclusion, Chang Sheng quietly withdrew from the scene, shaking his head and sighing secretly: How many years has it been?The simple, brave, loyal, and united soldiers of Xirong have degenerated like this.The father and king worked hard for half his life and brought out an iron-blooded and brave army. Why did the people's hearts suddenly become corrupt when the achievements were about to be accomplished?I couldn't help thinking: If he were here, what would he say?

On the third day of September, Fu Sheng, the second prince of Xirong, returned.

Fu Yang couldn't believe it for a while when he heard the surprise report from the guards of the Forbidden Camp.It wasn't until he saw the dusty, handsome young man at the gate of the palace that he stood up tremblingly: "Son..."

Among the three sons, he always liked the second one.The eldest is more than ruthless and brave, but not smart enough; the third is too selfish and not kind enough.According to the tradition of the Xirong tribe, boys were released to the wild since they were young. Fu Ding and Fu Liu respected and admired their father, but they were not very close.In Fu Yang's memory, there is only the second child. Whenever he goes to Jinfei's tent, the little man will rush up, lie on his knees and wrap his father around asking this and that, so that King Xirong can enjoy the rare family happiness. .

Later, the three brothers grew up slowly, and Fu Sheng became more and more quiet, not as lively and bright as he was when he was a child.After Concubine Jin's death, he became more and more reticent.Only by his father's side, silently, beautifully and neatly completing the tasks assigned to him.Fu Yang knew well that Concubine Jin's early death was mostly due to heart disease.Although she didn't say anything, she still bears the unshirkable responsibility.Because of the status of Concubine Jin, he had figured it out early on that it was impossible for the second child to inherit the great cause.Seeing that he was so smart and capable, and kept quiet, I couldn't help but feel guilty, and my words were unconsciously biased.In the eyes of others, it has become the root cause of the cruel murder.

Originally, the second child was asked to follow the eldest brother to the south, not only to try the second child's wishes, but also to test the boss's capacity.If the two go well this trip, maybe not only the second child will have a retreat, but the eldest will also have an extra arm. ——What he didn't expect was that things developed the worst result.

Fu Yang has always been decisive in dealing with things, impatient to act like a child.Just when he was employing someone, he suppressed the resentment in his heart, scolded the boss, severely reprimanded the Baihu Yi Shanqi who stayed with the second son, and let it go.

It's just that when I stay alone occasionally, thinking of the rare moments of warmth in my life, I realize that it was left to me by the mother and son.I didn't realize it at the time, but after I lost it, when the quiet night was waning, I took it out and thought about it, and then I realized how rare it is in this life.At this time, seeing the second son come back from the dead, standing in front of him, he couldn't help being very excited and overjoyed.

Changsheng looked at his father, his eyes turned red naturally.

Chang Sheng had guessed countless times about his father's intentions.He even recalled over and over again the various situations of his mother before she died.After entangled with Li Zishi for so long, he suddenly understood his mother's pain and painstaking efforts that day.Why did my mother suddenly get sick after the war; why did she tell herself so many Jinxia past events; why did she only tell those past events as stories; why did she repeatedly remind herself to obey the teachings of her father... When he faced Zi Shi's torment, he understood everything.

It is not without resentment towards the man in front of him who gave him life and protection.It's a pity that this resentment came too late, and I couldn't hold it anymore.Not without suspicion.But this suspicion has been worn too shallow, and I don't care anymore.

He's the father, I'm the son, that's all.

"Plop" and knelt down on the ground: "Father! It is not filial to have a child. The child...is back..."

The father stepped forward and supported his son.The two people showed their true feelings, and their eyes were wet.

Fu Yang quickly stabilized his emotions and asked, "Since you are safe and sound, why did you come back today?"

Changsheng lowered his head, as if hesitating.

Fu Yang sat down and waited for him to speak.

Finally, Changsheng supported the floor with both fists, and said to his father in a deep and slow voice: "Sheng'er... dare not come back."

"Why not?"

"Father, please take a look." Chang Sheng turned around on his knees, took off his top clothes, and exposed his back.The arrow wound on the vest has long since healed, and the area is not large.But in the eyes of an expert like Fu Yang, he immediately saw the danger of its position and depth.

"...I stayed in Tongcheng that day, and the Xia people attacked at night, so I retreated into the city, set fire to stop it, and planned to evacuate from the south gate..."

Fu Yang has listened to Shan Qi's detailed report on this process.

"...Originally, this level may not hurt me. But——"

"But what?"

"The arrows come from behind, and—" Chang Sheng paused, "It's one string with two arrows, shot up and down."

Two arrows on one chord, fired up and down at the same time, the accuracy is not bad, and the speed is not reduced.The conspiracy behind such a stunt can only be one of his own.

"The situation was critical at the time. I tried my best to escape, but I didn't know where I passed out. The hunter in the mountain lived in seclusion all year round and didn't recognize my identity, so he chose his life. Later...he simply stayed in the mountain..."

Fu Yang was silent.There is absolutely no need to pursue these details.I have already guessed the ins and outs.What matters is the opinion of the parties.

Seeing his son put on his clothes and turn to face him, Fu Yang felt a little guilty in his heart.I haven't seen him in the past two years. This child is black and thin, and he obviously suffered a lot.Fortunately, it is very strong, taller and more mature.

After thinking about it, he decided to ask: "You didn't dare to come back, why——you came back again?"

Hearing this question, Chang Sheng suddenly raised his head and looked straight into his father's eyes.The father and son looked at each other silently for a while.

His father's calm eyes made Chang Sheng feel at ease, and also made his heart feel cold.The trap set by Fu Ding that day did not have the intention of the father.However, today's own return brought him a problem.It even made him suspicious.

A generation of tyrants really looks like a tyrant, and there is no extra emotion to waste.

Don't forget, he is the father and the king of Xirong.

The prepared means are only hoped that they will not be used, but in the end they will inevitably be used one by one.

Chang Sheng allowed himself to show his grief and anger on his face, stared at his father, and said every word: "Father, give birth to a child——I dare not not come back."

After a while, he said softly: "Mother's concubine's memorial day is coming soon. I have been wandering outside for too long, one day... I suddenly remembered that my mother's concubine said before leaving, tell me...to listen to my father's words carefully. I... After all, he is my father's son, I couldn't bear it...and came back." After speaking, when he thought of his mother, tears flowed down his face.

The guilt in Fu Yang's heart was finally forced to turn up again.Want to say something, in the end did not say.Finally, he patted his son on the shoulder and said softly, "Go and wash the dirt on this body first, and then talk properly."

Two days later, Fu Yang called Chang Sheng to have dinner with him.

Screening back to the left and right, he asked his son while picking up some food: "The elders, have you already greeted me?"

"Yes. I paid my respects to a few ladies, visited my third uncle and fourth uncle, and then went to my uncle's place."

All the elders surnamed Fu stayed in Meili.Fu Yang himself has no brothers, all brothers of the same generation in the clan are in the army, and currently there are only two cousins ​​in Beijing.As for the eldest uncle in Changsheng's mouth, it refers to the elder brother of the concubine Ben's family, Ben Ying, the order of the inner government.Chang Sheng thought of Ben Ying seeing him as if he had seen a ghost, sweating all the time, and sneered in his heart.

Fu Yang thought his son would say something, but he didn't.Seeing his calm face, he was a little relieved and a little worried.

The meal was almost finished, and he said slowly: "The 26th of next month is an auspicious day. The ministers have been tossing about for a long time. What they mean is that if the name is not right, the words will not go well, and if the words don't go well, nothing will happen. The supreme position, far and near return Obedience; the order of the emperor, the four directions are stable. Persuade me to be crowned and enthroned on that day..."

Chang Sheng immediately turned over and knelt down, and kowtowed to his father: "Father Wang Shuntian ascended the throne, congratulations!" He said in his heart: No wonder father asked me so directly when he saw me coming back.It was very nonsensical to think: the king of Xirong speaks now, and he is also very polite...

"Right now... Ding'er is suppressing the rebellion in Chuzhou, and I have sent letters to Liu'er. They should all come in a few days."

Changsheng's heart trembled: This is today's topic.

Fu Yang looked at his second son, and said earnestly: "Son, father knows that you have suffered a lot. It's just..."

"Father!" Changsheng interrupted his father, "Sheng'er wants...to go back to Meili to see his mother and concubine."

"Ok?"

"It's been many years since I gave birth to my son. After the father's enthronement ceremony, I'll go back to Meili for my third brother and watch over him."

"You really intend to do that?"

Changsheng straightened his back, raised his head, and said a few words firmly, without leaving any room: "Sheng'er doesn't want to embarrass his father. However, he also doesn't want to wrong himself too much. There are some people I don't want to see. Please allow the son to return to Meili Go to accompany mother and concubine."

Fu Yang suddenly got a little angry: "I have a lot of chores here, and I am so busy, how can you go back to Meili to idle? Let's rest for two months, and when spring comes, go to the east to supervise the grain for me! "Pat the table, "Don't worry. You just do things with your heart. As long as the enthronement ceremony is over, I will not force you to see anyone you don't want to see. As for the future - you go to Meili to accompany your mother, it's up to you. "

On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, Mo Siyu went home from the court, and after dinner, he stood in the garden admiring the chrysanthemums.

What the king bestowed on him was the house of Prime Minister Jin Xia, which was located in the best Fengshui area of ​​Baishifang high-end residential area at the back of the imperial city.It occupies an entire alley, spacious and tidy.At the end, there are three red lacquer animal heads and golden ring gates on the two sides, with carved pillars and hanging flowers on the top, and stone lions squatting in front, majestic, solemn and solemn.

At that time, Lao Mo hesitated for a moment, but Xie En accepted.When working inwards, being low-key has the benefits of being low-key, and being high-key has the convenience of being high-key.After waiting for so many years, I was about to take advantage of the east wind that the king trusted and relied heavily on, to show off my life's ambitions, but it was unnecessary to be timid.

The civil servants of the Jinxia Dynasty were all elegant people.On the right, the front yard of this house is magnificent, and the back yard is exquisite and unique.Especially this garden is a place where the prime minister can cultivate his mind and mind.Pavilions, terraces, pavilions, flowers, trees, mountains and rocks, covered bridges and ponds are all ingenious and ingenious.It's a pity that when Mo Siyu moved in, it had been vacant for more than half a year.The servants around are all servants rewarded by the king, let alone serving them, they can't even tell what looks good.Lao Mo had no choice but to enjoy the beauty of the garden alone with loneliness in his comfort.

A cluster of autumn chrysanthemums in front of the pavilion is in full bloom.The slender tube petals are hooked and curled, surrounded by layers; the color is green and white, plump and crystal clear.Although he doesn't pay much attention to flowers and plants, he still recognizes the famous product "Lvyun" in chrysanthemum.It's rare that no one takes care of this flower, it blooms and falls by itself, but it still shows a piece of elegance and prosperity.

The good times in front of us cannot be disappointed.Put aside the tedious and mundane affairs of your heart, and steal half a day's leisure from the world of mortals.

Sitting in the pavilion like this, and looking at the flowers, Shi Xing rose.Can't help but chant: "Autumn chrysanthemum has a beautiful color, and the dew shows its beauty. I forget my worries and my worldly feelings." I haven't revisited such a style for many years, and suddenly I feel that there seems to be something missing at hand.Come to think of it, what's missing is the wine.But the problem of eating in Beijing has just been barely resolved, even if the status is as respected as the secretary order, it is impossible to have alcohol at home.

Without wine, this poem cannot be recited.

Just when I was depressed, I suddenly heard someone say slowly: "Although the cup is poured in alone, the pot pours itself when the cup is exhausted. Under the Xiaoao Dongxuan, we can regain this life. It turns out that the master also has the idea of ​​being a high-ranking scholar."

Mo Siyu was startled, but moved calmly, stood up and turned around.The person who came was tall and tall, holding an exquisite blue and white ceramic jar in one hand, bowed and smiled at himself: "Fu Sheng is taking the liberty." He straightened his waist, raised the wine in his hand, "I think, sir, he is probably looking for something like this .”

The second prince who came back from the dead unexpectedly, Mo Siyu had met several times in court.The other party showed no other signs except that his demeanor was calmer than before.Now that the king is in the prime of his life and his career is booming, Lao Mo thinks that he doesn't need to worry about the relationship between the princes at all.In this matter he saw clearly: the best action is no action.Unexpectedly, the second prince would take the initiative to come to the door so quickly.When did he have the ability to go up and down without a sound?His knowledge has also improved... The most important thing is that at this moment, he is standing opposite so casually, and he has a faint feeling that he needs to look up.

Mo Siyu's shock was no small matter.

Walking out of the pavilion, he saluted from a distance: "I don't know that His Highness the Second Highness is coming, but I am far away from welcoming you. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Chang Sheng frowned: "Why did you start doing this?"

"The state owns the laws of the country, and the family has its own rules. The king's ascension to the throne is imminent, and these rules should be established." Just yesterday, Fu Yang formally agreed to the proposal of the courtiers: the enthronement ceremony will be held on October 26.

Changsheng returned the gift with a sincere attitude: "Thank you for your teaching, sir. It's just that Fu Sheng really just wanted to treat you to a drink, which has nothing to do with national laws and family regulations." To add, "don't worry, sir, no one will see, Fu Sheng And I won’t come to bother Mr. often.”

Take a few steps forward and stand behind the flowers.Hugging the wine jar in his arms, he raised his hand and knocked, saying: "Father gave me the mansion of the former King Huai'an. I heard that no one lived in it for many years, but he asked me to find it in the cellar. "Xifengbai"."

——About 30 years ago, Emperor Renxiao of Jinxia abolished the crown prince and renamed him King Huai'an.The decent mansions in Beijing have already been allocated, and the second prince has no place to live when he comes back. Although this Huai'an Palace is a little old, it is of high class and grandeur.When the House of Internal Affairs played it, Fu Yang agreed.

Changsheng sighed and smiled: "To be honest, sir, the wine is good wine, but Fu Sheng didn't know who to drink it with. I have something in my heart that has nothing to do with the government and state affairs, and it's really uncomfortable to hold it back. Looking at the capital, I don't know who to talk to. Go and talk. Think about it, or...only the gentleman can talk about it."

The handsome young man in front of him stood in the "green cloud", smiling desolately.Mo Siyu came up with two poems for no reason: "The crown is covered with flowers, and the man is alone and haggard." He thought: This Bodhisattva who came uninvited will not be able to go away for a while, let's listen to his recitation Which temple is it.

Stretching out his hand, he said: "The Second Highness has such an elegant spirit, and loves you so much, I should accompany you. Please."

The two sat down in front of the stone table, did not take cups and bowls, and each had an altar.Slap the Kaifeng mud and uncover the cover, it will be rich and fragrant immediately, and you will get drunk before drinking.They raised the wine jar to each other, chatted as a clinking glass, raised their heads together, and took a big gulp.The entrance is clear and mellow, and it is delicate and long after swallowing. The internal organs feel comfortable and transparent, and they all praised: "Good wine!"

No one in Xirong is not good at this.Although Lao Mo is not greedy for drinking, but it coincides with the Double Ninth Festival, and for this famous flower and fine wine, the sour temperament that has not been seen for a long time is hooked out of his bones, and he doesn't bother to care whether the other party is a plague god.With a calm face and a sincere tone, he asked, "What advice does His Majesty know?"

Chang Sheng held the wine jar and took another sip.After looking at the chrysanthemums in front of the pavilion for a while, he slowly said: "This time... I am in the south, and I recognize someone."