Jiang Qing

The first rainstorm in the summer of the 36th year of Qinyuan fell outside the window of Bai Bingchen's study.

Mei Shao has been to Lanzhou for nearly a month. According to the time he lived in Lanzhou in previous years, he would only come back when the autumn wind began to rise.

In 33 years, after they entered high school in the same year, Emperor Mu Zhao valued their talents and learning, and did not send them to the prefectural and county government offices, but kept them in the Imperial Academy of Pingdu as editors.

Bai Bingchen knew that emphasizing talent and learning was just a cover, and the reason was that Concubine Mei Gui was reluctant to leave the capital, so she thought of this way to let him get a false title in the officialdom so that he could continue to live at ease.

To Bai Bingchen's surprise, his father, who always valued the reputation of his official position, not only had no complaints about his official position, but also did not force him to make friends with powerful people in the officialdom in the past three years, and let him compile history books like this for three years.

Mei Shao has an official position, so it is not easy to leave the capital, but His Majesty has no words, and it is difficult for the people below to say anything.

However, if the work that should be done by him cannot be submitted on time, Bai Bingchen is afraid that his colleagues will look down upon him, so he uses the rest time to sort out the classics for him, so that he can relax when he comes back to catch up on work.

The sound of wind and rain outside was getting louder, Bai Bing got up to close the window, lest the rain would wet the newly assembled scrolls.

A figure flashed by outside the window, and Bai Bingchen almost thought he was dazzled.His Majesty went to the Cangshan Palace to escape the summer heat, and his father drove away with him. How could he appear in the mansion?

He followed his trail and followed to Bai Jianye's study, which was still lit.

The people inside were just rummaging through things and didn't notice that there was someone at the door of the study. Bai Bingchen took the opportunity to take a closer look and found that it was indeed his father.

He watched Bai Jianye busy in the study for a while, but decided to ask.

"Didn't father accompany you in Cangshan? Why are you back at this time?" Bai Bingchen was surprised to find that Bai Jianye's body was wet, and he didn't even have time to change out of his official uniform. elegant demeanor.

Hearing Bai Bingchen's voice, Bai Jianye was a little flustered. He hurriedly hid the things in his hands under the book, and said with a smile, "Why are you here? I have something for my father, take some things back."

Bai Bingchen's sharp eyes saw that the stamps on the letters he hid belonged to the families of several uncles he had been friends with on weekdays, and his doubts deepened.

He remembered that Bai Jianye was always full of worries in the days before he followed Wang Jia, and he had more frequent contacts with the three heads of the Mei family, Liu family, and Qian family, and his letters and invitations were twice as many as usual, and he felt a little uneasy , I always feel that they are secretly planning something.

"What does father do with the private letters between the uncles?"

Bai Jianye didn't answer, and a strange air was blowing between the father and son. After Bai Bingchen stared at him for a while, he reached out to get the letters, but Bai Jianye didn't stop him.

He held a thick letter in his hand, but it seemed to be weighing heavily on his heart. He opened one, and after reading it, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he tried to hold back, but the trembling of his fingertips revealed the contents of the letter. A touch to his heart.

He glanced at Bai Jianye in disbelief, and before he had time to ask him for confirmation, he opened the remaining few letters in succession. The speed of opening the letters became faster and faster, and Bai Bingchen's heart sank deeper and deeper. In the end, he gave up and went to read again. For the rest of the letters, he took a deep breath, put down the messy letters silently, looked up at his father, his eyes were full of confusion and panic: "This is what my father has been busy these days? It is a capital crime to exterminate the nine clans!"

Bai Bingchen stared into Bai Jianye's eyes in disbelief, and asked, "Why did father and the uncles do such a thing of ransacking the family?"

Bai Jianye looked back with deep and stubborn eyes, and he said in a muffled voice, "You don't understand."

Just three words, but Bai Bingchen's heart trembled. He never thought that such a ridiculous thing would happen to him. His father, who always talked about loyalty, said that he didn't understand. The consequences are really ridiculous.

Under the shock, Bai Bingchen tried his best to keep his words steady, thinking that Cangshan Mountain is not too far away from Pingping. If there is an incident in Cangshan Mountain, it is impossible that there will be no news at the moment, and the fact that his father can come back at this time means that everything has not started yet. Then there is still time to remedy it.

Bai Bingchen, who had never been close to Bai Jianye, grabbed his wrist anxiously, his voice pleading, and he didn't even care about his honorific title: "You haven't raised any trouble yet, have you? As long as you tell your uncles now, don't raise an army, everything will be in time .”

He didn't understand why his cautious father would do such a rebellious thing, and there was no time to ask now, he just wanted to nip this dangerous thing in the bud.

"It's too late." Bai Jianye's words were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing Bai Bingchen's last hope. "The Fudi Pavilion has already grasped our movements, and no one can escape."

Bai Bingchen let go of his hand, his mind was in a mess and he didn't know how to respond.

Bai Jianye quickly cleaned up the letters on the table, and said in a deep voice, "I came back to earn a living for the Bai family."

Bai Bingchen, who was at a loss, was brought back to reality by his words. Watching him sort out the letters, a more interesting thought emerged in his heart, trembling in his heart, and hesitantly said: "Father doesn't mean to report on a few uncles and get rid of the Bai family?" Let's protect the Bai family..."

"Yes." Bai Jianye didn't shy away from him, and simply replied: "The Bai family wants to be alone, and this is the only way."

Seeing him confirming his thoughts, Bai Bingchen's mind suddenly appeared Mei Shao's face when he was in high spirits, and his heart panicked.

He didn't dare to think about it at all, because his father's denunciation had confirmed the crimes of the families of several generals, how those friends who get along day and night should treat him, and he didn't even dare to think about it, if Mei Shao knew about it, how could he have the face to do so? meet him.

"Father!" Bai Bingchen immediately knelt in front of Bai Jianye, blocking his way.

"The Bai family has been on good terms with all the uncles' families for a long time. The courtiers have seen all this, and His Majesty also saw it..." Bai Bingchen was talking incoherently, his brain was running fast, and he didn't know what he was talking about. What, but his first reaction was to stop his father.

"Do you want the Bai family to be buried with them!" Bai Jianye had been patient for a long time, and seemed unable to suppress his anger, "I have worked hard for so many years to gain a firm foothold in the officialdom of Pingdu, how can I give up halfway! , you need to be cruel, you have to remember, you are my son of Bai Jianye, and you must think of the Bai family when you act and speak!"

"Get up!" Bai Jianye kicked Bai Bingchen aside, and was about to go out.

Bai Bingchen didn't know where the courage came from. He hugged this person who usually would be terrified when he looked at him twice, and tried to persuade him again: "Father usually teaches his son to be a gentleman. Loyalty? Why doesn’t father practice it himself?”

There was even a hint of blame in his words, "Since a big mistake has been made, the father might as well admit it, Your Majesty forgives him, even if he goes down in thunderous anger, the son is willing to bear it with his father, I just ask my father not to treat you poorly with all uncles." affection."

"Love?" Bai Jianye sneered: "You have compiled history books for three years, and you have lost your mind? On the way to seek power and profit, there are always bloodstains. Where is there any love? Have you ever seen anyone who has love and righteousness? It's ridiculous to start well and end well!"

Bai Jianye said coldly: "Come here, lock this rebellious son into the ancestral hall, and don't allow him to see anyone without my order."

His father was determined to make a knife for hurting people, but Bai Bingchen failed to hold him back, and watched him leave without looking back, limp on the ground, and let his servants drag him into the ancestral hall.

After closing the door and locking it, Bai Bingchen knelt in the dark ancestral hall, his swollen head ached.

The cold air in the ancestral hall was mixed with the incense of Buddha worshiped, and the dim candlelight flickered, reflecting on Bai Bing's face.

His mind was in a mess, and he wanted to find an outlet from the myriad of threads, but he was exhausted physically and mentally.

Looking at the ancestral tablets of the Bai family enshrined in the ancestral hall, Bai Bingchen felt an indescribable sense of absurdity.He didn't expect his father, who usually talked about the Xingfu family, to be so obsessed with power, but he used everything as a fund for promotion, and everyone as a stepping stone.

Bai Jianye's kick was not light, and he didn't notice it when he panicked just now, but now that he calmed down, Bai Bingchen felt a faint tingling pain from his thigh.

He took off his boots, and by the candlelight, gritted his teeth, took off his clothes, and took a look.Sure enough, there was a bruise on the thigh, and it was already swollen quite high, and it was excruciatingly painful to touch it lightly.

But this bit of pain still couldn't cover up the confusion in his heart, he didn't know how to break the current situation.

For the first time, he regretted that he did not follow Bai Jianye's words and earn a future in the officialdom. If he had learned the ways of being an official earlier, he might have discovered something wrong with his parents earlier, and he might not have been as helpless as he is now and hesitation.

Bai Bingchen straightened his clothes, glanced at the locked outside where there were still people guarding, gritted his teeth and stood up, limping around the ancestral hall to see if there was an exit.

The ancestral hall is only officially opened at the end of the year when the ancestors are worshipped. There are few people here on weekdays. Although Bai Bingchen has a bad relationship with his father, he is not a troublemaker. He has never been thrown into the ancestral hall for punishment like today. structure is really unclear.

Barely walking more than half a circle, Bai Bingchen supported the wall to rest for a while, but he didn't dare to stop thinking in his heart. One moment was his father's firmness before he left, and the other moment was his happy gathering with his friends in the restaurant. Back, making him even more annoyed.

If I had known earlier, even if I tried my best, I should have stopped my father.

There was a sudden knocking sound from the bottom of the wall. After listening intently for a while, he found that there was a movable brick under the wall that could be pried open, and that was where the knocking sound came from.

Bai Bingchen knelt down and took the brick away, the knocking sound outside stopped suddenly, and then came a slightly hesitant voice: "Brother?"

"Zhou Yue!" Bai Bingchen didn't expect him to find this place, and hope rose in his heart for a while.

"Did senior brother do something to make the Patriarch angry? Why did the Patriarch lock you up in the ancestral hall?"

Facing Zhou Yue's anxious inquiry, Bai Bingchen didn't have time to answer in detail. He didn't know if there was someone from his father watching around, and he didn't know how long Zhou Yue could stay here.

He interrupted Zhou Yue's puzzlement, and solemnly said: "Zhou Yue, you go to Lanzhou now and tell Mei Shao not to return to Pingdu no matter what news he hears."

"Senior brother?" Zhou Yue was very puzzled by his sudden words, he hesitated and said: "If you don't tell the reason, according to Mei Shao's temperament, she won't listen to me."

Bai Bingchen untied a jade pendant from his waist, and handed it to Zhou Yue from the hole, "Take this and go, he will trust me, he will be obedient. Just beg you as a senior brother, help me this time."

There was no answer from outside the wall, Bai Bingchen couldn't see Zhou Yue's expression, he only felt his hand holding the jade pendant was slightly sweating, he was afraid that the only person who could send a message to Mei Shao would reject his request.

Sighing softly, Zhou Yue accepted the jade pendant and promised, "Don't worry, brother, I'm leaving now."

"Be careful on the road, especially be careful of father's people." Bai Bingchen repeatedly told him, until there was no sound from the other side of the wall, he let go of his tense body and sat against the wall.

He was trapped here, so he could only pin his only hope on Zhou Yue, hoping that this junior who had always been sensible and obedient could stop Mei Shao.

The incense of Buddha in the ancestral hall still lingered slightly, Bai Bingchen sat up on his knees regardless of the pain between his legs, and prayed devoutly in the direction of the memorial tablet.

If there are gods and Buddhas in this world, please protect him, protect him from this accident, and save him from danger.

Where he could not see, a stick of incense quietly broke.