Daming prepares the emperor

In the early years of Hongwu.

"Good rain knows the season."

On Yanque Lake, a small boat carried two people through the drizzle.

Song Lian sat in the cabin, looking at the layers of fresh green mountains outside, and read a poem softly.

The rain beats the duckweed, and the ripples move lightly. Looking around, the emerald green lake is like a mirror, with the green hills on both sides of the lake reflected in it, and the birds chirping in the sky, just like a freehand ink painting unfolding.

Outside the lake and in the lake, the sky, the mountains, and the things can't tell the real from the fake. When people are in the boat, they suddenly feel that the world is vast and their own is small. Life is like a journey against the road, and I am also a pedestrian.

It is rare to have the opportunity to go out for leisure and entertainment, and should not talk about business affairs, but Song Lian quickly discarded his sentimentality as a literati, picked up the qualified qualities of a politician, and sighed with relief: "This year's spring plowing will surely go smoothly. of."

The person beside him seemed to be thinking about something in a daze, and did not respond to his words.

Song Lian said with a smile: "Master Liu, you were the one who insisted on dragging the old man out of the mansion, but when he got there, why did you turn your back on him and turn your back on him?"

"Huh?" Liu Bowen came back to his senses, retracted his counting fingers and put them in his sleeves, "What did Master Song just say?"

"I'm talking about the court affairs." Song Lian changed the subject calmly, "Since Zhang Shicheng hanged himself and Wu Yuannian changed his name, I, Minglu, have recovered many lands one after another. In the beginning of spring this year, Prime Minister Xu brought Chang Yuchun with him The two generals, Lan Yu, marched north again, seeing that the north and the south are about to be unified, expelling the barbarians and restoring China, this is really a great achievement, your majesty is virtuous."

"Yes." Liu Ji said with emotion, "It's been so long before I know it, and I, Liu Bowen Sansheng, have the honor to see the Ming Lord enthroned."

Song Lian fully agreed: "To meet the Lord of the Ming Dynasty is a blessing that many generations of courtiers can't ask for. Your Majesty's merits are not inferior to those of the Qin Emperor and Han Wu, and he will surely live forever."

"The edict written by Mr. Song to the Central Plains has become a model for the world's scholars to make a fuss, and it will be famous forever in the future." Liu Ji flattered his old friend.

Song Lian waved his hands again and again, his words were very modest, and the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed: "Everywhere, it is all thanks to His Majesty's grace."

Speaking of this, Song Lian, whose back was even straighter, continued: "Self-knowledge is still necessary. In terms of government affairs, my talents are not sufficient, far inferior to the court officials, and my talents are not outstanding. I can serve as your highness. Lectures on scriptures and compiling the history of the Yuan Dynasty for His Majesty are already very good, and I don’t want to be an example.”

Liu Bowen said: "Brother Song is modest."

"Don't talk, don't talk." Song Lian said, "Today, Muxiu finally came out, so we won't talk about it."

"Okay, let me warm up some wine."

The small boat they took was made by a well-known workshop in Yingtian City. Not to mention beautiful and elegant, the function is also quite practical. Once the rope in the cabin is pulled, the small sail will be raised, basically requiring little manpower to paddle. , It is very suitable for scholars of the scholar-bureaucrat class to use.

Liu Ji took a pot of wine and put it on the small red clay stove, added a few pieces of charcoal into it, and hung up the sail by the way. While tasting the wine and admiring the scenery, the two headed towards the center of the lake along the direction of the wind.

After drinking a few glasses of wine happily, Song Lian became drunk, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he stared at him and said: "After we go back, you and I should each compose a poem to echo each other. It is a good paragraph to imitate the ancients. Good story."

Liu Ji bent down and washed his hands in the clear lake water, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped it, and said with a smile, "As long as you don't think I'm weak."

"Is your talent still short?"

Song Lian suddenly thought of Liu Bowen's ecstasy at the beginning, and through this sentence, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have never focused on enjoying the scenery, so he couldn't help frowning: "Bowen, do you have something on your mind? Ask me today What did you come out for?"

He pondered for a while, then continued: "Is there any difficulty in building the Forbidden City?"

"I have nothing on my mind." Liu Ji shook his head slowly, picked up the pot and refilled a glass of wine for Song Lian, "I have to say the reason, I'm just thinking that something good will happen if I go out with Jing Lian today."

"Haha." Song Lian was very happy, "So, I am considered a lucky person?"

"Isn't it a blessing to be able to teach the prince?"

"Yes, of course!"

After a while, Song Lian's eyes lit up a few degrees, and he stood up, walked to the bow of the boat, and sat down, clamoring for a poem.

The old man has never practiced martial arts or immortality. Now he is almost 60 years old, his hair and beard are a little gray, but he is still in good spirits. Liu Ji couldn't persuade him, so he had to go there together.

In fact, Liu Ji is only one year younger than Song Lian, but because of his cultivation, none of his hair and beard are white, his skin has no wrinkles, his body is like a crane, and he is full of energy. He looks only about thirty years old. He has a strong sense of responsibility and naturally assumes the responsibility of taking care of his friends.

"Well, let me think about it... Zhong Shan Gulululu..."

Before the second half of the sentence was read out, a sudden strong wind blew up and the boat became unstable, and Song Lian fell down with a sound.

"Jing Lian!" Liu Ji stood up in fright, and was about to jump down after shaking his clothes.

But who knew that after Song Lian fell, the strong wind stopped suddenly, the boat became stable, and the lake surface was as smooth as a mirror without any ripples.Liu Ji took a few serious glances, heaved a sigh of relief, and sat down again with a faint smile, thoughtful.

After Song Lian fell down, he choked on a few sips of water, and his drunkenness flew out of the sky in an instant. He tried to swim up with his hands and feet. At this time, the arty toga with large sleeves became an obstacle. After absorbing the water, he sank like a stone. It was tied around his body like kelp, dragging him down into the dark depths.

Just when Song Lian was in despair, his toes suddenly touched something hard, and his body was surrounded by a layer of faint golden film, which covered Song Lian like a hood. There was no lake water in it, and it was filled with fresh air, which almost suffocated him. The head of the founding civil servants who died was rescued.

"...cough, cough, cough." Song Lian desperately stroked his chest and spat out water. After a while, he regained his composure and looked around in confusion, "What's going on? Where's Bowen?"

"Hello, Mr. Song, I'm in Xiawupin. By the order of His Highness, I'm here to invite you to have a briefing."

The sound came from under his feet. Song Lian looked down and found that he was stepping on a big turtle.

The whole body of this tortoise is a cold iron green color, the size of a carriage, and when the four claws flap, each is propelled by a strong current of water.

Although its appearance is fierce and frightening, its voice is completely opposite, which can be called calm and polite.

"Your Highness? Which Highness? What Highness?"

"It's His Royal Highness waiting for you from the Yanque Lake Shui Clan." Wu Pin said gently, "Don't worry, sir, I have a good relationship with Prince Daming, and I have a record in the Zhenyaosi. I'm not some evil heretic. After meeting Your Highness, sir will naturally able to go back in one piece."

Its words and expressions are polite, and the meaning revealed in it cannot be rejected, Song Lian can only nod in agreement.He didn't think he had anything to covet about, so he didn't think the turtle was lying.

After Wu Pin signaled Song Lian to sit still, he drove him to the depths, the water was surging like wind and clouds, and the dark deep water in the corner of the eye gradually emitted light spots. The woods are also separated by golden light. There are apricot and pear blossoms in the forest, which are gorgeous and different from ordinary scenes.

"We are here, please come down, sir."

When it falls into reality, you will realize that there are not only flowers here, but also a lot of pavilions and dances. The side of the glass stone road is full of weeds, the breeze is blowing, and the elegant fragrance is tangy. The wooden steps are entangled and entangled. From time to time, a large piece of dreamlike palace was revealed amidst the clouds and mists. Song Lian followed Wu Pin and walked slowly, almost dazzled by the sight.

He is not uninformed, at least he has been to Zhenyaosi a few times. In Song Lian's opinion, the wonder of peach trees in Zhenyaosi is already a victory in the world, but the bottom of Yanque Lake here is not inferior. .The two styles are different, one makes people feel the prosperity of the world, and the other makes people yearn for a retreat in the mountains.

After walking for about half an hour, Song Lian was shocked when he saw a bright yellow figure from behind.

Not everyone can use these colors. In the whole world, except for the emperor, empress and prince, no one else can wear them. How could they appear here?

Especially at the foot of Zhongshan, where the dragon veins are stationed, how could it allow such a situation to happen?

Wu Pin said: "The person in front is Your Highness, I don't want to disturb you, sir, please go forward."

"Okay." Song Lian frowned and cupped his hands, watching Wu Pin slowly disappear along the way he came from.

After hesitating on the spot for a while, he finally walked over, stood at a distance of about ten feet and said, "My lord, Song Jinglian, what can you do with me?"

The man turned around, with a handsome face and a gentle temperament. He was not like a mermaid head as Song Lian thought, but he was no different from ordinary people. When he saw Song Lian, he smiled and raised his hand to ask him to sit down: "Mr. Have some pastries?"

Inviting a Chinese to eat is a great way to bridge the gap at any time.

"I've been here alone for eight or nine hundred years." The man said, "It's still very rare to meet a great Confucianist like Mr. Song."

"...Your Excellency is absurd." As the saying goes, there is nothing to be courteous, rape or steal, and Song Lian, whose vigilance was temporarily shattered by the food, became nervous again, tensing the muscles on his face, like a man who strayed into a goblin's cave by mistake old pedant.

"This time I invite you to come over, because I actually have something to ask for." The man continued, "I heard that Emperor Ming is going to fill Yanque Lake and build a palace on it, right?"

"It's true." Song Lian said calmly.

He already figured out why the tortoise brought him here, so he wasn't in a panic at this moment. If he wanted to murder a high-ranking court official, no monster would weigh it.

"Don't be nervous, sir." The man said, "I have no intention of targeting sir. Yanque Lake is the place where we and other aquatic species live and multiply. Although it is not easy to move rashly, it can still be moved."

Speaking of this, Song Lian felt a little guilty, but he didn't allow himself to show it: "I don't know much about the site selection. I only heard that Yanque Lake is a treasured place of geomantic omen. If the imperial city is not repaired, it will be built here. Even if it costs tens of thousands of manpower, it must be built."

"I can understand."

The man got up and said: "Now that things have happened, Gu has no choice but to reveal his identity. Maybe Mr. Song knows about Wen Xuan?"

"Of course I know that." Song Lian said, "Prince Zhaoming's Selected Works continues the past and ushers in the future. It is a masterpiece of essays and poems, and I have read it."

The man nodded: "I am Prince Zhaoming."

"……what?"

"Gu Zeng's name is Xiao Tong, he is the prince of Nanliang."

Xiao Tong wanted to give Song Lian some time to calm down and think, and continued: "Back then, Gu died after falling into the water in Xuanwu Lake. The emperor built a mausoleum for Gu, and buried the purple jade cup and glass bowl with him. These things were very rare at that time. There was a villain who robbed the tomb specifically for this purpose and took away two treasures. When they walked to the moat, a group of sparrow demons saw that the road was uneven, and not only took back things for Gu, they even brought soil to rebuild the tomb."

At this point, a chubby sparrow flew down from the branch, landed on Xiao Tong's fingertips, and chirped a few times at Song Lian, his expression seemed to be proud.

"Your Majesty is Prince Zhaoming." Song Lian, who attaches great importance to the orthodox status, finally let go of most of his worries. Prince Zhaoming was famous for his benevolence during his lifetime, and the records in the history books are very positive. He stood up respectfully and saluted Xiao Tongzhen again.

"Excuse me sir." Xiao Tong helped him up, "Gu continues to talk to you."

Song Lian stared at Xiao Tong's mouth without blinking, for fear of missing a word.

"The whole process of the theft of the treasure was recorded by Tang Jiaolu in Tang Dynasty in the book Poor Mystery Garden. It is generally good, except for a little omission."

"The purple jade cup and glazed bowl did not return to Gu's hands. They were lost by sparrow monsters on the way, and their whereabouts are still unknown."

"Because of the limitation of the ghost body, I can't leave the water. The aquariums who are loyal to me don't have much time to spend on land. These two magic tools are too extraordinary. I can't ask others hastily. It has not been found for hundreds of years."

The sparrow lowered its head limply.

"If the aquariums want to move away from Yanque Lake, Gu must relocate his mausoleum. If the mausoleum wants to move, he will have to trouble the descendants of that group of chaffinches at that time. But although their ancestors are outstanding, today's descendants are just ordinary animals. Only Gu The one in hand and its brother are quite good, and they were originally unable to perform the feat of a century ago again."

Xiao Tong paused: "But if the cups and bowls are retrieved, Gu can use his strength to temporarily turn the sparrows into demons."

"It's not up to me to decide." Lian Song immediately said, "Maybe Mr...."

Xiao Tong raised his head slightly, indicating that he could continue to call himself that.

"Perhaps you don't know." Song Lian said, "Your Majesty started out as a commoner, smart and powerful, invincible, accustomed to being arbitrary, and will not allow his ministers to dictate matters in the Forbidden City."

Song Lian said again: "In his position, he will seek his own government, and he will do his best when he is in his position. Although I admire your literary name, I am now a courtier of Ming Dynasty, and I have to consider my country and society. If the Forbidden City is built It is indeed possible to win the fortune of the country on Yanque Lake, so how many aquariums will be displaced because of this is not something I should be sympathetic to."

Just as Xiao Tong was about to say something more, he was interrupted by Song Lian again: "The popularity of Yingtian Mansion is so strong, I didn't deliberately borrow talismans to observe it, but there is Zhang Zhong and Daoist Zhang in the town demon division, and there are dragon spirits from His Majesty and the prince in the palace. Blessings, even if the young master has any ideas, Yanquehu will definitely fill them in!"

These words are so strong that anyone who hears them will be shocked.

To say such provocative words on other people's territory, Song Lian has already put his life and death at risk.

But instead of being angry, Xiao Tong laughed out loud, appreciating Song Lian even more.

"Mr. Song, do you know why I asked you to come here? If it's because you happen to be boating on the lake, then there is still Liu Bowen who is proficient in metaphysics and can understand gods and ghosts."

Song Lian froze for a moment, then shook his head honestly.

"One is because it is deep in the bottom of the water, and it is the long-term residence of the solitary, so the yin is strong. Ordinary people come here once, and they are prone to be ill. However, Mr. has a literary name, and it happens to be related to the solitary. Injury to the body."

"Secondly, because your husband is the prince's teacher, and the prince respects his teacher, he has a deep relationship with the emperor, so he must have something to say."

Wu Pin's words echoed in Song Lian's ears - I have a good relationship with the prince of Ming Dynasty.

"This...His Royal Highness is indeed much gentler than His Majesty."

"Mr. Song, let's take it as a message for Gu." Xiao Tong said softly, "The specific choice depends on the prince."

Song Lian deliberated over and over again, then nodded helplessly: "Okay, I will convey it to His Highness, please send me back again, please!"