Looking at the mountains and rivers

Mu Wangfu.

The streets outside the Prince's Mansion, which were originally cleaned up, were in chaos, all traces of being run over by carts and horses.

When Mu Wang Yang Ye was in power, some alchemists once said that the sky above Mu Wang's mansion was full of purple air.At that time, there were Zuo Xiaowei guarding both inside and outside the palace, horses were not allowed to run in front of the gate, and ordinary people did not even dare to raise their heads when passing by.In the blink of an eye Yang Ye passed away, this palace was inspected twice by the Habayashi guards in a few years, the first time they found Yang Dai's doll that cursed the emperor with witchcraft, this time they found Yang Jue and a foreigner. Letters of Yan Yu's affair.The two succeeding Mu Wangs were imprisoned one after another, and the sky full of purple air seemed to have turned into a sky of black air.

A tung oil carriage slowly stopped outside the main entrance of the palace. Yang Cong got out of the carriage indifferently, pushed open the heavy door with one hand, and stepped in.

Although the servants in the mansion looked flustered, it was not the first time they had experienced a change of master. They all reacted very quickly, rushed forward as soon as they hugged, knelt on the ground and said in unison: "Welcome the second young master back to the mansion." Look at the look on their faces With a respectful expression, it seems that Yang Cong has been regarded as the future owner of this mansion.

Yang Cong looked at the people kneeling on the ground, the corners of his mouth trembled a few times, but he didn't see a smile, he just said, "Where is the Fourth Young Master?"

Fang Yun bowed his head and said, "The Fourth Young Master is recuperating in the inner mansion. He has been detained for two days and has not had any water. Now he is very weak."

Yang Cong was startled, and immediately said: "I'll go and see him."

However, before he could enter the inner mansion, Yang Yan was staggered out with support. His face was pale, his eyes were full of tears, and he knelt down on the ground, sobbing: "Thank you for saving my life, brother, if it wasn't for brother Returning to the capital in time this time, I am afraid that I am no longer alive."

Yang Cong lowered his head and went to help him, but he grabbed his hand and said: "Second Brother, the Mu Palace has suffered successive disasters in the past few years, and it has been in great decline. From now on, we will rely on Second Brother to rebuild the lintel."

Yang Cong closed his eyes, with a wry smile on his face, he helped Yang Yan up: "Fourth brother, get up and talk." After a pause, he said to his back, "You all step back."

After all the servants agreed to retreat, Yang Cong walked slowly into the side hall of Qing'an Hall with his younger brother.This is the place where Yang Ye, the former king of Mu, lived. The furnishings in the side hall have been changed several times, but the big sandalwood chair that Yang Ye used to sit on is still in the hall, covered with green dragon furoki, and the green jade armrest is not stained dust.

Yang Cong helped Yang Yan slowly walk to the big chair, then leaned slightly, helped him sit down, then backed away a few steps, and knelt down in front of him: "Since I received the news a few days ago, I have been traveling fast Ma enters the capital. This time, the imperial court sued Yang Jue, because the fourth brother made proper arrangements, and I finally got rid of the third child. I am lucky." He paused, "I hope the fourth brother will see it for the sake of the brotherhood in the past. , let me go back as soon as possible."

Yang Yan stared straight ahead, didn't respond, just caressed the warm and cool green jade under his palm back and forth, and smiled for a long time: "Second brother has been in the fief all these years, and finally returned to Jian'an, why is it so urgent? walk." He paused, then raised his chin and said, "Second brother doesn't need to kneel, we brothers sit and talk."

Yang Cong hesitated for a moment, then slowly stood up and sat aside.Because the door of the side hall was closed, it seemed that the inside of the hall was a bit dark, only a ray of light leaked in from the window lattice, and shone on the side of the sandalwood chair, reflecting the slender silhouette.Yang Cong remembered that when he was young, he listened to the training in this side hall, and he never dared to raise his head arbitrarily, and could only stare at the ground, looking at the silhouette of his father on the ground.Looking at it now, the silhouettes of these two people have an indescribable similarity, just looking at them makes people feel cold all over.

"Second brother, in fact, among our brothers, I only admire you."

Yang Cong was startled, and sat up straight unconsciously, waiting for his next words.

"In the past, in the mansion, the eldest brother and the third brother were both top-notch people. You came from a humble background, and I have a disability, so I was not welcomed by others. With the suspicion of the eldest brother and the ruthlessness of the third brother, you can not only stand in front of these two Seeking self-protection in the cracks, and sometimes waiting for an opportunity to rescue me." Yang Yan smiled when he said this, "I know, you are not gentle and kind, in order to seek harmony between brothers. You are so troublesome, but you are thinking about who will be in the future. It won't hurt you if someone succeeds to the throne, will it?"

Yang Cong didn't answer, as if he had acquiesced.

"So I said, second brother, you are a smart person, unlike our brothers who fought openly and secretly, causing either your death or mine." After Yang Yan finished speaking, he sighed softly.

Yang Cong hesitated, and opened his mouth slowly: "The eldest brother and the third brother are indeed fighting fiercely, but the fourth brother, you are different from them."

Yang Yan seemed a little surprised, he raised his eyebrows: "Oh? Second brother thinks I'm different?"

Yang Cong smiled bitterly: "I still remember that in the past, people said that the son of Prince Mu's mansion is like a fox, and the third son is like a wolf. But I think, fourth brother, you are better than these two people who are like foxes and wolves. You are sleeping The fierce tiger," his voice trembled slightly, "he woke up, he is going to eat people."

Yang Yan paused, and suddenly laughed, he seldom laughed out loud like this, at the end of the laugh, a little blood came out of his pale face.

"It turns out that the second brother thinks so highly of me."

Listening to his laughter, Yang Cong trembled more and more, and finally couldn't hold back and said, "Fourth brother, what... have you done to my mother?"

"Madame Feng is doing very well in the mansion, second brother don't have to worry." Yang Yan raised his eyes and looked in his direction calmly, "Speaking of which, I would also like to thank elder brother for being thoughtful and keeping Mrs. Feng In the mansion. If it wasn’t for that, how could the second elder brother come to Jian’an to save me this time?”

"You...do you know how I felt when I saw my mother's cut hair and the jade rod she usually wears?" Yang Cong said tremblingly, he stood up abruptly, and knelt down on the ground again, " Fourth brother, just as I beg you, let me take mother back to the fief."

"Second brother," Yang Yan still smiled, "Eldest brother and third brother have both been convicted. Now that you leave, I am the only blind man left in the Mu Palace, so what should I do?"

Hearing the meaning of his words, Yang Cong was even more frightened, and immediately said: "Fourth brother, with your ability, let alone this small palace, even the world, you can hold it in your hands. The position of King Mu , I will never touch it," he kowtowed again and again, "you let the second brother go."

Hearing the decisiveness in his words, Yang Yan couldn't help but frowned slightly: "Second brother, it's not that I deliberately made things difficult for you, it's just that this incident happened suddenly and the timing was wrong, so I can't come forward for many things." He slowly Standing up, he bent down to help his kneeling elder brother, "I will arrange for you to see Mrs. Feng tonight, but right now, you have to do something for me."

At dusk, Dongcheng Prison.

This prison was built outside the Dongcheng Gate, so it is called Dongcheng Prison.This place is different from the Dali Temple Prison. It never detains ordinary criminals of the three sects and nine classes. Those who can be reduced here are felony prisoners, and most of them will not escape death.Also because most of the prisoners who came in were dragged out and chopped up, the cells were not crowded, but empty and cold.

Wei Changxuan sat in a separate stone prison, eyes half closed, smelling the damp musty smell in the air, thinking that his life was about to end.Just two days after he was released from prison, the inner prisoner came to announce the imperial decree, saying that he would be beheaded in ten days.

When Wei Changxuan heard the news, he didn't have much fear, he just thought silently, fortunately, his adoptive father was gone, so he wouldn't feel sorry for him, and Chen Shao wasn't here, otherwise he might be impulsive and cause trouble again.Yexi should already be on his way to Hexi, he won't know about his beheading, and he won't be sad, that's good.

After the inner prisoner who announced the decree left, the prison returned to deathly silence, until there was a soft knocking sound from the next door, and an old man's voice came through the stone wall: "So you are the one who just had a fight with the Yanyu man." The little general who has finished the battle." He clicked his tongue lightly, "He is about to be beheaded so soon."

Listening to his words, there was no regret, but it seemed to be teasing. Wei Changxuan was sullen and didn't respond.

The old man didn't take it seriously, hummed a few outrageous tunes, and then said: "I heard that Yan Yu brought 30 people to attack Yunxia Pass this time? Do you still remember when Yan Yu stormed Panmen decades ago? Guan, our brothers have not untied our swords and armor for several months, and finally drove this group of people out of Panmenguan."

Wei Changxuan was stunned for a moment: "The old man is also the one who leads the army to fight, why is he imprisoned here?"

The old man didn't know whether he didn't want to answer or didn't hear it, so he continued humming a little tune to himself without speaking.

Wei Changxuan thought for a while: "Panmen is closed in Hexi, could it be that the old man is Tuobagong's subordinate?"

The old man suddenly stopped humming, he spat, and cursed: "Tuobaxin, that capricious villain. I have been under his command since I was 13 years old, and worked hard to defend Dazhao's territory. People from the Central Plains pushed us Donghu people overtly and secretly. Later, Tuobaxin was annoyed and said that he would take us to Yanyu, but who knew that I had just led troops to revolt, but he was recruited by the people from the Central Plains, and instead sent us to Yanyu. These subordinates were arrested as traitors and thieves. Our brothers died and were locked up. I stayed in this ghost place for 20 years. He is fine and continues to be his prince and king of the Northwest. He is a shameless thing. .”

He swore a few times over and over again, and then remembered that there was someone next door, so he silenced his voice and asked: "You boy, you are young and have great military exploits, but you were beheaded for acting recklessly, don't you regret it?"

Wei Changxuan was silent for a moment: "It's all my own decision to get to where I am today. Now that I've made it, I won't regret it."

The old man gave a strange laugh: "You are so open-minded. It's rare to see someone like the Mizube doctor who was imprisoned here a few days ago. He is not as open as you think. He is crying and complaining all day long. It is really noisy."

Wei Changxuan was taken aback. He vaguely heard that the Yellow River's floods had been dealt with in recent years without success. In a few days, Rui and Sheng Fang were executed.

"Since he was greedy for money, he should know that he will die if he is found out, so what is he complaining about?"

The old man said casually: "He said that only a small part of the disaster relief money fell into his pocket, and there are many people who are corrupt, and he is just a scapegoat. It’s not the fault of the Ministry of Water that we are willing to work together to govern together.” He paused, then laughed again, “Fortunately, he talked a lot, and told me a lot of new things in recent years, the battle between Dazhao and Yanyu He also listened to what he said."

"It seems that although you are locked up here, you are concerned about the affairs of the country."

The old man spat again: "Who cares about these people from the Central Plains, even if Yan Yu really went south and hit Jian'an, the old man would only applaud."

Wei Changxuan said coldly: "As a citizen of Dazhao, don't you feel ashamed for saying such a thing?"

"Ashamed?" The old man laughed strangely again, "Back then, I had a colleague who said the same thing to you. He was from the Central Plains, and he belonged to Tuoba Xin under the same command as us. It's strange to say that he is very skilled , and very brave, not at all like the cowardly and cowardly Central Plains people. We all had the idea of ​​​​looking down on him at first, but later we all admire him very much, and he is worthy of his brother."

His voice slowly lowered: "Later, Tuobaxin wanted to take refuge in Yanyu, and promised to send the three cities west of Panmenguan to Yanyu Khan. The first two cities opened their gates immediately after receiving the order, and Not only did my brother refuse to accept the order, but he took a long gun and guarded the city gate, saying that anyone who wants to open the gate must win the gun in his hand. I refused to go up and fight with him, but He could watch others rush up to fight him. That day, he fought from dawn to dusk without moving a single step. He suffered numerous wounds, including his own blood and that of others. Most of his guards were killed and injured. , the corpse blocked the city gate, and it has never been opened."

Wei Changxuan listened silently in the dark.

"You know what happened later, Tuobaxin was appeased, and the two cities given to Yan Yu were not recovered, but do you know what will happen to my brother?"

Hearing his cold tone, Wei Changxuan seemed to be full of endless resentment, he didn't dare to guess, so he just shook his head lightly.

The old man continued on his own: "He was framed as a traitor who surrendered to Yanyu without authorization. Everyone insisted that he sent the two cities out with his own hands. Then he was arrested and returned to Jian'an, because he refused to plead guilty. He was beaten to death in prison, and after that he was imprisoned in the nine clans, and no one in his blood was spared." After he finished speaking, he laughed strangely again, "Since then, I have never believed in this dynasty or this country. What else is obvious."

Wei Changxuan seemed shocked by this story and did not speak for a long time.

The old man's laughter echoed between the stone walls, a bit piercing: "Look, you were born and died on the battlefield, but when you came back, you were punished and beheaded for offending a useless prince, so similar to my comrade. People in the Central Plains are so stupid. You ruined the good men with your own hands, leaving only some useless trash, guarding a square inch of the country, licentious and enjoying themselves, do you still care about their interests?"

The young man across the stone wall still didn't answer, and they stopped talking.