Clam Pearl

The wind at Yinshi, when you get up early in March in Shangjing, cut the cheeks of the ministers waiting for the court. At this moment, the four gates of Beijing and Zhongzhong are not open, and the unique life of Shangjing has quietly begun.

It is still early spring now, and the chill in the morning and evening is no worse than that in early winter, so the officials and slaves on both sides of Tongtian Dao have already laid down on the road, and lined up five rows with a piece of cloth less than half a foot wide, with the distance between each row being two feet wide. Scrub hard there.

The floor on the Royal Road is cleaned every day when these officials and slaves get up early and get ugly. There is no interval in December, and they are cleaned every day. The floor was originally a flat stone hewn by a mason. It looks flat at first, but it feels flat. There are bumps and bumps, but now they have been washed to reveal the silhouette of a person. When it rains or snows, it is necessary to lay straw mats here to prevent slipping.

When the time of Yin came, the monks who beat the watch beat their batons to cross the street, and the officials who drove away the officials and slaves flicked their whips a few times. The officials and slaves bowed their waists, carried thick wooden buckets, walked barefoot to both sides of the royal road and knelt there. Holding the messy hair with his hands, he vividly exposed a complete face facing the ground for officials to watch.

This is a unique culture of the Liang Dynasty, a method pioneered by the late emperor to punish corrupt officials. It does not see blood, but it is quite painful.

These official slaves scrubbing Tongtian Dao are all officials who once wore official boots and walked through this Tongtian Dao with a guard of honor...

The cold wind was blowing, and some officials who arrived first got off the mule carts and official sedan chairs, and some low-level officials who came by themselves were not high-ranking officials but could stand in the Imperial Court. These people entered the Imperial Street at the entrance of each lane ( There are those who are arrogant, those who are cautious, those who look around, and those who have a purpose, but whenever they pass by these officials and slaves, all the bureaucrats choose to remain silent, no matter how big your official position is. No matter how tall you are, no matter whether you have ghosts in your heart or if you have a long-lasting righteousness, you will feel inexplicably anxious, inexplicably... silent, even if you can see these people every day throughout the year.

Woke up early today, the official servants in Jingjie added a newcomer, this man was tall, in his forties, with a white face, he should have been a handsome man, with arrogance, but he came here not long ago, but now he is even kneeling on the street. Don't be taller than others, he still can't agree with his partners in the scrubbing action to form a rhythm, so he has been whipped a lot, sometimes when he is beaten urgently, he will resist and will reach out to grab the whip and struggle.

Officials have long been accustomed to this kind of process, so they naturally have their means to punish such people. After a while, the descendants of this official slave will be brought out to accompany the whip, and the amount of beating depends on the extent of his fault.

Perhaps, at the beginning, these people feel that they still have dignity, they will be ashamed, angry, struggling, and praying for something, then they will be ashamed, desperate, and seek death, and in the end they will accept their fate, become numb, It will become a walking dead who can only wipe the street but not think.

For them, death is really a luxury.

The officials were very curious about the newly arrived official slave. This man was carrying a newly made wooden bucket, and the cloth towel in his hand could still see his true colors. Because it was an unfamiliar face, the officials who came and went looked at him quietly, and some knew him Yes, the street cleaner was not afraid, but the one in official boots didn't do anything, but felt inexplicably ashamed, turned around and walked quickly with his head down.

The petty official who manages the officials and slaves loves to see this kind of scenery. When the official passes by, he opens his mouth and spits out, not daring to spit on the pipe. Look at him, isn't he shabby? Envy him!" After speaking, another mouthful of thick phlegm was about to be spit out, when an adult wearing a fifth-grade court dress who was walking suddenly stopped and stared at him fiercely.

It is rare for officials to offend this kind of caretaker servant and petty official. Whoever has no ghosts in his heart does not know when he will not be unlucky, but it is very rare for people to offend such petty officials in a daze.The little official was a little afraid, but he wasn't afraid, on the contrary he had a playful smile on his face.

The adult was furious, and was about to step forward to teach him a lesson, when someone stopped him and said, "Chengxiu, forget it, time is running out." The officials leave.

The new official slave watched them go away with a numb expression, but something flashed in his eyes...

The little official lowered his head to look at the kneeling official slave, he spit out another mouthful of thick phlegm, and kicked him in the face. This man is tall and big, and he came here not long ago, and he still has some strength in his body, flashing fast enough, lightly After dodging lightly, the little official did not have enough strength to lift his legs, so he flashed his big hips, and suddenly did a side split, and immediately began to howl in a low voice. He was so courageous, he didn't dare to shout, for fear of sparing the nobleman. .

Zhuang Chengxiu was dragged by Xu Dongxing and Yan Dousheng to a sheltered place at the end of the royal road. At this moment, Master Zhuang's face had turned iron blue with anger, his eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't dare to cry. He just trembled, trembling with anger .

"Chengxiu, I didn't mean you. Why can't you bear it? Is it possible that you want to be like Yunliang and suffer that kind of humiliation? Let us just watch it. Now that you are outside, at least you can protect yourself." Protect him, if you have extra money, help him, so that he will suffer less, hey...that day..." Master Yan Douyan said this, looked at Xu Dongxing, Master Xu quickly stood up and blocked them from helping them lookout.

Yan Dou lowered his voice and said quietly: "Those who were in the Prince's Mansion that day, look at how many good ones are still there. We are not conspicuous but rank six, and we are only hanging in the Department of Access. Anyway, you can still see it in the Ministry of Rites. Look at the big guys..."

Zhuang Chengxiu didn't say a word, and looked over there blankly. The one kneeling over there was his sworn brother, but seeing his brother being humiliated like this, he really couldn't swallow this breath in his heart.No matter how hard he endured, he was about to vomit blood. In desperation, he knelt down and beat the bluestone ground with his fists, just a few times, the floor was covered with blood.

"On that day..." Yan Dou squatted down and persuaded quietly: "On that day, the first emperor sent us to the Prince's Mansion, and we didn't go there by ourselves, but who knew that we would have a hat after this trip, and now this hat is you and me. I am unlucky and cannot reuse it on that day, otherwise...the result will not be much better. Chengxiu, you are a great talent, otherwise His Majesty will not keep you, just bear with it, and say no to that day Can you stand up? You just think it’s for Yunliang’s sake, okay? Yunliang’s old mother is still at home, so we can help you..."

Speaking of this, Yan Dou looked around quietly. It was dark at the moment, and there were few officials coming and going. The area where they shrank was a dead corner, and it looked safe, so Yan Dou swallowed and spit and whispered in Zhuang Chengxiu's ear: "Do you know Who sent Yunliang here?"

Zhuang Chengxiu asked hoarsely, "Who?"

Yan Douzhuang boldly whispered into his ear: "Princess Yi."

"What!!!!!!!" Zhuang Chengxiu yelled, and then Yan Dou and Xu Dongxing covered their mouths and begged: "Ancestor, grandpa, keep your voice down, keep your voice down, the four youngest sons of Brother Gang's family, are you still here?" I want to live! Can you do a good job?"

Zhuang Chengxiu was covered with his mouth and nodded again and again. Although he was trembling with anger, he had to endure it. There was a knife on his son's head, and his ribs were so painful that he almost died.

Half of those kneeling and cleaning the street over there are from the former Ministry of King Yi. The most ridiculous thing is that most of these people are some of the reserve power bestowed on the Prince's Mansion by the late emperor. , and once hung lights on the Royal Road in New Year's Eve...

Thinking about those people that day, who won the championship in the Toad Palace, who won the championship in the Brocade Clothes, who were noble, elegant and suave, with the wind of bamboo, the pride of plum, the beauty of osmanthus, and the virtue of chrysanthemum, who would have thought, who would have thought of it?

Zhuang Chengxiu stood up staggeringly, wanting to shout but dare not shout, wanting to cry but dare not cry, so he could only stagger forward and move his steps, walking with the flow.

Fifteen years of cold windows, with ambitions for the world, who are they?who is it?who is it?

Yan Dou and Xu Dongxing wanted to go over and continue to support them, seeing that there were more and more officials over there, fearing that people would say about their team, they could only hold back their tears and watch from afar.

Groups of officials came from all directions, gathering more and more quietly, but no one knew who bumped into Zhuang Xiucheng so hard that he nearly fell down.Someone around him hurriedly helped him up and asked a few words. Zhuang Xiucheng shook his head expressionlessly, and stood there without moving. When the officials walked away, his expression tightened, and he clenched his fists, but he didn't know who was coming. After hitting him, he stuffed a cloth ball into his hand.

This morning, Zhuang Chengxiu was in a daze. He didn't know how he entered the palace, how he stood in the courtyard, how he got off, and how he got into the sedan chair. I have been doing skilled things for a long time, going up, standing, going down, and returning home.

After returning home, as soon as he entered the courtyard, he walked into his room like flying, and after hiding in the side room, he quickly closed all the windows. Terrified, he huddled under the desk in court clothes, took out the cloth ball from his sleeve, and opened it with trembling hands.

This cloth ball is a strip of cloth, which was obviously torn from the inner garment temporarily by someone, and the pen and ink could not be found, but it was actually written in blood by biting his finger.

"Forbearance!" Just this word, there is a plum blossom under the word.

Zhuang Chengxiu immediately burst into tears. He wanted to wail, but he didn't dare to cry, so he could only slowly change from squatting to sitting. He was sitting like that in court clothes, with one hand clenched into a fist and stuffed into his mouth, sobbing. in tears.

That year, he was named on the gold list, and he was a big horse on the imperial street. He and Yunliang, a literary champion and a martial arts champion, were about the same age and both had great ambitions. .Later, the first emperor enriched the crown prince's talent, and they went to the East Palace to serve as assistant ministers.

That year, by coincidence, Jinshang was blind in one eye and was unable to inherit the throne because of his incomplete health. His younger brother Run moved into the East Palace and began to receive education in order to inherit the throne. Who would have thought that that man miraculously What does his royal struggle matter to these poor souls?

I remember... when I went there, it was the time when the plum blossoms were in full bloom. There was a big plum forest behind the East Palace. When the wind blew, the sky was covered with pink petals. It was there that he and Yunliang met the little prince. At that time, Prince Run stood in the pavilion and asked them loudly if they had any wishes.

He and Yun Liang wanted to smile at each other, and said together: "Wish! Serve the king with the way, govern the world with benevolence, bring benefits to the grass and trees, benefit both the inside and the outside, lead the earth in the world, and be virtuous..."

That young flying voice was so clear and high-pitched that the trembling plum blossom petals were rustling down.

Prince Run was only nine years old that year, and he was very naughty. He came down from Meiting, walked up to them with a tube of brushes, looked at them with his small face up, and after watching for a while, the prince smiled, nodded and said, "Okay." I'm alone!" After speaking, he took their hands, and one of them drew a small plum blossom on the palm of his hand.

How many people with great ambitions are there among the auxiliary ministers of the Eastern Palace? Where are these people now?Under the impact of the times, ambition is really nothing, right?Who would have thought it would be like this?On that day, the princes and ministers, how many people were happy because they received the prince's plum blossom letterhead, they all know that the prince likes plums, because plums are proud, if he likes you, he will draw a plum blossom on your palm, how many years ... Didn't you see this plum blossom?

Zhuang Chengxiu didn't know how long he cried. A man in his 40s cried until his eyes were red and swollen and his voice was hoarse.For many years, he has lived cautiously in the dark, struggling hopelessly, now he sees the light, those flying smiles, and the blooming plum.

Originally, he wanted to die. He wanted to die after his old mother passed away, so that he could be buried warmly beside his mother. Now that he can live, he has one last breath, so he... doesn't want to die... and can't die up.

He gritted his teeth, bit his own arm, and bit off a piece of meat there. Seeing the blood dripping there, he felt extremely happy in his heart. He swore that he would kneel down on the way to heaven, and the kneeling one would kneel down. stand up……

Gu Yan, Mr. Gu didn't know about the scene in front of Tongtiandao Yujie. In the past few days, Mr. Gu was very troubled and disturbed. This anxiety began to make him complain that his life was short, and he could still take care of these children. How old is the cub?

He looked helplessly at this unmasculine monster huddled in the corner of the table. He was the direct son of his own brother who could not be thrown away by the old Gu family, and he had to admit it. He had seen this child when he was a child, and he was a servant at home Waving a wooden knife on his back, he said he was going to be a warrior on the battlefield.

Now, he can do anything. On the stage, the emperor can do everything.

That day, the fourth brother put him on his shoulders and ran in the yard. At that time, the child smiled unscrupulously and domineeringly, just like the other cubs of the Gu family. He was born a bloodthirsty and greedy wolf cub. Have a vast and unlimited future.

His hands are for holding knives, not for handkerchiefs, and his hands can bleed, but they can't cry like this.

The sons of warriors have a large age gap, and they are not at home all year round. Therefore, warriors have more care and love for their children and grandchildren that literati do not have. This is the son of the Gu family. But it can't be like this.

Master Gu really wanted to kill this sissy, this monster who is neither male nor female, he should fill the well, he should be crushed, he should not be alive!

However, he couldn't do anything, he remembered the night before his fourth brother died, in the winter, he stood by the well and poured cold water on his body, complaining to himself that he was not too cold, but the fourth brother smiled and said, people like them, I don't know when I will die, but, no matter what, I have to go clean.

The fourth brother left cleanly. His descendants didn't enjoy any of the glory he earned, and even that woman didn't enjoy it.Gu Yan doesn't hate Gao, he has too many things to worry about, and he can't take care of himself.

Gu Yan has always been arrogant, but now he does not dare to look arrogantly at the mutated chick in front of him. You know, this mutated chick is ten thousand times more terrifying than a wolf cub. If he doesn't say a good word, he wants to die. It's fine to seek death, but can he not bite his handkerchief and look at himself resentfully?Can?If only I could walk over, grab his news neck, and wring it off with a snap, it would be so thin, it must be effortless.

But he didn't dare, he owed him, he couldn't help him, so he had to bear it, he had to try to bend it to him.

Gu Maobing was very hungry. These days, in order to listen to that good book, he didn't go to the TV station. The wonderful stories always made him forget to eat and sleep.Now he is hungry, just in time, in front of him is a table of delicacies that only appeared in his dream, the meat is whole, smelling fragrant and stained with sauce.The chicken is whole, but it is carefully cut into small pieces, and the small pieces are so finely arranged and arranged like lining flowers.

"...Eat!" Gu Yan was used to shouting, and the chick shivered.

"Eat... eat, eat more... ah!" Gu Yan's old face immediately adjusted his expression, and forced out the most kind smile in his imagination to greet this chick.

The chick stretched out the skinny chick frame and picked up a small piece of meat with difficulty. Probably because the silver chopsticks were too heavy, the meat fell into the plate again.

The drum stool under Gu Yan’s buttocks had been shattered long ago. Afraid of scaring the chick, he tried his best to wait on the chick. Seeing that the piece of meat fell off, he suppressed a smile and said softly to the outside: "Come, come... people!"

The chick started to tremble, and he coaxed him out from the corner of the room the day before yesterday, and he has already lost his old strength. Master Gu wanted to cry, but he could only lower his voice and comfort the chick infinitely tenderly: "It's not your fault, it's because the chopsticks are too heavy Already." After that, he turned his head, smiled and softly told the boy: "Go...change a pair of bamboo chopsticks, go, hurry up...order."

The little servant was so frightened that he fell and crawled out, no one in Daliang Kingdom knew, it was fine if Mr. Gu didn't smile, he would kill someone if he smiled.

Gu Zhao was eating with him today, and Gu Maode was also with him. They didn’t speak, but they were holding back. Take Gu Zhao as an example, he was fifty in his last life, and he was still bouncing around, drinking and blowing bottles, fighting and copying. Iron Shovel is a hearty and good man raised by the sea, and he just loves men!He is not such a mother!

And he doesn't like this kind of stuff, he likes... Well, like Ah Run.

What is Arun doing these days?Have you received the new socks I gave him?ready to wear?Can it be warm?Stretching out his chopsticks, Gu Zhao had already flown his head to the Monk Temple, but he didn't know that the monks in that temple were about to stain the mountains and rivers with blood for him.

Gu Maode sighed in his heart, the one his father brought back was just looking for trouble, he threw it in the countryside at will, and it will be good to eat and drink for a lifetime!Wouldn't it be good to let him fend for himself?People might still be willing!Someone cares about eating and drinking, the big deal, he loves to sing, buy him five theater troupes, let him play in turn, I am so tired, and I have to learn to draw portraits every day, he doesn't have the ghost skill to eat with him, my father really ...too responsible.

Sooner or later, I'm going to become a prince. If I'm so tired, it's okay for the county prince not to do it. Give it to the second uncle. The second uncle even dreams about it.