Chang'an ancient meaning

When Li Chengqi came out of the palace, Li Longji also learned that his mother had died, and there was a lot of crying in the five kings' house.Perhaps Li Chengqi had already experienced the most painful time with his father, and he stayed up for two nights, exhausted physically and mentally, and felt a little confused in his heart.He returned to the room and wrote the letter of pleading guilty to the emperor, folded a piece of white silk brought from his father and put it in his bosom, then lay down on the bed and waited quietly with his eyes closed.He didn't expect to hide what happened last night from the emperor, what should come will come, Xue Chongjian was right, what's the use of worrying?God will never be more merciful because of people's fears and fears.

He hadn't slept for an hour when he heard his second brother Li Chengyi tremblingly outside the door: "Brother, there are people coming from the palace, and the elder brother will enter the palace immediately." Dazed, he ordered the maid: "Change clothes." The maid picked up a plain robe from the smoke cage and put it on for him. This maid was sent by Concubine Liu, and she always remembered this.The hot clothes were attached to the body, and a scent of heat penetrated into the chest, as if being gently embraced by someone.Li Chengqi pressed his chest, smiled sadly, nodded and said: "Open the door." He took the letter of guilt and put it in his arms.

Li Chengyi and Li Longji came in with red and swollen eyes. Li Longji knelt down at Li Chengqi's feet and said, "Brother, I'll go with you. If I can meet the Supreme, maybe I can find out the whereabouts of my mother. At that time, you and I will ask you to represent me. There is always a glimmer of life." Li Chengqi patted him lightly on the shoulder and said, "When I see Zhaijia, I will tell myself that you are at home, and my younger brothers will always rely on you." He held Chengyi's hand again and said: " When something happens, just listen to Saburo." Cheng Yi nodded with a sob.

When Li Chengqi saw that the maid had brought the Crown of Yuanyou of the County King, he shook his head and said, "I am a sinner, so I should be the head of the clothing department. Use a wooden hairpin and choose a smaller one." The maid tied Li Chengqi's hair into a bun , in the mirror, seeing this young man with ink-stained temples, a jade-like face, handsome as a poem and a painting, but a pair of eyes that are dull and lifeless, a pain in his heart: a great king.She shed tears and said: "Your Majesty and Your Majesty are both Bodhisattva-hearted, God bless you, you will be fine." Li Chengqi smiled lightly, shook her hand and said, "Thank you for your good words."

He came out and ordered the horses to be prepared, but the envoy from the palace bowed and said: "The Supreme Master has ordered the carts to be prepared for His Highness." Li Chengqi's heart felt cold, and his voice could not help trembling: "Is it a carriage?" Laughing: "Your Highness is thinking about it, it's because His Majesty is afraid that His Highness will be exposed to the wind while riding a horse in winter, so he has prepared a warm ox cart." Li Chengqi heaved a sigh of relief, then knelt down again, bowed to the north, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. kindness."

The bullock cart walked through the streets and alleys at an unhurried pace.There was only Li Chengqi in the car, he gently opened the curtain and looked out, and was surprised to find that many Li people also had bored and distressed expressions on their faces.He guessed their thoughts, the vegetable seller probably hated the cold weather, which delayed his business; the boy who came out of the pharmacy with a few packs of medicine had a worried look on his brows, thinking that a relative at home was sick; One wheel of the old charcoal seller's ox cart slipped into the ditch, and he couldn't pull it out after several attempts. He was so anxious that he just whipped the old cow, and the old cow mooed in grievance.It turns out that this is the mundane world where all living beings suffer, whether they are suffering from hunger and cold, or mourning life and separation, or hating death, or resenting love that cannot be obtained, or hatred that cannot be extended, so what right does he have to complain about himself?Perhaps only when death comes, can this pain be truly relieved. Thinking of his mother, he felt that death was not so terrible for the first time.

When the ox cart passed by Shangshanfang, he saw a few red plum trees enchantingly coming out of the wall from a distance, a sudden surge of sadness, and he was reluctant to let go of the young man pointing at the golden whip in the ice and snow, and said with a smile "This is my house, you come to play!" Li Chengqi felt an uncontrollable anxiety in his heart, and suddenly grabbed the car window and said, "Wait!" The palace envoy hurriedly stopped the car, leaned over and said, "Your Highness?" Li Chengqi Staring at the silver building and jade tower for a moment, he took a deep breath, suppressed the sourness in his eyes, and lowered the curtain, "It's okay, let's go."

The noise of the market gradually subsided, only the sound of cows and horses stepping on the ground remained. It seemed that they were approaching the imperial palace, and Li Chengqi could see the majestic Zetian Gate and the Vientiane Shrine towering into the sky.In his gaze, the car was approaching a city gate. He raised his head and saw the huge stone plaque above the tall blue brick city gate, with the three characters "Lijing Gate" chiseled on it.After the car enters the imperial city, it winds its way through a sandwiched city between the palace wall and the imperial city wall. The strange thing is that there is no one on the road, not even the most common servants in the imperial palace. There are a few white grass roots beside the wall. Shivering in the cold wind, a few sparrows were scratching something with their paws in the grass, and the cooing and chirping sounded more and more cold and lonely in this area.Li Chengqi felt a little uneasy, even from Luoyang Palace to Shangyang Palace, he had never walked this road before, so he couldn't help asking: "Is the supreme being in Shangyang Palace?" The palace envoy immediately turned around and smiled: "Slave servant It is sent to His Highness by order, His Highness can rest assured."

The bullock cart turned a corner and finally stopped, the palace envoy got off his horse and opened the door for Li Chengqi, saying: "Are you not allowed to drive in front, please come down, Your Highness." Li Chengqi jumped out of the car, and he was stunned. At the end of the city wall, there is a dark wooden door with three big gold characters on the door. The flying brushwork can be seen as imperial brush. Although the winter sun is not strong, Li Chengqi is still His eyes were stung by the golden light: Judge's House.

When the palace envoy saw the young emperor and grandson who was calm and elegant all the way, his face changed color in a moment of fright, and he couldn't help but feel amused in his heart, saying: "Zhaijia ordered His Royal Highness Assistant Zuo Yushi Zhongcheng to inquire about the case, Your Highness." Please." Li Chengqi looked at the smile on the emissary's face and couldn't stop shaking slightly, even if the emperor ordered someone to send him directly to the execution ground in the south of Tianjin Bridge to be beheaded, he would not be so afraid.He finally understood why he had to enter through the Lijing Gate just now—the Judge's Court, because it was set up inside the Lijing Gate, was dubbed by the courtiers Li Jing Prison, which meant that there was no way out.

The emperor specially set up this private prison for her officials, and the case files were directly submitted to the emperor. Therefore, as long as the emperor approved, even if the prisoner was tortured to death, the judiciary had no right to intervene.The person in charge of this prison is Lai Junchen, the cruel official who made the whole Zhou subjects fearful. Thinking of the meeting a few years ago, Li Chengqi had the urge to run away.

Seeing him standing still, the palace envoy was a little impatient, and urged: "Your Highness, please." Li Chengqi was timid at last, hesitatingly said: "I want to meet the Supreme." The palace envoy said: "If you have anything to say, say It’s the same, my lord.” At this time, two gates in the distance creaked open, and a few Habayashi soldiers and a jailer ran out, and the jailer reprimanded: “Have the people been delivered? Why are you standing here talking! " I don't know why the palace envoy was very afraid of a small official, bowed to accompany him with a smile, and said, "It's His Royal Highness Shouchun County who refused to go in." The jailer looked at Li Chengqi and said, "That's him?" The palace envoy said: "Yes! Yes!" The jailer shook the list in his hand and said, handed over a pen and said, "I signed your name, and it's nothing to do with you when it's delivered." Then he ordered the Habayashi Army: "Go Lock!"

Li Chengqi was trembling from the humiliation of their rude words, before he understood what was going on, two wrists had been grabbed, and with a click, a pair of shackles had been put on his wrists.In winter, the pig iron was as cold as ice, which made him tremble, and finally he couldn't help saying: "I... I have a playbook, and I want to present it to the Supreme!" The emissary laughed and said: "Just give it to your lord!" He signed, turned around and pulled the horse, then turned back in a hurry, as if he didn't want to stay here any longer.

Li Chengqi was held hostage by two Habayashi, and walked all the way to the gate of the Judge's Office.He has never been treated like this since he was born. Even when he was scolded by the emperor in the palace, he was still respectfully treated as a county king. Now his face flushed with embarrassment, and he reprimanded: "Let me go!" , I will go by myself!" Those people didn't hear anything, and when they reached the door, another jailer came out and said: "My lord has ordered, take him into the Chen shop."

Those Yulin responded, and carried Li Chengqi into a corridor. The walls here are all made of bluestone, and there are cells with pig iron doors on both sides. Some prisoners in the cells are in various postures of dying. Crouching down, some are being tortured.The sound of the whipping on the flesh, the sound of boiling oil pouring on the flesh, the sound of the pinching stick breaking the bone, mixed with the sounds of the prisoners screaming for mercy, it was like boiling a pot of porridge.Li Chengqi almost fainted. He had no doubt that this was the three-way hell mentioned in the scriptures.

Li Chengqi's footsteps were vacant and pushed forward. In desperation, he could only recite the scriptures silently in his heart: "Such a light illuminates all the worlds in the ten directions. There are all living beings. Those who meet this light will destroy the defilement and be good. Body and mind Soft. If you see this light in the place of extreme suffering in the three paths, you will be able to rest, and you will be liberated at the end of your life." But in the world, there is really a higher power than Buddhism, and the light of countless Buddhas cannot illuminate such a person. where.

When he came to a place, there was a closed iron door, and the jailer shouted outside: "Bring the prisoner!" The iron door opened slowly, and the bright lights inside the room shot out immediately.Several Yulin pushed Li Chengqi inward, Li Chengqi was already weak, staggered two steps and almost fell down, he gritted his teeth and stood still desperately, but he saw the man opposite him looking at him with a smile, but it was not Lai Junchen who is it?

When Li Chengqi glanced at it, dozens of lamps were lit in the room alone, and there were several brightly burning braziers on the ground. The instruments of torture, such as scorpions, clamps, torture sticks, and wooden flails, were arranged in sequence by the wall. His body was curled up in a corner, and he could see his face clearly, only letting the bloody stench float away.His heart was beating wildly, and he didn't dare to think about it anymore. Even if life and death were broken before going out, the scene here far exceeded all his imagination of the word "cruel" in the past 18 years.

Lai Junchen smiled and said: "Your Highness came a little late, and missed the good show." He pointed to the blood man and said, "This is Fan Yunxian, the servant, who dared to conspire with the emperor's heir. I have done a great service to the late Emperor, so I had no choice but to cut off his tongue." Only then did Li Chengqi see that beside Fan Yunxian, there was indeed a bloody fleshy tongue.There were convulsions in his lungs, he threw himself on the ground and cried, "General Fan, General Fan! I killed you!" Lai Junchen smiled and said, "He's dead, Your Highness, please save your strength." A criminal officer dragged Fan Yunxian's body out of the room, and someone immediately splashed water to wash the blood on the floor.

Li Chengqi took out the white silk from his bosom and said, "General Fan did not rebel! It was the emperor's heir who wrote a letter calling me into the palace, so I asked General Fan to take me into the palace! I have the emperor's heir's handwriting as proof!" The piece of white silk was presented to Lai Junchen, and Lai Junchen glanced at the writing on the white silk: "Your mother is in critical condition, come and see me quickly."It is Li Dan's handwriting.Lai Junchen smiled, and threw the white silk into the brazier casually. Li Chengqi said in surprise: "You are bold!" Lai Junchen said with a smile: "You can't hide your tricks from me, let alone your Majesty. Your Highness is a golden branch and jade leaf, I can't bear it." Apply the method of interrogating that lowly eunuch to His Highness, as long as you confess honestly, Ashina, Yuanqing, Fan Yunxian, Xue Daxin and others conspired with the emperor's heir to rebel, and I will still regard you as the county king."

Li Chengqi said with a pale face: "The emperor's heir did not rebel, I just entered the palace to meet my parents." Lai Junchen said with a smile: "I know what your highness is thinking, you must be afraid that if you confess the truth, you will hurt the emperor's heir. I and Tell me, Your Majesty just wants to find out who is instigating the Emperor's Heir with ulterior motives. The Emperor's Heir is His Majesty's own son, a blood relative, how could His Majesty have the heart to add a crime? Even if you are young and ignorant and seduced by these people, As long as you repent immediately, His Majesty will forgive you."

Li Chengqi grabbed the chains on his wrists tightly with both hands, and his knuckles were as white as white. Of course he knew that Lai Junchen's words were all empty words, so he repeated in a low voice: "The emperor's heir did not rebel, I just entered the palace to see my parents. If you don't believe me, you can bring me to meet His Majesty." Lai Junchen smiled, stood up from the desk, and walked slowly in front of Li Chengqi with his hands behind his back. Li Chengqi was turned around by his long and narrow eyes, and the pores all over his body were like needles. Like a thorn, he didn't dare to look at Lai Junchen, and slowly lowered his head.

Lai Junchen's tone suddenly became a little gentle, and he sighed softly: "The grandson of the emperor has grown up so much." He even reached out to caress Li Chengqi's chin.Li Chengqi was taken aback, and raised his hand to stop him, but two prison guards suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his arms and shoulders, kicked him at the crook of his knees, and pushed him to the ground.Lai Junchen chuckled and raised Li Chengqi's chin, and saw the young man's delicate face was flushed with shame and anger. Under the light, the clear skin was as lovely as the lotus nephrite from Lishan Mountain.He closed his eyes tightly because of fear, and those two pairs of long eyelashes reminded Lai Junchen of a butterfly pinned by a needle, his two wings fluttered in vain, but he couldn't break free from his own snare.

Lai Junchen was not in a hurry to get Li Chengqi to confess, he knew that in this place, there were only dead people and subdued living people, it would be a pity if this handsome young man did the former.When was the last time there was such a noble prisoner?It seems to be six years, right?Xu Jingye's rebellion sent a large number of royal families to prison, those princes' son-in-laws who were rich and precious, and many of them were youths in their prime.They have never experienced any suffering in their lives, and their skin is as soft and smooth as cheese silk satin. They will also flush with shame because of being stripped of their clothes. Moan, these people are much more interesting than ordinary prisoners.Thinking that most of the prisoners in these years were stupid and vulgar, Lai Junchen couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the clouds are easy to disperse and the scenery is hard to come back.