Chang'an ancient meaning

Li Dan and Li Chengqi went to the palace to express their gratitude, and the servant announced that they would go to Baifuyuan to meet the empress dowager and the emperor.All the entourage brought by the two were blocked outside the courtyard. After entering the courtyard and waiting for a long time, another servant came to report that the emperor was too mournful and was unwell and could not see his uncle, so they were specially ordered to stay in Baifuyuan.After staying here, there was no news from the emperor.

No need to ask too much, Li Dan was well aware of Empress Dowager Wei's plan, Li Xian died suddenly, Webster left aside Li Xian's second son, Chong Fu, who was far away in the feudal land, and chose the fourth son, Chong Mao, who was young and of poor virtue, When the master was in doubt, the person who threatened her the most was herself.I heard that Li Shouli, the second elder brother's only son, was also conferred the title of King Yong. He thought that when he came to the palace to thank him, it should be the same as what happened to him.Gaozong left behind only these two descendants, and put himself, Chengqi, and Shouli under house arrest in the palace as a hostage, which not only restrained Taiping, but also prevented the ministers of the Tang Dynasty from acting rashly.

This Baifuyuan is located in the east of the Hall of Liangyi, with a vast courtyard, because no one has lived in it for many years, the weeds in the courtyard are as high as knees, and several broken wells are in ruins, making it look very desolate.There are many kings and wives outside the courtyard, but there are only seven or eight elderly servants in the courtyard. On the night they stayed, it was Li Chengqi and those old servants who cleaned a dormitory by themselves before Li Dan could stay.

While sweeping the cobwebs at the foot of the wall with his whisk, the old servant repeatedly apologized to Li Chengqi and Li Dan.Li Dan looked out of the window, the lights in the courtyard were bleak and the wind moved the trees, he had stayed in crowded places for a long time in recent years, the lights everywhere were as bright as day, and he hadn't seen such a clear moonlight for a long time.

Li Dan still remembers that when he was young, his father and mother held a banquet in the Liangyi Hall, and children from the clan and relatives would come here to play ball and cockfights.The fierce fighting spirit in the second brother's nature collided with the lively love in the third brother's nature, which made them enjoy each other very much in the cockfighting game.He closed his eyes for a while, but he could still remember the scene where the dust and feathers flew together, and they gathered around, shouting and cheering, or clapping their hands and laughing.Those voices linger between the carved beams of the palace, entangled in the willows and flowers, and meander and fall into the weeds all over the place. Those relatives and the prosperity of the upper kingdom are gone, but these voices are still scattered. Sometimes it rang in his ears.

On the second day, there was still no decree. Li Dan was acceptable, but Li Chengqi became anxious, and asked Li Dan in a low voice: "Father, how long will the empress dowager want to stay with us?" The guard, speaking is much more convenient than at home, he said bluntly: "It's up to us, it depends on how your aunt will act." Li Chengqi was extremely worried, and said: "My aunt is arrogant and never willing to bow her head to Webster, but now The military power in the court is controlled by the Wei family, and my aunt is isolated and helpless, so how can she be their opponent?" Li Dan said: "Your aunt has experienced more turbulent waves in this life than us. Even if she is unable to contend with Wei's this time, she should have the ability Fazi retreated completely."

Seeing Li Chengqi furrowing his brows tightly, he felt a sudden movement in his heart, hesitantly asked: "Are you... are you worried about Hua Nu?" Li Chengqi was tormented by anxiety and fear that day and night, and he didn't care much, so he said: "Yes. Daddy, if Hua Nu knows that we are locked up here, I'm afraid of his temperament..." What he fears the most in his heart, but he can't say it out. He will make some amazing moves, but today without the pampering of his grandmother, and even his aunt has lost her authority, if Hua Nu causes some trouble again, who can save him?

Li Dan stared at him for a moment, and said in a low voice: "You are afraid that he will be confused if he cares about it. In order to save you, he will—" It seemed that because the following words were a bit difficult to say, Li Dan paused, and then spit out four words: "—— Desperate?"

Li Chengqi's face suddenly became hot, although he had never concealed it from his father from the beginning, but he still felt ashamed and embarrassed when his father saw through his thoughts.After a long time, Li Chengqi finally said sadly: "I only hope that he can listen to his aunt this time." Li Dan stared at his son, not forgiving his embarrassment, and continued to ask: "You told me back then that even if you go through fire and water, you will die." In this way, I can't repay Hua Nu's kindness. Are you still normal now?

Li Chengqi was ashamed and ashamed. He understood the difference between "then" and "now". Now that he and Xue Chongjian are married and have families, he also knows in his heart that this unethical relationship will continue. The princess is a disgrace.But he couldn't restrain himself, and if he didn't see that person for a day, he would feel as if he lost his mind and felt restless.Sometimes at family banquets in the palace, when he sees the perfect pair of beauties, he can't help thinking, when Hua Nu is happy with her, is he happier than being with himself?He knew how selfish and dirty this kind of comparison was, but it seemed as if a knife was being sliced ​​through his heart slowly, clearly hurting to the extreme, yet making him unable to make a sound.The more guilty, the more fearful, and the more we get along with each other, I feel that every moment is beautiful and amazing. Even his smile and kiss are treasures. .

Seeing that his son's neck was flushed with embarrassment, Li Dan couldn't bear it, so he changed the subject first, and said, "Forget it, it's too cloudy in this room, go and light an incense burner."

Li Chengqi got up to look for incense burners, only to realize that there were dozens of rooms in this courtyard, and no incense burners had been visited.He knew that his father had always loved incense, so he asked an old servant to ask for it. He didn't bring any money with him, and he had nothing to reward him, so he had to take off the two pieces of his gold belt and give it to the man.After a long time, the old servant came back, holding a copper plate, on which were placed a gilt carved flying bird Boshan stove, red sandalwood incense box, copper incense bottle, charcoal box, etc., and a pair of incense for burning incense was inserted in the incense bottle. Spoons, incense chopsticks, fire chopsticks, etc.

Li Dan stepped forward in person, first opened the incense box, and saw that there were several pieces of sinking water and hundreds of musk grains inside, and then looked at the charcoal cakes in the charcoal box, quite satisfied, but when he lifted the lid of the Boshan furnace, he laughed dumbfounded. , said: "you are not an incense burner at first glance. The incense is good incense, and the charcoal is also good, but this stove is so clean, how can you burn incense without ashes?" I asked for a brand-new smoker, but unexpectedly did something wrong, so I couldn't help saying: "Why don't I go again..." Li Dan said: "Forget it, tonight or any other day, outsiders are doing big things , but I brazenly went to ask for a batch of incense ash, which is in vain to annoy others. You go, we will find a way by ourselves."

Li Chengqi said: "Is it good for my son to burn paper to make ashes?" Li Dan said: "The smell of paper ashes is too strong. I see there are pine trees outside. Let's take some pine needles and burn them with charcoal cakes. No fireworks." Li Chengqi went to the courtyard to pick a handful of pine needles and came back.Li Dan lit a charcoal cake and covered it loosely with several pine needles. The pine needles were really smokeless when burned, and seemed to have a faint fragrance of grass and trees.After a while those pine needles turned into charcoal ashes, Li Dan poured them into a porcelain cup, and put some pine needles on it.

After a cup of fine ashes came out, Li Dan looked up at Li Chengqi, and suddenly smiled and said, "Have you still mixed your own incense in recent years?" Li Chengqi said, "My son is ashamed, he hasn't moved for a long time." He was in Luoyang He was imprisoned in the palace for three years, and relying on the care of his aunt and Hua slaves, he could manage to live comfortably. Burning incense and Peilan's extravagant hobbies were beyond his imagination.After coming out, I entered Zhilan's room. Although I also loved the fragrance, I didn't have the habit of mixing it myself.Li Dan smiled lightly and said: "Today, there are only two flavors of musk and sinking water. You can try a furnace."

Li Chengqi suddenly thought of something, his heart moved slightly, and he answered yes, took a piece of thin paper, carefully scraped off a few small pieces on the agarwood incense with the grate knife he carried with him, and then added some musk with chopsticks to stir it. uniform.After preparing the spices, he carefully washed his hands with clean water, adjusted his clothes, came back and knelt respectfully beside the incense table, picked up a charcoal cake and put it in the furnace to light it. I took pine needle ash and spread a thin layer on the charcoal cake, and then used a torch to poke a few holes in it for ventilation.Then take out a few pieces of mica and put them on the ashes to separate the fire, use the chopsticks to pick up the spices and sprinkle them evenly on the partitions, and add the furnace cover to complete the preliminary process.

When he was doing these things, he felt quite strange in his heart. Maybe it was the time when the war outside was upside down, but he was sitting in this desolate abandoned garden, quietly mixing a burner of incense.He has no way of knowing what his aunt is doing, what Hua Nu is doing, and what Cheng Yilongji is doing.All he could do was light a burner of incense and silently pray for them.Li Chengqi smelled a rich, mellow and slightly spicy aroma gradually coming out of the furnace, closed his eyes, put his hands together and recited in his heart: "May this merit be used to adorn the Buddha's Pure Land. Repay the fourfold kindness, and help the next." The three journeys are suffering. If anyone has seen or heard about it, he or she should arouse the mind of Bodhi. After completing this karma body, he will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Disciple Li Chengqi sincerely prays that with this merit, his relatives can pass this calamity safely; the disciple’s mother will be reborn in the Pure Land ; Xue Chongjian, my disciple’s cousin, can live in peace and happiness for the rest of my life. Disciple is willing to bear all kinds of bad karma by himself, and respect everything.”

After Li Chengqi finished praying, he slowly opened his eyes, and saw that his father just looked at him with a little compassion, without saying a word, as if he knew all his wishes just now.He didn't know what to say, so he sat down silently, and both Li Dan and Li Dan silently watched the wisp of light smoke rising from the stove, savoring the aroma quietly, the pungent smell not only lasted for a long time, but gradually became stronger.Li Chengqi knew something was wrong, he was a little ashamed, and said: "My son was careless and added too much musk."

Li Dan took the incense box, took out another piece of sinking water, cut off a few pieces, and said: "Fan Ye once said that musk musk is a taboo, and it will be harmful if it is too much. It is heavy and easy to make peace, and it will not hurt when it is heavy. Therefore, musk should be combined with other kinds. Only spices can be used. The most important thing in perfumery is proportion, the proportion of spice blending, and the proportion of charcoal burning. Looking around, it seems that spices are all beautiful and precious, but if they are not properly proportioned, they can also become poison— —Especially something that touches emotions like musk.” He said as he threw the water-infused incense into the furnace.

Li Chengqi could hear his father's overtones, and smelling the pungent aroma finally gradually became cool and peaceful, what he thought in his heart was that the first time he was happy with Hua Nu, the tent was so rich that it was almost irritating. The suffocating air of ice musk deer is poison.

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Xian Li Dan saw his son bowed his head and said softly, "Feng Nu, do you know why Dad loves incense all these years? Because this thing is clean and clean, and it can wash away the dirty air on my body. The fragrance of this fragrance makes me forget my worries, and temporarily finds the peace of the Western Paradise. What's more, watching this wisp of green smoke and vermilion fire, from light to dark, comes and goes without knowing, until the smoke and fire are cold , Just like a person's life comes to an end peacefully, you can let go of some obsessions. The prohibition of sex is heavy, and the prohibition of fragrance is heavy. Everything in this world is lighter than thick, not to mention the friendship between you and Hua Nu is unusual. "

Li Chengqi slowly raised his head to look at Li Dan, with a thin layer of tears in his eyes, and said: "Daddy, Hua Nu is a different person from you. Daddy is like the fragrance of sinking water, calm and clear, comfortable and comfortable, but Hua Nu is like a glass of water." Strong wine, the most affectionate, the most sexual, the most intense and the most serious. The son knows that this fate is against ethics, but when the son sees him happy, he feels satisfied in his heart, and when he sees him disappointed and lonely, he can't help but feel anxious, even though he knows it is possible You will harm others and yourself, and you will also abandon the pampering of this mirage in front of you."

Li Dan sighed softly: "This matter should be my father's fault. At that time when your third uncle came back, I said that we can be an idle clan from now on, and it's okay to let you do whatever you want. But in recent years, the palace ban has changed frequently. This time, if you and I cannot get out of this difficulty, it is God's will that cannot be forced. If we are lucky enough to get out, we will be one step closer to that position. As emperors, there are many things that we can't do. The more we love the people, the easier it will be Harm him. Our words and deeds, every action, no matter whether we think good or evil in our hearts, will affect many people. People all over the world say that I am cowardly. Because of my cowardice, I have preserved my filial piety, making people's livelihood unprecedented for 30 years. Involved in the war, but because of this, it also harmed your mother, killed countless officials loyal to Li Tang, and caused the Li family to be almost exterminated. Dad is already a sinner in this life, and I really can't bear to see you suffer like me in the future. "

After this in-depth discussion, Li Dan never mentioned this matter again.The emperor and the empress dowager still did not make any decree, Li Dan and Li Chengqi could not get any news from the outside world, so they could only wait quietly in the Baifuyuan.Li Dan burns incense and meditates every day, or takes care of the flowers and trees in the courtyard by himself, while Li Chengqi thinks more about his father's words.Sometimes after Li Dan fell asleep at night, Li Chengqi knelt on the side of the bed and fanned him lightly. Instead, he was vaguely grateful to Webster. These days of detention finally gave him a chance to serve his father inseparably, making up for the loss. The filial piety owed over the years.

That day, Li Dan and Li Chengqi were squatting in the yard pulling weeds from the flower garden, when they suddenly heard the guard outside shouting sharply: "Stand! Which palace!" Li Dan and Li Chengqi raised their heads and saw a man holding a lacquer box The young eunuch came to the door, bowed and smiled and said: "General calm down, this servant is Gao Lishi, the son of Grandpa Gao Yanfu, who is always serving in the province. The king ordered someone to fetch the incense set, but the man forgot to take the ashes. The servant Your lord's name servants brought some here." Gao Yanfu originally attached himself to Wu Sansi, and later gained the trust of Princess Anle, the guard general softened his tone a little and said impatiently: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs doesn't care about these trivial matters. There are too many." Gao Lishi said with a smile: "This is always the servant's job, the general can't let the servant take it back, is it? It's just a furnace of incense ashes, the servant puts it down and leaves." The guard said: "So, wait for me to report Wei Weiqing."

Empress Dowager Wei's nephew, Wei Sui came out for a while, took a look at Gao Lishi, and ordered the guards: "Search for him!" Several guards immediately stepped forward, grabbed the lacquer box, opened it, and showed it to Wei Sui, and two more took it Gao Lishi searched all over his body, even removed the hairpin on his head, and ordered him to take off his shoes and socks, but found nothing suspicious, so Wei Sui waved his hands with a sullen face and said, "Go in."

Gao Lishi sat on the ground and put on his shoes and socks, then picked up the lacquer box, bowed to the guards again, and entered the courtyard to kowtow to Li Dan and Li Chengqi.Li Dan said: "Forget it, just put it in." Gao Lishi kowtowed and said, "The Ministry of Internal Affairs has confessed. I don't know if the ashes are what His Highness intended. Please come in and have a look at the ashes, so that the servants can go back and return." Li Dan himself Already concocted a lot of furnace ashes, it is useless to ask for this thing, just about to say "no need" to him, suddenly Gao Lishi knelt on the ground and raised his head slightly, blinked at him, and tapped three times with his index finger on the lacquer box Down.

Li Dan and Li Chengqi looked at each other, and said with a slight smile, "Forget it, it just so happens that I still need some spices, I'll go and write a prescription, and you can ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare it according to what I wrote before sending it." He took Gao Lishi and Li Chengqi entered the house, and said to the old waiter at the door: "Go get some water, I want to wash my hands." Gao Lishi saw that the man had gone, turned his back slightly to the outside of the courtyard, and the flattering smile on his face just now disappeared immediately. Turning into a solemn state, he lowered his voice and said: "The king of Linzi ordered his slaves to come and ask your highnesses well."

Li Dan looked at Gao Lishi indifferently and said nothing. Gao Lishi opened the lacquer box, amplified his voice on purpose, and said with a smile, "Your Highness smells the ashes, is there a fragrance?" There is a strange and slightly sweet aroma, and I know in my heart that the ashes are mixed with ambergris, and ambergris is extremely precious. Last year, the emperor knew that he loved incense, so he gave some to Xiangwang's mansion alone.He had a smile on his face, but asked in a low voice: "What's going on outside?" Gao Lishi said: "Princess Taiping's mansion is still besieged by Yulin, the princess sent her son Xue Chongjian to sneak out of the mansion, and met with several highnesses in the Five Kings' mansion Li Chengqi heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that the flower slave had already escaped. At this time, the old servant came over with a water basin, and Li Chengqi rushed out to intercept him and said, "Give it to me. Daddy wants to take a bath for a while, so you go order someone to take a bath." Boil some hot water."

When Li Chengqi came back with a water basin, he heard Gao Lishi whispering: "Mr. Xue Lang and His Highness the King of Linzi have met with General Ge Fushun and Li Xianfu of Wanqi in secret. They are all willing to die." Li Dan soaked his hands in the basin and rubbed them slowly Going to the mud, he said, "Who else worked with them?" Gao Lishi said, "It's a secret. The only people who worked with him were Liu Youqiu, a good friend of the King of Linzi, and Wang Shiqian, the signer of Princess Taiping's mansion." Li Dan wiped it off. He took the pen and ink with his hand, and while writing the spice prescription, he said: "Ministers must be involved in the affairs of the country, let them go to Cui Riyong." Gao Lishi was slightly surprised, and said in a low voice: "This person is Zong Chuke's party Li Dan shook his head slightly and said, "It's okay." Gao Lishi's expression returned to calm again, and he said immediately: "I have made a note." Li Dan said again: "Tell them to protect Princess Taiping first, and then protect yourself. Don't use me For my sake. As long as my Li family has an unbroken line, it will be enough to restore the country." Gao Lishi also knew that the father and son of Xiangwang and his son were trapped in the deep palace. Unable to say some false responses, he had to answer again: "Yes."

After Li Dan finished writing the prescription, he turned to Li Chengqi and asked, "Do you need anything?" Li Chengqi had been listening to their conversation in silence. When his father asked him, he suddenly realized that Gao Lishi was leaving. His only chance is to communicate with Hua Nu.He wanted to tell him his longing and his wish that would never be fulfilled in the future. When the ancients parted, they could still write poems and fu to express their ecstasy, but he couldn't even write a single word.He remembered Li Dan's words that day, shook his head and said: "No." The blue water in the spring water is ordinary, with slight ripples.