Chang'an ancient meaning

Li Chengqi was awakened again by a loud noise in his dream. He rubbed his eyes blankly, looking at the drooping silk embroidered curtain, not knowing whether the sound came from reality or his nightmare.

He sniffed lightly to identify the various aromas in the curtain: under the jade quilt is a silky brocade quilt, exuding the unique and slightly spicy aroma of tulips; It was insomnia, so the imperial doctor asked him to hide benzoin in his pillow; the chrysanthemum golden incense ball wrapped in flowers and leaves was hung in the corner of the tent, a faint red light flickered in it, and the faint dipterocarp hinted at the last glimmer is also about to go out.

He sat up gently, staring at the dim little flame for a long time.He woke up again in the middle of the night, and the prescriptions given by the imperial physicians could not help him, because none of them could prevent the Qianyuan Hall from collapsing.

He lifted up the gauze curtain, put on clogs, and walked slowly to the door of the bedroom. When he opened the door, he could see the cluster of brilliant lights at a glance. down eclipsed.That is the bright hall built by Xue Huaiyi, the abbot of the White Horse Temple, as the Empress Dowager—no, since she was honored in April, she should now be called the Holy Mother of God.

In March, Wei Wang Wu Chengsi and Liang Wang Wu Sansi contributed funds and ordered more than a thousand craftsmen to work day and night to demolish the Qianyuan Hall, the majestic and magnificent main hall of Luoyang Palace.The Empress Dowager's family members and Emperor Li Dan moved out of Luoyang Palace and moved into Shangyang Palace, leaving only Prince Li Chengqi in the East Palace.

In those days, he always heard the faint sound of stones falling to the ground, in his sleep, in the voice of the teacher lecturing, real or imaginary ding ding dong dong, telling the palace coldly For everyone, the foundation of Datang is being smashed bit by bit.Until the middle of the night, he was awakened by a dull loud noise. He ran out of bed with bare feet, opened the window, and saw a dusty sky in the southwest under the lights. For 11 years, he could see the Luoyang Palace with huge towers and continuous towers. The main hall, Qianyuan Hall, disappeared overnight.

Li Chengqi was dressed in a thin white coat, and stood barefoot for a long time on a cold mid-spring night.Since then, he has always suffered from insomnia, and often heard the loud noise of the palace collapsing in his sleep, but when he opened the window, what he saw was the bright hall that gradually rose up, majestic and majestic far surpassing the Qianyuan Palace.The Empress Dowager said that building the Ming Hall was something the emperor wanted to do but failed; the Empress Dowager also said that when the Ming Hall was completed early next year, she would bring her ministers to feast on the Ming Hall.

What kept Li Chengqi awake at night was some news from outside the palace. The descendants of the emperor surnamed Li scattered all over the place were brewing a huge war in the name of overthrowing the empress dowager and helping Li Dan.The leaders were Han Wang Li Yuanjia and his son, and Yue Wang Li Zhen and his son. They forged Li Dan's seal, claiming that the emperor had a secret decree: "I am imprisoned, and the kings should rescue me." The kings of Lu and Ji and Princess Changle raised their own troops.

This tragic and loyal battle lasted only [-] days before it was wiped out by Qiu Shenji, the general of the Zuojinwu Guard sent by the Empress Dowager.The banner of Kuangfu Li Tang looked so gloomy and weak in the scattered camp of the rebel army. The struggle of dozens of royal families who risked their lives was only the laughing stock of the Empress Dowager. She smiled and retrieved the letter from Qiu Shenji. The forged imperial edict was handed to his son Li Dan, and he said with a faint smile, "Xu Lun, my mother will return the government to you, and the outsiders in the province have made rumors to separate our mother and son."

Li Chengqi saw his father's pale face showing deep fear because he had been in the deep palace for a long time. Li Dan left the table and knelt at his mother's feet, crying: "My mother knows that the minister is weak and incompetent, and cannot bear the heavy responsibility of the society. The affairs of the court can only depend on my mother's work. Rebellious ministers use the name of ministers to make trouble, and they are killing ministers." The queen mother sighed, pulled her nearly thirty-year-old son up, and led her to her side, gently stroking his neck He put a string of sandalwood beads around his wrist.Since then, Li Chengqi has never seen his father. He heard from the palace people that his father moved into the side hall of Shangyang Palace, and every day he just worshiped Buddha sincerely and copied Buddhist scriptures for his mother to pray.

The Luoyang Palace without the emperor and queen mother became more and more desolate, and Li Chengqi often wondered whether he was living in ruins.The palace eunuchs gradually became bold in their boredom, and secretly talked about some outside news. Li Chengqi learned from them that under the torture of Zhou Xinglai Junchen and others, King Han, King Lu, Huang Guogong, Princess Changle and his wife, Dongguan Duke of the county, King of Huo, King of Lingling, King of Runan, Duke of Guanghan, King of Zheng, King of Yiyang, Duke of Chu, King of Nan'an... This series of people who are connected with him by blood, They've all been slaughtered.Li Chengqi couldn't help but count his fingers quietly when his back was turned away, how many members of the royal family with the surname Li are left?Every time he didn't dare to carry out this calculation thoroughly, he closed his eyes in horror, the killing was still spreading, and if one finger was pulled down, it would be a fresh human life, his clan uncles and brothers, he didn't dare.These people died for their father and him, but none of them could save them.

For some reason, the servant who was supposed to be guarding the door disappeared. Li Chengqi walked gently into the courtyard with bamboo shadows and clear forests, and the soil was wet and mossy. The dew on the grass wetted his toes.The gurgling whimper of the waterwheel covered the chatter of the two servants who were sitting on the corridor at night behind the bamboo bushes.

One person said: "Sometimes I think that those princesses and princes may not be as happy as us. If one person is full and the family is not hungry, you don't have to worry about waking up and the head will fall to the ground!" An accident happened to the second prince, and the servants in the East Palace killed all the people. I don’t know how long this prince can do it now. I said, I should hurry up and ask your godfather to transfer us out of here to be serious, go to the Yang Palace, and then No, even if you go to Lianchang Palace to do odd jobs, it will be safer than here!"

Li Chengqi stood silently, and now he was secretly glad that Mr. Song left early more than a year ago.Thinking of Hua Nu again, Hua Nu didn't come to school for the past two days, and the princess's mansion didn't send anyone, so he couldn't inquire about it.In summer, my aunt often takes Hua Nu to leave the hot gods and go to some other gardens to escape the summer heat. In the past, Hua Nu always told him before leaving. Every year, Hua Nu begged my aunt to take my cousin with me!Li Chengqi smiled bitterly. He was 11 years older and had never left Luoyang Palace.

A servant said again: "I don't think the Empress Dowager may be so cruel this time, Zhaijia is her old man's most beloved son, how can the Second Prince be compared!" Another person said: "That's why your mind is full of mud Can the Empress Dowager love the Zhai family more than Princess Taiping? How about it, with a single word, don’t you just send Concubine Xue to prison?..."

Li Chengqi only felt a loud bang in his ears, like the Qianyuan Palace collapsed in a dream, and the ground under his feet couldn't shake.He trembled and walked behind the bamboo bushes.

The two people on duty at night were talking excitedly when they suddenly saw a slender shadow cast from under their feet. Looking up, they saw a snow-white figure staggering and walking silently. They were about to scream in fright. The radiant light cast on a face as pale as snow, shocked and bewildered, the two of them jumped up and knelt down, calling out: "Lang...Lang Jun!"

Li Chengqi only felt that these few steps had exhausted his strength. He couldn't help kneeling down and grabbed someone's arm, begging, "Tell me... what's wrong with my Uncle Xue? Why is the God Emperor?" Put him in prison? How is he now? How is Princess Taiping now? Tell me quickly!"

The servant tremblingly told Li Chengqi that there was an informer that the elder brother-in-law Xue Shao's eldest brother Xue Wei, the governor of Jizhou, had conspired with the Yue king's son Langya king Li Chong. Premeditated, the Emperor had already executed them.Only Xue Shaoyin is the son-in-law, and now he is only imprisoned in the prison of the Judge's Court, and has not been convicted yet.

Li Chengqi hadn't had time to think about the cause and effect of this incident, hadn't had time to speculate on the possibility of Xue Shao's rebellion, and hadn't had time to calculate how many sons-in-law were exiled and killed during Li Tangwu's 60 years.His mind was filled with one sentence, what should Hua Nu do?If Xue Shao died or was exiled, he would no longer be able to take Hua Nu to school or take them on horseback to play ball. At that time, would Hua Nu be too sad to survive?

He has been deprived of many things since he was born, friends, freedom, and the peace of mind under his parents' knees.But his father and mother are always there, they are the most solid support for his life, as long as he thinks of his father's words and sees the three stars, he will not feel lonely.He has never thought about what it would be like to lose his parents, let alone put this imagination on himself and Hua Nu.Now this imagination is forced to the front, without Daddy, what should Hua Nu do?

Seeing the young prince biting his thin lower lip anxiously and tremblingly, and unconsciously grasping it with a pair of white and delicate hands around his waist, the two servants cautiously asked, "Mr. Sir, what are you looking for?" Li Chengqi asked anxiously. : "Where is my fish talisman? Where did my fish talisman go?"

The Holy Mother God Emperor Wu Zhao came back to the harem after the morning court, and Xue Huaiyi immediately greeted her.Although the weather was hot, the emperor was still the same as before, wearing a nine-torn long skirt and a corolla made of twelve flowers on his head. He only let the female officer behind him open an umbrella to block the sun. She smiled and stretched out her hand to support Xue Huaiyi. Walking slowly on the lush flower path.

Shangguan Wan'er, who followed behind the emperor, was wearing a men's round-neck gown and a fur head, but her soft waist was like a flower facing the water, and she saluted: "Ashi is better than usual." In the past, Xue Huaiyi used to cover his face with a silk fan, but Xue Huaiyi's unscrupulous gaze stayed on Shangguan Wan'er's plain and unadorned face for a moment before he smiled at the emperor, "The queen mother, the prince has been kneeling at the gate of the East Palace all morning. He said he wanted to see you. The people in the East Palace did not dare to let him go out against your will."

The emperor's footsteps stopped for a moment, and he looked sideways: "What's wrong with him?" Xue Huaiyi smiled and said: "Who knows? He is holding a piece of jade in his hand, and he refuses to say anything when asked." The emperor said softly "ah" With a groan, a slight smile appeared on her well-maintained face: "Fish charm..." She passed by a jasmine bush, closed her eyes and sniffed the scent, Shangguan Wan'er hurriedly stepped forward, picked a few The jasmine flowers that are in full bloom are carefully folded, and they will be gathered into flower balls for the Queen Mother to put on the hairpin.

The Emperor of God ordered one of the servants: "Go and call Lai Junchen. Xue Shao's case has been tried for several days, why haven't he come to report." Hearing this name, Shangguan Wan'er's hands were as soft as petals With a slight shake, the Divine Emperor saw it in his eyes, turned around and said with a smile: "Call Feng Nu here too... Our prince has grown up and knows how to use the fish charm." Shangguan Wan'er was stunned for a moment facing the Divine Emperor's back , casually dropped the jasmine branch wrapped around her finger, and followed.

When Li Chengqi was brought to the Xianju Hall of Shangyang Palace, the Divine Emperor was standing in front of the desk practicing calligraphy. Since she was a girl, she has been practicing calligraphy every day, even when she is busy with government affairs.Xue Huaiyi was originally a juggler on the streets of Luoyang. He couldn't read a few baskets or read Dou Da's characters. He just waved a fan behind her carelessly, while Shangguan Wan'er stood aside and watched intently.

Apart from following his father to pay homage to his grandmother on big festivals like New Year's Day, this was the first time that Li Chengqi met his grandmother face to face like this.He was overly nervous, and knelt on the ground for too long, his legs could barely move, he moved two steps forward with difficulty, knelt down and kowtowed.The emperor inadvertently raised his eyes and glanced at his grandson kneeling on the ground, and saw that he was actually wearing court clothes, with two pearl and jade necklaces hanging from the long-distance crown on his head, swaying slightly, as if viciously showing the young man's inner cowardice .

The emperor kept his hands on his hands, and said with a smile: "Isn't it hot to wear so much during the dog days? Take off that cumbersome hat! Tuaner, show the seat to the prince." A court lady with a face like a spring flower smiled and held a piece of color The jade-like bamboo mat, went down and put it in front of Li Chengqi, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager gave me the seat!"

Li Chengqi lowered his head and said, "Grandson...don't dare, grandson wants to ask the Queen Mother to forgive Uncle Xue."

The Emperor of God did not raise his eyes, and lifted up the words he had just written and said to Guan Wan'er: "This one is fine. Let Taiping take it to Lianchang Palace, and replace the plaque in the main hall. You can choose the remaining ones." Those who can see people, give them to Sansi, they are building a new house recently, and ask me for a plaque." Concubine Wei Liang Wang hurriedly got up to thank her.

Shangguan Wan'er and the two maids cleaned up the big characters on the case, Xue Huaiyi took the small silver basin from the maid, the emperor washed his hands before sitting down and said to Li Chengqi: "This is not something children should manage, go back Reading and writing is serious. If you want to see me in the future, just ask someone to notify you. Don’t kneel at the door to watch the excitement of the palace. It’s a hot day, and if something goes wrong on your knees, your mother will cry again.”

The emperor's slightly sarcastic tone made Li Chengqi's face flushed, and his nails subconsciously fastened to the cracks in the wooden floor, suppressing the throbbing heart in his chest, and said in a trembling voice: "The Queen Mother... grandson didn't dare Grandson..." He gritted his teeth and tried to say what he had thought: "...uncle is the son of Princess Chengyang, the emperor's nephew, and the princess' husband-in-law. , you can’t go to prison like gangsters, but I hope the queen mother will take good care of the princess and pardon the son-in-law!”

The Emperor of God laughed and said: "After you have studied for a few days, you will know how to discuss relatives and nobles? The state-owned code, rather than bending the law for personal gain, would rather enforce the law to calm the public. It seems that you are not a good teacher. I will teach you some things. My kindness, Wan'er, I will change the prince's master tomorrow, and pick someone who is well-educated."

Li Chengqi was completely defeated by the god emperor's few words. He couldn't bear it, kowtowed heavily and cried: "Empress Dowager, even if my uncle is guilty, he should be interrogated in Dali Temple. Please transfer him out of the Judge's Court! The outside world is called the Judge's Court." Take Jingmen as an example, it means that there is no hope of surviving once you enter this door, you love Aunt the most, if something happens to Uncle, Aunt will definitely be very sad!"

The Emperor of God raised his head and said to a person: "Laiqing, when did the Magistrate get such a name?"

Li Chengqi was startled. He never dreamed that Lai Junchen, whom the maids said was like Yan Luo's ghost, was beside him. He couldn't help but looked up, but saw a man in a crimson robe with a handsome face that was a bit seductive. middle-aged man.

Lai Junchen bowed and said with a smile: "The Judge's Court is set up next to the Lijing Gate, and rumors spread by the outside world, so it is said that it has become a case. As for what Langjun said, this is the first time I have heard of it." Lai Junchen is not tall. Tall, but with a slender neck, and narrow eyes with a bit of a smile, sweeping over Li Chengqi's body, it made Li Chengqi feel chills in his heart in summer - it was clearly the snake demon on the mural that came to the world.

The Emperor of God smiled and said: "So that's how it is. Feng Nu heard some gossip from a boring person somewhere, so she ran to complain to me." She slapped the fish amulet on the table, and her voice suddenly became a little colder: "Take it back! After you wear the Double Dragon Talisman, come and discuss the state affairs with my ministers!"

Li Chengqi was startled and trembled. He raised his head and looked around the palace in despair. The glorious and majestic face of the emperor, Xue Huaiyi's careless face, Lai Junchen's contemptuous face, Shangguan Wan'er's gentle and docile face, Wei Wangfei Liang Wang Hao's ambiguous and dodging face.These people were all taller than him, and their gazes looking down on him were like huge rocks, weighing him down.Why don't they care about his fear and Xue Shao's life?Was it not his grandmother who sat on the high place?Isn't it my aunt's mother?Which mother in the world can bear to ruin her daughter's happiness?

Li Chengqi suddenly took two steps on his knees, and cried: "Grandma, please let uncle go, uncle is wronged, you will understand when you ask uncle! Please don't put him in the judge's court, they will torture him ...There are too many people who died there, you love Hua Nu so much, you must be reluctant to let Hua Nu have no father!"

A sullen look flashed across the eyes of the Divine Emperor, and he shouted: "You have never even taken half a step in the East Palace. How is it your turn to criticize how the minister handles the case? Slap your mouth!"

Shangguan Wan'er's cherry lips moved slightly, she just slowly raised the fan to cover her face, only showing a sparkle between her brows.

A servant actually walked up to Li Chengqi, bowed his head with a smile that was not a smile, and said, "My lord, please remove your crown." His crown prince, he had the courage to face killing him, but unexpectedly, the queen mother ordered a lowly eunuch to slap him in front of many foreign ministers and family members.

Lai Junchen looked with great interest at the young man's white face like jade, painted with smoke and painted with moonlight, with powder makeup and jade carving.That face was more delicate than any other face he had ever seen, the skin was tender as if reborn, like thin porcelain, so smooth that even the long eyelashes could cast shadows; The woven silk is afraid of snags if you touch it with your hand.He wanted to know the difference between slapping such an absolutely clean face and slapping an adult's face roughened by years.