Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

As the sun gradually set to the west, Chongzhen and Xizhao walked aimlessly on the street, not knowing where to go, but they seemed to have a very tacit understanding, and neither of them mentioned the word "return to the palace".After today, I don't know how many lives are left.Chongzhen's words made Xizhao's heart sour for a long time, and it was difficult to calm down, but Chongzhen, as if his destiny was known, walked quietly and slowly, as if the road under his feet led him to no matter where he was, he could not complain or complain, calmly accept.Really...is there no other way...?This idea has been lingering in Xizhao's mind from the beginning to the end, but apart from this question, he really couldn't find a way to keep both Daming and the emperor safe. After 17 years of ups and downs, he finally came to where he is today. His mind is as sensitive as the emperor's. I don't know what kind of state of mind is under this calm expression?Xi Zhao couldn't help looking at Chongzhen's side face, but saw Chongzhen's footsteps stop, his gaze focused, and he was attracted by a courtyard at the end of the road.

"Where is the front?"

Xizhao followed Chongzhen's gaze and looked forward, only to see the gray walls and gray tiles in the courtyard, half new and not old, and a few clusters of pines and cypresses in the courtyard protruded slightly from the wall. "Ahead is Xizhao Temple." Xizhao bowed slightly and replied, "Your Excellency, do you want to see it?"

"This is Xizhao Temple..." Chongzhen paused, then suddenly turned to look at Xizhao, with a little surprise in his eyes, "So, isn't your real name...?"

"Exactly." Xizhao said with a gentle smile, "It is said that on the eve before she gave birth, my mother dreamed that the sun was shining in the Xizhao Temple, and it was very beautiful. Dexiu was born the next day, so she took this name."

"So that's the case." Chongzhen nodded, looked in the direction of Xizhao Temple, and remained silent for a while.

"My lord...?" Xi Zhao asked tentatively.

"Ah...um." Chongzhen recovered from his contemplation, and started walking again.

"Follow me to have a look."

two

The courtyard of Xizhao Temple is not big, it seems that it has not been repaired for a long time. When you walk into the courtyard, you feel that it is more old and messy than the outside.The walls are gray and white, the bricks and stones on the ground are potholes, there are clumps of weeds growing under the pines and cypresses, and there are some moss embedded in the cracks between the stones. I don't know if the monks took refuge for a while, or the temple has been abandoned for a long time. Very incense.After walking around for a while, the two had already seen the entire temple.Chongzhen looked around and looked at the sky, then found a stone bench and sat down.

"Aren't you tired?" Xi Zhao also followed.

"Not tired." Chongzhen smiled faintly, "I just want to wait and see what kind of picture your mother dreamed about the Xizhao Temple in the sunset."

Today, the emperor is more leisurely than usual.Xizhao inspected the gray courtyard again, and said, "My lord, don't take it seriously. That beauty is nothing more than a dream, and Xizhao Temple is so dilapidated that it won't be too beautiful even when the sun goes down." gone."

"If you don't wait until then, how will you know?" Chongzhen ignored Xizhao's advice, and looked at the western sky with some persistence.Xizhao didn't persuade anymore, so she sat behind Chongzhen and waited patiently with Chongzhen.Time passed quietly, the shadows of the trees climbed up the courtyard wall one by one, and the dazzling sunlight deepened layer by layer. In a trance, the thick gold as mellow as fine wine has already penetrated into the mottled walls, dripping all over the walls. The gaps between the stones reflect this deserted and desolate temple into an intoxicating and poignant beauty.What an unbearable place, is it all equally beautiful under the setting sun... Xizhao silently looked at this piece of golden gold like a dream, and inadvertently, some memories of the past came to mind - Qianqing Palace West, Baozhu Road intersection, Behind Liu Niang's mansion, in the imperial garden... before these memories became real, he suddenly heard something muttered in the mouth of the emperor, causing those dots of pictures to turn into smoke and dust in an instant, drifting away and disappearing go.

"——The thin sun is slanting and the western mountains are beautiful, the clouds are dyed with red ointment, and the colorful trees are covered with golden silk. The prosperity is just right, but it is the sunset... Dexiu, do you still remember this lyrics." Chongzhen stopped in the middle of reading asked.

How can I not remember.This is exactly the song I learned from Uncle Gui when I was in Southeast Library many years ago, and I also sang it to the emperor. "Dexiu remembers it, but I didn't expect that after more than ten years, my lord still remembers it so clearly." Xi Zhao replied.But Chongzhen didn't answer any more, but continued to read to himself:

"When the twilight is over, the moon is cold and the wind is clear, and the heights are even more desolate.

Unwilling to have an early sunset, there is no way to return to the sky, and the long night is long and the road is dim.

Action is futile, and stopping is also futile. "

Action is futile, and stopping is also futile.After reading a poem, Chongzhen closed his eyes and let out a long, long sigh, as if he wanted to let go of the joys, sorrows, sorrows and joys under the noble dragon robe, and to let go of all kinds of things in the past 17 years. , everything in the past, all in one sigh.This sigh made the vegetation sway slightly, the sun was getting darker, and even the breeze that lingered in the temple seemed to be faintly singing.After sighing, Chongzhen opened his eyes again, looked straight at the man next to him who had followed him for many years, and suddenly changed his address:

"...Sunset."

Xi Zhao was slightly taken aback.Although he had already told the emperor his real name, but perhaps he was used to it, the emperor had always called him Dexiu, and he himself called himself that way, the name Xu Xizhao almost never appeared in the words of the two of them.Xi Zhao was stunned for a moment, then quickly came back to his senses, and calmly replied:

"Sunset... is here."

"Do you know what my name is?" Chongzhen said, but it was a strange question.

"This... of course I know." Xi Zhao didn't know what the emperor meant, so he had to answer truthfully.

"Since you know it, please call me to listen."

Call the emperor's name? ! "This... How did this happen? My lord is joking." Xi Zhao quickly replied.But when Chongzhen spoke, his expression was serious and sincere, but it didn't look like joking at all.Xizhao didn't dare to look into Chongzhen's eyes, and when she lowered her head, she was even more perplexed and uneasy.

"There's nothing you can't do, I agree, you don't have to worry about it." Chongzhen said again, with some inexplicable eagerness in his words.

"But my lord is... this is absolutely impossible, absolutely not... my lord, don't embarrass Xi Zhao anymore."

"I'll call you if I tell you to." Seeing Xizhao's insistence on refusing, Chongzhen's tone suddenly sank, with a displeased expression on his face.Seeing this, Xi Zhao felt flustered and was even more at a loss as to what to do, so she stood up and knelt down on the ground with a plop.

"Why is it so, my lord...Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between superiority and inferiority. Your lord is the true son of the dragon. How dare a villain do anything wrong!"

Looking at Xizhao who was kneeling in front of him, Chongzhen's face froze when he heard the word villain that he hadn't uttered for a long time, and then slowly lowered his eyelids. "Get up. What you said is right, I am self-willed." Chongzhen's expression gradually softened, but there was a trace of sadness spreading under the drooping eyelids, crawling over the thin cheeks, and climbing straight onto the mottled white eyes. temple. "17 years ago, everyone called me the prince, and in the past 17 years, everyone called me the emperor. Since I was sensible, it seems that no one has ever called me by my name. But it is true when I think about it. Your Majesty, how can you go back and be Zhu Youjian again. This fate has been doomed since the day of birth, and now, what are you still asking for..." Chongzhen smiled wryly, as if talking to himself in a low voice As he spoke, Xi Zhao who was listening on the side suddenly felt like a knife was twisting his heart.What am I doing... The emperor's heart has been understood since the time he left the palace in Fengyang, but to this day, the distinction between superiority and inferiority is kept in front of his eyes, and he is completely ignored. go.But the emperor has always been looked up to by him, calling him by his first name... How could it be possible... Besides, even if he is determined to fight the difference between superiority and inferiority now, he doesn't know how to make up for the missed opportunity .Xizhao's heart was in a mess, her throat seemed to be stuck with a seal, not to mention calling out the emperor's name, but ordinary words, she couldn't speak for a while.The sun gradually set in the west, and finally sank into the clouds.There was only a gleam of light in the sky, and the thick gold overflowing in the Xizhao Temple faded away silently, leaving only a layer of lifeless gray ash in the entire temple.Chongzhen stood up, adjusted his clothes, and his face regained its calm and unwavering appearance.

"It's getting late, let's go back to the palace."

Said, without waiting for Xi Zhao to respond, he turned around and left the temple gate.Xi Zhao also got up, and followed Chongzhen in a trance, unable to tell how far he had gone, only felt the houses and streets around him slowly receding, and unexpectedly, a dim red pierced into his vision.Palace gate...!Xizhao gave a jolt, and his mind suddenly cleared up.During this period of trance, he had already reached the gate of the palace.After walking a few more steps, I returned to the palace, and the emperor is now drunk, and it is finally time to sober up... But once you step into the palace gate, there will be a rocky cliff spreading out in front of you , and the black bottomless abyss, how can the emperor on the edge of the cliff get away from the national crisis, and get drunk for another day, and even for a moment, take off the golden crown, take off the dragon robe, and redo Once back to myself... the emperor was walking towards the palace gate step by step, all kinds of gloomy preconceptions suddenly surged from the side of the thin figure like a stormy wave, smashing down the red walls and yellow tiles, smashing trees, earth and rocks, Sweeping away the broken wreckage, only the master and servant were left in the sky and the earth, and an empty, hopeless ruin.This time, maybe we have reached the end of the road, or maybe in the next moment, everything will disappear.But today, what kind of dignity, what timing, is more important than a speck of dust!Xi Zhao could only feel blood gushing in her throat, with no scruples in her heart, no other eyes in her eyes, she strode forward, stretched out her hand and tightly grasped Chongzhen's sleeve.

"Zhu, Zhu..."

"..." Chongzhen suddenly turned his head, eyes full of surprise.

"Zhu...youjian..." Xizhao stumbled in his mouth, but his face was resolute without hesitation.Chongzhen looked at the sunset, seemingly unbelievable, but a strange light gradually appeared in his dark eyes.Calling names directly, even among ordinary people, is obviously extremely reckless and embarrassing, but the caller here is sincere and wholehearted, and the smile on the face of the listener is a hundred times brighter than that of the spring in March . ?