Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

The night has faded, the sky is blue and white, and in the morning of early autumn, there is a slight coolness in the silent air.

An old elm wooden carriage stopped at the entrance of Baozhu Hutong.The arched car roof is covered with half-new linoleum, and plain gray homemade curtains are hung behind the cross panes. Two horses in bridles snort from time to time and sweep their tails back and forth.A stubble-faced, sturdy coachman sat in front of the carriage and looked into the alley with his head. Seeing that no one was coming, he wrapped his clothes around him, hugged his horsewhip in his arms, and dozed off with half-closed eyes.

After sleeping for less than a stick of incense, a commotion woke him up.The coachman opened his eyes and saw that the employer who came to pay the deposit yesterday was walking towards the carriage with another man.He quickly jumped out of the carriage, took the footstool, and placed it respectfully by the side of the carriage.The two walked to the front of the car, and the driver carefully helped them into the car, then quickly put away the footstool, closed the curtain, jumped into the car by himself, sat half-slanted, shouted loudly, and flicked the whip , the horse obediently took steps, pulled the cart and ran straight out of the city.

The two people sitting in the car are naturally Chongzhen and Xizhao.

"My lord, we are about to leave the city. From Yongdingmen to the south, we can leave the capital in about five days, pass through Shandong, enter Nanzhili, and arrive at Fengyang Mansion in a few days." Xizhao explained the journey for Chongzhen, There was a burst of darkness outside the window and the light returned, the carriage had already passed through the tower of Yongding Gate and left Beijing city.Chongzhen lifted the homemade curtain, looked out the window, and asked, "Where are you going to rest tonight?"

"My lord, if there is no accident tonight, you should be able to arrive at Baoding Mansion to rest." Xi Zhao replied.

"Okay." Chongzhen lowered the curtain and nodded.

"The two officials live in Baozhu Hutong?"

As soon as Chongzhen finished speaking, the coachman's thick voice came from outside the curtain.

"Ah, no." Xizhao thought for a while and replied, "My lord is Zhao Hanlin's friend. He came to visit a few days ago and stayed at his house temporarily."

"Oh? But Zhao Hanlin who lives in the big house in Ertiao, Baozhu Hutong?"

"Exactly."

"Tsk tsk." The coachman made an envious voice, "The young one said that the guests who took the car from Baozhu Hutong are all nobles. The two officials are friends of Zhao Hanlin, so they must have unusual family backgrounds."

"Uh...hehe." Xi Zhao answered indiscriminately, looking towards Chongzhen.Chongzhen smiled slightly, then closed his eyes and rested his mind, allowing the two to chat, but had no intention of participating.Only the coachman said again:

"But our car dealership has a lot of good cars with high roofs and gold inlays. Why do the officials rent my third-class old cars?"

"My lord said that when you go out, you should restrain your edge and don't want to be too ostentatious." Xi Zhao leaned against the car window and looked at the simple car with his palms—although the curtains were old, they were clean and clean, with wooden edges. The corners were also wiped spotless. "What's more, it's just me, master and servant, in a car. It's clean and comfortable, and there's no need to be extravagant."

"Hehe." The coachman smiled honestly, "That's nothing to say, I, Wang Er, has the best skills in our car dealership, and I will let the two officials sit comfortably all the way. But..." the coachman said, suddenly sighed Sighing, "Hey, what the officials said is true. In this world, where wars are raging and horses are chaotic, it is indeed the best thing to be careful when going out....The two officials are going to Fengyang for business?"

"Uh...it's not official business, just visiting relatives." Xi Zhao replied casually.

"Hey, your family and relatives are in Fengyang?" The voice of the coachman outside the curtain changed slightly, "That's really the virtues accumulated in the previous life, God bless you. Hey! Fengyang is really miserable for thieves and bandits! I heard people say that the whole city was burned down, even the imperial mausoleum..."

"Ah...then what, if there is a tea booth in front of you, we should stop for a rest, we are a little thirsty." Xi Zhao hurriedly diverted the driver's words, and looked at Chongzhen nervously, but saw that Chongzhen had not closed the door at some point His eyes rested, his eyebrows were lowered, his eyes were half downcast, and he looked thoughtful.But the ignorant coachman was completely unaware of his slip of the tongue, so he simply answered:

"Okay! Drive!"

two

"The two guest officials like to rest. If you have something to do, please tell the younger ones. The street downstairs is the busiest night market in Baoding. It only happens once every seven days. If the two guest officials are interested, you might as well go to have fun."

"Well, you go down."

"Hey."

The shop clerk bowed, exited the room, and closed the door behind him.Chongzhen opened the window facing the street, while looking down at the brightly lit night market downstairs, he stretched his back.

"Your Majesty is tired." There was no one else in the room, Xizhao resumed the address in the palace to Chongzhen, "The third-class car is small after all, if the Emperor is tired from sitting, Dexiu will find a good car for the Emperor tomorrow." .”

"It's okay." Chongzhen turned around and waved his hands, "I'm not tired, let's go to the night market downstairs."

"Ah, yes." Xi Zhao was taken aback for a moment, and quickly responded.

I thought that the emperor would be in a heavy mood all the way to Fengyang and would not want to have fun, but unexpectedly the emperor offered to visit the night market.Xizhao naturally wanted the emperor to be in a good mood, and followed Chongzhen through the night market crowd, looking around, hoping to find some more interesting and beautiful things to make the emperor happy.

Although the night market in Baoding is not as prosperous as the one in Beijing, it is still lively and prosperous.There are sellers of snacks, gadgets, calligraphy and paintings, and jugglers.Chongzhen looked at the jade of this family for a while, looked at the woodware of that family for a while, and stopped in front of the calligraphy and painting booth for a while.

"Dong Qichang..." Chongzhen murmured as he looked at a freehand landscape.

"My lord, none of the calligraphy and paintings in the night market are authentic." Xi Zhao leaned closer and whispered in Chong Zhen's ear.

"It's okay. It's just a pity that there is no real signature." Chongzhen looked at the painting with great interest, with a look of approval on his brows, "In terms of brushwork and artistic conception, this fake is probably more How much better than the real thing."

"Oh?" The emperor thought so highly of this painting?Xizhao didn't know much about calligraphy and painting, so after hearing what the emperor said, she looked at it carefully, trying to find out some of the charm in the painting.But Chongzhen smiled slightly, put his hands behind his back, and looked directly at the other booth.

After walking for half a street like this, suddenly a burst of fragrance came to my nostrils.Xi Zhao sniffed, followed the scent, and saw the peddler yelling loudly:

"Authentic Haggis Soup~ Once you taste it, you will never forget it~ Come and try my authentic Haggis Soup~!"

"Haggis soup? What kind of food is it?" Chongzhen also noticed the thriving stall and asked Xizhao suspiciously.

"Haggis soup..." Xi Zhao blinked, and replied with a blushing smile, "It's the soup made from sheep's offal...."

"Oh..." Hearing the words, Chongzhen thought for a while, then walked towards the small stall with Liu Ji haggis soup hanging.

"My lord, my lord..." Seeing this, Xi Zhao stepped forward hurriedly, reaching out to stop Chongzhen, "My lord, this water... is for people with low status, how can it enter the mouth of an adult..."

"Oh? Then... have you eaten it?" Chongzhen didn't think it was disobedient, but just asked Xizhao.

"Eat..." Xi Zhao nodded and answered truthfully.

"Is it delicious?"

"Uh...um." Xi Zhao nodded again hesitantly, twitching the corners of her mouth, a little embarrassed.

"That's good." Chongzhen smiled, and there was a bit of naughtiness in his eyes, and then he ignored Xizhao's obstruction and strode to the small stall.

"Hey, two honorable guests, would you like to try our haggis soup?" the stall owner greeted the customers attentively when he saw the customers coming.

"En. Two bowls." After Chongzhen finished speaking, he found a side seat and sat down.

"Okay! Two bowls of haggis soup—!"

Xizhao paid the money, took the soup, and carefully placed it on the square table in front of Chongzhen, feeling agitated and staring at the emperor's expression.

"Is it still to your liking?" Xi Zhao hurriedly asked after Chong Zhen took his first sip.

"En. Not bad." Chongzhen smiled slightly and nodded, and Xizhao felt relieved a little, took a deep breath, and began to eat herself.A few steps away, the stall owner continued to drink his haggis soup vigorously, attracting many diners to salivate and stop.Thin white smoke billowed from the cauldron where the soup was boiling, before it reached a high level, it was scattered by the iron ladle for scooping up the soup, and gradually disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the night market.Several paper lanterns with the word "Liu Ji" written on them were strung together in a string with hemp rope, shaking slightly from time to time, interlaced with the hanging lamps on the stalls and shops, overlapping each other from far and near, forming a scene with the bustling crowd. , each enjoying their own excitement.While eating, Chongzhen savored the scene of the night market once every seven days.Xizhao saw that Chongzhen was very interested, so he wiped his mouth and suggested, "If your lord likes the night market, when you return to Beijing, Dexiu will take you to the night market in the back street of Dongtang. It is only two streets away from Baozhu Hutong. Not only is it lively, but also the most authentic fried enema in the capital, adults may wish to try it.”

"Okay." Chongzhen retracted his gaze and replied with a smile.Against the backdrop of the lights, those smiling eyes were as bright as glass.

three

After visiting the night market and returning to the inn, it was already late at night. "Your Majesty, the hot water has been adjusted. Dexiu will scald your feet to relieve fatigue?" Xi Zhao put down the copper pot, and tested the water temperature with his hands.Chongzhen took off his deep clothes, put them on the back of the chair, waved his hands and said: "There is no need to wait, after a bumpy day, I spent half a day shopping in the night market with me, you are tired too, I just come by myself."

"Thank you, the emperor, for being considerate, Dexiu is not tired." Xizhao smiled, helped Chongzhen to the side of the couch and sat down, then brought a copper basin filled with hot water and placed it in front of Chongzhen, rolled up his sleeves, and took off his shoes and socks for Chongzhen, "Going to Fengyang this time, Dexiu is afraid that the emperor will be thinking about those troubles all the way, bored in his heart, and his body will be exhausted. Seeing the emperor having a good time shopping, Dexiu is happier than anything else, so why is he tired?"

Chongzhen smiled slightly and put his feet in the hot water.A warm feeling flowed from the bottom to the top, causing a tingling sensation all over the body, and the mind seemed to be slightly drunk, and suddenly fell into a trance.He took a deep breath, collected himself, and said calmly, "If I had gone to Fengyang half a year ago, I'm afraid it would have been true. But now... I have changed."

"The emperor means...?" Xi Zhao was puzzled.

"This trip out of the palace is not so much about worshiping the ancestors as apology, but more about going out to relax in the name of apology."

relax?Xizhao was startled, and looked at Chongzhen with wide eyes, holding a foot towel in his hand, and froze in mid-air.

"Why, are you surprised?" Chongzhen smiled warmly as he met Xizhao's gaze.

"No...not surprised." Xizhao said, calmed down, soaked the foot towel in hot water, and scrubbed Chongzhen carefully, "Not surprised, just a little surprised. But Dexiu understands that the emperor needs to relax the most of."

"Probably you are the only one who can say that..." Chongzhen sighed slightly, "The whole court, civil and military officials, including the queen, are unwilling to let me slack off for a day."

"The emperor is already diligent enough." Xi Zhao raised her head and said seriously, "Even if the ministers don't know about the emperor's concern for the country and the people, Dexiu sees it every day."

"Really." Chongzhen paused, "...Then what if I say that I am not as you think?"

"Huh?" Xi Zhao was stunned, but saw that the smile on Chong Zhen's face gradually became more complicated.

"If I say that I really want to get rid of the embarrassment of the imperial tomb being dug up, the endless batch of memorials, the burden left by my ancestors, and escape from this emperor's body, how would you feel?"

"Could it be that the emperor...isn't he really concerned about the country and the people?" Xi Zhao was startled, and couldn't believe what she heard.

"It's true to be concerned about the country and the people, but it's also true to want to put everything aside..." Chongzhen's tone remained calm, as if that Xizhao was surprised, questioned, or understood, all within his expectations.

"I often fantasize about what it would be like if I were just a farmer in the mountains, or a commoner in the city, with my sons and daughters around my knees, doing the work of supporting my family, and thinking about the delicacies in the seven-day night market. Generally carefree. Thinking about it, I was afraid that I was reincarnated into this emperor's family because I went wrong in my previous life. Maybe I shouldn't be the emperor, so I did so many wrong things in this emperor's position... "

"Why did the emperor say that, Dexiu never felt that the emperor had missed anything." Xi Zhao comforted Chongzhen.

"Oh? Never?" Chongzhen briefly recalled, "Do you still remember why I put you in confinement when you first came to me?"

The emperor was talking about what happened to Governor Yuan many years ago... At that time, when I knelt in front of the emperor, I was accusing the emperor of his mistakes... Xizhao blushed all of a sudden, and said embarrassingly: "At that time, Dexiu was still young... no Solve the emperor's mind..."

Chongzhen suppressed his smile and sighed faintly. "As an emperor, you can control the country with a single thought. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty has been fighting frequently, and there is no peace. I think it must be because I made too many wrong choices when I employed people to break things." Chongzhen said, his face inadvertently Unexpectedly, a tired and old look that does not match his age appeared, "Sometimes I really just want to be that commoner, who has no power and no power. Even if my fate is in the hands of others, it is better than being shouldered by the people of the country, responsibility and sin today. The heaviness and entanglement in just one thought."

"Your majesty..." I have never heard the emperor say so many words, Xi Zhao stared blankly at Chong Zhen, not knowing what to say or what expression to make, both hands were immersed in the water basin motionless, He even forgot to continue washing the emperor's feet.

"Hey, it's all right." Chongzhen smiled, his face brightened, and he lifted his feet and left the basin, "However, how can I really leave everything behind, just pretend I'm tired and complain, don't you Too much heart."

"Your Majesty..." Xi Zhao came back to her senses, quickly wrung out the cloth towel, and helped Chong Zhen dry his feet, secretly making up her mind. "The emperor's words, how can Dexiu be careless." Xizhao lay down while serving Chongzhen, and said softly, "Dexiu once said that he has no literary and military strategy, so he can't relieve the emperor's worries in political affairs, and he can't help the emperor himself. The emperor goes into battle to kill the enemy, but Dexiu can understand what the emperor said, and Dexiu can understand the pain in the emperor's heart. If the emperor feels bored, just tell Dexiu that Dexiu is willing to listen at any time. It is Dexiu's greatest wish to ask the emperor to temporarily forget his worries."

What Xi Zhao said made Chongzhen feel a warm current surge up in his heart.He opened his mouth, but couldn't find a suitable word to respond for a while, so he could only silently look at the sunset while continuing to talk, while helping himself to straighten the bedding and put down the curtains.

"If the emperor doesn't want to be the emperor, then Dexiu will no longer be the eunuch in the palace. Whatever the emperor wants, Dexiu can do whatever the emperor wants to do." Xi Zhao said, smiling peacefully, "But today is too late , let’s rest earlier, my lord.”

grown ups?Chongzhen immediately understood the meaning of these two words, the warm current in his heart choked in his throat, it was actually hotter than the water temperature just now.

"...Okay, you can rest too, Dexiu."