Chongzhen Sunset Song

?one

When I returned to the palace yesterday, the night was already deep.Chongzhen and Xizhao traveled for many days, and they were very tired. Not long after they arrived in the palace, they went to rest separately.Withdrew from the dusty luggage and slept soundly in a comfortable room. Today's sunset was as usual, and he turned into a sharp and neat imperial eunuch. True Dragon Emperor.Respectfully calling out to the emperor, hearing the familiar yet unfamiliar word Zhen, Xizhao only felt that the days outside the palace for the past month were really like a dream. Only then did I realize that everything was so unreal.The two are no longer the traveling companions who live in the same room, ride in the same car, and enjoy the beautiful scenery together. Chongzhen, who is sitting on the dragon chair, is so out of reach for Xizhao.Xizhao felt faintly lost, but apart from being lost, she was actually relieved.Being able to have such a journey of mutual companionship with the emperor and the sage in my heart is already a good encounter in countless generations. If you can have such a memory in your heart for decades, what do you expect?

"I'm not here these days, what happened?"

"Going back to the emperor, there is nothing special about it, but there are some details, the supervisor of ceremonies can't make a rash decision, it has already been placed on the dragon case, and the emperor has to take a look."

After the early court, Wang Chengen came to the South Study Room as usual, and when he heard Chongzhen's question, Wang Chengen leaned forward and answered.

"Since it's nothing important, it's okay to leave these papers for tomorrow. I'm going to write an imperial edict today. You can pick it up in the afternoon and publish it as soon as possible." Chongzhen didn't see sadness or joy on his face, he just said lightly.

"The emperor...wrote it himself?" Wang Chengen raised his head slightly with doubts on his face.

"Exactly."

"Slave obeys the order." Seeing that Chongzhen was unwilling to explain further, Wang Chengen bowed again and left the room.

"Dexiu, Yanmo."

"Yes."

After Wang Chengen left, Xizhao followed Chongzhen's instructions, holding the cuff lightly with her left hand, holding the ink with her right hand, and grinding it in circles in the stone inkstone.Chongzhen dipped his pen in ink, thought for a while, and wrote a few small characters on the right side of the yellow silk:

"I use Liangde to inherit the great tradition, intending to renew the world, and use it to return the old ancestors."

Then stop writing, as if in deep thought.Like Wang Chengen, Xizhao was also very puzzled while studying ink.Historically, imperial edicts were drafted by the cabinet, presented to the emperor for review, revised and finalized by the emperor, and then printed and issued. How could the edict be drafted by the emperor himself without going through the cabinet?Xizhao saw that Chongzhen had written a few more sentences, and looking for an opportunity, he asked, "Your Majesty, this edict is..."

"An edict of guilt."

Chongzhen lowered his eyes, and before he finished a sentence, he cut off Xizhao's question abruptly.The answer was short and sudden, and seemed a little irritable, but Xi Zhao felt that this unnatural irritability should be intentional or unintentional by the emperor, concealing the indelible sorrow.

two

"I use Liangde to inherit the great unity. I intend to renew the world and use it to return the old things of my ancestors. I didn't expect to rely on people who were not human, so I caused rampant bandits. Husband Jianzhou belonged to me, and I was originally my son. If you manage the emperor well, how dare you go against my face. In a prosperous world, there are many civil and military people, but there is no way to boast and cheat, and the real merit is rare. The captives are three-entry, and the bandits are seven years. Lian. The country’s funds are scarce and the recruitment is endless. Lu Yan’s withering makes it difficult to stop adding factions. Thinking in the middle of the night, I am already very ashamed and indignant. In the first month of this year, I returned to the Mausoleum of Shangqian Emperor. The ancestors threatened the people’s enmity, and I am responsible. So Zhang Bing Raising salaries, restricting and enforcing duties, waiting for the interrogation to destroy the canal, the concubine and the concubine comforted each other. Unexpectedly, the ministers miscalculated, and the rout was rampant. Even the army was humiliated by the clown, and the soldiers and the people dared to be supreme. The living beings are suffering from the fire again. Griefing and gnashing teeth, how can it be endured! If there is no more eradication, when will the universe rest! I have paid more money, and now I will mobilize more troops to save Yuan Yuan. This is the purpose. But between the lines Civil and military, masters, guests, soldiers, labor, hunger and cold, I miss you deeply. If you think of him, eat and sleep in the open, I can't bear to sleep in the deep palace; Hereby choose October [-]rd to stay away from the Wuying Hall, reduce food and music, except for ceremonies, I will wear green clothes to show the same meaning as the civil and military soldiers in our line, until the day of Kouping. The civil and military officials also inspected the past in various provinces , Encourage the future, hand in hand with each other, use God's will, the governor, the prime minister, tell the line, look up to my heart, and save the lives of the people. Make a secret contact, encircle and make a big move, go straight to the backbone, and wipe out the powerful bandits."

As soon as the Edict of Guilt came out, all the officials in the court were shocked.There was no warning, and I never discussed it with anyone. It has been more than nine months since the Fengyang disaster, and no one could have imagined that the emperor would issue this sinful edict at this time.Although the emperor sinned against himself, the court officials did not feel that they had much to do with him in their hearts, but just in this turbulent period, Chongzhen promulgated the first edict of sin against himself since he succeeded to the throne. , It always makes people feel uneasy, faintly and inexplicably, as if they have sensed some kind of omen.

"Your Majesty, you..." Wang Chengen asked after Chongzhen, with a look of worry on his brows.

"Huh?" Chongzhen turned his head halfway, and responded lightly.

"Uh...this...does the emperor really want to wear Tsing Yi and move to the Hall of Martial Arts according to the imperial edict?" Wang Chengen asked cautiously.

"Of course, you are not joking."

"This..." Wang Chengen frowned, hesitant to speak.

"Why, is something wrong?" Chongzhen raised his eyebrows and asked back.

"No, no, I don't dare..." Wang Chengen quickly leaned over and explained, "I just think that if the emperor has the intention of self-discipline, condescending to move to the Martial Hero Hall for a few months is enough to be an act of benevolence that the people admire. Uh..." Wang Chengen pursed his lips, as if deliberating, paused for a moment, and then said, "Forgive me for speaking bluntly, the trouble of bandits has been going on for many years, and now it seems that it is not a one-time achievement to put down the bandits. The Wuying Hall is remote and narrow. I mean, living in the Hall of Martial Heroes until the day of Kou Ping, this is too much self-punishment, wearing only green clothes and plain robes, also... is not in line with the ancestral system..."

"I've made up my mind, you don't need to say more." Chongzhen downplayed, rejected Wang Chengen's persuasion with one sentence, then waved his sleeves and boarded the dragon chariot.

From the day the Edict of Guilt was promulgated, the eunuchs and maids in the palace began to get busy.After three full days of packing supplies and cleaning the room, the Martial Heroes Hall somewhat looked like the emperor's palace.According to the imperial edict, Chongzhen officially moved to Wuying Hall to live and handle government affairs starting from October [-]rd.Xizhao and some other eunuchs and maids who had been serving the emperor naturally moved from Qianqing Palace to live near Wuying Hall along with Chongzhen.Probably because he didn't dare to neglect this young eunuch who was very popular despite his low-key behavior. After Xizhao moved to the Hall of Martial Arts, he was still arranged to enjoy a superior wing by himself.Although this extravagant treatment will inevitably appear ostentatious and arouse people's gossip, but if he lives with others reluctantly and inadvertently exposes the identity of the fake eunuch, then he will really be unable to bear it and walk away.So Xizhao didn't refuse, and packed her belongings, as well as Eunuch Liang's spirit card, and brought them to the new room, and settled down steadily. "May Eunuch Liang's spirit in heaven bless me with no disasters and disasters in the palace, safe and sound." Xi Zhao thought to himself, wiped the spirit tablet clean, and placed it on the incense table in the corner of the room.

"Your Majesty, are you still used to living in the Hall of Martial Arts these few days?" Wang Chengen asked with concern in the warm pavilion of the Hall of Martial Arts after finishing his report on political affairs.

"It's good that I'm here, you don't have to worry about it." Chongzhen replied with a slight smile.

"That's good. This Hall of Martial Heroes is no better than the Qianqing Palace. The servants are afraid that the emperor will feel bored and uncomfortable living here. It is best for the emperor to get used to it." Wang Chengen also said with a smile, never mentioning the matter of the Qianqing Palace again.

"Although I'm used to it, I'm just asking you to go back and forth between the Supervisor of Rituals and the Hall of Martial Arts every day, which is much farther than when you were in Qianqing Palace." Chongzhen paused and said softly.

"Oh, why did your majesty say that? It's a disgrace to this servant." Wang Chengen looked flattered, and hurriedly bowed down, "This is not what the subordinates should do. The servant walks slowly and comes late, so you bother the emperor. Don't bother, really damn it."

"Hey~ get up." Chongzhen waved his hand, and inadvertently, his smile quietly lost a bit.

Wang Cheng'en thanked him, stood up with his hands on the ground, thought for a while, started another conversation, and discussed other matters with the emperor.

On that side the emperor was discussing matters with the prince and prince, while on this side Xizhao was waiting beside Chongzhen, frowning slightly, but was absent-mindedly thinking about his own concerns.He is not like Wang Gonggong, who is worried that the emperor is still heartbroken by the disaster in Fengyang, but he secretly feels that this sinful edict finally brings an end to the emperor's suffering.He wasn't too worried that the emperor would feel uncomfortable if he moved to the Hall of Martial Arts.In this narrow warm pavilion, the emperor in green clothes and plain hat sitting by the window, actually seemed to be outside the palace, looking much more at ease and peaceful.In other words, he has almost no time to spend his thoughts on the emperor or the prince, because there is one thing that has made him even more anxious in the past few days-in the past few days, he has never seen Bi Tao again, whether it is in the Qianqing Palace or the Wuying Palace. figure.Is she okay during this time?Have you been abused by those evil servants again?When she came back, the lock of the door of her own room was unlocked, and the key was placed on the tea table in the house. There was no sign that Bi Tao had lived in the room.Is it because I am not bullied anymore that I don't need to come and live, or I am afraid of getting gossip and don't want to come and live, or I can't... Thinking about it, Xi Zhao was suddenly taken aback.I can't see anyone for a long time... Could it be...?Thinking of this, Xizhao's heart was filled with anger, and she was suddenly anxious. It seemed that there were thousands of ants gnawing on her chest. She wished she could find a chance to go out and inquire about Bitao's whereabouts.As soon as the prince left, Xi Zhao took advantage of Gong to stop a familiar court lady in a hurry, settled her mind, and asked:

"Sister, do you know where Bi Tao from Qianqing Palace is now?"

When the court lady heard the word Bi Tao, a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes, and she immediately covered it up, and replied: "Bitao has gone to work with the Grand Priest, the Supervisor of Rituals."

"Oh..." Xi Zhao let out a long breath, felt relieved, thanked the maid, and let her go.It turned out that Bi Tao was safe and sound, but she was transferred from the Qianqing Palace.I only blame myself for thinking wildly, making myself so anxious for no reason.Xi Zhao laughed at herself, scratched her head, and reached out to explore the silver hairpin hidden on her chest.When she went to the Prison of Rituals, she didn't know when she would have the chance to meet her. Let's take this hairpin with her every day. Once she finds an opportunity, give it to her, and make amends to her...

——Knowing that Bitao was well, Xi Zhao finally let go of her heart, and didn't think about the meaning of the maid's words any more, she thought to herself, and went back to the Hall of Martial Arts.