Sanbao hesitated for a long time, looked up at the sky, and saw that the sun was still very high, so he said, "Don't talk about Niangniang, I haven't seen Uncle Xu for a long time." It's a pity that such a character. I heard that he hasn't been doing well lately, so I'd like to go and see him, but the guards who came with me couldn't solve it. ”

I smiled, "You're the head of the guard, so it's hard to get you for this?" ”

Sanbao walked up to the group of guards and took out an ingot of gold, "Niangniang wants to stay here with the national warrior for a while to fulfill her filial piety." Niangniang pity you ran all morning, rewarded the money to drink tea, you go to the south of the city to wait for Li Ji tea, I am here to accompany Niangniang, and I will meet with you in the tea shop later. ”

When the guards heard what the leader said, they couldn't beg for it, so they thanked him and took the money and left. I was originally going to wear a black hooded robe, and at this time, I put it on my body, rode into the city with Sanbao, and galloped wildly for half an hour, and then arrived at the back gate of Xu's mansion. Half of the area of the Xu family's mansion has been reclaimed, and now the rest is still very large compared to ordinary people, but compared with before, it is no longer magnificent, and it is very sluggish. Especially at the back door, there is just a very ordinary and low-key wooden sign hanging on the side of the door, with two words faintly written on it, "Xu Mansion", the couplet of Zhu Yuanzhang's inscription in the past, and the four big characters of "Wei Guogongfu" have also been unloaded. In this way, the people who live in it may not feel anything, and the people who have not seen it for a long time can't help but feel sad when they watch the process of prosperity to loneliness.

Sanbao raised the door knocker and knocked lightly a few times, for a long time, there was no response, Sanbao had to knock twice, and finally a half-old man opened the door a crack and stretched out a head, "Who are you looking for?" ”

Sanbao took out the waist card from his waist, and stretched out to the old man with an expressionless face, the old man looked at it twice, his eyes were all the same, and he was about to kneel when he opened the door, Sanbao said coldly, "Don't make a noise, go in." ”

The old man led us inside. Looking at this porter from behind, it was also very shabby, wearing a coarse black linen cardigan---- if it was in the past, Xu Huizu was a fun-loving son, and the maids and maids in his house had to dress up, how could the porter be allowed to dress like this?

It seems that it was really defeated. I let out a long sigh.

"Your Excellency, you are ......"

"The emperor sent us to meet Uncle Xu alone, and we are not allowed to make a noise, even in Xu's mansion, and we are not allowed to talk nonsense, do you hear?" Sanbao said coldly.

The old man of the porter nodded, "The old man has been in the Xu Mansion for so many years, although his status is humble, but he has not seen a single point of the world, he knows what to say and what not to say, and the people who talk nonsense and lead to the disaster of killing have seen a lot." "This old man looks like a clean person, he can stay in a place like Xufu until his old age, it is indeed as he himself said, it is not that he has not seen the world, and he soon noticed me, but out of the upbringing of the big family, he did not look at me blatantly, but just glanced at me quietly.

Xu Huizu obviously knew that he would never turn over after Zhu Di ascended the throne, so he had already left all his competitive ambitions behind, and even moved his residence away from the main courtyard of the upper house of Xu's mansion, and lived in a very remote and remote courtyard on weekdays. Before I arrived at the courtyard, I had already felt Xu Huizu's escape from the scenery on the side of the road, a narrow gravel path, lined with dense pale green bamboo, growing well in summer, a gust of wind blowing, there was a rustling sound. At the end of the path is the courtyard gate of the other courtyard, tightly closed, the porter walked to the door of the other courtyard, and said in a low voice, "The two adults, both came to visit the head of the house, they should also know what happened to the head of the house, the Xu family has fallen in recent years, and the temperament of the head of the house has also changed greatly, becoming very withdrawn. You two are not mortals, I think the head of the family must come out to greet you, but you should also let the small ones go in and report first. ”

Sanbao nodded, "Hurry up, we're in a hurry." ”

The porter hurriedly knocked on the door to get a brass ring, and a little boy opened the door and let the porter in, and after a while, the porter came out and stretched out his hand and said, "The master of the house said, please let the two of you in." ”

I followed behind Sanbao and walked slowly inside, only to see that the courtyard was just a few stone and wood houses, which looked very cool in this hot summer, not to mention how deserted it was at other times. There were only a few rooms in total, and there was a figure standing at the door of the main house, wearing a moon-white robe, and his hair was also messy, and the man had his hands behind his back and did not turn back. The porter and the boy probably knew that the master had a perverse personality, and they all withdrew after bringing us in.

It wasn't until we reached the bottom of the steps in front of the court that the man finally turned around, and I was so shocked that I could barely speak! This is Xu Huizu Yes, but I haven't seen him for a few years, half of his black hair has turned white, and the heroism between his eyebrows has all turned into infatuation, he frowned slightly and looked at me and Sanbao, and he didn't speak, nor did he go down the steps, and he said after a long time, "Ah, the powerful concubine is here, I should salute." ”

That being said, he has not been seen to do anything. The third chief exhaled, "Uncle, Niangniang came out today to worship her ancestors, and she wanted to take time to meet you." ”

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Xu Huizu's mouth, and he glanced at me with some contempt, "What a glory it is for the noble concubine to worship the ancestors." It's a pity that not only was my Wei Mansion robbed of its title, but even the Yin Land left by my father was cut in half. ”

I opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say, but Sanbao arched his hand and answered, "Today's queen, the mother of a country, is the eldest girl of the Xu Mansion, and he will return to glory in the Xu Mansion in the future, so don't worry about it, uncle, don't be sad in vain." ”

Xu Huizu looked at Sanbao and smiled faintly, "Lord Zheng's words are wrong, and now the Xu family has ended up like this, isn't it because the queen is not favored?" If she can have that ability, why should my Xu family be so humiliated? The title was taken away, which can still be explained as my generation is really arrogant and arrogant, doing nothing, and affecting my father's reputation, but it is just ...... Even the mausoleum has been cut down, and I am afraid that my father is underneath, and it is difficult to feel at ease. Even the deceased will be implicated, I don't know what big things my sister committed in the palace? ”

I put down the hat on my head, walked in front of Xu Huizu, looked at him at eye level, and said slowly, "I came today, not to tell you today's grievances, but to talk about the past, if Uncle Xu is not welcome, then that's it, Manager Zheng and I will also rush back to the palace." ”

Xu Huizu looked at me, as if he wanted to find some unknown answer on my face.

I didn't want to avoid it, so I looked him in the eye.

Xu Huizu let out a long sigh, "I hope that you will come here today, not as a concubine to show off your grace, but as the little brocade guard who was willing to exchange my life from under the tiger's mouth with his own life." ”

When I heard this, I didn't answer, Xu Huizu had already walked inside, and he didn't reply, "The concubine took the risk to come, I'm afraid that there are some important things to explain to Huizu, so don't let others come in." ”

Sanbao was stunned, and I waved my hand at him, "You don't want to come in, wait for me here." Sanbao nodded and hesitated, "If there is something, call me." I chuckled, "Xu Huizu is not that kind of person. It's just out of place. ”

When I got to the room, I found that the furnishings inside were also very simple, maybe Xu Huizu really saw it, or maybe his income had been reduced again and again in the past few years, and he couldn't maintain the expenses of a big family.

Xu Huizu was already sitting cross-legged in front of a short table, and said lightly to me, "This place is shabby, and the concubine is afraid that she will not be used to it." ”

I sat down uninvited, "Even you have become so polite, it seems that the way of the world has really changed." ”

"The emperors have changed, and of course the way of the world has changed." Xu Huizu is obsessed and does not regret it.

I looked at the somewhat sunken eye sockets, although the face was still full of the signs of a gentleman, but it was no longer rebellious, full of frost and clear cheeks, "King Cheng has abdicated for nearly two years, what are you still guarding?" Whoever becomes the emperor is the same, as long as the people live and work in peace and contentment, it is a good thing. ”

Zhu Di glanced at me, "You have always been different, you can have such thoughts, I can't blame you for apostasy." It's just that I am the son of Xu Da and the heir of the Duke of Wei, and my Xu family is shaded by Taizu, so I have to carry out the oath I promised to Taizu back then, and we will always be loyal to the emperor who was passed on by Taizu himself, not a tyrant who usurped power. ”

"Tyrant? Who is a tyrant? You are in a humble room, don't you forget to care about the things in the court? I asked rhetorically.

Xu Huizu sneered twice, his voice was a little poignant, "Ling Chi has Tiexian, Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, Lian Zining, Zhuo Jing, etc., the insults suffered by these loyal ministers during their lifetimes are not to be shown for the time being, the extermination of the clan, the extermination of the Zhulian, and the countless wives and daughters who have fallen into the Jiaofang Division as prostitutes, if it is Renjun, how can it be so intolerant?" If he really has the ability to rule the world, why not leave these anti-him people alive first, and then slowly see how he pushes the Ming Dynasty to the top? ”

I was silent for a while, then smiled, "On the side of the couch, how can you allow others to snore?" Why should you be loyal to Taizu, and why are you loyal to King Cheng? In fact, you denounce the brutal attributes of the current emperor, none of them are bad, what you care about is not who can be a good emperor, who can bring stability to the Ming Dynasty, you just care about yourself. Your own solar terms, your own glory, your own name of loyalty, because these are all given to you by Taizu. So if you betray Taizu, you will lose these. ”

Xu Huizu's face was a little pale, his breathing became heavier and heavier, he held it for a long time, and finally covered his mouth with a fist, coughing violently, I saw that he was coughing badly, and was about to ask if there was any big problem, but he himself hurriedly took out a piece of white silk from his arms with his other hand, covered his mouth and coughed for a while, and when the violent coughing sound passed, I was shocked to find that the white silk on his hand had been stained red with blood.

"What's wrong with you?" I stood up and asked anxiously.

Xu Huizu smiled bitterly twice, "It's just tuberculosis." ”

I looked at Xu Huizu with some shock, I couldn't believe that he had tuberculosis at such a young age, no wonder he wanted to move here to recuperate! Tuberculosis is not a serious disease in modern times, but in the Ming Dynasty, where there are no antibiotics and no anti-inflammatory drugs, this is a serious disease that can kill people!

"How...... How so? "I'm still in a trance, I can't believe Xu Huizu in front of me, his life is disappearing little by little.

Xu Huizu smiled bitterly, "How could not." I am a dying person, why should I worry about the things before and after my death? He, Zhu Di, can subdue everyone in the Ming Dynasty, but he can't subdue me. I will never obey him. My sister married him and became a queen, which seems to be a glorious thing on the surface, but in the future, my sister will go to the underworld, but she may not be able to explain to her father. Since you are now in favor and have the heart to come and see me, an unfashionable person, I believe that you are not the kind of person who tends to climb power and seize power, so I would like to ask you to bring a few words to my sister. ”

I hesitated, "I'm here today to tell you about your sister." ”

Xu Huizu waved his hand, "Although I have opinions about the emperor, but I also know my sister, my family has become like this now, my sister must also be responsible, those who want to speed are not reached, her obsession with power has been reflected since she was a child." As soon as my family falls, your father with no background can also be shaded, I can think of why with my eyes closed, you two are fighting, she must have used some dishonorable means, the emperor will do this in order to gag your mouth, it's just that it's useless for me to care about those with you. ”

I looked at Xu Huizu, his mind was as sharp as it was back then, but he was just a young man with a white head! The blows taken in the past few years can be imagined. After thinking about it, I was a little uneasy and distressed, so I didn't say anything.

"I'll write you a few words, if you have the heart, help me hand them to my sister, if you don't want to pull her to get lost, these words will be of great benefit to you."

Xu Huizu said, he had already walked in front of the bookcase, took the pen to lift his breath, and wrote a few handsome words, "Don't forget the original intention, you have to always." ”

"Thank you for remembering me, but the relationship between you and me is still broken. The identity is not suitable, the position is not suitable, and even the time is not suitable. Xu Huizu turned his back again, and when he got closer, most of his long hair was white, "Today I will treat you as Helian Yi for the last time, from now on, you will be a powerful concubine, although you have no family background and no prince, but you forced my sister into a corner, and destroyed the lintel of my Xu family, and we will never be friends again." ”

I carefully folded the letter, tucked it into my sleeve, and suddenly I walked out of the burrow, and when I saw the sun again, it was like a world away. <