Looking at the silver seal three inches and four minutes above his hand and one inch thick, Shao An felt in a trance. It's as if all this was a dream, so unreal. Not only him, but many ministers have a feeling in the clouds, so quickly selected the prime minister? And he is actually the youngest prime minister in the history of this dynasty!

And the emperor wanted this effect, and the final word was made when everyone was confused. Otherwise, when the ministers come to their senses and each recommend a candidate in their respective camps, it will be another life-and-death battle.

Shao An raised his eyes, facing the emperor with a little majesty, and there was a hint of warning in his eyes. He was stirred by this gaze, and his mind cleared up instantly. The edict of the prime minister has been prepared a long time ago, and the candidate for the prime minister has already been decided, and the court discussion is insignificant, just to go through the motions. Shao An understands that only the imperial power is supreme in this world, even if he is in the position of prime minister above ten thousand people, he is still under one person. And that person is the one who can hold him up and suppress him.

And he seems to have won everything, but this game is far from over. The ministers were by no means genuinely supportive, and when they came up with a solution, they would definitely get him in trouble. As for the emperor, today's prevarication seems to have violated the holy will, and if he criticizes the dragon scales again, the consequences will be unimaginable. In the future, he can only be loyal and act step by step to secure the position of prime minister. Otherwise, the moon will be profitable, the water will overflow, and the ascending will fall heavily.

Shao An recalled that when he was in Qianzhou, many prisoners there were also high-ranking officials in the imperial court, but they suddenly lost their high positions due to incidents, causing harm to their relatives and being exiled here. One can imagine how miserable the end will be once the protection of power is lost.

And it was during those two years of exile that Shao An learned from those losers what others could never learn - the art of being an official.

※※※※※

Twenty years of Yongkang, winter. Qianzhou.

Qianzhou is located at the southern end, in the middle of nowhere, and it is still a barbaric place, and many prisoners have been exiled here since ancient times.

An'er was escorted, walking all the way from the northwest to the south, he couldn't remember how long he walked, only that the weather was getting colder and colder, and the clammy cold wind drove straight into his thin clothes, taking away the last body temperature on his body. By the time we arrived in Qianzhou, the climate had already transitioned from a scorching summer to a snowy winter.

Before arriving here, Shao An didn't really understand what it meant to be barren, what he was familiar with was the flowery Chang'an, and the drunken Qin Huai; Even in the Gobi Desert, it gives people a heroic feeling, and it is not as bleak and dead as here.

It's not just the environment that's dead, it's the people who do hard labor here. They were so scrawny and unhuman by the heavy labor. The most terrible thing is that their eyes, like a pool of stagnant water, are lifeless. But An'er didn't know that in fact, his own eyes, like these people, revealed deep exhaustion and lost the light of his love for life.

As soon as An'er arrived here, she was sent to do work before she could rest for a moment. Under the overseer's whip, he toiled silently for an entire afternoon. In the past, after every newcomer came in, they might resist, or cry, and even kill themselves because they couldn't bear it. Only he is the most special, not scolding, not angry, not resentful, as if he has no soul.

"Boy, did you commit a crime, or were you connected?" During the rest of the night, someone finally couldn't resist their curiosity and came to greet An'er.

"......" An'er was silent, and the whole person was stunned, as if she hadn't heard the person's question.

Seeing that he didn't answer, the man pushed An'er hard, "Squeak, don't look like a dumb person." ”

An'er stumbled and took a few steps back. When he stood firm, his face was still expressionless, and of course he couldn't speak.

"Damn, is it really shameless?" The man's face was damaged, and in a fit of anger, he punched An'er in the face hard, causing the corners of his mouth to be broken and blood spilling out.

The movement here alarmed the other prisoners, and when they saw that there was a bustle to be found, they all gathered around.

"The newcomer, it seems that I don't understand the rules here, let my brother teach you." Someone took the opportunity to provoke again.

The way they teach the rules is by beating them severely. The people here work hard all year round, and bullying newcomers is their only pleasure.

Several hooligans shoveled An'er to the ground, punched and kicked, and stomped on An'er's thin shoulders. Kick after kick, kick after kick. It was as if they were treating the person under their feet as a sack, a lifeless thing, and venting wildly.

An'er has been like ashes since her brother's death, and she just bears the beating inflicted on her calmly, without the slightest intention of struggling. He was calm and a little terrifying, as if he was not the one who was beaten, and his soul had broken away from the red dust, and he was watching coldly from an inch away.

And the group beating continues......

At this time, there were already gathered people around to watch, and those people neither joined in nor pulled the fight, but just watched indifferently. This kind of beating has long been strange to the people here, and no one wants to be nosy.

An elegant-looking elder had been working for the day as usual, and just wanted to rest early. When he passed by this place, he just glanced coldly, but he happened to look at An'er, and saw that An'er's inky black eyes had no unwillingness, no resentment, no pleading, his gaze was indifferently opposite him, and finally passed through his face and condensed in the endless distance......

With just one glance, he was hit and attracted by the boy's eyes, which made him decide to save the child.

"Stop!" The elder spoke out to stop, "What to fight, he's still young." It is not easy to be exiled here. ”

Those people wanted to fight again, but when they heard someone blocking them, they reluctantly stopped after looking back at the comer, and before leaving, they pointed at An'er and threatened: "Boy, don't make trouble." If it weren't for Uncle Qin's face this time, he would definitely beat you up. ”

The person who called Uncle Qin helped An'er to sit aside, and while cleaning his wounds, he chatted, "Looking at your appearance, you shouldn't be able to do the burning, killing and looting." And you've been the only one here these days, so you shouldn't have been connected. Could it be that you have been wronged? ”

An'er finally made some movement this time, he rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly.

"It's not wronged, it's not connected. I wonder what felony you can commit at such a young age as a penny in exile? ”

"......" An'er had long filthy hair, looked up at the sky, and was still silent.

"That's it." Uncle Qin said, "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read, and everyone has hardships in their hearts. You must have been through something very painful. If you don't want to say it, I won't ask anymore. ”

An'er seemed to feel something when she heard this, and her eyes flashed. He blinked frequently, doing his best to stop the tears that were about to well. What he had experienced was more than pain, it was painful and miserable.

In the days of exile, day and night, in dreams and in reality, his mind was replaying that day every moment—the day he learned of his brother's death.

※※※※※

It was the summer of the twentieth year of Yongkang, a day half a year ago.

The battle ahead was in full swing and the battle was fierce. Last night, Li Hongyi was ordered to take 800 light cavalry deep behind enemy lines to carry out a surprise attack. However, a day and a night have passed, and there has been no news from Li Hongyi's ministry. King Ann was restless in the camp. An'er was also apprehensive, and even a little uneasy in her heart.

The anxiety lasted until noon the next day, until King An sent someone to take An'er into the tent to talk. An'er knew that the time had come to reveal the mystery. He gathered his mind, dressed up, and stepped into the tent.

There was silence in the tent at the moment, and there was only King An. I saw him standing with his hands in his hands, silent in front of the huge map hanging on it.

An'er had a bad feeling in his heart, he had been by the prince's side for many years, and he was very familiar with his words and deeds. Seeing the prince standing so solemnly today, there must be something going on ahead.

An'er said suspiciously, "Lord Wang? ”

When King An heard this, he turned his head sharply and stared at An Er for a long time. Then he walked quickly to An'er's side, reached out to wrap his hand around An'er's thin shoulder, and hugged him into his arms without saying a word.

An'er was frightened and asked, "My brother?" ”

King An choked up and said: "The horse leather shroud, the green mountains bury the bones." ”

After hearing this, An'er looked at King An in a daze, as if she hadn't heard clearly, and didn't say a word. King An repeated it again, and An Er really understood the meaning of these words.

Surprisingly, An'er didn't feel sad, but he could feel a strong emotion that would gush out at any moment, an emotion that transcended all feelings, and its name was "despair".

He was afraid that this emotion would explode at any time, but he didn't know what to say, and finally just said, "Got it." After saying that, he hurriedly pushed King An away, turned around and snatched the door away with a panicked expression.

King An looked at him worriedly, watching him walk out of the tent step by step.

※※※※※

The ice and snow melted, spring returned to the earth, and finally ushered in the twenty-first year of Yongkang.

An'er has been here for a long time, and has gradually adapted to the heavy labor, the clammy and cold miasma, the bullying of weak inmates, and the abuse of prisoners.

I still remember that when I first came, everything here was unheard of for An'er. If you ask where hell is, then here it is. Because there is no freedom, no hope, no life, no dignity. There is only endless beating, endless toil, and endless torture of all kinds.

For example, here is the mode of eating. The first day he saw this way of eating was something he will never forget, and the open space was full of people, one by one, kneeling neatly. Shocked by the fierce eyes of the overseers, they devoured their food like dogs.

An'er looked at them dumbfounded, only to be kicked hard by the overseer behind her, and she fell to her knees on the ground. An'er tried to struggle, but the overseer's disgusted voice came from above her head, "You sinners are only worthy to kneel on the ground and eat like dogs." Then he kicked the rice bowl in front of An'er with his foot, "Eat quickly." ”

This kind of humiliation was something he had never experienced before, how could he eat that kind of food that came to him? So he knelt straight with his neck straight, unwilling to bow his head.

With a "snap", a whip flew and hit An'er's back.

"Ahh An'er was unprepared and blinded by this sudden whip. He fell to the ground all of a sudden, only feeling a burning pain in his back, and he didn't recover for a long time.

But the overseer will not be merciful, and then he whipped three times in a row, and scolded while beating: "Kneel down for me, what do you shout, what do you shout, you can't stand it?" ”

An'er bit her lip resentfully, and slowly straightened up with her hands on the ground. The overseer smiled and rolled up his sleeves, whipping and pumping. These dozen whips of overseers used full force to beat An'er's clothes on her back and stained with blood. But An'er really didn't shout again this time, he knelt on a staggering kneel, but he never fell down again.

When the overseer finally got tired, An'er was already trembling in pain, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead into the soil. In addition, I was beaten by the prisoners last night, and the new and old injuries were superimposed, and I felt that my whole body hurt.

"Rebellion? Makes you rebel. If you don't want to eat, don't eat it. The overseer raised his foot and kicked An'er's rice bowl and walked away haughtily.

Indeed, resisting here had no effect, and the only consequence was to be severely beaten and faint on the construction site.

When Uncle Qin entered the house, An'er had already woken up. He crawled motionless on the bed, tilting his head sideways and staring at the wall, which seemed to have been smoked and looked gray and dilapidated.

"Boy, awake?" Uncle Qin shouted, "Let's eat when we wake up." ”

And An'er still didn't say anything, as if she was asleep and dead. But the wide eyes of the Bisheng also showed that he was still awake.

Uncle Qin sighed and said, "You have to learn to give in and forbear when you come here, how can you live if you are so strong?" ”

"It's better to be broken than to be complete." An'er said weakly. He has resigned his will to death and refuses to bow his head.

Uncle Qin suddenly shouted, "Do you know who you are? ”

An'er was stunned, "...... Sinner. ”

"Wrong!" Uncle Qin said, "It's a loser." The truly wicked ones are still out there. Why? Because they are powerful, they can evade criminal law, they can cover the sky with one hand. ”

"......" An'er looked at Uncle Qin in a daze, and was so excited to see him for the first time.

"Boy, don't die. No matter how difficult it is to live, you are always alive. Uncle Qin showed a wry smile, "Only by living can we hate, love, see the way of the world clearly, and wait until the end of those people." ”

Uncle Qin put down the rice bowl in his hand, left a few bottles of cheap wound medicine, glanced at An'er again, and left quietly.

An Er silently recalled Uncle Qin's words in his heart, and after a long time, he finally struggled to get up, raised his hand and picked up the shabby rice bowl on the table......

yes, he shall live, not for vengeance, but for atonement.