More than two years have passed in a blink of an eye.

In the fourth lunar month of the third year of Dazhong (May 849), Zhurong Peak was crowned.

A burly boy of sixteen or seventeen years old was practicing his sword, and the surrounding air was cold and the wind was moving.

"Senior Brother Guo, there is news from the mountain!" The man was a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old, tall and tall, with his hands above his knees.

"Senior Brother Cao, what's the news?" The young man took the sword momentum, he is Guo Hong, he is fifteen years old this year, and he looks taller than ordinary people, which often makes people misunderstand his actual age.

However, it turns out that for twelve-year-old children's overdeveloped chest and arm muscles, because they have grown taller, they are now more symmetrical, but if they are bare-chested, one black and one white are very conspicuous!

"Wang Jufang wants to hold a selection meeting, and he wants to deal with us!" Cao Shouzhen's appearance is also different from two years ago, he has grown as tall as a normal person, but his arms are a little long, and he can almost touch his knees, and now he is not like a monkey, Guo Hong said that he is a bit like an orangutan.

"Okay, let's go to Tanzhou and make a fuss about this selection conference?"

Cao Shouzhen laughed out loud and said, "You're still so naughty! ”

************

Two days later, Tanzhou (Changsha) Wangxiang Tower.

Li Zhe brought his son Li Yi here to invite someone to dinner.

Li Zhe was the official who had dinner with the Weishan monk Hongxu in the Yellow Crane Tower, and he also witnessed the monks robbing and killing Guo Hong and others at that time.

In the first year of Dazhong (847), Zheng Lang, the observer of Eyue, was reappointed as the observer of western Zhejiang, and before leaving, he wrote a letter of recommendation to Li Zhe, who was the subordinate of Sihu to join the army, and asked him to go to Hunan to observe Pei Zhimu to do a record and join the army, which was regarded as a promotion.

Pei Xiu moved to the town in the first year of Dazhong to Xuanshu as an envoy, and was promoted back to Chang'an last year and became a household servant, which was regarded as a reward for him to give advice to deal with Li Deyu.

The Hunan observer who succeeded was Li Hui, the prime minister of the Li Party, who had previously served as the envoy of the Xichuan Festival, which was regarded as a degraded official.

Li Hui was demoted again for nine months to the assassin of Hezhou, and then Pei Shi took over as the Hunan observer.

Li Zhe's original position in Wuchang was also called Hu Cao to join the army, and he was equivalent to the director of the finance bureau in later generations.

Now he is appointed as the secretary of Tanzhou (Changsha) in Hunan Province to join the army, and he is in charge of the affairs of the six Cao, which is higher than the level of Sihu joining the army, and he is also a member of the imperial court supervision department, and he can play good and evil, which is equivalent to the function of the secretary of the party committee and mayor in the later century.

However, in the Tang Dynasty, joining the army was a staff member hired by the assassin history, and although his power was heavy, his status was not high.

Li Zhe's son Li Yi is fifteen years old this year, he is the first time to come to Wangxiang Tower, dressed as a scholar, dressed neatly, and looks extraordinarily energetic.

The man beckoned the two into the private room on the third floor.

Because the Wangxiang Tower is located on higher ground, you can see the surging Xiangshui outside the west city wall by looking at each other by the railing, and you can see Longfu Mountain to the southeast, which is the highest place in this area of Tanzhou (Tianxin Pavilion in later generations), so the guests are full of doors, and it is difficult to book.

"I just received a letter from your uncle, who has hung up an official title (from the eighth grade) in the court for my father, and asked me to help him, so I will leave for Heyang to take up a post in the near future, and you will go with you to see the world. When I see my cousin later, I have to know the etiquette, and I will have more contact with him in the past few days, and in the future, I will want to ask my uncle to help dredge it. ”

Li Zhezheng sat down and told his son while waiting.

Li Yi nodded obediently, reached out and quietly played with the jade pendant hanging from his waist.

When Li Zhe saw it, he called out his son's words and said, "Zi'an, I'll buy you a good piece of jade, how about replacing this piece of residual jade?" ”

Li Yi hurriedly put away the jade pendant, shook his head and said, "This piece is very good, my father doesn't need to break the bank." The family is not rich, and it is a long way to Hedong, so it is better to keep the money for entanglement. ”

Li Zhen nodded, feeling that his son was very sensible, and he was secretly relieved in his heart.

There were also two people sitting next to them, dressed as Jianghu people, it was Guo Hong and Cao Shouzhen.

"Senior brother, your ears have been moving, what have you heard?"

Guo Hong made a silent gesture and whispered: "The young one next door has a piece of residual jade hanging on his waist, I look familiar." ”

In the past two years, he has completely integrated his memory, which is no different from the people of the Tang Dynasty, but there are some subtle places that are still different.

"Do you want Senior Brother to help you steal it out?"

"Do you want to take it yourself? If it weren't for my stuff, I wouldn't disdain to be a rooster and dog thief. Guo Hong shook his head and said.

At this time, the guy came in, Guo Hong waved his hand and he fell down, and Cao Shouzhen closed the door very cooperatively.

After a while, Guo Hong had already changed his clothes and changed into the appearance of a buddy.

"I'll take a closer look."

"If I can see through you at a glance, how can a fellow be so strong?" Cao Shouzhen picked up one leg and sat on the window railing, opened his shirt and picked up the wine gourd to drink.

Guo Hong said with a smile: "Play casually, don't enter the eyes of the Fang family!" With that, he walked out.

At this time, a master and a servant came to Li Zhe's door, the master was a young scholar about twenty years old, and his appearance was five points similar to Li Zhe, he asked the servant to find a table on the second floor to eat, and then walked in.

"I've seen my uncle! The little nephew was late, so the uncle waited for a long time! The young scholar bowed.

At this time, Li Zhe had already taken his son to greet him, he took the young scholar's hand and let him inside, and said, "Da Lang came just in time, and we have just arrived." He turned back to Li Yi and said, "Why don't you come and see your eldest brother soon?" ”

"I've seen big brother!"

Li Yi's cousin's name is Li Ling, the word Jingwang, is the son of Li Wei, the current envoy of Heyang Jiedu, and ranks first among his peers, so he is called Da Lang, and Li Yi is the second, which is Erlang.

Li Yi affectionately took Li Yi's hand and said, "Zi'an, I haven't seen you for several years, you have grown so tall that you are almost unrecognizable!" It's still Tanzhou here in the mountains and rivers to raise people, Guanzhong is too dry, in the past few years, my brother has followed my father in Chang'an, and the skin and flesh have become thicker! ”

The three of them sat down in turn, Guo Hong came up with wine and food, helped them serve tea and water, and kept looking at the piece of residual jade on Li Yi's waist.

Li Zhe didn't notice the man, raised his glass to toast, and then said to his nephew: "Da Lang, your father is a good Beijing official, why did he suddenly go to Heyang to be a festival envoy last year?" ”

Li Li folded the fan, fanned it a few times and said: "My father was born in the Liu Yuangong shogunate, Liu Yuangong was friendly with Li Zongmin and Qizhang Bull Monk Confucian, and he was not on good terms with Li Jifu and Li Deyu's father and son, so my father was born in the Niu Party. ”

He glanced at Li Yi and saw that he was a little incomprehensible, so he explained: "Liu Yuangong is Liu Gongxuan, nicknamed 'Yuan', he is the elder brother of the prince and young master Liu Gongquan, and the willow body you are in is Liu Gongquan's calligraphy." ”

Li Yi nodded again and again to show understanding.

"Although my father is a Niu Dang, because he is from the Li family of Zhao County, he was reused by Li Deyu of the Li family in Longxi. Seven years ago, he changed from Jing Zhaoyin to the military department, and he originally had the opportunity to be the prime minister, but after the new emperor ascended the throne, he vigorously used the Niu Party and released the Li Party one after another. His father was suspected by the ruling Bai Minzhong, so he couldn't be the prime minister for a while.

"Last year, the Heyang Festival made a vacancy, and Shixiong, the Shenwu Army, entered the emperor's table, wanting to find a town to die old, Bai Minzhong said that he was recommended by Li Deyu to belong to the Li Party, and he did not agree with him to return to Heyang, so he sent his father over."

"Is that Shi Xiong who dares to fight bravely and is good at fighting?" Li Zhen exclaimed.

Guo Hong heard it next to him, and his ears were pricked up, he had also heard of Shi Xiong's name.

Li Yi knows Shi Xiong, the world likes fierce generals, and this person is very prestigious among the people: "He was originally the envoy of the Heyang Festival, how did he become a Shenwu commander?" ”

Li Li replied with a smile: "Zi'an is dedicated to studying, how long has it been since he cared about outside affairs?" Soon after the sage ascended the throne in the sixth year of Huichang, Shi Xiong was transferred from Heyang to Fengxiang Jiedu.

Because he was recommended by Li Deyu, and because he was at odds with Wang Zhixing's son Hedong Jiedu when he pacified Liu Zhi, he was often depressed and uncomfortable, so he invited himself to return to the court.

"According to the usual moderation, there is preferential treatment for those who should be added to the court, but the ruling Bai Minzhong thinks that Shi Xiong's merits in Yunzhou and Luzhou have been promoted, and there is no need to reward them again, so he will be awarded the Shenwu Army.

"In addition to the Shence Army and Jin Wuwei, the other armies in the DPRK and China exist in name only, and the Shenwu Command Army is an idle position, and a military general like Shi Xiong, who is accustomed to soldiers, is naturally extremely depressed."

Li Zhe took a sip of wine and said: "I can't imagine that Shi Xiong, who pacified Liu Zhi with 7,000 people in the past, is so lonely now, it's really unpredictable!" ”

Li Yi got up excitedly, poured a full bottle of wine for his father and Li Li, and then asked: "The eldest brother has been in Chang'an for a long time, what have you seen and heard in the past few years, come and listen!" ”

Li Li came to talk about sex, although he was also a high-ranking official's son in Chang'an, but after all, he was a little worse than the prime minister's Xiao Langjun, and he went out together on weekdays to be cautious in his words and deeds, lest he say the wrong thing and leave a bad impression, how can he be so free and easy after returning to his hometown!

He glanced to the side, Guo Hong understood, this was an eyesore, so he turned around and went out and closed the door.

That piece of residual jade is very different from my own piece of jade, there are many patterns on it, and there are black spots in many places, it should just be similar.

But Guo Hong was not in a hurry to go back, he was also very interested in what he saw and heard in Chang'an, so he stood outside the door and eavesdropped.

Inside, Li Ying took a sip of wine to moisten his throat, cleared his throat and said: "In April of the sixth year of Huichang, the new emperor ascended the throne, and immediately released Li Deyu and Li Shen, and in July, Huainan Jiedu made Li Shen die.

Li Shen once served as the secretary of Li Qi, the envoy of the Western Zhejiang Festival, and the new emperor's mother, Empress Dowager Zheng, was Li Qi's concubine.

Li Qi rebelled, was pacified by Xianzong, his family did not enter the palace, Zheng didn't know what luck he had, he was sent to Guo Guifei as a maid at that time, and then he was fortunate by Emperor Xianzong and gave birth to the current emperor!

"You must know that this is too bizarre and coincidental, so there are many rumors that the new emperor is not the son of Xianzong, but the son of Li Qi! It is also said that the new emperor sent someone to poison Li Shen soon after succeeding to the throne, just to cover up his life experience! ”

He took a bite of food and drank two sips of wine, looked at his cousin and cousin stunned, and secretly smug in his heart, and waited for them to digest this rumor for a while before continuing:

"There are many big people who have died in the past two years, in August of the sixth year of Huichang, Bai Juyi, a layman from Xiangshan, died, and Li Zongmin, a wanderer, died."

The etiquette system of the Tang Dynasty stipulates: all funerals, the second grade or more is called death, the fifth grade or more is called a pawn, and the sixth grade or less is called death.

Bai Juyi was a scholar of the third-grade criminal department, and although he was posthumously awarded the second-grade Shangshu after his death, the people of the time still regarded him as a third-grade official.

"Li Zongmin is also unlucky, he and Niu Shengru are the two leaders of the Niu Party, the emperor is ready to activate them, but he died at this time, and the blessing is really not deep.

"After the year of Huichang, the new emperor changed the Yuan Dazhong, and in April of the first year of Dazhong, the king of the 'contemporary Zhongni' was killed. Wang Qi is a great Confucian in the world, and Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi are friends, and his second son is called Wang Shi. ”

Wang Qi was shot from the left servant of the second grade before his death, so his death was called "killed", Guo Hong heard it secretly snickering outside.

"I've seen Wang Shi, who used to be just a gentleman, but then he was a jinshi, and now he actually has the history of Jinzhou assassination, and his official reputation in Jinzhou (Linfen, Shanxi) is very good. Jinju belongs to the Hedong Jiedu envoy Wang Zai, which is close to the north, in recent years the northern party and the Uighurs have been in turmoil, Wang Shi has been in contact with the military for many years, it is said that he has a bit of Confucian style. ”

Li Yi asked: "What is the relationship between Wang Zai, the envoy of Hedong Jiedu, and this Jinzhou Assassin Wang Shi?"

"After the Taiyuan Wang family, Wang Zai is the son of Wang Zhixing, his real name is Wang Yanzai, there are eight brothers, all ranked by the word Yan, his family was originally a side branch of the Wang family, living in Xuzhou, and later joined the army, two generations became the dignitaries among the generals, but if the family background can not be compared with the Wang style. Wang Zhixing once almost took Shi Xiong's life, and the two had an enmity. When the rebellion of Liu Zhi was quelled, Shi Xiong and Wang Zai were called two heroes, competing with each other for merit, and Shi Xiong was more courageous.

"Although I admire Shi Xiong very much, my father has a very close relationship with Wang Zhixing's father and son, and he once recommended Wang Zai to Emperor Wuzong to serve as the envoy of Hedong Jiedu......"

The three of them chatted while eating, and after half an hour in the blink of an eye, Li Li drank a little too much, spoke freely, and felt very happy in his heart.

The wine was hot, Li Zhen went to the toilet, and when he went out, he was stunned when he saw Guo Hong, but seeing that he was far away, he shouldn't be able to hear the conversation in his room, so he didn't care.

At this time, Li Yi in the room whispered to Li Yi: "Zi'an hasn't tasted a woman yet, if you and my brother are proud in the future, they will definitely marry the daughter of the Pei family!" ”

Li Yi asked, "What does this say?" ”

Li Yi was already half drunk, poured a sip of wine, leaned into Li Yi's ear and said, "Don't say that my brother didn't remind you in the future, this Pei family is a beauty!" The women in the world are all grease and powder, and their faces are like monkey buttocks, and they can't see the original color at all, but I have seen Pei's women without makeup, and their complexions are like snow and their eyebrows are picturesque, that is really beautiful! ”

Li Yi peeked outside, and when he saw that his father hadn't come back yet, he asked in a low voice, "Big brother ran to someone's house to peek?" Didn't get caught? ”

Li Li said: "How can there be! I am a well-read person, how can I do such a thing! It was Liu Congji's wife, Pei Shi, who was sent to the head of the dog ridge in the East City after being paraded on the street, and I heard that she was over thirty years old, but she looked like she was twenty-five or sixteen, which was a pity.

There is also a strange story here, saying that Pei was originally a woman, and according to the custom, she would not be executed if she did not enter the palace, and the prime minister at that time, Li Deyu, instructed two of his cronies to write to Emperor Wuzong, asking her to be punished in a canonical manner.

"One of these two cronies is Chen Shang, the servant of the Ministry of Justice, and the other is Liu Sanfu, the servant of the Criminal Department, the strange thing is that this Liu Sanfu is strange, it is said that he died violently at home on the seventh day of Pei's execution, and it is rumored that Pei's turned into a ghost and came back to ask for his life!"

Li Yi was startled and said, "Will the Pei family girl become a ghost?" Then the eldest brother still wants to marry home? ”

Li Yan was already drunk, knelt down in front of the table, and said vaguely: "How can there be a ghost in this world?" If you are afraid of ghosts, how can so many people dare to frame people? ……”

Li Zhe had already returned at this time, and when he heard the last few words, he glared at Li Yi and said, "Your eldest brother is drunk, you have to forget all these words, and you are not allowed to tell anyone!" ”

He held Li Yi, who was already paralyzed, so as not to fall to the ground, and said to Li Yi: "Go downstairs and call that servant to come up and send your eldest brother home!" ”

Guo Hong saw that there was no news to hear, so he smacked his lips regretfully and turned around and entered his cubicle, changed clothes with the fainted guy, and then went downstairs with his senior brother, they were going to the inn, ready to blend in with the people of the rivers and lakes.

Li Yi obediently ran downstairs and saw Li Ling's servant Zhu Ma eating at a table in the lobby with a few people, chatting happily.

He walked over and told Zhuma about the situation, Zhuma got up and confessed, and several other people said, "Zhuzi, do you want to help?" ”

Zhuma said to Li Yi: "These people are all Jinzhou Assassin Shi Wang-style tribes, and we knew each other well when we were in Chang'an before. They escorted the nobles to pass by here, and Erlang saw if he could talk to Li Senjun and let him take a hand. ”

Li Yi looked at those people and saw that the first person was the housekeeper, and the other four people were powerful and powerful, and they should have practiced martial arts.

Thinking that it would be much easier for these people to help, he nodded and said, "That's the best, thank you, do you want to report to the nobles you escorted?" ”

"The noble man is also upstairs, and I just happened to stop by." The butler said.

They went up to the third floor together, and Li Yi took everyone back to the private room and explained the matter to his father.

Li Zhe's father and son and the housekeeper walked in front, and Zhuma and a few people carried the drunken Li Li to follow behind, and came to another private room, where the housekeeper went in to report, and then opened the door to invite the two in.

Li Yi followed his father into the private room, and saw a woman in Taoist costume sitting on the side of the railing, turning her head to look at them.

This woman is older than him, and has a mature charm, Li Yi has never seen a woman much, and lowered his head shyly.

He couldn't help but raise his head slightly, peeked at it, and his father's greeting sounded in his ears: "Li Zhe, a member of the Tanzhou Observation Embassy, has seen the refiner, and he dares to ask the honorable name?" ”

"Poor Dao Wangwu Shan Yunxuan is polite."

Yun Xuansu's voice was so good, it made Li Yi's hairs explode all at once, just like eating ice water in summer, and he was comfortable in his heart.

He felt that the woman in front of him was getting better and better, and there was no grease and powder on her face, which was what his cousin had just said, with skin like snow and picturesque eyebrows.

Yun Xuansu also saw Li Yi, but he didn't care, but he just found that this little scholar had been secretly looking at himself, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl, and a smile brought out a trace of laziness, which added to the difference.

She invited Li Zhen to sit down, and then said; "Poor Dao is the concubine of Jinzhou Wangfujun, practicing in Wangwu Mountain, this time going south to Hengshan to find Taoist friends, passing through Tanzhou to meet the virtuous father and son is also fate, there is a town house charm, as a meeting gift."

"It turned out to be Wang Taishou's wife, and I was really fortunate to meet him."

Ps：

Historical figure: Li Ning.