Adu didn't know this question: "The "Preface to the Pavilion of King Teng" that has been handed down today is not the original version of Wang Zi'an, the words in it have been deleted and altered by Empress Wu, and the original manuscript in the hands of my ancestors was also burned that year. ”

"Are you saying that today's "Preface to King Teng's Pavilion" is fake?" Xiling Yue couldn't believe it.

"It's true, but when this article spread, Empress Wu discovered the mystery and changed some of the information." Adu replied truthfully.

"Nonsense!" Guo Zhongting suddenly jumped out to accuse him, "What you said is simply full of loopholes!" Prince An's "Preface to the Pavilion of King Teng" was in the second year of the Shangyuan Dynasty, when Gaozong was still on the throne! And the Wang family was copied after Wu Zhou usurped the Tang Dynasty! If Wu Zetian had discovered something strange a long time ago, would he wait until more than 20 years later to settle accounts with you? But as soon as he said this, he suddenly came to his senses, and then said "ah", "You mean...... You mean the death of Wang Zi'an back then...... It's ...... by her ...... by her"

Although Wang Bo has been dead for more than 100 years, his death remains a mystery to this day.

Wang Bo became famous as a young man, and he was only twenty-five years old when he wrote "Preface to the Pavilion of King Teng". It is said that when he was 22 years old, he was not only sentenced to death for killing an official slave for private murder, but also his father

It was denounced as a cochin county order. Fortunately, he met Gaozong's amnesty before beheading, so he was exiled for two years, and although he was reinstated after serving his sentence, he regarded the sea as a daunting path and resigned.

In September of that year, he set out from Luoyang by water, wanting to visit his degraded father in Jiaozhi County, and was invited to have a banquet in Tengwang Pavilion when passing through Hongzhou on the way, thus writing the classic "Preface to Tengwang Pavilion". After that, Wang Bo continued to hurry, and in the spring of the following year, he arrived in Jiaozhi County to meet his father. After the visit, he returned to Luoyang by boat, but encountered wind and waves while passing through the South China Sea, unfortunately drowned and died of convulsions.

But this statement has been doubted in later generations: Wang Bo's friends before his death said that he was very good at water, and even if he fell into the water, he would not drown.

Take 10,000 steps back, even if he drowns, it will not be a death of palpitations. Some people even say that he was rescued by a fisherman at that time, and since then he has been incognito and has not died in the South China Sea. Some people also said that he had lost his future, lost his reputation, and could not win his father's forgiveness, so he couldn't think of committing suicide by throwing himself into the sea for a while......

All in all, there are many opinions. Whether he capsized in the waves, or took the initiative to throw himself into the sea, whether he died of palpitation or drowned, there is still no conclusion.

And today, Adu's words added another statement to his death - he was killed by the Empress Wu.

When Xilingyue heard the inside story, she felt incredulous: "You mean, Wang Zi'an learned that Empress Wu had objections and had no way to report it, so he wrote it in the "Preface to King Teng's Pavilion", hoping to send it back to Chang'an to be seen by Gaozong. However, Empress Wu noticed it first, and changed his article in several places, so that the secret was concealed. Empress Wu also sent someone to kill Wang Zi'an, and lied to the outside world that he was killed in the South China Sea? whereas

A few years later, Wang Zi'an's siblings inadvertently discovered this secret and wanted to report it to Gaozong again, but they were pressed down by Empress Wu. Empress Wu held a grudge against this matter, so she took the opportunity to exterminate the Wang family who knew the inside story on the grounds of Liu Sili's rebellion, and exiled your ancestor Wang Li's family? ”

Faced with these questions, Adu didn't dare to admit it, and said timidly: "The exile of my ancestors, as well as the death of Prince An's siblings, are all passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation in my family, and there will be no fakes. But the cause of Wang Zi'an's death that year was ...... I don't know, no one knows the truth. ”

Yes, Wang Bo was alone back then, and no one will know what the cause of death was. Moreover, more than 100 years have passed since this incident.

Fang Cai Xiao Yi listened for a long time and didn't speak, and only then did he ask questions: "You just said so much, but there are two key points that have not been explained, which makes it difficult for people to believe you." ”

When Adu heard this, he became anxious: "What I said is true, where is not explained, you point it out!" ”

Xiao Yi was clearly organized, and asked slowly: "First, why didn't the Empress Wu kill your ancestors back then, but exiled you?" Also, I remember that after Zhongzong was reinstated, several of Wang Zi'an's siblings were rehabilitated, and this matter is known to the world, why did you forget your branch alone? ”

Xiao Yi's question hit the nail on the head, and it was also what everyone present wanted to ask.

But Adu was unexpectedly unspeakable, and his face showed a little unspeakable.

Guo Zhongting anxiously persuaded him: "At this point, what else do you have to hide?" ”

Adu hesitated for a long time, and then reluctantly replied: "The reason why Empress Wu let us go back then was because ...... Because the ancestor Wang Li changed his words at a critical moment, saying that this matter was slandered by Wang Zi'an's second brother Wang Xian, and the anti-thief referred to in the "Preface to the Pavilion of King Teng" is not the Empress Wu, but the ......"

"Is it King Teng?" Xiling Yue gave him the answer.

Adu kept silent, which was a tacit acquiescence.

"Actually, King Teng didn't rebel at all, it was your ancestor Wang Li who slandered him in order to protect himself?" Xiling Yue continued to ask.

Adu bowed his head in shame and did not refute.

Xiling Yue suddenly realized: "No wonder Empress Wu will pardon Wang Li's capital crime, and instead exile his family and be a slave for generations." ”

Guo Zhongting couldn't help but be sarcastic: "Your ancestor is a wise person. ”

When Xiao Yi heard this, he already understood the inside story, and asked again: "After Zhongzong restored the Tang Dynasty, he did not rehabilitate Wang Li, is this also the reason?" ”

"Yes." Adu admits ashamedly, "After Zhongzong was reinstated, it was said that Wang Zi'an was a first-hand and loyal to the monarch and patriotic, so he restored the official positions for his brothers on the grounds of admiring Wang Zi'an's talent. But because the ancestor Wang Li betrayed his brother to seek glory, and it was the ancestors of the royal family who slandered, Zhongzong hated it, so he did not rehabilitate him......"

It turns out that Wang Li's lineage has been a slave for generations, and there is a reason for it.

"There must be something hateful about the wretched." Xiao Yi only sighed with this sentence.

Xiling Yue also sighed for a long time before saying to Li Chengxuan: "Lord Wang, although his ancestors are unkind, they should not harm their descendants. The Wang family has been an official slave for a hundred years, and in the final analysis, he was wronged, can you rehabilitate him? ”

"I can't." Li Chengxuan bluntly refused.

Adu raised his eyes and sneered: "Sure enough, your royal family is not a talker!" ”

Li Chengxuan looked at him coldly: "This king only promised to let you out of slavery, but did not promise to rehabilitate your ancestors. ”

"Yes, yes, yes, I was wrong. It's easy to get out of slavery, but rehabilitation is a big deal! Xiling Yue realized the difference between these two things, and hurriedly explained to Adu, "It's been more than a hundred years, and the prince is a clan, if you are rehabilitated, won't he let him admit that King Teng really rebelled?" How could he slander his ancestors? ”

After hearing this, Adu also understood that he had mixed up the two things, and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to Li Chengxuan: "Lord Wang, it's Adu who is reckless!" So far, Adu does not ask you to rehabilitate your ancestors, but only asks you to be merciful and let my royal family get out of slavery from now on! ”

(End of chapter)