After a flash, it is the middle of summer again.

Xingqing Palace, which has been empty for a long time, seems more and more empty and quiet in the summer night. The dragon pond is quiet, and the agarwood pavilion, which is often lit up at this time in previous years, is also empty. In the Nanxun Palace, where Li Longji used to fast and often lived, he was only guarded by a few old palace people. With limited manpower, it is already impossible to sweep the inside of the palace, and naturally no one cares about it outside. On the originally smooth bluestone road, countless weeds and wild flowers struggled to grow in the cracks, turning this place into a weedy field. Among them, the inhabited summer insects are singing desperately, making this ruined palace that has been silent for many years a little more vibrant.

"Back then, Emperor Xuanzong often lived here when he was fasting. At that time, Concubine Hui often came and went, and the other concubines tried their best to send benefits to the servants and palace people here, in order to be able to get close to Tianyan. ”

"I heard that Prince Yuanjia and King Guangwang of E, who were framed by Concubine Hui here, angered His Majesty Xuanzong before they were deposed?"

"Yes, when the crown prince was deposed, I was only twenty-five years old, and since then I have been in the Nanxun Palace, and it has been a full thirty years now."

"Why didn't my sister think about leaving the palace at that time? When Yuantai granted amnesty to the world in the first year, he had ordered to release the palace people from Taiji Palace, Daming Palace, Xingqing Palace, and no one in the family who did not want to go could also choose the people. ”

When asked this question, the white-headed old palace man suddenly showed a melancholy expression. Sitting on the steps, she looked back at the high hall, the eaves and palace tiles that were already a little broken, and her voice unconsciously trembled a little: "I entered the palace at the age of thirteen, and I have always done rough work such as sprinkling and sweeping, and I can't do anything else, when I was in the first year of Yuanjia, I was already forty years old, old and frail, who wants me?" I'm afraid that after I walked out of this Xingqing Palace, I would die in less than two years. Staying here, there is a monthly supply, I just feel that Your Majesty and the nobles are still here, and there is spirit in the body to support them. ”

As she spoke, her eyes became more and more confused: "In the past, every time there was a thousand autumn festivals, His Majesty would feast the ministers on the Calyx Xianghui Tower, watch a hundred operas, and appreciate the people. At the time of the New Year's Day and the winter solstice, the diligent government affairs downstairs, the envoys of all countries in the world gathered, congratulated the festival, opened the palace in nine days, all the countries were dressed and crowned, and countless rare and exotic beasts could all be seen. If I leave this Xingqing Palace, I may only regard it as a dream......"

Hearing the voice of this white-headed old palace mouth, His Majesty, a few people who were younger than her were talking about Li Longji, the emperor of the previous dynasty, couldn't help but change their faces, but when they saw him talking and talking, they were already in tears, they hurt themselves, where could they bear to interrupt the old sister's reverie? They are all gone, and the nobles who once served have disappeared into this world like dust, and they have been forgotten in the corner like the once magnificent and exquisite, magnificent and atmospheric Xingqing Palace.

Although the sound of these discussions was not high, in such a quiet night where only the noise of insects was heard, the group standing outside the Yingzhou Gate could still hear it clearly. Someone's face sank, and he wanted to go in to stop these bold old palace people, but was stopped by a low voice.

"The Guming Palace is scarce, and the palace flowers are lonely and red. The white-headed palace maid is here, gossiping about Xuanzong. ”

Hearing these four five-word quatrains, everyone was speechless. At this time, the voice sighed: "They have lived in this Xingqing Palace for a lifetime, and in the second half of their lives, the Xingqing Palace is declining day by day, and they can only use what they saw and heard in the first half of their lives to fight this unchanged day." You can't control it, and there's no need to manage it

It was an old man who was also pale and pale. His waist was still straight, his eyes were still sharp, but his face was inevitably wrinkled, and his walking steps seemed slow and heavy. Hearing his order, no one around him dared to question it, and seeing that it was no longer going in the direction of Jinhuazhai in the east, but going back, they all hurriedly followed. Although the old man walked slowly, he did not let anyone support him, but walked steadily step by step in this Xingqing Palace, which was once full of the sound of silk and bamboo orchestras, sheng songs and swallow dances, but now there are few people.

Originally, Li Longji's nickname could have been used to be worse, but when Li Long ascended the throne at that time, he couldn't criticize his father too much, and Xuanzong was still used in the end. It's just that the evil slander made Li Yi carry it on his back.

The night is already very deep, except for the white-headed old palace people who can't sleep on the side of the Nanxun Palace, gossiping about the past, there are no lights in other places, and no voices are heard. And the people who walked in the Xingqing Palace like ghosts on this big night also did not make a sound until they arrived at the downstairs of the diligent government office.

The plaque of the diligent government building inscribed by Xuanzong Li Longji has now been dimmed, and it is even rumored that it once fell heavily in a gust of wind, and it was re-hung after repair. This hall that once had the clothes of all nations to worship the Son of Heaven, like the Calyx Xianghui Building, is one of the palaces that have been allocated for renovation every year in the Xingqing Palace over the years. However, without the owner, it is as if the spirit has been lost, and the perennial empty space, even if the building is still towering and the color is still as new, the smell of decay and old seems to emanate from every corner.

"If the eldest father thinks it's a pity that this place is abandoned, he can also open it for use during the New Year's holidays."

Hearing this clear voice, Du Shiyi glanced back at a young man with a long body behind him, then smiled and said, "Do you know how many eunuchs and palace people there were when Xingqing Palace was in its heyday? ”

Seeing that the young man suddenly pondered, he smiled gently: "This is an old thing many years ago, and this place has been abandoned since you can remember, so it's not surprising that you don't know." The three major palaces in Chang'an City have a total of nearly 10,000 palace people and 5,000 servants. The palace people in this Xingqing Palace alone are the most beautiful and moving from the palace people, because the scale is smaller than the Daming Palace, so there are about 2,000 people, and the number of eunuchs is almost the same. The empty gate Xingqing Palace means that there are more than three or four thousand people who do not have to live in isolation here, do you understand? ”

The young man suddenly came to his senses, and immediately bowed down and replied, "Thank you for your teaching, my grandson understands." ”

"Abandoning Xingqing Palace was the decision of Emperor You (Li Yi) of the previous dynasty, because Xingqing Palace left too many shadows of Li Longji, and other emperors lived in it and felt uneasy. But releasing the palace people is my suggestion. Since Zhenguan, there are very few palace people, and countless women with tricks only have one choice in the old and dead palace. In contrast, the eunuchs had nowhere to go when they left the palace, because at that time the clan was almost dying, they were disabled people, and they couldn't go to the minister's house to serve, so they all stayed, and there are more eunuchs like this in the Xingqing Palace now. Since many years ago, I have forbidden all officials in the world to enter the eunuchs, which is the so-called private confession, and the violators will be dismissed, and then the self-palace will be curbed, so that so many people will rather self-harm their bodies and drill into the deep palace. ”

When Du Shiyi said this, she sighed in her heart that the role of eunuch could not be completely replaced, but it was necessary to strictly limit the number. And he put the patent of reading a scholar through the literacy system of four times a month, so that more urban people can be literate, and it is precisely for the sake of improving industry and commerce. After all, the two-tax system is not a panacea, and it is even less likely that he will set history backwards to implement any equalization of land, so it is the most important thing to let more civilians and hidden tenant farmers who have lost their land have more choices. With a choice, how many people are willing to be eunuchs?

"As for the palace people, choose two less, set up a palace school for them to learn some ways to make a living, and release them at the age of twenty to twenty-five, and there will be a lot fewer souls in the deep palace who are lonely, old, and dead."

Moreover, it is easy to reopen Xingqing Palace as a place of good luck, but compared to regular repairs, it will require countless manpower and countless funds. As the Son of Heaven, he is rich all over the world, so the founding monarch who fought the country may still know moderation, and then the Taiping Son of Heaven, who is longer than the hands of the women in the deep palace, will enjoy glory and wealth when he lands, and where do you know what moderation is? As a result, each dynasty and each generation will present a pattern in which one generation is inferior to the next, without exception. He will change this, but he may not be able to see whether it will succeed or not.

"Xiao Mu, after arriving in the Western Regions, remember to watch more, listen more, do more and talk less. You have learned a lot since you were a child, and you have also spent time in the army, but the truth of how to really deal with people is not by learning, but by doing. The king of Khotan and others have always been interested in Li Tang, but now although they are subdued, they will inevitably be dissatisfied, and it is up to you how to combine grace and power. Du Shiyi beckoned the eldest grandson to come closer, then took the person in his arms, smiled and patted the shoulder that had become solid and broad, "When you leave, I won't send it." ”

Du Mu knew that his grandfather's strictness was of course extremely fearful, but when he was kind, it nourished people's bodies and minds like a spring breeze and spring rain, so he didn't say anything empty words, just leaned into his grandfather's ear and whispered: "Father, you must take care of your body and wait for me to come back."

"That is, I'm not old yet, of course I'll wait for you to subdue the Western Regions and return victorious."

When the sun rose, Du Mu and his entourage went west from Chang'an Jinguangmen, and they had to pass through Liangzhou, Ganzhou, and Shazhou, and go directly to the four towns of Anxi.

Although it was the eldest grandson who he taught by himself, Du Shiyi did what he said, but he stood on the high palace wall of Danfeng Gate of Daming Palace, and he couldn't see the figure of that line at all. He looked at the neat and tidy square in Chang'an City, the bustling flow of people, and his heart was full of mixed feelings. Once he succeeded, he came to this point, with dry bones under his feet and blood in his hands, but he never regretted it.

At that time, Li had no queen, more precisely, all the descendants were killed by his indecision, the clan was slaughtered to the point that only the distant branch remained, and the people of the world knew the Song King Du Taishi but did not know the Son of Heaven. Even so, when the dynasty was changed, there were still historians who wrote countless rebuttals and accusations in anger, and when they opened it, the usurpation words were extremely dazzling.

He is not afraid of any eternal infamy. If the country is lost, it is Wang Mang, and if the country is stable, future generations will only praise the name of the lord of a generation

"Still thinking about Xiao Mu? Ji Ren Tianxiang, he will definitely succeed in this trip. ”

"I hope it is as good as you say."

Du Shiyi didn't look back, just stretched out his hand and clenched the hand that took the initiative to send it. The hand was no longer as delicate and smooth as it had been before, but it was strong and strong, and I don't know how much support it had provided him for all these years. He is old, she is also old, so many years of walking hand in hand and relying on each other, the ups and downs, although outsiders have written countless allusions to poetry, but where can they say what if? After decades of mutual affection, since they are already old, should they also enjoy the blessings?

"Young lady."

Seeing that the entourage around him had withdrawn, Wang Rong stepped forward with a smile and asked, "Do you want to go out for a walk again?" You have never liked to be restrained, although you are limited by the officials, you have never stepped on thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, but you have been running all over the world, and there are very few places you have never been to, only these years have you nested in Chang'an City and are not free. However, you can go to a place like Xingqing Palace if you want to, but other places can't follow your temperament. ”

"I'll probably live another three or five years, maybe longer. But Guangyuan is not small, and his experience is enough, since this is the case, it doesn't make much sense for me to continue to occupy this position. ”

Du Shiyi whispered these words that could shake the world, seeing Wang Rong stunned at first, and then pursed his lips, obviously for this kind of trivial problem, even if he married a wife, he had to consider the serious consequences. So, he turned sideways, stretched out his right hand with a smile, and flicked a wisp of silver thread on his wife's forehead, and then changed the topic and said: "Let's go, let's go to the women's school, Cui Shiyi's guy will be able to arrive in Chang'an in the afternoon, and we will pick him up as the Jiannan Dao Jiedu envoy who went to Nanzhao to Fuman alone and returned with honor."

The Taizhen Temple in Xingqing Palace has long been gone, but the Yuzhen Temple and the Golden Immortal Temple that stand opposite each other in Fuxingfang have not been silent, but have been changed to two women's schools. All the nobles in the capital are proud of their enrollment, because all the teachers in the inner middle school are the most famous talented women in the two capitals. The female school inscription in the north is said to be lovely, and the eldest princess of Gu'an personally lifted the pen, and the dragon flew and the phoenix danced; The female school inscription plaque in the south says that the heart is clear, and Du Sanniang, the eldest princess of Jianing, flies white with one hand, and the words seem to be three points into the wood. And on the east-west street in the middle, an archway stands majestically, but it is not a royal pen, but a person is not in Chang'an, and has been reclusive in Songshan Princess Yuzhen handwriting, called Yinghua Female School.

On the left and right sides of the name of the female school, a pair of couplets that are extremely rare in this year are inscribed, and it is precisely when Du Shiyi came to this time that the micro-service came, and her heart moved and groaned casually, and the first female school chief Cui Wuniang immediately got cheap and sold well, and splashed ink with her own hands. At this moment, looking at "the sound of the wind and rain, the sound of reading, the sound of the ear; Family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, everything cares", Du Shiyi couldn't help but be angry and funny, but he knew that this method of agitation was very useful.

As soon as such a big breath of couplets was hung up, Cui Wuniang would not announce that it was Du Shiyi's draft, but only said that it was her own handwriting, so in order not to let the women look flat, Chang'an Six Studies, Guozi Studies, Taixue, Four Studies, Law, Calligraphy, and Arithmetic Those scholars screamed, especially the law, calligraphy, and arithmetic students who were absolutely inferior in the imperial examination in the past.

As for the students in the women's school, Du Shiyi certainly had no intention of teaching a bunch of masters of struggle whose hearts were higher than the sky, and instructed Cui Wuniang to supervise every teacher well, and only teach scriptures and historical articles, arithmetic basics, etiquette, calligraphy and painting, and even Taoist metaphysics, and charity activities are also involved.

Compared with the original circle of noblewomen and daughters in Chang'an City, today's Yinghua women's school is larger and more complete, and I don't know how many unintentional words fly between the women's chats every day, so that Princess Gu'an always clapps her hands and admires, feeling that this women's school is really wonderful, and it is much more efficient than setting up a nail sentinel and other plans in each family. She is over seventy years old, like Wang Rong, she doesn't like to dye with black bean vinegar syrup and the like, and her head is combed with silver threads, and she looks energetic.

On the contrary, Cui Wuniang, the first mountain chief of Yinghua Women's School, was full of black silk and did not have any variegation. In her words, that's what women look like. Since you appear in front of those young students every day, your mentality has also become younger, so why not make your appearance younger and closer to the students?

Knowing that Du Shiyi and Wang Rong were coming here in Weifu, Princess Gu'an and Cui Wuniang greeted people at the back door, and learned that they were going to go out of the city to pick up Cui Jianxuan, Cui Wuniang didn't have time to speak, Princess Gu'an smiled and said: "Thirteen Niang sent a letter in the morning, saying that she would not come today, and she didn't care that Cui Shiyi sent a letter saying that she would enter the city from Mingde Gate, so she only washed her hands at home and made soup and waited." Listening to her tone, Cui Shiyi was afraid that he would leave the team behind and bring three or five people back first. If this is the case, there may not be much alarm when you leave the city. Wu Niang, don't you want your brother? Let's go for it."

"I just thought, today Xiao Mu traveled far away, and all his grandmother, uncles and aunts went to send it, but I didn't expect that the grandfather and grandmother were not worried, and they still wanted to pick up his aunt and grandfather."

"Who's to say not to worry? Last night, Du Lang also took the child to Xingqing Palace for half the night, and he didn't care that people were going to leave today. Wang Rong sold Du Shiyi directly, and then said with a smile, "It's just that Cui Shiyi Lang still came back three years ago when he reported on his job, and respecting the old is always greater than loving the young." What's more, Du Lang and Cui Shiyi Lang are both uncles and brothers. ”

Listening to his wife's explanation, Du Shiyi smiled. He does not have a brother who is a fellow mother, but he has cousins who can be arms, and even more confidants who are better than brothers

In the afternoon, a group of dusty people galloped from the thoroughfare to the west of Chang'an, and when they saw Chang'an City from afar, the old man's face was excited. When he arrived at the front of the city, he slowed down and walked towards the Mingde Gate, but he looked around looking for the figure who should come here to greet him, but he saw that he was not far from the Mingde Gate, but he still didn't find anyone, and he couldn't help but be disappointed and suspicious. At this time, a rider behind him stepped forward and said, "Grandpa, didn't you just pass by King Huayang and his party on the road?" Maybe A-Niang sent someone away early in the morning, and she was tired, so she couldn't come. ”

Although the eldest son Cui Lang explained this, Cui Jianxuan was still uneasy. He took a deep breath and was about to whip his horse into the city at once, when he suddenly heard a voice in his ear.

"Cui Shiyi"

As he gets older and his status gets higher and higher, Cui Jianxuan rarely hears this title anymore. He subconsciously raised his head, and soon the familiar figure of his sister not far away appeared. However, when his eyes caught a glimpse of another person beside his sister, his pupils contracted suddenly, and he turned over and dismounted and hurried over, and his agility was not inferior to that of a young man.

In front of the public, Cui Jianxuan didn't dare to lose his temper too much, and his eyes immediately swept around, hoping to see a large number of followers. There was no sign of that now, he came up in annoyance, and whispered to Du Shiyi: "What are you from?" Not afraid of assassins."

"You, Cui Jieshuai, who dared to go to Nanzhao alone and brutally pit the Tubo people, are not afraid of assassins, I just take a few steps out of the city to pick up my brother-in-law, where do you need a cup bow and snake shadow?"

Du Shiyi said sarcastically, seeing that Cui Jianxuan was annoyed and happy, he suddenly gave himself a big bear hug regardless of it, and he laughed.

In addition to Uncle Lang's closest relatives, they used to be classmates, once helped each other, and used to be officials in the same place, although Cui Jianxuan was still one year older than him, but because of his experience of reliving a life, he always unconsciously regarded him as a younger brother. At this moment, they seem to be reuniting with old friends after a long absence, and they are inconspicuous under this crowded Chang'an City.

After a while, Cui Jianxuan let go of his hand, looked at Du Shiyi's wrinkled face, suddenly took a few steps back and took a closer look, and then smiled evilly: "No wonder you dare to come out like this, you are also old, even if I shout at this time, no one will recognize the white-clothed Du Jiulang back then." ”

"Are you embarrassed to say me? Who was the boy and girl back then, who made countless people stare at it and couldn't take their eyes off, but now it has become a dead old man? ”

Cui Jianxuan was speechless, and then said viciously: "Du Nineteen, has anyone told you that once you meet Du Lang, you will be mistaken for life?" I was supposed to be a gentleman who was sheltered under the wings of the family, acting recklessly, and getting old and accomplishing nothing, but I was brutally hurt by you and ran around, and I didn't have a good rest for decades and knew that you would have today, so I was just an idle Cui concubine, and now I must still be loved by everyone."

Hearing that the two of them were losing each other like this, Wang Rong and Cui Wuniang, who were watching the excitement on the side, couldn't help but be stunned, and then couldn't help laughing. Du Shiyi also laughed loudly, and even laughed so much that she couldn't even straighten her waist. When the Dengfeng County Party met for the first time, Cui Jianxuan took the initiative to send it to the door in a stupid manner, and he took advantage of the situation to pull people to exterminate locusts, and even lured this guy to eat locusts for the first time in his life. Cui Jianxuan obviously didn't want to go to Songshan to study, but he was dragged there by him, worshiped under Lu Hongmen, and then learned the most hated scriptures and history in the past...... Now, Cui Shiyilang is famous all over the world, and the entire Qinghe Cui family also regards him as the pride of the family

And Jingzhao Du Nineteen Lang, who was once famous in Jinghua, now how can he establish an immortal career?

After laughing, Du Shiyi stretched out his hand, and when he saw Cui Jianxuan holding it tightly without thinking, he smiled and said: "Wait until the next year, we will go back to Songshan, and then go to the front of the Hanging Peak, and watch the flowing clouds and waterfalls with the brothers and sisters."

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P: Don't leave out the afterword