The Empress Dowager Cao withdrew from power for thirteen months and returned to power, and Emperor Zhao Shu began to look at the court.

During the curtain of the Queen Mother, Ren Shouzhong often said that the emperor was not in front of the Queen Mother, and once the emperor was in power, he changed his flattering face in front of him, and made up deeds to slander the Queen Mother, which meant that the Queen Mother did not want to return to power, and even had the intention of abolishing the throne, which made the emperor feel guilty, and even stopped setting the province every day, and publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Queen Mother.

Seeing that the two palaces were not harmonious, the important ministers of the court and the central government frequently spoke up and persuaded both sides, and Sima Guang wrote more than 1,000 words to impeach Ren Shouzhong, listing ten specific crimes such as forming a party for personal gain, accepting bribes, bullying fellow columns, embezzling property, fabricating rumors, and dividing the two palaces, and asked the emperor to behead him. Under his guidance, Lu Zhi and other officials continued to speak, sparse more than a dozen chapters before and after, and handed over the chapters to impeach, and finally forced the emperor to order Ren Shouzhong to be deposed from Beijing and resettled in Qizhou.

Although Ren Shouzhong was expelled, the relationship between the emperor and the empress dowager was not repaired. Zhao Shu treated the Queen Mother coldly, and moved the four ** left by Renzong out of the original palace and let his daughter live in. This move made Sima Guang heartbroken, angry and angry, and pointed out that the emperor was ungrateful, and said: "Ministers, please use the small to speak of the big." There are people in Luli, there are a wife and several daughters, and there are ten acres of land, a gold property, old and childless, raising the son of the same clan thought that after that, his person has no one, and his son has the land and property, so he neglects his mother and abandons his sister, making him sad and resentful, then why do the people in the neighborhood and township party say that his son is like a person? For this reason, it is still seen to be degraded in the township, and the respect of the Son of Heaven is admired by the four seas! This majesty is so unpopular at the beginning. ”

After that, Zhao Shu was slightly ashamed, and under the mediation of the Empress Gao and Ouyang Xiu and other auxiliary ministers, he restarted the province of the Empress Dowager.

While coldly treating the Queen Mother, Zhao Shu also showed respect and care for his biological parents. Zhao Shu's biological father, Zhao Yun, the king of Runan County, was posthumously named King Pu, and Zhao Shu ascended the throne in the following year, and ordered the ministers to discuss the ceremony of worshipping King Pu. Prime Minister Han Qi and Governor Ouyang Xiu advocated that the emperor call King Pu the imperial examination, because "the son of the successor is called the successor, and the parents born are called parents", while the Taiwanese officials Lu Xu, Fan Chunren, Lu Dafang and the counselor Sima Guang strongly advocated calling Renzong the imperial examination and King Pu as the imperial uncle, saying that "there are no two kings in the country and no two respects in the family".

The Taiwan faction and the Zaizhi faction refused to give in to each other, and the debate lasted for nearly two years, and it was known as the "Pu Discussion" in history. In the third year of Zhiping, the Empress Dowager issued a handwritten letter, allowing the emperor to call King Pu his father, respect King Pu as Emperor Pu Anyi, and his three wives as queens. Zhao Shu immediately issued an edict, saying: "The gift of affection, respect the mercy and training." "Taiwan's admonition asked for a dismissal, but Zhao Shu ignored it, and finally demoted Lu Xu, Lu Dafang, and Fan Chunren to the outside.

In this controversy, the courtiers in the court were more inclined to the Taiwanese faction, and the Zaizhi faction was often regarded as a traitorous villain, especially Ouyang Xiu, who quoted scriptures and classics in the debate and provided an important theoretical basis for the emperor to claim his relatives.

Zhao Shu was sick, died after less than four years of reign, and the temple name was "Yingzong". After that, his eldest son, who was twenty years old, was now renamed Zhao Ji's eldest son, Zhongzhen.

Soon after Zhao Ji ascended the throne, political opponents who had a grudge against Ouyang Xiu because of the "Pu Yi" incident launched an attack on him. First of all, Ouyang Xiu's wife Xue's younger brother Xue Zongru had a personal grudge with Ouyang Xiu, and spread rumors in the court, saying that he had an affair with his eldest daughter-in-law and Wu Chong's daughter, and Yu Shi Peng Sizhong and Jiang Zhiqi then took advantage of this to impeach Ouyang Xiu.

But the evidence they presented was weak. Wu's small character "Chunyan", they found a few words by Ouyang Xiu, saying that there are both "spring" and "Yan" in it, which is the name of Wu.

Emperor Zhao Ji firmly supported Ouyang Xiu in this matter, and even angrily reprimanded Jiang Zhiqi to his face, saying: "You don't discuss major matters, but you love to decide the selfishness of others!" Then the Taiwan officials who impeached Ouyang Xiu were expelled from the court one by one, but there were still Taiwan officials who continued to talk about Ouyang Xiu's "private daughter-in-law", and Ouyang Xiu was also disheartened and asked to make up for it, but the emperor did not allow it, so he repeatedly pleaded.

In March of the fourth year of Zhiping, I sent the Yingzong Imperial Appearance Scroll completed by the painter of the Academy of Painting to the Secret Pavilion for worship, and met Ouyang Xiu who came out of the Baowen Pavilion. After many years of not seeing me, he still recognized me at a glance and called me very kindly: "Mr. Liang." ”

He had always had an elder affection for me and the princess, and he never condemned us even once when we were violently attacked by the magistrates. Now that I heard him greet, my heart warmed, and I immediately saluted him and greeted: "If you haven't seen each other for a long time, will you be safe?" ”

The governor is the deputy minister, and everyone usually respects him as "Xianggong". But Ouyang Xiu shook his head when he heard this, and said with a smile: "From today on, I will no longer participate in politics, and Mr. can no longer call me 'Xianggong'." ”

I was surprised and blurted out, "Where does this start?" ”

Ouyang Xiu said: "Today, I have accepted my resignation, removed me from my political position, and ordered me to go out of Bozhou." I'm going to leave Beijing tomorrow, so I'm going to Baowen Pavilion to bid farewell to Emperor Renzong. ”

The Baowen Pavilion contains the imperial book of Renzong, and it is also enshrined in its imperial appearance, and the courtiers of Renzong usually come to say goodbye when they leave Beijing.

Ouyang Xiu's matter was made a fuss by the Taiwan official, I know it, and when I heard him say this at this moment, I couldn't help but feel deeply regretful, and said: "What the Taiwan official said, now that he has been investigated for his falsehood and deposed the person who framed him, why does the minister still ask to go?" ”

Ouyang Xiu didn't elaborate on the reason, only in a few words: "I just feel tired." ”

When I heard this, I sighed, and I thought of the fact that the official said that he was a "thief nephew", so I sighed: "Xianggong has never avoided public grievances all his life, and he regrets to be burdened by the speaker." ”

Ouyang Xiu smiled when he heard this, and said: "When I was young, I asked a monk to meet me, and the monk said that I was 'white in my ears and face, and I am famous all over the world; If there is no tongue on the lips, nothing is to be blasphemy,' and now it seems that this has been fulfilled. ”

I looked at him carefully, and sure enough, I found that his ears were whiter than his face, and I couldn't see his "lips without teeth" appearance, so I didn't know what it meant, and I couldn't open my mouth to ask him, so I just smiled.

Opposite me and smiling for a moment, he took away his smile again, and said to me with a straight face: "I have indeed been burdened by 'rumors and rumors' in my life, and my reputation has been damaged twice, and I have also made myself physically and mentally exhausted and miserable, but I am still very fortunate that my career as a eunuch was spent in this era of enlightened words. ”

I was stunned for a moment and began to savor his words, and he continued: "Taiwan's admonitions are effective, and the upper level can prevent the monarch from abusing the imperial power and acting arbitrarily, and the lower level can supervise hundreds of officials and clean up the conduct and discipline, so that the traitors and corrupt people have nowhere to hide and prevent political affairs from being corrupted." In fact, it is also a manifestation of political clarity to emphasize the conduct and morality of those in high positions, and even to tolerate the slightest flaw, although in the struggle between the two factions, they are often used by the other side as an excuse for framing and convicting. Among the national and imperial authorities, there are certainly villains who use their power to repay personal grievances and eliminate dissidents, but more of them are gentlemen who are not afraid of the powerful, do not seek personal gain, and are upright and dare to speak. With them, a powerful minister like Xia Zhu can't cover the sky with one hand, a female pet like Wen Cheng has no chance of harming the country, a relative like Zhang Yaozuo can't take advantage of the power of the harem to ascend to heaven, and a traitorous minister like Ren Shouzhong can't get power to interfere in politics...... Rumors and rumors naturally have their drawbacks, but it is better than a blockage of words. If one day, the Taiwan admonition is in vain, and the monarch is arbitrary and does whatever he wants, so that the female favorites, close attendants, and relatives can all keep secrets and interfere in the affairs of the court, or the important ministers of the court monopolize the power and do not avoid the suspicion of relatives, so that all the officials are prominent, and the servants are also golden and purple, the morals are degraded, the customs are corrupted, and the speakers are afraid of power, so they can neither speak independently nor dare to accuse those in high positions of faults...... Then, the Great Song Dynasty has also reached the time when the number of qi is about to run out. ”

At this time, he looked back solemnly, looked at the Baowen Pavilion behind him, and showed nostalgia, and then said: "Fortunately, the monarch I met was afraid of the changes of the sky, afraid of people's words, strict with himself, and there was no lack of discernment, knowing people and being good at their duties, being polite and virtuous, following the advice like a stream, the country was open-minded, everyone was supervised by the speaker, and no one could act arbitrarily and arbitrarily...... Therefore, I am very fortunate to be born in this era that can be called Haiyan River Qing......"

At this point, he paused slightly, looked at me intently, and then added: "Although we have all been injured by the times. ”

Both in the last year of Renzong's life and under Yingzong's rule, the princess lived with her mother, although there was still a titular husband in the princess's mansion outside the palace. But this situation changed after Zhao Ji's accession to the throne.

Zhao Ji is the princess's favorite nephew and has been getting along well with her since she was a child. Soon after ascending the throne, he named the princess the eldest princess of the Chu State, and gave her the title of the most princess of the dynasty. His attitude towards the princess made Miao Niangzi suddenly have new hopes, and he found someone to persuade him several times, wanting to ask the emperor to allow him, the eldest aunt, to divorce his uncle and marry someone else. But Zhao Ji didn't agree, and told the princess's mother and daughter in person: "Renzu reverted to the name of Li Wei's concubine and Ma Duwei, hoping that my aunt can continue to be the daughter-in-law of the Li family, respect the good woman, the filial piety of the world, and the sage of Bangyuan, so as to honor my royal family." My aunt is pure filial piety to Renzu, so she is willing to obey her father's orders, continue her relationship with Li Wei, and love her family. If my aunt insists on this, I don't dare to stop it, but please think twice, my aunt and my uncle are not in harmony, which has made Renzu have a grudge. ”

The princess was silent and did not refute, and Zhao Wei made another request: "My aunt and Li Wei have the name of husband and wife, and it is always inconvenient to live in the palace for a long time. It's better to go back to the princess's house to live, and the piano and the seer are in harmony, so it is appropriate for both. ”

Under his persuasion, the princess finally agreed, and returned to the princess's house as he wished. And Zhao Ji also then announced the abolition of the "Shang Lord's House, the first class of Zhaomu", and officially issued an edict, requiring the princess to perform the aunt ceremony in the future, and serve the aunt like an ordinary bride.

It is said that when the princess was about to get in the car and go back to the house, Zhao Ji apologized to her, saying, "I'm sorry, aunt." But all members of the royal family, like this, can neither indulge their desires nor shirk their responsibilities. ”

Someone of good deeds told me exactly what had happened, and as he spoke, he spied on my expression, and I listened in silence, with a wave on my face and no emotion in my heart that they expected. Because I know that for the princess, the end is already doomed. The princess's flowering period had ended when she was twenty-five years old, and it didn't matter where the withered petals lived.

It is conceivable that she and Li Wei in the princess's mansion live an absolutely "respectful and respectful" life, they are both too seriously injured by each other, and they will not try to repair the broken relationship, as long as they can keep their quiet state. Once I heard a painter say that he saw the little son of the Li family in Li Weiyuan, and after careful questioning, I learned that it was from Yun Guo'er, and the princess did not have a child of her own, of course, probably never will.

Every festival, I will go to the palace wall of Jiying Hall to see the flowers that the princess cut for me. She never missed the appointment, at dawn of the day to hang the flower sheng on the peach blossom treetops, when I waited until the gate of the Jiying Palace opened, into the courtyard, those over the wall of the colorful flowers have already been in the breeze in the branches of the flutter, like a group of butterflies looking for fragrance.

Year after year, it's been the same. She did not give up this habit after returning to the princess's mansion for a long time, and always entered the palace the day before the festival, and still hung up the flower at dawn.

One year, she came late for some reason, and I waited until almost noon to see a flower hanging out on the peach blossom branch, which was picked on a bamboo branch and stretched out to the peach blossom tree to hang up.

Did the princess hang it herself? I approached the palace wall quickly, and faintly heard the sound of rings coming from inside.

I stood still, watching the bamboo branches rise and fall, making the flowers bloom in the peach blossom treetops that have passed the flowering period, and it is difficult to move for a long time.

"Mr. Liang!" Suddenly, someone came running from the secret pavilion on the opposite side and called out to me.

His voice was so loud that I felt the bamboo branches above the flower tree tremble with my eyes, and then I fell down with the flower trees on the branches.

The visitor had already run to me, and I hurriedly turned to face him, and found that he was Bai Maoxian, whom I hadn't seen for a long time.

He was also punished after the princess blocked the palace gate at night, and was relegated to the former provincial academy to be a small yellow door. Later, Yingzong ascended the throne, and several young princesses lived in the forbidden, lacking the service of the ministers, so Xiaobai was transferred to the province to work.

Xiao Bai has now grown into a handsome young man, wearing the official uniform of a high-grade chamberlain, holding some scrolls in his hands, and his spirit is flying.

"Yes, advanced." I said to him with a smile.

He bowed to me humbly and smiled, "Mr. Quan Cheng teaches." ”

I exchanged a few words with him, looked at the scroll in his hand, and casually asked, "What is this?" ”

"The princess is learning Feibai, and she wants me to come to Baowen Pavilion to get the imperial book of Emperor Renzong for her to copy." Xiaobai replied.

Princess? I was a little surprised, but I quickly understood that he was referring to a certain eldest princess he was serving now, because he was serving the eldest lord in the Yingzong Dynasty, so he still retained the old habit of calling her a princess—just like me, the princess in his mouth meant the princess in his heart.

"The princess's Feibai has been trained very well, and the Empress Dowager often teaches her, saying that she is very aura......" Xiaobai continued to describe his princess's situation, his eyes flashing with joy rising from the bottom of his heart.

I looked at him with a sense of unease.

He didn't realize it, and talked to me alone for a long time, still forgetting to explain to me who the princess was, as if he thought that this was something that everyone in the world would know.

Finally, he realized the time problem: "Oh, the princess is still waiting for me, I have to go." Take care, sir! ”

Without waiting for me to answer, he happily ran away with the imperial book of Renzong in his hand. I took a few steps forward, trying to summon him and give him a reminder of how he was dealing with the princess, but he had quickly disappeared outside the courtyard gate. I stopped silently, thinking that perhaps my exhortation would not do anything. The queen and Mr. Zhang didn't remind me back then, but everything still happened like this, and what could not be escaped was the abyss of fate.

Looking back at the peach blossom branches, there are no bamboo branches sticking out. I thought the princess was gone, but as I stood there, I heard a sigh from the breeze over the wall.

I stepped forward slowly, my hands on the vermilion wall, facing the direction in which she might exist.

Maybe she's right behind this wall;

Maybe she's touching the wall with her hand, looking for where I'm going;

Perhaps at this moment, our palms are facing each other, and our eyes are staggered on both sides of this red wall barrier......

When the wind blows, will she be cold? I held out my hand, could she still feel some warmth?

……

I looked up at the sky.

There are ethereal clouds in the autumn sky, and tonight you should be able to see the slight moon in the sky and the bright galaxy. But less is the golden wind and jade dew, and more is the silver man, who can accompany her, taste the silver candle autumn light with her, and spend the day with the cool of the day?

Since that day, Hua Sheng has been hanging out later and later, I have a bad premonition, pay attention to inquire, only to learn that the princess has a stubborn illness, often chest pain, weakness, and occasionally fainting.

Every time it is a festival, she still insists on going back to the palace to hang flowers, and I still go early to wait, although I may wait very late, but no matter what, I can always wait.

However, on the day of the Flower Dynasty Festival in the third year of Xining, I waited from dawn until almost dusk and did not see the flowers appear in the treetops, only the peach blossoms on the tree were blooming in the face of the spring breeze.

She must have returned to the palace, and I heard that it was her chariot that was the last to enter the palace yesterday.

And why is Hua Sheng never seen?

My eyes were firmly fixed on the peach blossom branches, and every swaying of the branches above made my heart beat faster, and it turned out that it was just one joke after another made by the spring breeze.

When night fell, I finally waited for the result, and instead of colorful flowers, piercing white flags rose from the wall, layered on top of each other, like a huge white wave about to cover it.

A mournful cry came from the harem, and soon the door of the nave of the harem opened, and many ministers rushed to tell each other: the eldest princess of Chu State......

She died in the spring of the eighth year after our separation, the third year of Xining.

Emperor Zhao Ji ordered her coffin to be sent back to the princess's house, and then she was glad that she was laid for the first time, crying very sadly.

He posthumously named the princess as the eldest princess of Qin, and ordered the auxiliary ministers to discuss for her, and finally he personally chose the word "Zhuang Xiao", because "the chief is Ren Zuxiao".

In addition, he also demoted Li Wei to Chenzhou, and announced to the public that the crime was "serving the lord without a case".