At noon, an official ship slowly sailed into the Tianjin wharf in the heavy snow in the cold wind. A boatman covered in snow lifted the heavy cotton curtain and entered the cabin to announce that the waterway from Tianjin to Chaoyangmen was frozen and everyone had to abandon the boat and travel to Beijing by land.

There were four passengers on this boat, Fu Honglie, the prefect of Chaozhou, with two pen posts full of Beijing dialect, and the other was a young man. This man's eyebrows were very separated, and he looked indifferent, looking at the snow on the dock outside with interest from the hatch with Erlang's legs. He was dressed quite thinly, only a patched blue coarse cloth jacket, and no hat, and he looked much more energetic compared to Fu Honglie, who looked a little tired and aging opposite.

The young man named Zhou Peigong, the word Chang, a native of Jingmen, because he entered the Beijing examination, lost his entanglement, sold words in Dezhou, and was invited by Fu Honglie, who got off the boat for a walk, to Tianjin. In the past eight days, the two of them have talked about everything in heaven and earth, the subset of scripture and history, and Wen Taowu, and they have become New Year's friends. Zhou Peigong listened to Zhouzi's words, and saw that Fu Honglie was frowning and silent, so he smiled and said: "What's so difficult about this, the land route is the land route, the ancients rode a donkey through the Jianmen Gate in the drizzle, and we rode horses on the ancient road of Jinmen, isn't it quite poetic?" ”

Fu Honglie turned his face to look at the two pen slips sitting on the side, and they all looked gloomy, so he smiled bitterly, took out a bag of broken silver from his arms, about ten taels, and gently pushed it in front of Zhou Peigong, and said, "Peigong, it is inconvenient for us to go with us when we get off the boat." I really can't get this bit of silver, but you still bring it and talk about making up for it......"

"Why?" Zhou Peigong asked in surprise.

Fu Honglie sighed, and reluctantly smiled: "I'm afraid that you will be frightened on the road, so I haven't told you, don't look at me sitting on the official ship of the Hangzhou general, so generous, in fact, I am a criminal official locked by the Criminal Department, and I entered Beijing to receive the crime." When you get off the boat, you wear torture instruments, iron locks, and take another one of you, like what? ”

"Really?" Zhou Peigong was taken aback, because although he had been on the same boat for eight days, he hadn't heard Fu Honglie say anything about this matter at all, and the two pen posts were also respectful in front of him. He also thought that this knowledgeable middle-aged prefect was promoted in Beijing! After a little hesitation, Zhou Peigong came back to his senses and asked urgently, "Why?" ”

"It's true." A pen post said, "The two of us are both from the Yamen of the Criminal Department, and we have been sent to the Ministry of Literature to lock Master Fu into Beijing to ask for the crime. Master Fu asked the imperial court to remove the three feudatories, offended Wu Sangui, the king of Pingxi, and was taken by the Pingnan Palace, and was supposed to be executed on the spot in Guangzhou, but the imperial court issued an order to the Criminal Department and the Dali Temple to deliberate and deal with it. This official ship was specially escorted by General Tuhai, who commanded the Yamen of the infantry army, and was properly escorted by General Hangzhou......"

"Brother," Fu Honglie listened to Zhou Peigong spare no effort to attack Wu Sangui all the way, and had already recognized him as a confidant, seeing that Zhou Peigong was in a daze, he smiled and said, "I listened to your talk all the way, you not only have good articles, but also know the art of war very well, when the country is employing people, don't give up on yourself." I wanted to write you a letter of recommendation, but my current situation is not only useless, but also afraid of causing trouble, brother, you are so self-conscious. ”

"Okay." Zhou Peigong gently pushed the silver back with both hands, stared at Fu Honglie affectionately with lacquer-like eyes, and said, "We're going to break up." Eight days of heart-to-heart conversations, Zhou will never forget. If you treat me as a soldier, I will repay you as a soldier. But I can't ask for this silver, you are in a lawsuit, and you need more money than me......" Fu Honglie listened, his heart was sad for a while, his eyes couldn't help but redden, and he only said in a low voice: "I'm afraid I may not be able to use it......"

The power of heaven is unpredictable, the fierce is more auspicious, and Fu Honglie's meaning couldn't be clearer. For a moment, the cabin fell silent, and the rustle of snow falling on the deck outside could be heard clearly. Zhou Peigong was surprised, but he had already calmed down, and pondered for a long time with a faint gaze, and asked, "Tuhai and the adult are old friends?" ”

"I didn't know each other before," Fu Honglie said, "the year before last, he was deposed to Chaozhou because of something, and we got along for a year." This man is very gallbladder. After Wu Liuyi was transferred to the governor of Guangdong, he recommended Tuhai to be the governor of Jiumen, and also the commander of the infantry army, and he didn't have many days to return to Beijing......" After that, he sighed and said, "It's a pity that Brother Liuyi died of a violent illness as soon as he arrived in Guangzhou." If he had been here, I wouldn't have ended up like this. ”

Zhou Peigong listened, his eyes rolled, he suddenly smiled, leaned down and said to Fu Honglie: "Don't you hear Li Qinglian's poetry? 'If I don't shine on my sincerity during the day, the country has nothing to worry about'! I expect that the emperor will not be willing to kill the virtuous, my lord's trip, it seems that there is no danger! ”

Fu Honglie has figured out Zhou Peigong's temperament in the past few days: although he is extremely strong in conversation, he never refuses to speak falsely. He has a very unique insight into the separatist situation of Wu Sangui, Geng Jingzhong, and Shang Kexi, as well as the military and economic situation of the three feudatories. It seems that he didn't say this just to appease himself, so he smiled and said: "Pei Gong's words are amazing!" ”

"My lord, this is just a matter of course." Zhou Peigong's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, and said in a deep voice, "A few days ago, we were chatting, and the lord said that the emperor recently issued an edict to order the three feudatories to enter Beijing to meet him. ”

Seeing Fu Honglie and the two pen posts looking at each other, Zhou Peigong smiled slightly, and said, "It's time to withdraw the feudal domain!" The three feudatories have become a big trend, and the customers are bullying the shop, how can the imperial court allow them to behave recklessly! We have already explored and understood that there is only one in the world, and the two masters are not allowed to stand side by side, and this is the case with the heart of heaven, the people, and the country. Zhou Peigong said eloquently, leaning back extensively, as if he was not an inexplicable poor person, but a country's important ministers and court to discuss, "There are three ways to withdraw the feudal domain from the imperial court, or such as Gaozu You Yunmeng, and the former wrestler captures Han Xin; Or such as the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Hanping, the Ming edict was forced to withdraw, and he did not hesitate to fight; Or like Song Taizu's cup of wine to release the military power, a word at the banquet table, the big thing came to naught - now that the imperial court has summoned the three kings to Beijing at the same time, it seems that this method is going to be used. ”

Fu Honglie listened, felt that it was very reasonable, nodded frequently, and suddenly was stunned thoughtfully, and said: "However, the Holy Edict made my edict very clear: let the Dali Temple of the Criminal Department be reconsidered. It's not necessarily that simple! The mistake of the former Han Dynasty in advocating the withdrawal of the feudal domain was not also ......"

"The only death through the ages - Deng Hanyi can be said to have penetrated human feelings!" Zhou Peigong laughed, "Jun is also a fan of the authorities!" You have already been sentenced to death in Guangzhou, how can you deal with it 'severely'? The lock was taken into Beijing, obviously the emperor wanted to save you, maybe the lord would be promoted! ”

"What if the emperor doesn't withdraw the feudal domain?" Seeing that Zhou Peigong said so firmly, he was a little unconvinced, and couldn't help asking.

"The country's annual income is 37 million taels of silver," Zhou Peigong turned his head and said disdainfully, "Wu Sangui took 9 million alone, Geng Jingzhong and Shang Kexi each took 5.5 million - not counting other accounts, just this one, if it is your slave, can you tolerate him?" After that, he picked up the cold tea on the table and drank it dry, and said to Fu Honglie, "Fu Gong, it is really a blessing to be in the same boat for a few days." Your moral article, Pei Gong is already well aware. Farewell today, I have a word of advice, I don't know if I can see it? Fu Honglie hurriedly arched his hand and said, "Please speak!" ”

"Observing the appearance of the monarch, measuring the talent of the monarch, and listening to the words of the monarch are all worthy of being a national soldier." Zhou Peigong praised it first, "But Jun's heart is too dead, he is too stupid, and he is too stupid, so beware of eating the loss of his friends." ”

Fu Honglie was stunned, and couldn't understand the meaning of this for a while, so he hurriedly asked, "Why?" Zhou Pei said fairly: "Your request for the removal of the feudal domain is a secret worship, how did Wu Sangui know?" Fu Honglie didn't squeak for a long time, shook his head and said: "Although it is a secret fold, there are four or five people who know that although only Wang Shirong is under the command of the king of Pingxi, he is my friend of eight worships, is it ......?"

"In the past few days, adults have often praised Wang Shirong, I only hate not having the opportunity to meet, how dare I be suspicious?" Zhou Peigong smiled heartily and said, "The way of a gentleman in the world is to keep the middle and not the outside. If you don't believe in being straight, you must guard against benevolence and indifference - say goodbye today, and see each other indefinitely. The ancients had a meal, and they were rewarded with a thousand gold, and if Zhou had an inch, he would definitely repay the great kindness! That's it! Fu Gong take care, take care! With that, he bowed and got out of the cabin and floated ashore. Fu Honglie hurriedly rushed out of the cabin, and called out in his mouth: "Pei Gong, Mr. Pei Gong...... Take this money with you......"

Zhou Peigong stood beside the cable stone pillar by the dock, and the heavy snow fell on his head and into his neck; The wind lifted the hem of the robe, but he didn't see him cowering. Seeing Fu Honglie and the pen post chasing out of the cabin, he only arched his hand and said: "My lord, please go back, please go back, let's meet again!" With that, he walked away in the snow.

Fu Honglie watched Zhou Peigong disappear into the snow, so he suddenly entered the cabin and said to the two pen posts that escorted him: "Please put on the torture instrument, let's go on the road too!" ”

Zhou Peigong sold divination along the way, and did not come to Beijing until the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, and saw the gray and tall emperor Jingyan pheasant standing on the deserted snowfield from a distance, and his heart couldn't help but jump with excitement. This son of a broken family, although he is only twenty-five years old, is already a person who has experienced the warmth and coldness of human affection and the cold state of the world. His parents died one after another in the terrible plague epidemic in the seventh year of Shunzhi, and the family property was occupied by his uncle, and only the three shelves of books handed down by his ancestors survived. Seeing that the Zhou family couldn't tolerate this orphan, the wet nurse Mama Gong took Pei Gong home, but let her son go to the army to eat food, saving money for him to study. Zhou Peigong is very talented, and when he is fifteen years old, what are Kangcangzi, Han Feizi, Guanzi, Mozi, Laozi, Guiguzi...... The Twenty-Four Histories and "Taigong Yin Fu", "Qimen Dunjia", "Sun Tzu's Art of War" and various books of history have been fully read. Seeing that he was so promising, Mama Gong simply exchanged the money she had saved from weaving into silver for him to go out to study. After ten years of intermittent absence, to the eighth year of Kangxi, she won the government examination and the township examination, and at this time Mama Gong's hair was already snow-white.

After the middle lift, seeing that Mama Gong's body was not as good as day by day, Zhou Peigong didn't want to take the exam again. He carried poems and texts to the local famous Confucian and gentry, and went to the province to meet with the nobles and nobles of the feudal clan and the division, and wanted to find an errand envoy. Helplessly, he has no recommendation from a famous teacher, and his reputation is very ordinary on weekdays, but he is very hot on his face, but he looks down on him in his heart. After Mama Gong found out about this, the old lady beat the bed and was furious: "The bigger you are, the more you don't succeed!" For you to study and improve, your eldest brother Rong Yu went out to be a soldier, what crime did he suffer? Why did you go out and wander for ten years, and you wanted to lie on your stomach after earning a lift? As the saying goes, learn to become a literary and martial artist and sell it to the emperor's family, but you sell me such an old woman who is half cut into the ground? Unpromising! What I want is an edict - you go to the capital and ask the emperor for me! "Now that he has really seen this majestic emperor, how can Zhou Peigong suppress his excitement?

He also carried a letter in his arms, which was a letter of recommendation written by Wu Ciyou, who was lecturing in Shandong, to the imperial history of Zuodu, and heard that this recipient had been promoted to the secretary of the ministry. Whether this letter of recommendation is useful or not, and how useful it is, Zhou Peigong has not thought about it. He thought that Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, returned to the Han Dynasty back then, and he also carried Zhang Liang's letter of recommendation in his arms, and he didn't take it out until Han Gaozu worshiped him as a general, which was the husband's self-meritorious and self-reliant spirit! Therefore, Zhou Peigong did not pay much attention to the letter solemnly handed over to him by Wu Ciyou.

Zhou Peigong touched his purse, it was the night before he left Jingmen, Mama Gong made it for him under the lamp, the workmanship was not good, but he treated it as a baby. There are also two Arhat coins and more than 30 "Kangxi" coppers in it, and the thrift is only enough for three days. But at this time, there are still fifty or sixty days before the spring of March, how can this period be spent? After thinking about it, Zhou Peigong decided to find a temple to eat, so he inquired and lived in the Fahua Temple in the suburbs.

It was during the Lantern Festival in the first lunar month. In the eighth year of Kangxi, the left mountain and the right mountain ripened in autumn, and the enclosure was abolished and the name was changed. The first-class public curb Bilong transports millions of quintals of grain from Beijing from Wuhu, Suzhou, and Hangzhou, and Zhili and Shandong, which have always had a spring famine, only need three coins of silver to fight rice this spring. The price is flat, the world has nothing to do, Beijing celebrates the festival day and night, the people are happy, and the New Year's lanterns have been noisy for seven days. More than a dozen people who lived in Fahua Temple and the salt merchants who did not return to Jiangnan due to the lack of luck took turns to be the east day by day, spending all day and drinking wine, shouting five and drinking six, and turning a pure Buddha land into a wine and meat dojo. Zhou Peigong couldn't stand such a cheesy approach, and when he saw that the snow was sunny outside, he stopped writing poems and paintings, and decided to go to the street to see the scenery of Beijing.

Walking out of the temple, the outside scenery is really lively. Stilts, dragon lanterns, lions, dry boats, river mussels, cranes and sandpipers in Xiyuan and Tanzhe Temple...... Dingding and beating gongs and drums, all flocking to the front gate and the area of Liulichang, what dancing lamas, big-headed people, reckless styles, walking color ropes, and playing various characters in the play, a team of blowing and swaggering through the market. The crowd of people rubbed shoulders and crowded and embraced, sandwiched between the shouts of Yangge singers, dancing baolao, and selling noodles, the shouts of children who were amazed and cheered, and the cursing, crying, laughter, and crackling firecrackers that were squeezed down, all of which converged and stirred together. Women who don't go out on weekdays can't bear to be lonely, and the seven aunts and eight aunts meet to go out to see the excitement. However, their minds are much more meticulous than the men's, some go to the Chenghuang Temple to donate incense money to pray for blessings, some go to the Guanyin Nunnery to ask for children, and some go to the vendors of the Liulichang to buy a few gold and jade lion's teeth - a kind of wax animal teeth - and throw them into a charcoal brazier nearby to watch them burn, which is said to ensure that her family does not suffer from toothache all year round.

Zhou Peigong followed the flow of people and came to Zhengyangmen, and couldn't help but be stunned by the excitement here: hundreds of women, all crowded with their heads, with tears in their eyes. Some squeezed out their shoes, and some were pushed out halfway, and a swarm of bees went to touch the big copper nails on the Zhengyang Gate. The women who were squeezed out, some complained, some smiled, some cried, some made trouble, and some climbed their mother's neck and shouted "go home".

Zhou Peigong watched it for a long time, and couldn't figure out the mystery, so he asked an old man beside him: "Old man, what are these women squeezing desperately?" ”

"They're touching the blessings." The old man said with a smile, "Who can touch seven copper nails in a row, and the whole family will be safe all year round......"

Zhou Peigong couldn't help but smile: that cool, round and smooth big copper nail cap actually has such a lot of mana! He doesn't know yet. These women have an unexpectedly resilient spirit when it comes to praying for the well-being of their parents, husbands, and children. Those who were squeezed out wept and wept and scolded and scolded, and they would never leave this place until they touched seven. Some women simply went barefoot, put their children down, asked someone to take care of them, and squeezed them in again with their hair tied up and sleeves up. Zhou Peigong couldn't help but say funny: "The emperor's gate is so godly!" Actually, you don't need to be so crowded! As long as everyone comes next to each other, it will be done before it gets dark. ”

"yes, that's how it used to be." An old man said on the side, "However, this year is different, after a while, the prince of Pingnan and the prince of Jingnan will enter the palace from here to meet him, and he will not be able to touch it once he is under martial law." ”

The king of Pingnan is Shang Kexi of Guangdong, and the king of Jingnan is Geng Jingzhong of Fujian. Summoning the three feudatories, why only two kings entered Beijing? Zhou Peigong couldn't help but think of Fu Honglie, and his heart was glorified. Hurriedly asked, "King Pingxi didn't come?" ”

"I don't know," said the old man, shaking his head, "I heard that he was sick." ”

Zhou Peigong wanted to ask again, but suddenly the crowd was in chaos, and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl cried and scolded and grabbed a middle-aged woman and squeezed out of the crowd. The middle-aged woman giggled while dodging, and said vaguely, "Why bother? Lest you bump into it and squeeze it a little? When the women next to them saw this, some of them came to persuade them. Unexpectedly, the girl took advantage of the man's unpreparedness, jumped up, tore off the green scarf on the woman's head, and shouted: "Your aunt and grandmother are out of the way today, let everyone see your nasty embryo!" ”

People were stunned all at once, it turned out to be a man!

"Don't let him go, ask him what's his name?" Zhou Peigong's blood suddenly poured all over his face, and the green tendons on his neck jumped high.

"Who's presumptuous?" The man crooked his neck and searched, looked at Zhou Peigong, forced him over step by step, and said with a cruel smile: "Which crotch are you in?" Do you know who she is? Who is you? ”

Zhou Peigong pinched his ten fingers, and said with a sneer: "No matter what kind of goods you are, such an act is not worth a brute!" ”

"Hey!" The man made a strange appearance, and turned his face to a few people who were watching the excitement, "This poor boy, he wants to take care of my business, hmph, I am Liu Yigui, the head of the prince's mansion." Can you take care of your master's business? She owes her father thirty strings, and she still wants to get it into the house to touch it - come! Pick up this stinky and go! Before the words were finished, Zhou Peigong waved his palm early and slapped him. Five purple fingerprints fell on Liu Yigui's face, and he suddenly swelled. Several of the elders of Prince Li's Mansion saw the housekeeper being beaten, and they rushed over with a howl, and surrounded Zhou Peigong's fist. Xiao Zuo, who was standing on the side, was frightened, and Zhou Peigong shouted at Xiao Zuo while dealing with these people: "Why don't you leave quickly?" Liu Yigui covered his face and shouted: "Lao Tzu has dozens of people here, can you tell her to leave?" Beat! ”

For a while, the crowd that surrounded the crowd was in an uproar. More than 20 house slaves fought and went on a rampage among the people. People were squeezed and tripped over a piece, screaming and shouting into a mess. Zhou Peigong received several heavy punches in the waist, golden flowers danced in his eyes, and he staggered to the ground. More than a dozen elders rushed up, and you punched and I kicked and beat hard.

"Stop!" At this moment, I suddenly heard a thunderous roar, "Fucking stop!" This sound was so loud that it shook the gang of evil slaves to stop, and when they turned their faces to look, it was an officer with a full beard, squeezing through the fleeing crowd, pointing at Liu Yigui with one hand and pointing at Liu Yigui and asking, "Why are you damn it?" Seeing Liu Yigui's eyes, a long follower jumped up from behind coldly, and slapped his palm. The officer seemed to have eyes on his back, grabbed it, twisted it in his arms with his backhand, and spat on his face with a "phew", and sent it lightly, and the long entourage rushed out like a projectile, and knocked down two more in succession! Liu Yigui saw that the situation was not good, and as soon as he whistled, the evil slaves howled and fled in a hurry.

Zhou Peigong got up from the ground, saw that the officer was laughing happily, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise: "Big brother, it's you!" ”

The officer was stunned for a moment, looked at Zhou Peigong in surprise, recognized it in an instant, pounced over with his hands open, hugged Zhou Peigong with both hands and spun around on the spot: "It's my nerdy Pei brother!" How did you end up here? I haven't seen you for ten years, I haven't seen you for ten years! The bold man jumped and laughed, tears swirling in his eyes.

This officer is Zhou Peigong's brother Gong Rongyu, who has been in the army for ten years and has become the city gate leader in Pingliang. The two brothers who were together when they were bare-bottomed met unexpectedly here.

"How is my mother now? Are you okay? After listening to Zhou Peigong's account of what happened over the years, the thick-eyebrow man lowered his eyelids and replied with a gloomy expression: "Mother is fine." Zhou Peigong and Gong Rongyu walked aimlessly side by side, and replied in a low voice: "It's just that people are old, and their eyes are not easy to ......" Speaking of this, Zhou Peigong stopped, stared and asked angrily: "You are already a member of the fourth grade, why don't you go back to see your mother, is this considered a filial son?" Gong Rongyu lowered his head and gasped heavily, and then said: "First in Guangxi, then in Yunnan, and then in Shaanxi, I can't settle down!" ”

"What are you doing in Beijing this time?" Zhou Peigong asked.

"Admiral Wang was squeezed by Governor Moro and General Varge in Shaanxi, and he entered Beijing to ask for a transfer to the interior......

"Admiral Wang?" Zhou Peigong asked, "Is it the one nicknamed Ma Harrier?" ”

"Hmm. It's the horse harrier***. ”

"I heard that the Moluo Juguan is very honest," Zhou Peigong asked contemplatively, "why is it so intolerable?" He touched his waist, where there was still a faint pain.

"Banner people, all the fucking goods, the Han people are considered to have fallen into blood mold!" Gong Rongyu replied in a sullen voice, and as he spoke, he kicked a stone out of the distance, and said after a while, "Ma Harrier stepped on two boats, eating the court's, and looking at Wu Sangui's." I don't think Wu Sangui is a serious thing, it's not easy for me to lead troops there! - Let's live in the mansion of Wu Yingxiong, the eldest son of Wu Sangui, and come with me there, right? ”

"No, no, no," Zhou Peigong shook his hand and smiled, "You are already a guest, awkward enough, take me there again, like what?" I'm lazy by nature and impatient to deal with people like Wu Dagongzi. ”

At that moment, the two talked affectionately for a long time, and went to Juxian Building for a meal together, Gong Rongyu took a silver ticket of fifty taels to Zhou Peigong, and then reluctantly broke up and made an appointment to get together again before returning to Shaanxi.