In 871 B.C., the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty was Hojing.

In the summer of more than 3,000 years ago, God's face was still as changeable as it is today. Heavy dark clouds covered the sky of the royal capital, and the land and city trembled under the threat of the clouds. The boundaries between heaven and earth are blurred in the twilight. There was a muffled thunder in the distance, as if to say, "You and I are one, come back."

At this time, in a secluded courtyard to the west of the royal city, a woman's moaning faintly came out. If it's in the silence of the night, such a cry is enough to give goosebumps. But now, under the cover of thunder, this moan is intermittent, like a kite with a broken string, as if it can disappear at any moment.

From early morning to evening, Fanji moaned like this. She is a first-time mother, this is her first child, how can it not hurt? The cloth bag that fell from the head of the bed was about to be pulled off, and the lips had already been bitten out of blood, and he still endured the sharp pain in his abdomen, not daring to scream loudly.

She is the royal wife of Hehe Zongzhou, even if she gives birth, she must not lose royal etiquette. Even if her husband was stripped of the throne inheritance; Even though the couple has lived in solitary confinement for a year, Fanji still feels that he is so lucky.

She is just the daughter of an inconspicuous small vassal state in the Jianghan Plain, and she is not qualified to marry Prince Ji Xie as his wife. By mistake, he was favored by the current Zhou Tianzi and married to the prince who was deprived of inheritance rights. She knew in her heart that what Zhou Tianzi valued was her humble background, and it was difficult for her husband to be sandwiched. Time is also lucky, whether this is her luck or misfortune, everything is especially known.

The thunder grew denser and louder, and gradually became like a roar. Suddenly, a line of lightning pierced the night sky, and a few seconds later, a thunderclap exploded above the sky of Hokyo. It was as if he was about to tear a rift between heaven and earth. There was a strange "click", which was the sound of hard objects falling on the roof tiles. Is it hailing?

At this moment, a violent abdominal pain hit, Fanji couldn't hold back any longer, and a terrible scream pierced the night sky: "Ahh------h A few hailstones the size of pigeon's eggs tumbled down from the sloping roof, smashing the clay jar that received rainwater under the eaves, making a crisp "crackling" sound.

"Born------ born, a brat!" Wen Po shouted happily in a trembling voice, lifted the curtain and said to Xiao Zhu under the porch: "Quick, go and report the good news to the son, Mrs. has given birth to a son!" ”

In front of the window of the main house in the front yard, a young man with a gloomy face was looking out the window at the storm, the wind blew his luxurious brocade robe, and the ice particles hit his white face, it should be a little painful, right? But he seemed to be unconscious, and his eyes looked vacant, as if he saw another world that did not belong to this time and space.

"Childe, childe, Mrs. is born, it's a little son!"

The servant's cry forcibly woke Ji Xie from his meditation, and a light of joy crossed his melancholy eyes, but only for a moment, this joy disappeared like a shooting star. He waved his hand and said slowly: "Tell Madame that she is going to live and rest, and I will go to see her later!" ”

Xiao Zhu (the title of the servant boy) left in response, Ji Xie sighed and said in a low voice: "Childe? If not------ this kid would have been a prince! Alas! Creation makes people! ”

This unexpected summer hail can be regarded as a catastrophe for Ho Kyo. How many thatched huts have been broken down and collapsed, how many families are poor and displaced, even if it is a rich family in the city, I don't know how many chicken pens, dog kennels and stables have collapsed, how many tiles have been smashed------ whole night, a huge pickaxe capital, making people turn over on their backs, chickens and dogs jumping, until early in the morning, when the wind and rain stopped, everything gradually calmed down.

If there was any part of the city that was the calmest in this hailstorm, it would be the palace. Compared with the hustle and bustle outside the palace, the palace in the wind, rain and hail is still immovable, demonstrating the determination and majesty of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

It was late at night, the wind and rain were gradually stopping, and the palace hall was brightly lit. The Son of Heaven of the Great Zhou Dynasty was sitting upright behind the dragon case, with two desks on the left and one on the right in front of him, the right was empty, and behind the cirrus case on the left was sitting a middle-aged official with a white face and long beard. Looking down from the high steps of the main hall, there was also a servant dressed as Taishi sitting at the bottom of the steps, holding a copper chopstick against the stove to roast a turtle shell.

"The king, you have summoned your ministers to come at night, but for this matter of hail?"

Zhou Gong Ji Ding was not yet forty years old, and like his ancestors, he attacked the title of Duke of Zhou, so he was naturally in charge of the government. Even if the Son of Heaven does not summon him into the palace, such a strange image, he also has to enter the palace to greet King Zhou.

Zhou Xiao Wang Ji Pifang has only been on the throne for a year, but he is already gray with gray temples, and he is clearly a person fifty miles away. Since the second king of Wenwu, the Zhou Dynasty has strictly adhered to the primogeniture inheritance system of the throne, and only this King Xiao of Zhou is an exception. He is the uncle of the previous King Zhou Yi, but the uncle and nephew are the same age, and the uncle inherited the throne of his nephew, which is special and special in the dynasty that pursues the patriarchal law of Zhou rites.

"This ------" King Zhou Xiao seemed a little embarrassed, and asked casually: "Yes, how are the people outside the palace?" ”

"Although summer hail is not common, it comes and goes quickly, and it is not a big problem to think about it. However, before the minister entered the palace, there was a report outside the city that Fengshui and the Bahe River suddenly set off waves, and the waves were one foot high. The people's fishing boats were completely destroyed, and even the official's grain ship capsized, and I am afraid that the loss is not small. ”

"Oh?" King Zhou Xiao's expression was grim, and he asked: "According to Aiqing, the Jianghan and Han movements and hail disasters from the sky are not a warning from heaven--- implying that the lone king is not right?" Do you want to punish with a small one? ”

Zhou Gongji was taken aback, and hurriedly knelt down and said, "How could the king think like this?" King Xianyi did not appoint a crown prince, you ascended the throne in response to the mandate of heaven, the people are in line with the people, and the princes are in the heart, how can God be dissatisfied? What's more, the king treats the sons of King Yi well, who can say a word? ”

"Alas---" King Zhou Xiao sighed: "Aiqing doesn't know, when the sun is falling, the lonely king has a dream. This dream is quite strange, so I called Aiqing to interpret the dream. ”

"He Meng?"

"The Lonely King dreamed that a golden dragon fell from the sky, opened his teeth and danced his teeth and pounced on the Lonely King, and he was shocked into a cold sweat, and then woke up."

"This dream is not lonely, you need to hold the Taishi turtle, and the two can be solved by referring to it."

King Zhou Xiao held a tray, and Taishi under the stairs held a tray and presented a turtle shell. King Zhou took the tray, carefully observed the direction of the lines on the turtle shell, and then took out a few sticks of grass from his sleeve, gestured for a while, frowned and said, "Strange! ”