During the Han and Tang dynasties, the imperial capital Chang'an had a chessboard-like fang, and the houses were built in the fang, and the entrance and exit needed to pass through the fang, and at night, after the curfew time, all the fangs were closed, and the people were not allowed to enter and exit. Only the house of the powerful marquis with the permission of the Son of Heaven can open the door on the wall of the square, called the first.

On this day, after the curfew time, the porter of Xinping Hou Di looked in front of the gate of the Hou Mansion opened on the wall of Shangguanli Fang, and saw the familiar Xuanjin curtain chariot from a distance from the corner of the front street hurriedly coming, and the person in front of the car was Zhang Rui, the personal servant next to Xinping Hou Zhang Ao, and hurriedly rushed into the mansion to report to the chief manager Zhang Jing. At the same time, the gate of the Hou Mansion was also opened in an instant, and the subordinates lined up in two rows in front of the doorway, and when they lowered their heads to greet the master, they glimpsed that Zhang Ao, the Marquis of Xinping, hurriedly got off the carriage, and his face was not bright.

"Master Hou, you are back." Zhang Jing hurriedly stepped forward and whispered in Zhang Ao's ear, "Today, Your Majesty will visit the Hou Mansion and bring the queen mother with you." In the last half of the sentence, the voice was already very soft, if Zhang Ao didn't know some details in advance, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to hear it clearly.

"Now Your Majesty can go back to the palace?" Zhang Ao asked Zhang Jingdao while walking hurriedly on the avenue of the outer courtyard.

"Go back to the Hou Ye," Zhang Jing said softly, "Your Majesty has already returned to the palace half an hour ago. However, the queen mother stayed to recuperate, and now she is living with the eldest princess in Qiushiyuan. ”

Zhang Ao sighed, turned slightly in the direction of his feet, and walked towards the inner courtyard, and at the same time instructed Zhang Jing, "Since the queen mother has returned, this time, I believe that the crisis in the Pinghou Mansion is generally over." It's just that," his eyes darkened slightly, and his voice was solemn, "at this last moment, you must not be careless." ”

"Zhang Jing. Since you took over as the head of the Hou Mansion, you have been quite capable in doing things, and you should control the whole mansion well these days, and if you let any unsuitable news about the queen mother leak out of the mansion, don't blame me for ignoring your ancestors and grandchildren's loyalty to my Zhang family for generations. ”

Zhang Jing was solemn, knowing the significance of this matter to the entire Xinping Marquis Mansion, and responded, "Respectfully." ”

In a blink of an eye, he arrived at the door of the inner courtyard, and Zhang Jing was inconvenient to follow up, so he paused. Zhang Ao entered the inner courtyard alone and went to Qiushi Courtyard, the main courtyard where his wife lived.

It was getting late. Lu Yuan had been lying on the bed for a long time during the day, and because his daughter, who had been worried about him day and night, finally returned safely, he couldn't sleep peacefully. Sitting on the couch in the east room, when he saw his husband coming in from outside, his eyes flashed brightly, and he said happily, "Brother Ao." You're back? "My complexion is much better than when I was seriously ill a few days ago.

"Where's Ah Yan?" Zhang Ao didn't answer, only asked with a dark face.

"Brother Ao also knows that she is back now?" Lu Yuan was slightly surprised, and then realized, "After Your Majesty returned to the palace, she was a little tired. I already slept in the back yard. When he mentioned his daughter who had returned safely, Lu Yuan couldn't help but smile on his face, and his eyes were extremely satisfied.

"She still has the ability to sleep." Zhang Ao suddenly raised his voice and pointed to the maid Qiu Hao standing on the side, "You go, let the queen mother come over." ”

"Brother Ao,"

Lu Yuan was taken aback. I couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do here?" "In the room. Zhang Ao had already lifted the curtain and went out, and his voice came from afar on the corridor, "Wait for the queen mother to come over, let her go to the temple to see me." ”

……

Zhang Yan's grandfather Zhang Er was originally a member of the Liang family, and during the Warring States Period, he served as the commander of Waihuang County in the Wei State. Later, he was attached to Chen Sheng Wu Guang, Zhao Wang Wuchen, Zhao Wang Xie, and Xiang Yu, the king of Chu, entered the customs, and because of the merit of helping Zhao to resist Qin, he was divided into the northern part of Zhang'er Zhao Land, and was the king of Hengshan, and all believed in the capital. Later, he was defeated and defected to Liu Bang, the king of Han, and was named the king of Zhao, and the capital was Xiangguo. He died a year later, and was succeeded by his son Zhang Ao as King of Zhao. In the ninth year of the Han Dynasty, King Zhao was involved in a rebellion, deposed as the Marquis of Xuanping, and made the Marquis of Xuanping in Shangguanli, Chang'an. The Zhang family temple also went through various places, and finally moved into the Chang'an Xinping Marquis Mansion.

In the vast twilight, the Zhang's Sect Temple of the Seven Mingtang buildings is located on a high platform in the east of the Xinping Marquis Mansion, with heavy eaves and high peck, like a bird about to spread its wings and fly high, looking down on its descendants.

When Zhang Yan hurried to the Zongmiao, Zhang Ao had already sent off the people in the palace and was alone in front of the open gate of the Zongmiao.

Four years ago, Zhang Yan listened to her parents' teachings and admonishments in front of this temple and married into Weiyang Palace.

"Awen,"

Seeing her father who had reunited after a long absence, Zhang Yan's thoughts were also a little complicated, so she retired and entered the temple by herself.

Zhang Ao turned his head and looked at the eldest daughter who stepped up the steps step by step. Seeing that her figure was thin, like a paper silhouette, and her face was also very haggard, a trace of distress flashed in her eyes, but she was also tough in an instant, and said softly, "This Ming Hall is our Zhang family's temple." Among them, the ancestors of my Zhang family are enshrined. In the ninth year of the first emperor, our family moved from Xiangguo, the former capital of Zhao State, to Chang'an, and has been sacrificing since then. ”

He raised his head and looked down at Zhang Yan,

"No matter what your identity is outside this temple, in front of this temple, you are first the descendant of our Zhang family, yes or no?"

"Yes."

"So," Zhang Ao's gaze was solemn, "In this case, you made such a big mistake this time, as the queen of a country, you don't think about supporting the Son of Heaven, but leave the palace willfully, should you confess to your father and ancestors?" ”

"Master Hou," Lu Yuan rushed over at this time because of his frailty. She guessed Zhang Ao's intentions, didn't dare to bring people in, and entered the courtyard alone, and when she saw the scene of Zhang Ao training her daughter under the temple, she was shocked, and rushed over to protect her daughter, "What are you doing?" Are you crazy? ”

She looked at her husband standing in front of the temple in disbelief, "Ah Yan is your own daughter." She has returned from a long absence, and now her body is still weak, how can you let her suffer this sin? ”

"Princess, don't worry about this." Zhang Ao's voice is tough,

"As a courtier, I can't blame the queen of a country, but as the head of the Liang Zhang family, Ah Yan, as long as you still admit that you are a descendant of my Zhang family, I am qualified to reprimand you in this Zhang family's temple. Ah Yan, do you know what is wrong? ”

Zhang Yan took off the hairpin on her head and knelt down in the hall, "Unfilial daughter Zhang Yan, listen to the teachings of your father." There was a hint of hardness in his voice.

"What," Zhang Ao heard the emotion in her words and sneered, "Do you think it's wrong for your father?"

Zhang's family was born and raised by you. Did you give all the glory just so that you could abandon all your responsibilities and escape one day after that? ”

Zhang Yan couldn't speak.

Regarding the incident in front of the gate of Shanan County, Meng Shu, the county guard of Yunzhong, later confessed that it was due to her Ah Weng's instructions. She can understand Ah Weng's thoughts, and she also knows that Ah Weng still guarantees her personal safety, but as a daughter, she can't mind her father's design for her after all.

When she returned to Chang'an this time, she hadn't figured out how to face her father. For the accusations from his father, he was somewhat resistant.

But Zhang Ao said conclusively before the temple, even though his own behavior was criticized. There is nothing wrong with his accusations against himself.

From the perspective of his own feelings, there is nothing to say about being given up by people's hearts. However, from the perspective of secular morality and ethics followed in this era, after a country, there can be no motherly virtue in the world, and a wife cannot support her husband. After all, it is not virtuous enough.

What's more,

From beginning to end, she didn't think too much about her family.

Lu Yuan was protecting her daughter with affection, "The child is still young," she glared at Zhang Ao fiercely, "Why are you so strict?" Aren't you afraid of frightening Ah Yan? ”

"Princess?" Zhang Ao was angry. Pulling his wife's body, his face was solemn, "This is the matter of the Zhang family." You can't just leave it on quiet. Do you know how many prominent families were defeated from these places? ”

"That's enough," Lu Yuan shook off his hand, feeling angry.

As a mother. She didn't want to pay attention to these big truths, but saw her daughter kneeling in front of the temple. The body was delicate, distressed and angry, "I only know that Ah Yan has suffered so much, and it is easy to come back, and she didn't even sleep peacefully, so she was dragged to the temple by you to be punished,"

She hugged her daughter, only to feel that the body in her arms was thin and pitiful, and she cried, "You don't feel sorry for you, I feel sorry for you." ”

"-Princess, I know you love your daughter very much, but you also have to be reasonable,"

"Your Majesty has been very kind to our family, but she has done such a ridiculous thing after being a country. If we are not punished, will we not be unfilial to our ministers? ”

"Your Majesty didn't blame her, add her a finger. As the father of a married daughter, what qualifications do you have to punish Ah Yan? ”

Zhang Ao took a deep breath and said forbearingly, "It is precisely because Your Majesty is not half to blame that we have to make a more correct posture." - Otherwise, what will the officials of the Manchu Dynasty look like to our Zhang family. This girl has been spoiled by you since she was a child, thinking that she is not afraid of heaven and earth, and she dares to do anything, if she does not admit her mistake this time, if she does something rebellious in the future, what will our Zhang family take to make amends? Besides, when she escaped from the Yang Palace, did she ever think that if this matter was revealed, what kind of culpability the Zhang family would have. ”

"Ah Weng," Zhang Yan shouted, "I know I'm wrong. ”

"I'm never going to mess around again."

After leaving the palace this time, she experienced the danger of the Huns, and it was easy to escape back, she really, felt that she had done something wrong.

She knew that her departure would not cause the family to receive any serious sin. After all, even if she leaves, Liu Ying feels guilty and will not blame; And Empress Lu thought about Lu Yuan, and he wouldn't be good about the Zhang family.

But after all, she didn't think much about the Xinping Marquis Mansion.

It's like, a tree will sprout in the spring and grow luxuriantly, bear abundant fruit in the fall, and also drop all its leaves in the winter, grow slowly, and wait for the next spring to bloom.

Her departure dealt a heavy blow to the Xinping Marquis Mansion, which may have ensured that Zhang's tree would not wither and die because of her, but cut off the possibility that it would flourish for some time in the coming year.

She lowered her forehead, touched her hands folded in front of her, and cried sincerely, "I really know it's wrong. ”

In any case, she could not deny that her wayward behavior had put her family at risk of overturning.

"In front of the ancestors of the Zhang family, the descendant Zhang Yan hereby promises: From now on, he will never act willfully and do anything that damages the Zhang clan. Ah Yan is now pregnant, and for the sake of the heirs, it is not appropriate to kneel down to worship the ancestors and ask for sin. After Ah Yan gives birth to the full moon on the other day, he will go back to the ancestors to ask for sin. ”

……

Lu Yuanzheng was in a stalemate with her husband, and after hearing the news, she only felt that she had heard the wrong tinnitus, and it took a while to come back to her senses, and she couldn't help but ask again,

"Ah Yan. Are you pregnant? ”

"Yes."

At this time, Zhang Yan didn't care about being shy, only nodded lightly, and gently stroked her abdomen with both hands.

"It was because of him that I was forced to recuperate on the road for a month before I set off for Chang'an."

"So what are you doing here on your knees?" She couldn't help but yell. pulled Zhang Yan to get up and looked back at her husband, "Are you satisfied?" Let the pregnant daughter who has suffered so much kneel in the ancestral temple, I have never seen you be such a ruthless father. ”

…… Zhang Ao suppressed the surprise in his heart. He said, "Don't I know?" ”

"That being the case," he said, turning. Looking at his pale daughter, he said softly, "You are not in good health, so it is not good to go back to raise the fetus in your womb." ”

Zhang Yan wanted to say anything more, but she was already pulled out by Lu Yuan. Negative Qi said, "Let's ignore you Ah Weng, speaking of which, your child is really, such a big thing, and I didn't tell my mother earlier." "Looking at my daughter's gaze, I have turned to worry." You are so weak that you have to carry a fetus, but how can you bear it? ”

Zhang Yan walked a few steps with her mother. I couldn't help but look back at my father, "Ah Weng,"

Won't you go back with us?

Zhang Ao stood in front of the temple, standing with his hands in his hands, dressed in a cyan chessboard pattern. The demeanor is elegant, and he smiled at his daughter kindly.

"Ah Yan. You're my daughter, and you're really wrong this time. But since you are pregnant, you should not work. As your father, as the saying goes, the son does not teach, and the father's fault will kneel and worship on your behalf for one night, which can be regarded as an explanation to the ancestors. ”

……

Zhang Yan was slightly dumbfounded, "Ah Weng-"

"Silly girl," Zhang Ao smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to appease his daughter, but hesitated, and finally fell, "Ah Weng wants you to know that although Ah Weng is strict with you, he still loves you." ”

Zhang Yan's eyes turned red, and she said softly, "The father's affection for his daughter, the daughter knows." ”

"Listen to your mother and go back to sleep." Zhang Ao smiled faintly,

"You are weak and you are pregnant with a child, both physically and mentally, you can't work hard, don't think too much. Kneeling for you, Ah Weng willingly. ”

……

Under the high platform of the temple, Zhang Yan looked back, and saw that on the high platform, her father had already turned around, lifted his robe, knelt down, and in the vast twilight, his straight cyan figure was like a tall tree.

The eldest princess of Lu Yuan tossed and turned all night, and it was not until dawn in the morning that Zhang Ao came back with a big coat, and then hurriedly greeted her, and said, "Brother Ao, how are you doing?" ”

"Nothing." Zhang Ao sat on the couch and knelt down all night, his face was very haggard, his expression was tired, and he reluctantly smiled to comfort his wife, "I am a man, I can still hold on to it after kneeling all night." ”

Lu Yuan's eyes were a little red, "Why do you bother ......" His voice was a little emotional.

"I don't want to do this to Ah Yan." Zhang Ao closed his eyes and sighed, "But although there are not many people who know about Ah Yan's affairs, there are always some people in Chang'an City who still know." We have to make some gestures to show those people. As a Weng, I am willing to be able to do something for my daughter. ”

Lu Yuan nodded, snuggled up to her husband softly, thought about the whole thing, and still felt that the encounter was wonderful, just like Ruosi, "Until now, I still can't believe that Ah Yan actually has His Majesty's child." ”

"What's so strange?" Zhang Ao snorted coldly, "My daughter is beautiful and gentle, isn't she worthy of being liked?" ”

"That being said, it's her and Your Majesty." LU Yuandao,

"Over the years, I have watched it coldly, and I have always felt that they have more than family affection, and the meaning of men and women is insufficient, and I have always been worried that between them, I am afraid that this life can only be lived like this, how can it be in a blink of an eye,"

Even the children are gone.

Zhang Ao hugged his wife, and a strange smile appeared on his lips, "Ah Yan was just a child, of course Your Majesty only has family affection for her." But now that our Ah Yan is older, "Guan Ju" also said, My Fair Lady, good gentleman. Your Majesty is in love with her, but you, who are mothers, can't you see it? ”

"However," he rolled his eyebrows, thoughtfully, "As far as I see, Ah Yan's pregnancy, since Your Majesty got together with Ah Yan first, he must have known, he didn't take the initiative to mention it to you, I'm afraid I still feel a little embarrassed, these days, you pay attention, don't embarrass Your Majesty." ”

"I know." Lu Yuan responded, and glanced at her husband dissatisfied, "Am I such an uninteresting person?" ”