The city of Beijing was turned upside down, the prince was deposed overnight, Yinxiang was executed, the officialdom and the people were panicked, but Wu Sidao didn't know. Since Kangxi left Beijing in April, he asked Yinzhen for leave to travel, crossed the river from Guazhou by boat, traveled to the turtle and snake two mountains in Huguang, climbed the Yellow Crane Tower, and hired a sedan chair to Lingnan, climbed Wuyi Mountain, went around a big circle, and came to Chengdu at the end of September. He knew that Nian Qianyao and Li Wei were officials here, but when he came out to travel, he was originally working hard in Beijing day and night, and his body and bones gradually couldn't survive. Helplessly, when he was watching in Du Fu's thatched cottage, the only remaining thirty taels of silver on his body were stolen by the thieves.

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, a famous city in a large county, a small county government in the yamen forest of the metropolis is not conspicuous at all, located in the west of the hail temple a three-entry compound, there are two old acacia trees in front of the door, covering a large area of shade, if it is not for the solemn avoidance card erected next to the wall in front of the yamen, the drum and the official boots box hanging in the gate hole, it looks like an ordinary gentleman's house. When Wu Sidao arrived, it was not yet a sign of the time, and he saw a group of three or five talents under the big locust tree, and there were always forty or fifty people, some of whom were talking to each other, and some of whom were endorsing. Wu Sidao knew that it was a talent exam, and when he remembered his own year, he couldn't help but smile. After inquiring about the officer, he knew that "Mrs. Li" was meeting guests in the signing room, and he didn't let people pass through, since he entered the side door and walked straight to the back of the second hall, he heard Li Wei talking in the east chamber, and when he looked at it, the "guest" was Dai Duo, who smiled outside, and broke in and said: "I didn't expect that Lao Dai is also here, it's really a place in life where we don't meet!" ”

"Yikes! It's you! Dai Duo and Li Wei were both startled, hurriedly stood up, and sat down with Wu Sidao, who was covered in sweat, Dai Duo smiled and complained: "You just came here like this?" Tired like this! Is there still a shortage of silver now? Wu Sidao smiled and said: "Look at my complexion, black and red, if you are not lame, which one of you can compare to me?" To tell you the truth, I have long heard that our Mrs. Li is going to cure Chengdu Dao, and I am also relieved to be careless, and asked the thief to pay out of his pocket in the Shisheng Gate. I don't dare to run rampant without copper in my waist, so I only ask for a child to play an autumn breeze! ”

Li Wei poured tea for Wu Sidao and said with a smile: "It's one thing to think about it or not, and it's another thing to be able to do it." Give me the Sichuan Governor's Yamen to sit and try! I catch thieves here, and five or six out of ten have bosses and yamen to get through the joints, and some of them even put down a sign to release people! it, now even thieves in the world are officials, officials are thieves, thieves are officials, I have hit a few wooden bells, and now the provincial city knows that I am a 205 county official! Dai Duo sighed with a smile: "I was not good in my previous life, but I know the county in this life; In the previous life, he did evil, and the county was attached to Guo; Full of evil, attached to Guo Provincial City - you must have been a lewd and wicked ringing horse in your last life! As he was talking, he saw a man dressed as a master in his thirties come in, nodded slightly to the two, and said to Li Wei: "Boss, the talents have arrived, you can go." ”

"There's no way, eat this meal, do this errand, be a monk for a day. You two sit down a little bit, and I'll go and give this class of tin a little bit and come. Li Wei took off the official hat hanging on the wall and buttoned it on his head, stretched his waist, touched it in his arms, and was suddenly startled, and asked the master: "Gao Qizhuo, are the exam questions sent by Xuezheng where you are?" ”

Gao Qizhuo was also taken aback, and hurriedly said: "It's sealed, I'll hand it over to you as soon as I send it, why, I can't find it?" Li Wei was busy at the moment, and he was full of anger in his arms, but he only found dozens of Kangxi Tong brothers, and he was so anxious that he was sweating, but he couldn't find it. Gao Qizhuo smiled beside him: "The owner, is this prisoner in a hurry? What you've taken apart and seen is just an exam question. ”

"I forgot the exam questions, too." Li Wei sat back, tilted his head and thought for a while, and said: "I just remember that there is a 'horse' word, who knows where it is stuffed!" Wu Sidao thought about it, this is the question of the provincial academic and political examination of the province's talents, dozens of talents are waiting outside, it is not fun to make a noise, and he is also anxious for Li Wei, and is about to say that he knows, Gao Qizhuo smiled and said: "Don't be busy, the four books say that horses are limited." Is it 'the people hearing the sound of the king's chariots and horses'? Li Wei shook his head and said, "Grandma's, it's not this horse." ”

"So—isn't that 'as for dogs and horses'?"

Li Wei shook his head more and more, and said in frustration: "It's not this horse either." I just remember that the first word was a horse! Gao Qizhuo tilted his head and thought about it, realized it, and said with a smile: "Got it." A few steps to the big book in front of the case, "Ma Bujinye", asked: "But this topic?" Wu Sidao Dai Duo saw that Gao Qizhuo was so agile, and he couldn't help but praise in his heart, but Li Wei still shook his head and said: "I remember that there are more than these words following the horse. ”

At this point, even Gao Qizhuo was embarrassed. Wu Sidao was stunned for a while, and said, "You search your body again, don't worry, how could the question paper be lost?" Li Wei patted his head and said frustratedly: "I don't like to read because I don't like to study, how much training I have eaten from the fourth master, and I still don't change-" As if he remembered something, he reached out and touched the page of his boots, pulled out a roll of paper, shook it open, and wrapped it outside was a pawn ticket, revealing a Xue Tao note inside, Li Wei smiled happily: "There is!" When he unfolded it, it turned out that "Yan knows that the person who comes is not now" - it turns out that he mistook the word "Yan" for the word "horse". Everyone couldn't help laughing, Li Wei smiled and sweated, and said to Gao Qizhuo: "Go, test them!" ”

"Did you see those pawn tickets?" Wu Sidao sighed, looked at Li Wei's back and said, "The dog's character is good and smart. The fourth master told me that he only charged eight points of fire consumption - in fact, with such a low fire consumption, he couldn't afford to be a county official. If you read some more books, you will become a great tool in the future! Seeing that Dai Duo was silent, he asked, "What do you seem to have on your mind?" Why did you come to Sichuan? ”

Dai Duo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I came here the day before yesterday, and I have already met Nian Qianyao. Zhangzhou is short of horses to transport salt, and wants to come to Sichuan to buy tea and Qinghai to change horses. Tang Yao was very generous, and said that there was no need to be so troublesome, so he allocated 400 horses to me in the army. I went to his account room and saw that the New Year's gifts he gave to the eighth master and the fourth master were exactly the same in duplicate, and I felt very useless. Last night, I asked the back of the banquet, only to know that something happened to the thirteenth master! Wu Sidao smiled, his eyes flashed sharply, and asked, "What's wrong?" Dai Duo shook his head and said, "There is even more terrifying, Nian Qianyao told me that the crown prince has been deposed again, and the imperial court wants to publicly promote the eighth master into Yuqing Palace!" ”

"Does he have a newspaper?" Wu Sidao quickly calmed down from his extreme consternation, leaned back, looked at the ceiling and asked in a deep voice, "Or has the inner court issued a secret decree to supervise the towns to prepare to protect the capital?" Dai Duo said in a dull voice: "He didn't say, and I didn't ask." Nian Qianyao has become such a big official, who of us can be more favored by the fourth master than him? Even he quietly walked through the door of the eighth master, which shows the danger of the situation! Since you are here, I want to ask for a way, should this matter be reported to the fourth master? Wu Sidao thought deeply, his eyes were shining with a faint light, and he said for a long time: "You told me that you are treating me as a friend, and the way of friends and friends is righteous." The fourth master treats you well, and the fourth master has always been a person who will repay you. From which end, you must not be the fourth master from the outside. But the matter of the year is a small matter, and the most important thing is to stabilize the heart of the fourth master first! It is not too late to report on the year when the situation changes again. ”

Dai Duo stared at Wu Sidao, they had been friends for twenty years, and they knew that Wu Sidao's intelligence was far above him. After a long time, Dai Duofang muttered, "I listen to you." However, it is thousands of miles away, and the situation of the Jingshi is unknown, what can we do to help the fourth master? ”

"I didn't want to see Nian Lianggong, but it seems that I have to see him." Wu Sidao frowned, got up slowly, paced to the window and looked at the clear autumn sky outside, and said, "You will write a letter at this time, saying two meanings. 1. When you crossed Wuyi Mountain, you saw a man with profound morals, and secretly asked him with the master's eight characters, and he said that it was 'ten thousand characters'. Second, you saw me in Chengdu, and said that I would immediately return to Beijing to become a counselor, saying that I watched the sky at night, and that there was a small misfortune under the eyes of the fourth master, please keep it quietly - ten days before the date of payment, let the fourth master believe that you don't know that something happened in Beijing. Dai Duo spread the paper and ink, and said: "The letter is easy to write, how to send it?" Wu Sidao didn't look back, and said, "Call the dog to think about it." Dai Duo asked, "Then what happened to you when you saw Nian Qianyao?" ”

Wu Sidao turned around abruptly and said coldly: "I want him to know that turning against him at this time is tantamount to suicide." Let him know that the fourth master has his deadly handle in his hands! I want him to send troops to escort me on a starry night, rush back to Beijing, and return to the fourth master! Dai Duo was about to speak, but when he saw Li Wei coming in from the second gate with a smile on his face, he stopped and buried himself in writing. Wu Sidao didn't wait for Li Wei to enter the door, and said: "Dog, there is an important letter that must be sent back to Beijing within five days, is there anything you can do?" ”

"Yes." Li Wei replied without hesitation, baring his teeth and smiling, "I took all the pocket watches that the fourth master rewarded me, and I just bought a Sichuan horse." Hey, you can walk 800 in a day! Now that I'm poor, Cui'er complained, ......'' "Okay! Wu Sidao clapped his hands and smiled, "Just call your master!" Call him, and I have something to say!" ”

On the fourth watch of the night, Wu Sidao left Nian Qianyao Xingyuan, went down to Chongqing, took Xiangyang Wanluo, and went north to Beijing from the Handan Ancient Road. The more than a dozen Goshha who saw them off were all poor men who carried the sliding pole on the Sichuan Road, and they were not a problem to walk, and they had never seen such a wide master as Wu Sidao, and they were rewarded with one hundred taels of silver when they got up in a sedan chair every day, and one hundred taels of silver when they got off the sedan chair. As far as this happens, I also walked for 20 days to Fengtai, a suburb of Beijing.

"It's finally here!" Wu Sidao was helped out of the sedan chair with difficulty, looking at the sun, just after the appearance of Shenshi, it was estimated that Zhou Yongcheng was still waiting at Zhengyang Gate as promised, so he called the escort of the military leader, and said with a smile: "I am born to accept your trip, and the errand is well done." You've sent me to the place. But you can't stop here, and you can't go to Beijing to see the world at the feet of the Son of Heaven, so you have to return immediately. The military leader looked at this inexplicable guest and said with a smile: "There is a general's order in the military gate of Nian, and everything is subject to Mr. Wu's dispatch." So said sir, we will go south tonight. But the gentleman has to give us a word, and go back so that we can make proof of payment. Wu Sidao smiled and said, "I thought of this last night." You return this letter to the Nian Liang work, and there is about a reward, I said in the letter, the brothers go back for a holiday and rest. After that, he took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to the military leader, and said, "Don't worry! I changed to two people to carry it, and I entered the city before it got dark. ”

Wu Sidao called a warm sedan chair from the Fengtai bar room and marched towards the city. The sedan chair man in Beijing is not as good as the foreign government and other states, there is a system for every gesture, he walks slowly, he pays attention to a slow and steady manner, and the tea on the sedan table cannot be splashed, and there is really a world of difference between the dry sons and the Han people. At this time, it is already in the autumn season, the mountain outside the sedan chair is dyed with red maple, the water is wet with cold waves, the cold hits people after the heavy rain in Beijing, the cold waves of the ponds on the side of the road are rippling, the reeds are swaying, and there is a scene of slaughter. Wu Sidao didn't want to watch it, but only thought about it in a daze: How can we sort out such a chaotic political situation? Did Gao Qizhuo and Zhou Yongcheng catch up? If you can't see Zhou Yongcheng, should you go directly to Prince Yong's mansion, or wait another day? …… Thinking wildly, the sedan chair has entered the city, and at first glance, he saw the gray and gloomy Xibianmen arrow tower standing in the west wind and crows, Wu Sidao's heart couldn't help but move, but he stretched out his head and said: "Benzhengyangmen Guandi Temple." ”

Wu Sidao got off the sedan chair in front of Zhengyang Gate, and it was already twilight. Here Guandi Temple is connected to the Great Corridor Temple, a large area to the north is the flower market, the most lively place, look back, but see the sunset wine selling, the singers on the head of the building are about to come and go, the stars have gradually ignited a "dead wind" lamp, all over the streets, everywhere are selling late snacks and endless people, where is the shadow of Kan'er? When he was looking forward to it, he heard someone behind him laugh and say, "Mr. Wu, tell me to wait!" ”

"It's ink rain!" When Wu Sidao turned around, he saw that it was Mo Yu, the little girl in Yinzhen's study, and couldn't help but feel relieved, and said with a smile, "Where are you hiding?" Let me look here and see through it! Can't Zhou Yongcheng come out? Mo Yu is a little younger than Kan'er, and he is also very smart, and said with a smile: "Zhou Tou'er and I have been waiting for four days in turn!" I saw it as soon as you got off the sedan chair, because Gao Fuer was upstairs with a **, and he was afraid that he would see it, so he didn't dare to come out for a while. Wu Si said: "I don't want to see him either, let's go." ”

Mo Yu walked east in front of him, and said: "It's all settled, and the old store of the Song family in front of you has wrapped the innermost one into the yard." When you come back, you don't see the fourth master, and you don't even touch your head - how comfortable it is to live in your home! Wu Sidao followed closely and said, "You remember one sentence, adults are not comfortable, and they are not adults." If I want to be comfortable, I probably can't stand being poor in business. While saying that he had already entered the store, Mo Yu instructed the shopkeeper: "Our master is here, boil some water, hot rice wine, and bring dinner in - Master Wu, please, the landlord lives warmly, and the kang is hot." As soon as Wu Sidao sat down, a hot towel had already been delivered, and while he was talking, the shopkeeper also brought over dinner—a pot of hot rice wine, a large bowl of mutton ramen, four plates of side dishes, and a few sesame shortbread.

"Rice wine and side dishes, you eat it." Wu Sidao rubbed his face and washed his feet, sat cross-legged on the kang, and said, "I only use this mutton noodles." As soon as I drink, I can't stay up all night - have you brought something? Mo Yu was also hungry, and while gobbling up, he pointed to a package on the head of the kang and said: "This month's Di report, as well as the ministry documents approved by the fourth master and the recitals approved by the emperor, are all in it. Zhou Yongcheng said that Mr. Wu would be sent back to the study during the day. Which one of the four masters can't be taken out, it's amazing! Wu Sidao nodded and smiled: "That's natural, but with me in my pocket, I won't make you suffer." ”

After the two of them had eaten for a while, Wu Sidao read the package, took out the catalog one by one, and asked slowly: "How is the fourth master feeling recently, is his body and bones okay?" Mo Yu smiled and said, "You are really hard to guess!" I thought that you must have asked this the first sentence of the meeting, and I didn't ask it until now! Wu Sidao said coldly: "Then I am a mediocre person." What I was most anxious to know was this stack of papers! ”

"The fourth master is in good health, but he has a big temper." Mo Yu sat on the edge of the kang and said, "When I saw that people didn't speak, I always stretched my face, so scared that my family hid when they saw him far away." The two masters of Xingyin Wenjue also had a tense face a few days ago, and last time in Qingyuzhai I heard them ask the fourth master: 'Does Mr. Wu have a letter?' The fourth master sneered and said, "You ask me, what do you eat?" I haven't seen the fourth master attack like this, two masters! It's all your fault, what are you doing in Beijing? Come back and don't see the fourth master! Wu Sidao didn't reply, he held two scrolls in his hand and compared them under the candle, and then said for a long time: "You just say, what else?" Mo Yu said with a smile: "From that high thing, the fourth master feels more down-to-earth in his heart, and he is not so fierce." A few days ago, I had a fever on my body, and I had to go to the ministry to do errands and meet people. The fourth master chatted with the surname Gao for two hours, and had a night dinner with them - I haven't seen anyone with such dignity in all these years! Later, I found out that you were coming back, and the strange fourth master came to the door every day these days to ask if you had a letter - you are actually the backbone of this Yongwang Mansion! Good Master Wu, go back quickly! ”

Wu Sidao listened quietly, put the Chinese book in his hand on the kang table, took a long breath, and said, "Very good." You can't stay here long. Go back and tell Zhou Yongcheng that he won't be here either, and ask Xingyin to send the daily mansion newspaper to me to see. You and Zhou Yongcheng and Wen Jue will accompany the fourth master more, and I will go back to the house in two days at most. I've got to sort these things out, and I'll see you again. Mo Yu said with a smile: "I discussed with Zhou Tou'er, I won't go back when I receive you, he will ask Gao Fu'er for leave on my behalf." You have inconvenient legs and feet, and you can't do it without a waiter by your side. You live in the back room, and I sleep outside, and I can say hello when I have something. With that, he withdrew. Wu Sidao studied the imperial court's newspaper volumes one by one in the room, until dawn, and Fang rested on the pillow for a while.

For four days in a row, Wu Sidao did not leave the old store of the Song family an inch, Wen Jue Xingyin ran around non-stop day long, inquiring about the news of the elder brothers of the palace, or even who played what play, who invited, which emperor and grandson celebrated his birthday, and who gave gifts These details were all summarized and reported to Wu Sidao for his reference, Zhou Yongcheng secretly commanded the scholars in the east and west studies of Yongwang's mansion to go out to inquire about the news, and accompanied Yinzhen to the ministry every day to do things and meet people, but also rigorous.

On the sixth day, Wu Sidao already had his own idea, got up early in the morning, rinsed his mouth with green salt, and said to Mo Yu with a smile: "You find me a small sedan chair, let's go back to the house today." Mo Yu had already wished for his voice, and as soon as he slipped out of the smoke, he called a sedan chair wrapped around the vine and said: "Mr. has been in this house for a few days, and the weather is fine today, so it is more refreshing to sit on this breathless wind." Wu Sidao nodded with satisfaction, got into the sedan chair, but said, "Go out of Chaoyang Gate first!" ”

"Aren't you going back to Lama Temple?" Mo Yu was stunned for a moment and said, "Outside the Chaoyang Gate is the Eighth Master's Mansion!" Wu Sidao smiled, urged to get up the sedan chair, and said, "I just want to see what the scene is like in the Eighth Master's Mansion." Mo Yu had no choice but to follow, but he was full of suspicion.

Stay to the canal wharf outside Chaoyang Gate, only to pass the Chen Zhengshi card, because the canal river surface has been covered with thin ice, there are few people on the wharf, the majestic and magnificent Eight Kings Mansion opposite the wharf is full of traffic, the crown is like a cloud, a pannier sedan chair, a sedan chair, a warm sedan chair, a mule car, a sedan car from the door to discharge the old distance, some of the servants of each family eat tea and snacks under the shed in front of the wall, some gossip and put the dragon gate array, some bask in the soft sunshine, catch lice, all kinds of different colors. Wu Sidao came down from a distance, looked at the canal, glanced at the sealed Wanyong pawnshop, a grim smile flashed on his face, and stared at the gate of the new Eight Kings' Mansion without saying a word. Mo Yu smiled: "What does he have to see at this gate, Baba is standing here and watching?" ”

"Something is wrong." Wu Sidao groaned, "Wen Jue said the day before yesterday that the eighth master didn't see guests, why is it so lively?" You go over and inquire. Mo Yu promised to go to the wall and came back, and said with a smile: "It turns out that today is the birthday of the Eight Blessings." There were no officials to worship, but all the wives, uncles, and cousins of the prefectures came to worship their birthdays. Wu Sidao smiled and didn't squeak, and sure enough, he saw a group of flowery women resigning from the gate, some of them were still wearing commandment clothes, and everyone took a group of girls and old women, chattering and getting on the sedan chair, and leaving with Xiao Xiao. Wu Sidao stood and watched for a while, took a long breath, and said, "Let's go back." Just about to go back to the sedan chair, he saw a girl coming from the west, holding a bag in her hand, and walked straight to Wu Sidao's side, squatting Wanfu, and asked, "Is the surname Wu here?" Wu Sidao nodded stiffly and asked, "Who are you?" What's the matter? ”

"Our wife said that she looked at you like one of her relatives," said the girl, "since your surname is Wu, you must not be wrong, please take a step to speak." "Let's get my hands done. Wu Sidao followed hesitantly, and saw a red felt warm sedan chair parked in front of him, only two old mothers were followed by the sedan chair, Wu Sidao did not have time to speak, the sedan curtain flashed, and a young woman in her twenties wore a rose purple jacket and a green and yellow pleated skirt and stepped out of the sedan chair, squatted on Wu Sidao's knees, and timidly called "cousin". When Wu Sidao looked at it, the apricot eyes, willow eyebrows, and a cinnabar mole next to the slightly upturned corner of the mouth were not Jin Fenggu, who was it? ——Immediately stunned, after a long time, he said without knowing what to say: "Yes...... Is that you? ”

Jin Fenggu's dark eyes stared at Wu Sidao, for a long time, she lowered her head and sighed silently, and said on tiptoe: "Well, I heard that my cousin is in the Fourth Master's Mansion?" ”

"Hmm."

"My cousin looks fine."

"Hmm."

The two of them replied, and both stared at the cold surface of the canal. After a while, Jin Fenggu muttered again: "There is something I have always wanted to ask, you ...... Why did it rain so hard that day...... Leaving without saying a word? ”

"Do you ask this?" Wu Sidao sneered, "Because I want to run for my life!" The fish on the anvil are still bouncing - what, are you still a little unwilling? I'm afraid I'm not going to be so convenient now. You are the one who gives birth to men, and I am also the one who has the Lord. What do you want to see me? Jin Fenggu lowered her head, tears rolled in her eyes, and said, "...... I'm sorry for you in this life, and I don't want to ask for your forgiveness. I don't know about you men, and I don't dare to ask. But I know that the fourth master is not easy to mess with. My cousin's family is not poor, I just want to persuade my cousin to go back, even if he cultivates and studies, and he will be safe. Beijing is not a good place to live - your body...... Already disabled, still ...... What's the picture? If you don't get entangled-" Before he finished speaking, Wu Sidao suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed, and said, "You want to send me back to Wuxi with a gift?" Thank you for your attention! I am just a crippled person, and there is one more me and one less me in the world, and I have nothing to do with others. The fourth master raised me and the eighth master raised me, in short, it was just grinding ink and holding inkstones to talk about it to relieve boredom. If you relax, even if the four masters are full of trouble, they can't be connected to the head of the Qingke. ”

Jin Fenggu lowered her head, knowing that Wu Sidao was incomprehensible about herself, and she couldn't talk deeply in front of the ink rain, so she sighed and said softly: "Take care, cousin." After a while, he silently got into the sedan chair and left. Mo Yu turned his face when he saw Wu Si say goodbye, and just looked at the river with a cane, so he said, "This is Mr. Cousin?" Whose wife is it? ”

"She's a freak. Women, if you marry a chicken, you will follow the chicken, and if you marry a dog, you will follow the dog, what is there to say? Wu Sidao smiled coldly, glanced at the sedan chair that was getting farther and farther away, and said, "Let's go, go back to my Fengwan Pavilion." ”

Yinzhen returned to the house from the upper study in the afternoon. Originally, the emperor had finished breakfast, and the political affairs had already been discussed. According to the rules of weekdays, after the discussion, he still has to go to the Ministry of Household and Criminal Affairs to listen to the affairs of the court officials, and arrange tomorrow's official business, before he is willing to return home, but today he is particularly irritable, in the study and Zhang Tingyu Maqi, the third elder brother Yinzhi, the ninth elder brother Yinyu, and the fourteenth elder brother Yinzhi wrote a ticket one by one according to Kangxi's will, Yinzhi talked at length about his compilation of "Ancient and Modern Books Collection", everyone listened to it with relish, Yinzhi asked irresponsible questions, Yinzhi gags, they were all full of pride, I couldn't sit still, so I resigned and went home in advance. Because he saw several elders at the door gathering in the door hole to play the finch card, Yinzhen stepped down from the horse stone, gave the reins to Zhou Yongcheng and paced over, standing outside the circle, silent. Zhou Yongcheng knew that he was going to be angry, so he shouted beside him: "You are all dead dogs!" Didn't see the master come back? When did the Yongwang Mansion have this rule? ”

When several family members heard this, they were caught off guard and saw this cold-faced prince who was not afraid of everyone in the government and the opposition standing in front of them, and they were suddenly frightened, and they were so frightened that they didn't do anything with their hands and feet holding cards with a scorched face. It was easy to come back to his senses, throw the cards into the brazier and kneel together. Si Yan's old yellow head kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Fourth master, it's okay for a long time, just forget the rules of the fourth master, we don't dare anymore!" ”

"Don't dare again?" Yin Zhen snorted, "You already dare, do you want to 'again'?" - What about Gao Fuer? Call him! The little guards on the second door saw that the entourage on the door kowtowed like pounding garlic one by one, and couldn't return Yinzhen's words, so they hurriedly ran over and knelt down and said: "The executive's family went out early after eating, saying that they went to buy books for the prince, and they haven't come back yet!" Yin Zhen was about to speak, and coldly saw the three brothers of Hongshi Hongli coming out of the moon cave door of the West Garden, tiptoeing to avoid himself and going to the east study, he was angry and funny, and shouted: "Stop!" Come here! ”

The three brothers glanced at each other, so they had to stand, rub over, and stand with their hands down. Yin Zhen sneered and said, "It's very good! I'm busy with state affairs outside, my family fights cards, I go to the garden, I walk the street, there are no king bees! Hongli saw that the faces of the two elder brothers were pale and silent, so he knelt down and said with a smile: "The prince blamed us for being wrong." Originally, they were all studying in the east study, but Mo Yu came to say that Wu Shibo was back. The prince is not here, for fear of snubbing Wu Shibo, we will ...... in the past"

"Mr. Wu is back?" Yin Zhen perked up, and immediately threw everyone's mistakes out of the clouds, his brows trembled slightly, and regardless of the length of everyone, he shook his hand and entered the moon cave door, Zhou Yongcheng made a grimace to everyone and hurriedly followed.

Yin Zhen hurriedly entered the garden, stepped through a bamboo forest, and saw Wu Sidao standing in front of the pavilion steps waiting. He stood still, carefully looked at Wu Sidao, who had a calm look, took a step forward, hesitated what he wanted to say and stopped, nodded with a reserved smile, and said, "Mr. Wu, it's been a long time!" The bones of the body seem to be stronger than when they left Beijing. ”

"Please Fourth Master!" Wu Sidao arched his hand, he was also carefully examining Yinzhen, from head to toe was still clean and neat, only his face was pale, his eyes were a little dark, and he smiled: "There is just a fire in the house, the charcoal is too heavy, how about I accompany the fourth master to walk in the garden?" Yinzhen nodded, motioned to Zhou Yongcheng to hug Wu Sidao, and walked among the weeping willows with fallen leaves. Both of them are very deep people, relying on each other, and they both have a down-to-earth and warm intimate heart, but they haven't spoken for a long time. After walking two arrows, Yin Zhenfang breathed a sigh of relief, and Wu Sidao asked, "Fourth Master, you are very worried?" ”

Yinzhen folded a wicker, looked at the silver carp swimming slowly in the pool, and said heavily: "In the past, the Donglin people had a union, 'the wind and rain, the sound of reading, the sound of the ear; State affairs, family affairs, world affairs, everything is concerned. 'The situation is so difficult, can I not be anxious?' Alas...... To tell you the truth, I have been living like a year for a while, and I am like walking alone through a dark alley, with no one to talk to, no one to ask, no one to point to the maze, and I don't know where the end is. The wind is urgent, the weather is cold, and the road is dark...... What am I like? After that, there was another long sigh, "I'm afraid you'll never come back, or—"

"Or you won't come back, will you?" Wu Sidao smiled dumbly, and sighed: "The prince treats me as a friend, and the broken bones are just ordinary retribution, how dare you be reluctant?" It's been five days since I returned to Beijing! ”

Yin Zhen suddenly stood on his feet and looked at Wu Sidao in surprise. Wu Sidao said slowly: "I learned about the changes in Beijing in Sichuan, so I began to collect the palace newspaper and court documents, and after returning to Beijing, I read all the case files in the fourth master's study. With sincerity, ink rain, Wenjue, and sexual voice, he listened to the information for me, and I already knew everything about the situation! Today, the court decreed that Hei Shuozhe, the eighth master, was the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, Zhang Tingshu, who had protected the eighth master, was the secretary of the Ministry of Works, and the third elder brother's disciple He Shou became the governor of Jiangnan - the fourth master returned to the house so early, are you worried about these things? Yin Zhen was stunned for a moment, shook his head and said: "These ordinary things in the sea are not related to my pain and itch. But when I went to the study, he didn't take care of me beforehand, and he didn't ask my opinion afterwards, and his deaf ears were placed there, and I, the prince in charge, had no taste! Wu Sidouge said with a smile: "The fourth master keeps saying that he wants to be an 'idler' every day, but now he is seeking benevolence, but he is not comfortable?" Yinzhen was teased by him and smiled, and sighed: "Although I have no ambition, I still want to go straight to the end, and I don't want the rats to laugh at me." ”

"It's too dark." Wu Sidao said abruptly. Seeing Yinzhen staring at himself, he said: "The fourth master just said that crossing the alley is very interesting, in fact, the fourth master has already walked out of the alley, but it is too dark, and you can't see your five fingers, you think you are still in the alley!" Fourth master, unconsciously, the emperor has changed the law, can't you see it? Yin Zhen suddenly stopped his steps and looked at Wu Sidao in amazement. Wu Sidao's slender fingers were staggered, and he said: "Long live has received the imperial power, all the holy bows are dictatorial, all the elder brothers have stripped off the right to be a counselor, leaving only the right to do things, and the study is just to deal with court affairs according to the order." Otherwise, it will be difficult to stabilize the situation! Yin Zhen nodded and said, "I can see this, but this is not a 'change'." Kangxi was like this forty-two years ago. "It's different." Wu Sidao smiled and said, "The previous time I delegated power, in order to train the prince; This time, in order to inspect all the elder brothers' academic knowledge. Long live, he is determined not to make a prince! ”

Yin Zhen's whole body shook, as if an extremely bright light passed through his mind, and then he fell into deep thought.

"There are at least three benefits to doing this." Wu Sidao paced slowly, and said slowly, "First, the imperial power can be monopolized, and government affairs will not be obstructed; The incompetence of the crown prince is detrimental to the emperor's governance, and the crown prince is shrewd and capable, and it is easy to compete with the emperor, which is not good for the emperor, the court, the society, and the people. ”

"Hmm."

"Second, it can be avoided that the Agora gang will form factions and form parties for personal gain. If the crown prince is not established, the courtiers do not know who will be able to succeed to the unification in the future, so they will not dare to easily get involved in the party struggle of the elder brother. ”

"Hmm."

"Three," Wu Sidao's eyes were blazing, "The emperor has Fang Bud inside, and Zhang Tingyu and Ma Qi are in charge of government affairs, so you can rest assured that the brothers will do their own errands, he stands on a high place, carefully examines the conduct and ability of your masters, and selects the most satisfactory elder brother to take over this Ninety-Five Honor for more than a lifetime!" ”

Yin Zhen was like an initiation so far, his heart was full of light, and he smiled: "It's really true." It's ridiculous that the old eight are stupid, and they are full of thoughts about entering Yuqing Palace! According to this point of view, whoever is the prince has a stronger heart, who will have bad luck! It is in line with the essence of a Buddhist sentence - fight is not to fight, not to fight is to fight! ”

"Wonderful!" Wu Sidao clasped his palms and sighed, "I can't think about these eight words, after all, the fourth master is very fond of Lingxiu!" Please rest assured, the destiny of heaven is where the number is, who can't reverse it! Yinzhen smiled and smiled, and then sank down, he thought of the thirteenth elder brother Yinxiang. Wu Sidao only said: "The fourth master thought: If the prince is really established, can everyone in the study be so at ease? The edict has already come down! What is the fault of the Thirteenth Master? Imprisoned! Aren't you afraid that he will 'fight' for the fourth master outside?! ”

This crooked hit was right, just hitting Yinzhen's deepest worries, one day the dark clouds dissolved cleanly, stunned for a moment, and only after a while: "Split the side door today, only to see the bright moon like washing!" ”