After the meeting was over, Zhou Jun found Fan Jinian and asked the latter to accompany him out.
Fan Jinian sat in the carriage and asked Zhou Jun: "Mr. Zhou, where are we going?"
Zhou Jun looked out the window and said, "We will know when Mr. Fan arrives."
Fan Jinian thought for a moment and asked another matter: "Our family heard that many people came to ask for help from Zhou Erlang in the court hall today?"
Zhou Jun: "When the Tang army conquered Chang'an and the capital of the Tang Dynasty was restored, some people relied on their status and couldn't wait to get a share of the pie. This is normal."
Fan Jinian: "Among the visitors, are there not only prominent members of the gentry, but also members of the clan?"
Zhou Jun: "Those prominent gentry in Guanzhong, Hedong, and Hebei know very well that if they come alone, I will never be able to confer officials on them. Only by recruiting elders from the clan and holding up a tiger skin as a banner can I do so."
There’s a chance it can happen.”
Fan Jinian: "My family doesn't understand one thing. Why do the members of the clan hang out with those traitors and rebel officials? But as long as the Li and Tang royal family has a fiefdom and a good reputation, why should they come to Chang'an to wade into such troubled waters?"
Zhou Jun could understand Fan Jinian's implication, but this matter was not as simple as the latter thought.
Zhou Jun explained carefully: "Does Mr. Fan still remember what I told you about the power of the world?"
Fan Jinian nodded and said, "Remember."
Zhou Jun: "The nobles and nobles in the world first defected to the Southern Tang Dynasty and then to the Yan State. They were seeking nothing more than profit. The clan has always been closely related to the nobles and nobles. It can be said that both prospered and suffered. The interests of the clan depended on a certain method.
In a sense, it is actually the interests of the noble clan. Therefore, after Chang'an was pacified, these surrendered ministers and nobles came to Hanyuan Palace to seek officials. It was more of a test than a consultation."
Fan Jinian: "Testing?"
Zhou Jun: "The reason why the Northern Tang Dynasty was at odds with the noble families was firstly because of my origin, and secondly because of the military control of the border vassals. They naturally understand these principles, but the group of people who came today wanted to involve the clan.
Let’s try to see if we can suppress Beitang’s momentum with the help of the royal family’s majesty.”
"Those people in the palace today think that I, Zhou Jun, come from a humble background. Even if I marry a princess, I am just a prince-in-law. Even if I break the rules, I will be trampled under the feet of the royal family. In the eyes of those high-ranking families, as long as the clan intervenes,
, so because of Li Tang’s face, I will definitely ease the relationship between Beitang and the clan... After all, in their eyes, no matter how powerful I, Zhou Jun, am, I am just a slave."
When Zhou Jun said these words, his tone was calm, but when Fan Jinian heard it, it sounded like a stormy sea, and his whole body trembled.
Fan Ji has lived in Liangcheng for a long time, so he naturally knows everything that happens in Liangzhou.
Ever since the Bloody Night in Liangcheng, Zhou Jun had completely blocked the sky with one hand in the Liangcheng court. Not to mention some of the clan's side branches, even Li Longji's biological children would step aside and bow to Zhou Jun when they saw him on the road.
He bowed and addressed himself as Prime Minister.
It's ridiculous that these clan members in Chang'an are still clinging to Zhou Jun's status as consort, always thinking that they are superior to others, and even want to force Zhou Jun to reconcile with the clan in the name of the royal clan.
After being silent for a while, Fan Jillian asked in a low voice: "What are you going to do on Tuesday?"
Seeing the fear on Fan Jinian's face, Zhou Jun turned his head to the window again and said, "What exactly am I going to do... Mr. Fan will know where we went today."
When Fan Jinian heard this, he didn't dare to ask any more questions.
The carriage drove along the long street for a long time. When the wheels finally stopped, Fan Jinian looked out from the window and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Why is this here?!"
The place where the carriage stopped was the Chunming Gate where he first entered Chang'an.
Zhou Jun got off the carriage, and when Fan Jinian saw this, he hurriedly stooped and walked out.
Under the escort of a group of military guards, Zhou Jun climbed onto the tower of Chunming Gate and came to a city wall.
Compared with other places, that city wall has obvious traces of fire burning. There are dark marks everywhere on the ground. Even if it is washed with soapy water, it cannot be washed away.
A Tang military lieutenant who had been waiting on the city wall for a long time saw Zhou Jun approaching, knelt down on one knee and said, "Prime Minister, he is right there."
Zhou Jun nodded, stepped a few steps faster, and came to a corner of the city wall.
Fan Jinian looked closely and saw an old beggar with cloudy eyes, a stooped body and ragged clothes sitting in the corner.
Zhou Jun said to the old beggar: "Uncle Fu, I'm back."
When the old beggar heard this, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
Almost blind, he knelt on the ground, fumbled to touch Zhou Jun's boots, and cried with joy: "Zhou Lang, is it Zhou Jun?!"
Zhou Jun knelt down and patted Uncle Fu's hand: "Yes, it's me."
Fan Jinian looked on with confusion, and after asking some questions, he learned that the old beggar in front of him was actually Yu Fu, an old servant of Pang Zhonghe's family.
At that time, Pang Zhonghe had a house in Shengyefang.
Zhou Jun was a slave Yalang at the beginning, and he used to go around asking for slave orders.
At that time, as the concierge, the person who introduced Zhou Jun to Pang Zhonghe was Yu Fu.
Fan Jinian sighed after hearing this. Then he looked at the city wall of Chunming Gate. Suddenly his eyes widened and he said in a trembling voice: "This place...could it be Pang Gong...?"
Zhou Jun nodded: "Back then, the emperor, his concubine, and the Yang family fled. When all the officials in the court heard that his majesty had abandoned the city, they all began to pack up their belongings and try their best to escape from Chang'an. No one in the defenders or guards was willing to go into battle to kill the enemy.
.Only Mr. Pang, wearing armor, sitting in a wheelchair, accompanied by an elderly servant and a group of private soldiers, came to Chunming Gate to fight alone."
"On the day the city was broken, Pang Gong took Ping Po, dozens of troops including Qiu Yong, and some common people to drive back the enemy with arrows. After all, they were single and weak, and could only hold back the Yan army for a moment.
Around 20 minutes later, the city gate was captured. The Yan army slashed and killed all those who participated in the defense of the city, and finally set fire to the place."
While Fan Jinian was listening, he looked back at the dark traces on the city wall. For a moment, he burst into tears and cried loudly.
Yu Fu burst into tears and took Zhou Jun and said: "Chang'an is in danger. Before leaving, Pang Gong was still talking about Erlang. He said to the old slave, stay here. If you are lucky enough to see Zhou Lang someday, remember to hand over the items.
…”
Zhou Jun supported Yu Fu, feeling heavy in his heart, and whispered: "What object?"
Yu Fu: "I buried all those items next to the master's tomb."
Zhou Jun: "Take me there."
Under Yu Fu's guidance, Zhou Jun started from Chunmingmen and walked north for five miles, and finally found a raised mound in a deserted forest.
Yu Fu was digging the soil with his hands under a tree next to the mound and said: "Back then, the master's family died in battle on the city tower, and the bodies were mixed with other people. The burned ones couldn't tell each other apart. Old slaves
We can only secretly transport them all here and dig a joint tomb."
Zhou Jun looked forward, and a group of personal guards came forward to help Yu Fu dig under the tree.
Yu Fu took out a small wooden box from it, wiped off the dust on it with his hands, and finally presented it to Zhou Jun solemnly.
The latter opened the wooden box and found that there were many items sealed in cloth bags.
Opening one of the bags, Zhou Jun found that there were a lot of packed shoe soles, piano scores and other items inside, which naturally belonged to Po Ping.
At that time, the famous Liyuan musician in Chang'an was demoted to Sinong Temple because of his mistakes. Then he followed Pang Zhonghe by mistake, and finally died generously at Chunmingmen.
Zhou Jun's heart aches every time he thinks of Po Ping.
When I came to Datang, the first person I saw was her.
After putting down Ping Po's belongings, Zhou Jun picked up another cloth bag, which contained many books and letters.
The first volume among them is a calligraphy book, which is full of Pang Zhonghe's handwriting. It was given to Zhou Xiao to use for rubbing and copying.
The second one was a letter, but it was written by Pang Zhonghe to Zhou Jun.
Open the letter, the full text of which is as follows:
On the day of Erlang's marriage, Pang was already dead.
Pang's life was nothing more than three things.
One.
The saints, courtiers, and nobles abandon Chang'an without caring, abandon the people like worn shoes, the mountains and rivers are broken, and the country will perish.
Pang's broken body had no roots and no descendants. He was ashamed of his ancestors and had no descendants to support him. He could only serve the country and protect the people with his body. Although he died in a small way, he still achieved something.
Second.
Empress Zhenshun was a descendant of the Wu family, who was hated by the courtiers because Wu Zhou was in power. As a slave of the Wu family, Pang tried his best to keep the Wu family prosperous and lived up to the kindness of the master's family. This was the right thing to do.
Third.
When Pang met Zhou Erlang for the first time, he realized that there were people in the world who could emulate the style of ancient sages.
Benevolence, loyalty, filial piety, propriety and trust, righteousness, diligence, chastity and wisdom.
Erlang possesses all the ten virtues of ancient sages.
It is truly a lifelong blessing that Pang can get to know Erlang and help Erlang ascend.
The common people look at the clouds and see the clouds, but it is difficult to make objects in the pond. Morning and evening, Erlang must ride the wind and dive into the clouds, swim in the moon and welcome the sun.
Pang only hoped that Erlang could stop the war in the world, stabilize the country, and the people would no longer suffer from the disaster of war.
At this point, Pang Zhonghe's final work was exhausted and he came to an end.
After reading this letter, Zhou Jun, who had not shown his emotions for a long time, closed his eyes in pain, and tears burst out of his eyes uncontrollably, wetting the letter paper in his hand.
This chapter has been completed!