Chapter 206: Sitting in the well and watching the sky
Evening.
The sunset is like a fire, so beautiful.
Cui Hongjian carried two kilograms of mutton and a fresh fish and walked home with a sad face.
The old father-in-law was imprisoned unjustly. As a son-in-law, Cui Hongjian said that he was not in a hurry, which was a lie.
But he was humble and understated. Before he resigned due to illness, he was just a low-ranking official. Now that he is resigning due to illness, it is even worse. He went to the Ministry of Punishment Prison several times, but he was not even allowed to enter. In the past, he was not allowed to enter.
My classmates and friends there are also trying to avoid him.
After a few days, Cui Hongjian started to mutter a little.
He knew what his old father-in-law was like, and Cui Hongjian didn't believe him when he said he was corrupt and perverting the law.
Nowadays, people are being held in the Ministry of Punishment Prison without being interrogated or visited. As time goes by, the more I think about it, the more something is wrong.
"Um?"
When I arrived at the door of my house, I saw that the door was open.
Looking further inside, I saw a young man sitting on his imperial chair under the osmanthus tree in the yard.
"Brother Zhang!"
After just one glance, Cui Hongjian was overjoyed and trotted towards him: "Brother, when did you come?"
"I just arrived."
There was a smile on Zhang Heng's face, and he looked Cui Hongjian up and down, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "I haven't seen you for a few months, you have changed a lot!"
Cui Hongjian laughed and said: "I have been working in the Hanlin Academy since high school. I keep reading books every day, listen to the teachings of sages, and cultivate the spirit of a gentleman. I am no longer a monk under Wu."
Zhang Heng nodded silently.
In the past, Cui Hongjian was just an ordinary scholar, one who was full of nonsense.
Now, there is an awe-inspiring feeling about him, and before anyone arrives, there is the fragrance of books on his face. This is a sign that Confucianism and Taoism have entered the family. If things continue like this, Cui Hongjian is very likely to become a great Confucian in the future.
"Hanlin Academy!"
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism each have their own merits.
Great Confucian scholars also have merits. They cultivate a majestic spirit that is enough to suppress ghosts and monsters and drink Taoist magic.
However, it is extremely difficult to achieve this step, and a casual scholar will never have the chance.
Unless you come from a Confucian and Taoist family, or have real talents and practical knowledge, you are admitted to the Hanlin Academy, and then learn Confucian methods from the Hanlin Academy.
Cui Hongjian took the second step and entered the Imperial Academy.
Taizu Taizu of Dasong once issued an edict: Those who are not members of the Imperial Academy are not allowed to become prime ministers.
People who are not from the Hanlin Academy cannot become chief ministers or prime ministers, so there is another saying among the people: it is difficult for people who are not from the Hanlin Academy to become great Confucians.
Of course, this is only for poor families.
The situation is different for children of aristocratic families. Some people come from ancient sage families, and their internal inheritance is enough to support them in entering the realm of great Confucianism.
In addition, there is a custom of intermarriage among aristocratic families, so it is not an exaggeration to say that there are great Confucians from generation to generation.
However, there is a big difference between a great scholar from a wealthy family and a great scholar from a humble family.
They were not trained by the dynasty.
In their view, the change of dynasty is like the change between spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is difficult to be loyal to the court, and they pay more attention to family interests, because they, a family of saints, have survived thousands of years of ups and downs and are in harmony with themselves.
Comparatively, those so-called dynasties are just bubbles under the water.
"Ms. sir, you are back."
inside the room.
After hearing the conversation in the courtyard, Fu Qingfeng came out and said, "Did you see your father when you went to the Penal Department Prison this time?"
"Why!"
Cui Hongjian shook his head and sighed: "No matter how I interceded, relied on connections, and stuffed my money with money, the guards from the Ministry of Punishment just refused to let me in, not even saying a word. I even went to beg Mr. Sun today. Mr. Sun is my father-in-law.
My friend during his lifetime was a second-grade Grand Bachelor of Guanwendian, but he also kept silent about this matter, as if he had something to hide."
Fu Qingfeng cried when he heard this: "Master Sun feels embarrassed and refuses to help. Who else in the world can help us?"
While crying, I secretly went to see Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng seemed not to have heard of it.
It's not the first day he came out to fool around. These little tricks are not enough to coax the children back home.
"It's useless for me. If something like this happens to my father-in-law, I can't help at all."
Cui Hongjian didn't know what his wife was thinking, and he blamed himself for a moment: "It would be great if I were the number one scholar in the new science. The number one scholar was given a badge to walk in front of the emperor, and he could meet the emperor at any time. Unlike me, who is too anxious to talk about the hot pot.
I am like an ant on the bed, but I can’t even see the Emperor’s face.”
Fu Qingfeng wiped away tears and didn't know how to answer.
After a while.
Thinking that Zhang Heng was still there, Cui Hongjian forced a smile: "I went to Mr. Sun's house. Mr. Sun gave me two kilograms of mutton and a fresh fish and asked me to go home to replenish my body. Brother Zhang happened to be here, so he
Let's stew the mutton and fish, so that I can take care of Brother Zhang."
Even now, Cui Hongjian was still thinking about himself.
Zhang Heng also sighed: "As heaven moves forward, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. We have been separated for a year. The scholar back then became a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. You have changed, but you have not changed. You are still the scholar Cui who gave me the horse."
ah."
Cui Hongjian didn't know why Zhang Heng mentioned this, so he could only smile bitterly and said: "What did you say, brother? I'm not a teenager. I'm almost 30 years old. My personality has already been set. How can I change it?"
"It's different, it's different."
Zhang Heng saw clearly: "The so-called noble friends are easy to change, and the rich are easy to change wives. They are all inferior in everything, but they are good in education. In the eyes of you scholars, I am just a foreigner, not approachable. Now you are in high school and have been selected as editor of the Hanlin Academy.
"Xiu, your future career is just around the corner, but you are able to resign because of a letter from me. It is very unusual for a person to have such faith in me."
Cui Hongjian was a little embarrassed when he was told: "If it weren't for you, eldest brother, I would have been harmed by that goat spirit long ago. How could I even talk about going to Beijing to take the exam? You are my savior and also my eldest brother. If I were to continue...
If you don’t believe it, who else can you believe in this world?”
Zhang Heng smiled but said nothing.
Because Cui Hongjian said it was simple, but it was difficult to implement.
Before Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising, Chen Sheng was just a small farmer in other people's family.
In the fields, I once made a vow with my best friend: As long as we live in wealth and honor, we will never forget each other.
Later, Chen Sheng really became the king, and his friend from back then went to seek refuge with him. As a result, he told some interesting stories about Chen Sheng's childhood, but Chen Sheng killed him because of his disrespectful words.
From this we can see that sharing joys and sorrows is easy, but sharing wealth and honor is difficult.
"There's no need to rush to prepare the food."
Zhang Heng stopped Fu Qingfeng who was about to cook, and then said to Cui Hongjian: "I have an appointment tonight. The person has a special status and is not an ordinary person. I shouldn't have taken you with me, but seeing that you are full of worries, I decided to take you with me."
Let's go to the banquet together, tell it your problem, and see if it has any solution."
Cui Hongjian was full of surprise and didn't know how Zhang Heng still had friends in Kaifeng Mansion.
Just out of trust, he did not ask, but thought to himself: "I am worried about my old father-in-law. Even Lord Sun can't help with this matter. Lord Sun is a second-grade bachelor of Guanwen Palace.
He can't do anything, so what can Brother Zhang's friends do?"
It can't be possible. Zhang Heng's friends are first-class officials such as the Grand Master, the Imperial Tutor, and the Taibao, right?
"Come on, come on..."
Zhang Heng didn't give Cui Hongjian a chance to think too much.
When it got dark, I asked him to go out on foot and headed all the way to Nancheng.
When I arrived at the old alley of Nancheng, I took out a paper frog from my sleeve.
Blow your breath, and the paper frog will come out and jump ahead to lead the way.
After walking a thousand steps, we came across an abandoned house.
When I went in, I saw that the courtyard was overgrown with weeds and there was an old well. The paper frog jumped into the well and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"This is it."
Seeing this, Zhang Heng laughed with Cui Hongjian and said, "No matter what you see in a while, don't be surprised. Just follow me with peace of mind."
Cui Hongjian nodded repeatedly.
Afterwards, Zhang Heng jumped into the dry well, followed closely by Cui Hongjian.
This jump didn't matter, he just felt as light as a swallow, surrounded by colorful lights.
Fall on the ground and take a closer look.
This is not the bottom of a well. It is clearly a secret place in the world with mountains, water, and palaces.
"Brother Zhang, what is this?"
Cui Hongjian was confused.
Looking up at the sky, they could vaguely see the appearance of the wellhead, but the dry well was obviously only more than ten feet deep. At this time, they fell down the well, and when they looked up, it seemed as if the wellhead was far away in the horizon.
"This is the technique of the frog in the well."
Zhang Heng paused slightly and then said: "The frog at the bottom of the well is a world of its own. You can also regard this place as a paradise in the cave, which is a place like Peach Blossom Spring."
"Land of Peach Blossoms?"
Cui Hongjian is a scholar and is certainly no stranger to Mr. Wu Liu.
It's just that before, he only read Peach Blossom Spring as a story, and never thought that one day he would come to a similar place.
"Quack!"
Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly saw countless frogs coming around me.
They are as small as a fist, but as big as a millstone, and can fit two people on them.
"Quack!"
Two frogs as strong as yaks jumped forward, lay down in front of the two men, and motioned for the two to sit on their backs.
After the two of them sat down, the frog jumped and ran towards the palace. Along the way, they saw thousands of frogs.
And there are more frogs hiding in the dark, in the water, and on the mountains.
At first glance, it seems that we have arrived at the frog’s hometown.
"Cough cough cough..."
When they arrived at the palace gate, Zhang Heng and the two got off the frog.
Before he could enter, he heard a cough: "The old man is seriously injured and cannot greet me from a distance. I hope Mr. Zhang won't take offense."
Zhang Heng took Cui Hongjian in with a surprised look on his face, and everything he saw was new.
As soon as I saw it, I saw an old man sitting on the first seat in the palace, and on both sides, there were two frog doctors with frog heads and bodies standing, carrying medicine boxes.
"You are hurt?"
Zhang Heng strode forward and found that Laowa's right arm was black and purple, and said, "Who did it?"
"Pudu Cihang."
Laowa, who transformed into a human form, looks like an old man in his seventies or eighties.
Wearing green clothes and a green hat with rubies inlaid on his head, he has a cute and innocent figure and looks like a member of a wealthy family.
"Pudu Cihang!"
Zhang Heng frowned: "Didn't I tell you not to provoke him? Why did you still bump into his hand?"
Laowa shook his head and said: "He captured my temple priest. I couldn't even think of a way to do it. In the end, I missed a move and almost lost my life."
Zhang Heng stepped forward to help Laowa check it out.
It was discovered that the poison in the old frog was centipede poison. The wound had been festering, turning black and emitting a foul odor. It had obviously been there for several days.
"Try this."
Zhang Heng took out a medicine bottle: "Half of it should be taken orally, and half should be sprinkled on the wound."
Laowa was not worried about Zhang Heng harming him, so he took the medicine bottle and started to do it.
As a result, as soon as the talisman water was sprinkled on it, a burst of black smoke rose up and turned into a black smoke in the shape of a centipede. It wanted to fly back to the wound with its teeth and claws.
"cut!"
Zhang Heng stretched out his finger.
A wisp of sword energy shot out of the air, directly scattering the black mist.
Laowa looked happy when he saw this, and quickly drank the remaining talisman water, and asked: "What kind of elixir is this that can actually restrain the old monster's poison?"
"The Taiping Talisman water refined by Sanxian, otherwise ordinary elixir, how can it suppress the poison of a thousand-year-old demon."
Zhang Heng gave a brief explanation, and then changed to the main topic: "This is my friend Cui Hongjian, and his father-in-law is Fu Tianchou, the Minister of the Ministry of War, who was captured and imprisoned in the Ministry of Punishment Prison half a month ago."
"Fu Tianchou!"
Laowa nodded and said: "I know this person. He is one of the few loyal people in the court. Now that the demon gang is killing Zhongliang, he is also the first to be taken down. If it weren't for his high qualifications and high prestige among the people,
I'm afraid he has died a violent death."
Zhang Heng nodded and asked again: "Fu Tianchou is Cui Shusheng's father-in-law. I can't just sit back and ignore it. Is there any way on your side to rescue him? If I do it, the commotion will be huge."
too big."
When Laowa heard this, he laughed and said: "This is not difficult. I have countless followers in Kaifeng Mansion, and one of them is the head of the Prison of the Ministry of Punishment."
"Ten years ago, his mother was seriously ill and was cured with my elixir. She has always been grateful to me."
"I have never contacted him over the years. If I leave this matter to him, he will definitely be able to handle it well."
Cats have cat lanes, mice have rat lanes.
What the second-grade Grand Bachelor of Guanwen Palace cannot do, the prison chief of the Penal Department Prison may not be able to do.
Immediately, Laowa sent a frog to report the news.
Not long after, the prison chief was brought.
Cui Hongjian saw him and recognized him at a glance, and blocked himself outside the prison.
"Benefactor!"
The cell leader is a middle-aged man in his forties.
As soon as he saw Laowa, he immediately knelt on his knees and kowtowed heavily: "I heard that the imperial court was going to destroy the Frog Temple, so I have been worried about your safety. It's great to see that you are okay."
The frog god asked kindly: "How is your old mother?"
The prison head replied: "It's okay, it's just that I'm old and have some geriatric diseases."
The Frog God nodded: "I have something I need you to do. Fu Tianchou, the Minister of the Ministry of War, is a loyal man of the imperial court. Now he has been framed and imprisoned in the prison of your Ministry of Punishment. Can you Li Daitaojiang,
Substitute him secretly?"
The cell leader said happily: "I am the night shift leader of the Penal Department Prison. I am in charge of the dozens of guards in the prison. If it is anything else, I may not be able to do it. I can bring someone out from the Penal Department Prison.
It’s easy for me.”
"Is it that easy?"
Cui Hongjian was a little unbelievable.
The prison boss affirmed: "We actually do this kind of thing a lot, and it's easier than you think. You're not in our industry, so you don't know the twists and turns involved."
Cui Hongjian was overjoyed: "Then it all depends on the prison head."
The prison head nodded and left.
Watching his back, Zhang Heng knew that Fu Tianchou was no better than others. Even though the prison boss agreed wholeheartedly, there seemed to be no difficulty at all.
In fact, if he really brought people out and went back to investigate, he would definitely be dead.
He was using his own life to repay Laowa for saving his mother.
As expected, more dogs will be slaughtered if you act righteously.