"Your Majesty, at the Wu Mansion meeting last night, General Zhenwei bullied Cao and Zhu, causing the banquet to break up unhappy."
After Liu Ci, the director of the school affairs office, learned about what happened last night, he went to the palace early in the morning to report the news.
The emperor was smiling at the corner of his mouth, looking calm and calm. He slowly tapped the sandalwood faucet beside the seat with his fingertips, making a "dong-dong" sound.
"I already knew it last night."
When Liu Ci heard this, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and crawled to the ground. As a school official, he was known as the emperor's eyes and ears, but he was so late in realizing the news that he didn't report the information to the emperor in time!
"Your Majesty, I am afraid that I will disturb your Majesty's rest late at night..."
"I know." Cao Pi smiled and said, "It's Yancai. He was so angry last night that he wrote to me overnight."
After hearing this, Liu Ci breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, raised his head and looked at Cao Pi cautiously, and said word by word:
"Your Majesty, there is one more thing."
"Speak." Cao Pi seemed a little tired. He leaned on the seat and closed his eyes.
"Your Majesty, there seems to be some rumors recently from Xuchang to Peijun..." Liu Ci carefully observed the words and said again and again: "There is a nursery rhyme that has been widely circulated..."
When Cao Pi heard this, his brows furrowed slightly, his cold eyes focused, he looked at Liu Ci, and asked in a deep voice: "What kind of nursery rhyme is it?"
Liu Ci wiped the cold sweat from his forehead again and replied in a trembling voice:
"Wei is like autumn frost, Han is like the red sun, the red sun reflects the autumn frost, and it will disappear in a blink of an eye..." [Note 1: This nursery rhyme is made up by me.]
"Canglang!"
After hearing this, the emperor threw a jade cup down the hall with his hand. Jade fragments flew into the hall. Liu Ci did not dare to dodge, so he let the jade fragments cut his hands.
After a while, Cao Pi seemed to calm down.
"Don't worry about the Wu Mansion banquet." Cao Pi rubbed his temples and said while thinking: "Xu Zhiqiao's nursery rhymes must be caused by Shu captives!"
"Your Majesty is wise, I agree!"
When Liu Ci heard this nursery rhyme, he had already reacted.
The Shu captives consider themselves the orthodox Yan-Han people and have always been in tit-for-tat confrontation with the Wei Dynasty. Once you read this ballad, you can tell that it was deliberately done by the Shu captives.
Cao Pi raised his forehead with his hands, thought for a while, and finally made a decision:
"Liu Ci, after you return to the school affairs office, immediately select ten reliable school secretaries for me. I will use them for their own purposes."
"My lord, I obey the order. I will start to deal with it immediately after my return. I will retire."
Liu Ci got the order and immediately left the hall.
Cao Pi was still not resting at this time. After he asked someone to prepare pen and ink, he thought a little and wrote a draft edict.
After careful inspection, he called for a chamberlain.
"Send this edict to Tai Pavilion and ask them to make a few copies, then send it to have their seals stamped, and then pass it on to Boren, Zidan, Zhongda, Gao Wenhui, Wei Gongzhen, and the East Palace.
I also need to send a copy."
"My servant obeys the decree." The chamberlain took the edict, left Shiqian Palace, and rushed to Lantai to write it.
Cao Pi thought to himself: Xia Houxuan, this boy, is indeed a material that can be made, but no matter how good the material is, it still needs to be sharpened carefully.
If jade is not carved, it is difficult to make a treasure; if a sword is not sharpened, it is difficult to have a clear edge.
This time, let Xia Houxuan take the talents of the younger generation and go to Xuchang and Peijun to hone and polish them.
————
"Wei is like autumn frost, Han is like the red sun, the red sun reflects the autumn frost, and it will disappear in a blink of an eye..."
In the East Palace, Pingyuan King Cao Rui first received the edict from Ouchi.
Cao Rui's long and gentle eyebrows were sometimes slightly wrinkled and sometimes relaxed, making his subordinates in the East Palace somewhat unpredictable.
"Your Highness, what does the edict mean?"
King Pingyuan Wang Wengui Bigui saw the reaction of his lord King Pingyuan and felt very confused, so he couldn't help but ask.
Cao Rui curled his lips, revealing a smile that was either a wry smile or a smile.
"Your Majesty wants to use Zhong Gong [Guan Qiu Jian's nickname], Gao Xun, and Wei Lie to investigate and quell the rumors of the generation in Xuchang and Pei County on the pretext that they went to collect stories to appease the people."
"I am willing to go through fire and water for His Highness, but I don't know about it. How will it be good or bad for Your Highness?"
When Guanqiu Jian heard this, he couldn't help frowning and asked.
Cao Rui smiled and said: "Zhong Gong is my right-hand man, and Gao Xun and Wei Lie are the link between my east palace and the outside of the palace. If your majesty's purpose this time is to transfer Zhong Gong, Gao Xun, and Wei Lie to block me, If I have no contact with the ministers outside the palace, I will be in danger of losing my eggs. If Your Majesty only intends to temper, that will be the blessing of my East Palace."
"In this case, can Your Highness guess His Majesty's thoughts?"
After hearing this, Cao Rui frowned slightly and smiled bitterly:
"Heaven's heart is unpredictable, but this time, His Majesty not only transferred the three of you, but also appointed three young masters, Xiahou Xuan, Xi Di, and Sima Zhao, as well as a new student of the Imperial Academy, Zhuge Dan. It can be seen from this that Your Majesty should I intend to train all the noble sons and cultivate new talents for the Wei Dynasty."
"Zhuge Dan?" Guanqiu Jian heard this and shook his head, saying that he had never heard of this person. He continued to ask: "Who is he?"
Cao Rui had no expression on his face, just staring blankly at the carps competing for fish food in the pond under the Zhaoxian Pavilion.
After a long time, Cao Rui replied to Guanqiu Jian: "Zhuge Dan, I heard that he is the descendant of Zhuge Feng of Langya. He is the clan brother of Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Shu Han Dynasty, and Zhuge Jin, the general of the Wu Kingdom. However, he is still young, so naturally he is not worthy of being compared with his two clans. Comparable to brother."
"Although this young man is not well-known, since he can be ranked with the three young masters of Cao, Xiahou and Sima, as well as Chen, Wei Lie and Gao Xun, his talents must be considered the best among the young men of our dynasty."
Cao Rui just nodded. He patted Guanqiu Jian's shoulder, looked at him with gentle and profound eyes, and said softly: "Zhong Gong, you are older than them. During this trip, remember to take good care of him." Wei Lie, Gao Xun, Xia Houxuan, Cao Xi, Sima Zhao and others."
Guanqiu Jian nodded without hesitation and agreed to his master's instructions:
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I will protect them!"
"Go ahead, pack up and leave tomorrow. Be careful."
"Your Highness, take care."
Guanqiu Jian bowed and saluted, glanced at Cao Rui's somewhat thin back, then turned and left.
————
The Marquis Mansion in Changling Township.
The east hall where the young master lives is in Hemingxuan.
"Father and mother, respect you:
The wild goose returns to the north. My parents are still far away from the south. I miss you dearly. Today is warm and rainy in the south. I hope my father and mother will take care of themselves. Today I will be traveling far under the imperial edict. With Gu Zhenzhi at home, my son will act cautiously and there is no need to worry about him. .When the snow falls, we should meet each other and pray for your safety.
Erxuan's own handwriting."
Xia Houxuan, who was sitting in front of the sandalwood case, gently placed the deer-haired bamboo pen in his hand on the Taiyue jade stand, and then gently blew the family letter written on the white paper until the pure paper Above, the heroic black characters like bamboo knots and swords and halberds solidified, and then the letter was carefully put into an envelope, sealed with fire paint, and handed over to the messenger heading south.
"Hui'er, Yu'er." Xia Houxuan came out of Hemingxuan and called his two sisters.
"Brother." The two little girls, Xia Houhui and Xia Houyu, were standing in front of their elder brother with their hands down, like two obedient little rabbits.
"Brother is going to travel far today. When you are at home, remember to take good care of 'Amo' and don't let it run around anymore. Also, brother has prepared it for you. Remember to come to Hemingxuan every day. Or Linzhixuan, practice your calligraphy diligently. Also, you must listen to Butler Gu in everything and don't be naughty. Tiger, let's go."
After Xia Houxuan, who had changed into his Hu clothes, finished explaining, he hung the 'Quality Sword' on his waist, carried the baggage, went to the stable to fetch the 'White Bird', then turned around and headed out of the east hall with Yu Huan. went.
————
Outside Pingchang Gate in Luoyang, a group of young men wearing bright clothes and angry horses, armed with swords and hanging swords, were following several knights in black, galloping towards the south bank of Luoshui River.
These were Xia Houxuan, Cao Xi, Guan Qiujian, and the school officials who were traveling south.
"Axuan, your Majesty will only send us ten school officials this time when we go south. Will anything happen?"
Cao Xi, who was riding a black horse, was worriedly asking his cousin.
"Everything will be fine."
"What A Xuan said makes sense." Sima Zhao followed closely behind the two of them and shouted loudly: "Brother Xi, don't worry."
Guanqiu Jian carefully observed the Yima Pingchuan in the distance, as well as the Xiong'er Mountain and Ao Mountain in the far south.
Wei Lie and Gao Xun followed closely behind Guanqiu Jian.
"I heard that your Excellency is known as the most talented young man in Luoyang." A young man of fifteen or sixteen years old with thick eyebrows and big eyes rode his horse to catch up with the small team of Xiahou, Cao, Sima, and Yu Huan, and headed towards Xia Houxuan smiled heartily and said: "I am Zhuge Dan of Langya, a student of Taiyuan College."
"I've met Brother Zhuge." Xia Houxuan smiled warmly, neither humble nor arrogant, bowed his head on his horse, and then said with a smile: "That's too much praise. There are so many talents among the young men in the capital, but Xuan is not as talented as a dullard, how dare he be ranked first?"
"Based on your words, you, my friend, have made a decision!"
Zhuge Dan saw that Xia Houxuan handled the situation appropriately and was even better than he thought, so he had a good impression in his heart.
Behind Guanqiu Jian, a handsome young man with a sword on his waist was riding a yellow horse. His moon-white robe rustled in the wind, making him appear heroic.
This young man was the servant of Gao Rou, an important official in the court, and had a baby-child relationship with Gao Xun, the emperor's eldest daughter, Princess Cao Ling of Dongxiang, the sister of Cao Rui, King of Pingyuan.
"Gao Xun, now we are leaving Luoyang to endure hardship and dirt, why do you still dress up like this?" A mighty young man with a red horse running alongside Gao Xun smiled heartily at Gao Xun and said: "Besides, Princess Dongxiang, she He won’t go to Xuchang and Peijun with us."
This young man with a red horse is none other than Wei Lie, the eldest son of the important minister Wei Zhen and Wei Gongzhen.
Gao Xun couldn't help but blush after hearing Wei Lie's joke. His face, which was originally like a crown jewel, seemed to be illuminated by a red light. Gao Xun turned around with a smile and cursed: "Brother Wei, are you okay with your words?" Ashamed, Master said: It is inevitable for a gentleman to be crowned after his death. Not to mention eating dirt, even if he goes to the battlefield, Gao Xun will retain his dignity."
"Hahahaha, my wise brother is right." It's not my brother's fault." Wei Lie laughed heartily and continued to ride forward.