This cell has poor lighting and is dim, but it has all the utensils and even a kettle on the table.
Du Wulang pinched the clean quilt and said in surprise: "Is it so good? This is the first time I have heard of Beiya Prison, but it is the best."
"Have you been to other prisons?"
"I have been to Jingzhao Mansion Prison and Dali Temple Prison, but I haven't been to the Punishment Department Prison." Du Wulang counted the numbers on his hands and said: "Long Wujun is really dignified, upright and powerful, unlike Jingzhao.
A bad person looks disgusting and is vicious and cunning."
"We are the emperor's guard of honor, how can we compare with scum?"
"..."
When Chen Xuanli walked into the cell, he could hear chatting inside.
"Next time the general comes to Fengweilou to eat stir-fried vegetables, I will reserve the best private room for the general..."
"You have to go out if you can!"
Chen Xuanli shouted loudly.
Du Wulang looked up and saw that the general was so tall that his head almost touched the roof. His terrifying aura covered him up, and he felt scared at this moment.
"When the general asks questions, please go out."
"Here."
"General, I...I can tell the truth about everything. I don't need to be punished. I will tell you even if I am not punished." Du Wulang was incoherent.
"Where are the Han Yu people?!"
Du Wulang was so surprised that he was stunned for a while and said: "I, I have never seen Han Yu. At first, I asked him who Han Yu was, and he said he was his teacher. Later he said he was just teasing me, not at all.
There would be no Han Yu."
"How dare you hide it and pretend that I don't know that you are conspiring with Xue Bai?!"
Chen Xuanli angrily scolded Du Wulang, who was so frightened that his hands trembled.
"I, I didn't conspire, I was always teased."
"Why do you always end up in jail?" Chen Xuanli sat down on the bench and poured himself a glass of water.
It turns out that the furnishings in this cell were prepared for him.
The scribe sat down on one side and copied the confession.
"The first time, I was convicted along with my grandfather, because what happened to Liu Ji and Li, did the general know about it? The second time, our five sons of Chunwei were convicted, and I went in without knowing that it was Li Shizhi's house. Oh, it's true.
It's a big deal. As for this time, general, I really didn't do anything this time. I didn't even go to the wedding banquet in the ceremony hall."
"You are not invited to the East Palace alone. It shows that you are the one who constitutes the East Palace among the five sons of Chunwei!"
"Ah, I...I am?"
Seeing the boy's reaction, Chen Xuanli seemed to smile for a moment, and then asked: "When did you recognize Xue Bai?"
"It must have been at the beginning of winter in Tianbao's fifth year." Du Wulang recalled, "I think it's less than half a year ago, but I feel like I've known him for a long time."
"Didn't we really know each other a long time ago?"
Du Wulang nodded vigorously and said: "The general knew as soon as he asked that Duan Yan was beaten to death that day, and I was frightened. Xue Bai was picked up, and as soon as he opened his eyes, I felt that he was different from others...
…”
While listening to the slightly fat young man telling stories, the scribe wrote down notes and dipped in ink from time to time.
Gradually, the ink on the inkstone ran out, and the scroll was very long, unlike ordinary oral confessions.
Chen Xuanli stood up and murmured to himself: "The saint gave me some stir-fried vegetables, and they tasted good."
Du Wulang was still in a daze until Chen Xuanli left first and the scribe hit him on the head with a writing brush.
"Idiot, you don't even know how to climb a ladder."
~~
Chen Xuanli walked through the corridor, and someone immediately came forward and handed over several confessions.
"The three Jinshi who were interrogated separately said that for some reason they suddenly received an invitation from the East Palace, and they did discuss state affairs with King Guangping at the banquet."
"Yeah."
"General, we..."
"We are not Dali Temple, we are just asking questions on behalf of the saints."
"Here."
Chen Xuanli groaned, turned back to the lobby and sat down, closing his eyes and concentrating, like a huge Arhat statue.
When Gao Lishi came in, he opened his eyes and said, "I've already asked, and I'm still verifying."
"There's no rush. Let's discuss it after we understand the ins and outs, so as not to waste the saint's time listening to these people's arguments and sophistry."
"Then General Gao is coming here now?"
"Look at the evidence."
There are not many things found from Xue's house, most of them are books. It can be seen that this boy has been studying hard recently to prepare for the Imperial College Examination.
Chen Xuanli thought that Gao Lishi would come first to take away "The Domino Picture" and "The Theory of Horses", but he didn't expect that he wouldn't even look at it. He flipped through Xue Bai's calligraphy calligraphy notes, took two volumes, and walked away.
Before leaving, he joked.
"If it hadn't been for this thing, Shuzi might not have been so lucky."
~~
It was night, and all the official residences in Chang'an City suddenly calmed down.
Concubine Yang's three sisters, her elder brother Yang Yang, and her cousin Yang Qi were known as "Five Yangs" at that time. Wu Yang's residences were all in Xuanyangfang, and there was always an endless stream of people coming to give gifts. Since Pei Kuan wrote a memorial in support of Yan Yan.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xuanyangfang has been even more blocked.
As for any well-informed official who is dissatisfied with the status quo, who would not consider whether to join the uncle and seek the opportunity to contribute to the imperial tax revenue as soon as possible?
But Xue Bai, who offered advice to Yang Zheng, was imprisoned, which was like pouring cold water on the hot sky.
Many originally enthusiastic officials no longer dare to go to Wuyang's house.
Just like Wei Jian, who opened the canal and sang the "Song of Obtaining Treasures" to the saint, which was very popular, but on the eve of paying homage to the Prime Minister, in the blink of an eye, people left for tea.
The crescent moon hangs high, just like last year.
~~
The sky was dim, and Yan Yan opened her eyes. She seemed to be dreaming and waking up, thinking that her brother was coming to hand over a story, so she was willing to get up from the couch.
In fact, she was still very sleepy. She rubbed her eyes and saw her maid Yong'er sitting nearby, so she leaned over and buried her face in Yong'er's arms.
"If Sanniang is still sleepy, please sleep for a while."
"No, today the monkey is making a bet with Tathagata Buddha."
Yong'er had also read the story about the riot in the Heavenly Palace a few days ago, and he was actually very excited about it. He even tied Yan Yan's hair with anticipation.
"Yong'er, would you like to put your rouge on my forehead?"
"Why?"
"That's what Nezha is like."
The last time I saw the monkey fighting Nezha, Yan Yan drew a picture, and Xue Bai took the elixir pen and tapped Nezha between his eyebrows.
Unfortunately, Yong'er didn't have any rouge, so the two had to give up. After dressing up, they happily went to the lobby to wait.
Wei Yun couldn't help but tease: "I don't see you working so hard. Do you really think you are a teacher?"
"There is neither long nor young. Where the Tao exists, the teacher exists." Yan Yan said proudly.
However, after she had breakfast and stayed for a long time, Xue Bai didn't come, so she couldn't help but spit: "What a shame, I won't say a word if I don't come today."
"Who taught you to talk like this, like a lady?!" Wei Yun scolded immediately.
When people inquired again, they found out that Xue Bai had been captured again, and Liu Niang was so anxious that she went to Jinwu General Xue Hui's house to plead for mercy.
Yan Zhenqing went to the outskirts of the city yesterday to inspect the fields, and did not return home until long after the morning drum sounded. After hearing this, he took a sip of tea and said calmly: "Since he was taken away by Beiya, not Dali Temple, it doesn't matter."
Wei Yun was still worried after hearing this. However, Yan Yan knew that her grandfather and brother had a secret, and she felt relieved, but she was still dissatisfied that she couldn't see the monkey these days.
"Auntie, send someone to Yuzhen Temple to talk to the master. My daughter hasn't finished her medicine yet, so she won't be able to leave today..."
At this time, Long Wujun came to the door, but he spoke very politely.
"May I ask where the captain of Chang'an County is?"
"I am exactly that."
"I have heard about Yan Shaofu's reputation for a long time, and my general wants to ask Yan Shaofu for calligraphy lessons."
Yan Zhenqing stood up calmly, and suddenly thought that his calligraphy skills would fall into the eyes of a saint.
~~
Yu Zhen Guan.
Jiao Nu rushed to the dormitory and opened the door, only to see Li Tengkong holding a scroll and discussing stories with Mian'er.
"Hmph, if Seventeenth Mother hadn't filled it in for him, how could this story be good?" Mian'er said, "He didn't even understand Bagua Lu, so he only wrote a few sentences, and Seventeenth Mother added half of the scroll to him.
”
Li Tengkong stopped calling her "Tengkongzi" now, with a smile in his eyes.
Recently, she read the monkey story and saw that Xue Bai clearly didn't understand Taoist scholarship, but he insisted on writing about the ancestor, Laojun, as if he was deliberately asking her for advice...
"Seventeenth Mother, something happened." Jiaonu stepped forward and said, "The Fourteenth Mother was taken back."
"Huh?"
"I heard that the Fourteenth Mother eloped with the legitimate son of the Jingzhao Du family and was caught on the way to Luoyang."
"Elope...elope?"
Li Tengkong was startled, surprised that Sister A was so bold.
When she didn't know what to say, a girl who was close to her came over and said that the young lady of the Yan family had sent a letter.
When Zhan Xin saw it, Li Tengkong's expression immediately changed.
"Quick, I want to go back home!"
……
Walking through the spotless corridor and walking into the flower hall, I saw that the hall was filled with my own family.
Li Linfu rarely hid behind the screen and sat at the top with a cold face; the Fourteenth Niang knelt in the hall; Shiro, the Eleventh Niang and his wife and others stood aside with their heads bowed.
"I've met Grandpa."
Li Tengkong saluted, stood behind Eleven Niang, looked at Fourteenth Niang sympathetically, and was a little curious.
On the contrary, the fourteenth mother was very stubborn and said: "It's useless if I don't allow my daughter to marry. My daughter has already made rice and cooked rice with the man, and she won't marry unless he!"
"Do I care? You can't marry that beast!"
"What's so bad about being a prince?! He has a distinguished family, he is the son of a famous general, and he is an important minister. When he was young, he swept across Tubo with his father, and defeated the country of Bolu and begged to return. He was already well-known before he was twenty years old. He has a talented appearance and a dignified appearance.
, good at both civil and military affairs, with strategies for accompanying the army, martial arts in battle, and the ability to compose poems when dismounting. He had a wide circle of friends, and all his contacts were outstanding. Cui Hao, Cen Shen, Du Fu, Liu Changqing and other famous people all wrote poems for him; most importantly, he was willing to write poems for him.
My daughter gave up all this and traveled around the world with her to stay together for the rest of her life. With such a man, why doesn’t her daughter marry?!”
Li Tengkong was stunned.
She held the whisk in her hand tightly and admired the Fourteenth Mother.
But how could Grandpa agree?
"Alang!"
Suddenly, Cang Bi shouted outside the door and ran over in a hurry.
"The Du family in Jingzhao... Du... Duke Du has come to hire me!"
Li Tengkong turned around and saw Li Linfu standing up and adjusting his clothes, with no trace of anger on his face.
Before she could understand, Eleven Niang had already pulled her and whispered: "Can't you understand? Come on, let me tell you."
"Sister, I have something to ask you."
"Now you know what I am capable of?" Li Shiniang smiled proudly, "I told you a long time ago that it is not difficult for Xue Bai to get married, but you refused to listen. Now you want to save him again?"
"Please sister, please save him..."
"It's urgent, first listen to how I helped Fourteenth Mother get married."
Li Shiniang is always full of truth and insists on others obeying her. She leisurely sat down in the small courtyard before speaking.
"You have been stupid since you were a child. Others scold me, but you really take it to your heart. In fact, those sanctimonious people are extremely afraid of me. For example, Du Xiang thinks that he is my mortal enemy, but the family has always been one of you.
How can I, with you among me, have a mortal enemy? As soon as your lover was imprisoned yesterday, everyone knew that Pei Kuan was about to be demoted. Du Xiang wanted to show his stubbornness again? Hey, I told Fourteenth Mother a long time ago that she wants to marry a child of a noble family.
Anyone can do it, and it doesn’t matter who the son of a poor family wants to be his wife. There is nothing he can’t get in the Right Prime Minister’s House.”
Li Tengkong still couldn't accept this rhetoric, but this time he asked in a low voice: "Can you let Xue Bai go?"
"Does it matter whether you let him go or not? What is important is that you have learned a lesson? If you had listened to me and recruited him into the house as a son-in-law, would these things have happened?" Li Shiniang became more and more enthusiastic.
"Fifteenth Mother listened to me, but you didn't. Now you regret it?"
~~
In the afternoon, Du Youlin visited Pei Kuan and said goodbye.
On this day, Pei Kuan's horse in front of the house was deserted, and he paid more and more attention to Du Youlin's visit, so Pei Kuan saw him off in person.
"I will keep this in mind, and I will definitely recommend you to be reinstated if there is an opportunity in the future."
"I dare not disturb you with these common things." Du Youlin said, "I just ask Mr. Pei to be at ease."
"Okay, okay, you and I are similar!"
Pei Kuan had thousands of words stuck in his throat, the persecution of Ge Nu, the abandonment of the East Palace, he didn't know what to say, and finally he watched Du Youlin go away.
Du Youlin drove his horse back home and sat down in the study. He looked complacent when he saw Lu Fengniang rushing over.
"Lang Jun, it's not good..."
After hearing the news, Du Youlin hurriedly went out and hurried to the Du clan. It was already evening, and Du Hope was sitting in the hall pulling his beard.
"Uncle, are you really married to Ge Nu?!"
"Alas."
"It would be wrong to worry about the current situation." Du Youlin was in great distress.
He actually knows some things, but he just can't tell them.
Du Hope waved his hand and sighed: "It has nothing to do with the current situation. My son is old and has his own ideas, so let him go."
"But," Du Youlin hesitated, hesitated to speak, and finally said: "I was lucky enough to escape from the punishment rod in Dali Temple, but I didn't dare to get too involved with the Youxiang's house. Although I have become the son-in-law of the Righteous Prime Minister today, , but it will ruin your future!"
"I can't stop him, that's all."
Du Youlin opened his mouth, knowing that the matter was irreversible, and he was so disappointed.
That night, when he returned home, he couldn't help but sigh to Lu Fengniang: "I thought this younger brother was a prime minister, but it's a pity."
"What's the pity? It's pity for you to look away and feel pity for others. Why don't you just take care of your son and run away to who knows where, hiding all of them from me."
"Don't worry, I'm going to make progress too..."
~~
The moon is like a hook, and there is only dim candlelight in the cell.
This was the second night that Xue Bai was sent to Beiya Prison. He stayed in shape, studied, and recuperated. He had a very fulfilling stay and went to bed early at night.
After blowing out the candles and unable to see his fingers, a gentle figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
There will definitely be no one crawling into his bed this night.
The sky is getting brighter.
When Xue Bai opened his eyes, he saw a person standing by the couch and leaning over him, almost startled.
"General Gao?"
"I slept soundly." Gao Lishi said indifferently: "Is Beiya Prison comfortable?"
"General Gao laughed, I was unjustly accused." Xue Bai said: "I have been focusing on my studies recently, preparing for the annual exam, and I have really never caused any trouble."
"This matter is not my responsibility, I just want to ask you, why was there no post yesterday?"
"Article?"
Xue Bai was stunned, looked at the table with pens, inks, paper and inkstones, and said: "I wrote a poem yesterday."
"Sitting in jail all day and only writing a mere twenty-eight words?"
"How can I still think about writing anything else?"
Xue Bai muttered something in a low voice, raised his head and looked at Gao Lishi.
The two knew it well, and Gao Lishi scolded: "Monkey pissing semen, what did Wukong see when he lowered his head?"
"Is the saint going to let me out?"
"I'll count you lucky if I don't kill you. Why don't you get up?"
Xue Bai had no choice but to get up and look around. There were hot pot mutton and Hu pancakes on the table.
While he was eating and grinding ink, the inkstone in his hand was suddenly snatched away by Gao Lishi.
"You're moving slowly, why don't you eat faster?"
Chewing Hu biscuits in his mouth, Xue Bai looked at Gao Lishi grinding ink and suddenly asked: "General, can I ask you something?"
"Ask."
"Li Bai..."
"Well, I took off his boots for him. What's the big deal? This is what I do to serve people."
"Then..."
"Hanlin serves the emperor, drafts edicts, and should be the mouthpiece and confidant of the saint. If he had not been released, would he still be alive today?"
This must be a question that many people are curious about. Gao Lishi was a little annoyed. He picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, handed it to Xue Bai's hand, and scolded again.
"How can you avoid being honest when asking others who know how to ask?"
"I really haven't done anything lately."
Xue Bai emphasized again, took up the pen and wrote eight-point regular script smoothly.
The ink grinded by Gao Lishi is indeed incredible, even and delicate, with full color. Xue Bai grinds it very rough himself, while Qinglan's girl is a little picky. Every time she adds a little more water, the ink is a little watery.
.
"On the middle finger of the Buddha's right hand, there were eight characters written on it: 'The Great Sage Qitian is here to visit', and there was a smell of urine between the fingers. The Monkey King was shocked..."
Gao Lishi suddenly asked: "Don't you know how to use running script?"
"The teacher only taught me regular script and said I was far from qualified to learn running script. How does General Gao think my calligraphy has improved?"
"Alright."
Gao Lishi was so patient that he actually stood aside with his hands folded, watching him write from beginning to end, sometimes observing his expression.
In the afternoon, Xue Bai filled up a scroll. Gao Lishi put it away and left without asking anyone else from beginning to end.
The less you ask, the more it means the sage knows what he is doing.
The truths and lies told by the ministers, and the selfish calculations carried out by the ministers, cannot escape those fiery eyes.
And in this Tang Dynasty where Tianbao reigned for six years, whoever can make the saint happy will be the winner...