After coming out of Li's Mansion, Zhou Jun rode his horse and walked down the street, feeling completely confused.
The life and death of tens of thousands of soldiers, and the lives of tens of thousands of people, are just a small chess piece on this chessboard called "power strategy".
Today, this chess piece is abandoned like a shoe; in the future, this game will be lost.
No one in the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty knew that the empire would collapse precisely because of this stupid move.
Zhou Jun was riding absent-mindedly. When he came to his senses, he found that he had arrived at Jin Fengniang's former residence in Chang'an by accident.
The people have gone away and the houses are abandoned.
When Goldfeng Niang left Chang'an, the reason why this house was not sold may be because she had hope of returning, or she just couldn't bear to say goodbye to her past.
Zhou Jun led the horse into the house and saw snow covering the ground. The gatehouse and window lattice were already in tatters.
After tying his horse to a tree, Zhou Jun walked through the central hall and went to the backyard.
He walked into the courtyard and stopped outside the window of the wing.
Squatting down, Zhou Jun pushed aside the fallen snow with his hands, revealing a piece of bluish-white frozen soil.
It was here, where Zhou Jun first came to Datang, that he fell to the ground, completely changing his fate.
Regardless of the coldness of the ground, Zhou Jun sat down against the wall, lowered his head and stared at the piece of soil next to him. The night he first came to the Tang Dynasty, and everything that happened thereafter, reappeared in front of his eyes like a documentary. When he recalled it to the end, his mind was filled with memories.
There is a slight pain there.
After taking a long breath, Zhou Jun stopped thinking about it and just looked up at the horizon of Chang'an.
The buildings are like clouds, the pagodas and temples are like mountains. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, everything is covered with a layer of sunset glow, reflecting the city's splendor and beauty.
Outside the courtyard wall came the childish sounds of children playing, and the chatter and laughter of people returning home.
Zhou Jun slowly closed his eyes and whispered: "I died once and entered the floating life again. The fate arranged this way is not to make me do nothing, but to do something that should be done and complete something that should be completed.
Responsibilities…”
On the second day, Zhou Jun said goodbye to his parents and eldest brother and embarked on the road to Bachuan Villa.
After entering the garden, Zhou Jun saw that everyone was busy cleaning, laying, pruning, hanging branches, etc.
Confused, Zhou Jun went to see Pang Gong first.
The latter said to Zhou Jun with a face full of joy: "Erlang, you still don't know, a message came from the palace a few days ago, saying that in a few days, the saint will move into Bachuan."
Li Longji is coming?
Zhou Jun was surprised at first, and then asked carefully: "When the saint entered Bachuan, he planned to live in a separate garden?"
Pang Gong: "Bachuan Villa was the palace of a saint in the past, so it would be natural for him to live there. It just so happens that the inner garden has been sorted out a long time ago, and after some additions and cleaning, we can welcome the saint."
Zhou Jun asked again: "I wonder who else, besides the saints, will be accompanying me on this trip?"
Pang Gong: "In addition to the usual rituals in the palace, the Yang family also wants to accompany me. I heard that several princesses and princes are also coming."
Zhou Jun heard this and nodded slightly.
Pang Gong asked Zhou Jun: "Is the work report in Chang'an over?"
Zhou Jun: "It's over."
Pang Gong: "Then stay in the garden these days and prepare well... Remember, this opportunity to be close to the saint is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Erlang, don't waste it."
Zhou Jun responded.
After bidding farewell to Pang Gong, Zhou Jun returned to Caiwei Courtyard.
Huayue and Xiao Qingchan were studying in the study room. When they heard the maid saying "Master's house", they came out.
Zhou Jun entered the side hall, Hua Yue changed his clothes first, while Xiao Qingchan brought a hand stove and ginger soup.
After taking a sip of ginger soup to get rid of the cold, Zhou Jun asked the two girls: "Do you all know the news about the saint entering Bachuan?" Hua Yue and Xiao Qingchan nodded together.
Huayue added: "There is a notice posted at the Bachuan market. During the period when the saint comes to Bachuan, he will stop receiving foreign visitors."
Xiao Qingchan: "A chamberlain came to the palace, and he specifically found the layman Song. He said he was a saint and brought his concubine with him. He called by name to see the layman rehearse the play. Jie Duzhi made a special trip to the church and borrowed a lot of clothes.
For the props and background, we also hired several well-known master musicians to help with the arrangement."
Zhou Jun nodded while drinking ginger soup and stopped talking.
At this moment, a servant outside the door came to tell him that someone wanted to see him.
Xiao Qingchan asked, and the servant said that the person seeking an audience was Sun Aying, the leader of the master's personal army.
Zhou Jun was a little surprised and ordered Sun Aying to enter the hall.
Sun Aying, who was dressed in leather armor, buried his head as soon as he entered the hall and sang "O" to Zhou Jun again.
Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long time, Zhou Jun noticed something was wrong and asked, "I asked you to lead the troops as guards in the market, but what happened?"
Sun Aying hesitated for a long time, and finally said: "Aying has something to report, but it's hard to say it."
Zhou Jun asked curiously: "What is going on?"
Sun Aying: "A certain person neglected his supervision and ordered two soldiers in the team to have an affair with a palace woman while working in the market, breaking military regulations."
Zhou Jun was stunned for a while, but after thinking about it carefully, he finally understood.
Most of the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty were young men. It was difficult to see women in the army, and it was difficult to find wives. However, there were thousands of older palace women in the market. They would naturally fall in love with each other when they came and went.
Zhou Jun asked Sun Aying: "Where are the two soldiers?"
Sun Aying: "I have imprisoned the two of them and are just waiting for Erlang to come back and distribute them."
Zhou Jun asked again: "What do you think of the palace lady who had an affair with those two soldiers?"
Sun Aying: "I heard that they were also punished and are now locked up in a warehouse in the back alley, waiting for their master's fate."
Hua Yue said to Zhou Jun at this time: "I did receive the report from the palace guard, but there is some secret in this matter, and I need Erlang to come up with an idea."
Zhou Jun: "What's the secret?"
Hua Yue: "All the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty were from good families, while the women of the palace were from miscellaneous households in other gardens, that is, they were low-income households. I personally asked the soldiers and the palace people, and they both fell in love with each other and were not sexually involved.
It's just that due to the law of the Tang Dynasty, good and bad people are not allowed to marry, so they can only communicate with each other in private."
Zhou Jun moved his gaze to Sun Aying, who nodded slightly, proving that this statement was true.
Zhou Jun pondered for a moment and then asked Sun Aying: "I remember you said that it is extremely difficult for soldiers in Hexi to get a wife. A daughter from a good family would rather work as a maid than marry into the army?"
Sun Aying was a little embarrassed and nodded in agreement.
Zhou Jun: "As for those women released from the palace, they are too old and it is difficult to find a husband. Most of them can only live alone... Then, in this case, if the man is in love and the concubine is interested, the two parties come together, isn't it?
Is it a good thing?"
Sun Aying, Hua Yue and Xiao Qingchan were all stunned.
Sun Aying reminded Zhou Jun in a low voice: "Erlang, the women of the palace are low-class households and belong to the other gardens..."
Zhou Jun: "Then what's the difficulty? As long as both parties are willing to come together, I will be the one to make the deal. I will ask Pang Gong to release his citizenship and allow the palace man to get out of humble status and become a good man."
When Sun Aying heard this, he was stunned on the spot and said bluntly: "Erlang, I'm afraid this will break the rules of Bieyuan..."
Zhou Jun: "Let me ask you, why did you and your subordinates join the Tang Dynasty as soldiers?"
Sun Aying thought for a moment and replied: "Protect the family and the country."
Zhou Jun: "In this prosperous Tang Dynasty, in this great country, if it weren't for soldiers like you, I'm afraid they would have fallen into the hands of bandits long ago... Now, what's wrong with Jun helping you soldiers find a wife?"
..
"Ah Ying, just tell me this, just say it's my Zhou Jun's exact words. From now on, not only these two Tang soldiers who have found the one they like, but also the rest of the team, as long as there is no need to force them,
Whenever a woman from the palace can be said to marry him, Jun will come forward to help those women escape from lowliness and become a good man, so that they can achieve good marriages... Even though I am not talented, I will marry you good men who protect the family and the country.
A mother-in-law, keep a piece of incense."
When Sun Aying heard this, he trembled all over, knelt down on one knee, and bowed to Zhou Jun: "Erlang is a great kindness, Aying would like to thank you in advance for my brothers! From now on, no matter whether we are on the mountain of swords or the sea of fire, we will serve Erlang."