That year, that cicada, that sword

Chapter 567

Late autumn turns into early winter.

In the beginning of winter, it is about the first fine snow of this year, which drifts down.

Fine snowflakes fell silently on the ground, eaves, trees, and walls, covering the entire imperial capital with a layer of plain white, like wearing mourning clothes. Looking around, there was a vast expanse of whiteness.

The snow on the post road outside the imperial capital city has been swept away, and the whole post road looks a bit black against the white snow, leading directly to the pier of the Dongjiang Grand Canal.

At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Wu dug a canal near Jiangdu to divert water from the great river in order to conquer the Central Plains in order to conquer Qi State in the north. It was called Hangou in history. After the second large-scale expansion and renovation, in the Dazheng Dynasty, it basically connected Jiangdu and Dongdu, so it was called the Dongjiang Grand Canal. In the Daqi Dynasty, although the Dongdu was renamed the Imperial Capital, the canal still retained its old name.

The Dongjiang Grand Canal runs through two capitals, four states, eleven prefectures, and 23 counties. Rivers are the lifeblood of the entire empire.

Among the four prefectures, Qi prefecture is also naturally included. Therefore, when King Qi entered Beijing this time, he took a water route and went north by boat on the Dongjiang Grand Canal.

It was rumored in the imperial capital that the king of Qi Xiao Bai would enter the city today, which immediately pushed the matter of the kings entering Beijing to the peak, especially the rumor that Xiao Bai would completely confirm his status as the crown prince when he entered the capital, which made the atmosphere in the imperial capital a bit cloudy Treacherous meaning.

Whether it is civil servants, military generals, or nobles from the clan, they are all waiting for the No. 1 king, or the future Crown Prince, to arrive in the capital.

The falling snow is the end of the cicadas, but in this early winter season, countless cicadas were uncharacteristically remembered in the imperial capital.

Chilling is miserable.

At the Dongjiang Grand Canal Wharf, a huge fleet slowly docked.

A black "Qi" king flag on the ship fluttered in the wind in the snow, making a sound of hunting.

After the Battle of Dingding that year, Xiao Yu, who was still the King of Qi, and his half-brother Xiao Jin landed from here, and personally supported the coffin of his father Wu Xiaolie back to the Eastern Capital.

Back then, it was also falling snow, and it was also a vast expanse of whiteness.

When the news came, the entire Eastern Capital was completely blank. On this day when His Royal Highness King Qi was supposed to celebrate the triumphant return, the Eastern Capital City was not full of joy, and white banners were hung everywhere, matching the white snow, which was particularly desolate.

As the wind and snow were dark, the city's dignitaries, headed by Lan Yu and Xu Lin, dressed in white and walked out of the city for thirty miles, stood in front of the pier and kowtowed three times to the coffin.

Fifty years passed in a blink of an eye, and another King of Qi arrived here by boat.

At this time, there were two people leaning on the railing on the deck, one of them was a middle-aged man who was probably not in doubt, wearing a blue Confucian shirt, a square scarf on his head, and three long beards on his chest. He had a strange appearance and an elegant demeanor.The other person should only be in his thirties, dressed in a black python robe, with a black jade belt around his waist, and his black hair tied up with a black jade hairpin. The owner of this fleet is Qi Wang Xiaobai.

With his hands behind his back, Xiao Bai asked softly: "Sir, when I went to Jiangdu in the 21st year of Taiping, you once told me about the gains and losses. When you enter Beijing today, do you want to discuss the gains and losses again?"

The middle-aged Confucian scholar said: "If Your Highness is willing to listen, then I will talk about it."

Xiao Bai smiled and said, "Listen carefully."

A teacup appeared out of thin air in the middle-aged Confucian scholar's hand, and the cup was full of tea out of thin air, and the heat rose.

"The first one is naturally the position of crown prince that anyone with a discerning eye can see. With the orthodox title of crown prince, you are an upright prince. Even other vassal kings will call themselves ministers when they see you. The difference between monarch and minister, if you decide the status of monarch and minister early, it will be a matter of course if you want to ascend the Great Treasure in the future."

"The second victory lies in Han Xuan. This is the choice His Majesty made for His Highness. Everyone knows that Princess Qiyang is His Highness's sister. If His Majesty marries Her Highness to Han Xuan's adopted son, that is to release His Highness." On the big ship of the Han Party, His Highness will visit the Great Treasure in the future, and the members of the Han Party today will be the pillars of His Highness’ temple.”

"The third achievement lies in the young man named Xu Beiyou. This young man can achieve today's achievements at a young age. As long as he doesn't die halfway, he is destined to have a bright future. Today, he and Princess Qiyang are good friends of Qin and Jin. His Highness is close, as long as His Highness draws closer, then he will be His Highness's right-hand man in the future."

The middle-aged Confucian scholar paused for a moment, then said: "The first is fame, which benefits the present; the second is the heart, which benefits the next ten years; as for the third, I'm afraid it will have to wait until His Highness can really sit in that position." Only then will it show results.”

Xiao Bai didn't say yes or no, and asked: "After talking about the gains, what about the losses?"

The middle-aged Confucian scholar poured a lot of tea from the teacup in his hand, and said: "The first loss, the prince is also a king. It is said that there are no two days in the sky, and there are no two lords in the country. There are two kings in the court, which will naturally arouse your majesty's a little jealousy." And beware, His Highness has also heard the saying that the two dragons do not meet each other. His Highness won the position of the crown prince, but lost His Majesty's trust. As Zhang Jiangling said before, like entering a fire, you get a cool door. Only Your Highness knows it."

Xiao Bai nodded, "The Tian family has no relatives, it's a reasonable thing."

The Confucian scholar poured a little more of the tea in the teacup, and then continued: "The second loss lies in Qizhou. His Highness has run Qizhou for many years and has deep roots. If His Majesty makes His Highness the crown prince, then His Highness will leave Qizhou and enter Beijing. Although His Highness After entering the East Palace, you can still lead Qizhou from afar, but after all, it is still not as good as sitting in Qizhou in person. Qizhou seems to be managed by His Highness as solid as gold, but there is no unbreakable gold in the world. As long as His Majesty uses a little wrist, the whole Qizhou The palace will fall apart in an instant."

The Confucian scholar drank the last bit of residual tea, "The first loss is love, the relationship between father and son, the second loss is land, the land of Qizhou, in fact, the second loss is not bad, but it is something outside the body, but the first loss, if you deal with it Not good, I’m afraid I’m going to bury hidden worries.”

Xiao Bai sighed, looked towards the rolling river, and murmured: "Father is the guide for the son, and the king is the guide for the ministers. I am a son and minister, how dare I disobey the emperor? I can only do my best to repay the kindness of the emperor."

Royal father, imperial father, seems to be the same, but in fact they are very different.

The Confucian scholar calmly said: "Three gains and two losses, in general, the gains outweigh the losses. After all, His Highness is the eldest son of His Majesty, and also the eldest son and grandson of the late emperor. His status is extremely noble. If there is no serious mistake, His Majesty will not touch His Highness lightly. "

Xiao Bai suddenly asked: "Sir, are you going to the imperial capital?"

The Confucian scholar shook his head and said, "I won't go to the imperial capital, unless His Highness takes that position."

Xiao Bai laughed it off.

The Confucian scholar said with a smile, "Your Highness only needs to keep one thing in mind when you enter Beijing this time. Everyone else is false, and only Your Majesty is the real one."

Xiao Bai frowned, and was about to ask a question, when he looked back, the Confucian scholar had already disappeared.

Xiao Bai exhaled a breath of foul air, and walked off the boat.

The Minister of Rites, who had been waiting on the pier for a long time, came quickly to Xiao Bai, and after saluting, he asked softly: "Does Your Highness go to the post office, or go directly to the palace?"

Xiao Bai ordered: "Send someone to the palace to pass the word and ask His Majesty and Empress Dowager what they mean. This king will go to the Princess Mansion first."

Minister of Rites bowed his head and said, "No."

(End of this chapter)