Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

"Really?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "This is Wang's first summer in Chang'an, but I don't know how it compares to previous years!"

"It turns out to be like this!" The eunuch had gray hair, a face like a full moon, a high nose and wide mouth, and straight eyebrows, but he had a similar appearance. He sighed: "The servant entered the palace at the age of 14, and she is already 52 this year. It has been 38 years since I entered the palace. The year I entered the palace was the seventh year of Zhenguan, and the summer of that year was also extremely hot! I remember very clearly that on the first day I first entered the palace, I wanted to cool off, so I sat in the yard with my bare back to enjoy the cool air. When the master saw it, he said I didn't understand the rules and slapped him three times!" At this point, he shook his head with a smile, his face full of bitterness.

Hearing what the old eunuch said, Wang Wenzuo was moved in his heart: "Then you must have hated that master very much at the beginning!"

"Yes!" The eunuch nodded and sighed: "I was just a child at that time, and I didn't understand anything. I felt wronged when I was beaten, but I didn't know that I was not at home in the palace. Rules are life-threatening. The elders beat you to make you remember it, so as not to lose your life due to confusion!"

"Yes!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "After I came to Chang'an, I also felt that the rules here are too strict. I was always afraid that I would break the rules unknowingly and kill my own life. I hope there is a master who can give me advice!"

"Hehe!" The eunuch took a look at Wang Wenzuo and said with a smile: "General Wang is joking, you are a nobleman, not a hard-working person like us, don't say you won't break the rules, even if you really break the rules, there is a crown prince. With the Emperor and Empress protecting you, what are you afraid of?"

"You can't say that!" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "Great people also have rules for noble people. If you really violate the rules, even if the crown prince and the emperor want to protect me, they may not be able to protect me. After all, the law of the country is made by the first emperor. Even the emperor cannot be pardoned by selfish love! Don't you think so?"

The eunuch took a deep look at Wang Wenzuo, and then sighed after a while: "Xu has been in the palace for more than 30 years, and you are the first one who is loved by His Majesty like General Wang, and you can know how to advance and retreat like this! I think you can Enjoy a happy life, and your descendants will continue!"

"Then entrust Xu Gong with auspicious words!" Wang Wenzuo cupped his hands and said with a smile.

"Don't dare to be, dare not be!" The eunuch hurriedly turned his body to avoid Wang Wenzuo's gift: "How dare a crippled person, Xu, be called Duke Xu by General Wang!"

"The elder is respected!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "As for the matter of entering the palace in the first place, Mr. Xu must have had no choice but to do it. Who doesn't have a few things in life that he cannot bear to talk about and does not want to mention again?"

Hearing this, the eunuch glanced at Wang Wenzuo, and saw that his expression was magnanimous and his eyes were clear. He had served the two emperors in the palace for more than [-] years, and he had seen many kinds of people. Wang Wenzuo's words just now came from his heart, and they were not hypocritical words to please himself. He couldn't help but sighed, "General Wang is indeed a hero in the world. The people Xu met in his life were either despised in his heart but pretended to be respectful, or He simply regards us as inhumans, and he is the first one who can understand our suffering like General Wang, but can deal with it indifferently."

"Xu Gongnai has an incomplete body, but there are so many people in the world who have sound bodies but incomplete minds, and are limited by prejudice?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Compared with those who have incomplete bodies, I think the latter is more sad and deplorable. !”

Hearing Wang Wenzuo's words, the eunuch changed his expression drastically as if he heard the drums at dusk and the bells in the morning. He bowed down and bowed down: "Xu heard what General Wang said today, and then he realized that these 50 years are worthless, and he has been educated!"

"It's just a few gossips, Mr. Xu doesn't need to be like this!" Wang Wenzuo stretched out his hand to help the eunuch up, and the two chatted a few more words, the eunuch stood up, cupped his hands and said: "To see General Wang today is like seeing the sun through the clouds. I wanted to ask for more advice, but it is a pity that I have a position, so I will leave first, and I will come to ask for advice when I have time next time!"

The eunuch left the East Palace and returned to the Daming Palace. As soon as he arrived at the Hanyuan Palace, he saw a maid on duty stepping forward, bowing her knees and saying, "Xu Shaojian, Your Majesty the Empress has a decree, and you will go see her when you come back from the decree." !"

"Slave obeys the order!" Xu Shaojian hurriedly responded, he is Xu Xuwen, the young supervisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs was established in the Tang Dynasty, and it was specially in charge of eunuchs in the palace, in charge of conveying edicts, guarding the palace gates, sweeping the inner court, and the inner treasury Cashier and take care of the emperor's diet and daily affairs.Among them, there are two eunuchs, from the third rank; two young eunuchs, and four internal servants, all from the fourth rank.This Xu Xuwen was the young supervisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he was already a prominent figure among the thousands of eunuchs in the palace at that time.

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"Tell me, what did Wang Wenzuo say after receiving the order?" The queen was eating her own lunch, and due to her busy schedule, her second meal would often be delayed until close to 17 o'clock (close to [-] o'clock).Her lunch was very simple, boiled eggs, wheat porridge, half a piece of mustard and a little dried fruit, perhaps to ensure a clear mind, the queen did not eat much for breakfast and lunch.

"General Wang thanked the two Majesties for their kindness, and then said that the weather in the house is hot, please sit down and talk in the courtyard!" Xu Xuwen said.

"Well, what did he say?" the queen asked with great interest.

"The slave mentioned the weather and said that this summer was hotter than in previous years. He said that it was his first summer in Chang'an, so he didn't know how hot it was in Chang'an in the past. Then the old slave mentioned the summer more than 30 years ago. It was the first year that the old slave entered the palace, and it was also very hot. He also said that the old slave was greedy for coolness at that time, so he enjoyed the coolness with his bare back in the yard, and ended up being slapped a few times by the master——" At this point, he suddenly stopped Living.

"And then?" The queen cracked the shell of the boiled egg: "What did Wang Wenzuo say?"

"The old slave said that he was a handicapped person, so Wang Wenzuo comforted the old slave, saying that the old slave had no choice but to enter the palace at the beginning, and that no matter who he is, there are some things in the past that he can't bear to say and doesn't want to mention again! Later, I invited the old slave to come and sit with him in his spare time!"

Empress Wu's hand stopped, and a trace of bewilderment slipped across her face. After a few minutes, she sneered: "Wang Wenzuo's mouth is really powerful, and it is designed to poke at the apex of people's hearts. Xu Shaojian, did you think that Did he speak to your heart?"

"The old slave really felt this way!" Xu Xuwen replied honestly.

"That's right, I would feel the same way if I were changed, but it's just useless nonsense!" The queen threw the half-peeled egg on the ground: "Yes, there are a few things he, Wang Wenzuo, can't bear to say." I don't want to mention the past. But can those few things about him be the same as the things you entered the palace? He is now the confidant of the prince of the East Palace. Surrounded by children and grandchildren. And what about you, Xu Xuwen? You will always be a survivor of punishment, and after a hundred years, there will be no one to worship at the grave, and you will only be a hungry ghost if you are a ghost!"

Xu Xuwen stood there, trembling violently all over his body, the queen's words were like an invisible whip whipping him, beads of soybean sweat slid down his cheeks, bonding his gray hair together, his usual demeanor The kindness has long since disappeared, leaving only a poor humble old man standing there, as if he might fall down at any time.

"Do you hate it?" The queen asked: "Hate is right. A person like you can only hate, and he is only worthy of hating others. Yes, even if it is me, Your Majesty, it is impossible for you to be reborn. Get those lost things, but you can let those who are happier than you fall into the abyss and end up in a more miserable situation than you. At that time, you can stand in front of them and look at the expressions on their faces, Wouldn't that be much better than now?"

"Yes, yes!" Xu Xuwen replied with a trembling voice.

"Very good, you should know what to do, right?" The queen sneered, "Back off!"

Xu Xuwen kowtowed and backed away.The queen looked at the food on the table and suddenly felt no appetite at all. She was about to have the food taken away when she saw the palace maid coming in from the outside room and said in a low voice, "Liu Neifu is asking to see you outside!"

"Liu Yuanzhen? What's wrong with him?" the queen asked with a frown.

"He brought a person here, saying it was about the case of the Yang family!" said the maid.

"Okay, let him in!" The queen nodded, "Also, take these things away, I have no appetite!"

Liu Yuanzhen brought Zhou Xing in, and the queen saw them kneeling in front of her, as stiff as two leather bags. She looked down on these two guys in front of her. Compared with Wang Wenzuo, these two guys were like two lumps of camel dung, but , there is no harm in listening to what they have to say, maybe there will be unexpected gains?
"Your Majesty the Queen!" Liu Yuanzhen knelt down and whispered: "After receiving the order, I have been running around until today -"

"Shut up!" The queen interrupted Liu Yuanzhen's words: "Don't talk nonsense, the widow's time is precious, I will give you a few words now, if you don't understand clearly, just let me out!"

Liu Yuanzhen's voice froze, his forehead was covered with beads of sweat, but he couldn't speak a word.

"Zhou Guogong was framed, he fell into a trap set by others!"

The queen's eyes turned to the man behind Liu Yuanzhen, and a smile appeared on her face: "Very well, you stay, and you, go out!" Her last words were addressed to Liu Yuanzhen.

"Chen, Chen Zunzhi!" Liu Yuanzhen kowtowed in embarrassment, and retreated on his knees. He could see the twitching of the muscles on Zhou Xing's neck and cheeks—it was a smile, a smug smile, he almost hated this bastard Why did I introduce this guy to Her Majesty the Queen.

The queen looked at the man kneeling on the ground without blinking her eyes. "What's your proof for saying that? Also, who is the other person who set the trap?" Finally, she said word by word.

"My evidence is very simple. Duke Zhou never left the small building where he lived that night, let alone stepped into the small building where Yang Yueniang lived!" Zhou Xing replied: "As for the person who set the trap, Who, I don't have enough evidence yet, but I doubt that that person is Wang Wenzuo!"

Hearing Wang Wenzuo's name from Zhou Xing's mouth, the queen burst into ecstasy immediately. She suppressed the urge to jump up and said coldly: "Magistrate Zhou, you have to think clearly. General Wang is the confidant of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. , an important minister of the imperial court. If what you say is not true, the crime of rebellion will be punished by the clan!"

"My minister knows!" Zhou Xing suppressed the fear in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "However, this minister is not talking nonsense, but has evidence!"

"Okay! Then let the widow listen to your credentials!" The queen moved her shoulders and let her back rest on the brocade mat.

"I obey the order!" Zhou Xing took a deep breath: "I have spent a lot of time these days reviewing the servants of the Yang Mansion, and finally learned from a servant that after Zhou Guogong stayed in the Yang Mansion that night, he was arranged to live in a two-story building. After he was woken up that night, he went to deliver hangover soup to Zhou Guogong. Not long after he delivered the hangover soup, he heard someone screaming, and then saw Wang Wenzuo and his party running to the place where Zhou Guogong lived past."

"Send alcohol soup?" The queen was slightly taken aback: "Did that servant ever see Duke Zhou with his own eyes?"

"That's not true!" Zhou Xing said, "But the one who opened the door was Zhou Guogong's personal servant!"

"Okay, where is that slave?" the queen asked.

"Wei Chen has placed her in the county government office and no outsiders are allowed to contact her!" Zhou Xing replied carefully. He saw with satisfaction that the corners of the queen's mouth turned up slightly, knowing that he had made the right bet.

"What about Wang Wenzuo? You said he was the one who set the trap, do you have evidence?"

"Yes!" Zhou Xing said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I have handled a case for Zhou Guogong not long ago. I think that the reason why Wang Wenzuo set up a trap to assassinate Zhou Guogong is because of this case!"

"What case?"

"Your Majesty, do you remember that Zhou Guogong compiled a book called "Thirty Kingdoms Spring and Autumn Period" before his death?"

"There is such a thing! Or did I ask him to compile it in the Hongwen Museum!" the queen asked, "Is this related to Zhou Guogong's death?"

"It has a lot to do with it!" Zhou Xing replied decisively: "After Zhou Guogong finished compiling it, he listed this book and invited scholars all over the world to taste it. He said that if anyone can pick out a flaw in it, he will be given a thousand gold. . Later, a madman jumped out and uttered evil words, criticizing the book as useless. Duke Zhou then asked his subordinates to take it down!"

"Why bother? It's nothing more than a well-known person!" The queen smiled disapprovingly: "Just give him some money to drive him out of Chang'an, but doing so is giving others a handle! You're stingy! "

"Your Majesty is really as big as the sea!" Zhou Xing said with a smile, "But it's no wonder that Zhou Guogong, the madman's surname is Lu Mingzhaolin, he is a famous scholar in Hebei, he was pawned by Deng Wang Li Yuanyu for more than ten years, and then went to After leaving Chengdu, I just returned to Chang’an recently, and just after returning to Chang’an, I met Deng Wang Li Jiong and Dongtai’s servant Hao Chujun, and then the “Thirty Kingdoms Spring and Autumn” happened!”

After listening to Zhou Xing's analysis, the queen's expression gradually became serious: "Is what you said true?"

"Of course it is true!" Zhou Xing said with a smile, "There is Lu Zhaolin's own confession as evidence! Your Majesty the Empress, please see!" He then took out a confession form from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. (end of this chapter)