Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 108
The cell was poorly lit, dim and dark, but all the utensils were complete, and there was even a kettle on the table.

Du Wulang squeezed the clean quilt and said pleasantly, "It's so good? It's the first time I've heard of Beiya Prison, but it's the best."

"Have you ever been to another prison?"

"I've been to Jingzhao Mansion Prison and Dali Temple Prison, but I haven't been to the Criminal Ministry Prison." Du Wulang counted with his fingers, and said: "Longwu Army is really dignified, upright and mighty, unlike Jingzhao Bad people are hideous in appearance, vicious and tricky."

"We are the honor guard of the emperor, how can we compare with the scum?"

"..."

When Chen Xuanli walked into the cell, he could hear the chatter still going on inside.

"The next time the general comes to Fengweilou to eat fried dishes, I will reserve the best private room for the general..."

"You have to get out!"

Chen Xuanli stopped drinking.

Du Wulang looked up, and saw that the general was so tall that his head was almost touching the roof, and he felt scared only at this time when the terrible aura was covered.

"The general asked questions, all go out."

"Here."

"General, I... I can tell the truth about everything, so I don't need to be punished, and I will say it if I don't." Du Wulang spoke incoherently.

"Where are the Han Yu people?!"

Du Wulang was so surprised, he was stunned for a while, and said: "I, I have never met Han Yu. At the beginning, I asked him who Han Yu was, and he said he was his teacher. Later he said he was just kidding me. There would be no Han Yu."

"How dare you hide it, pretending that I didn't know that you were conspiring with Xue Bai?!"

When Chen Xuanli scolded angrily, Du Wulang was really frightened and 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 stool and poured himself a glass of water.

It turned out that the decorations in this cell were prepared for him.

The scribe sat down on one side and transcribed the statement.

"For the first time, I was convicted with Grandpa. Because of Liu Ji and Li's affairs, the general also knows about it? The second time, our five sons of Chunwei were convicted. I didn't know it was Li Shizhi's other house, so I went in. Hey, it is true. Something big happened. As for this time, General, I really didn’t do anything this time, I didn’t even go to the wedding banquet at the Courtyard.”

"The East Palace alone doesn't invite you, so it can be seen that you are the one who built 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?"

"Tianbao's five years at the beginning of winter." Du Wulang recalled, "I don't think it's been half a year, but I feel that I have known him for a long time."

"Is it true that we met a long time ago?"

Du Wulang nodded vigorously, and said: "The general knew it as soon as he asked. That day, Duan Yan was beaten to death, and I was frightened. Xue Bai was picked up. As soon as he opened his eyes, I felt that he was different from others... ..."

While listening to the story told by the slightly fat young man, the scribe took notes with his pen, dipping in ink from time to time.

Gradually, the ink on the inkstone ran out, and the scroll was very long, unlike ordinary confessions.

Chen Xuanli got up, and muttered to himself: "The sage gave me some stir-fried vegetables, and they tasted good."

Du Wulang was still in a daze until Chen Xuanli left first, and the clerk tapped his head with a brush.

"Idiot, you don't even know how to climb a ladder."

~~
As Chen Xuanli walked through the corridor, someone immediately stepped forward and handed over a few confessions.

"The three Jinshi were interrogated separately, and they all said that they did not know why they suddenly received invitations from the Eastern Palace, and that they did discuss state affairs with King Guangping at the banquet."

"Ah."

"General, we..."

"We are not Dali Temple, we are just asking questions on behalf of saints."

"Here."

Chen Xuanli snorted, turned back to sit in the lobby, closed his eyes and rested his mind, like a huge statue of Arhat.

He didn't open his eyes until Gao Lishi entered the door, and said, "I've asked about it, and I'm still checking."

"Don't worry, let's talk about it after we figure out the ins and outs, lest the sage spend time listening to these people's arguments and sophistry."

"Then General Gao is here at this time?"

"Look at the evidence."

Not many things were found from Xue's house, most of them were scrolls. It can be seen that this kid has indeed been studying hard recently, preparing for the Imperial College Examination.

Chen Xuanli thought that Gao Lishi would come to take away "Domino Picture" and "Ma Shuo" first, but he didn't expect that he didn't even read it. He flipped through Xue Bai's calligraphy practice book, took two volumes, and drifted away.

Before leaving, he even made a joke.

"If it wasn't 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, elder brother Yang Yu, and cousin Yang Kai were called "Wu Yang" at that time. The mansions of Wu Yang were all in Xuanyangfang. Since the law, Xuanyangfang has been completely blocked.

However, any official who is well-informed and dissatisfied with the status quo, who would not consider whether to join the uncle of the country and strive for the opportunity to work for the court's taxation as soon as possible?
However, once Xue Bai, who offered advice to Yang Zhen, was imprisoned, it seemed as if a basin of cold water had been poured on the raging fire.

Many officials who were originally enthusiastic did not dare to run to Wuyangzhai again.

It's just like Wei Jian passing through the canal and singing "The Song of Debao" to the saints. It is very popular, but the tea is cold in a blink of an eye on the eve of the prime minister.

The curved crescent moon hangs high, as if it was last year.

~~
The sky was hazy, Yan Yan opened her eyes, like a dream or waking up, she thought that her elder brother was coming to hand in the story, so she was willing to get up from the couch.

In fact, she was still very sleepy, she rubbed her eyes and saw the servant girl Yonger sitting aside, she lay down and buried her face in Yonger's arms.

"If Sanniang is still sleepy, go to sleep for a while."

"No, today the monkey bet with the Tathagata Buddha."

Yong'er also read the story about the disturbance in the Heavenly Palace a few days ago, and was actually very excited, even when she tied Yan Yan's hair with anticipation.

"Yong'er, give me your rouge to touch my forehead?"

"Why?"

"Nezha is like this."

The last time I saw the monkey fighting against Nezha, Yan Yan drew a picture, but Xue Bai tapped Nezha's brow with a red pen.

Unfortunately, Yonger didn't have any rouge, so the two had no choice but to give up. After dressing up, they happily went to the lobby and waited.

Wei Yun couldn't help laughing and said, "I don't see you working so hard, do you really think you are a teacher?"

"There is no long, there is no short, the existence of the Tao, the existence of the teacher." Yan Yan said proudly.

However, after she ate her breakfast, she stayed there for a long time, and when she didn't see Xue Bai coming, she couldn't help spitting: "It's so annoying, I won't say anything if I don't come today."

"Who taught you to speak like this, do you look like a lady?!" Wei Yun scolded immediately.

After asking people to inquire again, they knew that Xue Bai had been taken again, and Liu Niang was already anxious to go to the residence of General Jinwu Xue Hui to intercede.

Yan Zhenqing went to the outskirts of the city to check the fields yesterday, and did not return to the house until long after the morning drum sounded. Hearing about this, he took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Since it was taken away by the Beiya, not the Dali Temple, it's okay."

After hearing this, Wei Yun was still worried.Yan Yan knew that grandpa and elder brother had a secret, so she was relieved, but she was still dissatisfied that she didn't see monkeys these few days.

"Aniang, let someone come to Yuzhen Temple to talk to the alchemist. My daughter hasn't finished taking the medicine, so I won't pass today..."

At this time, Long Wujun came to the door, but he spoke very politely.

"May I ask where the Chang'an County Captain is?"

"The old man is right."

"I have heard about Yan Shaofu's high reputation for a long time, and my general wants to learn calligraphy from Yan Shaofu."

Yan Zhenqing got up unhurriedly, and suddenly thought in her heart that her calligraphy with these two hands would fall into the eyes of a sage this time.

~~
Jade Zhenguan.

Jiaonu rushed to the dormitory, pushed the door open, and saw Li Tengkong holding a scroll and discussing the story with Mian'er.

"Hmph, if Shi Qi Niang didn't make it up for him, how could this story be good?" Mian'er said, "He didn't even understand Bagua Furnace, so he only wrote a few words, and Shi Qi Niang added half a scroll for him. "

Li Tengkong didn't want Mian'er to call her "Tengkongzi" anymore, with a smile in his eyes.

Recently when she was reading stories about monkeys, she saw that Xue Bai clearly didn't understand Taoism, but he wanted to write about the ancestors and the old gentleman, as if he was asking her for advice on purpose...

"Miss Seventeen, something has happened." Jiao Nu stepped forward and said, "Niang Fourteen has been arrested."

"Ok?"

"I heard that Fourteenth Niang eloped with Jingzhao Du's son and was caught on the way to Luoyang."

"Elope...elope?"

Li Tengkong was taken aback, surprised at how bold sister was.

When she didn't know what to say, a female crown who had a good relationship with 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 changed immediately.

"Quick, I want to go home!"

……

Walking through the spotless promenade and walking into the flower hall, I saw that the hall is full of my own family.

Li Linfu rarely hid behind the screen, and sat at the head with a cold face; Fourteen Niangs knelt in the hall; Shi Lang, Shi Shi Niang and his wife stood aside with their heads bowed.

"I've seen Grandpa."

Li Tengkong saluted, stood behind Eleven Niang, looked at Fourteen Niang sympathetically, and was a little curious.

On the contrary, the Fourteenth Niang was very stubborn, and said: "It's useless for my grandfather not to allow my daughter to marry. My daughter has already cooked rice with a gentleman, and he will not marry!"

"Do I care? You can't marry that bastard!"

"What's wrong with being a gentleman?! His family is prominent. He is the son of a famous general and an important minister. When he was young, he swept Tubo with his father and defeated the Bolu Kingdom. He has a family before he is 20 years old; Both civil and military, he has strategy with the army, has martial arts in battle, and can compose poems when he is off the horse; Abandoning all these, wandering the world with my daughter, staying together for the rest of my life, such a man, why doesn't my daughter marry?!"

Li Tengkong was dumbfounded.

She held Fuchen tightly in her hand, admiring Fourteen Niang in her heart.

But how could Grandpa agree?
"Alang!"

Suddenly, Cang Bi yelled outside the door and hurried over.

"Jingzhao Du's family...Du...Mr. Du is here to hire you!"

Li Tengkong turned his head to look, only to see Li Linfu standing up and straightening his clothes, with no trace of anger on his face.

She still doesn't understand, Eleven Niang has already pulled her, and said in a low voice: "Don't you understand? Come, let me tell you."

"Sister, I have something to ask you."

"Now you know what I'm capable of?" Li Shiniang smiled triumphantly, "I told you earlier that getting Xue Bai married is not difficult, but you refused to listen. Now you want to save him again?"

"I beg my sister to save him..."

"I'm in a hurry, first listen to how I helped Fourteen Niang get married."

Li Shiniang is always full of reasoning, insisting on being convinced by others, she leisurely sat down in the small courtyard before speaking.

"You have been stupid since you were a child. Others scolded Grandpa, but you really took it to heart. In fact, those sanctimonious people were terrified of Grandpa. For example, Du Hope, they all regarded him as Grandpa's mortal enemy, but the aristocratic family has always been one of you. I, I have you, how can there be a deadly enemy? Yesterday when your lover was released from prison, everyone knew that Pei Kuan was about to be demoted. Du hoped to be tough again? Tsk, I told Fourteen Niang that she wanted to marry a child of the family Anyone can do it, it doesn't matter whoever the son of a poor family wants to marry, the Right Prime Minister's House has never failed to get it."

Hearing this set of rhetoric, Li Tengkong still couldn't accept it, but this time he asked in a low voice: "Can Xue Bai be let go?"

"Is it important to let him go or not? The important thing is that you have learned the lesson? If you had listened to me and recruited him into the mansion as your son-in-law, would you have had these things?" Li Shiniang became more and more enthusiastic. "Fourteen Niang listened to me, if you don't listen, do you regret it now?"

~~
In the afternoon, Du Youlin called on Pei Kuan and left.

This day, the pommel horse in front of Pei's house was in the cold, and he valued Du Youlin's visit more and more, so Pei Kuan personally sent him off.

"Human feelings are cold and warm, I will keep this in my heart, and if I have a chance in the future, I will definitely recommend you for reinstatement."

"Don't dare to bother you with these mundane things." Du Youlin said, "I just ask Mr. Pei to be at ease."

"Okay, okay, you and I are similar!"

Pei Kuan had a thousand words stuck in his throat, the persecution of Brother Nu, the abandonment of Donggong, he didn't know what to say, and in the end he watched Du Youlin go away.

Du Youlin drove the horse back home, and then sat down in the study, feeling complacent, but saw Lu Fengniang rushing over.

"Lang Jun, it's not good..."

Hearing the news, Du Youlin hurried out and hurried to the Du family.It was already evening, and Du Hope was sitting in the hall pulling his beard.

"Uncle, did you really marry Brother Nu?!"

"Ugh."

"If you are worried about the current situation, you are wrong." Du Youlin was anxious.

He actually knew something, but it was hard to tell.

Du Hope waved his hand and sighed, "It has nothing to do with the current situation. Erlang is old enough to have his own ideas, let him go."

"Yes," Du Youlin hesitated, hesitating to speak, and finally said: "Back then I was lucky enough to escape from the punishment rod in Dali Temple, but I didn't dare to get too involved with the Right Prime Minister's House. Although Awei has become the son-in-law of the Right Prime Minister today , but it will ruin your future future!"

"Can't stop him, that's all."

Du Youlin opened his mouth, knowing that this matter was irreversible, he was very disappointed.

That night, when he returned home, he couldn't help but sighed to Lu Fengniang: "I thought this younger brother was a prime minister, but it's a pity."

"What's the pity? It's a pity that you stand aside and take care of others. It's better to take care of your son. He doesn't know where he is going, and everyone is hiding it from me."

"Don't worry, the old man is going to make progress..."

~~
The moon was like a hook, and there was only dim candlelight in the cell.

This was Xue Bai's second night in the North Yarn Prison. He kept fit, studied and recuperated. He stayed quite full and went to bed early at night.

Blowing out the candles, he couldn't see his fingers, but a gentle figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

No one would crawl into his bed this night.

It was getting brighter.

When Xue Bai opened his eyes, he saw a person standing by the couch and looking at him, almost startled.

"General Gao?"

"Slept soundly." Gao Lishi said lightly, "Is Bei Ya Prison comfortable?"

"General Gao laughed at me. I was wronged." Xue Bai said, "Recently, I have been studying with peace of mind and preparing for the annual exam. I really haven't caused any trouble."

"I don't care about this matter, I just ask you, why didn't you post yesterday?"

"Writing post?"

Xue Bai was taken aback for a moment, looked at the table with pens, ink, paper and inkstones, and said, "I wrote a poem yesterday."

"Sitting in jail all day, only wrote 28 characters?"

"I don't have the heart to write anything else."

Xue Bai muttered something in a low voice, raised his head and looked at Gao Lishi.

The two knew each other well, so Gao Lishi scolded: "Pure urine monkey, 'Wukong bowed his head but saw' what did you see?"

"The saint is going to let me out?"

"You are lucky if you are not beheaded, why don't you get up?"

Xue Bai had no choice but to get up, and looked around, there was already a pot of mutton and mustard cakes on the table.

He was grinding ink while eating, when the inkstone in his hand was suddenly snatched by Gao Lishi.

"The action is slow, so hurry up and eat."

Chewing the mustache, Xue Bai looked at Gao Lishi grinding the ink, and suddenly asked, "General, may I ask you something?"

"ask."

"Li Bai..."

"Well, I took off his boots. What's the matter? That's what I do."

"That……"

"Hanlin served the emperor and drafted the edict. He should be the mouthpiece and confidant of the saint. If he is not released, will he live to this day?"

Presumably this is a question that many people are curious about. Gao Lishi was a little annoyed. He picked up a brush and dipped it in ink, handed it to Xue Bai, and scolded again.

"Ask others to know how to ask, why don't you save yourself and be honest."

"I really haven't been doing anything lately."

Xue Bai emphasized again, hold the pen and write the eight-point regular script smoothly.

The ink that Gao Lishi grinds is indeed nothing to say, it is even and delicate, and the color is full; Xue Bai himself grinds it very rough, and Qing Lan's girl is a little picky, every time he adds a little more water, the ink is slightly weaker .

"On the middle finger of the Buddha's right hand, there were eight big characters written on the middle finger of the Buddha's right hand, and there was a smell of urine between the fingers, and the Monkey King was shocked..."

Gao Lishi suddenly asked, "You don't know how to use running script?"

"The teacher only taught me regular script, saying that I am far from qualified to learn running script. How does General Gao think my calligraphy is improving?"

"It's okay."

Gao Lishi was so patient that he stood aside with his hands behind his back, watched him write from beginning to end, and sometimes observed his expression.

In the afternoon, Xue Bai filled up a scroll, Gao Lishi put it away and left without asking any questions from the beginning to the end.

The more you don't ask, the more it means that the saint knows it well.

The truth and lies spoken by the ministers, as well as the selfish calculations they harbored, could not escape those fiery eyes.

And in this Tang Dynasty where Tianbao has been in existence for six years, whoever can make the saint happy is the winner...

(End of this chapter)