Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 226: Shooting the Concubine in the Liyuan

In a pavilion in Liyuan Forbidden Garden, the atmosphere was already tense to the point of explosion.Fang Chongyong was also extremely shocked by Yan Zhenqing's stubbornness.

Throughout the dynasties, there was actually no shortage of such tough-minded people. Among those Fang Chongyong had heard of but never seen was Zhang Jiuling, and even earlier there was Wei Zheng.Counting further forward, there are even more.

However, this was the first time Fang Chongyong had seen this kind of "strong advice".He offended five thousand palace maids, the courtiers who participated in the "Shooting Concubine", and Brother Ji in one go, all for the sake of the righteousness in his heart (not to discuss the rights and wrongs). This kind of person is still worthy of admiration.

"I want to reduce the expenses in the palace, reduce the number of palace ladies, and give them something to rely on in their old age. Am I wrong? Or is Aiqing just trying to gain fame?"

Li Longji was shaking with anger, pointing at Yan Zhenqing who was kneeling on the ground and asked.

Fang Chongyong's heart suddenly rose to his throat.

He understood very well that this was not Brother Ji negotiating with Yan Zhenqing, but him trying to convince himself!
The so-called "freedom of conscience" means that you believe that you are doing the right thing and follow the "laws" in your mind, rather than the laws of the country, and then you will not feel guilty about what you have done.

Dealing with courtiers out of rage is the behavior of a cowardly tyrant and will make Brother Ji feel uncomfortable.

However, after some "self-persuasion", Ji Ge no longer thought that he was a cowardly tyrant, but that he was a minister who was causing trouble.

"Sage, it is naturally a good thing to return the palace maid.

However, if the saint directly ordered them to be returned home, why treat them like livestock for the courtiers and nobles to hunt?

This move is very disgraceful and tarnishes the national character, something the ancients and sages would not do. "

Yan Zhenqing crossed his hands and bowed, and persuaded him hard.

"That's enough! Returning the palace maiden is a matter for the inner court. It's up to me to decide how to release her. It's not your turn, as a minister from outside the court, to be so arrogant!"

Ji Ge suddenly became furious, as if someone had hit a painful point.

Seeing this scene, Fang Chongyong quickly crossed his hands and saluted Brother Ji:
"Sage, Yushi Yan is the censor in the palace and is responsible for supervising the etiquette of the courtiers.

Rather than today's activities, let Yan Yushi be in charge of picketing. Wei Chen led a team of Jinwu guards to assist Yan Yushi.

If there is any conflict between the palace maids and the courtiers participating in the event, Yan Yushi can also mediate between them. "

Hearing what Fang Chongyong said, Li Longji's anger subsided slightly and he nodded slightly without speaking, as if he was thinking about something.

The main reason is that he himself has a guilty conscience and is riding a tiger with difficulty, and he doesn't know how to argue with Yan Zhenqing.

Today's Liyuan Concubine Shooting is to see the courtiers make fools of themselves and the palace ladies eagerly pounce on "eating people". This is the main purpose of Brother Ji, and it is just for fun!
The more embarrassed the courtiers were, the more satisfied he felt!
If you just want to release the palace maid back home, an imperial edict will be enough, why bother with so much trouble?

Fang Chongyong's suggestion was to give Brother Ji a step down, so he wouldn't say that he must deal with Yan Zhenqing now!

"Go, go! Check carefully!"

Brother Ji said impatiently, turned around and left, not wanting to even look at Yan Zhenqing who was kneeling on the ground.

Gao Lishi nodded to Fang Chongyong and left behind Brother Ji. Only Yan Zhenqing, who was kneeling on the ground dumbfounded, and Fang Chongyong, the "outsider", were left in the pavilion.

"Since Fang Yushi came so early, why don't you give some advice to the saint?"

Yan Zhenqing stood up, took a deep breath, and asked with a tired face.

"Isn't Yushi Yan glad that he just passed through the gate of hell?"

Fang Chongyong smiled.

"The saint now treats the palace maids as livestock and prey. If this continues, what will happen to the people?"

Yan Zhenqing shook his head helplessly and sighed, as if talking to himself or asking Fang Chongyong.Although he was stubborn, he was not stupid. He knew that Fang Chongyong had saved his life just now.If you really try hard, at least you will be beaten with dozens of sticks.

Of course, since he is so stubborn now, it seems obvious that he will be liquidated by Brother Ji next year, and there will be no suspense.This is the price for violating Yan Zhijian.

"Yan Yushi, I have a question to ask.

Of course, this is just a private matter. It comes out of my mouth and into your ears. When you walk out of this pavilion, you will not remember what I said. "

Fang Chongyong crossed his hands and saluted Yan Zhenqing.

"Well, Yushi Fang, please tell me. I received a lot of favors from your father back then. If you want to ask me anything, if I know, I will tell you."

Yan Zhenqing put away the loneliness on his face and said seriously, and the other party also saluted Zhongyong.

"Yan Yushi, when did the emperor not treat the people as livestock?
In the eyes of saints and ministers, when are the farmers who work on their fields all day long, the merchants and hawkers who traffic in goods, and the orchids who serve them with their bodies, when are they not just livestock to be slaughtered?

Yan Yushi sympathizes with the unfair treatment suffered by these five thousand palace ladies. Has he considered the suffering of the people?

Does Yan Yushi care about national etiquette or the suffering of the people? "

Fang Chongyong asked unceremoniously, like a sharp bayonet piercing Yan Zhenqing's heart.

Do you want to regulate the country's system, or do you want to save the people from misery?This is a very simple question, but it is a difficult question to choose.

There are many people who are upright and upright, but most of them choose the former.

Yan Zhenqing was speechless and really didn't know how to explain this problem.

"Because of Yan Yushi's words, it is very likely that these five thousand palace ladies will return to the palace today. They will never be grateful to Yan Yushi for speaking up. Instead, they will blame Yan Yushi for not having a good death.

Although this is hard to hear, it is reality.

Yan Yushi had indeed made an impassioned speech to the emperor just now, but had he considered the feelings of the five thousand palace ladies?
Is Yan Yushi really caring about the beauty, or does he care more about the court's rules? "

Fang Chongyong continued to ask questions without giving Yan Zhenqing any face.

"If this is the case, then for the sake of the country's justice, we can only sacrifice them.

Not to mention them, even if they were someone's closest relatives, in such a situation, someone would have to sacrifice them. "

Yan Zhenqing sighed and said.

He also had to admit that Fang Youde's son did indeed have a bright eye.

Of course Yan Zhenqing knew that what Fang Chongyong said was reality, but in his opinion, human life could not be more important than rules and regulations, because they were the "artifacts" of the country.When rituals and music break down, more people will die. Compared with the chaos in the world, what is the fate of an individual?
The choice of the lesser of two evils is to sacrifice the lighter one.

The country's rules and regulations must ensure that their majesty cannot be desecrated.The difference between him and Li Longji was not about whether the five thousand palace maids should be released. In fact, Yan Zhenqing had no opinion on whether to release them or not.He didn't know and didn't care whether the maids were living well in the palace or not.

What Yan Zhenqing is concerned about is that the "ceremony" of releasing the palace maids must be solemn and appropriate, and cannot be treated as a game, let alone a promiscuous party for courtiers to have fun!
Rather than holding such an unceremonious, unserious and chaotic ceremony, it would be better to let those palace ladies continue to stay in the palace.Yan Zhenqing didn't mind that Li Longji took back his life and refused to let go of these five thousand maids.

Yan Zhenqing and Fang Chongyong's focus was obviously not on the same place.

"In that case, I won't have any problem. Yan Yushi, please follow me to mobilize the Jinwu guards. They are patrolling the Liyuan Forbidden Garden."

Fang Chongyong has lost interest in in-depth discussions with Yan Zhenqing, or it can be called "different ways do not work together".In his opinion, the matter of letting go of five thousand maids is obviously more important, and other "hypocritical etiquette" can be omitted or not pursued.

If we can't agree on issues of principle, then there is no need to continue the discussion.

As if feeling Fang Chongyong's deliberate alienation, Yan Zhenqing was a little embarrassed, so she could only nod slightly in embarrassment and follow Fang Chongyong.After a while, Fang Chongyong found Zhang Guangsheng in the Liyuan Forbidden Garden and introduced him:

"This is Yushi Yan. His job is to serve as the censor in the palace, and he is responsible for observing the etiquette of all officials. Later, you will lead ten brothers from the Jinwu Guards to follow Yan Yushi and patrol the Liyuan Forbidden Garden on horseback.

Everything must be obeyed by Yan Yushi's command. This is the sage's command. "

Fang Chongyong emphasized.

In fact, Brother Ji just said to find someone to cooperate with Yan Zhenqing and help him, but he did not say to let Zuo Jinwu Wei Zhonglang Zhang Guangsheng participate.Generally, it would not be King Wu Wei Zhonglang's turn to personally take part in such a task.

Fang Chongyong was just afraid that Zhang Guangsheng and others would have their hopes dashed by the hungry palace maids, so he deliberately brought him to Yan Zhenqing's side.

Just now, he suddenly thought of an extremely terrifying thing.

Fang Chongyong discovered a blind spot in Yan Zhenqing's answer.It seems that many courtiers, including Yan Zhenqing, believed that this "Liyuan Concubine Shooting" was a "hunting trip for beauty" where "the eagle catches the chicks".

However, what is going to happen may not be what they think.

Perhaps only men like Brother Ji, who grew up surrounded by women and "dealt with" various concubines all day long, know the "hidden rules within the rules."

This time Ji Ge is holding a "high-end silver party", and not all Chang'an courtiers are eligible to participate.

For example, the prince didn't come, the princes didn't come, the princes who went abroad didn't come, even Brother Ji's brothers, such as the descendants of King Qi Xue's family, didn't come!

Only the central courtiers came, and they were still courtiers with certain official positions.For example, the six ministers, ministers, central ministers, Yuanwailang, etc.In addition, there are some senior generals from the Nanya Forbidden Army and the Longwu Army.

The total number of these people is more than 200, and it will definitely not exceed 300.

According to information from Brother Ji, as many as 5000 palace maids participated in the "Liyuan Concubine Shooting" were released this time!There are an order of magnitude more than the number of courtiers and generals participating in the "hunt for beauty"!

Evenly distributed, each person gets ten palace maids, which still leaves two thousand more palace maids and no one cares about them.At the very least, each person must bring back fifteen or six to be considered "evenly exposed to rain and dew."

Fifteen!There are only eleven people in a football team. After the event, every courtier will be able to coach the women's football team when they return home!There is no shortage of substitutes!
Therefore, the scene after noon today will definitely not be as Yan Zhenqing imagined, with hungry, crazy and lustful courtiers chasing the palace maids and shooting arrows.

Instead, a group of palace maids who were crazy about leaving the palace pounced on the courtiers, snatched away their "romantic arrows" and stabbed themselves!Then he took the romantic arrow in his hand and walked away!Since then, he has escaped the shackles of the palace!

There were only ten "romantic arrows" in an arrow pot, and the names of the participants were written on the arrow shafts.Brother Ji, although Fang Chongyong said that he could "add more" after he finished shooting to show his favor, but for others, that was not allowed, and the ten arrows would be gone after they were shot.

In other words, there are at least more than 2000 palace maids, but in the end they will not even have a "romantic arrow" in their hands!If they don't snatch it from the palace ladies who got the romantic arrows, they can only return to the palace and wait for the next event.

How many people would be willing to give up the opportunity to leave the palace?Are these palace ladies going crazy?

Therefore, the palace maid who grabs the romantic arrow must guard against being snatched by other palace ladies!At least hold on until after dark!

Will there be fights or even killings here?
No one can say for sure, but Fang Chongyong feels that Yan Zhenqing and Zhang Guangsheng can do a little bit of work on this matter, which at least can reduce the number of deaths.

"Brother, you are enjoying the blessing of being surrounded by people, but I am still hungry. Can you ask other Jinwu Guard officers to do this?"

Zhang Guangsheng approached Fang Chongyong and complained in a low voice.

"When palace maids kill someone, you have to stop them and dye their white palace clothes black with ink. Those who dye their white palace clothes black will be disqualified from the competition and will be taken directly back to the palace."

Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice.

"Competition?"

Zhang Guangsheng was stunned for a moment, not understanding what those palace ladies were competing for.

"There are only more than 200 participants, but there are five thousand palace maids. If we don't compete, can we leave the palace?"

Fang Chongyong explained helplessly.

Zhang Guangsheng suddenly realized.He was born in Qiuba, Bian Town, and had seen too many shabby things there. He finally understood what Brother Ji wanted to do this time!

Courtiers hunt for beauty×

Palace Maid Battle Royal√

He remembered what Fang Chongyong once told himself when he was in Shazhou: It is interesting to watch people struggling in the water on the shore.

Only today did Zhang Guangsheng truly understand the interests of those powerful people, and what Fang Chongyong meant by these words.

The fun of the powerful is to appreciate the embarrassment and pain of others.Their own happiness and joy are based on the suffering of others.

Fang Chongyong could not change these, and Zhang Guangsheng could not change them even more.

"understood."

Zhang Guangsheng nodded and said, then turned around and walked over to Yan Zhenqing and saluted: "Yan Yushi, please come with me. The horses are outside the Liyuan Forbidden Garden. We won't be able to get things done without riding horses later."

"Brother, aren't you coming with us?"

Zhang Guangsheng walked a few steps and found Fang Chongyong standing there. He couldn't help but leaned over and asked curiously.

"I still have something important to do, so you go first."

Fang Chongyong said nonchalantly.

What he told Brother Ji was to bring Jin Wuwei to assist Yan Zhenqing, but he didn't say when he would get involved.There was a huge loophole in the organization of this event. I wonder if Brother Ji did it intentionally.

In order to avoid big trouble, he had to talk to his father Fang Youde quickly.

This is not a joke.

……

"Noon has arrived. Please leave the camp and return to the camp at sunset. The palace maids who were shot by the romantic arrows will also enter the camp with the romantic arrows at sunset."

A eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs.

The courtiers from all walks of life, who were almost too tired to walk after eating, all had mysterious or even ambiguous smiles on their faces, holding weak short bows in their hands, and rode out of the camp on donkeys.

In order to take care of the civil servants who don't like to exercise during this "Pear Garden Shooting Concubine" event, each of them was given a donkey, but followers were still not allowed.

Although the team participating in the Concubine Shooting was very large, it was even more ridiculously large as it almost occupied the Liyuan Forbidden Garden on the northern outskirts of Chang'an City.These people searched aimlessly in the Forbidden Garden in groups, and soon dispersed sporadically. At most, they could see a few companions in their field of vision.

What these officials don't know is that this time, the ones being "hunted" are not the five thousand palace ladies, but them, the big wronged ones who can take the palace ladies away from the sea of ​​misery.

On the "Arrow Tower" that was temporarily built somewhere in the Liyuan Forbidden Garden, with many wheels that can be pushed underneath, and a height of more than ten feet, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty was holding a pair of arrows trafficked from Shazhou. The "thousand-mile mirror" used to observe the "battle situation" in the Forbidden Garden.

The lenses of this "telescope" are polished with crystal produced in Shazhou. It is very impressive that you can see the beard and hair of people one mile away.It's just that it's a bit big, not very convenient to transport, and the cost is ridiculously expensive.

Brother Ji suddenly saw a dozen palace maids in his field of vision, rushing toward a six-department official riding a donkey. The official was so frightened that he ran away on the donkey, and a wicked smile suddenly appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)