Emperor Yongzheng

chapter 4
Yin had always been disgusted with meat, so he stopped eating after only two bites of elbow tendon. After listening to this little devil with a confused look on his face, he wiped his hands and said with a smile: "Little hozen, you are too smart. What do you know?"

"I've heard this kind of story a lot at the Gu'er stall!" Kan'er gnawed on the pig's trotters with great interest, and said, "You just told it in too much detail. Mr. Mistress, Mrs. Misfortune" Save, you change to save the prince and the refugee daughter, the prince must have taken a fancy to Xiaofu and Xiaolu. The family refused to obey, and the prince was killed. The prince ran out and sent troops to this place to rescue the two A bitch, take her as a wife. Then go back to Beijing, and kill those sycophants and point-headed officials who escaped by boat one by one like chopping melons and vegetables—isn’t it?”

Yin was startled for a moment, and suddenly felt that he had lost his temper tonight: Why are you talking about this in front of these people?He gritted his fine white teeth and smiled, said nothing, turned to the fire and meditated. After a long time, he finally breathed out and said: "I have been depressed for too long. I just talked casually. Why do I have to ask the truth?" "Fourth Master is really Yes!" Kan'er said, "If you tell half a story, can we still sleep tonight?" Yin smiled and said, "You only guessed half of it right. The prince just fell in love with Xiaolu, but no one knew it. After the water receded, he returned to Beijing filled with anger and wanted to question the dirty official. Unexpectedly, upon questioning, Amaterasu caused the boat to be swept into a whirlpool, leaving no one alive."

"That's it? What about Xiaofu and Xiaolu?" Cuier, who had been immersed in the story, stared at Yin and asked.

Yin lowered his head deeply and said after a long time: "I don't know what happened to Xiaofu and Xiaolu. I just made up this story to say that things in the world are not the same as what is said in Guerci... To be true If you want to know, I'll tell you after I've made it up." Several children blinked and wanted to ask, but Dai Duo said, "It's getting late, and we have to go on the road tomorrow, so we should rest early." After that, While Yin was preparing to spread the blanket on the beach, Gouer Kaner had no choice but to pack his bags.

But that night Yin couldn't sleep, lying on the felt mat and looking at the dark blue sky and stars in trance.Gao Fuler knew what was on his mind, so he stood by and said softly: "Fourth Master, you are sleepy after walking. Don't think about anything. You will fall asleep soon." Yin didn't say anything, but sat up instead, seeing that Dai Duo didn't He said, "You haven't slept either? It's a good thing that these three children can all sleep - childlike innocence, childlike innocence can never be regained." Dai Duo smiled and said, "If I don't sleep, how can I fall asleep? I can't sleep. Don’t be anxious, I just want to have a good sleep in the car tomorrow, and I’ll fall asleep soon.”

"Tomorrow we will go separate ways." Yin hugged his knees and said, "I will take the dog Kaner in casual clothes and walk west to see the Gaojiayan Yellow River embankment upstream. You escort the grain truck to Huai'an, and then meet up in Tongcheng ." Dai Duo and Gao Fuler looked at each other in surprise, neither of them dared to reject it.Dai Duo smiled apologetically and said, "In that case, I will bring a few soldiers to escort the Fourth Master." Yin raised his face and thought for a while, sighing: "It's a pity that Monk Xingyin didn't come out of the capital with me. As long as he is here, there is no need. You've arranged everything in a hurry - I want to go on a small journey and bring so many followers..." Before he finished speaking, Kan'er stood up and said: "It's a day's journey from here to Gaojiayan, and we passed Gaojiayan. Every flat ground is full of people. Gou'er and I guarantee that nothing will happen to the Fourth Master!" Yin said with a smile: "That's right, if there is a flood in this thousands of miles of bare land, there will be snakes and thieves who cut the path? We just have to be careful." Dai. Although Duo Gao Fu'er felt it was inappropriate, Yin's character was that he could not go against what he said, so he did not dare to reply at the moment. The two of them pretended to be upset and discussed secretly in the distance for a long time. They decided that Gao Fu'er would follow him from a distance with ten Geshiha, secretly Protect, and then come back with peace of mind.

Early the next morning, Yin took his dog Kaner and a healthy mule to carry the luggage. Yin rode on his own horse and took a wolf he had shot on the way yesterday. He left the grain team and meandered westward along the old path of the Yellow River.Yin set up a pergola on his horse and looked around, and saw sand dunes chasing the sky. The whistling wind rolled up a long yellow fog barrier on the beach and reached the sky. Dry river algae was hung on the branches of the dead grass, and the broken eaves were discarded on the beach. In the sand nest with only the ridge of the roof exposed, there was not a village inhabited far or near. The further we walked, the more desolate and cold it became, and a sense of desolation arose spontaneously.Although Yin talked about looking at the embankment upstream, he actually knew that the east of Gaojiayan was flooded continuously, and the water conservancy facilities built by Jin Fu and Chen Huang, who were able to control the river, had long since disappeared.He had a glimmer of an idea that he heard from Gao Fuler that Lu'er had his own son, who once lived in Heli Town near Gaojiayan.He had a very difficult time with his children. One of his four sons died in infancy, and Hongshi, Hongzhou and Hongli had not yet blossomed.If it's really like what Gao Fuler heard, "The big fat boy is in bloom", then it would be a pity to practice it.The troubles of dogs are all between children, it is the age of chaos, innocence and straightforwardness. Even though they are smart, they cannot understand his thoughts. They lead the mules and horses along the way, kicking and kicking sandballs, chasing and playing. , tireless, no grass grows, no quiet moment.Yin was accompanied by these two little guys, which saved him from the loneliness of the journey.

See if you are ten miles away from He Lizhuang, the sky has passed to apply for a license.There is a high port in the distance, where there are overgrown trees and scattered houses, and it is dark in the setting sun, like a pot turned backwards on the beach.Therefore, the place is the fork where the Yellow River diverts its course to the north, and the muffled roar of the Yellow River can still be heard faintly.

"Fourth Master... you?" Kan'er saw Yin staring forward motionless, with a face that looked both happy and sad for some unknown reason.

"Don't you want to know the end of the story?" Yin's voice was so thick and heartbreaking, "Children, there is no one here. Let me tell you, Xiaolu died under the old persimmon tree in front..."

The two children suddenly widened their eyes and looked at the pale Yin as if they didn't recognize him.I don’t know how much time passed before Kaner said: "Oh my God! It turns out that prince is you, Fourth Master!" Gou'er muttered and asked: "She...how did she die...die?" Yin did not answer, and looked at the persimmon tree carefully. Lao Ya, I stepped forward and stroked it - there was still a piece of burnt black bark there.

"Burn! Burn to death!" Gou'er and Kan'er suddenly understood, a chill came down in their hearts, and goose bumps appeared all over their bodies.

"Yes, burned to death..." Yin's eyes suddenly filled with tears. He suppressed the grief and anger that was boiling all over his body and said as calmly as possible: "I'm right over there, in a green gauze tent, watching helplessly..."

The two children were all stunned, their eyes fixed on the burnt bark, Kan'er held the horse's rein tightly with both hands, the dog's face was completely sleepless, and his hands were tightly clenched, It's all cold sweat.

"Down here was a wheat field, over there is a pond, and to the south of the pond is the sorghum field that can't be seen." Yin shivered, as if he was back to that terrible night: "I came here alone to find Xiaolu. He Lizhuang, just in time for the tribe to deal with Xiaolu. Under the old persimmon tree, a temporary earthen platform was set up, with lanterns on the platform and stacks of firewood. Several clan members stood on both sides holding torches. Xiaolu Her hair was disheveled and she was standing right where Kan'er was standing, with her head lowered and her face unclear. Thousands of people in the dark audience stared at her silently without a single cough. I seemed to be having a nightmare. He seemed to be staring at her with his eyes wide open, and his vision was blurry. He could only hear the sorghum leaves beside him swaying sadly and ringing..." There was a light like a will-o'-the-wisp in Yin's eyes. The two children had never seen him so ferocious and terrifying. His face could not help but tremble.

"After a while," Yin continued after a pause, his voice had a vibrato like a metal collision, "a man who looked like a butler came on stage with a family tree, turned around and said loudly: 'The patriarch Wu Ye is giving a lecture!' The atmosphere suddenly changed. Even more nervous, people raised their heads together. Several children were so frightened that they were about to cry, and they were all held tightly in their mother's arms.

"My heart is about to jump out of my stomach. Looking straight ahead, an old man is holding a copper pipe in his hand and walking up to the stage with square steps. I have lived in the village for two months, and this old man usually behaves elegantly and has a kind face. , who is highly respected by the clansmen, but tonight his expression was quite different from usual, with a livid face, he glanced at the crowd gloomyly, and said after a long while: "Old brothers, young and old of the whole clan! Just now, I faced the ancestors and all the people in the ancestral hall." The house manager has already explained the matter clearly. Xiaolu’s accident, I am also very sad-it is always a flesh and blood! Her great-grandfather is my cousin, and she has been friends since childhood. According to my heart, I would rather jump into the river , do not want to hurt his descendants. But the ancients have a lesson: the embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in the ant's nest. For our whole family, we can only destroy her!...Propriety, honesty and shame are the four dimensions of a country. What is "cleanness"? It means innocence To be a human being; what is "shame"? It is to be honest and responsible! She committed these two things, which makes people feel heartbroken!'...

"From class Cai Xianshu to Cao E's filial daughter, he talked for half an hour. He stepped down from the stage and returned to the main seat. sin!'

"There was a commotion in the crowd, women were sobbing, children were crawling on their mothers' shoulders and crying, 'Mom, be afraid, go home...' Some men were scolding, some were silent and covered their faces, and the old ladies were murmuring, folding their hands and chanting Buddha... Watching her being carried to Chaishan Mountain, my heart felt as if someone had grabbed me. I tried to stand up with both hands, but someone grabbed me. Looking back, it turned out that it was Gao Fuler who had followed her secretly. ! His face also glowed green in the firelight, and he sobbed softly: 'Master, don't, don't... The emperor knows it!... Leave the green hills...'" "As he spoke, the flames jumped up. Lu'er's whole body was covered in the bright red light... She raised her face and stared blankly into the distance. Only then did I see her face clearly. She was as white as a lady carved from Han jade... Her hair was messy, like crow's wings. Floating...until she was burned to death, she just twisted her body in pain and hopelessness, without even moaning or saying a word..."

At this point, Yin couldn't control himself at all. He opened his hands and staggered a few steps like a madman. He made a hoarse wolf howl like sound. He seemed to be crying and laughing. He threw himself on the ground and crawled under the persimmon tree. He held his hands alternately, shouting: "Xiaolu, Xiaolu... my benefactor, my... come out, don't stay here... show your spirit - oh... ho ho... I'll fix it for you." Temple..." Gou'er and Kan'er were stunned by his story at first, and then were frightened by his crazy behavior. They just stood there like a block. At this time, they came back to their senses and saw how hurt he was. I couldn't help but cry loudly.

After a long time, Yin finally controlled himself, slowly got up, kowtowed to the persimmon tree, and said to the two children who were crying like tears: "Get up, children! There is no resurrection after death. Xiaolu has become a god, we still have to live in the world... let's go... let's go... it's getting dark..."

Gou'er and Kan'er kowtowed three times to the tree, stood up silently, and seemed to be ten years older in an instant, leading the horse and mule, and marched towards Heli Town in the dark night.

Heli Town is the largest town in the east of Gaojiayan.After the Yellow River broke out, it spread eastward and spread out in all directions, and the main river course was actually lost downstream.Only here, Jin Fu and Chen Huang, who were able to control the river, worked hard to build a convex dam, which was built up with solid stones. The force of the water was knocked back in front of this high dam, saving the south bank. There are hundreds of thousands of hectares of fertile farmland for hundreds of miles to the west.However, after the flood, riots by the hungry people were inevitable, and the epidemic was raging. The smarter merchants and their wealthy families had already fled to Suzhou and Hangzhou with their small fortunes and young people. At that time, it was called "avoiding the clamor", but it was just to hide. The meaning of disaster.In addition, the water and dry roads between the north and the south are blocked, so although there are many households, they are very desolate.When Yin and the others arrived at the village, it was already the beginning of Xu, and the sky was dark.The large town was lifeless, with every house closed and dark, and even the lights were very sparse. Only the occasional barking of a dog in the distance gave people a hint of fireworks.Yin cried bitterly, and his mood seemed to be much calmer, so he ordered Kan'er to go find his place.

Kaner knocked on several doors, but someone inside agreed.But when he heard that a foreigner was passing by for a night, he immediately replied that there was an inn on the embankment.If you ask again, you will not make a sound.Kan'er came back and said with a smile: "The wind is different in ten miles, but the customs are different in a hundred miles. It's so fucking strange, you can still be considered a person if you open the door and say a few words!"

"That's why the kidnappers are scared." Gou'er said, "You set fire to his gatehouse and see if he can get out!"

Yinyin said: "Since we have a shop, why bother others? Let's stay in the shop." He was very emotional: when he heard the confessions of foreign officials in Beijing, they all said: "The dynasty is prosperous, the rivers are clear and the sea is flowing, the homes are not closed, and the roads are not picked up." "After experiencing the situation, I realized that they are all nonsense clichés and exquisite flattery.Surprised, the three of them turned to the southwest, and saw a "Qi Shi Feng" lamp flickering on the high embankment outside the town. When they looked closer, they saw the word "Leave" written in black letters on the top of the large black car door. The four words "river is near the wind".The three of them were unloading at the door. A pockmarked boy came out with a light and smiled. He helped unload the mules and shouted:

"Lao Bai Lao Hou! The God of Wealth is here—quickly help me unload the head! Please pick up the guests from Ma Lao shopkeeper!"

Immediately, two people came out, one tall and one short, both in their 40s, both smiling, helping the animals with their luggage.The horse shopkeeper led the way with a bunch of keys, and kept saying: "Amitabha! The store has not had any guests for more than half a month, and there are only five of them here today! You are really honored!"

"Five?" Gou'er looked around while walking, and asked, "The front wing is already occupied. Lord, shall we live in the upper room?" Boss Ma hurriedly said: "The upper room is two dark and one bright, so it happens that three people will be accommodated." I can take care of you..." Seeing Kan'er bowed his head and said nothing, Kan'er wandered around like a monkey unlocking a lock and looked around, and said: "The two Xiaolians who live in the East Chamber also arrived later. Lord, please rest assured first Rest for a while, stay for a while and get some wine, which is a little bit of filial piety. Just in case there is business today, there is no meat, and it is a bit meager, so don't worry about it."

While they were talking, two guests from the east wing also came out. One was wearing a sky-green fur-bottomed silk robe and had a long face, and the other was wearing a starched and faded blue bamboo shirt, but he had slender eyebrows and phoenix eyes, very elegant and handsome.The two of them had probably crossed the old Yellow River route and arrived at this store for the first time. Seeing that Yin also had a bookish look on his face, they couldn't help but smile.Yinyin bowed his head and said, "Are you two traveling to Beiwei?"

"Yes, his name is Li Fu, and my name is Tian Wenjing." Rong Changlian said with a smile, "This is a thousand miles of deserted sand, and there are only a few people staying in the hotel. We meet very few literary friends among the guests, so it is considered a fate. The guest's surname is Taifu. , are you also rushing to take the test at Shuntian Mansion?" Li Fu seemed a little reserved, and smiled at Yin as a courtesy.Yin had been lonely for many days, and when he first entered a densely populated place, he was willing to talk to people, so he replied vaguely: "I'm also going to Beijing. That's it, meeting each other is fate. Let's have a drink and chat in a while, okay?" Gou'er He said excitedly: "We have a wolf and meat to eat. Let's treat him!"

Once settled down, the dog peeled the wolf in the courtyard, set up a three-pronged iron frame, and cooked the wolf meat until it sizzled, and then rubbed it with soy sauce, salt, ginger and garlic, and the meat smelled all over the courtyard. Tangy.Kaner took the reeds and put the luggage in the upper room, put the table in the hall, went to look under the kitchen, saw two copper pots pouring wine, warming on the fire, and wandered around the courtyard again. Going to the dog's side, he said, "I don't know where the East Toilet is. It's dark, and it's scary. You and I will look for it together." Seeing Boss Ma coming over, he said, "The meat is roasted, you just eat first. After a while The wine has heated up both of us." The boss smiled and went away.

Kaner followed the dog to wipe a section of the wall, but saw that the toilet room was at the west corner of the south wall, and outside the partition wall was the roaring Yellow River. He smiled and said, "It's almost March, are you still cold?"

"Dog," Kan'er said in a low voice while urinating, "the remaining soy sauce and salt will be sent to the kitchen later. Find a way to replace the two large copper pots that hold the wine." The dog smiled and said: " What's the idea?" Kaner tied up his trousers and said, "If I tell you to change it, just change it! Look at the color. Grandma, I'm staying in a black shop tonight!"

(End of this chapter)