Chapter 210 The King of a Lost Country 10
"Your Highness?"
"Your Highness, where are you?"
Guisheng's voice came from the kitchen.
The October sunshine still carried a bit of warmth, passing through the half-red and half-green persimmons and falling on the desk by the window.
The breeze blew, the branches and leaves swayed, and the light spots formed by the sunlight also swayed, playfully jumping back and forth on a piece of calligraphy.
But soon, the light spots were not satisfied with this.
It went up along the wolf-hair brush, reflecting the bony palms and the thin and upright figure, and finally lingered on the boy's face that had lost some of its childishness.
The lingering sunlight did not distract the boy in the slightest.
He just squinted his eyes slightly, letting his eyelashes as dense as crow feathers fall a little, and concentrated on writing the last bit of his brushwork.
Looking at this neat calligraphy, Nan Liujing nodded with satisfaction, put the brush back on the pen holder, and walked out.
"Guisheng, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Hearing the voice, Guisheng tilted his head slightly.
Nan Liujing stood at the door of the kitchen against the light.
In the past year, he has grown a lot like a bamboo, and is relatively tall even among his peers.
But the biggest change is not his appearance, but his demeanor.
The rough gray clothes still can't hide his gentle and elegant appearance. Standing there quietly, he already has a sense of stillness.
"Your Highness, didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to eat dumplings? I got up today and made some. If you're hungry, I'll make them for you now."
Nan Liujing's eyes curved slightly: "Okay, this weather is perfect for eating dumplings."
After eating the dumplings cooked by Guisheng, Nan Liujing stood under the persimmon tree to digest his food.
Looking at the persimmons that were growing well, Nan Liujing said to Yao Rong happily: "Teacher, the first batch of persimmons will be ripe in a few days, and I'll let you be the first to taste them."
This winter is still worth looking forward to for Nan Liujing.
But for most people in the court, this winter is too cold.
In the court, the struggle between civil and military officials became more and more serious. The peace faction and the war faction fought to the death. A case of imperial examination fraud caused panic in the capital. Countless nobles and noble families were defeated overnight, some were dead in the market, and some were exiled thousands of miles away
. The situation of the previous dynasty also seriously affected the harem. Many palace maids died quietly. The newly favored Concubine Zhou committed suicide by jumping into the lake, and the fifth prince lost his life because of a cold.
With Nan Liujing's reminder, the fifth prince lived one year longer than in the original plot.
But in the end, his ending was still not rewritten.
Concubine Li cried bitterly while holding the body of the fifth prince. She wanted to fight with Concubine Gui with a dagger. The imperial physician forced her to drink a sedative, and she calmed down.
But a few days later, news came out from the Yuzhuang Palace that Concubine Li was too sad to die because of her beloved son's death.
After several years of tit-for-tat, Concubine Gui finally won.
Bang -
In the study, Emperor Yongqing was so angry that he swept all the decorations in front of him to the ground and cursed: "Qi'er is dead, and she didn't even let Concubine Li go."
"This is too much, this is really too much!"
The chief eunuch knelt down hurriedly: "Your Majesty, calm down."
Emperor Yongqing clenched his hands into fists, and veins on his forehead jumped.
Calm down, how can he calm down.
He thought that no matter how fiercely Concubine Li and Concubine Gui fought in private, at most a few more palace ladies would die...
"After killing Xiaowu and Concubine Li, the next step, are they going to force me to appoint a queen, or to appoint a crown prince, or..."
"Are they going to force the palace directly?"
The chief eunuch wished he had lost his hearing.
His Majesty even said such words, and I'm afraid he hated Concubine Gui and the Ji family behind Concubine Gui in his heart.
Even the Sixth Prince was probably angered.
"No, it can't go on like this. I am the Son of Heaven, how can I be controlled by ministers and concubines..."
The moonlight was like water, the winter wind was cold, and in the flickering candlelight, Emperor Yongqing exhaled a long breath of foul air.
He has been favoring beauties all these years. In the past few years, there was often good news from his harem. After the birth of the Sixth Prince, there was occasional good news from his harem, but almost no children grew up safely.
Did the vicious concubine think that once Xiaowu died, the position of the crown prince was already in their pocket! ?
In normal times, Emperor Yongqing would never think of Nan Liujing, but at this moment, he suddenly remembered: in addition to the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince, his surviving sons also had a Third Prince.
"The child in the cold palace should be ten years old this year, right?"
The chief eunuch didn't remember the child, but he remembered the year when Concubine Zhao passed away: "To reply to Your Majesty, the child is fourteen years old."
Emperor Yongqing was surprised: "He is so old already."
He curled his lips in disgust: "As expected...he is really lucky."
The chief eunuch didn't dare to respond.
Emperor Yongqing took a deep breath and issued a series of orders: "The noble concubine was in charge of the six palaces, but due to negligence, the fifth prince died of illness. Pass on my order to revoke the Fengling on the noble concubine and punish her with house arrest for half a year as a warning."
"The fourth prince's biological mother, Noble Lady Zhang, had a virtuous personality and was rewarded with giving birth to a prince, so she was promoted to the fourth rank concubine."
"Nanhe, my fourth son, has always been kind and filial. From now on, he will be taught by the Minister of Punishment, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and the President of the Hanlin Academy." After
hesitating for a while, Emperor Yongqing frowned and said, "As for the cold palace, let Liang Guangyu go and take a look first. Also, tell the Ministry of Internal Affairs that I will hold a selection of beauties in the spring of next year."
The chief eunuch took the order and withdrew, but he couldn't help feeling sad about the emperor's indifference.
He knew very well how much His Majesty loved Concubine Li. Now that Concubine Li's body is still warm, His Majesty does not want to give her an explanation, but has begun to plan the selection of talents for next year.
***
Yao Rong noticed Liang Guangyu as soon as he approached Changxin Palace.
Feeling that the emperor of the previous dynasty was controlled by the eunuchs, since the founding of Daye Dynasty, Taizu established an organization that was only loyal to the emperor and named it "An Ge".
Liang Guangyu is a member of the Dark Pavilion.
In addition to this identity, Liang Guangyu has another public identity.
He is the deputy commander of the Royal Guards.
The Royal Guards are specifically responsible for the safety of the capital.
In his previous life, for some reasons, Liang Guangyu had come into contact with Nan Liujing several times.
However, Nan Liujing was obsessed with the departure of Que'er and the death of Guisheng. The young boy lived in a daze every day and did not show any outstanding talents. Naturally, he did not catch Liang Guangyu's eye.
Later, a palace coup broke out in the palace, and the Dark Pavilion was uprooted by Ji Yushan.
Without the Dark Pavilion to protect him and act as his eyes, Nan Liujing was in the dark in the palace, and his situation was naturally difficult.
However, An Ge was destroyed, but Liang Guangyu survived.
After Nan Liujing ascended the throne, Liang Guangyu had been guarding Nan Liujing.
On the day when the rebels approached the city, it was Liang Guangyu who asked the question, "The rebels have entered the city, and arrangements have been made for the people, soldiers, and ministers. How should the emperor deal with it?" That's
why Nan Liujing handed the imperial edict of Zen to Liang Guangyu and asked Liang Guangyu to pass it on to the leader of the rebels.
...
In this life, Yao Rong must not let Nan Liujing miss An Ge.
To conquer An Ge, Liang Guangyu would be a very good entry point.
Thinking of this, Yao Rong turned his head and looked at the figure of the young man reflected in the water mirror.
Nan Liujing stood beside the persimmon tree, standing firmly in horse stance. When the time was almost up, he picked up the wooden sword beside him and practiced a set of sword techniques taught by Yao Rong.
Every time he swung the sword, the force was very standard, enough to show his control over his body.
When the sword was exhausted, Nan Liujing made a sword flower and threw the wooden sword back to its original position.
This whole set of movements was as smooth as flowing water, and even Yao Rong, the teacher, could not find any faults.
What about Liang Guangyu?
What could he find wrong?
As Yao Rong's mind moved, Liang Guangyu's figure appeared in the water mirror.
He was lying on the roof, his face full of shock and astonishment.
Yao Rong smiled slightly.
It seems that not only is there nothing wrong with it, but Nan Liujing has also taken the lead.
***
Nan Liujing didn't know that someone was secretly observing him in the dark.
As usual, he got up early in the morning to do horse stance, practiced boxing and swordsmanship in the afternoon, and occasionally went to the lake to fork fish or set traps to catch birds to improve his taste.
At noon that day, Nan Liujing grabbed a handful of millet and came to the frozen lake.
He squatted down to set the trap and sprinkled the millet near the trap.
Not long after, a few birds appeared in the sky.
Just when they were about to fall into the trap -
"What are you doing?"
A hearty voice sounded from behind Nan Liujing.
The birds were startled by the visitor, flapped their wings and flew away from the trap.
Nan Liujing didn't feel it was a pity, he climbed out of the snow, patted the thin snow on his knees, and turned around to look.
The man looked to be about thirty or forty years old, wearing Mingguang armor and holding a standard broadsword.
His face was ordinary, but he had a terrifying aura. Nan Liujing looked at the man with some curiosity.
There were few people around Changxin Palace, and the Imperial Guards would not patrol here during patrols. This was the first time that Nan Liujing saw the Imperial Guards up close.
"Kid, what are you doing?" The man asked again, wondering if the child would be scared by him.
Fortunately, the next moment, Nan Liujing answered his question: "Isn't it obvious? I'm setting a trap to catch birds."
Liang Guangyu: "..."
Liang Guangyu made a poor excuse: "I didn't see it just now."
Nan Liujing nodded, ignored him, and continued to squat on the trap.
Liang Guangyu stared at Nan Liujing and waited for a long time, but Nan Liujing didn't speak, so he had to ask: "Just now the bird was about to be caught, but I scared it away. Aren't you angry?"
Nan Liujing didn't even turn his head, and said calmly: "There's nothing to be angry about."
Liang Guangyu carefully looked at Nan Liujing's expression.
With his shrewdness and experience, he was sure that Nan Liujing was not pretending, but really didn't take this little thing to heart.
Liang Guangyu squatted beside Nan Liujing and asked him which palace he was from, and asked him if he came up with this trap himself...
Nan Liujing turned his head to look at Liang Guangyu, with a bit of obvious helplessness on his face, but still answered Liang Guangyu's questions honestly.
But he didn't know that the more he acted like this, the more Liang Guangyu wanted to tease him to see when he would get impatient.
But, no.
Nan Liujing's response was always appropriate, his speech was calm, and there was not the slightest impoliteness.
If the boy in front of him was born in a wealthy family, who had never been tired of fine food since he was a child, and was carefully cultivated with the resources of the family, perhaps Liang Guangyu would not be so shocked.
It was because he knew the boy's experience that Liang Guangyu was so shocked.
Liang Guangyu subconsciously asked: "If I wasn't disturbing you, how many birds could you catch in a day?"
Nan Liujing turned his head and glanced at him, his eyes seemed to say: You also know that you are disturbing me.
Liang Guangyu clearly understood his look, but he was very innocent and laughed at him.
Nan Liujing blinked and a good idea came to his mind.
"It doesn't matter how many we catch."
Nan Liujing smiled faintly, raised his long eyebrows slightly, and showed some of the recklessness that only belongs to teenagers.
"Just like Jiang Taigong fishing, those who are willing to take the bait will take the bait. My trap is set there, and the birds that are supposed to be caught will eventually fall into the net."
Liang Guangyu was shocked: "Jiang Taigong used a straight hook to fish, and he emphasized voluntariness. I think your trap is very useful."
The startled bird circled in the air for a long time, but could not resist the temptation. It swooped down with two chirps. Just as its sharp and long beak pecked a grain of millet, the trap fell down towards it, firmly controlling it. The
originally pleasant chirping sound gradually became mournful and sad.
Nan Liujing stood up and stepped forward. He bent down, untied the clever and complex trap, and rescued the bird from the trap.
The amazing thing was that this trap was sensitive enough to easily capture the bird, but it could also leave the bird unharmed.
Nan Liujing stroked the bird's soft feathers: "Whether it is willing or not, it has fallen into my trap."
"Moreover, it is only human that can be considered willing or not."
Nan Liujing held the bird in his hands.
He raised his hands vigorously.
The bird followed his force and flew back to the blue sky again.
"For example, now, I voluntarily let it go free."
Liang Guangyu was stunned.
Nan Liujing held the rope and clay bowl used to make the trap, nodded to Liang Guangyu, left the spilled millet, and turned away.
The cold wind was chilly, Liang Guangyu stood there for a while, and saw that the bird that was released had returned.
It also brought back several companions.
They landed on the ground and pecked at the millet that Nan Liujing did not take away.
Liang Guangyu's expression gradually became strange.
He originally thought that this child was diligent in learning martial arts, and the sword and boxing he practiced every day were also very mysterious, so he took the initiative to show up and have close contact with this child.
Now, after listening to what this child said, why does he feel that...
his behavior of taking the initiative to show up and ask questions is like a bird walking into a trap?
***
The accumulated snow hung on the branches and turned into sharp ice blades. Nan Liujing carefully avoided these ice spikes and called Yao Rong: "Teacher, do you know who that is?"
Yao Rong smiled and said: [He is a very interesting person.]
"It seems that the teacher knows who he is, but he is unwilling to tell me."
Yao Rong asked curiously: [Why did you say those words just now? "
Yesterday in class, the teacher told me the story of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin."
When Emperor Taizong saw the new students pouring in from the palace gate, he thought that the imperial examination system could bring poor students to the court, so that those talented people with humble family backgrounds could serve the Tang Dynasty. He couldn't help but sigh: All the heroes in the world are within my grasp.
Nan Liujing was shocked by the spirit of this sentence and could not help but quietly memorize it. In particular, he remembered the word "彀".
"彀 refers to a trap. Didn't I just set a trap today? I learned it and put it into practice to scare that person."
What the teacher taught him was indeed practical and easy to use.
That person was indeed scare him!
Yao Rong laughed dumbly and continued to get to the bottom of it: [Did you scare him just for fun?]
"Of course not."
Nan Liujing pursed his lips: "I see that man has an extraordinary aura, his armor and weapons are not ordinary, and he can move freely near the cold palace. His position in the imperial guard must be high."
"If I can win his favor, it will not be a bad thing for me."
[You did a good job, far beyond my expectations.]
Yao Rong expressed his agreement: [A king should have the wisdom to recognize people and the ability to use people. But just knowing how to recognize and use people is not enough, he must also know how to control people.]
[The vast majority of people in this world can be moved by high positions and generous salaries. As long as you become a king and have power in your hands, they will be easily used by you. ]
[But there are very few people who do not seek high positions and generous salaries, or even a place in history. For such people, you have to find a way to please them and gain their loyalty. Because their loyalty is priceless, once you get their approval, they will never betray you. ]
[They will give everything they have, even if it means they will be crushed to pieces, to help you achieve your great cause. Because their political ideals are pinned on you. ]
Perhaps Nan Liujing cannot fully understand this truth.
——But he has just done this.
Is this a calculation?
No.
This is the talent of a monarch!
Nan Liujing tried hard to remember these words. He asked, "Teacher, what should I do next?"
[Find a way to make him your martial arts master.]
Since this talent has been revealed, let's use Liang Guangyu's existence to polish this talent.
"Haven't I been learning martial arts with the teacher?"
[You have to find a way to make a clear way out of the various things you have learned. And what I teach you is different from what he taught you.]
Nan Liujing nodded. As long as the teacher doesn't think he is stupid and is unwilling to continue teaching him martial arts, it will be fine.
[Mainline Task 3: How can a famous teacher not have a talented disciple? Nan Liujing, please take the initiative to ask the other party to accept you as a disciple within one month.
The reward for completing the task is a sword and 100 points. There is no punishment for failing the task. ]
***
In the next few days, heavy snow fell in Kyoto, and Nan Liujing did not go to the lake to set traps.
He sat by the fire in his jacket, looking down at the sword manual.
Guisheng sat beside him and helped Nan Liujing lengthen his jacket, which was too short.
Nan Liujing was tired of reading, so he got up to move around, grabbed a handful of red-skinned peanuts and buried them in the charcoal ash, and soon he got fresh and hot roasted peanuts.
He gave half to Guisheng: "Guisheng, take a break."
Guisheng took it with a smile: "Your Highness, why haven't you gone out to catch birds these days?"
Nan Liujing opened the charred shell and rubbed off the red coat: "I'm waiting for the birds to fall into the trap."
Guisheng didn't understand: "How can there be prey that will come to the door automatically?"
In fact, Nan Liujing was also a little uneasy, but he had a sharp intuition.
- If you rush, the effect will not be so good.
No matter why his future martial arts master appeared near Changxin Palace, as long as his future martial arts master was interested in him, he would not be afraid that he would not appear again.
"Wait two more days."
The teacher had not issued him a main task for a long time.
Although he didn't know why the teacher insisted that he worship the other party as his master, based on past experience, Nan Liujing knew that every main task issued by the teacher was very important.
Nan Liujing sighed: "If it hasn't been delivered to the door yet, I have to think of a new way."
At the same time, Liang Guangyu, wearing Mingguang armor and holding a big knife, stood outside the palace gate of Changxin Palace.
These days, he has been thinking over and over what Nan Liujing said, as well as the expression when he said it.
Every time he changed guards, he would subconsciously walk towards the cold palace.
By the time he reacted, he was already standing by the lake.
However, the fallen millets had long been eaten up, and the lake was as clear as a mirror, except for the young man.
Today, Liang Guangyu finally couldn't hold back, and walked straight past the lake and headed straight for Changxin Palace at the end of the palace wall.
Usually at this time, the third prince would practice swordsmanship in the yard, but today, Liang Guangyu stood outside the door for a full quarter of an hour and didn't hear any movement in the yard!
Is it because the weather is too cold, so he is lazy?
Maybe the conversation that day raised his expectations for the third prince. After all, the third prince is only a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old, and it is normal for him to be lazy occasionally.
Liang Guangyu frowned slightly, and a trace of inexplicable disappointment rose in his heart.
Just as Liang Guangyu was about to turn around and leave,
the sound of the dilapidated wooden door opening and closing reached Liang Guangyu's ears through the palace wall.
Someone waded through the snow, stepped on the dead branches, and stood next to the persimmon tree very close to him.
Then, the branches swayed and cut through the air.
The snow, which had originally been much smaller, fell again. Liang Guangyu stopped and listened to the boy practicing swordsmanship for half an hour.
When the boy panted and put away his long sword, as if he was going back to rest, Liang Guangyu finally couldn't help turning around and knocking on the palace door.
After a moment, the palace door was slowly opened from the inside, revealing Nan Liujing's face.
Seeing that it was Liang Guangyu, Nan Liujing was not surprised. His tone was calm as if he was stating a fact: "Sir, good afternoon."
Liang Guangyu's serious and cold face showed a hint of smile.
He thought, this child really knew that he would appear again.
"You always started sword practice before the beginning. Why are you a quarter of an hour late today?"
Nan Liujing explained: "I have to practice some new sword techniques today. I have been memorizing sword moves in the room just now, so I was delayed for a while."
Liang Guangyu suddenly understood.
Nan Liujing invited: "Sir, do you want to come in and sit down?"
Liang Guangyu gladly accepted the invitation: "Okay."
Nan Liujing opened the door and let Liang Guangyu in.
Liang Guangyu followed Nan Liujing into the main hall without looking away.
"Sir, you must have good tea to drink. I don't have any good tea here, so I won't invite you to drink tea."
"Guisheng, pour a cup of warm water for you, and a plate of golden cakes for you to taste."
Liang Guangyu raised his eyebrows slightly.
Golden cake?
This name is so domineering, how come he has never heard of it before.