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Chapter 230 [VIP]
From early in the morning, the sky was still shining brightly. At noon, a few clouds condensed in Beitou, and soon turned into goose feathers and snow fell.
In just one afternoon, a thick layer has accumulated on the ground and on the eaves.
The capital covered by winter snow is white all over, like a world of ice crystals.
In the courtyard of Pei Mansion at the east end of Qingyunfang, there is also a scene of Yushu Qionghua.
"The plum blossoms in the General's Garden are blooming better." Under the leadership of Steward, Zhuo Xinwu, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, went all the way into the atrium, smiling and greeted Pei Ling, who was standing under the corridor enjoying the plum blossoms.
He handed the cloak covered with snow to the guard. Before he could say the second sentence, his eyes fell on the table in the court.
To be precise, it was the crystal-clear glass bottle on the table. The golden liquid in the bottle had been reduced by half.
"I heard that the Yanluo Yuye newly produced by the Neifu is the most mellow. It has not yet entered the WTO. The noble and wealthy families in the capital are looking forward to it. I can't think that the generals will be first-class here." Zhuo Xinwu was full of envy. Rub your hands together.
Pei Ling smiled, "You stayed in the capital this year, haven't you had enough drinks?"
Zhuo Xinwu is also an officer from the northern border, and he is now an official book in the military department, and there is no military ban, so any drink is not arbitrarily tasting.
"The general did not know. Before Shengjia was not in the capital, which one was not panicked, having trouble sleeping, eating hard to swallow. I think Huo Donglai has lost more than a dozen catties during his life this year. Prime Minister Fan has fallen ill several times. "
During the days when Qin Zhi acted as the government agent, although Chaozhong seemed to be calm on the surface, all the important ministers who knew the inside story were under great pressure.
Pei Ling shook his head and smiled bitterly, and personally stepped forward to pour a glass for him.
The golden yellow liquid had an amber-like luster. Upon closer inspection, there were faint wisps of smoke that opened and closed, no wonder it was named Net of Smoke Yuye.
Zhuo Xinwu couldn't wait to take it with both hands, and took a sip on his lips, showing an intoxicated expression.
The two sat on the chairs under the porch, tasting wine and enjoying the snow, and talked about Korean-China affairs.
In a blink of an eye, Shengjia returned to the court. No, it should have been two months since the "Xuelie Concubine" entered the palace.
During these two months, from the imperial court to the people, everyone was elated. First, Nanlan City had a big victory. The large tracts of rich land in the southeast of Beishuo were all put under the rule of the Great Zhou, and the surrounding tribes also surrendered. It is said that there are some who want to imitate the Xuelie tribe and offer women into the harem. Of course they were rejected. Of the two, Nanchen was completely calmed down, Emperor Chen returned, and he was given the title of Chen Guogong and settled in the capital of the capital. The ministers of the Southern Chen court who were unwilling to enter the dynasty and became officials could go into seclusion on their own and were willing to serve for the Great Zhou. Each has a reward.
Seeing Antai in the world, all over the world surrendered, and on New Year's Day, the entire capital is naturally prosperous.
Zhuo Xinwu smiled and said: "There is no such leisure in the yamen. In the past few days, it has been too busy just to award rewards for credit."
In theory, Pei Ling and Fang Yuan were the most outstanding in this battle. The former led a fierce battle for a year and attacked countless cities. The latter was even more eye-catching, advancing from the waterway and conquering Nanlan City in one fell swoop. Although there were reasons for taking advantage of the internal chaos in Nanlan City, meritorious deeds were meritorious deeds, not to mention that after the Clippers went south, they brought the returned Nanchen Emperor to conquer the six counties of Nanchen.
What surprised the Manchu civil and military forces was that the two most outstanding generals unexpectedly rejected the award.
Zhuo Xinwu came here today just for this matter.
"Why the general refuse to resign, the emperor has said he will reward the two again."
Pei Ling said indifferently: "The reward is okay, but it doesn't have to be grand. It is not my two people's merits to determine the victory or defeat in the first battle. I am ashamed of it, and I naturally don't want to bear it."
"That's what I said, but the emperor's contribution in this battle is not good..." Zhuo Xinwu took a sip of his drink. Thinking back to the inside story of the battle, it still feels incredible. It's the most tortuous story book in the neighborhood, and I can't make up such a story.
"Furthermore, the general refuses to refuse, so what about the juniors who have made new contributions below? Are they not even rewarded? Anyway, if there is no credit, there will be hard work." Zhuo Xinwu persuaded hard.
His visit to advise this time was also the emperor's intention.
Pei Ling had no choice but to ask: "Has it been drawn up?"
As soon as Zhuo Xinwu heard that there was a door, he immediately took out the folding paper he had with him and presented it.
Pei Ling opened the table in front of the table, looked through them one by one, pondered for a moment, and asked the attendant to fetch pen and ink.
Zhuo Xinwu leaned to the side, personally grinding for him.
Pei Ling picked up the pen and revised a few places. He handed it back to Zhuo Xinwu and said with a smile: "Just follow this and report it to the palace for ruling."
Zhuo Xinwulue swept it over, and Pei Ling slightly adjusted the list of rewards without major changes. He immediately felt relieved, and the emperor must have been satisfied with it. Taking advantage of the New Year's Day to finish this important event, everyone is just happy.
The two talked for a while, watching it was too late. Zhuo Xinwu got up and resigned.
After sending him away, maybe because he had drunk too much, Pei Ling rarely felt a dim drunkenness. He returned to the atrium, but did not enter the house, and walked straight along the corridor to the back garden.
Sitting in the pavilion where the two had just discussed military affairs, the fragrance of wine on the table was still there, the glass bottle was shining with the sparkling snow, and the ink in the Crouching Tiger inkstone was still moist.
Pei Ling stared at the plum tree in the courtyard, dragged by the wisps of fragrance, her mind seemed to have returned many years ago...
Probably this was the season when plum blossoms were in full bloom and the roads were paving the new snow. He received the call from the palace.
Pei Clan Liulang, who was ten years old, entered the palace to accompany the prince.
He will be selected because of his talent. From the beginning of enrollment, he has risen to fame. The great Confucian in the family studies, the senior lecturer in the academy, and every elder who came into contact with him praised his cleverness. He praised him for being a pillar of the court in the future.
About the Emperor Taiqing in the palace also heard of such a reputation, so he ordered him to be conscripted into the palace.
It was actually a bit embarrassing for him to enter the palace as a companion, because there was no prince close to his age in the palace. In the end, he was pointed to the eleventh prince Qin Chong, later Emperor Jingyao.
In all fairness, Qin Chong is not a difficult person to get along with, he is still cheerful and righteous. As a young prince born by Concubine Shu in the palace, his bloodline was noble and he was quite a favorite. At that time, it seemed that there was no possibility of competing for the great position. Being his companion is a peace of mind and light work.
Qin Chong was kind to Pei Ling, the new companion, but he was not close. At that time, Qin Chong was already fourteen years old. A teenager at this age preferred to have fun with children of the same age, horse-riding and hunting, and even discuss some topics that boys of this age were keen on, such as which beauty figure was. The most tempting, which maid’s job is better.
Pei Ling, who is only ten years old, is still a half-year-old child, and there is obviously a generation gap with them. Just looking at the identity of the Pei family, no one would embarrass him.
Pei Ling spent two years in Yushuge for a fairly quiet time.
Compared with other companions who are busy flattering and flattering the prince, especially the princes who are prominent and in power, Pei Ling likes to read a book silently in the library more often. The collection of books in the palace is completely open to the princes and their companions. Including the bookstore that later lost countless books due to fire. Pei Ling has also looked through most of the collections.
In this school where the best books and the most knowledgeable teachers in the world are gathered, he lives in a low-key and safe manner. If anything goes wrong, it may be that the struggle between the prince's party and the Qing king's party in the court is becoming increasingly fierce. The elderly Taiqing has turned a deaf ear to this, focusing only on the harem beauties and alchemy rooms. As the prince and party, the Pei family was inevitably involved in this struggle.
Pei Ling once expressed concern, but when he was young, he had not yet begun to participate in the decision-making of the Pei clan, and neither his grandfather nor his father and brother took his opinions seriously.
The day when the worries came true came earlier than Pei Ling expected.
That was the year he had just turned twelve years old, and the cold of winter still shrouded the sky over the capital, and the remaining snow had not melted under the warming sun. The Pei family fell into the plot of King Qing's party.
The embezzlement of military rations and shoddy rations led to a big defeat at the border, tens of thousands of soldiers mutinous, and even Hengdaocheng fell into the hands of the enemy. This crime is enough to make the family and nobles who have passed on for hundreds of years smashed their halberds.
Once the building was overturned. Pei Ling still remembers the flustered and terrifying days.
Almost all adult males in the clan were put to death, and only these women and children who were on the verge of collapse were exiled into slavery in the frontier.
When the dust settled, he calmed down instead. He and his fifth brother Pei Hong are the only brothers in the clan, as well as hundreds of women and children.
Overnight, the originally unattainable noble ladies and young ladies were turned into prostitutes who were abused and insulted by everyone, and the noble sons who were once spoiled became slaves who practiced servitude.
They were driven north, like a group of lambs to be slaughtered, walking on the road leading to the slaughterhouse.
There are people who hang themselves or throw themselves into wells because of unbearable pain, and many more die from serious illnesses.
Among the dead, Pei Ling's mother is also included.
It was a cold morning. When she was about to arrive at the border of northern borders, she collapsed and tied a rope with the fabric torn from the skirt and hanged herself.
This lady who was once famous and talented in the capital, may be thinking of finally sending the two brothers here, not willing to face a future that will be trampled on.
Pei Ling felt heart palpitations for no reason in the middle of the night. He tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, and finally couldn't help sneaking to his mother's room. What he saw was a body still warm.
What was your mood at that moment? After many years, the generals who had been in power had not remembered clearly.
There are too many such tragedies, too many to numb everyone.
Without awakening the others, he and his fifth brother moved his mother's body to the hillside outside the inn for burial.
The land in winter was frozen like ice, and the two didn't even have tools to take advantage of. The only thing was an old man at the post station who lent them a rusty shovel with three or four notches.
Falling on the frozen rocky ground can only leave a shallow mark. The two brothers took turns digging, most of an hour, their palms were dripping with blood, but only a shallow hole with less than two fingers was dug.
Pei Ling simply used a shovel to chop off the branches next to it and cut them into wooden thorns. The two brothers dug all night, and there were bones in the wounds on their hands in the cold wind. Finally got a thin pit, put the mother's body into it.
Pei Hong knelt before the grave, crying bitterly.
But Pei Ling only felt numb, a kind of numbness that even grief was frozen by the harsh cold and broken into powder.
As dawn broke, Pei Hong got up from his grave and said in a trembled voice: "Mother, Hong'er is not filial, so she can only let her live in such a situation. If one day, she can clear her grievances, she must avenge her."
"How to get revenge?" Pei Ling murmured.
"Those who oppress us, I will kill them all sooner or later." Pei Hong was full of hatred.
"They are just following orders." Pei Ling said muran.
Yes, Pei Hong woke up, the culprit was the person who set up a plot to murder the Pei family.
Pei Hong cursed in a low voice, "When the prince takes the throne, these traitors will never be rampant for too long."
Pei Ling looked at the vast wasteland from a distance, the light of dawn falling on this piece of land, but will the light belonging to their Pei family really come?
King Qing’s party was getting stronger and stronger, and the prince was already detested by the emperor. Even if the prince became the throne, a prince who hurriedly draws a line after the fall of the Pei clan is not a monarch worth following?
Pei Hong also knelt in front of his mother's grave and whispered: "I will definitely clear the family's grievances and restore the reputation of my Pei family. Let those who frame us also taste today's pain."
His tragic oath did not touch his younger brother, Pei Ling only felt full of coldness.
In this game of power struggle, who knows when the prince or the king of Qing will not fall to where they are now?
In the final analysis, what oppresses them is nothing but power. Everything is power. King Qing set up bureaus to crush them for the sake of power, and the prince abandons Pei clan in order to maintain his power. This is the case in this world, you have authority, and naturally you can oppress others. No, just let it be bullied.
Pei Ling looked at the ray of light in the sky, thinking emptily.
If one day, oneself holds the authority that no one can shake, don't you have to experience this kind of domination again?
If you want to get up from this trampling situation, you still have to rely on yourself.
However, when he finally reached the northern border, Pei Ling found that what he was about to encounter might be more cruel than he thought.
After being exiled to the barren land on the border, the nobles are incompatible with the local customs.
Some members of the clan couldn't bear this endless pain, and began to contact His Royal Highness secretly, hoping that the long-term loyal lord could help them. The Pei family did not forget their loyalty to the lord even in the most desperate time.
Pei Ling is not optimistic about this behavior at all, and the power of the Prince of Korea is declining, and it is almost impossible to come back. Compared with this, he is even more looking forward to relying on his own hands to change his destiny.
But soon, he found that he was naive.
As a lowly slave soldier, he is very likely to become cannon fodder on the battlefield at some point. Among the nobles in the capital, he is also considered both civil and military, but the so-called martial arts is just ordinary physical fitness, which is far behind the real master. No one will listen to his strategic layout, and no one will advise him on his combat plan.
Even in this chaotic place, a thirteen-year-old boy with a noble birth and a handsome appearance, but extremely down and out, could easily become a prey for others.
Climbing step by step from the bottom pit is too dangerous and too difficult.
Even with Pei Ling's intelligence, there is no guarantee that he will be able to complete this long road.
After considering all the gains and losses, in the end, he chose a different path. In other words, that path chose him.
The northern border lurks in the dark line of the Tubi people and needs a teenager.
This boy should be only twelve or thirteen years old, handsome and outstanding, as a wealthy businessman's outside room, has seen the scene of wealth. At the same time as a lurking spy, he also needs to be agile and flexible.
There are not many teenagers with northern border that meet this condition. In the end, Pei Ling stood out and assumed the task. In the middle, his status as a criminal minister also brought him some setbacks, but after all, he couldn't find a more suitable person.
His original responsibility was to obtain a position and a half by betraying his father and brother, offering property, and taking refuge in the nobles of the Tubi clan, and it is best to be a small official in charge of military supplies, and to pass on information to Great Zhou in the future.
He successfully completed the first half of the plan, and was successfully valued by the dignitaries of the Tubi tribe and became a low-level official in the army.
However, after only a few months in this official position, he was assigned another new task, as the heir of the former jeweler's concubine, to go to the Xuelie clan to inquire about their recent strategy information.
Is it that you are born to be careful? Or is it just because you are young and smart and seem unprepared?
Pei Ling was also helpless with this accidental arrangement.
With military orders like a mountain, he immediately packed his luggage and came to the Xuelie clan, disguised as a jewelry dealer.
At that time, the Xuelie clan was extremely strong and fought all over the world, suppressing the Great Zhou court in the south and the Tubi clan in the east. Even the Royal Court of Mu's must look at his face.
The Tubi clan urgently needed information from the Xuelie clan, as did the Zhou court.
Pei Ling was full of confidence in his activities in the Xuelie clan, but he never thought that his life in the Xuelie clan would be so long. He spent almost all of his youth in the land at the foot of Tianxing Mountain.
With extraordinary talents, Pei Ling quickly integrated into this tribe, because the people of the Xuelie tribe had no doubt about him because of the hatred of extermination on the face of the Tubi tribe.
The jewels he carried were not expensive, but they were all exquisite and unique, which not only brought him a generous amount of silver, but also allowed him to make friends with many small and medium-sized nobles of the Xuelie clan.
There were even two noble ladies who expressed their close affection to this handsome young jewelry merchant.
Pei Ling clearly remembered that that was the fourth month he came to the Xue Lie clan.
On a sunny spring afternoon, more than a dozen attendants broke into his leased house and declared that the nobleman had been summoned because of a beaded crown.
Ten days ago, a nobleman in the city ordered a few exquisite pearls of different colors from him, and prepared to make them into a bead crown for the nobles in the temple.
The nobles wandered between the styles and colors of the bead crowns, and they summoned several craftsmen with excellent craftsmanship, but they were unable to obtain the perfect shape. By chance, Pei Ling learned that out of a mindset of courageous guests, he picked up a pen and drew a few patterns and gave them as references.
It was these few pictures that brought him a fate.
Pei Ling was taken into a luxurious palace. In the lush garden, he saw the person who had summoned him this time.
It was not the middle-aged nobleman who patronized his shop, but a young girl.
She is sitting in a pavilion made of white marble. A white dress looks pure and flawless, and her drapery conceals her face. But judging from her posture, she should be only fourteen or five years old.
Her voice is clear and moving: "You are the He Jieyou, did you draw these pictures?"
Pei Ling's eyes swept over, and the bead crown pattern that she painted for the guests before was spread on the table.
The girl asked curiously: "The brushwork of these paintings is very delicate, with extraordinary skills and the style of the Central Plains. Are you from Da Zhou?"
Pei Ling's heart trembled, and she lowered her head and smiled: "I came from the Tubi ethnic group and my mother was from Zhou. He taught me a lot of poetry, calligraphy and calligraphy from the Central Plains."
"It's rare that you are so young and paint so well. I was looking for a painter to teach me painting and calligraphy in the Central Plains style, so I decided it was you."
The girl's brisk tone carries an irreversible nobility. One sentence determined Pei Ling's fate for a long time later.
Soon, Pei Ling knew how honorable the girl who summoned her today. It turned out to be Li Tuoer, the soul girl of the Xuelie clan, the human incarnation of this god in the Xuelie clan is almost as long as a clan.
Although her status is respected, Li Tuoer is still just a slender and beautiful girl.
Compared with the past dynasties, she is more sensitive and thoughtful, and she doesn't like to behave like a spiritual girl in daily life.
She loved the piano, chess, calligraphy, and calligraphy of the Central Plains since she was a child. Compared to the life of people in the city, she prefers to live in the sparsely populated mountains. Among them, her favorite is in the small attic behind the temple, listening to the rain by the window, reading a book, and enjoying the quiet time.
There are many people who serve her, but she who is intelligent by nature doesn't like it and doesn't get close. The young men and women of her age are still immersed in childhood fun, and they are completely ungrown children. And those elder priests and female officials are solemn and respectful, showing their devotion to the gods in every move.
Compared to these boring attendants, the new painter surprised Li Tuoer.
She soon discovered that Pei Ling was not only good at painting, he was knowledgeable and talented, from literary poetry, to the history of various countries, and to the customs of the world. Obviously he was so young, but so smart, whether it was Da Zhou's poems and songs, or the legendary history of the Western Regions, or the heroic stories of Beishuo, he came with his hand.
With Junxiu's appearance and such excellent connotations, is there any reason not to be tempted?
The time between the two people began to get longer and longer. Under Li Tuoer's order, Pei Ling had to close the jewelry store and entered the hall to become her guard.
In a corner invisible to the attendants of the temple, Li Tuoer increasingly trusted Pei Ling.
Young people are always excited and eager for their beloved.
Soon, she brought Pei Ling into the temple.
That building on the top of Tianxing Mountain is the supreme holy land of the Xuelie people.
Pei Ling was extremely excited when he was brought into the temple by Li Tuoer for the first time. He didn't expect to get close to the center of the Xue Lie clan's power so quickly and so easily.
However, after walking around in the temple, he discovered that perhaps all his admiration and admiration were due to the distance.
This sublime and mysterious temple is actually no different from the gorgeous palaces below the mountain. Of course, for Li Tuoer, it is more comfortable and leisurely.
The two lived in the temple for a long time.
Li Tuoer is extremely intelligent, and is very good at piano, chess, calligraphy, calligraphy and poetry. She is a famous lady in the Central Plains, and she is rarely so knowledgeable. Pei Ling taught her favorite calligraphy, calligraphy and chess, all by analogy.
As a spiritual girl, of course she has enough willful rights. She loves the local culture of the Central Plains. The attic where she lives behind the temple was immediately transformed into the Central Plains style. Tens of thousands of slaves were expropriated, all of them were artisans who were taken captive from the northern border.
And the warriors of the Xuelie tribe went south to conquer, which also brought her numerous resources. Whether it's books or calligraphy and painting, or a slave who knows everything.
"Most of those guys are sloppy, and they say they are talented scholars. Huh, they are not as knowledgeable as I am a barbarian woman in their mouths. They are full of great principles and show the virtues of saints, and they will only cry when they draw their swords. Kneeling down and begging for mercy." Li Tuoer smiled and talked about the recently looted northern border slave.
"There are also heroes who are persevering and unyielding. Unfortunately, they are all mediocre and boring."
Pei Ling grinds for her by the side, silent and speechless. The northern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty is not prosperous in writing style, and the people are more martial arts. Glyph Student was a little ambitious, and he also wrote more for the army.
"Perhaps the northern border is too boring. After a few years, I will calm down the surrounding tribes, go south with all my strength, and invade the capital of Zhou. I must be able to see truly knowledgeable and talented people." Li Tuoer held his cheek, yearning. Talking.
"I heard that there is a country like Chen to the south of the Great Zhou Dynasty. This country is even more prosperous, and there are countless scholars, so you can go all the way."
Pei Ling's dye-mixing hand trembles slightly: "Do you want to start a war?"
"Yeah, the richest land in the world should belong to the strongest tribe. I heard that the mountains in the south are rich and prosperous, and that is the most suitable pasture for the Xue Lie warriors." Li Tuoer smiled sweetly. "At that time, we can go and see the landscapes and palaces recorded in the poems together."
"What I want must be mine. Whether it's this world or you." The girl's eyes were shining, with self-confidence of course,
That is the extreme self-confidence that belongs to people who are born to be enshrined as gods, as if this world should be born at her feet.
In fact, she has lived like this since she was born.
Pei Ling looked at her, and immediately lowered her head.
Li Tuoer smiled and said, "But no matter how well-educated you are, I'm afraid it can't be as good as your knowledge."
"When the time comes to relieve your worries, you can also go into battle and make outstanding achievements. At that time, within the tribe, you will not be stuck with just one guard."
The author has something to say:
It’s still updated at 9 o’clock after the event, took a day off yesterday^_^