Chapter 140 – The World Moves, New Year’s Eve (Middle)

Guangling Road and the Southern Border Road border Xiangzhou, because of a not very old apricot alley and famous in the world, this alley on both sides of the Jiangnan courtyard, although not grand but exquisite, the residents are not dignitaries, but some of the year did not participate in the Hongjia north run of the fallen scholars, both recluse of the Western Chu relics, but also on the yinxuegong disillusioned Mr., these scholars landed when the Commission is in straitened circumstances, to build out of the These scholars were really short of money when they landed, and couldn’t build any big mansions. Fan family residence is in the deepest part of the apricot lane, Fan’s was once the South Tang Dynasty, rich and powerful, this house Fan’s predecessors in the year before the escape of the separation of the family do not want to treasure, but only to that a whole building of the most difficult to carry the collection of books, which more than twenty years of overstretched, if not by selling the new building of the ancient books, or else fell into the situation of the uncovered pot. Li Yang prosperity, the country’s prosperity, chess also prosperity. The good thing is that the Fan family out of a do not love the fame of chess Fan Chang after, and Liyang court new scout Wu Congxian and known as the “successive double nine”, the two less than thirty years old, is already playing all over the south of the Guangling River, especially later became one of the capital of the eight juns of the scout Lang Wu Congxian, enrolled in the imperial examinations by His Majesty the emperor appointed and Liyang chess to be imperial decree of the four great powers! After he was appointed by His Majesty the Emperor to fight with the four great players of Liyang Chess, he won all the four battles and got an unbelievable record, and Fan Changhou, who was a little bit better in the successive battles, became the first person of Liyang Chess, and was newly honored with the reputation of “Fan Ten Duan”. The Apricot Lane where Fan Chang Hou lived was bustling with cars and horses for a while, but the chess master kept his door closed to visitors, and Fan Chang Hou, who was “a gentle gossip and a generous man” on the chessboard, was particularly refractory in his life.

Fan family book collection in the “broad-minded” “seeking forgiveness” two pavilions, which seeking forgiveness pavilion three-storey hard mountain roof, depth of six rooms, before and after the corridor, the building in front of a square square patio, covering an area of three acres of green brick paved floor, do not have a weed for the summer sunshine book used. Not long ago just became the Fan family head of the Fan Chang Hou set a number of strict rules for the collection of books, including the generation does not share the book books do not come out of the cabinet, foreign surnames and women of their own surnames are not allowed to climb into the cabinet, the key to the collection of bookcases by the first head of the house in charge of the bookcase.

Today is a winter warm weather, suitable for sunshine books to drive away the mold and humidity, a man with elegant appearance of the green shirt to a handful of engraved copies of the facsimile of the book out of the attic, spread out on the patio in front of the Court of forgiveness on the brick floor, personally, and did not let the servants to do it for him. A young girl whose cheeks are reddened by the sun is squatting on the ground, casually flipping through those books, not reading with great interest but frowning tightly. Glancing at her back, the man guffawed and stretched, catching a glimpse of a huge figure sitting in silence on the steps where daylight and shadows mingled at the edge of the patio. The man’s pleasant mood floated with a touch of gloom, the way this lanky giant visited the Fan family was extremely shocking, without presenting a name tag or knocking on the door, but rather falling from the sky and smashing into the pond in the Fan family’s backyard. At that time, Fan Chang Hou was playing chess with someone, into the exhaustive long examination, the game of the person asked him to bring that visitor, Fan Chang Hou instructed the family to hear the sound of the subordinates do not make a sound, and then this stout as the heavenly court of God’s man guy with the old man and the young man inseparable, never say anything.

It was the man after Fan 10th Fan Chang who walked up to the old man, who was sitting on a small bench, with a golden chessboard in front of him, and a small white salt, a plate of crunchy white radish, and a bowl of white rice at his hand. After the appearance of that stout guest with golden skin, the old man set up the game of handicapped chess in front of him, and then did not make a move, and did not say a word. Unless that young girl spoke to the old man, even if it was Fan Chang Hou who said anything, the old man was too lazy to pay attention. Fan Chang Hou stood behind the old man at this time, at that the momentum has become the official game, the heart is full of suspicion, black and white pieces crisscrossing, is a typical game of fighting power, is not pay attention to the shape of the game, but to Fan Chang Hou’s vision, this game is far from worth the old man to be so attentive to treat.

To know that he Fan long after the eyes of the world is untutored, and recognized material blunt, only in terms of natural talent, and the teenage fame of Wu from the first difference of ten thousand eight hundred thousand miles, just rely on a toughness to be able to late success in a few years ago finally managed to with Wu from the first equal. But of course, Fan Chang Hou had a master, and it was also the Huang Longshi of the Spring and Autumn Chess Armor, if not for that, his “late success” would have been another twenty years later. Today, the world, Go to nine highest, that a few in the emperor’s body of chess to edict top players, are undoubtedly strong nine, countryside high people also have some nine strength of the masters, but not necessarily when a “strong” word, and on the Yin Palace of Learning and the famous Beilang County Xu Weixiong have “Xu ten and Thirteen”, Xu ten is that the woman’s strength is far more than nine experts, is deservedly ten great powers, Xu thirteen is that she can often play thirteen paragraphs of the general unpredictability of the outstanding hand, so with the Western Chu Cao Guanzi is considered to be the same first-class saint of the game of Go, Fan Chang after the self-confessed title of the Fan ten paragraphs barely take charge of, but on Xu Weixiong and Cao Changqing is much worse, there is a son of a huge distance. The difference between the huge distance, as for compared with the master in front of this master, hey, this surprise reunion of master and disciple, teaching teacher let him two, Fan Chang Hou is still ten battles are lost.

The old man stared at the chess game, grabbed a pinch of salt and sprinkled it on the radish, and opened his mouth to ask: “Yue Tian, remember what I said when I played the first game of chess with you back then?”

Fan Chang Hou, whose character Yue Tian was called Buddha Zi, replied respectfully, “Master said two things, one was that the real kung fu is outside of chess, and the other was that chess is only so-so even if you are good at it, and that there is a world of difference between knowing how to play chess and knowing how to be a human being.”

Spring and Autumn’s first devil Huang Longshi hmmm, chewing on the light and tasteless radish with only a slight salty taste, “So I’m not only teaching you to play chess, but I also want you not to delay doing your studies. Now Wu Congxian has become famous in the capital, you do not fight for anything, but instead more famous than Wu Congxian, in the future, no matter who sits on the dragon chair in the Liyang court, whether it’s surnamed Zhao or what, there will be a place for you.”

Fan Chang Hou asked softly, “Why does Master want me to befriend His Royal Highness Prince Yan Zhi Wang? Is it because the Emperor was disappointed by the killing of Chief Minister Zhang Julu?”

Huang Longshi smiled and asked in return, “Yue Tian do you think that Biye’er shouldn’t be killed?”

Fan Chang Hou didn’t dare to show off with his master and said frankly, “Even if the Emperor wanted to pave the way for Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan, killing Zhang Julu alone would be enough, and executing the nine clans would be too much.”

Huang Longshi laughed, “Let’s not talk about the size of the fire, you first tell us why Biye’er is a sure death.”

Fan long after walking to the chess game opposite, sitting upright, said in a deep voice: “The first minister Zhang Julu Da Xing imperial examinations, for the children of the humble family to open the Dragon Gate, and under the door of the permanent emblem of the Secretary of the emergence of the Yin Maochun, Zhao right age of the stream, not only but the capable ministers, but also in the Zhang Julu’s shelter, to be able to the temple of the wind and the smooth flow of many years of immersion in the officialdom, more and more familiar with the emperor’s mind and the rules of the imperial court, know how to know how to protect oneself, and know how to raise hope and build up momentum. Know how to raise hope and build up momentum while earning a reputation in history, this kind of courtiers, compared to the Spring and Autumn those who want to minister death ministers willing to die of bone ‘loyal ministers’, not the same, even if the king wants to ministers to die, the ministers can not die, the bottom of the heart is also not willing to live lightly. After the continuous emergence of the humble ministers, since the origin of the city, decades of accumulated family background lost, in some moments, unlike the deep-rooted descendants of the clan, to be more rich to give up all the chopping of the temperament. Zhang Julu is the creator of the spring of Yong Hui, but also the originator of the full of cold people wearing purple and yellow, this is a death.”

Huang Longshi grabbed a handful of white rice and stuffed it into his mouth, slowly smiling, “Far from enough.”

“Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan is going to ascend to the throne, and not surprisingly, it will be a peaceful and prosperous emperor with no military accomplishments, but if there is Zhang Julu in the court, and Gu Jiantang in the military, it will be extremely difficult for the new emperor Zhao Zhuan to convince the people. The current emperor is constantly trying his hand on the chief minister, with the impeachment of Jin Lanting, the reintroduction of the loyalist Han family in Jizhou by General Yang Shenxing, the promotion of the son-in-law of the King of Chai County, Chen Wang, the summoning of Qi Yanglong to the capital, and the reintroduction of the Zhongshu and Menxia provinces as a counterbalance to the Shangshu province, which are all tactics that are always pushing the chief minister, and it looks like Zhang Julu is choosing the right path from beginning to end. From beginning to end is to choose to step back, self-abolition of Zhang Lu forces, one after another to give up Zhao right age, Yin Maochun and white Guo, leaving only the recognized most no slaughter auxiliary instrument frame Wang Xionggui, even in the Zhang Lu the last beam of the Ministry of households Wang Xionggui was relegated to the Guangling Road by the strategic make to leave the capital, Zhang Julu is still no voice.”

After Fan Chang said here, paused for a moment, “But, but as long as Zhang Julu is not dead, even if he ‘took the blame’ and resigned, this leader of the civil officials lost his officialdom and returned to his hometown to live in seclusion in the mountains, then it was originally used as a counterbalance to Zhang Julu as an excess of the Grand Priest Qi Yanglong, it will be very embarrassing, and Zhang Julu was How old is Zhang Julu and how old is Qi Yanglong? At that time, when the world pattern of the wind blowing grass, not in the temple but in the rivers and lakes of Zhang Julu, on the contrary, will have the opportunity to become the savior of the world of the people’s expectations. The difference in treatment between Zhang Julu and Qi Yanglong, and their positions in the hearts of the people, will be reversed by then. His Majesty the Emperor will not understand the reasoning behind this, and will not leave the Crown Prince in a mess. If this argument alone, without what I said earlier about Zhang Julu’s first death, it could still be used as a check and balance technique for the monarch to manage his subjects, but since the future is a dynasty with no major wars, coupled with the increasingly talented people in the dynasty, the Emperor’s Spring of Xiangfu is no worse than Zhang Julu’s Spring of Yonghui, why would the Zhao family want to keep you, what is the use of Zhang Julu?!”

Huang Longshi nodded, “Zhang Julu’s twenty years were a blessing in disguise, he cannot be killed. In the future, he will only be able to do some icing on the cake, tailing off, so he can indeed be killed earlier. This is also considered one death. Two deaths, you continue.”

Fan long after obviously have a plan, playing a good full draft of the early conclusion, there is nothing to stop thinking, narrating, “the previous two deaths, is today’s son of heaven to consider the aftermath of the matter, at this time LiangMang war and pacification of guangling is the imminent immediate matter. Zhang Julu life four sides of the enemy, three of the enemies are the royal family of the Lord, the gate of the courtiers, local generals, these three have been on the first minister of the Lord to hold the mouth of a monstrous gas, the royal family of the twenty years of the street rats in general the hard life, originally thought that the first emperor of the Zhao family away from the Yang unity of the world, they are all meritorious officials, and is the Zhao family name, of course, can be shared with the emperor of the Jiangshan, did not expect to be Xu Snapdragon and Zhang Julu two people! How could they bear it when Xu Snap and Zhang Julu took all the credit? With Zhang Julu standing in the temple, how could the courtiers of the family have a chance to make a name for themselves? The more impartial Zhang Julu, this group of people for the benefit of the family, the more difficult to start, when Zhang Julu to boldly govern the three things of Xu, salt and transport, bumps and bruises, the Ministry of Industry, the old Secretary at the risk of anger the Prime Minister of the Lord also want to take the lead for people in the middle of the obstruction, the old Secretary for whom? Naturally, this is a large group of family entrenched in the local ministers. Civilian and military disputes is the practice of successive dynasties, Zhang Julu can rely on the wrists of the party to calm the flames, but with the Guangling Pacification of the yang conspiracy, taking the opportunity to continue to cut the clan and suppressing the military, Yan Zhenchun, Yang Shenxeng, a few major feudal lords, have become the strength of the loss of the pawns, those who hold the power of the military are also unable to tolerate the military generals. The emperor killed the evil Zhang Julu, so that the three forces out of a mouthful of bad gas, can be said to kill two birds with one stone, and afterwards by the new son of God to appease the crowd, can be considered three birds with one stone.”

Huang Longshi’s face was calm as he said, “This is also a death. However, there is something you did not point through, this death must die is, Zhang Julu in the peak of power if it is removed from office, then Zhang Julu long standing grudges in the chest of the three enemies of that bad gas, but also counted on the vomit out of the half, the gas is easy to get out and difficult to gather, and then they want to fight with the Bieye’er, it will be difficult to have a determination to go on and on, with this mentality and Bieye’er, even if the new emperor to support them, will certainly still be be divided and ruled by Zhang Julu as he casually brought down the Qing Party.”

Fan Chang Hou said with a solemn expression, “My disciple has been taught!”

Huang Longshi reached out to grab what was left of the radish, glanced at the disciple who had earned the name of the Buddha Son of Chess, and asked, “That’s all? That’s far worse than that young master of yours in Xiangfan City.”

Fan Chang Hou smiled and said, “It’s just that Zhang Julu didn’t form a party and cut off his own wings, but he also intentionally parted ways with Tantan Weng, who was his greatest support, and completely fell into isolation; if not for this, how would those ignorant scholars have the guts to throw a book of charges at Zhang Julu’s door to make a name for himself? This scene, with the year is a merit in the body of the scholar will have to scold a scolding people slaughter Xu Snapdragon, like the same ah. If Huan Wen firmly stood on the side of the chief minister, not to mention their group of passionate readers, is the Jin Sanlang also do not have the courage. Zhang Julu with less Huan Wen is another death.”

Huang Longshi did not comment, just digress, narrowed his eyes to look at the salt and the bowl of rice, laughed: “Celebrity style more escapades, these escapades circulated in the dynasty and the field, just like the salt of the readers, just eat white rice is no taste, can not be killed, but it is the lack of that essence. Earlier isolated in a corner of the feudal towns of Liyang, the literati were bullied by the martial arts people half dead all day long, naturally, the fart of the story is not there. Bieye’s really great, just a short a Yong Hui, there are Hanlin courtyard on duty yellow door Lang drunk and sleep, the son of heaven personally for its fur, more Tantan Weng in the forbidden wine a pot on the world. So, ah, although the knees of the world’s readers are still bent, their backs have finally straightened out.”

After Fan Chang looked up at those books sprinkled with daylight, lamented: “the childhood of the bereaved dog upheaval, the memory is still fresh, those stationed at the barricades of the generals only recognize the gold and silver, difficult at every turn is just, the most difficult for me to let go of is that they pick up the bookcase with a spear, full of boxes of readers’ life of the rare books of the orphaned books so scattered all over the ground, be wantonly trampled on. I think a world where books can bask in the sun in peace is a good world for us readers.”

After Fan Chang Hou sighed, he took a deep breath and said, “Zhang Julu’s imperial examination fraud, his eldest son’s embezzlement of good land, and the local family’s plundering of profits with the people, the evidence of the crime is conclusive ……”

Said here, after Fan Chang bitterly smiled, “really funny ‘evidence of guilt’ ah, the latter two should be true, but if you say Zhang Julu leaked the examination questions, I’m afraid that anyone feels absurd. Regardless of the truth, coupled with that Han family tragedy that implicated the old First Minister, this is another death.”

After Fan Chang hands clenched fists resting on his knees, vaguely some anger, “This is also just, the ten major sins there is even the matter of fornication with the border army, fornication with whom? Tilting half of the country’s taxes to build the Eastern Front to defend against the North Mang, that was the outline of the country set by the late emperor, what crime did Zhang Julu commit?”

Huang Longshi shook his head and said, “This offense is most obscurely stated, you guessed wrong, this one is not Gu Jiantang, it is talking about Northern Liang. Of course, there is also the meaning of knocking Gu Jiantang’s hundreds of thousands of border generals in the north behind him. After Zhang Julu power seems to be step by step to suppress the North Liang Xu family, but in fact that is the phenomenon of the surface, the North Liang border should get the benefits did not reduce. Instead of other people to become the chief minister, the court side may be in chaos, but at least the northern Liang side will be more difficult. This is Zhang Julu is taking the price of depleting the love between ruler and minister, for the dynasty’s northwest for a hidden peace. This, of course, is a death.”

Fan Chang Hou was stunned, then stood up and made a heavy bow facing north.

Huang Longshi sneered, “Isn’t it more and more obvious that Biye’er shouldn’t die? Don’t look at the moment as if there are countless people for the downfall of the first minister adults, secretly clapping, in fact, the real discerning people, especially like you this kind of bottom of the heart believe that ‘the people is the king is light’ of the readers, one by one all in the gnashing of teeth. Do you think that just because everyone seemed to be cursing Cripple Xu at the time, that everyone was really hating Northern Liang? Bieye’er, Tantan Weng, Gu Jiantang, Yan Zhenchun, Lu Baijie Lu Shengxiang, and Xu Gong, etc., really only hatred but no heartfelt admiration? You should know that Xu Snapdragon led the Northern Liang cavalry to the south in armor, leading Gu Jiantang’s general Cai Nan who went to the border to intercept Xu Fengnian, and the whole 60,000 men faced that old cripple, not to mention fighting with one of them, but also kneeled down in direct obedience, and only said a sentence many generals clearly heard in their ears, ‘The last generals see the King of Northern Liang’, not only he, who was entrusted by the court, but also he, who was entrusted by the court to be the king of the Northern Liang, was not only a man of the Northern Liang, but also he, who had been the king of the Northern Liang. Not only is he the great general Cai Nan, who is expected by the court to compress the living space of Beiliang, but also the 60,000 soldiers have the same thought, and regard seeing the great general Xu Snapu from afar as the great honor of their lives, but in the end, Xu Snapu replaced Gu Jiantang to inspect the iron horsemen of the Gu family, and the temple court officials are privately indignant, but the soldiers of the military generals all over the Liyang area don’t think there is anything to be ashamed of. Xu Snapdragon is so domineering and overbearing, is what he deserves, Zhang Julu have you such a reader silently in the heart, the same is also Biyaner deserved. Therefore this is another death for Biye’er!”

Huang Longshi expressionlessly twisted a chess piece from the chess box and softly said, “Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan has never had any good feelings towards this chief minister, and once tried to befriend Zhang Julu’s youngest son, Zhang Bian Guan, to no avail. The world of chaos raises military generals, the world of governance emphasizes civilian ministers, this person is destined to be a civilian emperor, but in order to balance the civil and military, it is inevitable to continue the game of chess left by the late Emperor Zhao Dun that the three provinces of Shangshu, Zhongshu, and Zhongshu are at each other’s throats, the cabinet ministers will be even more numerous than at the present time, but the leader of the civilian ministers must never be there. Zhao Zhuan to sit firmly in the dragon chair, Zhang Julu another death.”

“Zhang Julu looked at things farther than everyone else, using self defilement to lead to his defeat and not leaving a way back to warn future generations. Biye’er was incredibly clear that in the future, a pattern of literati rule would be formed, and the ‘rite’ of not being able to penalize a great doctor would be repeatedly mentioned by the literati. Since the first year of Yong Hui, the Shangshu Province is the only one, not to mention the six ministers, that is, the ministers have not been killed, if you follow the current momentum, Liyang later it will be even more difficult to die ‘Shidafu’. There is something very interesting, that is, the clan nobles and the sons and daughters of the great valves of corruption, more or less about a eating, can be a humble minister, shake off the mud on the body, to be more shameless, the means are also more covert, Bieye’s obviously know this well, so this death, he asked for it. Only in my opinion, the death of a first minister, treat the ‘world of the world’ in the latter days, is really not very useful.”

“But because of this, this death of Zhang Julu is most admirable to me, Huang Longshi.”

“Emperor Zhao Dun wanted him to die, Zhang Julu was willing to die, another death. This death is the most helpless of a scholar’s goods and the emperor’s family, but it is also the most elegant of a scholar’s conscience.”

Both fingers flick chess always do not fall on the chessboard Huang Longshi no longer speak, salt, rice and radish has long been eaten.

Fan Chang Hou softly said, “Zhang Julu has nine deaths.”

Huang Longshi looked down at the chess game and asked with a smile, “It is said that there are nine deaths and one life, do you think Biye’er still has that one chance of survival?”

Fan Chang Hou shook his head and said, “The people want him to die, but he doesn’t want to live, how can he live?”

Huang Longshi knocked the white piece on the northeast chessboard, and also re-righted the position, Fan Changhou was very surprised, the master and his own game, always fall like flying, not to mention deliberately to correct the position of the pieces that have already fallen. Because Huang Longshi said that the fall is rooted, the world has never been so merciless, even if there is a longevity pill in the world, it is impossible to have regret medicine. This made Fan Changhou, who had originally lost interest in the game of chess, regain his curiosity, and looked carefully, and while the ten-dan flipper was concentrating on finding the answer, Huang Longshi stooped down and reached out to pick up a black piece from the chess box, looked towards the west position on the board, and the two fingers holding the piece drew a circle there, and blandly said: “Earlier, when you saw that I set up this game of chess with one stroke of my hand, don’t look at the place that seems to be a chess game. The great battle is in full swing, the black and white sides are killing each other with extremely huge power, but in fact, it’s quite ridiculous and most likely has nothing to do with the big picture.”

Fan Chang Hou, who was sitting face to face with Huang Longshi, had his heart jumped as he overlooked the chess game and asked one after the other, “Is it the Liyang Beimang confrontation game? This is Northern Liang? Bei Liang has 300,000 iron cavalry, how can it be irrelevant to the game? Master, I really can’t figure it out, can you help my disciple out?”

Huang Longshi threw the black piece back into the chess box and laughed, “How can you, a Fan 10th dan, guess the next move of the Northern Mang Taiping Order. Don’t waste your brain, you won’t be able to figure it out even if you were given a hundred years. It’s almost enough for you to be able to play chess as well as you are. In the future, you should think about how to earn a reputation in the new dynasty. The higher your chess ability, the more vain you are.”

Fan Chang Hou carefully glanced at his master.

Huang Longshi laughed, “Speaking of you mortals, Master and that Northern Mang Imperial Master are not among them.”

Fan Chang Hou asked, “Then Western Chu Cao Changqing?”

Huang Longshi laughed, “Half and half. Knowing that he can’t do it, he, ah, is a fool. Cao Changqing’s entire second half of his life was actually a pointless fight for a breath.”

A heckle came from the distance.

It seemed to be mocking this old man for bragging about pointing out the world, Huang Longshi was a little embarrassed, while Fan Changhou wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to laugh when he saw his master being defeated.

Huang Longshi stood up, walked over to the little girl who was still there flipping through the book, rubbed her head, and sighed heartily, “Daughter ah, don’t look for trouble with that bronze man in the future, you won’t be able to kill him.”

The old man picked up a book, towards precisely was Qi Xuan frame a hand thrown to the Guangling Road here in the North Mang copper man master ancestor side to sit down, but soon was huh girl squeezed in the middle of the two, Huang Longshi had to move to the side of the butt, stretching out the palm of his hand on the book, feel the warmth of the residual sunlight, said: “I was young when I went to the Zhenmutai visited Qi Xuan frame, that great real person said a sentence It’s better to write a book with one’s own pen than to read a book with a clear wind turning the pages. I, Huang Longshi, don’t believe or agree. Otherwise this journey would have been in vain.”

The Copper Man Master Ancestor did not say a word.

Huang Longshi turned his head and asked, “How much longer?”

The Bronze Man Master Ancestor was still looking straight ahead with his eyes lifeless.

This side of the patio of the Pavilion of Seeking Forgiveness returned to silence.

Day after day, the whole world finally knew that the head minister of the dynasty, Zhang Julu, had died in prison.

It was then that the world remembered an old bastard who deserved to die but didn’t, as if he had given the then-as-prominent chief minister a long time ago an obscure prophecy.

“Sad New Year’s Eve”.

It was then that it dawned on all of them, as if all the assertions of the great devil Huang Sanjia had been fulfilled one by one.

New Year’s Eve, the end of the month and the end of the year, so with the new spring first and last.

The old year to this and removed, another new year.

New Year’s Eve in the first year of Xiangfu, Apricot Lane, no matter how old or young, are burning lamps to welcome the new year, and the Fan family is also the same.

In front of the Kuanxin Pavilion, the bronze master stood in the center of the patio, raising his head to look at the sky.

The little girl and Fan Chang Hou sat on the stone steps.

The little girl was slack-jawed.

Fan Chang Hou, on the other hand, choked with her head bowed like a child.

During the daytime, Master had unprecedentedly patiently talked to him about many things and many truths, about the respective scheming layouts of several still living great handlers, about the advantages and disadvantages of Prince Zhao Zhuan of Liyang and Prince Zhao Zhuan of Yanzhi, about how he should strategize about Junior Brother Lu Yan, how to stand out from the bloody stranglehold of several great forces, and even how to retire after accomplishing his work, and even talked to him about it. Finally, the master said to him a very inexplicable words, like the later history books to him Fan long after a casket: Fan long after, like fame and fortune, good at power tactics, literary talent, within the cool and gentle, one of the six ministers of the rising Liyang, good death, posthumous Wenzhen.

Inside the pavilion, the only spring and autumn three old man holding an oil lamp, quietly walking between the bookshelf and the bookshelf, the wick gradually burned gradually short, with the new spring will come, the shorter the wick.

The lamp fluttered and was about to go out.

Huang Longshi walked to the window and looked into the night sky with a sprightly smile, murmuring and whispering, “I’m glad to meet you all, Ye Baikui, Xu Snapu, Zhang Julu, Yuan Benxi, Li Yishan, Zhao Changling, Gu Jiantang, Nalan Righteousness, Huan Wen, Qi Yanglong, Cao Changqing, Li Dangxin.”

The old man raised the oil lamp, “To you, to Spring and Autumn, to your jingoism, to your writing style!”

The old man opened the window and casually threw the oil lamp, which had run out of oil, out of the window, and laughed out loud, “What a magnificent life I’ve had!”