The best idlers of the Tang Dynasty

It was an early morning in March in the fourth year of Emperor Taizong's Zhenguan. A late heavy snowfall had just stopped for three consecutive days. Chang'an City after the snow.

Located in the East City of Chang'an, the Du Mansion of Lai Guo Gong used to be full of traffic at the gate, but today it is much more lively, but the guests who come and go seem to be in a hurry, and there is a sad look on their brows. The costumes also changed from the usual gorgeous ones, as if they had made an appointment, they changed into soap clothes one after another.

The vermilion gate was also painted blue today, with a ten-foot-high white silk hanging above it, and an obituary notice was pasted on the gate—forgive me for not paying enough attention.

Several family members guarding the door also wore heavy filial piety, weeping secretly while greeting and seeing off the guests.Some common people who watched the excitement at the door also pointed and whispered.

The main hall in the mansion is even more snow-white, and there is a coffin in the center, and the spirit tablet in front reads "The Minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs of the Duke of Lai in the Tang Dynasty, the right servant shoots Du Gong as dark as possible".

A group of men dressed in filial piety were kneeling on both sides of the coffin, returning salutes to the guests who came and went to express their condolences. The first two were already sobbing.

Du Rui is also among this group of people, but his ranking is very low. If people don't pay attention, they will hardly notice his existence. This also makes him a lot easier. He can occasionally be lazy without worrying If an old pedant sees him, he will be accused of unfilial piety.

Until now, Du Rui's mind is still in a daze, and he can't figure it out. How did he time travel? Fortunately, the old servant beside him told him that this is Chang'an, the imperial capital of the Tang Dynasty. The third son of Du Ruhui, known as "Du Duan", was well-known in Tang history, and his name was also Du Rui, so he avoided the embarrassment of being blindsided.

It's just that Du Rui has gradually understood his current identity. The young son of the Lai Kingdom is not worthy of his name. The reason is that he is just a bastard, and his mother is a gift from Emperor Taizong Li Shimin (who was still King Qin at the time) to Du Ruhui. The palace maid, and his cheap old mother unfortunately died in the rebellion during the Xuanwumen Incident.

Originally, Du Rui thought that although he was a bastard, he was also Du Ruhui's own son after all. Even if he didn't want to be seen again, at least the treatment should be similar. It is not in vain for Sheng Tang to have a good time and learn ancient literature for so many years.

On the second night of his crossing, the old servant ran to his bedroom and told him that his cheap daddy was no good. Only then did he realize that Du Ruhui had just died. The winter of the fourth year of Zhenguan.

A concubine of his status is not qualified to serve his parents in front of the bed. He hugged Xiao Lian, who was said to be his own sister, and knelt in the ice and snow at the door for most of the night, and finally heard crying from inside. I don't know why. He suddenly felt a burst of relief, touched his knees that were already kneeling, or were numb from the cold, and couldn't help sighing in his heart, "Finally dead."Of course, he didn't dare to show it on his face. If he was seen by others with a happy face at this time, not to mention that he couldn't be a dude, whether he could live would be a problem.

Immersed in ancient literature all year round, he knows that in this evil old society, a bastard like him is almost equivalent to a slave, basically has no status at all.

Following the servants outside in a mess, the servant howled dryly, followed by encoffining and stopping the coffin. After all the busy work was done, he was about to go back to his small courtyard to rest, but someone informed him that today he was going to keep a vigil for his deceased father.It is said that Du Gou and Du He, the two sons of his cheap old man, were almost fainted due to excessive grief, and now they were helped back to the upper courtyard to rest, and the heavy responsibility of guarding the spirit was naturally entrusted to him. Too sad, on the bastard who is still capable of acting.

After slandering for a while, Du Rui obeyed obediently. It's not that he didn't think about going out of the mansion, and living a life like a heroic hermit in this evil feudal society with his sword. That's exactly what he has always wanted What he pursued, but seeing Xiao Lian whose blood was thicker than water with him, he had no other thoughts, only thinking about how to survive in this cold and impersonal Du Mansion.

As soon as he was reborn, he became an orphan. Du Rui recalled when he went to college, went out to surf the Internet with his classmates, and read those online novels. That's all, but he happened to be Du Ruhui, the famous Prime Minister Du Ruhui who was under one person and above tens of thousands in the Great Tang Empire, which was about to usher in his glorious moment.

However, after these two days of understanding, Du Rui also understood a little bit. He really has no status as a concubine in the mansion, and Du Ruhui doesn't seem to pay much attention to him. He often doesn't see him several times a year, even if he does. He would only keep a straight face and ask a few questions about his studies in the same format.

As for Xiao Lian, the six-year-old child is basically a servant girl next to Miss Du's Mansion. Without her mother, her father has almost no impression of her, so she has no existence in this huge Du Mansion. Feeling, the only family affection can only be felt from his brother, so as soon as she woke up, Xiao Lian immediately ran to his side and pestered him, as if she was afraid that Du Rui would sleep for several days without anyone to accompany her. looking at her.

Du Rui also asked the old servant Du Zhong, but the old man was evasive about it, as if he was afraid that he would know something.However, Du Rui speculated for a while, and felt that the reason why he and his sister's status were so low was because of his status as a concubine. In the Tang Dynasty, a concubine was the foundation of a family's prosperity. Scattered leaves, the important task of strengthening the lintel.As for a concubine like him, he is basically a helper, unless all the concubines are dead, otherwise he will never have a bright future.

After calming down his mind, Du Rui became a puppet next to Du Ru Huiling again, following the people in front of him, kowtowing and crying bitterly, as if he had nothing to do now except this.

"Keming! Keming!"

At this time, there was a sudden cry of pain from outside the door. Hearing this sound, the two brothers Du Gou and Du He who were kneeling in the front hurriedly got up and went forward.

There was also a chattering sound in the mourning hall, and Du Ruhui's nephews, nephews, and family members whispered among themselves.

"It sounds like a housekeeper!?"

"It's just that, I heard that Prime Minister Fang is not in good health these days, but I didn't expect to come today."

"What's so strange about this, Prime Minister Fang and Uncle are close friends. Back then they assisted His Majesty today, and they had a very deep relationship. At this time, don't say they are sick, no matter how difficult they are, there is no reason for them not to fail."

Du Rui didn't care about who the person was, his eyes were fixed on the place where Du Gou and Du He knelt just now, where there were two brocade cushions.Looking at the emptiness under his knees, Du Rui couldn't help but feel a little suffocated. He really deserves to be compared to others, and he should throw away his goods.

Since last night, he hadn't had any water and rice, and he knelt down for another night. When it dawned, no one cared if he was tired or hungry, as if he never existed at all, and asked him to continue kneeling in the mourning hall Playing a dutiful son.

Just as he was thinking, two brothers Du Gou and Du He walked in with the support of a middle-aged man who was slightly short and fat, with three strands of beard and a handsome appearance.

Just now, I seem to have heard someone say that the person who came was Fang Xiang. Could it be Fang Xuanling? This is the first time I saw a historical celebrity. Even if Du Rui's self-cultivation skills are good, I can't help being a little excited. This person in front of me can be ranked in the future. A figure among the top ten names in history!

Fang Xuanling walked into the mourning hall and saw Du Ruhui's spirit tablet, couldn't help feeling sad, burst into tears, walked a few steps, and leaned on it when he reached the coffin.

"Keming! Keming! I miss you and I have known each other for many years and are confidantes, but I don't think that today, heaven and man will be separated forever. From now on, who in the world will be my bosom friend, Fang Qiao. It really hurts my heart."

Seeing Fang Xuanling's true feelings revealed, the mourning hall was filled with crying again, and even Du Rui, who had no relationship with Du Ruhui, couldn't help feeling sympathetic.

The imperial court has always been full of party disputes, and literati enjoy fighting each other, but they never thought that there would be such political partners as Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui who supported each other and devoted themselves to the country.

Du Rui didn't look like he was acting when he saw Fang Xuanling, and he couldn't help but feel sad when he thought of his dead father, and wept bitterly.

Fang Xuanling cried for a long time, and finally stopped crying under the consolation of the two brothers Du Gou and Du He. , his face was a little pale.

Seeing this, Du Gou hurriedly persuaded him: "My father had a last word before he died, and he asked my nephew to turn it in front of my uncle. At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the world was established, and the foundation was still unstable. Since the death of the Sui Dynasty, the number of people has increased, and many people who live at home and leave their hometowns are invincible. Counting, there are Turkic bandits in the north, and Tubo in the west. It is a troubled time. From now on, in front of the current emperor, I can’t say that I have to rely on my uncle, and I ask my uncle to take good care of his body, and don’t make me lose another pillar of the Tang Dynasty.”

Fang Xuanling didn't wait for Du Gou to finish, and burst into tears again: "Keming has been a country all his life, but he doesn't want to be like this when he is dying. Fang Qiao is not as good as Fang Qiao, and Fang Qiao is not as good as this."

Du Rui, who was kneeling below, also cried for a while, then turned to look at Fang Xuanling, and saw that his complexion was pale, there was night sweat on his forehead, his footsteps were flimsy, and his cheeks were faintly red, obviously he was suffering from a serious illness.But it was also recorded in history that Fang Xuanling enjoyed a long life and was not a short-lived person. Thinking of this, Du Rui felt that this serious illness might be a near-miss, so he ignored it.

A group of people were busy when suddenly a sharp voice shouted outside: "His Majesty the Emperor is here!"

Du Rui couldn't help being surprised: "Li Shimin is here!?"