In the third year of Zhidao in the Southern Jin Dynasty, Lantern Festival.

A rare rain fell in Bianliang, washed away the dust on the bluestone street yesterday and ushered in the hustle and bustle of the Chinese New Year.

The lights are brightly lit along the Bian River. At this time, the streets in the city are crowded with people. Just after the sky is over, the residents of Bianliang walked out of their homes. The streets and alleys are crowded. The most prosperous streets centered on Donghuamen and Zhouqiao came over. The lanterns along the way were weaving, like the vast and immortal fish and dragons passing by.

The hawkers' hawking, the crowded noise, the amazement of dragon dancing parades along the street, and the buzzing sound of gongs and drums, formed a grand scene of the Wei and Jin dynasties and the elegant and charming Tang and Song dynasties.

Most people enjoy lanterns, guess riddles, and feel the annual lively atmosphere. Only on the south bank of Wenxuan Bridge, the deep mansion and the bustling crowds form a sharp contrast. Except for the blood-red lanterns hanging at the door slightly highlighting the festive flavor, they are immersed in the solemn spring cold at other times.

The green lights on the quaint rosewood table were accompanied by the breathing sounds on the Taishi chair, and a moth lingered around the hot light, constantly testing the bottom line of the wick.

The middle-aged man dressed in a blue shirt closed his eyes slightly, and the wrinkles between his eyebrows seemed to be deeper. Although the young man next to him did not look anxious like the other person, he was also pacing back and forth uneasy.

Chen Anzhi, Minister of War.

His younger brother Chen Yiwen.

In addition, the sixty-five people in the mansion may have their heads hanging on the execution ground tomorrow.

After a long silence, Chen Anzhi finally spoke.

"Originally, the emperor wanted to use the power of Prime Minister Li Dangxian, Shangshu Zuo Pushe Han Wenyan, and the subordinate minister Lu Gongming to kill the Privy Council and serve a group of eunuchs, but it was exposed. Now the palace should be bloody. I want to escape this disaster by illness, but I still couldn't escape!"

His mouth twitched and his robe curled up in his wide cuffs held the armrest of the Grand Master's chair tightly. This was his first major miscalculation.

"The eldest brother has never participated in this matter. Besides, as the Minister of the Left Cao of the Ministry of Revenue, he stepped on the eunuch's boat. Even if he was guilty, the Chen family had many relationships and was able to do everything. At most, he would be demoted, rather than suffering a catastrophe..."

Chen Anzhi smiled bitterly, waved his hand to disperse the flying moths, looked at his brother, and said, "Do you still remember Wang Chang'an, the deputy commander of the Beijing house? Lu Gongming had asked someone to conspire to me before. At that time, our Chen family was unwilling to get into this muddy water, so they adopted a conservative observation attitude, but they also maintained an unknown relationship with the parties who were plotting to punish eunuchs. Unexpectedly, Wang Chang'an, a bastard, threatened me with this! Now that the coup is broken, Wang Chang'an should be ready to take the secret to seek credit."

Chen Yiwen, who had originally looked relaxed, also frowned, "Second brother should do it..."

"This is related to the lives of the people in the Chen family. We cannot place all our expectations on the second brother's management. If we make a slight mistake, we will be able to kill the whole family!"

With a clang, the Taishi chair leaned toward the brick and stone floor, causing a lot of noise in the quiet room.

Chen Anzhi suddenly stood up, stood in front of Chen Yian, and his hand clenched with fists was wrapped around blue veins.

Chen Yiwen comforted, "Wang Chang'an is a man who is greedy and likes to be greedy. It is not only our Chen family who is caught. His journey to the palace tonight will inevitably be bloody. I am afraid that those who want to kill him are already on the road."

Under the reflection of the green lamp, Chen Anzhi's face was gloomy, his eyes flashed with a flash, and he said in a deep voice, "We cannot put things on others. I am now preparing to clear the relationship and think of a way. If it really doesn't work, please let Uncle San and Zhongqing leave tonight. There is no curfew on the Lantern Festival today. The palace coup has not completely leaked. How far can you go now? It's better to hide your name. Don't come back again. This is... the worst plan. Uncle San reaches out and is loyal to my Chen family. Before his father died, he said that Uncle San was the last person to trust. I don't worry if he is here."

Chen Yiwen didn't say anything, his face pale. When he thought of the coldness of the blade on the execution ground, he shrank his neck and felt a stream of cold air lingering around him.

The moth rushed towards the flame without a lampshade, and in a blink of an eye it was swallowed by the flame and fell on the dark table, eventually solidifying into a red lamp-like posture.

They did not notice that there were ears outside the door who had been exploring for a long time, and listened to their conversation without missing a word. Finally, they twitched the corners of their mouths and were about to tiptoe away from the study room. However, their feet did not step on them firmly and fell to the ground. The clanging noise interrupted the happy spy. The two of them were attentive.

"Who is it?"

Chen Anzhi's face changed. The conspiracy of the coup must not be known to others. He rushed out of the door first, hoping to find a voyeur. However, he saw that his second son Chen Zhongqing was sitting on the ground with a painful face, touching his butt that was hurt, and holding a string of iron trees and silver flowers in his hand, and seemed to be preparing to go out to set off fireworks.

Chen Anzhi and Chen Yiwen looked at each other, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it wasn't for others to hear their conversation.

At this time, Chen Anzhi was already in a bad mood. Seeing that his son didn't want to study and strive for fame and fortune, and was still playing here, he couldn't help but feel angry and scolded him in person, "Bastard, who told you to play here? You know how to play all day long. When will you be alone like your brother and be a hero for the Chen family? What kind of evil did I have committed in my previous life? Why did I give birth to such a useless thing? I'm useless to name Zhongqing, so why would I call you a waste!"

Chen Zhongqing honestly lowered his head and stood aside and listened to his father's reprimand.

Seeing this cowardly look, he was even more angry. Chen Anzhi was so angry that he was so angry that he was so angry that he was timid. He was always timid by nature. He didn't like to study and just liked to hide in the room to tinker with some strange things, and always said something inexplicable. Especially after he got hysterical a few days ago, he became even worse. If he hadn't been busy with government affairs recently, he would have beaten him so hard that he couldn't stand up!

Fortunately, the eldest son was sensible and could stand alone, so Chen Anzhi let his son stop discipline.

Chen Yiwen advised him, who was about to explode, and said softly, "Forget it, brother, now is not the time to blame Zhongqing's nephew, it is important to do serious things."

"roll."

Chen Anzhi was furious and his face turned purple. He waved his sleeves and pointed in a direction, asking him to get out of his sight, without seeing him. Chen Yiwen squeezed at him and signaled him to leave as soon as possible.

Then the two entered the room and closed the door tightly, but they could no longer hear anything.

After being scolded by his father, Chen Zhongqing not only did not get angry, but stuck out his tongue, smiled foolishly, and left the door of the room with fireworks in his arms.

For seventeen years, the servants have long turned a blind eye to Chen Zhongqing's weakness. Except for a blind old servant who is willing to obey his orders, the others always look like they ignore him when the master is away.

Chen Anzhi guessed something wrong just now. His son did not prepare fireworks in a playful way, but went to the warehousing room to steal it after hearing their conversation. He didn't even notice that the sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth when he scolded his son.

"Hey, the luck is not good, and my life is in trouble. Why am I so unlucky?"

Chen Zhongqing sighed as if he was old-fashioned, and then shouted twice in the backyard with his throat.

"Old Jia, Lao Jia?"

"Hey, young master, Lao Jia is here."

A big head with sparse hair sneakily poked out from the kitchen, and was rubbing the mouth full of oil with the back of his hand. After seeing Chen Zhongqing, he immediately looked smiling, and the wrinkles on his whole face were squeezed together, sinking his eyes, which were not big, into the folds.

"Young Master is asking me for something?"

"Come here quickly."

The old servant threw down the roast chicken in his hand, wiped his mouth with dirty sleeves, and ran over quickly. Chen Zhongqing's timidity was reflected in front of his father, and he looked completely different in front of his servant Lao Jia.

"Have you stole the chicken in the kitchen again?"

"I swear, young master, really not!"

The old servant raised his hands to show his innocence, but he accidentally burped and immediately exposed the filling. Chen Zhongqing shook his head helplessly and ordered him, "Go, help me scrape something on the wall of the toilet, that's the layer of white powder on the bricks at the base of the wall, go quickly!"

Old Jia looked embarrassed, "But Young Master, that's a pit..."

Chen Zhongqing asked with a stern face, "Then are you going?"

"Look at me, I'm working so hard..."

"Don't talk nonsense, a jar of flower sculptures."

"Okay, Master, I'll go now!"

After supporting Lao Jia, he sat on the cold bench in the courtyard and placed a series of fireworks on the stone table. At this time, the grand scene of the Lantern Festival in Bianjing also reached its peak.

Fireworks bloom in the dark night sky, and the sky is full of brilliance, and it is so beautiful. The dragon dancing along the street is accompanied by churning carp lanterns, like a fire dragon spreading in the dark night, heading towards the prosperous city of Bianliang.

The east wind blooms at night, thousands of flowers and trees blow down, the stars are like rain, and fish and dragons dance overnight.

Their lively ones are there, and there is nothing in the ancient house in the deep courtyard except the cold wind.
Chapter completed!