Chapter 108:

Scholars are all groups with very strong lip service. Not long after the quarrel with Wei Lan, the "Royal Pen" of those nobles and nobles began to be busy with the opinions of these scholars "requiring the prince to pay taxes". The question of whether to reform or not, on the contrary, is not so acute.
Seeing that the divorce plan had an effect, Wei Lan directly asked the upper and lower authorities to start the reform.
Su Bai has no opinion on this matter, but he has always had a big opinion on Wei Lan, so he reprimanded Wei Lan in court many times, and Wei Lan smiled and said nothing.
One month later, the former famous scholar wrote ten thousand words in front of the palace gate, asking the emperor to directly let the prince pay taxes, and then various localities began to call for them, and local governments received petitions from the people asking the princes to pay taxes.
The princes and nobles couldn't help panicking when things got here. Within half a month of the people's riots, local state governments began to write letters, saying that they agreed with the reform method proposed by Xie Zichen, and felt that Xie Zichen's reform was more appropriate than letting the prince pay taxes.
Without the obstacles of these local nobles, the reform was smoothly pushed down from top to bottom. The people rioted for three months, and there were several letters in the Wanyan Book. Xie Zichen secretly gave orders to the prefects in various places, and clearly comforted them, and secretly arrested all those who were taking the lead in secretly.
Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted. By summer, the law reform was finally implemented.
At this time, Xie Zichen arrested people in secret and reported to him that there was such a disturbance in various places, and a group of people were led by Rong Hua.
Xie Zichen informed Wei Lan of the matter, and Wei Lan smiled: "He thinks Di Jie is too stable, right?"
So in June, Da Chu raised the tax rate for Di Jie to enter the customs. Except for horses, all items of Di Jie exchanged with Da Chu would be taxed by 30%. The commerce in Da Chu was originally more developed than in other places. Under such a protection policy, Di Jie became extremely difficult to sell everything except horses, including spices. Da Chu could turn to other small countries to buy spices, but Di Jie had to exchange salt and other necessities with Da Chu.
Di Jie had a lot of internal discussions and cut off some necessities. The nobles knew exactly what was going on and put pressure on Rong Hua. Two months later, Rong Hua secretly closed a letter to Wei Lan to make peace. Wei Lan did not want to have any head-on conflict with Rong Hua, so she lowered the tariff.
Rong Hua was quiet a lot after doing so. After all, the situation in the north is more complicated than that in the south. Dijie is a country where ethnic minorities gather, headed by the Dijie tribe, and there are more than fifty small tribes under the rule. The riots are far more complicated than those of the Great Chu. A little provocation by Wei Lan is enough for Rong Hua.
Rong Hua also knew this truth. After being threatened by Wei Lan silently, he didn't irritate him. Both sides put away their fangs and began to sharpen their knives.
After Rong Hua was quiet, Da Chu's situation suddenly became stable. At this time, the child of Crown Princess Jiang was more than one year old, but Su Bai hadn't made any plans to become a prince, waiting for the concubine to become pregnant. , The imperial court surging in secret.
But all this is hidden under a joyous song. This summer, Wang Xi and Xie Yun's third lady Xie Yun made a marriage.
This move seemed to be the retreat of the Wang family. When the concubine Wang was pregnant, the Wang family did not take the initiative to attack, but instead married the lady of the Xie family, which surprised everyone. Even Wei Lan was very surprised when he heard about this, and looked for Xie Zichen and said, "You Xie family want to marry the Wang family?"
"Yeah." Xie Zichen looked at the document and said calmly: "Accident?"
"Very unexpected," Wei Lan came to sit in front of Xie Zichen, thinking: "How did your two negotiate so that you can make peace?"
"Wang Xi came to tell me," he said calmly, "Wang family will not leave Yangzhou while you and I are in the court."
Yangzhou is the state capital directly controlled by the royal family and the source of the royal family's confidence as the first noble. Among the Kyushu, Yangzhou is the largest and the most prosperous. Even Xie Jiahua and Yi Zhou can't compete with one Yangzhou. Wang Xi's meaning is very clear. Their Wang family is willing to cede the power of the entire Central Group and become a local family. During the period of Xie Zichen Wei Lan, the Wang family will not fight for the central position.
The root of the dispute between the Wang family and the Xie family lies in the struggle for all resources derived from political resources. When Wang Xi suddenly proposed this condition when the concubine Wang was pregnant, there was a thought-provoking concession in it.
Xie Zichen originally thought that Wang Xi and him would have to argue for a lifetime, but he never thought that this person was much more transparent than he thought.
"How did he tell you?" Wei Lan frowned, "Why does he have such thoughts?"
"He sees far." Xie Zichen's words also expressed appreciation: "He told me that he saw that our reform was actually intended for the Northern Expedition. If we have such an intention, the Wang family is willing to give in."
"Moreover, he himself understands that the current situation is not the end of the two of us at all. If the Wang family continues to carry it, he is afraid it will be overthrown."
Wei Lan nodded, Xie Zichen raised his hand and brushed her soft hair: "We, A Lan, have the ambition of peace in the world."
He spoke plainly, his words were gentle, and he didn't know what was going on, he felt that this person was full of heart and eyes, and he was full of pampering, as if he was holding this world and gambling with her.
There is a very subtle emotion in Wei Lan's heart, a bit awkward and a bit joyful.
She responded and turned her head.
After the marriage of Wang Xi and Xie Yun was settled, he called Wei Lan and Ruan Kangcheng over the night before their wedding.
The three of them seemed to be teenagers. When they were drunk in Wang's house, Wang Xi and Ruan Kangcheng took some five stone powder. Feeling a little hot, they loosened their clothes and tied them loosely with a belt. The summer night was warm. Wang Xi lay down among the grass, her eyes blurred and said: "I remember the first time I saw A Lan in this yard. At that time, I thought A Lan was really beautiful like a woman. amazing."
Wei Lan did not speak. She followed Wang Xi's words and recalled what Wang Xi seemed to recall back then. She closed her eyes and slowly said, "There were so many people at the reception that year."
"Yes." Ruan Kangcheng took the words and drank the wine, feeling a bit bitter.
They used to drink, they have always been noisy, never once, and now they are so speechless, they can only drink quietly.
Wei Lan wondered why this was, and then remembered that no matter what kind of occasion it was in the past, what kind of atmosphere, Wang Xi always had a way to make it alive. He is like a fish, and the world is water. He swims happily in the world, good for everyone, and a distance from everyone.
Wei Lan has never figured out what is important and what is not important to Wang Xi.
Except for Lin Che.
Lin Che's death was the only time Wei Lan saw Wang Xi thoroughly revealing the right and wrong in his heart. This made Wei Lan realize that even a person like Wang Xi who doesn't seem to put anyone in his heart, there will be someone who can't give up and give up principles.
The three of them drank quietly, and Ruan Kangcheng was the first to fall. Wang Xi asked Ruan Kangcheng to help him down, turned his head to look at Wei Lan, and said, "Are you still drinking?"
"Drink." Wei Lan smiled: "Axi wants to drink, I'll drink it."
"In fact, when I was young, I thought, the night before we got married, I would call out all my brothers. We would drink happily, and we would lie on the floor and laugh. At that time, I thought that when I got married, I would be happy. of."
"I don't know why," Wang Xi raised his hand, pointed at the empty place beside Wei Lan, and said with a wry smile: "I look at the empty seats in the room at the moment, but I feel sad and so sad."
"Soon, Ache will be away for almost a year." Wang Xi closed her eyes and sighed: "A Shao has also been away for almost a year."
Wei Lan didn't speak, Wang Xi looked up at her and said gently: "Alan, people are too short in this life, so cherish them."
"You don't know, when, the person next to you is gone."
Wei Lan opened her mouth, unable to speak. There was a voice from the guards, saying that Xie Zichen was coming to pick her up. Wang Xi knocked on the table with a fan, watched the servant lead the young man in a white embroidered crane robe into the room, and smiled: "Look, it's the same as before."
"As soon as you drink," Wang Xi's eyebrows are full of nostalgia: "He is here."
While talking, Xie Zichen had already walked to Wei Lan's side.
She raised her head and looked at him blankly. He looked at her with a stunned look. Knowing that she was drinking too much, he reached out to her and said gently: "Alan, I will take you home. "
Wei Lan heard his voice, and it took a long time before she recovered. He forced his mind and turned to bid farewell to Wang Xi. Wang Xi waved his hand, and Xie Zichen helped Wei Lan to get up.
Wei Lan's footsteps were a little vain, Xie Zichen held her waist with one hand, and put her on her shoulders with one hand, leading her out.
When the night breeze came, Wei Lan looked sideways at the person beside her, feeling a little at a loss.
"Zichen," she couldn't help but say: "Will you leave me?"
"No." Xie Zichenguo said, "Alan, I have never been a person who can give up."
"That's good..." Wei Lan said slowly: "I'm afraid, what should I do if you are not by my side."
"Isn't there still a career?" Xie Zichen chuckled, "Even if I'm gone, you still have a lot to do."
Wei Lan didn't speak, Xie Zichen helped her into the carriage and let her lean on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, smelled the smell of this person, and slowly said, "But, I will be sad."
"Xie Zichen," she said hoarsely, thinking of Huan Heng, Ji Shao, Su Cheng and those people back then. Hoarsely said: "If there were no you in this world, I would be sad as much as I have to do."
Xie Zichen was taken aback for a moment. This was the first time that Wei Lan had put him alongside the grand achievements in her life.
With warmth in his heart, he couldn't help but bow his head and kiss the man.
"Don't be afraid," he said softly: "You can go forward, I can follow, you can see me as soon as you turn your head."
"I'm here," his eyes were full of her: "I've been there all the time."
Wei Lan had a hangover all night, and when she woke up the next day, she rushed to Wang's house to prepare for Wang Xi's wedding. She is Wang Xi's best man, and wants to help Wang Xi clear the way to meet the guests. Wang Xi is a romantic temperament. Even if she marries a woman based on politics, she will be fully prepared.
So on the day of the wedding, the maid scattered flowers from the street to the end of the street, and she was envious of the Shengjing woman.
Wei Lan smiled and looked at the two of them in the hall. Xie Zichen looked at Wei Lan's smile and whispered: "Envy?"
Wei Lan looked back in surprise: "Why?"
She chuckled lightly, her eyebrows and her eyes seemed to bring Lang Yueqing breeze: "These are the things that Liang's men like, I don't like them."
"Then what do you like?" Xie Zichen smiled: "Is the world?"
"The world is unified, and the world is clear," Wei Lan said with emotion behind her hands: "You can win the reputation of future generations, and you will live forever. If you can live like this, there will be no regrets."
Upon hearing this, Xie Zichen stood side by side with her, quietly pulling her hand under his wide sleeves.
"I don't have much wish," he looked at Wang Xi and Xie Yun's worship, his eyes were flat: "I just want to put my name with you everywhere."
If you stay in the history, I will accompany you in the history.
The two looked at each other and smiled, Xie Zichen looked back at Xie Yun, but then remembered: "Speaking of which, it seems that you and I have never played well."
"The night to go to the moat..."
"I deliberately led you to find traces of Yan Lan's murder."
"Tsk." Wei Lan said with a disgusting expression: "Xie Zichen, you are really too tight to calculate."
"I don't count you this time," Xie Zichen took her hand and tilted his head slightly: "Will you accompany me for Chinese Valentine's Day?"
"The child ministers are invited, the swords and the fire, go now."
Xie Zichen got used to her emphasis and smiled without saying much.
In the next few days, Xie Zichen got busy. He seemed to be doing something quietly without letting Wei Lan know. He didn't say it, Wei Lan didn't ask, everyone had some little secrets, and she didn't like to ask questions.
After the household tax was pushed down, the first quarter's tax revenue was more than three times that of previous years, and the civilians did not complain. For a while, the voices that originally questioned Wei Lan also disappeared.
With money, many things are easier to handle. Wang Ning increased the army, and the army that Wei Lan handed over to Wei Xiong also began to recruit soldiers, from 30,000 to 80,000.
Wei Lan was busy liaising with Wei Xiong about the military affairs, and it was Qixi Festival soon. On the day of the Qixi Festival, Xie Zichen went back to the Xie Mansion by himself and made an appointment with Wei Lan to wait in the Yuelao Temple. Wei Lan pushed all official duties away. Before going, she put on long-lost women's clothing and let Dye Mo lose her a delicate bun. She didn't have any women's things, she came up scattered, there were not many hair accessories on her head.
But this didn’t conceal her exquisite appearance. After wiping off the makeup she deliberately pretended to be heroic, she traced her long and slender eyebrows as she did in her previous life. Makes her a lot more gorgeous.
She had never dressed up like this before. When she stood up, Ran Mo opened her mouth and said for a long time: "My son, you still have a future..."
Wei Lan smiled slightly, with an open smile, instantly mixed with an indistinguishable beauty, sweeping away the feminine temperament just now. Ranmo immediately said: "Forget it, when I haven't said it."
When she was ready, Wei Lan brought the gift she picked for Xie Zichen, got on the carriage and went to the Yuelao Temple.
At this moment, there was no one in front of Yuelao Temple. She had nothing to do, so she bought a pure white mask and put it on her face, and then quietly waited for Xie Zichen.
Not long after, she saw Xie Zichen coming. He wore a lake-blue long-sleeved robe, his hair was tied with a white hosta, and he held a small fan in his hand. He looked casual and casual, like a young boy traveling.
He came to Yuelao Temple, maybe he hadn't seen her wearing women's clothing, but he didn't recognize her, and waited there quietly.
Wei Lan found it interesting for a while, and she stood beside him wearing a mask without speaking, so she looked at him quietly.
He stood for a while, and did not feel impatient, but asked Xie Tong: "Where is the madam? Haven't come yet?"
Xie Tong shook his head: "The dark guard said he was here long ago."
Xie Zichen frowned, seeming to be a little puzzled, and then he looked in Wei Lan's direction. Wei Lan knew that if she avoided it at this time, it would definitely arouse Xie Zichen's suspicion, so she pretended to be shy and lowered her head, turning around to pick the sachet, as if she felt shy.
This kind of woman is definitely not Wei Lan. Xie Zichen turned his eyes and stood at the door for a while, not even impatient.
Wei Lan wanted to go up and reveal her identity, but at this moment, Xie Zichen suddenly took a step and left her original position.
Wei Lan felt a little curious, so she followed, but saw Xie Zichen entered the Yuelao Temple alone, and then asked for a wooden sign, wrote the names of the two of them, and hung it in the middle of the rows of wooden signs. Then he entered Yuelao Temple and bowed down to worship Yuelao.
After visiting the Yue Lao Temple, Xie Zichen walked down the street without any intention of looking for her. Wei Lan couldn't figure out what Xie Zichen meant, so she followed up and watched him wander around. I bought a hosta for a while, a gouache for a while, a pastry for a while, a folding fan for a while...
He bought a bunch of things, then guessed the lantern all the way.
He guessed very well, all the way from the street to the end, he couldn't guess the riddle without that stall. According to the rules of Qixi Festival, he originally guessed that the lantern should be his, but he guessed too much, so he didn't take it at all.
At the end of his guess, he stopped in front of an orchid lantern.
This is a marquee shaped like an orchid. When you turn it around, you can see butterflies flying on the flowers. However, the riddle of this lantern is also the hardest to guess. Rumor has it that this lantern has been on the Qixi Lantern Festival for nearly ten years.
Xie Zichen guessed the riddle all the way, and everyone had already noticed that there was a large group of people behind him at this moment, and Wei Lan was mixed in this large group of people. Seeing Xie Zichen listening in front of the orchid lantern, everyone was whispering.
"He must not be able to guess it." A man said: "This riddle has been guessed for ten years."
"Why?" A young girl continued: "He is so handsome, he must be guessed!"
"What does being handsome have to do with guessing?" The man seemed a little angry: "You judge people by their appearance."
"Yes," the girl was very open: "If you want to be as handsome as the young man, I think you are good at everything."
"you……"
The two murmured and quarreled. Wei Lan watched the people in the crowd with a smile. After a while, Xie Zichen raised his hand and picked up the mystery hanging under the lamp. The mystery was a pair of upper couplets.
The white snake crossed the river with a red sun above his head.
Originally, this riddle is not difficult to guess, but it requires that after guessing this thing, a pair of puzzles must be used to create the bottom line.
Xie Zichen looked at the lantern and said quietly: "Oil lamp. Oolong goes on the wall, wearing a tens of thousands of gold stars."
After speaking, he raised his hand and took the orchid lantern.
The boss did not stop it, which is equivalent to indirectly admitting his answer. The crowd clamored, and a young girl suddenly said, "My son, you don't have a person to give this lantern, you might as well give it to me."
Hearing this, everyone laughed. Xie Zichen hooked the corner of his mouth, standing in the dimly lit place, the delicate facial features enveloping a layer of shallow light, as if the immortal came into the world, just one glance made people excited.
Xie Zichen set his gaze on Wei Lan, but said: "Who said I didn't give it away?"
With that, he walked over to Wei Lan.
Wei Lan didn’t move, she stood there and saw the crowd making way for him. He carried the lantern, slowly came to her, handed the lantern to her, and said gently,
This lantern is me. It was specially won to send my wife."
Wei Lan smiled, took the lantern calmly, raised her hand to take a rabbit lantern from the side, but handed it to the talking girl.
"Girl," she said gently: "The girl is so cute, and she goes well with this lamp."
The girl was stunned. It was obvious that the person wearing the mask in front of her was a woman's dress. However, being watched by those watery eyes, even if she couldn't see her face, the girl felt her heart beat faster. She took the Rabbit Lantern and couldn't say anything. Wei Lan returned to Xie Zichen, carrying the lamp and said, "Let's go."
"Got her a lamp, but didn't give me?" Xie Zichen put his hands between his sleeves, raised his eyebrows and said, "So unfair?"
"I am yours," Wei Lan raised her hand to pull her hair behind her ears, and said calmly, "A mere lantern, are you still jealous?"
Xie Zichen was seen through, coughed a clear cough, turned his head, but said: "Come with me to the tower, let's see the scenery."
"Huh?" Wei Lan was a little confused, and then said: "Okay."
In fact, she originally planned to let Xie Zichen go to the tower.
But Xie Zichen brought it up first. Although she was puzzled, she also hid her thoughts.
The two of them walked along the streets and alleys, shopping for each other, and then climbed up the tower.
When I was approaching the son at that time, the people who had originally played were also scattered. Standing on the tower, the whole Shengjing seemed to be extremely quiet.
The stars in the sky are very close. Wei Lan and Xie Zichen stand side by side. Xie Zichen slowly said, "Sometimes I envy Wang Xi a little."
"What do you envy him?"
"Envy him for always having so many pleasing ways."
Xie Zichen smiled: "I have never pursued anyone, I am with you, and I never know what to do or what to do. To coax you like an ordinary woman, you naturally disdain, but if I don’t do more What, I always feel unfair to you."
As he said, he turned his head, his eyes were all gentle: "Other women have it, I think you have it. Other women can't use it, and I will let you have it."
Wei Lan was stunned. At this time, less than a quarter of an hour after the ion time, Xie Zichen raised his hand and took off her mask.
Under the mask, the woman's soft facial features were thrillingly beautiful, which overlapped with countless dreams of his youth, and hit Xie Zichen's heart hard.
This is his wife.
He has never for a moment so clearly realized that this person has been married to him and that this person will stay with him for a lifetime.
He raised his hand to cover her clear eyes, bowed his head and kissed.
When he kissed her, Sheng Jing's lights seemed to be organized, and the large tracts went out.
It turned into a piece of pure black, and then Xie Zichen raised his head, pointed at Sheng Jing with his fan, and said gently: "Alan, look."
Wei Lan turned her head, the night wind was blowing her hair, the hair was entangled with Xie Zichen, and her hand was held together with him. Then she saw Shengjing's lights lit up, as if burning, quickly connecting the city.
The lights are connected together to form a huge territory. At that time, Da Chu had not been expelled from the north to the south by Di Jie, Da Chu had a complete map.
"I know, if it's just for you to be romantic and give you a lantern, in your heart, it is probably a man's thing," Xie Zichen's voice floated in the air, slowly said: "But I always want to give you more A little bit, so I thought, I’ll give you the greatness of Chu."
"Alan," Xie Zichen squeezed her hand and said seriously: "I will definitely be with you in this life. I will send you lanterns in the city today, and in the coming year, I will send you thousands of miles away."
Wei Lan didn't speak, that's when the time came.
The bell ringer rang the ancient bell of the city tower, and the bell rang through Shengjing. At that moment, fireworks rose into the sky and bloomed in the sky.
Under the gorgeous fireworks, Wei Lan smiled, a little embarrassed: "I... originally wanted to give you a firework."
"But by comparison now," Wei Lan sighed: "It seems that this firework is nothing."
The author has something to say:
【Small Theater·Interview】
Mo Shubai: "Wei Lan, what do you mean by this firework?"
Wei Lan: "I thought Xie Zichen envied Wang Xi for romanticizing his wife, and then I thought...just like Wang Xi's pediatrics, I will too!"
Mo Shubai: "Then?"
Wei Lan: "Then, I found out that in front of Xie Zichen, we are all pediatricians. Mo Shubai, tell me the truth, is it the first time he fell in love? The first time?!!! Is it really the first time?!!! "
Mo Shubai: "Really... the first time..."
Wei Lan: "I don't believe it, I don't believe it! The old driver who I've talked about so many times doesn't have this kind of trick to make girls!!"
Xie Zichen: "Alan, why, are you not happy by me?"
Wei Lan: "..."
Feeling lost the dignity of the old driver.