罪己詔:
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朕纘承大統,於今十七載,用人無方,施治寡術,天譴於上而朕不悟,人怨於下而朕不知;上累於祖宗,下負於黎庶,痛心靦面,罪實在朕。朕一人有罪無及萬夫,萬夫有罪在朕一人。無以一人之不敬,使上天鬼神傷民之命。萬方有罪,罪在朕躬,弗敢自赦。追思己過,悔之何及!
「陛下,此詔若無疑慮,就交由司禮官宣讀吧!」太監懷恩說道。274Please respect copyright.PENANAepTqtYbGYF
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「朕再想想。」朱見深站起身來,他看了數遍文淵閣大學士擬寫的罪己詔,實在想不通自己究竟做錯了什麼,以致「上累於祖宗,下負於黎庶」。274Please respect copyright.PENANAk8PaUL7Pe0
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金陵的玄武湖中有孽龍現身,連湖洲中的黃冊庫都被沖垮,官民人心惶惶。此時百官又群起上書,要他下詔罪己,齋戒祭天。274Please respect copyright.PENANAq6sKGMZQAw
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「天有異象,必是在上位者失德。」商輅老兒曾如是說。274Please respect copyright.PENANADEAmB8yUGm
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朱見深按群臣所奏,應允代萬民拜祭天地,祈求上天勿降災禍。274Please respect copyright.PENANAnMFztUciGF
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今日卯時正,天色猶暗,王公和文武百官們就已聚集在奉天殿外,序立等候。大學士和禮部尚書則是會集在華蓋殿,隨皇帝一同先行告祭禮,再到齋宮修省齋戒三日,三日後重回天壇祭天。274Please respect copyright.PENANADvJh6B9xeF
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可朱見深就是不甘心,為什麼他會遭天譴?274Please respect copyright.PENANA6sR8o4Ishz
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不,從來就不是因為皇帝做錯了什麼。臣子們要的是一場戲,演給百姓和老天爺看,他們全是忠臣,寧可冒殺頭之罪,也要鞭策帝王成為明君。而他,就是負責出演這場猴戲的戲子。274Please respect copyright.PENANAhYqd2Mr7lv
華蓋殿位於奉天殿和謹身殿之間,華蓋金頂,天圓地方。274Please respect copyright.PENANA1K2XJcB75b
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卯時三刻一到,皇帝於華蓋殿升座,正二品以上官員由東階升入華蓋殿左門,進到華蓋殿,在丹陛東側行三跪九叩禮。274Please respect copyright.PENANAhY9JdmEP8V
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朝拜後,鴻臚寺宣念告祭文,請求上蒼勿降災禍於民,再由遣官宣讀他的罪己詔,聽到「追思己過,悔之何及」,朱見深忍不住又震顫了一下。274Please respect copyright.PENANAUEmwbrxr6K
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要是有悔,他也只悔恨自己生在帝王之家。274Please respect copyright.PENANAmd4jjVliVi
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冗長的祭儀結束。禮部堂官奏請親祭,前列御仗、香爐、華蓋先行,皇帝步行出華蓋殿,由承天門過金水橋。要過了熙和門,親祭大戲才算落幕。274Please respect copyright.PENANAA1LwcLFkQO
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祭儀後,皇帝行至齋宮修省齋戒,王公、文武百官皆跪地恭送,人龍從華蓋殿前,一直綿延到午門。
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皇宮舉行祭天禮的同時,他們腳下五丈不為人知的地道裡,暗流正湧動。274Please respect copyright.PENANA32DC3v1gGo
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湖衣背靠在粗糙的石壁表面,沿著交錯的道路踽踽前行。274Please respect copyright.PENANA47CgSkS1hv
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這座密道建於永樂朝,人工雕鑿出的地下洞穴有如巨大迷宮,幽深的狹道曲折縱橫,滯悶的空氣與厚積的灰塵顯示此地已荒廢許久。274Please respect copyright.PENANAvWV1OhMfAA
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恍惚中她懷疑背後有人,連忙舉起手中燭火,回頭張望,地面塵土確實只有她一人的足跡。274Please respect copyright.PENANA7GUDpQ0isS
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黑暗會迷亂人的心智。煙嵐曾如此警醒過她。 274Please respect copyright.PENANAmACFQ33Owj
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那日,在光禿的杏樹下,馮瑛對她說:「主兒,妳知道皇宮底下建有密道嗎?」274Please respect copyright.PENANAJrllCQ1CUM
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湖衣搖頭。274Please respect copyright.PENANAhZtg77AOYe
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他貼近她低語:「密道又稱作『老虎洞』,為永樂爺晚年所建。」274Please respect copyright.PENANAXxBZLppWos
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「是真的,我進去過,其中一個入口就在清寧宮院旁的小佛堂裡,」煙嵐補充,「有個需要我安慰的太監總管帶我進去的。」274Please respect copyright.PENANAmX4qK9CUgc
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「太監不是都已經……要怎麼……」湖衣感到好奇。274Please respect copyright.PENANA6faXGbGm5u
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煙嵐用嫵媚的雙眼瞅著她,「妳真想知道?」274Please respect copyright.PENANAFfReKIxBcq
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「算了,其實不想。」湖衣回答。274Please respect copyright.PENANASVq0OmZDYl
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兩人領她進了距清寧宮不遠的小佛堂。274Please respect copyright.PENANAmkgDlKtMhr
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由於當今太后信奉真武大帝,而這佛堂裡供的是觀音大士,所以除了例行灑掃的宮役,平日不會有人進出。274Please respect copyright.PENANAJzJaO4ZK5T
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馮瑛移開一座銅製的魏徵像,底下果然露出一個隱蔽的地窖入口。274Please respect copyright.PENANA7Eba7sZGzm
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「據傳成祖爺晚年常夜不安枕,只要一閉上眼睛,就會夢見叛軍攻進皇宮,領軍者是手執寶劍的建文帝,每回夢到這兒,成祖爺就會從噩夢中驚醒。夜夜如此,龍體漸衰,於是太子請來已歸隱多時的謀士姚廣孝,一同商議對策。274Please respect copyright.PENANAMR3wncriXE
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姚廣孝以為當年靖難之役,建文帝就是從南京皇宮裡的密道逃脫,所以成祖爺也該在宮裡修築一條地下通道,可安帝心,萬一朝局真的生變時,皇族成員亦可從密道脫身。」274Please respect copyright.PENANAE1DxaKFeyh
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湖衣認真聽著馮瑛說完。274Please respect copyright.PENANAmQY1W4MZzC
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煙嵐在供桌旁邊取了幾根蠟燭,用火折點燃了以後,三人一同執著蠟燭往地道下面走。274Please respect copyright.PENANAY050ucVcv7
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「密道會通往哪裡?」向下的樓梯異常狹窄,走道也窄,往前延伸的是無邊無際的黑暗。274Please respect copyright.PENANAupZQvionBN
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「據說,有七個出口,散落在相距甚遠的不同處所,但有兩個出口是通往宮外的。」煙嵐說。274Please respect copyright.PENANACpoz6qniss
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「娘娘,妳一定得逃,」馮瑛懇求,「小的十年前進宮,當時伺候的是淑妃娘娘,她和妳一樣,長相靈秀,也是被人從宮外抓進來的。原本皇上很喜歡她,不久便封了妃,而且還懷上了龍嗣。有一日,長春宮太監汪直受萬貴妃唆使,以毒藥偽裝成安胎藥,送往淑妃娘娘宮中,娘娘獲知後,連忙趁隙逃脫,然而長春宮人多勢眾,淑妃娘娘身子重,跑不快,在永康門外被追上,一眾太監強逼著她跳河。皇上聽說後,悲痛欲絕,立即派人去搜救,眾人在筒子河連續打撈了一個多月,依然找不著娘娘的遺體。」274Please respect copyright.PENANAXktOn9Mngp
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密道裡一陣遺憾的沉默。274Please respect copyright.PENANAj9SXqpsBN0
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原來,還有這麼一段過往。湖衣嘆息。274Please respect copyright.PENANAFy9DQcLpep
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「我們雖然知道有密道,但是並不清楚裡頭的詳形,只能帶妳進來,剩下的就要靠妳自己了,小姑娘,」煙嵐輕撫著湖衣額前的亂髮,「找到出宮的路,逃出去,別再被抓回來了。」274Please respect copyright.PENANAwksafCi1YP
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「你們不跟我一起走嗎?」湖衣問。274Please respect copyright.PENANAG6TNhHOXfk
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「我在這宮裡好的很,吃穿不愁的。而他,」煙嵐指著馮瑛,「他是個太監,除了待在宮裡,還能去哪?」274Please respect copyright.PENANAcQbsOW0YpH
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起初,她就只是在無盡的黑暗洞穴中兜來轉去,徒勞無功折返。為了繼續探索,湖衣每日藉口要到佛堂禮佛,實際上是不斷在地下尋找出路,而馮瑛就待在佛堂外為她守門,夜裡回到咸若宮時,宮女們從不問她為什麼去佛堂會弄得一身塵灰,只是默默地為她沐浴淨身。274Please respect copyright.PENANACkbbj3QrIV
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心中有了方向,些許減緩思念而不可得的凌遲,偶爾想起朱玹,發疼的胸口令她食不下咽,她便將食物硬塞進口中,咀嚼,然後飲水吞嚥,告訴自己還不能倒下。夜裡難以入眠時,她就讀書,讀《永樂大典》、劉基所著的《太祖實錄》,仔細尋找與密道相關的蛛絲馬跡,直到視線昏茫,她就伏在案上睡去。274Please respect copyright.PENANAe9QG9PFwRr
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即使如蛛網ㄧ般曲折蜿蜒的密道,令她心生恐懼,無止盡的小路、上下狹窄的樓梯、還有死路,常使她深陷在無垠的黑暗裡,甚至有時會懷疑這座迷宮是個活物,隨時在變換形體,為的就是要把她困死在裡頭。274Please respect copyright.PENANAvJ8HMB2QIC
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湖衣告誡自己:寧鳴而死,絕不坐以待斃。274Please respect copyright.PENANAvncGOi5Kwr
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有了如此體悟,漸漸的,她熟悉了黑暗、潮濕的石牆,在某一個轉角會聽到活水流過;在某一堵滲水牆壁的邊緣,她可以聽到外頭迴盪的人聲。她將繩線的一頭捆在魏徵的銅像上,才不致回不了入口,在關鍵的轉角處,她都用蠟油做了各種足以辨識的記號。274Please respect copyright.PENANAwHipuzhS6A
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她還命令馮瑛去內書房,為她找更多關於皇宮建城時留下的典籍。274Please respect copyright.PENANAlr6nOqdqhA
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有一日,懷抱著厚厚一落書的馮瑛被皇帝叫住,質問他:「你主兒想看書解悶嗎?」274Please respect copyright.PENANAglsYZG5pT0
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馮瑛伏跪稱是。274Please respect copyright.PENANAqeVeYloZoT
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皇帝答道:「若她想看御書房裡的書,你就自個兒去拿,無須上報。」274Please respect copyright.PENANA0Rk1m4RLdY
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於是馮瑛為她從御書房帶來了姚廣孝手繪的《八臂哪吒城》、劉炳忠的《考工記》、《奏銷檔》。她也手繪了一張密道的地圖,記錄著她曾走過的每一條狹窄甬道,與皇宮地圖相對照,慢慢的,她找到了其中五個出入口:一個在太極殿,一個在華蓋殿,一個在實錄庫,一個在軍械庫附近,但是洞口已被封死,當然還有她所在的清寧宮院佛堂。她相信還有另外兩條路,通往另外兩個出入口,她探查比對過,一個通往北海,北海已在宮城之外,並非禁地,應可自由進出;另一個通往西苑,那裡距離出城的外門就更近了。274Please respect copyright.PENANANPiKZf0n81
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在此同時,時機突然來臨。274Please respect copyright.PENANAK1aT9g87ZB
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天降凶兆,魔物現世。274Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7NWH9ppmj
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群臣奏請皇帝齋戒祭祀以平息天怒。274Please respect copyright.PENANA9Ej1lWktTH
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親祭期間,皇帝先在齋宮齋戒三日,宮眷也必須一同齋戒。宮中各門額均懸掛齋戒木牌,行「三齋五戒」,三日齋期,不飲酒、不吃葷、不作樂、不理刑名、不近女色,以示誠敬。274Please respect copyright.PENANAAkyAaMB97G
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此時大多禁軍侍衛們都和皇帝同去齋宮,宮禁也較為鬆散,是離宮的最好時機。274Please respect copyright.PENANAk7geETx4F9
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今日她已打定主意,此去無回。離開以前,她將手邊餘下的宮份銀錢、皇帝賞賜,分送給咸若宮所有宮人,他們都曾在這晦暗的皇宮中,讓她嘗到情誼的溫暖。274Please respect copyright.PENANAd7gRiAA48y
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儘管她想用更好的方式道別,然而眼下時局緊迫,由不得她多想,必須立刻就走。274Please respect copyright.PENANAw68Av9mvnp
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她換上馮瑛找來的常服,拿了幾錠銀錢,縫在內袋裡,回家的路上她將會需要旅費,還用布巾將她從南苑得來的匕首纏在小腿上。最後,湖衣環抱朱玹給她的紫貂裘,深吸了一口他的氣息作為訣別,就斷然將紫貂裘鎖在衣箱裡。這是他給她的,她帶不走,可也不許他人觸碰。274Please respect copyright.PENANAAQ4rSQ1RzT
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憶起過往,湖衣還是忍不住心痛,但她知道無論如何傷感,既已決意離去,就不應再回想,她深吸了一口氣,強迫自己專注在眼前的地道。274Please respect copyright.PENANANSjt9LiHVl
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前方又有兩條岔路,她輕輕拍開岔路間石壁上的塵土,沒有蠟油,所以這是一條她從沒到過的暗道。274Please respect copyright.PENANArYQyTdVjzu
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湖衣不禁漾開一抹微笑。274Please respect copyright.PENANAVqY1grAoIe
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這回,她是真的可以離宮了。274Please respect copyright.PENANA1FIVpsBcsg
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