Spring in Yongdu always passes by in a flash.
The air was bone-chillingly cold a few days ago, but today even the wind has become warm.
Even after leaving Huixin Palace, the soft and fragile feeling of the baby resting on my arm still lingered.
And when Xie Bufeng closed his eyes, he seemed to be able to... recall the feeling of Wen Qingci getting close to him, and smelling that familiar bitter fragrance.
A gust of warm wind blew, ruffling the boy's long, black, slightly curly hair.
Xie Bufeng subconsciously looked to his side.
After making sure that the moon-white figure was still there, he finally remembered to raise his hand and tuck his long hair behind his ears.
It was only then that the boy finally realized.
I don't know when a strange smile appeared on my lips.
*
Yongdu, the capital of the Wei Dynasty, was located in the north. According to common sense, the Yinchuan Grand Canal could not be built here.
But more than ten years ago, Xie Zhaolin insisted on extending the Grand Canal and making a small detour, building it to the outskirts of Yongdu and connecting it with the Yong River that passed around the city, in order to demonstrate the power of the imperial city.
This section cost a huge amount of money and the construction period was delayed by several months.
Two months later, the day of the southern tour arrived.
Wen Qingci really did as Concubine Lan said that day and accompanied the emperor.
After entering the book, Wen Qingci has never traveled so far.
So along the way, he couldn't help but look around a few more times.
The ferry on the outskirts of Yongdu City was crowded with people a few nights ago.
The last Fengshan ceremony was solemn and dignified.
Thick curtains were even drawn on both sides of the official road, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach.
But this time it was completely different.
The current emperor has a reputation for virtue, and in the eyes of most people, he is also very approachable in his daily conduct.
The Yinchuan Grand Canal is one of the great achievements of Xie Zhaolin since he ascended the throne. When it was first built, it was said that it was intended to "connect the north and the south and provide convenience to the people."
Therefore, this time, the royal family deliberately did not set up tents at the ferry, but made a special trip to have fun with the people.
Upon hearing the news, all the people in the surrounding area rushed over, and everyone wanted to take this opportunity to catch a glimpse of the appearance of the emperor and the nobles in the palace.
“…Mr. Wen, it’s time to get on board.” The young eunuch said softly outside the carriage.
"Okay." As soon as the words fell, a slender and somewhat pale hand slowly lifted the curtain from the inside.
Wen Qingci got off the carriage and walked slowly towards the ferry.
Accompanying the emperor on a tour was an extremely solemn event. Several weeks in advance, the palace sent people to tailor a formal dress for him.
The dress was still moon white, but the material was different from what Wen Qingci usually wore.
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, the satin dress began to glow coldly.
Wen Qingci's originally delicate and cold facial features made him look even less worldly.
Even with a smile on his lips, he still looked cold and distant.
The crowd watching in the distance became a little quieter. No one knew who started it, but suddenly someone threw a bouquet of flowers over.
—Although Wen Qingci has a bad reputation, to these people, he is more like a character living in a novel.
Seeing this scene that looked like a god descending to the earth, they instantly forgot all those things.
What does it mean
Wen Qingci was the first to be confused.
Although it is said to be "people-friendly", the distance from the carriage to the ferry is only seven or eight steps.
But in a flash, the moon-white figure disappeared from everyone's sight.
After Wen Qingci got on the boat, he no longer thought about the ferry. However, Xie Bufeng, who had got on the boat a few steps earlier than him, saw this scene from afar and frowned involuntarily.
The young man felt vaguely unhappy.
A total of 60 giant pleasure boats were used for this southern tour.
As a Hanlin scholar, Wen Qingci naturally boarded the largest one.
However, Wen Qingci was essentially just the emperor's personal secretary, and he did not have to attend court or participate in serious state affairs discussions.
After getting on the boat, he had some free time.
After a brief tour around the boat, Wen Qingci went back to his room to read medical books and did not come out until the dinner.
The pleasure boat was built according to the maximum navigation limit of the Yinchuan Grand Canal, and a single banquet hall can accommodate as many as a hundred people.
The interior is decorated with carved beams and painted buildings, which is very exquisite.
Before Wen Qingci sat down and had time to look around carefully, the banquet began.
"… Your Highness really put a lot of thought into this southern tour and made all the arrangements. I, an old minister, am ashamed of myself."
"That's right!" Another person echoed, "Your Highness is very thoughtful and far superior to his peers!"
As the second prince, Xie Guanzhi is different from Xie Bufeng in every way. The emperor cannot really not give him any "proper work" to do.
Therefore, during this southern tour, Xie Guanzhi also took on part of the work.
At the banquet, some ministers praised Xie Guanzhi in a rather exaggerated tone.
Wen Qingci drank his tea while keeping his eyes on the emperor.
He saw that after hearing the minister's words, Xie Zhaolin nodded with satisfaction.
He looked just like any other father who had expectations for his son.
Seeing that the emperor seemed to be in a good mood, the minister just now said again: "Your Highness has outstanding abilities. If he is rotated among the six ministries over time, he will definitely be able to-"
Before he could finish his words, the huge pleasure boat suddenly shook, and the rest of his words were blocked by the bump.
It took the older minister a long time to steady himself.
"Can... uh."
He was about to continue speaking when he saw that the emperor had turned around and started talking to the people around him.
Obviously, Xie Zhaolin was not interested in waiting for him too long.
The minister had no choice but to give up and swallow the rest of his words back into his stomach.
Everything that just happened seemed very natural.
However, Wen Qingci, who had been around the emperor for so long, could tell something was wrong at a glance.
—Xie Zhaolin’s fingers were tapping slowly and lightly on his knees.
This is a little action he usually does when he has a headache or is impatient.
The minister just now was hinting to Xie Zhaolin that it was time to give Xie Guanzhi some real power.
Throughout the dynasties, there were few emperors who reached Xie Zhaolin's age and did not appoint a crown prince.
The court officials couldn't urge him too obviously, so they could only remind him in this subtle way.
The emperor pretended not to hear the hidden meaning and pushed the matter away.
The river water sways gently and the sound of waves never stops.
With the accompaniment of sound, the banquet was no longer lonely from the beginning.
A row of palace maids in green shirts came up, carrying thin, deep porcelain plates shaped like lotus flowers, and knelt beside the table.
It contains warm water soaked with flower petals.
In the Wei Dynasty, there was a custom of washing hands before banquets, and this custom became more elegant among the princes and nobles.
Xie Bufeng raised his hand casually.
But the next second, he suddenly withdrew his hand.
The palace maid who was half-kneeling in front of him looked up at him with some confusion.
—Before washing his hands, Xie Bufeng carefully took off the off-white rope chain on his wrist and placed it on the other side of the table.
Make sure it will not get wet before putting your hand into the porcelain dish.
After washing your hands and drying them carefully, you can then carefully tie the chain again.
Your Highness seems to be very concerned about that rope chain? But it doesn't seem to be anything special.
The maid retreated with confusion in her heart.
The banquet hall in the painting studio was not big. Even though he was sitting in the corner, Xie Bufeng could still see everything that happened around the emperor.
Before Xie Zhaolin had drunk a few glasses of wine, another minister came up to praise Xie Guanzhi.
Seeing this, Xie Bufeng suddenly sneered.
His eyes were full of disdain.
"fool!"
"Each of them will only bring bad luck to me—"
The young man slowly turned the teacup in his hand and looked at the person on the throne with a smile.
-Xie Zhaolin was obviously very calculative in his heart, but as a "wise leader", he could only suppress his anger, smile and nod.
"Haven't you said enough? I am in my prime and have a miracle doctor by my side. Why should I rush to appoint a crown prince?"
Hearing this, the mocking smile in Xie Bufeng's eyes disappeared.
The words "miracle doctor" made his eyes turn cold in an instant.
Finally, the boy picked up the teacup and took a sip.
And thereby concealing the complex emotions in his eyes.
Perhaps on this pleasure boat, only Xie Zhaolin himself feels that he can live a long life.
Xie Bufeng, who stayed in the Imperial Medical Bureau all day, knew very well that although Xie Zhaolin looked in good health, it was all due to the handfuls of pills and prescriptions that Wen Qingci had been taking in recent times.
It's just a castle in the air.
If he really died one day, the court officials would definitely push Xie Guanzhi to the throne first.
Even Xie Zhaolin, who was burdened with the image of a "wise ruler", might not be able to withstand the pressure from the court and make Xie Guanzhi the crown prince.
Xie Bufeng, who was determined to seize power, would not allow such a thing to happen.
Sometimes being too wise is not a good thing.
For example, Xie Zhaolin was already feeling very upset, but no one on the pleasure boat could see what he was thinking, and everyone around him was still talking about Xie Guanzhi.
The waves on the Yinchuan Grand Canal were quite big. In order to make the emperor hear his voice clearly, the minister who was speaking subconsciously raised his voice.
Therefore, the minister's voice became particularly harsh: "… From Yongdu to Songxiu Prefecture, we have to pass through several major cities in our dynasty, and the climate is also different. Arranging food, clothing, housing and transportation along the way is by no means a simple matter. The second prince has such great ability at such a young age, which is really a blessing for the court!"
"Ah."
Xie Zhaolin, who was extremely annoyed, subconsciously looked past the group of courtiers around him who had no tact and fell on the corner of the banquet hall, looking for leisure and freedom.
He immediately saw the eldest prince Xie Bufeng sitting in the corner.
Xie Zhaolin originally thought that Xie Bufeng, who had always been a troublemaker, would show a disdainful expression or ignore what that group of people said.
But the reality is... Xie Bufeng set his sights on Xie Guanzhi's seat.
His gaze was definitely not gentle, but it was also not filled with disdain as Xie Zhaolin had imagined.
Xie Bufeng's expression was too calm.
He was so calm, as if he had already agreed with the court officials' words and felt that the second prince's succession to the throne was natural.
Even Xie Bufeng feels so
Seeing this, the emperor immediately sounded an alarm and his face suddenly changed.
"Could it be that Xie Guanzhi really has such prestige in the court?"
The emperor, who was just a little annoyed just now, suddenly felt a little panic in his heart.
After all, many years ago, the emperor himself was pushed to the throne by "popular people's wishes".
His inner thoughts did not escape Xie Bufeng's ears.
The boy who loved "teasing dogs" slowly raised the corners of his lips.
The man in bright yellow suddenly got a headache as he was thinking.
"Doctor Wen," the emperor took out the Fuxuan Dan from somewhere and swallowed it in one gulp. Then he almost subconsciously looked at Wen Qingci and asked with a smile, "What do you think, my dear minister?"
I thought
What the emperor said today was really too much and inexplicable.
The main perspective of the novel "Fu Ming Tang" is concentrated on the harem, and there is not much description of the struggle for succession in the previous dynasty.
What's more, its final boss, Xie Bufeng, also relied on airborne force.
Although Wen Qingci did not get much useful information from the original book, Xie Zhaolin's words still made him alert.
The emperor in the original novel was also a kind father to the second prince... But didn't Xie Guanzhi die easily in the palace fight later
From this perspective, the emperor definitely did not give his most beloved son the kind of trust and expectations that everyone imagined.
Even Xie Zhaolin had never thought of making him the crown prince.
The emperor had not directly answered the questions of the court officials just now.
His sudden voice unsurprisingly attracted everyone's attention.
Everyone on the pleasure boat looked at Wen Qingci at the same time.
He also didn't expect that the emperor would suddenly throw trouble into his hands.
If he followed the ministers' words and praised Xie Guanzhi, the emperor would obviously be angry and would make things difficult for him.
But now most people have long been accustomed to their identity as "press spokesperson".
If he insisted on going against them, it would not only seem too awkward, but it might also undermine the emperor's image as a wise ruler... and he might even accidentally expose Xie Zhaolin's true intentions.
At this moment, the only sound in Wen Qingci's ears was the sound of the canal waves hitting the painting studio.
He was not seasick before, but suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his temple.
what to do
Wen Qingci tightly grasped the medicinal jade on his wrist.
Because of excessive force, his left hand, which was injured a few months ago, suddenly became numb.
The words of the minister just now rang in Yu Wenqingci's mind again.
—The Second Prince has such ability at such a young age.
Wen Qingci: “…”
He loosened the medicine jade in his hand little by little, smiled at the person in the highest position, and said softly: "I only know medical skills, I don't know how to coordinate the southern tour... But I think that not only the Second Prince, but also the First Prince can do well if given such an opportunity."
Wen Qingci's tone was calm, as if he was stating a fact.
As soon as the imperial physician finished speaking, the minister who had been praising Xie Guanzhi was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly responded: "Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Wen is right - the princes are not ordinary people, each of them has this great ability!" His tone was particularly sincere.
A good father will have a good son. What he said was actually to flatter Xie Zhaolin.
And Xie Zhaolin, who was sitting at the highest seat, also laughed.
If this were said to anyone other than Wen Qingci, they would probably be ridiculed as dreaming and taking things for granted.
However, it is not surprising that such words came out of the imperial physician's mouth, as he only read medical books all day and did not know how to coordinate tours.
Wen Qingci might have just said it casually, but his words touched Xie Zhaolin's heart exactly.
Yes, coordinating the southern tour is not a difficult task.
Not only Xie Guanzhi can do it, perhaps even that monster can do it!
Seeing the emperor smile, Wen Qingci couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief... It seemed that he had passed this level.
But before he could completely relax, Wen Qingci couldn't help feeling a little guilty the next second.
Although what I said were all the truth hidden in my heart, I was even conservative in my words.
but…
Why am I this kind of person
In order to protect himself, he accidentally dragged Xie Bufeng into this vortex.
What is this behavior called
Sell out teammates!
Xie Zhaolin is a person with a lot of thoughts.
If he ever remembers what he said and starts to trip up Xie Bufeng, then my crimes would probably be multiplied.
After the emperor's attention shifted away from here, Wen Qingci finally picked up the cold teacup on the table and drank it all in one gulp, using the ice water to force himself to calm down.
His eyes passed over the crowd and fell on the waves outside the window, looking calm and deep.
It doesn't fit in with the noisy houseboat.
Wen Qingci, who was trying hard to divert his attention and telling himself not to be nervous, did not dare to look at Xie Bufeng, and thus missed the flash of surprise and even confusion in the boy's eyes.
Can I do it too
Xie Bufeng couldn't help but clench his palms.
The ministers who crowded the painting studio responded to Wen Qingci's words verbally, but no one really thought so in their hearts.
Some people even secretly laughed at Wen Qingci for not understanding court affairs.
Xie Bufeng listened to it with one ear and let it out with the other, not caring at all.
The only thing in his mind was what Wen Qingci had just said.
It's not that Wen Qingci didn't trust him before.
But things in the past were different from this.
This was an open and aboveboard display of trust and affirmation in front of countless court officials... and even the emperor.
There was no joking at all.
In an instant, Xie Bufeng's blood began to boil like boiling water.
There was no peace for a long time.
During the second half of the banquet, Wen Qingci sat as if he was sleepwalking.
The overly narrow cabin was filled with incense, and the air was stuffy and had a choking smell.
He couldn't help coughing.
As soon as the banquet ended, Wen Qingci couldn't wait to leave and walked against the flow of people towards the open space at the stern.
Although I don’t know if other people care about what I just said.
But Wen Qingci always felt that he had silently betrayed the protagonist, and the more he thought about it, the more scared he became.
He stood at the stern, took a few deep breaths, and finally slowly calmed down.
Before I knew it, the night had deepened.
The moonlight poured down the long canal, wrapping around the earth like a ribbon.
The pleasure boat swayed gently, as if walking on a ribbon towards the Moon Palace.
As the night wind blew, Wen Qingci's brain finally became a little clearer.
There is a refreshing air in the night breeze of early summer.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but take a few steps forward. He stood at the stern holding the railing and looked down at the canal, as if trying to catch something from the broken silver light.
After calming down for a while, Wen Qingci noticed that the full moon was hanging behind him.
His shadow was elongated by the full moon and fell right on the silver ribbon in the river.
Wen Qingci subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to use his shadow to shatter the silver light of the river.
However, Wen Qingci had just raised his hand and had no time to shake it, when his wrist was grabbed by someone the next second.
"What are you doing?!" The boy's slightly angry voice came into his ears.
Wen Qingci subconsciously wanted to take his hand back, but Xie Bufeng's hand was as motionless as cast iron.
After being here for so long, pretending to be calm has become Wen Qingci's daily routine.
After three or two seconds, the imperial physician dressed in moon-white slowly turned around. He raised his eyes, looked at Xie Bufeng with a smile, and replied calmly, "I'm just bored."
Wen Qingci really spoke the truth this time.
But he didn't know that he looked like he was about to fall into the water with the moonlight in the next moment...
It was as if he was trying to reach out and shatter this mirage.
If this behavior happened to anyone else, it could be described as "weird".
But when it fell on him, it seemed so illusory and beautiful that he seemed to be about to ascend to heaven in the next moment.
So much so that the moment he saw this scene, Xie Bufeng's heart suddenly felt empty.
Xie Bufeng finally put down his arm which had been raised.
But he never let go of Wen Qingci's hand.
Until the person on the other side reminded him: "Your Highness?"
Xie Bufeng then slowly turned around, let go of Wen Qingci's right hand that was clenched red, and looked into Wen Qingci's dark eyes that were half covered by eyelashes.
Vaguely aware of his good intentions, but not knowing how to face this kind-hearted stranger Xie Bufeng was silent for a long while, and finally left without looking back, saying "Your life does not belong to just you," and left.
(End of this chapter)