It was February, the spring was cold, and the snow in the imperial city hadn't melted for a long time, and the peach trees in the imperial garden were already blooming.
It was rare that the weather was sunny, and the Emperor Qin, who was in his prime, was leading a group of concubines in the harem to sit in the imperial garden to enjoy the flowers.
Chen Lin was wearing a fox fur, and his long black hair was loosely tied with a ribbon. He hung it behind him and walked slowly towards the imperial garden.
Looking at it from a distance, you can see those concubines singing and dancing, it's so lively.
However, it is enough for the emperor to enjoy the flowers and let those beautiful concubines accompany him, so what is the purpose of calling him here
When he arrived in front of Emperor Qin, Chen Lin only said "Your Majesty", but did not bend down to salute.
He is the high priest of the Qin State, responsible for communicating with the gods in the sky on behalf of the royal family. In the Qin State, almost every commoner believes in the gods. The weight in the hearts of the people is second only to Emperor Qin.
In order to win people's hearts, Emperor Qin specially built a palace for him in the palace, allowing him to come and go freely, and he did not need to salute when he met the emperor.
Seeing him coming, Emperor Qin beckoned him to sit on the stone bench next to him. There were several charcoal basins in the pavilion, and even the stone bench was baked warm, so it was not uncomfortable to sit on.
"Aiqing, after the new year is over, it will be spring plowing, and the annual sacrifice to heaven is coming. My princes are all adults now, and it's time to establish a crown prince. They will come over later, and the high priest will help me Take a good look."
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of the concubines sitting next to her suddenly changed.
Who would have thought that what was originally a simple garden tour would turn into an assessment of the crown prince's candidate.
The high priest is in charge of communicating with the gods, and his status is extraordinary. If he expresses his attitude and stands openly, then there is a high probability that the candidate will be the future crown prince.
For a moment, the eyes of almost all the concubines fell on Chen Lin's face.
Chen Lin immediately understood, no wonder the emperor called his concubine to come over when he was admiring the flowers with his concubine.
Not long after, several princes came in groups.
Walking in the front is Yu Wenhao. He is the best at riding and shooting among all the princes, and he is also the tallest and strongest. Next to him is the third prince Yu Wengui, who is tall in body and mind, handsome in style, and looks extraordinary. The two are siblings and have a close relationship. Standing behind the two was the fifth prince Yu Wenmo, who looked like a sick and noble son. The imperial physician said that if he could live past twenty-five years, he would be considered lucky.
There was another one who fell far behind, with thin clothes and a frail figure, but his appearance was feminine and feminine.
This is Yu Wenting, the most unfavored seventh prince. His mother was a maidservant, but because of her beautiful face, she seduced the emperor to give birth to a prince, but in the end she was killed by a stick for killing the prince. The status of the seventh prince also plummeted, and he was ignored after being thrown into the harem, and the treatment was worse than staying in the cold palace.
Chen Lin thought that Emperor Qin would be displeased when he saw the Seventh Prince, but soon he realized that he was wrong. Qin Emperor was not unhappy, he clearly treated the Seventh Prince as nothing, even a superfluous The eyes are not rare to give.
Looking at the Seventh Prince again, he knew that he had been neglected and excluded a lot on weekdays, and Chen Lin saw a feeling of resignation in him.
Emperor Qin's favorite should be the Eldest Prince. When facing the Eldest Prince, the kindness in his eyes almost overflows.
"It's been cold recently, and your younger brothers are all studying in the mansion, but you are the most active, either in the martial arts arena or in the hunting ground, you are not at all restless."
The eldest prince Yu Wenhao smiled boldly: "Father, you know that I don't like to read those stuffs. Men are born to fight in the battlefield and serve the country."
Although this is correct, as the crown prince, he must be content with the temple after all.
Therefore, after Qin Emperor heard this, the smile on his face faded a bit.
Chen Lin hastily said: "The eldest prince is right. I think Gao Zu used to fight for the country right away. As for reading, you can take your time. The eldest prince is talented, and the things in the books will never trouble him. "
The eldest prince glanced at Chen Lin, and then quickly looked away, the tips of his ears turned red.
Although he is an adult, he still seems to have a youthful feeling. When he meets a powerful person, he will inevitably feel a little bit of admiration in his heart.
Emperor Qin was amused by Chen Lin's words: "Aiqing is right. Among my many sons, only the boss is the best at riding and shooting."
Then he instructed: "It's just that to achieve great things, you need to read more books. The high priest has a brilliant literary talent. Why don't you worship the high priest as your teacher now and let him teach you how to govern the country."
The eldest prince was about to bow his knees to salute Chen Lin, but Chen Lin hurriedly blocked him.
Emperor Qin's face changed: "Aiqing is unwilling to accept the eldest prince as a disciple?"
This is a bit serious, and if it is not done well, it will be labeled as "disrespectful".
Chen Lin explained unhurriedly: "Your Majesty is serious. It is a supreme honor to accept the prince as a disciple. However, the humble minister is responsible for communicating with the gods. It is not for selfishness, but to obey the last wishes of the gods. Only in this way can we bless you." My Great Qin will prosper forever."
"In Aiqing's opinion, which emperor do you think the gods like more?"
Chen Lin's eyes swept over those princes one by one, and those princes he saw all looked at him with flattering expressions, but the seventh prince still hung his head.
"My minister did divination last night, and the gods haven't given instructions yet. I think the most favorite candidate of the gods is His Majesty. What's more, your majesty is in his prime of life and in good health. Why don't you entrust all the princes to my ministers to teach you? As a result, it is not too late for His Majesty to make a choice."
Emperor Qin was very relieved by what he said, and couldn't hide the smile on his face.
"Aiqing's appetite is quite big, but it's not bad to think about your proposal, so let's follow Aiqing's wishes."
Those concubines also showed joy when they heard this, especially those concubines with princes, only Concubine De didn't smile.
Originally, it was a certainty that her son would become a prince, but he disturbed it so that the other princes would also have a chance, so they were naturally unhappy.
Chen Lin had a panoramic view of the subtle expression changes on everyone's faces, and he already had a general understanding of the complicated interpersonal relationships in the royal family.
…
The next day will be the ceremony of apprenticeship for the princes.
Back then, the Qin people were extremely brutal when they destroyed Zhou. After entering the customs, they gained a reputation for being violent and have always been unpopular.
Later, the Qin people came up with various ways to win the hearts of the people. The first is tax exemption, the second is through the righteousness of nature, and the third is to pay attention to etiquette.
Among the various etiquettes, the ceremony of apprenticeship is the most important. You must kneel down three times and kowtow nine times, toast three cups, and then present your most beloved and most precious things.
What the First Prince sent was a bow. This bow should have been baptized for a long time, and its surface was polished to be extra smooth and smooth.
The third prince saw that his elder brother was silent, so he spoke for him: "Teacher, this bow is the most precious thing of elder brother. He has killed countless enemies with him, and now he gave it to you, which is considered to be of good intentions."
Chen Lin gave a soft "hmm": "It is indeed a good bow. The eldest prince gave this humble minister, but is he willing?"
"Naturally, I'm willing to do so." After finishing speaking, the tips of her ears turned red again.
Chen Lin couldn't help but think, this eldest prince is really easy to be shy.
The second prince died early, and after the first prince passed, he would be the third prince.
The third prince opened the brocade box, and in an instant, a dazzling light shone from the brocade box.
"This is the luminous pearl of the South China Sea. The Taifu described it as handsome and graceful, but it is a perfect match with this luminous pearl."
Chen Linpi accepted it with a smile, and praised a few words as usual, but he beeped in his heart. This was the first time he was molested by a kid who was much younger than him.
Behind is the fifth prince.
This person gave a piece of warm jade. As the saying goes, people raise jade for three years, and jade nourishes people for a lifetime. Good jade is really spiritual. Chen Lin couldn't put it down, so he tied it around his waist immediately. .
Although it was an unconscious move, it caused the expressions of the other princes to change, and they even looked at the fifth prince with unkind eyes.
The third prince hurriedly said: "I didn't know that Grand Tutor Aiyu had a lot of rare warm jade in the eldest brother's mansion, let him send some over someday."
The eldest prince only stared at the jade around Chen Lin's waist, his expression seemed a little bit lost, and he suddenly came back to his senses when he heard this, he said "ah", and then quickly said: "Yes, the Japanese palace will be sent to the Taifu .”
Then came the Seventh Prince.
Holding an ordinary wooden box in his hand, he walked slowly forward.
The daily food and clothing expenses of the princes are all prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and all of this has a lot to do with the status and favor of the prince. The other princes are all from Jinyi Huafu, only the seventh prince , wearing a robe that I don't know how long it has been washed. Not only has it faded, but the corners and corners have been frayed.
Such a shabby place, what good things can you give away? Chen Lin couldn't help being a little curious.
The box was opened by a pair of thin hands that seemed to be full of bones, revealing the wooden carvings inside.
The Seventh Prince pursed his lips and said in a low voice: "Teacher, this is the only thing my concubine gave me. I will give it to the Taifu."
This seventh prince is the only one among all the princes who does not claim to be his own palace. If he is favored, he will call himself a corporal, but it is a pity that he is not favored. In this way, it will only make people feel that his status is humble.
Chen Lin glanced at the wood carving, but didn't reach out to take it, just said: "Put it there."
This time, there was not even the usual compliment.
Seeing this, the other princes who were watching the show couldn't help but tease: "Seventh brother, you are so shabby, if you don't want to be a teacher, just tell your father, why are you so stingy."
"That's right. Apprenticeship ceremony is a heavy gift. If you give this kind of thing, you are not afraid of staining the eyes of the grand master."
The Seventh Prince's face turned as red as a tomato when he heard what you said.
Only the eldest prince, upon hearing this, helped to defend a few words: "Teacher, the seventh brother has not been favored these years, so he can't offer anything good. If you feel poor, then I can replace him..."
Chen Lin interrupted him: "Eldest Prince, benevolence is a blessing, but you must know that benevolence also has a limit."
The eldest prince lowered his head embarrassingly: "What the Taifu said is true."
After apprenticeship, all the seats left, only the Seventh Prince stayed.
Chen Lin said with a cold face: "What else is there for Your Highness?"
The other party raised his head suddenly, but his eyes were red, as if he wanted to eat people.
"Teacher, although this wood carving can't be compared with the gifts of the other imperial brothers, it is the only thing my concubine left for me. I hope the Tutor can understand that it is the most important thing to me, and it is worth it. Protected with life."
After saying this, he turned around and ran outside. Chen Lin also saw him wipe his face with his hand.
Chen Lin was a little taken aback, did he make someone cry because of bullying
However, I thought it was a little lamb that would not fight or snatch it, but now it seems that it is a wolf cub.