ninety-seven
In the next few days, strange things kept happening in the palace. Either the guards guarding the palace gates suddenly asked for leave to return home, or the leader of the palace guards fell ill and resigned. The defenses inside and outside the palace were frequently unstable, and it was almost as if a whole group of people had been replaced. The young palace maids and eunuchs who didn't know what had happened didn't dare to say anything, and they walked and did things more carefully than usual.
Of course, Xiao Weixin did not avoid Xia Maoan when doing these things, and he could not avoid it. But now he is becoming more powerful, and his manpower is no less than Xia Maoan's. Now he does not need to be as tolerant as before, and it is reasonable for him to do these things in the name of Xiao Weishen.
Xia Maoan lost his only son and had been ill at home for several days. After all, he was old, and his body could not hold on when he heard that his son had died. Just when his health had improved, he was ready to kill Xiao Weishen, the puppet, without anyone noticing. Unexpectedly, Xiao Weishen took the initiative and killed most of his spies in the palace. He was so angry that he stayed in bed for several more days.
"What did the Khan say?" Xia Maoan asked his spy angrily while lying on the bed, "Didn't you show him our sincerity?"
"That little bastard Xiao Weishen now thinks he has secured his position, but he doesn't know that I can help him get to the top, but I can also pull him down! What's Xiao Weishen? He's a sickly person, what can he accomplish!"
The staff secretly looked up at the old prime minister and said hesitantly: "King Khan..."
In fact, the Khan was already very impatient because Xia Maoan had suffered several setbacks in a row. Moreover, he had just captured the last few cities on the border and needed to recuperate for the time being. He did not want to send troops to help Xia Maoan stabilize the situation. For him, there were more important things to do now and he had no time to care about the Central Plains.
Lingwang Mansion
"So, the water supply over there is really in crisis?" After reading the information, You Shu turned to look at Xiao Weixin.
Xiao Weixin was sitting in the study sorting out the letters and casually replied, "They are located in the desert Gobi. Originally, there were three sources of water for them to use, but the weather has been dry for more than a decade, and the water sources in the desert have dried up a lot."
"The second water source was completely exhausted a while ago, and the last remaining water source is also shrinking. I think the Khan must be having a headache too."
"If Xia Maoan was still the only one in power in the court, he could take the risk of moving a few steps further into the Central Plains. But the current situation is different from before, and there is no need for him to sacrifice more people at this time. Moreover, I asked Li Liang to pretend to surrender to the Western Rong, and he must have said nothing good about Xia Maoan over there. I'm afraid their alliance of interests will no longer be able to form."
You Shu breathed a sigh of relief, "If they can't form an alliance, it will be great news for us."
"Yeah." Xiao Weixin came over and opened the window for him, letting the sun in so that You Shu could bask in the sunshine. "I'm waiting for an opportunity to close the net now."
It was not Xiao Weixin's intention to kill Xiao Weishen directly and ascend the throne. He wanted to ascend the throne in an upright manner, without being criticized by anyone or giving future generations any chance to slander him.
And the best conditions he can create must be with Xia Maoan.
He wanted to set up a trap to force the old fox to abdicate, so that he could successfully "clear the emperor's side."
"It only takes an opportunity." Xiao Weixin repeated this sentence. He stood in front of the window and looked out, with a lot in his heart.
You Shu looked at his handsome profile quietly and felt his own heartbeat again. He slowly, slowly reached out his hand and gently held Xiao Weixin's hand, as if this could give him unlimited courage and support.
"When this is over, I'll take you to see my mother." Xiao Weixin looked back at him and chuckled, "If she knew I found someone so close to her, she would definitely be very happy."
You Shu blushed, "I may not be happy, right? I am a man after all."
"No." Xiao Weixin said firmly, "My mother knows my feelings and she is not someone who would embarrass others."
"She understands better than anyone else in this world how lucky it is to be able to stay with the one she loves, so she won't care so much."
You Shu had a vague impression of the virtuous concubine. At that time, he was still in the Shadow Guard Camp and seldom went into the palace often. Occasionally, he was sent by Lord Shadow Chief to protect Xiao Weixin, and he had only seen her a few times from a distance. He remembered that the virtuous concubine had an excellent appearance and temperament, and even just a glance from a distance could tell her stunning beauty.
Perhaps the reason why Xiao Weixin is so open-minded in matters of love is also related to the teachings of Concubine Xian.
Speaking of Concubine Xian, You Shu thought of Lord Yingshou again.
It's such a pity for this couple.
Perhaps it was a telepathic connection, Xiao Weixin also thought of Xie Feiyuan, "If my mother was still alive, it would have been..."
"Forget it, let's not talk about the past anymore."
You Shu accompanied him in silence for a while, and suddenly there was a noise outside again. Xiao Weiming rushed in again, breaking the silence.
"Seventh Brother!"
Xiao Weixin couldn't help it, staring at the uninvited young man with a bulging vein, and said coldly: "Who let you in?"
Frightened by his cold gaze, Xiao Weiming stood there hesitantly for a while, and whispered, "I was wrong."
"Hello, sister-in-law."
Ever since You Shu came back, Xiao Weiming hadn't found a chance to come. The Zhenbei Camp was in his hands and he was very busy every day. He finally found a chance to come. Although he acted more steadily than before, he still had the same reckless and impetuous temperament in private.
You Shu's scalp tingled when he heard him call her sister-in-law. He couldn't help but think of the Liangshan heroes and put himself in Pan Jinlian's shoes. "Didn't I tell you not to call me sister-in-law anymore..."
"Then..." Xiao Weiming's eyes rolled, and his emotional intelligence suddenly came online, "Then I will follow Xiaoyue'er and call you Brother You?"
When he mentioned Xiaoyue'er, You Shu recalled what happened in the garden before, which he had not yet had time to tell Xiao Weixin.
"Is everything alright in the camp? Who allowed you to run around everywhere?" Xiao Weixin could never be nice to him. The main reason was that this younger brother was so irritating that no one could be nice to him.
Xiao Weiming scratched his head, "I came out only after making arrangements."
"That Liu Tiezhu you sent to me is so useful! He was able to gain a foothold in the camp in just a few days. All the soldiers listen to him and he is more effective than me. Where did you find him, Seventh Brother? At first I thought he was just a rough guy."
"He's just a rough guy who's better at management than you are, and you still have the nerve to say that?" Xiao Weixin was so angry that he laughed, "Why are you here if you don't follow Liu Tiezhu to learn in the camp?"
Xiao Weiming was scolded again. He grumbled a few words in dissatisfaction before saying, "Of course I came here for something urgent."
"What important things can you do?" Xiao Weixin mocked him, "Besides fighting, getting into trouble and owing money everywhere, why don't you give me trouble?"
"This time is different!" Xiao Weiming ran over, carefully pulled his clothes and begged: "Seventh Brother, I want to get married."
Xiao Weixin couldn't believe it, and turned to look at him like a fool: "What did you say?"
"I want to get married." Xiao Weiming said boldly, "I'm already seventeen years old, and I'm old enough to start a family. It's not too much to want to get married."
Xiao Weixin felt that when Concubine Shu gave birth to Xiao Weiming, her head must have landed on the ground first, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to raise such a stupid brother. "You told me you want to get married when the storm is coming?"
"Do you think I am too indulgent towards you?"
Xiao Weiming shuddered twice, but rarely backed down: "Seventh Brother, it's okay if we don't get married, then can you make the decision for me and help me get engaged?"
His eyes dimmed, and he added: "My mother passed away early, and my father... Only you can make the decision for me, please, Seventh Brother!"
After hearing his words, Xiao Weixin softened his attitude. He always remembered how Concubine Shu had taken care of them and their son. "Which girl do you like? Why are you so anxious to get engaged now? Can she still fly away?"
"Not really." Xiao Weiming glanced at him secretly, and after pondering for a while, he mustered up the courage to say, "The girl you have seen is Xiaoyue'er who follows Sister Huachun, the one that Brother You brought back."
"I just fell in love with her."
As soon as he said this, Xiao Weixin was stunned, "Xiao Yue'er?"
He looked at Xiao Weiming, then turned to look at You Shu. He never thought that these two people would have any intersection. "When did it happen?"
"The last time I was injured." Xiao Weiming was a little shy, "Have you forgotten? She came to my academy with Aunt Huachun to stay for a short time, and I fell in love with her at first sight."
A rare dull expression appeared on Xiao Weixin's face. He guessed that this was really beyond his expectations. How could he have the energy to investigate the relationship between the two at that time? Later, he was so focused on Xiao Shu that he had no time to care about them.
"Seventh Brother, I only want to marry Xiaoyue'er, you must make the decision for me!"
"How can that be possible?" Xiao Weixin frowned, "You know her identity, how can she be worthy of the status of a princess? You are simply talking nonsense."
The light in Xiao Weiming's eyes dimmed all of a sudden. "She has a clean background, how can she be a prostitute? She just grew up there and sold her piano skills for a few days. How can you say that, Seventh Brother?"
"That being said, even if she is a prostitute, she was born in a place like that, and is worse than common women. Not to mention being a wife, being a concubine is already an honor." Xiao Weixin frowned, "Now is the time to give up the idea."
What Xiao Weixin said was also true. In that era, family background was more important than anything else. He said this out of consideration for Xiao Weiming. Xiao Weiming himself knew that he was right, but he still refused to accept it.
"Brother You was also a shadow guard, so he can be considered a family slave. He is also a man, so why can he do it but Xiaoyue can't!"
Hearing him mention You Shu, Xiao Weixin's face suddenly darkened. He raised his hand high and was about to hit him, but Xiao Weiming raised his head stubbornly, as if he was determined to fight him to the end. He put his hand down again, just looked at him coldly and said, "Why?"
"I am confident that I will never be criticized in the future. I can make everyone shut up and no one dares to mention it. I will be able to clear all obstacles for him and give him a legitimate identity in the future."
"Can you?"
Xiao Weixin looked indifferently at Xiao Weiming, who was weeping, "If you can't even take care of yourself, how can you protect the woman you love from being drowned in spit and scolded by others in the future?"
"If you really like her, you shouldn't come and ask me to make the decision for you."
"If you have the ability, go and earn it yourself."
Xiao Weiming was silent for a while, raised his hand to wipe his tears, turned around and ran out without saying a word.
You Shu didn't interrupt from beginning to end. She listened to Xiao Weixin's "protecting her husband" speech with a red face, and she couldn't keep the face straight.