After discussing with his fathers, Zhao Mian decided to set off soon and go to Beiyuan Shengjing with Wei Zhenfeng.
The Yongning Palace trio learned that His Majesty was going on a long journey, and began to prepare in an orderly manner. It was the first time that Wei Zhenfeng had seen such a scene, and he watched from the palace holding the little prince.
Zhou Huairang said nervously: "His Majesty likes to read poetry collections recently, I have to prepare a few more for him... I also need to bring this half-read book. Oh, I also need to bring more of the spring twigs that His Majesty must drink every day..."
Wei Zhenfeng, who was passing by, took the book from Zhou Huairang's hand and said to the little prince, "Come, come, take a look at what book your father is reading."
Bai Yu was in a dilemma: "Your Majesty will be away for at least two months this time. I don't know if preparing thirty sets of clothes will be enough. Also, how many doses of contraceptive soup should I prepare?"
"Not too much," Wei Zhenfeng said bluntly, "We are going to Beiyuan to do serious business."
Bai Yu: “…Oh.”
Shen Buci was silently polishing his sword until it was shiny.
When Zhao Mian was still the crown prince, he traveled abroad for a year, and Zhou Huairang, Shen Buci, and Bai Yu followed him all the way. Two years later, Zhao Mian, who was already the king of a country, traveled again, and these three people were still by his side.
Things and people remain the same, just as they were back then.
Wei Zhenfeng was surprised and wanted to see if his people were also busy preparing for his trip. He found Ji Chong and others' temporary residence in the Nanjing Palace, and saw Ji Chong watching Yun Yong and Hua Juxue making a kind of Nanjing pastry with great interest.
Wei Zhenfeng asked: "We are about to set off, don't you need to prepare?"
Ji Chong said, "Your Majesty, the dry food and water are ready, and the horses are well fed. What else do we need to prepare?"
Wei Zhenfeng thought for a moment and had to admit: "You have stumped me."
On the day Zhao Mian set out, Xiao Shiqing and Zhao Qi left the palace in plain clothes and personally saw him off at the city gate.
"Mianmian, relax and have fun." Zhao Qimei said with a smile, "Fanfan and the state affairs are in the care of your father and me, don't worry."
Zhao Mian was just about to say that he was not going there to play when he caught a glimpse of his son's father standing nearby, holding a piece of spring grass in his mouth and a carrot in his hand, feeding the horse. Halfway through the feeding, he started playing with the horse and deliberately hid the carrot behind his back, causing the horse to circle around frequently.
It was not easy for Wei Zhenfeng not to be kicked to death by the horse.
That’s right, as long as Wei Zhenfeng is around, any serious work will be like playing.
In the spring sunshine, Zhao Mian smiled brightly at his father: "I will have a lot of fun, father."
Zhao Qi was stunned by his son's bright smile: "Yes, yes, that's the way you should smile. It's right to let you go out for more walks. Ah, I suddenly feel that you are still the same as when you were sixteen or seventeen years old," Zhao Qi said with emotion, "Mingmian is now a father."
Wei Zhenfeng waited until Zhao Mian said goodbye to his family before throwing the remaining carrots into the horse's mouth. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and extended his hand to Zhao Mian: "Please, Your Majesty."
Zhao Mian looked out of the city gate. March was like when he was young, with spring shades hanging over the fields, petals flying everywhere, and a beautiful scene full of vitality.
Zhao Mian said, "I want to ride a horse with you."
The emperor who took off his dragon robe was less majestic and more lively. The haze that had always been hidden in his eyes after giving birth seemed to be blown away by the spring breeze. In a trance, Wei Zhenfeng seemed to see the luxurious and stunning prince again.
Wei Zhenfeng looked at him, his heartbeat slightly faster: "You seem to be in a good mood, Zhao Mian."
Zhao Mian hummed, with a faint smile on his lips: "Maybe I stayed in the palace for too long."
Shen Buci brought the Ferghana horse that Wei Zhenfeng had given him. He had named the horse long ago, but never had the chance to ride it. During the year of pregnancy and childbirth, he had been unable to do many things, but now he was finally free again.
Wei Zhenfeng joked: "If you don't want to stay in Nanjing Palace, why don't you abdicate and come with me to Beiyuan to be the queen."
"Forget it then." Zhao Mian pushed away the hands of Shen Buci and Wei Zhenfeng who were trying to support him, stepped on the stirrup and climbed onto the horse. "The Fengyi Palace in Beiyuan is not even as good as the East Palace where I lived before."
Wei Zhenfeng jumped on his horse and followed closely behind: "I can order people to renovate Fengyi Palace..."
The two rode side by side on horseback. Behind them, followed Shen Buci and his companions and three carriages loaded with luggage. For some reason, Zhao Mian always felt that something was missing in this scene.
At this time, a deep male voice came from behind Zhao Mian: "Brother—"
The corners of Zhao Mian's mouth curled up.
Yes, that's what's missing.
“Brother—” His Royal Highness King Jing, who had just been released from house arrest, shouted at the top of his lungs, “Brother, wait for me. I will go to Beiyuan with you!”
Zhao Qi covered his face with his hands. Xiao Shiqing immediately ordered Fu Zi: "Bring him back to me."
Fu Zi stopped Zhao Lin's horse in no time. Zhao Lin was sad to find that his brother did not stop to wait for him after hearing his shouts, but seemed to run even faster.
Zhao Mian and his party hurried to Beiyuan. The spring scenery along the way was certainly attractive, but the business of Beiyuan was more important. After finishing the business, it would not be too late for them to have fun on the way back.
A few days later, they came to the border of Nanjing and Beiyuan, which was the border town where Wei Zhenfeng and Zhao Lin met not long ago. Zhao Mian decided to rest here for a night.
Although Biancheng is in Nanjing, it is very close to Beiyuan, and its climate is closer to Beiyuan than that of Nanjing. Therefore, the living habits of the local people are also closer to those of Beiyuan people.
For example, Zhao Mian actually saw the bathhouse he had once despised on the street. When he saw the bathhouse in Shengjing, he was almost dragged in by Wei Zhenfeng to experience it. In the end, he had to call Shen Buci to draw his sword, and Wei Zhenfeng reluctantly gave up.
Zhou Huairang also thought of the past and suddenly recited a poem: "I want to buy osmanthus flowers and carry them with wine, but it doesn't feel like the time when I was young."
The meaning of this poem is not very optimistic. It's not easy to come out, but it's better to say goodbye with sadness about the passing of time.
Wei Zhenfeng sneered in a disapproving tone: "Come on, it was just two years ago, look how emotional you are."
Zhao Mian agreed with Zhou Huairang's statement: "It is indeed no longer 'Youth Travel'."
Wei Zhenfeng asked: "Why not?"
Zhao Mian glanced at him lightly: "We already have a son, why are we still 'traveling as a teenager'?"
"Just because you have a son doesn't mean you can't 'travel as a teenager'? This has nothing to do with age, it mainly depends on your state of mind." Wei Zhenfeng's tone was unclear whether he was serious or joking, "If you feel 'unlikely', I have a solution." He grabbed Zhao Mian's hand and said excitedly, "Your Majesty is here, why don't you go to the bathhouse and experience it? I'll treat you."
"… let go."
Zhao Mian frowned, unable to bear it any longer: "Shen Buci!"
Shen Buci drew his sword quickly: "My Lord, please respect yourself."
Everyone found the best inn in the city to eat and stay. Zhou Huairang found that the taste of the border town was also the taste of the people of Beiyuan, and couldn't help but say: "It feels like the people of the border town live a life exactly like the people of Beiyuan."
Zhao Mian said calmly: "If you had taken a closer look at the terrain of the border town, you wouldn't have been so surprised."
"Speaking of which, Nanjing, Beiyuan, Dongling and the former Xixia were also one family a hundred years ago." Bai Yu tried to probe under the pretext of chatting, "Since the North and South countries have such a deep connection, and the prince does not want to be separated from His Majesty for a long time, is it possible... to merge the two into one?"
Zhao Mian said: "It should be impossible at the moment."
Bai Yu asked: "Why?"
"The kingdom of Beiyuan was won by the Wei family with great efforts. We can't just give it to you because I like your Majesty." Wei Zhenfeng shrugged. "What's more, even if I am willing to submit to Zhao Mian, the capable officials and generals of Beiyuan and the millions of ordinary people may not be willing to recognize him as the emperor. Even though there are not many good people in my family, the status of the Wei family in the hearts of Beiyuan people is still unquestionable."
Zhao Mian asked knowingly, "So, who are the people of Beiyuan willing to acknowledge as their supreme ruler?"
Wei Zhenfeng pretended to think: "Well... at least he has to be of the Beiyuan royal family's bloodline."
Zhou Huairang suddenly had an idea: "Your Majesty, are you talking about our little prince?"
Faced with the nonsense, Zhao Mian calmly retorted: "No, he is talking about you - yes, it is you, Zhou Huairang."
Zhou Huairang thought hard and said: "I was wrong."
After dinner, Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng rested in the same room. After they washed up, Zhao Mian sat in front of the mirror and watched Wei Zhenfeng untie his hairband and comb his long hair with great skill.
"Are you serious about what you said at the table just now?" Zhao Mian asked, "Do you really think Fanfan can unify the Three Kingdoms?"
"I'm not sure." Wei Zhenfeng said simply, "But if there is anyone who can take over Dongling and unify the north and the south, it must be our Fanfan."
Zhao Mian pressed his brows and said, "It's too early to talk about this now."
The little prince was only two months old, and it would take at least several more years to see his temperament and talent. But no matter what kind of person the little prince became, he was the blood of him and Wei Zhenfeng.
He and Wei Zhenfeng will always love him.
Zhao Mian said softly: "I miss Fanfan."
Wei Zhenfeng stopped what he was doing, lifted up Zhao Mian's face, and saw a slightly lonely face in the mirror.
"I miss him, too." Wei Zhenfeng said, "But he certainly doesn't miss us. He likes the bells next to the cradle more than us. When we go back, he won't even remember that we left, don't worry."
Zhao Mian was actually convinced: "That makes sense."
Wei Zhenfeng smiled, picked him up, and walked towards the bed: "Don't think too much, go to bed early."
Suddenly, Wei Zhenfeng noticed something was wrong. He stopped and looked towards the door. Zhao Mian also heard the unusual noise in the corridor. He said calmly, "Shen Buci will take care of it. You can continue to hold me to sleep."
Wei Zhenfeng could tell from the sound of the man's footsteps that he was not a master: "Not an interesting opponent, but should be good for stretching your muscles." Wei Zhenfeng put Zhao Mian on the bed, kicked up the Jinghong Sword beside him, took it in his hand, and stretched it towards Zhao Mian, "Do you want to play?"
Zhao Mian was slightly stunned.
Wei Zhenfeng said with regret: "After giving you this sword, you haven't chopped anyone else except me."
Zhao Mian looked down at his long hair hanging down in front of his chest: "Why didn't you tell me earlier that my hair is all messed up."
Wei Zhenfeng smiled and said, "Isn't this better?"
Outside the door, Shen Buci, who had been guarding Zhao Mian's room, had already fought with the assassin. The assassin's skills were as average as Wei Zhenfeng's hair-combing skills. Even though there were dozens of them, they were still powerless in front of Shen Buci.
Ji Chong and others who lived next door heard the noise and rushed over. Just as they were about to help, they were overtaken by an unexpected figure.
The king, who should have been sitting high above in the Mingtang, was wearing a plain long robe of thin persimmon color. His black hair was flying in the flash of sword light. His wrist spun out a sword flower, and with a scream, blood dripped from the sword.
As light as a startled swan, as graceful as a flying dragon, nothing more than that.
Bai Yu found Wei Zhenfeng, who was watching with shining eyes, and said to Ji Chong helplessly: "Your prince is really something. He can see whatever His Majesty wants to see - how did he do it?"
Ji Chong smiled and said, "Your Majesty always has a way."
Zhao Mian hadn't fought so hard for a long time, and he even felt a little unsatisfied when he put away his sword. He and Shen Buci wanted to keep Wei Zhenfeng alive, but those people were well prepared. When they saw that the assassination failed, they immediately bit the poison hidden in their mouths and committed suicide.
Looking at the bodies lying all over the ground, Zhao Mian sheathed his sword and asked Wei Zhenfeng, "Who do you think sent these assassins?"
"Of course it's someone who knows me." Wei Zhenfeng said, "But if they know me, they will definitely know that these unknown people can't hurt me at all."
Bai Yu was thoughtful: "Knowing that it was a doomed assassination attempt, they still sent people here. Was it to frame someone?"
Shen Buci searched each assassin but found nothing that could prove their identity.
Zhou Huairang was puzzled: "The mastermind behind this knows that these people can't touch the prince, and he is not trying to frame him, so what is his purpose?"
"The purpose is to make Wei Zhenfeng guess who is the mastermind behind this, and make him suspicious of everyone with motives." Zhao Mian sneered, "It seems that there are many people eyeing the throne of Beiyuan."
"It's quite interesting." Wei Zhenfeng said with interest: "The situation in Shengjing may be more interesting than I thought."
This incident woke everyone up. No longer wanting to sleep, they packed up their things and continued on their journey in the dark.
As the sky began to brighten, they had just crossed the border between the north and the south. The slowly rising sun illuminated the slowly awakening mountains, and the mist gradually dissipated, revealing their original appearance.
This is Wei Zhenfeng's world.
(End of this chapter)