After Cai Yan resigned, Mu Kuangda resigned immediately. The study was quiet, with only Wu Du, Li Yanqiu and Zheng Yan.
In the silence, Li Yanqiu said in a deep voice: "I don't want to enter the East Palace, it's not because of others, it must be because of my emperor."
Just as Cai Yan called himself a "son", Li Yanqiu also called Cai Yan "the emperor". His uncle was like a father. Li Yanqiu had no children or daughters, and all his father's feelings were poured into Cai Yan. The ministers naturally thought it was unethical and reminded him several times, but Li Yanqiu turned a deaf ear.
Wu Du's words came to his lips, and his thoughts turned, and he finally held back.
According to his and Duan Ling's analysis, there may be enemies everywhere in the court, even Li Yanqiu. Although Duan Ling didn't believe it, it was Duan Ling who said this, not him.
"Your Majesty's words are serious." Wu Du said, "I have never been an official in my life, and I am afraid that I will embarrass Your Highness. In this world, some people like to stay in temples, and some people like to stay in rivers and lakes. Each has its own interests."
"I'm afraid it wasn't you who offended His Highness, but His Highness who offended you." Li Yanqiu raised his brows and replied, "The emperor said more than once that locking you up that day was out of the anger of civil, military, and officials. When the world is granted amnesty, I will release you to make up for your faults, that's all. As a descendant of the White Tiger Hall, you and this country are in the same honor and disgrace, coexisting and dying, why should you be angry with the future ruler of a country?"
Wu Du remained silent, and Li Yanqiu was reproachful, but he didn't seem angry, he just sighed softly.
"Since the year you fell down the mountain, you have never put the imperial court in your eyes." Li Yanqiu said, "I don't know if it's because of your lack of temper, or because Baihutang taught you that way."
Wu Du was always silent.
After a long time, Li Yanqiu said, "I remember that it was said that more than two hundred years ago, there was a man whose temper was very similar to yours."
Wu Du still looked indifferent, but Zheng Yan understood and laughed.
"This country and I share the same honor and disgrace, and live and die together." Wu Du replied.
"Exactly." Li Yanqiu said, "You understand?"
Some words don't need to be said, and each other's heart is clear. Li Yanqiu knows that he can only talk about it here, and if he goes on, the king of this country is bound to lose Longwei. Wu Du's identity is different from that of the other three assassins. He is the commander-in-chief of the assassins in the world, and his surrender symbolizes Jianghu's allegiance to the temple.
Li Yanqiu also knew in his heart that neither the late emperor, the father of himself and his elder brother, nor the emperor Wu Lie, who had died for the country, nor himself and his nephew, had given Wu Du the proper etiquette. In the past, Wan Li Fu, with a handful of mountains and rivers, assisted Da Chen, the founding father of the country, to pacify the troubled times, expel the barbarians, and recover the country. Now that Wanli Furuo is still alive, he should be on an equal footing with the emperor.
On the surface it is allegiance, but in reality it is coexistence.
But it was impossible for him to give Wu Du this equal status. Once Wu Du was too young, Li Yanqiu endured this tone from the moment he went down the mountain and turned to Zhao Kui. It is precisely because of this that the royal family and Baihutangfang have a secret stalemate.
Wu Du has no power. Today's rivers and lakes, after a hundred years of rule, have already existed in name only. Even if the rangers from all over the world gather in one place, they will not be able to raise many storms.
But no matter what, his status is always here.
His responsibility is to protect the Great Chen Dynasty, and this is just a responsibility, not an obligation. If he wants to fulfill this responsibility, he must be treated with courtesy. Li Yanqiu often had headaches. If his brother was still there, Wu Du had to surrender. Now he refuses to obey, refuses to obey himself, refuses to obey the prince, refuses to obey everyone, only obeys a deceased heroic spirit, let him go, lose face, take him, he is not happy, he is really stuck in the air, can't go up or down.
The voice of a cabinet official resounded outside, and replied, "Your Majesty, the papers are here, but..."
"Biography." Li Yanqiu said.
Zheng Yan opened the door, and the judge brought in a box of papers in his own hands. The paper was filled with thin papers that were soaked in blurred writing.
Li Yanqiu: "..."
Wu Du: "..."
Zheng Yan smiled and grabbed a few, but still put them back.
"It has been raining heavily for several days." The judge put the wooden box full of water on the ground, knelt down on the ground, and said in a trembling voice, "After soaking in the Tibetan Volume Pavilion, most of the forty-one test papers in this box were soaked in water. , I can't find Wang Shan's test paper, I think it's in this box... my subordinates should be damned."
Wu Du didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and looked at Li Yanqiu.
Li Yanqiu had nothing to do for a while. Natural disasters and man-made disasters, but they were open to it, and did not blame the scholars. After all, someone would naturally be held accountable for this matter.
"The order is Xie You." Li Yanqiu said, "Let people pass all the candidates who have soaked their papers into the palace, and they will pass it tonight."
It was still raining outside, Duan Ling was sitting on the couch, thinking about it, but Mu Kuangda came back first, and as soon as he came back, he instructed to summon Duan Ling.
"I thought you would persuade Wu Du to go to the East Palace." Mu Kuangda took a cup of tea handed over by his maid, and without looking at Duan Ling, he lifted the lid of the cup, took a few sips, and said, "Prince Shaobao The position is not for everyone.”
"I... I don't know." Duan Ling replied, "Is there really such a thing?"
Mu Kuangda peeked out from the edge of the cup and glanced at Duan Ling.
"I don't know whether I know it or not." Mu Kuangda said, "Now that His Majesty has summoned him personally, and today I want to read your papers, most of them want to make an exchange with Wu Du. If you are sent to the palace later, you know what to do. said?"
Duan Ling was worried and did not answer.
Mu Kuangda said: "Go down."
Mu Kuang Daping stepped down, and there were only two people left in the room. Duan Ling didn't say a word, but he was thinking fast in his mind. Duan Ling was also one of the insiders about the "false prince". Since that night, Mu Kuangda has never mentioned this matter. He should have a plan, but he doesn't know how he will bring down Cai Yan, and who will use his hand to bring down Cai Yan.
To send Wu Du to be stationed in the East Palace should be a chess game that is extremely beneficial to oneself. Wu Du can get close to the prince, collect evidence, and provide Mu Kuangda.
Sure enough, Mu Kuangda said: "Apprentice, this is a two-for-one thing, why are you still dodging it?"
Duan Ling knew that this time he could not avoid it, and if he pushed back again, Mu Kuangda would definitely be suspicious, so he had to answer: "Yes, when Wu Du returns, I will definitely persuade him."
Only then did Mu Kuangda nod his head in satisfaction, and when he observed Duan Ling's face, Duan Ling felt a little uneasy.
"I've only accepted two apprentices in my life." Mu Kuangda said, "Shan'er, you and I are destined."
Duan Ling bowed and knelt on the ground.
Mu Kuangda said: "What's even more rare is that you know my heart, and the people next to you will not dare to kill first and then play like you did in Tongguan."
Duan Ling replied, "It's all taught by Master."
Mu Kuang suddenly changed his words and said, "Since you know what I want, I don't think I need to say more."
Duan Ling was startled, knowing that Mu Kuangda always had something to say, so he must have hoped that he would let Wu Du go to the palace and collect evidence so that he could set up a strategy.
"Yes." Duan Ling said.
Unconsciously, he and Mu Kuangda got on the same boat, but I don't know what Mu Kuangda will think when he finds out that he is the real prince.
Outside, Lord Changliu coughed and said, "Master Xiang, Zheng Yan is here."
"I've had this cup of tea." Mu Kuangda said, "Pack up and do everything, you have to prepare everything you need to do, let go of your vacation, and give you everything that should be given to you. Where you can go is up to you. already."
Duan Ling took the tea that Mu Kuangda handed over and drank it, clasped the empty cup, and bowed to him again. When he went out, he saw Zheng Yan standing under the porch.
"Your Majesty has called you into the palace." Zheng Yan said to Duan Ling, "Let's go now."
Duan Ling knew the reason, but still pretended not to know, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Reward you to eat." Zheng Yan said with a smile.
Duan Ling looked at Zheng Yan and didn't know if it was true or not for a while. When he entered the palace, he heard a lot of people's voices not far away. Although the twilight was heavy, the clouds were dense, and the corridor was dripping with dense rain, the palace was very lively tonight.
"Come here." Zheng Yan said.
Duan Ling looked at the crowd in the distance, mostly young people, and asked, "What do they do?"
"It's none of your business." Zheng Yan replied, "Don't ask too much, don't look around."
Zheng Yan took Duan Ling into an empty hall, and there was only one case in it.
"Sit." Zheng Yan ordered.
Duan Ling sat down, Zheng Yan got up and left, Duan Ling instinctively felt dangerous and said, "Hey! Where are you going?"
"Go and come." Zheng Yan's voice said.
Duan Ling got up to leave, but heard Zheng Yan ask in the corridor, "Are you ready?"
"It's all ready," the guard outside replied.
Zheng Yan came into the temple again, but he was holding a food box in his hand, which he opened in front of Duan Ling. There were four grids, a cluster of flowers, and a bowl on the side. The bowl was filled with white soup, and a few pieces of green fenugreek floated on the soup. Artemisia sprouts. Duan Ling only recognized one of the grids as white rice, which was adorned with a pear flower.
Duan Ling: "..."
"Eat first." Zheng Yan moved a chair, sat outside the door, and took out a bottle of wine from his arms.
"This... what is this?" Duan Ling asked in surprise, took a sip, but couldn't find what it was, only knew that it was delicious.
"Qiantang stir-fried pork, cabbage core, nine-flavor stuffed fresh lotus root." Zheng Yan replied lazily, "Eat slowly, don't choke."
Duan Ling almost choked to death, and after drinking the soup, Zheng Yan added: "The soup stewed by the puffer fish and the dishes I cook are my people. After tonight, let's go to the bridal chamber. Anyway, Wu I gave you to me alone."
Duan Ling almost spat out a mouthful of soup, his only thought was not "this bastard", but "fortunately it didn't go out, otherwise it would be a waste".
For the first time in his life, Duan Ling has eaten something so delicious. Lotus has nine holes, and the ingredients in each hole are completely different. He only tasted five flavors of fresh meat, chicken, fish, bacon and ham. Why, after brewing, it can be as thin as paper, and the inside still doesn't fall apart. I don't know how the cabbage core is made, and it is half-open like a flower. But the most delicious is the stir-fried pork, which is very soft and glutinous to chew, not greasy at all, light vinegar taste, salty and delicious.
In less than half the incense stick, Duan Ling ate all the contents of the food box cleanly, but he held back when he wanted to lick it.
After eating Zheng Yan's meal, I immediately felt that the past sixteen years were all in vain.
If only Wu Du could cook like this.