Soon, the princess sent someone to invite her, and Chen Yan and Su Lianqing went to the back house together to accompany the princess to eat. Qin Mubai and Li Ke sat drinking tea and chatting, waiting for Li You to come back before having a banquet.
"Haha, this king is back!"
Several wanton shouts came from the courtyard. Qin Mubai and Li Ke looked into the courtyard and saw only a field of flowers and birds - King Li Gui of Qi, leading a group of women, rushing toward them.
Li Ke immediately smiled bitterly: "I, the living treasure emperor's younger brother, still have such a virtuous character! I was restrained in Chang'an, but now I leave Beijing, I am unscrupulous!"
Qin Mubai smiled and said nothing. Li You has always been a "famous" dude. Flying eagles, walking horses, fighting chickens and walking dogs, these are all considered child's play to him. When he arrived in a romantic place like Xiangzhou, it was really not his style if he didn't hug people from both sides.
"Haha!" Li You stepped into the hall and laughed loudly: "Third brother, Qin Mubai, look what good things I have brought for you!"
A group of women filed in. They were in various shapes, including fat, thin, red, willow and green. There were typical Jiangnan beauties holding harp and zither, barbarian women wearing veils with half their bellies exposed, and even a "foreign girl" with blue eyes and blond hair.
Li Ke smiled bitterly and said: "Fifth brother, your emperor's sister-in-law has just returned from a disaster. She is weak and needs to rest... If she sees these women, won't she become sulky and aggravate her condition?"
"Uh..." Li You was startled for a moment, and then he said with a smile, "I was so playful that I forgot about this level - okay, let's go, let's go! The King of Japan will come to see you again. Play!"
"Yes!..." A group of women retreated in dismay. Li You winked at the two men behind him, and the two men followed the women out. They told them some things and gave them a lot of rewards. The group of women then dispersed happily.
Li Ke and Qin Mubai saw this, shaking their heads and laughing secretly.
"Hey, Xiangzhou is such a good place! It's a hundred times better than Dengzhou. Not only does it have the largest port in Jianghan, so you don't have to worry about taxes, money and food, it's also a famous romantic place." Li You sat up with a smile and took the servant He took a few sips of the tea presented to him and said with a smile, "Third brother, I'm really jealous of you. If I had known that there was such a good place as Xiangzhou, why would I bother to go to that barren land of Dengzhou? Hey!"
Qin Mubai smiled and asked, "His Royal Highness, King Qi, why were you transferred from Qizhou to Dengzhou again?"
Li You curled his lips and looked at Li Ke with a hint of displeasure. Li Ke understood and sent all the servants away.
"Hmph!!" Li You's face darkened, he slapped the table in annoyance, and said bitterly: "He's not that Changsun Wuji!"
"Keep your voice down!" Li Ke frowned and asked, "When did he offend you again?"
Li You glanced at Qin Mubai and said loudly: "Mubai is not an outsider anyway, so I'll just tell you the truth! This guy slandered my father again, saying that I was so unworthy in Qizhou. I ignored government affairs and disturbed the people. I was so annoyed that my father scolded me and then transferred me to the barren land of Dengzhou. Qizhou was so good that it was closer and easier to control! In Shangzhou, Hebei, official supplies such as salt, iron, and horses are produced, and there is no shortage of people and taxes. Dengzhou is a poor and small place. To eat salt, you have to rely on the wharf of Xiangzhou to transport it. I don’t think about it. How depressing it is.”
Li Ke laughed: "Fifth brother, you are doing well. Have you not heard that your third brother and I were banned in Chang'an for a year?"
"Uh... That's true." Li You nodded again and snorted, "I don't mind what my father wants to do to me. I just miss Changsun Wuji! Third brother, you also know that this guy Since he is the elder brother of the late queen and the brother-in-law of our father, he has always wanted to take care of everything, even our family affairs! Ever since we were young, he has never regarded us as princes. , he only recognized the sons born by his sister, and he was the one who proposed this? We, the concubine princes, all have to leave Chang'an! We are not like mothers and concubines! We are destined to live far away from our parents and our homeland. Isn’t this human behavior? During the Chinese New Year last year, I went back to Beijing to visit my relatives. I found that my mother-in-law turned gray overnight and stayed in a Taoist temple. What's the difference between being in the cold palace? After all, it wasn't Changsun Wuji who was causing trouble! His sister who was the queen died, so he couldn't tolerate other concubines being too close to his father, so he was jealous, so he slandered his father! The emperor is neglecting my mother and concubine! This person has evil intentions! I hate him so much!"
After hearing this, Qin Mubai only smiled and did not answer.
Li You's mother was Concubine Yin De. Why Concubine Yin De turned bald and why she lived in a Taoist temple is certainly not what Li You said. He has no evidence at all, it's just speculation out of loyalty. It can be seen that he and Changsun Wuji have always been at odds with each other, and... this Li You doesn't have much power, he is outspoken and a bit reckless, and his mind seems to be a bit simple.
"Fifth brother, don't talk nonsense." Li Ke said cautiously, "It is true that Changsun Wuji has disliked us concubine princes since he was a child. However, you don't have any evidence that he is slandering, right? ? Unless you heard it yourself, or the emperor told you personally, so don't think about these troublesome things, and just be your governor of Dengzhou!"
"Hey, I also know that his eldest son, Sun Wuji, is the uncle of the state, an important minister in the court, and deeply trusted by his father. Even if I am a prince, I am nothing in front of him. I am just scolding you here. , vent the resentment in my heart. What can I do to him? This old thief...!" Li You cursed in a low voice, turned his eyes, and quickly changed his expression, "Third brother, It’s been a blast these past few days, and I finally witnessed a bloody battle with my own eyes! Qin Mubai, you are quite capable, you can lay down such a big sky net, what a big deal!”
"Haha!" Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Everything is thanks to the great help of His Highness King Qi! Otherwise, the consequences would be really unimaginable!"
"Family, what's there to be thankful for!" Li You laughed hahaly, "It won't take long before you and Ling'er get married, then I will be your uncle-in-law? Haha! - This stinky girl has been growing up since childhood. Damn, no one can control her, even the father only pampers her and lets her do whatever she wants. Unexpectedly, she meets a evil star like you and eats her up. You are awesome, Qin Mubai. I really want to ask you for advice on how to control this unruly girl in my family. Although I am her brother, I only need to change her face and curl her mouth. Liushenwuzhu has no choice but to rely on her. Therefore, there is nothing I can do against her."
"Then you dote on her." Qin Mubai said with a smile, "I haven't seen you for a long time. I wonder how Princess Gaoyang is doing now. I really miss her."
"Isn't this easy?" Li You patted his chest and said casually: "In a few days, I will clean up the Dengzhou mansion and bring my sister here to live for a few days. She has a wild temper. Although she is She was born in Chang'an, but it would be nice to be able to stay in Chang'an for three to five months every year. She spends most of her time with her uncle in Bingzhou. She is free there. How can her uncle not care about her? Damn it. Now that my uncle has followed me to Dengzhou as an official, Ling'er will definitely like it here."
"Ah?" Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment, and thought to himself: I just said it casually, do you really want to get someone here? I miss her, but this little aunt is too difficult to take care of. Besides, the emperor may not let her leave the capital. Anyway, she and I have not officially announced our engagement. The farce of her previous marriage to the Fang family is still there.
Li Ke seemed to have seen through Qin Mubai's thoughts and took over the words: "Fifth brother, there is no rush to bring Gao Yang to Dengzhou. We have just defeated the water ghost party, but the remaining evil has not been eliminated. Who can guarantee that , The one they want to kidnap next time is not the new arrival Gao Yang. These people are so brave that they even dare to attack my princess."
"Huh? That's right!" Li You also saved his mind, "Since there is still some danger, let's talk about it later! Besides, it would be good to let Ling'er spend more time with his mother and concubine in the palace. Hey! Mother and concubine, She is so miserable! I feel sad when I think about it, but there is nothing I can do to change it.”
In Qin Mubai's mind, the alluring face and snow-like hair of the Yin Concubine also appeared, and he sighed slightly and remained silent.
Li You, who is only eighteen years old, is hyperactive and energetic. His buttocks seem to be pointed and he cannot sit still at all. After chatting with Qin Mubai and Li Ke for a while, he jumped up from the couch, stretched out and said, "Third brother, when is the banquet going to start? We can have fun after eating!"
"Are you hungry? Let's have a banquet then!" Li Ke smiled and ordered his servants to hold a banquet. He made a special trip to entertain Qi King Li You, and the governor of the governor, Shi Quan Wanji, and other officials also came to accompany him.
Li Youfei had to pull Qin Mubai to sit at the same table with him, and whispered in secret: "Mubai, we are also a family, and one family does not talk about two families. I know that you and Changsun Huan are having a lot of trouble. Because of this, he was kicked out of Baiqi and became a guard in Chang'an. Changsun Wuji must have hated you. This guy has always been most afraid of us concubine princes. He wishes we could all die. He has only a few close nephews, especially his third brother Li Ke. Now that he is so close... be careful!"
"Your Highness is worrying too much." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "I won't fight with him, Changsun Wuji, for anything. He won't do anything to me. It's like, the only ones fighting for the top of the mountain will be one tiger and another. A tiger, have you never heard of a horse competing with a tiger? "
"Qi! I kindly remind you that if you don't listen, you will be knocked down!" Li You raised his eyebrows and curled his lips and said, "Since we are a family, we must unite as one. Otherwise, we will be kicked down forever. Turned over."
"It's not that serious, right? Is it possible that there is really a serious feud between His Highness and Changsun Wuji?" Qin Mubai asked in a low voice.
"Why not?" Li You's face darkened, he looked around alertly, and whispered, "In the early years, he was the one who entered and slandered the Yin family. Fortunately, my father was merciful and spared my mother and concubine. Otherwise, how could he have been killed?" How did our bloodline get married to Ling'er? From then on, Changsun Wuji was extremely wary of the people of the Yin family. After Queen Changsun passed away, his father once thought of re-establishing the queen, so he gave birth to the fourth concubine. Selection among them. Logically speaking, this kind of matter is a royal family matter, and it is not his turn to talk too much, right? But he had to intervene and remind his father not to forget the blood of the Yin family. I mean, don't make Concubine Yin De the queen! I hate it! It doesn't matter whether my mother is the queen or not. I just hate Changsun Wuji's behavior these years. We haven't offended him, he has to make things difficult for us, huh!"
"You must have heard all of this, right?" Qin Mubai said, "I have been working in the palace for so long, how come I have never heard of this?"
Li You was startled for a moment, rolled his eyes, and said: "Of course it's impossible to hear it with your own ears. But even if it's a rumor, it's not groundless. It must be 80% true, right? Anyway, Changsun Wuji's The old thief is not a good thing. In fact, I don’t know what grandpa looks like. The feud between the Yin family and the Li family should be settled in our generation. Besides, Linger and I are not both surnamed Li. What? But Changsun Wuji has to treat us differently, as if we are all members of the Yin family, and sooner or later we will be thinking about this feud, and sooner or later we will settle the score with Changsun Wuji - ever since the death of Queen Changsun! Later, my father began to neglect my mother and concubine. Isn’t this because he was afraid that my mother and concubine would be favored and become the queen? "
Qin Mubai shook his head and smiled: "Your Highness, you are thinking too much. I have been in the palace for such a long time, and as His Majesty's confidant, I have to accompany you in the harem day and night, so I know a little bit about the secrets in the palace. As far as I know, Changsun Wuji really has never cared about such things. As for things like slandering and interfering with the establishment of the queen, it is not something that Changsun Wuji can do, because he is smart enough not to do such stupid things. "
"Are you trying to excuse him? Qin Mubai, how can you turn your elbows outward and help outsiders?" Li You was still a little annoyed.
"No." Qin Mubai said calmly, "I am helping you."
"What do you mean?" Li You asked in confusion.
"Actually, you and Gao Yang, including King Wu, currently pose no threat to his eldest son Wuji. Why would he bother to target you so carefully? After all, you are also the biological sons of His Majesty the Emperor, even if he is the king's My uncle is the emperor's confidant, so he can't kiss father and son. Why should he alienate the relationship between you and the emperor? Therefore, I feel that His Highness was instigated and wanted to make an enemy of Changsun Wuji." Qin Mubai said seriously. He looked at Li You and said word by word, "This won't be of any benefit to you."
Li You was startled, blinked and looked back at Qin Mubai, and said nothing for a while.
"Your Highness is a smart man and should be able to tell what is true and what is false." Qin Mubai said, "That's all I have to say. It is inconvenient to say more. Please make your own judgment."
Li You nodded thoughtfully, his eyes changed, and he didn't speak for a while.
"What are the two great heroes talking about in secret, so speculative?" Li Ke said loudly, "Come on, let's raise a glass and drink together!"
"Okay, have a drink!" Qin Mubai and Li You raised their glasses together, and went to drink in front of the officials in the hall.
At nightfall, the banquet has not yet ended. After defeating the water ghost gang, everyone was so happy that they were a little greedy.
Chen Yan had dinner with the princess in the back hall and waited for Qin Mubai for a long time. Seeing that the party hadn't dispersed yet, he was ready to say goodbye and leave. Princess Wu, who was weak after giving birth, was frightened again and became seriously ill. She went back to her room to rest early after dinner. Su Lianqing was taken in and happily became a maid. When he heard that Chen Yan was leaving, he personally escorted her out of the house.
"Sister, you are truly one of the best good people in the world, and also one of the most lucky." Su Lianqing held Chen Yan's hand and said with a smile.
Chen Yan flicked her wrist to break away from her and said: "When you work in the palace from now on, you need to change your appearance and change some of your past habits. In particular, you must no longer be as promiscuous as before, and you will have to change your appearance when meeting men. You have to seduce. The palace has its own rules, so you must abide by them."
"I know, I know." Su Lianqing said with a smile, "Can I be so ignorant?"
"I don't know whether you know what is good or bad. Anyway, if you act recklessly, you will anger King Wu and Qin Mubai." Chen Yan's face darkened and she said coldly, "No matter what you do, Anyway, don't mess with Mu Bai. If you hurt him in the slightest, I won't spare you."
"Uh!... I know, I know." Su Lianqing met Chen Yan's cold and solemn gaze, feeling a little cold in her heart, and said with a smile: "Sister, you are really caring to him. Don't worry, I know, If it weren't for his kindness, I would have been like many water ghosts, with my head missing or in prison. How could I not be grateful and start a new life?"
"That's fine." Chen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, "The palace is really not suitable for me. I have to leave. Just tell Mu Bai something later."
At this moment, the two heard loud laughter coming from the hall. There seemed to be a few drunkards walking out arm-in-arm, talking drunkenly.
"Qin Mubai, you have to accompany me tonight! Ha-ha!" A man's voice burped while talking, and said vaguely, "The third brother is under the care of the princess, and you are alone. Why don't you come to Xiangzhou with me? Did you see all the girls I brought in at noon? Hey, hey, there are five of them in total! It’s yours, and five of them are mine. You can choose first. How about that?”
Then he heard Qin Mubai's voice: "Your Highness, you are harming me! What if Ling'er finds out that I am such a promiscuous person?"
"If you don't tell me, if I don't tell you, how will she know? Hehe!" Li You pulled Qin Mubai and refused to let go. He was drunk and said with a silly smile, "Besides, if you know, so what? Man , How can I be called a man if I’m not romantic? Stop talking nonsense and get in the car with me. I’m already settled!”
The more Chen Yan listened, the more angry she became. She bit her silver teeth and was about to step forward. Su Lianqing hurriedly pulled her back.
"Are you crazy? That's King Qi!"
"I don't care if King Qi and the Ghost King drag Qin Mubai to fool around, it just won't work!" When the words fell, Chen Yan was already approaching like a phantom.
Li You only felt the dark wind blowing around him before his eyes. He was hit hard by something unknown on his arm, and he immediately lost strength and let go. In the blink of an eye, Qin Mubai in front of him had disappeared.
His hair stood on end and he screamed loudly: "Ghost, there is a ghost!"
"Come, come quickly! Someone has captured Qin Mubai!!"
Immediately the sound of sticks and gongs sounded, and countless soldiers from the palace rushed out together, making the whole palace become noisy.
Qin Mubai rode on the horse, looked back at the palace, and suddenly smiled bitterly. Chen Yan, who was sitting in the same saddle with him and protected in her arms, snorted coldly: "This time he got an advantage. Next time you let me meet him and teach you how to be bad, I will castrate him!"