The capital is in sight.
Liu Zhao stood at the bow of the boat, watching the busy Lifu, who was moving pieces of goods onto the boat.
When the goods were full, the boat went down the river towards the capital.
The pier, which was originally neighing and roaring, suddenly changed its style, and I was really not used to it.
Lin Shuping bowed and stood beside him, "My lord, this is the all-seas freight that madam runs. It transports goods for people and pays the city gate tax."
Liu Zhao let out a hum from his nasal cavity.
In the past few months, he already knew what happened in the capital.
I really didn't expect that during the few months when he was away, Gu Jiu made such a big noise and was even targeted by the emperor's grandfather.
When the boat docked, Liu Zhao disembarked and returned to the capital by carriage.
The prosperous capital of the past is still prosperous.
People are coming and going on the street, and goods are piled up like mountains.
Liu Zhao did not return to the palace, but went directly to the palace.
In the palace, the emperor led all the officials to welcome his return.
His achievements have been spread throughout the court.
The royal family was proud of him, and the courtiers looked at him with more scrutiny.
In the past, all eyes were on the grown prince. From today onwards, the eyes of the courtiers will also be on Young Master Zhao.
It is possible to watch the emperor's grandson establish the crown prince.
Liu Zhao made extraordinary achievements and used his own strength to disrupt the Beirong court. As a result, Beirong's strength was greatly reduced, and it was unable to go south for at least ten years.
I don't know how the emperor will reward such extraordinary achievements.
The courtiers looked at King Ning again.
Congratulations to King Ning for giving birth to a good son. With his son Zhao making contributions abroad, King Ning's chances of winning have increased a lot.
At least it is much more reliable than the little prince who is still breastfeeding in the harem.
Except for the Li family and the Li family's faction, no one wants a baby prince to inherit the throne, and then the queen mother listens to the government behind the curtain.
This is chaos!
Concubine Li De, He Dehe Neng, delusional to listen to politics behind the curtain, just dream.
The emperor was very excited, he stepped down from the dragon chair himself, and patted Liu Zhao on the shoulder, "It's good that we didn't insult our ancestors!"
"The grandson is lucky to live up to his fate!" Liu Zhao bowed and bowed.
The emperor laughed.
The servant took the imperial decree and read it aloud, commending Liu Zhao's achievements, and bestowing the title of general of the town, with a title below the king of the county. A few thousand taels of juelu a year, plus several farms.
Liu Zhao knew it would be like this.
It is impossible for the emperor to grant him the title of county king, even if he has made extraordinary achievements.
Liu Zhao received the imperial decree and knelt down to thank the emperor for his mighty grace.
The emperor encouraged Liu Zhao to take a rest for a few days and go directly to the Ministry of War.
Liu Zhao kowtowed again.
It was a happy situation for everyone, but unexpectedly, a censor jumped out at this moment to ask the emperor to make the crown prince.
"Your Majesty has made extraordinary achievements in the world, and I weep blood and ask Your Majesty to make King Ning the Crown Prince!"
King Ning was furious, and without waiting for the emperor to ask questions, he rushed forward and kicked Yu Shi over.
"This king has no grievances with you, you bastard, who ordered you to frame this king?"
"My minister is dedicated to serving the public. The prince doesn't understand my minister's painstaking efforts. Instead, he criticizes me. What's the point?"
King Ning was too lazy to flirt with the censor. In terms of eloquence, he was 100% no match for the censor who was good at talking.
He started directly, punching Yu Shi with fist and fist, and specifically punched Yu Shi's face.
In this way, the censor can never think about going to court until his face is healed.
"presumptuous!"
The emperor scolded angrily, and the general of the Han Dynasty rushed into the hall and pulled King Ning away.
The censor was lying on the ground, ouching and yelling.
A handsome face was beaten into a bun, pointed at King Ning, and complained: "%&... ("
Everyone didn't hear a word clearly.
The emperor's face was covered with frost.
Chen Dachang winked, and immediately the little yellow gatekeeper Yu Shi dragged him down.
King Ning looked angry, "Father, my son does not expect to be a prince. You old man, don't be provoked to be suspicious of your son by a few words from the censor."
The emperor picked up the teacup and threw it directly at King Ning on the head.
Ning Wang nimbly dodged.
"It's not your turn to make irresponsible remarks about what I think."
King Ning's eyebrows twitched, and he knelt down on the ground, "Father, what happened today is clearly someone who framed my son. Check out the relationship behind that censor, and we will definitely find out the villain behind the scenes."
"Shut up!"
The emperor didn't want to hear a word.
The emperor's gaze, like a sharp sword, swept across the faces of every courtier.
"Who else wants to mention Li Chu?"
The courtiers looked at each other with lingering fear.
But there are still people who are not afraid of death to stand up and raise the matter of establishing a reserve.
Fortunately, I didn't say who to establish, but said that the crown prince is the foundation of the country, and there is no time to delay the establishment of the crown prince, so I implore the emperor to establish a crown prince as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, please establish a reserve as soon as possible."
Another courtier stood up to petition.
The Son of Heaven glanced at everyone in the hall with a cold expression, the cold light in his eyes could not be hidden.
Establishing a reserve is a taboo in the heart of the emperor.
Establishing a crown prince means that there is someone to replace him, and it is possible to replace him at any time.
After Ruizhen's devastation by Empress Cui and Prince Renxuan's death, the emperor had already made up his mind not to establish a crown prince.
The courtiers once again proposed the establishment of a reserve, which only made the emperor feel a strong sense of vigilance.
who is it
Who is delusional to replace him
Who else is staring at his dragon chair
Is it King Ning
Or King Zhao? Or other adult princes
The emperor's eyes swept across the faces of every adult prince, his eyes were cold and without any emotion. Some are just on guard and vigilance.
When King Ning saw it, he secretly called out!
The old man suffered from paranoia again, and each time it became more serious.
King Ning gritted his teeth, who is that censor just now? Instigated by whom
The censor suddenly ran out and said that it was definitely a conspiracy to make him the crown prince.
Someone is going to kill him.
And it achieved the goal easily.
Look at the way the emperor looks at him, it makes people feel like falling into an ice cellar.
After life and death, Liu Zhao made extraordinary achievements, but was gently pushed away by a censor, and all the achievements were wiped out.
Liu Zhao's achievements not only failed to add points to King Ning, but instead deepened the emperor's suspicion of King Ning.
The thought of killing has already been moved in King Ning's heart.
He was going to kill that censor.
His eyes swept over the faces of every brother, and every brother was suspicious.
He even suspected that the censor was sent by Concubine Li De.
Concubine Li De is taking revenge.
The emperor flicked his sleeves and left, directly retreating.
The courtiers looked at each other.
Liu Zhao of the Ning Dynasty walked over, "Send someone to guard the censor immediately, and the censor cannot be allowed to die. Ask the king to find out who is behind the plot, and this Liangzi has settled."
Liu Zhao said softly, "I'm afraid it's already too late."
A word becomes a proverb.
The person sent to find the censor reported back. After being dragged out of the hall, the censor went straight out of the palace and returned to the mansion. When they arrived at Yushi's home, Yushi had hanged himself.
Upon hearing the news, King Ning slammed his fist on the table.
"Grandma, check, continue to check. Find out all the eighteen generations of the imperial censor's ancestors, and find out who is disrupting the situation."
…
harem.
The confidant servant came to Concubine Li De and reported in a low voice, "I want to report to your empress, luckily, the imperial censor has committed suicide."
Concubine Li De picked up the rouge and gently applied it on the back of her hand.
Hearing this, she smiled softly, "What's the reaction from Prince Ning?"
"Naturally, he was very angry. After the young master received the order, Yu Shi immediately stood up and said that King Li Ning should be the heir apparent, which immediately broke the situation. Your empress is really clever."
Concubine Li De raised her eyebrows, "I didn't expect that Gong Zizhao went to Beirong after disappearing for a few months, and made such a miraculous achievement. Seeing the rising tide of Prince Ning's mansion, I can't sleep at night. I am not the only one who is pleasing to the eye."
Why did Concubine Li De think of sending Yu Shi to break the situation? Naturally, someone gave her advice.
The confidant servant smiled and said: "Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations. After today's incident, His Majesty will only become more suspicious of King Ning. Your Majesty only needs to say a few words when necessary, and King Ning can't be turned over."
Concubine Li De smiled, and said: "This palace not only wants to make King Ning unable to turn over, but also wants to make sure that no one in Prince Ning's house stays behind."
Resentment flashed in her eyes.
If Gu Jiu dared to plot against the Li family behind his back, he must be prepared to accept revenge.
She wanted Gu Jiu to pay a heavy price, and made Gu Jiu's life worse than death.
The entire Ning Palace will die because of her.
…
Chu Palace.
The king of Chu was so excited that he said, "This king wants to thank Shaojian Fang. Shaojian Fang made a plan to provoke Concubine Li De, and easily broke Liu Zhao's extraordinary achievements, and made King Ning and his son fetch water from the bamboo basket in vain. Haha, it's so satisfying. Looking at King Ning's face at that time, it was really heartening."
Fang Shaojian sat on the ground and reminded: "My lord, don't be in a hurry to be happy. After all, the young master has made extraordinary achievements. In the hearts of civil and military officials, he has become the first among the emperor's grandchildren. Even if the emperor is very suspicious of King Ning, it will not hinder you." The courtiers are leaning towards Prince Ning's Mansion."
Concubine Sun nodded again and again, "Young Master Fang is right. King Ning can take advantage of the son's edict to make meritorious service and take advantage of the opportunity to recruit civil and military officials. Especially the generals, I am afraid that Liu Zhao will respond like a cloud."
The King of Chu frowned, and said unconvinced: "Liu Zhao is just lucky."
The same as the emperor's grandson, he and Liu Zhao have been fighting since childhood.
He thought he was the number one among the emperor's grandsons, and now he was overwhelmed by Liu Zhao, so he was naturally not reconciled.
Say something sour.
The concubine Sun's expression turned serious when she heard the words, "Ridiculous! If you think that Liu Zhao's achievements are all due to luck, then you will never win against him.
You must face your opponent squarely so that you can make accurate judgments. I know that you have a feud with Liu Zhao, but you shouldn't be blinded by personal grievances, saying that he is all luck.
Disrupting Beirong's royal family and causing Beirong to fall into internal strife, can it be achieved by mere luck? "
The king of Chu looked ashamed, "What the concubine mother taught me is that my son knows his mistakes. The son admits that Liu Zhao has made such a great contribution, which is very remarkable. But the son thinks that he is no worse than him. If I change my son to go to Beirong, I may not be inferior to him."
Grand Concubine Sun's expression softened, "It's great that you think so! I have already sent people to the northwest to find out more details. When the news arrives, you can try to figure out how Liu Zhao did it in Beirong and learn more. Learn from others' strengths, don't just stare at others' weaknesses."
"Son obeys."
The Crown Prince Sun waved his hand, and the King of Chu bowed and retreated.
In the hall, only the concubine Sun and Fang Shaojian were left.
Grand Concubine Sun rubbed the center of her eyebrows, and said, "The King of Chu is still losing his composure."
Fang Shaojian smiled softly, "The prince is just too worried about gain and loss. It may not be a good thing to suddenly get a high position. The old slave still said that the prince is not suitable to stand in the court at the moment. It is best to go to the army for two years of experience. Grind your temper."
Concubine Sun's expression was solemn, "If he leaves the court, how can the court have a place for him?"
"Being famous in the army is more important than gaining a foothold in the court. Madam, don't forget that the prince is only in his early twenties this year. It is not a bad thing to go to the court two years later to hone his training."
The Crown Prince Sun frowned, "Let me think about this matter again."
She wants to listen to the opinions of her mother's family.
Fang Shaojian shook his head secretly, his heart full of worries.
He looked in the direction of Prince Ning's Mansion, he really underestimated Liu Zhao in the past.
Liu Zhao has become the first among the emperor's grandsons, so does he have a chance to reach the top
And Gu Jiu.
With Gu Jiu's financial resources, he can pull up a team for Liu Zhao in a blink of an eye.
Although he lost the trust of the emperor, he won the support of the generals. Just in response to that sentence, misfortune comes when blessings depend on blessings and misfortune rests on them.
Who can say clearly what will happen in the future.
…
When Liu Zhao returned to the palace, he first went to see Princess Pei.
Mrs. Pei already knew that he was in Beirong capital for several months when he disappeared, and he was still stirring up wind and rain in Beirong capital.
Mrs. Pei was a little scared, "Such an important task can be said to be close to death, why did His Majesty entrust it to you? If there is an emergency, have you not thought about the consequences? You don't even have children, why do you just, you Are you trying to scare me to death?"
It was rare for Mrs. Pei to show concern for him, so Liu Zhao said patiently: "Mother and concubine don't have to worry, isn't your son coming back safely?"
"I've heard people say that Beirong has been chasing and killing you. If your uncle Luhou hadn't sent an army to rescue you, you would have died in Beirong. Do you know that when I heard about this, I was so scared My whole body was excited.
But if something goes wrong, you can't come back. There is such a huge court, and it is not that there is no one, why do you want to do such a dangerous thing, your grandson. "
Liu Zhao said solemnly: "Wealth and wealth are found in danger."
Pei's face was serious, "The palace is already rich enough."
But Liu Zhao said: "That is the wealth of the father, not the wealth of the son."
Pei was angry and said sharply, "What belongs to your father is yours."
Liu Zhao laughed, "Concubine mother, are you sure?"
Pei was speechless.
King Ning is more than one son of Liu Zhao. Obviously, it is impossible for King Ning to inherit all the wealth and honor owned by Liu Zhao.
Mrs. Pei took a deep breath, "Forget it, forget it, I can't talk to you, and I can't control you. What are you going to do, I won't ask."
"It's the son's fault that I'm tired of the mother and concubine. The son will come to pay my respects to the concubine mother someday."
Mrs. Pei snorted, "Hurry up and go back to your room to see your wife. The two of you have a baby earlier, and this princess has one less thing on her mind. Let me tell you, Concubine Shu has mentioned this matter several times, you can't Perfunctory.
If Gu Jiu's health is not good, ask the imperial physician to take care of her. If the care is not good, this princess will make the decision for you, marry a concubine and give birth to a son for you. "
"Thank you, concubine mother. But my son doesn't need a concubine's room, Xiaojiu will be pregnant sooner or later."
Pei's eyes widened, "It's useless to just talk. The second daughter-in-law is already pregnant, and your daughter-in-law has not moved. You can figure it out."
Liu Zhao nodded, "Thank you, Concubine Mother, for reminding me, my son will hurry up to have a baby."
He resigned from Pei's family and went directly back to the east courtyard to live in his room.
The weather was hot, and Gu Jiu was bitter in the summer, so he didn't want to move.
Lying on a soft bed, taking a nap in an ice basin.
There was still a book in his hand, and it was about to fall to the ground.
Liu Zhao stepped forward, took the book away from her hand, and then grabbed her hand and refused to let go.
Gu Jiu slept soundly and was not awakened.
Sweat broke out on her forehead, making her feel a little uncomfortable.
Liu Zhao directly picked up the round fan on the table, fanned her lightly, and looked at her appearance at the same time.
This is his longing face.
After so many midnight dreams, all the thoughts in his mind were Gu Jiu.
He was able to come back alive because he had faith in his heart that he must come back alive to see her.
Never give her the chance to be a widow.
When he thought that if he died in Beirong, Gu Jiu might remarry someone else, his heart was filled with anger and unwillingness.
Liu Zhao laughed at himself.
I really don't know when this woman will live in my heart.
However, this woman was heartless all day long, saying all kinds of heartbreaking things, kicking him out of bed when she was upset, embarrassing him very much.
It's unreasonable for the grandson of the emperor to be weak.
"I smell a sour smell."
Gu Jiu opened his eyes, and with a gentle smile, he looked at the man in front of him.
"A sour smell comes out of your nostrils, how much resentment do you have in your heart?"
Liu Zhao bowed his head and sniffed the familiar body fragrance, "Since you know that the resentment in my son's heart has accumulated into a river, shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
Gu Jiu frowned, "Obviously the one who should confess is you. Go to Beirong without telling me, and tell me honestly, are there any Beirong women who throw themselves into your arms? Can you stay calm?"