The two slept for less than two hours when there was a knock on the door. Jing Lan stood outside and said respectfully, "Your Highness, Consort, your Majesty will hold a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony at noon today, you can afford it."
Li Rong listened to this, opened her eyes with perseverance, and pushed Pei Wenxuan: "Get up, get up soon."
Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to cover his eyes, frowned in pain, after a while, he propped himself up, shook his head and said, "Get up."
The two encouraged each other to get up and were about to leave, when Li Rong moved, she fell down with the white silk on the bed. The two stared at the white silk together, and Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan: "You handle it."
Pei Wenxuan stepped forward helplessly, picked up the white silk, cut his fingers from the side and stained it with blood, then threw it back on the bed, and said outside: "Come in and serve."
Jinglan pushed open the door and came in, and a group of maids stepped forward and waited on the two of them to wash up. The two of them changed into palace clothes, and then got into the carriage and went to the palace.
They were very sleepy on the road, and each leaned on the carriage to take a nap. After they fell asleep in the palace, the two felt that the carriage had stopped, and then they came back to their senses in a trance.
The two paused in the carriage for a while, and finally went out one after the other. At this time, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was already full of people.
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan greeted the officials in the hall all the way, and walked to the back of the main hall. There was a small room behind the main hall. The emperor and the queen led the royal family to have a private banquet in it. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan entered the small hall and went to court first. After the emperor and the queen saluted, the emperor and the queen gave them gifts, so they got up, and the husband and wife sat down beside the emperor.
This palace banquet was very lively. The people in the harem were all here. Everyone didn't speak, and they all looked at Pei Wenxuan secretly. talk.
Li Ming is also familiar with Pei Wenxuan. He usually talks about business affairs. At this moment, he rarely talks about family affairs, and his greetings are small daily matters, but Li Mingken takes care of Pei Wenxuan so much. In the eyes of everyone, it is another a meaning.
Li Ming and Pei Wenxuan said a few words, and then asked about the situation of Princess Li Rong's mansion. Li Rong answered along the way. After chatting for a while, it was time for the banquet.
The dishes were served one by one. After Li Rong had cleaned up the princesses, they didn't dare to make trouble now. The meal was considered a peaceful meal. After the meal was almost finished, everyone sat chatting, and the concubines were one by one. After asking Pei Wenxuan for a while, Pei Wenxuan answered meticulously. After answering, Concubine Rou smiled softly: "I didn't expect the child to grow so big in a blink of an eye. Now the marriage of His Royal Highness Pingle is over, sister," Concubine Rou said. Turning his head, looking at the queen, he said gently, "I don't know about His Royal Highness's marriage, is my sister ready?"
Li Chuan is two years younger than Li Rong. Now that Li Rong is married, everyone's eyes are on Li Chuan.
The queen smiled and said calmly, "Chuan'er is still young, so don't think about it for now."
"His Royal Highness is not too young." Concubine Mei picked up the words, "Your Majesty was so old back then, and he has already made a marriage plan with the empress, right?"
After hearing this, the queen glanced at Concubine Mei without a trace, and gave a bit of warning: "You are very concerned about the prince."
"Prince's business," Concubine Rou smiled next to her, "who doesn't care? But the elder sister said the same thing. The crown prince will have four years to be crowned, so he is not in a hurry. Now, choose slowly and see which one is right."
"You said that," the emperor listened to Concubine Rou's words eagerly, his eyes fell on Concubine Rou, with no anger on his face, "What do you think?"
"The matter of the crown prince," Concubine Rou felt rather embarrassed, "It's all up to the elder sister, what can the concubine think?"
"Although the crown prince is the queen's son, it is considered that you have grown up," the emperor brought tea and raised his hand, "but it doesn't matter."
"This is what the concubine thinks." Concubine Rou pulled her hair behind her ears and raised her eyes to look at Li Chuan, "His Royal Highness has a noble status. If you want to talk about status, no woman in this world is a good match. You don't have to use status as the first marriage partner. In the first plan, the most important thing is character. There is a small niece in the concubine's family, with a gentle and virtuous temperament, similar to His Highness's age, the concubine dared to recommend it, and I think this little niece is very suitable."
After saying this, Li Chuan glanced over coldly, and the Queen's expression was also very ugly. The emperor raised his eyes and glanced at Li Chuan, and when he saw that his face was not good, he frowned, and turned to look at Li Rong. Seeing Li Rong blowing the tea leaves in the teacup with her head down, he looked quite content. He couldn't help but feel a little strange, and asked: " Pingle, don't you ask about your brother's marriage?"
Li Rong was called, raised her head, and said blankly, "What's there to ask?"
"Such a big thing," Li Ming was amused by Li Rong, "You don't even care?"
"Royal Father," Li Rong put down the teacup with a serious face, "there are palace rules in the palace, concubine Roufei doesn't know about it, and does Erchen still know about it? Chuaner is my younger brother, but he is also the heir of a country. In addition to being the master of the marriage, who dares to say more? Besides, the father is so wise, he will definitely find a good match for Chuan’er, so I won’t worry about it.”
As she said that, she raised her eyes to look at Concubine Rou, and said with a smile: "Concubine Rou is also, what do you do with so much?"
When Concubine Rou got this, her expression didn't change. Hua Le grabbed her voice and said, "Sister's words are wrong. We are all a family. My concubine is also doing good for His Royal Highness. Your words are really chilling."
"Hey, does my sister have to make my words so clear?" Li Rong sighed, she turned her head and looked at Li Ming and said, "Father, I don't want to hurt the concubine Roufei's heart, after all, the concubine Roufei is here. In my heart, I also watched my son grow up and put it in the homes of ordinary people, that is, the same position as a nanny and concubine, but there are some words that my son thinks are not very good to say. "
Hua Le's face changed immediately when the words like nanny and concubine were used, Li Ming glanced at both parties, and then said, "Go ahead."
"Chuan'er is the state heir, and he has a lot to do with choosing a wife. His family background, appearance, and character are all indispensable. There are many women in this noble family, so why choose a girl from a small family? If you really marry Concubine Rou Empress' niece is the crown prince, what does this make the courtiers think? What does the common people think? If Chuaner wants to marry a girl, then at least he has to be like me," Li Rong smiled and took Pei Wenxuan's hand, "at least it should be an aristocratic family. Isn't the first lady?"
Li Rong's words were so naive. Li Ming originally heard that his face was not very good. When Li Rong took Pei Wenxuan's hand, Li Ming suddenly felt relieved, and felt that this daughter really just despised Concubine Rou. Just born.
Although he didn't like it very much, he could understand it. After all, Concubine Rou's background was really not on the table, and with Li Rong's temperament, it was common for him to be unaccustomed to seeing it. Concubine Rou also wanted to send her niece to be the crown princess, and Li Ming also felt it was inappropriate.
Li Ming nodded and turned the topic around: "Chuan'er is still young, we will talk about this later. If there is a suitable girl, please pay attention and tell the queen that it is."
After these words came out, the queen looked better, and the group chatted for a while, the eunuch came back from outside and whispered a few words beside Li Ming, Li Ming responded, and then raised his head and said to everyone: "It's about the same time, I There's something else to do, let's go."
After Li Ming finished speaking, everyone knelt down and sent him out. Li Ming went to the outer hall and said a few words to the ministers before leaving first.
After Li Ming left, the Queen announced the banquet, and Li Rong stepped forward to say goodbye to the Queen and Li Chuan, and then left with Pei Wenxuan.
The two greeted each other all the way to leave, and got into the carriage. As soon as they got into the carriage, Li Rong breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as she sat down at the table, she collapsed. Pei Wenxuan sat opposite her and was quite tired, pouring tea for himself, while saying, "I'm so tired to eat with your family, it's like an early morning after a meal, and it's all your women's topic. , I'm sick to death."
"You think I'm not uncomfortable?"
Li Rong took the tea he poured, and got a little angry: "Concubine Rou, what is it! She wants to cling to Chuan'er just because of her niece? She doesn't follow her own way, the toad wants to eat swan meat, it's cheap for her! "
"Then what else do you want?" Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea and said seriously, "Poison her to death?"
"I think so," Li Rong turned to look at him, "Can you do it? If you can, I'll buy people's heads."
"The noble concubine's head is worth thousands of dollars?" Pei Wenxuan laughed, and Li Rong sneered and turned her head: "A thousand pieces of gold are overestimating her."
"However," Pei Wenxuan pondered and said seriously, "His Royal Highness's marriage should indeed be considered."
In the last life, Li Chuan's marriage was in the spring of next year, that is, the candidates were decided around this time. The queen actually already has a candidate for the crown princess in her heart now, and she is just looking for a side concubine.
Li Rong pondered and listened to Pei Wen's preaching: "I don't know about His Royal Highness's marriage. What is the princess' plan? Is it the same as in the previous life, using marriage to contact the family to secure the crown prince's position, or do you have other plans?"
"What do you think?" Li Rong picked up the teacup and took a sip.
In fact, both of them understand that what they are discussing is not Li Chuan's marriage, but how to fight for Li Chuan's crown prince.
"In the last life, the Empress found a main concubine and four side concubines for the prince, which has indeed stabilized the relationship between the prince and the family. If His Royal Highness feels that the prince in this life will still follow the old path of the previous life, with the help of the family, To assist with the military power in the northwest, and to fight against Your Majesty head-on, this is indeed a way."
Li Rong didn't speak, she tapped the palm of her hand with a golden folding fan: "Where's the other one?"
"Your Highness, can you remember the last life, how did His Highness the Crown Prince be deposed?"
Pei Wenxuan suddenly asked such a question, Li Rong knew that he would not ask questions casually, so she thought about it seriously, and replied, "Chuan'er has no military power, and relies solely on the family, and the father uses King Su as a puppet, Secretly support the ordinary nobility, and all the aristocratic clans who take refuge in King Su can be promoted to compete with Chuan'er."
Li Ming was an extremely patient emperor.
His encirclement and suppression of Li Chuan was almost all-round. He supported ordinary aristocratic families, secretly supported the fight between these second-class aristocratic families and first-class families, and suppressed the support of Li Chuan in the dynasty.
He planned to take away the military power of the Yang family, hand it over to King Su's uncle, and gave it to King Su to fight against Li Chuan's military power.
At the same time, he provoked the relationship between several concubines in Li Chuan's harem, and the death of one of the concubines aggravated the separation between Li Chuan and his in-laws.
From the inner courtyard to the court hall, there is almost no place for peace.
"His Royal Highness was tied to these great nobles, but His Highness's thoughts were in the world, not any family. In the later period, the prince and these aristocratic families were separated from each other, and the two sides had disputes with each other. Then the Prime Minister Shangguan passed away, and the Shangguan family declined. Forced to connect more and more closely with other noble families, but those noble families did not absolutely obey His Highness, so after Qin Lin won the battle at the border, His Majesty's suspicion of the Crown Prince reached its peak, and there was the Taizhou case."
Pei Wenxuan's voice was calm, reminding Li Rong of the past life.
The Taizhou case was the reason why Li Chuan was abolished in name. The Nie family, one of the prince's concubines, occupied nearly 1,000 mu of other people's fertile land in his hometown in Taizhou, and killed nearly a hundred people, one of whom was a victim. Those who escaped by chance, went to Huajing to seek justice.
This case shocked Daxia, and people all over the world were indignant. Before that, there had been more than one case of nobles who were involved with Li Chuan. With this case, the people in Daxia were angry, and scholars from all over the country wrote articles to attack Li Chuan. In Chuan, hundreds of officials knelt at the entrance of the imperial study and begged the crown prince to be abolished.
After Li Chuan was imprisoned, Li Ming announced a thorough investigation of the Shangguan family in order to show justice. So Li Rong was imprisoned, Qin Zhenzhen went to the northwest, and Pei Wenxuan lobbied the Quartet.
In the end, Pei Wenxuan persuaded those great nobles to fear that they would favor the ordinary King Su for ascending the throne, and promised heavy profits, and finally united with the major giants, together with Qin Lin, to attack Huajing and support Li Chuan to ascend the throne.
Li Chuan clearly understood what kind of existence the family was. It was like a blood-sucking beast lingering in this country. The emperor was a puppet in his hand. They could either set him up or abolish him.
So throughout his life, Li Chuan embarked on the old path of Li Ming again, and used his life to fight against the aristocratic family.
"So, in this life, why doesn't the prince stay away from the aristocratic family?"
"Away from the family?" Li Rong frowned, "Who will help Chuan'er in the future?"
"Isn't it with you and me?" Pei Wenxuan turned to look at Li Rong, "Now that we have sent Qin Lin to the northwest, he and Cui Qingyuan have joined forces, and we will assist them in secret to help them control the military power in the northwest."
"and then?"
"I'll take refuge with Your Majesty, and cooperate with His Majesty to become an ordinary family he wants to cultivate against the Shangguan family. And His Royal Highness, he doesn't have to do anything. He only needs to be a good prince, not form a party, do not have any stains, and win the hearts and minds of the people, that's enough. already."
"Then if the royal father had the intention to harm him, wouldn't he be alone and helpless?"
Li Rong was a little worried. Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but laugh.
"Your Highness still doesn't understand why your Majesty wants to abolish the prince?"
When Pei Wenxuan asked such a question, Li Rong did not reply immediately. She looked at Pei Wenxuan, pondered for a moment, and said, "Why do you think it is?"
"What Your Majesty wants to abolish is not the prince, but the prince in the hands of the nobles."
Listening to Pei Wenxuan's words, Li Rong flipped the fan in her hand and lowered her eyes.
There are many things that I wanted to see clearly when I was young, but when I think about it when I get older, I understand a little bit.
When Li Ming was so persistent in wanting to abolish the prince, not only did he not want the Shangguan family to become bigger, but he was probably also aware of the pressure these wealthy aristocrats brought to his regime.
Li Ming is a more belligerent emperor than Li Chuan. It is his long-cherished wish to unify the northern border. If he tries to go to war with the outside world, these nobles who yearn for peace, these entrenched family forces must be the most difficult core to solve on the battlefield. question.
When he was young, Li Chuan advocated benevolence to govern the world, and he was born in a Shangguan family. What he called benevolence was the favorite monarch of a wealthy family. The closer Li Chuan was connected with the family, the more Li Ming would think that it was cultivated by an aristocratic family. The puppet, a prince of the royal family who was raised and abandoned by a family.
She probably understood Pei Wenxuan's thinking, raised her eyes and said, "So, you hope that Chuan'er can get away from the battle between the noble family and the emperor, and not become a target for their battle."
"Yes," Pei Wenxuan affirmed, "then I will be His Majesty's knife, and I will help His Majesty dig out the abscesses of those noble families, and let His Majesty focus on the noble family instead of the prince. Then the prince will be safe for the time being."
"But Chuan'er can't have no one at all." Li Rong was still worried, "He has to have someone to help him."
"Isn't there an imperial examination system?"
Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong, who was slightly taken aback.
If Pei Wenxuan said these three words if he hadn't lived again, Li Rong would have laughed.
The imperial examination system has been implemented to this day, not to mention that the vast majority of the selected people are children of nobles. Even if a real poor family enters, they are all small officials in the corners, and they cannot enter the vision of power struggle at all. middle.
However, Li Rong had seen how Pei Wenxuan used this system, and the effect of the new power generated by this system when used by the king, so after pondering for a while, she concluded: "Chuan'er is alone, avoiding the edge for a while, secretly Promote the poor family to do things, and win the hearts of the world. You become the leader of the ordinary nobles, and you fight against the first-class families, weakening the power of the father and the existing wealthy families. I contact the Shangguan family and other big families to balance the relationship between the two sides. If one day, the father will turn back and want to liquidate Prince…”
"From a first-class family in the Manchu Dynasty to a poor family with a background in the imperial examination, most of them will belong to His Royal Highness."
Pei Wenxuan cut off Li Rong's words and said seriously: "Not only that, the prince will not have too fierce a struggle with the family in the future, and the scene of the previous prince's blood cleansing the family in the early days will not happen again."
Li Rong was silent, Pei Wenxuan saw that she didn't speak, and after a little guess, he knew what she was hesitating.
"You still don't like people from the Han family."
"People from Wei Mo," Li Rong looked up at him with sharp eyes, "most of them are bloodthirsty and greedy for power. Given power, they can't control their desire for money. Zhong Ding's family is still like this, not to mention them?"
"Everyone is like this," Pei Wenxuan said calmly, "What's the difference between noble and low?"
"How many years have you told me this?" Li Rong sneered, "How many of your people have been investigated for corruption and bribery, do you still need me to tell me?"
"Then you want me to tell you how many vegetarian meals your people have deceived to the point of failure?"
Pei Wenxuan echoed subconsciously, Li Rong looked at him coldly, Pei Wenxuan caught that look, and after a pause, for some unknown reason, he suddenly felt a little short of breath.
He coughed lightly, turned his head away, and said slowly, "I'm just giving a suggestion, anyway, the outcome is up to His Royal Highness. You choose the first path, we'll just follow the old path. Follow-up, His Royal Highness. Just like the previous life, it's a common occurrence."
Li Rong didn't speak, but tapped the palm of his hand, Pei Wenxuan glanced at him, and continued: "Or, let's try the second way, there is no risk, and once it succeeds, His Royal Highness will be crowned in the future, there will be nothing. Obstacles, you don't have to fight with the noble family, and you don't have to struggle to maintain the relationship between the Shangguan family and His Majesty. If Your Majesty is happier, your relationship with His Majesty will be better..."
Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan desperately talking about the benefits behind, and couldn't help lowering her head and laughing out loud. Pei Wenxuan saw her smile and leaned over: "What do you think, Your Highness?"
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong turned her head to look at him, "It's a pity that you are so clever that I won't send you to serve in the palace."
"It's not a pity," Pei Wenxuan smiled at Li Rong, "serving Your Highness is the same."
"Do as you said first." Li Rong said calmly, "But if this is the case, Chuan'er can't get married now, and even if she gets married, she can't marry a noble. The other concubines are fine, but the Shangguan family..."
Pei Wenxuan knew that Li Rong and Shangguanya had an extraordinary friendship, so he raised his eyebrows: "What are you going to do with it?"
"I have to see Shangguanya." Li Rong raised her eyes, folded her fan to her palm, and said calmly, "This matter has to be brought up by Shangguan."
Otherwise, the Shangguan family would spend so much effort to help, and Li Chuan would go back on his word. I am afraid that no one will dare to help Li Chuan in the future.
When Pei Wenxuan got the words, he raised his hand and applauded: "It's a good strategy."
Li Rong glanced at him lightly: "It's exaggerated."
"Then it's settled," Pei Wenxuan resumed his usual look, picked up the tea, and said calmly, "I am responsible for helping His Majesty here, you are responsible for contacting the nobles such as Shangguan and Su, and don't let them think that the prince is the prince. completely cut off from them."
Having said that, Pei Wenxuan remembered something, looked up at Li Rong, and covered up the vague sourness in his heart: "His Royal Highness can take this opportunity to cultivate some feelings with Master Su."
"Then I have to ask you carefully," Li Rong said indifferently, "Let's get in touch with Second Miss Qin and cultivate more feelings. She and Chuan'er have a bad relationship, so don't meet each other."
When Pei Wenxuan heard this, he had a headache, hated himself for being mean, and quickly changed the subject: "Wait to Pei's house, you see my family, if there is anything unhappy about it, just let it go. "
When Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan mention his family, she was already prepared and nodded.
The two did not speak for a while, and sat quietly in the carriage. After sitting for a while, Li Rong suddenly remembered what Pei Wenxuan said last night.
She didn't dare to discuss that topic with Pei Wenxuan in depth. When Pei Wenxuan suddenly brought it up, she could only pretend not to care about it in a playful way.
It's just that Pei Wenxuan is too persistent, forcing her to think and see.
She lifted the curtain with a golden fan and saw the birds flying by outside.
"Pei Wenxuan."
She suddenly called Pei Wenxuan's name, and Pei Wenxuan raised his head blankly, only to see Li Rong turn his head and look at him quietly: "I believe you once in my life, if you lead me astray, I will kill you. Drag it out to feed the dog."
Pei Wenxuan was at a loss for a while, and he didn't know what Li Rong believed in him.
He thought for a moment, guessing that he should have planned this plan for Li Rong, so he smiled confidently, put his hand forward quite slyly, and nodded slightly: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I have thought about everything. , absolutely fine."
Seeing Pei Wenxuan's confident smile, Li Rong didn't know if he really thought about it, or if he thought it was wrong...
But Li Rong didn't want to bother with him either.
Pei Wenxuan is used to being unexpected in some details.
The author has something to say: [Small Theater]
Li Rong (heart): "You said that I should strive for love, I have believed in your evil all my life, and I will try to see what you do. But if you lead me the wrong way, I will drag you down. Go out and chop and feed the dog."
Li Rong (face): "Pei Wenxuan, I believe you once in my life.
Pei Wenxuan (heart): Believe me? Believe what? Do you believe in my plan for competing for storage? That's absolutely foolproof!
Pei Wenxuan (face): "Your Highness, I've thought about everything, absolutely no problem."
later…
Li Rong: "Isn't it absolutely okay for me to be brave and love this decision?"
Pei Wenxuan, who was about to be dragged out to feed the dog: "His Royal Highness, the plan is fine, but there is something wrong with the object! However, it was corrected in time!"
Li Rong: "No need to say more, let's have a thick funeral."