"In the past few days, His Royal Highness Shizi has been sorting out the old case files in the stock of the Ministry of Punishment with the small officials of the Ministry of Punishment. It's spring hunting, so His Royal Highness has to sort out the files before going out, and has been resting in the Ministry of Punishment for the past two days."
Hu Quan, the servant of Shoukang Palace, led Qin Wan to the yamen of the Ministry of Punishment at the order of the Empress Dowager. When the clerk of the Ministry of Punishment saw the token of Shoukang Palace in Hu Quan's hand, he did not dare to neglect, and only brought Hu Quan and Qin Wan with him. Walk all the way to the deepest part of the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment.
Although Qin Wan has never been to the Ministry of Punishment, he has been to Dali Temple. Compared with Dali Temple, the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment is more solemn than other places. Hearing Hu Quan's words, Qin Wan just knew why Yan Chi didn't go to the palace. For the banquet, there was no one in the past two days.
The little official who led the way knew that Qin Wan came here at the order of the Queen Mother, but he didn't know who Qin Wan was. Seeing Qin Wan's extraordinary demeanor, he only thought that she must be a noble lady from a mansion in Beijing, so naturally he dared not neglect her at all. , Walking along the unmanned corridor all the way brought Qin Wan to the back hall of the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment. Occasionally, he met one or two officials of the Yamen. Seeing that Hu Quan was wearing the eunuch's palace uniform, he knew that someone from the palace was looking for His Royal Highness, Naturally, there are only evasive ones.
When we got to the back hall, the little official said, "Please wait for a while, and the next official will pass the news."
Qin Wan nodded and waited outside, Hu Quan frowned and said, "It's so cold outside, I don't know how to let you in."
Qin Wan laughed, "It's okay—"
In the dossier of the Ministry of Punishment further inside the back hall, more than a dozen petty officials were sorting out dossiers by category. Bai Feng walked over to Yan Chi who was sitting on the main seat, "Master, I still haven't found it."
Yan Chi frowned slightly, and his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.
He immediately sat on the main seat with a horizontal knife, and wherever he looked, these young officials did not dare to make a sound. It was not the first time to sort out the files, but this time Yan Chi was here in person. Staring at it, there was no chance for everyone to catch their breath. In the past two days, everyone's heartstrings were extremely tense, but this His Royal Highness, the son of Prince Rui, seemed not to be tired, except for three hours of rest every night. I have never been out of this treasury.
Whether it is the former Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, or any chief officer of the Ministry of Punishment, let alone Yan Chi's spirit and physique are consumed here, even this meticulous patience is not as good as Yan Chi's. Everyone said that this His Royal Highness is only good at fighting in government affairs, but this time he has brought the vigor and resoluteness on the battlefield to the Yamen. It has only been three months since he took office, and the current Ministry of Punishment has no laziness from top to bottom. , The final important cases sent by the state governments are also much faster than usual, and all the cases accumulated in the previous year have been finalized at once. Even the Dali Temple and the criminal and prison divisions below dare not neglect, even the emperor also respected the Ministry of Criminal Justice. There have been many praises and praises, but everyone below knows that these are all the credit of His Royal Highness.
Cases and court errands are handled quickly, the emperor has many rewards, and on the Shangsi Festival, in addition to the monthly salary, the yamen of the Ministry of Punishment actually has more lumi. Don't dare to complain, after all, if you work under this prince, you may be able to get some rewards if you work hard, but if you go against him, you will not only lose less rewards, but at least you will lose your job. I'm afraid that I can't save my life.
"It's not in the Ministry of Punishment—"
Yan Chi said softly, and Bai Feng nodded and said, "It is very likely that you are not in the Ministry of Punishment, maybe you are in Dali Temple?"
Yan Chi's expression darkened a bit when he heard this, "If it's in Dali Temple, we won't have authority."
Bai Feng pondered for a moment, but at this moment, he saw a small official poking his head at the door.
He frowned slightly, and hurried over, "What's the matter?"
Bai Feng is Yan Chi's trusted bodyguard, so the petty official naturally didn't dare to offend, not only did he not dare to offend, but he was also a little scared. Bai Feng looked at him coldly, and hurriedly said, "Bai guard, outside, there are people outside looking for His Royal Highness .”
Bai Feng raised his eyebrows, "Who is looking for you?"
The little official hurriedly said, "It's the Shoukang Palace who came to look for His Highness."
Shoukang Palace? Queen Mother? Bai Feng thought for a moment, "Why? Is there an order from the Queen Mother?"
The little official thought for a while, then shook his head, "I didn't say anything, I just said that I came to see His Royal Highness."
Bai Feng said, "Wait." As he spoke, he walked to Yan Chi's side.
"Master, there are people from Shoukang Palace."
Yan Chi raised his brows slightly, "What's the matter? But the emperor's grandmother is not feeling well?"
Bai Feng frowned strangely, "I didn't say anything, I just said I wanted to see you."
Yan Chi just stood up, and was a bit puzzled immediately, even if there was something to do in Shoukang Palace, he would not come directly to the yamen, but what is the empress dowager in a hurry for
Yan Chi walked to the door, "Where is he?"
The little official hurriedly said, "Waiting outside the front door."
Yan Chi nodded, Fang took Bai Feng out and walked outside. After passing through two hallways, Yan Chi saw Hu Quan guarding the door at a glance. At first he thought that Hu Quan was the only one who came, but he walked a little further behind. Look, there was another person standing behind Hu's body, Yan Chi frowned slightly, and hurriedly quickened his pace, soon, Yan Chi saw Qin Wan.
"How long have you been here? Why didn't you report earlier?!"
Yan Chi said in a deep voice, and the little official turned pale with fright, "The villain brought them in and reported it!"
Yan Chi didn't care about the little official any more, he just walked out the door very quickly, Hu Quan saw Yan Chi, and hurriedly bowed to salute, "Meet His Royal Highness—"
With her back to the door, Qin Wan hurriedly turned around when she heard the words, and when she saw that Yan Chi had indeed come, she saluted with blessings.
"How did you come?"
Yan Chi asked, then turned to look at Bai Feng, "Ask someone to bring the fire to the back hall."
Bai Feng responded and hurriedly prepared. Seeing that Yan Chi valued Qin Wan so much, the little official was very puzzled. He followed Bai Feng and walked a few steps before asking Bai Feng, "Bai Guard, is this lady..."
Bai Feng gave the little official a cold look, "This is the Ninth Miss of the Zhongyonghou Mansion, come again next time, be careful with each other."
The little official shuddered, Zhongyong Hou's nine girls, this is the medical fairy who is famous in the capital for saving the empress dowager? !
On this side, Qin Wan followed Yan Chi into the resting place prepared for him by the Ministry of Criminal Justice.
In the yamen, it is naturally not as good as the palace and the palace. A simple inner room, it can be seen that some thought has been put into the decoration, but in the cold weather, there is no heater, no hot tea, and no human fireworks. The above is also extremely neat, and I don't know if Yan Chi has come here to rest.
However, when Qin Wan arrived here, Bai Feng quickly brought the fire and hot tea.
Yan Chi stuffed a cup of hot tea into Qin Wan's hands, "What happened? Did grandma ask you to come?"
Qin Wan was accompanied by Hu Quan. Hu Quan was a servant of Shoukang Palace. If Qin Wan wanted to come, she would definitely not come to the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment, let alone bring Hu Quan with her because she didn't like to show off.
Qin Wan held hot tea in his hand, but his complexion was not very good-looking.
She sized Yan Chi carefully for a moment, and then said, "The envoys from the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Western Liang Dynasty entered the palace, why don't you come to the palace banquet?"
Yan Chi already noticed something strange in Qin Wan's expression, but he didn't point it out. He just smiled and said, "Why do you want to participate in the palace banquet? After joining the Ministry of Criminal Justice, I realized that the files in the treasury of the Ministry of Criminal Justice have not been sorted out for many years, and there are still some backlogs." I can't find any clues to the old case, so I want to rectify it, and I have been in the yamen for a few days."
Qin Wan felt a little strange when he heard that, didn't the princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty have a lovesickness for Yan Chi? Not only that, but he also said that he recognized Yan Chi, why did Yan Chi not respond when he heard that they had come to Da Zhou? Could it be that he is pretending
Qin Wan was originally a straightforward person, so she couldn't help but feel a little more thoughtful when encountering such a thing. She snorted coldly in her heart, "Have you finished the yamen business?"
Yan Chi smiled slightly, "Within two days."
Yan Chi also knew Qin Wan's temperament, seeing that Qin Wan hadn't brought up the topic for a long time, he felt a little strange, what was the reason
Qin Wan nodded, "The Empress Dowager asked me to come today."
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan leisurely, to see what she could say.
Qin Wan hesitated for a moment and said, "You have been in the yamen of the Ministry of Punishment for the past few days, so you don't know who the envoys from the Northern Wei Dynasty and Xiliang are here?"
Yan Chi shook his head, "Although I have never entered the palace, I still know who the envoys are. What's wrong?"
Qin Wan frowned slightly, knowing! He didn't respond when he knew that Tuoba Wu was coming
"Among these envoys, do you recognize any of them?"
Yan Chi shook his head, "How can there be people I recognize, they are all coming to Dazhou for the first time."
Qin Wan put down the teacup in his hand, and frowned tightly, "You're lying!"
Yan Chi was taken aback, then smiled, "How could I have lied? Could it be that I know someone?"
Qin Wan stood up with a very ugly look on his face, "Don't you know Tuoba Wu?"
"Tuobawu?" Yan Chi frowned, thought for a moment before asking, "You mean the princess from the Northern Wei Dynasty?"
Qin Wan pursed her lips tightly, "It's her! Are you going to say you don't recognize her?"
Yan Chi looked innocent, "I really don't know her—"
"Then why did she ask about you as soon as she came to Dazhou, and said in front of the queen mother that she was suffering from lovesickness, not only that, but also asked the queen mother where you are, she came to Dazhou just to see you !"
Qin Wan spoke very fast, she didn't want to seem very concerned, but now she couldn't restrain herself.
It was the first time she knew what kind of mood she was in when she encountered such a thing.
She was very depressed, although her tone didn't appear to be very angry, but the faint meaning of questioning was quite different from her usual, Yan Chi looked at her for a moment, and realized that she was really angry, so he smiled and stepped forward to think He wanted to hug her, but Qin Wan immediately took a step back and looked at him questioningly.
Yan Chi's smile grew wider, amused and a little puzzled, "So the queen mother asked you to ask me?"
Qin Wan nodded, "Exactly—"
As soon as these words came out, a gleam flashed in Yan Chi's eyes, and his smile became more and more joyful, and now Qin Wan was angry, how could he have thought that Yan Chi's smile was a mystery, and just stared straight at Yan Chi to see how he could quibble.
Yan Chi was so stared at her helplessly that he raised his hands, "I promise, I absolutely don't recognize the princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty. As for the lovesickness she said, it's even more nonsense, trust me!"
Qin Wan seemed to be waiting for these words, and the depression in his heart was slightly relieved.
She didn't doubt Yan Chi's romantic affairs at first, but when Tuoba Wu came to the door, she said such words. She is a princess of a country, so she can't speak nonsense, so she became suspicious. Lai said a few words of Tai Chi first, and after asking directly, she waited for Yan Chi's reply. Yan Chi so firmly denied knowing Tuoba Wu, she felt at ease.
Although he was at peace in his heart, his face was not easy to relax too quickly. Qin Wan still frowned and said, "Then why did the Princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty say that she was suffering from lovesickness to you? You have been in Shuoxi for many years, although Shuoxi does not rely on the Northern Wei Dynasty , but it’s not too far away. For so many years, there hasn’t been any incidents involving the Northern Wei Dynasty? Otherwise, why would a dignified princess of a country keep asking where you are?”
Yan Chi took a step forward, "This is really a disaster from the sky. The name of Tuobawu was reported when the envoy entered the capital the day before yesterday. My people are used to paying attention to major events in the capital. Otherwise, I would not even have the name of the princess." I don't even know, how can I recognize her? I have been in Shuoxi for many years, not to mention the princess, but I have never seen a woman, and the princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty, how could she run into the barracks?"
Qin Wan snorted softly, "Could it be that the princess is suffering from hysteria?"
Seeing that Qin Wan no longer rejected him, Yan Chi grabbed Qin Wan's hand, "It's very likely."
Qin Wan wanted to break free when he heard the words, but Yan Chi couldn't let go, he just pulled her into his arms and said with a smile, "I won't lie to you, if she didn't suffer from hysteria, then there must be some misunderstanding. After so many years, although There are not many intersections with the Northern Wei Dynasty, but there are indeed several incidents involving the Northern Wei Dynasty. The West Liang is to the west, and the Northern Wei Dynasty is to the north. Plug in."
"In the early days, that cold plain was contested by the Northern Wei Dynasty and Xiliang. Later, the Northern Wei Dynasty and Xiliang were harassed by the army, and the cold plain was vacated. Although the people of the Northern Wei Dynasty were resistant to cold, they were not strong. The cavalry, and the Xiliang people are also weaker than the troops. Relying on the Shuoxi army, their safety is also guaranteed. There are several battles between the Shuoxi army and the enemy. After the enemy was defeated, they retreated to the direction of the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the past, the Northern Wei Dynasty was single and weak, and had to ask for help from the Shuoxi Army. At that time, the Shuoxi Army joined hands with the Northern Wei Dynasty several times in order to completely wipe out the enemy. General of the border town garrison, I have never seen such a princess..."
Yan Chi half put his arms around Qin Wan, looked into her eyes, and spoke every word very clearly.
As Qin Wan listened, the petty temper in her heart could not be expressed.
Yan Chi seemed to have this indomitable and magnanimous deterrent force. His words and deeds were unreasonable and convincing. Qin Wan knew that this was forged in the bloody flames of the vast battlefield. Shuoxi, it is a trick only if you plan to attack the city and seize the territory, and it is also a trick of thousands of troops with real knives and guns!
The corners of Qin Wan's lips were serious, "Even if you have a clear conscience, other people, who are the princess of a country, miss you so much."
Yan Chi brushed the corner of Qin Wan's lips, and a sly look flashed in his eyes, "You want to know why? It's simple, I just ask someone to check it out, and when I check it out, it will naturally calm you down." Doubt." Yan Chi said with a frown, "A daughter's family, to openly talk about such things, really is a downfall of the world!"
Qin Wan was both annoyed and amused when he heard it, Yan Chi's words were clearly intentional!
"Northern Wei people are not Da Zhou people, so they are naturally different from us!"
Yan Chi laughed when he heard the words, "That's not true, it's just that she almost misunderstood me with her casual remarks, it's a serious crime—"
Qin Guan knew that Yan Chi was trying to tease her, so he relaxed a little, then tilted his head and said, "Does she know you, and you don't know her? But with her appearance, if you have seen her, you will not forget her."
Yan Chi laughed, picked her up, put her on the couch behind him, and held her hands in his palms, "Who in the world can I never forget?"
Yan Chi said, looking at Qin Wan with bright eyes, Qin Wan immediately smiled, "The princess of the Northern Wei Dynasty is indeed beautiful, so what's wrong with remembering her? I think of Yue Ning when I see her, if Yue Ning wears red makeup , I’m afraid it’s the same.”
Yan Chi smiled but said nothing, just looked into Qin Wan's eyes and said, "Do you know where I first saw you?"
Qin Wan thought for a while, "Is it in Anyang Hou's mansion? The night when Anyang Hou's son got married?"
Yan Chi nodded, "I was very far away from you that night, just looking at you from such a distance, I felt that you were different from all the women I had seen before. I was going to go out of the house, but I insisted on seeing you You stood there and ridiculed the son of the prefect Huo's family. At that time, I was amazed and found it interesting. It can be said that I fell in love at first sight... "