The Guangping Palace had never participated in the affairs of the court. The young prince Yin Wenping had no other hobbies but to write and make friends, and he actually made a name for himself. The literati in the capital were all proud to receive the invitation to the banquet.
Of course, except Xie Jingyuan.
The military general was not interested in such literary things. When he saw a bunch of pedantic scholars talking nonsense, he just wanted to draw his sword and stab them through.
Chu Xinian was very interested, but there was no invitation. After the prince left, he followed Xie Jingyuan back to his room: "General usually stays at home and rarely goes out. Now you should go out for some fresh air. Besides, there are all kinds of people at the banquet. Who knows, maybe you can get some information?"
Xie Jingyuan sneered: "If I don't want to go, then I won't go."
No matter how old Chu Xi is, he won't listen.
Chu Xinian nodded upon hearing this, but he didn't hesitate any more: "Okay, then I'll go with the prince."
Xie Jingyuan: “…”
Xie Jingyuan really didn't understand why Chu Xinian had to go. After all, he didn't look like someone who liked to join in the fun. How could there be any dignity in inviting even the prince to the banquet
But Xie Jingyuan didn't understand one thing, Chu Xinian actually loved to join in the fun. In order to obtain writing materials and satisfy his inner curiosity, he dared to go to Yama Palace, let alone a mere Guangping County Prince's Mansion.
As the night deepened, the dungeon was dead silent.
Qin Shuang lay on the haystack, staring at the dark wall above him, like a living dead man. A day passed, and he still didn't say a word.
The guard brought a crude meal and threw the steamed bun through the gap in the railing, which was considered the task completed. Then he sat on the ground leaning against the railing, untied the gourd at his waist, and drank a big gulp of wine.
"Damn it, drinking good wine loses its flavor when no one is around."
The guard shook his head, complaining about the dampness and darkness of the dungeon, and quickly drank a whole gourd of wine, tilted his head and fell asleep, snoring. There was a bunch of keys hanging around his waist, one of which could open the cell door.
Qin Shuang gritted his teeth, moved his body with difficulty, and then rammed the wall with all his strength. With a click, he reconnected his shoulder bone. He was in so much pain that he broke into a cold sweat. He reconnected the other side of the bone as if by a machine, and then staggered up from the ground.
Qin Shuang reached out from the railing and knocked the drunk guard unconscious without mercy. Then he untied the key from his waist, opened the cell door, took the sword from his waist, and staggered out.
"Qin Shuang escaped?"
When Xie Jingyuan heard Jiuyong's report, he raised his eyebrows, then waved his hand to signal him to leave. It seemed that he was not surprised at all.
Chu Xinian was lying on the couch reading a book. Hearing this, he raised his eyes and asked with an inexplicable smile: "The general will be released?"
Xie Jingyuan felt that he was asking nonsense, so he raised his eyelids lazily: "If it wasn't for the general who let him go, did he escape on his own?"
If Xie Jingyuan had not done it on purpose, it would have been extremely difficult for a half-crippled person to escape from the heavily guarded dungeon in the general's mansion.
Chu Xinian turned a page of the book, lay back on the couch, and asked slowly, "General, since you listen to me so much, aren't you afraid of the spies sent by the Prince of Jin's Mansion?"
"Prince Jin?" Xie Jingyuan chuckled disdainfully, curling his lips and saying, "I'm not even afraid of a dying man, so how can I be afraid of a spy sent by someone?"
The King of Jin led his army to Shuofang yesterday. All forces are ready to make a move, and the Crown Prince is naturally among them. I don't know if Chu Xinian listened to his advice.
Of course, if we insist on killing King Jin, it is highly unlikely that we will succeed.
Chu Xinian slowly turned a page of the book: "General, you want to praise him to death, or assassinate him?"
Xie Jingyuan didn't tell: "Guess for yourself."
It was getting late, and it was time to turn off the lights and go to bed. Chu Xinian thought that he would go to the banquet with the prince tomorrow, and was about to blow out the candles. But before he could move, Xie Jingyuan's voice rang in his ears: "Chu Xinian."
Chu Xinian paused after hearing this, thinking something was wrong: "Huh?"
Xie Jingyuan couldn't see clearly through the curtain, so he leaned his head and said, "Come here."
Chu Xinian curled his lips slightly and closed the lampshade again: "General, is there anything?"
"… "
Xie Jingyuan was silent for a moment, then said: "Come here, this general is cold."
Chu Xinian didn't know what Xie Jingyuan meant by that, but it sounded quite reasonable. He used a thin stick to pick up the wick, and the candle flame flickered for a moment, and two warm flames appeared in the middle of his light-colored pupils.
"… good."
Chu Xinian didn't know what he was thinking, and he responded half a beat late. He blew out the candle, then walked into the inner room in the dimming light and slowly unbuttoned his white outer garment.
The clothes fell quietly to the ground.
Chu Xinian got on the bed and lay down, only to find that Xie Jingyuan was still wearing clothes. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Go to sleep."
Xie Jingyuan was not so confident, and he was always worried. He waited until Chu Xinian came over, and then he slowly let out a breath. Feeling the heat beside him, he thought for a moment, then undressed himself and threw it directly to the ground.
In the darkness, I don't know who hugged who first, the two bodies pressed tightly together. One cold and one hot, so contradictory, yet so compatible.
Xie Jingyuan closed his eyes and sighed silently in his heart, thinking that being alive also has its advantages. If Chu Xinian had been killed, he would not be alive today.
Ask Chu Xinian: "Do you have to go to the Banquet of Heroes?"
Chu Xinian closed his eyes calmly and pressed her into his arms: "It's okay to go over and take a look."
Xie Jingyuan choked, his Adam's apple rolling for a long time, and then he said with an ugly face: "You are not allowed to go with the prince."
Chu Xinian thought that what he said didn't make sense, and he seemed to smile, but it was not clear in the darkness: "Then who should I go with?"
Xie Jingyuan: "... naturally follow me."
Chu Xinian uttered a meaningful "oh", propped up his head, and habitually touched Xie Jingyuan's right cheek, his fingertips were warm, and his voice was low: "Then I would like to thank the general first."
Xie Jingyuan was speechless. In fact, because he had repeatedly made exceptions for Chu Xinian, he felt a little flustered. After all, uncontrollable things always make people extremely cautious.
"Go to sleep," Xie Jingyuan ordered, "and stop talking."
Chu Xinian agreed and closed his eyes to rest.
The banquet was held in the Golden Scale Pavilion of the Prince of Guangping's palace. The guests were either high-ranking or well-informed, and the capital was full of talented people. Even the servants who served tea and water would laugh and recite a few random doggerel poems.
If you were in white clothes, why would you feel pity for yourself
One step on golden scales, half a step to leap to the Dragon Pavilion.
After ten years of hard study, I have gained a wealth of knowledge.
Once a hero is recognized, his name will be known throughout the world.
The banquet for all the heroes has been held in the Jinlin Pavilion over the years, which means "a golden scale cannot stay in a pond, it will turn into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds". Poor scholars with unfulfilled ambitions seek a career path here, and royal nobles who are eager to find talents seek their success here. The small Jinlin Pavilion gathers most of the talents in Beijing, so it is very lively.
But Xie Jingyuan still felt that this kind of banquet was boring. He leaned lazily in the carriage and looked at the man in white opposite him who had an extraordinary demeanor: "Can you write poetry?"
Chu Xinian shook his head calmly: "No."
Xie Jingyuan: "Are you good at calligraphy and painting?"
Chu Xinian still shook his head: "Not good at it."
Xie Jingyuan propped his head up, and slowly stroked the cold mask on his right cheek with his fingertips. After searching for a long time, he finally came to a somewhat absurd conclusion: "Are you here to watch the fun?"
Guessed it right.
Chu Xinian nodded, which was considered as his agreement.
Xie Jingyuan sneered: "What excitement is there to watch?"
Chu Xinian thought that even if there was nothing exciting to watch, it would be good to see the world. The Banquet of Heroes was similar to a large-scale talent recruitment market in later generations. The prince's retainers and staff were scarce, so it would be no problem to dig out some rare talents.
In the original novel, Prince Jin went to Shuofang to quell the rebellion. Chu Jiaoping recruited many talents for him at the banquet of heroes in the capital, which laid a solid foundation for his future ascension to the throne.
The young prince of Guangping, Yin Wenping, was very courteous and polite, and personally stood at the door to welcome the guests. His refined and Confucian appearance made people feel good, and he treated everyone equally, whether they were scholars or masters of famous studies. He saw the carriages and horses of the Junhou Mansion from afar, and was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and immediately stepped down the steps, thinking that General Xie had been claiming to be ill for a long time, so why did he come today
Chu Xinian got off the carriage first. He was dressed in a white robe, with a folding fan on his waist, and had clear eyes and a noble demeanor, attracting a lot of attention from the people around him.
Seeing this, Yin Wenping mistook him for Chu Jiaoping and almost called out "Brother Jiaoping". However, he realized too late that there were carriages and horses from the general's mansion and quickly swallowed the words back.
"…The second son of the Marquis of Quyang?" The young prince asked tentatively, suspecting that he had recognized the wrong person.
Chu Xinian smiled faintly and nodded in greeting: "Greetings, Prince."
As he was talking, Xie Jingyuan also got off the carriage. He was still wearing a windbreaker, pretending to be sick even when he was not sick. He covered his pale lips with a handkerchief and coughed twice. His eyes were gloomy, and anyone who stared at him would feel a chill in the scorching sun.
Chu Xinian subconsciously reached out to support him: "General, be careful."
Xie Jingyuan took a look and said, "No problem."
To outsiders, it seemed like a harmonious couple.
The young prince finally came to his senses and welcomed them in gracefully: "I heard that the general has been ill for a long time. It is my honor to have you come to my house for a banquet today. Today, all the talents in the capital are here. I have also got a world-famous painting for everyone to see. I have reserved a good seat for the general."
Xie Jingyuan had no connection with the Guangping Palace, so he responded indifferently. Chu Xi, on the other hand, seemed to be naturally good at dealing with people, and had a pleasant conversation with the young prince, which attracted many people's attention.
Today's banquet for heroes is really grand. Not only does it include the literary master Yan Qinghe, the painter Liu Rumo, the Prince of Chang and the Prince of Ping, but also Xie Jingyuan, a first-rank military marquis who has not been out of the palace for a long time...
Oh, and the current crown prince.
Just as Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan entered the gate, they heard a shrill, eunuch-like voice from afar: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived—"
Everyone looked back and saw a bright yellow sedan slowly stopping in front of the Guangping Prince's Mansion. Eunuchs cleared the way and palace maids held fans, looking very imposing, but making people feel as arrogant as a giant crab with its fangs and claws bared.
The curtain of the sedan chair was lifted, and Crown Prince Yin Chenghao walked out. The young prince hurried forward to greet him, forcing a smile: "So, Your Highness, I'm sorry for not welcoming you. I hope you can forgive me."
The prince patted his shoulder and said, "We are all brothers, so why are you afraid? By the way, how does today's singer look like? If she is not pretty, I will ruin the reputation of the Heroes Banquet."
They turned a large-scale job recruitment market into a brothel meeting.