Eleven people came to the waterside pavilion in twos and threes. When they arrived, there were no future people in the waterside pavilion. Under the arrangement of the palace staff, a group of people took their seats. The companion of the third prince sat alone on one side, and the companion of the prince sat on the other side. The first seats in the two rows are empty, which are about the positions of the crown prince and the third prince.
Wei Lan is the second seat after the first seat, the first is Wang Yuan, the third son of the Wang family, and the third is Zhang Sheng, the son of the Minister of War.
Zhang Sheng seemed to be the oldest among the crowd, about sixteen years old, although he was only a teenager, but perhaps because of his premature intercourse, his whole person had an uncomfortable obscenity. He was wearing a red-bottomed black-edged gown with large sleeves and a golden crown on his head. It was supposed to be a flamboyant gown, but he made it look obscene. As soon as he sat down, he poured himself a glass of wine, then passed it to Wei Lan and said, "Brother Wei, drink."
As early as on the road, the eleven teenagers had already introduced each other's names. Just now, he hadn't talked to Zhang Sheng all the way, and Zhang Sheng was so enthusiastic when he sat down, Wei Lan couldn't help raising his eyebrows slightly.
To be honest, Wei Lan doesn't like men like Zhang Sheng very much. What she likes the most is Xie Zichen's cold demeanor, who looks as cold as snow at first glance, otherwise he is slender. Or it was as clean and clear as Lin Che, who could blush for a long time at a glance. If you can't get along with Cleanliness, Wang Xi is as romantic, Su Cheng is as seductive, these are all fine.
However, people like Zhang Sheng...
Wei Lan smiled, poured a glass of wine straight away, raised the glass and touched Zhang Sheng lightly, then drank the wine in one gulp, turned the glass over to the other party for a look, and said with a smile: "I've met Brother Zhang."
Zhang Sheng was slightly taken aback, frowned and said: "Why, brother Wei doesn't want to drink the wine I poured?"
"oh?"
Wei Lan showed a surprised expression: "I thought Brother Zhang was toasting to drink, but it turned out that Brother Zhang poured wine for me? Wei Lan was rude, Wei Lan..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard the eunuch's sharp voice, and shouted loudly from afar: "Your Majesty is here—"
Everyone immediately looked outside the water pavilion, and saw a bright yellow dragon just parked on the side of the water pavilion promenade, followed by two sedan chairs, one white and one red.
The white one is the prince's sedan chair, while the red one is the third prince's sedan chair in Su Cheng.
After the three got off their sedan chairs, the crown prince and the third prince followed the emperor into the waterside pavilion.
Everyone had already knelt on the ground when the three of them got off the sedan chair, and the others were still young, so they couldn't help but raise their heads slightly and look at the Nine-Five Lord. Only Wei Lan and Xie Zichen, two old cucumbers pretending to be tender, lowered their heads calmly and never raised their eyes.
After kowtowing to the mud, everyone got up and returned to their seats after hearing a "get up", and Wei Lan had time to look at the people seated.
His Majesty is now in his thirties, but he is like a young man, as if he is just a weak crown, his skin is fair and tender, showing a strange tenderness. The whole person is in high spirits, sitting on the high seat, seems to be full of interest.
When Wei Lan saw this man's appearance, her heart sank.
Most people will not have this kind of skin color, unless the person has been taking Wushi Powder for a long time. When Wei Lan was young in her previous life, this medicine was very popular in the aristocratic circle. Taking it not only made people feel ecstatic, but also made people look radiant immediately. Even the elderly who are over 60 years old can seem to be rejuvenated in a short period of time. . But this medicine is addictive, and it gradually makes people lose their minds. When Wei Lan is an adult, a large number of people who have taken this medicine all the year round died of illness after taking the medicine for several years. Only then did everyone discover that this medicine may be a chronic poison. And put an end to it.
Da Chu is still not very popular with this medicine, and Wei Lan has only heard of it occasionally, but she didn't expect to see it again today at the emperor's place.
If the emperor is taking this medicine, he must die soon, and she has to make plans early.
Xie Zichen is very clear about what Wei Lan is thinking.
The Holy Majesty secretly raised an alchemist to refine the elixir of life. The alchemist used five stones to fool him all the year round. Five years later, in the 25th year of Shengkang, the Holy Majesty died suddenly. At this time, the third prince had become a prince and successfully inherited the throne.
five years.
The man sitting on the seat was chatting and laughing happily with the two sons next to him. No one would have guessed that this man, who was in high spirits, was in the heyday of the Spring and Autumn Period, only five years away.
His appearance made Xie Zichen aware of the urgency of time again, and he couldn't help lowering his eyebrows.
The crown prince was abolished step by step.
Back then, Chun Lie cut off Wang Xi, the crown prince's most important supporter. During the two years of Wenxue, the six companions who were supposed to be his greatest supporter, Lin Che took refuge in Sucheng, Lu Chen and Ji Shao were useless as scholars. Back then, he, Huan Heng He and Wang Xi were absent, and it was useless for Xie Jie and Wang Xuan, the fourth son of the Wang family, to replace them. As soon as they came out of office, Zhang Sheng took advantage of him and directly resigned from his post.
With no help from the new generation, the prince’s only reliance was Duke Zhen, but three years later, Duke Zhen died suddenly, leaving the prince no longer to rely on. Afterwards, Zhang Cheng of the Yushitai persisted in holding onto the prince’s tricks, and finally he was in Sheng In the spring of the twenty-fourth year of Kang, evidence was found that the prince had raped Concubine Xia, and the emperor was furious and deposed the prince. But the prince couldn't bear the humiliation, so he proved his innocence by death.
The death of the prince finally restored some of his image in the eyes of everyone, but what's the use
He is dead after all.
Now that it's all over again, since Xie Zichen has taken refuge in him, he will naturally not let him repeat the same trajectory as before. He helped him keep Wang Xi, and he entered the palace instead of Xie Jie. From the very beginning, the cards in the prince's hands were different.
The biggest trouble now is that Wei Lan who escaped out of nowhere.
Thinking of this, Xie Zichen raised his head and glanced at the young man opposite who seemed to be in deep thought. She looked indifferent, as if she was listening carefully to the words of the person above, but after careful observation, it was not difficult to find that her eyes were actually a little distracted, obviously thinking about something.
When his eyes fell on her, it was hard to move away.
She pours herself a drink.
Her hands are much more delicate and smaller than normal men's. She has fair complexion, ten slender fingers, and the knuckles are wrapped under the flesh, not protruding abruptly like ordinary men.
He remembered the touch of that hand, even though the palm had thick calluses from martial arts training, he could still clearly feel the softness and the tenderness of the back of the hand.
Thinking of this, Xie Zichen suddenly realized that he was wrong, hurriedly looked away, and fell to a high place.
After talking with his two sons, the emperor happily raised his wine glass, and said to everyone: "You are all talented people carefully selected from various families, and the Great Chu will be handed over to you in the future! Come, let me offer you a toast!" "
As he said that, the emperor drank the wine in the wine glass in one gulp, and everyone dared not resist, and drank it up one after another. Then I heard Wang Xi say: "Your Majesty has placed such high hopes on us, Xi is terrified, fearing that I will fail the grace of God, if Your Majesty does not praise us any more, the golden words will surely make us more favored by the heavens, and the road ahead will be smoother." some."
Aunt Wang Xi is the favorite concubine in the palace, she has been in and out of the palace since she was a child, and she is deeply loved by the Holy One. Hearing him speak, the emperor smiled, and said helplessly: "You boy, you are so glib! Save the nice words to coax the little girl, and come to coax me? Speaking of which," the emperor glanced at the crowd: "Marquis Changxin Where is the son?"
"The minister is here."
Wei Lan got up calmly after being called out, and knelt down on the side of the small table. The emperor looked Wei Lan up and down, and laughed out loud: "I originally thought that Wei Aiqing must be a strong and powerful man, but I never imagined that Wei Lan would be so powerful with him." The young masters in Shengjing are no different. A few days ago, the Empress told me that Wei Aiqing has the appearance of a jade woman, but I still didn’t believe it, but seeing her now, Aiqing’s appearance is probably too modest for a jade man.”
"Your Majesty and the empress have a good reputation, and Lan is very frightened." Wei Lan replied respectfully, and the emperor smiled, jokingly reprimanded: "Hypocrisy, being praised, I am afraid that my heart is full of laughter? Speaking of which, I will be with you in the frontier fortress." Huan Heng, who is the general, is also here, right?"
"The minister is here." Huan Heng immediately came out and knelt respectfully beside Wei Lan. Although his face was pretending to be calm, he could still see a little pride and joy in his eyes.
Being able to stand side by side with Wei Lan has always been something he feels proud of.
Seeing Huan Heng who was pretending to be calm, the emperor had a smile on his face, but his eyes were complicated.
The reason why Huan Heng was summoned to Shengjing all the way, besides that Huan Heng was originally excellent and wanted to train him to be his son's right-hand man, the more important reason was to contain Huan Song who was already hard to suppress.
He originally thought that Huan Heng would not enter the palace, but after this decree went on, Huan Heng immediately received the decree, packed his luggage and came without stopping. The emperor sent someone to inquire, and got an unimaginable answer—Huan Heng missed his friend Wei Lan, so he came to Shengjing crying and arguing with his father.
Hearing this answer, the emperor felt that there must be something tricky in it. As a result, seeing this happy young man now, the emperor couldn't help but feel a little complicated.
Does he think people... are too smart and too bad
"They're all young heroes," the emperor hid those thoughts in his heart, like a kind elder, asking the prince one by one. After asking everyone's names, he raised his glass and drank again, and after saying some compliments, he got up Leave, leaving these young people to drink and have fun alone in the water pavilion.
Ji Shao and Ruan Kangcheng were the most relaxed among the group of people. Under the guidance of Wang Xi, the group quickly started having fun. After drinking for three rounds, everyone was in high spirits. Ji Shao and Ruan Kangcheng, who are good at rhythm, summoned the qin and flute to play a piece together while everyone was booing.
The light gauze of the water pavilion flutters, the flowing water murmurs, and under the reflection of the bright moon, all the princes are standing or lying down, regardless of their usual manners, but they are not romantic.
Ji Shao was born elegant, and although his features are still immature, he can vaguely see his future glory. He sat on the ground, and when he put the piano on his knees, his playful expression changed instantly, as if a celebrity stood under a lonely mountain and a bright moon, solemn and sacred.
And Ruan Kangcheng beside him held the jade flute in his hand, raised his hand, and after closing his eyes, a burst of heroic flute sound resounded instantly.
The sound of the piano followed closely, and Wei Lan couldn't help closing her eyes.
Listening to the sound of the qin and flute, I fell into the illusion of a rustling bamboo forest.
Everyone couldn't help but calm down, and at this moment, someone gently pushed Wei Lan.
Wei Lan opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar eunuch who secretly revealed the emperor's token and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty Wei, Your Majesty has called you over."
Wei Lan's face remained unchanged, she nodded, stood up, and retreated calmly.
As early as the beginning, Xie Zichen and the others went out to visit the garden, and it was not unusual for her to go out now.
As the eunuch turned left and turned right, she walked into the imperial study room, where the emperor was sitting at the table, carefully reviewing the memorial. After Wei Lan knelt down respectfully and saluted, she heard the above say: "I let you enter the palace, Do you know why?"
Wei Lan's expression remained unchanged, she knelt on the ground, and said seriously: "I dare not speculate on the heart of the Holy One."
"Then I arranged you to be the third prince's companion, do you know why?"
"Please make it clear, Your Majesty." Wei Lan remained calm and indifferent, and the emperor couldn't help but stop writing, and looked up at the young Ruyu boy on the ground.
As early as when she was canonized as the eldest son, he sent someone to inquire about her life. Before she entered the barracks, not many people knew about the affairs of the Marquis of Changxin. The Hou Mansion has no power and power, and is not worth mentioning.
However, after she entered the barracks, there were traces to follow.
How to conceal the identity of the son, how to climb up from a low-level soldier step by step, how to win more with less time and time again, how to deal with the complicated power relationship in the frontier fortress for his father after being discovered by his father.
Everyone only saw her great achievements on the battlefield, but they didn't know that the young man in front of him was not only a famous general, but also a capable minister.
How many times their food and salaries were cut off, it was the boy who went back to various places to deal with the officials; how many times the generals fought openly and secretly without sending troops to help, it was the boy who came forward to act as a lobbyist to ensure the advancement of the front line.
When he recalled her to Shengjing, many senior officials felt that he had buried the child's talent, so she could only stay in the frontier, so she must be a good general of the generation. But he knew in his heart that if such a person stayed in the frontier, he would really bury her talent.
He wants to leave a pillar for Dachu's next monarch, this child is really suitable.
"Do you know that if it wasn't for you, your father would have died at this moment?" The emperor put down the pen, and the eunuch handed it a warm handkerchief. The emperor cleaned his hands and looked at Wei Lan.
In a word, Wei Lan immediately understood that His Majesty was aware of her uncle's methods. This is His Majesty's warning. He doesn't need a useless son of the Changxinhou Mansion, because she is useful, so the Changxinhou Mansion stayed. If she is useless, then it will be considered that her uncle and uncle used dirty methods, Your Majesty Nor will they stand up for them.
Wei Lan lowered her eyes, kowtowed her head immediately, and said loudly: "Your Majesty's grace, I am very grateful, and I am willing to go through fire and water for your Majesty, and I will not say anything."
The emperor is very satisfied with Wei Lan's sensible, much more interesting than her father. He looked at the young man's prostrate body, and slowly said: "I regard Aiqing as the pillar of the country, and I will not let Aiqing go through fire and water, so don't be so nervous."
"I have only one request for Ai Qing."
Wei Lan listened, and the emperor said slowly: "I hope that Aiqing can help the monarch well, whether it is now or in the future."
Wei Lan raised her head slowly, met the emperor's smiling face, and looked at his cold eyes.
"Your master has always been only one, and that is the emperor. Do you understand?"
"I don't need you to do those dirty things of seizing the heirloom," the emperor slowly walked over from behind the desk, squatted down, pinched Wei Lan's chin with his hands, stared at the young man's calm and firm gaze, and couldn't help but tremble a little. god.
Her expression has always been so calm and stable, she doesn't look like a teenager at all, more like a politician who has been in the officialdom for many years, people can't see the slightest emotion.
But she was barely fifteen years old. Putting it on a woman, she was as young as a flower. Eyebrows have not been opened yet, but they have already caught people's hearts uncontrollably. Looking at him so quietly, even though he is at the age of reading thousands of sails, he couldn't help but feel his heart beat faster.
The fingertips are the smoothness of her skin. It was only a threatening gesture, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit hard to let go. He silently looked at the young man in front of him, his voice became hoarse, and he said slowly: "What I want you to do is to be a good boy." My eyes are like the emperor's sword, do you understand?"
Wei Lan was immersed in what the emperor said, and when she heard the emperor's voice suddenly fell silent, Wei Lan couldn't help raising her eyebrows secretly, knowing the change of the emperor's mind, but even though her heart was turbulent, her face was calm and calm Kowtowing, this action broke free from the emperor's grip on her chin, and respectfully said: "I understand. I will definitely live up to your majesty's expectations."
"It's good that you understand." The emperor also noticed his gaffe, quickly adjusted, handed a waist card to Wei Lan, got up and said: "In the future, you can use the waist card to find me in the imperial study at any time, don't let people notice. Get up and go back."
"Yes." Wei Lan took the waist card and hid it in her sleeve. After saluting respectfully, she retreated from the imperial study room. When she came to the door, the emperor suddenly said: "You have a younger sister, Wei Hua. ?”
Wei Lan's heart trembled, but her face remained calm, and said with a smile: "Yes, my sister has just turned fifteen this year, and she is already engaged to a doctor."
"En." The emperor nodded with a calm expression on his face, "Back off."
Wei Lan came out of the imperial study room and was sent not far from the water pavilion by the guards before she let out a sigh of relief.
Her palms were covered in cold sweat, and she couldn't help but raised her hand to touch her chin. For the first time, she felt that being too good-looking was also a burden.
On the other side, the prince looked up at Xie Zichen, and said seriously: "Gu specially arranged for you to share a room with Wei Lan, hoping that you could persuade Wei Lan to come to Gu's side, but you told Gu that you are not sure?"
Xie Zichen looked at the lake with a calm expression.
"Wei Shizi is His Majesty's sword," Xie Zichen said lightly, "Your Highness wants to take His Majesty's sword, so don't hurt your hand."