Outside the study room of Tingfeng Pavilion, guarded by a group of guards and maids, none of them dared to enter.
"Do you think it is good for Dachen to do business with Fanbang?" Emperor Hongzheng sat behind his desk and played with the crystal cup in his hand.
"This minister thinks that the overseas Fan people are very coveted by Dachen's properties, but they suffer from lack of access," Mu Hanzhang stood in front of the desk with a low eyebrow, his voice was calm, neither humble nor arrogant, "The minister watched Fan Bang pay tribute. When I was in the southeast, I also asked about the prices of maritime merchants, and it is said that overseas, one foot of silk can be exchanged for ten gold coins, that is, two taels of gold.”
"Hanzhang, why are you still a minister now?" Emperor Hongzheng smiled, without taking the words just now, "From the day you married into the royal family, you should be called a servant."
Mu Hanzhang pursed his lips, and said a little embarrassedly: "My son, keep this in mind."
When Jing Shao came in, what he saw was this scene. There was no tension in his imagination, but instead he looked so happy that he couldn't help being a little dumbfounded.
"Where have you been?" When Emperor Hongzheng saw Jingshao come in, he immediately suppressed his smile.
"My son is going to send a friend." Jing Shao answered honestly, thinking in his heart that he was born to his father, why would he be embarrassed to see him
Emperor Hongzheng looked at him deeply for a long while, then lowered his eyes and picked up the military book on the side to read: "The king of Huainan appeared in the capital recently, do you know?"
"King of Huainan?" Jing Shao secretly glanced at his princess, "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Emperor Hongzheng closed the densely annotated book in his hand, got up and walked in front of Jing Shao, "Who are you sending today?"
Jing Shao's heart skipped a beat, but there was no expression on his face. The royal father's questioning must be because he knew that Gu Huaiqing had left the capital, but he was not sure if he sent it out. Nonsense to the father: "A friend of the rivers and lakes."
"A friend from Jianghu in Zuixianlou?" Emperor Hongzheng looked at him coldly.
Drunken House! Jing Shao felt a bang in his head, and when he said Zuixianlou, the royal father must know that that person is Gu Huaiqing! After a momentary blank in his mind, he suddenly remembered Duo Fu Chuan's words. Jun Qing made him kill him. He didn't know Gu Huaiqing. It was said that the royal father intended to let Gu Huaiqing escape, and he came here today to test whether he had colluded with the king of Huainan.
After a brief moment of thoughts, Jing Shao looked up at his father and said calmly, "I met him in Jiangnan, and he came to Beijing to play. Today, he found out that his old mother was seriously ill and was in a hurry to leave the city, so he asked me for help."
"Crack!" As soon as he finished speaking, a firm slap landed on Jing Shao's face, causing Jing Shao to stumble.
"You are a man of temperament. Do you know that that person is the King of Huainan, Gu Huaiqing!" Emperor Hongzheng looked at him with hatred. This son is capable, but he was raised wildly. He doesn't look like a prince or grandson at all. On the contrary, he is like a knight in the rivers and lakes, not to mention his temper, but also pays attention to the loyalty of those rivers and lakes, which is really irritating.
Jing Shao was beaten until blood oozing from the corners of his mouth, but he couldn't care to cover his face, he was stunned for a moment, then he knelt on the ground with a plop: "Erchen really doesn't know, he only said that his name is Gu Qing, and he met by chance in Jiangnan, and Erchen has been hiding it all the time. Because of his identity, Erchen..." Jing Shao's voice seemed very flustered, as if he was stunned when he heard such shocking news.
"Father, I have seen that person in Jiangnan, and the prince really doesn't know his identity." Mu Hanzhang also knelt beside Jing Shao.
Emperor Hongzheng glanced at him, and the expression on his face softened a little, because Mu Hanzhang admitted from the beginning that the friend Jing Shao sent was the one they knew in Jiangnan. Jing Shao, seeing that he was no longer flustered, but stuck his neck, seemed a little dissatisfied: "Why, are you still not convinced?"
"My son doesn't dare." Jing Shao lowered his head and said, but his tone was a little stiff.
"I didn't say that you colluded with the vassal king, but you are not convinced yet?" Emperor Hongzheng was almost amused.
"The identity of the king of Huainan, the father and the emperor have told the fourth emperor's younger brother, but he didn't tell the son!" Jing Shao looked up at his father, although this was to stumble the fourth prince, the questioning at this moment was made inwardly. Emperor Hongzheng's partiality has always been known to him, no matter what mistakes Jing Yu made, it would be nothing in the end. On the contrary, he was always harsh on him, and finally he was imprisoned for some trumped-up charges.
Emperor Hongzheng was stunned for a while, and then he remembered that he did not tell the Fourth Prince, that he knew it because a courtier visited by the King of Huainan came to report to him, so how did Jing Yu know about it? He took a few steps back and forth in the house with his hands behind his back: "You don't think about where you are wrong, but instead you blame me, don't you?"
"My son doesn't dare." Jing Shao clenched his neck, obviously still dissatisfied.
Emperor Hongzheng pointed at him, his fingertips trembling with anger: "You have been thinking behind closed doors for me in the palace, and you are not allowed to go anywhere without my will!"
"Father, calm down!" Mu Hanzhang hurriedly persuaded and pushed Jing Shao, "Your Highness!"
"My son obeys the order." Jing Shao seemed to have just recovered and bowed his head to admit his mistake.
"Humph!" Emperor Hongzheng snorted coldly, flung his sleeves and left, turned around and said, "Hanzhang write down what you said in a charter, and show it to me another day."
"Yes!" Mu Hanzhang hurriedly responded and got up to send Emperor Hongzheng out.
Emperor Hongzheng waved his hand so that he didn't have to send him any more. He took the guards and eunuchs with him and left in anger.
After a moment of silence, Mu Hanzhang walked to Jing Shao's side and squatted down to look at him: "Royal father has already gone out."
Jing Shao slowly sat on the ground, touched the cold sweat on his forehead, and let out a long sigh of relief: "Thanks to you."
Mu Hanzhang stretched out his hand and gently touched his flushed cheek, his cool fingers comforting the hot fingerprints. Jing Shao rubbed the palm of his hand greedily, it doesn't matter how eccentric the father is, at least this person's heart is towards him, that's enough.
Mu Hanzhang quietly looked at the person who was rubbing against his palm. He didn't pay attention to the question that Emperor Hongzheng just said, but he could see clearly that there was indeed resentment in Jing Shao's eyes. The prince without the protection of his mother has no room to turn around in front of the emperor. If there is a conflict, he can only carry it hard. He can't help but feel pity in his heart. It's not eccentric, it's just that as an emperor you need checks and balances."
Emperor Hongzheng must be clear about the matter of the Ministry of Household. He did not severely punish the four princes. In the final analysis, it is the emperor's mind, and there needs to be checks and balances in the court. Therefore, before touching his bottom line, as a shrewd emperor, he will choose to turn a blind eye. one eye.
Suddenly being hugged into the warm embrace exuding fragrance, Jing Shao was stunned for a moment, took a deep breath greedily, consciously arched his chest, and stretched his arms around the flexible waist: "Jun Qing, I'm grounded again. Now, don't go to court."
"Why?" Mu Hanzhang looked down at him.
"So we can sleep in late, and we can do it again in the morning!" Jing Shao said with bright eyes.