The ninth prince absentmindedly finished dinner with Emperor Zhongkang, and only then raised the matter of opening the mansion.
Although Emperor Zhongkang was very reluctant, he agreed that his son would be eighteen in a few months and that he should be alone. He immediately sent the hand letter to Qin Tianjian, and asked them to find an auspicious day to build a mansion, no matter how fast it was, it would take half a year to complete it.
The ninth prince heard that he would have to wait another half a year, and his already gloomy complexion darkened again, and he quickly said, "Father, my sons and ministers are so old, it is not suitable to live in the East Palace, if one day collides with your palace concubine It's not good. Erchen, why don't you just find a place to move out first?"
Emperor Zhongkang's love for his son is no less than that of Zhao Zhizhou, and he said coldly, "Why did you collide with the concubine? They are also worthy of comparison with you? I really don't worry that you live outside, so I'll wait and see." The words fell and ignored his son's various pleas, pretending that he was too old and deaf.
The ninth prince said that his mouth was dry and could not impress his father, so he had to turn back angrily. As soon as his forefoot stepped into the East Palace, his helpless and distressed expression immediately turned into a cold air, and his dark eyes flashed sharply from time to time, making people dare not look at him.
The servants of the East Palace had long been accustomed to the inconsistency and moodiness of His Highness the Ninth Highness, and they all bowed their heads and kept silent. If the Ninth Highness did not instruct them, they would never dare to step forward to serve them without authorization. He seems to be very disgusted by the touch of others. When he is in a good mood, he may not have an attack. When he is in a bad mood, he must be careful. Maybe he will not see the sun tomorrow.
He walked slowly to the desk, opened the secret compartment as usual, took out a yellowed picture, and slowly spread it out on the table.
There is no need to order at this time, and there are naturally attendants approaching with a few candlesticks, so that His Royal Highness can see more clearly.
The portrait is quite old, with worn edges and corners, and the paper is slightly brittle, which could tear or create irreversible creases if not careful. The ink on the paper had long since faded, and a slender figure could vaguely be seen standing under the blooming peach tree.
The ninth prince watched silently for a long time, and then ordered, "Pen and ink serve."
The attendant immediately brought the four treasures of the study and placed them neatly one by one, and another palace maid scooped up the water and ink.
The ninth prince lifted the pen and drew the blurred lines in detail. When he finally drew the face of the portrait, a gentle smile appeared on the corners of his lips. He is not an indecisive person like Zongsheng Emperor, not only did he miss the love, but he didn't even dare to write on the face of the other party. Although I can vaguely understand the feeling of "love gives birth to sorrow, love gives rise to fear", so that I worry about gain and loss, but I don't agree.
If he fell in love with someone, let alone a small commander of the Imperial Guard, even the Emperor Laozi could not stop him. Emperor Zongsheng couldn't draw Shu, but he was able to do it with a single stroke because his heart was firmer.
In the midst of many thoughts, the beautiful and unparalleled face of the young man was already on the paper. He thought about it, mixed some color ink, added a pink camellia on his temples, painted a ruby smear on his forehead, and finally painted the nameless layman. The cyan Confucian shirt was changed into a magnificent peony brocade robe.
"What a handsome young man!" The palace maid was attracted by the altered painting and couldn't help but exclaimed, but she realized that she had disturbed His Highness, and hurriedly knelt down to apologize.
"No problem, you are telling the truth." The ninth prince was in a good mood, and he smiled at the palace maid for the first time ever.
The East Palace, which is always cold, cold, and oppressive, has the tendency of spring flowers to bloom and the wind and air to be clear, which makes everyone secretly surprised. Just at this moment, a guard walked in quickly and knelt down to salute.
"Have you figured out that case?" The ninth prince asked in a deep voice while sticking gold powder with thin sheep's hair to outline the pattern on the boy's clothes. At this time, the smile on his face had long since disappeared, and he had become as harsh and cold as before.
"Master Qi, my subordinates have made inquiries, and Xiao Gongzi Zhao has also suffered an unwarranted disaster..." The guards inquired about the game between the princes in the court and explained the process of framing Youshu by the prefect of Lin'an. If Emperor Zhongkang was here, he would be surprised. What he knows is actually not as good as that of his son's subordinates.
The colder the ninth prince's face, the more careful he wrote, for fear that the clothes of his sweetheart would be badly outlined. This is the scene where they met for the first time, and it is worth remembering.
The last stroke was drawn, and the guard's report came to an end. The ninth prince blew the ink that had not dried a little, and said in a low voice, "Where are those people now?"
"Reporting to the master, it is now on the way to distribute Yunzhou."
"What Yunzhou to go to? Divert to Xianggan." He made a brief statement to decide the life and death of these people.
Xianggan is the place where the Miao people live together. There are many saline-alkali soils, poisonous weeds, poisonous insects, and a lot of miasma. The Miao people there harbor secret Gu secret skills, and they are the most exclusive. They are exiled there. As soon as he entered the city, his hind foot stepped into the coffin board. The yamen in charge of escorting the prisoners did not dare to approach. When they reached the gate of the city, they handed over the official documents, and then pushed the prisoners, and it was over, and they ran faster than each other.
The guard had thought about this for a long time, couldn't help but glance at him, and then led the way.
The Ninth Prince completed the painting, resting his hands on the table and staring at it for a while, until the lamp oil in the candlestick burned out and the light began to flicker, then he carefully put it back into the dark compartment, then washed and went to bed.
It was night, and the dream that haunted him since childhood finally changed, from chasing a vague back repeatedly, to embracing and lingering with someone, and waking up from a thrilling pleasure in the early morning. He suddenly opened his eyes, rolled over and sat up, his cheeks flushed for a moment, and then he reached out to probe the smooth and warm crotch of his trousers.
The person in the dream was actually a Shu... It really is! His tearful eyes, swollen lips that were kissed until he was kissed, and his jade-colored body that was very tactile were still vivid in his mind. And the dazzling scene and the ecstasy of the ecstasy, the supreme joy, seemed to have really happened!
The ninth prince recalled repeatedly, his emotions were surging, and the body that had just vented began to heat up slightly again. He finally understood how he wanted to get Youshu. Not tethering him to his side, not keeping him in the eye, but occupying, blending, you have me and I have you.
Only by getting You Shu, those nightmares that kept him awake day and night will disappear, those regrets and pains that cannot be sought will be subsided, and those hearts that cannot be found will rekindle if they are dead. Only when he has Youshu will he not be manic, depressed, worry about gains and losses, and will not destroy himself because of all thoughts and hesitations.
Until this time, he reluctantly admitted that he was indeed the reincarnation of Emperor Zongsheng. Those dreams of despair, fear and heart-wrenching in the past showed that they really loved the same person and came to wait for him. The difference is that Emperor Zongsheng is dead, but he finally waited.
Feeling suddenly agitated, suddenly apprehensive, the Ninth Prince passed by for a long time before he settled down and dressed.
At the same time, Zhao Mansion.
Zhao Yusong's cheek was swollen by the ninth prince. In order to save face, he did not dare to go to see his father and grandfather immediately. The next day, the swelling subsided slightly, and then he covered it with powder before going to the room to look for his father.
His father was a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. He was from the second rank, and his official rank was not high. In the future, he was very likely to enter the cabinet to worship the chancellor. It can be said that he was one of the most noble figures in the Xia Qi Dynasty. After listening to his son's narration, the self-proclaimed Qingliu scholar Zhao was quite unhappy. If there is an Israeli prostitute in the family, there is no doubt that his road to promotion will be full of twists and turns, and even more completely blocked.
He is not like Zhao Zhizhou, who only pays attention to the immediate interests, not the reputation. Furthermore, even if Shu has been favored, the benefits will never fall on the second house, but it will be greatly detrimental to the direct descendants.
"Don't tell your grandfather. He's old, and his brains are a little overwhelmed. At most, he can send You Shu away, and how can he solve the problem from the root." Master Zhao pointed in a low voice, "I still remember that the ninth highness raised him. That sleeve dog? You were terrified that year."
Zhao Yusong's face turned pale, and he said, "Remember." How can you not remember? At that time, he was eight years old, and the ninth prince was seven years old. There was a snow-white sleeved dog that was paid tribute by a foreign country, and was given to Yaoer by Emperor Zhongkang to play with. The ninth prince likes this sleeve dog very much, and named it Xue Tuan. He holds it in his arms all day and refuses to let go, eats and sleeps together, and is inseparable. Unexpectedly, the rest of the princes were hot-eyed, and when he was not paying attention, they used the fresh meat to lead the snow balls to his side, before they had time to play with them. After only two touches, they were almost cut off by the ninth prince.
In the end, the snow ball was thrown away, and the rest of the palace concubine dared not adopt it, so they could only let it fend for itself.
When the ninth prince cut off half of the sixth prince's arm with one sword, blood was sprayed on Zhao Yusong's face. He was only eight years old, and he had never seen such a battle before. When he got home, he had a high fever, and he had nightmares for half a month before it got better. In a word, the ninth prince is extremely domineering, and he will never let outsiders touch what he likes. If it gets dirty, no matter how much he likes it, he will abandon it without hesitation.
Trying to recall the bloody past, Zhao Yusong's eyes brightened slightly, "Father, do you mean to stain Youshu?"
Daishi Zhao nodded, "The ninth prince suffers from cleanliness and likes clean things, so you can let him know that what he sees is clean on the surface, but in fact hides dirt and filth, let's see how he handles it."
Zhao Yusong responded repeatedly, turned around in a hurry, and summoned a servant to inquire about Yushu's recent movements, so as to use him as a handle. Unexpectedly, Shu is not like the arrogant and extravagant rumored, but is very well-behaved. If it is not necessary, she will never go out, either reading in the house, chatting with Wang, or walking around the yard, catching a few dragonflies and butterflies. , I know, put it in a glass jar to play with, you can play for several hours after playing, and then let it go.
"Catch dragonflies and butterflies, and then release them? Are you sure you're not describing a little girl from a family?" Zhao Yusong asked in disbelief.
"Indeed, the little one never dared to deceive the young master!" The servant knelt down and shouted injustice. He was also very suspicious of Young Master Shu's gender. If he went to see him in women's clothes, there would be no sense of disobedience. Even many noble ladies from aristocratic families are not as chaste and virtuous as him.
Zhao Yusong felt a headache as he massaged his temples. The ninth prince likes clean people or things the most. The previous murder case has proved that Shu was framed. In the eyes of the ninth prince, he is not only clean and weak, but also more pitiful. Shu, can't it hurt to the core
No matter how jealous Zhao Yusong is, he has to admit that Shu's appearance is extremely advantageous. Her face is tender, her eyes are large, her skin is white, her lips are pink, and her eyes are extraordinarily clear. She is so cute and cute. Coupled with that quiet, lazy, cat-like temperament, wouldn't the Ninth Prince be dazed
Zhao Yusong was feeling distressed when he saw his third cousin Zhao Yulin humming a little tune as he passed by outside the courtyard, wearing a very eye-catching peony on his temples. He suddenly woke up and sighed secretly: Why did he want to go wrong? The cleaner the white paper is, the easier it is to be dyed with colors. At that time, there will be no ink on the paper, and it will be thrown away naturally.
Thinking of this, he immediately called Zhao Yulin, who was about to go out and have fun, to discuss.
On the other end, You Shu absentmindedly finished her breakfast and asked Wang Shi for a bank note. Wang Shi didn't ask him what he was going to do, but he stuffed him with a thick stack and told him to go home early. For the evaluation and transfer, Zhao Zhizhou was trying to manage the relationship between the top and bottom, and went out before dawn.
You Shu promised to go home before sunset, put the banknotes in her close-fitting pockets, and walked to the calligraphy and painting workshop. Along the way, he used his spiritual power to communicate with the little ghost, and asked him to help him find out where the paintings of the unknown layman were collected.
The little ghost said shyly, "Sir, I don't know a single big character. How can I distinguish the paintings of an anonymous layman? But there is a ghost transformed by a Confucian scholar in Beijing. He is most obsessed with painting and calligraphy. If you find him, you may be able to ask something."
"Then find him." You Shu waved her sleeves.
The little ghost quickly came over with a gentle and handsome ghost. This ghost is also a strange creature. He has long forgotten his name taboo before he was alive, so he gave himself the nickname "The Immortal in the Painting", and repeatedly asked You Shu to call him that. Youshu has no psychological burden, and shouts one by one fairy, making his coaxing heart elated, and in the end he doesn't even need the yin and yang vitality talisman. For Youshu, he found an authentic work of an unknown layman for free.
Youshu spent 3,000 taels to buy the painting, packed it in a finely crafted bamboo tube, and carried it on his back before walking slowly towards the snack street. Just as he was halfway there, he was stopped by Zhao Yulin who suddenly appeared and said with a smile, "Cousin, where are you going?"
"Eat." Youshu is an honest child who rarely lies.
"Hey, what kind of delicious food can a street stall have, walk around, my cousin will take you to a private restaurant, the food there is really delicious, even if you don't eat it, just smelling and looking at it will make you feel full. It's full of belly, and you can enjoy it for months after the meal."
Zhao Yulin winked, his expression ambiguous, and his words were full of metaphors. But You Shu is a rectal person, and she only understands it literally, but she is said to be heartbroken.
"Cousin take me?" He subconsciously licked his lips.
"Of course, leave immediately!" Zhao Yulin dragged him away.
Zhao Yusong got the news sent by Zhao Yulin, and then invited Xue Wangjing to go to the palace to find the ninth prince. The two immediately avoided and bowed to salute.
The ninth prince tightened the reins and stopped in front of the two, pointed at Zhao Yusong with his horsewhip, and said, "I forgot to tell you yesterday, you will no longer be the king's companion in the future, and this palace gate is not a place where you can enter and leave at will. And return the waist card."
This sentence is not a condemnation or ridicule, but a plain message. However, the more indifferent His Royal Highness's tone became, the more embarrassed and angry Zhao Yusong became, and he couldn't help asking, "Dare to ask Your Highness, what is wrong with Wei Chen?"
"Taking this king as a spearman, you still ask me what's wrong with this king? Zhao Yusong, you have been a companion to this king for ten years. You seem to have forgotten your duty as a courtier." , "Even this king dares to use it, you are the first in the Xia Qi Dynasty."
Zhao Yusong's face was pale and his head was dizzy. Only by supporting the little servant beside him could he barely stand still. And Xue Wangjing, who came with him, quickly distanced himself, avoiding him like a snake. He also saw it yesterday that Zhao Yusong and Young Master Zhao were very disrespectful, otherwise they would not have released false news, let Young Master Zhao dress up and called him and His Highness out to watch the fun.
If His Highness hates Young Master Zhao, he will definitely humiliate the other party, making it difficult for the big family of Zhao to gain a foothold in the capital. His Highness usually doesn't care about this, but Zhao Yusong's bad luck made His Highness fall in love with Zhao Xiaogong at first sight. The nature of the matter has also changed.
The words that slandered Young Master Zhao in the past have now become a thorn in His Highness's heart. As soon as he sees Zhao Yusong, he wants to pull it out. If he is still dangling under his nose like before, how can His Highness bear it
Thinking of this, Xue Wangjing just wanted to say to Zhao Yusong, "You can't live by doing your own sins". Zhao Xiaogong followed his father to Beijing to report his work, and he would leave after two or three months. Why did you go to great lengths to deal with him? If you don't deal with him, Young Master Zhao won't have the chance to meet His Highness. If you don't meet him, you won't be reprimanded today.
His Highness Ninth was a person who could not tolerate sand in his eyes. He would never change his mind if he already hated someone, and Emperor Zhongkang was even more ruthless. Seeing that the conference and palace exams will be held in a few months, as the leader of this session, Zhao Yusong's career path is probably hanging.
What Xue Wangjing could think of, how could Zhao Yusong not think of it? He hurriedly chased after the ninth prince to beg for mercy, regardless of how people entering and leaving the palace looked at him. Seeing that the ninth prince was about to leave, he was forced to shout, "Your Highness, are you looking for Youshu? He went out with Zhao Yulin early in the morning."
The ninth prince immediately turned his horse's head and asked, "Where are they?"
"They have always liked to play around, so they should be in Yanliu Lane." Although Zhao Yusong had already tasted the bitter fruit of slandering Youshu, it was difficult to ride a tiger at this moment. Since he has been abandoned by the ninth prince, he must not let Youshu be favored again, otherwise the life of the second room will only be more difficult.
"Yanliuxiang?" The ninth prince's tone became more serious, as if he couldn't believe it.
Because Emperor Zhongkang had great ambitions and wanted to unify Kyushu and restore the glory of his ancestors, he was extremely tough in ruling. He issued a series of laws, one of which was strictly prohibiting officials from engaging in prostitutes, and offenders were dismissed.
However, food and sex are also difficult to restrain, even if the imperial court banned Qin Lou Chu Pavilion one by one, it could not stop some people's desires. It is not allowed to open on the bright side, so the prostitute rents in the quiet alley and deep alley, raises several beautiful "daughters" carefully, and recruits "husbands" when they grow up.
The "husband-in-law" doesn't need to come to the house every day, but only occasionally visits the daughters and pays a few powders. After a long time, everyone knows the inner path, and those who want to resume their old business will all gather in one place, waiting for the "husband-in-law" to automatically come to the door.
Looking at the dark complexion of the Ninth Prince, that place is nowhere else, it is Yanliu Lane where Shu went.
Xue Wangjing was shocked by the blood-red eyes of his master, and his legs and feet trembled, and he gestured to Zhao Yusong to behead him. Knowing that his master fell in love with Youshu at first sight, Zhao Yusong didn't stop him when he saw that he was playing with Zhao Yulin's voluptuous playboy, must he do it on purpose? What is the benefit to him and the Zhao family? You really forgot your duty as a courtier!
The slander in his heart kept going, but Xue Wangjing didn't dare to delay. Seeing that the ninth prince had galloped away, he hurriedly borrowed a horse from the guard to follow. Zhao Yusong hesitated for a while, but finally the mentality of schadenfreude prevailed, and he also hired a bearer to run towards Yanliu Lane.
It is said that ignorance is a blessing, but now Youshu has absolutely no idea that she has entered the Pansi Cave, and is lying by the pond watching the turtles. How can we still see harmless flowers, trees and small animals in the last days? Therefore, he likes to spend a lot of time appreciating everything around him. Although this is a world where monsters and ghosts are popular, the sky is blue, the flowers are fragrant, the sun is warm, the water is green, and the small animals are lively and lovely, with their own beauty.
He took out a piece of cake from his arms, took a bite of it himself, and threw some into the pool. When he saw the little turtle sticking out its head to grab it, he pursed his lips, revealing two deep dimples.
Zhao Yulin and the prostitute stood not far away, and they were amazed.
"Second Young Master, where did you find such a treasure? My daughters are all flamboyant and graceful. He didn't even look at him when he came in. He just went to tease the turtles in the pond. Why did he come?"
"It's time to eat." Zhao Yulin was a little embarrassed and urged, "I lied to him that you are running a restaurant, and the food you cook is a must in Beijing. Please let the kitchen set the meal, otherwise he will find that he has not eaten after watching the turtle. But it's time to leave. Let me tell you, their big house has more money than our four houses combined. You take good care of him and keep a lot of money bills. "
Zhao Yulin has been in Beijing for so many years, and he has never seen any three religions, nine streams, bulls, ghosts, snakes and gods. He has a good eye for people. Not to mention that he had already inquired about You Shu's disposition, but he knew what kind of person he was by looking at his black and white eyes that were clear and bottomless.
Don't say that you are sloppy and scheming, even if you tell a lie, you will not think about it. It's also his uncle and auntie who dote on him so much that they raised him into a child who didn't grow up. Thinking of this, Zhao Yulin felt guilty and guilty, but for the 5,000 taels of silver that Zhao Yusong promised, he had to bring people down.
For the first time, the old bustard saw the guests who came to him and didn't act like prostitutes, but just ate, and couldn't help laughing, "Okay, the slave family will go to the dining room to urge them, and when the food is served later, I will call the most beautiful girls, Let's see if he's really arrogant or serious! Then again, the Nu family has a new daughter, her looks, that figure, really, really..."
Since he didn't know how many characters, the old maid was indescribable for a long while, so he could only wave his hand and said, "Oh, anyway, you'll know when someone comes, go to the capital several times, and there is no girl more handsome than her, that is, she has entered the palace to be a girl. Empress is also good enough. At that time, you will let Zhao Xiaogong look at each other, and keep him and forget about the little turtle immediately."
Zhao Yulin's heart was itching, and he repeatedly urged her to bring people over.