Xiao Qinghuan

Xie Jue sat in the room all night.

Holding Xie Yongming's private seal in his hand, he sat on the bed in a daze, from daytime to late night, and then until the dawn of the sky.His eyes were burning and hurting, but he couldn't cry anymore.

Whether it's father, brother, or sister, no one in this world will worry about his emotions all the time. Even if he cries to death here, everything will be useless.

Xie Jue rubbed the copper seal in his hand, subconsciously thinking that he had never been to the frontier.

Everyone in the world said that the Xie family's army had sufficient provisions and strict military discipline.But to Xie Jue, the word Xie Jiajun was so unfamiliar that it seemed like a long-standing legend—perhaps even the children who sang nursery rhymes on the street knew it better than him.The people nearby might still spread some news about Xie Jiajun by word of mouth, but he never seemed to want to know a thing or two.

Xie Yongming came and went in a hurry every year when he returned to Beijing to report on his work, and he didn't stay for long.Whether it is him or Xie Yu, it seems that they seldom mention military matters to him, but only ask him to do his job well and take care of himself in Beijing.

But now they were gone, and he didn't even see their last face.His father even left him only a faded seal.

Xie Yongming's name was engraved on that copper seal, Xie Jue stretched out his hand to touch it, and recognized that it was Xie Yongming's own handwriting, and the engraved blade pattern was also Xie Yongming's usual.He injured his hand in the frontier in the first few years, so when he engraved strokes such as swipes and strokes, the engraving would be a little stiff.

The young man inevitably felt some resentment from the bottom of his heart, and he didn't know who to hate, but he just felt dissatisfied when he thought of everything.

If there was no imperial decree in that box; if Ning Zheng hadn't summoned Xie Yongming back to Beijing; even if Ning Zongyuan hadn't handed over the responsibility of supervising the country to Ning Zheng.A young man is obsessed with thinking about these things over and over in his mind, mixing them together in a mess, and he can't get rid of them, and he can't think clearly.

He hated this world, but in the end he hated himself even more.He squeezed the copper seal in his hand and thought, if his elder brother Xie Yu was here, or even his sister Xie Yao, they wouldn't be so hopeless like him, so hopeless that they would only cry.

Why is it him, Xie Jue thought almost desperately.God seems to have played a huge joke with the Xie family, leaving a ray of hope for the Xie family, but pinning this hope on him who is the most useless.

The sky was gradually getting brighter, and there were servants coming and going outside, making some voices unavoidable.Xie Jue sat in the room, and no one came in to talk to him.Thinking about it, he is just one of Jiang Ling's attendants now, and it really isn't worth the extra energy for others to take care of him.

The door of his room creaked suddenly, and Xie Jue recovered from his disturbed thoughts, only to find that the door was pushed open from the outside.

"Little uncle." Jiang Ling poked his head through the crack of the door: "Can I come in?"

"Yes...cough, yes." As soon as Xie Jue opened his mouth, he realized that his throat seemed to have swallowed molten iron, and he could hardly make a sound.The smell of rust rose from his throat, Xie Jue coughed with his head tilted, and coughed up a mouthful of blood-tinged phlegm.

The threshold of the servant's room was still a bit high for Jiang Ling. She turned in from the door with all hands and feet, and didn't even notice a long streak of dust on her beautiful clothes.

Jiang Ling ran over with strides, self-reliantly following Xie Jue's legs and trying to crawl into his arms.Seeing her working hard, Xie Jue reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"Why are you here?" Xie Jue asked.

"Hush——" Jiang Ling made a silent gesture at him mysteriously, leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "I heard my little uncle crying."

Jiang Ling took out a piece of crispy candy from his bosom, and held it in front of Xie Jue like a baby.

Children's way of coaxing people is monotonous and nothing new, Xie Jue just feels exhausted physically and mentally, and he can't even summon the strength to refuse.

Jiang Ling took his silence as a default, stuffed the candy into his mouth with a smile, and said as if asking for credit: "When my father was sad, he just ate my candy."

The halva is sweet and greasy, it seems that it has been carried around for a long time, it melts slightly, and it is very sticky to the teeth.

Xie Jue licked the piece of candy in his mouth with the tip of his tongue, blinked his eyelids, and before he could react, he rolled down two lines of tears.

He thought he wouldn't cry anymore.

Jiang Ling was taken aback, and hurriedly reached out to wipe his tears: "Hoo hoo, little uncle doesn't hurt."

The young child's delicate hand fell on his face.Xie Jue suddenly remembered that when Xie Yongming returned to Beijing to report on his work, Xie Yu drank too much wine and grabbed Xie Jue to tell him anecdotes about the frontier.Xie Yu said that he rescued a lost little girl outside the border town. The little girl was not very old. She had heard people say that there were treasures in the desert. She was carrying a small cloth bag and was going to explore.

Xie Yu was in high spirits when he talked about these things, and the armor of the Xie family army on his body was solid and shiny.At that time, Xie Yongming came in from the courtyard after practicing guns, laughed and scolded him for bragging, and almost poked Xie Yu in the head with the gun.

It was just a few years ago.

Xie Jue slowly stretched out his hand to hold Jiang Ling in his arms.His hot tears fell on Jiang Ling's hands, scalding Jiang Ling a little.

He can't die yet, Xie Jue thought.

Xie Yongming handed over this private seal to him, if he surrendered in such a useless manner, he would not even have the face to die.

Jiang Ling didn't know why he was crying, but he obediently let him hug her.Xie Jue stopped crying after crying for a while. He sniffled and asked in a muffled voice, "Where's your father?"

Jiang Ling tilted his head, pondered for a while, and then stammered, "I heard from Jiang Mo, it's Jin...Jin..."

Enter the palace.

Jiang Xiaohan was walking on the palace road. He had walked this road thousands of times, and even with his eyes closed, he knew the texture of the stone bricks under his feet. It was the first time he walked so anxiously.

When Jiang Xiaohan handed over the booklet earlier, Ning Zheng tried to stop him from going to see Ning Zongyuan.Ning Yu circled around for a while, and bluntly said that Jiang Xiaohan, as the left minister of the cabinet, should meet the Holy Majesty, and it was not their turn to stop him, so he won the palace card.

Ning Zongyuan was not in good health, so he sent a message, telling Jiang Xiaohan to go directly to the Zichen Palace instead of going to the study.

There was a depressing and gloomy atmosphere in the palace city. The maids and servants who came and went hurriedly walked with their heads down, and the orderly order in the past was replaced by panic.Ning Zongyuan was seriously ill. Apart from the court, even the inner palace began to feel uneasy.

When Jiang Xiaohan arrived, just in time for the imperial physician to ask for his pulse, the old imperial physician who was over sixty years old saluted Jiang Xiaohan with a worried expression.It is a serious crime to inquire about the emperor's situation, Jiang Xiaohan only nodded politely in return, and didn't say much.

The servant next to Ning Zongyuan naturally knew Jiang Xiaohan, and when he saw him coming, he let out a ouch and hurriedly led him in.

"Master Jiang is back." The waiter said with a frowning face, "I heard that your lord was sick outside earlier, how are you now?"

The third-rank official in front of the emperor, Jiang Xiaohan smiled politely and said, "It's all good."

"That's good." The waiter sighed: "Your Majesty's health has not been very good for the past two days. Lord Jiang will see His Majesty later, so he should be more vigilant."

Jiang Xiaohan naturally understood that the servant was reminding him, so he wrote down the favor.

The servant led him into the main hall. Although Ning Zongyuan was ill, he was not unable to get up. He was sitting behind the tall desk, as if waiting for him.

Unable to face Jun Yan for no reason, Jiang Xiaohan lowered his eyes and bowed respectfully: "I have seen Your Majesty."

He is the head of civil servants, even if he is in front of the imperial court, he no longer has to kneel and kowtow.

"Excuse me." Ning Zongyuan's voice was low, with an inevitable old look, and his speech was not as full of anger as usual: "It's been hard work going here."

Jiang Xiaohan buried his head and replied: "The officials in Liangjiang are not benevolent, and I feel ashamed."

"People will plan for themselves." Ning Zongyuan said: "The sky is about to change... I am old, but my son is still young. It is normal for them to have disobedience."

"When I was in Pingjiang, my two Highnesses also wrote to my Highness." Jiang Xiaohan said suddenly: "The two Highnesses are in their prime of life, and they seem to have a heart to compete with you."

"Mingyuan." Ning Zongyuan suddenly smiled, he twisted the beads in his hands, and said with emotion: "Mingyuan is the only one who is sincere and true in all civil and military affairs."

Jiang Xiaohan hurriedly said: "I dare not be a minister."

"Look at the court, how many civil and military courtiers in the Manchu Dynasty have become my sons." Ning Zongyuan sighed: "In less than a year, the wolf's ambition is fully displayed."

Jiang Xiaohan remained silent and did not judge it.

"It's just Mingyuan." Ning Zongyuan changed the subject: "I would like to hear your opinion...Which of my two sons can be king."

Jiang Xiaohan didn't answer directly, but just took out a memorial from his bosom: "He Liuyun of Anqing Mansion privately built a living shrine for His Highness the Third Highness, and recruited the common people as corvee, in vain. After being found out by the minister, he tried to destroy the evidence and wipe out the traces. More than two hundred Everyone was killed, and the soldiers of the Shenwei Battalion are currently in Anqing Mansion, waiting for His Majesty to send someone to check at any time."

Jiang Xiaohan handed over the memorial to the servants around him, and went on to say: "In addition, Xie Yongming, the protector of the country, was arrested for no reason and died in prison unjustly. This kind of partial listening and partial belief, which damages the fortune of the country, is enough. Seeing that the Third Highness is unbearable to be a king."

"Oh..." Ning Zongyuan took the memorial and put it on his lap: "So Mingyuan is interested in Ning Yu?"

Jiang Xiaohan pursed his lips: "I think that the Fourth Highness can't be king either."

"Zheng'er's methods are immature, and he listens to others, so he can't." Ning Zongyuan asked: "Then why can't Yu'er?"

"Your Majesty is a lesson." Jiang Xiaohan said word by word: "The Fourth Highness coerces each other as a monarch and his subjects, and uses secret medicine to force them to use him. Governing the country like this is a great disaster for the country."

"Every sentence of the minister is true." Jiang Xiaohan rolled up his left sleeve: "If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can pass it on to the imperial physician and he will know."

This is Jiang Xiaohan's second insurance.Ning Zongyuan might be willing to see his son fight for the throne, but he would never want to see his son win over his courtiers in such a sinister way.Ning Yu had the guts to prescribe medicine to his subjects today, but how could he know that he would not kill his brother and father for the throne tomorrow.

Under the couch, how can tigers and wolves be allowed to sleep soundly? Before becoming a father, he was a king first.

"I naturally believe in Mingyuan." Ning Zongyuan made a downward gesture towards him as if to appease him: "But according to Mingyuan's intention, neither of my two sons can be king. Then after a hundred years, this Who should the country pass to?"

Jiang Xiaohan suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down: "The Fifth Palace's status is humble, and I'm afraid he won't be able to convince the public, while His Royal Highness Seventh is still in his infancy... I think that His Highness Sixth is pure-minded, benevolent, and can inherit the great rule."

As soon as he finished speaking, the servant beside Ning Zongyuan's eyes widened in horror.

Ning Zongyuan's voice sank: "Ming Yuan, do you know what you're talking about?"

"I know." Jiang Xiaohan's attitude was very firm: "I think that His Highness the Sixth Highness can inherit the great rule."

"In two months, it will be Yan'er's fifth birthday, and he is only six years old." Ning Zongyuan said: "The wolves, tigers and leopards of the dynasty are eyeing the emperor's throne, how do you want him to hold back."

Jiang Xiaohan gritted his teeth, bowed and touched the ground with his forehead, made a big gift, and said sincerely: "Everyone in this world has selfish intentions, whether for fame or profit, but in the end it is just family glory. I would like to swear to Jiutian, I will never marry for the rest of my life, and apart from an adopted daughter for comfort, the Jiang family has no descendants... I am willing to assist His Highness the Sixth Highness wholeheartedly, assisting the government and not being a regent, until His Highness takes charge in person."

Ning Zongyuan looked down at him.

This is undoubtedly his best servant, Ning Zongyuan thought.Jiang Xiaohan is young, smart, and knowledgeable.He is capable enough, and everything he holds in his hand is earned by himself.But he has a ruler in his heart to mark his proportions, what can be wanted and what can't be wanted, it has always been clear and clear, and there has never been a slight mistake.He is different from other aristocratic families, the Jiang family is clean, never has those complicated network of contacts, it is also reassuring to use.

Ning Zongyuan used this knife to intimidate the court, to remove poisonous bones, gouged out carrion, and never missed a single time.

This time was no exception.

"Raise your head." Ning Zongyuan said, "Look at me."

Jiang Xiaohan paused, and looked at Ning Zongyuan as he said.

Ning Zongyuan is indeed old.Jiang Xiaohan couldn't remember how long it had been since he had seen Ning Zongyuan's face like this. In his impression, Ning Zongyuan was not so old-fashioned, and he could chat and laugh happily with him, playing a game of chess leisurely.

And now he is shrouded in a large dragon robe, his eyes are sunken, his face is haggard, and the skin on the back of his hands is wrinkled, with a few spots dotted here and there.

Jiang Xiaohan thought he would be furious, but when he didn't want to raise his head, he found that there was still a smile on his face.

It was a sincere, satisfied smile.

"Ming Yuan." Ning Zongyuan said, "I am very pleased."

Jiang Xiaohan's hands hidden under the sleeves of his robe were dripping with cold sweat. He watched Ning Zongyuan look at him almost lovingly, and suddenly an extremely absurd idea appeared in his mind.

"I did not misunderstand you." The old emperor lowered his eyes and smiled softly: "You have not failed my expectations."

Jiang Xiaohan was startled suddenly.

Ning Zongyuan seemed to be in a good mood: "From ancient times to the present, the emperor's heart must be buried deeply. But it is difficult to be known, but it cannot be completely unknown, so the emperor has a confidant - Ming Yuan, trying to figure out the holy will You have always done a good job in this matter."

Ning Zongyuan put down the bead string in his hand, and lightly said: "...I didn't disappoint me this time either."

The author says:

Chapter 100~Happy~ [Thanks to Ye Yuezhu, Salted Fish, Jiang Chengcheng’s sunny doll, the fish food fed by Float~Honorary member of the head-to-head team, Zhen Xinghai, Awkward Red Deer, Dongshan TOYOTA, Wuye Thirteen Feed Catnip ~ Thank you very much for your likes ~