long friend

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you can't just pass by like this..." In front of Mingfu Palace, the servant girl chased one person away, and kept persuading, "Your Majesty and Empress Dowager are discussing matters now!"

Xiao Qichen felt that the person he was supporting stopped suddenly. Before he could speak, Xiao Qiping suddenly turned his head, showing a rare 12-point sternness: "The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, what are you discussing? I am looking for the father to discuss the situation on the front line. The big things must be put aside, what is your status, dare to stop me and the Sixth Highness!"

His Highness the Sixth Prince, who was implicated innocently, smiled bitterly, and sang a good face obediently: "The King of Chu is the eldest son of the empress, and you don't need to pass on the mother and son's words... Do you understand? Go down quickly, I know the way. "

The little maid must have been a newcomer to Mingfu Palace, she didn't know that Xiao Qiping, who was always gentle, had such an abnormal side, after being persuaded by Xiao Qichen, she immediately didn't dare to go forward, and stopped on the spot tremblingly.

Xiao Qichen pulled Xiao Qiping's sleeve: "Come on, I'll lead you there." The two walked around a corridor again, he finally couldn't help laughing, and said to Xiao Qiping: "Everyone almost cried...you yourself Say, isn't that too much?"

"Forced, I feel annoyed when I hear her chattering there." Xiao Qiping frowned, "Since when has there been such an unsteady person in the mother's harem?"

Xiao Qichen said that he had no knowledge.

Today, he was waiting for the news of Tianhui's investigation in the Chenglan Palace, but Xiao Qiping appeared without warning. People who don't care about world affairs are extremely emotional. The reason is that they heard about the stalemate on the front line from somewhere.

At the court meeting the day before, Xiao Qichen heard Da Sima read the battle report. Su Yan met the Turkic army outside Yuyang City. After two days and nights of non-stop fighting, both sides suffered losses.Afterwards, the Turks did not continue to attack Yuyang, but Liang Jun did not dare or have the energy to continue the pursuit. Follow-up reinforcements were not in place, and Yuyang was about to be surrounded by Turks.

At this critical juncture, Xiao Yan made the decision to retreat to Fan Yang for future affairs.

Several ministers headed by Shi Yu almost hit the pillars in the Taiji Hall on the spot, and finally persuaded Xiao Yan to give up this idea.The people who escaped from the dead felt that His Majesty seemed to be confused, and even the Prime Minister was bewitched, and they strongly supported the retreat all the way. If this continues, wouldn't it be safe?

Xiao Qichen didn't expect that Xiao Qiping would be alarmed by this crap, and the other party seemed to be gnashing his teeth like wanting to strangle his own father, and without saying a word along the way, Xiao Qiping's hands were pinched red.

They went to Taiji West Hall first, but only saw Liu Wenyuan, saying that His Majesty had gone to Mingfu Palace.Xiao Qichen knew with his feet that he was going to visit Xiao Qiming, and was about to persuade Xiao Qiping to go back, when the other party suddenly turned to the direction of Mingfu Palace accurately.At that moment, Xiao Qichen almost had the illusion that he had been pretending to be blind for the past ten years.

The interior of Mingfu Palace seems to have been freshly painted, and it is more graceful than before. The colors are so bright that the entire palace room has been swept away from the simplicity of the past, and it becomes brighter.When Xiao Qichen met a maid saluting on the road, he smiled and went back with a good temper, but Xiao Qiping walked very fast, unable to bear it, he had to follow him in small steps until he stopped in front of the main hall.

When he saw the scene in the middle, the description of "a family of three" popped up in Xiao Qichen's mind for no reason: Xiao Yan was sitting at the desk on one side, the queen was kneeling and serving beside him, and in front of him was a woman who was shaking her head and reciting a book. Xiao Qiming.

Xiao Qichen suddenly thought: "Fortunately, brother Ping can't see."

He knew that no matter how much Xiao Qiping knew, he was still a mortal body, and would be jealous and hateful. He had let go of those old grievances back then, but this episode completely shattered the balanced mother-child relationship between him and the queen.

Xiao Qiping's heart is indeed very strong, he can persuade himself to be relieved from the pain of being cut off in the middle, he can forgive Xiao Qiyu's viciousness, he can turn a blind eye to Xiao Qichen's scheming and use, but these do not mean that he can bear Xiao Qiming's harmony with his parents look.

Xiao Qichen had no choice but to cough dryly, and after the handmaid passed on, he politely smiled and said: "Father, Queen Mother."

He always called the queen that way in front of Xiao Yan, giving enough face to the master of the harem.The two supreme couples hadn't expressed anything yet, and Xiao Qiming, who endorsed it, took the lead to look over.

Children are always scheming, Xiao Qichen treated him well in the Imperial College and did not give him special treatment, but he liked Xiao Qichen very much for some reason.Now that Qiming saw him, he threw the book away, and rushed towards Xiao Qichen like a suckling swallow throwing himself into the forest, the child's voice was crisp and sweet: "Sixth brother!"

Xiao Qichen said "Hey", rubbed Xiao Qiming's head perfunctorily, and pulled him away from him.At this time, the child saw that there was someone beside him, and immediately stood upright. Rao knew that Xiao Qiping had an eye problem, so he still saluted seriously: "Third brother, long time no see, are you still in good health?"

Xiao Qiping patted his immature shoulder with his hand, and said in a gentle voice, "I'm all right—the mother, the son heard about some front-line affairs, and wanted to discuss with the father, may I ask the mother to take Qiming to avoid it for a while?"

He proposed it so directly, regardless of whether Xiao Yan would be embarrassed.

Sure enough, Xiao Yan still smiled and said: "Why, Qiping rarely enters the palace, is it to discuss political affairs? You don't have to worry too much about court affairs, I know it well."

Sensing that the people around him tensed up immediately, Xiao Qichen quickly grabbed Xiao Qiping's hand, but was thrown away by the other party: "Really? I think you should be discussing how to fight this battle with the adults in the West Palace right now." , instead of throwing all these to the prime minister or Sikong, and then come to the harem to see how well the Qiming book is memorized!"

The king of a country, the battle on the front line is getting more and more intense, but he doesn't seem to care at all. Is this still the emperor who was ambitious and wanted to revitalize Daliang?

Why has he stagnated all these years?

Why would you rather spend your mind on the infighting in the Tai Chi Hall, suppressing this and suppressing that, but refuse to listen to other people's opinions on state affairs?

The Turkic people have already crossed the Great Wall, can they tell which is more important?

How can this make the civil and military people of the Manchu Dynasty and the people of the four realms feel at ease?

Xiao Qiping's accusation was justified, but it sounded like a thorn in his back.

Xiao Qichen saw that Xiao Yan's face darkened in an instant, and immediately smoothed things over and said: "Father, brother Ping is worried about the country, so his words will inevitably be a bit off-putting, please calm down..."

But it was too late, Xiao Yan frowned, and said to Xiao Qiping: "It turned out that I was finally willing to go to the palace, and I just saved up these words to accuse me? Xiao Qiping, did I indulge you too much, and you forgot yourself?" What is your identity? Even if the censor Yanguan Shangzuo will not be in this tone!"

It seemed that it was the first time in more than 20 years that he was called by his first and last name. Xiao Qiping smiled instead of anger: "Father, my son is not a censor, nor is he a speech officer. Now that Brother Zhao Wang is on the front line, the sixth brother wants to share your worries." But he is powerless, and my son-in-law no longer has the position to deal with political affairs-this battle is a foregone conclusion. Do you really think there will be 20 years of peace to make the seventh brother grow into the look you expect? Royal father, no matter how you deal with it, there is something that I must say today—"

"Xiao Qiping! You go back to the palace!"

"——time is not waiting for me, why is the father unwilling to face the reality?"

Xiao Qichen was like falling into an ice cave, and then Xiao Yan yelled something as if he lost his posture, and how Xiao Qiping groped out of Mingfu Palace while pulling him, he was all out of shape.

Walking into the aftermath of the cold wind with one hand and one foot, Xiao Qichen shivered.

He completely understood Xiao Qiping's anger, many ministers just didn't dare to speak out, Xiao Qiping's subordinates were guilty of telling Xiao Yan all these words, and he didn't know if he could awaken the emperor's reason.

Xiao Qichen sighed, and said in his heart: "I should have known earlier, he is no longer the emperor father I knew when I was a child."

But when he was young, Xiao Qiping was extremely talented, and he was born to be the crown prince - it turned out that his untimely death destroyed not only Xiao Qiping himself, but also the emperor on the dragon chair.

After many years, Xiao Qiping has come out, so... where is his father?

Xiao Qichen sent Xiao Qiping back to Chu Palace, briefly told He Zipei what happened in the palace, and then returned to Shanglin Garden.After Su Yan left, he often stayed outside the palace, and the left and right Xiao Yan had let him go.

Tianhui didn't follow him directly, but secretly protected him.Xiao Qichen walked around the street casually by himself, bought a bowl of mutton wontons from a small shop in a commercial shop, and sat on the side of the street to eat. He looked like a young man who didn't know much about the world. He tried it with great interest.

Halfway through drinking the soup, there was an extra guest at the vacant half of the table. Xiao Qichen didn't want to talk to him at first, but that person talked to him first: "Your Highness Six like these folk snacks?"

Xiao Qichen raised his head in surprise, only to see that sitting there with a completely different style from his surroundings was Liu Wenyuan.Seeing him looking over, Liu Wenyuan smiled lightly: "I have also heard the dispute between His Highness King Chu and His Majesty."

Xiao Qichen's strange expression only lasted for a moment, and he immediately regained his composure, and continued to eat the bowl of wontons: "So what? Even Brother Ping can't bear it, it shows how failed Father's decision is."

"If everyone says 'no' to His Majesty, maybe he can still listen to it, but there is someone who has always been a solid backing for His Majesty, telling him 'this is feasible' or even 'the only solution', you said, How can a paranoid and stubborn person like His Majesty still waver?" Liu Wenyuan's voice was only loud enough for the two of them to hear, and her expression was very ordinary.

Xiao Qichen chewed slowly, swallowed it all, and then said: "You mean Chen Xiang is bewitching you?"

Liu Wenyuan said inscrutablely: "Your Highness said this yourself—but I do know something about Chen Xiang, and I think His Highness is very interested in hearing it."

"There is no secret in the world that you don't want money. Tell me, what do you want?"

Liu Wenyuan smiled and said, "I want you to buy me a glass of wine."

What responded to him was Xiao Qichen's suspicious gaze. He looked Liu Wenyuan up and down several times, and the other party maintained that decent and sincere smile from the beginning to the end.

Under Xiao Qichen's hesitation, Liu Wenyuan said: "Didn't you receive a secret letter from the general before, and he told you that the court may have mixed in with the Turk's secret work, of course, with your ability, you will be able to check sooner or later." The truth is clear. But if I tell you, I know who this person is? Would Your Highness still want to buy me this glass of wine?"

Xiao Qichen squinted his eyes, stood up and put a few copper coins on the table casually: "Xiaoer, pay the bill—Master Liu, Yanyulou has excellent Xinfeng wine and 30-year-old daughter red, which one do you like?" ?”

If it is said that before this, Xiao Qichen only knew that the dark guards were a group of masters flying over the walls and landing silently, but after today, in his heart, these people are everywhere and omnipotent, they are the eyes and ears of the imperial city, silently Infiltrated into everyone's side deeply - the mansion of important ministers, military camps, chambers of commerce, rivers and lakes...

Liu Wenyuan's ability to know the letter written by Su Yan was a big shock to Xiao Qichen.This person had sought cooperation with him two years ago, but at that time Xiao Qichen thought the time was premature and did not agree.At this moment, he threw out an olive branch again, Xiao Qichen thought for a while, and finally nodded.

He had an intuition that Liu Wenyuan's life background must have something to say, but he didn't check it out: If such a person wants to conceal it deliberately, who can really find out the truth?

The Yanyu Building has three floors, and the top is a box overlooking the entire Jinling City.And this box is closed most of the time, unless the real dignitaries come to discuss matters.

At this time, Xiao Qichen and Liu Wenyuan were sitting in it, and Tianhui outside was holding the dagger at his waist, ready to fight.

"Your Highness, do you know the background of Chen Youyou?" Liu Wenyuan took a sip of her wine and exclaimed, "Good wine!"

Xiao Qichen didn't drink it, and only ate the beans on the plate: "I know, Mr. Xie's disciple had such a nepotism relationship with Guang Luqing, who was confiscated back then. Because of this, Guang Luqing's family was imprisoned." However, he was able to take care of himself alone, and even embraced the big tree Xiao Qiyu later, so that he became prosperous."

Liu Wenyuan nodded frequently: "But I don't think Mr. Chen is too content with just being King Zhao's cronies?"

Xiao Qichen sneered: "Isn't that right? This person is slick and talented in political affairs, but his private reputation is very average. He once sent me a lot of paintings in order to win me over, but unfortunately those are all external things to me."

Liu Wenyuan: "Your Highness, have you never thought about why he would win you over?"

"Father's health is not as good as before, and one day he will drive west. At that time, it will inevitably cause a wave of turmoil in the government and the public. Whether it is me or Xiao Qiyu who takes the throne, he can continue to be his prime minister in peace—what are you? Expression?" Seeing Liu Wenyuan's helpless smile, Xiao Qichen said angrily, "Did I say something wrong?"

Liu Wenyuan shook her head: "Most people think the same as you, so that's why I came to His Highness."

Hearing that there was something else hidden, Xiao Qichen remembered what he said before, and quickly made a gesture to signal Liu Wenyuan to continue talking.He drank all the wine in his glass, and then said slowly: "Chen Youyou... he has not only climbed into the relationship between the court and China."

In Xiao Qichen's slight daze, Liu Wenyuan looked directly into his eyes:

"In the 21st year of Tongning, Chen Youyou was only Tingwei's deputy. At that time, he had the opportunity to come into contact with the Turkic proton Huyantu. In the next eight years, he successively provided Huyantu with many books of our dynasty, especially military books. What's more. My subordinates found out this news, and I conveyed it to His Majesty, but he didn't take it seriously. After Huyantu returned to Turkic, they often exchanged letters. Your Highness, I've finished my words, you should understand what I mean—maybe not It cannot be called a secret operation, but it is also a crime of collaborating with the enemy to do so when the relationship between the two countries is tense."

When Liu Wenyuan mentioned the "Book of War", Xiao Qichen's expression changed. He stood up in disbelief after hearing the last word, and his voice became louder: "Liu Wenyuan, do you know that what you are talking about is the Prime Minister!"

"That's right, Your Highness, there are a lot of traces of correspondence with Huyantu in his mansion, written in Huihe script. If Your Highness doesn't believe it, you can ask Tianyou to steal it and decipher it. Then you will know whether what I said is true or not."

It sounds like a fantasy, but indeed, the mess in Nanliang gradually became more and more dilapidated after Xie Ke passed away, until now it was out of control.

His fearless appearance made Xiao Qichen feel very uncomfortable. He stood there for a while, then suddenly took another empty glass and filled it with wine, drank it down, and then said to Liu Wenyuan: "...you tell me this, it's not true If I have the opportunity to sit on the dragon chair in the future, shall I reward you with something else?"

Liu Wenyuan raised a finger and shook it: "There is another secret, Your Highness, you owe me this favor, and you will always come to pay it back sometime in the future. I hope Your Highness is kind and righteous, and don't forget the secret I gave you. "

Xiao Qichen looked at him inexplicably.

"I choose you," Liu Wenyuan stood up, stretched her muscles and bones relaxedly, and looked at Xiao Qichen with trust in her eyes, "It's because some things can only be given to me through you."

It wasn't until a few years later that Xiao Qichen knew that he had to pay only a small part of the deal with Liu Wenyuan, and he only had to talk about it, but for Liu Wenyuan, it saved his life.

After parting with Liu Wenyuan, Xiao Qichen hurriedly arranged the matter.After sunset, Tianyou sneaked into the prime minister's mansion, and found the trace of the communication in just three hours.

Some are damaged, it seems that it was half burnt and rescued urgently, the rest is written in a strange foreign language, sometimes mixed with Chinese, Xiao Qichen can't understand it at all, and can't find anyone for the time being, so he had to wait for dawn to drag Xie Hui over to ask .

He found that he suddenly became more receptive to these inexplicable news of reversals. Perhaps after all these years of chaos, he would not be surprised no matter how the muddy water in the court was disturbed.What can affect Xiao Qichen's emotions now is nothing more than a will in Xiao Yan's hand, but he realized later that he boasted that he had a selfish heart and did not serve others, but he was still worried about the great rivers and mountains of Daliang.

Just because his surname is Xiao, he has an indescribable sense of responsibility.

Sitting under the lamp, Xiao Qichen turned over the few broken books in his hand.

All of these seemed to be given to him by Su Yan's subtle influence, such as the community, the century-old foundation, and the mysterious and mysterious burden, and even the sense of "involuntary" fate.

He wanted Jiangshan at first out of resentment and resentment for the injustice he suffered, but now...Xiao Qichen really can't bear to see the future of Jiangshan in devastation. I am more able and more qualified to take on this burden.

Xiao Qichen resigned himself to his fate and thought: "He pacified the northern border, then I will give him back the clean rivers and beautiful mountains and rivers."

The author has something to say: This paragraph really drained the water out of my mind...