female concubine

"At the beginning of the founding of the country, Tai. Zu has already made it clear that the clan does not take office. His Majesty has repeatedly ignored this rule. Now he makes an exception to allow the King of Chu to serve in the court. I am afraid that he is planning for King Zhao. , According to His Highness, the Political Affairs Hall rejected it."

"Even if Weng Weng and Yushitai are together, His Majesty will not change his mind. It is better not to touch Nilin for now." The prince frowned deeply again and said: "However, it is true that this palace underestimated King Chu. My big brother, I have to rethink the countermeasures."

"Although the King of Chu has won the imperial court, there are very few people in the court who are willing to help. Although Lu Wei, a Hanlin scholar, is his teacher and has some prestige in the court, he is a person who steals and accepts. The King of Chu can't make any troubles. , Your Highness is now defending the Xiao family first, without the Xiao family, the King of Chu is nothing to be afraid of."

"I know that without the Xiao family, the third child wouldn't even be able to look at him, so why would he take the risk of being scolded to plead with His Majesty, but I always feel that the sixth child is not what he seems..." Thinking of this , Wei Shu turned his head and asked his confidant: "Is Xiao Huaide far away from Tokyo?"

"It's been a while since I left Beijing on the first day of the Yuan Dynasty, and I think I've arrived in Xiangyang Mansion by now."

"Report! Your Highness, there is a secret letter from the spies."

The confidant took it and handed it over to the crown prince, Wei Shu opened it, "Princess Chu left Chu Palace early this morning."

"Leave Chu Palace?"

"Yes, let's go east of the city."

The man in casual clothes stroked his white beard, "Go straight to the east of the city, and it's Jinling."

"Jinling, the Jiang family is in Jinling. Grandson remembers that Princess Chu's mother's family is the Jiang family of Jinling. The King of Chu has just left the court. She is going back to Jinling at this time?" the prince panicked.

"Yes, but I remember that in the early spring more than ten years ago, the youngest son and wife of the founding father of Longde passed away one after another. Because His Majesty broke Beidi and celebrated with the whole country, the founding father did not dare to hold a big funeral, so he knew and remembered There are very few people."

"Go back to Jinling to pay homage?" Wei Shu frowned, and then said: "The Jiang family is the most prominent family in my court, and there are many ministers with the surname Jiang in the court. She returned to Jinling..."

It seems that he reminded himself, squinting his eyes and said fiercely: "The Xiao family is an obstacle, and this Princess Chu is even more so. If she is kept here, the Xiao Jiang family will definitely join forces to assist the King of Chu, and there will be endless troubles!"

Ping Zhangshi followed with a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, the Xiao family married the King of Chu. If it were King Zhao, the current situation would be difficult to control. I'm afraid they will stay in Sichuan and never return."

"This gift was given by me, and now I have regretted it, no matter whether the sixth child really doesn't want to fight or is just pretending to cover it up, I will take it back to avoid future troubles!"

The teacup was set on the table, and the old man got up and bowed to Wei Shu, "It takes a thousand days to raise a soldier, and the old minister will do these pickling and dirty things. Anyway, he is about to go to the ground, so we can't let these trivial matters get His Highness's hands dirty. "

"Weng Weng..."

"Your Highness, don't worry. After all, I have also supported the veterans of the three dynasties who are enthroned today, but Your Highness has to remember that if you want to trample on others, you can't keep them alive, otherwise, you must do the opposite!"

"Grandson, I understand."

--------

"When I first came to Dali Temple, I still have a lot of things I don't understand. Please ask me more in the future."

"Where is the temple, I have handled a difficult case on the first day of taking office, and I admire it."

"I'm just helping from the side. The so-called trouble is just because you are hindered by his status. In the final analysis, I just have a better background."

"The temple is just like the sky and the nobles, and the lower officials can't match it."

"There are only colleagues in the officialdom, you and I are of the same rank, so stop talking about self-deprecating words."

"Yes."

"These two are the prime ministers of Zuo Si Temple. From now on, they will assist Zuo Sizheng in handling cases. These two are veteran ministers of Dali Temple, and they are very familiar with laws and regulations and various affairs of Dali Temple."

Wei Huan nodded.

Three days later.

"Your Highness, there are two cases, one involving Beijing officials, and the other... should be handed over to Dali Temple for trial as usual, do you think?" The judge handed over the case file.

"The person in charge of directly interrogating the officials of the capital is the Zuo Temple of Dali Temple, right?"

"Return to Your Highness, yes."

Wei Shu glanced at the surname on the case file, then put his lips together and smiled and said, "I'll go there myself."

"Yes, I'm going to prepare the car now, sir."

In the left temple of Dali Temple, the person who had just finished handling a suspicious case put down the rabbit hair brush in his hand, leaned back on the chair with a limp body, and breathed a long sigh of relief, "I really have never been an official, I don't know how to be an official Difficulty."

"The lord judges the case like a god, which makes the officials sigh and admire him." Si Cheng brought a cup of hot tea and served it respectfully.

"In court, call the temple upright." Wei Huan sat up straight and picked up his pen again.

"Yes, yes, Sizheng, the Crown Prince is here. The Kaifeng Mansion has submitted a case, but the lower officials dare not settle it, so... I would like to trouble you to convict and examine it together."

"Who, you dare not break?"

Si Cheng raised his head hesitantly, "Yes, Jinling Jiang."

Hearing about Mrs. Jiang, Wei Huan raised his brows and took the case file presented by Si Cheng.

"The matter also involves Sizheng's Mount Tai, my servant..." Si Cheng looked up at the King of Chu, knowing that the Jiang family in Jinling is a famous family, and it is also the family of the wife of the Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice.

"Can't the criminal department try this case?"

"The Ministry of Punishment is in charge of review and execution, and it needs to be judged by Dali Temple first."

------

In the courtroom, the crown prince watched the case without saying a word. He didn't speak until he got down from the courtroom and went to the official mansion.

"I heard from people in Dali Temple that Sixth Brother is getting more and more comfortable handling cases. I still don't believe it, but today I have seen it with my own eyes. Sixth Brother's decisive killing is really like His Majesty."

The king of Chu folded the wide sleeves of his official uniform and said with a smile: "I am in this position and seek to govern myself. Although I am not interested in being an official, since I wear this hat and eat the king's salary, I must do my best."

The crown prince pretended to be surprised when he heard the words, turned his head and asked, "Oh? Since you are not interested in being an official, then I really want to know, Sixth Brother, what would you be interested in doing?"

The King of Chu still smiled slightly, "Your idle prince, it's better not to do anything, you have enough money, you don't have to worry about food and clothing, and you can support your family, that's enough."

"Sixth brother, is this really what you want?"

The King of Chu said in a daze, "Your Highness is the crown prince, and this life is nothing more than that. What does His Highness mean by asking...?"

The Crown Prince pursed his lips, suddenly raised his finger and pointed to the official hat on his head, and said with a smile: "I don't have that hat on my head yet."

The King of Chu didn't seem surprised when he heard it, he just smiled and cupped his hands and said, "It's just a hat, it's just a little bit earlier, but it will be worn eventually."

"I'm afraid that when I put it on, I won't be able to see it anymore." The Crown Prince looked at King Chu deeply.

"Where did His Highness say, the hats are all put on by yourself. If you can put them on, how can you not see them? Moreover, if you really can't see them, the medical officers of the Hanlin Medical Official Academy have the reputation of contemporary medical saints." name, it will surely heal and make it as good as before.”

The crown prince looked up, and said with a slight smile, "I don't know that the king of Chu has learned how to play riddles after three years of experience in Shu." Then he squinted his eyes and said coldly, "What a glib mouth, it's really not the slightest bit. The wind doesn't pass through!"

"I don't know, what is His Highness talking about? Are you praising your younger brother?"

The crown prince approached, "I don't care whether you really did it unintentionally or pretended to do it, in short, you shouldn't do it. If you covet it, you are looking for your own death." Decaying King turned his head and asked, "How about the dead tree in spring?"

The King of Chu raised his head and remembered that this was a dialogue in a book written by a monk from the previous dynasty, so he replied: "It is rare in the world."

"It seems that the sixth brother has not lost his homework over the years." The prince smiled again, patted the king of Chu on the shoulder, and said affectionately: "You and I are brothers, how can I not believe you as an elder brother?" Well, but there are always villains who will interfere and drive apart my brother."

Wei Shu looked at the locust tree by the courtyard wall, the branches were entwined with withered vines protruding from the wall, so he approached, "Brother knows what you're thinking, but ah, although this green tree is straight, it is hard to prevent other flowers and plants with evil intentions." Leaning out of the wall, the eldest brother also knows that you are embarrassed, as the eldest brother, you should reach out to help the younger brother to clean up these obstacles. From now on, you will no longer have to sleep hard every night. "After that, he pulled out the dagger in his sleeve, and cut off the withered vine hanging on the locust tree.

Xu used some strength, and when the rattan was cut off, the locust tree was also cut.

This was the Crown Prince's warning. The King of Chu stared at it, then approached and said respectfully, "I still have an answer."

"Oh?"

The King of Chu stretched out his hand, pointed at the grass growing in the cracks in the wall, and said with a smile, "Where there is no hope, there is life!"

The crown prince immediately turned cold, "It seems that the Xiao family gave you something." Closing the dagger accurately and quickly, he took a step forward and walked to King Chu's side, "Then, we will wait and see."

The King of Chu turned around, "Your Highness, don't forget, while guarding against others, you must also be wary of yourself. After all, it hurts to shoot yourself in the foot."

The Crown Prince turned his head and said with a smile: "Then, thank you Sixth Brother for your reminder." Then he turned coldly and left.

The King of Chu bowed slightly to see him off, "No thanks."

After the prince left, the chatter and laughter on King Chu's face instantly became serious.

Little Six rushed forward, "Ah Lang, what's the matter, the Crown Prince came down just now, did you say something to A Lang?"

"The prince is here," he glanced at the direction where the prince left, with a hint of ferocity in his eyes, "I have given you my determination!"

"what?"

Immediately, he turned his head to Xiao Liuzi and said with a smile: "Ah, why don't you hurry up and pack up the things for your family, Ah Lang, and go home."

Little Six scratched his ears and cheeks, "This servant just wanted to come over to call Alang, Da Qing sent someone to the Zuo Temple to spread the word, this month's ten-day rest has been arranged, and the prince is allowed to rest for three days in a row. I thought Alang didn't want to take a rest this week."

"In the past, Alang didn't like to go home the least. Now, I'm afraid Alang wants to go back more than the six sons. The hairpin in Alang's arms is not even shown to the six sons. It looks like a rare treasure. It is for the eldest lady." ?”

King Chu just shook his head lightly, but did not answer Qi Liu.

But he already knew it well, and said leisurely: "It's no wonder that Alang didn't like to go back in the past because the Chu Palace was deserted, but now it's different. With the addition of a housekeeper and mistress in the palace, Alang has long since gone back. .”

"Hey, I didn't say that this thing is for her, so don't talk nonsense!"

Seeing that the master refused to admit it, Xiao Liu covered his mouth and smiled, "Yes, yes, there are people who are housekeepers now, and they can't even touch money, so they exchanged their own jade pendants for hairpins!"

After that, Xiao Liuzi corrected his tone, raised his eyebrows and asked, "That jade was brought by Alang since he was a child. Although it is not a rare treasure, at least it can be exchanged for several hairpins like this."

"What you like cannot be measured by money. If I have enough money to buy it and miss him because of this, who will buy my happiness?"

Hearing the master's answer, Little Six sighed in relief, and then asked again: "Ah Lang's jade jades are originally a pair, why did the servant only see half of them when I changed the hairpins yesterday?"

It wasn't until Little Six asked that she remembered, "It seems that I gave it to Miss Liu the night before the big wedding..."

"Then son, Alang has figured it out?"

"what?"

"Instead of wasting your hard work on a person who is not worthy of what you want, it is better to spend more time on the person who deserves it, and pay more attention to the people around you."

Wei Huan just smiled wryly, seeing clearly does not mean that what he sees must be true, "I hope that the concern you see is true!"

She straightened her sleeves and looked at the sunset on the roof, "But...if I stay in Dali Temple and never return, the people in the palace may think that something happened to me."

Hearing what the master said, Little Six took a step closer and said in confusion: "It's strange to say, how come the eldest lady hasn't sent a word of concern for three days in a row. The eldest lady is usually careful and thoughtful, but now Alang has been away for a full three days. I didn’t send anyone to Dali Temple to visit Alang on the same day, if the food here isn’t good, won’t Madam be worried?”

"This king is here on a business trip to Dali Temple, and he is not here to be imprisoned. There is nothing to worry about."

"Oh, who doesn't know that the officialdom is beautiful on the surface, but in fact it is more dangerous than the battlefield."

"However, fortunately it's winter now, so it's not so easy to sweat. It's going to be summer, Alang has to remind the eldest lady to remember to send some changes of clothes."

"You talk too much, go and clean up, the sun is going down soon." King Chu looked sideways at the glow at the corner of the eaves again.

"Yes."

After Xiaoliuzi left, the empty courtyard became quiet, and the sound of the wind blowing leaves could be heard quietly. The coldness of winter had not dissipated. A gust of cold wind blew, and even through the thick public uniform, I could still feel the biting .

Thinking about what the little six son said just now, the king of Chu raised his eyebrows, walked slowly to the locust tree, and reached out to touch the withered vine that the prince had just cut off, "It's because... I can't hide it anymore, no Caring, who is afraid of death."

"Actually, you are the one who can't see through. I hope you think like me, and it's not all because I'm self-indulgent." The person who gently caressed the withered vine immediately laughed at himself, and said bitterly: "You are deceiving yourself." It's the most ridiculous, but even if I know I'm being used, I can't... get out, so let me be deceived to the end willingly, and let this dream never wake up, forever!"

"Okay?"

"Youqing."