When the scenery is right

Ju Xinping

I stayed here for more than two months, and now I am finally going back.Jing He stood by the river and watched the group say goodbye to Meng Shiqing. Jiang Dao knelt in front of Meng Shiqing and kowtowed solemnly to him. The people behind him knelt down after seeing the magistrate's move.There was only the sound of the surging river on the open flat ground. Now that the river was stable, Meng Shiqing decided to take the waterway first and then take the horse-drawn carriage when returning to Beijing this time, so as to reduce the fatigue of traveling.

Seeing them say goodbye so preciously, Jing He felt a little moved in his heart. He walked towards Jiang Dao and said, "Magistrate Jiang, only with a righteous body and a peaceful heart can we go through the dangers of the road."

Meng Shiqing looked at Jing He with a little surprise, and the latter stared at Jiang Dao seriously. Jiang Dao didn't understand what Jing He meant at first, and Jing He said, "I believe you are a good official."

Jiang Dao now understands, it is said that people who are all-round and smooth can gain a foothold in this world, but they don't know how to be flattering and flattering people will gradually wear away their true heart.Although Jiang Dao didn't embezzle the people in the slightest, he never stood up straight in front of the officials who stole the people.

Meng Shiqing's arrival and Jing He's words finally gave him a sense of enlightenment: Those who trim themselves to please others will only trim themselves to nothing.

Jiang Dao respectfully bowed to Jing He, and when he raised his head, Jing He saw that his eyes were slightly red, and he still felt that Jiang Dao, an old man, cried every day without moving.

"I wish the prince and Mr. Jing a smooth journey."

Jing He stood at the bow of the boat and looked at the vastness of the river. The river, which was still raging a few days ago, became gentle and peaceful.The crowd on the river bank became smaller and smaller as the boat went away, but even at a distance, Jing He seemed to be able to clearly see the reluctant expressions on the faces of those people.

"Finally home..."

Meng Shiqing turned his head and glanced at him, and said, "There will be a lot of oddities when I return to Beijing this time."

Jing He asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"

Meng Shiqing said: "At first I thought it was okay not to tell you these things, but now I have to. Do you know why the Empress Dowager has prioritized martial arts over literature in recent years?"

Jing He shook his head, "I only know that the Empress Dowager is towards you."

Meng Shiqing smiled and said, "You're on the right track. The family behind the Empress Dowager is an aristocratic family in the capital, and these Shilong clans have always held great power in their hands. Whether it's the local army or the Imperial Forest Army in the palace, they all have their influence involved. This In order to support me for two years, the Empress Dowager concentrated a lot of power in the hands of the Shilongmen Clan. Hence the theory of Chongwu."

Jing He naturally asked: "What about Qingwen?"

Meng Shiqing said: "It has always been the children of poor families who have fought against the Shilong Clan in the imperial court. Most of them have passed the imperial examinations before embarking on official careers. A large part of these people are civil servants. The hostile forces of the Empress Dowager."

Jing He quickly grasped the key point: "Now you are going to face them when you return to Beijing?"

"Yes."

"I can hear what you mean. This force existed in the past. I saw that you were confident before, so why are you worried now?"

Meng Shi said lightly: "There have been some accidents, and the faction headed by the prime minister has now found a backer."

"Backing?" Jing He couldn't think of any backing for the prime minister who was already under one man and over ten thousand, unless it was the little emperor.But isn't the little emperor the empress dowager's son?

Meng Shiqing took a deep look at him, and there were many inexplicable things in his eyes.

Jing He: "What's the matter? What do you want me to do? Can I still be the backer?"

Meng Shiqing couldn't help but waved his hand and said, "It's not you. That person's name is Meng Shulang."

"Meng-Shu-Lang?" Jing He's ending sound was almost broken, and he stared in disbelief with his eyes wide open to repeatedly understand the following two words, "Shu Lang? Is it the Shu Lang I know??"

Meng Shiqing nodded, "It's the man you know."

"His surname is also Meng. Is he your relative? Or..."

Jinghe suddenly remembered what Lvyou said to him that day - "Look at the other party, Shulangyuan is also a child of a rich family. When something happened in the house, the mistress lost the two-month-old child. I have been looking for it for many years, but I don't know that this child was originally at the feet of the emperor with them. Now it can be regarded as a family reunion."

He suddenly understood what the backer Meng Shiqing was talking about.

Seeing the colorful expressions on his face, Meng Shiqing couldn't help laughing: "Xiao Jing is indeed a smart person. Back then, the former empress left after giving birth to the Ninth Prince in the Cold Palace, and the Ninth Prince was caught in the turmoil of the palace as soon as he was born. , and later was taken out of the palace by a caring person and wandered among the people. Now after many years, I finally found the Ninth Prince who disappeared two months after he was born. But I don’t know how there is such a coincidence in this world, that person is actually your mother back then Picked up child."

Jing He thought about it, but he didn't expect that the little handyman who grew up rolling with him on the same piece of land had the blood of the royal family on his body, and now he is the enemy in the dark of his brother who is on the bright side.

Meng Shiqing continued: "I used to have two incompetent elder brothers. Later, I made a mistake and the late emperor condemned them back to the fief. Those who have no help around me will naturally not be able to succeed. Besides, with the troops of my king suppressing them, I guess they will also rise up. It's okay. If it is logical, this king can naturally ascend to the throne after the little emperor leaves, but now that Meng Shulang is back, he is the son of the former empress, and it is justifiable to sit on the throne. After all, this king is just how old he is That's all."

Jing He clarified the relationship between them in his mind, and he understood in his heart that at present, the two sides of the court are facing each other. My son, behind him is an arrogant and domineering family nobleman, no matter who becomes the emperor in the future, the life of the other party will inevitably be difficult.

As the boat sails through the river, a wide river stretches eastward between the green hills on both sides of the bank.Jing He looked down at the bottom of the boat and broke the river surface into water lines. The tumbling river water pushed the boat downstream.

"What do you think I can help you with?" Jing He asked, "I grew up with Meng Shulang, but now I want to help you deal with him."

Meng Shiqing knew that he was worried, so he said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't let you do anything that harms morality."

Jing He couldn't help sighing when he thought of the vow he had made to Shang Yuan before, but now he was in the whirlpool and couldn't move.

"Xiao Jing, I'm worried about your safety, please move to my house."

"So serious?" Jing He asked in surprise, "Then is my mother okay?"

Meng Shiqing said: "Don't worry, I will send someone to protect your mother. It's just that you mean a lot to me..."

Meng Shiqing didn't say any more, but Jing He knew it in his heart.Jing He walked into Meng Shiqing's plan step by step, and gradually understood the deep scheming hidden under his calm and indifferent face, knowing how he could rest assured that he, who knew many of his secrets, could walk around at will.

The boat sailed for a day, and the carriage was changed again. After bumping for several days, the two of them finally returned to the capital.

Although it was already spring, the capital city was not as full of spring as Shu. When he entered Beijing, there was snowflakes in early spring under the sky. Meng Shiqing sent someone to send Jing He back to the Immortal Guest House, and then went straight back home.

Two days later, Jinghe moved to the Prince's Mansion, still living in the original wing room, Jinghe looked at the layout of the room, the rice paper on the table was wrinkled by the wind, and the crooked ink stains on it seemed to be newly added yesterday, but I didn't expect to return to this place after going around for so long.

Originally thought that it would be peaceful for a few days after arriving in the capital, but an uninvited visitor soon broke the peace of the Prince's Mansion.

Meng Shulang is here.

In the few months since Meng Shiqing left Beijing, with the support of the prime minister, Meng Shulang quickly took the seat of the second-rank prince. The emperor brother who met.

Meng Shiqing knew the relationship between Jinghe and Meng Shulang, and took care of Jinghe's mood and refused to let him attend the meeting with Meng Shulang, but Jinghe refused.He said: "The two of us will always meet in the future, and hiding now is not an option. Besides, you are the master, he is here to see the prince, not the guest of honor who came to see the prince."

When Meng Shiqing heard Jing He's direct refusal without mercy, he was not stunned, and said with a light smile, "That's fine."

So when Meng Shulang entered the hall and saw Jing He, all the words that had been brewing in his mind were shattered into powder in the calm and slow smile of the other party.

Meng Shulang was followed by two attendants, with a stiff expression on his face, standing there straight in a black cloak, looking very handsome.Most of the time when Jing He saw him before, he would hunched over to wipe the table and sweep the floor, but now he finally saw him standing upright with his back straight, and he couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth as he watched.

Meng Shiqing walked over to greet him, and the two looked like brothers and friends respecting each other.Jing He sat at the side and looked at them quietly. In the past, Meng Shulang would blush when he said a word to him, but now he talked with Meng Shiqing. Although he still stuttered, he was much more generous.

After they said a few words, Meng Shulang cast his eyes on Jing He, three parts of his eyes were searching, three parts were questioning, and the remaining four parts were unclear.

Meng Shiqing asked Jing He to come over, and said with a normal expression, "Ninth Brother and Xiao Jing are no strangers, so there is no need for Sixth Brother to introduce us."

"Jing...Jinghe."

Jing He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Meng Shulang call him in a low voice, he was afraid that Meng Shulang would blurt out "Master Jing", that would be wonderful.

After saluting to Meng Shulang, Jing He smiled and said, "The Ninth Prince's equipment is extraordinary, and it really is not something in the pool."

Meng Shulang opened his mouth to say something, but remained silent for a long time.Jing He felt that the atmosphere was awkward, and Meng Shiqing made a timely rescue and said, "Ninth Brother will stay at the house for dinner tonight, so don't refuse Sixth Brother."

Meng Shulang glanced at Jinghe and nodded his approval.

Note: Jinghe's sentence "Only when the body is upright and the heart is calm can you experience the dangers of the world." It comes from Shen Juyun's "Xiyan Tuoyu": With a calm heart, you can experience the dangers of the road.

☆、Sacrifice to the Silkworm God ([-])

Jing He was about to pick up the silver chopsticks but Meng Shiqing blocked him. Meng Shiqing took his silver chopsticks and gave them to the maid who was accompanying him, with a cold voice: "The weather is still cold, and Xiao Jing is afraid of the cold. I will send his silver chopsticks after they have warmed up." Come up."

Jing He was dumbfounded as he watched the maid take down the silver chopsticks, and after a while offered a pair of warm silver chopsticks, he was very grateful for Meng Shiqing's thoughtfulness and meticulousness in his heart, but his mouth was hard: "Why are you so spoiled, warm chopsticks are the last Isn't it still going to be cold?"

Meng Shiqing asked rhetorically, "What's the point of trying to fight for what you know you'll lose?" After he finished speaking, he calmly raised his wine bottle and poured down the glass of sake.

Jing He only felt that what he said was wrong, but there was some truth in it. When he looked up and saw Meng Shulang, who looked embarrassed, he knew that Meng Shiqing had put Meng Shulang on the table quietly.It's really cruel.

"Is the ninth brother still used to living in the mansion?"

"Thanks to the care of the sixth brother, Shu Lang's basic necessities of life are impeccable."

When Meng Shiqing heard that Meng Shulang had put a high hat on him out of thin air, he smiled without refuting or being modest.The Empress Dowager had stated in her recent letter that she had stumblingd Meng Shulang secretly in the court, and now the "care" that Meng Shulang referred to in his words could not be separated from those embarrassments.

Jing He watched them talk to each other, although he could hear every word clearly, but the overly polite and unfamiliar tone made him feel something was wrong.Looking at Meng Shulang's calm and composed expression, he was not at all like the submissive person in the past.Sitting here talking and laughing happily with Meng Shiqing now, I don't know how he got here in the past few months?

The meal was more embarrassing and polite than ever before. Jing He couldn't talk to him and didn't want to talk to him. He silently listened to Meng Shiqing and Meng Shulang exchanging a few words about today's court affairs, and they talked about brotherhood from the bottom of their hearts. At night, Meng Shiqing Standing at the door to personally send Meng Shulang away, Jing He finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the carriage run away.

Meng Shiqing looked at him relieved and smiled and said, "Since it's difficult, why bother to attend?"

Jing He blinked and said, "The more difficult it is, the more I have to force myself to do it. I didn't expect to see Shu Lang again like this."

Meng Shiqing let out a "hmm".There was another light snow in the sky, and the maid went to get the umbrella and hadn't returned yet, so Jing and Meng Shiqing stood at the door and waited.There were a lot of snowflakes on Jinghe's collar, and Meng Shiqing reached out to help him wipe off the white snowflakes when he saw it.

"Thank you."

Meng Shiqing said in a warm voice: "In previous years, spring was strong at this time, but this year it's still so cold."

Jing He put his cool hands on his face to warm them up, and said while steaming, "Yes, there are many oddities this year."

Meng Shiqing didn't explore the word "odd number" in his words, but slightly raised his head to look at the sky.Jing He turned his head and glanced at him, feeling that it was too good-looking to move his eyes away.

The maid came back with an umbrella, and Jing He walked with Meng Shiqing for a while.The two stood side by side and walked slowly, with the maid at the side holding an umbrella to shield them from the overwhelming snowstorm.

"Do you think my mother knows about Shu Lang's life experience?"

"I guess I know."

Jing He nodded first, then shook his head after thinking for a while, and said, "My mother said that the person who came to pick up Shu Lang was very mysterious, and she didn't want to reveal Shu Lang's identity. She probably doesn't know now."

Listening to his speculation, Meng Shiqing smiled and said, "I will always know. Don't you know now?"

Hearing what he said, Jing He suddenly felt that the question he asked was very unnutritious, and he was slightly embarrassed and stopped talking.Seeing his sudden silence, Meng Shiqing lowered his head and looked at him in surprise, and immediately smiled, "Xiaojing is so cute."

Jing He rolled his eyes at him, thinking that this was considered a compliment anyway, and snickered for a long time.

"Xiaojing, what kind of person was the ninth brother?"

Jing He realized that he had finally reached his usefulness, and replied seriously: "Shu Lang doesn't talk much, he is reticent and timid. He is very kind and obedient. He accepts whatever my mother asks him to do. He is very filial and treats my mother very well." Good." He thought for a while, and added: "It's good for me, too."

Meng Shiqing couldn't see any ups and downs on his face, he looked ahead leisurely and peacefully, and nodded from time to time when he listened to the scene and spoke.

When they arrived at Jinghe's apartment, the two of them said good night and Meng Shiqing said again: "You were not confident that you could really help me, but the few words you said about Shulang today were of great use. Thank you, Xiaojing."

Jing He lowered his eyes and smiled, and said to him: "You're welcome." After entering the room, the temperature in the room was a little high, and Jing He touched his face, which was a little hot.His heart seemed to have been soaked in warm water, full and comfortable. What Meng Shiqing said not only calmed Jing He's heart, but also fulfilled his promise not to let Jing He do anything against morality.

Presumably, Meng Shiqing was well versed in human relationships and sophistication, and could convince people in a few words.

After a few days, Jinghe got up early by accident and saw Meng Shiqing dancing sword in the court.Jing He only knew how many martial arts moves Meng Shiqing knew, and his slender and tall figure seemed to have some martial arts background.Now watching him wielding a limp silver sword, where the tip of the sword passed, it picked up a few dead leaves on the ground, and then flew out obliquely and piled up in one place, so it turned out that he was really a practitioner.

Meng Shiqing put away his sword and wiped his sweat. His thin white shirt was quite wet with sweat, and he could see the faint outline of muscles under the shirt.When he raised his hand to drink tea, his arm arched a hillock, full of manliness.Jing He watched from the side and swallowed.Hearing the voice, Meng Shiqing turned his head to look at him, seeing his sleepy face, he smiled and said, "Why did you wake up so early?"

"I'll let go, let go..." Jing He pointed in the direction of the room, "I'm going back..."

Meng Shiqing put the sword on the table and said, "If Xiaojing wants to practice swordsmanship, I can help you find a master."

Jing He suddenly stopped his steps, and turned to look at Meng Shiqing in surprise: "How do you know that I want to practice swords?"

Meng Shiqing smiled and said, "It's clearly written in your eyes."

"Then don't look for any master...you can just teach me."

Meng Shiqing raised his eyebrows and said amusedly: "I am different from you, so the suitable martial arts methods are naturally different. You are naturally afraid of cold, and learning swordsmanship can also regulate your inner breath."

Jing He walked over to touch the soft sword he had put on the table. The hilt was very ordinary, but the surface of the sword was as smooth as a mirror, and the blade shone with a faint cold light. It seemed to be a sharp sword with blood sealing its throat.

"Be careful not to hurt your hands." Meng Shiqing indicated with his eyes that he could play with it, and then reminded him in a low voice.Jing He picked up the sword and danced a few times casually, imitating the martial arts of street performers, and woke up completely from sleep.

Meng Shiqing sat on the sidelines and watched him dance the sword. Not long after, a maid came up to remind him that it was time to go to court. When Jing He saw this and was about to return the sword, Meng Shiqing said: "This sword is too soft and not suitable for my martial arts. If you like it, keep it."

Jing He followed Meng Shiqing to get the scabbard and sword box, and then happily went back to the room to sleep with the sword in his arms.

Meng Shiqing came back in the afternoon.At that time, Jing He had just had a cup of melon and fruit tea, and was resting on the small couch in the room.Meng Shiqing walked in lightly, and Jing He didn't wake up until someone pushed him away.

Jing He wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, his face became hot, just now in his dream he was still reminiscing about the fresh and sweet melons and fruits at noon, and let his saliva drool without paying attention.

Meng Shiqing watched him wipe the saliva off with a smile, and said, "If you're sleepy, go to bed. The weather is not hot yet, so dozing off like this is easy to catch cold."

Jing He stretched his waist, the feeling of spring became stronger, and he became mentally sleepy, and said lazily: "Why did the prince come back so late today?"

"I'm here to talk to you about this." Meng Shiqing walked up to Jinghe and sat down. He naturally picked up Jinghe's used teacup and took a sip of tea to moisten his lips. It is auspicious day five days later to offer sacrifices to the Silkworm God, so we set the sacrificial ceremony on that day."

"Huh? Shall I go with you?"

Meng Shiqing nodded in agreement, and said: "Ninth Brother has been back for several months, and although he has met all the officials, he has never made it public. The Empress Dowager decided to hold a ceremony to officially welcome him back on the day of offering sacrifices to the Silkworm God."

For the past five days, Meng Shiqing was busy offering sacrifices to the Silkworm God, so he didn't see anyone in the house all day long.Jing He Youzai Youzai started to learn swords with the swordsmanship master Meng Shiqing invited. Although his foundation was not as solid as Meng Shiqing's and his moves were fierce and sophisticated, he really learned with style and made every step in place.

Early in the morning on the fifth day, Jing He was woken up from the bed by the maid, dressed and washed.The overlapping clothes were complicated and complicated, and the black clothes made Jing He's lips redder and whiter, and the little maid said with a playful smile that Jing He was such a dude.After waiting for Jinghe to turn to the entrance of the palace, seeing Meng Shiqing wearing an official robe, he felt that there was nothing more suitable for Meng Shiqing in this world than an official robe.

Meng Shiqing gathered all his black hair in a dark high crown, and wore a dark blue official uniform with cuff buttons and neckline covered with small and exquisite auspicious clouds. He was riding on a big bay red horse, and his appearance was radiant and majestic.When he saw Jing He coming out, he pointed to a young foal behind him and asked, "I forgot to ask you, but can you ride a horse?"

Jing He saw that he was high-spirited and did not want to fall behind others, so he raised his voice and replied: "Which man can't? Don't underestimate me." After saying that, he got on his horse. But amazingly good.

Meng Shiqing's imperial horse was in front, and Jing He and his attendants were behind him.The imperial horse walked slowly in the streets and alleys of the capital, leaving behind a series of sound of horseshoes.Sitting on the horse, Jinghe has a broad view, and his heart is also free, as if he was proud of the spring breeze.

When the group arrived in the northern suburbs, the queen mother had not yet arrived, and all civil and military officials and their relatives were already waiting.Meng Shiqing and Jing He dismounted one after another, and the servants took the horse away.As soon as Jinghe stood firmly on the ground with his front feet, he saw a small figure carved in powder and jade rushing towards Meng Shiqing with his back feet.

"Daddy—"

Jing He didn't react for a while, the child plunged into Meng Shiqing's arms and yelled "Daddy" nonchalantly.Meng Shiqing picked him up, straightened his slightly messy hair, and smiled gently: "How long has Zhan'er been here? Do you miss Daddy?"

Zhan'er kissed Meng Shiqing's face with a mouthful, and the fine white milk teeth that had not yet grown in were glowing white in the sun, "Zhan'er hasn't been here for long, and Zhan'er misses Dad. Why hasn't Dad come to see Zhan'er for so long?" ?”

Meng Shiqing patted his head and didn't answer. He turned the little man in his arms around, hugged him and looked at Jing He, "Zhan'er, this is your brother Xiao Jing." This was said to Zhan'er , Meng Shiqing obviously took advantage of Jing He in terms of seniority.

Zhan'er raised a smile and called to Jinghe, "Brother Xiaojing."

Jing He was dumbfounded, and when Zhan'er was taken down by the nanny to nurse him, he turned around and asked Meng Shiqing.Meng Shiqing glanced in the direction Zhan'er left, and said in a low voice, "I'll explain it to you when it's convenient."

☆、Sacrifice to the Silkworm God ([-])

Adhering to the tradition of previous dynasties, the emperor personally plowed the southern suburbs for rice production, and the empress personally cultivated the northern suburbs for pure clothing.Now that the Son of Heaven is still young and there is a vacancy in the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager will take care of silkworms.

The queen mother took mulberry picking with princes and ministers, civil and military officials and their wives in the northern suburbs.A group of people stood on the ridge of the field and watched the queen mother pick mulberries.Jing He stood behind Meng Shiqing, listening to him mention a few things to pay attention to from time to time.Zhan'er was held by the nanny and looked at Meng Shiqing from a distance. Seeing this, Jing He whispered to Meng Shiqing: "Your son is watching you."

Meng Shiqing looked back at Jing He with a smile, "I still remember you calling me mother, how about it?"

Jing He didn't expect Meng Shiqing to tease him with this matter, the teasing smile on his lips has not been withdrawn, and his face is already flushed.

Meng Shiqing smiled softly at Zhan'er who was far away, and said in a low voice, "My own."

After hearing this, Jing He looked up at him in surprise, "Where's his mother?"

"Passed away." After Meng Shiqing finished speaking, he turned his head and watched the queen mother pick mulberry seriously.After hearing this, Jing He was full of doubts. Meng Shiqing's wife had passed away. Instead of keeping this child with him and cherishing him well, he raised his son outside the palace?

After picking the mulberry leaves leisurely, the Queen Mother left for a while to take a bath.The rest of the officials went to the sacrifice hall first and waited for the Queen Mother to arrive.

Jing He followed Meng Shiqing away from the field, and suddenly met a pair of dark eyes in the crowd, and he saw that it was Shao Qiang.Shao Qiang obviously paid attention to him for a long time. When the two met their eyes, Jing He saw Shao Qiang walking towards him.

Shao Qiang was suddenly stopped ten steps away, as if he was summoned away by the Queen Mother.Jing He let out a long sigh of relief as he watched him walk away.

Meng Shiqing noticed his relieved look and asked what was wrong, Jing He said: "I met that General Shao."

Meng Shi said lightly: "It's okay, the matter of sacrifice can't be sloppy, I guess he wouldn't dare to do it again in front of the Queen Mother." As soon as he finished his words, there were several commotions not far away.

The crowd who came to participate in the sacrificial ceremony today has been divided into two factions since the beginning.Now that the crowd dispersed, the two factions mixed together, and Meng Shiqing ran into Meng Shulang head-on when he was walking to the sacrificial place.

Meng Shulang was like the stars holding the moon, walking side by side with a middle-aged man, followed by many officials, presumably the person next to him was the current prime minister.

Meng Shiqing came forward to say hello with Jinghe.The prime minister looked benevolent and kind, like a Confucian scholar. His gaze was always on Meng Shiqing, and he didn't look at Jinghe until the two sides parted for a while.

That gentle gaze landed on Jing He for a while and then moved away.

Jing He looked at the Prime Minister's expressionless face, but it seemed to have a kind of power that made people feel friendly. When he left, he looked back at him twice, but only saw the back of his head.

Jing He originally thought that a few sarcastic remarks were inevitable when the two parties met, but he didn't expect that there seemed to be a tacit understanding between them, and there was an amiable look on their faces.

Meng Shiqing walked in front and said lightly: "No matter how noisy the place is, it will be ugly on the face."

"Yes, my lord is good at guessing people's minds."

Meng Shiqing paused, then continued walking slowly, "Xiaojing's worries are always written on his face."

Jing He thought to himself that it was really easy to communicate with Meng Shiqing, he could clearly feel the roundworms in his stomach, what else could be hidden from his eyes in the future?

After waiting for a while in the sacrificial hall, the Empress Dowager walked out gracefully and presided over the sacrificial ceremony following the ancestral system.Jing He was woken up early in the morning, and went back and forth for a long time. The whole sacrificial ceremony looked sleepy, and when he became sleepy, he bumped his head on Meng Shiqing's back and kowtowed violently. Lie on his back, and the whole person became sober in an instant.

Meng Shiqing looked back at him, and saw that he was wrinkling his face and rubbing his forehead, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, and he mouthed: "Persist for a while, it will be fine."

Jinghe nodded and continued to look listless.

Meng Shiqing pulled him to his side and asked him to stand on his side. With some leverage, Jing He leaned softly on Meng Shiqing's body.

No matter how tough the sacrificial ceremony is, it will come to an end. Jing He originally thought that he could go back to the mansion, but he forgot that there is another important matter today. When he saw Meng Shulang again, he remembered that the Queen Mother was going to bring the Ninth Prince back today. The matter is made public.

The place where the banquet was held was not far from the sacrificial hall, and the little emperor also came.When they entered the hall and took their seats, the little emperor was already sitting on the table waiting.

The protagonist of today's banquet was Meng Shulang, and his seat was arranged next to Meng Shiqing.The little emperor sat down in his seat and said something like "Welcome Brother Emperor", and so on, thus officially recognizing Meng Shulang's identity.The queen mother rewarded Meng Shulang with many rare treasures, and said that the child grew up outside the palace and suffered a lot. If anyone dared to despise him, the Ai family would not forgive him lightly.

Meng Shulang smiled warmly at the table and nodded his thanks frequently.

The little emperor was not in good health, so he returned to the palace early after eating a few mouthfuls.The Empress Dowager sat on the main seat and presided over the banquet.

Shao Qiang came from the side door, whispered a few words in the Queen Mother's ear and saw her smile deepened, and she eagerly asked Shao Qiang to take his seat quickly.

Shao Qiang walked down from the Empress Dowager, and suddenly stopped in front of Meng Shiqing's table, looked Jinghe up and down for a while and said, "Aren't you the kid from the Xianke Pavilion?"

Jing He froze for a moment, not knowing what to say in this situation.Meng Shiqing only glanced lightly at Shao Qiang, with a smile on his lips.

Shao Qiang thought that Jing He was Meng Shiqing's male favourite, and when he said it, he added a bit of teasing: "I wonder why you refused to follow my general that day. It turns out that it was..." He glanced meaningfully at this point. Glancing at Meng Shiqing, he said again: "It turns out that he belongs to the prince."

Meng Shiqing still looked at him indifferently, without saying anything to explain.

Most officials were drawn away by the singing and dancing in the hall, only a few people in twos and threes noticed this place and cast their eyes over it one after another.

Jing He originally thought that Meng Shiqing would stop Shao Qiang, but he didn't expect him to sit in front of him without saying a word, thinking that he had some tricks, so he also kept silent.

Shao Qiang was bored, and was a little annoyed at seeing Meng Shiqing's expressionless face. Just as he was about to say a few more words, a voice from beside him interrupted.

"This is General Shao, whom I have admired for a long time."

Shao Qiang looked at the Ninth Prince who was at the next table to Meng Shiqing, who held up a wine bottle and smiled at him, "What Shu Lang usually admires the most is the chivalrous and courageous general, so I'll do my best here as a respect."

Seeing the other party's polite look, Shao Qiang also nodded, and said, "Hello Ninth Prince." Seeing Meng Shulang drinking the glass of wine, he turned his head and tried to tease Jing He again, seeing that his posture was unreasonable. Unrelenting look.

"The general is still a prince and has a deep relationship with his wife and husband. The princess has passed away for many years and has not reunited. It turns out that the prince likes this." As he said, he seemed to think of something obscene and funny, and looked at Jing He and smiled. The face is wretched.

Meng Shiqing looked at him, and hummed softly in his nose, Shao Qiang couldn't hear it, but Jing He did.In addition, Meng Shiqing continued to drink and dance as if nothing happened, acting like Shao Qiang was a transparent person.

Meng Shulang said: "General Shao's words are probably inappropriate."

Shao Qiang turned his head to look at Meng Shulang, his eyes were full of disdain, and he said: "The Ninth Prince grew up outside the palace and knew little about the Sixth Prince. This general is just telling the truth now. "

Jing He knew that Meng Shulang wanted to save him from the siege, and now Shao Qiang despised him for no reason. Seeing Meng Shiqing's indifference, he wanted to go up and show off his words, but the prime minister suddenly came from the opposite side.

"Why is General Shao standing here?" The Prime Minister said to him with a smile on his face, with a hint of wine on his face.

When Shao Qiang saw the prime minister coming over, he looked at Meng Shulang and said with a sneer, "The prime minister's protection is really tight enough."

Hearing what he said, Meng Shiqing suddenly shifted his gaze of appreciating the dance to the prime minister, looked between the prime minister and Shao Qiang with his eyes, and then fell on the prime minister.

The prime minister laughed softly, "The prince is the master, and we are all ministers. Don't forget the dignity of the elders and the younger. Even if you are an official to the old, you must be respectful and respectful to the princes. General Shao has been an official for several years. Have you forgotten all these etiquettes?"

Shao Qiang grew up in an aristocratic family and was favored by the Empress Dowager on weekdays, so he naturally developed a stinky habit of taking credit for himself and being defiant. Now that the prime minister's words hit his spine, he restrained his expression and walked away.

The prime minister nodded towards Meng Shulang, and before leaving, he looked at the scene and the expressionless Meng Shiqing meaningfully.

When the banquet was over, Meng Shulang stopped Jing He who was about to get on his horse and leave, and asked, "Can you speak to me conveniently?"

Jing He glanced at Meng Shiqing, who smiled and nodded towards him.

Meng Shulang hesitated, but when he arrived, he still opened his mouth and said, "No one will be able to bully you in the future, Jing, Jing He."

Meng Shulang's complexion was much better than when he stayed in the Xianke Pavilion, and his thin face had gained a lot of weight. There was a faint smile on his fair face, and he looked at Jing He with soft and gentle eyes and said seriously, It seemed no different from the reserved Shu Lang from before.

It seemed to be different, he spoke much calmer, and his eyebrows resembled the Confucian temperament of the prime minister.Jing Heguang just looked at the way he was talking and laughing at Yanyan now, and knew that he must have put a lot of hard work behind it.

"I don't recognize you now." Jing He reached out and patted Meng Shulang's shoulder, and gave him a friendly smile, "But he's still the kind Shulang."

Meng Shulang's eyes were full of emotions, and he frowned at Jing He. Jing He was uncomfortable seeing him, so he got on his horse and said, "Let's go, Ninth Prince, take good care of yourself." After speaking, he was one step ahead of Meng Shiqing and urged the horse to leave.

Meng Shiqing chased after him not long after, and said with his usual expression: "Ninth brother has a deep affection for Xiaojing."

Jing He gave him a strange look, "A few words made it clear to you?"

Meng Shiqing smiled with the corners of his mouth raised, and said, "He has such deep affection for you, I can't bear to be his enemy."

Jing He turned his head to look at him, only felt that Meng Shiqing's behavior was a bit strange today, and now seeing the smile on his lips felt cold to the bone, not like his usual gentle and gentle appearance.

"I see that you are a little afraid of Shao Qiang in your reaction today?" Although Jing He didn't blame Meng Shiqing for his indifference at that time, the two words that Shao Qiang choked still made it hard for him to swallow his breath, so he followed Meng Shiqing's words. The response came out.

Meng Shiqing suddenly slowed down the speed of the royal horse, and said: "Beating a dog depends on the owner. After all, Shao Qiang is also a member of the Queen Mother, so he must not offend him."

Seeing that Jinghe also slowed down to keep in tune with him, he urged the horse to lean towards Jinghe, frowned slightly and said: "For those worldly Longmen clans, it's just easier to support me as the emperor. But I To be emperor is not to consolidate the status of those aristocratic families."

Hearing what he said, Jing He thoughtfully followed his distant gaze to the end of the rice paddies.

"Xiaojing didn't want to know about Zhan'er, so I'll tell you right now."

☆、Tao mind

Meng Shiqing said: "When I was more than ten years old, my mother and concubine died of illness, and then I started to get involved in court affairs. At that time, I was alone and weak, and I urgently needed to find a backer. Because I knew the Queen Mother since I was a child, the Chen family expressed their willingness to be my concubine.