Dingjiangshan

But before Prince Gong left, Xie Jue had rushed back from the front line.

General Xie received the news that Ning Yan had safely arrived in Huoshan County in the morning, and in the afternoon he entrusted the affairs in his hands to the deputy general, and brought a dozen or so personal guards to ride back on horseback. He was stuck in Huoshan County at dinner time.

Unfortunately, when he came back, several people who could talk in the city gathered together in Ning Yan's main courtyard, and no one even noticed that he was back.

General Xie groped into the courtyard alone like a thief, and was almost splashed with hot water by Cheng Yuan who came out with a copper basin when he approached the door.

"Xiao Yuan." Xie Jue glanced at the steaming water stains on the ground, and said with lingering fear, "I haven't seen you for a few days, so I shouldn't be so angry with me."

Cheng Yuan was stunned while holding the basin, and asked, "Why are you back?"

"I heard that His Majesty is back. I have something to ask for, and I have to go back in a while." Xie Jue patted the water droplets splashed on the hem of his clothes, and said casually, "Where is Your Majesty in the room?"

"Here." Cheng Yuan said, "Just after drinking the medicine, the prince and Miss Jiang are also here."

"Well, that's just right." Xie Jue automatically ignored Jiang Ling's existence, and said as he walked into the courtyard, "It just so happens that the prince is also involved in the front line—"

While Xie Jue was talking, he had already reached the door of the main house, and was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, when the wooden door in front of him creaked and opened inward.

Xie Jue raised his head subconsciously, and then choked in his throat, stunned for a long time, before he managed to force out the last part of his sentence: "...Listen."

Prince Gong stood tall and tall at the door, with one hand still opening the door, and holding a half-grown child in the crook of the other hand.The child was wearing a set of lake-blue silk and satin soft clothes, sleeping on Ning Huaijin's shoulders in the dark, with one hand still tightly clutching an embroidered pattern on Ning Huaijin's chest, crumpling the pattern It's not looking like it.

——What's going on, Xie Jue thought in shock, where did the prince conjure up a child, does His Majesty know about it?

In just a few breaths, countless thoughts flashed through Xie Jue's mind, one by one outrageous.

Before General Xie could finish filling out the script of the story of "The Outer House Traveled Thousands of Miles to Find His Birth Father", Ning Yan's voice came from inside the room first.

"Zhaoming?" Ning Yan's voice was a little surprised: "Come in."

Xie Jue came back to his senses, and while responding, he couldn't help but glance at Ning Huaijin again.

Prince Gong had already turned around to get out of the way and walked into the house. The child's round face was pressed on Ning Huaijin's shoulder, his mouth was constricted and out of shape, he was panting, looking like a candied haws essence like.

Xie Jue sized him up twice, always feeling that this kid looked familiar, but couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

Including Cheng Yuan and Xie Jue, there were five people crowded into the small main room, filling the main hall to the brim, and it was difficult to turn around.

Ning Huaijin hugged the child and sat on a grand teacher's chair beside the couch. Ning Yan was wearing an overshirt and was lazily trying to figure out a way out of a game of broken chess. Second Miss Jiang sat opposite him, holding a Dizi osmanthus cake poked his head, trying to make trouble on the chessboard.

——Looking at the harmonious appearance, Xie Jue thought strangely, as if no one was surprised by the sudden appearance of the child.

Ning Yan dropped a sunspot in his hand, then pushed the chessboard forward, and turned to look at Xie Jue.

Probably because the suspicious expression on General Xie's face was too obvious, Ning Yan couldn't help but be amused by him. He chuckled a few times, knocked on the table mercifully, and snatched a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake from Jiang Ling's plate. , while motioning Jiang Ling to tell Xie Jue about the situation.

Xie Jue is different from other courtiers, he is the commander of this expedition, he can't hide what happened outside, it is better to tell him the details earlier, and let him have a defense.

Second Miss Jiang was very eloquent, she spent a cup of tea explaining clearly what happened when Ning Yan was in Anqing Mansion from beginning to end, and at the end she brought a couple of sentences about the origin of Ning Yan.

The more Xie Jue listened, the more frightened he became, and at the end he couldn't help but click his tongue in his heart: This His Majesty is too courageous.

He couldn't help but look at Ning Jing who was held in Ning Huaijin's arms again. After an afternoon, Ning Jing was almost familiar with Ning Huaijin, and he slept soundly in his arms, and he didn't take himself seriously at all. outsider.

Xie Jue sighed in his heart. He didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Ning Yan's thoughts were too upright. He had his own opinion in his heart, which was different from the emperors of all ages. It was also difficult for Xie Jue to evaluate him.

"Zhaoming came back in a hurry. I'm afraid he has something important to do." Ning Yan took over the conversation and said, "There is no outsider in this room. If there is anything, you might as well speak up."

"Yes." Xie Jue said seriously: "The reason why I have invited His Majesty to see you this time is actually for the frontline battle."

Xie Jue said as he glanced at Ning Huaijin, and then continued: "It's been two days since the city of Luzhou was destroyed. According to reports from spies, Ning Zheng doesn't seem to have any intention of sticking around. Maybe he still wants to go to Anqing Mansion. retreat."

"Zheng Shaohui's northern battlefield has been gathered. He captured Shunchang Mansion a few days ago, and he is gradually closing in on our side." Xie Jue said, "Meng Changxun, who was on the southern battlefield the other day, also led his army to join our army. Yes, and then—”

Xie Jue paused for a moment, and said cautiously: "Whether you want to attack by force in the future, you have to ask Your Majesty to show you."

"Wrap around, don't tell the third brother to escape, but don't tell him to die." Ning Yan said concisely: "I want to live."

Ning Huaijin paused for Ning Jingshun's movements, and frowned slightly, as if she was dissatisfied.

He really didn't understand why Ning Yan was so persistent in saving Ning Zheng's life at this point.

It was probably because Ning Huaijin was intimidated before, but this time Ning Yan didn't hide it anymore, and confessed neatly.

"If it's not necessary, I don't actually want the third brother's life." Ning Yan said plainly: "It's easy to kill him, but it's a lot of trouble. On balance, if the disadvantages of killing him outweigh the benefits, then there's no need to kill him. What's more The Anqing Mansion has been under the hands of the third brother for many years, even if I want to get it back, I don't want to cause thousands of miles of bloodshed—it will only hurt the people's livelihood."

"Of course, if the third brother really can't support the wall and live up to my wishes, then there is nothing I can do about it." Ning Yan said: "But no matter what, even if you want to kill him, you can't kill him in front of the battle with great fanfare."

Ning Huaijin was persuaded by his reasons, and her complexion gradually improved.

That's true, the matter has come to this point, Ning Zheng can't make any trouble anyway, and whether to kill him or not is nothing more than a matter of Ning Yan's words in the end.It's a pleasure to fight against the king before the battle, but if you hurt Ning Yan's reputation for a moment of happiness, it's not worth it.

Ning Huaijin planned to go to the front line tonight to discuss with Xie Jue about the fight against Ning Zheng, but now that Ning Yan had already made up his mind, he didn't say any more.

"With His Majesty's words, I will understand." Xie Jue stood up, bowed his hands and saluted, "After Luzhou City is broken, I will order the left and right armies to besiege Anqing Mansion, and send envoys to surrender."

Ning Yan nodded, and said: "The hard work is clear, and when I return to Beijing in the future, I will reward myself according to my merits."

Hearing this, Xie Jue hurriedly said a few polite words, saying that this is a matter of duty, and it is the duty of a courtier to share the worries of the king, so he dare not take credit for it.

Xie Jue originally took advantage of this opportunity to come back and ask for Ning Yan's approval. After all, there was an anti-king standing in front of the enemy camp, no matter what, he was His Majesty's brother, so he had to ask the oral instructions before he was relieved.

The battle on the front line was not over yet, Xie Jue didn't dare to wait any longer, and after asking Ning Yan's meaning, he had a solid foundation in his mind, so he said that he wanted to resign.

"I'm leaving now?" Before Ning Yan could speak, Cheng Yuan subconsciously said, "Didn't you just arrive, don't you want to rest?"

"The battle on the front line is tight, so we don't want to stay any longer." Xie Jue glanced at Ning Yan first, and seeing that he didn't mean to blame him, he smiled and said to Cheng Yuan: "You can just eat and sleep well in the back, don't worry, you don't have to. Don't think too much about me."

General Xie's skin is as thick as a city wall, and he can say such private words without changing his face in front of others.Cheng Yuan's cheeks couldn't be compared to his, and his ears turned red, he was embarrassed to pick up on it.

On the contrary, Ning Yan smiled and joked: "The relationship is good."

"I'm an old husband and wife." Xie Jue said shamelessly.

In front of the room full of people, Cheng Yuan finally couldn't take it anymore, pushed him away, and said angrily, "Hurry up and go."

Xie Jue laughed out loud, bowed to Ning Yan and Ning Huaijin from left to right, and pulled Cheng Yuan away after saying goodbye, apparently because he had something private to say before leaving.

Ning Yan took another piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake from Jiang Ling and ate it. When he glanced over at Ning Huaijin, he paused, looking thoughtful.

"What's the matter?" Ning Huaijin noticed his strangeness and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have something to say?"

"Well, it's nothing." Ning Yan puffed out one side of his cheek, looked at Ning Jing's little head, and suddenly said: "Either wait until we return to Beijing, and leave this child to the emperor's uncle."

"How can His Majesty's eldest son be entrusted to the ministers?" Ning Huaijin subconsciously refused, "This is not good."

"What's wrong." Jiang Ling secretly took two white pieces from the chessboard and stuffed them into his sleeves, interjecting, "I think Uncle Wang is very good at raising children."

"That's right." Ning Yan said with a smile: "When we were young, the emperor uncle helped us grow up."

"It's just a hand, it's nothing." Ning Huaijin shook her head disapprovingly, and said, "If your majesty's eldest son is raised here, I'm afraid it will arouse speculation from all the ministers. Since your majesty has decided to recognize Ning Jing as his own son, he will Don't cause more trouble. What's more, the prince is kept outside, which is unreasonable."

"Then forget it." Ning Yan was not dissatisfied when he was rejected, and casually passed on the words: "I also said it casually, the emperor don't need to care about it. This matter is still far away, and we can talk about it when we return to the capital. Not too late."

Ning Yan changed his words too quickly, it seemed like it was a sudden idea, and Ning Huaijin couldn't hold on to this and say more, otherwise it would seem like he cared too much.

"There is another matter in front of us, so we have to prepare." Ning Yan spread his hands at Jiang Ling and raised his eyebrows.

Jiang Ling guessed that he couldn't hide it from his eyes, so he curled his lips, reluctantly handed over the two white pieces in his hand, and placed them in Ning Yan's palm.

Ning Yan put the two white pieces back on the chessboard, then turned around and said, "According to the distance, Linglong should be halfway there."