Dingjiangshan

Ning Yan folded the letter paper in his hand and put it in the wooden box as it was.

Since Ning Huaijin and Zheng Shaohui reunited, this is the third letter he sent within ten days. It can be seen that finding out the connection between Jiang Xuan and Ning Zheng made him even more worried about Ning Yan's situation. Several letters came one by one more urgently, and by the last one, there was not even a word of modesty.

But even so, Ning Yan still didn't intend to write back to him.

He sat up from the soft couch, locked the wooden box with his own hands and put it on the bedside, then waved to He Wenting.

"What about today?" Ning Yan asked.

He Wenting looked at him hesitantly.

Over the past few days, He Wenting has gradually discovered that Ning Yan seems to be fighting with Ruan Yin for something.It's just that they haven't met each other before, and even though he is in all kinds of undercurrents, they are only pulled by a very thin thread in the middle-it is Jiang Xuan's non-stop dessert.

The frequency of Jiang Xuan sending things changed from once a day to twice a day. No matter how peaceful Ning Yan was, He Wenting felt something was wrong.

But Ning Huaijin, the only one who can control Ning Yan, is not in the capital, and He Wenting has no one to sue.He persuaded Ning Yan many times overtly and secretly, but the other party was unmoved, and as usual, he accepted all the care of "Jiang Zhaoyi".

He Wenting faintly felt that Ning Yan and Ruan Yin seemed to be competing to be that "single bird".

Fortunately, Jiang Xuan may have been relieved of Ning Yan recently, so she is not as attentive as before. Most of the time, she sends someone to bring snacks, and the number of times she comes by herself is not many.

The reason why He Wenting felt that Ning Yan knew it well was because he had been intentionally reducing the number of times he ate dim sum recently.He only ate one of the two snacks delivered by Jiang Xuan every day, and if he caught up with no one around, he would just take a sip.

"Forget it today." He Wenting tentatively said: "The Empress Dowager sent a message in the morning, saying that she would like to invite His Majesty to visit her in her spare time, and to discuss with him about the rewards of various fiefs this year."

"Each fiefdom?" Ning Yan raised his eyebrows: "She might as well just say my third brother, it would be a bit more straightforward."

"That's what you say." He Wenting smiled and said: "At least the third prince is not the only fief outside, and they should be treated equally in face."

"Whatever she is, it's just in time." Ning Yan said, "If she doesn't come to deliver this step, I'm still worried about how to tear her down."

Ning Yan counted the days silently in his heart. According to the news sent back earlier, Ning Huaijin did not stay long in the border town, and turned back to Beijing that night.He and Zheng Shaohui must have followed the official path, if they rushed back day and night, they would arrive in the capital in a few days.

The timing was just right, Ning Yan thought, Ruan Yin's side should almost lose their composure.

Ning Huaijin set fire to the Jiang family's warehouse in the border town, which was equivalent to telling Ning Zheng and Ruan Yin clearly that he already knew the dirty tricks behind their backs, and also saw their wolfish ambitions.

As for why Ning Huaijin didn't stab her to the court, it was simply because he couldn't produce absolute evidence to crucify the mother and son.

From Anqing to the border town, there were too many twists and turns, and there were places where he could be manipulated. After all, Ning Zheng was the prince of one side, as long as he refused to admit his responsibility, no one could do anything to him.After all, Ning Huaijin didn't have an account book in his hand, nor did he have a name for the caravan, and only a few dry herbs could not convict Ning Zheng of murdering the Holy Majesty.

That's why he hastily sent a letter to Ning Yan to tell him to be careful, and at the same time hurried back to the capital, intending to make arrangements after returning to the capital.

What Ning Yan wanted, Ruan Yin naturally wanted too.

It's just that Ning Yan didn't believe that Ruan Yin would give up her original plan so easily, and she also didn't believe that she would be willing to give up the leads that Jiang Xuan had buried for her.

So according to Ruan Yin's temperament, she will definitely attack Ning Huaijin before he returns to Beijing. Ning Yan has no doubt that if the empress dowager fails to "invite" him once, she will definitely keep her back, and she will always be able to force him to fail. Do not go to Renshou Palace.

Ning Yan tapped his knees with his fingertips thoughtfully, then came back to his senses and asked, "What did Jiang Xuan give today?"

He Wenting originally mentioned Ruan Yin to make Ning Yan forget about it, but seeing him remembering it again, he couldn't help complaining in his heart, and said with a bitter face: "It's a bowl of lotus seed soup—Your Majesty, you have to do this Can't you?"

"I won't eat it from tomorrow." Ning Yan said perfunctorily, then waved his hand and said, "Bring it here."

He Wenting had no choice but to take out the food box that had been hidden just now.

The timing of Jiang Xuan's delivery of snacks was always very accurate, the morning one would usually be delivered shortly after Ning Yan's next court, and it would not delay his lunch.When He Wenting took out the soup from the food box, he touched it and found that the bowl was still warm.

"Go, find someone to pass the message to the queen mother." Ning Yan casually ordered: "Just say that I will be there in a while, and I will have lunch with the queen mother."

A little maid near the door saluted him, turned around and went out.

Ning Yan tasted the lotus leaf soup, frowned as soon as he took it in, and complained softly: "...It's so bitter."

He Wenting poked his head and took a look, then persuasively persuaded: "Then Your Majesty will stop drinking."

Ning Yan shook his head, frowned and stared viciously at the jade bowl in his hand for a while.After a while, as if he had finally made enough mental preparations, he dropped the spoon, just took the bowl, and drank the bowl of lotus seed soup like medicine.

He Wenting: "..."

——Your Majesty Tangtang, compared to being poisoned by others, he is actually more afraid of suffering, and no one will believe it when he tells it.

Ning Yan was so bitter that the corners of his eyes turned red, he covered his mouth and saw that he was about to lose his expression, so he simply threw the bowl into the food box, turned around and went to find water to drink.

He Wenting quickly brought him a plate of candied fruit, and Ning Yan stuffed a piece of dried peach into his mouth, and it took him a long time to recover from the force.

"...It's too perfunctory." Ning Yan said angrily: "Now I don't even give you sugar."

"I think." He Wenting said dryly, "Maybe it's just not enough."

Ning Yan: "..."

Although Ning Yan ordered "for a while", he looked at the time and thoughtfully gave Ruan Yin some time to prepare.He lingered in the study room until noon, during which time Linglong made him two plates of Yunpian Cake, and then slowly changed his clothes and headed towards Renshou Palace.

Today is a sunny day, the sun is shining brightly at noon in summer, and the few delicate orchids in the imperial garden are a little wilted. Autumn died of the sun.

He Wenting was in a hurry because of Ruan Yin's matter, but Ning Yan himself was not in a hurry, he was in a good mood, and strolled all the way to Renshou Palace like a leisurely stroll.

Linglong was temporarily kept in Zichen Hall by Ning Yan, and before Ning Yan returned, she probably couldn't leave the side hall for half a step.

Renshou Palace is still like a day for ten thousand years. From the outside, it looks as quiet as a Buddhist temple, and there is no sign of being ready to take over.

Ning Yan understood her stepmother, no matter whether Ruan Yin was as steady as a mountain or anxious, at least she would never show weakness in face, she must act like that "queen mother" and wait for Ning Yan to meet her first.

Ning Yan smiled in his heart, gave her this face, and left most of the servants outside the door, and only took He Wenting into the hall, waiting to say "greetings" to Ruan Yin.

It was already summer, and the main hall of Renshou Palace was still burning with dull incense, which seemed to be thicker than usual, and it smelled sweet and greasy, almost bitter.As soon as Ning Yan entered the door, he was choked by the smell and almost pushed out.

He coughed dryly under his throat, frowned, forced himself to hold his breath for a moment, and walked in.

Ruan Yin was sitting on the main seat in the hall, with two young servants kneeling at her feet, holding a pot of crystal clear grapes and carefully peeling the skins one by one.A string of Buddhist beads was wrapped around Ruan Yin's wrist, and she was halfway through the Buddhist scriptures in her hand.The young servant under his feet didn't know how to use his hands and feet, and crushed a grape. The crystal clear juice flowed down his fingers, and before it fell to the ground, the young servant wiped it away with a cloth.

The young servant saw Ning Yan from the corner of his eyes, subconsciously raised his head and looked at him, then shivered, and lowered his head a little shyly, as if he hadn't seen him.

Ning Yan looked away from the two servants, and said calmly: "Mother, the son is late."

Ruan Yin just saw him as if she just saw him, smiled and brushed off the hem of her clothes, waved away the two servants at her feet, and said with a smile: "It's not too late, the Ai family is seeing something interesting, and I don't think so. Time flies."

Ning Yan accepted her polite words, walked in on his own, picked up a stool that Ruan Yin had left and sat down.

"What did the queen mother watch?" Ning Yan smiled and said, "It's so interesting."

"I just saw the story of the Buddha cutting meat to feed eagles." Ruan Yin closed the book in her hand and said, "The world says that cutting meat and feeding eagles is a great merit. "

"The empress mother's opinion is unique. My son has been taught." Ning Yan changed the subject and said, "It's just that people are not as good as saints. They always don't want to give up their flesh and want their names. It's very vulgar."

Ruan Yin looked at him for a while, then said casually: "Indeed, there are a lot of mortals in this world - tongue, love, power, everything is desire, and it is rare to let go."

Hot charcoal was burning in the half-person-high censer in the hall, and the whole room was very stuffy with the smoke. The half basin of ice in the corner was useless, and it had already melted in sevens and eighties.

After sitting in the room for a while, Ning Yan felt that his back was covered with sweat, and his underwear was sticky to his body, making him uncomfortable.

It was already stuffy in summer, Ruan Yin's palace hadn't opened the windows yet, Ning Yan took a deep breath without any trace, but felt that the feeling of stuffiness not only didn't weaken, but was even more blocked by the sticky aroma up.

"Mother's Queen." Ning Yan smiled, changed the topic, and stopped playing Tai Chi with her: "I heard from He Wenting that you called Erchen here today for a routine reward?"

"It's not urgent." Ruan Yin said as she took off the prayer beads on her wrist and held them in her hands, showing him a "gentle" smile.

Her eyes fell on Ning Yan, she seemed a little excited, and also seemed a little expectant, as if she was waiting for something.

Seeing this, Ning Yan smiled slightly, and looked at her in silence.

A moment later—perhaps just a few breaths later, Ning Yan suddenly felt his throat itch without warning, bent down, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.