Dingjiangshan

Ning Yan had a dream.

In the dream it was still a snowy winter, he came out of the Pearl Mirror Hall, took the cloak handed over by the maid and wrapped himself up, carrying two old memorials in his arms, and walked towards the Zichen Hall.

The Pearl Mirror Palace is not his palace—no, it should be said that there is no palace in this palace.Before he could remember anything, he was sent to the palace for foster care, and when he returned to the palace occasionally, he just "stayed" in the palace for a few nights like others.

Although Ning Zongyuan summoned him more often recently, he was already on the verge of dying, too busy teaching the ways of the emperor, and he didn't have the mood and energy to worry about these trivial matters of daily life.

It is precisely because of this that there is no thing for the young prince in the Pearl Mirror Hall where Ning Yan temporarily lives. The hand stoves are all the size of an adult, as big as Ning Yan's two fists, and they are so heavy that they cannot be held.Ning Yan thought it tasteless, so he simply threw it in the hall and never brought it out.

He was accompanied by only a young servant who couldn't see his face clearly, holding an umbrella for him step by step.

Ning Yan shivered in the howling wind, and tightened his grip on the memorial in his hand.

He passed Qingsi Hall, then turned into the narrow road leading to Wensi Yuan, and took a shortcut to Zichen Hall.

The path is remote, and most of the masters would rather take a longer detour than lower their status like this.Most of the people who walked this way were maids and servants from various palaces. There was a thick layer of snow on the ground, and no one came to clean it.

The six-year-old Ning Yan was only as tall as his thighs, and he walked forward with one deep foot and one shallow foot, and it was very difficult for him to walk.

The young servant behind him reached out to help him a few times, trying to hold him and walk this way, but Ning Yan waved his hand and refused.

The distance between Zichen Hall and Pearl Mirror Hall is not far, if it is considered by car and sedan, it will take less than half an hour, but if it is considered by Ning Yan's own speed, it will be more than twice as long.

The winter snow that year was exceptionally heavy, and by the time Ning Yan arrived at the entrance of Zichen Hall, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on his neckline and shoulders.

The young servant following behind him was stopped outside the gate of the palace, and the close female officer in Zichen Palace came out, brushed the snow off Ning Yan's shoulders, and led him in.

Ning Zongyuan was waiting for him inside.

Ning Yan lowered his head slightly, and followed the maid beside Ning Zongyuan to the inner hall.It was a bright day, and the [-] or so people inside and outside the Zichen Hall were quieter than each other. Ning Yan subconsciously slowed down his steps, only feeling that he couldn't even hear the breathing of others.

This magnificent and spacious palace has had many owners. It looks majestic and immovable, but in fact, it looks different when it is in the hands of each owner—just like in the hands of Ning Zongyuan at this time, it is solemn, Solemn and consistent.

"Father." Ning Yan said, "My son is here."

Ning Zongyuan sat on the high seat, slightly arched, with his hands hanging on the smoker to warm the fire.He was already very sick, and the delicate and heavy imperial clothes also looked bloated on his body. He seemed to be a skin that had been hollowed out, and he was only holding on to his last breath.

"Those two people, have you taken care of them?" Ning Zongyuan asked.

Ning Yan pursed her lips, which were a little pale.

The birthday feast was just around the corner, but just two days ago, Ning Huaijin found something unclean in Ning Yan's diet.He didn't dare to say anything at the time, but afterward he went to the imperial doctor close to Ning Zongyuan to see it, only to find out that it was a very good Hedinghong.At that time, Ning Huaijin casually threw a piece of meat to a passing wild dog, and before he could make a cup of tea, Ning Yan watched the dog vomit blood and died.

The young child had never seen such a posture, and he was terribly afraid, but Ning Zongyuan left this matter to him to investigate.

Ning Yan bit the bullet and searched for two days, and finally found someone close to him.

"Yes." Ning Yan said with some difficulty: "The matter has been investigated. It was a servant in the imperial dining room who tampered with the food of the son. The former has already been handed over to Dali Temple to bid, and the former..."

Ning Yan stumbled and said, "The stick is dead."

Ning Zongyuan drooped his eyelids, unable to tell whether he was satisfied or dissatisfied, he just murmured and said, "That's fine, this way we can also gain a reputation for distinguishing between public and private."

Ning Yan didn't speak.

In the dream, he seemed to be dragged back to ten years ago for no reason, and those trivial or useless memories came back to life, rolling in his mind.Ning Yan remembered that he had "voluntarily" watched the execution of a servant in the morning, and suddenly felt a little nauseous.

"But Father." Ning Yan said dryly, "I haven't found out who is behind the scenes."

"That's not important." Ning Zongyuan shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter who you are, there are people in this palace who want to harm you, not less than one or two."

"Do you know why Father asked you to investigate?" Ning Zongyuan waved at him as he spoke, calling Ning Yan to his side, and then said: "...Because Father left you a gift."

"What?" Ning Yan was taken aback.

Ning Zongyuan smiled at him, and said intimately and mysteriously like a most ordinary father: "It is a good gift that will make you open and smooth in the future."

Ning Yan, who was young at that time, was extremely puzzled, and was about to ask again, when Ning Zongyuan took his hand and patted it.

"You can't trust anyone." Ning Zongyuan took his hand and taught him earnestly: "The art of the emperor is to plan vertically and horizontally. The so-called 'stand upright' and 'not biased' are just for the sake of It's just an excuse to keep the courtiers from feeling resentful."

"No one can believe it?" Ning Yan repeated.

"No one can do it." Ning Zongyuan said: "Even if your closest confidant, the most trusted confidant, or the person who accompanied you on the longest journey - you must always draw a line in your heart. The bottom line, keep this line and don't back down, look at them coldly, and guard against them. Because only these people, if they turn their backs, are the ones who can stab you the most. "

Ning Yan wanted to agree ignorantly, but just as he nodded his head halfway, he heard Ning Zongyuan's voice again.

"Especially Ning Huaijin." Ning Zongyuan sighed quietly and said, "I have left you a guarantee, but—"

Ning Zongyuan's voice suddenly became ethereal and long, as if it came from a distant place, Ning Yan in the dream didn't notice it, his eyes only fell on Ning Zongyuan's hand holding him.

"But" what he said later was blurred by the wind and could not be heard clearly, but Ning Yan could probably imagine that Zuo was nothing more than words like "people's hearts are unpredictable" and "changing with time".

"Father." The young Ning Yan subtly merged with himself ten years later at this moment. He clearly held Ning Zongyuan's hand was still a child's, but his voice had changed into that of a clear boy. sound.His tone was low, but extremely firm: "...I will never doubt the emperor's uncle."

Ning Huaijin, who was sitting by the couch, froze for a moment, stumbled, and almost forgot what she was going to say next.

Jiang Xiaohan and Xie Jue first looked at the couch subconsciously, and then turned their heads to look at each other with strange expressions.

After Yan Qing pushed Ning Yan's blood for the second time, Ning Yan became hot.Although Yan Qing said that this was a normal occurrence of cold poison, Ning Huaijin was still worried.

He was afraid that someone would fish in troubled waters at this time, and he didn't feel at ease leaving Ning Yan to others to guard, so he simply invited Jiang Xiaohan and Xie Jue who had hurried into the palace into the inner hall to discuss matters, and took care of Ning Yan along the way - anyway, what they were discussing was also Even if Ning Yan woke up halfway through the court affairs, there was nothing he couldn't listen to.

Ning Yan was seriously ill, and it was hard to feel cold to the touch, but it was scorching hot again.The several close ministers present at the scene, Tuo Da, all watched him grow up, and couldn't bear to watch him, so they subconsciously whispered softly when they spoke, for fear of waking him up.

At first, when Ning Yan called his father in his dream, except for Ning Huaijin, who was sitting closest, the other two thought that he was thirsty and wanted water, so they all fell silent subconsciously——the result of this pause With a little effort, I heard the second half of the sentence clearly and clearly.

Except for Ning Huaijin, the other two important ministers present also knew Ning Yan's "Sima Zhao's heart" well, and after listening to the second half of the sentence suddenly, they all felt a little subtle.

Ning Huaijin didn't expect that he would suddenly utter such a sentence while he was asleep, and for no reason felt guilty for a moment when the two gazes from the opposite side came to him, and licked his lips uncomfortably.

Ning Yan didn't know what he had dreamed about again, and suddenly he became uneasy. He turned his head and snorted softly, and unconsciously swept the left hand that was exposed outside the brocade quilt, not knowing what he was looking for.

Ning Huaijin's hand was faster than her brain, and by the time she realized it, she had already extended her hand to Ning Yan.As soon as Ning Yanfang touched his fingertips, it was like grabbing a piece of driftwood, and he clenched it tightly.

There was still such a long wound on Ning Yan's left wrist, and now it was wrapped in a white cloth, so he couldn't use much force, and the hand holding Ning Huaijin was trembling.Ning Huaijin hesitated for a moment between withdrawing her hand and maintaining the original state, and confronted the gazes of the two important civil and military ministers opposite, and took Ning Yan's hand backhand, so that he would not have to work so hard.

Jiang Xiaohan coughed dryly, looked away first, and said, "...What did you just say?"

Xie Jue reacted a little slower than him, before he could think of it, he subconsciously said, "To—"

"Actually, His Majesty is right in wanting to fight." Ning Huaijin said, "If Ning Zheng's side is the first to move his mind to raise troops, then the longer the delay, it's just giving them time to prepare."

Prince Gong seemed to have returned to normal, with a relaxed demeanor—if his sitting posture wasn't so stiff.

"If you want to prepare for the fight, you have to come up with a charter." Xie Jue said: "I heard from the prince that Ning Zheng is already stockpiling grain...Buy from other provinces, but not produce at home. If there is a fight, it will be difficult for His Majesty."

"It's summer now, and if it drags on for a while, the autumn grain will be ready." Jiang Xiaohan looked at Ning Huaijin and said, "Ning Zheng doesn't need to sell food to him, but His Majesty can't refuse to sell to him according to the merchant's hand, so we have to do it earlier It's planned."