Your Highness, has he stopped today?

In the days of late spring, catkins are flying more and more, and the sun is dazzling, making people more and more anxious.

After Chu Heng left, Lu Zheyu walked out of the other garden and strode towards the gate of the Hou Mansion, but was stopped by two guards at the gate.

"Young Master, Master Hou has an order, without his permission, Young Master is not allowed to step out of the Hou's Mansion." A guard clasped his fists and said respectfully.

Lu Zheyu frowned, his father was worried that he would go to the palace to face the saint and bluntly refused to marry him, and then planned to put him under house arrest.

Lu Zheyu turned to leave, stopped after walking a few steps, and looked up at the surrounding courtyard walls.Suddenly, I remembered that Yunjing jumped out of the house many times in the past, and I don't know where he jumped out from...

He was thinking like this, but the guard suddenly ran over all the way, bowed and said: "By the way, Master Hou also explained that if the young master goes out over the wall, the subordinates must bring the young master back immediately. If he cannot be brought back, then... ..." The guard showed shame on his face, "He sent his subordinates to other villages to handle affairs on the grounds of ineffectiveness."

Lu Zheyu gave him a cold sideways glance, and walked away without saying a word.

……

Back in the Bieyuan, Lu Zheyu took a seat behind the table, and unfolded the letter written by Yun Jing when he took it out.The ink on the letter is very thin, and one can tell at a glance that too much water was added when grinding the ink.

The Yunshan crimson ink books commonly used by the Hou Mansion are very expensive, and Shi Yunjing used them like this, which is a waste of money.

Lu Zheyu sighed lightly, spread out a new booklet on the table, picked up the unused ink ingot, and grinded it in the inkstone with the remaining ink from yesterday.

"My lord, Mr. Yan is here." I don't know how long later, a servant at the door came to report.

Lu Zheyu raised his head and said, "Invite him to the Bieyuan quickly."

The young man withdrew after serving tea, knowing that the master had important matters to discuss, so he closed the door very wisely.

"I've heard about the marriage gift." Yan Lingjun picked up the tea and blew away the leaves floating on the water. "How do you see it?"

Lu Zheyu has been worrying about this matter for several days. Now that he mentioned it again, he sighed softly and said: "I have no intention of getting married, and I have no friendship with Princess Wuyang. That childhood marriage contract is simply absurd."

Yan Lingjun took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and said: "This time, His Majesty is indeed messing up the mandarin ducks, but in my opinion, His Majesty's decree has a deep meaning."

"What's the meaning?" Lu Zheyu raised his eyes to look at him, looked away again, and said coldly, "I still don't understand what His Majesty's move means. There are many children of the right age in the families of officials above the third rank in the court, so naturally they are willing to marry the royal family. Yes, can't His Majesty understand my attitude?"

Yan Lingjun shook his head: "You are in the middle of the game, so naturally you don't understand the meaning of the song. When we return to Yecheng this time, Your Majesty is no longer the same as when you first ascended the throne."

Lu Zheyu looked up at him: "What do you mean by that?"

Yan Lingjun came slowly: "In the past six months, the gentry and the eunuchs are still fighting openly and secretly. Then Han Qing is close to His Majesty, and he has repeatedly spoken out. It is conceivable what he said."

Lu Zheyu thought for a moment: "You mean, His Majesty has already begun to suspect the Dingyuanhou Mansion..."

"There is definitely more than one Marquis of Dingyuan. It's just that you have just made meritorious service. Your majesty's rewards are all for the gentry. You will inherit the title of Marquis of Dingyuan in the future. Do you think that your majesty wants a high-ranking and powerful man?" Marquis Dingyuan, do you still want a concubine who is easy to handle?"

Lu Zheyu frowned more and more tightly, and his clenched hands gradually tightened.

"It must be Han Qing's doing..."

"You can't say anything now, you should calm down first," Yan Lingjun said slowly, "The top priority is, if you want to divorce, you must let His Majesty know that your Dingyuanhoufu is not a threat."

Lu Zheyu closed his eyes, and tightened his grip on the armrest of the armchair: "Dingyuan Hou's mansion has been loyal to the emperor for decades, what is your Majesty worried about..."

"Loyalty to the emperor or loyalty to the world?" Yan Lingjun said softly, "Everyone knows that the Marquis of Dingyuan is clean, but in His Majesty's view, loyalty to the emperor and loyalty to the world are two different things."

Lu Zheyu was slightly taken aback.This Chen Guochaotang gentry faction has both famous families and humble children. They have all read the sage books for decades. Is it your courtier?

"I'm writing a note for His Majesty now." Lu Zheyu whispered. "Ling Jun, thank you very much."

"You don't need to thank me. It's just that I don't understand one thing," Yan Lingjun looked puzzled, "Even if you didn't think of these things in the game, why didn't Lord Hou think of them? What's the point of him putting you under house arrest?"

Lu Zheyu got a headache when he thought of what his father had said to him, he sighed, and said, "My father thought Shi Yunjing and I were... broken sleeves." Having said this, he frowned and fell silent for a while, " I couldn't tell him clearly, and he locked me up."

Yan Lingjun's expression froze. He remembered that when Chu Heng came to see him last night, he mentioned that Shi Yunjing was busy with Lu Zheyu these days, so he didn't have time to pay attention to him. Now it seems...

Yan Lingjun blinked his eyes twice, thought for a moment, thought that it was not good to ask directly about such a private matter, so he changed the question: "Didn't Lord Hou also talk to His Highness the Sixth Prince? That's why he decided to return to Xingcheng?"

Lu Zheyu heard what he said verbatim, and nodded: "That's true." After thinking about it, he felt something strange again, "How did you know that he returned to Xingcheng?"

Yan Lingjun's eyes flickered slightly, and his face pretended to be calm: "When I first arrived at the Hou's Mansion, I heard it mentioned by the two servants at the door."

Lu Zheyu did not doubt that he was there, and said: "I have asked Chu Heng to look for him. If he wants to go back, that's all, even if I send a few people to escort him..."

"What did you say?" Yan Lingjun was startled, "Chu Heng didn't go with him?"

Seeing his sudden change of expression, Lu Zheyu felt suspicious, but responded truthfully: "No. He gave Chu Heng medicine last night and left by himself."

Yan Lingjun looked away and did not answer immediately.

Lu Zheyu asked softly: "Ling Jun? What's wrong with you?"

Yan Lingjun came back to his senses, raised his eyes to look at him, then looked away, and shook his head: "It's nothing..."

Lu Zheyu gave him a meaningful look, but said nothing.

Yan Lingjun stopped making fuss about this topic, and said, "The most urgent thing is, if you want His Majesty to divorce, you should give His Majesty an answer immediately. If the matter is clarified, His Majesty will dispel your worries, and naturally you will not make things difficult for you."

"What you said is that I will write the notebook right now." After speaking, Lu Zheyu frowned again, "But I can't leave the Hou's mansion now, Ling Jun, can you help me?"

……

The two chatted for nearly an hour, and after an unknown amount of time, it began to rain patter outside the house.

Although the rain in late spring will not be as heavy as in summer, it is not too small.After Yan Lingjun finished talking with Lu Zheyu, he came out wearing a coir raincoat, and the boy who was also wearing a coir raincoat next to him raised an umbrella to shield him from the rain.

Walking to the gate of the Hou Mansion, the guard at the gate saw that Yan Lingjun was about to leave the mansion, and stepped forward to help him, but was stopped by his raised hand.

"The road is slippery on rainy days, Mr. Yan, please be more careful." The guard bowed respectfully with his hands clasped together.

Yan Lingjun got into the carriage with the help of the servants, and then headed towards Yan's residence.

In the carriage, the accompanying boy took off his bamboo hat, and this person turned out to be Lu Zheyu.

"It's raining outside, will it be inconvenient for you to enter the palace?" Yan Lingjun asked worriedly.

"It's okay, without further ado, let the coachman stop here." Lu Zheyu said.

Yan Lingjun nodded, and handed him the umbrella next to him: "Forget it. You take this umbrella with you."

……

In the imperial study room, the beast stove burns incense, and the lingering smoke curls up.Emperor Chongde began to critique papers after he came down from court, but it suddenly started raining outside at some point, which made him feel tired.

The chief eunuch, Yu Deye, held the floating dust and bowed into the room, and asked softly, "Are you tired, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Chongde's eyes were already tired, but he just picked up the tea next to him and drank it to refresh himself. "No problem."

Hearing this, Yu Deye felt relieved, and said again: "Outside, General Lu asked to see him, saying that there is a Zhezi face to His Majesty."

Emperor Chongde frowned: "Didn't he just ask for leave this morning? Come to see me again now."

Yu Deye said very eagerly: "If not, the old slave went back to General Lu and said that His Majesty has already rested?"

Emperor Chongde turned his head to look at the rain that had not stopped for an hour outside the house, and said in a deep voice: "He is willing to brave the rain to come, and if he doesn't see me, he will not give up. Forget it, let him come in."

Yu Deye led people into the palace. Although Lu Zheyu was carrying an umbrella, he didn't bring any attendants. He rushed all the way to the palace lightly, and his body was still covered in rain.Fortunately, he didn't look embarrassed, and he just stood in the warm pavilion of the imperial study for a while, and his body was almost done.

"Minister Lu Zheyu, I pay my respects to Your Majesty." Lu Zheyu knelt down, touching his forehead to the back of his hand, and performed the grand ceremony of a monarch and minister.

Emperor Chongde looked calm, looked at the person who was about his age in front of the case, and said, "Get up. General Lu came here in the rain, why?"

Lu Zheyu took out the scripture that had been drawn up from his sleeve, but fortunately, it was not wet in the rain all the way, so Lu Zheyu put his hands up: "Your Majesty."

Yu Deye stepped forward to take it, and then presented it to Emperor Chongde.Emperor Chongde took it and unfolded it, glanced quickly, his expression became serious, then he closed the folder and threw it on the table.

"The imperial decree has been issued, and the Dingyuanhou's Mansion has also received the decree. Now you want me to take it back. Lu Zheyu, where do you place the royal majesty?"

Lu Zheyu knelt down again, and said calmly: "Princess Wuyang has a noble status, and I dare not climb high. Your Majesty is a Mingjun, and the Dingyuan Hou Mansion is loyal to the world and the emperor. I am a warrior. I don't know when I will die in battle. I am the princess, lest I fail His Majesty's entrustment."

"Since you are loyal to me, why do you insist on not listening to my imperial decree?" Emperor Chongde stared at him closely.

"I am willing to do my best for Your Majesty Jiangshan and Chen Guoshe. It's just that this matter is related to the princess's life, and I dare not be hasty." Lu Zheyu was very calm.

Emperor Chongde let out a breath of turbid air slowly, the sound of rain outside the house still did not stop, Emperor Chongde became more and more upset: "You want me to take back the imperial decree, this will damage the dignity of the royal family, I will definitely not condone it, there must be serious consequences Punishment. But you are a meritorious minister, so I don't want to punish you." Emperor Chongde paused, narrowed his eyes and said, "I'll ask you again, do you really want to disobey the imperial decree?"