Minister

182 [The second year of Zhenglong]

Although Wei Chi's name did not appear on the list, Zhou Wenyuan, who was in a hurry, could not immediately suspect that he came to him, but Wei Chi still needed to avoid suspicion, so he went to the palace to meet Chen Entropy in a low-key manner.Chen Entropy had been waiting for a long time, and when he saw him coming, he forgot his manners and rushed forward to hug him.

Wei Chi was also a little excited: "The emperor has really grown up, and I can't hold him anymore."

Having said that, Wei Chi still hugged the big boy with difficulty.

"Master Wei, Lu Jing is awake." A trace of melancholy flashed across Chen Entropy's face: "If he hadn't insisted on trying the dishes, I would..."

Wei Chi put down Chen Entropy, took out a pack of frosted glutinous rice fruit from his bag, and Chen Entropy took it: "Long time no see."

The last time I ate was when Wei Chi was giving him a lecture.

"Shops in the capital are gradually opening up, and I will definitely bring some to the emperor when I have time." Wei Chi helped him wipe the candy off his lips.

Chen Entropy, who was still in the hall just now like a little adult, smiled contentedly: "Master, come in quickly, Aunt Huang will be here in a while."

This time, the Empress Dowager's affairs depended entirely on Chen Yuxiang's mediation.

At this moment, she already knew the efforts made by the Wang family for her marriage contract. Similarly, although no one told her, she knew that the queen was fighting for her. As for how to get it, she knew it herself.Chen Entropy finally stabilized the overall situation, but her mood was mixed with sadness and anxiety in joy.I don't know when the days of wandering like this will come to an end.

When Chen Yuxiang came in, he was wearing a mouse-gray underskirt and a light green jacket.This color is relatively rare in the palace. It doesn't look like a graceful and luxurious princess, but like a girl from the neighbor's yard.Wei Chi saluted and smiled at her: "The princess's clothes are really elegant."

It was an unintentional compliment, but Chen Yuxiang couldn't help but blushed.

Chen Entropy, who had been suppressed for a long time, revealed his childish character, relying on Wei Chi to talk about things outside the palace.

Wei Chi thought for a while: "The peach blossoms are blooming."

"Master Wei, there are peach blossoms in the palace, I know that."

Seeing Chen Entropy's appearance, Chen Yuxiang couldn't help laughing: "Master Wei has been running around like this recently, and you still pester him to talk about these things."

"There are peach blossoms in the palace?" Wei Chi really didn't know.

"Really, there is in the imperial garden." Chen Yuxiang laughed at Wei Chi's fuss: "There is a peach blossom forest in the imperial garden."

"What is the peach blossom outside the palace?" Chen Entropy asked curiously.

"The peach blossoms are all the same, but there are many peach blossoms on the mountains outside the city, and every mountain is pink. At this time in the past, I accompanied my wife to Lianzhu Mountain to see the peach blossoms."

wife?Chen Yuxiang couldn't help but ask, "Isn't Master Wei unmarried?"

"Ah, a slip of the tongue, it's Xiaoxing."

Xiao Xing was a concubine, Chen Yuxiang breathed a sigh of relief, she knew Wei Chi was a concubine.

Although Chen Entropy grew up in the capital, he had no chance to go to Lianzhu Mountain: "Is it fun?"

"Of course it's fun. It's still cold in spring. There are hot wine and tea in the shop on the mountain, as well as various snacks and snacks. Outside the window, there are continuous peach blossoms. There are people selling paper kites along the mountain road, and there are many fun little toys. , before going back, I can even buy a bunch of peach blossoms and put them in the house."

Wei Chi and Chen Entropy talked about those fun things - bamboo monkeys that can climb, bamboo cicadas that can call, and small purses stuffed with peach petals.Chen Entropy couldn't help imagining what kind of world it was outside the palace, and kept asking Wei Chi's arm.

Chen Yuxiang didn't seem to listen to what they said, she looked at Wei Chi quietly, but her heart was far away.Of course she had never seen Wei Chi's family, so she couldn't imagine the woman he called "Little Star". "Little Star" is a word that is rarely used to refer to a concubine's room. Apart from being elegant, there is a hint of pampering.

Wei Chi takes a concubine?This was the news that Tangtang sent her a long time ago. At that time, she was a little surprised, but not too surprised.After all, he was old enough to marry a wife and have children.But he has been a concubine for so long, it seems that he has no intention of marrying a wife, he really doesn't know what he thinks.

"His Royal Highness?" Wei Chi noticed that Chen Yuxiang was in a daze.

"Ah." Chen Yuxiang sensed his gaffe.

"Does Aunt Huang like it?" Chen Entropy raised his head and asked.

Chen Yuxiang didn't know what they were talking about, so he nodded copiously.

Since he wanted to keep a low profile, Wei Chi naturally didn't dare to stay for long.In less than half an hour, Wei Chi was about to leave.Chen Entropy was very reluctant, but he still let go of his hand sensiblely.Chen Yuxiang stood up to see Wei Chi off, but seemed to be following him.Go straight until you can see the vestibule of the palace.Wei Chi had no choice but to stop in embarrassment: "Your Royal Highness."

"Ah." Chen Yuxiang smiled embarrassingly: "I actually forgot."

"Your Highness is a little weird today, what's going on with Concubine Hu Gui?" Wei Chi felt that Chen Yuxiang had something to say.

"Ah, no, ah, yes," Chen Yuxiang took the opportunity to find a topic: "Although the Empress Dowager is in charge of the country, but the Empress Dowager is old, things in the palace are still really bad in front of Concubine Hu Gui. Gong is still quite worried."

"It's okay. A queen will enter the palace at the end of the year. The new queen should be sixteen when she enters the palace. The Hu family won't prosper for long."

"Well," Chen Yuxiang pretended to be casual: "Speaking of which, when will Mr. Wei plan to get married?"

"Minister?" Wei Chi thought he had heard wrong.

"Ah."

Seeing Chen Yuxiang's blushing face, Wei Chi thought of everything, and suddenly understood something.

"Ah, minister," Wei Chi was a little flustered. In his panic, he remembered the lie that Wang Yunyi had made up for him many years ago. Do you want to say that he has an unmarried wife in his hometown?Or make up a more honest story?

But in reality, Wei Chi just hesitated and couldn't speak.

"Ha," Chen Yuxiang scratched his cuff secretly: "I'm being abrupt, Master Wei doesn't need to care about joking."

"Haha." Wei Chi told himself that this must be an illusion: "The minister is leaving."

Wei Chi hurried home and washed his face.Seeing him running out of breath, Mama Liu thought that her family had caused trouble.

"It's okay, it's okay, let Yiqing invite Populus euphratica over for dinner."

"Master, Yiqing hasn't come back to work yet."

"Ah, that's it. Then there's no need to prepare dinner. I'll go out to eat."

A quarter of an hour later, Wei Chi rushed into Populus euphratica's yard: "Give me some tea."

Hu Yanglin made him a cup of tea: "Oh, slow down, it's hot!"

Wei Chi blew on the tea and sat down at the table in frustration: "It's scary to say."

"What's wrong?" Hu Yanglin thought that something happened in the court.

"No, no," Wei Chi saw that Hu Yanglin had misunderstood, and quickly pressed his shoulder: "Yes,"

Wei Chi was thinking about how to say this matter.

"Say it quickly!" Hu Yanglin was in a hurry.

"Princess, you seem to mean something to me." Wei Chi said this sentence with difficulty, and also said everything Chen Yuxiang said today.

"Ah, that's how it is," Hu Yanglin breathed a sigh of relief, "To be honest, when I went to protect the crown prince in the palace that day, I could see it."

"what?"

"At such a critical moment, she would actually say please be careful. I really can't forget that expression."

"I said something like that." Wei Chi didn't quite remember.

"Loveless," Hu Yanglin pouted, "Of course I said it."

Wei Chi's hand shaking the teacup.

"I am a foreign minister, and she is a princess. I don't mean that. What should I do in the future?"

"Isn't it good to be a consort?"

"Bah, I'm not the kind of person who likes three wives and four concubines. It's not like you don't know about me and Qi Yuan."

Seeing that Wei Chi was very excited, Hu Yanglin couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed: "I didn't mean to entertain you maliciously by saying this."

"Just allow you to love only one person in your life, can't I?"

"Did I say that?"

"Of course I said it," Wei Chi himself felt that it was unreasonable for him to get angry, so he lowered his tone: "Loveless."

"If you don't want to, it's better to explain, so as not to miss others." Hu Yanglin thought: You have already missed someone.

"She's a ruler, I'm a minister, how do you explain?" Wei Chi leaned back in his chair, looking at the tiles on his head.

There is no way to say, Hu Yanglin sighed: "Everyone has everyone's fate, and it is her fate to meet you, and I can't blame you."

I can't blame you!

"Let's go out to eat." Hu Yanglin pulled Wei Chi up: "Who is as lucky as you, and if you meet someone who provokes someone, I'm really envious."

Wei Chi's anger has passed: "Why don't you usually feel that you will crowd out people like this?"

"Your Master Wei only loves one person in your life, so how can you have time to see me?" Hu Yanglin felt that he had slipped his tongue, and hurriedly said something perfunctory: "I haven't had a good meal since the end of the year. Today I am treating guests. I want to eat Wherever you choose."

During the meal break, I heard the four talking about the war, about the princess's marriage arranged by the lady Hu in the palace, and about the new queen who will be elected this time.The chats in the restaurant were both true and false, adding fuel and vinegar, but the two sitting next to each other didn't know that the two who had gone through all this were sitting aside, listening and laughing.

"Accounting, Her Royal Highness is 21 years old this year. This marriage has been blown up again. It is really the emperor's daughter who is worried about marrying."

Hu Yanglin saw that Wei Chi's hand that was pouring the wine paused, and wanted to say a few words of relief, but he couldn't open his mouth.How old am I?Populus euphratica is a little drunk, in his thirties?

"Hu Yanglin, you, are you crying?"

In a daze, he felt that Wei Chi seemed to be wiping his face.

"It's okay, I'm choking." With that said, the tears couldn't stop.

After that day, Wei Chi began to deliberately avoid topics about Chen Yuxiang.The documents of the imperial court on the return of all ministries to the station have been signed. Maybe the 30 troops outside the city can withdraw before the peach blossoms have thanked.Wei Chi lay on the wall of the north gate, looking at the dark military tents in the distance, with various flags flying above them, looking at the people working in the ruins outside the city, and counting the date of Qi Yuan's return.

The army finally retreated in two ways, and Hu Runzhi, who came alone, was forced to embark on the road back to Yulong.King Qin didn't seem to want to ask him anything, but just talked about the march according to common sense.Before departure, the imperial court received the battle report from Yulong Pass half a month ago, which probably said that Wo Tuolei finally broke through Qiao Yunsheng's defense line and withdrew beyond the Great Wall.

King Qin didn't know much about Wang Yunyi's people, but Qiao Yunsheng was very interested in King Qin, but the court asked Qiao Yunsheng to lead his troops back to the station within five days. Qiao Yunsheng delayed for two days, but he still didn't wait for King Qin, so he had to withdraw his troops regrettably. .

Qin Wang and his party seemed to be marching at a leisurely pace, while Hu Runzhi carefully guessed the other party's intentions and planned his own way out.It took half a month for this huge team to return to Yulong. Facing the incomplete city wall, King Qin frowned.

"That General Qiao did it all." Yulong's generals were not too satisfied with Qiao Yunsheng's way of handling things.

"Fix it." King Qin issued this simple order and entered the pass.

Regarding Hu Runzhi, King Qin didn't seem to have any changes, and they got along as before. Half a month later, the two of them were discussing the trivial matters of city defense, and King Qin suddenly said, "It's time for dinner, I'll eat here today."

There are indeed many things when the battle is over, this is the consistent style of King Qin, and Hu Runzhi did not express any objection.

Just beside the office desk, according to the old rules, some simple meals were placed.It's almost time to eat, Hu Runzhi waited for King Qin to get up before discussing business.But seeing that King Qin didn't seem to have the intention of ending, he still held the chopsticks: "Bring the wine."

King Qin yelled at the door.His adjutant came in with a small basket, took out a jug of wine and a cup from the basket, put them on the table, nodded to King Qin and left.

Hu Runzhi felt a cold sweat breaking out in his internal organs.

"My lord?"

"You went to the capital under the banner of this king and brought 10 people with you. Do you have anything else to say about it?" King Qin continued to eat, as if he was talking about an ordinary thing.

"Chen," Hu Runzhi turned his mind quickly.

"Drink." King Qin pointed to the wine glass in front of Hu Runzhi.

"minister!"

The King of Qin put his chopsticks aside: "If you really become a king, will this king still have such a glass of wine to drink?"

Hu Runzhi lowered his head.

"This king can join you in one copy, first seize your military power, and then let you be executed by everyone. Do you understand?"

Hu Runzhi's face became ferocious.

"If you understand this principle, I will protect the lives of your whole family."

Hu Runzhi didn't move, but Chen Su shook his head and patted the table.

The door opened, and the yard was brightly lit. Hu Runzhi felt strange, he stood up staggeringly, and walked towards the door.The yard was full of heads, including his family members and cronies. The smell of blood in the yard made one's heart palpitate.

"You! You!" Hu Runzhi looked at King Qin angrily.

"If you were on the road just now, you wouldn't have seen all this."

"No! No!" Hu Runzhi wanted to touch the saber at his waist, but there was no knife at his waist.

The warriors who had been prepared in the courtyard rushed forward. Hu Runzhi resisted desperately, grabbed the handle of the knife with his bare hands, and knelt down until his chest and abdomen were pierced.

Hu Runzhi screamed heart-piercingly: "No! No!"

Holding the glass of poisoned wine in his hand, Chen Su walked slowly into the yard. Hu Runzhi was panting heavily, and blood gushed out of his mouth continuously.Chen Su threw the wine aside: "Buried."

Another half a month later, the court received the news of Hu Runzhi's death. The King of Qin said that he had been buried with honor and that all members of the Hu family were well taken care of. Please rest assured the court.Although the court is very concerned about Hu Runzhi's movements, it is more concerned about the formation of the cabinet at the moment.

Zhou Ge always understood that he had been swayed by Yu Mian, but he was going to fight back fiercely by forming a cabinet.

The ministers Gu Ming nominated by Yu Mian are all doers, and the people in the court are still convinced by this list. Mr. Zhou Ge doesn't need doers, what he needs is his own people.

So Song Chuiping was driven away, although at Huang Gui's birthday banquet, this old man stood in front of him to protect his safety, but Zhou Wenyuan didn't need such a person who dared to speak up for Yu Mian.So Song Chuiping was forced to retire.Before leaving, Song Chuiping, who has never contended with the world, meets Yu Mian.

"Meeting you, I am really ashamed." Sitting in Yu Mian's humble mansion, Song Chuiping said with emotion: "I know that you are an upright official, but there is still a long way to go, so you should put your body first."

As he said that, the servant at the side presented a gift box, which contained many seahorses and bird's nests.

"Cough is the most stubborn, and you are over 50, so don't ignore it."

Song Chuiping was here to deliver the medicine. The old man joined the cabinet in the same year as Zhou Wenyuan, worked together for too many years, and saw too much.So he was not annoyed, not angry, and left quietly.

Not long after the cabinet was formed, a spokesperson read Qiao Yunsheng's book, saying that he defeated Yulong and discredited the glorious battle of the capital.On the surface, he was talking about Qiao Yunsheng, but he was actually talking about Wang Yunyi.

Because of Wang Yunyi's entrustment, Wei Chi was very concerned about the information about Qiao Yunsheng. When he saw the defeated soldier mentioning it, Wei Chi couldn't help but sneer.

Could it be that Qiao Yunsheng who came all the way could annihilate Wo Tuolei in one fell swoop?

Mr. Zhou Ge has excellent abilities, but his behavior is indeed contemptible. As soon as this letter of participation was released, someone with a discerning eye could see the clue.Many speech officials went to the public and said that the man was purely making trouble.This way, it hits the heart of Elder Zhou Ge.He knew that Yu Mian made a move this time, many personnel changes failed to go his way, and there must be resentment in many people's hearts.He clearly dealt with Wang Yunyi, but in fact he wanted to lure the snake out of the hole.

The matter of participating in the concert was settled, but many people were transferred from their posts.

Zhou Gelao used this to rearrange his camp.

After experiencing this incident, Wei Chi truly understood Zhou Wenyuan's horror, and figured out how he separated the Taifu and Chen Yan, and even gave the Taifu such an ending.

It was impossible for Yu Mian to sit still. Xun Bingchao was the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and he also drew up his list. Wei Qingfeng and Yan Peiwei, who were recommended by Wei Chi, had all received transfer orders and were ready to return to Beijing to serve.

King Qin, who had been hiding outside the Great Wall, seemed to be active. He asked Hu Yanglin to be appointed as the temporary leader of Jinyiwei.This request is too strange, not to mention Hu Yanglin's personal qualifications, but his current position is indeed far from that of the leader of Jinyiwei.Let a deputy Qianhu directly serve as the commander, even if it is temporary, it is still incredible.Because Jin Yiwei directly obeyed the emperor, the letter from King Qin was written to Chen Entropy. Chen Entropy knew Hu Yanglin, and this was the soldier who carried him away from Concubine Hu Guifei's palace.Chen Entropy asked Yu Mian, but Yu Mian also couldn't figure out King Qin's intention.However, Hu Yanglin and Wei Chi have a good friendship, and Yu Mian believes that this appointment will not affect the comfort of the emperor.Dealing with an elder Zhou Ge is enough to cause headaches. He really didn't want to be an enemy of the King of Qin, so Chen Entropy signed this document.The cabinet also didn't want to be distracted by this, so it announced it anyway.

So Populus euphratica from the fifth rank became a member of the third rank of the imperial court, replacing his master Shen Yang.Although it is temporary, he is qualified to enter and leave the court and work with the cabinet and various waiters.

At the end of April, the peonies in Wei Chi's yard are full of buds.Yiqing rushed back from home, and there was finally one more person in the house.Wei Chi finally received a reply from Nanjing. Counting the days, it is already very close.

Guarding the peonies in the yard, Wei Chi was full of joy.