Reincarnation of the powerful minister

The prince personally wrote the case and wrote the case into an official document, and sent it to the imperial court of the capital together with the confessions of the people involved in the case.

According to the usual practice, for such a major case, the suspect is likely to be escorted to the Criminal Department of the capital or Dali Temple for review.Therefore, the prince did not directly pronounce the sentence, but instead detained all the people involved in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice in Nanjing, and ordered them to be strictly guarded. If there is any mistake, they will be punished together.

This matter has finally come to an end for the time being, so you can breathe a sigh of relief.After Su Yan returned home, he generously gave Xiaobei a few ingots of broken silver, and asked him to go to an outside restaurant to buy food and buy wine. When he came back, the master and the servant had a drink, and they were both six to seven points drunk.

When I woke up, the moon was shining brightly outside the window, and the silver light shone through the open casement onto the table and the floor.Su Yan got up in a daze, went to the table to drink tea, and suddenly saw a black chess piece beside the teacup.

The smooth surface of the sunspots reflected the gleam of the moonlight, and Su Yan picked them up subconsciously. His hands were cold and heavier than ordinary chess pieces, as if they were carved from fine black jade.

He played it repeatedly between his fingers for a long time before his dizzy head gradually came to his senses: I am not very good at playing Go, so I didn’t buy it in the rented house, so where did this sunspot come from?

Could it be the Go set on the stone table in the courtyard of the Nanjing Ministry of Criminal Affairs?When he was deep in thought, he accidentally brought it back in his sleeve?

But the chess pieces of that set of Go should be made of ceramics, with white and black glazes on the surface. The unglazed bottom of the chess pieces feels a little rough to the touch, and the weight is much lighter.

Kuroko……

A dialogue suddenly popped up in my mind:

"How about a game of chess with the rest?"

"You have no sons left, why don't you abandon your sons and admit defeat."

"Whoever wins or loses in one game may not win in the end."

"It's better for you to go to the prison and say that."

Mr. He's voice is elegant and soft, each word is like a drop of bamboo juice, but it looks like nectar, and it is highly poisonous when drunk, which made Su Yan suddenly get goosebumps.

This sunspot is a greeting from an old enemy, understated but with hidden intentions, full of vicious humor like a cat playing with a mouse.

——It’s been a long time, old friend.Yu is right behind you at this moment, watching you quietly.

Su Yan turned his head abruptly, and there was no one in the bedroom.

——In the darkness, when Yu's chess hands will put down the pieces and draw out the murderous blade, guess what?

Su Yan sneezed loudly.He hurriedly pulled a cloak from the hanger to wrap around his body, and when he was about to reach the door, he folded it back, opened the drawer at the bottom of the closet, put the brocade bag given by the emperor into his bosom, then rushed out of the room with his shoes on, shouting loudly. : "Xiaobei! Su Xiaobei!"

He found Su Xiaobei who was sleeping on the wine table in the flower hall, and shook her awake: "Quick, pack up the soft things... Forget it, just pack up the paperwork and stamped letters. Let's leave here immediately!"

"Ah..." Su Xiaobei looked bewildered, "Where are you going, sir?"

Go to a place with guards.Su Yan changed his mind and replied: "Go to the palace and find the prince!"

"Okay, I'll clean up right away." Although he didn't know why, but out of unconditional trust and obedience to his lord, Su Xiaobei immediately got up, shook his drowsy head, and went to the study to clean up.

Su Yan went to the stables, quickly saddled the two horses that were grazing at night, and led them to the court.

Five minutes later, the master and servant each carried a burden on their backs, left the gate of the house, and galloped towards the Donghua Gate of the Nanjing Imperial Palace.

The dark streets and stone roads are covered with a thin layer of snow, and in some places the snow has melted, forming bright puddles under the moonlight.The horse's hooves stepped over the puddles, splashing snow and water, and wet the hem of the blue cloak fluttering on the horse's back.

On the high ridge beside the street, the moonlight cuts out the silhouette of a gray-blue figure, who holds a slender bamboo tube horizontally to his lips.

Seeing that the Frost Flute is about to rise, a beam of snow-bright light shoots out, which is actually colder than the cold moon in the sky.

The figure twisted like a willow branch in the wind, and when it reappeared, it was already ten feet away, barely avoiding the cold light.

The cold light fell back into the master's hand again, it was an Xiuchun knife with a long blade slightly curved.

Shen Qi appeared from the shadows, with clothes full of dust and murderous intent, her voice was a little hoarse due to the long journey: "'Don't stare at him, don't disturb him, and don't think of him, otherwise you'll be the king of heaven. , I will also take the head of the other item' - if you forget this sentence, I will help you remember it!"

Mr. He covered his chest with his flute hand, and smiled: "Shen Tongzhi is not someone who works in Henan, why... oh, he rushed here under the stars and wearing moons. How many horses died on the way? How many days did it take?"

Shen Qi said coldly: "Since I'm here, why don't you be sensible and get out of Nanjing."

Mr. He didn't change his face: "I have two words to remind Shen Tongzhi. First, you must have a good manner; second, even if you are in the same way, don't stretch your hands too far."

Shen Qi said bluntly: "The man behind the door asked me to knock on the door, and he only said three words - 'Destroy the prince'. The prince is in Nanjing, so this is my place, I don't have the habit of working with people , if you don’t leave, don’t blame me for treating him like an enemy.”

Mr. Crane seemed to frowned, but he quickly returned to normal. He twirled the flute in his hand and said leisurely, "Since the chess player has spoken, it doesn't matter if the credit goes to you."

Before Pianran left, he left a sentence: "For Yu, tell Mr. Su, 'Save this game for another day'—if you still have the courage to appear in front of him."

Shen Qi pressed the tip of the knife against the blue tiles, and sat on the roof.The full moon was like a huge ice mirror, and the night hanging behind him was bright and lonely.

After more than half an hour, a spy in plain clothes appeared beside him, and said in a low voice: "Mr. He left from the Crane Gate in the east of the outer city with a team of assassins from the Seven Killing Battalion. The humble officer watched him go out." After traveling twenty miles from the outskirts of the city, I came back to report to my lord."

Shen Qi nodded slightly, and asked again: "Where is the criminal detained?"

"Beside the back lake of the outer city, the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice in Nanjing. It is just outside the Taiping Gate in the north of the city."

The word "abandoned prince", if interpreted as a name, refers to "the prince who has been abolished as the crown prince".The people behind the door want to "abolish the prince", and they want him to take Zhu Helin's life.

If it is interpreted as a matter of fact, it refers to the act of "abolishing the prince"-interpreted in this way, it is less difficult to operate and has a higher degree of freedom.Of course Shen Qi would not abandon what is easy to ask for difficulty, let alone Su Yan is with the prince now.

Shen Qi got up, and disappeared among the many houses in a vertical leap, and the spy also disappeared into the night.

Outside Donghua Gate, the defenders raised their weapons vigilantly, stopped the two galloping horsemen, and shouted: "Who dares to break into the palace at night!"

Su Yan took out the dental plaque given by the prince and threw it over, panting: "Go and report to the prince, Su Qinghe begged to see you."

The defenders saw his face clearly by the light of the torch.Su Yan often went in and out of the Donghua Gate, and this face was his pass, but it was late at night after all, and the palace gate couldn't be easily opened after it was closed.Therefore, the defenders did not dare to let him in without authorization, and said: "Master Su, please wait a moment, I will invite the servant who will be on duty tonight."

Su Yan stood beside the bright brazier outside the city gate, waited for about two quarters of an hour, and finally heard the sound of the city gate opening.

He couldn't wait to ride his horse through the door, and almost collided with a horse galloping out of the palace gate.

"—Qinghe!" Zhu Helin hurriedly tugged on the reins, forcing his mount to get out of the way.

"Master, be careful!" Su Yan was not as proficient in equestrian skills as he, and passed him by with a scream.

Zhu Helin turned his horse's head and chased after him.

Su Xiaobei didn't dare to ride a horse in the palace, and was picked up by a servant who rushed over later.

The palace gate slowly closed behind him.Su Yan reined in his horse, turned his head to Zhu Helin and said, "Why did the young master come out by himself, wouldn't it be better to let the waiter tell you to open the door?"

"You have never come to knock on the palace door in the middle of the night. I was worried that there was something urgent or in danger. I thought they were walking slowly, so I came out by myself." Zhu Helin looked him up and asked eagerly, "Did something happen? In such a cold day, you Not even socks!"

Su Yan's ankles were numb from the cold, and he said with a smile, "Master is also in a hurry, the boots are put on backwards."

Zhu Helin looked down and saw that he was really wearing it backwards.He was a little embarrassed, so he simply jumped onto Su Yan's horse, wrapped him in his arms, and pulled the rein with one hand: "Go, go back to the palace to keep warm."

In the inner hall of Chunhe Palace, the two were warming themselves by the charcoal basin while drinking the ginger tea presented by the palace staff.

Su Yan breathed out a hot breath, and sighed: "It can be regarded as alive..."

"You don't know, the moment I saw this thing in my room, it was like hitting a ghost, the hairs on my neck stood up." He threw the black jade chess piece on the table, "Before I I suspect that the fortune teller that Eunuch Yan is talking about is Mr. He, and now I am more sure that it is him."

"Mr. Crane is in Nanjing?" Zhu Helin was shocked first and then delighted, "Well, catch him, it's a great achievement!"

Su Yan shook his head: "It's not that simple. Last year we dispatched the Jinyi Guards from Beizhen Fusi, and a thousand Tengxiang Guards. Shen Qi and King Yu personally led the formation, but he ran away. Now there are only a few hundred guards in the East Palace in Nanjing , I am afraid that even facing the blood pupil assassins of his Seven Killing Battalion would be very dangerous."

Zhu Helin took a few pictures: "Master wanted you to live in the palace a long time ago, but you refused, saying that it was against the rules, and now you have to move in! If you don't come, I will bring all the guards to live in your house! "

Su Yan smiled wryly: "The small yard I rented, how can there be so many people. Anyway, I figured it out. Compared with my own life, the rules are nothing. The Spring Harmony Palace is so big, and I'm in the side hall next to it." It doesn't hurt to occupy a room here and live here for a while."

Zhu Helin was overjoyed, and said, "That's right, you can go out and live after the young master catches Mr. He and it's safe outside."

After much deliberation, Su Yan felt that there was no better way, so he said good night, got up and prepared to go to bed in the side hall.

Zhu Helin wanted to keep him wholeheartedly, even if he couldn't do anything practical, it would be good to stay by his side for a while, so he took out the letter that he had hidden for a whole day: "Wait, the two messenger guards you borrowed from me just now Returning to the palace brought a reply from the capital."

Hearing this, Su Yan sat back again, took the envelope, and saw that the words "Qinghe Dear Father" on the envelope were painted with silver hooks in iron, which were written in King Yu's handwriting, so he suppressed his eagerness and opened the envelope to read.

Looking at it, his face gradually darkened, and he couldn't help showing disappointment in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Helin looked at his expression and asked, "The shameless Uncle Fourth Wang bullied you again?"

Su Yan shook his head, and frowned amidst doubts and depression: "No, His Royal Highness Prince Yu is the one who is benevolent and righteous. It's the emperor... He didn't accept my letter, nor did he reply, and even lost his temper at King Yu."

"My father rejected it?" Zhu Helin asked in surprise, "What did you write in your letter?"

"It's nothing, it's just what I saw and investigated after I arrived in Nanjing, especially the events before and after the Bailu case, and there are some personal guesses. At that time, eunuch Yan had not yet been arrested..." Su Yan whispered more and more quietly, as if lost in a myth .

Zhu Helin took the letter from King Yu from his hand, and saw a few lines in it at first sight——

"...The situation at that time was like this. If Qinghe still wants to submit a letter in the future, don't mention the prince, absolutely!"

As soon as Su Yan came back to his senses, he hurriedly snatched back the letter paper, and hurriedly said, "King Yu's words may be a little exaggerated, and you also know that he has always had a grudge against the emperor because of ten years of imprisonment..."

Zhu Helin was motionless in a daze, like an ice sculpture frozen from the inside out.

Su Yan was worried, and stretched out his hand to hold Zhu Helin's shoulder: "Master! Don't panic, please calm down—"

"I am calmer than anyone else." Zhu Helin opened his mouth, and the words were clear, "It is because I am calm enough that I can distinguish, 'clique dispute', 'the master is not in a hurry, the counselor is in a hurry', 'he is my minister, isn't he The crown prince's, not your Zhu Xujing'... This kind of words are definitely not made up by Uncle Si Wang himself!"

In the last few words, he broke his voice, made a broken breath from his throat, and even his lips trembled.

In order to suppress the uncontrollable trembling, he bit his lower lip tightly with his upper teeth, and then blocked his mouth with his fist. His eye sockets gradually turned red, and even the whites of his eyes were stained with a faint layer of blood.

"Father... that's right... I'm too stupid. I always never grow up, and I always naively think that the emperor's family has the same father-son relationship as the folks... I have always been just a spoiled son in front of my father. , even if he was left out, reprimanded, and forced to learn the rules later on, he still felt deep down in his heart that no matter what, he was my biological father. He knew me so well and would definitely believe me... I was wrong, Qinghe, It is my fault……"

Su Yan's heart was pierced when he heard it, and he leaned over and hugged Zhu Helin's shoulder: "You are not wrong! It's not my fault, it's my inappropriate wording when I wrote the letter that angered the emperor..."

Zhu Helin hugged him tightly, pressed his chin against his neck, his eyes were red, and his voice was choked: "Don't deceive yourself, you know the crux of the problem in your heart. The emperor is rejecting me, not only because I have shown to you in front of him Because I am no longer a child under Cheng Huan's knees. I have the lust and ambition of a grown man, which makes him feel threatened... What a contradiction, Qinghe, it's my fault that I didn't grow up, It's my fault for growing too fast..."

Rationally, Su Yan knew that what Zhu Helin said was not unreasonable, but emotionally he refused to accept the separation between father and son brought about by the emperor, and the conflict between father and son based on power, politics, and even more obscure and complicated psychology.

Jin Kui is not such a person - he said to himself in his heart.

——But "Jinhui" is "Jinhui" only in front of him and when the two of them are alone.More often than not, it is the "sage ruthless" king of a country, the Emperor Jinglong who rules over hundreds of millions of people in Daming.This is irrefutable.

Can he start from his own little love, extend himself to others, and tell the prince, "Your father will love you from beginning to end, and will never give up on you no matter what in the future"?

Turning over the history books, around the supreme dragon chair, almost every page is full of bloody father-son feuds, brothers fighting against each other, brother-in-law, he can continue to indulge Zhu Helin who grew up in a honey pot, saying "those are all others The emperor's family, and you are the only lucky one"?

he can not!

Su Yan sighed deeply.

Patting the prince's muscular back comfortingly, Su Yan said softly: "Master, my mind is also in a mess now. I have thought a lot, but I don't know how to say it."

"Say whatever you want...no matter what you say, as long as it's your voice, I'll feel better when I hear it." Zhu Helin's voice was hoarse, with a strong nasal voice, "It doesn't matter what you say."

For the first time, Su Yan felt that organizing language was such a difficult thing.

He opened his mouth a few times before slowly saying: "I am your father's lover and your most steadfast accomplice. I will not refute what the emperor said, because one of my goals is indeed I really want to push you to the dragon chair of the next emperor. You are the crown prince I believe, and working for you is part of my political ambition. There is nothing shameful about it. At the same time, I also admire and love your father, the emperor, There is no contradiction between being willing to do your best for him and the country he ruled.

"That's why I hope that my young master will get rid of his youthful affection as soon as possible, and don't have any personal conflicts with the emperor. In addition, he will improve his knowledge and gradually accumulate experience, and keep a low profile in politics, trying to eliminate the "prince" as much as possible. 'This identity brings a sense of threat to the current emperor.

"The foundation of the relationship between the emperor and you is far superior to that of many emperors and sons in the past dynasties. This is your advantage, but it is not an inheritance that can be squandered. From now on, young master must remember one thing, no matter the capital city No matter how turbulent the political situation is, you just have to be yourself, believe in yourself, endure when you should be patient, attack when you should attack, think twice before acting, and be perseverant in action."

Zhu Helin was silent for a long time.

It wasn't until Su Yan's muscles were stiff that he finally heard the prince say on his shoulder in a low voice: "Qinghe..."

"Ok?"

"No matter what the final result is between you and your father...I want to be your lifelong support."

Su Yan wondered in his heart whether this "lifelong support" meant "a thigh that can be held for a lifetime", and secretly annoyed that this kid is still in love when troubles are imminent, but Zhu Helin continued to say:

"I know it's ridiculous to say such unfounded words right now, but this is my truest thought. I am the prince, and I must also be the future Mingjun—half for the country, and half for you."

Su Yan was stunned.

After a while, he said, "OK."