stepson

The two disguised themselves, and Shang Xuanlie and Su Zhaoxue turned into traveling merchants, driving a carriage towards the gate of Yunzhou City.Shang Xuandong was assassinated in the street yesterday, and now everyone in Yunzhou City is in danger, strictly checking the people entering and leaving the city, and they are waiting in line at the gate to leave the city.The people around talked about everything.

"The killing of the crown prince must be related to the previous crown prince. I heard that His Royal Highness escaped during the execution in the capital. I have already said that our previous crown prince went to the battlefield when he was more than ten years old. If the crown prince hadn't been framed in the capital Where is it the eldest son's turn to be the eldest son? Look, the eldest son can't even secure the position of the eldest son, and even lost his life..."

"That's not right, how did I hear that Princess Zhang did this in order to avenge the eldest son?"

"Really? Didn't you say that the prince's other young masters are not convinced that the eldest son is the eldest son, and they asked someone to kill the eldest son."

……

Su Zhaoxue and Shang Xuanlie stood at the back of the team, heard their discussion clearly, they looked at each other, Su Zhaoxue said: "Now you can say anything, I don't know how the prince will deal with it."

"It is obvious that someone is confusing the assassination of Shang Xuandong." Shang Xuandong told the truth.He said again: "My father is afraid that he has no master, and he is like a frightened bird. He is afraid that someone will assassinate him. Shang Xuandong died in vain. With my father's temperament that is afraid of death, no one will To avenge him."

"So, brother doesn't need to do anything, they will mess up and do it themselves."

Because there is no one in charge of the palace, although Shang Xuandong's death made Yunzhou City martial law and strict investigation of suspicious people in the city.But these generals who led troops to blockade Yunzhou City each had their own ideas.Therefore, it is not strict to find out the people in the city, just bribe some money casually, and then leave the city.

After leaving the city, Su Zhaoxue heaved a sigh of relief.Shang Xuanlie's face was cold, and he said worriedly: "I'm afraid Yunzhou City will be in chaos."

Yunzhou City is the place where he lived since he was a child. His father did not do anything and allowed people with malicious intentions from all walks of life to settle in Yunzhou City. Shang Xuanlie was naturally heartbroken.

"If you don't break, you can't stand. Brother, don't meddle in the affairs of Yunzhou City at this time. Brother, you still have to hibernate and recharge your energy. When the time comes to save Yunzhou City from the fire and water, the people will appreciate your kindness. Brother will take back the North at that time." Prince An's Mansion, there will be less resistance." Su Zhaoxue said.

Shang Xuanlie didn't know this truth, he was just worried that the people of Yunzhou City would be affected.He said: "The people of Yunzhou City have suffered."

Seeing how he cared about the people so much, Su Zhaoxue smiled, Shang Xuanlie was afraid that he would not be able to disarm and return to the fields, and would not care about anything.The education he received since he was a child is to protect the water and soil in the northwest.At this time, he was just frustrated with King Bei'an and Princess Zhang, and he would definitely stand up when Yunzhou City was in crisis.

The two drove the carriage to the border town.Because he was dressed as a traveling merchant, he was raided several times by officers and soldiers on the road, but they gave him some money to fool him.When Shang Xuanlie saw those common people who couldn't afford money, these soldiers and ruffians would no doubt rob them with bandits.After secretly taking actions to teach these soldiers a few times, the anger in his heart finally disappeared.

"I didn't expect this kind of extortion and robbery to happen under my rule. The subjects of Bei'an Palace never told me about these things. I thought this kind of thing only happened in the place where the emperor ruled. These things The subject is really disgusting." Shang Xuanlie looked in disbelief.Obviously hit by the reality.He thought that the Northwest officials under his rule were clean and clear, and there was no such thing as oppressing the people and extorting money.Thinking of these low-level officers and soldiers being like this, those high-level generals are afraid that they will get more greedy.

"It's human nature to be greedy and prey on the strong, so there's nothing strange about it." Su Zhaoxue saw his dejected expression, and after thinking about it for a while, he understood why, and persuaded him, "To be an official for thousands of miles is only about wealth, and the only thing you can do is to be greedy and greedy. What's more, these Qiuba, if they can't pay their military salary, they will have to find it somewhere. They also have a family, and they have to live."

"Stop talking." Su Zhaoxue's persuasion didn't work at all, and the more she talked, the more she got angry with Shang Xuanlie.He waved his hand to signal Su Zhaoxue to shut up.Shang Xuanlie began to question his abilities for the first time.

Along the way, Shang Xuanlie's mood was not high. After half a month of walking, after entering the border town, he was still sulking alone.Su Zhaoxue looked amused, this person is easy to get into the wrong place, no matter how he persuades, Shang Xuanlie won't listen at all.

Seeing the strict discipline of the officers and soldiers in the border town, this hit Shang Xuanlie even more.Su Zhaoxue had no choice but to say: "The Border Town is just a small town that is easy to manage. The area under the jurisdiction of Bei'an Palace is much larger than that of the Border Town. Besides, the various departments of the Bei'an Palace are intricately organized and each has its own master. The hearts of the people are not at all consistent. Besides, your father is still If you are alive, they will naturally discount your orders. When you take back Bei'an Palace and become a prince yourself, the situation will be much better."

Shang Xuanlie's face became darker the more he heard it, Su Zhaoxue sighed secretly, and had to change the subject, he said: "Shall we go find Princess Zhang now?"

"Don't worry, let's go around the border town for a few days first. I want to see how my concubine governs the border town."

"Okay then. Let's find an inn to stay in first."

After the two found a clean inn to put away their things, they washed up and rested first.On the second day, they got up early, after breakfast.Shang Xuanlie took Su Zhaoxue around the border town.He said: "I remember that I visited the border town a few times when I was four or five years old, but I haven't been here since I was six. It has changed a lot and is much more prosperous than before."

"So, Concubine Zhang has put in a lot of effort in governing the border town. If you come to see Concubine this time, will she marry you a wife?" Su Zhaoxue suddenly thought of this matter for no reason.Shang Xuanlie is already in his twenties and has not yet married, so he is considered a late marriage.If Princess Zhang finds him a wife, how will he deal with it?

Upon hearing this, Shang Xuanlie turned his head to stare at Su Zhaoxue's uneasy eyes, and smiled: "Even if I marry a wife, my younger brother is the most important thing in my heart."

Su Zhaoxue felt a chill in his heart, he ran to find Shang Xuanlie specially, the little thing between the two of them was almost explained.When Su Zhaoxue heard that he had no objection to marrying a wife, Su Zhaoxue felt bad. Shang Xuanlie is an ancient man, and the outlook on life of the two of them is fundamentally different.In Shang Xuanlie's eyes, marrying a wife does not conflict with being with him.How should this be done?Anyway, if Shang Xuanlie married a wife, he would definitely not be with Shang Xuanlie.

"What's wrong with you? Your face is ugly?" Shang Xuanlie saw that his face turned blue and white for a while, and he was very worried. He put his hand on his forehead and said, "What's wrong with you? Do you want to go to the doctor to have a look?" look?"

Looking carefully at his demeanor, he is not just pretending to be concerned, but also genuine.Telling him not to marry a wife, Su Zhaoxue couldn't say that the two of them were together.He pulled Shang Xuanlie's hand and said: "I'm a little dizzy, I want to go back to the inn to rest first, you go shopping alone."

"I'll go back to the inn with you." Shang Xuanlie was worried.

"No, I want to be alone for a while." Su Zhaoxue gave him a fixed look and said.

Shang Xuanlie was stunned, and said: "Okay." He didn't know why Su Zhaoxue suddenly changed his face and was flustered, so he didn't force him to follow, so he had to let him go back alone.Looking at his back, Shang Xuanlie's heart does not tremble, did he say something wrong?

After looking around, Shang Xuanlie was still worried about Su Zhaoxue.Immediately turned around and wanted to go back to find Su Zhaoxue.At this time, two teams of officers and soldiers on the street beat the gong to clear the way, the surrounding people gave way one after another, and a group of generals riding tall horses returned to the city.The leader is a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, with thin eyebrows, long eyes, dark face, and average appearance.But wearing a golden armor, his spirit is extremely bright.

Since when has there been such a young general in the border town?Shang Xuanlie was puzzled, grabbed a merchant next to him, pointed at the young man in charge and asked, "Who is he?"

"He is the adopted son of the concubine, named Meng Shaojie. You are not a local, are you? Everyone in the border town knows this son." The peddler gave him a suspicious look.

"I'm a traveler from other places, and it's my first time in the border town. I've been doing business in Yunzhou City before, but I haven't heard that the princess has any adopted sons."

"What do you know, the princess has only stayed in Yunzhou City for a few days? The border city is the base camp of the princess, and the prince can't control the princess. How many adopted sons does the princess recognize, how can the people in Yunzhou know?"

"Who are the parents of this Meng Shaojie? He looks more imposing than the sons of the Shang family in Yunzhou City."

"His father is Meng Bin who is next to the concubine. His mother said that he died after giving birth." The peddler looked around and whispered to Shang Xuanlie: "The people in our border town know it well, this kid is afraid He is the son of the princess!"

Shang Xuanlie was startled when he first heard this shocking secret, and didn't believe his words at all.Angrily scolded: "The princess has a noble status, how could she do such an outrageous thing?"

"Hey, don't believe me. You can tell by looking at Mr. Meng's appearance carefully. His face is five points similar to that of the princess! He has long been the next city lord of the frontier city. Hmph, the current king of Bei'an is just a softie How can I control the princess? I heard that Meng Bin, the military adviser, and the princess are childhood sweethearts. If the princess was not appointed by the old prince as the concubine, the princess would have married Mr. Meng long ago." The peddler is not surprised, he gossiped complacently The secret of the palace.

So it is!No wonder the mother and concubine ignored him after his accident in the capital!Shang Xuanlie suddenly thought of when he was five years old, when he came to play in the border town.I saw his mother and concubine holding a child.He also asked who the kid was.His mother and concubine said he was the child of a military adviser.Then let the servants take the child away.He never saw the child again.Thinking about it now, that child should be Meng Shaojie!

God, how could this be!Shang Xuanlie's face was full of grief and indignation.His various defenses against Princess Zhang seemed like a joke.It turned out that the mother and concubine had her own beloved son, so she was so indifferent to him!He was stabbed in the heart by the person closest to him, which made him angry and sad, and his eyeballs were covered with bloodshot eyes.Staring at Meng Shaojie coldly, Shang Xuanlie had a destructive desire to tear him apart!