Daiyu of the Red Chamber raised a cat

Although Zhou Hang didn't know what the eldest prince and the second prince said that day, it was not difficult to find out what they did and who they met these days.From the information obtained, Zhou Hang speculated that the second prince should have first moved his mind to suppress him through food and grass. He was timid all by himself, so he found the first prince as an ally.But sadly, he was rejected.

When he left the palace yesterday, the second prince rushed back to the mansion angrily, got angry a lot, and even disposed of one of his concubines.According to the people's comments, that concubine was his favorite and did not do anything wrong, but she praised the eldest prince for being gentle and polite, and she was angered.

Early this morning, the second prince ordered his cronies to contact the middle and lower-level officials of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Households.Tempt him with gold and silver wealth, and inquire about the news of grain and grass.He is also considered smart, knowing that the senior officials in charge of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs are either the Supreme Emperor or the people who are trusted by the current emperor. If he bribes them, not only is the possibility of success very small, but the matter is easy to leak.May I ask that the king likes to pry his children and grandchildren in the corner behind his back?Once the matter leaks, the consequences will be very serious.If you don't do it well, you will become an abandoned child and be left idle forever.

For him, this is obviously not worth the candle.

Therefore, the second prince only wins over middle and lower-level officials. If he can win over, it will be better. Put on eye drops.

Regarding the behavior of the second prince, Zhou Hang took the attitude of letting it go.

Zhou Hang was about to see whether the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Household Affairs were as solid as gold after the rectification.Since the second prince wanted to make a fuss, he simply let him.Anyway, he was just a bald prince with no real power, and he was watching, so he couldn't make any big waves.Those officials who can be bought away by his small favors and small favors are also moths of the court, and he just uses his hands to find them all.Otherwise, those old and cunning villains are mixed in the crowd on weekdays, and it is not easy to distinguish them.

As for the eldest prince, he has not been idle these few days.

He didn't get involved in the matter of food and grass, but became one with Gao Xuanyi, the son of Prince Zhennan.The two seemed to get along very well. They gathered together every day, drinking wine and tasting tea, and occasionally riding horses to shoot and hunt, and going out for outings.Guided by the eldest prince, Gao Xuanyi visited many interesting places in Beijing these days, and even had contacts with some well-known Confucian scholars to sing poems of harmony.

It's no wonder that King Zhennan's private residence in the capital is next to the First Prince's residence, with only a courtyard wall in between, so he couldn't see him when he looked up and saw him when he looked down.

From this point of view, the first prince's resourcefulness and insight are beyond the reach of the second prince's flattery.

The best way to fight for the right of inheritance is not to sabotage and frame other heirs.In that way, there is a possibility of dying before the teacher is ready at any time, and it is very big.The best way is to find a way to show your strength to the ruler who decides your future, and gain his approval.If you can't do this step, at least you have to accumulate your own strength and make friends with people who can help you.It's not about answering any crooked ideas with crooked thoughts, especially with such a clumsy method that the truth will be revealed after a simple investigation.

If you don't have the ability to hide a conspiracy from being discovered for a lifetime, then the most sensible way is not to play this conspiracy.

Zhou Hang always thought that the Prince of Zhennan, who grew up in the southwestern border where wars continued, should be a good general with extraordinary martial arts and the ability to command troops, but he didn't expect that he was also quite accomplished in poetry and prose.

Li Zhao told Zhou Hang: "There is nothing strange about this. The imperial aunt who married to Zhennan Prefecture was a well-known talented woman in Beijing. She not only has a beautiful life, but also has excellent poetry. They are all ashamed of themselves, the prince thinks that he has received his true inheritance."

Zhou Hang nodded, expressing his understanding, it turned out to be a family background.

Zhou Hang did not tell Li Zhao about the second prince's intention to intervene in food and grass.Anyway, that was also his son, and Zhou Hang didn't believe that he didn't have any love for him.Furthermore, this was originally a jealousy between the princes, and he hadn't reached the point where he asked his parents to judge him when he was wronged by his brother.

Let's say that after the imperial court that day, Zhou Hang was about to go back to his Qilin Palace to listen to Lin Ruhai's lecture, when the eldest prince stopped him.Zhou Hang is the prince who came back halfway, unlike the eldest prince and the second prince, who are affectionate when they are young, and have their own ideas when they grow up, and even fight sparks flying in private, but on the outside they are passable, at least when they meet each other. I can exchange a few words.

Although the eldest prince didn't have any hostility toward Zhou Hang, he rarely communicated with him.

As for the second prince, needless to say, that is simply not showing Zhou Hang's face.

Although Zhou Hang didn't live the life of a prince when he was young, he was also in the upper class, with various resources and advantages, and he walked with his head held high.He also has an unruly temperament at the root, and no one else will give him good looks, so he naturally doesn't have the hobby of sticking his hot face to other people's cold ass.

Of course, except for sister Lin's cold ass.

Therefore, even though he was in the same court, and he did not see people who looked up and looked down, there were only a handful of exchanges between him and them.Usually, after the court, Zhou Hang and his two nominal elder brothers ignored each other and went back to their own rhythms.

This time, the eldest prince actually called him. Zhou Hang was stunned for a moment, then turned his head slightly, and looked at him with frown.

The eldest prince smiled, his smile was rich and handsome, and he said: "I heard that there is a cook who is good at cooking sweet potatoes beside His Highness, I wonder if there is any extra?"

Zhou Hang narrowed his eyes slightly and said: "There are two people who did a good job. If you need it, I will give you one."Zhou Hangyin asked: "Others have been searching everywhere for more than ten days ago, why did the eldest brother think of looking for a cook today?"

Speaking of this, he suddenly thought of another thing, and couldn't help but curled his lips into a smile.

He thought of Lin Daiyu, and remembered that he had won a bet with her.

Didn't he train two hundred cooks at the beginning?At that time, he could not say that within three days, these cooks would be snatched away by the dignitaries in the capital.Although Lin Daiyu felt that after the sweet potato banquet was held in the palace, the dignitaries in Beijing would rush to buy a cook who knew how to cook sweet potatoes, but she felt that Zhou Hang's asking price was too high, and three days would definitely not work.In Beijing Zhongxing City, buying a cook who can cook does not exceed ten taels of silver at most, and Zhou Hang's price is several times that, even if you are a wealthy family, some people have to hesitate.After all, Zhou Hang sells these cooks in the name of a firm, and those rich and powerful will not take care of them because they know it is the prince's business.

Unexpectedly, in less than two days, all [-] cooks were robbed.

Those who didn't grab it were still annoyed.

Daiyu admits defeat in the bet, and abides by the bet. She will unconditionally promise Zhou Hang one thing.

Hearing Zhou Hang ask why he was looking for a cook today, "There was one in my house, because his mother had a sudden and serious illness, and died of the illness. Although the cook has sold himself to my house, I can't bear him as a son of man." He couldn't even fulfill his filial piety, so he was allowed to go home for the funeral. His family is from Shandong, and it would take several months to come and go. Now there are no sweet potatoes in my house, and I don't even have food. I can't eat it. But now, there is not even a cook who can cook sweet potatoes, so I am begging His Highness..."

Zhou Hang secretly thought, this is it.With his heart, even if he doesn't like eating sweet potatoes, in order to respond to the sage's call to show concern for the suffering of the people, he will get a cook who can cook sweet potato meals at home.There is no reason for ordinary officials to have their own houses, but he alone has no reason.

Now it seems that he is more thoughtful than others, his cook is still from Shandong, Zhou Hang does not believe that all this is just a coincidence.

Zhou Hang didn't know if the cook really died, but it must be true, Zhou Hang thought.With the meticulousness of the eldest prince, he would not spread such a lie that would be easily exposed.It's not that hard to find a cook whose old lady is dying, is it?Zhou Hang didn't believe that in such a huge mansion, with hundreds of people up and down, he couldn't find anyone who could cook sweet potatoes.The cook stayed in the mansion for so many days, those people in the kitchen who didn't have a pole and wanted to make a pole to climb up didn't steal the teacher?

His moves are so high!

In this way, who in the court doesn't know that the eldest prince's political stance is correct and he is gentle and compassionate.

However, he can only use these small means and tricks to gain the admiration of middle and lower officials.The real ministers are all monkeys and monkeys, and they are always calculating in their sleep, so how could they be fooled by this little trick.Really smart ministers will only be loyal to the emperor, and will only take care of the princes whom the emperor asks them to take care of.

Zhou Hang generously gave an excellent cook to the First Prince, who readily accepted it and thanked him again.

After the first prince left, the fourth prince came to Zhou Hang with two personal eunuchs.

Although the fourth prince is young, he has learned the rules and etiquette very rigorously.After entering the palace gate and reaching the main hall of Qilin Palace, he didn't go in, but stood outside and waited quietly. The little eunuch who guarded the gate saw it and hurriedly yelled inside.Afterwards, Koizumi came out of the room and said that His Highness the Crown Prince was affectionate, so he went in.After saluting, he said with a smile: "Brother Prince, Chengjie came here uninvited, so he won't disturb Brother Prince?"

Zhou Hang ordered someone to serve freshly baked hibiscus cake, and said, "When did you grind like this?"

The fourth prince laughed and said: "I don't want to either, the last time I came to look for the prince's elder brother, I didn't report it according to the rules, and my father scolded me later."

Zhou Hang has already witnessed from the mouth of the fourth prince how duplicity his father is.

When facing him, he often smiles all over his face, which makes people feel like a spring breeze.But in front of his other princes and princesses, he is an absolute tiger dad, and he can be strict.

The hibiscus cake was brought up quickly, exuding a fresh fragrance, it was light pink, the shape was like hibiscus, and the carving was very delicate.The fourth prince opened his mouth and smiled, picked up a piece of pastry and ate it while asking: "When I came here, I saw many palace people moving in and out carrying large things. Do you want to change the used utensils?"

Mentioning this matter, Zhou Hang seemed to regain his energy, and the smile on his face became real and bright.

"I'm moving!" he said.