Chapter 401: Secret Talk

What Xie Gao said was somewhat outrageous.

The current emperor is still on the throne. Even if Xiao Yunshuo regains his status as the crown prince and returns to the palace, it will not be his turn to take charge of the overall situation and restore the government.

Given Xie Gao's nature of attaching great importance to the idea of ​​"ruler and minister", if he had not been extremely disappointed with Emperor Yucheng, he would not have said such treasonous words.

Xiao Yunshuo narrowed his eyes slightly. He had already anticipated that even if he did not show up, with Emperor Yucheng's character of liking to play with imperial power, the second prince and the sixth prince would sooner or later turn the court into a mess.

He just didn't expect that their speed was much faster than he expected, even in less than a year.

Presumably, they were certain that since the crown prince was dead, the only ones who could become the heir apparent were each other in terms of power. Therefore, as long as they worked hard to defeat one of them, they would be the undisputed crown prince, and the other princes would not have the power to compete with them.

That's why they can treat each other so wholeheartedly.

But they forgot one thing.

Although Emperor Yucheng is old, he is still in good health. Even if one of them wins and becomes the "crown prince", in the end he will probably just become the second "crown prince".

Besides each other, their most terrifying enemy is their father.

For an emperor, the biggest threat is that although he is getting old, he is still in good health, while the crown prince is becoming more and more powerful and can no longer suppress his ambition to replace him.

This is like someone snoring next to his bed. How can the emperor tolerate this?

In addition to the few adult princes, there are also many more younger brothers who are only a few years old to choose from as the crown prince.

When the emperor is really old, it will not be too late to slowly select a crown prince. Only then can there be true fatherly love and filial piety, and the son will inherit the father's throne.

Imperial power can distort the relationship between brothers, and naturally it can also distort the relationship between father and son.

Emperor Yucheng turned a blind eye to their fight, not because he condoned them and whoever won would be the next crown prince, but simply to deplete their power.

While the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.

When the two sides finally decide the winner, the loser will naturally end up in a tragic situation, and the winner will also be severely damaged.

At that time, how to deal with the winning party will depend on Emperor Yucheng's mood.

His father's favorite thing was to hold all the power and play everyone in the palm of his hand, even his own flesh and blood.

The reason why Emperor Yucheng hated Xiao Yunshuo so much and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible was because Xiao Yunshuo's position as the crown prince was written in the late emperor's will. He could not depose him or control him, so he had no choice but to kill him cruelly.

Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

It's a pity that the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince couldn't even see through all this - of course, it might also be that both sides thought that they had enough strength, and after defeating the other, they would still have enough strength left to suppress Emperor Yucheng.

However, no matter what, the struggle for power in the court will ultimately hurt the common people.

"Teacher, you should understand the meaning of what you just said. Father is still in good health. Even if I reveal my identity and return to the palace, it will not be my turn to restore order."

Xie Gao quickly raised his head and glanced at Xiao Yunshuo, his eyes filled with deep determination.

Immediately, he lowered his head, kowtowed heavily, and then said:

"Your Highness, as you know, over the past six months, natural and man-made disasters have plagued various parts of Dayu. After the 'plague and heavenly fire' incident in Youzhou, first the eastern and western prefectures of Guangnan suffered frost damage, resulting in a complete loss of rice harvest in winter and spring. Then, on the eve of the rice harvest in Jiangning Prefecture, a locust plague struck, wasting another season's hard work. Then, near the capital, in the wheat-producing area of ​​Daming Prefecture, the Yellow River burst its banks, flooding thousands of acres of fertile farmland and leaving the people living along the river completely homeless and displaced.

Frost damage and locust plagues are still natural disasters, but regarding the Yellow River bursting its dike, local officials once submitted a secret memorial to the old minister, originally wanting the old minister to submit it to the emperor on their behalf. The memorial described the bursting of the dike in detail. It was obvious that the local officials who were the minions of the second prince and the sixth prince's party, in order to buy the fertile land in the hands of the people at a low price, failed, so they came up with such a sinister method of exterminating their descendants. They secretly hired people to dig the Yellow River dike until it burst, so that the fertile land would be destroyed and the people would be displaced. In this way, in order to exchange for some food to survive, the people had to sell their fertile land to those black-hearted officials at a low price.

Who would have thought that a few days after the old minister submitted the secret memorial to the emperor, the person who wrote the secret memorial died unexpectedly, and the witnesses and evidence mentioned in his letter all died or disappeared, leaving no evidence.

The emperor treated this matter lightly and did not take it seriously enough to send anyone to investigate it thoroughly. The poor people of Linhe County will die with regrets!

These natural and man-made disasters are nothing compared to the disasters encountered during the reign of the previous emperor. Our country has enjoyed good weather and abundant treasury over the years, so providing relief for these disasters is not a difficult task. It's a pity that the decree for disaster relief was indeed issued, but it failed to truly help the victims!

Now, from the imperial court to the local areas, everything has been taken over by the cronies of the Second and Sixth Princes. They're not competing to see who can provide better disaster relief, but rather to see who can enrich themselves the fastest and the most! From top to bottom, this level of exploitation has spread to the people, leaving very little behind!

These were clearly just a few disasters with controllable consequences, but in the end they made people's lives miserable and full of complaints, almost damaging the foundation of the country!

Your Highness just asked me if I understood what I said. I, at the risk of being charged with treason, now declare that I understand exactly what I said. I only hope that the Crown Prince will reveal his identity and return to the palace at the appropriate time. If necessary, he can assume his responsibilities as Crown Prince and take over the government to rectify the system. This would be a blessing for all the people! I beg you to understand my words, and I, on behalf of the people of the world, thank you!

The words "taking charge of government affairs on behalf of the emperor" show that Xie Gao really understood the meaning of what he had just said.

Xiao Yunshuo narrowed his eyes slightly.

Of course he knew about the disasters that Xie Gao mentioned.

The last time he went to Daming Prefecture to handle matters, he was actually in charge of the secret cabinet, helping to raise food to provide relief for the victims of the Lianghe River disaster. Even without Xie Gao telling him, he knew very well how lax and inactive the government was in providing disaster relief.

Although he had the strength to confront Emperor Yucheng head-on, he had previously considered that if he really led his troops south in the name of "clearing the court" and fought against his father's army, it would inevitably cause civil strife in Dayu. In the chaos, the people would be displaced and their lives would be in dire straits. These were all foreseeable consequences. In addition, the Beirong were eyeing the northern border covetously, so he chose to endure and wait for the opportunity.

Unexpectedly, his forbearance only made the selfish princes and officials in the court more unscrupulous in their fight for power and profit, and ultimately failed to prevent the people from suffering.

Perhaps, the time has come when I have to post.

Xiao Yunshuo closed his eyes slightly, then raised his hand to help Xie Gao up, saying, "Master, please stand up. I understand your intention. I promised you that when the time comes, I will shoulder my responsibilities and will never shirk or retreat, leaving the people of the world behind."

Xie Gao received a positive answer. Tears streamed down his face as he said in a deep voice, "This old minister thanks His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! Although I am old and frail, if Your Highness still needs me, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Xiao Yunshuo smiled and said, "Teacher, you are too kind. If I want to return to the palace, I will need your help in many ways. But for now, I hope you will teach my ninth brother and the other children well, and cultivate the next generation of talents for our great university."

The two of them talked about some things in secret, and then Xiao Yunshuo withdrew.

Chen Fenghe was absentmindedly helping to cook a hangover soup in the kitchen. She used dried tangerine peel, sandalwood, kudzu flower, mung bean flower, etc. and boiled them into a soup according to a certain proportion.

She could still tell that Xie Gao was pretending to be drunk.

She could naturally guess what Xiao Yunshuo and Xie Gao were talking about in the room.

Xiao Yunshuo made such a meticulous plan to have Xie Gao move from Taiyuan Prefecture to a village near him in Hejian Prefecture to settle down. It was certainly not possible that he did it simply to invite Xie Gao to be the ninth prince's enlightenment teacher.

Xie Gao was a minor official in two dynasties and presided over imperial examinations many times. He had a very high prestige among the Hanlin scholars. Many scholars in the court who entered the officialdom through the imperial examinations could be said to be Xie Gao's disciples. This is what is meant by "his students are all over the world."

He pleaded for the Crown Prince and could be said to be a blatant "Crown Prince" supporter. However, Emperor Yucheng disliked him so much that he did not dare to deal with him easily. In the end, he could only approve his request to retire and send him back to his hometown.

This shows how great Xie Gao's influence was.

Even though Xiao Yunshuo was the crown prince appointed by the late emperor and was loved by the people of the world, if he really came into conflict with Emperor Yucheng, he would have to deal with the word "orthodoxy" in every way.

Since ancient times, when the crown prince and the emperor competed, the crown prince would usually lose, unless it was done secretly, such as killing the emperor and falsely claiming his death from illness, or forcing the emperor to abdicate before his death.

Because in the eyes of the people and the court officials, the emperor was the legitimate heir. Even if the prince won by chance, he would still be branded as "illegitimate."

If Xiao Yunshuo wants to compete with Emperor Yucheng, he not only needs to be strong enough, but also needs the support of the people and the ministers in the court.

Xie Gao was probably an important part of his gaining the support of all the officials in the court.

After Chen Fenghe thought all this through, she naturally understood that Xiao Yunshuo had begun to take action to return to the palace.

This means that the day when they go their separate ways is not far away.

If you count it up, only a few months have passed since they got married.

From early spring to now it is already deep autumn.

The two of them were in perfect harmony, and it was truly a happy and sweet time.

It’s a pity that God was not kind enough to give her more time.

Thinking of this, Chen Fenghe couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.

"Feng He, Feng He?" Qin Mengyue's voice rang out.

"Ah?" Shen Fenghe came back to his senses and quickly responded.

Qin Mengyue looked at her expression and asked worriedly, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so absent-minded? Are you feeling unwell?"

Chen Fenghe concealed the loneliness in her eyes and smiled, "No. I was just distracted by something. Don't worry, mother, I know medicine myself. If I were unwell, wouldn't I know it myself?"

Qin Mengyue felt relieved after hearing this and whispered, "That's good. Why are you in the kitchen again? Just let them do things like making hangover soup. When you go back...when you go back, you won't have to do these things anymore..."

Chen Fenghe could only smile and said, "I'm also bored, and doing these things occasionally can help relieve my boredom. By the way, is Master Xie awake?"

Qin Mengyue nodded and said, "He's awake. I saw Shuo'er coming out, so I came to the kitchen to see how the hangover soup is doing. If it's ready, I'll have someone send it to Master Xie... Master Xie."

Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "It's cooked."

He immediately ordered someone to fill a bowl and bring it over.

Xie Gao drank the sobering soup, and Village Chief Wu happened to come over. Everyone sent Xie Gao's carriage to the door and left it there.

There was a banquet at noon, and the food in the evening was simpler, with mutton noodle soup.

The best mutton is stewed into broth. After the mutton is cooked, take it out and cut into thin slices. Boil water in another pot and cook the noodles. By the way, blanch some vegetables, take them out and put them in a bowl, add mutton soup, and add boiled mutton and blanched vegetables to each bowl. Then season it with chili oil, soy sauce, salt, sugar, onion, ginger, garlic and other seasonings.

In addition, a large plate of boiled lamb was served on a plate, with a sauce made from chili peppers, mashed garlic, soy sauce and boiling oil for dipping.

Everyone talked about this year's harvest while eating noodles.

"At the banquet today, Village Chief Wu said that since the beginning of summer this year, the weather has been scorching hot, and the rain has been very scarce. Many families in the village have lost their spring wheat to drought, and they're worried about a poor harvest. If it weren't for the winter wheat harvest from the previous spring, people would starve to death next year. Even so, some families might face famine next year. Shuo'er, do you know what's happening elsewhere? Perhaps it would be helpful to buy some food during the harvest season and store it for a rainy day."

Xiao Yunshuo nodded and said, "Don't worry, Mom. I will make the arrangements."

Although he agreed, his brows couldn't help but frown.

What Qin Mengyue didn't know was that this year's weather conditions were not only drought-prone near Youzhou City, but also the precipitation situation in neighboring Hedong Prefecture, Taiyuan Prefecture, Datong Prefecture, etc. was not optimistic.

Compared to Qin Mengyue who was worried about the family's food and grain reserves, he was more worried about Dayu's situation.

In the past, even if it was not a bumper year, there would naturally be areas with good harvests wherever there were disasters across the country. It was rare to see a situation like this year. First, the rice-producing areas in Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangning suffered a poor harvest, then the Yellow River and Huai River burst their banks and destroyed a lot of winter wheat that should have been harvested, and now there is drought in the three northern prefectures.

By next year, the entire city of Da Yu will be short of food. By then, I'm afraid many more disaster victims and refugees will have to flee for their lives.

You say we need to raise food, but where can we get it?

Moreover, the people's need for food is one thing, but the army's food supply will probably be in short supply.

In years of poor harvests like this, the Northern Rong would always seize the opportunity to send large numbers of troops south to invade. If food and fodder were scarce by then, the war would be difficult to fight...

Qin Mengyue thought for a moment and couldn't help but sigh, "You don't know the value of oil and salt until you manage the household. If I hadn't been exiled here, I'd probably never have known how important food is to the people. Speaking of which, Fenghe, what's the name of that thing you planted with the wheat in the spring... corn? It doesn't seem to have been affected by the drought this year. I just wonder if it can be eaten as a staple food like wheat."

Chen Fenghe had been silent until she came to her senses after hearing what Qin Mengyue said. She smiled and said, "Mom, I asked the Western Region merchant who sells corn seeds before. He said that corn, like wheat, can be used as a staple food. It can be cooked into porridge or steamed into corn buns. Although it doesn't taste as good as wheat, the yield is twice as much as wheat when it's good. After our corn is harvested, I'll think about how to make it. You'll know after you try it."

Qin Mengyue smiled and said, "I'll help out when the time comes. If this corn can really be used as a staple food, we can promote it throughout Dayu. If we encounter a drought like this again, we won't have to worry about famine..."

Chen Fenghe smiled and said, "Who says it's not?"

Xiao Yunshuo ate noodles while looking at Chen Fenghe quietly.

He inexplicably felt that she seemed a little depressed today, and he didn't know who had offended her.

Everyone ate while talking.

Chen Fenghe then ordered the kitchen to collect the dishes and boil some hot water for washing.

After washing up, she changed into her casual clothes for sleeping and went to bed early without waiting for Xiao Yunshuo to come in.

She was feeling a little down today because she anticipated that they might go their separate ways soon. Therefore, she was a little afraid of meeting Xiao Yunshuo face to face and being noticed by him.

Unfortunately, when Xiao Yunshuo came in, she was too upset to fall asleep.

Since I'm not asleep, I can only pretend to be asleep.

Chen Fenghe deliberately lay on her side facing the wall, closed her eyes, and made up her mind not to wake up.

The bed shook slightly, and then she felt a chill behind her. It must be Xiao Yunshuo who lifted the quilt and lay down beside her.

Chen Fenghe was inexplicably nervous.

Considering that they just did it last night, he shouldn't be that energetic, right?

After Xiao Yunshuo lay down, he stopped making any noise. He probably saw that she was asleep, so he didn't disturb her.

Chen Fenghe breathed a sigh of relief, but inexplicably felt a little... well... regretful for pretending to be asleep.

They didn't know when they would be separated, so why not take advantage of the time they were together...

Since getting married, their life has been quite harmonious.

Except for the first half month when Xiao Yunshuo was insatiable in his demands, as if he wanted to make up for all the times he owed after their wedding, as an ancient man who was born in a "male-dominated" era and whose status was at the top of the male-dominated era, Xiao Yunshuo was quite gentlemanly.

Under Shen Fenghe's subtle guidance, his skills improved rapidly, and he paid rare attention to her feelings. He switched between gentleness and domineering styles with ease, sometimes making her feel comfortable and satisfied like a kitten, and sometimes making her want to beat someone up.

Chen Fenghe couldn't help but sigh, it turned out that a good man is not limited to any era, it all depends on whether he is sincere or not.

With a talent like Xiao Yunshuo, if he were brought to modern society, he would definitely be a rare talent and be able to charm thousands of girls.

She really wanted to pack him up and take him back to the modern era.

It's a pity that she doesn't have the ability to do so. She can't even go back if she wants to...

As her mind wandered to all these things, her thoughts returned to the fact that she and Xiao Yunshuo would soon be separated...

Chen Fenghe couldn't help but sighed softly and subtly.

It was not known whether this sigh alarmed Xiao Yunshuo. In the darkness, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Chen Fenghe with deep dark eyes.

Because she was lying on her side, he could see a bit of her fair skin showing from the back of her clothes, and a bit of her earlobe showing from her black hair.

He couldn't help but raise his hand to smooth her black hair.

Sensing his movements, Chen Fenghe's body trembled slightly uncontrollably, but she immediately forced herself to hold it in as much as possible, closed her eyes and continued to pretend to sleep...

However, Xiao Yunshuo's actions did not stop there. His fingers gently brushed the hair on her ears, caressed her small earlobe, and then his fingertips gently stroked the side of her slender neck, then fell to the back of her neck, and then stroked her back through her clothes, and finally reached in from the bottom of her clothes...

Chen Fenghe: “…”

This bastard must have known that I was pretending to be asleep, so he did this on purpose...

What should I do now? If I had known, I would have just woken up. Now I can’t wake up if I want to, and I can’t wake up if I don’t want to.

Just as she was struggling, she suddenly felt a warm breath beside her ear, and then her earlobe was gently bitten...

Chen Fenghe couldn't help but shivered violently.

This is the downside of two people being too compatible.

They are very familiar with each other's sensitive points.

Seeing Shen Fenghe's defense broken, Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but chuckle twice and said, "What? You're not pretending to sleep anymore?"

asshole!

Chen Fenghe had no choice but to wake up, pushed him, and scolded him: "Who is pretending to be asleep? I finally fell asleep, and you woke me up again..."

Xiao Yunshuo simply turned over and covered her with his body. He leaned over to kiss her, but his hands had already untied her belt. He smiled and murmured, "Just lie still, leave everything to me..."

Chen Fenghe: “…”

However, she was also teased by him and felt a little emotional, so she did not refuse.

…

The two of them lay down, both drenched in sweat. Xiao Yunshuo then asked softly, "What happened today? Did someone offend you? Why do you look unhappy?"

Chen Fenghe sighed inwardly.

Her disguise was so poor that he still saw through it.

However, she couldn't honestly say that she was sad because they were going to be separated soon, so she just shook her head and smiled, "It's okay, I just feel a little tired and not in the mood."

When Xiao Yunshuo heard her say this, he suddenly leaned forward slightly, looked at her without blinking, and asked in a serious tone, "Could it be... that you're pregnant?"