After uttering the word "brother," Wu Lanxi calmed down and asked with a smile, "Lanshan, what brings you here?"
Wu Lanshan entered the imperial study, and Lin Wan'er immediately found him a chair.
Wu Lanshan sat down across the long table. He first glanced at the mountain of memorials piled on his desk, his expression shifting slightly, and remarked with a sigh, "It seems you've had a lot of work since taking this position."
Then my gaze fell on a calligraphy and painting hanging on the wall behind me.
The brushstrokes are vigorous and powerful, and the painting style also carries a sense of pride.
Although the work did not look like a masterpiece and did not have many special features, Wu Lanshan recognized it at a glance.
That sense of familiarity washed over me.
"You still have His Majesty's calligraphy and paintings from back then?"
That was not someone else's work; it was made during the reign of the late emperor.
At that time, the literary and artistic atmosphere in Daqing was still strong, and calligraphy and paintings appeared frequently and in great numbers.
The late emperor also valued this matter highly, and I myself had a strong interest in it, even spending a lot of time on it that I shouldn't have.
Perhaps this is also the reason for Daqing's decline.
"It's just something to keep as a memento." Wu Lanxi didn't turn around to look at the painting, but continued to smile at Wu Lanshan. "I've intended to visit you several times, but there are just too many trivial matters in the court, and I've never been able to find the time. I heard from my uncle that your health has improved a lot in the past few years?"
Wu Lanshan nodded, sensing the concern in Wu Lanxi's expression.
"I've been staying at home to recuperate for the past few years, and I'm basically out of danger now. I'll occasionally go out in the capital to see what I can do."
"That's great." Wu Lanxi was delighted, but she said with some regret, "Actually, I didn't quite agree with the way the Emperor did a few years ago. Even if you're sick, you can't just stay cooped up in the mansion. You should go out more often. This will help you relax and recover better, so you don't waste so much time."
Wu Lanshan shook his head. "Even if I had come out then, there wouldn't have been anything I could have done. I didn't have any more energy left."
Sensing the somber mood, Wu Lanxi subtly shifted the focus away from the topic.
She casually and naturally recounted the changes in Beijing over the years, and slowly revealed some rather unusual events.
Wu Lanshan had heard about those things at his residence. Just because he didn't leave the residence didn't mean that everyone would stay. It's just that he was too traumatized at the time and had no interest in these matters.
As we continued talking, we unknowingly arrived at several events that occurred this winter.
The conversation naturally turned to Tang Huan.
"Your Majesty, do you think I did anything wrong in the matter of Tang Huan?"
Wu Lanshan examined it carefully and chuckled softly, "Your Majesty is wise and would naturally not be wrong, and the result is indeed good. No one else could have done better."
"Actually, I did nothing. The victory over the Northern Region delegation was entirely due to Tang Huan. If he hadn't suddenly produced a mysterious and powerful gun and displayed sufficient strength, we wouldn't have won so easily, and we would have likely lost."
As for the reason for the loss, no one would doubt it.
Because Daqing's greatest reliance, Pang Conglong, had already been attacked and seriously injured before this.
"Have you found out the identity of the assassin and who was behind him?" Wu Lanshan asked.
Wu Lanxi shook her head and said helplessly, "We can't find anything. The assassin committed suicide by poisoning himself after the attack, leaving no evidence."
"He lived in the capital; surely he left some traces?"
"No, that person wasn't even registered, and no one had ever seen him. It was as if he suddenly appeared in the capital that day."
Such people are not uncommon. Many people keep a few loyal servants in their homes. They cannot be seen in the light of day and work for their masters.
In addition, some servants in the mansions may be people without status who rely on relief to have food and are able to stay and work in the mansions.
Under these circumstances, conducting an investigation would be extremely difficult.
"What about the two assassination attempts on Tang Huan? Did those also come to nothing?"
Wu Lanxi looked at her cousin across from her, "Although both assassination attempts were large-scale and both resulted in the capture of prisoners, the outcomes were quite different. After being interrogated in the prison for a period of time, some of the assassins from the first attempt couldn't hold back and confessed to various details of the operation, as well as who planned it."
"But the assassins who attempted the second assassination couldn't get anything out of them, and they all died in the imperial prison."
Wu Lanshan did not ask who was behind the scenes, but sighed, "The capital has become a place of great turmoil. When we were young, we rarely even heard of such things."
“Yes.” Wu Lanxi chuckled softly, “But isn’t it more interesting this way? If there’s nothing to do and everything is peaceful, it would be too boring.”
Wu Lanshan stood up. "Your Majesty, that concludes our visit. I will not disturb you any longer."
"Would you like to stay in the palace for dinner?" Wu Lanxi asked, trying to persuade her to stay.
Wu Lanshan waved his hand gently, "I won't bother you any longer. I'm going to take a look at the South District. I heard that the renovation plan was in full swing recently. I want to see how it differs from what I remember."
Having said that, Wu Lanxi said nothing more and had Lin Wan'er escort the person out of the Imperial Study.
A moment later, Lin Wan'er returned with a serious expression.
She stood behind Wu Lanxi and said, "Your Majesty, I feel that the Crown Prince has become more silent than before, and he has changed a lot."
Wu Lanxi raised her head, and even with her eyes closed, she could still imagine how glorious Wu Lanshan had been back then.
She was much more popular than Tang Huan is today.
"Anyone would be unable to remain calm after such a blow. I just hope he can get through it. He is still young. If he can find the Wu Lanshan of the past, he can be of great help to me."
Lin Wan'er added, "And I noticed something else: he seems quite interested in Tang Huan?"
Wu Lanxi wasn't surprised at all. "You'd feel the same way if you suddenly found someone just as good as you, or maybe even better."
...
After leaving the palace, Wu Lanshan went to the southern district alone.
He came alone, without any servants or trusted confidants.
Everything in the South District felt both familiar and strange.
Wu Lanshan continued walking on his own without stopping for a moment.
Until a completely different set of houses appeared before him.
Wu Lanshan stood still, silently looking at the seemingly simple houses, his gaze fixed on them.
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
A young man appeared beside him at some point, looking at Wu Lanshan with concern.
"Are you from the South District?" Wu Lanshan asked the other person.
The boy nodded. "Yes, I'm from the South District. Everyone calls me Xiao Qi. I've noticed you've been looking at the relief housing. Would you like me to take you inside?"
Wu Lanshan thought for a moment, "If it's alright, I'd like to ask you to show me around the neighborhood."
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