Chapter 200: Close Cooperation
He has to protect himself!
"Do you know that Gu Huai will leave Beijing for Changhe in the spring of next year?"
It was unknown what Prince Duan was thinking as he blurted out the words.
Perhaps, he just wanted to see Lu Mingchao's expression of fear.
Lu Mingchao's beautiful eyes widened, and he pretended to be surprised, "Come to Changhe to enjoy the flowers and go for an outing?"
Prince Duan looked at Lu Mingchao carefully and found that his surprise did not seem fake. He felt satisfied but also indignant.
Facing his threats and inducements, Lu Mingchao was able to handle them without panic. As soon as he heard about Gu Huai's movements, he forgot his cunning and showed his joy and anger on his face.
It's somewhat disrespectful to his majestic demeanor!
"Admiring flowers and going for an outing?" Prince Duan said jokingly, "That's not a bad idea."
Anyone with a discerning eye knows that Gu Huai took great pains just to admire Lu Mingchao, this delicate flower, and trample Xie Yan, this wild grass.
Lu Mingchao seemed not to have noticed the joke in Prince Duan's words, and said seriously, "Then Prince Gu has come to the wrong place."
"Changhe is desolate and remote, not as beautiful as the apricot blossoms in Shangjing in the spring rain, green and plump, red and thin."
Prince Duan said nonchalantly, "Every flower has its own taste. What if someone doesn't like the beauty of a hundred flowers and only appreciates a single flower?"
"I'm not kidding you. If nothing unexpected happens, Gu Huai will take over the position of the magistrate of Changhe County."
"Isn't this a joke?" Lu Mingchao asked in surprise.
Prince Duan said sternly, "This prince never jokes."
Lu Mingchao sighed softly, "Prince Gu is really too depressed."
"I wonder if His Royal Highness Prince Duan has any other instructions. My parents and brothers at home are worried because I haven't given you any instructions yet."
Prince Duan looked thoughtful and asked, "Brother?"
"I have heard of Lu Yao's talent."
"Lu Mingchao, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand, and the world is unpredictable. Who can say that your leaving the Yongning Marquis's Mansion and returning to your hometown to recognize your relatives is not a blessing?"
"I have prepared a banquet, but you are welcome to enjoy it as you please."
Lu Mingchao bowed and said, "Let's put the banquet on hold for now."
"When Chaofu Medical Clinic takes root in the miasma-ridden area of Luolingnan, I will have the nerve to attend the banquet."
Night has fallen, like a thick black satin, covering everything in the world.
Two lanterns were hung high in front of the carriage. A cold wind blew in, and the lanterns swayed slightly in the wind. The candle flames flickered in the night wind. Inside the carriage, the only sounds were the sounds of breathing and heartbeats.
In the house.
Prince Duan asked coldly, "Are you sure?"
"Your Highness, the servant who was helping Xie Sui take a bath saw it clearly."
"Xie Sui is a complete man, definitely not a prostitute."
The personal attendant knelt on the ground and said respectfully.
Prince Duan murmured in a low voice, "How could it not be?"
It clearly felt so familiar to him.
He hoped that Xie Sui would be happy, but he also hoped that Xie Yu would not be happy.
That palace coup changed the fate of too many people.
The previous emperor died suddenly, and Shu was willing to die with him.
His father seized the throne, exterminated the entire Xie family, imprisoned Empress Dowager Xie, and divorced and unjustly died. Duke Cheng'en beheaded the direct descendants of the Chu family in a public market and exiled them to Lingnan.
After the palace coup, those close to him died or scattered.
He witnessed with his own eyes that the blood of Sister Xie, who treated him like a sister and a mother, dyed the blue brick wall behind the drum into a deep red.
He witnessed with his own eyes that the head of his second brother Xie, who had taught him archery with great care, was cruelly hung on a flagpole and left to be pecked at by crows.
He witnessed with his own eyes that Ah Heng, the well-behaved and sensible boy who affectionately called him "little uncle", unfortunately died in the sea of fire and eventually turned into a pile of charred bones.
The once-prominent Xinguo Mansion is now surrounded by crows and overgrown with weeds. It is desolate and dilapidated, like a spooky haunted house.
As a young boy, he didn't save anyone.
It seems that my father was the only winner of that palace coup.
He suddenly became Prince Kang and became the new emperor of Daqian.
No, there is also the Qin family.
The Qin family's meritorious service to the emperor helped them rise rapidly to prominence.
In the court, the Qin family is very powerful.
In the harem, the daughter of the Qin family is always favored and stands out.
The Qin family regarded him, the eldest prince who was pushed forward by his father, as a thorn in their side.
It is said that the emperor valued him and gave him unique honor and dignity.
Oh!
Prince Duan laughed at himself, looking particularly sad.
"Prince?"
The followers felt their scalps tingling when they heard the laughter.
Prince Duan stopped laughing, and there was no longer any sign of abnormality on his face.
"Have you figured out who is behind the pressure on County Magistrate Xu?"
The attendant said, "To reply to Your Majesty, it is Prince Gu of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion."
Suddenly, Prince Duan raised his eyelids in confusion.
Gu Huai?
Gu Huai must be sick!
On the one hand, he was obsessed with Lu Ming Dynasty, and on the other hand, he tried his best to protect Lu Ming Dynasty's enemies.
He remembered that Gu Huai was not that abnormal.
"Your Highness, why don't you give the Crown Prince a favor?" the attendant suggested cautiously.
Prince Duan's eyebrows jumped, and he asked with a smile, "Why?"
The attendant swallowed his saliva and said, "The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion is powerful. With Prince Gu's help, your situation will definitely improve."
"You are wrong." Prince Duan said quietly.
The emperor can turn a blind eye to his reputation for kindness and virtue, but if he secretly forms a clique and cultivates his cronies for personal gain, the emperor will no longer tolerate him!
So, he has to handle it impartially!
The more you offend Gu Huai, the happier your father will be.
His father was a ruthless man who was able to deceive two emperors, Emperor Wencheng and Emperor Jingxiang, with his superb acting skills.
"Let the word spread tomorrow morning that I will personally investigate the murder of my brother, and tell those in the dark to stop if necessary. If they refuse to give up, don't blame me for being merciless and cutting off the branches."
"Also, draft another memorial to the emperor stating that Gu Huai was involved in this matter, and send it to the capital as soon as possible, so that the emperor can deal with it."
The attendant was a little hesitant, "Your Majesty, if we do this, will this seriously offend Prince Gu?"
Prince Duan chuckled, "Father will only give me a minor punishment and a major warning, and will not damage the reputation of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion."
"Go ahead, don't talk any more."
The follower muttered silently in his heart.
Are you really not going to offend Prince Gu too much?
Prince Gu is at a critical juncture of breaking off the engagement with the daughter of the Marquis of Yongning. Any disturbance could cause a huge uproar, and Prince Gu's wish to break off the engagement might be thwarted.
The attendant wanted to remind him, but seeing that Prince Duan had closed his eyes to rest, he bowed and quietly left.
Is the prince really not trying to stop Prince Gu from breaking off the engagement and going to Changhe?
After the flower hall fell into silence, Prince Duan opened his eyes again.
Although Lu Mingchao refused his offer and was unwilling to work for him, he still felt that he could work closely with Lu Mingchao.
I just hope that Lu Mingchao’s sincerity will not be realized too late.
Changxi Village.
"Who dares to block the road!" The guards of Prince Duan's mansion shouted and tightened the reins, and the carriage stopped.
Lu Mingchao lifted the curtain and saw Yunniang and Lu Lei standing next to a huge rock at the entrance of the village with lanterns in hand.
"Mom, big brother."
He immediately turned to look at the guard driving the car and said, "Just drop me off here, and we'll walk the rest of the way back."
The guards of Prince Duan's mansion jumped off the carriage and bowed, "Mrs. Lu, Mr. Lu."
Xie Yan and Shu Yuan got off the carriage first and took the children one by one. Finally, Lu Mingchao got off the carriage holding Xie Yan's arm.
Yunniang held the lantern and shone it on Lu Mingchao's cheek. She looked at it carefully for a few times before she breathed a sigh of relief.
"I've frightened you again." Lu Mingchao's voice was full of guilt.
Night Talk