Xiao Shuo put down the teacup and wiped the tea that splashed on his hands with a handkerchief, his posture elegant and calm.
The tea was boiling hot, and soon a faint red mark appeared on the back of his hand.
Chu Yuanchen's eyes darkened slightly, and he said, "Before I went out today, the lady asked me who went with me to welcome the bride that day."
Men and women sat at separate tables. In addition, the old lady said that she was a widow and refused to come out to watch the ceremony. Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo had been in the front yard, which was quite far away from Wuhe Hall where the old lady lived. Chu Yuanchen did not expect that the old lady would notice Xiao Shuo.
Chu Yuanchen said: "The Madam should not have come out."
"No problem." Xiao Shuo said calmly, "Just answer her question if she asks you."
Xiao Shuo's intention was just to let Chu Yuanchen say that his current identity was enough.
He sipped his tea nonchalantly, showing no emotion at all, and looked so strong that there was no sign of flaw.
Sheng Xiyan felt a little sad in her heart. If it weren't for the suspicion of the late emperor, Xiao Shuo would be so noble and proud now, just like the scorching sun in the sky, no one could compete with him.
Chu Yuanchen agreed and jokingly said, "Brother, why don't we do it today? Just take us to pick the horses now!" This attitude was too matter-of-fact.
Xiao Shuo: “…”
He couldn't help laughing and responded with a smile.
Chu Yuanchen: "Go, go, hurry up!"
So, at Chu Yuanchen's urging, they went to Xiao Shuo's mansion to pick a horse. Sheng Xiyan not only got a good horse, but also a hidden weapon called a sleeve arrow, which she could use for self-defense.
Sheng Xiyan's riding skills were average, so Chu Yuanchen specially picked a docile mare for her. After feeding her two pieces of sugar, he coaxed the mare to rub against her. It was much easier to take care of than Wuti.
This horse is too friendly. Although it is majestic, it is not suitable as a military horse. It is just right for Sheng Xiyan.
So, taking the newly acquired horses, they agreed to go together to meet the Zhenbei Army, and the couple returned home happily.
When I left home, it was just past midday, and when I returned it was almost dusk.
The carriage stopped at the ceremonial gate, and Sheng Xiyan got out of the carriage and saw Wei Xiu standing there. Wei Xiu had obviously been waiting for a while, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, but his posture was still straight and his face did not show any signs of fatigue.
Sheng Xiyan smiled and called out, "Xiu'er."
Currently Wei Xiu and Chi Yu are still temporarily living in the Zhenbei Palace.
The imperial examination was about to begin, and Chi Yu would take the exam today. In order to prevent them from being disturbed unnecessarily, Chu Yuanchen asked them to live in the Zhenbei Palace before the exam, and to move out after the exam was over.
Wei Xiu stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Sheng Xiyan and Chu Yuanchen, and called out, "Sister, brother-in-law."
Unlike Sheng Yan's jumpy voice, he shouted seriously, with no expression on his face and an extremely earnest tone.
He would not go back to the Sheng family, so naturally he would not go to today's recognition ceremony. He was not a member of the Chu family, so Shuang Chao and He Hong could not come either. So he waited here on purpose until they came back.
This ceremony was performed with great solemnity, just like a ceremony to recognize one's relatives.
Sheng Xiyan immediately understood what he meant, and cried with joy as she softly said, "Be good."
After the formal meeting, Chu Yuanchen prepared a piece of Shoushan stone as a gift for Wei Xiu, and he had originally planned to give it to him after returning today.
Wei Xiu's eyes lit up obviously. This piece of Shoushan frozen stone was as red as chicken blood, moist and delicate, with a natural color without even the slightest flaw. It was extremely rare. It was a top-quality seal stone that was hard to come by.
Wei Xiu took it with great care and couldn't let it go.
Chu Yuanchen said, "Your sister knew you were learning seal carving, so she found it especially for you."
Wei Xiu was slightly startled, a slight smile appeared on his face, a little shy.
After talking a few more words, Wei Xiu knew that they had just returned home, so he left without disturbing them.
Sheng Xiyan said to Chu Yuanchen with a smile: "Uncle and aunt Wei have taken good care of Xiu'er."
Be grateful, polite, sensible, distinguish between gratitude and resentment, and be resolute and unwavering.
He knows the grace of raising his children, and has not forgotten the grace of giving birth to his children.
Sheng Xiyan took his arm and said with a smile, "Xiu'er is so nice."
She didn't care whether he was going back to the Sheng family or not. It didn't matter whether Wei Xiu's surname was Wei or Sheng.
She believed that as long as her brother was fine, her mother wouldn't care.
It was his mother who gave birth to him, and it was Wei Lin and his wife who raised him. As for the Sheng family, they actually did nothing for him.
Sheng Xiyan was extremely excited and talked to him happily, unable to hide the joy on her little face.
Jingle and Jiaoyang were waiting for them in the main courtyard. When they saw them coming back arm in arm, they smiled and ordered the meal to be served.
Sheng Xiyan washed her hands and was about to serve food to Jingle. Before she went over, Jingle said, "No need. We don't break so many rules in our family. I'm not so old that I can't even pick up food." The last sentence was a joke.
What about requiring the daughter-in-law to help with getting up and going to bed, serving meals, setting rules, etc.? Their palace has none of these!
It's not like she doesn't have servants to do the job. She only has one daughter-in-law, so how could she be willing to give her up?
Jingle thought that she would have to do some research before Jiuyang got married, and she would not marry someone who broke many rules and only knew how to torture their daughter-in-law.
Jingle took her hand and said solemnly, "Ayan, you are the mistress of the Zhenbei Palace."
The mistress of the Zhenbei Palace has to do many things, but serving others is definitely not one of them.
Chu Yuanchen gave her a look that meant: See, my mother doesn't want you to serve her.
He smiled and pulled her to sit down.
All the people in Zhenbei Palace were military men, and there was no rule of "no talking while eating, no talking while sleeping". She ate happily. Jingle knew her preferences, so she asked the kitchen to prepare a few of her favorite dishes. After the meal, she heard that they were going out hunting, so she thought about making a few more riding suits for Sheng Xiyan and Jiaoyang.
"A girl shouldn't have just one set of clothes." Jingle's matter-of-fact attitude was exactly the same as Chu Yuanchen's.
Even if it's too late this time, it's the same to wear it next time.
After returning home, it meant that all the wedding ceremonies were over. From then on, Sheng Xiyan was the wife of the Chu family, and the two families could interact and visit each other normally.
Jingle also handed over all the royal palace's rewards and counter-cards to Sheng Xiyan.
Sheng Xiyan: “…”
Jingle said with a smile, "I finally waited for my daughter-in-law to come home."
It's obvious that he has been thinking about being a hands-off manager for many years.
All the servants in the mansion had already come to kowtow to the princess, so Sheng Xiyan specifically asked Nanny Lan to call all the maids in charge over and recognize them one by one again.
The palace had strict rules and regulations. After several cleanouts, Jingle had already made the palace like an iron barrel. Anyone who could still stay was loyal and had no bad intentions. Therefore, Sheng Xiyan did not need to deal with the cunning and cunning of her subordinates. There were already rules and regulations in place, so there was no need for her to "make three moves". She quickly got the hang of it and showed off to Chu Yuanchen for a long time after returning.
She spoke softly and delicately, with a charming look on her face, and held his arm with a bit of coquettishness, which made Chu Yuanchen's heart tingle. He could smell the fragrance coming from her body lingering around his nose, and Chu Yuanchen couldn't help but bend down and move closer, wanting to smell more.
The warm lips pressed against hers, prying her lips open and carefully exploring her fragrance.
When Sheng Xiyan was kissed until she was dizzy and turned around, she heard him mutter regretfully in her ear: "The army will be here tomorrow."
I have to leave Beijing with Xiao Shuo early in the morning.
We can’t sleep together anymore…
It was no secret that the 30,000 Zhenbei troops had entered the capital, and it could not be hidden from anyone, especially Zheng Chongming, the governor of the Beijing camp.
After suffering a great loss, Zheng Zhongming had sent people to almost all the guard posts and provincial capitals over the past half month to keep an eye on the movements of the Zhenbei Army. He also knew that they had arrived in the capital before the people in the court. During this period of time, Zheng Zhongming actually thought about it several times over whether to mobilize the imperial guards to intercept and kill the Zhenbei Army. After much thought, he felt that the risk was too high.
Especially since Chu Yuanchen is a cunning person, who knows what kind of trap he will set for him.
"Father," Zheng Xintong said, "Once these 30,000 Zhenbei King's troops arrive in the capital, the Zhenbei King and his men will have someone to use. What should we do?"
The Zheng family's advantage lies in its imperial guards.
The reason is that Zheng Zhongming holds the military power in the capital, but once the Zhenbei Army is in the capital, this advantage will not be so obvious.
Even though the imperial guards had 580,000 soldiers, in the eyes of others, they seemed to be equal to the mere 30,000 Zhenbei troops.
There are only 200,000 Zhenbei troops in the northern border, and after years of war, I'm afraid that nearly half of them have been killed, and the rest are mostly old, weak and disabled. The emperor has taken control of the military power over the years, and all the guards in various places have been taken over by him, but he is jealous of this Zhenbei army.
Zheng Xintong also asked this question before, and Zheng Zhongming only said that fighting a war is not as simple as comparing numbers to numbers.
And now, the same thing happened. After careful consideration, Zheng Zhongming cautiously gave up the ambush.
Zheng Xintong didn't quite understand, but she didn't question Zheng Zhongming's decision. She just said, "Dad, the wife of the Earl of Wu'an was stripped of her imperial title and sent to Baiyun Temple."
Zheng Zhongming was slightly surprised, and recalled Fu Junqing's defection on the battlefield that day, and was slightly thoughtful.
The Fu family does have useful people, but Fu Junqing can betray us once, and he can betray us a second time. It is really not safe to use such a person.
Zheng Zhongming thought: "Since the King of Zhenbei wants to seize this position, he will no longer be as low-key as before, and he will definitely do something."
Chu Yuanchen must have wanted to use the Fu family before he took the initiative to cut off this burden for the Fu family.
No matter what the Zhenbei Palace was planning in secret, it always kept a low profile on the surface, making it difficult for anyone to find out what was going on, and only struck a thundering blow at the critical moment.
But now, if he wants that position, it is impossible to do so by doing bad things in private.
And once he moves, it means that there will be damage.
He remained silent for a long time, and Zheng Xintong did not interrupt him.
"Master," the attendant knocked on the study door and said, "The King of Zhenbei has left the capital."
Zheng Zhongming nodded slightly and was about to send him out when his long-servant followed and said, "Superintendent Xiao will also go with us."
"What?!"
Zheng Zhongming stood up in shock, his face full of disbelief.
It was natural for Chu Yuanchen to go to support the army, but why did he let Xiao Shuo go with him?
This reception of the army was definitely more than just a reception, but rather a declaration to introduce Xiao Shuo to the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army.
If the two of them were only cooperating for the sake of interests, Chu Yuanchen would never have let him go with him.
If there is no certain level of mutual trust, this will never be done.
so……
"Tong'er," Zheng Zhongming said, "our guess all along should be true."
"Xiao Shuo should be the Prince of Lingnan back then."
Zheng Zhongming sighed and said, "Xiao Shuo is really cunning, he is both real and fake, and he is both true and false."
Back then, he was deceived into leaving the capital by the news that "Xiao Shuo is the prince of Lingnan". He went to Lingnan in person, spent half a year, but gained nothing.
It was not until he returned to Beijing that he discovered that there was an enormous difference between his status and Xiao Shuo's, and realized that he had been fooled by Xiao Shuo.
Even though he knew he was being fooled, Zheng Zhongming could have easily produced some evidence that sounded true or false to prove Xiao Shuo guilty.
Especially since Princess Lingnan's mother was still in the capital, he thought it would not be difficult to coax an old lady out of her words.
Zheng Zhongming even thought about dragging King Zhao into the water.
However, the emperor suddenly suffered a stroke.
Regardless of whether the stroke was real or fake, the inner palace was already under the control of Xiao Shuo. Whether he wanted to meet with the emperor alone or ask for an imperial edict, it was not easy.
Especially the matter of King Zhao made him confirm this point.
Prince Zhao was defeated too quickly, which meant that even the Queen Mother was surrounded by Xiao Shuo's spies, not to mention the Emperor who was now unable to walk.
His original plan had to be put on hold.
Until now...
Could it be that this wasn't just a trick used by Xiao Shuo to lure him away, but was real? !
Zheng Zhongming twirled his jade finger with a gloomy look in his eyes. If this was really the case, then Xiao Shuo was too scary.
Be cruel to others.
Even harder on himself.
He even exploited his own weaknesses without batting an eyelid, without considering the consequences at all. This was like using himself as a chess piece.
Zheng Xintong blurted out in surprise: "Prince of Lingnan?!"
Zheng Zhongming nodded and said, "The prince of Lingnan, Xue Yao."
"The three princes were like brothers back then."
"Unless Xiao Shuo is Xue Yao, it is hard to explain why Chu Yuanchen would be completely defenseless against him."
Zheng Zhongming suddenly wanted to laugh out loud. Has the emperor ever thought that the person he trusted so much wanted to be buried with him and the dynasty?
"Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen are by no means simply partners."
Zheng Zhongming made a decisive statement.
He was almost 90% sure that Xiao Shuo was Xue Yao.
"We can't wait any longer."
Zheng Zhongming originally relied on the fact that Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen formed an alliance for the sake of interests. Such an alliance was not reliable because they would also tear each other apart for the sake of interests.
If they were out for revenge, and had been working together from the beginning, one in the open and one in the dark, until now, then there was no way they would break up before achieving their goal.
If he continues to wait, the situation will only become increasingly unfavorable to him!
Zheng Xintong had already felt that he could take action. His father had the imperial guards at his disposal, so there was nothing to worry about. He would have a chance even if he forced the emperor to abdicate. Why would he be afraid of a eunuch?
So what if there are 30,000 more Zhenbei King's troops now? !
Zheng Zhongming pondered for a moment, then he stood up and walked to the wall, unfolded the huge map hanging on the wall, and his eyes fell on Minzhou.
Two days ago, the person he secretly sent to Minzhou came back and brought news from Minzhou...
Zheng Zhongming asked his attendant to come in again and asked, "Where is the Zhenbei Army now?"
"It's less than a hundred miles away from the capital." The attendant reported, "The King of Zhenbei and Governor Xiao have already left the city together. The King of Zhenbei brought about a hundred guards with him. They left the capital from the East Gate..."
The long-time attendant reported everything in detail.
He reported the news in great detail. Not only Zheng Zhongming, but many people in the capital were watching Chu Yuanchen's movements. The taverns and teahouses around the city gate were already full of people. They also witnessed Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen leaving the capital together. It didn't take long for this incident to spread among the dignitaries in the capital. After hearing the news, everyone was shocked and couldn't believe it.
Some people even remembered that Xiao Shuo also went with the King of Zhenbei on the day of his wedding.
Could it be that Xiao Shuo wants to support the King of Zhenbei? !
They originally thought that Xiao Shuo would pick a child from the royal family to continue to hold power, but they didn't expect that he would actually choose Chu Yuanchen? !
Doesn't that mean a change of dynasty?
Everyone talks about Xiao Shuo in a very reserved manner.
As a result, there were more people in the restaurants and teahouses at the east gate of the capital, and all the court officials, nobles and royal family members came in person. When they met each other, they were not embarrassed and just looked at each other.
It was almost dusk before Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo returned together. They rode side by side. Behind them, in addition to the guards of the Zhenbei Palace who were taken out early in the morning, there were three unfamiliar faces. They looked young, all dressed in light armor, full of heroic spirit, and a little dusty. They were obviously the generals of the Zhenbei Army who led the 30,000-strong army.
Chu Yuanchen was so sharp that he noticed the countless gazes cast on him as soon as he entered the city.
He raised his eyebrows, glanced at Xiao Shuo, and blinked quickly, meaning: We all come to see you.
Xiao Shuo smiled slightly, and his eyes glanced around casually.
There were chaotic noises coming from both sides of the street, as if tables and chairs were hit, or people fell down, and more than a dozen heads quickly retreated from the windows.
Everything suddenly became eerily quiet.
Chu Yuanchen laughed unabashedly, leaned closer to him, and said in a low voice: "Are you bringing a scourge?"
Xiao Shuo smiled but said nothing.
The three young generals following behind them exchanged glances.
They couldn't help but think of the time when they met the prince just now. The prince formally introduced the three of them to this Governor Xiao and said, "You can trust him as you trust me."
They didn't care who Governor Xiao was. Since the prince said so, they naturally believed it.
Moreover, they could understand more clearly the other hidden meaning in the prince's words.
Now it seems that the relationship between the prince and Governor Xiao is better than they imagined.
"Let's go back to the palace first. I'll welcome you guys tonight." Chu Yuanchen whipped his horse whip in the air, "We'll go back to the barracks tomorrow."
In addition to hosting a few welcoming parties for them, Chu Yuanchen also did not forget the 30,000 soldiers who had just arrived in the capital. He had already prepared a welcoming banquet for them in the barracks and even made an exception to allow them to drink today.
The group went straight to the Zhenbei Palace.
Xiao Shuo heard him muttering in his ear: "Today's welcoming banquet was specially prepared by Ah Yan. Are you really not coming? If you don't come, you will regret it, you will definitely regret it."
Xiao Shuo: “…”
Xiao Shuo had been nagging him all the way, and it was really giving him a headache, so he finally compromised.
The welcoming banquet was in the outer courtyard, and the lady-in-waiting would not come. Chu Yuanchen also guaranteed that Jingle would not show up either.
As soon as Xiao Shuo loosened his grip, Chu Yuanchen was satisfied. He kicked the horse's belly and ran forward first.
In front of the King of Zhenbei, a group of people have been waiting for a while.
Sheng Xiyan sent people to wait near Shili Pavilion early in the morning. When they saw them coming back, they went back to the palace to report the news and went out to greet them.
Hearing the sound of horse hooves in the distance, Sheng Xiyan smiled and said to Cheng Chuyu, "They are back."
Cheng Chuyu originally came here to visit Han Qianzhi today. When he heard that some soldiers from the Northern Frontier Army were coming, he pushed Han Qianzhi out with him to wait.
"Ayan!"
Seeing Sheng Xiyan, Chu Wuchen's eyes lit up, he dismounted and asked, "Ayan, why did you come out? Are you cold?"
His eyes were filled with Sheng Xiyan, and he didn't notice anyone else at all.
Sheng Xiyan pushed him and said nonchalantly, "You guys are back." Then she "excessively" threw him away and bowed to Xiao Shuo, "Big Brother."
Except for Han Qianzhi and Cheng Chuyu, Ji Mingyang and others who had returned to Beijing with Chu Yuanchen before are now here.
They were all members of the Northern Frontier Army, so naturally they knew each other as well as could be. After the three young generals solemnly greeted Sheng Xiyan, they greeted each other and teased Han Qianzhi about why he was sitting in a wheelchair after returning to the capital, and so on.
They didn't know how serious Han Qianzhi's injuries were, and just thought he had broken his leg. They surrounded him and laughed, saying that his martial arts skills were not advanced enough and he needed to practice more.
Han Qianzhi was not at all annoyed and said, "My martial arts skills are not advanced? I can beat all three of you by myself!"
Then, I was punched three times on the shoulder.
"Zhou Jianli, it's you."
As soon as Cheng Chuyu spoke, one of the young generals looked over, his eyes lit up and he said, "Cheng Chuyu!"
"Why are you here too?" He looked at her, then at Han Qianzhi, and said meaningfully: "Could it be..."
Before he could finish, Han Qianzhi picked up a copper plate and threw it at his forehead.
He covered his forehead with his hands in pain: "I was wrong..."
He forgot that this is the capital city and jokes are not allowed.
Cheng Chuyu didn't mind at all. When he saw him being beaten, he leaned on Sheng Xiyan's arm and laughed happily.
Sheng Xiyan took the initiative to say: "Go in first and then..."
Just as he was about to let them in first, he suddenly heard a voice of "Excuse me!", and a carriage stopped on the other side of the street, and a slightly plump figure ran out of the carriage.
The smile on Han Qianzhi's face disappeared, and he called out faintly, "Second Uncle."
Marquis Jingyuan bowed to Chu Yuanchen, called him "Prince", and said, "Hey, Prince, my mother is seriously ill and wants to see Qianzhi. I am here to take Qianzhi back."
Without waiting for Chu Yuanchen to agree or refuse, he hurriedly said to Han Qianzhi: "Qianzhi, after your grandmother knew that you were disabled, she thought about you day and night and became sick. Don't be willful and go back with your second uncle as soon as possible."
Marquis Jingyuan raised his sleeves and brushed his face with a sad look on his face, looking very sad.
Now Han Qianzhi was hiding in the Zhenbei Palace, and Marquis Jingyuan had no way to intervene, and he couldn't even see him. But he felt uneasy as long as the issue of the title was not settled.
Han Qianzhi has already been deposed. He is a useless person, but he still occupies the title and refuses to give it up. He doesn't even think about it. How can a useless person in this world be allowed to take the title? !
I have worked so hard for the Marquis' Mansion for so many years, and my son has been implicated by Han Qianzhi and has not been released until now. This title should be given to their family as compensation.