"Brother-in-law, I want to go to the actual combat training with Brother Tang and the others. Don't worry, I will definitely perform well!"

He said this righteously, wishing to show Gu Jue his determination from the bottom of his heart. He had been thinking about going to the battlefield for a long time, and participating in this kind of actual combat training was the first step to join the army.

Chu Qianchen was there too, holding her shiny black cat and combing its hair carefully. She suspected that Chu Yunyi, who was blind, might not have seen her at all at the moment.

Gu Jue held a half-finished seal in one hand and a carving knife in the other. He blew gently on the seal with his thin lips to remove the debris, then twisted the seal between his fingers and asked nonchalantly, "Have you thought it through?"

Chu Qianchen kindly reminded him, "Brother Yi, I heard that the Imperial Guards' military exercises are not held every year. If you miss this one, the next one might be three years later." This silly boy was too impulsive, and she was afraid that he was just being impulsive again.

Chu Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then he looked at Chu Qianchen suddenly, his eyes seemed to say, Sister, you are here too.

He was just stunned for a moment, then he immediately stretched out three fingers, pointed to the sky, the earth, and his heart, and swore to Gu Jue: "Brother-in-law, I really want to go!"

He was so anxious that he almost issued a military order on the spot.

Chu Yunyi wanted to achieve great things and let the world know that he did not need to rely on the favor of his ancestors. He wanted to earn glory with his own abilities like Gu Jue and others. So of course he had to go to the battlefield to earn military merits.

The Imperial Guards' drills are just for the Emperor to admire. What's the point of just putting on a show? Chu Qianchen: "..."

Chu Qianchen continued to serve her cat, curling her lips speechlessly.

Chu Yunyi has been a weird kid since he was little, but the way he is being shameless right now is somewhat similar to Chu Yunmu. It shows that people tend to be influenced by the company they keep.

So, is this a case of "birds of a feather flock together" or "birds of a feather flock together"?

Chu Qianchen glanced at Gu Jue silently. Gu Jue noticed her gaze and looked at her as well. His originally cold face curved slightly at the moment their eyes met. The golden sunlight coated his whole body with a layer of gold powder, which was stunningly bright.

Chu Qianchen was stunned for a moment, his heartbeat suddenly quickened by two beats, and then he heard Chu Yunyi yelling with a smug look on his face: "Brother-in-law~"

His voice was full of twists and turns, and the ending tone even formed a wavy arc, as if a bucket of cold water was poured on Chu Qianchen's head. She almost got goose bumps.

Gu Jue originally intended to let Chu Yunyi participate in this actual combat training, but gave up because he heard Chu Qianchen mention that Chu Yunyi wanted to participate in the imperial army's military exercise in the spring.

Now that Chu Yunyi had come to him to ask for help, Gu Jue agreed: "I'll write a letter, and you can take it to Tang Yuchu."

"Thank you, brother-in-law!" Chu Yunyi laughed so hard that his teeth were showing and his eyes were not. He was extremely flattering. His overjoyed little look was 70% similar to Chu Yunmu.

Chu Yunyi was anxious, so he personally served Gu Jue with writing brushes and ink, and spread out paper and ground ink.

After Gu Jue finished writing the letter in a few strokes, Chu Yunyi couldn't wait to read it twice more and happily blew the ink dry.

Chu Qianchen saw this and thought to himself: This little brat is still not calm enough! Chu Yunyi folded Gu Jue's handwritten letter and put it in an envelope. He then arched his hands and said goodbye eagerly: "Brother-in-law, sister, I'll leave first."

Even if Chu Qianchen disliked the little brat in his heart, he was still his own brother, so he gave him an extra warning: "When you go out with the army, you must obey the orders of your superiors and cannot act arbitrarily. Remember, military orders are as heavy as a mountain."

At this moment, Chu Qianchen's eyes flashed with a sharp edge, which made Chu Yunyi's heart tremble. That was the look he had seen in the eyes of some soldiers when he was training in the Xuanjia Camp, but all of these people had fought in the bloody battlefield and walked out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Chu Yunyi didn't dare to be awkward or talk nonsense, and replied politely: "I don't need to!"

He has been in the Xuanjia Camp for so long, he still knows what it means that military orders are as heavy as mountains.

He won't embarrass his sister and brother-in-law!

Chu Qianchen restrained his edge, smiled, and said, "I will go to talk to mother in person, so you don't have to go back. As for the Imperial College, please take sick leave first."

Nothing is trivial in the military. Although it was just a small-scale actual combat exercise, the march was confidential, so even family members could not tell.

Chu Yunyi agreed obediently again.

As long as he could follow Tang Yuchu and the others to this actual combat training, let alone such a small matter, even if his sister asked him to practice martial arts with that little brat Chu Yunmu after he came back, he would agree.

He should just take it as a training of his mind!

Chu Yunyi floated away happily. He came with trepidation and left with satisfaction. He felt that life couldn't be more perfect! When only Chu Qianchen and Gu Jue were left in the room, Gu Jue picked up the carving knife again and said with a smile: "If jade is not carved, it will not be made into a useful object. Brother Yi is a good boy."

"Although he is young, he already knows how to make choices and knows what he wants."

Many people, when they are twelve years old, only know how to live under the protection of their parents, spend their days in idleness, not knowing their goals or where their future will go.

Even so, they still think they are the best in the world.

Chu Qianchen said "hmm".

The fact that this kid received the prince's praise meant that the decision to send him to the Xuanjia Camp was the right one.

Chu Qianchen stopped combing his hair and suggested excitedly, "Your Majesty, do you want to give him more practice?"

Jingfeng, who had just sent Chu Yunyi away, came into the room at this moment and heard these words. He couldn't help but shed tears of sympathy for the prince's brother-in-law. The princess really spared no effort in tricking her brother.

Jing Feng walked towards Chu Qianchen and presented her with a paperweight the size of a baby's fist: "Princess, this is a gift from Master Chu. He left in a hurry just now and forgot to give it to you, so he asked me to pass it on."

Chu Qianchen took the small black jade paperweight and played with it happily.

This black jade paperweight is carved into the shape of a cat with its butt raised and stretching. The shape is quite childlike, and is both delicate and lively.

Chu Qianchen felt that this brother was quite filial. Knowing that an elder sister is like a mother, he turned to Gu Jue and said affirmatively: "Prince, please give him more practice!"

Jingfeng: “…”

"Meow!"

At this time, the little black cat broke the silence with an unhappy cry, raised its little head, and urged a certain irresponsible two-legged creature to continue combing its hair.

The atmosphere in the study is warm and pleasant.

For Prince Chen's Mansion, this was just an ordinary day.

That night, Chu Yunyi set out with the Xuanjia Camp's 10,000-strong army.

When the Black Armor Army left the Fengtai camp, they did so quietly, without even alerting the Jinyiwei and other people in the capital.

It was a dark and windy night. The wind howled all night long like a howling wild beast, waking many people up in the middle of the night and causing them to sleep uneasily.

For two days in a row, the wind was freezing cold, and even the joy of the upcoming New Year seemed to have been blown away.

On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Imperial College was very lively. Classes were suspended for one day as people from the Ministry of War came to select students to participate in the imperial guards' drills at the beginning of spring.

This matter had long been widely circulated in the Imperial College. Many students of the military department had been preparing for it for almost a month and were eager to try it out. Even the students of the liberal arts department came to watch the fun, wanting to see who would stand out from the crowd today.

The selection was held in the parade ground of the Imperial College. Although the weather was so cold that people were shivering, it could not stop everyone from gossiping, and the seats around the parade ground were packed today.

The selection has not officially started yet, and most people's eyes are on the main stand. In addition to the Chief Academician of the Imperial College and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Kang Hongda is also there.

Kang Hongda's arrival inevitably led to a lot of private discussions. Many people were speculating whether Kang Hongda intended to recruit talents in the Imperial College. After all, military subjects are different from liberal arts subjects. For liberal arts subjects, the imperial examination is the best way to enter the official career. Otherwise, even if the emperor favors them, their official career will be limited.

This is not the case with the military examination. Whether one enters the official career through the military examination or relies on "recommendation", in fact, they are different paths to the same end. Whether one can be granted a title of nobility or a title ultimately depends on a military general's military achievements.

People were talking and speculating, some were already getting excited.

However, Kang Hongda was absent-minded. He looked again and again at the twenty or thirty students who were going to take part in the selection today, and finally became sure that Chu Yunyi was not among them.

"..." Kang Hongda put away the folding fan in his hand. His usual romantic look was gone, and only gloom remained in his expression.

Originally, the Imperial Guards would only select elite troops from the three major camps stationed in the capital, and would never select people from the Imperial College.

This time, it was Kang Hongda who proposed the matter to the emperor. Although the Ministry of War found it troublesome, they would not offend Kang Hongda for such a small matter.

Only Kang Hongda himself knew that he went through all this trouble just to get close to Chu Yunyi in a natural way.

Since returning to Beijing from the winter hunt, Kang Hongda has come to the Imperial College several times in the past month on the pretext of selection matters. He originally wanted to take Chu Yunyi to "practice" in person, but Chu Yunyi, although seemingly cheerful, was not easy to approach. He always kept a distance from him and repeatedly refused his sparring partner.

Kang Hongda even hinted to Chu Yunyi that even if he wanted to join the Imperial Guards, he could make his wish come true. However, Chu Yunyi didn't know whether he was really confused or pretending to be confused, and he didn't respond to his words.

No matter how hard he tried, Chu Yunyi remained indifferent. Instead, it aroused Kang Hongda's competitive spirit. The harder it was to get a person or thing, the more he wanted to get it.

Moreover, Chu Yunyi is not one of his former lovers. He is Gu Jue’s brother-in-law. This identity alone makes this young man unique.

Kang Hongda gripped the handle of the fan tightly, and Chu Yunyi's handsome face with high spirits appeared in his mind.

He had long eyebrows, a straight nose, and a pair of eyes that sparkled like cold stars. When he looked at people, there was an aggressive and heroic look in his eyes, which was very different from his previous little lovers who were obedient to him in everything.

He has a clean temperament, is calm and unrestrained, and has a unique style that those spoiled young men in Beijing do not have.

Just thinking about it, Kang Hongda felt as if a feather was gently scratching his heart, again and again.

Kang Hongda couldn't help swallowing, and his Adam's apple rolled up and down.

He had waited too long and endured too long, and never before had he gone so long without getting the person he wanted.

Kang Hongda raised his hand and made a gesture. His attendant immediately obeyed his orders. Then Kang Hongda said, "Go and see if 'he' has arrived."

Even if Kang Hongda didn't mention Chu Yunyi's name, the long-servant knew who his master was talking about. After all, he had never seen his master care so much about anyone.

The attendant hurriedly retreated.

The left assistant minister of the Ministry of War next to him sensed that Kang Hongda was in a bad mood, but seeing that the time was almost up, he still cleared his throat with a dry cough and asked, "Lord Kang, do you think we can start now?"

Kang Hongda turned a deaf ear to him and glanced eagerly at the bustling stands around him. He said to himself: There is no way Chu Yunyi won't come. He is clearly determined to win today's selection!

Chu Yunyi is essentially a young master who has never experienced any setbacks. Everything has gone smoothly for the past twelve years, so there is a sense of youthful arrogance in his look.

It was precisely because of this that Kang Hongda wanted to use today's selection to teach Chu Yunyi a lesson, to make him fail, and thus to curb his arrogance.

Once a person gets used to standing on a high place, he cannot stand the frustration of falling down. The higher he stands, the more painful it will be when he falls.

A thin-skinned young man like Chu Yunyi would definitely be ashamed to see people because of his failure in the selection, fearing that he would be looked down upon and ridiculed. All he needed to do was to take advantage of the opportunity to approach him and seduce him.

Kang Hongda was confident that he could capture Chu Yunyi, but Chu Yunyi has not shown up yet.

What went wrong here?!

Did he encounter something on the way and was delayed? Kang Hongda frowned, and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War saw that Kang Hongda's expression was not right, and he became more and more unsure.

At this moment, Kang Hongda's attendant came back in a hurry and whispered to Kang Hongda, "Master, Master Chu has not been to the Imperial College since yesterday. He has asked for sick leave."

What?! Chu Yunyi was sick today? Kang Hongda's expression changed slightly again. He felt that something was wrong. It was too coincidental.

Boys of this age would only have minor illnesses like colds and headaches. Even if Chu Yunyi was sick the night before, he had been recovering for a day and two nights. Could it be that the cold had not healed yet? Kang Hongda was filled with anger, unable to move up or down, like a heavy punch that hit soft cotton and had no place to exert force.

The closed folding fan in his hand tapped against his palm intermittently, and he was obviously upset, which made the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War next to him feel even more flustered, wondering if something had happened.

At this moment, Kang Hongda stood up suddenly and said to the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, "Master Zhang, I'll leave this to you. I have something else to do, so I'll leave now."

Minister Zhang thought Kang Hongda had something important to say, so he quickly bowed and said, "Master Kang, please make yourself at your service."

Amid the confused and doubtful gazes of others around him, Kang Hongda left without any reluctance.

Originally, he had organized this selection just for Chu Yunyi. Today, he had put aside his military duties and came here in person for Chu Yunyi. Now that the real master hadn't come yet, he was still staying here, which was simply like being stupid! Kang Hongda left the training ground unhappily. A deafening gong sounded from the back, indicating that this selection had officially begun.

Kang Hongda walked forward with big strides until he reached the gate of the Imperial College. The servant who was watching the horse was surprised that his master had come out of the Imperial College so soon, but he did not dare to ask any more questions and handed the horse to Kang Hongda.

The attendant and the servant also mounted their horses and rode away with Kang Hongda.

They did not go to the government office, nor did they return to Kang Mansion, but went to Yongding Marquis Mansion.

The long-servant knew his master's intention, and cleverly knocked on the door of the mansion for him. He also revealed his identity to the doorman and gave a high-sounding reason:

"Today is the Imperial College selection. My master heard that Master Chu had taken sick leave, so he came to see him."

The doorman looked through the attendant and glanced at Kang Hongda behind him. He did not dare to be disrespectful and immediately sent a maid in blue to the main courtyard to report to Shen.

Even someone as calm as Shen was startled. The half-peeled orange in her hand almost slipped from her hands. She said in a strange tone, "Kang Hongda?"

The old woman in green bowed her head even lower in fear and trepidation, and replied, "It is that Lord Kang."

Shen was stunned. What she was thinking was: What is Kang Hongda doing in the Marquis' Mansion? Shen would never believe that Kang Hongda would come to the Marquis' Mansion just because Chu Yunyi did not participate in the selection of the Imperial College. With Kang Hongda's status, how could he "condescend" like this? !

so--

Shen narrowed her eyes, her eyes were deep, she thought intently, and pursed her lips.

Kang Hongda is the emperor's confidant, second only to the emperor, but most people fear him more than respect him. Shen doesn't have a good impression of this man either. Her first reaction is that Kang Hongda is like a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken, with ulterior motives.

etc!

Shen's heart seemed to be struck by something. A light bulb went off in her head, and she suddenly thought of a possibility. Her pupils shrank sharply.

Even though Shen was not familiar with Kang Hongda, he had heard others talk about him. Certain "rumors" about Kang Hongda had never been an unknown secret in the capital.

Could it be...

Just thinking about it made Shen feel terrified, as if her mind was filled with confusion.

The orange in her hand fell from between her fingers, rolled half a circle, and rolled to the feet of the old woman in green.

The old woman in green didn't dare to move. She glanced at Shen's face quietly, then lowered her head again.

Shen was so distraught that she was completely unaware of this and was still thinking about Kang Hongda.

The morals of the previous dynasty were liberal and dissolute, with male favorites being more popular than female favorites, and the whole country following suit.

In this dynasty, homosexuality is not as prevalent as in previous dynasties, but there are still many noble officials and ministers who have the habit of keeping male favorites and consider it a refined custom.

Kang Hongda was one of them. He had a very high opinion of himself and never concealed his homosexuality. Many people in the court knew that he was a homosexual! !

Kang Hongda came to visit so openly and showed such concern for Chu Yunyi. Could it be that he had set his sights on Chu Yunyi? !

Boom boom boom! Shen's heart was beating wildly, echoing clearly in her ears like a drum, and her face showed a strong disgust that she couldn't hide at all.

Shen calmed herself down, looked up and told the old woman in green, "Go and tell them that the young master has caught a cold and has a high fever. To avoid passing on his illness to others, he cannot see guests for the next few days."

"There are only women and children in our house, and there is no one to entertain guests, so I will disappear, so as not to neglect the distinguished guests."

Since the other party gave a high-sounding explanation, Shen should follow suit and make it impossible for people to find fault with them.

"Yes, Madam." The old woman in green responded politely. She came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

The room fell into silence, with only the rustling sound of the falling door curtain.

Shen sat quietly on the kang, her face as gloomy as water, her half-closed eyes hiding the deep sorrow in her eyes.

Nanny Chen saw that Shen's face was not right and felt uneasy. She asked cautiously, "Madam, is there something wrong?"

Nanny Chen and the head maid Dongmei beside her exchanged suspicious looks, and both of them were confused.

Yesterday afternoon, Chu Qianchen went back to the Marquis' Mansion again, this time, for Chu Yunyi.

Chu Qianchen told Shen that Chu Yunyi was going out with the army and his return date was uncertain.

Chu Qianchen did not tell her where Chu Yunyi was going with the army. However, out of trust in her daughter, Shen Shizhi did not ask. She just followed Chu Qianchen's instructions and asked Nanny Chen to go to the Imperial College in person to ask for sick leave for Chu Yunyi.

At that time, the Dean of the Imperial College also greeted Chu Yunyi a few more times, wanting to confirm whether Chu Yunyi had given up on participating in today's Imperial College selection.

There is one position for one person. If Chu Yunyi does not participate, someone else will naturally take his place.

But this is just a small matter, how could it alarm Kang Hongda? !

Nanny Chen thought about it and couldn't help but ask, "Madam, Lord Kang is not worried about the young master not participating in the selection today, right?"

"I think Kang Hongda has set his sights on Brother Yi!" Shen curled her lips into a mocking smile, her eyes cold.

Nanny Chen: “!!!”

Nanny Chen was stunned and her jaw almost dropped.

She had also heard the rumors about Kang Hongda, and her expression suddenly became very strange.

It should be said that Nanny Chen heard much more than Shen. After all, there were some unpleasant words that the ladies were too embarrassed to talk about when they gossiped. In comparison, the servants did not have to worry so much.

There were many brothels in the capital that kept tender-skinned young prostitutes. However, although Kang Hongda would go to these places of entertainment, he never bothered to associate with these young prostitutes who sold their bodies. He only liked the young men from good families.

For example, Meng Mingsi from the Marquis of Jingyong’s Mansion.

Ever since Meng Mingsi hooked up with Kang Hongda, he not only successfully entered the Imperial College, but even the Prince of Jingyong also benefited from it and got a job in Shenshu.

Over the years, the number of young men who had an affair with Kang Hongda could not be counted on one hand, and this was no secret in the capital.

Moreover, it is said that no matter who Kang Hongda takes a fancy to, he or she can escape, either willingly or "forced" to do so.

For example, the sixth son of the imperial merchant Qian family.

Last year, Kang Hongda fell in love with Qian Liugongzi, who was only 14 years old at the time, with red lips and white teeth, and looked about 70% similar to his biological mother who was once a top courtesan. Qian Liugongzi was not interested in male homosexuality, so he rejected Kang Hongda sternly.

The Qian family has been in decline in the past two years, and their reputation as an imperial merchant was in jeopardy. After the Sixth Master Qian rejected Kang Hongda, the Qian family's business became even more difficult. Later, Mr. Qian received "advice" from others.

For the future of the Qian family, Mr. Qian gave the sixth son of the Qian family to Kang Hongda.

It is said that Young Master Qian Liu was carried out of the Kang Mansion and was later sent back to his hometown by the Qian family. The Qian family gained benefits from Kang Hongda and retained the title of imperial merchants.

Nanny Chen frowned worriedly and looked through the window towards the door outside.

Given Kang Hongda's personality, he probably won't give up so easily.

At this time, Kang Hongda, who was outside the Marquis' Mansion, also received a report from the old woman in green.

Kang Hongda: “…”

Kang Hongda's handsome face was as gloomy as water, and his thin lips were tightly pursed.

Since the emperor ascended the throne, he sat on the position of governor of the Beijing camp. Everyone in the capital respected him, Kang Hongda. He had never been rejected like this before!

The Chu family is really ignorant! !

Kang Hongda's face became even gloomier, and his eyes were like an icy pond.

The long-servant shuddered involuntarily and wanted to ask Kang Hongda whether he should ask the doorman to pass the message again, but he saw Kang Hongda suddenly flicked his sleeves and pulled the reins to turn the horse's head.

Kang Hongda wanted to leave, but after the horse took a few steps, a carriage drove towards the Marquis' Mansion and stopped only a horse's length away from Kang Hongda.

Then, the second master Chu Lingyu jumped down from the carriage in a panic, walked forward, raised his head and bowed to Kang Hongda, and said with a cordial smile: "Master Kang!"

His smile was extremely flattering, and his eyes narrowed into two lines.

Emmm, the pace has slowed down again accidentally. I have written too many love scenes recently, and there is indeed a lot of foreshadowing in these few chapters... I will speed up tomorrow! !

Qian Chen was so cute that I couldn't help myself.

Love you.

(I reviewed the previous chapters today, but I don’t have time to divide them into chapters… I seem to be unable to do it every time I say I want to divide them into chapters. I’m sad.) 　　 　 (End of this chapter)