as expected. Emperor Zhengzheng saw that the Crown Prince and His Highness the Third Highness had a good attitude in admitting their mistakes, so he only scolded them a few words and nothing else.
Thinking of the Seventh Prince who was imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum, Jiang Xiangguang sneered.
The farce at the city gate seems to have been resolved in this way.
As for the candidate to replace Guan Du, there was endless debate in the palace. The Lu family's army has 300,000 elite soldiers and generals. Who wouldn't want to take over? But he didn't want to be too obvious. He proposed several candidates, but even Emperor Zheng was not satisfied.
I couldn't decide at the moment. This matter will be left for later discussion.
In Jinhua Palace, Concubine Liu Guifei was staring at the secret letter in her hand.
In the letter, Zhao Guangyuan talked about how many people had taken care of him during the Thirteenth Year. He also said that Hangu Pass was the work of his grandfather for generations, and he could not watch his grandfather's hard work be destroyed in one day.
He could not trust anyone else, but Shisan had a pure heart, and he was willing to entrust Hangu Pass to Shisan.
"Concubine, concubine, my sons and ministers are here to see you."
His Royal Highness Thirteen arrived before anyone else arrived. Concubine Liu quickly folded the letter, put it in her arms, and looked at the palace door with a smile.
"Didn't you say that you were summoned by your father to the Zhengyang Palace to discuss matters, and you came back so soon?" Concubine Liu touched his forehead and looked at him with a doting look on her face.
"Mother, concubine," Zhao Guangxun got tired of his mother and concubine for a while, then he lay down on the imperial concubine's couch in Jinhua Palace.
He picked up a piece of fruit and put it in his mouth, "Of course I came to look for my mother and concubine after it was over. My father was very angry today, and I was scared to death."
Concubine Liu Guifei had heard a lot of rumors from outside in the past two days and knew it well, "Then how did your father deal with it?"
Zhao Guangxun told Concubine Liu Guifei the result.
"You mean, your father hasn't decided on the candidates to go to Hangu Pass yet?"
Zhao Guangxun's mouth was full and he nodded: "No, the ministers proposed several candidates, but my father was not satisfied. The prince and the third brother also recommended several people, and said that they would not avoid relatives in the recommendation. Huh, that's a test. Du and Zhao Yan were recommended by them, and they still recommend them! Tsk tsk, I’m not afraid of my father getting angry.”
Concubine Liu's eyes flashed, "Then you are not going to recommend one or two candidates to your father? Are you not going to share your father's worries?"
"Why don't I want to. But I don't recommend it."
"Why?" "Why?"
Why did the two sentences sound at the same time? When Zhao Guangxun saw the person coming, he hurriedly sat up from the couch. Seeing that his mother and concubine had already greeted him, he also hurried over, "Father."
Emperor Zhizheng patted him on the head and said, "Come, tell me why you don't want to recommend me to my father."
Concubine Liu smiled and helped Emperor Zheng sit down on the chair, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, please don't embarrass him. He hasn't grown up at all, how can he understand this. He just said that he wanted to share the worries of his father. I’m still thinking about eating in my heart.”
He laughed a few times under the veil and said, "You see, he just came here and ate all the fruits here."
Emperor Zhizheng followed her gaze and laughed, "Thirteen likes to eat grapes. I still have some here. I'll send them to Thirteen later."
Seeing Zhao Guangxun's proud expression towards Concubine Liu, Emperor Zhengzheng's gloomy mood all morning improved a lot.
She waved him forward and said, "Tell me, Father, why you don't want to recommend candidates? Father may want the candidates recommended by our Thirteenth."
Concubine Liu's eyes flickered again.
Zhao Guangxun squatted next to Emperor Zhizheng and beat his legs, "I don't know many people. My mother and concubine's clan are all civil servants, so there is no one to recommend. And I listen to my father, who is wise and martial." , I have a gap in my chest, so there’s no need for me to talk too much. Right?"
Emperor Zhizheng was so pleased with the praise that he laughed loudly and said to Concubine Liu: "You raised little Thirteen well. Thirteen is doing well like this."
Concubine Liu also smiled when she saw the deep love between father and son in front of her.
Soon, Zhao Guangyuan in the imperial palace knew the candidate to replace Guan Du.
"I heard it was a man named Fang Sheng." Cao Cuo told Zhao Guangyuan the information he had learned.
"The servant didn't use the hidden secrets in the palace. He stayed outside the palace and pretended to meet a palace official from Jinhua Palace who came out to make a purchase. Then he handed the letter in."
It cost him a bag of tribute pearls, and the pain in his flesh made him tremble.
"You did a good job. If you use the palace's secret line, it will make Concubine Liu afraid."
"Yes, this is what I thought of, so I didn't use the hidden secrets in the palace." He thought of Fang Sheng again, "This Fang Sheng doesn't seem to belong to Concubine Liu."
Zhao Guangyuan smiled and said, "I know Fang Sheng. His sister-in-law's mother-in-law is from the Liu family."
Cao Cuo's mouth opened wide. As expected of his Highness, he knew about such a complicated relationship.
Zhao Guangyuan smiled and said nothing, without explaining.
Fang Sheng had to rely on his maternal grandfather's guidance in his early years. When he led the army in battle, he was almost wiped out. It was his fourth uncle who led the army to rescue him, otherwise he would have been a pile of loess.
"Where's Peng Zhan?"
"The Ministry of War called him for questioning, detained him for two days, and then released him. Before leaving, they also gave him some money for travel expenses. Before leaving, he met the old slave quietly and said that he did not dare to delay for a moment. He was in a hurry. As he was about to return to Hangu Pass, he did not come to say goodbye to Your Highness. He said that he would remember Your Highness's great kindness and would go through fire and water for Your Highness in the future."
Zhao Guangyuan sighed with emotion, "The Sun family are all people who know how to repay kindness."
If there is anyone else who can inherit his grandfather's legacy and defend Hangu Pass to the death to prevent foreigners from setting foot on the mountains and rivers of Daqi, it is only Sun Lu.
"I'll write another secret letter and you can personally deliver it to the Jiang family for me."
"Jiang family?"
"Yes." Zhao Cao came closer and warned him in a low voice, "Be sure to explain the key to Jiang Wei and Jiang Huan. If they don't agree... don't force it."
"Yes. The old slave has taken note of it."
When Jiang Wei saw that His Highness Seventh Prince had sent someone, he politely took Cao Cuo down to settle down, and then he and his sons were locked in the study room to discuss matters.
"Dad, I want to go!"
Jiang Huan jumped up excitedly. He originally wanted to join the army. I have practiced martial arts since I was a child, just looking forward to serving in the army, killing more thieves and enemies, and making achievements.
Unexpectedly, when my sister's accident happened, my dream was shattered.
Jiang Wei didn't know his son's wish to be young, "But now I want you to remain anonymous, start from a young soldier, or go to a place like Hangu Pass. There are many dangers in this, I'm afraid you don't know."
Although the family is now a common people, he also dreams of regaining his family's glory one day. But sending your son to the battlefield to gain fame...
What parent can watch his son risk his life on the battlefield and be in fear every day?
Although my life is worse now, my life is still there.
"Father, let me go. I want to make great achievements, and I want to vindicate my sister and brother-in-law and avenge them!"
Jiang Wei's eyes were moist after hearing this, but he couldn't make up his mind for the moment.
Jiang Qi looked at his father, who was much older, and his younger brother, who was full of revenge, and tried to persuade him: "Father, let the sixth brother go. Moreover, this is the arrangement of His Highness the Seventh Highness, and we cannot refuse. Besides, our family is not ready for this early. Did you say you would follow His Highness the Seventh Prince?"
(End of chapter)
