The East Palace refers to the place located in the east of the palace where the prince lives. It is not only the residence of the prince, but also a symbol of political power. The prince has a high status and is the crown prince. Therefore, from what Zhang Ling saw and heard, the description of the East Palace can be summarized as: high status, dignity, and concentrated power. There are countless maids and servants, and I heard that the emperor, in order to prevent internal strife in the royal family, the prince received education from an early age in the art of emperors and trade-offs. As Zhang Ling saw with his own eyes, he had a grand mind and was considerate in dealing with others. The emperor even started to help the prince when he started to There was no obstruction in the formation of the faction, and he was obviously the best candidate for the throne. The eldest prince Chen Yinhao was sent to the frontier at the age of seven, where he was taught the art of war by General Zhang Mingze himself, and practiced martial arts step by step, so Chen Yinhao was always on the side of the throne. The general admires him deeply. He has been on the border for many years. He only wants to protect the vast territory and has no intention of taking the throne. As time goes by, the people in the court who originally sided with the prince quietly changed their tune. It is inevitable that the two princes had a rift in their hearts. The prince often appeared. He visited the palace and recalled the eldest prince from time to time on important festivals. Even if it was just a superficial effort, it made the two of them less suspicious. As for the fourth prince, Chen Zuliang, they ignored him and allowed him to be a free prince and a dandy in the capital.
When they arrived at a pavilion, the prince invited the two of them to sit together. Song Linjie was still looking around and said: "It's really extravagant. If you just tear down a palace and buy it, it would probably be worth the mansion of Captain Yu. "
Zhang Ling coughed twice to calm him down a bit, then sat down on his own.
The prince said with a smile on his face: "As I said before, if Brother Song is willing to join me, you can take whatever you want in the East Palace."
Zhang Ling felt a little unhappy when he heard that he was so blatantly trying to steal someone's friend. If I get into trouble in the future, who will I fight with?
Before Zhang Ling could make an excuse, Song Linjie said arrogantly: "I also said that you are not worthy."
The prince just took a cup of tea and spat it out before he drank it. He said awkwardly: "Brother Song is really straightforward, but even if you don't want to surrender, why don't you and I make friends?"
Song Linjie didn't know where he had learned his good temper. He clasped his fingers and said, "The prince's friends are so cheap? Can't you express your gratitude?"
At this moment, Zhang Ling couldn't help it any longer. He raised his leg and kicked him. However, with Song Linjie's skill, he could easily avoid it, but he didn't want to avoid him at all. Zhang Ling kicked him in the calf. , as hard as iron plate. Seeing that he was no longer his opponent, Zhang Ling stopped taking action and thought to himself: Why is this kid so crazy today?
Zhang Ling also calmed down the atmosphere and said, "I wonder why His Highness the Crown Prince came to us? It can't really be just for tea, right?"
Chen Jinyu took a sip of tea. It was Jintao tea produced in Jinluo Prefecture. It was light green in color and had a fresh taste. He raised his hand and asked the two people in front of him to drink together. As soon as Zhang Ling brought the tea to his mouth, he saw Song Linjie again. If you want to be rude, just pour the tea into his mouth and ask with a smile, "How do you like this tea?"
Prince Chen Jinyu was also afraid that this person would disturb the atmosphere, so he took the initiative to speak and laughed loudly: "You two are really interesting! I have also entertained some other academy disciples before, but they either didn't come or left after just one meal. They really have their own differences. Each character.”
Zhang Ling suddenly said seriously: "Your Highness, you should tell us your purpose directly!"
Chen Jinyu also softened his smile and said calmly: "Among all the disciples in the academy, I actually think that Brother Zhang is the most special one. On the surface, he is as bohemian as everyone else and does not like partisanship. In fact, he is introverted. I can't say that. When are you being sincere and when are you being fake? You have a heart for the city, no less than the officials of the imperial court, and most importantly, you have a long-term vision, unlike most officials who only stick to the immediate benefits."
Zhang Ling sneered: "You think you know me very well?"
Chen Jinyu said: "I just say this because I don't understand it. It's also because I don't understand it that I want to know more about it."
Zhang Ling spread his hands and said, "I don't want to get to know you royal disciples more, because I might die that day without knowing why."
Chen Jinyu stood up and offered tea: "If we don't have a close friendship, we can just be ordinary friends!"
Zhang Ling also stood up, but waved his hand: "It's better to be fair-weather friends. If you have a banquet, you can join us, and if you have something to do, don't talk about it."
Zhang Ling turned around to leave when he saw an eunuch with an old face and a more feminine air coming. He stopped in the pavilion, lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty wants to see Young Master Zhang."
The four of them looked at each other. Zhang Ling was not surprised why the emperor wanted to see him. After all, what was there? He had not seen him for several months since he came to Jinyu City. There must be something going on now. On the contrary, the prince was very surprised. At the time, the academy selection At the end of the story, I heard that His Majesty had met Zhang Ling in private. I didn’t take it seriously at first, but now it seems that it shouldn’t be a simple matter. The descendant of the Sword King with amazing talent and the Mohist giant who is proficient in strange and cunning skills. The two people were not welcome, but they met this unknown disciple. It was really thought-provoking. Apart from his connection with Yaowang Valley, what was so special about him?
Chen Jinyu stepped forward and asked: "Eunuch Zhao, I wonder why my father saw Zhang Ling?"
Zhao Weizhong shook his head and said: "Our family doesn't know, and His Highness doesn't want to inquire. When His Majesty comes, he also asked our family to bring a message to His Highness. No matter who it is, just do your own thing well. Don't do anything wrong." Don’t think that you can do quick things just because you are capable.”
Chen Jinyu cupped his hands and said, "Please, father-in-law, please report back to Your Majesty. I understand."
When Zhao Weizhong led the two of them away, Chen Jinyu couldn't hold it any longer and said to the people around him: "Go and send someone to check, what details does this Ling have?"
Along the way, Zhang Ling kept expressing his condolences to the old eunuch, without mentioning anything else, and expressed his endless concern: "How are you doing, father-in-law? It's been a long time since I last saw you, and I miss you a lot. I'm busy with things all day long, so it must be very hard to come here."
Zhang Ling cares so much about the old eunuch, naturally it is not because of his true intention. In fact, he is well versed in the way of being an official. It is necessary to do nothing, and the emperor's servants must be ignored. Otherwise, it will be like someone is always blowing the wind on the pillow, how can he sleep peacefully? The old eunuch naturally knew that he was just like those court officials who wanted to please him, not sincerely, but he was still happy from the bottom of his heart. He always wanted to support a young man who liked him. As long as he lived up to his expectations, as for other things, it didn't matter whether he treated him sincerely. care.
Zhao Weizhong smiled slightly and said: "It's all my own job. I don't dare to say it's hard work. It's just that Mr. Zhang needs to study hard in the academy before he can be of great use."
Zhang Ling would also smile to his heart and say, "Thank you so much, father-in-law, for your teaching. I will definitely choose the good and follow it in the future."
Stopping thirty steps away from the emperor's study, a burly man wearing armor and carrying a sword stood in front of the door. He looked coldly at the door and looked like he would not let strangers approach him. He moved when he saw the old eunuch leading someone. body.
