Since the beginning of this year, the eighth prince's palace has been undergoing renovations and decorations. After several months of repairs, his mansion was finally restored.
Of course, His Highness the Prince arranged for people to help him repair the Eighth Prince's residence, and the decoration was very elegant.
After the palace was built, the eighth prince moved out of Xingdeok Palace. After all, it was not convenient to live in the palace.
Zhao Yao was very envious and wanted to move out of the palace, but unfortunately he was too young. However, he could stay at the eighth prince's mansion from time to time.
There is a special courtyard for Zhao Yao in the eighth prince's mansion, and it is very luxuriously decorated, even more luxurious than the eighth prince's own courtyard. If he hadn't known that the Eighth Prince was busy sometimes, Zhao Yao would have wished to live in his mansion every day.
In a while, the eighth prince will soon reach adulthood and will also get married.
The eighth prince's marriage was decided a year ago. The other party is the daughter of a branch of the Zhenguo government, named Xie Ning.
Zhao Yao had seen her before. She was a gentle and beautiful woman with a gentle and gentle temperament. She seemed a bit indifferent to the world.
Of course, the Crown Princess helped arrange the eighth prince's marriage. The Crown Princess knew that His Highness the Crown Prince valued the Eighth Prince very much, so she betrothed the Xie family's daughter to the Eighth Prince.
Although Xie Ning is not the direct daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo. The daughters of Duke Zhen Guo's lineage have all been married to those who should be married, but those who are not should not be married have not yet reached the age of hairpins and cannot be betrothed to the eighth prince, so the Crown Princess arranged for the daughters of the other branches to be matched with the eighth prince.
The Eighth Prince was naturally very grateful for the marriage arranged by His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.
The eighth prince will get married when he becomes a queen when he comes of age. During this time, the princess will help him prepare for the marriage.
The emperor didn't care about the eighth prince's marriage and didn't care about anything. His Highness the Crown Prince felt sorry for the Eighth Prince, so he asked the Crown Princess to help with more work.
As a queen, Queen Xie naturally has to arrange the eighth prince's marriage. When she saw that the Crown Princess was worried about the Eighth Prince's marriage, she became a hands-off shopkeeper and gave the Crown Princess full authority to prepare for the Eighth Prince's marriage.
Concubine Liang and the others had nothing else to do, so they could only try their best to prepare some things for the eighth prince to get married.
Not many ministers in the court paid much attention to the fact that the eighth prince was about to be crowned king and get married. Their eyes are now focused on Shu.
His Royal Highness the King of Chu had arrived in Shu some time ago, and he and Zhang Gong had sent troops to assist Han Zhong's eldest son. Just a few days ago, good news came back from Shu. His Royal Highness the King of Chu won his first battle, and won very beautifully.
According to the report from Di, Zhang Gong did not participate in this battle, only His Highness the King of Chu. He led the soldiers he brought from Liangzhou to the battlefield and defeated the rebel army with a small victory and a large number.
Zhang Gong wrote a letter to the emperor in which he praised His Highness the King of Chu, saying that His Highness the King of Chu had the demeanor of the emperor when he was young and was very talented in leading troops to fight. Although this was the first time His Highness the King of Chu led troops to fight, His Highness the King of Chu behaved very skillfully and showed no timidity. The most important thing is that His Royal Highness the King of Chu arranged everything very carefully, and nothing was missed.
The emperor naturally praised His Highness the King of Chu for his outstanding performance in the morning meeting.
After hearing this, His Highness King Dai felt very disdainful, because compared with him, His Highness King Chu was still far behind. However, His Highness the Crown Prince felt very jealous after hearing this. Because of this battle, His Royal Highness the King of Chu gained a foothold in the military camp.
Zhang Gong led the troops to assist His Highness the King of Chu. He himself was willing, but the soldiers under him were not necessarily so. They have all fought under Zhang Gong in countless battles, big and small, and have made many military exploits. They are more or less temperamental. In their view, bringing King Chu with him, who had never been on the battlefield, would be a drag on them. They can get rid of those rebellious officials and traitors in Shu on their own.
Although they did not say it clearly, they were dissatisfied with assisting King Chu in conquering Shu. Zhang Gong naturally saw it, but he didn't say anything. He told the King of Chu bluntly that many soldiers in the army were dissatisfied with him, a prince with no combat experience. If His Highness the King of Chu wants to regain these soldiers, then he must show his strength and win the first battle to show the soldiers who are dissatisfied with him that although he has never led troops to fight, it does not mean that he has Won't.
When His Highness the King of Chu heard what Zhang Gong said, not only was he not angry, but he was very grateful to Zhang Gong for telling him. He told Zhang Gong that he would win the first battle on his own without his help.
Zhang Gong was a little surprised when His Highness King Chu said this, but he didn't say much. Of course, he didn't tell His Royal Highness the King of Chu how to win the first battle to regain Shu. If His Highness the King of Chu asks him for advice, he will naturally tell him.
His Royal Highness the King of Chu did not ask Zhang Gong for advice on how to win the first battle. He made his own battle plan and arranged everything. From beginning to end, he never asked Zhang Gong if he was doing the right thing.
Zhang Gong was not angry about this, nor did he think His Highness King Chu was being smart. He didn't worry about it either. To him, it didn't matter if His Royal Highness King Chu lost the first battle, because he would come back victorious. Of course, it would be better if His Royal Highness King Chu wins the first battle.
In the first battle to regain the land of Shu, His Royal Highness the King of Chu, who had no combat experience, won the battle. This made the soldiers in the military camp of Zhenshu immediately look at him with admiration. Zhang Gong's soldiers immediately put away their dissatisfaction and contempt for His Royal Highness the King of Chu.
They won the first battle, and won it very beautifully, which greatly inspired the morale of the soldiers. Next, His Royal Highness the King of Chu and Zhang Gong will fight separately to wipe out the rebel army.
His Highness the King of Chu's victory in the first battle was not a good thing for the ministers who supported His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Dai Wang. They couldn't do anything they wanted to do. First, because His Highness the King of Chu is far away in Shu, and secondly, the soldiers of the army to suppress Shu are basically under Zhang Gong, and the rest are people brought by His Highness the King of Chu from Liangzhou. They can't even place people there, let alone do other things.
They wanted to cause some trouble in Liangzhou, but Liangzhou was governed like an iron wall by the King of Chu, and the people they placed there couldn't do anything at all.
The best way to deal with His Royal Highness the King of Chu is to wait until the Shu Land is recovered and let His Highness the King of Chu return to the capital. If His Highness the King of Chu has been far away in Liangzhou, it will be inconvenient for them to do whatever they want to do. However, if His Highness King Chu is in the capital, it will be easier to deal with him.
It is rare for the officials who support His Highness the Crown Prince and those who support His Highness the King of Dai to have a tacit understanding, and it is also rare for them to reach a consensus on the goal of bringing His Highness the King of Chu back to the capital.
In the eighth prince's mansion.
"Your Highness, are we really not going to do something?" Yu Hai looked anxious, "Are we really not going to stop King Chu? If we let him win again, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Why should we stop him?" The eighth prince glanced at Yu Hai strangely, "There's nothing wrong with letting the fourth child win."
"But, if this is the case, isn't King Chu becoming more and more famous in the army?" Yu Hai didn't understand why the eighth prince was not anxious at all, "What King Chu lacks most is the support from the army. When he regains Shu, he will Being able to get support from the army is very detrimental to us." Didn't His Highness say before that the King of Chu is his real opponent and his last opponent.
"You are wrong, it is not bad for us." The Eighth Prince said with a calm expression, "My father sent the fourth son to recover Shu, just to make the fourth son have military exploits and get the support of the army. In this way Only the fourth child can have the confidence to check and balance with the prince and the acting king."
"Your Highness, King Chu is the one who is favored by the emperor. The emperor arranged this just to pave the way for King Chu..."
The Eighth Prince interrupted Yu Hai and continued: "I said before that the Crown Prince and the Dai Wang are more afraid of the fourth child than us. Now that the father is blatantly supporting the Fourth Brother, do you think the Crown Prince and the Dai King will let them go? Fourth child?"
"Won't."
"Next, the court will form a three-legged situation. The prince, the king, and the fourth child will fight with each other. There is nothing wrong with us." The eighth prince chuckled, "They will fight to the death among the three parties. We Just reap the benefits of being a fisherman."
He added: "Also, the harder they fight, the safer we will be."
Yu Hai nodded, and then he thought of something and his expression immediately changed.
"That's not right. Your Highness, didn't you say before that the King of Chu will be your biggest enemy in the future? You also said that neither the Crown Prince nor the King of Dai will be the opponent of the King of Chu. If the King of Chu defeats the Crown Prince and the King of Chu in the future, By then he will be at the top of his game, then can we still defeat him?"
Hearing this, the Eighth Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Yu Hai, do you think I can't beat the fourth child?"
"No, what I mean is that when the King of Chu becomes powerful, he will..." Yu Hai said cautiously, "It will become troublesome."
The eighth prince smiled meaningfully: "That's what makes it interesting." He said, his expression instantly became serious, "I will not lose to the fourth child!"
Hearing what the Eighth Prince said, Yu Hai did not dare to say anything else.
"Let the fourth child fight with the prince and the others first, and we can just watch the show from the sidelines."
"Your Highness is wise, but this servant is overthinking." Your Highness is so smart, how could he lose to King Chu.
The Eighth Prince suddenly asked: "Is there any news from the Jingyang Hou Mansion?"
Yu Hai replied respectfully: "I haven't found what you want yet."
The Eighth Prince frowned after hearing this, "Isn't it at the Jingyang Marquis Mansion?"
"Your Highness, I have searched the secret room in the Jingyang Marquis Mansion several times, but still can't find it. I feel that what you want is not in the Jingyang Marquis Mansion."
"Where is the Jingyang Marquis' Mansion if it's not there?" The Eighth Prince thought to himself, could he really disappear?
He thought the thing was in Shu before, but he rummaged through Shu and couldn't find it. I also looked for several other possible places, but couldn't find it. The only possible place left is the Jingyang Marquis Mansion. Unexpectedly, there is no such thing in Jingyang Marquis Mansion.
"Your Highness, I think that thing has really disappeared."
"Since the Marquis of Jingyang does not have it, there is no need for the Marquis of Jingyang to stay. Let Bochang do it." Since the thing could not be found, the Eighth Prince did not force it. Besides, he didn't have high hopes.
"Yes, Your Highness."
At this time, in the Kunde Hall, the emperor was holding Liang Concubine and crying about Zhao Yao's "crime".
"Xiaoxiao, that brat Xiao Shi doesn't care about my love. It really hurts my heart."
The emperor told Concubine Liang what Zhao Yao said to He Lianfang.
After hearing this, Concubine Liang was shocked at first, and then looked helplessly at the emperor who was complaining to her.
"Who should blame it? It's yourself."
The emperor felt extremely aggrieved: "Why do you blame me? Didn't I treat that little bastard Xiao Shi badly?"
"I competed with Yao Yao for food, snacks, and even his favorite food..." Liang Pin pointed at her fingers and scolded the emperor for bullying Zhao Yao one by one.
Before she could finish her words, the emperor covered her mouth with his hand. The emperor defended himself: "I was just teasing Xiao Shi, not bullying him."
"From Yaoyao's point of view, you are just bullying him." Liang Bin continued to scold the emperor, "I told you before not to bully Yaoyao all the time. You see, Yaoyao has misunderstood you now."
"I...I..." The emperor didn't know what to say for a moment.
Seeing the emperor's confused expression, Liang Pi burst out laughing.
The emperor looked at her with resentful eyes: "Xiaoxiao, you actually laughed at me."
"Okay, I won't tease you anymore." Concubine Liang put away the smile on her face and reached out to touch the emperor who looked very aggrieved. "Yao Yao is scared."
The emperor raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "What is he afraid of?"
"I'm afraid you only love him temporarily, I'm afraid you..." Liang Bi said exactly the same thing as He Lianfang.
After hearing this, the emperor fell silent.
"It's all because we concealed it so well that he mistakenly thought you didn't like his little son since he was a child." Liang Bi finally understood why Zhao Yao never asked her about this matter after learning that the emperor loved him. She thought Yaoyao understood, so she didn't ask her. Now it seems that is not entirely the case.
The emperor understood what Concubine Liang meant and sighed heavily: "It is indeed my fault."
"It's also my fault. I thought Yaoyao understood, so I never told him about this matter. Now it seems that Yaoyao has always cared about this matter." Liang Bin gently patted the emperor's hand and said softly. , "Tomorrow, Yaoyao and I will have a good talk."
"If you tell him about this matter, how do you explain to him that you know it?" The emperor said, "If you tell him that you learned from me, then he will know that I have contact with that guy Lao He. Shi is so smart that he will immediately guess who Lao He is, as well as the purpose of Lao He and me."
Liang Bin did not expect this, "Yes, how should I tell Yaoyao?"
"Forget it, let's just pretend we don't know."
Concubine Liang glanced sideways at the emperor and teased him, "Aren't you very aggrieved?"
"I feel aggrieved. That brat Xiao Shi is so close to the old guy Lao He and talks to him as an outsider, but he feels awkward about me as his father." The emperor felt aggrieved, angry and unwilling, "It's like You said, I blame myself.”
"I'd better find an opportunity to talk to Yaoyao in the future."
The emperor held Liang Bin's hand and said with a gentle expression: "No need, let this little bastard Xiao Shi maintain this relationship with me."
"Are you sure?" Liang Concubine understood what the emperor meant, "Are you willing to do this?"
"Of course I am not willing to do so, but this is the best for Xiao Shi." The emperor smiled and said, "It is enough that Xiao Shi understands in his heart that my father loves him. It doesn't matter whether he is close to me or not."
Liang Concubine knew that the emperor said so, but in fact he didn't really think so in his heart. He wanted Yaoyao to get close to him.
"Yao Yao will be close to you."
The emperor said proudly: "I don't care about his closeness." He lowered his head and said to Liang Bin's face, "I just want to be close to you." After saying that, he kissed Liang Bin's mouth.
After the emperor fell asleep, Concubine Liang sat up and looked at his sleeping face tenderly. Thinking of the harsh words he said before, a helpless smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
He was obviously sad after hearing what Yaoyao said to He Lianfang. Alas, I'd better talk to Yaoyao after some time, otherwise he will be sad for the rest of his life.
Liang Concubine bent down, kissed the emperor on the lips, and immediately lay down. As soon as she lay down, the emperor held her in his arms. She hugged the emperor's waist and patted the emperor's back gently.
The next day, when the emperor was leaving, he told Liang Bin not to tell Zhao Yao what happened last night, and repeatedly said that he didn't care. Finally, he said that it would be too embarrassing for his father to tell his youngest son that he cared.
Liang Bin held back her laughter and said that she would not tell Zhao Yao. After hearing this, the emperor went to court with peace of mind.
Because he rested in Kunde Hall last night, the emperor was in a good mood for the morning court today, which made the ministers breathe a sigh of relief.
I don’t know what’s going on these days. The emperor seems to be in a bad mood. It’s clear that His Royal Highness the King of Chu won the battle in Shu.
Today's morning meeting was nothing major, just small things. It lasted for an hour and then ended.
The emperor returned to the Imperial Study Room and read the memorial for a while, then took Sun Kui to the Wende Palace.
When Sun Kui saw the emperor hunched over, lying furtively by the window, peeking at Zhao Yao reading, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He lowered his voice and said: "Your Majesty, if you want to see it, why don't you go in and see it?"
The emperor turned back and glared at Sun Kui, and whispered: "What do you know?"
Sun Kui: "..."
Your Majesty, before you went to court, didn't you tell Empress Liang that you didn't care about what His Highness the Tenth Highness said? Then why don't you come here to see what His Highness the Tenth Highness is doing?
Zhao Yao felt someone was looking at him and looked around.
When the emperor saw his youngest son looking behind him, he quickly lowered his body and squatted under the window sill. Sun Kui also squatted down quickly.
Zhao Yao looked around and saw no one. He felt that he was thinking too much, so he stopped thinking and continued to listen to his teacher's lecture.
Tongxi came back from fetching snacks from Xingde Palace and saw the emperor hunched over the window sill. He hurriedly saluted the emperor, but was stopped by the emperor's eyes.
The emperor was so happy to see Tong that he couldn't watch his youngest son reading any more. Before leaving, he warned Tong Xi not to tell Zhao Yao that he had been to Wende Hall.
Tongxi nodded quickly and then respectfully sent the emperor out of the door of Wende Hall.
"Your Majesty, why didn't you go in just now to see His Highness?"
"Why did I go in to see him?" the emperor said harshly, "I just wanted to see if that brat was studying seriously, and I had no other intention."
Sun Kui: Your Majesty, what you said really means that there is no three hundred taels of silver in this place.
Emperor: I don’t care, not at all!
Zhao Yao: Father, what are you talking about?
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