Emperor Qing had two bottom lines in his mind.
One is the military affairs of the court, and the other is the transfer of officials.
The referee allowed the princes under his knees to compete in a battle of wits and skills in the octagonal cage he prescribed, but he did not allow the prince and the second prince to have any influence on the most important military affairs and official affairs of the Qing Dynasty. Of course, the one in Dongyi City The eldest prince who led the army for Qingguo was an exception.
Regarding money affairs, Emperor Qing did not treat it as strictly as the first two.
It's just a pity that the Ministry of Household Affairs has been in the hands of Si Nan Bo Fan Jian all these years, and the two princes can't reach in at all.
The only place where it can be operated is the royal inner treasury.
Therefore, people in the court naturally regarded the fact that Emperor Qing wanted to take back the treasury management rights from the eldest princess as dissatisfaction with the prince, because Fan Xian's marriage to the princess of the Royal Courtyard has not been discussed in the palace until now. There are no plans to stop.
Li Yunrui was extremely anxious.
For Her Royal Highness the Princess, who has already tasted the poison of power, handing over the royal treasury that she has held tightly for many years so easily is undoubtedly more uncomfortable than killing her.
Nowadays, Fan Xian's reputation is so bad in Kyoto, but the palace's attitude towards this marriage has not changed.
Li Yunrui gritted her teeth and even asked Emperor Qing in person, but the answer she got was not the one she wanted.
During this period, Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess often went to the Queen Mother's palace, hoping that her mother could persuade the emperor to reject the marriage. Unfortunately, Li Yunrui's constant crying failed to impress the Queen Mother.
"My stupid daughter actually wants me to persuade His Majesty."
"Your Majesty is in charge of state affairs, and I am in charge of family affairs. Wan'er's marriage to the boy from the Lin family is obviously just a cover."
"You, an old dog, have been in the palace for so many years, and you probably understand His Majesty's temper. Why do you think Your Majesty insists on letting Fan Jian's son in Danzhou marry Wan'er?"
In the Queen Mother's palace, this kind-hearted old lady looked at her wrinkled face in the mirror with lowered eyebrows.
And behind the Queen Mother, who was slightly bowing and waiting, was the eunuch Hong Sixiang, the chief eunuch of the Qing Dynasty.
The latter seemed a little hesitant, but he still said: "The princess has indeed reached the age to be married, and her life experience is similar to that of Mr. Fan. Your Majesty estimates that the friendship between you and Uncle Si Nan is a good one. As the Queen Mother said, this marriage is just a facade, what really matters is Her Majesty’s ambiguous oral instructions, which is why Her Royal Highness the Princess comes to the Queen Mother’s chamber so frequently these days.”
Hong Sixiang felt that he had just said too much, and it was better to say less about these private matters between the royal family.
"Keep talking."
The Queen Mother closed her eyes and began to take a nap.
After Hong Sixiang raised his head and looked at it, he continued: "The royal family's huge property should be left to people with foreign surnames... Does your Majesty feel that the eldest princess and the queen are too close to each other, and for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? I was dissatisfied, so..."
After hearing this, the Queen Mother whispered to herself: "Yes, the key to the problem still lies with the Prince."
"Recently, this kid Cheng Qian has become a lot more diligent and hardworking, but I just don't know if it's still too late."
"Forget it, after all, this matter is a national matter, so it's not my responsibility to take care of it."
...
Lu Ze received a special invitation letter.
"Chen Yuan..."
"This Dean Chen seems to be the first to finally be able to hold himself back."
"It is said that the art in Chen Garden is one of the best, but it is a pity that few officials in the capital dare to visit the President of the Overwatch Council. President Chen is full of sincerity, so of course I have to go."
Lu Ze happily went to the appointment.
He also wanted to meet the dean who controlled all the dark power of the Qing Kingdom.
In the turbulent Kyoto, no one can avoid Chen Pingping in the darkness. Everyone knows that this is an old dog raised by His Majesty Emperor Qing that cannot bark. But if he is really bitten by this old dog, what will happen if he is bitten by this old dog? It can only prove that it is impossible to live in Qingguo.
This time the post was delivered to Lu Ze at night.
It turns out that Chen Pingping didn't want the meeting between the two to be exposed, so he specially sent a groom who was good at qinggong.
"See Your Highness."
"Wang Qinian, the first clerk of the Overwatch Council, is responsible for arranging your trip."
The groom is a cheerful middle-aged man.
The clerk Wang Qinian looked a little fatter, but fortunately his smile was gentler. Lu Ze got in the carriage on the appointed day. He went to the appointment calmly, but the behavior of not having anyone with him made Wang Qinian's face look weird. stand up.
He muttered in his mind: "This Crown Prince looks different from the rumors."
Chenyuan is located in the southwest of Kyoto.
Lu Ze rode the Overwatch Council's carriage and left the city through the official road and merged into the field path. When passing by Xicheng for inspection, Wang Qinian didn't know what method he used. It was very smooth and he left the city without any inspection.
It took half an hour for the carriage to pass through the mountain road. After passing through a large bamboo forest, a manor covering an extremely large area suddenly appeared.
Wang Qinian didn't speak much along the way. It seemed that he was specially reminded by someone when he was a groom. It was not until he saw the manor that he breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed slightly and said to Lu Ze in the carriage: "Your Highness, we are here. .”
After getting off the car, Lu Ze looked at the manor, which occupies a large area.
He couldn't help but nod and praise: "Great place!"
The buildings in the manor are not tall, and are mixed with the low trees and bluestones in the garden. However, the details such as the door buckles on the eaves and corners clearly reveal an air of nobility. The black plaque at the door has the words "Chen Yuan" vigorously written on it. The calligraphy is said to have been inscribed by the late emperor himself. What an honor.
The journey to Chenyuan seemed very peaceful.
But Lu Ze knew that the security situation of this manor was definitely not inferior to that of the Qing Kingdom Palace. Chen Pingping's hatred in Qing Kingdom was definitely higher than that of Emperor Qing. There were many people in Qing and abroad who wanted this old dog's life. Everyone knows that if you want to deal with Qingguo, the first person you have to deal with is not the two great masters of Qingguo, but Chen Pingping of the Supervisory Yuan.
Unlike the civil and military officials in the Qing Dynasty court, Chen Pingping, the dean, had an extremely special status in the Qing Dynasty court. After he became stable at home and abroad in Qing Dynasty, he began to complain of illness and refused to go to court.
Emperor Qing had no choice but to agree, so he had time to live in Chenyuan outside the city for many years.
Chen Pingping's legs were broken off to save Emperor Qing.
After crossing the elegant and charming little bridge and flowing water, Lu Ze, led by the old butler, finally arrived at the main hall where Chen Pingping was waiting for guests. Dean Chen's eyes were as cold as ever, and when he saw Lu Ze, there was a hint of displeasure on his face. With a smile that looked like a smile, he cupped his skinny hand and said, "I have met His Highness the Crown Prince. I am inconvenient to salute, so please forgive me."
Lu Ze looked at Chen Pingping with dull eyes and did not say any more polite words.
There were only the two of them in the main hall where Chen Yuan was waiting for guests. There was no one serving around him. Even Lu Ze had just walked from the door to here and saw no one on the road. I don't think the orphan girls adopted by Dean Chen would come here. Show up.
Lu Ze smiled in his heart.
I can only say that my original reputation in Kyoto has not completely changed.
"Your Majesty, the dean, invited me to your Chenyuan today. I didn't see the beauty, and I didn't serve tea."
"I don't know what you mean?"
Lu Ze looked at Chen Pingping in front of him without any stage fright. He casually glanced at Chen Pingping's wheelchair. In such a prosperous Chen Garden, the dean did not sit on the soft couch, but he only had a special liking for wheelchairs. It seemed that I haven’t forgotten that Ye Qingmei yet.
Chen Pingping had no children, and her parents died young.
She doesn’t have any relatives or friends. Although there are many beauties in Chen Garden, she doesn’t have a single beloved woman. She is like a solitary vine. Chen Pingping like this is the Director of the Overwatch Council that her enemies fear, because she can’t be found at all. to his flaws and weaknesses.
It's just that Lu Ze knew everything that happened to Chen Pingping.
His only weakness is Ye Qingmei, or his desire to avenge Ye Qingmei.
Chen Pingping stroked the pilled old blanket and covered her legs. Knowing that His Highness the Crown Prince didn't seem to want to be polite, he went straight to the point: "Your Highness the Crown Prince came here today for the sake of my Chen Yuan's music. "
"I can help you completely defeat the second prince."
If the former prince heard Chen Pingping's promise, he would definitely be ecstatic.
The most powerful force of the Qing Kingdom does not lie in the court at all. The Supervisory Council led by Chen Pingping is the most abnormal place in the Qing Kingdom. From one to eight offices, it has the most top talents and technologies in all aspects, as well as the Shenlong The mysterious black knight with no tail.
If there is a mountain like the Overwatch Council behind a certain prince, then the supreme throne can be said to be just a few feet away.
[In view of the general environment,
Lu Ze smiled, then shook his head. His smile quickly turned cold: "Are you trying to frame me, Mr. Dean? The Supervisory Yuan is the Qingguo Supervisory Yuan. Although you are the dean, if you have the power to use your private If you show any signs of helping the prince, my father will invite you to tea the next day."
Chen Pingping was deliberately testing.
Over the years, he has lived in the capital for a long time, and has an extremely deep understanding of the Prince of the East Palace. That is why he is extremely sensitive to certain recent changes in His Royal Highness. That is why we met today. The dean wanted to see something for himself.
A smile appeared on Chen Pingping's face: "Compared with before, Your Highness is a little different."
"Her Royal Highness, the Princess, has been in trouble recently, but you haven't paid much attention to it."
Lu Ze laughed.
This old dog was deliberately hinting that he actually knew about the abnormal relationship between Lu Ze and Li Yunrui.
But at this moment, Lu Ze didn't care.
Because he is sure to handle this matter cleanly.
"Master Dean."
"Should I call you Chen Pingping or Chen Wuchang?"
A cold light flashed in Chen Pingping's eyes. Chen Pingping, who was used to taking control of everything, never thought that Lu Ze would actually know his real name, which only a few people in Qing Kingdom knew.
"Brother Lu Ze!"
"We detected hostility at 43 meters to the northwest."
Lu Ze raised the corner of his mouth as he listened to Sha Niu's voice in his mind. In fact, he was also keenly aware of the change in energy. He thought it was Chen Pingping's personal bodyguard and the shadow of the Sixth Supervision Bureau director.
"Dean Chen."
"I am very happy that you can invite me to be a guest in Chenyuan, but I don't like your attitude towards guests."
In fact, Lu Ze admired the wheelchair-bound dean in front of him.
Chen Pingping in Qing Yunian's original work appears to be a bloody and unscrupulous king of darkness. In fact, she attaches great importance to friendship and is very lovable. Otherwise, she would not have been searching for the truth about Ye Qingmei's death for so many years.
But if the two people are completely opposite, Lu Ze will choose to send the dean down to his good friend Ye Qingmei without any hesitation. Appreciation is appreciation, and stance is stance.
It's just that Lu Ze feels that if he takes the throne later, he will really need professional assistance.
This was also the fundamental reason why Lu Ze agreed to come to Chen Yuan today. He needed to judge the possibility of Chen Laogou changing his owner.
It's just a pity that Chen Pingping seemed to be slightly hostile because he had fought with Fan Xian in advance. After all, when Ye Qingmei's accident happened, the Queen's party contributed the most.
Chen Pingping quickly apologized with a smile.
Soon after, singing mixed with the sounds of silk and bamboo came from outside Chen Garden. The melody rippled softly in the air of Chen Garden. Lu Ze and Chen Pingping changed their communication positions. Not far away, there were more than a dozen beauties in gorgeous clothes. The children sing and dance happily, but they always turn their backs to the two of them.
Lu Ze sat next to Chen Pingping with a calm expression, looking at the beautiful scenery and beauties of Chen Garden.
"The water in Kyoto has been stirred for too long."
"Everyone in the world feels that the fight between me and the second prince has lasted for more than ten years.
The winner will be decided, because His Majesty is currently in his prime years, so it is difficult for a single family to dominate. "
"Fan Xian's appearance is also an important step in breaking the balance in Kyoto."
Lu Ze spoke softly.
During this period of time, Lu Ze really didn't have anyone he could communicate with. Those in the Prince's Mansion were not suitable people to talk to, and that crazy woman Li Yunrui only thought about power, and even intimate communication had to be negotiated.
And Chen Pingping is a very good conversation partner.
Chen Pingping turned her head and glanced at Lu Ze, and her score for Lu Ze increased again in her mind.
He was still very aggressive in the main hall just now, but in the blink of an eye he was able to talk to him softly. This posture made Chen Pingping feel very familiar. This was something he could often feel in Emperor Qing.
"Your Highness...you are a smart man."
Lu Ze asked, "What kind of person is the dean? Is he a loyal minister?"
Chen Pingping treated this question very carefully. After thinking for a long time, she answered: "I am loyal to His Majesty and loyal to the Qing Dynasty... No matter what we do, His Majesty watches us do it, and only when He allows us to do it can we Do it. Being loyal to His Majesty actually means being loyal to yourself."
A smile filled Lu Ze's face. He stood up slowly, stared at Chen Pingping beside him, with sincere eyes, and said word by word: "Then what if... His Majesty betrays you? Will the Dean still be a loyal minister?"
The breeze outside was warm, but it still made Chen Pingping's legs a little cold. He pulled up the old wool blanket.
Chen Pingping closed her eyes and didn't answer for a long time.
