Han Changmu remained calm. He did not express joy after being rewarded and praised by the saint. Instead, he leaned forward calmly and said: "It is the duty of a minister to be loyal to the king and share his worries. A minor minister dare not take credit."
Emperor Yong'an smiled happily, patted the armrest heavily, and stood up.
Upon seeing this, Gao Fuguo hurriedly stepped forward to support Emperor Yong'an.
Emperor Yong'an slowly walked up to Han Changmu and looked at Han Changmu with burning eyes, feeling both happy and fearful. His expression was a bit deep: "Jiu Chao, it's been almost a year since you came to Beijing. I'm particularly fond of you." I have taken a fancy to you, and you have indeed not disappointed me." He raised his hand, patted Han Changmu's shoulder twice, and said sincerely: "You are not the only son in Prince Han's palace, and there are more than one son in the Han family's army who is good at fighting and can be a general. You alone, King Han doesn’t have to rely on you."
Sunlight filtered in from the light blue glass window and fell coldly on Emperor Yong'an's face. The expression on his face was particularly profound, and his words also had profound meaning: "Jiu Chao, you do your job well, you and I, the king and my ministers, Xianghe, I rely on you."
Han Changmu was a little surprised. What Emperor Yong'an said was particularly strange. He actually heard the good intentions in those words and saw the kindness in Emperor Yong'an's face.
He suddenly felt strange and shivered inexplicably.
Emperor Yong'an was cold, ruthless, decisive, and scheming, but he was definitely not kind.
He cheered up and responded: "Wei Chen understands."
Emperor Yong'an gave Han Changmu a deep look: "Do you understand? Are you serious?"
Han Changmu said bravely: "Yes, I understand your majesty's painstaking efforts, and I will definitely live up to your majesty's regard, and I will definitely put court affairs first."
Emperor Yong'an smiled helplessly and shook his head. He simply made his words clear and stopped talking in circles with Han Changmu: "No, you don't understand. Putting court affairs first is my painstaking care for the courtiers, but being frank about everything is my fault. "Son," he paused with great difficulty before continuing: "It's my painstaking care for my nephew."
Han Changmu suddenly had a look of realization on his face, but in fact he chuckled disdainfully in his heart. No wonder, no wonder Emperor Yong'an, a ruthless and ruthless man, suddenly started to treat him softly. As the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, he had a lot of troops. , the master of great achievements, there is a natural gap between him and Emperor Yong'an, and he has nothing to do with the harmony between the monarch and his ministers.
As he thought this, a look of great gratitude appeared on his face: "I understand, Your Majesty trusts me so much. I am scared and grateful."
Emperor Yong'an sighed and said: "You have done a good job regarding the Annan County Prince's Mansion. I will leave this matter to you. I will definitely get to the bottom of it."
Han Changmu responded calmly and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing very well that this matter had passed without any danger.
It was already noon. Emperor Yong'an gave Han Changmu two food boxes, one with snacks and one with meals. Gao Fuguo sent two young eunuchs to carry the food boxes and send Han Changmu out of the palace.
Under the clear sunlight, the side hall was even brighter. Gao Fuguo lit a stick of incense, and the smoke curled up, scattering the sweet fragrance. He looked at Emperor Yong'an and closed his eyes slightly, as if he was a little distressed. He was stunned for a moment and lowered his voice. He said in a voice: "Your Majesty, it's time for dinner."
Emperor Yong'an closed his eyes and said "hmm".
Gao Fuguo exited the palace gate, lowered his voice and said a few words outside.
Not long after, a group of maids filed in carrying red-lacquered square trays and placed each plate gently on the dining table.
Perhaps knowing that Emperor Yong'an was in a worried mood, these people's movements were extremely light, and even their breathing could not be detected.
Gao Fuguo carefully opened the white porcelain lid, held the silver needle and tried it on each plate. The aroma of the food suddenly burst out, not even covering the sweet aroma just now.
"Your Majesty, it's time to eat." Gao Fuguo whispered.
Emperor Yong'an suddenly opened his eyes, a bright light flashed in his eyes. He held Gao Fuguo's hand and walked slowly but extraordinarily calmly to the table and sat down.
After taking a bite of Gao Fu Guobu's dish, he said slowly: "How credible is what Jiuchao said?"
How could Gao Fuguo dare to say this casually? He thought about it again and again, why: "Here, Master Han is a young talent, but the old slave is a idiot. How can he guess Master Han's thoughts?"
This sentence made Emperor Yong'an laugh. He squirted out a mouthful of soup, pointed at Gao Fuguo, and couldn't stop laughing: "You old guy, yes, yes, you are a idiot." He took a few mouthfuls slowly. He always likes grilled meat and enjoys it in every meal. But this season is a bit hot. Eating too much meat will inevitably make you feel angry. He put down his bamboo chopsticks and shook his head: "The weather is hot now." , make a cold dish in the evening."
Gao Fuguo hesitated for a moment. The weather had not yet reached its peak, and Emperor Yong'an was getting older. He ate cold food at night for fear of gastrointestinal disharmony. However, he did not dare to persuade Emperor Yong'an to change his mind, so he thought about a compromise. Come on.
Emperor Yong'an rinsed his mouth, took the fragrant tea brewed by Gao Fuguo, took a sip, and thought: "We should keep a closer eye on the Prince's Mansion in Annan County."
Gao Fuguo responded yes, knowing that no matter how conclusive Han Changmu's words were, he could not completely dispel Emperor Yong'an's suspicion.
Maybe this is the way to be a king.
The carriage faced the bright warm sun at noon, ran over the bluestone road, and drove creakingly towards the Sixteenth Prince's House.
The driver was Jin Yu. He waved his whip and made two soft "snap" sounds. The horse suddenly ran forward, and the horse's hooves landed heavily on the bluestone, making a loud sound.
"Your Majesty, the people behind have withdrawn." Jin Yu said in a suppressed voice without looking back.
Across the carriage curtain, Han Changmu said "Hmm" with his eyes closed. What happened this time was particularly strange. No one would follow him when he went in and out of the palace, but this time it was different. He had just got on the carriage outside Changle Gate. Then he noticed that someone was following behind the carriage. If the carriage was slow, the person would be slower, and if the carriage was fast, the person would be faster. The tracking method was not clever, and he did not even deliberately hide his figure. It seemed that he was deliberately letting him know that someone was following him.
Although the person following him didn't know who he was taking orders from, he couldn't escape from the people he knew.
He repeatedly reviewed today's memorial in front of Emperor Yong'an and determined that there were no loopholes. As for Emperor Yong'an's belief or disbelief, he didn't care. As long as there were no loopholes, even if there were doubts, there would be no evidence.
Trust is a very mysterious thing. Sometimes you can't get it when you ask for it, but sometimes you can get it easily.
Reluctantly earned trust is ultimately fragile.
The carriage swayed through the streets, the curtains of the carriage rose and fell, the sun flickered, and the sounds of hawking along the street were endless. The thick smell of red dust and fireworks made people feel warm.
Just as the carriage turned through the streets and was about to enter the gate of the Sixteenth Prince's House, Han Changmu suddenly opened his eyes, with a flicker of surprise and uncertainty in his eyes.
He always thought that Emperor Yong'an didn't know about Gu Yanyan's existence, let alone that Gu Yanyan had given birth to a son and a daughter, and he didn't know that Xie Liangzhan was actually the child of Gu Yanyan, but now, he hesitated.
Regarding the treasure left by Emperor Ming, Emperor Yong'an seemed to have always been sure of victory. In the past, Han Changmu couldn't figure out where his confidence in victory came from, but now, he seemed to understand.
Emperor Yong'an has always been very tolerant to Xie Liangzhan. Generally speaking, as long as the emperor is deposed, no one can live in peace and stability, but Xie Liangzhan did it. In the past, he hid his head and tail, and Emperor Yong'an could not find his traces and allowed him to cause trouble. That's all, but now he is blatantly stirring things up in Chang'an City and stirring up trouble. Emperor Yong'an clearly knows his whereabouts, but he tolerates him and lets him go again and again. This may be related to his bloodline. related.
This thought was like a thunderbolt that suddenly knocked Han Changmu to his death.
Yes, that’s right, that must be the case!
It must be that Emperor Yong'an knew that Xie Liangzhan was Gu Yanyan's son, and that the last mechanism to open the place where Emperor Ming's treasure was hidden required the blood of the son and daughter born to the Ming palace twins, so he spared Xie Liangzhan's life and allowed him Making trouble under his own nose.
And Emperor Yong'an didn't know that Gu Yanyan had given birth to a daughter. After all, when she gave birth to the daughter, it was the critical time for the kings to seize the throne. At the time of the storm, everyone's eyes were fixed on the front, and no one would Paying attention to the affairs of a housewife, of course, if the princess gave birth, it would still attract the attention of others.
Later, something went wrong with Prince Huaizhang, and someone deliberately erased the existence of the daughter born to Gu Yanyan. So far, no one can confirm whether this daughter is still alive or who she is. Even Xie Liangzhang and the Princess of Annan County are just listening. It's just a guess made by people.
Han Changmu glimpsed a glimmer of the truth amid the heavy fog. All the previously unsolvable messes were now clear. After peeling off the cocoons, he came to a conclusion, and his heart suddenly felt relieved.
The carriage suddenly stopped. Han Changmu recovered his thoughts, straightened his clothes, jumped out of the carriage, and walked slowly to the door of Annan County Prince's Mansion.
The two stone lions have ferocious faces, and the two slowly opened vermilion lacquer doors in the middle are brand new and bright, and the purple gold and copper door knockers on the doors shine brightly in the sun.
He passed the clear road in front of Emperor Yong'an, and once again walked into the Annan County Prince's Mansion, he felt relaxed.
After boarding the boat, he set foot on the island in the middle of the lake again. He looked in through the wide open window and saw Yao Yao lying on the desk in the sun. He was serious and deserted, holding a strange weapon in his hand. Pen, put pen down steadily.
The piece of paper spread on the desk has been mostly filled, leaving only a little blank space in the lower left corner.
On the back of the four beautiful pictures spread on the desk, the marks on the paper have become fainter, and it seems that they will disappear completely in the blink of an eye.
Han Changmu walked in breathlessly and with very light steps. When he walked up to Yao Yao, he saw that her temples were soaked with sweat and her hands were trembling slightly.
He did not dare to speak rashly, but carefully looked at the pen in Yao Yao's hand.
The thin pen barrel was cut into a hexagonal shape, and there was something like carbon lead wrapped in it. The tip of the pen was sharpened, and there was only a thin line on the paper.
His eyes narrowed, Yao Yao always had some unexpected ideas, and she always pretended that she got them from books. He didn't believe that she would have so much leisure to read books during the years when Ye Ting and Bei Ya Forbidden Army were together.
"Huh, it's finally done." Yao Yao exhaled suddenly, threw the pen out, raised his hand with a fist, and shouted.
After shouting, she realized that there was someone else next to her. When she raised her head, she met Han Changmu's smiling eyes. She suddenly felt bad. If she hadn't maintained the same posture just now, her whole body would have froze. , she was about to jump up and scream.
She grinded her teeth and squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth: "Is it interesting to peek?"
Han Changmu looked innocent: "I didn't peek, I watched openly."
"..." Yao Yao was angry.
Han Changmu hurriedly took the two food boxes gifted by Yong'an Emperor to the dining table, placed the food, and waved as if offering a treasure: "Come here, come and try the food and snacks given by the emperor."
Yao Yao curled his lips disdainfully, walked over slowly, picked up a piece of bamboo chopsticks and ate it, his apricot eyes suddenly lit up, this gift from the emperor was just different, radish was more delicious than meat.
Han Changmu watched Yao Yao enjoying his meal with a smile, half joking and half sighing: "This county princess is so stingy, she doesn't even care about lunch."
Yao Yao stuffed his mouth full of food and couldn't speak clearly. He just nodded in agreement.
Isn't that stingy? I want the horse to run and not eat grass. Capitalists are not so cruel.
After finishing the meal, Yao Yao changed another pen, lowered his head, and started tracing along the thin lines he had just drawn.
Han Changmu was surprised and leaned over to take a look: "Why do you have to trace it again?"
Yao Yao didn't even raise his head: "The mark I drew just now is easy to fade. Trace it again and the color will be firmer."
Only then did Han Changmu take a closer look at the pen that Yao Yao had replaced. It was said to be a pen, but it was actually a snow-white goose feather. It was the hardest one on the white goose's wings. The root of the goose feather was sharpened to draw a picture. The two strokes were dipped in the ink on the inkstone, and the lines drawn were equally slender, but tougher than the ones just now, quite similar to the quality of iron paintings and silver hooks.
He knocked on the desk: "Where is the Princess of Annan County?"
Yao Yao drew carefully without raising his head: "Going to the front yard."
Han Changmu said "Oh", looked around, slowly rolled up the four beautiful pictures that had returned to blank, and said to Yao Yao: "You draw first, I will go to see Princess Annan County."
Yao Yao was noncommittal. Judging from Han Changmu's expression, everything should have gone smoothly when entering the palace. How to deal with the follow-up matters and how to completely dispel Emperor Yong'an's suspicions, he still had to discuss it with Princess Annan County.
The fox that has been around for thousands of years will become a spirit and will not fight, and it might turn into a fairy tale.
Han Changmu walked to the door and looked back. The sun fell on Yao Yao's body. Her whole body was covered with a faint golden light, and her damp temple hair became darker and darker in the sun.
He felt peaceful for a moment, turned around and walked out, called the boatman, who took him to the lakeside, and rushed all the way to the front hall.
In addition to the two serious masters, the Princess of Annan County and the Crown Prince of Annan County, there are also a group of concubines and concubines left behind by the Annan County Prince in the inner house. The maids and women are in charge of minor matters. There are countless servants. Although these people are quite honest and obedient under the intimidation of Annan County Princess, they still take a lot of energy to control them.
The princess of Annan County finished taking care of the important matters in the palace, sat down and drank a cup of tea, and took a breath. When she raised her eyes, she saw Han Changmu walking in. The sigh of relief she had just felt came back, and she stared eagerly. Han Changmu: "What's going on? Is he suspicious?"
Han Changmu lifted up his robe and sat down without saying anything. He only sipped the tea served by the maid.
Seeing this, the Princess of Annan County knew that what Han Changmu was going to say must be something extremely important, so she stepped back and replaced the people brought by Han Changmu to guard the outside. She looked at the four beautiful pictures in his hand and asked in a low voice. : "What should I do with this picture? Hand it over or not?"
Han Changmu tapped the carved table beside him with his fingers, and made two soft "tuk-tuk" sounds, speaking frankly and honestly: "If you want to completely settle this matter, the princess of the county must tell me everything she knows."
Princess Annan hesitated for a moment: "This is natural. Prince Han, please ask. I will definitely have nothing to hide."
Han Changmu asked calmly: "How did Xia Yuanji and Shi Chun die? Does the princess know their identities?"
Princess Annan bit her lower lip lightly and said with difficulty: "Yes, I asked An Qi to do it. Xia Yuanji, I thought he was his, but now it seems that it doesn't look like it. Shi Chun is Xie Liang's man. "
Han Changmu nodded: "It's true that Xia Yuanji doesn't look much like him, but more like Xie Liang." He paused slightly and continued: "The painting must be handed over, but how to hand it over requires some methods. of."
When Princess Annan was a girl, she was well protected by Emperor Ming. After she became Princess Princess, she was even better protected by Prince Annan. Except for that brief period of turbulent times, she really didn't see many ghosts, monsters, or monsters. His thoughts are simple and weak, and his methods are not so round and round, but a little more straightforward.
When she heard Han Changmu say this, there was only one thought that flashed through her mind. If you hand it over, you have handed it over. No matter how many methods you use, you still have to give in, admit defeat, and hand over the painting.
She narrowed her charming eyes and said blankly: "I hand it over, what else can I say?"
Han Changmu said thoughtfully: "Of course it is there. It is not possible to hide it and hand it over. It is better to hand it over openly."
The princess of Annan County suddenly realized: "A soldier never tires of deceit!"
Han Changmu raised his lips and smiled, suddenly thinking of the question that made him sit on pins and needles. After thinking about it again and again, he couldn't help but asked: "Neither the princess nor Xie Liang have seen the daughter of Gu Yanyan, how are you going to find her? Just based on looks?”
The princess of Annan County thought for a moment and finally sighed: "You can't count the similarities. Naturally, there are ways to identify them." She was immersed in the past and said slowly: "Although there are thousands of people in this world, there are many faces. There are thousands of people who look alike, but people from Ming Palace have the emblem of Ming Palace to identify them."
Hearing this, Han Changmu's heart skipped a beat, and he inexplicably remembered the strange-shaped birthmark on Yao Yao's ankle. His eyes suddenly widened, and his voice trembled slightly: "Then, what kind of emblem is it?"
The princess of Annan County was a little surprised by Han Changmu's change of mood, and frowned and asked, "Why does Crown Prince Han pay so much attention to this matter? Could it be that Crown Prince Han has seen someone with a emblem on his body?"
Her senses were very keen and she immediately guessed Han Changmu's intention.
But Han Changmu would not tell her the matter, and shook his head: "I'm just curious." That's what he said, but he also heard from the words of Princess Annan that they would not judge their kinship based on their appearance alone. , and would only confirm it from the emblem. No wonder they didn't notice Yao Yao's appearance.
Princess Annan thought for a moment: "Forget it, it's okay to tell Prince Han. Maybe Prince Han can help us find someone." Unexpectedly, she rolled up her wide sleeves and rolled them up high to her shoulders, revealing the hair on her shoulders. With a pale pink mark, he smiled and said, "Have you seen it, Prince Han? This five-petal plum blossom is the emblem of the people of the Ming Palace."
"Reincarnation Paradise"
Han Changmu's face changed suddenly, and he tried hard to hide the huge look of shock in his eyes, but still revealed a little bit.
The princess of Annan County did not think about anything else, she just thought that her boldness frightened Han Changmu.
She slowly put down her sleeves, covered her shoulders, and said sadly: "When the princes and princesses of the Ming Palace are born, they will naturally carry a blue four-petal plum blossom with no stamens. The position of the plum blossom is not fixed. It usually appears in relatively hidden places such as the shoulders, back and ankles. Half a month after birth, the color of the plum blossom will fade, and finally it will blend with the skin and cannot be seen at all. It can only be soaked in hot water. It will take half a moment to reappear." She paused for a moment before telling all the secrets: "After the prince marries a wife or the princess gets married, the plum blossom will change from cyan to pink, and the color will not fade anymore. , the missing petals and stamens will grow back to make up for the plum blossom."
Han Changmu suddenly realized, no wonder, no wonder Yao Yao's identity was not revealed after she entered Ye Ting. Her plum blossoms grew on her ankles. It was a very secret place and could not be seen by others.
He coughed softly to cover up: "What I am looking for is a girl, and the emblem is in a hidden place on her body. It is indeed not as easy for Xie Liang to find her as the princess."
The princess of Annan County nodded and said: "What Prince Han said is absolutely true. That's why Xie Liangzhan told me the secret that his biological sister is still alive."
It was only then that Han Changmu confirmed that Emperor Yong'an did not know the existence of the daughter Gu Yanyan gave birth to. In this case, there was no need for him to expose the matter. Maybe he would need this secret in the future.
He raised his head, met Princess Annan's eyes, and said calmly: "I will never reveal a word of what Princess Princess said today, Princess Princess can rest assured."
The princess of Annan County smiled calmly: "Since I told Prince Han about this matter, I am naturally relieved about him. Besides," she sighed in despair: "Xie Liangzhan and his sister are the last two people in the world who have Ming Dynasty." From now on, even if they get married and have children, their children will not have this emblem."
