Ying Zichu wanted to say some heart-warming words to Ying Zheng, his son whom he had not seen for a long time.
However, Zhao Ji clung to her like a dodder flower, so she had no choice but to give up.
He ordered the palace people to take Ying Zheng and Baitao into the palace, and then left hand in hand with Zhao Ji.
Looking at it this way, they really look like an ordinary folk couple.
Baitao was also happy for Aunt Zhao. She tugged on Ying Zheng's sleeve next to her and said, "Ying Zheng, aren't you happy that you are back home?"
"happy."
Ying Zheng rubbed her head.
Baitao also touched the top of her hair, but didn't feel anything different.
Then why does he always like to rub his head?
He is so tall now that he can rub her with just one hand. In a year or two, he may have to bend down and rub his head. If she bends down, she will look like a shameless vixen.
No, we need to help him get rid of this bad habit.
After thinking about it, Baitao held her head in displeasure and said, "Don't rub it anymore. If you rub it any more, you won't grow taller."
"Eat more and you will grow taller," he said.
Baitao remembered that her brother had said the same thing before, and her eyes dimmed a little: "Why are you like my brother? My brother also said that if I eat more, I will grow taller."
Ying Zheng realized that he had aroused her sadness, and looked down at her. His cold brows instantly melted away, and the warmth that he had not seen in his relatives before seeing him began to ripple at this moment.
He took her little hand and clasped it tightly, "From now on, I will be your brother."
"Are you trying to trick me into calling you Brother Zheng again?"
Baitao tilted her head to look at him. The sunset was rubbed into her eyes, like layers of floating light.
Ying Zheng lowered his eyelashes: "It's just a title, you can call Taotao whatever you want."
"Then if I call you Brother Zheng, will you be happier?"
"meeting."
Baitao showed a small expression that said, "It's true." "Actually, you were not very happy just now, were you? You were forcing a smile and making fun of the situation. You people are just weird."
Ying Zheng said nothing, but rubbed her head again.
"..." Comes and comes and comes.
Baitao puffed up her face and glared at him. In her own eyes, she must be fierce, as fierce as a tiger. Unexpectedly, it fell into the eyes of Ying Zheng. He reached over and pinched her cheek, "Taotao, be good." ."
Baitao: "...."
Bai Tao was so angry that she took out her hand and put it all the way from the opening of his sleeve, wanting to tickle him and make him look good.
Unexpectedly, after several scratches, Ying Zheng's breath was not disturbed, and the glow stagnated on his eyelashes like a resting golden butterfly.
Baitao's hand was tired from scratching, so he put it down, a little frustrated, "I won't scratch you anymore, my hand is still tired."
Ying Zheng pursed his lips, put her free hand in his palm again, and held it well.
He didn't say a few words during the whole process, letting Baitao let out her little temper, with a kind of drowning tolerance.
When Baitao was led by him to his residence, he watched rows of palace lanterns being lit by the palace people. They were far apart, as if they were brought together by the wind, creating a dreamlike ripple.
She tugged on Ying Zheng's sleeve next to her.
When he was looking at her with lowered eyebrows, Baitao covered his face with his sleeve and said in a not too loud voice, "Brother Zheng."
His arm visibly stiffened.
Baitao wants to run away.
Ying Zheng squatted down, and Baitao didn't dare to look into his eyes. Those eyes were as white as ice and snow, and as black as dark clouds, and the haze inside seemed to have been washed away.
"Scream again," he said.
Just call, call once, don’t be afraid to call twice.
Baitao opened his mouth and said, "Brother Zheng, Brother Zheng..."
Ying Zheng held her in his arms and said, "Taotao, I'm happy, really."
The little boy's embrace was really warm, and Baitao felt as if she was staying in a stove. She rubbed his youthful energy and human emperor's aura, and squinted her eyes comfortably, "I feel happy when you are happy."
Ying Zheng hugged her tightly, ignoring the eyes of the palace people in front of him, as if they were the only two people in the world.
How could there be such a flattering person?
Ying Zheng thought to himself that her every move, word and smile were like sweet spring water soothing his old wounds and pains. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and protect her.
"Let's go, Taotao, go back to our home."
"OK."
After Ying Zheng finished speaking, he restrainedly let her go, held her hand and walked in.
*
Snow falls on winter nights, snow melts and spring comes, and in the blink of an eye it is hot summer.
During this period, Ying Zheng paid homage to the Ancestral Temple and recognized his ancestors. Lu Buwei officially became his teacher. This recognition of status established him as the eldest son of Qin and the crown prince of Qin.
But the attitude of Queen Mother Huayang in the palace is really unpredictable.
Ying Zichu's second son Chengjiao was only three years younger than Ying Zheng. He had been raised by the Queen Mother Huayang since he was a child, and he was doted on by the Queen Mother.
However, the Queen Mother Huayang showed an indifferent attitude when it came to Ying Zheng being crowned prince and Zhao Ji being crowned queen, and allowed another faction in the court to rise up.
That is, the foreign minister faction that Lu Buwei, Yingzheng, and Zhao Ji bound together.
Cheng Jiao's biological mother, Mrs. Han, kept coming to make trouble for this, but it was useless no matter how much she cried and cried.
To say that the trend in the palace has changed like this, Mrs. Huayang once again treated Zhao Ji Yingzheng with a cold face. She has never shown a good look, and even ridiculed and ridiculed Zhao Ji openly.
One sentence is about his family background, one sentence is about not being of great use, another sentence is about corrupting the royal family's atmosphere, and finally one sentence is about selling one's life and career.
The heart-breaking sentences directly made Zhao Ji embarrassed and unable to stand.
The battle between the harem and the former dynasty was not only turbulent, but at least the situation was tense and about to break out.
In this situation, Zichu, as the king of Qin, was the only one who did not participate in the trouble.
In fact, Ying Zichu's hostage who had stayed in another country for more than decades, once he returned to his country and became the King of Qin, he mostly relied on Mrs. Huayang and the talented Lu Buwei.
As a result, his most urgent need is merit. Only merit can give him the weight to speak.
How did this feat come about?
There is only war.
The leader of Ying Zichu had already sent troops to capture Chenggao and Xingyang in South Korea and changed them to Sanchuan County.
After his eldest son Ying Zheng returned to China, he no longer had any worries and went to attack the State of Zhao again. He captured a total of thirty-seven cities in the State of Zhao and changed it to Taiyuan County.
The Qin army was brave and good at fighting, and their morale was boiling. Even after taking so many cities, the unlucky Wei State also suffered a beating. However, this time the unstoppable Qin army fell down hard.
Wei Wuji of Wei State was Lord Xinling and had a high reputation among other countries. In order to resist the Qin army, he incited the four kingdoms of Yan, Han, Chu and Zhao to respond.
Except for Qi, who was too timid to fight, the five countries finally got together, cut off the Wei River, and ambushed and attacked in Shaohua Mountain.
The Qin army was defeated and managed to escape back home.
After the Qin army general returned home, Ying Zichu did not pursue his mistakes and was very tolerant and generous.
Unexpectedly, less than half a month later, Ying Zichu fell ill.
The so-called illness is gone like a mountain, and this illness was so strange that the Queen Mother of Huayang came to visit and angrily scolded Zhao Ji, saying that she didn't know the rules, emptied the body of the King of Qin, and punished her for half a month.
Zhao Ji was extremely angry and had no choice but to agree.
The women in the harem are short-sighted and only care about immediate gains and losses. Only Prime Minister Lu Buwei fully understands that this is a heart disease.
Ying Zichu was just trying his best to achieve great things, but he never suffered a tragic defeat. Behind his humility was nothing but depression and unresolved sorrow.
This kind of accumulated worry and lack of ambition has been the blood that has been flowing in Ying Zichu for more than thirty years. Lu Buwei could not resolve it in one fell swoop, so he had to offer a buffering strategy.
Lu Buwei said: "Now that the five kingdoms have experienced this battle, there is a faint tendency to unite. As the saying goes, a tiger is also afraid of a pack of wolves. It is better for us to use a divorce plan to frame the leader, Lord Xinling, so that he and the King of Wei will be alienated. When the time comes, The situation of synergy will be broken without attack."
What Lu Buwei thinks is exactly what Ying Zichu worries about.
"allow."
The alienation plan was very destructive. The Qin State had already exhausted it in the Battle of Changping, but it could not be used easily.
The ministers of the State of Qin sent letters to Lord Xinling's mansion every day, with the same meaning: You have an affair with me, you have an affair with me, look, everyone, he has an affair with us!
And it worked very well. King Wei became suspicious, and Lord Xinling was so angry that he vomited blood and became successfully ill.
The external worries were resolved, and the status of the leader of the seven kingdoms of Qin was indestructible. However, the health of Qin King Ying Zichu did not improve at all, but became worse.
Zhao Ji and Mrs. Han rushed to his bedside to serve him. Ying Zheng would also greet his teacher Lu Buwei after finishing school.
The palace was filled with gloom and everyone seemed very busy.
Only Baitao is different. She now enjoys the status of a princess, eating well and using it well.
The key point is not to say hello to Ying Zichu and the Queen Mother Huayang, and not to worry about those wagging lips and all the twists and turns.
"Wow--"
While Bai Tao was lying around and having fun, a bead curtain was rolled up outside, and a palace maid in her late teens came in.
Holding the lacquered mahogany plate, she saw Bai Tao sitting on the jade cushion. She placed the jade light cup on the long table and said in a light voice, "Go back to the little master, I have received the portion of ice cubes. This is the last portion." ."
It's hot in midsummer, it's noisy outside, and it's sweltering inside.
Baitao is always greedy for cold drinks, and has to drink ice-cold drinks every day without stopping.
Hearing what the palace maid said, she was not happy. "Last time I told Brother Zheng about this matter, didn't he say that he would use his monthly salary to buy it from a private store outside the palace? Is it possible that there is no ice in the private store outside?"
The palace maid immediately said, "That's what Your Highness said, but how can any prince or grandson buy ice cubes privately? If others don't poke their spines and say they are just for pleasure, then they are doing it unsightly."
"Besides, His Highness never makes arrangements when traveling or doing things, nor is he greedy for pleasure. My young master, you should also share some of the burdens for His Highness."
"What do I share?"
The palace maid said smoothly: "If you want to share the burden for His Highness, you must first stop pestering His Highness. This will allow His Highness to free up your hands and feet to do important things."
Baitao frowned and looked at her.
The palace maid is still groveling, but the difference can be seen from the fact that her hair is parted equally on the left and right sides, and she is also decorated with decorations, because ordinary palace maids do not have any decorations.
The maid's name was Die'er, who was sent by the Queen Mother Zhao to serve the King of Qin.
Ever since Empress Dowager Zhao entered the palace and stayed with King Qin all day long, she had completely changed like the roar of spring rain and the rain of sweet rain.
He actually started to discipline his previously indifferent son.
But she had no idea what books her son had read, what swordsmanship he had practiced, what he liked and disliked, so Zhao Ji thought about it several times and sent the trained Die'er over and placed it next to King Qin.
Baitao originally had no ill intentions towards the people Aunt Zhao released, but she always had a persuasive tone, which made her feel uncomfortable, "What are you telling me? Brother Zheng wants to give me the ice cubes, and he also wants to spend his monthly salary on me." He means that he is also happy to play with me."
"If you want to persuade him, just persuade him. You're telling me this because you think I'm easy to bully. Hmm, you're a nuisance."
After that, Baitao stood up and left.
Die'er didn't expect her to say these words, her face changed slightly, and she quickly came up to stop her, "Little Master, where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Brother Zheng."
"His Royal Highness is still with Prime Minister Lu, learning how to stabilize and govern the country. My young master must not go there."
Baitao slightly raised her eyelids to look at Die'er who was blocking her way, and then looked at the flowers on her hairpins, "I'm going to find Brother Zheng, and I won't blame you. As a palace maid, how dare you stand in my way?"
Die'er flopped and knelt on the ground, speaking sincerely, "Little master, I must serve your highness with all my heart. Your highness is really not easy to disturb when you are with Prime Minister Lu. Little master, if you want to punish me, just punish me." Well, for the sake of His Highness’s future, I am willing to die even if I die!”
At the end of the sentence, her voice rose, and she seemed to have the courage to die generously, and it seemed that Baitao didn't understand the general situation.
The commotion was so noisy that the chamberlain serving outside was summoned.
The bead curtain swept across, and a fair-skinned chamberlain walked in with hunched shoulders and arched back.
This servant's name is Zhao Gao. Because of his martial arts skills, although his body is quite majestic, he does not look naive, but has sharp eyes. He is a smart man at first glance.
Zhao Gao saw Baitao frowning and said respectfully, "I have met my young master."
