Xiao Luolan sat on Zongzhu Zhou's lap, wearing only a white fox fur coat. She gathered up the collar to cover most of the spring light. Her dark hair was like a waterfall, and there was a hint of laziness in her mature eyebrows. , there are crimson dots on the exposed snow-white arms.
Zhou Xu raised his head and looked at the profile of the lady in his arms, turning the pages of the book for her from time to time. He threw the golden black whip aside, and put his other hand around the lady's waist, holding the warm and fragrant jade in his hand.
"Stop making trouble." Xiao Luolan said lightly.
Zhou Xu came forward and kissed the madam: "Let's have fish soup tomorrow." Then he laughed softly and said: "The madam is more plump and looks better."
Xiao Luolan slapped away Sect Master Zhou's dishonest hand and yawned lightly.
On the second day, Zhou Xu's plan failed.
Xiao Luolan looked at a young man who came to deliver the message. He was Shen Zhi's man and the deputy general of Red Flame Cavalry, Ran Yongtian.
"General Ran Yongtian pays homage to the general and his wife." Ran Yongtian knelt down on one knee, bowed his head and handed over a letter, saying: "Two nights ago, late at night, Prince Bao, his concubine, his son, and five hundred guards wanted to take advantage of the snowy night. After leaving Langge, we were stopped by the Qilin Guards, and the young master took people to invite Prince Bao to go back."
Zhou Xu sat in the first place. Lei Hu presented the envelope to the sect leader. Zhou Xu opened it and glanced at it. What the letter said was very different from what Ran Yongtian said, but his son mentioned a few words at the end.
Prince Bao caught wind and cold while traveling late at night and seemed to be dying soon.
Now King Bao, Princess Si and two county princes came to ask them to take the seriously ill Prince Bao away from Langge to Chang'an for medical treatment. They also said that Prince Bao was old and the Holy Father had long missed him. It's human nature to allow them to return to their roots after falling leaves.
Xiao Luolan took the letter from Sect Master Zhou and read it, and understood what Prince Bao meant. In short, they must leave.
But how could Sect Leader Zhou agree?
The matter of Huiyi's large bow/crossbow is also related to Prince Bao.
Xiao Luolan looked at Sect Master Zhou and found that his expression was calm and inexplicably scary.
"Prince Bao is sick?"
Ran Yongtian replied: "Yes, I heard that he suffered from wind and cold and is resting in bed."
Zhou Xu said calmly: "That's it. You go back and ask Shenzhi to bring a coffin to see him."
Xiao Luolan blinked, suspecting that he had heard wrongly. Ran Yongtian suddenly raised his head and looked at Lord Jiedushi. Lei Hu's eyes widened.
"I promise, the medicine will cure the disease." Zhou Xu sneered.
Chapter 134
Langge Zhouzhai.
Xiao Qingxue was wearing a long crimson cotton robe, with a small decorative long sword hanging on the waist of a thin leather belt, deerskin boots, and a high ponytail tied up by a white jade crown. She had a small face with a bright / white / Exquisite, at this moment she was touching her chin with her hand, looking at the fine coffin in the yard with her brother.
She walked over to the coffin to take a look.
Zhou Shenzhi grabbed his sister's wrist and stopped her: "It is unlucky to touch the coffin during the Chinese New Year."
When the news about his father came back, Zhou Shenzhi was shocked at first, and then it took another two days to build the coffin. Three or four days passed each time, and his father and mother must have been on their way back.
"But wouldn't it be even worse if you have to send the coffin to Prince Bao's Mansion later?" Xiao Qingxue's eyes were cunning and smart, and she had an idea in her heart.
"I have asked Shu Yan to prepare dry mugwort, and when I get back I will soak it to remove the bad luck." Zhou Shenzhi said calmly.
"Brother." Xiao Qingxue approached her brother: "Can I come with you to have a look?"
Zhou Shenzhi rubbed his forehead. He knew that his sister would not be so honest, so he asked, "Aren't you going to learn painting from Cui Langjun?"
Xiao Qingxue shook her head: "Cui Langjun is not in good health and needs to rest. How can I disturb him often? It won't be too late to go after a few days."
Zhou Shenzhi thought about it and felt that it was true. After all, Cui Langjun was an adult man who was not yet married. His sister was much younger than Cui Langjun and was unmarried. Indeed, it was not appropriate to go there often.
"Then you can also play with Xue Si or the young lady of the Qi family." Zhou Shenzhi said. Xue Si is Cui Langjun's good friend and is good at making some gadgets. In recent days, Amei has been very close to him and even invited him He went to Xiaoyaozi's Taoist temple to play.
Zhou Shenzhi sometimes wondered whether Amei wanted to accept Xue Si as her guest.
"I've been playing with them for a few days. I won't play anymore." Xiao Qingxue took her stepbrother's arm and said very affectionately, "Brother, I'm just going to take a look. I won't cause any trouble."
Zhou Shenzhi said: "Then ask Shiliu to come over and play with you?"
Xiao Qingxue shook her head even more: "Sixteen, he is being kept at home by his second uncle and aunt to study. I'd better not disturb him."
"Okay, you have to be obedient then." Zhou Shenzhi finally patted his sister's head gently. He never mentioned Tuoba Amu and seemed to have forgotten this person.
After going out.
Xiao Qingxue was riding on the horse, with her stepbrother beside her.
Zhou Shenzhi had the coffin covered with a layer of black cloth, and set off with Lu Siyuan, Ran Yongtian and Mr. Qingshan, followed by Qin Feng, the Qilin Guards officer, and a group of Qilin Guards.
Zhou Xuan got the news and met them halfway.
Only a few people knew about Prince Bao's late-night trip out of the city, and Zhou Xuan was one of them. He looked at the black cloth coffin and twitched the corner of his mouth.
From now on, no one will say that his family, Xiao Liu, is not stingy. I really want them to see his elder brother, Youzhou Jiedu Envoy.
This is the real lawless demon king.
Who is Prince Bao? The eldest brother of the late emperor, the uncle of the current emperor, had a settlement of 13,000 households, and his status was extremely noble. Although the royal family has declined, if such a high-ranking royal family member really does anything good... Zhou Xuan thought about it carefully. He circled around and took another look at the fully armed Qilin Guards and the extremely arrogant coffin.
A strange sense of plainness suddenly arose in my heart, as if it should be like this.
It doesn't matter if it's a prince. When we get to Langge, if it's a dragon, it has to lie down, and if it's a snake, it has to be coiled. Besides, Prince Bao is also involved in the matter of Hui Yi Bow/Crossbow. Thinking about it, he knows that his brother will not let them go. Prince Nabao also knew it.
That's why he sneaked away while his brother and sister-in-law were not in Langge, taking only the eldest son and the princess with him, leaving behind all the other sons, grandsons, and concubines in the house.
There was a coldness in the corner of Zhou Xuan's mouth.
Soon the group of them arrived at the residence of Prince Bao. Zhao Qingshan shook his folding fan and looked at the glittering golden residence of Prince Bao. The majestic lion in front of the door was made of white marble, and the golden steps were majestic.
The late Emperor was very kind to Prince Bao. He sent three thousand craftsmen to build the Prince's residence for him in advance. When he took office, he also brought with him dancers, musicians, palace maids, servants, doctors, and eunuchs. The number of people he served alone was countless, and there were two more. Thousands of soldiers, ten thousand households of food and towns. Later, because the lord defeated the Turks, the late emperor was very happy and gave Prince Bao another three thousand households.
In addition to his position as prince, Prince Bao also served as the Governor of Langge. He had his own official residence, the Governor's Mansion, and he also had his own team.
In order to allow Prince Bao to compete with his lord, the late emperor gave him a lot of extraordinary treatment, but it was useless. Youzhou was very hostile to people from Chang'an, and no one listened to him. Did Prince Bao come to Langge? In the past few years, his team in the Governor's Mansion have been dying and scattered. Most of the officials in the mansion are just decorations and have been completely ignored by the lord. The actual internal affairs are still in the hands of the Jiedushi Lord's faction.
Prince Bao's life has been particularly difficult this year. Ever since Tuoba Agu found out about the Huiyi Bow/Crossbow, the lord has become more and more strict with Prince Bao's mansion. It can be said that under the control of the lord, the noble Prince Bao and his family are almost In jail.
It's just that this cell is very big and beautiful. In Langge, there are countless pairs of eyes staring at them secretly. The eldest son of Prince Bao has long since asked to be named the heir king and the heir king of Bao. The other sons have been named county princes and county princes. The king's son was granted the title of Duke. Except for the married women, the large family of Prince Bao is now equivalent to the piece of fish I use as fish meat.
They have no power to fight back.
As for why Zhao Qingshan knows so much, it is naturally because he is now the chief official of the Governor's Office and the top leader of the Governor's Office. Previously, the Lord handed over the rights of the Governor's Office because of Prince Bao's recognition, and was a little more relaxed towards Prince Bao. .
Looking at it now, it is hard to say that Prince Bao had some ulterior motives and wanted to sell him a good deal for his lord, although whether he sold him well or not would not change his situation.
Sometimes Zhao Qingshan felt that the current Holy Emperor was really cruel to this uncle. He never officially issued an edict to bring Prince Bao back, and allowed him to take empty posts in Chang'an like other royal family members. Instead, he kept him in the He came here, and from the looks of it, the Holy Spirit was very kind to him.
Except for Prince Bao's eldest son, he also made Prince Bao's other sons county princes, his daughter was made princess, and his grandson was also made princess and duke. This is very rare, and Prince Bao's family has said so. The names are all very bluffing.
But in reality, they enjoy nothing in Langge.
When Zhou Shen dismounted, he looked at the closed gilded door of Prince Bao's Mansion. The four characters of Prince Bao's Mansion above were dazzling in the sunlight.
A few days ago, Prince Si and Princess Si led a group of princes to visit him and asked him with hidden sadness to let them take Prince Bao to Chang'an for medical treatment.
Now, he wanted to see if Prince Bao was sick.
Xiao Qingxue followed her stepbrother and saw that there was no guard outside the door. Was she hiding?
Lu Siyuan stepped forward and clicked the golden copper ring.
The door was opened almost instantly.
King Baosi stood inside the door with a group of people, surrounded by guards. When he saw the large coffin covered with black cloth behind Zhou Shen, his face instantly turned pale as paper, and his forehead was covered with cold sweat in the winter.
"May I ask, Major General, why you are here?" King Baosi was a middle-aged man with slightly white hair. He straightened his waist slightly and tried his best to not look too weak.
"When my father learned that Prince Bao was seriously ill, he sent me to visit him with gifts," Zhou Shenzhi said.
Everyone in Prince Bao's Mansion looked at what was obviously a coffin board, and for a moment they stood there in shock, anger, and fear.
"Siyuan, send in father's gift." Zhou Shenzhi said.
"You, you can't come in!" King Baosi took the lead and shouted loudly, and then asked the guards in the palace to stop him. He said at the same time: "My father is seriously ill and it is not suitable to see people. The young general should bring gifts back."
Lu Siyuan and the Qilin Guards were like hungry tigers attacking sheep, especially the Qilin Guards, who were all big and round and fierce. They pushed the guards in the palace away like chickens, and then worked together to place the coffin in the open space of the courtyard and shouted Vibration.
The royal family members who were hiding behind huddled together in panic, and faint sounds of crying could be heard.
Xiao Qingxue secretly glanced at her brother.
This, this is a little different from what she expected. She thought the people who came out would be very arrogant and domineering, and arrogant. As a result, everyone in Prince Bao's Mansion was more superficial than she thought. Instead, they were the ones who One side is like the villain.
"Come here! Butler! Throw it out!" King Baosi roared angrily.
Zhou Shenzhi looked at him with a calm expression: "Your Highness, this is a sick gift from my father to Prince Bao. Please don't waste my father's thoughts."
King Baosi's face turned as red as a pig's liver, his fingers were trembling and he could not speak. In a mixture of shock and anger, he rolled his eyes and fainted.
Everyone in the palace quickly carried him to the backyard and made a fuss.
Zhou Shenzhi looked at it for a while and said to her sister: "Okay, the gift has been given and you have seen it. It's time for us to go back."
Xiao Qingxue said oh, and went back with her stepbrother very obediently.
Not long after they left.
In the palace of Prince Bao, an old man with gray hair walked out in brocade clothes. He looked at the coffin in the courtyard. His beard was trembling with anger, his blood was rising, and he was so angry that he jumped on his feet and said: "Why don't you chop it up for me?" ! Keep it to curse me to death?!"
Prince Bao Si, who had been sleeping all the time, and his family hugged Prince Bao's legs and said tremblingly: "Father, what if Zhou Manzi comes to see it on a whim one day?" No matter how angry he was, he would only dare to throw it out. Dare you break it.
Princess Bao was helped by her slaves to sit on the rosewood chair. She was so angry that she couldn't breathe. She threw the tea set on the table and cried: "What kind of life are I living every day? What on earth did I create?" What kind of sin did I have to marry into your family? It would be better for me to hang myself with a piece of white silk tonight than to be guarded as a prisoner."
Everyone gathered around Princess Bao to comfort her again. The noisy Prince Bao's ears hurt. He stood up suddenly and fell heavily next to the coffin. The black coffin had a strong smell of paint and was pungent. Just made new.
Prince Bao fell down next to the coffin and thought of what he had done before. He who always paid attention to health and longevity seemed to have grown old in an instant. He thought of a lot, of his brother the late emperor who was a talkative but a snake-hearted man, and of the man-eating tiger with a smiling face. The nephew of the current Holy Father.
The old man looked at the sky and saw a three-inch hole that had trapped him for more than ten years.
"He is taking revenge on us..." Prince Bao murmured, feeling extremely depressed.
After returning to Zhou's residence, Zhou Shenzhi handled official duties for a while before returning to his Biluo Pavilion, and then entered his study.
His study room is very large. His father doesn't like reading, but he has to read.
After practicing calligraphy for a while, Zhou Shenzhi sat on a chair, listening to the sound of the cold wind whistling outside the window. He let the Shuqin outside the door come in and told him to go outside the city to see where his father's team was. If it was close, he would Just go out to greet them, if there is no trace of their father, forget it.
After Shuqin left.
Xie Deyong walked in leisurely carrying a plate of grapes.
