Xiao Luolan leaned against the chariot wall and looked at the two of them with a smile. One was dull and the other was green.
I sighed in my heart, it’s great to be young.
The most innocent youth.
I don’t know what Clan Master Zhou was like when he was young. Xiao Luolan recalled every moment from when he met Clan Master Zhou and found that he couldn’t imagine it.
..
Chapter 144
"Brother is here too."
Xiao Qingxue stood next to her mother and whispered. She stuck her head out to take a sneak peek and then immediately retracted. There were Qilin guards outside Prince Bao's Mansion, all wearing armor and holding swords. However, the guards of Prince Bao's Mansion could not be seen. Qin Feng, the guard of the Qilin Guards, was talking to her stepbrother.
"With so many people, is it possible that daddy is going to confiscate Prince Bao's house?" Xiao Qingxue thought curiously. She held the snowball in her arms and stood on tiptoes to look around. She didn't find Prince Bao's family. She also I remember that the last time she came with her brother, the housekeeper and guards of the Prince's Mansion were still standing in front of her, but now that her father came, they didn't even dare to show off.
"Even if Prince Bao's house is confiscated, it will still be confiscated by the emperor."
Xiao Luolan didn't know why Clan Master Zhou came to Prince Bao's Mansion. He should be pursuing the matter of Huiyi's three-bed bow/crossbow. However, if Clan Master Zhou ransacked Prince Bao's house out of anger, his name would not sound good. In everything, he must have a correct name. Only when you are famous can you do things naturally. Prince Bao is still a prince no matter how you say it.
"I was just guessing." Xiao Qingxue was about to take another look when she suddenly noticed that her stepbrother glanced towards them. She was so frightened that she quickly hid back: "Mom, brother seems to have discovered me."
Seeing that Mrs. Xiao was a little nervous, Tuoba Amu said, "Prince Bao's Mansion is always under surveillance. If we come in here, the Qilin Guards in the dark should have gotten the news a long time ago."
as expected.
Zhou Shenzhi walked down the steps and walked straight to his mother and A-mei. He was not surprised when he saw Tuoba Amu. When he saw that the carriage was parked far away and there were no escorts around, he knew that they wanted to come quietly.
Zhou Shenzhi first bowed to his mother and said with a smile: "Mom, Amei, are you here to see my father?"
Xiao Luolan felt relieved. If Shen Zhi asked her and Qingxue why they came here suddenly, she couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him that Qingxue was playful and wanted to watch the fun.
"I saw it was almost evening, so I wanted to go home with my father and brother to have something to eat, so I brought my mother to see you." Xiao Qingxue said with an idea.
The smile on Zhou Shenzhi's face grew wider: "I know, but my father is currently a guest at Prince Bao's Mansion. It's cold outside. Mother, why don't you go in together and wait a while? I will lead the way for mother."
"Thank you, brother." Xiao Qingxue smiled like a little fox.
"In that case, please be careful." Xiao Luolan thought to herself and smiled at Shen Zhi. After getting along for a long time, she became more and more fond of Shen Zhi's character.
"Amu, you come too." Zhou Shenzhi said with a smile. He couldn't leave alone here. Besides, Tuoba Agu is his father's adopted son. No matter what, Zhou Shenzhi will give all the gifts outside. .
Tuoba Amu looked at the calm smile in Zhou Shenzhi's eyes. Zhou Shenzhi turned the jade ring on his thumb with his fingers, his smile unchanged.
"Let's go." Zhou Shenzhi led the way while introducing Prince Bao's Mansion to his mother and sister. The Prince's Mansion is naturally luxurious and noble. As a prince's mansion, it was built with the largest specifications. The late emperor made an exception. A large piece of land was also granted to him. The backyard of Prince Bao's Mansion encompassed three mountains and two lakes, and was used as a place to enjoy the scenery during leisure time. In addition to the palace maids, there were also imperial doctors, chamberlains, eunuchs, weaving workshops, clothing courtyards, and purchasing bureaus. It was like a small royal palace. No wonder everyone at that time praised the late emperor for his deep brotherhood. He was praised by everyone inside and outside the court. Even the current emperor often sends maids and eunuchs to serve Prince Bao, which gave the old prince a lot of face.
Xiao Luolan looked at the exquisitely decorated palace courtyards and felt a chill in her heart for the late emperor.
She learned from the book that the other princes and princes had always held empty positions and only lived in Chang'an to build their own mansions. No royal relative had ever truly come to his fiefdom to become a local emperor.
Especially Prince Bao, a local emperor who is not worthy of his name.
When they arrived in front of the main courtyard of the prince's palace, Xiao Luolan looked at the coffin parked in the courtyard through the veil. She could not hear any sounds in the palace. The palace maids and eunuchs huddled together, and the palace guards were surrounded by Qilin guards holding swords. .
Xiao Qingxue looked at the coffin and was a little surprised. She thought that this thing would be chopped up and burned as firewood by the angry people in the palace, but she didn't expect that it was still kept. Not only that, it was also built on top of the coffin. A small shed…
Is her father so scary in front of outsiders?
"Father is in the main hall." Zhou Shenzhi said.
The door to the hall is open, but there are no guards around. The wind blows and the snow falls, and the courtyard is deep and isolated from the outside world.
Zhou Xu sat at the head of the hall, with the stern-faced Zhou Xuan on his left, Cui Shizi and Zhao Qingshan below.
The owner of the palace, Prince Bao, is sitting in the first place on the right. Diagonally opposite him is Zhao Qingshan, his nominal governor-general and historian.
Prince Bao was wearing a bright red fox fur, and his old face was no longer covered with skin. The too bright red made him look like he was in his old age.
As soon as Xiao Qingxue entered the room, she was startled by the serious atmosphere here. She followed her mother carefully. When everyone in the room saw the mistress coming, they all stood up and saluted before sitting down. Zhou Xu stood up with a faint expression on his face. There was a hint of a smile on his face: "Madam is here."
Xiao Luolan sat on the chair next to Sect Master Zhou, and Xiao Qingxue sat next to A Niang, looking at Prince Bao and everyone in the hall, all of whom she knew.
It was the first time that Prince Bao saw the mistress of Youzhou. Through the curtain, he could not see her face clearly due to his dim eyesight. The old prince looked outside the door. The sunset was gorgeous and the scenery was picturesque. How many more times could he see? What about year?
The late emperor used him. After the late emperor died, his good nephew emperor continued to use him. This time Zhou Youzhou won a great victory, what would his good nephew emperor give him? Beauties, fine wine, gold, silver and jewels, the maids and guards sent from Chang'an to visit the uterus died one after another, and his good nephew sent one after another under the pretext of caring for his uncle.
His life is really useless. No matter how useless he is, he still wants to live.
The old prince put his withered hands on the rosewood chair, turned his head and smiled at Madam Jiedu, his voice was old: "I am old, and my legs and feet are inconvenient. The first time the general's wife came to my house, I couldn't arrange it." It’s really rude to entertain guests at a banquet.”
Xiao Luolan listened to Prince Bao's overly polite words and said softly: "Prince, you are too polite."
The old prince sighed.
Zhou Xu took a sip of tea and said, "Prince Bao, we have been neighbors for so many years. It is not fair for you to cause trouble behind my back."
Cui Shizi folded his sleeves and coughed: "Prince, to tell you the truth, all Wang An and Wang families in Jixing have been detained in prison. We have also investigated the relationship between the Wang family and Xu Huiqing, the minister of the Ministry of Industry of the two dynasties. Now that it’s clear, Huiyi’s three-bed bow/crossbow will be recovered soon.”
"If you still don't tell the truth about where the three bows/crossbows came from, then we are not going to be friendly with you."
The old prince turned the prayer beads on his wrist, his eyes were cloudy, and he asked another question: "My people are all under surveillance by you, and I can't leave the palace at all. Is there someone coming from the court?"
"The imperial court will send condolences to you every few years, for fear of forgetting that you are the prince." Zhao Qingshan smiled elegantly and said: "The prince is so filial and respectful to his elders. The prince should be grateful."
The old prince's face twitched, otherwise he would say that the literati's mouth, the venom-quenched bee's tail, could sting you and hurt you.
"People will come when Zhou Youzhou wins a battle." The old prince lowered his eyelids with an old look, and he made a double entendre.
Zhou Xuan, who had been silent all this time, asked, his face flushed with anger: "Fifteen years ago, wasn't it when the late emperor sent someone to reward the three armies?"
The old prince closed his eyes and murmured: "I have known that such a day would come."
Zhou Xu said in a deep voice: "Talk like a human being!" He was most annoyed by the nonsense of these damned old immortals!
The old prince trembled all over, and he said calmly: "The late emperor didn't want to do it at the beginning. At that time, Wang An was just hiding in Shigong Town, Luncheng County, as a secret chess piece."
"When you defeated the Turkic royal court in Zhou Youzhou, the late emperor was worried about your great achievements and wanted you to send your son to Chang'an. The other Jiedu envoys did this. As long as you did the same, the late emperor would not have been so ruthless. No sense."
"It was after you refused that the late emperor mixed the three bows/crossbows with the rewards given to the border soldiers and sent them to me. Since you went to Chang'an, I was the one who nominally distributed the rewards. After all, the late emperor was here At that time, I was still a somewhat powerful Prince Bao."
"Shigong Town is rich in flower rocks and black water stones. The stones are large and heavy. When Gu Chang City was first built, it was when this kind of stone was needed. I packed it in special boxes for the trained crossbowmen. They were all caught in the army and transported to Wang An, who sent them from Guchang City to Huiyina."
"Later, when you came back, I stopped and Wang An was responsible for everything. As for the crossbow/crossbow that Zhou Youzhou mentioned, it should be a conspiracy between Xu Huiqing and Wang An. I don't know anything about it."
The old prince felt regretful and said pitifully and tremblingly: "I have done such a wrong thing in my life."
Zhou Xuan threw the cup with his sleeves, spilled the tea on the floor, and said angrily: "What does it mean to make a mistake in a lifetime? This crime is unforgivable and cannot be forgiven! What is the difference between what you do and treason and endearment to the enemy?! In order to resist the Turks, Youzhou died. Thousands of soldiers, they know how heartbreaking it must be..."
Zhou Xuan's eyes were red. Although he had expected it, he was still furious the moment he learned the truth!
Xiao Luolan's face turned pale. It was the first time she faced such a dirty thing. She couldn't stop feeling sick in her heart. The evil in people's hearts was beyond her imagination. She turned a blind eye to the famine in Yuzhou just because she was worried about the disobedience of Sect Master Zhou. Worrying that the dragon chair would not be stable, he actually gave the three bows/crossbows to Huiyi with his own hands and secretly transported them...
Can a person really be so bad?
Cui Shizi took a sip of tea and found that the tea was rippled. He put down his trembling hand and coughed violently. His cheekbones turned red. Zhao Qingshan put away the folding fan with an expressionless face.
Zhou Shenzhi's eyes were cold, and Tuoba Amu sat at the back with his head lowered.
Xiao Qingxue secretly glanced at her father and found that her father's face was actually the most normal. Why wasn't he angry? Xiao Qingxue thought, she would be angry to death just listening, her face turned red with anger.
"So, you have been suffering from uneasy conscience for so many years and have not told me."
Zhou Xu touched his stubble and asked with a smile: "If I didn't ask, would you still want to go to hell with guilt?"
Prince Bao's miserable, sorrowful and regretful expression suddenly froze.
Chapter 145
In the hall, the only sound of the old prince's huffing and puffing could be heard.
Prince Bao held the armrest and looked at Zhou Youzhou walking towards him in fear, and said intermittently: "Zhou...Zhou Youzhou, the old man was also manipulated by others at that time. Why do you have to be so aggressive with an old man? Besides, I have been manipulated by you all these years." I am under house arrest here. Even though I have three thousand palaces and countless slaves, I still cannot be free. Isn't this enough?"
"And the culprit of this matter is not me at all." The old prince's last voice was slightly louder. He opened his cloudy eyes and grasped the armrest tightly with his fingers like dry branches.
Zhou Xu stood up and walked to Prince Bao with a slight smile: "You always want to say that you are just an accomplice and let me not pursue it?"
Prince Bao indeed thought so in his heart, but he really didn't dare to say it out loud. Zhou Youzhou would never be merciful to his enemies. He would only treat them equally. Besides, there were still grievances from the past. This knot could not be solved at all. Zhou Xu's only son It has not been sent to Chang'an. This has always been a concern of the late emperor. Now this disease has been passed on to his nephew, and he has also been
Living under someone else's roof, everyone is a slave, and I am a fish and meat. It is sad for a dignified prince to fall into such a situation! hateful!
Zhou Xu looked at Prince Bao and said slowly: "You are a prince. You are the son of a dragon when you are born. You have a status above ten thousand people and are served by hordes of servants around you. You see, even if you were sent to the remote place of Langge by the late emperor, In a bitter and cold land, he will still send people to provide you with good food and drink, so that you will not be wronged."
Zhou Xu patted the old prince's face with a whip, always with a smile on his face: "Langge has a population of 13,000 households, and rewards are endless. You are a filial piety and respect for the elderly that the late emperor and the emperor have shown to the world. flag."
The old prince's face turned red because of this insulting move, and he was too angry to speak.
"To me, you are the representative of the Holy One who lives in peace with me. But on a snowy night last month, you ran away secretly. Wouldn't the prince's doing so chill my heart and make the Holy One more suspicious of me?"
Prince Bao was so angry at Zhou Youzhou's shameless words that his vision went dark. What a representative of peaceful coexistence, he was obviously a hostage here. He was detained in this bitter cold place, under surveillance, and lived in fear all day long.
Everyone in the world knows that you, Zhou Xu, are about to quarrel with his emperor's nephew. Plus, as soon as the Huiyi bow/crossbow is released, he won't take the opportunity to run away. Will you, Zhou Manzi, kill the sacrificial flag?
"Zhou Youzhou is right." The old prince coughed and said weakly: "I have figured it out at such an old age. Now I just want to stay in Langge and live my life peacefully, and no longer want to interfere with the outside world. .”
Zhou Xu put his hand on Prince Bao's shoulder.
Prince Bao trembled all over.
"The prince is highly virtuous and has set an example for the royal family in the world. I believe that the prince's character will not fall in line with other wolves, right?" Zhou Xu asked with a smile.
Prince Bao looked at the face that looked like a ghost, his thoughts changed rapidly, the sweat on his face instantly fell down, and there was cold sweat on his forehead. Zhou Xu specifically mentioned the Hui Yi bow/crossbow earlier this week. Needless to say, this time Hui Yi won a great victory. The nephew must have sent someone here. Does Zhou Youzhou mean that he should be asked to testify in person if there is a chance? Throwing dirty water on the emperor's nephew... No, it's not dirty water. After all, the three-bed bow/crossbow thing is true, but if he shakes it out, where will the late emperor's face, the nephew's face, and the royal family's face go? put?
This is to be a sinner for the ages!
The old prince's face turned pale. Once the truth came out, the world would be in rebellion!
No, no... The old prince almost subconsciously shook his head, but as soon as he looked up, he saw Zhou Youzhou's eyes, which were cold and chilling, like a blade, sharp and piercing the heart.
"I...Old man..." Prince Bao said with difficulty: "I, old man, think about it again."
"I hope the prince will think it over carefully."
Zhou Xu sat back on the chair again, resting his hands on the armrests of the high rosewood chair, and holding the handle of the golden black whip in his right hand. The soft whip was very long, with a long length hanging down to the ground. The fine lapis lazuli bricks were carved with The complex patterns are discernible in light, reflecting the black and golden color of the black whip.
The old prince stared at the slightly dazzling golden light. His heart was so heavy that he couldn't breathe. He reluctantly raised his head. In addition to Zhou Youzhou, he could also see the woman beside Zhou Youzhou. The light green veil directly covered his whole body, as if he was wearing a blanket. There were layers of mist in the mountains and the hazy curtains made it even harder to see clearly.
She must be Zhou Youzhou's wife.
