In the afternoon of the second day of November, in Langzhou Post House.
Li Congjia, Prince of Zheng, who had been ordered by Li Yuan to "serve" him here for many days, was sitting in the dilapidated thermal pavilion with a melancholy look on his face. His slightly swollen face had a pair of cloudy eyes full of anger and helplessness, and he had gained weight earlier. His body now looks much thinner.
It's not that Li Yuan treated her harshly, as he had daily fine wines and delicacies without interruption, but since he was imprisoned due to the failure of the previous incident, Li Congjia felt sick even when he smelled the air in Langzhou, let alone the food in Langzhou.
With a "hoo!", the door curtain suddenly lifted. In Li Congjia's subconscious reaction of panic, he saw Zhang Zi from the Zhongshu House running in from outside. He reported in a low voice with excitement on his face: "Your Highness, Minister Han is here again. It's us." You can go back to Beijing..."
Like a rainbow falling after a heavy rain, Li Congjia's heart was beating wildly. He didn't care about the loss of etiquette. He hurriedly stood up and took a few steps forward. He took Zhang Zi's equally thin arm and said, "Quick! Invite him in quickly!"
Han Xizai walked in with a serious face. Li Congjia took two steps and grabbed the arm of his former political enemy. His eyebrows were filled with joy. After thinking about it for a while, he showed a humble expression and said: "I have a lot of work for you recently, Minister Han! This king is destined to be here for the rest of his life." Don’t forget the kindness of Minister Han’s rescue! So Li Yuan is willing to let me return to the capital? I don’t want to suffer here anymore..."
Everyone in the civil and military circles of the dynasty knew that it was precisely because of King Zheng's ascension that King Yan's position became more and more dangerous. Although Han Xizai had always looked down on and even disliked the hypocritical and exaggerated Li Congjia, he still had a different identity. Considering his status as a prince, he remained reserved and calmly helped Li Congjia back to sit on the side of the cave. He then stepped back a few steps, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please sit down and talk! Even if you are a favor to save me, I will accept it as a low-ranking officer." Sorry.
You were kidnapped by gangsters in Langzhou and were frightened. The person who rescued you was Governor Li. This time it was him who took the initiative to negotiate with the court, and your Majesty ordered your subordinates to come here to take you back. Therefore, if you want to thank me for this matter, you should thank the Governor. "
As soon as Li Yuan was mentioned, Li Congjia's face was immediately filled with gloom, but he did not dare to vent it. After all, he wanted to return to Beijing without Han Xizai's care. He just quietly squeezed his knuckles and made a few crisp sounds in the quiet and tense air. .
Han Xizai just glanced at Zhang Zi, who was also pale next to him, and continued calmly: "Your Highness, you must be wondering why I asked for this job, but I don't know how to explain it to you. However, Your Highness, please Don’t worry, since I’m here under the emperor’s orders, I will do my best and will definitely send you back to Jinling safely.”
Li Congjia hesitated for a moment, nodded and said with a bitter smile: "This is a hard job. You, Minister Han, are one of the most talented men in our court. The famous man next to my father is supposed to be reciting poems and writing poems on the banks of the Qinhuai River, but he can travel thousands of miles." The hard work has been so hard. This king will still remember this kindness in my heart. I know that you have always been on good terms with my eldest brother. The relationship between us may be a bit tense, but it will not be like this in the future."
Han Xizai was slightly shocked. Li Congjia had a reputation for being domineering since he entered the court. How could he be able to say such decent things after being imprisoned for a period of time? Could it be that the soil and water here in the governor's place can educate people? Regardless of whether he is true or false, everyone loves to hear nice words, right?
He coughed a few times to cover up the panic in his heart. Of course, Han Xizai would not be confused by Li Congjia's few words, so he smiled and said, "Your Highness is serious. When you return to Jinling safely, I hope you can concentrate on political affairs and not be fooled by villains again." It's all about deception. As for your love for me, I am very grateful, but this is a matter of duty and there is no need to do so."
Li Congjia's eyes were red and he almost shed tears when he said: "I am speaking from the bottom of my heart, Minister Han. Do you know that I have been trapped here and have never had a good night's sleep? I finally waited for the news from the court. First, When I see you, it's like rain comes after a long drought. If you don't recognize this kindness, how will I feel in my heart? This king...this king..."
Zhang Zi on the side saw Li Congjia showing such true feelings for the first time, and felt inexplicably sad. Then he looked at Han Xizai's purple robe, which was obviously much newer and neater than his own, and he was filled with jealousy.
But if you think about it carefully, in the past, when they were with Prince Zheng, their relationship was naturally positioned as a master-servant relationship. This time, I almost gave up my life for Prince Zheng. After returning to Beijing, how could Prince Zheng not be able to reuse him in the future? Zhang Zi suddenly felt ecstatic in his heart, turning away from the loneliness he had just felt.
Seeing Li Congjia's tears rolling down his face, his dry and white lips trembling slightly in front of him, Han Xizai couldn't help but feel emotional. He raised his head and looked around at the dilapidated and harsh environment. As the weather got colder, there was still a small breeze blowing from the roof. He couldn't help but Zhu shook his head.
This seemingly empathic action immediately made Li Congjia cry even more sadly. Even Zhang Zi also cooperated with his nose and tears, but what Han Xizai was thinking in his heart was that the governor was too cruel. He is a prince after all, so why not send him on his way with dignity...
There was a feeling of sadness in the room when a rough voice came from outside: "Is Minister Han in there?"
Hearing this, Li Congjia and Zhang Zi quickly came to their senses and straightened their messy clothes and hair buns. They heard the sound of footsteps and Zhu Kuangcong had entered the house.
Zhu Kuangcong, who opened the curtain and entered, shouted "Han Shilang Han Shilang" loudly. After entering the room, he saw Li Congjia and Zhang Zi with tears in their eyes. He glared a few times with disdain, and then asked in confusion: "Shilang Han, what's wrong with them, Your Highness?"
Han Xizai replied in a deep voice: "Master Zhu, why are you so unruly? I am discussing something with His Highness Prince Zheng, why did you suddenly barge in on your own?"
Zhu Kuangcong understood the friendship between Minister Han and the Governor, so he just scratched his head and said with a smile: "Hey, aren't I anxious to find you? You have to go back tomorrow, right?"
Then he sneered and said: "Hey, Your Highness, why are you crying again? Could it be that my chief governor has wronged you during these days?"
It seemed that the fear in his bones was awakened. You must know that Zhu Kuang once pulled his neck like a chicken on the day when the evil star came. How could Li Congjia dare to cause trouble at this juncture? He subconsciously touched the back of his neck and reluctantly squeezed. He showed a smile and said: "No, no, the governor treated me very well! I heard that I was going to return to the capital, so I asked Minister Han about some things. Just now, I suddenly thought of my mother, so I felt sad."
Zhang Zi hurriedly agreed: "Yes, your highness thinks of the queen, so he feels sad."
Zhu Kuangcong was confused, scratched his head and said: "Isn't he going back to Beijing tomorrow? The Queen will be able to see her soon, so why are she still sad? It's really strange."
Li Congjia and Zhang Zi were embarrassed and speechless, and could only pretend to be confused.
"Zhu Du, why are you so eager to ask me for advice?" Han Xizai asked.
