"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince would like to see you."
Lu Wuji was talking to Qin Youan when suddenly the little eunuch's voice came from outside.
He straightened his back immediately and let out a long sigh of relief for no reason.
"Let him in."
"My son has met my father." After Lu Zhao walked in, he bowed respectfully.
Just looking at him, dressed in black brocade clothes and with a calm expression, he seems to be no different from the prince who was strategizing before.
Lu Wuji's eyes quickly turned around on him, and he asked slightly curiously: "Did the tiger catch it?"
Lu Zhao looked up, seeming a little surprised, and quickly replied: "Returning to my father, no."
Lu Wuji immediately frowned and said in a dissatisfied tone: "What's going on? Could it be that I, the prince of Northern Qi, can't even catch a tiger now? How can you lead Northern Qi to victory?"
Lu Zhao said calmly: "Father, this tiger is not the prey of my son, but the crown prince's. She must catch it herself and not let others interfere. The guards on the side are also mainly protective."
"The Crown Princess wants to hunt a tiger, so let her hunt slowly. What's the point of running after you? Now you have figured it out and are coming back to the palace?" Lu Wuji raised his eyes and looked at him, sneering secretly in his heart. .
I thought to myself, this kid can't hold it in any longer.
After hanging out with women for a few days, his brothers invaded the court one by one. Even if they suppressed their temper and did not win over the powerful officials, they gradually emerged and attracted the attention of the courtiers, which was definitely detrimental to the prince.
If there is a discussion about establishing another prince again in the future, I am afraid that the chances of winning for other princes will increase a lot.
Even if Lu Zhao lost his memory, he should know that if he lost his position as prince, it would only be more difficult for him.
"No, the scenery in the Northern Qi Dynasty is very beautiful in winter, but it is difficult to see the scenery of the Northern Kingdom in Jicheng. I want to go out with the Crown Princess to see the beautiful mountains and rivers, and I sincerely ask my father for permission." Lu Zhao said calmly.
When Lu Wuji heard this, he felt his head buzzing.
His first reaction was that he heard wrongly. At this juncture, how could the prince think about running away instead of staying to take back the lost ground in the court? Did he voluntarily give up his inheritance rights?
But seeing the prince's calm state, he knew that he had heard correctly. Lu Zhao really said what he just said.
"You want to go out for a sightseeing tour? How long will you go and where will you go?"
"It may be ten and a half months, or it may be longer. It depends on how many days Father can approve. In the limited time, I hope to visit a unique place." Lu Zhao answered quickly, obviously he had already made this decision in his heart. Intend.
When Lu Wuji heard this, he almost laughed out of anger.
"If I approve your life, will you die outside and never come back?" He sneered.
It was an obviously annoyed tone.
Lu Zhao immediately saluted and said in a solemn tone: "Father, how can I be such an unfilial son? My parents are here, so I won't travel far. I don't remember anything recently, so I just want to take a look around. It's not too much." For a long time, I will come back after reading it and fulfill my filial piety by my father and mother."
"Okay, you go, because you are going out with a woman, you are not clear-headed. But I have also informed you in advance that when you come back, I am afraid that the position of the prince will change hands. You must be mentally prepared ."
Lu Wuji felt his teeth sore as he listened to his words of filial piety. This man had lost his memory, and his behavior was really different.
If it were Lu Zhao before, he would never say such disgusting words, it would sound very hypocritical.
Even if he came back to fulfill his filial piety, it was for the queen and not for himself.
Lu Wuji was unhappy after hearing this, so he naturally stated the threat directly. He wanted to see Lu Zhao's reaction and see if this big boy was really as indifferent as he appeared on the surface.
When Lu Zhao heard this, he couldn't help but raise his eyelids and frowned slightly. It was obvious that he couldn't really remain frightened.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking again: "Father, ever since I woke up, I have been unfamiliar with everything around me and have forgotten many things. But as the prince of Northern Qi, I must be very familiar with the local customs and customs of Northern Qi. I understand very well, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to share my father’s worries, but now my mind is completely blank.”
"The main reason why Erchen raised this matter was because he wanted to get to know Northern Qi again. As for using the excuse of accompanying the Crown Princess on a trip, it was the idea that Erchen came up with after the Princess learned about it because he was worried and had trouble sleeping day and night. As the Crown Prince, Erchen Firstly, I can't share my father's worries, and secondly, I don't even know much about the country's conditions. If word spreads, I'm afraid it will cause turmoil. If the people's hearts are unstable because of my son, I will be even more guilty."
"The Crown Princess is a virtuous woman. If I get a wife like this, what else can I ask for? I don't want to let her heart down, and I can't deceive you. I can only confess after I have said it. Please forgive me."
After Lu Zhao said such a long series of words, Lu Wuji was immediately confused.
His good eldest son has always been ruthless and talkative, and will do anything if he doesn't accept it.
Even though he was tortured before, he never said a word, but now that he has lost his memory, he just said the same thing in order to go out and play.
After he reacted, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Is his pretentious eldest daughter-in-law really so virtuous?
I didn't notice it at all before. Did he make a mistake?
"Come on, I agree, just don't regret it." He didn't want to listen to these nonsense anymore.
The memorials are almost piling up, and the Ninth Five Emperor has no interest in thinking about them now. After the prince lost his memory, he really focused on the love between his children and planned these trivial matters all day long, and he had no time to pay attention to them.
"My dear, thank you."
Lu Zhao seemed to sense that he was in a hurry to kill himself, and after briefly expressing his gratitude, he left.
After he left, Lu Wuji sat in front of the Long Case. He did not directly open the memorial and start reviewing it. Instead, he tapped his fingers on the table and frowned, obviously thinking about something.
"Your Majesty, do you want the Shadow Guard to keep an eye on you?" Qin Youan asked proactively.
After Lu Wuji thought for a moment, he waved his hand: "No need, stay away from the center of the court at this time. Regardless of whether the prince's amnesia is real or fake, it means he is withdrawing at this moment. The second and third sons are not honest either, and the shadow guards are not manpower enough. , If you follow the prince blindly, what you can spy on is just how loving he and the prince are, so don’t watch it!”
After Lu Zhao left the palace, he saw a carriage waiting for him.
He directly raised the car curtain and went up. Chen Xueying poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.
"Drink a cup of snow pear white tea to get rid of bad luck."
When Lu Zhao heard this, he couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips, obviously amused by her, and slowly drank a cup of tea.
"Where do you want to go?" he asked, putting down his tea cup.
"Ask me why. This is the place where you were born and raised. You should fulfill your duties as a landlord. I'm just a passerby." She shook her head.
When Lu Zhao heard the word "passer-by", he immediately frowned, obviously dissatisfied.
"I'm not just a passerby. Your princess mansion is built in Jicheng, and you are also the owner here."
"What's the princess's mansion?" She chuckled.
"You look down on the princess? The princess is like a golden branch, jade leaf, and a body of gold."
"Bah, how could I look down on myself? It's obviously you Beiqi who don't look down on me. Not to mention the princess, even the queen can't even walk through the main entrance of your Beiqi, haha." She sneered, with a full expression of ridicule on her face.
Obviously, she has always been worried about this rule of Northern Qi.
"Rules are dead, people are alive. When you become queen, these rules will change."
As the carriage gradually left the palace gate, he spoke calmly, his tone was firm, and his face was very calm, but people could clearly feel the weight of it.
It seemed as if what he said would definitely come true.
Chen Xueying raised her chin and said nonchalantly: "I hope this is not empty talk. I am waiting for that day."
It was no secret that they left Jicheng. On the contrary, as soon as the convoy left the city gate, the news was divided into several copies and placed on the desks of certain powerful officials.
Of course, the two ambitious princes also received the news and were immediately shocked.
They all suspected that the news was false. With Lu Zhao's competitive character, it was impossible for him to leave at this time. It was like the trumpet of war had sounded, but he had become a deserter.
The prince, who had led the Northern Qi soldiers to countless victorious battles, would never allow this situation to exist.
But they sent waves of people to investigate, and the results came back that the prince was not pretending to be someone else, but really left with the princess.
And there was no possibility of hiding the prince in either the East Palace or the Princess Mansion. Even when the couple left, they took all the people they could with them, obviously for fear of encountering danger on the road.
Faced with this situation, after the two princes calmed down, they were both ecstatic.
At the same time, he was not satisfied with the status quo, so he naturally took advantage of his illness to kill him.
Various voices began to appear in the court to test the emperor's attitude.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are leaving Jicheng now. They are still fully armed and have taken all their belongings with them. It is really disturbing."
"His Royal Highness has led troops before, and there are many soldiers who are familiar with the border armies. I suggest that you send letters to a few generals first and ask them to take care of them."
The first minister who jumped out was very straightforward and sounded very harsh.
But the second one sounded much nicer. He made up high-sounding reasons. He said he was taking care of him, but in fact he was monitoring him. He also sent a letter to the generals in advance, which also meant to beat him.
Lu Wuji was not in a hurry to speak, but listened silently to the bickering below.
Naturally, there were people in the court who helped the prince, but not all of them were kind-hearted, and some had ulterior motives mixed in, adding fuel to the fire.
He sneered in his heart, as expected, none of his sons were fuel-efficient lamps.
Before, when Lu Zhao was the prince, he acted forcefully, and he never lost in the monthly melees, all of which were complete victories, making it difficult for his younger brothers to compete.
At that time, the court was not as lively as this, and there were not so many people who dared to stand up against the prince.
But now that the tea has cooled down, this is definitely not a scene Lu Wuji wants to see.
When Lu Zhaohao was the crown prince, Lu Wuji was wary of him, fearing that his brave, resourceful, young and promising son would rebel and seize the throne.
But now that Lu Zhao had temporarily retreated, many of the courtiers and princes who usually did not dare to say a word jumped out to attack, and Lu Wuji looked down upon them.
This group of talents is really unable to support the wall, and they dare to pick on the prince.
"Your Majesty, Yuzhou is here to report." Qin Youan handed over a secret letter.
The originally noisy court fell silent, and everyone was very concerned about this urgent letter.
The news that can be delivered in the middle of the court is obviously extremely important.
Lu Wuji opened the secret letter and after reading it carefully, he couldn't help but sigh.
"The prince was assassinated on the road. Fortunately, he had enough people with him, otherwise he would have become a dead soul by the sword at this moment."
As soon as he said these words, the palace fell into a deathly silence. The courtiers who had been chattering non-stop before were like gourds with their mouths sawed, and they did not dare to speak easily anymore.
"Why aren't you talking? Didn't you just say it eloquently? Are you afraid that the prince will bring too many people with him because he will gather people to rebel? In my opinion, you don't want him to take too many people with him, so you just hope that he will be on the way. If something unexpected happens, let’s make arrangements for you, right?”
Lu Wuji asked coldly, and his remarks were really heart-breaking, completely revealing the shady thoughts of everyone in the hall, and he directly laid it out and made it clear.
"Your Majesty, I forgive you. I have no intention of doing so." Someone immediately saluted and begged for mercy.
Crowds of people knelt down in the hall, Lu Wuji snorted coldly, and did not continue to pursue the matter, but dropped the topic.
As for Lu Zhao, who is at the center of the discussion, he is currently in a house in Yuzhou, recovering from his injuries, but actually lying around with nothing to do.
"It's all my fault for you. We've just arrived at the first place and are being detained in the mansion. What's the difference between this and being in the palace?" Chen Xueying frowned and said in a complaining tone.
In order to pretend to be recovering from her injuries, she couldn't go out. After all, the entire convoy was attacked and the prince was injured. She, the princess, had no intention of going out to play, so she could only stay in the house to accompany him.
"It's okay. When those people in the court see me leaving, they will definitely give the old man eye drops. If I get hurt at this time, I will get rid of countless troubles. After that, there will be fewer people watching us. Even if there are still people watching , and I won’t read a book from time to time.”
Lu Zhao comforted her softly, but for Chen Xueying who couldn't go anywhere, his comfort could be completely ignored.
The man took out a booklet and waved it in front of her.
Chen Xueying raised her head and glanced at it, and saw on the cover: Travel Notes with the Crown Princess.
"What is this? Do you want to keep a diary? Write down what you see every day?" Chen Xueying became slightly more interested and raised her hand to get it, but he avoided it.
"I haven't written it yet, so you don't need to read it. But it contains not only travel notes, but also plans for where we will go. I have arranged everything. I will make sure you feel at home and have a great time."
Chen Xueying sneered, obviously not optimistic about it.
"You don't believe what I said? I completed the one-day trip plan when I was in the palace very well. It was full of surprises. You also said that you were very satisfied." He asked proactively.
When he was in the palace before, he took her to climb mountains for sunrise, to caves, and even put on Kongming lanterns. He did bring a lot of surprises and made Chen Xueying feel his feelings, so she praised her without hesitation at that time. After a while, I hope he will continue to work hard.
Now it has become his confidence.
"I believe it, but what's the use? You can't get out. You can only write about your travels these days. You stayed on the carriage when you left the city, and stayed in the house when you entered the house. You just ran from a cage to another In another cage, if I had known this earlier, I would not have followed you out in the first place, and I would not have had to travel so hard that my waist would be sore."
As she spoke, she frowned, turned her head and twisted her neck, as if she could hear the cracking sound of bones.
Lu Zhao immediately reached out and massaged her.
He knew the acupuncture points very well, and he had a skillful hand. He also knew that Chen Xueying could not bear heavy weight, so he pressed with moderate force and felt very comfortable.
She couldn't help but close her eyes and enjoy it, completely immersed in it.
"I'll wait a few days and I'll definitely go out with you."
Lu Zhao said this not to coax her, but the movements in the court were changing rapidly.
As soon as he left Jicheng, the second prince and the third prince were secretly at odds with each other, but naturally the second prince, with the help of Concubine Yu, was better.
The third prince did not continue to compete with him, but avoided his edge and developed other forces.
Northern Qi studied with Dayan and established six departments. Originally, both of them were interested in the punishment department.
Although the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Household Affairs were more popular, these two departments, one was responsible for the appointment of hundreds of officials, and the other was the money bag, were Lu Wuji's lifeblood, and no one dared to touch them.
As for the person in charge of the army, he has never considered it. He wants to start from the Ministry of Punishment.
It's just that the third prince is not as powerful as the second prince. After several collisions, he was clearly outmatched and did not bother him. He gave up the Ministry of Justice on the spot and turned to the Ministry of Works.
Both of them achieved their goals, the party united and opposed differences, and successfully controlled their department's power.
At the same time, the two set their sights on the Ministry of Rites again.
In the Northern Qi Dynasty, the six departments were also divided into the upper three departments and the lower three departments. The Northern Qi Dynasty emphasized martial arts and neglected literature. The Ministry of Rites, which was in charge of etiquette, rules and school affairs, was naturally divided into the lower three departments, and was even ranked at the bottom.
The two of them were secretly and openly plotting against each other, and there was a strong smell of gunpowder in the court.
At this time, no one could care about the prince, only the powerful enemy in front of him.
Lu Zhao pretended to recuperate in the yard for a few days, and then left the house to play with Chen Xueying.
After the two visited Yuzhou, they went to the next place.
Sometimes they go to appreciate the landscape, and sometimes they take off their brocade clothes and put on ordinary clothes, pretending to be an ordinary couple and go out on the streets to experience folk customs.
Of course, the folk customs of the Northern Qi Dynasty were very tough, but there were also many ironic things that happened.
On this day, the two of them went wandering on the street again. There was a lantern festival in the middle of the month, and it was very lively with people coming and going.
"Would you like to guess lantern riddles?" a vendor shouted.
Chen Xueying felt itchy for a moment, so she walked over and started guessing lantern riddles.
In fact, she is not good at guessing lantern riddles. The ancients were very literate in their speech, and they were even more convoluted when it came to lantern riddles. Especially for some beautiful lanterns, the corresponding lantern riddles were also more difficult.
If she couldn't guess, Lu Zhao would take action.
Soon the servants who followed were all carrying lanterns, and Chen Xueying also held the most beautiful beauty lantern.
At this time, the sound of a gong suddenly came, and the crowd suddenly became excited.
"The Lantern Festival is about to begin!"
The so-called Lantern Festival is a long line of people carrying special lanterns parading through the streets. These lanterns are carefully selected and have various themes, and they are all very eye-catching.
Suddenly the crowd began to become crowded. Countless new tourists rushed to this street, and a passage in the middle door had to be cleared to let the lantern show pass by, and all kinds of people crowded in.
Chen Xueying was unprepared. She was protecting the beauty lantern from being damaged by crowds, but she was scattered by others.
Fortunately, there were several guards following him, squeezing through the surrounding crowd and creating a distance.
On the other hand, Lu Zhao, who was guessing lantern riddles, was squeezed a little far away. Even if he tried to push away the people around him with his inner strength, he couldn't squeeze in. There was always a new flow of people around him.
"Don't come over here, I'm safe here." Chen Xueying shouted.
Lu Zhao nodded, but his eyes never left her surroundings.
She gradually immersed herself in the Lantern Festival. The first theme that greeted her was the animal style. The twelve zodiac signs appeared in sequence, from the small mouse lantern that one person can carry, to the cow lantern that can be carried by two people, and the tiger lantern that can be carried by three people. , the rabbit became a person again.
The dragon lantern is the most spectacular, with twelve people carrying it. It is completely like a dancing dragon lantern. The dragon moves its head and tail, vividly, which makes people look at it with great interest, and there is a burst of applause from all around.
After that, there are also landscape lanterns, each of which has its own characteristics and is very popular.
This dizzying situation reminded Chen Xueying of the modern Kite Festival in Weifang, which had quite the flavor.
Finally, it ended with the theme of talented men and beautiful women. The lanterns were made of pairs of gods and couples, and there were also mandarin ducks flying together, which made the young people cheer.
"My heart is pleased with you, young lady."
At that moment, she heard someone confessing to the girl next to her. It was quite straightforward. The girl was a little shy, but since the atmosphere was right, she didn't refuse. She just covered her face with a fan and nodded lightly.
This session looks like a giant blind date scene. If there is someone who matches your eyes, you can express your feelings immediately.
The strong folk customs of the Northern Qi Dynasty are vividly reflected. Some boys and girls express their feelings directly, and some express their feelings with lanterns.
If you like someone, you send the lantern in your hand. If the other person accepts it and returns a lantern, it means that they are in love.
Chen Xueying looked outstanding, but she had her hair combed and was guarded by guards, so no one dared to get close to her. Occasionally, a few short-sighted people wanted to play rogue, but they were scared away by the guards.
When the lantern show ended and the crowd gradually dispersed, Chen Xueying thought of looking for Lu Zhao.
She turned around and saw no one. She remembered that Lu Zhao was not very far away. Could it be that he had been abducted?
"Madam, I'm over there."
The guard obviously saw her intention and raised his hand to tell her the direction.
Chen Xueying took two steps to the side before she got out of the viewing angle difference and finally saw Lu Zhao.
It turned out that he was surrounded by several people, and the one who rushed to the front was a young girl. She was holding a lamp in her hand, and she obviously wanted to give it to him, but Lu Zhao waved it away and said something else.
The corner of Chen Xueying's mouth raised slightly, obviously she wanted to watch the fun.
Lu Zhao explained a few words, but the girl didn't seem to believe it. He raised his hand and pointed in Chen Xueying's direction, and the girl instantly turned around and looked over.
The two looked at each other, and Chen Xueying could see clearly. The girl was wearing a narrow-sleeved skirt and a simple bun. Although she looked wealthy, she was easy to move around and had a handsome temperament. She seemed to have the habit of practicing martial arts.
The girl blinked her big eyes, took back the lantern in her hand, and seemed to be asking her silently.
Chen Xueying shrugged and immediately shook her head, indicating that she didn't understand what it meant. After doing this, she turned around and left.
When the girl saw that she was leaving resolutely and clearly had nothing to do with Lu Zhao, her attitude suddenly became more straightforward and she sent the lantern out again.
Chen Xueying raised the corners of her lips, obviously planning to tease Lu Zhao.
In fact, she has encountered this situation several times these days. When she first went out for a stroll, the guards were all invisible and did not show up.
But along the way, there were quite a few men and women who came out to express their feelings. Not only were the young men who were interested in her bold, but the young girls who fell in love with Lu Zhao were also passionate and couldn't resist it at all.
Suddenly a child bumped into her. Chen Xueying was slightly startled and subconsciously supported him.
Unexpectedly, the child ran away quickly without even looking at her. She immediately felt something was wrong. She reached out and touched it, but the jade pendant on her waist was missing.
The guards following him had noticed it and immediately chased one out.
Others were more alert. Chen Xueying frowned. Did she encounter a thief?
She was not afraid of encountering little thieves, but she was afraid that someone was deliberately trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain. This was just the vanguard. If there were others behind her waiting to plot, she would be in danger.
A familiar-looking man walked towards him, and the two guards immediately took a step forward to signal him not to come near.
The man immediately stopped and saluted her.
"Madam, someone is coming from my hometown and I would like to invite you to meet him.":,,
