Xiao Yu slowly put down the rice bowl in his hand, frowned, and an ominous premonition enveloped his heart.
He tried hard to sort out all the things he had experienced in these days, and he always felt that an invisible network was slowly forming, dragging him into the bottomless abyss.
"Little prince, what should I do?" Old Dongfang asked in a low voice.
Xiao Yu glanced around.
Doctor Xue was minding his own business eating wheat rice there, occasionally teasing the little girl A Guo beside him.
Dendrobium was holding a big bowl and squatting not far away to eat rice. His attention was focused on the rice and he appeared indifferent to the two people biting their ears.
Only Yun Niang seemed to understand his mood, and she was looking at him with concern, and there seemed to be a hint of worry in her black and white eyes.
Xiao Yu withdrew his gaze, lowered his gaze to the ground, thought for a moment, and whispered to Mr. Dongfang: "Don't make any announcement about this in advance. We'll talk about it when we get back to the palace!"
Old Dongfang nodded in agreement. Seeing that Xiao Yu remained calm and continued to pick up the bowl and eat with big mouthfuls, he also asked for a bowl of rice from Yun Niang and squatted down beside him to eat.
The meal was very delicious at first, but now Xiao Yu lost his appetite, but he still wanted to finish the bowl of rice.
When he had less than half the bowl left, Doctor Xue had already put down his bowl and chopsticks and said goodbye.
Yun Niang wanted to pay for the consultation, but Doctor Xue still refused and took A Guo, who was jumping up and down, out the door.
After dinner, Yun Niang cleared away the dishes and went back to the house to accompany the dog.
Xiao Yu sat in his original position and was thoughtful.
Dongfang Lao leaned against the wall and stayed with the young prince. There seemed to be some regret in his expression. He had already realized the complexity of the matter and regretted getting the young prince involved. He wanted to persuade the young prince to stop, but he didn't know how. I was a little hesitant to say anything.
Xiao Yu raised his head and glanced at Dongfang Lao, who was hesitant to speak, and lowered his eyes again.
"If you have something to say, just say it! There are no outsiders here!"
"Young prince, it's too late to get away in time! This is not our business in the first place, and don't think about that little foreigner kid. We can't afford to offend him. Alas, we will risk everything for a foreign kid. That's not worth it. We'll have to get involved by ourselves, and the prince will be hurt. I'll go to the palace with you later, and I'll tell Liu Changshi that Liu Boxuan feels that he owes someone a favor, so let him go by himself. Stop playing with them!"
"Hmm..." Xiao Yu nodded carelessly, "Is there anything else?"
"My young prince, I have some things to say that I don't know whether to say or not!"
"Tell me."
"The more I thought about it on the way back, the more I felt that those prostitutes last night and the guy named Da Xiwu I just met this morning didn't have any good intentions."
"Don't believe them all, I told you before."
"Yes, they are from the Northern Wei Dynasty. The young prince is the young prince of the Southern Qi Dynasty. They are two forces with the same power. They are so proactive in approaching us and wooing the young prince. There must be fraud in this. If the young prince is not When you become a spearman, you just want to drag the young prince into trouble."
"At first they owed me a favor, but now they want to repay the favor, or make me owe them a favor too..." Xiao Yu shook his head with a wry smile.
"The young prince is still young." Dongfang Lao shook his head, "They don't understand the intrigues in the world. They are not as good as the young prince thinks."
"Maybe there are one or two good ones!"
"In the face of interests, there is none!" Dongfang Lao said.
Xiao Yu smiled bitterly. He did not refute, but looked up at the sun, which was gradually setting to the west.
"It's time to go back!" Xiao Yu said as he stood up and stretched his muscles. "I'm going to say hello to Yun Niang! Shi Hu, get ready to leave."
Dendrobium agreed and stood up.
Just as Xiao Yu was about to walk towards the main house, he heard someone shouting outside the door behind him: "Little Prince! Is the Little Prince here?"
That was Yu Tianmin's voice.
Xiao Yu turned around in confusion, and saw Yu Tianmin rushing in with an anxious look on his face. There was someone behind him, who turned out to be Manager Cui of Xiao Yu's house.
Both of them were walking in a hurry, and when they saw the young prince here, they stopped and took a deep breath.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Yu asked.
Manager Cui couldn't catch his breath, so he said anxiously: "The eldest princess...the eldest princess is here...is she waiting for the young prince in the mansion?"
"The eldest princess..." Thinking of yesterday's events, Xiao Yu couldn't help but frown, "When did the eldest princess arrive? Was she the only one? Is there anything particularly noteworthy?"
"Little prince, the eldest princess's face doesn't look good! Little prince, go back with the old slave quickly, don't let the eldest princess wait in a hurry!"
"That is, that is."
Xiao Yu nodded blankly.
At this time, he looked calm on the outside, but inside he felt guilty like a child who had done something wrong. He didn't know what would be waiting for him when he went back.
Manager Cui was so anxious that he no longer cared about master-servant etiquette. He stepped forward and took Xiao Yu's hand and walked out.
"Little prince, little ancestor, come with me, the driver is waiting outside the door!"
Xiao Yu looked back and wanted to say goodbye to Yun Niang. He shouted: "Yun Niang, I'm leaving, take care of the dog!"
Xiao Yu had already been pulled out of the house, and Yun Niang hurriedly came out of the house. There was no one in the courtyard.
Yun Niang stood in front of the threshold, feeling anxious. She opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say.
The carriage was galloping on the streets of Jiankang City, and passers-by gave way, attracting everyone's attention.
Xiao Yu hugged his knees and huddled in a corner of the carriage, his mind spinning aimlessly.
He was eager to see Princess Yongning, but also was afraid of it. He was trapped in a contradictory cycle along the way.
At this time, he felt that time passed extremely fast. Before he could think about anything, the driver had already returned to the palace.
He jumped out of the car, abandoned the waiting servants and maids, and hurried back to Fengming Pavilion.
As soon as he entered the main hall door, he ran into Qingxue head-on.
He did not mention the actions of the past two days to Qingxue. On the one hand, he was afraid that Qingxue would object, and on the other hand, he was afraid that Qingxue would worry.
When they met again, Xiao Yu's eyes were a little dodgey.
But he noticed that Qingxue's face was not good, and her face looked tired. He thought that he must have been worried about himself in the past two days.
"Little prince, where have you been! Qingxue is worried to death! Go back to the room with the slave, and the slave will change the clothes for the young prince! I will go see the eldest princess later." When Qingxue said this, he paused slightly and looked at Xiao Yu up and down. He looked surprised, and after a moment he said slowly, "This... these are not the clothes of the young prince..."
Xiao Yu didn't speak, his eyes were as evasive as a thief. He thought of Hongxiao again, but he didn't dare to look at Qingxue, and he couldn't help but feel guilty in his heart.
He suddenly felt that Qingxue's mood was a little wrong at this time, but she was forcing a smile.
"Qingxue, I..."
Qingxue lowered her eyes and helped him straighten his clothes.
"This outfit really suits the young prince. He looks good in it... Then there is no need to change. The eldest princess is waiting for the young prince at the Lake View Pavilion. Please accompany the young prince there, please!"
Xiao Yu immediately held Qingxue's shoulders and said seriously: "No, Qingxue, I can just go by myself. Wait here for me to come back!"
After speaking, Xiao Yu turned around and hurried out.
Qingxue stood motionless, her chest rising and falling, but her mind went blank at this moment.
She felt a little wronged, and her throat felt like a ball of cotton was stuck in her throat. Unknowingly, the whole world in front of her was blurred by the tears she was holding back.
She burst out laughing, and tears could no longer hold back her eyes.
She sniffed, took a deep breath, looked in the air, and said to herself: "Besides Qingxue, does the young prince have someone he likes?"
There was no sound around her. She gathered her mood and walked out of the house with a smile.
…
The eldest princess of Yongning, Xiao Yuwan, sat alone in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. In front of her was a guqin. She gently plucked the strings with her slender fingers, and the beautiful music rippled on the sparkling lake.
She loved music when she was young, and when she was still in the boudoir, she hoped that her future husband would be a handsome young man who was proficient in all the six arts of a gentleman. The couple would add fragrance to their red sleeves, play the harp and harp in harmony, and become a couple of gods and gods.
If it really comes down to it, the consort Pan Duo should have been such a person, even above her expectations.
But on the day of her wedding, the emperor made a big fuss at the wedding banquet, which cast a haze over her supposedly happy marriage.
The consort didn't treat her badly, but he never slept with her, and he never had sex with her.
Sometimes she felt like she was a living tablet, placed in her house for people to respect and pay homage to day and night.
Being a widow like this made her feel miserable.
But now, the only things that could make her feel fulfilled, and even make her feel that she was still alive, were the endless government affairs and the emperor who always worried her.
In the past six months, there was another person who worried her, and that was the young man she was going to see today.
While he was lost, one string suddenly broke, and the three thousand wonderful sounds came to an abrupt end.
Applause suddenly came from behind her, and when she turned around, the man was standing behind her, looking at her with a smile.
Xiao Yuwan looked at him, only Yue Yu was missing. He seemed to have grown taller, his face had lost its childishness, the edges and corners on his face became more distinct, and those calm eyes looked more and more like the late emperor...
No, not the late emperor, but his father, the young King of Jiangxia.
Before Xiao Yuwan could speak, the man in front of him had already walked towards him. His gestures were becoming more manly, which seemed to be the opposite of the elegant and feminine consort Pan Duo.
The man stepped forward to look at the guqin. He seemed to know nothing about the 300-year-old guqin. He just said in a daze: "The strings are broken. I'll find someone to repair it."
Xiao Yuwan remained calm. She quietly observed this man who was already so heroic and allowed him to act mischievously in front of her.
When the man in front of him saw Xiao Yuwan looking at him without saying a word, he put down his guqin, stood aside obediently, and bowed respectfully.
"Sister Yuwan."
Xiao Yuwan suddenly wanted to laugh. What did the word "sister" mean? It seemed that the man in front of her had called her once, which seemed to be at the end of winter a few months ago.
"Brother Yu, are you okay?"
Xiao Yuwan's tone was calm and powerful, and she seemed to be a little distant.
She stared at the man in front of her, and she felt that the man in front of her was also observing her carefully.
She was guessing the other person's thoughts, and the other person was also carefully testing her.
He has never been a fool. His complicated eyes are full of thoughts, but they are not cunning or cunning.
But recently, he has been too high-profile in Jiankang City, which gradually makes Xiao Yuwan, who has been protecting him with her wings, a little bit too much.
Especially yesterday afternoon, Pei Zhi, the general on duty, hurriedly came to the palace to find her and reported Xiao Yu's trouble outside, which shocked her greatly.
She never dreamed that this bold and decisive prince would dare to use the imperial army to attack the mansion of a steward of Zhu Yi's mansion, and found a lot of shocking things in the mansion.
Pei Zhi went to discuss it with her because he was afraid, and the things in the mansion seemed to have something to do with the palace and the emperor himself.
Xiao Yuwan knew very well what kind of person Zhu Yi was. He used his power to do many despicable things. He made a lot of money for himself, took bribes to an excessive extent, and was greedy.
But his shrewd thing is to tie all the shady activities he runs to princes, nobles and even the emperor in the palace.
At that time, Xiao Yuwan really wanted to get rid of this complex of capable officials and treacherous ministers, but such a seemingly unremarkable tree with a crooked neck has been tied to the entire imperial power by relying on its infinitely extending vines.
Except for the emperor, no one could do anything to him. This made him powerful and turned him into a traitor that no one dared to touch. Some noble families even took the initiative to get close to him, and their entangled connections made his position more stable.
But now, for some reason, Xiao Yu dared to mess with him!
As wise and intelligent as Zhu Yi, once he comes to his senses, he will definitely come to Xiao Yu to seek revenge.
Zhu Yi, who had been immersed in the officialdom of the Southern Dynasties for many years, wanted to kill him. It was really easy...
As long as he is willing to fan the flames, the emperor is also willing to eliminate the roots.
But this was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the Southern Dynasty's Qi Shu.
Xiao Yu... no, a person in Xiao Yu's position is too important to the Daqi Empire.
He can fool around and do whatever he wants, but he can't offend Zhu Yi easily before he has wings.
"Prince Jiangxia, I already know what happened yesterday. Do you know what you are doing? Do you want your life?" Xiao Yuwan scolded.
Xiao Yu was stunned for a moment, opened his mouth slightly, but immediately closed it again.
"No matter what the reason is, don't have anything to do with that house, don't have anything to do with Zhu Yi, otherwise! When the disaster comes, your sister, I, or your father who is imprisoned will not be able to protect you. !”
Xiao Yu bowed and bowed, but he still didn't speak.
"I have never been able to understand what you have been doing during this period. The Overseas Chinese Community is managed by the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. However, the national treasury is tight and there is no money for temporary arrangements. You have spent all your wealth to do such a thing. What do you think? Are you doing the right thing? Do you know that some people are hating you behind your back, some are laughing at you, and most of them are just onlookers... This kind of people are the most terrifying. If they want to kill you, it will be easy. They stir up trouble in front of His Majesty, such as some people in Yushitai. No matter how distinguished and special your status is, they will definitely be involved in your sin of winning over people's hearts and gathering people to plot evil. Then not only will you lose your head. You are the entire Jiangxia Palace."
"Xiao Yu knew he was wrong..."
Xiao Yuwan glanced at Xiao Yu and continued:
"I have told you before, but you just didn't listen! What's wrong with being your little prince of peace? If you make trouble outside all day long, I can't help you eliminate them one by one. Your Majesty has eyes and ears, and there are ministers in the court. , there are noble nobles everywhere in Jiankang City, and countless pairs of eyes are staring at you all the time..."
Speaking of this, Xiao Yuwan's face darkened.
"What happened last night...I have already helped you to get rid of it. Stay away from those people. They harbor evil intentions and have already extended their tentacles to the court. Don't think that I don't know about their dirty deeds. Don't do it because of a few soft words." Xiang Nuoyu has a soft ear and acts as a gunman for others. In the end, he ruined our family's foundation. Xiao Yu, I have always protected you not out of selfish motives. Your Majesty has always been childless. If he has no heirs, you will be mine. Daqi’s hope for the future... I hope that you can be a person who can distinguish right from wrong like your father, instead of being confused and drifting with the undercurrent..."
Xiao Yuwan's words made Xiao Yu feel scared. He closed his eyes and thought about how he walked step by step towards this unknown undercurrent abyss. It seemed that there was always an unspeakable pushing hand behind him that kept pushing him into the abyss, but he Completely unaware.
"Xiao Yu, if Liu Boxuan is still in your house, send him a gift as soon as possible. I owe him once. Within ten days, I will guarantee his safety in Jiankang City. If he is still in your house in ten days, , then don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
After Xiao Yuwan finished speaking, she raised her head and looked coldly at his younger brother, who was becoming more and more worried.
But Xiao Yu seemed to want to say something, but didn't know how to open his mouth.
"If you have something to say, there is no need to hesitate in front of me. You are my cousin. Blood is thicker than water. We are close relatives!"
Xiao Yu stepped forward and bowed: "Princess, Zhu Yi wants to harm you. He prepared those barbarian killers, including Tongxia Li's fire. Xiao Yu knew that he had been fooling around. At first, he only wanted to report to the eldest princess. A big favor, but... the deeper he investigates, the more scared Xiao Yu becomes, and the more he can't help himself..."
"You can't help yourself?" Xiao Yuwan sneered, but a warm current poured into her heart, but she still had a stern expression, "Nonsense! I and Zhu Yi have always been in harmony with each other. Who did you listen to to deceive you into saying this is a great rebellion? Yan, don’t you want to live?”
"Many people have died, and some people don't deserve to die..."
"Do you know that you have made a big mistake! It's not too late to find your way back!"
Xiao Yu smiled faintly, and there seemed to be a hint of sarcasm in his smile.
This smile made Xiao Yuwan feel confused.
I saw the prince of Jiangxia cupping his hands, with a hint of unruliness in his eyes.
"Thank you, princess, for reminding me! Xiao Yu knows it well."
"you......"
Xiao Yuwan was a little angry, but when she saw the Prince of Jiangxia walking away, she felt angry and helpless.
She stood in the pavilion and shouted: "Xiao Yu! Come back!"
The young prince still went his own way and walked back as if he hadn't heard anything.
Xiao Yuwan bit her lip, and she seemed to have a vague hunch that before long, not only herself, but also the emperor would not be able to suppress him.
