I'm really not King Jing of Zhongshan

Chapter 252 Wei Wan~ Wei Wan...
Chang'an City, Shangguanli.

Tiaohou Mansion.

Compared with the old Anhou's Mansion, which was famous for being 'shabby' in the past, Zhou Yafu's Tiaohou's Mansion, it can be said that it has a noble atmosphere from the inside out.

The huge mansion gate, which is two feet high and nearly three feet wide, is made of precious peach wood with two door panels;

The whole door panel is baked with vermilion lacquer, and there is a pair of gold-plated tiger face carvings that radiate golden light at the position where the two door panels are close.

Two gold rings are hung on the 'tiger nose' of the tiger face carving, and when you pick up the gold rings and knock gently, there will be a crisp sound on the door.

Outside the gate of the mansion, a pair of stone lions on the left and right stretched their teeth and claws, as if they wanted to swallow everyone who approached whole.

Inside the gate of the mansion, a little bit of candlelight brightened up and down the Hou's mansion;

The sound of Sesheng is endless, the smell of wine and meat is tangy to the nostrils, and the wild laughter of warriors can be heard from time to time in the sky above the Hou Mansion.

——Today, Zhou Yafu hosted a banquet in his own mansion for the generals who accompanied him to fight when the Wu-Chu Rebellion was extinguished.

Although most of the banquet guests were captains, school captains, and even mid-level generals at the Sima level, but if you pick any one at random, they are all well-known 'famous generals'.

It's just that today, these young heroes who have become prominent due to the Wu-Chu Rebellion and are about to make their mark in the Han family's military circle are obviously not enjoying themselves to the fullest.

As for the reason, he is the host of today's banquet, sitting on the head seat with a sad face, drinking one cup after another...
"Why doesn't Your Majesty even give this bit of face to Marquis Tiao?"

"--Yeah yeah;"

"—This prime minister is not something that Marquis Tiao wants to do by himself."

The complaints of several cronies who defended him against injustice sounded in his ears, which made Zhou Yafu's already sad face, only to add a point of depression immediately;
After a moment of deep thought, he raised his head leisurely and looked at Li Guang, the guard of Changle Palace on his left.

"One thing, General Li, please tell me the truth."

"Mrs. Li, did she really die suddenly in Changle Palace because of illness?"

"During the few days when Mrs. Li's accident happened, did anyone go to Changle Palace to find Mrs. Li?"

"For example, Lieutenant Zhidu and so on..."

When Zhou Yafu asked a question, Li Guang was busy drinking with the people around him;
Hearing Zhou Yafu's question, Li Guang just turned his body slightly, but he couldn't bear to put the wine cup back in front of him.

He lowered his head thoughtfully, took a sip of the wine in the cup, and then wiped his mouth with a grin.

"Can't the Prime Minister understand this matter?"

"—Anyone with a discerning eye can see that something is wrong with Mrs. Li's move into Changle Palace;"

"Now, Mrs. Li died unexpectedly suddenly, but His Majesty didn't react at all, and only told Feng Chang to take care of the funeral."

"Although Mrs. Li was buried in His Majesty's Yangling in the end, Mrs. Li's death..."

"Hi~"

Li Guangcai took a deep breath and gave Zhou Yafu a hand with a gloomy expression after stopping the conversation in a secret manner, and drinking another cup in a relaxed manner.

"If you want me to say, the prime minister still has to think about this matter more."

"I've heard that upon hearing the news of Mrs. Li's death, the third son of the emperor—Changshan King Liu Yu, immediately vomited blood and fainted;"

"Looking at this posture, King Chang Shan might end up depressed because of his mother's death."

"The second son of the emperor, Hejian Wangde, is on his way to Chang'an to attend his mother's funeral."

"As for the eldest son of the emperor, His Majesty does not even allow him to go to the funeral. He only allows the eldest son to cry fifteen times in the morning and at night in his Linjiang Palace, for fifteen consecutive days..."

···
"In the past, His Majesty did not establish a crown prince for a long time, and there lived Madam Li, the eldest son, the second son, the third son, mother and son in the Phoenix Palace."

"But now, Empress Bo has moved to the North Palace, Empress Jia has entered the pepper room, and Mrs. Li died of a serious illness in a remote room in Changle Palace;"

"The former son Sheng has now lived in the uterus of the crown prince, and one of the three sons who lived in the Phoenix Palace in the past is about to die..."

"Ah~"

"—These things, Prime Minister, really need to be pondered over;"

"Pondering over..."

Repeating "thinking and pondering" meaningfully, Li Guang put on a posture of being overwhelmed with alcohol, reluctantly put the wine cup in his hand back on the table in front of him, and then lowered his head.

And after Li Guang's seemingly pointed reminder, Zhou Yafu's face gradually showed a touch of gloom and a little boredom.

Regarding Mrs. Li's death, Zhou Yafu certainly knew in his heart: the cause of Mrs. Li's death could never be a simple 'severe illness and sudden death'.

Just because Li Guang didn't answer his question directly, but instead reminded himself to "think more about it", Zhou Yafu knew that there might really be some unknown insider information.

As for the third son of the emperor, Changshan King Liu Yu, Zhou Yafu had also heard about it, and the information he had was even more detailed than Li Guangdu.

——Liu Yu, already dead.

Three days ago, Emperor Qigang ordered Zongzheng and Fengchang to arrange the funeral of Changshan King Liu Yu.

The cause of Liu Yu's death is not unusual.

——Hearing the news of the death of his mother, Mrs. Li, Changshan King Liu Yu vomited blood and fainted, and died that night.

But even so, Zhou Yafu still didn't want to believe: Tianzi Qi would really be so cruel to his concubine Ji whom he once loved for the sake of the crown prince Liu Sheng...
"Ugh······"

"Once Mrs. Li dies, the eldest son of the emperor will lose the help of his mother's relatives;"

"Even if His Majesty plans to abolish the crown prince and the eldest son of the emperor in the future, there will be no chance..."

···
"Could Madam Li's death be His Majesty's warning to me?"

"Could it be that your majesty really hates the eldest son of the emperor so much that even if he breaks the rules of establishing a son and a son, he is unwilling to establish the eldest son of the emperor..."

As he was thinking about it, he was about to reach out to pick up the wine cup in front of him, when he caught sight of a 'maverick' figure from the corner of his eye, causing Zhou Yafu to turn his head subconsciously.

As far as he could see, the middle-aged general had a serious face and clear eyes, and he was obviously out of tune with the drunken people in the hall;

The wine cup in front of him is full of wine, but it has not been picked up by the middle-aged general. He can only lie quietly on the dining table like a woman living in seclusion...

"Cheng Duwei, why..."

"Is it because the wine doesn't suit your appetite?"

"Or Captain Cheng is unwell and can't drink alcohol?"

Hearing that Zhou Yafu asked about him, Cheng Bushi immediately put down the chopsticks in his hand, and straightened his waist accordingly.

——At today's banquet, Cheng Bushi's thoughts were not on the table in front of him;

Seeing that Zhou Yafu finally asked him, Cheng Bushi immediately raised his head and looked at Zhou Yafu with a serious expression.

"Prime Minister, maybe you forgot?"

"—Since the first day I enlisted in the army, I don't know how to do it, and I have never drank alcohol."

"Even as a leader, I will always set the rules immediately: All soldiers under my control must not drink alcohol during wartime!"

"After so many years, it has become a habit;"

"Even if it wasn't during the war, I couldn't drink a single drop of this wine..."

An explanation that was neither humble nor overbearing, only caused Zhou Yafu to nod his head slowly, expressing that he could understand Cheng Bushi's weird behavior of 'not drinking'.

But to Zhou Yafu's surprise, Cheng Bushi, who was invited to attend the banquet, stood up from his seat after telling the reason why he didn't drink...

"Actually, I didn't want to come to today's banquet."

"It's just that I, Cheng Bushi, can be where I am today because of Cheng's years of cultivation."

"——After a while, I will go to Yanmen to serve as the sheriff to defend against the Huns outside the northern wall."

"The transfer order of the court has been issued, and I will start the journey only after I hand over the matter in hand."

···
"For the cultivation of the prime minister, I, Cheng Bushi, will never forget it in my heart, and I will never dare to forget it;"

"But now, the prime minister makes mistakes again and again, even if I want to repay my kindness, I really can't do it..."

"I'm about to leave Chang'an, and I'm really worried about the prime minister, so I came to this banquet. In fact, there is a word that I want to say to the prime minister."

"—If you don't ask for this sentence, you can let the prime minister know how to go astray, and you can protect the clan;"

"I just hope that my words can make the Prime Minister realize the current situation a little bit, so that I won't go too far on the wrong road, and make me completely lose the chance to repay my kindness..."

Cheng Buzhi's suddenly serious tone made everyone in the hall turn sideways one after another, focusing their blurred and scattered eyes on Cheng Bushi.

Even the head of state, upon hearing Cheng Bushi's solemn words, Zhou Yafu also stood up suspiciously, and gave Cheng Bushi a little bow.

Seeing Cheng Bushi standing upright, bowed his hands to Zhou Yafu deeply, and then raised his head;
Looking at Zhou Yafu, he was full of worry and a little bit of sadness.

"The matter of the crown prince is really not something that the prime minister, who was born as a warrior and has gained a high position with his martial arts, should comment..."

"Perhaps in the eyes of the prime minister, what I have done is to 'live up to the entrustment of the late emperor', and it is for the consideration of the temple and the community;"

"But the ninth son of the emperor was established as the crown prince, and he was granted the title as the eldest prince. If you really want to investigate carefully, you can't make a mistake at all."

"On the contrary, the prime minister has repeatedly challenged His Majesty's authority and tested His Majesty's bottom line..."

"—Now, two of the four mothers and children in Phoenix Hall have died;"

"If the prime minister continues to be obsessed with obsession, the remaining two may not live for long."

"At that time, I'm afraid even the prime minister himself..."

"Ugh······"

At the end, Cheng Bushi sighed hesitantly, and bowed to Zhou Yafu again.

"As a subordinate, you shouldn't talk to the superior like this;"

"As a person who has been favored by the prime minister, he should not criticize his benefactor like this."

"It's just that I'm about to leave Chang'an, and I'm really worried about the prime minister, so I'm so rude..."

···
"To the prime minister, that's all I have to say."

"In the future, no matter what the prime minister thinks of me, I will never forget the prime minister's kindness in knowing you."

"I just hope that the prime minister will not ruin his clan and blood because of his stubbornness;"

"Don't let the future me, even if I want to repay the Prime Minister's kindness, I can't find anyone to repay..."

···
"Let's say goodbye today, I don't know when I can meet the prime minister again."

"Yu Jun, let's go now;"

"Hope to see you again..."

After saying that, Cheng Bushi kowtowed to Zhou Yafu, regardless of the eyes of everyone in the hall!

Afterwards, Cheng Bushi stood up resolutely and left Zhou Yafu's Tiaohou Mansion under the astonished gaze of everyone in the hall, including Zhou Yafu.

Cheng Bushi's departure did not change the banquet much.

Everyone drank the wine and ate the meat, pushed the cups and changed the cups, and talked happily.

Just sitting in the first seat, recalling the words of Cheng Bushi before he left, Zhou Yafu felt lost for a while, but he couldn't recover for a long time...

·
In the early morning of the next day, Liu Sheng, who appeared outside the Sima Gate on time, waited for the emperor's imperial chariot as promised.

With the old man taking it with him, Liu Sheng's own prince will be the one to drive him, so naturally there is no need to take it with him.

With only a little eunuch Xia Que, he sat on the imperial chariot opened by the emperor.

But after getting in the car, Liu Sheng didn't speak casually as usual;
After seeing the ceremony in a proper manner, he sat obediently in the corner of the carriage, and then cast his scrutinizing gaze on another figure in the carriage.

——In addition to Liu Sheng and Tianzi Qi, there is a third person in the imperial chariot.

And the origin of this person...

"Do you know why you can ride in the same car with Zhen and the prince today?"

While Liu Sheng was thinking, Tianzi Qi Youyou asked a question, but the man only shook his head respectfully.

"I don't know."

"I am from Daling in Daidi. I was just an ignorant boy, but because of some unappreciable skills in handling cars, I was appointed as a Lang official by the late emperor."

"Later, because of the favor of the late emperor, he was lucky enough to make some contributions and was appointed as General Zhonglang;"

"Four years ago, the first emperor passed away, and His Majesty came to Guozuo. The minister was dismissed because he covered up his subordinate's fault."

"Last year during the Wu-Chu Rebellion, I was appointed by His Majesty as a general to lead the Hejian army to pacify Qi and Zhao."

"After the rebellion was put down, His Majesty summoned his ministers to Chang'an to serve as General Zhonglang again..."

He clarified his background in a straight line, and saw the man bow his hands to the emperor Qi again: "Today, your majesty is going to Shanglinyuan; as a general, I should accompany and guard your majesty, which is what I should do in my job."

"Your Majesty let me ride with you, but I don't know why."

"As long as you know that His Majesty is doing this, there must be a reason for doing so. Even if you don't know why, you should obey."

It was another well-mannered reply, which caused Liu Sheng, who was on the side, to secretly nod his head. He also had a vague guess about the man in his early fifties in front of him.

And on the inside of the imperial chariot, upon hearing the man's answer, a hint of admiration flashed across Tianzi Qi's brows.

Only in the end, the fleeting appreciation was replaced by a lingering resentment...
"Wei Wan~"

"Wei Wan..."

···
"As early as the late emperor, someone always said by my side: Zhonglang Weiwan is a honest elder;"

"I have always wanted to meet the rumored, widely praised elder."

"—Back then, I even sent someone to invite you to a banquet in the Tai's uterus, so that we could have a good time."

"But you, the 'loyal elder', at that time refuted the face of me, the crown prince..."

"Ok?"

Said the words jokingly, and Tianzi Qi did not forget to make a free and easy expression of "I just said this casually, I have forgotten these things long ago".

But whether it is Wei Wan sitting in front of Tian Ziqi, or Liu Sheng who is "watching coldly" from the sidelines, it is not difficult to appreciate the shame and anger that has not weakened even a little bit from Tian Ziqi's words.

——Tianzi Qi, did not forget that past event;
Tianzi Qi, I really mind that matter.

So far, I still can't forget it, it's hard to miss...
"I remember that at that time, I said to the person sent by His Majesty: I am sick."

Wei Wan said a word without changing expression, causing Tianzi Qi to nod his head indifferently.

Seeing that Wei Wan was still calm and composed, he bowed his hands to the emperor Qi again.

"Sir, I'm really sick."

"After recovering from illness, it is really my fault that I didn't come to the door to apologize to His Majesty and explain clearly..."

Saying so, Wei Wan saluted her head and bowed, even if it was a big gift, the emperor couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Hesitating to speak, he raised his head, looked Wei Wan up and down, and then asked a little embarrassedly: "Since he was ill, then I misunderstood what happened back then."

"—What about last year?"

"Last year, after I called you back to Chang'an, I wanted to give you a sword;"

"And why did you refuse to accept my reward and let that official Lang take back the sword I gave you intact?"

"Isn't it because of my reward that you feel that it is not valuable enough to reward your meritorious deeds?"

Tianzi Qi asked again, but Wei Wan still bowed to Tianzi Qi with that respectful and humble expression.

"It is really a great honor for Your Majesty to bestow the imperial sword on you."

"It's just that in the past, the first emperor gave six imperial swords to the minister successively, and they were all enshrined in the ancestral hall by the minister."

"—I heard that during Emperor Xiaohui's reign, the prime minister, Pingyang Yihou Cao Shen Cao Gong, served as prime minister for four full years before he was awarded the seven imperial swords by Emperor Xiaohui."

"Whether it is virtue, talent, or contribution to the ancestral temple and the country, it is less than one-tenth of Pingyang Yihou—Prime Minister Cao;"

"The six imperial swords that have already been rewarded by the late emperor should not accept the seventh sword that His Majesty bestowed on you..."

The embarrassing excuse also aroused Tianzi Qi's surprise;
The corners of his eyebrows raised slightly, and he asked with great interest: "Things like swords are easily exchanged and sold;"

"Are you the only one who has preserved the sword bestowed by the late emperor intact?"

Hearing this, Wei Wan cupped her hands again without changing her face: "I still keep the sword bestowed by the late emperor."

Seeing that there was still no trace of panic on Wei Wan's face, Tianzi Qi only deeply commented into the depths of Wei Wan's eyes;
After a long time, he smiled again, then shook his head nonchalantly, and opened the curtain a little bit.

"Go, go to General Zhonglang's mansion, and fetch all the six swords bestowed by the late emperor."

"I would like to see, my Han family has such a respectful subject, but I have never known about it?"

　It's still not good, and today is also an update.

　　Good night, fathers~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)