After being divorced, my identity as a poet was exposed

Zhao Lun's ceremonial procession has not yet arrived in Blackwater City.

He was in a small town called Songyang, which was a hundred miles away from Heishui City.

Although it was called a ceremonial procession, there were actually only fifty people accompanying them.

Forty of them were skilled soldiers sent by Han Sanwu, and the other ten... nine of them were Zhao Lun's former maids in the Eastern Palace, and one...

He is Zhao Lun's closest teacher and aide -

Huo is also fake!
A gentle, erudite man in his forties who came from the State of Wu!
In an inn in Songyang County.

Zhao Lun took a shower, but still couldn't wash away the fatigue from the journey.

He is in his room on the second floor.

There was a round table in the room, with several dishes and a pot of wine on it.

The dishes were bought from a restaurant in Songyang County.

The wine was also sent by that restaurant.

Of course, the dishes cannot compare with those in the imperial kitchen of the palace.

Wine...of course it's not Huapingchun.

Sitting next to him was Huo Yiji.

Huo Yijia filled two glasses of wine and handed one to Zhao Lun, saying with a smile:
"Your Highness, at our speed, we will reach Blackwater City in two days."

"I'm sure the food will be better when we get there. Let's just eat like this for today. It's better to eat and drink well before we can set off on our journey."

Zhao Lun rested his hands on his knees, leaned back slightly, and sighed:
"Sir, I have been thinking about this all the way."

"Why didn't my father leave an imperial edict to pass the throne to me when he was alive?"

"I know there may be various reasons, but in the final analysis, they still think that I am unable to handle the chaos in the court, which means... I cannot sit firmly on the throne!"

Zhao Lun reached out and picked up the wine cup, took a look, and said, "They all look down on me!"

"Among all the civil and military officials in the court... not a single one believes that I have the ability to turn the tide!"

"Especially Prime Minister Qiao Zitong!"

Anger flashed in Zhao Lun's eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, "This bastard!"

"He hypocritically said in front of me that Zen Buddhism is powerful and it is not the right time for me to ascend the throne!"

"He also said that it would be most appropriate for me to ascend the throne when my sister brings the Shen Ce Army to quell the rebellion in Kyoto..."

He drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, put the cup down, and said:

"Am I afraid of death?!"

"As the crown prince, even if I have to bring in the Shen Ce Army to quell the rebellion, that is what I should do!"

"Why did Qiao Zitong let the emperor sister do such a big thing?"

"His intentions are known to all the civil and military officials in the court, and of course I know them too."

"He just wants my sister to marry Ningguo's dog emperor Li Chenan!"

"This country was protected by my sister. By then, even if I sit on the throne, I will still be a puppet. In the hearts of the officials and the people of Yue, I am... good for nothing!"

"I will just sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. All the credit goes to my sister."

"My sister loves Li Chenan so much. This brother-in-law is not a good person!"

"You say...if Qiao Zitong really has another trick up his sleeve and makes Yue Kingdom a dowry for the emperor's sister and gives it to Ning Kingdom..."

"I'm afraid that as the crown prince, I won't even have the chance to ascend the throne. The final outcome will probably be even more miserable than it is now."

Huo also pretended to pour wine.

After listening to what Zhao Lun said, he smiled slightly:
"Your Highness, I'm afraid you have misunderstood Prime Minister Qiao. Prime Minister Qiao showed you the letter left by the late emperor."

"It was not Prime Minister Qiao's idea to ask you to come to Blackwater City to avoid disaster, but the late emperor's idea."

Zhao Lun chuckled and looked at Huo Yijia:
"Sir, you were introduced to me by Prime Minister Qiao."

"Do you know why this year, Yu Ben Gong trusts you so much?"

Huo Yijia was startled for a moment, "Your Highness, tell me about it."

There was a look of loneliness on Zhao Lun's face that was not commensurate with his age.

"Because I feel lonely in the palace."

"The position of Crown Prince was not originally mine." "At that time, the Crown Prince was my eldest brother. There was a big age difference between me and my eldest brother. He was also very busy in the East Palace and never took me out to play."

"Later, the fourth brother thought that the crown prince was weak and incompetent, so he wanted to compete with the eldest brother for the position of crown prince. I thought the fourth brother would always win over some princes... He did win over some, but still not me."

“They won’t play with me!”

"Only the imperial sister comes to see me occasionally."

"What can I do in the palace? Only study."

"My sister is the person closest to me, but ever since she came back from Ningguo three years ago, the person she talked about most in front of me was the poet Li Chenan..."

"I know that my sister has someone she likes, and I am just her listener."

“I felt very sad at that time.”

"To the point where I feel sick, angry, and even want to kill someone when I hear the name Li Chenan!"

“But I endured it.”

"I acted as the best listener in front of the royal sister."

"During that time, I was very generous and studied harder because I wanted to beat Li Chenan in his most proud poetry!"

"I want to let my sister know that I, Zhao Lun, am the true immortal poet!"

Zhao Lun's chest rose and fell, and after three breaths he calmed down. Suddenly he smiled:
"This may be called an accidental success. I didn't expect that my father saw all of this. He actually deposed the Eastern Palace, imprisoned my fourth brother, and let me take over the Eastern Palace!"

"You came to me at this time."

"And the days I spent in the East Palace were not easy... The officials from the court came to the East Palace and said they wanted to discuss politics with me. They thought I didn't see the disdain in their eyes, and that I didn't know they were not here to discuss politics, but were just telling me their plans!"

"They think that I am young and only need to listen, not speak."

"Only you...you never treat me as a boy who knows nothing."

"You told me many interesting stories about the world, and also listened to my many complaints."

"So... even though I am extremely dissatisfied with Qiao Zitong now, I still regard you as my teacher and am still willing to tell you what is in my heart."

"Will you continue to listen in the future?"

Huo Yiji looked at the boy who had just turned sixteen again.

Is he smart?

He is smart.

His intelligence lies in reading, but not in politics!

At least for now, he does not have a keen political sense, nor does he have the shrewdness to be a future king.

He is even worse than Wu Qian of Wu State!

These words, even if they were what he was thinking, could never be told to outsiders.

But he just said it.

And emotions are revealed in appearance.

But it was precisely because of this that Mr. Qiao hesitated again and again and allowed him to live until now.

So is this his fortune or misfortune?

Huo Yiji raised his glass and said, "Your Highness is a pure-hearted person. Although I was recommended by Prime Minister Qiao, I know very well that I am your Highness's subject."

"I offer a glass of wine to Your Highness. Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, but we are on the road tomorrow and I am afraid there will be no wine."

"In the future... as long as Your Highness still does not abandon me, I... will also stay with you loyally!"

Zhao Lun also raised his glass. He smiled slightly and looked very pleased.

The two drank a pot of wine.

Zhao Lun was very drunk.

Huo Yiji helped Zhao Lun onto the bed, covered him with a quilt, looked at him for a few breaths, and then turned and left.

The moment the door closed, Zhao Lun opened his eyes.

He sat up gently and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

[PS: In the previous chapter, I wrote Yue State as Zhao State. I was really confused. Sorry! ] (End of this chapter)