The Legend of the Loved One

Chapter 26

After inspecting the river, it was almost past lunch time. Although Song Chen was dressed in tweed, the dignified prince had a noble status after all. Chu Jian asked for a high-quality private room at the best restaurant in the city, and invited Song Chen to dinner.

Actually, Song Chen didn't care about these things when he was away from home, but he had no reason to refuse the kindness of his subordinates, so he sat down.The food in the restaurant is good and the environment is elegant. In addition, there are no customers after lunch time, and it is very quiet. The two had dinner for a while. Song Chen asked casually: "I heard that you asked for your order to be transferred to Jeju this time. From the important town of Qingzhou to the small area of ​​Jeju, this king wants to know why Yicheng made such a choice?"

Yicheng is Chu Jian's word.

Song Chen used words to refer to himself, obviously more cordial, and Chu Jian relaxed and told the truth, he said with a smile: "As the prince said, Qingzhou is an important town of the imperial court and has been rich since ancient times. The humble official has served there for seven years. I thought I had gained some training, so I thought of Jeju to show off, and then come again... Humble job is actually a bit selfish, to tell you the truth, Jeju is closer to the capital, Humble job has been away for these years, and rarely has the opportunity to accompany his parents. Parents in Beijing are inevitably lonely, so I want to be able to return to Beijing to visit my parents when I'm resting from time to time, and I can also show some filial piety."

"So, it's really hard to embarrass your filial piety." Song Chen nodded clearly, and because Chu Xue was mentioned, he asked casually: "How long have you not seen Xue'er?"

Chu Jian paused, and then realized that the "Xue'er" the prince referred to was his younger sister, Chu Xue.

Because of his official duties this time, he never dared to mention Chu Xue, for fear that Song Chen would think that he was making friends with his in-laws. He no longer evaded it, and said bluntly: "The last time I saw Xueer was when I returned to Beijing for the New Year last year. Calculated, it has been more than a year." He glanced at Song Chen, and asked after consideration: "I wonder if Xueer is here?" How is everything in Yanzhou?"

Asking about Chu Xue, Song Chen showed a little smile on his face, nodded and said: "She is fine, you can rest assured, this king will treat her well."

"My lord is serious." Chu Jian also smiled respectfully, "Xue'er is younger after all, and her mother used to spoil her at home. If you make my lord unhappy because of your ignorance, please forgive me."

Although he knew that she was not his own sister, but she was related by blood after all, and he also watched her grow up day by day. Chu Jian's affection for Chu Xue was no less than that of his biological sister who died young.

The smile on Song Chen's face deepened unknowingly, "Xue'er has always been very sensible, so I don't need to worry about it."

Because of the mention of the people who love each other, the meal becomes easier.

After eating, Song Chen went directly to the government office. Now that the important things have been done, it is time to meet the officials of Jeju. Firstly, they should not waste their waiting; secondly, go to the riverside with the prince's honor Walking around also conveys the importance of the imperial court to comfort the people who have worked hard to build the embankment in the next few months.

So from the afternoon of that day, the Jeju government office welcomed batch after batch of officials, big and small, who came to pay their respects. Everyone was a little surprised. In their concept, such a distinguished person should be led by their magistrate to lead hundreds of people. They greeted each other across the road, why didn't anyone hear the movement, this Tianhuang nobleman just landed in their prefect's mansion from the sky?
Everyone was puzzled.

However, some people made up a theory. It is said that the younger sister of Lord Chu, the new magistrate, is the side concubine of Prince Heng, and she is very favored. They came to pay their respects.Since we want to entertain people well, we must not let other people rashly disturb them. The magistrate must have quietly welcomed them into the city.

Thinking about the in-law relationship between the two, and thinking about the age of the new magistrate, this statement is reasonable.

However, Chu Jian didn’t have time to pay attention to these nonsense. After all the officials paid their respects one by one, it was already nightfall. Now King Heng has revealed his identity. As his parents and officials, he must of course perform a welcoming ceremony in front of the people of the state. , among other things, a decent dinner is always inevitable.

And early in the morning of the second day, he had to personally accompany King Heng to walk around the river, which was no different than yesterday's light-packed battle. In terms of position, the matter of face is inevitable, and after a round of dealing with it, people are actually very tired.

But he didn't get tired for a long time. In the early morning of the third day, someone from the post station came to spread the word that King Heng had left Jeju and went to the next place.

Coming and leaving quietly, this prince is really different, but Chu Jian can feel that this is indeed a talented, courageous and pragmatic prince, if he can succeed the country, it will be a blessing in the world.

But as a local official, how can he control the battles among the princes in the palace?Sighing, Chu Jian went back to the government office.

East Palace.

It was almost Haishi, and several Zhan Shi still hadn't left, and they were all in the prince's study.

"Wei Jiqu, the third child, is about to be completed, but none of you know about it? What did you do?"

The prince who was behind the desk grabbed a handful of documents and threw them at the people standing in the room.

Although they are all court officials who should not be humiliated like this, they have followed the prince for many years and know the prince's temper well, so no one in the room dared to speak out.

The prince snorted coldly, "Let's see, when the Weiji Canal is completed and opened to water, the people in the household department may not know how to praise the third child, and how the father will reward him at that time! No one else can think about dredging the Tongji Canal." I can figure it out, why can't you think of it, this palace has raised a group of idlers like you!"

After a sharp reprimand, there was a moment of silence in the room. Seeing that the prince did not say anything, Zhan Shi Hu Jinxing said cautiously, "Your Highness, please calm down first. The matter of King Heng presiding over the Tongji Canal is a private decision of the emperor, and he did not ask other people in advance. Wait, the ministers and others only found out after the Ministry of Industry promulgated relevant decrees. Moreover, this is a major project involving several states and counties. The Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Industry have all intervened. The emperor personally appointed King Heng to preside over it. It is really difficult for us to start what."

The crown prince sighed deeply, closed his eyes and said, "In your opinion, when the third son comes back from Weizhou, how will father reward him?"

"This..." How do people answer this question? How can the emperor's thoughts be understood by ordinary people, but if they can figure out, their East Palace will be compared again and again by King Heng?
Hu Jinxing could only vaguely say out of consolation: "King Heng is already a vassal king, but the most rewards the emperor has are just granting a few counties to expand the territory, and granting his children..." Speaking of this, Hu Jinxing's eyes lit up, and he suggested: "Isn't King Heng's daughter not yet canonized? If the emperor asks at that time, His Highness can ask for the title of princess for my little niece..."

"Nonsense!" The prince almost wanted to raise his foot to kick the person who spoke, "How old is the youngest girl? According to my court ritual system, when she turns four years old, she will be canonized by the emperor even if she doesn't say anything. I still need me to replace her." begging!"

Unable to agree with his master's wishes, Hu Jinxing straightened his mind, and said bluntly, "Your Highness, please forgive me for saying that you are a prince from the direct line, and you are orthodox. The seat is still yours, the emperor will never pull you down from this seat and help others up, otherwise, how can it stop the rumors of the civil and military courts in and out of the Manchu Dynasty?"

Although these words are straightforward, they do make sense, Prince Mao Sai suddenly understood.Hu Jinxing is right, he is the son of the empress, the only prince born in the first line, he is the most orthodox, as long as he does not make mistakes, then the emperor has no reason to wipe himself down, right?

Having figured out this principle, the prince immediately felt very relaxed, and waved his hand to order everyone in the room to evacuate.

The few assistant ministers who walked out of the East Palace were all relieved. Since they entered the palace this afternoon, they have been scolded in the Prince's study, and they didn't even eat dinner. After all, Jiang is still old and spicy, or Master Hu is the best at handling the prince's temper, and everyone casts admiring glances at him.

However, Master Hu, who was under the admiration of all the eyes, sighed secretly. Although he had been picking up good comfort just now, he also knew best in his heart that the prince who had been assisting for nearly 30 years was still not very good at supporting the wall. , and the one in Yanzhou, the difference is really not a star.

I hope he can successfully complete the mission and send the crown prince to the dragon chair, otherwise, once someone else ascends the throne in the future, which of them, the assistant ministers of the East Palace, will have good fruit to eat?
Looking up at the moonlit and starry night sky, Hu Jinxing finally couldn't help sighing.

However, just when everyone in the Eastern Palace thought that everything was calm, a thin man who was nearly forty years old stepped into the study of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace again in the afternoon of the second day.

This person is a young Zhan Shi from Zhan Shifu, named Xue Yuesheng.

Xue Yuesheng came here because he did not agree with what his boss Hu Jinxing said the night before yesterday.

After hearing his reason for coming, the prince was taken aback for a moment, then he became interested and asked: "Do you think what Hu Jinxing said is wrong? What is wrong with him, you can come and listen to it."

Xue Yuesheng got the order, and immediately expressed his opinion in a deep voice, "His Royal Highness, according to my view, things in the world are not static. Although you sit firmly in the East Palace, you should be prepared for danger in times of peace. In the past ten years, our East Palace has always acted cautiously. But helplessly trapped in the capital, Your Highness cannot display your own talents, so you are repeatedly robbed of the limelight by Heng Wang. Forgive me for speaking bluntly, if you were the one who was entrusted, wouldn't you be able to do what others did? What, with your talent, you can be more than a hundred times better than other princes."

Xue Yuesheng paused deliberately, leaving the prince some room for aftertaste.

After the crown prince straightened out these words, he couldn't help but secretly patted his thighs in his heart. What he said was so true. The reason why my palace was repeatedly compared by the third child was not all because of being trapped in the capital!No matter where in the capital, what the capital lacks most is power!talent!But none of these belong to me. They only listen to one person, and that is their father. The imperial capital is in charge, how can I have the right to speak, and how can I use my fists!

But for the rest of the brothers, once they leave the capital and arrive at their fiefdom, they will be the earth emperors of that place, without even a single person on top of them.
The emperor didn't give himself a chance to display it, but he still complained about his incompetence and said something disrespectful. This is obviously too partial, and it's obviously unreasonable!
Because he agreed with Xue Yuesheng's point of view in his heart, the prince immediately felt that the visitor was very pleasing to the eye, and said kindly: "What you said is very reasonable, so according to you, what should I do now?"

Xue Yuesheng further brainwashed the prince, "Right now King Heng is getting more and more popular. When Wei Jiqu is completed this time to solve the spring drought in Weizhou, it can be regarded as a great contribution to the benefit of the country and the people. I believe that not only the emperor, but also Both inside and outside the government will look at him differently. Even if, as Lord Hu said, the emperor will grant some counties at most to expand his territory, but seeing his power getting stronger and stronger, he will be the biggest threat to the East Palace after all. In the future, Your Highness Successful succession, seeing a powerful vassal around you, can you sit back and relax?"

These words really touched the heart of the prince, the prince let out a long sigh, stared into his eyes, and asked: "So?"

"So you should get rid of this threat before he is too powerful to contend with, and you must not raise a tiger to cause trouble!"

Xue Yuesheng's voice suddenly became softer, but he never avoided the prince's eyes when speaking.

The crown prince frowned, showing fierce eyes, after a while, Fang asked in a deep voice: "In your opinion, how should I get rid of this fierce tiger?"

The evil in Xue Yuesheng's eyes was fleeting. He took two steps forward, leaned over to the prince's ear, and whispered a word.

(End of this chapter)