The Red Mansion is so charming

Chapter 252 Meeting in front of Yannian Palace
Zhengde returned to the palace with a slumped head, and not long after entering his side hall, the little eunuch from the Hall of Mental Cultivation came to send a message: "Your Highness Fifth Prince, Long Live is here to invite you."

Zhengde was sweating all over, he just changed his clothes and went, the little eunuch was in a hurry: "The fifth prince should go with the slave first, the Long Live Lord just got really angry, and now your highnesses, even The fourth prince was also summoned to leave, if the fifth prince goes late, the servant may be afraid."

Zhengde glanced at the little eunuch, and said with a light smile, "You are a servant in the Hall of Mental Cultivation? Why haven't I seen you?"

The little eunuch hurriedly laughed: "Reporting to Your Highness, the servant was originally serving in the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, but was later transferred to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to work as an errand, and now he has worshiped Eunuch Yuan as his master, and this is the first time he is on an errand, so the fifth prince does not know the servant. It’s also a reasonable thing.”

"It turned out to be Lao Yuan's apprentice. I said how could he be so clever and sensible." Zhengde followed his sister's teachings, and quickly connected with people around Xiaozong with gold and silk.The old Yuan he was talking about was an eunuch in charge after Dai Quan.He is in charge of Xiaozong's daily life on weekdays, and which empress he goes to spend the night with every night, this Eunuch Yuan always has a way to know first.

Although Lao Yuan was an eunuch, he had a nephew who was studying in the countryside and was said to have worked very hard. Lao Yuan's younger brother wanted to adopt the child under Lao Yuan's name.Lao Yuan was very grateful, but he was afraid that his nephew would gain fame, but be discriminated against because he was the eunuch's adopted son. In the end, the gain would not be worth the loss, so he reluctantly rejected his younger brother's kindness, but after that he put his nephew's future in his heart.

Xing Zhong inquired about this news from nowhere, and relying on his previous relationship in Suzhou, he sent Lao Yuan's nephew to study in a local academy. The second treasurer.

This old Yuan is grateful for what the Xing family has done, and also understands what the Xing family's intentions are, so from now on, whenever there is a disturbance in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, as long as old Yuan can do it, he will inform Zhengde as soon as possible, and tell him to prepare for unexpected needs.

Hearing that old Yuan had accepted a new apprentice, Zhengde said with a smile: "Your master is a man of great ability. Don't be disrespectful because of his old age. Let me tell you, this ginger is still old and spicy. You have to learn more." .”

The little eunuch didn't want the Fifth Prince to say such a thing.In his eyes, the nobles are all superior. Thinking that he has served only a few unfavored young masters in Paiyun Temple these years, but those masters have eyes as high as growing on the top of their heads. Yes, he would vent his anger on the little eunuch and the little maid at every turn.Comparing those people with the fifth prince in front of them, they are like nothing else.

The little eunuch trembled and said: "Thank you, my servant, for His Highness's instruction, and this servant must remember to live up to His Highness's love."

Zhengde smiled faintly, and he flicked the wide cuffs, "Fortunately, my sister changed into this one for me first, otherwise the crime of disrespect in front of the palace will not escape."

Xiao Anzi hastily wiped away the thin sweat on Zhengde's forehead with a wet handkerchief, and everyone followed the fifth prince to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The afternoon was still scorching hot, and there were not many people on the long streets and alleys from the East Residence where the princes lived to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.The gates of all the palaces are locked tightly, and they must be avoiding the heat.

Zhengde had just passed the Qian'an Gate, when he suddenly saw the gate of the Yannian Palace next to it open, and a familiar figure flashed inside, it was the Third Prince Li He.

Zhengde squinted his eyes, Yannian Palace is the residence of Concubine Su.This Concubine Su was originally an old man when she was in the hidden residence. Xiaozong was very favored before he ascended the throne. It is said that Xiaozong promised that once he ascended the throne, he would immediately make her an imperial concubine.Who would have thought that the emperor is ruthless, and not long after Xiaozong ascended the throne, there will be more beautiful beauties.

The Zhou family, the Wu family and others came from behind and overwhelmed Concubine Su.

Concubine Su was disheartened, so she ate fast and recited Buddha's name, closed the palace gate tightly, and could not easily see outsiders.

When Zhengde first entered the palace, according to Xiaozong's instructions, he asked each palace to visit one or two.But when she arrived at the Yannian Palace, Concubine Su only asked someone to present Duan Huimo as a gift, and didn't open the door to see him.

When Zhengde attended the palace banquet, he never saw her once.

Since Concubine Su is so cold and cold, why did the Third Prince emerge from her palace?

Li He didn't expect to have a face-to-face meeting with Zhengde, and he still came out of the Yannian Palace. His face froze: "Where did the fifth brother come from?"

Zhengde smiled and said: "The little eunuch went to my younger brother to spread the word, saying that the father announced that our brothers should go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation immediately, why the third brother didn't know?"

Li He instantly became relieved, with a smile on the corner of his mouth: "Perhaps I'm not in Dongsuo, and the little eunuchs didn't find me. Since we met, we must go with Fifth Brother."

Li He walked forward with Zhengde kindly. After Zhengde walked a few steps, he looked back at the vermilion palace gate suspiciously: "If I remember correctly, I remember that this is Yannian Palace?"

The third prince hurriedly dragged Zhengde forward for a few steps, keeping a certain distance from the young eunuchs who were serving behind him.Li He said solemnly in a low voice: "Third brother asks fifth brother one thing, you just pretend you haven't seen what happened today, if you can agree, third brother must be very grateful."

"Since the younger brother came to the palace, the third brother has been supporting him many times, saying that the third brother just came out of the Yannian Palace, and even if he bumps into something, the younger brother will keep his mouth shut and never reveal a word to the outside world. "Zhengde said with a straight face, although it was a statement of determination, but he heard it in the second middle school of the third prince, but he always felt that there was an unknown threat implied in it.

Li He has always been very clear that this new fifth younger brother has always been extremely smart, and with the Xing family's spare no effort to help, Li Hong has vaguely formed a new force in the court.

In addition to the marriage between the young lady of the Xing family and the Shangshu Mansion this time, Li He had no choice but to listen to Zhengde's threat and put it in his heart.

He smiled and said, "Fifth brother don't need to be too nervous, it's not a big deal." Li He turned around and looked at Yannian Palace: "In the palace, there is always a high and a low, and the fifth brother may also listen to it." As I said, my biological mother was just a palace maid, and because my mother was humble, she had to work harder than the other princes when I was a child. But my fifth brother didn’t know that my biological mother was the personal maid of Concubine Su."

Zhengde pretended to be stunned: "It turns out that this is the case. It can be seen that the third brother is a person who values ​​love and righteousness."

"Oh, although Concubine Su has fallen out of favor, she has taken care of me for many years after all. Others can treat Concubine Su coldly, but I can't. No, I must go to Yannian Palace to pay my respects during the festival. It's just... The imperial concubine is afraid that the emperor will find out and turn his anger on me, so she never wants to let outsiders know."

Zhengde paid attention to the changes in Li He's expression, and always pressed the corners of his brows tightly when he saw the other party say this.Zhengde remembered that his sister once told him that this kind of expression was probably a temporary lie fabricated in order to resist panic and deliberate actions.

The more serious you are, the bigger the lie.

Zhengde thought that he must ask Lao Yuan later, he is an old man in the palace, he always knows something about gossip or hidden secrets.

Let's say that the two hurried into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and as soon as they reached the door, they saw the eldest prince kneeling in front of the threshold, and the second prince Li Jing bowing beside him.

The third prince paused in his footsteps, secretly thinking that he was not good, and wanted to call Zhengde to fight forward, but before he could speak, Zhengde pushed him lightly, and turned around to hide behind Li He: "It's the eldest brother and the second brother. !"

Greeting like a mosquito, in exchange for the first prince's ruthless gaze, the third prince couldn't help shivering, but he still clearly remembered how the first prince bullied him when he was a child.

Li He hurriedly stepped forward to accompany him with a smile and said, "Brother Emperor."

The eldest prince sneered fiercely: "Why, you also come to see my excitement, and you deserve it!" A spit of saliva almost didn't splash on Li He's face.

Li He was bored, so he had no choice but to lean on the second prince's side: "Second brother, this, what is going on here."

The second prince smiled politely: "I have just arrived, so I don't know what's going on inside. At this moment, Emperor Father is summoning the Minister of the Ministry of War and several generals from the Yuanmen, and we cannot be summoned for a while."

Li He looked around for a week, but did not see the fourth prince: "Why didn't the fourth son come?"

"People from the Queen's Palace say that the fourth prince suddenly feels unwell, and he is asking the imperial doctor to see him, and he will come back later."

Li He curled his lips unsurprisingly. The fourth child's body is almost made of colored glaze, and he has some minor problems from time to time. I don't know why the queen is so confident. With this sick child, he has the nerve to compete with them for the throne of the crown prince.

The second prince waved at Zhengde, smiled lightly and said, "Why didn't you go to my palace yesterday? I asked someone to leave grapes for you."

This season is not the time to eat grapes, and those of the second prince are also specially rewarded by Xiaozong because of their good articles.There is no such blessing in other temples in Dongsuo.

Zhengde said with a smile: "Yesterday, an old friend from outside the palace had a wedding, and my younger brother asked for a reward from the emperor, and went out of the palace to join in the fun."

The second prince was very envious: "It is said that folk weddings are the most grand, without the cumbersomeness, and more auspicious, but it is a pity that we don't see them more often."

Li He hurriedly said: "Second brother, why did you forget that Song Chen got married, and the emperor told us to give a big gift. Since it is necessary to give a gift, can't we take a closer look at that time? Speaking of which, dare you Ask what the second brother gave you? The younger brother can also follow the example, so as to avoid the suspicion of embarrassment."

The second prince wanted to be perfunctory, but he caught a glimpse of Zhengde and said suddenly: "Fifth brother, can you succeed?"

This time not only Li He was staring at him, but even the eldest prince who was kneeling on the ground was staring at him piercingly.Zhengde knew that if he didn't reveal something at this moment, he would definitely offend not only the third prince, but even the eldest prince and the second prince would feel that he was hiding something, and it would be easy for him to join forces to run against him in the future.

"Father once rewarded my younger brother with a white jade bed, and my younger brother will borrow flowers to present to Buddha, and send it over when I find a good day."

Neither of them expected that Li Hong would be so generous. The white jade bed was a beautiful jade excavated from Kunshan Mountain.The texture is warm and moist, can nourish qi and blood, and maintain youth.Although beautiful jade from Kunshan is often found, it is a pity that they are not big, so it is common to carve a pendant. If it is a large piece, it can barely carve a jade statue of a Bodhisattva.

A whole piece of white jade was used to make a white jade bed, not to mention in this dynasty, even if you look at it for a hundred years, you may not be able to find such a big piece again.It can be called a miracle!

(End of this chapter)