In Emperor Ningkang's bedroom, all the other princes and princesses had gone back, leaving only Princess Zhaoyang and the fourth prince.
After serving Emperor Ning Kang and taking the medicine, both of them stood aside in a depressed mood.
Emperor Ningkang first glanced at the fourth prince who was rarely silent, and then said to Princess Zhaoyang: "Is the prince dissatisfied with being a father?"
Princess Zhaoyang shook her head and said: "My father's thoughts are all for the country, the country, and the country. The child can understand my father."
Hearing this, Emperor Ning Kang felt slightly comforted.
He looked at the Fourth Prince and couldn't help but frown: "Just say what you want to say, no one will stop you, like a gourd with its mouth cut off!"
The fourth prince had no intention of talking back to Emperor Ning Kang at this time, and his expression was unusually lonely.
He looked at his imperial sister, then at Emperor Ning Kang, and shook his head.
Emperor Ning Kang became angry when he saw him like this, "If you have nothing to say, go back."
Although the fourth prince was feeling disappointed at this time, he still couldn't help complaining about his father's prejudice against him.
Why do you treat the imperial sister like "Emperor" and call her "Emperor" in a very unkind way, but treat him with a straight face, not an upright eye, or an upright nose?
So he hummed: "Then, will the emperor's sister leave?"
He had many things to ask the imperial sister.
"Get out of here first."
Being scolded by Emperor Ningkang again, the fourth prince couldn't help but lift his legs.
Finally, after taking two steps, I couldn't help it anymore and turned back to the two of them and asked: "Did it really be the third emperor brother who killed the eldest brother?"
The fourth prince is not stupid.
He had been present throughout the entire process, and he had heard all of Tian Liang's accusations.
Like many people, he believed what Tian Liang said in his heart and did not believe what the third prince said.
But this incident still had a too big impact on him.
Although the Crown Prince and the Third Prince fought in the past, it was just a secret friction. On the surface, they were still brothers and sisters, and at most they had some verbal disputes.
He couldn't accept that one of his two living brothers suddenly died, and was probably killed by the other.
This kind of story from history books and dramas was suddenly played out in front of him, which gave him a very unreal feeling, so he had not spoken before.
He is thinking about life.
But he obviously couldn't think clearly, so he finally asked.
But it was obvious that neither of the two people in front of him would give him a clear answer.
Emperor Ning Kang took a deep look at his son and slapped the table: "Get out."
After the fourth prince left, only the father and daughter were left in the palace.
Emperor Ning Kang finally stopped pretending and showed the fatigue on his face.
He sighed and said: "Don't blame me on my father. My father is also very sad that your eldest brother died, and I also want to seek justice for him.
However, as the emperor of the Wei Dynasty, I cannot do this.
This country of thousands of miles will eventually need people to guard it in the future."
Princess Zhaoyang was a little surprised when she heard Emperor Ning Kang's seemingly explanation.
She thought about it and decided to be bolder.
She raised her head and looked at Emperor Ning Kang, "Even if the father knows that he personally killed the eldest brother?"
Emperor Ningkang was silent.
Princess Zhaoyang continued: "Father! You don't just have a son, Brother Sanhuang!"
Emperor Ning Kang immediately narrowed his eyes and looked at Princess Zhaoyang with a rare coldness.
"Zhaoyang, you have overstepped your bounds."
Princess Zhaoyang was not afraid: "I am not overstepping my bounds. Since my father has spoken out to this extent, I might as well speak out what is in my heart."
"If it had been in the past, when the eldest brother was still here, Zhaoyang would never have dared to think anything wrong!
Ling'er is not an ambitious person either. Not only my father, but I also know that Ling'er has never thought about competing with his brothers for that position. He was before, he is now, and he will be in the future!
In the past, I would have respected his choice.
But after tonight's experience, Zhaoyang felt that it was necessary for him to fight for him!
Because in the eyes of my son, Brother Three Emperors, he is not worthy to be our brother, let alone the king of Wei."
Princess Zhaoyang knew that these words might anger Emperor Ning Kang, but she still chose to say it.
Although before Jia Lian told her, she had almost never thought about helping the fourth prince fight for the crown prince's position.
But after confirming that it was really the third prince who killed the prince, she suddenly strengthened her determination.
She also cannot tolerate a person who kills her siblings and becomes the future king of the empire.
If you want to fight, then fight openly and honestly.
He raised the matter directly to Emperor Ningkang, but the result was an honest one. Anyway, Emperor Ningkang himself was the only one who decided who would become the crown prince.
To Princess Zhaoyang's surprise, Emperor Ning Kang did not get angry, but said coldly and quietly: "So, is this why you spoke for Tian Liang tonight?"
Princess Zhaoyang had already expected that Emperor Ningkang was suspicious of her, so she naturally did not show any cowardice at this time.
"If my father thinks so, he would be looking down on his son and ministers too much, and he would also underestimate the word 'family affection'.
Is it true that in my father's heart, that position is far more important than the close relatives of flesh and blood and the love of brothers and sisters?"
Emperor Ningkang's heart was slightly shaken.
She was clearly his daughter. When the word "family affection" was mentioned in front of him, it felt extremely strange and even harsh to his ears!
He remembered that once upon a time, he also wanted to say this to his father.
The difference is that he never had a chance to say it, or he didn't dare to ask.
Until today, he had the qualification to question his father, but he no longer had the confidence to do so.
Because on the way to the throne of God, he, like his father and his former brothers, stepped on the things he once cared about one by one.
His father was like this, his brothers were like this, and even his eldest son and third son were like this. This made him subconsciously speculate on his children with the worst psychology.
However, are all of his children really like this?
"As the daughter of my father, I cannot remain indifferent when I know that the third emperor brother may be the murderer of the eldest brother. Just like last night, when there was war and chaos everywhere, I could not remain indifferent to my younger brother.
It's like being indifferent to my sister's safety.
Father, as our father, you are the person we most admire and rely on.
All the sons and ministers hope that they can get protection from their father when they are wronged or unfair.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Father, do you think this is wrong for me?"
Emperor Ningkang was speechless. If the third prince had said this in front of him, he would have only given him a cold look.
But he was willing to believe the second daughter's words, and he also knew that he had shielded the third prince before and what he had said just now had hurt her.
But his pride as an emperor prevented him from saying sorry.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Ning Kang said, "Tell me how you learned about this."
Faced with his daughter who expressed his true feelings and expressed his feelings directly, Emperor Ning Kang finally put down his imperial majesty and got straight to the point.
This is also the reason why he kept Princess Zhaoyang.
"It was Jia Lian who told me."
"Jia Lian?"
Emperor Ning Kang seemed a little surprised, but he didn't know what he thought of and fell silent.
Princess Zhaoyang glanced at Emperor Ningkang.
She also thought about not telling Jia Lian and letting Jia Lian hide behind the scenes.
But when she thought about it, she felt it was unnecessary. She had just shown an "upright and upright" attitude in front of Emperor Ning Kang. If Emperor Ning Kang finally found out that she had lied, it would not be conducive to the overall situation.
Moreover, she also wanted to take the opportunity to test Emperor Ning Kang's attitude towards Jia Lian.
"How did he find out?"
"Tian Liang took the initiative to find Jia Lian. He wanted to avenge his brother, but no one spoke softly.
According to his own words, he originally wanted to ask Feng Sheng, but Feng Sheng was concerned about the identity of the Third Emperor Brother and was unwilling to stand up for him."
Emperor Ning Kang smiled and said: "Feng Sheng is unwilling to come forward, so why is Jia Lian willing?
Is he really so impatient for justice, and he doesn't hesitate to offend your Third Emperor Brother for this?
This is not like him."
It was not the first day that Emperor Ningkang met Jia Lian. Knowing that Jia Lian was honest on the surface, he beat Prince Duan half to death in a rage for the sake of his father's face.
But this guy is actually very clever. He plans everything before taking action. It is difficult for him to suffer losses in the hands of others.
When Princess Zhaoyang saw Emperor Ningkang mentioning Jia Lian, she smiled as usual and felt truly relieved.
"Of course he doesn't want to offend Brother Three Emperors.
But Na Tianliang told him that his brother had no enmity with the Third Emperor Brother and that the Third Emperor Brother had no reason to kill him.
They suspected that this incident was related to the death of the eldest brother.
Jia Lian did not dare to neglect.
He originally wanted to report it directly to Father, but he knew that Father was unwilling to see him now, so he had no choice but to find me and let me decide how to deal with this matter."
"Father can probably guess what happens next.
I learned that the eldest emperor brother might have been murdered by the three emperor brothers, so I was naturally shocked. I went to check the body of the eldest emperor brother overnight, and found that there was indeed something wrong, so I agreed to Na Tian Liang to help him file a complaint in front of the emperor."
Emperor Ning Kang nodded after hearing this, everything made sense.
What was rare was that Princess Zhaoyang didn't hide anything in front of him, she just said whatever she had to say, and she didn't even shy away from the fact that she had secret contacts with Jia Lian.
Thinking of this incident, Ning Kangdi felt a headache again.
He really didn't have the energy to focus on such a trivial matter now, so he ignored it and said: "Who told him that I don't want to see him?
As a minister, if he doesn't come to see you, should I take the initiative to invite him?"
Emperor Ningkang said this and immediately ordered someone to call Jia Lian.
…
"Your Majesty Jia Lian, long live my emperor."
"Get up."
The ordinary meeting between the monarch and his ministers seemed to be no different from before.
But when Jia Lian raised his head and looked at Emperor Ning Kang, both sides could see from the faces opposite that they were different from before.
"Jia Lian, or the emperor's nephew, how should I call you?"
Emperor Ningkang asked slowly.
Jia Lian also put away his previous attitude of making jokes in front of Emperor Ningkang. After a moment of silence, he said: "Both Jia Lian and the emperor's nephew are all your Majesty's ministers."
Emperor Ning Kang raised his eyebrows, this was what he liked most about Jia Lian.
Not only is she young and energetic, but she also has a sophisticated nature.
He is clearly only in his twenties, but he seems to have the wisdom of a fifty year old.
"Since you learned about the third prince's murder of Tian Qu, why didn't you come directly to report it to me instead of telling Princess Zhaoyang first?"
"Your Majesty has been working hard for a long time and his body is not in good condition. I can't bear to disturb you.
Besides, the matter involves the third prince, after much thought, I still feel that it is better to be more cautious, so I went to consult with Her Highness the Princess."
Emperor Ning Kang curled his lips, "Okay, can't you find fault with this kid?"
"Jia Lian, how long have you been an official in the court?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it will be four years."
"What rank is the official residence?"
"Your Majesty, your official residence will be of the third rank."
"In four years, I went from being a dandy to a high-ranking official, taking charge of several yamen. Jia Lian, I ask you, how do I treat you?"
Jia Lian felt incomprehensible, knelt down again, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, it is not unreasonable to treat a minor minister, even a parent and child."
Emperor Ning Kang almost coughed.
What a good boy, you really know how to climb up the pole.
However, it is not too much to be a good parent and child!
"Okay! Since you said so, I will give you two choices now.
First, I will honor your ancestors and give you the position of county king, and all the rest will be treated favorably, which can be regarded as a reward for your hard work in royal affairs for so many years."
Emperor Ning Kang said, carefully observing Jia Lian's expression.
Seeing that he was as calm as ever, he did not forget about his wealth.
"Second, I won't give you anything. I won't even recognize your identity as the Supreme Emperor. From now on, you, Jia Lian, will still be Jia Lian and will have nothing to do with the Tian family.
Of course, I will reward you for your achievements as usual."
"These are the two, you choose."
After Emperor Ning Kang finished speaking, he lowered his head to read the memorial, as if he didn't care about Jia Lian's choice at all.
Jia Lian was naturally a little nervous at this time.
He understood that the two choices given to him by Emperor Ning Kang were definitely not given casually. They must have been carefully considered by him.
Which choice he makes is obviously related to his future and even destiny!
After carefully thinking about Emperor Ning Kang's words and tone, Jia Lian did not hesitate for too long and said immediately: "Reporting to Your Majesty, I choose the second one."
"oh?"
Emperor Ningkang looked up with some surprise in his eyes.
"I decided so quickly and didn't think about it carefully."
"I have already made up my mind, so I will choose the second one."
Jia Lian's eyes were firm.
But in his heart, he was already complaining about Emperor Ning Kang, pretending to be a big-tailed wolf.
Don’t you just want me to choose this?
The leader gives two options, and they are two seemingly very different options. There is a high probability that he wants you to choose the second option.
Because he wants to show off and test whether you can tell the difference between a good guy and a good guy!
Sure enough, seeing Jia Lian being so determined, Emperor Ning Kang was really curious and couldn't help but said, "Tell me, why did you choose the second one?"
Nothing else, because old Bidden you want me to choose the second one.
"First, because I am still too young and think that I cannot bear the weight of the king."
"Secondly, I still don't believe that I am really a bloodline of the Supreme Emperor. I think there must be some misunderstanding.
I have made up my mind to go back and ask my grandmother about what happened back then, and find out my true life experience once this incident is over.
Your Majesty knows that I have always been cautious and thin-skinned. What if it turns out that it is the Supreme Emperor who made a mistake, and I have already received the clan status and royal title. How embarrassing will it be at that time? How can I come to Taiwan?"
Emperor Ningkang hummed: "Ignorant words."
If the emperor really wants to anoint a person, then it means that it is true and false, and it is also true. Otherwise, wouldn't it become a joke?
"The third point...
I wonder if Your Majesty still remembers what I told Your Majesty that the world is very big and there are countless countries beyond the boundaries of our Wei Dynasty.
I always remember the agreement I made with Your Majesty, to be a sharp blade to open up new territories and conquer the barbarians from all directions for Your Majesty.
If you become the prince of the clan and you are noble, it will be inconvenient to lead troops to kill enemies and fight on the battlefield in the future."
Emperor Ning Kang frowned slightly. He had almost forgotten how Jia Lian deceived him into expanding the port and navy.
If you think about it seriously, the reason why he is so anxious to get power from the Supreme Emperor is because he wants to get rid of the ills left over from the Supreme Emperor's period as soon as possible, and then free up his energy to increase the national and military power of Wei to a certain height.
, to be a promising king?
Of course, he had naturally thought about what Jia Lian said about wiping out the rebels from all directions and even going on an overseas expedition, but he also understood that it would be difficult to achieve this in his lifetime.
However, he has experienced so many things and blows recently that he almost forgot these ambitions.
It was difficult for Jia Lian, but he still remembered it.
"Hmph, it sounds like you, Jia Lian, are the only one in the entire court who can handle things. Without you, I can't accomplish anything."
"Uh... I made a mistake. Your Majesty, please don't blame me."
Looking at the somewhat embarrassed Jia Lian, Emperor Ning Kang couldn't help but think.
How wonderful it would be if this was his son instead of his nephew!
In this way, all the previous annoyances will be eliminated immediately. No, it is not just an annoyance, he can also truly relax.
Because, he really felt a little tired...
After being silent for a long time, Emperor Ning Kang said: "How long does your filial piety period have left?"
Although he didn't understand what Emperor Ning Kang meant, Jia Lian immediately replied: "Your Majesty, there is less than a year left."
"Over the years, you have done a lot of things for me, and you haven't had much rest.
After you return to the capital this time, you will hand over the two errands of the Firearms Battalion and the Military and Horse Division, go back and honor your father's filial piety, and also take advantage of the opportunity to have a good rest."
Emperor Ning Kang's words immediately stunned Jia Lian.
What's going on, brother, I've made my choices according to your arrangements, and you still want to reduce my military power?
If I had known this earlier, I would have chosen the first one. At least one of the princes would have been obtained, and Baochai girl could have been settled.
Jia Lian felt unhappy and it showed on his face.
Emperor Ningkang became angry when he saw it.
"Don't be ignorant! After returning to Beijing this time, I don't know how much trouble I will be in.
As the grandson of the Supreme Emperor, you have military power in your hands. Even if you are loyal to me, there will be people who are deliberately trying to drag you into trouble!
Do you really want to help those people deal with me?"
"Ahem, cough, cough, how can that be possible... Your Majesty, if you have something to say, just say it clearly. If you say it clearly, I will understand.
Just now, I thought that Your Majesty, you were going to cross the river and demolish the bridge, leaving me to cool down and stay there."
Seeing that Emperor Ningkang was getting angry again, Jia Lian did not dare to beep any more and said quickly: "Your Majesty only asked me to hand over the Firearms Battalion and the Military and Horse Division. Where is the Tianjin Guard?"
"If you have the time to do the things over there, just continue to deal with them. If you have any problems, try to solve them yourself. There is no need to bother me."
The port and navy are both future projects, and Ning Kangdi is really not in the mood to care about it anymore.
"Okay, if you have nothing else to do, please retreat first. Restrain your subordinates and set off back to Beijing early tomorrow morning."
Emperor Ningkang had been meeting Jia Lian alone for a long time, and he had other things to deal with.
After waiting for a while, he didn't hear Jia Lian's response. When he raised his head, he found that Jia Lian was still looking at him tentatively.
"Do you have anything else?"
"Well, I heard from people that there are several groups of soldiers and horses coming down from the mountain. They were all caused by the Supreme Emperor's previous decree... I wonder if your majesty can be of use to your subordinates?"
"You? What can you do? Rely on the two or three thousand musketeers in your hands to help me repel this tens of thousands of troops?"
Emperor Ningkang was careless.
Jia Lian wanted to say, if you return the artillery army to me, you may not be able to give it a try.
But this is a joke. As long as Emperor Ning Kang was not crazy, he would not be able to send troops to destroy these foreign troops who had not rebelled.
"I dare not say anything else. I heard that Wang Tongzhi led tens of thousands of border troops to march towards the capital...
Your Majesty has forgotten that Prince Teng is my uncle-in-law. If your Majesty needs a liaison, you might as well consider Wei Chen."
In fact, not only Wang Ziteng, but also Yunguang Jia Lian, the governor of Chang'an, was quite familiar with him. But Jia Lian was stupid enough to take the initiative to raise this issue. This was a crime of being suspected of befriending foreign officials.
Jia Lian's words moved Emperor Ningkang's heart.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I won't bring any soldiers, just a few followers."
Emperor Ning Kang glared at Jia Lian, feeling that Jia Lian was deliberately mocking him and saying that he was petty.
After all, it was a serious matter. Emperor Ning Kang did not argue with Jia Lian. He thought for a while and said: "Since you are sure of this, I will leave this matter to you. Hum, if it goes wrong, I will want your head."
"I will not disappoint Your Majesty."
…
After walking out of the palace with two imperial edicts from Emperor Ningkang, Jia Lian looked back.
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I hope you won't trick me. In other words, I like you, but I really want to have a good story with you as a king and a minister.