Mengxia in April, the first day of the lunar month.
The peach blossoms in Chang'an City are blooming at their most beautiful, and the cherries are also ripe.
The girl holding a fruit basket has a blooming peony in her bun.
A group of carriages passed by, and the longevity king Li Han opened the curtain and stared at the graceful figures on the street, feeling sad.
He got off the carriage at Baosha Temple at the north gate of Chongrenfang and took a deep breath of the smoke from the incense candle. It was a rare feeling of freedom outside the Ten Kings' House.
Rather than saying that he is a devout believer in Buddhism, it is better to say that he likes being able to escape surveillance on the first and fifteenth day of every month in the name of worshiping the Buddha.
After offering incense in the main hall, Li Chen strode towards the Zen room in the backyard.
In the past, Da Xi Yingying would bring him money and sometimes beauties every month, except last month.
"Is she here?"
"Inside."
Li Chen's decadent eyes finally shined, and he pushed the door straight in.
Da Xi Yingying's plump and attractive figure fell into his eyes again, and this time it finally aroused his emotions.
"Crack!"
Li Chen strode forward and slapped her in the face, bloodshot eyes immediately appeared on her beautiful face.
She fell to the ground, and Li Chen straddled her, slapped her again with his backhand, and pressed and rubbed her roughly.
Da Xi Yingying was so painful that she shed tears. She gritted her teeth and endured it. Instead, she stroked herself and exclaimed: "Prince Shou..."
Li Chen frowned when he saw her being so wanton, stood up, and kicked her hard.
"You bitch, how dare you betray me!"
"The slave family doesn't dare." Da Xi Yingying quickly hugged Li Chan's boots and begged for mercy: "The slave family has always only had King Shou in their hearts. It was Xue Bai who alienated us. He designed the slave family to enter the palace..."
"Don't say it!"
Li Chen was furious and leaned over to strangle Da Xi Yingying's neck.
Her face turned red, and his face became even redder with anger. Endless hatred and grievance surged up, completely swallowing up his reason.
"You dare to laugh at me!"
Da Xi Yingying had already prepared an excuse. She could say that it was because the Ten Princes' Residence was tightly guarded that she couldn't explain to him, but the right minister knew that she had not betrayed. But she didn't expect that one unintentional word would cause her to be pinched.
dead.
She was suffocated and her eyes rolled upward.
"Cough cough cough cough..."
There was a cough from the screen, and Li Chan woke up from the painful memories, let go of his hand, and exclaimed: "Who?!"
He looked around the screen and saw an old man in a robe, lowering his head and coughing, with his head facing him.
"Dog thief."
Li Chan was so frightened that he held the wooden fish on the shelf in his hand and raised his hand to hit the old man.
But when the other party raised his head, he was so surprised that he took several steps back.
"Right...Right Prime Minister?"
"Eighteen Master, long time no see." Li Linfu stopped coughing and stared at the wooden fish.
Li Chen quickly put down the weapon in his hand and asked: "Why is the right minister dressed like this?"
Today, it was rare for Li Linfu not to bring his retinue, not even his confidant female envoy, which had not happened in ten years.
"Since Shibaro sent someone to tell her, I have no choice but to come in person and return her body and property to the original owner."
"This is?"
Li Chen stepped forward to take it, spread it out and took a look, with a look of ecstasy in his eyes.
It's not because he cares much about Da Xi Yingying, but because he was finally able to protect his face in secret and prevent others from taking away his woman.
Da Xi Yingying regained her breath, walked around the screen, and prostrated herself on the ground.
"We don't have much time." Li Linfu said calmly: "Let's get down to business."
"Here."
Da Xi Yingying seemed to have completely digested everything just now and opened her mouth without any emotion.
"Xue Bai is Xue Xi's son, Xue Pingzhao. In the past ten years, the person who has adopted and taught him is named 'Han Yu'. From the only paintings, one book and two articles, we can see that this person is academically proficient, literary, and has a strong writing style. The old and spicy one must be Zhang Jiuling, a general figure like He Zhizhang. He must have been behind Xue Bai's poems. In addition, Han Yu's threat lies not only in writing, calligraphy and painting, but also in political power."
"He planned for ten years, proposed the Salt Law to Yang Zhen, won over Pei Kuan, Zhangchou Jianqiong, and supported a force in the court. This was supposed to support King Qing as the crown prince. King Qing was the eldest son of the emperor, and he also adopted Li Ying's son is the best choice for Li Ying's remaining party. But once they are allowed to succeed, the first person to be killed will undoubtedly be King Shou."
Li Chen was shocked and exclaimed: "Is all this true?"
"If King Shou can't trust the slave family, can he still trust the right prime minister?"
"I've seen it myself and it's true."
Li Linfu went to Fengweilou to look at it, and found that the calligraphy was not written by familiar opponents such as Li Yong, Zheng Qian, and Zhang Jiugao. It had a hint of Zhang Xuzhi's style, which was very different from Yan Zhenqing's style. It was indeed written by a famous artist, and Xue Bai would definitely not be able to write it.
More importantly, he personally observed Du Wulang's helpless appearance in front of Da Xi Yingying and confirmed that this news channel was reliable.
All this confirmed his initial speculation.
Although there is no evidence, it doesn't matter, he has no intention of going to the saint in person to reveal these things...
Li Heng said: "But I don't know who Han Yu is at all!"
"This person has no official position, but he has the patience to stay dormant for so long and reach such an extent. How cruel is his character?" Da Xi Yingying said: "He also sent Xue Bai to Princess Xianyi's house, he must want to take revenge."
"The sudden death of Concubine Wu Hui must be related to Li Ying's remnant," Li Linfu said.
Li Chen was shocked and doubtful, and said: "Li Ying really wanted to rebel back then, so he would leave such a vicious person behind. Right Prime Minister, you should inform the saint of these vicious plots!"
"Alas." Li Linfu sighed and shook his head.
"Right Prime Minister?"
"How can outsiders comment on the emperor's family affairs?" Li Linfu said: "Xue Bai offered dominoes to the saint and took the opportunity to slander me. Now, the saint no longer trusts me, and there is no evidence for this matter."
"Then what should we do?!"
"The remnants of Li Ying seem to be at odds with the prince, but in fact they have already united. The purpose of fighting for the right to tax the salt is to weaken the power of the prime minister. Once I quit the prime minister, no one will be able to check and balance the prince. When the time comes, the prince will Controlling the four towns in the northwest, obtaining the salt tax from the east of the river, and being favored by the border generals of Sichuan and Sichuan, there is no danger of ascending to the throne. Perhaps the prince also promised Han Yu that he would rehabilitate Li Ying... That is already behind you and me."
"Right Chancellor, you have to stop this!"
"Everything in the world depends on the will of the saint. I can't persuade the saint."
Li Linfu said, clapped his knees, sighed, and stood up.
"As entrusted by others, it's a matter of fate. Shiba Lang wants to investigate, and I'm here today to inform you of the results. The current situation is like this, there is nothing we can do."
As soon as he left the Zen room, female envoys and guards came to greet him, guarding him vigilantly.
Looking back on today's trip, there was a lot of traffic in front of Fengwei Tower, and Baosha Temple was almost hit by a wooden fish. There were many crises, so Li Linfu decided not to take such risks again in the future.
Fortunately, it was worth it. No one else was present during today's secret conversation. What happened to Li Xuan had nothing to do with him.
…
"Yingniang, what do you say I should do?"
Li Chen asked and saw Da Xi Yingying turning around, the palm prints on her face and the pinch marks on her neck were red.
He immediately softened his voice, caressed her face, and said, "I'm not in a good mood. You know I wasn't like this before. I've been too uncomfortable these years."
Da Xi Yingying lowered her head and asked: "Since the Right Prime Minister cannot change the Holy Will, maybe Alang can come forward?"
"Me?" Li Heng said, "Don't you know how much the saint hates me?"
"The Xue Pingzhao matter, initially it seems that... Princess Xianyi asked Alang to investigate, right?"
Li Chanru was rescued and thought that the princess of the Tang Dynasty had a much better life than the princes like them.
Da Xi Yingying glanced up and saw a corner of her contract still exposed in his arms.
She happily left the meditation room and whispered something before leaving, but Li Chen was thinking about it and didn't pay much attention.
"The slave family does not blame Alang."
Da Xi Yingying really thought that she shouldn't blame this King of Shou, it was not his fault.
He was just a poor man who had his wife robbed by his father and was ridiculed by thousands of people, causing his mentality to be distorted. He was just an incompetent man who was locked up in the Shiwang Mansion and closely monitored and turned into a waste.
She used to pity him, but now she can't even pity herself.
~~
The kitchen of Fengweilou is busy.
As soon as the steamer was opened, thick steam rose up, and the big white steamed buns were at their fullest.
Nowadays, steamed buns are also called steamed buns, which are filled with mixed meat. Today, Du Wulang chose the best white noodles and steamed them to make steamed buns that were delicious without fillings.
He was sniffing when he suddenly heard someone behind him say: "Wu Lang is here, isn't Er Niang here?"
Looking back, he saw Da Xi Yingying's face was red and swollen and there were marks on her neck. Du Wulang was shocked and said: "What's wrong with you? Who beat you like this?!"
Amidst the lingering steam, Da Xi Yingying suddenly looked into a pair of concerned and sincere eyes. She was stunned, covered her face and walked out.
"Wait a minute." Du Wulang hurriedly looked for something.
After leaving the kitchen, Da Xi Yingying looked back and didn't see him chasing her out, so she turned back to her house.
All the way through the courtyard gate, I suddenly heard Du Wulang shouting from behind: "Hey, are you okay?"
She ignored him and entered the house.
"It takes so much force to beat like this..."
Du Wulang hurriedly followed up and stepped across the threshold. He was still muttering in his mouth when he was suddenly pulled and pushed against the wooden wall by Da Xi Yingying.
"What are you doing here?"
"You were beaten too hard. What kind of beast are you?!"
"Are you feeling distressed?"
"Of course I care..."
Du Wulang didn't know what to say, but he was suddenly hugged by Da Xi Yingying. He suddenly felt that his whole body was wrapped in soft steamed buns, but he still remembered her shocking injury.
"you……"
"Tear me down."
Da Xi Yingying was so excited that she bit his ear directly and spoke urgently in a longing tone.
"Tear me down."
The hot air entered Du Wulang's ears, and there was a "buzzing" in his head, and he didn't know where his soul had flown.
The tip of the nose becomes hot and bleeding occurs.
Dida.
The bright red blood fell on the fair skin, slid down with the arc, and seeped into the belt.
Da Xi Yingying ignored him and pushed him to the ground, reaching down to him.
This shock made Du Wulang tremble all over.
He was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, hurriedly pushed her away, turned his back to her, and said, "Don't do this."
"Didn't you say you care about me? You dislike me again?"
"Of course I don't dislike you, but caring doesn't mean that either... I can't let down the people who are devoted to me... Well, anyway, a gentleman should respect himself."
Da Xi Yingying had a sneer on her face. She turned around and saw that the boy's back looked stupid. He still had his back to her, took out something wrapped in coarse cloth and handed it to her.
"It's still hot, please apply it."
"What's this?"
"Egg, you can roll it on the wound, maybe it will help? I don't know."
Da Xi Yingying reached out to take it and found that the egg had been crushed but was still warm.
"Um... I've already sent someone to ask for a doctor." Du Wulang said: "Also, the second sister said, don't think that we don't trust you. They have made arrangements and will get your body deed back.
"
He pushed the door open and then remembered that the door opened inward. He opened the door in a hurry and walked away in a hurry.
Da Xi Yingying looked down at the nosebleeds on her dress, hesitated for a moment, and put the warm egg on the bruise to apply it.
In fact, she had medicine for injuries in her room, and she came here just to get it...
~~
At dusk, Li Chan left Princess Xianyi's Mansion. Thinking about what Li Niang said today, a rare smile appeared in his eyes.
"Brother, why are you panicking? Li Heng seems to be respectful and filial, but in fact he is very ambitious. Do you really think that your father is not guarding him? Now that the right minister has found out, as long as my father knows that Li Heng secretly colluded with the courtiers to cause such a big thing
, I will let him go down to find Li Ying."
"But, there is no evidence."
"Don't you need evidence for this kind of thing? A few hints from me in front of my father are enough. Li Heng's wedding banquet tomorrow is the reason for my opening."
~~
That night, Shangzhu Guozhang went to his mansion and kept the lights brightly lit all night, because the second daughter of the Zhang family was about to marry into the East Palace and become the crown prince Liangdi.
It is said that she is married, but in fact Liangdi is the prince's concubine, but she is of higher rank.
Today's saint was raised by Zhang Queyi's mother. With the honor and favor of the Zhang family, Zhang Ting is worthy of being the crown prince.
The problem is that the prince's eldest son is already twenty-one years old, and the biological mother Wu is still a palace maid who was demoted to Yeting. If the prince's concubine gives birth to a legitimate son, it will definitely pose a threat to Li Chu.
Therefore, Zhang Ting can only become Liangdi.
She felt very disappointed at first.
But if you think about it carefully, after the Liu Ji case, the prince replaced Du Liangdi with Zhang Liangdi. It seemed that he was persecuted by Li Linfu, but in fact he won. The same was true in the Wei Jian case. The prince seemed to have lost, but in fact he was in Hexi and Longyou towns. The position was handed over to his adopted brother who was closer to him.
Everyone underestimates Dong Gong, but it is the best time for her to marry her. The more wronged she seems today, the greater the harvest will be in the future...
She stayed up all night, and at three o'clock, she sat in the luxurious boudoir and started dressing up and changing clothes.
She reached out and stroked the somewhat frugal wedding dress, nodded with satisfaction, sat down, smiled in front of the bronze mirror, and put on a beautiful expression.
~~
The morning drums in Chang'an remained the same, and they did not appear any different from usual ones because of the prince's wedding.
Xue Bai had a good sleep and went out at the end of the day, looking refreshed and unconcerned with the world.
The four sons of Chunwei met at Zhuque Street and drove their horses to Chongrenfang.
"Aren't you going to the East Palace?"
"Who said the wedding banquet is in the East Palace?"
"The invitation says 'East Palace Wedding Banquet'."
"Can it still be called a 'ceremony wedding banquet'? Since the Ten Princes' Residence was built, the weddings of kings and princesses have been held in the ceremony courtyard of Chongrenfang, and the same is true for the prince. If it is written on the invitation, it will be a coward."
Xue Bai felt that this was not cowardly, but it could bring out Li Heng's frugality. Compared with Li Longji, it is no wonder that more and more courtiers are looking forward to the crown prince.
…
The ceremonial courtyard was decorated with lanterns and festoons, and the scene was certainly not grand, but quite satisfactory.
The prince, who was not favored by the saint, married Zhu Guo's daughter as Liang Di. The formal etiquette of this wedding banquet must have troubled the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette who were handling the matter.
When they entered the house, all the three Chunwei sons handed over were mediocre gifts. Only Du Fu was more eclectic and gave a piece of his own calligraphy because he really had no money and did not want to borrow money to give gifts to the East Palace.
Xue Bai looked at it and thought that Kai Li was very good. However, the official who received the gift shook his head and muttered "thin and as hard as bone".
After all, people in the Tang Dynasty liked round and full characters.
Du Fu didn't know that others didn't like the gift he gave.
In front of the hall, Li Jingzhong's face was full of joy. When he saw Xue Bai, he came forward enthusiastically.
"Xue Lang is here! This old slave is here to guide Xue Lang. How about dining with Le Sheng?"
With such a high-pitched shout, many guests looked sideways.
There were other chamberlains who led Yuan Jie, Du Fu and Huangfu Ran to the back to sit down at the table, but Xue Bai's position was quite close to the front.
Along the way, I could occasionally hear whispers.
"Xue Dupai is here."
Xue Bai is now well-known. Some people care about his poems, some care about his style, and some care about his deeds. But for the dignitaries at today's banquet, the most important thing about him is playing cards with the saint.
"Aunt Gongsun!"
Du Fu was about to go to the last table, but suddenly turned around and called out.
Xue Bai turned around and saw a woman in her fifties sitting at the table with several disciples.
This woman has gray hair, but she still has a straight waist and a well-proportioned figure. Her eyes are heroic and sassy yet gentle. It makes people feel comfortable looking at her.
"Mother Gongsun is so polite. When Du Fu was young, he had the honor to watch the lady's sword dance in Yancheng. He still remembers it fresh."
"I am lucky enough to read Du Zimei's poems."
"Really?" Du Fu was overjoyed.
Suddenly someone asked: "Is Du Zimei here?"
While he was talking, three middle-aged men with beards floated over. They were the "Sage of Music" Li Guinian and his two brothers. They were all handsome and elegant.
Later, the chicken prodigy Jia Chang arrived, bringing with him his wife Pan, who was a skilled dancer.
"Xue Lang is here too? We meet again."
"Xue Lang is a popular figure nowadays, and Du Zimei is famous for his poetry, and he is also a new scholar. Today's wedding banquet will add glory."
After everyone exchanged greetings, Xue Bai sat down at the table with them, sat down cross-legged, and sat in the best seat besides the royal relatives, getting along with each other happily.
Sometimes I think, if he was willing to be more honest, serve as a palace servant, and please the saints, he would probably be like them... and suffer disaster during the Anshi Rebellion.
~~
"King Yong has arrived."
"The longevity king has arrived."
"Princess Xianyi and the consort have arrived..."
Li Niang took Yang Hui's arm and sat down, still talking and laughing in a low voice, "Finally, Li Heng took the opportunity to have a banquet. It's great to reconcile, don't you think?"
Unintentionally, she caught a glimpse of a handsome face, so she looked closely and realized that it was Xue Pingzhao.
The person who was strangled appeared in front of her, making Li Niang's face turn pale again. Fortunately, she had heard Li Linfu say that this was all a conspiracy. After thinking about it, she realized that this was a good thing.
Li Heng was cautious and did not invite important ministers, but the secret of colluding with Li Ying's remaining party was eventually discovered by her.
Li Niang then leaned into Yang Hui's ear and whispered: "Let's see what I can do in front of the saint tomorrow."
