This time the delegation from the State of Chen came to Chu, nominally on a mission to propose marriage. As a wedding envoy and proposal envoy, it was normal for Tang Ning to send a letter to the palace, both emotionally and rationally.
But what he didn't expect was that after he came here for the first time and revealed his identity, he was still rejected here. Not only did he not get a cup of tea, he didn't even enter the gate of Prince Xin's Mansion.
The reason why Li Tianlan had been out for a year and a half was of course the guard's prevarication, explaining that someone in Xin Wang's palace did not want him to see her.
This person is most likely King Xin, who was extremely powerful in the Chu Kingdom.
However, it is not a bad thing that King Xin does not allow him to visit.
This most likely means that he does not support Li Tianlan's marriage to Chen Guo. King Xin holds a very important position in the court. If he does not agree, the matter will definitely be difficult to achieve, which is exactly what Tang Ning wants.
The only regret is that I haven’t seen Li Tianlan for more than a year, and I don’t know if she has lost weight or gained weight...
Zhao Man sat opposite him with her chin propped up and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Tangning came back to her senses, shook her head and said, "It's nothing."
When a man says "nothing", he means "something." Thinking of what she read in the book, Zhao Man blinked and asked, "Commander Lu said you went out just now, what were you doing out there?"
Tangning thought for a while and said, "I'm going to meet a friend."
Zhao Man looked at him and asked, "Have you seen him?"
Tangning shook her head, "No."
"Why haven't I heard you say that you still have friends in Chu State?" Zhao Man looked into his eyes and asked, "Is she a woman?"
Tangning nodded and said, "Yes."
"Is it beautiful?"
"..."
Tang Ning did not answer, and Zhao Man did not ask further questions, but asked again: "Are you familiar with each other?"
Tangning waved her hand and said, "I'm just familiar with it..."
…
Pujiu Temple.
Pujiu Temple is located outside Kyoto, about ten miles away from the city. The temple is full of incense all year round. In addition to ordinary people, the princes and nobles of Kyoto often go to the temple to offer incense and pray for blessings.
Pujiu Temple, in a secluded Buddhist hall.
A woman in luxurious clothes was kneeling on the futon, clasping her hands together and kneeling quietly.
Not far from her, a young woman was leaning on the incense table, fiddling with a lottery stick on the table, a little absent-mindedly.
"Lanlan, what are you doing?"
It wasn't until a voice came from the side that she came back to her senses and asked, "Are you going back?"
The woman looked at her and said, "Being distracted in the Buddhist hall is disrespectful to the Bodhisattva. What are you thinking?"
"It's nothing." Li Tianlan shook his head and said, "Let's go."
The woman looked at her and asked, "What is that in your hand?"
Li Tianlan lowered his head and realized that when she was distracted just now, she casually pulled out a stick from the tube.
She was about to put it back, but the woman took it from her hand, looked at it, and murmured: "Today or later, when I see this beloved..., what kind of sign is this?"
An old monk smiled and said: "Reply to the princess and the princess, the meaning of the lottery is that the person who wins this lottery will be able to see the person he met in the near future, or the friend he misses day and night, or the person he misses in his heart.
The lover..."
Li Tianlan threw it back and said: "If everything in the world is determined by signatures, and all good signatures are put in, wouldn't the world be full of good things?"
"How can you speak in front of the Bodhisattva..." The woman glanced at her, immediately clasped her hands together, and murmured to the Bodhisattva statue in the hall: "Lanlan is young and ignorant, don't blame the Bodhisattva, don't blame..."
…
East Palace.
As soon as the Crown Prince of Chu stepped out of the palace gate, someone chased him from behind and said, "Your Highness, no, absolutely no, if the imperial censor sees it, Your Highness will be impeached again!"
"My Crown Princess, I can watch whatever I want. Who dares to stop me?" The Crown Prince of Chu waved his hand and said, "Let them impeach me. I want to see how long they can be proud of themselves."
?”
Seeing that he could not be dissuaded, the man said with a bitter look on his face: "Your Highness, even if you want to see me, you can change into casual clothes and let the guards take you to see him secretly, so as to avoid causing more trouble."
The young man stood at the door of the East Palace, thought for a while, nodded and said: "That's right. Although I am not afraid of them, I am still annoyed by flies."
He walked back again and said, "Call a few people and come with me to Jinxiu Palace in a while."
In the Splendid Palace, by the lake, Tang Ning and Zhao Man were holding fishing rods and sitting by the lake. It had been a while, but no fish had taken the bait yet.
Zhao Man said he wanted to fish a few days ago, and today he discovered that there is a lake in the Splendid Palace. Tang Ning had people build a nest an hour ago, but now, two quarters of an hour has passed, and not even a single fish has bitten the hook.
Tang Ning shook her head and said, "It seems there are no fish in this lake. Let's go back."
Zhao Man held the fishing rod, shook his head, and said indifferently: "If there is no fish, there will be no fish. Let's just sit here and talk."
Tangning threw the fishhook farther away and asked, "What did you say?"
Zhao Man looked at him, smiled and said, "Tell me about that friend of yours."
"..."
"What's her name?"
Tangning thought for a while and said, "Li Tianlan."
"Li Tianlan..." Zhao Man thought for a while and felt that the name was familiar. It took him a while to remember it, and he asked in surprise: "The friend you are talking about is Princess Changning of Chu State?"
Tangning nodded.
Zhao Man clenched the fishing rod in his hand and asked, "How did you meet?"
The acquaintance with Li Tianlan was just a coincidence. Later, they had a tit-for-tat confrontation at the Luming Banquet, and they were not acquainted without fighting. Then when she was attacked on the street, she acted righteously, almost endangering her life, and the two became real life and death friends.
Later, after gradually becoming familiar with each other, I discovered that the two people had surprisingly consistent views on many things. They even liked to eat the same things. The compatibility was extremely high, similar to the relationship between mountains and rivers...
It is rare to have a confidant in life, and nationality is not the reason why they cannot become confidants.
Zhao Man held her chin with one hand and murmured with envy on her face: "So you guys have known each other so long, and she even saved your life..."
She looked at Tangning again and asked, "Isn't she beautiful?"
"She is very beautiful." Tangning nodded and said, "She is probably as beautiful as you."
The look of disappointment on Zhao Man's face soon turned into joy. At this moment, Tang Ning suddenly turned around and said loudly: "Who!"
Several figures came from behind.
Zhao Man's maid sent the guards elsewhere. Tang Ning didn't know any of these people.
Those few people did not expect that there would be people in such a remote place by the lake, so that they were exposed as soon as they came in from outside.
Zhao Man's maid was already calling for the guards. Among the five people, the expressions of the four at the back changed. The one at the front looked at Tang Ning, then at Zhao Man, and said, "Who are you two? Ghost
What are you doing sneaking around here?"
Unexpectedly, the other party actually shouted "Catch the thief". Tangning looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"
The young man put his hands behind his back, looked at him arrogantly, and said, "Ben..."
He said something and then changed his tone, "Who do you care who I am?"
A young general led a team of guards and ran over quickly, waving and saying: "Get these assassins for me!"
When the guards approached, the four people behind the young man drew their weapons and protected him.
"You still dare to resist!" The young general waved his hand and said, "Anyone who dares to resist will be shot without mercy!"
"Bold!" One of them stepped forward, looked at the young general, and said loudly: "This is the Prince of the East Palace!"
"How dare you pretend to be the prince!" The young general kicked him away and said angrily: "Why did the prince come here? Take them all!"
The young man was furious and said loudly: "You are so outrageous. I am the prince, why don't you put down your weapons!"
"How brave you are to sneak into the princess's palace and pretend to be the prince!" The young general kicked him over and waved, "Hit me!"
Although the four of them were very skilled, they were unable to defeat the four with their fists and were quickly captured.
Only the young man held his head while enduring the punches and kicks, and shouted: "I am really a prince, you are so bold, you are so brave!"
"How dare you say you are the prince!" The young general kicked him over again and asked, "Tell me, who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I am the prince!"
The young general kicked the ball flying: "You still said that!"
The young man held his head and said, "I am really a prince!"
"Stubborn!" The young general snorted coldly and kicked him again, "Who are you!"
"I am the prince!"
"I am the prince!"
…
After being kicked countless times, the young man finally let go of his hand and said feebly: "I am not the prince..."
"Not the prince?" The young general looked at him, waved his hand and said, "You dare to pretend to be the prince, give me a beating!"
