Eastward Flow

Chapter 87

Half a month later, the emperor arrived in Yunzhou on his southern tour, and Prince Zhong Lisuo, wearing a crown suit, bowed down to welcome the dragon boat at Nanfeng Ferry.

On that day, the mother and daughter who had been separated for eight years met in Yunzhou, which was very touching.

Not many days later, the emperor and the prince returned to Yuanzhou with the escort of General Xuan Jingchen.

In Zhonglisuo's impression, her mother, Zhonglichen, was a very cold person by nature.Except when they met on the reunion day, the emperor once took her into his arms in front of everyone, and ignored her the rest of the time, as if he had forgotten that he had an extra prince.

However, judging from the teachers the emperor chose for her, the emperor still cared about her very much.Jinpaowei, the Privy Council, Hongwen Museum and other places have all selected people as her teachers.Even Qing Lan, who had just returned to Yuanzhou and was decreed by the emperor to replace Rian Ran as the Chief Commander, came to give advice to Zhong Lisuo.In other words, the power given to Zhonglisuo by the emperor was beyond the reach of the princes of all dynasties.

Jiantiansi has always been a place that the prince can't touch. The emperor not only gave it to Zhong Lisuo, but also left a sentence that anyone can ask the chief minister about anything big or small. After that, she continued to be the king in the palace who didn't hear anything outside the window. .

After returning from Yunzhou, the emperor's health was getting worse and worse, and it was common for him not to go to court for ten days and a half months.After winter, the emperor ordered the prince to supervise the country.

A young man who has never been experienced in government affairs is helpless in the face of the cunning ministers, so he has to put on a smiling face and retreat to advance, letting them fight for life and death for a piece of meat.

The corrupt Yuandu is becoming more and more luxurious in this winter.The entire imperial city was refurbished, and countless wealth was distributed.Even with such an expense, Zhong Lisuo was surprised to find that the national treasury was not as empty as she imagined, but it was barely enough.

The emperor has recuperated for many years and has saved countless money, but none of it is in the treasury.

Facing the extravagant wind in Yuanzhou, Zhong Lisuo felt very worried when he thought about the barbarians in the north who were staring at him.

The emperor has been in power for many years, except for the fact that more than half of the Xuan clan died in the battle at Wangyue Pass many years ago, after that, Chu and the barbarians were just fighting.The nobles had been at ease for a long time, and they were a little panicked because of the Zhongzhou King's rebellion, but the barbarians did not attack the Zhongzhou King's rebellion, which made them feel more at ease.

In addition to this winter, the barbarians had a new monarch, and many people felt that the Chu State, which is now a powerful country, would have no war.

Only the general Xuan Jingchen and his group were worried, and wanted to lead the army back to Lanzhou on the grounds of guarding the border of Lanzhou.But the emperor refused and ordered her to stay in Yuanzhou.

Xuan Jingchen had no choice but to order his subordinate Le Zhengying Xu Renqing to return to Lanzhou to guard the border.

Anyone with a discerning eye knew why the emperor kept Xuan Jingchen in Yuanzhou, it was nothing more than fear of her military power and rebellious heart.It's just that she just fought a beautiful victory, and the emperor is not ready to kill the donkey.

Zhong Lisuo looked at the situation of this great general, thought of her contribution to the country, and looked at a group of flattering treacherous ministers, feeling depressed.Therefore, during her period of supervising the country, Zhong Lisuo gently let go of all the papers of Shen Xuan Jingchen.

Before New Year's Eve, the emperor's health finally improved a lot.So, before New Year's Eve, the emperor went to court once.

The eyes of this court meeting all fell on Zhonglisuo.

Prince Zhong Lisuo is almost 16 years old, and the cornerstone of the country has also reached the age of marriage.The Ministry of Rites selected a group of talented young people for her, just like they threatened the emperor more than ten years ago, forcing the emperor to give the prince a marriage.

But the current emperor is no longer afraid of these ministers, and the group of people who can only talk good things are just pigs raised by her.The emperor did not accept the proposal to choose a husband for the prince, but looked at the ministers and said: "In the past, the ancestor Chu Xuandi succeeded to the throne at the age of eight, and married the older Empress Huiwen on the grounds that she was too young to be in charge. , let the empress rule for her. Now that my son Zhaoming is unfamiliar with state affairs and is not good at state affairs, he should marry an older and mature concubine to teach her. As for the imperial husband, I am not old enough to want to hold a grandson. .”

The indifferent emperor laughed, and the cold blade in his eyes made the courtiers in the palace bow down tremblingly to promise.Therefore, the matter of choosing a princess for Zhong Lisuo fell on the Ministry of Rites and Supervisor Tiansi.

Older than the prince, but also proficient in government affairs, the ministers looked at the general who had not returned to the north for a long time, and there was nothing they didn't understand.

The emperor was reluctant to part with such a talented general, and he didn't want to lose military power, so he could only let the general marry the prince.

Clever as Zhong Lisuo, how could she not understand the emperor's thoughts, she went to Qing Lan anxiously after the court was over.

Regarding this, Qing Lan smiled slightly and said: "What are you worried about, Your Highness? You are the cornerstone of the country, the future king of a country. There is no man or woman in this world that you can't marry."

She has a noble status, and she will have any kind of marriage.

Zhong Lisuo sighed softly, "Even if you are the lord of the world, there are some women you can't marry. Otherwise, why didn't Emperor Wenkang marry for the rest of his life?"

Marriage, where is such a simple thing.It's not a transaction, it's a heart-to-heart.

Qing Lan was surprised, "So His Highness really thought about marrying General Xuan?"

Zhong Lisuo was speechless, thought for a moment, and said, "A hero like General Xuan should marry someone who is as heroic as her, instead of marrying a sick child like me who lives day by day."

"Your Highness, don't underestimate yourself. Didn't I tell you that Your Highness should take good care of himself, and he can live past 40 years old at least." Qing Lan looked at her seriously and said solemnly.

Zhong Lisuo laughed, "Then let's borrow Mr.'s good words."

Qing Lan smiled, and asked again: "Leaving aside His Majesty's thoughts, I would like to ask His Highness, what do you think of General Xuan?"

"I asked you this question before, but why did you come to ask me today?" Zhong Li was surprised, looking at Qing Lan in front of him, and replied: "The Xuan family guards the border and is loyal for generations. General Xuan is the descendant of the loyal family. , love the people like a son, be loyal, and be the pillar of the country.”

Qing Lan sighed, and said: "Your Highness has a very high opinion of the general, but now the ministers in the court are rumoring that General Xuan is self-respecting and has the heart of rebelling against his ministers."

"Please be careful with your words, sir." Zhong Lisuo looked at Qing Lan with serious disapproval.

Qing Lan smiled in relief, and said to Zhong Lisuo: "Don't you worry, Your Highness, the general will rebel?"

"Well, what is she rebelling against? Besides, is she rebelling?"

Surprised, Qing Lan met Zhong Lisuo's warm smile, was stunned for a moment, looked at her with a smile, and said nothing.

She saw the meaning in Zhonglisuo's eyes clearly, even if Xuan Jingchen really turned against her, what did it have to do with her?This corrupt and extravagant imperial court has long been riddled with holes.

After New Year's Eve, the Lantern Festival, the emperor held a grand banquet for his ministers in Yulong Pavilion.

At that time, the prince had just passed his birthday.The prince, who had just turned 16, was wearing a heavy crown suit and sat at the lower head of the emperor.On her right is Xuan Jingchen specially arranged by the emperor.

The commanders on the lotus-leaf stage danced to the Donghuang to step on the Lantern Festival, and the emperor stared at it with a little sadness in joy.The emperor looked at the witch who was embraced by the Eastern Emperor, and suddenly turned his head to look at the prince beside him.

The young prince has a [-]% similar face to her, except that one is very cold and beautiful, and the other is immature and green.The emperor stared at the familiar face, as if seeing another self, and asked, "Do you still remember how to blow the shakuhachi?"

Zhong Lisuo was taken aback, and replied, "I remember."

The emperor nodded, and ordered someone to bring a shakuhachi to the prince.Seeing the crown prince took it, the emperor stretched out his hand, held her, and walked towards the lotus leaf platform in the pavilion.

While the ministers shouted, the emperor said that the emperor and his ministers had fun together.She asked the prince to play a song "Seeing the Moon", and accompanied by the melodious Shakuhachi, she performed a consonant song.

The bright moonlight leaked in from the top of the pavilion, Zhongli Shuo sat under the moonlight, looking at the mother in front of him, who was in the clothes in front of him, a little bit of warmth melted the cold coming from all directions.

Zhong Lisuo's Shakuhachi once resounded throughout Yunzhou, and even earned him the nickname of "Master Seeing the Deer".But after this night, many people knew that this good shakuhachi prince was Yunzhou's "Mr. Jianlu".Moreover, because her song made the emperor happy, she also called her shakuhachi the voice of Yulong.

Many people know that the prince's shakuhachi is beautiful, but no one knows that the emperor's shakuhachi is even worse, but the emperor has no one who can listen to her shakuhachi.

After the song saw the moon, the emperor looked at General Xuan at the next song and said, "I heard that the general's marksmanship is very good. Why don't you beat the drums for the general alone, and how about a spear dance for the general alone?"

Xuan Jingchen couldn't refuse, but saw the emperor took off his heavy cloak and stood in the arena in a brocade robe.

The sound of the drums was urgent, the generals fired their guns like dragons, and the monarchs and ministers seemed to be at war, which made everyone watch heartily.

With the last blow, the drum hammer hit the drum heavily. The emperor raised his eyes, panting, and looked at the junior in front of him with wolf-like eyes. His expression was sharp and stubborn.

This is a good boy, thought the Emperor.

Just because he was a good boy, the emperor was relieved.The emperor moved his gaze, and saw his daughter who was full of surprises not far away, smiling with a rare curved lips.

She raised her eyes, panted, looked at the woman who put away her weapon and was half kneeling in front of her, and said to the ministers on the Yulong Pavilion: "General Xuan is both civil and military, a hero, he is really a first-class hero in the world." Such a character can only be matched by a lonely prince."

She laughed, pointed to the woman in front of her and said, "Come here, serve the general."

Regardless of the surprise of all the officials, she fixed her eyes on the woman in front of her, revealing the vicissitudes of life.

Sooner or later, the state of Chu will perish. If this person is destined to win the country, why doesn't she choose a better way?

She promised her sister that she didn't want a white-haired man to give a black-haired one.Then, let her pave the way for Shuo'er, and then walk on safely for the next few decades.