The Grand Princess

Chapter 38: Palace Banquet

The two people slept for about less than two hours, and there was a knock on the door outside. Jinglan stood outside and respectfully said: "Your Majesty, Ma Ma, your Majesty is hosting a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony at noon today. You can afford it."

Listening to these words, Li Rong used her perseverance to open her eyes and pushed Pei Wenxuan: "Get up, get up soon."

Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to cover his eyes, frowned in pain, and after a while, he propped himself up, shook his head and said, "Get up."

The two encouraged each other to get up and were about to leave. When Li Rong moved, she brought the white silk down on the bed. The two looked at the white silk together, Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan: "You handle it."

Pei Wenxuan reluctantly stepped forward, picked up the white silk, cut his finger from the side and stained it with blood, then threw it back on the bed, and said outside: "Come in and wait."

Jinglan pushed the door in, and a group of maids stepped forward and waited on the two of them to freshen up. The two of them changed into palace costumes and got on the carriage and went to the palace.

They were both very sleepy on the road, and each leaned on the carriage while taking a nap. When they slept in the palace, the two felt that the carriage stopped, and they came back into a trance.

The two stayed in the carriage for a while, and finally went out one after another. At this time the Hall of Supreme Harmony was already full of people.

Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan met the officials in the hall all the way, and walked to the back of the hall. There was a small room behind the hall. The emperor and the queen led the royal family to give a banquet alone. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan entered the small hall. After the emperor and the queen saluted, the emperor and the queen gave them gifts, so they got up, and the couple sat down next to the emperor.

The palace banquet was very lively. The people in the harem were all here. Everyone didn’t speak, they all looked at Pei Wenxuan secretly. Pei Wenxuan's face was still, pretending to be ignorant of the sight of the people next to him, and talking about the same thing as Li Ming. words.

Li Ming is also familiar with Pei Wenxuan. He usually talks about official business. At this moment, he rarely talks about family affairs. What he greets is all trivial things. But in the eyes of everyone, Li Mingken takes care of Pei Wenxuan. A sense.

Li Ming and Pei Wenxuan said a few words, and then asked about the situation of Princess Li Rong's mansion. Li Rong answered along, and after a while, it was time for the banquet.

The dishes were served one by one. After Li Rong had cleaned up the princesses before, they did not dare to make trouble now, and a meal was considered to be a harmonious meal. After the meal was almost finished, everyone sat chatting, the concubines one by one. After asking Pei Wenxuan, Pei Wenxuan replied without leaking. After the answer, Concubine Rou laughed softly: "Unexpectedly, the child will grow up so big in a blink of an eye. Now the marriage of His Highness Pingle is over, sister," Roufei Turned his head, looked at the queen, and said gently, "I don't know about the marriage of the prince, is my sister ready?"

Li Chuan is two years younger than Li Rong. Now Li Rong is a relative, and everyone's eyes are on Li Chuan.

The queen smiled and said calmly: "Chuan'er is still young, so I won't consider this for now."

"His Royal Highness is not young anymore." Concubine Mei answered from the side, "Your Majesty has already made a marriage with the empress when he was so old?"

After hearing this, the queen glanced at Concubine Mei without a trace, with a few warnings: "You care about the prince."

"The prince's matter," Roufei smiled beside him, "Who doesn't care? But the elder sister is right. The prince still has four years to be crowned. It is indeed not in a hurry, but she can't be idle for these four years Now, choose slowly and see which one is right."

"You say that," the emperor heard Concubine Rou's words eagerly, his gaze fell on Concubine Rou's face, without anger, "What do you think?"

"About the prince," Roufei was a little embarrassed. "It's all my sister's decision. What can the concubines think?"

"Although the prince is the queen's son, you can still be regarded as growing up." The emperor brought the tea and raised his hand, "but it doesn't matter."

"The concubine thinks so," Rou Fei pulled her hair behind her ears and looked up at Li Chuan, "His Royal Highness is noble. If you want to talk about identity, no woman in this world can match it. It is not necessary to use identity as the first marriage partner. The most important thing is character. There is a young niece in the family of the minister, who has a gentle and virtuous temperament, and is about the same age as his highness. The minister courageously recommends her and thinks this little niece is very suitable."

When he said this, Li Chuan swept it coldly, and the queen looked very ugly. The emperor raised his eyes and glanced at Li Chuan. Seeing that he looked bad, he frowned, turned to look at Li Rong, and saw Li Rong bowing his head and blowing the tea in the teacup, with a relaxed and contented look. He couldn't help but feel a little strange, and asked: " Pingle, don’t you just ask about your brother’s marriage?"

Li Rong was named, raised her head, and said with a dazed expression: "What can I ask?"

"Such a big thing," Li Ming was amused by Li Rong, "You don't care about it?"

"Father," Li Rong put down his teacup, with a serious face, "There are rules in the palace. Concubine Roux doesn't know, don't the children know? Although Chuan'er is my brother, he is also the prince of a country. He In addition to the father and the queen, who can say more about his marriage? And the father is so wise, he can definitely find a good match for Chuan'er, so I don't want to worry about it."

As she said, she raised her eyes to Concubine Roux, and said with a smile: "The same is true of Concubine Rou, so what do you do?"

When Concubine Rou received these words, her expression remained unchanged, Hua Le snatched: "Sister's words are wrong, we are all a family, my mother and concubine are also good for the prince, your words are really chilling."

"Oh, does my sister want me to make it so clear?" Li Rong sighed, she turned her head and looked at Li Ming, "Father, the sons and ministers don't want to hurt the heart of Concubine Rou, after all, Concubine Rou is here. In the minister's heart, he also watched the children grow up and put them in the homes of ordinary people. That is the same position as the nurses and concubines, but there are some things that the children feel that they are not very good. I wonder if the father thinks that the children should not be said? "

Hua Le's expression suddenly changed when the words such as "Nanny Niang" were used. Li Ming glanced at both sides, and then said, "You speak."

"Chuan'er is the state reserve. His choice of wife is very important. His family background, appearance, and character are all indispensable. There are many women among this nobleman, so why bother to choose a girl from a small family? The niece's niece is the crown prince. What does this make the courtiers think? What do the people think? Chuan'er wants to marry a girl, so at least it must be like me," Li Rong smiled and took Pei Wenxuan's hand. "At least it should be a family member. Isn't your concubine?"

Li Rong's words were naive. Li Ming originally heard that his face was not good. When Li Rong took Pei Wenxuan's hand, Li Ming suddenly felt relieved, thinking that this daughter was indeed just a little bit inferior to Concubine Rou. That's all.

Although he didn't like it very much, he could understand it. After all, Concubine Rou's background was indeed not on the stage. With Li Rong's temperament, it was common for him to be unused. Concubine Rou also wanted to send her niece to be the princess, but Li Ming also felt wrong.

Li Ming nodded and turned the topic around: "Chuan'er is still young, I will talk about this later. If there is a suitable girl, please pay attention and tell the queen that it is."

When these words were said, the queen looked better, and the group chatted again. The **** came back from the outside and said a few words around Li Ming. Li Ming responded, and then raised his head and said to everyone: "It's almost the same time, I There is something else, let's go away first."

After Li Ming finished speaking, everyone knelt down and sent him out. Li Ming arrived at the outer hall, said a few more words to the officials, and left first.

After Li Ming left, the queen announced that she was leaving, and Li Rong went forward to say goodbye to the queen and Li Chuan, and then left with Pei Wenxuan.

The two of them greeted all the way and retired, got on the carriage, and as soon as they got into the carriage, Li Rong breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as he sat at the table, he collapsed. Pei Wenxuan sat opposite her and was also quite tired. While pouring tea for himself, he said: "It's too tired to have dinner with your family. After a meal, it looks like a morning dynasty. It's still a topic for your women. , I'm so uncomfortable."

"Do you think I'm not uncomfortable?"

Li Rong took the tea he poured, and became a little angry: "What is Concubine Rou! Even her niece wants to cling to Chuan'er? I don't want to follow it. Toad wants to eat swan meat, so this is cheap for her! "

"Then what do you want?" Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea with a serious expression, "poison her to death?"

"I want to," Li Rong turned to look at him, "Can you? If you want to, I will buy a head of money."

"The imperial concubine's head is worth a thousand dollars?" Pei Wenxuan smiled, Li Rong laughed mockingly, and turned her head: "A thousand gold is considered to overestimate her."

"However," Pei Wenxuan thought, earnestly said, "His Royal Highness's marriage should indeed be considered."

The marriage of Li Chuan in the previous life will begin next year, which is when the candidates are scheduled. In fact, the queen already had a candidate for the princess in her heart, and she was only looking for the concubine.

Li Rong thought, listening to Pei Wen preaching: "I don't know about the marriage of the prince, how does the princess plan? Is it the same as in the previous life, to contact the family to secure the prince's position by marriage, or have other plans?"

"What do you think?" Li Rong picked up the tea cup and took a sip.

In fact, both of them understood that they were not discussing Li Chuan's marriage, but how to fight for the position of Prince Li Chuan.

"In the previous life, the queen empress found a concubine and four side concubines for the prince, but it did stabilize the relationship between the prince and the family. If your Royal Highness feels that the prince in this life has to go the same way as the first life, with the help of the family, It is indeed a way to assist with the military power in the northwest to fight your Majesty head-on."

Li Rong didn't speak, she tapped the palm of her hand lightly with the golden folding fan, "What about the other one?"

"His Royal Highness can remember the previous life, how was His Royal Highness abolished?"

Pei Wenxuan suddenly asked such a sentence. Li Rong knew that he would not ask questions casually, so she thought about it and replied: "Chuan'er has no military power in his hands, and he relies on the family, and the father used King Su as a puppet. Secretly support the ordinary gentry, and all the aristocratic clans who take refuge in King Su can be promoted to fight against Chuan'er."

Li Ming is an extremely patient emperor.

His encirclement and suppression of Li Chuan was almost all-round. He supported ordinary families, secretly supported the fight between these second-rate families and first-class families, and suppressed Li Chuan's support.

He planned to steal the military power of the Yang family and hand it to Uncle Su, who gave him the military power to counter Li Chuan.

At the same time, he provoked the relationship between several concubines in the harem of Li Chuan, and the death of one of the concubines aggravated the separation between Li Chuan and his in-laws.

From the inner courtyard to the court hall, there is almost no peaceful place.

"His Royal Highness was tied to these great nobles to death, but the mind of His Highness rests on the world, not on which family. In the later period, the prince and these families were in harmony with each other, and the two sides had disputes. Then the prime minister died of illness, and the Shangguan family declined. Forced to have closer ties with other aristocratic clans, but those gentry were not absolutely obedient to His Royal Highness, so after Qin Lin's victory at the border, His Majesty's suspicion of the Prince was at its peak, and the Taizhou case came about."

Pei Wenxuan's voice was peaceful, reminding Li Rong of the past.

The Taizhou case was the nominal reason Li Chuan was abolished. It was the Nie family, one of the prince’s concubines. In the name of the prince, his family invaded nearly a thousand acres of other people’s fertile land in the hometown of Taizhou, killing nearly a hundred people, and one of them was victimized. The person escaped by chance and went to Huajing to redress grievances.

This case shocked Daxia, and everyone in the world was indignant. Before that, there was more than one case involving the nobles who broke the law with Li Chuan. In addition to this case, the people in Daxia were resentful, and scholars from all over the world wrote articles against Li. In Chuan, hundreds of officials knelt at the door of the imperial study room, begging the prince to abolish the prince. Li Chuan had no military power and lost the hearts of the people, so it was logical to be abolished.

After Li Chuan was imprisoned, Li Ming showed justice and announced a thorough investigation of Shangguan. So Li Rong went to jail, Qin Zhenzhen went to the northwest, and Pei Wenxuan lobbied everywhere.

In the end, Pei Wenxuan talked about the great nobles, so that these nobles were afraid of favoring the ordinary King Su ascending the throne, and promised to make great profits, and finally united with the big wealthy families, together with Qin Lin, attacked Huajing and supported Li Chuan ascended the throne.

The defeated family, the successful family, Li Chuan clearly understood what kind of family existed. It hovered in this country like a blood-sucking behemoth. The emperor was a puppet in his hands. They could establish him or destroy him.

So throughout his entire life, Li Chuan followed Li Ming's old path and spent his life fighting against the family.

"So, in this life, why doesn't the prince stay away from the family?"

"Far away from the family?" Li Rong frowned. "Who will help Chuaner in the future?"

"Isn't there you and me?" Pei Wenxuan turned his head to look at Li Rong, "Now we have sent Qin Lin to the northwest. He and Cui Qingyuan have joined forces. We will help them secretly to help them control the military power in the northwest."

"and then?"

"I take refuge in your Majesty, and cooperate with your Majesty to become an ordinary family that he wants to cultivate against Shangguans. And his Royal Highness, he doesn't have to do anything. He only needs to be a good prince, not form a party, don't have any stains, and win the hearts of the people. This is enough. Up."

"Then if the father wants to harm him, isn't he alone and helpless?"

Li Rong was quite worried, and Pei Wenxuan couldn't help laughing when she heard this.

"His Royal Highness still can't understand why your Majesty wants to abolish the Prince?"

When Pei Wenxuan asked this question, Li Rong did not immediately reply. She looked at Pei Wenxuan, pondered for a moment, and only said, "Why do you think it is?"

"It is not the prince that your majesty wants to abolish, but the prince in the hands of the nobles."

Listening to Pei Wenxuan's words, Li Rong flipped through the fan in her hand and lowered her eyes.

Many things can't be seen clearly when I was young, but when I think about it, I can understand a little bit.

At that time, Li Ming wanted to abolish the prince so persistently, not only did he not want the Shangguan clan to grow bigger, but he was also clearly aware of the pressure that these wealthy and nobles put on his regime.

Li Ming is an emperor who is more combative than Li Chuan. Unifying the northern border is his long-cherished wish in his life. If he tries to go to war, these nobles who yearn for peace, these family powers entrenched from above and below must be the most difficult core on the battlefield. problem.

When he was young, Li Chuan advocated benevolence and virtue, and was born in Shangguan family. What he called benevolence is the favorite monarch of a wealthy family. The closer Li Chuan and the family are, the more Li Ming will think that this is cultivated by a family. The puppet, a royal prince who was raised and abolished by the family.

She probably understood Pei Wenxuan's thoughts and raised her eyes: "So, you hope that Chuan'er can get out of the battle between the family and the emperor, and don't become the target of the battle between them."

"Yes," Pei Wenxuan affirmed, "Then I will be your majesty's knife, and I will help your majesty dig out the abscesses of those aristocratic families, so that your majesty will focus on the family rather than the prince. Then the prince will be safe for the time being."

"But Chuan'er can't have no one in his hands." Li Rong was still worried, "He must have someone to help him."

"Isn't there an imperial examination system?"

Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong, Li Rong was taken aback.

If it weren't for the first life, Li Rong would have laughed if Pei Wenxuan said these three words.

Since the implementation of the imperial examination system, not to mention that most of the people selected are the children of the nobles. Even if there are occasional real uncles, they are still small officials in the corners and corners, and they cannot enter the field of power struggle. in.

However, Li Rong had seen how Pei Wenxuan used this system, and had also seen the effects of the new power generated under this system when used by the emperor. So after a moment of indulgence, she concluded: "Chuan'er is alone, avoiding the edge, secretly Promote the poor to do things and win the hearts of the people of the world. You become the leader of ordinary nobles and fight against the first-class families to weaken the power of the father and the existing wealthy. I contact the Shangguan and other big families to balance the relationship between the two sides. If one day, the father wants to liquidate Prince..."

"Manchu dynasty, from the first-class family to the poor family of imperial examination, most of them will be His Royal Highness."

Pei Wenxuan cut off Li Rong's words and said seriously: "Not only that, the prince will not have too fierce struggle with the family in the future, and the scene of the early iron-blood cleaning of the family by the prince in the previous life will not reappear."

Li Rong was silent, Pei Wenxuan saw that she was not talking, and after a little guess, she knew what she was hesitating.

"You still don't like people of Han nationality."

"People born in the last days," Li Rong looked up at him with sharp eyes, "most of them have bloodthirsty greed for power. They are given power, and they can't control their desire for money. Zhong Ding's house is still like this, let alone they?"

"Everyone is like this," Pei Wenxuan said calmly, "Why is it expensive?"

"How many years have you said this to me?" Li Rong sneered. "How many corruption and bribery of your people have been investigated, do I still need to say it?"

"Then how many vegetarian corpses of your people cheated on and concealed things and failed, do you want me to say it again?"

Pei Wenxuan subconsciously echoed, Li Rong looked at him coldly, and Pei Wenxuan swept his gaze. After a pause, he didn't know what was wrong, suddenly he felt a little short of breath.

He coughed slightly, turned his head, and said slowly: "I'm just giving a suggestion. Anyway, the result is up to your Royal Highness. If you choose the first path, we will follow the old path. Follow-up, Your Royal Highness It’s the same as in the previous life."

Li Rong did not speak, tapped his hand, Pei Wenxuan glanced at him obliquely, and continued: "Or, let's try the second path. There is no risk, and once it succeeds, the Crown Prince will become the throne in the future and nothing will be left. Obstacles, you don’t have to fight against aristocratic families, and you don’t have to work hard to maintain the relationship between Shangguan and His Majesty. Your Majesty is happier, and your relationship with Your Majesty can be better..."

Li Rong listened to Pei Wenxuan desperately talking about the following benefits, and couldn't help but lower her head and laugh. Pei Wenxuan saw her smile and leaned forward: "What does your Highness think?"

"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong turned to look at him, "It's a pity that you don't send you to serve in the palace."

"It's not a shame," Pei Wenxuan smiled at Li Rong, "Serving Your Highness is the same."

"Just do what you said first." Li Rong said lightly, "But if this is the case, Chuan'er can't get married now, and even if he gets married, he must never marry a nobleman. The other side concubines are fine, but the Shangguan clan..."

Pei Wenxuan knew that Li Rong and Shangguanya had an extraordinary friendship, so he raised his eyebrows: "What do you plan to do?"

"I have to see Shangguanya." Li Rong raised her eyes, folded her fan into her palm, and said calmly, "Shangguan has to come up with this matter."

Otherwise, the Shangguan family spent so much effort to help, and Li Chuan turned back and forth, fearing that no one would dare to help Li Chuan in the future.

Pei Wenxuan got the words, raised his hands and applauded: "Good strategy."

Li Rong glanced at him faintly: "It's boastful."

"Then set it up like this," Pei Wenxuan restored his usual look, took the tea, and said calmly, "I am responsible for helping your majesty here, you are responsible for contacting the nobles such as Shangguan and Su, and don't let them think of the prince. Completely separated from them."

As he said, Pei Wenxuan remembered something, raised his head and looked at Li Rong, covering the vaguely unidentified sourness in his heart: "His Royal Highness can take this opportunity to cultivate some affection with Master Su."

"Then I have to take care of you," Li Rong looked flat, "contact Miss Qin Er and cultivate more affection. She and Chuan'er are bad luck, so don't meet."

When Pei Wenxuan heard this, he had a headache. He hated himself for being mean, and hurriedly changed the subject: "Wait for Pei's mansion. If you see my family, if there is something unhappy, just let it go. "

When Li Rong heard Pei Wenxuan mention his family, she was already prepared and nodded.

The two did not speak for a while and sat quietly in the carriage. After sitting for a while, Li Rong didn't know what to do, and suddenly remembered what Pei Wenxuan said last night.

She didn't dare to discuss that topic with Pei Wenxuan. When Pei Wenxuan suddenly mentioned it, she could only pretend to disengage in a playful way.

It's just that Pei Wenxuan is too persistent, forcing her to think and see.

She raised the curtain with a gold fan and saw the birds flying by outside.

"Pei Wenxuan."

She suddenly called Pei Wenxuan's name. Pei Wenxuan looked up blankly, just as Li Rong turned her head and looked at him quietly: "I believe you once in my life. If you lead me crookedly, I will cut you off. Drag it out to feed the dog."

Pei Wenxuan was at a loss for a while, he didn't know what Li Rong believed in him.

He thought for a moment, guessing that he should be planning this reserve plan for Li Rong, so he smiled confidently, put his hand forward and nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have thought about everything. , Absolutely no problem."

Seeing Pei Wenxuan's confident smile, Li Rong didn't know for a moment whether he really thought about it or thought it was wrong...

But Li Rong didn't want to care about him either.

This person, Pei Wenxuan, was surprised in some details, she was used to it.

The author has something to say: [Small Theater]

Li Rong (in his heart): "You said I should strive for love. I have believed in your evil all my life. I will try to see what you do. But if you lead me to a crooked road, I will drag you. Go out and feed the dog."

Li Rong (face): "Pei Wenxuan, I believe you once in my life.

Pei Wenxuan (in his heart): Believe me? What do you believe? Trust my reserve plan? That is absolutely foolproof!

Pei Wenxuan (face): "His Royal Highness, I have thought about everything, absolutely no problem."

later……

Li Rong: "Isn't it okay to make me brave and love this decision?"

Pei Wenxuan, who is about to be dragged out to feed the dog: "His Royal Highness, the plan is okay, but there is something wrong with the subject! However, it was corrected in time!"

Li Rong: "Don't say much, it's a burial."