incomprehensible

Chapter 46

No matter how you complain about the injury and see no guests, you always have to go to the court to report on your work.

According to the central court system, as long as there is no urgent military or political event, the court is usually once every four days; however, Ye Xuehuan was so lucky that he met the court meeting the next day after returning.

When he was in Yunshuiguan, he had honestly recovered from his injuries for half a month, and when he returned, Lan Qi was half dead, and he hadn't made love for nearly a month.Both of them couldn't help themselves, and they didn't sleep until very late; this morning when the imperial court opened, and Bailong Garden was far away from the imperial city, they woke up almost without sleep.

At this time, the sky was still completely dark, and Lan Qi naturally couldn't get up. He was so sleepy that he didn't even want to open his eyes. He felt in a daze that when the quilt was lifted, the warmth around him suddenly disappeared. He hummed dissatisfied twice, lazily. He stretched out a hand lazily, and gropingly grasped Ye Xuehuan's sleeve.Ye Xuehuan's love is miserable. His little appearance when he just woke up is not at all mature and calm as usual, and his face is full of softness and love that has been well loved; The cutest, truest side of him.

He stuffed Lan Qi's hand back under the quilt, pressed it up and kissed her several times, and coaxed in a low voice, "Hey, sleep."

Lan Qi reluctantly opened his eyes to look at the sky, muttered twice in dissatisfaction, turned over and then became silent.A dignified prince, he should not have the extravagant life of sensuality and luxury. He wakes up earlier than the cattle in the field. He is not as good as the ordinary young master of a rich family.

Ye Xuehuan put down the bed curtain and went outside by himself. Gao Qian had already brought his servants to wait by his side, washed and braided his hair, changed into the heavy and complicated court clothes and royal crown, and first drove him to the imperial city in a small carriage In the nearby mansion, change into a formal official sedan chair.It didn't need to be so troublesome. Those who should know knew that Baiyong Garden was his private residence, but after all, most of them didn't know, and he didn't want to make any troubles.

The sky was turning pale, and a group of officials, large and small, were waiting to open the palace gate. When they saw Ye Xuehuan appear, they all stepped forward and surrounded him.With an official smile on Ye Xuehuan's face, he exchanged greetings one by one, and occasionally covered his mouth and coughed twice to show that he was injured; but he was quite impatient in his heart, thinking that he had also worked hard all night, so he woke up. Come early in the morning to accompany these officials who are full of stomachs and don't know what their intentions are, and let them live up to the early court, while their own little wife can sleep soundly, and even shake his face.I have never felt that the morning court is such a difficult thing before, and it really is difficult to change from extravagance to frugality.

At the third quarter of Yin time, the palace gate opened on time.As a prince, the only advantage is probably that you don't have to walk in with the courtiers, there are palace people who have already waited with their soft paws.Ye Xuehuan politely said "excuse me", and leisurely got into the car.

As soon as he left, I don't know how many courtiers subconsciously wiped the sweat from their foreheads.Who knows how much trouble the third prince has caused in the southern border this time. After returning, he didn't see anyone and went directly to the court, making it clear that no one would buy it.The calves of the officials of the Third Department of Xinghu Li, who had been tortured the most, almost trembled, for fear that he still had a back hand and would have to toss again; With the shadow of Empress Chu back then, seeing through people's hearts seems to only take a light glance. That kind of condescending scrutiny has been a nightmare for many people.Empress Chu is cold and serious, which will only make people feel intimidated; while the smile on Ye Xuehuan's face can make people feel cold from the inside out, it's even worse than that.

In terms of limelight, no one among the princes can compare with him, but he has not shown a clear attitude so far.It is said that he intends to fight for the crown prince, but he has been garrisoning the northwest border in a regular manner; but if it is said that he has no intention of fighting for the crown prince, but he is becoming more and more powerful, it does not look like he just wants to be an idle prince.The more ambiguous it is, the more trembling people will be. I don't know how many cards he has, and whether he should stand in line early.

With such a prince in the court, I don't know whether to be happy or worried.

During Ye Xuehuan's southern tour, he had been reporting the progress regularly, and this morning was nothing more than repeating the contents of the previous brochure.Zhao Ying's case is still unresolved, and the final conviction will have to wait for Yiguo's conclusion; Liu Ting is still contemplating behind closed doors, avoiding a confrontation with him, so there is nothing new to talk about.

Both he and Liu Ting are recharging their energy, and they both know that the other is difficult to deal with. If they can't kill with one blow, there is no value in making a move.The real winner of this round is whether they can declare war on Yiguo, if they succeed, they will catch them all, and if they fail, they will lose all opportunities.He was betting and making arrangements, and Liu Ting was doing the same.Therefore, before Yi Guo's envoys entered the court, he had to grasp as many bargaining chips as possible.

After the morning court, the emperor left Ye Xuehuan alone to go to the imperial study to talk.

——This first chip will be won from his father.

The king of the Chongyang Dynasty had the taboo name "Ji", but he had a face that completely contradicted this imposing taboo name.If he was not wearing a dragon robe and sitting on the solemn and inviolable dragon chair, everyone would think that he is just a gentle and elegant old scholar.

The kings of all dynasties in Chongyang worked hard, and all of them died young; Yexue was nearly fifty years old, and his temples were frosty and white. He could barely be said to be in the prime of life, but he was the longest-lived one in the Chongyang Dynasty so far. king.In private, Ye Xuehuan always believed that it was the Empress Chu who worked hard for him during the most difficult ten years when he first came to the throne, so he also died for him for more than ten years, in exchange for his so-called "longevity".

Although Ye Xuehuan was called to go, the king did not speak, and only focused on the memorial in his hands; Ye Xuehuan was not impatient, and stood in front of the imperial case with his hands behind his back, his eyes slightly drooping, and waited patiently.

Probably because his attitude was too calm and arrogant, Ye Xueji finally lost his composure, and said slowly, "I never thought you could borrow people from Nanfu."

His voice is very deep, not harsh, but has its own coercion.

Ye Xuehuan replied: "I didn't borrow it from Erchen, but it was sent to Erchen by Nan Fu."

Ye Xueji snorted, and the two pairs of identical glazed eyes collided, but there was no harmony and intimacy between father and son, but sparks seemed to pass by.

"If Nanfu doesn't have such ambitions, how will you deal with it this time?"

Although he asked aggressively, he was always the one who agreed to Ye Xuehuan's request and let Bai Houhou temporarily take over Yunshuiguan. From this perspective, he had already compromised, but he just couldn't hold his breath.Ye Xuehuan was confident, and still replied unhurriedly: "If it is not because the father is too laissez-faire with the Liu family, where is the ambition of the Nanfu, or... is it wary?"

"I let the Liu family go?" Ye Xueji raised her brows slightly, and asked playfully, "You have become more daring to speak out in recent years. Why, do you think all you know is all?"

Ye Xuehuan smiled and said, "I don't dare to say I know everything, it's just that some actions of the Liu family have really stepped on my bottom line."

Ye Xueji's face suddenly changed, and she reprimanded: "Some of your actions have already stepped on my bottom line!"

Ye Xuehuan sneered secretly, the most fundamental problem was indeed here.Facing the enraged Long Yan, he remained unfazed and calm, and asked gently: "Please tell me clearly, where did my son touch my father's bottom line?"

Ye Xueji looked at the look on his face that he knew clearly already, took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, and said in a deep voice: "Rong Cai, there are some things that Nuan Wen can do, but you can't."

Ye Xuehuan's smile deepened: "Why?"

"Because..." Ye Xue stared at him and said word by word, "...Xiangqi is not Yayu."

Hearing the word "Xianqi", the smile on Ye Xuehuan's face finally disappeared.

"Father, my mother has been dead for many years." He also said every word, his voice was soft and slow, but it seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "How long do you plan to hide behind her?"

If it was said that the two of them had restrained themselves before, now they are showing their sharpness, and the scene is full of swords and swords.

Although Ye Xueji has always been evaluated as cowardly, after all, the king's prestige cannot be violated. No matter what kind of relationship he had with Queen Chu back then, it is absolutely impossible not to be angry when his prince points out that he hides behind her.Ye Xuehuan knew this very well, but he insisted on saying it, which only showed that his anger had already rushed to the top of his head.

Ye Xuexun is naturally different from him. His body, which has been ravaged by heat and poison, is already fragile. Even if he can find Guanghanyu, his body will not be able to bear the hard work, and he is not suitable for the throne at all.Ye Xue was able to acquiesce in his being with Mo Ran, most of it was for this reason.But even so, he did not allow Ye Xuexun to withdraw from the competition openly, but also used him to contain the Nangong family and let him play the last bit of value.

This is true for Ye Xuexun, let alone the most outstanding Ye Xuehuan.

He can procrastinate not to marry, or he can favor male servants, but he cannot marry a male concubine.Leaving aside Lan Qi's sensitive status, if he marries a male concubine as his wife, even if he takes a concubine to have children in the future, he won't have a concubine. If he ruins the Datong, he will give up the throne.As the biggest contender for the reserve right now, he is Ye Xueji's most powerful pawn to intimidate the prince and consume the Liu family. Even if he is not forced to really fight for the reserve, he must show the posture of fighting for the reserve. , it is impossible to allow him to cut off this road with his own hands.

It was obviously out of expediency, but he insisted on using Empress Chu as an excuse to poke the most painful spot in his heart.

In the tense silence, a servant suddenly bowed in, holding a bowl of decoction in his hand, and placed it respectfully on the imperial case.Ye Xue showed a look of hesitation, but she still picked up the medicine bowl and drank it in a few gulps.

Ye Xuehuan saw it, and said softly: "Father, please take care of the dragon body."

The tone was very perfunctory, and one could tell it was a scene.

Ye Xue laughed, threw the medicine bowl back to the waiter, waved him to back down, and said coldly: "If each of you can save me some time, I may live a few more years."

The sarcasm in Ye Xuehuan's heart became more intense, but it turned into a warm smile on his face, "I have no intention of contradicting my father, but I just want my godfather to know that there are some things that Nuan Wen can't do, but my son can do."

Ye Xueji's expression darkened suddenly: "Are you threatening me?"

"I don't dare." Ye Xuehuan's eyes were blazing, and every word he uttered resounded loudly, "It's just that there are some things, my son—no, do, no, yes."

"..."

Unexpectedly, in the face of such a strong response, Ye Xueji did not get angry anymore, instead he was stunned for a moment, and his expression relaxed for a moment.

"...You really look like Xiangqi." He looked deeply at Ye Xuehuan's pair of phoenix eyes, which were very similar to Empress Chu, as if he saw a farther place through him. Rather than talking about it, it's better Said she was muttering to herself, "Back then... she also had the same expression, and told me that she had to do it..."

Ye Xuehuan was a little surprised by this sudden sigh, but he was secretly vigilant, not daring to be careless.

In all fairness, this royal father is a typical negative teaching example in his eyes.When Empress Chu was alive, he even dealt negatively with the affairs of the court, not to mention the concubine and prince; Among the self-proclaimed sons and ministers, the elements of "chen" accounted for the majority.In the early years, I felt that he was cowardly and incompetent. Later, I gradually realized his wishful thinking by using his strength and strength.

Everyone thought that the relationship between him and the Empress of Chu was yin and yang, but when Ye Xuehuan thought about it later, he felt that this might not be the case. On the contrary, he felt more and more that he used the Empress of Chu; as an emperor, it was extremely clever However, he lost his responsibility as a husband, even as a man, and the last bit of respect for him was completely wiped out.Now he actually remembers Empress Chu, in Ye Xuehuan's eyes, he can only be hypocritical, if he can't be hard, he will be soft, but in essence, he still uses Empress Chu to suppress him.

When he was alive, he had to stand on the cusp of the storm and deal with the powerful relatives, and after death, he would be used to intimidate his prince; for this emperor, the Queen of Chu was too easy to use.

"If I really want to stop you, there are means, and you know it in your heart." Ye Xueji quickly pulled out of the memory, and said coldly, "It's just that it's not the best way, and I believe you don't want to go to that step .I will never break my promise to you, and I will never change my words when I refuse. If you have the ability, fight for it yourself, or...you will survive until I die. "

Ye Xuehuan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing what he said so resolutely.What he promised was naturally the military power in the Northwest, that is to say, as long as the Liu family can be eliminated, he will no longer force Ye Xuehuan. It is up to him to decide whether to fight for reserves or support himself.Once the Liu family is removed, the royal family will no longer have the biggest fear. The Chu family and the Nangong family will voluntarily retreat under coercion.

Since Ye Xueji himself wants to take this opportunity to end the Liu family, everything will be easy to talk about.It doesn't matter to him who Ye Xuehuan wants to marry. What he wants is a sharp sword that can divide the power in the court, and even confront the Liu family head-on for him. Before the throne changed hands, he did not allow this sharp sword to hide itself in its sheath.

Back then there was Empress Chu, and now there is Empress Chu's son. This emperor is really too cunning.

However, Ye Xuehuan is very clear that this is not a unilateral use, but a concession between each other.He made this sharp sword that cut towards the Liu family, and after that, he was no longer restrained.

"...My son understands."

Ye Xuehuan let out a sigh of relief, this chip is considered to be in his hand.

Now that the agreement has been reached, Ye Xuehuan has no intention of staying for a long time, so he immediately bowed his head and made a speech.

The moment he opened the door and went out, he heard Ye Xueji whispering from behind: "You said that I was hiding behind Xiangqi...why aren't you?"

It's like questioning, and it's like mocking.

Ye Xuehuan clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves, but she left the imperial study room without saying a word after all.

In the past, Ye Xuehuan would have retorted without hesitation, but now he does not have this position.During this southern tour, Lan Qi contributed a lot, but he happened to be the pawn of Empress Chu.

He is like a Gu worm that Empress Chu planted in the skylark, using the nutrients of the skylark to grow and grow, and when the time comes, he will eat the host back and return to his real owner.But after all, Lan Qi is not one of those Gu worms who have no thoughts and can only obey orders, so he blames himself painfully, feels that he is despicable and dirty, proud of his own talent and ability, but inferior to what he has always done.

It was because Qi Yanqing recognized Lan Qi, and it was a coincidence that Ye Xuehuan knew about the arrangement of Empress Chu; and in his growth over the years, how many arrangements have been hidden that he has not been aware of?

Ye Xueji said that he had been hiding behind Empress Chu, and he couldn't refute it, but it was not out of his own will, and he didn't even know about it, which was fundamentally different from Ye Xueji.

This sentence itself is also very intriguing, which shows that he knows Lan Qi's background; either he has buried his eyeliner around Ye Xuehuan, or he knows all about the plan of Queen Chu back then, and he is even a direct participant.

If it was the former, Ye Xuehuan felt that it was completely understandable; but if it was the latter, he would have to re-examine this hidden father.

At present, it seems that the latter is more likely.

What is the emperor's plan?What does Empress Chu want?

What is the "must do" thing of the Empress Chu?

Ignorance often makes people fearless, but half-knowledge is the most terrifying.At the beginning, I was ignorant and lived heartlessly; now I have glimpsed the tip of the iceberg, but the more I think about it, the more I feel shuddering.

He stood in front of the imperial study room and thought for a while with a gloomy expression, then unconsciously scratched his fingers until his nails were painful.It wasn't until someone beside him called him softly that he suddenly came back to his senses.

——It was the maid serving in the Nangong Queen's Palace, who had been waiting for him all the time.

Empress Nangong's boudoir, named Yayu, was born just like her name, with moist and affectionate peach blossom eyes, light cherry lips, beautiful and elegant like beautiful jade, and because of years of lingering illness, there is a slightly sad expression between her eyebrows and eyes, which is not very charming Her delicate beauty is not at all like a woman who is nearly forty years old.

Which of the women in the deep palace would be a fuel-efficient lamp, so send someone directly to intercept at the entrance of the imperial study, probably only the queen empress can do it.

"Yamu Concubine Guian."

In principle, all the princes should call her "mother queen" as the mother of the empress; but Ye Xuehuan is the son of empress Chu, so she has never changed her name.

Nangong Yayu didn't care too much, and said casually, "Sit."

The voice is crisp and sweet, with a soft and waxy Jiangdong accent, charming but not flattering, it makes people wish that even their bones will be crispy when they hear it.

She didn't shy away from it, she didn't make up at all, she was wearing a simple and elegant light yellow palace dress, and she didn't even wear her hair in a bun. Her black hair was only loosely braided and coiled to her knees; Two grains of cinnabar the size of fingernails are looming under it, and the red is about to drip.

The official women in Chongyang often have this thorn red, named Meisha, which means "the heart between the eyebrows", which symbolizes the love between husband and wife. Once it is painted, it will never fade. The dye used is extremely expensive, which is naturally not available for ordinary people. From the beginning, it can also be said to be exclusive to the rich and powerful to a certain extent.

After lighting the eyebrows, one cannot reconcile, let alone divorce one's wife, and the wife's consent is required to take a concubine, which in fact gives the main wife an unshakable position.Many people marry the daughter of a high-ranking official for the sake of official career, and they will inevitably wear eyebrow sand; it is not so much a symbol of the love between husband and wife, but a more subtle expression.Of course, there are also those who really put on eyebrow sand because of love, but they are a minority after all.

In the royal family, naturally no head of state would dare to let the emperor "state his position", but the love and harmony between the emperor and empress is an atmosphere that must be created.Empress Chu also had eyebrow sand back then, and her strength is obvious to all; later Nangong Yayu became the queen, and these two eyebrow sands played the most basic role. In the past ten years, except for the little concubine Chu, they have never been enlarged. Once in the harem, her reputation as narrow-minded, mean and jealous was confirmed.

The rumors are not always true, and Nangong Yayu did not refute them.The matter of the Tian family should not be discussed indiscriminately, let alone it is not clear at all.

Ye Xuehuan sat down as he said, Nangong Yayu stepped back, took the teacup himself, and poured him a cup of hot tea.The fragrance of the tea is light and sweet. It is the top-grade white jasmine in Jiangdong. There is a small white flower floating in the apricot-colored tea soup.

Nangong Yayu glanced at the dryness between his brows, and said with a light smile, "Why, did you get angry at your father?"

Ye Xuehuan smiled and replied: "Concubine Ya's mother's words are wrong, how dare my son and father get angry with the emperor, it's just to receive some instruction."

"Why can't you admit it." Nangong Yayu still had a calm smile on her face, her expression seemed a little careless, "After all, your father... is a scumbag."

"..."

No matter how calm Ye Xuehuan was, he almost sprayed a mouthful of tea on his body and choked hard.It was rare for Nangong Yayu to see him in distress, so she handed him a silk handkerchief amusedly.Ye Xuehuan took it, covered his mouth and nose and coughed a few times, and then said: "Concubine Yamu, cough...Be careful with your words."

"So what if I say it carelessly?" Nangong Yayu raised the corners of her lips, her eyes were full of sarcasm, "Can he still destroy me?"

"In his eyes, all concubines and princes are just tools. This post was not given to me, but to the Nangong family. Nuanwen is already like that, and he will not let it go. It's not that you are fighting for your strength and have been standing in front, so why is he going to use Nuanwen to deal with the Liu family?"

Ye Xuehuan was speechless for a moment, and could only sigh softly.

Ye Xuexun didn't have the physique to be an emperor, these people knew it very well, but Nangong Yayu was the only one who really cared.As far as the Nangong family is concerned, as long as Ye Xuexun can ascend to the throne of God, even if he can only be a short-lived emperor, he is still an emperor, and the value of the Nangong family will suddenly rise.Ye Xueji has always been active in finding Guanghanyu, otherwise there would not be the battle in Mobei two years ago; however, this is just the bait he threw to the Nangong family, so that they will spare no effort to fight, so as to achieve the goal of differentiation and consumption Purpose.

In the eyes of these people, Ye Xuexun can die with honor after completing his mission; but as a mother, Nangong Yayu naturally does not want him to die young.

She has no idea about the throne, she just wants Ye Xuexun to live a peaceful life; with her husband's family on top and her mother's house on her bottom, she has been protecting him with her own strength.If Ye Xuehuan hadn't been too popular these years and relieved most of the pressure, she would have been unable to bear it.

"I called you here today, and I think you know why." She looked at Ye Xuehuan and said solemnly, "I promised Mo Jingling back then, and I promise you the same now; you found the key to the imperial mausoleum." , from now on, no matter what you want to do, I will fully support it, and I guarantee that the Nangong family will never become your hindrance."

Her attitude was expected by Ye Xuehuan, but she was so direct and resolute, which moved him a little, and replied softly: "Thank you, Concubine Yamu."

Nangong Yayu shook her head and said, "I should thank you for taking care of Nuan Wen all these years."

She smiled, but the corners of her raised mouth were full of bitterness, "Nuanwen's fate is all my fault. Both you and Jingling are the ones who really love him, and I only have this little strength. I hope I can Help you."

Ye Xuehuan was silent for a moment, and asked, "Is there something hidden in the case of the Qi family back then?"

This matter has been in Nangong Yayu's heart for many years. Hearing him mention it, a look of pain flashed in his eyes, but he still replied: "Everything your mother investigated back then is true, but Qi Chengguang didn't know it was poison. The secret is Yes, but it's not about the poisoning case itself, but about that small oriental country that doesn't know how to live or die. I don't know the specifics, but apart from making Qi Shengguang responsible for a major crime, there is no bias in her sentence."

Ye Xuehuan was thoughtful, grasping some clues in his heart.

Nangong Yayu took a sip of tea and sighed: "I was young and energetic at that time, and I knew that Qi Chengguang was just greedy for money and had no malicious intentions, but I still refused to accept your mother's punishment and secretly did many excessive things to the Qi family. Qi Yanqing should It was supposed to be me who hated, but in the end it was you who suffered for me."

Ye Xuehuan shook his head and said, "Qi Yanqing didn't believe that his father was guilty until his death, he was obsessed with obsession, and he deserved it. Concubine Yamu doesn't have to blame herself too much."

Nangong Yayu smiled wryly: "Back then, I had a lot of prejudice against your mother, but now that I stand in her position, I realize that I can't be compared to her. When the Liu family overturned the Qi family's case, I knew that the Qi family was guilty, but I didn't know that the Qi family was guilty at all. It cannot be stopped. If she is still alive... I am afraid that the Liu family will not even dare to mention it."

Ye Xuehuan also sighed: "The empress mother was strong all her life, and she was too worried, so she fell under the disease early. Why should concubine Yamu follow her, take care of her body, so that she can teach Nuanwen and peace of mind."

Nangong Yayu glanced at him, smiled and said: "There will be no second Chu Xiangqi in this world, and I don't want to be like her. I feel ashamed to be a wife and empress; I think I am too strong on her. If you call me mother concubine, I will be your half mother. If you want, mother concubine will definitely fight for you, and will not watch your father bully you. I can tell Nuanwen Xu Give it to Jingling, and it will naturally make your wish come true."

Ye Xuehuan's brows twitched, she didn't expect that Lan Qi's life experience was not a secret at all in this deep palace, she couldn't help but feel a little shivering.But no matter what, Nangong Yayu promised to help him cover, so she bowed her head and said, "Concubine Yamu loves her, she is very lucky."

"You don't have to say such polite words to me." Nangong Yayu poured another cup of tea for him, "I'm not Chu Xiangqi, so I don't want to care about the general situation of the court. Your father is too good at calculation, even yourself What kind of man is he if his wife and children are plotting? Jingling killed all over Mobei for Nuanwen, that's the kind of spirit a man should have. Even if he is a man, as long as he treats Nuanwen well, what's the matter?"

Ye Xuehuan wanted to laugh when he heard it, but he didn't know where his tail would be if Mo Ran knew that his mother-in-law praised him so much.

——Ye Xueji is right, Chu Xiangqi is not Nangong Yayu, what Chu Xiangqi can do, Nangong Yayu can't do; but what Chu Xiangqi can't do, Nangong Yayu can do .

The two queens of this dynasty are actually two completely different extremes.

"Concubine Yamu's white jasmine is very refreshing." He took a sip of the tea in his cup with a happy expression, "Rong Cai wants to ask for some."

Nangong Yayu smiled knowingly: "You are also a person who loves people. Later, I will send someone to your Baiyong Garden."

Ye Xuehuan thanked him, and got up to leave.

"Bring me the one of yours some other day." Nangong Yayu glanced at him, with a rare gentle smile, "I also want to see, what kind of cute little girl can be? Get into your heart."