incomprehensible

Chapter 92

Miao Taibao was carried down in the end. He was already old and old, and he was furious, lost control of his emotions, and fell into a coma on the spot.The little crown prince of Yi Kingdom finally couldn't hold back anymore, and cried loudly on his body, the scene fell into chaos for a while.

Ye Xuehuan had a headache from his crying, but the situation in the southwest was not stable, and he still needed to comfort her, so she called the imperial doctor and ordered Hao Sheng to take care of her.Although there was a gentle intention, but being too concerned would appear hypocritical, and he only gave a few comforting words to the end.

The envoys of various countries were a little gloating. In fact, most of the southwestern countries had no enmity with Chongyang. They were all implicated by Yi Kingdom and suffered unwarranted disasters. Compared with Chongyang, they hated Yi Country even more.

They know that a small country with weak people has nothing to be coveted about. Instead, they will spend a lot of manpower and material resources to clean up the private army, develop and build if Chongyang swallows it. Some even hope that Chongyang will take over the mess.

After coming to Danlu with a good food and a good place to live, I feel more at ease. On the one hand, I ridiculed that Yiguo deserved it, and on the other hand, I felt that I had boarded the big ship of Zhongyang, sacrificed the poor and weak land and people, in exchange for a lifetime of prosperity, Why not do it?

After seeing the miserable situation in Yiguo and Ye Xuehuan's indifferent attitude, it was unavoidable that he felt a bit sad, and he really felt a sense of crisis of being dependent on others and being slaughtered by others.Inside the main hall, there are intertwined cups of wine, singing and dancing, but outside the hall are three floors of guards with knives, murderous intentions are all whitewashed under peace, silently conveying the central court's principle of dealing with them-be obedient and eat sugar, Resist being stabbed.

Their current fate is in the hands of Emperor Zhongyang.

No one was in the mood to drink, and a banquet broke up unhappy.

The officials went back to rest with their own thoughts. Some were thinking about how to dissuade the emperor, some were thinking about how to stop those who wanted to dissuade him for the emperor, and some saw the attitude of the two princes. They knew that the annexation of the Southwest was probably a foregone conclusion. This opportunity to gain the attention of the new emperor has already thought about the rectification strategy at this time.

Everyone was drafting long speeches in their stomachs, thinking that they would be presented to Bingyu tomorrow, and tonight was doomed to be a sleepless night.

Ye Xuexun took Mo Ran back to the dormitory early, while Ye Xuehuan and Ye Xuequan took a detour and walked slowly along the bamboo forest path towards the back hall.Yan Wu held Ye Xuequan by the arm, Ye Xuehuan held Lan Qi by the hand, and the guards hung far behind them to ensure that no one could hear the conversation between them.

Ye Xuehuan asked straight to the point: "Second Brother, did you discuss it with the First Brother?"

"I have always disapproved of his concealment." Ye Xuequan shook his head and said, "Nowadays, private troops are running around in Southwest China, the encirclement and suppression are difficult, and the casualties are scattered. After the hot weather, there may be epidemics. How those small countries can handle it is up to the question. Waiting for Chongyang to take care of it. Besides, establishing a county in Southwest China is not difficult in itself, but there are too many things to do in the middle, and Brother Dahuang doesn't express his position. Many measures cannot be implemented in time, and the longer it is delayed, the more troublesome. I'm afraid no one will respond to the decision, and I can't control the situation. It's normal to want to hide it. I'm in charge of the government, so it's not easy to refute his face and make him suspicious. Now that he has returned to the court, this matter should be announced earlier come out."

Although it makes sense, it is self-assessment in the end.Ye Xuehuan frowned and said, "Even so, Second Brother should discuss with him. It's not appropriate to release the news without authorization."

After a pause, he added in a low voice: "There are differences between monarchs and ministers."

Ye Xuequan was silent for a moment, then nodded with a chuckle: "I did the wrong thing, I'll make amends tomorrow morning."

Although the tone of the two was gentle, the atmosphere cooled down, and there was no conversation for a while, only the sound of scattered footsteps echoed in the quiet night forest.

It wasn't until the bamboo forest trail was about to come to an end that Ye Xuequan said calmly: "I never thought that the first person to tell me that the monarch and his ministers are different would be Rong Cai."

The implication is that he has acted in power for a year, has always abided by his duties, and has never left any ground for talking. He seems to be faintly refuting Ye Xuehuan's fuss.

Ye Xuehuan calmly replied: "I am the king of the frontier. It is already my duty to guard the border and manage the fiefdom well. However, it is only because of special circumstances that I get involved in government affairs. When the situation is stable, I must withdraw. And Since the Second Emperor was in charge during the personal conquest, he will have to assist in the government in the future and will always be by your side. Some things could be said in the past, but not now; some things can be done in the past, but not now."

Ye Xuequan raised his eyebrows, as if he was a little surprised, "I never saw you so careful when my father was here."

Ye Xuehuan clenched the little hand in his palm, and replied meaningfully: "There is someone at home, so I naturally have to be more careful."

Lan Qi's heart was sweet, and she tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, but she also knew that this was just an excuse.The positions of the prince and the prince are different. Being a prince can be said to be a strong competition, and being a prince requires military and political power, which is an extremely sensitive issue.Ye Xueyuan may not be suspicious of him, but he must let the whole world see his humility and respect for the emperor, otherwise his support will become ulterior motives.

After the governor of the Northwest was withdrawn, the court finally believed that he really wasn't blackmailing the emperor to order the princes, and finally washed away his bad reputation of wolf ambition. Naturally, he can no longer be criticized for a little trivial detail.

If you really want to think about it, Ye Xuehuan may not have much respect in his heart, and Ye Xuequan may not be cautious enough, but most people often only see it on the surface.

Ye Xuequan couldn't see the small movements of the two of them, so she smiled inexplicably and said nothing.The two said good night to each other at the end of the bamboo forest, and then went back to their sleeping halls.

Ye Xuehuan had ordered the bath to be prepared early in the morning, and when he returned, the water was still hot, so he took Lan Qi to change into his bathrobe, soaked in the pool and washed his hair.

The two kissed and hugged in the water, each other's hot and humid breath mixed in the gurgling water, but they stayed in the touch of the water tacitly.Ye Xuehuan washed the soap foam off Lan Qi's hair, let him lie down by the pool, and combed his tangled hair for him.

After being crowned, Ye Xuehuan let Lan Qi start to grow his hair, and now it's past his waist, but the ends of his hair are getting thinner and harder to manage.Ye Xuehuan often personally washes and combs him in this way, then drains it carefully, and treats him with golden osmanthus essential oil.Even though Lan Qi's hair is not dense, it is still black and shiny.

Ye Xuehuan loves it every time, and combs it tirelessly, but now he is a little absent-minded. After combing for a little bit, he suddenly sighed: "Now I am getting more and more incomprehensible to the second emperor brother."

As early as November last year, they had already begun to secretly discuss the post-war disposal of the Southwest in correspondence.At that time, Ye Xueyuan advocated blocking the news, but Ye Xuequan didn't try to stop it, and didn't even show any disapproval. That's why Ye Xuehuan was caught off guard. Yuan vented his breath and pushed him out, fearing that Ye Xueyuan would warn him, so he wanted to speak out to test him.

Ye Xuequan would not fail to guess that he had such doubts, not to mention that the matter will be formally discussed in Danlu after returning to Danlu, there is absolutely no need to take the risk of offending the emperor for two or three days.Thinking deeply along this line of thought, Ye Xuequan's ulterior motive may even be to test both Ye Xueyuan and Ye Xuehuan's level of trust and the bottom line of tolerance for him, so as to lay a solid foundation for his future assistant administration career. Find a way.

Lan Qi never liked Ye Xuequan, but Ye Xuehuan always respected him and felt that he was the weakest and most innocent of his brothers, so he had a subtle sense of responsibility and desire to protect.Ye Xuequan's mind is deep and unpredictable, no matter how gentle and indisputable he is, no matter how weak his mother's family is and he is blind, he is also an out-and-out direct descendant of the royal family, and he is full of talent, how could he be willing to be just a lover The undisputed idle prince.Those weak appearances in the past were just a means of self-protection, and those hidden ambitions and schemes have only gradually revealed the tip of the iceberg until now.

If he could gain a foothold in the imperial court, Ye Xuehuan would naturally be pleased, but the emperor brother who had been close and trusted since childhood had always had reservations about him, which really made him feel uncomfortable.

When the late emperor was still there, they each had their own needs, but they were able to share the same hatred; however, after the common obstacles were cleared, they still had to go their separate ways.

Lan Qi groaned again and again, but still said in a low voice: "After the southern tour, His Majesty went to the three southeast counties to take refuge temporarily. It was Prince Su's idea. When he came back, he came directly to you, which should be his reminder. Of course, Prince Su is It helped His Majesty, and facilitated the cooperation between you, but at the beginning, among them... who was the first to find whom?"

Ye Xuehuan paused, "You mean...?"

"After you joined forces with His Majesty, the situation turned around, and eventually Liu Ting had no choice but to launch a palace change." Lan Qi bit his lips, "The palace change...was it you who forced it, or was it the Su? ..."

"Blue!"

Ye Xuehuan put one hand on the top of his hair, and shouted in a deep voice: "There is no proof, don't guess."

Lan Qi turned around and grabbed his shoulders, took a deep breath, and continued: "I was always concerned about the situation in the imperial study at that time. According to Liu Ting, Fang Jing did not obey him, but If he had a personal enmity with the late emperor, why didn't he do it directly after he took the late emperor hostage, instead he let Prince Su in to deal with him? What did they talk about in the imperial study, which Wei Yan refused to reveal? Later the late emperor woke up, and What did Prince Su say that even the Queen Mother kept silent?"

Obviously, these questions have been lingering in his mind for a long time, due to various reasons, they have been backlogged in his heart, and only now did they come out.He also didn't want to speculate on unfounded things, and he was willing to believe that Wei Yan and Nangong Yayu wanted to hide certain truths out of good intentions, but these truths were undoubtedly inseparable from Ye Xuequan.

It might be a coincidence that Ye Xuequan was involved in the palace change, but after the palace change, all the unresolved doubts and contradictions were concentrated on him, how could it be called a coincidence?

"If he has enough power in his hands, I believe he has the ability." Ye Xuehuan frowned, "Even I couldn't fully grasp Liu Ting's movements at the beginning, I didn't expect him to suddenly force the palace, second brother How can it be calculated accurately? Unless he has a top-secret intelligence network in his hands, which is not detected by any party, but knows more than any party. Do you think it is possible?"

"It's unlikely." Lan Qi shook his head and lowered his eyes tiredly, "But don't forget, he also grew up under your mother's lap."

Surrounded by hot water in the bath, Ye Xuehuan suddenly felt cold all over.

"But after all he..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he lost his confidence; Queen Chu could let six-year-old Lan Qi go undercover, Ye Xuequan was just blind, why not take advantage of it?She only needs to leave some key information for him, and she can make him a hidden insidious dagger. At the most critical moment, she will unpredictably penetrate the weakest link—just like the palace change before, just need to Be an inconspicuous breeze, but in the end push up a big wave that breaks the dam.

The late emperor would compromise with him, Nangong Yayu would keep it secret, who knows if Empress Chu left him with the late emperor's handle?

The Liu family has already been defeated by his push, will the Chu family and Nangong family also repeat the same mistakes?

——Or, his "one push" has already been sent out by everyone inadvertently?

"...I don't think Prince Su is at fault." Lan Qi said in a low voice, "He is gifted in the sky, but his mother's family is weak. If he is not blind, he is doomed to miss the throne. I am afraid that he will not live until now. His mind is inevitable. Be deeper. I also believe that he will not harm you, but it seems that as long as this premise is met, once there is a need to use you, he will definitely not hesitate."

"Such a person...I think it's scary."

He buried his face in Ye Xuehuan's shoulder, his voice trembling slightly, "He will hide his schemes in other people's schemes, and only push a little bit at the right time. It doesn't hurt people on the surface, even He is helping others; but he is not honest, and always achieves his goals through the hands of others. This method is similar to that of the late emperor, but much more clever, at least until now, from an idle prince to acting prince, everything is logical ..."

Ye Xuehuan let out a long sigh, didn't let him continue, picked him up from the water, and sat on the soft blanket by the pool.The white and tender skin was exposed under the wet bathrobe, the dripping hair was scattered on the soft blanket, and the two bare calves were still immersed in the water. It should have been an extremely erotic and alluring picture, but the expression was gloomy. It looks very pitiful.

Lan Qi didn't want to slander Ye Xuequan in front of Ye Xuehuan. If it wasn't for the unexpected sentence "no more Yiguo" at tonight's banquet, he wouldn't put those unanswered questions on him rethink.

Maybe Ye Xuequan just lived too carefully, or maybe he was more secretive than he imagined, but these are just one of the reasonable possibilities and cannot be proven; Firstly, he did not harm others to benefit himself, and secondly, he did not harm the interests of the country, so we cannot turn against him just because he has undisclosed ambitions.

To put it bluntly, it is entirely possible that this is judging the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain, and even taking advantage of Ye Xuehuan's doubts to provoke his brother's relationship, which is very shameless.At this time, Lan Qi felt a little regretful, unconsciously clutching the soft blanket under her body, and lowered her head to wait for the blow.

It was cool at night by the river, just for a while, Lan Qi was already chilled, and the night wind lifted the gauze curtain and blew on his wet clothes, which could cause a slight shiver, and tiny goose bumps could be seen on his neck.

Naturally, Ye Xuehuan couldn't blame him, straightened up and took a large cloth towel from the clothes hanger on the shore, wrapped him in his arms, wiped the water drops from his hair, and whispered in his ear Said: "I don't want to take care of the second emperor's brother. Whether he wants to get involved in the court and participate in politics, or whether the mother has other orders for him, let him go. Anyway, my ambition is not here, and there is no conflict. Wait. I will take you back to the royal palace to get married, and I will stop worrying about the affairs of the court. The new site of the Queen Mother’s Linggong has been determined. After the relocation, Luluo will be taken to the northwest. If there is nothing important in the future, we will not return to Danlu ,OK?"

After a pause, he laughed again: "Lu Yao once said that the first month after marriage is the sweetest, and it is advisable for two people to go on a trip. It is called a 'honeymoon'. Back then, he asked for leave and went out to the East China Sea with Tong Xuan. Listen to him It’s a pity that you can’t get out of the sea due to seasickness, but it’s not bad to go to the seaside. It’s just that I haven’t been to Jiangdong, so I’ll take you back to Donghai County after we get married to see the place where my Lan’er was born. OK?"

Lan Qi was covered with a cloth scarf, so he couldn't see his expression at the moment, but he could hear the regret under his smile.He himself has long been a rootless duckweed, only clinging to the big tree Ye Xuehuan, and has no nostalgia for his homeland, but when he heard the words "Donghai County", he could not help but vaguely think of the depths of his memory Those damp and salty sea breeze breath.

After all, Danlu is Ye Xuehuan's hometown, and that imperial city has carried too much joy and sorrow for him. Although he has no happy memories, he suddenly decides to stay away, and he is reluctant to part with it.

Although Lan Qi knew some of his future plans, it was the first time he heard him say so bluntly whether he should ask about court affairs. He knew that he wanted to make himself feel at ease, so he decided to stay away from his homeland and let go of power. There was a burst of sourness, and I couldn't speak for a while.

Retreating to the northwest was a decision Ye Xuehuan made long ago. Although the power in the court will not let go, it can only be a hole card, a shield to protect his stable position, not a spear to attack—— If possible, he also hopes that he will never have to use it.Lan Qi was worried that he would be used by Ye Xue, so he simply retreated a little bit, gave up his seat, kept a good distance, and there would be no conflicts, so naturally they would be able to live in peace.

After years of painstaking efforts, he had to seal it up with his own hands. He couldn't have no regrets, but at least he could spare a lot of time and energy to love Lan Qi; he made this choice willingly.

"Don't be afraid." He stroked Lan Qi's back and kissed his forehead lightly, "I'm always here."

Lan Qi tightened his arms around his neck, gave a low hum, and consciously wrapped his two calves around his lower back, bringing with it the sound of dripping water.

Ye Xuehuan carried Lan Qi back to the dormitory, and gave him the ultimate tenderness with the steam of hot water after bathing.Lan Qi was exhausted, and his half-dry hair was messed up again. He felt Ye Xuehuan hugging him and re-combing in his half-drowsy state. He was trying to say something, but in the end he just raised his head and kissed him. Jaw slowly fell into a sweet and bitter dream.

He still couldn't tell Ye Xuehuan what he was most worried about. He was so yearning for the word "marriage" that he couldn't tolerate any flaws in their marriage.

——So, it should be his business, and he still has to solve it by himself.

…………

At the same time, in another dormitory, Ye Xuequan was also enjoying the unique open-air bath of Xianning Palace.

Although his eyes have no vision, he still has a sense of touch. If hot water splashes into his eyes during the bath, it will still sting, so he covered his eyes with a black silk ribbon, leaned his back against the edge of the bath, and smiled slightly Meaning, it seems more and more unpredictable.

Yan Wu knelt by the pool, scooped up water with a wooden spoon, and poured it on his bare shoulders.There is a depression on his left collarbone, which is said to be caused by a fall when he was unsteady when he was blind when he was a child, but he no longer remembers it.

——Just like his pair of eyes that were still functional before the age of two, he has long forgotten what the world he saw in his eyes looked like.

"...Yan Wu."

He raised his arm and stretched it into the air, as if he wanted to touch some distant memory, "Do you think the queen mother has arranged an ending for that little thing?"

"Your Majesty's mind, the slave has never been able to figure it out." The middle-aged eunuch replied calmly, "But your Majesty does have high expectations for him."

Ye Xuequan laughed lightly when he heard the words: "Yes, after all, it is reserved for Rong Cai's people. After all, it is the parent and child, and even the queen mother has to be partial."

He seemed to be admiring, but also seemed to be mocking, and with mixed emotions that he couldn't explain clearly. I also have to protect him, otherwise Rong Cai will never forgive me for the rest of her life."

Yan Wu sighed: "You have already shouldered enough, don't take it on yourself anymore. Even if something happens, it is all arranged by the empress, not your fault."

"How can we put the blame on the dead." Ye Xuequan laughed, "Instead of letting Rong Cai hate his biological mother, let him hate me. Anyway, there will be many people who hate me in the future, and he will be the only one."

Even though he said such cruel and heavy words, his tone was still gentle and gentle, as if he didn't care about being cast aside.On the contrary, Yan Wu couldn't bear to listen anymore, and persuaded in a low voice: "Don't say that. The third and fourth highnesses really miss you, and General Wei also..."

"Rong Cai and Nuan Wen just didn't know about it. If they find out in the future, they might turn against me. As for Wei Yan..."

At the mention of this name, the smile on his face finally disappeared, and he said indifferently: "He is just a fool."

Hearing his cold tone, Yan Wu knew that he didn't want to talk anymore, so he could only shut up wisely.

Suddenly a servant outside the gauze curtain said in a soft voice: "My lord, General Wei has brought you wine."

——It’s really a mouthful, you can say whatever you want.

Just as Ye Xuequan was about to come out of the bath, her arms were leaning against the edge of the pool, she froze suddenly, her elbow even slipped, but she asked calmly, "Where's General Wei?"

The waiter replied: "The general is still going to watch the night, and he left after delivering the wine. I just told you to go to bed early after drinking."

Only then did Ye Xuequan relax, and said softly, "Send it in."

He has been addicted to alcohol since he was young, and he has long had the habit of drinking before going to bed. It is also common for Wei Yan to give him wine by taking advantage of his position. People inside and outside the palace are used to it.

The waiter held the tray and put it in his hand, and there were only pots and cups on it, which showed that Wei Yan was indeed just delivering wine, and had no intention of accompanying him.Yan Wu saw it and shook his head secretly, but he could only force a smile to pour him wine.

When the wine was poured out, it was a light water-red color, and when it came out, there was a clear and cold aroma, not like the smell of wine, but rather like the dark fragrance of plum blossoms blooming in three or nine days, quite elegant.

When Ye Xuequan smelled the aroma, his heart moved, and he asked, "What kind of wine is this?"

The waiter replied: "I heard from General Wei that the name of this wine is 'Xiang Gu'."

Ye Xuequan was stunned for a moment, a helpless wry smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she waved her hand to make the servant back.Yan Wu handed the full wine cup to his hand, and said with a soft smile: "General Wei really cares about you very much, he actually found it for you with a joke back then..."

Ye Xuequan was noncommittal, and brought it to his mouth to take a sip, but his mouth was full of bitterness. The bitterness made the root of his tongue numb, his scalp trembled, and his throat was still as cold as ice and snow. ; However, when the bitterness fades away, the hidden refreshing plum fragrance will slowly overflow from the nasal cavity, and it will permeate between the chest and lungs, refreshing people's spirits.

The brewing industry in the central area is prosperous, and there are famous brews from all over the country, with different flavors.Among them there is no lack of bitter wine, but most of them are sweet and bitter, so bitter that they are delicious.

It is said that the origin of Xianggujiu can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Taizu. A Northeast wine merchant tasted the local plum-flavored wine brewed with red plum blossom juice in Jiangdong. However, the brewed wine is bitter and difficult to drink.The winemaker made many investigations, and finally found that the problem lies in the raw materials - the red plums in the Northeast are more colorful and more fragrant, but the flower juice is not as sweet as Jiangdong red plums, but as bitter as coptis.

From the point of view of wine making, this is definitely a failed attempt, but the winemaker took a different approach, simply greatly increased the concentration of the flower juice, and added a lot of cold things to complement the bitterness. Although the taste is even more terrifying, the aroma of the wine is also stronger. Fragrant and cold, it has a hint of Lingshuang and Aoxue.The wine merchant closed his eyes and boasted that the so-called plum blossom fragrance comes from the bitter cold, and only after tasting the extreme cold and bitterness can one appreciate the real plum fragrance.

——In other words, what this wine drinks is not its flavor, but its strength.

This gimmick has attracted countless literati who are arty and elegant. While drinking to the wind and weeping, they still hold their conscience and say that only bitter cold should be the real taste of plum wine, and even derogate Jiangdong's plum wine.Some people say that this wine is "the same plum fragrance, but the taste is very different, but the fragrance is the same", so it is named "Xianggu".

Xianggujiu was very popular for a while, and its reputation was once spread to the imperial city. It is a pity that the Taizu established the country with martial arts, and could not appreciate the "strength" of the literati. In fact, making wine in this way is a matter of discarding the basics and chasing after the waste, and insinuatingly ridiculed the court officials who advocated civil rule at that time, saying that they were "poor and rotten scholars who like to ask for trouble", and the fragrant old wine disappeared.

Later, the separation of the two central governments exposed the disadvantages of the Taizu's military arrogance. Since the Emperor Xiandi, he has begun to attach importance to cultural governance, but this old wine has never reappeared. It is probably because no one is willing to suffer for the new words.

Ye Xuequan read this anecdote by accident a few years ago, and found it quite interesting, curious about what this bitter wine tastes like, but this wine was only a flash in the pan and has long been lost.I mentioned it to Wei Yan casually, but I don't know where he found him.

"General Wei has a heart." Yan Wu didn't know the origin of this wine, and flattered him on the horse's leg, "Just by smelling the aroma, you know it must be good wine."

Ye Xuequan remained silent, groping for another cup, and drank it down in one gulp.

Although he didn't tell Wei Yan about it in detail, he also knew that he must have checked and tasted it himself, and the one that would be delivered to him must be the most authentic old wine.

He is a very paranoid person, knowing that it is bitter wine, but he still wants to taste it; but there are people in this world who are more paranoid than him, knowing that what he wants to taste is bitter wine, but he has to taste it himself before bringing it to him.

He intends to go to hell alone, but someone drags him with warmth.

"Do you know... what I am most afraid of?"

He recalled the lingering bitterness in his mouth, and continued on his own: "Brothers turned against each other, people betrayed their relatives, it doesn't matter, I don't ask them to understand. But you see, Nuan Wen wanted to stay out of the matter, but lost himself to Beifu ;Rong Cai was said to be ruthless and indifferent since he was a child, and now he is completely planted. It can be seen that once the word "love" is touched, it will be lost."

"I'm not afraid of dragging Wei Yan down, at most it will make him hate me. What I fear most is that one day...my heart will soften."

"By then... I'm afraid I'll hate myself."

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My rights are black.