Chapter 9: The Emperor and His Ministers Have Already Met with the Time (9)

The atmosphere in the secret room suddenly became a little cold.

Luo Xiuyuan couldn't understand why his father, who had held his hand and taught him calligraphy when he was a child, wanted to kill him now?

"My apprentice, Luo Dan, can't move." Qu Zhengcheng said the words of treason in a casual tone.

Gu Chenglin observed his expression suspiciously, and couldn't help picking up the teacup on the table and throwing it over. "If you have something to say, just say it, don't keep it a secret, what do you have in reserve?"

Qu Zhengcheng reached out to catch it, smiled lightly and said nothing.

Gu Chenglin's hands were itching to hit someone.

Even Luo Xiuyuan, who had always been restrained, couldn't help but reveal a little curiosity in his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like this? I didn't say I had a reserve." Qu Zhengcheng saw that Gu Chenglin had clenched his fists, and hurriedly took a step back.

He, a "weak scholar", couldn't beat Gu Chenglin, a reckless man.

"Too rude... Wait, Gu Chenglin, don't be impulsive. What I mean is that someone has a backup plan." A man of insight is a hero. Qu Zhengcheng didn't want to be beaten in front of his apprentice.

I'd rather die than die with my friend. I'm sorry, Shen Changqing!

"Who?" Gu Chenglin continued to ask.

Qu Zhengcheng was very principled: "I can't say it. I promised Shen Changqing. I can't be a villain who doesn't keep his word."

Gu Chenglin: "Shen Changqing?"

Luo Xiuyuan: "Shen?"

Shen Minghuan, who was far away in the Ruiwang Mansion, sneezed.

Luo Xiuqi looked nervous, "Sir, are you feeling unwell?"

Lu Ren quickly poured a cup of hot tea, handed it over with both hands, and advised worriedly: "Master Shen, don't work too hard."

Shen Minghuan took it naturally, not embarrassed at all to be served, "I'm leaving in three days. Is your highness ready?"

"Please teach me, sir." Luo Xiuqi bowed and saluted, making a very humble gesture.

Shen Minghuan stood up and brushed off the non-existent dust on his clothes. "The more you are at this time, the more you need to keep calm. Since you have chosen the path to take, don't be indecisive about giving up temporarily. For example... Your Highness, I heard that you are in contact with the ministers in the court?"

"I..." Luo Xiuqi was sensitive to a hint of something wrong, but he didn't know how to explain it.

Shen Minghuan snorted lightly: "It's useless. Although the emperor of Daqi is not very good, the ministers in the court are not bad, especially those with high ranks, who are all dedicated to the country and the people."

"People like them will choose Luo Xiuyuan even if they are blind. Your Highness, don't waste your efforts. With such a pearl in front of them, how can they look down on you..." What about this waste?

Shen Minghuan didn't finish his words, but Luo Xiuqi suddenly understood his unfinished meaning.

Luo Xiuqi clenched his fists and almost couldn't keep his smile.

"What's more," Shen Minghuan looked at him with a smile, "Isn't it enough to have me? Your Highness needs to find someone else?"

"..." Luo Xiuqi really couldn't laugh this time.

Based on his understanding of Shen Minghuan during this period of time, speaking in such a tone means that this person is really angry.

When Shen Minghuan gets angry, he has to coax him humbly. The key is that this person has a bad temper, is particularly easy to get angry, and is particularly difficult to coax!

Luo Xiuqi took a deep breath and said humbly: "Sir, it was the people below who were ignorant and acted on their own, and I just found out about this."

"Oh? Did I misunderstand you? After all this time, it turns out to be my fault." Shen Minghuan sneered.

"No, no, it's my fault that I don't control my subordinates strictly, sir." Luo Xiuqi has been tortured a lot during this period of time, and this sentence was very fast.

Lu Ren wiped his non-existent cold sweat, "Master Shen, calm down, it's not worth it to get hurt. I can guarantee that Your Highness has absolutely no intention of winning over the other ministers!"

Shen Minghuan shook his folding fan and chuckled, "Then Your Highness, you must keep your word. After all, I hate people lying to me the most."

Luo Xiuqi's hair stood up again, and he immediately decided to stay as far away from those important ministers as possible. It would be best if he didn't say hello when he met them, and he would also take back all the spies he had sent out, so as not to be misunderstood by Shen Minghuan.

*

Three days later, the oath of allegiance was taken outside the city.

Yanling is located in the north, and it is lonely in late autumn, and the sky seems even higher.

A lone eagle flew across the sky with thin clouds, and a sharp cry came from afar.

The sound floated in the air, and when it landed on the ground, it was drowned in a sea of ​​​​hunting flags.

The oath of allegiance was being taken outside Yanling City.

The emperor stood on the high city wall and handed the tiger talisman, which symbolized power, to the newly-minted general of the army and horses, and watched him ride on his warhorse and gallop off to the distance.

Luo Xiuqi's hands did not have any calluses when he took the tiger talisman. The armor on his body was also specially made by an embroiderer. It was just for show, but it was light enough not to hurt the delicate shoulders of the royal family.

——It was like an absurd farce from beginning to end.

Qu, Lu, Wang, Lin, and Lu were qualified to stand behind the emperor and admire the majesty of the emperor from a close distance.

Such an honor could only be obtained by those of the second rank or above.

But anyway, the adults did not feel proud.

The oath of allegiance was over, and the army returned to the court.

The emperor's carriage should be in the front, followed by the carriages of several adults, and the rest of the people can only follow on foot.

Qu Zhengcheng nodded to his colleagues in a high and cold manner, and took the lead in getting on the carriage after the emperor. He still adhered to his usual style and kept a distance from everyone in the court.

The emperor asked him to be a pure minister, and he couldn't be purer.

Wang Jin and Lin Zhihang did not move, with their eyebrows slightly lowered, standing at the end of the walking team.

Seeing this, the two adults Lu Zhi and Lu Suiping looked at each other and stopped hesitantly.

After waving away the guards who were about to come forward to ask questions, the four of them walked slowly at the end and soon fell behind.

The guards silently separated a team to protect them, and did not dare to urge them.

Lu Zhi suddenly looked up at the sky and said with some melancholy: "It's going to rain."

I don't know how he saw it.

"An autumn rain brings a chill, and once this rain comes, winter is coming." In just a few days, Wang Jin, the Minister of State, looked much older. However, he would stop to rest after walking a short distance.

Lin Zhihang's eyes paused for a moment on Wang Jin's gray temples, and then moved away without leaving a trace.

"How is the King of Rui?"

"Stupid, unteachable." Lu Suiping said calmly.

"It's okay if he's just stupid. With you and me watching, it won't be too bad. What I'm afraid of is another Luo Dan." Wang Jin called the emperor's name for the first time.

Lu Suiping snorted, "What I'm more afraid of is that the disciple surpasses the master."

The impression of the young officials who had just entered the court not long ago on Luo Xiuqi was probably limited to the emperor's unremitting rewards to him, but these old people still remembered Luo Xiuqi's arrogance and presumption when he was just favored.

He rode a horse in the downtown, bullied his younger brother, and beat and killed palace maids and guards. The little princess was only eight years old at the time, and she had an indelible scar on her face.

Luo Xiuqi was only eleven years old when he cruelly ordered the death of the young eunuch and stabbed his own sister.

Fortunately, Luo Xiuqi has been much more low-key in recent years, but they are not naive enough to think that this is a change of heart.

Lu Zhi hesitated and whispered: "If it is true... what should we do?"

"I will not hand over the people to him." Wang Jin's back was hunched, but his figure became more and more majestic, "It's just death at most."

"Wrong, that's not called death." Lu Suiping touched his long beard on his chin, and suddenly felt much more relaxed, so he laughed, "This is called martyrdom for the country."

"Lord Lu is right, martyrdom for the country, how happy it is." Lin Zhihang laughed and clapped his hands.

*

Outside Yanling City, there is a pavilion next to the path planted with willows.

No one knows who built it. It seems that the small pavilion has stood quietly outside the city since Yanling was established. Later, the people privately called it "Farewell Pavilion".

Shen Minghuan did not participate in the oath-taking ceremony. This time he only brought Shen An, a servant who could drive a carriage, with him. They rode the carriage all the way to the pavilion outside the city.

Shen An was very capable. By the time Shen Minghuan got off the carriage, he had already laid a soft, snow-white furry blanket on the stone chair in the pavilion, and even put out tea, water, and fruits.

Realizing that his master was more noble than before, he accepted it with a good attitude... no, too good.

Shen Minghuan nodded with satisfaction and started counting the time in a very good mood.

If Luo Xiuqi dared to make him wait for more than half an hour, he would not have a good time on this journey.

"Hey, His Royal Highness?" Shen An, who was busy cutting fruit for Shen Minghuan, exclaimed, and then bent down to salute the visitor, even a little excited.

Chang Mao, who followed Luo Xiuyuan:... It's simply sick!

Although Luo Xiuyuan was a little confused about this joy, he was very well-educated and smiled and signaled him to excuse himself.

Shen An followed Shen Minghuan and had a lot of contact with Luo Xiuyuan, so he was not restrained. He asked enthusiastically: "Your Highness, are you here to see our master off? Don't worry, the master will be back soon."

He had a blind trust in Shen Minghuan.

Chang Mao:...You are the one who is worried! Your whole family is worried!

Shen Minghuan was bored and playing with the folding fan in his hand, not even looking at him.

Luo Xiuyuan smiled indifferently, his eyes slid across the valuable blanket on the stone chair and the rich fruits and snacks on the table. Before he was surprised, he was washed away by the feeling of both laughter and tears.

He shook his head slightly and said helplessly: "You are still the same, you won't eat fruit if it is not cut well."

Even grapes have to be cut in the middle and the seeds picked out.

This is the habit of the original owner.

However, Shen Minghuan was carefully taken care of by the tribesmen before, and the fruits and vegetables brought to him were not cut well. He immediately felt that the original owner's persistence was good and worth continuing.

Luo Xiuyuan naturally picked up the fruit knife that Shen An had placed on the fruit plate, not realizing that as a prince, there was nothing wrong with doing these things.

He continued to finish the half-cut fruit on the table by Shen An, and then took the handkerchief and carefully and meticulously wiped the water stains on the knife.

Then Luo Xiuyuan suddenly raised his head, suddenly leaned forward, turned his wrist, and the tip of the knife was directly at the center of Shen Minghuan's eyebrows.

"Ah!" Shen An was originally smiling at the two people reminiscing about the past, but the situation suddenly took a sharp turn. He screamed and rushed over to block Shen Minghuan.

Chang Mao was also startled, but he reacted faster. Although he didn't know the reason, he still reached out and grabbed Shen An to prevent him from ruining His Highness's business.

Shen Minghuan raised his eyes, and the cold light of the sharp blade was reflected in his pupils. His expression did not change, and he still sat calmly, without dodging or avoiding.