auspicious time has come

Chapter 171
Princess Yongyang sat quietly in the waterside pavilion with the lamp in her hand, and after drinking half a cup of tea alone, she waited for someone to come.

In the night, the tall and tall man was wearing a black cloak. When he entered the water pavilion, he took off the hood of the cloak, revealing a face as cold and flawless as white jade.

"Jingshi has seen His Highness."

He lowered his eyes slightly and raised his hand in salute.

"You're here." Princess Yongyang sat by the window, raised her hand with a smile to signal him to sit opposite her, and said, "It just so happens that the tea is still hot."

"Your Highness knew that I would come." Xiao Mu sat down, his figure straight and upright, and his tone was respectful as a junior: "And I expected that I would enter the house through the backyard wall."

"Otherwise, where else can you come in? In broad daylight, you can't go through the gate?" Princess Yongyang said with a smile: "I still remember when you were 12 years old and got into trouble, in order to avoid punishment from the family law, you climbed in through the backyard wall. Came to my mansion to ask for help... I have been hiding in this waterside pavilion for three whole days."

Referring to this old incident, Xiao Mu said: "It's hard for His Highness to still remember the absurd things when I was young."

"I haven't seen anyone for three days. Your father was really anxious when he arrived. He didn't care to get angry again. He personally led people around to look for you, and he almost turned the capital upside down..." Princess Yongyang held Half a cup of warm tea, said recalling.

"Yes, I was afraid that my father would really be in a hurry to do something wrong, so I didn't dare to hide it anymore." Xiao Mu also smiled: "I thought that after such an experience, my father's worry would probably have dissipated, but it didn't work out. I thought I was even more angry, so when I went home that night, I was punished twice."

Princess Yongyang couldn't help laughing, and shook her head: "Your father..."

"Since then, I have never dared to escape without authorization when encountering problems. I immediately knelt down and accepted the punishment when I made a mistake. I never dared to hide from home again." Xiao Mu sniffed the faint fragrance of high-quality aloes in the waterside pavilion, dazed The time seems to have returned to the years when he left home to avoid punishment at the age of 12.

When he was eleven or twelve years old, he had a stubborn temper and always liked to act on his own temper, but he was afraid of his father's majesty. He made troubles outside and made mistakes, so he dared not go home.

Later, he was no longer afraid of taking punishment, but when he woke up like a dream, he was homeless.

Princess Yongyang smiled slightly, and looked at the young man sitting opposite: "Now you are also the indomitable General Xiao who can stand up to the heavens and stand alone on my Dasheng's behalf to stand up against the minions of foreign races. If Eldest Brother Shi knows about it, he must be gratified. "

As she spoke, she sighed softly, with a trace of worry on her brows: "It's just...why do you have to go back to Beijing?"

Xiao Mu was silent for a moment.

"I wrote to you before to remind you that you must never return to the capital unless it is absolutely necessary..." Princess Yongyang said: "You should know what kind of dragon pool and tiger den this capital city is to you now. Once you enter the capital, it is the same as entering the capital." You have always been a rational and calm person, so why do you want to risk yourself like this this time?"

"His Royal Highness's worry, Jing Shi understands." Xiao Mu said: "It's just that I have a lot of doubts in my heart, and I can only have a chance to solve my doubts by coming in person--the current situation is like this, and it is the critical moment, and I don't want to be confused. Other people's chess pieces, in the end, lost the opportunity, not only hurt themselves, but also hurt Dasheng."

"Confused..." Princess Yongyang was stunned: "Do you still have doubts about what happened back then? Or did you find any other suspicious people and suspicious things?"

Xiao Mu: "Over the years, we have indeed found many clues that can confirm that guess, but there is no solid evidence. I also know that if I do it intentionally, it is unlikely that I will leave so-called solid evidence, but there is always a hesitation in my heart. .As for other suspicious people, I haven't found it yet."

"Then you are going to risk your own safety as a bet?" Princess Yongyang's eyes were full of helplessness and worry: "Your temperament is really carved out of the same mold as your father... The truth is important, the grandeur is important, only yours. Lives don't matter, do they?"

"It's time for your Highness to raise your profile." Xiao Mu said in a calm tone, "The truth is about who the real enemy is, and Dasheng is about the foundation of the people's stability. Both of them are closely related to my life, so they are also for myself."

Princess Yongyang looked at him silently for a while, but finally she just sighed softly: "Come here all the way to deceive others... let's have some tea first."

"Yes." Xiao Mu picked up the teacup.

After the two quietly ate half a cup of tea, when Princess Yongyang spoke again, she said, "Now that I'm here, it's useless to talk about right and wrong... What are you going to do next? I can help The place?"

"I appreciate Your Highness's kindness." Xiao Mu said sincerely, "Your Highness has helped me a lot over the years, and if it wasn't for His Highness's help back then, I'm afraid I would have died. Your Highness is not in good health now, so don't do it for me anymore." Things are busy and worrying."

"Where do these outspoken words come from? I have no power or power now, but I can still do something with my little effort... There is no need to talk about helping each other, this is what I owe Brother Shi." Yong Yong Princess Yang looked at the tea soup in the cup, her voice was low and slow, and her gaze seemed distant.

Xiao Mu knew that the "brother's time" she said was probably the old story he had heard many times.

In the early years, His Highness fell into an enemy trap on the battlefield and was besieged in the mountains. It was his father who risked his life to rescue him.

But in Xiao Mu's heart, even though this matter can be called a kindness, the eldest princess has already paid it off.

"Did you go to the palace in the afternoon?" Princess Yongyang asked as she looked away from the clear tea soup.

"Yes, I just couldn't see the saint." Xiao Mu said: "The palace people only said that the saint's dragon body is not in good health, and they will summon him tomorrow morning."

"Then you must be more vigilant in the early court tomorrow..." Princess Yongyang frowned slightly and said, "The battle you had when you entered the city during the day can't be just a coincidence, be careful that someone will make use of it... … Outsiders may not know that the saint is very sick now, he is not a clear-headed person, I am afraid that the more sick he becomes, the more confused he becomes. If he listens to some words with ulterior motives, he may not do anything regardless -"

He said again: "Let's not mention those old things, even though you are only Xiao Mu now, the Jiang family still regards you as a thorn in the side, but most of the Chinese courtiers are now headed by the Jiang family, so today's matter cannot be guaranteed not to be their work ..."

Xiao Mu listened carefully: "Thank you for your reminder, Your Highness, I will definitely deal with it carefully."

Hearing this thank you, Princess Yongyang seemed to come back to her senses, and smiled: "I forgot, so why do you need me to remind... Even if I don't say these simple things, you still know Yes. It's just an elder, now that I'm old, I can't help but become nagging."

Speaking of being an elder, he said with a smile: "Speaking of today, my family, Ah Heng, I also talked about you..."

Xiao Mu raised his eyes slightly upon hearing the words.

"I mentioned that you mother and son have taken care of her a lot, and that you have helped her do a lot of things she wants to do." Princess Yongyang smiled and said: "I want to thank you for taking care of her like this." of."

Xiao Mu smiled: "It should be done."

And if we talk about taking care of him, he thinks that she has given him more "care".

Princess Yongyang looked at him and said, "It's rare to see you laugh like this."

"I haven't seen His Highness for a long time."

"Yeah, it's been a long time..." Princess Yongyang said softly: "It's been a long time since you and the old people in the capital... Come back this time, even though it's been many years, you still have to be careful , be careful not to expose your identity. Otherwise, you will not only be troubled by Xiao Mu."

"Yes, rest assured, Your Highness, I will proceed with caution."

The night outside the water pavilion is quiet, and the only pool water wave is slightly swaying with the night wind.

The two talked about half a stick of incense.

Xiao Mu stood up and said goodbye.

"Come here late at night, it was an act of impolite courtesy, and since it is already late, I won't bother His Highness to rest anymore."

"You can come to see me, I am so happy..." Princess Yongyang smiled slightly, and said: "It's just that after you enter the capital, there must be countless eyes in the dark, and in the future you will still send messages For the best, don’t take the risk of coming here in person again.”

Xiao Mu agreed, saluted and exited the waterside pavilion.

Grandma Qizhen, who was guarding outside, saw him coming out, and silently blessed her body.

After the tall black figure disappeared into the night, Princess Yongyang also walked out slowly from the water pavilion in fur.

Qizhen hurried forward to help her.

"This kid has gone through so much. It seems that his temperament has been smoothed over the years, but in fact he is still stubborn in his bones, just like Big Brother Shi..."

Princess Yongyang sighed long into the night: "Forget it, let him go."

……

On the next day, when the sky was about to open, and it was the time of going to court, all civil and military officials walked along the majestic palace wall, with the inner eunuch hanging his head and carrying a lamp beside him.

The few officials walking behind were talking in low voices, and the words "Dingbei Hou" could be faintly heard in their words, but seeing the white marble bridge in front of them, and the Golden Luan Palace after crossing the bridge, they all fell silent.

When all the officials entered the hall, they could only see the dragon chair on the imperial steps empty, and there was no figure of the saint yet.

This is nothing new.

Since the end of the year, sages have rarely appeared in the early courts, and most of them are governed by the crown prince and discussed with hundreds of officials.

The crown prince is diligent, and at this time he is wearing court uniform and standing under the imperial steps, accepting the worship of all officials.

Not long after, I heard the inner eunuch sing loudly: "The sage has arrived——"

Baiguan quickly knelt down and saluted.

The emperor, who hadn't appeared in the early court for more than ten days, seemed to be thinner again. He was supported by the eunuch to sit on the dragon chair, and his voice was weak after a long illness: "Everyone loves you."

The prince and all the officials got up together.

The emperor coughed twice, and looked at everyone in the hall: "My dear friends...do you have something to do?"

Several ministers secretly exchanged glances.

Yes there is...

But that is to say, His Majesty looks like this... If they dare to play, will His Majesty dare to listen?
Therefore, several caring officials only tried their best to pick some positive or moderate things to report.

Even the most quarrelsome speech officials on weekdays are also rare and taciturn—after all, the so-called death remonstrance is about killing oneself. , that's not the case in terms of reputation...

And His Majesty is here today, perhaps not to listen to their performances, is it?
Thus, the early morning went on smoothly.

Until the sky gradually brightened, the first ray of morning light shone into the bright gold bricks in the hall.

The voice of the inner eunuch singing loudly came out of the Golden Luan Hall——

"Xuan, Xiao Mu, Marquis of Dingbei, will meet you!"

In the originally low and noisy hall, suddenly the wind passed through, taking away all the sounds.

Most officials looked sideways in unison.

The prince also looked at the tall and straight figure walking slowly into the hall.

The very young Jiedu Envoy was dressed in a purple robe with lions embroidered with gold and silver thread, a jade belt around his waist, a goldfish bag, and cloud-toed brocade boots on his feet. Most of his face was soaked in the morning light.

The prince lost his mind for a moment.

Xiao Mu had already entered the palace, bowed his sleeves and saluted, and said in a concentrated voice: "My humble minister Xiao Mu, please refer to Your Majesty, long live your Majesty, long live, long live, long live."

"Quick... quickly help Xiao Hou get up." The saint sat up a little bit straighter, and motioned for the inner prisoner beside him to come forward and help him.

However, there was a pair of hands that came to Xiao Mu one step faster.

　Thank you Hanhan for the reward!

　　Thank you for your monthly pass!
　　Good night~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)