The Story of Leaping from the Dragon Gate

On the eighth day of August, it began to rain in the early morning and stopped at noon.

After Song Wei finished her breakfast, she begged the housekeeper not to clean it up, and arranged the empty dishes one by one on the edge of the corridor to catch the rainwater dripping from the eaves of the corridor.

Porcelain and pottery are all dangerous goods. Seeing that Li Yi had gone to boil medicine, Lan Di could only stand by and wait for His Royal Highness to get tired of playing, and agreed to return the tableware.

Song Wei waited for a certain amount of rainwater to accumulate on each dish, then moved to the side of the corridor, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began to knock.While knocking, he increased or decreased the amount of water, adjusted the pitch and tone, and arranged the utensils in different sequences. In the end, he actually knocked out the tune.It's just that most of the oil flowers are floating on the water, which is a bit unsightly.

Resigned to his fate, Lan Butler took out a futon from the room, and asked His Highness the Sixth Highness to sit down on his hips so as not to catch a cold.I thought to myself, in terms of having fun alone, the sixth prince is a genius.For a while, I was worried that before Xianhou came back, if His Highness the Sixth Highness was stuck in this square inch, he would soon run out of skills and have no interest in life.If he really became irritable, with these people in front of him, he might not be able to appease him.For a moment, I felt that with the ability of the sixth prince, even if he didn't even let the door out of the room, he still had a way to lure snakes and amuse them. If he really wanted to do something bad, who could control the people around him?

Song Wei thanked Housekeeper Lan for the futon, and stuffed it under her buttocks.The two chopsticks are flying and turning between the fingers, sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly, sometimes high or low, and the clanging sound echoes with the sound of rain, which just makes the sad autumn wind and autumn rain a lively and lively scene.

Of course, Lan Di didn't know that His Highness the Sixth Highness was simulating a posture called a "drummer", intoxicating himself and having a great time.

With mixed feelings of relief and pity, Lan Butler also moved a futon for himself, and sat in the back side to wait for orders.

Song Wei played percussion instruments for a long time, very comfortable, thinking about playing something else in the afternoon.Because it had just rained, many fat and soft long earthworms climbed up the corridor from the mud cracks under the steps.Song Wei saw it and was overjoyed.He jumped up and down to intercept the food basket in Lan Di's hand, grabbed a big bowl, bent down and picked it up.Lan Butler was so disgusted that he couldn't speak clearly: "Your Highness, Your Highness, what are you doing, what are you doing?"

"This is a good thing. It is most suitable for attracting fish when it is dried and used as bait!"

Song Wei raised his head, saw Lan Di's expression of eating a fly, felt narrowed, giggled and picked up one of the fattest ones, and shook it right up to the tip of Lan Butler's nose, as if to let go, about to drop the twisting earthworm Go into someone's collar.Poor Lan Butler is at least twice as old as the Sixth Highness. He has stayed in a place as grand as the imperial palace for most of his life. How reserved and calm. At this moment, he was so scared that his face paled. He stepped back several steps, his lips trembling, and he did not know how to complain good.

Fortunately, Li Yi showed up in time, and took the fat earthworm halfway: "The earth dragon stimulates the meridian, activates the collaterals, activates the blood and removes blood stasis. It is a good medicine. His Highness the Sixth Prince has saved so much, why don't you give it to me as medicine."

Song Wei curled his lips: "I saved air-dried fish bait, you want to catch it yourself."

Li Yi's segment number was more than one level higher than that of Lan Di, so he really squatted down and grabbed the earthworm together with the sixth prince.The two had a very pleasant afternoon.

Lan Di was so disgusted that she didn't eat much for dinner.In the evening, Song Wei fed the birds with rice balls as usual, while Steward Li stood in the corridor, turning over the dead earthworms that were all over the railing.Lan Butler was in the pharmacy making today's second soup for the sixth prince, and he was not there for the time being.Steward Li's job was to boil the medicine, so he snatched it away temporarily.

Song Wei took out Dugu Li's letter from the pigeon's anklet, pretended to be careless, turned around and swept many earthworms dry on the ground with his sleeve.Li Yi was busy picking up his earth dragon, Song Wei turned his back to read the letter.Surprisingly, the whole article is Dugu Li reporting how he took his younger brother to catch earthworms secretly today.While snickering, Song Wei directly pinched an earthworm corpse and wrapped it in the letter for the pigeon to take back.

It's the sympathy and sympathy that goes without saying.

He's pretty idle here, and everyone else is busy jumping around.

After Dugu arrived at the Northern Suburb Barracks at midnight on the sixth day of August, he immediately became extremely busy.It is one thing to send additional manpower to track down the escaped assassins. On the other hand, it is necessary to secretly dispatch troops to strengthen the defense of Gyeonggi to prevent people from taking advantage of loopholes.All the tribute missions in the northern part of the west will be picked up by the government guards, and they will first rest for a few days in the newly built official residence in the northern suburbs.Wait until August [-]th, and then enter the city from the Xuanwu Gate in the north.

Such an arrangement has many advantages.When he first came up, he used Xianhou's name and power to frighten all the envoys from the tribes of Fanbang, and then stayed honestly in Chuanshe in the northern suburbs for a few days, taking advantage of the time before the official pilgrimage, to learn the etiquette and rules of Shangbang seriously.The Fuwei Army took this opportunity to find out the details of the members of the mission, so as to prevent those with ulterior motives from fishing in troubled waters.Due to the poor health of the emperor's dragon, the crown prince is bound to take the lead in this tribute.After the missions have been trained in advance, and then enter the city and enter the palace in a unified way, the host's reception troubles can also be minimized.

This diplomatic activity is the first time that the crown prince has independently done a great thing on behalf of the emperor since he represented the government.Going out early and returning late every day, he looks extremely hardworking.

The sixth prince was assassinated, and the prince sent someone to visit Prince Xiu's mansion immediately to show his love.Hearing that King Xiu was injured and recuperated, he was unable to see guests, so he gave up.After waiting for two days, seeing that the emperor had asked where the five princes were going, and did not express any more, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's slightly uneasy heart gradually settled down.Immediately, taking advantage of the matter of welcoming the mission, he tried to apply for the transfer of some personnel, and got the emperor's acquiescence, which went smoothly beyond expectations.

As a result, Song Yu was in a good mood.Originally, the plan to kill the old sixth and pissed off the father, in his mind, was simply a matter of course.Unexpectedly, the two important subordinates never returned, and the fifth child disappeared without a trace.He couldn't know what happened in Xiu's mansion that night.However, the two subordinates are dead soldiers, if the matter fails, it will be nothing but death.The emperor asked Lao Wu to find the prince's mansion, and it was really strange.Song Yu quickly realized that he had been slapped hard by Lao Wu this time, so he secretly resented not mentioning it.

In any case, the sixth child was injured afterwards, and the father's condition worsened. It seemed that this move was not a success, but it was not a complete failure.He was also worried that the emperor would resort to thunderous means regardless of the consequences in his anger.Facts have proved that I worry too much.Now that the matter is up to now, even if the father knows that he did it, what can he do?

All signs indicated that this time, the emperor chose to continue to compromise.

Of course, the emperor's compromise must be conditional.The prince stopped moving, waiting for his father to make an offer.

On the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, after the morning court ceremony, the prince went to the palace to greet him as usual, and met Master Xuanqing coming out of the palace.

"I have seen His Royal Highness."

"The Master is well." After returning the gift, Song Yu asked with a worried expression on his face, "When did the Master enter the palace? But has the father's condition changed?"

"Xuan Qing entered the palace last night at the call of His Majesty. His Majesty's condition has not improved, and Xuan Qing wants to stay in the palace temporarily to light lamps and chant sutras for His Majesty, praying for blessings and prolonging life." Xuan Qing spoke sincerely, but his face was full of vigor. The clouds are calm and the wind is light.

From Qingxia Temple in the western suburbs to the imperial palace, it takes a whole day without stopping.When Xuan Qing received the news that Marquis Xian sent someone to send him, she set off immediately and arrived on the night of the eighth day.There was already a Taoist temple in the palace for her to practice, and she could move in at any time.

After listening to Xuan Qing's words, the crown prince bowed and said, "If you can pray for blessings and prolong life for the emperor, the Master has needs, Song Yu will not hesitate."

Xuan Qing's status is detached yet special.Regarding this cousin, the prince was unwilling to be too serious in the past, but now he felt that the time had come, so he might as well be more clear-eyed.Xuanmen Shangqing sect is equivalent to the state religion.Song Yu suddenly wanted to know, when Xuan Qing came out of the bedroom, did the emperor just say anything extra personal to his niece.

"When the Venerable Master is convenient, Song Yu also wants to show his filial piety when it comes to lighting lamps and chanting scriptures."

Xuan Qing smiled lightly: "The crown prince is diligent in political affairs, and sharing his worries for your majesty is the greatest filial piety." Seeing that he seemed dissatisfied with this excuse, he added, "Your majesty is very worried about His Royal Highness, the crown prince might as well persuade him."

Song Yu pretended to be surprised, and asked, "Father, are you worried that the fifth younger brother will go crazy during his practice?"

The old five evaporated, and in a haste and helplessness, they pulled out this ridiculous pretense, not wanting to be accepted by the emperor.This is also one of the signs that the prince thinks the emperor has compromised.

"His Royal Highness Rong is obsessed with martial arts and ignores common affairs. His Majesty is feeling helpless, and wants to build a manor on the Lion and Tiger Mountain for King Rong to retreat and devote himself to cultivation. He is afraid that no one will take care of him, so he entrusted it to me."

Song Yu was really surprised now.With Xuan Qing saying this, could it be that the fifth child has already been captured by his father?But I don't know how many he recruited... Then I thought about it, if my father really sent the fifth son to Shihu Mountain and asked Xuan Qing to watch it, then it would be both a supervision circle and isolation protection.Well, it doesn't really matter how much he recruited.

Seeing that I can't ask any more questions, I say goodbye to Xuanqing, step into the bedroom, and ask to see the emperor.

The father and son are both top-notch in forbearance, and they haven't torn their faces so far.The prince never tires of chattering, asking about his father's physical condition, and reporting on the various contents of the court meeting. The emperor listened quietly, and occasionally asked a few questions weakly, all of which belonged to the normal business category.

After the crown prince finished his report, the topic turned to Master Xuanqing's praying for blessings. After showing his disgusting filial piety, he finally brought up King Rong.

The emperor sighed: "Lao Wu was born like this. I have lived to this age, and I also know that there are some things that cannot be forced. It is said that the children of the royal family practice Taoism, and it is enough to have a Minghua in this generation. It's just that Lao Wu has no secular fate. I also don’t want to break his path. I have told Minghua to find a Taoist expert who is proficient in martial arts to guide him. If he is willing to practice, he can go to Lion Tiger Mountain to practice.”

Getting the fifth prince to become a Taoist priest is tantamount to completely disqualifying him from threatening the throne.If you find a Xuanmen martial arts master to guard, you don't have to worry about him breaking into the palace in the middle of the night to assassinate him.The prince suddenly felt that this was a great idea, even though the emperor's original intention was to save the fifth child's life.What's more, it's not impossible for masters to buy them, and in the future they will make a real madman, that's all.

Pretentiously perfunctory a few words, expressing support for the father's decision.

The emperor said again: "The only thing I'm worried about is the sixth child. If one day, I'm gone..."

The prince hurriedly knelt down and expressed his filial piety again.

The emperor nodded in relief, and continued earnestly: "The so-called elder brother is like a father. The sixth child is still young, naive and ignorant, and ignorant of world affairs. You, the eldest brother, must take care of your father. My only wish is to be buried in the earth." Before, I could see the sixth child getting married. When the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, you can help me make preparations for it."

The prince quickly agreed.The emperor entrusted himself with the preparations for Prince Xiu's marriage, so the choice of Princess Xiu was up to him.

"The sixth son has a wild temper, and it is inevitable that he will cause trouble in Beijing. I have already agreed to him, and after we get married, I will let him live in the city for a long time."

The prince understands that this is the second condition.In his heart, the sixth son who popped up like a wild monkey has never been regarded as an opponent.The emperor's emotional preference for the sixth child was an accident, but it was a wonderful move when he used it well.After he ascended the throne, such a little thing, whether to kill or not, is it a matter of flipping?It may be a little troublesome for Xianhou, but he is not without bargaining chips.Who can tell what will happen next?When he is no longer the favored sixth prince in front of the emperor, how many people will come forward?There are plenty of people with good appearance in this world.

After figuring this out, the prince generously promised that he would not go against his father's and sixth brother's wishes on the issue of King Xiu's fate.

The emperor seemed to be in a much better mood, and he spoke more smoothly: "Father is very pleased that you have such a heart to love your brothers. This time the sixth son was assassinated, and something was found from the assassin. Someone said I don’t believe it’s a token from your Prince’s residence. So I ask you to see it with your own eyes to see if you know where it came from, so that you can stop that villain’s mouth.”

As he spoke, the emperor took out two small objects from under the pillow and held them in his palms. They were the gilded ebony plaques hidden on the assassin's body.

Song Yu didn't expect the emperor to come here at all, and couldn't figure out the intention behind it for a while, so he was stunned for a moment, and could only follow the emperor's words: "The doormen in the son's mansion use the copper talisman engraved with python patterns as their entry and exit certificates, which is definitely not the case. This thing. I have never seen this thing before, so I don’t know it.”

The emperor nodded: "Someone recognized that the two captured assassins had entered and exited Yao Zizhang's other courtyard. Since this matter has nothing to do with you, it seems that he must be behind the scenes..."

The prince was completely stunned this time.The emperor's greatest condition turned out to be here.

Among the three lords and five lords, the only one who is really tied to the crown prince is Yao Zizhang, the successor of Duke Xiang, the eldest son of Yao Mansion.Leaving aside the relationship between uncle and nephew, because the two are close in age, although they are a generation behind in name, they are actually brothers.Yao Zizhang has quite a sense of political investment, and expressed his allegiance to the prince very early on, which is completely different from the attitude of keeping a sensitive distance from the children of other princes' families.

In the tradition of the Xianxi Dynasty, the monarch and his ministers ruled the world together.You will always have only one.As a prince, even a prince, he is qualified to be the master only on the day he becomes the emperor.Now only three generations have passed, the spirit of governing the country established by the founding fathers has not yet disappeared, and the quality of the noble family has not yet begun to deteriorate.Or to put it another way, the symbol of Prince Edward and Yao Zizhang is the starting point of the fall.The current emperor and some members of the core group are keenly aware of this trend and want to correct it.It was under this major premise that the emperor repeatedly considered in his heart the possibility of changing the heir.

The prince seemed to be still in a daze, but in fact, his heart had gone through countless circles.

The meaning of the emperor is quite straightforward: I will give you the throne, but before sitting on it, one of your hands will be cut off first.

The emperor insisted that Yao Zizhang was playing tricks behind his back, and if he insisted on absolving him, it would be a fire.In the original plan, in case of a miss, the ready-made scapegoat is the fifth child.However, the emperor followed the absurd excuse given by the prince himself, and took out the fifth child first.

Song Yu hasn't felt wet and cold on his forehead for a long time, and at this moment, he clearly felt thin sweat from his hairline.

"Uncle...how could you do such a thing? There must be...conclusive evidence..."

The emperor stroked the two black wooden plaques: "Naturally. I have made a joint investigation with Yihou, Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment, and I will definitely not wrong the good man. The crown prince has a heavy responsibility right now, so don't worry about these trivial matters. "