Bright Spring

Zhu Gaoxu has known Zhang Fu for many years, and he still knows him; there should be no problem with Zhang Fu's report.Zhang Fu is still capable of leading troops and fighting, but he is obsessed with power and tactics, and he also has his own views on government affairs and human relationships, which is different from people like Ping An.

Cao Fu seemed a little hesitant, and then said in a soft voice: "Your Highness has learned a lesson. Before that, His Highness showed mercy to Chen Xianzhen's service to the traitor Chen Jizuo, and he no longer pursued it, and let Chen Xianzhen return to his hometown. But Chen Xianzhen was not grateful, and he was quite late There are complaints."

Zhu Gaoxu took a look at Cao Fu, thinking that Chen Xian might have offended the eunuch.

Cao Fu asked again: "My lord, where will she settle down after she enters Beijing?"

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Let her live in the old mansion of the King of Han on the west side of the imperial city."

Cao Fu bowed and said, "Your servant obeys the order."

After the eunuch went out, Zhu Gaoxu stood up from his chair and found a letter in a mahogany shelf by the wall.This is a letter from Queen Mother Chen of An Nanguo that I received not long ago.

He found a passage in it.Chen specifically mentioned in the letter, and asked Zhu Gaoxu to believe: Chen did not persecute|persecute Chen Xianzhen, asked the ministers around him, and no one had ever dealt with Chen Xianzhen; There is nothing wrong with it, and it is a matter of framing.Chen also explained in the letter that since Emperor Daming did not blame Chen Xianzhen for the past, she would not care about it anymore.

These grievances and entanglements were originally private matters, but they also made Zhu Gaoxu feel troubled.But he still trusts Empress Dowager Chen more, there is no intuitive reason, just intuition...

The old mansion of the King of Han Dynasty is near the Xuanjin Bridge on the west side of the imperial city, very close to the Xi'an Gate.

Thinking about it, Zhu Di still felt guilty towards Zhu Gaoxu back then. Zhu Di made the right decision ruthlessly on the important matter of the stability of the imperial power;At the time when the prince could not even support the maids, Zhu Gaoxu not only got a prince's mansion in Yunnan, but also a luxurious and beautiful palace in the capital city, which has been preserved until now.

A few days later, Zhu Gaoxu came to the palace with the empress, concubines and princes in his luanjia, surrounded by the general Jin Yiwei and the guards of the imperial city.He hasn't been here for a long time.

The Ching Ming Festival of spring has passed, but the garden scenery in early April is still very beautiful.

There are lakes, ponds, pavilions, and all kinds of flowers and trees in the old mansion, which is more beautiful than the imperial palace.Because of the symbolic halls and safety issues that the imperial palace pays the most attention to, places with gardens such as the imperial garden are not large.

The eunuchs also brought some nets and glazed bottles for Zhan He to catch butterflies in the garden and play.Zhan Qi couldn't walk very steadily, he had to be led by someone to toss about behind his brother.

Zhu Gaoxu sat on a chair by the lake, watching concubines, maids and children playing.He stayed with everyone for more than an hour, then left the garden and came to the south of the palace.

Walking through the winding corridors behind a palace, he and the eunuch Cao Fu came to a suite.This is a place where you can sleep and rest, and meeting guests here will seem a bit ambiguous; because there is a bead curtain at the door, there is a bed inside, and there are ear rooms on both sides for the housemaids to live in.

After a while, Chen Xianzhen was brought over.She is no longer dressed like a Taoist priest, but wearing a narrow robe.When she approached, she knelt softly on the ground, and immediately started to cry with sobs.

Zhu Gaoxu probably knew the content of her cry.Chen Xianzhen's house, property and fields were plundered, and she was persecuted by the Queen Mother Chen and had nowhere to go.

Looking at Chen Xianzhen's appearance with pear blossoms and rain, Zhu Gaoxu actually had a subtle feeling of unreality or lack of empathy, as if he was listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.

Perhaps it was because Zhu Gaoxu was willing to listen to the stories of the court ladies, and they were all true stories. He could understand the thoughts of many girls after listening to them a lot; so now that he heard Chen Xian's real cry, he always felt that something was wrong.

Zhu Gaoxu had no choice but to say nicely: "You settle down here first, and I'll send someone to figure out the ins and outs."

Chen Xianzhen said pitifully: "My brother's family has become common people, and my concubine has nowhere to stay in Annan Country, so I can only go to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to be desolate for the rest of my life."

"It's not that miserable, it's not a big deal, and there's no need to worry. The old mansion of the King of Han has a beautiful scenery, and there's nothing missing, so just sit here and calm down." Zhu Gaoxu said.

At this moment, Chen Xianzhen suddenly asked: "I heard that Ruan Jingyi was not convicted, so he surrendered?"

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said, "There is such a thing."

Chen Xianzhen hesitated to speak, and finally raised his head and said: "Although Chen Jikuo was defeated, Li Li is still rebelling in Annan Country. Then Ruan Jingyi and Li Li have a very close friendship, Your Majesty, don't be fooled by him."

"Is there such a thing?" Zhu Gaoxu asked differently.

Chen Xianzhen asked back: "Didn't Ruan Jingyi explain this matter?"

Zhu Gaoxu was noncommittal, pondered for a moment, and then said: "You go back to your room to rest first. There are people waiting for me in the back garden. I will see you again when I am free."

Chen Xianzhen squatted down, and said: "Thank you as a concubine."

But Zhu Gaoxu didn't go to the queen's side, he just sat in this room for a while, then called Cao Fu in, and said, "Go tell me what I mean, and ask Jin Yiwei to send Ruan Jingyi over."

Cao Fu said: "Your servant will do it immediately."

The sun is shining outside, but the house behind the winding porch looks secluded and secluded.Zhu Gaoxu gradually smelled a certain kind of conspiracy, and he was very familiar with this feeling.After all, the capital of the Ming Dynasty is a place of centralized power, various personal grievances and struggles emerge in endlessly, and conspiracy and conspiracy are the most common things.

Zhu Gaoxu did not leave this place, he picked a book from the desk, while drinking tea and reading, he waited for the person he wanted to see.

He was a little absent-minded, and carefully sorted out the experience of people and others in his heart, and found a key point: Ruan Jingyi, as a general of the Annan rebel army, was originally a capital crime, and his survival was purely due to Zhu Gaoxu's personal will. One would expect it.So if Ruan Jingyi had any conspiracy, the plan would not make sense.

After a long time, Cao Fu and Du Erlang walked into the door with the dark and thin Ruan Jingyi.Ruan Jingyi was no longer wearing a prison uniform. He was wearing a scarf robe that was often worn by scholars in the Ming Dynasty.

"Get up." Zhu Gaoxu said.

Ruan Jingyi thanked En, got up from the ground, and stood silently in the middle of the room.

Zhu Gaoxu was not in a hurry to speak.He suddenly changed his mind, didn't ask anything, and ordered directly: "There is a side room next to it. Ruan Jingyi, you go sit in it and don't make a sound. As long as I don't call you, you can just stay there, understand. Is it?"

Ruan Jingyi clasped his fists and said, "Understood, the guilty minister is in command."

Zhu Gaoxu said to Cao Fu again: "Go and get Chen Xianzhen, and bring him here to meet again."

Ruan Jingyi stopped immediately after hearing this, and turned his head to take a look.Zhu Gaoxu also cast his gaze over, Ruan Jingyi didn't speak, and walked into the ear room again.

Zhu Gaoxu used this method to deal with Duan Yang and others, and it was very effective twice.He hoped that this time, he could also get some useful inside information.

Zhu Gaoxu took a look at Du Erlang, Du Erlang was a member of Jin Yiwei, and he came to Hanwang's old mansion because he sent Ruan Jingyi off, but he wasn't here at first.Zhu Gaoxu said quickly: "Du Erlang, you go back to the Yamen to be on duty."

Du Erlang clasped his fists and bowed, and said in a military salute: "My minister obeys the order."

Chen Xianzhen lived in the old mansion of the King of Han, and the waiting time for her was very short, and she came in after less than a stick of incense.

"Did His Majesty not go to the garden?" Chen Xianzhen asked.

Zhu Gaoxu smiled in a casual tone: "Go, the concubines are enjoying themselves, and I will be in the way there. I just remembered that after Ruan Jingyi surrendered, he was loyal and shouldn't have two hearts. You said he and Li Li Collusion, is there evidence?"

Chen Xianzhen shook his head and said: "I came to Beijing alone, I didn't know these things in advance, how can I prepare evidence? But if the Holy Majesty asks someone to interrogate him, maybe he will admit it. There is absolutely no lie in what I said."

"It makes sense." Zhu Gaoxu said seriously.

Chen Xianzhen said softly again: "I have something to ask, please don't tell Ruan Jingyi and the source of the news, how about it? In the past, I and Ruan Jingyi were dispatched by Chen Jikuo, so I shouldn't have mentioned these things."

Zhu Gaoxu was noncommittal and remained calm: "Then why did you say it again?"

Chen Xianzhen said: "Ruan Jingyi is always gloomy and cunning, very dangerous. I am worried about the Holy One."

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said: "If you had such a heart earlier, I would not send you back."

Chen Xianzhen said softly: "In the past, Chen Jizuo was kind to my concubine, and I was unwilling to betray him. Now that Chen Jizuo is gone, only the Holy One can protect my concubine."

Zhu Gaoxu carefully observed her eyes, feeling very strange, there seemed to be suppressed emotions in those slightly dull eyes.Zhu Gaoxu has seen other women, whether it is someone who wants to benefit from him or someone who admires him, he can more or less feel a natural affection and a feeling of acceptance; after all, ordinary women have to voluntarily have sex with a A man's skin-to-skin relationship must at least be accepted physically and mentally.

However, Zhu Gaoxu had never felt this way with Chen Xianzhen, even if he had been close to her.

"Cough..." Zhu Gaoxu looked sideways, and looked at the ear room next to the curtain.

7 Chapter Seventy