Hibiscus Tent: The Prime Minister’s palm is reborn

The next day, Lu Wanying sat on a calf cart and headed for Yuetai Temple, which was thirty miles away.

When leaving the city, she lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out.

The afternoon sun is so warm that if it weren't for the vast expanse of white everywhere, one would have mistaken this brightness for a spring day.

She closed her eyes and smiled.

Suddenly, the horse neighed loudly and someone was riding a horse across the middle of the road.

The guard drew his sword and stepped forward.

The visitor looked calm and showed no fear at all.

He jumped off the horse, took out the token, and walked straight to the calf cart.

In the stone boat of Liuhua Garden, Liang Qian was drinking green plum wine and grilling meat with pine branches with Gao Huan, the Prince of Yong'an.

The red charcoal was scorching hot, roasting the venison on the small stove until it was golden and crispy. The fat that fell on the charcoal was sizzling, and the whole stone boat was filled with the unique aroma of barbecue, which was mouth-watering.

Jinlan knelt aside, holding the wine jug and filling another glass.

Liang Qian raised the wine cup, eyes full of meaning: "I offer a toast to Prince Yong'an. From now on in this imperial city, the only person we orphans and widows can rely on is our brother."

Gao Huan picked up the cup and said solemnly: "It is my duty to be loyal to the emperor and protect my master."

Liang Qian raised her hand, covered her face with her sleeve, and drank the first cup.

She put down the cup and sighed: "However, people's hearts are unpredictable. If everyone could be like Prince Yong'an, the emperor and I wouldn't have to walk on thin ice in the court..."

After saying that, he lowered his head and wiped his wet eyes.

Gao Huan's eyes were sharp and he said a few words to comfort her at the right time.

Liang Qian nodded with red eyes, and sighed with shame: "I am rude, please don't take it as an offense, Prince Yong'an."

He raised his eyes again and changed the subject: "That day when the army went out to fight, I saw from afar that King Ande was wearing armor and looked very heroic. He looked a bit like King Yong'an."

When Gao Yongsheng was mentioned, Gao Huan sighed slightly and smiled gently and modestly.

"After all, he is still young and full of energy, and lacks experience. This time, the Queen Mother and the Lord have allowed him to lead the troops to fight the enemy. This is also a good opportunity for him to hone his skills. I only hope that he can be loyal and dedicated, and live up to the Queen Mother and the Lord's expectations."

There was a hint of barely perceptible pride on his modest face.

Liang Qian smiled and said, "With Prince Yong'an here, there won't be any problems."

King Ande Gao Yongsheng, who went on the expedition with Hulu Qiguang this time, was Gao Huan's nephew.

His older brother Gao Ze, who was born to the same mother as him, died early, so Gao Yongsheng can be said to have been raised by Gao Huan alone.

After two or three glasses of wine, the conversation became more than just surface.

Liang Qian suddenly spoke up, hinting at something: "I haven't seen Prince Nanyang for quite a while. I heard that he fell off his horse and injured his leg. I wonder if he is better now."

Gao Huan replied: "I went to visit him two days ago. He was seriously injured and one of his legs could hardly move. I'm afraid he is disabled."

Liang Qian was surprised: "Is it so serious?"

Gao Huan responded and glanced at the door unintentionally. On the surface, he looked calm, but there was a hint of strangeness in his eyes.

Liang Qian understood.

It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous.

She lowered her eyes, her heart pounding.

Just then, a eunuch came in to report, "Queen Mother, Prince Changguang wants to see you."

Liang Qian and Gao Huan exchanged glances quickly.

Their meeting was a very secret matter.

Liang Qian retracted her gaze and said to Jinlan, "Go find a reason to send him away—"

"Empress Dowager," Gao Huan frowned and tried to stop her, very puzzled.

I finally got the person here, how can I send him away?

Liang Qian smiled faintly: "There is a phrase called 'reluctant to refuse but willing to accept'."

When Gao Huan saw the smiling eyes, he was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and nodded.

Jinlan bowed and left.

Gao Huan smiled meaningfully: "My seventh brother has always been very suspicious."

Liang Qian pursed her lips. She knew what kind of person Gao Hao was.

According to reports from spies, when the Queen Mother left the palace, some people thought that she was going to have a secret meeting with Prince Changguang, so they sent people to watch outside Prince Changguang's mansion for a whole day, but they came to nothing.

However, the matter was not settled. There were rumors that on the same day, someone saw a woman who looked very similar to the empress dowager near the Yong'an Palace.

The most bizarre thing is that some people claim that Prince Yong'an personally saw off a mysterious woman at the back door of his palace.

Some even said that the reason why the former Shangshu Ling Lu Xu was mistakenly killed in the street was because he accidentally discovered a royal secret and was killed by the supreme leader to silence him.

The Shangshu Ling is already a high-ranking official with great power. How could the person who could be so cruel to him be just a menial servant?

When people mention Prince Yong'an again, they are extremely secretive.

Therefore, since when, in addition to Prince Changguang, there was another person who was rumored to have an ambiguous relationship with the Queen Mother: Prince Yongan.

As the rumors spread, the more we think about the past, the more traces seem to be revealed.

What about Lu Xu's death being bizarre and the Dali Temple case being concluded in a hasty manner.

The most obvious thing is that during the winter hunting period, it was rumored that the Queen Mother and Prince Changguang had an affair. Although Prince Yong'an was under house arrest in the mansion, he still sent people to deliver a special bow and arrow to the Queen Mother. Later, he encountered assassins on his way back. Among so many people, only Prince Changguang was injured. Although he only had a few scratches, it was enough to arouse people's imagination.

Even if she didn't ask specifically, Liang Qian knew that those so-called secrets must have been plausible.

She sighed sadly: "I have also heard some of the news. It has caused trouble for Prince Yong'an."

Gao Huan didn't care: "I don't mind, but I am tired of seeing the Queen Mother's reputation damaged. I can only blame the rumormonger for his evil intentions."

"Who said it wasn't?" Liang Qian took a look and sneered in her heart.

If it weren't for the fact that Prince Gao Jun of Nanyang had a broken leg, just looking at his appearance, one would really think he was a tolerant and generous person.

I just feel sorry for Gao Jun——

In a few words, someone forced his way in from outside, ignoring the obstruction of the palace servants.

When Gao Hao suddenly saw Gao Huan, his expression changed and his smile disappeared from his eyes.

"I thought the Queen Mother was meeting with a secret person. It turned out to be the Emperor's brother."

Gao Huan just frowned and said nothing.

Jinlan wanted to persuade her again, but Gao Hao stretched out his arm and easily pushed her aside.

He glanced at the wine and delicacies on the table again, snorted and chuckled, and shot his sharp eyes straight at Liang Qian, his eyes were very cold.

"If I had not barged in today, I would not have known that the Queen Mother was so partial to one and to the other!"

Prince Changguang was so presumptuous that the palace maids and eunuchs turned pale and lowered their heads.

Jinlan glanced at Liang Qian's face and knelt down to apologize: "It was my fault that I was useless and failed to stop His Royal Highness Prince Changguang. Please forgive me, Queen Mother."

When Jinlan knelt, the others followed suit.

At this point, Liang Qian didn't look at Gao Hao who was standing in front of the crowd, but just waved to Jinlan.

"Okay, all of you go down."

Gao Hao put his hands behind his back, glanced coldly at the people on the ground, and then walked forward.

He simply lowered his head towards Liang Qian and looked at her with a half-smile.

"I knew the Queen Mother was ill, and I was extremely worried. I ordered someone to find a hundred-year-old ginseng to present to the Queen Mother. But who would have thought that my sincere heart was only met with a cold shoulder!"