Star Trace Gate

On the long street in front of Huitong Hall.

After Master Shu laughed awkwardly twice, he changed the subject: "Your Highness, are you here at Huitong Hall today because the young Prince Huai is coming to the capital?"

The Third Prince sat in the carriage and nodded with a smile: "The Emperor summoned him to the capital. Since I am also the Minister of Rites, I naturally cannot let this small country think that my Southern Frontier court is rude. I came here specially to invite the young Prince Huai to the palace and host a banquet for him."

"Your Highness has come at the perfect time. Young Prince Huai has just entered the Huitong Hall." Lord Rat immediately bowed and said, "I will go and inform him right away."

"Then I'll have to trouble Lord Wei." The third prince looked at him with a playful look.

Lord Rat knew very well that the prince was moody and behaved strangely, so he didn't want to stay even a minute longer. He just responded vaguely and walked into the museum again.

……

Not long after, in a secluded corridor in the museum, Ren Ye was following Lord Rat.

He blinked his eyes and asked curiously, "I just arrived in Beijing and the Third Prince invited me to a banquet. Is he so well-informed?"

"The Third Prince is also the Minister of Rites, so he will know everything that happens in this meeting hall." Lord Shu explained, and then said tactfully: "The news of your visit to the capital must have spread. In addition, there are undercurrents in the three regions of Lingnan. I'm afraid all the forces in the capital want to make friends with you."

Although the words were said in a tactful way, Ren Ye heard them clearly. He rolled his eyes and asked tentatively, "I live in a remote corner of the country, and the strength of this place is weak. Alas, Lord Wei, to be honest, I have been feeling uneasy since I came to the capital. I really need your advice. How can I deal with these forces and protect myself?"

"May I ask, Your Highness, who summoned you to the capital?" asked Lord Rat.

"Of course it's the emperor." Ren Ye replied.

"Then may I ask again, Your Highness, who advised the Emperor to ask you to come?"

"Of course it's the second prince." Ren Ye already had an idea in his mind at this moment.

"If you remember these two things, you can protect yourself." Lord Rat replied briefly.

In fact, he had to deliver the message on behalf of the Third Prince just to point out these two things and remind Ren Ye of his own position.

"Thank you for your advice, Master Rat. If I can be of any use to you in the future, I promise I will not refuse." Ren Ye saluted solemnly with his fists clasped, and silently added in his heart: "...I will only reject anything that is unreasonable."

"Your Highness and I hit it off, and it is my honor to be able to deliver a message for the Second Prince." Lord Rat replied faintly, "Don't be polite."

Isn't it an honor to let the Second Prince shave your hair?

You, old baby, are really adaptable.

Ren also smiled and said, "A journey of a thousand miles tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's true character. I don't need to tell you who I am... You will know it in the future."

"Brilliant!"

Lord Rat exclaimed in praise, thinking to himself, this little King Huai is a pretty good person, he knows when to advance and when to retreat, he also knows etiquette, and it's not difficult to get along with him.

……

Soon, they arrived at the main hall of the museum.

When the Third Prince saw Lord Rat leading Ren Ye over, he stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Haha, this is the Little Prince Huai from Qingliang Mansion? Seeing you today, you are indeed handsome and charming!"

Lord Rat stood beside Ren Ye and said softly, "Your Highness Prince Huai, this is the third prince of my Lich Kingdom, Prince Shuo."

Ren also looked at this person carefully. Seeing that he was handsome, his clothes were luxurious but not ostentatious, and he had a bohemian temperament, he immediately felt a good impression of him.

To be honest, he hated interacting with those people who were full of official airs. Not only was the atmosphere depressing, but he also had to rack his brains to weigh every word he said. If he was in a weak position, he would have to do everything he could to please the other party.

This is more tiring than taking an all-night order of 2888. He just lies down there, and the rest is up to you to do. When it's over, you have to shout, baby, you are awesome.

Oh, life is really nothing more than a few pieces of silver.

Ren also bowed slightly and said with a smile: "I am honored to meet His Royal Highness the Third Prince when I first arrived in Kyoto. As early as when I was in Qingliang Prefecture, I heard that the Third Prince was well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge and possessed the talent of a saint..."

His commercial flattery is better than advertising slogans. Even though it's a bit corny, who doesn't like to hear good words?

The Third Prince smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with him before speaking directly, "My father has summoned you to the capital. As the Minister of Rites, I naturally cannot neglect you. The palace has prepared a banquet. I hope that my brother Prince Huai will give me some face and do not refuse."

It's fine if you don't refuse, but the question is, do you have any exciting programs? The United States has set up an island to receive foreign guests, you don't want to make a big show and let everyone sit there and chat...

Ren also smiled and clasped his fists: "This is my honor, and I am naturally very happy."

After he explained his purpose, Ren did not refuse. He just quickly returned to the room and called Fenglin, Li Yan and others.

After Lord Rat chatted with the Third Prince for a few words, he quickly left Huitong Hall and returned to the palace to report.

……

Kyoto, Lieyang Inn.

Bau, the Golden Wolf General who had been responsible for escorting Ren Ye and others along the way, had now settled down in the museum.

Bau did not have a residence in Kyoto, and his status did not qualify him to stay in the State Guesthouse, so he could only rest in this inn specially set up to receive officials coming to Beijing.

Lieyang Posthouse is divided into the North Hall and the South Hall.

The North Hall received officials below the fourth rank, while the South Hall received officials above the fourth rank. In this ancient feudal society, people were too lazy to shout the slogan of "equality for all beings", especially in Kyoto, where there was only a straightforward and naked sense of class division.

What kind of bird you are, that's what kind of cage you should be in.

In the wing of the posthouse, Bau had taken off his armor and changed into ordinary clothes.

He sat at the round table, drinking tea. His eyes no longer had the feeling of looking down on the world as the commander-in-chief and the prefect when he was in the three places of Lingnan. Instead, there was only the uneasy feeling that "the imperial city is bottomless and the provincial governors are everywhere."

After two sips of tea, Bau said quietly, "Xue Ting, please prepare the gifts quickly. We will go to the Minister of Personnel's residence to pay a visit to the Third Master of our clan later."

"Sir, do you want to prepare all the money and treasures you brought with you?" A trusted general in his forties asked softly.

"Well, others are useless." Bau nodded slightly: "A few words from the Third Master are enough to benefit me."

"Yes." Xue Ting responded with a fist.

"I'll take a rest." After saying this, Bau got up and walked into the inner room, and sat on the bed with a slightly tired look.

……

In the evening, at the hour of You.

The third prince's carriage was heading straight for Prince Shuo's palace.

Ren Ye brought a total of seven people to the banquet this time, namely Xu Bangzi, Li Yan, Fenglin, and four boys.

The beloved concubine did not come, because she had no interest in any exciting programs, and she was tired from traveling these days and it was inconvenient to wash, so she just wanted to stay in Huitong Hall and take a bath for eight hours.

In the carriage, Ren Ye opened the curtain and was gazing at the scenery of the capital of Southern Xinjiang, feeling deeply shocked.

Before he came here, he instinctively thought that this Lich City would not be so prosperous and magnificent, and might even be a little empty and dilapidated. After all, the Lich Kingdom had only been established for a short time, and the border areas had suffered from wars and the treasury was tight, so this place should not be as majestic and magnificent as the imperial city in the Central Plains.

However, when he looked at the scenery around him, he knew that he was totally wrong.

The prosperity and splendor of this Lich Kingdom was beyond his imagination.

Although the sun has set and the sky is getting dark, the straight gray stone street is still bustling with people and traffic.

Looking forward and to the side, the dozens of feet high majestic pass is filled with lanterns of various colors. They are like a river of stars, flowing through the entire Kyoto, slowly lighting up various buildings with national heritage.

The Falling God Wall is located inside the North Gate. It has a miraculous sign on it and emits a faint glow. The sculptures of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Kings stand in all directions of the city. They are of different shapes, tall and solemn, like gods looking down on all living things. The Wushen Temple is a fifty-story building with blue bricks and red tiles. There are auspicious clouds flowing above and spirit beasts roaring below. From afar, it looks like a corner of the heavenly palace in the mist...

In this ancient city, there are numerous buildings with a history of more than a thousand years, and each one has a great history.

Ren Ye looked at the prosperity and prosperity here, and couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect this Lich City to be so magnificent."

Fenglin heard this and replied, "Although the Wulich Nation was founded not long ago, its national history has continued for who knows how many years. The legends about the Wushen are so old that they cannot be traced back. Before Emperor Wanwu unified the southern border, it can be called an era of war among the princes. And before this era, who knows how many great unified dynasties were born on this land. Therefore, the heritage here is naturally extremely rich."

"Ugh."

Ren Ye sighed again: "No matter how rich their background is, it has nothing to do with us. I am wondering now...when will the Qingliang Mansion of the Empire have such a magnificent view."

When Fenglin heard this, he instantly realized that he couldn't answer it, because if he did, he might be trapped.

Li Yan glanced at Ren Ye and remained silent.

At this moment, Xu Bangzi, who was already mature enough, suddenly said, "I think that if you want to have such a magnificent view, then the king and his subjects must work together. For example, if you have money, you can contribute money; if you don't have money, you can borrow money and so on..."

"You are absolutely right!" Ren Ye immediately gave him a thumbs up: "The empire needs a hundred Lord Xus."

After saying that, he turned his head and looked towards the maple forest.

Fenglin had his hands folded and his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep.

"Don't make noise, don't make noise... I suddenly have an idea and feel like I have an epiphany." Li Yan also closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in meditation.

You two old foxes, if you ignore me now, you will definitely not be able to reach me in the future.

Just when he was feeling a little lost, the feminine boy sitting next to him suddenly asked weakly, "Are you in Qingliang Mansion... short of money?"

This sentence actually made Li Yan and Feng Lin open their eyes at the same time, and looked at the feminine boy in astonishment, as if to say...Did Naizi pinch his brain? Did she bite him straight? !

……

An hour later.

After Lord Rat left the palace, he rushed to the Second Prince's residence.

In the inner hall, the fat dragon with a big belly bulged out, and asked softly: "Was the little prince Huai called away by the third brother?"

"Yes." Lord Rat bowed and nodded: "However, I have already reminded you of everything that I should have."

The fat dragon took a sip of tea, shook his head and commented: "It's useless to give him advice, only giving him money is useful."

"The money has also been delivered. As you instructed, I have promised to give Prince Huai a mansion in Kyoto." Lord Rat replied with a smile.

"Well done, go buy it for him later." The Fat Dragon nodded gracefully.

"Um?!"

Mr. Rat was stunned and thought to himself, "Then you should pay for it."

Big Fat Dragon put down his teacup and looked up at him: "I haven't seen you for a few days. Your hair is prickly again, right?"

Let me go to your uncle’s house!

Lord Rat touched his bald head and immediately clasped his fists and said, "I will go buy it right away..."

"It has to be a three-in-one, cheap one, he doesn't like it."

"……Yes."