It's better to fall in love than seize the heir

Heavy rain, continuous heavy rain.

The wind is like pulling up a mountain, and the rain is like a river.For more than ten days in a row, the pouring rain never stopped.The sky in the capital is seldom seen to be clear and blue. On the gray long street in the heavy rain, there are all pedestrians hurrying under oil-paper umbrellas of various shapes.

On the Golden Palace.

With a sound of "bang", the emperor slapped heavily on the imperial case in front of the dragon chair, and in the next second, he swept all the eagerly written memorials on the case to the ground, and the Dongzhu Mianyan in front of the crown collapsed due to the large range of movements. Shaking unsteadily.

The two long rows of civil and military officials under the seat all bowed their heads and held their breath, their palms clenched on the ivory wat board were slightly wet with sweat due to the heart-wrenching atmosphere.

"Look, you all have a good look at these memorials!" The emperor's furious voice exploded in the hall like thunder, "When the summer water arrives, all the rivers are filled with rivers. In several prefectures and counties, rivers burst their embankments, farmland and houses were completely flooded, thousands of people were displaced, floods flooded, and the situation is critical!"

"Where's the embankment envoy? Where's the chief political officer? Why didn't anyone report the flood situation in time?"

There was another shout.

"Where is Jing Zhaoyin?"

A gray-bearded official walked out tremblingly from among the civil servants. His back was already drenched in cold sweat, and his wrinkled face was trembling uncontrollably, "Minister... here I am."

The emperor was obviously very angry. He looked at the memorials written by Fu under his seat, and his chest heaved up and down because of his shortness of breath. Two or three officials went to investigate, and they all reported that there is no problem—”

"Is this what you said is harmless?" The emperor slapped the table heavily again, and stared directly at Jing Zhaoyin with monstrous anger. Long Yan was furious and loudly reprimanded him.

How can ordinary officials be able to bear the emperor's anger in court.Immediately, Jing Zhaoyin's legs went limp, and he slid and knelt on the ground. He could only complain about his sins, "Your Majesty, forgive me, Your Majesty forgive me..."

Xu Taishi, who stood at the head of the civil servants, raised his eyelids, and looked calmly at the officials a few steps away.The official nodded knowingly at the moment, walked out in two steps, bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Li has held the position of Jing Zhaoyin for many years, and he has always been conscientious. Dereliction of duty, deceitful, and even concealed the courtiers."

Hearing the excuses he made for himself, Jing Zhaoyin nodded repeatedly as if grasping at some life-saving straw, "Exactly, exactly! I don't know people in humble positions, and I sent those officials who neglected their duties to inquire about the news. I didn't expect those two people to be so bold and dare to conceal such a big matter, please learn from your majesty!"

"Huh, Mingjian?" The emperor's face was cloudy and uncertain, his eyes swept sharply over the civil servants, and he froze for a moment, finally closed his eyes, and forced himself to turn back, "Pass my will, send the Two lazy and dereliction of duty officials were thrown into prison, beheaded and abandoned. As for you..."

He paused, but there was still silence in the hall, and all the officials lowered their eyebrows.

The emperor sneered, "Since you don't know who you are, then you don't need to keep wearing the black gauze hat on your head. Come here, take him into Dali Temple, and dismiss him for investigation!"

Jing Zhaoyin's face was a little ashamed, but Xiang Shang's head was saved no matter what. If there is a good opportunity in the future, it is not yet known whether he will make a comeback.Therefore, he just lowered his head slumpedly, and let himself be taken away by the guards without saying a word.

"Your Majesty." The Minister of the Ministry of Households saw the right moment, and spoke in a timely manner to ease the slightly stiff atmosphere in the court, "A total of 30 taels of official silver for disaster relief has been allocated a few days ago, plus the original reserves of various prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River Food, if you think people will feel safe and the situation will be settled, it will only take a few days.”

Hearing this, the emperor's face looked a little better.He frowned and pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Flood control is a very important matter, and there is no room for negligence. Is there anyone who can take on the big responsibility and go to the flood-affected area to direct and act?"

All the ministers looked at each other for a moment, but still lowered their heads, completely silent.

Who knows that when the flood first broke out, flood control and disaster relief are really a thankless task.Regardless of the continuous rain and insufficient drainage, the effectiveness of this flood fighting cannot be guaranteed, and even places suffering from floods are extremely dangerous.Furthermore, Jiangnan was originally a land of fish and rice, and it could be said to be an extremely rich place. Most of the people who can work here are backed by mountains, and the relationships involved are intricate.The new official was not familiar with the disaster situation and the local situation. If he went there rashly, he was afraid that if he was not careful, he would act in a biased way.

Seeing that there was no one answering for a long time, the emperor's face, which finally eased up a little, tended to darken again.He was about to speak, but the next moment, he heard a calm and clear voice from inside the hall.

"Although my son is extremely stupid, I am willing to share my worries and solve problems for my father. The flood in the south of the Yangtze River is serious, and I am deeply saddened when I heard about it. Besides, I am in the Ministry of Industry and have a little knowledge of water conservancy. Therefore, I have the courage to invite you to go and assist the local prefectures and counties to deal with the flood disaster."

Shen Jinghe spoke unhurriedly, and after he finished speaking, he raised his head slightly, his eyes were sincere and serious.

The emperor lowered his head to meet his gaze, and his frowning brows finally eased slightly, "Okay, since you have this heart, I will naturally not stop you. Pass down the order to send the sixth prince as the imperial envoy, and set off for the trip in two days. The control of the waters in the south of the Yangtze River, and everything in between, are all given the right to be cheap!"

"Thank you, Father, I will do my best and will not disgrace my life!"

Shen Jinghe saluted respectfully again, a trace of resolute indifference flashed across his eyes, flashed for a moment, and finally returned to complete silence.

After staying for the morning court, Shen Jinghe thought that it would be difficult to return to Beijing in less than ten days and a half months, so he took an umbrella and walked towards Changle Palace as soon as he turned around.

The dark clouds in the sky hang down heavily, and the thunder seems to vibrate from the bottom of people's feet. A dense layer of rain curtain is woven outside the eaves, as if the water in the vast sea has been emptied.

The queen was sitting in the main hall holding a teacup, staring at the painting of flowers and birds with fascination.The tassel curtains concealed most of the sound of rain, and the aroma of tea mixed with wisps of white smoke curled up, making the quiet palace look peaceful for no reason.

"It seems that the gift I sent to the empress a few days ago is really the right one."

A laughing voice came, interrupting the queen's thoughts.

"Looking at the sky, it's probably only early morning, why do you have time to come to my place?" Seeing Shen Jinghe, the queen was overjoyed, and repeatedly ordered the maid to add another cup of tea.

After receiving the teacup, Shen Jinghe sat down opposite the empress, looked at her and smiled slightly, "I came here today to say goodbye to my empress."

"Farewell? It's still raining heavily outside, where are you going?" The queen frowned slightly in surprise.

Shen Jinghe took a sip of tea, suppressed the smile on his face, and his eyes became more solemn.

"This year's summer rain is unprecedentedly heavy, and the south of the Yangtze River is already flooded. The flood broke the embankment and caused disasters. Just now, I have asked the emperor for orders and received the title of imperial envoy. Two days later, I will go to Jiangnan to deal with the flood."

"What?" The queen almost knocked over the teacup by mistake, her eyes widened in astonishment, she couldn't digest the news for a while, "You, do you know... this water control is definitely not as easy as you imagined, It’s also a dangerous job in a place with complicated forces in the south of the Yangtze River, where others are afraid to avoid such a dangerous job, why did you take the initiative to ask for it?”

Knowing that the queen was worried about her situation, Shen Jinghe softened his eyes a little, and said soothingly, "Madam, I know, I didn't decide to take on this job because I was overheated or confused for a while."

He paused, then continued, "Since I hold an official position in the Ministry of Industry, it is reasonable for me to participate in the water conservancy and river conservancy matters. What's more, there is no more suitable status than me to fight against floods If other officials go to the south of the Yangtze River, I am afraid that they will have to restrain their hands and feet, and they will be more cautious in words and deeds. As a prince, I am also ordered by the emperor. The local officials—at least on the surface, will never Dare to make things difficult for me.”

The queen looked at him with concern, she held his hand lightly, and sighed, "I know you care about the local people, but why can't you think that I also care about you? Since ancient times, natural and man-made disasters, How can there be less turmoil, such a critical moment, but you take the initiative to be involved in it..."

She still wanted to speak out, but when she opened her mouth, she was blocked by a series of coughs rushing out of her throat, and her face also turned pale due to her poor breathing.

Shen Jinghe was worried in his heart, so he hurriedly calmed down for her, and handed over some tea to the queen, "Ma'am... why don't you see the imperial doctor again? Why has the wind and cold not only disappeared after so long? Well, on the contrary, it seems to have aggravated a lot?"

"It's not a problem, maybe it's an old problem from the past." The queen waved her hand, and after her breath calmed down, she looked at him again, "Do you really have to go to this flood in the south of the Yangtze River?"

Shen Jinghe looked back at her with a solemn expression, "The imperial decree has been issued, not to mention, I grew up in a corner of the south of the Yangtze River when I was young, and I couldn't just watch the people in my hometown be displaced and the fertile land destroyed."

The queen stared at him silently for a long time, then sighed in compromise, with a worried expression on her face, "You are always a man with ideas... well, I won't stop you, but you have to pay attention to eating, walking and dressing all the way. Wan remember to take care of yourself. It has been raining for so long in the south of the Yangtze River, and the official road is also muddy and slippery. If there is a place where the road is impassable, it is better to wait a few more days for the water to recede than to risk the danger. This day and two days..."

The queen babbled on and gave instructions for a long time, and at the end, her eyes were slightly red, "You don't know when you will come back, and you don't know if you can take care of yourself along the way, if there is something..."

She quickly stopped talking, wiped the water from the corners of her eyes with one hand, and pulled out a forced smile, "Look at me, just talk nonsense... This trip must be safe and sound, going smoothly."

Shen Jinghe's heart was sour and swollen, and it was full of emotion.His eyes were moved, and he lightly patted the back of the queen's hand twice comfortingly, "Your Majesty, don't worry, I will take good care of myself."

He looked at the concern that could not be concealed on the queen's face, thought for a while, and changed the subject with a smile on purpose, "You must also take care of yourself, and when I come back from Jiangnan, I will bring you two paintings by famous artists." A flower and bird painting!"

The queen was also amused by him, she sighed and shook her head. After a while, she said seriously, "What kind of painting is the second most important thing. I am most pleased that you can come back from Jiangnan safely."

Shen Jinghe raised his head, and met her eyes that were as inclusive as the still water of a flat lake. What could not be mistaken in those eyes was a mother's yearning and concern for her child who was about to travel far away.

He held the queen's hand and made a solemn promise.

"I will."

……

Coming out of Changle Palace, it was almost time to light the lanterns.The sky was getting dark, but the light rain had rarely stopped.The cart passed by the street that accumulated rainwater, like a boat floating on it, making a few ripples on the water waves.

As soon as Shen Jinghe got off the carriage, he saw a tall and handsome figure standing in front of the mansion gate with his back to him.When his eyes touched the figure from the back, he had already reacted consciously, and softened a little involuntarily.

He waved his hand to signal the attendants to stop the carriages and horses. With his hands behind his back, he walked forward unhurriedly, and looked side by side with the figure at the corners of the double eaves that were still dripping with raindrops.

"Why is General Liang standing alone outside the gate of my mansion?" He didn't turn his head to look, but just looked up at the beautifully carved green tiles, "But I lost my way and forgot how to get back to my house." General's Mansion?"

There was a low chuckle in his ear.

"It's not that I forgot." Liang Yan turned his face and looked at him jokingly. When he spoke, the heat seemed to puff on his ear, "It's... I don't want to remember it on purpose."

Shen Jinghe rubbed his slightly itchy earlobe. Hearing this, he couldn't help lowering his eyes, and raised one corner of his lips imperceptibly.He didn't answer, he grabbed Liang Yan's sleeve and led him to the mansion, "It's cold outside, let's go in and talk."

Entering the study room with bright lights, Shen Jinghe sat down next to Liang Yan, turned his head to look at him, wanted to say something, but his expression was somewhat hesitant.

Seeing his hesitation, Liang Yan took the initiative to find a topic for him, "Today you took the initiative to ask for orders in the court hall, which really amazed me."

Shen Jinghe smiled wryly, "The floods in the south of the Yangtze River are critical, but I have to go on this trip. I only hope that the heavens will be good, so that the rain in the past few days will stop sooner."

After stroking his hair, Liang Yan lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "I have asked someone to collect the "Hequ Zhi" and "Shui Nei Jing" in the early years. Although the records here are different from this year's flood situation, they are more or less Or at least it can be a reference for you."

"Ah."

Xu felt that the lights were a little dim, and Liang Yan's eyebrows and eyes could not be seen clearly, so Shen Jinghe moved closer, raised his head and carefully traced his outline with his eyes, "Let's not talk about this for now..."

His voice dropped a little for no reason, and he spoke softly.

"I'm going to Jiangnan now, and I won't see you for many days."

Liang Yan only felt that his heart was being scratched lightly by these almost inaudible words, and a continuous itching uncontrollably burst from the tip of his heart.

He also moved his head closer, his forehead almost touching Shen Jinghe's forehead, "Then...will you miss me?"

As if startled by this straightforward question, Shen Jinghe's eyelashes twitched slightly, and he opened his eyes hastily, murmuring something vaguely.

"I didn't catch it."

Liang Yan watched him calmly with a smile, like a very patient hunter, approaching him step by step calmly, just waiting for the last moment to catch the net neatly.

Shen Jinghe pursed his lips, showing a little embarrassment because of his ignorance, struggled for a long time, but turned his head away, his eyes wandering aimlessly on the shelves full of ancient books.

"When I'm not busy with official duties, maybe... I'll find some time to think about it."

He still maintains a calm expression on his face, but he doesn't know that the slight dodge and embarrassment in his eyes have already fallen into the eyes of the person who has been staring at him intently.

Liang Yan caressed his side face with one hand, and with a gentle and irresistible force, he turned his head to look at himself, his eyes fixed on him, and his voice was a little hoarse, "Two days later, when you leave , I'll see you off."

"Okay." Shen Jinghe also rested half of his face on his palm, tilted his head and looked at him, "Where do you want to send me? The city gate, or the long pavilion outside the city?"

"What do you think of this?" Liang Yan raised his eyebrows, and there was a smile in his dark eyes, "——I will take you all the way to the south of the Yangtze River?"

Shen Jinghe's eyes widened in surprise, and he sat upright all of a sudden.He spoke in disbelief, but the voice he spoke was stuttering for no reason, "You, why do you..."

"The emperor knows." Liang Yan looked at him with a smile, and secretly sketched the expression of his eyes widened in surprise, and carefully kept it in his heart. "Of course he also knows the dangers on the way to Jiangnan. I think he I also don't plan to let my sixth prince go and never return."

Only then did Shen Jinghe regain his senses, it was not uncommon to send a military officer to accompany the imperial envoy, but he was so excited that he forgot that there was still such a thing.

——No, what about him just now?

Shen Jinghe's eyes narrowed unkindly, he raised his chin slightly, moved closer to Liang Yan, and said threateningly, "Then you still ask me, ask me what...do you miss you?"

When he said the last few words, he actually felt weak for three minutes, and his ears were slightly red.

Liang Yan looked down at his appearance, and finally couldn't help lowering his head and laughing loudly.As soon as he stretched out his long hand, he grabbed Shen Jinghe's shoulder, rested his head on the hollow of his shoulder, and opened his mouth lazily.

"Will you miss me? Is there any inevitable relationship between being with you or not?" He tilted his head and gently sniffed the breath in Shen Jinghe's hair, "Whether you are by my side or we are separated by two places, we This heart is thinking of you all the time."

Liang Yan's weight was almost unreservedly on his body, Shen Jinghe had to sit up stiffly, in case he really crushed himself.Hearing Liang Yan's words whispered in his ear, his eyes shook unsteadily, and after a moment of silence, he finally put a hand on Liang Yan's back, lowered his eyes and looked at his pillow. head on his shoulders.

"You can find a reason for whatever you say..."

The words, which were obviously complaints, were inexplicably more tender when said in his tone that was a little softer than usual for no reason.

Liang Yan hugged him even tighter, closed his eyes and sighed with a smile, "It's getting late and it's raining at night, why don't His Highness the Sixth Prince show kindness and let me, a lost guest, stay overnight?"

"My mansion is no better than a certain general's mansion. I can't even tidy up a guest room." Shen Jinghe followed his words, remembering the conversation with Liang Yan in the general's mansion four years ago, he couldn't bear it. I couldn't help but bend my eyebrows and eyes.

"I wish..." Liang Yan swallowed the rest of the words vaguely, and Shen Jinghe looked down with a little doubt, but he just took a deep look at him and smiled.

He couldn't see what was going on, so he looked away, and Shen Jinghe was about to get up and order Cheng Mo to clean up another guest room, but Liang Yan pressed it down again with moderate force.

"Sit with me for a while longer." Liang Yan still put his head on his shoulder, looking at him with bright eyes, with some inexplicable emotions.

As soon as Shen Jinghe met his looking eyes, she knew that she could no longer speak the words of rejection.It was rare for him to be a little depressed, and he raised one shoulder punitively, but in return Liang Yan hugged him even tighter, and there was a burst of joyful and inexplicable low laughter in his ears.

……

The flowers and trees in front of the hall were withered by the continuous rain for several days. The eaves lamps swayed gently with the wind on both sides of the corridor, and the chessboard on the stone table in the corridor also danced with a dim halo according to the swing of the lights.

With a sound of "click", a black piece landed on the chessboard, completely blocking the life of the large white piece in the upper right corner.

"Third Highness, this move is wonderful." Xu Taishi twirled a string of newly purchased sandalwood beads in one hand, and looked at the chess game on the table with kind eyes, "I thought you would save Li Chengzhi today? After all, he is the most recent The father of the side concubine who is favored by you, that beauty would often cry in front of you."

"It's just a woman, it's not enough for me to open my mouth to save this idiot who can't figure out the overall situation." Shen Zhuomin tilted his head slightly, looking at the light rain outside the corridor, and the folding fan in his hand was hitting the table again and again, "I asked him to report the disaster and the number of refugees to a lesser extent, but I didn't tell him to suppress all the reports-do you really think that you have the ability to cover the sky with one hand now?"

"You still have such a cold and ruthless heart." Grand Master Xu randomly picked up a white piece, landed it on the upper left corner of the chessboard, raised his eyes and smiled lovingly, "But this is good. You have never let me down. "

Shen Zhuomin glanced at the chess game lightly, with an unpredictable expression on his face, "Grandpa, what is the way from the capital to the south of the Yangtze River?"

"The mountains are long and the water is wide, the sky is high and the road is far away." Taishi Xu looked calm, stroking the beads with his fingers, and was not in a hurry to urge him to take the next step.

There was a crisp sound of falling pieces, and the black stones slammed into the intricate chess game. Looking at the already treacherous chess game at this moment, it was even more foggy.

"That's the case." Shen Zhuomin finally showed the first smile of the day, and his fair face showed the gentle appearance of a modest gentleman, "Whether it's a riot of refugees, or rampant bandits, no matter what, there is Lao Waizu." Cleaned up."

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Thank you Xue Chuimo and Wanyi Niansheng for throwing mines~ I love you all

Thank you Wanyi Niansheng, Memejiu, and Zaini for the nutrient solution irrigated with dumplings!Raise high=3=