admiration

Mo Yanchi tiptoed into the bed, he didn't want to wake Xiao Zhijin up, but when he lifted the quilt, he opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Why do you wake up so early?" Xiao Zhijin pulled him into his arms with sleepy eyes, helped him tuck the quilt, and closed his eyes again.

Hearing the gentle breathing in his ears, Mo Yanchi felt sleepy that had not yet dissipated. He put his arms around Xiao Zhijin's waist, rubbed his hands subconsciously, and fell asleep with his eyes closed.

I don't know how long I've been asleep, but the servant outside the door came to knock on the door, and then the two of them were woken up, Mo Yichi moved as usual, wrinkled his face and hid himself under the quilt, Xiao Zhi smiled, He patted him, and said to the outside: "What's the matter?"

"His Royal Highness Xian Wang said that he entered the palace first, so let your lord and His Royal Highness get up and look for him." The boy said.

"understood."

Xiao Zhi didn't like others to serve him personally, so the servant didn't go inside, and waited quietly outside.After about an incense stick, the closed door was opened, and Mo Yanchi, who was still asleep, hung on Xiao Zhijin's body and was dragged away by him.

The servant smiled and led the people to the front hall.

Xiao's father and Xiao Niang got up early and had almost finished eating by now, seeing Mo Yanchi following behind Xiao Zhijin with a sad face, she asked distressedly, "What's wrong with Chi'er?"

"Not enough sleep." Xiao Zhijin explained.

"Then continue to sleep, why did you call someone here?" Mother Xiao served porridge for the two of them, and moved the untouched dishes over.

Mo Yanchi supported his head, forced himself to drink the porridge, and said intermittently, "I'm going to the palace later, I won't be able to sleep."

Xiao Niang paused and hesitated, "Is the court still safe?"

After Xiao Zhi heard the words, he put down the bowls and chopsticks in his hands. Xu Shi returned last night and brought a virtuous king back. This is why Xiao Niang was so disturbed. He stretched out his hand to hold her hand, and comforted him: "Well, mother, don't worry. Worry."

"Okay, if it really doesn't work, then I will resign and let's go back to Wangxiangtai." Father Xiao nodded in agreement. They have lived in Wangxiangtai all their lives. No matter how prosperous the capital is, it is not their root after all.

Xiao Zhijin nodded with a smile, "Okay."

After eating breakfast, Mo Yichi finally regained his energy, followed Xiao Zhijin out the door, yawned all the way, almost fell asleep again, and the carriage slowly arrived at the palace.

Presumably Emperor Hongzhi had ordered them a long time ago, the guards saw that there were two people, and after a routine inspection, they let them go.

The palace servants who came to receive them took people to the Imperial Garden, saying that Emperor Hongzhi was playing chess with His Royal Highness, and asked the two to go directly.

This person looked a bit strange, but there were so many people in the palace, Xiao Zhijin didn't pay much attention to it, instead, Mo Yanchi looked at him all the way, feeling more and more strange as he walked.

He looked at the surrounding palace walls, stopped in his tracks, and said, "Eunuch, this is not the way to the imperial garden."

The palace man stopped in his footsteps, turned his head without panic, and saluted: "If you go back to Your Highness, this is the meaning of the imperial concubine."

"Why, are you going to assassinate in the palace?" Mo Yanchi sneered.

The palace man didn't change his face, and said: "Don't dare, the empress is waiting in front, you two please."

"No need, I'm not born to a noble concubine, Lord Xiao is even a foreign minister, it's better to avoid suspicion." Mo Yanchi said, pulling Xiao Zhijin to leave.

Xiao Zhijin grabbed him with his backhand and said, "Here we come."

Concubine Jing obviously expected that Mo Yanchi would leave, so instead of waiting in the pavilion, she came to guard the people in person, as expected, after walking a few steps, the two appeared in front of her eyes.

Concubine Jing is wearing exquisite makeup, her eyebrows and eyes are full of style, but facing the two of them, there is a little chill in her eyes, she smiled and said: "Since your highness is here, why should you be in such a hurry to leave?"

"A noble concubine is self-respecting. If a concubine meets a foreign minister privately, that is a capital offense." Mo Yanchi warned.

Concubine Jing didn't even blink her eyes, she curled her red lips, and said, "I can't slap a slap, Your Highness is planning to hit Lord Xiao too?"

"You can try it." Mo Yanchi raised his eyebrows.

"As expected of taking General Wei Ling, Your Highness is much more majestic than before." Concubine Jing covered her mouth and smiled, not in the slightest displeasure.

Xiao Zhi was aware of the people in the dark, intentionally or unintentionally protected Mo Yanchi, interrupted the conversation of the two, and asked: "The imperial concubine stopped people in the palace twice, but is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing, I've lived in the deep palace for a long time, and it's rare for someone to enter the palace, so I just wanted to chat with you." Concubine Jing wrote lightly, as if she didn't know the hidden guards watching around.

"If Your Majesty misses His Highness the First Prince, you can call him into the palace." Xiao Zhizhi said.

Concubine Jing shook her head, and said lightly: "Ming'er doesn't know what the broken sleeve is. I think Lord Xiao and His Highness will know a thing or two, so I came to bother you."

She spoke very lightly, but it hit the two of them like thunder, they were blindfolded by the shock, but fortunately Xiao Zhiji reacted quickly, and said: "Your Majesty praises it, how could I know this."

Concubine Jing just came to explore the way. She has been in the palace for so long, and what she is best at is reading people's hearts. In her eyes, the reaction of the two of them was no different from admitting it. She was very shocked, but she didn't show it. Zhijin said: "That's right, it seems that I asked the wrong person."

Xiao Zhi concealed the murderous intent in his eyes without any trace, it turned out that the people in the dark wanted to protect Concubine Jing, so as not to be killed by him.

This palace road is not secluded, they just said a few words, there was a sound of footsteps behind them, Mo Yichi looked back, it was Eunuch Li who came, he should have been ordered to look for them.

Mo Yanchi cupped his hands with Imperial Concubine Jing, and said: "The emperor summoned me, so I won't accompany you much."

Concubine Jing didn't stop her, her smile always carried an uncomfortable deep meaning.

Eunuch Li ran over, saluted the three of them, and said, "Your Highness, Lord Xiao, Your Majesty and His Highness Xianwang are waiting for you to go over."

"Okay." Mo Yanchi nodded, ignored Concubine Jing, and pulled Xiao Zhijin away, Xu was frightened by Concubine Jing, even his fingertips were trembling.

Concubine Jing stared at the two as they walked farther and farther, and said to the people around her: "It is said that the eldest prince will enter the palace, and this palace misses him."

"Yes." The palace man lowered his eyebrows and walked away to call for someone.

When Eunuch Li brought people to the imperial garden, Emperor Hongzhi was arguing with Ming Shu, his face was red, and when he saw the two people coming, he called them over. Ming Shu was a little annoyed, and said with the chess pieces in his hand: "You all come here Look, the majestic king of a country regrets playing chess."

Emperor Hongzhi retorted: "I haven't left my chess piece, so it's not considered regret."

"Then just now, I walked a few steps, and said that I want to do it again."

Ming Shu didn't save Emperor Hongzhi any face, but Emperor Hongzhi took advantage of the fact that there was no one to serve him close to him, and there was no witness, so he said recklessly: "If you dare to slander me, be careful that I will give you a capital punishment."

"My brother is too scared, let's put down the chess of regret first." Ming Shu urged Emperor Hongzhi to make a move, while talking to Xiao Zhijin and the others leisurely: "Why are you here so late?"

Xiao Zhi looked at Emperor Hongzhi as if nothing had happened, and said to Ming Shu: "I just met Concubine Jing."

Foreign ministers are not allowed to meet the concubine in private, Xiao Zhijin said this because he didn't want to offend others, but it also had another meaning.Sure enough, Emperor Hongzhi stopped his hand, turned his head and asked, "How did she meet you?"

Mo Yanchi couldn't figure out what kind of medicine the imperial concubine Jing bought in the gourd, and the phrase "broken sleeve" alone could not prove it, so he wrote lightly: "I think it was the imperial concubine who wanted to come to the imperial garden to enjoy the flowers, so I just happened to meet."

Emperor Hongzhi nodded without asking further questions.On the contrary, Ming Shu put down the chess piece in his hand, sighed, and said: "Brother Huang, there is a saying that I have to remind you, that Concubine Jing is not simple."

Over the past few years, Ming Shu followed the vines to find Concubine Jing, and found that besides the Nie family, there was a force behind this person protecting her, and sometimes they would use people in the palace to spread news.Ming Shu stopped him a few times, but he returned without success every time. It is not easy to compete with his general Wei Ling.

If it is said that what Xiao Zhi said is not credible, Emperor Hongzhi, the only younger brother, opened his mouth, which made Emperor Hongzhi have to pay attention. He squeezed the white piece in his hand, and said solemnly: "Brother Su, what do you know?"

Ming Shu shook his head: "I don't know. It's because she couldn't find out that she looks suspicious."

Emperor Hongzhi lowered his eyes and pondered, but instead of thinking ahead, he thought of the Nie family.In the past few years, he suppressed the Nie family openly and secretly, and even had the idea of ​​taking back the military power several times. The Nie family is not a soft persimmon. They are afraid that they will end up like a rabbit and a dog, so they are secretly resisting.

These things are irrelevant, if the concubine and the prince are involved, then Emperor Hongzhi has no choice but to think about seeking power and usurping the throne.

"I understand." Emperor Hongzhi nodded and put Bai Zi down.

The emperor has the way of the emperor, Ming Shu didn't say much, and continued to play chess with him with a smile.

Emperor Hongzhi watched his black pieces covering every corner of the chessboard, and for a moment he didn't know which move he should make, he hesitated for a moment, Mo Yanchi couldn't stand watching, pointed his finger, and said in a low voice: "This. "

The emperor, who had hesitated for a long time, chose to believe him and made a decision decisively.

Ming Shu frowned, dissatisfied: "Our elders play chess, and the younger generation just watch."

"It's my emperor who is sensible." Emperor Hongzhi looked proud and saw Mingshu's teeth itch.He has been wandering around for so many years, and he has never had anyone he likes by his side, let alone a son and a half daughter. Although he doesn't care, it's another matter if he is so ostentatious.

Ming Shu threw the chess piece back into the chess box, picked it up, stuffed it into Xiao Zhijin's hand, and said, "Come on, let Brother Huang see what 'sensibility' is."

Xiao Zhi looked at the chess box in his hand in embarrassment, hesitant to speak.

Emperor Hongzhi cheated first, so it's hard to say anything at the moment, he patted Mo Yichi on the shoulder, and said: "Father's honor depends on you."

"...My son, try my best."

Xiao Zhijin nodded, and glanced at Mingshu, "I will try my best."

This is not modesty. Xiao Zhijin's chess skills are indeed very average. He usually reads the books of sages and sages and has no time to study chess skills. Therefore, his level may not be as good as that of Mo Yanchi.

He looked at the chess box in his hand, feeling worried for a while.

Ming Shu didn't know this, he only knew that Xiao Zhijin was very smart, presumably he must be proficient in everything from piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, otherwise he wouldn't be worthy of being the number one scholar brought out by his virtuous king.