Come on, Your Highness

The Spring Festival came as scheduled, and it was originally a time to celebrate the new year. With He Xichao's talent and official position, it should be a time of great popularity.

A young boy of seventeen, just being a matchmaker can level the threshold of his family.

Unfortunately, this year he is idle.

During the New Year's Eve, mother and son sit face to face for lunch.

Suddenly Li Yuechan put down the bowl and chopsticks and let out a long sigh.

He Xichao didn't look up and continued eating as usual.

Li Yuechan frowned and glanced at him, seeing that He Xichao was indifferent, she couldn't help but let out another long sigh.

When she rang for the third time, He Xichao finally put down his chopsticks and asked, "Isn't it to your mother's liking?"

"I can't eat, Xi Chao, what do you think should I do?" Li Yuechan asked.

He Xichao wondered, "What should I do, am I fine?"

Li Yuechan stopped talking immediately, but her brows were still full of melancholy.

"Mother?" He Xichao called out.

Li Yuechan pursed her lips and said, "This Spring Festival, you haven't been out much, and...no one has come."

"Why didn't anyone come? The Prince's Mansion doesn't send things over every three days, and Wei Guogong's mansion is still there? Oh, and my group of students have come to pay New Year's greetings!"

"Can that be the same?"

Hearing this, He Xichao laughed, and teased, "I don't know who used to complain that my son was busy with his affairs and didn't accompany her. Now that I have a lot of free time and don't have to socialize, how nice it is. Why, do you despise my son?"

Li Yuechan shook her head, holding He Xichao helplessly.

She is a woman who obeys her son after death, so she can't comment on what He Xichao is doing.

It's just that it was her natal family after all, and she thought that after paying homage to her birth mother, the two families would be able to move around, but if they didn't arrive first, the kindness would be severed.Even the wind outside changed, and the wives who had been friends with each other didn't move around.

She was sad in her heart, but she couldn't express it. The deserted Spring Festival made her feel even sadder.

"You are seventeen years old. Several wives expressed their intentions to me before, but now, they don't mention it anymore."

He Xichao slapped the hand holding the soup bowl, and said with a broken smile: "That's not just right, my son doesn't like them either."

"I have met a few ladies, and they are not bad in appearance." Li Yuechan whispered.

"There are girls like this all over the capital, mother, when did your requirements become so low?"

Li Yuchan didn't speak.

He Xichao took a sip of the soup, saw that she was still a little disappointed, thought for a while and said: "You wait a few more years, when your son enters the cabinet and takes power, I will marry you the most honorable wife in the world, and she will take care of everyone who sees her. I have to bow my head, let you feel proud, how about it?"

Li Yuechan was stunned for a moment: "The most honorable... Xi Chao, who is it?"

He Xichao pretended to hesitate for a while, and then said: "You will know when you see it, and keep it secret now."

Just as he was talking, the concierge came over and reported: "Young Master, Mr. Luo, Mr. Fang and a few others are here to visit."

"You let them wait in the living room of the front yard." He Xichao stood up after speaking, and said to Li Yuechan, "Mother, look, who said that no one came to walk around, isn't this here? Son, go down first, you Slow use."

"Hey, Xi Chao..."

Li Yuechan called out, but He Xichao had already left without looking back.

She sat at the table, frowned and thought carefully, and finally said to herself: "Are you kidding me again, isn't the most honorable daughter-in-law in the world the empress?"

He Xichao's reputation in the officialdom is not good, but it's strange that he is unexpectedly respected among scholars.

These scholars waiting to become officials have not been infiltrated in the officialdom, and have not yet become supporters of unspoken rules. All they can say is that He Xichao's move is very pleasing to the hearts of the people!

The Li family, Li Shangshu, is a high-ranking and powerful person, and he is also a relative of the emperor. What can ordinary people do with him?

He Xichao was able to resist that temptation, disregarding blood and family ties, and simply and neatly uncovered corruption in the court and upheld justice, just like a fighter!

Therefore, there are fewer contacts in official circles, but more and more scholars come to visit.

Relatives and friends at home sent greeting cards one after another, which really made He Xichao dumbfounded, but also very moved.

Daqi has been passed down for several dynasties. Although the atmosphere of bureaucracy is strong, the atmosphere of Shilin is still upright, and the future can be expected.

The border trade that is about to start involves too much scope, and He Xichao urgently needs a lot of manpower, and those 12 people are naturally his right-hand men.

After the township examination last year, four out of ten people won the exam, among them Luo Li got the last place and passed by with the rear of the car hanging.

The stuttering fat man almost wept with joy, and knelt down in front of He Xichao along with the other three, bowing deeply.

Although they didn't have a teacher, He Xichao's guidance to them was no different from that of a teacher who taught them.

These 12 people were originally recruited by He Xichao based on a math paper. Their backgrounds are weak and their qualifications are not very good. If they don't give up the imperial examination, they will probably spend their whole life with the exam.

However, by mistake, they met He Xichao.

Nowadays, not only the imperial examination is expected, but also they can join the prince's family. Who doesn't envy their luck?

Regardless of the rumors outside, their gratitude and admiration for He Xichao remained unchanged, and even when they slandered him outside, they passionately refuted it back, vowing to defend He Xichao's reputation to the death.

He Xichao wanted to promote border trade, so as long as he could use them, it was his duty to do so.

This year's Spring Festival, Luo Li and You Ziqing, who were supposed to go back to their hometown to visit their relatives, didn't plan to go back either.

When He Mingrui came back from Li's house, he went to see Wei Guogong.

"How is your grandfather recovering?" Wei Guogong asked.

He Mingrui saluted, and said with regret on his face: "The imperial doctor said that the old man's body is fragile, and it may be difficult to recover, so he can only be raised on the bed. Eighty-year-old man, it really killed him!"

Hearing this, Wei Guogong sighed: "I am getting old, I really can't bear it, since I have retired, let's take care of my life."

When He Mingrui heard this, he immediately felt uncomfortable: "If you beg for bones yourself, that's fine, but if you are convicted by the emperor, your grandfather's face will be completely humiliated. This Spring Festival, there are birds in front of Li's house, and the human relationship is cold and warm. It is really a cold world."

Although He Xichao was feared by others, but after all, he was entrusted with the important task of the emperor, and the crown prince strongly supported him. Even if he waited and did not dare to have any contact with him for a while, he was unwilling to offend easily.

But the Li family who was convicted was ignored.

In the court, the prince's attitude was very clear, that he wanted to convict Li Xun to death.

Who would dare to step forward to join in offending the Crown Prince who has been favored constantly, and no one would seek death!

It was He Mingrui who knew this that made him furious. If Xiao Ming was the crown prince, how would these people dare?

It's all He Xichao!

He said angrily: "Grandfather, how can you say he can be so cruel? This is his grandfather! Even if he is dissatisfied, there is no need to play tricks and force the old man to die with benefits?"

Wei Guogong nodded: "He is indeed determined, and what he believes cannot be changed."

"Grandfather, are you still speaking for him at this time?" He Mingrui said in disbelief, "Grandpa is still lying on the bed, and the He family's reputation has not been restored so far. Who is to blame for this?"

Wei Guogong then looked at him: "How are you doing?"

He Mingrui bit his lip, he looked at Wei Guogong and said, "Grandfather said that the reason why He Xichao did this was to make him lose the position of Minister of the Household Department. Grandfather, you know him best, who will be able to take that position next?" ?”

Wei Guogong shook his head: "I don't know."

"Are you unwilling to help?" He Mingrui asked sharply.

Wei Guogong stopped holding the tea and drinking water, and looked up at him steadily, his eyes were cold.

He Mingrui's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head slowly: "Please forgive me, grandpa, my grandson is impatient and rude."

Only then did Duke Wei look away, took a sip of tea and said, "I really don't know, the prince has never made friends with important officials, and he has no one in his hands."

He Mingrui naturally also knew that Li Xun had analyzed with him and Prince Li many times, but so far he hadn't thought of the most likely candidate.

It stands to reason that the servant of the household department will be the next Shangshu, but this person is also cultivated by him, so it is not good to sit on it with He Xichao.

"Then who else could it be? It can't just be for the sake of bringing down grandpa?"

"There is no prince, but it does not mean that the emperor is no one."

He Mingrui's heart moved slightly: "Grandpa means..."

Wei Guogong looked at him and said: "If it's what I think, the position of Shangshu is useless no matter how much you plan, why don't you just let it go?"

He Mingrui's eyes clearly showed dissatisfaction.

Wei Guogong nodded, not annoyed, but smiled instead: "Alright, let me see, which one of you can have the last laugh."

He Mingrui bowed and left.

When Wei Guogong waited for him to leave, the smile on his face also subsided.

He Xiang came over and called carefully: "Master Guo."

"Is there any clue about what you went to investigate?"

"The old slave is useless. Not yet. Some people are no longer there. It will take some effort to find out." He Xiang reported.

Wei Guogong said: "Then continue to investigate, something must have happened to make Xichao target Mingrui and the Li family like this."

He Xichao was cold-blooded and ruthless as everyone thought, and his relatives did not recognize him.

But Wei Guogong knew that He Xichao's heart was actually very soft.

It's just a little bit of protection with little effort, and even suppressing He Mingrui for a long time can make He Xichao always remember his kindness without any complaints. This child is not ungrateful.

Even after He Xichao's mother and son returned to the capital, the Li family didn't look good, and even made trouble.

But after all, after giving birth to Li Yuechan, He Xichao shouldn't treat Li Xun like this.

There are too many ways to drive him out of power, and it is not impossible to do it with He Xichao's ability, but he just chose the most extreme one.

This isn't an in-law, it's an enemy!

Wei Guogong was full of doubts. He had been thinking about what happened to He Xichao for the past few days.

He Mingrui did not target He Xichao for a day or two, but from a certain day onwards, the latter did not let it go easily and began to fight back.

Going back in time, Wei Guogong thought of He Xichao being given laxatives by the second room the night before the rural examination, and the little girl was silenced by Li Yuxi because of this incident and she even admitted it.

Wei Guogong suddenly felt that from that moment on, the Duke's mansion had been out of his control.

After the Lantern Festival, the Spring Festival officially ends.

On the second day of the Grand Court Meeting, the prince took the lead in playing, requesting the re-opening of the border trade market and strictly prohibiting border smuggling.

The emperor directly agreed and ordered He Xichao, Minister of Honglu Temple, to formally preside over the border trade matters.

He also issued many imperial edicts to the border, strictly prohibited private business and trade, and sent a supervisory army to inspect. If found, he would be dismissed and questioned, and severely punished.

With the imperial decree, the checkpoints were closed and all smuggling lines were cut off.

The emperor acted vigorously and resolutely, and the ministers dared not make a sound even if they objected.

It's just about the vacancy of the Minister of the Household Department... Everyone imagined multiple candidates, but they didn't expect that the elder Xie Ge would concurrently serve as the Minister of the Household Department, and the second son of the Xie family was directly promoted to be the Minister of the Household Department.

Xie San brought back petitions from various countries from the Western Regions, and this is how He Xichao implemented it.

The Xie family supports border trade.

This candidate is precisely He Xichao's greatest support!

He Xichao was 17 years old, so his talent and reputation were naturally impeccable, but he was too young, and he had been with the crown prince for a long time. He had just entered the court, and his methods and strategies had not yet been deployed.

But looking at the expulsion of the He family and the exposing of Li Xun's criminal evidence with a contract in court, in addition to showing his integrity and unyielding, it also appears arrogant and reckless.

People who haven't had much contact with him are actually not optimistic that he can carry out border trade smoothly.

It's just a target set by the prince.

However, today, after Mr. Xie Ge concurrently served as Minister of the Household Department, this feeling seems to have changed instantly.

I'm afraid that something unexpected will happen to him next.