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On New Year's Eve, Shen Menghan was ordered to enter the palace to attend the palace banquet.

The chariots of the common people are not allowed to enter the palace, the prince personally ordered people to prepare a warm chariot to pick him up at the Nanjiao gate.

There was even a brand new ferret fur cloak for him on the chariot. Shen Menghan raised his eyebrows, but he didn't wear it.

After being seated, the crown prince saw that he was only wearing a thick brocade gown, but did not wear a cloak or a cloak, so he sent someone to ask: "Your Highness prepared a cloak for you, why didn't you wear it? But it doesn't fit?"

Shen Menghan said: "Thank you for your kindness, His Royal Highness, the grassroots can't afford it."

When the little yellow door was replying, the prince casually glanced at Shen Menghan.

The emperor only spoke a few words casually at the opening of the banquet, and then retreated to the inner palace, leaving behind the prince and chairman. Apart from giving wine and vegetables as usual, the emperor did not do much more during the banquet.

Shen Menghan's health is not good, and he is being favored. Others don't know his depth, no one dares to come forward to persuade him to drink, but he is happy and leisurely.

It's just that when the banquet was about to end, the prince came over and asked personally: "It's cold at night, Xiao Yin might as well stay in the palace for one night."

Shen Menghan replied politely: "The Caomin family has been waiting outside the palace all night, and they are well prepared."

He paused, and said slowly: "Besides, I still sleep comfortably at home."

King Su laughed from the side, and King An held his cup and looked at this side with unclear meaning.

King Jing was only focused on eating, without even raising his head.

The fifth prince gathered the cloak around himself, coughed twice, and was talking to the palace servants in a low voice, so he didn't pay attention to this place.

The eldest princess held the tenth princess in her arms, and the eldest princess lowered her head, as if she was listening to the words of the fifth prince and the palace servants.

The tenth princess was young, and she looked here curiously.

King Ding coaxed the young Ninth Prince to drink. The Ninth Prince was young and vigorous, and he was drunk not long after. Several yellow gates couldn't stop him, so he had to invite guards to come in, barely maintaining the royal dignity.

The prince didn't think it was disobedient, he just said: "Since this is the case, I will not keep you. I have prepared some things for you. I will ask some suitable people to send you back."

Shen Menghan pretended to decline for a while, then accepted it.

Although he is not short of money, he is not as good as the prince supported by the world.

He was about to leave, the eldest princess was polite and asked someone to give him a cart of things.

Shen Menghan has never had anything to do with her before, but there are many women in the Seven Towers, he grew up in a pile of makeup, he has always been gentle and polite to women, so he also thanked her for her kindness, and did not refuse like he did to the prince.

The tenth princess seemed to like him very much, she wrung her hands, but she didn't know how to address him, she whispered: "Can I see you again?"

The lanterns in the palace hung high, the candles were brightly lit, and people walking in the palace garden could not even see their shadows, but the brilliant lights did not reflect in Shen Menghan's eyes. His eyes were like a deep pool, dark and dark, and he said in a low voice: "It's okay. .”

After getting into the car, Shen Menghan closed his eyes, Miao Zhiguang wrapped him in a cloak smoked with warm charcoal, and complained in a low voice: "Young master, why bother to be angry with the prince, the one who suffered is the young master himself."

"Suffer? What did I suffer? Didn't you see that the fine bamboo charcoal in my place is used the most and replaced the most frequently?" Shen Menghan opened his eyes and said, "I take care of myself, so I don't want others to worry about it."

Miao Zhiguang said unconvinced: "The fifth prince is also sick, and he is also wearing a big cloak."

"He is the Fifth Prince, so don't compare yourself with others." Shen Menghan said: "There is no essential difference between whether I am in Nanyan or Beizhao."

Miao Zhiguang stopped talking.

Zhou Qian frowned and said: "The young master has always been calm, and today he loses the prince's face in front of everyone, so what's the point?"

Shen Menghan said with a smile: "The one who knows me is also the sir."

Zhou Qian thought for a while, and said in surprise: "Your Majesty wants to abolish the crown prince?"

Shen Menghan nodded slightly.

Zhou Qian frowned and said: "The prince is kind and has no major faults. Why is this, Your Majesty?"

Shen Menghan said: "It is because of benevolence that His Majesty does not like it."

He took the warm tea from Miao Zhiguang, moistened his throat, and said, "If there is no Beizhao, it is good to be a successful king, but Beizhao is entrenched in the north. Your Majesty is thinking about the great situation of the Northern Expedition. How can you be willing to hand over to a prince who doesn't like fighting?" hands."

Zhou Qian shook his head and said, "Now that the crown prince occupies the East Palace, his name is justified, and His Majesty's age is just right. If the crown prince is abolished at this time, I am afraid it will cause some turmoil in the government and the public."

Miao Zhiguang put the hand stove in Shen Menghan's arms, he touched it casually, the temperature was just right, he nodded to Miao Zhiguang and said: "It is precisely because your Majesty's age is just right, no matter how big the turmoil is, it can be suppressed, if you wait for a few more years to plan, the situation will If it changes, it will be difficult."

Zhou Qian's eyebrows tightened even more, and he said slowly: "Your Majesty pretended to spoil you, but now your attitude is the weathervane of the government and the public. Others will see how you treat the prince. After the New Year's Eve, I am afraid Those few speculators will be on the book of the crown prince."

Shen Menghan said: "Yes."

Zhou Qian said: "Why does Your Majesty always want you to be this villain?"

Shen Menghan smiled and said, "I blame me for casting the wrong baby."

Zhou Qian sighed softly, changed the subject and said, "The prince has always been cautious, and I'm afraid it's not so easy to find fault."

Shen Menghan stroked the stove and said: "Unless a person does not do something, as long as he does something, there must be something wrong. Even a saint, in the eyes of critical people, there is always something to criticize."

After talking for a long while, Shen Menghan felt a little tired, and when he went out of the city gate at night to check and inspect, the people sent by the prince had already arranged for him, but Shen Menghan still insisted on ordering the city gate guard to conduct inspections according to the routine, so there is no need to be selfish.

After leaving Jinling City, he leaned aside and fell asleep.

The wheels are rolling, and the winter is bitter.

In the middle of the night, the wind was bleak, no matter how good the carriage was, the hand stove in Shen Menghan's arms was getting colder, Miao Zhiguang took it lightly, and changed the charcoal for him. As soon as he put it in his arms, Shen Menghan murmured: " Little Smoke."

Miao Zhiguang looked at his expression carefully, knowing that he was just talking in a dream, and looked at him in disbelief. Shen Menghan was in a heavy dream, and Miao Zhiguang didn't wake up until Miao Zhiguang sent him back to the dormitory to rest.

Xie Chenyan led Xiao Hua back to the place where he had just met, and several girls chatted non-stop around Xi Xuan, Xi Xuan had a serious face, as if he was not standing among the flowers, but a Buddhist hall; Not a group of beautiful women, but monks and Buddhas.

Xie Chenyan was a few steps away from him, watching him warily.

The dart seemed to have been poisoned, and now he had less than three points of internal energy left.

A girl in a goose-yellow shirt covered her lips and said with a smile: "No wonder you don't want to part with him. I don't want to part with my sister."

Xixuan said: "Young master asked me to take you back."

Xie Chenyan said angrily: "I was going back, why did you hit me?"

Xi turned around, and the girls around him rushed forward and pushed Xie Chenyan to the ground.

Xie Chenyan anxiously said "Hi" and said, "Brother Menghan knows that you treat me like this!"

Xixuan said: "Young master only asked me to take you back, he didn't tell me how to take you back."

Xie Chenyan caused a lot of trouble for his young master, so he refrained from using the public weapon for private use, taking advantage of Shen Menghan's reach, he just took Xie Chenyan to vent his anger.

Xie Chenyan was tied up and thrown into the carriage, and the bully Xiaohua obediently followed behind the carriage, not intending to rescue her master at all.

The girl in the goose-yellow shirt pinched Xie Chenyan's tender baby face and said, "Little brother, how old are you?"

Xie Chenyan said obediently: "Sixteen..."

He thought about it carefully, and corrected, "No, it's seventeen."

After all, he couldn't rush back before the end of the year, and he couldn't help but feel depressed.

The girl in the goose-yellow shirt took a sugar cake and gave it to him: "Here, it's good to eat something sweet when you're unhappy."

Xie Chenyan grinned at her.

This elder sister also fed him candy cakes, Xie Chenyan has a clear sense of grievances and grievances, he knows that the person who bullies him is Xixuan, he has never been stingy with smiles and sincerity to those who like him.

He boasted sincerely: "The sugar cake is really delicious."

The girl in the goose-yellow shirt gave him another sip of water, and said with a smile: "Xixuan said that you like medicinal food, I specially put a few medicinal dried flowers in it."

Xie Chenyan let out an "ah".

She put down the water bag, patted his head again and said: "My name is Xinzi, Xiaoyan will find me in the Seventh Building when you are free, and Sister Xinzi will make you sweet cakes."

Xie Chenyan backed away from her claws, he figured it out, he didn't grow taller, but they touched him.

His eyes sparkled and he replied, "Yeah!"

Xixuan still remembers that he loves to eat medicinal food, and he doesn't hate Xixuan so much anymore.

Shen Menghan summoned Zhao Zhen, the commander of the black-clothed habayashi, in the tenth day of junior high school.

Ran Ziyun had to ask Liangyue every day, so he didn't dare to stay in the bedroom anymore, not to mention that Zhao Zhen was not someone he trusted.He thought that Xie Chenyan liked to hang out the cold pavilion, so he asked someone to tidy it up and use it as a study.

"You want him to investigate King Su?" Zhou Qian said, "Your Majesty wants to abolish the prince, and King Su is the first to benefit. I'm afraid His Majesty will not easily agree."

Shen Menghan said: "Although he loves King Su the most, he doesn't want to establish a prince so soon. The prince's position is a bait for the princes, and those who are able will get it. He is in the prime of his life, and he hopes his sons will compete for it." Go and expand the territory for him, now I'm going to take advantage of King Su, and I'm right in his arms."

Just as he was talking, Miao Zhiguang outside reported that Zhao Zhen had arrived, and Shen Menghan and Zhou Qian stopped talking.

"Master Zhao." Zhao Zhen is a general, so Shen Menghan also omitted those polite words, and said bluntly: "Master Zhao, please go to Jingxiang Road, investigate King Su, and write a report to me in three months."

Zhao Zhen bowed casually and asked, "I'm stupid, please show me the next regulations."

Shen Menghan stared into his eyes and said: "His preferences, in-laws, old friends, cronies, whether his rule violated my Nanyan laws, whether he favored others, whether he communicated with him or not."

Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows: "Master, are you asking me to secretly investigate my Prince Nanyan?"

Shen Menghan took a sip of tea and said, "What? This is not your duty?"

Zhao Zhen said, "Young Master, why do you want to investigate His Royal Highness King Su?"

Shen Menghan put down his teacup and said coldly: "A knife, do you need to know the master's thoughts?"

Zhao Zhen felt that the blood rushed to the top of his head, and said coldly: "I will report this matter to Your Majesty."

Shen Menghan buckled the lid of the cup with a "click".

There was no sound in the whole study.

He was clearly an ordinary person with no internal strength, but Zhao Zhen felt an invisible coercion.

He resisted the coercion, raised his head and said vigorously: "Although His Majesty handed over the black-clothed Habayashi to the prince, you have no rank or position after all. If you want to investigate the prince, you should be known by your majesty."

He deliberately emphasized the word "Prince".

Shen Menghan raised his glass again, looked at him inexplicably, and said with a smile: "Master Zhao is the commander of the fourth rank, and he has the right to meet the emperor in person."

Zhao Zhen felt that what he said just now was a bit harsh, and he began to back it up: "After your majesty shows you, I will report to you again."

After Zhao Zhen left, Zhou Qian came out from behind the screen, looked at his back through the bright tile window and said, "He is not convinced."

Shen Menghan called Miao Zhiguang to change him a cup of tea and said: "He used to obey His Majesty's orders directly, but now he listens to me, a common man, so naturally he is not convinced."

Zhou Qian frowned and said, "We have to find a way to subdue him."

Shen Menghan pinched the knuckles of the hand stove, and said in a low voice: "It takes a long time to see people's hearts, there is no need."

Zhou Qian said: "If he is always obedient and obedient, the one who will suffer is the young master."

Shen Menghan whispered: "Sir."

"A gentleman establishes himself with righteousness." Shen Menghan said: "Convince others with virtue."

He looked up at Zhou Qian: "You taught me this before."

Zhou Qian withdrew his gaze from the window, smiled self-consciously, and said in a low voice, "Really?"

Why was the young scholar who was as gentle as the wind and the moon in those days turned into the appearance he hated the most?