My lord, your plan is too obvious

Si Nian went back home to rest after noon due to the overnight journey and the fact that he still had some injuries that needed to be treated.

In the afternoon, Ruohua was dealing with some trivial matters in the Ministry of Rites, and a note was handed in.

Opening it, it was Qi Guang's handwriting, which asked Ruohua how he thought about the inspection he said last time.

Ruohua hesitated for a while looking at the note, but did not reply.I thought to myself, let's talk to Si Nian when I go back home at night before making a decision.

In the evening, Ruohua returned to Prince Yan's Mansion after finishing all the affairs.That day, the sunset glow was so red that it covered the entire city. Ruohua sat in the carriage and looked out, thinking that if such a sunset glow stretched from south to north to thousands of miles of sandfields, it would be extremely beautiful.

Ruohua got out of the carriage, and Odan was waiting at the gate of the palace.

"Why did my sister come here on purpose to wait outside?"

"My lord told me to go to the main hall to have dinner when the young master comes back."

"What delicious food did A Ming make?" Generally, when dining with Si Nian, there will always be more dishes, and the dishes will be updated regularly.Si Nian has not come back for a long time, today's meal must be very rich.

"Ah... Amin..." Hearing Ruohua's question, Odan stammered and didn't know what to say. Thinking of what she saw this afternoon, she still felt terrified.My lord, how could he...

"What's wrong with Amin?" Ruohua walked towards the main hall, turning his head to ask Odan while walking.

"No...it's nothing..." Odan thought for a while and decided not to say it, "Today's Mr. Cai will like it."

"Looks like we're going to have a new trick," Ruohua smiled, "If there's something delicious, I'll bring some to my sister." The servants in the mansion always eat separately from the masters, even if there are leftovers, the masters don't say anything , servants are also not allowed to eat.However, Ruohua is close to Odan, so if there is any delicious food, he will leave an extra portion for Odan.

Hearing this, Odan shook his head violently as if he was facing a formidable enemy.

"Your...Young master, no need...I...I have eaten today."

Seeing Odan's refusal, Ruohua didn't think much about it, and just happened to walk into the main hall, and opened the door to see Si Nian sitting at the table.

"My lord." Seeing Si Nian, Odan quickly bowed his head and saluted.Thinking of what happened in the afternoon, she still had lingering fears.

"Go down."

"Yes." Odan took Ruohua's robe and hurried out.Before leaving, he closed the door of the main hall tightly.

Ruohua felt that Odan seemed a little different from the past, looked at the door curiously, and muttered:

"What happened today?"

"I brought some wine back." Si Nian took the cup in front of Ruohua, "Although it's a bit strong, it's really good wine."

Raising his hand, Ruohua saw that Si Nian's arm seemed to be wrapped in a bandage, and frowned slightly:

"It's better not to drink if you are injured."

Si Nian paused slightly, then raised the cup filled with wine to the level of Ruohua's nose, raised the corners of his mouth and asked:

"Are you concerned about me?"

Ruohua blushed, took the cup and drank it down:

"Drink it, it's not me who hurts anyway."

Si Young smiled, poured himself a glass, and took it to his mouth to take a sip.

Originally thought that today's dishes would be very rich, but looking at it this way, it was just a few simple dishes.Ruohua stretched out his chopsticks, added a piece of fried crispy meat, and put it in his mouth.

The taste... seems to be different from before?

Ruohua chewed two more mouthfuls. The crispy meat was a bit over-fried, the texture was a bit hard, and the skin had a strong smell of lard, making it feel greasy in the mouth.If it was the first time, maybe he didn't feel it, but he had already been picked up by the cook in the palace. This crispy meat was really not so delicious compared to usual.

"How is it?" Si Nian asked.

"Hmm..." Before Ruohua could swallow the meat in his mouth, he picked up another chopstick of braised eggplant, which was also one of his favorite dishes in the past.

In the past, when A Ming made braised eggplants, he used oil to roll the obliquely cut eggplants, and added some fish soup when stewing.The taste is fresh and salty without losing the taste.Today's eggplant dish looks the same as usual, but it is a bit salty in the mouth.

Ruohua stopped chopsticks, then looked at Sinian, and said with some doubts:

"A new cook is coming to the house?"

Si Nian turned his head slightly, took a sip of his wine and said vaguely, "It's sort of..."

Ruohua is not too picky, after all, she lives in someone else's house.And even though the new cook is not as good as A Ming, it is not so unpalatable.

Si Nian continued to eat the dishes, he seemed to have no resentment, and he was slightly relieved.

"Northern Qi..." Ruohua wanted to ask Si Nian about leading troops to the border this time. Although King Mao had no battlefield experience, he must have many military advisers around him. It was too embarrassing to be trapped in Bailing.And when he went to rescue the siege a few years ago, it seemed that this posture was not easy to win, at least it couldn't be settled with a few light words from the court.But Ruohua didn't know where to start to ask.

Si Nian knew what Ruohua wanted to ask, so he didn't hide it too much, and said directly:

"This Northern Qi surprise attack was not only his army, but also several other small countries. But several other countries also wore Northern Qi costumes. Although the Northern Qi was repelled this time, it has not yet been found out which countries are involved. Participated in the raid."

"Does the emperor know about this?" Neither Si Nian nor Yu Yue mentioned this matter in the court today.

"This matter was discovered by my subordinates, and King Mao is still unaware of it."

"Didn't you..." Si Nian actually kept this matter a secret. Did Si Nian also want to take that position after this trip?

Seeing that Ruohua hesitated to speak, Si Nian took a sip of his wine and said flatly, "I said before, I will never be in that position in my life."

"Then why didn't you tell the emperor about it?"

"The matter hasn't been clarified yet, and we don't know if there is a traitor on our side, so it's better not to startle the snake. My people are stepping up the investigation."

Hearing what Si Nian said, Ruohua was slightly relieved.If Si Nian really allowed the border to disrupt people's lives because he wanted to become a big power, he might be very disappointed...

"I will guard this land," Si Nian put down his cup and looked at Ruohua, "All my wishes in life are here."

Ruohua was taken aback by Si Nian's solemn promise like an oath. For some reason, Si Nian's serious gaze made his heart beat a little faster.

He raised his glass and took a sip of the wine, wanting to say something else to divert this feeling:

"By the way, since it's so dangerous this time, why do we need to attack Bailing and re-divide the border. Bailing's climate is harsh and the terrain is steep, even if we want that area, it won't do much good."

Sienian leaned over, raised his glass and touched Ruohua's cup that had not been put down, and said with a slight smile:

"Because I want to go with you next time, the mountains and rivers of my home country are standing under my feet."

Ruohua froze for a moment, retracted his hands, and muttered:

"What are you going to do in that barren land? You eat and sleep in the open every day."

But Ruohua kept thinking of the dream of that day, thinking of Si Nian, who was like his hand stretched out, and the cliff falling into the star-studded cliff.

And Si Nian's phrase "my homeland, mountains and rivers" really moved Ruohua.It is as vast and turbulent as a ferocious beast conquering Haoyuan, but it is also as quiet and silent as the magnolia smelling the fragrance when the wind passes in the afternoon.Everything is born from the earth and falls into the heart.This world is full of people.

"What? Don't you want to go?"

Hearing Si Nian's questioning, Ruohua said reluctantly: "If you go, you have to bring Amin, I'm not used to the food in that kind of place."

Si Nian laughed out loud, how could this man's dishonesty be so cute.It wasn't until he saw a little embarrassment on Ruohua's face that he restrained his laughter, and said softly as if coaxing the child class:

"Just the two of us, if you're not used to eating, can I make it for you?"

Ruohua laughed when he heard Si Nian say this: "I dare not eat the meal made by the prince." Not to mention that there are only a few men who can cook, as a member of the royal family, how could they be able to cook since they were young.I'm afraid there won't even be a fire.

Si Nian reached out to pick up a piece of crispy meat and put it in Ruohua's bowl.Ruohua didn't think much about it, she stretched out her chopsticks and put them in her mouth.

Before Ruohua swallowed it down, Si Nian said, "What you are eating now is my fried crispy meat."

"..." A mouthful of meat choked in his throat.

After coughing twice, Ruohua looked at Sinian in disbelief: "You... did this all?"

"Is there any problem..." Si Nian raised his eyebrows.

This is a big problem...why does a prince who is well-clothed and well-fed still cook!

"You really...have a wide range of interests..." Ruohua said with some embarrassment after thinking about the words for a long time.

"It's always good to know more." Si Nian gave Ruohua another dish with chopsticks.

Ruohua looked at Si Nian for a while, this man is talented in literature and martial arts, and now he can even cook, he said with a smile: "Do you really not consider that position? If you are the emperor, you can save even the cook in the palace."

"I won't do it for the emperor." Si Nian took a sip of his wine.

"If you were the emperor, the world might be better." This sentence Ruohua said sincerely, Yi Si Nian's state of mind and talent are enough to sit on that big position.

If this world is not his, Si Nian is the successor he is most willing to admit.

"I won't be emperor." Si Nian looked at Ruohua and said seriously.

"Why?" Ruohua really doesn't believe that people who were born in the royal family have never thought about it. Even his unsatisfactory younger brother in the previous life had the idea of ​​becoming an emperor, let alone Si Nian, "Don't tell me Those who understand the righteousness, those who plan big things should be in a high position, if you really want to protect the world, wouldn't it be better to sit in that position and use your own way."

Ruohua knew that Si Nian would not take the initiative to take that position.As far as he is concerned, obviously he should not hope that Si Nian will also participate in this battle for the throne, which will only make him have one more rival.

--But

Ruohua looked at the wound on Si Nian's hand, he didn't want, didn't want to see this person being treated like this...

He didn't want this person to be imprisoned by the so-called righteousness for a lifetime in this loyal place.

If he had to make a choice, he would rather fight for the emperor in Si Nian, even if one day they meet each other in battle, at least he can enjoy this life in his heart.

The two looked at each other and didn't speak for a while.After a long time, Si Nian picked up a cup and asked:

"You really want to know?"

"nature."

Sinian paused, drank the wine in the glass, put it on the table, fixed his eyes on Ruohua, and said clearly:

"Yanwang Chu Sinian, a good Longyang, will never have any heirs in this life, and will not inherit the great rule. This is the reason."