Emperor's Grace

Zhaoyang, January 20, spring.

Just after the new year, the early spring at the border still carried a lingering chill. There were always four or five braziers burning in Zhu Yunjing's room. The son who fell asleep only a few days after the full moon.

Before entering the door, He Huailing deliberately shook off the snow on his body. When he entered the door, he still brought in a burst of chill, so he roasted in the brazier by the door for a while before he dared to approach Zhu Yunjing and his son.

"Yuan Bao is still awake?"

He Huailing deliberately lowered his voice, Zhu Yunjing put down the book, and scratched his son's soft face with his fingers: "Slept like a pig."

He Huailing smiled lightly, Zhu Yunjing was always like this, he said he was disgusted, but he was very sincere. He has been with him since the baby was born, and if the little thing cried, he would coax him personally when he was interested. He Huailing I don't think I have the patience.

"Children are sleepy, and it will be better if they are older."

Zhu Yunjing nodded. He believed what He Huailing said. Before He Huailing said that Yuanbao would not be ugly, he was very skeptical. Now that more than a month has passed, the purple-gray color on the little baby's body has receded, and Zou Baba's small face has also grown. Now, it is very pleasing to become white and fat, Zhu Yunjing is very satisfied, this is what his fat son should look like.

He Huailing handed the envelope to Zhu Yunjing: "A letter from His Highness the Fifth Highness."

Zhu Yunjing took out the letter paper, Zhu Yunxuan wrote a thick stack, full of concern and greetings, he had already received the news of the child's birth, and sent along with the letter was a long-lived golden lock, which he said was for his eldest nephew of.

He Huailing told Zhu Yunjing: "Half a month ago, His Majesty issued an imperial decree to divide up the princes, even the eighth prince who was still breastfeeding was crowned king, and his majesty conferred the title of King Rui to the fifth prince and even married him. He is a second-rank servant. daughter."

"I know, Ah Xuan said in the letter that she is the daughter of the left servant of the Ministry of Rites, and she is far behind Zhu Yunxun's family's first daughter. Zhu Yunxun got married a month ago, and the wedding ceremony is as grand as the crown prince's wedding, right? "

He Huailing said: "But he is not the crown prince after all, and His Majesty only named him king, just to make it clear that he has no intention of establishing another crown prince."

Zhu Yunjing stopped talking and threw the letter into the brazier beside her.

The little Yuan Bao on the couch grinned without warning and began to wail. Immediately, a nurse came up to carry him away, and went to the next room to nurse her.

Zhu Yunjing returned to her thoughts and glanced out the window: "The snow has almost stopped, I want to go out for a walk."

"Going out?"

"Ah."

He has been here for almost two months, and has been nesting in this small courtyard without going out. If he stays here again, something will happen.

He Huailing knew this, so he didn't stop him: "Where do you want to go?"

Zhu Yunjing thought about it seriously, and said: "Let's go to the gate first."

The pass is not far from the General Military Mansion, the carriage goes out from the side door of the General Military Mansion, and it takes two quarters of an hour to arrive.In order to avoid trouble, Zhu Yunjing still wore a black gauze hat, got out of the car, he subconsciously looked up, the towering city wall was more majestic and solemn than what he had seen in Beijing, it stood quietly in the There, it has a history of more than 600 years since the former dynasty.

Zhu Yunjing narrowed his eyes slightly, and He Huailing took his hand: "Go up and have a look."

Every part of the pass is guarded by heavy soldiers, and there are soldiers lining up on the city tower to practice in the cold wind. Looking around, it is dark, like the most solid armor on the back of a unicorn.

"As far as I know, the former commander-in-chief did a very good job. He trained troops well, ruled them well, rewarded and punished them well, and had a lot of prestige in the army. These people practiced for eight hours a day, rain or shine. , Don’t slack off, these are the military regulations left by the former commander in chief, so I will continue to use them.”

Zhu Yunjing listened to what He Huailing said in silence, and walked to the edge of the city wall. He touched the mottled gray-blue bricks covered with snow, and looked up into the distance.

The vast snowy land stretches as far as the eye can see. The white snow covers the vast forests and boundless grasslands, extending to the horizon, but the color of the sky is exceptionally clear and blue, which outlines the mountains in the distance. The frozen lake at the foot of the mountain is in the sun There is a dazzling golden light under the lake, which complements the silver rime covered with frost flowers and yushu Qiongzhi by the lake.

Zhu Yunjing was stunned, even though he had described it countless times in his imagination, it was still not as shocking as seeing it with his own eyes.

For the first time, he really felt that this is the border, not the imperial city of Gyeonggi thousands of miles away that made him drunk and dreamy.

Seeing that he was fascinated, He Huailing put his hands on his shoulders: "When the weather gets warmer, your body will be fully healed. I'll take you out to have a look."

Zhu Yunjing came back to her senses, nodded lightly, and sighed: "No wonder you have been able to live here for so many years."

He Huailing smiled and shook his head: "Que'er, no matter how beautiful the scenery is, it will become boring after a long time. I stay here not because I can bear it, but because of my duty."

Zhu Yunjing squinted at him: "You mean you like the new and dislike the old?"

He Huailing: "..."

Zhu Yunjing said quietly: "That's right, such a beautiful scenery will feel boring after a long time, and people are the same. No matter how beautiful the skin is, it will be no different from other people after looking at it for a long time, not to mention that the appearance is easy to age."

"Qie'er, you have to believe that someone who likes you doesn't just like your skin."

Zhu Yunjing laughed dryly: "Really? That's really strange."

He Huailing frowned slightly: "Xique... I just realized that you are so unconfident."

Zhu Yunjing's eyes dimmed, and her voice lowered: "I lost a complete defeat, so I don't have any confidence."

He Huailing took his hand: "You are still young, even if you change your identity, you still have a bright future. I said that I will not hold you back. I will support you whatever you want."

The hotness in He Huailing's eyes was undisguised, Zhu Yunjing's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the surging emotions in his eyes were blocked behind the black veil.

After a moment of relative silence, someone came and interrupted their unfinished sentence. The person who came was Ding Yang, the deputy commander who was personally training soldiers on the city wall.Ding Yang saw it when they came up before, but he insisted on coming over to meet He Huailing after a session of practice, and He Huailing didn't care. This Vice President Ding has such a character, he strictly abides by the rules, and there is nothing to criticize.

Ding Yang didn't say anything else. After asking about the gift, he wanted to go back to continue his military training, but He Huailing stopped him: "I heard that you have been investigating the cause of Qian Zongbing's death in private, haven't you?"

There was a trace of wariness in Ding Yang's dark eyes, and He Huailing shook his head slightly: "Before I came here, His Majesty gave me a secret decree, asking me to find out about Qian Zongbing's killing. I need more clues. If you If you know anything, you'd better tell me."

Ding Yang was stunned for a moment, and waves finally appeared on his usually expressionless face, and he knelt down on the ground with one knee: "I also ask the general to make sure to find out, and bring the real culprit to justice as soon as possible. The subordinates will do their best and are willing to serve you like a dog." Thanks!"

"I act according to the holy order, and this is my duty. You stand up and speak up."

Ding Yang stood up, clenched his fists hard, and said in a hoarse voice: "General Qian died strangely. Everyone guessed or did something wrong, but the subordinates felt that the matter was not that simple."

"Do you have any doubts?"

"Yes, Vice President Chen, General Qian and his subordinates have mentioned it several times. Vice President Chen is a complicated person, and he is close to the businessmen in Huyang City. He is afraid that he will spoil the atmosphere in the army, so he has always criticized him. , and mentioned him face to face several times, although Vice President Chen was educated on the surface, he actually refused to accept it, and maybe he still held a grudge."

He Huailing said: "Is it too arbitrary for you to doubt Vice President Chen just because of this?"

"It is true that my subordinates have no evidence, but General Qian mentioned to his subordinates a few days before his death that Vice President Chen harbored evil intentions, and he wanted to go to the imperial court to ask His Majesty to make a decision. Unfortunately, his subordinates had urgent matters to deal with at that time, so they did not pass the time." Ask more, General Qian was assassinated in the study within two days, and I went to the scene after the accident, and the general's study showed signs of being tampered with."

He Huailing lowered his gaze: "Really?"

"The subordinates will never dare to speak in vain!"

"I know, I will try my best to find out, so don't meddle in this matter."

After coming down from the city wall, Zhu Yunjing asked He Huailing: "Do you think the words of Vice President Ding are credible?"

He Huailing nodded: "I checked, he and Qian Zongbing knew each other in the early years, Qian Zongbing was kind to him, and they were like father and son. After Qian Zongbing was killed, he wanted to find out the real culprit, but He is not a reckless person, if he had no doubts, he would never throw dirt at will and slander his comrades."

"Then what about the one named Chen?"

"Vice President Chen is indeed quite scheming. He joined the army 15 years ago, but he did not rely on his military achievements to climb to the position of the second-rank deputy commander. With today, his relationship with those merchants in Huyang City is really worth investigating."

Zhu Yunjing pursed her lips: "Then go to Huyang City to check it out. Didn't you say it's bustling and lively? When shall we go and have a look?"

He Huailing smiled lightly: "You want to go to Huyang City? Okay, let's go when the weather clears up in a few days."

"Then let's go back."

"Go back now? Don't you want to go to the barracks?"

"...Just go back next time. Yuan Bao should have finished drinking milk and slept, so let's go back quickly."

He Huailing nodded with a smile, and helped Zhu Yunjing into the car. Before leaving, Zhu Yunjing opened the window, and finally looked back at the city wall that seemed to tower into the clouds, and looked away.

"Que'er..." He Huailing called him softly.

"Huh?" Zhu Yunjing recovered and looked at He Huailing.

He Huailing took his hand again, and said slowly: "I know you are a person with great ambitions, you should be the supreme emperor above ten thousand people, but now you are frustrated, but it is not the end, even if you can no longer be like before Similarly, there is not only one way to express your ambition.”

Zhu Yunjing lowered her eyes, and after a while, sighed softly: "I see, I'm fine...don't worry."