Chongxi [rebirth]

After several days of bustling in the capital, the South Vietnamese mission was ushered in.

Envoys from South Vietnam also came here earlier, but at that time they visited in private in order to hide from Dongyi's eyes and ears.But this time, it was a very formal visit to submit the credentials, and the leader of the team was an official named Bei Zhao, who was extremely surprised, and it was the Queen Mother of Nanyue, He Lanyuan.

Many people are guessing the purpose of He Lanyuan's mission to Bei Zhao.But after guessing and guessing, they all went around the He family, but none of them fully guessed the truth.

He Lanyuan's trip was both public and private.The private affairs are for Ye Yunting and the He family; the official affairs are for the business and trade between the two countries.

After confining He Lianjing, she has already decided to recognize Ye Yunting.Those ministers who supported her didn't know that she had a child with the first emperor, and after hearing that He Lianjing was "worried and worried", they went to look for her one after another.After all, it was just to persuade her to keep He Lianjing alive.

These years, He Lianjing has not left any heirs. If he dies, it is not impossible to choose someone from the clan to succeed him, but the current suitable candidates are already old. The familiar white-eyed wolf, it's better to keep He Lianjing, at least it's easier to control.

The thinking of these ministers cannot be wrong, after all, the premise for them to support He Lanyuan is that this Nanyue is still surnamed Helian.

But He Lanyuan didn't think so. Now that she had found her own son, she would not leave He Lianjing as a hidden danger.Regardless of whether Ye Yunting is willing to return to Nanyue to inherit the throne in the end, she will reveal his identity to the world.

In the past years, because she always had various worries, she couldn't make up her mind to bring him back.Not only did the son have to admit his enemy as his father, but he was also looked down upon by the Duke's mansion.He Lianxu even died without being able to see this child, and even before leaving, he was still worried about the child he hadn't seen.

Now that she has completely controlled Nanyue, she has simply cast aside many concerns and no longer acts with restraint.

If Ye Yunting is willing to return to Nanyue, then he is the king of Nanyue; if he is not willing, then she and Nanyue will also be his backing.

With such a plan in mind, before the mission set off, He Lanyuan revealed Ye Yunting's identity to several confidant ministers.Those ministers were naturally surprised when they heard about it, but since He Lanyuan had already made up her mind, she naturally ignored their doubts, and only picked two important ministers with considerable prestige in the court to go to Bei Zhao with her. .

Therefore, this mission team is extraordinarily grand.

After arriving in Beizhao, they were received by the Minister of Honglu Temple, and the group rested temporarily in the post house.Three days later, Ye Yunting and Li Fengqi hosted a banquet in the palace to formally welcome the mission.

During the three days of rest, the envoys from South Vietnam visited the capital all over the city under the hospitality of Honglu Temple officials, and naturally took the opportunity to inquire about Ye Yunting's news.But here in the capital, from the reception officials to the common people in the market, almost everyone praised Ye Yunting to the sky, and there was no bad word.

Several South Vietnamese envoys listened and felt that the queen mother had communicated with Ye Yunting earlier, and deliberately arranged for people to act like this in front of them, so as to prepare for Ye Yunting's recognition of returning to South Vietnam.

They were worried in private, not to mention the complexity of Ye Yunting's life experience, but to say that now people are mixed with Emperor Beizhao, and it is more pleasant to say that he has been named the King of Changning and has the same respect as the emperor.But to put it bluntly, isn't it the emperor's favorite man?

Although Nanyue is not as powerful as Beizhao, it is absolutely impossible to give it to a man who is an Israeli waiter!

But that being said, no one dared to say what He Lanyuan meant.Judging by her attitude, I'm afraid this son must be recognized.Now He Lanyuan is almost saying the same thing in Nanyue, no matter how dissatisfied these ministers are, they dare not confront her.

He could only hold back his complaints and attended the palace banquet.

But when they actually arrived at the palace banquet and saw the person sitting next to Li Fengqi, they became incredulous again—that young man in a silver and white dragon robe sitting next to Emperor Bei Zhao was really the King of Changning?

This demeanor, this manner of speaking, no matter how you look at it, you don't want to be a male favourite.

No one knows the surprise in the hearts of the South Vietnamese envoys.

At this time, Ye Yunting and Li Fengqi were sitting on the head side by side, wearing the same standard dragon robe, holding a wine bottle in his hand, talking to He Lanyuan with a smile, and several other Beizhao veterans were sitting in front, echoing a few words from time to time , the scene was very harmonious.

On the contrary, Li Fengqi had never spoken much. If it wasn't for his bright yellow dragon robe and fierce aura, several South Vietnamese envoys would have thought that Ye Yunting, who was talking with others, was the Emperor of Beizhao.

Several envoys exchanged glances, and one of them held a wine glass to strike up a conversation with the official next to him, pouted his lips, and said in a low voice, "Is that the famous Changning King?"

The official he chatted up was the newly appointed minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was single-handedly promoted by Ye Yunting, so he was highly respected.

Wen Yan frowned and said: "Exactly."

The envoy was surprised for a moment, and then lowered his voice: "This... I heard that before your Majesty took the throne, he and Changning King were married in a serious way. The King of Changning shares the Dragon Throne..." He tried his best to euphemistically say, "They say that there are no two suns and no two lords in a country. Do you all agree?"

If this is placed in South Vietnam, I am afraid there will be a lot of noise, right?

The officials of Beizhao who attended the palace banquet were all the ones in the front row next to the emperor, but they looked at the expressions of the people at the banquet. All the officials of Beizhao were very respectful to King Changning.It's not just a face-saving respect, but a heartfelt recognition and acceptance.That's why they were even more confused.

Minister of the Ministry of Rites scoffed when he heard the words, and said in his heart that there were some people who disagreed before, but they were all short-sighted, and they were either demoted or disappeared, so you naturally couldn't see it.

But on the face, he raised his chin and said proudly: "King Changning shares weal and woe with His Majesty. He is extremely capable. He is a lucky star sent by heaven to assist the emperor. His Majesty did this because of his deep relationship with King Changning. Broad-minded, for the well-being of all the people in the world. Those of us who are courtiers, what can we object to?"

After speaking, he glanced at the other party, as if to say, "Your Majesty's mind and wisdom are naturally beyond the comprehension of mortals."

Envoy: "..."

With a forced smile on his face, he asked some more about King Changning, and he heard the other party flattering King Changning a lot, in the same tone as those common people in the market.

After the official from the Ministry of Rites finished speaking, he reluctantly raised his glass to the other party, and then immediately sat back in his seat, not wanting to listen to the other party's flattery anymore.

His colleague leaned over and asked, "How is the investigation going?"

The envoy wrinkled his face and shook his head: "I'm afraid this trip is different from what we thought."

The rest of them looked at each other in blank dismay, and finally, under the persuasion of the other party, chose to wait and see what happened.Those who can follow He Lanyuan are not fools, now seeing that the situation is not right, they all rest their minds and settle down for the time being.

On the contrary, He Lanyuan, Qiao Hairen and others had a good chat.

Naturally, it is inconvenient to talk about private matters at the palace banquet, only business matters.She first talked with Ye Yunting about the trade between the two countries in a businesslike manner.South Vietnam and North Zhao have a long history of trade and commerce, and the brilliance created in a short time is enough to pass on to future generations. Now the two countries intend to rebuild the treaty port and continue trade exchanges, which is good for the people of the two countries.

Qiao Hairen and others who were nearby heard it, and they were very itchy, and they also joined in the discussion.

Most people are optimistic about the resumption of trade. If the He family was not involved in the treason case back then, the trade between the two countries would have continued. In the past 20 years, both Beizhao and Nanyue would have made great strides in their national strength.

However, if nothing happens, after 20 years of no contact with each other, the two countries will reopen the treaty ports, and the terms and regulations need to be re-drafted.

This matter cannot be accomplished overnight, but after a short conversation, the two sides have clarified their mutual intentions.

The officials of Beizhao are gearing up, and they all want to reproduce the glory of Runan.It was Li Fengqi, who had been listening all the time, who said: "Now that the two countries have renewed their friendship, as a show of sincerity, I have ordered Dali Temple to investigate the case of the He family back then. Soon, I will be able to return justice to the He family."

Back then, more than [-] members of the He family's direct branch were accused of colluding with South Vietnam, and all of them were wiped out overnight. Now that the two countries have re-established diplomatic relations, He Lanyuan must give an explanation.

Several old officials glanced at He Lanyuan, wanting to say something, but hesitated not to speak.

In their view, He Lanyuan and the prince of Nanyue made a private decision for life back then, and the He family's accusation of collaborating with the enemy and treason was not unjust.

But now that the two countries have re-established friendship, and the bloody cases of the He family are in the middle, it is indeed a problem.If the solution is not good, let alone trade, I am afraid there will be a fierce battle, which is a situation that no one wants to see.The courtiers who wanted to understand all shut their mouths tightly and waited and watched.

On the contrary, He Lanyuan smiled: "Your Majesty is interested. I wanted to postpone this matter to discuss it later, but since it is brought up now, let's talk about it together. Some things are always stuffy and covered, but they tend to rot and stink. .”

She eloquently recounted the events of that year: "When I was still young, I secretly went to South Vietnam with my father and brother on my back, and accidentally met the former king He Lianxu who was traveling around. At that time, he and I didn't know each other's identity, but in During the process of playing together, love was born. After several times of sharing weal and woe, we made a private decision for life. Even my father and brother didn't know about this matter, and the only person who knew was Ye Zhili, the Duke of Qi who was my brother and sister at that time."

"I met him when we were young, and treated him as an elder brother, and talked about everything. But he couldn't do it because he asked for it. He turned around and told Emperor Chengzong about it, falsely accusing my He family of collaborating with the enemy and treason." He Lanyuan seemed to smile. With a non-smiling glance at the senior ministers led by Qiao Hairen: "The elders should also know that Runan was prosperous when it was in business, and you should also know that the treasury was empty and there was no money to use."

"Emperor Chengzong took a fancy to the He family's wealth, so he took advantage of the opportunity to fabricate a charge of collaborating with the enemy and treason. If he said collaborating with the enemy, I was indeed destined for life with He Lianxu. If I wanted to question the crime at that time, I had nothing to say. I, the He clan, have treasonous families all over the country, but it was Emperor Chengzong who fabricated the crime and framed Zhongliang!"

Her voice was neither high nor low, but it was just enough for the officials at the table to hear.

I don't know when it started, the sound of the string music has stopped, and the dancers have also retreated, leaving only the hall full of silence.

An old minister who had experienced the three dynasties suppressed his anger and said, "Now that the old man is gone, naturally Empress Dowager He can say whatever she wants!"

He Lanyuan was not angry, and looked at Qiao Hairen: "Lord Qiao is also a veteran who has passed through three dynasties. You should know the situation of the treasury at that time, right? After the He family ransacked the house, the Xishui Palace, which has not been completed, will be completed soon. If it wasn't for my He family's downfall, where would the Qianxiu Palace come from?"

"...Yes." Although Qiao Hairen was old, he was still not confused. When she reminded him, he also remembered.After the He family was searched, the national treasury was indeed full.

He Lanyuan smiled contemptuously, and said again: "Back then, Duke Qi's mansion was declining day by day. Although Ye Zhili won the first prize, he was only given a job that was neither serious nor important. But after the He family was convicted, did he win the Chengzong right away?" The emperor reused it, all the way to the top, from the official to the Zhongshuling?"

At this time, the other officials were silent, only Qiao Hairen nodded again: "Yes."

These old things are connected in series, and the veterans who have experienced Emperor Chengzong's period will understand it.

Back then when the two countries opened up trade, Runan developed very prosperously, and the He family even leapt to become the number one family in Shangjing.At that time, the treasury was in a crisis of no silver available.Emperor Chengzong was the lord of success, he worked hard to govern and treated the people with peace.But in those few years, natural disasters continued, taxes were waived again and again, and the treasury could only go in and out. Even with the taxes from Runan, it was not enough to fill this big hole.In the end, the cost of the harem was reduced again and again, and the Xishui Palace built by Emperor Chengzong in his early years had to be put on hold.

If it was said that Emperor Chengzong took a fancy to the He family's wealth, they would believe it.

But this matter is like the first emperor killing his brother. Once the case is overturned, it will be a scandal for the royal family.

No one dared to add more beaks.

On the contrary, Li Fengqi did not shy away from it at all: "Ye Zhili has been imprisoned in Dali Temple, and there is indeed a statement in his confession that he once exposed the empress dowager's affair with the former king to Emperor Chengzong."

In this way, He Lanyuan's statement was affirmed.

Several old officials glanced at him, feeling dissatisfied with his actions, but because of his power, they dared not speak out to persuade him.

In the end, Li Fengqi made a final decision: "Don't worry, Queen Mother, I will give the He family justice in this matter."

He Lanyuan nodded and smiled.

"This matter is just one of the reasons why I came to South Vietnam." She turned her eyes to Ye Yunting, and said: "I made a lifelong agreement with the late king. I originally wanted to ask Emperor Chengzong for a favor after returning to Beijing. Yunhe Lianxu and I To be a commoner couple. Unexpectedly, something happened to the He family first, the male was beheaded, and the female family members were hanged. I wanted to hang up, but was secretly rescued by Ye Zhili, and it was at that time that I found out that I was pregnant."

Speaking of her private decision to be pregnant before marriage, she looked very calm, but when she mentioned the part of the Duke of Qi's mansion, she deliberately blurred a bit, and only said that she didn't know Ye Zhili's true face back then, and she temporarily hid in the mansion of the Duke of Qi and gave birth to child.

"Later, I found out that Ye Zhili was plotting something wrong, and I planned to leave secretly, but I couldn't take the newborn child with me, so I could only ask Ye Zhili's original wife, Mrs. Wang, to take care of me."

She deliberately blurred the unbearable past in the middle, otherwise these people would definitely make a fuss about Ye Yunting's life experience.

Talk about seven points, and deliberately leave three points, let these people figure it out for themselves.

But the information given was very clear, and some of the quick-witted ones looked at King Changning above them and took a breath quietly.

There was also a moment when I didn't understand it, and I was still thinking about Ye Zhili's original partner, but she disappeared a long time ago, leaving only one son. Didn't I hear that she had other children?

Whispered to ask the colleague who has a good relationship, the colleague frowned at him, and said in an airy voice: "Are you stupid? The Wang family only has one son, isn't it the king of Changning?! Never heard of the civet cat changing the prince?"

As a result, there will always be a sound of inhalation that is suppressed as much as possible in the hall.

Some people wanted to question it, but they turned their heads to look at the calm Dali Siqing, and they felt that it was probably true.

Some officials who are familiar with Wang Qie know that Wang Qie has not been very close to this nephew.If he had known that this was not his sister's real son, it would have made sense.

Except for the most distinguished three people, the rest of the feast was not well eaten.The news was more shocking than the other, and the doubts were more than the other, but they didn't dare to discuss rashly, so they blushed.

After finally waiting for the banquet to end, he hurried out of the hall to take a deep breath.Officials who are familiar with each other don't need to say hello, just make an appointment to leave the palace and then go to the mansion for a small gathering.

Whatever happened at the palace banquet today, if it gets out, it will cause shock.Those of them who are ministers always have to figure out what they want and make preparations in advance.

The palace banquet is over, and the next is the family banquet.

He Lanyuan put away her overly serious and cold expression, softened her face, and said to Ye Yunting in a gentle voice: "I just said this not to force you to make a decision, but I just don't want you to have anything to do with Ye Zhili."

Regarding Ye Yunting's life experience, she has a hundred tactful ways to deal with it, which can not only save face, but also take care of Ye Yunting.For example, he recognized Ye Yunting as his godson on the grounds of congeniality.

But she and He Lianxu have been patient for so many years, and they don't want to let their son be so patient.If she wanted to admit it, she had to admit him back openly.

"Are you willing to change your surname back?" He Lanyuan said in a low voice, "I personally chose your name for you." When Ye Zhili learned that she was pregnant, he thought she was looking for the sake of the child, so he finally agreed. Accept fate.So it was up to her to name the baby.

The cloud is unrestrained; the pavilion is where people are stable.

I just hope that he will be free from restraints in the future and live a smooth and stable life.