love palace

The Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment is located in the north of the imperial city, and it is a quiet place adjacent to the Great Buddha Temple and Lingyin Mountain.Even though its gate is the same as other government offices, with red bricks and blue tiles and squatting bronze lions, there is always a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

Even the Buddha couldn't dispel the hostility accumulated over the years here. Branches with strange shapes grew intertwinedly along the prison cell in Xiyu, covering the tall and small iron windows that lined up even more tightly.

Zhao Guowei was locked in Cell No. 14 from the north.The inside was dark and damp, slightly rotten everywhere, and full of disgusting stench.

When Huang Ye arrived, it was three quarters in the afternoon, but the prison was pitch-black, without a ray of sunlight. The jailer lit a torch, and only then did he see the man in shackles, with ragged sleeves, kneeling on a straw mat. Zhao Guowei.

"Your majesty, you still want to interrogate the old man yourself?"

Zhao Guowei raised that gloomy face, and the one-month detention and interrogation made the wrinkles on his face even deeper, just like the old bark outside, but his eyes were sharp, and he kept staring at Huang Ye.

"Hmph, if you commit treason, you will be punished for the crime!"I'm here to see you on your way. "Huang Ye snorted coldly and ordered the jailer to open the cell door, and the executioner was waiting by the side.

Zhao Guowei suddenly felt deep fear, and said loudly and sadly, "The old man was falsely accused! He was only confessed under severe torture!"

"Back then, you were forced to murder my mother and concubine?" Huang Ye said coldly.

"——!" Zhao Guowei was stunned, how did Huang Ye know?Back then he acted extremely carefully, the person who sent to kill Concubine Ping was his confidant, and he had already poisoned him to death.Could it be that Huang Ye had already guessed that his mother would die?

If this is the case, then his views on Huang Ye will have to be completely overturned!

As long as he ascended to the throne of God, his mother might die. Huang Ye had endured for such a long time before avenging his mother's murder, which made Zhao Guowei feel cold and heartbroken!

"Zhao Guowei, not only did you murder Zhongliang, you have committed crimes, and you have repeatedly committed crimes in assisting the government, and you will die." Huang Ye no longer talked about the mother and concubine, but said, "But I think you are the elder of the second dynasty, so I will not To punish your nine clans, your guests, as long as you are willing to submit to me, I will let you go."

"Do you think that if you don't kill them, they will be loyal to you?" Zhao Guowei shook his head, trying to save the defeat, "Once the old man dies, these thousands of disciples and apostles will definitely rebel. Only the old man can persuade them to surrender..."

"It's a good minister who knows how to be loyal. Don't forget, this is my world! It's not yours. You don't have to worry about it." Huang Ye's eyes were sharp, and his tone was colder and more authentic, "To show With my determination to recruit virtuous ministers and appease the hearts of the people, I will let go of the past and marry your granddaughter Ke Shuolan as my concubine."

"What?!" Zhao Guowei's eyes flashed two extremely surprised lights, as if he was in ecstasy?

"But Ke Shuolan's son will never be canonized as the crown prince." Huang Ye smiled slightly, "You can go at ease."

"Emperor!" The reason why Zhao Guowei lived in the prison was that Shuo Lan was still in the palace, and the Queen Mother loved Shuo Lan from the bottom of her heart.

As long as there is the Empress Dowager Sun, the emperor cannot decide on marriage matters.And as long as Shuo Lan becomes a concubine, or even a queen, he will have a chance.

If Shuo Lan could give birth to a prince, even a princess would be fine.Empress Dowager Sun will pardon the world and celebrate with the whole country, and as the head of the country, not only can he be exempted from the death penalty, he may even regain his official title and make a comeback!

These days, Zhao Guowei has been thinking about this matter, because the crime of treason involves many things, and it needs to be interrogated many times by the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Punishment.

This gave him enough time to wait for Shuo Lan's success.

And now it's all shattered, with one careless move, the whole game is lost!This blow was heavier than his loss of military power, almost unbearable!

He even regretted, why did he have to compete with Ke Weiqing and use hidden weapons?If it wasn't for cheating, the emperor would have absolutely no excuse to take him down on the spot!

Even if he loses the game, as long as he returns to the general's mansion, he can still gather his subordinates to kill the king and seize power!

"No! The old minister didn't lose!" Zhao Guowei suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed like crazy, "It's the sky that wants to kill me! It's not you, Chunyu Huangye!"

"Although rise and fall is destiny, it is also man-made. You are self-confident and overreaching!" Huang Ye turned around and said in a very low voice, "Execution."

The executioner held up a shiny sword and walked towards Zhao Guowei, who was still laughing wildly, expressionlessly.

The news of Zhao Guowei's death spread throughout the country on the second day, but it did not cause much disturbance. In other words, no one dared to take the opportunity to make trouble.

A few days later, the emperor promulgated a new policy, punishing corrupt thieves, exempting from taxes and labor, and rewarding land reclamation.The hearts of the people in the world, including Zhao Guowei's old party, were all won over by his wisdom and domineering.

At this time, the military and political powers were integrated into one body, and the imperial power was further consolidated.There is no one in the court or in the field who can endanger Huang Ye anymore.

The history of Dayan has also opened a new chapter.

※※※

The winter solstice has arrived, and the Dayan Imperial City has ushered in the first heavy snowfall.Although it was cold, the sun was shining, and the snow covered the courtyard like a quilt, making it warm and light.

Ke Weiqing wore a white jade crown, a light sable velvet gown, and a Tiger Roaring Sword in his hand. He stepped on the creaking snow, wanting to exercise his muscles and bones when the snow stopped, but also to relieve his excitement.

It turned out that in the morning, the emperor issued a decree in the court hall, and decided to hold a "Order to go to war" ceremony on the sixth day of the first lunar month, and he will be named the Xuanwei general who will crusade against Lingquan country.

After that, it took three months to train soldiers and horses, hoard food and grass, and officially set off in April.

This is the first time that Ke Weiqing led an army to patrol and pacify the world in the name of the emperor.How could he be unhappy?

What's more, he got such an appointment when he thought Huang Ye had abandoned him.When he was in court, all civil and military officials congratulated him repeatedly.

And Ke Weiqing really thought that Huang Ye would never talk to him again.

"I don't want to have the emperor's child." Such words, now that I think about it, are indeed a bit heartless.

But he was a man, and it was unreasonable to have children.And Ke Weiqing always thinks Beidou's words are false.

While taking a bath, he touched his private parts secretly. He didn't have any special organs, so how could he give birth to a child?Beidou also said that he might be temporarily infertile?It is simply a fantasy.

But it is a fact that the emperor was angry about this. Although he came to Ganquan Palace once, he only stayed for a while and left without even taking a sip of tea.

The two didn't even talk, but Ke Weiqing was very pleased that Huang Ye was willing to tolerate Zhao Guowei's old party and not kill.The so-called governing the country with benevolence can win the world, it is like this.

"My lord, Lord Wu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, please see me." A father-in-law came in to preach.

"Master Wu?"

Ke Weiqing put away his sword, Wu Jingrong was the Minister of the Ministry of Officials who took office only last month, and Ke Weiqing was not familiar with him, but he still said, "Please invite him to the inner hall for tea, I will come right away."

"Yes, my lord." The father-in-law bowed and retreated, and Zhang Luo went.

When Ke Weiqing came to the inner hall where tea and cakes were placed, Wu Jingrong was looking at a calligraphy and painting "General Ling" hanging on the wall. It's not an official robe, obviously this visit is private.

"Master Wu." Ke Weiqing stepped forward to salute.

"Little prince, thousand years old! It should be the next official to bow down!" Wu Jingrong was over [-] years old, in his prime, with broom-like brows, bright eyes, and a sonorous voice.

"No, my lord, please get up." Ke Weiqing stepped forward to support him. He never pretended to be a prince.But with his current official position and the collection history of the library, how can he make Master Shangshu kneel to him?

"I came here abruptly this time, and I told the little prince not to take offense." After Wu Jingrong got up, he and Ke Weiqing went to the pear wood round table, and the eunuch accompanied him to make another pot of hot tea, put it on, and then retreated.

"No, what's your business here?" Ke Weiqing asked with a smile.

Wu Jingrong picked up the purple clay tea bowl, took a sip, and said, "I shouldn't have brought this up, but..."

"My lord, but it's all right."

"Then, may I ask the young prince, is he 17 years old this year?"

"Exactly." According to his age, he is seventeen.

"Honestly speaking, this age is really not young. The dog is one year older than you, and has already married a wife and had children, ha ha."

"Congratulations to Mr. Wu, three generations live under one roof, enjoying family happiness." Ke Weiqing cupped his fists and bowed.

"Same joy, same joy." Wu Jingrong said with a smile.

"What is my happy event?"

"Why didn't you? I'm here today to propose marriage to you." Wu Jingrong was not afraid to say it straight when it came to this point.

"Marriage proposal? Me?" Ke Weiqing was very surprised.

"Of course it's you! I've asked someone to calculate it, and the birth dates of you and your little daughter Rong'er are a perfect match. Also, Prince Ke said that this marriage is a good match, and it's a great thing for the two families to enjoy each other. If you can personally agree , it couldn’t be better.”

"Have you already visited my father?" Ke Weiqing was even more surprised. Has Wu Jingrong been to Yongqing Town?And the adoptive father has agreed to this marriage?Why don't you know anything about yourself.

"Yes, I went there a few days ago. Princess Shuolan asked me to send some imperial fruits to the old prince... You are really filial to your daughter. By the way, we still have to talk about the engagement." Wu Jingrong A little anxiously said, "You are going to go to war in April, get married before then, so you can go to war with peace of mind."

"Please allow me to think about it." Ke Weiqing was dazed by this sudden incident.Marriage engagement always feels out of reach, or in other words, it's someone else's business.

Ever since he became the emperor's favorite, no one treated him as an ordinary man, so how could there be any girl willing to marry him?

"This is a portrait of a young girl. She is three years older than you. She is twenty this year. Youdao is a third-year female junior holding a gold brick. It is definitely Wang Fu Mashiko's." Wu Jingrong pulled out a scroll from his sleeve , spread out on the table.

The girl in the painting is holding a silk fan. She has a pretty face and a plump figure. At a glance, she is a daughter of a family and a lady of everyone.

"She is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and she has long heard that you, little prince, are outstanding in martial arts, talented and intelligent, and she is very yearning..."

"Master Wu," Ke Weiqing had to interrupt, showing embarrassment, "You should know that the emperor and I...are you not afraid of outsiders' gossip? It is also extremely detrimental to your daughter's reputation."

"No, no, no!" Wu Jingrong waved his hands again and again, and said bluntly, "There is no conflict, the emperor's favor is your blessing, this eunuch is going to marry a wife, why did you wrong yourself?"

"I'm afraid I have wronged your daughter."

"Don't worry about this. My daughter is very enlightened. Even if you are married, you will definitely not be prevented from communicating with the emperor."

"But it's still not right." No one would marry a daughter like this.Ke Weiqing couldn't accept it.

"There are a few more words here, the old prince asked me to pass them on to you." Perhaps knowing that Ke Weiqing would decline, Wu Jingrong smiled and said.

"Please tell me." Ke Weiqing said very politely.

"Your father said that the emperor has not appointed a princess since the time of the prince, and now the queen is also empty, that's all, all the concubines in the harem have no heirs, this empty reserve is definitely not a good thing for Jiangshan Sheji ..."

Ke Weiqing was speechless, this is the emperor's internal affairs, he has no right to interfere, but the matter of the crown prince is related to national affairs, and the emperor has no intention of making the concubine pregnant...

"But why do you want him, a man to give birth to a child?" Ke Weiqing couldn't help thinking.

"So, the old prince thinks that the emperor should extend his favor and love the harem...... Do you think so?"

"……Yes."

"If you are married, the emperor must be in the mood to appoint a queen." Wu Jingrong said a very important sentence that directly hit Ke Weiqing's heart.

"That's it," Ke Weiqing turned pale, clenched his fists, and murmured, "I promise you."

"Really?" Wu Jingrong didn't expect it to happen so soon!Ke Weiqing is a popular person in front of the Holy Majesty today, as his father-in-law, he will surely have a prosperous official career and rest easy in the future!

"Yes." Ke Weiqing nodded.

"Haha! That's great! One more thing. The "little gift" for the engagement and the "choice of auspiciousness" are all discussed by Ke Wangfu with me, so you don't have to worry about such things. " Wu Jingrong said with a big laugh, and drank the tea in one go.

After seeing off Wu Jingrong who was satisfied and returned, Ke Weiqing sat in the inner hall, feeling very upset for some reason, and did not move for a long time.

※※※

The first day of the twelfth lunar month is a day of great joy for Ke Weiqing and Shangshu Qianjin Rong'er.On this day, not only to welcome relatives, but also to move to a new house, it can be described as double happiness.

Ke Weiqing was wearing a top hat and a bright red silk dress, standing in front of the mansion marked "Qingchunyuan" with a servant in the same costume. This was a new house specially bought for him by Prince Ke's mansion.

Ke Weiqing moved in here three days in advance, because the day before the wedding, she needed to "set up a bed". Princess Ke sent a "Quanfu" woman to take 24 pairs of chopsticks, tie them tightly with red threads, and put them on the groom's bed under the mattress.

They also found a young man with both parents, and called him "Xiao Yan", that is, the best man.Ask him to sleep on the side of Ke Weiqing's bed for three nights.Xiaoyan is also rewarded with steamed stuffed buns, peanuts, and eggs, which means "to give birth to a son."

Ke Weiqing didn't understand these customs, but he had to abide by them. The so-called marriage was decided by his parents, and Prince Ke and Princess Ke attached great importance to this marriage, so he was not allowed to be negligent.

"You were born with no father, no mother, no brothers and sisters. You are an ominous person. If you don't do happy things, if your husband and wife life is not harmonious in the future, wouldn't it be worth the loss?" The princess's sharp words made Ke Weiqing unable to argue.

Wu Jingrong also actively participated in it. The dowry gifts for her daughter were piled up in the hall of Qingchun Garden early on. There were money and jewelry, silk quilt covers, and antique porcelain. Marvel at the richness of this dowry.

"Congratulations! Congratulations to Prince Ke!"

An official in court uniform cupped his fists and bowed, and the servants behind him immediately handed over the red gift list.

"Lord Liu! Please, please sit inside." Prince Ke and Consort Wang followed with smiles on their faces, then turned around and handed it over to the officials behind. As the auspicious time approached, guests arrived in an endless stream.

Not long after, there was a burst of earth-shattering firecrackers outside, and the common people who gathered around the door early to see the bride, also cheered "Okay, yo!"

"Here we come! We come! The sedan chair is here!"

A maid happily came in to announce, and Prince Ke went to the door to welcome the princess and the guests together.

No matter how jubilant everyone was, Ke Weiqing was always as still as water, watching a red sedan chair carried by eight people coming from a distance.There is a gong on both sides to clear the way, and Xi Niang also distributes a lot of wedding candies... This woman who has never masked and has no feelings at all is about to become his wife.

And he married a wife and had children so that the emperor could concentrate on raising heirs and have more heirs. As a loyal minister, shouldn't this be the case?

But facing this bride, Ke Weiqing couldn't bear it, and even regretted that she should not have agreed so rashly.At least, he can persuade the emperor to establish a queen from other aspects.

But right now, with the big wedding coming soon, he could no longer break the contract, and decided that no matter what, he would treat this wife kindly.

As for the emperor...he can only guard silently, and his feelings for the emperor can never be exposed to the sun.

"Ke Weiqing, hurry up and pick up the bride!" At some point, the sedan chair had already stopped in front of the door, and the princess urged him.

"Yes." Ke Weiqing regained consciousness and walked towards the sedan chair step by step.

"Give birth to a precious son early! We will be together for a hundred years!" Xi Niang sprinkled red dates, longan, and peanuts, and then opened the curtain of the sedan chair, and led down a woman with a phoenix coronet and a red cap on her head.

The bride shyly grabbed the red satin in Ke Weiqing's hand, and the two walked into the mansion, one behind the other, amidst the sound of gongs and drums.

In the wedding hall, the red candles are burning high, and the incense is lingering.Prince Ke and Concubine Wang sat in mahogany carved mahogany chairs, waiting for the couple to bow down.

The praise officer drew his voice and sang loudly, "Bride, bride, come forward and worship the heaven and the earth!"

Ke Weiqing and Wu Rong'er faced the outside, knelt down and saluted, three kowtows, no one less.

"Okay, okay!" All the audience laughed and clapped their hands.

The officer of praise said again, "Stay flat and reset! Everyone kneel before you! Second bow to the high hall!"

Ke Weiqing knelt down facing the beaming Prince Ke.I was kowtowing with Wu Rong'er when I heard a commotion outside and someone broke in!

"Holy—the decree has arrived! Ke Weiqing—received the decree!" The publicity eunuch in red ignored everyone's surprised gazes, holding the bronzing scroll in his hand high, and shouted brightly.

"...Long live my emperor, long live, long live!" Ke Weiqing couldn't help being startled, but he turned around and knelt down to his father-in-law.

All the people present also knelt down in unison, respectfully welcoming the emperor's will.

As the saying goes, a gentleman has the beauty of an adult. Could it be that the emperor came to reward this couple?The fact that Ke Weiqing is going to get married is known all over the city, and it is impossible for the emperor not to come to congratulate her.

"In spring, the emperor's edict said: Ke Weiqing will enter the palace immediately to meet you! There must be no mistake! This is yours!" the father-in-law read in one go.

"What?" Ke Weiqing raised his head in astonishment, going to see the emperor at this time?

"Aren't you going to accept the order soon?" The father-in-law frowned, "The slave has to go back and return to order."

"Yes... the minister received the decree, long live, long live, long live." Ke Weiqing received the sudden and unclear imperial decree with both hands.

At this time, Wu Rong'er suddenly lifted her hijab, and just stared blankly at her husband.

"Wait until you come back." Prince Ke said with an extremely ugly expression, "Go and come back quickly."

"Yes." Ke Weiqing bowed again.The guests looked at each other, and in the bewildered silence, they sent off the groom.