love palace

Secretary of Ganquan Palace.

"It's finally finished." In front of Ke Weiqing, there was a three-foot-square ebony box that smelled like tung oil.

"Great, I didn't expect you to succeed." Qing Yun stood at the other end of the wooden box, and he looked at the box in amazement. You know, this is a very mysterious thing.

"Thanks to Brother Qingyun's help, I can't dig out all the maps by myself." Ke Weiqing said gratefully.

It turns out that this is a topographic map of the Ten Kingdoms, which is different from the one drawn on a sheepskin scroll. Ke Weiqing carved the topography of Dayan, Nanlie, Liang, Feiyi, etc., rivers, lakes, and borders with great precision. A messy pile of wooden boards can clearly show the territories and geographical locations of various countries.

And this set of wooden boards can be disassembled and packed into a wooden box when marching, which is what it is now, and it is easy to carry.It is not afraid of falling into the hands of the enemy, because it requires a specific order to assemble the map, and only Ke Weiqing knows the formula of this order.

"Hurry up and show it to the emperor, the majesty has been waiting for your results!" Qing Yun said excitedly, gearing up.

"Okay, let's go." Ke Weiqing and Qing Yun carefully carried the heavy wooden box to the Imperial Study Room of Changchun Palace.

Huang Ye was talking with Wu Jingrong, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, about the recent evaluation of officials, the appointment, dismissal and transfer of officials below the fourth rank, all of which are in charge of Mr. Wu.

When he came today, besides talking about scientific research, he also wanted to remind the emperor that the position of Minister of the Rear Office had been vacant for a long time, and a suitable candidate should be filled.

They were talking about this when Ke Weiqing arrived.

"The ministers kowtow to the emperor, long live, long live, long live." Ke Weiqing and Qing Yun knelt down to salute, Wu Jingrong felt extremely pity when he saw Ke Weiqing who was more energetic and handsome.

Almost, Ke Weiqing became his son-in-law. Although his daughter Rong'er finally married the prince and had a good future, she was a concubine after all, and she was not as honorable as being in the right position.

But Wu Jingrong is very loyal to the emperor, he will never make irresponsible remarks on the emperor's finger marriage, but he is indeed a bit slow, because he doesn't understand the emperor, and has a strong desire to monopolize Ke Weiqing. Just treat him as a general, or a male favourite.

"Little prince." Wu Jingrong saluted Ke Weiqing.

"Master Wu." Ke Weiqing always felt guilty towards Wu Jingrong. He wanted to ask Qianjin how he was, but felt a little presumptuous, so he didn't ask.

"Why are you so unfamiliar? Isn't he your 'father-in-law'?" Huang Ye saw Ke Weiqing's expression of concern, wanting to ask but not daring to ask, and felt a little jealous in his heart.

"Your majesty, you're making fun of the old minister again." Wu Jingrong couldn't hear the jealousy inside, and laughed with a flick of his beard, "The little prince is a good-looking talent, not a little girl can be worthy of it."

"No, it's me who climbed high, I..." Ke Weiqing said quickly, but seeing Huang Ye's eyes became sharper, she couldn't help but keep silent.

"Your Majesty, look quickly, what did General Ke and I bring?" Qing Yun interjected at the right time.Behind him, on the bluestone floor tiles, stood a rectangular wooden box.

"Oh? You made it?" Huang Ye asked, looking at Ke Weiqing with bright eyes.

"Yes." Ke Weiqing nodded, and then smiled, "It's not disgraceful."

"May I ask Your Majesty, what is this?" Bao Jingrong stared at the big box curiously, and saw that there were gaps in the top.

"Hehe, let Master Wu come and take a look." Huang Ye smiled and said very proudly, "This is the brainchild of Wei Qing after he traveled to various countries."

Wu Jingrong was even more surprised now, and looked straight at Ke Weiqing.After Ke Weiqing bowed to the emperor, he walked towards the wooden box.

I saw that he opened the box like a magic trick, and one board was tightly clamped to the other. After being spread out layer by layer, it was a zhang square, which was a lifelike military map.

"Wow! This is really a work of art! Your Majesty, look at the rivers and mountains. This is—is it the Great Swallow?" Wu Jingrong opened his eyes wide. The territory of the Great Swallow is so vast that Tianqi in the north has already been included in it, and now it is the Great Swallow. One of Yan's provinces is named Tianhe, and the four affiliated countries have all been changed to counties. In this way, the territory of Dayan has changed from north, west, east, and south, making it the largest country in the world. , truly lives up to its reputation!

However, you can also see the movements of other countries from the bordering land. The Lu Kingdom and Jialan in the north have turned against each other. Now they are fighting fiercely. Their territory has also changed. The Lu Kingdom is devouring Jialan bit by bit.

In the south, the Nanlie and Feiyi countries also sometimes clashed with each other. Although their countries were small, their national strength was very strong, and they always claimed to be the first, replacing Great Yan.Liang Guo was sandwiched between the two, and he seemed to be sitting on the sidelines, but his national power was indeed weaker.

The Donglin Kingdom in the east is the most mysterious, making it impossible to grasp its movements. When Ke Weiqing went there, he was interrogated and obstructed by local officials many times.

The Sheng and Xia countries in the southeast are vigorously developing their navies, and at the same time, there are also a lot of pirates there.

Xiyi in the west is a mountainous area, surrounded by mountains on all sides. There are many natives there, and they are all very warlike. They are the strongest soldiers in Xiyi.

Each country has its own characteristics, and has the ambition to dominate the world. They all regard the annexation of Dayan as the first step to fight for the world, because almost every country has contact with Dayan...

Huang Ye, Wu Jingrong, and Qing Yun all listened to Ke Weiqing's explanation. This pair of woodcut maps is a book of war. As the saying goes, knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to win a hundred battles!

"It's wonderful. With this map, the veteran can also defend his home and country, marching and fighting!" Wu Jingrong sighed, stroking his gray beard.

"Master Wu, tell me, will the post of Secretary of the Ministry of War be vacant again?" Huang Ye asked with a smile.

"This..." Wu Jingrong was stunned for a moment, then laughed haha, and cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, it's the old minister who is dull. I didn't realize that the best candidate was right in front of me. I'm really old. I strongly recommend this person." people!"

"Who?" Ke Weiqing couldn't help asking, but found that the emperor and Mr. Wu were looking at him.

"Recommended by the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, I order you to be the Minister of the Ministry of War, Ke Weiqing, why don't you kneel down and thank you!" Without giving Ke Weiqing a chance to decline, Huang Ye directly appointed him.

"Ah?" Ke Weiqing is already a general, and if he is the secretary of the Ministry of War, then the deployment of military power is all in his own hands?Such a big responsibility not only shows Huang Ye's reuse, but also a sense of trust.

"Hurry up, General Ke! This is the emperor's oral order!" Qing Yun couldn't wait, and urged from the side.

"My humble minister, thank you Lord Long En! You must do your best and die!" Ke Weiqing was so grateful that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"Get up, Wei Qing." Huang Ye nodded in satisfaction, letting Ke Weiqing stand up.

"As the saying goes, the young prince is more and more able to stand alone, and the younger generation is formidable!" Wu Jingrong congratulated Ke Weiqing.

"Where, there will be more advice from Mr. Lau Wu in the future." Ke Weiqing quickly returned the gift.

"This is really worthy of a big celebration. If you don't get drunk, you won't go home!" Qing Yun said exaggeratedly, and Wu Jingrong laughed. Madam is here."

"Please." Huang Ye nodded and said, before seeing this person, the hall smelled a scent of jasmine.

"Your servant will leave." Both Wu Jingrong and Ke Weiqing understood that it was the emperor's private business and they could not stay, but Huang Ye waved his hand and said, "It's okay, you stay here."

When Ke Weiqing wanted to say something, Shuo Lan, who was dressed up and smelling fragrant, had already stepped in.

"The concubine sees Your Majesty." Shuo Lan's beauty is almost ashamed, she is already 19 years old, like a ripe fruit, she is indescribably charming.

Her voice was like a yellow oriole coming out of the valley, mellow and melodious, showing the demeanor of a noble concubine.

"My concubine, excuse me." Huang Ye stretched out her hand, motioning for Shuo Lan to sit beside the dragon chair, an armchair covered with yellow upholstery.

"My concubine, thank the emperor for granting the seat." Shuo Lan gave another salute, then walked over slowly, and sat down dignifiedly in the chair.

Ke Weiqing had long heard that Huang Ye was very kind to Shuo Lan, and now the act of "loving the concubine" and the act of bestowing a seat had already made it very clear.

Wu Jingrong and Qing Yun stepped forward together, bowed to Shuo Lan, Ke Weiqing also knelt down, and said, "I will pay my respects to Lady Lan, thousand years old, thousand years old, thousand years old."

"Get up. Your Majesty has spared everyone here, how can I still put on airs?" Shuo Lan smiled very sweetly.

"Since Concubine Lan said so, you all get up." Huang Ye said, and sat back on the dragon chair.

Wu Jingrong, Ke Weiqing and the others thanked each other and stood up.

"Your majesty, my concubine was outside just now, and I heard you laughing happily. May I ask what's the happy event?" Shuo Lan looked around softly, and asked pretendingly curiously, "Why didn't you say anything when the servants came in?" ?”

"It's a happy event. I appointed your younger brother, Ke Weiqing, as Minister of the Ministry of War." Huang Ye smiled slightly.From this point of view, the award seemed to be flattering Shuo Lan.

"Oh?" Shuo Lan raised her slender eyebrows like a moon, looking very surprised, looked at Ke Weiqing, and then quickly turned to the emperor, "This one loves the house as much as his own, this concubine should thank the emperor very much."

"It's not all about loving houses and black people," Huang Ye said with a smile, "Ke Weiqing is very familiar with the terrain of various countries, and he is very familiar with the deployment of troops and generals. He is the most suitable minister of the Ministry of War."

"The concubine understands." Shuo Lan smiled coquettishly, "The emperor doesn't need to explain to the concubine."

"No, both of you brothers and sisters are familiar with the art of war, I would be more than happy to talk about these things with you or your younger brother."

Although concubines cannot participate in government affairs, after all, Shuo Lan was carefully cultivated by Princess Ke. She is capable of writing and martial arts, and is familiar with astronomy and geography, which is quite different from other concubines.

This is why Huang Ye often goes to Jinyun Palace.Shuo Lan is gentle and virtuous, understands righteousness, and has unique insights into the situation of various countries. She can be said to be a hero among women.Moreover, she was never jealous, and she was generous to other concubines and treated her servants kindly.

Maybe when people grow up, there will be some changes, Huang Ye feels that compared with the previous Shuo Lan, the current Shuo Lan is like his good wife, who has improved a lot in dealing with others.

"Brother Wang, don't come to thank the emperor." Shuo Lan greeted Ke Weiqing who was stunned there, and said very affectionately, "Come and thank you."

"Hehe, he has already thanked you, so there is no need to salute anymore." Huang Ye smiled and said to Shuo Lan, "What is the purpose of you coming to see me?"

"Ah, it's nothing serious. Seeing that the weather is fine today and I miss the emperor, my concubine came to chat with the emperor."

If any other concubine did this, she would definitely be considered ignorant of the rules, but Shuo Lan said it softly, with a hint of coquettishness, which is not annoying.

"Really?" Huang Ye replied with a smile, looking at Ke Weiqing, "Have you and Concubine Lan not seen each other for a long time?"

"Yes." Ke Weiqing said, his voice was unexpectedly hoarse.

"Then, I will give you two to swim in Taicui Lake together, okay?"

"Chen..." Ke Weiqing didn't know how to respond, because he knew that Shuo Lan didn't like him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for thinking about it. It is true that we haven't seen each other for half a year," Shuo Lan interjected, "If it is His Majesty's kindness, it would be the best to grant us two siblings a trip to the lake to reminisce about the old days, but..."

"Just what?" Huang Ye asked gently.

"My concubine is bold enough to invite the emperor to swim in the lake together." Shuo Lan got up gracefully and said a blessing to Chao Huangye, "It's rare that the weather is so good recently, please let the emperor relax."

"Okay, I'm going too." Huang Ye said with a smile, and then said to Wu Jingrong, "Master Wu, come too, since it's a royal family's pleasure, I must invite you, and your wife can also be brought along. "

"Your Majesty Chrysostom, you are flattering the veterans and the lowly wife." Wu Jingrong quickly bowed to thank him, with joy that couldn't be concealed on his face.He is not a relative of the emperor, even if his son-in-law is a prince, he would not dare to go beyond the rules of etiquette.Huang Ye personally invited him, tantamount to admitting that he is a member of the royal family.

"You don't need to be too polite." Huang Ye said, looking at Ke Weiqing again with his deep eyes, but found that he was not looking at him, so he was a little disappointed.

Isn't this a happy event?Why did Ke Weiqing not see the slightest excitement.

"Your Majesty, there are still a few places on this map that need to be corrected. Rong Chen will leave first..." Ke Weiqing noticed Huang Ye's probing gaze and said with folded fists.

"This..." Huang Ye wanted to keep him, but Shuo Lan spoke first, "It's okay, Brother Wang, you have time to go on a boat trip with sister after you've finished your work."

That being the case, Huang Ye could only nod and allowed Ke Weiqing and Qing Yun to leave.Wu Jingrong was embarrassed to continue to hinder the emperor from whispering with the concubine, so he also left.

In this huge imperial study room, only Huang Ye and Shuo Lan are left. No one knows what they are doing, but it must be because of their deep affection and envy to others.

※※※

In the morning of early winter, a gust of north wind blows, but Shuo Lan is wearing only a silk skirt, standing on the terrace covered with morning light.

She likes the cold wind, which makes her feel sober and stronger, just like the bronze unicorn standing in front of the palace gate.

Of course, she is more noble than Qilin, because she is the phoenix among men and the proud son of heaven.One day, she will stand on the rooftop, accept the worship of all officials, and become Queen Dayan.

Ke Weiqing was just named a general. To put it bluntly, it was a dog raised by the emperor who would die outside at any time. Why didn't she realize this before?He also sent assassins out of necessity, which almost ruined the big event.

"Your Majesty." A court lady knelt down behind her, "It's very cold, please change your clothes."

"Yeah." Shuo Lan gracefully turned around and said, "Has Eunuch Ai been here?"

"I've been here, he said, I don't want to disturb your rest, ma'am, so I asked my servant to tell my mother that he has already prepared all the boats needed for today's lake tour."

"It's really hard for him." In the past, Shuo Lan would never say such a thing. Chunmei's betrayal made her understand one thing, and the servants can reuse it, as long as they silence it afterwards.

And under the heavy reward, there must be a brave man, Shuo Lan is not worried that no one will work for her, but she can't beat and scold the servants at will like before, if the news spreads, it will damage her prestige.

Therefore, Shuo Lan often rewarded her servants, and even distributed the rewards from the emperor to the servants around her, making them flattered and loyal to her.

And the father-in-law took the initiative to curry favor with her. For example, Director Ai was in charge of the management of the cruise ships in the palace. His help was indispensable for today's matter.

"Hmph, I want to see whether the emperor loves you or I..." Shuo Lan thought to herself, looking forward to the arrival of Youhu.

※※※

In the early winter of every year, the lake in the palace has not yet frozen, but the crucian carp in the lake has grown fat, which is a good time for fishing and playing.

The eunuch will first prepare a two-story ship, and set up a banquet on the second floor. In the center of the table, there is a large copper-cast hot pot, where wild vegetables are cooked, served with various spices, mushrooms, ginseng, etc.

Then the little eunuchs will row the black-covered boats and fish in the lake.The fattest crucian carp is caught and sent to the first floor of the big boat. A cook slaughters it on the spot, cleans it, pickles it a little, removes the fishy smell, and sends it to the second floor.After being inspected by the food eunuch, it is sent to the hot pot to make delicious fish soup.

During this period, the emperor, concubines, and ministers watched the shimmering scenery of the lake together, and there were musicians playing and playing, and answered the questions correctly.

Sometimes, the courtiers would personally board the small boat to catch crucian carp for the emperor. Whoever caught the most and the heaviest fish would be rewarded by the emperor. This is also very interesting.

Ke Weiqing once participated in such a winter lake excursion, but at that time, the queen mother was still alive, and Shuo Lan was not yet a royal concubine.

Now, all of this is decided by Shuo Lan.Ke Weiqing thought it was a matter of course, but at the same time felt very uncomfortable. His heart felt like a mess, and it became tighter and tighter... These days, getting along with Huang Ye day and night made Ke Weiqing feel that in this world, only Leave him and Huang Ye alone.

For the sake of the emperor, he can rush to make maps day and night, and change the design many times, striving for excellence.There were more than a thousand scrapped wooden boards, enough to fill a study room. However, after the map was completed, these wooden boards were all burned to ashes.

Qingyun said, "The emperor will understand your painstaking efforts." This is very true, so he was named Minister of the Ministry of War.But Ke Weiqing knew that what he was seeking was not official position and power.

As long as Huang Ye looked at him more, Ke Weiqing would be very happy.Huang Ye's eyes would stay on him instead of waiting for him to go to bed.

But is such an idea going too far?He is just a general, not a concubine, no matter how he faces each other day and night, no matter how he is recruited to sleep, Huang Ye still belongs to Shuo Lan and is her husband.

And he can stay by Huang Ye's side only by using his status as a general, but at the same time he cannot win Huang Ye's heart.Huang Ye's love is reserved for the queen and concubine.Only they can give birth to Huang Ye's offspring...

wrong.

Ke Weiqing suddenly remembered what Beidou said, that he could also get pregnant, but he always felt that it was impossible.

But... when he heard his adoptive father Ke Xian talk about the jade pendant on his body, the pattern on it was similar to a bird, Ke Weiqing thought of the pattern on his arm, how similar it was!

Could it be that she could really conceive and give birth to Huang Ye's child?Even if it's not a woman?Wuque...is there really such a magical race in this world?

Ke Weiqing was both nervous and happy, and wanted to find Yonglin, but he couldn't find any trace of him.

—I don’t know where he went?

However, if it is possible to conceive, what kind of impact will this child bring to Huang Ye?It's not that Ke Weiqing doesn't understand the power of it.Can a child born to a man stay in the palace?For Dayan's royal lineage, this is a kind of blasphemy, and will be ridiculed by the world.

So he refused Huang Ye's request to give birth to a child more than once.Let's not talk about whether he can give birth, if he does give birth, he is also a "evil seed" and cannot survive.

Therefore, it is enough to keep it as it is, Ke Weiqing kept persuading himself that as long as Huang Ye is willing to reuse himself, conquer the world for him, and share his worries, he will not waste his life!

But the more he thought about it, the tighter the knot in his heart became. Only he knew the pain in his heart.

Unknowingly, Ke Weiqing came to the shore of Taicui Lake where Huang Ye and Shuo Lan met.

Surrounded by mountains, the lake is green and deep, like a huge emerald jade, and also like the legendary stone of Taisui, so it is named "Taicui Lake", and it is also the most extensive lake in the harem.

Looking from a distance, one can already see a vermilion painted boat, almost like a painting boat, parked in the middle of the lake.There are some small boats around, with magnolia tied at the head and tail, and the white bouquet looks very elegant.

These are all the ideas of Concubine Lan Gui, the big boat is extremely luxurious, even the small boat, in the past it was just a small boat with a black awning, without any decorations.

Because it was a royal family banquet, it was much more relaxed than the usual solemn and solemn ceremony, so when Ke Weiqing stepped on the big ship, he heard a lot of laughter.

Ke Weiqing climbed up the stairs and came to the second floor, where he saw a picture-like scene. Huang Ye was wearing a casual uniform with a collar and narrow sleeves, but it was also an extremely exquisite robe, with gold coiled dragons embroidered on each shoulder.

Huang Ye did not wear a golden crown, but a golden hairpin.It was set with a shiny black pearl, which perfectly matched his black eyes.The hairpin is in the shape of a dragon, as if flying in the clouds, setting off Huang Ye's handsome face and his emperor's majesty.

Shuo Lan next to Huang Ye was dressed up as always, but she was also ingenious. She took out white bird feathers to make jewelry, a gold down hairpin, a pair of down earrings inlaid with pearls, pink and refreshing makeup, she looked like a girl , and like a lady, there is an indescribable charm.

Her hands were clinging to Huang Ye's arms, the two seemed to be whispering, Shuo Lan smiled very sweetly.

When Ke Weiqing came, everything he thought about disappeared instantly.Any rationality, any rhetoric, is useless at this moment!I just feel pain like a splitting heart, I can't see anything else, I only see their concubine love, cuddling each other.

"Wei Qing, why are you here now?"

Huang Ye spoke, the banquet had already started, Ke Weiqing just arrived, what did he do?

Ke Weiqing was taken aback for a moment, only to find that everyone had arrived, except Wu Jingrong and his wife, there were five princes and concubines, one of them was Wu Jingrong's son-in-law, Prince Anlu, but he was with him The one beside her is not Wu Rong'er, but the main room.

"Your majesty, you let Wangdi become the Minister of the Ministry of War, and you must be entangled in official duties. Now that you are late, you will be punished with three glasses of wine, so you can avoid the blame." Shuo Lan said softly, and gently pushed Huang Ye's arm , Pretending to rescue Ke Weiqing.

Everyone present felt that Concubine Lan Gui was a reasonable person who loved her younger brother, even if this younger brother competed with her for favor, she would not care about it.

For a while, all the concubines stood on the side of Concubine Lan Gui. They hated male pets, but now they support her even more.

Apparently, Huang Ye also liked Shuo Lan's demeanor, she nodded with a smile, and said, "Then give me three glasses of wine, come and serve the wine."

Standing where he was, Ke Weiqing took the pear blossom wine from Li Deyi with both hands, and drank three cups in one go.

"Okay! Sit down." Huang Ye said with a smile, and gestured to the right with his hand.

The music sounded again, and Ke Weiqing noticed that the seat on Huang Ye's right was vacant, but on the left was Concubine Lan Gui. Wasn't Huang Ye afraid that others would say that he hugged left and right and favored a pair of siblings?

Ke Weiqing didn't know where his anger came from, but he ignored Huang Ye's instructions and sat down in an empty seat nearby.

Unexpectedly, the person sitting next to him was Prince Anlu.The two toasted to each other and exchanged pleasantries. Ke Weiqing couldn't help asking about Wu Rong'er's recent situation.

Prince An Lu said with a smile that she was pregnant, so she didn't come today. He also said that several old ladies were invited to take care of her. Ke Weiqing was relieved knowing that she was doing well.

"Ke Aiqing really cares about the prince's concubine." Huang Ye suddenly put down his wine glass and said calmly.Prince An Lu hurriedly toasted to the emperor, and thanked the emperor again for the marriage, so that he could continue the incense.

Ke Weiqing didn't look at the emperor. In fact, he drank a lot of alcohol, and the smell of alcohol and jealousy rose together, and the feeling of heartache was gradually numb.

When the sun was setting, there was a wind blowing on the lake, and it was getting cold gradually, but Concubine Lan became interested and said that she wanted to go fishing in person. The servants all persuaded her that the wind was too strong, the waves were too fast, and it was dangerous to go down to the lake. .

But Shuo Lan said that she knows martial arts, so it's not a problem with such a storm, and besides, she wants to catch a fat fish for the emperor no matter what.

He also said that if the emperor is worried, he can ask General Ke to accompany her.

Ke Weiqing got up, and without waiting for Huang Ye to speak, he said, "The minister takes orders", a little self-assertive, although Huang Ye was not very happy, but still agreed.

But Ke Weiqing actually only wanted to blow the cold wind, so he wanted to get on the boat.

Shuo Lan, Ke Weiqing, and Eunuch Ai got into the small boat together, facing the howling wind, swayed the oars, and came to the other end of the lake.

Ke Weiqing adjusted the fishing rod and put the bait on the iron hook. This was done by the servants, but he didn't mind.Eunuch Ai was busy shielding Concubine Lan Gui from the wind. The wind on the lake was not so strong.

"Ke Weiqing, come here." Shuo Lan said, stretching out a jade hand with a ruby ​​ring, "support me." Here, she no longer calls herself her sister.

"Yes." After Ke Weiqing set up the fishing rod, he passed Eunuch Ai and went to Concubine Fulan.The boat was already very narrow, and Eunuch Ai was a little fat, so the boat shook even more.

"Mother, be careful." When Ke Weiqing said this, he stretched out his hand to Shuo Lan, but he didn't even touch her sleeve, and saw her fall backwards, and fell into the lake with a "crash"!