After being robbed by the prince of the enemy country

The palace banquet began with the sound of silk and bamboo orchestra.

Chu Shao's seat is right behind Huaizhen, if Huaizhen doesn't turn his head, he can only look at the back.

Ever since he stepped into the palace gate, he has been watching Huai Zhen's back.

Looking at the other royal children present, most of them sat alone, and only a few married ones sat beside their wives.

Chu Shao knew that he had no name or status, so he should be content to be able to sit close to King Yu.

"Today's banquet is to commend my son Jiu Gu for recovering Nanqi." Emperor Qin sat high in the main hall, his eyes fell on Huai Zhen, his voice was slightly hoarse, but it could be seen that he was trying his best to cover up. Facts of growing weakness.

Holding the cup in both hands, Huai Zhen got up and bowed to the emperor: "Thank you, Father."

After King Yu got up, other princes and nobles in the banquet hall also got up together, congratulating and toasting King Yu.

Except for one person - King Rui who sat directly opposite Huaizhen.

King Rui's appearance was ordinary, he belonged to the ordinary type that he could not remember at a glance, but the other young master sitting next to him was very eye-catching.

The one who can sit next to the prince can only be the regular wife, and Chu Shao thinks that this is probably the Princess Rui Wen Lubai whom Huai Zhen mentioned to him.

Wen Pei has a handsome face and a pure and calm demeanor. Even if he is sitting next to King Rui, amidst the hustle and bustle, he can still be happy and independent, without being surprised by favor or insult.

After congratulating everyone, they sat down again, only King Rui remained motionless. At this moment, Wen Pei stood up, holding a cup of tea, and said to Huaizhen, "I will replace wine with tea. Congratulations to His Royal Highness King Yu for his military exploits again."

Huai Zhen happily drank the cold wine in his glass, others wished him with utilitarian purposes, only Wen Pei didn't, he disdained it.

If he was a tactful person, he should have said at this moment, "I will replace wine with tea on behalf of His Royal Highness King Rui." Wen Pei didn't want to do the scene for King Rui, as if the two were not husband and wife.

Chu Shao also saw this.

Among the princes and nobles who are sitting with their regular wives, which one is not the wife pouring wine for their husbands, but when they arrive at King Rui's side, they become King Rui pouring wine for Wen Pei, while Wen Pei only drinks tea. The poured wine is not touched.

It can be seen that King Rui loves his wife, but he can't see how much this wife loves King Rui.

"I heard that the second brother brought a... best friend back from Qizhou?" King Rui looked at Chu Shao behind Huaizhen with malicious intent, "It's rare for the second brother to have a good person by his side. Is it okay to sleep?"

When a close friend talks about it, they can only hide it from outsiders. The group of people in the palace have many twists and turns, so they naturally know that the close friends around King Rui are by no means just friends.

"Brother Huang, you are joking. I brought Xiao Shao into the palace openly today, with the intention of leading him to meet his father and queen." Huai Zhen said with a smile, "I'm not like my elder brother, who likes to hide everything. on."

King Rui's expression froze, and the smile in his eyes gradually dimmed.

Emperor Qin pretended not to hear the sharpness in the words of the two sons, raised his hand and said: "Then let the son of the Chu family come to the palace."

Chu Shao got up quickly, and walked in front of Huaizhen from behind. Just now he was hidden in the corner, and everyone didn't pay much attention. Now that he walked into the bright light, a small group of low voices rang out in the banquet hall.

Everyone in the royal family is used to seeing beautiful and handsome men and women, and they will not easily look sideways at ordinary beauties, but Chu Qingxu is enough to make these people sigh secretly how biased Nuwa must have been in order to create this person. A dusty face?

Wen Rongyu, who was sitting next to Wen Teng, secretly crushed a green grape between his fingertips.

According to Zhongqin's etiquette, Chu Shao gave a decent gift to the emperor, and Emperor Qin asked him to raise his head, and Chu Qingxu raised his chin slightly.

Empress Zhao, who was sitting next to the emperor, secretly pinched the phoenix on the seat, rejoicing that this person was a man, otherwise it would be a catastrophe for the destruction of the country and species.

The emperor's happiness and anger were invisible, no one could see through the turbulent situation in Emperor Qin's eyes, and the hall became strangely quiet. Just when Huai Zhen was about to sit still, he suddenly heard his father ask: "I heard that you You were kidnapped when you were young, and it was Zhen'er who rescued you from Qizhou?"

"That's true, His Royal Highness King Yu is the savior of the grass people."

Chu Qingxu thought uneasily, the next sentence the emperor will ask him about his experience in Nanqi, right?

Those things can't be brought up on the table, and they shouldn't be mentioned at King Yu's celebration banquet.

Cold sweat slowly overflowed from his forehead, Chu Shao was terribly afraid that he would embarrass Huai Zhen because of his past.

But there was a hearty laugh from above his head, and he heard the emperor say kindly: "As the saying goes, life-saving grace should be promised with your body, and you should repay it with your life. In recent years, Zhen'er has been tired by wars, and there is no one around him who knows how to be cold." People who know heat, now you eat and live with him, you have to serve him wholeheartedly, this is only a way of repaying your kindness."

The implication is that Chu Shao acquiesced in following Huaizhen.

He even knew everything about Chu Shao and Huai Zhen eating and living together.

Seeing that Chu Shao was still kneeling, the emperor said, "Get up, today is a family feast, so don't stick to these customary etiquette."

Huai Zhen signaled Wen Yan to help him up in person.

This scene was seen by Wen Teng and his daughter, and they sank into the bottom of their hearts.

When Chu Shao walked to the seat, Huai Zhen shook his hand quietly, and sure enough, his hand felt cold sweat—I was afraid that he was frightened just now.

In the interlacing of toasts and cups, everyone had their own ghosts, and Emperor Qin, sitting in a high position, could see clearly.

After drinking for three rounds, Emperor Qin asked everyone to go to the imperial garden by themselves. Empress Zhao saw that Emperor Qin's complexion was slightly pale, and she knew that his body had stretched to the limit, so he had to go back to the inner hall to drink medicine and rest.

She took a deep look at King Rui, got up and left with Emperor Qin.

As soon as the empress left, the people in the hall seemed to be pardoned, and they gradually let go a lot.

Huai Zhen turned to look at Chu Shao, saw that the broken hair on his forehead was still wet with sweat, so he took a handkerchief to wipe his forehead, and said with a smile:

"Frightened?"

Chu Shao whispered: "...I'm afraid I'll embarrass you."

Huai Zhen smiled lightly and said, "How can you be ashamed, you made me look good today."

"..." Chu Shao took the handkerchief and wiped his sweat by himself. After all, he was in the palace, so it's not good to get too close.

Seeing him sweating profusely, Huai Zhen led him to relax in the imperial garden outside the hall.

He walked like flying, Wen Rongyu was wearing a long skirt, and he couldn't keep up with him, so he could only watch Yu Wang holding hands with others.

When he arrived in the imperial garden, Chu Shao breathed a sigh of relief, he was no longer tied up like in the palace, he subconsciously held Huai Zhen's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Zhener."

Huaizhen followed the prestige and saw that it was Concubine Ning.

Among the high-ranking concubines around Emperor Qin, apart from Empress Zhao, there was only one Concubine Ning.

After the death of Huaizhen's biological mother, she was raised by Concubine Ning for three years, which can be considered as a mother-child relationship.

Concubine Ning has only one princess under her knees, and the emperor is now seriously ill. If she wants to have a future, she must rely on a prince who is expected to ascend the throne, so she naturally values ​​Huaizhen very much.

After the mother and son exchanged greetings, Concubine Ning's eyebrows turned to Chu Shao, who stepped forward and bowed: "I have seen Concubine Ning."

"Good boy, since you are the person Zhen'er likes, you don't need to be polite to a mother like me." She personally supported Chu Shao's arm, and said sincerely, "I only know that Qizhou's mountains and rivers support people when I see you, no wonder Zhener likes it."

Chu Shao said: "Your Majesty is absurd."

At this moment, Wen Yan came over with a gift box in his hand, Concubine Ning glanced at it, and asked with a smile, "What kind of rare item?"

The last time Huaizhen returned to Beijing, he had sent a lot of Nanqi's rare items to Concubine Ning's Palace, which was considered a filial piety. She thought Huaizhen had prepared some other gifts.

"It's a golden mahogany horn bow, a sharp weapon confiscated on the battlefield." Huaizhen opened the gift box and showed Concubine Ning.

Seeing that it was a bow and arrow, Concubine Ning knew who the gift was for, she smiled and said: "That child Lu Bai is enjoying the lotus in the kiosk."

"Thank you, Concubine Mu." This saved me a lot of time to find someone.

Concubine Ning glanced at Chu Shao, and joked, "Did Zhen'er ever give you a present?"

"..." Chu Shao touched his wrist, and the Miansheng couldn't bring a sharp weapon when entering the palace, so the sleeve arrow was kept at home.

Concubine Ning thought he didn't answer when she saw that he didn't answer, so she taught Huaizhen a lesson: "You can't treat one more favorably than another."

Chu Shao quickly explained: "Your Majesty misunderstood, Your Highness gave me many things, I just didn't know what to say for a while."

"Oh, but I underestimated Zhen'er." Huai Zhen has always been careless in terms of feelings. He didn't expect to be so caring about Chu Shao. I am afraid that in the past half a year, he has been giving gifts in different ways to please him every day. Happy.

Concubine Ning was very relieved, she was a smart woman, knowing that Huai Zhen and Wen Pei had something to say, so she didn't bother her too much, chatted for a few words and then went elsewhere.

Only then did Huaizhen close the gift box, and suddenly realized that Concubine Ning's sentence of "treating one more than another" made sense, so he deliberately explained to Chu Shao: "Wen Pei and I had a classmate friendship, and his father Zhen Guogong is my mentor. The days in Prince Rui's Mansion were boring, and I happened to get a good bow to relieve his boredom."

Chu Shao didn't think much about it at first, but it was Concubine Ning who brought it up and realized that she seemed to be jealous, but before she became jealous, Huai Zhen explained it clearly, so he naturally understood.

Besides, even if the longbow was given to him, he couldn't pull his hands away.

"I get it all," he said.

Huai Zhen smiled knowingly, and led Chu Shao to the small pavilion by the lake—Chu Shao didn't need to avoid this suspicion.

The lotus in the imperial garden has not bloomed, only the buds are dotted in the miserable green.

Wen Pei leaned on the bench in the small pavilion, his eyes were quiet, and there was only one personal entourage beside him, King Rui was not around, and no one else dared to disturb him.

There is a flower bud that blooms the highest in the lake, constantly swaying in the wind, very ostentatious.

"Lu Bai." Huai Zhen led Chu Shao into Wen Pei's lonely world, "When did you like admiring flowers?"

Hearing King Yu's question, Wen Lubai's stagnant eyes only came to life a little bit, he got up and straightened the cloak on his body—June Tian, ​​he couldn't take off the cloak even though he was afraid of the cold.

"The last time His Highness returned to Beijing, I didn't even have time to see him."

Huai Zhen smiled and said, "That's why I came here specially to find you today."

Wen Pei smiled faintly, glanced at Chu Shao, and smiled deeper: "I rushed to Suizhou to save the beauty that night."

Chu Shao: "...." This young master looked at Shen Ding, why did he like to talk to make people funny?

"That night was really thrilling, but luckily I made it in time." This was the first time Huaizhen mentioned the Suizhou Change after returning to Beijing.

Wen Lubai's face became more serious, "Have you found out the clues? More than ten thousand people attacking the city at the same time, it will never be as simple as banditry."

The inquiry and puzzlement on his face were not pretended, Huai Zhen grew up with him, just looking at this one, he basically concluded that Wen Pei didn't know about the private soldier.

Raising private soldiers is not a plan that King Rui can make, it must be the idea of ​​people around him.

Wen Lubai and Queen Zhao are the only two intelligent and powerful people around Huaiyang.

Behind Wen Lubai is the entire Zhen Guo Gongfu. If he wants to seize military power for Huai Yang, the entire Wen family will help him.

Empress Zhao's mother's family's influence in Beijing is deeply rooted, she pins all her hopes on Huai Yang, and for Huai Yang's sake, she will do whatever it takes.

Huaizhen didn't doubt Wen Pei too much at first, but now he is even more relieved, but in order to guard against the Rui Palace, he still has some reservations: "The bandits in Langshan really don't have this ability, there should be other forces infiltrating them, and there are no one yet. conclusion."

"You just came back to Beijing, and it's a lot of inconvenience, do you need my help?" After saying that, Wen Pei felt that something was wrong. What would he do for Princess Rui to help King Yu?

Although it is just friendship, it is more or less surpassed.

Huai Zhen knew what he was thinking and couldn't bear to make things difficult for him, "Don't worry, I have plans for these things."

After a pause, he asked, "Is the emperor treating you well?"

Chu Shao saw the bleakness in Wen Pei's eyes, which seemed to be a living spring that died again.

"He treated me like a day for ten years."

Good or bad, it's not clear.

The name of King Rui's beloved wife spread far and wide, but it was used to deceive the common people. What happened in private, like drinking water, only Wen Pei knew how warm it was.

"Look at what I brought you." Huai Zhen took the gift box and unfolded the bow in front of Wen Pei.

Wen Pei's eyes lit up, and the gloom about King Rui just now disappeared.

Chu Shao, an outsider, could see it clearly—the dignified Princess Rui, as if she had never seen a good bow.

Wen Pei picked up the longbow, weighed it in his hand, and stroked the bow. The golden mahogany wood is extremely tough. He picked up an arrow feather and posed in an archery posture full of strength and beauty. The direction is the flower bud swaying in the wind.

He closed his eyes, only listened to the sound of the wind, and let go of the arrow feather with his right hand. In the blink of an eye, Chu Qingxu shot the flower bud swinging five miles away into the center of the flower, and all the petals scattered, becoming the first flower in the imperial garden this summer. The open lotus-although it is suspected of plucking the seedlings to encourage growth, it has to be said that it is...

"Good arrow skills!" Chu Qingxu exclaimed, he looked at Wen Pei with admiration, this man's arm strength is amazing, unlike himself, he can't even pull a child's slingshot...

There was also a sincere smile on Wen Pei's face, he was not at all the same person as the depressed Princess Rui just now.

"This bow was handed over from the number one archer in Nanqi. Your archery skills are far superior to mine, so it's just right for you." The words blurted out, and Huai Zhen looked at Chu Shao belatedly. Fortunately, he didn't realize what was wrong with this statement at all.

Wen Pei looked at Huai Zhen and said, "Thank you, Ah Zhen, I like it very much."

"A Zhen" was what they called when they were young. At that time, they were still young, and there was no strict distinction between monarch and minister, and the title was very intimate.

Huai Zhen said comfortingly: "It's fine if you like it. The Duke is afraid that you will be unhappy in the palace, and I am also worried about you."

"I made my father worry." Wen Pei said against his will, "I...everything is fine."

It was almost evening when the celebration banquet ended.

King Rui had something to do in the palace, so Wen Pei went back to the palace first.

Prince Rui's Mansion is divided into east and west courtyards. The east courtyard is responsible for the daily life of the palace, while the west courtyard is where King Rui handles affairs. Although the two courtyards are both in the palace, they are clearly separated.

Wen Pei personally held the gift box containing the longbow and put it in his study.

As soon as it was put away, a young servant came to report that King Rui had returned to the mansion.

"You only need to report to me when he is coming to the east courtyard to sleep, and you don't have to report everything." He sounded upset.

The boy knew that the prince and concubine had been separated for a long time, and the servants of the prince's mansion were caught between the two courtyards, so he was very embarrassed: "The prince was drunk and said he wanted to see the concubine."

Wen Pei withdrew his hand on the bow and arrow, took off his cloak, and went to the front hall of the west courtyard.

As soon as he entered the hall, he smelled the smell of alcohol, Wen Pei frowned, and called a few maids around King Rui to serve him, he didn't want to stay.

"Wen Lubai! You stand there and don't leave."

Huai Yang staggered up to Wen Pei, and everyone was lying on his shoulders. Wen Pei wanted to push away in disgust, but the other side was huge, and the servants on the side didn't dare to get involved.

"Did you go to see that brat Huaizhen today?"

"So what?"

"What did you see him for? Your husband is my king!!"

"Don't I meet the prince every day?"

Wen Pei didn't know what kind of madness he was about to go, and tried hard to push the person away, but Huai Yang was pushed out of anger, and suddenly clamped Wen Pei's shoulders with both hands: "He gave you a bow, didn't he?! You Still shooting arrows today?!"

"Huai Yang, are you going to go crazy with alcohol again?!"

"I'm crazy? Why do you want to see Huaizhen? Why do you want to touch bows and arrows? You know that I hate these things the most, why do you just want to make me unhappy?!"

Huai Yang pushed hard, Wen Pei's center of gravity was unstable, he fell onto the chair, his waist hit the handle of the chair, and the chair was knocked out of place.

"princess?!"

The servants in the house were at a loss.

There was severe pain in his waist, and Wen Pei couldn't move for a while. Seeing this, Huai Yang was half sober, and hurried to help him. Wen Pei slapped him on the face, pushed him away, and struggled to get up by himself with the chair.

Three years ago, King Rui had a realistic dream. In the dream, he would die from a sharp arrow piercing his eyebrows. After this dream, he banned all objects related to longbows in the palace, and even changed the long suits around him. One group, because most of them know how to shoot archery.

However, Wen Pei, who was unable to practice martial arts after falling into the water, only had his hobby of archery that did not require too much physical support. After all, the young man in his early 20s had a wild heart. King Rui trapped him in the mansion, and he could not tolerate his only one. A hobby, just for such an absurd and illusory dream!

"It's simply unreasonable." Wen Pei couldn't bear it anymore, and slammed the door away. Wei Gu, the long follower beside King Rui, hurriedly caught up and knelt down in front of Wen Pei.

"Princess, please calm down. The lord was just drunk. He definitely didn't mean it. You must not go back to the Duke's mansion again. This will damage the lord's reputation!"

Wen Pei smiled wryly.

What Wei Gu cares about is King Rui's reputation, and the entire Prince Rui's residence regards King Rui's reputation as more important than his life.

King Rui gained a foothold in the ruling and opposition parties by relying on the reputation of being spoiled by his wife.

Wen Pei's eyes turned black. He never thought that saving this person when he was young would kick him into the purgatory of the palace.

The marriage was bestowed by the imperial decree, but the empress secretly forced her. If she dared to propose marriage and divorce, the government of Zhen Guo would be implicated.

Everyone in the palace knows that the princess must endure.

"My king is wrong." Huaiyang hugged Wen Pei from behind, with tears in his eyes and choked up in his words: "You don't know how real that dream is."

"Burn the bow he gave me, please make me feel at ease."

Since that dream is so real.

Wen Pei thought, that must come true.

The author says:

Shao'er: My role model!