first and second

In life, there are countless encounters, but there is only one first meeting between one person and another.

"Mu Yu, it's snowing a lot. Let's go to the palace back garden to enjoy the plum blossoms. I heard from the palace people that the plum blossoms bloomed early this year, and they are very beautiful and spectacular." A high-spirited voice sounded.

Mu Yu looked at the feather-like snow outside, and said, "Your Highness, Second Prince, wait for me, I'll take the paper umbrella."

Mu Yu held an umbrella for the second prince and came to the back garden of the palace. The two enjoyed the heavy snow and tasted the red plums, and walked to the depths of the plum garden without knowing it. It turned out that someone had already come here to enjoy the plum blossoms one step ahead of him. This person was wearing a white fox fur cloak, with a jade hairpin on the back of his head, holding a red umbrella in one hand, and stroking the plum blossoms with the other. , unexpectedly male and female indistinguishable.A gust of cold wind blew past, and the hair on the man's forehead was blown up, exposing his red nose from the cold, which was very pitiful.

The second prince was stunned on the spot, as if his legs were filled with lead. He was obviously a man, but he couldn't tell whether the plum blossoms were more beautiful or that man.By chance, he walked like that person, this short short distance, he seemed to have walked for a long time, the closer he was to that person, his heart seemed to stop suddenly, what kind of perception is this?This person is different from others, when he walked to him, the wind stopped, the snow stopped, as if the life of the four seasons were suspended, and all belonged to a certain moment of heavy snow.The moment he raised his eyes to look at you, red plum blossoms bloomed, and a faint fragrance floated in the field of life. From then on, a seed called love was planted in his young heart.

"...My lord... My lord, wake up, someone is coming from the capital." Li Chengyun woke up from his dream, and saw Mu Yu talking to him respectfully.He rubbed his eyes, felt the sticky feeling of his underwear, stroked the jade hairpin in his hand, let out a breath, dreamed of him again, and couldn't remember how many times.

After a while, Li Chengyun sat up and half leaned on the red sandalwood couch, rubbed his temples, and said in a hoarse voice, "Take the visitor to the study room and prepare water for bathing."

After Mu Yu brought hot water and poured it into the bathtub, he waited aside.Li Chengyun got off the couch, stepped on the cashmere carpet with bare feet, took off his underwear, and threw it aside.

Across a screen, Li Chengyun let out a sigh of comfort, and said lazily: "Send the gold, silver and jewelry sent by Wan Jiajin yesterday to the right guard Qianhu Tan Qing and the others."

"My lord, last night Wanjajin sent two beauties after you rested, and I placed them in the backyard according to the usual rules."

Li Chengyun sneered and said: "The food is delicious and the clothes are waiting for you. Be sure to keep an eye on them. Don't let them walk around the mansion as they like, and send them all out after a while."

Mu Yu said again: "When you were resting, Governor He Daren sent someone to ask the prince to gather at 'Xiangmanlou' while feeding."

"En! Change clothes for this king." While speaking, Li Chengyun had already put on his middle coat, and was waiting for Mu Yu to change his clothes with open arms.

As Li Chengyun's bodyguard, Mu Yu has long been accustomed to take care of everything for him.

After about a cup of tea, Li Chengyun pushed open the door of the study and sat down in front of the desk. First, he looked at Ling Ran. He looked seventeen or eighteen years old. Since he had been on the road for three days and three nights, Ling Ran couldn't help it at this time. His face looked very pale, and his hair was a little messy.

Li Chengyun leaned on the chair and put his hands on the armrests, in a relaxed state: "I remember you, you delivered lunch to Chief Assistant Liu, did he send you here?"

Ling Ran heard that Mu Yu who glanced behind Li Chengyun did not speak.

"My man, you can just say it." Li Chengyun saw his subtle expression in his eyes.

Ling Ran nodded, and took out the letter from his bosom: "Lord Liu said that this letter must be delivered to the prince himself."

Mu Yu took it and handed it to Li Chengyun. It was written on it by the King of Chu: the tiger is the king of the forest, and the cat is the court pet. I hope to help you become a tiger and ride the forest in the future.Remonstrance: Tang Weizhen's younger sister Tang Yiqing, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, has reached the age of marriage——Liu Wenchao"

Li Chengyun thought for a while, and there was an inexplicable smile in his eyes: "Go back and tell Mr. Liu, if I am a tiger in the future, he will also be a lion, riding the mountains and rivers together."

Ling Ran: "Master Liu specially asked you to write back to him, my lord."

Li Chengyun raised his eyes and glanced at Ling Ran, and said to Mu Yu who was standing behind him, "Yan Mo."

After Ling Ran left, Mu Yu said: "My lord, Mr. Liu doesn't trust you, and wants you to leave evidence, which can be used as proof in the future."

Li Chengyun didn't care at all, picked up the letter and read it again, and lightly touched the words on it with his hand: "It's not Master Liu's order, it's the boy's own intention."

Mu Yu was puzzled: "Then why didn't you expose him?"

Li Chengyun handed the letter to Mu Yu, playing with the jade hairpin in his hand: "Lord Liu is my king's husband after all, I don't look at the face of the monk but the face of the Buddha, I still want to give him face."

After reading the letter, Mu Yu asked, "When does the prince plan to go back?"

Li Chengyun smiled evilly: "I have to go back sooner or later. Now he has paved the way back to Beijing for me. If I don't go back, I'm just showing his kindness." After speaking, he laughed and left the study.

Mu Yu followed behind Li Chengyun, thinking: The prince hasn't smiled so happily for a long time.

-

Kyoto.

On a sunny and breezy afternoon, a court lady with her hair rolled up, wearing a long-sleeved short jacket and a goose-yellow skirt, was happily walking through the corridor with a letter in her hand. into a palace.

In the palace, Concubine Lan was lazily lying on her side on a reclining chair, and there was a cat lying on the chair. The cat purred as Concubine Lan was stroking.

"Ma'am, this is a letter from the prince."

Hearing Xiulian's voice, he raised his eyes slowly, opened his rosy mouth and said to the two behind him, "You two go out."

She stretched out her slender hand to take it, and after a moment of silence, Concubine Lan Gui smiled softly: "My son said he was going to get married." The smile in her eyes couldn't stop: "The younger sister of Tang Weizhen, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, is nineteen years old. Let’s go! Invite her to the palace some other day and I will meet her.”

Concubine Lan Gui stood up, and the cat also jumped off the reclining chair: "Go and inform Eunuch Ying Xin that I have learned a new piece of music, and I want to sing it to the emperor tonight."

Xiulian was also infected by the happy atmosphere, and went out cheerfully after responding.

-

Day two.

At that time, the gate of the palace had already been opened, and all the officials were wearing well-dressed court uniforms. They walked up the white jade steps in silence, and the accessories on their bodies made a "clang clang" sound.

The music sounded, and there was a voice from a distance: "The emperor is here!"

All the ministers: "Welcome to the emperor."

Emperor Huiming wore a yellow robe with a collar and narrow sleeves. On the front and back, there were gold-woven pan dragons on each shoulder, and he walked up to the dragon chair, which symbolized dignity and nobility, and sat down, followed by a row of eunuchs.There is a golden dragon coiled on the armrest of the dragon chair, and there is a relief of two dragons playing with pearls under the seat, which looks very grand.

After one eunuch tidied up the emperor's appearance, another eunuch's voice came immediately: "Le Zhi"

After a series of etiquette.

Emperor Huiming said: "Proclaim my will."

Eunuch: "Tang Weizhen, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, received the decree and proclaimed the emperor. Tang Yiqing has a good appearance, beautiful appearance and wisdom. I am very pleased to hear from the imperial concubine. Now that the king of Chu is ready to marry, he should choose a virtuous woman to match. Tang Yiqing treats her as a boudoir Among them, being with the King of Chu can be said to be a match made in heaven, and for the beauty of being a beautiful woman, Tang Yiqing is specially betrothed to the King of Chu as a concubine. All the etiquette is handed over to the Ministry of Rites and the Qin Tianjian Jianzheng to manage together, choose a good day to get married, and hereby."

Tang Weizhen was like a mirror in his heart: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the marriage."

Emperor Huiming smiled and said, "Get up!" Then he looked at everyone and said, "The chief examiner for this year's imperial examination has not yet been selected, please recommend it."

Half of His Highness's ministers recommended Liu Wenchao, and half recommended Chen Xueliang, forming two schools.

Emperor Huiming looked at the two of them, undecided.At this time, Liu Wenchao stood up and said: "I think Liu Fang, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, is knowledgeable and honest, so I recommend him."

Liu Fang was indeed as Liu Wenchao said, so everyone had nothing to say and nodded their heads one after another. Upon seeing this, Emperor Huiming said with satisfaction: "Then Liu Fang will be the chief examiner for this year's imperial examination."

Recommending means showing your face in front of the emperor. If the matter is done well, there is still hope for promotion.Liu Fang was stunned for a moment when she heard her name, and then she reacted and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, the minister accepts the decree."

After the meeting was over, Liu Fang walked quickly to Liu Wenchao's side and saluted, saying, "Thank you Liu Shoufu for your recommendation, Liu is very grateful, and I hope the first assistant can give you some advice, what should I do?"

Liu Fang thought that Liu Wenchao recommended herself for personal gain and fraud.Liu Wenchao naturally understood what he was thinking, so he smiled and said, "Your Majesty Liu, you don't need to worry too much, just act impartially."

After Liu Wenchao left, Liu Fang was left alone.

At this time Liu Wenchao said to Tang Weizhen beside him: "Do I look like a traitor?"

Tang Weizhen laughed and said, "You are not related to him for no reason, and you have no personal contact with him, so you just let him take advantage of it for no reason, can he not think too much?"

Liu Wenchao: "I recommend him only because I think his character is suitable. That's all. There are so many twists and turns. Where did the capable ministers come from? It all comes from the imperial examination. A prosperous country requires talents."

Tang Weizhen nodded and said, "Yes, people like you can't be found even with a lantern."

Liu Wenchao chuckled: "Then someone like you is a dragon and a phoenix among people."

While the two were fighting and laughing, Chen Xueliang came over and said with a sneer: "You two are fighting and making trouble, the emperor does not avoid suspicion under his watchful eye, no wonder others say that the two of you have broken sleeves."

Liu Wenchao was not annoyed, he just smiled lightly and said, "I can't hear and don't care what others say."

Chen Xueliang looked at Tang Weizhen and said, "Your Majesty Tang really invested a lot of money, and all his blood-related sisters are used as chess pieces. Don't 'lose your wife and lose your army'."

Tang Weizhen: "Thank you, Mr. Chen..." Liu Wenchao took over the words before he finished speaking, "Don't worry about Mr. Chen, you should worry about your daughter! If you can't get married, you might as well consider me. .” After speaking, he pulled Tang Weizhen up and left.

When Chen Xueliang came to his senses, he looked at the backs of the two and scolded: "It's unreasonable."