The second story of the ancient sword II

Emperor Sheng Yuan and the Empress were sitting at the main table. Emperor Sheng Yuan was quite high-spirited, his cheeks glowed slightly after drinking a glass of wine.The queen on his right wore a golden red court dress, with a complicated Chaoyang five-phoenix bun coiled high behind her head.Two Xichi birthday hairpins and two golden phoenix hairpins made of silk are inserted symmetrically on the hair buns on the left and right sides.In the middle of the cloud temple is a red nobile with nine phoenixes wrapped around beads.The colorful hairpins overflowed with luxurious brilliance with her movements.Surrounded by left and right sideburns is a fat and shiny face.Under the thick cheeks is a slightly plump jaw and neck.The plump figure shows her pampered and privileged life.

On the side seat on the right are concubines of all levels, and they are arranged in order from front to back according to their rank.Yi Ze's eyes swept across the concubine's seat, and he couldn't help feeling a little sad in his heart.There are only three seats for the noble, virtuous and virtuous four concubines.If the concubine was still alive, would she be allowed to attend such a family banquet?

On the side seat on the left are royal family and nobles.The second prince Li Kang was not there, the first seat on the side seats was the eldest prince Li Xian, born of the concubine Xian, some of the emperor's uncles and their children.After what happened last time, the eldest prince Li Xian was still a little afraid of Yi Ze's appearance. When he heard the phrase "His Royal Highness the Third Prince has arrived", he actually averted his eyes from looking at him.Every gesture of his hands reveals that he does not want to have any intersection with Yi Ze.

Yi Ze stepped into the banquet, wearing an ordinary indigo blue cotton gown, the neckline and cuffs were embroidered with common flowing cloud pattern piping, and a wide cyan belt with auspicious clouds was tied around his waist.The black hair was still tied casually with ribbons, and a few strands of hair swayed with the steps and caressed his handsome face.

As he approached, his handsome figure fell into the eyes of a group of deep palace women.In the corner of the right seat, Kong Zhaoyi's heart beat faster, and today he can finally take a good look at the person he hasn't seen in ten years.She looked at him with affection in her eyes; she was close at hand, but he didn't see her in his eyes, and there was no trace of nostalgia in his eyes.In this way, it is enough to see this silently, Kong Zhaoyi closed his eyes slightly, and took a sip of wine.

"Yi Ze, come and sit over there." Emperor Sheng Yuan met Yi Ze's cold gaze, and he knew in his heart that he would definitely not salute him.So he pulled his face, showed a pleasant face, put on a fatherly face and opened his mouth first. "Today is the Shangyuan Festival, so there is no need to stick to rituals for family banquets."

Yi didn't say a word, and sat indifferently on the left side not far from Emperor Shengyuan. He didn't care about tasting delicacies or watching songs and dances, thinking that he had to go back before Haishi.

"Hey, this is the third prince Yan'er, he's getting more and more handsome..." The queen spoke first. "You are a prince, you are dressed so plainly, you have the demeanor of a concubine Shu..."

"Ahem..." Emperor Sheng Yuan felt a little furious when he heard the word 'Concubine Shu', his majestic eyes swept across the cheek of the empress who didn't know what to say, and interrupted her words with two dry coughs.

Yi Ze followed the prestige, and he was disgusted by that plump woman. She was the one who made his mother and concubine suffer so much and shed countless tears.

"Oh... Chenqie, Chenqie is talking too much, how can you mention those people who passed away on such a happy day?" The queen deliberately showed a flustered look, and looked up and down Yi Ze while speaking.

There was frost in Yi Ze's eyes, his fists under the table were clenched tightly, and the sword eyebrows on his forehead were slightly angry.

"Queen!" Emperor Sheng Yuan glanced at her, suppressing the anger in his heart, and seemed to say again in his eyes: Are you clearly provoking?Does it still appear that the conflict between father and son is not deep enough?

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, the Queen stopped talking about Concubine Shu, and instead covered her wide lips with a plump smile, "I heard that Yan'er has done a lot for this drought. Your Majesty wants to What are you rewarding?"

"Of course there is a reward!" Emperor Sheng Yuan turned his head and glanced at Yi Ze, "boss, the second child is crowned king, but Yi Ze said that he would wait when he was young, but he dragged it to the present. According to my decree, Li Yan, the third son of the emperor, will be granted the title of King of Binhai. He will bestow thousands of fertile fields, ten thousand grains of rice, three thousand taels of gold, one thousand bolts of silk and satin each, and he will be sealed on another day! Hmm... In addition, Yi Zegai has to be given the title. A big house, how can my son live in such a deep alley? It is said that it is not as spacious as the mansions of ordinary officials in the court. Yi Ze, what do you think?" Emperor Sheng Yuan rested his eyes on his face There was an expression of anticipation in his eyes.

Yi stood up slowly from his seat, wondering what kind of title he should use to address himself in front of that person.Do you call yourself a "children"?The concubine mother was buried in his hands. Isn't this title extremely ironic?

All the eyes from around were focused on him, as if they were waiting to see how he would speak.After a short pause, he slowly opened his lips, "These rewards are not of much use to me, and the reconstruction work in many places after the disaster still needs a lot of money. Why don't some of them be used to reward the soldiers on the border, Part of it will be used for spring plowing and river restoration after the next year. As for the mansion..." After a pause, he continued, "I think it's enough to have a shelter. If...if..." Yi Ze thought to himself, The mother and concubine didn't even have an ancestral hall.

Emperor Sheng Yuan seemed to read something from Yi Ze's eyes, and his heart felt as if he was being grabbed.His lips trembled slightly, and he wanted to make a sound several times, but was refuted by the face of the Ninth Five-Year Lord.

"That's all." Yi Ze finally didn't say it, but his fists on both sides of his body were tightly clenched.

"Yi Ze, what kind of thoughts do you have, but it's okay to say." Emperor Shengyuan quickly took over the words, "Is what you think in my heart the same as what I think in my heart?"

"I... have nothing more to say." Yi Ze's opening made Emperor Sheng Yuan fall into the abyss of loss again.The son was unwilling to accept any reward.

Seeing the slightly awkward situation between the father and son, the queen fanned a flame in her heart.Since you don't want to grant a reward, then you shouldn't refuse the marriage offer, right?If you give him your personal female officer Man Qing to be the prince and concubine, wouldn't it be a multiplicity of things?Manqing's father's family was misjudged and beheaded in the previous dynasty, and she is the only blood left behind.To Manqing, she can be said to be reborn with kindness, and she is also loyal to herself.It would be perfect to let her go to the third prince's side to make eyeliner.It can not only keep abreast of Li Yan's words and deeds, but also separate him from that goddess who has made great achievements in the battle of Liuyue City.Although he didn't like that kind of goddess, his son Li Kang liked it very much. He once said that if he got the goddess, it would definitely be of great help to his future seizure of the throne.Thinking of this, a smug look appeared on the corner of the queen's mouth.

"Your Majesty, since Yan'er doesn't want a reward, how about giving him a marriage?" The queen glanced at Yi Ze, and then fixed her gaze on Emperor Sheng Yuan.

The queen's words stirred up a thousand layers of waves, and there was some commotion in the banquet.Yi Ze's heart tightened accordingly, he just wanted to speak, but he turned his mind, maybe it was some provocative words again.And suppress your emotions and listen to what she has to say.

Kong Zhaoyi, who was at the banquet, heard what the queen said, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately felt ominous.Looking at Yi Ze, his eyes were full of worry.

"What's the queen's opinion?" Emperor Sheng Yuan hurriedly put down the wine cup in his hand when he heard that, the queen was just saying what he was thinking.

"What does your majesty think of Man Qing in my palace?" The queen said unhurriedly, "that girl is good-natured, gentle and virtuous, she knows astronomy and geography, but I trained her by myself. She can be called Prince Yan'er and princess The best candidate!"

"Man Qing?" Emperor Sheng Yuan frowned, searching for information about the girl in his mind.After thinking for a while, she couldn't help shaking her head, "She is good, but her status is a bit low, and she is an orphan, how can she be worthy of Yi Ze? If you want to choose a concubine, you must be a lady from a famous family. "

Hearing what Emperor Sheng Yuan said, Yi Ze's brows relaxed a little.He thought in his heart that since he disagreed, he would also avoid the verbal dispute with the queen.

"But as far as the concubine knows..." The queen gave Yi Ze a meaningful look, "The third prince already has a concubine. That concubine is not a daughter of a famous family. Could it be that the concubine is worse than My personal female officer?" The queen paused for a moment, and the corner of her mouth twitched, "Indeed, a gentle lady is not as good as the wild flowers on the roadside... It seems that I am not as good as Concubine Shu and wins the Emperor's favor..."

"Queen!" Emperor Sheng Yuan's eyes were full of fire.

"I, my concubine, my concubine... It's also for Yan'er! Your majesty, tell me, what's wrong with Man Qing? She's a first-class virtuous housemate!" The queen stood up and took out a silk handkerchief and wiped it lightly. He covered his face with a sad expression, "Come on, I'm troubled, I don't care."

"Well, it's a family banquet. Why should the queen... sit down, sit down." Emperor Sheng Yuan stroked his beard and frowned, "Speaking of which, Yi is not young. His two elder brothers have already married, Only Yi Ze... Yi Ze, how about this, choose a day to select a princess for you. Empress, you choose an auspicious day to make a fuss, and let all the ladies of the royal family and noble families come."

"I..." Yi Ze heard about Emperor Sheng Yuan's decision, and hurriedly got up, "I was married in the hometown of my mother and concubine. My wife is Miss Ruan who fought side by side in the Battle of Liuyue City."

"I heard and said that girl, she is indeed a good girl." Emperor Shengyuan nodded in agreement, but after a while, he changed the subject, "A royal daughter-in-law is not enough to be smart and beautiful. That Ruan Girl, after all, she is not from a famous family. If she can be successful in the future, let her be a side concubine."

"You..." Yi Ze was suppressing the anger in his heart, he calmed down and suppressed the anger.From what he said, one can only become a side concubine if she has something to offer, but Ah Ruan's body is not to say that it is to conceive children, even if she spends the rest of her life safely, it is very difficult.If she knew what happened here, she would definitely be sad...

"My mother's funeral has not yet passed...I'm afraid I shouldn't have such a complicated concubine selection ceremony. The marriage between me and Ah Ruan is just a proof of heaven and earth, and the sun and the moon are the matchmakers. It's a simple matter." Yi Ze paused, his gaze focused like a knife. On Emperor Shengyuan's face, "And... I will never let her down in this life!"

"Nonsense! There is no parental witness, no matchmaker's words, how can there be a marriage agreement?!" Emperor Shengyuan was furious, "I said I want to choose a concubine, so I will choose a concubine! Since you are kind and filial, then wait a little longer." Years. After one year, your marriage will be settled!"

"You... always try to overwhelm others!" Yi Ze couldn't hold back anymore, his clenched fingers almost crushed the wine glass in his hand, and walked out of the hall quickly with a flick of his sleeves.