After being frightened by the Spring Lie Rebellion and violently dealing with King Yu's party after returning to Luan, Emperor Liang increasingly felt that his health was deteriorating and he could not support himself. After consultations with the imperial doctors, although they spoke tactfully, they only said that they should rest in peace and rest.

No problem, but looking at his appearance and complexion, Emperor Liang also knew that his situation was not good. The older a person becomes old and sick, the more valuable his life becomes, so even if he couldn't let go of it, Emperor Liang had no choice but to put it away first.

East Palace Supervisor

This was the origin of the imperial edict, which explicitly ordered that on days when the emperor was not ascending to the throne, the prince would handle daily government affairs on his behalf in Chengqian Hall. At first, Emperor Liang had the intention of deliberately testing and observing from the sidelines, but later he saw that

Jingyan acts cautiously

Shen was fair, and showed no sign of being arrogant because of this, so he gradually became half-hearted. Except for summoning the three ministers and six ministers every six days to report a major event in the court, the rest of the day was devoted to preserving his life.

Because he has the power to handle political affairs, and because he has a rough grasp of the overall situation, Xiao Jingyan, the crown prince of the East Palace, is much more secure than his predecessor, but at the same time, he is much more tiring. Sometimes he listens to a large number of reports in Chengqian Hall,

After reviewing the pile of papers, he still has to meet with important ministers in his palace to discuss some difficult matters.

Today's six ministers of the imperial court are basically new ministers in the past two years. Only Li Lin, minister of the Ministry of War, is still the same as when the former prince was in power. During the explosion of the private artillery factory that year, he once gave a discount to Jing.

The king was once accused of misappropriating military funds. Although the incident ended with Prince Jing getting praise instead, in any case, he had offended others. Therefore, after the former crown prince was deposed, Prince Jing's status gradually rose.

Zhong, Li

Lin naturally tried his best to bridge the gap, but no matter how hard he tried, he never got any response from Jamel Xiao. After the prince was ordered to supervise the country, Li Lin felt that his official career might come to an end, so he waited with trepidation every day.

He waited for the East Palace to deal with him, but after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. Instead, he received an important task in court, requiring the Ministry of War to be responsible for submitting a restructuring plan for the garrison replacement around the imperial capital. Li Lin speculated for a long time.

I was not sure what His Highness the Crown Prince meant. It wasn't until I was coldly mocked by Shen Zhui, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, that I suddenly realized that this master was different. Instead of trying to figure out the thoughts of the superior, it was better to get things done first.

. He has been the Minister of the Ministry of War for so many years, and he actually has a good understanding of the ups and downs of the imperial military system. Putting aside party disputes, his ability is sufficient. At this time, he made up his mind and put all his energy into it.

He put all his efforts into it and drafted a plan ten days later. It was well received in the court meeting. After only revising some details, it was forwarded to the emperor for implementation. The approval of the emperor and the praise of his colleagues have brought him success over the years.

Li Lin, who was trapped in the party struggle, felt satisfied and happy for a long time, and towards the new prince who obviously did not take his past grievances to heart, his feelings changed from fear and fear to loyalty and admiration now.

"Speaking of it, the party struggle is really a nightmare. Although some people have been trapped in this dream, fortunately some people can wake up." In the east palace, Shen Zhui had just finished discussing a political matter.

He lamented, “In fact, most people are

At first, all I had in mind was the ambition to help the world, serve the country, and honor the ancestors. However, the dirty atmosphere in the officialdom gradually affected people's minds, and they inevitably drifted with the tide. When His Majesty was updating the atmosphere in the court, he was also willing to give some opportunities to these people.

It is truly benevolent."

"However, such opportunities cannot be given over and over again. Some people's human nature has already been set and it is difficult to change." Cai Quan, who has always been more aggressive than Shen Zhui, raised his eyebrows and said, "There are many wise men in the world, so leave some space for them." Wouldn't it be better for students from poor families who are not contaminated?"

"No matter how wealthy or poor the students are, there is a way for students to advance. As long as the court can provide fairness regardless of family background, it cannot be overcorrected. You must know that experience is still very important in serving as an official and in government. For newcomers, Although officials are superior in terms of character and vigor, they are inevitably inferior in experience."

"Who is born knowing everything? If you give them more opportunities to practice, they will naturally become more experienced."

"That will take time," Shen Zhui waved his hand, "Just like the change of garrison defense and restructuring. Li Lin's seniority is not a good show. Whoever I want to replace him to handle this matter, I'm afraid. You can't be more thoughtful or to the point than him."

"I admit that the plan of the Ministry of War is very good, but it is only a case and cannot be extended to most people. Things like seniority and experience vary from person to person. Some people can support others for ten years, but some people can only guard one person. It’s been more than ten years since I’ve been there, but I still don’t know anything. You can’t generalize about everything, you have to identify it one by one.”

"But there are so many local officials at all levels in the state capitals all over the world, and there are no unified systems and standards. How can we check them out one by one? How can hundreds of court officials come here to check them out?"

"If it's difficult, why don't you just do it? Screening talents, selecting talents and appointing them is the most important thing for an emperor. Now there are not too few but too many people who are sitting on the throne. The prince is in charge, and the new dynasty must There is a new atmosphere.”

Jamel Xiao had been listening carefully to the debate between the two most trusted ministers. At this time, Fang frowned and whispered: "Cai Qing is careful, how can there be a new dynasty?"

Cai Quan also immediately realized that he had said something wrong. He stood up and apologized: "I made a mistake. What I meant was..."

"Okay, I know what you mean, be careful in the future."

"yes."

Jamel Xiao was just about to let the two of them continue talking when a servant suddenly called out from outside the palace gate: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, your guest, Su Zhe, has come to congratulate His Highness on his wedding. Now, Hou Xuan is outside the Yimen."

After returning from Jiu'an Mountain, the two of them were busy and sick, and had many knots between them. Although they still communicated very closely with each other, they had not seen each other for a long time. Therefore, when they heard Su Zhe's request for a meeting, Jamel Xiao He was in a daze for a moment, staring blankly at the waiter, speechless for a long time.

"Your Highness, Mr. Su is here specially to congratulate you. Your Highness, won't you please come in?" Shen Zhui asked strangely.

"Oh," Jamel Xiao came to his senses and said hurriedly, "Please come in, Mr. Su."

The chamberlain bowed and exited, and after a while, he led Mei Changsu into the palace. During this time, Jamel Xiao had calmed down a little and controlled himself not to show an overly excited expression.

Mei Changsu, who was walking slowly with his eyes lowered, was a little thinner than the last time we met, but his complexion had improved slightly. Today he was wearing an autumn-colored Sichuan satin gown, holding a plain fan in his hand, his black hair tied up on top, and his sleeves slightly Yang looked elegant and elegant, with a jade-like temperament. But in the eyes of Jamel Xiao, who knew the truth, it was like a sharp knife piercing his chest, making it almost difficult for him to look straight at him.

"See His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"This is the inner hall. Mr. Su, there is no need to be polite. Please take a seat. I will serve you tea."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Mei Changsu bowed and did not sit down yet. Instead, he motioned to Fei Liu behind him to present the gift box and said with a smile: "Your Highness is very happy to be a concubine. It's just a small gift and it's not respectful. Please accept it with a smile."

Jamel Xiao ordered his attendant to take it. Seeing the curious expression on Shen Zhui and Cai Quan's face, he smiled and opened it. When he saw that there were just a pair of ordinary pure fat jade bottles inside, he knew that Mei Changsu didn't want to attract attention, so I just said politely: "Thank you for your trouble, sir."

Fei Liu came to the East Palace for the first time. After handing over the gift box, he started to look left and right. Xiao Jamyan knew that Mei Changsu doted on him like a younger brother and did not want to restrain the young man, so he ordered him to play around in the East Palace as he pleased. However, Mei Changsu Su still added, "Just play in the front yard" before letting him out.

"Mr. Su, I visited you a while ago and said I was ill. Are you feeling well now?" Shen Zhui was never too restrained around Jamel Xiao, so as soon as Mei Changsu sat down opposite him, he expressed concern asked.

"Thank you, Mr. Shen, for your concern. It's just an asthma attack due to the hot summer. It's nothing serious."

Cai Quan also knew about his illness, and frowned and said: "Mr. Su's talents as a scholar are actually limited by his illness. It is really regrettable. Isn't there a radical cure?"

Mei Changsu glanced at Jamel Xiao, not wanting to continue talking about this topic, so he smiled and said calmly: "Everything has its own destiny, let's take care of it slowly. By the way, Mr. Cai, I heard about the case of Fan Yushi falling into the water and dying. Has the Ministry of Punishment made any new progress?"

"Yes, the real culprit in this case is very clever. He set up some obstacles to mislead the Criminal Department in the direction of the investigation. However, this case was obviously not planned for a long time, but was carried out hastily, so there were many clues left, and there were also confessions Flaw. Of course, sir, you know that in any murder case, whoever is lying is the most suspect. Even if he is not the murderer, he is at least an insider. The Minister Ouyang who is in charge of the case is the one who can solve the mystery from the smallest details. It’s harder to deceive someone than to deceive me.”

"So, that concubine whose name was detained by the Ministry of Punishment is the real murderer?" Shen pursued.

"It's not yet conclusive, but she told the most lies, acted the most suspiciously, and tried to abscond before being arrested. These are all facts that aggravate her suspicion. However, this woman has a tough talk and is still holding on, and... No convincing motive for her murder has been found yet..."

"I heard that she is from the Hua tribe?" Mei Changsu asked casually.

"It can only be counted as half. Her mother is from the Hua tribe, but her father is from the Liang people. According to current common people's opinions, she should be considered as a Liang person." Cai Quan raised his eyebrows and looked at Mei Changsu, "With this identity We found out when we were tracing her origins, and we didn't pay much attention to it. Does Mr. Su think... this is important?"

"No," Mei Changsu smiled, "It's because I've been thinking about where Xia Jiang will escape recently, so I'm a little more sensitive when I hear about the Hua tribe."

Cai Quan asked in surprise: "Is there any connection between Xia Jiang and the Hua people?"

"You don't know?" Shen Zhui opened his eyes and looked at his friend, "The last princess of the Hua tribe was once Xia Jiang's lover."

"ah?"

"After the Hua Kingdom was engulfed, many noble women were distributed to various places as maidservants," Shen Zhui briefly told, "The wife of Xia Jiang once saw the princess of the Hua tribe washing her clothes outside in the cold winter, and she felt pity for her. He took her back to his house and treated her like a younger sister. Who would have thought that after a while, the princess actually hooked up with Xia Jiang. Mrs. He left, and I still don’t know where he is.”

"It sounds like this is no small matter," Cai Quan said in a daze, "Why have I never heard of it?"

Shen Zhui glanced at him, "Princess Xuanji died seven years ago. You were transferred to the capital official position just five years ago. Things had already cooled down by that time. Xia Jiang's identity is also a half-hidden person. You are so Seriously, who has nothing better to do than talk to you about his romantic affairs?"

"But there are many wealthy families who have Nahu women as concubines. Even if Xia Jiang's lover is a princess, she has lost her country after all. Isn't it worth noting?"

"It seems that Mr. Cai doesn't know Princess Xuanji very well," Mei Changsu said sternly: "She is not a reclusive person who only relies on her lover to survive. Before the Hua Kingdom was destroyed, she was one of the princesses in charge. Her status is second only to her eldest sister Princess Linglong who later died in battle, but she is more cunning and better at hiding her edge, which makes many people unaware of her danger. However, in fact, this Princess Xuanji has always had a special influence on many Hua people. Amazing control. Although she is dead now, Xia Jiang has more or less inherited some of this control from her. If Mr. Cai cannot find other motives for the murder, he might as well consider the possibility of silencing her."

"Quiet?"

"Maybe Fan Chengxiang discovered that his concubine was helping Xia Jiang. Maybe Fan Chengxiang himself was once Xia Jiang's protector and later wanted to report him for some reason...Xia Jiang has been in charge of the Xuanjing Division for many years. He must have something we can't imagine. His hidden power, if we don’t dig him out early, it’s hard to say what kind of harm he will cause to His Royal Highness..."

Cai Quan's eyebrows twitched and he muttered: "What you said is true. Now that Xia Jiang is on the run, it is a big worry for both His Highness and the Ministry of Punishments. Even if this case is only slightly related to Xia Jiang, We need to check and rule this out first."

"Yes, it would be fine if this was just an ordinary murder case. If it is really related to Xia Jiang, it would be a good opportunity to trace his whereabouts."

"By the way, Mr. Ouyang has compiled the records of the current case for me. I happened to take them with me to read on the road. Sir, would you like to take a look too? Maybe you can find something we have missed."

Before Mei Changsu could answer, Jamel Xiao, who had been listening attentively, cleared his throat and said: "Cai Qing, you have already acted very carefully. Mr. Su has just recovered from a serious illness. Don't let him worry about it. Let's talk about something lighter."

Cai Quan was reaching out to touch the case file in his sleeve, but when the prince said this, he couldn't help but freeze. When Jamel Xiao said this, his expression was very calm, making it difficult for people to tell that he was really considerate by clearly speaking to stop him. Mei Changsu's body was still not happy to see Cai Quan showing the criminal department's case files to an unemployed guest to look through them. Shen Zhui, who was watching, was more quick-thinking and instantly thought that these two people had not seen each other for a long time. After meeting each other and the fact that Jamel Xiao hesitated for a while before inviting Mei Changsu in, he could not help but wonder whether the prince was deliberately alienating this Qilin talented man who was known for his cleverness. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately gave Cai Quan a wink to signal him Please forgive me.

"I'm not thoughtful enough. I really shouldn't trouble Mr. Su. Please forgive me." Cai Quan was not a fool. He immediately understood the meaning. He thought carefully about the excitement of the conversation just now and his behavior was indeed inappropriate, so he hurriedly bowed and saluted.

Xiao Jamyan didn't care what kind of misunderstanding the two ministers had, but he didn't want Mei Changsu to have the same misunderstanding, so he explained: "I heard that my husband's illness is to focus on leisure and rest, not to mention that he is in the East Palace. I’m not here to discuss the case, just give me some pointers and don’t bother with the details.”

Mei Changsu took a deep look at Jamel Xiao, and when he saw his eyes averting uncomfortably, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. Shen Zhui laughed and smoothed things over: "What your Highness said is that it's all Mr. Cai's fault. Mr. Su is here." I was here to congratulate His Highness, but I didn’t even take a sip of tea or even eat a piece of snacks, so you dragged them to talk about the case!”

In fact, it was Mei Changsu who brought up Fan Chengxiang's murder case first, but no matter how upright Cai Quan was, he would not argue about it at this time. He mumbled a few times and accepted Shen Zhui's words.

However, he admitted it, but Mei Changsu refused to go down this step for some reason, and actually smiled and said: "Your Highness is kind to Su, but I really want to see Mr. Cai's case file, Your Highness doesn't mind, right?"
Chapter completed!