The third prince led the army for two years without any defeat, and reports of success were piled on the emperor's desk.
Now that the situation in Southern Xinjiang has been decided, the three princes' two-year campaign can ensure peace in Southern Xinjiang for at least ten years.
A prince who came from among the people, a person without any background or support, became the emperor's favorite in just six months, and he became the first among the princes to be crowned king.
Now that he has millions of soldiers at his disposal, even the emperor is polite when speaking to him.
At night, the emperor held a ceremony for the third prince in the palace. All civil and military officials attended, which was considered to be a great honor to the third prince.
At the banquet, Xiao Chengye seemed very excited. In front of all the civil and military officials, he pulled the third prince to sit next to him, and even served the wine and dishes himself. His words expressed his satisfaction and love for his son.
In addition, he was rewarded with countless treasures, and their richness seemed to make up for all the shortcomings he had received over the years.
Facing the gazes of all the courtiers, the emperor also said: "My son fought for the country for two years and saved his life from a mountain of swords and a sea of blood. This small amount of gold and silver is nothing compared to his sacrifice."
"
The implication is that if you have any objections, then you can also lead troops to fight and see if you can put an end to the chaos in southern Xinjiang within two years.
Lou Yan acted like a mute throughout the whole process. He did whatever the emperor asked him to do, without any extra words or actions.
When Xiao Chengye was happy enough, he let Lou Yan leave and let him go and communicate with the courtiers on his own.
But after Lou Yan recognized his ancestor and returned to the clan, he had no contact with any courtiers. Now at this banquet, apart from the Qin family, the only people he knew well were the brothers who had lived with him through life and death in southern Xinjiang.
Lou Yan came down from the emperor's high platform with a wine glass in hand. As soon as he stood on the main hall, he was surrounded by a group of people.
"The prince is really powerful. He solved the chaos in southern Xinjiang in two years."
"That's right, this southern Xinjiang has never stopped since His Majesty ascended the throne. It has not been solved for decades. As soon as the prince took action, it was solved in two years."
"Your Majesty has a dragon-like appearance and a phoenix-like appearance. I have long noticed that your Majesty is extraordinary."
…
These courtiers had smiles on their faces and looked like they were very familiar with Lou Yan.
But when he scanned the faces of these people one by one, he found that he didn't recognize any of them.
He suddenly felt ironic.
When he stood in the court, he was like a dispensable shadow. No one saw him and no one heard him.
But now, after just two years, they are pretending to be familiar with them with a shy face.
So, rights are indeed a good thing.
He ignored these people's words, but raised his head and winked at Yuan Chu, who was not far away.
Yuan Chu was silent for a moment, and then walked over with the wine glass in hand.
"My lords, why is the conversation so lively? Can you let me listen to it?" Yuan Chu had a smile in his eyes, and he put his arm around someone's shoulders as he came up, as if he was very familiar with them.
When those people saw him, they immediately became enthusiastic.
This person has some background in his family. In addition, he has made contributions in the war in southern Xinjiang. He is a popular person in the eyes of the emperor, so they naturally do not dare to neglect him.
Suddenly, he and Yuan Chu were chatting very enthusiastically, as if they were good brothers who talked about everything.
Lou Yan looked at Yuan Chu and silently withdrew from the crowd.
He was just trying to find a quiet place to sit down when a cool voice came from beside him: "Your Majesty, please come and be safe."
When Lou Yan heard this voice, he straightened his back instantly.
The expressionless face in front of the emperor forcefully squeezed out a trace of kindness, and he tried his best to raise the corner of his mouth and forced a smile: "Master Qin."
The person who greeted him was none other than Qin Zhen's eldest brother, Qin Yi.
Qin Yi looked at Lou Yan, looking up and down without any scruples. The more he looked at it, the more unpleasant he became.
Lou Yan was so stiff at the sight, but he didn't dare to have any objections. He could only stand there blankly and let him look at her.
After Qin Yi finished reading, Lou Yan said, "Master Qin, is there something wrong?"
Qin Yi smiled, raised the wine glass in his hand, and said, "Looking for a drink somewhere?"
Lou Yan was silent for a moment, and then said honestly: "Okay."
Qin Yi turned around to lead the way, snorted coldly in his heart, and said to himself: He is quite obedient and did not make trouble with himself based on his status as a prince.
However, this also just shows that this third prince is plotting against his family Zhenzhen.
The two of them didn't go far before they left the hall and sat on the ground on the steps outside the door.
Qin Yi threw a jar of wine to Lou Yan and said, "Let's have a drink first?"
Lou Yan didn't dare to have any objections, so he held a wine bottle and wanted to toast Qin Yi.
But when he saw the thumb-sized wine glass in Qin Yi's hand, Lou Yan's face almost collapsed.
Qin Yi took such a small wine glass, but let himself drink from the jar... This was a clear lesson to himself.
Lou Yan thought that he must have exposed his ambition and made others unhappy.
I have no choice but to bite the bullet when faced with my future uncle.
Lou Yan took a deep breath, touched the small wine glass lightly, then raised his head and took a sip from the jar.
I didn’t dare to lie, so I took a big gulp.
Qin Yi stared at him and drank the wine, then casually asked: "When did the prince return to Beijing?"
Lou Yan: "..."
On the surface, he just returned to Beijing today. But in reality, he came back on New Year's Eve.
In the current situation, is he telling the truth or hiding it?
Qin Yi saw that he didn't answer anything and gave him a sideways glance: "Why, the prince is so forgetful that he doesn't even remember when he returned to Beijing?"
Lou Yan: "...New Year's Eve."
"What?" Qin Yi's eyes widened, "You came back on New Year's Eve? You..."
Qin Zhen stayed up all night on New Year's Eve, so she stayed at Lou Yan's mansion.
That being said...
Qin Yi's eyes were about to burst into flames.
He really wanted to say, do you know how important a woman's reputation is? You are unmarried and unemployed, how dare you?
But he couldn't say this, after all, his sister had legs and ran away to someone else's house.
Qin Yi felt so aggrieved that he picked up his thumb-sized wine glass and touched it on the wine jar: "Here, let's have a drink."
Lou Yan: "...Oh."
Take a sip.
Qin Yi: "Have another drink."
Lou Yan: "..."
Qin Yi: "One more drink."
Qin Yi: "Come on, have another drink."
Lou Yan: "..."
Lou Yan drank several large gulps in a row, and the wine jar became a lot lighter. Looking down, Qin Yi's thumb-sized wine glass was full of liquid.
Lou Yan: "..."
Qin Yi watched him drink several sips, and then the anger in his heart dissipated a little.
Qin Yi put down his wine glass and continued to ask: "I came back on New Year's Eve... Then the prince has been hiding well these days. No one in the whole capital knows about it. I am a little curious, has the prince always lived in the mansion?"