When he was two miles away from Furong Garden, a provincial official from the palace came towards him on horseback, saying he only wanted to see His Royal Highness the King of Zhou.
Wu Chengsi let him approach, and the official bowed his hands and explained his intention.
It turned out that there were roads in the park blocked by the snow that had fallen from the mountains. The officials responsible for preparing for the winter hunt were short of manpower and wanted to ask Wu Chengsi to borrow a team of Jinwu Guards to help clear the roads.
Wu Chengsi agreed and ordered a personal guard to go to the Jinwu Health Department to transfer people with his password.
In the middle of Chenshi, Wu Chengsi and his party finally arrived outside Furong Garden. They saw a small queue of carriages at the gate, and Qianniu Guards checking at the gate.
Since the emperor and empress were present in person, the Qianniu Guards' inspection was very detailed. Wu Chengsi directly asked everyone to get out of the car and cooperate with the Qianniu Guards' inspection.
Qianniu Weilang, who was taking the lead, would be relieved. At times like this, the more distinguished the person, the more difficult it would be to check.
Just now, when a duke came over, he refused to allow them to inspect the women's carriage. His duty was to insist on it with a smile on his face.
In the end, things got serious and the top Qianniuwei generals were alerted. After communication, the other party finally gave in.
But the high-ranking general scolded him in front of him and asked him to apologize, which made him feel aggrieved.
Not long after Wu Chengsi's motorcade entered, the Donggong motorcade arrived outside the door.
The Qianniu Guards encountered obstacles again during their inspection, and the East Palace did not allow them to inspect the female relatives.
This time, the general learned from his previous experience, so he no longer persisted and allowed the Dong Palace convoy to enter.
After a while, the convoys of Princess Chengyang and Marquis Hedong arrived together. The Qianniu Guards wanted to inspect the carriage again. Princess Chengyang refused, but Nalang Jiang insisted.
The Marquis of Hedong said coldly: "You didn't check the convoy of the East Palace, but you insisted on checking the convoy of Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess. It seems that you don't take the Eldest Princess seriously."
The general was slightly startled and did not dare to persist anymore, so he let them in.
After passing through the gate, the two-person convoy stopped on the roadside.
The Marquis of Hedong drove his horse to Princess Chengyang's carriage and spoke to her in a low voice. As they talked, they looked in the direction of the door, as if they were waiting for someone.
Suddenly, a carriage in the convoy trembled violently. Princess Chengyang showed some fear in her eyes and whispered: "Erlang, that thing won't run out, will it?"
Marquis Hedong glanced at the carriage and said calmly: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, even if it is ten times stronger, it still can't escape."
Immediately, he sent an order to have another carriage block the carriage to prevent the carriage from shaking and being discovered by interested parties.
Not long after, Xue Shao rode alone into Furong Garden and headed towards the convoy.
"What's the matter? Your cousin is anxious to let you into the palace. What's the reason?" Hedong Hou asked immediately.
Xue Shao looked a little ugly and said: "My cousin said that Wu Chengsi entered the palace early in the morning and hoped that your majesty would take back the order and still let the two young ladies of the Liu family marry him and Dong Gong. My cousin tried to dissuade her, but he was scolded by your majesty."
Marquis Hedong's face darkened and he said, "I never expected that Wu Chengsi would have such great influence on His Majesty."
Princess Chengyang sighed: "I have already said that the emperor's arrangement is just to win over Wu Chengsi and let him become the prince's arm in the future."
The Marquis of Hedong snorted: "Your Majesty is really sick and confused. Wu Chengsi is Empress Wu's nephew. Will he help the prince instead of his aunt? What a joke!"
Princess Chengyang sighed and said: "I have become increasingly uncertain about the emperor's thoughts recently. Now that the matter has come to this, our plan has come to nothing."
Hedong Hou said: "Fortunately, the three girls of the Wei family were favored by the prince yesterday, so the situation is not too bad. After that, we will do our best to help the girls of the Wei family be promoted to concubines, and our future will be stable."
Princess Chengyang said: "I'm afraid this won't be easy. You should also know how favored the Turkic concubine is."
The Marquis of Hedong sneered: "She's just a Turkic woman. She's all alone in Chang'an. She has no support from her parents. How can we not take care of her?"
Xue Shao suddenly said: "There is also the daughter of the Liu family. I heard that this daughter is very good at piano music, and her appearance is also very good. She may also be favored by the prince."
"What's her temperament like?" Princess Chengyang asked.
Xue Shaodao: "That's okay. I heard that she is aloof and cold, and never talks or smiles to others."
Princess Chengyang frowned and said, "The prince's preferences are different from ordinary people. Maybe he likes such a woman."
Hedong Hou said: "What about the two daughters of the Liu family?"
"Gentle and graceful, the little bird clings to you."
Princess Chengyang sighed: "It would be great if the prince married the second daughter of the Liu family. He would never like such a woman."
Marquis Hedong smiled and said, "Then let's let him marry the second daughter of the Liu family."
Princess Chengyang was slightly startled and said: "Do you want the daughter of the Wei family to persuade the prince? She has just entered the East Palace, so I'm afraid it will not be easy."
The Marquis of Hedong smiled and said: "There is no need for the niece of the Wei family to take action. Just let the Turkic woman do this for us."
Xue Shao hurriedly asked: "Second uncle, what's your clever plan?"
The Marquis of Hedong put his hands in his sleeves and said, "Think about it, that Turkic woman is not stupid. She should also know that the prince's preferences are different from ordinary people, right?"
Xue Shao's eyes lit up and he said: "You mean to tell her the personalities of the two young ladies of the Liu family!"
"Yes, she should know that the eldest daughter of the Liu family is a greater threat to her, and she will not let the prince marry a woman who threatens his status."
Xue Shao nodded repeatedly and said, "I'm going to find a way to let her know!" After saying that, he turned around and left.
The Marquis of Hedong raised his hand and said: "It will be too easy for you to do this, so let the niece of the Wei family do it."
As a royal forbidden garden, Furong Garden covers an area of more than thirty hectares, almost half the size of the Daming Palace, and the houses in the garden are only much more than the Taishan Palace.
Under the arrangement of the provincial officials in the palace, Wu Chengsi came to rest in a small hall called Caixia Hall near Penglai Mountain.
About half an hour later, the emperor issued an order for everyone to come to the hall of Ziyun Tower to have an audience.
When Wu Chengsi brought Li Zhiying and Xu Wenqing to Ziyun Tower, not only was the hall crowded, there were also people standing outside.
There are hundreds of horses on the west side of the building. These horses are prepared for people who don't have horses. Most people bring their own good horses.
At the front of the herd, there were fifty deer, each with a red satin tied around its neck. These deer were the targets of this winter hunt.
In the hall, Li Zhi and Wu Mei sat in the middle, Concubine Xue Xian sat on the left, and Princess Chengyang sat on the right.
The crown prince sat in the frontmost seat on the left, with the crown prince Pei sitting next to him, and behind him sat the crown prince's concubine Ya Ruo and the three daughters of the Wei family who had just become concubines.
Looking down, King Li Xian of England and King Li Dan of Yin sit second and third from the left respectively, Princess Taiping sits in the fourth place, and the following ones are also the princes and princes of the Li family.
The seat on the right was empty, so Wu Chengsi took Li Zhiying and Xu Wenqing to the table and sat down.
The second and third seats below him were Liu Rengui and Liu Qixian respectively. Li Ji and Su Dingfang were sitting in the fourth and fifth seats, followed by Pei Yan, Li Jingxuan and others.
After a cup of tea, the seats in the hall were full, and Li Zhi slowly stood up.
Wu Chengsi and other officials immediately stood up and heard Li Zhi say slowly:
"A fierce cold wind blows, and miserably flying clouds float. The frost is thick and the sky is thick, and the ice is thick and clear.
The golden saddle moves to the upper garden, and the jade leash rides on the level. The flags are aligned in all directions, and the flags are on the other side.
Chu and Chu fought fiercely, and Qin lost its antlers and the deer were sad. The beasts hurriedly threw themselves into the dense trees, and the hongs were frightened and raised up the gravel islands.
The original dust is quiet when riding, and the Ge returns to the ridge and collects in the sun. The heart is not in Luo Rui, and the intention is to travel along the Weibin. Birds in the wilderness are not a pleasure, and stroking the bridle brings more worries."
Everyone listened attentively, and most of them recognized that this poem was written by the late emperor, and secretly figured out Li Zhi's intention in reciting this poem.
Li Zhi looked around and said: "The late emperor used this poem to express his thoughts when he was hunting in winter. Today I will also use this poem to let everyone know my thoughts."
Wu Chengsi secretly thought that although the beginning of this poem describes winter hunting, at the end it shows that the poet is not obsessed with hunting, but is worried about national affairs.
Li Zhi wanted to tell everyone that he held this winter hunt not just for temporary pleasure, but also for national affairs.
Li Zhi continued: "Do you know what I am most worried about these days?"
The ministers below looked at each other in confusion and whispered among themselves. Only Wu Chengsi and Liu Qixian looked calm.
Li Zhi said calmly: "The prince is the crown prince of the country, and the King of Zhou is the marshal of the Western Campaign. However, neither of them has any heirs yet. Tell me, can I not be worried?"
All the ministers nodded. Many of them knew that the emperor's health was getting worse and worse and that Long Yu might pass away at any time. They were making arrangements for his funeral.
"So I decided to act as a matchmaker myself and find two concubines for each of them. One of them chose me and let them choose on their own.
Prince, King Zhou, please bring your chosen candidates to me for a look!"
Wu Chengsi supported Xu Wenqing and saw that her delicate body was trembling slightly. He put his hand on her shoulder and said softly: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Xu Wenqing hummed, hugged his arm tightly, and his body gradually stopped shaking.
Wu Chengsi supported her and slowly came to Li Zhi. The prince and the three daughters of the Wei family had already arrived, and both of them were looking at Xu Wenqing.
Even Li Zhi looked at Xu Wenqing, obviously not expecting Wu Chengsi to accept a blind girl as his concubine.
At this moment, Wu Meifu said a few words to him. Li Zhi nodded and said warmly: "It turns out she is Xu Yuanju's daughter. You lost your sight to save your father. You are a good and filial boy."
Xu Wenqing said: "Thank you, thank you, Your Majesty." His tone was slightly trembling.
Li Zhi's eyes turned to the three daughters of the Wei family again. Concubine Xue Xian came closer and said a few words to him. Li Zhi said: "Well, it turns out that she is the daughter of Duke Xu... ahem..."
After saying a few words, he suddenly started coughing, and Wu Mei hurriedly stretched out her hand to caress his back.
The prince said anxiously: "Father, you are not in good health, otherwise you should go back to the palace. Today's winter hunt will be hosted by my son on your behalf!"
Li Zhi bent over and panted for a while, then smiled and said: "No...it doesn't matter. My illness is the same everywhere. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. I have chosen a concubine for each of you today. You see.
like or not."
After saying that, he looked towards Wei Dongfu, who said sharply: "The two daughters of the Liu family are admitted."
With a sound, at the corner door on the right, the eldest and second young ladies of the Liu family, dressed in costumes, slowly arrived in front of the emperor, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs.
Li Zhi was very satisfied when he saw the beauty of the two girls. He smiled and said: "Hong'er, Chengsi, do you still like the two concubines I have chosen for you?"
Both said they were satisfied.
Suddenly, Wu Chengsi noticed that the eldest lady of the Liu family was staring at him again. He thought to himself that the person he wanted to marry was the second lady, so he did not look back. He looked at the second lady, only to find that she was peeping at the prince.
Wu Chengsi was slightly stunned and thought: "Could it be that this second young lady has fallen in love with the prince?"
Looking at the eldest lady again, she was still looking at him, her eyes were deep, like a pool of clear spring.
At this moment, Li Zhi smiled and said: "You two can each choose one person."
Before Wu Chengsi could speak, the prince rushed to say: "Father, I would like to choose Miss Liu Er."
The second lady was overjoyed when she heard this, while Wu Chengsi was stunned.
Li Zhi glanced at Wu Chengsi, frowned and said, "Hong'er, I think the Liu family's daughter is more suitable for you."
The prince gritted his teeth and said: "Father, my son... I like Miss Liu Er more, please give me your permission."
"But Chengsi..." Li Zhi looked very embarrassed.
The officials below all understood immediately. It must have been that both the prince and the king of Zhou were interested in the second lady, so the emperor was in trouble.
Many people also think: "I have heard for a long time that the eldest daughter Liu Qixian has a withdrawn personality and very few men pursue her. It's no wonder that both His Highnesses despise her."
Liu Qixian was secretly worried. He knew that his eldest daughter was arrogant and would feel uncomfortable if she was insulted in person like this.
Wu Chengsi also noticed that the face of the eldest daughter of the Liu family was red, and she was obviously very embarrassed. He pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, since His Highness the Crown Prince has chosen the second young lady, let the eldest young lady marry me."
Li Zhi looked at Wu Chengsi steadily and thought: "He is showing me his stance that he would rather give up his love for women in order to protect the prince."
He was very happy in his heart and nodded: "Okay, I will make the decision today. I will betroth the Liu family's daughter to the King of Zhou, and the Liu family's second daughter to the crown prince."
"Thank you, Your Majesty (Father) for your grace!"
Wu Mei suddenly said: "Your Majesty, since I am your master's matchmaker, you can treat them as half of their natal family. In order to prevent them from being bullied in the future, give them the title of Lady of the State each."
Li Zhi smiled and said: "The Queen's words are exactly what I want. I have decreed that Liu's eldest daughter and second daughter will be named Mrs. Qin and Mrs. Anguo, the daughter of the Wei family will be Mrs. Rongguo, and the daughter of the Xu family will be Mrs. Yang."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" the four women said in unison, their voices as delicate and crisp as pearls falling on a jade plate.
Li Zhi had a big thing on his mind, and he was in a good mood. He immediately led everyone out of the hall.
With an order, dozens of deer were released, and Li Zhi said loudly: "Anyone who hunts colorful deer will be rewarded with ten taels of gold, ten pieces of royal satin, and one horse in the royal garden. The first place winner will be rewarded with another reward."
Give me a pair of 'Golden Pocket Dragon and Tiger Armor'."
The ministers cheered, and after a stick of incense, a drum beat sounded, and the generals had already mounted their horses and ran quickly towards the forest on the side of Ziyun Tower.
Many people ran too fast and actually slipped on the ground. Some of them slipped and fell to the ground, causing everyone to laugh.
Before long, half of the people had left Ziyun Tower on horseback.
When Li Zhi saw the situation before him, he couldn't help but think of the winter hunting ceremony in his youth.
There was excitement in his heart, he got on his horse, raised his long bow, shouted loudly, and headed towards the forest to the west.
All the Qianniu Guards quickly followed.
Suddenly, there was another shout, and Wu Mei climbed onto a handsome white horse, waved her whip, and chased after Li Zhi, her movements were extremely skillful.
Wu Chengsi blew on his hand and sighed: "I didn't expect that my aunt's riding skills are so good."
Princess Taiping said proudly: "That's natural. Even my riding skills are not as good as those of my mother!"
Wu Chengsi looked her over and said, "Can you also ride a horse?"
Princess Taiping's cheeks turned red and she hummed, "Second cousin, my riding skills were taught by Aunt Anhua herself."
After saying that, he got on his horse and smiled brightly at Wu Chengsi: "I also want to participate in the hunt. Second cousin, you have to work hard. If you lose to me, it will not look good on your face."
He waved his riding whip and ran towards the distance.
Wu Chengsi turned his head and glanced at Liu Lanshuang. He saw her hugging her shoulders and seemed a little cold. She looked at the people riding horses in the distance, her eyes full of envy.
Looking at Li Zhiying again, she was also looking in the direction of Princess Taiping. Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "Zhiying, your riding skills are so good, why don't you also join the hunt?"
Li Zhiying quickly waved her hands and said: "I can't compare to you, so I'd better stay here with my two sisters."
At this moment, Su Dingfang and Li Ji came over together. Su Dingfang laughed and said, "His Royal Highness, King Zhou, do you want to compete with me?"
Wu Chengsi knew that he could not compete with him, but how could he show weakness in front of his three wives? He smiled and said, "That's fine, I just want to compete with Mr. Su."
Li Ji said: "Then let's hurry up. Cen Changqian, Cheng Wuting and Liu Rengui have already set off."
Su Dingfang snorted: "So what, even if I give them a cup of tea, Liu Rengui will never beat me." He obviously only regarded Liu Rengui as his opponent.
After a pause, he sighed again: "It's a pity that Xue Rengui didn't come."
The three of them were about to mount their horses. At this moment, a man came over with a black horse and said with a smile: "His Royal Highness, your horse is not considered to be of the highest quality. You might as well use my horse."
Li Ji smiled and said: "Well, General Wei's Black Wind is one of the best horses in a hundred. Chengsi, why don't you change it."
Wu Chengsi didn't refuse much. He turned over and mounted the black horse. He pinched the horse's belly and suddenly felt his upper body tilted back, and the cold wind poured into his mouth.
It is indeed a good horse, its explosive power is much stronger than Wu Chengsi's horse, and this is still in the snow, I am afraid it can be faster on a flat road.
Su Dingfang, Li Ji and Wei Daizi also got on their horses. After walking together for a while, they separated in the forest.
Wu Chengsi was accompanied by only three personal guards besides Feng Wu.
When hunting in the snow, your vision is easily blocked and your running speed is also affected, but there is also a great benefit, and that is footprints.
No matter what creature passes through the snow, it will leave its own footprints. Follow the footprints and you can find it.
But Wu Chengsi was not the only one hunting. In addition to the footprints of prey, there were more horse hoof prints on the ground.
At this time, the best way is to choose a direction with fewer horse hoof prints.
Wu Chengsi walked forward, choosing the road with few horse hoof marks.
Not long after, we came to a piece of white snow. The snow was like a natural white wall without any marks.
Wu Chengsi drove his horse forward. The horse stepped on the flat snow. The snow was very thick, and the horse's hoofs stepped on it, making a creaking sound.
After walking forward for a while, Feng Wu suddenly changed his expression, raised his hand, and a black light flashed in his wide black sleeves.
There was a pop, and a sound came from the distance.
Wu Chengsi and five others drove their horses over and found a fat marten lying next to a tree with a dart stuck in its body.
Feng Wu turned over and dismounted, and put the mink into a small leather bag around her waist. One of the guards smiled and said: "Captain Feng, our main target for hunting is deer. It is useless to hunt this kind of mink."
Feng Wu turned to look at Wu Chengsi, seeming to be consulting him.
Wu Chengsi smiled and said, "Don't worry about the competition. Just treat it as fun this time. You can hunt whatever you want."
At this moment, a guard pointed into the distance and said: "There is a colorful deer over there!"
Wu Chengsi turned around and saw that there was indeed a deer tied with red silk standing between two trees in the distance, staring blankly at this side.
Wu Chengsi clamped the horse's belly, and with a driving sound, the black horse rushed towards the deer. The deer was startled, kicked back, turned around and ran away.