"Everyone, it's time to enter the palace for the banquet."
While speaking, without waiting for anyone to agree, Cui Mian pulled Cui Qianxue and led all the family members towards the palace.
However, in a moment, Cui Mian's family had already walked away, and you could still faintly hear Cui Mian's reproach to Cui Qianxue, and Cui Qianxue's slightly panicked explanation.
Seeing Cui Mian being so disrespectful, Chen You's eyes flashed with displeasure, and he snorted coldly and said, "Master Zhao, Governor Su, let's go to the palace for the banquet too."
Zhao Junchen and Su Changzhen naturally nodded in agreement.
Then, leaving aside Zhao Junchen, a lonely man, Chen You and Su Changzhen both greeted their family members and nephews, and walked towards the palace together.
Among them, Zhao Junchen, Chen You, Su Changzhen, and the two daughters Chen Zhirong and Su Xiuning were all at the forefront, while the rest of Chen You and Su Changzhen's family members followed suit.
While moving forward, Su Changzhen completely put aside his face, kept getting close to Zhao Junchen, and kept praising Su Xiuning's various benefits. His attitude was very obvious, and he just said, "As long as you are willing, I will take care of my daughter right away."
Betrothed to you".
Seeing Su Changzhen acting like this, Su Xiuning's face turned red with embarrassment. She lowered her head and did not dare to look at anyone. Chen You on the side looked disdainful, while Chen Zhirong listened with a smile, her beautiful eyes wandering, just observing.
Zhao Junchen's expression changed, and he occasionally looked at Su Xiuning.
Su Changzhen also knew that such an approach was embarrassing, but since meeting Chen Zhirong, he couldn't care less about it.
Compared with Su Xiuning, Chen Zhirong is not only more beautiful, smarter, more sultry, but also very proactive.
Between Su Xiuning and Chen Zhirong, most men in the world would probably choose Chen Zhirong without hesitation!
It's not that Su Xiuning is bad, but that Chen Zhirong is just too good.
Therefore, in order to regain the lost points, Su Changzhen had no choice but to go into battle himself and brag about himself.
…………
"...Mr. Zhao, you may not know. My daughter Xiuning has been learning piano skills from Shen Zizhou, a famous piano player, since she was seven years old. Now she has eighty-nine successes like Shen Zizhou. If Mr. Zhao is free in the future, you can come to me.
When you are a guest in the house, and my daughter plays the piano for Mr. Zhao, you will know that what I said is definitely not a boast..."
Zhao Junchen nodded and said with a smile: "Shen Zizhou's piano art is also very famous in the capital. Since Miss Su has obtained the true inheritance, the sound of the piano must be as beautiful as the sound of nature. The younger generation is also yearning for it. If you are free these two days,
Naturally, I will go to the house to make trouble. I hope Senior Su will not forget what I said today."
Su Changzhen was immediately overjoyed, nodded repeatedly, and said: "If Mr. Zhao is willing to come, it's not too late for me to welcome him, and there is nothing to bother me about. Besides, my little girl's cooking skills are also very good. When the time comes, I can also let her cook for Zhao with my own hands."
Sir, make some exquisite side dishes..."
After hearing the conversation between Zhao Junchen and Su Changzhen, the relationship between the two parties seemed to be gradually getting closer. Chen Zhirong smiled sweetly, came to the side of Su Xiuning who was silent, took Su Xiuning's delicate hand affectionately, and said: "It turns out that Su
My sister's piano skills are so good, which makes me very envious of my sister. My sister also likes piano skills, but she is clumsy and has never been able to learn well. If you have time in the future, sister, you must teach me."
"It's just a small skill, not worth mentioning. Miss Chen is extremely smart. If she is willing to learn, she will definitely learn it very quickly. If there is a chance in the future, we can communicate with each other."
When Chen Zhirong took the initiative to talk, Su Xiuning's pretty face was still red, but she finally spoke.
The voice was human-like. It was thin, soft, and full of elegance. It was not as charming as Chen Zhirong's voice, but it was just as nice to hear.
Su Xiuning's reply was basically an agreement.
Chen Zhirong smiled like a flower and seemed extremely happy. Then she frowned and thought for a moment, shook her head, and said softly: "Then I have to thank you sister, but... forget it these days, I heard from my father that this paragraph
For a long time, some censors in the court have impeached Uncle Su out of thin air, saying that Uncle Su had taken bribes in the local area and used power for personal gain, which made the people complain. Although Uncle Su has a clear conscience, this is a troublesome matter after all.
I am also upset about this, so Sister Su should spend more time with Uncle Su these days. When this matter is over, I will bother Sister again."
Hearing Chen Zhirong's words, Su Changzhen's expression changed slightly.
In the past few days, Zhao Junchen has made a lot of efforts to improve his reputation. He obviously wants to clear himself up - everyone with a heart sees this situation, and Su Changzhen is naturally one of them.
one.
Therefore, if Su Changzhen wants to marry Zhao Junchen, his biggest disadvantage is his infamous reputation among the government and the public!
After all, once the two parties get married and their relationship becomes closer, Su Changzhen's infamous reputation will inevitably drag down Zhao Junchen, causing all of Zhao Junchen's plans and efforts to be in vain.
Chen Zhirong's words seemed to be well-intentioned, but in fact they contained a hint of treachery.
Su Changzhen glanced at Chen You and found that Chen You was just letting Chen Zhirong do what he wanted and had no intention of stopping him. He frowned slightly and said slowly: "Thank you very much for Miss Chen's concern, but it's just some impeachment by the censor.
The accusations are all based on rumors. Your Majesty has a sharp gaze and has refuted all the impeachment rumors. He obviously trusts me. So this kind of thing will not affect anything. Miss Chen, you are worried too much."
Chen Zhirong still looked like she was seriously considering the Su family's father and daughter. She shook her head slightly and said, "Uncle Su, please don't be careless. Although I don't understand officialdom, I also know that in this temple, people are always leaving.
The tea is cool, and at Uncle Su's age, he is about to retire. Now is the time when people's hearts are fluctuating. The officials below may not be as loyal as before, and the censors in the court will not give up easily.
,Under such circumstances, Uncle Su, you'd better be more careful."
If Su Changzhen wants to marry Zhao Junchen, his biggest disadvantage is his infamous reputation among the government and the public, then his biggest advantage is his connections and influence in the local government!
However, in a few words, Chen Zhirong used words very cleverly, either "I am about to become an official", or "I am leaving and the tea will be cool", which immediately compromised Su Changjin's advantages a lot.
Su Changzhen's expression changed again, his tone turned cold, and he said: "I appreciate Miss Chen's kindness. However, it is a bit unfounded. I have a clear conscience, so naturally I will not worry about the impeachment of the censors. What's more, I
After serving as a local official for more than thirty years, he has a solid foundation and has many disciples and former officials. Even if he retires and returns to his hometown, he may not be able to drink cold tea.
It is much better to quench your thirst than those who have nowhere to go if they want to drink tea. Miss Chen, do you think this is true?"
Obviously, Su Changzhen's words were an insinuation that the Duke of Jing, the Chen family, had little power and low influence, and was not even qualified to "leak tea".
However, this counterattack inadvertently hit the most painful spot in Chen You's life, causing a trace of anger to flash in the eyes of Chen You who was originally silent.
Chen Zhirong still had a charming smile, and with her bright eyes looking forward, she had seen all the changes in everyone's expressions. She smiled slightly and said: "I see, I have learned a lesson... It's a pity that in this temple,
In the country, there has always been an iron-clad inheritance of honors and official replacements, and my lineage of Duke Jing, although not powerful, is after all a distinguished family that has lasted for hundreds of years. Considering that it will last for a hundred years, everyone will always give some face.
Although the tea we drink on weekdays is not very hot, it is not very cold either. Naturally, my understanding of the four words 'Tea is cool when you leave' is not as deep as Uncle Su's."
Hearing Chen Zhirong's words, Su Changzhen's expression changed again, and he was speechless for a moment. He couldn't find a reason to refute!
At this moment, Su Xiuning, who had been ignored by everyone, suddenly spoke.
The voice was very soft, as soft and soft as ever, with a little timidity.
"Ms. Chen's words may seem reasonable, but they are somewhat overgeneralized...Moreover, no matter how hot the tea is, it will become cold sooner or later, but as long as the tea is still there, then find a stove and the tea will be cold."
It can still be boiled, so it doesn’t matter whether the tea is cold or hot. The quantity of tea is what matters. If there is too little tea, I’m afraid it won’t even be worth boiling again.”
…………
After hearing Su Xiuning's rebuttal, everyone was stunned.
Su Xiuning gave people the impression that she was the kind of gentle and decent lady, with a reserved and quiet temperament, and not good at intrigues. Now she suddenly opened her mouth to refute, and she was able to get to the point, which surprised everyone present.
Everyone understood Su Xiuning's hint - the tea in her mouth refers to Su Changzhen's connections and influence, and the stove in her mouth refers to Zhao Junchen himself - which means that as long as Zhao Junchen
Marriage with the Su family, and Su Changzhen's matchmaking, even if Su Changzhen retires and returns to his hometown in the future, Su Changzhen's power, influence and connections can still help Zhao Junchen.
For a moment, everyone looked at Su Xiuning again with unexpected eyes - even Su Changzhen was no exception.
Noticing everyone's gazes on her, Su Xiuning's body was slightly tense, her eyelids were slightly closed, her head was lowered, and she was more and more afraid to look at others.
In fact, just like everyone's impression of her, Su Xiuning is not good at scheming with others, and she never quarrels with others. This is the first time in her life that she has such sharp words.
However, not being good at intrigues does not mean that Su Xiuning is weak and stupid. In fact, under Su Xiuning's delicate appearance, there is a smart and smart heart hidden! Seeing that her father Su Changjin was cornered by Chen Zhirong's words
, and then thought that he had promised Su Changzhen that he would take the initiative to fight for it. After hesitating for a long time, he finally plucked up the courage to speak out and refute.
However, although her rebuttal was very beautiful, her voice was low, stumbling, and she lowered her head and did not dare to look at anyone, but it did not have the matching momentum at all.
When everyone recovered from their surprise, Su Changzhen laughed, with a hint of joy flashing in his eyes, and nodded: "Xiu Ning is right, the hotness of herbal tea is not the key, the key is to see more tea and less tea! Why?
He has been an official for more than thirty years and has served in four provinces and seven prefectures. He has collected a lot of famous teas from all over the world. When Mr. Zhao comes to my house as a guest in the future, I will naturally let Mr. Zhao taste them one by one. I will never let Mr. Zhao down.
"
Zhao Junchen looked at Su Xiuning with great interest. After hearing what Su Changzhen meant, he finally looked away, nodded and smiled: "In that case, I will wait and see."
On the other side, when Chen You heard Su Xiuning's words, which still hinted at the lack of power and influence of the Duke of Jing, the Chen family could not help but frown, and anger flashed in his eyes again.
However, after taking a look at Chen Zhirong, Chen You did not speak and just allowed Chen Zhirong to continue to play.
Chen Zhirong narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly and looked at Su Xiuning for a few times. In her bright eyes, there were indescribable emotions flashing, and she smiled and said: "Sister Su is very insightful, but unfortunately, some teas, such as Queton and Pu'er, are really good when they are cold.
No matter how you cook it, it will still moisturize your mouth and taste good. Even after drinking it overnight, it still has some medical effects. However, some teas, such as Tumo and Kuding, are astringent and difficult to swallow. If they are cooked cold, not only will
It becomes more and more unpleasant to drink, and may even cause stomach upset... Sister Su, do you think this is true?"
Chen Zhirong's words were an insinuation that Su Changzhen's personal connections and influence were just the collusion of some corrupt officials. For Zhao Junchen, it was hard to say whether this kind of help was good or bad.
For a moment, not only Su Changzhen, but also Su Xiuning was at a loss for words and didn't know how to refute.
After all, it's a fact.
Faintly, Su Xiuning's sigh could also be heard.
Chen Zhirong smiled softly and did not pursue the victory. He just said: "Huh? As we were talking, the topic changed. It was originally about the impeachment of Uncle Su by the imperial censors, but for some reason it turned into
Tea ceremony... Father, we are having a banquet with Uncle Su’s family in the palace today, which is considered a fate. My daughter will also ask Sister Su for piano lessons in the future. I think she will be close to her. Now some imperial officials in the court are making rumors.
Can't you think of a way to impeach Uncle Su? You can't just let those censors do whatever they want and throw dirty water on Uncle Su, right?"
Obviously, Chen Zhirong was creating an opportunity for Chen You to show off the connections of the Chen family, Duke of Jing, in the imperial court.
After all, if you want to marry Zhao Junchen, you will eventually need to show your own strength.
Su Changzhen had repeatedly ridiculed the Chen family of Duke Jing for being powerless. Now Chen You finally found a chance to refute. A trace of pleasure flashed across his face and he blurted out: "This is natural. I am of the same lineage as Duke Jing, although I am not very powerful."
, but after all, it is a century-old family, and there are still some connections, such as Xiao Shanchang, Xiao Yushi, Wang Youru, Wang Yushi, and Zhang Qin, Zhang Yushi in the Metropolitan Procuratorate. They all have close friendships. They have outstanding reputations. Your Majesty.
I also trust them... After returning home tonight, I will invite them to gather together and ask them to speak for Governor Su in front of His Majesty."
Chen Zhirong smiled and said: "These three adults are all very important in the Metropolitan Procuratorate. In recent years, their relationship with our family has become increasingly close. They can indeed be entrusted to us."
On the other side, after hearing this, Zhao Junchen, who was just watching the fun, was stunned for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly with a thoughtful look in his eyes!
…………
Zhao Junchen had already carefully investigated the personal connections and influence of the Chen family of the Duke of Jing. According to Zhao Junchen’s information, the Chen family of the Duke of Jing had no relationship with the three censors mentioned by Chen You!
In fact, these three censors are closer to Prince Zhu Heyu on the surface.
However, Chen You said it so confidently, but it didn't seem like bragging.
Vaguely, Zhao Junchen felt that there seemed to be something to this!
Thinking again of the relationship between the Duke of Jing, the Chen family, and the seventh prince, Zhu Hejian, and Chen Zhirong's meaningful words, "The relationship with our family has become increasingly close in recent years"...
Is it possible that the three censors mentioned by Chen You are actually the people of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian?
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen turned his head and looked at Chen You and Chen Zhirong.
At this time, Chen You seemed to have discovered something was wrong, a trace of annoyance flashed across his expression, his face changed slightly, and then returned to his original deep look.
On the other side, Chen Zhirong's bright eyes were shining, and there was a smile on the corner of her enchanting mouth. She glanced at Zhao Junchen meaningfully and winked playfully.
Thinking about what happened and seeing Chen Zhirong's expression at this time, Zhao Junchen was thoughtful.
It was obvious that Chen Zhirong had controlled the trend of the topic from the beginning, and Chen Youzhi blurted out this information seemed to be because of Chen Zhirong's secret push!
Originally, during the verbal exchange between Chen Zhirong and Su Changzhen, a high-ranking official in the border area, not only did they not fall behind, but they attacked more and defended less. They repeatedly forced Su Changzhen to have nothing to say, which was already a high-profile statement.
One glance.
After all, in just a few words, Chen Zhirong pointed out the shortcomings of Su Changzhen's reputation, compromised Su Changzhen's advantages in powerful connections, and also showed his own strength in front of Zhao Junchen.
Intelligence and shrewdness can be said to kill three birds with one stone!
However, if Zhao Junchen's speculation is true, then these performances are just a means for Chen Zhirong to deliberately divert everyone's attention. Her real purpose is to use Su Changzhen's counterattack and ridicule to arouse Chen You's anger.
, making Chen You impulsively reveal some secrets that he should never have revealed!
Such methods and scheming are amazing!
However, for what purpose did Chen Zhirong do this?
Isn't she afraid that doing so will implicate the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian and the Duke of Jing Chen's family?
"If this is true, Zhu Hejian's hidden power in the court has begun to take shape and cannot be underestimated. The three censors mentioned by Chen You are probably just the tip of the iceberg." Zhao Junchen thought to himself:
"In addition, this Chen Zhirong should not be underestimated. His scheming and determination are both terrifying. However, just following the topic and seemingly unintentionally, Chen You personally revealed that the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian was hiding in the court.
Some of Chen Zhirong's cronies... But what is Chen Zhirong's real purpose? Why did she reveal this to me through Chen You's mouth?"
Zhao Junchen always felt that everything Chen Zhirong did was to hint something to him.
But what it was, Zhao Junchen couldn't figure it out for a while, so he could only wait and see what happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Only a few people know about the seventh prince Zhu Hejian's covetousness for the throne.
Therefore, after hearing Chen You's words, Su Changzhen did not realize what was going on. He thought it was just Chen You showing off the power and influence of the Chen family, Duke of Jing, and retorted coldly: "I understand the kindness of Duke Jing, but I understand.
There is no need to bother the Duke of Jing with such a trivial matter, not to mention... there are hundreds of censors from all over the dynasty, from the local area to the center. From the second to the seventh rank, there are only two or three censors.
I’m afraid it won’t change anything.”
At this time, Chen Youzheng felt regretful for speaking impulsively. Seeing that no one cared, he finally felt relieved. Hearing Su Changzhen's words, there was still a hint of sarcasm. He hesitated for a moment, did not fight back, and just nodded.
: "Since Governor Su has a plan in mind, I feel at ease."
Then, Chen You shut his mouth tightly and never said a word again.
Seeing that Chen You did not refute, Su Changzhen's eyes flashed with surprise.
He suddenly discovered that compared to Chen You, the father, Chen Zhirong, the daughter, was more difficult to deal with.
Originally, Su Changzhen thought that Chen Zhirong's clever words came from Chen You's instruction, but now it seems that it doesn't seem like it.
However, while Su Changzhen was thinking about it and was about to test it out, everyone had already entered the depths of the palace and arrived in front of Jianji Hall.
Today's palace banquet, apart from Zhao Junchen, only included Cui Mian, Su Changzhen and Chen You. It was not large in scale, so the banquet was not held in the main hall, but was held in the side hall of Jianji Hall.
Now, seeing Zhao Junchen, Chen You, Su Changzhen and others appear, several eunuchs waiting outside Jianji Hall quickly came over to greet them.
"I have met the three adults. The three adults are finally here. Just now, Cui Laoge and his family have entered the palace to wait. Now that the time is approaching, all preparations are in place. His Majesty will arrive soon, and the palace banquet will be held.
Now that we have started, please ask the three adults to come into the hall and wait for a while."
Arriving in front of everyone, the leading eunuch said respectfully.
Then, a group of eunuchs turned sideways and saluted, and raised their hands to signal everyone to enter the palace.
Seeing that the palace banquet was about to begin, and there were eunuchs from the inner court beside them, everyone suppressed their thoughts, said nothing more, and just walked towards Jianji Hall together.
…………
After entering Jianji Hall, Zhao Junchen looked up and found that just as the eunuch said, Cui Mian and his family were already sitting in the hall.
Among them, Cui Mian is sitting at the left corner, while Cui Qianxue and several of Cui Mian's nephews and descendants are sitting in the rear corner of Cui Mian.
Looking at Cui Mian, she found that Cui Mian's eyes were slightly lowered, as if he was carefully looking at the decorations on the table, without any intention of saying hello. However, Cui Qianxue was uncharacteristically, and did not continue to stare at Zhao Junchen with her big eyes.
With searching eyes, he carefully looked at Chen Zhirong and Su Xiuning beside Zhao Junchen.
Because of Cui Mian's bad attitude, both Chen You and Su Changzhen looked cold and did not say hello to Cui Mian. They just came to their respective seats under the guidance of the eunuchs.
However, unlike Su Changzhen and Chen You, Zhao Junchen was extremely thick-skinned. Although he knew Cui Mian's cold attitude was mainly directed at him, he still came to Cui Mian's seat, bowed and saluted: "Senior Cui
He was walking so fast. Even though I, Governor Su and Duke Jing just now were hurrying slowly, we still couldn't catch up with Senior Cui... I hope Senior Cui will give you some advice during today's palace banquet."
After Cui Mian snorted, he ignored Zhao Junchen and just nodded slightly, indicating that Zhao Junchen could leave.
Seeing Cui Mian being like this, Zhao Junchen was not surprised. He just smiled slightly, then walked to his seat and sat down.
However, in today's palace banquet, Cui Mian, Su Changzhen and Chen You all brought their families, but only Zhao Junchen was alone. At this time, in the main hall, at a glance, only Zhao Junchen was behind him.
The empty space on the side is a bit strange.
However, Zhao Junchen didn't care. He just followed Cui Mian's example, lowered his eyes slightly, and looked at the decorations on the table in front of him with interest.
However, in Zhao Junchen's heart, his thoughts were racing, thinking about the next response.
After some observations just now, Zhao Junchen already knew the attitudes and positions of each family.
Among them, Su Changjin is the most sincere, and Su Xiuning's character and appearance are also the most popular with Zhao Junchen. However, as Chen Zhirong hinted - if he marries with the Su family, Su Changjin's infamous reputation will drag Zhao Junchen down.
, and Su Changzhen's local management, although it makes people jealous, but if Zhao Junchen swallows it in one gulp, the rotten meat part may make Zhao Junchen upset. Such a situation will naturally make Zhao Junchen feel upset.
concern.
As for the Chen family of the Duke of Jing, Zhao Junchen was always a little wary because it was related to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian. However, Zhao Junchen was quite curious about Chen Zhirong. According to Zhao Junchen's observation, this Chen Zhirong seemed to be related to her father Chen You.
It was not that they had the same intention, but seemed to have other ideas. This also made Zhao Junchen secretly decide to take the opportunity of today's palace banquet to have private contact with Chen Zhirong and test Chen Zhirong's true purpose.
In addition, there is the Cui family. Although Cui Mian's attitude is cold, if he marries with the Cui family, it will not only help Zhao Junchen improve his reputation, but also enhance Zhao Junchen's reputation and qualifications. These are all things that Zhao Junchen urgently needs at the moment.
, so Zhao Junchen is not willing to give up easily. As for the little girl Cui Qianxue, Zhao Junchen does not have any special likes or dislikes.
"The Cui family, the Su family, and the Chen family all have their own advantages and disadvantages, making it difficult to choose. In the past, these three families were all useless and not the best choice for joint ventures. However, now His Majesty's attitude is obvious, let me choose among these three families.
, but it makes me a little difficult to make a choice... However, the attitudes and positions of these three families are now confirmed. Next, it depends on His Majesty's attitude. Although His Majesty said on the surface that I make the decision myself, in his heart
, I’m afraid he is also biased, and I can also use this to test his true thoughts..."
While Zhao Junchen was deep in thought, the voice of eunuch Zhang Xiu came from the palace.
"Your Majesty has arrived~! The Imperial Concubine has arrived~!"
Hearing this shout, Zhao Junchen narrowed his eyes slightly.
Isn't the imperial concubine in the harem the biological mother of Prince Zhu Heyu and the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, Wanshi? Emperor Deqing actually brought her to the palace banquet?
While thinking secretly, Zhao Junchen did not dare to neglect and quickly stood up with the other three families to greet him.