On the eighth day of July in the second year of Xianheng, it was the day of the morning court again. All the courtiers rushed to the small square in front of Zetian Gate early, gathered together in twos and threes, and talked in low voices. The topics discussed were generally related to congratulations.
In Lan Min's case, everyone's expressions may be happy, worried, anxious, or calm, but one thing is the same, that is, they are looking forward to seeing you, just because today's morning meeting may be
It will determine the fate of countless people and affect the overall situation of the court. No one can treat it with a normal heart.
"Hey, look, it's coming."
"Look, it's His Royal Highness."
…
In the eyes of the ministers, the situation in the DPRK at this time was extremely tense, but Li Xian did not seem to be so nervous. The time for the DPRK meeting was almost here, and Li Xian arrived belatedly, but as soon as it arrived,
This immediately caused a commotion among the courtiers for a while, and all eyes fell on Li Xian who slowly stepped out of the carriage.
"Seventh brother, morning."
Looking at Li Xian who had become the center of attention, Li Xian immediately felt unhappiness in his heart for a while. There was both admiration and dissatisfaction, and mostly jealousy. After hesitating for a moment, he still couldn't suppress the curiosity in his heart. He slowly
Bu walked up to greet him and said hello in a calm tone.
Damn it, this guy is jealous again, what a boring person! Just looking at Li Xian's eyes, Li Xian immediately guessed the little plan in his mind, and there was really something angry and angry in his heart.
It's funny, but I'm too lazy to see him in general, so he cupped his hands with a smile and said: "Good morning, Sixth Brother."
"Well, seventh brother, that case..."
After all, Li Xian couldn't suppress the curiosity in his heart. He raised his brows and said half a sentence.
"Sixth Brother, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I will give Sixth Brother an explanation after I go to court."
When Li Xian asked him about the case, Li Xian couldn't help but feel upset - Li Xian had told Li Xian several times in the past few days that the case was too involved and the consequences of being involved in it would be endless.
He could just wait for the news with peace of mind. This was entirely out of good intentions to protect Li Xian, but he didn't expect that Li Xian was so impatient that he sent people to the house repeatedly to find out the news. All the ministers were there.
Under the scene, he was so persistent in asking questions clearly, which made Li Xian feel like he was being treated like a donkey with good intentions. However, it was not easy to refute Li Xian's face, so Li Xian could only be vague.
He responded with one sentence.
"Well, that's fine."
Although Li Xian wanted to ask more questions in detail, when he heard what Li Xian said, he couldn't open the question again. He could only nodded reservedly, dismissing the matter for the time being, and then wanted to change the subject.
But when he saw Yan Liben walking out from the side with square steps, he had to stop and stood aside with a deep thought.
"I have met your two highnesses."
Yan Liben walked up slowly and greeted the Li Xian brothers with a smile on his face, but his eyes were always fixed on Li Xian. He never even glanced at Li Xian.
"morning."
Li Xian had never had a good impression of Yan Liben, the leader of the princeling party. When he saw his arrogance again, he was even more angry. But he couldn't bear to lose his dignity in public, so he could only suppress his feelings.
Angry, he uttered one word coldly, which was regarded as a greeting.
"Good morning, Mr. Yan."
Li Xian didn't care what Yan Liben's purpose was. He chuckled, politely returned his hand, and greeted him politely.
"His Royal Highness has been working very hard these days. As a courtier, I am really ashamed and ashamed of myself for not being able to help His Highness share his worries." Yan Liben said with a smile, his face full of guilt, as if he really felt guilty in his heart. .
"Xiang Yan is too praised. The little king used his talents and knowledge, but he did not dare to forget the country's worries. What he did was just his duty and was insignificant." Li Xian III's experience was not in vain. To use clichés, that But it was very smooth. If you want to find out the truth from Li Xian's mouth, just two words - no way!
"Your Highness is too humble. It is indeed a great blessing for the court to have such a talented person as Your Highness. I am willing to join you and serve the country together. I hope that Your Highness will give you more support." Yan Liben also dealt with Li Xian. It wasn't just once or twice. I knew Li Xian's ability. When I saw Li Xian's talk, I knew I couldn't get the answer out of Li Xian. Although I was helpless, I had no choice but to express my cooperative attitude in a vague way.
"Don't dare to take it, don't take it. Yan Xiang's words are serious. Xiao Wang should act with his heart in mind. Anyone who benefits the country should not dare not do anything. Yan Xiang is a minister of the country. Xiao Wang has always respected him. If he can be supported by Yan Xiang, It is truly the blessing of Xiao Wang's life." Yan Liben had something to say, and so did Li Xian, faintly pointing out the basis for their cooperation.
"It's easy to say, it's easy to say. Oh, it's time to go to court. Your Highness, please."
Yan Liben understood the meaning of Li Xian's words, and his heart sank slightly, but he had no choice but to do so. At this moment, the shouts of court were heard in the palace, and Yan Liben stepped aside with a smile, thus ending the mutual testing. Verbal exchange.
"Xiang Yan, please."
The court was about to go to court, and Li Xian didn't want to talk any more nonsense. He smiled and held up his hands, and walked shoulder to shoulder with Li Xian to the courtiers who were forming a team.
"Seventh brother, this..."
After all, Li Xian was impatient and couldn't hold back his words. As soon as he was a little far away from Yan Liben, he couldn't help but speak to test him.
"Brother Six, it's nothing. I just asked the Prime Minister to protect my capital."
Regarding Li Xian's impatience, Li Xian was obviously helpless and could only smile and make a few pointers.
"Oh, that's it." Li Xian was stunned for a moment, and then quickly realized it. He was overjoyed, and immediately showed a satisfied smile on his face. Without saying any more, he lined up with Li Xian among the ministers. Those at the forefront walked quickly into the palace gate and headed straight for Deyang Palace along the palace avenue.
"I will bow to Your Majesty and the Queen."
A group of courtiers entered the main hall and saw Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu already sitting on the dragon bed. They did not dare to neglect them, so they walked forward quickly and paid homage.
"My dear friends, please stay safe."
Gaozong's complexion was obviously not very good, his face was full of exhaustion, and his eye circles were faintly dark. Seeing the arrival of the ministers, he managed to pick up some energy, raised his hand, and gave an order out of breath.
"I thank the Lord for your kindness. Long live my emperor, long live, long live."
All the ministers and ministers noticed Gaozong's weakness, but no one dared to be disrespectful at this moment. According to the old practice, after each of them said long live three times, they stood up one after another and ranked each according to their rank. After taking their seats, the morning court officially began.
"Your Majesty, I have this chapter to report."
As soon as the courtiers returned to their seats, Yan Liben took the lead to stand up, holding the jade gui in his hand, and reported loudly.
"Yan Aiqing has a direct pipe to play, and I will just listen."
When Emperor Gaozong saw Yan Liben coming forward, he immediately thought of He Lanmin's case and couldn't help but feel troubled by it. However, he could not stop Yan Liben from doing anything, so he could only say something patiently, with a lot of impatience in his words.
.
"Your Majesty, next spring will be the year of great competition. This is a grand ceremony for selecting talents for the country. It is unusual and comparable. Only relatives and nobles with outstanding literary talents must be selected as candidates to show the importance of the court. The old minister thinks that Prince Lu and Li Xian are both talented.
"Jing Neng is the best candidate for this position. I sincerely ask your Majesty for your understanding." Yan Liben had been in the officialdom for a long time, so he could hear the impatience in Gaozong's words, but he didn't pay much attention to it, and explained in a leisurely manner.
.
"Um?"
Emperor Gaozong obviously didn't expect that what Yan Liben was talking about was the Ming Chun Competition. For a moment, he couldn't think straight, and he uttered a blank sound, as if he didn't understand what kind of drama Yan Liben was singing.
.
"Your Majesty, I think what Prime Minister Yan said is true. The Yuan Dynasty Competition is a major event for the country. With His Highness Prince Lu in charge of the overall situation, he can select more talented people for the court."
"Your Majesty, I second the proposal!"
"Your Majesty, I also second your proposal!"
…
Before Emperor Gaozong could express his attitude, Le Yanwei and many other officials from the prince's family came out to express their approval. Officials from Li Xian's family also did not lag behind, and for a while, the whole palace was filled with voices of agreement.
"Dear ladies, please rise. I already know about this matter, um..."
The new-style imperial examination has just been held, and the dozens of Jinshi selected are now mostly minor local officials. Even if there are some who stay in the court, they are only minor officials at the level of chief of each ministry. As far as the imperial court is concerned,
, it has no fundamental influence. Emperor Gaozong himself did not attach much importance to the competition. Originally, he did not care who served as the examiner of the competition. However, when he saw that all the courtiers unanimously recommended Li Xian, he could not help but feel guilty.
I was a little suspicious, so I hesitated whether I should agree to it or not.
"Your Majesty, I think that the Yuanyuan Ceremony is indeed an important matter, and it must be done by a mature and prudent person. Xian'er has outstanding literary talent, but he is still young, so he may not be able to control the scene. It would be better for Hao Xiang to be the chief examiner.
Xian'er is very happy for it."
Emperor Gaozong didn't understand Yan Liben's intention in writing this chapter, but Empress Wu saw through the strangeness at a glance. She believed that this move must be one of the conditions for cooperation between the three kings, and was unwilling to fulfill it, so she snatched it.
Before Gaozong expressed his stance, he gave a suggestion.
"Well, Mei Niang's words are reasonable. I think it's feasible." Gao Zong was originally a person with no big opinions, and he didn't take the competition seriously. After hearing what Empress Wu said, he naturally wouldn't object.
, even if the matter was settled, he immediately waved to Li Xianyi and said, regardless of the reactions of the courtiers, "Xian'er, the Grand Prix is a grand ceremony of the country. You must act with caution. More
You may gain something by learning from Hao Xiang."
"Yes, I will remember my father's instructions carefully and will not dare to neglect anything."
Seeing that the position of examiner who was about to be handed over was wiped out by Empress Wu's light words, the anger in Li Xian's heart could be said to have skyrocketed, but in front of Gaozong, there was no reason to explain it.
The only option is to honestly agree to the promise, but secretly scold Empress Wu until she is bloody...