The rain in Wuchang was not heavy, but it never stopped. The entire Chu Palace seemed to be filled with water, shrouded in a humid world. The rain curtain was like fog, blurring the vision and making everything hazy.
Become hazy.
In the Nuan Pavilion of the Zhongzheng Hall, in addition to Emperor Jianwen and Queen Ma, there was also Guo Jie, a minister of the foreign court. He reported the matter: "I didn't contact Wang Gouer this time. Others in the capital finally found out.
The prince has never been taken into custody. I have also asked the informants on the way to Beijing one after another. I have never seen anyone escorting the prince passing by before. I believe that the news reported by Wang Gouer that the prince was escorted to the imperial prison is most likely false.
…”
Zhu Yunwen had an angry look on his face, "This little slave girl dares to bully you!"
Queen Ma was angry and anxious: "I have said it a long time ago, but Wang Gou'er can't believe it."
Guo Jie had been struggling to understand this matter for several months. It was because of Emperor Jianwen's order, but the most fundamental reason was because of pressure from Empress Ma. Empress Ma valued the prince Zhu Wenkui more than his life. For so long,
There was no news after a while, and she never let go of this matter for a day. There was only one piece of news about Zhu Wenkui before, which was that he fell into the hands of the imperial officers and soldiers and was imprisoned in prison. Of course, such a piece of news that others told her could not let her down.
satisfy.
Moreover, Empress Ma has always suspected that her son is related to the conspiracy of Mrs. Yao and others; the Xiangwang Group has stabilized the officials of the Jianwen line by sharing power, but it cannot make a mutually satisfactory deal with Empress Ma anyway, so this
The matter was temporarily shelved at the time, but it never ended.
Now Guo Jie has verified that Zhu Wenkui is not imprisoned in imperial prison, so where is he?
Queen Ma was going crazy and asked directly: "Where is Wen Kui?"
Guo Jie was bent over and unable to answer. Jianwen was also silent. It seemed that no one could answer her question.
Empress Ma choked up and said: "Did Wen Kui be killed by that witch mother and son? Otherwise, how could there be no news about a living person for such a long time!"
Guo Jie hurriedly advised: "The King of Xiang is the prince's biological brother, so such a thing will not happen."
"Don't think that I don't know. You...you have all been bribed by him. How much is a black gauze for you? It's useless!" Empress Ma began to cry and curse. Jianwen suddenly shouted: "How unbecoming!"
After scolding, there was a sad expression on his face.
Guo Jie said cautiously: "I have reported everything I know. If the emperor and the empress have no other orders, please leave."
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said nothing. Guo Jie hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, then bent down and walked backwards towards the door.
Queen Ma took out her handkerchief and wiped her tears. Her face was pale and bloodless, and there was deep hatred hidden in her sad eyes. She calmed down. Although she wanted to know the truth of the matter, she understood that Yao Ji and others were
There was no way he could tell her the truth.
…
Zhang Ning held a stick and limped slowly up the stairs of Fengyi Building. He looked back in the air and wondered when the rain would stop. The old injury on his leg recurred once. Maybe the weather will be bad in the future.
Even if it happens, it will inevitably happen again. Some things are really hard to get rid of. Once they happen, they can't be gotten rid of.
Two attendants followed behind. They wanted to help King Xiang go, but they had been rejected before.
When we arrived at Yao Ji's place, we entered into a large hall. Everything here seemed to be neatly and neatly arranged, spotlessly clean. It was very quiet, although the rain outside never stopped, and there was no one in the hall.
A shiny bead curtain hangs outside the Nuan Pavilion, gently swaying in the humid breeze. The beads collide with each other and make a crisp "ding-ding" sound, which makes people think of wind chimes.
Yao Ji's voice came from inside: "On weekdays, you may not see anyone for several days. Today, your legs and feet are inconvenient. You should move less, but you remember?"
Zhang Ning said: "I just wanted to sit here with you and calm down."
There was silence for a while, then Yao Ji opened the curtain and walked out. Her long hair was tied casually on her head, looking like she was at home. It was raining and she probably didn't want to go out. She glanced at the two attendants at the door and ordered
: "Go down and don't let anyone disturb you."
The attendant in white bowed and said, "Yes."
Zhang Ning saw a table under the window with a chessboard and other objects on it, and two futons on the floor beside the table, so he walked over and sat on the ground casually. One advantage of living in the pavilion is that you can sit on the floor.
You can sit cross-legged or kneeling, and you don't have to worry about the earth's qi being damp.
"Now do you feel that I am the only person you can trust?" Yao Ji's eyes were fixed on him, "You have done your utmost to Qianren, so what now?"
"Yes." Zhang Ning suddenly felt a little depressed, "Only you will never be my enemy, whether when I am proud, when I am in danger, or when I am desperate..."
Yao Ji came over and knelt down opposite him. Unlike Zhang Ning, who sometimes didn't pay attention to her posture, she had the same decent and dignified temperament when she knelt down on the futon on the ground. Just like the place where she lived, there was no slovenly mess.
when.
She softened her tone and asked politely: "Does your leg still hurt?" Zhang Ning replied: "It happens from time to time, labor pains."
Yao Ji's eyes swept across his face like a pair of hands: "You look very bad...play chess with me and think in an open place."
Zhang Ning felt a little irritated as soon as he saw the chessboard. Go is indeed not that simple. There are too many chess pieces to worry about. He said: "Let's play backgammon. I'll teach you. It's very simple."
Sure enough, Yao Ji could learn it as soon as she learned it. This is a very fast-food game, suitable for modern people to kill their spare time, but it is not a good thing in today's slow pace of life in the Ming Dynasty.
Yao Ji soon became distracted. The simple chess skills could not attract her full attention. She picked up the chess pieces with white onion-like fingers and dropped them casually. She said: "It is said that Yu Qian collected more than 30,000 soldiers from the King of Han."
, it is very popular with the military. We are now just like gambling, using the Yongding Camp as capital to see if we can earn 30,000 yuan for surrendering the army; if we are reluctant to part with the capital, we will naturally not get the profit."
What she said seemed to make sense, but in Zhang Ning's view, there were far more than these factors. The resources, popular support, and strategic depth brought by consolidating Jiangxi's rule were difficult to simply measure. He couldn't help but said: "You seem to be very tolerant.
...We cannot afford to lose any war. And there is only one chance, and there is no chance that Emperor Guang Wu will regroup several times."
Yao Ji looked at him and smiled: "I already have what I want, so there is nothing I can't think of."
"What do you want?" Zhang Ning couldn't help but ask.
Yao Ji looked back at Ming Jing's palace, pointed to the pavilions and pavilions outside the door in the mist, and said softly: "You said you would conquer a large territory and give me a spacious palace to live in. Now that you have not already got it, what else do I want?"
What you want? People are like flowers blooming and fading. There is no need to regret if you have had it before."
"Alas..." Zhang Ning sighed, feeling a little moved, and an inexplicable sadness welled up in his heart. I don't know why, but he seemed to be extra fragile and depressed today. Is it because of the rainy day?
The two faced each other in silence for a while, and Yao Ji asked again: "Look at you like this... If nothing happens to Yu Qian, the Yongding Battalion and the Jiangxi Army in Jiangxi combined can't defeat the Xuanfu Datong soldiers from Nanjing?"
"It's more difficult." Zhang Ning said, "Actually, we have never had an advantage. In the past, the big reason was God's favor. This time Emperor Xuande is in Nanjing, and the commander of the attack on Jiangxi is most likely to be the British Duke Zhang Fu, regardless of the gap in military strength.
, even Zhang Fu is not an ordinary person, he is not easy to deal with."
He felt that Yao Ji should be a very strong woman on the inside, so there was no need to say good things. He shook out all the complaints in his heart, "What if we lose Jiangxi and let the Northern Army send heavy troops to the south bank of the Yangtze River to the west of Huguang?
This is a place of four battles, with enemies on all sides. If you want to make progress at that time, no one can use all your strength. There is no danger to defend this place. Even if I have what I have seen six hundred years later, it is difficult to change my destiny.
...Perhaps the general trend cannot be affected by a mortal after all, it is just a small storm in the river and the sea. If we lose, how should it end?"
A gloomy look flashed in Yao Ji's eyes, and then she persuaded: "Why do you always think of the worst?"
Zhang Ning thought of the hard work he had never slackened over the past few years and the ambition he often harbored, and couldn't help but said: "I'm really unwilling." This feeling, because he came from a later generation, suddenly gave him a unique advantage in the Ming Dynasty.
In addition to discovering that he is a prince, he also feels that he can change the world and has a crazy mentality of doing whatever he wants. How can he be willing to accept the fate of being wiped out?
Yao Ji glanced at the guzheng standing by the wall and said, "Don't you want to calm down? I'll play you a piece of music." After saying that, she got up, picked up the guzheng, put it on the table, and placed several pairs of gold and jade-carved guzheng.
Put on the finger cots and pluck the strings at will, and you will get a string of very harmonious tunes. Her attainments seem to have reached a state where she can play an emotion according to her mood without the need for music scores or music.
Zhang Ning listened attentively. Amidst the tinkling sound of the piano, he heard Yao Ji softly say: "You can come closer."
He sat next to Yao Ji, listened to the pleasant voice, and smelled the fragrance of her body. Gradually, he seemed to forget his worries. He couldn't help but admire Yao Ji's elegant posture and gentle movements.
, the wonderful lines on her body, the towering breasts, the soft waist, and the tight waist of the skirt when she is kneeling.
He relaxed and felt a little tired, so he lay down on his side and rested his head on her leg, as if it was a matter of course and upright, and he didn't feel anything wrong at all. Yao Ji didn't resist at all, and still played the piano.
Xian, by chance, she lowered her head and whispered: "From beginning to end, I am the only one you can trust and rely on. Do you understand?"
Zhang Ning didn't know why she repeated such a sentence with similar meaning. In such an atmosphere, it felt like a mantra. He couldn't think about it and just accepted it.