"Sir, what do you think of what he said so much just now?"

Gu Qingxuan bowed and withdrew from the palace, and it was midnight, Chen Jingxing sat down in front of the bookcase, and asked Duke De to pass on a cup of tea.

Qiao Huai'an walked out of the inner hall, bowed to him, and then sat down opposite him and answered his question: "Wonderful! If I heard this political statement in the court, instead of hiding in the imperial study, I would definitely applaud Lord Gu." ”

Chen Jingxing smiled, relaxed his posture, and was relaxed: "When he mentions it again, sir, can't you still applaud him?"

He shook his head and smiled, "Hmm...... That's not interesting, the second time? I can't pretend to be it. ”

Chen Jingxing was amused by him, "What do you think is good about that gentleman? Don't you think that some pavilions in the air are ethereal? According to what he said, I am afraid that I will offend the magnates of the whole Chang'an City, and I will drag the entire imperial court to bear the pressure exerted by the people of the world with him? Gu Qingxuan is simply crazy......

"He's not just crazy, he's crazy, but Your Majesty, you know, he's crazy, but he's not stupid. ”

Qiao Huai'an poured tea, but didn't taste it, dipped some tea in the cup with his fingertips, and wrote a word on the table.

Chen Jingxing rubbed his forehead, so that his tired mind could regain his consciousness and see the words he wrote under the lamp.

Qiao Huai'an said: "Gu Qingxuan is good, those who are good will not take a single step Gu Yi, they will look at the overall situation from the beginning, step by step, make moves, and even push the overall situation close to what they think, this is not only to calculate how they should go next, but also to calculate which step the opponent will take." In the past few years, it can even be said that for so many years, he has only been laying out, but this game is too complicated and time-consuming, and countless players have been changed in the middle, and he, Gu Qingxuan, has always been Gu Qingxuan. ”

"Sir, you mean that he has been prepared for today, does Sir, believe him like that?" asked Chen Jingxing.

Qiao Huaian looked at the words on the case, frowned, shook his head and said, "It's not that I believe in him, but Your Majesty believes in him." His Majesty knows very well whether his strategy is right or wrong, and he also knows very well whether it is feasible in the end, otherwise His Majesty would not have led him to this point. He is a chess player, but His Majesty is the one who provides him with chess pieces on the chessboard, if it is not worth it, why pay him?"

Chen Jingxing didn't expect Qiao Huai'an to suddenly say so bluntly, his expression moved slightly, and he only smiled: "What about Mr.? Where are you standing, sir?"

"Qiao is willing to be a chess watcher. ”

"When will Mr. come in?"

When all the opponents are defeated, Qiao is willing to be his last opponent. ”

Chen Jingxing smiled at the case, and his voice was hearty: "Okay, very good." Tonight, I finally knew Mr.'s heart, Gu Qingxuan has been changing opponents, and Mr. has been waiting for an opponent. ”

Qiao Huai'an laughed at himself, "Not really, I'd rather that opponent didn't appear......"

As he spoke, he closed the lid of the cup, changed his expression suddenly, and said: "All in all, Gu Qingxuan's advocacy of suppressing officials and promoting business and supporting people and commerce is feasible, but it requires him and the court to pay a greater price." For so many years, the Great Qi court has been ill for a long time, and the government and the opposition have colluded at all levels, colluding with interests, but if Gu Qingxuan, who wanted fame, fortune and power ten years earlier, and was brave, resourceful and ambitious, would not have been in such a depressed situation......"

"Sir, is this an exaggeration? Sir, where is your wisdom and foresight beneath him? Moreover, unlike him who climbed up from the bottom, his father and uncle all believed in Mr. and pinned their hopes on Mr., and more than ten years ago, the virtuous eldest princess of Jinyi was in charge of the dynasty, why couldn't Mr. show his revenge? Is it a lack of his desire, or is it less of his ambition?"

"Neither, just one less monarch who needs him. ”

"Mr. means ......"

He looked at the lamp and sighed: "Those who are trusted are not necessarily valued, and wise rulers will not necessarily tolerate practical power schemers." Qiao also thought about fame, fortune and power, and also thought about taking a road between black and white, but the emperor didn't want the society to be stable and prosperous, he just wanted the dragon seat to be stable and long-lived......"

"What does that gentleman think, what do I want?

Qiao Huai'an was silent for a long time, closed his eyes and smiled, got up and saluted him, "I believe that Your Majesty has a choice in his heart." ”

Wechen retired. ”

……

After Qiao Huai'an left, it had been the third watch, Chen Jingxing looked solemn, sat there with his head down, closed his eyes and meditated for a long time.

"Your Majesty~"

It wasn't until a lazy call came from the room that he came back to his senses, rubbed his temples, got up and walked into the innermost study of the imperial study.

A person lay down on the emperor's couch without restraint, his facial features were like jade, the green silk was scattered, the brocade robe was half faded, and he yawned lazily.

Chen Jing walked over, with a relaxed and happy smile on his face, sat down on the edge of the couch, stretched out his hand to stroke the man's chin, and looked gentle: "Have you waited for a long time?

His head leaned on Chen Jingxing's lap, looked up at Chen Jingxing's face, and also stretched out his hand to wrap around Chen Jingxing's back, "I just feel sorry for Your Majesty and can't sleep...... After listening to those boring words all night, how tired Your Majesty is......"

Chen Jingxing smiled more comfortably, leaned down and kissed his forehead: "I want to hear you say interesting things from time to time, but is it successful? Which of them can reassure me? Mr. Qiao is wrong, I don't just provide a chessboard, I am a chess gambler, I bet chips on them, and the wins and losses of every game are closely related to me......

"But Your Majesty will win after all, no matter who wins, won't you be able to make Your Majesty profit?" he said.

Chen Jingxing didn't say anything anymore, completely relaxed, fell on the couch with him, smiled and closed his eyes, let him untie his wide clothes, and whispered, "Zi Chu, Zi Chu......"

Suddenly, the golden palace opened, hundreds of officials entered the court, a stone above the Ming Hall stirred up a thousand waves, he sat firmly on the dragon seat, looking down on the hall under the hundred officials contending, Gu Qingxuan stood in the center, opponents and supporters, forming a vortex around him, he was like a person who stirred this pool of water, and he could control it if he was obedient or disobedient......

Back then, he and Shen Lanxi talked all night under the lamp in the study, forming the original idea.

But at that time, he had no name and no power, and he had nothing to do, so he went to fight for fame and power.

When he became famous, but the court environment was bad, and it was difficult for him to do something. At the same time, other people who seek power in the court are either wise and able to get by, such as Qin Yongnian and other old ministers, or seek personal interests to compete for immediate utilitarian interests, such as Lu Yuanzhi, etc., or close to the imperial power to seek stability, such as Yin Jiheng and other aristocratic families.

And what he wants is that it may take a long time to create a court that is conducive to his own ambitions, and to support a king who is conducive to his own ideals, but it is worth it.

So there was the unknown meeting in Lingyuan Temple that year, and Lu Yuanzhi became a shield to cover him to complete all this.

Then, people's hearts were unpredictable, the world changed, he did not get the high position of Si Cheng as he wished, and it was not easy to make a comeback, so he got rid of Lu Yuanzhi, who he was going to get rid of, and in the process, faced the dilemma of Daqi and saw the real opportunity.

The Lu family is gone, he has a chance, but he doesn't have deep influence, he doesn't have the chips to test the waters to 'gamble', so he can only find a person with such strength and push that person out to be a stepping stone, so that his road can be better, that person is Yin Jiheng.

Kill, fight, master most of the mouths that can speak in the court, and create a situation in your favor.

This game is considered to be a good one.

After so many years of preparation, Gu Qingxuan was serious.

Before that, he became the Imperial Historian, an official from the first product, the general leader of the Imperial Historical Observatory, close to the political hall, only one step away from the political hall.

……

Promoted to the first grade, Gu Qingxuan could actually choose a new mansion, but he didn't, so he asked Tang Bo to find a way to decorate the mansion again, make it a little more stylish, and then prepare to hold a promotion banquet according to the practice of officialdom to entertain colleagues.

The strange thing is that the colleagues who learned that he was still living in the original mansion did not feel strange, but they all tacitly guessed that Gu Qingxuan wanted to move directly into the Prime Minister's Mansion.

As for what he really thinks, no one knows.

The day before the promotion banquet, the new maids in the front yard cleaned up and arranged, these maids were all entrusted to help the Gu Mansion find, all of them were cautious and capable, knew how to observe words and feelings, and saved a lot of trouble for the Gu family.

"These lights...... Wouldn't it look better if it was replaced with a new round lamp?"

Unexpectedly, An Ru reacted more loudly, and solemnly said to the little maid: "You should remember, the most important thing in this house is these brocade square lanterns, even if you want to change them, you have to be ordered by adults." ”

The little maid couldn't help but be curious, and asked, "Why, Sister Anru, is there anything special about these lights?"

An Ru stood on the ladder, carefully cleaned the ash from the lampshade with a goose feather duster, and whispered to her: "These lamps are all made by the late lady, whether it is an adult or a young lady, they are very cherished, so they must not be careless." ”

"I see...... So what is the copper ball hanging under the lamp used for?

An Ru took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the rust on the copper ball: "This is also a special feature of these lights, these brocade square lamps are used for the Shangyuan Festival blessing, in the past, Mrs. would make such a lamp with copper balls every year, and the small copper balls were put in the blessings of everyone, and they were sealed inside after writing this year, and they could still be taken down for the Shangyuan Festival next year...... Pity...... These lamps have not been taken down since the year of the lady's departure, and the blessings in these lamps have not been cared for...... Of course, when the house went to the Shangyuan Festival, there was no longer a lantern to pray for blessings...... I remember that this lamp was hung by Madame, and I don't know what kind of blessing she wrote......"

An Ru recalled the past events in the house, and felt sorry in her heart, so she only carefully and meticulously climbed to the high place herself, cleaning the lamps one by one, until she finished cleaning the lights in front of the porch, she put the ladder by the wall temporarily, and later had her own servants come and take it away, and she led the little maid to the hall to continue cleaning.

And under the corridor, there was a man who had been looking at this side for a long time, and vaguely heard them discussing these lamps, and after An Ru waited for the maid to leave, he walked under the lamp and looked up for a long time.

It was Shen Lanxi's lamp, and he was looking at the small copper ball under the lamp.

Indeed, no one has ever opened it.

He wanted to know what kind of blessing was written in it.

What did she pray for in her last days?

Thinking about it, he saw the ladder in the corner of the wall, and for the first time he moved his mind, to take down the lamp and peek into the blessing in the bronze ball.

"Father. ”

As soon as he started to walk towards the corner ladder, he heard Gu Qinghuan's voice behind him, so he stopped and turned around to see Gu Qinghuan walking towards him: "What's the matter?" Qinghuan. ”

He stopped in front of Gu Qingxuan, and didn't seem to notice what his father had just moved, just a little cramped, lowered his head and rubbed his hands, and after a while, Fang re-spoken: "Father...... I'd like to talk to you about ...... My marriage ......"

As soon as he heard Gu Qinghuan talk about this, Gu Qingxuan immediately smiled, folded his hands into his sleeves, and smiled with satisfaction, "You finally came to talk to your father about your marriage......

Hearing his father laugh at himself, Gu Qinghuan was embarrassed, even more embarrassed, and complained, "Father ......"

Gu Qingxuan knew that he was thin-skinned, and he had to listen to him for a long time when he talked about this, so he thought about it for a while, and said to him directly: "Which family do you say, my father will prepare a letter of appointment for you, and wait for tomorrow...... Oh, no, or at my father's promotion banquet tomorrow, I invited my parents over, decided the marriage, and announced it to the public by the way, just the right time and occasion. ”

Gu Qinghuan didn't expect Gu Qingxuan to be in such a hurry, scratched the back of his head, and said: "It's easy to say, it's good that the father will arrange all the marriages, but my sister is estimated to be in big trouble......"

"Do you still want to marry Miss He?" Gu Qingxuan asked.

He nodded, "Father, I have made up my mind, and I ask you to help me persuade my sister." ”

Sure enough, thinking of this, the joy on Gu Qingxuan's face gradually turned into worry, and after a while, he patted Gu Qinghuan on the shoulder: "Okay, father and you will talk about this matter with your sister in the evening, but you have to be prepared, there may be troubles, father try to persuade her, and you also give her a period of time to accept......

"Good. ”

……

In the evening, Gu Qingning returned home and had dinner with Gu Qingxuan and Gu Qinghuan in the side room of the main hall, she didn't say anything recently, she had been very silent, even if she sat opposite, she didn't take the initiative to say anything to them.

Gu Qingxuan tried to ask her a few words, and she answered all of them, which was normal, but she didn't say much.

After a few rounds, Gu Qingxuan finally talked about Gu Qinghuan's marriage, Gu Qingning listened, unexpectedly, there were no emotional ups and downs, and he just ate as usual.

“…… Qinghuan is not young, his father had you when he was older, and you don't look good as a sister Qinghuan has been like this, right? So, Qingning, what do you think? Can this family matter be decided earlier?" he persuaded carefully, and Gu Qinghuan on the side was also waiting with bated breath for Gu Qingning's reaction.

Hearing Gu Qingxuan say this, she put down the food chopstick, Gu Qinghuan hurriedly handed the silk to her, she took the silk silk to wipe her mouth, then raised her head, expressionless, and said to Gu Qingxuan: "My brother's marriage, he makes his own decision, and his father arranges it, so why ask me? ”

Hearing her say this, Gu Qinghuan didn't feel happy, but became even more uneasy, "Sister......"

Gu Qingning smiled at him, smiled very detachedly, and looked at Gu Qingxuan again: "Father, my Shilang's Mansion has been repaired, and I will move over tonight to make room for Qinghuan to do a happy event." In the future, please worry more about the things in the house, please and Qinghuan more, I won't ask again. ”

After she finished speaking, she got up and left the side hall, leaving only the stunned father and son.