At the end of April, in Chang'an, the sun is blazing during the day, and the cicadas are chirping in the trees without sparing, making people suddenly feel that it has entered summer.

Empress Changsun was already very heavy, but she still insisted on walking around the house, and the doctor said that this was conducive to production. However, even after walking like this, she felt tightness in her chest and shortness of breath, and her eyes were black from time to time.

She was worried, patted her stomach silently, and said silently in her heart: "Child, you have to be strong." Mother will do her best. ”

"Queen, Uncle Guo asks to see. The palace maid Xiuzhu walked in quickly.

Empress Eldest Sun frowned, remembering the last time she met her brother and sister and broke up unhappily, but she thought about it, after all, they were brothers and sisters. Over the years, my brother has been dependent on him and has always loved her very much. was pregnant with a child, and he searched for the world's famous doctors to guard her.

"Please. Empress Eldest Sun said and sat down.

There are still three months to go, but the belly is already very pregnant. She sat down, and it was very difficult. However, even so, she maintained the demeanor of a queen.

The eldest grandson Wuji entered the palace, wore regular clothes, and performed the etiquette of meeting the queen.

"Brother, please be seated. "The queen gave her a seat.

The eldest grandson Wuji was polite for a while and asked how her body was. Empress Eldest Sun replied one by one, then retreated and asked directly: "Brother came here today, I don't know why?"

The eldest grandson Wuji was stunned, his sister has been smart since she was a child, as if she wanted to see him through. Because of this, the children she taught were not close to his uncle.

"I'm just here to see the Queen, and I've heard that you're getting heavier. The eldest grandson Wuji said.

Empress Eldest Sun nodded and said, "Thank you brother for your concern, my body is getting heavier and heavier, and my spirit is not good." If you don't have anything else to do, brother, please go back. I need to rest. ”

Empress Changsun is chasing guests. The eldest grandson Wuji was forced to be helpless, so he said: "The queen is wise, the minister came today to tell you something." ”

"Oh, what's the matter?" said Empress Eldest Sun sat precariously.

The eldest grandson Wuji sighed and said: "Cheng Qian is becoming more and more intelligent, and he is also a very qualified child, and he is becoming more and more like a prince of the Tang Dynasty, but after all, he is young, and he will inevitably be confused, and he will ask the queen to supervise one or two." ”

"Brother's words are not clear, I don't know if it can be expressed?" As soon as Empress Changsun heard the mention of Cheng Qian, her heart immediately became uncomfortable.

"Does the queen still remember that back then, the Xiao family designed to marry a daughter to His Majesty?" asked the eldest grandson Wuji.

Empress Changsun nodded, and then said, "I remember that Your Majesty skillfully resolved it, but it only suffered Ke'er. ”

"The queen may have heard that over the years, the Lanling Xiao family has secretly done this kind of thing, making a fuss about the marriage of children and daughters, and bringing everyone who has a little future power into the Xiao family's network. Now, he is fighting the idea of the prince and the king of Wei again. The eldest grandson Wuji said.

When the queen heard this, she was very displeased, and said: "Although the Xiao family is a big family, it is too blatant. Then the king of Wei and the crown prince have come into contact with them?"

"Yes. The eldest grandson Wuji sighed again, "King Wei has quite a personality, and he refused on the grounds that he wanted to concentrate on studying the mountains and rivers of the motherland." The Prince's attitude was—"

"What's going on?" asked Empress Eldest Sun.

"It's ambiguous. The eldest grandson Wuji said earnestly, looking quite worried, "The prince is afraid that he will always be on the throne in the future, and this force will be closed if it can be gathered." But the Xiao family is really complicated, and there are many unfavorable things that are not clear. ”

Empress Eldest Sun also didn't like the Xiao family's style of doing things, so she made a face and said, "Thank you, brother, I will talk to Cheng Qian about this matter." ”

"In this case, please bother the queen. In addition-" The eldest grandson Wuji paved the way, but paused here before saying, "In addition, Cheng Qian has been very close to Chai Lingwu recently. Presumably the queen also knows what Chai Lingwu and Fang Yiai are. How can these people become the prince's right-hand men, loyal ministers? ”

"I also wrote it down. Empress Eldest Sun said patiently.

"Queen, do you know that the prince brought Chai Lingwu into the Ganlu Hall to see Your Majesty. The eldest grandson Wuji said this.

When Empress Changsun heard this, she was very shocked. Chai Lingwu does not learn and has no skills, he is a gentleman, and he lingers in the flowers, which is something that the whole Chang'an knows. Cheng Qian and him are not close, why did they suddenly get involved and go to see the emperor?

"Do you know what's going on?" asked Empress Eldest Sun.

The eldest grandson Wuji shook his head and said, "I don't know. It's just that the minister was afraid that the prince would make a mistake, so he came to talk to the queen. ”

"On behalf of Chengqian, I thank you for your concern as an uncle. However, I still want to persuade my brother: You are a relative and an important minister, you should put your energy and vision on the court and the people, and solve problems for Your Majesty and the Tang Dynasty. Instead of staring at the emperor's sons, you are a relative, you have to avoid suspicion. Empress Eldest Sun said slowly.

The eldest grandson Wuji pursed his lips, and his anger was also forcibly suppressed.

People say that "the girl who marries out, spills the water", and it is really good. This sister married Li Shimin, and she was dedicated to Li Shimin, for what the Tang Dynasty was, completely forgetting that she was also surnamed Changsun, and forgetting that if she was the queen, if she didn't have her brother, it wouldn't be hers.

What to do is virtuous, I don't know right from wrong at all, and I don't know what is at stake.

The eldest grandson Wuji was furious in his heart, but he couldn't express it, so he just looked at the queen's bulging belly and said calmly: "Queen, the minister remembers, you take care of yourself, and the minister retires." ”

"Brother, I hope you will keep it in mind. Empress Changsun said again.

In the past few years, the elder brother's ambition has grown, and the people in the family have gradually become arrogant and have other thoughts. As a woman, she can't interfere in politics, nor can she interfere in the emperor's arrangements, so she can only admonish her brother in this way, and at the same time, restrain her two children.

"Remember. The eldest grandson Wuji withdrew, standing in the daylight of the April day, only feeling that today was not a good day.

After Empress Changsun sent away Changsun Wuji, she couldn't sit still anymore, so she ordered someone to carry the sedan chair and go straight to the Taiganlu Palace.

The Ganlu Hall is Li Shimin's dormitory. Usually when he went to the court, he would study here, review the recitals, summon ministers, or summon concubines to sleep. At this moment, Li Chengqian stood aside dignifiedly, talking about the day before yesterday when Chai Lingwu went to Pingkangfang to light lanterns with his eldest grandson.

Li Shimin put down the pen in his hand, looked at Li Chengqian with a little displeasure, and asked, "This is what you call a big deal?"

"Your Majesty, this is the beginning of things. "Li Chengqian is neither humble nor arrogant. Yesterday, he had received a handwritten letter from Yang Azhi, which was very reasonable. And please let him guard Chang'an, and to guard Chang'an, he must first guard Dugu Sinan, and he can't let the eldest grandson Wuji take the lead.

"You say. Li Shimin simply put down the twists and turns and continued to listen to Li Chengqian.

In the past, due to the admonition of the old ancestors who were orderly in the elderly, he had to let Cheng Qian be the crown prince. Although Cheng Qian is smart, in his opinion, he really does not look like the king of a country. For this reason, he is very unhappy with Chengqian, and he is also worried about the common people in the world. But in the past few years, he has gradually discovered that the child who did things only in the past, for fear of taking a wrong step, has grown up, and no matter what he does, he has his own considerations.

His heart rejoiced at such a change.

"Yes. Li Chengqian, who was encouraged, said slowly, "There is a pianist in Yicui Building in Pingkangfang, and he is very skilled. Chai Lingwu just wanted to learn the piano, so he invited him into the mansion. The crown princess has always loved the gean, and when she heard that there was a master, she sent someone there, but was unexpectedly rejected by Chai Lingwu. Ah Wu is not a stingy person, so I wrote to ask, Ah Wu only said that someone had been chasing and killing the violinist, and he had no choice but to put him in his mother's waterfront pavilion to protect him. Therefore, you can't enter the East Palace to learn piano skills with the crown princess. ”

"Oh, the piano master who has been hunted down?" Li Shimin also squinted slightly.

Li Chengqian nodded and replied: "The minister was very curious when he heard this, so he asked Ah Wu again and again. Ah Wu couldn't tell clearly, and the minister felt strange, so he went to investigate. Unexpectedly, when the pianist heard that I was the current prince, his face immediately changed. After a while, he asked me if I could take him to see His Majesty. There is something important to discuss. ”

"That's it, you brought it?" Li Shimin frowned. If this is the case, it will be ridiculous to do things.

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "If you don't find out the details, how can your sons dare to bring them to see Your Majesty." ”

"Then have you found out?" Li Shimin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this son was still good.

Li Chengqian didn't know his father's mind at all, and was only looking for a suitable way to lead Dugu Sinan to his father.

"Yes. After finding out, this person's name is Dugu Sinan, and his ancestor is Dugu Xin of the Great Pillar Kingdom of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. He was born as a concubine, his parents died, and he was hunted and questioned by various kinds since he was a child, and he has been hiding in Tibet. In order to survive, he had to play the piano in the Chu Pavilion of Qinlou. And he told a secret, saying that he didn't know before, but after so many years of hunting, he probably knew that those people were going to catch him and force him to take out the seal of the ancestor Dugu Xingong. The seal seems to have something to do with some kind of treasure. Li Chengqian paused when he said this.

Li Shimin's face changed suddenly, and he hurriedly asked, "He said that he said Yinxin?"

"Yes. He talked about Dugu Xingong's seal letter, and said that the treasure was not true or false. If there is really an earth-shattering wealth, it is better to hand it over to the court than to fall into the wrong hands. His Majesty is now a Ming monarch, and he will definitely use this wealth to benefit the people and make Datang stronger and richer. When the minister heard this, he thought that his father had told me that the Tuoba family and the Yuwen family had accumulated wealth, and then they were hidden by the Dugu family, and thought that what Dugu Sinan said was true. Besides, I can't make the decision on this matter, so I have always asked Your Majesty if I can see him. Li Chengqian said slowly.

Li Shimin nodded, and said concisely in one word: "Xuan." ”

The waiter immediately went out to Xuanchai Lingwu and Dugu Sinan. A big stone in Li Chengqian's heart fell, and it was at this time that he found that his legs and stomach were trembling.

Li Shimin took advantage of this gap and asked: "I heard that Prime Minister Xiao intends to give you the concubine of the Xiao family?"

When Li Chengqian heard this, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat, waved his hand again and again, and said, "Back to Your Majesty, the prime minister is coming to visit and talk about this matter." The minister refused on the spot as rude. But Prime Minister Xiao Cheng said that his Xiao family's daughter is proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and her appearance, figure, morality and temperament are all first-class, and he said that such a woman should match the prince. I refused, and he also said that this marriage is a matter for my parents, so I don't have to worry about it, he will break it himself. Your Majesty, you, don't say yes. ”

Li Chengqian cried and complained, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Yang's Azhi is really like a god, and he decided that this matter would cause the emperor to ask questions, so he first reminded him to deal with it.

"I see. Since the prince has no intention, don't spend your energy on this meaningless matter, and when the recent trivial matters are over, you still seriously marry Yang Ruyu. Li Shimin advised.

Li Chengqian nodded again and again, and the clothes on his back were all soaked with sweat.

The Ganlu Hall suddenly quieted down, and Li Shimin picked up a book and was about to read it, when he heard the chamberlain say loudly: "The queen has arrived." ”

Li Shimin was startled, quickly got up and went out, and asked with concern: "Queen, you are inconvenient, why did you come over?"

"It's hot, I'll take a look at Your Majesty. Empress Eldest Sun said with a smile.

"You know it's hot, but you're running here. Li Shimin shook his head with a smile.

"I'm just bored, I want to come and see if Your Majesty has a good meal. Empress Eldest Sun held her stomach and cautiously walked into the Manna Palace. Li Chengqian also immediately stepped forward and saluted.

"Cheng Qian is also here. Now it's not a court meeting, you are here, I think there is a major event in the court. I'm here, it seems inconvenient, right?" said Empress Changsun, and looked at Li Shimin.

"Queen, out of the way. It was Cheng Qian who helped me do a big thing, and the father and son were chatting. Li Shimin said lightly, and then carefully helped Empress Eldest Sun to sit down.

"That's very good. Chengqian has grown up, and he has done better and better as a prince, and he has become more and more aware of his responsibilities as a prince. Empress Eldest Sun looked at Li Chengqian with a smile.

Li Chengqian felt that something was wrong with his mother, and he rarely came to the Manna Hall when his father reviewed the recitals. She has always adhered to the principle that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, and has always avoided suspicion, not to mention that she is pregnant with a child now, and her body itself is not good.

Something must have happened to my mother. Looking at her expression, she was really said by Yang Minzhi: once he participates in Dugu Sinan's affairs, the eldest grandson Wuji will definitely take action, and the first step is to find the eldest grandson queen.

Thinking of this sentence, Li Chengqian's heart was cold. If the mother was really moved by the eldest grandson Wuji's words, and stopped him, it would be so chilling.

Li Chengqian felt uncomfortable, but he didn't drop the courtesy, and saluted the eldest grandson empress, saying, "Thank you mother for your praise." My son will work harder. ”

"Chengqian has grown a lot in the past two years. Li Shimin said, and also beckoned Cheng Qian to sit down.

Li Chengqian sat cautiously aside, Li Shimin looked at the eldest grandson empress with pity, and asked softly: "Empress, you have never set foot in the Manna Palace, and you came here today to really look at my diet?"

Empress Eldest Sun smiled lightly and said, "I'm really here to take a look." Somehow, when I was pregnant with this child, I always felt that something was wrong. Thinking like this, I want to come and see Your Majesty. ”