The emperor's eldest son, Meng Xuanzhe, made a special trip back to Shudu from the fiefdom to congratulate his father Meng Chang on his birthday. Meng Chang was very happy and held a family banquet to entertain him in the Mingse Palace, where he dealt with government affairs on a daily basis.

Han Ruo, that is, Xu Rui today, as the hostess in the name of the palace of Houshu, naturally has to attend. After she went, she found that in addition to Meng Chang, Concubine Li and several other princes in Shudu, there was also Prime Minister Li Hao.

Xu Rui doesn't like Li Hao. Because Li Hao is an old fritter. When Qianshu was defeated, Li Hao, as a Hanlin scholar of Qianshu, helped Wang Yan, the emperor of Qianshu, write a table of surrender. In his previous life, when Houshu was defeated by the Northern Song Dynasty, he wrote a table for Meng Chang. Someone looked down on him, and in the middle of the night, he wrote "Shixiu Descends to the Li Family" on the door of his house with black dog blood, which was passed down as a joke at the time.

But so what? In this troubled world, those who have integrity are prone to die early, but those who are not disciplined can live well. Li Hao went from a bachelor of Hanlin in the former Shu to the current prime minister of the Later Shu, and suddenly he was the younger brother of Concubine Li and the reason why Meng Chang trusted him, but the most important thing is that he has his own way of drilling camps, knows how to write a table to please the winner, and seeks survival resources for himself.

In the previous life, Meng Chang was killed by Zhao Guangyi shortly after returning to the Northern Song Dynasty, and Concubine Li also died peerlessly, and there were many martyrs among the officials of Houshu, only this Li Hao, as the prime minister of Houshu, was not affected by the death of the country at all, and still lived his own small life peacefully, and even found a not low official position in the Northern Song Dynasty - Yizhou Mu.

Wait a minute, Yizhou Mu Xu Rui thought of this, and a flash of inspiration appeared in his head, as if he had caught some clues.

Yizhou is another name for Shudi. As the prime minister of Houshu and at the same time a relative of the emperor, how could Li Hao still be awarded the post of "Yizhou Mu" by Song Taizu after the fall of Houshu? This is the highest administrative post in the general territory of Shu.

It stands to reason that the Song people are too late to guard against him, how could they put such an important power in his hands? Unless he has made great contributions to the Northern Song Dynasty and won Zhao Kuangyin's trust. But as the prime minister of the fallen country, what great contribution can he make for the Northern Song Dynasty to make him worthy of this position?

There can only be one answer, that is, Yizhou was obtained by him for the Song people.

Thinking of this, Xu Rui was taken aback by her own thoughts. However, after careful consideration, she felt that only this reason could explain why Hou Shu in her previous life was defeated so quickly. Apart from him, who else can influence so many armies in Houshu and make them fall like a mountain?

Although Houshu is a small place compared to the Northern Song Dynasty, there are few wars in Houshu, rich and stable, and there is no shortage of hot-blooded men, and there are 800,000 troops up and down. Moreover, playing at home, there are also geographical advantages. Even if the Northern Song Dynasty will win in the end, they will have to pay a heavy price, how can it be so easy?

Unless there are traitors in Houshu.

Xu Rui looked at Li Hao, who had a handful of goatee and was old-fashioned. This man is too deeply disguised. If she didn't know about her previous life, she wouldn't dare to say that the person in front of her, who was already a very powerful minister and seemed to be very honest and reliable, would be a traitor.

Meng Chang asked Li Hao to sit on his right-hand side, and on his left-hand side were Concubine Li and other female dependents. On the other side of Li Hao are Meng Xuanzhe and other princes. Li Hao sat in front of the princes, but no one had any objections, because everyone was used to this kind of seating.

From the seat, it could be seen that Meng Chang and Concubine Li trusted and relied on Li Hao, but this did not exchange him for the slightest loyalty to Hou Shu. Xu Rui glanced at Meng Chang and Concubine Li sympathetically.

Li Hao felt that someone was secretly observing him, so he looked up and looked around, but found nothing. He thought he was delusional, so he didn't take it seriously.

Xu Rui thought about things too much, and unconsciously picked up the wine in front of her to drink.

When Concubine Li saw it, she snatched the gold bottle in her hand, put it on the table and said, "You are pregnant now, you can't drink these fruit wines or anything." If you hurt my little grandson, I'm not done with you!"

After speaking, Concubine Li glared at Xu Rui, and then instructed the maids behind her: "Come on, quickly change it into juice for Concubine Hui." Whoever dares to pour her wine and drink in the future should not blame me for being ruthless. ”

The maids in the back were resigned, and hurriedly stepped forward to change Xu Rui's wine glass and poured translucent grape juice.

"Mother, a little fruit wine, it's out of the way. Xu Rui saw that those maids were frightened, and comforted Concubine Li. In fact, taking a sip or two of fruit wine is not harmful to the fetus.

"You! I knew you were soft-hearted. But now it's the child who is the most important, and I can't hurt my precious grandson because of a momentary soft-heartedness. Concubine Li spoke earnestly, as if she were her own daughter.

This is a rare good mother-in-law. Xu Rui couldn't bear to brush off the old man's kindness, so she had to nod and say, "I'll pay attention to it later." ”

"That's right!" Concubine Li breathed a sigh of relief. This kid is good at everything, but he doesn't know how to guard against people. Wine has a taste, and it's easiest to put things in it, so it's good to completely isolate it.

This little episode did not affect the progress of the banquet. Li Hao arched his hand and said "Congratulations" to Xu Rui, but Xu Rui couldn't see his true thoughts from his expression.

But Meng Xuanzhe's eyes clearly showed some displeasure. During the meal, he looked at Xu Rui several times with an unkind gaze.

After the banquet, Meng Xuanzhe asked Meng Chang: "Father, I rarely go back to the capital, I want to live in the Yiyuan Hall where my mother lived before her death, remember my mother, and ask my father for permission." ”

Meng Xuanzhe's words are actually a bit out of line. He has long been an adult, and according to the palace rules, an adult prince is not allowed to stay in the palace. His mother, whom he misses, can go to the royal ancestral hall to worship.

Since the death of the first queen, the Yiyuan Hall has not been inhabited, not to mention that it needs to be cleaned temporarily, and it is located in the middle of the palace, and there are many inconveniences for an adult man.

Meng Chang was about to open his mouth to refuse, but Li Hao spoke first.

"Your Majesty, the first queen has been dead for ten years. The eldest prince was raised by the first queen in the Yiyuan Palace since he was a child, and his filial piety is really rare. Weichen thought that although this move was not in accordance with the rules, it was pitiful, and it was okay to allow it once. ”

"That's it, you'll be a good man. Meng Chang rarely rejected Li Hao. Now that Li Hao has spoken, this matter is not an absolute thing, if he doesn't agree, it will be unkind in the eyes of the child. I had no choice but to agree.

"Weichen didn't dare to take credit. Zhe'er, don't thank your father yet!" Li Hao seems to be the image of a kind and kind uncle.

"Erchen, thank you, father!" Meng Xuanzhe hurriedly bowed his hand to Meng Chang. However, it is obvious that the most grateful person in his heart must be Li Hao's uncle.

Li Hao is really powerful, and he quietly sent out a favor.

However, what was the matter with Meng Xuanzhe's smug look at him? Xu Rui looked back at the past suspiciously.

The Ruixiang Hall is to the west of the Yiyuan Palace, while the Mingse Hall is to the east of the Yiyuan Palace.

When Xu Rui went back, she walked halfway and saw Meng Xuanzhe, who had taken the lead before, standing under a lush crape myrtle tree in front of her, with her back to her. The crape myrtle flowers bloomed just right, and it was a gorgeous scene under the sun, but Meng Xuanzhe under the tree exuded a coldness.

"Is the eldest prince waiting for me?" Xu Rui pushed away the hand that Hong Sakura was holding and walked forward calmly. It's a blessing or a curse, and it's a disaster that can't be avoided. If you talk about it, maybe you'll be fine!

Meng Xuanzhe did not reply directly. He turned around and looked at Xu Rui's stomach before he said faintly: "Don't be complacent! Who knows if this child can grow up! Isn't my seventh brother an example?"

His seventh brother is Meng Xuanbao, who has just died not long ago!

Xu Rui was startled and asked sharply, "What do you want to do?"

She had self-defense powder on her. It's just that she doesn't plan to expose her skills in this area unless she has to.

"What do I need to do? Haven't you thought about anything after all these years of your father's harem?" Meng Xuanzhe sneered and whispered. The volume can only be heard by Xu Rui alone.

"What do you want to say?" Xu Rui looked at him suspiciously, feeling that he was very different from the stupid and stupid appearance of his daily appearance.

"Whatever you think, that's it! I just want to tell you that it's better not to have any ambitions, otherwise nothing good will end. Meng Xuanzhe said loudly. He put on a hangy appearance, but the words he said were completely inconsistent with his image, which made people feel a little absurd.

"You don't think that the child in my womb will affect your status, so you specifically threaten me, right?" Xu Rui asked tentatively. She didn't think so, but she was going to use his words that way.

"That's right. You see that my father was able to break the rules and let me live in my mother's Yiyuan Palace, which shows that he loves me very much in his heart. Don't think that if you give birth to a son, you will be able to take my place in the future. I am my father's favorite son, and I always will be. I am a concubine, and everyone else is a concubine, and no one can catch up with my status in Houshu. Meng Xuanzhe shouted loudly.

Xu Rui looked at Meng Xuanzhe quietly, she always felt that he was deliberately making such a bluff. Why?

Xu Rui couldn't see through Meng Xuanzhe for a while. If he's not really stupid, he's so smart that he's fooled everyone with the illusion of his daily appearance.

"I'm going back. Xu Rui couldn't see through it, so she decided not to care. She bypassed Meng Xuanzhe and prepared to walk from the other side of the gravel road under her feet.

"You'd better not be ambitious, or your son will be like my seventh brother. After Meng Xuanzhe said this, he staggered and walked slowly.

Xu Rui's heart was full of surprise. He looks like this, repeatedly mentioning Meng Xuanbao, isn't he afraid to give people a handle? Or, is he deliberately letting others grab his pigtails?