In June of the second year of Shangyuan, two months after the death of the former crown prince Li Hong, Li Zhi canonized the second prince Li Xian as the new crown prince and granted amnesty to the world.

After the edict was erected as the new prince, Emperor Li Zhi found Cheng Di Renjie of Dali Temple and talked secretly in the Hall of Eternal Life for more than an hour, and no one knew what the conversation was.

Li Chen accompanied his father to enjoy the lotus flowers in the lotus pond of Daming Palace.

The lotus leaves are gentle, and the white lotus is bright.

The breeze of early summer, with a faint fragrance of lotus.

Li Zhiping retreated left and right, and together with Li Chen, the wind was blowing in the water pavilion in the middle of the lotus pond, drinking tea. Now Li Chen's ability to make tea is getting better and better, but there are more tricks. Li Chen, who came from later generations, always felt that the so-called tea was good to drink, and sometimes it was not good to be too particular about overkill, but she liked to use soup flowers to play with various patterns and characters on the tea surface, so she was also happy to do it.

She gave her father a cup of tea, and on the tea was a musical word.

Li Zhi took the tea she brought and asked with a smile, "What is the explanation?" ”

Li Chen casually recited nonsense: "How much love is left in the world, and a thousand changes are welcomed." With a lover, do happy things, don't ask if it's fate or disaster. ”

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, and then laughed, "It's good to ask if it's fate or disaster." ”

Li Chen lowered his head, put the tea set in his hand, and also picked up a cup of tea and drank it slowly. In the water pavilion, there are only her and her father. As far as the eye can see, they can see clearly what people are around, and similarly, what she and her father are doing, others can also watch very carefully, but they can't hear what they are saying.

"Yongchang, do you miss your eldest brother?"

Because now that Li Xian has become the crown prince, when Li Zhi talked about Li Hong with Li Chen, he no longer said that he was the prince's brother.

Li Chen heard his father's words and raised his eyes to look at him.

Father had a slight smile on his face.

Seven years ago, my father was also by the lotus pond in Taiji Palace and asked her: "Yongchang, do you miss Mrs. Wei?" ”

At that time, Li Chen didn't have any feelings for Mrs. Wei Guo, so when he heard his father say that he missed Mrs. Wei Guo, the original sigh for Mrs. Wei Guo was gone, and he felt that Mrs. Wei Guo actually dared to fight with her mother, it was simply a long life, who was unlucky if she was not unlucky?

Now, seven years later, her father asked her if she missed the crown prince Li Hong.

Li Chen put the cup in his hand on the table and said softly, "I miss it." ”

Li Zhi sighed and reached over and patted her shoulder.

The prince died suddenly in Luoyang, and when he arrived, Wu Zetian was holding Li Hong's already cold body and crying bitterly. This eldest son of him and Wu Zetian was born benevolent, but unfortunately he has been sick since he was a child.

The imperial doctor said that the prince died suddenly.

The edict written by Li Zhi did admit that the crown prince died suddenly.

The sudden death of the prince is not impossible, he has been sick since he was a child, but he was fine in Chang'an before going to Luoyang, why did he start getting sick on the road? Even if you are sick, you don't look at it strictly. The prince went to Qiyun Hall to deal with political affairs on the front foot, and someone on the back foot came in a panic to report, saying that the prince suddenly had convulsions in his limbs, could not breathe, and died suddenly in Qiyun Palace.

People who are good in the morning, how can they say that there is no more?

Just like the original Mrs. Wei.

He didn't delve into the matter of Mrs. Wei Guo, which doesn't mean that he didn't know it in his heart. Similarly, even if he admits to the public that the prince died suddenly, it does not mean that the prince died suddenly.

Therefore, Li Zhi found Di Renjie to go to the Palace of Eternal Life for a secret talk.

What was talked about during the period, except for the parties, no one else knows.

There were all kinds of speculations and discussions from the outside world, and Wu Zetian, who wanted to understand everything in the past, did not come to inquire about it.

Li Zhi's face sank like water, and when the prince's family ordered Yan Zhuang to have an accident, he was sick with wind and was taking medicine. The case bypassed Di Renjie, and now the case has already been decided, even if there is another inside story, it will not be able to bring Yan Zhuang back from the dead. But everything will always leave clues, whether Li Hong died suddenly, whether Yan Zhuang was really involved, even if the more you investigate, the more extensive it is, even if there is no real evidence in the end, for the sake of the overall situation, you can only rot all the speculations in your stomach, which is not the same.

No one is a fool, let alone Li Zhi, who is the emperor.

After the death of the crown prince, Li Chen went to see Pei. In the month after the death of the former crown princess Li Hong, the whole person was like a flower that had lost its sunshine and was devoid of its vitality. Now that it has slowly eased up, the dignified and gentle woman in the past has a little more loneliness.

Li Chen and Taiping were extremely sad to watch.

Li Hong died suddenly, leaving no descendants.

And it is impossible for Pei to be released from the palace, and she will spend the rest of her life in the harem.

"I used to think my sister-in-law was very lucky." Taiping, who was returning to Fengyang Pavilion with Li Chen, suddenly said.

Li Chen was slightly stunned.

"But now I find that we are much luckier than her." Taiping continued.

Li Chen thought about it and felt that what Taiping said was indeed good. As a princess, she is much luckier than these concubines, as a princess, as long as she does not commit the crime of rebellion, no one who is unlucky will not be a princess, and she will not even be able to sit on the princess's head. Even if the colt is gone, there will be the next round of Fang Fei.

Taiping saw that Li Chen was a little absent-minded, so he asked his sister to go back and rest, and in the past two months, no one has been in a bad mood.

The eldest brother died suddenly, and the entire palace was shrouded in a low pressure.

At this time, a rumbling thunder sounded in the sky, startling Li Chen, who was distracted.

Then, there was a loud bang, and rain fell from the sky.

Li Chen clutched his thumping chest and walked to the corridor outside. Bean-sized raindrops fell, some hitting the leaves, some falling to the ground, and were instantly absorbed by the earth.

Li Chen looked at the white scenery outside, and his mood calmed down for a while.

It can't go on like this.

Li Chen thought that if this continued, his mother would be killed. Li Chen always inevitably felt a deep uneasiness in her heart, for her, her mother's ambition for power made her feel like she was in a tiger's den, and now that her father was still there, she could still suppress her mother.

What if my father dies?

Li Chen stood quietly on the corridor, the rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, the wind was blowing, the branches were swaying, and the little princess standing in the corridor was blown up, as if she would be blown away by the wind in the next moment.

Shu Zhi quietly appeared behind her, "Princess, it's raining too much, why don't you go in and rest?" ”

When Li Chen saw Shu Zhi, his eyes suddenly lit up.

How could she forget the brother and sister Shu Ye and Shu Zhi that her father assigned to her!

Shu Zhi was stunned by Li Chen's eyes, and looked at Li Chen blankly, "Princess? ”

Li Chen couldn't help but smile, yes, how could he forget Shu Zhi. Her father had said that the siblings would obey her, and her mother probably wouldn't be able to keep them awake.

Thinking about it like this, the originally heavy mood instantly became a little lighter.

Li Chen didn't really ask Shu Zhi to do anything, she just asked Shu Zhi, how much does she know about the affairs of the harem now? Among the palace maids in this harem, are there the eyeliner of her mother Wu Zetian everywhere? I heard that Wu Sansi has been in and out of the harem frequently in recent days to ask his mother for peace, has that long-sleeved Shangguan talent who is good at dancing ever had a private meeting with someone from the martial arts?

Shu Zhi looked at Li Chen in some surprise.

She always thought that this little princess who was held in the palm of her hand by the saint was as old as a dog, and there would not be so many twists and turns in her heart. No matter who she is, as long as she has always grown up in a smooth environment, she may be arrogant and savage, but generally speaking, she will not have so many scheming.

Especially under the auspices of Wu Zetian, many concubines in the harem behaved in a good manner, and no one dared to challenge the authority of Her Royal Highness the Queen to intrigue with each other, and the two princesses Taiping and Li Chen came to the palace, and the saints were only afraid that they would not be spoiled enough, so there was never anyone else to compete with them.

When Li Zhi gave Shu Zhi and Shu Ye to Li Chen, the two brothers and sisters felt that the princess was indeed precocious and transparent, and they learned when to rub their noses and face and when to behave with their tails between their legs.

But it was only limited to looking at the faces of the saint and the queen in this way.

Shu Zhi has always believed that the much-loved little princess will not be involved in the whirlpool of political power. Even if it is possible to get involved, at most it can only be that her surrender is the need of political interests, and that's it.

Three days later, Shu Zhi gave Li Chen a book of characters in the harem.

There is nothing on the character relationship map, but Li Chen found that no matter which palace or hall, the people have a good relationship with the palace maids of Qingning Palace, including the East Palace, and of course, her Fengyang Pavilion.

"These are the results of the previous mission with my brother, but only a part, I have sorted out with my brother in the past few days, and they are all just on the surface." Shu Zhi stood in front of Li Chen and said implicitly. She had done this with her brother in the Dark Guard system before, but that was only part of the story. She and her brother tried to update their former partners on the situation, but the secret guard who was directly in charge of the saint couldn't do so.

Maybe...... They will also report to the saint that the little princess is paying attention to the power of Her Royal Highness.

But that's not something she should worry about, Shu Zhi looked at her nose and nose, and thought expressionlessly.

Li Chen silently closed the notebook.

It's just that some relationships on the surface have crossed into a big net, and secretly, how many people are the eyes of their mothers?

Mother has a powerful intelligence network in the harem, and everyone's every move can't escape her eyes.

Li Chen remembered that when his father and her were making tea on the water pavilion in the lotus pond that day, her father retreated, but everyone could see what they were doing. However, are there any disappointments in the hearts of those who can see but cannot hear, and who secretly keep an eye on their fathers?

"Shangguan Cairen has never had a private meeting with the people of the Wu family, and every time he comes into contact, it is when the Wu Chengsi brothers enter the palace to ask Her Royal Highness the Empress for peace."

Li Chen pondered for a moment and asked Shu Zhi, "Who do you think in Fengyang Pavilion will betray me?" ”

Shu Zhi: "...... I don't know. ”

When Li Chen heard this, she smiled, she was too naïve to ask.

Under the imperial power, how many people can really be loyal?

The way to survive in the harem should be to know the current affairs like Shangguan Wan'er, and it is the royal way to meet left and right.

Li Chen tilted his head and asked again: "My father has talked with Di Renjie for more than an hour, you and Shu Ye were both selected and cultivated by my father, you may guess my father's thoughts?" ”

Shu Zhi was stunned, as if hesitating and thinking.

Li Chen also waited patiently.

After a while, Shu Zhi said: "Perhaps, it is for the sudden death of the prince." ”