King Rui doesn't like luxury, and a degree of application in the palace can be saved.

Rui Wang and his wife have a light diet, and Liu Tong doesn't like to eat too salty and spicy things, but this meal is comfortable.

After the meal, Chang Muzhi ordered people to remove the dishes and serve fragrant tea.

King Rui asked Liu Tong about his errand in the Prince's Mansion during this time.

Because of Emperor Yuanwu's preference, the crown prince has the most resources in his hands, that is, several other princes who have reached adulthood but have not been crowned kings, all of whom work under the prince's command - of course, on the surface, they are serving the prince, but secretly they are loyal to which prince, they have their own opinions.

For example, Liu Tong, the Nine Emperor Princes.

He has a low sense of saving, but no matter how he is, he is also a prince, and he always has to run errands for the emperor.

Liu Tong's "ominous" reputation was outside, and Emperor Yuanwu was also a little taboo against him, so he didn't use him. The crown prince saw that he had a two-point friendship with King Rui, and took him under his command, which not only gave him one more help, but also borrowed him to win over King Rui.

But for the more core matter, the prince naturally won't let Liu Tong interfere. What Liu Tong interfered with was all minor errands.

Liu Tong said: "It's nothing, it's just like usual, it's all trivial." The largest amount of money involved in the errand that passed through my hands was only a few hundred taels. ”

Speaking of this, Liu Tong paused: "Although I haven't inspected the account books of the taxes that are paid into the treasury by the household department, I estimate that the prince has done at least this amount of corruption from the inside. ”

Liu Tong compared five fingers, and King Rui understood: "He relies on the household department to make money." ”

King Rui sighed and shook his head: "The dignified prince, you want to use money to win people's hearts......"

King Rui has always felt that the prince is a little too anxious.

He is both the crown prince and the rightful prince, so why bother to use these unpopular means to seize power? As long as he does his errands seriously, beware of the calculations of other brothers, and is safe and stable, when his father is a hundred years later, the throne will be his, so why do these things now-if he lets his father know, it will make him live up to his father's trust in the country, lose his sacred heart, and the gains outweigh the losses.

King Rui's heart was clear, but he didn't want to say this to the prince.

According to the prince's suspicious nature, when he said this, I am afraid that he also thought that he also had thoughts about the throne.

The gentleman does not stand under the wall, and he has no friendship with these brothers, not to mention that their concubines have more or less given their mothers a look, and King Rui does not want to be involved in them. If they want to fight, let them fight.

Liu Tong nodded, thought for a while, and said, "There is one more thing, the Prince's Mansion has not publicized it to the public. ”

"Oh? What's the matter? Rui Wang said curiously.

Liu Tong said: "The crown princess is pregnant, and it seems that her pulse is unstable, so the prince did not play." ”

When Chang Muzhi heard this, he immediately became interested: "The crown princess is finally pregnant?" ”

The prince is twenty-six or seventeen this year, but he has no son-in-law, the princess gave birth to three daughters in a row after passing the door, and now she is pregnant, the prince is naturally looking forward to being a son.

"It's a happy event." King Rui said: "My father will be happy when he knows." ”

Liu Tong nodded, paused for a while, and said softly: "However, the two princes Liangdi should be in a hurry." The Prince's Mansion is not necessarily peaceful. ”

The crown prince and Emperor Yuanwu are worthy of being father and son, there are many people in the harem of Emperor Yuanwu, and there are many people in the backyard of the prince's mansion. Emperor Yuanwu took a concubine in order to balance the court, and the prince took a concubine in order to win over all forces.

After all, the crown princess has no children, and the prince will ascend the throne as the emperor in the future, and these backyard women in the prince's mansion may be the biological mother of the main courtyard of the first palace and the future emperor.

In the backyard of the Prince's Mansion, the status of the crown princess and the two princes Liangdi is the highest, and their respective families are also the most favorable supporters of the prince.

The most important thing is that the crown princess now only has three daughters under her knees, and has not given birth to a son.

And the two princes Liangdi already have a son each.

If the crown princess gives birth to a son after she is pregnant, it is not good news for them.

"I just said, there are too many women, trouble." The corners of King Rui's mouth pulled out a smile, quite sneering: "Just look at my father, you will know that there are so many ladies in the harem, and there are so many sons and daughters. ”

Chang Muzhi patted his hand gently.

The Nine Emperors crossed their hands, leaned back against the chair, and rubbed their eyebrows.

Seeing this, Chang Muzhi couldn't help but care: "The ninth brother seems to have something on his mind?" ”

Liu Tong replied in a low voice, and after a moment of silence, he said: "When I went to the Drunken Immortal Building today, I originally planned to see who came from the Xianbei Mission, so that I could prepare first, but I never thought that I would listen to a debate in the Drunken Immortal Building." ”

King Rui's mind was clear, and when he heard this, he said: "Regarding this truce, negotiate peace with Xianbei?" ”

Liu Tong nodded: "As usual, there are two factions, one faction thinks that the imperial court is doing this to encourage Xianbei arrogance, and does not agree with the Xianbei peace and main battle; The other faction thinks that the imperial court has the demeanor of a great country by doing this, and they don't think there's anything wrong with it......"

Liu Tong said this, but paused.

He thought of the brother and sister, and remembered what the woman had said.

"Fifth brother," Liu Tong looked at King Rui: "Xianbei has been fighting with us like this every few years, do you think they are just trying to get food and clothing from us?" ”

King Rui was puzzled, "What do you mean by this?" ”

"Today in the Drunken Immortal Building, I heard a woman say that the root of the battle between our Great Wei and Xianbei is in Xianbei. I thought about it on the way to the palace and felt that what she said was very reasonable. ”

Liu Tong muttered: "If Xianbei just wants to get grain and cloth from the Great Wei, he can completely propose to communicate with the Great Wei to stop the war and support the herdsmen." After all, over the years, whenever there has been a war between Xianbei and Great Wei, it is the result of an armistice and peace, and the Great Wei delivers grain and cloth to Xianbei. Xianbei should know that Dawei has no intention of invading Xianbei. ”

King Rui bowed: "Not bad." ”

"The fifth brother still remembers that there were courtiers who asked their father for instructions on whether to set up a mutual market pass in Yanbei Pass to trade with the Xianbei people. Xianbei has cattle, sheep and horses, and Dawei has grain and cloth, and there is no exchange, and the war can be stopped. Four years ago, the Xianbei people came to Beijing after the war, and the prince mentioned the matter to Xianbei in public, but Xianbei refused. Every time in the cold winter year, Xianbei will still invade Yanbei Pass......"

Liu Tong looked at King Rui: "Fifth brother thinks that the Xianbei people are really xenophobic, and they don't want the Central Plains to assimilate Xianbei in a subtle way, or ...... Xianbei has ambitions? ”

King Rui smiled when he heard this, and said, "Xianbei is not so bold. The Xianbei people are limited in number and have no sophisticated weapons, and our Great Wei State is rich and strong, and Xianbei wants to invade the Central Plains, and it is not vulnerable at all. If they weren't stupid, they should understand this. ”

Liu Tong said: "So, Xianbei doesn't want to be assimilated by Great Wei?" ”

"Probably so." King Rui bowed his head: "The Bohai Kingdom, which existed when the Great Wei was founded, after decades of assimilation, didn't it also submit to the Great Wei when the first emperor was born?" Xianbei Xu didn't want to learn Bohai. ”

Liu Tong sighed.

"Isn't this a dead end? If the father can send troops to beat Xianbei to the point that he no longer has the intention of attacking, the people in Yanbei Pass will not have to be afraid in winter. ”

King Rui couldn't help but laugh when he heard this: "My father won't do this, he has to keep Xianbei and be the whetstone of Great Wei." ”

Liu Tong was stunned.

King Rui sighed lowly: "The trouble of Xianbei, my father can't get rid of it, it's just that he needs to use Xianbei to remind the ministers of the court, as well as our princes - Great Wei, not an iron bucket, not a real Haiyan River." Use Xianbei to give a warning, this is the father's hidden intention, reminding the Great Wei not to emphasize literature and light military force, and delay military training. ”

King Rui looked up at Liu Tong and asked him, "Since you remember what happened four years ago, you should know that it was after the Xianbei mission left that my father made the crown prince, right?" ”

Liu Tong nodded.

"I thought in private that it was precisely because the prince mentioned this matter to Xianbei in public that my father would make him the crown prince." King Rui said softly: "The crown prince is a descendant, and his father has always favored him, but he also knows that his ability is mediocre, so he has not made him the prince for a long time." In the case of Xianbei, his father saw the prince's 'benevolence' in hoping for peace with Xianbei, so he wanted to hand over the country to him. Xianbei's trouble, the father will let the crown prince solve it after he ascends the throne. This was to help him ascend to the throne and to give him political achievements. ”

Liu Tong was a little dumbfounded by King Rui's speculation.

He had always known that his fifth brother was extremely intelligent, but he never expected that he would see things so long-term and think so clearly.

If the fifth brother is the crown prince, the future Great Wei ......

Thinking of this, Liu Tong suddenly held his breath and secretly scolded himself for thinking nonsense.

The fifth brother doesn't want to get involved in the battle between the crown prince and the other four princes, he can't think of this kind of thought, if he is not careful, won't he hurt the fifth brother?

Liu Tong turned the topic of Xianbei over and chatted with King Rui a few words.

Chang Muzhi found the opportunity to say to Liu Tong: "The ninth brother is now weak, and the palace is still empty, when will you marry a princess, so I can take charge of the family for you." ”