For the envoys to the court, this is a thing that happens every year, they will probably stay in Changdu for about a month, and leave around the twentieth day of the first month. This time is not short, but I don't know if these foreign envoys can bring any help to Shu Jin and others when they come this year.

For Shu Jin, whether foreign envoys can help is secondary, as long as the Zuo family will not use the excuse of foreign missions to stumble on their side.

Since Shu Jin was sent to welcome the envoys, Shu Jin will naturally attend the next banquet to entertain the envoys of various countries. However, unlike the last time the envoys came to the DPRK, this time the envoys of no country made it difficult, but simply came to celebrate the New Year and strengthen diplomatic relations.

But there are exceptions.

Luo Guo has always been good friends with the Great Yan Kingdom, and this time he actually sent a prince of their country to send an envoy in person, and the envoy was accompanied by a minister of Luo State.

Come to think of it, Luo Guo wants to take the diplomatic relations with the big show a step further this time.

One stone stirred up a thousand waves, the emperor only had three daughters under his knees, the youngest was only a few years old three princesses, and when they reached the age of marriage, there were only Qi Yue and Qi Yuan.

Since Luo Guo has always been friendly, there is a chance that Qi Yan will be allowed to ask for marriage, so the question is, who are they going to marry?

Although Luo Guo has always been good friends with the big performance, after all, the degree of wealth is far less than that of the big performance, and it is even more. This courtship is the prince and not the prince, I'm afraid it's the kind of prince who can't take his turn to take the throne no matter how you count it, like this. The mothers of the two princesses at the banquet, Concubine Yun and Concubine Lan, Qi Yuan's biological mother, all looked ugly.

Obviously, for this kind of "unfutured" son-in-law, the two mothers did not take a fancy to it.

Qi Yan was also stunned by this request, although he didn't nod his head in agreement, but said that he needed to think about it again. Of course, the words were polite and tactful. It will not make the messenger lose face.

The courtship of the envoys of Luo was only a small episode in the banquet, after which the banquet returned to its usual lively atmosphere, and the banquet continued until 7-9 p.m. After the banquet, the emperor left King Yong to rest in the palace. recruited a group of ministers to discuss the matter, and Shu Jin and Jiang Duanyu went back to the house on their own.

"Prince of the Protector of the Country, Lord of Xiangtang, please stay!"

As soon as he passed through a palace gate, someone on his side greeted him. Shu Jin and Jiang Duanyu turned their heads to look. It's a palace maid with a face. When the palace maid saw the two of them looking over, she saluted, and said:

"Two, my master has something to see the two of them, there are many people here, I don't know if the two of you can deign to go with the slave?"

Jiang Duanyu looked around and realized that the people around them were almost gone. Even some people were at a distance from them, and no one else noticed what was going on here. Out of caution. He wanted to say no.

"Who is your master?"

When the palace maid heard this, she hesitated and said:

"You'll know with me."

"If you are looking for something to us, you can just show up and talk about it, what is the reason for hiding your head and showing your tail like this? It's not early, it's inconvenient for us to delay in the palace for a long time, if there is something, let's talk about it another day. ”

After speaking, Jiang Duanyu looked at Shu Jin and said, "Let's go." ”

Shu Jin didn't say anything from beginning to end, and as soon as Jiang Duanyu said to leave at this moment, she also walked outside the palace.

The palace maid obviously didn't expect to be rejected, and when she saw the two of them leaving, she seemed to want to come forward to stop someone, but she didn't dare to act because of her identity, so she looked around, as if she was afraid of attracting attention, so she had to bite her lip, and watched Shu Jin and the two leave, stomped her feet, and turned to leave.

When Jiang Duanyu and Shu Jin both returned to their carriages, Shu Jin spoke:

"Do you know who sent that palace maid just now?"

Jiang Duanyu thought for a moment, and then said:

"Qi Yuan?"

Shu Jin raised his eyebrows in surprise:

"How do you know?"

Jiang Duanyu smiled when he saw Shu Jin's appearance, and did not express surprise that Shu Jin could know who instructed the palace maid, but explained his thoughts:

"It's very simple, if someone else in the palace looks for us, they will always send a cronie, at least someone we also recognize. This palace maid's eyes are tight, then either the master who sent someone is not favored and rarely shows up to be seen, or this master sent a palace maid who does not show up often even under her in order to hide people's eyes and ears.

At the banquet, the envoy begged to marry the princess, and there are only two princesses of the right age at present, and it is obvious that neither the emperor nor Concubine Yun and Concubine Lan want their daughter to marry off. Concubine Yun has her own people from the Zuo family to discuss, how can they find us, and the rest, except for Concubine Lan, is Qi Yuan.

Concubine Lan hasn't been in contact with us again, so I guess she really can't think of looking for us, so it should be Qi Yuan. ”

"Your analysis makes a lot of sense!" Shu Jin smiled, then nodded and said, "It's Qi Yuan, that's right, she is hiding behind the palace wall inside, I really didn't expect that she would think of asking us to help." I just don't know if she wants to marry or not. ”

"I guess I don't want to. Concubine Lan's mother and daughter have always lived by Concubine Yun, if she marries, Concubine Lan will be left in the palace alone, and I am afraid that no one will take care of her. ”

"You say, why does Qi Yuan think that if she finds us, we will help her? I remember the first time we met, she helped Qi Yue frame me. ”

"If you're in a hurry, go to the doctor."

When Shu Jin heard this, he hehe.

That's the end of this topic, so why worry too much about people and things that aren't very relevant.

However, it is obvious that their views are different from Qi Yuan's. No, when Shu Jin, who entered the palace to report the situation of Bilian's envoy, left the palace, he was blocked by Qi Yuan again.

"Lord Xiangtang, there are some things I know that you will definitely be interested in, how about taking a step to speak?"

Qi Yuan blocked Shu Jin's way, tilted her chin slightly and said. The mouth was asking how it was, but in fact, she was waiting for Shu Jin to follow her immediately.

Shu Jin looked at this young girl, although her background was not high enough. But after all, she was born in the royal family, and her mother also climbed to the concubine position by virtue of her ability, so even if she didn't have a good impression of the emperor's daughters in her heart, Shu Jin still had to admit that they were still very pleasing to the eye.

However, such a haughty look. It was as if she wanted to negotiate terms with her and was sure that she would comply, which still made her very unhappy.

In fact, no matter what Qi Yuan has, as long as she shows up here. It means that she is desperate and has to ask for herself, but with this attitude, Shu Jin really doesn't want to deal with her, so Shu Jin greeted her according to the rules, and then said with a reserved smile:

"I don't know what the princess is talking about. Don't want to know either. If the princess has nothing to do, I will retire. ”

After speaking, Shu Jin raised his head and turned around and walked away, letting Qi Yuan shout twice without looking back.

In royal affairs, if there is no necessary reason, Shu Jin is too lazy to interfere. Besides, she doesn't believe that Qi Yuan can give her any very valuable news that makes her not hesitate to change her principles.

Still, obviously. Shu Jin underestimated the resilience of Qi Yuan, a little girl.

She seemed to have recognized Shu Jin, just after Shu Jin had already rejected her twice. On the twenty-second day of the lunar month, Qi Yuan found another opportunity to block Shu Jin's way.

This time she didn't talk nonsense, and simply said:

"I know that the people of the Zuo family are going to frame you on the day of the 'proposed market'!"

In one sentence, it finally succeeded in stopping Shu Jin's pace of continuing to stay away.

The so-called "proposed market" is an aftershow of the Lantern Festival that the emperor came up with to entertain everyone. On the fifteenth day, in addition to watching fireworks and plays, the emperor would open a trade in the imperial palace, imitating the trade of a folk bazaar. The items sold were sent to the palace by the courtiers and the imperial merchants in advance, or the palace personnel selected them from the various shops in the outer city and handed them over to the internal affairs office. After these items enter the market, the price is stated, the payment for future sales, and the remaining returns.

Among the goods will be jewelry, antiques, ready-to-wear, miscellaneous goods, etc., and there will also be teahouses and restaurants, and there will even be waiters who pretend to carry small baskets to sell on the streets. After the opening of the market, the princes and ministers were allowed to buy, and after the foreign ministers withdrew from the palace after dark, the ladies of the inner palace could also enter the garden to shop and buy goods.

This can be regarded as allowing people who have lived in the court for a long time and are in high positions to experience the joy of the people, and they can be grounded one after another.

As an imperial merchant, Shu Jin has many shops under his command, so he naturally contributed goods to the "proposed market", but Qi Yuan actually said that the Zuo family planned to make small moves on this day. So, she looked back in a little surprise, her eyes full of inquiry.

When Qi Yuan saw Shu Jin, he finally stopped, breathed a sigh of relief, and then let himself say as calmly as possible:

"Lord Xiangtang, I know that I have offended in the past, but I also have no choice, if I have a choice, I don't want to be evil with you. However, now is not the time to talk about the rights and wrongs of the past, what I just said is not alarmist, but true, this is something that Concubine Yun and the Zuo family have long decided, and I have been in and out of Concubine Yun for many years, so I can get such news.

I can tell you everything I know, and I just want you to do me a favor. ”

"I may not be able to help you with what you say."

Qi Yuan was choked by Shu Jin's words, stunned, and finally frowned at her for a long time, gritted her teeth, and said:

"Whether it can help or not, you have to try to find out, right?"

Shu Jin shook his head:

"It is up to the emperor and the ministers to decide on major matters. I'm just a doctor of Guozijian, and I'm a soft-spoken person, so how can I help? ”

"Anyway, I've already told you what I know, and you're going to have to listen to my request, aren't you?"

Qi Yuan said persistently.

When Shu Jin heard this, he had to nod.

"Then, please come with me. Let's talk about it in another place. ”

So Shu Jin followed Qi Yuan to a remote garden.

The two of them sat down in a corner pavilion, which was open on all sides, and if someone came to see it at a glance, the surrounding flowers and plants were not high, and there was really no possibility of Tibetans.

"Okay, now that there are no people around, the princess has something to say."

After Shu Jin sat down, he said to Qi Yuan.

"Although I don't know why, but you offended Qi Yue from the first time you entered the palace, so even if there is no later thing, I'm afraid their Zuo family will not let you go. However, they were caught off guard by you this time, so they thought that they would take the opportunity to relax their vigilance before the New Year had passed.

The goods handed over to the Internal Affairs Office by the county lord have been sealed, but the chamberlain who sells the goods can be changed before the last minute. They haven't had a chance to do anything in the goods yet, but what they want to send to the county lord should be related to food, so when the time comes, as long as the waiter who sells the goods moves his fingers slightly, it is estimated that the county lord can be charged with a crime. ”

Qi Yuan was very good this time, and did not ask for it, but first told everything she knew. Even the names of the chamberlains who might be sent by Concubine Yun and their concubines have been said again.

"You know pretty thoroughly."

Shu Jin Road. Qi Yuan said calmly:

"I know that's all. In fact, the past few times the county lord was in distress, and it was not unrelated to them, but even if I told you today, you can't go to your father and sue them on this basis, because I will not come forward to testify to you.

I would like to advise you, if you want to enjoy peace, you can only be cautious in the future. Qi Yue, a slut, looks graceful on weekdays, but in fact, she has the smallest belly, if it weren't for her, presumably Concubine Yun would not have targeted you like this. ”

Shu Jin nodded, what Qi Yuan said was true. Qi Yue's conflict with herself really started when she first entered the palace.

"The princess has said so much and is so detailed, I wonder what the princess wants me to help with?"

Although he already had the answer in his heart, Shu Jin still asked.

When Qi Yuan heard this, she pursed her lips, and finally said as if she had finally made up her mind:

"Lord Xiangtang, although I know that you don't want to meddle in royal affairs, I think it's okay to remind King Yong in your capacity. I only hope that you can let King Yong say a word to keep my mother safe after I get married. ”

"Huh?" Shu Jin was stunned when he heard this.

This is different from what she and Jiang Duanyu guessed.

She thought that Qi Yuan would use her relationship with King Yong to ask her to help intercede, and not want Qi Yuan to kiss. Why, isn't that the case at all?

"Hehe, are you surprised? You don't understand why I want to marry so far, do you? ”

As if seeing what Shu Jin was thinking, Qi Yuan smiled, "My mother was born with a cautious character, and after so many years in the palace, she was afraid that she would disobey Concubine Yun a little and make them unhappy, and she hoped that I could be wronged all day long." Since I was a child, I didn't know how many black pots I had carried for Qi Yue. This time, Luo Guo asked for marriage, I'm afraid that Concubine Yun Guifei would not be willing to marry her only daughter far away, so don't think about it, the person who married must be me. ”

After speaking, Qi Yuan showed a sneer that was completely out of age, and said coldly:

"As everyone knows, this is exactly what I want!" (To be continued.) )