In the next few days, Guo Zhang lived in Jiyi Building with peace of mind, and Shen Lian came to visit him from time to time and talk to him. Although Shen Lian was a businessman, he was talented and insightful about current affairs, and the two talked very happily, often until late at night. Guo Zhang saw that Shen Lian's bearing was extraordinary, and the two guys around him were agile, unlike ordinary people, the shopkeeper of Jiyi Building was very respectful to him, and he expected that this person was not an ordinary businessman, so he intended to make friends.

This is also in Shen Lian's arms.

The two had their own hearts and purposes, and they got closer, and within a few days they became brothers.

This afternoon, when the two were talking about intimacy, they saw Lu Qixiang walk in quickly and said in a low voice, "Master Li, the people from the Yamen of the capital came to drink, saying that there was a rumor that King Qi had died." ”

"King Qi is dead!" This news spread far and wide, and spread all over the capital of Qi for a time through the lively places where people gathered, such as wine shops, inns, and opera gardens. But before the edict was issued, people could only hide aside and discuss quietly, and find three or five friends to discuss it in a matter-of-fact manner:

"It is said that those who have attained the Tao have the ability to reach the heavens, and they will live a long life, and the current King of Qi is not yet forty years old, and he is young, how can he die if he is a good child?"

"Eh, people have good and bad luck, who can say for sure? For example, if you take off your shoes tonight, you can be sure that you will be able to wear them tomorrow? ”

"The world is in turmoil, the king is like this, let alone us people?"

"It's not like you haven't seen those homeless people dying more!"

"I heard that the emperor died because he missed the dead queen too much, and his health has been poor in recent years."

"The king died early, and I don't know what will happen after the Great Qi?"

"Let's be honest, if you don't die, what does it have to do with us, be carefully arrested!"

No matter what the people say, one thing is obvious: the people in the palace have all changed into plain clothes since the eighth day of the first month, and the sedan chair outside the noon gate is lined up. And those little eunuchs who love to hang around with bird cages have stopped coming out since the New Year. These abnormal actions aroused the suspicion of the people in the capital, and the king of Qi was about to die, but he didn't dare to say it openly, and only dared to discuss it in private.

Shen Lian heard the news and thought about it, so he took advantage of something to go back to his house. Guo Zhang's young temperament and his body were a little better, so he struggled to walk out, probe for news, and by the way, he also wanted to go to the uncle's mansion to meet him.

He slowly walked to the east of Zhengyang Gate to see the bustle, only to see a long row of green sedan chairs in front of a few green sedan chairs are particularly conspicuous, and the snow on the top is more than half a foot thick. After quietly inquiring, I learned that from the third day of the Lunar New Year, several princes, Sima Ni, the old prime minister, Xue Bilong, Yan Zhiyuan, Cao Ze and other important ministers entered the palace to ask for peace, and they did not come out again.

Guo Zhangzheng was stunned, and suddenly felt that someone behind him patted him gently, and when he looked back, he saw a handsome young man holding a sword under the snow light, looking at him with a smile.

"Are you...... Oh! Cousin! After hesitating for a moment, Guo Zhang opened his arms in surprise and pounced. He recognized it at once, and the one standing in front of him was the only son of the current master of His Royal Highness Qi Guo, his cousin who had been absent for three years, Xie Lan.

I haven't seen him for three years, Xie Lan has been a talent, he is wearing a white satin robe, the robe is exposed with dark silver hollow trim, the waist is tied with a jade belt, and the outside is draped in ink-colored daku, with his handsome facial features, he is a good son. In his hand he was holding a sword, and on the sword hung a piece of jade that was worth a lot of money.

Guo Zhang took Xie Lan's hand, just looked up and down, and asked for a while before asking, "Cousin, I can't recognize you anymore after three years, are you still on an errand in front of the palace?" ”

"Now I've been transferred to the side of the Second Highness as a guard." Xie Lan smiled and said, "It's you, you sent me a letter early and said that you were going to come to the scientific expedition, why did you only arrive now?" ”

When Guo Zhang heard this, he couldn't help but lower his head and sighed, "Don't mention it, I met robbers on the road, things were robbed, and domestic servants were killed. It's bad luck. ”

Xie Lan didn't wait for Guo Zhang to finish complaining, pulled his sleeve and said, "Cousin, I'm finally resting, let's find a place to get together, don't be too sad, there will be a big event soon, maybe it's an opportunity for you!"

Guo Zhang waved his hand again and again, "I just arrived in the capital, and I have to visit my eldest uncle, let's do it another day." ”

"Now the important ministers are guarding the palace, and your eldest uncle is also inside, and now you can't see him when you go to his mansion." Xie Lan looked around, lowered his voice and said

"Brother, to tell you the truth, the king is dying, it's been these two days"

Xiao Zhi was standing outside King Qi's bedroom at this time, and an inexplicable melancholy suddenly came to his heart, he stood under the corridor and took a deep breath, as if he wanted to use this cold air to dispel the tension and depression in his chest.

The sky was gray, the clouds were heavy and moving slowly, and he looked up at the mysterious and fickle sky in silence. The imperial physician had already quietly told him that King Qi was no longer good. Although he knew that this day would come sooner or later, he just didn't think it would be so sudden. In the past three years, Xiao Li, as a father, although he has been lying on the sickbed for a long time, he is also very concerned about him, often teaching him to read in person and urging him to practice martial arts. Thinking of Xiao Li's illness and the heavy responsibility he was about to shoulder, Xiao Zhi couldn't help but be a little worried.

A cold wind hit, and he subconsciously stroked his shoulders. A dark green brocade embroidered dragon fox fur was lightly draped on his body, Xiao Zhi looked back and saw Su Wan putting on clothes for him.

"The weather is cold, and His Royal Highness still has to take care of his body." Su Wan carefully helped Xiao Zhi tie her clothes, as if she saw Xiao Zhen's worries, and said with relief, "The king has his own blessing from heaven, and he needs the care of the Queen Mother and the assistance of the ministers and princes, it will definitely be fine, Your Highness doesn't have to worry too much." ”

Su Wan entered the palace in the fifth year of Xiao Li, and she is in her early twenties this year, and she is also the daughter of a big family. She lost her mother when she was six years old, her father remarried, and her stepmother beat and scolded her at every turn. Su Wan had a strong temperament, so she simply ran away from home and followed the cargo ship to Xiangguo. She was extremely talented, and she joined the master in Xiangguo, and became a Taoist after a few years. So he went south and north again, and went around to experience. When he returned to the Qi Kingdom, he happened to meet the palace to recruit maidservants, thinking that he had nowhere to go, so he went to try his luck.

It was also a coincidence, the Queen Mother walked here by chance, and saw a large number of maids kneeling in the courtyard to be selected, only to see Su Wan suddenly looking at herself with big eyes, looking beautiful and lovely, so she bent down and pulled Su Wan up to take a closer look. Su Wan has been running around begging for a living since the loss of her mother, and she has never been so loved, and when she saw the woman's kind eyebrows, she opened her mouth and shouted "mother-in-law", and tears came out of her eyes with the cry.

This "mother-in-law" made the Queen Mother feel hot, and she personally leaned down to hold Su Wan in her arms, turned her face to the steward eunuch and said, "I want this child, and I will pick two more old people to serve her - child, go with your mother-in-law, where is there a lot of delicious food for mother-in-law." ”

Since then, Su Wan has followed the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother heard about her experience and was very fond of her, knowing that her martial arts were extremely high, so she taught her to read and write, and told her a lot of stories about the previous dynasty and the rules and regulations of this dynasty. After a few years, Su Wan's poems and songs, and the articles of the hundreds of schools of thought have been read a lot, and she is full of knowledge and smart. The Queen Mother liked it very much, so she assigned her to Xiao Zhi to take care of him.

Xiao Zhi is also very relieved of her and regards her as a confidant. Seeing her preoccupied, he intended to make her feel relieved, so he said.

"Yo, Sister Awan is so strict with us on weekdays, but I'm not used to being so gentle today."

"Aren't I afraid that His Royal Highness will be too worried, and don't call me Sister Awan in front of everyone, it's not in accordance with the rules! Did you know? ”

"Got it, what should come will always come, just face it, you don't have to worry about me." Xiao Zhen's experience in his previous life made him a little more calm, knowing that things would happen and no one could change them, so he had to face it well, which was his life creed.

When Su Wan heard Xiao Zhi say this, she knew that he was ready, and her hanging heart could be put down.

Su Wan has been waiting for Xiao Zhi for three years, and these two highnesses are friendly and humorous on weekdays, giggling and laughing every day, mingling with the little eunuchs and palace maids in the palace, and regardless of the etiquette of respect and humility, she has to be stricter. But the occasional serious words are worth scrutinizing, and some of them don't seem like a fifteen-year-old can think of.

The spirit of the emperor, roughly like this. Su Wan thought.

As he was talking, he saw the attendant walk outside the hall and shout loudly.

"My Royal Highness King Xuaner is here, and all the princes and ministers are here."

It's finally here, Xiao Shu thought, and slowly walked into the main hall.