Midsummer is coming, and the sun in Chang'an City is like fire, like a huge steamer paved with bluestone. After Emperor Jing announced the half-moon of the retirement of the dynasty, he took his wife and children and went to Ganquan Palace for a vacation, and the magnates also fled one after another and went to Nanshan to escape the summer.

Nanshan is located at the head of the famous "Shenhe Plateau" in later generations, facing the Zhuhe River flowing in front of you, the undulating Qinling Mountains Zhongnan Mountain, and the fertile fields and villages for thousands of miles, which makes people admire and sigh insincerely. The Zhuhe River, which originates from the Shitouyu in the Qinling Mountains, does not go straight to the Wei River in the north after leaving the valley in the southeast direction of Chang'an, but turns its head to the west, cuts the loess and cuts out a plateau, forming a narrow river road in the east and wide in the west between the plateau and the Qinling Mountains. During the Han Dynasty, the eight rivers entered Chang'an, and the foot of the South Mountain was full of water, fertile and flat, and the frogs in the farmland in the summer sounded in unison, calling the whole plateau.

Dali Qing Wang Xuan lay on the rocking chair and looked at the Juelong Ridge in the distance. There is Wen Taishi Cave on Juelong Ridge, according to legend, Shang Taishi Wen Zhong, Xiqi general Jiang Ziya fought fiercely here, Wen Zhong failed, and killed himself here. Wang Xuan stroked the handle of the rocking chair, and thoughts flew in his mind.

Since a few months ago, when he stamped the official seal on the arrest warrant handed over by Zhidu, he has completely offended the abolished prince Liu Rongge. Although Taiwei Dou Ying and his party did not react strongly to this, they were obviously wary of Dali Mansion, and they were even more deliberately alienated from Wang Xuan. Being forced to be involved in such a political whirlpool is really a disaster.

I thought that this time I could take advantage of the summer vacation to get away from the treacherous court politics for a short time, but who knew that I still couldn't hide, and I actually moved into the "Royal Leisure Villa" under the name of the Royal Industrial Group.

A few days ago, Wang Xuan was dragged by the little girl at home to come to this Nanshan to escape the summer, but as soon as he arrived at the ground, he was dragged to the royal leisure villa by the river at the foot of the Nanshan Mountain, and lived in a daze.

It wasn't until he was taken to the single-story three-story building by the maid of the villa that Wang Xuan, who was stunned, came back to his senses, and then looked at the little girl's face full of smiling and smiling, who didn't know the plan. The lady on the side of the helplessness not only did not help, but looked at this chic small building by herself, as if she was familiar with some strange objects inside.

After a long time, Mrs. Chen nodded happily and said in appreciation: "Yan'er is good, how do you know to find such a good place?" ”

Yan'er affectionately took the old lady's arm, pouted at Wang Xuan, and said: "A few days ago, I heard Sister Zhang next door in Häagen-Dazs that Master Zhang recently said that he would move his family to this royal leisure villa for summer vacation, and the daughter kept an eye on it, only to know that Father had been hiding this matter, and I thought he didn't want to bring us two over." ”

"Oh?" When Chen heard this, his eyebrows were upside down, and he stared at Wang Xuan directly, asking him to give an explanation.

Wang Xuan smiled bitterly, the Chen family was born in a big family in Guanxi, and they had a profound background, even if it was the founding of Gaozu, they all adopted an attitude of wooing. Wang Xuan's wife Chen Xuan is the eldest daughter of the contemporary patriarch of the Chen family, and when she married Wang Xuan, she was only a petty official with a rank of 600 stones, which can really be regarded as a lower marriage. Of course, the Chen family was very unhappy, but Chen Xuan threatened him with death, and the Chen patriarch loved his daughter very much, which made Wang Xuan, a hairy boy, cheaper. Even if Wang Xuan is now ranked in Jiuqing, he still respects and loves Chen Xuan, not because of her family background, but because of the love that swears to the death.

Wang Xuanping withdrew from the people in the house, and sent Yan'er outside to play, and then said in a low voice: "Your Majesty did mention this matter, saying that after the rest of the dynasty, you can go to this royal leisure villa to escape the summer, but the royal industrial group behind this villa, I really don't want to provoke it." ”

As the daughter of the family, the Chen family saw the political struggle more clearly than Wang Xuan, and often helped him get ideas. ”

"Zhou Yafu is at home, and the tiger talisman seal has been returned to His Majesty, like a toothless tiger, there is no need to worry. It's just that this Dou Ying, who is a lieutenant and is in charge of the three armies, can't be an enemy easily. ”

Chen smiled and said in a low voice, "Husband is too worried. Historically, above the court, the forces of His Majesty and the Queen Mother have competed with each other, and Dou Ying's family has upheld neutrality, sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, trying to reap the benefits, which has long caused the dissatisfaction of His Majesty and the Queen Mother. If you don't stretch out your hand, I am afraid that the attack on the prince will not be able to get rid of it, and it will touch the reverse scale shared by His Majesty and the Queen Mother. The wolf's ambition is obvious, and it is impossible to regain his transcendent posture. ”

Wang Xuan nodded in agreement, but he was puzzled: "Madame is very right, now the prince is running this royal industrial group, obviously trying to reduce the power of the princes, and it is also His Majesty's intention." It's just that for some reason, the king of Linjiang and the king of Jiaoxi are to be released back to the feudal country, isn't this a failure? ”

Chen secretly smiled bitterly, very helpless about his husband's political wisdom, fortunately, he was just a secretary of justice and didn't talk much, otherwise he would have been eaten alive by the old foxes in the court. She shook her head and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty doesn't want to dirty His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's hands. ”

Wang Xuan was stunned when he heard this, and then he was shocked, and finally figured out the key, and asked tremblingly: "Isn't Dou Ying's plan in vain?" Will he ......"

Chen shook his head and vetoed the terrible speculation in Wang Xuan's heart, and said, "He doesn't dare!" If it was only His Majesty, he still had a few chances of winning, but the Queen Mother obviously knew what the prince did, but she didn't stop it, and the Queen Mother family in the court was even more indifferent, couldn't the husband still see clearly? ”

Wang Xuan settled his mind, pondered for a moment, and his eyes gradually returned to clarity. That's right, the emperor and the queen mother in the court were always-for-tat, but now they are extremely tacit and silent. The originally transcendent Dou Ying series, but recently jumped up and down, looking impatient, didn't he feel uneasy?

Wang Xuan felt that he had caught a clue, and continued to ask: "It's just that Dou Ying is the queen mother's nephew after all, can the queen mother be at the disposal of His Majesty?" ”

Chen's face was full of disdain, and he sneered: "Your Majesty is even willing to give up your own son, and the Queen Mother will be reluctant to have a nephew?" ”

When Wang Xuan heard this, he was covered in cold sweat and a little overwhelmed.

Chen hurriedly comforted: "Don't be anxious, husband, I want to come to this royal leisure villa now, not only for His Majesty's family, but also for the Queen Mother's family." ”

Wang Xuan thought about it, hugged Chen with some fear, and said apologetically: "Eh, when I heard Your Majesty mention that he wanted his ministers to come here for summer vacation, he only wanted to avoid suspicion for his husband, so he hid it from his wife, but he didn't know that there were so many calculations in it, which almost harmed the whole family." ”

Indeed, Emperor Jing let his ministers go to the Royal Leisure Villa for summer vacation, which was to support the Royal Industrial Group established by the crown prince Liu Che, and also to give the courtiers an opportunity to choose a side. Wang Xuan originally only wanted to continue to remain neutral and not clearly stand on the emperor's side, so as to avoid factional conflicts with the empress dowager and Dou Ying, but he did not take into account that the emperor and the empress dowager had a tacit consensus in secret, and even temporarily gave up the struggle between the two factions and prepared to unite to clear out the restless other forces in the court.

In this zero-sum game, the courtiers staying in the Royal Leisure Lodge may be able to continue to move between the two factions of the Emperor and the Queen Mother. But the courtiers who do not stay in the Royal Leisure Villa will no longer be neutral, but completely stand on the opposite side of the emperor and the queen mother, and will face the encirclement and suppression of the two largest forces in the court. And Wang Xuan is ranked in the ninth secretary, which is equivalent to a vice-state/level official in later generations, and his political leanings are more likely to determine the fate of the whole family, even life and death.

Chen clapped his big hand and didn't speak, his eyes full of comfort and understanding. She fell in love with Wang Xuan's true honesty at the beginning, and grew up in a deceitful family education since she was a child, and she especially cherished the open-minded and calculating man in front of her, who died unswervingly.

"Ahh Yan'er's screams interrupted the two of them who fell into tenderness and sweetness, and saw her standing by the door, her hands on her pretty face, as if she had seen something she shouldn't see, but from time to time she peeked through her fingers, and the corners of her mouth were full of playful smiles.

Wang Xuan hurriedly let go of the mother-in-law in his arms, his face was flushed, and he had an embarrassed expression that wanted to speak and stopped.

"Dead girl!" Chen didn't have the consciousness of stealing food and being caught, but generously flew towards Wang Xuan with a disgusting wink, and then walked over, dragged Yan'er's ears out, and said with a big grin: "Dare to be bad for my mother, take me to visit this villa, don't find me enough people to rub hemp, see me clean you up like this!" ……”

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