Regarding this, Xiao Rui actually can't say clearly. He only knew that King Yan had different attitudes towards the emperor's sons, but in general, he did have the best impression of the four princes.

King Yan never commented on how the prince was, nor did he speak ill of Empress Cao, and of course he would not praise her. His attitude towards Queen Cao's mother and son is basically to refuse unnecessary talk and do enough courtesy, and other than that, there is nothing. However, he would criticize some of the Cao family's actions, and his evaluation of the Cao family was not high, and he said more than once that the Chengenhou family was stupid.

As for the second prince, Xiao Rui didn't know what King Yan thought, but he had heard King Yan's daughter, Lord Yongping, mock the second prince. It turned out that the second prince was born brave when he was young, and his martial arts riding and archery were the best among his brothers, and he often thought of himself as a general, much like his uncle Yan Wang, who was passed out. It wasn't until the second prince grew older and established a great ambition to compete for the crown prince that he no longer said that he wanted to learn from his uncle. The county lord of Yongping scoffed at his statement: "Who said that if you have a lot of strength, you can play a few long guns, you can play polo, and you are a general?" He is embarrassed to say that he is like his father? is so stupid, I don't have to insult the ancestors of the Zhu family! ”

King Yan was listening to his daughter's words at that time, smiling all the way and not hindering him. Princess Yan blamed her daughter: "Since you know that he is a bad person, what do you have to do with him?" He doesn't even know what he's really going to do, so do you want to be like him? The county lord of Yongping immediately stopped talking about the second prince anymore.

Xiao Rui told Xie Mulin this little story and said: "It can be seen that His Royal Highness King Yan will never accept the second prince as his heir, and in comparison, the fourth prince is the one he admires the most." ”

Xie Mulin was curious, Xiao Rui could know this little story of the Yan Wang family, could it be that he was also present at the time? Yan Wang and his wife are down, and the lord of Yan Wang is also there, so they can even allow Xiao Rui to stay, and the relationship between Xiao Rui and Yan Wangfu is closer than she imagined?

This thought quickly flashed through Xie Mulin's heart, but he continued to ask, "What about the third prince?" The emperor should be willing to let the three princes succeed, right? And the uncle of the third prince, that is, your father, still has a deep friendship with His Royal Highness King Yan, doesn't he? ”

Xiao Rui paused: "I...... I don't know what to say. His Royal Highness King Yan didn't mention anything about the three princes, but ...... Princess Yan doesn't like the concubine very much. The county lord of Yanwang never seemed to have anything to do with the three princes. I was at home in Beijing, and I never heard of any intersection between the noble concubine Niangniang and the Yanwang Mansion. Whether it is King Yan's family going to Beijing, or the queen mother in the palace and the emperor rewarding Princess Yan, there is no concubine Niangniang participating in it. In the years that I accompanied His Royal Highness in the palace, I never heard the noble concubine Niangniang or the Third Highness mention the people or things of the Yan Palace. Although I know that my father and His Royal Highness King Yan had been friends in the early years, and I also served as a big matchmaker at the wedding of King Yan and Princess Yan, our Zhuguo General's Mansion was private...... I don't have anything to do with Yanwangfu, to be more precise, I haven't had it since I can remember. ”

He once thought that this was because his father Xiao Mingde was in charge of guarding the capital and guarded the army, while King Yan was the commander of the northern border army, and the generals in the army had a weak friendship with each other, so as not to arouse the suspicion of the emperor. However, now he didn't think so, he knew that several generals in the army were close to each other, and the emperor never said anything. And Yan Wang and his wife corresponded with his aunt Li Yaozhi in private, and his father Xiao Mingde never stopped him.

It is not so much that his father and King Yan were estranged from each other out of political considerations, but rather that there is no deep friendship between them at all, maybe ...... There are still some old grudges. He didn't know if it was related to the fact that his eldest aunt Xiao Mingzhu and King Yan had been engaged, but they died before the marriage. Anyway, His Royal Highness King Yan never mentioned his aunt, but Princess Yan, who often recalled their past as close friends when they were young.

His father Xiao Mingde obviously acquiesced in his contact with King Yan's Mansion in his early years, but in recent years, he seems to be reluctant to let him have too much contact with King Yan. This contradictory approach made Xiao Rui puzzled. But if he wants to accept the marriage between his father and his mother in order to stay away from King Yan, it is a fantasy!

Xiao Rui retracted his scattered thoughts and said solemnly to Xie Mulin: "I have tried to ask His Royal Highness King Yan about the candidate for the heir. In fact, the military generals of Beiping were very curious about this. No matter which prince will become the heir of the Yan Palace, he will be the master of Beiping in the future, and he will also be in charge of the northern border army. We all want to know as soon as possible who this person is and whether he is capable enough to sit in that position? There are many people like me who ask His Royal Highness King Yan for news, and His Royal Highness King Yan is rarely angry about this matter, but that time......" he paused, "His Royal Highness King Yan did not answer me, and told me very seriously that I should never meddle in this matter." No matter what others tell me, I don't even ask about the heir, it's best not to even ask, just accept the final result. ”

Xie Mulin was puzzled: "Why? There are a lot of people who ask about this? Since the Cao family brought up the topic of the heirs of the Yan Wangfu, I am afraid that the powerful families in the capital are discussing this matter. ”

Xiao Rui sighed, "I don't know why. But His Royal Highness King Yan has always been very good to me, and he has his own reasons for ordering me like this. So...... Except in front of you, I never tell anyone about the heir of the Yan Wangfu. When the Third Highness came down to ask me, I also tried to prevaricate with some gossip. Of course, he didn't want to reveal the internal news of King Yan's Mansion to the three princes, even if the three princes didn't inquire about King Yan's thoughts on the selection of heirs, he wouldn't say a word.

Xie Mulin frowned, he only felt that this matter was very strange, could it be that this heir matter contained great risks, King Yan had nothing to do, but the person who was involved in it was very likely to be unlucky, and His Royal Highness King Yan out of love for Xiao Rui, a junior, would specially tell him not to ask about this matter?

Xie Mulin asked Xiao Rui this, and Xiao Rui thought for a while: "That's probably it, right?" In fact, I also vaguely realized that for the sake of the selection of the heir of the Yan Wangfu, several highnesses were afraid that there would be a dragon fight. ”

Although the crown prince and the second prince vaguely felt that the emperor had most likely chosen the fourth prince to be the heir of King Yan, so he would be better and better to this younger son in recent years, and Gaine knew that the fourth prince would soon be sent away. But this does not mean that the crown prince and the second prince will obediently accept the emperor's arrangement.

Because the fourth prince is nothing, he is young, and his mother's family is weak, so he will be the heir of King Yan, and he will have almost no impact on the situation of the battle for the throne. The crown prince and the second prince are hostile to each other, and at the same time wary of the third prince. In order to eliminate a strong competitor, the crown prince prefers to pass the second or third prince out, and the second prince prefers to pass the third prince out - because the crown prince cannot be succeeded. These two eldest princes may have planned to use the selection of the heirs of the Yan Wangfu as an opportunity to eradicate political enemies, frame each other and dig a pit for the three princes, but it has already started now, and I am afraid it will become more and more fierce in the future.

The third prince avoided being passed out, and wanted to promote the fourth prince to be adopted, because he believed that among all the brothers, the fourth prince was his real opponent in the battle for the throne, and the crown prince and the second prince were just a thing of the past......

Xiao Rui sighed: "Don't look at the fact that Jingzhong seems to be quite peaceful now, the battle below has long been chaotic!" I've been hiding outside these days, so as not to be caught by His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness King Yan reminded me not to be involved, which is really a wise saying. ”

Xie Mulin secretly wiped his sweat, and couldn't help but worry: "Jiao Yintai still wants my brother to go to His Royal Highness King Yan and help the emperor talk or something...... The battle between the princes shouldn't involve us, right? ”