Xiao Rui was inconvenient to reveal too much, so he only replied vaguely: "I passed by Zhili on a mission and was called back by my father." Seeing that Xiao Lin was dressed in a gorgeous dress, not like she was dressed at home, and seemed to have just come back from outside, she asked, "It's dark, where does the eldest sister come from?" ”

Xiao Rui pursed his lips and smiled: "I just came back from the palace." The concubine has nothing to do today, so she specially summoned me to talk to her. ”

Xiao Rui frowned slightly, in his impression, Concubine Xiao seemed to have summoned Xiao Lin in recent months, and the summons were quite frequent. Before he left home, he only went back once a month, or once every two or three months, and after leaving home, he learned from the letter written by his aunt that Xiao Lin now has to enter the palace four or five times a month, and today he even left people until dark before letting them back. Xiao Lin came out in front of the palace gate, right? Does Concubine Xiao like this niece so much? Don't think otherwise.

Xiao Rui pondered to himself, Xiao Lin had already walked in front of him, looked at the brocade box in his hand curiously, and said: "I remember this box, when the noble concubine Niangniang ordered someone to send a set of imperial gifts of the four treasures of the study to the third highness a few days ago, it was packed with this box. The peony pattern on the top is very exquisite, I liked it at first sight, but I was embarrassed to talk to the concubine Niangniang and the third highness. How could this thing be in the hands of the second brother? What's in it? Show me. As he spoke, he reached out and touched it.

Xiao Rui was vigilant, took two steps back, and said, "Big sister, this is something that my father gave me, and I have to prepare to give it to others." ”

Xiao Lin frowned: "What is so rare that you won't even let me look at it?!" ”

Xiao Rui patiently reasoned with her: "It's not that things are rare, but that my father handed over this errand to me, and even I didn't dare to disobey his orders, so I opened the box without permission, where did I dare to let my eldest sister see you?" If my father had known, he would have broken my leg! ”

Xiao Lin dispelled her thoughts and said whimsically, "How could my father discount your legs?" He couldn't bear it! He'll just scold me and my eldest brother. ”

Xiao Rui didn't want to entangle with her more, so he hinted euphemistically: "The eldest sister just came back from the palace, and she is planning to see Madame, right?" Presumably, Madame is also in a hurry. ”

Xiao Lin pouted: "I'm all back, can I still get lost in my own home?" What's so urgent about mother? As he spoke, he stared at Xiao Rui a few times, and suddenly changed the topic, "I heard that the second brother has been away from Beijing for a few months, and now his wings have not grown hard, but he has left the old people behind?" His Royal Highness did not forget his old friendship, and he wanted to transfer you back several times and arrange a good errand to save you from suffering in Jinshanwei, but as a result, you not only did not appreciate it, but also had an awkward quarrel with His Royal Highness, which is too much, right? ! ”

As soon as Xiao Rui heard it, she knew where she heard the gossip and crooked words, and she didn't defend herself much, but said: "It is my father's intention to transfer me out of Beijing, and I can't disobey my father's order." ”

Xiao Lin choked, stomped her feet and said, "Who told you to disobey your father?!" Father just wants you to earn a future outside Beijing, don't compete with your eldest brother for the throne of the world. Now that His Royal Highness has the intention to promote you, it has nothing to do with the eldest brother, so what reason does my father have to oppose it?! The Third Highness is a golden branch and jade leaf, and he has the favor of the Holy Grace, and when he leaves the palace to open the mansion, he needs a large number of people to help. You grew up with him as a child, and you are a cousin, as long as His Royal Highness arranges a good errand for you, how many years of hardship can you avoid in the future?! His Royal Highness has a good intention, it is too much for you to ignore it, and it is really hurtful to put on a look that you want to break off friendship with him! ”

Xiao Rui knew that the third prince had said bad things about himself in front of Xiao Lin, and he was too lazy to say how many fallacies there were. Xiao Lin is just a boudoir girl, and she is favored by her mother-in-law, so she doesn't have to do anything, and she doesn't necessarily understand those government risks and deceitful people when she tells her.

So he only made a simple sacrifice: "Big sister's words are all for my sake, I understand in my heart." It's just that...... My future is too good, and I am always in Beijing, and I am supported by the three highnesses, so what do my wife and eldest brother think? The eldest brother is the son of the world, and he is also the cousin of the Third Highness, I stayed to compete with him for the limelight, and for the attention of the Third Highness, how can I be worthy of the love of Mrs. and the eldest brother for me? My father asked me to leave Beijing just to prevent our brothers from falling apart in the future. I didn't want to fight with my eldest brother for anything, so I went far away and became estranged from the Third Highness. Both the lady and the eldest brother know this, and the eldest sister persuades me like this today, but where does the eldest brother put her? ”

Xiao Lin choked again, thinking about Xiao Rui's words, it seemed to make sense. After all, Xiao Cong is the brother of her mother, if she wants to choose, of course she hopes that Xiao Cong will be supported by the three princes and have a bright future.

But no! The third prince only said that he wanted Xiao Rui to help him, and his father Xiao Mingde explicitly ordered that Xiao Cong was not allowed to have too much contact with the third prince. Now that Xiao Cong is still trapped in the camp in the west of Beijing, where is it convenient to do things for the third prince?

She had no choice but to say: "The eldest brother has something to do anyway, and he will inherit the military power in his father's hands in the future." Except for you, second brother, who can be idle and run errands for His Royal Highness......"

Xiao Rui sighed heavily: "Because of this, I can't get too close to the Third Highness, and it's taboo like that!" When I was a child, it was nothing to play together, but now that everyone has grown up, and His Royal Highness is about to leave the palace on an errand, what should I stay for? Big sister, don't mention those words in front of your wife and eldest brother. ”

Xiao Lin gave him a blank look: "I'm not stupid, how can I not understand this truth?" She didn't complete the third prince's entrustment, and she was not in a very good mood, so she was impatient and continued to talk to her brother, "It's okay, the second brother will go back to the hospital." Mother, you don't have to go there. She's busy right now, so she probably doesn't have time to see you. Then he turned and left.

Xiao Rui watched her leave with a smile, and specially instructed in a concerned tone: "It's dark and the lights are dark, big sister be careful of your steps." It wasn't until he saw people enter the gate of the main courtyard that he turned around and left, and went straight to the small courtyard where his aunt Li Yaozhi lived on the edge of the garden.

Li Yaozhi listened to Xiao Rui talk about what happened recently, and glanced at the brocade box, lacking interest: "The third prince is acting more and more impatient now. The people of their old Zhu family are really few sincere gentlemen. But whoever wants to fight for that chair, no matter how pure, kind and innocent a good person is, will become unrecognizable. ”

Xiao Rui smiled and didn't discuss it much, but just told his aunt that he originally intended to seek a military position in the north, but his father changed him to Changhuaiwei.

Li Yaozhi's brows furrowed, and he said sarcastically: "He couldn't pull his face down in his heart, so he deliberately didn't let you go to work for King Yan, right?" It's just a hundred households, what can it be worth? Changhuaiwei sounds like a good place to go, rich and prosperous, stable, the commander is still the old department of the general, if you go there, no one will bully you, and no one will stop your future because of one or two letters from nobles. It's just that you can't say that you have any future, there are even a few bandits in that place all year round, but where there are those who come up, there are more people to fight for merit, where is your turn to be young? It's 100 households this year, and it's still 100 households in 10 years, when will it come out?! No matter how far away the north is, no matter how dangerous it is, there are real military exploits to fight. With the care of Yanwangfu, you will not be in danger of your life. No matter how fierce the battle for the crown prince in Beijing is, it will not affect the north. After ten or eight years, you are also a general, but you can stand on your own, what are you afraid of suppression? ! ”

Xiao Rui hesitated: "But my father ...... there"

"Ignore him!" Li Yaozhi interrupted him, "You don't care about this matter, I'll arrange it for you." You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine. You can serve under His Royal Highness King Yan openly, I am happier than anyone else! ”

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