() It was the height of summer, and the prince had just returned from the court, just in time for the sun to rise, and although it was a summer court dress, there was still a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Xue Ke stopped talking and said with a smile: "Why are you in such a hurry!" What about Xing'er? Hurry up and get some water for your grandfather! ”

Xing'er responded with a smile: "Isn't you in a hurry!" The slave persuaded the master to change his court clothes and come back again!"

The prince glared at Xing'er and said coldly: "Mouthy!" ”

Xing'er looked at Xue Ke, who was smiling next to him, and knew that it was okay, so he ran out to fetch water and get a handkerchief.

"Why did you go down to court at this point today?"

At the mention of this, the crown prince frowned: "Today, the emperor is half an hour late to the court." ”

Nangong and Xue Ke subconsciously glanced at it. This is the third time since the beginning of summer, since the emperor has favored this Li Zhaoyi, he has been staying in Chang'en Palace for most of the night, and this Li Zhaoyi is even more favored than the previous Hua Concubine.

And the postponement of the court because of staying in the harem has never happened before.

"I didn't expect the emperor to be old, but it's the old man who talks about juvenile madness! Hehe. Nangong also felt a little embarrassed after speaking, no matter what, it was also the prince's father, not to mention, this Tang lady was still present.

So the prince also glared at Nangong coldly.

Nangong was immediately alert, and reported to the prince with the list at hand: "This is what you ordered last time, there are three major sources of money on the queen's side, and the big head is part of the queen's family's land and business, which is her mother's family, and it is also some of your royal highness's nephews and nephews; The second is the tribute and silver of the local courtiers, and the eastern part of Zhejiang, southern Fujian, and Shanxi are the most, and you know the personnel arrangements of these three places, Your Highness; The third is the palace housekeeping silver. ”

The prince listened to Nangong talk about serious things, and no longer cared about the previous words, and listened intently while taking the handkerchief handed by Xing'er.

"But the queen's private property is full of loopholes, illegal mergers of land and property, tax evasion in shops, unclean accounts, private monopoly trading, and arson and slavery, one check is accurate! Before, you appeased them in front of outsiders, but now can you do it? ”

As soon as Nangong said this, he was quite excited, he had long seen that those people were not pleasing to the eye, and he was loyal to His Royal Highness on his face, and when he met, he mentioned the love of the former queen, but behind his back, he sent all the silver to the queen's Kunning Palace, and these spirits could not see the current situation, it was nothing more than the two ends of the first rat, bullying the prince to value affection.

The prince looked at Xue Ke's face, the scars on his face were basically healed, and only a few faint white lines could be seen under the sun.

The crown prince nodded, and said, "Since they have done it, they will definitely ask to come to the East Palace." Lonely is going out to avoid the last month! ”

Nangong nodded with feeling, and those old guys said with snot and tears when they were talking about how the first queen was still in the boudoir, and it was not easy for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to get out.

"Where is Your Highness going?"

"Didn't you just say that Shanxi is the queen's money bag? There are also a lot of excerpts from the governor of Shanxi, so I will go to verify and verify! ”

"Does the emperor agree?" Xue Ke asked with some concern.

The prince sneered: "If it is said to rectify the rule of officials, how can the palace agree, but in the past two years, the emperor has begged the monk to ask the question, and the emperor said that he went to Wutai Mountain to make a wish when he was young, and he has not gone to repay the vow, didn't he order me to cultivate my mind and temperament?" My son went to pray for him, and he probably wouldn't disagree! ”

Nangong smiled: "That's a good idea!" ”

Xue Ke knew that the prince was really a little indignant in his heart, but he just smiled and said, "Sure enough, it's a good idea to kill three birds with one stone!" Avoid suspicion, hide from right and wrong, and rectify it, it's hard for His Highness to think about it! ”

The prince knew that she had the intention to make him happy, and his heart warmed: "There are still some things ahead, I have passed, don't be tired, let Nangong think about anything, let him do it." ”

Xue Ke responded with a smile: "Got it." Your Highness, go quickly. ”

The prince turned around again and whispered, "Wait for me to dine with me in the evening, I have something to say to you." ”

Nangong couldn't help but silently say in his heart, Your Highness, can you take care of your subordinates? Also, can you not be so affectionate and entangled in front of your subordinates? As a subordinate who has followed him for many years and is used to seeing the prince's murderous aura, he is really a little unaccustomed!

After the prince left, Xue Ke helplessly faced Nangong's intriguing expression, and couldn't help but say, "Lord Nangong, can you stop laughing so intoxicating?" ”

Nangong smiled and said, "Isn't this happy for the lady!" His Royal Highness is so devoted to the lady, isn't the lady moved? Easy to find a thousand treasures, it is rare to have a lover! Not to mention a figure like His Highness! ”

"It seems that the adults think that they have too many wives and concubines in their thirteen rooms! Do you want me to help you get out of the room? ”

"No, no, no, no!" Nangong waved his hand again and again: "Say business, talk about business!" ”

Xue Ke didn't bother to care, picked up the teacup in his hand, and said, "Li Zhaoyi must think of getting rid of it!" ”

"It's easier said than done!" Nangong couldn't help sighing: "She is being favored right now, and secretly she is the queen's person, although Gonggong Cao's side is powerful, in the end it is just to give a message for convenience, and if you want to get rid of Li Zhaoyi, the risk is too great!" ”

Xue Ke slowly flicked the tea leaves with the lid of the bowl: "Naturally, we can't do it." The adult is very right, except for one sentence, that is, Li Zhaoyi is not the queen's person. ”

"Since she is the person of King Qin, she is naturally on the same path as the queen."

Xue Ke smiled: "If the adults say so, where is the contradiction between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in this world?" It is true that Li Zhaoyi is the person of the King of Qin, but she is also a thorn in the queen's side. ”

Nangong thought about the struggle between his family's thirteen wives and concubines and his mother, and then thought about the various signs of his mother and grandmother in the past few decades, and nodded with deep feelings.

"For so many years, the emperor's favored women have changed one after another, but the queen is standing in the middle palace, with a stable status, Li Zhaoyi has no background in the palace, no family outside the palace, it seems that flowers are brocade, but the queen endures her for the sake of King Qin, as long as she touches the queen's bottom line, it is only a matter of time before she falls to the bottom." Xue Ke's nails ran across the lid of the teacup, making a long, cold sound.

"What the lady said is not unreasonable, but what is the queen's bottom line?"

"What do you think?"

"You mean King Qin?" Nangong fell into thought: "It's just that since Li Zhaoyi is the person of the King of Qin, how can she be unfavorable to the King of Qin?" Unless, this can't work, unless," Nangong flashed several thoughts in his heart, and denied several thoughts.

After thinking for a while, Nangong raised his head and was about to ask Xue Ke what he thought, only to find that Xue Ke had already walked into the courtyard, and couldn't help but chase after him and asked, "What do you think?" ”

Xue Ke smiled innocently: "I can't think of it either." Didn't His Highness just say that there is something for you to think about and let me not be tired. ”

Nangong Qi Knot. But in the end, this is a line of thought, and he is reluctant to give up.

Xue Ke looked at Nangong with a smile and shook his head back to the house while thinking. A few years after being reborn, things have long deviated from the development of the previous life, such as this Li Zhaoyi, who had not heard of it in the previous life.

Now she can only look at everything step by step, if there is still a little advantage, it is that she knows the queen's personality and ruthlessness better than them, and she also knows the queen's methods better. To get rid of Li Zhaoyi, I'm afraid there is no more suitable person than the queen.

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Xue Ke ordered the meal to be placed in the courtyard, and the grapevines in the middle of summer were growing wildly, spreading wantonly on the erected branches. Under the shelf, the ground has been washed with cold well water, so there is no trace of heat, only a burst of fragrance, a little green, a little sweet.

When the prince entered the courtyard, he saw Xue Ke sitting on the swing rack with a book on the side. She had just washed her hair in the afternoon, and at the moment she was just gently tied behind her with a ribbon, wearing a lilac homely small can-collar gauze skirt, which was embroidered with a moire pattern with different shades of purple silk thread, and the whole person was shrouded in a faint mist, gently swaying on the swing, and a pair of feet loomed under the skirt, and the whole person was like smoke.

The prince couldn't help but relax his steps, walked up to her, and poked his head to see what book she was flipping.

Xue Ke was taken aback by the figure in front of him: "Why didn't you make a noise when you came?" ”

Ah Liu shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the prince with his chin, meaning that the prince would not let him report.

The prince pretended not to see Ah Liu's small report, and drew the book in her hand: "What are you looking at?" So fascinating? ”

The prince flipped through it, and it turned out to be a local chronicle of Shanxi, which recorded the local mountains, rivers, landforms, customs and customs, and marked important places with a pen. Knowing that she was preparing for his trip to Shanxi, her heart warmed, and she whispered in her ear and deliberately asked, "Are you remembering me?" Or do you want to see it yourself? ”

Xue Ke listened to his words, and couldn't help but light up his eyes: "What does Your Highness mean?" ”

The prince took her hand and sat down at the table, said with a straight face: "Eat first, and see how you behave!" ”

Xue Ke's whole person was pressed down, his little face was glowing, and he said with a flattering smile: "Today is the meal I specially cooked, and it is all our prince's favorite food!" Isn't it, Ah Liu? ”

The corners of Ah Liu's lips pulled out an arc with difficulty, which was regarded as helping Xue Ke to lie. I prayed in my heart that the prince would receive this heart, and not get entangled in other details, my own lady didn't know if the kitchen door was open to that side.

When the prince heard Xue Ke say "our prince", his heart was already as if he had eaten honey, and sure enough, he automatically filtered the parts that did not conform to reality, coughed lightly to hide the smile on the corner of his mouth, and nodded: "The lady has worked hard!" The lady is seated, and I will give the lady a bowl of soup. Then he asked casually: "What kind of soup is the lady making today?" ”

Xue Ke looked at the milky white soup and couldn't help but be stunned, what kind of soup? She didn't know what soup was either! Gastrodia chicken soup? Huaishan pigeon soup? Lotus root pork rib soup?

"Is it fish maw fish soup today, or the two three-two swordfish that the lady personally picked! The lady said that this season is drinking to moisturize the yin and dryness, and it is better not to be good! Mama Zhang walked over and handed the soup to the prince, and answered without a trace.

The crown prince and Xue Ke breathed a sigh of relief.

Ginger is still old and spicy! Ah Liu secretly admired in his heart.

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Xue Ke is usually a picky eater, but in order to perform well today, he tasted every dish. It doesn't look obvious, and after eating, I feel a little full.

Now that the summer evenings were cool and pleasant, the prince proposed to go out for a walk.

The lotus flowers by the pool have not yet bloomed, the water chestnut exudes a burst of fragrance, and as soon as the evening breeze blows, Xue Ke's hair will be scattered, which makes people feel intoxicated.

"After returning to a full meal at dusk, the flute makes three or four sounds of the evening breeze." The prince couldn't help but sigh: "When these troubles in the court are over, let's live a few days of leisure." ”

Xue Ke smiled, it sounded very beautiful, but it was also very distant. After thinking about it, he still asked in a hurry: "Since Shanxi is the queen's person, can Your Highness make this trip?" If you don't have it, someone will do something like a dog jumping off the wall. ”

The prince nodded: "That's why I'm hesitant to take you." Although we have made ten thousand preparations, after all, we are in the light, they are in the dark, and the open gun is easy to dodge and the dark arrow is difficult to defend. ”

Xue Ke hurriedly said: "I'm not afraid, besides, I have Ah Liu!" I won't hold His Highness back! ”

The prince ruffled her windswept hair behind her ears and tied it again with a ribbon, which he looked a little clumsy to do with his accustomed hands for knives and guns. It took a lot of effort to finally tie the ribbon into a dead knot, and he looked at it himself, and he was a little embarrassed in his heart, and he rubbed his hair a little weakly.

By the way, he pinched Xue Ke's earlobe, and said softly: "Although there is also a risk, I can't let you alone in the capital anymore, if the queen summons you into the palace again, I will go crazy!" ”

Xue Ke knew that his experience in the palace was already a deep thorn in the prince's heart, so he smiled and diverted the topic: "When the time comes, I can pretend to be a little girl and not be obtrusive." ”

The prince smiled, and the two of them strolled over, and they actually walked to the Banhong Pavilion. The scenery of Banhong Pavilion is the best at this time, and the water surface is sparkling, as if you are in the boat.

The prince remembered what happened in the Banhong Pavilion last time, and couldn't help but hold Xue Ke in his arms, gently rubbed her hair, and said, "How can I be willing to let you be a girl?" Some time ago, I wanted to pick a guard for you, but these shadow guards in the East Palace can't do it. ”

Xue Ke couldn't help but smile in surprise: "Can't even shadow guards?" That kung fu is all one top one! What more do you want? ”

"It's not that it's hard work." The prince hugged her and patiently explained: "It's just that they are used to following me, and they put me first in everything." If you still have this thought at the critical moment, it is impossible to protect you! But the good thing is that I finally think of someone who can put you first. ”

"Oh? Ah Liu? ”

The prince couldn't help laughing, and couldn't help but kiss her neck: "Ah Liu is your personal person, so he naturally wants to put you first." I'm talking about the head of the guard, think again! ”

Taking advantage of Xue Ke's thinking, the prince buried his head and kissed a few more times, the longer he kissed, and his breathing became heavier.

"Who? Say it! Xue Ke dodged left and right dissatisfiedly.

"Lu Laoba." The prince mumbled a word out of his throat.

"Ahh Brother Lu! Xue Ke couldn't help but shout out happily.