The reception banquet is already halfway through.

All the children of the Qiao family, including Qiao Xin's mother and daughter, who had just suffered great misfortune, all attended respectfully, and now the Qiao Mansion does not plan to reveal the matter of returning to the island for the time being. Sit on the left side of the hall. On the right side of the hall, there were ten men in red official uniforms, these were the ministers sent by the prince, assisting Qiao Liangyan to deal with affairs at such a critical juncture, and reporting the latest news to the prince. There is a more important reason, the two of them are self-evident - in order to prevent the Qiao family of the Zhu family, when the old man is seriously ill and enters Beijing, he uses his own relatives to set aside the power of the Qiao Mansion.

This is not unfounded. When Imperial Physician Zhang took Qiao Shifan away, Old Butler Qiao, who was already deeply rooted in the Zhu family, had already begun to find ways to infiltrate Qiao's mansion. He has never taken such a child as Qiao Liangyan in his eyes. But when the prince's henchmen settled in, all the plans could only be stillborn and disappear cleanly.

This is the first time He Yue has seen his father's attitude in front of people, so low. There were five people seated on the main seat—three cardinals dressed in ornate official uniforms, Qiao Liangyan, the acting head of the family, and He Zhe, the lord of the city. In the middle sits the heads of the three ministers, surnamed Zhang, Li, and Qin from left to right. The reception banquet has been going on for a while, and it has not yet entered the main topic, most of which are five people and ten ministers on the main seat chatting with each other about the affairs and anecdotes of the court. He Zhe had a very low attitude, toasted the three ministers from time to time, and regarded himself as a junior. However, because of this, the overall atmosphere is still relatively harmonious.

Although, sitting on the left, they couldn't interject at all. It's not easy to chat with each other for the sake of politeness, and it's still quite boring.

After three rounds of drinking, it seems that the polite process should have been completed.

The cardinal in the middle lowered his glass and said in a loud voice, "Thank you for being here to prepare a reception for the three of us. I'll get to the point. Today, the three of us came to Blackwater City at such an urgent moment at the border, mainly to deal with and report on the matter of the traitor Hekang, and to deal with this troublesome matter once and for all. ”

"It just so happens that the city lord of Hezhe is also here, so we will first tell you about the decision of the imperial court, and then how the city lord of Hezhe plans to inform the people in the city of the final verdict of this matter is his own business. ”

There was not much reaction from the audience. After all, most of the Qiao Mansion disciples were not particularly concerned about this matter. And He Yue stared at the expressions of the five people in the main seat seriously. He Zhe's expression paused, and he remained calm, he already knew that this matter could not be solved so easily. No matter what Minister Li and the crown prince have in mind, the most important document for the thief will not be so easy to obtain. Let's hear what this guy has to say. And Qiao Liangyan glanced at him, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't speak.

"He Kang left the Hefu under the pretext of the eleventh day, but in fact fled to the country of Hadesze. After urgent verification in the past few days, it was determined that the collusion with him was a general under the power of the high priest of the Underworld Kingdom. They crossed paths two months ago at the beginning of the war. Through verification, specific evidence of Hekang's collaboration with the enemy was also discovered. Before the outbreak of the Great War two months ago, there was a disturbance in the capital by the generals of the Underworld, but it was not made public. From his mouth, some secrets were tortured, and it seemed that the border of the Underworld had been regrouping for war recently. This is why the imperial court sent an urgent decree to the border cities, especially the Heishui City to send a large number of manpower and material resources to Xingyang City to prepare for war at any time. But the Holy Decree was somehow known to Hekang, and he immediately went to inform the barbarians, and before the reinforcements from Blackwater City were sent, they launched a thunderous offensive to try to directly conquer Xingyang City.

And for various reasons, the first wave of attacks was blocked with difficulty. But if it weren't for He Kang's reason, the barbarian army on the border would not know about our movements at all, and would directly attack, causing a large number of casualties in Xingyang City. This is a great crime of Hekang! On the grounds of this incident, he can be arrested for the crime of treason and sentenced to death. ”

He Zhe remembered the holy decree that day that still made him unable to understand and was full of loopholes. And now Minister Li still says that it is a holy decree sent by His Majesty himself, and this secret may be difficult to unravel. And that day, when he asked his old friend Liang Fuji to discuss the strangeness of this holy decree in the office, someone was indeed eavesdropping at the door, and he felt that this person's breathing sound was no different from that of He Kang, and now it seems that the biggest problem in the whole thing was on that day!

However, the significance of Hekang doing this cannot be said to be for the sake of the two of them. This point, He Zhe, who has been in officialdom for many years, knows it well in his heart. Perhaps, it was Wan'an Ho Mansion who asked him to do this. Now that the war has broken out, He Kang's actions are to protect the last bloodline of the He family in another worst-case scenario.

He Zhe was in a complicated state of mind and sighed softly.

However, in view of this matter, the attitude of the two Hes clans was quite sincere, and the cousin of the city lord of Hezhe personally went to the Jinluan Hall to plead guilty. His Majesty was kind and tolerant, and because He Zhe was on the front line, he understood his failure to discipline him effectively, and cut him half a year's salary as a punishment. The matter will be put aside for the time being. Hekang went deep into the country of Hadesze, and the two countries were in the middle of a great war, so this matter was put aside for the time being. ”

"City Lord Hezhe, do you understand what I mean?" Minister Li asked with a serious expression, turning his head.

He Zhe got up with a smile and toasted him with a glass of wine first. Then he said, "Sinner Ho Zhe, thank you for Long Enhao. As soon as the incident of the rebel son Hekang came out, my relatives in the capital and I were heartbroken every day and night. Fortunately, I was able to get His Majesty's understanding, and I was grateful, and I didn't dare to ask too much. It's just that He Kang has committed a felony of forgiveness, and he foolishly thinks that he can't be let go because he is now protected by the Underworld. No matter how severe the war situation is, we can't forget the punishment of the traitors, what do you think?"

At this time, the Lord Qin beside him stood up and said, "City Lord Hezhe, do you think we have any way to arrest Hekang?"

Everyone on the field felt that the atmosphere was a little frozen at the moment. Qiao Liangyan immediately stood up, and before He Zhe could speak, he said with a smile, "Lord He City is not what you think. We all know that at this critical juncture, Hekang is the cunning rabbit who holds the three caves, and as long as he is in the country of the underworld for one day, we will not be able to arrest him for a day. Naturally, no one would be stupid enough to waste time and manpower to deal with him. The Lord of Hecheng has also discussed this issue with me, and what he means is that he wants the imperial court to issue an official document on the surrender of thieves to Hekang. Even if you can't catch him for the time being, you have to put on a sufficient attitude. Let the people of Li see the fate of the betrayal and the betrayal, and when we catch him, there will be Ling Chi torture waiting for him. In this way, we can establish prestige and prevent people from following in the footsteps of Hekang with a fluke mentality. ”

He Zhe nodded in agreement. Minister Li spoke, "Lord Hecheng, you think that stabilizing people's hearts is a very important thing, that's right. But the court thought of exactly the layer you didn't consider. For fear that the war will stalemate and the traitors will remain at large for a long time, this document of the thief will become a manifestation of our incompetence. You must know that every document representing the imperial court has a huge impact. ”

He Zhe didn't expect him to say this, and he was a little speechless for a while. It was Qiao Liangyan who relieved him, "You are right, but please don't lose your faith." Our battle will be resolved quickly. If Your Majesty thinks so too, he is indeed a far-sighted old man. It's better to be like this, since the city lord's heart is to show his own attitude, it is better to let His Royal Highness the Prince's East Palace draft a copy, so that it has little to do with the imperial court. Do you think that's okay?"

"This... Well, it can be considered. But let me ask the lord of the city again, do you want to express your position in front of the public as soon as possible and get out of this turmoil as soon as possible, so that you are so eager for this document of the thief? This is a private matter and has nothing to do with our official duties. ”

He Zhe sighed, he had never been so embarrassed in front of so many people before. He smiled helplessly, "There is indeed a certain amount of selfishness in it." I hope that I can stabilize my governance in Blackwater City as soon as possible, so that I can do my best for the battle on the front line. ”

"Good. I also ask that you will make every effort to contribute to the country at this critical juncture. We must be more cautious and never have such a bad scandal again. I won't hide it from you, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the one who took over the whole thing, and almost all the investigations about Hekang were sent by him. Only finally informed His Majesty at the Imperial Court. I will report it to His Highness as soon as possible, and I believe that he will be able to understand your distress and help you with this. ”

He Zhe nodded again and again, and toasted the three ministers in turn. Qiao Liangyan was relieved. Minister Li drank all the wine in the cup and said, "This time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally conquered the border, in fact, there are some grand plans to be displayed, and the ambition to serve the country can be learned. As the first military city in the north, Heishui City also hopes that the Lord of the Dutch City can communicate more with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and also provide him with help at critical moments. Serve the country together. “

That's probably what he was trying to say. From the two strange things of the strange decree and the inexplicable words of the Qiao family, the power of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince began to be confusing in his eyes, making the entire political world strange. At this moment, Minister Li took the initiative to show favor to him on behalf of the prince, and he was already happy to change someone else. But He Zhe is also a far-sighted person, and a pimple immediately grew in his heart.

But on the bright side, there is naturally no reason to refuse Minister Li's high-sounding words. "That's nature. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the first soldier, and we, the cities in the rear, naturally respond to the needs of the war. As the prince of a country, being able to stand up at such a moment is really a blessing for my Qinshan country. It is a great honor to be able to fight side by side with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. ”

"The Lord of Hecheng can understand the prince so well, I believe everyone can become friends! His Royal Highness the prince will also be able to understand the troubles of his friends, and it will definitely not be a problem to pay the thief's documents. Minister Li said with a smile, filling his wine glass with wine. Qiao Liangyan obediently poured wine into the other people's cups, stood up and appealed, "This cup, respect the Qin Mountain Country, respect the unity of the civil and military officials, and unanimously reject the enemy!"

He Yue, who toasted with everyone, was very unhappy at this time. Although she no longer feels sad about her cousin's departure, her father's gesture and the things they talked about make her feel uncomfortable from the bottom of her heart.

Isn't this just that my father is begging the three ministers to give his own nephew a wanted letter? There is no trace of affection at all, and everyone, the imperial court, Wan'an Hefu, and especially He Zhe, seem to be eager to put He Kang, who has fled outside, into the oil pot immediately.

She was smart, and after Qiao Liangyan's words, she already understood that all this had to be done this way, and He Kang deserved it. But she really couldn't accept it.

In the second half of the reception banquet, Heyue really couldn't arouse any interest. It's just boring. It wasn't until near the end of the banquet that Minister Li suddenly mentioned something that touched the hearts of everyone present.

Just as the banquet was full of distraction, and the big guys, especially the disciples of Qiao's Mansion on the left, were drinking boredly, Minister Li, who was sitting in the main seat, suddenly cleared his throat and mentioned this unexpected thing in a voice that everyone could hear, "Friends, this official wants to say something important here. Your Mansion Qiao Mansion is in a period of rising fortune, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always placed high hopes on your family. At present, there is a good thing in the capital that can make your mansion go further, I wonder if you are interested?"

Qiao Liangyan said, "My lord, please speak." ”

"The Mo family in Wan'an City, the former four-grade member Mo Lingming is too servant, he has a little daughter in the boudoir, and he is planning a marriage recently. The Mo family had a high status in the court, so they asked someone to write to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and ask him to recommend a good son-in-law for the old man. Although our Qiao family is not a first-class family in Qinshan Country, His Royal Highness thinks that this is a good opportunity for the Qiao family to move towards a high-class family. And with his support, it can be regarded as a good match. ”

Before he finished speaking, He Zhe's heart had already set off a monstrous wave. This Lord Mo Lingming, as well as the Mo family, once had a past with him that he didn't want to mention. He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp, trying to hide his inner turmoil. The expression returned to calm.

He Yue also gradually remembered a somewhat forgotten person at this time, and her voice gradually became clear - on the early morning when she was still in the Hefu Mansion two months ago, she accidentally went to a red mansion in the back garden with Zheng Ergou. The woman, Mo Ying, was only twenty-four years old, but she fell into a serious madness. And all of this seems to have a lot to do with her father-in-law, and the image of He Zhe has fallen a little haze in her heart. The Mo family in the capital, if there is nothing wrong, should be Mo Ying's hometown.

"His Royal Highness wants to introduce this opportunity to Qiao's Mansion, and he has already thought about the candidate. That's Qiao Dong's son. ”

Minister Li announced unhurriedly. Qiao Dong on the left was immediately dumbfounded. The three brothers sitting below the Qiao family couldn't help laughing, and Qiao Xuebin, who was sitting next to him, patted Qiao Dong's frozen body. The girls also smiled softly, this uncle is usually simple-minded, he shouldn't have thought about these things at all, right? He has no interest in reading, and he has no fame. But this face is handsome and handsome, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince estimates that this time he will also judge people by his appearance.

He Yue turned her head and glanced at Qiao Dong, who was stunned, with interest. Thinking of his usual carefree image of a big boy, he finally held back his laughter.

Qiao Dong just wanted to stand up and say something, Qiao Liangyan's eyes on the main seat collided with him in time, Qiao Liangyan's eyes were very serious, this kind of look Qiao Dong had only seen in the eyes of his father Qiao Shifan. Although these brothers and sisters of the Qiao family have to call Qiao Dong uncle, but Qiao Liangyan is a few years older than him after all, and since he has been a director, Qiao Dong was somehow a little stunned, frowned, and twisted his body in displeasure.

"Mr. Qiao Dong is the youngest son of Mr. Qiao, who is young, seventeen years old. It is the most suitable for that Miss Mo in terms of age. Secondly, your father is the head of the Qiao family, which also adds to the meaning of being the right person. Qiao Gongzi, you have to understand that you mean a lot to the Qiao family, and everyone here has to call you uncle. And you're so young, what an advantage. Marriage with the big families in the capital can bring great benefits to Qiaofu. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince sincerely hopes that you can enter the ranks of first-class families as soon as possible!"

Minister Li sat on it and patiently explained the reason. "Gongzi Qiao is a talent, and Miss Mo is a talented woman. Although there is a certain political element to this matter, the biggest beneficiary is undoubtedly Qiaofu. Of course, there is no need for your government to make a decision in a hurry. You can get to know each other first, think about it for a few days, and then make a decision. But if you want to say it, I'm very optimistic about this marriage. Qiao Gongzi must think carefully. ”

The simple-minded Qiao Dong breathed a sigh of relief. He naively thought he really had room to think about it. Glancing at Qiao Liangyan again, he found that he nodded at himself. Qiao Dong couldn't refuse the cardinal's proposal in person, "Thank you Lord and Your Highness for thinking about the juniors, we will learn more about that Miss Mo and the Mo family in the next few days." Even if it doesn't work in the end... It must be that I am not worthy of her, so let her find another beautiful woman......"

Qiao Dong said that he was a little embarrassed in the end. A little nervous. Looking at the playful expressions of everyone around him, Qiao Dong sat down helplessly and covered his head. The three ministers and Qiao Liangyan on the main seat also smiled, and He Zhe, who was the most nervous at the moment, also hurriedly squeezed out a smile. Minister Li said with a smile, "Young people, talking is interesting. Whether you deserve it or not, you'll soon know. The Mo Mansion has already planned to send Miss Mo to Blackwater City in a week. said that he came to visit the mountains and rivers, but in fact, he mainly came to see your Qiao Mansion. ”

Qiao Dong smiled bitterly, and Qiao Liangyan on the side hurriedly said, "In this way, if Miss Mo comes to our Qiao Mansion in a week, we will definitely entertain her." The arrival of distinguished guests is really brilliant. ”

"Hehe, that's nature. At that time, it will mainly depend on the performance of Qiao Donggongzi. Minister Li said with a smile.

Qiao Dong was in a strange mood at this time. Hearing them say this, that Miss Mo seems to be a beautiful embryo. But the problem is that I never thought about this until I was seventeen years old. And this so-called marriage has too much political connotation, and he doesn't like it. And I don't know the other party's personality and temper at all.,For an innocent little virgin like him.,I always feel unaccustomed.。

He naively made up his mind. If the girl can talk to herself, she can indeed consider accepting it. If it's that kind of snobbish daughter, you have to refuse it no matter what.

At this time, He Zhe suddenly spoke, his tone was no longer calm, but a little flustered, "My lord, Miss Mo family came to our Blackwater City, that's really a good thing." Why don't we arrange a banquet to welcome them? He has a ghost in his heart, and he wants to control this matter more and more in the palm of his hand for his wife who was abandoned by himself, and he must not have any unfavorable rumors at this time.

Minister Li glanced at him strangely, and slowly spoke, "Lord Hecheng, this is not a guest from the court, just to play." Why bother with such a big pomp and bother you and your Dutch mansion to have a banquet. The Lord of the Lotus City seems to have been making some noise lately. The last sentence was said in a joking tone, and He Zhe's heart was like a mess, but he could only laugh and say, "It's the same." It's a bit of a misthought in the next place. ”

He Yue took in his father's strange behavior. What Mo Ying said to her that morning, word by word, gradually became clear. It seems that she is not talking crazy, her father really has an entangled past with her!

Soon, after the reception banquet ended, He Zhe, who had originally planned to chat with He Yue, suddenly shirked the urgent matter in the mansion, and pulled the guards around him to leave Qiao's mansion. He Yue was anxious to keep him, but there was no way, so she had to casually ask about her stepmother and Yuncang. After He Zhe hurriedly responded, he walked out of the gate of Qiao's mansion.

"Yuncang recently went to a private school to study with a great Confucian scholar. This Confucian was not originally from Blackwater City, and he only came recently. You probably haven't heard of it. However, it is very famous in a little to the south. Your mother, your mother is just like that, it's just that Yuncang is a little sad every day after she left. Okay, Yue'er, just now the guard told me that there is really a bit of an urgent matter to deal with in the house, and Daddy will come to see you in the future, okay?"

After He Zhe left, He Yue stood alone in the aisle in front of the gate, sighed softly, turned around and wanted to go back.

At this time, a figure suddenly flashed from the high wall of Qiao's mansion, and before He Yue could notice, he came behind her and gently patted her on the shoulder.

He Yue was startled, turned around, and saw someone coming. Pushed him angrily, "I'm scared to death... You're going to die!"

Zheng Ergou, who had been at the border for another day, stood in front of her panting at the moment and said, "Big... Miss, I've found the place where the horse team is stationed. I'll be back to tell you first. I also inquired that their entry had been delayed for another two days due to the tightening of martial law at the border. But even then we don't have much time to prepare, four days to go. ”

He Yue's expression became serious. She took Zheng Ergou's hand, "Let's go, let's go to Brother Xuebin's house." I already had an idea, and I was going to bring a letter to that Zhang Banlei. You can help me see if there is anything wrong with this plan. ”