Zhao Chen stood quietly in the dark corner, without any expression.

But with the story of the six princes, her thoughts couldn't help but be pushed back to the Yanque Lake Palace that year-

Since returning to Beijing from the border pass, she has been raised in the deep palace to accompany the queen mother.

In the early autumn of the same year when she returned to Beijing, she traveled by royal car, and she was very favored by the Queen Mother, and she was also taken to the Yanque Lake Palace.

The little princes who had been in the capital for a long time began to have fun when they arrived there, and together with a group of children of princes and ministers, they broke into the long-abandoned Nanshan courtyard in the palace.

Zhao Chen didn't want to join in the fun with them.

But as soon as Zhu Li came, she also went, if she didn't follow, she was afraid that this little fat man would be bullied by others; Second, the six princes and a few of them kept calling her outside her courtyard...

The desolate Nanshan courtyard has been abandoned for nearly 30 years, and it is not bad everywhere, not to mention the broken walls.

There is always nothing new in the playfulness of these people.

After drawing lots to decide who would arrest them, except for the five princes who were left behind, the rest of the people scattered to find a place to hide.

After she stuffed Zhu Li into the crack in the stone, she told him not to move, and she wanted to find a nearby place to hide.

It was also at this time that she met the Six Princes who were wandering alone.

"Why hasn't Brother Wang hid it yet?" At that time, the sixth prince was still a twelve-year-old boy.

Seven-year-old Zhao Chen was like a little jade man, dressed in bright red, and said with a smile: "Sixth brother is going to hide himself, I'm going to find a place-"

"I know a secret place, why don't you come with me?"

……

The sixth prince paused, and he didn't know what he remembered.

After a long while, he continued in a muffled voice: "I took him to the vicinity of the pavilion, and before he could find a place, he suddenly ran to the pavilion, and was very anxious to climb up..."

Meng Yong couldn't help but glance outside, Zhao Chen had never talked about this.

“… I called out to him, but he climbed up the pillar as if he couldn't hear him. The Sixth Prince lowered his voice, "After that, the pavilion collapsed, burying his whole body in it. ”

His body trembled, and he didn't go on.

Meng Yong put away his thoughts, and his hands trembled slightly.

After a while, with bewilderment in his eyes, he asked gently, "Tell me, what did you see at that time?" ”

"I-" The expression of the sixth prince who was staring at him suddenly became dazed, "Fourth brother, he is standing not far from the pavilion, he shouldn't be there..."

"Why did you take Prince Wu there?" Meng Yong's speech was not fast, but it was a little pressing.

The sixth prince's eyes were more dazed, and he muttered, "He is favored and always opposes us, we want to scare him and lock him up in a nearby stone cave... The fourth brother said that as long as the entrance to the cave was blocked, he would be locked up until night—"

Before he could finish speaking, he regained his senses, and his voice stopped abruptly.

"I—How am I?" He was shocked, he had been hiding things for nearly ten years, and he actually said it all in one go.

"You flatly denied it because you were involved." Meng Yong didn't give him time to think about it.

The sixth prince was anxious: "We just want to scare him, he ran to the pavilion by himself!" It was really just an accident! I'm not lying! ”

His voice was a little loud, and it instantly alarmed the people outside.

Amid the sound of footsteps, Meng Yong said quickly: "You can stay in peace, I will try to save you later." ”

The sixth prince grabbed the corner of his clothes in a panic: "Mr. for his help, this king will definitely repay him in the future, and I hope that Mr. will not abandon this king-"

Meng Yong dodged lightly, raised his lips and smiled: "You can rest assured." ”

……

After staying away from the chaotic Xiangwang Mansion, the four of them separated again on the long street.

"Why?" Meng Yong asked softly.

Zhao Chen didn't want to deal with him, but his hand was squeezed a little tighter, so he asked, "What, why?" ”

"Why did you go into that pavilion then?"

"My stuff was placed on the beam of the pavilion." Zhao Chen said casually: "I thought they wanted to trick me, so I asked the sixth child to take me there and put things there." ”

"What's that? Why is it important that you risk your life? Meng Yong's tone was a little inexplicable.

"Things are important, and as for risking my life, I was only seven years old at the time, so how can I know anything sinister?" She smiled brightly as if she was telling someone else's story, "People don't bump so many times, how-"

"Are you bumping?" Meng Yong paused suddenly, and his hand clenched tighter, "You are lucky to be a leg, what if you lose your life?" ”

Zhao Chen looked at him puzzled, and said with a smile: "It's me who is lame, why are you reacting so much?" ”

"It's not that I feel sorry for you!" Meng Yong quickly covered his gaffe, continued to walk forward, and resumed his usual soft voice: "If you really had something in case at that time, wouldn't I have met you in the next place?" ”

Zhao Chen said "grace" lightly, but he pondered his previous inexplicability in his heart.

This man... I don't really like her, do I?

After a moment of silence, Meng Yong asked, "What is it?" If it's important, how can it fall into the hands of others? ”

"The personal belongings were stolen by the people who served in the palace." Zhao Chen put away his thoughts and said, "I didn't notice it for a while, until I saw it hanging in the pavilion, and it was about to fall down." ”

"Why didn't you say these things before?"

"Your Majesty doesn't believe me, and you don't want to make any waves because of me, what's the use of saying it." She smiled and shook her head, "All the people who served me in the palace back then were also executed by the ancestors, and the steward drank poisoned wine himself..."

She tilted her head slightly and let out a long hot breath: "Everything is clean." ”

"Didn't your majesty dispose of it?" Meng Yong suddenly asked.

Zhao Chen glanced at him with a smile: "What?" Do you think it should be Your Majesty? I think it's Your Majesty—"

"It's just a casual question." Meng Yong paused, and added, "But it's not impossible." ”

"Although Your Majesty is not a charitable person, he is generous enough to me, although he is inevitably afraid that if he treats me unkindly, the world will criticize him, but he still has some sincerity."

Her eyes were clear, "It's not that I didn't suspect him, after all, people who have been highly skilled since ancient times have always provoked the emperor's jealousy, and it is so logical." ”

Meng Yong was stunned and asked lightly: "Isn't that so?" After all, the old warrior king had a heavy army at that time, and his subjects were convinced. ”

"I never look at a person with eyes and preconceived notions, and things that are natural are not necessarily right."

She said and couldn't help but smile: "Your Majesty is determined to be a famous monarch through the ages, and if you want to have a reputation in history and eternal succession, getting rid of your father may stabilize his throne, but it will also hurt the foundation of Great Chu..."

Meng Yong listened to her silently, and the dark lines in his eyes did not move.

It wasn't until she stopped that he whispered: "The matter of the palace will not be an accident, nor will it be a trick between children, all the people involved are suspicious." ”

"At that time, in addition to the royal family, there were also many civil and military ministers, and it was possible to calculate each of them, including the four princes who planned to trick me." Zhao Chen stepped into the mansion gate, "But the person I saw before I was smashed into the ruins is definitely not the fourth prince!" ”

She curled her lips and smiled, whispering, "There must be someone here." ”