On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the sky was not yet bright, but on the wide road in the inner city of Chongdu, the sound of wheels and horses' hooves had already sounded, and the sound continued to the gate of the palace city. All the officials got off at the gate of the palace according to the etiquette, tidied up their robes, and walked into the palace after being well-dressed.

The Taiji Hall is the first hall in the palace city, and it is also the place where the emperor and his ministers go to court every day. Today is the first morning day after the New Year's Festival, and no one dares to slack off. It was not yet the time of the upper dynasty, and the square in front of the Taiji Hall had ministers arriving one after another.

Walking into the gate of the towering palace, Xi Yan's mood was calm and unfazed. It's as if the planning of the past three months is just a cloud of smoke, which can be eliminated in the world with the flick of a finger... Staying in Chongdu was just the beginning, just a step he had already designed.

Since it has been designed a long time ago, when he really steps into this hall now, Xi Yan will naturally not be too agitated in his heart, because he knows that staying does not mean sitting back and relaxing.

The east wants to know, and the east of the Taiji Hall has risen thousands of feet of sunrise. Between the clouds and the clouds, the morning light outlined the majestic outline of the Taiji Palace, and the entire Chongdu City was also shrouded in a warm and brilliant glow.

Xi Yan raised his eyes to look at the vermilion sun behind the cornices, the light was a little dazzling, he couldn't help but squint his eyes, his eyelashes blocked Zhu Xia for half a day, and the sky light became blurred.

Seeing him stop thoughtfully, Xi Yuanshan couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking?" ”

Xi Yan smiled slightly and said softly: "The child is just thinking, the sky is about to dawn." ”

"Yes," Xi Yuanshan followed Xi Yan's gaze, "It's going to be dawn... It's just..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Xi Yuanshan didn't want to finish the words, because he knew that some things can only be deeply engraved in his heart if he has experienced them personally, and what Xi Yan needs to experience... And many more. As a father, Xi Yuanshan wants to leave these experiences to himself.

……

While the father and son were talking, Situ Yizheng's carriage also stopped at the palace gate. As soon as he got out of the carriage, he happened to see Xi Yan and Xi Yuanshan not far away, so he walked up to Xi Yuanshan and bowed, and said, "I've seen Uncle Xi, is everything okay with my uncle?" ”

Although the tone was very deferential, when Situ Yizheng's eyes swept over Xi Yan, a fierce and cold anger quickly crossed his eyes, but because he hurriedly bowed down, neither Xi Yuanshan nor Xi Yan noticed.

Xi Yuanshan bowed slightly, "Situ Shi's nephew, it's indeed been a long time." Why don't you see your father? ”

"My father is sick today, so it is not appropriate to face the saint."

"Hmm," Xi Yuanshan nodded thoughtfully, Situ He was younger than himself, and his body had always been tough, how could he say that he was sick? Although he was suspicious in his heart, Xi Yuanshan still remained silent on his face, and responded thoughtfully, "Then I should visit you another day." ”

"That little nephew thanked Uncle Xi for his father."

"Well, let's go, it's too late... Your Majesty should have arrived. ”

The three of them passed through the palace gate under the thick city wall together, and at this time, the light of the sun was slanting on the square in front of the Taiji Palace. In just a moment, a bright yellow robe appeared in the Taiji Hall.

Although the Taiji Hall is very spacious, there are too many courtiers, except for a few officials who can go up and down the court in the hall, and the rest of the courtiers must stand on the square under the jade steps.

With a loud and lengthy "Kneel!" from the celebrant eunuch, "Kneel!" The ministers fell to the ground one after another, and the mountains shouted long live.

The emperor still sat high under the palace steps, although his face was peaceful, but the inviolable majesty of his son of heaven still shocked the ministers, and his voice was not hurried or slow, but the voice fell on the hearts of every courtier.

On the first day of the year, there are naturally a lot of things to be played by the ministers, but everyone must say some nonsense before they speak. Listening to these cookie-cutter nonsense, Xi Yan suddenly felt bored, and when he raised his eyes, he saw Jing Yuan standing in front of him with his hands down... Looking at his calm appearance, Xi Yan's eyes jumped slightly.

I have to say that Jing Yuan does have some skills, Jing Xian has been dead for three days, and the obituary has been issued, but in addition to the general funeral rites, the Jing family is still calm and calm, and there is no trace of heresy, and everyone knows that Jing Xian died of a sudden illness while swimming in the lake.

Although the matter is quite suspicious, except for the unanimous condolences, no one has expressed doubts about Jing Xian's death. Whether it was the Criminal Department, Dali Temple, or Yushitai, no one came to ask the other three people present that day. Even the emperor only expressed a slight regret about this matter, and sent someone to give the Jing family some extra things on the day of the Shangyuan Festival to show comfort.

Although things are a little strange, they have finally calmed down. No matter how angry and sad the head of the Jing family was when facing this nightmare, he had to help Jing Yuan deal with this matter. Just overnight, a lot of gorgeous hair grew on his already somewhat pale head, and the whole person stood slightly awkwardly among the courtiers, his face was sad, and his already somewhat cloudy eyes were slightly hollow.

Everyone thought he was mourning the loss of his son, but only he understood what it was like to watch his sons kill each other...... That kind of pain, even crying blood can't express the bitterness in Jing Yuheng's heart.

I think back then, he also dealt with his brothers like this...... In the decades that followed, whenever he remembered the past, although he had all kinds of feelings in his heart, he never regretted it. And when this kind of thing happened to his two sons, he finally realized how his father felt back then...... While his heart was like a knife, he also attributed this matter to retribution. He didn't blame Kyungwon, he only hated himself... I hate myself for bringing my two sons to the entrance of the abyss with my own hands.

But as the head of the family, he has been in charge of the Jing clan for decades, and no matter how big a blow is, it will be difficult to break him. Even if his heart was cut by a knife, he was still able to grasp the emperor's intentions very quickly in the early dynasty, and every word he said would never be wrong.

Because he knew that once he showed his fatigue, the opponents around him would rush up and tear the Jing family, which was already the weakest of the four families, to pieces. Although Jing Yuan is calmer, he is not experienced enough after all. Jing Yuheng knew that he couldn't fall yet.

The first day of the year was undoubtedly long and uninteresting, and he listened boredly to the generous or prosaic accounts of the ministers, and only when he mentioned the matter of the water, he would listen intently.

As for other times, his mind had already drifted to the Se Le House, which was only a few steps away from Miyagi.