The rectification action of the forbidden army is still in full swing, and Ji Ying's recuperation life is still dull. However, a major event happened in the capital, which shocked the hearts of the adults who had been in the officialdom for many years and had a keen eye - Zhou Yu, the king of Yan, returned to Beijing from the fiefdom of Yanyun's sixteen states.

Zhou Yu returned to Beijing, not because of any war in northern Xinjiang, on the contrary, northern Xinjiang was governed very stable. He returned to Beijing this time to pay homage to his mother, Concubine Duan. Zhou Yu's request to return to Beijing has been presented many times, and the emperor has been left in the middle for different reasons, seeing that Concubine Duan's death day is coming, the emperor saw King Yan's words of sincere sorrow, and the little princess Zhou Ran begged again and again, and had no choice but to agree to Zhou Yu's request.

Zhou Yu's welcoming ceremony was extremely low-key, or rather, no one greeted him at all, and no one even knew and cared about it except for the emperor and a few ministers.

Zhou Yu, the king of Yan, who only brought a few retinues, was wearing a black armor and a soap robe, and his sideburns were slightly messy because of the long time of running. He stood in front of the magnificent gate of the capital, smiled coldly, and said, "It seems that no one cares about us. It's okay, anyway, I don't want to stay for a long time, so as not to get angry. ”

The older general on the side reminded in a low voice: "Your Highness, when you enter the capital, please be cautious in your words and deeds, and act in a low-key manner." ”

Zhou Yu said: "General Wei, in fact, you want to remind me to be well-behaved in front of my father." Hmph, now that it's come to this, what else does he want to do with me? When I pay tribute to my mother and find a good home for Ran Ran, I won't be too lazy to step into the capital for half a step! ”

Entering the city, the little general next to Zhou Yu who was a little bookish briefly introduced the recent events in the capital, Zhou Yu listened calmly, until the little general said that Zhou Ran followed the emperor out of the palace and was attacked, and then frowned. The little general hurriedly added that the princess was safe and sound, and that a scholar had protected the princess.

"Scholar? Do you know who it is? ”

"His name is Ji Ying, he is the champion of the new department, and he is currently the waiter of the Criminal Department, responsible for investigating the successive murders of the capital's officials."

"Oh? As soon as he got the champion, he became a waiter in the criminal department, and his ability is not small. Is this person's bottom line clear? ”

"Yes. She is Fang Yanqing's closed disciple, and in just a few months since she entered Beijing, she has met many young people with identity and ability. From His Royal Highness King Qi and King Xiaohuai, to the head of the Lingnan You family, the young owner of the Congyun Dart Bureau, as well as several sons of the Rong family, and the second son of the Bowei Hou family, it is incomprehensible. ”

"I don't want to delve into people who others can't figure out, so let them toss. Go back to the palace to change clothes first, and then enter the palace to face the saint. ”

"Yes!"

A few mighty horses carried several heroic soldiers through the streets, but no one around them knew their identities, just as they didn't know who would rule tomorrow.

Zhou Yu returned to the palace to change into court clothes, and without delay, he went directly to the palace. At the gate of the palace, he met a person who was finally not annoying - Jiang Yichen.

Jiang Yichen didn't know that Zhou Yu had entered Beijing, so when he met Zhou Yu, he didn't believe his eyes: "Cousin Yanwang!" ”

"Cousin Yuanqing, don't come unharmed?"

Jiang Yichen did not stay in the capital for a few years, but when he was young, he entered the palace with his mother's concubine, and the age difference between other princes was relatively large, so he often played with Zhou Yu. I haven't seen each other for many years, things are wrong, and friendship has faded. Compared with other princes, except for Zhou Jue, the king of Qi, Jiang Yichen admires Zhou Yu more, because he is lonely and self-controlled, and never bends to meet him.

Jiang Yichen still remembers the last time he saw Zhou Yu. That year, the eldest princess of Jing'an died, Jiang Yichen returned to Beijing to report his majesty's funeral, and met Zhou Yu who contradicted His Majesty because he opposed His Majesty's obsession with Taoism and ignored the government. His Majesty was furious and ordered Zhou Yu to be escorted to the gate of the palace, with a staff of fifty, and he was stationed at the side. Zhou Yu didn't say a word from beginning to end, and walked away with her head held high after the execution, quite a husband's demeanor.

Jiang Yichen asked: "Why didn't my cousin tell me when he came back, and I was also greeted by me." You don't know, when I entered the palace a while ago, Cousin Ran asked me about your situation and cried for a long time. ”

"It's a hasty thing, cousin, forgive me—speaking of which, why are you here?"

"I'm tired of staying in the northwest, so I came to the capital to play, who knows that Your Majesty has handed over some errands. I was here to restore my life, but I didn't expect His Majesty to play Jiao in Yuqingguan, I waited for a long time, but Father-in-law Yu said that it would take a long time to end, and I had other things to do, so I had to come out first. ”

"Jiao at this time?" A disdainful smile appeared on the corner of Zhou Yu's mouth.

Jiang Yichen didn't seem to notice the change in Zhou Yu's expression, and reminded him: "You are here to worship Concubine Duan, according to the rules, you must visit Your Majesty first, so you have to wait a little longer." I heard that this year's rain is relatively sufficient, and the Yellow River is flooding again, so it seems that tomorrow morning will need to be early. I don't know who His Majesty will hand over this errand to this year. ”

Zhou Yu has long known that no one dares to oppose Zhou Rukang's visit to immortals over the years, and he has become more and more comfortable, so that he has not been in the early dynasty for a long time, and when the emperor is like this, he really doesn't know how to judge. Zhou Yu laughed at himself: "I'm a person who is outside the court, how can I manage so much." It's not early, Ran Ran is still waiting for me, let's talk again when I have time. ”

After bidding farewell to Jiang Yichen, Zhou Yu waited in front of the Yuqingguan Gate for a long time, and finally met his father, Zhou Rukang. The current Zhou Rukang does not have a trace of imperial breath, and his robe exudes a choking smell of incense. Zhou Yu endured the unhappiness in his heart and bowed. Zhou Rukang looked down at his son, suppressed the fire in his heart, and said: "You can live in the capital for a month for the time being, and after your mother's death, I will clean up the Yuluo Palace." ”

This is obviously to erase all traces of Concubine Duan's life and cut off Zhou Yu's thoughts, but Zhou Yu doesn't care anymore, he is too lazy to take a look at such a cold and mediocre monarch. Years of life in the wind and sand not only smoothed out all his illusions about the imperial court, but also dispelled the father-son relationship between him and Zhou Rukang.

Zhou Yu did not delay for a moment, went to the harem to pick up Zhou Ran, and worshiped Concubine Duan together. Kneeling at the gate of Yuluo Palace, years of sourness and regret finally came to his heart like a clear spring, and the iron-beaten man couldn't bear the hot tears. His forehead slammed on the ground and he called, "Mother, the child has come back to see you......"

Zhou Ran knelt on the side, crying silently.

On the morning of the second day, the emperor rarely showed his face. The Hubu Shangshu once again started to play, this year's rain in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is sufficient, resulting in signs of flooding in the lower reaches, so it is advisable to prepare as soon as possible.

As we all know, the control of the flooding of the Yellow River is a fat gap, and the hundreds of thousands of taels of funds from the imperial court are only left in the local area, and the silver of the white flowers has flowed into the pockets of officials at all levels. The crown prince and the king of Chu had a dispute over who to send to deal with the disaster: the prince recommended Lord Lang Zuo, the head of the household, and the king of Chu recommended Lord Xiao, a scholar of Longtu Pavilion. In the end, the emperor was dizzy from the noise, so he simply found a compromise and sent the two of them to treat the disaster together.

After leaving the court, Zhou Rukang continued to devote himself to the work of alchemy, and all the adults also returned to their posts. Ji Ying went to the court for the first time since taking office, but she didn't expect to see such a scene, and her heart was very different. She walked out of the hall with a sigh at a time.

Jiang Yichen's cat was behind Ji Ying, taking advantage of her defenselessness, he patted her on the shoulder, Ji Ying looked back, and was facing Jiang Yichen's evil smile.

"At such a young age, why do you sigh?" Jiang Yichen asked.

Ji Ying adjusted the court clothes and said, "It's nothing." ”

"It's not like you haven't seen the prince and the king of Chu quarrel, why are you still so lost?"

"I naturally have no way to deal with the dispute between the crown prince and the king of Chu, but I just ......"

"I'm just worried that the people in the disaster area will suffer again."

Ji Ying was excited, and hurriedly signaled him to silence. She looked around and felt that no one had heard Jiang Yichen's rebellious words, so she reproached him and said, "You don't look at what kind of place this is, even if you are the king of the county, you can't blame the prince wantonly." Moreover, Lord Zuo and Lord Xiao are both important ministers of the country, and they will consider the society and work together to control the floods. ”

"Are you comforting yourself?" Jiang Yichen continued to say lawlessly, "One is an old gentleman who climbed to a high position by nepotism, and the other is a nerd who can only recite poetry and do things, who is like a person who does practical things?" Looking at the entire court, who hasn't understood? Others don't say it because they smell the same, I say it's because I just can't get used to it! ”

"You ......"

"Well said!" On the side of the gate, Zhou Yu walked over with applause.

"Cousin Yan Wang!" Jiang Yichen greeted.

Yanwang Zhou Yu? The ice cubes? Ji Ying remembered that when he was a child, the boy who was always in the Ji family and went to school seriously, he felt his scalp tingle. The guy, she remembered, had a face with a rare expression.

According to Ji Ying's expectations, Zhou Yu should be a mighty and tall man, at least with a black and dense beard, but the person in front of him is not. Zhou Yu was very tall, taller than Jiang Yichen, standing there, like a green pine standing in the wind. His eyebrows are thick, his eyes are calm and restrained, the bridge of his nose is high, his lips are thick, and his skin is not as white as that of the son of the family because of the long-term polishing of wind and frost, but it exudes a natural and healthy beauty. His expression has always been very serious, and he always frowns unconsciously when he speaks, which makes people dare not get close.

It's still an ice cube face.

Ji Ying took off his clothes and bowed, and said: "Ji Ying, the servant of the Ministry of Punishment, knocks on His Royal Highness King Yan, His Royal Highness is a thousand years old!" ”

"No courtesy." Zhou Yu said. Zhou Yu didn't expect the legendary new champion to look like this, black and thin, shriveled, and low-browed. He couldn't imagine how this person saved Zhou Ran.

It just so happened that Zhou Ran came to find Zhou Yu, and the fifth brother who was afraid of her left the palace first, and trotted all the way over. Seeing her sister running over, Zhou Yu's expression softened. He went up to her, gave her a haircut, and blamed, "What are you running?" I'm not afraid to fall! ”

Zhou Ran hugged Zhou Yu's hand with both hands, and said coquettishly: "I'm afraid you will go." ”

"Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you here. Don't run anymore. ”

"Okay." Zhou Ran replied with a smile. She pulled Zhou Yu's arm, motioned for him to lean over, and then leaned into his ear and whispered, "The person behind you is called Ji Ying, she saved me." ”

Zhou Yu patted her sister's little head dotingly, and pulled her closer to Ji Ying. Ji Ying hurriedly saluted Zhou Ran.

"Do you remember me?" Zhou Ran asked, "You saved me before." ”

Ji Ying said: "The princess is auspicious, and the minister does not dare to ask for credit. ”

"Lord Ji doesn't want to repay, he is quite chivalrous," Zhou Yu couldn't see Ji Ying's purpose, so he maintained a high degree of vigilance and didn't want to say more, "There may be trouble for Lord Ji in the future, and there will be a period in the future." ”

Ji Ying didn't know where to offend Zhou Yu, so she had to bow down and send him off: "Congratulations to His Royal Highness King Yan and Her Royal Highness the Princess." ”

When the pair of brothers and sisters walked away, Jiang Yichen comforted: "The Fifth Highness is an arrogant character, but his heart is not bad. You don't have to take his attitude to heart. ”