At the beginning of the new year, the back of the palace garden is full of lights, today is not only a day for the people of the world to celebrate the arrival of the new year, but also a day for the emperor to feast on his ministers.

As before, Gao Detective set the location in the Imperial Garden, it was still early, Gao Detective had not yet arrived, and the ministers were quite relaxed, gathering in groups of three or five in the Imperial Garden, holding cups and chatting.

But not all officials can come to this dinner, only those officials who are above the third rank are eligible to come to the Imperial Garden.

In the lively background, there was a man in a red official robe sitting cross-legged at the table alone, tasting wine and drinking tea by himself.

When you meet an official who comes to say hello, you will also bow your hand, but you never greet it with a smile, some people say that this is the new prime minister who is here to stand up, but officials who are familiar with Wen Zhe know that this prime minister from a jade-faced Shangshu has always been like this.

"Do you know about Wang Aosheng's letter?"

"Shhhh You keep quiet, if you dare to mention Wang Aosheng now, you are not afraid of being heard by the national teacher. ”

"I also heard that Wang Ao wrote a letter before his death and handed it to the head of Shushan, and the head of Shushan couldn't bear it, so he gave this letter to the fifth son of the Liguo family."

"Huh? Where did you get the news? Why didn't I know that this Shushan also had dealings with Liguo Gong? Wouldn't it, and he also sent the letter to the Duke of Liguo? Impossible, absolutely impossible. ”

"Nothing is impossible, the forest is big and there are all kinds of birds, and everyone in Liguo's family dared to kill people on the street in Yindu."

But what is the content of this letter? A dead man's letter is nothing more than an account of the aftermath. ”

"Do you say that you are really stupid or fake stupid, no wonder you can't climb up for the rest of your life, if this is an ordinary letter, the head of Shushan will not be able to afford it, and hand him over to the Ning family? I think there's got to be a lot of ...... in there."

……

Such a conversation is not a minority in the Imperial Garden, and I don't know how the news came out, it has been almost known in less than a month, although I don't dare to put it on the surface, but as a secret conversation, it still caused a lot of splash.

While everyone was chatting, a crisp bell rang, and when the hour came, the officials took their seats and sat upright.

After a while, Gao Zhen walked out with the support of Han Zhongxuan and the crown prince Gao Yuan, his face was very ugly, but he still held on, pretending that nothing had happened.

After a while, Gao Zhen took his seat, with a trademark smirk on his face, and said in a deep voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, today's dinner is an ordinary annual banquet, not to talk about state affairs, you have worked hard for a year, I have prepared a thin wine to express my gratitude, and I hope that you Aiqing can drink happily tonight and spend the festival with me." ”

"Your Majesty Longen, long live my emperor, long live, long live." The ministers below bowed one after another.

With Han Zhongxuan's sharp voice of the dinner began, the banquet officially began, first the performance of the musicians and singers of the Imperial Paradise, followed by the food and wine, the courtiers below drank the wine, tasted the food, and looked at the performance of the Imperial Musician in front of him, very chic and comfortable, Gao Zhen looked around, shouted Gao Yuan, and said in a low voice, "What about the Ning family?" ”

"Father, Duke Liguo shirked because there was something at home, so Ning Feng didn't come." Gao Yuan arched his hand and said.

"Something at home?"

Gao Zhen snorted coldly, picked up the wine on the table, and was just about to send it to his mouth, but after thinking about it, he put it down again, "It's because Ning Xiaochuan is back, hey, it's okay, the family hasn't seen each other for two years, and it's normal for people to reunite." ”

"Father, the prince of Liguo also said something to his son, and the child doesn't know whether to say it or not." Gao Yuan looked at Gao Scout with some embarrassment, but judging from Gao Yuan's expression, he did not refuse Ning Zhi at that time.

"Say it."

Gao Yuan bowed his hand slightly, put it in Gao Zhen's ear and said, "Duke Li wants to beg for bones, go back to Xiangzhou to retire, and hope to use his position as a prince to help Ning Xiaochuan find an official position." ”

After saying this, Gao Zhen's face changed slightly, and he looked at the courtiers below, for some reason, he always felt that a breath was blocked in his chest, and then he looked back at Gao Yuan, looking at the prince with interest, "What about the prince's opinion?" ”

Gao Yuan smiled embarrassedly in fright, and hurriedly said, "In my humble opinion, Liguo Gong is old, and it is understandable to go home to retire, and at the same time, he is willing to use the position of Guogong to seek an official position for Ning Xiaochuan, so whether Ning Xiaochuan's position is big or small is not up to us, and Li Guogong's move does not mean that he has no intention of officialdom, and Ning Feng and Ning Xiaochuan are both officials in Yindu, so it is okay to let him return to Xiangzhou." ”

Gao Zhen sneered, picked up the tea on the table, moistened his lips, and wrapped the cotton coat on his body, "Prince, you can't just look at the surface, this Liguo Gong seems to be seeking an official position for Ning Xiaochuan, but in fact, he is advancing and retreating, he knows that Ning Xiaochuan provoked the Gongsun family and the queen two years ago, if he doesn't make some sacrifices, how can he keep his son."

It's just that he didn't expect that if he did this, he didn't want the position of Guogong if he didn't want it, but as long as Xiang Zhoujun's surname was Ning for a day, this Guogong couldn't leave Yindu for a day, and you have to remember this sentence to death. ”

"Yes, Erchen remembered." Gao Yuan hurriedly replied, "Father Xie instructed, the minister there knows how to reply to the Duke of Liguo." ”

"Well, grasp the proportion, you go to the ministry to talk." Gao Zhen nodded.

"Yes."

After Gao Yuan retreated, Han Zhongxuan next to him asked puzzledly, "Your Majesty, are you really willing to let Ning Xiaochuan enter the court as an official?" ”

"Of course, as long as he is an official in Yindu, I can always grasp his movements, and whether he is dead or alive is a matter of my words." Gao Zhen sneered, a cold wind blew, Gao Zhen's face instantly turned pale, and his throat felt uncomfortable, and he quickly grabbed the handkerchief on the table, coughed violently, and a large pool of blood appeared on the handkerchief.

This frightened Han Zhongxuan, and grabbed Gao Zhen's arm, "Your Majesty, are you okay, why don't you go back and rest." ”

Gao Zhen shook his head, easily opened Han Zhongxuan's hand, took a deep breath, and clutched the handkerchief in his hand, "If I leave, the ministers below, do you think you can grasp it with the temperament of the prince?" ”

Han Zhongxuan bowed his head and was silent, and Gao Zhen then said slowly, "I must clear the obstacles for the prince, I must ......"

……

Yindu, Ningfu.

After the Ning family's family banquet, Ning Xiaochuan was still very curious, why did his father and second brother dare to refuse Gao Zhen's dinner, were they not afraid of being hated? Then Ning Feng's words instantly woke up Ning Xiaochuan.

"This imperial garden will only be feared if it goes, and now His Majesty hopes that our Ning family will be both obedient and disobedient."

After Taijiajun filed for the record, Ning Zhi consciously stayed away from the court and the royal family, and more consciously distanced himself from Gao Zhen, which Gao Zhen could also feel.

Not only was Gao Zhen not unhappy about this, but he was happy to see this situation, because what he wanted was for Gao Zhen to stay away from officialdom, and the Ning family already held military power, once he had prestige in the court, wouldn't it be to dig his own grave?

The lessons of the righteous prince are vividly remembered.

And this time, Ning Zhi refused to go to the Imperial Garden through Ning Xiaochuan's return, doesn't it also show that he has no intention of officialdom?

And taking this opportunity to say that he wants to beg for bones, it can be said that he has fallen into the hands of Gao Zhen, who would rather leave the court.

Ning Xiaochuan pulled Ning Feng to his yard, looking at the deserted appearance, Ning Feng couldn't help frowning and said, "Your yard is too deserted, or I'll ask your second sister to send you a few maids over." ”

"Farewell, second brother, I have good intentions, I'm fine alone, comfortable." Ning Xiaochuan hurriedly refused, pulled Ning Feng to the room, heated the stove to cook wine, and the brothers began to drink.

After a cup of belly, Ning Feng put down his wine glass, condensed his eyebrows and said, "Just ask whatever you want, I know that you must have a stomach problem on this trip." ”

"Second brother, Miss Nie and Grandpa Kong are Prime Minister Guan's people, the reason why they appeared in time is what you and Prime Minister Guan meant, right?" Ning Xiaochuan said straight to the point.

Ning Feng smiled and nodded very gratifyingly, "That's right, the stinky boy has grown in the past two years, when Taijiajun filed for the record, my father-in-law and I realized the crisis of the Ning family, but I didn't expect that the wait would be three years."

It can be said that if you died in Jiangbei Town, my Ning family would come to an end, if my father was angry with you, he would definitely invite revenge, but if my father didn't say a word, then the Zhongfu would continue to encroach on the Ning family, and the next target might be the third, fourth, or even me or the eldest brother. ”

"Your Majesty wants to achieve great unification, the first thing to solve is military power, and now Dafeng has a heavy army left, and our Ning family is left." Ning Xiaochuan said thoughtfully, and then looked up at Ning Feng, "Second brother, my father used his position as the prince of the country to return me to the court as an official, is this what you mean?" ”

"That's what I mean, my father originally meant to let you go to Xiangzhou, but I think you can't go now, not only can't go, but you also have to go to the court, my father-in-law has already left, and I have been retaliated by Your Majesty.

After my father-in-law left, I thought about it carefully for a long time, the situation of my Ning family is not as bad as expected, don't forget, the current royal family not only has His Majesty, but also the crown prince. Ning Feng's eyes flashed with a hint of discoloration.

Ning Xiaochuan slapped the table and said excitedly, "Yes, why did I forget the prince, second brother, you mean to start with the prince and keep the Ning family." ”

"I have been in contact with the prince for a while, and I have found that the prince is not as ruthless as His Majesty, on the contrary, he gives me a sense of benevolence and magnanimity.

But I can't be sure, it's just speculation, but that's enough, if the prince intends to recruit our Ning family, then our Ning family may not be able to regain a foothold in Yindu. Ning Feng said thoughtfully, looking at Ning Xiaochuan intently.

"And the identity of my father's Liguo Gong is the only obstacle, as long as my father steps down from the post of Guogong, then the prince will have no worries, on the contrary, he can get the support of 100,000 troops from us, which is more conducive to his status." Ning Xiaochuan raised his glass and smiled.

Ning Feng and Ning Xiaochuan raised their glasses and touched each other, and smiled indifferently, "At present, this is the case, but it still needs a backhand." ”

Ning Xiaochuan understood what Ning Feng meant at a glance, "Second brother, don't worry, I'm a gentleman, I'll hand it over to me." ”

In this Yin capital, there can't be too many smart people, and it's a good thing to be stupid.