On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ji Xingyan went to Zhuguo Temple as usual. In the past, he accompanied Yun Zhaolai to wait in the front hall, letting her enter the Fengxian Hall alone, leaving some time alone with her father.

The brightly lit hall is filled with the smell of sandalwood. He walked in, as if given a privilege. Belongs to Yun Zhao.

Hu Sanhai waited anxiously at the door. His master went in for a long time, and the door of Fengxian Hall was closed, and he didn't dare to knock on the door to disturb him. He grew up with his master, who did not believe in gods and Buddhas, but had devotion here.

Ji Xingyan opened the door and came out, and the corners of his white clothes turned out of the door frame. Hu Sanhai immediately caught up.

"Master, King Huai'an, please come over to the mansion."

In the more than a year since Yun Zhao left, the princes have left the palace one after another and have knighthoods. Ji Xingyan is not the youngest prince, but he only ends up with the king of Huijun, who is not salty or light.

The Huai'an Palace's style seems to have moved the palace out. The gate is wide and tall, and the large characters on the plaque on the door are the inscriptions of His Majesty's imperial pen, indicating his weight and preference.

The carriage slowly stopped at the gate of the palace, and Ji Xingyan walked down sickly.

He was dressed in a plain white robe, and the soft satin hung over his body, looking thin and tired.

Ji Xingyan was introduced to the door, and King Huai'an was playing with a sword in the courtyard. He was dressed in a dark brown tunic with long sleeves, and his eyebrows were as sharp as the edge of a sword in his hand.

"Third brother." He stood not far away and bowed.

The king of Huai'an didn't seem to hear it, and continued his movements, flowing smoothly. Ji Xingyan was not in a hurry, put his hands in front of him, and waited diagonally.

As soon as the sword came out and retracted, he pulled a sword flower back. Ji Yuxi put away the sword, threw it to the guards beside him, took the handkerchief to wipe the sweat on his forehead, and walked over to Ji Xingyan.

He laughed, and Hearty and Yin Owl piled up on his face together, looking so harmonious, as if he was supposed to be like this.

Ji Xingyan tilted his head and thought about it, but it wasn't all. It should be after the seventh brother was executed and the concubine was imprisoned that he was finally willing to take off his hypocritical cloak and reveal his true colors.

"Eighth brother." He walked over, "Father has exempted me from today's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, I want to have a meal with you after not getting together for a long time." ”

His excuse was old-fashioned and pale. Ji Xingyan was willing to be a respectful younger brother, and grinned: "The third brother invited me to dinner, this is the honor of the younger brother." ”

King Huai'an smiled and patted Ji Xingyan's shoulder: "King Rongben changes his clothes, come and take the king of the county to the back garden to have a look." ”

Ji Xingyan bowed his hand and lowered his head.

"The osmanthus in my garden is no worse than Guilin on the outskirts of Beijing, the eighth brother goes to take a look, and the king will come to change clothes."

"Yes."

The garden of the Huai'an palace is very large. In the west, the laurel trees are forested, and the golden osmanthus flowers decorate the round canopy with bright and lovely.

Ji Xingyan stopped for a moment, and the sound of footsteps came from behind him. The maidservants of the palace were quick to distribute afternoon meals in the pavilion on the side.

He thought of Yun Zhao in the gap of his breath. I don't know what happened to her Shuozhou. The war is over, when will she return? If it weren't for the fact that the capital couldn't get out, he really wanted to go to the south immediately to see his Ah Zhao.

"Eighth brother has been waiting for a long time."

The voice of the king of Huai'an pulled him back to reality, and the fragrance of osmanthus was rich, but it was not Guilin, the suburb of Beijing, where he walked with A Zhao.

He turned around and saw that the king of Huai'an was dressed luxuriously. couldn't help but smile: "The third brother's new robe is really a match for the third brother." ”

"It's still the eighth brother who can speak." King Huai'an laughed and took the lead in walking to the pavilion, "Come, the eighth brother come and sit." ”

They sat down, and the maidservant poured wine. Ji Xingyan was very suspicious that he would poison him directly with such a glass of wine.

After two glasses of wine, the dishes on the table have not been touched. King Huai'an raised the third cup, and Ji Xingyan stroked his forehead: "Third brother, I can't do it." ”

King Huai'an sneered: "At this moment, just you and my brothers, the eighth brother doesn't need to pretend to be with his brother." ”

He waved his hand to disperse the attendants, Hu Sanhai also stood farther away, and only the two of them were left near the pavilion.

The fragrance of osmanthus is strong, wafting in the cold air, soft and lonely cold in autumn.

Ji Xingyan held his forehead with his hand and slowly raised his head, there was no drunkenness in his clear eyes.

The king of Huai'an raised his glass again, and they drank it all.

"Lao Qi's affairs are controlled by you behind your back, aren't you?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, a sneering look. This familiar face became unfamiliar in Ji Yuxi's eyes.

"Third brother, don't wronged me. The matter of the seventh brother involves the third brother, the fourth brother and the queen, what does it have to do with me? ”

Ji Yuxi lowered his brows and stared at his smiling face: "Before the Chinese New Year's Eve banquet, someone put a letter in my study, saying that Old Seven had my guilt on his body and wanted to present it to his father and emperor after the banquet, so I deliberately wet his clothes and wanted to take them back." But the people I sent found nothing, and the next day, Lao Qi was imprisoned because a letter was found. “

Ji Xingyan pinched the cup with a faint expression: "The third brother said so much, what does it have to do with me?" “

"It's just you." His eagle-like eyes stared at the person sitting opposite, "After Lao Qi was imprisoned, my father intended to investigate again, but someone could help Lao Qi escape from prison and encourage him to rebel." I'm keeping an eye on the fifth and sixth children, it's only you, and I ignore you. ”

Ji Xingyan just chuckled lightly, noncommittal.

"Lao Qi rebelled, and the person who led the troops to capture him was the queen's brother. You are raised under her knees, how can you get rid of it? ”

Ji Xingyan smiled, put the cup on the table, looked at him for a long time, and said, "The third brother has been thinking about it for nine months, has he just figured it out?" ”

King Huai'an's pupils shrank. Rao already had such a conclusion in his heart, but listening to him admit it himself, he was still tingling. This little-known old eight, when will he be able to reach out to the court with full wings?

Ji Xingyan got up to leave, but King Huai'an stood up and called him: "You stop." ”

"What? The third brother is still here to kill me. ”

It's not like he didn't think so.

Ji Xingyan chuckled: "Third brother, I advise you to save it." From the moment the concubine was confined to the cold palace, you had no chance with that position. ”

"Concubine Shu is dead." King Huai'an blurted out.

Ji Xingyan's gaze became very cold for a moment, and in a blink of an eye, he looked careless: "I have never relied on my mother to take this road." ”

But the concubine does not go out of the cold palace for a day, and all the honors that King Huai'an has are just charity for the emperor to balance the situation.

As for the concubine, the queen lost her beloved son, how could she easily bypass the enemy. It is unknown how long she will be able to survive in the cold palace.

"Even so, my father won't let you ascend to the throne."

Regarding his madness, Ji Xingyan remained silent.

King Huai'an looked at him gloomily: "And the girl from the Ronglai Marquis Mansion." ”

Finally, he caught the weakness of this younger brother. The nervousness that flashed in his eyes did not hide from King Huai'an.

"That girl is leading the troops now, and she is very beautiful. But if you become the crown prince, she is a close minister of the East Palace, and her father will take away her military power, demote her official position, and even kill her. ”

Ji Xingyan's hand hanging by his side clenched into a fist, and he wanted to smash his fist in the face.

"A person with such prestige in the army, who would rest assured that she would be the crown princess of the East Palace and the future queen?"

I'm not worried about her usurping the throne, but I'm also worried about her seeking power. The king of Huai'an laughed at his infatuation. Just a woman.

"As long as the eighth brother is willing to help me, I will ensure that she is rich and rich."

Ji Xingyan glanced at him and sneered: "Foolish people talk about dreams!" ”

In the spring of the twenty-sixth year of Chengping, Emperor Shen canonized the eighth son Ji Xingyan as the crown prince and announced it to the world.

Yun Zhao has been in Shuozhou for more than a year, and after spring and winter, he finally saw that this land had regained its former vitality.

When the news came from Thirteen, Yun Zhao was helping the fellow in the field to dig the soil. Thirteen ran over along the ridge: "Master Hou! Prince! ”

She raised her head and wiped her sweat: "Prince? ”

Thirteen stood in front of her: "His Royal Highness the Eighth has been named the crown prince and has entered the East Palace." ”

Yun Zhao raised his eyebrows, put down his hoe and duster, and said to him, "You have planed the ground, and I will go back to write a congratulatory sheet." ”

According to the etiquette system, the crown prince is canonized, and the chief officials and generals everywhere should write congratulatory sheets, and Yun Zhao is no exception. It's just that when her congratulatory watch was sent to the East Palace, the prince had already gone to Yingzhou in the east.

On the sunny country road in spring, dozens of people rode horses and swayed slowly. The pedestrian was none other than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who had just been canonized.

The two people who followed him closely followed, Hu Sanhai on the right, and Fang Jingliang, the young son of the Marquis of Zhan on the left. He originally served in the forbidden army before he was transferred to the East Palace.

"Your Highness." Fang Jingliang said, "There is a small town thirty miles ahead, we can live there tonight." ”

The prince glanced back at him and said with a slight smile: "Hengzhi, there has been no horse racing for a long time. Why don't you play a game today? ”

"Okay." Fang Jingliang smiled heartily. The prince rode out first, and two galloping horses galloped away.

Hu Sanhai looked at their backs, shook his head helplessly, waved his hand and led his troops to follow.

Staying at the small inn, Fang Jingliang came in with two packs of snacks and put them on the table, he smiled and said, "Lost to Childe." ”

The prince smiled lightly: "You are the same as Yun Zhao." ”

He sat down and said, "It's a pity that I came to the forbidden army late, and I didn't have the honor to meet the little marquis." ”

The prince took a sip of tea and asked Hu Sanhai, "How long has Ah Zhao been gone?" ”

"Childe, the little marquis has been going to Shuozhou for more than a year."

He muttered, "I'm coming back soon." There was certainty in his tone, and Fang Jingliang was silent.

The prince looked at him: "When she comes back, I will set up a banquet to attract you to acquainted yourself." ”

Fang Jingliang arched his hand: "Thank you, son." ”

At night, the prince leaned against the window and looked out at the dark night. Tonight the stars are shy, except for a round of crescent moon with a soft glow.

In the dark night, black shadows surged around the inn.

The prince got up and prepared to close the window. The sash was about to close, and a cold light pierced the remaining gap, approaching the prince's door.

He let go of his hand and took a few steps back. The sword pierced through the window lattice, and the black-clad assassin tumbled into the room. At the same time, the door was broken, and several men in black poured in. They surrounded the prince in a cramped room.

The crown prince wore only a middle coat and a robe over it. There was nothing to resist in his body, and a sword was slashed on his arm, tearing open a terrible wound. He stepped back to the side of the bed and picked up the pillow on the bed. The long sword pierced the pillow, and the prince turned his wrist and swirled around the sword.

At this moment, I only felt that my wrist was numb, and in an instant, the sword in my hand was taken out and swung in the air a few times. The prince threw the pillow to the right and smashed it in the face of another Assassin who rushed up, jumping up and grabbing the hilt of his sword.

The sword seemed to have divine power in his hands. There were a few flashes of cold light, and several Assassins fell to the ground as if they were boneless.