Through the majestic four-pillar gate and the three-bay archway, you can see the majestic stone lion guarding the steps with "heart water" written on it - Xidan archway.

Yongqin Mansion sits in the north and faces north, three in. Passing through the square at the first entrance of East Road, you will see a majestic and solemn hall. In all directions, carved beams and painted buildings, green tiles and green eaves. In the midst of the greenery, the layers of roofs ripple into the distance like waves. Hundreds of rooms of various sizes in different courtyards make up a mansion as vast as the sea.

There is a back garden on the west side of the mansion, called "Zhen Garden", which is the most beautiful garden in Beijing. Strange stones, rockeries, clear springs, pavilions are hidden in the green trees, picturesque and indescribable. Gu Yongyuan lived in the Chu Feng Building behind Huiyuan. In front of the tower, there is a pool of clear water, reflecting the lush vegetation around it.

When the little prince returned to the mansion, the Yongqin Mansion suddenly lost its demeanor. The scene was chaotic, and the attendants and eunuchs in the inner palace crept around to deliver news to the eldest concubine and the side concubine.

After Gu Yongyuan, two elder brothers died, and there was an older sister and a younger sister. The elder sister was married to a Mongolian nobleman, and the younger sister was married to Chongqi, the son of the scholar Saisan'a. Unfortunately, my sister suffered an ordeal. A few years ago, Sai Sang'a was appointed as the governor of Guangxi. Unexpectedly, the Taiping Heavenly Army became increasingly powerful and invaded Hunan, and Sai Sang'a was dismissed from his post and his family property was confiscated. Not long ago, Chongqi was recommended to be the official responsible for training the flag soldiers, and the future is bright.

Anyway, the two sisters are married, and only Gu Yongyuan is left in the entire mansion. He is truly the center of attention and affection. Even if those elders were not Gu Yongyuan's biological mother, they tried their best to win over Gu Yongyuan. Although the prince has not yet reached the age of inheritance, no concubine has been pregnant in recent years, and the hope of establishing another prince seems to be very slim. Therefore, the future of the family can only depend on this sole heir.

After returning to Chu Feng Tower, Gu Yongyuan changed his clothes and went to the inner palace to visit his mother. There, he was cared for and cared for by his concubines, fearing that any negligence would hurt his feelings and self-esteem. Subsequently, he met with the two side concubines and visited the prince's study in Guan Yue Garden.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to arrive at Yuemen, he met the prince.

"Father, please." Gu Yongyuan immediately wanted to salute, but the prince grabbed his arm and helped him up. "No, no, kid, I'm sorry to have put you in such a predicament. I'm going to get revenge on those people! Whoever stabbed us in the back, I'll remember it! The prince said with a kind smile.

Looking at the kind face in front of him, Gu Yongyuan's heart was undeniably excited. Historically, the thirteenth lord of Yongqinfu was considered a mediocre, indecisive, and easily manipulated person. Although he occupies the lofty position of one of the eight doctors, it is his sixth uncle Su Shun who really dominates the affairs of the country.

But in Gu Yongyuan's eyes, he is just a father who dotes on his son excessively, a father who does anything to protect his children. Take, for example, the matter of the rank exam. It was his fault that brought shame to the family. However, the prince didn't ask much, but instead blamed the sixth prince Yixi. What he really fears is that his precious son may lose face and take a hit to his self-esteem. It's funny to think about.

"Come on, come on, I'll show you something fun." Without any hesitation, the prince took Gu Yongyuan's hand and led him into the study.

On the table, a small bird with golden yellow and emerald green markings jumps and flutters its wings in its cage. The prince smiled: "This is the top-grade three golden canaries sent from Guizhou, how about it?" With this birdcage, it adds a touch of elegance and will exude a different charm! ”

Gu Yongyuan couldn't help but smile bitterly. Who would educate their son like this? If he wasn't the second prince, he would probably have been spoiled a long time ago. Still, he felt warm in his heart. His father really did his best for him.

"Father, I want to get an official position, I can't mess around every day, eat and drink." Gu Yongyuan said.

The prince seemed to be a little incredulous, and stared at Gu Yongyuan for a long time before laughing. "My ancestor, you have opened your eyes! Shizuka, you've improved! Ancestor, have you all heard? He shouted happily.

Seeing his father's smug look, Gu Yongyuan felt a little embarrassed. Did he really act so unworthy? Is it necessary to celebrate like this just for the sake of an errand?

"Tomorrow, I will enter the palace to see the emperor." The prince's face lit up, and he decided to recommend Gu Yongyuan, even if he had to sacrifice his reputation.

"Father, take a look at this first." Gu Yongyuan took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to his father.

This is an article written by Gu Yongyuan a long time ago, and it is similar to the article he has written over the years. He usually puts it in his study in his small courtyard in Dongsi Wangjia Lane. This yard was bought by Gu Yongyuan when he was fifteen years old, and all the things he wrote over the years have been moved there. After all, some words can be considered subversive, and it would be inconvenient if they were discovered in the mansion.

As soon as Gu Yongyuan placed Lin Wanxue in the courtyard, he told Rui Liu about it. When everything is arranged, they will send her there. However, this is not something that can be done in half a day, so Lin Wanxue can only wait there.

Originally, Gu Yongyuan was worried that Lin Wanxue didn't fully trust him. What if she thought he was going to take her there and bring someone to arrest her? It was originally scheduled to meet in Baixian Ju three days later. Unexpectedly, Lin Wanxue readily agreed to wait for news in the courtyard. She does trust people without doubting them. However, she may not have fully trusted him. After he leaves, she will definitely arrange something, and he will lead someone to arrest her, and I don't know how she will react.

On the way back from the courtyard, Gu Yongyuan turned out this article in the study, analyzing the pros and cons of lifting restrictions, as well as the relationship between Northeast China and Russia.

In the article, he mentioned that in recent years, Russia has been eyeing our Longxing territory and gradually encroaching on our northern border. Mainly because the northern regions are sparsely populated, which makes it easy for Russian immigrants to take advantage of the situation. The best way to eliminate this hidden danger and ensure the safety of Longxing's descendants is to lift restrictions and encourage migration, as Emperor Shunzhi did, so that a barrier can be built in the north and famine and potential uprisings can be prevented. In Shandong and other provinces, killing two birds with one stone.

The article also said that the Russian state is currently at war with Western powers such as Britain, France, and Austria. Judging by the current situation, their defeat is already inevitable. The Russian people are savage and aggressive, and when their westward advance is blocked, they will undoubtedly turn their gaze to the east. There is no time to waste. If we don't take precautions now, we may regret it later.

The prince took the paper and read it from top to bottom. The more he read, the more surprised he became. He interjected halfway and asked, "You wrote this article?" Is Russia really at war with Britain and France? ”

Gu Yongyuan had already anticipated this question and replied, "Father, how dare I fabricate a major national event? Everything in the article is true and based on information provided by my Chinese teacher and Christian missionary friend, Mr. Huang Binshi. ”

Mr. Huang Binshi is a Confucian student, but his son is addicted to gambling, which has caused him to fall into dire straits in recent years. Gu Yongyuan took care of him in various ways, and even cured his son's gambling addiction. Even if Gu Yongyuan lied and put the blame on him, he probably wouldn't tell the truth.

The prince nodded, knowing that Mr. Huang still had a certain amount of knowledge. He thought about it again and thought that this well-written article was most likely written by Mr. Huang and plagiarized by his beloved son.

"I didn't expect them Russia to have an enmity with Britain and France, that's good, if they make trouble in the future, we can seek assistance from Britain and France to deal with them, can't we defeat them?" The prince said excitedly.

Gu Yongyuan smiled bitterly. Britain and France? In just a few years, they will end the war with Russia and turn their attention to us. "Father, I'm afraid you can't rely on this, they also have their own contradictions and interests between different races, but in our Qing Dynasty, they are united." Gu Yongyuan tries to simplify the complex world. The politics of relegating all foreigners to adversaries.

The prince sighed and said, "These barbarians are all uncivilized and rude people, no wonder they gather together, like a group of rats and snakes. ”

Gu Yongyuan could only nod in agreement.

The prince shook his head again and said, "But lifting the restrictions is a very important matter, not to mention whether the emperor will agree, I am also worried." If the Han people all go to the frontier, in case...... Suppose we Manchus lost power? We have nowhere to retreat, don't you see? The Taiping army was already on the verge of attacking, and I heard that the emperor had coughed up blood a few days ago, alas. The prince's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, obviously anxious about the current situation.

Gu Yongyuan naturally knew that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Uprising would not succeed, and he was also sure that his little butterfly effect had not yet played a role. These major events will not change. So he's still confident. But the impact of the Northern Expedition on the capital is obvious.

"Father, it is precisely because we in the Qing Dynasty are facing unprecedented changes that we cannot be bound by the rigid legal system of the previous dynasty. If Emperor Shunzhi was still alive, he would definitely not stick to the rules. Gu Yongyuan said. Say.

The prince looked at Gu Yongyuan in surprise again. He didn't expect his son to have his own political views. But after the surprise, he couldn't help but comfort himself. His son was not without talent; He's just not good at literature and archery. Jing Xiang, on the other hand, has extraordinary insight.

"Okay, I'll think about it carefully, find an opportunity to present it, and the fold will come up." The prince looked at Gu Yongyuan with a smile, which made Gu Yongyuan a little overwhelmed.

"Are you old and don't want to get married?" The prince asked.

Gu Yongyuan sighed in his heart. The inevitable problem has finally arrived, and there is no escaping it. He plucked up his courage and said, "Father, I heard that there is a virtuous and intelligent woman in Huizheng, Anhui, and there are many rumors about her in the city. ”

The prince grinned, "It's good to have a person in my heart, but rumors are just rumors, and we still need to know more about this person's situation." Then he frowned, "Hui Zheng? Does he have a daughter in the palace? Didn't you give a noble lady a few years ago? ”

At that time, Yu Guiren's reputation was not prominent, but he was recently favored by Emperor Xianfeng. It's not surprising that the prince doesn't know much about her.

Gu Yongyuan nodded, "That's it, it's Hui Zheng, and Yu Guiren is his daughter." At that moment, Gu Yongyuan suddenly had an urge to marry her. It may not be a bad idea to establish some relationships with your nobles. Although his arrival has affected the situation in the capital, Yu Guiren is probably no longer the same person he used to be. But he couldn't help but be wary of this woman who would rule the Qing Dynasty for half a century.

This can be seen as a form of diplomatic marriage. Since he decided to act from the moment he began to prepare, personal gains and losses were no longer his primary consideration.