After conquering Cangming City, when Zhong Qing returned to Yingtian with Ye Cheng and Zheng He, Zhu Gaoxu was courteous to Zhong Qing in every way, not only sending countless jewels and money, but also carefully selecting maids and servants for Zhong Qing's servants. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 info But Zhong Qing was not only not very grateful for this, but felt very bored, and now he didn't expect that out of the capital, this Zhu Gaoxu gift was actually delivered to the door.

Such a swagger through the market, it really made Zhong Qing's disgust even more layered, Zhong Wanhou has been very busy these days, and he has been overwhelmed by the send-off, but Zhong Qing is already surprised, he saw his father receiving guests in the living room early today, and he didn't pay too much attention to it for a while, but when the person said his identity, Zhong Qing was shocked, it turned out that this person was a close confidant eunuch next to Zhu Gaoxu, and he came to visit Zhong Wanhou this time.

The previous gift-giver, or the local gentry, or the messenger of the dart bureau arranged by Zhu Gaoxu, did not arouse Zhong Qing's interest, but this time it was different, the eunuch was not allowed to leave the palace since ancient times, but this time Zhu Gaoxu dared to take the risk of sending a eunuch out to see his father, which shows that he has great trust in this eunuch, and secondly, the things to be discussed this time are also extremely important.

The living room has been surrounded by the servants arranged by Zhong Wanhou, and no one is allowed to enter, even Zhong Qing is difficult to approach, but Zhong Qing is on a whim, fortunately, he performed light skills and came to the roof to eavesdrop.

His Royal Highness's actions were really unexpected, and this move made Zhong very impressed. Zhong Qing heard her father's voice first.

"What Zhong Daxia said, Liu doesn't know, please make it clear. The eunuch said in a yin and yang voice, which made Zhong Qing suddenly get goosebumps.

At this time, I only heard Zhong Wanhou say: "As His Royal Highness's friendship with people outside the palace, it has always been a taboo for the emperor's family, and His Royal Highness is very intelligent, of course he will not fail to understand this truth, but he does the opposite, the more others think that things should be kept secret, the more fanfare he does, isn't this clever?"

The eunuch suddenly let out a sharp laugh and asked, "Then according to your meaning, what is the purpose of the Second Highness in doing this?"

Zhong Qing fortunately opened the roof tiles on the roof and looked inward, but saw his father taking a leisurely puff of his pipe, and said slowly: "The reason why His Royal Highness did this is because he is under the banner of attracting talents in the northwest rivers and lakes for his father, and he can tell Emperor Chengzu that he wants to create this kind of momentum, so that everyone in the rivers and lakes can see the royal family's treatment and respect for the people of the rivers and lakes, so that Emperor Chengzu will not only not be suspicious and blamed, but will also praise it." ”

The eunuch took a sip of tea, nodded, and did not speak.

Zhong Wanhou said randomly: "But this is not the main purpose, His Royal Highness actually wants the world to see the martial arts, I, Zhong Wanhou, am on His Highness's side, he is so fanfare, nothing more than to want me to be in the same boat with him, if there is any wind and waves one day, it is also in the same boat, sharing honor and disgrace, it is impossible to abandon the ship and escape." This is also the true purpose of Second Highness Zhu Gaoxu, isn't it, Lord Liu?"

The eunuch didn't laugh out loud this time, but raised his hand and applauded, and exclaimed: "Wonderful, really wonderful, His Royal Highness often tells us to deal with smart people, saying that it saves time and effort to do things with smart people, and some things you haven't said before they can understand, even if you are deceived sometimes, think about it, you are also deceived by smart people, it is better than being fooled by fools." Zhong Daxia is undoubtedly the smart man among the smart people, and what you just said is extremely thorough. ”

Zhong Wanhou looked at the eunuch Liu, his face was expressionless, and the eunuch Liu who was looking straight at him was furious, and after a while, Zhong Wanhou said slowly: "But His Royal Highness made a mistake. ”

"What's the matter?" Eunuch Liu hurriedly asked.

"Zhong has never liked to be taken advantage of, I only cooperate with others, and each takes what he needs, but he hates to be used as a foil by being clever. Zhong Wanhou said coldly.

Eunuch Liu was quite embarrassed, and hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Where did Zhong Daxia say, who doesn't know that you not only have a lot of money, but also outstanding martial arts, it's too late for us to admire people like you, where do you dare to be a little fooled." ”

"Really?" Zhong Wanhou asked disdainfully.

"It's true!" replied Eunuch Liu firmly.

Zhong Wanhou took another puff of his pipe, and the smoke slowly rose around him.

"That'...... But please rest assured, once our two families become in-laws, then you will be like Lu Buwei in the Qin period and Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms, and the second highness will treat him as a father. Eunuch Liu further said.

"I still need to think about the marriage, but the second hall needs to understand two things first. Zhong Wanhou said quietly.

"What about those two things?" asked Eunuch Liu.

"First, I will never be a pawn in the hands of His Second Highness. Zhong Wanhou said.

"And the second?"

"His Royal Highness has not yet become Qin Shi Huang, so don't say some things too early. Zhong Wanhou got up after saying that, ordered someone to arrange for Eunuch Liu to rest, and he went to the back hall.

Zhong Qing heard all this on the roof, and couldn't help but be very surprised: "Family business, what kind of family business, what kind of deal does my father want to make with this annoying Zhu Gaoxu? No, I must ask clearly!"

Zhong Wanhou had just changed out of his coat to receive guests in the back hall, when he heard the slaves panic, and when he turned his head to look, he saw Zhong Qing rushing straight in, and the servants followed closely, but they didn't dare to stop him.

"Qing'er, why are you in such a hurry?" Zhong Wanhou said to Zhong Qing, and at the same time motioned to the family members to retreat with his eyes.

After the servants retreated, Zhong Qing settled down and asked, "Dad, what's the matter with the family you are talking about?"

Zhong Wanhou slowly sat on the bench and said with a smile: "It seems that you can hear the speech very clearly on the roof." ”

Zhong Qing was shocked, he didn't expect that what he had overheard on the roof had already been noticed by Zhong Wanhou, but why didn't he hide it?

"You must be thinking in your heart, since I know that you are eavesdropping on the rooftop, why didn't you do anything to interfere with you? Yes and no?" Zhong Wanhou said with a smile.

Zhong Qing nodded silently, her eyes looking at Zhong Wanhou.

"Because I don't think there's any need to hide this from you, because you'll know sooner or later, so I'll just let you hear it first. Zhong Wanhou said.

"Dad, I feel that you have become strange in the past few days since you came back, quite different from you before, what kind of wine is in Zhu Gaoxu's gourd this time, what do he want to get from us when he sends gifts every once in a while?" Zhong Qing felt a little uneasy in his heart.

"The son of an emperor's family, do you know what the greatest wealth is? It is not gold and silver treasures, let alone delicacies from the mountains and seas, but power, as long as there is power, everything else will be solved, but do you know why some people are still sullen and unwilling even though they have power?" Zhong Wanhou asked.

"The child doesn't know. Zhong Qing replied.

That's because power is not enough to support his whole inner desire, and his desire grows faster than his power, so such a person will be unhappy, and only when he keeps chasing power, and when he reaches the highest peak, he will stop, but no one knows where this end is, and maybe he himself doesn't know in his own heart. Zhong Wanhou said with a smile.

"Zhu Gaoxu is such a person. Zhong Qing said.

"Worthy of being my daughter. You're right, Zhu Gaoxu is such a person. Emperor Chengzu has three sons, Zhu Gaochi and his uncle, Zhu Biao, the eldest son of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, is a cowardly, with the kindness of a woman, this kind of person is a good person, but he can never become a good emperor, his last son Zhu Gaosui has always been like a child who has not grown up, childish, such a huge Ming Empire, how can it be handed over to a person who is not mentally mature? So the most likely to become the heir of the empire in the future is this Zhu Gaoxu, whose inner desire has never stopped. Zhong Wanhou said.

Zhong Qing was so smart and clever that he immediately realized something, but he still didn't dare to believe his father's decision, but asked with a hint of luck: "Even so, what does it have to do with us?"

Zhong Wanhou stood up and walked to Zhong Qing, his eyes showed a warm look, he stroked Zhong Qing's head with his hand and said: "Qing'er, your mother died early, I have to plan for your future, Dad once secretly swore that he must give you a good home, and now there is such an opportunity in front of us, Dad doesn't want to miss it." ”

Zhong Qing's eyes were already filled with tears at this time, and she bit her lips tightly and did not speak.

When Zhong Wanhou saw his daughter like this, he couldn't help but smile and said with relief: "I know that you don't have a good impression of Zhu Gaoxu, but he will become a generation of kings in the future, and the whole world will belong to him alone, if you can be with him, wouldn't you enjoy endless glory and wealth for a lifetime, this is ten thousand times better than you running around with me in the rivers and lakes, right? ”

"Dad, you seem to have forgotten one thing. Zhong Qing said with tears in her smile.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Zhong Wanhou asked.

"I'm your daughter, and I'll never be at the mercy of others!" Zhong Qing suddenly turned around and ran towards the door after saying word by word.

Zhong Wanhou looked at the back of his daughter's departure and sighed slightly, but he was not very worried, he thought that Zhong Qing was his daughter, and it was understandable that he was difficult to accept it for a while, but after all, he, as a father, could convince his daughter. He rarely fails, and he is quite confident in his daughter.

Zhong Qing ran wildly all the way, and the servants in the courtyard didn't know why, they all stood on both sides and looked at Zhong Qing with surprised eyes, but Zhong Qing ran towards the gate like a frightened deer, but was stopped by seven or eight family members at the door.

"Miss, the master has ordered, you must not be allowed to go out half a step, please don't embarrass the little ones. A servant bowed and said.

Zhong Qing pulled off the hairpin on his head and threatened: "If you don't want me to go out today, you will see Zhong Qing's body lying in front of you, can you afford it?"

The servants were startled at first, then looked at each other, only to see the servant kneeling on the ground and saying: "If the young lady walks out of this courtyard, the little ones will die, and if the little ones kill themselves, the little ones will also die, but if the young lady walks out of the yard we are derelict in our duty and die, and the young lady will die by committing suicide according to our rules, so in comparison, the little ones would rather choose the latter." ”

Zhong Qing was stunned, she carefully looked at the young servant kneeling in front of her, only to see that his eyebrows were clear, and he was about thirty years old, and couldn't help asking, "What is your name, dare to disobey Miss Ben's order?"

Under Xiao Tian asked, he didn't dare to disobey the young lady's order, but he didn't dare to disobey the master's order. ”

Zhong Qing didn't want to die, but he just wanted to scare these servants, but the Xiao Tian in front of him was very polite and polite, so he couldn't bluff him, so he had to snort and turn away.

After Zhong Qing returned to her room, she took off the Emei thorn hanging on the wall, she had a new idea, she was going to assassinate the eunuch Liu sent by Zhu Gaoxu, as long as she killed Eunuch Liu, Zhu Gaochu and the Zhong family would definitely have a feud, how could the marriage still go on.

People always do some irrational things when they are extremely angry, and Zhong Qing is inevitable, at this time, she doesn't think about what kind of identity Zhu Gaoxu is behind Eunuch Liu, although the Zhong family is big, how can she offend His Royal Highness today?

But Zhong Qing has been willful since she was a child, although she is extremely smart, but she is a temperamental person, at this time it was hot, and went straight to Eunuch Liu's room to rest.

At this time, Eunuch Liu was anxiously waiting for Zhong Wanhou's reply, he was in the palace as Zhu Gaoxu's personal eunuch, and he was used to being powerful and blessed on weekdays, which servant maid in the palace saw him and was not respectful, even if some ministers greeted him with a smile in order to let him say a few kind words from time to time in front of Zhu Gaoxu, he didn't expect that this time Zhu Gaochu sent him to ask for marriage as a prince, and he met Zhong Wanhou so indifferently, which made him unexpected, but he didn't dare to come out, because he understood that if this matter was not done well, with Zhu Gaoxu's temper and character, he would definitely suffer first。

Seeing that two hours have passed, and there is still no movement, it seems that there is no way to wait for a reply today, Eunuch Liu couldn't help but stand up and paced around the room, thinking about how he should deal with Zhong Wanhou's answer if he refused?

But at this time, he didn't expect that Zhong Qing was on the way to kill him, when he was still sighing, suddenly there was a loud noise, the door was kicked open, Eunuch Liu was frightened at first, and then looked at the door, but saw a beautiful but angry girl standing in front of him, holding a blade in her hand.