When Yan Qing and Zhao Yuan returned to Fengyi Palace for the first time in the palace, Fuying walked up to her and whispered to her, "Concubine Cao has come to say hello."

Even though the voice was lowered, Zhao Yuan still heard it. As he walked away, Yan Qing clearly felt his hand tighten.

After all, she was his biological mother. No matter how well she treated him and how meticulously she took care of him, she could not compensate for the intimacy of blood.

"How long has it been since Ayuan saw his mother-in-law?" She bent down and asked the child. She saw that he pursed his lips, and there was hope in his eyes but hesitant to speak. At such a young age, he already knew that he was afraid of exposing himself. The first-year-old mother will displease the aunt-in-law.

He had just finished the canonization ceremony and was led to Fengyi Palace by Jinshang. Jinshang said to Yan Qing, "From now on, he will be as your son. Although he is an adopted son, he is also like his own son."

Then he said An order was passed down that Concubine Cao could not see the prince privately.

Probably Zhang Fang and others also warned Zhao Yuan not to reveal any emotions towards Concubine Cao in front of the Queen, but even if a six-year-old child keeps it in mind, there is no way he can hide his human nature.

"Let's go. Concubine Cao also missed A Yuan." She led Zhao Yuan and walked inside together.

The Cao family came from a military family, and her maiden name was determined. When she first entered the draft, she was given by the late emperor to Jin Shang, who was still the prince at that time. She was already serving Jin Shang when he was hiding in the residence. She was much older than Yan Qing. , but today, she has never been favored by others. Later, she was named a concubine because she gave birth to an heir.

Mrs. Cao was extremely respectful to Yan Qing. Although she was older than Yan Qing, she always came to Fengyi Palace to say hello to her every morning and dusk.

Yan Qing also didn't want to be a bad person, and sometimes he would specially call the prince to let the mother and son meet.

Mrs. Cao had been waiting in the main hall for a long time. When she saw Yan Qing come in, she hurriedly bowed and bowed. After sitting down, her eyes couldn't help but fall on her son.

Yan Qing didn't understand why, so he said to Zhao Yuan, "A Yuan, come forward quickly and let your mother and concubine take a good look."

Zhao Yuan stepped forward and stood in front of Concubine Cao, letting her eyes look him up and down again. Look around.

Concubine Cao smiled and said, "The prince has grown taller again. Thanks to the Queen's careful teaching, His Highness seems to be becoming more and more sensible."

"It's his own obedience," Yan Qing replied with a smile, "I don't dare to take credit."

"I heard that Your Majesty A mentor has been chosen for the prince. Does your Majesty know who your majesty has chosen?"

Concubine Cao was well informed, so Yan Qing nodded and replied, "Yes, your majesty just called you, and the prince has already met this teacher at Wenyi Hall. "Yes." After speaking, he looked at the prince and said, "Ayuan, please tell your mother and concubine who the teacher your majesty has chosen is."

Zhao Yuan then replied to Concubine Cao, "It's Mr. Cao from the cabinet.

" Although the concubine was in the inner palace, she didn't know much about the ministers in the court or the cabinet, so she asked, "Lord Jiang Weiren Jiang?"

"Exactly." Yan Qing nodded in reply.

"Your Majesty, you are wise." Concubine Cao said this, but her face looked as usual, and it was impossible to tell what she thought about such a result.

Earlier, she heard that Jinshang had been hesitant about who to choose, so she became worried. Now this result is undoubtedly the most satisfactory to her.

Needless to say, Jiang Weiren's talents were not only a good teacher, but also a minister with him as his assistant after the prince ascended the throne, and he would definitely not go down the path of ignorance.

What is most beneficial to her is not just that. As everyone knows, Jiang Weiren has been involved in party disputes in the past.

The party struggle in the Sejong Dynasty was the struggle between the Cai Party, headed by the powerful traitor Cai Yong, and the Academy Party, headed by Yan Yongnian, the elder Yan Ge. The so-called Academy Party was because Yan Ge was in charge of the Hanlin Academy at the time, and many Hanlin officials were Once worshiped as his disciples, these people later held important positions and became a force in the court to compete with Cai Yong.

Although he was once a protégé of Yan Yongnian, the father of Queen Yan Qing, he later became an outcast of the Yuan Party due to clique disputes. When he rose again, he defected to Cai Yong's party. Later, Cai Yong fell and Jiang Weiren successfully entered cabinet.

The most important thing is that he defeated Shen Bei, the leader of the academy party.

Who is Shen Zhu? He is Mr. Yan Ge’s most valued student. Not only has he been a childhood sweetheart with Yan Qing since childhood, but the two of them even entered into a marriage contract. If not for all the events that followed, Yan Qing would have married someone like this. This is Lord Shen.

Soon after Shen Zhu was exiled to Qiongzhou, news came that he had died of illness. Many people speculated that this was actually Jiang Weiren's handiwork.

With such a connection, Yan Qing would not win over Jiang Weiren, and Jiang Weiren would not side with the queen.

This is of course the best thing for Cao.

Concubine Cao turned her head and looked at the prince, "Jiang University has the best talents in the world and is famous all over the world. Your Highness must humbly seek advice from him in the future and work diligently to gain knowledge, so as to live up to His Majesty's high expectations."

After listening to his biological mother's instructions, Zhao Yuan nodded obediently . , "My son knows."

The prince came out to give lectures in the side hall of Wenhua Palace. Yan Qing got up very early that day, and she wanted to accompany the prince Chengyu to Wenhua Palace.

Along the way, Zhang Fang told the prince again the etiquette when giving lectures later. The prince tilted his head and struggled to remember.

It is not an easy task for the prince to give lectures. Although the lecturers are not high-ranking officials, they want to show their respect for teachers. Secondly, most of the officials are clean and proud. Not only giving lectures to the prince, but also giving lectures at the emperor's banquet. Once the emperor is not focused enough or does something inappropriate, the lecturers will shout: "Is it possible for a king to be like this?"

Zhao Yuan has not seen it yet. When he saw his lecturers, they were already excited.

Yan Qing naturally noticed it, smiled and touched the little guy's head, and said softly, "A Yuan, don't be afraid, just follow what the masters say, and they won't criticize you if you do something wrong. After a while, the empress will sit down Behind the hall, if you have any questions, please send Xiao Huangmen to give me a message, okay?"

The little prince raised his head and nodded to her, then smiled at her, showing two little tiger teeth, which was extremely cute.

The officials attending the side hall had already arrived. Yan Qing was worried about the prince, so he asked the emperor for a decree early in the morning. The officials from the direct hall had already set up a seat for the queen at the back of the hall, separated by a bead curtain. The officials also knew that the queen would be coming, so when Yan Qing entered the back hall, all the officials knelt down and saluted.

"Excuse me, my lords." She raised her hand to help, and then sat down on the rosewood chair behind the curtain. "Thank you for your hard work."

After everyone finished saluting the prince, the officials of Honglu Temple promoted the prince. Opposite the prince's writing desk, there is another writing desk, with his back to the bead curtain, which is where the lecturer is standing.

At this moment, Yan Qing looked at the tall, thin and tall figure outside the bead curtain, walking out of the Hanlin where the lecturers were attending.

The wind blowing in from outside the hall fluttered the bead curtain, and the jade stone hung on the silk thread swayed slightly, creating a shadowy light. The door of the hall was wide open, and the spring light was blooming outside. He walked towards the bead curtain against the light.

At this moment he is in the light and she is in the dark. He may know that she is looking at him, or he may not know that she just hesitates slightly when he reaches the desk.

A curtain separates them, but they can't see each other's expressions clearly.

"Your Highness's first lesson will be taught by me." Jiang Weiren walked to the desk and turned to face the prince.

He is now responsible for the prince's lectures. Naturally, he should give the first lecture after the cabinet was opened.

Yan Qing looked through the gap in the bead curtain and could only see his back. The only thing that was clear was the hand holding the pen hanging by his side. It had clear bones and long knuckles, as delicate as a slender jade tube. nice.

If you just look at this hand, or the hazy figure in front of you, it seems as if time has not yet left its mark on his body.

But time is like a wheel that will run over everyone in this world.

——Yan

Qing remembers that it was the 17th year of Chenghua, when she was 13 years old, and saw Jiang Weiren for the first time.

The reason why I remember that year clearly is because it was the first time Yan Qing returned to Jiangling.

Eleven years ago, that is, the 17th year of Chenghua, Yan Qing's grandfather died of illness. Yan Qing's father, Yan Yongnian, the then Cabinet Secretary, returned to his hometown to pay homage to his ancestors. Jiangling is Yan Ge's hometown, and the Yan family's old house is here. Where.

Jiangling was full of talented people, and had produced several celebrities who were famous in the annals of history. However, due to Mr. Yan Ge's status in the court, no one could match him among the people who came out of Jiangling at that time. Hearing that Mr. Yan Ge had returned to his hometown with his daughter, officials at all levels in Jiangling were naturally alarmed.

Yan Ge was always afraid that local officials would come to greet him. If the pomp got too big, he would be accused of Cai Yong's party and be impeached by the court officials, so he went back to his hometown by waterway without telling his subordinates.

It could be hidden from people outside, but not from the family. Naturally, the Yan family knew the news.

The Yan family is a prominent local family, but the most promising among them is Yan Yongnian's family. Because he entered the capital as an official, his family moved to the capital, and the other families are still in Jiangling.

One of Yan Qing's cousins ​​married into Prince Cheng's palace. Jiangling was the fiefdom of Prince Cheng. Since the throne was hereditary, the throne was passed on to the crown prince after his death many years ago. The crown prince Zhao Cong became the sixth generation. Become a king.

Although King Cheng belongs to the royal family, he has been passed down for so many generations and has stayed in the fiefdom for many years. His influence is only in Jiangling Mansion. Mr. Yan Ge is in the cabinet. He not only holds real power in his hands, but is also close to the emperor.

Mr. Yan Ge couldn't ask for help from King Cheng, but King Cheng would rarely ask for Mr. Yan Ge's help in the future.

As soon as the father and daughter arrived, a post was sent from Prince Cheng's Mansion in the afternoon.

She has become the king, and her cousin Yan Yu is the new princess. It is difficult to refuse her both in public and private matters.

But Mr. Yan Ge took the water route and took a river boat for more than ten days. Naturally, he couldn't bear it because of his age, so he asked Yan Qing to go to the banquet.

When Yan Qing arrived at the palace, her cousin came to greet her in person. The two sisters were talking in the inner hall. Suddenly, there was a commotion, and a man's angry voice came, "No, I don't see him! His father himself is dead. Why don't I see him?" What's the matter? Get him out of the house!"

After a while, several boys came in surrounded by a sweaty man. The man was wearing a python robe and a golden crown. When he saw the emblem on his chest, Yan Qing knew that this must be the case. It was his brother-in-law, now the new King Cheng.

Her cousin stood up immediately, went up to him and asked anxiously: "What's wrong, Your Majesty, who is here?"

"Who else is it?" Zhao Cong's face was livid, "It's not that Jiang Weiren!"

"It's about his father. ?" Yan Yu was at a loss and said with a frown, "His father is not in our house, he will definitely find him..."

"So what?" Zhao Cong snorted, " What can he do? He's just a commoner, he just got some honors and was looking at how great he is. Am I still afraid of him?"

He waved to the servants, "Go, go, Let the nurse drive him away!"

The man took the order and left. Zhao Cong turned around and saw Yan Qing, so he turned his head and asked Yan Yu, "This is the daughter of Yan Ge's hometown, your cousin. Sister?"

"Exactly." Yan Yu nodded and said to Yan Qing, "Qing'er, this is your brother-in-law."

"My daughter has met the prince." Yan Qing bowed politely.

After Zhao Cong looked at it, he smiled and said to his wife: "Madam, your Yan family is really outstanding. Our cousin is also extraordinary in appearance and talented."

Yan Qing's face was as usual, but he felt like this in his heart. Brother-in-law Wei Chengwang's tone was a little frivolous.

Just as he was talking, the servant who had just ran out of the hospital came back and said: "Your Majesty, the old princess knows about it and said she wanted to let Jiang Weiren in. She is also coming this way." "

Who alerted the mother and concubine? ?" Zhao Cong said angrily, "Didn't I say that my mother and concubine are worshiping Buddha all day long and are not allowed to disturb her?"

He walked out angrily, and Yan Yu followed him out anxiously. Yan Qing couldn't suppress him at all. Out of curiosity, he moved to the door and looked out.

Zhao Cong was just standing in the corridor when a man wearing an azure muslin t-shirt broke in at the hanging flower arch outside.

The man was slender, with a lean build. He seemed to be around 20 years old, but he looked quite good-looking. He was smooth and clear. Although he was dressed in cloth, one could tell at a glance that he had an extraordinary bearing and did not look like someone from the countryside.

But his face looked a little haggard, his eyes were bloodshot, and the broken hair on his forehead was wet with sweat and clinging to it in an awkward manner. At this moment, his eyes were solemn, with grief and anger in his expression.

Yan Qing heard what her cousin said just now, which seemed to be that something happened to Jiang Weiren's father in Prince Cheng's Mansion, which aroused her curiosity even more. She was young and simple-minded at the time. When she saw Yan Yu's maid standing beside her, she leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Who is this person?"

The maid leaned over and whispered to him, "Ms. , this man's name is Jiang Weiren, a well-known talent in our Jiangling Prefecture. He has been known as a child prodigy since he was a child. No, he is only in his early twenties, and he has already won the Jinshi. Not to mention Jiangling, there is no one in Huguang. The second one will come."

When it comes to talented people, Yan Qing has seen quite a few. Her father was in charge of the Hanlin Academy and presided over the imperial examinations over the years, recommending and promoting many talented people who are famous throughout the world.

To say that someone who won the Jinshi in his early twenties is indeed an extraordinary talent.

"When the old prince was here, he admired Jiang Weiren very much, so he often invited him to our palace. He is about the same age as the prince, and both the old prince and the old princess hope that the prince can make friends like him. The scientific examination results came out last month, and he Winning a Jinshi.

"Some time ago when he returned home from the capital, the prince invited his father to a banquet to congratulate him. Unexpectedly, something happened and his father died suddenly that night. "The maid's voice became lower and lower, but Yan Qing could hear her brows frowning more and more.

She thought of Zhao Cong's tough but panic look just now, and thought that there must be something fishy about Jiang Weiren's father having an accident in the palace that night. . If his father's death was really an ordinary one, Jiang Weiren would not dare to rush to the palace like this.

"Jiang Weiren, how dare you to break into the prince's residence and risk your life?" "Zhao Cong said coldly, "Believe it or not, I am ordering someone to kill you now. "

Yan Qing was shocked when he heard these words. It seemed that King Cheng was used to being arrogant and arrogant. He would shout and kill at every turn. It seems that the sky is high and the emperor is far away. He has always done whatever he wants in the fiefdom.

Yan Qing was thinking about Cheng in private. When Wang Suri's misdeeds happened, a clear voice came to his ears, "The common people dare not! "

Jiang Weiren stood tall and straight, showing no fear, "Your Majesty, there is no need to scare the common people. The common people came here today just to seek an explanation from the Prince. "

Zhao Cong sneered and said: "Don't think that I don't know what you are crazy about. Don't you need Zhu's approval to be executed just because you have fame? You come to me to ask for an explanation. What explanation do I owe you?

"My father unfortunately passed away. Only those of you who were here at the time understand what happened that day. " But everyone here at that time was the prince and his servants. "

Jiang Weiren stood in the court neither humble nor arrogant, but when he talked about his father, his scarlet eyes were filled with suppressed tears, which was heartbreaking to see.

Yan Qing heard him say slowly: "He is gone. This is destiny, but as a family member, you must know the cause of death. The person died in the palace, so naturally you have to ask the prince about the cause! "

Zhao Cong disagreed, "You said it yourself, it's your father's fate, and you should accept his fate. I understand that it's not easy for you to run a household, and I ordered someone to send you money. You can't pursue it anymore." "Don't let go!"

"Since the prince refuses to answer, the common people will just go to the governor's office to play drums. Then the government will naturally call for inspection. If you don't believe it, you can't find out the truth."

The sky in March was gloomy just now. Sure enough, a drizzle began to fall, and he stood in the courtyard, letting the rain fall on his body and moisten his clothes.

"Well, Jiang Weiren!" Zhao Cong gritted his teeth and said forcefully, "Not only do you want to sue the government with the people, but you also want the widow to dissect his father's body. It's really lawless! Come on, beat me until he learns the lesson! "

The people in the courtyard were all the guards of Prince Cheng's Mansion. Seeing that Prince Cheng gave the order, they took the unsheathed knife and hit Jiang Weiren in the leg socket, beating him until he fell to one knee on the ground. .

The guards came forward one after another. Yan Qing knew that the knives equipped by these guards were made of fine iron. With the scabbard, the weight was much heavier than the stick. Those people hit him on the back, and you could tell the impact just by hearing the sound. Bloodshot eyes overflowed from the corners of his mouth in just a few blows.

He is a scholar, his body is not very strong, and he is thin. A guard raised the knife in his hand and was about to strike it down.

"Your Majesty!"