"When the Second floor opened and everyone was silent, you suddenly stood up and said with a smile," I can … "
Situ Yilan looked at him and shook her head with a smile. She sighed and said, "The picture is beautiful and the story is wonderful. But it's a pity that you and I are both poor people who can't cultivate."
"I can …" Ning Que thought that the girl by the railing would not believe him even if he said it. He smiled gently and changed the topic. He looked at the lively place on the other side of the veil and said slowly, "If the Second floor only recruits one person this time, then I don't understand why they are so happy."
Situ Yilan said with a smile, "Because Mr. Xie is much more popular than you. Even if someone is jealous of him, they won't show it on their faces. Instead, they will cheer for him like Zhong Dajun."
Ning Que was silent for a moment and suddenly said with a smile, "Have you all forgotten someone?"
Situ Yilan was stunned and then immediately understood what he meant. She was shocked speechless.
All the students of the Academy, including her, had forgotten Prince Long Qing from the Yan Kingdom. Maybe it was because in their minds, Prince Long Qing was a bigwig in the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace and a peerless cultivation genius. So they subconsciously put him in a higher position and never thought of comparing him with themselves. Moreover, the God's favored son, who had aroused the desire of thousands of girls when he entered Chang 'an City, had been living in Peach Alley these days. He even found an excuse not to attend the palace banquets. He was really low-key to the extreme.
"Everyone knows that Prince Long Qing came to Chang 'an City to replace the Crown Prince of Yan as a hostage. But no matter his identity as a prince or the inviolable dignity of the West-Hill Divine Palace, he needs another justifiable reason. So the rumor that he wants to enter the Second floor of the Academy for further study … may not be just a rumor."
Ning Que looked at her and continued, "If the Second floor of the Academy really only recruits one student this time, and if Prince Long Qing really wants to enter the Second floor, then in your opinion, who is qualified to be his opponent, Xie Chengyun or Linchuan Wang Ying?"
"Mr. Xie is indeed talented, but how can he be compared with Prince Long Qing? And Wang Ying is still young …" Situ Yilan gradually digested the shock in her heart and suddenly thought of a possibility. She asked, "Is it possible that Prince Long Qing doesn't occupy the quota of entering the building?"
Ning Que shook his head and said, "If he occupies the quota, what will these happy guys do?"
He smiled and pretended to comfort her. "… But I think Xie Chengyun will not be discouraged even if he knows that he has to compete with Prince Long Qing for the only place. On the contrary, he may be inspired to fight more strongly."
Situ Yilan shook her head and said, "Prince Long Qing is one step away from the Knowing Destiny State, while Mr. Xie has just entered the No Doubts State. The difference between their states is too great, and the fighting will won't play a big role."
Looking at those classmates who were drinking happily on the terrace, and thinking of the scene when the Second floor opened the day after tomorrow, when Prince Long Qing would come and embarrass the Academy students, she said gloomily, "Although Mr. Xie comes from the South Jin Kingdom and is not a citizen of Tang, he has studied in the Academy for a year after all. We Tangs can accept it if he can enter the Second floor. But if … Prince Long Qing surpasses all the students and becomes the only one to enter the Second floor, it's hard to imagine how angry and disappointed the elders in the imperial court will be with our students."
Prince Long Qing came from the Yan Kingdom and was a hostage. However, he was a bigwig of the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace and an enemy of the Tang Empire. If such a person directly suppressed the young generation of the Tang Empire in Chang 'an City with his powerful strength, it would be like a slap in the face of the Tang Empire.
"I don't understand why the Academy made such a rule this time." Situ Yilan frowned and looked at the anxious fish swimming in the lake. She said, "Isn't it deliberately creating a scene for Prince Long Qing to look down on all the mountains?"
Ning Que smiled and comforted her, "It hasn't started yet, and we don't know how to enter the Second floor of the Academy. How can you predict in advance that the only person who can enter the Second floor is Prince Long Qing?"
"The West-Hill Divine Palace is the enemy of the Tang Empire. Even from the standpoint of the enemy, I have to admit that Prince Long Qing is absolutely the best person in the young generation in the world and it's hard to find an opponent."
Situ Yilan said in a low mood, "It's not shameful to admit the strength of the enemy. What really bothers me is that the Tang Empire has always been full of talents, but we can't find a person who can compete with him in our generation."
"Who said there isn't?" Ning Que said with a smile.
Situ Yilan looked at him with a smile and said, "If you want to talk about yourself, it's really not convincing."
"Alright." Ning Que sighed and spread out his arms. He said, "You don't have to worry about these things. It's just a matter of face. Even if Prince Long Qing's strong body can shock all the heroes and women, the Yan Kingdom will still pay tribute to us, and the West-Hill Divine Palace will still not dare to provoke us. There won't be any essential change."
"It's not about face, it's about honor and dignity. You also came from the frontier army, but why don't you feel like a soldier at all?"
"What should a soldier of the Tang Empire be like? Just like Hua Shanyue just now, with his eyes straight and his hand on the hilt of his sword, walking with the wind like a bully? I don't think so. A soldier doesn't defend the land and open up the frontier by style, but by something else. "
"Something else?"
"Discipline, courage, and trust."
"By the way, you should know Hua Shanyue, don't you?" Situ Yilan looked at him curiously.
Ning Que thought of the moment when he and the Senior Commander of the Gushan Commandery looked at each other. After a moment of silence, he replied with a smile, "He is the leader of the young generation of the Tang Empire's military. I'm just an ordinary person, so I don't know him. I just met him once, but that was a year ago. Speaking of which, I remember that he didn't like me at that time. "
Situ Yilan didn't know what happened on the grassland trip. She said with a smile, "I found that not many people in Chang 'an like you."
Ning Que shook his head and refuted, "You obviously don't know me well enough. You can ask the neighbors on Lin 47th Street. Except for the wife of Wu Laoer next door, who doesn't like me? I also took you to the House of Red Sleeves last time. Look at those girls, who doesn't like me? "
"I don't want to bicker with you." Situ Yilan looked at the quiet and secluded house in the depths of the Victory House and said, "Will you go in with us or alone?"
"What for?" Ning Que followed her gaze and shook his head, saying, "I don't want to eat with Her Highness, and she may not invite us in."
"You really guessed that Her Highness is having a banquet over there." Situ Yilan replied with a smile, "Her Highness may not ask us to go in normally. But since all the classmates of the Academy are gathered here today, and the guests invited by Her Highness are certainly not ordinary people, then she will definitely ask us to go in later."
Ning Que thought for a moment and understood the hidden meaning in her words just like Hua Shanyue did before. He couldn't help but laugh sarcastically and thought silently in his heart, "Li Yu, you still can't help developing your power among the young generation of the Empire and enhance your influence. At the same time, you can take this opportunity to show your power to the distinguished guests …"
"It's impossible for more than 100 people to go in." He said with a smile, "Later, they will definitely choose some guys with good grades and good moral character to go in to meet Her Highness. How can I have a chance?"
Situ Yilan remembered that she met his little handmaiden Sangsang in the Princess Mansion one day and said angrily, "You and Her Highness used to be old friends, and now you are also familiar with each other. If I take you in, who dares to say anything?"
…
…
Being able to buy the former censor's mansion in Southern City to open a restaurant, the boss of the Victory House naturally had a deep background. But managing the business of people coming and going, he must be a person with money and power. Although the students of the Academy could not earn much money by booking the lakeside terrace, he would definitely find a way to get close to those students in preparation for the future. However, today he did not go to deal with those students at all. Instead, he respectfully waited outside the second door like a manservant.
Dozens of handmaidens and servants carried food plates and utensils and walked between the quiet houses. They were well-trained and did not make the slightest sound. In the house, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing the treetops could be heard. The boss of the Victory House stared at everyone's movements with his sharp eyes. After confirming that there was no problem, he slightly relaxed and raised his arm to wipe the sweat on his forehead.
Being able to book the most quiet and the most expensive backyard of the Victory House, and being able to make the boss of the Victory House willing to serve as a manservant, it could be imagined how distinguished the identity of the guests and hosts of today's backyard banquet was. The host of today's banquet was Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yu. The guest she invited was indeed a distinguished guest. And if there was no accident, after this guest left Chang 'an City, he would never have a chance to return to Chang' an in the rest of his life.
At the end of the shiny ebony floor, two low tables were placed opposite each other. On the left side, behind the low table sat a young man. He was dressed in plain green clothes with a jade hairpin in his bun. He had straight eyebrows and bright eyes, looking extremely calm and gentle. Only a few strands of silver hair could be faintly seen in his hair, inadvertently revealing the depression of these years.
The Crown Prince of the Yan, who had been a hostage in Chang 'an City for nearly ten years, calmly looked at the Tang Dynasty's Princess Li Yu opposite him. He picked up the wine glass at hand and slowly and firmly drank it up. Then he sighed and said, "In the fourth year of the Tianqi era, I went to Chang' an to travel. In the sixth year, I came back to Chang 'an City as a hostage. Counting with my fingers, I have known Your Highness for ten years. Although you went to the grassland for two years in between, we grew up together. I don't know when we can meet again. I can't help but sigh."
"Brother Chongming, you and I both know that if you still want to meet in Chang 'an City, there must be only two reasons. In this case, it's better not to meet, or if there is a chance, I will go to Capital Cheng to visit you."
Li Yu smiled slightly, picked up the small wine glass that she had been playing with for a long time, and took a light sip. During the dinner, both of them knew that Crown Prince Chongming would inherit the throne after the death of the Yan Emperor. If the king of a country still wanted to enter Chang 'an, the capital of the Tang Empire, then there were only two possibilities. One was that the Yan Kingdom was destroyed by the Tang Empire, and as the king of a dead country, he was taken to Chang' an City as a prisoner of war. The second was that he led the Yan Kingdom army to attack Chang 'an City.
Of these two possibilities, the former was too bleak, and the latter was too impossible. So Li Yu said it was better not to meet.
"It's better not to meet." The Crown Prince of the Yan smiled slightly and said, "As you said, if something happens in the future, you can go to Capital Cheng to see me. At that time, I will be the host and treat you to some new things."
"It's not a child now. How can I only be greedy for food?" Li Yu smiled and said, "But in the future, Brother Chongming, you will be the king of a country. If I ask you for something, it will be convenient."
One was the legitimate heir to the throne of the Yan Kingdom, and the other was the princess with the highest status in the Tang Empire. It seemed that they were just talking about some childhood friendship before they parted. In fact, who knew which sentence hid the disputes in the future?
The Crown Prince of the Yan Kingdom was silent for a while, and a bitter smile appeared on his thin face. He raised his glass and said in a low voice, "The king of a country … is not so easy. I have lived in Chang 'an City for nearly ten years, and have long been accustomed to the climate and customs here. In fact, I really don't want to go back."
"Brother, your words are not appropriate. The Yan Emperor is old and in poor health …" Li Yu shook her head gently.
"What's wrong? Father didn't like me at that time, so he sent me to Chang 'an as a hostage. He didn't have any sadness or pain. For eight years, I lived in Chang' an City in silence and low-key. Did Capital Cheng send me a letter of condolences? In fact, the entire Yan Kingdom … has long forgotten me? "
The Crown Prince of the Yan raised his glass and drank it up. A touch of pain flashed in his eyes.
"I spent two years on the grassland. At that time, I was also worried that Chang 'an City would forget me. But it turns out that as long as you are still alive and come back, then even the distant and faint memory will be picked up again."
Li Yu looked at the Crown Prince of the Yan firmly and said, "Brother Chongming, it was you who gave me the idea to go to the grassland and let me stay out of it. I got great benefits. Now Brother Chongming is about to return to the country, I naturally have to give you some gifts. But I know you are not willing to accept them. But you must remember one thing. No matter how bad the situation in Capital Cheng is, you are the eldest prince after all. No one can take away the throne that belongs to you!"
The Crown Prince of the Yan looked back at her calmly. Thinking of her hard work for his younger brother over the years, he could not help but feel slightly sad. After a self-mocking smile, he said, "The problem now is not that someone wants to take away my throne, but that this throne does not belong to me. In the eyes of all the people of Yan, my wise and mighty brother is more suitable to sit on the throne than this cowardly Crown Prince who has been imprisoned in Chang 'an for many years."
After a moment of thought, he continued softly, "Although I have left Capital Cheng for many years, I still remember some things clearly when I was a child. Longqing seemed to be a genius since he was born. Whether it was riding, shooting, poetry or even cultivation, it seemed that there was nothing in the world that he could not do. Compared with him, I, the Crown Prince, have nothing special. So my father likes him and dotes on him. It has become a very natural thing for the ministers to trust and rely on him."
"What's more, he is now a bigwig in the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace."
The Crown Prince of the Yan looked at Li Yu and said, "From the day he entered the Revelation Institute of West-Hill, Longqing's mother's family began to build momentum in Capital Cheng. Now this momentum can no longer be suppressed by human power, because he has strong support from outside, and the strong support … comes from West-Hill."
…
…
(I am still confused, but I will work hard.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
