It was quiet in the quiet house. Li Yu looked directly into the eyes of the Crown Prince. After a long time, she gently opened her lips and said slowly, "We can't do anything without strong help from outside. Long Qing has the West-Hill Divine Palace behind him. If you are willing, I believe my father will not mind sending a letter of credence to your father. "
In this world, only the Tang Empire had the power to compete with the West-Hill Divine Palace. However, the Crown Prince did not move or show ecstasy when he heard this. Instead, he fell into a long silence.
"Although I don't understand why the West-Hill Divine Palace agreed to let Prince Long Qing enter Chang 'an City to replace you as a hostage, and I don't want to think about his purpose of entering the Second floor of the Academy. I only know that the current situation is extremely favorable to you. It is difficult for him to control Capital Cheng in Chang' an. Isn't it your opportunity?"
Li Yu looked at the Crown Prince's slightly drooping eyelashes and said calmly, "The West-Hill Divine Palace is indeed a wonderful and holy place. The bigwig of the Judicial Department is really great. Perhaps many people in the Great River and South Jin Kingdom are laughing at the absurdity of the Tang Empire to take such a person as a hostage. But these people don't know that there is only one place in the world that has enough power to take the number two figure of the Judicial Department as a hostage. That place is the Academy."
The Crown Prince finally broke the silence. He looked up at Li Yu's eyes with a dignified expression and said, "The problem is that as far as I know, even the Tang Emperor has limited influence on the Academy. If the dean doesn't want to restrict Long Qing's personal freedom, and instead let Long Qing make further progress on the Second floor, what should I do?"
Li Yu frowned slightly and said softly, "After all, the Academy is in Chang 'an City. You don't have to worry too much."
"This has nothing to do with worrying too much." The Crown Prince of Yan replied calmly, "I know better than anyone what a proud person Long Qing is. People like him are willing to give up their pride and agree to accept the assessment to enter the Second floor of the Academy, which shows that the Academy is a very important place for him. What Long Qing is best at is turning all the people or things that he thinks are important to him into his help."
"Are you worried that if Long Qing enters the Second floor of the Academy, the people in the Academy will support him?" Li Yu shook her head firmly and said calmly, "The Academy has never intervened in the internal affairs of the empire, let alone the fight for the throne of a foreign country."
Yan Zitai shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Anyway, I always feel that it's not a good thing to let him enter the Second floor of the Academy."
"If it was purely a bad thing for Longqing and West-Hill, they would not have agreed to father's request a few months ago." Lee Yu was deep in thought. Suddenly, she frowned and muttered to herself, "If he can't enter the Second Floor …"
"I heard that there is a great scholar from the South Jin Kingdom in the Academy …" The Crown Prince of the Yan murmured.
The two looked at each other for a moment and shook their heads at the same time. The opening of the Second floor of the Academy this time clearly stated that only one person would be accepted. In fact, it was because of the handover behind the scenes. That position was originally prepared for Prince Long Qing. And with that person's ability, even if they could arrange some competitors, it would not be enough to shake him.
At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps on the wooden corridor outside the quiet and deep house. The Crown Prince of the Yan looked at Lee Yu with an inquiring look. Lee Yu replied with a smile, "Hua Shanyue and several of his comrades."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hua Shanyue, the Senior Military Officer of Gushan Commandery in a dusty military uniform, and several officers beside him walked into the long hall. They first saluted Lee Yu with a fist and palm salute, and then greeted the Crown Prince of the Yan.
Maids and servants set up the wine table again. Hua Shanyue and several others sat down as ordered, and the house returned to tranquility.
Lee Yu calmly looked at the Crown Prince of the Yan and said, "I ordered Senior Military Officer Hua to hurry back to Chang 'an because I want to meet him before you leave, Brother Chongming."
"I have been stationed in Hebei Province all year round, and may be transferred from Gushan Commandery to Shanyin Commandery after the New Year." Hua Shanyue added.
Shanyin Commandery was located in the southeast of Min Mountain, adjacent to the Yan territory. The Tang Empire stationed in this commandery was not as terrible as the border army led by General Xiahou in the north, but it was the closest armed force in the Tang Empire to the capital of the Yan Kingdom, Capital Cheng.
In the early years, the Crown Prince of the Yan had seen Hua Shanyue and knew that he was a fanatical admirer of the Fourth Princess Lee Yu, and was also the focus of the young generation of the Tang Empire's military. He could naturally think that Lee Yu hurriedly called him back to the capital not to see him off, but to hide a deeper meaning.
Hearing that Hua Shanyue personally admitted that he would be transferred to Shanyin Commandery next year, the Crown Prince of the Yan instantly understood Lee Yu's meaning. He looked at the wine bottle on the table and fell into a long time of thinking. Although there was no change of expression on his face, the struggle and conflict in his heart had reached the extreme. After a long time, he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "If things don't develop to the last step, I will never use your chess piece."
Lee Yu calmly replied, "If we don't have to go to the last step, it will naturally be a happy ending. But if it really comes to the last step, I hope Brother Chongming will have the courage to make the move without regret. I want you to understand that this is not only for the interests of the Tang Empire, but I also hope that you can get what belongs to you."
The so-called farewell was just the final endorsement of some transactions and promises. Although there must be a ten-year friendship in it, it was, after all, related to the country. Once the superficial warmth was torn off, it was difficult for the banquet to return to the original cheerful appearance. The scene seemed a little awkward for a while.
Hua Shanyue remembered what he had seen outside the house and said with a smile, "The lakeside terrace of Victory House has been booked today. It's noisy there, but it's much livelier than here."
"Oh?" Lee Yu slightly raised her eyebrows and curiously asked, "Who is so generous?"
When she said this, she didn't realize that it was really a big deal that she booked the most quiet and expensive backyard of the Victory House. After all, she was the most respected princess in the Tang Empire. Who could compare with her?
"They are the students of the Academy this year. Situ Yilan and Wucai are among them. When I met her before, she said that she would come to toast and greet us later. I thought that Your Highness specially came to see off Crown Prince Chongming today. I don't know if it's convenient, so I didn't agree."
"The students of the Academy are the pillars of the Tang Empire or the whole world. What's the harm in meeting them?" Princess Lee Yu, who was known for being virtuous and cherishing talents, would naturally not miss such an opportunity to win the hearts of young talents. She looked at the Crown Prince with a smile and said, "I believe Brother Chongming also wants to meet the new students of the Academy?"
"Of course." The Crown Prince nodded calmly.
…
…
The students of the Academy who were drinking and having fun on the lakeside terrace did not completely forget the previous reprimand of Hua Shanyue. However, he was the County Commander of the military and a senior of the Academy. In addition, his words were sharp and merciless, but every word was true. There was no way to refute him. So they could only bear it silently and comfort themselves in the name of Senior Brothers.
When they were summoned by the nobles in the backyard of the Victory House, they realized that their so-called pride was indeed not suitable to break out in Chang 'an City. In this magical city, they might meet a little Marquis who was also drunk when they peed in a side alley. They might meet a Prince from the Yuelun Kingdom when they were bragging in a tea shop. They just wanted to take the chance to get together, but they actually met the Princess of the Tang Empire who was bidding farewell to the Crown Prince of the Yan Kingdom …
The Victory House occupied a very large area. The backyard was the ancestral property left by an old censor in the Shenfeng years. It was easy to accommodate two or three hundred people. But after all, it was summoned by the Princess. How could all the students of the Academy line up to greet her and turn the quiet courtyard into a vegetable market? They just chose some students with good grades and good reputation as representatives. Among the representatives, there were naturally six people in the course of magic skills led by Xie Chengyun, famous talents such as Zhong Dajun, Chang 'an influential children such as Situ Yilan and Chu Zhongtian, as well as someone.
When the students of the Academy entered the quiet house, Lee Yu was talking to the Crown Prince of the Yan in a low voice. Suddenly, she frowned slightly and looked over subconsciously. Sure enough, she saw the familiar and hateful face at the end of the crowd.
In the past six months, she often called Sangsang to the Princess Mansion to talk with her, but she had never seen Ning Que again. But through various ways, Ning Que's behavior in the Academy still entered her ears.
She knew about the semester exam bet and that he was later excluded by the Academy's classmates. But she had never said anything. They just met on the journey. How could the experience of an Academy student be qualified to attract her attention? Even if she wanted to, she could not show it at many times.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
"Greetings, Crown Prince Chong Ming."
Xie Chengyun, Zhong Dajun, Linchuan Wang Ying and other students stood in front of the quiet corridor of the courtyard and saluted the two nobles at the table in turn. After several exchanges, the students performed well, especially Xie Chengyun and Wang Ying's words were quite clear and solemn. Lee Yu felt more satisfied, but it was a pity that the third young master Xie was from the South Jin Kingdom instead of the Tang Empire.
"Brother Chong Ming, what do you think of the young talents of the Tang Empire?" Lee Yu looked at the Crown Prince of the Yan and asked with a smile.
The Crown Prince of the Yan replied with a slight smile, "The Tang Empire dominates the world, and the Academy is a sacred place for thousands of years. Naturally, it is extraordinary."
At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the quiet backyard of the Victory House. There were voices of obstruction and reprimand, and it seemed that someone was rushing here. Lee Yu looked at the passage covered by the bamboo outside the corridor and held a small wine cup between her fingers. She did not say anything, but slightly frowned. Hua Shanyue, who was sitting two feet behind her, looked solemn and sternly scolded, "Who is so bold to break into the banquet place of Her Highness!"
The noise outside the courtyard quickly turned into a still messy sound that represented a completely different meaning. The music from the bamboo forest behind the corridor suddenly became disorderly and out of tune, faintly mixed with the surprised cries of a young girl and the sound of a messenger knocking over a banquet table in shock. Then, all these sounds disappeared in the next moment.
In the quiet courtyard, under the roofed porch, next to the bamboo wall, there was no sound. It became quiet, so quiet that it made one's heart palpitate, except for the footsteps that seemed to fall on one's heart, on the stone path.
The slow footsteps coming from outside the courtyard did not belong to one person and were not orderly. But the ears of the people in the courtyard seemed to hear only the footsteps of one person. The footsteps were very stable and could release a very strong sense of pride just by hearing, as if every step he took was stepping on the Heaven's Way leading to the Firmament.
…
…
The owner of the Victory House walked in front with a pained and helpless expression like a pitiful servant boy. Although bringing outsiders to the Fourth Princess' banquet place was undoubtedly the fastest way to death, the guests behind him at this time also had a great background. More importantly, the reason given by the other party could not be refuted at all.
Walking on the stone path was Grand Secretary Zeng Jing of the Imperial Library of the Tang Empire. This official was deeply trusted by His Majesty and the Empress. There was a faint smile on his face and his real emotions could not be seen.
On the right side of Grand Secretary Zeng Jing was a middle-aged man in a black Taoist robe with a Haotian Divine Sword on his waist. He was the Deputy Dean of the Revelation Institute of the West-Hill Divine Palace and Priest Moli who was visiting the capital Chang 'an.
Everyone in the Tang Empire knew that although the relationship between the Empress and Fourth Princess was not as incompatible as fire and water, they were naturally in the opposing camp because of the succession of the throne in a certain year. Now the chief minister under the Empress was going to break into Her Highness' banquet with a bigwig from the West-Hill Divine Kingdom. Who would be willing to be caught in such a terrible turbulence? Moreover, among the crowd that came to break into the banquet, there was …
Grand Secretary Zeng Jing and Priest Moli came hand in hand. Logically speaking, they were destined to attract the attention of everyone in the courtyard. However, at this time, everyone's eyes fell on the young man behind them.
There was a kind of person in the world that was born with a certain kind of charm. Even if he was a stubborn young man covered in mud among thousands of people, even if he was an ordinary-looking young girl among the dark masses of pious believers, no matter how low-key and silent he walked in the crowd, no matter how many bigwigs surrounded him, as long as he was in the picture, when people looked at him, they would definitely see him first and then be unable to move their eyes away.
The young man in the crowd was such a person. He was about 20 years old and wore the lifeless Taoist robe of the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace. There was an ordinary-looking sword on his waist. His footsteps were calm and steady. Silently following Grand Secretary Zeng Jing and Priest Moli into the courtyard, he instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Prince Long Qing's handsome eyebrows and eyes were impeccable, reflecting the faint light from the treetops and shaking off the lingering willow catkins. Just like that, Prince Long Qing appeared in people's vision, like the son of God.
There was no negative emotion on his face. He was calm, but just like the clear and rigid rhythm of his footsteps, everyone present could feel his pride. The pride that was hidden deep in his body, to the point that he disdained to show it.
After a short silence, people in the empty and quiet courtyard subconsciously stood up to greet him. The Academy students instantly guessed the identity of this person. Their faces showed a faint confusion and a slight uneasiness in their eyes, and their emotions seemed extremely complicated.
Sitting at the top of the table, Lee Yu slightly lowered her eyes, and a surprised, cold and vigilant look flashed in her eyes. Sitting opposite her, the Crown Prince of Yan's eyes were more complicated, a little sad, and then he slowly stood up with a gentle smile on his face and said, "Long Qing … it's really been many years."
At this time, Ning Que, who had been sitting in the most remote corner of the courtyard and kept complaining that the etiquette of kneeling was really not in line with human mechanics, finally noticed these uninvited guests. He opened his mouth and looked at the outstanding Prince Long Qing in the crowd, and exclaimed, "It's really a click of thunder. The male pig horn finally shines on the stage."
…
…
(Tomorrow is Saturday. I'm off. Besides, I know it's slow to write now. There's no other way. I've tried my best. Don't force me to die …) If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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