Jiuxi

Chapter 396 Chapter 394 [Response cracks]

Yongjia, Xicheng.

A spacious and sturdy carriage drove down the street, followed by Qin Zilong and more than 20 soldiers.

In the carriage, Lu Chen looked at the gilded name card in his hand with a slightly solemn expression.

This is an invitation to the banquet from the eldest prince.

Among the scribes maintained by the palace, not everyone opposed this idea. After all, Lu Chen's status was somewhat special. It was not appropriate for the prince to get too close to the general in public to avoid suspicion from the emperor.

But the eldest prince spoke plausibly. The second prince could openly invite Lu Chen to attend the Moyuan literary party. Why shouldn't I invite him to a meal?
In order to show that he was unashamed of Guang Feng Ji Yue, the eldest prince went to the palace to see Li Duan. He only said that he admired Lu Chen's character and military exploits, and wanted to thank him for sharing the worries of his father and the court during this period, so he planned to hold a banquet to invite him.

Li Duan did not object, so the eldest prince returned to the palace happily, and then quickly sent the palace chief Shi to send his name card to Lu Chen.

At this moment, Lu Chen looked at the name post and felt that it was a hot potato.

Yu Chigui sat on the other side, looked at Lu Shen's face, and said with a smile: "This eldest prince is a strange man. Does he think that he can convince you with just a few words, and then let you stand on his side and wave the flag? Even so, you may not Can change the emperor’s mind.”

A complex emotion appeared on Lu Chen's face, and he said slowly: "The problem is that His Majesty did not veto this banquet."

He knew that Lu Chen was unknown before he was nineteen years old, and it would not be too much to say that he was not good at writing but good at fighting. Until he emerged in the Battle of Guangling, and then no one could stop him from rising to power.

It seems that Lu Tong is indeed able to keep his composure and has quietly trained Lu Chen for nineteen years, just to make him a blockbuster.

Thinking of this, Yu Chigui smiled and said, "Then how do you plan to deal with this eldest prince?"

Yuchi Gui was startled: "Is there something else to this matter?"

While chatting, the carriage arrived at the place where the eldest prince was hosting a banquet.

Yu Chigui frowned and said, "But being too involved in the dispute over the crown prince is not a good thing for you."

Lu Chen nodded and said: "This junior understands that at least His Majesty did not force me to do this. If the eldest prince is too paranoid by then, I will not get involved too deeply, as long as I can look good."

"There is no good thing in this world that can only be enjoyed without giving."

Yuchi Gui naturally understood this truth. Not to mention the matter of eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor, just because the emperor generously rewarded Lu Chen, it was not too much to give him this task.

The carriage stopped in front of the gatehouse. As soon as Lu Chen came out, he saw the palace chief Shi Liao Renzhang, whom he had met once before, waiting in front of the door with a smile on his face.

Yuchi Gui felt curious.

Because of the trust and closeness between the two, Lu Chen spoke more directly in front of him, saying: "Most of the princes are better than the women in the palace. It is an illusion to expect them to understand the human heart. Except for a few people with extraordinary talents, I Even if a person is smart, he is only smart in small things. Even if all aspects of training are in place, there are countless examples these days of noble people eventually growing crooked."

Lu Chen smiled freely, and then said: "I was granted the title of Marquis at a young age, and was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp. This is your majesty's respect and trust in me. Although I did make contributions in the border wars, my seniors should know Compared with my current status, those achievements are slightly insufficient."

Yuchi Gui nodded and said: "This is true, just like Lin Jie is the best in the world, except for raising your senior sister who is bound to achieve success, his other children are not outstanding. It can be seen that everyone has his destiny and should not force it."

Lu Chen nodded slightly and said: "From ancient times to the present, when it comes to the inheritance of imperial power, it is not uncommon for fathers and sons to turn against each other and even kill each other. His Majesty does not want to come to that point, and if he personally tells the eldest prince that there is no hope for the crown prince, there will be no room for maneuver in the matter. I entered the palace in the morning to meet the Holy Spirit, and although His Majesty did not say it explicitly, I could tell that he hoped that I could try to handle this matter."

"It's actually not difficult to deal with His Highness Prince Chen. After all, I'm just going to the banquet. Does he have the guts to force me to express my position on the spot? It's nothing more than perfunctory."

He said in a solemn tone: "You still have to be careful after all."

Fengyuan Garden is not large in area, but there is something else inside. It has always only entertained dignitaries from the capital.

Lu Chen exhaled a breath and said slowly: "Before the Yuanjia Incident, several princes were still young, and His Majesty was just an ordinary prince far away from the center at that time. He had never thought about it and could not teach according to the standards of a prince. Otherwise, they will only cause trouble in vain. After His Majesty ascended the throne, he focused all his energy on the court, so how could he have time to teach them step by step? Although several princes were invited to have great scholars as their teachers, how many of them could teach them in front of the prince? Do you fulfill your duty as a teacher?"

Of course, the eldest prince would not choose a crowded place like Moyuan or Fanlou. This Fengyuan Garden is located in a relatively quiet part of the West City, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the environment is particularly quiet.

"I'm going to see Lord Lu."

Liao Renzhang stepped forward and saluted.

Lu Chen smiled and said: "Liao Changshi doesn't need to be polite. Where is the prince now?"

Liao Renzhang replied: "Your Highness has arrived and is having tea in Yashe. Mr. Marquis, please follow me."

He was the first to lead the way. Lu Chen only took Qin Zilong and a few others to Yashe. Naturally, the palace steward was responsible for entertaining the other soldiers.

After a while, Lu Chen came to Yashe. Before he walked into the door, he heard a cheerful voice coming from inside.

"The Marquis of Shanyang is here. Please don't be offended that I didn't come far enough to greet you."

For a prince, such an attitude is enough to be called a courteous corporal, and it is also in line with the gentle image that the eldest prince has always shown in front of the world.

Lu Chen raised his eyes and saw that the eldest prince was wearing regular clothes and had a warm expression. Coupled with his dignified appearance, he felt as if he was taking a breath of spring breeze.

He stepped forward and said politely: "I have met His Highness, how dare I go to the trouble of greeting His Highness." The eldest prince took his arm affectionately and said with a smile: "Others cannot afford it, but you can. Please."

During the time he came to the capital, Lu Chen had seen the arrogance and domineeringness of the third prince, and also experienced the calmness and ease of the second prince. Now he could feel the benevolence of the eldest prince face to face.

If one had not heard what the Emperor said with one's own ears, it would be difficult for anyone to believe that beneath the gentle and humble appearance of the eldest prince, there was such a violent and arrogant temperament.

Lu Chen followed the eldest prince into the elegant residence. After the two of them sat down, Pingping Tingting's maid offered them tea.

After inviting tea, the eldest prince said with emotion: "Actually, when you returned to the capital, I wanted to invite you for a chat, but my second brother took the lead, and I couldn't compete with him. So many things happened later. , I know that you are too busy to touch the ground, let alone delay your business, so I have been delaying it until now."

Lu Chen said calmly: "Your Highness is so kind to me, I am deeply grateful."

The eldest prince felt a little disappointed. After all, what he said was so sincere. Lu Chen should be more honest, instead of using polite words like he is doing now.

Of course, he also knew that some things could not be rushed, so he suppressed the emotions in his heart and continued to praise: "You are a capable minister that my father values, whether you are leading troops in the border battles or assisting my father in eradicating traitors in the capital. Each one of them is very difficult, and I see it all, so I specially set up a banquet to show my respect."

"Your Highness is serious in your words. I am just doing my duty and don't dare to take credit for it."

Lu Chen still maintained a relatively appropriate distance.

The scribes in Prince Chen's residence had made many deductions about today's banquet, so the eldest prince had already been mentally prepared for Lu Chen's reluctance.

Seeing that he still refused to take over his words, the eldest prince smiled heartily, and then began to ask Lu Chen about the details of the border war.

Lu Chen's narration was very boring, but the eldest prince seemed to have listened to a magnificent story, sometimes sighing with regret, sometimes praising each section.

It was as if he was the most perfect listener in the world.

……

In Nancheng, a palace was built.

On the inner terrace of the back house, the third prince Li Zongjian was holding a long sword and practicing a set of sword techniques.

His movements were quite standard and he looked decent.

After a while, the third prince stood up with his sword put away, looking at the long sword in his hand, and said with regret: "Although the boss has no brains, he has a good talent for martial arts. It can be seen that the way of heaven is constant and has its own destiny."

There were no servants here, only Queen Xu's natal nephew Xu Ruqing was there.

Hearing the words of the third prince, Xu Ruqing said calmly: "Your Highness has a noble status, why do you need to wield swords and guns like a wild man in the rivers and lakes? Practicing martial arts is to strengthen your body. This is not difficult for Your Highness, and it does not require a high level. talent."

The third prince came over and wiped his face with a towel, and said with emotion: "I still like to hear you tell the truth. Everyone has their own areas of expertise. The key is to be able to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses."

Xu Ruqing nodded and said, "Lu Chen has arrived at Fengyuan Garden, and our people are in place."

The third prince smiled softly and said leisurely: "Do you know why I am sure that Lu Chen will attend the banquet?"

Xu Ruqing knew his temperament well, so she waited quietly for the next step.

The third prince continued: "Because my father can't bear the eldest brother to go to a dead end. In my father's opinion, if you want to make your second brother the prince, you don't need to take into account my mood, as long as you appease the eldest brother. The eldest brother thinks that this banquet is for him to win over Lu Chen. At the beginning, little did he know that in my father’s heart, Lu Chen might be able to help him convince the boss and dispel his desire to continue fighting for the throne.”

He stepped forward, and Xu Ruqing followed closely and asked: "If our people succeed today, will your Majesty doubt His Highness?"

The third prince said calmly: "The boss has a temper that is lenient on the outside and jealous on the inside. He and Lu Chen will definitely have a lot of trouble today. Lu Chen was ambushed on the way back, so the boss is naturally the biggest suspect. What does he have to do with others? Furthermore, This banquet has not been made public, so besides the boss, who else would know Lu Chen’s whereabouts?”

Xu Ruqing couldn't help but said in admiration: "In addition, Li Sanlang is involved in this matter. As long as he reveals a little bit of information to the Prime Minister's Mansion, the old Prime Minister will have no choice but to blame the eldest prince in order to preserve the wealth of the Li family. "

"Old Prime Minister?"

The third prince smiled, shook his head and said: "The old prime minister doesn't have many days left. I just want to tie Li Shizhi to the boat. I won't be able to let him sit calmly on the shore again. I really can't worry about it."

At this point, he turned around and warned: "Although we have made detailed arrangements, the guards around Lu Chen, Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers, might be experts. You go meet the No. 6 in the world again and ask him to do his best. A hit will kill you."

Xu Ruqing bowed and said, "As ordered."

After he left, the third prince looked up at the bright sunshine, with a chill in his eyes.

He suddenly waved his backhand, and the long sword was immediately released, and then a flower bed under the corridor was torn into pieces.

"Without blood or death, how can the overall situation be reversed?"

The third prince laughed to himself and shook his head.

(End of this chapter)