The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 902: Qualified Old Taishan

Unlike before when he always racked his brains to win over the court officials, Hou Junji now had a feeling of pride that, "I may ignore you today, but you will be out of my reach tomorrow," so much so that he subconsciously revealed a smile on his face.

There was even a mischievous and playful mentality deep in his heart. Hou Junji really wanted to know how frustrated and cursing those court officials would be when the Crown Prince's true identity was revealed to the world, and then how good their expressions would be when they returned to the East Palace to lick his stinky feet again.
"Hehehe"

Unconsciously, this joyful emotion expressed from the heart even affected Hou Junji, making him laugh out loud in the empty hall.

The eunuchs and maids guarding the palace gate were all surprised.

Every time the Crown Princess's father came to the East Palace, he was in a heavy mood and looked miserable. Only when he saw the Crown Princess and her son would he force a smile and encourage his daughter.

Why was I so happy about this trip to Liaodong? Was it because I would see my daughter and grandson soon?

"Greetings to the Crown Princess, His Royal Highness the Grandson of the Emperor!"

The greetings from the guards and servants broke Hou Junji's fantasy. He quickly restrained his expression and stood up.

A graceful woman appeared at the entrance of the hall, holding a five-year-old boy and slowly walked in.

The moment Hou Junji saw his daughter, his good mood disappeared and he became depressed. After not seeing her for a year, his daughter looked thinner and thinner. She was wearing a moon-white dress. Her face was still as beautiful as a flower, but the sadness between her eyebrows was so deep that it could not be dispelled.

When she was at her parents' home, my daughter was a little plump.

After marrying into the East Palace, she was only happy for three months, and then she fell into longing and lived a widow's life. Later, she was lingering in great panic. Every time she came to see her daughter, she was worried. After she went to Liaodong for a year, her daughter lost a lot of weight.

The bones on her cheeks are more obvious and her eye sockets are a little sunken.

"Grandpa, where have you been?"

After seeing Hou Junji's figure, the child being held by Haitang's eyes lit up, and he broke free from Haitang's restraint, took a step with his short legs, and flew into Hou Junji's arms. He said in a soft voice: "Why haven't you come to see Xiang'er for so long? Are you like them and don't like Xiang'er anymore?"

"The elephant must be obedient. Grandpa, please don't abandon the elephant, okay?"

Listening to the child's tender plea in his arms, Hou Junji felt a pain in his heart, tears welled up in his eyes, and he hugged his grandson tightly in his arms. He sighed in his heart, what's the good of being born in an imperial family, the prince has a home but can't return, and his daughter is a widow in the East Palace.

The grandson in front of me was born without a father.

For the first time, Hou Junji regretted marrying his daughter into the imperial family in order to curry favor with the rich and powerful. It would have been better if he had married her to an ordinary person so that the family could be reunited.

Relying on his title of Duke, he can live a happy life.

As if sensing his grandfather's excitement, the five-year-old Li Xiangshen wiped away the tears on Hou Junji's face with his little hands, and said innocently, "Grandpa, don't be sad. I heard from my mother that grandpa lost the battle outside, so he can't come back to see Xiang'er."

"Grandpa, what is a defeat?"

Hou Junji was unwilling to reveal his vulnerable side in front of his daughter and grandson, which only made his daughter more worried.

"Xiang'er, losing is like Xiang'er losing to Aunt Sizi in a writing contest."

The Sizi mentioned by Hou Junji was the youngest daughter of Li Shimin and Empress Changsun, Princess Jinyang Li Mingda, who was a little younger than Li Xiang. After Li Yan left Chang'an, Empress Changsun often took Haitang and Li Xiang to live in the palace.

Li Xiang and Li Mingda both grew up in Qiyun Palace. Although the two children are of different generations, they are very familiar with each other and their relationship is better than that of siblings.

After that, Hou Jun took out a wave drum from his arms, and gently turned it, making a dong dong sound, which instantly attracted the child's attention. Li Xiang smiled brightly and stretched out his chubby little hands to grab this new and strange toy that he had never seen before.

Hou Junji held it high, and the grandfather and grandson teased each other wantonly. The long-lost laughter echoed in the empty hall.

After a while, Haitang asked the maid to take Li Xiang out to play, leaving the father and daughter alone in the palace.

"Father has been in Liaodong for more than a year. This time he comes back to Beijing, he can stay for a while, right?" Haitang looked expectantly at her father, who was only in his forties with a white head on his temples, feeling a little guilty.

My father was a famous general in the previous dynasty. Later, he followed Emperor Wude to start a rebellion and achieved success at an early age. After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he became an important military general in the court and had great authority.

But for his own sake, he took on the responsibility of the Eastern Palace alone, worked hard, and was exhausted, and his hair turned white when he reached middle age.

If he had not been eager to make a contribution in Liaodong this time, he would not have taken down this building.

I heard that the Turks were getting stronger in the north and had captured the Anbei Grand Military Governor's Office. The one who started it was the Right Wise King who was released by my father in Liaodong City. Now that Lord Changsun has not returned, the Emperor has summoned my father back. I guess he wants to punish him again.

Unexpectedly, Hou Junji was not depressed after hearing this. Instead, he excitedly told his daughter about the previous meeting with the emperor, and said with great interest, "Not only did the emperor not blame you, but he entrusted you with an important task. You don't have to worry!"

"So, my father is going to go on a diplomatic mission to the grassland to meet the Right Wise King?"

Haitang didn't feel relieved when she heard this. Instead, she stood up anxiously. "I heard that the Right Wise King was cruel and bloodthirsty, and killed people without blinking an eye. My father almost killed him in Liaodong City. If he comes to my door this time, how can the Right Wise King not take revenge on my father?"

"Why don't I bring Xiang'er into the palace later and beg my mother to take on this task for my father." Hou Junji's face froze. He suddenly realized that knowing the prince's true identity was not a good thing.

Everyone thinks differently than you do.
The prince led thousands of troops on the grassland, commanding them with great force and traveling across the world.

But I am in Chang'an, affected by the information gap and constantly in two positions. If I am not careful, I will be caught in a dilemma. Instead of this, it is better to stay in the dark and worry with everyone else.

"that."

Hou Junji quickly organized his words in his mind: "Haitang, don't worry. Lord Erfang has considered this. The Right Wise Prince escaped from my father's hands. It is a crime for the Tang Dynasty, but it is not a bad thing for the Right Wise Prince!"

"Father's mission will be safe and secure. There will be no danger."

Seeing his daughter's worried eyes and increasingly haggard body, Hou Junji felt a little bit reluctant. It was unknown how many years it would take for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to return to the capital, and his daughter was so worried every day that she might not be able to hold on until then.

For the sake of his daughter's health and safety, Hou Junji felt that he should give his daughter some hope so that she would have something to look forward to.

I have been through this myself, and I know firsthand how important news about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is to the relatives around him.

Even if I can't see him in person, just knowing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still alive is a great encouragement.

After hesitating for a while, Hou Junji made up his mind and turned to look inside the hall. The maids and eunuchs were all outside.

He carefully took out a brocade bag from his bosom and handed it to his daughter: "Haitang, look, what is this?"

Haitang took it curiously. Although the brocade bag was exquisite, she had never seen it before and looked confused.

"Open it and see what's inside."

Haitang then untied the knot on the brocade bag and pulled out a brocade handkerchief from it. When she saw the pattern on it, her eyes suddenly froze, her breathing quickened, she stood up abruptly, and looked at her father with a slightly trembling body.

The pretty face that had originally looked lifeless due to the loneliness suddenly became excited, with infinite expectation in her eyes: "Father, this is the dowry you gave me."

"My daughter gave it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince herself. Shouldn't it be here?"

"Hush, keep your voice down"

Hou Junji signaled his daughter not to alarm others, and finally lowered his voice and said, "Do you think your father is really old and confused, and let him go because he fell into the conspiracy of the Right Wise King in Liaodong City and lost Jingzhou?"

"Father, you are..."

Haitang was a little confused. How did they get involved with the matter of Liaodong City again? Her mind was in a mess and she couldn't think normally at all. Hope was rekindled in her heart after years of despair. She couldn't wait to know the news about her husband.

"Father, please tell me now!"

Haitang looked anxious: "There has been no news from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for the past five or six years. Even my father and mother thought that he was in danger. But my daughter and Xiang'er refused to believe it. We held on to that little hope. Please don't keep us in suspense!"

Hou Junji then told his daughter an excuse that would give her hope but not make things too chaotic: "To tell you the truth, the reason why father let Youxian Wang go in Liaodong City was because of the handkerchief in his hand."

"Could it be that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince died at the hands of the Right Wise King?" Haitang's face turned pale. How could her husband have a good ending after meeting this cruel and tyrannical Right Wise King?

"No, it's not what you think."

Facing his daughter's anxious eyes, Hou Junji hurriedly explained: "According to the Right Wise King, he once met a young man from the Central Plains in the Mobei area at the beginning of the fourth year of Zhenguan. This handkerchief came from that young man."

Haitang stared at Hou Junji without blinking, her eyes shining, and she said excitedly: "That young man must be the lost prince. What happened to him later? Where did he go?"

"After a brief encounter, the two separated again. The Right Wise King had lofty ambitions and vowed to make a name for himself in the northern desert. Later, he went to the Turks. As for the young man, it is said that he left with a caravan, heading south to the Central Plains."

"It's just that the boy seemed to have suffered a head injury and lost his memory. He doesn't remember anything!"

As an elder, Hou Junji naturally had to find a way to clean up the mess for Li Yan.

Over the past year, he has been thinking about how to explain his behavior when the Crown Prince returns to Central Plains in the future.

Later, in Liaodong Road, he overheard Zhangsun Wuji talking about a case in which a teenager tried to evade the responsibility of supporting his parents by pretending to have lost his memory. This incident gave Hou Junji an inspiration. Being injured and losing his memory was a reason that could be used for both offense and defense.

Only in this way can we explain why he served as the Right Wise King in the Turkic Empire instead of returning to be the Crown Prince, and why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ignored his parents, wife and children and lingered outside the Great Wall.

I have to say that Hou Junji is really a qualified old Taishan. He is worried about Li Yan. On the one hand, he has to deceive the emperor for the prince, and on the other hand, he has to deceive his daughter for his son-in-law.

(End of this chapter)