Peach Blossom.

At noon, a carriage drove from the Duke of Qiao's mansion to the palace gate.

In the car, Chen Ji told Si Rong that Chen Liang's family were all in Jiaozhou. It would be best if Chen Liang could go to Jiaozhou to take up a post and reunite with his family, which would also save him from having to find another place to live in Beijing.

Si Rong remembered them all.

The two got off the car outside the Shiqian Palace and went in together to pay their respects to Si Yuan.

At that time, Si Yuan was still reading memorials in the middle room of Shiqian Hall as usual. Madam Han was still accompanying him in the hall and was instructing the maid to serve lunch.

Si Yuan saw that Si Rong was a little pregnant, so he hurriedly asked her to sit down, and then asked with a smile: "Since you are not feeling well, why don't you stay at home and rest?"

"I'm pregnant for ten months, how can I sit at home every day? I'll be bored to death." Si Rong was not in a hurry to sit down, but moved to Si Yuan's side, looked at the memorial in Si Yuan's hand, and asked, "What is your father looking at?"

It turned out that the memorial in Si Yuan's hand contained the names and titles of the concubines left behind by Emperor Xiaozong.

Si Yuan smiled and replied, "Most of Emperor Xiaozong's concubines are related to the Meng family. It is not appropriate to execute them, nor is it appropriate to banish them. I can only take them into the harem and hold the canonization ceremony in two days."

"Oh... is that so?" Si Rong looked up at Madam Han and couldn't help laughing: "Madam Han is really generous this time."

Madam Han heard this and just smiled faintly: "Princess, you are wrong. It is common for the emperor to enrich the harem. Why do you need me to be magnanimous?"

Si Rong took Si Yuan's arm again and asked with a smile: "Father, your idea of ​​arranging the harem is very good. Should we also arrange for the officials of the previous dynasty?"

Seeing Si Rong's coquettish smile, Si Yuan understood: "Are you here to ask for an official position?"

Si Rong leaned her head on Si Yuan's shoulder, smiled and nodded.

Si Yuan asked again: "For whom?"

Si Rong lowered her head and said a little embarrassedly: "Our family's chief butler, Ma Da."

"Oh... motor..." Si Yuan nodded meaningfully, then looked up at Chen Ji who was standing in front of the table.

Si Rong said hurriedly: "Although Ma Da is of a low birth, his skills are not inferior to those generals. Moreover, in Yongchang, he trained the troops every day and made great contributions, but he did not ask for anything for many years. Shouldn't he be given a position?"

"That makes sense." Si Yuan looked at Si Rong with a smile on his face, then looked up at Mrs. Han.

Mrs. Han knew what Si Yuan meant. She turned around and took down a booklet from the bookshelf on the left. She opened a page and reported to Si Yuan, "There is no candidate for the position of Zhongguanling yet."

Si Rong immediately retorted, "No, the position of Zhongguanling is too low. The Meng family has many vacancies, what about others?"

Madam Han had a faint sneer on her face and stretched the book to the right again: "Shi Yushi, there is still one vacancy."

Si Rong thought about it and shook her head again: "No, Ma Da is a martial artist and has not read much, so he is not very good at this."

Madam Han glanced at Si Rong and extended the booklet to the right again: "Qiuqi Lieutenant, how is it?"

"This is only the sixth grade, right?" Si Rong muttered, hesitating.

Madam Han sneered and said to Si Rong, "Princess, officials in our dynasty all started out as lowly officials and worked their way up one rank at a time. Even if they were born into a good family, there has never been a direct promotion to the sixth rank, let alone someone born into a slave family? This is already a leapfrog, don't you think it's not enough, Princess?"

Chen Ji also smiled and advised Si Rong: "The sixth rank is already a high position, Rong'er, don't be picky."

Si Rong curled her lips and didn't comment. She continued, pushing Si Yuan's arm and saying, "There is another person, Chen Liang, the deputy general of Chen Ji's father."

Madam Han held the booklet in her hand and sneered again, "Although there have been some people who have come to ask for official positions in the past two days, they only ask for one position at most. But the princess came here and asked for two?"

"I am the most honorable princess of Da Qi. What's the point of asking for just two official positions?" Si Rong rolled her eyes and shook Si Yuan: "Show me if there are any vacancies in Jiaozhou?"

Si Yuan smiled and waved to Mrs. Han.

Mrs. Han had a stern face and had to turn the page again. She answered unhappily, "There is a county lieutenant."

Si Rong rejected it without thinking: "It's too low. No."

"Then there is no more. Jiaozhou is the only vacancy." Mrs. Han said and closed the booklet.

Si Rong stood up and took the booklet from Madam Han. She realized that Madam Han had read from the bottom to the bottom. She started from the beginning and saw that the first vacant position was for the second-rank governor. She couldn't help but feel angry: "This governor position is still vacant, and you only mentioned those low-ranking officials?"

Madam Han said, "Someone has already asked for the position of Protector-General."

Si Rong asked hurriedly: "Who?"

Madam Han replied calmly, "My elder brother, Han Jing. The emperor has given him the seal of the emperor."

Si Rong stared at Madam Han and recalled carefully. She remembered that when Si Yuan ascended the throne, he gave Han Jing the position of Tingwei: "What about Tingwei?"

Madam Han said, "The current Chief Justice is Shang Lei, the younger brother of Grand Marshal Shang Yun."

Si Rong laughed, a laugh that was full of sarcasm. In her opinion, weren't Shang Yun and Madam Han in the same group?

"Are you quick enough?" Si Rong looked down on Madam Han, walked back to Si Yuan, slammed the booklet on the table with a loud bang, and then shouted to Si Yuan, "Appoint Chen Liang as the governor of Jiaozhou."

Before Si Yuan could say anything, Madam Han's voice came from behind: "The governor of Jiaozhou is not available, how can we appoint him?"

"I don't care. You guys just find a way to free up some space for me." Si Rong crossed her arms across her chest, looking arrogant.

Si Yuan stood up, gently supported Si Rong's back, and advised with a smile: "Don't be angry. This is easy. Transfer the current Jiaozhou governor to another place, or promote him to a Beijing official, and there will naturally be a vacancy."

Madam Han was shocked and said, "Isn't the emperor spoiling the princess too much?"

Si Rong replied to Madam Han without any hesitation: "I thought that the emperor spoiled you!"

Madam Han was indignant and questioned, "Han Jing was a military officer in Yongchang. How many years has he led the troops? According to seniority, it is his turn. What does it have to do with me?"

Si Rong smiled maliciously and just ridiculed the other party: "When my grandfather was the emperor, Chen Liang was the General Dingyuan, fighting in many battles. At that time, Han Jing still wore open-crotch pants."

When Madam Han was about to speak again, Si Yuan stopped her: "Stop talking, Rong'er is pregnant, do you want to make her angry?"

Mrs. Han had no choice but to shut up, but her whole face turned red.

Si Rong was very pleased with herself, and continued to look down the book, only to see that the second vacant position was the Minister of Rites: "Is the Minister of Rites filled?"

Si Yuan smiled and replied: "Not yet, do you have a candidate?"

"No, I just want to learn about it first. Maybe I will need it next time." Si Rong said, looking down.

"The position of Minister of Rites is urgently needed, but there is no suitable person. As for the enthronement ceremony of these concubines, we have to ask the Crown Prince to plan it first." Si Yuan seemed a little tired as he spoke, holding on to the table and walking towards his chair.

Si Rong quickly put down the booklet and helped Si Yuan sit down. She felt that Si Yuan seemed exhausted: "Father, you feel tired after just a few steps?"

"Since I slept for a whole day and night last time and dreamed of your mother, I seem to have lost a lot of strength." Si Yuan reached out and stroked the knife with the word "Yuan" engraved on the table, smiling slightly: "That's why there are rumors outside that I died of illness. Even the prince was almost deceived."

Si Rong suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and all the pride she had just felt disappeared.

Chen Ji carefully observed Si Yuan's face. The blood color gradually decreased and became more waxy yellow. He secretly thought that Si Yuan might not have much time left.

Si Yuan opened the list of concubines' titles again, and Si Rong looked at it as well. This time she could tell it was Si Xiu's handwriting.

Chen Ji bowed to Si Yuan and said, "Father, the prince is young and I am afraid it will be difficult for him to handle all these etiquette matters. I think that the prince's father-in-law, Marquis Anfeng, is very suitable for the position of Minister of Rites. Even if he is in poor health and cannot serve the country for a long time, he can take over temporarily to solve the urgent problem."

Si Yuan sighed and said with a smile: "It is suitable, but he does not want to stay in the capital and has already gone to his fiefdom."

"Has he already gone to his fiefdom?" Chen Ji pretended to be surprised.

Si Yuan raised his head, looked at Chen Ji, and nodded: "He came to see me yesterday evening and asked to leave the capital for his fiefdom. I heard from the prince that he left early this morning."

"This..." Chen Ji only uttered one word, pretending to be very embarrassed.

Si Yuan looked at Chen Ji's hesitation and seemed to find it very interesting: "What's wrong?"

Si Rong didn't know why Chen Ji behaved like this and felt very strange.

Chen Ji bowed again and replied, "Father has always not wanted his family to be suspicious of each other, so there is something that I have known for a long time but never mentioned, but today I heard that Marquis Anfeng left the capital, so I am afraid I have to tell you."

Si Yuan's curiosity had been completely aroused by Chen Ji. He waved his hand to signal the palace maids in the hall to retreat, and then focused all his attention on Chen Ji.

Chen Ji said, "I once accidentally obtained a letter. The recipient was Anfeng Hou's father, the former Minister of the Interior Wang Yi, and the writer of the letter... turned out to be the King of Wei."

"King of Wei?" Si Yuan was shocked. Although there had been no war between Wei and Qi in these years, there were often disputes at the border and they had never been in peace.

"Yes, I have carefully kept this letter, and it is still in my study. If you don't believe it, I can go back and get it immediately. There is the seal of the King of Wei on it, so it is absolutely correct." Chen Ji lowered his head and reported calmly: "I remember that after your father led the old people of Yongchang to leave Yongchang, Wang Yi disappeared from Yongchang Palace very soon, and never appeared in Daqi again. Before your father went to Beijing, Wang Yi's third son Wang Ao and eldest grandson Wang Geng also left Beijing. If my guess is correct, they probably went to Wei State and joined the King of Wei. Now that Anfeng Hou has left Beijing, if he only went to his fiefdom Anfeng, then it's nothing, but I'm afraid he didn't go to Anfeng..."

Everyone present could hear the implication of Chen Ji's words. If Wang Jing, as the father-in-law of Qi, colluded with Wei, the disaster would be disastrous. Moreover, the Wang family members quietly migrated from Qi to Wei one by one, which sounded very much like a premeditated plan.

Si Yuan held the table with his hands, staring at Chen Ji for a long time, without saying a word.

Chen Ji kept his head down, as if he didn't dare to face Si Yuan's direct gaze, and it was difficult for him to guess what Si Yuan was thinking.

After a while of silence in the hall, Si Yuan finally spoke again: "What do you think we should do?"

Chen Ji still leaned forward and replied, "I think we should pursue Anfeng Hou. If he is only going to his fiefdom, then we don't need to worry about him anymore. If he is heading north to Wei, we should recall him immediately. From now on, all the officials of the Wang family must stay in the capital to prevent any changes in the northern country."

Si Yuan nodded and ordered: "Then I will send you to track down Marquis Anfeng. If he is on his way to Wei, summon him back to the capital immediately. Also, remember to find the letter you mentioned and give it to me."

Chen Ji was secretly delighted and quickly accepted the order: "I obey your order. I will arrange it right away."

After saying this, Chen Ji bowed and stepped back, ready to go out.

Si Rong hurriedly walked out from behind the desk and grabbed Chen Ji: "Is it really that urgent? It's time for lunch soon. Are you going on an empty stomach?"

"There is no time to lose. If Marquis Anfeng enters the territory of Wei, Xuan will not be able to come back." Chen Ji smiled, kissed the back of Si Rong's hand, and then pushed Si Rong's hand away.