The villain has been playing badly for ten years

The sky was gloomy, and rain was hitting the banana leaves outside the door, making the eaves tiles look like pearls. It must be the rainy season, and it had been raining for several days in a row.

Ning Xiu Suguan stayed in his study as usual, painting with his brush. Perhaps because he had been bored these days, he couldn't help but have a sense of poverty.

This caused the air pressure in the mansion to drop, and the servants kept silent, fearing that they would bring bad luck upon themselves.

"Oh, my Lord, my Lord, my Lord!"

Wu Er, however, rushed over in a hurry as if his buttocks were on fire.

He paused and looked up: "What's the matter?"

"The palace has come to announce the decree and is now in the courtyard!"

Ning Xiusu was a little surprised and quickly straightened his clothes and went over.

He just felt strange along the way. He had been an invisible man outside the Great Wall for more than ten years, and the male protagonist Fang Jinchuan had already become the emperor. At this time, he probably had forgotten who he was.

Under the locust tree in the courtyard, the palace servants, wearing futou and red official robes, saw the visitor in frosty white and cold clothes coming up and kneeling before them, then they slowly unfolded the amnesty decree.

"Heaven has commanded the Emperor, and you shall receive it: Last night I had a dream, and suddenly I felt the joy of our long-standing brotherhood. I have specially prepared a banquet at Quchi Jade and summoned you to the palace. I decree this."

"Your Majesty, please accept the order and thank me."

Ning Xiusu quickly reached out to receive the order, and the palace attendant added:

"The Emperor, upon hearing that Prince Xian had endured great adversity and yet was blessed with great fortune, was deeply moved. He asked this expert to remind Prince Xian that now that the world is at peace, it's time to go and have a reunion."

He shouted "Long live the emperor" with his mouth, but his heart was beating fast.

Fang Jinchuan and I are not from the same mother. We didn't get along very well when we were young, but now that we're older, he starts to reminisce about the past.

What's more, he didn't even invite me when his youngest son ascended the throne last year... Could it be that he really missed me as his brother?

How strange.

After the people in the palace left, Ning Xiusu began to think about the past stories.

Back then, the late emperor had five sons, but two of them died in the ancient power struggles. Only he, the retired emperor Fang Jinchuan, and Prince Sheng Gu Cibei were left.

Ning Xiusu is the youngest among the family, but he is also quite old. However, because he is of mermaid blood, he does not live according to the average age of ordinary people. His lifespan ends at 300 years old.

After much thought, he suspected that this entry into the palace might be to arrange a marriage for him... After all, this Quchi Yuqiong Banquet was a family banquet, and all the guests invited were ministers with meritorious service, including many female generals and ministers.

If the emperor was afraid that he would rebel in the future, he would probably have to find a way to restrain him.

Apart from this, Ning Xiusu racked his brains but could not think of any other important matter that would require him to go to the capital.

……

The scenery is slightly cool, and the overnight rain has not yet dried up.

The journey was bumpy, but fortunately the carriage had been modified by a mechanic, and the horses were good and strong, so they ran very fast, and within a few days they arrived at the capital.

Ning Xiusu was dressed modestly, in a light bamboo-colored robe with a layer of moon-white gauze on the outside. He stood in the hidden corner of the palace wall as if covered in frost and snow, looking up. This magnificent and imposing city had been awe-inspiring for ten years.

After passing the Imperial Garden, with green pines brushing against the eaves and jade railings surrounding the walls, the splendor of the palace formed a contrast with him, an idle man. As a result, when the eunuch led him to see the retired emperor, he attracted the attention of many palace people.

……

Ning Xiusu thought to himself: Could it be that being too low-key has backfired?

After passing the rear imperial garden, he saw the towering Golden Palace, its walls embracing the palace. After being summoned by the palace attendants, he slowly stepped into the Daqing Palace, where he was greeted by a splendid and magnificent sight.

Although this is the place where the Supreme Emperor handles government affairs, Fang Jinchuan is a Taoist idiot and has almost no interest in government affairs except for the secret manuals of immortal arts.

Therefore, he passed the throne to his youngest son Fang Lin early on, which was equivalent to giving the real power to his first wife.

Ning Xiusu stepped forward and kowtowed. The Supreme Emperor was in his forties, with a beard like a god. He was sitting upright on the golden throne, wiping a magic weapon.

"Get up, Prince Xian."

Fang Jinchuan has shed the arrogance and aloofness of his youth, and now looks as graceful and dignified as an ancient sculpture or painting, but his eyes are narrow and long, and his gaze is gloomy and intimidating.

Ning Xiu stood up politely, and suddenly heard Fang Jinchuan calling his nickname: "Nian Zheng, come to think of it, it's been a long time since we last met."

He was stunned for a moment and said, "About thirteen years."

Fang Jinchuan's expression was calm, showing no trace of disappointment. "Time has flown by so quickly, and you're still about the same as you were when you had your coming-of-age ceremony. It's me who looks older."

How could Ning Xiusu respond to this? He could only say, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and the word 'old' has nothing to do with you."

Fang Jinchuan smiled rarely: "You, you, have you ever blamed me for all these years in that difficult place outside the Great Wall?"

"How dare I? Besides, the climate in Lingnan is pleasant, it's a good place to stay."

He was very satisfied with Ning Xiusu's reply and said, "The Quchi Jade Banquet will be held in two days. You are tired from traveling by boat, so there is no need to go to the palace. You can stay in Yuyan Palace."

Ning Xiu bowed politely and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your consideration."

Fang Jinchuan then waved his hand, and Ning Xiusu did not bother him. He left the Daqing Palace, but couldn't help but complain in his heart.

Logically speaking, Fang Jinchuan has always been resentful of him, so why did he let him stay in the palace?

Could it be that time has faded many things... Ning Xiusu thought, and after turning many corners to the west, he arrived at Yuyan Palace.

This place is hidden among the trees beside a clear stream, dotted with rocks. The interior of the hall is simple and elegant, with slightly mottled and peeling corners, which makes it extremely quiet.

He stayed alone in the room for a while, but it was so boring that he wandered around the corridor outside the hall.

The breeze was blowing and the bamboo shadows were hazy, and suddenly I saw Meng Qilian.

He looked much the same as when we first met, with a figure as strong as a pine tree, unrestrained and uninhibited, and he always liked black and white tight clothes that showed the spirit of the martial arts world. Now that he was the prince's tutor, he no longer wore a Confucian robe.

Meng Qilian saw where he was looking and walked quickly forward with a smile on his face: "Nian Zheng, what a coincidence! I just came out of the Imperial Library and was just about to come and talk to you."

Ning Xiusu had known him for many years and was very happy to see him, so he drank and chatted happily in Yuyan Hall.

Meng Qilian looked around his residence, looking somewhat indignant: "Your Majesty, why did you choose such a shabby place? It seems that you still feel that your life outside the Great Wall is not hard enough.

Ning Xiusu gathered his sleeves and sat down lazily at the table: "It's okay, there are just a few more mosquitoes."

Meng Qilian poured the wine, looked at him, shook his head and said, "Hey, what can I say about you? You're a peaceful person and don't take anything to heart."

"Oh right," he suddenly thought of something, "I'm afraid I can't protect you last time."

Ning Xiusu knew he was referring to Hu Xiaoxiao and asked him, "Why?"

"Something has happened here."

After Meng Qilian finished speaking, he placed a piece of jade-like rough stone on the table.

This is one of the rare treasures collected by the Privy Council, and it can block out sound and receive audio.

Ning Xiusu knew that what he was going to say next might be of great importance, so he asked, "What happened?"

"Did you know that the Bi Fu Dan Yu painting was stolen from Shi Cheng Tower?"

The Shicheng Tower was where the palace stored historical books and archives from past dynasties, but Ning Xiusu didn't know much about it.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Meng Qilian suddenly realized, "How could I have forgotten? You've been living outside the Great Wall for so long, cut off from the news. How could you possibly know about these secrets of the imperial palace?"

"What secret?" Ning Xiusu picked up a piece of melon.

Meng Qilian was in no hurry to tell the story and asked, "You should know the palace's Lingtai Taibu."

Ning Xiusu thought for a moment and said, "You mean Mo Zhaoshan? I met him once ten years ago."

"This man presented the Empress Dowager with a gift from Heaven: a painting of jade and red cornel. On the surface, this painting was meant to congratulate him on the prosperity of Heaven's Way, but in reality, it was a tribute to his past affection for the Empress Dowager, a silent evidence of his guilt."

"what?"

Ning Xiusu was quite surprised.

Ji Qingyu cheated on her? And was having an affair with Taibu? This, this, this... His heart was filled with turmoil.

"I remember that Mo Zhaoshan is very cautious and not a bold person."

Meng Qilian waved his hand: "He is so bold that he dared to use this as a threat to ask the Queen Mother for the Bailuofu in Qianluo Mountain."

"Bai Luofu?"

He frowned slightly. There was no such thing in the novel.

"Bai Luofu is a kind of ore that looks as rough as paper. It can be used to transform Yanjia. Now it is the material used to make Yanren."

The more Ning Xiusu listened, the more curious he became, and he suddenly thought of the crystal-like human face.

Those people...could they be Yan people?

Seeing that he didn't say a word, Meng Qilian thought he was listening intently and continued:

"Later, the treasure map was stolen, and the Tianzhao Mansion secretly discovered that the thief was the female mermaid. In order to prevent the evidence from being exposed, the Queen Mother would definitely destroy the person."

"When was the treasure map stolen?"

"Last winter month."

It seems that the person who stole the picture was not Hu Xiaoxiao, but the second palace master Meng Ke.

Seeing him deep in thought, Meng Qilian raised his head and took a sip of wine before highlighting the key points:

"Today, the Tianzhao Mansion has received the Queen Mother's secret order to arrest the thief and bring him to justice. The Emperor Retired should not know about this yet..."

Ning Xiusu was shocked again. Damn the crab legs! In his impression, the hero and heroine were very loving.

He really couldn't figure it out. He looked up and saw Meng Qilian staring at him seriously, saying word by word: "So, Nian Zheng, you and I should stay out of this matter."

It seems that Meng Qilian has been in officialdom for a long time and is well versed in the ups and downs of officialdom. He is no longer the naive young man he used to be.

He could only nod and asked, "But how do you know such a secret?

"I knew you'd ask that," Meng Qilian said, taking a long sip of wine. "You've forgotten what I'm doing. Mo Zhaoshan hid a secret message in the Bi Fu Dan Yu map, thinking no one knew. But there's no secret message in this world that I, Meng Qilian, can't decipher."

Ning Xiusu could only say: "You even dare to peek at the Queen Mother's things. You are worthy of being like that."

Meng Qilian shook his head: "I dare not peek, I only see it occasionally, but I would never dare to publicize such a capital crime."

As he spoke, he suddenly glanced at him and said, "What's your relationship with that mermaid?"

Ning Xiusu thought of Hua Jianbai and replied casually, "Just a friend from the martial arts world."

"Hey, I know you like to make friends with wandering wuxia people, but just don't get involved in this matter."

Ning Xiusu smiled and told him not to worry, and chatted with him for a while. Not long after, Meng Qilian said he had important matters to attend to, so he left.