Tianhuang nobleman

In Lingnan Prince's Mansion, Bai Renping retreated from the crowd, lowered his voice and asked eagerly: "How's the inquiry going? Whose idea is this?"

Cen Chaoge frowned, and said in a low voice, "It's what Princess Dunsu meant."

"Princess Dunsu..." Bai Ren has also heard that this princess's husband's family is a powerful family in the imperial city, with hairpin tassels for generations, very powerful in the court, and Princess Dunsu is an important figure in the clan. Bai Ren recalled what Dong Boru told him the other day about the secrets of the royal family. Qi Xiao is actually the son of Emperor Wu, so it makes sense. As it should be, Bai Ren's headache became more and more serious, "Did Princess Dunsu ask for my sister by name?"

Cen Chaoge shook his head: "It doesn't seem to be... I heard that Princess Dunsu mentioned it on the day she returned to the palace, because she mentioned that it was time to choose a side concubine for His Highness the Crown Prince, so she mentioned our princess, but it was not decided at that time. She is a princess, but for some reason, it was decided to be the princess of Roujia, and it was only a day or two before and after, so it is impossible to send someone to look at it, why... I don't know about it."

Bai Ren's thin lips pursed slightly: "Then let's say...the emperor may not know it yet, even if he knew, he never told his father and the others...there is still room for change, and..."

Bai Ren looked out of the window silently, thinking secretly, Cen Chaoge hesitated and persuaded: "Your Highness, in fact, Princess Roujia is here, and it is not harmful to Your Highness. Your Highness knows the current situation. If the Princess comes, It will be much better."

"Even you say that?" Bai Ren was disappointed, "Chaoge, we grew up together, don't you know my sister's temper? If she enters the prince's mansion, the prince will marry the princess in the future." , and take in a few side concubines... Is my sister still alive?"

Cen Chaoge didn't say a word, and smiled wryly: "I'm also doing it for you. Now we are in an embarrassing situation and we need a rescuer. Although I am not familiar with His Royal Highness, what I saw when I inquired about the news these days From what I heard, if His Highness can get the favor of the Prince's Palace, life will be much easier in the future."

Bai Ren was anxious in his heart, how could he want to listen to this, he frowned and shook his head and said: "I said this and don't think about it... You are tired these two days, go and rest first, I will think about countermeasures..."

Cen Chaoge had no choice but to comfort Bairen and came out. When he didn't want to leave the main hall, he met Dong Boru who was looking for Bairen. Cen Chaoge cupped his hands: "Mr. Dong."

Dong Boru nodded, and asked how the marriage was going, Cen Chaoge still answered, sighed and said: "Sir, it's not that I'm cruel, you've seen the current situation, it's because we have been fighting against the imperial city all these years , there is no distant relative here, our Lingnan Palace is like an isolated island in this capital, no one can rely on, finally got the way of the crown prince, and His Highness actually wants to push it away."

Dong Boru sighed: "Why didn't I persuade His Highness in this way? But His Highness also has his difficulties... Well, it's fine if you can push it away. How can a man be as strong as the sky, how can he entrust his misfortunes and blessings to a weak woman?"

Cen Chaoge smiled wryly: "I used to say things like this before, but only after I came to the imperial city did I understand the depth... Well, since His Highness meant it, I will do it even if it's heart-wrenching. I've been walking around for two days. Knowing this news, I am really ashamed, sir, go in first, and I will go find the way."

Dong Boru knew his difficulty, nodded and went in.

Cen Chaoge took a deep breath, left the Lingnan Prince's Mansion and went to a restaurant in the west of the city.

Cen Chaoge asked the boy to reserve a private room in the restaurant in advance, and Tete ordered their best cook to prepare a table carefully. At that time, Cen Chaoge rushed to the restaurant and waited until noon. Here comes.

"Master Xi, sit down quickly..." Cen Chaoge quickly gave up his seat with a smile, turned around and gave Xiaoer a piece of silver, "serve the food quickly."

Xiaoer hurriedly put the money into his bosom, and went courteously.

Xixiang smiled and said, "Young Master Cen is really polite. How dare our family accept such a grand occasion?"

Cen Chaoge laughed quickly and said, "My lord Xi is just joking. Your lord works hard at the House of Internal Affairs every day. Others don't have time to invite you. Today, I'm not being polite, but your lord is doing me a favor."

Cen Chaoge spoke with joy in his heart, smiled and said "Shengshou" and sat down.

Cen Chaoge's servant quickly stepped forward to fill the two of them with the wine that had been warmed for a long time, and the two chatted politely for a while. When the wine was full of enthusiasm, Cen Chaoge waved his hand to let the servant go out, and said with a smile: "My lord, what I mentioned last time The matter between His Royal Highness and our princess..."

Hearing this, Xi Xiang's face turned pale, and he moved closer and lowered his voice, "Congratulations, Mr. Cen, this matter is a little bit off..."

After Xixiang said this, he stopped talking, pretending to be drunk and just eating vegetables. Cen Chaoge was very disgusted, but he still smiled and took out a bank note from his arms, handed it to Xixiang without a trace, and smiled. Said: "I just don't know what this swear is?"

Xixiang lowered his head, glanced and smiled, and put the banknote into his arms while smiling, "The emperor's kindness is great, and the one hundred thousand shi food relief to Lingnan has been dispatched. We only need to wait for the eighth day of the next month, and the emperor will send An adult escorted them personally, and the ones that went with the food...have a letter of marriage with you."

Cen Chaoge's heart skipped a beat, the eighth day of next month?There are still ten days...

"It's nothing else, oh yes, our family also heard...that because Tonglingnan hasn't been walking for a long time, in addition to those people, we need to pick a few more Lingnan people to go along the way...along the way, so as not to be confused. What's the matter, you know, people from southern Xinjiang can't understand what people on our side speak..." Xixiang seemed to have really drunk too much, hiccupped and laughed, "This person is from where you came this time. A group of people were selected... Haha, your little servant is good for our family, you can ask him if he wants to go home, if he misses home, let him go back with him..."

Cen Chaoge jumped up involuntarily in his heart, paused for a while and said with a smile, "My lord is joking again..."

"Hey! You don't believe our family has this ability, do you?" Xixiang regained his spirits all of a sudden, his eyes widened, he swayed and patted the table and shouted, "As the head of the House of Internal Affairs, this matter is still a little bit serious." Can’t do it? Tell you...don’t...don’t say it’s your servant...it’s you! Our family can also put you on the accompanying list! How difficult it is..."

Cen Chaoge's heartbeat became faster and faster, he quickly supported Xi Xiang to sit up, and smiled apologetically, "What your lord said is true, what you said is..."

"Alas..." Xixiang poured himself a drink, drank another cup, and sighed, "Speaking of it...it's really not easy for you, let's just say you boy, who here treats him like a thing? Everyone instigates him, even the little girl just now didn't take him seriously, our family is not stupid, if this is in your Lingnan, he is not only a servant of Wenxiang, but also a personal servant of you, in the mansion He is a slave, and when he goes out, others treat him like a master! Is this the reason for the prime minister's family slave, the seventh-rank official..."

"That's only in your south of the Five Ridges. When you arrive in the imperial city, what kind of servants of Lingnan Wenxiang? Who has heard of it?" Xixiang realized later that he had said the wrong thing, and lightly slapped himself with a smile. , "Bah! Look at our family's mouth... If you drink a few more sips, you will lose your grip. Don't worry about Mr. Cen, Lingnan Wenxiang is a rare and capable official, and our family has long admired his name..."

Cen Chaoge smiled wryly and shook his head, his words were rough and unreasonable. He has been in Beijing for a month, what else does he not understand? He grew up in Lingnan, and people in Lingnan only recognize the King of Lingnan and don’t know who the emperor is. As the son of the prime minister, he is praised everywhere, even the king of Lingnan pretends to him, and he dare not say that he is calling the wind and calling the rain, but at least there is no need to do such a job of flattering eunuchs. Xixiang glanced at him, feeling more and more disgusted in his heart.

After entering the imperial city, Cen Chaoge opened his eyes. In the past, he thought he had some identity, but when he arrived in the imperial city where dignitaries and dignitaries gathered, he turned out to be nothing. Others are afraid to avoid him, how can anyone pay attention to him?

Cen Chaoge has experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships in this month. Before, he didn't understand why Bairen harbored hatred in his heart, and he always wanted to climb up. Dirty, don't be obsessed, now Cen Chaoge only thinks that he was so noble and ridiculous at that time, he suddenly remembered what his father said to him before leaving in Lingnan: this journey is extremely difficult, be careful, after you get through it, the future is limitless .

Cen Chaoge couldn't laugh or cry when he thought of his ambition at that time, because of his friendship with Bai Ren for many years, he agreed to it as soon as he thought about it. Now that I think about it, it's really...

Xi Xiang didn't know what Cen Chaoge was feeling at the moment, so he muttered to himself while eating meat and wine: "Why is Mr. Cen silent? Oh... we understand, Mr. Cen is homesick? Also... Lingnan is a What a great place. Although our family has never been to Lingnan, we have heard people say that the scenery in southern Xinjiang is much better than our imperial city. It is like spring all the year round, and it is not like our... year-round wind and sand... Cen You'll know after you've been here for a few years, my lord, when the time comes, your fair little face... will look like our family's, so it will..."

Xixiang drank too much, his eyes were dull, and he murmured: "If I were you... I would have gone back early, man, I will accompany the prince to study... I have a bright future in the future, you, what about you? One...is to follow...to die..."

Xixiang was overwhelmed by the alcohol, and fell asleep with his head on his arm.

Cen Chaoge turned his face to look at Xixiang with a complex expression, hesitating in his heart, but Xixiang was so drunk that he couldn't talk about anything, so Cen Chaoge got up and opened the door of the private room to let the two little eunuchs who followed Xixiang in , whispered: "Master Xi drank two more glasses and fell asleep."

The little eunuch nodded and said: "It's nothing, it's just that you won't be able to go back to the palace like this. We'll just send Director Xi to his mansion in the west of the city."

Cen Chaoge nodded and watched the two young eunuchs lift him up. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and stopped him, then took out another purse from his bosom, which seemed to weigh a thousand catties, and slowly handed the purse to the eunuch. The little eunuch said in a low voice: "Please wait for Sir Xi to wake up and give this purse to Sir Xi, and just say what I said... There is one more thing that Sir Xi needs to worry about."

The little eunuch quickly agreed to put it away, and supported Xi Xiang all the way down the stairs.

After half an hour, Xixiang and his party finally arrived at a small second courtyard. The little eunuch lifted the curtain of the sedan chair a little and said softly, "Mr. Xi, we are here."

Xixiang came out from the sedan chair, with no trace of wine on his face, hurriedly entered the courtyard gate, all the way into the main hall, where Jiang Deqing was slowly sipping tea, saw Xixiang smiled: "What's the matter? "

Xi Xiang hurriedly approached to salute, and while serving tea to Jiang Deqing himself, he said softly: "Master, don't worry, everything has been arranged."