Si Tian Guan

After the first month, the snow fell less, but the air was still cold, and the snow on the streets did not melt for a long time.

Dong Chengyu has been away from Beijing for several years, and he has long been unaccustomed to the dry and cold climate of the capital. He would not go out unless necessary.

This trip to the capital to reconcile accounts is different from the past, otherwise he would not have let himself come here in person, even if the prince did not remind him, he would know that this reconciliation is different from the past.

When the talk about Liu Weixian popped up suddenly a year ago, he knew it was not a funny thing, and it must be the prince who took the initiative.

Originally, he thought that he would be relieved because of the scandal in the harem, even if the emperor could not make up his mind for a while, Liu Weixian should be suspended pending investigation, and the household department has been unimpeded since then.

Not to mention dragging Jingwang Mu Jingchen into the water together.

But no matter how embarrassing the secret is, the other party is still like a skater's loach, easily escaping from the layers of dense nets that the prince has painstakingly collected.

This shot failed, and the focus of the two sides' attention must be him.

I have long heard that the sky in Beijing has changed, and now it is a cloud of muddy water, with an uncertain future, but Prince Huai has reassured him in advance that the muddy water will not splash on him, calm down, the wind will not move, the prince will protect him How does he come and go.

He has already made preparations on his side, and the accounts have been carefully checked, so what if the Ministry of Accounts delays and checks again and again, if the Ministry of Accounts still intends to cause trouble, the prince will naturally not let the person who finds fault get away unscathed.

It's just that during the period of staying in the capital, the prince told him to be careful, but he must be notified before going out, so that he can be properly protected.

Afraid that he would be too nervous, the prince also reassured him. No matter how much Liu Chongming wanted to do something, he still had some concerns. After all, the person in charge of security in Gyeonggi is Bai Shiyan. If there is a murder case here, the prince will not let Bai Shiyan feel better. .

That being said, Dong Chengyu is more willing to keep his life than someone to take revenge after death, and he hasn't gone out for a while.

But today is the post from Zhao Shizhong, who was newly appointed years ago. This Zhao Shizhong took the position of Tang Shizhong before, and he is a person who can be considered for wooing.

Help the prince to do this well, and then put pressure on the household department through the prince, put a red seal on it, and let him go back, and everything will be safe.

Dong Chengyu closed his eyes, and was drowsy as the sedan chair swayed gently, but he could only hover on the edge of falling asleep.

Compared with the south, the weather is too cold.

Clasping the stove with both hands, but the warm place is only a little bit, it seems that the heat can only reach the wrists, and if it goes farther, it seems to be stretched into the ice hole, and when it reaches the feet, it seems to have grown in the ice bricks.

He had been sitting for a long time, and couldn't help but stamped his foot. Just as his second foot fell, his body suddenly tilted, and he threw himself to one side.

"what happened?"

The car curtain was opened a crack, and the voice of the attendant came in.

"My lord, the ground is slippery. Someone slipped and fell just now. Fortunately, my lord didn't fall, but the wooden bar is broken and scratched. I'm afraid I can't hold on. The little people are going around to see if there are any rental cars and horses. My lord, please wait at ease. moment."

Dong Chengyu's heart skipped a beat, perhaps because he couldn't feel at ease in an unfamiliar place, even for such a sudden and trivial matter, he was a little terrified.

"How could it be broken!"

"Forgive me, my lord. Maybe it's because it's too cold. I'll find a way!"

Up to now, it was useless to be angry and anxious. The street was cold, and he did not intend to wait in the sedan chair. He had just been helped out of the sedan chair when a carriage turned a corner at the intersection.

He planned to wait for the car to pass by, but he didn't expect the car to slowly stand in front of him, and a gentle voice inside asked, "Master Dong?"

Seeing that the carriage was luxuriously decorated, he hurriedly responded: "It's a lower official!"

"Master Dong is also going to the banquet at Zhao Shizhong's mansion, isn't he? There is not much time, does your lord mind going with me?"

Dong Chengyu heard this voice strangely, but there were too many people in Beijing that he couldn't afford to offend, so he didn't dare to refuse easily.

"In this way, I will bother the Shangguan..."

Sensing his hesitation, the cotton curtain by the window was lifted, revealing an unforgettable face.

Although Dong Chengyu didn't know him, he already knew who it was by looking at his eyes and face.

"Master Dong, please get in the car." The man smiled slightly: "I forgot to introduce myself, my surname is Qu, Qu Shenzhou."

When the carriage started to move again, Dong Chengyu realized that it was difficult for him to ride a tiger. The prince had already told him that Liu Chongming must guard against it, but this Qu Shenzhou was also very suspicious and could not be speculated with common sense.

Those eyes are too weird, and they know too much, so try to walk around as much as possible if you can't see them.

But he didn't know if it was because this person was so good-looking that he couldn't help but want to take a few more glances, or because those demon eyes did have the magic power of bewitching people, so he followed him into the car.

He comforted himself, Zhao Shizhong was always not good at being late, it was just a stopgap measure.

"I was the one to be abrupt," Qu Chenzhou poured tea for him with a slight smile: "Does my appearance scare Mr. Dong?"

"No, no," Dong Chengyu quickly denied, but he didn't dare to drink the tea bowl while holding it in his hand: "Qu Sitian is famous all over the world, it must be because I have admired him for a long time, but I didn't expect Qu Sitian to be so young."

"Absurd praise." Qu Chenzhou only replied with such a polite remark, and nodded to him with a smile, then just seemed to signal him to sit down, and didn't speak anymore.

Dong Chengyu wanted to look back several times, but he couldn't help but look at him from the corner of his eye and saw that the other party had no intention of chatting with him at all, as if they were just dropping by along the way, without those tentative words that he was worried about and doubted at all.

I couldn't help laughing at myself in my heart.

The horse's hooves stepped on the compacted snow carefully, walking very slowly and the sound was boring, as if a short time was stretched like sticky silk.

On the opposite side, Qu Shenzhou was not good at speaking, but his curiosity was raised higher and higher.

It wasn't until the tranquility in the carriage was suddenly broken that he realized that he was the one who spoke first.

"I heard that Qu Sitian is not a prophet, he can seek good luck and avoid bad luck. Is it true?"

As soon as the words came out, he realized that the question was inappropriate, so he hurriedly apologized: "I have little knowledge, I have no luck to meet a true immortal, I am rude, Qu Sitian forgives my sins."

Qu Sitian was much easier to get along with than he imagined, he smiled slightly.

"Your Majesty Dong's words are serious. If you don't know what to say, you don't dare to say it. It's just relying on the sky. Thanks to the emperor's perseverance, everyone praises you. You can't tell the whole picture of the future, but you can still do something to seek good luck and avoid bad luck."

Dong Chengyu's heart suddenly became active—he was anxious now, and tossed and turned at night because he was worried about the return journey.

I have been in Beijing for a few months, and I have never seen this Qu Sitian by name. You can imagine how hard it is to see this person. I never expected to meet him by chance today...

"Qu Sitian..." He lowered his voice, "I came from Jiangnan. I have heard that Qu Sitian is famous, but I have never been introduced to you. It is really a blessing for me to meet you today. I have prepared some things Bo Li, I will send it to your residence later, I hope Qu Sitian will not refuse."

Qu Chenzhou looked at him now, raised his brows, and smiled: "Master Dong, you are being polite... and I have prepared a small gift..."

Dong Chengyu didn't feel embarrassed about the expected refusal, and was about to say something when he heard the other person speak.

"I heard that the chicken blood jade in Nan'an is very beautiful, and the top grade is hard to find. A few days ago, I saw the Shizi hanging a fan pendant. It looks so beautiful. I also intend to buy one for fun. Unfortunately, I don't know where I can find it."

Dong Chengyu immediately understood, and felt more relieved—as expected, he was from a low family background, so why climb up?How is it possible not to be greedy?That's a good way to talk.

"If Qu Sitian likes it, the lower official just happened to get a very good one, not to mention a fan pendant, it would be enough to put it on a belt."

Qu Chenzhou pursed his lips and smiled, and asked, "Is Mr. Dong asking for divination?"

When he asked such a question, Dong Chengyu suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Prince Huai was already suspecting that there was something wrong with Qu Sitian, now that the hexagram came out, should he listen to it or not?

Seeing him hesitating, Qu Chenzhou didn't urge him, he went slowly to the brazier and picked up another piece of charcoal, put it in the hand stove to hold it, and leaned lazily on the couch.

"I never force others to make things difficult for me. If Mr. Dong is unwilling, I will pretend that I have never heard of anything."

"No...that's not what it means..." Dong Chengyu didn't have time to think about it, so he could only make up his mind immediately: "Please trouble Qu Sitian."

Although the words were spoken, when those monster eyes fell on his body, he still had a feeling of chills all over his body, and even regretted it for a moment, but he still asked cautiously: "How?"

Qu Shenzhou looked calm, and asked back: "Master Dong will return to Jiangnan in a few days, will he take the dry road...or the waterway?"

"waterway."

To go back to the south, one must cross the Xijiang River. The Xijiang River is long, shallow and has limited bridges. There are only a few dry roads to go on, and there are still long detours. The most convenient way is to cross the Xijiang River by boat.

Seeing that Qu Shenzhou hesitated to speak, Dong Chengyu felt uneasy and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty Dong doesn't know something. I always only look at the result and don't ask the reason." Qu Shenzhou lifted the curtain and looked out of the window, and said with a smile: "In my humble opinion, it is best for you to choose dry roads and avoid waterways. , so you can be safe."

They arrived at their destination, not far away was the servant of Zhao Shizhong's mansion, who had already graciously rushed over to move the stool and welcome them to get off the car.

Dong Chengyu didn't dare to delay, so he hurried down first, and then helped Qu Shenzhou get off the car.

There are many guests outside the door, and different people greet them.

Qu Chenzhou's status was distinguished, and Zhao Shizhong personally welcomed him in. Until the end, Dong Chengyu didn't have the chance to ask a few more questions.

But this question completely stumped him - should he follow the original plan to take the water route, or follow Qu Sitian's suggestion and take the dry road?

This question also caused Mu Jingyan to toss and turn for a few days.

Dong Chengyu's life was important, but behind the answer to this question was Qu Chenzhou's position.

Last year was a year of vicissitudes. King Qi and King Ning died one after another. There is no doubt that Liu Chongming's next opponent is only him.

Although he wasn't hurting his bones, he also suffered a lot of suffocation and suffering, and he didn't even see where those sneak attacks came from.

After ruling out all the possibilities, he can only gradually bring back the previously denied impossibilities before his eyes.

——Among so many things, besides the Liu family, Qu Shenzhou also benefited.

Although the emperor used to support opponents at the same time and check and balance each other, but thinking about it carefully, has there been any major conflict between Liu Chongming and Qu Shenzhou?

No.

After Bi Hongzi, the quarrel between the two was nothing more than a bit of noise, and Liu Zhitao's death was nothing more than a separation of the family, and it was said that that person was not good at all.

As for Ding Lekang's death, the so-called Qu Shenzhou framed Liu Chongming and fell off the cliff is only the two of them, and there is no third person who can testify

As for how Ding Lekang died, no one knows.

The more Mu Jingyan thought about it, the more terrified he became.

If this conjecture is true, if Qu Chenzhou can really do this for the Liu family, then Liu Chongming has really won over a great helper.

If this is the case, he has no chance of winning, the throne has already been surrounded by impregnable rocks, and the emperor still doesn't know anything about it.

But the possibility of this is too low and too frightening. He is not sure yet, so now Dong Chengyu's question puts him in a dilemma.

waterway?Or dry road?

Which way is Dong Chengyu's real way of life?

"Do you want to guess? Which way will Dong Chengyu go in the end?"

Liu Chongming first straightened the official hat for someone, and slowly brushed the broken hair in before his fingers pointed down. He carefully adjusted the skirt and belt, feeling unwilling.

"It's hard to come here once, and you have to go out again."

Qu Chenzhou stretched out his hand and let him arrange his clothes.

"Tell you not to run over, let people see, you and I will lose our heads."

"I went to see Jingchen today, sat with him for a while, and then I missed you," Liu Chongming walked around behind, rubbing against his temples: "Don't worry, I took a good look around before I came, I didn't expect you To go out, Qu Sitian is really busy."

Hearing that his tone was full of resentment, Qu Chenzhou raised his head slightly, put it on his neck, and touched his Adam's apple with the tip of his tongue.

"Commander Liu is here today, could it be that the Jinxiu Battalion is on patrol again?"

"I really want to, but it's a pity that Qu Sitian didn't give me enough time, so how can I check it carefully?"

Qu Chenzhou was tickled by the heat, tilted his head, and smiled provocatively: "When I was in Shimao County, the son obviously didn't spend long."

Liu Chongming's whole body froze, and he suddenly bit his ear: "What did you say? Say it again? You are the one who is holding me tight! I just..."

The person in his arms drilled out like a skateboard eel, and smiled slyly: "I guess Dong Chengyu will walk by water."

He froze for a moment before he remembered that this was the answer to the question just now.

The little fox is so cunning, every time he wants to slip away, he pretends to discuss serious matters with him, and these are indeed urgent issues that need to be resolved immediately, he can only endure the discomfort every time to continue this topic.

"You wait for me! Don't let me catch your time!" He gritted his teeth and said harshly before pulling him back and tidying up his messy temple hair: "Then it's impossible to gamble, and I guess he will Take the water route."

With Mu Jingyan's suspicion, it is inevitable to go by water.

The waterway is convenient, so go back to the south of the Yangtze River as soon as possible to prevent nights and dreams. Secondly, if you choose the dry road pointed by Qu Shenzhou in front of Dong Chengyu, you will be too humble to show weakness.

Mu Jingyan couldn't do it.

What's more, there is a lesson from King Qi before, even if Mu Jingyan can think that the "water" in the so-called "near mountains but not near water" refers to Jiang Xingzhi, the ending of King Qi is terrifying enough to be daunting.

"What would happen if Dong Chengyu went by water?" Liu Chongming asked.

"The time and place are right and the people are right, nothing is occupied," Qu Chenzhou scratched his eyelashes with the end of his hair, "What's more, the son's family has a big business, and the rivers and seas are running sideways. If you can't even do this little thing well , might as well raise your head and see you."

Liu Chongming laughed: "It's too strict. If you were my immediate superior, how many heads I have would not be enough for you."

"Since you are afraid, do your best, and the superior will naturally reward you."

"With what reward? You?"

Qu Chenzhou was begged for a kiss by a rascal, looked at the sky, and pushed him up.

"Stop making trouble. It's time for me to enter the palace. Now that the imperial court has just calmed down, the emperor is devoting himself to observe the empress dowager's filial piety. Let me accompany you. If there is nothing else, you should not come here."

Liu Chongming could only reluctantly let him go, and when he let go, he sighed softly.

"Shen Zhou, this method will never work."

Qu Chenzhou understood what he was talking about—these people in Mu Jingyan were not only cancers in the court, but also enemies in his previous life, and he absolutely didn't want to let them go, but it was too difficult to take the trouble to clean them up one by one.

Dong Chengyu alone made him have to show up. What about in the future?

"Take your time, there is always a way," he comforted, and before going out, he remembered again: "I met Zhiwei yesterday, and he has a divination..."