Li Yanchang walked out of Xuanhui Hall angrily and met Jiang An, the commander of the capital, at the door.
Jiang An nodded and saluted, "See you, Your Majesty."
Li Yanchang looked at him and said, "Well, it's hard work, commander."
The two of them didn't have much communication. After they were far away, Li Yanchang said: "I think what happened to Defu is because Li Zhaonian shouted to catch the thief and took the opportunity to get rid of Defu."
The accompanying attendant said: "It's okay if we lose Defu. At least Mr. Jiang is still one of ours."
Li Yanchang said "hmm" and said, "It's raining in the south and the march is slowing down."
"I can catch up," the valet said.
Li Zhaonian stood at the door of Xuanhui Hall, looking at the direction Li Yanchang left, "He thought I wanted to fight, but he didn't know that I was pushed to sit in this position."
"Your Majesty, please go and rest." The guard advised: "Your Majesty has changed all the people in front of you. You should be able to rest assured."
Li Zhaonian said: "Make a couch for me in the palace. I will still rest here. I have to guard my father. This forbidden palace is full of monsters that eat people without spitting out their bones. They are all covered in human skin. Who can You can see clearly."
The cell was rearranged and replaced with clean cotton mattresses.
Although the ventilation in the prison was not very good, the three-foot-thick wall blocked the scorching sun outside, so it was extremely cool inside.
The jailer brought some books, but Shen Yu had no intention of reading them. She lay on the bed and thought about things.
"Ayu."
Shen Yu was stunned for a moment, then raised her head and said in surprise: "Pei Chunli?"
Pei Chunli has lost a lot of weight these days. His face used to be a little chubby, but now he has slimmed down and has sharp edges, making him look a little more manly.
Shen Yu did not go over, but sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "What are you doing here?"
The expression on Pei Chunli's face was very complicated. He looked at Shen Yu blankly for a moment and murmured: "We have known each other for so long, and I didn't even know you were a woman."
Shen Yu didn't answer, and Pei Chunli asked again: "Do you hate me very much?"
"No, it has nothing to do with you." Shen Yu said.
Pei Chunli's tears fell. He knocked his forehead on the cell door and said, "I...I have no friends anymore. My father has harmed so many people. I am not qualified to be your friend."
Shen Yu took a deep breath, "That was a matter of the previous generation. If you were not involved, I won't blame you."
"Then do you still consider me a friend?"
Pei Chunli looked at Shen Yu expectantly. During her long silence, the spark in her eyes gradually extinguished.
"I know." He said: "You can't get over this hurdle, and neither can I. If I were put in your position, I might even want to kill the other person's three generations. You have already shown mercy to me."
He sniffed, grabbed the railing, and slowly knelt down, "I kneel for my father. I have no shame to see General Shen. Please bear with him on his behalf."
Pei Chunli leaned down deeply, his forehead touching the ground once, twice, three times.
A few tears fell on the ground, and some patches were stained.
Shen Yu choked up, "Pei Chunli..."
"Can you call me Anan?" Pei Chunli's forehead was already red, and he said, "No one can call me Anan anymore."
Shen Yu's throat was sore, she stood up and walked over, "Anan, we bear the blood feud of our fathers. I don't blame you, but when I see you, I will think of your father, and the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Yanliang Pass. This hurdle may... As time goes by it slowly fades away, and it may never get over.”
Shen Yu paused, "But no matter what, you were my best friend when Shen Yu was seventeen."
Pei Chunli gritted his teeth. He couldn't hold back tears. His words were all broken and broken, "You are my...most cherished friend in this life."
Friendship, one ended at the age of seventeen, and the other will continue for a lifetime, and they finally took a bifurcated path here.
"I don't regret meeting you." Shen Yu had tears in her eyes.
Pei Chunli smiled, but tears fell down.
He nodded, "I don't regret meeting you."
Not regretting their acquaintance is the greatest affirmation of this friendship.
No matter what happens in the future, the past drinking and talking happily will eventually become a corner of the other person's memory, and that's enough.
……
After a dull day, heavy raindrops finally fell at sunset.
The horse's hooves flew into the palace with splashing water.
Half an hour later, the side hall of Xuanhui Palace was brightly lit, and Jiang Yuanqing, the chief minister of the cabinet, entered the palace in response to the imperial edict.
Li Zhaonian respected Jiang Yuanqing very much and personally welcomed him into the side hall.
"I troubled you to come into the palace in the middle of the night, because I have important matters to discuss."
Jiang Yuanqing abided by the etiquette of a monarch and his ministers, and extended his hand to ask Li Zhaonian to go first, "Your Highness does not need to be so polite, but is your Majesty awake?"
Li Zhaonian said seriously: "I just received an emergency report that King Beilin is critically ill."
"What?!" Jiang Yuanqing said in shock: "Is the news true?"
Li Zhaonian said: "It's true. Prince Beilin must have received the news that he will enter the palace at dawn tomorrow. That's why I am recruiting elders to discuss it so late."
The palace lady served the tea and then withdrew.
Jiang Yuanqing sat down and thought seriously, "King Beilin is critically ill. I want the prince to return to Beilin."
"Father has no sign of waking up yet." Li Zhaonian said: "I want to know that father and son are related, and monarchs and ministers have righteousness. ① King Beilin is critically ill. If the prince of Beilin invites him to return to his fiefdom, then I will be able to return to him. The righteousness of the king and his ministers.”
"No!" Jiang Yuanqing shouted, "I have discussed this matter with His Majesty. Although I had no intention of rebelling before Beilin, I had to take precautions. Moreover, Your Majesty is not awake at this moment, but the King of Beilin is sick at this juncture. It is really abnormal. .”
Li Zhaonian said: "The elder is worried too much. The urgent report was sent from Beilin half a month ago. At that time, my father had not yet fallen into a coma. The King of Beilin cannot be a prophet, so it must be just a coincidence."
Jiang Yuanqing still shook his head, "Listen to the old minister's advice, Your Highness must not be too kind."
Li Zhaonian heard the implication of these words. Jiang Yuanqing had already put it very euphemistically. To put it harshly, he was a good old man.
His foundation is not stable. How can he defeat these old ministers in political affairs? If he continues to insist on his own opinions, he will be unable to give up.
"What Mr. Ge said makes sense." Li Zhaonian took a step back, "But there is one more thing."
"Your Highness, please speak."
Li Zhaonian said: "Presumably Mr. Ge also knows that someone poisoned my father's medicine yesterday. I killed Defu with a cane. He said something before he died."
"My father has long known that Shen Yu is a daughter, and he deliberately kept her by his side. Therefore, the crime of deceiving the emperor cannot be established."
Jiang Yuanqing also admired Shen Zhongan, nodded slightly and said: "Dali Temple will not torture her. She will be released from prison after His Majesty wakes up and asks for evidence."
"I have other ideas." Li Zhaonian said sincerely, "A Defu has already appeared in the palace, and there is no guarantee that there will not be a second one. Now that the Forbidden Army is led by Jiang An alone, I am worried..."
Li Zhaonian didn't finish what he said, leaving Jiang Yuanqing to think about the rest.
"Your Highness wants to release Shen Yu to check and balance Jiang An?" Jiang Yuanqing asked.
①.From "Mencius Teng Wengong"
