Chapter 934 Monarch and Minister's Scolding

On one side,

The Crown Prince led the officials, with great fanfare, and under the witness of the people of the capital, welcomed the Prince of Pingxi into the capital, walking the imperial road and entering the palace.

On the other side,

The Emperor accompanied Zheng Fan in a carriage, taking another route and entering the palace gate.

"There's a banquet tonight," the Emperor said.

The Prince of Zhenbei is the highest-ranked and most prestigious vassal king of Great Yan.

However, fame is just fame. Everyone has to be practical, so, in terms of the number one vassal king of Great Yan today, it has to be the Prince of Pingxi.

The clearest and most direct comparison is that

The Prince of Zhenbei had already entered the capital two days earlier than the Prince of Pingxi.

The Emperor also sent the Crown Prince to greet him and held a banquet to entertain him, but that was an imperial family banquet.

For ordinary officials, an imperial family banquet is an extremely high honor, but for powerful officials or vassal kings outside the capital, this little bit of favor is not something they really care about. Powerful officials have their own political ideas, their own followers, and their own power base. Vassal kings are even more direct, with their own fiefdoms and their own armies.

The Emperor's attitude towards them is no longer aimed at an individual, but at the entire group behind them.

The official explanation is that

Inviting the two princes to the capital this time is to announce to the world a political pattern of one emperor and two kings inherited from the previous generation, which serves to appease internally and deter externally.

But underneath it all,

The Prince of Zhenbei entered the capital first and was given a family banquet. After the Prince of Pingxi entered the capital, the two princes were invited to an official banquet together. Whose importance was greater was obvious.

You should know that the royal carriage will not break contact with the capital on the way. According to common sense, every time it arrives at a place, it will send someone to report to the capital, and the local officials will also report.

The two princes can completely adjust their schedules and enter the capital on the same day to avoid any possible embarrassment.

However, in this matter, the imperial court did not deliberately favor one over the other, and Ji Lao Liu (Sixth Prince Ji) would not use the Prince of Zhenbei to prop up the Prince of Pingxi. It was the Prince of Zhenbei himself who took the initiative to speed up his journey and enter the capital.

Everyone understands that after Li Liangting's death, the Zhenbei Royal Mansion almost surrendered to the imperial court. The Prince of Pingxi has been holding on to military power and local governance power, and his status is no longer the same. But the Prince of Zhenbei has more face, after all, it's the century-old Zhenbei Royal Mansion.

But the Prince of Zhenbei's move was to voluntarily lower his stance, not thinking about putting on airs at all, entering the capital two days earlier, which was regarded as a junior bowing his head to a senior.

"How about taking a bath together?" the Emperor suggested. "To relieve your fatigue?"

Zheng Fan turned to look at the Emperor.

The Emperor smiled and continued, "It was built in the style of your mansion. I like to soak in it when I have nothing to do now."

It has to be said that Ji Chengjue really pays more attention to health than the late Emperor.

It's a pity that his problem lies in his head, so it's really not something that can be solved by health preservation.

"Okay."

Zheng Fan agreed.

"Okay, Wei Zhonghe."

"This servant is here."

"Tell the outside world that I am going to accompany the Prince in the imperial study to discuss matters and not to be disturbed."

"This servant obeys the decree."

...

The hot spring pool in the imperial palace is quite exquisite, but the scene is not very impressive. First, the imperial palace is old, and each palace has its own purpose. When the late Emperor was in power, he approved too many locations for the imperial court's offices.

After Ji Chengjue ascended the throne, he did not neglect his personal enjoyment, but he did not engage in any large-scale construction.

To really enjoy a hot spring, you have to build a royal villa, which is grand enough. Building it directly in the imperial palace seems a little cramped, at least not with the royal pomp.

The Emperor led the Prince in, and the two sat down at the stone table next to the hot spring pool.

Eunuch Wei personally brought up iced drinks.

Tian Tian licked his lips, took it, and took a sip.

Um,

It's not as delicious as he imagined, it's too sweet.

The Prince of Pingxi's Mansion's food standards, especially snacks, have long surpassed this era too much. After all, there is a vampire in the wine cellar who is responsible for designing and making drinks and snacks for the family in the Royal Mansion, in addition to making wine himself.

The Emperor looked down at Tian Tian and asked,

"How is it, is it delicious?"

"It's delicious, Brother."

"If it's delicious, drink more, little brother."

The Emperor didn't care anymore.

"Hehe."

Tian Tian smiled a little embarrassedly. He was a little embarrassed that people were so洒脱, after all, he did it on purpose.

At this time, Eunuch Zhang came in to report:

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is back."

"Summon him."

"Yes."

Crown Prince Ji Chuanye walked in, wearing a heavy formal dress, sweating profusely. After going through various procedures, he was already a little蔫儿.

Fortunately, he stayed in the Royal Mansion for a year and his physique was well nourished, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to withstand this kind of etiquette.

After entering,

The Crown Prince saw his father and the Prince of Pingxi sitting there drinking iced drinks and chatting.

Suddenly, he had a feeling that his small body had undertaken all the helplessness.

These adults are really shameless...

Of course, these can only be slandered in the belly, and cannot be said, otherwise his father would beat him, and godfather...I am afraid that he would beat him even harder.

"Brother."

Tian Tian stood up and called the Crown Prince brother.

"..." Emperor.

Immediately, Tian Tian turned to look at the Emperor sitting next to him and asked:

"Brother...Uncle Emperor, can Tian Tian play with Prince Brother?"

The Emperor finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart,

Said:

"Prince, look who's here too."

"Brother Tian Tian."

The Crown Prince saw Tian Tian, ​​as if he had forgotten the fatigue on his body, and after handing the crown to the attendant next to him, he immediately ran to Tian Tian.

The two children ate and lived together in the Royal Mansion for a year, and Tian Tian would also help the Crown Prince urinate at night. This friendship is genuine.

It wasn't obvious before, but looking at it now, Tian Tian and the Crown Prince stood together, even if the Crown Prince's physique was much better than before, one still looked very big and the other looked very thin.

This is not something that can be explained by the difference in age, and it is not simply fat or thin.

Whether a person's body is full of blood and energy and whether his physique is healthy can give people a sense of breath, which is especially obvious in children.

The Emperor couldn't help but sigh:

"You have raised your family's Tian Tian really well."

Zheng Fan stretched out his finger and pointed at Tian Tian, ​​who had already taken the Crown Prince to the side to talk,

Said:

"Rank eight."

The Emperor blinked,

He didn't seem to be able to digest the meaning of this sentence in the first time,

Then,

Asked:

"What rank eight?"

"Rank eight martial artist."

"..." Emperor.

Wei Gonggong on the side was also slightly surprised. He had only perceived that the world son of Jingnan prince body was full of energy, but he had not been able to perceive the aura of entering the rank.

Obviously, the world son has a magic weapon to hide his aura.

"It's too exaggerated." The Emperor shook his head, "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Tsk." The Emperor raised his hand, and Wei Gonggong lowered his head to lean over.

"Wei Zhonghe, do you remember when the Prince of Jingnan entered the rank?"

"Your Majesty, there should be records in the Secret Intelligence Department's archives, but this servant remembers that when the late Emperor and Lord Zhenbei entered Tianzhai, Lord Zhenbei had fought with the then young Prince of Jingnan.

Although Lord Zhenbei won, he returned to the mansion and applied medicinal plasters in pain."

The Emperor let out a long breath,

Exclaimed

"Like father, like son."

Tian Tian is now rank eight, which is not surprising, because in the past six months, he has really started martial artist cultivation.

But in fact, his practice started very early. When he was in swaddling clothes, he lay on the lid of a zombie coffin and grew up accompanied by resentful infants. On the premise that his own life was hard enough, if he survived, it was equivalent to using evil energy and resentment to wash the marrow and cut the sutras since he was a baby.

Plus his psychic physique;

Most importantly, it should be the bloodline inherited from Lao Tian.

And walking the martial artist path does not require the Sword Servant to be suppressed by the Sword Saint in the early stage. Tian Tian's physique is innately amazing, and he has no scruples in cultivation.

What Zheng Fan didn't tell the Emperor was that

In another timeline, it was this child who led the remnants of the Jingnan Army to fight bloody battles with the Yan Army several times after he became an adult, and finally broke into the imperial palace in Yanjing City.

Now, because of his relationship, that line has long been unrecognizable, and it can even be said with certainty that it will not happen.

But there is no reason,

His son, carefully cultivated by Zheng Fan,

Will be inferior to Tian Tian, ​​who was left out in the wild and grew up as a commoner.

Yes,

There are myths about those who cut through thorns and rise from the grassroots with a knife and a sword, and there are also statements that the spirit of being unyielding and the wildflowers are more brilliant;

But what Zheng Fan can give will only be more, and the conditions that can be provided will only be better.

Most importantly, although this adopted son, Tian Tian, ​​is not as important in the eyes of the Demon King as Zheng Lin, the "son of the Demon King," he was the only baby in the family in the past few years, so he was inevitably taught by example in Evil Man Valley;

These seven teachers,

Even if their strength has not been restored now, and they are a little aggrieved;

But being a teacher is more than enough.

You should know that Fan Li can immediately understand the sword intent of the second-hand version of the Sword Servant's sword after watching it once.

In contrast, Zheng Fan had to rely on Si Niang to embroider the trajectory of Qi and blood on Ah Ming's body with ropes and threads to visually imitate when he entered the rank, which seemed much more useless.

"One Tian Tian, ​​plus your pair of children, you Zheng, you have a good life, you can rely on your children when you are old."

The Emperor's words were sour.

Envy, that's real envy.

Back then, under Li Liangting's command, six of the seven generals of the Zhenbei Royal Mansion were his adopted sons, but adopted sons are not biological sons after all.

Tian Tian has always been raised by Zheng Fan, so he is a biological son, and the other two psychic children are blood relatives.

As soon as Li Liangting left, the imperial court was able to dismantle the Zhenbei Royal Mansion immediately;

But Zheng Fan's side can't operate like this.

Throughout history, you can cite too many examples of mutual killings between bloodlines, but in fact, under the great tide, mutual support between relatives is the real theme.

"You have a small pattern. I, Zheng Fan, have not reached the point where I have to rely on my children to live."

Although, the prince has always thought so in his heart.

He has relied on the Demon Kings a lot along the way;

In the future, when the children grow up, he will be able to rely on his children, and it is natural for a father to rely on his children, which is more pleasant than relying on the Demon Kings.

At this time, another eunuch came in to report:

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhenbei has arrived."

"Please."

"Yes."

The Prince of Zhenbei was also invited by the Emperor to take a hot spring bath.

Zheng Fan and the Emperor sat there, looking at Li Fei, the current Prince of Zhenbei, who came in at the entrance.

Li Fei walked with a limp.

The Emperor stood up and greeted him proactively.

Before the Emperor could come over, Li Fei knelt down and saluted first:

"This minister greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live long, live long, live long!"

"Please rise quickly."

"Oh, don't be so polite, you make it seem like I'm very rude, hehe."

Zheng Fan joked with a smile.

After Li Fei got up, he hurriedly bowed to Zheng Fan:

"Fei, greetings, Uncle Zheng."

Li Liangting and Tian Wujing were of the same generation, and their identities, status, and seniority were all worthy of being of the same generation;

Zheng Fan inherited Tian Wujing's mantle and adopted Tian Wujing's son. Everyone knows that the Prince of Jingnan and the current Prince of Pingxi are sworn brothers.

In addition, Zheng Fan did not inherit the title of Prince of Jingnan, but earned the title of Prince of Pingxi with his military exploits;

Therefore, Zheng Fan and Li Liangting are also of the same generation.

Seniority has always been a very interesting thing, but seniority is only on the surface. What really matters is qualification.

In folk big families, if the qualifications are not enough, the one with high seniority is naturally the spokesperson at the banquet;

If there are enough qualifications, even if the seniority is very low, those old generations dare not speak loudly.

The Emperor is detached, he does not need to talk about seniority, because he is the Son of Heaven;

Only Zheng Fan dared to let Tian Tian directly call the Emperor brother and tease him. Other people, even the Emperor's uncle or other elders, must first observe the etiquette of the monarch and his ministers.

However,

The Prince of Zhenbei, Li Fei, really gave enough face by putting down his posture like this.

Zheng Fan got up and took the initiative to walk over to help him up,

Said:

"The three of us don't need to be too polite, just be more comfortable."

"This is what I should say." The Emperor complained.

"It's the same." The prince didn't care.

Li Fei realized clearly that the relationship between the Emperor and the Prince of Pingxi was really extraordinary. This was not a simple agreement between monarch and minister, nor was it a show.

Everyone arrived,

The three took off their clothes and entered the hot spring pool.

The hot spring pool was very hot,

Prince of Pingxi, with the realm of a rank four grandmaster,

Lay directly in the center,

Closing his eyes,

Enjoying it very much;

Subtly mocking the two chickens who can only sit on the edge and carefully put their feet in the water.

"Your Majesty, this servant will add some cold water to even it out." Wei Zhonghe whispered.

"No need, look at how comfortable he is." The Emperor refused.

"Yes."

The Emperor took two towels and handed one to Li Fei next to him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"No need to be so polite, when our three fathers were together, they were very comfortable like brothers."

"Whose fathers?"

The Prince of Pingxi in the center of the pool shouted,

"I was standing with your fathers back then."

The Emperor slapped the towel on the water, scolding:

"You Zheng were just following behind back then."

"Hey, don't worry about where I stood at the beginning, at least I was able to sit with you back then."

"You Zheng, don't be too complacent!"

The Emperor raised his voice.

"Okay, if you have the ability, don't let me be complacent, hahaha."

The Prince of Zhenbei, Li Fei, only dared to follow beside him and laugh politely.

Relying on the towel, the Emperor and the Prince of Zhenbei slowly wiped their bodies and slowly adapted to the temperature of the hot spring pool. Finally, they soaked in it.

However, the two still dare not get too close to the center, which is the location of the water outlet and the temperature is the highest.

The Emperor asked, "You Zheng, why don't you ask Li Fei about Beifeng County and the desert?"

"This should be started by you, the Emperor."

"Oh, now you know the rules?"

"Well, I'm only interested in being your elder."

Li Fei said: "Since my father and the Prince of Jingnan flattened the Manchu royal court, the tribes in the eastern half of the desert have completely fallen into a state of chaos. In the past few years, a new round of competition, annexation, and fighting has begun in the desert, causing many small tribes to leave the desert and defect to my Great Yan."

Hearing this, Prince Pingxi shouted: "Why haven't I seen a single hair?"

The most capable general in the current Great Yan is naturally the Prince of Pingxi, and the one who is most capable of using barbarian soldiers to fight is also the Prince of Pingxi. As everyone knows, the Prince of Pingxi started his career with three hundred barbarian soldiers.

The Emperor's face had already turned red from the hot spring pool,

And said directly;

"Do you know how much money and food it would cost to send a tribe to Jinding, which is a long way away?"

In the past two years, the Manchurian soldiers who had surrendered have basically been sent by the Emperor to his elder brother in Yinlang County, after all, his elder brother still has the title of Manchu son-in-law.

"Tch, Ji Lao Liu (Sixth Prince Ji), you are getting more and more outrageous. Not only have you cut off my Jinding's money and food, but you have even cut off my source of soldiers. Manchurian soldiers are so easy to use, savage soldiers are too much less interesting."

"You're still acting like you're not getting enough benefits, have you gotten less benefits from me?"

Prince Pingxi sat up,

Said:

"We have to talk about this carefully. This Great Yan world belongs to your Ji family, and your Ji family is the largest landlord in this Great Yan. We, as ministers, are just working for your Ji family.

The people know that they have to treat the neighbors who help them with a meal during the busy farming season. Is it possible to work for your Ji family and get some rewards and still have to be grateful and say that you are taking advantage of your family?

Ji Lao Liu (Sixth Prince Ji), are you shameless?

Oh,

The more I think about it, the more I lose. This thing is really not good to talk about;

What am I doing now,

Am I helping your Ji family guard the gate with my own food?"

When Prince Pingxi said this, it was not appropriate for Li Fei to speak, because his Zhenbei Royal Mansion had to rely on the court's support from a hundred years ago.

But even so, the Zhenbei Royal Mansion became the well-deserved super clan of Great Yan back then. Now, the Jinding Prince Pingxi Mansion can even be self-sufficient in money and food...

Li Fei, who was already sitting in the position of Prince of Zhenbei, only felt a chill run down his back.

"You Zheng, are you here to collect debts? It is a great honor to guard the border for the Son of Heaven!"

"The eunuchs in the palace still get a salary every month, so why is it that I'm fighting and guarding the gate outside, and I can't see a tael of silver and have to pay for it?"

"Without the country, where is the home!"

"Without me, where is your country!"

"Zheng Fan, you are presumptuous!"

The Emperor stood up directly from the hot spring pool!

"What, can the Emperor be unreasonable!"

Prince Pingxi also stood up.

Li Fei could no longer continue to soak in the pool, so he could only stand up and act as a peacemaker:

"Your Majesty, please calm down, please calm down, Prince of Pingxi doesn't mean that, doesn't mean that.

Prince, Prince, we can't talk to Your Majesty like this, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, is the monarch, we can discuss everything, discuss everything, everything is for the country, for the Great Yan, isn't it."

"You Zheng, what exactly do you want!"

"Nothing, I just think I'm losing money. I only have this little bit of silver and these two meals. I can't afford to support so many soldiers and horses.

If there were more elites who could be one against ten, that would save a lot of chewing, but you have to know that the savage soldiers can only be used to make do, they can't be on the stage, and they eat a lot!

Send the Manchu soldiers back to me, I want Manchu soldiers!"

"Prince, slow down, slow down." Li Fei persuaded.

"Don't even think about it. Not to mention that the Manchu soldiers have already been sent to An Donghou's hands by me, and there is no reason to take them back. Yinlang County is facing the entire three borders of Qian Country. How much pressure is this? How can I dismantle his platform!

You Zheng, I think you are really used to being lawless, are you going to rebel, take this Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, never say that, Your Majesty, never say such angry words, Prince of Pingxi can't mean that, can't mean that.

Uncle Zheng, Your Majesty, let's discuss it properly, and we will definitely be able to discuss a perfect solution, definitely."

Zheng Fan sneered,

Pointing at the Emperor,

Said;

"No money, no food, no soldiers, are you asking me to be an alchemist and cultivate immortality? Jinding has to suppress Jindi and prevent the Snow Plains and Chu Country. I'm carrying three, is it easy for me!"

"Then what do you want to be satisfied!" The Emperor shouted angrily.

"Prince, what do you want?" Li Fei asked quickly, "If it really doesn't work, my Zhenbei Royal Mansion's salary for the second half of the year..."

Li Fei wanted to say that if it really didn't work, he could cut some of the Zhenbei Royal Mansion's salary and allowances for the second half of the year so that the court could support Jinding. After all, the Manchus in the desert have been busy killing each other in recent years, and the threat is already very low.

But before Li Fei could finish speaking,

Zheng Fan said directly;

"Okay, I'll just suffer a little loss, and follow what my nephew said, transfer Li Chenghui's army to my Jinding, and I'll exchange it with savage soldiers."

Li Fei: "Huh?"

The Emperor sighed, seemingly deliberately suppressing his anger, and smashed the wet towel in his hand on the water,

Turning his head,

In a posture that he didn't want to see you Zheng's dead appearance again,

Turned to look at Li Fei, the Prince of Zhenbei, who was standing beside him,

Said:

"Sigh, Prince of Zhenbei, what do you think?"

"..." Li Fei.