In the eighteenth year of Chengde, in the blink of an eye, the weather was a little warmer, on the official road in the south of the capital, the two of them walked back and forth, in front of a middle-aged man in a cloth suit, and behind was a young man.

The middle-aged man's skin is slightly dark, but his appearance is very handsome, and his two beards make him look a little chic, and he is a middle-aged uncle who looks very tasteful.

"Zhong Ming, where is it?"

The young man who walked behind lowered his head and said, "Master Hou, it should be almost in the capital." ”

This young man spoke with a thick Shu accent, obviously a Bashu person.

And this middle-aged man is Li Shen, the Marquis of Pingnan, who has not returned to Beijing for more than three years.

He is the Marquis of Pingnan of the current dynasty, and he is the general of the Zhuguo State of the imperial court, according to common sense, when he returns to Beijing, he must at least bring dozens or hundreds of parts to show pomp, but this Marquis of Pingnan only brought a young man, and the two of them returned to the capital in a very low-key manner.

Li Shen stretched his waist on the horse, looked up at the capital not far in front of him, and muttered in a low voice: "It's really in the capital, I haven't come back for a few years, and I almost can't recognize it." ”

After speaking, he looked back at the young man behind him and said with a smile: "It's going to be dark soon, let's hurry up, this capital is much more prosperous than southern Xinjiang, and when I return to the Hou Mansion, I will let you see and understand." ”

Zhong Ming bowed his head and said, "Thank you, Master Hou." ”

After speaking, the horses of the two people quickly went up a lot, less than a pillar of incense, and rushed to the south gate of the capital, at this time the sky was about to darken, the soldiers guarding the city were about to close the city gate, Li Shen was about to call the door, and suddenly saw an old man with gray hair standing under the city gate.

This Pingnanhou turned over and dismounted, walked in front of the old man, and said with a smile: "The Grand Duke hasn't seen him for a long time, but his body is still tough?" ”

This old man is the great eunuch Chen Ju who followed the Son of Heaven in Chengde, Chen Ju waved his hand again and again when he heard this, and said respectfully: "In front of the Hou Ye, you can't be a big word." ”

The Marquis of Pingnan and the Son of Heaven of Chengde had an excellent relationship in their early years, and they were almost commensurate with each other, so Chen Ju did not dare to put up a fight in front of this marquis.

Li Shen smiled and said softly, "The Grand Duke is busy with affairs, why do you have time to wait for me here?" ”

Chen Ju bowed his head and said, "Master Hou, Your Majesty is anxious to see you." ”

Li Shen pointed to the cloth clothes he was wearing, and said with a wry smile: "Grand Duke, Li Shen rushed all the way from southern Xinjiang, not to mention the dust, and he was also a little sloppy, so let me go back to the Hou Mansion, bathe and change clothes, and then go to see Your Majesty." ”

Chen Ju lowered his head and said: "Don't embarrass me, Your Majesty specially asked me to wait here, just to invite Hou Ye into the palace as soon as possible, I haven't seen you for many years, Your Majesty has always been very worried about Hou Ye." ”

Li Shen hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Grand Duke, I also miss Your Majesty very much, but wearing this body will inevitably collide with the Holy Driving ......."

Chen Ju said in a low voice: "In this way, Master Hou, you will enter the palace with me first, and I will send someone to the Hou Mansion to go to your court clothes, and send them into the palace as soon as possible, and you will change your clothes in the palace, how can it be in time." ”

Li Shen nodded and said with a smile: "In that case, the Grand Duke will lead the way." ”

As he spoke, he looked back at the entourage behind him, and said indifferently: "Ben Hou wants to enter the palace to face the saint, you go back to the Hou Mansion and report the safety of the family for Ben Hou." ”

Zhong Ming bowed his head and said, "Yes." ”

………………

An hour later, it was completely dark.

Li Shen, who was dressed in a first-class Zhuguo court uniform, looked much more majestic, he walked into the Changle Palace, and knelt down on one knee in front of the Chengde Emperor on the dragon chair: "Minister Li Shen, knock to see Your Majesty." ”

The Son of Heaven of Chengde hurriedly walked down, stretched out his hand to personally help Li Shen up, and then glanced up and down at the general, and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for a few years, but my General Li is a little older." ”

Li Shen stood up and said with a smile: "The minister is an ordinary man, and when he is old, he will naturally be old." ”

The Son of Chengde took Li Shen's hand and said with a smile: "I let them get a table of wine and food in the side hall, let's go, you and my brother haven't seen each other for several years, go have a few drinks." ”

Li Shen bent over, and his voice was respectful: "The minister obeys the order." ”

The two of them sat down on both sides of a table in the side hall, and after a few polite words, Emperor Chengde personally poured Li Shen a glass of wine, and sighed softly: "I haven't returned to Beijing for a few years, which shows that the affairs in southern Xinjiang are heavy, and you were also a handsome young man back then, and now you have become like this, it is really hard for you." ”

Li Shen bowed his head and said: "This is the duty of the minister, most of the remnants of southern Xinjiang are in the deep mountains, stubborn, and they will raise troops to make trouble if they are not careful. ”

Emperor Chengde squinted his eyes and smiled: "This time I went back to Beijing for your youngest son from Yongzhou?" ”

More than one person wrote to tell Li Shen who was far away in southern Xinjiang, so this Marquis of Pingnan knew some things in the capital.

The general of the Zhu Kingdom stiffened his face, and then bowed his head and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, there have indeed been some rumors in the capital recently, and my brother Li Ye also sent a letter to the minister to explain, but that Li Xin is not the son of the minister, and he has nothing to do with the minister. ”

Emperor Chengde glanced at Li Shen with a smile: "Don't be hard-mouthed, it's normal to have some romances outside, your little son I have seen it, and he was born almost exactly the same as when you were young, this child has suffered a lot over the years, and now he is doing things in Yulinwei, you go to see him these days, talk to him well, and make up for it." ”

Li Shen's face remained unchanged, and he said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the minister was injured in the fight with the old Shu thieves with his father in southern Xinjiang, and he did recuperate in Yongzhou for a period of time, but he didn't know any women in Yongzhou, and this person who called himself Li Xin would never be the son of the minister." ”

Emperor Chengde's face became serious.

"Really, not?"

Li Shen shook his head and said, "The minister doesn't dare to bully the king." ”

Emperor Chengde narrowed his eyes and said: "This young man who calls himself Li Xin has made a lot of trouble in the capital during this time. ”

Li Shen nodded and said, "This person pretended to be the son of a minister and deceived His Majesty, which is indeed an unforgivable sin. ”

Emperor Chengde looked at Li Shen seriously, and after not noticing any strange expression on Li Shen's face, he smiled and waved his hand: "That's it, he never said that he was your son, it's just that the people in the capital have misunderstood, and besides, he made a meritorious service a few days ago, so it's not good to settle old accounts with him now." ”

Speaking of this, Emperor Chengde picked up the wine glass, touched it lightly with Pingnanhou, and then sighed softly: "You can be chic in southern Xinjiang, but I am trapped in the capital and can't move, we were all brothers who grew up together back then, and now the situation is so disparity, I really envy you." ”

Li Shen smiled bitterly: "The minister is in southern Xinjiang, and he has been injured more than once, but there is nothing to envy. ”

"That's it, let's not talk about that."

Emperor Chengde raised his head and took a sip of wine, and then looked at Li Shen with a sincere face: "I have a problem now, and I would like to ask you to give me an idea." ”

"Your Majesty asks."

The Son of Heaven in Chengde said in a low voice: "You say, who should I appoint among the four princes in the capital?" ”

Li Shen's complexion changed greatly, he fell to his knees with a thud, and said in a trembling voice: "This major matter of the heavenly family should be decided by His Majesty, and the foreign ministers can put their beaks in their mouths!" ”

Chengde Tianzi stretched out his hand to help him up, shook his head and said, "What are you doing so nervously, I just asked casually." ”

Li Shen stood up from the ground, still trembling in both hands.

Seeing this, the Son of Heaven of Chengde lost his interest, and waved his hand: "That's it, you haven't returned to Beijing for a long time, you should go back to see your wife and son, and I won't keep you." ”

Li Shenru was granted amnesty, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and hurriedly retired.

After Li Shen walked away, the expression on Emperor Chengde's face turned to anger, and he swept all the wine and food on the table to the ground, and suddenly the ground was full of porcelain fragments.

"Slippery hands!"

Chen Ju, who was standing on the side, hurriedly walked over, stood behind Emperor Chengde, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty is angry......

Emperor Chengde was furious and slapped the table angrily.

"Then Li Xin, how can he not be his son?"

"Just because Li Xin is close to Lao Qi, he denies it!"

"He just wants to take himself out, he wants to get the Li family out!"

Speaking of this, Emperor Chengde's face was a little distorted.

"In this world, how can there be a reason to quell the rebellion for more than 30 years!"