Cui Geng's recent small days have been quite nourishing.

The title of "King Luling's number one henchman" is much more useful than "Cui Qingtian". After he returned to Beijing, he was constantly invited to banquets by the ministers, which was hot, like flowers and brocade, and like cooking oil in a fire!

Not only that, but he also married Meifang, the queen of the Taiyuan Wang clan, as a concubine. Although this incident has been rumored for a long time, when it really happened, it was really envious of others.

Of course, there are always some dissonant notes.

For example, Lu Zangyong, who was sent by the two Zhang brothers to assassinate Cui Geng, was released by the Criminal Department on the grounds of "no evidence". Then, under Zhang Changzong's pillow wind, Wu Zetian personally met with this "Zhongnan hermit". He was named the "Right Pick-up", with a rank of seven grades.

As for Shi Sugui, the governor of Yangzhou, he was not affected at all and continued to be his feudal official.

Fortunately, Lu Wu, who was hated by Li Xian, had no one to do anything for him, so he went to Luoyang South City and lost his head.

……

……

Half a month later, Cui Mansion, main hall house.

"What? The prince invited the official to the banquet? Cui Geng took an invitation in his hand and couldn't help but exclaim.

The little eunuch who sent the invitation kowtowed heavily and said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said, please also appreciate the work." ”

"What is this......" Cui Geng hesitated for a while, and said: "This official has occasionally felt a cold recently, and I am afraid that he will live up to the prince's good intentions." ”

The little eunuch said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Does Cui Shu want to go?" I'm afraid that's not quite right. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said...... If Cui Shushu refuses to take the initiative to go to the banquet, he will, he will ......"

"How?"

"Take all the subordinate officials of the Prince's East Palace and take the initiative to visit!"

"I ......" Cui Geng smiled bitterly: "Then you go back to report to the prince, and the official will go to the banquet on time!" ”

"Yes, the slave must have brought the words."

Of course, Cui Geng didn't want to eat one of Li Dan's meals.

First of all, Li Dan is the current crown prince, but Li Xian wants to seize the position of the prince, and the two sides are naturally competitive. He and Li Dan are too close, what will Li Xian think?

Secondly, the relationship with Li Dan is too stiff! If at the banquet, Li Dan wooed himself, how could he refuse? Don't forget, according to the normal development of history, ten years later, people will also have a few years of emperor's life.

So, it's best for the two sides to have nothing to do with each other right now.

When Li Xian ascended the throne and Empress Wei made the court into a miasma, he and Li Dan joined forces to deal with Empress Wei and improve the relationship.

However, people are not as good as heaven, and Li Dan threatens to visit him in person, so he really can't help it.

Anyway, Li Dan can't be the prince for a few days, he doesn't care about his reputation, but he still cares! Okay, when the prince of the labor dynasty took the initiative to visit, and he also brought all the subordinate officials of the East Palace, are you Cui Gengbei? You want to go to heaven!

Therefore, Cui Geng had to take Feng Changqing and others to the banquet in person according to the date on the invitation.

"Cui, please!"

Li Dan's greeting to Cui Geng was very high, not only opened the door of the East Palace, but also personally brought his sons and the prince's subordinate officials to greet him.

To be honest, this treatment, even if it is used for Di Renjie, is a bit excessive, not to mention him Cui Geng Cui Erlang? Cui Geng's heart was even more uneasy, and said: "What the prince did like this, he really killed Weichen!" ”

Li Dan said quite freely: "Cui Shushu welcomed the return of the emperor's brother King Luling to the dynasty, which is really a blessing for the country. What is the fact that this prince runs errands? And again......"

After a pause, Li Dan blinked his eyes and continued: "I can't be the prince for a few days, right?" ”

Cui Geng's face was embarrassed for a while, and he said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can't be arrogant, you ......"

Li Xian waved his hand and interrupted: "Cui Shushu is going to give Prince Ben a relief pill, I know how many taels of dry rice I should eat." Belch...... This place is not a place to speak, and Cui Shu is invited to serve tea inside. Prince Ben still has a lot to say in his heart, and he wants to talk to you. ”

"His Royal Highness the Prince, please!"

"Cui, please!"

……

……

Came to the Chengyuan Hall of the East Palace, sat down the guests, and the little eunuch offered fragrant tea.

After Li Dan exchanged a few words with Cui Geng, he ordered all the officials of the East Palace to disperse. Cui Geng was naturally very eye-catching, and asked Feng Changqing and the others to step down.

In an instant, in the hall, only Cui Geng, Li Dan and Li Dan's sons were left.

Li Dan cleared his throat and said: "Cui Shu, a few days ago, at the banquet for the King of Luling, Wu Sansi offered the Nine Dragons White Jade Cup, and this king offered the East Melon with words. Do you suspect that Prince Ben and I are colluding with Wu Sansi? ”

"Xia Guan has never been so conjectural."

"Oh? Is it? But the prince didn't believe it...... The world-famous Cui writings can't even see this? That's right, I do have contact with Wu Sansi. ”

"What?"

Cui Geng originally thought that Li Dan deliberately mentioned this matter because Li Xian's ascension was a foregone conclusion, and he wanted to deny it. Unexpectedly, people took the initiative to admit it!

He said noncommittally: "The reason why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did this must be something unspeakable, right?" ”

Li Dan shook his head again and again, and said, "Ah, no, there is nothing unspeakable, this prince can say it now." ”

As he spoke, he suddenly got up, paced around the hall, and said, "This prince has been the prince for ten years. Cui Shushu, do you know how you have lived in the past ten years? ”

"Wechen knows a little bit about it.;"

"It's not okay to know a little bit about it, and listen to what this prince tells you one by one......

Then, Li Dan snapped his fingers and mainly told Cui Geng three major things.

The first thing, in the second year of the Heavenly Grant, Zhang Jiafu, a close confidant of Wu Chenghei, the king of Wei, instigated Wang Qingzhi, the people of Luoyang, gathered hundreds of people, and gave the table to Wu Zetian, saying that "the gods are not of the same kind, and the people are not of the same race", and asked Wu Zetian to depose Li Dan's status as the prince and establish Wu Chenghei instead.

Prime Ministers Cen Changqian and Ge Fuyuan resolutely opposed this matter, and were falsely accused of rebellion by Wu Chenghei and were killed in prison. In the end, it was Li Zhaode who turned the tide, not only persuaded Wu Zetian, but also killed Wang Qingzhi with a cane and kept Li Dan's position as the crown prince.

The second thing is that Wu Zetian has a pet maid named Wei Tuan'er, who wants to seduce ~ lead Li Dan to do a good job. Li Dan thought about it, but the problem was that he didn't dare. I have that relationship with the emperor's henchmen, what do you want to do? Do you want to plot against the emperor? Therefore, he politely refused Wei Tuan'er's request.

But Wei Tuan'er held a grudge and falsely accused Li Dan's concubines Liu and Dou of cursing the emperor with witchcraft. Wu Zetian directly ordered Lai Junchen to investigate the case in detail, and finally ordered Concubine Liu and Concubine Dou to be secretly executed and buried in the palace. Until now, Li Dan didn't know the specific location of the burial of these two concubines.

As for the third thing, in order to make meritorious service, Lai Junchen directly falsely accused Li Dan of rebellion and tortured the subordinate officials of the East Palace to extract confessions. Is that the punishment of Lijingmen a human being? Seeing that Li Dan's position as the crown prince was in jeopardy.

In the end, thanks to Le Gongan Jinzang, he took the opportunity to meet Wu Ze in front of him and disemboweled his abdomen in public to show that Li Dan had absolutely no intention of rebelling. Wu Zetian was deeply moved, so he no longer doubted Li Dan and ordered Junchen to stop the trial.

In the end, Li Dan had already brought bursts of crying and said, "This prince knows that the imperial brother is older than me, and he should sit on the throne of the prince." However, the two prime ministers Cen Changqian and Ge Fuyuan, the two concubines Liu and Concubine Dou, and the loyal minister An Jinzang, so many people died for the position of my crown prince. If I surrender this position without a struggle, am I worthy of them? ”

Cui Geng understands that although Li Dan only said three major things just now, in the past ten years, there must have been many small things. To be fair, Li Dan has to worry about it every day and sleep restlessly, this day is really not a human life.

He said: "These years have really been bitter for His Royal Highness the Prince. ”

Li Dan pointed to the few teenagers who were accompanying him and said, "This prince is bitter, and my children are even more bitter." For the past ten years, they have been under house arrest in the palace, and they have not even seen the face of the crown prince. It wasn't until King Luling returned to Beijing that our father and son were able to enjoy the joy of sharing family again. ”

Cui Geng really didn't know about this, and was a little surprised: "Is this really the case? ”

"What did Prince Ben lie to you, alas, among these children, the most unlucky one has to be said to be San Lang. His mother, Dou Shi, was secretly executed by His Majesty. Think about it, what age of children, quietly, the mother died, and did not dare to show sadness, isn't this a human tragedy? ”

As he spoke, he motioned to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy: "San Lang, come over and meet Cui Shushu!" ”

The young man came respectfully, bowed and said, "See Cui's writings." ”

Li Dan's sons have all been crowned kings, Cui Geng quickly got up and dodged, and said, "How dare the lower officials accept such a big gift from the little prince?" Well...... I don't know what the little prince is called? ’

"King Linzi, Li Longji!"

Li Longji?

Cui Geng secretly pondered in his heart, this is the future Tang Xuanzong, I can't imagine that Cui Erlang will worship him today? What a wonderful thing is this! Eh, if the plan can't catch up with the changes, should I show favor to this emperor who will be in power for decades in advance?

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