Transmigrated as the Regent's Runaway Wife

106-107-108-109-110

ONE HUNDRED SIX
The atmosphere seemed to quiet down for a while.

Lin Bozhou propped up his chin and looked at him, his eyes gentle: “Since it is the will of His Majesty, it is the duty of the minister to consider the overall situation and comply with the will of the emperor. It is not a question of like or dislike.”

Meng Huan was a little dazed.

“I was unwilling to submit before, but now this group of people are stepping on my spine, trying to make me bend over and completely submit,” Lin Bozhou said calmly, “If I withdraw, His Majesty will be at ease, then I will withdraw.”

“Your Majesty has grown up, and it is time for you to take charge of the government. Since Your Majesty no longer needs me, there is really no need for me to exist.”

Lin Bozhou changed the subject and lowered his gaze: “Huanhuan doesn’t want to go to Guzhou?”

“ah?”

Meng Huan quickly shook his head: “No.”

Since Lin Bozhou was not depressed about his situation, Meng Huan said nothing more and said seriously: “Wherever my husband goes, I will go.”

The ending sound is sticky and delicate.

After saying that, Meng Huan felt that he was a bit useless, like a little tail, having lost the ability to live independently, and could not survive without Lin Bozhou.

But he is such a waste qaq.

Lin Bozhou gently held his hand and felt as if he had gained strength in his body: “Well, after taking a shower, Huanhuan went to bed early.”

They were traveling at night, and it was almost dawn when they went to sleep, so Meng Huan lay in bed for a few more hours before getting up. When he opened his eyes, there was no one beside him. Lin Bozhou had little sleep and was full of energy. It was obvious that he had gone to the central military tent next door early in the morning to meet with the generals.

There was only one servant guarding him in the tent.

The way the servants looked at him, they almost assumed that Meng Huan was Lin Bozhou’s favorite beauty, and they were very respectful.

Meng Huan washed up and just left the tent. Standing outside the door was a familiar figure, squatting beside a rock, his head and face covered in snow. Meng Huan looked carefully and asked, “Zhu Dong?”

Zhu Dong stood up: “Brother Chen!”

Meng Huan was happy: “Are you here to see me?”

“Who else should I look for if not you? I heard that there is finally news about the prince, and you have done a great job in protecting the prince. That’s really amazing. But I guess you must have suffered a lot during this period, so I came here specially to see you.”

“That was indeed suffering.” Meng Huan sighed rather heavily.

“Damn it, I’m suffering too.” Zhu Dong’s lips trembled.

The two good brothers looked at each other for a while and found that they had both lost a lot of weight after not seeing each other for half a month.

“I just woke up, it’s time for lunch.” Meng Huan said, “Let’s eat together and talk while we eat.”

The two of them went to the camp of the army in the palace. On the way, Zhu Dongda complained:

“The guards of the palace had a conflict with the soldiers, but they didn’t dare to confront them face to face for fear of giving the prince an excuse. They had no choice but to run around everywhere, looking for the whereabouts of the prince.” Zhu Dong burst into tears, “Brother, being a soldier is hard! Especially when the commander is gone, they are like drowned dogs.”

“…”

Meng Huan had been on the march before, and knew how tiring it was to follow the soldiers everywhere. He couldn’t help but sigh, “It really is.”

Zhu Dong pinched his face and said, “Look how much weight I have lost. I will cry again when my mother sees me when I get home.”

Meng Huan was deeply moved

It seemed that not only he and Lin Bozhou were having a hard time, but everyone was having a hard time – the victorious general and the soldiers who had fought and won the battle at the risk of their lives were all stabbed in the back by Emperor Xuanhe, becoming neither human nor ghost.

Meng Huan said, “Let’s eat first.”

“Let’s eat, okay, let’s eat,” Zhu Dong’s eyes suddenly turned green, “I’ve been starving for a long time.”

“You didn’t have breakfast either?” Meng Huan asked.

“No, you will know after you eat it.”

As Meng Huan approached with the bowl in hand, he thought there would be some special snacks, but when he got closer, he found that everyone’s bowl was filled with thin porridge made from millet and watery soup, and there was nothing else.

Someone made a dissatisfied sound.

“Why is the porridge getting thinner day by day?”

“One bowl doesn’t make me feel hungry at all. I just finished drinking it and after two pees I’m fucking hungry again.”

“Oh, why is it like this…”

Meng Huan was also stunned: “What’s going on?”

“The army is out of food,” Zhu Dong said in a heavy voice. “We fled from the city suddenly, and our food and supplies were cut off. As a result, we are hungry every day. We can only eat millet porridge and potatoes to satisfy our hunger. And in a few days, we may not even have these.”

Meng Huan picked up the bowl and saw that the chef also scooped a bowl of soup for himself, as the pot was almost empty.

After he was surprised, he felt complicated.

Last night, Meng Huan had a feast of fish and meat in Lin Bozhou’s tent. He did feel that the fish was a little rougher and the chicken was thinner than before, but he never expected that the army was short of food. No wonder Lin Bozhou couldn’t eat after just two bites… He must have guessed it.

“Drink it!” Zhu Dong turned the bowl. “Although the taste is average, it can still satisfy your hunger.”

“I know, don’t rush me.”

Meng Huan put the bowl to his lips and tried to take a sip of the sticky soup.

Maybe the porridge was too clear with just millet in it, so some wild vegetables and pickles were mixed in, and it became a bowl of grayish color with some pot ash on it.

The porridge fell into my mouth. It tasted salty, bitter, and astringent. The taste was hard to describe.

Meng Huan frowned and stared blankly at the bowl.

He had studied history books before and had seen soldiers without food, famine, and food shortages, but he never thought that this would happen to him.

“How many days have you been like this?”

“About four or five days.”

Zhu Dong lowered his voice, “If this continues, the food and grass will be eaten up, and they will probably kill the war horses to eat. Once the war horses are killed, the soldiers will definitely mutiny! You don’t know how anxious everyone is to find the prince, they are all waiting for the prince to come back for food!”

Meng Huan’s lips curled even more fiercely.

I can only say that I was too naïve. I thought there was only a close relationship between the generals and the soldiers, but I didn’t expect there were so many practical problems.

Lin Bozhou…

His eyes haven’t recovered yet, how is he going to find food for 30,000 people?

Zhu Dong lowered his voice and whispered in his ear: “Actually, there is a solution to the problem of having no food to eat.”

Meng Huan perked up: “What?”

“Burning, killing and looting! This is a way to accumulate wealth and food. Some people on the road wanted to do this a long time ago,” Zhu Dong shook his head, “but they were stopped by General Zhang and Chen Changshi. They said that the soldiers in the palace are good soldiers, and good soldiers don’t do what Zhu Lizhen and the bandits did. The prince has been in Liaodong for four months and has not harassed the people, killed or robbed. He has a good reputation. We can’t ruin the prince’s hard-earned reputation.”

Meng Huan held the bowl in his hand, dazed.

He gritted his teeth and drank the porridge in the bowl clean.

After the soldiers finished drinking the porridge, those who were not on duty lay down in their tents, their faces turning blue as they lay there to sleep, in order to avoid losing their strength too quickly and suffering from hunger.

There was widespread grief.

…Lin Bozhou must have guessed it long ago.

This thought popped into Meng Huan’s mind.

No wonder he told Chen An in the carriage last night that he wanted the 30,000 guards to leave him and return to the regiment alone.

——Only if they don’t stay with Lin Bozhou, the guards will be accepted by the court and have food to eat.

This is the only way to save this group of people.

Otherwise, the palace guards would surely develop into out-of-control hungry wolves just to have enough food. The internal drive that hunger brings to people cannot be underestimated. Unless one is a saint, morality can hardly overcome physiology. Physiological hunger can turn a gentleman into a devil.

These 30,000 people would either completely lose control and disband on the spot and become roving bandits, or gather together and form a rope, turn around and capture a large number of cities, massacre a large number of people, and plunder a large amount of property.

They were brought up by Lin Bozhou himself, and he probably wouldn’t want to see them become like this.

But if they were allowed to return to the regiment camp, they would have food to eat and would be able to save their lives. They could also show their sincerity to Emperor Xuanhe and say –

Look, even the life-saving guards are given to you, if this isn’t being a loyal subject, what is?

Lin Bozhou obviously had an idea in mind, which was to get these 30,000 people out of the regiment camp safely and bring them back to Guzhou.

But……

Lin Bozhou sent away these 30,000 guards, which meant he was completely without support. What should he do? Isn’t it quite dangerous?

Meng Huan rubbed his head.

He was not Lin Bozhou, and he had no idea at all at this moment.

Zhu Dong said, “Let’s go back and lie down. Don’t move. If you move, you’ll get hungry quickly. It’s really uncomfortable to be hungry.”

Meng Huan sighed and followed him back to the tent.

“That’s a very treasonous thing to say.”

Zhu Dong lowered his voice and leaned close to his ear: “Do you think our prince will rebel?”

Meng Huan was surprised: “What?”

“Having no food, isn’t that forcing rebellion? Since ancient times, having no food has always been the primary reason for our people to rebel. After all, if we want food now, we can only rob. But once we rob, the soldiers will find a reason to send troops to suppress us. Then, if we fight face to face, even if Your Majesty doesn’t want to rebel, isn’t that a rebellion?”

Zhu Dong’s expression was extremely serious.

Not only him, but tens of thousands of people in the camp secretly pondered over it for several days and found that they were forced to this point. Either Lin Bozhou killed himself or Lin Bozhou established himself as the leader. There was no other way to go.

Meng Huan shook his head hesitantly.

“Has it reached this desperate situation?”

He knew what Lin Bozhou was thinking.

But Meng Huan would not tell anyone before Lin Bozhou made this idea public.

He said: “The prince is smart, he must be thinking of a solution.”

Zhu Dong nodded, his voice anxious, and looked towards the central military tent.

“That’s for sure. My cousin went to the meeting this morning and hasn’t come back yet. I guess there was a big fight.”

In the cold wind, they sighed face to face.

After a brief chat with Zhu Dong, Meng Huan was squatting in the tent, feeling dizzy and hungry. Chen An came in and said softly, “Nephew, the prince is looking for you everywhere.”

He looked a little tired. For those who use their brains, thinking is quite tiring.

Meng Huan nodded: “Well, I’ll go over then.”

On his way back to the central military camp, the generals and staff who were discussing matters came out one after another. There was no laughter along the way. All of them had solemn and dignified expressions, which complemented the icy and snowy weather perfectly.

When they met, they all sighed and shook their heads.

Some people wiped their tears.

——I’m afraid the discussion produced some unexpected results.

Meng Huan was stunned, not knowing what it was, and ran back to the tent. After running a few steps, he felt hungry again and felt dizzy.

When I opened the curtain, the heat wave hit my face.

“Huanhuan is back?”

Lin Bozhou sat at the table, with beef, roast chicken, and strong liquor in front of him. The dishes were very rich. It was obvious that his meals were different from others.

Meng Huan walked in lightly, “Your Majesty.”

“Um.”

Lin Bozhou had also been discussing matters for the entire morning. He looked a little sick and tired, and his slender fingers gently massaged his temples.

“Are you hungry? Come and eat.”

ONE HUNDRED SEVEN
The food on the table looked delicious before, but now when I think about so many people not being able to finish their meals, it has a different meaning.

Meng Huan walked up to him and sat down.

He smelled the aroma of the food and felt very upset: “Husband, there is no food in the barracks.”

“I know.” Lin Bozhou said slowly.

“How could this happen?” Meng Huan was extremely frustrated.

He knew it was not easy to lead an army. Even though scholars read so many books and were so smart, there was still a difference between civil and military. Without experience, one could not lead an army. However, he did not expect that if he did not hold back, he would be pushed into a desperate situation.

“The army has no food, so mutiny is inevitable sooner or later.” Lin Bozhou’s eyebrows remained calm. “Huanhuan, eat more and rest in the tent in the afternoon. We will set off tonight.”

Meng Huan raised his eyes: “Traveling tonight?”

Hurrying on the road, does it mean that Lin Bozhou is riding alone back to the capital?

His heart suddenly beat faster and something was beating in his eardrums.

Hezhou is hundreds of kilometers away from the capital, and it takes a long time to travel. If there is no one to protect you, you will definitely encounter many problems alone. Meng Huan thought of Chen An’s worries: “Isn’t it dangerous?”

Lin Bozhou turned his face away.

Against the light, shadows instantly blurred his eyebrows and eyes, making his nose and jaw look even paler, but Lin Bozhou’s smile was gentle, sharp and sharp, carrying a dangerous tone of suppressed murderous intent.

“When I was 20, I came to the capital from Guzhou to be a puppet. I knew the capital was dangerous and I might never come back, but I went anyway. During my six years in office, I had countless conflicts with the ministers in the court, including poisoned wine, assassination, false accusations, and crises. There were people who wanted to kill me all the time, but I still stood firm in the court.”


“It’s dangerous, it’s always dangerous. Now, everyone expects my husband to rebel in Liaodong, but my husband wants to return to Beijing to petition, no one could have guessed. Although this is a risky plan, it is also a way to get out of the predicament.”

Lin Bozhou wore a crane cloak on his shoulders, sat sideways with his hands on his legs, his eyes lowered, and his posture revealed unparalleled dignity.

When he does things, he doesn’t care about the process, he only cares about the results.

Therefore, so many people in the court hated him, but Lin Bozhou never looked at these villains. No matter what he encountered, he could calmly analyze the adversity and deal with it calmly.

Do what you want to do, lead the current situation, and not be led by others. This is Lin Bozhou’s pride that others can hardly achieve.

Meng Huan couldn’t figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it: “Okay, then I’ll have a good meal and pack up my things.”

After dinner, Meng Huan wanted to say goodbye to Zhu Dong.

Lin Bozhou set out on a light horse with only a few people, and Zhu Dong was definitely not among them.

Meng Huan was stopped by another person halfway through his journey.

Shan Xing: “The prince’s horse and carriage are ready, would you like to come and take a look?”

“See the horses?” Although he was puzzled, Meng Huan still followed.

The horse paced in the stable, looking fat and strong. When Meng Huan reached out to touch the horse’s forehead, Shan Xing’s low voice rang in his ears: “Is the prince determined to return to the capital?”

Meng Huan turned around and met Shang Shan Xing’s haggard gaze, only then did he realize that he had something to say to him.

Meng Huan nodded: “Did he tell you?”

“I have said it,” Shan Xing shook his head, his usually carefree expression becoming serious, “The prince wants to return to the capital alone, after traveling hundreds of miles, to pay respect to His Majesty.

His voice paused.

“But I don’t want the prince to be a loyal minister anymore.”

“…”

Meng Huan’s heart trembled as if something hit him on the head, and his eyes met his.

“Others have their own opinions on the prince, and they also consider his reputation. They think he should respect the heaven and his ancestors, be willing to be a minister, and be a loyal minister who suffers a lot of grievances but still devotes himself to the country. But you and I have the same idea. We are not people of the court, we are the prince’s people, and we are the only ones who sincerely care about the prince’s future.”

Chen An was right. His radical subordinates had already shown signs of rebellion.

“Do you think that all this is what the prince deserves?” Shan Xing said, “The prince worked day and night for the court, but in return he was abandoned. The prince’s talent is no less than that of Emperor Xuanhe. If the crown prince had not been deposed, the prince would be sitting on the throne now. All this should have been his.”

Meng Huan lowered his head without saying a word, and touched the horse’s head with his hand.

“The prince has made up his mind to return to the capital, and none of us can persuade him. Perhaps you——”

Shan Xing begged in his voice, “I would rather follow the prince through life and death than live in this perverse and anti-dynasty dynasty. Princess, if you care about the prince, please persuade him.”

The intention came out.

Meng Huan touched the horse’s head and remained silent for a long time.

It turns out that she is also regarded as the wife who can influence the boss’s thoughts.

Meng Huan had clean and handsome eyebrows and eyes, and was stunned for a while. Finally, he withdrew his hand from touching the horse and shook his head: “I’m just his wife, I don’t know anything.”

The boy’s words were very convincing. He was fair-skinned, had a gentle voice, and seemed to think slowly.

After Meng Huan finished speaking, he felt a little uneasy and glanced at him secretly.

He didn’t want to influence Lin Bozhou’s thoughts and hoped they understood.

Shan Xing smiled bitterly, bowed to him, and said, “Bye.”

After the people left, Meng Huan stood there, his white fingers clenching the reins. A puff of white mist spurted out of the horse’s nasal cavity.

Meng Huan sighed and left the stable.

The soldiers were probably all asleep late at night, and the camp was shrouded in a layer of misty night snow. The cold penetrated their clothes, and they were shivering all over.

“Put the box away. It’s filled with gold and silver valuables. We’ll depend on the contents of this box to guard the checkpoints along the way.” A group of people were busy surrounding the carriage, ordering the important items to be packed up after a slight disguise.

“Be careful on the road, take the main road, and don’t run into bandits and refugees.”

“No matter what, protect the prince. If anything goes wrong, you won’t have enough heads to chop off ten of them.”

The night wind was bleak, and a group of people stood beside the carriage to see Lin Bozhou off.

“The dozen guards we brought with us disguised themselves as servants. We dare not bring more people with us, for fear of being recognized.”

Chen An’s eyes were filled with tears: “My Lord, please write to me as soon as you get to the capital!”

Today is different from the past.

The journey to the capital city is likely to be filled with dangers and there is no way back.

“Don’t worry. I will go to the capital and report to His Majesty immediately. I will also send you a transfer order to return to Guzhou.”

Lin Bozhou was supported by him and stepped onto the carriage with steady steps.

Meng Huan looked back at the camp and the tens of thousands of people in it. Lin Bozhou left late at night to avoid alerting everyone and exposing his whereabouts and information due to the many people talking.

In the next few days, no one would know that Lin Bozhou had left, but after about four or five days when they ran out of ammunition and food, they would naturally return to the regiment camp and eat the emperor’s food.

At this time, even if someone leaked the secret, no one could catch up with Lin Bozhou.

“Let’s get going.”

With just one simple sentence, the whip was raised.

The carriage gradually drove into the night and was gradually swallowed up by the wind, snow and darkness.

ONE HUNDRED EIGHT
“Sir, I asked around and they all said the regent died in Liaodong.”

At dusk.

Outside the north gate of the capital, under a few large locust trees, there was a horse-drawn carriage next to a wooden stall. Next to the carriage stood a dusty servant, and three other people were sitting in the tea stall.

The three men were not dressed richly but their clothes were clean. One of them was younger, with a handsome and fine appearance. He held the teacup in both hands and blew on it, and the hot mist wet his fair forehead.


“Brother, it’s not hot anymore. Here’s your drink.”

He handed the teacup to the young man next to him.

He was a tall and thin young man with very handsome features, but he seemed to have a problem with his eyesight, so he slowly reached for the pottery bowl with his hand.

They were drinking tea when Jianpu came up to them and said this.


“Died in Liaodong? How could this be? He was the regent! Your Majesty is young, and all state affairs are under his control!” The man with a more burly build among the three spoke in a loud voice, looking extremely surprised.

When the other people drinking tea in the teahouse heard the voice, they all turned around and said, “Who knows? Some say he committed suicide in rebellion, and some say he was forced to commit suicide. How could a living god in heaven, who was able to call the wind and rain not long ago, die?”


“I heard that he won the battle, but was framed by a villain and poisoned to death!”

“…”

The sound is loud.

Meng Huan took another sip of hot tea and remained silent.

Beside him, Lin Bozhou turned the cup with his slender fingers, listened quietly, and put the cup down after a moment.


“Hehehe,” Zhang Hu turned his head away. He didn’t dare to act rashly in front of Lin Bozhou, so he raised his chin to Meng Huan and said, “Second Young Master, how is it?”

Meng Huan gave him a thumbs up: “Great.”

——The rumor that Lin Bozhou died in Liaodong was ordered by Lin Bozhou himself and spread by Zhang Hu himself.

In ancient times, communication was not well developed, and most people were illiterate, so news was passed on by word of mouth. Zhang Hu asked his followers who were talented in poetry to compose a few poems and sing them while walking. They sang about Lin Bozhou’s loyalty and bravery but being poisoned by a traitor, about Lin Bozhou’s ambition to rebel and be killed, and about Lin Bozhou’s blindness and falling into the snow sea, and he seemed to be a fairy.


They sang all the way to confuse the audience. The only news they wanted to reveal was that Lin Bozhou was dead. Sure enough, the news spread faster than their carriage. As soon as they rested outside the city, the people in the capital were discussing whether Lin Bozhou was dead or alive. Their goal was achieved.

After drinking the hot tea in the bowl, Meng Huan felt that he had rested enough: “Shall we go into the city now?”

Lin Bozhou put down the bowl and said, “I’m not going into the city. I’m waiting for someone.”


Not long after they started talking, someone on horseback came galloping towards them from a distance.

The man was middle-aged and dressed in casual clothes, but Meng Huan recognized him as Luo Feng, the governor of the Beijing Army, Luo Juan’s father. When Lin Bozhou entered the military camp on the first night, it was he who helped Lin Bozhou kill someone that night to establish his authority.

After getting off the horse, Luo Feng glanced left and right. When he saw Lin Bozhou, his eyes became hot: “Wang——” He swallowed the second half of the sentence.


Lin Bozhou: “Uncle Luo is here.”

He stood up.

There seemed to be some emotion in his voice, but it also seemed calm and calm.

After four months, Lin Bozhou was now wearing plain cotton clothes, covered in dust. He looked much thinner than before, and his eyes were covered with a gray cloth.

——He didn’t look like the man who led the three armies in high spirits and pointed his swords outside the Great Wall when they parted in the military camp. Now, he was just a fallen royal who had lost favor and was on the run.

Luo Feng no longer dared to overstep the line, and at this moment he was also moved: “My dear nephew.”

“Let’s go talk where there are fewer people.” Lin Bozhou said calmly and let Zhang Hu support him as he walked out of the tea shed.

He walked in front and Luo Feng walked behind, and they arrived at the bridge on the river bank.

There is a gentle evening breeze and light rain and snow.

During this short distance, Luo Feng’s mind kept popping up words like “traitor!” “traitorous minister!” “rebellion!” “kill without mercy!” etc., which made him sweat coldly and keep wiping his forehead.

Lin Bozhou groped for the stone railing and stopped, saying, “Uncle Luo, thank you for not bringing troops to take me to jail.”

Luo Feng laughed bitterly at himself: “I was indeed quite frightened when I received the letter from my nephew.”

The implication is that Lin Bozhou’s name is now avoided by the court, and no one dares to touch him. Anyone who receives a letter from Lin Bozhou will probably be regarded as an accomplice and thrown into prison.

Lin Bozhou’s face turned red: “To be honest, I came to Uncle Luo because I wanted to give you the credit for taking my head.”

Luo Feng’s expression suddenly changed, with extremely complicated emotions in his eyes: “Why do you say that, my dear nephew? If I wanted to get promoted by taking your head, I would never ride a horse alone to meet you outside the city. You are putting me in an unfair position…”

Lin Bozhou smiled and said self-deprecatingly: “It’s not that I’m putting Uncle Luo in an unjust position, but I have no way to survive now.”

Luo Feng is a smart man.

He could feel that Lin Bozhou wanted to live, not die.

If he wants to survive, he must understand the cause and effect of the Liaodong incident. Luo Feng asked the key question: “What was the situation of the battle in Qiezhou like? I also read the military report when it was distributed to the six ministries for public display, but I felt that many numbers did not match. Nephew, can you tell me the battle of Qiezhou in detail?”

Zhang Hu responded and recounted the battle situation, including the number and details of the deployment of troops, the battle situation that night, and every detail, including what happened when he was chasing the remnants of Zhu Lizhen.

The more he talked, the more excited Zhang Hu’s blood boiled. “That night, all the men in my clan were upright and brave. They were not afraid of death or defeat. They rushed forward without caring about their lives. They were all real men! – The prince only led the troops this time, but the soldiers he brought out were the best.”

“Sure enough…” Luo Feng’s face changed and he clenched his teeth, “Marquis Zhenguan! You have a heart of a vicious snake!”

Lin Bozhou raised his eyebrows: “Uncle Luo knew it was wrong?”

“To be honest,” Luo Feng said, “I have been in charge of the Beijing Army for decades. This time, the prince selected the best and strongest soldiers to form a regiment to go to war. Many people in the battalion recognize my name, Luo Feng. The Marquis of Zhenguan stole the credit, and they dared not speak out, so they immediately wrote to tell me the truth.”

He punched the stone bridge, furious: “The most annoying thing in the army is that the military achievements you have fought for are easily stolen by cunning and treacherous people. I must make a suggestion to Your Majesty and win back the military achievements for everyone.”

“We cannot allow the only tombstone of the soldiers who died in battle to be overturned.”

Lin Bozhou was facing the river bank, his hair fluttering in the wind.

Besides the sergeants, he was also the one whose merits were taken away.

“Your Majesty,” Luo Feng was moved, “you have suffered.”

Lin Bozhou smiled slightly, but also felt a little heavy. He turned his chin to the side of the river bank, his sickly eyebrows were blown by the wind, his expression seemed to be distant, but there was a kind of confused and calm pale feeling.

“Then what will Your Majesty do next?” Luo Feng asked.

“In order to gain promotion and wealth, the Marquis of Zhenguan did not hesitate to start a factional struggle during the war and falsely accused me of treason. Since Your Majesty has doubts in his heart, I will go and clarify it with Your Majesty, that’s all.”

Luo Feng looked even more surprised than before. He opened his mouth, as if unwilling to believe it: “Your Highness still wants to see His Majesty? Isn’t this just courting death?”

Lin Bozhou’s hair was blown up by the wind again, and he smiled faintly.

“This heart is bright and is not afraid of being judged.”

Many official words are still beautiful. Luo Feng shook his head and looked around cautiously, as if looking for something: “The prince’s guards——”

“Your Majesty thought that I was rebelling, so I sent my guards back to the regiment camp and returned to the capital alone to meet the emperor to dispel your Majesty’s doubts. There are no guards here, only a few strong servants.”

Clean and nothing else.

Why would someone like Lin Bozhou rebel?

Luo Feng’s expression finally changed: “Your Majesty, His Majesty has failed you.”

“Whether I have let you down or not, as Your Majesty has grown up, I should naturally hand over the power to Your Majesty.” Lin Bozhou smiled, stretched out his finger, and suddenly tapped his own eyes.

“Uncle Luo.”

Luo Juan looked at him: “Hmm?”

“Perhaps the king is blind.”

Luo Feng was stunned. He looked at Lin Bozhou’s eyes in the wind and snow. Everyone knew that Lin Bozhou could not see when his eye disease relapsed. The regent who was dressed in scarlet flowers and rode a horse and rode a horse, and the blind and sick Lin Bozhou now overlapped.

Luo Feng was old, and he saw many people building tall buildings to entertain guests, and he also saw others living in tall buildings.

Lin Bozhou was the first one, which made him feel pity and heartbroken.

“The prince’s future plan is—”

“Return to Guzhou.”

“Then the prince returns to Beijing this time——”

“Clear your name.”

Luo Feng had an idea in mind.

From an emotional point of view, he admired Lin Bozhou’s abilities and could not tolerate his soldiers’ achievements being robbed.

From a rational point of view, Marquis Zhenguan was a military general who was favored by the emperor and was not on good terms with him. When his power grew, it would pose a threat to his position as the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Army.

Luo Feng cupped his hands and said, “Your Highness, I am a lowly person and my words are not taken seriously. I cannot speak much in the court to clear your grievances. I can only send a few people to protect you during this period of time and do what is convenient for you to ensure your safety.”

This is exactly what Lin Bozhou wanted.

He smiled: “Thank you, Uncle Luo.”

The Luo family is in charge of the capital’s army and has connections everywhere in the capital. If he agrees, Lin Bozhou will be absolutely safe when entering the capital.

As for now, there is one more thing that has to be done through the Luo family – that is entering the palace.

The palace is heavily guarded. There are garrisons outside the imperial city, imperial guards inside the imperial city, and a personal guard composed of disciples of meritorious officials. There are inspection posts at each city gate. If one cannot take the Meridian Gate, where civil and military officials go to court, other ways of entering the palace will result in numerous inspections. No matter how long Luo Feng’s arms are, they cannot reach into the imperial city.

“When does the prince plan to go to Beijing?” Luo Feng asked.

Lin Bozhou: “Your Majesty, have you been handling government affairs well these days?”

Very bad.

Emperor Xuanhe was sensitive, suspicious and extremely manic. After losing Lin Bozhou, he lost the ability to communicate with civil and military officials. He had very poor patience and roared like a dragon in the Golden Throne Palace every day. Any small thing could make him curse at all the treacherous officials in the court.

But although he looks violent, he is actually indecisive, extremely weak, and changes his mind every day.

Even so, Luo Feng’s expression was still very respectful: “Your Majesty has just taken power, and you may be impetuous in handling things, but the most important thing is to be diligent.”

“I will go to see him as soon as possible.”

This is a good opportunity.

Previously, Lin Bozhou kept talking about brotherhood to Chen An, and Chen An mistakenly believed that Lin Bozhou had some fragile illusions of kinship towards Emperor Xuanhe.

Lin Bozhou had long seen through the character of Emperor Xuanhe. What he wanted to rely on were not people, but tools. If they were useful, he would hold them tightly in his hands, and if they were useless, he would kick them away.

Now, seeing that he was having a hard time handling government affairs, Emperor Xuanhe was wavering and coveting a comfortable life, and he must have already begun to miss him.

But this remembrance was not the touching family affection, but the utter incompetence of Emperor Xuanhe.

Lin Bozhou paused for a moment and said, “Send a letter to Pei Xiyi. I will go to the palace immediately in the next two days.”

ONE HUNDRED NINE
In the Qianqing Palace.

A thin figure was wiping the palace lantern. He lowered his head, and the light illuminated the round-necked red eunuch robe he was wearing.

He is actually in his forties, but with a fair face and no beard, he looks like he is in his twenties or thirties.

As he slowly wiped the lamp, a scream rang out from behind him: “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! I’ll give you whatever you want, let me go!”

“Let go, let go, let go! All of you, get out! Get out!”

He subconsciously wanted to turn around, but his hand paused and he stopped. Another male voice sounded beside Emperor Xuanhe: “Your Majesty, don’t worry. Your Majesty, I am here.”

Emperor Xuanhe seemed to wake up at this moment. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were dazed. He looked at the person standing beside him for a while and seemed to recognize who it was.

Cui Lang, also known as Zen Master Wufeng.

Emperor Xuanhe smiled and said, “See, I told you a long time ago that I love to have nightmares on rainy nights. Do you believe me?”

Cui Lang nodded: “Your Majesty, dreams are always the opposite of what they actually are. There is also a rune from Linggu Zen Temple placed at the head of your bed, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Yes, I just woke up and I haven’t recovered yet.”

He looked around and took out the talisman: “Why do I still have nightmares after I got the talisman? Who was the one who consecrated the talisman for me?”

Pei Xiyi then lowered his head and said, “The head monk of Linggu Zen Temple, Master Yuanhui.”

“What Yuanhui? He is useless. Take his seat as the first position for me!” Emperor Xuanhe suddenly opened his eyes wide in anger.

Pei Xiyi agreed, and Cui Lang’s face turned pale. He felt that it was completely unnecessary, but he did not dare to disobey Emperor Xu Xuanhe, so he did not say anything.

Emperor Xuanhe looked at the white snow outside the palace, his eyes were empty, as if they were far away.

“Is my brother dead?” he asked.

Cui Lang knelt in front of the couch for two hours. He could no longer kneel because his knees hurt. He said, “The people are spreading rumors everywhere. We don’t know whether they are true or not, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Xuanhe retracted his gaze and looked at Cui Lang again. He suddenly kicked him on the knee and said, “Do you know that when I had a nightmare in the middle of the night, my brother would kneel in this place and watch over me all night?”

Cui Lang didn’t like these words. He felt that he was better than Lin Bozhou in every aspect, so he straightened his back a little: “Although the prince was good to Your Majesty, it was just to win people’s hearts. If the prince was sincere to Your Majesty, why would he hold on to the power and not hand it over to Your Majesty, and even plot a rebellion in Liaodong? Don’t forget the great courtesy for the sake of small gains. I hope Your Majesty understands.”

Emperor Xuanhe nodded: “You are right, he deserves to die.”

Pei Xiyi withdrew his gaze, put the lamp back into the first cabinet, and picked up the second lamp.

Emperor Xuanhe said to himself, “But you are the grandson of Lord Cui after all, and you have a prejudice against my brother. Pei Xiyi, you speak!”

He shouted casually, and it was unclear whether he was trying to confirm his own thoughts or simply wanted to hear opinions.

Pei Xiyi didn’t know the truth, so he could only guess and said, “I guess that the prince also has times when he is sincere to Your Majesty.”

“Wuwuwu…”

He finished these two sentences.

Emperor Xuanhe’s inner thoughts seemed to be confirmed. He grabbed his chest and patted it hard, making a clanging sound. “Wow, wow, wow, wow, I also thought that he must have sincerely regarded me as a brother. We were so good at that time, but why do people’s hearts always change!”

Pei Xiyi stopped talking.

Cui Lang could no longer bear the Emperor Xuanhe’s inconsistency and madness. He said, “How can people’s hearts change? There were rumors that Lin Bozhou had killed his brother before, and now he wants to rebel. It’s really hard to change his nature—”

“Shut up.”

Although Emperor Xuanhe admired his chess skills, it did not mean that he could tolerate others refuting him: “Did you call Lin Bozhou?”

This sentence is not too harsh an accusation.

But Emperor Xuanhe began to dislike Cui Lang more and more.

When the person favored by him is different, he can’t help but compare him with his royal brother.

“Your brother can handle the political affairs that you can’t handle, and you can win the arguments with the ministers that you can’t win. The court officials are afraid of your brother like a beast, but they treat you like a rag and look down on you.” Emperor Xuanhe looked at him, “Remember your identity. Your brother is a royal family, and you are just a fish that escaped the execution of the whole family. Don’t think that I heard a word from you and slander him in front of me frequently.”

Cui Lang clenched his teeth and his face turned pale.

He is a scholar, he has learned poetry, books and etiquette, and he has the dignity of a scholar.

Who can tolerate being compared to a slut?

Moreover, Cui Lang was not like this when he first met Emperor Xuanhe. He thought that he was just a young boy with a bit of a weird temper. He pestered him to play chess every day and didn’t like to talk about anything other than the chessboard. Every time he opened his mouth, he would say with a straight face: “My brother said that I am not allowed to discuss political affairs with you guys.”

Later, Cui Lang took great pains to slowly enter the heart of this sensitive emperor and gradually gain his trust.

Originally, he thought things would go smoothly, but Cui Lang underestimated Lin Bozhou’s ability and his importance to Emperor Xuanhe – especially when heavy political affairs weighed down and when Cui Lang was asked but he could not come up with a solution, Emperor Xuanhe’s eyes gradually became cold.

Indifferent.

It’s like looking at a piece of worthless trash.

He thought that Lin Bozhou was a favorite minister, a jester, and someone who would be kicked away if he lost the emperor’s favor.

Only now did we realize that Lin Bozhou was holding the dog chain that tied Emperor Xuanhe.

Lin Bozhou had many chains for tying up mad dogs, but the only chain that tied up Emperor Xuanhe was in Lin Bozhou’s hand.

The only one.

When Cui Lang heard people in the palace say:

“The prince often lectures your majesty.”

“The prince never smiled at Your Majesty. He always had a stern face, as if he was very disappointed with Your Majesty.”

“The prince does not allow His Majesty to play chess, but only allows him to read. His Majesty respects the prince very much.”

Cui Lang was extremely surprised. Who on earth could teach Emperor Xuanhe to this level?

Anyway, he can’t do it. The current Emperor Xuanhe has completely turned into an unrestrained mad dog. He bites people everywhere when he is in a bad mood. He is not obedient at all as before.

“Don’t think I’m not smart, don’t have my own ideas, and don’t have brains…” Emperor Xuanhe grabbed the bright yellow quilt tightly. He became excited for some reason and was about to roar, “Without you, I can still overthrow him and govern the country in an orderly manner!”

His voice became hoarse.

Cui Lang broke out in a cold sweat and nodded quickly: “Your Majesty is wise, I am just being clever, and I am not good enough for your majesty.

Emperor Xuanhe’s expression finally calmed down a little.

“Of course, my brother is not a good person either.”

Emperor Xuanhe was weak, and after roaring twice, he had nightmares. He was exhausted all over: “I am tired, I want to go to bed.”

There was a tossing and turning noise coming from the bed.

Cui Lang knelt beside the couch, sweating profusely. In the middle of winter, his inner robe was almost soaked by the sweat, which stuck to his back and made him feel heavy all over.

His ability to govern the country is not as good as Lin Bozhou’s, but he is definitely smart. He is very clear about his current situation – pulling out the grass to find the snake, riding a tiger and being unable to get off, provoking the bad guys, asking for trouble.

Lin Bozhou is not a jester, I am the one.

Lin Bozhou was quite important, but he was driven to death by Cui Lang’s desperate situation. One day Emperor Xuanhe would wake up, realize his mistakes, and then skin Cui Lang, smash his bones, mash his meat into paste, and feed it to dogs and pigs.

——Even if he was the one who believed the slander, the fault was definitely on Cui Lang. He was the emperor, and this was the imperial power.

Cui Lang began to feel terrified. Everything in this palace was so horrifying, the imperial bed, the incense burner, the curtains, all the luxury… He urgently needed to leave here before Emperor Xuanhe fully woke up.

Emperor Xuanhe was sleeping soundly.

Cui Lang finally got up and sat outside the hall. Pei Xiyi brought him a small stool and asked him to sit on it and rub his legs.

“Thank you, Eunuch Pei.”

Pei Xiyi said softly, “Tomorrow the chess attendant will come to play chess with Your Majesty. Master Zen does not need to play chess with Your Majesty, you just need to come and stand by.”

Cui Lang breathed a sigh of relief: “Okay.”

He could finally catch his breath.

Pei Xiyi said politely: “My Lord, please go back and have a rest.”

They were just nodding acquaintances like this on weekdays, and they exchanged a few words. Cui Lang clasped his fists and said, “I will leave first.”

“Master, please walk slowly. It’s getting dark.”

Pei Xiyi stood at the entrance of the hall

After Cui Lang left, he returned to the palace and found that Emperor Xuanhe had woken up again, sitting on the couch in a daze.

Pei Xiyi walked over and tucked the quilt together for him. Without saying anything, he tidied his clothes and retreated into the shadows, like an invisible man who could be ignored at any time.

Emperor Xuanhe grabbed the quilt and curled up his feet.

A moment.

Pei Xiyi heard intermittent, faint sobbing sounds coming from under the quilt.

…

Emperor Xuanhe was mad all night, so naturally he didn’t wake up the next morning. The affairs of state were delayed. He thought for a while and said, “Then I won’t go. I’ll go in the afternoon.”

During the day, Emperor Xuanhe’s mentality returned.

He asked with great interest: “Yesterday I heard from Eunuch Pei that the chess players in today’s game are all very skilled. Is that true or not?”

The atmosphere between the chess partners was relaxed.

“Yes, today’s group of people are indeed very powerful.”

“There is one in particular! Yesterday, we played against him. His chess skills were unfathomable and profound. I don’t think Your Majesty is necessarily his opponent!”

“right!”

Emperor Xuanhe snorted: “Really? I’ll meet him later.”

Turning around the corridor of the palace, we arrived at the “Chess Garden” which was specially decorated by Emperor Xuanhe. A small path led to the chess room, in which a huge chess board was built with stones.

Above the chessboard was an open wooden door, and the chess player was already waiting inside. Emperor Xuanhe could just sit down and start playing chess.

Emperor Xuanhe pushed open the door.

The chess players, all dressed in plain white robes, sat in a row, with chess scales and chess baskets in front of them, and the seats opposite them were empty, a total of nine. This was the way Emperor Xuanhe liked to play chess. He liked to win the first game, then immediately play the second, then the third, and so on, until he lost.

When Emperor Xuanhe played chess, he only looked at the chess pieces and never at the person playing chess.

He sat on the first mat and played chess.

“Win. Unbeatable.”

Emperor Xuanhe stood up and went to the second chess scale, and soon after.

“Won.”

He stood up again and went to the third chess scale.

“…”

Time passed slowly and we reached the sixth chess scale.

Emperor Xuanhe was fully focused when playing chess. He just looked at the chessboard silently, and the sound of the chessboard indicating each move rang in his ears.

“’Tong’, ‘Zuo’, ‘Mie’, ‘Yang’, ‘Feng’…”

This is the four-scene-style chessboard notation method, which can clearly identify the specific position of the chess piece on the chess scale. By reading out the words, one can know where the chess piece falls. This makes it convenient for the chess attendant who cannot see the chess scale behind him to replicate the chessboard on paper and pen and record the situation for Emperor Xuanhe.

Emperor Xuanhe was tapping the chess pieces, looking very idle. He was in an offensive posture, and just as he raised his hand to place the chess piece, a word suddenly rolled out of his throat: “Hmm?”

The chess game seemed to be suddenly shrouded in thick fog, becoming chaotic and depressing, and I had no idea where to go next.

“how so?”

Emperor Xuanhe grabbed his hair. The chess player’s style of play was very gentle and non-aggressive, but as he was playing calmly, he suddenly realized that he had fallen into an extremely dangerous situation.

He had no idea of his opponent’s layout, and how, within just a few moves, the loose chess game was suddenly compressed to the point of suffocation, leaving him with no way out. His chess pieces were restrained as if they were being strangled by a cold hand around the neck, and the pressure was constantly tightening, almost crushing his bones.

The only time he experienced this kind of all-round crushing was from Lin Bozhou.

“I lost…”

Emperor Xuanhe slowly raised his eyes and first saw two slender fingers.

The fingers were very long, with distinct joints, and were similar to the hands he imagined pinching his neck, thin and powerful.

Going further up, the weird and terrifying feeling of oppression disappeared, revealing a snow-white, clean, spotless white robe with a folded collar covering the neck. The sitting posture was very dignified, elegant, and meticulous.

…This familiar feeling made Emperor Xuanhe raise his head suddenly.

The chess player in front of him had his eyes covered with white veil, his slender hands slightly protruding from his snow-white cuffs, raised in the air, with a somewhat sickly and tired look on his face, facing the direction of Emperor Xuanhe.

The voice was that of my royal brother.

The person is also my royal brother.

Lin Bozhou’s voice was steady, and had nothing to do with the cold murderous intent he had just felt. He sounded sick and his tone was tired.

“I, the guilty minister Lin Bozhou, pay my respects to Your Majesty.”

ONE HUNDRED TEN
“It’s you!” Emperor Xuanhe shouted loudly, backing away on his hands and feet: “Brother, why is it you!”

Didn’t my brother die in Liaodong? Even if he didn’t die, why did he suddenly come to the capital? And even appear in the palace?

He was sweating profusely, and was more frightened than he had imagined. The guards behind him raised their blades, shouted “Protect the king!” and stopped him behind them.

Under the blade, Lin Bozhou in white sat still, his expression calm: “I have been wronged, and I come to ask Your Majesty to make a decision.”

His voice was calm and steady, and he did nothing but sit there.

“…”

Emperor Xuanhe gradually calmed down. He turned his head and saw Pei Xiyi kneeling on the ground and kowtowed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Royal brother.”

After waking up from the shock, he heard the word “wronged” again, and was replaced by an indescribable complexity: “Are you not dead? I know that your guards have returned to the regiment camp, and you disappeared in Liaodong and no one knows where you are… I didn’t expect you to return to Beijing…”

As he spoke, a surge of anger surged in Emperor Xuanhe’s heart.

He was extremely resentful of Lin Bozhou, thinking that he had been quite merciful and merely wanted to take back his military power and did not even want to harm his life. However, Lin Bozhou actually burned the city and fled, and even plotted a rebellion.

Emperor Xuanhe murmured to himself: “How dare you come to see me.”

Lin Bozhou now looks haggard.

But his tone was still as stern and distant as when he taught before. Every word he spoke was full of the steadiness and weight that Emperor Xuanhe was familiar with.

“I have been wronged, and I would like to report to Your Majesty.

Emperor Xuanhe was annoyed: “What injustice?”

“Zhenguan Hou teamed up with the military supervisor eunuch to forge an imperial decree, and took advantage of my blindness when the victorious troops of Qiezhou were outside the city to plot against me. I had no choice but to burn down the city and flee, living alone among the refugees for half a month. However, Zhenguan Hou stole my military merits at this time and slandered me for rebelling.”

Lin Bozhou closed his eyes tightly and said, “I am innocent and have never had any second thoughts. I hope Your Majesty will understand clearly.”

Emperor Xuanhe turned his head to look at him.

“What……”

This is completely different from the military newspaper he saw.

The military intelligence clearly stated that Lin Bozhou refused to hand over the seal of command, led the guards in a fierce battle with the regiment soldiers, burned the city and fled, his whereabouts unknown.

Emperor Xuanhe’s head was buzzing.

He vaguely realized that he seemed to have been deceived, but he refused to admit it. This was the first time he had issued an important imperial decree since he left Lin Bozhou, but he was deceived. Was he being stupid?

“If Your Majesty doesn’t believe it, you can ask Marquis Zhenguan and Cui Lang to come for a confrontation. We’ll know who knows the truth about the battle of Qiezhou better by asking them.” Lin Bo said.

“Why should I——”

Listen to your words and let you confront them.

But when Emperor Xuanhe saw Lin Bozhou’s sickly face and his eyes covered with white gauze, he realized that his brother looked much paler and emaciated than his previous brother.

She returned to Beijing alone to see him, and her sincerity had already moved Emperor Xuanhe.

Emperor Xuanhe asked: “Where is Cui Lang?!”

“The Zen Master is ill and has not come to the palace.”

“Send him over here.”

Emperor Xuanhe was sweating all over and sat down slowly.

He looked at Lin Bozhou’s eyes covered with white gauze: “Your eyes?”

“Two days before the battle of Qiezhou, my eye disease relapsed and has not recovered since then,” Lin Bozhou said, “I asked several doctors on the way, and they all said that I was blind.”

“…”

Emperor Xuanhe was stunned again.

A cold sweat and a feeling of relaxation in the spine came at the same time.

The fact that Lin Bozhou was blind was good news for him, because the throne would not allow a disabled person to succeed to it, and… losing sight meant that Lin Bozhou was completely useless.

Emperor Xuanhe felt much more relaxed: “Why did you want to return to the capital alone?”

“Qiezhou has won, and the situation in Liaodong can be stabilized in the spring, and I don’t need to interfere anymore. Moreover, Your Majesty is suspicious of me, but I am loyal to Your Majesty, so I decided to return to the capital and prove my innocence to Your Majesty.”

Emperor Xuanhe was silent, and he was somewhat moved.

Return the garrison troops.

Go to Beijing alone.

Only the most loyal ministers will give up everything just to seek innocence.

However, he still had something to be angry about that he hadn’t vented: “As you just said, the Marquis of Zhenguan wanted to harm you that night, so you burned the city and fled. But the Marquis of Zhenguan just wanted to take your seal and escort you back to the capital, and he didn’t want to harm you. Did you overreact?”

Lin Bozhou suddenly raised his chin and looked in the direction of Emperor Xuanhe.

“Your Majesty is absolutely right. I did overreact.”

He finally admitted that Emperor Xuanhe couldn’t help but become complacent.

“I was right, wasn’t I? You are greedy for power and fame. Even if you have never thought of rebelling, you are unwilling to hand over power to me. You returned to the court to show your loyalty so that your position as regent can remain stable and you can continue to ignore me and monopolize power. Brother, I am not a child anymore. I can see clearly what you are thinking.”

After Lin Bozhou left Liaodong, Emperor Xuanhe heard many people’s opinions about Lin Bozhou.

This regent is extremely powerful and domineering.

Even if he didn’t want to rebel, but he held on to power and refused to hand it over to the emperor, how was that different from rebellion?

“I did overreact, but what I covet is not power, but my life and property.” Lin Bozhou spoke slowly, enunciating each word, without any sign of being hit on the heart.

Emperor Xuanhe said “Oh?” and looked at him in surprise.

If not for power, what else could it be?

He is no longer naïve.

Lin Bozhou did not answer, but said: “After returning to the capital to petition, I have a request.”

Emperor Xuanhe moved his fingers slightly and gritted his teeth: “You say.”

Lin Bozhou fell to the ground and bowed: “I ask Your Majesty to relieve me of my position as regent, and allow me to return to Guzhou to recuperate, mourn for my parents, and enjoy the pleasure of love with my wife. From now on, I will never set foot in the capital again.”

It was like a thunderclap.

Emperor Xuanhe’s face twisted: “What did you say?”

Lin Bozhou repeated clearly: “Your Majesty, please allow me to return to Guzhou.”

Emperor Xuanhe’s lips twitched slightly. “You went through so much trouble to return to the capital, just to tell me that you don’t want to work anymore and want to go back to Guzhou to retire?”

“I have devoted my whole heart to planning for the country and society of Dazong, but I didn’t expect that I would be accused of this in the eyes of the ministers. However, what they said is not without reason. Your Majesty is now grown up and should rule the country personally. I will only hinder Your Majesty’s actions if I am in the court.”

Lin Bozhou paused, and then said, “Besides, I have been suffering from blindness, and I have been complaining about my fate all day long, and I have long lost interest in court affairs. I just want to return to Guzhou and spend the rest of my life with the princess.”

“…”

Emperor Xuanhe was completely speechless.

——Lin Bozhou returned to Beijing not to seize power from him.

The tension in his heart relaxed, and he felt like the sword hanging over his head was falling down. He thought he would be stabbed all over, but now he realized that it was just a fantasy.

An inexplicable embarrassment welled up in him. If what Lin Bozhou said was true, then wouldn’t it be unkind and unjust for me to replace the general in the middle of the battle and put him in danger?

Emperor Xuanhe clenched his fingers, and as his thoughts wandered, he suddenly heard a laugh in his ear.

Emperor Xuanhe looked up and saw that Lin Bozhou’s lips were slightly raised.

He was naturally handsome, and his smile was like a spring breeze blowing on your face, making thousands of flowers bloom, making people feel relaxed.

Emperor Xuanhe was somewhat surprised. He knew that his brother was handsome and elegant, with outstanding looks, but he always observed etiquette in front of him, with a stern face and solemn eyes. Emperor Xuanhe had previously wondered whether a man like Lin Bozhou would smile at his wife after getting married.

Now I realize that when my royal brother smiles, there is really no sense of distance between us.

He couldn’t help but wonder: “What are you laughing at?”

Lin Bozhou’s voice was also gentle: “I am relieved. After four months away from Your Majesty, Your Majesty has made rapid progress. You are more skeptical and think more deeply than before.”

Emperor Xuanhe’s fingers suddenly loosened and his eyes lit up.

“Really?”

Lin Bozhou really seldom praised him.

Lin Bozhou was too smart. Emperor Xuanhe knew how capable his elder brother was. When he finished learning an article on current affairs, he was overjoyed. Upon asking, he found out that Lin Bozhou had started reading word for word with his father when he was seven or eight years old.

Of course Lin Bozhou would praise him, but he just nodded, and as a subject he expressed himself in a distant and restrained manner. He had never praised him with such a warm smile as he did today, like he was a brother.

Emperor Xuanhe was half-believing and half-doubting: “Have I improved compared to before?”

Lin Bozhou’s eyebrows and eyes were stained with shadows, and the upper half of his face looked vaguely sick and gloomy, but the smile at the corner of his lips was gentle and as warm as a spring breeze.

People could not help but ignore the slight chill: “Your Majesty’s chess skills have improved more than before.”

Emperor Xuanhe jumped up and said, “Really, my brother?”

He was in high spirits.

But he should have thought about his current awkward relationship with him and sat down.

Lin Bozhou spoke slowly, returning to the strict and distant appearance that Emperor Xuanhe remembered.

“But playing chess is not a proper occupation after all. I have returned to Guzhou. Your Majesty will take charge of the government in the future. You must devote more energy to planning for the great clan and serving the people.”

Emperor Xuanhe: “Okay!”

He is still too young.

Lin Bozhou drooped his eyelids, feeling calm in his heart.

By using both kindness and severity, giving a candy after a stick, I could easily regain his trust and affection, while continuing to stand in the position of an authority on his thinking and criticize his behavior at will. The more I criticized him, the more he would admire me in his heart.

Anyone of a certain age would not be so naïve as to be fooled by this kind of rhetoric.

Therefore, after he leaves the court, how many people will deceive Emperor Xuanhe into committing mistakes?

Lin Bozhou twisted his fingers lightly. He thought he would start to worry about the court and the country, but at this moment his heart was calm.

“Why hasn’t Cui Lang come yet?”

Emperor Xuanhe couldn’t help complaining.

But after complaining, he added: “Since he’s not here, let’s play another game of chess?”

He was thinking back to the feeling of pressure that Lin Bozhou had just brought to him in the chess game. His chess skills were improving, and there were not many people who could beat him now.

However… Emperor Xuanhe suddenly had a flashback of the cold feeling as if his throat was being strangled. It should be a pair of ferocious hands that easily pinched his slender throat, and with a little force, he could be broken into two pieces along with his head and body.

His hands trembled for a moment, but soon the feeling faded away.

He looked at Lin Bozhou expectantly.

Lin Bozhou did not refuse and said calmly: “Okay, let’s play another game.”

Two figures confront each other in the chess room, and the years are peaceful.

On the other side, Cui Lang was summoned by the eunuch and stood at the door with his clothes lifted up: “Who do you think that chess player is?”

The eunuch said, “My Lord Regent, it is absolutely true.”

“It’s over.”

Cui Lang’s forehead was covered with cold sweat. He suddenly yelled and then asked, “How long have they been talking?”

The eunuch said, “About a quarter of an hour.”

Cui Lang’s heart was pounding and he almost vomited blood.

He knew best that a smart person could play with people’s hearts and turn the world upside down with just a few words, especially Lin Bozhou. He was able to suppress Emperor Xuanhe for six years, and he could do it again at any time. There would definitely be no accidents.

So, how did Lin Bozhou come to the capital?

What are the checkpoints along the way doing? What is the town guard doing? What are the guards in the capital doing? !

Lin Bozhou knew best how much one needs to be wary of a person who is good at sweet talk, otherwise he would not have directly hired someone to kill him a few months ago without saying a word.

From the moment Lin Bozhou entered Beijing, perhaps he had already won.

“broken.”

Cui Lang was sweating all over, his back was cold, and even his legs were a little stiff.

The eunuch looked at his frightened appearance and couldn’t help laughing: “The Regent King is not a man with three heads and six arms, why is the Zen Master so frightened?”

“……What do you know.”

Just like playing Go, when there is a huge difference in chess skills between two people, the weaker one has no idea how strong the other one is.

Only if you are not too far away from him can you know how deep and unfathomable he is, and understand his calculations step by step.

Cui Lang and Lin Bozhou are now both playing the chess piece of Emperor Xuanhe.

As for the winner, it will probably be decided soon.

Cui Lang swallowed, forced himself to calm down, and took a step forward.

Walking towards the chessboard where life and death will be decided.