Dong Mu He works

Chapter 315: Raising Troops? A New Chapter >>>

    

e to go up the mountain after returning the cart We left Mr. Xu's place without even eating a bite, so you need to come up with an excuse for why we haven't eaten afterwards."At least, going up the mo...Xu Huaiyi's words were enough to make the few people in the room lost in thought, but to continue would be a bit too sensitive. Just then, the waiter brought the dishes, and Su Zhe enthusiastically started arranging them. Everyone followed his lead and picked up their chopsticks to eat.

Chunshi Lou is expensive for a reason. Not only are the dishes exquisitely prepared, but they also taste incredible. For a moment, everyone forgot to chat further.

The dish had passed through five tastes, and a young man came in. He leaned into Su Zhe's ear and whispered a few words. After he left, Su Zhe didn't hide it, "The Prince of Chu is here, eating in the next private room."

King Chu is the emperor's uncle, but in reality, they are only a year apart in age. King Chu is the youngest son and the legitimate child of the founding emperor. Unfortunately, when the founding emperor passed away, King Chu was too young, so the throne went to the then-Wise King, who was also the previous emperor. The previous emperor reigned for over twenty years before passing the throne to the current Emperor Jianxing.

Emperor Jianxing was the second son, and his elder brother, because of a leg ailment, missed out on the throne and was enfeoffed as King Qin. He spent his days tending to flowers and birds, living a carefree and leisurely life.

Speaking of which, there are only a few princes in Beijing nowadays, but they are all very low-key. They don't have much to do except Chu Wang, who holds the title of Zongling and manages the affairs of the Zongren Mansion. He is a good old man, always smiling, and the people in the royal family are not afraid of him. However, over the years, the royal family hasn't done anything outrageous.

This Crown Prince of Chu resembles his father very much. He is popular with everyone, never offending anyone. He speaks with a smile in every three words and treats people with great kindness.

Even though he was approachable, they wouldn't consider him someone they could casually befriend given his current status. So after Su Zhe said that, everyone remained indifferent—they continued eating and drinking as before. The sensitive topic was simply no longer brought up.

Beware of ears on the other side of the wall.

Whoever wants to have their fill of food and drink, when everyone leaves, as soon as they step out of the room, they bump into Prince Yuan Ting, the son of King Chu.

Behind him followed another, born with a charming and suave air, at first glance, one could see he was an expert in the field of love. In the middle of winter, he was fanning himself, looking deeply meaningful at their group.

That look is truly uncomfortable.

But the prince of Chu had a warm and gentle smile that made people feel as if they were bathed in spring sunshine.

Su Zhe stepped forward and bowed, the others simply followed suit.

According to the rules, after paying respects, they should have left. However, Yuan Ting seemed quite interested in their group and pulled Su Zhe into a casual conversation for several minutes. He even asked each of them their names and exchanged pleasantries before returning to his room.

Xu Huaiyi never raised his head from start to finish, appearing very honest and low-key. Only when Yuanting turned around did he glance at him without a sound.

Well, he certainly looks the part. I wonder what's really inside though.

As Zhao San was walking down the stairs, he whispered, "The Crown Prince of Chu doesn't seem to have any airs about him. He's very humble and treats everyone with respect. No wonder his reputation is so good among scholars..."

Although Yuan Ting was a member of the royal family, he studied at the Guozijian for several years. Many of his writings, poems, and prose were circulated widely.

Su Zhe smiled but said nothing.

Wang Qiusheng whispered a reminder, "We'd best avoid discussing matters concerning royalty."

Zhao Sanshou pursed his lips and said nothing.

Xu Huaiyi curiously asked, "Who is the young master who follows by Prince Chu's side I haven't seen him before..."

Su Zhe took over the conversation, "The second master of Pingyuan Prefecture's Meng family, Meng Chonglou."

Xu Huaiyi suddenly exclaimed, "Oh," realizing who it was. Then he grew curious, This man was the father of Ping'an County Lord. The Meng family always acted with a purpose. They had already placed their daughter in the Grand Prince's mansion as a concubine, so why were they still involved with Chu Wangfu

Could it be that the two Princes Chu are still doing well after all this

"What are you thinking about" Su Zhe asked curiously.

Xu Huaiyi smiled and casually said, "It's just that when they stand together, it feels a bit out of place. I don't think they are the type who could get along."

Upon hearing this, Su Zhe fell into thought.

After returning to the dormitory from Chun Shui Lou, Li Yun Ting asked, "Back in the private room, about the Qingzhou disaster relief, were you deliberately talking about it"

Xu Huaiyi's heart skipped a beat, but he still put on an innocent face. "No, I just thought about it and mentioned it casually."

Li Yunting stared at him intently. Although she didn't speak, her eyes conveyed everything. If he hadn't noticed, how could he possibly cooperate

Seeing this, Xu Huaiyi could no longer hold it in and said helplessly, "It's better to pretend not to see it. After all, we are good brothers."

At these words, a smile flickered in Li Yun Ting's eyes. "Rest assured, I won't spread the word. But why did you tell Su Zhe Was it to have the Second Prince handle this He may not be willing to get involved."

Since he couldn't hide it any longer, Xu Huaiyi simply said, "The Dengzhou matter might involve the Third Prince, and the disappearance of the disaster refugees in Qingzhou might be related to the Fourth Prince. This is a great opportunity to catch them red-handed. Even if he senses danger, he may not be able to resist the temptation."

After all, in the eyes of the princes, the eldest prince had already been eliminated. The other princes were too young to be a threat. As long as the third and fourth princes were brought down, the throne would inevitably belong to the second prince. Besides, the second prince was also the legitimate son, making him the most legitimate heir possible.

The Su family had placed their bets on him early, also for this reason.

Li Yunting nodded. "Then why did you intervene Aren't you supposed to stay neutral"

Xu Huaiyi said matter-of-factly, "I'm not taking sides, but I'm afraid of chaos. The disturbances in Dengzhou can be quelled with troops, but what about the missing disaster victims in Qingzhou If they are truly exploited, who knows what kind of trouble they could cause I want to serve peacefully and don't want to end up on the imperial court where we have no energy to protect our homes and country, only entangled with those treacherous scoundrels. With that time, it would be better to think about how to make sure the people are well-fed and clothed."

Li Yunting's brows furrowed. "You suspect... that someone is using the disaster victims to raise an army"

Xu Huaiyi glanced at him silently, "Do you know there's a saying called 'understanding each other without words'"

Li Yunting raised the corner of his lips and rarely joked, "Isn't it a kindred spirit"

Xu Huaiyi exaggeratedly rubbed his arms, looking like he couldn't stand it.

Li Yunting smiled and asked, "How many people do you think there will be"

Xu Huaiyi's expression immediately became serious when he heard this, "I don't know, but just counting the disaster victims, it has to be at least ten thousand."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "And what scares me is that this isn't the beginning."

Who knows when the other side started amassing troops If this continues for several years, their military strength wouldn't be small.

Li Yun Ting nodded thoughtfully, furrowed her brow, and said meaningfully, “The year before last, there was a severe flood in the south. I remember the death toll reported wasn't small..."

Xu Huaiyi waved his hand, "Don't say any more, the more you talk, the more anxious I get. Let the second prince investigate, we can't touch it. It's a foolish attempt to block a chariot, absolutely not. If I can remind him, that's all I have conscience for."

Li YunTing sarcastically said, “Then the second prince should thank you”

He used his knife.

Xu Huaiyi was not at all ashamed. "He's doing this for himself, right It's their royal family's business, we're outsiders and shouldn't get involved."

When there's good news, they think of the master; that's their own people. When there's trouble, of course, they pass it off to outsiders.ead, wasn't sure what to do either. He was flustered and acting purely on instinct. "Huai Yi definitely has a plan. He wouldn't cause anyone's death."Upon hearing this, Xu Mao yuan felt no comfort at...