Tibet

Leng Yue returned to the elegant room. He had no intention of drinking anymore. He stood in front of the window and watched a dozen cavalry escorting a carriage away.

His heart was full of worries. Li Chenghua's last sentence was very straightforward. Abolition of slavery is a knife. All dignitaries who oppose the abolition of slavery will be chopped down by this knife. Any force that endangers the regent's accession to the throne will be ruthlessly punished. To eradicate it, the regent is about to take action. He is giving Prince Ning one last chance.

Thinking of this, he clasped his fists at his friends and said, "His Royal Highness Prince Ning comes to see me for something, everyone, I'm sorry!"

"Brother Leng Xian, it's rare for you to come out. Why don't you just leave?"

"There is nothing I can do. Next time I will be the host and buy wine to make amends for everyone!"

"Then we agreed, no cheating!"

"It's a deal!"

After dealing with a group of friends, Leng Yue went downstairs and left in a hurry.

He called a carriage and rushed all the way to Prince Ning's Mansion, fearing that he would be a little slow. Prince Ning was persuaded by Li Xian and others and pressed his fingerprints in a daze.

He quickly arrived at Prince Ning's Mansion. Fortunately, there was no carriage parked in front of the mansion. When he entered the mansion, he happened to meet the housekeeper Qiao Xingzhong. He quickly asked: "Are there any guests tonight?"

"Two clans have come. They are relatively unfamiliar. I have never seen the others. It seems that Li Shangshu is coming."

Leng Yue was shocked, Li Xian was coming! He asked urgently: "Have you been here?"

"He's not here yet. Your Majesty asked me to wait at the door!"

"Is Your Majesty out in the study?"

Qiao Xingzhong nodded, and Leng Yue hurriedly walked to the outer study. When guests were coming, the prince would usually go to the outer study in advance to wait.

Leng Yue quickly came to the outer study room. As soon as she entered the courtyard door, she saw that the study door was open and Prince Li Lin was pacing back and forth in the room with her hands behind her hands.

Li Lin also heard the footsteps. When she turned around, it was the staff member Leng Yue who said with a smile: "I thought sir would not come back until midnight! Why are you back now?"

"Your Majesty, I was called over by Li Chenghua, the leader of the inner guard, at Anguo Restaurant."

Li Lin was shocked, "They actually knew you were in the restaurant!"

"Your Majesty, the guards are watching our every move! They even found out about Bei Zhi's past thirty years ago, but these are not important. The important thing is that Li Chenghua met Bei Zhi alone. She asked me to convey the regent's warning to the prince. !”

Li Lin's expression changed drastically, and she said nervously: "What did the Prince Regent say?"

"The regent said that the royal family and clan are already standing on the edge of the cliff. If they take another step forward, they will be shattered into pieces. He hopes that the prince can enjoy his old age in peace."

"He's threatening me?"

"My lord, this is not a threat. I suspect that the regent has already taken action. He finally gave the prince a last chance. If the prince continues to persist in his stubbornness, don't blame him for not predicting what he said!"

Li Lin said after a while: "But his abolition order is too excessive. I have more than 8,000 slaves. He squandered my property with just one decree. How can I accept it?"

Leng Yue is a little anxious, why can't the prince see through it?

"Your Majesty, the abolition of slavery was launched before the regent ascended the throne. It was actually a knife, testing all the nobles. Opposing the abolition of slavery means opposing his ascension to the throne. He will not hesitate to eradicate it with his sword. Now the nobles of Guanlong, The gentry in Guanzhong are all starting to abolish slavery. The Dugu family has nearly 20,000 slaves, and all of them have to be converted into civilians. Aren't they heartbroken?

But they know that if they confront the regent, it will be a dead end. What is more important, life or slaves, they know very well! "

Li Lin walked a few steps with her hands behind her hands, and suddenly asked Leng Yue: "Do you support the abolition of slavery?"

Leng Yue nodded, "I firmly support this!"

"Why do you support me?" Li Lin was really surprised.

Leng Yue sighed and said: "If the prince falls, my lowly position as the prince's staff will be implicated and I will die, but I never want my wife and two daughters to become official slaves. They will be sold into a workshop." Ah! My lord, how can I not support the abolition of slavery?”

Li Lin looked at Leng Yue for a long time, and he smiled bitterly and said: "The problem is that I have already promised Li Xian, what should I do?"

"Did the prince agree verbally or in writing?"

"I only reluctantly promised him verbally yesterday that he would come tonight and bring me a statement opposing the abolition of slavery for me to sign."

"My lord, you can't sign it. If you sign it, you will definitely die. Even the young prince will not survive. Once Li Ye takes action, he will definitely eradicate it!"

Li Lin sighed and said: "I'm really confused. Li Xian himself doesn't have many slaves. He is so hard against the abolition of slavery. It's obvious that he is using the abolition of slavery to oppose the regent's ascension to the throne. I didn't even think of this."

"My lord, that's what happened!"

Li Lin became worried, "Then what should I do?"

At this time, steward Qiao Xingzhong said at the gate: "Your Majesty, Li Shangshu is here!"

Li Lin's expression suddenly changed, and Leng Yue reacted very quickly, "Your Majesty, hurry up and leave through the back door. I will deal with him. I just said that Your Majesty is not feeling well."

Li Lin had already woken up. He nodded, turned around and walked quickly to the inner hall. There was a back door to leave.

After the prince disappeared, Leng Yue hurriedly greeted him and saw Li Xian standing outside the courtyard gate, holding a scroll in his hand.

Li Xian thought that Prince Ning would come out to greet him, but unexpectedly it was Mr. Leng Yue, his staff member, who came out. He couldn't help but be startled, "Sir, where is the prince?"

Leng Yue stepped forward and clasped her fists in a salute, "To inform the minister, the prince was waiting for the minister just now. Suddenly, his heart felt a little uncomfortable. I asked the maid to take the prince back to lie down first. Mr. Qiao, hurry up and call the imperial doctor!"

Qiao Xingzhong was so shocked that he turned around and ran out without paying attention to Li Xian.

Li Xian frowned. How could it be such a coincidence?

"Did the prince hear some news or get stimulated by something?"

Leng Yue nodded and whispered: "Just now a maid came to report that someone saw the King of Hanzhong admiring the moon on the bridge, and then he disappeared. The prince cried and fell to the ground, his heart ached!"

Leng Yue's description was so vivid that Li Xian couldn't help but believe it. He asked puzzledly: "What's going on? Did the King of Hanzhong appear?"

Leng Yue sighed, "I didn't know until the prince cried that today was the King of Hanzhong's 50th birthday."

Li Xian was stunned for a moment. This... What should I do? I have to sign tonight!

"Mr. Leng Yue, there is something very important tonight."

"I know that the prince was originally waiting for Minister Li, but he suddenly had a heartache and there was nothing he could do. How about this, I will sign for the prince and make a note next to it."

"No!"

Li Xian refused, "It also requires fingerprints, and it must be the prince himself."

Leng Yue thought about it and said, "Or this way, Minister, give me the statement, I will see the situation tonight. If the prince is in better health, I will let the prince sign it, and Minister Li will send someone to get it tomorrow morning!"

Li Xian was very smart, and this statement must not leave his sight. He pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do this! I have to find someone else tonight, and I will come back later. If the prince is in better condition, please sign it."

"That's fine, Minister Li, please first!"

Li Xian had to turn around and leave. When he walked to the door, he met Qiao Xingzhong rushing in with the imperial doctor.

Li Xian did not delay any more and got on the carriage and left.

Leng Yue returned to the mansion, pulled Qiao Xingzhong aside, and whispered: "The prince is fine, he just doesn't want to see Li Shangshu." Qiao Xingzhong breathed a sigh of relief, "So that's it! I was scared to death, what should I do with the imperial physician?" "Give him a few taels of silver and send him away, then you close the mansion door and tell the doorman that Li Shangshu will be back later, and let him tell Li Shangshu that the prince is not feeling well and will not see guests." "I understand, sir, don't worry, I will arrange it!" Qiao Xingzhong took the imperial physician out. Leng Yue returned to the outer study, only to see that Prince Li Lin was back again. Li Lin asked, "Is Li Xian gone?"

Leng Yue nodded, "I just made up some stories to trick him away, please don't blame me, Your Majesty!"

Li Lin laughed, "It's okay! It's okay! You can say I'm dying, I don't care."

"I suggest that Your Majesty go to see the Regent in the next two days and express your position to him, saying that you are old and will not participate in any court disputes, and then express your support for abolition of slavery."

Li Lin nodded, "You are right, I am a little crazy, the harm of abolition of slavery is The loss is just a drop in the bucket for me, but I offended the Regent for this insignificant loss, which is too unwise. "

"Your Majesty is wise, abolishing slavery is the general trend, and we should follow the trend, and abolishing slavery in advance can also gain the gratitude of the slaves."

Li Lin sighed, "I will go to see His Royal Highness the Regent tomorrow!"

………

Li Xian's carriage came back soon. He suddenly remembered that he went to celebrate the 45th birthday of the Prince of Hanzhong five years ago. It was summer then! How could it be today?

He felt that he was fooled by Leng Yue, and he was very angry, and hurried back.

Rushing back to the palace, he saw that the door of Prince Ning's mansion was closed. Li Xian told the guards: "Go knock on the door!"

The guards ran up the steps to knock on the door. After a while, a small window opened at the side door. The doorman said a few words to the guards, and the guards came back and said: "My lord, the doorman said that the prince is not feeling well and cannot see guests. Please come back another day!"

This is nonsense. It is obvious that Li Lin has changed his mind again. He was actually tricked out by Leng Yue. Even if Li Xian was extremely angry, he couldn't do anything. He couldn't break the door and rush in!

He had to take out the visiting card and give it to the guards, "Let them tell the prince that I will visit again tomorrow at noon!"

Li Xian has a good advantage, which is perseverance and he will never give up until he achieves his goal.

The guards ran back with the visiting card and said a few words. The doorman took the visiting card.

Li Xian was really going to the next house. He told the driver: "Let's go!"

The driver waved the long whip, and the carriage started slowly and drove towards the street outside the square gate.