Tibet

The birthday banquet was still going on. Li Dai said goodbye and left first. Liu Wutong led dozens of warriors to guard the carriage and slowly stopped in front of the steps. Two maids stepped forward to support Pei Sanniang. Of course, Pei Sanniang did not need this kind of support. She could do it with just one jump. She jumped on the carriage, but her status did not allow her to do so. She was also a princess now, and she had to maintain her demeanor as a princess in front of everyone.

Pei Sanniang got on the carriage, and Li Dai also got on. Li Dai bowed his hand to Li Yu and said goodbye. The door was closed immediately, and the carriage started slowly.

In the carriage, Pei Sanniang rested her head on her husband's shoulder and sighed, "I don't want to attend such a banquet anymore."

"I see you are quite happy to be surrounded by so many ladies!" Li Dai said with a smile.

"Everyone was so happy, and they were all pretending to smile. These women invited me to drink tea, invite me to go shopping, and went to their homes to look at clothes and jewelry. It was easy to get through one group, and then another. Everywhere I went, I was surrounded by people. My cheeks hurt from laughing.”

"Pei Mian also invited me to have a drink at his house tomorrow, but I declined on the pretext of family sacrifices."

"Officer, is it because of Ye'er?" Pei Sanniang asked tentatively.

Li Dai nodded, "After taking Bashu, Ye'er has become the second most powerful person in the world. Even the emperor wants to see his face, and many court officials are trying to gain access to the business."

"I heard that Ye'er might become the emperor."

"Shh!"

Li Dai was so frightened that he quickly silenced his wife. He lowered his voice and said, "Don't say such things casually!"

Pei Sanniang pinched her husband and said, "I'm just asking you if this is possible?"

Li Dai nodded slightly, and Pei Sanniang's eyes lit up, "Really?"

Li Dai didn't want to talk about this terrible topic anymore. He quickly changed the topic and said: "The emperor wants to give me a garden house. I heard it is the one owned by King Lao Qi, covering an area of ​​40 acres. Don't you want a big garden house the most?" ?"

Pei Sanniang has always longed for a big garden house, but now she is no longer interested in the garden house. Her thoughts have flown to the distant palace. If her son becomes the emperor, wouldn't she become the empress dowager?

"I don't care about any garden house. Furong Garden is enough for me."

The next morning, Qiao Xingzhong came to Prince Li Lin's study anxiously.

Li Lin smiled and said: "Old Qiao, come on, come on, sit down quickly!"

Qiao Xingzhong was flattered and sat down. He was really embarrassed and had nowhere to put his hands. Li Lin said in a deep voice, "You must have been in my house for more than thirty years!"

"Thirty-three years ago, the old prince was still here!"

Li Lin sighed: "Time flies so fast! You were only seventeen or eighteen years old at that time. Later you got married and had a child. The child has grown up day by day and is now promising."

"That's all the blessing that the prince has brought to him."

Li Lin nodded and said, "I've thought about it. Let's sign a new contract! I will promote you to a staff member."

Qiao Xingzhong was shocked, "Your Majesty, I don't have the skills to serve as an adviser!"

Li Lin waved her hand, "Listen to me, if you become my staff, I can recommend you to offer wine to the East Pavilion of Prince Ning's Mansion. In fact, you are still the chief manager of Prince Ning's Mansion, but you have an identity and are also a dignified seventh-grade servant." Official."

Qiao Xingzhong opened his mouth wide and said for a long time: "Didn't the Dongge sacrificial wine recommend Mr. Wu?"

Mr. Wu is the brother of the Wu family of Li Linliangyuan. There have been rumors in the palace that the prince will recommend him to offer wine to the East Pavilion of Prince Ning's mansion. Qiao Xingzhong never dreamed that the prince would recommend him. He was a little panicked.

Li Lin said coldly: "He hangs out with a bunch of gangsters all day long, looking for women everywhere, do you think I don't know? His virtue allows me to recommend him to serve as Dongge Liquor? Dream on!"

Qiao Xingzhong sighed and said, "Thank you for your love, Your Majesty, but a humble position is really not suitable for an official."

"I know you are afraid of offending others, but with me supporting you, what are you afraid of? And I recommend you with conditions."

"My lord, please tell me, if there is anything that I need to handle, I will do my best."

Li Lin smiled and said: "I actually fall in love with you. I want to give my niece Li Qingfeng to him. Don't tell me that you are engaged."

Qiao Xingzhong shook his head quickly, "I don't have an engagement. There are many people who want to get engaged, but I don't dare to let them in."

Li Lin waved her hand, "It's okay if we don't get engaged, how about it? Let's get married."

Qiao Xingzhong hesitated and said nothing. Li Lin smiled and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it."

Qiao Xingzhong sighed, "I have followed the prince for more than thirty years and I have never lied to him. I tell the truth. First, I cannot reach such a high level. How can my son be so lucky as the granddaughter of old Prince Ning?"

Li Lin asked calmly: "Besides the fact that you feel you can't reach a higher level, are there any other problems?"

Qiao Xingzhong hesitated and said, "Qiao Bin told me that his marriage must be approved by His Highness King Qi."

"I will write to King Qi to tell him. I believe he will give me this face. I will have a good talk with you about Gao Pan."

"I'm all ears!"

"First, it is not you who has the final say whether Gao Pan is your son, but I have the final say. If I think your son is Gao Pan, then I will never have the idea of ​​getting married; second, Qingfeng is the third daughter of my ninth brother Li Guan. , I am seventeen years old this year, you should know it!"

Qiao Xingzhong nodded, "I know that I have seen him several times. He looks very dignified and beautiful."

"Yes, Qingfeng's face is not the most beautiful, but she is indeed dignified and beautiful. But she is not a legitimate daughter, but a concubine. You know that, right?"

Qiao Xingzhong nodded silently, "I know it!"

Li Lin continued: "His father was also a concubine, so she became a concubine among the concubines, so she did not have a title. Now that the prince is only twenty-four or five years old, he has already reached the rank of official from the fifth rank to the imperial court. As long as I promote you again As a staff member, you are asked to serve as the drinker in Dongge, do you still feel that it is too high for you?"

Qiao Xingzhong was finally tempted. If his son could join Prince Ning's lineage, it would certainly be of great help to his future. It didn't matter whether he became an official or not. The key was his son's future.

"Your Majesty, as long as His Highness Prince Qi agrees, I have no objection to my humble position. In addition, the Dongge sacrificial wine will be put away first. There is no rush!"

Li Lin smiled slightly and said: "Then we will make an agreement!"

The coffin of the Supreme Emperor has not yet arrived in Chang'an, but Li Lin's family was escorted to Chang'an first. After all, Li Lin is a member of the royal family and the emperor's brother, so of course it must be handled by the emperor.

Emperor Li Heng hesitated for a long time, and finally he summoned his brother Li Lin in the palace.

Li Lin hugged his brother's legs and cried loudly. Li Heng finally failed to control his emotions and hugged his brother and cried bitterly.

He thought of his mother's deathbed orphan, of his brother and his eldest son studying together, and of the scene when his brother was naughty when he was eleven, climbing a tree to dig out a bird's nest and being beaten by him.

He thought about the time when his brother was seriously ill and pulled him to call his father in a coma.

The two of them are called brothers, and they are actually like father and son.

In fact, Li Heng also knew that his brother did not rebel. He just wanted to be the crown prince's younger brother and inherit his throne. Since all the others were incompetent, what was the harm in letting his own brother inherit the throne?

Li Heng paced back and forth in Lindli alone, thinking about what to do with his brothers?

Dong Xiu, the confidant eunuch who was waiting on the scene, whispered: "Your Majesty, actually the Fourteenth Prince did not bully the Supreme Emperor."

"How do you know?" Li Heng turned around and asked.

Dong Xiu is the deputy general manager of Dauchi and a eunuch that Li Heng trusts very much. He has followed Li Heng for thirty years. He was responsible for taking care of Li Lin when he was young. When Li Lin was in trouble, of course he had to help.

"Old slave, you can tell the autumn in a leaf. If the 14th Lang had overpowered the Supreme Emperor, then the seven jade seals would have been in the hands of the 14th Lang. How could the Supreme Emperor be able to keep them?"

Li Heng's knot in his heart was suddenly relieved, and he nodded, "You're a good reminder. Autumn can be seen in just one leaf!"

That night, Li Heng issued an imperial edict, "The emperor's younger brother Li Lin was demoted to the position of Duke of Fangling County and appointed as Tailing Order. He served the emperor as a mourner for three years and all his sons were demoted to commoners." ’