It was the winter of the year, and the army was heading north to attack the rebels on the south bank of the Huai River.
The subordinates of King Jinyuan of the Eastern Sun tried to be independent, but they were attacked by a young general during the enthronement ceremony. The young general, who was wearing a fine silver armor, shot an arrow through the chest of a man and a horse from a distance.
The ancient Maga Bow Shooting Moon Flowing Fire lit up the sky with the light of the arrow.
That unknown young master of the capital was cold, handsome, and nimble. He was like a silver meteor that streaked across the sky, quickly rising in this chaotic world.
In just three months, the rebels were defeated, the bandits were killed, and Dongyang Wang Jinyuan's old subordinates fled to the snowy mountains. He chased after them alone for a thousand li and beheaded them under the majestic Tianshan Mountain. His white robes fluttered in the wind, without a single trace of blood on them.
Heroes were born in troubled times, and the times created talents.
Ten years ago, the border war created Zhuo Yu. Now, the thousand li of civil strife created Shangguan Mingde.
At the beginning of spring, Lin Bing returned to the capital with injuries. An imperial edict ordered Shangguan Mingde to lead the army back to the capital.
At the time, Shangguan Mingde had already accumulated many military achievements. The entire army had carved phoenix banners, and the banners fluttered in the wind for a thousand li. Their might was awe-inspiring, and they were even more impressive than Zhuo Yu's sudden rise.
By the time the Hanbei army reached the outskirts of the capital, it was already evening.
Tomorrow morning, the city gates would be opened, and the army would enter the capital to pay respects to Qianwandi.
At dinner, a fire was lit. Mingde threw away his armor and sat in his tent, bored to death. He started a fire and roasted something to eat.
The deputy generals and bodyguards were all chased out by him. He was the only one who rubbed salt on the meat and took a big bite. Satisfied, he rolled onto his bed.
Outside the tent, someone deliberately inhaled loudly. "What is this smell?
It smells so good!
It smells so good! "
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But he was immediately stopped by the other bodyguards. "The food is over there. If you disturb the general, you'll lose your head if you eat it!"
Mingde raised his eyebrows and continued eating.
When he was not wearing armor or armed, there was usually no one around him. There was once when he was roasting food in a tent, and the curtains were rolled up to allow anyone to enter. A few deputy generals accompanied him as they roasted food and reported military intelligence. He was absent-mindedly rubbing salt on the fire as he listened. Suddenly, he raised his head and saw that the expressions on their faces were a little strange.
At that time, he casually asked, "What's wrong with you?
Is there a flower on my face? "
The few of them looked at each other awkwardly. One of them, who was usually more carefree, rubbed his head and said with a smile, "I can't tell normally, but when you're dressed casually, haha, you look quite young …"
Ming De was not old to begin with. She was thin. After she took off her armor, her face was as pink as jade. Looking at her in the firelight, she was still that young and delicate little beauty in the Hall of Qing Frame.
That hot-tempered, spoiled, and willful little noble had been deeply hidden during the thousands of miles of war. What the world saw was that awe-inspiring and solemn young general. Who would associate him with the lovable young master who wanted to roast food by the bonfire?
Mingde only smiled at the time and did not reply.
From then on, when he was dressed casually to rest, he did not let anyone stay behind to accompany him.
He knew that he had not fully matured yet. Sometimes, he was afraid, timid, and wanted to be spoiled. He wanted to lose his temper.
But that kind of Shangguan Mingde could not convince people.
He had to be a qualified general who made people fear him. He had to bury the little noble who had curled up in the palace and cried all day and night deep in his heart.
Suddenly, someone outside said in a low voice, "General, someone from the palace wants to see you."
Mingde threw down the bamboo stick and wiped his mouth. "Come in!"
The door curtain was lifted, and a purple-clothed eunuch walked in with a few eunuchs bowing their heads. Each eunuch was holding a small golden plate in his hand. There was no cover on it, and it was obvious that it was full of exquisite things.
Mingde had seen all kinds of wealth in the Hall of Qing Frame. He did not care about these few exquisite treasures at all. He slowly moved to a comfortable position and sat down. He dragged out his voice and asked, "Zhang gonggong — — how have you been?"
Zhang Kuo raised his head and smiled humbly. "No matter how bad this servant is, when I see the little noble, everything is good.
The little noble has been stationed outside the city for two days. The emperor is really worried about you. So, he sent a few servants to carefully welcome the little noble back. "
Mingde glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He leaned on the couch and called lazily, "Come — —"
Two guards with swords immediately came in. "Yes, General."
Mingde pointed at Zhang Kuo and ordered, "Beat these people and drive them out."
The guards looked at the clothes of the palace people and hesitated. But then Mingde's voice sounded. He asked calmly, "What are you waiting for?"
The guards immediately pulled out their swords, grabbed a few eunuchs, and pushed them out.
The eunuchs were probably stunned. They did not expect that there would be soldiers who would ignore the emperor's prestige. They represented the emperor's face!
He dared to attack the imperial servants. Was he rebelling?
Zhang Kuo had long been used to this little noble's bad temper. He immediately knelt down and took out an imperial edict. He raised it above his head and said loudly, "General Mingde, receive the imperial edict — —!"
This was the complete opposite of the situation.
The person announcing the edict was kneeling, but the person receiving the edict was leaning on the couch with a lazy expression. It was as if even if Qianwandi came in person, he would not be able to pull him up from the couch.
In fact, this was the case. Even if Qianwandi came in person, he might only be able to stand here and look at this little thing's face.
The eunuchs had never experienced Mingde's temper before. They were immediately stunned.
Zhang Kuo had long been used to it. He calmly opened the bright yellow imperial edict and said loudly, "I have long heard that Mingde led the soldiers and lived in poverty. I can't bear it.
Thinking back to the days when you lived like a prince, I am always ashamed.
I have ordered the Crown Prince to hold a banquet in the Eastern Palace. Mingde and the Crown Prince were close in the past. Today, we should reunite for a drink and enjoy the prosperity of Chang 'an.
Imperial edict! "
The Crown Prince was holding a banquet?
The Eastern Palace?
As soon as he finished speaking, Mingde jumped off the bed and strode out.
Zhang Kuo hurriedly got up and followed him. He called out, "What are you waiting for?
Where are the cloaks and cloaks?
Quickly put on the sweater! "
There was a nine-horned carriage with carved dragon carvings waiting outside the tent. From the moment Mingde stepped out of the curtain, the softest and thickest carpet was laid out step by step. It stretched all the way to the bottom of the carriage door.
There were two official eunuchs waiting respectfully at the foot of the carriage. They knelt on the ground, one on the left and one on the right. Mingde stepped on them to get onto the carriage.
These two were very popular people in the palace. If they were released, they would be imperial envoys. Everyone would want to curry favor with them.
Originally, everyone thought that they were unwilling to take this job. In reality, the people who served in Qing Zheng Hall all knew that not everyone had the qualifications to serve this incomparably delicate little noble.
The tea he drank, the food he ate, the paper he casually threw away, the things he didn't want … even the fragments of the things he broke could not be cleaned up by just any eunuch.
The Emperor allowed you to serve him because he trusts you. He has the heart to cultivate you. He has great confidence in you.
Don't be fooled by this little noble's bad temper. If you really serve him well, your day of meteoric success won't be far.
Mingde didn't even look. He directly got into the carriage and sat down boldly. He raised his chin and ordered, "Let's go."
Zhang Kuo immediately bowed in response. He turned his head and ordered in a sharp voice, "Let's go!"
After a year, nothing in the palace had changed.
The layout was still the same. Passing through the imperial garden, the luxurious fragrance of water lilies faintly enveloped most of the place.
When he got out of the carriage, Mingde lifted the crystal curtain. He immediately paused and asked with a heavy face, "Isn't this Qing Zheng Hall?"
Zhang Kuo nodded and bowed, "Little noble, please get out of the carriage first. Eat something hot and change your clothes. It's already so late …"
Mingde sat in the carriage and closed his eyes. He raised his sharp little chin and threw out a harsh sentence, "It's so late that you shouldn't go to places you shouldn't go. This place is so ugly. It's already uncomfortable to see it during the day. Wouldn't it be even more unsightly at night?"
Not to mention whether the Emperor's palace really wasn't luxurious enough. Even if it didn't meet Mingde's standards of "pleasing to the eye", it still wouldn't fall to the point of "unsightly".
Zhang Kuo wiped the sweat off his forehead with a smile. "You're really … This servant has specially ordered people to decorate it properly. If you want to close your eyes or not, just give the order tomorrow and this servant will have someone redo it. Why do you have to do it now …"
Why do you have to purposely hold your anger against the Emperor now?
If it was someone else, seeing Qing Zheng Hall in front of them, they would understand that Zhang Kuo had been instructed to fake the imperial edict.
In front of the Emperor's favor, it didn't matter if you wanted it or not. You had to pretend to be overwhelmed by the favor and receive it.
However, Mingde's temper had been tempered outside for a year. When he heard this, he immediately snorted and raised his foot, "Alright, I don't like it. You can redo it.
I'm going back to train the soldiers. "
When he lifted the curtain and came out, the world in front of him suddenly turned upside down. A wave of blood rushed to the top of his head. By the time he reacted, he had already bumped into a warm and sturdy embrace. Then, he was lifted up by someone and directly entered Qing Zheng Hall.
Qianwandi's voice sounded by his ear with a hint of laughter, "What, training soldiers outside the capital?
Do you not want to live anymore? "
Mingde took a deep breath and fiercely struggled.
However, those few steps weren't enough for him to struggle out. The palace maids hurriedly opened the door to the inner room and then retreated in a panic. In the blink of an eye, he was thrown onto the enormous dragon bed.
"Li Ji!
Let go of me!
You … "
Before he finished speaking, Qianwandi covered his mouth with one hand, "Don't make a sound."
The light and sweet fragrance of jade lingered in the luxurious and exquisite palace room. Everything in his memory was so familiar.
Other people could not enter the palace door even if they broke their heads. He was flustered and exasperated inside, struggling to get out. However, the man in front of him tightly closed the door and did not let him leave.
He finally made a trip out, but in the end, he was still dragged back. He was forcefully pulled back like he was being kidnapped.
"What's wrong with you?"
Qianwandi leaned close to Mingde. His slightly rough hand stroked Mingde's cheek heavily, "You look so wronged. It's like I bullied you … Didn't you come back with military exploits?
I caused trouble for you for an entire year. Haven't you played enough?
You little thing, you're so disobedient. "
Mingde fiercely flung his hand away. Qianwandi was not angry. He hugged him and chuckled. That laughter seemed to come from his chest and was extremely muffled.
"Mingde, it's good that you're back.
It's not easy to see you. I'm very happy now. Don't ruin my good mood. "
Mingde fiercely spat. The sound was very loud, but Qianwandi did not care at all.
He was not particular when he was in the army. Even when he became the Emperor, he did not have many extravagant and strange habits.
Whether Mingde was a bit more refined or a bit more vulgar, it did not matter to him. It was not a problem worth paying attention to.
He half knelt down and took off Mingde's boots and socks. He poured a basin of hot water to wash his feet while gently massaging them.
Qianwandi was very good at massaging. Mingde was quite angry at first, but after his feet were massaged in the hot water, it was very comfortable. He slowly calmed down and did not care about the fact that he was tricked into coming back and did not see the Crown Prince. He lowered his head and said, "What are you doing?
I don't dare to order you around. If you get angry, you'll add the crime of looking down on the Emperor. "
Qianwandi laughed, "Haven't you looked down on me enough?"
Mingde flung his feet and splashed the water on the ground, "Your Majesty, you're killing me by saying this. You are an Emperor for a thousand years. Your reputation will be passed down through the ages. This subject has eaten a leopard's gall to dare look down on you?"
His voice was tactful and harsh. It was as if he was still the little beauty curled up in the depths of the dragon bed. His mouth was sharp and merciless.
Qianwandi Li Ji raised his head to look at him. His heart suddenly ached.
Such a spoiled little thing. He wanted to be in his arms every day like a treasure. Even if the sky fell, it would not fall on him. He was actually let out to eat and sleep in the open for such a long time.
His feet were originally so well maintained that he was not willing to let even a speck of dust touch them. Now, there were thin calluses on his feet. He did not know when he got them from riding a horse.
He stood up and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
Mingde shook his head and could not help but be sarcastic, "I'm waiting for the Crown Prince to invite me."
Qianwandi laughed. He laughed and kissed his face, "You should be a little more obedient … …"
… … What was going on here?
Mingde was kissed until he was dizzy. His mind was not clear as he pondered.
In the past, he always felt that he did not have confidence in his words and was not firm. As long as Qianwandi was willing to indulge him, he still had some courage. If one day this man did not indulge him, he would be cut up and eaten alive.
At that time, he thought that it would be great if he also had military achievements or political capital. In that case, he would definitely be able to stand in the imperial court with confidence like Ding Huang and Prime Minister Xia … …
But now?
He did have military achievements and a certain amount of political capital. Why did he still have no confidence when facing this man?
He was still a little scared. His heart was itching. He wanted to stretch out his claws to scratch but did not dare to.
Qianwandi knew this little thing in his arms better than his own parents. He only glanced at Mingde's expression and snorted, "I don't care whether you are a feudal official or a high official in the imperial court. Even if you are a famous official like the Xia family, I can arrest or kill you with a word.
Do you think everyone is as daring as you? "
Mingde frowned and his heart suddenly sank.
He had just come back, so he was definitely mentally unfamiliar. He was also a little tired. He had not relaxed at all.
Qianwandi's words, even if it was unintentional, would be interpreted by him as another meaning.
If it was a powerful official like Zhuo Yu, when facing the king, he would be able to deal with this kind of unexpected situation easily. However, Mingde was much younger and much more inexperienced. Although he had military achievements, he did not know how to use them.
He had just come back when he heard Qianwandi's words. No matter how he heard it, he felt like he was being threatened and warned.
Qianwandi saw that there was no reaction after kissing him. He kissed him again, but there was still no reaction.
Mingde frowned and did not know what to think. Because he had just touched the hot water, a little bit of blood slowly appeared on his cheeks. It made people angry just by looking at it.
He laughed silently. His hand reached up from under his clothes and unscrupulously rubbed the youth's soft and sexy back.
This is mine.
He thought with satisfaction, so beautiful, so proud, no one can enter his eyes … … this kind of person belongs to me.
The next morning, the palace maids that came to serve were stopped outside the door.
The morning dew was heavy. The Officiating Department's first-rank official eunuch, Zhang gonggong, personally waited at the door with people. Each of them held a large piece of thick clothing. They all stood with solemn expressions and did not cough or speak at all.
The palace maids looked at each other and silently pushed out the more respectable official palace maid. She went forward and asked in a low voice, "Is Gonggong well?"
Zhang Kuo raised his eyelids to look. He shook his head and did not speak.
The official palace maid looked at the door and asked in a low voice, "What is the Emperor … …"
She thought, the Emperor did not turn the tablet last night. There were no flirtatious palace maids in Qing Zheng Hall who purposely chose that time to serve him. The Emperor should have been alone last night. Why did he wait until now in the morning?
Normally, he would have already gotten up at this time to go to court.
Zhang Kuo softly called, "Wan 'er guniang."
The official palace maid hurriedly said, "What orders does Gonggong have?"
Zhang Kuo said, "Guniang, please be quiet.
That little master has never been able to sleep well. If you wake him up, it will be fatal. "
After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, someone quietly called for people to enter.
Zhang Kuo coughed and gently pushed open the door. One or two eunuchs and palace maids flashed in and then closed the door behind him.
There was a heater at the door, completely dispersing the cold air brought in by the gust of wind.
The room was dark and sweet. The Emperor was about to get up from the bed when a low and coquettish voice could be faintly heard. It was probably because she had been woken up and was very unhappy.
The servants looked at each other, feeling a little confused.
Zhang Kuo almost silently ordered, "What are you doing?
Quickly help the Emperor get dressed and go to court! "
In the past, if there was an imperial concubine attending to the Emperor, things like getting dressed in the morning were done by the person attending to the Emperor.
However, let alone Li Ji, Mingde might not even be able to clean his own clothes. It was already very kind of him not to pick on Qianwandi for not serving him well. If he had to serve Qianwandi, then he would throw his pants over Qianwandi's head.
The official palace maid, Wan 'er, had been promoted later. She had never served such a troublesome little master like Shangguan Mingde before. At this time, she also didn't know what was going on. She could only go forward and gently lift up the bed curtains.
As she moved her hands, she seemed to see a small ball curled up on the bed through the hazy light. It seemed to be a person, but it was very, very good. It was indescribably exquisite.
She wasn't blind and immediately bowed, "This servant pays respects to Master."
She didn't know how to address the person on the bed. Was it an imperial concubine, an imperial concubine, or something else, so she just vaguely called Master.
The palace servants behind her who didn't have good eyesight also reacted and paid their respects.
Mingde was in a daze when he was woken up by these people. He felt thirsty and vaguely called out, "Water …"
Behind Wan 'er, there was a palace maid holding the dew tea that Qianwandi had to drink every morning when he woke up. It was a cup of dew collected in the morning. It was said to be very refreshing.
Qianwandi had to drink this every morning before court to wake up. It was a habit that hadn't changed for many years. Wan 'er didn't know what to do for a moment. In a panic, she directly brought the cup of tea over.
"Master, you …"
Mingde unceremoniously raised his head and drank a few mouthfuls from her hand. He probably felt that the taste wasn't good and muttered a few words before falling back into the pillow.
Only then did the palace maid realize that something was wrong. She quickly put down the tea and knelt on the ground, "This servant knows his wrongs. Emperor, please have mercy!"
Qianwandi looked at the half-filled cup of tea. After a while, he said, "… You should have brought something to help you sleep."
The palace servants trembled as they knelt down.
"The imperial kitchen can't even make a bowl of cheese to help you sleep?"
The palace servants were trembling in fear and didn't dare to speak. Zhang Kuo was more tactful and immediately bowed, "Your Majesty's teachings are correct. This servant will go and instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare breakfast for the little noble lady every morning and send it up!"
Qianwandi nodded. He picked up the half-filled cup of tea and drank it all. Then, he didn't care about anything and walked out in large strides.
The palace maid Wan 'er knelt on the ground. She was covered in cold sweat.
She had seen very clearly just now. This was a boy. He was still young, but his appearance was a bit gloomy.
Listening to Eunuch Zhang's words, it seemed that the servants all called him a noble. However, she didn't know if it was a general term or if he had already been given the title of a noble.
A noble wasn't a very high position. If he was just a noble, the emperor wouldn't … dote on him so much, right?
She stood up, full of doubts. Suddenly, the corner of her clothes was pulled by the person kneeling beside her.
She turned her head and saw that it was a palace maid who had served in Xia Zhaoyi's palace. Later, Xia Zhaoyi suddenly fell ill and died. She had been transferred to Qing Zheng Hall. It was said that she was tight-lipped and knew how to serve people.
Wan 'er asked in a small voice, "What's wrong?"
"Sister, you should kneel."
The palace maid said softly, "This is the little gongzi's old habit. When he wakes up, he asks for tea and water. If there's no one by his side, he will always come to the imperial study to make trouble with the emperor …"