The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 69 The Three Brothers Drink and Chat

Li Yan was envious of the close relationship between the Fourth and Thirteenth Brothers, unlike the Eighth Brothers, who said one thing and meant another. Hearing Yinzhen's words, Li Yan was puzzled: "Fourth Brother, what do you want to thank me for? Why don't I remember helping you?"

"You've helped me a lot. Come on, this doorway is not the place to talk. Let's go inside and talk slowly."

Yinxiang explained hurriedly, "Fourth brother, Tenth brother pleaded for me with the Emperor, and the Emperor released me verbally. Tenth brother said he would welcome me at the Tenth Master's mansion, and we came here to invite you to go with us."

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen deliberately put on a serious face and said, "Even if it is to welcome Thirteenth Brother, then we have to go to Fourth Brother's house anyway. After all, I am the oldest among the three of us, and I don't think Tenth Brother will compete with Fourth Brother."

"Since Fourth Brother said so, then we will listen to him. We are hosting a welcoming party for Thirteenth Brother anyway. But next time, you must give me a chance to host, hahahaha."

Li Yan naturally would not fight for a meal. It didn't matter where he ate; the key was who he ate with.

Yinzhen was happy again: "Let's go, let's have a drink at noon, to welcome the thirteenth brother and the tenth brother."

The three of them walked towards the mansion chatting and laughing. This was Li Yan's second time here. The last time he came here as an assassin. He came in the middle of the night. It was pitch black and he couldn't see anything clearly.

Today is the first time I clearly saw the famous Prince Yong's Palace.
The fourth master's mansion is huge, comparable to a small imperial palace. It faces north and south and covers a huge area. It is much more magnificent than the tenth master's mansion.

There are many palaces, towering trees, flying eaves and brackets, and pavilions and towers everywhere.

There are hundreds of rooms in the entire mansion, and the architectural style integrates the architectural arts of various ethnic groups such as Han, Manchu, and Mongolian. It is really eye-opening to recognize people. I don’t know how I was lucky last time, but I found the fourth brother’s residence so easily.

Even if I try again, I may not be able to find the exact location!
They arrived at a courtyard with beautiful scenery and elegant layout. The fourth brother asked the servants to prepare lunch and started chatting with the two.

Yinxiang asked, "Fourth brother, you said you wanted to thank Tenth brother. Just now outside, you didn't tell me what Tenth brother Qingjin did to help you. I don't think even Tenth brother knows. You're not just being polite, are you?"

"Is your fourth brother that kind of person?"

Yinzhen said with a smile, then turned to Li Yan and said, "Let's not talk about how the tenth brother begged for the thirteenth brother that night. Just say that this time, without you speaking in front of the emperor, the thirteenth brother would not be released so quickly. This is the great friendship."

"And if Thirteenth Brother hadn't spoken out that day on the hunt, the Emperor wouldn't have been able to give Ruyi to Hongli in the end."

Yinxiang suddenly realized, "Yes, if Tenth Brother hadn't spoken up that day, maybe the old man would have given Ruyi to Eighth Brother."

"In fact, judging from the situation that day, the Emperor didn't want to give Ruyi to my brother. Of course, he didn't want to give it to the Crown Prince and the Thirteenth Brother either, and he was hesitating. But Hongli's performance that day was really eye-catching, and he stood out from the crowd."

"I was just impulsive and gave the emperor a way out, so he gave the Ruyi to Hongli. I believe that even if I didn't show up, the Yuyi would definitely be Hongli's in the end."

Li Yan spoke eloquently and without taking credit for his words. Upon hearing what Li Yan said, the Fourth and Thirteenth Brothers admired Li Yan's upright and open-minded character. The Thirteenth Brother asked, "Tenth Brother, you said that the old man didn't want to give the Ruyi to the prince. I can understand that since it was originally taken from him. Why didn't he want to give the Ruyi to the Eighth Brother and me?"

The fourth brother also looked at Li Yan with a smile on his face, as if he also wanted to hear Li Yan's opinion.

Li Yan thought for a moment and said, "We were clearly hunting that day, but Big Brother caught live prey. It's a stretch to say that this was compassionate. Big Brother's ingenuity was just a trick. Kindness is not reflected in this. If not killing is compassionate, then why do we still hunt! We can just stay in Beijing. Big Brother's behavior was counterproductive. It displeased the Emperor, so he naturally didn't get what he wanted."

"It was clearly me who caught the most prey that day. Tell me, why didn't the Emperor give the Ruyi to me?" Yinxiang asked puzzledly.

Li Yan and Yinzhen looked at each other, and smiles appeared in their eyes. Li Yan said, "That's the emperor protecting you. If he really gave it to you, would you dare to accept it, Thirteenth Brother?"

Yinxiang understood instantly and laughed: "That jade ruyi is a treasure in the eyes of myna, but in my eyes it is a huge trouble. I don't want it."

"Then why did you hunt so many prey that day? Others thought you were determined to win. Hahaha!" Yinzhen laughed on the side.

As the three were talking, a servant came to report that the banquet was ready. Yinzhen called the two of them, "Let's go, let's drink first. I think Thirteenth Brother has not eaten well in the Lifanyuan during this period, so it's a good time to make up for it."

The three of them went to another room and looked at the table full of wine and food. It was extremely sumptuous. After they sat down one by one, Yinxiang said, "Fourth brother, you have always been frugal, but today you are too extravagant."

"Everyone who comes today is an honored guest. We are here to welcome my thirteenth brother and my tenth brother. Come, fourth brother and you two brothers, have a drink." Yinzhen raised his glass and greeted them.

After the three of them drank a few cups and were in a slightly high mood, Yinzhen raised a glass of wine solemnly and said, "Tenth brother, I want to toast you. I had little contact with you before, so I didn't know you well and had many misunderstandings. Tenth brother, you put aside the past grudges and not only helped Thirteenth brother and Hongli, but also said a lot of good things about me to the Emperor. I, the fourth brother, admire you and will remember it!"

Seeing Yinzhen's sincere look, Li Yan also raised his wine glass.

"Fourth brother, you have devoted yourself to the court and the country, not avoiding hardships, bravely shouldering heavy responsibilities, and have suffered a lot of grievances. In fact, we all know in our hearts, and the emperor also knows in his heart that the court needs people like you who can really do practical things. In the future, I will also learn more from you, and I hope that fourth brother will not hesitate to teach me."

"Besides, some time ago, fourth brother was ordered to recover the debts owed to the national treasury. I owe the national treasury two hundred thousand taels of silver, but fourth brother has never come to my house. Tenth brother, you know that this is because fourth brother is taking care of me." Li Yan also said with a serious face.

"What kind of care is this? You were in Jiangnan providing disaster relief at the time. If I came to your house to collect the debt under such circumstances, would I still be a human being?"

"There's no need to mention these little things."

Yinzhen waved his hand nonchalantly!
After the last meeting in the Rehe Palace, Li Yan and Yinzhen both knew each other's political philosophy and were quite congenial. In addition to the secret care they had received after coming, they appreciated each other even more. They smiled at each other, feeling extremely happy, and drank the wine in their glasses.

Li Yan thought that Yinzhen was a man who really got things done, and he wanted to use him for his own purposes after he ascended the throne, so that he could do the intellectual work while Yinzhen did the physical work.

(End of this chapter)