After a rare break, the emperor was swimming with Mei. He grabbed a handful of fish food and threw it into the water. Several fish immediately swam in the water, and they were chasing after the fish food to eat.
The emperor shook his head and asked: "Why are there so few fish in this lake? I remember that in the past, a dozen fish could swim out with just a handful of water."
Gu Zhong bent down and was about to reply when the beauty beside him hugged the emperor's arm and twisted it, "Your Majesty, are you here to see me, or are you here to watch the fish?"
The emperor laughed and said: "Of course I'm here to see the beauty, that's all. Although there are a little less fish, they are still clever."
"Then why are you still talking about fish?"
The emperor's smile faded a little, and he said with a slight smile: "Okay, let's not talk about fish. Well, I think the scenery over there is pretty good, so I will ask someone to row the boat over, and we will go over and have a look."
The beauty said: "There are no lotus flowers at all. They are all covered with lotus pods of different heights, and there are many mosquitoes. Your Majesty, let's go to that end. From there, we can go down the lake and into the river. Just go down the river.
Daming Palace."
The emperor said: "What, my beloved concubine wants to go to the Daming Palace?"
"I have been in the palace for many years and have not been there. I heard that the Daming Palace is located at the foot of the mountain. It is very cool and dry in summer and autumn. It is not like the Tai Chi Palace. Because it is in a low-lying area, it is very hot and humid every summer and autumn, especially in summer and autumn.
Spring is so uncomfortable." The beauty leaned on the emperor's arms and said, "I also want to see what the Daming Palace is like, and I can also pay my respects to the empress."
The emperor didn't say anything, but a chamberlain quickly chased him in a small boat. After getting on the big boat, he hurried over to find Gu Zhong to report.
Gu Zhong stepped forward quickly, interrupting the beauty's full gaze, "Your Majesty, Mr. Wei came to the palace to ask for an audience. He said he had something important to report, and he is already waiting outside the Tai Chi Hall."
When the emperor heard this, he immediately stood up and said, "Wei Zhi coming to see me at this time must have something important to do. If you come, please go back quickly."
"yes."
When he reached the shore, the emperor left the beauty behind and hurried away to the Tai Chi Hall.
Although the beauty was dissatisfied, she did not dare to delay the emperor's handling of state affairs. She could only stamp her feet secretly and left helplessly.
After walking a little farther, the hurried emperor slowed down and began to avoid the sun. He specifically looked for corridors and eaves to walk. He was dissatisfied and said to Gu Zhong: "I don't stop even on holidays. Wei Zhi has another problem."
What's going on?"
Gu Zhong smiled and said: "Master Wei didn't say anything, but the chamberlain reported back that Master Wei had a box in his hand. I guess he came to give a gift to His Majesty?"
The emperor couldn't help but laugh out loud. He swayed back slowly and said: "Gu Zhong, your joke is not funny at all. Wei Zhi gave me a gift? That's not the sun rising in the west, but
The sun hasn’t risen at all, has it?”
Gu Zhong also laughed and said: "Your Majesty, isn't he smiling happily now? As long as Your Majesty is happy, this slave's joke is worth it."
He paused and then said: "Perhaps Mr. Wei is really here to give a gift? He didn't enter the palace alone, he even brought Minister Zhuang to give lectures."
The emperor burst out laughing when he heard this, and then asked: "Which village minister is going to give the lecture?"
Gu Zhong smiled and said: "Zhuang Shi from Chongwen Hall will tell you."
"Oh, Bai Shan and Zhou Man's teacher, Zhuang Shishu, who is now teaching the prince?"
"Your Majesty has a very good memory. It is Mr. Zhuang."
The emperor then slightly quickened his pace and stopped wondering whether to leave. "Let's go and see what they have to report."
When he reached Tai Chi Hall, the emperor was sweating all over and felt very depressed. Sweating made him feel even more uncomfortable.
The emperor took the handkerchief handed over by Gu Zhong and wiped his face and hands before saying: "Xuan Wei Zhi, come in."
"Yes." Gu Zhong retreated to Xuanren. As soon as he left the house, a young chamberlain came up quickly with two maids carrying food boxes and said: "Father, this is the soup sent by the beauty. She said it was hers early in the morning.
I asked someone to simmer it. I originally wanted to have a meal with His Majesty on the ship, but I didn’t expect that His Majesty had state affairs, so I asked the servant to wait for it to be delivered."
Gu Zhong only glanced at it and waved: "Leave it to us, and we will send it to His Majesty in a moment."
The waiter bowed his head and said yes, left the food box and left respectfully.
Gu Zhong then said to his left and right: "Take down the food box and divide it among yourselves."
"Yes, thank you father-in-law for the reward."
Gu Zhong nodded and went to invite Wei Zhi with his disciple with a smile on his face, "Master Wei, Your Majesty has invited you."
He and Mr. Zhuang, who was sitting next to him, nodded, and while leading Mr. Wei to the study, he said: "Your Majesty was in the Imperial Garden earlier. When he heard that Mr. Wei was coming, he rushed over immediately. He walked faster because of the hot weather.
The clothes on my body are all wet. I am changing my clothes and waiting for the adults..."
Gu Zhong sent Wei Zhi into the palace. Seeing Wei Zhi glance at the people in the palace, Gu Zhong looked at the emperor. When he saw him nodding slightly, he turned around and took all the servants in the room out.
"Go and make a pot of hooded stone flowers. I will serve tea to Your Majesty and Mr. Wei in a moment."
"yes."
When the others retreated, Gu Zhong led a few people to guard the door. A chamberlain took out a money bag and stuffed it into Gu Zhong, and whispered: "Sir, this is what the beauty stuffed into the slave when we got off the boat just now. She said it was for money."
For adults."
Gu Zhong weighed it and stuffed it back to him with regret, saying in a calm voice: "Give it back, we will not accept this beauty's courtesy from now on."
The servants were startled and responded quickly.
After they all dispersed, Gu Zhong's disciple couldn't help but ask, "Master, why don't you accept her reward?"
"How can we be polite to others if we can't do things like adults?"
The apprentice was confused, "Didn't she just ask Master to say a few nice words in front of His Majesty?"
Gu Zhong glanced at him, raised his hand and patted his head, "You idiot, how come you still can't touch the edge after so many years?"
He said: "If His Majesty likes it, we can naturally say more good things. Anyway, it doesn't cost anything. They have benefited and His Majesty is happy. But if His Majesty doesn't like it, if we say good things again, it will be equivalent to drinking in His Majesty's favor."
Do you think His Majesty would be happy if he took off his smelly socks during tea?"
"But wasn't it a pleasure for Your Majesty to go to the lake with the beauty just now?"
"I was happy at first, but then I became unhappy." Since he was his apprentice, Gu Zhong explained in more detail and also taught him by the way, "The people your Majesty likes, no matter what their appearance and character are, they must act generously and fulfill their duties...
…”
"But this is the harem..."
"The concubines in the harem also have grades, and they also have rules that they should abide by," Gu Zhong said: "Your Majesty likes people who abide by the rules, and he also likes people who are talented, insightful, and have the world in mind."
He snorted and said: "This beauty has gone too far. She has no talent and no character. Your Majesty will probably never see her again in the future."
At least he won't take the initiative to see her, so there's no need to say anything nice for her.
Although the apprentice was honest and clumsy, he was not really ignorant. After a while, he whispered: "Is it like the Queen?"
Gu Zhong glanced at him approvingly, he wasn't completely dead wood after all.
Unlike other emperors who liked pure, kind and weak women, what he likes most today is women who can stand side by side with him, and he also prefers women who are talented and virtuous.