This summer, the city of God has had enough rain, and the heat has been much less hot than in previous years. The ice stored in the cellar in the imperial city has not been used a few times, and the ice mirror has not been moved to the imperial city a few times.
Over there in the study, summer is almost over.
Today's court meeting has been overtime for a long time. After the prime minister took office, the subsequent court meetings and subsequent political affairs were obviously much slower than usual, which made the prince who was originally relatively relaxed
His Highness had to spend more time staring at it. Although this made His Highness the Crown Prince's growth speed increase a lot, at such an age, having to care about so many things was actually extremely consuming for His Highness the Crown Prince.
A matter of energy.
Under a palace wall not far from the meeting hall, there was a young eunuch standing by the wall, looking at the meeting hall in front of him.
There was an eunuch beside him, who was not very old. Thinking that the boss Li beside him had been standing there for an hour, he softly advised, "Eunuch Li, why don't you go back and rest first? Just let the slave wait here."
, if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince summons the father-in-law later, I will ask the people below to invite the father-in-law."
The young eunuch was none other than Li Shou, a disciple of the previous great eunuch Li Heng.
There is an inner court in the imperial city, and the highest official in the inner court is named Si Li Jian. The former Li Heng was the eunuch in charge of the Si Li Jian, who was in charge of everything in the inner court. In the mouths of ordinary people, he is the so-called chief eunuch.
Of course, now that Li Heng has been invited to guard the mausoleum for the empress, his official position is still there, but he is no longer in charge of everything in the imperial city, and the important responsibility has fallen to another eunuch Bingbi who is the superintendent of rituals.
As for the Li Shou in front of him, he is still young, but last month, he was appointed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as the head of the inner study hall. Although it cannot be said that he has overwhelming power, he still has a lot of power in the inner court.
, plus his other two identities.
Li Heng's only disciple and the closest servant to His Royal Highness.
As for Li Shou today, no eunuch in the imperial city dared to look down upon him. Even Eunuch Gan, the eunuch with a pen, looked kind and cheerful when he saw Li Shou.
Almost everyone knows that it is only a matter of time before this young boss takes the position of eunuch, provided that he does not make mistakes and does not make the prince feel disgusted.
"His Royal Highness spends so much time dealing with state affairs every day. What reason do we slaves have to say we are tired?"
Li Shou spoke calmly and glanced at the eunuch beside him, "You go down and have a rest. I'll be waiting for His Highness the Crown Prince here."
The eunuch hurriedly said, "Eunuch Li didn't even rest. I'm just here to accompany you. How dare you say you're tired?"
Li Shou ignored him, just raised his head and glanced at the sky before saying, "Give me the umbrella."
As he spoke, the eunuch handed over the umbrella and said softly, "That slave will leave first."
Being an errand in the palace is no different from other places. If you are an official in the court, if you make mistakes in your words and deeds, you can still make up for it. But in this palace, if anything goes wrong, it is destined to have great consequences, so this eunuch will not
If you dare to persist, you can only do it.
Li Shou didn't say anything after taking the umbrella. He just continued to stand where he was. It wasn't until half a quarter of an hour later that several figures appeared at the end of his sight.
After seeing it, Li Shou hurriedly ran over, and the prince who had finally finished the court meeting also repelled the other eunuchs around him after seeing Li Shou, and said bitterly, "Li Shou, Li Shou, this is not a human being."
With the way I live, I understand why my father has been reluctant to go to court for so many years."
Li Shou smiled and said, "The world's major events and the safety of the people are all on your Highness's shoulders. This is a bit tiring. If you don't care about it, the people will not live well, and Your Highness himself will feel uneasy."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince glanced at Li Shou, smiled and cursed, "It's just you. If it were anyone else, would you dare to talk to me like this?"
Li Shou said in a serious tone, "Master slave once said that when you go out to do things, don't think too much about yourself. You don't have to worry about being scolded or beaten, but you can't just flatter the master and let the master become a coward and leave an infamy in the annals of history. Then
It's us who are slaves
You are wrong, you will go to hell after death."
Mentioning Li Heng, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince couldn't help but ask, "Has Eunuch Li's thoughts changed recently?"
Li Shou shook his head and said softly, "I met Master at the Queen's Mausoleum a few days ago. Master has made up his mind to accompany the Queen."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince nodded and said, "Then don't force it. After all, he is also half of my uncle. He has watched the imperial sister and the others grow up."
The master and servant then walked slowly towards the imperial study. The meeting was finished, but there were still many twists and turns there.
In today's Liang Dynasty, in fact, regarding the memorials and approvals, in order to train His Highness the Crown Prince's ability to handle political affairs, he was first asked to approve them and then handed them over. If there were any problems, the Prime Minister and the other ministers would re-approval them.
The memorial was brought to the imperial study room, and the prince explained in detail why it was inappropriate. Afterwards, they discussed the new results and sent them to all the major state capitals.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince rubbed his forehead and sighed, "If I had known I was so tired, I shouldn't have accepted this job in the first place."
Li Shou smiled and said, "If Your Highness doesn't come next, who will?"
"To my brother."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince smiled and said, "He is much smarter than me. It's a pity that he ran away. I don't know how comfortable he is now traveling around."
Li Shou glanced at His Highness the Crown Prince, shook his head and said, "The Guardian Commander is very tired. He is not any less relaxed than His Highness."
"Of course I know, it's just a complaint. How can you, a slave like you, not hear any good words?"
Li Shou scratched his head and said with a smile, "If Your Highness feels tired, you should really marry a concubine. It would be great to have a caring person to talk to every day."
"Do you think I don't want to? It's just that I have made up my mind to imitate my father and marry one wife in this life. I can't mess around. These ministers have seen everything, including family background, upbringing, appearance and temperament, but only
What I haven’t seen is whether I like it or not.”
"If you don't like it, how tired will your life be?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince frowned. He had been a little resentful towards his father in the early years, but after thinking about it later, he understood that his father liked his mother and only his mother.
Li Shou said, "There is some truth in what they say. Your Highness wants to leave an heir to consolidate the foundation of the country."
If he remembered correctly, his master had said before that when His Majesty was still a prince, he was only willing to marry one wife. He was reprimanded by Emperor Lingzong, and even had a decree saying that he was a descendant of the royal family.
, you have to spread the branches and leaves of the royal family, so what’s the point of just marrying a daughter-in-law?
But at that time, His Majesty the Emperor had a sudden change of heart and wrote a letter. He made it clear. It probably meant: Dad, you are the emperor, and you have the final say on all major affairs in the world. I know this, but you have to let me
If you marry someone else, then kill your son. Anyway, your son will never do such a thing even if he dies.
It is said that Emperor Lingzong was furious at that time and imprisoned the Emperor in the Zongren Mansion for a whole month, but in the end he did not force his son again.
But now His Highness the Crown Prince...
Li Shou hesitated to speak, but finally shook his head.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince rubbed his cheeks and sighed, "This is just to bully me. If I am like an elder brother, whoever dares to persuade these ministers will be slapped."
Just as Li Shougang was about to speak, a burst of laughter rang out not far away, "If His Highness really takes action, he will leave a bad reputation in the annals of history."
Li Shou was startled and was about to stop in front of His Highness the Crown Prince, but His Highness the Crown Prince had already turned around and said in surprise, "Brother!"
In the distance, a figure slowly approaches here, it's a
Young man in black shirt.
But the knife was not hung.
Li Shou silently retracted his half-step, and His Highness the Crown Prince had already trotted over and said with a smile, "Brother, you didn't even tell me when you were going to return to Beijing."
Chen Chao smiled and said, "What can I do if I tell His Highness? Your Highness still wants to run out of the palace to meet with me?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince twitched his lips and said with a smile, "I'm going to meet the important ministers of the country. This will also mark me as a wise person in the history books."
Chen Chao smiled indifferently and didn't take it seriously. "After I finished handling the matter, I rushed back to the capital. Even a few disciples didn't have time to look at it or even drink water before they came to see His Highness."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince took hold of Chen Chao's arm and said with a smile, "Li Shou, hurry up and find some good wine. I want to have a good drink with my brother."
Li Shou nodded and took the order and left. .??.
Chen Chao sighed and said, "Your Highness is drinking with me. If word spreads, others will not say that I am a treacherous minister who has harmed the country?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince laughed loudly, "Don't you miss your brother? Don't worry, if anyone dares to say that my brother is a traitor, then I will..."
After thinking about it, His Highness the Crown Prince could not give an explanation.
It would be indecent to say it was a beating, but if it were to be a refutation, he was not good at quarreling. Besides, anyone who quarreled with him would quarrel, so it was not something he asked for.
Is it humiliating?
Chen Chao smiled and didn't say anything. He just looked at his younger brother and felt that he had grown taller.
I remembered that since the last time I returned to the Divine Capital, I had actually been in retreat. After I came out of retreat, I went to the south, and the two of them didn't really see each other for a year or two.
The two of them walked towards a certain pavilion together. His Royal Highness thought for a while, rubbed his hands and asked, "Brother, did you bring me a gift during this trip?"
Chen Chao said helplessly, "I bought some seashells in Yingzhou, but they are just for my disciples, not for His Highness."
"Is this appropriate? Brother, we are all brothers, why not kiss as disciples? I don't care, you must give me one or two anyway, otherwise I will be angry!"
His Highness the Crown Prince looked at Chen Chao, as if there was nothing I could do if you didn't give it to me, but I was still aggrieved anyway.
Chen Chao had no choice but to take out the sea shells and let this guy choose first.
His Highness the Crown Prince blinked and asked curiously, "Brother, do you still have one hidden away? It should be the most beautiful one. Is it for my future sister-in-law?"
Chen Chao smiled and said nothing.
His Highness the Crown Prince twitched his lips, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Anyway, that's what he thought now. There was no problem in putting the woman he liked first.
His Royal Highness finally chose a decent seashell, and then he and Chen Chao came to a pavilion and sat down. Li Shou had already prepared the drinking utensils.
The wine came as tribute from Huanglongzhou. It seemed to be brewed with some kind of sorghum and peach blossoms. It was delicious but not intoxicating.
Chen Chao glanced at Li Shou, who smiled slightly.
After pouring wine for the two brothers, who were also the most powerful people in the Liang Dynasty, Li Shou left the pavilion and went far away.
In the palace, you have to be careful when doing things.
After sitting down, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then picked up the wine glass and said, "I have something to confess to my brother first. I didn't think anything of it at first, but after Li Shou reminded me, I realized that this was not the right thing to do."
What he was talking about was naturally the two matters of marrying a wife and choosing a prime minister. Although it was his own idea, he shouldn't have said that.
This feels like leaving all the burdens to his brother and becoming the hands-off shopkeeper himself.
Chen Chao naturally knew what it was, so he shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter. Your Majesty protected me back then, and now I can also protect you."
There is no other explanation here, except that the person in front of me is my younger brother, and he has never failed me.
His Royal Highness the Prince smiled and said, "I know that my brother is not a fussy person, but this kind of thing will definitely become less and less in the future. After all, I am becoming more and more sensible."
Chen Chao smiled and said, "It seems that it won't be long before Daliang will truly have a wise and wise king."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince waved his hand, "You can't say such things. My father is still here, and I am only supervising the country."
Chen Chao didn't say anything, but in fact he knew very well that no matter what happened, the Emperor of Liang would never sit on this throne again. In other words, the Crown Prince in front of him was definitely the next Emperor of Liang, but when
Ascension to the throne, it’s hard to say yet.
Chen Chao thought for a while and said, "His Highness knows all the things he has done before when traveling north and south. Please pick out something he has done recently and tell His Highness that there will be a new sect in Yingzhou called Chaolu Sect. Then
The new sect leader, named Feng Liu, is now the number one casual cultivator in the world. I will tell them to establish the sect. If there is a big war in the north, they will send people to the north to participate in the war."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hummed and said with a smile, "Brother, you can just handle this kind of thing yourself. You can't tell me."
Chen Chao smiled and said, "I am doing these things at the moment, but what if I am not here one day? Your Highness will not ask?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hurriedly pouted a few times, and then looked at Chen Chao with a resentful look on his face, "Brother, please don't say such unlucky words."
Chen Chao said, "Your Highness can leave all major military and national affairs to the people below, but you must be clear and know how to operate, and you must be aware of it."
His Royal Highness the Prince nodded and said softly, "I have been studying these days and I am a little tired, but I will continue."
Chen Chao nodded and asked, "Your Highness, do you have an idea of the candidate for the new Prime Minister?"
His Highness the Crown Prince shook his head and smiled bitterly and said, "I just can't choose. I didn't think anything about it when Lord Zaifu was still here, but now I realize that a big Liang Dynasty can be done without me, but I can't do without Lord Zaifu."
Chen Chao said, "But Mr. Zaifu is like that, so you shouldn't be so demanding in your last days."
"Brother, do you have anyone to choose?"
His Royal Highness the Prince said, "I really have a headache and I can't see anything at all."
Chen Chao thought for a while and said, "Speaking of prestige, Shangshu Xie is definitely enough. If he can come out of the mountain, it will be no problem. But this old Shangshu is not willing to do it."
The ancestor of the Xie family is much older than Master Zaifu, but fortunately he is a monk, so he can still live for a few years.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said, "Actually, Master Zaifu gave me a list in the end. He said that if you train them well, they all have the talent of Zaifu, but they are still young after all. I am afraid that when they can take on big responsibilities, I will be just like my father."
I’m getting older.”
Chen Chao said with a smile, "You should also pay attention to this matter and train it well. It will be useful for Daliang for decades in the future, and your highness will not have to worry."
"Since there is no conclusion on this matter, let's talk about another matter?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince blinked, and then said with a sad face, "The courtiers are forcing me to marry a concubine."
Chen Chao glanced at His Highness the Crown Prince and asked, "Aren't you happy?"
"We've never met before, but we want to get married and become husband and wife? Who can be happy with this?"
His Royal Highness is really full of complaints.
Chen Chao smiled and said, "Is it because you don't want to marry a woman you don't like, rather than because you don't want to get married?"
His Highness the Crown Prince was touched and blushed for the first time.
Chen Chao smiled and said, "It seems that His Highness likes a certain girl and is a little embarrassed?"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince chuckled, and then said in frustration, "Forget it, forget it."
"It doesn't matter. Tell me, I will make the decision for Your Highness. If you like someone, you must at least let people know that you like her. As for whether it succeeds or not, it is a matter between the two of them, not between the two of them!"
Chen Chao said seriously, "Whoever dares to say more about this matter, I will give him a pestle!"