Su Cheng didn't want to get into the clan's government's responsibility regarding the title ban. He just wanted to stay in Liuhe City with peace of mind.
As for the return gift to the emperor, Su Cheng did not neglect it. He prepared it the next day and sent a team of people to the palace.
In fact, the gift in return was supposed to be brought back by someone from the Zongren Mansion, but the other party left directly. This also showed their attitude that they did not want to return to the capital with your Su Cheng's gift.
So Su Cheng could only send someone to deliver gifts to the capital!
After handling these matters, Su Cheng returned to the government office. As the prefect, he now had to deal with more things every day, not to mention that the ten counties below were developing, and he had to keep an eye on them.
Another month will pass, the New Year is approaching, the wedding of Liu Changfeng and Yang Lingxuan is about to begin, and the people sent by Su Cheng to return gifts to the emperor have finally arrived in Kyoto.
The bustling streets of Kyoto run through the entire city, and on the north side of the city is a large group of buildings, which is where the imperial power of Daliang lies.
The Daliang Palace is majestic, and the gates are guarded by forbidden troops. They hold long spears and are full of momentum. At first glance, they look like people who have experienced hundreds of battles.
The Liuzhou government officials sent by Su Cheng came forward to negotiate and then the imperial army delivered the gifts. The officials could only wait outside the palace.
In the imperial palace, under a majestic palace, a man of similar age to Su Cheng was wearing a dragon robe and holding a jade pen and was drawing.
Suddenly, a eunuch's shrill voice came from outside: "Your Majesty, Marquis Liu has given you a gift in return according to the rules. This is the gift list."
The white-haired eunuch placed the gift list respectfully on the desk, and then slowly withdrew.
The boy who was painting narrowed his eyes at this moment: "Who did you just say sent the return gift?"
"Your Majesty, it's Marquis Liu. He's the one you ordered to be canonized by the Zongren Mansion some time ago. The Zongren Mansion gave him the title of Marquis Liu." The eunuch lowered his head and answered truthfully.
"Liu Hou? A county prince?" The young man's eyes turned cold, with a hint of chill flashing through his eyes.
"Your Majesty, you are indeed a county prince."
"Hmph, the clan's mansion is so brave. They actually dare to do anything about this matter again and again. The more they don't want me to see this person, the less likely I am to let them get their way!"
Emperor Su Sheng snorted coldly and stood up suddenly: "Go and ask the Taifu to come over and say that I have something important to discuss with you!"
"This..." The eunuch hesitated: "Your Majesty, why don't you take a look at this gift list first?"
"I told you to go and call me, why is there so much nonsense!"
"My slave obeys your orders."
After the eunuch left, Su Sheng picked up the gift list and took a look at it.
"Hybrid rice seeds, White Lotus?"
Su Sheng thought for a while, and then shouted out: "Come here, bring the gift from Liu Hou and show it to me!"
Soon, eleven big bags were carried into the main hall by the imperial army. Su Sheng walked over and took a look at the ten bags, and pointed at one of them:
"Open it and show it to me."
Two Imperial Guards opened the bag and revealed the hybrid rice seeds inside.
Su Sheng took a look and found that these seeds were larger than ordinary rice seeds, but there was nothing special about them.
Reaching in and grabbing a handful of seeds, Su Sheng wanted to take a closer look.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, something green suddenly popped out of the bag and headed straight for Su Sheng's door.
"Escort!"
The face of the imperial guards changed greatly. They thought it was poisonous and immediately rushed forward to block Su Sheng.
But Su Sheng was too close to the thing, and in the blink of an eye the thing came to Su Sheng.
At the critical moment, Su Sheng did not dodge, and suddenly waved his right hand, and the huge sleeve robe directly threw the thing away!
Yes, Su Sheng knows martial arts!
The thing fell to the ground, and then suddenly jumped towards the pillars in the main hall.
"Grab that thing!" the commander of the imperial army roared and rushed over to take action.
But at this moment, Su Sheng said calmly: "No need, it's just an animal. Take a closer look."
Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and then looked at the thing carefully.
"This...this is a mantis!" One of the Imperial Guards recognized the thing.
Everyone was immediately petrified.
Mantis?
There are actually praying mantises in this hybrid rice seed?
So what does Liuhou eat, and why is there a praying mantis in it?
"Your Majesty, Marquis Liu was so careless that he allowed this thing to come to the palace. He should be punished!" the commander of the Imperial Army suggested with a stern face.
"Punishment?" Su Sheng glanced at the commander of the imperial army: "How do you know this thing was put in by Liu Hou?"
"This..." The commander of the Forbidden Army did not dare to speak.
"What your Majesty said is absolutely true!"
At this moment, an old voice came from outside the hall: "This mantis is a natural thing in the field, and it is normal for it to appear in hybrid rice."
While talking, an old man with white hair wearing purple official uniform stepped into the hall.
"See you, Your Majesty!" The old man saluted Su Sheng.
Su Sheng nodded slightly: "Master, you don't need to be polite."
"Okay, you can go down."
"But Your Majesty, that mantis..." The commander of the imperial army hesitated.
"What, do you think I can't even deal with a praying mantis?" Su Sheng's eyes turned cold.
"I don't dare!" The commander of the imperial army immediately retreated with his men.
After all these people had left, only Su Sheng and Grand Tutor Dugu Jingwei were left in the hall.
"What do you think of the gift from Marquis Liu?" Su Sheng asked, pointing at the hybrid rice seeds and white lotus.
Dugu Jingwei sighed: "There are so many hybrid rice seeds, which shows that he cares about the country and wants His Majesty to promote this product."
"But the white lotus also means that he is independent of the world and does not want to participate in court battles. It seems that this son is not an ordinary person. This return gift alone is not something ordinary people can think of."
"Your Majesty, if we can get this person to come to Kyoto, it will be a great help to Your Majesty!"
The emperor is young, and even though he has ascended the throne, the affairs of the court are still controlled by many relatives of the emperor. This is what Dugu Jingwei does not want to see.
If a foreign aid, and a relative of the emperor, could come to break the situation at this time, the emperor would be able to take back some power.
But when Su Sheng heard this, he chuckled: "Aren't you fighting against the world?"
He reached out and pointed at the mantis on the palace pillar: "Then how do you explain this thing? I don't believe that this thing got in accidentally!"
Obviously, someone must have put the mantis in intentionally.
Since you, Su Cheng, want to live aloof from the world, why did you let a mantis in?
Dugu Jingwei thought for a while, then stroked his white beard and said slowly: "Perhaps you are dissatisfied with the title of Liu Hou and want to vent your dissatisfaction?"
Su Sheng shook his head: "None of us know about this matter, but not only he is not satisfied with the title of Liu Hou, even I am not satisfied with it!"
"Let's do this. I will personally give him a new title."
"As for whether he really wants to live aloof from the world, I still have to observe it. Master, please send someone down to pay attention to him!"
"If there is a chance, I will definitely let him come to Kyoto!"