Outside the Royal Study Hall in the palace, a young eunuch gently shook the fly whisk in his hand, looked ahead at the Qinzheng Hall and shouted loudly.
"His Majesty decreed that King Zhao Li Tao should pay an audience in his study room!"
Following the sound of the little eunuch's horn, the sounds from the palace towers came and went, all the way to the Qinzheng Hall.
"His Majesty decreed that King Zhao Li Tao should pay an audience in his study room!"
Li Tao, who was standing outside Qinzheng Palace, heard the last clear words and turned around to look at the little eunuch beside him who was still a little distracted.
"Xiao Fangzi, please wait outside the palace for my return. Please don't wander around inside the palace."
"We will obey the prince's order."
Li Tao adjusted his robes and found that there was nothing rude about it. Then he set off, bypassing the gate of the Qinzheng Palace and hurried towards the imperial study.
Although he was not born in the palace, he had studied in the Imperial Academy since he was a child, and also lived in the palace for a year after his father ascended the throne, so he naturally knew the ways of the palace.
Although there was no eunuch to guide him, Li Tao still found the direction of the imperial study room accurately.
"My brother Li Tao is here to see Your Majesty, long live long live, long live long live."
"Second brother, hurry up and take your seat without courtesy."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Li Ye happily looked at Li Tao who was getting up slowly, and greeted him with joy: "Good brother, we haven't seen each other for a year. I have grown a lot taller. I almost can't recognize you, my eldest brother."
"Thank you for your concern, your majesty. I am still young, but I have grown a bit taller, which made your majesty laugh."
"Hey, what do you call your majesty? You've already been separated. You can just call me big brother as before. Do you understand?"
Li Tao hesitated for a moment, looked at Li Ye who was pretending to be angry and nodded silently: "Big...brother."
"That's right, hurry up and take your seat."
"Thank you, brother."
Li Tao sat down under Li Ye with some restraint. Remembering what his mother had said to him on the carriage, he became cautious again in every move he made.
Lord, minister.
Just two words, a huge difference.
What an insurmountable chasm.
"Here, big brother will pour you some wine!"
Li Tao looked at Li Ye carrying the pot to pour himself wine, and stood up in a panic and bowed to Li Ye.
"Brother, wait a minute. How dare I ask my eldest brother to pour the wine? There is an order of elders and younger ones. There is a distinction between monarch and minister. It should be my younger brother who pours the wine for my eldest brother."
Li Ye took the flask and paused with the wine glass in his hand. He looked at Li Tao, who was bowing and bowing a little timidly, with a faint look of satisfaction in his eyes.
Li Ye's eyes calmed down and he shook his head helplessly: "Okay, you can pour the wine and you can pour the bar. You are just too cute. This palace is also your home. You are the prince who walked out of the palace. When you return, Why should my family be so cautious? Why can my eldest brother be so angry with you? I must never be so outspoken in the future, otherwise my eldest brother will be angry."
"My dear brother, I understand. Thank you very much, brother!"
Li Tao stood up and took the wine bottle from Li Ye's hand. He first filled Li Ye's glass with wine, and then poured himself more than half a glass of wine before putting down the wine bottle and picking up the wine glass.
"My brother dares to offer a toast to my eldest brother."
"Okay, I will drink this cup with my second brother."
The two brothers drank the wine in their glasses with different thoughts, and Li Tao picked up the pot and started pouring wine.
Li Ye looked at Li Tao's actions with a somewhat sad expression on his face: "The road was blocked by heavy snow. I really didn't expect you, my second brother, to come back in time. You must have suffered a lot along the way."
Li Tao put down the flask and shook his head slightly: "My father has recently died. Even if I crawl, I am afraid to come back to worship my father's spirit in the sky. Fortunately, although there is a lot of snow, it is not difficult to walk. Although the journey is slow, I still made it back in time.
, this is all due to the protection of my father’s spirit in heaven, plus the great blessing that comes from you, big brother.”
"Filial piety is commendable. My father is alive in heaven. Knowing your filial piety will make me happy. You have worked hard along the way."
"It's not hard or hard, this is your duty as a son of man, your duty!"
"I've been preparing food all morning. I didn't go too extravagant. I just prepared a few home-cooked meals for the common people. I hope you, my second brother, don't dislike the simplicity."
"Don't you dare? As the emperor, my eldest brother is so virtuous. It is the blessing of the world and the blessing of all people. I deeply admire you. How can I despise you?"
"As long as you don't mind it, just eat the food!"
"Thank you big brother, big brother will eat too!"
The two brothers talked while eating, but their minds were not on the delicious food in front of them.
Li Ye drank a glass of wine, seemed to have thought of something, and looked around: "Second brother, why don't you see my mother and concubine? Did I not return to the palace with you, or did you go to your mother and grandmother to pay your respects first?"
Li Tao, who was chewing slowly, looked stunned for a moment and then returned to normal. He hurriedly put down the bowls and chopsticks in his hands: "Replying to eldest brother, my mother is not feeling well. My younger brother boldly asked her to rest and recuperate at the inn first, and then come to see her again after she recovers from her serious illness."
.
Otherwise, it would be a great sin if the disease were to be transmitted to Your Majesty, your Queen Mother and the Imperial Grandmother.
The incident happened suddenly, and I made my own decision before I had time to report it. I hope that my elder brother will not take the blame."
Li Ye thought for a moment, then chuckled and patted Li Tao's shoulder: "What are you talking about? Second brother, this is also an act of filial piety. How can I blame you? Do you want me to send an imperial doctor to diagnose and treat my mother and concubine?
It’s better to get rid of the disease in time and restore the mother-in-law’s health!”
"Thank you for your concern, brother. The doctor accompanying the palace has already diagnosed and treated my concubine. It's just a slight cold. My concubine has already taken the decoction and she will be fully recovered in a day or two."
"As long as nothing happens, I'll be relieved if nothing happens. Although my mother-in-law is not my biological mother, we grew up together as brothers and got along with my mother-in-law day and night. We have already treated my mother-in-law as my biological mother, just like my queen. When I heard that
She is safe and sound, I am so relieved!"
"Brother, why don't you invite your third uncle to the banquet? In the past, he relied on his own efforts to support you as the emperor against all opinions. He eliminated many shortcomings for you and clarified the officialdom.
The third uncle is so loyal. Brother, you should invite him to the palace for a drink to show how much you value him. Only in this way can the monarch and his ministers be harmonious. Let's tell the story of my grandfather, father and the third uncle, so that I, the great dragon, can become famous all over the world and create a prosperous age.
foundation.
If you entertain a banquet for your younger brother, a prince who is on the throne thanks to the blessings of his ancestors, and forget about your uncle who is very kind to you, if the news reaches your uncle's ears, some unnecessary misunderstandings and troubles will inevitably arise.
If there is another Jin Kingdom, Turkic spies and spies will add fuel to the flames and publicize it a little, I am afraid it will make my government unstable!"
Li Ye looked at Li Tao's caring eyes, shook his head with a relaxed expression, picked up the wine glass and took a sip.
"Don't worry, second brother, I am such an ungrateful person. Before you returned to the palace, I had already asked my third uncle to come to the banquet, but he suddenly came back home in an emergency. Since there is an emergency, I am not good either.
He was forced to stay again and again, and just when he was planning to choose a good day to invite him to the palace for a banquet, you returned the favor.
I will never forget his kindness to me. If he had not traveled thousands of miles to the capital and King Qin escorted him, I would not have been able to ascend the throne as emperor. I am afraid that I would have died in the pursuit of our three uncles.
Already.
As long as he is loyal and responsible to the court, I will ensure that his Liu family will always enjoy peace and happiness, and that he will receive glory and wealth in the world."
Li Tao smiled apologetically and nodded: "Since the eldest brother has his mind set, I won't talk too much. I'd like to give you a drink!"
“Drink together!”
"Alas, even though it has been more than a year, I still wake up from nightmares when I occasionally dream about the past.
In order to protect the people in the city from being massacred by the rebels ordered by my third uncle, my father committed suicide in the Qinzheng Palace. The civil servants lost their morale and the generals lost their lives defending the city. We brothers were helpless, how helpless we were. The past of being forced to live in exile and being hunted is still vivid in our minds.
ah!
Occasionally, I think of it, and my brother is still in shock.
Fortunately, God has eyes, and my uncle arrived in time, so the arrogant Third Prince could only stay in the imperial study room.
I recall how majestic and majestic it was when my uncle ascended the throne to become the emperor in order to defeat you, his eldest brother.
His father entrusted him with important responsibilities, what a foresight!
Now, eldest brother, with the help of my uncle, you have almost unified the world of Dalong. I am happy for you. I wish that eldest brother will dominate the world and create the foundation of my great dragon for eternity. I respect you."
"Second brother, I accept your good advice and have a drink together!"
Words fade into the sunset.
Li Tao was supported by the young eunuch as he stumbled towards the outside of the palace. Li Ye, who was drunk and hazy, gradually sobered up.
He glanced at the pavilions in the palace with complex eyes and sighed quietly.
Yes, my uncle looked so majestic in the past when he fought against the dissent of the world in order to ensure my accession to the throne.
However, without asking for instructions and without an imperial edict, they were able to mobilize 400,000 troops and horses from the Western Regions for reinforcements. Without asking for instructions and using the king's orders, they led a million troops north to the border to kill the enemy.