Liu Mingzhi refilled a glass of wine for himself and looked at Liu Zhi'an calmly.
"Old man, what do you think?"
Liu Zhian stared at Young Master Liu calmly for a while, then nodded with a faint smile.
"I know very well how strong your character is.
From your kid's mouth, you can actually say these four words, it seems that you are really under a lot of pressure."
Liu Mingzhi placed the wine bottle on the low table and stared at the float on the water with a look full of vicissitudes of life.
"It doesn't matter if the pressure is too high. I'm afraid I might fall into the water accidentally."
Liu Zhi'an lit a pot of dry smoke, held the pipe with his eyes slightly narrowed, and started puffing away at the smoke.
"I heard that your son will be crown prince and crown prince this year. Have you decided which child to crown?"
When Young Master Liu heard this, his expression was slightly startled, and he looked towards Liu Zhi'an with doubtful eyes.
"Old man, who did you hear about this?"
Liu Zhi'an didn't hide anything. He glanced at Young Master Liu with a faint smile and said directly: "Your mother."
"Hmm? You heard about it from my mother?"
"right."
"Really? It's just that I don't remember when I mentioned to my mother that I plan to appoint a crown prince this year?"
Liu Zhi'an slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "While you were chatting with Ya'er, your mother overheard the conversation between the two of you when she passed by.
Then, she informed me about this matter."
After listening to Liu Zhi'an's explanation, Young Master Liu nodded with sudden realization.
"I see."
Seeing Young Master Liu's reaction, Liu Zhi'an raised his eyebrows with a half-smile.
"You believe it now, aren't you afraid that I will lie to you?"
Young Master Liu nodded, drank a glass of wine, turned to look at Liu Zhi'an, smiled and shook his head.
"Sister Ya is my young master's wife. We have been sleeping together as husband and wife for decades. I know best what kind of character Sister Ya is like, my young master.
I know very well that Sister Ya is not the kind of person with a big mouth.
Moreover, I didn't intend to hide this matter deliberately.
Otherwise, I would not have chatted with Sister Ya in the courtyard about the appointment of the crown prince and heir apparent.
Besides, I know your character very well, old man.
As for my young master, I want to establish the crown prince and crown prince. It is certainly a very important matter for the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.
However, for you, old man, it is nothing too important.
So, there is absolutely no need for you to lie to me about something you don’t care about at all."
Liu Zhi'an smiled and nodded, then picked up his teacup.
"Hehehe, you see it quite clearly."
"Then you see, it is a very simple matter."
Liu Zhi'an took a sip of the wine, was silent for a moment thoughtfully, and glanced at Mr. Liu lightly.
"Have you decided who to appoint as the crown prince?"
"Think about it, kid Chengzhi."
Hearing Young Master Liu's answer, Liu Zhi'an stopped slightly while drinking, and a subtle look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Immediately afterwards, his eyes returned to calmness, and he took a sip of the drink with his usual expression.
"Is this child Chengzhi?"
Listening to Liu Zhi'an's tone, Young Master Liu frowned slightly, gently turned the wine glass in his hand, and looked at him with strange eyes.
"Why, do you think Chengzhi is not a suitable child?"
Liu Zhi'an looked at Mr. Liu's strange eyes and waved his hand with a smile.
"Very good, very good."
Young Master Liu picked up the pot and poured a glass of wine for Liu Zhi'an, and nodded with a half-smile.
"Old man, are you telling the truth?
Why do I feel that your tone has a vague meaning of insincerity?"
Liu Zhi'an immediately glared at Young Master Liu angrily, raised his head and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.
After wiping the drink from the corner of his mouth with his fingers, he placed the wine glass heavily on the low table next to him.
"You bastard, of course I am telling the truth. When did I not mean what I said? Don't you fucking set a trap for me."
Young Master Liu raised his eyebrows slightly, and after refilling Liu Zhi'an's glass of wine, he sneered slightly.
"Hehehe, old man, shouldn't your reaction now be called anger?"
Liu Zhi'an took a long puff of dry cigarette and rolled his eyes at Young Master Liu with a look of disgust.
"I'm so embarrassed about your grandma...your aunt and grandma's legs, go to hell with your mother."
Young Master Liu smiled nonchalantly at the old man's curses. He cheerfully picked up his wine glass and took two sips of the drink.
"Old man, what you just said, are you really sincere?"
"Nonsense, of course it's my sincere words."
Young Master Liu took a long breath, chuckled and shook his head: "Hehehe, I don't believe it."
Liu Zhi'an's face froze, and the corners of his eyes twitched involuntarily.
"You bastard, if you don't fucking believe me, then why are you asking me?"
When Young Master Liu was about to say something, Liu Yuan suddenly stood up and pointed toward the water with an excited expression.
"Master, master, there is a fish hooked."
Liu Zhi'an's face lit up, he hurriedly put down the pipe in his hand, and grabbed the fishhook in his hand with excitement.
“Hahaha, finally a fish took the bait, and with such strength, it seems to be a big deal.
Liu Yuan, prepare the fish basket quickly."
"Okay, old slave, get ready now."
Liu Zhi'an smiled and grabbed the fishing rod in his hand. After sliding the fish smoothly for a while, he lifted the fishing rod with force.
"Sir, the crucian carp is a crucian carp. It weighs at least two kilograms based on its size."
Liu Zhi'an's face turned pale, and he laughed and pointed at the big crucian carp still jumping alive on the hook.
"Hahaha, hahaha, okay, okay, take the hook quickly, take the hook quickly."
"Okay, leave it to the old slave."
Liu Yuan put the two-pound crucian carp into the fish basket, returned to his original position and sat down again with a smile on his face.
"Master, you have caught such a big crucian carp right from the beginning. Madam, young master, young madam, young lady, they have all taken it orally today."
Liu Zhi'an gave Mr. Liu a proud look, laughed loudly, put the bait on the fishhook, and threw the fishhook into the water again.
"Hahaha, it's trivial, it's trivial.
It’s just a small crucian carp weighing more than two kilograms, where is it?”
Seeing the proud expression of his old man, Mr. Liu leaned forward and looked at his float.
When he saw that his float was just floating quietly on the water without any movement at all, he sat upright with a look of disappointment on his face.
"Indeed, it's just a small crucian carp weighing more than two pounds. It's really just a trivial matter."
"Hehehe, Xiaowei is indeed Xiaowei, why don't you catch a Xiaowei and show it to me?
You can't even catch a trivial fish, how dare you say such a thing?"
Young Master Liu's face froze, and he lifted the fishing rod in his hand with an angry expression.
He checked the bait on the hook, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong with the bait, he threw the bait into the water again.
"What's the rush? What's the rush? Don't you know you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry?"
Liu Zhi'an heard Mr. Liu's humming words and drank a glass of wine with a smile.
"Hehehe, then I will just wait and see how interesting the hot tofu you will catch later is."
"Old man, you have to be mentally prepared, otherwise your jaw will drop."
Liu Zhi'an raised his eyebrows and took a puff of dry cigarette with a smile on his face.
"Hahaha, hahaha, interesting, interesting!"
Young Master Liu glanced at his float, which was still motionless, and picked up his wine glass half-heartedly.
"Old man, there is no bait to take the bait now, let's continue talking about the topic just now."
When Liu Zhi'an heard this, his face was slightly startled, and he rolled his eyes at Young Master Liu with disgust on his face.
"Just talking, what's there to talk about?
No matter how we continue talking, I will still say what I just said."
"Oh, is it so?"
"Nonsense, I'll borrow the question you just asked. Do you think I'm joking with you?"
Young Master Liu stared at Liu Zhi'an seriously, looked up and down for a few times, chuckled and shook his head.
"The way I look at you, old man, I don't think you are joking."
"That's alright. In that case, is there any need for us to continue talking?"
Young Master Liu narrowed his eyes and nodded noncommittally.
"If you let me do the talking, of course I think it is necessary to continue the conversation."
Liu Zhi'an looked embarrassed, turned around and glanced at Young Master Liu, and shook his head helplessly.
"Okay, okay, I'm really convinced by you. Just say it, just say it."
Looking at Liu Zhi'an who looked slightly helpless, Mr. Liu chuckled and took out the tobacco bag from his waist, and silently lit a pot of shredded tobacco.
"Old man, it doesn't matter whether you feel bored or not.
I still want to ask you one more time, do you really think it’s good for this boy Chengzhi to inherit the throne?"
Liu Zhi'an frowned slightly, his eyes were silent for a moment, then he picked up a peanut from the plate and threw it into his mouth.
"Is it important?"
Young Master Liu looked stunned and looked towards Liu Zhi'an with doubt in his eyes.
"Huh? My young master, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Liu Zhi'an opened his mouth and took a puff of dry cigarette. He glanced sideways at Young Master Liu with a faint smile.
"Why, is it difficult to understand what I said?"
"I seem to understand, but I don't seem to understand."
"You bastard, I want to ask you about your intention to appoint this boy Chengzhi as the crown prince and heirloom, and let him inherit that chair in the future.
Is my opinion really important to you?
I think Chengzhi is a suitable child, what should you do?
I think this guy Chengzhi is not suitable, what should you do?"
Young Master Liu looked at Liu Zhi'an, who looked like an old man, and frowned subconsciously.
"This! I...I..."
Seeing Young Master Liu's hesitant expression, unable to explain why, Liu Zhi'an chuckled, shook his head, raised his glass and gestured to Young Master Liu.
"Come, let's have a drink."
Young Master Liu pursed his lips and immediately raised his glass in response.
"Old man, I would like to propose a toast to you."
Liu Zhi'an put down the wine glass, with a faint smile on his lips, and filled the pot with two more drinks.
"Look, you yourself hesitated about appointing this boy Chengzhi as your successor.
In this case, does my opinion on this matter really matter to you?
If I tell you that Chengzhi is not suitable to be the crown prince, will you make changes based on my advice?
On the contrary, let me tell you, your decision is very correct. This child Chengzhi is very suitable to be appointed as the crown prince and crown prince, and very suitable to become the next emperor of my Dalong.
Do you really have no worries at all in your heart?"
As Liu Zhi'an spoke, he picked up his wine glass and gestured to Young Master Liu again.
"Come, let's have another drink."
Young Master Liu nodded silently and picked up his wine glass with a sad expression.
"Old man, I would like to toast you with another drink."
Young Master Liu swallowed the drink in his mouth and immediately picked up the pot to refill the old man and himself a glass of wine.
Liu Zhi'an pinched a peanut and threw it into his mouth, then leaned over and knocked out the ashes from the smoke pot.
"Bastard, let me say so.
If you really didn't have the slightest concern in your heart, you wouldn't keep asking me this question over and over again."
Young Master Liu was startled. He looked at Liu Zhi'an and pursed his lips for a long time, and finally just sighed softly.
"I...I...sigh..."
"Liu Yuan."
"Hey, sir?"
"then."
"yes."
Liu Zhi'an handed the fishing rod in his hand to Liu Yuan, stood up and stretched, pacing slowly on the unmelted snow by the river with his hands behind his back.
"Bastard, do you know? Ever since you took that position, your personality has changed a bit."
Liu Mingzhi frowned and looked up at Liu Zhi'an.
"Have I changed? Have I changed?"
Liu Zhi'an lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at Mr. Liu, smiled lightly and nodded.
"It has changed. The change is not small."
Liu Mingzhi thought in silence for a long time, then looked up at Liu Zhi'an again.
"Old man, what has become of me, young master? Have I become suspicious by nature?"
Liu Zhi'an raised his eyebrows and shook his head with a smile.
"Of course not. Before you sat on that chair, your boy was also suspicious by nature."
"Ah? That's what you said, old man, how have I changed, young master?"
Liu Zhi'an stopped and looked at Young Master Liu with a smile.
"I have become less confident."
"What? Becoming less confident?"
"Yes, I have become less confident."
Young Master Liu frowned, glanced at the float which was still motionless, casually placed the fishing rod on the wooden support, stood up and looked towards Liu Zhi'an with a puzzled look on his face.
"This! This! Where do you start talking about this?"
“Hehehe, you bastard, you bastard.
I ask you, remember back when you were still a minister, what do you think of your father-in-law, Li Zheng?
Is he a wise king? Is he a qualified emperor?"
Liu Mingzhi was silent for a moment thoughtfully, and nodded vigorously.
"In my young master's heart, he is not only a wise king, but also a qualified emperor.
It seems that I am not the only one who thinks so. The civil and military officials above the court and the people all over the world also think so.
Otherwise, after his death, he will not be known as an unparalleled hero."
Liu Zhi'an raised his hand and stroked the beard on his chin, smiled and nodded.
"You little bastard, you and Li Zheng are both monarchs and ministers, as well as son-in-law.
The relationship between you, the monarch and your minister, is a good story in the court and in the countryside.
So, based on your understanding of Li Zheng, do you think he is satisfied with his achievements in this life?"