Qian Fu has been very irritable these days.
When you get angry, your mouth will get irritated as well.
A few blisters appeared at the corners of his mouth, which hurt him terribly.
If you don't eat or drink well, and your subordinates don't live up to your expectations, then train them hard.
Those who should be demoted should be demoted, those who should be criticized should be criticized, and those who should be dismissed should be dismissed.
The Intelligence Department was in a state of panic, and everyone from top to bottom was on edge.
Your Majesty and the Empress want the latest news from Xiliang, and the Intelligence Department is derelict in its duty if it cannot provide it.
Don't make excuses, don't make reasons, dereliction of duty is dereliction of duty, there is nothing to say.
Qian Fu gave the Intelligence Department a thorough training from top to bottom, and finally got the news from Xiliang in the shortest time possible.
The first King of Anxi, Pei Ren, was nearly eighty years old. He refused to accept his age and was so anxious to get a beautiful woman that he even took medicine.
He died of a stroke, a very ignominious death.
When the incident happened, Pei Meng, the prince, ordered martial law and took the initiative to imprison several brothers for various reasons.
Pei Meng breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming that there was no unrest in the Xiliang royal city and that people were not in panic because of the death of Anxi King Pei Ren.
Then he submitted a petition requesting to be crowned king.
After a long journey of several months, Pei Meng's memorial finally reached the capital.
That's the whole process.
Qian Fu was so frightened that he knelt in the Zhengyang Hall of Xingqing Palace.
The information about Xiliang was placed on the emperor's desk, but it was not known whether the emperor was satisfied with it.
Emperor Liu Zhao finished reading the information and asked, "Is that all?"
Qian Fu said cautiously, "Your Majesty, this is all the information we have at the moment. We will have to wait a while for more information."
Liu Zhao said, "Hmm," and said, "Back off!"
Is this satisfactory or unsatisfactory?
Qian Fu kowtowed and stood up to say goodbye!
He didn't dare ask more questions.
The Empress has been living in Xiaozhu in the mountains recently, and the Emperor lives alone in the palace, with a somewhat unpredictable temper.
Sometimes even these old people can't figure out what the emperor is thinking.
Qian Fu found Lin Shuping and asked about it.
"How is your Majesty feeling?"
"It's hard to say!" Lin Shuping was unequivocal. As an old partner, he didn't hide anything. "You know His Majesty suffers from an old injury, and his mood fluctuates from time to time. But you don't have to worry too much. Since His Majesty didn't get angry with you right away, it means that His Majesty is basically satisfied with the information you submitted. Keep up the good work and try to get more information. His Majesty will be so pleased that he won't pursue the past matters."
Qian Fu nodded secretly.
That's right, he needs to bring back some more news.
Always pay attention to the news from Xiliang.
Overseas news also needs to be paid attention to at all times.
The Second Prince and Princess Ruyang are both overseas. Your Majesty dotes on Ruyang so much, he must want to know Princess Ruyang's recent situation.
…
Liu Zhao was very irritable and felt a dull pain in his body. He thought it was going to rain.
Apply the plaster to the painful area in advance to provide slight relief.
But it couldn't relieve his irritability.
The huge palace was deserted. Without the Queen, he had nowhere to go.
"Prepare the carriages and horses, I want to go to Xiaozhu!"
Lin Shuping glanced at the sky and said, "Your Majesty, it might rain today. Why not go tomorrow?"
"Why are you afraid of rain? The whole road is cement. Are you worried about the wheels getting stuck in the mud and not being able to get out?"
Lin Shuping was choked and had to arrange for carriages and guards. He secretly left the palace through Jingyao Gate and went to Xiaozhu without telling the court officials.
On the way, he remembered to tell the palace servants, "Pass on my oral order and have the King of Qi come to the government hall every day to do his duty. If there is nothing important, don't bother me."
The palace maid took the order and went to the Prince of Qi's palace to announce the oral order.
In front of his wife, Sun Qinniang, the Prince of Qi complained about the Emperor, "It's been less than ten days since my father returned to the palace from Xiaozhu, and he's already gone to Xiaozhu again. My mother advised him not to return to the palace and to stay in Xiaozhu until autumn, but he wouldn't listen. And now, he can't help but run back to Xiaozhu. My father just loves to make trouble!"
Sun Qinniang pursed her lips and smiled, "Father and Mother have such a good relationship! Father is so lonely in the palace all alone. It's good that he went to Xiaozhu. With the Emperor and Empress by his side, life will be more interesting."
King Qi Liu Yu shook his head slightly, "Father is not feeling well, and without Mother by his side, he must be feeling irritable."
Sun Qinniang looked nervous and asked, "Is Father's health okay?"
"It's an old illness. It's serious, but it's also not serious and can be endured. It's just too torturous! The imperial physician said it can only alleviate the symptoms, not cure them. It's a root cause of the injury, which was not treated in time."
Sun Qiniang grabbed Liu Yu's arm and said, "If one day, you are injured, you must treat the wound in time. Don't be greedy and deal with it casually because of your youth. You must learn from your father's previous experience."
King Liu Yu of Qi held Sun Qinniang's hand with his backhand and said, "Don't worry about it. I don't have much chance to go to the battlefield, so I won't get hurt."
Sun Qiniang still looked nervous. "I'm not afraid of one thing, I'm afraid of ten thousand. You must promise me that you must take care of yourself."
King Liu Yu of Qi smiled. "Alright, I promise you! Just reject my brother-in-law's offer! He's not Yang Xianggong, he doesn't have extraordinary talent, nor is he a genius. Tell him to take steady steps and advance step by step. If he dreams of replicating Yang Xianggong's path to success overnight, I'll be frank. My brother-in-law lacks self-awareness and is too ambitious. Repeat my words to him word for word. If he bothers you again, you know what to do."
Sun Qiniang nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will explain things to him clearly and tell him to keep his feet on the ground. If he doesn't listen, I will find a lower-class county next year and send him away for ten or eight years. We'll see how he continues to cause trouble."
King Liu Yu of Qi laughed. "You are quite ruthless. The conditions in lower-class counties are extremely harsh, and officials are afraid of them."
"My little brother deserves a lesson! There are some things that Your Highness is not convenient to deal with, so I will take care of him."
"Okay! I'll leave this matter to you."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I won't let my family ruin your reputation."
"My reputation is of no concern to me. I simply dislike scholars who are ambitious but lack real talent."
"Your Highness admires Mr. Yang, so why hasn't he ever visited Mr. Yang?" Sun Qinniang asked curiously.
Liu Yu smiled and said, "Mr. Yang is considered half my senior. When I was young, I studied at the Shanhe Academy every day, often listening to the teachers' teachings with Mr. Yang and General Chen. Now he is the Minister of the Central Secretariat, and his status is different. It is precisely because I admire him that I cannot bring him trouble.
"I know what you're trying to say. I have the trust of my father, the Empress Dowager, and my mother. Even if I were to meet Yang Xianggong privately, nothing would happen. However, precisely because my father, the Empress Dowager, and my mother trust me, I should know when to advance and when to retreat. I shouldn't rely on that trust to meet important officials privately, giving them something to talk about."
"Your Highness is really too cautious!" Sun Qinniang sighed.
Liu Yu said, "It's only right to be cautious. If I want to see Yang Xianggong, I will go to see him openly. If I meet him secretly, even if there is nothing wrong, people will make up a lot of nonsense. A gentleman is open and honest! I act uprightly and use open strategies instead of conspiracy and subterfuge. This is what I learned from my mother."
Sun Qiniang sighed, "My mother will definitely be proud of the prince."
…
Emperor Liu Zhao rode a simple carriage and rushed to Xiaozhu.
Gu Ji couldn't help but laugh at him.
Liu Zhao snorted twice, looked at the tea remnants on the table that hadn't been cleared away in time, and asked, "Are there any guests coming today?"
"My fourth sister-in-law wanted to chat with me. She went to wash up and will be here soon."
"I'll go back to my room and rest first! When you're done talking, remember to come and comfort me."
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, "Tell me, what kind of blow have you suffered? Do you still need me to comfort you?"
Liu Zhao said confidently: "I feel uncomfortable!"
"Okay, okay, you are the emperor and you have the final say." Gu Jiu looked down on him and waved his hand to send him away.
Liu Zhao turned his head and laughed, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
When I was in the palace, I always felt like something was missing and my heart was always empty.
At this moment, he knew what he was missing.
Missing the Queen's bickering and complaints, missing the Queen's company.
Every day that is not criticized by the Queen is an incomplete day.
The days without the Queen's company felt like the air was frozen and it was difficult to breathe.
He left with a smile on his face, his irritable mood instantly cured by the queen's disdain.
…
Xiao Qin'er washed up, changed her clothes, and returned to the embroidery building.
"I'm so sorry to have made a fool of myself, Your Majesty. I got my clothes dirty just by drinking tea."
"We've been sisters-in-law for many years, so there's no need to be polite. We've had tea, and I've asked the palace maids to replace it with juice. I'd like to ask you to try the watermelon grown on the imperial farm."
"Speaking of this watermelon, it's really good for cooling off and quenching thirst."
Xiao Qin'er picked up the glass, took a sip, then another sip, and another sip.
A glass of watermelon juice was half gone in a blink of an eye.
She felt a little embarrassed and wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, "Please forgive me, Madam Queen. I am so greedy at my age."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Being able to eat is a blessing."
With just a glance, the palace servant brought fresh watermelon juice.
Xiao Qin'er was satisfied, and then she started chatting, "The third brother has taken in a few more concubines, and he wants to give them positions. For this matter, he even went to the Shaofu in person and asked the Shaofu to quickly take care of it for him. The Shaofu neglected it for a few days, and he made a fuss. I think the third brother is getting more and more ridiculous. Is he giving concubines positions because he loves them, or is he trying to get a subsidy from the Shaofu? It's hard to say. I don't know where he got the nerve to go to my prince and ask him to speak up for him. He really doesn't know what he's talking about."
Gu Jiu hummed, "I haven't paid attention to the royal family's situation for a while. I didn't expect the third brother to take another beautiful concubine. Can his body handle it? Is the courtyard big enough? Can it accommodate so many people?"
Xiao Qin'er sneered, "With so many women, his backyard naturally couldn't accommodate them all. As a result, several concubines had to live in a small courtyard, making constant noise all day long. I can see how hard it is for my third brother's wife. A noble lady from a noble family, yet she's forced to deal with a bunch of uneducated concubines. If it were me, I'd be so angry that I'd die!"
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