It was rare to take a rest, the emperor was swimming with the beauty, he grabbed a handful of fish food and threw it into the water, a few fish swam through the water, and they were alertly chasing the fish food.
The emperor shook his head, and asked, "Why are there so few fish in this lake? I remember that a dozen fish could swim out with just a splash."
Gu Zhong bent down and was about to answer, when the beauty next to him held the emperor's arm and twisted it, "Your Majesty, are you here to see the concubine, or to enjoy the fish?"
The emperor laughed and said, "Of course I came to see the beauty, that's all, although the fish are a little less, they are still clever."
"Then why are you still talking about fish?"
The emperor's smile faded a little, and he said with a slight smile: "Okay, let's not talk about fish, well, I think the scenery over there is good, let people row the boat over there, let's go and have a look."
The beauty said: "There are no lotus flowers, all of them are lotus pods of different heights, and there are many mosquitoes. Your Majesty, let's go to the other end. From there, we can follow the lake water and enter the river. Follow the river to go down." Daming Palace."
The emperor said: "Why, my concubine wants to go to Daming Palace?"
"I haven't been to the palace for many years. I heard that the Daming Palace is located at the foot of the mountain. It is very cool and dry in summer and autumn. In spring, it’s really uncomfortable.” The beauty leaned against the emperor’s arms and said, “I also want to go and see what the Daming Palace is like, so I can pay my respects to the empress.”
The emperor didn't speak, and a servant rowed a small boat to catch up quickly. After getting on the big boat, he hurried over to report to Gu Zhong.
Gu Zhong stepped forward quickly, interrupting the beautiful woman's gaze, "Your Majesty, Mr. Wei came to the palace to ask for an audience. He said he had something important to report, and he is already waiting outside the Tai Chi Hall."
When the emperor heard this, he got up immediately, "Wei Zhi must have something important to come to see me at this time, come here, hurry back."
"yes."
When he reached the shore, the emperor left the beauty and hurried to the Tai Chi Hall.
Although the beauty was dissatisfied, she didn't dare to delay the emperor's handling of state affairs, so she could only stomp her feet secretly and left helplessly.
After walking a little farther, the hurrying emperor slowed down and began to hide from the sun, looking for corridors and eaves. He hummed to Gu Zhong dissatisfied: "Wei Zhi doesn't stop even on weekends. What's the matter?"
Gu Zhong laughed and said: "Lord Wei didn't say anything, but the little servant reported back that Master Wei had a box in his hand, presumably he came here to give His Majesty a gift?"
The emperor couldn't help laughing out loud, and walked back slowly, saying: "Gu Zhong, your joke is not funny at all, Wei Zhi gave me a gift? That's not because the sun came out from the west, but The sun hasn't risen at all, has it?"
Gu Zhong also laughed, and said: "Your Majesty is laughing happily now? As long as Your Majesty is happy, the slave's joke is worth it."
He paused and said, "Maybe Mr. Wei really came to give gifts? He didn't enter the palace alone, he even brought Shi Zhuang with him."
The emperor laughed loudly when he heard the words, and then asked: "Which Zhuang attendant is speaking?"
Gu Zhong said with a smile: "The servant Zhuang of the Chongwen Museum said."
"Oh, Bai Shan and Zhou Man's teachers, now teaching the prince's servant Zhuang?"
"Your Majesty has a good memory. It is Mr. Zhuang."
Only then did the emperor quicken his pace a little, and he no longer hesitated to leave, "Go, go and see what they have to report."
When he got to the Tai Chi Hall, the emperor was sweating all over, but he was very stuffy, and sweating was even more uncomfortable.
The emperor took the handkerchief from Gu Zhong, wiped his face and hands, and said, "Xuan Wei Zhi, come in."
"Yes." Gu Zhong retreated to announce the people, and as soon as he went out, a small servant came up quickly with two maids carrying food boxes and said: "Eunuch, this is the soup sent by the beauty, and she said it was from her early in the morning It was ordered to simmer, and I wanted to have a meal with His Majesty on the boat, but I didn’t expect His Majesty to have state affairs, so I asked the slaves to wait for it.”
Gu Zhong just glanced at it and waved his hand: "Leave it to us, and we will send it to His Majesty in a while."
The little servant bowed his head and said yes, left the food box and left respectfully.
Gu Zhong said to the left and right: "Take down the food box, you can divide it among yourself."
"Yes, thank you, Eunuch, for the reward."
Gu Zhong nodded, and invited Wei Zhi with a smile on his apprentice's face, "Master Wei, Your Majesty is here to invite you."
He nodded with Mr. Zhuang who was sitting on the side, and while leading Mr. Wei to the study, he said: "Your Majesty was in the Imperial Garden earlier, and as soon as he heard Mr. Wei was coming, he rushed over immediately, because the weather was hot and he walked faster. The clothes on my body are all wet, I am changing clothes and waiting for the adults..."
Gu Zhong sent Wei Zhi into the hall, seeing Wei Zhi glanced at the people in the hall, Gu Zhong looked at the emperor, seeing him nodding slightly, he turned around and took all the servants in the room out.
"Go to make a pot of Mengdingshihua, I will serve tea to His Majesty and Lord Wei later."
"yes."
When the people retreated, Gu Zhong took a few people to guard the door, and a servant took out a money bag and stuffed it to Gu Zhong, and said in a low voice: "My lord, this is what the beauty gave to the servant when I got off the boat just now. For adults."
After considering it for a while, Gu Zhong stuffed it back to him regretfully, and said in a flat voice: "Give it back, we won't accept any gifts from this beauty in the future."
The servants were taken aback and quickly responded.
After they all dispersed, Gu Zhong's apprentice couldn't help asking, "Master, why didn't you accept her reward?"
"We can't do what people do, how can we be polite to others?"
The apprentice was at a loss, "Didn't she just ask Master to say a few words in front of His Majesty?"
Gu Zhong glanced at him, raised his hand and patted his head, "Fool, after so many years, why can't you touch the edge?"
He said: "If your majesty likes it, we can naturally say a few more good words. Anyway, good words don't cost money. They get benefits, and your majesty is happy. But if your majesty doesn't like it, if we say good things again, it is equivalent to drinking in your majesty's favor." Do you think His Majesty is happy to deodorize socks during tea time?"
"But wasn't Your Majesty happy to swim in the lake with the beauty just now?"
"I was happy at first, but then I became unhappy," Gu Zhong said in detail because he was his apprentice, and also taught him by the way, "The person His Majesty likes, regardless of his appearance and personality, must act generously and fulfill his duties... "
"But this is the harem..."
"Concubines in the harem also have ranks, and they also have rules that they should abide by," Gu Zhong said, "Your Majesty likes people who obey the rules, and also those who are talented, insightful, and have a heart for the world."
He snorted and said: "This beauty has surpassed her. She has no talent, let alone character. Your Majesty will never see her again in the future."
At least he won't take the initiative to meet her, so there's no need to say anything good for her.
Although the apprentice is honest and clumsy, he is not really ignorant. After a while, he whispered: "Like the empress?"
Gu Zhong glanced at him approvingly, he wasn't completely rotten.
Unlike other emperors who liked pure, kind and weak women, what he likes most today is precisely women who can stand side by side with him, and he also prefers women who are talented and virtuous.