The thin sun is in harmony with the Weiyang Palace, under the wall of green tiles and red, the palace road is quiet.
Su Shiyu suddenly heard someone calling him from behind, from far to near, the tone was slightly longer, with a smile, very familiar.
"Master Su-"
He turned around and looked, Chu Mingyun stepped forward and walked side by side with him, "Sure enough, I can meet you sooner."
Su Shiyu said in confusion: "Master Chu is looking for me for something?"
"Can't I just want to see you more?" Chu Mingyun asked rhetorically.
"On this day of every month, you and I have to go to the imperial study to report back to the affairs. We will see you sooner or later." Su Shiyu smiled lightly.
"What's the harm in seeing you early," Chu Mingyun raised his eyebrows slightly, "Isn't it possible that I'm not allowed to look at you more?"
Su Shiyu glanced at him with a helpless smile, but his voice was suddenly lowered, and he reminded: "King Xiling."
Chu Mingyun turned his head to look, and sure enough, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in the robe of the vassal king walking towards him.
The Li royal family has many feudal lords, and among them, the most stable and obedient one is none other than the King of Xiling, Li Chenghua. Moreover, he was friendly and generous, and he made many friends. Not only was he never despised among the vassal kings, but he was quite prestigious, and even the original King of Huainan was able to associate with him. As the leader of the push order, it is indeed a perfect fit.
At the meeting, Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu said politely, "See your lord."
"Okay, okay." Li Chenghua raised his hand again and again and looked at the two in front of him with a smile, "It's rare to go to Beijing once, and I plan to visit the two adults when I have time. It's a coincidence." He looked at Chu Mingyun, "Master Chu, remember Don't you remember me? You killed dozens of people with your broken sword in the northwest battlefield, and the last blow pierced the throat of the enemy general. At that time, the general thought you were ruthless and planned to punish you, but I said it for you. Affection."
Chu Mingyun thought for a while, "I have no impression." He paused for a while, then said, "But I vaguely remember that the general hated me for stealing his military exploits."
"That's right, that's the man." Li Chenghua smiled, "He was misbehaving, and no one thought it was a pity that he suddenly died in an accident. You just happened to take his place. I heard that the soldiers in the battalion were happy to do it. Very." He couldn't help sighing, "At that time, I felt that Master Chu was different from ordinary people and wanted to achieve great things. Looking at it now, my vision is really not bad."
"Really?" Chu Mingyun laughed inexplicably, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your appreciation."
Li Chenghua responded with a smile, and his eyes turned to Su Shiyu, "I haven't seen him for many years, and Mr. Su is really getting more and more handsome as he grows."
Su Shiyu frowned, paused for a while, and smiled softly, "Your Highness is still as funny as before."
"What are you talking about, you're getting old after all." Li Chenghua sighed, looking out into the sky, a little disappointed, "As soon as General Su left, you were alone supporting the Su family, and even Che'er was as good as the crown. years."
Su Shiyu smiled and said, "Is the prince okay?"
"It's still the same, hesitant to do things can't be cruel," Li Chenghua shook his head and said, "If Che'er can be like you a little bit, I'll be more relieved."
Su Shiyu closed his eyes and chuckled softly, "The prince is very affectionate, naturally he is good, why do you want to be like me."
Li Chenghua smiled and said nothing. He didn't reminisce much, and he said goodbye and left after two more greetings. The figure turned to hide behind the green shade at the corner, and there was a patch of shadows left on the bluestone slab.
Su Shiyu turned his gaze back and met Chu Mingyun's gaze, "... What's the matter?"
"It's nothing," Chu Mingyun raised his lips and said slowly, "I want to take a closer look at the handsome Master Su."
Su Shiyu smiled helplessly, "It's far less handsome than Lord Chu."
"Oh—?" Chu Mingyun tilted his head to look at him and smiled, "Since I was born handsome and my age is just right, when are you going to take me to the mansion, my lord?" The last bit of a strong smile made his heart tighten slightly.
Su Shiyu stared at him deeply, then looked away again, paused, and then smiled: "My Su family is poor, I'm afraid I can't keep Master Chu."
"..." Chu Mingyun was silent for a moment, and suddenly understood what Su Shiyu meant, "... Mr. Su, I don't eat all the time."
Su Shiyu couldn't help laughing out loud.
In the imperial study, Li Yanzhen was concentrating on examining the wood carvings. After casually answering Gong E's report, he suddenly thought of something. He turned around and saw Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu entering the hall, and immediately laughed: "Aiqing is here just in time!"
Chu Mingyun saw the woodcarving woman at a glance, half separated by the heavy gauze curtains in the hall, the sunlight fell on the woodcarving through the scattered panes, and the outline was vague. An inexplicable feeling came suddenly, but he couldn't figure it out for a while. He frowned unconsciously and looked at it carefully.
Su Shiyu was also slightly stunned when he saw the woodcarving that was waiting for him, and then he saw Li Yanzhen hurriedly approaching, "... Your Majesty?"
"Can Aiqing stretch out her hand to take a look?" Li Yanzhen asked almost earnestly.
Su Shiyu looked at him for unknown reasons, then looked at Chu Mingyun, raised his hand slowly, and spread it out.
Li Yanzhen stared at his hand, pondered and said, "What's Aiqing's fingering like when he plays the piano?"
With the carving knife still in their hands, they now understand what Li Yanzhen wants to do.
Su Shiyu flexed his fingers, plucked the strings twice out of thin air, and his handsome fingers hooked and turned, elegant and self-contained, and in a trance, the sound of the piano leaked out like flowing water.
Li Yanzhen stared at Su Shiyu's hand, like light was born under the warm sunlight, he stared at it for a long time, and could not help but slowly stretch out his hand.
Chu Mingyun coughed lightly, stepped forward and grabbed Su Shiyu's hand and gently pressed him back, then inserted himself sideways between the two, and smiled at Li Yanzhen, who had never recovered, "Since Your Majesty wants to carve a woman, Naturally, I have to look at the hands of women. Even if Master Su can play the piano well, what's so good about men's hands?"
Having said that, he himself held that unsightly hand extremely tightly.
Su Shiyu struggled silently, but was unable to break free, but fortunately he was blocked by Chu Mingyun's figure and no one could see it.
Li Yanzhen stared at Chu Mingyun in a daze, and was about to speak, but he cut him off: "Your Majesty just met King Xiling?"
Li Yanzhen just woke up and returned to his seat, "I really did meet Uncle Huang just now."
Hearing this, Su Shiyu took Chu Mingyun's hand down and walked out from behind him, "Has your majesty mentioned the matter of pushing the grace to the prince?"
"It's been accepted." Li Yanzhen said.
"Already obliged?" Su Shiyu said, "Did Your Majesty show the lord the drafting of the grace decree submitted by the minister earlier?"
"He didn't put forward any conditions?" Chu Mingyun said.
"This..." Li Yanzhen avoided their gaze and hesitated slightly, "Uncle has read the contents of the push order, and has no objection."
"What about the terms of the promise?" Chu Mingyun looked straight at him with a firm voice, "What did Your Majesty promise him?"
Li Yanzhen glanced at them and said, "I have given him the original fief of Huainan."
Chu Mingyun smiled dispassionately, "His Majesty was interested in the Huns' ceding land covenant, but now the King of Xiling has acquired the Huainan fief as soon as he arrives in Chang'an. It seems that the ninth prince is right, and His Majesty is indeed generous." He paused slightly, " It's just such a big thing, I thought that Your Majesty should wait until tomorrow morning before making a decision, and don't be arbitrary."
After a moment of silence, Li Yanzhen said: "I understand what Aiqing said, but the decree of grace is ultimately a move to cut down the clan. If not, I am afraid that the uncle will also be dissatisfied."
"Your Majesty should be clear about the vastness of the Huainan Kingdom. Your Majesty also knows that the order of grace is a move to reduce the vassal. Does His Majesty think that the power of King Xiling has increased or decreased?" Chu Mingyun's tone was slightly cold.
Li Yanzhen was speechless.
The hall fell silent for a while, almost deadlocked.
"That's all." Su Shiyu sighed lightly, "The king has no reason to go back on his words. There is no need to say more about the matter."
Chu Mingyun closed his eyes and stopped speaking.
"...Su Aiqing?" Li Yanzhen looked at him.
"Your Highness will ask for something, this minister has long been prepared, and His Majesty's actions are not completely unreasonable." Su Shiyu narrowed his eyes and pondered: "After the king of Huainan has subdued the law, the princes and kings are in a state of turmoil. The uproar, his attitude is the key. Now that he is willing to respond easily, it is good after all."
Having said that, it is useless to say more.
After simply reporting the political affairs, they retired and left, Su Shiyu was the first to go out of the palace gate.
Suddenly, a sigh-like sentence came up with the breeze, brushed past the curtain and fell into Chu Mingyun's ears, almost inaudible.
"It would be great if Su Aiqing was a woman."
He paused in footsteps, turned to look, his eyes crossed Li Yanzhen's back and fell on the wooden sculpture, finally realizing that the vague familiarity in the outline was not an illusion.