Lu Lan and Guo Shao left the weaving shop and got on the carriage. The wooden wheels made a clanking sound. The roads in the inner city of Tokyo were not very bumpy, but the bamboo curtains in the carriage windows were also shaking left and right. Lu Lan lowered her eyes and remained silent, but now she was much more reserved and gentle. She used to be a very fierce girl running around in Zhuozhou and Wushan to treat people. She would scold anyone who offended her, but now she was a little shy.
Mrs. Chen has a sharp eye. She can tell it fits perfectly without measuring. Mrs. Lu said, "I'm still a little uncomfortable with it."
Guo Shao smiled and said: Everyone has their own expertise. Don’t you think about what Madam Chen does
At this time, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and said to Lu Chengyong who was riding on horseback: "We are in Xishi now. Go to the restaurant and teahouse to ask if they have edible honeycombs for sale." Lu Chengyong clasped his fists and said: "Yes."
After hearing this, Lu Xiaoniang immediately covered her face, but it was no longer swollen. Her eyes flickered: "No one usually eats that kind of thing, where can I buy it?" Guo Shao smiled and said: "In such a big city like Tokyo, anything you can think of may be available there."
Lu Xiaoniang whispered: "Why is General Guo so nice to me? Is he planning something bad?"
Guo Shao didn't say anything. Lu Xiaoniang said: I am homeless now, and I know you have no good intentions.
At this time, Guo Shaocai answered the question irrelevantly: Speaking of food, I remembered something. I have eaten delicacies from mountains and seas in restaurants and teahouses, and even the imperial meals in the palace, but I think the most delicious ones are still the dishes cooked by Yu Lian.
Yu Lian was the cook in General Guo’s mansion, Lu Xiaoniang asked casually.
Guo Shao shook his head and said: She is my concubine, not a cook. But her cooking skills are really great, and I am not the only one who thinks it is good. There is a little Taoist priest at home who is very picky and likes what Yu Lian cooks. I once asked her where she learned her cooking skills. She said that she often went hungry before, so if she could have a good meal, she would cook it very carefully. That's why her dishes are so delicious.
After hearing this, Lu Xiaoniang glanced at Guo Shao, probably observing his thick skin and strong flesh, and concluded that he did not look like a nobleman.
Guo Shaodao: People who have never been hungry will never truly understand the deliciousness of food.
Lu Xiaoniang asked: What do you mean by this
Guo Shao smiled and said: Those who have never tossed and turned in countless nights don’t understand how precious a beautiful woman’s heart is.
Lu Xiaoniang blushed: If General Guo continues to tease me in this rude way, I will be angry.
Guo Shao said lightly: I was just joking with you, I won't do anything to Madam Lu. After he said that, his eyes suddenly stopped at the bulging part of Lu Lan's body.
Lu Lan looked down and was immediately embarrassed and annoyed. Although the top was thin, the fabric on the chest was quite thick, but Lu Lan's body seemed different. There was a slight change just now, and an embarrassing thing happened.
I, Lu Lan, immediately blocked it with my hands. How can I be a human being if you treat me so frivolously
Guo Shao whispered: No one knows.
The Zhou court had a lot of wealth, and with the power brought by victory in the war, the crisis was alleviated.
The scene in Nanjing, Southern Tang, was quite different. The weather was bad, and a summer rainstorm hit. The rain was pouring down the glazed tile roofs of the palaces, and the entire imperial city seemed to be flooded. The clouds in the sky were very low, and it was as dark in the daytime as in the evening, but lightning would occasionally illuminate the sky and the earth.
Li Yu entered the palace with an umbrella, but his robe and boots were soaked. He stood in the hall and waited for a while, then saw a eunuch come out and said, "Prince, please come in."
Li Yu then followed the eunuch inside, only to see the king sitting on a chair above the study, surrounded by piles of books and memorials. In the dim light, he was motionless, and it was difficult to notice there was someone sitting on it without looking carefully.
"I, your son, kowtow to you, father." Li Yu knelt and bowed.
Come here. The king's voice was hoarse, and he waved his sleeves lightly, and all the attendants around him left the study.
Li Yu walked to the desk silently and stood in front of it with his head bowed.
The king said: Han Xizai and others underestimated the Zhou Dynasty warrior Guo Shao. He conquered Shu in two months. His ambition is not limited to Shu.
Li Yu said hurriedly: The ruler of Shu has always been arrogant and called himself the emperor; my father has been submissive since the Huainan Campaign, and the Southern Tang army is stronger than the Shu army. The Zhou court may not necessarily use military force against the Southern Tang.
When you were in Tokyo, you promised to pay tribute of 1.2 million guan of money and goods. Now we must send people to Tokyo as soon as possible. The king said.
Li Yu bowed. He thought that the king summoned him on such a rainy day to discuss more than just the tribute, so he stood and listened.
Sure enough, the king spoke after a long time: My father has been feeling weak recently. The palace in Hongdu has been repaired and I want to move there to live. I summoned the prince here today to discuss with you whether it is time to pass the throne to you.
Absolutely not. My father is in his prime, how can this happen? I dare not take on this important responsibility, Li Yu said with mixed emotions.
The king said: "From my perspective, the prince is capable of handling state affairs. I am most relieved to hand over the throne to you. Please consider that I am old and tired, so please do not delay."
Li Yu knelt on the ground hurriedly.
The king's tone suddenly sounded a little guilty: I have experienced many ups and downs in my life, but I have to give you the heavy responsibility at this critical moment. I feel really sorry for Yuer.
Li Yu buried his head, his face livid. His father had gone through many ups and downs in his life, and it was not easy for him to survive until now. He had paid a huge price. He was about to take over a mess in the midst of the storm. What could he get in the end
There was a sudden flash of light in the palace. Li Yu waited for a while and indeed heard a loud thunder. Then he said in a deep voice: "Please reconsider this carefully, father."
The king pondered for a moment and said: Wuchang Jiedushi Lin Renzhao blocked the south bank of the Yangtze River and sent people to negotiate peace and form an alliance with Wuping Jiedushi Chu to defend the upper reaches; your uncle Li Jingda wrote a letter, taking advantage of the emptiness of Huainan, wanting to recover the lost territory. In the past, this king negotiated peace with Zhou Shizong, suspended the war and made friends, but times have changed, I am afraid that the Southern Tang Kingdom will inevitably fall into war again.
Li Yu said: There are only one or two people who want to go to war, and most of the subjects in the country are unwilling to start a war easily. What the fourth uncle and Lin Renzhao said is reasonable, and war is inevitable; but if the royal family takes the initiative to start a war, many people will blame us for bringing trouble to the country.
You go down, the king said dejectedly.
Li Yu bowed and took his leave, then returned to the East Palace in the rain.
Walking to the corridor, he handed the umbrella to the follower behind him. An eunuch at the front door was about to perform the ceremony, but Li Yu waved his hand and whispered: No need to make a noise. After that, he walked into the hall and walked inside for a while, but did not go into the upper room, but went into the study next to it.
He bolted the door, walked to the back of the room without saying a word, and skillfully picked up a bookshelf on the right wall and moved it a little, then reached out and slowly took down a brick, carefully holding it with his left hand. Bending over, he saw a piece of paper in front of his sight, with a hole in the middle of the paper; he looked through the hole and saw a copper lamp stand. A woman in a plain white dress was sitting in front of an easel, she was Zhou Xian.
In the dim light, Zhou Xian's face, neck and wrists looked even whiter, like pearls in the palace. She sat there alone, with no one around her, and looked very desolate in such weather. She leaned over and dipped her brush in the inkstone, concentrating on carving a picture.
Li Yu looked closely and saw that she was painting a picture of plum blossoms.
For a long time, Zhou Xian repeated this slow movement, changing pens and dipping them in ink to paint, without making any sound or doing anything else. Li Yu thought it was nothing special, so he put away the things in the study and left.
When he entered the upper room, Li Yu said, "I'm back." He did not go into the inner room, but sat down on the stool outside the screen and said, "Ehuang, make me a pot of tea."
After a while, Zhou Xian walked out slowly, took a look and said: Your Highness, please come in and change your robe first, and have tea later.
Li Yu looked down and said: "Okay." He stood up, walked into the room and took a casual look. He found that the plum blossom painting on the easel was gone. He felt a little strange and asked casually: "What is Ehuang doing?"
I have nothing to do, so I am drawing. Zhou Xian was looking for clothes while he said, "Why did the king summon you?"
Li Yu asked: What kind of painting should I draw
Zhou Xian's gaze suddenly changed on a whim. He looked down and said softly, "Plum blossom."
Oh. Li Yu nodded, and then said in a deep voice, my father wants to abdicate early and move to Hongdu, and pass the throne to me.
Zhou Xian's expression changed, and after a moment he said calmly: "Father has worked hard for many years, and Your Highness can share the burden, which is also a kind of filial piety. Take off your robe and put on this one. He also changed his boots."
After a while, Zhou Xian had placed a pile of neatly shaped clothes on the couch, and a pair of wooden clogs underneath.
Li Yu untied his belt, took off his robe and threw it on the ground, saying in a deep voice: "But it's a mess in my hands. I don't know how long I can keep the foundation of the Southern Tang Kingdom in my hands.
Zhou Xian's dignified and indifferent expression changed slightly again.
Li Yu said: "The Zhou army can fight in the south and the north, but a woman cannot lead the army, let alone a child of a few years old. Guo Shao is deeply trusted by the royal family and has established prestige in the army. What will happen if the Zhou court does not have Guo Shao? Can he still threaten our country?"
Zhou Xian was immediately surprised and asked, "What does Your Highness mean?"
Li Yu was silent for a long time, deliberately not answering, waiting for Zhou Xian to think about it. He was busy changing his clothes and shoes, then sat down on the couch, and then he said: I just think this person is very troublesome, and I think so for a while.
Zhou Xian said: He is still young, and Your Highness may only be able to fight him.
The strength is different and the domestic situation is different. There is no way to fight. Only warriors like the Fourth Prince think that the victory or defeat of a battle is only related to the number and strength of the troops. Li Yu said with a sad face. Seeing that Zhou Xian still had no idea, he gently reminded him, "By the way, our country has to pay tribute to the Zhou court with 1.2 million strings of money and goods. We have to hurry up recently."