Zhou Chang leaned over to pick up the ring and handed it to the palace attendant who came in a hurry. He caught a glimpse of Mrs. Qi and had to salute Liu Ji and her in a hurry, then silently retreated to the outside of the hall, facing the courtyard. Stand still and wait.
The cicadas chirping on the trees are noisy and lively, which makes people feel upset in this midsummer afternoon.
Zhou Chang closed his eyes to rest, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead. However, he heard Liu Ji pulling his neck in the hall and calling him repeatedly, asking why he didn't go in yet.
He sighed and could only walk slowly to the hall, but after all, he was still kindhearted in his heart. He stood firmly two feet away in front of the imperial couch, looking at his nose, his nose and his heart, without squinting.
"Is there something urgent? Would you like to come over for a drink too?"
Qi Ji poured a full glass of wine and handed it to Liu Ji. Liu Ji was too lazy to pick it up, so he took a sip directly from her hand.
"I, I have just received some news from the State of Yan, and I would like to present it to Your Majesty in person."
Zhou Chang still didn't raise his eyes and just said in a low voice, his neck turning red from holding back.
He has suffered from oral problems since he was a child, so he rehearses every answer in his mind several times before he is willing to speak.
At this time, he was a little anxious and dissatisfied, so he didn't care so much and stammered.
"Oh? What's the news? Tell me. I'm listening."
When Liu Ji saw that he was serious, he stopped teasing him.
"Chen, minister..."
Zhou Chang glanced at the soft green figure and couldn't continue to speak.
Before Liu Ji could speak, Qi Ji's sweet voice came over first.
"Hehe, Brother Zhou, please feel free to say it, don't you still feel confident about me?
Are you afraid that I will leak the news? "
***
This was a little girl's self-deprecating joke. Qi Ji said it with endless coquettishness. Liu Ji laughed and didn't mind at all.
But Qi Ji had no intention of leaving. She leaned on Liu Ji without moving, as if she had no bones, and still said with a smile,
"I heard from Your Majesty that the Queen often participates in your discussions.
The Queen is a woman, and I am also a woman. The Queen gave birth to a prince, and I also gave birth to Ruyi for Your Majesty.
We are all human, so what am I worse than her?
Why can she hear about military and political affairs, but I can't?
Your Majesty, tell me, what kind of truth is this? Um? "
There is a hidden meaning in these words, there is anger and calculation hidden in the banter, and there is also the slightest hint of provocation.
Although she was asking Zhou Chang on the surface, she didn't even look at him and kept staring at the change of expression on Liu Ji's face.
Hearing the meaning of her words suddenly deepened, Liu Ji restrained his smile slightly and glanced at Ai Ji, who was usually as docile as a white rabbit beside him, with a hint of surprise.
Zhou Chang was embarrassed and angry, and he had something bad in his mind. He was clumsy and tongue-tied. It was pointless to argue with him any longer, and he had lost his identity, so he knelt down and bowed to the ground again and said,
"I will take my leave today. When Your Majesty is free, I will summon you again."
He stood up, turned around, and strode out, not intending to give Liu Ji any chance to talk to him.
However, in the Han Dynasty, you had to take off your shoes when entering a house, and you also had to put on shoes when going outdoors.
Seeing Zhou Chang bending down to put on his shoes, Liu Ji was moved. He suddenly jumped up from the couch, ran a few steps, and fell on his back. The crook of his right elbow strangled his neck.
This is a move that he and the Zhou brothers have played thousands of times since they were young. When they were both working as errands at Surabaya Pavilion, they often practiced in their spare time and practiced fighting with each other.
Zhou Chang was taller than Liu Ji. Every time he used this sneak attack, Zhou Chang would always bend down and knock Liu Ji over, throwing him to the ground in front of him.
Encountering a familiar sneak attack, the memory in Zhou Chang's muscles woke up, and he was about to throw him away when he suddenly remembered——
At this moment, what he carries on his back is no longer the pavilion chief who has never been in full form, but the Emperor of the Han Dynasty.
His spine suddenly stiffened, and his waist could not help but tighten, fearing that the person on his back would be uncomfortable, but his knees slowly bent, and he squatted lower and lower until Liu Ji's legs were firmly touching ground.
Zhou Chang was a military general and had never read any books. Naturally, he would not know that various pre-Qin families had their own opinions on the relationship between Liu Ji and his ministers:
If you see the scene in front of you, Confucius would say, "The king should treat his ministers with courtesy, and the ministers should serve the emperor with loyalty." Ministers need to serve the king with justice;
Mencius would say, "If a king treats his ministers as his brothers and feet, then his ministers will regard him as his heart and soul." The respect between the king and his ministers is mutual;
But Han Feizi would say, "The relationship between the king and his ministers is not the relationship between father and son, but counting." Everything is an exchange of interests, and the king and his ministers each get what they need.
In short, no matter what his position was, he could no longer throw the emperor to the ground like he did twenty years ago.
Qi Ji's soft chuckle came from the hall. After Liu Ji stood firm, he felt a little bored and had to turn to him and asked sarcastically,
"How do you think I am doing as an emperor?"
Zhou Chang was still squatting, but he straightened his neck, raised his head, and looked directly into his eyes.
"In my opinion, Your Majesty, your Majesty is no different from the foolish kings Xia Jie and Shang Zhou in the story."
***
"This is indeed His Majesty's fault. I think Zhou Chang did a good job by speaking out and admonishing."
Lu Pheasant listened to the whole story and commented lightly.
"I knew it, so I called him again and talked about it for a long time.
It's not that I don't care about the movements of Yan Guo and Zang Tu, I've also been prepared for them. "
Liu Ji smiled and said again,
"I'll leave this matter to you. You can talk to Zhou Chang and choose a censor to be the foreign tutor."
"I thought, Qi Ji's idea is also a good one, and I should simply carry it forward.
If we want to start classes for children, it will not only be Qi Ji's wish. I think Bo Ji's Heng'er, as well as Liu You and Liu Hui, although they are still in their infancy, they are all talented. You're smart, don't delay.
Also, my eldest brother’s child Lu Chan and my second brother’s child Lu Lu are similar in age to them, so we might as well go with them. "
Since they are all princes or aristocratic clansmen, let's teach them together. How outstanding Liu Ruyi is is just for the censors to bear witness to.
Liu Ji didn't comment, so he acquiesced, and said,
"By the way, Qi Ji still needs to be alone."
"who?"
"She asked by name to find a nanny from the Zhao Palace. It is said that she is an old nanny who took care of Zhang Ao before."
"okay."
Lu Pheasant did not continue to ask, but secretly wondered:
All in all, why would Qi Ji have such a relationship with the Zhao palace thousands of miles away?
***
Zhou Chang is a straightforward and straightforward person, and the conversation between Lu Pheasant and him went very easily and smoothly.
According to records, in history, he fought to the death for Liu Ji's repeated attempts to depose the crown prince. Empress Lu's gratitude to him was beyond words.
Later, when Empress Lu killed Liu Ruyi in order to eradicate the root cause, Zhou Chang also tried his best to protect her but failed, and ended up feeling depressed.
Lu Pheasant, who has lived for more than a hundred years, knows very well that what Zhou Chang did was not to go back on his words or play both sides, but to be consistent and loyal.
She decided to cherish this loyalty, but in the end she couldn't help but asked out of curiosity,
"If anything happens in the future, will you do your best to protect the prince?"
"Of course I, I, will do whatever it takes to do whatever it takes."
Zhou Chang said without thinking, paused for a long while, and then said word by word,
"Not only to protect the prince, if someone wants to harm Ruyi or other princes, I will also fight to protect him."
He had already blushed and had a thick neck from holding it in, but he said these few words loudly and forcefully.
"Don't be nervous, I understand."
Lu Pheasant smiled. As expected, she sincerely appreciated the loyalty and courage of the loyal minister in front of her.
“I don’t like to worry about trivial things in my life, and I don’t bother to offend others if they don’t offend me.
Just be a down-to-earth imperial doctor who protects you from the sky. "
After passing a level of pass, you will see a level of heaven.
The eagle that once spread its wings and soared on the top of the nine heavens, why bother to snatch a little bit of bird food in the cage inlaid with gold and jade.
