Song Qing looked at Young Master Liu's confident and high-spirited back, smiled lightly, put away the tobacco bag in his hand, and followed him.
About half a cup of tea later, the two brothers Liu Mingzhi appeared outside Qingfeng Pavilion again.
Qi Yun and her three sisters were sitting in the pavilion, chatting and laughing with Xu Ling and her family. When they saw the figures of Young Master Liu returning, they hurriedly got up and headed outside the pavilion to greet them.
"Husband, brother, you are back."
Duan Rui and his family also saw the figures of Mr. and Mrs. Liu, and followed the three beauties out of the pavilion and bowed.
"Your Majesty, I am polite to you."
"I have met Your Majesty."
Liu Mingzhi glanced at Duan Dingbang, who was standing at the back, with a faint smile, then turned to look at Xiao Chengzi, who was waiting silently more than twenty steps away, and waved.
"Little Chengzi."
Little Chengzi had been paying attention to the situation at Qingfeng Pavilion. When she saw Liu Mingzhi waving to her, she hurried over.
"Your Majesty, this old slave is here."
"Xiao Chengzi, is the banquet ready?"
"Back to Your Majesty, it has been prepared and the banquet can be held at any time."
Liu Mingzhi nodded with satisfaction and said, "Guide the way."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
"Three empresses, King Wuyi, and Uncle Ding'an, you guys are also invited."
Liu Mingzhi turned around with a smile and waved to Xu Ling who was standing next to Qi Ya.
"Madam, the banquet is ready, let's move on."
Xu Linglian walked up to Young Master Liu with gentle steps and bowed with a smile without showing her teeth.
"I would like to thank your Majesty for the banquet. Your Majesty, the three ladies will invite you first."
Duan Rui, brother and sister, seeing their mother's behavior, wanted to come over and give Liu Dashan a gift, but Liu Mingzhi directly stopped her with his hand.
"Mrs. Sister-in-law, there are no outsiders today, so let's not be so polite. Please join us."
"This - I obey your orders."
Liu Mingzhi smiled lightly and nodded to the three Qi Yun sisters, then walked forward slowly while swaying the Wanli Jiangshan engraved jade fan.
Qi Yun understood her husband's intention, and with a delicate smile, she hugged Xu Ling's slender arms beside her.
"Mrs. Sister-in-law, you really don't need to be polite. Let's follow you."
"Hey, my concubine, thank you very much, Queen Mother."
Qi Yun smiled and shook her head, hugged Xu Ling and silently followed her husband who was walking at the front.
Song Qing turned sideways and waved cheerfully to Duan Rui and his three brothers, with a smile on his face that didn't look like a prince at that time.
"Duan Rui, Hong Ling, Dingbang, you three don't have to be embarrassed, come and follow us."
Looking at Song Qing, who was walking in front with steady and powerful steps, Duan Rui responded hurriedly.
"Hey, Uncle Song, we'll be here soon."
Duan Rui coughed slightly, tugged on the sleeves of his younger sister Duan Hongling and his second brother Duan Dingbang, and chased Song Qing unhurriedly.
"Dingbang."
"Brother?"
Duan Rui looked at his second brother who was following him steadily and glared at him fiercely.
"There were three ladies chatting with my mother in the pavilion just now. It's not convenient for me to ask you, brother.
Tell the truth to my brother, when His Majesty and Uncle Song went to the depths of the Royal Garden not long ago, you didn't say anything outrageous in front of His Majesty, right? "
Duan Dingbang looked at his elder brother's serious expression and shook his head without hesitation.
"Of course not. Little brother, even if I have the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard, I still dare not act presumptuously in front of His Majesty!
Not to mention in front of His Majesty, even in front of Uncle Song, King Wuyi, I don't dare to talk nonsense casually.
Big brother, we are brothers who grew up together. Don’t you understand me yet? "
After Duan Dingbang finished speaking, he turned to look at Duan Hongling who was swaying beside him.
"Sister, tell me, little brother, am I the kind of person who doesn't know what's important?"
Duan Hongling glared at Duan Dingbang angrily with her almond-shaped eyes: "You brat, you still have the nerve to say that you are not the kind of person who doesn't know the importance of things!
You left a letter and then heard nothing from it. You secretly enlisted in the army without telling your mother, brother and me. Isn’t this just a matter of ignorance?
If my mother and eldest brother hadn't suddenly received your majesty's letter, we still wouldn't know where your kid has gone.
In the past year or so, do you know how many times your mother has secretly cried because she was worried about your safety?
Do you know how much manpower and material resources my brother and I spent trying to find your whereabouts?
No wonder we can't find any trace of you in the various state capitals, and we went to the camp with you to serve as soldiers.
Also, after you joined the army, didn’t you know how to write us a letter home to say you were safe? Tell me, what is this thing you did?
You have done these things without telling your mother, and you still have the nerve to say that you are not the kind of person who doesn't know the importance of things? "
After hearing his sister's reproach, Duan Dingbang scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Sister, it's not that I don't want to write a letter home to assure my mother that you are safe, but I have no choice!
You also know that my mother has always been opposed to my joining the army. I am afraid that after I write to tell you, my mother will rush to the capital and take me home.
After thinking about it for a long time, I thought that after everything was settled, I would write a family letter to my mother to say that I was safe.
Unexpectedly, after the new army was formed, before I had time to write you a letter home to report your safety, His Majesty's letter would have reached your hands first. "
Duan Hongling subconsciously raised her jade hand to tug Duan Dingbang's ear. When she thought that this was the royal garden of the palace, she hurriedly lowered her jade arm.
"You brat, what you mean by this is that Your Majesty shouldn't write letters to my mother and eldest brother?"
"No, no, I definitely don't mean that."
"Hong Ling."
Duan Hongling wanted to blame her younger brother for something, but when she heard her elder brother calling her name, she hurriedly looked over.
"Brother?"
"Don't say anything to blame this guy now. If you have anything to say, wait until we get back to the restaurant after we leave the palace.
After all, we are in the palace now, no matter what we say or do, we have to pay attention. "
"Hey, I know I'm wrong, so I won't say anything anymore."
"Dingbang."
"Brother?"
"Time is urgent. Please tell me briefly what your Majesty and your Majesty talked about in the Royal Garden."
"We didn't talk too much. Your Majesty first gave me a test on the art of war and the use of troops, and then asked me some questions about the barbarian people in the country.
His Majesty asked the younger brother, and naturally the younger brother could only answer His Majesty's question accurately. "
"Any more?"
"No, after I answered a few of His Majesty's questions, His Majesty said that he wanted to hang out with Uncle Song again, so he asked me to go back first.
As for what happened after the younger brother returned to Qingfeng Pavilion, older brother, you have seen it with your own eyes. "
"Dingbang, I don't know what your situation is like in the army now. Let me ask you, are you determined to become a soldier?"
Duan Dingbang's expression straightened and he nodded without hesitation: "Yes, I have made up my mind.
Brother, I don’t want to live my whole life with no worries about food and clothing, under the protection of you, the uncle of Ding’an, and my sister, the head of Guorui County.
Although I was still young when our father died in the battlefield, I will never forget the proud posture of our father every time he came back from an expedition.
When my father was playing with me on the swing, he told me more than once that when I grow up, I must serve my country and my country like him.
Our father also said that a good man has his ambitions in all directions, so he should serve in the army and defend his country. Even if he dies, he will die well.
A few years later, my father died on the battlefield and sacrificed his life for the country. After my father's armor was buried for peace, I told myself secretly at that time.
When I grow up, I will serve in the army and defend the country with a seven-foot body like our father.
Now I finally did it, and I have lived up to my father's high expectations for me.
If my father is alive in heaven, he will definitely be proud of me. "
Duan Rui looked at his impassioned second brother with melancholy, and sighed helplessly.
"Dingbang, are you really not thinking about it anymore?"
"Don't think about it anymore, the pride in a man's heart has been different since he was a child.
My life only lasts a hundred years. Rather than wasting my life doing nothing, I would rather die a worthy death like our father.
After the expedition, either the war horses will carry me, Duan Dingbang, and my brothers in victory, or the coffin will carry my Duan Dingbang’s bones and spirit back home.
Where our mother is, I will try my best to persuade her.
I'm determined to be this soldier. "
"Duan Rui, Hong Ling, and Dingbang are here. Come and take a seat."
"Hey, here we come."
