When they arrived at Yandingfang, following the introduction of Tian Yi's parents and inquiries along the way, Zhao Hong doubtfully entered the small courtyard with four open doors.
The house is long and narrow, with a width of only about three meters. The entrance leads to the courtyard. A wall made of rammed loess surrounds Xiao Ran. In the courtyard, a stone table and two or three old trees with bare branches and bones completely cover the courtyard.
Someone in the courtyard was playing with the little girl, and it turned out to be Tian Yi.
"Xu Liang, come out quickly. Who do you see coming?"
Seeing that it was Zhao Hong who came in, Tian Yi smiled and shouted loudly into the room.
A young scholar came out and saw Zhao Hong with a friendly smile, his face full of surprise.
"Zhao...Your Highness, why are you here?"
Zhao Hong knew in his heart that no introduction was needed, this was his good friend Xu Liang.
So handsome, this should be the legendary pretty boy.
She has a straight body and waist, is not strong but is nimble, and her skin is white and tender. At first glance, people think she is a beauty disguised as a man.
This reminded him inexplicably of a certain artist among the so-called Four Returned Sons in later generations, but this Xu Liang was more refined.
Xu Liu, who was fair and fair, came out of the kitchen, wearing a green cotton coat that couldn't hide her delicate figure. She and Xu Liang stood together, a beautiful couple, perfect as husband and wife.
Xu Liang is a boy with a lot of beauty and a vicious eye.
The guards put down their gifts and stood in the corner of the courtyard so as not to disturb these people's enjoyment.
Xu Liang quickly pulled the reserved Xu Liu and introduced both parties.
"Madam, Ying'er, please meet His Highness soon!"
With a smile on her face, Ms. Xu Liu hurriedly took her three-year-old daughter to salute Zhao Hong respectfully.
"I have met His Highness!"
The natural class gap between commoners and the clan is insurmountable.
"Sister-in-law, you don't have to be polite!"
With a smile on his face, Zhao Hong handed the snacks and tea leaves to the woman, took out two "red envelopes" and stuffed them into her.
"This is the "new year money". I wish my sister-in-law and niece good luck and great profits!"
Originally, he wanted to pinch the little girl's face and say "so beautiful" and "good boy", but he was afraid that like later generations, he would be considered frivolous and suspected of harassment, so he just behaved and only did it to the little girl. Touched the head.
The mother and daughter took the "red envelope", and Widow Liu squeezed it gently, smiling broadly, and declined again and again.
"Your Highness, why are you so embarrassed? This is too much!"
I'm afraid that even with 100 yuan, she wouldn't be able to earn that much in a year.
"Madam, Ying'er, just take it. He has a lot of money anyway. If you don't take it, he will spend it on those women."
Xu Liang said seriously, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.
"Official, please don't talk about foreign things. Your Highness is so busy and it's not easy for you to come here, so don't be so arrogant!"
After Mrs. Xu Liu finished speaking, she smiled again at Zhao Hong.
"Your Highness, you guys talk, I'll go in first and get some side dishes for your brothers!"
Mrs. Xu Liu happily left with her daughter. Zhao Hong looked at the backs of his mother and daughter. He looked serious and familiar.
"Xu Liang, if you betray someone, be careful I break your middle leg!"
"Middle leg?"
Xu Liang and Tian Yi were both stunned, but then they both reacted.
"Don't worry. You think everyone is like you, rich and powerful, hugging everyone, loving everyone you meet, you don't know what to say!"
Xu Liang's simple and rude answer made Zhao Hong smile bitterly.
"Am I that bad? Do you think I don't want to find true love?"
"True love? It's true love. You really fall in love with someone when you see them!"
Xu Liang said angrily, a bright and genuine smile appeared on his face.
This feeling seemed familiar and made him familiar.
"Why, I came here uninvited, why don't you buy me a drink?"
Zhao Hong had a headache and was embarrassed, so he quickly changed the topic.
Speaking of which, he was just a scapegoat, taking the blame for his predecessor.
"Sit down, it's not like there isn't room for you. As we agreed, don't think it's shabby here. This is how a poor family's secluded house looks like, and it's not your Duke's mansion."
Xu Liang's fair face turned red, looking quite charming.
"I just went to your house. Your parents said they should be here, and they are indeed."
After Zhao Hong finished speaking to Tian Yi, he turned around and filled the wine bowl himself.
"I've been living in a muddle these past few years, and it's my fault that I don't come here often. I punished myself with three bowls, which is an apology to the two brothers."
Zhao Hong drank one bowl and was about to pour the second bowl when he was stopped by Tian Yi and Xu Liang.
"Forget it! Just come here. Why are you pretending?"
"Forget it, don't waste my wine! It's harder for you to admit your mistake than to kill you, which shows your sincerity. I forgive you!"
Tian Yi shook his head secretly. Zhao Hong would definitely spend a lot of money to go to his house.
Xu Liang looked at Zhao Hong with a little surprise in his eyes.
It's really unexpected that Zhao Hong, with his donkey temper, would admit his mistakes.
In his and Tian Yi's impression, Zhao Hong never admitted his mistakes and it was the first time they could speak softly.
"Come, come, let's get together as three brothers and have a drink!"
Tian Yi laughed and raised the wine bowl first.
"Come on, let's do it together!"
Zhao Hong and Xu Liang raised their wine bowls together, each with smiles on their faces, and drank down the wine in one gulp.
“Being able to get together on New Year’s Eve is the most satisfying time I’ve had in the past few years!”
Xu Liang put down the wine bowl, his eyes were dark and a blush appeared on his white face.
"Your Highness, Lin'an Mansion let us go, right? You were the one to accommodate us?"
Xu Liang poured the wine and raised the wine bowl.
Although they call him brother and brother, Zhao Hong is already a prince and cannot be called him casually.
Even though his parents didn't say it explicitly, he could guess it.
"I just said something, it's not worth mentioning."
Zhao Hong did not deny it.
"Thank you for working hard for me. I will definitely repay your kindness in the future!"
"Brother, what are you talking about?"
Tian Yi, who has a gentle personality, raised his wine bowl and touched it with the two of them.
"You can call me your highness in public, but in private, you still call me brother."
Zhao Hong clinked bowls with the two of them and quickly integrated into the atmosphere.
"Tian Yi has become a Ninja Turtle, and you too, Xu Liang, have finally lowered their arrogant heads. In fact, it's better to just go with the flow, at least it's not that heartwarming."
In fact, he just said what he said. In fact, he basically had no idea what these two people were like before.
"Since you can't change, you have to adapt. You've become unrecognizable, so there's nothing you can't change."
Xu Liang drank the wine and continued, obviously inspired by his thoughts.
"Your Highness, it seems that you have learned a little bit from your teacher Zhen Dexiu, and you know that a hundred forbearance can turn into gold."
"It's a pity that it's too late. For some things, opportunities are still missed."
Zhao Hong felt touched, shook his head and sighed.
"Your Highness, you are right!"
Xu Liang looked at Zhao Hong, shook his head and sighed.
"You are just a prince. You haven't become a prince yet, let alone ascended the throne. Why bother provoking Shi Miyuan? It's not enough to be at odds with Shi Miyuan, and you are also incompatible with Empress Yang. From prince to prince, it only took two years for Prince Jingxian to go from prince to prince. .You have been the prince for three years, and now it is already your fourth year. It’s terrifying to think about it!"
Sure enough, among the experts among the people, Xu Liang could see things more clearly than Zhao Hong.
"Xu Liang, what's the use of talking about this? Now that the matter has come to this, we can only move forward and give it a try. Although His Highness is not the prince now, he will one day be and will ascend to the throne."
Tian Yi put down the wine bowl and said seriously.
No matter how courageous Shi Miyuan is, and no matter how strong Empress Yang is, can they still prevent the prince from becoming the prince and the prince from becoming the emperor?
"Tian Yi, Shi Miyuan is cruel and ruthless. It's not that simple. Be careful about this person. If Shi Miyuan jumps over the wall in a hurry, the consequences will be disastrous."
Xu Liang was obviously more worried.
Just as Zhao Hong was about to speak, Mrs. Liu brought out a large bowl of hot meat.
"Your Highness, just make do with it."
Widow Liu, now Mrs. Xu Liu, is very embarrassed.
"Sister-in-law, so much meat! It smells so good!"
Zhao Hong quickly stood up and praised him.
"Your Highness, if you like it, eat more!"
Mrs. Xu Liu smiled brightly and declined to go in to eat.
"This meat is so fresh! Delicious!"
Zhao Hong picked up a piece of hot meat and put it in his mouth, shaking his head repeatedly.
Compared with the water-injected meat and overnight meat in later generations, the meat produced by this new slaughter is indeed extraordinary.
"Didn't I just give you a basket? Why didn't you eat it?"
Tian Yi asked suspiciously.
"No!"
Zhao Hong pondered slightly and glared at his two guards.
"It must have been stolen by Gou Ri! When I go back, I have to clean up the house!"
Hu Datou and Hu Datou smiled, took the meat bowl, and started eating while standing in the yard.
Tian Yi was shocked and smiled.
Cleaning the portal? This Zhao Hong is much more humorous than before.
Zhao Hong felt guilty. He spent the whole day drinking and drinking, and spent a lot of time outside. Of course, no one cared about the meat he brought, and it must have been swallowed up by his servants.
"I'll send you some more tomorrow!"
"That's fine! I have to go to court tomorrow morning. Come over in the evening. I have some good wine. Let's have a good drink then!"
Zhao Hong took the fragrant pig hind legs and started to chew on them, not bothering that his hands and mouth were greasy. This is the best way to enjoy delicious food.
"Seeing you eating like this makes me miss those windy days."
Xu Liang laughed softly, then lowered his voice.
"Your Highness, Shi Miyuan's power is overwhelming, and we must not take it lightly. In my opinion, you must cultivate both internal and external skills and work on both sides to win back the victory."
"How about a two-pronged approach, both inside and outside?"
Zhao Hong was refreshed and couldn't help but sit up straight.
It seems that there are always some understanding people on the outside.
"Internally, it is to make good friends with your father's official family in the Song Dynasty and become the prince as soon as possible. No matter how powerful Shi Miyuan and Yang Guizhi are, they must give face to the current emperor and the current prince. As for externally, it is to make good friends and win over public opinion. As long as To build up the momentum, even if Shi Miyuan is extremely powerful, he would not dare to act rashly, which would be detrimental to His Highness."
Prince? Coerce public opinion? Building momentum?
Zhao Hong looked at the thin Xu Liang in surprise and was shocked.
Buy water troops, buy traffic, and create public opinion. The wisdom of old people must not be underestimated.
Zhao Hong raised the wine bowl and touched it with the two of them.
"Don't worry, I will definitely change my ways and be a new person!"
I just don't know how long his "father" can survive and how long he can be given to fight back.
To put it bluntly, if Zhao Kuo unfortunately dies tomorrow, he will probably have no choice but to accept the reality of being "deposed" and sit back and wait for death.
"When I was young, I knew that things were difficult. The Central Plains looked to the north and the air was as strong as the mountains. The building boat was crossing Guazhou in the snow at night, and the iron horse was blown away by the strong autumn wind..."
Xu Liang, who didn't know how much he drank, suddenly stood up, his face turned red, and he was swaying, as if he was a little drunk.
"What's wrong with this kid?"
Zhao Hong asked curiously.
"After all these years, you still don't know him. He is impassioned, caring about the country and the people, and he dances with a sword whenever he drinks."
Tian Yi shook his head and picked up the bamboo chair.
"Let's go, sit aside to avoid being accidentally hurt by him, and pay for the doctor yourself."
Zhao Hong shook his head, picked up the chair, and sat in the corner with Tian Yi.
Isn't this just a drunken act? How can it turn into worrying about the country and the people?
"Tian Yi, have you practiced the Liuhe Spear? Your father doesn't seem to be practicing the gun either!"
Among the three of them, Tian Yi is the master of martial arts and master of spear skills.
"I have started practicing. Did my father tell you that if you become emperor, he will become a trainer in the Imperial Army?"
Tian Yi's words made Zhao Hong happy.
Tian Yi's father is quite confident.
However, Tian Yi's father was in his forties, when he was in the prime of life, so it was appropriate for him to be the Imperial Army's spear and stick instructor.
Looking at Xu Liang again, he had already taken out his sword and started dancing in the courtyard, mumbling impassioned words.
"...It's the third watch. I got up and walked around the stairs alone. People were quiet, and the moon was dimly bright outside the curtain.
The white head is for fame...I want to pay Yaoqin my heart. A close friend..."
Zhao Hong watched Xu Liangwu's fascination, while Xu and Liu's mother and daughter cheered on the side, feeling emotional in his heart.
Some people, just for a glass of wine, a few flowers, a lake of spring water, and a few cranes, will get excited and want to go north to see the mountains and rivers, and feel the humiliation and hatred of the snow country. This is the case for Lu You and Xin Qiji, and the same is true for Xu Liang in front of him.
What a pity, what a pity for those sad tears! What a pity for their enthusiasm! It is a pity that they have no way to serve the country and were born in the wrong era!
