Li Yuan's luck seemed to be good today. In just two days of burning incense, he had already caught three fish.
This made the smile on his face brighter and brighter, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes tightened.
On the other hand, Xiao Yu and Pei Ji both found nothing.
"My dear friends, this fishing method still needs a lot of practice..."
Li Yuan refilled the bait, threw the fishing rod into the pond, and said with a smile,
"I will teach you the secret when I have time."
Pei Ji and Xiao Yu both responded respectfully, with looks of anticipation on their faces.
These movements are the basic skills of a favorite.
"Your Majesty, I have been unclear about something. Please clarify my confusion."
Xiao Yu saw that Li Yuan was in high spirits and hurriedly took this opportunity to say.
"Well, tell me, tell me." Li Yuan shook his beard and didn't take it seriously.
"You...really want His Highness Prince Qin to go to another place to seek vassal status?"
Xiao Yu observed Li Yuan's expression and said cautiously.
Li Yuan turned his head slightly and glanced at him.
Xiao Yu quickly lowered his head and made a sign of submission.
"What? Isn't it possible?"
Li Yuan smiled lightly and said,
"He has already reached adulthood. According to the rules of past dynasties, he should have gone to other places to become a vassal."
"It's very reasonable for me to mention this matter."
Wow.
Pei Ji stretched out his pole and said happily:
"Your Majesty, the fish has been caught!"
I saw a light red fish hanging from the end of his fishing rod.
Under the sunlight, the fish scales shone brightly, showing a bit of luster.
"Okay! Okay! Pei Ji, this fish is beautiful!"
Li Yuan's attention was instantly attracted and he cheered loudly,
"Quick, put it away quickly, don't let it run away!"
Pei Ji quickly took out the hook from the fish's mouth, held the still jumping fish tightly with both hands, offered it to Li Yuan, and said with a smile:
"Your Majesty, your fish."
Li Yuan couldn't help but be filled with joy when he saw that the fish was so full of vitality that it had to be held tightly by Pei Ji to barely hold it down.
"Hahaha, what a fish! I have been fishing in this pond for many years, and I can only catch three or five fish like this!"
Li Yuan praised,
"This can be called a little fish king. He has been domineering in the sea pond for many years, but now he has been surrendered by you, Pei Qing."
Pei Ji still held the fish in both hands and said happily:
"It's all thanks to His Majesty's guidance on fishing techniques that I got such luck today."
"This fish was not caught by Pei Ji, but actually caught by His Majesty."
"Your Majesty, please accept it."
The corners of Xiao Yu's mouth twitched slightly.
This flattery... is too exaggerated!
Do you still want that old face?
"Hey, you Pei Ji..."
Li Yuan smiled and nodded at Pei Ji a few times, waved his hand and said generously,
"Okay, I'll reward you!"
"Go home and cook it. The fish in the sea pond has no earthy smell and is a rare delicacy."
Hearing this, Pei Ji quickly bowed down.
"Thank you for the royal food, Your Majesty. I will definitely share this fish with the whole family and bless you with the divine grace."
He was extremely respectful and looked grateful for the favor before he put the fish into his bamboo basket.
Li Yuan nodded with satisfaction, turned to look at Xiao Yu, and pointed:
"Xiao Aiqing, you are the only one left now."
"Fishing is not about sitting around, but it requires concentration."
"If you are absent-minded and thinking about other things, you will definitely not be able to catch it. Do you understand?"
Xiao Yu looked ashamed and nodded.
"I will obey His Majesty's holy instructions." He could only respond, and then stared at the lake intently.
Pei Ji has already fallen for Yuke, so he has to be more serious.
If the emperor feels that he is perfunctory, he may not take him with him in the future!
The three fishing rods were once again suspended above the sea pond.
"Your Majesty, when it comes to King Qin becoming a vassal, I have a question."
Pei Ji shook the fishing rod and said,
"His Royal Highness the King of Qin holds the positions of Shangshu Ling and Zhongshu Ling. He also leads the Zuo Wuhou General, the Left and Right Twelve Guard Generals and other important positions in the army. He controls more than half of the military power in the world."
"If he goes to the fiefdom to become a vassal, and if these civil and military achievements are taken back all at once, I'm afraid the King of Qin will be dissatisfied."
"But if it is not taken back, it will cause great trouble to the court..."
Li Yuan raised his eyebrows.
"Pei Qing, in your opinion, what should we do?"
He asked with a slight smile, showing no emotion or anger.
"Wei Chen believes that your Majesty's ordering the King of Qin to establish a vassal state is a good thing for the political stability of the Tang Dynasty."
Pei Ji said,
"But if your Majesty really wants peace, you must abolish the Tiance Mansion, remove the internal and external military power and positions, only reward the King of Qin with the prince's regulations, and determine the size of the prince's army."
"In this way, the vassal king will be at peace."
"My humble opinion, please accept it."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu almost threw away the fishing rod in his hand!
"Your Majesty, no!"
He said hurriedly,
"His Royal Highness the King of Qin has made great contributions to the country, how can you treat him like this? This is tantamount to a heavy rebuke!"
"If we follow what Pei Xiangguo did, it would be a waste of time and money. How will the history books evaluate your Majesty after thousands of generations? They will definitely say that your Majesty is mean and ungrateful!"
"Your Majesty, please think again!"
Hearing this, Pei Ji immediately counterattacked unceremoniously:
"Then is it okay to continue to let King Qin hold power, covet the throne, and eventually cause chaos in the world?!"
"Xiao Yu, I think you have lost your mind! You only think about King Qin, why don't you consider His Majesty and the Crown Prince? They are the foundation of the country!"
Xiao Yu's expression changed and he said angrily:
"Pei Ji, how dare you frame me with false accusations!"
The two were fighting each other, refusing to give in to each other.
Li Yuan stirred the fishing rod vigorously, feeling a little irritated.
"Today's boating is just for fun and entertainment. Why bring up these troublesome things again and ruin my enjoyment in vain?"
He said coldly.
As soon as the emperor spoke, the two men immediately stopped and confessed:
"The penalty for underestimation is death."
Li Yuan waved his hand.
"That's all."
His mood was waning and he said,
"I want to let Erlang calm down, but I am by no means a mean king, and I will never take back the reward I gave him."
"I know everything you said. Whether you think of it or not, I have thought about it."
The two of them lowered their heads, as if they were listening to the holy teachings, and did not dare to speak.
"I have my own considerations, so don't make any more noise."
Li Yuan waved and said,
"No more fishing, it's a bummer."
"Go back!"
The eunuch in the cabin responded, turned the ship's bow, and moved towards the shore.
Xiao Yu and Pei Ji looked at each other, both seeing dissatisfaction and anger in each other's eyes.
At the same time, they also carefully pondered the emperor's words in their hearts.
Have your own considerations?
What was the emperor thinking?
Where will the future of King Qin go?
The emperor's thoughts... are really unpredictable and difficult to guess...
The two of them were quiet all the way, each with their own thoughts, until Li Yuan stepped onto the dry shore, and then they said in unison:
"Farewell to Your Majesty."
"Humph." Li Yuan glanced at the two of them and said calmly, "You can share those fish and eat them."
"Thank you for your grace."
The two favored ministers bowed down to express their gratitude. When they looked up again, Li Yuan had disappeared.
"snort!"
Pei Ji's expression suddenly turned cold, he glanced at Xiao Yu, and walked away with the fish he caught and the two from Li Yuan's fish basket.
Xiao Yu stepped forward and saw that there was only the smallest fish left in the fish basket, and it was almost dead from the sun.
"Pei Ji...you villain!"
He was so angry that he stamped his feet and cursed, but he could only put away the small fish helplessly.
No matter how small the fish is, it is still a royal gift!
