There is a small lake in Luoyang Palace.
Li Shimin held the fishing rod in his hand and was fishing leisurely.
Beside him, Changsun Wujia was peeling the fruit shells and putting them into his mouth thoughtfully.
"Is it delicious?"
"Yeah, it's delicious. Whatever you feed it tastes delicious, hey..."
Li Shimin grinned and praised.
Wow!
At this time, there was movement in the lake. He was so shocked that he quickly stopped smiling and relaxed the fishing rod. When the movement on the lake subsided, he suddenly pulled back the rod!
Uh-huh!
A big white fish flew out of the water, as if it was about to leap over the dragon's gate!
Unfortunately, there is no dragon gate here, only fish baskets.
With a snap, the big white fish was thrown to the shore. Li Shimin reached out to hug it and said in surprise:
"Haha, hahaha!"
"It's a croaker. This is my first time fishing in the past few days!"
“I’ve never had such a great start and today is bound to be a great day!”
"Guanyin Maid, you are in for a treat tonight! Hahaha..."
"Aren't you just a fish? As for success like this? If you want to eat it, just ask the imperial chef to cook it and make you the biggest and best fish king." Changsun Wujiu pursed his lips and smiled.
These two phoenixes.
As an emperor, what do you want and can't get?
Just say this cocky mouth, what's so strange about it? As long as he gives a casual order, hundreds of them will be delivered immediately!
I don't understand his thoughts.
"How can the food offered by others be as delicious as the food you catch yourself?"
"This is not fish, it is the joy of catching a good harvest."
A voice came from far away, with a hint of smile.
"Ouch."
When Li Shimin saw the person, he immediately said with joy,
"Listen, Ming is coming, come on, sit down, sit down."
"There are all kinds of fishing rods here. You can choose one yourself. Let's make a bet to see who can catch more fish."
Xu Fenglei was not polite and saluted the emperor and empress, then sat on the pony nearby and randomly selected a fishing rod.
"It's good to bet on the game, but what's the bet?"
he asked.
Li Shimin waved his hand and said:
"Whatever, you can bet however you want."
"In this way, if I lose, I will agree to a condition for you; if you lose, you will agree to a condition for me, and you are not allowed to go back on it or cheat on me."
"The Queen testifies! Is that okay?"
Changsun Wugou looked at the two of them with a smile.
"Okay, I'll be the notary. If anyone cheats, they'll be thrown into the lake!"
The relationship between the two is like that of her own family. She doesn't have to pay attention to her words and deeds, and can even joke around casually.
"Okay, it's a deal!"
Xu Fenglei said very cheerfully,
"Is there any bait?"
"Yes, yes, there are small fish fillings, live earthworms, dried earthworms, and millet fillings. Which one do you want?"
Li Shimin pointed to the box beside him, counting all his treasures.
He is really well-equipped for fishing and has all kinds of baits, which is dizzying.
Xu Fenglei nodded, directly rolled up the small fish stuffing and millet stuffing, twisted them a few times, kneaded them into a ball, and threw them into the lake.
Plop!
"What are you doing!"
Li Shimin glared and scolded,
"I'm making a nest!"
Xu Fenglei raised his head and said,
"When you make a nest in the lake, all the fish will naturally come to you. By then, you won't be able to catch all the fish accurately."
Li Shimin: "￥%...&*@#!!!"
"You...you are cheating!"
He said angrily,
"How can you play like this?"
Xu Fenglei shrugged.
"You didn't say you can't make a nest, right? It's pretty simple for me. To actually make a nest, you have to add rice wine and ferment it through several processes."
"That's easy."
"Besides, if you think it's unfair, you can just make a nest, so that everyone is on the same starting line again?"
Li Shimin's face darkened.
"Here's nonsense!"
he spat,
"Okay! If you are in the first year of junior high school, don't blame me for being in the fifteenth year!"
"Just watch!"
Wow!
Li Er stood up and poured all the bait in the bait box into the lake in front of him.
In order to prevent Xu Fenglei from getting into his nest, he deliberately moved the pony far away.
"You two..."
Changsun Wugou was a little helpless.
This is like a child's joke!
When Xu Fenglei saw this, he just smiled and said nothing.
There are also skills in making nests. If you can catch fish by pouring all the bait down at once, wouldn't all the fishermen in later generations be able to catch fish?
Li Er's experience in this area is still a bit shallow...
"Your Majesty, you and the Queen are quite leisurely. The prince is still kneeling with his ministers outside. It would be better for you to go fishing here."
Xu Fenglei held the fishing rod in one hand and said with a smile,
"Seriously, even if you don't feel sorry for the civil and military officials, you still have to feel sorry for your son."
"The prince almost broke his head just to ask you to go back."
After hearing this, Changsun Wugou glanced outside subconsciously, with a hint of worry in his expression.
When Li Shimin heard this, he said indifferently:
"Of course I feel sorry for my son, but I feel sorry for myself even more!"
"If my heart softens now, I have to go back to Tai Chi Palace to shoulder a huge burden. I finally have a chance to escape, how can I go back to the tiger's mouth pass again?"
"So, I won't pay attention to it."
"Besides, I am getting old. I have fought for so many years, managed the state affairs for so many years, and managed the shabby Tang Dynasty to what it is now. It's almost done. It's time to enjoy it."
"The imperial court has young slaves to exercise power on my behalf, and you have a bunch of humerus ministers to assist you. I can rest assured. I feel very relieved!"
Wow.
Xu Fenglei was about to speak when he felt the fishing rod move.
He pulled hard and saw a black fish coming towards him. He swung the rod and the fish just fell into the fish basket.
"Damn it! I'm just talking to you here, delaying my fishing!"
Li Shimin suddenly became anxious when he saw it. He cursed and quickly turned his attention to the lake.
It's a pity...he didn't make any movement here.
"It seems that His Majesty is determined to put everything aside and retire in Luoyang."
Xu Fenglei took off the fishhook, put the bait on the fishing pole again, and said with a faint smile,
"That's not bad. I can see that your complexion has improved a lot."
"Luoyang has a good climate and a harmonious diet. It is indeed a good place to raise people."
"When I have time, I will stay here for a while to nourish my mind."
The corners of Li Shimin's mouth rose.
"That's natural. This is the place where I grew up. I am familiar with every corner of this city."
He said proudly,
"Luoyang feels more like home than Chang'an or Jinyang, especially with Guanyin by my side."
"Without the interference of any external objects here, I can still have one or two hours every day to relax, think about nothing, and just be in a daze for a while."
"This is simply a life lived by gods!"
"Staying here is the way to live longer! Going back to Chang'an is asking for death!"
When Changsun Wuguo heard this, he immediately hit Li Shimin on the head with a walnut and spat:
"What nonsense are you talking about! Be careful! One word may become a prophecy!"
"I still have to go back to Chang'an. You don't miss the children, but I still miss them!"
Li Shimin let out an ouch, but he wasn't annoyed after being hit. He just laughed and slapped his mouth a few times.
"I can understand His Majesty's thoughts."
Xu Fenglei responded,
"After being tense for so many years, I relaxed all of a sudden. I definitely don't want to go back to that state again."
"Life is short, it's good to really leave some time for yourself."
Li Shimin nodded vigorously.
"Listen, you understand me!"
He gave a thumbs up and said with emotion,
"You know, in the first half of my life, I was struggling hard. First, there was the chaos in the late Sui Dynasty, and I tried hard to save my life and family business in the troubled times."
"Then I took the risk to raise my troops and declare myself king! I worked cautiously and conquered the whole world step by step."
"Afterwards, I finally won the kingdom, and I fell into an even more thrilling battle for the inheritance. If I make one wrong move, my whole family will be wiped out!"
"With your planning, I finally won the battle to seize the direct descendants, but the Turks were still eyeing me. At the most dangerous time, they marched directly to Chang'an! Do you know how much pressure I was under at that time? When talking to Jieli Khan, I looked so heroic, and when I stepped back after the negotiation was over, my back was soaked..."
Xu Fenglei listened quietly.
Changsun Wujia also put the peeled walnuts into Li Shimin's mouth.
"You also know the situation best in the early years of Zhenguan. Locust plagues, droughts, floods, and plagues all come in turn! Sometimes there are several different ones in one year! There are powerful enemies outside, and there are worries inside!"
Li Shimin sighed,
"It's like a leaky house and a violent storm all night. If it's not properly managed, the house will collapse!"
"I was walking on thin ice. Relying on the strong support of you virtuous ministers and carefully managing it for so many years, I repaired this family and got it into what it is today."
"So I have always been very grateful. When I didn't kill Hou Junji, I didn't want to set a precedent of killing a hero. I just wanted you all to be well and share the glory and wealth with me... Unexpectedly, he actually rebelled in the end. What a shame. ...I have nothing to say.”
Xu Fenglei nodded.
Li Shimin's original intention was good. He wanted to fulfill the kindness of the emperor and his ministers, and not to be the kind of emperor who "shares hardships and joys".
If Hou Junji hadn't been so outrageous, he would probably still be alive and kicking now.
"Over the years, I have watched with my own eyes as the Tang Dynasty prospered and its national power grew."
Li Shimin said softly,
"But my heart is getting more and more tired, as if I'm... really old."
"So, I wanted to get excited and go crazy! To revive my energy and spirit, I decided to conquer Goguryeo personally."
"As a result, you also know...when people get old, it's hard not to accept old age."
As he finished speaking, a wry smile appeared on his face.
"Your sword is not old yet."
Changsun Wugu suddenly said seriously,
"I can vouch for that."
Li Shimin smiled.
Xu Fenglei: "???"
This couple seems to be flirting in front of him? !
"cough……"
Li Shimin coughed dryly and changed the topic back.
"So, as you said, I was really tense all the way, for more than twenty years, and I fainted at the last moment!"
"Since I woke up, my whole body has relaxed. The last time I felt this relaxed was when I was fourteen."
"I am very greedy for this feeling of relaxation. I want to live a few more years and enjoy it. So... listen, I really don't want to go back to the Tai Chi Palace."
"You must also want me to live a few more years, right?"
Xu Fenglei nodded firmly.
"Of course, if you live one more day, the Tang Dynasty will be prosperous. Even if you don't do anything, that will be the case."
He said seriously,
"If you leave, it will be hard to say."
"So, I sincerely hope that Your Majesty will live a long life and become the mascot of the Tang Dynasty when he is old. If there is an old man in the family, it is like having a treasure!"
Li Shimin laughed, then said seriously:
"Okay, it's good to be a mascot! I want to be a mascot now!"
"But when it comes to auspiciousness, you are the real mascot and my lucky general! I only have one thing to say about you - you have saved me many years of detours."
Xu Fenglei raised his eyebrows.
"This is a very high rating, thank you Your Majesty."
As he spoke, his fishing rod shook again.
Wow.
With a flick of the pole, another big white fish entered the fish basket.
"Hey, turn your mouth up."
Xu Fenglei praised,
"Although this pool is small, there are a lot of good products! Haha..."
Li Shimin: "..."
Looking at the calm lake in front of him, he felt a little uncomfortable.
"I haven't finished what I just said, I have to add another sentence later——"
Li Shimin pouted and said,
"Everything is fine, it's just love that gives me trouble!"
Xu Fenglei was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly.
"I originally liked His Majesty's comments about me, but now..."
He re-baited.
"What now?" Li Shimin raised his head.
"I like it even more!"
Xu Fenglei threw the hook and smiled brightly.
Li Shimin: “@#￥%……&&*@!!!”
He raised his eyebrows angrily and stared at the lake! Looks ferocious!
You bastard, why haven't you taken the bait?
I must fish you to death today!
…
The sun sets in the west.
Xu Fenglei's fish basket is full of catches.
In Li Shimin's fish basket, apart from the cocked mouth at the beginning, there were only some small fish and shrimps, which looked extremely miserable.
There has never been such a wonderful start...there are only wonderful starts.
"This...it seems like there's no need to compete, right?"
Xu Fenglei said with a smile,
"Your Majesty, I win."
boom!
Li Shimin swung the fishing rod and said unhappily:
"The nest I made is obviously bigger than yours. I've thrown in all the good stuff. Why not fish?"
Xu Fenglei waved his hand and said:
"I told you that making a nest is not a random fight. There is a method. If you want to learn, I will teach you well next time."
"Let's get down to business now, okay?"
Li Shimin rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so anxious? Will I still cheat?"
He hummed,
"Tell me what you want!"
Xu Fenglei stood up and cupped his hands and said:
"I invite your Majesty to return to Chang'an and take charge of the overall situation again, so as to calm the hearts of the people in the world!"
Changsun Wugu was stunned.
We've just been chatting for a long time, was it in vain?
When Li Shimin heard this, he stared at Xu Fenglei for a while and coldly snorted:
"Okay, don't play that bad trick of asking for the top to win, and asking for the bottom to get the bottom."
"Tell me your true purpose."
Xu Fenglei grinned.
"Your Majesty is really very witty. My little trick can't be hidden from His Majesty's discerning eyes."
He cupped his hands and said with a smile,
"My real request is to ask Your Majesty to allow me to resign and go into seclusion."
"Seeing that you have retired after all your efforts, I feel itchy in my heart! You know, I have long wanted to go back to Moyu Mountain to practice Taoism."
"Now is the time. It's time to retire. Please don't break your promise."
(End of chapter)
