In the small courtyard, Li Qing settled the donkey, moved it to a small stable, and started chatting with it...
Zhu Qizhen didn't understand what there was to talk about with a donkey, but he didn't dare to disturb him.
It wasn't until it got dark and the donkey went to sleep that he stepped forward and asked, "Sir, what did he... say?"
"who?"
"……emperor."
Li Qing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "He will come to see you tomorrow."
"Okay," Zhu Qizhen breathed a sigh of relief and asked: "How is he...the emperor doing?"
"It's very bad," Li Qing sighed, "Just cherish it."
After saying that, he walked to the wing without looking back, leaving Zhu Qizhen alone in a daze.
The night sky was bright, and he looked up at the brightest stars, feeling bitter, ashamed, and dejected...
The next day, early in the morning.
Li Qing opened the door and walked out of the room. On the stone table in the small courtyard, there were various kinds of breakfast, including steamed buns, steamed buns, pickles; eggs, rice porridge, fried Chinese quince... not rich, but very rich.
Zhu Wanqing tilted her head and smiled: "I'm just waiting for you, Uncle Li. My eldest brother and I will get up before dawn..."
Seeing her father's old face as dark as the bottom of a pot, she blushed and explained: "Dad, it was the big brother next door who I woke up first to call, not..."
"Okay, okay." Zhu Qizhen said angrily: "Shut up. You are so afraid that you won't be able to get married, but your daughter's family is still trying to get married. Are you ashamed?"
"Ahem...Uncle Zhu, sister Wanqing also wants to make my godfather eat better. Don't talk about her like that." Li Hong couldn't see it and explained for the little girl.
Zhu Qizhen: "What does it have to do with me teaching my daughter a lesson? Who are you?"
If it weren't for Li Qing's home court, he would have wanted to roll up his sleeves. The flowers he worked so hard to cultivate have not yet bloomed, but they are already being remembered all day long, and it would be uncomfortable for anyone to leave them alone.
Especially an old father like Zhu Qizhen, who dotes on his daughter, is ready to stab Li Hong to death.
"I'm warning you, you better abide by the rules. If you dare to do anything inappropriate, I won't mind helping you find a job in the palace." Zhu Qizhen's eyes were filled with fire. gòйЪ.ōΓg
Li Hong smiled bitterly: "Uncle Zhu, after all these years, you still can't see clearly what kind of person your nephew is. I'm already old and still haven't married yet..."
"Who didn't let you marry?" Zhu Qizhen sneered, "Also, nephew is a term that elders address to younger generations, not a self-proclaimed one. Have you read a book? Show some face!"
"...You just don't like me."
"Yes, I just don't like you." Zhu Qizhen snorted coldly, "What can you do to me?"
Li Hong: "..."
"Daddy..."
"Shut up!" Zhu Qizhen hated him for not arguing, "You are only thirteen years old. At your age, how can you...how much do you hate getting married?"
"Poor people all have their daughters married at the age of thirteen or fourteen." The little girl muttered in a low voice.
She wasn't afraid at all. Of course, this was all favored by Zhu Qizhen, so no one else was to blame.
Zhu Qizhen was stunned, and then he trembled with anger: "Okay, okay, I have really grown up, my wings have become hard, you are sure that I will not have a second child, right?"
"Uh... don't be angry, dad. My daughter is not in a hurry to get married," Zhu Wanqing blushed and mumbled, "I just... let me explain to you."
Zhu Qizhen slapped the table and stood up: "I won't eat anymore!"
"Uncle Zhu, look at you..."
Zhu Qizhen suddenly turned his head, his dark red face was so frightening that he was so frightened that Li Hong swallowed the second half of his sentence.
"You better not close your eyes when you sleep," Zhu Qizhen said through gritted teeth.
After that, he rolled his sleeves and left.
Li Hong swallowed his saliva and asked Li Qing for help after washing up, "Godfather, you have to keep an eye on Uncle Zhu."
"Look at how brave you are." Li Qing rolled his eyes, walked up and sat down, "He didn't eat, so he saved the money."
Zhu Wanqing stood up, picked up a small bowl and pulled it a little, and said with a smile: "Uncle Li, you and your elder brother eat, don't worry about me."
She still loves her father...
"Stop looking and eat." Li Qing picked up the bun and took a bite. "After all, he won't do anything to you. At most, he will beat you up."
"Uh-huh..." Li Hongqian responded with a smile, "By the way, godfather, I bought fodder. I was afraid that it wouldn't know how hungry it was, so I put it at the entrance of the donkey shed."
"Well, I'll feed it later."
~
At the end of the morning, when Li Qing was giving half a bundle of fodder to the donkey, Zhu Qiyu came.
Li Qing and Zhu Qiyu chatted in the small courtyard for a while. After clearing out the families of Xiao Hengzi and Jin Yiwei who had followed them, they walked into the living room.
Zhu Qizhen, who was sitting in the living room waiting anxiously, stood up quickly when he saw the two people coming in. He looked at the haggard Zhu Qiyu. He opened and closed his lips for a long time, but did not say a word.
Zhu Qiyu smiled and said: "It's been more than ten years since we last seen each other. Brother, you're all right now!"
It is true that he is fine. Zhu Qizhen, who is middle-aged, has a rosy face and is still somewhat wealthy. His life has been very prosperous.
On the other hand, Zhu Qiyu's hair was half gray, and he weighed only a hundred pounds. He was thin and dry. When they stood together, they were not of the same age group, or even of the same generation.
The difference is huge.
Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a while, and then he was sure that the person in front of him was his younger brother.
For a moment, Zhu Qizhen didn't know what to say. He was stunned for a while and then said with shame: "Second brother, I am sorry for you."
"It's all over." Zhu Qiyu smiled, walked aside and sat down, "I'm not going to die soon. Is my eldest brother interested in taking over?"
Zhu Qizhen shook his head slightly: "I am no longer suitable to be emperor. It is better to pass the throne to the prince."
Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly and sighed: "Jian Shen is a good boy and very good. I believe he will be better than me."
"Is the prince knowledgeable?" Zhu Qizhen was shocked: "The prince is knowledgeable?"
He looked at Li Qing in surprise and asked him for confirmation.
"It's him." Li Qing said.
Zhu Qizhen was stunned, feeling even more guilty and ashamed.
Zhu Wanqing added on the side: "Dad, Uncle Li didn't let me tell you because he was afraid you would think too much."
"you know too?"
"Well, I guessed that time when the old demon...the Empress Dowager shed her blood to recognize her kin," Zhu Wanqing said.
Zhu Qizhen sighed and said with a wry smile: "Second brother, you can definitely change the title of crown prince. Maybe it won't work at first, but later... you will have the chance, so there is no need to do this."
"At first, I also had such thoughts." Zhu Qiyu said with a smile, "But I realized that being a prince would be more convincing to the public and would be more beneficial to the government."
"Later I figured it out, Jianji and Jianshen are all the same, they are all from the Zhu family, so what does it matter?" Zhu Qiyu asked with a smile, "Isn't it?"
Zhu Qizhen stared at him blankly, with tears streaming down his face, feeling distressed and blaming himself: "How wonderful it would be if there hadn't been that battle!"
"Yes, it's a pity... there is no if." Zhu Qiyu said bitterly.
"Second brother."
"Um…"
"I'm sorry, it's my brother who has hurt you."
"I'm not here to listen to my eldest brother's apology," Zhu Qiyu shook his head gently, "I am a member of the Zhu family. I just shoulder the responsibilities that I should shoulder. This is what I should do."
Zhu Qizhen shook his head and said: "You didn't have to be like this. It's my fault that made you get to where you are today. If not, you would be a feudal lord now and enjoy endless happiness in the feudal land."
"Hey~ it's all over." Zhu Qiyu said, "At first, I complained, and later, I also rejoiced, but in the end, I realized that it doesn't matter whether I am complaining or rejoicing, the important thing is to be in this position People who are good cannot be mediocre and inactive."
"I am a useless person." Zhu Qizhen said with a wry smile.
"The eldest brother also wants to make a career. I always believe that if the eldest brother is not careful, he will definitely become a wise king." Zhu Qiyu has always maintained a trace of respect for the eldest brother. "Thanks to Mr. Yu Qian for that battle, our Ming Dynasty The losses were not great, the Tatars did not suffer well, and they also promoted the strategy of conquering the grasslands."
Zhu Qiyu consoled him: "The ending is always good."
"I..." Zhu Qizhen was speechless and shed tears.
Seeing this, Zhu Wanqing quickly left the living room and went to see her elder brother to save face for her father.
Li Qing looked at this scene of deep brotherhood and felt a sense of comfort in his heart. The two no longer loved and killed each other as they did in history. The current situation was worthy of his hard work.
"You guys chat, I'll go for a walk."
…
Li Qing strolled around outside the courtyard, then moved a small horse to chat with Brother Donkey.
Time passed minute by minute, and soon it was noon, but the two people in the living room seemed to have endless things to say. Xiao Hengzi came to urge him several times, but was blocked by Li Qing.
It wasn't until half past noon that Zhu Qiyu walked out of the living room.
Li Qing put down the forage in his hand and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, can you finally make a decision now?"
"Well, according to what Mr. Wang said, after my death, the crown prince will succeed me." Zhu Qiyu said softly, "The crown prince's succession will be more conducive to the government, and the eldest brother is not willing to be the emperor, so I don't need to force anything."
Li Qing relaxed, nodded and said, "Your Majesty."
"It's not me who is a saint, but my husband who is wise." Zhu Qiyu smiled and said sincerely: "Sir, don't leave in a hurry. Please help me get to know him for a while. I know this is difficult for someone to do, but... Ming Dynasty still needs you."
"Yeah, okay." Li Qing agreed.
Zhu Qiyu's smile became even stronger and he said, "Let me stay here longer. I don't have much time and I want to have someone to talk to."
"Okay." Li Qing still agreed.
~
Looking at the dragon chariot going away, Li Qing sighed softly, turned around and closed the door.
Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and asked, "Sir, you should have a way to make him stay a little longer, right?"
"Yes, but it won't last long." Li Qing sighed, "Anyway, I will work hard."
"So... thank you very much." Zhu Qizhen said, "I want to stay here and accompany him on his last journey."
Li Qing made a loud sound: "Stay in the small courtyard and don't run away blindly."
"...I know." Zhu Qizhen didn't dare to lose his temper.
Turning around, he saw Li Hong looking at him with a strange look on his face. Zhu Qizhen was furious and said, "Baby, your skin is itchy, right?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"What are you looking at?"
"..." Li Hong was speechless, "No...you are too domineering. Why don't I just take a look at you?"
"Stop talking nonsense and let's duel!" Zhu Qizhen held a feeling of depression in his chest and was eager to release it.
He didn't care whether Li Hong agreed or not, he rolled up his sleeves and was ruthless.
Who did I offend? Li Hong was extremely sad and angry.
"Hmm~ah~" The donkey was in high spirits, tilting his head to watch the show, not knowing who he was cheering for...
