Yongning Palace.
"emperor……"
"Don't get up, lie down quickly."
Zhu Jianshen helped Zhen'er lie down and said warmly: "Are you feeling better?"
"Well..., it's better." Zhen'er lied. In fact, she had realized that she was not going to die soon.
"That's good," Zhu Jianshen breathed a sigh of relief, "You've been sick for a long time. It's been almost two months. Get better soon."
Zhen'er smiled bitterly, "Let the emperor worry about it."
"What are you talking about? When did you become so alienated from me?" Zhu Jianshen pretended to be dissatisfied and hummed: "I'm telling you, get better soon, or I will punish you."
Zhen'er looked up at the emperor's young husband, with a gentle face, and sighed softly: "Time makes people grow old. In the blink of an eye, the emperor is not young anymore, he has wrinkles."
"Really?" Zhu Jianshen touched his face, and then joked, "Why, I'm not handsome enough?"
"Handsome, still so handsome." Zhen'er said with a chuckle, still coaxing him.
The two have been together for decades. Rather than saying that Zhu Jianshen doted on Zhen'er, it would be better to say that it was Zhen'er who doted on Zhu Jianshen.
It has been like this since he was a child...
Be your younger brother's favorite, your little ancestor's favorite...
"That's pretty much it." Zhu Jianshen hummed, "It's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I order you to be well before the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"I accept the decree." Zhen'er blinked.
Seeing that she was still naughty, Zhu Jianshen felt relieved and his whole body became lighter.
"Then it's agreed that we will enjoy the moon together during the Mid-Autumn Festival." Zhu Jianshen said with a smile, "Now that the Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more stable, the prince can also share some of my burdens. When you are better, I will take you around."
After a pause, he sighed softly: "It is said that the emperor can rule the world and be rich all over the world. However, I have never even been to the capital. They all say that there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. When the time comes, we will also go to Suzhou and Hangzhou. "
"How can this work?" Zhen'er said amusedly, "How can the prince leave the center lightly?"
"What's wrong? These words are just words used by those people to stop me." Zhu Jianshen said hoarsely, "If they have a clear conscience, why are they afraid of me?"
"You should take good care of your health. I will take you there when the time comes," Zhu Jianshen took her hand, put it in his palm and rubbed it, and said with a straight face, "I have worked hard for more than twenty years, and I can't enjoy it anymore?"
Zhen'er couldn't help but laugh and said with a smile: "Of course you can. Your Majesty is working so hard for the country, so it's natural for you to relax a little."
It's a pity... I can't accompany you... Zhen'er added in her heart.
"Your Majesty...concubine, can I ask you something?"
"Just say, ten or a hundred, no matter what."
"Promise first."
"Okay, I agree." This time, Zhu Jianshen was very happy.
Zhen'er said softly: "I want Wang Zhi to enter the palace. When I am well, I will let him return to Zhongguan Village, okay?"
"Hmm...Okay." Zhu Jianshen nodded lightly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"If you want to thank me, you should take good care of your health quickly. I am still anxious to go to Jiangnan to see it."
Zhen'er was silent for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, you can also take Concubine Shu with you."
Zhu Jianshen was displeased: "You don't want to be with me?"
"How can I not think about it?" Zhen'er felt bitter in her heart, but smiled on her face, "It's just... isn't the emperor in a hurry?"
"Just know that I'm in a hurry. Get well soon."
"Yeah, okay." Zhen'er nodded tiredly.
Seeing this, Zhu Jianshen put down her hand and said softly: "You should rest first. I will come to see you later."
"Well... Your Majesty, walk slowly."
Looking at the emperor's husband's back, Zhen'er couldn't help but wet her eyes and murmured: "I really... feel so reluctant to leave."
~
Zhu Jianshen exhaled a breath of depression and went to Changle Palace...
"Father, it's me, I'm very knowledgeable!" Zhu Jianshen said loudly to Zhu Qizhen.
Zhu Qizhen was not only dazed, but also a little deaf. He couldn't hear anything unless he spoke loudly.
"Father, father..."
After calling several times in succession, Zhu Qizhen's cloudy eyes regained some clarity. He nodded and said, "It's a deep understanding. Come on, come and sit down."
Pulling his son to sit down, he said with a smile: "You have done a good job. You have eliminated redundant bureaucracy and returned people to their hometowns. I heard that you even went to Mobei. Did you win?"
Zhu Jianshen was helpless and bitter, his eyes were slightly moist, and he said loudly: "We have won the battle, we have won the battle long ago. It has been many years since you said this."
"It's been many years..." Zhu Qizhen repeated nonchalantly. After a while, he asked: "What year is this year?"
"It's been twenty-two years since Chenghua." Zhu Jianshen said. Seeing that his father didn't respond, he repeated it loudly.
"It's been twenty-two years since Chenghua..." Zhu Qizhen counted on his fingers and said, "Is Youtang already married?"
"Not yet, but soon."
Zhu Qizhen nodded and muttered, "Wanqing's child is only a few years away from getting married..."
"Father, what did you say?" Zhu Jianshen didn't hear what his father was saying.
Zhu Qizhen didn't answer, but said: "Official affairs are important. I'm fine with this. Go and get busy with state affairs."
"I'm not busy now." Zhu Jianshen said loudly: "Our country is peaceful and the people are safe in the Ming Dynasty. There are fewer natural disasters this year than last year, and Youtang can also shoulder some of the burden."
"Okay, okay," Zhu Qizhen nodded happily and asked uneasily, "Are you really not busy?"
"Well, I'm not busy!"
"Then... let's have a drink with my father." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile, "It's been a long time, I haven't drank for a long time."
Zhu Jianshen couldn't bear to refuse and nodded: "Okay, I'll drink with you. Come..."
"Call Li Qing." Zhu Qizhen added, "He has contributed a lot to our Zhu family."
"Father, he is not in the capital. He is not even in the Ming Dynasty."
"Not here," Zhu Qizhen was a little disappointed, and then he smiled again: "Then let's drink together."
"Hey, okay."
Zhu Jianshen helped him sit down and said to the servant who came in, "Quickly prepare the royal meal and fine wine."
"Yes..." The little eunuch paused for a moment and said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, the imperial doctor said that the emperor..."
"Go get ready."
"Yes, I obey the order." The little eunuch did not dare to press any further, so he hurriedly bowed and left in a hurry.
~
This is the first time for the two of them to drink seriously.
After being apart for decades, and then reunited, the young boy has become a mature and steady Prince of Tomorrow, but the Prince of Tomorrow in the past is no longer high-spirited.
Before this, the two father and son were not familiar with each other at all. Even when they met on the street, they could not recognize each other.
Although the father and son became more familiar with each other after Zhu Qizhen's return, they rarely talked to each other. When they did talk, most of them were superficial and superficial.
It's rare for father and son to have a heart-to-heart talk today.
"Father, I respect you." Zhu Jianshen raised his glass.
Zhu Qizhen raised his glass and clinked it with his son. He raised his neck and felt stuffy after one sip. Perhaps he drank in a hurry. He coughed lightly for a while and his face turned slightly red.
"Father, you..."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter..." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand, "It's full."
The little eunuch picked up the wine bottle and looked at Zhu Jianshen with a questioning look.
Zhu Jianshen nodded slightly.
The little eunuch then poured the wine with confidence.
Zhu Qizhen picked up the wine glass and said, "Father, I respect you for this glass of wine."
"This can't be done," Zhu Jianshen said hurriedly, "How can a father respect his son? A son cannot afford this."
"You deserve it, you deserve it!" Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but said, clinking glasses with him and taking another sip.
After two glasses of wine, his face turned red again and said, "Pop up."
The little eunuch poured wine.
Zhu Qizhen sighed softly, "Actually, my father wants to be a good emperor, and he also has the opportunity to be a good emperor, but... he is not good at it!"
"You are very up to date, better than me, more capable than me, and more accomplished than me..." Zhu Qizhen chuckled and said, "Compared to your grandfather, you are even worse. My father... my father is a A useless person, he almost missed the country and harmed the people, I'm sorry to Emperor Xuanzong, I'm sorry to all my ancestors!"
"Father, please don't say that." Zhu Jianshen comforted, "Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists. Besides, that time... the losses of the Ming army were not too great, and the losses of the Tatars were not small. The Mobei grassland has what it is today. The situation was a big factor in that battle."
Zhu Qizhen smiled bitterly: "It was not my father's fault that the battle ended like that. It was the British Duke Zhang Fu who stayed calm in the face of danger, and it was Li Qing who came all the way to the rescue in time. If they hadn't saved the day with all their strength, my Ming Dynasty... would have been in chaos." .”
"My father is the king, they are ministers, and their contribution is my father's merit." Zhu Jianshen made amends for his father.
No matter from the standpoint of a son or an emperor, Zhu Jianshen must preserve the face of his father. This is political correctness.
Zhu Qizhen didn't take it seriously. Face and other things were insignificant in his heart.
"Come, Father, give you another drink."
"My son, I respect you."
"Ding~"
Father and son drank it all in one gulp, their movements synchronized.
Putting down his glass of wine, Zhu Qizhen said with shame: "My father is not a good emperor, nor is he a good father. He failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a father. Those years... have suffered for you.
Father...I'm sorry for you. "
"Father, your words are serious." Zhu Jianshen said hurriedly, "My son is not suffering. My second uncle... is a very good person. He hired a good teacher for me and he has never treated me badly in life."
Zhu Qizhen was startled for a moment, and his eyes became cloudier due to the vicissitudes of life. "Yes, he is a kind man. It was me who caused him trouble, and I feel sorry for him. I failed to fulfill my responsibility as an elder brother..."
He picked up the wine glass, sprinkled it on the ground, and said, "Second brother, it's all my brother's fault. I'll see you another day."
"Father..."
"It doesn't matter," Zhu Qizhen raised his sleeves and wiped the corners of his eyes, "This is the first time that we have had a heart-to-heart talk while drinking. This is just the beginning. My father has a good drinking capacity."
"Father, there are so many..."
…
~
Jiaozhi, the palace of the Han Dynasty.
"Are you sure this is enough?" Zhu Qijin asked worriedly, "I think it is better to be more stable and stable."
"..." Li Qing said patiently: "I watched Gao Xu grow up. I won't trick anyone but his descendants. Don't worry, your foundation is impregnable."
After a pause, "Besides, I will come back in a few years. This is not a one-time deal. What do you have to be afraid of?"
Zhu Qijin thought about it and said in a low voice: "Okay, let's make an agreement first. If you want to break your promise, don't blame me for driving up prices."
"Don't worry, I keep my word and never break my word!"
…
