protect our patriarch

Chapter 424 The Great Emperor VS Shouzhe!close to death
……

Inside the palace, Xiyuan Lake.

The overall shape of this lake is close to a circle, with a wide surface and an average diameter of a hundred miles. Looking from a distance, it feels quite misty.

It is like a pearl inlaid in Guilong City, but it is enclosed by the huge city wall of the imperial palace and becomes the private "water pond" of Emperor Longchang.

Inside the palace, there are lakes and mountains, which shows its large scale.

The aura of the water in the area of ​​Xiyuan Lake is extremely abundant. When the aura gathers, it condenses into a spiritual mist that is visible to the naked eye. When the wind blows, it forms a piece of fluttering smoke cloud on the lake, as if a cloud has fallen into the world. The fairy lake is average.

There are stretches of hydrophilic attics built by the lake, and the buildings are majestic and magnificent, showing the demeanor of the imperial family.

Such a huge building complex was actually named "Linhu Xiaozhu", which shows that Emperor Longchang's taste is not bad.

In front of the hydrophilic attic.

Emperor Longchang, who was dressed in casual clothes, was playing with a delicate Lure pole at the moment.

The long fishing line was cast for many miles. He twitched the bait deftly and twisted the bait. His swimming posture was cheap, as if he was saying "quick" to the carnivorous spirit fish in the lake. Come and eat me~ come and eat me".

Full of bewitching meaning.

Suddenly.

The pole tip sank downward.

"bingo!"

Emperor Longchang felt refreshed, and he yanked the pole suddenly, and sure enough, he caught a big fish.

He immediately began to reel in happily.

"Your Majesty." At this time, Lao Yao walked over with small steps and reported in a low voice, "Wang Shouzhe has brought it here and is waiting outside Xiaozhu. Do you want to announce..."

"Let him wait." Emperor Longchang didn't even raise his head, "I'm busy fishing."

Lao Yao secretly rolled his eyes.

Your Majesty, you have always wanted to see Wang Shouzhe, even at the expense of all kinds of express hints, and when you failed, you specifically ordered him to come over "immediately".As a result, now that they are here, they just want to hang out... This is not very good.

"Why? As a majestic emperor, I am so angry that I can't let him go for a long time?" Emperor Longchang snorted coldly, "Don't you look at what he has done? How many troubles have he caused... ...Even the emperor has been designated for us. I really thank him!"

"Since he has entered the palace now, he is like this fat fish biting the bait hook. That is my meal, and he will not be able to fly to the sky."

"Based on what he did to me, I didn't ambush him with hundreds of knives and axes, and I already gave him a lot of face."

The Great Emperor Longchang became more and more angry as he spoke, and he yanked the fishing rod violently. As a result, he used too much force, and with a "click", the fishing rod made of polished and socketed Ziling bamboo tips broke directly.

When the big fish regained its freedom, it jumped out of the water immediately, swam several tens of feet away with a swish, and then dived to the bottom of the lake while grabbing the pole.

"This..." Lao Yao's mouth twitched, and he exclaimed, "Could it be that His Majesty's cultivation has reached the point of 'speaking out of the way'?"

"Uh..." The corners of Emperor Longchang's mouth twitched, and he turned his head and gave Lao Yao a hard look, "Old Yao, you don't want to rely on serving me for thousands of years. I can't bear to beat you, so I dare to do whatever I want." Presumptuous. I really can't tell that you are teasing me?"

After all, he did not see any movement, but with a slight movement of his divine sense, he locked the spirit fish that had escaped hundreds of meters away.

Immediately afterwards, with the movement of the emperor's spiritual thoughts, the spirit fish weighing hundreds of catties was supported by an invisible energy and flew down to the hydrophilic platform.

The big fish was still holding the fishing line in its mouth, and flicked its tail "battabata", looking like a dumb fish who said "who am I, where am I, and what am I doing".

That appearance made the emperor even angry.

With a slight movement of his divine sense, he took off the fishhook near its mouth, and kicked it into the lake angrily.

As a senior fisherman, he would not even bother to eat this kind of fish even if he was starving to death. He did not catch fish with his own hands.

"Old Yao, call Wang Shouzhe here." Emperor Longchang said angrily, "I want to ask, why is the quality of the lure poles produced by his family so poor? It caused all my fish to run away."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Lao Yao took the order, and went to Xuan Wang Shouzhe with a secret amused heart.

Not long after, he led Wang Shouzhe and King An Jun back with him.

Seeing the emperor standing by the lake with his hands behind his back and saying "I didn't see you", he secretly smiled in his heart, and could not help but wink at Wang Shouzhe quietly: "Wang Shouzhe, why don't you pay your respects to Your Majesty?"

"Sir, Shouzhe, head of the sixth-rank Wang clan in Changning, pays homage to His Majesty." Wang Shouzhe folded his hands together, bowed down and saluted in a dignified manner.

On the side, Prince An should naturally salute as well.

Emperor Longchang then turned around shyly and glanced at Wang Shouzhe.

I saw Wang Shouzhe in a white robe, with a graceful demeanor, and his demeanor was as gentle as a spring breeze. A random stop there was like an eye-catching landscape.

In comparison, not to mention the children of the royal family, even those young people from the Dagan Wang family, who were famous in the capital for their appearance and bearing, were much inferior to him.

"Well, he looks okay, and his temperament is so-so. It's rare. No wonder he can give birth to such excellent children as Li Yao and Zong Ana." Emperor Longchang said against his will, "That is to say, when I was younger, I was a little inferior. raise."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty, I am flattered." Wang Shouzhe looked calm and natural.

He knew that His Majesty's face was not thin, so he would not be surprised by it.

He took out large and small bags of melons, fruits and vegetables from the storage ring [Endless Abyss] without any hassle, and handed them to Lao Yao next to him: "I know that Your Majesty is not short of anything, and I don't know what to give. These The melons and vegetables are all grown by Shou Zhe in his spare time these days, so it's time to express his feelings."

Fruits and vegetables?

Emperor Longchang's old face trembled slightly.

When you gave the emperor a gift, you actually gave me some fruits and vegetables?Not to mention that it is planted in "leisure time".

Feelings You came all the way to Guilong City, the main purpose is to grow vegetables, and then by the way, turn Guilongcheng upside down, and determine the candidate for the emperor?
He almost couldn't hold back, and kicked Wang Shouzhe into the lake.

Fortunately, Emperor Longchang lived for more than 3000 years, and he was good at nourishing his energy. Now he took a deep breath to suppress the urge to kick Wang Shouzhe, and kept reminding himself.

Longchang, Longchang, you are a generation of great emperors, you must have a big belly and a bold spirit, so as not to be looked down upon by Wang Shouzhe, who turns around and secretly "talks" about the emperor behind his back.

"Okay, Lao Yao, send someone to process it in the imperial dining room, and then I will have a drink with Shou Zhe." Emperor Longchang said, "I am a great emperor, and I don't care about you".

"Yes, Your Majesty." Old Yao took orders.

"Come, come, Shouzhe, come and sit." Emperor Longchang greeted Wang Shouzhe warmly, let him sit in front of a chess booth, and said kindly like an elder, "Shouzhe, you are thoughtful and smart, and you must be skilled at chess." It is also quite superb. Come, come, you and I will learn from each other."

Wang Shouzhe's cheeks trembled, and he thought to himself, Your Majesty, are you kidding me?
His poor chess skills, Wang Shouzhe, have already been famous in Guilong City.

Why did Emperor Longchang want to discuss with him?He was clearly full of resentment towards him, Wang Shouzhe, and wanted to vent his resentment, but he had no other channels, so he found an excuse to play chess.

However, it was difficult for Wang Shouzhe to refuse the emperor's invitation, so he immediately agreed, "Shouzhe accepts orders."

After finishing speaking, he took a pose and started playing chess with Emperor Longchang.

King Anjun on the side was secretly amused.

Let's not talk about Shou Zhe's chess skills, at least the posture he puts on is full, and he looks like a peerless master.

It's a pity, what's beyond gold and jade is what's out of it~~
Shou Zhe, he is purely a stinky chess basket.

as predicted.

After half a stick of incense, Emperor Longchang tortured Wang Shouzhe with the attitude of the autumn wind sweeping the fallen leaves.

"Cool!"

It was as if Emperor Longchang drank a glass of ice-cold fairy wine on a hot summer day, and his whole body was relaxed. Even the depressed feeling in his heart dissipated a lot.

Even when he saw Wang Shouzhe, he didn't seem to be so angry anymore, and he inadvertently pleased his eyes a little.

"Your Majesty's chess skills are superb, and Shou Zhe is willing to bow down."

Wang Shouzhe didn't feel much about losing chess. Anyway, he got used to losing.With his chess strength, he can abuse Wang Annan and the like on weekdays.

"Shou Zhe, don't be humble. I see that your chess skills are also good. Come on, come on, you and I will play another game."

Such a cool thing, how can it be gone once?

Emperor Longchang's eyes were full of light.

Soon, the two started the second round again.

After measuring Wang Shouzhe's chess strength, the emperor played some new tricks in this game. First he pretended to be defeated, then he lured the enemy into deeper, and finally he made a one-stroke lore, which surprised Wang Shouzhe.

"Ouch~ Shouzhe, do you think you are careless? If you make a careless move, you will lose everything. Come on, let's do it again, and I will give you a chance to come back." Emperor Longchang's face was already flushed, and he was refreshed. , also feel very top.

It doesn't make much sense to abuse other stinky chess baskets, but it's completely different if Wang Shouzhe is abused.

Emperor Longchang felt that even if he abused Wang Shouzhe a thousand times, he would not feel bored.

An hour has passed.

Two hours have passed...

At the beginning, King Anjun was still watching with relish, but then he started to feel sleepy. Later, he simply went out for a long walk and came back, but Emperor Longchang was still playing chess with Wang Shouzhe happily, abusing him. he.

In desperation, King An had to go out for a long time.

It wasn't until evening that the imperial kitchen brought all kinds of delicacies, and Emperor Longchang, who had tortured Wang Shouzhe dozens of times in succession, stopped.

He patted Wang Shouzhe on the shoulder: "Shouzhe, your chess skills are generally good, but a little bit worse than mine."

"Don't be discouraged, don't be discouraged. Learn more from me and make sure your chess skills grow rapidly."

In order to leave a foreshadowing for future opportunities to abuse Wang Shouzhe, Emperor Longchang praised his chess skills against his will.

King Anjun looked at Wang Shouzhe sympathetically.

Speaking of which, Shou Zhe also plotted for him, so he offended His Majesty and suffered "revenge".If there is a chance, he must make good compensation to Shou Zhe.

Soon, the royal chef and inner guards set up a home-cooked dinner on the water-friendly platform.

Emperor Longchang, who had tortured Wang Shouzhe so well that he felt refreshed, immediately warmly invited Wang Shouzhe to have a drink or two, and asked King An to accompany him.

Among the dishes delivered by the imperial chef, a small part was the spirit melons and vegetables brought by Wang Shouzhe, and most of them were delicacies carefully prepared by the imperial dining room.

After all, it is Emperor Lingxu, although the dishes on this table are "homely", they are still full of cards.Emperor Longchang also specially prepared a lot of delicious seventh-grade ingredients for Wang Shouzhe, which can be regarded as compensation for the dozens of rounds of abuse that Wang Shouzhe was tortured just now.

"Shouzhe is good at growing vegetables." Emperor Longchang ate two chopsticks of vegetables, and suddenly raised his eyebrows slightly, a little surprised.

Although they are just ordinary spirit vegetables, and the varieties are nothing special, the taste of these spirit vegetables is a bit richer than ordinary spirit vegetables, and the taste is even stronger.

"If your majesty likes it, Shouzhe can pay tribute to your majesty on a regular basis." Wang Shouzhe said modestly, "If it can be branded as a tribute brand, these melons, fruits and spiritual vegetables will definitely sell well."

"Haha, then it's settled." Emperor Longchang praised with a smile, "Shouzhe, you really deserve to be a well-known God of Wealth, you can make money if you seize the opportunity. Come, come, come, this wine is also a tribute wine. It is produced by a sixth-rank family in Tianfu County."

"Good wine, good wine."

Wang Shouzhe was not greedy for wine, so he couldn't help admiring after a couple of sips.

It really is an extremely rare wine, much better than the wines that Wang's currently sells.

Sure enough, the world should not be underestimated.After all, human beings have been multiplying and developing in this world for such a long time. Over time, there are more families with various secret methods.

"If Shou Zhe likes it, take some back and drink it slowly." Emperor Longchang said enthusiastically.

At this time, he behaved like an amiable "elder", as if the person who tortured Wang Shouzhe before was not him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wang Shouzhe did not refuse.

After three rounds of wine.

As we chatted, the strangeness between the two parties dissipated a lot.

After drinking a few more glasses of wine, Emperor Longchang's face became even more rosy: "Shou Zhe, you can tell who is the real outstanding emperor from King Kang and King An. Gao, I drank some wine today, and there are no outsiders present, why don't you comment on how I am?"

When Lao Yao heard this, he couldn't help rolling his eyes secretly.

His Majesty is indeed as narrow-minded as ever, and he is ready to turn over old scores.

He quietly blinked vigorously at Wang Shouzhe, reminding him not to be fooled.

Wang Shouzhe is also a smart person, and when he realized it, he bowed in fear and respect: "Your Majesty is the emperor's honor. How can Shouzhe have the virtue to dare to comment on His Majesty?"

snort!
Wang Shouzhe, you bastard, don't you think so much about me in private?

Don't think I don't know, when you were in Changningwei's hometown, you drank a few glasses of wine with Long Wuji, didn't you comment on me from beginning to end?
Emperor Longchang sneered in his heart, and muttered to himself, but on the surface he pretended to be generous and said: "It's okay, it's okay, I've lived for thousands of years, I haven't seen anything, and I haven't heard anything? You can comment as you like, I won't let you be convicted for your words."

"Could it be that you still have to wait for me to give you a special decree? Hahaha~~"

"This……"

The emperor had already talked about this point, and Wang Shouzhe couldn't resist it.

He pondered for a while, and said: "If the minister's words are not good, His Majesty really doesn't blame him?"

"That's natural. I am a majestic emperor of the generation, and I must keep my word."

Emperor Longchang waved his big hand, with a look of "clang and force" and "convincing his words", but secretly added something in his heart.

Hehe~ Wang Shouzhe, you bastard, if it is true that your words are not good, of course I will not blame you.

But if you dare to talk nonsense, speak insincerely, and flatter me without principle, then don't blame me for pulling your pigtails.

Hmph~~I can remember all the things you said about me in private at the beginning~~
"Since His Majesty has opened his mouth, Shouzhe will have the audacity to say a few words." Wang Shouzhe pondered for a while, and said, "Your Majesty is powerful in force, brave in battle, and extremely good at managing the army. He has made outstanding military achievements throughout his life. , but also with one against two, with the power of one country to contend against two empires at the same time."

"Such a talent, even in the Shenwu Dynasty, must be a well-known legion commander, and may even be a grand marshal."

This sounds comfortable and quite reasonable.

Emperor Longchang enjoyed Wang Shouzhe's flattery, and he was secretly happy, but at the same time he couldn't stop laughing secretly.

Wang Shouzhe, Wang Shouzhe~~ You are indeed a vulgar person, you only dare to talk about my faults behind your back, and you dare not say it in person.

I will listen to your flattery first, and after you have enjoyed this wave, I will punish you for the crime of lying.

When the time comes, it will be up to me to round you up or flatten you.

Wang Shouzhe didn't know what the emperor was thinking, so he paused and continued: "Your Majesty is very good at pioneering. During his career as a king, not only has the land area more than doubled, but the population has also increased a lot. He is a rare pioneer.”

"It's reasonable, it's reasonable~" Emperor Longchang had a look of enjoyment on his face, "Shouzhe, you are really my confidant, you can say more."

"However..." Wang Shouzhe paused, and continued, "Because His Majesty is good at fighting and making great achievements, he has vigorously supported the military after he ascended the throne. From army building to military family, a complete military system has been formed."

"In order to obtain the support of His Majesty's policies, many families turned to join the army and became military families. The families have become soldiers for generations."

"Huh?" Emperor Longchang's face froze, "What's wrong with that? Ordinary families help manage and develop the region, while military families are full-time military, and they divide labor and cooperate with each other to complement each other."

"The general strategy is not a big problem. However, most of the military families don't do production, and only rely on the guard tax, county tax, and national tax to support them. And your majesty has always been generous to the military family. Over time, the number of troops has changed. As a result, most of the guard tax, county tax, and even national tax collected from various regions have to be allocated to maintain military expenditures. Naturally, there is not much money left to govern and develop the region. Yes. Your Majesty’s actions are suspected of ‘militarism’.”

Emperor Longchang's face turned dark, and he was about to say "Wang Shouzhe, are you teaching me how to do things?", but then he thought, didn't he tell him to say it?He also made a guarantee in advance that he would not be convicted for his words.

In desperation, he had no choice but to retort with a cold face: "Shou Zhe's words are wrong. Now there are many foreign enemies, and there are still foreign battlefields that need to be guarded by troops. Without increasing military investment, how can we hold down the enemy?"

"Your Majesty, the extraterritorial battlefield is the common responsibility of the human race. Let's not mention it for the time being. Let's just talk about the Western Jin Dynasty and the Southern Qin Dynasty. Your Majesty seems to be powerful with one enemy and two, but why can't you fight one against one? Even if it doesn't work, at least divide the cooperation of the other party." .Besides, what is His Majesty's purpose in fighting?"

"Naturally, we want the other party to submit to Dagan." Emperor Longchang's temper gradually grew, "If there is no iron-blooded army, how can we conquer them?"

"Your Majesty's words are naturally reasonable. You can train the army and fight with the army, and you are fighting with money. Without a sufficient source of money, how can you win the war?" Wang Shouzhe talked eloquently, "Even the king of Kangjun knows it, and smuggled it first. A wave of corruption, earn more money, and then go to fight in foreign battlefields. Only in this way can the soldiers fight for them without fear of death, and win battles again and again.”

"Wang Shouzhe, do you mean that I am not even as good as King Kangjun?" Emperor Longchang raised his brows upside down.

"That's not true, the Emperor is stronger than King Kang..."

"Stronger?" The emperor frowned.

"The emperor's wars are often due to some emotional disputes. For example, the emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty was disrespectful to the emperor in words, so he immediately sent troops to kill him, until the other party issued a letter of apology, and the emperor returned in a show of strength..."

"I would like to ask, after our army has gained the upper hand, why didn't the Western Jin Dynasty cede the land and pay compensation? Even if they don't agree, they must be made to make sacrifices every year."

"In this way, the Western Jin Dynasty can consume a lot of resources and national power every year, and Dagan can earn military salaries to support the army."

Emperor Longchang twitched and said angrily: "You know what, the Western Jin Dynasty and our borders are all poor places. There are no fields or mines. What is the use of those poor places? It is impossible to make offerings every year. .The Western Jin Dynasty will fight us desperately."

"Your Majesty, I'm just giving you an example. In short, winning a battle can't be bad, right?" Wang Shouzhe said frankly, "At least the least, and you have to take advantage of trade tariffs, for example, let's make some special features." The product is tax-free, and using this product to enter the interior of the Western Jin Dynasty can not only make money, but also squeeze out the counterparts in the Western Jin Dynasty..."

"The words of a profiteer." Emperor Longchang's eyelids trembled a few times, and then he said truthfully, "We don't have any products that are better than others. Instead, we have to prevent them from doing big things and affecting and destroying our business system."

"This statement is enough to prove that His Majesty is good at war but not good at internal affairs, and he is suspected of being overjoyed." Wang Shouzhe said truthfully.

What a great joy!

This kid actually dared to say these four words in front of him...

Emperor Longchang couldn't spit out a mouthful of old blood, pointed at him and said angrily: "You, you, you... how dare you talk about me like that?"

"Your Majesty...you asked Shouzhe to say it. Shouzhe is not good at lying." Wang Shouzhe looked innocent, "If Your Majesty wants to stop, minister, minister, just shut up."

"Don't...stop." The Great Emperor Longchang panted heavily, and said angrily, "Continue talking. I want to hear it, what else do you have to say?"

"Your Majesty chooses someone from a military family to serve as the city guard and the county guard. There is suspicion that the military and government are not separated from the family." Wang Shouzhe continued, "The development of a place requires full-time personnel to be responsible for management and governance. The responsibility of guarding is more of the military responsibility of guarding the place, not the guard of the city is the master of the guard... May I ask that the guards of the city are all from military families, and they are transferred every 20 or 30 years. , can develop the local economy well? This government structure is really absurd~"

"You, you, you mean Lord Zhenhun?" Emperor Longchang's face turned white and red.

"It's not that your majesty is a foolish king. It's just that Shouzhe thinks that only the economy can have military power. Your majesty should spend some energy to see how to develop the local economy. For example, some time ago, Taishi Ankang, the governor of Longzuo County, took The development plan was approached by His Majesty, but His Majesty repeatedly refused because of his own interests... It shows the contempt for the word 'economy'." Wang Shouzhe said seriously.

"Okay, okay~ what else?" Emperor Longchang's eyes were spitting fire, "Speak! I order you to tell the truth!"

"Your Majesty was too majestic when he was young, but he is too kind and soft-hearted when he is old, and he is not good at running a family." Wang Shouzhe said truthfully, "During this period, princes, county kings, and even ordinary royal families have continued to explode. All kinds of ridiculous scandals. Among them, the main reason is that they are not righteous, but in the end, His Majesty is still responsible for lax discipline..."

"and also……"

"Wait!" Emperor Longchang stretched out his hand to stop him with a flushed face.

"Does Your Majesty want me to shut up? You can take orders." Wang Shouzhe saluted respectfully.

"No, no, no, I just need to slow down and take a breath first." Emperor Longchang glared at Lao Yao angrily, "Old Yao, are you blind? Didn't you see that the trauma to my soul that I suffered when I was young broke out? My What about Anshen Baodan?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, please take a rest first."

Lao Yao also reacted very quickly, and immediately took out a treasure pill, fed it to Emperor Longchang, then glared at Wang Shouzhe and said, "Shouzhe, you are so ignorant, you know that your majesty still has something in his soul. I don’t know how to restrain myself from my dark wounds. That’s all for today’s review.”

What?
Is there a hidden wound in His Majesty's soul?

Wang Shouzhe looked puzzled.

He has never heard of this information, has he?

"Alright, that's all for today." Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands.

Emperor Longchang heaved a sigh of relief as if he had relieved a heavy burden, and secretly said, if you continue to scold me, I will die on the spot.

He immediately pretended to be weak, and said "weakly": "Thank you Shouzhe for your compassion. However, this is not to say that I don't listen to people's words. In fact, Shouzhe's words are quite thought-provoking, and they can be regarded as good words. It's a pity that my body today... oh~"

"If your majesty wants to hear it, you can write down what you said today and compile it into a book when you go back. Your majesty can keep it and read it slowly." Wang Shouzhe said "compassionately and understandingly", "If necessary, Shouzhe can also wait to hear it later." Go back and reunite with your wife, and stay in Kyoto for a while. If your majesty needs it, you can call Shou Zhe to comment at any time."

I thank you!
Emperor Longchang almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Wang Shouzhe, do you really want me to die early?
……

(End of this chapter)