then Li Sao

Zhou Heng is not an ignorant mediocre person.

The first emperor wanted to train him, so he naturally gave him the best environment and the best teachers, so he has high attainments in both literary and martial arts.But in Luo Ping's view, this is far from enough.

For a king, the most important thing is not to cultivate oneself, but to grasp people's hearts.People, courtiers, and the harem are full of people's hearts waiting for him to find out, and this is precisely what Zhou Heng, who has lived in the deep palace for a long time and has never experienced storms, lacks the most.

He wanted to help him, but his official rank was so low that he couldn't even see the emperor's face.Fortunately, the little emperor seemed to be instructed by Li Yuanfeng and others, so he regarded his imperial edict as important.

That day Luo Ping took a lot of documents and sent them to the Imperial College, but on the way back he met a young eunuch.

The little eunuch didn't know him very well yet, so he stopped in front of him and asked hesitantly, "Excuse me, is this lord Luo Ping Luo Shizhao?"

"Exactly, I don't know what's the matter with my father-in-law?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Luo please come with me."

Luo Ping nodded: "Yes, Mr. Lao is leading the way."

To Luo Ping's surprise, the little eunuch did not take him to Zhenyang Palace, nor did he take him to Chaoyang Palace, but led him to a very remote place in the palace - Fudong Palace.

Luo Ping's heart shuddered.

This is the place where Zhou Tang used to live. What is the purpose of the little emperor's appointment to meet here?

Fudong Hall has been idle for several years, now that the emperor arrived, of course it has been cleaned spotlessly.After Luo Ping entered the room, he was guided to sit down, but the little emperor hadn't come yet.

After a while, the little emperor stepped in, followed by only two servants.

Luo Ping quickly stood up and saluted: "My minister Luo Ping pays his respects to His Majesty."

Zhou Heng helped him up: "This is not the imperial court, Luo Qing doesn't need to be polite, I just want to talk to someone."

"Yes." Luo Ping couldn't figure out Zhou Heng's intention, so he didn't dare to say more.

Zhou Heng spoke first: "Luo Qing, you must be wondering why I called you here?"

Luo Ping neither nodded nor shook his head: "Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"The emperor uncle who was closest to me used to live here. At that time, they all said that my emperor uncle was a disaster star. You must not get close to it, or it may kill me. But I always feel that the emperor uncle is not What kind of wickedness, he is only four years older than me, and he is clearly still a child, why do you have to be so harsh on him?"

Luo Ping listened to him quietly without interrupting.Several servants had already exited the door and waited outside. It seemed that what the little emperor wanted to say was relatively private.

"At that time, I had the protection of the emperor's grandfather, and the people in the palace praised me to the sky. I saw him always alone, and felt very pitiful. Now I realize that the feeling of being isolated is really not good. It's good, but what you need is not the pity of others, but the support that allows you to come out.

"Luo Qing, I have heard about you. Many people say that you are a person who is extremely greedy for power, but I know that although you are greedy for power, you are never afraid of power. You hold power in your hands, not Be its slave.

"Let me put it bluntly. In such a big city, there are not many people who dare to openly confront the emperor and the others. Even my majestic son of heaven can't do anything about it. Both the second and third emperors demanded to be regents on the grounds of assisting the new emperor. Luo Qing, I need your help."

Luo Ping respectfully said: "I'm afraid it's hard for me to take on such a heavy responsibility because I'm a lowly official."

Zhou Heng understood: "I know you are dissatisfied with your current official position, you can rest assured that within a month, Li Zongzheng and other veterans will find a position for you in the Department of General Affairs, and then you can rest assured."

"Your Majesty, I don't understand something."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Why does Your Majesty trust me so much? I have been punished by the late emperor for dismissing him for ten years, and I have never done anything to Your Majesty. Your Majesty does not trust your own uncle, but instead entrusts the important task of assisting the government to an outsider. I am really relieved." Can I go?"

Hearing what Luo Ping said, Zhou Heng blushed slightly.

The young emperor seemed a little shy: "Actually, all I know about you is from other people's mouths. When I was young, I often heard Shaofu and the others say in Chaoyang Palace that there was... a defiant official in the imperial court. Known as a prodigy, he gained fame at a young age. Relying on the emperor's favor, he would not buy it from anyone, and even contradicted the emperor in public. I am curious, what kind of person dared to disobey the emperor's grandfather, and once ran to the Zhenyang Palace to steal I heard the conversation between you and Grandpa Huang..."

Luo Ping was surprised, he didn't expect that his bad deeds would leave such a deep impression on the little emperor: "At that time, the humble minister was young and frivolous, and he did things without measure, which made His Majesty laugh at him."

"No. They all said that you are indifferent and ruthless, but I heard what you said to Grandpa Huang. I still remember those words clearly."

"Weichen... what did you say?"

"You questioned the emperor's grandfather, 'The decree of the eldest son's succession has been drawn up, but has the emperor asked the wishes of the emperor's eldest grandson who has been locked in the Chaoyang Palace all day long'... I think you are probably the only one who has cared about my thoughts How can such a person be indifferent, so I begged the emperor to let you be my teacher the next day."

Luo Ping couldn't help laughing: "It's a pity that I will be dismissed soon, the late emperor will definitely not agree to you."

Zhou Heng hummed, and said again: "Not only that, but also Uncle Seven."

"King Yue?" Luo Ping never expected that Zhou Tang would mention himself to him.

"It can be seen that Seventh Emperor Uncle really likes you. At that time, he always said that you were a hopeless official fan, rigid and boring, but after you were dismissed from office, he didn't come to Chaoyang Palace for a long time.

"I have always heard that there is a rift between Uncle Qihuang and you. It seems that he often teases you because of the matter of fighting for the reward from Grandpa Emperor. But then I realized that it was you who cared about him and responded to him, so that he no longer It's only when you're alone that he takes you to heart like that.

"Luo Qing, I'm placing a bet. Now I'm also facing the predicament of being alone and helpless. At that time, you will care about the Seventh Emperor Uncle, and I believe you will not leave me alone, right?"

Luo Ping was speechless.

He suddenly realized that he might not know Zhou Heng as well as he imagined.Because the child was blocked by the high wall, he looked at people with his own heart. He was very simple and very smart.

"Today I sent someone to Yuezhou to deliver the imperial edict, and summoned Seventh Uncle to return to Beijing to report on his duties."

Luo Ping's heart sank: what should come can't be avoided.

"He doesn't have a mansion outside the palace, so I had to make an exception and let him live back in the palace temporarily. I think he should be used to it."

"What does Your Majesty want to summon him for?" Luo Ping asked knowingly.

"It's the edict of Grandpa Huang." Zhou Heng said, "I'm very happy that Uncle Seventh Emperor can come back, so I personally came to see the place where he used to live and ordered someone to clean it up."

When parting, Luo Ping looked at the thin back of the 14-year-old little emperor, and for some reason, he really remembered Zhou Tang at that time, and couldn't help but reach out and brush a bamboo leaf off his shoulder.

Zhou Heng paused, and looked back at him with wide eyes.

In just a moment, Luo Ping came back to his senses, held the bamboo leaf with his fingertips and said: "Your Majesty, it is better not to go to the bamboo forest, there are poisonous snakes in it, it is very dangerous."

Zhou Heng smiled: "You are the same as what Uncle Seventh Emperor said."

"..."

"I just want to see how terrifying the bamboo forest is." Zhou Heng took the bamboo leaf and played with it in his hands. "It's very gloomy there, but it's not as scary as the temple under the dragon chair."

It was this sentence that tormented Luo Ping's conscience.

As someone the little emperor trusts with all his heart, he doesn't know what kind of face he will use in the future to help Zhou Tang win the country from him.

The child mistrusted him, and also mistrusted the childhood playmate.

They are all poisonous snakes under his dragon chair.

But he was right about one thing, strangling Luo Ping's seven inches——

Luo Ping couldn't leave him alone.He came back this time not only for Zhou Tang.

----

Sure enough, in less than a month, Luo Ping became a deputy envoy of the General Administration Department from a young age.This is something that has never happened in the official department, but it happened to him.

Jumping several grades in a row, it is really "a steady rise to the top". Luo Ping's official career has always been criticized and envied.

The transfer to Luoping was to take advantage of the fact that the little emperor's second uncle, King Ning, and the third emperor, King Rui, were fighting each other.

King Ning made a high-level move and forced King Rui to the Peizhou Imperial Mausoleum, where he was asked to serve as a filial piety for the late emperor for three years. King Rui's younger brother, King Yan, the sixth emperor's uncle, was taken hostage by King Ning. .

Just as King Ning returned home after a great victory, he suddenly found that there was another nail under his nose.

Although his face was ugly in the early court, King Ning was very tolerant and did not have an attack.He believed that no matter how capable this Luo Muquan was, he could not stop him from becoming a regent.

It's just that he didn't expect that there would be another wave of ups and downs. Before Luoping was resolved, Yue Wang Zhou Tang was called back by the little emperor again, using the late emperor's edict.

The king of Yue will enter Beijing tomorrow, accompanied by a thousand soldiers, claiming to be the Nanshan Army...

Luo Ping put aside the report jointly sent by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites, holding a pen in his hand, and wanted to write something, but the pen hung in the air for a long time, but he didn't write a single word.

Ink dripped on the paper, blurring black marks.

After returning to Mocheng, he was busy dealing with the little emperor's entrustment and King Ning's oppression, and tried his best to forget Zhou Tang's matter, but once he calmed down and thought of him, he realized that his heart was actually a mess.

He knew how angry he would be if he left him like that, especially after he took the initiative to get close to him.

Luo Ping stayed alone in the Tongzheng Department all night without sleep.

When the sun came into the window, he rubbed his sore eyes, got up and adjusted his official uniform, and rushed to the morning court.

I haven't seen him in March, so I don't know what happened to that person.Did you resent him for leaving without saying goodbye?

When Zhou Tang entered the palace, he was dressed in dust and dust, and his complexion was a little gray. He really looked like he had just recovered from a serious illness and had rushed back to report on his duties without stopping.

Even so, Man Chaowen and Wu were still startled when they saw him.

——Is that really the ignorant Seventh Prince?

Tall figure, handsome face, brows with the grace of the former emperor, the dark pupils did not have the surlyness of the past, replaced by calm and introverted.

He pursed his lips tightly, strode down the steps and saluted the little emperor.He bowed to his nephew without any rigidity.

Ever since he appeared, King Ning's expression was not very good-looking, he squinted at him, surprised that he had ignored him for so many years, at this moment he had to reposition the seventh brother in his heart.

Zhou Tang's eyes quickly wandered around the hall, seeing Luo Ping paused almost imperceptibly, and then quickly moved away.

Luo Ping secretly let out a sigh of relief, putting away unnecessary worries.In just three months, his Xiaotang has grown a lot.

The king of Yue respectfully stated to the little emperor the various matters concerning the suppression of bandits in Yuezhou in the past few years, as well as the methods and results of the previous natural disasters in Yuezhou.After hearing this, the little emperor praised him greatly, saying that he governed well, and asked him if he had any rewards he wanted.

King Yue said modestly: "I was not able to accompany my father when the emperor passed away. I was really unfilial. To share the emperor's worries is what a courtier should do. I don't dare to ask for any reward when I am guilty. I can only ask for one thing."

"Uncle Seventh Emperor, please tell me."

"In order to wipe out the bandits in Yuezhou, I temporarily recruited a Nanshan army. Now these soldiers go through life and death in exchange for the peace of the people, but they have no formal establishment and cannot receive the imperial military salary. I feel deeply guilty for them. I would like to ask Your Majesty to allow them Formally incorporated into the military registration of the Ministry of War to reward them for their contribution to peace. As for the punishment of beheading first and then playing, the minister will bear it all."

"What's the matter with Uncle Seven Emperors? You have done your best to help me stabilize the world. What crime is there? Regarding the matter of military status, I will definitely..."

"Your Majesty, please think twice!" The servant of the Ministry of War stepped forward and said, "Even if the king of Yue conscripted troops privately for the purpose of suppressing bandits, it is unreasonable. If the Nanshan Army is included, the local army will follow the lead of the king of Yue, and it may not be good for your majesty. .”

"Master Zhu, is he afraid that the king will join the army to rebel?" Zhou Tang asked sharply, stunned by the words of the Minister of War.

He was giving such admonitions at the behest of King Ning, but he didn't expect the King Yue to be so aggressive, and King Ning didn't seem to want to speak for him yet, so he couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, I am thinking of you."

The two sides were in a stalemate, and the little emperor didn't know what to do for a moment, so he couldn't help but look at Luo Ping for help.

Luo Ping returned a reassuring smile, rolled up his sleeves and was about to play when he suddenly heard a cold snort, stopping his steps.

King Yue has something to say.

Zhou Tang saw the exchange of expressions between the two, and he frowned slightly, shot Luo Ping a look, and said coldly to the Minister of War: "Master Zhu is a loyal minister, it is normal to have such concerns. The number of the Nanshan army of the king is not large, and the army of thousands of people has been brought to Mocheng by the king. The king only wants to let the soldiers live without worry, and did not want them to continue to serve him. Before this time Come on, I will hand over this army to the emperor for dispatching the imperial guards. This king will leave the capital soon, and will not take them away again, can Master Zhu rest assured?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.

They understood that King Yue didn't come to ask for rewards, he came to give gifts.

He gave this elite Nanshan army to the little emperor, not only to show his loyalty to the emperor, but also to get rid of the suspicion of treason, and to openly give King Ning a note of mawei - if he wants to attack the little emperor, let me go first close it.

In the end, the Ministry of War had no choice but to accept the gift, and Luo Ping watched from the sidelines without saying a word.

After coming down to court, Luo Ping returned to the Secretary of General Administration, and King Yue was arranged to rest in Fudong Hall.

Each is speechless.