then Li Sao

Zhou Tang returned to the palace, looked at the glazed tiles of the Chaoyang Palace from a distance, and went through the little master's teachings in his heart again: pretend to be pitiful, show sympathy, and be a rascal, and then resolutely walked in the direction of Fudong Palace.

Across the bridge from the Fudong Palace is the Central Stable Supervisor on the outside of the palace wall, where horses, donkeys, mules, hounds and other livestock are domesticated. Zhou Tang came to the gate of the Central Stable Supervisor and straightened his clothes , stepped in.

Seeing that it was him, the steward inside only raised his eyes a little, ate the melon seeds and said, "Yo, isn't this His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince?"

Zhou Tang walked up to him with his hands behind his back, and said with a sneer, "You have good eyes, you slave, but you don't seem to have a good brain..."

The steward was taken aback when he heard this.

While he was in a daze, Zhou Tang swiped his sleeves and threw all the food and melon seeds on his table to the ground: "It's a shame! If you don't kneel down and salute when you see the prince, do you still have the dignity of a monarch in your heart! Where did you put my father's face!"

There was a jingling of bells, which made the steward tremble in fright, and the two pieces of melon seed shells stuck to his mouth were shaken off.

He heard from the servants in the Fudong Palace that this little prince is not favored and has no abilities, he is a soft persimmon that is easy to pinch, so he didn't pay attention to him, he never thought that this soft persimmon would give him a big blow as soon as he came.

Using the emperor's reputation to suppress him, how could he dare to be negligent, and hastily knelt down to salute: "Your Highness, forgive me. I drank too much wine, isn't this just a moment of confusion..."

Zhou Tang snorted: "Get up, lead the way, this hall is going to pick a donkey."

"Ah? What?" the steward wondered, "What do you want a donkey for, Your Highness?"

"I want it if I want it, you don't care what I do!"

"But……"

"It's not that you want a war horse, it's just a little beast, why are you so procrastinating!"

"Your Highness, it's not that the lower officials refuse to give it, it's against the rules..."

Zhou Tang squinted at him, put on a high-spirited look and said, "You must know that the father wanted to give the emperor's eldest grandson a donkey at the Spring Festival banquet a while ago."

"Your official knows. The emperor later sent someone to lead ten little donkeys to Chaoyang Palace, but they were sent back shortly after, saying that His Royal Highness, the eldest grandson, didn't like it."

"Hmph, Heng'er has a childlike heart, so of course he doesn't like it when no one plays with him. When he invited me to Chaoyang Palace, my father was also there. This time I just led the little donkey to play with Heng'er. You are here Slowly, Heng'er won't be able to wait for me later, if you are unhappy, tell your father, how many brains do you have to afford it!"

He threatened the steward like this, but in fact, he was beating drums in his heart.

He knew very well that no one in the palace regarded him as a prince, so he had no choice but to move out the emperor and the emperor's eldest grandson. His face was worthless, but those two's face was worth a lot. To use the idiom taught by the little master, he was "fake the tiger's power".

Even if everyone doesn't regard you as a prince, you still have to treat yourself as a prince, this is your dignity - Zhou Tang continued to bully and lure the steward as he kept chanting the words of the little master in his heart.

"Conversely, if you can win Heng'er's favor, will the benefits be less? If Heng'er wants to keep some pets in the future, he will definitely want to come to you. You can borrow a donkey from the hall in exchange for the emperor's pet. The trust of the eldest grandson, whether this deal is worthwhile, you have to weigh it yourself."

After he finished speaking, he was not in a hurry to move forward, and just stood there waiting for him to figure it out.

The steward was considered a shrewd person, he could tell that this unfavorable seventh prince was also trying to curry favor with the eldest grandson of the emperor, and probably wanted to take this opportunity to show his face in front of the emperor more.

Since it's all about pleasing him, then he will definitely not harm him, so the steward said with a smile on his face: "Your Highness taught me, I will take you to choose a donkey to take with you. It just so happened that the ten donkeys from last time were still recorded in the donkey. In the name of Chaoyang Palace, it doesn’t matter if you take one or two of them.”

"That's the best."

Leading the little donkey out of the middle stable prison, Zhou Tang breathed a sigh of relief.

The first step was finally taken, even though it made him tremble with fear.I don't know if it will go well in the future.

Chaoyang Palace...a place he would never dare to get close to on weekdays. If he looks at it from a distance, some servants with good deeds will run to report to the emperor, saying, "I don't know what the Seventh Prince is trying to do with the eldest grandson of the emperor again." The most indispensable thing is these gossips.

But the little master actually told him that he had to go in today and get close to Zhou Heng's annoying child. Thinking about it, he felt uncomfortable, and his stomach was growling from hunger, and he was even more wronged.

It's not that he doesn't understand Luo Ping's painstaking efforts.In any case, a strong physique and superb martial arts are necessary conditions for a prince.To better protect yourself, those skills must be learned.

At his age, the elder brothers had already started to practice zama step and internal breath adjustment, and the fifth son's marksmanship had been praised by his father. In this respect, he was indeed far behind.

No matter how unwilling he was, he still stood in front of Chaoyang Palace.

Taking a deep breath, he changed his arrogance just now in the middle stable, tugged at the donkey behind him, and timidly said to the guard at the gate: "Heng'er, is Heng'er here? Last time he said he wanted to see what the donkey looks like." , I brought one to play with him today..."

Before he finished speaking, the guard said: "Your Highness Seventh, the emperor has ordered that no one should visit His Royal Highness the eldest grandson privately."

Zhou Tang shivered: "But, but... I brought it here. Please, can you inform me?"

His clothes were dusty, dust was still standing on his face, and he stared at the big eyes like that little donkey, as if he was about to cry.

Seeing that he was so helpless as a child, the guard couldn't harden his heart, so he could only persuade him softly: "Your Highness Seventh, you'd better go back, His Royal Highness doesn't need anything, you can keep this donkey for yourself to play with. "

"Hmm... No one in Fudong Palace plays with me, I, I..."

With his head down and his feet rubbing against the ground, Zhou Tang made the most of his "pretending to be pitiful".

He didn't say go or say no to go, which made the guards look at each other in blank dismay. It wasn't wrong to drive him out, or not to drive him out.

At this time, someone had already gone to the Zhenyang Hall to inform the emperor, and they thought, if it is really not possible, let the emperor solve it himself.

Zhou Tang was burning with anxiety, and suddenly heard Zhou Heng shouting: "I don't want to practice swords! I don't want to practice swords! I want to find my father! Go away! Go away!"

It is estimated that the child must be tired of practicing martial arts in the yard and is throwing a temper tantrum.

Zhou Tang's eyes flashed, and he had a plan in mind, and decided to play a childish temper himself.

Thinking of this, he flattened his mouth, sat on the ground, kicked his legs and started howling: "Heng'er! I heard Heng'er's voice! I want to play with Heng'er! Why don't you let me in! Woooooo Woo... I even brought him a little donkey, is it going to be a waste of time... Woooooo, I want to see Heng'er!"

The guard was dumbfounded.

The child who was timid and well-behaved just now is actually splashing.

Tears rolled down the dust on his face, and Zhou Tang wiped it off with his sleeve. As a result, the dirt on the sleeve was wiped on his face again, and his originally white and tender face suddenly became blurred.

There was a howl inside and outside the wall, and even the sobs echoed each other from afar.

The scene was quite funny, and the guards wanted to laugh a little, but they didn't dare to laugh with the seventh prince on one side and the grandson of the emperor on the other.

Chaoyang Palace was in chaos, and two children were heard crying loudly one by one.

Zhou Heng also heard the commotion outside, and asked, "Outside... hiccup...who is it?"

The servants and martial artists around him didn't speak. He dragged his little sword and ran to the door, and asked the guard outside through the door: "Who is crying outside?"

Zhou Tang thought that it was almost done, so he used the hairpin to pierce the donkey's buttocks, and saw the little donkey jump up and down, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" mixed with his dry howls, adding to the confusion.

Zhou Heng recognized it: "It's Uncle Qihuang! Uncle Qihuang came to play with me! Let him in quickly!"

"Your Highness, you can't let it go..."

"I don't care! Let him in! If you don't listen to me, I'll tell Grandpa Huang to cut off your heads!"

The guards had already been quarreled with each other, and with Zhou Heng's threats, they gritted their teeth and let Zhou Tang in.

Zhou Tang stopped crying immediately, Zhou Heng stopped crying immediately, and the little donkey stopped braying.

Chaoyang Palace finally quieted down.

Wiping off his cold sweat in secret, Zhou Tang thought to himself, the little master's advice is really incisive.

To deal with the people here, head-to-head is definitely not enough, it's the most effective to play rascals!

----

Zhou Tang and Zhou Heng teased the little donkey for a while, and Zhou Heng giggled happily: "It's fun, this donkey is very obedient, and it's much more fun than the ones the emperor sent last time!"

Zhou Tang sneered in his heart: Idiot!This is one of the few sent last time!

With the help of the martial artist, Zhou Tang got on the donkey very depressed.

He couldn't sit still on a donkey, let alone ride it. He was not as good as Zhou Heng, who was four years younger than him.This made him realize more deeply how incompetent he is, and it also strengthened his determination to practice martial arts well.

Jumping off the donkey, Zhou Tang was dizzy and almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, the martial artist next to him helped him: "Your Highness Seventh, are you alright?"

After Zhou Tang stood firm, he touched his stomach and said, "I'm fine, I'm just... hungry."

"Hungry? Uncle Seventh Emperor, why are you hungry? Didn't you eat?" Zhou Heng asked with concern from the side.

"Well, I went to find you a donkey, and I haven't eaten anything." While opening his eyes and talking nonsense, his stomach growled in response to the occasion, as loud as thunder.

Zhou Heng was very moved when he heard this, and waved his small hand: "Come here, hurry up and prepare meals and snacks! I want to have dinner with Uncle Seventh Emperor!"

Zhou Tang finally got his wish.

At this moment, he suddenly had an angry thought in his heart: Has the little master calculated everything?Even making me hungry to gain sympathy was arranged by him?How could he be so cruel to torment me like this...

But soon he dispelled this resentment.

Regardless of whether the little master plotted against him or not, everything he arranged was to help him.

He is his own little wife, only for his own sake.

Knowing this, he is content.

This was a meal that Zhou Tang had never enjoyed.

Exquisite vegetarian dishes, fragrant roast chicken, thick bone soup, soft and glutinous white jade cake, sweet and crunchy fruits... There was a big table full, and he ate it voraciously until his stomach bulged.

Just as he was touching his belly with one hand and wiping his mouth with the other, the eunuch's shriek announced from outside.

Everyone thought in their hearts - the emperor is coming.

Zhou Tang has always been in awe of his father, wanting to get close, but knowing he hates him.He deliberately did some willful things in an attempt to attract the attention of his father, but in the end he just became more displeased.

His low self-esteem and self-abandonment almost all come from this lofty Ninth Five-Year Lord.With the identity of the prince, he was a transparent person in the palace. Before he met Luo Ping, he didn't even know how to deal with himself.

But it's different now, he won't face his father with such a childish mentality anymore.

Clenching and loosening his fists, Zhou Tang welcomed the emperor with a panicked look.

"Father, Royal Father, my son, pay respects to Royal Father!"

"Get up."

There was no emotion on the emperor's face. He glanced at Zhou Tang casually, then sat next to Zhou Heng, hugged him and said, "Will Heng'er study hard today and practice martial arts?"

Zhou Heng faltered twice: "Heng'er has finished reading, but he doesn't want to practice sword... Grandpa Huang, Uncle Seventh Emperor came to find Heng'er, can Heng'er take a break and play games with Uncle Seventh Emperor? "

Only then did the emperor turn his gaze to Zhou Tang, and seeing him sitting beside him respectfully, hiccupping because he ate too fast, Xiao Hua's face was flushed red, after all, he felt a little pity: "Tang Son, why did you get into such a miserable state, won’t you drink some water if you choke. Remember to eat on time in the future, and don’t be too playful.”

"Understood, Father."

Zhou Tang took a few gulps of the tea on the table and finally stopped hiccupping.

The atmosphere was quite harmonious. The emperor didn't blame Zhou Tang for being abusive at the gate of Chaoyang Palace, nor did he blame Zhou Heng for not practicing martial arts hard, and he didn't even convict the guards who let Zhou Tang in privately. , let Zhou Heng continue to practice martial arts.

Before leaving, he said: "Heng'er is very lonely in the palace alone, Tang'er, come and play with him when you are free."

Zhou Tang was ecstatic, but still kept a respectful and cowardly face: "I, can I come again?"

The emperor said: "Heng'er is your nephew, as long as you don't do anything rebellious, there is nothing you can't do."

——This is regarded as tacitly allowing him to enter and exit Chaoyang Palace.

However, the emperor only said to let him play with Zhou Heng, but did not say that he was allowed to study together.The masters and martial artists in Chaoyang Palace didn't dare to speculate on the holy meaning, they were a little confused.

Fortunately, the kid Zhou Tang didn't cause them any trouble, he just focused on playing and didn't clamor to learn this or that.So they thought in their hearts that if the emperor asked and replied that the seventh prince himself was not easy to learn, it should have nothing to do with them.

In the early morning of the next day, Zhou Tang couldn't wait to go to the Sweeping Hexuan, and brought the cakes from Chaoyang Palace.

The servants of the Fudong Palace learned that the master was in the limelight in the Chaoyang Palace yesterday, and immediately became courteous. They prepared clean brocade clothes for him early in the morning, and even smoked them. The food box is packed, and I hope he will go to Chaoyang Palace to earn more face, so that these slaves will follow suit.

Little did he know that his master was not in a hurry to go to Chaoyang Palace.

Zhou Tang knew that Zhou Heng was studying literature in the morning, so what was he going to do?He has young masters to teach him, and he doesn't care about those old masters with white beards and wrinkled faces.

When he arrived at the Hanlin Academy, unexpectedly, Luo Ping was waiting for him by the lotus pond.

This early in the morning, before the time to enter the court, the entire Hanlin courtyard was quiet, and the morning fog had not yet dissipated. From a distance, I saw that slender figure standing there. I don’t know how long he stood there, as if he was about to melt into the mist. bingo.

The little master is waiting for him.

Is it because you are worried about him?

Zhou Tang heard his heartbeat beating, driving his steps faster and faster.

He almost rushed onto Luo Ping's body, causing Luo Ping to take a step back to stabilize his body.

"Your Highness?" Luo Ping was stunned, and sighed, "Your Highness, why are you so reckless, you startled me... What? Did you feel wronged yesterday?"

As he spoke, he embraced Zhou Tang's shoulder and patted gently, which made Zhou Tang's heart itchy and extremely comfortable.

Wrapping his arms tightly around the young master, Zhou Tang rubbed his head on his waist twice coquettishly, then raised his head and said, "Little master, why did you come so early?"

Luo Ping pursed his lips: "...I can't sleep, so I came here earlier."

Zhou Tang pressed, "You can't sleep because you're worried about me, right?"

Luo Ping didn't answer, and wanted to pull him away from him, but he didn't know why Zhou Tang was so strong that he couldn't pull him away.Luo Ping had no choice but to let him pick on him.

"Your Highness, how was the situation yesterday? The emperor also went to Chaoyang Palace, did you make things difficult for you?"

"Little master, answer me first, are you worried that I won't be able to sleep?"

"Your Highness, let me go first."

"If you don't answer, I won't let you go!"

"..."

Luo Ping rubbed his forehead, and said sadly: "It's really self-inflicted and you can't live, why did I teach you how to be a rascal?"

Zhou Tang smiled and said, "That's right, you taught me so well, how could I fail, how could I be wronged?"

After hearing this, Luo Ping finally felt relieved.

Arranging Zhou Tang to enter the Chaoyang Palace, he had no idea, he was afraid that the emperor would speak ill of Zhou Tang in a fit of anger, drive him out, or worse, punish him directly.

Fortunately, everything passed without any danger.

After asking about all kinds of things yesterday, Luo Ping said seriously: "His Royal Highness, from today onwards, you will go to Chaoyang Palace to steal teachers every afternoon. You have to remember my words, don't expose yourself, don't push yourself, don't..."

"Okay, I get it, little master, why did you become so wordy." Zhou Tang was impatient, he had already thought about what to do, so there was no need for little master to worry.

He took out the exquisite pastry from the food box and placed it in front of Luo Ping.

"Little master, try it."

Luo Ping lost his temper after being tortured by him. He took a snack and put it in his mouth. After eating, he said: "Well, this purple sand cloud cake is well done, but it's steamed a bit too much and it's not soft enough."

Zhou Tang blinked his eyes: "Little Master, how do you know that this dessert is called Zisha Cloud Cake? I heard that the cook of Chaoyang Palace just figured it out yesterday. Have you eaten it before?"

Luo Ping was startled and didn't know how to answer for a while.

He had eaten this dim sum in Chaoyang Palace in his last life, and the cook had already cooked it to perfection.Who would have thought that this is a new product just figured out.

How would he explain the big oolong of the unknown prophet?

Fortunately, Zhou Tang just asked casually. Seeing that Luo Ping frowned and didn't answer, he thought that this kind of pastry had long been available among the people, and it was not unusual at all, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

"Little master, next time I'll let the cook make it softer. Let's start teaching. I have to go to Chaoyang Palace at noon, so hurry up."

"Yeah." Luo Ping tidied up his chaotic emotions, opened the book and explained to him.

That's all, it seems that many things are not what he expected.

Now everything seems to be shrouded in morning mist, and he himself can't see clearly.