Yan Cigui

Chapter 324: Retreating to advance (two updates in one)

 It will be September 25th in the blink of an eye.

 The death anniversary of the late Queen.

When the Holy Spirit entered the Jinluan Hall, it was obvious to the naked eye that he was in a low mood. The courtiers bowed respectfully and discussed various matters in the court.

 No one mentioned the crown prince, no one was looking for trouble, everything was in order.

 It’s completely different from yesterday’s or even the morning before yesterday’s.

No matter what kind of intentions he had, no one who could stand in the Jinluan Palace was a fool. They all avoided annoying the Holy Emperor on this day.

It is also rare. The Holy Emperor does not have to listen to their righteous words or be cautious about temptations. However, he also knows very well that it is just for this day. When he goes to court tomorrow, there will still be various disputes.

Although Li Shao's ban was not lifted, the Holy Master still went to the East Palace after going to court.

 Li Shao did not come out to greet him.

 The Holy Father saw him in the warehouse.

Li Shao sat on the stool, holding a wooden box in his hand and various tools at his feet. He was so focused that he didn't even know that the saint was coming.

 Eunuch Guo and the Holy Master saluted.

Eunuch Cao asked him: "What's going on? What is your highness doing?"

Eunuch Guo said: "Your Highness is repairing something, repairing the damaged relics of the late Queen."

Hearing this, not only Eunuch Cao was stunned, but the Holy Master was also surprised.

"Shao'er?" He called out, but Li Shao didn't seem to hear him, so he called out again.

Li Shao finally came back to his senses. He looked up and saw the bright yellow figure in front of him. He stood up from the stool quickly.

“Father,” he smiled, “why are you here?”

The Holy Spirit walked over and looked at the wooden box in his hand.

It is indeed the relic of the late empress. It is an ebony box with no exquisite carvings. It is a very simple thing in the royal family. However, the late empress liked it very much when she was alive. She usually puts it on the ancient shelf with some small things inside. thing.

 The Holy Emperor will reward it to Li Shao because the box once contained a stone.

At that time, they were still in the Sixth Prince's Mansion. The Queen was walking in the garden in the afternoon. Suddenly a round pebble rolled beside her feet. She picked it up on a whim. It was also that afternoon that the imperial doctor who asked for her pulse diagnosed her pregnancy.

 She is pregnant with Li Shao.

The stone that made her happy was put into the box.

The Holy Emperor knew it from his previous visit. When he rewarded Li Shao, the stone was still in the box, but now it has disappeared.

It must have been bumped. The lid was opened and stones rolled down. The person who picked up the box didn't care about the details at all. He just closed the lid and the box also left traces of bumps.

 “What are you doing?” asked the Holy Sage.

Eunuch Guo just said it, but he wanted to hear what Li Shao said.

Li Shao smiled and said: "Repairing the box. The bumps on the box are not serious. I want to polish it again and apply new paint. I can't say that the repair is perfect, but it will look better."

“Do you practice it yourself?” the Holy Master asked again.

"Yes," Li Shao nodded, "Those damaged things each have their own craftsmanship, and I have almost never learned it. It will be counterproductive to rush to get started, so I can only do the simplest carpentry work. In the palace, There is someone who is good at this, so I asked him for advice."

Your Majesty’s brows relaxed a little.

good.

 At least he wasn’t so whimsical as to glue the chipped porcelain or mend the broken embroidery thread. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know whether he was raising a prince or a craftsman.

“How long did it take to repair this box?” asked the Holy Sage.

As if he felt that the Holy Emperor was lifeless, Li Shao's hanging heart dropped a little: "This wooden box was dug out today. I repaired a screen a few days ago. The leg that holds the screen was broken. Erchen helped it." It has been polished and is now drying, but the embroidery on it is stained and I can’t do anything about it.”

After Li Shao finished speaking, Eunuch Guo quickly pointed to the corner where the light was hidden: "It's right there."

Your Majesty walked over and took a closer look.

 He remembered how the screen was broken, but now it seemed that it was at least stable.

He even squatted down to look at the repaired feet. The workmanship was not very delicate, but it could be seen that the person who did it was careful and conscientious.

Eunuch Cao helped the Holy Father.

The Holy Spirit stood up, stretched out his hand and asked Li Shao for the box.

"This hasn't been polished yet. Father, please be careful when pricking your hands." Li Shao handed it over and reminded him.

 Sheng looked at the box and then at Li Shao's hand.

Carpentry tools can easily hurt hands. Li Shao seemed to have been scratched on the back of his hand, leaving a red mark, and there were also large and small cuts on his fingertips.

 “Come inside with me and talk for a while,” the Holy Master said.

Li Shao agreed and said to the palace attendant who pointed him out: "Leave them all alone until I come back to continue. You are not allowed to replace me."

The palace man naturally agreed.

The father and son entered the inner hall, and Eunuch Cao followed them to wait on them. He said to himself that the atmosphere today was much better than the previous one, so there should be no need to worry too much.

Even so, Eunuch Cao did not stay in the inner hall, and left after serving tea.

The Holy Father sat down, and this time, he asked Li Shao to sit down as well.

“Why do you think of repairing your mother’s relics?” The Holy Master asked after taking a sip of tea.

Li Shao smiled and seemed a little reserved: "You said a lot that day, and I all listened to it.

 Er Chen did think wrong and did many things wrong, which disappointed you.

 You said that day that you should let me think more about it. I have been thinking about it and recalled a lot of what Dafu and the others said.

But there were too many things in my head, hammering here and there, making it difficult to think clearly at once. Erchen thought that maybe if he had something to do, his thoughts would be clearer, so Erchen thought of Empress Xiuyi. relics.

To tell you the truth, it is indeed a good method. When I do things, my mind is very calm, and when I think about it, I can get twice the result with half the effort.

This is also good, as it allows the sons and ministers to understand the teachings of their father and the empress. "

These words were said with great sincerity. The Holy Father looked deeply at his favorite son and sighed for a long time.

"I said," he said, "I'm afraid you can't figure it out. Shao'er, I would be happiest if you could figure it out."

"I know," Li Shao said, "I have done so many things, and you are the hardest hit. In the past, I had too simple ideas. I studied with the young master and the others, and learned riding and shooting from the master. Even if I went to the Ministry of Rites to observe Politics and thoughts were so distracted that I never stopped, calmed down and thought seriously.

You punished my son to be grounded. In the past few months, my son was also confused and did not cherish this opportunity.

Now that I know the seriousness, I want to stay in the East Palace for a while and think about it seriously. "

The Holy Spirit smiled and nodded.

If Shaoer still said the same arrogant and wrong words as that day, he would really be extremely disappointed, but what Shaoer said was different.

 There is no grandeur or exquisite words. Shaoer speaks very straightforwardly and plainly. This is the communication between their father and son. Compared with any grand words, the Holy Spirit really likes to "speak plainly".

 Real and real.

 “Wait to go down to the courtyard, facing the west, burn incense and kowtow.” The Holy Master said.

To the west is the direction of Dingguo Temple.

Li Shao nodded: "My son thought so too and asked Eunuch Guo to prepare an altar table."

Sure enough, everything was set up in the courtyard, with the altar facing the west, fruits and cakes on it, the incense burner, and a futon in front of the table.

 The Holy Spirit went out with Li Shao.

Li Shao took the three sticks of incense, knelt on the futon, and saluted seriously.

He did not say anything to the late Queen about his "thoughts," but his manners were extremely upright. After the ceremony, Eunuch Guo put the incense into the incense burner.

Li Shao did not stand up, but took another incense: "This is for Mrs. Chengyi. If it hadn't been for her great kindness that day, my son and I would not be where we are today."

 After speaking to the Holy Father, he continued to salute. After offering incense, the Holy Master called Li Shao to the inner hall.

“I sent someone to see Xu Jian,” the Holy Sage said. “It is not easy for him to recover from his injuries. He has lost a lot of weight these days.”

Li Shao pursed his lower lip and wanted to say something, but in the end he still had no words.

"Shao'er, you have a problem with Xu Jian, and his injury will always be a knot in your heart," the Holy Master said, "But no matter what, Xu Jian is worthy of your trust, and he will also be able to help you in court affairs in the future. You are many."

Li Shao said in a dull voice: "Yes."

"He risked his life to save you. He wants to marry Ning'an, the daughter of your savior. Their relationship with you is close enough." The Holy Lord lowered his voice, "Let me make it clear to you that something happened in Chen Mi Hutong earlier. , when the court was in chaos, it was Xu Jian who insisted on protecting you.

 It’s just as messy now. It can even be said that in ten or twenty years’ time, you won’t be able to do it alone, and it may be even messier.

 You can choose many capable ministers in the court, but the best one for Xu Jian, or in other words, the only one he can choose is you.

It's too close, so close that even if he has two intentions, others may not dare to use him sincerely.

Xu Jian is not a person who really knows how to live his life and get by. He has a great cause in his heart. A general who has determined to lead troops on the battlefield since he was young will not be willing to be mediocre.

 Don’t let your capable and reliable ministers dare not do things for you because of your own ideas. "

 Li Shao glanced at the Holy Emperor.

 He actually felt very uncomfortable.

 He knew that Xu Jian was facing him behind Chenmi Hutong, and Xu Jian just wanted to suppress him.

 What Xu Jian wants is "control". This is a game between him and Xu Jian.

Li Shao was annoyed to death by Xu Jian's methods of looking for trouble, but today, he could not tell his father about Xu Jian's fault.

 He could only endure his emotions, lowered his eyes, and accepted his father's suggestion.

 The Holy Spirit did not say anything further.

 He has said enough and plainly enough.

If Shaoer is really thinking seriously these days as he said, then he can understand all the twists and turns and priorities here, how to get along with Xu Jian, and how to stand in the court. Stable.

 Not just as a "Crown Prince", but as a true Crown Prince.

 If Shao'er still can't listen, then...

The Holy Spirit patted Li Shao on the shoulder, which really disappointed him.

Li Shao saw the emperor off and watched the imperial driver leave. The gate of the East Palace was closed tightly. Then, the reverence on his face faded and his brows furrowed tightly.

 After the autumn wind blew for a while, he went to the warehouse again, sat back on the wooden box, picked up the wooden box and played with it.

 Feng's inner servant is waiting on the side.

His little eyes looked around, and when he saw no one approaching, he lowered his voice and said, "Look, the Holy Spirit is in a much lighter mood today."

Li Shao sneered and looked at him a few times: "Reward."

 Feng’s inner servant was busy thanking him.

After angering his father last time, Li Shao knew something was wrong.

Not only was he unable to follow his original plan, he was released from confinement before the anniversary of his mother's death. He even had to continue to be trapped in the East Palace, with no idea when he would leave.

No matter how lazy he was to listen to what his father said, Li Shao knew that he had to lower his head, take two steps back, and deal with it.

 To lift the ban, we must let the father calm down.

 While he was locked up in the East Palace, it was not easy for him to see his father, let alone calm his father down.

 It was the servant Feng who gave him the idea. At least on the anniversary of his death, his father would definitely come.

 Sure enough, things went smoothly.

 By repairing the relics and relying on those words, he succeeded in making his father much more peaceful.

I have to say, this is very exciting.

Li Shao was very happy to see that what he had carefully prepared had come to fruition. He could control his father. Is there anything more exciting in the world than having his father be happy, angry, sad, and happy according to his ideas? ?

 He is even ready to retreat in order to advance.

He said that if he wanted to be grounded for a while longer, he would eventually be able to be grounded for a shorter period of time. He knew his father too well, and his father liked to hear those "truthful words."

 How did Xu Jian gain the respect of his father?

 Aren’t they just those “truthful words”?

 Yes, it’s Xu Jian!

 When he thought of his father taking Xu Jian and beating him again, Li Shao became angry.

Knot?

Xu Jian dares to tie him back to Yumen Pass, why can't he still have a knot in his heart?

Who can be so upset by Xu Jian and not have any grudges?

 Joke!

Feng's wife looked at Li Shao's expression and said, "Don't worry, you will be able to go out soon. When that time comes..."

Li Shao licked his lips and sneered.

 At that time, he will definitely vent all the grievances he has been feeling over the past few months.

 In the other room, in Chengyi Bo's Mansion.

Lin Yunyan inserted the incense into the incense burner, then sat on the edge and burned the paper money seriously.

 I thought a lot silently in my heart.

 Putting her past and present lives together, she offered incense on the anniversary of her mother's death, which was far longer than the number of years since her mother left. All her memories of her mother came from the narrations of people around her.

 She talked a lot, listened a lot, and also saw the portrait her father drew of her mother. Relying on these, she gradually sketched out the image of her mother in her heart.

 Perhaps different from the real mother, but it is the mother in her heart.

 A bag of paper ingots was burned cleanly.

Mother Ma said outside: "The carriage is ready."

Lin Yunyan responded and stood up to wash her hands. She had to go to Cining Palace.

On this day, the Empress Dowager was naturally in a very low mood. When Lin Yunyan arrived, she asked her to sit down next to her.

 Grandma Wang withdrew her hand.

The Queen Mother then said softly: "The Holy One came to visit the Ai family just now. He came from the East Palace."

Lin Yunyan looked at the Queen Mother.

Since the empress has turned away everyone, she naturally wants to speak more deeply.

With this in mind, she continued to ask: "How is the mood of the Lord? I heard that he has been unhappy recently because of the prince's affairs."

"The prince's behavior is indeed displeasing to people," the empress dowager said, changing the topic, "The Ai family looks at it today, and the emperor seems to have relaxed a lot."

Lin Yunyan understood.

After a trip to the East Palace, the Holy Emperor was able to calm down. It can be seen that Li Shao not only did not add fuel to the fire, but also said some "nice words".

 Is it unexpected?

 Actually not.

If Li Shao was the one who just carried it on, he would not have been able to escape unscathed when the tribute wine exchange was discovered. He knew the Holy One very well and naturally knew how to calm the Holy One.

 Are you not satisfied with the twists and turns?

 Then even less so.

 Li Shao's madness needs a process, and the Holy Spirit's disappointment also needs a process.

 Compared with a mess that makes you angry every time, this kind of alternating repetition that sometimes makes people angry, and sometimes becomes sensible and gives a little bit of hope can really make people emotionally ups and downs.

Requesting a monthly pass~~~

　　　Thanks to book friends IKURAKURA and Xiaoyuan for their rewards.

 (End of this chapter)