thorns in the sky

Chapter 22

Liu Si was very happy when he heard that King Yu had regretted his marriage, and now he heard that he was going to sell it to San Wei, and it was still sold in a bundle with his younger brother.After all, she was young, and she was brought up pampered, so she couldn't bear it in her heart, she just washed her face with tears.Liu Li went into the palace to persuade her to look away, but Liu Si just said: "How can I look away? Think about how noble you and I are, why are you selling them like goods?" Liu Li couldn't help laughing: " Elder sister is also disappointed, obviously because we are goods, we can live such an honorable life." Liu Si was stunned for a moment, and the tears seemed to freeze as if they could not fall again.

Liu Si has had a better life than Liu Li since she was a child. Although she is Liu Qi's biological daughter, she has been raised by the Empress Dowager as a spoiled guest, and her life is comparable to that of a real princess.In the final analysis, it was all because Liu Qi made a marriage match for Liu Si before his death, and made a marriage agreement with the Yu clan.Thinking that this woman is going to get married in the future, a narrow-minded person like the Empress Dowager can eat well, live well, and raise her in a pleasant manner.Liu Li didn't get a good look because Liu Li would inherit Liu Qi's title and become a Marquis.The empress dowager had many scruples about him.The young emperor may not be very relieved of Liu Li, and it would be great for the young emperor to send Liu Li away now.

Liu Li has always been subject to idleness in the palace, and finally survived until he was old enough to live outside as a noble prince, but he did not expect to be dragged out to marry him.It was so exciting.Liu Li was so ashamed and angry that he wanted to stab Ao Huan with a knife, but he still had to pretend to be happy to respond to the young emperor, and tried to persuade Liu Si to look away. When he turned around and saw Ao Huan, he had to smile Thank you for your cooperation.Then Ao Huan said shamelessly, "You're welcome, I will work hard in the future and have a bright future."Liu Li really wanted to speak out against his ancestors, but in the end he held back, swallowing his anger and smiling, really like Liu Qi when he was young.

Liu Qi looked sideways at Liu Li's expression, and there was a wave of turmoil on his face.Liu Li turned his head to look at Liu Qi, vaguely, as if he could see some pity in Liu Qi's eyes.Liu Li thought that he might have misjudged it. Liu Li could be regarded as the only one who could be trusted in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. He thought it was Wei Lue, but Wei Lue pushed his siblings to exchange land with relatives. Who else can care about his siblings?

Liu Li wanted to leave, but couldn't, as if he had fallen into a pit full of cotton. Although it didn't hurt, the sense of powerlessness made one feel depressed and hopeless.Liu Qi stood beside the pit, wanted to reach out, but backed away, he was afraid that he would be pulled into it too.The love between father and son is deep, and it can't be said all the time.He still loves himself more.

Liu Qi is willing to do his best for these two children, as long as he doesn't endanger himself.

Outside the window is a continuous drizzle, these days, the rain is always continuous.Liu Qi was sitting by the window with his chin resting on his hands, and the tip of his nose felt a little cold. He wanted to close the window, but remembered that in the rain that day, he held an umbrella and asked Wei Lue to leave.

He thought that Wei Lue was really leaving.

What about him?

Liu Qi was still hesitating between advancing and retreating.Shao Di easily sold Liu Li, which explained a lot of things.Selling Liusi is one thing, Liusi can be sold casually, it doesn't matter.Liu Li was different, Liu Li was a prince, the justifiable Marquis of the Tian Family, the nine-generation single biography of the founding father Liu Gong, and went to make a kiss when he said he wanted to get married.The meaning of this is obvious, Liu Qi might not be able to please the young emperor if he stayed in the hands of the young emperor.

But what can he get for going to Sanwei?

Ao Huan now believes in Wei Lue's evaluation of Liu Qi: sometimes he kills decisively, and sometimes he is at both ends.Ao Huan couldn't understand him like this.Wei Lue defended Liu Qi with a smile: "He rarely encounters accidents, and it's normal to be afraid of too many things." Ao Huan also couldn't understand Wei Lue's unprincipled defense of Liu Qi, so he just sneered and said: "I don't know how long it will take until he walks out by himself. Let's help him make this decision!"

In a few days, an official envoy has been sent from the Sanwei Kingdom, and Ao Huan also received an official ultimatum, and asked for a marriage in person.But the young emperor said that the king of Yu must also agree.Ao Huan said with a smile: "It's very simple. Our Emperor Tianjia, King Yu and King Sanwei will meet at the border to make a tripartite alliance. Let's clarify this matter face to face."Ao Huan smiled and said: "I also know that the Son of Heaven is honorable. If it is inconvenient, it is the same to send envoys." Those old and rude language pull.But I didn't expect the young emperor to suddenly smile and said: "Since I ascended the throne, I haven't made an alliance with the two great kings. Now it's good to meet with the two kings while there is a happy event." The young emperor agreed so readily, but he was a little embarrassed Ao Huan was surprised.It's just that Ao Huan thought about it carefully, and there are still traces to follow. After all, this young emperor is still eager to establish his prestige.

Although Ao Huan was a little surprised, he still felt that it was harmless, so he secretly said: "Even if the emperor goes in person, he still has to bring a few ministers who are proficient in languages ​​outside the Great Wall, who are good at changing things, and can hold the occasion." Not many, Wei Lue counts as one, Liu Qi counts as one, and Jin Taiwei.However, to Ao Huan's surprise, the emperor decided to keep Wei Lue in the capital, appointed Liu Qi and Jin Taiwei as ambassadors of left and right, and brought them to the frontier alliance.

But Ao Huan thought about it again, this matter cannot always be satisfactory, otherwise he would be a god.It is not bad for Wei Lue to stay in the capital now. When the intermarriage is completed, he will have a lot of opportunities to get the emperor to approve Wei Lue's mission to Sanwei.

Liu Qi didn't know whether he should be happy or not, the emperor was willing to take him by his side, and let him sit on an equal footing with Jin Taiwei, which seemed to show his trust and reuse.But he always felt very uneasy in his heart, Shaodi made him uneasy, and Ao Huan also made him uneasy.Sitting in the box of Chang'an Building, listening to the voice of the singer outside the window, he stretched out his hand and frowned, and sighed helplessly: "Young people nowadays are very difficult." Like a greedy wolf, only tired now, more like a ferocious underdog.

While he was meditating, he heard a knock on the door.He called loudly: "Come in." The one who didn't want to open the door was not the boy who brought tea, but Chang Wuling who came in with a medicine box on his back.As soon as Liu Qi saw Chang Wuling, his frown deepened, but he forced himself to relax, showing a calm smile: "Could it be that he went to the wrong room?" Chang Wuling said "I didn't go wrong", and then He closed the door smoothly.Liu Qi felt very bored, so he stood up and pushed open the window, and saw the clear wind and white clouds outside, a very nice view.He pretended to look at the scenery instead of looking at Chang Wuling.

Chang Wuling sensed Liu Qi's embarrassment, so he didn't approach him, and just stood there and said, "I heard that you are going to travel far away, I... I, as your clan brother, will come to see you off." "Brother", almost laughed out loud: "Well, yes, Chang Zibi has taken it." But Chang Wuling said: "This trip is high and the road is long, I am always afraid that you will have something wrong." Liu There was also a faint ominous sign in Qi's heart, but he didn't want to be hit by Chang Wuling's words, his eyes became a little colder, but he still smiled slightly: "I always choose good words in practice, how can you be like this?" The words in the expression seemed very intimate, Chang Wuling clearly knew Liu Qi was sneering at that time, but he still couldn't help taking it as a mocking smile, so Chang Wuling's eyes were soft and kind, and he said: "I'm concerned You, I can't accompany you on the road, and there is no one around you, so what's the matter?" Liu Qi said, "What can I do when I accompany you? You are too careless." Chang Wuling smiled wryly : "Forget my overthinking, I have some pills here, you can take them first. There are medicines and poisons, and they have been used for you before, and you know how to use them." Saying that, Chang Wuling opened the medicine box, He took a medicine box from inside, then slowly approached Liu Qi, and handed the box to Liu Qi.Although Liu Qi hated him, he definitely would not refuse this great gift, so he smirked: "Brother Clan has my heart too much, so I will accept it with a smile."

After accepting the gift, Liu Qi softened his expression a bit, and asked in a friendly manner: "You are the celebrity in front of the emperor now, didn't he let you follow?" Chang Wuling said: " Wei Zhongshu's illness is still not fully recovered, Your Majesty asked me to stay in Beijing to take good care of him." Liu Qi was startled when he heard the words: "Is his illness really not fully recovered, or is it an excuse?" Chang Wuling said: "It is a chronic illness for many years , the illness is going away like spinning, so naturally you have to take care of it slowly." Liu Qi was stunned for a while before saying: "That's good."

Chang Wuling noticed Liu Qi's emotional ups and downs, and his suspicion seemed to be confirmed by this.Chang Wuling's darker than ordinary eyes were mixed with a bitter look, making him look like a cup of unattractive buckwheat tea.There is love, jealousy and loss in this cup of black tartary buckwheat.That Chang Wuling swallowed the bitterness in his throat, and then said plain words: "You seem to care about him?" Liu Qi immediately became cautious, and smiled silently.Chang Wuling looked at his reaction and said, "There's no need to think of a good answer to prevaricate me. I will still take good care of him." Liu Qi said, "That's your job."

This is the first time the young emperor has traveled since he ascended the throne.Everything needs to be done better than usual.Liu Qi is careful and takes good care of everything with such a high standard.

On the way to patrol, the convoy moved forward and back again, running smoothly, and the color was the unique black color of the emperor, even matched with gold and silver. Looking from a distance, it looked like a viper winding among the mountains.

Ao Huan likes to ride a horse, not to sit in a carriage. He often runs forward and backward, smiling and full of energy. Liu Qi looks at him and silently evaluates in his heart: "Like a silly dog ​​going out to have fun." Liu Qi sat quietly In the carriage, when I arrived at the post station, I read the newspapers and took care of official duties. Although I was busy, I was orderly, and I could be regarded as calm and orderly.The officials also praised Liu Qi for being able to take care of such an important matter at such a young age. Liu Qi declined with a smile, but thought in his heart: "One is that I am not young, and the other is that this little thing is nothing. It is much easier than marching outside the Great Wall." Even so, he still looks tired, which shows that he is really not young anymore.

The emperor was very energetic, and there were not many female relatives accompanying him. The journey was smooth and he arrived at the palace very quickly.The magistrate greeted him very attentively, even treating Liu Qi like a dog's leg.The Son of Heaven doesn't like this kind of people who flatter people so loudly. Being flattered like this makes him appear to have vulgar taste, so he doesn't pay much attention to it.Seeing that he couldn't talk to the emperor, the official pretended to be his grandson in front of Liu Qi every day.Tangtang, a local magistrate, actually put his attitude down very low, as if he wanted to lie on the ground and lick the soles of Liu Qi's feet.It's just that Liu Qi felt disgusted when Liu Qi's feet were licked by such a bad-looking old man.But Liu Qi was not self-willed enough for Jin Jialan, so he could only deal with it, exhausted and flustered.

Seeing the magistrate coming to deliver tea again, Liu Qi couldn't help laughing and said, "I have a cold stomach and don't like tea, but Jin Taiwei is a tea lover, why don't you give him?" The magistrate smiled and said: "Is the lintel of the Taiwei's lintel so small that I can get in?" Liu Qi saw that the magistrate was slightly annoyed in his flattering smile, so he knew that the magistrate must have run into trouble with Jin Jialan.

Liu Qi pretended to be curious and asked: "Why? The Taiwei doesn't drink tea? As far as I know, he likes this kind of Longjing tea very much." The magistrate smiled and said, "I haven't seen the Taiwei either, but Before entering the courtyard, he was bitten by a dog." Liu Qi said in surprise, "Is your lord injured?" Then Liu Qi pretended to be surprised and concerned, but it was really a bit real, even the government officials were a little bit upset. Feeling embarrassed, I just said: "No, I'm ashamed to say it. I was scared out of my wits, my boots were bitten off, and I crawled away. It was a false alarm. I'm fine. Thank you, Taifu, for your concern." Liu Qi Bian said: "Is there such a thing?" The magistrate then said: "I was surprised too! I was about to ask someone to beat that wicked animal to death... You, you also know that it is the Palace of the Son of Heaven, how can it be so fierce? The beasts running around?" Liu Qi nodded and said, "Of course." The magistrate got Liu Qi's approval, and he smiled even more happily: "No! But a Taiwei's family came out and said that I broke into the Taiwei's yard privately. , I said that I was delivering tea to the Taiwei. The man in the house looked at my tea and said that it was something like a leaf, and it couldn't get into the Taiwei's mouth at all. I'll go back and have a taste of parting. The lintel of this Taiwei's mansion is so high, even a single person has to be so difficult." Liu Qi smiled when he heard this: "As far as I know, the Taiwei only brought one person with him when he came out this time." Then The magistrate was stunned for a long time, then Fang said: "Isn't that Fu Mei?" Liu Qi nodded: "That's right." How can a person be so extraordinary? He looks handsome and behaves so chicly."

Liu Qi couldn't help laughing: "The magistrate is also a person who can bend and stretch!" The magistrate heard the sarcasm in Liu Qi's voice, and only half joked and half complained: "I am poor and partial here. I still fight famine every day. A dog in this Taiwei’s mansion can kill me without paying for my life, can’t it?” Liu Qi said with a smile: “My lord probably misunderstood what I meant. It’s a good thing that your lord can bend and stretch. The way to be an official." Hearing that Liu Qi seemed to be appreciative, the magistrate was also overjoyed, and stepped up to flatter Liu Qi: "Oh, this needs to be taught by Chang Taifu. You must know that Chang Taifu is in power at a young age. I envy so many scholars in the world!" As he spoke, he began to flood the sea with sweet words, which made Liu Qi's goosebumps run down.Then Liu Qi hurriedly asked the magistrate to stop him, and only said that he wanted to go out to do some errands.

Liu Qi went out, for some reason, he also wanted to meet the dog in Taiwei's yard.They all lived in the palace, the courtyard was not far away, Liu Qi strolled in the courtyard, and then went outside the courtyard.When the gatekeeper saw that it was Liu Qi, he would not neglect, so he led him into the courtyard.After entering the yard, Liu Qi saw this legendary vicious dog, and Liu Qi couldn't help saying: "Rhubarb?" The gatekeeper said with a smile: "Oh, the Tai Tuo is really amazing, and he can still guess. It turns out that Fu Mei once raised a dog that looked exactly like this dog, with a big head and ears, yellow hair and a black back. Sometimes it was fierce, sometimes it was silly, and its name was Rhubarb.In the past, Liu Qi gave Rhubarb a golden rice bowl in order to please Fu Mei, that's all a thing of the past.

The gatekeeper said that this dog was met on the way out on patrol, and was adopted by Fu Mei, and it took him a long time to be so smooth.It's not good to keep a dog casually in the palace, but Fu Mei watched the emperor grow up and has a good relationship, so she directly hugged the dog and reported it to the emperor.Seeing Fu Mei carrying the dog, Shao Di frowned and said, "Take it away, it stinks." But Fu Mei said with a smile: "The villain is kept in the yard, so please keep him far away from the emperor, please let him approve." "The young emperor said: "Yes, take it away, it stinks." The matter was settled.This dog has been favored by the emperor Jinkou, so Fu Mei will be even more willful.

Fu Mei was also bored in the palace, she usually played with rhubarb, and she was very happy when she heard that Chang Zibi was here.Chang Zibi sat down with Fu Mei and chatted for a while.Chang Zibi also teased Rhubarb, and said with a smile: "I heard that this is a vicious dog, but it's fine if you don't want to." Fu Mei laughed, "This dog is very bullying and afraid of evil. Seeing a soft dog Just chasing and barking, and pretending to be good when encountering tough stubble." Liu Qi was stunned for a while, then smiled: "Bullying the good and fearing the evil? Then I am a villain." Fu Mei smiled and said, "I was just joking. No Do you say that people who are more afraid of dogs are more likely to be chased by dogs? Probably because you are not afraid of him, he will not bother you."

Rhubarb is indeed looking honest and honest now, not as hateful as the official accused him of, and he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, looking at Liu Qi helplessly.Liu Qi stuffed his hand into Rhubarb's mouth, and the thin palm was placed between the pale fangs, as long as Rhubarb exerted a little force, he could bite his palm to the bone.But Rhubarb still only let his teeth brush against his palm lightly, his eyes were still kind and honest, staring at Liu Qi.Liu Qi smiled lightly, took his hand out of the dog's mouth, and gave it the fruit again.When Rhubarb saw the flying fruit, he ran away with a groan, and opened his mouth to catch the food.

Fu Mei smiled.Liu Qi said to Fu Mei again: "Why don't you see the Taiwei?" Fu Mei then said: "He seems to have gone to ride a horse with Ao Huan." Liu Qi was startled, but Fu Mei smiled and said: "Let's go join us too. Is it lively?" Liu Qi really didn't want to contact Ao Huan, but couldn't help but agree to Fu Mei's request with a smile.