lying down

Candles are brightly lit in the Liangyi Hall of Taiji Palace, illuminating the main hall as bright as day.

In the huge palace, except for an old eunuch standing aside, only the current emperor Li Shimin bent over the case.On the table in front of him was a thick stack of memorials, and on the ground in front of the short table was a map of the Tang Dynasty, seven feet wide and one foot long.At this time, Li Shimin was holding a vermilion pen in one hand, and pressing a memorial in the other, frowning carefully, looking at the map from time to time for comparison.

It was almost the middle of May at this time, the weather was warm and hot, but the inside of the main hall was extremely cool, but Li Er's head was faintly sweating.

The old eunuch raised his head and glanced at the emperor. He walked quietly to the copper basin beside him, put the silk scarf over hot water, folded it, held it in both hands, and walked slowly to Li Shimin, bent over and bowed his head to offer the silk scarf.He didn't dare to take a second look at Li Er when he was in office. Although Li Er was quite lenient towards the eunuchs and maids in the palace, which of the memorials on the short table in front of Li Er was not a state event or a secret memorial? Look, unless you think you're bored.This old eunuch has been in the palace for some years, of course he is aware of these taboos, so he never surpasses them in the slightest. Li Er is both reassuring and handy when using it, so he always serves by his side.

The two seemed to have a tacit understanding, and Li Er didn't look up, he reached out and picked up the silk scarf from the front, wiped his face and handed it back, then continued to read his memorial.

"Shichen, do you think that since I came to power, can I follow the people's will?" Li Er asked abruptly, still without looking up.

The old eunuch who was retreating suddenly froze for a moment, then bent down and replied, "Saint, I don't dare to talk too much..."

Li Shimin immediately raised his head, looked at the old eunuch and said with a smile: "Your name Shichen is really not wrong, you are really like a stone. Let's say it boldly, you are not guilty!"

Hearing the words, the old eunuch bent his waist even harder, but there was an imperceptible smile on his lowered face: "It would be great if the servant is really a stone, and I don't have to watch the saint work hard every day and night. The saint, If you really want to ask me the word 'conforming to the will of the people', I dare not comment on it. I have never been out of the palace for half a step, so I don't know the world's major events, so I dare not make random comments. But the slave thinks that the saint is in line with the hearts of the people!"

"Huh? You old bastard, you actually learned how to play riddles with me! To be honest, since you have never left the palace, why do you think my actions are in line with public opinion?" Li Shimin immediately became interested when he heard Shi Chen's words, and simply put Put the ink brush on the inkstone and wait.

"Although the talent and learning of this old slave is like a frog at the bottom of a well, he also knows the saying that 'loyal words are harsh to the ear, and good medicine is good for the disease'. The sage can put Mr. Wei Zhengwei by his side, and accept advice from time to time, which shows how the sage did for the common people of the Great Tang Dynasty. From this matter alone, the old slave admires the saint's mind and demeanor very much. There is another thing, the screen behind you, the saint, whenever the saint reads the memorial or discovers a talent, there will always be Writing on it with a pen must have been introspection from time to time. If such an emperor is not an emperor who wholeheartedly serves the people and the country, he would not believe that the old slave's head was beheaded..."

Who doesn't like to hear flattery?Unless the flattery hits the horse's mouth, it will cause people to be furious.Although Shi Chen's words were a little one-sided, they also hit some important points. Li Shimin, who was photographed with a long face, pointed at him with his index finger and said, "You have gained a little knowledge from being in the palace all the year round, and you can say such things. It's not easy. People in the world know that the emperor is ordered by heaven. He has thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, hundreds of millions of people, power, wealth, and sex. They all wish to become emperor themselves. But they don't know the suffering when they are not in their positions. It is not easy to be an emperor, and it is even more difficult to be a good emperor who will go down in history. Herdsmen, raising people, and defending against foreign enemies are all related to the general trend of the world. For example, this... cough , Why am I telling you this? Shi Chen, you are also getting old, if you miss home, go back and raise yourself, staying in the palace all year round is like a canary, I know what it feels like."

When Shi Chen heard this, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, his tone was a little excited, but more pleading: "I have served the Taizu and the Holy Majesty for many years, and I have been in love with each other for a long time, and I can't do without it. I hope the sage will take back his will and let him Let the old slave serve you until you die of old age."

"When you get up, you are already old, and you will kneel down and hurt your body at every turn. I didn't make any will just now, everything is up to you. If you are tired, call a decent young boy, and you can rest more." Li Shimin's talk gradually faded , continue to look at the memorial.

But the old eunuch nodded lightly but did not leave. He quietly walked to the side to clean up the silk scarf, and stood aside like a sculpture.

Another hour and a half later, when Li Shimin had almost finished reading the memorial on his desk, he suddenly put his hands on his shoulders, soft as if boneless, and a faint peony fragrance wafted from behind him.Without raising his head, he closed his eyes and leaned back like that, just resting on the plump soft spot of the person behind him.

The two catkins on his shoulders tightened at first, but then slowly kneaded.

"Hmm——" Li Shimin let out a comfortable hum, but he leaned his head back a little harder. Hearing the movement of the woman behind him panting like blue, he smiled softly: "Guanyin servant, you know my heart best. If you are exhausted, you will definitely show up."

The woman who was called "Guanyin Maid" behind her hummed lightly, and said with some blame: "I don't blame the saint for reading the scriptures so hard, but the saint should also take care of his body. He can't get up for two or three hours when he sits. Even if the Taishang Laojun comes, he can't bear it. You must know that this body is not yours alone, but the body of all the people in the world."

Li Shimin laughed loudly, raised his right hand, grabbed a catkin on his shoulder, squeezed it, and said in praise: "Your persuasion is beyond Fang Xuanling's and Du Ruhui's. If another concubine comes, I must say something." Let the ministers below do more work, and let me rest. You still understand the general situation and love me, and you are worthy of being my queen!" After speaking, he sat up straight and slowly turned to the back, a bright and moving face appeared in sight, Those phoenix eyes are full of anger and love, and even a tough man will become soft when stared at by these eyes.

"Saint..." Empress Changsun called out coquettishly, even though he and Li Shimin had been married for some years, he was also a little shivered by the deep love in Li Shimin's eyes.

Li Shimin was in a happy mood, patted the Queen's hands lightly and sighed: "Recently there have been a lot of things in the middle school, there is nothing you can do. Just wait a moment, and I will turn back after I finish reading these few books."

Empress Changsun lightly nodded her phoenix head, knelt quietly behind Li Shimin, and continued to knead her shoulders.However, just after rubbing it a few times, Li Shimin laughed and scolded: "It turns out that I am not as good as a little general! Sorrow! Sorrow! Maid of Guanyin, tell me what is the reason for this? You know Sun Simiao and Daoist Sun, his skill His medical skills are like the reincarnation of Hua Tuo, I have offered three times and five times to put him in the imperial hospital. But he repeatedly refused, but he didn't expect to be abducted by one of my little generals, and he settled down in Jinyang!"

"Oh? There's such a thing?" Rao, even Empress Changsun, felt a little unbelievable, and looked at Li Er in amazement.You must know that this old man has superb medical skills, but he only loves to travel around the world. Regardless of Li Er's wealth and power, he is not tempted.Because his reputation originated in the previous dynasty, he saved countless lives and cured countless people, and he has already gained a lot of moral praise and prestige among the people, so even Li Shimin has nothing to do.But now she was abducted by a "little general" in what her husband said, which is really unbelievable.

"Look, look! It's actually Xu Shiji's notebook, and it describes the reasons and circumstances in great detail. The two have only known each other for a few days, and they have formed a fate! Hey, this little order is not bad, Guanyin servant, please comment : The mountains and rivers are like gathering, the waves are like anger, Tongguan Road inside and outside the mountains and rivers. Looking at the western capital, I feel hesitant and sad. Where the Qin and Han Dynasties traveled, thousands of palaces and palaces have been made of soil. Prosperity, the people suffer; death, the people suffer.”

Li Shimin chanted with relish, and Empress Changsun listened more seriously, and said in a short while: "The style of this song is tragic and gloomy, and the style is bold and vigorous. Its meaning comes naturally from the description of the scenery and lyricism. It is like the emotion of an old man who has experienced the world, and like a The middle-aged people in the melancholy country lament. The artistic conception and writing are all excellent, saint, I wonder which famous master this is from?"

"Haha, Avalokitesvara, you are of good quality, but you guessed wrong. According to Xu Shiji, this little order was made by the master of the little general. He chanted it when he was talking with Sun Simiao, and thus captured Daoist Sun. What's even more miraculous, Sun Laodao actually performed a laparotomy on this kid and cured a nine-year-old child of an incurable disease!!"

Empress Changsun's eyes widened, as if she had heard the most unbelievable rumors in the world, she murmured, "Isn't it true that no one has had this magic skill since Hua Tuo?"

However, Li Shimin rarely took the words of Guanyin's servant girl, but picked up the brochure with both hands and read it quickly.There are only a thousand words in a book, but Li Er was stunned to read it for a full cup of tea.After reading it, he gently placed the booklet on the low table, got up and paced back and forth in the hall.It was time for a cup of tea, and Li Shimin hurried back to the case, picked up the ink brush and dipped it lightly twice, and quickly wrote three words on the upper right corner of the big screen behind him: "Ouyang Yu!"

"Congratulations to the sage for getting another talent!" Empress Changsun gave a light praise, bent down to give her a blessing, her face brimming with joy.