15

This year's winter was colder than previous years.

After a few heavy snowfalls, the officials in the morning court began to shiver as soon as they left the brazier.

The Emperor was a person who planned ahead. Seeing that the weather had changed, he ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate resources to protect against the cold and send them to the provinces in the north that had been hit by the snow all year round. He also ordered the central secretariat to order the various provinces in the north to do their best to protect against the cold. Everything had to be told to the people in writing and was not allowed to be corrupted.

In the fourth year of Chenwu, the Emperor introduced a new policy of raising honest people with high salaries. Therefore, the punishment for corruption was very heavy and the supervision was stronger than before.

The end of the year was often the busiest time for the ministers.

The Ministry of Revenue was busy taking inventory and budgeting for next year's expenses. The Ministry of Appointments was evaluating the achievements of the government. Next year was the four-year transfer period for officials. They were busier than previous years.

The Ministry of Rites was preparing for the end of the year ceremony. The Ministry of Justice was reviewing criminal cases. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue were fighting in court over military resources for this winter and next year. Even the Ministry of Works, which was supposed to be free during the winter, was very busy because of the Imperial Mausoleum renovation.

They were busy, but the Emperor was busier than them. Recently, when he wanted to write a book at night, Gou Liang refused two out of three times.

The capital was peaceful. The people were busy for the New Year. It was peaceful.

During this period of peace, the King of Qin accidentally fell into a lake in his mansion and became seriously ill.

When the other princes went to visit him, they heard him talking nonsense in bed. He begged the Emperor to spare his life. Only then did they know that the one who wanted to rebel and was caught red-handed by the Emperor was this idiot!

Seeing that he didn't have much time left, the princes all thought that the Emperor couldn't tolerate him anymore. After enduring for so long, he was finally going to make a move.

Although they hated the King of Qin, they couldn't help but feel a little sad for him.

Prince Yang was very guilty. Seeing that the King of Qin was about to be scared to death by his own guess, he could only say that it was his doing and not the Emperor's.

It turned out that two months ago, when he and the King of Qin were on duty to supervise the Imperial Mausoleum renovation, the King of Qin had a slip of the tongue after drinking. At that time, Prince Yang knew who wrote the calligraphy that the Emperor wanted them to read.

Prince Yang was so angry that his teeth itched. But since the Emperor didn't want to make it public, he didn't dare to say anything. He just deliberately made things difficult for the Prince of Qin when he was on duty.

Whatever the King of Qin said, he would say otherwise. The two of them quarreled several times, causing the Minister of Works to have a headache. In the end, he couldn't take it anymore and asked for an imperial decree from the Emperor. Only then did they stop.

Originally, Prince Yang was just a little hot-tempered, but after the anger subsided, he let it go.

But the weather was getting colder. The Duke of Qin, who had grown up in a vassal state, could not adapt to the cold in the capital. After catching two colds, he missed the good days in the Prince's Mansion in Yangzhou even more. He remembered the Duke of Qin's sins, so he bribed someone to push him …

Who would have thought that the Duke of Qin would fall so ill from excessive worry?

Seeing Prince Yang swear to the heavens that he really didn't want to kill him, the Prince of Qin was furious.

However, after knowing that it wasn't the Emperor who wanted his life, the fear in his heart dissipated. The Qin Emperor's health became better and better. By the time spring arrived, he had completely recovered from his illness.

The Emperor treated this matter as a joke and told Gou Liang. He felt that it was a pity that the Duke of Qin had survived this ordeal.

At that time, Gou Liang was hugging a hand warmer, his whole body wrapped into a ball. The Emperor held him for a short while and he was covered in sweat.

This winter was very difficult for him.

The original owner of the body was not afraid of the cold, but for some reason, Gou Liang was more afraid of the cold than when he was Zhong Gu. He couldn't leave the floor heating.

After Imperial Physician Zheng saw him, he couldn't explain why. He didn't dare to use medicine rashly. He could only report back to the Emperor to use food to warm his body. The nourishing food that he ate before couldn't be eaten anymore. He had to be careful to keep him warm.

Day and night, the charcoal fire was burning in Zhengyang Palace. Even the Empress Dowager was alarmed and personally asked several times if the Emperor was in good health.

One must know that the Emperor's health had been good since he was young. In the past, Zhengyang Palace didn't have such a big fire, even the floor heating was just a decoration.

Gou Liang wiped his sweat and said, "When they return to the vassal state, they will be busy for a while, right?"

Yang Wang was the youngest among Tianzong's brothers. When Tianzong ascended the throne, he was only three years old when he was sent to Yangzhou. His family was not prominent. These years, he was intentionally or unintentionally flattered by Tianzong.

The others were different.

Even if they were young, they couldn't resist the instigation of the influential family. Even if they didn't take action like Liang Gang and the Duke of Qin, they had several plans behind the scenes.

While they were in the capital, the Emperor made a lot of moves in the vassal state.

Even if he didn't confiscate their property, when the vassal state went back, they would naturally understand that their little actions over the years were all under the Emperor's control. Whether it was to mend the pen after the sheep was lost to the Emperor or because of the fear of having a guilty conscience, as long as they weren't stupid, they had to take out the courage to break their own tail and clean up their operations over the years.

The Emperor was sweating, but he refused to move. In his words, if Gou Liang's illness couldn't be cured, he would have to get used to it.

"Let's not talk about them." The Emperor didn't put the vassal state in his eyes. He took out a booklet from the pile of memorials and handed it to Gou Liang, saying: "Tomorrow you will go back to celebrate the festival. I have prepared a gift list. See if there is anything missing."

After looking at the lengthy gift list, Gou Liang was speechless, "Your Majesty, do you want my father to have a bad New Year?"

The Emperor disagreed: "I have seen the gift list of your two brothers-in-law. They also gave a lot of things. I am also your newly married husband. Even if you don't want to give me a status, how can I be inferior to them? "

Hearing this, Gou Liang let him be.

The next day, He Taiji rushed out of the palace with three carriages full of gifts before Gou Liang, giving General Chu a fright.

Before General Chu could figure out why His Majesty the Emperor gave such a generous reward, he found that compared to the reward the Emperor gave to Gou Liang, this was nothing.

Because Gou Liang had to stay in the manor for five days before returning to the palace, the Emperor was afraid that he would freeze in his own home.

This time, not only did they send people to renovate the earth dragon in the small courtyard, even the charcoal they used was the highest grade gold charcoal used by the Imperial Palace. From the four treasures of the study to the bedding and clothes, every drink and peck was a tribute.

Gou Liang didn't have a specific concept of giving gifts to his in-laws. He thought that the Emperor gave the gifts according to the list of gifts given to Chu Jian and Chu Jia's husbands. When he returned home, he found that he gave more than twice as many gifts as those two combined! The narrow-mindedness of comparing and showing off between "sisters-in-law" was completely exposed. Gou Liang was angry and amused at the same time.

Faced with General Chu's questioning, he didn't know how to explain. He could only say that he didn't know.

General Chu was in fear and trepidation. On the other hand, Madam Chu felt that what the Emperor did couldn't compensate for her son's loss.

Seeing this, General Chu hurriedly warned him, "Thunder and rain are the Emperor's kindness. Don't rely on the Emperor's kindness! What's more, not to mention that Si Lang is still alive now, even if he died for the Emperor, it's the Chu family's honor. We can't complain. "

Madam Chu didn't like to hear this.

He said, "It's the Chu family's honor, not my son's! Don't think that I don't know anything. Why did the Emperor promote Chu Qian to the third-rank Imperial Guard Battalion Commander? What he enjoys is the blessing that my son exchanged for the rest of his life! Don't you and your father feel guilty? Do you want my son to sacrifice his life so that the Emperor will let you have a meteoric rise because of the Chu family's friendship?! "

"You!"

General Chu was infuriated. "You're being unreasonable!"

After all, he wasn't a woman who beat her husband. He couldn't be angry or scolded, so he just left. Madam Chu didn't let him go and stopped him, "You tell me clearly. Don't leave!"

While General Chu and Madam Chu were arguing, Chu Qian came to Gou Liang with two young Langjuns.

She stuffed her young son, who hadn't reached the age of one, into Gou Liang's arms. Chu Qian took off her clothes while wiping her sweat, "It's terrible. Being here is like jumping into a fire pit."

She hurriedly asked her son to take off his outer clothes. She looked at Gou Liang's stiff body as he held the baby and laughed out loud. She patted her five-year-old son's shoulder and pushed him to Gou Liang's side, saying, "Go and take a look at your uncle. If he doesn't like the younger one, you have to go and take the older one."

"Eldest brother, what are you talking about?"

Gou Liang looked at him with amusement. He led his eldest Langjun to the low couch and let him eat the food on the small table.

General Chu glanced at it and said in amazement, "Is this a tribute from the south? It's so fresh. "

Gou Liang asked him to eat it but he refused. He said that he was an uncouth man and couldn't get used to such things. He couldn't taste it if it didn't fill his stomach.

Gou Liang said that he would give some to her husband as a show of filial piety. He didn't allow him to refuse.

Chu Qian loved her husband and thanked him on behalf of her sister-in-law.

As the two brothers were talking, Chu Qian's servant hurriedly came to report that there was a fight in the main courtyard. Madam Chu was packing her things and said that she wanted to go to the temple. She was stopped by General Chu.

The two of them were shocked.

They probably knew that they had alarmed the younger generation. When Gou Liang and Chu Qian hurriedly arrived, General Chu and Madam Chu had already stopped fighting.

However, the atmosphere was still tense. General Chu sat at the side with a pale face. Madam Chu was lying on the couch and crying uncontrollably.

When Gou Liang asked, he pointed at General Chu and scolded, "This heartless thing. You suffered so much and he didn't even feel sorry for you. He said that the Emperor's grace was vast and mighty and he wanted to accept it no matter what. I think he can't wait for you to die. He wants to kill us father and son! "

"When did I say such a thing?!"

General Chu slammed the table and stood up.

Chu Qian hurriedly stopped him. When he understood what Madam Chu said, he looked at Gou Liang and General Chu in shock. His expression also changed.

When his father wrote to him about the adoption, he didn't explain the reason. He only used the excuse that Gou Liang didn't want to get married. Chu Qian didn't expect that there was such a hidden story.

After comforting his two fathers, Gou Liang said to Chu Qian, "Brother, father said something wrong. Don't take it to heart. He doesn't know much about politics. His Majesty isn't a person who thinks highly of others because of this. He put you in an important position because of your ability, not because of other things. Don't let him down. "

Chu Qian patted his shoulder with heavy eyes. Although he said that he didn't mind, he had already made up his mind to do some work as a husband. He wanted to choose an auspicious day to adopt his son to Gou Liang.

Madam Chu's temper came and went quickly. The quarrel quickly disappeared in the bustle of the festival. Instead, it was Gou Liang who got the cold.

The Emperor burned incense in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for three days. He only had time after paying respects to his ancestors with his relatives.

Seeing that the baby he took care of was sick in the blink of an eye. He looked haggard. When he found out that it was because of the gifts he sent, he was very unhappy. He didn't know who to vent his anger on.

Gou Liang lay on his back and said to him with a smile, "Yesterday, my second and third brothers came back and told me something interesting."

"They said that two sons of a certain family came back with their husbands to pay a New Year's visit. One wore a silver bracelet and the other a gold bracelet. Their father despised the husband who wore the silver bracelet because he didn't have any ability. He didn't even keep him for dinner. He said that he only ate and didn't vomit. He might as well feed him to the dogs. In my opinion, if you put the gold bracelet on me, my father would definitely show off in front of my second and third brothers. They wouldn't eat at home. "

The Emperor could tell that he was teasing him. He didn't feel ashamed and instead said proudly, "Little Kener, don't be angry. I will definitely let you wear the gold bracelet for the rest of your life. If others wear one, you will wear a pair."

That proud look made Gou Liang fall on his back laughing.

After staying the night in the General's residence, the next day, the Emperor ordered Gou Liang to enter the palace to study. After that, he wasn't allowed to leave.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, it was the Lantern Festival.

Gou Liang was afraid of the cold. The Emperor didn't want him to leave the palace and get sick. Therefore, he only ordered Tong Gensheng to light the lanterns in Zhengyang Palace.

In the inner palace, the Empress, who had just been released from confinement, held a lively lantern banquet.

In the past, no matter how impatient the Emperor was, he would still come here to sit for a while during the festival for the Empress Dowager's sake. But this year, the Empress sent people to invite three times. She even begged the Empress Dowager, but she still couldn't get the Emperor to come.

The way the concubines looked at the Empress changed.

The Emperor didn't say why he was confined, but now it seemed that the Empress had greatly offended the Emperor.

No one rejoiced in his misfortune. Instead, they all gritted their teeth in hatred. The Emperor's feelings for the inner palace were going to be ruined because of his stupidity!

No matter how many handkerchiefs they bit, they didn't disturb Gou Liang's mood.

At this time, the Emperor had his arm around him and was holding his hand as they painted the lanterns together.

The Lantern Festival was also Valentine's Day in this era. All the lovers in the world put out their lanterns together. The scene was very spectacular. It was said that the most popular lantern this year was a "destined for three lives" lantern. Tong Gensheng had the Imperial Household Department buy a few, but the Emperor ignored them.

He said, "How can three lives be enough? In this life, the next life, and the next life, you will be mine. "

Gou Liang smiled and said, "What if you don't recognize me in the next life?"

The Emperor raised a hand to poke his dimple, "I won't not recognize you. Even if I didn't meet you, I wouldn't want anyone else. I would always wait for you to come to my side. "

Gou Liang's eyes curved. He didn't reply, but the emotions in his pen became more lingering.

The Emperor wrote some words on the side and asked him, "Aren't you going to write something?"

Gou Liang shook his head, "No need. No matter where you are, I will find you. You have to obediently wait for me in this place, do you understand? "

The Emperor smiled and said, "How can I trouble Xiao Kener with such a difficult task. Zhen will find you even if you are at the ends of the earth."

Gou Liang snorted.

The two of them placed a lantern on the highest tower of the imperial palace. They gazed into the distance at the sea of lanterns rising from all over the capital. It was a picturesque scene that warmed people's hearts.

Watching the sky lanterns float into the sea of lanterns, the Emperor didn't let Gou Liang stay for long. First, he was afraid that Gou Liang would get cold. Second, Gou Liang was still in the period of passion tonight. The Emperor didn't want to waste this good time.

While they were gazing up at the sea of lanterns, there was also a person in the quiet path who was gazing up at the lantern on the tower floating into the distance until it couldn't be seen anymore.

"Let's go."

The Imperial Noble Lord said.

The servant was surprised. The Imperial Noble Lord would come to the tower to look at the lanterns every year during the Lantern Festival. He wouldn't leave until late at night. How come this year …

The Imperial Noble Lord walked a few steps and turned back to look at the tower that still seemed cold in the night.

He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but the lights on the tower that never went out all year round seemed to be brighter tonight.

*

Lantern viewing in the first lunar month, spring outing in the second lunar month, and peach appreciation in March.

After the weather warmed up, Gou Liang, who had been hiding for the entire winter, completely let loose. He couldn't stay in the Imperial Palace any longer.

If it wasn't because he was riding horses in the suburbs of the capital that he forgot the time to return to the palace, then it was because he had personally gone to Huguo Temple to brew a pot of peach blossom wine. He wandered through the spring scenery just to pick the most beautiful peach blossom of the spring.

The Emperor couldn't leave the palace frequently. Seeing that he was bored to death, he let him play. He only had the Night Owl carefully protect his safety. But seeing that Gou Liang was enjoying himself so much that he didn't want to go home, the Emperor went back on his word and took back his order, saying, "When court is adjourned, I will accompany you wherever you want to go."

His coaxing was not sincere.

Because the day of rest was during Gou Liang's period of passion, even if he went out, he would come and go in a hurry. Furthermore, the Emperor was very strict with him at that time. It was impossible for him to enjoy himself to the fullest.

Fortunately, compared to the colorful world outside, Gou Liang preferred to accompany the Emperor, so he didn't refute.

In the fourth month, the local officials began to be mobilized according to the achievements approved by the Ministry of Appointments and the transfer orders personally approved by the Emperor. Among them were a group of officials from the capital who were posted outside, while there were also a group of officials who were returning to the capital.

Xu Fei was one of them.

After being posted outside Yangzhou for ten years, he returned to the capital with outstanding achievements. Everyone knew that he would have a bright future.

Because Xu Fei was not an outsider. He was once the Emperor's prince's study companion and had the merit of supporting the Emperor. It was also because of this that when the nobles were being suppressed, although the Xu family didn't give much help to the Emperor, they still enjoyed these years of glory, splendor, and wealth. Even the Xu family's Shuang 'er, who didn't have a very high status, was appointed as the Emperor's Noble Lord, with the same position as the Vice Empress.

Although Xu Fei was posted outside, ten years ago he went to Yangguang as an imperial envoy to perform the duties of the Son of Heaven on behalf of the Emperor. He got rid of corrupt officials for the Emperor, and afterwards he stayed in Yangzhou.

Yangzhou's governance was restored to clarity, and he deserved the most credit.

Now that he was back in the capital, many people had their eyes on his backyard.

Xu Fei got married seven years ago, but because his official husband saved his life, he was able to marry Xu Fei with the identity of Shuang 'er of the merchant family.

And this Shuang 'er not only had the color of the flower caltrop on her forehead so faint that it was almost invisible, she also didn't leave behind a pair for Xu Fei these years. It was rumored that her appearance was extremely ugly. Therefore, when Xu Fei's transfer order came down, many people in the capital went to the Xu family. Even if Xu Fei didn't divorce her husband, wouldn't a concubine who could give birth to a son be just as glorious?

Xu Fei finally returned to the capital. Seeing that he was summoned by the Emperor as soon as he came back, the nobles' enthusiasm was even higher.

"This humble subject, Xu Fei, pays his respects to the Emperor!"

Gou Liang, who was sitting below, looked curiously at the Emperor's study companion who was rumored to be a legend in the capital. He then heard the System's notification in his ear:

[Ding, Master. Warm reminder, he is the same as the original owner, a hidden pair.]