When Zhao Mo came to his father Zhao Shuo's house, it was already dark.

Zhao Shuo was at home, preparing to have dinner, and when he saw Zhao Mo coming, his face immediately lengthened: "For the Chinese New Year, I haven't been at home all day, where are I going to hang around today?" Seeing that he is about to reach the age of a man, he has the cheekiness to ask the emperor for the title, how can he say that he has opened a mansion and has a fief, why is he still messing around like a child?!"

Although Zhao Mo is only a county king now, and his title level is slightly inferior to that of him, the prince, but he has a fief, an independent mansion, and a holy family, and his situation is not much stronger than him. As a father, Zhao Shuo is far inferior to his son, and he doesn't feel much relief in his heart, but he feels more envy, jealousy and hatred. Now that he caught Zhao Mo for a little mistake, he couldn't help but scold him.

Zhao Mo didn't take it too seriously. The age when he cared about his father's words and deeds has passed, and now it can be said that he has gone through a thousand tempers, and he can stand firm in any accusations against his father. He saluted his father, and when he had fulfilled the number of courtesies, he turned his head and saw that Xiao Wang's and Lan Xue were present, and even the third brother Zhao Qi was there, so he smiled slightly and saluted Xiao Wang's: "I've seen Madame." He called Zhao Qi again, "Third brother." But he ignored Lan Xue.

Xiao Wang has lost a lot of weight now, there is only a handful of bones left in his body, his chin is pointed, and his face is without flesh, making him look more and more mean. She raised her eyes and glanced at Zhao Mo, "um", she didn't say a word of politeness, and it seemed that she didn't even bother to do it. Zhao Mo didn't care, even if he wanted to make an appearance, he was only limited to meeting and saluting, just shouting, he really asked him to be a filial son, he refused. It is best for him and Xiao Wang to maintain this cold relationship, which is the best arrangement for each other.

Zhao Qi is now five years old, only a little taller than the table, a little thin, with a pale face and a pointed chin, and he doesn't seem to be very healthy. But his eyes were large, and they turned with an aura, not as unpleasant as his mother's. Zhao Mo greeted him, and he also greeted him back with a milky voice: "Big brother." He smiled a little shyly, naturally with a little intimacy. Zhao Mo paused when he saw this, gave him a smile back, and didn't say anything more.

It's true that he hates Lan Xue, but he doesn't want to bully a milk doll.

But Lan Xue seemed to be a little unwilling to be left out, and greeted Zhao Mo with a smile: "Brother hasn't seen him for a few days." Chinese New Year's Eve was still spent in the palace. Although it is the grace of the queen mother and the emperor, the prince has been talking about his brother, and when he is free, he should go home to live for a few days, and be more filial and filial to the prince? ”

Zhao Mo blinked and ignored her. Zhao Shuo was a little overwhelmed: "Didn't you hear your aunt's words? Other people's sons know filial piety to their fathers, why would my son make a block for me? When I go back to the capital, I don't live at home, I have to move to the palace, and I have to go to the palace for the New Year, is it possible that my house is too small to be worthy of the title of county prince?"

Zhao Mo smiled: "Father's words are serious. You are a royal house here, no matter how small it is, it is also rewarded by the emperor, how can you not be worthy of people? It's just that the Liao Wangfu is our home after all. My father had a house from the Imperial Palace, so it was difficult for me to move back in, but I couldn't get through the door. If my father and I were used to such a large palace and not going back, would the people in the palace still know who we were? ”

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Shuo immediately forgot to continue to pick on his son's thorns: "Hmph, they forgot, we just didn't forget it ourselves." There will always be a day when I will enter the Liao Palace, and when the time comes, those bastards who have no one in their eyes, let me go as far as I can! If they think that if they hug the thighs of the princess and the second and third children, they will be able to sit back and relax, they will have the wrong idea! No matter how the second and third children toss, it is useless, I am the eldest son, and the title of the prince should have been inherited by me, this is the law of etiquette, and it is not something that the prince can change with selfish intentions. The second and third sinners, who have registered in the Zongren Mansion, should die of that heart as soon as possible!"

Zhao Mo said: "I'm in the palace over there, and I heard that the second and third uncles haven't been honest lately, and they seem to want to make some trouble again." Father must be very careful, don't follow their way. ”

Zhao Shuo waved his hand: "Don't be afraid, what kind of climate can they become? It's just to scare people in vain, can your father still be afraid of their little tricks that can't be put on the table?"

Zhao Mo picked up a sentence: "Since my father knows it in his heart, I am relieved." If I find out anything, I'll tell my father about it. ”

Zhao Shuo nodded with satisfaction, feeling that this son had not completely disappointed, at least he knew the importance in his heart, and understood that his father could sit firmly in the position of the son of the world, which would only be good for him.

Lan Xue couldn't help but feel depressed when she saw that she had finally provoked a quarrel, and Zhao Mo said a few words lightly. She was about to speak again, but she heard Xiao Wang say expressionlessly beside her: "It's not too early, let's pass the meal." It directly blocked the possibility of her opening her mouth to provoke again. She had to stretch her face and go to eat by herself.

There is no way, now Lan Xue still has to pretend to be a virtuous concubine in front of Zhao Shuo. Zhao Shuo has recently returned to the step-family Xiao Wang, and she, a virtuous concubine, can only swallow her anger for the time being, so as not to be caught by the Xiao Wang family. Zhao Shuo would not slap his wife in the face and sacrifice his vital interests for the sake of her concubine.

This meal Zhao Mo ate tastelessly. Lan Xue wanted to stand at the table and wait for Xiao Wang's diet, and her heart was also depressed. Zhao Shuo is thinking about how to deal with his stepmother and brothers, and he has to beware of his biological father's troubles. Xiao Wang's face was straight, and no one knew what he was thinking. Zhao Qi, who was only about five years old at the banquet, was happy to eat enough.

After dinner, Zhao Shuo was about to talk to his eldest son, so he specially ordered someone to prepare tea. Xiao Wang got up and left, and said to Zhao Shuo before leaving: "Don't forget what my sister and brother-in-law proposed, you must let the child understand how important things are." Zhao Shuo nodded solemnly: "Don't worry." ”

Zhao Mo squinted his eyes, watched Xiao Wang leave, looked back at his father, and knew that the play was coming.

Lan Xue squeezed out a smile and was about to say something to Zhao Mo, but Zhao Qi suddenly spoke: "Auntie, I'm going back." ”

Lan Xue had to coax him: "Brother Qi is good, he just eats, isn't it good to talk to his father more?"

Zhao Qi said in a milky voice: "Father wants to talk to the eldest brother, let's not disturb them." After finishing speaking, he jumped off the chair, shook his hands, and made a gesture to Zhao Shuo, which was regarded as a salute and retreat.

Zhao Shuo didn't know what Lan Xue was anxious about, but instead looked at his youngest son's childish appearance and smiled: "Good boy, you can go." After freshening up, you can play for a while at most, and then you will go to bed, you know? Ming'er gets up early, and my father asks the kitchen to make you a snack for love. ”

Zhao Qi suddenly smiled: "Thank you, father." After another gesture, he took Lan Xue's hand and left. Lan Xue reluctantly turned back one step at a time, and he urged her. Lan Xue couldn't resist her son, and she was afraid of destroying her virtuous image in Zhao Shuo's mind, so she had to leave reluctantly.

Only Zhao Shuo and Zhao Mo, father and son, were left in the house.

Zhao Mo looked at his father: "Today, my father sent someone to the Liao Wangfu to send me a letter, asking me to come over, saying that there is something important to order, I don't know what the hell is going on? I was not at home at the time, Ah Shou also asked someone to inquire, who knew that the person sent by my father refused to say a word, and left." Could it be some kind of confidential matter?"

Zhao Shuo's expression instantly became a little embarrassed, and he coughed lightly: "That person...... Not a descendant of our family. I sent Sheng Er to deliver a letter to you, and it just so happened that ...... One of your uncles has never seen you, and he is curious, he is young and playful, so he pretended to be a little boy and went with Sheng'er. You're not at home, but you're upsetting his boss. In the first month, you don't run around outside. In addition to serving the Queen Mother and the Emperor in the palace, and going to the East Palace to talk to His Royal Highness the Prince, the rest of the time, you should stay at home as much as possible, or come to your father's place, and go to other places less, and it will be in vain to go horizontally and vertically. ”

Zhao Mo's gaze was a little meaningful. Zhao Shuo's words, could it be that he was hinting at something?

He asked Zhao Shuo: "I don't know which uncle's uncle came from?" Ah Shou They didn't recognize it, and they didn't even recognize the people in the Liao Palace, so they really regarded their uncle as a little servant, which was really neglectful." ”

Zhao Shuo hesitated again: "There are so many people in the clan, who can recognize all of them?" I met him at your Uncle Jie's place, although he is young, he is the same generation as us. When you see him in the future, I will introduce you to him, you have to be respectful, don't take people in your eyes just because they are young. ”

He never said who the "uncle" was. There are many people in the clan who are older and similar in age to Zhao Mo, but no one needs to hide their heads and show their faces. Zhao Mo felt more and more that there was a problem, could it be that there was something taboo about that person's origin?

Zhao Shuo waved his hand: "You don't have to ask, when you see people in the future, you will naturally understand." I have something else to ask you. On the seventh day of the first lunar month, there is a banquet in the palace, you must go, and when the time comes, don't patronize and bury your head in food, and ignore outsiders. You're also older, it's time to learn to socialize and expand your network. Otherwise, you, the king of the county, have been in the fiefdom for many years, and you have no acquaintances in the capital except for the Qin family, what benefit can you get? The Qin family itself has no real power, but it is just decent to listen to it from the outside. You should know more high-ranking officials and famous generals who hold real power, and you should ask others for advice on how to be a person. ”

Zhao Mo looked at him: "Father didn't say that about the Qin family in the past. ”

"At that time, I was fooled by the Qin family, so I took his family to heart, but in fact, it was just bluffing. Zhao Shuo waved his hand and said, "How many years has the Qin family not entered the palace?" People outside said that he had already lost his holy family, and the emperor only left him some dignity in the face of the queen, and he did not explicitly reprimand. As for Yongjiahou, he is an old man who has been teaching in the countryside for decades, and he has the talent to learn, but he is useless, and he has no real power, at most, he just goes to the palace to accompany the emperor to talk about some gossip, and he can't become a climate. No matter how close the emperor treated him, he only rewarded him with his title and property, and his two sons are still working as petty officials in the local area. It can be seen that the emperor knows in his heart that he will not forget his proportions because he is close to his relatives. Such a person, you just respect it, as long as the etiquette is thorough, you don't need to take it too seriously. Yongjiahou is just a pension in Beijing, and he may not even know which high-ranking official in the court is in power, what can you expect from him?"

Zhao Mo remembered that Qin Bai could casually tell Zhao Shuo's recent movements, as well as the changes of the Wang family's in-laws, and even the Yun family's grandson died clearly, Qin Hanzhen also knew that the Yun family's feed was held by the second daughter-in-law, the fourth aunt and grandmother of the Wang family. He looked at his father's gaze, which became a little subtle.