The rain gradually subsided, the wind did not stop, the sky was still cloudy, and the sky was gloomy. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

In this way, Li Xing followed behind Liu Cang and left the prince's mansion. I don't know if it's because Li Xing has been walking with his head down, or because there are not many people in the prince's mansion who recognize her, or because Gonggong De has been waiting for a long time, so he left the prince's mansion in a hurry.

At this time, outside the palace a hundred miles away from the imperial capital, in the vast forest, the autumn is high and refreshing, and it is the annual autumn hunting time.

A sturdy horse galloped past, Liu Zhuang bent his bow and arrows, his eyes narrowed, and after aiming, as soon as his hand was released, there was a sound of sharp arrows cutting through the air, and then there were cheers.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is heroic and has shot an elk!" A soldier had already dismounted and carried the elk a hundred meters away, not forgetting to admire.

Liu Zhuang nodded slightly, feeling that he had gained a lot today, and he couldn't help but be happy: "Roast this elk and treat the brothers!" ”

Before the words fell, the sound of earth-shattering drums was heard not far away, followed by the sound of a long and powerful horn, heralding the end of the hunt.

"Go back to the palace!" Liu Zhuang was radiant and more handsome than before.

The crowd cheered again and went to the palace gate not far away. The palace here is the palace set up when Wang Mang was the emperor. Later, after Liu Xiu conquered the country, he couldn't bear to give it up, so he renovated it a little and made it a hunting palace.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is resolute and has gained a lot, and the ministers admire him!"

The horse galloped and caught up with Liu Zhuang, and the person on the horse was Liu Ying, less of the deep and irreverent of the past, and more calm. At this time, he gave up his hand to Liu Zhuang and admired.

Liu Zhuang didn't look back, his face was indifferent, and he replied: "The second brother is falsely praised, and it is not bad to come to the second brother to harvest." ”

Liu Ying sneered: "With my archery skills, I naturally can't compare to His Royal Highness the Prince." ”

"Second brother is polite, concede."

Liu Ying only felt that today, Liu Zhuang treated him a little differently than in the past, but he couldn't tell what the difference was, so he had to speed up the movements in his hands, followed Liu Zhuang, and rushed to the palace gate.

There was already a little father-in-law guarding the palace gate, just to welcome the princes and sons who returned from hunting.

The autumn hunt lasts for one month every year and is divided into five sessions. It is held every five days, and the participants are either young talents or children of the family. According to the custom of autumn hunting, everyone needs to visit the saint first, and the saint rewards them one by one according to the results of the hunt, and the one is considered to be over. As for what to reward, it depends on the emperor's mood. Most of the time, rare ornaments such as gold, silver, and jewelry are also common to reward a military attaché general. Occasionally, the emperor is in a mood and wants to be a moon old, pulling the red thread or something, and giving a marriage can be regarded as a reward.

Everyone has arrived at the palace gate, not to mention that they are all talented and handsome, but they are all full of nobility, and when they get together, they are also a grand event, and I don't know how many of them are the objects of the nobles in the boudoir. Not long after, after Liu Zhuang arrived with all the princes and princes, everyone gathered around and went to the emperor's palace.

At this time, the emperor happened to discuss the affairs of the court with his ministers, and he heard the voice of the duck outside the palace: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has returned from hunting. ”

The ministers were about to retire, but were stopped by the emperor. The emperor is Liu Xiu, the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and now he is nearly half a hundred, although his sideburns are gray, he is still in good spirits and does not show his old age.

"All the Qing families also take a look, the future pillars of the Han Dynasty!" The emperor had a smile in his eyes, but his face was not angry and arrogant.

The ministers hurriedly agreed.

The great eunuch Lu Gonggong beside the emperor tore open the throat of the male duck, and the sharp voice instantly resounded throughout the entire hall: "Prince Xuan and others are here!" ”

With the echo, the prince and others saluted, and after three long live calls, the little father-in-law who hunted presented bamboo slips.

Generally speaking, people think that blood is not a good thing, or even a filthy thing. Therefore, the animals and other animals obtained by the hunting of the people could not be brought to the main hall, but could only be lightly ordered by the little father-in-law before entering the palace, recorded in the book, and presented to the emperor.

Gonggong Lu produced bamboo slips and presented them to the emperor. When the emperor looked at it, he smiled heroically: "Hahaha! I have successors and talents! ”

The ministers didn't care why the emperor was so pleased, but when it was time to make a sycophant, there was no ambiguity at all.

"The saint is wise, so there is such a grand occasion." Almost in unison, then the ministers knelt down and shouted three times.

The emperor was patient, and when everyone stood up, he said very generously: "Xiao Lu, you read it to the Zhongqing family." ”

As he spoke, he threw the bamboo slip at will, and Gonggong Lu trembled and took it, hugged it, sorted out the bamboo slip slightly, and read:

His Royal Highness the Prince: One elk, four goshawks, and thirteen rabbits......

Above the main hall, with the voice of Gonggong Lu, a small discussion gradually sounded. Still not surprising, the crown prince came out on top. It's just that what I didn't expect was that I didn't see how brilliant Liu Ying, the king of Chu, was in the past, but today he won the second place, not to mention the name of the prince of the Yin family, and he was on par with His Royal Highness the Prince. This is really unpredictable, is it the rapid progress of this King of Chu, or is it too deeply hidden? For a while, all the ministers had different thoughts in their hearts.

"Your Majesty, what do you think you want to reward?" After Gonggong Lu finished reading, he didn't wait for the ministers to shout long live again and again, and asked tentatively first. He has followed the emperor for so many years, but he has seen the emperor's mind thoroughly, and the emperor's smile just now is definitely not simple, at least it will not be a happy smile.

The emperor nodded: "Every year, the crown prince wins the championship, there is nothing to look at, and what should be rewarded in previous years has also been rewarded......"

Gonggong Lu spoke in a timely manner to solve the emperor's problem: "Your Majesty, the blood color of the tribute paid by the Western Regions a few days ago is wishful......

The emperor laughed dryly: "I remember that there are four lamps of Ruyi, one is dedicated to the Queen Mother, one is given to the Queen, I keep one lamp, and the remaining one is given to the prince!" ”

"Son-in-law thanks to the emperor's reward, long live the emperor!" Liu Zhuang knelt down to thank him, but his face was still unshocked.

The emperor laughed and did not forget to praise: "Get up, it's hard for you to be so stable at a young age." ”

Only then did everyone remember that the prince is only eighteen years old now, if it weren't for the identity of the prince, I'm afraid he wouldn't have done the crown ceremony yet!

"Your Majesty, how should this King of Chu be rewarded?" Gonggong Lu did not forget to remind the emperor.

The emperor's smile narrowed, and he asked back to Gonggong Lu: "The king of Chu has made such rapid progress, Xiao Lu, tell me, what should I reward?" ”

After hearing this, Gonggong Lu knelt down: "The slave should die!" ”

This and this, it is obvious that the emperor is beating himself, asking himself not to be self-righteous, thinking that the emperor will have another treatment of the king of Chu, and it may not be a reward.

As Gonggong Lu knelt down, for a while, the hall was extremely quiet, and the breathing of all the ministers was adjusted to the lightest, for fear that they would become scapegoats.

After a while, when the quiet atmosphere gradually condensed and turned into depression, the emperor said lightly: "King Chu, are you guilty?" ”

Liu Yingben felt that the palace was too depressed, but he didn't expect that the emperor was going to attack him, so he had to kneel down quickly, but he didn't know why the emperor had this question.