When the two sisters returned to the palace, they heard the news - the king of Wuling.

King Wuling is the elder brother of today's son, only one year older than the Son of Heaven, and he has just reached the year of knowing the destiny of heaven. Just in time for the June heat, he drank a few more glasses of ice wine. While playing in the water with the concubines, he suddenly suffered a stroke and fell, and passed away a few days later.

King Wuling lived in the vassal country all the year round, and had no contact with the palace, among the children of the Son of Heaven, only the two princesses Miaofa and Miaoyin had seen him, and the rest of the people were very unfamiliar with this uncle, and they couldn't talk about how sad they were when they heard the news. Only follow the rules and abide by filial piety to mourn.

However, both Xu Si and Zhang Guifei understand how important this change is.

The Son of Heaven was forty-nine years old. The eldest son, Vimo, was fifteen years old, and the second son, Prajna, was seven years old, and both passed the age of easy premature death.

Over the years, the courtiers have asked for the crown prince many times, but they have been forcibly delayed by the Son of Heaven, and everyone knows that he is waiting for the second prince to grow up. Although the courtiers were more supportive of the generous and benevolent prince, they were helpless about it - first, the world was defeated by the Son of Heaven himself, and the Son of Heaven held real power, his waist was hard, and his words were extraordinarily counted. Second, the eldest prince is too weak and sickly. The courtiers unanimously asked for the crown prince, and the prince was tired because of the heat, cold, and case...... Fell ill for an inconsequential reason. Where else can the courtiers be stubborn?

At least they are not as confident as the Son of Heaven. After all, the greatest use of the crown prince is to determine the imperial system and stabilize the hearts of the people, so as not to compete for the throne of the princes in the future. And the prince's only duty is to succeed the Son of Heaven after his death, so as to continue the stable dynasty. A prince who is difficult to enjoy at first glance, no one dares to guarantee that he will be able to live past the Son of Heaven, what is the use of setting him up?

However, the death of King Wuling made a difference.

Because of the death of his brother, who was only one year older, the Son of Heaven personally felt the approach of old age and the impermanence of life and death.

After this incident, he must have realized more than anyone the urgency of establishing his successor.

So will his choice be Vimo? Or Prajna?

Is he a long and virtuous, full-fledged prince, who can only be seen in his conduct within eight years of being out of the cabinet, and is valued by the world? Or is he seven years old, just out of the cabinet, and his qualifications and virtues are not known to the world, but the second prince loved by the Son of Heaven?

All of a sudden, the atmosphere of the government and the opposition became tense.

But the Son of Heaven did not move.

When he felt headache and fatigue at night, Xu Si gently helped him massage his temples. He raised his hand to remove Xu Si's hairpin, and watched the jet-black hair cascade down like a waterfall, spreading out on his beautiful and graceful back. He raised his hand to caress Xu Si's fair face, his fingers running across her slender and graceful neck. I couldn't help but sigh in my mouth, "It's really unwilling......"

Xu Si stared at him calmly, and he said, "I am already old, but you are still so young and beautiful. ”

Xu Si remembered the oath of "holding the hand of the son and growing old with the son", and his unwavering heart was also touched. In fact, she is no longer young, but perhaps because her mood is clear and open-minded, she has never been trapped by love, and she can't even detect aging. Over the years, the temperament and charm have become more and more mature and moving.

However, even though his face has not changed much, his heart has long been vicissitudes.

She took the Son of Heaven by the knee and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead. "You're not old, you're still so tall and handsome." ”

The Son of Heaven's gaze couldn't help but soften. In the past, he always liked to suppress her under him, so that every one of her was under his control. On this day, he buried his face in her arms like a child, and said, "Say more of what I like to hear." ”

Sure enough, some people in the court couldn't bear it and mentioned the matter of establishing a prince.

This time, the tone of the courtiers was much tougher, after all, the Son of Heaven had indeed reached the age when it was time to think about the future. The death of King Wuling also gave the courtiers an opportunity to openly mention that the Son of Heaven had entered old age, and that the prince could not delay the matter without fear of violating his taboos.

When the Son of Heaven went to court, the courtiers blocked him to make a prince. When the Son of Heaven returns to the harem, he occasionally goes to sit in the palace of Zhang Guifei, and Zhang Guifei must also seize the opportunity to ask the Son of Heaven.

"My brother has been a young craftsman for many years, and he always builds bridges and paves roads. Haven't you always praised him for his neatness? Why don't you just give him a promotion? ”

"Erlang is also eighteen years old - the one who praised Junlang last year, and the family wants to kiss him. I don't plan to climb anyone, so I just look at the daughter of the county master, surnamed Wang...... Can you help find a matchmaker to make peace? ”

"Rokuro is also of school age, this child is the most promising, good at reading. The concubine wanted him to enter the kindergarten hall and follow the famous teacher to polish it for a few years. ”……

Although everything is said about the Zhang family, she is in a hurry to support her mother's family at this time, in order not to give Vimo a boost when necessary?

Of course, for Vimo, she doesn't cause trouble to help, but in the final analysis, it still falls on fighting for Vimo's crown prince.

The Son of Heaven couldn't help but interrupt her, "Don't be too greedy." ”

Zhang's face was red, and he defended, "Concubine-"

The Son of Heaven said, "You have given birth to two children for me, and I will not harm you." The human heart is not enough for the snake to swallow the elephant, do you know what happens to the snake that swallows the elephant? ”

Zhang Guifei said aggrievedly, "Where is the greed of the concubine's request?" ”

The Son of Heaven said, "Your brother has already lived in the fourth grade. Beyond that, he is a clear and important minister, and the non-scholars cannot take on it - even if I insist on being promoted, it will not be a good thing for him. Having usurped the power of the gate valve, they will attack them in groups, and they will kill them quickly. It's not that I can't protect it, but your brother is not the material to be Zaifu, and it is not worth it for me to spend so many means and costs to promote. ”

"As for the scholar family surnamed Wang in Danyang County, if I remember correctly, it is a side line of the Langya Wang family. The poor are poorer, and the officials are also petty officials. But you think they don't dislike you because of that?! In those days, there were down-and-out scholars who married talented men from poor families, and were impeached for 'having a mediocre character and participating in China', but they married the surname of 'Shishu who could not be distinguished', and they were 'really appalling and listened to', and they should be dismissed from office and 'imprisoned for life' -- do you know what it means? The Son of Heaven paused, knocked on the table and said, "It means that although this person's character is vulgar and ugly, his background is indeed a scholar!" It is really appalling that a scholar clan married with the surname of 'Shishu is indistinguishable'. When the dismissed official will never be hired, in order to set an example! ”

Zhang Guifei was so frightened that she couldn't say a word, the Son of Heaven hated iron and couldn't make steel, "If your nephew's appearance is really good, why do you have to marry a daughter of a down-and-out clan?" The scholars themselves felt that even if they were of despicable character, they were nobler than others, and that's it. Although your family is a sheep herder, but your brother is down-to-earth and enterprising, and your nephews are excellent in character and learning, they also feel inferior, do you have to use real talent and real learning to climb these silverfish thieves?! ”

Zhang Guifei was silent. The Son of Heaven also got angry with himself and had a headache - what he fought for all his life, the Zhang family, who was born in a poor family, didn't understand, but Xu Si, who was born in a family, understood. But even if Xu Si understands, can she really destroy the things that raised her into her in the future?

And why should he criticize others harshly - the love of his life, Xu Siqi, is not also a woman that only the scholars can raise?

Although I still found a lot of anger here, it did make the Son of Heaven clearer.

He got up and wanted to leave, but suddenly the door opened, and his little daughter quietly probed in, as if she was frightened, and seemed to be coquettish, "Daddy? ”

The Son of Heaven breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes soothed, and said, "Come in." ”

Liuli really trotted forward, still like when she was a child, stretched out her hand to wrap her arms around the neck of the Son of Heaven, and said coquettishly, "Daddy! ”

The Son of Heaven smiled helplessly, "Say, what do you want to ask for Daddy this time?" ”

"Daddy really has no conscience, is it true that every time I think of you, I only know to ask you for something?"

The Son of Heaven deliberately teased her, "Well, otherwise what else?" He remembered that Zhang Guifei also begged him for something, looked over, and then looked at Liuli again, "You also want your cousin to go to the country to study?" ”

Liuli said, "That broken place, my cousin is also angry when he goes in!" Seeing that her aunt's face was unhappy, she changed her voice and said, "However, it is true that Mr. is much better than the famous teachers outside, and it is beneficial for my cousin to go." And he can still take care of me. It's worth it. ”

The Son of Heaven said, "I'm afraid that he will affect you more." ”

Of course, Liuli also thought of the mocking look they had when they mentioned her uncle, but she was really unconvinced, "What are you afraid of!" I am the daughter of the Son of Heaven, and my cousin is the nephew of the Son of Heaven. Could it be that they are inferior to them? ”

When the Son of Heaven heard this, he nodded and smiled, "That's right, that's right!" He teased again, "Do you have anything to ask of me?" ”

The words of the Son of Heaven had already reminded him of what happened in the kindergarten that day, and Liuli couldn't help but think of Xu Yilai again.

She didn't want to ask the Son of Heaven on this matter, but when she remembered the appearance of Ruyi and Xu Yi looking at each other in the sunset, she was in a very unhappy mood, and blurted out the words without thinking, "It's okay for me, Daddy should discipline and discipline the fourth sister." Her cousin is not a good person, so he told her in private, 'If you don't want to ask anyone, you can ask him', and she wants to kidnap her fourth sister to go out with him! ”

The Son of Heaven heard her say that she wanted to discipline Ruyi, but she didn't leave Xu Yi every word, and vaguely understood who she was interested in. He smiled and said, "It's not rude to arrive—Ruyi is a member of his family." ”

Liuli was stunned in her mind, and opened her mouth, but she didn't know what she wanted to ask or what to say.

The Son of Heaven then pointed out, "I have already married him Ruyi, and when they are older, I will give them a marriage." ”

Ruri's mind is a mess. At one time, it was Xu Yi's gentle gaze, at one time it was his smile when he appeared to relieve the siege, and at one time it was his distant figure. I just felt as if my heart was pinched, and I felt the urge to cry.

She didn't understand what was going on.

But the Son of Heaven understood. He just said, "No." ”

Liuli said, "Daddy......"

The Son of Heaven said, "No. My words are not child's play. If you really feel so uncomfortable, don't go to Guozi to study in the future-a little promising, how many sons have you just met? Wait for me to pick a better one for you. ”