The prince is ten years old, handsome, looks smart and clever, and when he first arrives in a strange environment, he shows a little timidity, Zhang Shiqing said that he is very much like Colorful, Xu Ji thinks he is more like the emperor himself, not the current emperor, but Song Zhuzhu, who has studied in the valley.

The prince's single name is a "Xu" word, and he is also like the children of the common people, and has a nickname, called "Shi Nu", which has both the heart of the Buddha and the meaning of not daring to forget the original.

The prince doesn't like to be called by his nickname by people other than his parents, but he has been in the valley for less than three days, which has become his only title, and he can't think about it.

It seems that Colorful really wants his son to succeed in his studies, and sends many gifts for apprenticeship, but he does not leave a single attendant.

The prince was sent to a completely strange place, and all his eyes were full of strangers, and they all looked very strange, very different from what he had seen in the palace, and he cried and clamed that night to go home.

Everyone took turns to persuade each other, but in the end, Zhang Shiqing was impatient and asked everyone to go back to rest, and no one ignored the little prince.

In the second half of the night, the prince stopped crying, and quietly went out, wanting to find his mother on foot, but as soon as he came out of the gate of the manor, he only listened to the mountain wind, and saw the grass and trees swaying, as if there was a wild beast sneaking in the dark, so frightened that his hair stood on end, turned around and ran back to his residence, closed the door tightly, and refused to go down to the ground after going to bed, and fell asleep not long after.

Zhang Shiqing stood outside the window, listening to the sound of snoring inside, before returning to his bedroom and saying to her husband: "Colorful is taking revenge on me, right?" ”

"Colorful has always been loyal, and after becoming the imperial concubine, she will not forget the old master, how can she take revenge on you?" Xu Ji was surprised, he hadn't slept all the time.

"She waited on me for a few years, so she brought her son here to show me how hard it is to wait for people."

Xu Ji laughed, "That's why you're complaining?" When you were partying all night, did you ever think about the fatigue of those maids and servants? ”

Zhang Shiqing smiled: "Do you want me to feel ashamed? I won't. The indulgence of my youth was the best years of my life, and no one wanted to take it away. You don't have to open your mouth, I know it's ridiculous, we are all responsible for the destruction of nature, but it's still beautiful, it's just—like good wine, it's pleasant, but drinking too much can hurt your body, and even kill you. Colorful sent his son just to make him suffer, right? ”

"What do you think?" Xu Ji asked rhetorically.

"I don't know...... Although the little prince is a little squeamish, he is not as rude as he was rude, far worse than us back then, and it seems that he does not have to come here to suffer. Zhang Shiqing looked at her husband, "That is, the emperor really takes a fancy to your talent and wants the little prince to learn something." ”

"I just taught him to write and read, this kind of thing is difficult to learn and dangerous, it is not the art of the emperor, the emperor must understand this truth."

Zhang Shiqing and her husband have been together for a long time, and they have a lot of affection for each other, frowning and saying: "You have lived in seclusion for so many years and have never participated in the affairs of the imperial court, what else do they want?" Colorful too, I haven't seen each other for so many years, and I have problems as soon as we meet. ”

"I don't know, maybe I'm thinking too much." Xu Jidao.

A few days later, the emperor toured Yuyang in the north, and Tan, the king of Yecheng, followed him needlessly, and secretly dispatched troops to prepare to completely solve the big trouble outside the fortress.

The little prince was released in the valley and gradually got used to the life here, and the facts showed that this was a very smart and friendly child, who never forgot to read, and could even argue with Xu Ji, Yu Zhan and others, and in his spare time, he quickly mingled with the children in the village.

The Xu brothers and the Tian family's daughter are around, so there is another "elder brother", and their favorite thing to do is to secretly leave the manor, go to the back mountain to explore, drink a handful of stream water, and go to the cave to display each other's private "treasures".

Zhang Shiqing was worried at first, but later she let it go, she really couldn't be the kind of mother who followed her children all the time.

When the expedition became boring, the four of them went to see Ma Shi practice martial arts.

In terms of household registration, Ma Shi's surname is Xu, but in the valley, everyone still calls him his original surname.

Ma Shi is older than all of them, he is already a strong young man, he can lift four people at the same time with his arms outstretched, he has followed Tian Jiang to practice martial arts for many years, he has some skills, and likes to boast, quite popular with children.

I don't know who provoked the conversation, saying that there was a fierce general in the valley who was rampant in the world, Ma Shi was very unconvinced, and went to Tang Weitian to compete.

Tang Weitian soaked in the study, hardly went out, he had already spent the most difficult time of reading, and now every time he read a book, he felt that he had gained something, and often sighed to Master Xu Ji: "It turns out that reading is so interesting, I didn't know it before!" ”

Ma Shi was most afraid of two people in the valley, one was Xu Ji and the other was Tian Jiang, so he asked the Xu brothers to lead Tang Weitian to the back mountain to speak.

Although Tang Weitian was enlightened by reading, his mind was still as simple as before, and when he heard that the Xu brothers needed help, he immediately put down the books and hurried to the back mountain with them.

Ma Shi prepared a few long wooden sticks and challenged them as soon as they met.

Tang Weitian smiled and should not be, although he knew that he was fooled, he was not angry, turned around and walked back, Ma Shi was annoyed and ashamed, and said loudly: "I already knew that Tang Weitian had a name, since you were the first brave general in the world, why didn't you become a marquis, but instead studied in the valley of thought?" It was Uncle Xu who saw that you had a broken arm and was pitiful, so he made up those words in order to make you look good. ”

"Reading is much more interesting than Fenghou, and you say that I have a false appearance, don't say that my master made it up."

Ma Shi didn't dare to say bad things about Xu Ji, "Uncle Xu was also deceived by you, he never came out of the valley, and he believed whatever the people outside said." ”

Tang Weitian still had juvenile habits in his heart, but he couldn't be excited, so he said: "It's you who want to compete, not me forcing you." Give me a stick. ”

Xu Xun immediately hugged one.

Tang Weitian took it in his hand, raised his foot and stepped on the wooden stick in half, leaving only a chest-length length, "Come on." ”

Ma Shi was even more angry, and stabbed with a "gun".

Tang Weitian stood still, and only when the long stick came close to him did he turn sideways and get out of the way, and the short stick in his left hand stabbed out, knocking Ma Shi down in just one stroke.

Ma Shi was not convinced, got up and fought again, after five rounds, his chest hurt so much that he couldn't lift the wooden stick, so he had to admit defeat, "Senior Brother Tang is strong in martial arts, and Master Tian may not be an opponent." ”

Ma Shi did not worship Xu Ji as a teacher, and at this time he was convinced, so he called Tang Tian's "senior brother".

Tang Weitian's arrogance has long been gone, and he shook his head and said: "Don't say that, the kung fu of the two of us is different, he is a hero in Lu Alley, I am a soldier on the battlefield, if you talk about close flesh and hand, short combat, I am not his opponent, if you talk about spears against the enemy, immediately come and go, I am confident that I still have a few advantages, that's all." ”

Ma Shi and the four children watching the battle didn't think so, glanced at each other, and knelt down to worship the teacher, even the prince was no exception.

Tang Weitian refused to accept the apprentices, turned around and left.

The children refused to give up, Ma Shi and Tian Shu went to ask Tian Craftsman, released slaves to persuade Xu Ji, Xu Xun and Xu Chi were coquettish to their mothers, and at the same time came to please Tang Weitian every day.

Xu Ji taught people very little coercion, and set the task of reading for the slave, and after completing it, he could do whatever he wanted, and there was no restraint on Tang Weitian.

Tang Weitian still refused to accept apprentices, but he was willing to set aside a period of time every day to teach the children to ride horses and dance lances, at first it was only five people such as Ma Shi, and later increased to more than ten people.

Feng Juniang said to Tian Jiang: "People rob your apprentice, don't you care?" ”

Tian Jiang sat at the door of his house and said with a smile: "A group of children, don't be serious, it's always a good thing to make more friends." ”

"Make more friends? Do you think they are the heroes of the Eastern Capital? And that's your daughter, not your son, a girl, who also rides a horse and dances a gun, what is it like? ”

Tian Jiang said: "Mr. Xu has his own plans, he doesn't object, why should we be bad guys?" ”

Feng Juniang knew that her husband had something to say, but she couldn't understand it for a while.

In the early autumn, the children were skilled in horseback riding, and the dancing lance also had some appearance, and began to learn archery, just as the news came from the north, the emperor personally supervised the army, and the king of Yecheng, Tan, commanded the army of 100,000 needlessly, and defeated the He Rong Department outside the Saiwai.

The valley celebrates, the children practice martial arts more diligently, simulate the army expedition, and march around the village several times.

Not everyone in the valley was happy, Zhang Shiqing said to Xu Ji: "As soon as He Rong's department is defeated, the emperor will attack Liaodong next, right?" I don't know if Huan Yan can hold on. ”

Xu Ji didn't know, he hadn't heard from Liaodong for a long time, and he didn't know anything about it.

Autumn went to winter, and the Chu army really moved to Liaodong, but Tan Wuwu did not participate, he occasionally contracted a cold outside the Saiwai and had to go back to Yuyang to recuperate.

Siguo Gu was not disturbed again, and Yan Wei and Lan Ruofu had no news here, and Xu Ji was slightly relieved.

Near the end of the month, when the weather was cold and frozen, a messenger came from Kyoto and sent many gifts to Xu's wife Zhang Shiqing and the prince.

Colorful has been following the emperor, and the messenger is naturally not sent by her, but the current empress Ma.

The queen's envoy was bowed down everywhere, but this messenger was different, dismounted outside the valley, walked into the village, after seeing Xu Ji, he knelt down first, respectfully kowtowed three heads, but did not speak much, just called "Mr. Xu".

"Majin?" Xu Ji immediately recognized this person and was very surprised.

Ma Jin used to follow Xu Ji for a long time, and he did not leave until Song Zhuzhu started the imperial industry, and there has been no news for all these years.

Ma Jin is a taciturn person who has not changed so far, but he is extremely loyal and a member of the Ma family, so he is deeply trusted by the queen and is cited as his right-hand man.

After the meeting ceremony, Ma Jin didn't see the prince, and directly invited Xu Ji to the study to talk alone.

"Da Chu got this country, and Mr. Xu made great contributions, but he didn't get an inch of land to be rewarded, which is regrettable."

"Ma Zun makes this a good point, when Your Majesty was in Longxing, I lived in seclusion in the valley, and I didn't even pass the letter, how can I 'make great contributions'?"

"I can see very clearly that although Mr. Xu did not participate in the planning, everywhere he went, in addition to helping the strong and helping the weak, recommending talents to Jingzhou, in fact, he had the merit of moving mountains and reclaiming the sea."

"Thank you for your high opinion, but Ma Zun is too exaggerated."

"I told Mr. Xu what he had done one by one, and the queen also thought that Mr. Xu's merits could at least be made marquis, but His Majesty thought that Mr. Xu's merits were deep but not impressive, and he suddenly increased his reward, and it was difficult to convince the public."

"I can't stop my little credit, I'm afraid that no one will believe it except for Ma Zun's envoy." Xu Ji said with a smile.

Ma Jin said: "I believe it, and the queen also believes it, so the queen specially asked me to bring a message to Mr. Xu." ”

"Please."

"The queen said, it is difficult to win the world, it is even more difficult to defend the world, Mr. Xu is talented, no one in the world can match, the queen knows that Mr. Xu is not in the eunuch, so he has never bothered, and please Mr. Xu read the difficulties of the harem of the prime minister of the Ma family, do not interfere secretly, the queen and the prince will always remember Mr. Xu's great kindness."

Xu Ji sighed, what he was most worried about had happened, and the act of pinning the prince's fortune was really not simple.

There was some threat in the queen's words, and Ma Jin probably knelt down to ease the situation and said: "Mr. Xu refuses to participate in the revision of history, the queen is very grateful, and hopes that Mr. Xu can still do it." ”