Before the hour came, several palace maids had just finished grooming the Empress Dowager Xiao. Seeing that the queen mother still had a little tiredness on her face, the palace maids silently retreated and went to prepare breakfast.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Empress Dowager Xiao secretly sighed that the years are urging people to grow old. I entered the palace at the age of fourteen, and it has been nearly sixty years in the blink of an eye. Although there are many children and grandchildren now, I still occasionally feel sad in my heart. Especially when I saw Tang Xiao yesterday, I couldn't help but think of my son who died in a foreign land, and I didn't sleep peacefully this night.

She has two sons and one daughter in her life, and if she is in an ordinary family, she should be able to feel the happiness of her grandson around her knee every day at her current age. But now in this palace, although it is supreme and noble, the loneliness in my heart is becoming more and more intense. Everyone envies the emperor's family, but she knows that the emperor's family is the most ruthless and involuntarily.

Breakfast was ready, and the two palace maids supported Empress Dowager Xiao to sit at the table. The elderly always like to have a lighter taste, a bowl of ginseng porridge, two or three steamed cakes, and a few side dishes, which are not hearty but very nutritious.

Halfway through the meal, a palace maid hurriedly came in and reported: "Empress Dowager Qi, King Anle is asking to see you outside the palace." ”

Empress Dowager Xiao put down the chopsticks in her hand, and a trace of doubt flashed on her face. Shouldn't you go to Wenyuan Pavilion today? Could it be that this kid didn't want to go and hid in her?

It didn't take long for the palace maid to lead Tang Xiao to the inner hall. Seeing that his grandmother was eating breakfast, Tang smiled and leaned over, kowtowed, and said, "My grandson greets the imperial grandmother, and wishes the imperial grandmother good health and a long life!" ”

Empress Dowager Xiao doesn't listen to auspicious words on weekdays, but it's the first time I've heard it as fresh as what her grandson said. She beckoned and smiled, "You little monkey, you have honey on your mouth." Haven't eaten yet, have you? Come and eat with grandma. ”

"Grandma, have you ever seen such a tall and strong monkey?"

"Oops!" Empress Dowager Xiao covered her chest, tears were about to burst out of her eyes, and she pointed to her grandson in front of her and scolded with a smile: "Flamboyant tongue, if you come a few more times, you won't let grandma laugh to death!" Why don't you come and sit down. ”

"It's a blessing for my grandson to see grandma smiling." Tang Xiao took a few steps out and sat beside his grandmother like a rabbit, and then said: "Grandma can compare all the flowers in the world when she laughs, and she must be a great beauty who captivates the country and the city when she is young." ”

"Eat slowly, don't choke."

Empress Dowager Xiao was praised by her grandson, and her heart was beautiful. Xiao watched his grandson stuff a piece of steamed cake into his mouth, and ordered someone to send another breakfast.

"Don't worry, shouldn't you go to Wenyuan Pavilion today, why did you get to grandma?"

Tang Xiao raised his head and smiled stupidly: "Grandson just misses grandma a little, hehe......"

Empress Dowager Xiao nodded Tang Xiao's forehead and said, "You just saw grandma last night, and you missed it so much after only one night?" It's fake to miss it, it's true to hide in grandma and not go to Wenyuan Pavilion! ”

"I can't hide anything from my grandmother."

Tang Xiao drank the porridge, thinking of countermeasures in his heart. He beat Tang Su and Cheng Zhao early in the morning, and the imperial uncle must have known at this time. Hide in this Yong'an Palace to make grandma happy, even if grandma knows that he is in trouble for a while, she will definitely protect him. Punishment is definitely inevitable, but this Wenyuan Pavilion ......

Thinking of Wenyuan Pavilion, Tang Xiao only felt that his head hurt. If you don't let him endorse all day long, he is willing to be punished every day. Moreover, didn't Tang Su go to Anle Wangfu today just to take him to Wenyuan Pavilion? Why did it turn into a brawl?

Thinking of this, I was immediately annoyed. He muttered in his heart: What is going on, what a beep dog!

Tang Xiao hid in Yong'an Palace, so naturally he couldn't hide it from Tang Yu. Just when Tang Xiao was feasting, the little eunuch in the Taiji Palace had already sent the matter of King Anle's trouble to the ears of Empress Dowager Xiao.

Seeing the smile on her grandmother's face, Tang Xiao hurriedly knelt beside her grandmother and bowed her head silently.

"Do you know it's wrong now? Look at the way you look at your wilted head, where did you go to the joy just now? Empress Dowager Xiao tapped Tang Xiao's head a few times with the phoenix staff in her hand, and said in a deep voice: "You, you, are you learning martial arts just to fight?" The etiquette rules of our royal family, do you dare to say that you haven't learned anything all these years? ”

"Grandma, I was wrong."

"Don't worry, you open your eyes and look at the rivers and mountains of our Tang Clan, the barbarians in the north often invade the south, the bandits in the south, and the chaotic people in the southwest. If it weren't for the pillars of the country, loyal martyrs and virtuous ministers like Cheng Guogong, who fought in the south and north for my Great Xia Dynasty and shepherded one side, how could the world be peaceful! You hit Cheng Guogong's grandson today, and you must be punished! Even if you hide in grandma's place, you still have to face what you should face. Do you understand? ”

After listening to her grandmother's words, Tang Xiao felt a little regretful. In his impression, the Great Xia Kingdom was peaceful and peaceful, and the war seemed to be far away from this heyday dynasty. He never thought that in fact, the world was not peaceful. Those heroes who stained the battlefield with blood for the country and their families should be admired and respected by people in any era.

"Grandma, go to Taiji Palace to ask for the forgiveness of Uncle Huang and General Cheng, and you are willing to be punished."

Empress Dowager Xiao nodded with satisfaction, looking at her grandson, who was more than a foot taller than her, and vaguely saw her son's appearance when he was young. She patted her grandson's arm and said, "Go ahead, admit your mistakes." ”

Tai Chi Palace, in the Imperial Study.

Looking at his black-eyed son and Cheng Zhao's swollen pig-headed face, Tang Yu frowned and kept rubbing his temples. The appearance of the eldest son crying made him inexplicably upset.

It's such a waste to be beaten up like this and cry with a face.

In the past few years, there have been voices of the crown prince in the court, and he naturally has to consider it seriously as the head of a country.

Among the three sons, the eldest son, Tang Su, is seventeen years old this year and has already married a wife. Although he is full of poetry and books, Corporal Lixian, and the call for being the crown prince is the highest, the eldest son Tang Su has no room for people, and he is a cautious person if he doesn't say it well.

The second son, Tang Jin, is eleven years old this year, and he dances around the palace with a wooden sword all day long. The youngest son, Tang Yan, is five years old, which is the age when people are tired of dogs.

I wanted to wait for my three sons to grow up and discuss the matter of the prince in a few years. However, in recent days, some people in the court have mentioned the establishment of the crown prince, and even forced him to make a decision in court. The entire court was full of smoke and miasma, which annoyed him.

Looking at the appearance of his eldest son today, Tang Yu hid the decision in his heart for the time being. Wait a little longer, if the eldest son is really so unworthy of the task, it is better to be crowned king as soon as possible, and it will be good to break his thoughts.

Tang Su knelt under the hall and wiped his tears, if he knew that his father had such a thought, he would definitely regret his death. At this moment, he was bent on letting his father make decisions for him, and even lost the demeanor that a prince should have.

"Father, that Tang Xiao is really hateful, not only fists and feet at his sons, but also threatened to smash Wenyuan Pavilion. Father! The son has never suffered such humiliation when he is so old, please ask his father to be the master of the son! ”

"What kind of body is crying and crying!" Tang Yu rebuked coldly: "Worry-free and generous, if you persuade you with good words, I don't believe that he dares to do anything to you." There will be friction between ordinary people and brothers from time to time, not to mention our royal family. As the eldest brother, not only did you not want to find a way to resolve the conflict, but you also came to complain to me. You, how could I have given birth to such a useless son as you! ”

Hearing his father's angry reprimand, Tang Su's heart was like falling into a cold pool, and it was cold!

"Father, the son has always been kind to persuade in the Anle Palace, but he smiled and waved his fist without waiting for the son to finish. Commander Cheng stepped forward to persuade peace, but was also severely beaten. What the son said is true, and he will never dare to hide it, and ask his father to know it! As he spoke, Tang Su began to whimper again, as if he had been greatly wronged.

Seeing his son's tears, eager to see the appearance of death, Tang Yu also began to hesitate. He pondered for a moment, turned his gaze to Cheng Zhao, and asked, "Huaibi, is what Su'er said true?" ”

Cheng Zhao lowered his head, cold sweat broke out on his head, and he didn't know how to answer. It stands to reason that this incident started because of him, and it was a small matter. King An Le knew the identity of His Royal Highness and was ready to apologize, but for some reason he was angry and hurtful. Until now, he hadn't figured out why King An Le suddenly beat His Highness?

Although he didn't understand a little, he still remembered it clearly, when he and His Royal Highness were in Anle Palace, they didn't mention the matter of Wenyuan Pavilion at all. At this moment, when I heard the facts that His Highness was talking nonsense, I only felt a sense of emptiness. Looking at His Highness's convincing appearance, he glanced to the side with some disdain.

However, in the face of His Majesty's inquiry, Cheng Zhao still nodded and said, "Your Majesty, what His Highness said...... Yes, it's true. ”

After being confirmed, the anger in Tang Yu's heart increased a little more. He turned his head to the eunuch beside him and shouted, "Zhang Deen, go out and see if Tang Xiao is here!" ”

"Your Majesty, King Anle is kneeling outside the palace at the moment, and the old slave will go and announce him in."

"You don't have to go, just let him kneel outside the temple!"

Hearing this, Zhang Deen turned back again, lowered his head and asked, "Your Majesty, did the Duke of Qi ask the old slave to report as well?" ”

Tang Yu glanced at Cheng Zhao and felt that his head was starting to hurt again. This Cheng Zhao is the third child of the Cheng family, and Cheng Lou, the Duke of Qi, feels the most sorry for this precious grandson on weekdays. Now that the baby grandson was beaten into a pig's head, the old man didn't know who he instigated, and followed his grandson to the palace.

"You go to the side hall and tell the Duke of Qi that King Anle will kneel outside the hall. Let him be punished as he wants, without scruples. ”

"Yes."

Seeing that Zhang Deen had no intention of leaving, Tang Yu turned his head to the two kneeling in the hall and shouted: "You two go back and reflect, is it possible that I still want me to keep you for lunch!" ”

Tang Su and Cheng Zhao hurriedly thanked him and left, and finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the imperial study.

Tang Yu looked at Zhang Deen standing beside him and asked, "Let's talk about it now, what's the matter?" ”

Zhang Deen hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, King An Le is from Yong'an Palace. Moreover, the Queen Mother came with a message saying that Her Majesty had also fought with her brother when she was young, and the affairs of King An Le and His Royal Highness and Cheng Xiaogongzi were handled by His Majesty. ”

Tang Yu sighed heavily, pondered for a long time, and said, "Let people inform the Queen Mother, and I will say that I understand." ”