One day a few months later, Wei Ji, the priest who was in charge of inspecting the official achievements every year, returned from his inspection and met Liu Xiangong and said: "The minister visited the cities and towns this time, and encountered a strange person and strange thing. Xiangong raised his eyebrows lightly and said with interest: "Let's talk about it carefully." Wei Ji replied: "This person's name is Hu Xu, his father was a scholar in the previous dynasty, and he was later convicted and dismissed and returned to his hometown. Hu Xu is famous in the township for his erudition and knowledge, and is well-known in the township, and is promoted as the township marshal. Lord, my Liuguo has thirty families in the countryside, and there are divisions in the city; Ten Yi are pawns, and pawns are set up; Ten pawns are townships, and township marshals are set up; Sanxiang is a county, and a county marshal is set up. This township marshal is also in charge of the affairs of thousands of families, large and small. When the minister arrived in that township, he heard that this person had been in the township marshal for more than half a year, and he had not handled official business in the township government for a single day, and invited people to drink and have fun all day long. The minister went to investigate in person, and waited for him in the township for an hour before he came to see him drunk. The minister angrily accused him of dereliction of duty, but he took a deep look at the minister and said with a smile: Shangqing is angry, this small township matter can be broken in two hours. ”

Xian Gongqi said: "There are always a lot of official affairs in the past six months, right?" Wei Jiying said: "Exactly." This fox Xu asked someone to submit the poster for half a year, and every time he read the sticker, he instructed the township teacher, township Sima, and township secretary next to him to do so, and in less than two hours, he really finished half a year's official business. And the ministers are listening, everything is reasonable and reasonable, and it is not leaky. The minister thought that this man had a great talent, so he took him into the capital and met the lord. Xian Gong disagreed: "That's it, if such a madman is allowed to stay in the capital, won't he be connived at even more arrogant?" Wei Ji was about to admonish, and Dazai Han Shitong echoed on the side: "The lord is wise and can best use the right talents." Wei Ji had no choice but to sigh and stop the matter.

This night, Xian Cheng played chess with Yanji in Gantang Pavilion, and talked about the strange fox Xu he heard today. Yan Ji's maid Ji Rou came over and said that Xiu Ying in the palace of Concubine Ping was holding a food box and asked to see her, and Yan Ji called her in. After Xiuying saluted, she served a plate of translucent white soft cake. Xian Gong asked, "What is the origin of this cake?" Haven't seen it before. Yan Ji smiled and said: "The body of the lord Wanzun, how have you eaten this folk snack?" This cake is called 'bluestone cake', which is a special product of my hometown and concubine Ping. It is glutinous rice flour pounded out on the bluestone slab with well water, and the shape and color are like white jade carved out, so it is also called 'jade cake'. Unexpectedly, Concubine Pinggui brought this thing that couldn't be put on the table. ”

After hearing this, Xian Gong pondered for a moment and said: "It's really hard for her, pity the hearts of parents all over the world." Then he turned back to the regular servant Youqu and said, "Tomorrow, ask Han Shitong to draw up a list and recommend a few candidates who can be a teacher for Gongziru." Yan Ji said strangely on the side: "Why did the lord suddenly think of this, where did this matter start?" Xiangong explained: "I was at Concubine Pinggui that day, and she begged me to let Gongzi go out of the pavilion to study. No, I haven't thought about it. To this day she will know that I have come to you, and she will bring this cake. 'Bluestone cake' is homophonic to 'please teacher', and 'Ruyu cake' is an allusion to 'Ru'er'. It's by telling me about the origin of this cake. Yan Ji suddenly realized, thinking that she didn't know that she was being used, she was very annoyed, so she laughed and said, "Isn't there a ready-made one?" I think this fox Xu is the best choice. Xiangong heard her coquettishness, so he coaxed: "Okay, I'll listen to you." ”

But said that here, Hu Xu was preparing to leave for home, and sent an envoy to appoint Hu Xu as the teacher of the sixth prince Beigong Ru, and gave a small villa in the capital city as his residence, and Gongzi Ru came to the house every day to be taught and studied. Hu Xu rewarded the envoy and asked, "Can Lao Zun tell me, where are these six sons coming from?" "Come and make it difficult:" These six sons were born to Pinggui's concubines, and they don't like the lord. The other sons are all devoted to poetry and songs, music and dance, which is very much in line with the lord's preferences. It's just that these six sons don't understand this. After the envoy said goodbye, Hu Xu's entourage Zhong Rong sighed beside him: "It seems that this is not a beautiful difference. Hu Xu sipped his tea and said lightly: "Not necessarily, not necessarily, it's man-made." ”

The next day, someone sent a lacquer gift, saying that it was a gift from Concubine Pinggui. Hu Xu opened it, was taken aback, and sat on the chair and pondered for a long time. Zhong Rong was puzzled and said, "I have never heard that this ceremony is a jade hairpin used by a woman. Although this hairpin has a special style, it is not a precious thing. It seems that this concubine is really unhappy in the palace. After a long time, Hu Xu said loudly: "What do you know, 'hairpin is waiting to fly when he is in the house'." This mother and son have great ambitions, but listening to their situation, it is indeed a long way to go. ”

Three days later, Beigong Ru came to Hu Xu's place to formally apprentice, and saw the man in his thirties sitting calmly in the circle chair. He was dressed in a cyan cloth robe, with an extraordinary bearing, and a pair of eyes with deep confidence in them. Beigong Ru was about to bow to the teacher, and Hu Xu said slowly: "Wait, you have passed my test, and it is not too late to bow down." After a while, I quit and went home. Childe replied calmly: "The teacher is a question." Ru'er will do her best. Hu Xu said: "Your father is very good at Danqing, I limit you to one month, and you can write his handwriting." "Childe thought secretly: I see that this gentleman seems to have a great talent, but he also wants me to flatter my father. After thinking about it, I agreed respectfully.

In the month that followed, the son got up early and was greedy for darkness, and practiced calligraphy without sleeping and eating, so I won't repeat it. Seeing Hu Xu a month later, Hu Xu glanced at a word handed over by Beigong Ru, threw it on the case, and only said: "Three imaging, practice again." Gongzi replied respectfully: "If you are stupid, you will definitely redouble your efforts." "For another month, Gongzi only slept for two hours a day, and the rest of the time he practiced calligraphy. See Hu Xu again and ask him to take a look. Hu Xu took a look, then threw it on the ground and said, "Five images, practice again." Childe went back aggrieved.

Another month passed, and Gongzi Ru came to see Hu Xu. "Seven images ......" Without waiting for Hu Xu to finish speaking, Gongziru said: "Ru'er will go back and practice again, and Mr. will give me a little more time." After hearing this, Hu Xu laughed and said, "Good boy, take your time, but don't let people know that you have practiced the master's handwriting." You have great endurance, and you will be a great weapon in the future. Gongziru only then understood that Hu Xu had tested his temperament by practicing calligraphy for several months, so he happily knelt down and bowed: "The teacher is on top, and he will be worshiped by the apprentice." In the future, the apprentices will study hard, just to achieve success as soon as possible, and they must listen to their words and follow their plans. ”

Hu Xu helped him up, looked at the still immature but firm face, and asked, "What will Ru'er do after she becomes a talent?" When the son inherits the throne later? Gongziru shook his head and said: "Not only that, Ru'er wants to let the Liu Kingdom dominate the princes, and no longer be sandwiched between the Kui Kingdom and the Wing Kingdom, and be restrained on both sides." It is also necessary to threaten the kingdom that is eyeing the north. Hu Xu nodded, thinking: This kid doesn't want to be an ordinary son, waiting for the age to seal a mining estate, and rely on Yulu to live a stable life. The path he chooses will be full of thorns. In the next two or three years, Hu Xu tried his best to teach Gongzi Ru, who was both strict and loving; The son is like a master and a father, diligent and inquisitive, not much to say.

The years flew by, and Beigong Ru was eleven years old in the blink of an eye. On this day, Xiangong held a spring banquet in the garden of the palace, drank wine and enjoyed flowers with his wife and sons, and also invited all the ministers and doctors to have fun. Before the banquet began, the queen Kui Ji, the princess of Kuiguo, got up and bowed: "Today, Er'er is not very good, so I can't come to help." I beg your forgiveness. Xian Gong shook his head and said, "The widow will go and see him tomorrow." "Kui Guo is the overlord located in the east of Liuguo, so this Kui Ji's son Gongzi Er, although he has been weak and sick since he was a child, he is weak and unable to be established as a prince, but Xian Gong is hindered by the strength of Kui Guo, and he still cares about Kui Ji and Gongzi Er.

After a few rounds of drinking, Xiangong was slightly drunk, pointed to the carved bone comb on the head of the maid on the side, and said to the princes: "The widow takes this comb as the theme, and you come to answer the question." Yanji's son, Gongzi Yongxian, grabbed the jackpot and chanted: "The insect is silent, and the lotus makeup goes to Xiaoxian." Comb your hair in the mist, shine in front of the willow wind. "Great joy for the public.

Concubine Yue's twin son, Gongzi Moyu, was not far behind in green clothes, and stood up. This pair of sons have powdery faces, lips like Zhu, handsome figures, and delicate like daughters. The two sons are obsessed with dancing on weekdays, and they danced a scene of a girl waking up and dressing up on the spot, which vividly and delicately expressed the soft and delicate expression of 'Yurong wakes up from a deep sleep, and the three-foot witch clouds are in the green'. Xiangong praised again and again after seeing it.

And Gongzi Hua, the son of Zhenji, is good at music and rhythm. While playing the yaoqin, he sang an ancient tune. I only heard him sing: "Immortals love to live in Taoyuan, and the meandering clouds and forests are better than the Rim River." The autumn water arrives at the door, the boat is like a house, and the green mountains are like smoke when the trees are on the threshold. I often stay by the moon stream, and I love to comb my hair and sleep in the bamboo. I have a good dream, and the poem is still in front of the thatched hall. After hearing this, Xiangong laughed and stroked his palm.

Although Zhao Yuanmin, the big Sima who is in charge of the world's soldiers and horses, was forced to rejoice on the side, he secretly sighed: These older sons are all obsessed with literature and art, and they have no pride of a seven-foot man, and the future of Liu Guo is really worrying. Si Kou Beigong Xiang only cared about drinking, and seemed to ignore the performance. He is the younger brother of Xiangong, with an arrogant personality, few words, and never disdainful of others.

At this time, Xiangong looked at Gongzi Ru, Beigong Ru was competitive, got up and read with a radiant look: "The haircut of the great talent to rule the world is also." Haircuts cannot be done without talents, and the world cannot be ruled without talent. Zhao Yuanmin heard it and secretly praised: At a young age, this kid knows that he can compare the ctenophore to a talent, which is very insightful and very good. But when he looked at Xiangong, he saw that he was noncommittal, obviously thinking that the son was like a bad scenery.

Back in Caige Garden, Beigong Ru was called into the room by his mother and drank him to kneel. Concubine Ping said coldly: "You have gained a little bit of knowledge, and you will show off regardless of the occasion. Childe hurriedly admitted his mistake. Concubine Pinggui asked him to take off half of his clothes, expose his left shoulder, pick up a pen, and write the word 'hidden' the size of a baby's palm. He twisted the embroidery needle and stabbed it down.

Beigong Ru clenched his teeth, and a layer of sweat appeared on his smooth forehead. After the concubine was pierced, the vinegar ink was painted so that it would never fade. Then he looked at Gongziru with tears in his eyes and said: "The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it." You must learn to endure until the day when you are full. Childe replied in a trembling voice: "The child thanks his mother's teachings." Beigong Ru didn't hold back his tears until he returned to the room. He stretched out his hand and gently touched the word 'hidden' that would follow him for the rest of his life, and immediately felt a pain in his heart, he thought: stabbing on his son's body, it hurts in his mother's heart. My mother must be more upset than I am.