In the summer of May, the weather began to get really hot. The chirping of cicadas in the air, the gurgling sound of running water in the yard reached Liu Xie's ears, and a lazy sense of comfort belonging to summer spread throughout his body.

Liu Xie sat under the eaves holding a bowl of chilled black plum soup, looking at the scenery in the courtyard in a daze.

This mansion in the center of the Haolong Garden was after he moved out of the palace, Liu Wei was afraid that Princess Wannian would be lonely in the palace alone and couldn't take care of herself, so he let Wannian move from the Yingchun Hall of the North Palace to the Haolong Garden, and specially built this residence for her. It is very close to Liu Bianzhutao Yashe and is convenient to take care of.

This house was built in the style of a Japanese house in the previous life, and unlike the two-story building of Liu Bian's Zhutao House, the whole house is a very large and wide square room, which is divided into rooms by wooden partitions. The house was about a foot above the ground and was propped up with stone pillars underneath. There are also rows of bamboo pipes attached to the bottom of the house, which can be boiled hot water into the bamboo pipes in winter to form geothermal heat in the house, and cool water can also be poured into the house in summer to cool the house. Because of this bamboo pipe, when I sleep, I lie on something that Liu Wei calls a "tatami mat". Although Liu Xie thinks this way of life is very weird, he still has to admit that it is quite comfortable.

In particular, the courtyard outside the house is surrounded by a stone wall, a small pond is dug in the middle to bring water in, and there are several rockeries with strange rockeries standing in a small bamboo forest at the heel of the wall. Wannian also planted many osmanthus flowers in the yard. May flowers bloom and the fragrance of flowers is tangy.

The whole house looks quiet and elegant, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Compared with his palatial Chen Liuwang Mansion, Liu Xie felt like an upstart.

Liu Xie was deeply influenced by Confucian etiquette, and naturally wanted a high-end atmosphere for the residence, which was in line with the bearing and demeanor of the royal family, and did not like the modern and practical style of the residence where Liu Wei lived. In his opinion, the Son of Heaven should live in a place like the North Palace, which is majestic and shows the demeanor of the emperor.

Wannian's house was named "Gui Fangzhai" by Liu Wei, and a stone outside the door was inscribed with a line of letters: "Dull, light, yellow, soft, emotional, sparse, and only fragrant." Why should it be light blue and dark red, it is the first class among flowers. "The poem.

Although Liu Xie could not accept Liu Wei's practical style of modern architecture, he was quite fond of Wannian's residence that was not beyond the style of this era. For Liu Xie, who is entangled by those troubles outside, this kind of tranquility is exactly what he needs now.

Liu Xie couldn't help but think of a poem that Liu Wei once wrote: Under the east fence of picking chrysanthemums, you can see Nanshan leisurely. The scene here can indeed give him a feeling of seclusion in Taoyuan.

"Brother Xie." Wan Nian shouted at him behind him.

Liu Xie came back to his senses and turned to look at Wan Nian. She asked with some confusion: "Brother Xie's heart?" ”

"Why did my sister say that, what can I do?" Liu Xie said quietly.

Wan Nian shook his head and said with some complaints: "Brother Xie's brother is getting bigger and bigger, and he has begun to stop talking to his sister. If the younger brother has nothing on his mind, why is he holding the bowl of black plum soup in a daze? The black plum soup is the most relieving of the heat after being chilled, and the younger brother holds the black plum soup and does not drink it for a long time, I am afraid that the coolness has long passed. ”

Liu Xie was embarrassed to find that he had been stunned for a long time, and the bowl of black plum soup that Wannian had scooped for him had never drunk.

Liu Xie hurriedly drank the black plum soup in the bowl, and Wan Nian then added him a bowl of cold and cold.

"Zhang Yuanling's (Zhang Zhongjing)'s recipe for relieving the heat really works, and the whole body is cool when you drink it!" Liu Xie consciously diverted the topic.

"Zhang Yuanling's medical skills are excellent, and these are just small words. I cook a lot of what my brother likes to drink, and I'll take more when I go back later. ”

Liu Xie nodded. "Thank you sister."

Wan Nian said: "Why should you and my sister and brother be polite. I haven't seen you for a while, and I don't know how you're doing outside. ”

"I'm fine outside, I wonder if my sister is still living here after she moves here?"

"I don't like to be too luxurious, although the North Palace is big, but the people are indifferent. It's a little smaller, but it's a lot closer. Outsiders seem to be of noble birth and worry-free about food and clothing, but we all understand that what is lacking in the palace is the most ordinary family affection among ordinary people outside! ”

Wan Nian's words were sincere, and Liu Xie lowered his head and was silent.

Wan Nian continued: "Although I live in the palace, it doesn't mean that I don't know anything about the outside world. Since my mother's death, my brother and His Majesty are the only people I have left, no matter what misunderstandings and grievances there are between you, I don't want to see you kill each other, fight in the same room, and destroy this only blood and water family relationship that we are worth cherishing. ”

"Sister Wannian, I ......"

Wannian waved his hand and motioned for Liu Xie to let himself continue: "I know that Brother Xie's brother and His Majesty are both ambitious people, and they both want to do something for my big man. If everyone is really for the peace of the world and the well-being of the people, why can't we work together? ”

Wan Nian's words hit the most tangled part of Liu Xie's heart. Liu Xie didn't have any ideas about the throne, after all, he was once the prince who had the opportunity to become the Son of Heaven. But his idea was not based on a coveting of power, but on the idea of wanting to do something. Coupled with the death of his mother Wang Meiren, he was still very shaken in his heart.

It's just that the brotherhood with Liu Wei is also fresh in front of him. All along, they have been working hard to dilute their hatred. Liu Wei also ignored the opposition of Empress Dowager He and some courtiers, posthumously named Liu Xie's mother as Empress Linghuai, and was buried in Wenzhao Mausoleum with the rites of the first queen.

The death of his mother and his idea of wanting to reshape the great achievements of the Han Dynasty are very important, but the brotherly love that Liu Wei has accumulated bit by bit with him cannot be easily erased, and he has been in a dilemma these days.

"Did Your Majesty ask your sister to say these words?" Liu Xie asked.

Wan Nian shook his head and replied: "Your Majesty has never mentioned your affairs, these are all my own thoughts and words. I understand that my brother still can't let go of the past, but I hope that before making any decisions, my brother can think about our brotherhood and the well-being of the people in the world. ”

Liu Xie was silent, regardless of whether these words were said by Liu Wei through ten thousand years, in fact, these words really made his heart fall into a difficult situation.

Outside, a palace maid came in and said, "Your Majesty is holding a banquet by the lake, and when I learned that His Royal Highness King Chen Liuwang was here with the princess, I sent someone to invite the princess and His Royal Highness to the banquet." ”

The two glanced at each other, both feeling a little surprised, but they still hurried to the lake in the Dragon Garden.

As soon as I arrived, I saw that Tang Ji and Ren Hongchang were already there. Trusted ministers Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Xun Yu, Wei Yi, and Jia Xu are also among them.

At this time, Liu Xie also saw Liu Wei's appearance and couldn't help but be startled. As the Son of Heaven, Liu Wei was actually roasting things himself.

**Wearing his upper body, Liu Wei stood next to a rectangular trough made of iron sheets three feet above the ground. Hot-hot charcoal is placed in the trough, and rows of meat skewers and chicken thighs skewered with bamboo skewers are lined up on top. There are also two porcelain jars hanging on the side of the trough, which should be filled with sauce, Liu Wei dipped the sauce on the meat skewers with a brush, and kept turning the meat skewers, and there seemed to be words in his mouth:

"The big skewers in Urumqi, Xinjiang are delicious and inexpensive......"

As the Son of Heaven and the example of all the people, how can he disregard his image so much. Liu Xie's eyebrows were almost twisted together. He has always attached great importance to etiquette, and it is really difficult for him to accept Liu Wei's appearance.

Liu Wei saw their arrival and hurriedly beckoned: "Brother Xie, Wan Nian, hurry up and try my craftsmanship." ”

Before Liu Wei saw him, Liu Xie had the heart to turn around and leave. However, at this time, he had to walk over embarrassedly, and Shi Li said: "Your Majesty, the gentleman is far away from cooking, the Son of Heaven is the Ninety-Five Supreme, how can he ......?"

Before Liu Xie finished speaking, Liu Wei had already stuffed a chicken leg into his mouth.

"Brother Xie's young age was taught to be so old and pedantic, if you want to eat delicious, you naturally have to work hard. Although the chef in the palace is not bad, the one-of-you-can-cook it naturally has a unique flavor. ”

Liu Xie saw that Liu Wei did not listen to his advice, so he had to look at others for help.

Tang Ji pulled Ren Hongchang and Wan Nian to hide aside to talk about their girlfriends. Zhang Fei pulled Zhao Yun to drink in the big bowl, his mouth was full of oil, and he still looked at the ungrilled meat skewers in Liu Wei's hand from time to time. They are all military generals, so naturally they don't care too much about etiquette. Usually they do the same thing in the barracks, but Liu Wei made it at this time, which made people feel intimate.

Liu Xie had no choice but to look at Wen Chen.

Guo Jia is informal, uninhibited, and not only does not object to Liu Bian's behavior, but has a kind of stenching meaning. At this time, he was holding a wine jug in one hand and a chicken leg in the other, eating very elegantly. And Wei Yi wanted to obey Liu Wei, at this time he and Guo Jia were standing together, eating skewers very unproductively. Only Jia Xu stayed away from everyone, sat by the lake and fished, pretending not to see it and wanted to stay out of the matter.

Xun Yu didn't eat anything and stood aside with his hands down, but his face was pale, and he seemed to be avoiding eye contact with Liu Xie, giving people a feeling of "don't let me come out".

However, Liu Xie still walked to his side and whispered to him: "Your Majesty acts like this, why doesn't Xun Shangshu go to advise." ”

Hearing Liu Xie's words, Xun Yu's face was full of grievances and complained loudly like a little daughter-in-law who was angry with her in-laws: "Why didn't Wechen advise, it's just that Your Majesty has always been informal, and at this time, Wechen wants to persuade Your Majesty, but Wechen can't do it!" ”

Xun Yu's excitement made Liu Xie a little stunned, in fact, he didn't know that in recent years, every time Liu Wei did something unruly, as long as he had a little bit to do with Xun Yu, the final accusation would fall on Xun Yu's head. Who made him have a good personality, be known as a direct minister, and be a confidant of the Son of Heaven. If you are as dissolute and unruly as Guo Jia, you will get a courtier's hat to put on your head, but you can live freely and save a lot of trouble.

Xun Yu hung his head and said again: "This matter has spread, I'm afraid that Duke Lu will say that I have connived at the Son of Heaven to mess around." ”

Liu Wei, who was barbecuing on the other side, noticed the abnormality of Xun Yu on this side, walked over and heard his words, and comforted him: "Duke Lu went to Hongnong to inspect, and he won't be able to come back for a while." ”

Zhang Fei also walked over and said with a grin: "Fortunately, Your Majesty sent Duke Lu to Hongnong to inspect the administration of officials, otherwise we would not have had a chance to feast." ”

Liu Wei glared at Zhang Fei, who was talking nonsense, and Xun Yu's face turned green when he heard this. The Son of Heaven pushed the upright minister away for fun, and he himself participated in this absurd act, and his colleagues knew that the saliva of scolding would drown themselves.

Xun Yu glanced at the barbecue grill not far away, wondering if he should run headlong into it, so that he could save some of his damaged reputation by taking a dead admonition. But when I think about it, it doesn't seem to be worth it just because of this.

In the midst of gains and losses, Liu Wei had already seen his distress, and comforted him: "I only do it occasionally, and I promise that there will never be a next time, and Wen Ruo does not need to be embarrassed." ”

"Your Majesty is the respect of the world, and you must have the demeanor of a king." Xun Yu said with a bitter face.

"Know, know. I'm not going to bake it anymore. Someone and I put on our clothes. Liu Wei finally accommodated Xun Yu and got dressed.

Zhang Fei muttered on the side: "Your Majesty doesn't do it, then who will kebab it?" ”

"Here you go!" Liu Wei said angrily.

Zhang Fei was driven to the oven to take over Liu Wei's work, he was originally a butcher, and he also had a unique skill in grilling meat skewers. Liu Wei drank with Xun Yu and Liu Xie.

Tang Ji pulled Ren Hongchang and walked elsewhere to play, but Wan Nian stayed behind Zhao Yun who was enjoying the scenery of the lake.

"Zhao Xiyuan." Wan Young shouted.

Zhao Yun was shocked when he heard Wan Nian's voice, his face turned red, and he bowed and saluted: "Minister Zhao Yun pays a visit to Her Royal Highness the Princess." ”

"Zhao Xiyuan doesn't have to be polite." Wan Nian showed a gentle smile.

Zhao Yun looked at her, and suddenly lowered his head like an electric shock. His face turned red suddenly. When Wan Nian and Liu Xie came over just now, he had already noticed it. Although he tried his best to avoid Wan Nian, he couldn't help but peek at her a few times. At this time, she came to greet her, and her heart couldn't help but feel a little empty.

"Farewell to Chang'an, Zhao Xiyuan has always been good?" Wannian asked with concern.

"The minister has always been well, and His Royal Highness Lao is concerned." Zhao Yun tried his best to pretend to be calm, but his tone could not hide his nervousness.

He knows Wan Nian's deep affection for him, but he has always had a crux in his heart because of Wan Nian's identity. In fact, if he doesn't feel Wan Nian at all, the matter between the two is not so entangled, it is precisely because he fell in love with Wan Nian at first sight and is unforgettable, so he has been entangled between the world's eyes and his true feelings and it is difficult to choose.

The two of them were awkwardly silent, although Wan Nian was influenced by some modern concepts of Liu Wei and had the idea of pursuing his own right to love, but he was still under the influence of feudal etiquette, and he also had the reserve of a girl, and it was impossible for Zhao Yun to do anything too active. The two of them guarded the fence in their hearts, and they stared at each other for a long time to come, but they were always silent.

"Life has no roots, floating like dust."

Liu Wei's voice came from not far away, and it was full of emotion. Zhao Yun and Wan Nian couldn't help but look over.

"Scattered with the wind, this is not very much."

Liu Wei held the wine jug in his left hand, held the ear cup in his right hand, his eyes were shining, and he did look a little bit of a poet in a secluded peach orchard under a white dress.

"Landing as brothers, why bother with flesh and blood. Have fun and drink and gather next to each other. ”

Liu Wei's speech began to speed up slightly, and the eyes of the others were all attracted to it. Guo Jia's expression was slightly surprised, and then his eyes flickered; Xun Yu closed his eyes and felt the artistic conception in the poem, and even Jia Xu, who had been staying out of the matter, leaned slightly towards Liu Wei. Liu Xie looked at Liu Wei with a stunned expression.

Just now, Xun Yu suggested that Liu Wei compose a poem to cheer up the party, who knew that Liu Wei would come when he opened his mouth, and the content was still related to the party, this kind of impatience had to be stunned.

"If you don't come back in the middle of the year, it's hard to get back in the morning. Be encouraged in time, and the years will not treat people! ”

"Good poetry!" After Liu Wei finished reciting an ancient poem, Guo Jia couldn't help but applaud.

Then he stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty's poem is elegant and free, the artistic conception is extraordinary, and Your Majesty's talent is admired by the ministers." ”

Guo Jia's words were a little flattering, but everyone couldn't blame them, and they all nodded in agreement. After all, this poem is indeed a superb work.

Whether it is ancient poetry, quatrains or lyric poems have gradually emerged in the Han Empire under the impetus of literati such as Cao Cao and Zhong Xuan, and finally formed a brilliant era of Han poetry in history.

It is undeniable that Liu Wei is one of the founders of the prosperity of Han poetry, as the originator of the figure, Liu Wei has actually very few poems, and as a son of heaven, he naturally cannot devote all his energy to poetry.

At this time, Liu Wei made a masterpiece, which will naturally attract everyone's attention, especially people like Guo Jia and Xun Yu, who are extremely sensitive to good literary works.

Xun Yu nodded with satisfaction on the side, he asked Liu Wei to compose poems, but he actually had his own purpose. The Son of Heaven held a literary meeting and a masterpiece came out, which is much stronger than the emperor's topless skewers. Even if his colleagues accuse him in the future, he can tell that the Son of Heaven is tired of dealing with government affairs, and hold a literary meeting to adjust it and relieve the pressure. I just happened to be at the right time, and it was an elegant thing to talk about it.

Xun Yu made up his mind to run on Guo Jia later, and he also wrote a poem to make this party more literary.

Liu Xie's poem actually touched Liu Xie a lot, especially the sentence "Landing as a brother, why bother with flesh and blood." ”

Liu Xie was in a trance, and stood aside and thought for a long time. If everyone in the world is brothers, then there will be any hatred and disputes in the world, and if they can let go of hatred between each other, can people without blood really become brothers?

The father, the mother, and the Empress Dowager Dong are all gone, and she has been obsessed with the things of the past, but she is facing the situation of destroying the blood and family relationship between the only remaining brothers. Is this what you really want?

Liu Xie looked up at Liu Wei and found that he was standing by the lake. The sun was as red as blood, and the surface of the lake was sparkling and golden.

Liu Wei stepped forward, and he had already made up his mind in his heart.

"Brother Debate." Liu Xie said softly behind Liu Wei.

Liu Wei turned around, his gaze softened. A long-awaited smile of relief appeared on his face.

(To be continued, stay tuned for the next chapter.) ）