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Shen Ruoyu left Jinan with Sheng Yong, Tie Xuan and Xu Huizu, who came from Texas, and returned to the capital. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info The Son of Heaven set up a banquet in the Fengtian Palace, and the ministers sat with him; Zhu Yunwen because of the small amount of wine, and as the Son of Heaven, he must take care of every opportunity, and rarely indulge in drinking, except for the only time, he followed Shen Ruoliao out of the palace to get drunk and get sick, Shen Ruoliao was the first time to see the Son of Heaven drink until his cheeks were bright red, and his speech was slurred, and he was in front of hundreds of civil and military officials, on top of this Fengtian Palace.

Zhu Yunwen is really happy. It has been two years since King Yan raised his army, and the imperial court has won the only victory. Although the imperial army had been only watching during the three months that the Yan army had besieged Jinan, at this moment, for Jianwen Tianzi, only the fruits of victory were the most important.

Shen Ruoyu has been sitting under the high steps with Tie Xuan and Sheng Yong, although he is the head of a hundred officials, he is always too far away from the Son of Heaven, and there is no way to whisper to Zhu Yunwen like he used to be a close guard, and secretly pull him when the emperor is out of shape. He couldn't do anything, and even his dialogue with the emperor was limited to the courtesy questions and answers of the monarch and ministers on official business.

Seeing that the Son of Heaven was really unconscious, Huang Zicheng immediately asked the eunuch to announce the withdrawal of the banquet and find someone to carry the Son of Heaven back to the Qianqing Palace. Shen Ruoyu just wanted to follow, but was suddenly dragged on his sleeve. He turned around and saw that it was Xu Huizu, and gestured for him not to follow, but to go out of the palace with him.

Shen Ruoyu hesitated. Xu Huizu frowned, reached out and grabbed him, turned around and walked out.

"Why?" Out of the main hall, Shen Ruoyu asked.

Xu Huizu was not in a hurry to answer, but waited for the high steps, and the ministers had already dispersed, before he whispered:

"You've been out for so long, you're not in a hurry to go home to accompany the county lord, what are you staying for?"

Shen Ruoyu said: "Aren't I afraid that I will be derelict in my duties." ”

"Since you can't control the emperor's drinking, what can you care about getting drunk?"

"That's not what I said. He's drunk like that, can I rest assured? I'm afraid he'll vomit and diarrhea like last time. ”

"There are people in the palace who take care of them. You insist on going, be careful and be the same as last time, a hundred military sticks and a punishment for kneeling. ”

"But—"

"You are now the governor of the forbidden army of Zheng Erpin, and you have just returned from the battle, and you have made war achievements, although the Son of Heaven has not rewarded you, it is just that he has not yet figured out how to reward you. Who are you now, you're no longer the close guard, these things shouldn't be your responsibility anymore. Last time, you took care of the Son of Heaven and got drunk, and you were promoted to the rank of rank; If you go again this time, it's time to downgrade. Do you understand? ”

Shen Ruoyu said a little hesitantly: "I probably understand...... If that's the case, won't I be as close to the emperor as I used to be in the future? There are also the drill chores of Yulin Erwei, do I still want to care? ”

"You are still the commander of the second guard of the Feather Forest; But the emperor wants to seal you, and he wants to promote you to another level, everyone can see it. You should pay attention to yourself, and once you are commissioned, you will immediately be relieved of the burden that should be unloaded. Don't leave a handle for others. ”

"I didn't contribute much at all, it's all the credit of Lord Tie and Marquis Sheng. The emperor shouldn't have sealed me. I'll make it clear to him tomorrow that I want to stay with him and be his bodyguard. ”

Xu Huizu said: "The emperor wants to seal you now, wants to promote you, this is your opportunity; How many soldiers have fought the battlefield all their lives, only in exchange for one injury, but they can't get this opportunity. If you are promoted to another level, I can transfer you to the northern border for two years of training, and when you reach the local army, you will be the chief military officer, as long as you ensure that the border is worry-free in office, you will definitely be promoted to the rank of knight when you come back. You've risen to the top and you're on my footing. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Grandpa, don't you know me, don't I rarely do this?" Now I'm down-to-earth, if I were on an equal footing with you, I'm not steady. ”

Xu Huizu stopped talking. The two men went out of the noon gate, got on their horses, and went home. After leaving the palace, Wei Guogong spoke again:

"It is said that you have been in the court for a while, why has it not changed, and you still look like a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers at the beginning. It seems that he is not ruthless enough. Actually, I don't know, I should teach you this, whether it should be or not. I'm really afraid that one day you will accidentally put your life into it, and I don't understand what's going on. ”

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a moment. "Grandpa, as soon as I came back, I felt that you had something to say to me. Now there's no one here, so say whatever you want. As for whether I listen or not, I will consider it myself. ”

Xu Huizu sighed and said, "Ruoxiao, you calculate it yourself, how long have you been gone?" ”

“…… It didn't take long, it was only five months. ”

"What about last time?"

"Last time? Two months. ”

"Last time you came back from the battlefield, did you feel that the emperor had changed about you?"

“…… I feel - the emperor treats me better than before. ”

"Yes. You have been gone for two months, Xiao Biesheng is newly married, the emperor misses you every day, but he can't read it, and when you come back after two months, he will naturally double the dragon pet. But this time it's five months. At the beginning, the emperor still had to mention your name every day, but now, he doesn't mention it anymore. In five months, even lovers in love will be cold to each other. ”

Shen Ruoyu's face was red. "Grandpa, this is too ...... The generals who have been fighting abroad for five years in a row. ”

"That's why you should think about it, do you think you're like those generals? Do you think your relationship with the emperor is more like Emperor Wu and Wei Qing, or with Han Yan? ”

Shen Ruoyu was dumbfounded: "Han Yan? Grandpa—"

"The reason why the relationship between Han Wu and Wei Qing can be strong for a long time is precisely because there is enough distance. It is necessary to be intimate and confidant with each other, but distance can maintain the dignity of both parties and maintain the sanctity and supremacy of the Son of Heaven. And now, you and the Son of Heaven have nothing to talk about, they know each other well, and their words and deeds have far exceeded the etiquette of monarchs and ministers. Among ordinary people, they can be friends and siblings. It can also add intimacy to couples. Only between the monarch and the minister, not only is it impossible, but it is extremely dangerous. The emperor has been in the palace for a long time, and he has met a courtier like you in this life, and he feels fresh; The saint is open-minded, and he is willing to listen to you express your heart and speak freely. However, accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger, which has been the case since ancient times. Trouble for speaking out. If the companion is too secret, it is blasphemous, and the blasphemer is not a minister, but just lucky. Now, you have no scruples about talking, and secondly, you are too dense and lucky. Tell me yourself, who are you like if you don't look like Han Yan? Instead of trying to get yourself out of this danger, you want to dig deeper. The emperor's enthusiasm for you has not yet passed. You'd better take this opportunity to leave the Imperial Guards, go to the side, and simply widen the distance. In this way, you can take advantage of the situation to transform the emperor's friendship with you into a normal trust and love between monarchs and ministers. If you continue to get tired of being around him, once one day he suddenly loses his freshness and gets bored with you, and he is fortunate to fall out of favor, you can weigh it yourself. ”

Shen Ruoyu was extremely frustrated: "Grandpa, what do you mean, the emperor will never be able to have a pure friend who is a close confidant by his side?" ”

"Yes; This is true, because he is first and foremost the Son of Heaven. ”

"I'm not afraid," Shen Ruoyu said, "Even if the world sees me as lucky, I have never misled the emperor by his side, I have never done anything to harm the country and the people, and I have never violated my conscience at all." I don't care what others say about me. Originally, my reputation was not good; Fame is not important to me. ”

"What about life?" Xu Huizu looked at him worriedly. "Fame is not important to you. But in the end, reputation can dictate your life and death. What others say can't change what you are, but it can change what the Son of Heaven wants you to be. Even if you can really be as pure and transparent as a piece of ice, it can only make the gentleman invulnerable to you, and you still can't guard against villains. What's more, you are not infallible in your own right, and you have too many faults to teach others. That hundred sticks and a long kneeling night, why don't you have a long memory? ”

As if a ghost made a god, Shen Ruoyu suddenly remembered that before leaving Beiping, Yuan Jue had warned him many times with anxiety that he must be cautious and cautious when doing things in the imperial court, and he must not act rashly. At that time, he complained that Yuan Daxian was just playing with him and didn't explain anything. Now, he seemed to have finally begun to comprehend the meaning of Yuan Xianren's words.

"Grandpa, why don't you say these words in Texas, don't say them on the way back, and don't say them until now?"

"Because until now, I have the opportunity to be alone with you."

Shen Ruoyu thought for a long time and sighed.

"Thank you for that advice. Let me think about it again. At present, the civil war has not ended, and the imperial army is outside, so I am afraid that where to go, where to go now, whether to go or stay is not my will to decide. When I enter the palace tomorrow to face the saint, I will take a closer look at what the attitude of the Son of Heaven is. In any case, I can only put national affairs first, and everything else, in case of conflict, can be ignored. ”

"You're not alone; You have a family. Xu Huizu warned.

Shen Ruoyu raised his head and smiled slightly. "Grandpa, I know that most of the founding fathers were offended later and died later. Some were indeed due to misconduct, while others were purely due to Emperor Gao's suspicions. Only Ling Zun Zhongshan King is the only one who starts and finishes well. I can finally see the reason from you. ”

Xu Huizu was slightly stunned and looked at him with some incredulity. "What do you mean...... Do you think my Xu family is all wise to protect themselves? ”

Shen Ruoyu shook his head. "It's not. It is better to protect one's life than to retire and live in seclusion. This is where I admire the Xu family the most. The King of Zhongshan and you are all responsible for the world, and dare to say, do, and fight if you dare to think, and everything you dare to say, do, and fight is always right and should be. There is nothing wrong with it, not even anything ambiguous. He is well versed in the way of being a minister, and at the same time is an example of national justice. Since ancient times, there are few people who have cultivated Qi Zhiping, and my Ming Dynasty is the only one of Xu's monuments. Grandpa, from the day I decided to join the company, the Xu family was my role model. However, I am Shen Ruoliao after all, I have my own completely different interpretations and expectations of national affairs, so I also have my own completely different choices and methods, which I do not approve of in my heart, even if I can do it, I will not do it. Everything I do, I'm willing to take it upon myself. ”

Xu Huizu looked at him and said lightly: "Do you know, if you are my son, I would rather send you to the Taoist temple and cut off your heart to enter the temple." You're not the material at all. ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled lightly.

"I used to be at home, and my father wanted me to bow down to my third uncle, and I wanted to be sneering and disrespectful to him; For this reason, my father beat me every day, and the harder he beaten, the more rude I was to the third uncle. When I was a child, my father forced me to recite the ancestral teachings of the Zhaimen sect and forbade my disciples to enter the court as officials. But now, I prefer to enter the DPRK as an official and stir up the political and military situation of the DPRK. ”

He turned his head to look at Xu Huizu and smiled.

"Grandpa, if I am really your son, you don't let me enter, I want to enter. Don't talk about it; Even if I am sent to Wutai Mountain, I will definitely take that Liu Bingzhong as a model, and I will not be counted if I have to become the second Daoyan master, and then marry a nun to be your daughter-in-law by the way. Do you believe it or not? ”

Xu Huizu sighed: "I can only be glad that Xu Qin is not you. I'm glad for your father, he passed away early. Alas - forget it, I'll send you home. When you're out alone, you think so much about your wife, right? He also kept saying that everything outside of state affairs can be given up, and he said that he was a big man, who doesn't know what kind of virtue you are in front of your wife when you go home. ”

"Brother Xu—" As soon as Xu Huizu turned around, Shen Ruoyu suddenly called softly.

Xu Huizu was slightly stunned: "I thought you wouldn't call me that." What's up? ”

"Thank you."

Xu Huizu shook his head. "Nonsense."

They stopped talking and led the horse towards Shen Ruoliao's house. When he arrived at the door, Xu Huizu didn't say anything more, said goodbye and left.