Liu Bang took Liu Ying to a place to talk for a while, and then returned to the main hall, with both father and son smiling on their faces. Seeing that only Empress Lu was still waiting for them, Liu Bang asked, "Why is the queen here alone?" ”

"The concubine is afraid that His Majesty will be anxious if he doesn't see anyone after he comes out, so the concubine has been waiting here." Lu Houdao.

Liu Bang walked up to her and patted her hand gently, and Lu Hou met his gaze and smiled.

"It was late at night, and the retainers retired." Liu Ying also stayed in Changxin Palace for a while, and also saw that at the dinner table tonight, the father and the queen mother seemed to have something to say to each other, so while everyone was gone, the prince made a farewell ceremony.

Liu Bang and Lu Hou both smiled and nodded at Liu Ying, so he took a black windbreaker and went out, followed by a few housekeepers to escort him until he arrived safely at the Tai Palace.

After Liu Ying left, only the emperor and queen were left in the hall, and the hall was filled with a dull atmosphere. Some palace maids and eunuchs stepped forward to clean up the remaining dishes, dishes and chopsticks, Liu Bang waved his hand, and they went down again. Liu Bang paced a few steps and sat down in his original position again, he was really at a loss, so he poured half a pot of wine in the jug and drank it, eating slices of meat sullenly, while Empress Lu stood in the center of the hall and looked at Liu Bang. Liu Bang and Lu Hou did not speak first, the atmosphere was very dull, it made people feel awkward, when someone was there, Liu Bang still seemed not so cramped, but when people left, they felt that they had nothing to say to Lu Hou, and the two were bored and awkward together.

After eating the meat slices, the wine was also drunk, until Liu Bang turned the wine pot back and poured it over, and then Empress Lu stepped forward and said, "The wine and meat are exhausted, and the concubine will go to soju to come." ”

"No, the queen ......" Liu Bang put the wine jug on the table, and the stubble was still unspeakable, so he put one hand into his hair and scratched it. Lu Hou waited in place, looking at Liu Bang's restless appearance, she was neither happy nor proud. Liu Bang called Empress Lu to come over and sit down, his eyes looked at the leftovers on several cases, and he picked a small hole in the case with one hand to cover up, if there was something in his words, he said, "Today's feast in Weiyang Palace ......"

"The feast of Weiyang Palace was a success, and the concubines congratulated the emperor." Empress Lu blocked his words in her mouth, looked into his eyes, and evoked a reassuring and supple smile.

Hearing Empress Lu say this, Liu Bang didn't seem to be suspicious, so he relaxed a little. This is how two people have to talk, one person first shows weakness and tolerance, and then he will take off his guard and talk to you. Liu Bang's eyes were opposite to Empress Lu, and he could still see that he was a little apologetic, his eyes were not so determined and at ease, as if he had done something bad to make amends with her. Empress Lu smiled again, thinking that he must not know how to explain today's incident to himself, how to avoid implicating this matter to Qi Ji and the acting king.

Seeing that he didn't trust himself like this, Empress Lu stretched out his hands and gently put Liu Bang's right hand on his face, touched his cheek with his hand, and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, the concubines have been with you for more than ten years, and there are times when they are happy, but no day is as happy as today, even the day when Your Majesty just made the concubine the queen. The concubine is happy for His Majesty, thinking that this is the end of the world, and it will be a peaceful and prosperous era after that. Lu Hou said something in his words, but I don't know if Liu Bang heard it, will the canonization ceremony of the queen be worse than today? I'm afraid it's something else.

Liu Bang didn't think about it when he heard this, he thought that her words were true, and he was very grateful to her in his heart, and looked at Empress Lu with fixed eyes, refusing to leave for a long time.

"It's late, Your Majesty go back, tomorrow will be early." As she spoke, Empress Lu let go of the hand she was holding his hand, and Liu Bang also withdrew his hand.

"Queen, Ying'er, he ......" Liu Bang said intermittently again, and the words were not sentenced.

"Ying'er, he is very good, Your Majesty doesn't have to worry about it, the concubine will teach him well." Lu Hou comforted him as if he were comforting someone.

Liu Bang suddenly felt wrong at this time, and suddenly asked, "Did anyone tell the queen about today's incident?" Seeing that Liu Bang asked this suddenly, fortunately, Empress Lu had already prepared. She began to look at Liu Bang in a strange way, and suddenly smiled.

"What's wrong with the emperor today, all the strange things you say, do you still need others to say today's things? Isn't it just that the feast was a success, the ministers were happy, and the people were blessed? Is there anything else? After a pause, he added, "Today's events are over, and no one will say anything more, okay?" ”

Liu Bang exhaled in his heart, nodded one after another, and hurriedly said, "It's okay, it's okay, it's very successful, it's very successful." ”

Empress Lu laughed, "Go back, it's late." ”

"Doesn't the Queen want me to sleep here?" Liu Bang was a little surprised, stared, and searched for Empress Lu, seeing that she was rushing herself like this, so he followed her and asked her in the past, she was always looking forward to it, why is she chasing herself now.

Empress Lu shook her head, lowered her head and smiled, and said, "After a while, Yan'er, a little trickster, will come to the concubine to make trouble, she will play very deeply every night before going to bed, Your Majesty doesn't want to do this." ”

Hearing this, Liu Bang also laughed, thinking of his dear granddaughter's cute and coquettish appearance, he also had something to explain to Qi Ji, Empress Lu gave himself the stairs like this, Liu Bang also went down, and he didn't force him to stay, so he said, "Okay, I'll go, don't be tired, rest." ”

Empress Lu picked him up, helped him and personally sent him out of the palace gate, and explained that several little eunuchs around him must take care of him before he came back. After coming back, he didn't say a word, stayed in front of the couch, looked at a place stunned with an expressionless face, and felt more and more murderous in his eyes, more and more intense, and no longer coaxed Liu Bang with the kind of happy look, not even pretending, full of loss and melancholy, and then looked arrogant and domineering.

Dai Qing, who had been staying in the back room, came out to serve after seeing Empress Lu send Liu Bang away. Walking lightly to the stunned Empress Lu, packing up a few things on the case, and said lightly, "Niangniang." ”

Empress Lu turned her expressionless face to Dai Qing and asked lightly, "What's wrong?" ”

"Why did the emperor want to stay, but you sent him to Mrs. Qi?" Dai Qing didn't understand why Empress Lu didn't take advantage of Liu Bang to stay, so he asked carefully.

Empress Lu pulled out a faint and astringent smile, her eyes drooped, and said, "Doesn't he need to explain today's matter to Qi Ji?" Bengong doesn't want his pity, what's the use of staying, it's just that sharing a bed with Bengong has a different dream, which will only increase the sadness of another person. Ever, he just felt guilty about me, but not love. When Empress Lu said this, she completely buried her head and said nothing more.

Dai Qing didn't know how to comfort Empress Lu when he heard it, but he was afraid that he shouldn't have asked like this at all, but instead expressed Empress Lu's sadness. Dai Qing didn't say anything more, his hands wrapped around Lu Hou's shoulders, and Lu Hou buried his face in Dai Qing's arms.

She said, "Your Majesty wants to tell me about Weiyang Palace, for fear that he will think that I am not good for Qi Ji, so I can only pretend that I don't know anything, but he makes me so sad, so sad." ”

As he spoke, he began to sob. Dai Qing was also sullen in his heart, seeing Empress Lu so sad, he didn't know how to comfort her, so he could only hug Empress Lu with his hand and let her find comfort in his arms.

Liu Bang returned to Yuzao Palace, and Mrs. Qi was worried about today's events, so she didn't have the heart to sleep. Ruyi came back early, but Ruyi was vague about her mother's questioning, and she didn't answer what she asked, and she soon got tired of her mother's questioning. Qi Ji knew that she couldn't ask anything from her son's mouth, so she coaxed Ruyi to sleep early, and wandered around the hall alone, as if waiting for Liu Bang, and as if she was repenting of her mistakes, she also thought that doing so was simply to hit a stone with an egg, and thought that Liu Bang should not be asked to do this at all, did not think of the overall situation, did not think of how Empress Lu would look at this matter, and did not expect that if she did not succeed, Empress Lu would not deal with herself, her palms were full of sweat, anxious and uneasy.

A man paced around like a ghost.

Suddenly, I saw Liu Bang also walking in with his head stuffed and his hands behind his back, but there was no smile on his face, and he hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, how is it?" ”

"Don't ask, don't succeed." Liu Bang threw down a sentence, walked past Qi Ji as if angry, sat on a couch, and threw a few cases with one hand, which startled Qi Ji, Liu Bang said, "I don't understand, what's wrong with these ministers, can't you see my thoughts?" In the past, when I summoned them alone, I deliberately asked them to see Ruyi, so that they could know my thoughts, so that they could know that I valued Ruyi the most and had the intention of letting him do it for me, but today, somehow, they all pretended to be confused. I can't force them to choose their wishes. As he spoke, he slapped one hand on the next few cases, and the rough breath went in and out.

Qi Ji frowned, thinking about everything that might be, isn't the minister usually afraid of Liu Bang, why is this today. She is a woman, and she quickly pointed the finger at Empress Lu in this matter, thinking that she was the ghost, so she said, "I'm afraid it was arranged by the queen." ”

Liu Bang's eyes lit up, slightly surprised, in fact, he had been suspicious for a long time, there was something in what Empress Lu said tonight, and he felt weird, so as soon as Qi Ji said it, he felt that there was also this possibility, and he told himself: Could it be that the queen has secretly colluded with the ministers? Wouldn't she be guilty of interfering in politics?

But he didn't want to escalate the struggle between the two powerful women in the harem, so he had to prevaricate and say, "The queen doesn't know anything, don't talk nonsense." ”

Qi Ji saw Liu Bang falling to Lu Hou's side, she was very anxious, and she was coquettish in front of Liu Bang, and said, "Your Majesty doesn't care about the concubines, if Your Majesty is a hundred years later, the queen is unforgiving, what can the concubines do?" As he spoke, he squeezed out a few tears.

Liu Bang, who watched it, was worried, although he was also anxious about her, but he couldn't think of a way for a while, so he could only continue to prevaricate, "The queen understands the righteousness and will not harm you, as long as you stay in the Yuzao Palace and don't offend her, she will not take the initiative to find fault with you." Liu Bang patted her shoulder and comforted.

"Your Majesty......"

"Okay, I'm tired, let's sleep." Liu Bang interrupted what Qi Ji was about to say, knowing what she was going to say, but he couldn't answer what she wanted. I was really tired today, so I walked to the inner room and didn't take off my boots and went to the bed to rest in a 'big' shape, Qi Ji pouted and sullenly for a long time before going to the inner room, and saw Liu Bang posing with the word 'big', where is her place, and glanced at Liu Bang complainingly, and didn't take off his boots for him, but just ordered the palace people to cover him with a quilt, and then went to Ruyi's palace and slept with Ruyi.