The next day, Liu Bang convened the ministers to discuss some matters in the front hall, and everyone disagreed on the issue of the right to make salt, especially the salt production of the Qi State, which made Liu Bang also upset. Two days ago, I received a report from some princes and kings in the eastern part of the country, saying that the price of salt in Qi had risen a lot in an instant. Some of the vassal states in the Kwantung region mainly relied on the supply of Qi State, which suddenly increased the price of salt a lot, and the vassal states of Kwantung could not accept it at once, complaining that Qi was controlling the price of salt in disguise. Several princes and kings gathered in the country of Qi to discuss this matter for more than ten days, the king of Qi was still unmoved, and there was no result, which made the princes and kings unhappy, and went away in a huff, and as a result, several people clapped their hands and decided to report to the emperor of Chang'an to make a decision and solve the matter.

As soon as Liu Bang got these pieces in his hands, the first feeling after reading them carefully was that King Qi had done something wrong, and he was very worried about King Qi. But when I thought of Prime Minister Cao Shen's stability and ability to solve things, I felt that there was something very strange about this, and Cao Shen's ability would not solve these things. Sure enough, not long after the legato of these princes and kings was handed over, the king of Qi also asked someone to hand over the recital, explaining in detail the reasons for the increase in salt prices. Liu Bang closed the simple slip and laughed, that is, the economic competition between the vassal states. He silently allowed the price of salt to be raised by the princes, and told the courtiers that the central government should not interfere too much in the local economy, and no matter how the ministers suggested that Liu Bang persuade the Qi State to lower the price of salt, Liu Bang used this as an excuse to continue to follow the princes' recitals.

In the palace, Prime Minister Xiao He first stood up and suggested to Liu Bang, "Your Majesty, the sudden increase in the price of salt in Qi will affect the economic power of the vassal states in the eastern part of the country, I am afraid that they will have resentment, and the central Han government should properly manage and mediate." ”

Liu Bang was silent. Wang Ling came out and played, "The prime minister's words are very correct, the salt tax is the highest among the economic taxes, and the regulation of the salt tax is related to the economic changes of one country and even other countries. The rest of the things such as bamboo slips, mink wool, rhino horns, tortoiseshell and other things that do not matter how important they are for whether the price is raised, the minister feels that it is not important, salt is a must-eat thing, and the impact is deep, Your Majesty should understand, I hope Your Majesty will come forward to persuade the King of Qi to lower the price of salt, and everyone will live together in harmony. ”

Liu Bang was still silent, lying on the edge of the couch with a deep contemplative expression. The ministers below had no more words to say.

"Smack-" Liu Bang threw the song on the case, got up and left. The ministers looked at each other and left one after another.

One afternoon, Liu Bang was nesting in the Xuanshu Hall to think about it, and the hall was quiet, until the eunuch came in at dusk and lit a candle, and Liu Bang was tired again. After coming out for a long time, I touched my stomach and found that I hadn't eaten, and I was so hungry that I screamed, I originally went to the queen's palace, thinking that the queen had already used up the meal at this hour, so I scratched my forehead and thought about it, and went to Changxin Palace just past Zhao Meiren's Yongning Palace, and happened to have not seen Zhao Meiren's Liu Hui for a long time, so Liu Bang went to Zhao Zier's Yongning Palace first. Zhao Zi'er hadn't seen the emperor come to the door for a long time, and this visit made Zhao Zi'er also panic, and when he learned that the emperor hadn't eaten yet, he hurriedly called the chef to make a palace meal for Liu Bang overnight. Liu Bang looked at Yongning Palace while eating, and found that Zhao Meiren had been here for a long time, Zhao Zier specially hugged the sleeping Liu Hui, and deliberately woke him up to see his father coming. Liu Bang ate with a smile, saying that Liu Hui had grown up a lot, and Zhao Meiren said that Liu Hui missed his father very much, and he didn't know him after seeing him for many days. Liu Bang smiled embarrassedly, thinking that Zhao Meiren also complained that she didn't come often, so she didn't answer and buried her head in eating. Hula Hula had a meal, Zhao Meiren still sat on the side with Liu Hui in her arms, Liu Bang got up and hugged Liu Hui in his arms, looking at Liu Hui looking at himself like a stranger, Liu Bang smiled and played with him, "Hui'er, call your father, my father has come to see you." Zhao Meiren smiled, and went to make the bed herself, laying the quilt for two people. Liu Bang saw that Zhao Meiren had misunderstood that he was staying here, so he hugged Liu Hui and said apologetically, "Don't be busy, I, I'll go to Changxin Palace in a while." Zhao Meiren's busy hand suddenly stopped, the smile on her face suddenly froze, she got up and smiled at Liu Bang, came over and hugged Liu Hui in her arms, and said in a round game, "It's okay, the concubine makes the bed like this every night." Liu Bang became even more apologetic, put it on Zhao Zi'er's shoulder and patted it, "It's cool at night, add more quilts, and take care of Hui'er." Zhao Meiren turned her back and said a hoarse "um", then hugged Liu Hui and sat on the couch to coax Liu Hui to sleep again. Liu Bang turned around and walked out of the hall, "Father, father-" A childish voice came from behind, Liu Bang turned his head, Liu Hui was opening his round eyes and calling himself indistinctly. Zhao Meiren was stunned and looked at Liu Hui in her arms, and then laughed, Liu Bang and Zhao Meiren looked at each other, smiled and left without saying a word.

Out of Yongning Palace, Liu Bang walked alone, the waning moon hung high in the sky, and the lazy faint light shone on the stone road through the thick branches. On the road, I only heard Liu Bang's heavy footsteps. With a long sigh, he put his hands behind his back, his eyes looked straight ahead, and walked slowly and heavily. The soldiers who had been on guard along the way bowed when they saw him, and he just walked away as if he hadn't seen him.

It didn't take long to arrive at Changxin Palace, there are two lamps hanging in front of the palace gate, dim can only illuminate the road in front of the door, swaying around, the night in late autumn and early winter is always lonely, always giving people a sense of nostalgia, making people can't wait to run home.

Stopped in front of the palace gate and raised his eyes to look at the big three characters 'Changxin Palace', every time I came here, there was always some indescribable feeling, a gust of wind blew and froze Liu Bang shivered, and quickly wrapped his arms and rubbed them, shivered and went in.

Outside the hall, I saw that the light in the main hall was much darker, as if only one lamp had been lit, and the candle flame was shaking alone. As soon as he got up the steps, he stretched out his hand and wanted to knock on the door of the palace, but before he touched the door, he heard a warbler say from behind, "The queen is not inside." ”

Liu Bang turned around and saw that it was a slender palace maid he didn't know. Immediately walked down the steps, "The queen is not inside?" The maid nodded. Where did the queen go? "Niangniang said that the palace was boring, and after lunch, she went to Liyang Palace alone."

"Liyang Palace." Liu Bang whispered a few times, and then asked, "Are you coming back tonight?" ”

The palace maid shook her head, and Cui said, "The slave doesn't know, the mother didn't say it." ”

"Let's go down." Liu Bang waved his hand and told the little palace maid to go down.

After standing in the courtyard for a while, thinking about how she had gone to the Liyang Palace, shivering from the cold, she went up the steps again, pushed open the door of the hall and entered, except for a flickering candle flame, it was empty, dim and dark.

Entering the inner hall, Liu Bang personally lit four candles, and suddenly the hall was bright. Walking inside, I saw that the furnishings in the queen's house were already a little old, and the queen still used them, and I didn't pay much attention to them when I came before, but now I just saw it. At a glance, she saw the bowl on the case, the bowl used to hold wine, the bronze color has changed, and she still uses it. The loom that had not been used for a long time was quietly parked in a corner of the inner sanctum, and the clay pot that had been used for millet since the marriage was also quietly placed on a platform in the corner. Walking up to her dressing table, she reached out and touched the already smooth and printed makeup table, which was shiny but clean and simple. There was a gilded box next to Bao Xi, and he was curious, so he opened it to see, but it was a familiar hairpin, which was not beautiful and faded to recognize the original color, and it was very simple and simple. But Liu Bang held it tightly in the palm of his hand and put it on his chest, it was the only souvenir he gave to Empress Lu when he got married, she still kept it for so many years, and suddenly felt even more indescribable heartache and guilt.

The previous scenes reappeared in front of Liu Bang's eyes.

The happiness and sweetness of the marriage, personally unveiled the red hijab for her that night, drank the wine happily, personally took off her phoenix crown and xia veil, and inserted this not very beautiful hairpin for her, and then it was a beautiful first night. After a few months, he took her to the top of Pei County and made a lifelong promise: 'Liu Bang is willing to meet Lu Pheasant and hold hands for a lifetime. After that, he was busy outside, and she was virtuous and housekeeper at home, cooking and laundry, taking care of Mrs. Liu, and being diligent and thrifty. She gave birth to a pair of lovely children for him, and he and she were very happy, and invited the good neighbors and bosses in Pei County to eat and drink, and it was lively all day, and the two of them finished laughing and fell asleep tiredly at night. Suddenly broke out in the peasant uprising at the end of Qin, Liu Bang was often out before becoming Pei Gong, let go of the prisoners, and as soon as he left, Empress Lu sent him to prison and suffered all kinds of suffering. After four years of Chu and Han fighting, he was the king of Han in Hanzhong, and there were many beautiful women around him, but she and her family were wandering away and looking for the king of Han. He finally sat on the throne of the emperor and welcomed back Lu Pheasant, but there were already Mrs. Qi, Mrs. Guan, Mrs. Bo, etc., and the husband who had not seen him for seven years, finally couldn't bear to find someone else as a partner, and gradually the relationship became cold, strange, polite, and he could no longer find the love of the year.

Liu Bang vaguely remembered that he asked Empress Lu if he was happy to marry him? Empress Lu didn't give him a positive answer, but said that her life had not come to an end, but there would be many changes in this life, and she didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse. Liu Bang still remembers that when he was in the middle of the wine, he asked Liu Ying or Ruyi which was more like him in front of the ministers, and afterwards Empress Lu gave him the stairs as if he didn't know. When he was about to send the princess into Hu, Empress Lu knelt down and begged him not to throw his daughter into Hudi, and he said something that hurt her at that time, and then Lu Pheasant also helped him solve the matter of Jiuyuan County......

This scene and the relationship and confrontation with Empress Lu are presented in front of Liu Bang's eyes, there have been joys and sorrows.

Liu Bang recalled intoxicatedly, smiled faintly, and held the hairpin with both hands. Letting go of his hand and looking at the hairpin full of memories in his hand, Liu Bang remembered the kindness of Empress Lu, and gently put it back on the dressing table.

I walked to the corner of the platform and looked at the broken loom, my wife at that time was virtuous and capable, weaving and weaving yarn at home every day, and all the fabrics woven by Empress Lu were woven by herself. The right hand stroked the loom, I had never touched the loom before, I always felt that it was a woman's object, but today to touch it is such a cold and smooth feeling, it can weave all kinds of cloth, admire the loom at the same time even more admire the woman who can weave.

"She still keeps what she was." Liu Bang touched the loom and muttered.

'Squeak' the door opened, and Empress Lu's indifferent voice came from behind him, "Your Majesty ......"

Liu Bang immediately turned around and saw Lu Hou standing at the door in thin clothes, the cold breeze blowing straight towards her, blowing her hair messy, her eyes were tired, and her face was slightly sad. 'Ahh

Liu Bang immediately walked over and grabbed her arm and closed the door. took her hand again, it was very cold, and then Liu Bang quickly took off the black robe he was wearing and put it on Lu Hou's shoulder, and Lu Hou squeezed out a sad smile.

"It's such a cold day, I don't stay in the palace, I don't know how to add some clothes when I go out, it's been a long time in winter, and I still wear so little, I always worry about it." Liu Bang put on her clothes, shook her shoulders, picked up one of her hands and rubbed them, cheered for her hands, and warmed her.

Listening to Liu Bang's caring language, it was something she hadn't heard for a long time; Seeing Liu Bang loving her body, she hadn't felt it for a long time. A warm current suddenly surged through her whole body, as if she saw her original husband again, she was the only one in her eyes, and she enjoyed him like this. "Why is Your Majesty here? What happened? While Empress Lu enjoyed Liu Bang's care, she suddenly raised her head and hurriedly asked. Empress Lu is no longer accustomed to Liu Bang coming here without incident, and he came without saying hello tonight, thinking that he had encountered something difficult.

Liu Bang continued to rub his hands for her and said with a smile, "It's not a big deal, I just want to come over." ”

There was an 'oh' sound, and there was silence for a long time. "Your Majesty, go and sit on the couch, the concubine is not cold." Empress Lu took out Liu Bang's warm and generous hand and asked him to sit on the edge of the couch.

The palace people outside the palace brought hot tea and put it on the case, it was the palace maid who poured the tea, and Lu Hou waved his hand and asked the palace people to go down, personally poured a cup of tea and gave it to Liu Bang, and then the warmth was not drunk in his hand. Lu Hou came to the dressing table and sat down, his eyes inadvertently saw the inconspicuous hairpin on the dressing table, the corners of his mouth moved, turned to look at Liu Bang on the side of the couch, she knew that he had moved this hairpin, she also picked up the hairpin and looked at it, and put it in the box.