"No way!"

"Absolutely not!"

"—it's not like words!!"

Weiyang Palace, Xuanshu Palace.

Looking at the two brothers Liu Pengzu and Liu Sheng, who were kneeling on the ground in tears, Tianzi Qi only flicked his sleeves angrily!

"The identity of the son of the clan, how can he give the minister a filial piety mourning?!"

"-You two bastards, don't you have a father of your own!"

"Are you hard-hearted to lose all of my Liu's face!!

With a roar full of annoyance, Tianzi Qi only felt that the anger in his chest was even worse, so he simply got up from the couch and walked quickly to the two brothers;

Looking at the two brothers, especially at Liu Sheng, there was even more anger in his eyes.

"-You bastard, do you have to cause something from time to time!"

"Do you think I've been alive for too long, so I have to cause trouble, and you want to make me angry to death!!

Feeling the monstrous anger of the Son of Heaven, the two brothers only subconsciously lowered their heads, but they did not flinch.

- Liu Pengzu, the seventh son of the emperor, wanted to speak and stopped, obviously thinking about what kind of rhetoric to use to persuade the Son of Heaven;

Liu Sheng, the ninth son of the emperor, was even more determined on his face, and only slowly bowed to the Son of Heaven in front of him.

"Erchen heard: One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father."

"When the teacher dies, the son, as a student, should do his filial piety······"

"-This is not to disgrace the face of my Liu clan;"

"But let the people of the world understand: even the clan and the royal family know the truth of respecting teachers and being filial to their relatives······"

"Let the people of the world understand: even if it is a prince, he can wear filial piety for his dead teacher, instead of holding his own identity as a clan relative to the royal family, ignoring the friendship between teachers and students, and the kindness of teaching and solving doubts·········"

low, mournful, and obviously with a somewhat resolute tone, but it made Tianzi Qi even more angry;

I want to refute it, but I don't know what to say.

He lowered his head uncertainly, stared at Liu Sheng who was kneeling at his feet, and looked at it for a long time, and then Tianzi Qicai flicked his sleeves angrily and sat back on the royal couch indignantly.

"No way!"

"I will never allow this to happen!"

"——The friendship between teachers and students, the kindness of teaching and solving doubts, there are many ways to repay;

"But no matter which way you go, it shouldn't be my son, to wear filial piety to others and mourn!!"

There were a few roars in succession, and the more Tianzi Qi spoke, the angrier he became;

Although he was also aware of his gaffe and wanted to suppress his anger by drinking water, the hand that grabbed the water bowl couldn't stop trembling.

Seeing that Tianziqi was so resolutely opposed, the two brothers still did not flinch, still kneeling in front of Tianziqi's imperial case, not knowing what they were thinking.

And beside the royal couch, the internal history of the emperor, who was originally summoned into the palace by the Son of Heaven to discuss government affairs, looked at the scene in front of him, but lowered his head thoughtfully.

For a long time, Tianzi Qi was a little angry, at least the tea bowl in his hand, and when he splashed water because of Tianzi Qi's hand trembling with anger, Chao Cuo finally took a step forward and bowed his hand slightly.

"Your Majesty;"

"The minister thinks that what Childe said still has some truth······

"-Huh?"

The gentle words provoked the Son of Heaven to raise his eyebrows, and just dissipated a little anger, only to return to his face in an instant.

With a gloomy face, he turned sideways and looked at Chao Cuo's smiling face, and Tianzi Qi only turned his head indifferently;

Absentmindedly, he drank a sip of warm honey water, and said angrily: "In this matter, Neishi should not interfere again." ”

"The friendship between teachers and students should not be manifested in this way;"

"Being a teacher for one day and a father for life does not mean that teaching a teacher should be exactly the same as your own father."

"—There should be a degree to everything;"

"After this 'degree', everything in the world will become chaotic."

Hearing Tianzi Qi's slightly annoyed words, Chao Cuo shook his head with a smile.

Slowly stepped forward, sat down on the banquet next to the royal couch, and bowed his hand to the Son of Heaven.

"Your Majesty;"

"In the past, it was indeed unprecedented for the clan and the royal family to wear filial piety for foreign ministers."

"But as Gongzi said: The principle of being a teacher for one day and a father for life is indeed a long time ago and is widely recognized by people all over the world."

"——I heard that Xunzi during the Warring States Period once taught his students like this: Heaven, earth, king, relatives, and teachers are the objects that everyone should worship;

"This is because of respect for heaven and ancestors, filial piety and obedience, loyalty and patriotism, respect for teachers and education."

As the person said, Chao Cuo did not forget to turn his head sideways, and bowed his hand to Liu Pengzu and Liu Sheng brothers with respect.

Then he turned around again and continued to say to Tianzi Qi: "Your Majesty thinks that this should not be done because of the identity of the two sons. ”

"Because from the perspective of teachers and students, the two sons are students, and the prime minister is the teacher;"

"But from the perspective of the monarch and the minister, the two sons are clan relatives, and the prime minister is a foreign minister."

"——Your Majesty thinks that the two sons and the prime minister should first talk about 'monarchs and ministers', and then they should talk about 'teachers and students', so I think that the two sons should not do this."

"In the eyes of the minister, between the two sons and the prime minister, in fact, there is no relationship between the 'monarch and the minister' at all······"

The warm and kind voice finally made the anger on the face of the Son of Heaven dissipate, and was replaced by a touch of stiffness;

Seeing Chao Cuo, he chuckled and shook his head, and continued: "Your Majesty is the identity of the emperor, so between anyone and Your Majesty, you should talk about the monarch and ministers first, and then about others; ”

"And the two princes, even if they are not princes, have not yet been named princes of the clan."

"Just between the 'son' and the 'prime minister', I'm afraid, there is no relationship between the dignity of the monarch and the minister."

"Since there is no relationship between the monarch and the minister, there is only a teacher-student relationship between the two sons and the prime minister;"

"Since they are teachers and students, the old prime minister died, and the two sons want to mourn the old prime minister wearing filial piety clothes······"

"—With all due respect: Although this is unprecedented, it is still an admirable and praiseworthy thing."

"Just as Gongzi said: Such a move will not only not make the Liu clan lose face, but will make the people of the world more clearly aware of the truth of 'respecting teachers and valuing education';"

"After all, even His Majesty's heirs can mourn for the dead teacher, so how can people in the world have a reason not to respect the teacher?"

A simple persuasion also made Tianzi Qi shake a little;

He pondered for a moment, but then frowned sharply.

"I can understand the meaning of the internal history."

"But do I want to watch my son wear filial piety to others?"

"-The father is still alive, but the son is mourning for outsiders?!"

Hearing this, hearing that Tianzi Qi was no longer as resolute as before, but there were still some doubts and dissatisfaction in his heart, Chao Cuo couldn't help but chuckle and raise his head.

"Your Majesty is right."

"—Everything in the world should have a degree;"

"If the two sons are allowed to follow the rules of 'father died' and mourn the old prime minister as 'sons', it is indeed a bit of a break in the rules."

"Hmmm······"

"The minister thinks that Your Majesty may be able to do so."

Halfway through his words, he saw Chao Cuo pretending to be thinking for a moment, then turned sideways and pointed slightly at the two brothers kneeling in front of the imperial case.

"The two sons are benevolent and filial, and they have the heart to send the old prime minister on his last journey;"

"And the old prime minister died of illness, it is reasonable, and Your Majesty should also send envoys to mourn the old prime minister on behalf of Your Majesty and comfort the old prime minister's family."

"In that case, why doesn't Your Majesty directly appoint the two sons as envoys to mourn the old prime minister on Your Majesty's behalf?"

"In this way, the filial piety of the two sons can be fulfilled, and Your Majesty's condolences can also be sent;"

"Because of this incident, people all over the world will understand the principle of respecting teachers and valuing education, and they will be able to better appreciate Your Majesty's kindness to his subordinates and the memory of his loyal ministers."

"Isn't it good to be thorough, to kill multiple birds with one stone, and to be justified, and not to break the rules?"

Hearing Chao Cuo say this, the Son of Heaven finally showed a little approval on his face;

Even the two brothers who were still kneeling in front of the imperial case also nodded thoughtfully.

But seeing that on the imperial couch, Tianzi Qi's face was gloomy and he thought for a long time before he finally raised his head.

"Since the internal history has said so, then I'll let you two bastards mess around again."

said indifferently, only to provoke the two brothers to hurriedly kowtow;

I saw Tianzi Qi indifferently turned to the side and looked at Chao Cuo on the side of the royal couch.

"Please also ask Neishi to draw up an edict for me."

"——: The emperor's eldest son, Liu Rong, is the main envoy, and the emperor's seventh son, Peng Zu, and the ninth son, Sheng, each is the deputy envoy;

"On the fake Son of Heaven Festival, Dai Zhen went to the old Anhou Mansion to mourn the deceased old prime minister, and assisted Hou Shizi to apply for Tu Yan and handle the funeral of the old prime minister."

"Seven days later, the old prime minister was buried in the tomb of the first emperor, and the emperor's eldest son Rong, the seventh son Peng Zu, and the ninth son Sheng, as the messenger of the Son of Heaven, sent the old prime minister on his last ······"

The low voice of the words only provoked Chao Cuo to hurriedly bow down and memorize every word that the Son of Heaven had revealed;

When the voice of the Son of Heaven fell, Chao Cuo recited it silently in his heart again, and then bowed deeply to the Son of Heaven.

"Your Majesty Shengming······"

But I saw the Son of Heaven turning around with a solemn expression, looking at the two brothers in front of him, who were still kneeling on the ground.

"I, I have made the greatest concession;"

"You two bastards control the specifics."

"—You can wear filial piety, but you can't mourn;"

"—You can keep filial piety, but you can't keep the spirit;"

"——You can greet and send condolences to the guests as the messenger of the Son of Heaven, but you can't handle the funeral of the prime minister as the host or immediate relative;"

"Understood?"

Hearing this, the two brothers looked at each other for a moment, and then bowed goodbye to the Son of Heaven.

"Sons, etc., thank you for your father's kindness ······"

"-Get out!"

"-two bastards!"

Before the two brothers could say their words of thanks, they saw that Tianzi Qi was angry without warning, and waved his hands at the two brothers in front of him in annoyance;

When the two brothers bowed up again, they heard that the Son of Heaven did not forget to remind him at the end: "When I arrive at the Hou Mansion, everything related to the funeral is subject to the arrangement of the prince; ”

"If you really encounter something that you can't decide, let Rong decide."

"-If I let me know that you two bastards dare to do something at the funeral and make a fuss about it······"

"-Leg broken for you!"

A threat without any deterrence only caused the two brothers to bow down again, and then they got up and walked towards the temple gate.

And after the two left, looking at the back of the two brothers leaving, Chao Cuo, who was kneeling beside the royal couch, couldn't help but be distracted······

"How?"

"Teacher, this is ······"

"-Envy the prime minister?"

In a trance, there was a slightly embarrassed ridicule from Tianzi Qi in his ears, which pulled the scattered thoughts back to his eyes;

Subconsciously turned his head sideways, and saw that the Son of Heaven Qi Fangcai's face was still a little angry, but at this moment, there was a touch of pride, and Chao Cuo only shook his head and smiled.

"If you want to say that you don't envy, then you are bullying the king······"

"But what the minister just thought was not envious of the prime minister;"

"But there seems to be some interesting differences between the two sons?"

The soft words also aroused the interest of the Son of Heaven, 'Oh? With a sound, he turned his body sideways in the direction where Chao Wrong was.

Seeing Chao Cuo, he lowered his head and thought for a moment, before he chuckled and said, "It stands to reason that the two sons are of the same age, and they were both born to Mrs. Jia, and they have lived together since childhood. ”

"Even if the personality is slightly different, it shouldn't be too different."

"But today, the temperament shown by the two sons is not at all like the brothers of the same mother."

"-Gongzi Peng Zu is a little older, but his eyes are red and swollen from crying, obviously since yesterday, after the death of the prime minister, he has cried for a day and a night;"

"And Gongzi Sheng, obviously younger, but his face is ······"

"Hmmm······"

"How so;"

"-It's like in the past, Childe Sheng, has experienced something similar."

"Although you can see sadness and pain on your face, what is more is to force yourself to be strong and cheer up."

"It seems that he is a younger brother, but his heart is more mature than his brother?"

As soon as Chao Cuo's words came out, Tianzi Qi also reacted in hindsight: Fang Cai's two brothers did show completely different appearances.

What Tianziqi saw with the naked eye: Liu Pengzu's eyes were red and swollen, and he was even a little swollen and couldn't open them, obviously this was the first time he had experienced this kind of thing;

——Parting with the life of those close to you, the separation of yin and yang.

And Liu Sheng is obviously younger, but he obviously shows a more mature state: although he is not like his brother Liu Pengzu, he can't open his crying eyes, but the sadness revealed between his eyebrows is more than Liu Pengzu, and it is no better;

But even so, Liu Sheng's face still had an obvious deliberate calmness.

As Chao Cuo said: It's like Liu Sheng, who has experienced such a parting of life and death;

Therefore, Liu Sheng clearly knows that at this time, no matter how sad he is in his heart, he must try to suppress the grief in his heart and try to maintain a relatively normal and relatively strong mental state······

"Hmm······"

"Maybe it was the death of the first emperor back then, which made that bastard understand something;"

"——In the early years, when the first emperor's illness was not so serious, the most beloved thing was that bastard······"

said softly, and saw that Tianzi Qi also shook his head and smiled;

As if recalling some interesting past, he immersed himself in the memories and let out bursts of weird laughter.

After a long while, Tianzi Qi turned back from his memory, took a deep breath, and turned his head sideways.

Looking at Chao Cuo's gaze, he couldn't help but bring a little ridicule.

"Teacher, have you changed a little bit lately?"

"-Heaven, earth, king, parent, teacher, but Xunzi Xunqing's opinion;"

"In the past, the teacher never agreed with the doctrine of anyone other than Shang Jun and Shen Buxian?"

made a joke, but Chao Cuo was slightly stunned, and after a while, he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"In the past time, the minister has really learned a lot from the prime minister."

——The minister studied under Zhang Hui and Zhang Zi, and learned the doctrine of Shen Bu Harm and Shang Jun; With a little bit of experience, I think I have a high level of knowledge. ”

"But the prime minister has never studied the scriptures with anyone, and he is almost killed with a knife or a shot from the army;"

"After the experience of the county guard, internal history and other positions, he finally took the position of prime minister."

"-If it was in the past, the minister would definitely say: The prime minister has no ink on his chest, and his mind is full of fighting and killing, and it is impossible to govern the world at all."

"But now, the minister finally vaguely realized: compared to the prime minister, the minister's shortcomings are so terrifying;"

"Compared with the experience gained by the prime minister in the army, between the ranks, as well as in the county guard and the internal history, the minister who claims to be 'full of wealth' may only be regarded as a frog at the bottom of the well······"

Hearing that Chao Cuo was a burst of self-deprecation, the Son of Heaven was full of jokes, but there was more and more playfulness.

- Heaven and Earth Jun is the remarks of Xunzi Xunqing, which can be reluctantly classified as 'Confucianism';

And Chao Cuo's sentence "The frog at the bottom of the well" is from Huang Laoxue's "Zhuangzi Autumn Water······

"It seems that the teacher has really learned a lot from the prime minister······

The meaningful words only caused Chao Cuo to smile bitterly and bow down.

"In the past few months, the minister has really benefited a lot from being by the prime minister's side·······"

"The minister is also planning to go to the army in the future;"

"Even if you can't learn something new in the army like the prime minister, you can at least have some different feelings·········

Seeing that Chao Cuo said this, there was no hint of hypocrisy on his face, and the Son of Heaven sighed, but finally nodded slowly.

After a while, remembering the main body of today's meeting, Tianziqi's eyebrows quietly swelled with lingering worries.

"I have been thinking about the Prime Minister's deathbed entrustment for a long time."

"—Now that the rebellion has been put down, Zhou Yafu's position as lieutenant must be removed;"

"It is indeed the most appropriate way to deal with the military power in the hands of Zhou Yafu by 'paying homage to the prime minister'."

Seeing that Tianzi Qi was talking about business, Chao Cuo couldn't help but hurriedly straighten up, and nodded slowly with approval on his face.

But seeing Tianzi Qi take a deep breath, he lowered his head full of sorrow, and the sad look on his face immediately deepened.

"Zhou Yafu's military power, I have a way to unload it;"

"But King Liang, I really don't know what to do······"

"——Some time ago, King Liang asked to see Chang'an, and I temporarily rejected King Liang's request in the name of 'the rebellion has not been completely quelled'."

"But I'm worried that it won't be long before the Queen Mother will personally order King Liang to enter the court·········"

(End of chapter)