then Li Sao

"Master Luo, take me back to that big house together." Ting Ting begged.

"It's none of your business!" Zhou Tang frowned.

"Okay, Xiaotang, this kid has been clamoring to repay me for his kindness before. He is a helpless person, and he is quite honest. Why don't you let him be a servant in the palace. The palace has been busy these days. , he can also help out."

"I can't afford to support him!" Zhou Tang firmly disagreed, "What's the truth, I think he's full of bad things!"

Luo Ping sighed: "Since this is the case, then I won't bother you. Let him be my servant. Aunt Sun is staying in the capital, and I just need someone to take care of me."

"Little master, why are you favoring him so much!" Zhou Tang was almost stunned to death.

But the little master is a little master after all, and he settled him down with one sentence: "Because he is very similar to you when you were a child."

Zhou Tang was stunned for a moment, and didn't object any more fiercely, but still said disdainfully, "He's ugly and dirty, he doesn't look like me."

Luo Ping said with a smile: "His personality is just like yours, the more he wants to get close to someone, the more he has to argue with him."

"...Ah?" Zhou Tang looked at the young boy who was hiding behind Luo Ping and glared at him vigorously, but he didn't understand what the little master said.

After a tossing all night, everyone didn't sleep well.

When I returned to the Yue Palace in the early morning, the fire had already been extinguished, but the main hall was completely collapsed, and the rooms of Zhou Tang and Luo Ping were also burned down.

But at the moment, no one had time to feel emotional, each went to the side hall to sweep out a place, and fell asleep.

After being frightened all night, plus fighting fires, rescuing important supplies, and saving lives, no one has the energy to take care of others.

Rue Xiang swept out a clean floor for Zhou Tang, then found some old mattresses from nowhere and laid them on it, waiting for him to sleep.He lay on his stomach on the table beside him, and soon fell unconscious.

Luo Ping stayed by Zhou Tang's side, and couldn't fall asleep at first, so he took out the threatening book wrapped in the red scarf and read it carefully.

A few words, read by him dozens of times, he really saw a little way——

The person who wrote this threatening letter is by no means an ordinary mountain reckless man.

His handwriting is neat and clean, and his words are clearly well thought out, and his words are obviously well thought out, and he even looks like a master. I don't know what kind of person he is.

Doing wild guesses, he didn't know how he fell asleep.This sleep was so dark that the sky was dark, and when he wanted to open his eyes, his stomach was growling too loudly, which woke him up.

As soon as Luo Ping woke up, he heard the noise outside, as well as the sound of everyone eating.Zhou Tang, Ru Xiang and Ting Ting were probably all outside.

Just as Luo Ping was about to get up, the door was pushed open, but no one came in. He saw two teenagers fighting at the door.

Zhou Tang was holding a bowl of porridge, and Ting Ting was trying to grab it from him.

"What are you doing, let go, let go! The little master must be starving, I'll serve it to him, you go away!" This is Zhou Tang.

"Why should I ask you to serve the porridge I cooked? Don't take credit for me, you arrogant, smelly and annoying bastard!" This is Ting Ting.

The two abducted each other and neither would give in, like two little leopards baring their teeth.

Luo Ping walked over to take the job: "Okay, stop arguing, I will serve it myself."

The two teenagers turned their heads together and snorted heavily at each other from the back of their heads.

Rue Xiang held back by the side for a long time and couldn't hold it anymore, she clutched her stomach and fell to the ground laughing.

Luo Ping also thought it was quite interesting: Zhou Tang never had a friend who could argue with each other, sarcasm and fight each other since he was a child, and Ting Ting accompanied him to make troubles, so he showed a little youthful appearance.And Ting Ting was originally very gloomy and seldom talked, but now he finally lets go and fights, looking a bit like a sunny boy.

This bowl of porridge is well cooked, fragrant and soft, and served with finely chopped side dishes that have been salted, it makes people eat quite comfortably.Being able to enjoy the bickering of the two teenagers while eating, Luo Ping felt that it was really worthwhile to accept Ting Ting, a young servant.

In the next few days, the palace underwent extensive repairs and cleaning, and it became much more presentable.The plaques have been re-mounted, and the carved beams and painted buildings have been re-painted. The whole door looks quite grand.

But once you step through the door...

Half of the screen wall was broken, and it was still covered with black ash. The main hall directly in front was spread there in a mess, and half of the side halls stood there crookedly as if disfigured. Zhou Tang deliberately asked people not to clean them up.The other half of the side hall and the backyard have been renovated, and pavilions and pavilions have been added, which is really beautiful.

Therefore, in a circle of neat, magnificent and beautiful buildings, those particularly ugly houses are particularly eye-catching.

At the same time, Luo Ping wrote an invitation letter for Zhou Tang, using words that people could not refuse, such as "together with the emperor's grace and blessings", and a few words of high hope that the emperor said when he bestowed the king of Yue, and sent them together. It was in the hands of various officials in Yuezhou.

On the night before the banquet, Luo Ping was worried and came to Zhou Tang to sigh.

He asked Zhou Tang: "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

Zhou Tang smiled and pulled him to sit down: "Little master, I knew you were going to test me today, I have already thought about it."

"tell me the story."

"There is only one thing I have to do tomorrow - Liwei."

"How to stand up?"

"That depends on who you are targeting." Zhou Tang's eyes were shining, "threat those who secretly want to oppose me; If there are people who don’t have the courage to come to the banquet at all, if they release some news that is beneficial to us, they will naturally turn around.”

Luo Ping nodded: "Then... have you thought about how to deal with Lord Zhizhou?"

Zhou Tang narrowed his expression: "It's this Yang Zhizhou that I haven't figured out how to deal with. He has sent people to greet me for the past two days, but I keep everyone out. It's hard to deal with his indifferent attitude. ah."

Luo Ping reassured him: "For this Yang Qiyun, you don't need to do anything for the time being."

"Hey? What do you say?"

"Isn't he gathering his own power? As an external force, it is very difficult for us to capture their alliance, but if there is a counter-attack, it will be much easier to use his own power to deal with him. Therefore, put him in In the end, as long as a few of his confidants are subdued, he will naturally fall."

Zhou Tang suddenly realized what he heard, and poured Luo Ping a cup of tea courteously: "Young master is right! Let's do it like this!"

Luo Ping took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "Xiaotang, in fact, you have already thought about it yourself."

Zhou Tang froze almost imperceptibly: "Huh? What are you talking about, little master. If I thought of it, I wouldn't ask you for advice, and I will definitely show it to you."

Luo Ping shook his head, didn't say anything, only the bitterness of the tea slowly slipped into his throat.

It has to be said that Zhou Tang has been able to take charge of himself.It's not that he can't do without him now, but that he's used to this kind of dependence and pretends that he can't do without him.

Luo Ping thought, in this life, he can no longer be as self-righteous as he was back then. When the emperor doesn't need his support at all, he must withdraw in time, and don't be greedy for the last bit of warmth and the last bit of false power.

----

The banquet was arranged in the backyard. To get to the backyard, one had to pass through the pile of ashes of the main hall.

When Zhou Tang thought of those officials seeing the appearance of the main hall of the Yue Palace, his guts knotted with laughter—all the officials were extremely shocked, especially the one who was crowned with the words "Thank you, Mr. Zhizhou, for giving the mansion to the younger generation" Yang Qiyun's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Under Rue Xiang's special dress, Zhou Tang wears a silver and white cloud-pattern wide-sleeved gown with a gold-sprinkled and simple hanging ribbon, which combines the costumes of Mocheng and Yuezhou.The clothes fit him perfectly, making his face look like a jade crown, like a boy from the fairy forest who came out of the world, and his youthful figure was fully displayed, with a hint of innocence.

Zhou Tang himself was not very satisfied with this outfit. In fact, he preferred the thousand-year-old green clothes, but the clothes were suggested by the little master. The little master said, don’t leave a mature and deep impression on them for the first time, because they are so innocent and weak Attire can dismantle part of their defenses.So he was honest and obedient.

At the beginning of the meeting, Zhou Tang held up his wine glass to respect all the officials: "Today, the King of Ben sincerely invites all the officials of Yuezhou. Firstly, he wants to thank the emperor Fuze with everyone. Secondly, he wants to ask everyone about the customs and customs of Yuezhou. Thirdly, I want to pray together with everyone, that the heavens and the earth will bless me, the rivers and mountains of Yuezhou and the people, and bless the prosperity of Yuezhou and the great success of Wanchang!"

"Prosper and prosper the Yue State, and inherit Wanchang!"

He said these few words in a humble way, which gave the officials of Yuezhou enough face, but also had a deep meaning: Since this king is here, he is under the mandate of the emperor, and whoever wants to make trouble with me will be in trouble with the emperor.So even if some people are reluctant to go along with him, they have to open their mouths and take a sip of wine.

Luo Ping has no official position and is just a commoner, so naturally he cannot sit at the table.He settled down in a corner, watching Zhou Tang on the high place quietly in the corner, his confident and proud figure was reflected in his eyes, and he was quite relieved that the child he taught had finally grown into such an outstanding and responsible person.

After the dishes were finished, Zhou Tang walked down the high steps slowly, and Rue Xiang followed him with a jug in his hand, apparently intending to toast.

Respect Zhizhou first, he said a lot of polite words, but he didn't mention the burning of the main hall.

Respecting the prefect of Tongfang again, he comforted him for his painstaking efforts in governing Tongfang. When the prefect was blushing and thanking him, he said suddenly, "It seems that the law and order is a bit negligent."

The magistrate was stunned for a moment, and had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask under the gazes of everyone, "Why did the lord make such a statement?"

Zhou Tang drank the wine in his glass, and looked in the direction of the main hall pretending to be disappointed: "A few days ago, the king came here for the first time. Before he could sleep in his mansion, he encountered an arson incident. The fire was very violent that night. Everyone in half the city was alarmed, but no one was sent by the magistrate to come to the rescue. The king couldn't help guessing that the fire was some kind of ceremony for Tongfang to welcome the king? Is this the custom of Yuezhou? Is it the king? Is it too rare?"

There was a knife hidden in his words, and the wine glass in his hand was shaking when he spoke about this cowardly prefect, and he couldn't say a word for a long time.Zhizhou on the side interjected: "My lord misunderstood. In the past few days, I have investigated the matter with the prefect, and found that the person who set the fire was related to the bandits in the Red Scarf Village, and has nothing to do with us."

Zhou Tang turned around and smiled: "That's really thanks to Yang Zhizhou."

What he wanted was the phrase "no connection", and he said this in front of so many people. If there was no connection, then the two parties should cooperate to suppress the bandits. If it was found that there was any connection, he could Use this to punish him for the crime of secretly colluding with officials and bandits, and see who will dare to protect him at that time.

Everyone thought that he would only respect the two prefects of the prefecture, but Zhou Tang respected them all.From the big general who defended the city to the small county magistrate of Jiupin, he didn't lose any of them.

And he really carried out the second thing he said: asking about the basic situation of Yuezhou in detail, customs and customs, showing surprise from time to time, and sincerely asking for advice.

"Hey? Do some merchants in Xizhao have a customs clearance order exempt from inspection?"

"The woods in the east often have methane gas? So how do the residents there live?"

At the same time, he did not forget to chat with the officials about some light topics.

"Is the watermelon in Fengling County really that delicious? Next time, I will try it myself."

"Haha, County Magistrate Wu is upright and clean, and the case is decided decisively. This king reminds me of an old friend from Mocheng."

……

When he met an official with outstanding achievements, Zhou Tang praised his contribution and rewarded him with some exquisite specialties from Mocheng as a thank you for governing Yuezhou.Whenever he met that glib idiot, he would say two equally glib words.

Someone was so naughty that he told him dirty jokes, he even leaned forward and whispered dirty jokes back to him. That person really didn't expect that this innocent-looking young prince would be better than him, and he turned red in the end.

Dealing with dozens of officials, almost all of them were pampered by him, and his impression of him changed from an arrogant and immature prince to a prince who "maybe we can talk to each other".

There was only one person, frowning slowly in the dark.

Luo Ping watched his wine glass poured over and over again, and couldn't help feeling a little worried: this kid doesn't know how much he can drink, and after drinking so much, he doesn't know if he is drunk.

During the banquet, Zhou Tang often looked at him inquiringly, probably wanting to confirm to him whether he was doing the right thing.

When he finished paying respects and the last person cast his gaze on him, Luo Ping knew that his worries had been fulfilled.

——It's over, I'm overexerting, I'm really drunk.