When comforting others, we often say that if there is any grievance in our hearts, we will say it, and it will be better to say it.

Under Zhou Huai's persuasion, Tang Ning began to slowly tell the story between him and Zhao Xu.

This story has never been known to outsiders, and even Zhou Huai has heard it for the first time.

He was surprised by Zhao Xu's trust in Tang Xu, and also appreciated Tang Ning's loyalty to Zhao Xu. However, he didn't understand why Tang Ning had a deep prejudice against Zhao Ji.

"You haven't been in the city of Tokyo, so you probably don't know. When His Majesty was still in the palace, he was most famous not for his benevolence, let alone for his good use of people, but for his good painting and beautiful handwriting.

When people mention him, there is no one who does not mention these two things. Downing explained.

"But what does this have to do with him being the emperor?" Zhou Huai frowned and asked, "Painting and writing will not affect him to be the emperor." ”

"But the last person with the same talent as him was Li Yu." Tang Ning threw a bombshell at this time: "Li Yu, as the queen of the Southern Tang Dynasty, is very good at painting, and his words are even more difficult to find."

Not to mention that he is very talented, and he writes poetry at his fingertips.

But man's energy is limited, and the higher his attainments in these areas, the more unfit he is to be an emperor, because he spends too much time on these things. ”

Zhou Huai was thoughtful.

"If the world is peaceful now, the country and the people are safe, it is not impossible to produce an emperor who is content with pleasure and does not want to do things so much. But the fact is that there are Khitan, Jurchen, and party items outside, and traitorous ministers are in power inside, and eunuchs are causing trouble.

What the world needs today is a master of Zhongxing who is similar to the first emperor, not an emperor of pleasure.

I very much agree with Zhang Xiang's opinion on this matter, as early as when he asked the Queen Mother, he said, 'King Duan is frivolous, and he cannot rule the world'.

But it's a pity that I couldn't stand up for him at the beginning, and the first emperor didn't say too much about the matter of establishing a prince. After the death of the first emperor, the Empress Dowager Xiang was in charge of the government, and before that, she often entered the palace to curry favor with her majesty, and naturally became a candidate to succeed to the throne. ”

Tang Ning said in a whisper while drinking.

Every time he spoke, he drank it all in one go. Xu Ning was on the side to help him refill the cup.

Zhou Huai rubbed the wine glass with two fingers and was silent.

Tang Ning's words expressed too many rebellious thoughts, no matter whether Zhao Jishi is not suitable to be the emperor, he is now the Son of Heaven, Tang Ning should not criticize behind his back.

"You're drunk." After being silent for a long time, Zhou Huai finally said: "Have a good rest, and come to see the old man again in a few days." ”

"......" Tang Ning glanced at Zhou Huai, and there was a little anger in his heart for no reason.

Foolish!

Before leaving, Zhou Huai still said to Tang Ning seriously: "Old man, no matter what you think, but the old man thinks that since you promised the first emperor to help him recover Yanyun, no matter what, you shouldn't give up halfway." ”

“……”

You said lightly, Tang Ning said secretly in his belly.

Zhou Huai left, and the rain stopped. Tang Ning was drunk alone, and Xu Ning struggled to help him to the bed.

On the second day, Tang Ning woke up, recalled what he had said yesterday, and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

What did you say? Knowing that Zhao Ji was careful, he still muttered so much, what if it spread out and reached Zhao Ji's ears?

Tang Ning touched his big bald head, and he had a terrible headache.

But it feels really good to say all the words, his body is like a heavy stone for more than a year, but today, I don't know if it's because of alcohol, or because he is looking for someone to talk to, his body is a lot lighter.

called Xu Ning and said to the apprentice with a harmless face: "Yesterday, you are not allowed to spread the words between me and your master, understand?" ”

Xu Ning blinked his eyes and said, "What words?" ”

Tang Ning stared at him for a long time, and suddenly became happy. Stretched out his hand and rubbed Xu Ning's head and said, "Little clever ghost." ”

It doesn't matter if he doesn't laugh, when he laughs, Xu Ning shuddered all over.

Master hasn't laughed in a year......

On the day when Tang Ning felt refreshed and it was time to go home, a bad news came to his ears again.

In the afternoon, Tang Ning was packing up his changed clothes and preparing to go back with Xu Ning, when Zhou Chong, who was dressed in snow-white, came.

Five or six years ago, Zhou Chong was brought by his father to Runzhou to accompany his grandfather, he was still a young boy at the beginning, but now he has become a strong young man.

Seeing the filial piety clothes on his body, Tang Ning sighed in his heart, and then Tang Ning heard Zhou Chong say sadly: "Grandpa didn't get up this morning, the family thought that he was tired from coming to you yesterday and wanted to sleep a little longer, but he didn't expect ......"

Tang Ning only felt that the sky was spinning for a while, and his eyes were dark, and then he didn't know what to do.

…………………………

"Why are you here?" Zhao Xu asked blankly.

"You've drunk too much." Zhou Huai sighed.

"Since you promised the first emperor, you must do this well......"

"What are you still doing here!" Zhao Xu roared angrily.

Tang Ning suddenly opened his eyes, like a rescued drowning man, gasping for air.

Wang Shi, who was dozing off on the side, woke up when she heard the movement, she looked at Tang Ning, who was pale, covered her mouth and pounced on Tang Ning's body.

"You're scared the hell out of me! You're scaring me to death! ”

Tang Ning swallowed his saliva hard, and said in a dumb voice: "Water ......"

It was already dark, and the dim candle flame was faintly shining. Wang Shi hurriedly went to the table and poured a glass of water for Tang Ning and sent it to Tang Ning.

Tang Ning took it and drank it cleanly, let out a sigh of relief, "I'm back home?" ”

Wang Shi wiped her tears and said, "Otherwise? Xu Ning said that you fell to the ground when you heard the news that the master was gone, who would dare to leave you in Rooster Ridge? ”

Tang Ning rubbed his still sore head and said, "How long have I passed out?" ”

"It's been three hours." Wang Shi wiped the tears welling up in her eyes with the back of her hand and said: "Sister Yu said that if it weren't for Xu Ning's child riding a horse, she would have run back directly to deliver the letter, and if she arrived in time, your life would be gone!" ”

Tang Ning was stunned for a moment, touched his chin and said, "Is it so evil? ”

Wang Shi was angry when he saw his appearance, and punched him hard in the stomach and said, "Are you still like a nobody?" You almost died, did you know? ”

"It's okay, isn't it okay now?" Tang Ning sighed and stretched out his arms to Wang Shi: "Don't be so excited, come, we haven't seen each other for a few days, let me hug you well." ”

Wang Shi was stunned for a moment, and then immediately threw herself into Tang Ning's arms and cried loudly.

Tang Ning patted her on the back and comforted her softly, feeling that a large piece of wet chest was already there, and Tang Ning felt very guilty.

……………………

Zhou Huai's funeral, according to the arrangement before his death, was very simple.

He is a person who does not advocate extravagance and waste, the Tang family is used to spending lavishly in Tokyo City, and after he came back, this habit fell in his eyes, and he was not less scolded.

Shi Niang had already taken the lead six years ago, and during the time when Zhou Cheng did not rush back, Zhou Chong and Tang Ning were the hosts of the funeral.

One is a grandson, the other is a disciple, in terms of the degree of intimacy, the two should be the same, except for the difference in generation.

On the first day, Tang Ning fell unconscious due to excessive grief, and on the second day he put on filial piety clothes and lived in the Zhou Mansion.

Shen Kuo was very emotional, his age was also when he was about to die, just like a dead leaf on a willow branch, as soon as the wind blows, a leaf will fall gently, and then other leaves will fall one after another.

He felt that Zhou Huai was the first leaf to fall, and the time he stayed on this willow branch was not long.

Relatives and friends who came to mourn were either shaking or kowtowing in front of the coffin containing Zhou Huai's body, and Wang Zhongxian even hugged Zhou Huai's coffin and cried bitterly.

He has the closest relationship with Zhou Huai, and the two met in their early years and have been friends for almost a lifetime. Now that Zhou Huai is one step ahead of him, how can he endure this grief?

Whenever someone who had finished mourning passed by Tang Ning, Tang Ning would kneel down with Zhou Chong to thank him. At first, there were still people who wanted to stop it, after all, Tang Ning was the marquis of the Great Song Kingdom, and this gift was too heavy, and ordinary people couldn't afford it.

But when they saw Tang Ning's expressionless face and those gray eyes, a thousand words came to their mouths and swallowed back into their stomachs......