Plan to cut off the nine states

(Thanks to the reader "Big Ass Camphor Ball" for the red reward. Please collect and recommend)

Lou Chu thought he had to wait for a while, but the next afternoon Duan Siyong came to deliver a letter, inviting Master Lou to go to the Guangling Prince's mansion for a banquet that night.

The Guangling Prince was in Jiangdong, and the huge palace was all run by Zhang Shiduan. He often entertained friends here, and he only had one requirement for the invitees, that is, they must be worthy of him.

Lou Chu went to the appointment alone, leaving the dagger at home. He didn't know who he would meet tonight, and he didn't want to take risks casually.

Zhang Shiduan personally went to the door of the mansion to greet him and led the way to the back hall. Before entering the door, Lou Chu heard laughter and joy. It turned out that he was not the only one invited tonight.

The hall was very large, lit by countless candles as bright as day. Tables, chairs, stools and couches were placed randomly, of all kinds, but few people sat on them. Thirty or forty boys and girls were chasing and laughing with each other, or sitting on blankets playing finger-guessing games and throwing dice. Some people were playing alone, oblivious to the people around them. When they were excited, their shouts shook the sky.

Lou Chu had never expected such a scene, and stood still at the door.

"Just right." Zhang Shiduan smiled.

"What?"

"Mr. Lou is just eighteen years old. If you are one year older, I can't invite you here."

"Oh." Lou Chu still didn't understand the meaning.

"Come, let me introduce you to Mr. Lou."

There were more than forty people in total, most of them were surnamed Zhang, a few were surnamed Lan, and there were only three people with other surnames, including Lou Chu as the fourth.

Most people were indifferent to the arrival of the newcomers, just nodded, and a few asked: "Children and grandchildren of the general?" After getting the answer, there was no further news.

What surprised Lou Chu was that there were more than a dozen girls, either princesses or daughters of the emperor, all in their teens, but they ran and played like boys without any restraint.

He did not hear the name of Princess Huanyan, nor did he see the Princess of Luoyang. They must be too old to come here to play.

Zhang Shiduan took Lou Chu aside and said with a smile: "I know what you want to say, but you don't have to. The royal family has its own affairs... Let's call it family affairs. I believe that there are many things that the general did when he was at home that are not worth telling to outsiders. Am I right?"

Lou Chu smiled, "Yes, but I have no way of seeing it."

"Can Mr. Lou keep a secret?"

"It goes into my eyes and ears, but not out of my mouth."

"Haha, actually I believe you, otherwise I wouldn't bring you in directly, but it's better to ask. There are no rules here, Mr. Lou can do whatever he wants."

Lou Chu looked around and asked: "Do you have wine?"

Zhang Shiduan raised his arm and waved, and soon a young maid brought a wine pot and wine glass.

Lou Chu was not polite. He held the pot in his left hand and the cup in his right hand, and poured himself a drink. After the first sip, he sincerely praised: "It's really good wine."

"Please enjoy yourself, Mr. Lou. I don't feel like drinking tonight, so I won't accompany you. If you want food, there seem to be some fresh fruits and bacon over there."

"I'll find it myself, it's more fun."

Zhang Shiduan bowed and left, and directly joined the circle of people throwing dice, paying money to bet, and enjoying it.

Lou Chu was not familiar with the people here, nor did he understand their excitement, and he couldn't fit in, so he walked slowly, it was really boring, and found an empty soft couch to sit down and continue drinking.

After a pot of wine, he shook the empty pot, and soon a maid brought new wine and a small dish of sliced ​​bacon.

Lou Chu's alcohol tolerance was average, and he was already three or five points drunk at this time. He leaned on the couch, his ears were filled with laughter, and his eyes were full of distorted faces of laughter or anger. He seemed to have fallen into a funny and strong strange dream. Everyone was drunk and weird, and only he remained sober.

He hoped he was sober, because he hadn't figured out what the point of this party was.

For some reason, the two teenagers were fighting each other. Not only did the people around them not persuade them, but they put down their games and cheered loudly. Even the host Zhang Shiduan stood aside and laughed.

A middle-aged woman came over and said nothing. She just stood aside and separated the two. The boys and girls who were watching also dispersed.

Although they had never really met, Lou Chu immediately guessed that it was the Princess of Luoyang. He didn't move or say hello.

The Princess scolded her a few words, turned away, and went into another room. Lou Chu then noticed that there were several small houses on both sides of the hall, and the lights were a little dim. He had never noticed it before.

The wine became more and more tasteless, and the couch became more and more uncomfortable. Lou Chu was about to stand it. Just as he was about to get up and look for Zhang Shiduan, a voice came from behind him, "Did you disappoint me?"

The voice sounded familiar. Lou Chu immediately turned his head and saw a head of beautiful hair.

The two couches were facing each other. Just behind Lou Chu, a woman sat down without knowing when, also holding a pot in one hand and a cup in the other, sipping slowly.

Lou Chu turned back and sat up straight, "I don't even know why I was invited, so I'm not disappointed."

"You think we are like you, caring about the world and always thinking about how to rectify the court, but what you see is a group of ignorant teenagers playing boring games."

Lou Chu laughed, "Were you the same as them before?"

"Before? And now."

"I can't tell."

"That's because His Majesty hasn't come. Some people really enjoy the fun of playing, and some people want to show His Majesty. Sometimes I am the former, and sometimes I am the latter."

Lou Chu laughed, "Will His Majesty come tonight?"

"It's hard to say. No one can tell His Majesty's whereabouts. Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, please."

"If your Majesty comes, give me the opportunity to speak."

"Um?"

"Let me advise His Majesty first. If it fails, you can go ahead."

"I thought the eldest princess..."

"The eldest princess is the eldest princess, I am me, and I am the one asking you to help me now."

Lou Chu thought for a while and said, "Are you worried that His Majesty will accuse me and kill me on the spot?"

Princess Huanyan was silent for a while, and then said: "Turn around."

Lou Chi slowly turned around and met her eyes.

"I don't care about your life or death, I just want this opportunity." Princess Huanyan said word by word.

"What kind of opportunity is this for the princess?" Lou Chu also asked word for word, refusing to be at a disadvantage in this confrontation.

"Prove to Your Majesty that women are no worse than men. I am also knowledgeable and can help him govern the world."

"What will happen in the future? Your Majesty can never give you an official position."

The two looked at each other without blinking. After a long time, Princess Huanyan smiled and said, "We will talk about it later. Now I just ask you to give me a chance."

Her smile and voice suddenly became as innocent and gentle as a child's, as if she was being coquettish to her elders, but not too sweet.

Everything was just right. Lou Chu's heart skipped a beat. He looked away. Before he could understand, he already said, "Okay, you go ahead and give me advice."

"Thank you, nothing in return... Do you want this jug of wine? There is some left, it tastes good."

"Thank you, I still have it here."

Princess Huanyan nodded, turned around and stopped talking.

Lou Chu also turned around and sat silently for a while. Suddenly he regretted his answer just now and couldn't help turning his head and said: "I want to try your wine, maybe it tastes different from mine."

Princess Huanyan handed over the wine bottle and said with a smile: "It must be different."

Lou Chu took the wine bottle, and Princess Huanyan stood up and walked away to a small, deserted room.

Lou Chu poured himself half a glass of wine, poured it into his mouth and tasted it slowly. There seemed to be no difference, they were all the same wine.

A prince came uninvited and sat down next to Lou Chu. Zhang Shiduan introduced him, but Lou Chu could not remember his name. He only knew that his surname must be Zhang and that he was about the same age as himself.

"Why do I have to grow up? Why does my father take me away from the capital? I want to stay here and don't want to go to the wilderness."

Lou Chi pretended not to hear, and tasted the wine by himself, still hoping to find some difference.

The young man turned to stare at him, "You give me an idea and let me stay."

"Me? Sorry, I have no idea."

The young man was crestfallen, "Father wants to force me to learn rules again, ah - rules, rules, Your Majesty allows us not to abide by any rules, why does Father... If I complain to His Majesty, saying that Father violated the imperial edict, do you think it is feasible? ?”

"It's not feasible." Lou Chu categorically rejected, "If His Majesty likes you, he will find a way to recruit you back. If...complaining will only make you more disgusted."

"Your Majesty likes me the most!" the prince shouted, the anger of not being trusted flashed across his face, "Your Majesty will give me whatever I want. If I want to kill someone, Your Majesty will give me a knife and a person..."

The prince did not say whether he really killed someone, and he sobbed and cried.

Lou Chu continued to drink so that he could endure this crazy and ridiculous hall.

Cheers suddenly sounded not far away, and the prince got up and ran away.

Lou Chu woke up and got up unsteadily. After taking a few steps, he saw that the emperor had really arrived.

Boys and girls were jumping and shouting around the emperor, competing to talk and showing off how much copper they had won and what interesting things they had just done.

The emperor sat casually on a couch, listening attentively and with great interest. He was probably tired from riding a horse outside. He curled up. The eldest princess appeared with a loving look on her face. She put a pillow under the emperor's head with her own hands. Then he stayed by the couch, his eyes as gentle as looking at a newborn baby.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the emperor closed his eyes and took a nap with a smile on his face.

Lou Chi had only approached the emperor in the dark before. Looking at him now, he couldn't believe it was the same person.

The emperor quickly opened his eyes and looked around. The eldest princess waved. The prince who had just cried to Lou Chu immediately ran over and said sadly: "Your Majesty, I don't want to leave, go home, or learn the rules. Those old guys are too annoying. , My father doesn’t like His Majesty’s approach and will force me to learn this and that.”

He still complained, with a coquettish tone, like a seven or eight-year-old child who has just learned some of the ways of the world, but does not understand the danger hidden behind it.

The emperor still maintained a curled up posture. A man in his thirties was more like a child than a prince of seventeen or eighteen years old, but the words coming out of his mouth were not childish at all, "You have to grow up, and you have to learn when you grow up." Well, even I can’t be an exception, let alone you? It’s hard to regain your youth, so you want to keep it all?”

The prince nodded desperately.

"Then get out of here. This is my territory. You are not allowed to ruin the joy here."

The prince was dumbfounded, never expecting that the emperor who doted on him the most would actually say such decisive words. Tears that were already rolling in his eyes suddenly burst out, and he turned around and stumbled outside.

The joyful atmosphere in the hall was not affected at all.

When Lou Chu saw the eldest princess waving to him, he hurriedly walked to the emperor, looked at the eldest princess again, and decided not to salute. He stood casually like others, with a smile on his face, and his drunkenness dissipated at once.

The emperor yawned and murmured, "They all praised you, saying that you... I have seen you." The emperor sat up and looked Lou Chu up and down.

Lou Chu was shocked. His third brother Lou insisted that the emperor had a very good memory, and it turned out to be true.

"I used to be a temporary servant of the general of the central army..."

"Oh, I remember, on the night when Censor Luo got into trouble, you were guarding the door." The emperor looked at Lou Chu again, "In order to get close to me, you really tried every possible way and used every possible means."

Lou Chu was even more shocked and didn't know what to say.