The mountain has trees, and the trees have branches; seventy-six of them surround the head.

  Ru Yi lowered her head and looked at the handkerchief in her hand, made of high-quality silk, although the material was excellent, but for the royal family, it was not rare.

  "The fan itself is nothing special, what's special is the person who gave it." Chang Jing smiled softly and said, "Your Majesty doesn't know, this round fan was made by Ayu, the daughter of the Ruyuan Chang family, and was sent to Your Majesty through a flying horse messenger, so naturally you would treasure it more."

  "Oh." Ruo Yi said with a sudden realization, "Now that you mention it, I remember that last summer A Yan sent a round fan to Handan. I just used it to fan myself and wouldn't have broken it on purpose. Even if I did break it, I still have another one, so I can compensate the Emperor's brother when the time comes."

  Chang Ji's smile faltered for a moment, and a hint of bitterness appeared.

  Liu Chang was only seven or eight years old this year, and he was indeed a mischievous and curious child. As Liu Ying returned, he looked at Ruyi with curious eyes and asked, "Third Brother, is Zhao's place fun? Is it better than Chang'an?"

  She smiled and said, "Each has its own advantages, but in my heart, it can never compare to Chang'an."

  "Imperial brother," he grasped Liu Ying's sleeve and softly called out.

  "What's wrong?" Liu Ying turned back and asked curiously.

  "I want to see my mother," he said, looking up at Liu Ying with clear eyes.

  Seeing the figure of a woman in brown clothes with a bun on her head pounding rice in the alley, Ruo Yi couldn't believe his eyes, that was his mother who used to be as beautiful as a flower.

  "Mother." he called out softly.

  Qī Yì's whole body stiffened, and she froze in her actions, slowly turning her head back with a look of disbelief.

  "Ru Yi," she called out her son's name, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh no, no," she helplessly smoothed her disheveled short hair, trying to cover up her disarray, and smiled. "Look at your mother now," her eyes gradually brightening, "Ru Yi, have you come to take me to Zhao Di? Wait a moment, I'll change my clothes and follow you. Someone's coming! Someone's coming!" she called out loudly. "My son has come to pick me up. Bring over the clothes that belonged to this lady."

  It's unbearable. She leaned against the railing and slowly slid to her knees, sobbing softly.

  "What's wrong, Ruo Yi?" Qi Yi was startled. He suddenly stopped and asked cautiously.

  "Mother, I'm sorry." Ruyi used all her strength to say these few words. "As for now, our son can barely keep himself safe, so he can't take you to Zhao's place yet."

  Qī Yì slowly opened her eyes, looking bewildered, "Aren't you King Zhao? As the king of the vassals, one person below and ten thousand people above, why can't you find a way to bring me over?"

  "I..." As if suddenly choked, how could he explain to his mother, who didn't understand the ways of the world, that after the passing of their loving father, under the powerful influence of Empress Lü, the throne of Zhao Wang was actually worthless.

  He let out a sob. Suddenly, he rushed out and knelt down in front of Liu Ying, who was standing outside the palace gate, with a loud thud. He knocked his head three times on the ground and said, "Imperial brother, please have mercy on us mother and son, and beg Empress Dowager to let us return to Zhao."

  Liu Ying had not yet responded when a stern female voice came from outside the Yong Xiang, "Oh? Is King Zhao dissatisfied with my hospitality and wants to leave?" Empress Lü entered, supporting Su Mu's hand.

  "Old Mrs. Ah Lü," Chi Yi said in a low voice, "have you come to see the joke of our mother and son?"

  Liu Ying stretched out her hand to help Ru Yi up, but immediately stopped and her face turned ugly.

  "Mother," Ru Yi turned back, looking at Qi Yi, with a pleading gaze.

  Lü Zhi chuckled and didn't bother with Qi Yi, instead walking forward to take Liu Ying's hand. Smiling, she said, "This place in Yongchang is not clean, Your Majesty shouldn't come here unless necessary," glancing at Qi Yi, "lest something dirty your eyes and ears."

  "Mother." Liu Yan smiled tiredly, "The son is tired. Can you let the son off easy?"

  Lü Zhi looked at himself, this emperor's son, with a probing gaze. "What does Your Majesty mean?" His face was expressionless.

  "I once promised my father before he passed away," Liu Ying knelt down, "to protect Ru Yi and ensure her safety. I ask that you, Mother Empress, help me fulfill this promise to my son. The King of Zhao has been in the capital for several months, it's time for him to return to his fiefdom. Please agree to let the King of Zhao return to Zhao, and from now on," he closed his eyes, "I will no longer interfere with Queen Qi."

  "Brother Emperor," Ruyi was taken aback, got up and wanted to rush to Liu Ying's side, her mouth was unclear and couldn't utter a word, but her eyes were sorrowful and resentful, showing that she didn't agree with Liu Ying's words at all.

  Liu Ying steeled herself and shook off her brother's sleeve.

  "Will you let him go to Zhao's land?" Looking at this scene, a hint of pleasure flashed in Lü Zhi's eyes, and then disappeared. She said lightly, "Your Majesty's words are easy to say, but when the King of Zhao grows up, if he wants to avenge his mother, won't it be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains?"

  "Zhao Xiang and Zhou Chang are loyal and honest men, they will not stand idly by in this matter."

  Liu Ying was dissatisfied with Lü Hou's response and continued, "I will dispatch someone to keep an eye on the King of Zhao. If he shows even a hint of disloyalty, they will apprehend and deal with him on the spot."

  Lü Hou remained silent and pensive.

  “Then,” Liu Ying hesitated for a moment, before gritting his teeth and saying, “In the past, when Zhao Guang plotted rebellion and implicated Xuanping Hou, Emperor Gao investigated but found no evidence, and ultimately demoted Zhang Ao to a marquis. I wish to follow the precedent set by my predecessor, and demote the favored Prince Zhao of Yi to a marquis, with Handan as his fief, and order him to return to his territory.”

  Lü Zhi was shocked.

  Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there have been many cases of vassal kings plotting rebellion, but among the marquises, excluding the Marquis of Huaiyin, there were no other such incidents. This was because the vassal kings not only had vast territories, but also enjoyed military, political and economic powers within their domains. In contrast, the marquises only enjoyed the income from their fiefs and did not have administrative authority over their domains themselves.

  Han Xin was just because he was demoted to Marquis, had no army in his hands, so he could only plan to pardon the prisoners of Chang'an and capture the Empress Lü Zhi and the Crown Prince. At that time, it was still Empress Lü who understood afterwards, so she could easily kill him.

  If he were still the King of Chu, with one army in hand, relying on the prestige of the war god Han Xin, who would win or lose is still uncertain.

  "You mother and son are just a bunch of schemes, plotting against my son," Qi Yi struggled to shout, Lü Yu waved her hand to signal the palace staff to take her into Yongxiang, her high-pitched voice still echoing far away. "You want to avenge Zhang Jiao, why? My son is the legitimate heir of the former emperor, why should he give up his throne?"

  "Zhao Wang is the son of the former emperor, Your Majesty," said Lü Zhi with a pleased smile. "How do you plan to strip him of his kingship without arousing suspicion among the people?"

  Liu Ying faintly smiled bitterly, "I have my own ideas."

  "Good." Lv Liu suddenly responded loudly.

  "Your Majesty's brother, friend and younger brother are all so respectful," Lü Zhi smiled slightly at the corners of her mouth. Under the moonlight, she seemed somewhat cold and stern, "As a mother, how could I not agree?"

  "It's nothing." Her voice suddenly became hushed. "Something happened to him in the morning, Your Majesty, don't blame the Empress Dowager."

  She waited until her figure disappeared outside the Yong Xuan Gate. Liu Ying got up, only to feel sweat dripping down his forehead, and suddenly heard a sobbing sound behind him. He turned around to see Ruyi hugging her knees in a corner, crying with tears streaming down her face.

  He sighed and ordered Zhang Ji to take the weeping King Zhao back to the Weiyang Palace bedroom.

  As before, he refused to let the palace servants approach and serve him. He neither ate nor drank, and after half a day, Liu Ying could no longer hold back his temper, striding into the bedroom and pulling at his collar.

  "What do you want me to do?" he shouted loudly.

  "I won't be able to protect you for the rest of your life. You can't stay in Chang'an forever either, Ruyi. You have to go back. As long as you're alive, you'll find a way to save your mother."

  Ruyi trembled slightly.

  Liu Ying bitterly smiled. "Is it still because you hate me for wanting to strip your royal position?"

  "No." Ruo Yi's voice was hoarse. Her eyes were red and swollen, she looked up at her brother. "Ruo Yi is not so ignorant, knowing that Your Majesty is doing it for the good of his younger brother."

  Liu Ying's heart cooled down, and she understood the reason, but emotions aren't something that can be naturally accepted. Just like the pair of eyes in front of her, some thorns had grown out, and they no longer had their previous natural closeness.

  "Good." He smiled and slowly released his hand. "It's also good this way. The longer things drag on, the more likely they are to go wrong. I will try my best to let you leave quickly."

  The night drew a line of demarcation between brothers sleeping on the same bed.

  In the daze, I vaguely heard Zhang Ji lightly calling out to His Majesty outside the tent to get up, as well as the soft rustling sounds of the palace attendants helping Liu Ying put on his clothes. After a while, Liu Ying's footsteps approached the bedside.

  "Time to get up," he called out softly, "it's one o'clock. Rise and shine." Pretending to be asleep, but unable to conceal the faint trembling of his eyelids.

  After a long time, Liu Ying let out a sigh.

  "Your Majesty," Chang Ji's voice came, "do you want to go to the riding and shooting range to practice sword fighting?"

  "Today," the Emperor's brother hesitated for a moment, "----never mind. I'll have Prime Minister and Doctors Lu and Shi come over later." The footsteps gradually faded away. A hand stretched out from under the quilt to feel around, and a thin layer of sweat had formed.

  If there were no major events, the court meeting did not need to be held every day. Although Taichang Sun Shu Tong had established all the rituals and systems, at this time most of the officials were meritorious brothers who fought side by side with Liu Bang, and Liu Ying was very courteous to them. Many times, they sat together in the east wing to discuss state affairs.

  The sky was still early, the palace staff lit up the candles, Liu Ying took up his brush and ink on the desk, hesitated for a moment, and finally wrote, "At the time of the former emperor's death, King Zhao did not return to Beijing to mourn, nor did he have a sad face, actually lost filial piety, demote King Zhao, and change to Marquis Handan." After finishing writing, he blew dry the ink marks, thinking that people at this time took filial piety as the foundation of the world, this name could be passed on.

  It's just that Ruyi was wronged in the end.

  Soon after, Chancellor Xiao He and two senior officials came to request an audience.

  In the bedroom, Zhao Wang opened his eyes and got up. The palace staff hurriedly brought over a copper basin of hot water.

  "No need," Yu said with a shake of his head, "I want to take a bath."

  "Your Majesty," said Lu Jia, frowning in disapproval, "King Zhao has committed no great fault. If you suddenly depose him, people throughout the empire will be chilled to the bone and think that Your Majesty cannot tolerate even your own brothers."

  Liu Ying smiled and turned to ask Xiao He, "What does the Prime Minister think?"

  Xiao He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and coughed several times, sighing as he lowered his eyes. "Your minister has no objections. If Your Majesty is determined to do so."

  "The Prime Minister is the pillar of the country," Liu Ying smiled slightly, "but also pay attention to your body and share more state affairs with me."

  "Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your concern." Xiao He said with a bow.

  A thick mist of heat rose from the bathtub, and Rong Yi submerged his face in the water, taking slow breaths.

  Cough, I don't want to write anymore from here, so it's suspended.

  Why is it like this? It's so confusing. So I'll continue to ask for votes.