My name is Chang An, your name is Gu Li

Chang An finished teaching Li Ying today, took the tea brought by Yang Shu, and sat on a chair to rest. After Li Ying sorted out the books on the table, he asked:

"Tomorrow is Madam Gu's birthday, right?"

Chang An nodded. Tomorrow is the annual Ghost Festival and also Gu Li’s birthday.

"Have you prepared any gifts?" Li Ying also sat next to Chang An and stretched.

"Of course I'm prepared," Chang An nodded with a smile and said, "Not only that, I've also bribed Xiaoguai and Erguai, and they will also express their opinions when the time comes."

Li Ying raised her eyebrows and asked with great interest, "What have you prepared? What do Xiaoguai and Erguai want to express?"

"Your Highness cannot know it now, but I can still tell Your Highness what Xiaoguai and Erguai want to say." Chang An smiled, then whispered to Li Ying.

After listening to this, Li Ying also felt very good and said, "How come you can prepare something different for Madam Gu's birthday every year? Do you prepare it in advance?"

"It happens every year. We can't be careless about this." Chang An said.

"How about it, Your Highness? Would you like to come and show me your presence tomorrow? I will still treat my friends to a meal together."

When Li Ying heard this, she immediately agreed: "I'll go, of course. How can I not go to a free meal?"

Chang An smiled and said, "Then Your Highness, I will leave first and go to the East Market to pick up something."

"Let's go! Let's go together." Li Ying stood up first, and then said, "I'll also buy some gifts for Madam Gu."

Chang An nodded, and then walked outside with Li Ying. Originally, Yang Shu wanted to prepare a sedan chair for Li Ying, but Li Ying thought it was too troublesome, so he gave up and sat in the same sedan chair with Chang An.

......

After Li Longji finished his court today, he returned to his palace to rest. At this time, Gao Lishi was already at his seat reviewing memorials.

There were two eunuchs around Li Longji, one was Gao Lishi and the other was Cheng Gonggong. Cheng Gonggong was responsible for following Li Longji and taking care of his majesty's food and daily life; while Gao Lishi mostly lived in the palace and helped Li Longji to review memorials.

On this day, when Gao Lishi was reviewing memorials, he suddenly saw an impeachment memorial signed by Yuwen Rong.

Memorial to the Emperor:

Your Majesty, today's court has implemented the contract system. I initially thought it was a good policy, but the recent changes have made me think it is inappropriate. Now the land of the world is divided among the common people. Although the land is unevenly distributed, it is difficult to collect taxes, which is a waste of money and labor.

Today, the population of the court is large, and the land is unevenly fertile. The grain varieties and yields produced are also different, so it is difficult for the government to count them. However, if ordinary people hide their grain, it is difficult for the government to detect it unless someone reports it. Although there are few people who hide grain privately, if officials are morally corrupt and hide it privately, it will become a trend, and the military governors will collude with their subordinates, and it will be difficult for the court to detect it.

If this continues, the country will have no food to pay its salaries, which will cause endless troubles. Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty and established the Xin Dynasty, which lasted only 16 years before it fell. The current land law is very similar to his, as if it has been reborn. I hope Your Majesty can understand this.

"Rikishi?"

Li Longji shouted at this time, and Gao Lishi came back to his senses, put on his normal demeanor, and returned the greeting: "Your Majesty."

"Is there anything important in today's memorial?"

Gao Lishi then picked up the memorial written by Yuwen Rong and said, "Your Majesty, yes."

Then he used this memorial as an indicator, pointed to the memorial on the side, and said: "This month, Jia Xingzhang, a barbarian from Xizhou, wanted to start an uprising and threatened the border of Xizhou. Then there was the Eastern Turks. Bilge Khan asked for marriage again and wanted Your Majesty to make the decision."

Li Longji nodded, and Gao Lishi put down the memorial in his hand again, then picked up the memorial he had just pointed at and handed it to Li Longji.

The latter took the memorial and asked, "What other memorials are left? Is there nothing important?"

"No, your majesty."

"Okay." Li Longji sat on his dragon throne and began to think.

But at this moment, Li Longji seemed to have thought of something and said, "Eunuch Cheng, send someone to prepare for the Zhongyuan Festival tomorrow."

"By the way, pick out a gift from the storehouse and send it to Lady Zichuan tomorrow."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After saying that, Eunuch Cheng turned and left. Gao Lishi came to Li Longji's side at this time, and before coming, he did not forget to put Yuwen Rong's memorial on the pile that had been revised.

......

After returning home, Chang An sent Gu Li into the house, then squatted in the pavilion with the two children at the door, whispering something:

"How is it? Did you remember everything that Aye asked Xiaoguai and Erguai to prepare?"

The two little ones nodded and said, "I remember."

"Do you remember when you said that?"

Xiaoguai said, "I remember, it was when Aye gave the gift to A Niang."

Chang An touched Xiaoguai's head lovingly, then kissed her cheek, then took out a box from his arms and said, "Can Xiaoguai and Erguai help Aye hide this?"

Erguai took the box, nodded, and said, "I'll hide it in my sister's and my room, so my mother won't find it."

Indeed, they would not, because every night, the job of sending the children back to their rooms was done by the two nannies, Huaiqin and Zhener. Sometimes, on a whim, Changan and Guli would go to their two little ones' beds and sleep with them.

But at this time, although Erguai took the gift, the thoughtful but somewhat leaky little cotton jacket said: "But Aye, where did the money for the gift come from?"

"Isn't all the money with A Niang? Is Aye's money private money?"

Chang An was stunned for a moment, nodded, and said, "Don't tell Auntie, this is our little secret."

After Xiaoguai and Erguai got the explanation, they nodded obediently. At this time, Gu Li's voice came from the room: "Chang Lang?"

As he was talking, Gu Li suddenly appeared, and Chang An was so scared that he quickly hugged the two little ones in his arms. Gu Li naturally didn't see the little tricks between the father and his two sons, and asked directly:

"Chang Lang, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, just whispering to Xiaoguai and Erguai." Chang An gave a perfunctory smile at this time.

When Gu Li saw this, he pouted unhappily, snorted, and ran back to his room. Chang An was stunned for a moment, while Xiaoguai and Erguai were a little sensitive to emotions.

"Aye, mother is unhappy."

"Aye, go and comfort him. I'll go put the things away."

The two kids said this and then ran away. Chang An saw that his daughter and son had assisted him in this way, so he also had to act quickly. After entering the room, Gu Li asked, "Xiaoguai and Erguai are gone?"

"Let's go." Chang An came forward with a smile and said, "Is Madam Gu angry?"

"Angry!" Gu Li puffed up his cheeks again and patted his belly gently, looking like he was wronged.

Chang An quickly hugged her in his arms, kissed her twice, and then said, "What's wrong? Why is Gu Niang angry?"

"Why else? Chang Lang never tells me his little secrets, but tells Xiaoguai and Erguai. When he comes back, he doesn't play with me anymore, but just holds Xiaoguai and Erguai to play." Gu Li struggled symbolically for a few times, then leaned into his arms as if obediently.

Chang An said: "But this little secret cannot be told to Gu Niang, it can only be told to Xiaoguai and Erguai."

"What is it that the children can know but I, as their mother, cannot know?" Gu Li was unhappy at this time, and then he moved closer to Chang An's neck and bit it gently.

Chang An had no choice but to say, "It's Gu Niang's birthday gift tomorrow. I can't tell Gu Niang because it's for the sake of mystery."

"Gift? What gift? I don't want a surprise, I just want to know." Gu Li moved in Chang An's arms and sat up straight.

"Chang Lang~"

Gu Li made another coquettish voice at this time, and Chang An's heart melted immediately. Only then did he know what a true honey trap was. He calmed himself down and said:

"I can only tell Gu Niang that it is something she likes - a piece of gold."

"Gold?" Gu Li frowned slightly and said, "We have plenty of gold at home, why would you want gold?"

"Mother Gu will know tomorrow. Please don't be angry or jealous today, okay?" Chang An was trying to coax her now. No matter whether Gu Li was pretending to be angry or really angry, he had to coax her.

"No—Ugh!"

"I'm just jealous...啾~"

"I don't... Uh-huh—"

Forget it, just obey, anyway, I am not really angry or jealous. Gu Li's hand gently holds Chang An's face, and then accepts his "attack".

After a long time, the two separated. Gu Li's cheeks were red, and his fingertips gently slid across his lips, his eyes were still a little blurry. He must have been a little too immersed in it, but in this situation, someone always has to come out to spoil the mood -

"Aye! Why did you bite my mother?"

Xiao Mian'ao's voice came from the door, and then Erguai's voice: "Aye can't bully A Niang, Aye said he would protect A Niang."

Gu Li cried out "Ah!" and then shrank into Chang An's arms, feeling extremely embarrassed. Chang An looked at the door in confusion and found the two little ones standing at the door, with Chang Qi following beside them.

Chang Qi did not fail to cover the two children's eyes, but the two children pushed his hands away. Although he was stronger, he did not dare to use force on the young master. When Chang An saw that Chang Qi's hands were around the two children, he knew that he had not successfully blocked their eyes.

If Huaiqin and Zhener were there, they would have run out with the two little ones in their arms long ago.

“How embarrassing!”