On the flat stone road, a carriage drove slowly, and the noise it made was extremely clear in this quiet inner house. The guards and attendants, the standards of the ceremonial guard were obviously very high, and they stopped in front of the mansion. The guards in front of the door saw
If there is a situation, then quickly prepare to welcome you.
The owner of the car was naturally Liu Xu, Duke of Qin who was returning to his hometown. He stepped on a low stool and got out of the car. He paused after landing. The sun had not yet completely set. It was hanging in the west, emitting bursts of brilliant light, and the bright sunset covered the area.
The sky is beautiful and colorful, and the weather is indeed good today.
After taking a few breaths of fresh air, his mind seemed to be clearer. Liu Xu was almost twenty-four years old, still a young man, but there was no trace of youthful spirit in his body, and his face was all calm and impeccable.
The master's return to the mansion affected almost the entire palace. After all, everything in the mansion revolved around him. Both the front yard and the backyard had entered a state of "high alert", but Liu Xu was actually not
He likes this feeling of ostentation, even in the nearby palace, but as a prince and a duke, there are etiquette rules for traveling and returning to the palace. People in the palace follow the etiquette rules, so he can't blame him for anything.
"Your Highness is welcome back home!" In the hall, Madam Bai Ying personally served Liu Xu and helped him take off his court clothes and hat.
"Madam, there is no need to be polite!" Liu Xu sat down, took the hot tea from the maid, and took a brief sip before focusing on his wife.
Bai was the wife chosen by the empress for him. She came from a well-known family and was a good lady. She had been married for many years. She could not be said to have any kind of Qin, Se or Ming, but she already had two children. Her feelings were
After all, there are some. For Liu Xu, Bai Ying is his "hero" and respects him very much.
"I don't know, my husband came home early today, and the food has not been prepared yet. We still have to wait for a while!" Bai Ying was a gentle wife. She put away her robe and handed it to the maid on the side, and then said to Liu Xu.
"It's okay!" Liu Xu relaxed a little, but there was a hint of fatigue clearly showing on his brows, and he smiled and said: "The affairs in the government office have been heavy recently, and now I finally have a break. I can also be grateful for my free time!"
The Lifan Yuan of the Han Dynasty was established not too recently. Its function is to manage the affairs of foreign ethnic groups in the country and coordinate the relations between various ethnic groups. In the past, it was almost a small and transparent department, but as the territory of the Han Dynasty expanded, it annexed
As more and more ethnic groups were recruited, the role of the Lifan Yuan gradually became apparent, and its power also increased. Now it is also the real power department among the various ministries and departments of the imperial court.
As the leader of the Lifan Academy, Liu Xu shoulders heavy responsibilities and is naturally busy. Especially some time ago, the imperial court carried out systematic and overall sorting out and reconciliation of many ethnic groups within the Han Dynasty, and Liu Xu was even more busy.
Although Liuxi was young, thanks to Emperor Liu's training and practical experience in government, and with the assistance of Zhao Kuangzan, he became more and more comfortable in handling these complicated national affairs.
The last foreign-Tibetan conference ended successfully, and he had put in a lot of effort. It was a worthy political achievement and was recognized and praised by Emperor Liu.
"You have indeed worked hard during this period, and it's time for you to rest for a while!" Noting the fatigue in her husband's expression, Mrs. Bai said with concern.
"Thank you for your concern, madam!" Liu Xu's smile remained unchanged, but he shook his head and replied stubbornly: "Working for the imperial court, a little hard work is nothing, the most important thing is not betraying the trust of the emperor and not delaying national affairs.
!”
After hearing what he said, Mrs. Bai sighed and gave no further advice. They had been married for almost seven years, and there was no crisis of "seven-year itch". However, her understanding of Liu Xu was also profound.
My husband is smart, tolerant and generous, and he is as gentle as jade. He is a handsome gentleman, but at his core, he is stubborn and proud that outsiders don't know. There are many things that even her pillow partner can't dissuade.
"Where are those two boys?" After asking Bai to sit down, Liu Xu changed the subject and asked.
"Wenyuan has been called into the palace. Someone from the palace has just arrived. He will stay at Chuigong Hall to accompany His Majesty tonight!" replied Bai.
Hearing this, Liu Xu's lips subconsciously opened into a smile, and then he looked at Mr. Bai and said, "In the future, take them into the palace more often, go to Chui Gong Hall and Kunning Hall to say hello, and let your parents see Sun Yat-sen more often."
Son, they will also be happy!"
"Yes!" Bai Shi was not interested in guessing Liu Xu's intentions, nor did she dare to speculate, she just responded obediently.
Liu Xu now has two sons and one daughter. The eldest son Liu Wenyuan and the second son Liu Wenyuan are both born to the Bai family. Liu Wenyuan is only three years old now. From time to time, Emperor Liu will call him into the palace.
"On the contrary, Wenyuan..." Bai stopped talking.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Liu Xu's expression remained unchanged and his tone was low.
"Today I went out to visit the city and encountered an evil dog running loose on the street. I was a little frightened..." Bai's tone also contained a little anger: "I went back home and cried for a long time before I calmed down!
"
"There is such a thing!" In that moment, Liu Xu's eyes flashed a little coldly, and he stopped drinking tea and stood up: "Let me go and see him!"
Liu Wenyuan was the grandson of the emperor, and he also enjoyed the treatment of his father in the past. He was very favored by Emperor Liu. Every generation was always closer to him, and Emperor Liu was not immune to this custom.
When Liu Xu went to visit, he had already woken up. Fortunately, the guard was effective. He was indeed frightened, and there were still a few tears on his face. But when he saw his father, he was alive and kicking, and he described the vicious dog to Liu Xu with great interest.
of evil.
After some consolation, Liu Xu's expression was terrifyingly gloomy when he returned to the study. Liu Xu's study was not luxuriously decorated, but it was very atmospheric. The air was filled with the fragrance of books and was very quiet, giving everyone a sense of tranquility.
A feeling of peace and tranquility.
But as a steward of the palace, he stood there humbly. Seeing Liu Xu with a gloomy face behind the desk, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Liu Xu didn't put on airs for long, thought for a while, and asked directly: "Wenyuan's matter
, has it been investigated clearly what the situation is?"
After hearing the question, the steward immediately said: "Back to Your Highness, I have already investigated clearly. It is just the son of a wealthy businessman in Nancheng. He was passing through the market with his dog and wanted to fight. The vicious dog escaped from its leash and surprised the eldest son!"
"Is there anything strange in it?" Liu Xu asked with a deadpan expression and doubt in his eyes.
The steward replied: "You have inquired carefully, it should be just an accident!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Xu was silent for a while and said coldly: "At the feet of the emperor, in the most virtuous area, are there people like this who carry evil dogs swaggering through the city? Is what happened to Zhang Congde happening again?"
Zhang Congde is the second son of the late Dingguo Gong Zhang Yanwei (the one who was scared to death by Emperor Liu). In his early years, he also had a dog passing through the market and bumped into Dang Jin's hands. He was taught a lesson. Later, Zhang Yanwei ordered the dog to be killed.
Cooking meat has just come to an end.
Of course, Liu Xu didn't care about such an arrogant and domineering person. What he cared about was that he shocked his son and almost caused harm, which forced him to think more.
"Where are the people?" Liu Xu asked.
"Luoyang Mansion has taken him into custody, and I have also urged Zhao Fuyin to carefully judge and question the charges!" The steward immediately said flatteringly, hoping to alleviate the anger in Liu Xu's heart.
Unexpectedly, Liu Xu became even more angry and stared at the steward: "What kind of status do you have, and you dare to supervise Zhao Kuangyi? What kind of yamen is Luoyang Mansion? Can I, the Duke of Qin, boss me around? You are very brave.
It's not small. Do you rely on the government like this on weekdays to show off your power?"
Hearing this, a trace of panic appeared on the steward's face. He knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Highness, forgive me! I really didn't dare! I was just worried about the young master. In my eagerness, I acted rashly. I still hope that Your Highness will do it."
Forgive me, I will never dare to be so arrogant again..."
Seeing his begging for mercy, Liu Xu calmed down, his anger suppressed to the bottom of his heart again. After thinking for a while, he waved his hand: "Get up!"
I didn’t say much else, but it was great news for the manager. The Duke of Qin was still very strict in running the family, and Liu Xu believed that his servants would not dare to act so arbitrarily.
"The guards have meritorious service and will be rewarded! From now on, Wen Yuan is not allowed to leave the mansion at will, and must strengthen protection!" After thinking for a while, Liu Xu raised his hand and ordered: "As for this matter, continue to investigate. If it is really an accident, let Luoyang Mansion judge.
That’s it, no need to bother anymore!”
"Yes!" the steward responded quickly.
"Is there anything else going on in the house?" Liu Xu asked again.
"My uncle came over today and brought some gifts. He said they were sea goods sent by Geng Zhizhou from Mizhou!" said the steward.
The uncle in the steward's mouth was naturally Liu Xu's uncle, Geng Chongen, who was the palace supervisor at the time, and Geng's county magistrate was his cousin Geng Jixun. Speaking of which, he was recommended by Liu Xu to serve in a local area. After seven or eight years, he has become a
