Going to the Western Regions with Chai Wei also had an imperial edict to deal with Guo Xiao. The emperor expressed his anger at Guo Xiao's loss of the city. He believed that Guo Xiao's loss of the city was due to his carelessness.
It was clear that Zuo Cheng of Kucha had repeatedly warned to be careful of the people in the city, but in the end he did not take it seriously and did not even send a few more people on patrol. This allowed the people in the city to collude with those outside the city.
caused this misfortune.
So the emperor directly deprived him of his official position.
As a result, after Chai Wei had gone a long way, the emperor came out of the hall one day. When he was blown by the cold wind outside, he stopped to look at the bleak winter scenery.
Gu Zhong quickly put a cloak on him and said carefully: "Your Majesty, it looks like it's going to snow today."
The emperor glanced at the dark clouds in the sky. Gu Zhong was right, it was indeed going to snow. Not long after he said this, it started to snow in the sky.
The emperor looked at the snow for a long time, and finally sighed and ordered: "Let Zhongshu Sheng draft an edict to restore Guo Xiao to his official position, send someone to Xizhou to bring him back, and let the Ministry of Rites prepare a funeral ceremony to mourn him."
Gu Zhong immediately responded, feeling a little excited in his heart. Your Majesty expressed his love, this is a good thing.
Man Bao and the others knew nothing about this. When they returned to Xizhou, the new Anxi Protector had not yet arrived, and General Guo had already been buried in the coffin. If General Guo wanted to carry the coffin and return home, he would have to wait for the court's order. If the court was not merciful,
, he could either bury his father in Xizhou or resign and return to his hometown.
General Guo's coffin was parked in the National Temple in Qiuci. Manbao and the others went to the National Temple to pay homage to him as a routine the day after they returned to Xizhou.
In Mr. Zhuang's words, "After we met each other, the person is dead and all grudges are gone. It is etiquette to pay homage."
So Bai Shan and others prepared the funeral ceremony and went to pay their respects. Because Liu Huan was a relative, the funeral ceremony was even more serious.
General Guo died, but he and Little General Guo actually started walking around like relatives, calling them cousins when they met again.
General Guo had recovered from his pain and was able to joke with them, "You and I were already kissing each other, but after you transfused so much blood to me, we became even closer."
Liu Huan nodded in agreement.
Bai Erlang said from the side: "Then we will also kiss, and the blood we will give you will be the same."
Bai Shanze asked Man Bao curiously, "Isn't it said that blood transfusions are difficult for close relatives? Why can Liu Huan give blood to General Guo?"
Man Bao: "Are they very close?"
"Of course," Liu Huan puffed up his chest and said, "My grandmother is his great-aunt."
After doing the calculation, Man Bao said: "It's okay. There were several generations between them, and they were separated. Moreover, the blood transfusion took so long. If everything is fine now, then it must be fine."
At this time, seven people were sitting in a row on a railing in the national temple. Looking at the busy monks and the people coming to worship the Buddha below, General Meng asked General Guo, "Do you want to stay in Xizhou?"
General Guo said a little depressed: "I don't know if Your Majesty will accuse my father. If Your Majesty allows it, I still want to stay in Anxi."
His father has led this team for several years, and he has always been in this team. Even if it is bitterly cold in the Western Region, he does not want to leave.
General Meng patted him on the shoulder and said, "I can ask my father to intercede for you."
General Guo did not refuse and nodded, "Thank you."
Bai Shandao: "We can't really help you with this matter. If we go back to the capital, we can plead for you in person."
Now that people are outside, it is obviously impossible to write notes and participate in local military affairs.
General Guo smiled at them and said, "I know, you are civil servants, so it's not convenient. By the way, you also contributed to this Western Expedition, right? Do you want to serve as officials after you return?"
Bai Shan sighed, "The new Anxi Protector has not yet arrived, and General Ashina has not yet determined when he will return to the court. We have to wait. The examination of the Ministry of Rites is often held, but the examination of the Ministry of Personnel is held once every year at the end of March.
, if you miss it, you will have to wait another year. If we want to serve as officials, we must return to the capital before February."
Otherwise, you won't be able to register your name.
General Guo: "...With your status and merits, can you directly serve as an official?"
Bai Shan was a little reluctant, "I've already passed the Jinshi exam. It would be a big loss if I didn't take the exam for the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel."
Bai Erlang also nodded repeatedly, "That is, if His Majesty directly appoints the official, is it a favor or our own ability? No, no, it is better to be a normal examiner."
Liu Huan asked him, "As a consort, do you still want to be released as a county magistrate?"
Bai Erlang choked and asked: "Why can't the prince-in-law be sent out to serve as a county magistrate? Don't you see that General Ashina is also a prince-in-law? He still leads troops to fight outside."
"But..." Liu Huan scratched his head and said, "But those are the princesses of the previous generation. The princesses of this generation, the princes-in-law seem to have idle posts and none of them hold any actual duties."
Everyone is eating the princess's soft rice, who wants to be a small county magistrate of the sixth or seventh grade?
"And your consort is more noble than other consorts. You are Princess Mingda's consort."
There is also a hierarchy among consorts. The wife is more valuable than the father. Princess Mingda is not only the direct princess, but also the most beloved daughter of the emperor. Naturally, Baicheng is more noble than other consorts.
Liu Huan didn't understand him, "We don't want to be the consort because we don't want to be bullied by the princess. Since you have become the consort, you must not mind relying on the princess. Why do you want to be the county magistrate?"
Bai Erlang choked, then lowered his head and began to think.
Seeing the look of approval on his face, Man Bao said: "Mingda still wants to go to various places, but His Majesty loves Mingda so much that he definitely doesn't want her to leave the capital. If you want to go out, why don't you take Mingda out?"
Is it natural?"
When Bai Erlang heard this, his eyes lit up, "Yes, Mingda also wants to go somewhere else to play. I can take him with me after I go out."
Now even General Guo became curious, "You don't want to be a free man when you become the consort?"
Bai Erlang said: "Of course you have to eat soft rice, but I don't eat everyone's soft food."
He said: "I just want to eat Princess Mingda's soft rice."
Bai Shan turned to him and said: "After passing the exam, we can select officials together and see if there are places where the two counties are close to each other. Then we can go out together."
Manbao clapped his hands and said, "That's good. We can also come and play with you when the time comes."
Bai Erlang asked her, "It's okay for Bai Shan and I to go out, but can you go out too?"
Man Bao chuckled and said, "Then you underestimate me. Bai Shan and I have already made plans, so there won't be much of a problem. But for you, the most important thing is that you can find an official who is posted outside."
General Meng was filled with envy when he heard this. He looked at General Guo and asked, "Why don't you come to Shazhou and we can guard Yumen Pass together."
General Guo shook his head, "You should guard the inside of the pass, and I'll guard the outside."