The leaves on the ancient ginkgo tree have turned a little yellow.
Li Tengkong and Xue Bai walked under the tree, looked up and saw Princess Yuzhen not far away, and quickly stepped forward to salute.
"I've seen a real person."
"The imperial concubine is holding a banquet. You should go with me as my master." Princess Yuzhen said. She looked at Xue Bai and said, "It is not appropriate for a saint to play cards here. You can go back to Yuhua Temple."
This is the disadvantage of those who do not know Taoism and music. Those who only know how to fight cocks and play cards cannot always accompany the Holy Master.
Xue Bai stepped up and was about to leave, when suddenly he saw a female crown coming out not far away and waving to him, but it was a pearl.
It has to be said that every woman has a different charm when wearing a Taoist robe, and Mingzhu conveys the pitiful feeling of being forced to become a monk even though her heart is still intact.
“Mr.
Xue Bai then followed the pearl and turned east again.
After crossing the path and going around for a long time, there were more guards under the red wall in front of her. Mingzhu showed her talisman and passed through the courtyard gate, where she could already see the palace maiden walking around.
There were several gardeners working in the flower garden. Xue Bai's eyes fell on the talismans on their waists and he suddenly stopped.
"Xue Langjun, what's wrong?"
"Is this a palace?"
"Don't worry, Sir. This is the temporary residence of the three ladies. It is far away from the palace." Mingzhu said: "This annex is for the residence of the royal relatives and relatives who are traveling with them. It is not considered a trespassing into the forbidden garden."
Xue Bai raised his head and looked around, and found that after going around in a circle, he was actually back in the East Garden of Zongsheng Palace.
"Where do the princess consorts live?"
"Yes, the third lady lives further inside."
"I heard that Princess Ningqin's consort is extraordinary in appearance and profound in Taoism. Do you know where he lives?"
Mingzhu was a little amused when she heard this, and said: "No matter how charming the consort is, what interest does the husband have in seeing him? Yao Niang finally got rid of the two ladies, don't let her wait impatiently."
Xue Bai pondered: "Yu Yao wants to meet, but he still has to get rid of the two ladies?"
"That's natural." Mingzhu thought he was frivolous, lowered her head and said softly: "It's hard for people to know."
~~
Lu Xuan hurriedly rushed into the Princess Xianyi Villa.
"Princess, my consort is Wanfu. I am serving as the imperial censor Lu Xuan. I am now the supervisor of the palace."
"Did you arrange this miserable place that I live in?" Li Niang suddenly said, her tone unhappy.
Lu Xuan was startled and said hurriedly: "This... this villa is the best, but what does the princess think is wrong? I will improve it now."
"I think you are the biggest problem!" Li Niang shouted.
Yang Hui comforted her again and said: "Lu Yushi, I remember you, Shangyuan Ye, you planned to take Xue Bai to Dali Temple Prison, why were you demoted?"
The answer to this question is clearly on the title page. Lu Xuan was stunned for a moment and said: "The official did not hesitate to speak and said things that should not be said in front of the emperor."
After hearing this answer, Yang Hui nodded and glanced at Li Niang again as a reminder.
——You see, there is no need to stand out and talk nonsense.
"Princess, as a palace supervisor, I discovered something inappropriate. Xue Bai often entered the Zongsheng Palace in white, and secretly met with Princess Tang Chang and Prince Qing."
Who saw whom in this sect's holy palace could not be hidden from the palace supervisor Lu Xuan. He had reported this to Princess Xianyi yesterday, but today he heard that Xue Bai had arrived at Princess Xianyi's annex, which made him a little uneasy.
"I know." Yang Hui said: "He came today and dared to threaten us."
"That's it." Lu Xuan said: "This is abominable. It's a pity that the right prime minister did not come with him, but he is humble in his official position. I am afraid that this matter requires a noble person to come forward."
Pei Mian told him that it was best for Princess Xianyi to take the initiative to deal with Xue Bai, and he thought she would agree immediately.
Yang Hui asked: "Do you want the princess to complain?"
"Yes, I heard that it was the prince-in-law who discovered that Xue Bai was the son of a traitor and told the right minister that he had ulterior motives. Now I have found the evidence."
"Yes, that's true." Yang Hui sneered slightly and asked, "Who arranged for you to go to the Zongsheng Palace to watch?"
"Censor Pei Mian, he is Wang Zhongcheng's arm."
"Pei Mian?"
Yang Hui chewed on the name and said slowly: "It was he who asked you to ask the princess to take action after you found out that Xue Baijiao Gou Qing was the king?"
This is indeed the case, but Lu Xuan has already decided to grab some of the credit that belongs to Pei Mian.
"The lower official has great respect for the princess and the consort, and is willing to be fooled, so he will remind him as soon as he gets the news."
"Okay." Yang Hui was full of praise and said, "It's a pity that the princess has been reprimanded by the saint two months ago. Now if she exposes it again, I'm afraid it will be counterproductive."
"this……"
"Give you a chance to reinstate your official position." Yang Hui said, "Go to Zhang Bian, the consort of Princess Ning. He has been walking with Sheng Xie recently and asked him to introduce him to the imperial court."
Lu Xuan was surprised, happy and uncertain. He hesitated and said, "Can a saint trust his subordinates?"
"The facts are there, what are you afraid of?" Yang Hui said, "Go and prove this, and you will naturally be reinstated."
"Thank you, Prince Consort!"
Lu Xuan was overjoyed and thanked him quickly.
"Don't mention the princess again, otherwise it will cause trouble."
Yang Hui waved his hand and asked someone to take him to see Zhang Bian.
Li Niang sat there with a cold face, looking very angry, and spat: "A bunch of dogs, they all dare to take advantage of me!"
Yang Hui's face also turned cold.
Now that he even knows about Pei Mian, he will never be used by idiots like Lu Xuan again, but... he has indeed been used too many times.
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh and said: "In Shibaro's situation, they have long stopped taking us seriously."
"Consort, why did you ask him to see Zhang Bian?"
"The whole thing must have something to do with Zhang Bian. It was him who wanted to marry Tang Chang, and it was he who didn't. It was he who married Li Heng, and it was his wife who sold Xue Pingzhao. It happened to be Lu Xuan's.
You idiot, let him show his bottom."
~~
Lu Xuan just left the villa when he heard a report:
"Master Secretary, Xue Bai has gone to Mrs. Guo Guo's annex."
His eyes flashed immediately.
Because he knew very well that the saint would not be happy with the fact that Xue Bai was the face of Mrs. Guo. The reason why he was demoted last time when he mentioned this matter was because Concubine Yang said that he was "talking in front of the emperor" and confusing right and wrong.
But this time, Pei Mian's arrangement was so clever that he just came to Zongsheng Palace to catch him.
With this expectation, Lu Xuan became more and more excited.
"Let's go to Princess Ningqin's villa."
~~
Zhang Bian was the son of the prime minister, and he was also chosen as the consort, so his style was extraordinary.
He appears to be in his forties, has a long beard and an elegant temperament.
When Lu Xuan arrived, he was entertaining guests in his annex. Hearing that officials from the Palace Garden were coming, he went to the courtyard to greet him in person. His attitude was easy-going and he invited Lu Xuan to sit down and talk in the veranda.
After hearing Lu Xuan's explanation of his purpose, Zhang Bian stroked his long beard and said with a smile: "Then please ask Master Lu to wait here. When the saint calls me to discuss the Tao, you and I will meet the saint together."
"It's hard work for the prince-in-law."
Lu Xuan only felt that a person with such a noble status could treat him like a spring breeze, and his affection for Zhang Bian greatly increased.
He then sat and waited in the veranda. Sometimes he looked out the window and saw many clan members and dignitaries walking into the annex, including King Li Chu of Guangping.
In the spring of this year, King Guangping was banned for half a year for supporting various people to cause trouble. Now that the time limit has not passed, he is able to come to Zhongnan Mountain with his emperor. It should be noted that not even the prince is here.
But I don’t know if this is because the saint loves this emperor’s grandson, or because he is wary of the East Palace?
Of course, there is nothing to blame for the fact that King Guangping is close to his biological aunt.
Thinking about this, Lu Xuan admired his consort Zhang Bian more and more for his ability to interact with everyone without being feared. In fact, few people among the royal family could do this.
He waited for a long time, and sat there squinting for a while. It was not until evening that the saint sent the palace servants to summon him.
There was also a young Taoist priest Li Mi who met with Zhang Bian. The two of them walked in front in a fairylike manner, and Lu Xuan followed step by step, all the way to Ziyun Yanqing Tower.
There was a solemn atmosphere in front of Yanqing Tower.
Lu Xuan saw Gao Lishi coming to greet Zhang Bian and Li Mi in person, smiling broadly and relaxing a little.
After the three people had spoken, he dared to bow forward and salute Gao Lishi.
"What's going on, Mr. Lu?"
Lu Xuan was about to speak.
Zhang Bian, who was elegant and gentle, spoke first and said: "Master Lu has something important to do. He said that Xue Bai secretly met with Princess Tang Chang, Prince Qing, and had an affair with the wife of Guo State. The matter was so important that I didn't dare to present it to the palace."
The envoy of the supervisor of the garden wants to report directly to the Holy Spirit."
"oh?"
Gao Lishi turned to look, and Lu Xuan nodded quickly.
Zhang Bian added: "It's just that... Xue Bai, who Master Lu said was having an affair with the wife of Guo State, was in my villa with the kings and consorts, listening to Chang Yuan's lecture on the Tao Te Ching. Maybe I was also involved.
He was involved in a conspiracy without knowing it, so he was specially brought to explain it to the sage."
Lu Xuan was stunned and opened his mouth.
Gao Lishi looked at Li Mi and asked in surprise: "Is this related to Li Shentong?"
Being inexplicably involved in the power struggle, Li Mi looked calm and said truthfully: "It is indeed true. Yesterday, Xue Bai was there when I went to Shanchi, King Qing was there, and I was also there; today, Xue Bai was there, and the kings were there too.
I am here, and so am I."
Lu Xuan suddenly became excited and said hurriedly: "General Gao, please listen to me. This matter involves Xue Xiu..."
"That's enough! Not tired of it yet?!"
Gao Lishi suddenly shouted.
In just five words, Lu Xuan was scolded so much that he broke into a cold sweat.
Only then did he realize that Zhang Bian's spring breeze and Gao Lishi's amiability were not for him.
"Wait."
After Gao Lishi said this, he led Zhang Bian and Li Mi up the stairs.
Lu Xuan was horrified. He looked up and saw the mist surrounding Ziyun Yanqing Tower, making it look like a fairyland.
~~
Li Longji was wearing a Taoist robe and was meditating.
When Gao Lishi stood behind him, he asked calmly without opening his eyes: "What's the fuss about?"
"It was Xue Bai who caused trouble again. After he gained some fame, he socialized everywhere in Zongsheng Temple. He saw kings, princesses, and princes-in-law every day. Lu Xuan wanted to complain to the saint..."
"Go to Lingnan when you have free time." Li Longji was busy with immortality and had no patience to listen to these boring trivial matters.
Gao Lishi silently retreated, walked down Yanqing Tower, and arranged for someone to take Lu Xuan down.
This time, we are going to Lingnan.
~~
Xue Bai knew that Lu Xuan had been watching him in the Zongsheng Palace. In the past, he would try his best to prevent Lu Xuan from getting the handle. But now that his mind has changed, he decided to take this opportunity to interact more with the clan.
Get close to them, understand them, and then you can become them.
Therefore, after entering Mrs. Guo's villa, he immediately left and came to visit Zhang Bian.
He really wanted to know how Zhang Bian would explain his care for Princess Tang Chang's house in Anyefang if it was revealed.
As soon as they met, there were many people around, but Zhang Bian only mentioned Xue Bai's current reputation, saying that he had admired him for a long time, and invited him to discuss Taoism with him.
Today, Li Mi was lecturing on the Tao Te Ching in an indifferent manner. Xue Bai was listening in the hall, but his mind was filled with thoughts of rebellious ministers and traitors.
When the saint summoned Zhang Bian, Li Mi, and Xue Bai did not find a chance to whisper to Zhang Bian... Of course, he was not in a hurry at all, he had plenty of time.
As he stood up, he heard someone calling from behind him.
"Xue Bai, how about we talk about Taoism together?"
Looking back, I saw a very handsome young man, King Li Chu of Guangping.
Compared with Li Heng's caution, Li Chu was quite bold at times and dared to interact with some officials, Junwang.
"It's disrespectful, please."
The two young men then left the villa and walked eastward aimlessly.
Ahead is Wenxiangou. After crossing the suspension bridge, there is a Huiling Temple with a beautiful scenery and a wide field of vision.
"I heard about you." Li Chu looked at the sky and let the mountain wind blow his clothes, showing his heroic appearance. "During the Liu Ji case, Li Jingzhong was too scared and did something stupid. It was the fault of the East Palace that he did something wrong. .”
"It turns out that King Guangping also heard about it."
"If I were you, I wouldn't tell this matter." Li Chu said, "This is for your own good. If I say it, it will embarrass Dong Palace and make it even worse... But I can protect you and resolve this matter."
Xue Bai asked: "How can King Guangping protect me?"
"I have a compatriot, my sister, who is the third among the sisters. She has a lovely appearance, is sensitive and filial, and is very popular with my grandfather. We lost our mother when we were young, and she was raised by Concubine Wei as her legitimate daughter."
After saying that, Li Chu turned to look at Xue Bai seriously.
"By marrying my sister, you can let go of the past feud with Dong Gong. I guarantee your future. No one will criticize you again. You can show your talents to your heart's content. Today, you also met my uncle and my eldest son. Mr. Yuan, what kind of immortals are they? You can live like that too."
Xue Bai did not shy away, looked directly into Li Chu's eyes, and responded: "King Guangping loves you very much, but I cannot marry the county lord."
"Why?"
"I have something to hide, so I can't tell you the truth."
"It's an unspeakable secret?" Li Chu didn't expect such an answer. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Really?"
Xue Bai said sincerely: "Really."
If he marries Li Heng's daughter, he will no longer be able to call himself a clan member and seek to usurp the throne.
Ever since he became ambitious, he has been inexplicably determined and not interested in Li Chu's wooing at all.
Li Chu wasn't angry at all. After all, he was here to attract talents. He just frowned and asked, "Are you... feeling ill?"
"That's not true."
"Don't want to?"
"It's really impossible."
Li Chu frowned and asked again: "Are you already engaged?"
"King Guangping thinks that relationships other than marriage are not reliable?" Xue Bai did not argue with him and said: "But even if there is a marriage, the prince has reconciled twice, right?"
In one sentence, Li Chu was speechless.
He felt that Xue Bai was too rude, and he knew that talented people are often arrogant, so he was willing to tolerate it, and finally laughed bitterly a few times.
"Grandpa has his own helplessness. The past is over, so there is no need to worry about it."
"Yes, the past is over."
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Li Chu said: "What I really want to talk to you about is the tax law. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the equalization of land, government troops, and renting have reached the point where sooner or later it will be necessary to destroy the old and establish the new. This matter is the consensus of you and me. So?"
Xue Bai nodded, but still had no intention of talking to him in depth.
After much talk, it is just castles in the air, with no possibility of implementation. What’s the point of talking on paper?
Not even freedom.
The dusk was getting darker, and the two of them turned around and walked back.
Suddenly a group of guards passed by in front, among them was a green-robed official who was being escorted, it was Lu Xuan.
"Xue Bai! You are the son of a traitor..."
Lu Xuan was only halfway through shouting, but his mouth was already blocked by someone, so as not to disturb the tranquility of the Taoist blessed land.
Li Chu was slightly surprised and asked: "That is?"
"Ge Nu's men want to harm me again." Xue Bai responded calmly, "However, I can protect myself."
Li Chu was stunned for a moment, and could faintly hear something in his words.
Xue Bai resigned as a courtesy. From the fact that Lu Xuan was convicted, he knew that he had gained a new ally today.
As for Li Chu's attempts to win over him...after he came out of the trap, he no longer relied on others for protection.
It is better to place hope on others than on yourself.
For now, he at least has more freedom than the emperor Li Chu who lives in Baisun Court...
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