On the third day after meeting Dugu Shilang by chance, Xu Zi was summoned by His Majesty the Emperor. When the old eunuch Wen Jiu who conveyed the message turned around, Li Xu was immediately surrounded by countless envious eyes. But he had already
Mentally prepared, he tidied up calmly and slowly followed behind Wen Jiu.
"After meeting His Majesty, you should take care of yourself. Think about what you should say and what should not be said before you say it. Your Majesty finally managed to smile a little. Don't ruin his good mood for some reason!" After leaving everyone a little far away,
, Wen Qiu didn’t even look back and whispered such a sentence.
"Thank you for the photo, father-in-law!" Li Xu took a few steps forward and put a white jade ring he had prepared in the sleeve of his robe into Wen Qiu's hand. After several months of asking for help, he had become accustomed to the rules of officialdom. He got a lot of money every month.
There was basically no salary left, and even the red goods obtained from the Suchu department had to be used for emergency purposes.
Nearly three years have passed, and the smell of blood on those treasures has been washed away by the passing light. Xuzi has almost forgotten how much she hated these hard-robbed treasures back then. Only when she occasionally sees a few of them, she
Recalling certain people, certain things, and certain regrets caused by youth and ignorance.
Xi Ren's collection is far less exquisite than those made by the Central Plains people, but it is better in size and pure texture. Such a large piece of Hetian jade costs at least twenty or thirty thousand dollars. After several years of hard work in the world, Li Xu
, has fully realized the value of these treasures. However, Old Eunuch Wen turned a blind eye to the attractive luster emanating from the white jade, just like he did back then.
"You can keep it. I don't know how to use a bow or an arrow. What do I need these things for?" He gently flicked his sleeves and threw the white jade ring finger back into Li Xu's arms.
Li Xu, who was already familiar with the rules of officialdom, was shocked by the other party's performance. His first reaction was that he had given the wrong gift, and then he remembered what Yu Wenshiji had said. The Yidao Gonggong in front of him was the only one among the eunuchs.
If you don't accept gifts, giving them to them will not only have no effect as a bribe, but will have the opposite effect.
The young man's face immediately turned red, and the flesh and skin from his ears to his neck were all on fire. He regretted that he had been careless when he was happy, but he could not find the steps. It was neither going fast nor slowing down, it was simply faster than walking.
Being caught as a thief would be embarrassing.
Wen Gonggong has been walking around for many years. When he saw Xu Zi's expression as if he had just been slapped, he immediately understood that what he had just done was too much. He knew that Xu Zi was doing as the Romans did, so he did not want to deliberately embarrass the other party and took the initiative to slow down
He stopped walking and waited for Xuzi to catch up. He smiled and explained in a low voice: "Our family has never been good at this. It's better to leave such valuable things to others. Besides, you don't need to take care of those who are capable.
No matter how much care a capable person receives, Adou cannot be helped!"
"My father-in-law is absolutely right!" On a cold day, beads of sweat were clearly visible on Li Xu's forehead. Thinking that as a physically able-bodied person, his behavior was not as magnanimous as that of a eunuch, he was so ashamed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to burrow under.
But the official customs of the Sui Dynasty were like this, and those who did not adapt to it would not be able to get away with it no matter where they went. He was just following the trend, and could not be regarded as corrupt and perverting the law. Just as he was explaining himself deep in his heart, another low voice came to his ears.
Low sigh.
"Hey, in just a few years, the outer court has become like this. If you want to contribute to the country, you have to spend money. No wonder the officials are getting more and more unsatisfactory!" Wen Qiu clasped his hands behind his back, with a very indignant expression on his face.
When Li Xu spoke, the old eunuch shook his head again, turned around and warned: "Don't say these words in front of His Majesty. You can't control it. Bringing it up will only upset Your Majesty. It's better to talk less about civil affairs.
You are just a military general, always remember your identity and fulfill your responsibilities, that’s all, that’s all!”
"General, I obey!" Li Xu clasped his fists, stood solemnly, and thanked Eunuch Wen for the reminder. The news that His Majesty was not in a good mood recently had long spread among the civil and military officials accompanying him. Everyone was afraid that he might make a mistake when meeting the emperor.
, turning a lucky moment into misfortune. With these few words of advice from Eunuch Wen, it is like overhearing the scope of the questions from the teacher before the exam. The students can cope with it and feel much more relaxed.
Yang Guang was in a better mood this morning than in previous days. After breakfast, he began to concentrate on handling state affairs. Large groups of rebels appeared in several counties and counties, and they were very arrogant. Local officials were unable to eradicate them, so they begged the court to
Send elite soldiers and generals to support.
"Hi! We have elite soldiers and strong generals who come to me for everything. Why do we support you wastes?" Yang Guang cursed in a low voice, and was very dissatisfied with the incompetence of the officials. Suddenly, he remembered that he summoned his family for questioning yesterday.
At that time, he overheard a joke about General Li Lang. He remembered that the young man had been left out for three months. It was estimated that the edges on his body were almost worn out, and he met the requirements for a strong general in the local area, so he decided to watch
Take a look at this well-tamed thousand-mile horse.
After Xuzi stepped forward and performed the courtesy of a monarch and a minister, he was given a seat. He didn't dare to sit down. He thanked him again and again, and only half of his butt was slightly touched. Seeing his cautious look, Yang Guang laughed happily, waved his hands, and shouted loudly
He ordered: "Stop pretending, I know you are not afraid. A man who has fought in and out of an army of ten thousand horses many times will act like a cat when he sees me. Who can believe it?"
"Your Majesty, the power of God is more powerful than thousands of armies." Li Xu tentatively slapped him on the butt, and then sat down firmly.
"You have learned how to speak!" A smile came to the corner of Yang Guang's mouth. He knew that what Xuzi said was a flattery, but this kind of lame flattery sounded better to his ears than the songs of praise that he was used to.
Even more fresh. "How are you? Are your injuries healed?" He asked with a smile, and at the same time he felt that his body's strength was gradually recovering.
The young boy in front of him is full of sunshine. Every time he sees this young man, Yang Guang feels that he has become a little more energetic. This is one of the reasons why he admires Li Xu. Everyone hopes to be young.
Forever, the emperor's family does not like aging.
"Your Majesty has inquired that the general's injuries have completely healed!" Li Xu tried his best to suppress his heart that was almost beating out of his throat, raised his head, and met Yang Guang's gaze.
"Your Majesty asked me about my physical condition. Are you going to send me out to lead the troops?" he thought happily. In order to leave a calm and powerful impression on Yang Guang, he deliberately sat upright and never looked around.
He met Yang Guang's eyes directly.
In Xu Zi's eyes, Yang Guang looked more haggard than when he was in Liaodong a few months ago, and his body became weaker. The results of two unsuccessful expeditions to Liao seemed to have crushed his body and
Spirit, now, this body has completely lost the domineering aura that it had when the soldiers were reviewed by the Liao River last year. On the contrary, the twilight aura that Xuzi felt across the imperial chariot back then has become stronger, and it is so strong that it is difficult to adapt to it.
"Uh-huh!" A soft cough came from behind the emperor, which startled Li Xu. He knew that he had kept his eyes on His Majesty's face for too long, exceeding the polite range that a courtier should maintain. He quickly
He lowered his head and buried all the observed results in his heart.
"Yidao, don't scare young people!" Yang Guang didn't care much about Li Xu's recklessness. He turned around and scolded Eunuch Wen in a low voice. When his eyes turned to Li Xu, he started to care about his own image again.
"Do I look older than before? Do you still remember when I first saw you? What did you look like? Do you still remember it?"
"Your Majesty looks much more haggard! But in my heart, I still remember His Majesty's heroic appearance when he pointed out the mountains and rivers three thousand miles east of Liaodong!" Li Xu didn't know how to answer the emperor's question appropriately, so he had to tell half the truth and then added.
A kind word of comfort. "His Majesty said at that time that he wanted to see what the strong men stationed here in the Sui Dynasty looked like. His Majesty said, we have not disappointed you! That day, the generals rushed to fight, and the shouts of the brothers shook the river.
It’s so cold!”
"Hmm -" Wen Qiao wanted to cough, but suddenly held it back. He greatly regretted why he didn't give more instructions just now. The young man in front of him was so reckless that he casually mentioned the First Battle of Liaodong.
You must know that it is an eternal pain in His Majesty's heart. No matter who mentions it in the inner court, a violent storm will definitely follow.
The heavy rain has not yet appeared, but there is a sense of sadness in the air. "Yes, I still remember the way General Mai stood on horseback. The river water was red that day, and everything is still before my eyes!" Yang Guang
He sighed and echoed, with a bit of sadness and intensity in his voice.
That memory was so soul-stirring that it made many people's hearts swell when they thought about it. Yang Guang closed his eyes, and his face suddenly turned red as if he had drunk a lot of wine. His fingers stretched unsteadily, obviously trying to stabilize
His own emotions. After a long time, he finally separated himself from the memories, sighed deeply, and remained silent.
The room in the temporary palace was very quiet, but there was no out-of-control scene like what Eunuch Wen was worried about. On the contrary, the relationship between the monarch and his ministers suddenly became much closer. Obviously, while thinking of his heroic appearance in the past, Yang Guang also
I remembered the young performance of the general in front of me.
"Time flies so fast. When I promoted you to be a captain, I was worried that you wouldn't be qualified. In a blink of an eye, you killed generals and captured the flag, and you have become the youngest Wu Yalang general in our Sui Dynasty." After a while,
Yang Guang opened his eyes and sighed.
"Your Majesty's kindness in knowing you will never be forgotten!" Li Xu quickly stood up and saluted again. This thank you came from the heart, although because of Li Yuan's relationship, Yang Guang's trust in him was always strong and weak.
His attitude is also up and down. But overall, Yang Guang has never forgotten to promote him, and basically can reward him for his merits. Compared with those who have lingered in the sixth-grade military position for a lifetime, Xuzi knows that he is very good.
Fortunately, I have always been grateful to Yang Guang. (To be continued)
