August 23.

Today's weather is exceptionally cold.

At this time, Muchen always misses summer. But when he was sweating hot, he missed this season again.

Mu Chen got up very early and walked alone in the palace.

He plans to leave today and go to Dali.

Suddenly, Mu Chen saw a person walking towards him.

It's Zhang Qianzhi.

Zhang Qianzhi is still white-faced, his beard is not thicker, and he still wears a scholar's hat on his head.

Mu Chen didn't want to meet him, but there are some things you want to do but you can't hide from them.

Zhang Qianzhi smiled and said, "I didn't expect that on such a cold day, Mu Shaoxia would get up so early for a walk."

Mu Chen smiled and said, "Isn't Prime Minister Zhang the same?"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "I don't usually get up so early, but I heard that Mu Shaoxia is leaving for Dali today?"

Mu Chen nodded.

Zhang Qianzhi smiled: "That's right. The emperor expressed his gratitude to Mu Shaoxia for his care of the prince and this visit to Dali, and specially invited Mu Shaoxia to the East Hall for a gathering."

Mu Shaoxia said, "Oh?"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "But I know that Mu Shaoxia is leaving, and I am afraid that I will miss the time, and the emperor will blame him, so I came to invite Mu Shaoxia so early."

Mu Chen smiled and said, "Okay, since that's the case, I must go"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "Thank you"

Mu Chen said, "But this is far away from the East Palace, and it will take me a long time to walk there, so I can't make the emperor wait for a long time."

Zhang Qianzhi said: "What does Mu Shaoxia think?"

Mu Chen suddenly jumped up, jumped on the palace wall, and said, "I have to hurry up, you have to follow quickly."

Then, the wood dust began to climb over the palace wall.

In fact, his speed was not much faster than walking.

Many of the guards couldn't help but laugh when they saw this.

- Does this pony still have a penchant for jumping around?

Mu Chen didn't pay attention to them, but looked back from time to time.

At first, he could still see Zhang Qianzhi running after him with a bitter face, but then he couldn't see Zhang Qianzhi at all.

When Muchen arrived at the East Hall, Zhang Qianzhi had not yet come.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Zhang Qianzhi ran over out of breath.

Mu Chen looked at him carefully.

Zhang Qianzhi was already tired and sweating profusely, and in such a cold weather, his clothes were also wet with sweat, and his face was red. The whole person breathed breathlessly.

- Is he really not a martial artist? Looking at his appearance, is he really just a strategist?

Before Muchen could come up with an answer to these questions, Zhang Qianzhi had already spoken.

Zhang Qianzhi said with some anger: "Wood... Mu Shaoxia, you... Why should you... You want to fool the old man?"

Mu Chen smiled embarrassedly and said, "Isn't this to keep the emperor from waiting for a long time?" But I didn't expect that without your introduction, I wouldn't be able to see the emperor, so I had to wait here."

Zhang Qianzhi stopped talking, still gasping for air. It's like a rickety old man.

waited until Zhang Qianzhi recovered, and then said to Mu Chen, "Follow me"

The east hall is the residence arranged by Shen De for Sima Shao, both of them are emperors, and the palace they live in is naturally of the same level, so this palace is also very large, and it is the same structure as Shen De's palace.

Pushing open the vermilion door, Muchen walked in.

There is also a dragon chair inside.

However, there were no civil and military officials, and there was a person sitting on the dragon chair.

Sima Shao.

Mu Chen stepped forward and saluted, "Grass people and Mu Chen, meet the emperor"

Zhang Qianzhi also gave a salute and said, "Weichen Zhang Qianzhi knocks to see the emperor"

Sima Shao nodded, indicating that the two of them would be exempted.

Sima Shao said, "Wood Hero, this emperor learned that you are going to visit Dali today?"

Mu Chen: "Yes"

Sima Shao said, "You have been taking care of the crown prince for many years, and the prince often mentions you in front of me, this emperor wanted to thank you, but he didn't expect you to leave so soon"

Mu Chen smiled and said, "The emperor doesn't have to be polite, I am friends with my third brother, and it is my responsibility as the eldest brother to take care of him."

Sima Shao smiled and said, "Okay, the prince really didn't misunderstand you"

He paused, and suddenly asked, "Mu Yingying, how do you think that as a man, you should realize your ambitions?"

Mu Chen pondered for a moment and said, "When you are loyal to the people and govern the country with your family, you can be described as a great husband."

Sima Shao said, "Okay, but I don't know if Mu Yingying is willing to be a big husband?"

Mu Chen smiled bitterly and said, "What the emperor means, the grass people don't understand"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "The emperor's meaning is very simple, if Mu Shaoxia is willing to serve my Northern Dynasty, the emperor will definitely reuse you"

Sima Shao didn't speak, just nodded slightly.

Zhang Qianzhi said, "Mu Shaoxia must know that although you are an elder of the beggar gang, you are also a beggar, no matter how famous you are, in the end you will only end up with the title of grass people."

Sima Shao said, "If the wooden hero is willing to contribute to me, I can immediately let the wooden hero be the general of the country."

Mu Chen finally understood why Sima Shao wanted to see him, it turned out to be to win him over.

Mu Chen smiled bitterly and said, "The emperor's kindness has been accepted by the people, but as a concubine of the Western Dynasty, is it not reasonable and moral for the emperor to woo me like this?"

Sima Shao's face changed, and he was speechless.

Zhang Qianzhi immediately said, "Mu Shaoxia, you must know that if this way of the emperor is confused with the way of chivalry, it is a joke."

Mu Chen said, "Huh?"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "Back then, Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, did not kill Liu Bang out of morality, but you know the result"

Mu Chen said, "I know"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "The reason why I asked the emperor to enable you is because only a monarch who understands how to restrain talents can become the final overlord."

Mu Chen couldn't help but admire his intelligence, and his sentence "He let the emperor" was really wonderful. Originally, digging the corner of the wall is not a sight to see, this kind of moral corruption is naturally not what the emperor should do, Zhang Qianzhi's sentence, all the fault and infamy are taken on himself, in order to keep the monarch's reputation.

Mu Chen said lightly: "Could it be that the emperor intends to be the overlord of the Central Plains?"

Sima Shao said, "The unification of the world is the trend of the times, and the emperor can guarantee not to provoke wars, but he cannot guarantee that others also like peace so much."

Mu Chen suddenly smiled and said, "That's a good point, but just based on the emperor's words, let a person join your camp, doesn't it seem that I'm too cheap?"

Zhang Qianzhi sneered: "I don't know what you want?"

Mu Chen said, "You also say that I am a beggar, and I am a cheap beggar"

Zhang Qianzhi said: "You want money?"

Sima Shao said, "Okay, you make a price"

Mu Chen walked up to Zhang Qianzhi with a smile and said, "I want Prime Minister Zhang Cheng to pay this money."

Zhang Qianzhi said, "Only Your Excellency is willing to help me, and I am willing to pay this money"

Mu Chen laughed and said, "Okay, refreshing"

He stared at Zhang Qianzhi and said word for word, "I want forty-four thousand four hundred taels"

Zhang Qianzhi also stared at Mu Chen, and the expression on his face did not change at all.

Mu Chen is talking about Zhang Qianzhi's commission for the black and white dragon and phoenix, this figure is very special, and it is impossible for Zhang Qianzhi not to hear it.

But Zhang Qianzhi's expression and eyes did not change at all, as if he had never heard of this number at all.

After a long time, Mu Chen said, "How?"

Zhang Qianzhi smiled bitterly and said, "No"

Mu Chen was surprised, "Why?"

Zhang Qianzhi said, "I am an official with a clean breeze on my sleeves, and dozens of people in my family only live on money, where is there so much silver for Your Excellency"

Mu Chen sighed and said, "Since this is the case, then we are fated to be inseparable."

Then he turned to leave.

Sima Shaodao "stays"

Mu Chen stopped, turned around and said, "Don't hide it from the emperor, even if Prime Minister Zhang can afford the 40,000 taels of silver, the grass people will not agree to your request."

Sima Shao said, "Why?"

Mu Chen smiled bitterly, "Maybe it's because I'm used to another life, or maybe I don't like war very much."

It is true that he does not like war, but it cannot be avoided.

Zhang Qianzhi suddenly said, "Mu Shaoxia, this is an opportunity to leave a name in history, look at Mu Shaoxia and think twice"

Mu Chen smiled and said, "What's the use of leaving a name in history? Confucius is a great Confucian master, although his name has been immortal, but he has no ambition during his lifetime, and he has worked hard all his life, I admire this kind of person, but I don't envy it."

Sima Shao said: "Do you want to think about it again?"

Mu Chen said, "I think about this matter very clearly, but don't worry, the emperor's business is my business, as long as I am alive for a day, I will try my best to do what my brother should do."

This sentence was the last sentence Mu Chen said, and his words could only be said here.

Sima Shao didn't keep him anymore.

——More than ten years later, Sima Yunxuan recalled that Zhang Qianzhi did go to him back then and wanted him to persuade Muchen. But Sima Yunxuan refused, because he knew that as a brother of Mu Chen, he must learn to respect Mu Chen.

In fact, respecting brothers is also respecting oneself, only those who know how to respect themselves know how to be other people's brothers!