In the fifth year of Taihe, September Bingchen, noon.

Chengdu Mansion, the festival of the embassy.

The news that the Victorian defender was about to lead more than 300 defenders to surrender spread all over the streets of Chengdu Mansion at the beginning of the day. The surrender of Victoria is a sharp nail that has been pierced into the southern Tibetan province, and the Xishan states will be like probing for things, and from then on will tear apart the southern defense line of the southern Tibetan province. The officials of Chengdu Mansion celebrated for a while, and Jiangmen saw the hope of promotion. Officials of Chengdu Prefecture rushed to Yacheng Marshal's Mansion to congratulate Li Deyu.

And when Yang Zong came out of the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion, it was already noon, so he casually ate a bowl of handwriting and drank a bowl of vegetable soup at a small stall in Wenshufang. When he crossed the entire Wenshu Fang, he entered the Yacheng of Jiande Fang as the general of the Ya Soldier, and arrived at the gate of the Jiedu Embassy, it was already noon.

"I'm Li Jiedu's lieutenant general from the six-rank tooth soldiers, why can't I enter to see Li Gong?" Yang Zong was chewing mint leaves, and there were several carriages and soft sedan chairs parked in front of the mansion, but he never expected that he would eat in front of the Jiedu Embassy's yamen. Stopping him were the two tooth soldiers in front of the mansion, although they were not the soldiers of his direct corps, but these two showed no mercy in the face of Yang Zong, the theoretical superior.

"If you want to see Li Jiedu after noon, you must wear a silverfish bag." The tooth soldier on the left side of the mansion gate had a scar on his cheek, and he spoke categorically, without a trace of fear on his face.

At noon, Yang Zong was stuck in front of the mansion and was already half-burnt incense, and now he was angry with the two tooth soldiers. Besides, the silverfish bag is an identity item that can only be worn above the fifth grade, how can Yang Zong from the sixth grade have.

"On whose orders?" Yang Zong roared.

"Xichuan Marching Sima Li Huaishen."

Yang Zong was helpless, and Li Huaishen was also his direct boss.

The festival degree makes the pro-soldiers and tooth generals, all of whom are selected by the festival degree envoys, and are controlled by the festival degree envoys and marching horses on weekdays. Looking at it like this, I can't enter the Shuai Mansion anymore.

"I have something important, it is very critical, I must report to Li Jiedu immediately!"

"If it's really urgent, General Yang can tell the pawn first, and he can go inside to convey it." The tooth soldier on the right side of the mansion door said with a smile.

"Nonsense, if I can really let you know, do I have to go in?" Yang Zong scolded.

Sixteen squares of Chengdu Mansion, the festival degree makes the government monopolize half of the Jiande Fang, enter from the door of the house, until the front hall of the administrative affairs, there are 80 steps, the willow bamboo is planted all over the inside, and the sound is absolutely inside and outside. If Yang Zong shouted loudly here, the people in the front hall would not have heard any sound, let alone the nave and apse.

"What's your name?" Yang Zong asked the two tooth soldiers.

The two tooth soldiers bowed slightly to Yang Zong, and the tooth soldiers with scars on their faces replied in a Chang'an dialect: "Xiao pawn Wan Nian Han Yue, he is Huayin Xiao Shang." ”

"You are a pawn of Jingzhao Mansion, why did you come to Xichuan to be a tooth soldier?"

Han Yue leaned his lance on his shoulder, crossed his hands and saluted: "The pawn was originally also a northern soldier, and last year Li Jiedu took over as the envoy of the Xichuan Jiedu, in order to supplement the source of Xichuan troops, he transferred troops from the northern towns to Xichuan, and the pawn was also one of the soldiers transferred, but he was selected into the ranks of the Jiedu envoys. ”

Yang Zong found that this pawn was neither humble nor arrogant, and it was useless to use his position to pressure him, so he had no choice but to spit out the mint leaves on the ground and complained: "You two are going to be angry with me." ”

Just when Yang Zong was about to give up, he went home. But from a distance, I saw a wooden chariot coming from the direction of the bustling Manjusri Fang, and the carriage seemed to pass through the heavily guarded gate quite smoothly, and came straight to the gate of the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion.

Yang Zong was curious, squinted his eyes, and recognized that if the specifications of this wooden chariot were not above the fifth grade of the official residence, he could not take it.

After a while, the wooden chariot stopped steadily in front of the door under the sound of the coachman's "call".

The crimson curtain of the sedan car was gently opened, and the person who got out of the car looked close to the age, tall, with eyes like torches, dressed in a light scarlet robe, decorated with vermilion small Ke Xuan and Luo, a gold belt of ten rings, and a silverfish bag hanging from his waist. Yang Zong and the two tooth soldiers unanimously crossed their hands and saluted.

The person who came was Xue Yuansheng, the assassin of Hanzhou, Yang Zong was a little surprised why Xue Tingshi was in Chengdu Mansion at this time, but because of the disparity in employment, it was not easy to ask.

Xue Yuanxian looked Yang Zong up and down, and asked, "Is it Yang Zong, the general of Li Gong's tooth soldiers?" ”

If Yang Zong was just surprised, now Yang Zong can be said to be surprised: "Xue Ting...... How does Xue Gong remember...... The name of the last general? ”

Xue Yuanxiang smiled loudly and said, "Haha, let's not be busy first, how about we go in first?" ”

Yang Zongzheng wanted to say that his grade was not enough to enter, but Xue Yuansheng seemed to have already guessed what had happened in the first half of the incense stick, and had already picked up his silver fish bag and showed it to the two front guards.

"Hedong Xue Yuan, is on the fourth grade, the history of Hanzhou Thorn, hereby come to present the taxes of the counties of Hanzhou to the festival envoy, General Yang must also have important things to do, please be accommodating."

Yang Zong didn't expect Xue Yuansheng to have no official status, and he also used honorifics for the two front guards. Although the two tooth soldiers hesitated, they were also quite face-saving, and they pushed open the door of the Shuai Mansion in a moment.

After following Xue Yuansheng into the Jiedu Embassy's Mansion, Yang Zong bowed his head to Xue Yuansheng again and again and thanked him.

Xue Yuansheng just waved his hand.

"I am an old friend of Wen Rao, last year and Wen Rao entered Xichuan together, promoted to Hanzhou Assassin History, this year on the Yuan Festival, I came to Chengdu Mansion, I saw General Yang."

"Xue Gong is at the end of the battle, Yang never thought about it...... The Xue Guild remembers the last general, after all, there is only one side. Yang Zong smiled embarrassedly.

"Xue is not talented, poetry and books are not my strength, but I know people, Xue can say that I will never forget it."

Yang Zong couldn't help but be amazed.

In the inner hall of the apse of the Shuaifu, behind the jade screen carved with peacocks, the nine officials who participated in the Victorian surrender plot all sat on the ground in front of their respective desks, leaving a passage in the middle that was enough for two people to pass side by side. At the end of the aisle, a roll of bamboo curtains hung down, faintly visible, and Li Deyu was lying on his side on the couch to take a nap.

Seeing that Li Deyu seemed to have taken a nap, Li Huaishen quietly closed the door page.

Yu Hou Weirong asked, "Hua Yuan, do you want to call Li Gong up?" ”

Li Huaishen looked through the window paper on the door as if he confirmed it again, and decided that the Jiedu envoy was already asleep, so he straightened his clothes and returned to his desk to sit down.

"Li Gong didn't sleep for two nights, and when he heard that the scout was coming, Victoria was successful, and the Xi Tan Department was rushing to Chengdu Mansion, Li Gong must have breathed a sigh of relief, and let Li Gong rest."

When Wei Rong heard this, he still couldn't rest assured, the feudal town could not be left without an owner for a day. Not to mention that if the decision is delayed slightly, the Tibetan army will find that Victoria has been lost, and they will definitely lead tens of thousands of troops from the south to attack, and if Victoria is empty, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Liu Zhan, the judge of Jiedu who was present, interjected: "There must always be someone in charge in that house......

"It's easy to do," Li Huaishen said with a smile: "All the dukes present are people trusted by Li Gong, I ...... The grade is the largest, and it is not easy to shirk, and I will be in charge for the time being for the next two hours, so you can rest assured. ”

"This ......" Everyone present looked at each other, and Wei Rong didn't mean to let Li Huaishen take charge. But Li Huaishen is really valued by Li Deyu, so it's hard to say anything.

"Report!"

Hearing the sound of the house coming from behind the jade screen, Li Huaishen hurriedly got up and walked out in three steps and two steps.

Wei Rong looked at Li Huaishen's departing back, and then looked at Li Jiedu's bedroom, as if he had made up his mind, and stood up.

Yang Zong and Xue Yuansheng stood outside the apse together, and Yang Zong looked up at the plaque in front of the hall for a long time. The plaque is made of Nanshan ebony, the border is decorated with gold lacquer, and the four regular script characters "Zhenxin and generosity" are written on it, and the penmanship is strong and powerful, although Yang Zong is a martial artist, Li Deyu's handwriting can still be recognized.

Seeing that Yang Zong could see it, Xue Yuansheng also glanced at the plaque, and there were words in his mouth.

"Honesty is generous, and the heart is righteous and the use is less." Xue Yuansheng smiled after speaking, "It seems that Wen Rao wants to be a direct minister." ”

"Naotomi...... Why not? Yang Zong was puzzled.

"General Yang is still too young, and I am afraid that he has not seen much officialdom, and after a while, the general will understand." Xue Yuanxian sighed after speaking, as if talking to himself, "Li Deyu, the talented son of Zhao County, the son of Prime Minister Li Jifu, the grandson of Imperial Doctor Li Qiyun, who in the world does not know?" It's just that at this time and at that time, there are not many people in today's court who are willing to be direct ministers. ”

"Xue Gong refers to the dictatorship of the Bull Party?" Yang Zong asked in a low voice.

"General Yang really thinks that Niu Siyan and Li Zongmin can turn their hands into clouds and turn their hands into rain?" Xue Yuansheng smiled bitterly, I don't know if he was laughing at Yang Zong's innocence, or laughing at the court of Chang'an, "In the magnificent Daming Palace, there are more powerful forces in operation......"

Before Xue Yuanxian's words fell, a voice came from the front of the hall.

"Who is here in my way, it was Xue Tingshi!"

Unexpectedly, it was not Li Deyu who was waiting for the festival, but Sima Li Huaishen of the march, and there was also a communication in the Fuzhong that came out together, and the communication said that after saluting the three of them, he retreated. When Li Huaishen saw Xue Yuanxian, who was slightly higher than his official rank, he hurriedly smiled and saluted, but as if he did it on purpose, he directly ignored Yang Zong, who was leaning over and forking his hands.

"Xue Gong, please come in, what kind of wind is blowing you here?"

"I have been in office for more than a year in Hanzhou, and because of the prevention of Nanzhao's entry into the Kou, the tax report of Hanzhou has not been submitted to Li Jiedu, and I came here in person today."

"Ahaha, that's really Lao Xue Gong, you can send someone to send this matter."

Before Yang Zong could speak, he saw Li Huaishen and Xue Yuansheng just like that, leaving Yang Zong standing awkwardly outside the palace gate. However, Xue Yuansheng did not forget Yang Zong, and Yu Guang happened to see Yang Zong's embarrassment.

"Li Sima is slow," Xue Yuanxian looked at Yang Zong, who was standing outside the door, and said, "General Yang also seems to have something important to report to Li Jiedu." ”

Who knew that Li Huaishen didn't even look at Yang Zong, but just smiled and said to Xue Yuanxian: "It's a pity that Xue Gong came at the wrong time, and it is not convenient for the festival to come now, so he sent Hua Yuan out to greet him, why don't Xue Gong hand over the report to Hua Yuan, and transfer it to Li Jiedu on a certain generation?" ”

Li Huai knew that Xue Yuansheng had never participated in the Victorian conspiracy, and the Xiqian Department had not yet arrived in Chengdu Mansion, so letting anyone know the details of Victoria's surrender before this would inevitably increase the risk.

"Oh?" Xue Yuansheng, who didn't know anything about Li Huaishen's calculations, was a little displeased, and came over by himself, but in the end he couldn't even see the envoy of the festival, and sent a marching Sima who was half a grade lower than himself to send him away, and Xue Yuanxian, who had always been good-tempered, didn't realize that he was also a little angry at this time.

"The tooth soldier Zhonglang general Yang Zong...... Meet Sima Li. ”

Li Huaishen was looking at Yang Zong at this time, his nose twitched twice, and the smile on his face froze.

"What rank is General Yang? Can you casually enter the Shuaifu? ”

"Yang Zong has a major matter related to Victoria, and he must immediately report to Li Jiedu in person......"

"What rank do I ask you?!" Li Huaishen roared with disgust.

This roar startled both Yang Zong and Xue Yuansheng, and they didn't know why Li Huaishen wanted to make things difficult for Yang Zong repeatedly, Xue Yuansheng saw this, and was busy relieving Yang Zong on the side: "Li Sima is angry, it was Xue who brought General Yang in, if he violates the law, he should be punished for the crime of Yuan Reward." ”

Li Huaishen knew that he had no position and qualifications, and he was afraid that Xue Yuanxian's crime would be laughing. Moreover, Li Huaishen heard that Xue Yuansheng was from the western ancestral house of the Xue family in Hedong, and he was a famous family in Hedong since the Northern Wei Dynasty, and he was a family friend of Li Deyu's Li family of Zhao County. And according to rumors in Chengdu Mansion, he may also have a relationship with Xue Tao, a talented woman in Chengdu Mansion, and he is not a person who can be offended casually. Li Huaishen bowed and did not keep silent, which could be regarded as a face-saving reward for Xue Yuan.

"General Yang, please go back." Li Huaishen pointed to the direction of the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion with the palm of his hand and said, "If there is really an urgent matter today, please hand it over to Li Gong in the afternoon with a written notebook." ”

"But......" Yang Zong, who was extremely disappointed, wanted to say something, but he knew in his heart that it was in vain, so he had to reluctantly get up and sing "Woo". He bowed solemnly in the direction of the inner hall and retired, leaving a lonely and gloomy back.

For some reason, seeing Yang Zong disappear into the pavilion leading to the front hall, Xue Yuanxian's expression became a little subtle, he bit his lower lip, and actually took the initiative to take out a volume of documents from his sleeve cage and handed it to Li Huaishen with both hands.

"Since it is inconvenient for Li Gong, then Xue also retired first, this is the tax report that Xue sorted out in Hanzhou for a year, and asked Li Sima to transfer it to the Jiedu envoy."

Li Huaishen, who was originally ready to spend a conversation with Xue Yuanxian, was quite surprised by the sudden change in the attitude of the assassin of Hanzhou, and took the report with both hands in ignorance. After greeting for a while, Xue Yuansheng turned around and left, although Li Huaishen had doubts, he was also relieved, after all, this Xue Yuansheng rumor is not easy to deal with.

After half a moment's work, Xue Yuansheng walked out of the gate of the Shuai Mansion along the original road, and the coachman didn't expect his master to come out so quickly, so he hurriedly helped Xue Yuansheng onto the wooden wheel.

Xue Yuansheng looked left and right, but there was no trace of Yang Zong, "Fang Cai, where did the tooth general who went in with me go?" ”

"Back to Ah Lang, the tooth general just came out, yelling and swearing, and then he was warned by the tooth soldiers, so he went out of the workshop."

After Xue Yuansheng listened, he silently pulled down the crimson curtain, with a hint of cunning at the corners of his lips, and his thumb scraped the beard on his chin.

Xue Yuanxiang smiled secretly in his heart, thinking of what he heard and saw in this incense stick, the major event in Victoria? It's kind of interesting......

"Ah Lang, are you going back to the inn?" The coachman's voice came from outside the curtain.

"It's rare to come to Chengdu Mansion once, and you must go to the lively Wenshu Fang." Xue Yuansheng licked his lips.

Moreover...... I heard that the mansion of Li Zhi, the envoy of Xichuan Jiedu, is also over there.