In the fifth year of Taihe, October Xinsi, the beginning of noon.

Daming Palace, Zhongchao, Zhongshu Province.

Before noon, the drums were beating at the Danfeng Gate of the Daming Palace, and the Son of Heaven knew that it was the beginning of the afternoon, and the ministers had nothing important to do, so they ordered to retreat from the court. The Jinzi and Yinfei of the DPRK retreated from the Zichen Hall of the Inner Dynasty and went to the Zhongchao Zhongshu Province to continue the processing and review of the text in the afternoon.

Prime Minister Niu Sidian stayed in the Inner Dynasty for a while due to official business, and was about to go to the main hall of Zhongshu Province, but after stepping through the Zichen Gate, he saw a servant-like subordinate who seemed to have been waiting here for a long time, and hurriedly approached him, handing over a stacked letter with both hands.

Niu Siyan took the letter, and then looked the servant up and down for a moment, noticed the lotus ornament on the lapel of the next person, and realized that this person was from Li Xiangfu.

The servant did not seem to have any intention of leaving immediately, but leaned over slightly. Niu Sidian opened the letter paper and found that only a few numbers were written on it: "Secret Pavilion Consultation", and the final signature was Li Zongmin's words: "Loss".

Niu Sidian raised his eyes again, and the servant immediately leaned over and said softly: "Ah Lang is waiting for the prince of Qizhang in the waiting place of Yanying Palace......

Niu Siyan followed the servant, with his personal clerk behind him, walked to the west corridor, entered from the Yanying Gate in the corridor, and was able to enter the prime minister's waiting place in front of the Yanying Palace.

Since Emperor Xuanzong Kaiyuan was built, Yanying Hall has always been only used as the side hall of the office of the Son of Heaven, since the Anshi Rebellion, because there are no guards here, the etiquette is simple, the ministers have no worries about losing their words, people have to speak freely, the emperor has every consultation, often with the prime minister in this palace to call for inquiry, ask about the size of the world, especially the important matters of the military and the people's livelihood, often just in this hall to decide.

Today, Yanying's question is scheduled for the beginning of the year, so there is still no one here.

But the servant who led the way extended his palm inward and pointed to a door.

Niu Siyan knew that there was a secret pavilion in the right place, but it was a few square sizes, and the sound was very good.

The servant opened the door for the prime minister, and a beautifully framed Yan Zhenqing's true handwriting came into view, hanging on the west wall, and the four-character regular script of "the world is for the public" was written on it, and the pen was vigorous. On both sides of the door, a few points apart from each other, each has a low beard couch, which is covered with green bamboo mats, silk mattresses and other things.

Prime Minister Li Zongmin got up from the couch and bowed to Niu Sidian.

Li Zongmin and Niu Sidian sat on both sides of the square table, and several attendants took the cold dishes that had been prepared from the food box and placed them on top of the square table, and then withdrew from the secret pavilion and covered the door.

This is not the first time Li Zongmin has invited Niu Siyan to have lunch together, the two are on the same list, have a deep friendship, and are from the same family, and they have been singing and harmonizing with friends for nearly 20 years, just a meal, how can it be rare?

However, it is very rare to have lunch together in the secret pavilion of this waiting place......

The lunch dishes were not sumptuous, and since they had to be brought into the palace from outside the palace, there were only three or four dishes to eat, but it was enough for the two of them to fill their stomachs.

In the afternoon, the two of them replaced the wine with tea and clinked glasses with each other. After the two of them ate for a while, Niu Siyan saw that Li Zongmin did not mention any matters related to the government and politics, but all about family routines and let Niu Siyan taste some poems and so on. In the end, Niu Siyan couldn't help it, so he asked Li Zongmin about it.

"I sent someone to tell Si Di before, saying that I came here to make a secret business, but I don't know what the secret business is?"

"Si Di," Li Zongmin picked up a piece of steamed chicken and put it in his mouth, chewing in his mouth while saying the true purpose of inviting Niu Si Huang to come here: "Have you paid attention to the incident at the beginning of today's Chang Shen?" ”

"Oh, that Mu Qingchen," because the Chang Shen lasted for several hours this morning, the matter of the Son of Heaven resigning the honorific title was just one of the complicated Chang Shen matters, which made Niu Si Yin think about it for a while, and then nodded and said: "This person knows something, but he is just stunned, judging by his words and deeds, it is not much ...... as when Bai Lotian was young."

"If you only look at the recent events, it is indeed as Si Di said," Li Zongmin took a sip of tea, stroked his beard, and thought thoughtfully, "But this person was promoted to Shangshu Zuocheng only a month ago, and he had always been unknown before, but he only served as the Zhizhi and Hanlin." Why did the saint dare to openly confront me above the court recently, and even more so, why did the saint accept what he said and completely ignore his sin of disrespect? ”

After eating a few more peanuts, Niu Siyan put down his chopsticks, pondered for a moment and asked, "I don't know if you remember the incident nine years ago?" ”

"Nine years ago?"

Niu Sidian nodded, even if he was in the secret pavilion, he leaned over and lowered his voice: "In the first hall, the servant Yu Shi overstepped his words, was exiled to Zhongzhou, went out of the Jingzhao Mansion, and was killed by others. ”

"Ah......" Li Zongmin slapped his palm, remembered and said: "At that time, I was still serving as an assassin in Jianzhou, and I really didn't know much about the details of this matter, but I remember the history of serving in this palace...... It seems to be called Cheng Junyi? ”

"It's ......" Niu Sidian was about to elaborate, but saw that the door was opened by the servants of the Li Mansion, so he stopped talking and waited for the servants to add new tea for the two of them before he continued: "Emperor Muzong ascended the throne at the beginning of that time, so he was not responsible for political affairs, and the impeachment presented by Cheng Junyi was soon known to the Northern Division, and it was a matter of overstepping the level, so it was inevitable to be dethroned......"

"What was that killed?"

Niu Sidian got up slowly, clasped the door tightly, and asked softly: "If you guess what is the impeachment?" ”

Without dissipating Niu Si's words, Li Zongmin thought about it for a while, and then he knew it in his heart. The North Division, the impeachment, the deposition, and the assassination are already clear......

"Mo is not Emperor Xianzong...... The truth? ”

Niu Sidian nodded silently, and then added: "Cheng Junyi died on the street, and even his family members stayed away, and no one dared to collect his body, but in the end, there was a person who buried his body and buried it in Guangping, and even took out his annual salary to Cheng Junyi's family, but he made himself poor. ”

"Mu Qingchen......" Li Zongmin suddenly realized, "In that case, this person is really stubborn, time has passed, and he is still so upright in life, and he still looks like a weak crown reckless child when he is over forty years old." But having said that, Li Zongmin still didn't know what the connection was between this matter and what he had just asked.

Niu Sidian was silent, and did not say much about it, "Think about it...... Mu Qingchen's rapid promotion is precisely because of this person's stubborn temperament, perhaps ......"

The door was opened again, but this time it was not the servant of Fang Cai, but a small official in an eight-grade green robe, and his person Niu Sidian seemed to have an impression at the court meeting at the beginning of the year, as if he was picked up from the left, but the name was really unrememberable.

"Jing'an Xianggong, Qizhang Xianggong ......"

The man was in his early thirties, pressed his back very bent, and bowed to Li Zongmin and Niu Sidian respectively, perhaps for this reason, this person was even a little rickety.

This person approached Li Zongmin, crouched beside the ear of Jing'an Xianggong, and whispered something.

Although Li Zongmin's complexion was as calm as water, Niu Sidian noticed that between the words of the little official, Li Xiang's eyebrows were slightly raised.

The man bowed down and retreated, while the servants outside the Cabinet carefully pulled the door and fastened it.

Li Zongmin took a deep breath, as if he was about to inhale the air of the entire Secret Pavilion into his lungs, and then slowly spit it out, looked at Niu Sidian with four eyes, and whispered in a tepid tone: "Mu Qingchen...... It seems to be about to pay homage. ”

Niu Sidian nodded silently, this result was not unexpected.

Sure enough...... Li Zongmin said in his heart, in fact, since Mu Qingchen often talked about it recently, he already had this feeling, and today he often participates in the Son of Heaven and is not honored, this feeling is even deeper. But why did the Son of Heaven choose this previously unknown person to be promoted? The Son of Heaven was still the chief horn nine years ago, and when he first entered the domain, maybe he didn't know about the thing that shook the government and the opposition, a coincidence?

No way......

The promotion was too fast...... Li Zongmin secretly thought that he had to carefully investigate the details of this person, and he had to find ways to postpone the matter of paying homage to the prime minister.

As for how to do it, it is obvious that Li Zongmin personally stepped forward to make the next decision, and due to today's verbal impeachment by Chang Sen, it is inconvenient for him to take action. Li Zongmin's eyes rolled, and he seemed to have an idea in his heart.

"It's really a rapid promotion......" Li Zongmin straightened the corner of his turban, took another sip of tea, shook his head and sighed, and said not without hints: "In his early forties, living in a temple, after all, he is just a kid, but I don't know if this person is worthy of the trust of a saint?" ”

"Judging by what he did, maybe he was really a loyal and good minister, but I don't know." Niu Sidian's words implied a sense of appreciation for what Mu Qingchen had done nine years ago, and he had heard that this person never accepted goods, and he might have similar interests with him.

Niu Sidian's mind has naturally been seen by Li Zongmin, how he doesn't know the temperament of his old friend, if he wants him to help with this, it seems that he has to tell a little lie......

"What does it mean to lose ......" Li Zongmin leaned over and smiled lightly: "This person has only heard about the loss, or he may have a relationship with Li Wenrao......"

Li Zongmin deliberately said the last sentence very lightly, in order to appear more credible, and Niu Sidian was really stunned for a long time after listening to it.

Li Zongmin knew that his little lie had caught the weakness of his old friend. In order to suppress Li Deyu the month before last, Niu Sidian did not hesitate to sacrifice Victoria City to support the enemy. Now, if there is really someone close to Li Deyu who is going to pay homage to the prime minister, even if Niu Sidian seems to be a loyal and good minister and has the friendship of colleagues, what then?

Niu Sidian groaned for a long time, and in the sound of the noon drum in the distance, he said to Li Zongmin: "If this is the case...... Thinking about it, Mu Qingchen's promotion is really too fast, the saint ...... Perhaps this matter should be put on hold for a while, to the detriment of it? ”

Li Zongmin raised the teacup with a smile and gently touched Niu Sidian, making a crisp sound.

At the same time, Pingkang Fong.

After lunch, Zhang Yijun and Li Shangyin got on their horses, Li Shangyin took charge of Zhang's father to borrow a purple-haired blue-maned horse, named "Ziyun Cong", which was originally used to play horses, but Zhang's father now has a big belly and has long said goodbye to the horse movement.

"Brother Yijun," Li Shangyin couldn't help but ask as if he was talking after dinner, "Miss Xuanji...... But Brother Yi Jun knows? ”

"Sort of......" Zhang Yijun had expected that Li Shangyin, who couldn't hide things in his heart, would definitely ask about the old thing, so he simply told him honestly, briefly describing the ins and outs: Five years ago, Zhang Yijun went to the street with Yingwang Weifu, passing by Qingfeng Pavilion in Pingkangli, and heard that there was a lot of noise inside, so he tended to take a closer look. found that a noble relative's son was drunk and lost his temper, and wanted to insult a cardamom Qingqi, but everyone could not dissuade him, so he became angry and drew his sword to face each other......

Zhang Yijun stopped when he said this, waiting to listen to the follow-up Li Shangyin hurriedly asked, "Then what?" And then what? ”

Zhang Yijun sighed lightly, "...... A certain took a sword and subdued the evil young man, and His Royal Highness twisted it to the government, locked it up for a few years, and lost money. ”

"Brother Yijun...... Caught a sword? Li Shangyin exclaimed: "But where is the injury?" ”

"That man is drunk and his sword is unstable, but it's just a broken skin, so don't worry." Zhang Yijun smiled and said with relief, his tone was extremely relaxed, as if he was describing other people's sword wounds.

"That'...... That Qingqi, Yishan thinks it is ......"

"It's Xuanji's ......," Zhang Yijun said.