Xin Er asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Gao Chong said: "Chong stayed in the post at night, and occasionally heard the whispers of the post officials in the rumor, saying that Qianli exchanged letters with Qin Guangzong, the pseudo-Qinzhou assassin of Qin Yu, and also gave a gift to Qin Guangzong, and Qin Guangzong also returned the gift. …… Ming Gong, is this matter allowed by the imperial court? ”

"Letters?"

"Yes, Ming Gong."

"If you don't talk about this, I really don't know. …… Chief, do you know the details of this matter? ”

Gao Chong replied: "I don't know. As a visitor, it was difficult to call the postmen to ask them carefully, so I only heard one ear. But then again, even if I asked those postmen, I don't think they would know much. ”

Although Xin Er didn't know about it before, he didn't care, and said with a smile: "This must be a thousand miles and using a plan to attack the heart!" …… Jun Chang, the battle of attacking Nan'an for thousands of miles is really a perfect use of the strategy of attacking the heart, I might as well do it. ”

Gao Chong's face was serious, and he said: "Thousands of miles of wisdom is superb, but if he communicates with Qin Guangzong about this matter, it is not because he obeys the orders of the court, Ming Gong, this matter should not be underestimated!" ”

"What do you mean by that? How? Are you still worried that Qianli will ......" Before the words were finished, Xin Er came to his senses, understood the meaning of Gao Chong's words, patted his forehead, "Oops", and said, "Yes, Qingyan is very good!" This is indeed not to be underestimated! ”

"Not to be underestimated" is not that he does not trust Tang Ai and is worried that he will "infiltrate the enemy country", but that without the permission of the DPRK and China, he privately communicates with the border generals of the enemy country, which is against the rules, once someone with a heart seizes this handle and plays it to the DPRK and the Central Committee, impeaching Tang Ai ,—— after all

Now that the government and the opposition are still not small, the opposition led by Song Hong, Pan Kuan and others is still not small, so even if Xin Er is there, the imperial court will definitely not deal with Tang Ai, but Tang Ai's position as "Qinzhou Assassin History" cannot be said, and it will not be able to sit still.

Xin Er pondered for a moment and asked Gao Chong: "In Qing's opinion, how should this matter be handled?" ”

"In my humble opinion, it is advisable for the Duke of Ming to fly thousands of miles, so that he will know about the correspondence with Qin Guangzong as soon as possible, and it is advisable to add another order to him, and if there is such a similar thing in the future, he must not do it privately without going through the court!"

"Okay, just do what Qing said. I'm going to give him a book today! Xin Er thought for a while, and said, "Guyin to Longxi, back and forth 1,500 miles, that is, I will go to the book today, and wait for thousands of miles to go to the court, not to mention the end of the month, and even the beginning of the first month of next year, in case someone will hear about the impeachment during this period, I will write to the Queen Mother tomorrow, help Qianli in advance, and play this matter first." ”

Gao Chong said: "Ming Gong is thoughtful, and it should be like this. Ming Gong's love for thousands of miles is really envious. ”

"Junchang, I don't love Qianli."

"That's?"

Xin Er laughed and said: "What I love is Qinzhou!" ”

The implication is to help Tang Ai in order to stabilize Qinzhou.

Gao Chong laughed when he heard this, and Xin Er also laughed.

On the same day, Xin Er sent a letter to Tang Ai, and the next day, he gave this secret recital to Zuo.

When Gao Chong returned, it was already mid-December.

On New Year's Day, it is customary to make a pilgrimage, which is the largest pilgrimage meeting of the year.

Not only do the courtiers in Guyin need to participate, but the governors of other prefectures and counties cannot come to Guyin to participate in the pilgrimage, but the above table and contributions are indispensable, and they also need to send envoys to come.

Shazhou, Longzhou, including Qinzhou, Dingxi, all the state and county magistrates of the three states have sent people, and the countries of the Western Regions have also sent envoys, or envoys from Tang or Hu, carrying the above table to congratulate the New Year, and the contributions of the cars and cars.

There are a lot of acquaintances or acquaintances who are acquaintances.

Shazhou Thorn Shi Duya, Shazhou Lang General Xiang Kui, the chief general of the Western Regions Battalion Kui Ban, Xihai Taishou Suo Gong, Dunhuang Taishou Zhang Shao, etc., and even Qilian Taishou Zhang Daojiang, etc., of course, Tang Ai, Beigong Yue, Zhang Daochong, Guo Daoqing, etc., Qinzhou side, their envoys arrived in Guyin, without exception, they were the first to meet Xin Er.

The gifts they brought, dedicated to Zuo's family, Linghule is part, dedicated to Xin Er is part, although Xin Er repeatedly refused not to, but some still can't refuse, Xin Mansion warehouse is piled up.

Huangmen Provincial Servant Chen Sun's home.

Chen Sun's subordinate, Chen Bucai, the close attendant of Linghule, said to Chen Sun about the lively situation of the Xin family, and finally said: "Father, the front foot forced the queen mother and the king to kill Bai Li,...... In the Xuanwu Black Palace, in front of the king, he forced the queen mother to make a decree and beheaded Bai Li, father, you don't know, I didn't see how lost the king was after returning to the sleeping palace of Lingjuntai that day! The king has shed tears, Father! The king said to me that he couldn't stop Bai Li and couldn't save Bai Li's life,...... Father, Xin Agua was on the back foot of the state and county in the country before the gift to the king was sent to the palace, and he actually collected it first!

"Father, father, no wonder the right servant shot and denounced him as a powerful minister who deceives the king of my Dingxi Dynasty!"

Chen Sun leaned on the couch, he was leisurely unfolding the scroll and reading, Chen Bucai said that when the Xin family was lively, he didn't take it seriously, and then when he heard Chen Bucai say this, he looked away from the scroll, raised his face to look at Chen Bucai, held the book in one hand, and called him close in the other.

Chen Bucai came to his couch, bowed down and asked, "What does Father command?" ”

"You stick your face out."

"Father?"

Chen Sun raised the book, made a gesture to hit him, and said in a threatening manner: "Don't say those words just now, let me hear them again, I will slap you in the face!" ”

"Father!"

"In the future, you will have less dealings with those friends of the Fan family and the Song family. Don't let me know that you're getting too close to them all this! ”

Chen Bucai said: "Father, the people I interact with on a daily basis are all the famous people in my royal city, if I don't associate with them, how can I get a high name?" ”

Chen Sun put down the scroll and said instructively: "Don't you know the foundation of my Chen family's foothold in Dingxi? My Chen family has never relied on the Longdi valve clan. No, our Chen family is not from Longzhou, they live in Longzhou, Song, Yan and other families, even if you have close contacts with them, you are still an outsider after all! The best outcome is that you become their eagle dog, using you when you use it, throwing you aside when you don't use it, and that's it. The foundation of my Chen family's foothold in Dingxi depends on the king and on our not to get involved in the party struggle. From now on, you will honestly serve the king in the palace, and you are not allowed to pay attention to anything else! ”

"But Father, Xin Agua Quanling King ......"

"Shut up!"

"Father!"

"The king has not yet been in power, Xin Gong is the former king's entrusted minister, and it is the responsibility of Xin Gong to govern the dynasty, why did Xin Gong bully the king?"

Chen Bucai said: "Father, you are also one of the ministers who take care of your life!" But now it is Xin Agua who is dominant. 'The king has not yet become a pro-ruler'? Father, Xin Agua is in power to the government and the opposition, and has the favor of the Queen Mother, according to this momentum, Father, I'm just afraid that the king will not be able to govern! ”

"I now live in the Yellow Gate, one of the three high-ranking officials, the word 'Gu Life' is well-deserved, and where does Xin Agua come from?"

Hearing Chen Sun's words as if he was deceiving himself, Chen Bucai glanced at him and wanted to say something more, in the end, as a junior, he didn't say anything after taking care of Chen Sun's face.

Chen Sun just didn't see his careful thoughts, and said: "No, you don't care about me as one of my lives, and don't care about the relationship between Duke Xin and the king, in another four years, the king will be crowned adult, and at that time, no matter how powerful Duke Xin is, no matter how the gods attack and how the queen mother favors, the king must be pro-government." You just have to serve the king well in the past few years, and leave the rest alone. ”

"I'm afraid that at that time, even if the king was in power, it would be in name only!"

Chen Sun frowned and said, "You kid, I think you are the smartest of my descendants, so I sent you to the palace and became the king's servant, but you can't understand the words?" Whether the king's government is famous or not, that's the king's business, what does it have to do with you? As long as my family does not get involved in the struggle between the local lord clan and the Xin Gong, no matter whether he can really be pro-government in Japan, and who he will have the final say in Dingxi, won't my Chen family still be able to enjoy wealth and prosperity as before and now? ”

Chen Bucai somewhat understood what Chen Sun meant, and said: "Father is saying, no matter whether the king can really be in power, no matter who is in power in Dingxi in the future, whether it is the king, the prince of Xin, or the lord clan such as Song Yan, as long as my family is alone, then I can keep my family's current wealth?" …… Father, who are you in power and who are going with you, the grass on the wall, there is no position! ”

Chen Bucai's words came into his ears, but Chen Sun was not angry, he shook the "Lao Tzu" in his hand in front of Chen Bucai's eyes, and said a philosophical sentence, he said leisurely: "Don't hear the argument of nothing? There is no position, and there is also a position. ”

"Father, your words are too profound."

"Esoteric or not, you can experience it yourself. No, remember, in the future, there will be less dealings with the friends of the Song and Pan families, and now the Xin public army will win a streak, and the new policy will be changed, and the west will be sown by virtue, and Song Hong and Pan Kuan will be in the wilderness and will not be able to return to the court, unless there is a big change, then the two of them will not be able to achieve anything, you mix with them, there is no benefit! …… Did you just say that Zhang Daojiang also gave a gift to Gong Xin? You can have some deep friendship with Zhang Daojiang. No, the Tao will be this son, although he was invited to the reputation at the beginning, the ears of the sons of the gentlemen, and then his family suffered, he changed his past, and washed the breath of the gentlemen, and he could be like a different person, the sons of Song and Pan, incomparable, he will become a great weapon in the future. ”

As Chen Sun spoke, he reopened the book, lowered his head and continued to read, waved his sleeves, and motioned for Chen Bucai to go out.

Chen Bucai exited the door, and as soon as he arrived at the door, he heard Chen Sun say something again.

Chen Sun ordered: "You prepare a gift tomorrow, and you also go to Gong Xin's house to congratulate Gong Xin on his early years." ”

Chen Bucai was reluctant, and replied with a wink: "Yes." ”

"When you meet Gong Xin, put away this face of yours!"

"No."

Chen Bucai obeyed Chen Sun's order and went to Xin's house to pay New Year's greetings the next day, but Xin Er was not at home and was summoned to the palace by Zuo's family to eat wine. Chen Bucai was so happy that he didn't see it, put down the gift, and said goodbye. That's not to say.

Suddenly, a few days, to the thirtieth day of the lunar month, this afternoon, a dry Dingxi minister was ordered to enter the palace, that night in the palace banquet, all night long, to the next day of the New Year's Day in the early morning, the banquet is dispersed. Led by Xin Er, he took the ministers to accompany Zuo and Linghule to climb to watch the first sunrise of the new year. In the morning, more than 100 courtiers and foreign envoys, Tang people, Hu people, and people from the Western Regions gathered in the Xuanwu Black Palace.

Kyushu is frosty, mountains and rivers are frozen, and the new year has arrived.

……

According to the old story, there was a court and a court, and the local prefectures and counties also had similar ceremonies.

On the day of the New Year's Day, the important officials of the state and county also went to the state capital, the county government, and the county government to congratulate the officials on the New Year.

The envoys of the three counties of Qinzhou and the Shu region of Hanzhong had arrived in Xiangwu County, Longxi County, the state of Qinzhou, a few days earlier, and at about the same time as Xin Er and the others were congesting the Zuo clan and Ling Hule, they also arrived at the state capital to congratulate Tang Ai on the New Year.

However, Tang Ai was not seen in the house.

The official of the state government said that Tang Ai left the house in civilian clothes yesterday and has not returned until now.

When the officials who rushed over heard this, they were all stunned and looked at each other.

Inevitably, everyone turned their heads to each other, and almost everyone was asking, "Where has the envoy gone?" ”

yes, where did Tang Ai go?

But it turned out that Tang Ai was not good at these vulgar rites and was troublesome, but these "vulgar rites" were present in the previous Qin Dynasty, and he had no way to ban them in Qinzhou alone, so he hid out yesterday.

It's not a dry hide.

Since serving as the assassin of Qinzhou, in order to lay the foundation for the war in the coming year, he has seized the time and promulgated most of the new policies that he had planned earlier to be implemented in Qinzhou, but because he was busy with military and political affairs, he had not had the opportunity to personally see the specific situation of implementation in various places, so he simply took this opportunity to decide to inspect Longxi County and Nan'an County on the other side.

When the county officials guessed his whereabouts in the state capital, he was in Nan'an County.

Nan'an County is a newly acquired land, is one of the important places of the new policy, in terms of distance, Xiangdao County and Xiangwu County across the Weishui, but also closer than Xiangwu County and other counties in Longxi County, so Tang Ai arrived here first.

Under the escort of two close servants and Wei Xian, a dozen or so warriors dressed as ordinary people, Tang Ai took an ox cart and went around the territory of Zhangdao County, and several townships in the county went to take a look, the barracks in Chiting and other places, he also watched from a distance, and watched for most of the day, and had a good idea of the implementation of the new policy in Zhengdao County, so he said to Wei Xian and others: "Go, go to the county government!" ”

In the evening, I arrived at the county seat of Zhengdao.

Wei Xian went over, showed Tang Ai the road guide he had opened for himself, and the guards guarding the door checked that they were correct and let them into the city.

Entering the city, I heard a drum sound, it happened to be the "city" in the city to close the city today, Tang Ai ordered the car to go outside the city, lifted the curtain, observed the merchants and people who had been out of the city for a long time, did not say anything, and ordered: "Let's go, don't look at it." ”

The city is in the northwest corner of the city, and the county seat is in the southeast corner of the city.

It is said to be a county government, but it is actually like a small city, with high walls and gates outside the house. The battle against the Qiangdao was just outside this small city, and a small battle was fought. The traces of the battle at that time are still on the wall. When they arrived here, there was no need to hide their identities, and the doorman was shocked to hear that Tang Ai had arrived, so he hurriedly invited them and his group to enter, and hurriedly went forward to report to the mansion.

Passing through a clearing under a wall, Tang Ai's car drove into the county hall.

When I entered the gate of the county government, I heard Guo Daoqing's voice: "Envoy, why are you here?" Come without prior notice! ”

Tang Ai lifted the curtain, probed out, saw Guo Daoqing standing next to the car, and said with a smile: "Old Guo, you welcome me too quickly, right?" Looking at the courtyard outside, there were fourteen or fifteen officials who saw or worshipped or bowed, knowing that they must all be county and county officials who came to pay New Year's greetings to Guo Daoqing, pointed and said, "It's night, why are they still there?" How? Lao Guo, do you still want to treat them and keep them for dinner? Looking at Guo Daoqing carefully, I found that his black face seemed to be a little red,—— Guo Daoqing's complexion was too dark, and I couldn't really see this red if I didn't look closely, so I asked strangely, "Are you angry?" Who has angered you? ”

Guo Daoqing said: "Envoy, it's not that the lower officials are quick to greet you, it's that the lower officials are in the courtyard." It's not who angered the lower officials, it's true, it's really ......, the envoy is really the county has encountered a strange thing through the ages, and the lower officials don't know what to do for a while. ”

"What wonder of the ages?"

Guo Daoqing twisted his face and said to one of the dozen or so officials: "You come close." ”

The official went near, bowed, and said, "Meet the envoy." ”

Guo Daoqing stopped him and said angrily: "Okay, okay." Turning to Tang Ai, he said, "Envoy, this is the eternal wonder that Xia Guan said." ”

Tang Ai didn't understand what Guo Daoqing meant, and looked this official up and down.

This official is not very tall, slightly thin, about twenty-four or five years old, with an ordinary appearance, shaved face and powder, wearing official uniforms, rich in clothing, and wearing the seal of a hundred stone officials on his waist.

Tang Ai asked, "What's wrong with him?" ”

"Envoy, he, he, he's a woman!"