Autumn was crisp, and on a sunny morning, Li Mu finally saw the city walls of Chang'an City.

This journey has been going for nearly a month, not because it is slow, but because it is related to the military system of the Tang Dynasty. The military system of the Tang Dynasty followed the military system of the Sui Dynasty. On the basis of the peasant households under the uniform land system, 634 military offices were set up in all provinces, prefectures, and counties in the world, collectively known as the Zhichong Prefecture, and according to the size of the establishment, they were divided into upper, middle, and lower levels, collectively referred to as government soldiers.

The government soldiers are divided into the inner government and the outer house, the inner government is the military army in the Beijing division area, and the three guards of the Beijing Division, and the three guards of the prince's three mansions are collectively called the Southern Army, and the corresponding is the six armies of the Northern Ya Guards of the Son of Heaven who are personally inspected, also known as the Northern Army, the former is mostly under the jurisdiction of the Jinwuwei generals of the sixteen guards under the leadership of the prime minister, stationed in the Suzaku Gate in front of the Taiji Palace, and the latter is generally the prince or the official leader in the inner court, and the military rank belongs to the sixteen guards and guards, living in the Imperial Garden. This is the garrison army in the Beijing Division, defending Chang'an, and it will not act rashly.

Usually when the general goes out to fight, he will bring his own soldiers, and then lead several battalions of soldiers and horses from the inner palace according to the emperor's order, and then gather the soldiers of the Zhichong Mansion along the way to form a large army. And when the squad returns to the court, these soldiers of the Zhichong Mansion will go back to their respective homes, and some money will be distributed when the gang is dispersed, and then the reward will be awarded after the military department has finished counting the battle achievements. The main purpose of this is to prevent the generals from embracing their own troops and generating bad intentions. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the first thing that every triumphant commander did when he returned to the dynasty was the side of the Qing monarch, and the emperor's butt was driven down by his own generals before he could sit firmly. Therefore, after the Sui unified the world, the government soldiers were strictly ordered not to be summoned and could not enter Beijing, and the Tang Dynasty basically followed the old system of the Sui Dynasty, and this rule was handed down.

Therefore, although Li Ji's army had more than 50,000 people along the way, there were only a few thousand people who returned to Beijing with him, all of whom were his generals and the three battalions of forbidden troops that he took away when he set off from Chang'an. After these people arrive in Chang'an, they will also return to their base camp to report. The army has now been reduced to zero, and there is no threat to the imperial power.

This is an iron law, and if any general does not follow the rules, it is equivalent to rebellion. Of course, Li Ji would not do such a stupid thing, so he dismissed the government soldiers along the way, and did it extremely meticulously, so that he lost some time.

Li Mu was naturally very anxious in his heart, counting the days, his old lady Sun should have been in Chang'an for more than half a month. He would know the news because seven days ago, he met Wang Hu and his party, who had returned from completing the escort mission. Wang Hu was worried about the affairs of Dingxiangcheng, and after the escort was handed over, he immediately set off to rush back, and happened to meet Li Ji's army. This back and forth, the time is calculated.

Anxious is anxious, but Li Mu is actually not very worried. Because Wang Hu told him that the Sun family was sent to Tang Jian's mansion by him. Tang Jian heard that it was Li Mu's mother, so he agreed without saying a word. When Wang Hu was leaving, he also went to visit Sun, Tang Jian took very good care of her, deliberately cleaned up a small courtyard, and arranged a maid to serve her. Li Mu guessed that the Sun family couldn't suffer much, but he was just worried in his heart and wanted to meet the Sun family earlier.

After crossing the Baqiao, the three battalions of the forbidden army also returned to their respective camps. Only dozens of Li Ji's generals were left, and when they arrived at the city gate, there were already eunuchs in the palace waiting here, and Li Ji went directly to the palace to face the saint. However, Li Mu also had someone to entertain, Li Ji had already sent someone to send a message back, his younger brother Li Bi waited here, after seeing the ceremony, Li Bi asked the generals to go home to reunite with their wives and children, and led Li Mu and Bai Qiaoqiao, as well as Wang Hu and other relatives who lived in the Li family to return to the Cao Guogong Mansion located in the west of Zhuque Street.

"This cross-hospital was cleaned up yesterday, and in a hurry, the preparation was not thorough, so don't pick on it. If you need anything, just ask, just like your own home, you don't have to be polite. Yesterday, the eldest brother has already said in the letter, you and Siwen's child have become brothers, then it will be no different from my son and nephew, if you don't dislike it, just call me the second uncle. "Li Bi is a very kind person, with a smiling face, which is very different from Li Ji. Since people have already said so, of course Li Mu will not be embarrassed, and immediately called the second uncle, which made Li Bi laugh.

Coming to the flower hall and sitting down, Li Mu said: "Second uncle, I want to ask something, do you know where Lord Tang Jian's mansion is?" ”

"Lord Tang Jian?" Li Bi glanced at Li Mu, as if he was a little afraid that he would make a mistake, and suddenly slapped his head and said, "Look at my memory, I almost forgot that you are the righteous man who risked his life to escape from the camp to deliver the letter mentioned in the eldest brother's letter!" Lord Tang's mansion is not far from our house, we are on the west side of Suzaku Street, he is on the east side, not far from the street. What, want to find Lord Tang to catch up? ”

"Ah, no, no, no." Li Mu hurriedly waved his hand, that Tang Jian was in his fifties, he was looking for someone to talk about the past, so he said the antecedents, and said: "My mother has been bothering Tang for a long time, since I have come to Chang'an, I should take my mother over for a reunion." ”

"That's right! That's the right thing to do! Li Bi stroked his palm and smiled: "It is really commendable that you can have such filial piety." But it's not bad for this day, take a rest today, wait for the eldest brother to come back in the evening, and then have a good meal and drink, and then take the wind and wash the dust. It's never too late to do anything tomorrow. If you're worried that your mother won't be able to rest assured, I'll send someone to tell you, that's it. ”

The master said so, and Li Mu didn't want to force it, so he nodded with a smile and said, "Then it's troublesome for the second uncle." ”

"No trouble, trouble what." Li Bi smiled and waved his hand, got up and said, "I'll go and make arrangements, you guys rest first, and before dinner, I'll call you again." ”

Saying that, Li Bi left, Li Mu was sent to the door of the courtyard before coming back, seeing Bai Qiaoqiao was looking at an ornament in the flower hall in a daze, looking like he wanted to touch but didn't dare to touch it, he felt funny in his heart, walked over and picked up the ornament and put it in Bai Qiaoqiao's hand, and said: "If you want to see it, pick it up and look at it, what are you afraid of, this thing is expensive, can there be something in my arms?" ”

Bai Qiaoqiao was shocked and said, "You still have that thing with you?" Didn't you hand it over to the general? ”

"I'm going to give it to my uncle, but he said it's better for His Majesty to personally dedicate it to His Majesty when His Majesty announces my entry into the palace." That day, Li Mu and Li Siwen worshipped jokingly, Li Mu didn't take it seriously, but he didn't expect Li Ji to take it seriously, and asked Li Mu to call him uncle. Of course, this is a good thing, Li Mu is such a thick-skinned guy, so he naturally beats the snake with the stick. Bai Qiaoqiao was embarrassed to change her words, and still called her a general.

Before the words fell, Li Bi's voice came in from outside: "Big nephew, hurry!" Someone from the palace announced that you would enter the palace and face the saint! ”