Liu Xu's victory returned to the court, and the whole country of Northern Xia rejoiced.

The crown prince Liu Changqing led hundreds of civil and military officials to welcome the return of Wang Shi at the gate of the capital.

"Son-in-law, see father!"

"See Your Majesty!"

"Flatten. Liu Xu got off the horse and helped the prince, who had grown a lot taller, up, "Prince, you have worked hard during this time, and you have also been wronged." ”

"It is a blessing for the sons and daughters to share their worries for their fathers, and the sons do not feel hard. Liu Changqing clenched his fists and said, "It's Erchen who feels guilty, because Erchen's momentary negligence almost made a big mistake." ”

"It's all gone, but now everything is worry-free. Liu Xu smiled slightly, "Let's go, let's go back to the palace first." ”

After Liu Xu went back, Liu Changqing first told him all the recent government affairs, and Liu Xu looked at the twists and turns and the prince's handling of it, and was quite satisfied.

"Your way of governing the country has become more and more refined. Liu Xu said, "I've seen all of this, there's no problem, and the prince hasn't disappointed me." ”

Then Liu Xu called several humerus ministers in and discussed the next military affairs together.

As he expected, when the war between Northern Xia and Southern Chu and Western Wei was coming to an end, Dog Rong really began to move. Qian Lingyan risked the big disapproval and actually wanted to collude with the dog Rong, wanting to use the power of the dog Rong to attack Northern Xia, and the dog Rong also wanted to take the opportunity to invade the Central Plains.

Dog Rong Tuoba Yu wanted to be ashamed of the snow, and took the initiative to ask Ying to lead the troops into battle, but when he was halfway there, he was stopped by an elite soldier from the foot of Qishan. He was naturally taken aback, he didn't know the origin of these elite soldiers, it stands to reason that if all the troops of Northern Xia were concentrated on the front line, how could there be a large army here?

But then this army gave him a big surprise, and Mo Zijue led a left-wing army and directly killed him twenty miles back.

Naturally, he wanted to inquire about the name of the general who commanded him, and when he learned that it was Mo Zijue of Northern Xia, he was even more puzzled, wasn't this Mo family father and son dead? How could they suddenly appear here? Could this be a conspiracy of Northern Xia?

And at this point, the news that the Mo family's father and son were not dead but still alive also spread, and everyone was discussing, could it be that all this was a scene between the Mo family and Liu Xu?

Now that the war here is over, and the Northern Xia over there has fought with the dog Rong again. It's just that this time the Western Wei suffered heavy losses, and it was difficult to intervene in it, and Southern Chu was far away, so this was also a separate contest between Northern Xia and Inurong.

And for this war, Liu Xu has been preparing for several years, not only with sufficient troops, but also with sufficient food and grass.

The court didn't know about His Majesty's ambush soldiers, and they didn't know that it was the Mo family's father and son who led the troops. They received information mentioning that the dog Rong was still worried, but they never thought that His Majesty had predicted this situation a few years ago, and they admired Liu Xu's knowledge like a god.

"Replace all the wounded, and the household and military departments must do a good job of providing pensions to the families of the wounded and fallen soldiers, so as not to chill the hearts of the soldiers. Liu Xu said, "In addition, select 100,000 elite soldiers from a unit to support General Mo and them, since the battle with the dog Rong has already started, then this time they must be driven out!" The Central Plains has been harassed by the dog Rong for decades, but before the countries were colluded with various interests, no one was willing to stand up and take the initiative to clean it up, and now this burden has fallen on the body of Beixia, don't think that this is a matter of losing soldiers and serving veterans, what we do is for the benefit of future generations, so it is inevitable that the whole country will work together, so that it is impossible for the dog Rong to set foot in the Central Plains!"

"Work together to expel the dogs!"

The ministers began to divide the labor to prepare for the battle with the dogs, and they did not dare to relax at all. Liu Xu left Liu Changqing behind.

"Are all the injuries on your body healed?" asked Liu Xu.

Liu Changqing clenched his fists and said, "Father, the son's injury has long been healed. Erchen was also lucky, when the kite was about to fall to the bottom of the cliff, and at this time, a gust of wind blew at this time, allowing Erchen to escape. It's a pity that Zuo Jing and Qi Du, they ...... for their sons."

"It's fine if you're okay. Liu Xu looked at Liu Changqing and said, "If something happens to you, I really don't know how to explain to my eldest brother." ”

Liu Changqing lowered his eyes and said with some loss: "It turns out that Erchen is really not the biological son of his father, it turns out that the first prince is the father of Erchen." ”

Liu Xu got up, walked in front of Liu Changqing, patted him on the shoulder and said: "Your father is a very remarkable person! He is wise and upright, I have admired him very much since I was a child, and I have respected him very much, even surpassing my father. I was like a sun, guiding me when I was young, and my biggest dream at that time was to grow up and become as powerful as him. Changqing, you are now more and more similar to your father, not only your appearance, but also your conduct and ability, I seem to see that the eldest brother is back again, Changqing, you didn't disgrace your parents!"

Hearing this, Liu Changqing knelt in front of Liu Xu: "My father's kindness to my sons is as heavy as Mount Tai, and my sons really don't know how to repay my father." It's just that the sons don't understand that the father saved the lives of the sons and raised the sons, which is already a great grace to the sons, why should he pass the throne to the sons?"

Liu Xu looked at Liu Changqing deeply, thought silently for a while, and said, "Because this throne should have belonged to the eldest brother." I have never coveted this throne, and in my heart, I just want to assist my eldest brother. ”

After a pause, he smiled slightly, looked at the young man in front of him appreciatively, and said: "Also, I am not so blind, over the years, you have proven your talent with your actions, you are a very talented child, my choice is not wrong." ”

Liu Changqing's eyes were red with emotion, and he didn't know what to say, and he didn't know how to repay and be grateful to his father for his kindness.

"The son will never let his father down. ”

"How is your brother now?" Liu Xu asked after a pause.

"The emperor's younger brother and son are taking care of him personally, he is very good now, and Xie Yi has been with him. Liu Changqing pondered for a moment and said.

"Xie Comet?" Liu Xu's eyes narrowed.

"Father, this time she helped her sons a lot, if it weren't for her, her sons might not have survived, the Xie family and Liu Cheng's rebellion had nothing to do with her, and the emperor's brother also relied on her very much, begging her father to spare her life. Liu Changqing hurriedly clenched his fists and pleaded.

"I've heard about her, she's a strange woman with a righteous heart, and I didn't think of killing her. Liu Xu said, "It's just that she is your imperial aunt now, and it is inconvenient to live in the East Palace, so I will settle her." ”

"Father, son, ......"

"Don't think about it. Liu Changqing interrupted ruthlessly, "You'd better think about this kind of thought, her identity, your identity, you are the future emperor of Northern Xia!"

"Father!" Liu Changqing thought for a while and said, "Is it true that if the sons can solve the obstacle of identity, you will no longer stop us, father?"

"How do you fix it?"

"The father doesn't have to care, the son has his own way. ”

"If you can come up with a good way, I won't stop you, that's my promise. Liu Xu thought about it and said, he also has a beloved woman who is willing to do anything for it, and naturally understands his son's thoughts at the moment, he doesn't want to push him too much, but he still wants to give him a chance to fight.

"Thank you, Father. ”

"You go back and rest first, I have to go somewhere. ”

"Yes. ”

The first snow of the winter finally fell, and it was soon white outside.

Liu Xu looked at Bai Xue and smiled slightly, hoping that the coming year will be a bumper year.

The place he wanted to go to was not somewhere else, but the prison, where Xie Di was still locked up.

The prison was cold and unusual, Liu Xu walked expressionlessly, and under the leadership of the jailer, he came to Xie Di's cage.

"Your Majesty, the one who is being imprisoned here is Xie Di. ”

"I know, go down. ”

"Yes. ”

Xie Di in the prison also heard the voice of speaking, he opened his eyes and glanced at it, and said with a slight smile: "The guilty minister congratulates His Majesty on his victorious return. ”

Xie Di was no longer in the slightest bit of his former spirit, now he was dressed in shabby labor clothes, his face was thick, and his eyes were dark and unsatisfied.

Liu Xu sat down and said lightly: "You disappointed me. ”

"Disappointment? Could it be that Your Majesty still had hope for the guilty minister? This is a strange thing. Xie Di smiled self-deprecatingly, "The criminal minister that Your Majesty has been guarding against, everything the criminal minister did was just what His Majesty expected, so why be disappointed?"

"I gave you a chance. ”

"Opportunity, what opportunity?" Xie Di laughed more and more sarcastically, "Deprive the criminal minister of all his powers, and let the criminal minister be an idle nobleman with an empty title? The younger sister of the criminal minister, as the master of the middle palace, gave birth to a son-in-law for His Majesty, but His Majesty has never put their mother and son in his eyes, and actually wants to pass on the throne to an outsider." The minister never felt that the minister had done anything wrong, after all, it was His Majesty who failed the Xie family first, and before that, the Xie family had never had a place to be sorry for His Majesty, but after His Majesty used the Xie family, he wanted to kick the Xie family away, and it was His Majesty who failed the Xie family first. ”

"I'm not here to argue with you, but since you want to argue, I'll talk to you. Liu Xu said, "I never thought of marrying your sister, it was your sister who had to marry me, what she did in order to marry me, and what happened to Qi Wangfu, I believe you know very well." And you can rise all the way, it's not that I'm using you, it's that I'm promoting you! Again, when I was still King Qi, the crown prince was the prince, so what's the problem with making him the crown prince? Besides, since this throne is now mine, who do I want to give it to, and what power do you have to intervene?"

After a pause, Liu Xu continued: "Also, I never thought of kicking the Xie family out, although I have been wary of you, it is because your ambition is too big, but I am not thinking about the future for you. ”

As he spoke, he took out a letter from his bosom and said: "This edict was prepared by me before I set out on the expedition, there are two things, one is that I plan to seal Yu'er as the king after I return, and the fief is in the richest Jiangnan, that is, the hometown of the Xie family, and I want to use this to preserve the prestige of your Xie family." Second, although I and the queen have a discordant relationship, but since she became the queen, she has not made any big mistakes, so I have not thought about the abolition of the queen, if I have any three long and two short, after the crown prince succeeds to the throne, I need to respect her as the queen mother to ensure her safety and glory for the rest of her life. ”

Liu Xu closed his eyes in disappointment and said, "You, you and the queen, have indeed disappointed me very much, disrupted my arrangement, not to mention, and took your own life. ”

Hearing this, Xie Di's eyes rolled, he got up and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty has really prepared a way back for us?"

"It's a pity that your ambition is to take the throne, or rather, you really want to die while I am planning a way back for you. Liu Xu got up and said lightly, "And at this point, you can be regarded as self-inflicted, and no one can save you!"

Xie Di's face showed a touch of remorse, and he kowtowed to Liu Xu: "It's the minister who has failed Your Majesty, the minister can't stand Your Majesty, please forgive Your Majesty! The minister also wants to ask Your Majesty for one last thing, the minister knows that he has committed a capital crime, and he doesn't ask His Majesty to forgive, I hope Your Majesty can leave a whole corpse for the minister." ”

"I promise you. With that, Liu Xu got up and left the prison quickly, and Xie Di's laughter came from behind him, and he quickened his pace.

Liu Xu walked alone in the snow, this way, in the past ten years, the people around him have been leaving him one after another, and with a wave of his hand, there are very few people around him.

He looked at the three thousand palaces of this palace, majestic and luxurious, only to feel that the height was unbearable, and he didn't know where to go in a daze?

"Yu'er, it's snowing, stop playing, let's go back, okay?" Xie Yan called, "It's snowing outside, beware of the wind and cold." ”

"I don't, I'm going to build a snowman!" A child dressed round and ran around the yard, at this time, he suddenly bumped into a person's leg, and when he was about to lose his temper, he raised his eyes and suddenly smiled in surprise, "Father, you are back Father, Yu'er misses you so much!"

"See Your Majesty. Xie Yan hurriedly knelt down and saluted, his heart beating suddenly.

Liu Xu lowered his head and looked at this round child, only to feel that his eyebrows and eyes were exactly the same as his own, a warmth rose in his heart, he bent down and hugged the child, and said with a smile: "Boy, it has sunk a little more." ”

The little prince affectionately put his arms around his father's neck and whispered in his ear: "Father, do you know where the queen mother has gone?"

"Do you miss her?"

The little prince nodded first, and then shook his head: "The queen mother always likes to let her sons study, and her sons like to play!"

Liu Xu walked inside with the child in his arms, glanced at Xie Yi who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Flatten." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty. ”

Xie Yan followed step by step, and the sharp-eyed palace people had already run to find the prince.