In fact, it was not only the emperor who was worried. Since the news of the predicament of the Western Expeditionary Army came back, the world was in an uproar and Chang'an was shaken, which has lasted for a long time.

No matter how confident they were in the Western Expeditionary Army, after learning in detail about the seriousness of the matter, they all realized that this crisis was by no means comparable to what it had been before.

The expedition of laborers and the solitary army is an extremely risky behavior. Once an unpredictable accident happens, it is not impossible for the light army to be defeated and the heavy army to be wiped out.

There are countless examples of such wars in history. Many powerful empires or dynasties are often devastated by such failures, and many are even destroyed as a result.

Yin Jian is not far away, and the rut ahead. Many people of insight can't help but look westward and worry. Although they have no ability to help, when they talk about it in the restaurant and tea shop, in addition to pessimistic arguments, they can only pray for God's blessing.

Everyone knows that the combat effectiveness of the Han army is so strong that there are few opponents in the world. No matter how powerful the enemy is, he can't bargain in front of them. However, most people have heard more about the horror of the plague. Even if you haven't experienced it, those records in history books and legends are enough to make people tremble.

How sure the Western Expeditionary Army, far from its homeland, is able to survive this crisis has recently become a topic of heated debate among the people of Chang'an. There are not a few people who draw their swords and fight each other for this reason. This caused some trouble to the Chang'an Mansion. Chang'an Ling and the Imperial History of the City Patrol were extremely annoyed by this, and severely punished them several times, and the situation calmed down a little.

This kind of turmoil has occurred in many counties and counties around the world. After all, the fundamental purpose of the Western Expedition launched by the Han Empire was to meet the needs of national interests, and more importantly, to ensure the long-term peace and stability of the Han Dynasty. This major event, which is related to thousands of generations, is undoubtedly a disaster if it really fails because of this.

The troops who participated in the Western Expedition this time were all selected as the most elite soldiers of the Han Dynasty. If even they will be defeated, then the blow to the morale of the army will be fatal. What's more, the person who personally started this war was Yuan Zhao, the figure who was very important to the whole world. His life and death and safety will seriously affect the stability of the Han Dynasty.

In view of this, some news that is not conducive to the spread of public opinion has been issued by various departments of the imperial court, and it is expressly forbidden to chase after the wind and exaggerate. If there is chaos caused by this, they will be put in prison and punished accordingly.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne for three or four years, with the improvement of the law and the establishment of various systems, the people's understanding of the legal system of the Han Dynasty has become more profound. It is undoubtedly extremely inappropriate for the imperial court to suddenly issue such an order and arbitrarily punish crimes with speech. To put it more seriously, it is a perverse act.

However, this temporary decree, which was signed and promulgated by the Imperial Doctor himself, did not hear much protest. Not only were all the officials of the imperial court tight-lipped about it, but even the Chang'an Royal Academy, which attaches the most importance to the implementation of the system, no one stood up to speak. It is even said that the respected old Mr. Dong Zhongshu, after reading this special order brought by the students, he just put it on the table, lowered his eyelids and sighed, but did not say anything.

Everyone understands that this blatant violation of the "freedom and equality" of the Han Dynasty new

The decrees of the spirit of the law can be carried out unhindered only because they concern the person who is expected of the world. In such a time of crisis, no matter how well people know him, they surprisingly form a unanimous tacit understanding.

"But let Yuan Gong return unharmed...... Acceptable at all costs! ”

These are the words of the scholars and the scholars.

"An incense case has been set up at home, praying for peace for the public day and night!"

This is the only thing that people and ordinary people can do when they talk to each other.

And in the minds of many court officials, the response to this matter is much more complicated.

If it is said that some time ago, the Han army fought a series of major victories in the Western Regions, which made the whole court rejoice, thinking that the Western Continent was already within reach and was about to become a bag. This serious crisis has made most people feel that the Han Dynasty may be in a quagmire from which it cannot extricate itself, and it is in a dilemma.

It's not that no one has imagined what kind of catastrophic consequences it would be if the 130,000 most elite Han army was wiped out. The Persian Empire, as an enemy of the Persian Empire, is bound to gather strength and make a comeback. And who dares to guarantee that the Xiongnu people in the Southwest Yi, East Vietnam, overseas islands, and grasslands that the Han Empire subdued by force will not take the opportunity to disagree again?!

In addition to these worries about the overall situation, in the hearts of Dongfang Shuo, Sima Xiangru and others who stayed in Chang'an, they were even more worried about the safety of Yuan Zhao.

Today's hard-won good situation, how much hardship has been paid. These people they are involved in have a deeper understanding than others. And for Yuan Zhao's role in this and his indispensability, he has a clear understanding.

If the situation really reaches the point of being out of control, at the cost of heavy casualties of the Western Expeditionary Army, Yuan Zhao will come back safe and sound. That's worth it, too! This is not only their thoughts, but also the hearts of His Majesty the Emperor, who believe it, have not thought about such consequences.

What particularly worried these court ministers was that His Majesty the Emperor's body showed some not very good signs at a young age. Although the information in this area was kept absolutely secret by the court. But the courtiers were neither fools nor deaf, and by their own observations, they naturally had a wise judgment.

And the main thing is that His Majesty the Emperor has no heirs so far. This is a serious concern.

Don't look at the Han Dynasty has now entered a glorious era of prosperity, but the more such a moment, the more dangerous it is. If Yuan Zhao and the Western Expeditionary Army are defeated, then it is likely to affect the whole body. All the hidden contradictions and disasters may explode at some point. Once there is anything unspeakable about His Majesty the Emperor under internal and external troubles, it will really be out of control!

These ruling ministers shudder at the thought of this. Therefore, each of them is the same sleepless during this time. The people on duty guarding the Shangshutai military plane, no matter who it was, as long as they heard the battle report from the Western Regions, they all trembled, lest they hear some bad news.

The entire Chang'an City was in such an atmosphere, and suddenly a major news that no one expected spread. Those who heard it were all stunned and a little overwhelmed.

It turned out that just after that light snow, His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress

went to the Han Mansion together and personally congratulated his sister, the eldest princess of the Han Dynasty, Su Xi, on her birthday. Then, one thing was decided.

It would have been a very ordinary family dinner. Everyone knows that the emperor and Princess Suxi grew up together by the side of Empress Dowager Wei since they were children, and they have experienced ups and downs, and their sister and brother have a very deep relationship. Every month, the number of times the emperor went to the palace privately or officially passed through the palace was not ten times but eight times. This is not surprising.

This time, however, was extremely unusual. Because, His Majesty the Emperor came by a formal guard of honor, and what is even rarer is that the Empress, who does not like to show her face, actually follows him.

From the moment they walked into the Han Mansion together, the eyes of all the people of Chang'an gathered here. Countless suspicions breed in everyone's heart. No one knows why the emperor would choose to make this trip with great fanfare at such a moment.

The mystery doesn't have to wait long, it will be revealed soon. And it will shock the world and stir up long-lasting waves. And before that, the first person who was extremely shocked was Princess Suxi, who was not mentally prepared at all.

Princess Suxi didn't actually have the heart to celebrate her birthday. Yuan Zhao has been out on the expedition for so long, and her mind has always been worried. Although people inside and outside the house have very tacitly filtered out some of the outside news, so that the two young ladies who are concentrating on taking care of their young son will not worry. But when she and Lingzhi talk to each other, worry is always unavoidable.

However, since the emperor and empress are going to come in person, some necessary preparations must not be sloppy. The chefs in charge of the Yuan Mansion have all experienced the personal guidance of Yuan Zhao, and all kinds of delicious dishes have long been famous. It didn't take long for the exquisite and delicious dishes to fill a large dining table.

There are no outsiders at the family feast. Princess Suxi and Lingzhi with two little babies, both carved in powder and jade, very cute. The emperor's mood was rare to relax and cheerful, and when the little baby who could just climb crawled around on the carpet, the little hands climbed on his knees, and the black eyes purred and looked at him, the identity of the emperor ceased to exist. He held one in one hand, and the smile on his face came from the heart, and it hadn't been so much in a year.

The queen, who was sitting dignified and elegant next to her, felt a little inexplicably sour in her heart. However, on such an occasion, it is natural that half a point will not be revealed. She reached out and took the tiger-headed Xiao Yuanfeng from the crook of the emperor's arm, and put a gold collar inlaid with gold and jade on him. Then he said with a smile to Princess Suxi.

"Your Majesty has always said that you have a relationship with this child, and I feel very cordial when we meet for the first time today. It's really enviable that my sister is so beautiful. ”

Princess Suxi was slightly stunned, but she didn't expect anything else, and hurriedly responded with a smile. The queen seemed to really like Yuanfeng very much, and kept teasing him, and the atmosphere between them was very harmonious.

Soon after, Yuan Yue'er fell asleep a little sleepy, and after Lingzhi retired, she hugged her and went to the back. The emperor drank the shallow wine in the white jade cup, and he looked deeply at his sister, who had known and loved him best since he was a child, and finally said what he was thinking in his chest.

"What do you say! Why? …… Yuan Lang, is his life in danger? ”

The quick-witted Princess Suxi's face changed greatly. And by the window of the small building not far away, the woman with red makeup suddenly stood up, and the mirror in her hand fell to the ground and shattered.