Ma Shu almost ran back to Dali City non-stop, and when he rode outside the imperial city, he foamed at the mouth and fell down, the horse's butt and belly were full of blood, and Ma Shu didn't know how hard he was whipping.

Ma Shu was sharp, jumped off the horse and rushed to the imperial city, Duan Zhixiang was waiting for him in the palace, and the eunuch took him all the way from the palace gate into the palace gate, and even ran away, just to let Emperor Dali see him early.

Sure enough, as soon as they met, Duan Zhixiang, who was reading, threw away the book, and couldn't wait to ask, "How?" How's it going? ”

"Fortunately, I was not dishonored! Weichen is fortunate not to be dishonored! Ma Shu smiled and gave the courtesy of the monarch and ministers, and his mouth grinned to the root of his ears: "The barbarians of Shimen Fan saw that the ministers and the envoys of the Great Song Dynasty arrived together, and they had no excuse to drive the army over, so they had to agree to His Majesty's request, and stationed troops at Longshou Pass, and could not advance an inch." ”

"So wonderful!" Duan Zhixiang was also overjoyed when he heard this, and couldn't help but slap the royal case, and said happily: "Excellent!" The army of tigers and wolves in Shimen is harmful and useless when the whole army comes. Ma Shu, you have made a great contribution, and I am rewarded! ”

The hemp beam is excellent, and it can be valued by the lord of the country, and it is not impossible for the natural saints to be indispensable in the future, and it is not impossible to worship the prime minister.

However, his mind was not carried away by joy, and he still had to say what he should say when he came back from a trip, so he bowed again and reminded: "Your Majesty, the various rewards we promised Shimen Fan must be honored, and the eldest grandson Hong said that they will wait at Longshou Pass, and only retreat when the reward is over." ”

"Huh?" Duan Zhixiang's brows stretched out for a long time, and he squeezed together again: "Money and food?" ”

He was a little worried, just now he asked Duan Xiangxing to empty the treasury and send a lot to the chiefs of the Thirty-six Barbarian Tribes, where is there anything for Shimenfan? The Gao family has a lot of income, but the royal treasury is not rich, and it has been pressed by the Gao family for so many years, and the hard life is over, shouldn't you leave some money to live a good life?

So Duan Zhixiang pondered for a while, and said to Ma Shu: "Okay, I know, I will arrange for the household department to handle this matter, you have been running all the way, and you are tired, go to the house to rest, there is a royal banquet in the palace at night, you come on time, the chiefs of all the departments will come and be close to them." ”

The royal banquet, the wine pond meat forest, the singing and dancing extravagant, it is an honor to be able to participate, and it is also a close gathering of monarchs and ministers, which was rarely held when the Gao family was in power in the past. Duan Zhixiang used this way to envelop the ministers, which is a good means.

Ma Shu was even happier, and retreated in a loud voice.

Prince Duan Xiangxing flashed out from behind the screen, he had just come back, and when he met Ma Shu who was making a report, he stayed behind the screen and listened to the words.

"Father, it seems that Shimen Fan is more obedient than he imagined." He was overjoyed, holding a stack of brochures in his hand: "A few words will make him retreat, and the eldest grandson Hong is nothing more than that." ”

"Don't be so happy, it's the Song Dynasty that he's afraid of, not us." Duan Zhixiang shook his head and said to him: "Eldest Sun Hong, this person is even more terrifying than the Gao family, we can still maintain the current situation by using his hand to get rid of the Gao family, which is already rare." Originally, I thought that if he was dissatisfied, I could also give him a position in Xiangguo, but since he couldn't resist the pressure of the Song Dynasty, Xiangguo's position also helped us save it. ”

"Shimenfan is just a barbarian department in the final analysis, where can he beat us and the Song Dynasty." Duan Xiangxing said with a smile: "Father gave Xiangguo to him, and he didn't have the ability to do it for a long time." ”

Duan Zhixiang looked at his son, shook his head, but continued to talk about this topic, and just asked: "Has the Gao clan counted the income from the family?" ”

Duan Xiangxing raised the books in his hand: "It's all here, the Gao family is really greedy, and the things collected are comparable to the treasury." ”

"Some accumulation is inevitable." Duan Zhixiang's eyes lit up, and he leaned back on the back of the dragon chair with a smile: "Pull out the things that should be given to Shimen Fan from inside, and find someone to transport them to Longshou Pass immediately." ”

"Huh?" Duan Xiangxing's eyes widened, quite puzzled: "Immediately? ”

"Yes, immediately, without delay." Duan Zhixiang said calmly: "Shimen Fan is guarding Longshou Pass, it is like a fish in our throat for us, we can wave the army under Dali City at any time, let them go a moment earlier, and let me feel at ease a moment earlier." ”

Duan Zhixiang said it very bluntly, of course Duan Xiangxing understood. For those who rely on foreign aid to get rid of strong enemies, it is better to cook the cunning rabbit to death, otherwise the lackeys may become the next strong enemy.

Although there is some reluctance, after all, such a large amount of money and food flows away from hand in vain, but what should be sent must be sent, otherwise let the family come and get it themselves?

So Duan Xiangxing nodded, and went out with the book in pain.

Transporting vehicles and transporting property, grain and grass could not be done in a while, and Duan Xiangxing's subordinates were not so efficient, and when the imperial banquet began that night, even a third of the things were not ready.

But people are not very worried, a day or two, can afford to delay.

The Xuanwen Hall on the west side of the imperial city is brightly lit at night, and the sound of drums and strings spreads far beyond the palace wall, shuttling like a butterfly in and out of the palace, sending wine and food to the full of nobles. Pink delicacy, wine and delicacies, with the hanging red candle pearl, set off the huge hall to be lively and magnificent.

There are also neon thin shirts and dancing on the carpet in the center, the ribbon brocade is purple and red, watching the bright shadow in the bright place, smelling the fragrance in the dark place, the hall is full of nobles are dizzy and fascinated, the wine is intoxicating and the warm breeze hits people, all of them are elegant people, and they are leading the way here.

Duan Zhixiang sat alone in the royal chair on the platform, the chair was gilded, a dragon claws were flying, and the big dragon head was placed on Duan Zhixiang's head, so at a glance, it seemed that Duan Zhixiang's head was the dragon head, and the power of the Son of Heaven was incomparable.

Although Dali is located in a remote area, and is a barbarian country, but the Central Plains culture has long been spread here, not only learn Chinese, wear Hanfu, even the imperial examination, bureaucratic system, are to imitate the Confucian civilization of the Central Plains Dynasty, so the dragon chair learns the appearance of the Chinese emperor, but also the dragon.

He held the crystal clear precious glass cup, and the amber liquor swayed in it, reflecting the dazzling light of the temple. A drunken smile hung on his face, and his body was half-lying in the dragon chair, staring at Maihime's jumping body with a slight drunkenness, and his eyes radiated an obscene light.

The royal banquet has been going on for some time, and the atmosphere has reached a climax, from time to time a minister stands up, loudly declares his loyalty to him, pats a sycophant, toasts a glass of wine, the monarch and the minister encourage each other, praise each other, and then drink the wine, full of applause, and are happy.

Duan Zhixiang wants to drink very much, he wants to get drunk, and he is satisfied! After the completion of the great achievement, the satisfaction of the sense of accomplishment greatly filled his vanity, how many years, how many generations, how many Dali emperors did not accomplish things, he did it, and completed it very satisfactorily, the military power returned to the hands of Dali Duan, this is a kind of consummation.

The puppet emperor is like a castrated eunuch, always incomplete, every day will be worried, worried that the ministers will have a whim, although the brocade clothes and jade food, but the taste is the same as chewing wax like chicken ribs, the right to pinch is like Tai'a upside down, the handle of the knife is in the hands of others, life and death are not up to oneself.

All this has passed, from now on, Dali will be surnamed Duan, and no one will ride on the emperor's head again, Duan Zhixiang raised his eyebrows.

The emperor is drunk, and the people below are drunk. There was some chaos in the palace, many people were drunk, the barbarian leaders began to move their hands and feet to the palace maids, causing an ambiguous exclamation, the steady and reserved officials on weekdays followed the coaxing, everyone's face was red, and the white-bearded old man also called friends to clink glasses, the atmosphere was very warm and harmonious.

In such a festive atmosphere, almost no one noticed that in the crowd of officials, a sober looking man stood up, holding a wine glass, stepped out of the pile of tables that lined the sides of the main hall, and stepped on the carpet where the dancing girls performed.

This is very common, just now many people also came out like this, they hold cups, sing praises to the emperor, toast and bow, a courtier can't stand in his seat to toast the emperor, that's impolite.

(End of chapter)