In Chang'an in August, the heat has not subsided, and it is still very hot. The cicadas make disturbing noises in the trees, and there is no peace everywhere.

Even in the ninefold depths of Weiyang Palace, it is impossible to avoid this incessant noise. Some of the eunuchs and guards kept using long poles to drive them away, but it was difficult to stop them at all. In the dense foliage, these guys who flew from nowhere became louder as if they were demonstrating.

Feng Jiu, who was in charge of the security of the palace, was busy for a long time in this hot weather, but there was no obvious effect. He and a group of guards wiped their sweat helplessly, and wanted to curse a few words loudly. However, after looking at the direction of Xuanmu Pavilion, they all crept cautiously to avoid making louder noises.

His Majesty the Emperor has been in poor health recently and has not been in court for many days. The imperial doctors of the Tai Hospital specially instructed the people in the palace that His Majesty needs a quiet environment for cultivation. So everybody did their best.

As the person in charge of security in the palace, Feng Jiu, who was born in the former Xifengwei, can already be regarded as an old qualification. He has witnessed many turbulences in this palace, and has witnessed the life, death, honor and disgrace of many people. And to be able to save his body in this great wave and continue to stay in the court to this day, it is not just luck, but his knowledge of the times.

The comprehensive prosperity and development of the Han Dynasty can be clearly seen by everyone. But in Weiyang Palace, many thrilling things that have happened are not known to outsiders. Perhaps, only those of them who have experienced it first-hand will understand how important the choice is at a critical time.

Feng Jiu sometimes thinks that if he hadn't chosen to betray Xi Fengwei at the most critical juncture, would he still be alive in this world today? He shook his head self-deprecatingly, although there was still some bitterness in his heart, but he was extremely convinced that his choice was the right one.

No one wants to die casually, just as no one doesn't crave power and dignity. The death of the once invincible Great Commander Feng Yan, the majestic Xi Fengwei also disappeared, and many powerful people in it are missing. Although Feng Jiu hadn't heard of how they had died, he hadn't heard of them still alive...... Later, when Emperor Wu finally died, Feng Jiu completely severed the relationship with the first half of his life. He is now the head of the guard of Weiyang Palace, and the powerful person responsible for security around the Son of Heaven.

The so-called once a son of heaven and a courtier. Of course, Feng Jiu understood how his current status came about. This is not only the origin of his appointment to protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the Western Regions, but also the reward of the emperor who has ascended the throne for his contributions to the palace change. In every sense of the word, this is what he deserves.

But Feng Jiu, who was already prominent in the eyes of outsiders, was very cautious and maintained a humble attitude when he walked in Weiyang Palace. Because deep in his heart, he has a clear understanding of who made him live to this day, and who secretly dominates the palace, the court, Chang'an and even the whole world with an invisible will.

Thinking of the few words he had heard beside the emperor recently, Feng Jiu couldn't help but glance in the direction of the west. Although he was thousands of miles away, he seemed to be able to feel the gaze of those sharp eyes. He couldn't help but sigh to himself, believing that he didn't feel this way. Although that man was on an expedition, his influence was still everywhere.

If a person would even reject the will of the king, then Feng Jiu really couldn't figure out what he wanted in the end? Although only few people know about it, it is shocking enough.

His Majesty the Emperor has been restless recently, is there a reason for this? Although Feng Jiu didn't dare to speculate, he was inevitably more careful in his daily palace guards.

When he walked to the corridor not far from the Xuanmu Pavilion, Feng Jiu greeted the people standing there. The man was dressed in white, and he was not wearing the clothes of a palace guard, let alone a guard of the Yulin Army. But he stood closest to the emperor's place, and no one was surprised. Even Feng Jiu had a hint of respect in his attitude towards this figure who only carried a short knife.

Park Yongyeol, who was dressed in white like snow and a knife, nodded indifferently to the head of the guard, which was regarded as a return gift. In his eyes, except for Master Yuan Zhao and a few other people in this world, others did not deserve too much courtesy from him.

Feng Jiu didn't care about such indifference. He knew very well the status of the young man in front of him in the palace. Even His Majesty the Emperor affectionately called him "Xiao Lie" without a name, so you can imagine how important he is in the emperor's mind. What's more, he was still born under Yuanzhao.

Feng Jiu led the guards to continue to patrol forward. Park Yongyeol watched with calm eyes as they disappeared in the corner of the hall, without any waves. Life in the palace is too boring, and if possible, he actually wants to go to Ma Xi very much to enjoy the endless desert wind and sand. Anyway, he has never seen anything other than the sea.

However, such thoughts are just thoughts. He knew it was impossible. As long as the master did not allow him to leave Weiyang Palace, he could only stay in the depths of this palace to guard the emperor's safety. It's boring to think about! In the past, he could often go to the forest garden on Zhongnan Mountain with the prince to hunt or something, but since he became the emperor, he has rarely had the opportunity to go out of the city. Even if he goes out of the palace occasionally, he just walks around Chang'an City, which is really boring.

The emperor is a man of affection, and he is actually very good to him. But this could not quell the desire of a heroic heart after all. Looking up at the falcon flying across the sky, he wanted to grow his wings and leap into the clouds.

"Xiao Lie, come on."

Hearing a call in his ears, Park Yongyeol retracted his thoughts, turned around and walked in the door. There is only one person in this palace who can call him in this tone, and that is His Majesty the Emperor.

Emperor Liu Ju has lost a lot of weight recently. Park Yongyeol guards his side day and night as a personal guard, and understands his physical condition better than others. I also know more about the worries in his heart. When he walked in just now, he saw him sitting there alone with a somewhat lonely expression, with something he had just written on the table in front of him.

"Your Majesty, but do you need to summon the Imperial Doctor?"

"Don't. My body is fine, so I don't have to make a fuss. If the queen mother is alarmed, it will be a lot of restlessness. ”

The emperor smiled, although a little reluctantly, but his complexion was much better than the previous day. There are not many people in this world who can make him talk to "me" instead of "me", and the guard in front of him is one of them. Because, he never treated him as a guard, he was the brother who saved his life.

Park Yongyeol's words were not much. Even in the presence of the emperor, most of the time there was silence. Then he saw the emperor stand up, and a decree that had just been written was driven by the wind, and the handwriting on it was just caught by the eye. His heart moved, and he quickly lowered his eyes.

"Xiao Lie, ten days ago, Shang Shutai just received a battle report from the front, the army of the Western Expedition is like a broken bamboo, all the way through the desert, less than a thousand miles away from the edge of the Western Continent...... If you count the time, they should have entered the territory of the Persian Empire by now. ”

There was a slight fluctuation in the emperor's tone, and he could hear that such news brought him joy. Park Yongyeol nodded and did not interject. In many cases, all the emperor needs is a listener, and he just needs to listen quietly. Then, he heard him sigh and continue.

"But...... Last time, Brother Yuan, why did he seal back that will? ”

There were no outsiders in the Xuanmu Pavilion, and feeling the emperor's close gaze, Park Yongyeol replied: "Master should have his own considerations." Didn't the envoy bring back his letters to His Majesty? ”

"Yes. The letter that Sima Xiangru brought back was very long. Although I understood the meaning of those words, I still did not understand his thoughts. With his contributions to the country in all aspects, even the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty who helped Emperor Gaozu create this empire are already difficult to compare, let alone others. The title of king is the expectation of all the people in the world...... Alas! But he still insisted on not being accepted. ”

Feeling the helplessness in the emperor's tone, Park Yongyeol suddenly remembered what he had said before he died on the edge of the cliff in the East China Sea. He said that Yuan Zhao was a figure who stood out above his time, and that in the near future, this person would definitely bring about changes in the world that no one could have expected. It's just that these words, he buried them in his heart, and he never mentioned them to anyone. Even if it was the emperor, he didn't intend to say it.

"Your Majesty, you might as well wait until the army returns to Chang'an in triumph, and then it's not too late to discuss it. By that time, I think Master's mind should have been different. ”

"You're thinking too simply. Although I don't know much about military affairs, I also know that this war is different from the previous ones. I am afraid that the war of such a huge scale of the country will not end in ten or eight years. I can't wait that long...... Since he refuses to accept the title of king, let him take a step back. ”

The Emperor's tone gradually deepened, and he looked down at the will he had just prepared with his own hands, not knowing what he was thinking. Park Yongyeol fell silent again and said no more. He knew that the Emperor had already made a decision, but he didn't understand why he was in a hurry.

Soon after, Shang Shutai received the emperor's will. Dongfang Shuo, who stayed here to deal with government affairs, only glanced at it, and his heart was shocked.

"Changle Hou Yuanzhao has made great contributions to the country, the emperor of the prosperous world, it is so difficult to write, and the blessing of the common people is also ...... The day before yesterday, the enemy was dedicated to the Taimiao, and I felt that Emperor Gao entrusted him with the merit of protecting the country, and he was specially awarded the title of Duke of Han. Hereditary replacement, with the country ...... the same rest. ”