The Khan of Dengli lived in one of the tallest stone forts in the city, heavily guarded and razed to the ground within a hundred paces of the surrounding area, with nearly a thousand elite guards patrolling back and forth, and any stranger who approached would be killed.

At this moment, in a quiet room, Hui Khan Dengli squinted his eyes and read Cui Yuan's autograph letter again, with the prime minister's seal and his signature on it, there should be no fake.

Dengli raised his head again and glanced at Zhu Xicai, and asked lightly: "The letter said that you can be taken hostage, but are you really Zhu Xicai, the general of Jinwuwei?" ”

Zhu Xicai smiled and didn't answer, he glanced back at Mei Lu, Mei Lu understood, he immediately stepped forward and said: "Tell the Khan, fifteen years ago, his subordinates failed to attack Shandong and were captured, he let me go, and his subordinates can prove that he is Zhu Xicai, the general of Jin Wuwei." ”

Dengli nodded and smiled: "You Cui Xiang are really shrewd, is it too much to let me withdraw all the troops without agreeing to anything?" At least he has to show a little sincerity, such as cutting the river west to me...."

Zhu Xicai smiled coldly and said: "My family Xiangguo just made a suggestion, not to negotiate with the Khan, if the Khan is unwilling, destroy the book and kill the envoy, as for the land west of the river, the Khan will take it himself if he has the ability!" ”

Dengli laughed, "Most of your Hexi was taken away by the Tubo people, so I am not rare to leave the palm-sized place, to tell you the truth, what I want is the rich Longyou." ”

He stopped laughing, pondered for a moment, and said, "This matter is very important, let me think about it, and give you an answer in a few days." ”

Speaking of this, he looked back at Mei Lu and said with a faint smile: "Since General Zhu has an old relationship with you, then you can entertain him well for me, and as for this negotiation with Datang, if it continues, it will be at the price I offered." ”

"Yes!"

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On March 20, ten miles west of Chang'an City, more than a dozen war horses galloped from afar, stepping on the official road and rolling yellow dust.

It was not until ten days later that Dengli Khan officially replied to Zhu Xicai, agreeing to the secret proposal put forward by Cui Yuan, the right minister of the Tang Dynasty, and taking Zhu Xicai as a hostage.

During this period, the official negotiations between Hui and Datang were also carried out at the same time, and Hui Hui insisted on exchanging forty silk for one horse, which was far from the three silk for one horse offered by Datang, and both sides refused to give in, and the negotiations reached an impasse.

Seeing that Chang'an City was already visible, and there were more pedestrians in front, several entourages running in front tightened the reins of their horses and slowed down their horses. ”

"General, look ahead!" An attendant pointed ahead, only to see two teams of porters coming from afar on the official road, occupying most of the official road.

Zhu Zhu: "Hmph! With a sound, he jerked his horse, and instead accelerated towards the group of porters, who were caught off guard, and were kicked over several people in succession, and the people behind were so frightened that they threw down their burdens and jumped into the fields by the roadside to avoid it.

The horses did not stop, and more than a dozen horses disappeared into the distance like a gust of wind........

At the same moment when Zhu Zhu entered the city, Taiji Palace, Empress Dowager Zhang was lying on the couch, enjoying the gentle beating of the two little eunuchs, outside a curtain of light yarn, her brother, the new Taichangqing Zhang Hua was crying to her grievances, "I just bought a few acres of land at a low price, and there was a royal history to impeach me in the cabinet, begging the eldest sister to save me this time." ”

It has been three months since Empress Dowager Zhang's high-profile comeback, and she has promoted several brothers in her mother's family in a row, and dismissed Lu Yi, the imperial historian who impeached her for overstepping her authority.

Empress Dowager Zhang blew her jade finger and said disdainfully: "I said that why are you getting more and more useless, you also need to cry to me about this little thing, let them go if you are impeached, with me, see who dares to touch you!" ”

"However, Cui Xiangguo has ordered Dali Temple, the Criminal Department, and the Yushitai to file a case on this matter, and the Ministry of Officials has suspended my duties, if it is not for the urgency of the matter, I really dare not come to ask the eldest sister."

"How can there be such a thing?"

Empress Dowager Zhang turned over and sat up, and immediately ordered: "Go!" Call Cui Yuan to the mourning family! ”

After a while, the little eunuch came in to report that Cui Xiangguo had announced that he had arrived and was waiting to see him outside.

"Announce him in!"

Empress Dowager Zhang sat up straight, and said to Zhang Hua: "You just stand aside and see how he explains to the mourning family." ”

As he spoke, Cui Yuan had already swaggered in, and he arched his hand to the Empress Dowager Zhang expressionlessly, "Does the Empress Dowager have something to summon Weichen?" ”

Seeing that he didn't kneel today, Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and said angrily: "Why don't you kneel when you see the mourning family?" ”

Cui Yuan smiled coldly, "The emperor decreed in the sixth year of Qingzhi that there is no need to kneel above the sixth grade, didn't Zhang Huan already tell the Queen Mother?" Why do you knowingly ask? ”

"You're ......!"

Empress Dowager Zhang was extremely angry in her heart, she held back her anger and said: "The mourning family heard that you want to dismiss Tai Changqing, but is there such a thing?" ”

"Not bad! This is indeed the case. ”

Cui Yuan glanced at Zhang Hua, pointed at him with his hand and said: "This person is corrupt and perverts the law, forcibly occupies more than 300 hectares of land, has violated the law of my Tang Dynasty, the cabinet has decided to remove him from the post of Taichang Qing, and the case will be handed over to the three divisions for trial tomorrow, could it be that the Queen Mother has objections to this?" ”

Empress Dowager Zhang had already heard a hint of something wrong, but Zhang Hua was on the side, she was too full of words just now, and she couldn't pull off this face, her face sank, and she said coldly: "What if the mourning family is not allowed?" ”

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Cui Yuan's mouth, he shook his head lightly, and said pityingly: "Give you a rod, and you will really climb up and play." ”

He laughed, turned around and left, Empress Dowager Zhang was trembling with anger, she stood up suddenly, and shouted angrily, "Someone! Take it for the mourning family. ”

But the dozen or so guards around didn't move, as if they had turned into stone carvings, Cui Yuan walked to the door of the hall, and then said slowly with his hands behind his back: "When the queen mother has figured it out, come to the old man again!" ”

With that, he looked up to the sky and laughed and walked away.

After a long time, Empress Dowager Zhang sat down dejectedly, she stared at the front in a daze, and couldn't say a word.

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The carriage was speeding on Chengtianmen Street, Cui Yuan closed his eyes, a mocking smile was still on the corner of his mouth, and his body swayed gently with the bumps of the carriage, raising fish for three months, and finally when it was time to collect the net, he was not worried that the Empress Dowager Zhang would collapse because of this, yes! She won't, after tasting the sweetness of power, how can she be willing to let go, she will definitely come to beg herself.

'Queen Mother! Cui Yuan sneered lightly, it was just a scarecrow he raised in the Taiji Palace, and without her gorgeous identity, she was no different from the one in the wheat field.

The carriage gradually stopped, Cui Yuan's eyes opened, and he asked unhappily, "Why did the carriage stop?" ”

"Xiangguo, it's a subordinate who is back!" Zhu Jun's deep voice came from outside the carriage.

Cui Yuan's Teng! Sitting up, he calmed down for a moment, slowly opened the curtain of the car, and a white-haired and eagle-like gaze appeared in front of him.

"Turn around, go home!"

The carriage immediately turned around and sped away towards Cui's mansion.

Soon, the carriage arrived at Cui's mansion, the gate had been opened one step ahead, and Cui Ning's carriage drove out from inside, the two carriages were staggered, Cui Yuan beckoned to stop his daughter, "Ning'er, where are you going?" ”

The curtain opened, revealing Cui Ning's slightly haggard face, and she responded in a low voice: "Father, the child went to find Pei Ying." ”

"Oh, go for it! Come back early. Cui Yuan smiled lovingly, waved his hand, and the carriage galloped into the mansion.

Cui Ning was about to lower the curtain of the car, but saw a young man with white hair urging him to step forward, standing one step away from him and giving a salute, and said with a flattering smile: "Miss Cui hasn't seen her for a month, and she is a little more beautiful." ”

Cui Ning smiled faintly, then pulled down the curtain of the carriage, the carriage started slowly, and soon left the mansion gate, Zhu Jun had been staring at her carriage and disappeared, her eyes slowly narrowed, and a treacherous smile flashed in her eyes......

In the outer study, Zhu Zhu stood with his hands down, behaving very deferentially, while Cui Yuan was pacing slowly in the room with his hands down, his first step plan and the second step plan were realized on the same day, which is a good sign, the most critical third step plan below is to see if Dengli Khan can cooperate with him, according to the time, there should be news tomorrow.

Thinking of this, Cui Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at Zhu Jun, seeing that he was standing straight, his eyes were lowered, he had never changed his posture from beginning to end, and he didn't even seem to blink his eyes, somehow, Cui Yuan couldn't help but think of Zhang Huan when he saw him, the two were about the same size, and they were also dark-skinned, and more importantly, Zhu Zhu was also neat and neat, cutting and killing, and was a rare talent.

I heard that Zhang Huan was a general in the Hedong Army, in charge of 3,000 cavalry, not long ago Zhang Ruohao wrote to the imperial court, asking for the Viscount of Yuxiang to be awarded to Zhang Huan, which means that the position of the heir of the head of the family will be passed on to Zhang Huan.

However, this matter has been in an uproar within the Zhang family, and Cui Yuan has been suppressing it, as long as his plan is realized, Zhang Ruohao may not be able to get his wish, Cui Yuan sneered, and his thoughts returned to the young man in front of him.

He patted Zhu Jun lightly on the shoulder, and said with a gentle smile: "I am about to re-establish a 5,000-strong Dragon Martial Army, and you will be the first lieutenant general of the Dragon Martial Army." ”

Zhu Jun didn't speak, he didn't even have any expression on his face, he only nodded slightly.

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