Cui's house is in the Xuanyang Fang opposite the East Market, across a street and then into the square to walk two miles, this road Zhang Huan did not know how many times, but never as relaxed and happy as today, unintentional coincidences made his life full of sunshine, the kind of relaxation from the depths of the heart, so that he was full of confidence in everything.

"Huanlang, what are you thinking?" Cui Ning quietly pulled the curtain, with a coquettish look rippling in his eyebrows, Zhang Huan's heart fluttered, and he smiled: "I'm thinking, you are already my wife, why don't you go home with me, but let me send you back to your parents' house." ”

Cui Ning remembered Lin Pingping, and she persuaded in a low voice: "Huanlang, you marry Pingping!" She has not married for so many years, it is because of you, I have never seen such an infatuated woman, she has liked you since she was a girl, and until today, she is twenty-six years old, how can you bear it? ”

"Why shouldn't I feel sorry for her?" Zhang Huan sighed slightly: "She grew up with me since she was a child, my mother left home early, it was the master's family who took care of me, this kind of family affection made me difficult to repay in my life, I have treated Pingping as a sister since I was a child, and I always hope that she can marry a good family, originally Wang Siyu likes her very much, and I also intentionally want to match them, but Pingping went to the Western Regions, and then I slowly understood the stubbornness in her heart, in fact, I also thought about marrying her, but I always felt sorry for her in my heart, and even felt that I was not worthy of her, I hesitated like this, delayed year by year, and now I am afraid and blamed myself in my heart, and I no longer have the courage to face this responsibility. ”

"You are a person who does great things, and some things should be judged when they are decided." Cui Ning shook his head slightly, as if he was saying to Zhang Huan, and as if he was talking to himself: "It has to be solved after all." If you don't solve it sooner, the guilt in your heart will be deeper in the future, and I will come forward in this matter! ”

Zhang Huan didn't speak, in fact, he knew very well in his heart, even if he stood in front of Ping Ping and said to her, "Okay! I will marry you. She may not be willing to accept her own charity marriage, all these years. The one she loves in her heart may still be the eighteenth Lang many years ago! As the years passed, he and she seemed to have missed their fate.

The carriage slowed down slowly and stopped in front of Cui's mansion, Zhang Huan jumped off the horse and helped Cui Ning out of the carriage, he suddenly remembered something and smiled: "What about your two maids?" Mingyue, Mingzhu, why don't I stay with you. ”

As soon as the words fell, the two sisters ran out and did not see each other for three years. The two of them seemed to have completely changed their appearance, they were handsome and smart, Mingyue pulled Cui Ning and complained: "Mastermother, why don't you take us with you when you go out, make us worry for one night." ”

"How do you know I'm back?" Cui Ning asked a little strangely.

"Miss Lin came back just now, and she said you were behind her." Sister Mingzhu has a fast mouth. Said it all at once.

Cui Ning smiled helplessly, "This elf weird guy. It's always ahead of me. ”

At this time, Mingyue suddenly saw Zhang Huan. Frightened, she pulled her sister, and the two sisters hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down, "The maidservant knocks to see the master." ”

"Alright, you serve the young lady!" Zhang Huan ordered the two of them to get up, and then turned back to Cui Ning and said, "My new mansion is in Yongle Fang, and I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow." ”

Cui Ning nodded silently, and she stepped forward to tidy up Zhang Huan's clothes. Tell him: "Huanlang." You should go back and rest early! I'll wait for your people tomorrow. ”

"I know, you can enter the house! I'm going to see you in. I'll go. ”，

Cui Ning smiled coquettishly, beckoned to Zhang Huan, and entered the house with the support of the two maids, one left and one right, Zhang Huan kept watching her moving delicate body disappear, his heart suddenly warmed up, and he couldn't wait for tomorrow.

"Let's go!" He turned over and got on his horse, and was about to urge the war horse, when a young man of twelve or thirteen years old ran out and shouted, "Zhang Yuanjun, please stay!" ”

Zhang Huan grabbed the reins, looked back at the young man, and saw that his eyebrows and eyes were vaguely similar to Cui Yuan, and he suddenly remembered that Cui Ning had told him that she had a very smart nephew, so he smiled and said, "Are you Cui Yao?" ”

"Exactly!" Cui Yao bowed to Zhang Huan, "My grandfather invited Zhang Yuanjun to enter the mansion for a while." ”

On the way, Zhang Huan saw that although Cui Yao's appearance was still a little immature, he was calm and unhurried in his gestures, and there was a faint feeling that a big weapon was about to be completed, Zhang Huan smiled and asked: "I heard that Cui Shaojun has traveled all over the country in the past few years, have you ever been to Longyou?" ”

"I went to Hehuang last year to see the old place of my Han family, and inspected more than a dozen schools built by Zhang Zhijun in Huangshui."

"Then you think there are shortcomings?"

Cui Yao nodded, "The kid is a fool, if there is any rudeness, please don't blame Zhang Yuanjun." ”

Zhang Huan's eyes showed a strong interest, and he smiled: "Okay, you say it." ”

"I thought that Zhang Yuanjun built the school to make the Han children of Huangshui return to the Tang Dynasty culture, the intention is very good, but the specific approach is debatable."

Speaking of this, Cui Yao glanced at Zhang Huan, saw that his smile was still there, and there was no displeasure, and said: "Hehuang has been stolen by Tubo for many years, and the Han people there have been forced to de-sinicize, and most of their impressions of their homeland have been forgotten, not to mention their children, and now Zhang Yuanjun has invited someone to teach them the Four Books and Five Classics, learning five hours a day, and there are four hours in the endorsement, I think this kind of education is a bit too much of a situation, it is better to let them go to the mainland of the Tang Dynasty in batches to see the magnificent mountains and rivers of the homeland, and enhance their sense of glory of the Han nation. Isn't that much better than reading the Bible? ”

Zhang Huan couldn't help nodding secretly, he had heard that Cui Yao was praised as a prodigy by the ministers of the DPRK and China, and now it seems that he is really a bit famous, he has such insight at a young age, and the revitalization of the Cui family in his day, is it on this son?

Thinking about it, he looked at Cui Yao again, the young scribe's eyes were indifferent, and his expression was calm, which made him realize that maybe Cui Yuan's breakthrough was on this son.

While talking, the two came to Cui Yuan's inner study, since Cui Yuan was half paralyzed. He spent most of his time in the study, reading, teaching his grandchildren, and tasting the major events of the DPRK and China, which became the three things he had to do every day, when he was in Shandong, and after returning to Chang'an, he had no official troubles, and more importantly, he was detached from things, and he began to have time to examine the road he had traveled in the past ten years. Examine your own thoughts, examine the reality and future of Datang.

It is true that Cui Yuan's ideal is to establish a system in which the monarch is weak and strong, throughout the history of this dynasty, the strength of the empire is all due to the emergence of place names, the rule of Zhenguan is determined by the fangmou to be broken, and the prosperity of the Kaiyuan Dynasty Yao Chongsong, and the decline of the empire is also due to the dictatorship of the imperial power, in the twenty-fifth year of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, Li Longji dismissed Zhang Jiuling. Successively appointed Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong as ministers, subjugated the example of Xiangguo to the monarch's power, and built the Hanlin Academy, Jixian Palace, and set up the power of the phase, and the purpose of jute and the edict of white hemp were parallel, and so on. finally triggered the Anshi Rebellion that led to the decline of the Tang Dynasty.

For this reason, Cui Yuan strongly advocated the government of the family. The balance of power in the family and land has constrained the imperial power for more than ten years. Although the wind and waves were calm and the undercurrent was turbulent, but there was no monstrous white wave, the empire's economy began to recover, people were at ease, and the courtiers forged ahead, which inspired his determination to maintain the family government, but unfortunately the success was also Xiao He, and the defeat was also Xiao He, and the army problem that the family government had been unable to solve finally became a trap for the empire to step into the abyss. The rapids in the abyss are crazy. And the most violent undercurrent turned out to be his own Cui family, Cui Qinggong's rebellion made Cui Yuan fall into deep self-blame.

He began to reflect on the pros and cons of the family's government. Summing up the rule of Zhenguan and the root of the prosperous era of Kaiyuan, subtly, the view of the family government that he has always adhered to is no longer so stubborn, no! It should be said that it is not so radical.

"Grandfather, Zhang Shilang of Menxia Province is here." The sound of his grandson's report interrupted Cui Yuandi's train of thought.

"Hehe, please let him in!" Cui Yuan put down the book in his hand, and then the two concubines helped him to sit upright.

"Go first! Two more cups of good tea. Cui Yuan commanded, and the two concubines answered and went down from the side door.

"Juniors, see Cui Ge Lao!" Zhang Huan gave a deep salute, he secretly glanced at the old power minister who had been in power for a while, only to see that he had a thin face, dressed in a cyan wide-body Zen robe, with a thick blanket on his legs, sitting there and looking at himself with a smile, there was no one on the table, only a few yellowed old books and a stack of strategies written by his grandson, the scenery of the past and his health passed away with the wind, many times, time often decides everything, life is not just a battle of strategy, to some extent it is also a competition between time and life, If Cui Yuan hadn't fallen ill three years ago, maybe today's Datang would be a different scene.

"Nephew, please take a seat!" Cui Yuan's eyes were gentle and calm, and he looked at the old opponent in front of him, who could be said to be his son-in-law, but they didn't want to pierce this thin layer of paper, in his eyes, Zhang Huan had become a lot more mature, not only had a long beard, but also looked at the old arrogance and indifference, a little more tolerant and rational.

Zhang Huan sat down, bowed slightly to Cui Yuan and said with a smile: "Congratulations to the elder of the pavilion for getting a virtuous grandson, reading thousands of books, traveling thousands of miles, and actually saying that the defects of my education in Hehuang are not simple!" ”

Unexpectedly, Cui Yuan's face sank, he pulled a rope beside him, and soon Cui Yao walked in, stepped forward to give Cui Yuan a salute and said, "Grandfather is looking for a grandson?" ”

"Let me ask you, what is written across from your desk?"

A gentleman wants to be quick to say what he says and quick to do. Cui Yao's face turned red, he lowered his head and muttered, "Grandson knows his mistake!" ”

"Wrongdoing?" Cui Yuan sneered, "This is the third time this year that you have said that you are wrong, and it is only three times, you will be punished for not going out for a single step within a year, copying the Analects three hundred times, and if you commit it again, I will cancel your qualification for family sacrifice." ”

Cold sweat flowed down Cui Yao's forehead, and he said in a trembling voice: "Grandson remembers!" ”

"Let's go down!"

Cui Yao gave another salute and slowly retreated, and after a while, Zhang Huan sighed: "Cui Ge loves his grandson, Zhang Huan understands." ”

Cui Yuan picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea slowly, a trace of desolation and helplessness flashed in his eyes, "I am already old, and I can clearly feel that life is leaving me little by little, and the ambitions of the past no longer exist, I only hope that my descendants can become good ministers of the Tang Dynasty, and do some practical things for the people with the attitude of serving the country with loyalty, as long as he can do this." I can also look under the nine springs. ”

Zhang Huan didn't speak, he clearly heard Cui Yuan talking about loyalty to the monarch and serving the country, when these four words were specially accentuated, was he hinting at himself?

Zhang Huan suddenly realized that Cui Yuan seemed to be about to say something to himself, he lowered his head to drink tea, and just smiled without saying a word.

Cui Yuan looked at him deeply, Liao Hui had come to him many times in the past two days. Zhang Huan should have known it a long time ago, but he did not doubt it, from this point, Cui Yuan knew that there was a tacit understanding between himself and Zhang Huan, and the development of the Sikuang incident finally confirmed that his guess was completely correct, Zhang Huan made a gesture in order to enter the venue with a high profile, and Cui Yuan was also very clear about what his ultimate goal was. With Zhang Huan's current strength, Cui Yuan also knows that he can't stop it, since he can't stop it, then why doesn't he dance with Zhang Huan, just slightly change Zhang Huan's trajectory at a critical time, so that he can step into his own political thinking. In order to avoid the Tang Dynasty from repeating the old path of imperial dictatorship, so as to find a support point in the balance between power and monarchy. This is the conclusion that he Cui Yuan has reflected on in the past three years.

The god of fate seemed to have played a joke back then. Cui Yuan tried his best to suppress Zhang Huan and stop his rise, but Pei Jun did the opposite and helped Zhang Huan gain a foothold in Wuwei. But now, Pei Jun does not want to see Zhang Huan ascend to the highest throne, hoping to maintain the status quo and slowly solve the local warlord crisis by gentle and reformist means; However, Cui Yuan believes that Datang is on the verge of splitting. It is clear that maintaining the status quo will only make the crisis worse when it erupts. Only a strong leader can get Datang out of this crisis, and Zhang Huan is the best person in his eyes. At the same time, he also hopes that Zhang Huan can bring Datang into his ideal path.

Of course, without paying a substantial price, Zhang Huan may not realize his importance, Cui Yuan smiled faintly and said: "The key to clamping down on Zhu Di is Feng Xiang, the reason why Cui Yu can still sit in the position of the left minister is also because of Feng Xiang, now Feng Xiang Jie Du makes Li Mo loyal to Cui Yu, but most of the eight thousand Feng Xiang defenders are from Changhua County, Hedong, do you understand what I mean?" ”

Leaving Cui's Mansion, the night was already very deep, out of Xuanyangfang, only to see that the opposite East Market was dark, the lights were almost out, and most of the people who went to hang out went home, the street was deserted, and the night style was cold, straight into everyone's cuffs and necklines, and the cold pierced straight into the bones, freezing as if the blood was coagulated.

Zhang Huan didn't seem to be aware of it, Cui Yuan's words made him realize Cui Yuan's good intentions, and made him feel that Cui Yuan had bet on himself, and even did not hesitate to give Feng Xiang to himself, Feng Xiang is the west gate of Guanzhong, and Feng Xiang will also open the gate to Chang'an, when Pei Jun forced Cui Yuan to give way, he ordered him Zhang Huan to take Fengxiang County, things are easy to change, I didn't expect that today Cui Yuan actually saw his heart of the military department, Jiang is really old and spicy!

"Dudu, I notice something is wrong." Speaking is Zhang Huan's personal bodyguard Fang Ruthless, he is extremely strong in martial arts, but he never says a word, just like Zhang Huan's shadow, which makes people often ignore his existence.

Today was his first warning, which immediately made all the pro-soldiers nervous, and Zhang Huan immediately shouted in a low voice: "Don't mess up, just act as if nothing happened." ”

The pro-soldiers immediately returned to normal, and Zhang Huan asked again, "What did you find?" ”

"Thirty hundred and fifty paces away someone was following us, and now he was three hundred paces." Fang ruthlessly didn't reply, as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

"Governor, I'll take a look."

"Don't act rashly."

The horse team turned a corner, and Fang ruthlessly disappeared from the group.

All the way to Suzaku Street, Fang Wuru suddenly appeared again, "Dudu, it's not tracking, but there is an ambush ahead." ”

"How do you know?"

"I've been following two stalkers, and when the Governor walked to Suzaku Street, they immediately released a pigeon, and one appeared a mile to the south, and they were reporting the whereabouts of the Governor, do you want to catch these two stalkers?"

"No!" Zhang Huan said categorically: "Don't startle the snake. ”

At this moment, Zhang Huan has already affirmed that someone is going to attack him, and this person is unlikely to be Pei Jun, it is very likely to be Zhu, at this time, he suddenly had a plan in his heart, maybe this is exactly what he wants.

When he walked to the gate of Yongle Fang, Fang Wuru reappeared again, "There are a total of thirteen people, just a hundred steps in front of the Governor's Mansion, and the land is a crossbow. ”

At this time, several pro-soldiers were anxious, "Could it be that the governor wants to make a bitter meat plan?" ”

Help. Zhang Huan smiled and shook his head, those arrows may be coated with poison! Why would he take this risk?

"No need." Zhang Huan took out the gold medal for troop transfer, and the other party ruthlessly ordered: "You go to the barracks immediately, let Li Dingfang surround all the assassins for me, and try to catch them alive, but no one is allowed to escape." "Continued