"Zhongshu Ling, Pei Xiangguo has arrived!" With the emcee's high report, the Zhang family's congratulatory banquet finally arrived, there was a slight commotion at the gate, dozens of officials surrounded the right minister of the Tang Dynasty appeared in front of everyone, Pei Jun wore a regular dress today, green robe and hat, three long beards fluttering, looking very leisurely and calm, like a poet strolling by the pond and lake, contemplative.

"See Sangkook!"

"Xiangguo first, please!"

The greetings gave way to the sound of steps one after another, Pei Jun smiled at the corner of his mouth, and nodded his head to salute, not because of his high official position, nor because of his humble position, but the moment he saw Zhang Huan, a trace of elusive smile flashed in his eyes, Zhang Huan arched his hand, and watched Pei Jun walk past him with a smile.

"Bae Sang-kook please"

With a wave of the master's hand, the door of the main hall finally opened slowly, and the melodious sound of silk and bamboo suddenly floated from the shadowy hall, and the dishes clanged on the table! The sound of collision, the sound of fast and light footsteps, the maid in red dress and green dress faintly flashed in the lobby, the harbinger of the imminent start of the banquet has been revealed, there is no need for the host to greet them, the guests humbly each other, and step into the main hall one after another.

The main hall is magnificent, richly decorated, the big pillars that the three people can't hug, the bright glass lamps like mercury, and the large pieces of flowing yarn hang down from the roof like a waterfall, showing the glory that the master once had, many officials who came to Zhang's Mansion for the first time couldn't help but exclaim, this main hall is similar to the big lecture hall of Guozijian, which can accommodate 3,000 people to eat together.

In addition to the magnates of Chang'an, some well-known people with titles were also invited to attend, but they could not enter the main hall, and could only stoop to the second hall with some official eunuchs.

If it was normal, Zhang Potian would not have such a big face. Please move so many Chang'an dignitaries, but his time is very cleverly arranged, it is the eve of the New Year, especially the upcoming New Year's Dynasty will have a series of major personnel changes, this banquet has become a kind of weather vane, in which you can find out the changes in the situation of one or two dynasties.

The seats in the main hall have long been arranged, three rows on the left and right, except for the left and right ministers and cabinet members. The rest are arranged according to the rank and rank of the scattered officials, and there is an expensive red sandalwood square table on the high platform in the middle, which is just a symbol of imperial power, except for the current Queen Mother Cui Xiaofu, no one is qualified to sit in that seat, leading the world, it is not the king's land.

The large open space in the middle is where the dancers are good at dancing with long sleeves, and at this time, several dancers from the Western Regions Music Workshop are dancing the enthusiastic and unrestrained Hu Xuan dance, and the musicians are hidden on both sides of the lobby, and the sound of the huqin and drums reverberates in the magnificent and spacious space. The officials began to rush in, and under the guidance of the maids, they soon found their respective seats, and after greeting the people around them, everyone sat down one by one, and beside them were the seats of the ladies, and the female guests had not yet entered the venue. There was a buzz of whispering in the main hall.

In terms of title, Zhang Huan is the king of Zhangye County, and from the point of view of the scattered officials, he is a hussar general, all from the first rank, and above him there are Taishi, Taiwei, Situ, Prince and so on. In Chang'an, where the powerful gathered, his title and dispersion made him only occupy the second seat, that is, the first row on the left. But Zhang Potian obviously took into account the importance of real power, so as a Pingzhang matter under the Zhongshu Gate, Zhang Huan was able to sit in the first row on the right, the first was Pei Jun, the right minister, and the second was the master Zhang Potian. followed by Chu Xingshui, Wei Ge, and Wang Ang. Li Mian sent his son to vacate due to illness, while Cui Qinggong and Zhu had not yet arrived in Chang'an. Represented by Cui Xiong and Zhu Tao, just like that, next to Zhang Huan turned out to be Wang Ang, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, who really didn't meet in life.

"Huh! Wang Shangshu's birthday last month, Zhang Huan didn't know, how rude it was! Zhang Huan bowed to Wang Ang with a smile on his face, but Wang Ang hummed heavily! Zhang Huan smiled and sat down by himself, the table was not big, a table of two people, next to Cui Ning's seat was empty, there were not many dishes on the table, but they were all rare fresh vegetables and fruits, the delicacies of the mountains and seas on the agate plate, and the red grape wine in the luminous cup, all of which reflected the elegant mood of the host, and also hinted at everyone in terms of scale, this was an unofficial informal gathering, to be precise, it was just a large-scale dinner.

At this time, a loud voice suddenly vibrated in his ears, "Zhang Dudu doesn't ask for others, why bother to understand the arrogance of others?" ”

Although the voice was loud, it was very skillfully handled, in the buzzing hall, Wang Ang may know that someone was talking, but he couldn't hear the specific content clearly, he only turned around and smiled to say hello to the speaker, and continued to talk about the old friendship with Wei Ge, and even a cold gaze did not leave half a point on Zhang Huan's face.

Zhang Huan turned around, only to find that sitting on his left side, it turned out to be the old general Guo Ziyi, the old man known as the god of the Tang Dynasty is over eighty years old, but his voice is loud, his face is ruddy, and he does not show old at all, looked at Zhang Huan with a smile,

Zhang Huan hurriedly stood up, gave a deep salute and apologized: "Zhang Huan didn't see the salute early, don't blame the old general!" ”

"Don't be polite anymore, do you want to force me, an old bone, to get up and give you a salute?" Guo Ziyi's loud voice is just used to speaking, but his eyes are filled with a faint clarity, revealing a heartfelt appreciation.

Guo Ziyi's name for him brought a strong warmth to Zhang Huan's heart in this cold winter, and he knew that this veteran general from the Shuofang Army had been paying attention to the Hexi campaign in the past few years.

At this moment, there was a crisp knock on the cloud board, and the master of ceremonies announced in a long voice, "The ladies have arrived!" ”

If the men are concerned about the subtle changes in the situation between the DPRK and China, then the women are more concerned about their own clothes and appearances, and the marriage of their children, only to see a colorful flow of people pouring into the main hall, everyone is gorgeously dressed, red, purple, yellow, and green long skirts compete for beauty. The skirt of the slow bundle Luo is half exposed, and the skirt sweeps the plum.

Whether the posture is rich and graceful, or beautiful and generous, countless jewelry is dazzling in the light, and it seems to be a long river of brilliance in front of everyone.

Under the guidance of the maids, the ladies soon found their husbands and sat down on their knees on soft seats, and the hall became more lively.

Cui Ning's pretty face flew a touch of red under the fumigation of the hot air in the lobby, and she sat down next to Zhang Huan. whispered: "I didn't expect to see a lot of old friends, do you know who Wei Ruoyue married?" ”

Zhang Huan poured her a glass of wine and said with a smile: "You say! ”

Cui Ning shook her head again and again, and said with some sighs: "She actually married a fifty-year-old man two years ago as a continuation, I heard that her name is Wang Mao, do you know?" ”

Zhang Huan couldn't help but glance at Wang Ang and Wei Ge quickly, he really didn't know about this matter, wasn't Wang Mao Wang Ang's brother? The 80,000 army that controls the Wang family, it seems that Wei Ge wanted to use the Wang family's army to recover Longyou when he was in Hanzhong, but unfortunately it was too late to implement it. was driven out of Hanzhong by Li Na, the general of the Zhu faction, and it turned out that Wang Ang and Wei Ge actually had a marriage friendship, Zhang Huan couldn't help but sneer secretly.

"And Chu Mingzhu, married to the son of Han, she has liked her cousin since she was a child." Cui Ning suddenly smiled and gently pinched her husband's arm. "Don't be sentimental, I don't mean you."

Zhang Huan smiled, but then thought that Han was the assassin of Yuhang County and the observer of western Zhejiang, and he also had 20,000 troops in his hands. Chu Xingshui married his daughter to his son, undoubtedly to deal with Cui Qinggong's growing threat.

"Her cousin likes her too, but alas! It is difficult for a lover to become a family member. ”

Cui Ning is still immersed in deep sympathy for her friend's unhappy marriage. She doesn't care about the exchange of interests behind this marriage, she laments the unfortunate marriage of her old friends, but she feels lucky for herself.

The music stopped suddenly, the dancing girls retreated, and the lobby suddenly quieted down, only to see Zhang Potian stand up, he held a glass of wine and said loudly: "The flower path has never been swept by guests." Pengmen is now open for you. Thank you Bae Sang-kook for coming, and thank you to the cabinet ministers for coming. I would like to thank all of you for coming, and I would like to express my courtesy with this glass of water and wine. Everybody did it. ”

Zhang Potian drank it all, raised the wine glass high, and said loudly: "Cheers!" ”

"Cheers!" The crowd shouted in unison, and each drank his wine.

Zhang Potian poured himself another glass of wine, he took a deep breath and said: "Today, I take the opportunity of my promotion to the servant of the door to announce one thing to everyone, our Zhang family has gone through ups and downs, several times converged, although it has lost the aura of the past, although many of the children of the Zhang family have been separated, but they are always connected by blood, and they are always eager to regain their strength one day, so today, five years after the death of our old master, the ancestral hall of the Zhang family will be re-established here, which means that the roots of our Zhang family have not been broken, Please witness this moment to everyone! ”

Speaking of this, Zhang Potian's face was already full of tears, he seemed to remember the resentment when he was driven out of the mansion by the Zhang family many years ago, as if he remembered the cold drizzle when Zhang Ruohao was buried, there were only three or five people around him to see him off, and he seemed to think of the Zhang Mansion in the cold autumn wind, and the people went to the empty building, and they went to their own places in a panic.

But today, the bond of the Zhang family was reconnected, he raised his head and laughed arrogantly: "Come!" Please bless the revival of my Zhang family, you have this toast! ”

The mellow wine and bitter tears flowed into his body together, and he slowly closed his eyes and muttered to himself in a sound of blessing, "Master of the house, your spirit in heaven can rest in peace!" ”

Zhang Huan's carriage was galloping quickly on the street, hundreds of cavalry followed closely to the left and right, vigilantly watching the surrounding situation, the carriage was very quiet, the two maids sat obediently in the back, silent, Cui Ning's cheeks were red, she snuggled softly in Ailang's arms, and seemed to be a little overwhelmed. Zhang Huan was closing his eyes and pondering, Wang Ang's hostility towards him had become more and more obvious, he knew that this was because Lin Jiuhandi's army was stationed in Baling County and Changsha County, and it had directly threatened the interests of Wang Jiadi, but the powder keg of Jianghuai would explode sooner or later, and if he didn't hit this wedge earlier, the endgame would be difficult to clean up. In particular, Jianghuai is an extremely important source of finance for Datang.

From now on, Wang Ang will inevitably be enemies of him everywhere, as well as Wei Ge, as well as Cui Qinggong and Zhu, and they will even form an alliance because they have a common enemy.

We can't wait any longer, because it is urgent to seize the military headquarters and grasp the power of mobilizing regiments in various localities.

Come to think of this. Zhang Huan looked down at Cui Ning, feeling a little sorry in his heart, he originally said that he would accompany her to Leyouyuan after lunch, but now he no longer has this thought.

He said softly: "I may have something to do later, I'll accompany you when the weather eases up, okay?" ”

Cui Ning nodded, she sat up straight, touched her forehead and said, "My head hurts so much, and I want to go back to rest early." ”

The carriage soon returned to the mansion and drove directly into the inner house, and the two little maids helped Cui Ning into the room to rest. Zhang Huan told Yang Chunshui a few more words, and then got into the carriage again and drove towards Xuanyangfang.

Under the circumstance that the army is in the hands of various families, regimental training with low combat effectiveness has never been taken seriously, and is only used to maintain local law and order, and it was originally the emperor's power to mobilize regimental training in various places, but after the imperial power was hollowed out. The power to manage the regiment's training fell into the hands of the military department, and its mobilization was realized by changing defenses, and for many years, the military department has been in the hands of Cui Yuan. After the fall of Cui Yuan, Cui Yu took over the military department, but the power of money and food and other materials was in the hands of Pei Jun. Without the cooperation of food, horses and other military supplies, Cui Yu could not actually mobilize the regiment for training.

But for Zhang Huan, it is completely different, if he masters the regimental training, he also masters the right to garrison troops.

The carriage slowly stopped in front of Cui Yuan's mansion, Cui's mansion was as deserted as ever, several old family members were clearing the snow on the steps, and the old housekeeper who was directing the snow removal saw Zhang Huan coming from a distance. Immediately run into the house to report. Now everyone knew that the young lady was actually married to this man.

Cui Yuan is after his daughter leaves. His surroundings immediately seemed much more deserted, although the concubine served, he was not as careful and dedicated as his daughter, and he spent most of his time alone in the room, reminiscing about the past.

Today is sunny and Cui Yuan is sitting on a bamboo chair basking in the sun, there are only two attendants around him who carry the bamboo chair for him, he also knows that today is the day when Zhang Potian reopens Zhang's mansion, but he has no invitation, he has long been forgotten, and even the past enemies are not interested in coming to him to settle accounts.

Aging is quietly eating away at the rest of the life of this former Tang Dynasty minister.

"Master, my aunt is here." The old housekeeper whispered beside Cui Yuan.

"Uncle!" Cui Yuan couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly, five years ago, he never imagined that Zhang Huan would become his son-in-law in the end.

"Let him in!" Cui Yuan said slowly: "Don't report it again when he comes in the future, just bring him to me." ”

"Yes!" The old butler agreed, and immediately hurried away.

Cui Yuan reached out to get the blanket next to him, but he couldn't reach it, the attendant hurriedly stepped forward and handed him the blanket, he sighed, and covered his already atrophied legs with the blanket.

After a while, the sound of footsteps came from behind, and Zhang Huan saw Cui Yuan sitting alone on the grass from afar, his body was thin and thin, thinking of his former fat and majestic style, as if he had completely changed a person.

Zhang Huan sighed secretly, turned his hands and made clouds and rain, all of them were light and thin, and he didn't care about Bao when he was poor, and this way was abandoned like dirt today. Thinking of Pei Jun's momentum in the mansion today, the huge Cui Party back then, how many people still remember this sick and weak old master?

"Son-in-law, see father-in-law!"

Cui Yuan This is the first time in his life that he has been called his father-in-law, and he is the most vigilant person back then, fate makes people, they actually became a family, Cui Yuan actually had a trace of mixed feelings in his heart, he immediately stabilized his mind, shook his head slightly, when did he become so easily emotional?

"You and I just need to understand it in our hearts, you still call me Ge Lao! I can also listen more smoothly this way. ”

"Yes! Zhang Huan obeyed! “

Cui Yuan smiled and nodded, he pointed to the cushion next to him and said, "Come, sit down and talk." Zhang Huan sat down and said respectfully: "Ning'er's head hurts a little, maybe she has a cold, so she can't come with me." ”

"You've just come from Zhang's Mansion!"

Cui Yuan asked unhurriedly: "I heard that there is an ancestral hall opening ceremony in the afternoon, why don't you see it?" ”

Zhang Huan smiled, but did not answer, Cui Yuan also smiled, of course he knew why Zhang Huan did not participate, "Very good!" Don't make excuses and prevaricate in front of me, it means that you still look up to my old bones, tell me, what are you looking for me? ”

Zhang Huan pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "I came to ask the elder to persuade Cui Yu to resign from the post of squire in the military department. ”