The New Year's holiday of the Tang government affairs agency is generally five days, from the first day of the first month to the fifth day of the first month, but this is only for the low-grade officials who do things in general, and for the important ministers of the Tang Dynasty who have the decision-making power, this holiday day is meaningless, Cui Yuan came to the Daming Palace Zhongshu Province to deal with government affairs from the third day of the first month, although all kinds of decisions related to the national economy and people's livelihood and important personnel changes will not be introduced until April, but at the beginning of the new year, all kinds of affairs are still coming, the foreign envoys' congratulations, the debriefing of local officials, the preparation of the New Year's pilgrimage and so on, are his Cui Yuan's affairs, especially the New Year's Dynasty, this is the first time after the new emperor's accession to the throne, the importance is self-evident, the New Year's Dynasty is ready to be held on the seventh day of the first month, at that time, the new emperor and the queen mother will accept the worship of officials from all over the Tang Dynasty, Cui Yuan has been preparing for this since the end of last year, seeing that the dynasty is approaching, he is even busier.

Today is the fourth day of the first lunar month, Cui Yuan is busy and leisurely, and the Ministry of Industry Shangshu Wang Ang came to the persuasion of the farmer's house near the Daming Palace to drink, Cui Yuan also has half a piece of land in the persuasion of the farmer's residence, he will occasionally go down to the field to cultivate, but not for any interest, but for the sake of persuading the farmer, this is the first national policy of the Tang Dynasty, as the right minister of the Tang Dynasty, his farming undoubtedly has a positive guiding role.

At this moment, the right minister of the Tang Dynasty is standing in front of the window on the third floor of the persuasion farmhouse, watching several important ministers working in their respective half of the field, his eyes stopped at the body of the Ministry of Rites for a long time, the Ministry of Rites was originally Xiao Hua, Xiao Hua was reappointed as Chen Liu's assassin in April last year, and the post of the Ministry of Rites was taken over by the original Ministry of Rites in the Lang Jiang Lian, Jiang Lian is Zhang Ruohao's hand, has been in the Ministry of Rites for ten years, holding the real power of the Ministry of Rites, it is his existence that has hollowed out the power of the current Ministry of Rites Shangshu Lu Qi, after the death of Zhang Ruohao last year, Jiang Jian became the object of contention among various families, and he Cui Yuan also made a bloody investment and promised to promote his younger brother Jiang Yi to be the assassin of Wu County. wanted to pull him into his own banner, but he ended up taking refuge in the Wei family, which greatly surprised Cui Yuan.

Among the seven cabinet members of the Tang Dynasty, the actual positions held by them did not necessarily correspond to the powers they controlled, except for Zhang Ruohao, who controlled the Ministry of Rites among the six ministries of Shangshu Province. The other five ministries were all divided between Cui and Pei, Cui Yuan controlled the three ministries of officials, soldiers, and punishments, while Pei Jun controlled the two ministries of household and labor, and most of the other major people in power such as the five eunuchs of the nine temples and the Yushitai also took refuge in Cui and Pei.

In addition to the new Shangshu Lu Qi of the Ministry of Rites, the other four families mostly have a certain amount of strength in the local area, only Wei Ge is in Shaofu Temple, Chu Xingshui has a little power in Taifu Temple and Yantiejian Temple.

Now Wei Ge actually put his hand into the Ministry of Rites, even if Pei Jun can bear it. He Cui Yuan couldn't bear it either. Cui Yuan stroked his beard lightly, and his eyes slowly narrowed. Since this Jiang Jian can't be used for himself, he must find a way to kill him, no matter what. The Ministry of Rites couldn't let Wee take it.

There is another person sitting next to Cui Yuandi, that is, Wang Ang, the head of the Shangshu Wang family of the Ministry of Industry, and the head of the Shannan Wang family, who returned to Xiangyang at the end of the year to worship his ancestors, and then rushed back to Chang'an on the second day of the first month. From great joy to great sorrow. The ancestral land of the Wang family is also Hedong, which has been a Hedong clan since the Sui and Tang dynasties. After the Anshi Rebellion subsided, the Wang family has been planning to return to Hedong, has been planning for more than 20 years, it is easy to Zhang Ruohao died of illness last year, the opportunity appeared in front of him, when Wang Ang was about to exclaim, the situation changed suddenly, Cui Pei and the two families sent troops to carve up Hedong, Wang Yanluo fled back to Xiangyang, so that the hope of the Wang family to return to the ancestral land was completely disappointed, Cui Yuan betrayed the promise to himself.

Just when Wang Ang was extremely disappointed in Cui Yuan, Cui Yuan suddenly told him that he was willing to marry his only daughter to his eldest son Wang Yan as his wife, and at the same time make Wang Yan a doorman of the Criminal Department, Wang Ang knew that this was Cui Yuan's compensation for himself, although this compensation was insignificant compared to Hedong, but it was better than nothing, and after the marriage of Cui and Wang, the future of the Wang family would be bright.

Wang Ang was thinking about it, when he suddenly saw a guard poking his head at the door, "What's the matter?" He asked, with a sinking face.

"Back to Shangshu, Zhang Huan, the governor of Liangzhou, is asking to see him outside the door!"

"Let him in!" Without waiting for Wang Ang to answer, Cui Yuan slowly turned around, he had already seen Zhang Huan just now.

Cui Yuan got the flying pigeon of the Fengxiang defenders the day before yesterday, and learned that Zhang Huan had entered the Guanzhong, for Zhang Huan, Cui Yuan's mood was very conflicted, he hoped that Zhang Huan would make waves in Longyou, weaken the Wei family, and create conditions for him to finally overthrow the Wei family, at the same time, he also hoped that Zhang Huandi's rise would be inhibited, so as not to become a threat to the family government, for which he specially sent his brother Cui Yu to visit Pei Jun's brother Pei You, and implicitly conveyed his opinion

Soon, Zhang Huan was led in by the guards, and he stepped forward and saluted deeply: "Zhang Huan, the assassin of Wuwei County, see Cui Xiangguo, see Wang Shangshu!" ”

"Zhang Tingshi also wants to farm in Chang'an?" Cui Yuan laughed teasingly, and then ordered the guards: "Add a seat to Zhang Tingshi." ”

"Thank you Sangkook!"

At this time, Wang Ang next to him saw that Zhang Huan had no intention of refusing, his face was gloomy, not to mention that he hated Zhang Huan deeply, even if he was an ordinary official, how could he be qualified to sit on an equal footing with Xiang Guo, he saw the guards spread the cushion directly opposite him, and his heart was even more unhappy, but Wang Ang also knew that his dissatisfaction could only be hung on his face at most, not on his mouth, since Xiang Guo invited him to sit down, what was his opposition?

Wang Ang laughed and stood up and said: "Since Xiangguo has something to explain to Zhang Tingshi, I won't bother, there are still some things in the courtroom, I'll go first." ”

Cui Yuan glanced at Zhang Huan and said meaningfully to Wang Ang: "It's okay, you go first!" In the past two days, you have to restrain Wang Yan, and the good days are coming, but don't let anything happen in the last few days? ”

"Please rest assured, I will naturally send more manpower, and I will never let the villain succeed!" Wang Ang snorted lightly at Zhang Huan and walked away, but his hum was not for his son, but because Zhang Huan wanted to be on an equal footing with him.

"Sang-kook seems to be quite dissatisfied with Zhang Huan."

Zhang Huan ignored Wang Ang's warning, he sat down, and smiled at Cui Yuan: "Is it even more dissatisfied than Jiang Shilangdi?" ”

Cui Yuan couldn't help but be stunned, he secretly exclaimed in his heart, how poisonous this son's vision was, he smiled, "The prime minister can hold the boat in his belly, how can he be so dissatisfied, otherwise he would have died of exhaustion, Zhang Tingshi's guess is not accurate." Three glasses of wine first! ”

"Yes! That's a shame. Zhang Huan picked up the wine glass and said with a faint smile: "Originally, I wanted to help Xiangguo, but in this way, it was Zhang Huan and Meng Lang." ”

After saying that, he drank three glasses in a row, and then got up and saluted Cui Yuanshen. "Xiangguo has a lot of opportunities, time is precious, and his subordinates won't bother."

Cui Yuan never said a word, and when Zhang Huan left, he slowly sat down, lowered his head and fell into deep thought

Zhang Huan did not go to Jingniang again, but went directly to Yongjiafang with his own soldiers, he had a house in Yongjiafang. That is, the one that Pei Jun gave him by Chu Mingyuan's hand. Now there are Li Mi and several other staff members who stayed in the capital.

Far away, Zhang Huan saw a soup kitchen shed set up in front of the house. The front of the shed was crowded with beggars from Chang'an who came to receive porridge, and people came and went, and it was very lively. And in the open space next to the greenhouse, a tall middle-aged man was treating some sick beggars, Zhang Huan walked forward, the more he felt that the man's back was unusually familiar, and he suddenly recognized that it was his master Lin Delong.

A dozen horses galloped in. Some beggars squatting in the street drinking porridge dodged in both directions. At this time, an old Taoist walked out of the porridge shed. He recognized Zhang Huan at a glance, and laughed unconsciously, he was Li Mi.

"The donor is here to get the porridge?" Li Mi waited for Zhang Huan to get off the horse, and then stepped forward and said with a joking smile.

"If Daochang Li still has surplus grain, he might as well go to Hexi to give porridge, where he can't even open the pot."

Li Mi heard him say something interesting, and couldn't help but smile slightly: "When your debriefing is over, I will go back with you with a bag of rice." ”

"I'll go with you, too." Lin Delong walked over slowly, he patted Li Mi's thin shoulder and said with a smile: "Daochang Li can't carry much, I can help carry a few more bags, and by the way, I will get a job as a military doctor in your Xiliang Army." ”

Looking at the sincere smiles of the two, Zhang Huan's heart was filled with warmth, and he asked Lin Delong with a smile: "Didn't the master return to Shu County to take his grandson, why did he go back to Chang'an again?" ”

Lin Delong blinked and smiled: "But your wife thinks that her son is more important, so she forced me to take my son to Beijing to take the exam, and she is afraid that she will cause some big trouble like last year." ”

Zhang Huan remembered the situation last year, and felt a little apologetic, but Lin Delong patted him on the shoulder and laughed: "Actually, it's a joke with you, your master and wife want to touch your light and ask me to come to the outpost first, if Wuwei County is good, our whole family will move there, hey!" I thought it was good to return to my hometown, but the people were warm and cold! The hometown is really not as good as Taiyuan. ”

Zhang Huan was overjoyed, and hurriedly smiled: "It's best for the master to go back to Taiyuan again, and call on you in the name of Doctor Lin to move thousands of households to Wuwei County, then I will be even happier." ”

Next, Lin Delong continued to see his patients, while Zhang Huan walked into the house quickly, he hadn't eaten lunch yet!

"You mean, Pei Jun advocates that you take Hehuang first?" Li Mi walked around the room with his hands behind his back, carefully thinking about the cause and effect of this matter, strategically speaking, taking Hehuang can occupy a large area of rich land and lay a solid foundation for the next step of development, it is indeed the best choice, but the question is will the Wei family be indifferent? Xiping County, Hehuang Land has always been where the Longyou Jiedu Mansion is located, and it was also the largest city in the Helong area, if Zhang Huan really takes the Hehuang area, then the conflict between him and the Wei family will inevitably break out.

Perhaps this is Pei Jun's real purpose, so that Zhang Huan can contain the Wei family's forces in the south of Longyou, and he can send troops to cross the Yellow River and occupy the northern part of Longyou under the pretext of mediating the dispute between the two families, which should be like this.

Thinking of this, he raised his head and asked Zhang Huan: "Pei Junzhi's intentions are sinister, have you ever thought of it?" ”

Zhang Huan smiled while eating: "People gave me the most precious daughter, and they want to send grain and strategic materials to Hexi every year, they really raised me, but it didn't benefit him at all, how can there be such a cheap thing in the world?" Of course he has his own considerations, he just wants to get a piece of the pie in Longyou, and he doesn't want to take food in my bowl, what am I worried about? ”

He shaved the last two mouthfuls of rice in the bowl three times and two times, put the bowl down and asked, "Han Yu, what about them?" Why don't you see anyone? ”

Li Yu didn't hear Zhang Huan's question, he was still pondering, in fact, Pei Jun's sending troops to occupy Shuofang was not completely unbeneficial, at least he could make Wei Ge unable to take care of everything, and finally share part of Zhang Huan's pressure, so that Zhang Huan had time to slowly digest the Hehuang region, and Zhang Huan's strategic goal was not Longyou, but to develop westward, and Longyou would not be considered for at least ten years, so that he and Pei Jun would not have any conflict of interest for the time being, and the most important thing was that Zhang Huan could get Pei Jun's full support in the next three years, which is extremely important.

"But Cui Yuan! Will he be indifferent? You must not ignore him, because if you underestimate him, you will inevitably fail at his hands in the end. Li Mi was worried that Zhang Huan had forgotten about this person, and added.

Zhang Huan had already put on his clothes, and when he heard him talk about Cui Yuan, he smiled slightly: "For Cui Yuan, we only need to do one thing, and that is to nip the possibility of reconciliation between him and the Wei family in the bud, let him remain neutral, and let him also wait for the opportunity in my rise, which is enough." ”

He got dressed and asked again, "What about Han Yu?" Isn't it in the house? ”

"He went to Guozijian, and I heard that Chu Xingshui valued him very much and wanted to keep him in Guozijian to teach."

"Chu Xingshui?" Zhang Huan was slightly stunned, and he immediately reacted, wasn't Han Yu from the Chu family's Guangling Academy? It was normal for Chu Xingshui to value him.

"And what about his own attitude, does he want to stay?" Zhang Huan didn't want to force Han Yu, after all, Hexi was remote and difficult, if he wanted to stay in Beijing, he would be up to him, and if he stayed in Guozijian, he could recommend some talents to him, which was not necessarily a bad thing.

Li Mi shook his head, "I don't know what he thinks, but he is keen on learning, and serving in the Guozijian has always been his long-cherished wish." ”

At this moment, a personal soldier suddenly ran in from outside the gate, and when he saw Zhang Huan, he panted and said: "Dudu, the Empress Dowager's decree has arrived, and it is in Pei's mansion, let you go to receive the decree immediately!" ”