The ministers went back to the official office, and the political hall was quiet, but Li Qing did not leave a small eunuch to Li Longji's imperial study, the room was warm and dry, Li Longji, who had just changed into regular clothes, was closing his eyes and recuperating after the imperial case, he was already an old man in his sixties, and his aged body was unbearable due to intercourse at night, but Yang Yuhuan's skin seemed to be a purified morphine, which made him unable to restrain himself, so that the most direct consequence was that his energy was difficult to bear the weight of state affairs.

At this moment, Li Longji's heart is extremely heavy, when was the prosperity of the Kaiyuan Dynasty gone, as if tearing off the gorgeous coat, only a sick-ridden body remained, land annexation, financial crisis, government and army corruption, evil neighbors sit big, one link after another, ring after link, so that he frowned, when will there be a solution? Li Longji let out a long sigh, sometimes he really didn't want to care, he didn't want to know anything.

If this commotion of the hungry people had not triggered the first incident of looting grain stores since he ascended the throne, he would have just ignored it, just like a company owner who did not dare to look at the accounts, and when the debt collector came to the door, he suddenly realized that the company was going bankrupt.

"Your Majesty, Li Shilang is here."

Gao Lishi's soft voice interrupted Li Longji's contemplation, and he opened his eyes slightly, only to see that Li Qing was already kneeling in front of the imperial case.

"Li Aiqing is exempt!"

Li Longji smiled kindly, he laboriously sat up straight, and said: "I see that you don't seem to have enough to say in the lobby, there is no one else here, just say it directly!" ”

Li Qing stood up, sorted out his thoughts and said: "This time to reform the salt law, the biggest staffing problem Your Majesty has helped the ministers to solve, and there are important ministers in the local area to inspect, Weichen is grateful, but there is one more thing that Your Majesty needs to give a clear explanation." ”

"What's the matter?" Li Longji's tone suddenly lengthened, although he was very eager for the financial situation to improve, but Li Qingruo relied on him for everything, which also made him unhappy in his heart.

Li Qing also heard the dissatisfaction in Li Longji's tone, but there were some things he had to say.

"Your Majesty, this salt law reform may involve the interests of some royal clansmen, and the ministers dare not make decisions on their own, so I hereby ask Your Majesty to make it clear."

Li Longji was silent, he could understand what Li Qing meant, and he also knew that many people in the royal family were suspected of reselling illicit salt, and if they wanted to solve the problem of salt administration, these people could not get around.

On the one hand, Li Tang's society, on the other hand, is the interests of the Li clan, which really makes it difficult for him to have both, after a while, Li Longji looked up at the ceiling, and said slowly: "I am already old, I only hope that my children can be safe, Li Shilang, my Tang Dynasty territory is not thousands of miles, you might as well take a long-term view." ”

Li Longji's answer was expected by Li Qing, but he also heard some clues, and the implication was that in addition to the prince, he did not interfere with other clans, but let him do what he did, this may be his way of both worlds!

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became a little awkward, and after a moment of silence, Li Longji smiled slightly: "I sent seven ministers to branch the world, supervise officials, and implement salt administration, although you are the right servant of the household department, but your energy is mainly focused on the new salt law, and you have no time to preside over the daily affairs of the household department, Wei Jiansu still has to stay, and the salt production area of my Datang is mainly in the Jianghuai area, and the key to the success or failure of the salt government is also there, so I thought about it again, it is more appropriate for you to go to Yangzhou, and I will crown you as the Jianghuai transfer envoy and the imperial historian, Three days later, we departed for Yangzhou. ”

Li Qing understands that this is Li Longji does not want to put the main battlefield of salt tax reform under his nose, in Yangzhou, even if he does too much, he can pretend to turn a blind eye, after all, this salt tax reform is related to whether Datang's finances can improve, how can he, Li Longji, not care.

Thinking of this, Li Qing took a step forward, bowed down and hugged his fists, and said in a deep voice: "Minister, obey the order!" ”

Li Longji nodded secretly, it seemed that Li Qing understood his good intentions, "I hope you will spread the good news as soon as possible to comfort my heart." ”

After a pause, his face gradually became gloomy, his body leaned forward slightly, stared at Li Qing with a cold gaze, lowered his voice and said word by word: "You have to remember, I sent you to be in charge of the salt administration not because you drafted this new law, I took a fancy to your calmness and decisiveness in the Western Regions, this time to Yangzhou, you have to come up with some thunderous means, only success, not failure!" ”

"Please rest assured that Your Majesty will never live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

Li Qing said goodbye and turned around to leave, but Li Longji suddenly stopped him again, he took out an eight-hundred-mile express from the imperial case, and smiled at Li Qing: "I forgot to tell you something, news has just come from Yunnan." ”

Li Qing's heart became nervous for a while, Wu Xingsu had been gone for more than a month, but there was no news at all, which really worried him, what was the situation in Nanzhao? What about Awan now, can the mother and son be safe? He looked at Li Longji anxiously and listened to his words word for word:

"I adopted your suggestion, divided into several ways to send troops to Nanzhao, guarding the various dangerous passes, the Tubo people saw that there was no chance to take advantage of, so they retreated to Shenchuan, Feng Jiayi also withdrew the army, but because the king died in the battle of Chengjie, his two younger brothers fought for the throne, Wang: > got rid of the last two sons of Pi Luo Ge, and now Nan Zhao actually set up a queen, I heard that Pi Luo Ge married the youngest daughter of the Han clan."

Speaking of this, Li Longji squinted at Li Qing and asked in a puzzled tone: "You are in the east and left and right, you should know this woman!" What kind of person is she? But it's biased towards my Datang? ”.

Li Qing returned home in a trance, Li

The words seemed to be still echoing in his ears, 'Nanzhao actually set up a queen, who is the youngest daughter of Pi Luoge who married into the Han clan. ’

It was as if he had knocked over the five-flavor bottle in his heart, sour, astringent, bitter, spicy, all kinds of flavors intersected in his heart, 'Awan has become the queen of Nanzhao!' ’

Li Qing's heart was relieved, and the responsibility for Ah Wan to deal with it fell, but a deep sense of loss filled his heart, more and more intense, the pain was so painful that he couldn't restrain himself, and frantically devoured his reason, he walked back to his bedroom like a walking corpse, and instinctively took out a string of gem necklaces from the box at the head of the bed, his hands trembled, gently caressing the necklace, and the gems of various colors shone in his hands, just like Ah Wan's eyes like two jewels.

"Li Lang, I want to take a Han name, I want to forget the past.".

"If I go to you, I will be with you for the rest of my life, I am not rare, but you also have to think for me, I am also eager to do something, please, don't force me, okay?".

I finally lost her, 'Smack! A crystal teardrop slipped down from the corner of his eye, Li Qing couldn't hold back any longer, suddenly threw himself on the bed, beat the quilt with his necklace fiercely, grinned and cried silently.

"I'm going to Nanzhao! I'm going to find her! He wiped away his tears violently, slammed the door and rushed out, at this moment, what salt politics, what country rose and fell, all were left behind by him, he was like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy, with only the pain of loss in his heart, only a moment of high regret.

"Sir! Where are you going? Lao Yu, the coachman, saw Li Qing riding a bare-chested horse without a saddle, and he was so frightened that he crawled and ran towards the inner courtyard, "Madam! Madam! Something is wrong, something is wrong!.

Curtains anxiously stood at the gate and looked, all the family members were sent out, if there was no more news, she could only go to report to the official, the sky was dark, the last trace of red in the sky was swallowed up by black clouds, and night fell.

Just when Curtain had just decided to report to the official, she suddenly saw that at the end of the long street, a tired thin horse carrying a dejected man was walking towards this side step by step.

"Li Lang! What's wrong? The curtain greeted him in fright, supporting the crumbling Li Shilang.

"It's okay, I'm crazy!" Li Qing hoarsely voiced and said weakly.

The curtain pushed open Lao Yu, who was about to help Li Qing dismount, "Let me come!" ”

She carefully lifted her husband off the horse, put his arm on her shoulder, and helped him into the door, Li Qing's gaffe was the first time she had seen the curtain, with her unusually sensitive heart, she realized that something must have happened, 'Could it be that something happened to the wild goose?' No, she didn't go back from here until noon. ’

While thinking wildly, the curtain helped Li Qing back to the bedroom, lay him flat on the bed, quickly removed his shoes and socks, and gently pulled the quilt to cover him.

'Wow! With a bang, a string of jewel necklaces slipped to the ground, the curtain bent down to pick it up, she looked at the necklace, and then at Li Qing, who closed her eyes tightly, and nodded slowly, she understood, it was the princess of Nanzhao who had an accident.

"Li Lang, is there something wrong with Awan?" The curtain sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked her husband's head.

After a long time, Li Qingcai let out a long sigh, he thought about it painfully for a long time, and he only began to wonder today: was there only one way for him to go, to leave Awan in Dongdong and Nanzhao, he now feels that his original decision was wrong, he could have taken another action at that time, after learning that Awan was pregnant, he should not hesitate to take her out of Nanzhao, bring her to Chang'an, or stay in Chengdu, so that today's incident would not have happened, his women and his children did not belong to him, this was all his mistake, His heart was already numb with pain, overwhelmed by a strong feeling of remorse.

"Curtains!" Li Qing sighed again, he grabbed her slender and warm hand, like a lost child, and held on tightly, "Awan, she, she is now the Queen of Nanzhao." ”

"What!" The curtain was startled, "What about the child?" ”

Li Qing shook his head, "The child naturally follows the mother, if she doesn't come, the child won't come!" ”

"This, this. Stimulate Li Qing again.

"Curtain, I feel very tired, my heart hurts so badly, it's like it's broken."

"If you're tired, you can sleep for a while!"

"Then don't go." Li Qingyi grabbed the curtain's hand.

The curtain gently rubbed his neck and whispered softly in his ear: "You sleep!" I'm not leaving, I'm by your side, always, ever.

Li Qing leaned his head tightly on the outside of his wife's thigh, feeling the warmth of motherhood coming from her hands and body, only at this moment, his wounded heart returned to the peaceful harbor, and gradually, his consciousness began to blur, and unconsciously, he fell asleep in a drowsy.