Because of the news of the entry of the Turkic envoys, the imperial court changed some of its original plans. In order to wait for the arrival of the Turkic envoys in Beijing, the major state banquet originally scheduled to be held five days later was postponed for half a month. Wu Zetian suggested that Xue Shao take the envoys of the Khitan and Xi tribes to play in Bishan for a few more days, anyway, they have no other hobbies except hunting and drinking.

Therefore, the three-day hunt was originally planned, but it had to be extended for a few more days. After letting Princess Taiping play in the Bishan Hunting Ground for two days, Xue Shao sent her back. The scorching sun here is a big problem and even bathing is a big problem, not suitable for a golden branch and jade leaf like Princess Taiping, not to mention that she is still pregnant.

After a few days of hunting, even hunting fanatics like Li Dayu were a little interested, so they came to ask when Xue Shao would return to Luoyang?

Sun Wanrong was quite calm, and he laughed at Li Dayu with Xue Shao that he must have had another episode of lust. Li Dayu's silly smile did not deny it, and he praised Princess Taiping again and again for how she was captivating the country and the city, and even the maids around her were all beautiful and beautiful.

"Since the prince doesn't like hunting anymore, then I have to ask the two of you to move to the Golden Valley Garden." Xue Shao said, "The environment there is quiet and suitable for summer vacation, so I can arrange some wine banquets and singing and dancing for the two of you to add to the fun." ”

"Good, good!" Li Dayu was overjoyed.

Sun Wanrong said: "What Xue Juma said, could it be the Golden Valley Garden left by Shi Chong, a famous minister of the Western Jin Dynasty? ”

"Exactly."

Sun Wanrong was a little surprised, "How can such a historic and famous garden be easily entered?" ”

"Don't hide it from Sun Shuai, the Queen Mother has already rewarded Jingu Garden to my wife, Princess Taiping." Xue Shao said, "Ordinary people are naturally not allowed to enter. But the two of you are both my guests and friends of Xue, so why not? ”

"The horse is gracious, Sun feels invisible!" Sun Wanrong hurriedly bowed.

Li Dayu didn't know where Jin Guyuan came from, so he just urged vigorously: "Xue Yuma, Marshal Sun, let's go quickly!" - Hurry up, and drink a cold Taiping wine before the sun goes down! ”

Xue Shao laughed, "Don't worry, the prince will wait until he returns to Luoyang, and the iced Taiping wine will be enough!" ”

"This is really great news, then I will go first!" Li Dayu rushed forward on his horse.

Xue Shao and Sun Wanrong also got on their horses and rode together.

After getting along for a few days, Xue Shao had a little understanding of the Sun Wanrong in front of him. This dignified Khitan man in his forties is humble and courteous, and his majesty is very prestigious. The dozens of retinues he brought with him were all skilled in bowing and obeying orders. They looked at Sun Wanrong's eyes, just like looking up at a god high above, and there would never be the slightest disobedience and resistance.

Judging by his years of experience in martial arts, Xue Shao decided that Sun Wanrong must be a good hand at leading troops to fight. And in the memory of Xue Shao's previous life, a lot of information about Sun Wanrong is also recorded - Sun Wanrong, a famous military commander of the Khitan tribe, he and the Khitan leader Li Quanzhong launched a rebellion against Wu Zhou, thus opening the history of the Northeast foreign race against the Central Plains Dynasty for more than 200 years.

The most famous battle fought by Sun Wanrong in history was the defeat of the 180,000 Tang army led by Wang Xiaojie at the East Kip Stone Valley. In that battle, the Tang army was almost completely annihilated, and the commander Wang Xiaojie was defeated and killed. The entire northeast of the Wu Zhou Dynasty almost all fell into the hands of the Khitan. If it weren't for the last Turkic cold arrow behind their backs, the Khitan's iron hooves would continue to trample half of Hebei to the south.

When he walked with Sun Wanrong and his horse, this information flashed in Xue Shao's mind. At the same time, he was thinking, now that Wuzhou has not officially established the country, Sun Wanrong is walking by my side. So, will there be a battle in the East Kip Stone Valley? - Even if there is, Sun Wanrong, do you still have a chance to win?

"Xue Yuma, it seems that you are a little preoccupied?" Sun Wanrong's voice broke Xue Shao's contemplation.

Xue Shao smiled indifferently and said, "I'm thinking about the Turks, why did they choose to enter the customs in Lingzhou?" ”

Sun Wanrong pondered for a moment and said: "Yuan Zhen is a person, and his wisdom is far-reaching, and it is not ordinary. ”

Xue Shao said: "Sun Shuai knows Yuanzhen very well? ”

"There were only a few correspondence exchanges, and we never met." Sun Wanrong said, "But the feeling he gave me is very similar to Xue Yuma." ”

"Oh?" Xue Shao smiled, "Where is it like?" ”

"The same people are the same as the dragon and phoenix, and the same ambitious and heroic." Sun Wanrong smiled slightly and suddenly changed his words, "However, he is far luckier than you. ”

Xue Shao frowned slightly, "Why?" ”

Sun Wanrong smiled and whispered: "Gu Lulu dares to hand over all his power and army to Yuan Zhen to take care of. Regardless of success or failure, Gu Dulu has never changed his absolute trust and support for Yuanzhen, and even his own brother Mo Si can only be quietly envious. Mo Si had just shown a little jealousy and dissatisfaction with Yuan Zhen, and he was immediately stripped of his military power and abandoned by Gu Lulu. Xue Yuma, who can not envy Yuanzhen for people like you and me? ”

"......" Xue Shao was speechless, he knew that Sun Wanrong's words were quite suspicious of sowing discord, but he had a sentence to the point, but all ministers would envy Yuanzhen for meeting such a Bole as Gu Lulu. After Fu Nian was executed, Ashina Gu Lulu only fled back to the grassland with seventeen horsemen, but fate arranged for him to meet Yuanzhen. Then, in just a few years, the Seventeen Cavalry grew to hundreds of thousands of troops, and established a steppe khanate whose territory was not inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty.

"I admire Yuanzhen very much." Sun Wanrong said, "At the same time, I also admire you, Xue Yuma. ”

Xue Shao smiled and shook his head, "If I were Yuanzhen, the Turkic Khanate would definitely not be as prosperous as it is now." ”

"But if Yuanzhen is you, it may not be known whose royal flag will be planted in the city of Luoyang now." Sun Wanrong said, "It is far more difficult to protect the territory and the people than to attack the city and seize the land. I have watched the Tang Dynasty, and Xue Juma may be the only remaining famous general in the Central Plains. Except for you, no one can stop Yuan Zhen and the Bone Grassland Empire. ”

Xue Shao laughed, "Sun Shuai, you are wrong!" ”

"How so?"

Xue Shao said: "The famous generals of the Tang Dynasty are like clouds, but they don't like to be in the limelight as I Xue someone, so few people know about it." If the Turks really despise the Tang Dynasty as Sun Shuai said, then I will be very happy - because they will definitely pay a terrible price for this! ”

Sun Wanrong was slightly stunned, smiled and nodded, "In this way, Sun is lonely and unheard, ashamed and ashamed!" ”

Xue Shao smiled and said no more, thinking that Sun Wanrong deliberately put on such a big ill-fitting hat for me, just to ask me what other generals in the Tang Dynasty could fight - if you want to set me, this kind of pediatric trick is useless!

On the same day, Xue Shao arranged for Li Dayu and Sun Wanrong to live in Jingu Garden. Sibin Chengtian returned to the road and arranged a banquet and singing and dancing as a hospitality, and four barrels of newly brewed Taiping wine made Li Dayu and others drink happily.

Xue Shao accompanied them for a while, and rode home at dusk, just before the Luoyang City Gate closed.

After leaving home for a few days, Princess Taiping and the others were very happy to receive Xue Shao, and good wine, good food, fragrant soup and bathing were naturally essential. After nightfall, Xue Shao invited Princess Taiping into the palace together.

"So late at night, you want to enter the palace?" Princess Taiping was a little surprised.

"I'm still not worried about the Turkic entry into the customs." Xue Shao said, "I want to go into the palace overnight to ask the Queen Mother and ask for peace of mind." Tomorrow at dawn, I have to accompany Li Dayu and Sun Wanrong again, so I can't pull away. ”

Princess Taiping looked embarrassed, "Haven't you had an unpleasant encounter with your mother once, why are you still serious about this matter?" ”

"It's better to be scolded than to be defeated." Xue Shao said, "Will you go with me?" ”

“…… All right! Princess Taiping pursed her lips and smiled bitterly, "In case my mother gets angry and wants to scold you, I can always persuade you from the side." ”

Princess Taiping set up the car, and Xue Shao sat in the car with her and walked around the imperial city, preparing to enter the palace from the Xuanwu Gate in the north.

Yu Linlang, who guarded the Xuanwu Gate, recognized Princess Taiping's car, but he didn't dare to let it go easily late at night, so he invited their general Li Duozuo to make a decision in person.

Li Duozuo rode out of the city alone and stopped in front of Princess Taiping's car to greet him.

Xue Shao jumped out of the car, "Brother Li, I have something important to do and need to enter the palace immediately to ask to see the Queen Mother." ”

Li Duozuo also got off the horse and stepped forward, and whispered with an embarrassed face: "If you want me to let me go, it's no problem." But I'd suggest that you'd better come back at dawn. ”

Xue Shao understood his hint, and it was inconvenient for the Queen Mother to see anyone now.

"Then can I wait in the other hall after entering the palace, and when the Queen Mother gets up at dawn, I will rush to see her as soon as possible?" Xue Shao said, "I've been very busy lately, and I really can't find other time to meet her." ”

"In that case...... I personally escorted Xue Juma and Her Royal Highness the princess to Yingxian Palace! Li Duozuo had no choice but to agree.

Princess Taiping's car entered the palace, and Li Duozuo personally led a team of Yu Linwei to escort the car into the Yingxian Palace. The thousand horsemen under the command of Zhou Jitong guarded the Yingxian Palace like an iron bucket every day, and even flies rarely flew into one easily. But since it was Xue Shao and Princess Taiping who came, they could only make an exception to invite the two into the palace and arrange for them to stay in the palace.

Princess Taiping was pregnant, and Xue Shao coaxed her to sleep. But he had no sleep all night, standing by the window and looking at the sky, waiting for the morning light to emerge from the sky little by little.

At dawn, it was not yet dawn. The bell and drum tower on the side of the Zhenguan Hall has already sounded the big drum, waking up the entire palace and the ancient city of Luoyang.

Today there is an early pilgrimage.

As soon as the drum sounded, the lights and candles were lit up in the Yingxian Palace, and many palace maids and attendants began to go in and out. Xue Shao also washed his face and hurriedly packed his clothes, preparing to wait for Wu Zetian at the gate of the Yingxian Palace.

At this moment, a fast horse rushed towards Yingxian Palace like lightning, and the person on the horse shouted loudly, "Six hundred miles urgent, the military situation is urgent!" ”

- No one dares to gallop in the palace except for the fast horse, otherwise there is a dead end!

Xue Shao was taken aback, grabbed the door and rushed to the palace gate.

Almost at the same time, the gate of the Yingxian Hall also opened, and Wu Zetian and Kudi walked out with several palace maids and eunuchs, just in time to see Xue Shaofei running towards the palace gate.

"Xue Concubine?"

"How could he be here?!"

Xue Shao intercepted the fast horse, took the military emergency report from his hand, and then ran quickly up to Longwei Road, panting and standing in front of Wu Zetian.

"The Queen Mother and Yu Zheng must want to ask, how could Xue Shao appear here at dawn?" Xue Shao let out a long breath and handed over the six-hundred-mile expedited military intelligence report, "The explanation and the answer are all here!" ”