Roasted tail feast, Vanity Fair.

Now, Xue Shao has equated the two in his heart. A banquet that is completely detached from the essence of "eating".

With Wu Zetian, the powerful behind-the-scenes promoter, it is not difficult for Xue Shao to be familiar with the bosses in front of Zaifu. Liu Renliang, who is eighty years old and gray-haired, has made great achievements in conquering Baekje, and his voice is like Hong Zhong, and he is old and strong. His grandson Liu Mian is a very close colleague of Xue Shao, and the old man also shows that he is very close to Xue Shao. Cui Zhiwen, a humble gentleman and elegant demeanor, the newly stubborn central prime minister, and his nephew Cui Hejian, who was brought up by him, are also Xue Shao's close colleagues, so he also behaves very amicably to Xue Shao.

Xue Yuanchao, the patriarch and political leader of the Xue family, Xue Shao had a conflict with him before. However, in public, Xue Yuanchao, the Tianxia Sect, still behaved very decently, and expressed his appreciation and recognition to the junior of the Xue family and the rookie in the political arena in public.

Xue Yi secretly sighed, after all, they were all surnamed Xue, and it was the worst thing to fall out in public. Xue Yuanchao is worthy of the name of the Tianxia Sect, and he is still very generous and face-saving today.

As for Pei Yan, Xue Shao pushed the lamp twice with him, and chatting a few words was polite. Among the four major Zaifu, Pei Yan is the youngest, just in his fifties, when politicians are in the prime of life. The second saint has high hopes for him, and the queen of heaven relies on him extraordinarily. The political hall where the prime minister deliberates is in Menxia Province, and Pei Yan is the highest governor of Menxia Province, which can be seen from this.

When the first assistant of the dynasty, although this is not an official name, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty have already regarded Pei Yan as this in their hearts.

In the simple interaction with Pei Yan, Xue Shao only had one feeling - he couldn't figure it out.

To be the head and auxiliary prime minister of the dynasty who can be above 10,000 people under one person, Pei Yan must have his superiority, and for the time being, Xue Shao can only think like this in his heart. In short, not to be taken lightly.

With the presence of the queen of heaven and the four great Zaifu, Pei Xingjian seemed to be a little overshadowed. Xue Shao apologized when he gave him the wine, and said privately I didn't expect the roasted tail banquet to be like this, and I didn't know that the two saints of Lu Dao would marry on such an occasion today.

Pei Xingjian waved his hand very generously, saying that this is the importance that the two saints attach to you, and you must cherish it.

Xue Shaozhi said that Pei Xingjian is not a person with a small belly, so there is no need to explain more.

After a round of wine, Xue Shao found that Yao Yuanchong and Wei Xuan were sitting together, and the two seemed to be chatting very speculatively. Xue Shao smiled knowingly, this old and young man have many ideas and political views in common, and speculation is expected. Yao Yuanchong is a practical talent, if he can be appreciated by the secretary of the ministry, it should not be difficult to enter the official career and be compensated.

Colleagues are taking this opportunity to push each other and exchange glasses. If you don't do such a thing on such an occasion and such an opportunity, it would be really stupid to do such a thing.

Wu Zetian, the crown prince, and Princess Taiping, who were sitting at the top, were not idle, and people frequently drank wine to them.

However, there is a strange phenomenon, today, none of the sons and nephews of the martial arts family came. Even Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi, who Xue Shao sent people to invite, did not come, and Wu Yizong and Wu Yougui, colleagues of the Martial Arts Academy, did not appear.

This is clearly not an accident.

Xue Shao thought to himself, Li Zhi had just picked up the officials of Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi, obviously intending to curb the expansion of the strength of the Wu family's relatives. Today, the two saints gave a holy decree to marry, plus the queen of heaven and the four great Zaifu came to the roast tail banquet together, this is not a private banquet, but a relatively public and important political occasion.

On such an occasion, the appearance of the sons and nephews of the Wu family may arouse the suspicion of the courtiers, and the relatives of the Wu family are eager to revive and reach an alliance with the Xue family. These gossips fell on Li Zhi's ears, and I am afraid that it was unpleasant again.

Therefore, it must be Wu Zetian who ordered not to let the children and nephews of the Wu family appear, and not a single one is allowed to come!

Xue Shao thought to himself, there was a Li Zhi pressing on him, and Wu Zetian was also cautious everywhere, and he didn't dare to be too ostentatious. Wu Zetian's original plan to let me and Wu Chengsi "make peace" had to be temporarily stopped.

The situation is changing delicately, and it is really impossible to keep up with the changes.

The banquet lasted for nearly two hours, and in addition to eating and drinking, of course, there were also indispensable music, songs, dances and court acrobatic performances.

The busiest of all the people is Princess Taiping. Today, she and Xue Shao are the protagonists, but Xue Shao only needs to be entertained in the main hall. Princess Taiping also had to go to the side hall to greet the women and relatives with the Xiao family. Princess Taiping, who shuttled between the two halls, drank a lot of wine, her face was red and smiling like a flower, and she was charming.

The sixteen-year-old princess of the Tang Empire showed her charm and talent in public for the first time. She handled the diplomatic rhetoric of the political occasion just right, and her words and deeds were completely in line with her noble and unparalleled status. Many people expressed their amazement at the familiar and unfamiliar Princess Taiping, who is worthy of being the baby daughter brought up by the queen herself, and she is simply a natural communicator!

Wu Zetian watched her baby daughter busily shuttling back and forth, and a smile of relief often appeared on her face.

"Taiping, I've really grown up!"

It was nearly dusk, and the banquet ended with the sound of music in the distance, and all the guests left in turn, and the crown prince Li Xian also left. The Xue Shao brothers and the Xiao family both went to see off guests outside the palace.

Wu Zetian deliberately stayed and did not leave.

Princess Taiping made a tired and paralyzed look and leaned on Wu Zetian's body to be coquettish, "Mother, mother, your baby daughter is drunk to death, and she will be tired to death!" ”

"It's your own business, don't rely on me." Wu Zetian patted her on the back and said.

"Mother, why do you say this, is the daughter who marries really spilled water, and you really don't want it in the future?" Princess Taiping protested.

"Or else?" Wu Zetian hugged her baby daughter and said with a smile: "Taiping, you have grown up and are going to become the daughter-in-law of the Xue family." Why are you still coquettish with your mother like when you were a child? ”

"Even if I am seventy or eighty, I am still a baby daughter born in October after my mother's pregnancy!" Princess Taiping put her arms around Wu Zetian's neck and kissed her twice on the face.

Wu Zetian's heart was full of laughter, and he slapped Princess Taiping's ass twice, "Let go, what kind of system!" ”

"No, I'm so dizzy, let me hold it for a while......" Princess Taiping refused to let go, and closed her eyes and took a nap.

"Come on, send Her Royal Highness the princess to the bedroom to rest." After Wu Zetian finished speaking, he whispered again: "Don't make trouble, the brothers of the Xue family are coming back, and they were seen as a joke." ”

"It's not an outsider!" Princess Taiping hummed and refused to let go.

Wu Zetian pinched Princess Taiping's ass hard, and Princess Taiping jumped up with a scream.

"Okay, I'll go, I'll go!" Princess Taiping jumped up and ran two steps with her buttocks covered, ran back and hugged Wu Zetian's neck again and kissed her, "Mother, you are so good!" ”

"Well, next time I'll pinch it a little harder for my mother." Wu Zetian's smile was very warm.

Princess Taiping walked away with a grin. She knew very well in her heart that the queen deliberately stayed because of course she had something to say to Xue Shao, and she couldn't stay there all the time.

Later, the Xue Shao brothers sent off all the guests and came back to meet Wu Zetian.

"This palace is a little overwhelmed, rest for a while before leaving." Wu Zetian said, "Xue County Gong, you and your wife have worked hard today, why don't you go and rest early, there are Taiping and palace people here to take care of the palace!" ”

"The minister retired ......" Xue Yi was also very knowledgeable, and the queen didn't ask Xue Shao to leave, of course, it was appropriate to teach him face-to-face.

Only Wu Zetian and Xue Shao were left in the hall, as well as several female confidants and close attendants of Wu Zetian.

"Sit." Wu Zetian pointed to the couch beside him.

Xue Shao thanked her and sat down beside her. The henchmen all consciously retreated to the outside of the hall, or waited a little farther away.

"The imperial court is about to send troops to the Northern Expedition, with Pei Xingjian in command." Wu Zetian didn't talk nonsense, and said straight to the point: "Are you ready to go on the expedition?" ”

"I've been waiting for a long time, always ready!" Xue Shao said.

Wu Zetian nodded with a smile on his face, "Marching and fighting is not child's play, it is not as easy as you imagined, and it is going to die." I don't think I need to say more about this. ”

"The minister knows the way."

"Anyway, come back safely." Wu Zetian said, "This palace doesn't want Taiping to be sad for a lifetime. ”

"Yes!"

Wu Zetian said: "The martial arts academy has only been open for a few days before it encounters a war, which is not very advantageous. If you leave, you must leave matters big and small to someone who is able to take care of them. Can't let the martial arts academy be anticlimactic! ”

"The minister has been arranged, and Yuan Wanqing is still presiding, and Xiao Zhizhong and Li Xianyuan will teach instead of the minister." Xue Shao replied, "Thirty envoys can be requisitioned with the army. In addition, a group of bachelors can be added to come in, and Yuan Wanqing will be in charge. ”

"Not bad." Wu Zetian praised a little and said: "Today, before coming to participate in the banquet, the prime ministers of the palace and the political hall reached a consensus, and the center is about to order the appointment of Zhou Jitong as the general of Zuo Fengchenwei, and Cheng Boxian and Liu Mian will be promoted to Zhonglang generals. You have contributed a lot to this. Hongu will not forget. ”

"Share worries for the queen of heaven, and the affairs of the ministers."

There were no outsiders present, so Xue Shao didn't have to say any official polite words. Dealing with Li Shangdan's father and son was the common goal of Xue Shao and Wu Zetian.

"But in this way, your days in Zuo Fengchenwei are also over." Wu Zetian suddenly said, "Have you thought about it?" ”

Xue Shao was stunned, and thought about it, this is the reason!

No one really wants to share their power with others or give it to others, and no one wants to let their subordinates be above them, just like I can't stand my personal entourage arrogantly giving orders to me in front of me!

Zuo Fengchenwei's general and the two lieutenant generals were all held by me, and Zhou Jitong will look at my face when he acts in the future. If I don't worry about it once or twice, after a long time, my existence will become a constraint for Zhou Jitong, making him very uncomfortable. If there are any more ill-intentioned people to stir up trouble and stir up trouble, sooner or later there will be contradictions and turn into enemies.

Wu Zetian said: "The second decree is out, and the way to take chaos is to take place. You should make plans for yourself to leave Zuo Fengchenwei, and this time with the army is your chance. If you can make contributions, it will be easy to arrange for returning to the dynasty. ”

"The minister knows it." Xue Shao bowed his hand, thinking that if Zhou Jitong was like the soil emperor of Zuo Fengchenwei, then I would be like the "Emperor Taishang". The Emperor Taishang has always been the person the emperor wants to "settle down" the most, isn't Li Yuan hidden in the harem in his later years?

In this way, staying in Zuo Fengchenwei is not good for me or Zhou Jitong; Leaving there can make Zhou Jitong remember my kindness for the rest of his life, why not? According to Wu Zetian's meaning, it is also for me to establish military merits and find another one after returning to the dynasty.

It seems that this expedition will be a major turning point in my career and life!.

[Ask for a certain reading, ask for a ticket! ] 】