Xue Shao's daughter is about to have a full moon, and Princess Taiping's mansion has already begun to organize a full moon banquet a few days in advance.

Jubilant and lively.

The first to arrive were of course Xue Shao's brother and younger brother's family, as well as the clansmen of the Xue clan in Fenyin. The foreign guests just congratulated, and they came in advance to help the host. Although there is no shortage of manpower in Princess Taiping's mansion, such a banquet is comparable to a state banquet, and many things are not something that those subordinates can take care of.

For example, Xue Shao's younger brother Xue Xu, and Xue Ji, a talented son who "buys Chu and gets Xue without losing his integrity", served as the important position of welcoming guests. Xue Ji is good at calligraphy and painting, and Xue Xu is the leader of the chapter. The two are not only brothers of the same clan of the same age but also close friends of the same class, and they are also the two most famous talents in the current Guozi Prison who are side by side with Qi Fei, and they are the leaders of the Xue clan in Fenyin.

Just these two welcoming "doormen" are enough to amaze Chang'an.

But this is not actually out of Xue Shao's original intention. It was all arranged by Wu Zetian single-handedly.

The youngest daughter is full moon, and Xue Shao is certainly happy. But he never got carried away because he was happy, and he didn't have the habit of showing off. According to his own meaning, it is excellent to invite his brothers and colleagues who have a good relationship with him to a banquet and celebrate it in private. But Wu Zetian only used one sentence "The royal family has no selfish affairs, and the royal family has no trivial matters" to make up his mind.

In this kind of matter, Xue Shao had no reason to compete with her, so he agreed to do so. At the same time, Xue Shao also knew the deep meaning of the old lady's move - the eldest son Xue Qiyu had never been so enthusiastic before. Now to celebrate a daughter's birthday, but do everything he can, obviously there is another arrangement.

The house was bustling and busy, and Xue Shao, the head of the family, said that he was idle. After having a good time with his family, Xue Shao took Banxun out for a walk alone, and unconsciously walked to the courtyard flower hall in the back hall.

It's dusk.

The servants and maids all went to the front hall to be busy, and the back hall was the guest room and the dwelling of the servants and maids, and now the surroundings were quite quiet.

"Strange, what am I doing here?" Xue Shao looked left and right, but there was no one.

Just as he was about to turn around and walk back, Xue Shao heard the sound of the window opening up, and then a beautiful female voice, "Since the colt is here, but you are in a hurry to leave?" ”

Xue Shao looked back and saw that Xuan Yunzi was standing behind the window, revealing half of his body and smiling.

"I can't get rid of the food and drink in my stomach, so I walk around at will." Xue Shao smiled and said, "It's better to meet by chance, can the fairy Gu move a little and go to the flower hall to talk?" ”

Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly and gently lowered the window, "Wait for me to burn incense." ”

After a few moments, the two sat opposite each other in the flower hall. A copper furnace is full of fragrance, and two teas moisten the throat and refresh the heart.

"The door is full of joy, but the horse is sad, but why?" Xuan Yunzi barely said a word of superfluous gossip, and asked directly.

Xue Shao couldn't help laughing, why do I like her kind of straightforward approach that is obviously very impolite, but she has won my heart?

"Don't hide it from the fairy girl, there is indeed something troublesome."

"Why don't you tell me about it?"

Xue Shao wrinkled his eyebrows and thought for a moment, and said, "The princess told me earlier that she hoped that I could resign from my military position and return to the court as an official. ”

"Presumably, what the princess conveyed should be the Queen Mother?" Xuanyunzi said.

Xue Shao nodded.

"What do you think?"

"What do you say?"

Xuan Yunzi didn't say anything, just smiled slightly.

Seeing her smile, Xue Shao's heart was inexplicably much more relaxed. You don't have to say it to understand, this is the tacit understanding.

…… In an instant, Xue Shao suddenly thought a lot in his mind. Perhaps it was the effect of alcohol that made his mind more active than usual, and he would think more about things that he didn't usually think about.

It's called—Got it!

It's important to have someone who understands you!

"Out of the general into the phase, Xuan He Wuji." Xuan Yunzi whispered these eight words.

Xue Shao shook his head decisively, "But that's not what I want." ”

"That's because Gongzi's martial arts career still has unfinished ambitions." Xuan Yunzi said.

Xue Shao's expression was slightly stunned, but his heart was throbbing.

- Confidant!!

- What even Princess Taiping can't figure out, she understands so well! …… Why didn't she call me a colt again, but my son?

"When people live, they have to think about it. If you lose that thought, no matter how much you get, you won't feel the joy of life. Xuan Yunzi said, "For the common people, this is called thinking. For Childe, that's called interest. ”

Xue Shao was silent. He was afraid that as soon as he opened his mouth, he would excitedly call out the wrinkled and beautiful nonsense of "The fairy aunt who knows me".

"However, I am afraid that the will of the Queen Mother cannot be changed." Xuan Yunzi immediately poured cold water on Xue Shao again, and then added, "Perhaps, this is not just her own intention, but what the court of the Tang Dynasty urgently needs now." ”

Xue Shao couldn't help but be amazed, a Taoist aunt who traveled all over the world and had her heart outside the square actually talked about the government?

"How so?" So Xue Shao really wanted to hear what unique views she, a worldly master, had on state affairs.

"Although the Queen Mother is shrewd and strong, it is rare in ancient and modern times, but after all, she is a woman. She is good at national politics, but inferior to military strategy. Xuan Yunzi said softly, "Looking at the current Tang Dynasty and the opposition, after Pei Wenxi and Li Jinxing passed away, the army of the Tang Dynasty first recommended Wang Fangyi and Cheng Wuting as respect. However, the reason is not to mention, everyone knows that these two generals cannot fulfill the Queen Mother's wishes. As a result, there was Cheng Wuting's Hebei crisis, and there was also Wang Fangyi's strange and chaotic appearance of pacifying the Western Regions, but he was not allowed to return to the dynasty. ”

Xue Shao couldn't help grinning, "You really dare to say it." ”

"Every word is heart-wrenching, and every sentence is taboo." Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly, and continued, "Gongzi has been counting since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, when and which generation of the army of our dynasty did not have a supreme commander with outstanding leaders? Wude out of the King of Qin, Zhenguan has a pharmacist, Yonghui counts Mao Gong, Mao Gong is rumored to be happy. However, as soon as Pei Wenxi left, my Datang army was already leaderless. This is definitely not what the Queen Mother wants to see; At the same time, this is also a great crisis for Datang. The Yangzhou rebellion actually used a person like Li Xiaoyi who couldn't fight to take command, and Cheng Wuting and a border commander dared to create a militaristic crisis in Hebei, which was all the evil result of 'the dragons without a leader'. ”

Xue Shao's eyes lit up unconsciously, and his heart flicked, insightful!

――Could these words be what Wu Zetian told her?!

"Childe doesn't have to guess in his heart, the Queen Mother said something similar to me." Xuan Yunzi smiled very calmly, "I believe that this is her old man's heartfelt words." ”

Xue Shao took a deep breath and exhaled a long breath and nodded.

Yes, it is possible that Wu Zetian will cover up in front of any courtier, but there is absolutely no need to fool a Dao Gu who is not in the court and can be called a confidant.

"If you lose your horse, you know that it is not a disaster." Xuan Yunzi continued, "The Queen Mother tasted the consequences of the dragons without a leader, but she also saw hope from these two crises. ”

"This hope you are talking about, is it me?" Xue Shao asked.

"Yes. The Queen Mother has never doubted your military talent, and it is estimated that no one in the Manchu Dynasty doubted it. But everyone has only seen your ability to fight, that is, to be a general. But I have never seen your ability to plan a military state, that is, to be a handsome talent. Xuanyunzi said, "Yangzhou quelled the rebellion, although the prince did not come in person, but the soldiers and horses were all selected by the son, and there was no way to use people, so that the rebellion that shook half of the south of the Yangtze River was put down in October. The crisis in Hebei is actually far better than the disaster in Yangzhou. Because Li Jingye and others are just rabble, it is difficult to achieve great things after all. However, Cheng Wuting is a battlefield tiger who is powerful in the world. Once this once invincible blade of the country turned its head and stabbed at its own people, it was far more deadly than the ten Yangzhou rebellions. However, Childe turned this crisis into nothing without using a sword, and easily used a letter to retreat Ashde Yuanzhen's 200,000 criminals. The Queen Mother said herself, 'All these three battles, although the ancient famous marshal or pharmacist is reincarnated, it is nothing more than that!' ’”

Xue Shao suddenly laughed, am I so awesome? …… It turns out that Xuanyunzi can also make sycophants, and his skills are not weak!

"Therefore, the Queen Mother hopes that you can become the commander of the new dynasty and take charge of the Tang Dynasty's military." Xuan Yunzi said a concluding sentence, "Unique, leader military." ”

"Sounds fascinating." Xue Shao couldn't help but smile slightly wryly, "But have you ever seen a bare-rod commander without a single soldier?" ”

Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly, "The Queen Mother really means this." But what will happen is unknown. After all, Poor Dao is an outsider, and he doesn't know much about military affairs. ”

Xue Shao laughed and said, "I'll make an analogy!" - If I burn the Xuanyun Temple of the Immortal Gu on Zhongnan Mountain, there will be nothing left of the scriptures and books and your clothes, and the old Daogu and the little Daogu will all be sold into slavery. After that, I will give you ten thousand taels of gold and a title of land, so that you can be a rich country hero. Would you like to? ”

"......" Xuan Yunzi was speechless for a moment, and then smiled gracefully.

"As you say, people live for a thought." Xue Shao smiled slightly bitterly and shook his head gently, "If you lose this thought, you will lose your happiness forever." ”

"Everyone has his own ambitions." Xuan Yunzi nodded lightly with a smile on his face, "Poor Dao wishes that Gongzi can get his wish." ”

"Difficult." Xue Shao pursed his lips and smiled, slightly bitter.

There is Wu Zetian's will on the outside and the needs of the country and the imperial court, and there is the pressure of Princess Taiping inside...... Xue Shao felt it for the first time, and he was a little powerless!

"It's man-made." Xuan Yunzi said softly, "A person who is about to run fast and jump high is bound to lower his body first, crouching and accumulating strength. Childe, why fight for a while? ”

Xue Shao suddenly felt that a Dao spirit was flashing in his heart, and his eyes widened as he looked at Xuan Yunzi.

"Poor farewell." Xuanyunzi got up and floated away like this.

Xue Shao didn't say anything to hold back, but he felt a faint excitement in his heart.

Crouching and waiting for the right moment? …… Let's agree to come down and use a delaying tactic to stabilize Wu Zetian and Princess Taiping first, which seems to be the best policy. Otherwise, at least my relationship with Princess Taiping will be greatly affected. Even if I reluctantly struggle to return to the Shuofang Army in the end, Wu Zetian may not be my solid backing like before. In that case, it's not good for me personally and for the army as a whole!

The night was already in the dark.

"Xuanyunzi...... Be a good lobbyist. Xue Shao got up, looked at the window where the oil lamp was lit, and couldn't help but say to himself, "Are you on Wu Zetian's side or on my side?" ”