Water is impermanent, war is full of too many variables, although Wu Zetian will not lead troops to fight, but she understands this truth. Regarding Xue Shao's cautious reply, Wu Zetian did not say anything, but said-

"It's still best not to fight."

"This is what the minister is looking forward to the most." Xue Shao said, "The Yangzhou rebellion has brought serious sores to Datang. If Hebei is chaotic again, the consequences will be unimaginable. The Tang Dynasty has suffered a series of civil wars, and the only ones who will benefit are alien enemies who are eyeing each other. Therefore, Chen Jian yì, for Cheng Wuting or appeasement. ”

Wu Zetian pondered for a moment with a stern expression and said, "People's hearts are unpredictable. All along, Bengong has felt that Cheng Wu is a little difficult to catch. Xue Shao, you tell the truth to this palace - if you are asked to come forward to appease the court with full powers, how sure are you that Cheng Wuting will be stabilized? ”

Xue Shao slowly took a deep breath, "Fifty percent." ”

"Good ......" Wu Zetian frowned and lowered his voice a little, "As you said, Datang can no longer withstand the consumption of the civil war now." This palace will now secretly grant you the right to arbitrarily act on the spot, and have full powers to go to Hebei to deal with Cheng Ting's affairs on behalf of the imperial court. But before you go, this palace must make it clear to you that this is not just a private matter between you and Cheng Wuting, but a military matter related to the safety of the country. So this palace hopes that you will not be emotional. ”

"Minister, take the order!" Xue Shao clenched his fists and promised.

"There is one more thing that this palace wants to remind you." Wu Zetian said, "The Yangzhou rebellion is in turmoil, and the Turks must be waiting for an opportunity. Cheng Wuting is there, if the Turks have any movements, it is not known. ”

"Well, I know." Xue Shao's heart tightened, and he said that Wu Zetian really went with me. Now Cheng Wuting is sitting in Hebei, which is a great wall of the Tang Dynasty in the north, and is deeply feared by the Turks. If I were the Turkic mastermind Ashide Yuanzhen, I would definitely not let go of this good opportunity for civil strife in the Tang Dynasty, waiting for the opportunity to eradicate Cheng Wuting or even force him to rebel against the country, it is possible!

"This matter is confidential and cannot be known to too many people." Wu Zetian said, "Tomorrow, the palace will issue a holy decree to send you to Bingzhou, temporarily replacing Li Xiaoyi, who led the troops, to inspect the post of governor of the prefecture." In addition, Sima Liusheng, the former governor of the prefecture, was quite meritorious in guarding Daizhou, and the palace has ordered his subordinates to reinstate the official of the Zhongshu sect, and he is still serving as the Sima of the metropolitan governor's mansion of the prefecture, so he can assist you. As for the rest, what do you think you need, just open your mouth to mention it? ”

"Yes, there are sons!" Princess Taiping immediately took over.

Wu Zetian frowned, "What do you want to say?" ”

Princess Taiping smiled, "Mother, just let me accompany Xue Lang to Bingzhou, right?" ”

"Nonsense!" Wu Zetian reprimanded, "You are pregnant with Liujia, how can you travel far?" Moreover, Xue Shao's trip is to handle military affairs, so why do you have the leisure to take care of you? - Stay in Chang'an, don't go anywhere! ”

"Woo......" Princess Taiping cried and mourned, "Mother, you promised me that you wouldn't let Xue Lang leave me before I gave birth!" ”

"One time, another time." Wu Zetian's face softened slightly, and he persuaded softly, "My son needs to be more sensible." Xue Lang is an important minister of the society, and the danger of the military state is heavier than Mount Tai. ”

"Okay...... A national event, a national event! Princess Taiping said in a broken thought, "You all only have national affairs in your hearts, and you don't have my poor belly!" ”

Xue Shao couldn't help but laugh secretly on the side, and said in his heart that Princess Taiping was deliberately playing tricks again. The complaints and grievances she raised in front of Wu Zetian like this are just to better set off my greatness...... The dignified first princess of the empire is willing to be my green leaf, what more can I ask for if I have a wife like this!

"Okay, Taiping, you don't have to be angry." After all, Wu Zetian felt sorry for his daughter, so he had to persuade patiently, "I won't treat you badly for my mother." When Xue Shao solves the hidden danger in Hebei and returns, he will definitely be rewarded for his mother. ”

"What about me? Don't I have any compensation? Princess Taiping is still angry.

Xue Shao laughed again, and couldn't help but persuade: "Your Highness, don't get an inch!" ”

"Alright, alright!" Wu Zetian couldn't help but shake his head and laugh, "Taiping, when you give birth to Lin'er, if it's a boy, you'll be knighted, and if it's a girl, you'll be given a fiefdom - you're always satisfied, right?" ”

"Thank you, Son, Queen Mother!" Princess Taiping finally made a compromise with Meizizi.

Wu Zetian smiled helplessly, and Xue Shao also laughed without saying a word.

After chatting about some family affairs again, Wu Zetian ignored Princess Taiping's retention and immediately drove back to the palace.

Liu Yuanzhi, who had been hiding in the back hall for a long time, finally walked out again as if he had been amnestied, and asked Xue Shao with some urgency, "Dare to ask the concubine, what did the Queen Mother tell you?" ”

Xue Shao smiled and said, "The Queen Mother and her old man just came to visit Her Royal Highness the princess who was pregnant with Liujia and chatted about some family things. ”

"Oh......" Liu Yuanzhi blinked his eyes for a while, and it was not good to inquire any further, so Shi Li bowed and left.

Princess Taiping was disdainful of Liu Yuanzhiting and said, "I don't like this person. Two-sided and three-knife sneaky. ”

"Plus it's all about being scheming and ambitious." Xue Shao said with a smile.

"He must have come to you to get your support and support him to take over the position of Zhongshu Ling. But if you want me to say, he's not as good as Pei Yan! Princess Taiping pouted, "Xue Lang, you can't help him!" ”

"Don't worry, I won't help anyone." Xue Shao said lightly, "Now is an extraordinary period of violent turmoil in the imperial court and frequent personnel changes, and no one can guarantee whether today's prime minister will be tomorrow's prisoner." It's not a wise move to form a gang with anyone. Moreover, I now have a heavy responsibility to deal with the crisis in Hebei, and I will no longer have time to care about it without Chang'an. ”

"Hmm." Princess Taiping nodded in approval, and said, "It can be seen that the queen mother has prepared for the worst for Cheng Wuting. If you can handle Cheng Wuting's affairs satisfactorily and avoid the occurrence of civil war and the loss of talents, you will be greatly credited to the society. This is the most important thing for a real minister of state to do. Although there are many fat shortages in the court now, countless people are actively drilling camps to seek the official position they dream of. But you often say that small victories rely on wisdom and big victories rely on morality, and in the long run, solving the current crisis in Hebei is far more beneficial than rushing to drill camps to seek official positions! ”

Xue Shao smiled, "An Ran, why didn't you say these words in front of your mother?" ”

Princess Taiping pursed her mouth, "Anyway, you all like to treat me as an ignorant foolish child, so I'll just mess around!" ”

Xue Shao couldn't help laughing, and said in his heart that there is a word that is the most appropriate to describe Princess Taiping, what is it called-pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger?

Three days later, in the middle of the night, the Weishui camp.

Xue Shao took Guo An and other scouts in the tent of the Chinese army marshal, showed the generals such as Dang Jinbi and Guo Dafeng the transfer of troops and the emperor's secret decree, and requisitioned 50,000 steps to ride on the starry night and set off for Bingzhou.

Dang Jinbi and Guo Dafeng were already Xue Shao's diehards, and they did not hesitate to carry out the order. Xue Shao told them to strictly keep secrets and not to reveal the purpose of this trip to any generals, and also asked them to set off in batches as much as possible, to avoid official roads and detour around the paths day and night, and to march in a hidden and rapid manner all the way, and strive to reach the territory of the state in the shortest possible time. When they arrived in Bingzhou, they raised the banner of the soldiers under the command of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion of Bingzhou, and declared that they were assembled here to be ready to reinforce Yangzhou at any time to quell the rebellion.

The second general of the party Guo led the order to go, and the 50,000 Weishui infantry cavalry were divided into several batches, and they successively opened the camp and went to the state.

"Young marshal, can this be hidden from Cheng Wuting?" Guo An asked.

"How is that possible?" Xue Shao smiled bitterly, "Cheng Wuting is such an experienced soldier, he can smell the strange smell of Bingzhou with a wrinkle of his nose." ”

"Then aren't we, covering our ears and stealing the bell?" Guo An said.

"If it's just to go to war, the trick of covering your ears and stealing the bell is undoubtedly stupid." Xue Shao shook his head helplessly and smiled, "But if it's to deal with a political crisis...... Covering your ears and stealing the bell looks decent! ”

Guo An immediately laughed, "In the next, I really don't understand politics!" ”

Xue Shao sighed lightly, it's good if you don't understand! I also hope that I don't understand!

In the early morning of the next day, Shi Xue Shao, the governor of the capital of the prefecture and the special commission, rode a handsome high-headed horse, with the uniform and colored troops and guards, and set off from Chang'an to Bingzhou to take office.

The court did not understand Xue Shao's going to Bingzhou at this time. After all, he is now a man of the hour, and when Wang Shiping rebelled against Yangzhou and the pattern of the court changed, Xue Shao suddenly left Chang'an, which made many people speculate.

Some people say that Xue Shao is paving the way for officially taking over the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion in the future, while others say that he intends to avoid the current official competition and get out of the party struggle. These two speculations prevailed, and they agreed that this was an agreement reached secretly between Xue Shao and the Empress Dowager - the Empress Dowager presided over the government in the court, and Xue Shao sat in the state to lead the military affairs of the north and the country, just like the British Duke Li Tao in the era of the Second Sage, acting as the northern Great Wall of the Tang Dynasty.

No matter what people guessed, in short, Xue Shao left Chang'an again and went to Hebei.

Along the way, Xue Shao walked neither fast nor slow, and when he arrived in Bingzhou, Sima Liusheng had already been reinstated, and led the officials under the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion to meet him. On the other side, the two generals of the party, Jin Bi and Guo Dafeng, had already placed the 50,000 cavalry of the right guard in accordance with Xue Shao's instructions, and stationed them in the camp of the Fu soldiers south of Bingzhou—in order to appease Cheng Wuting to the maximum, Xue Shao intended to station the army in the direction facing south, rather than against the Shuo Dynasty in the north.

The team of officers and generals who came to greet Xue Shao was huge, as many as hundreds of people. Xue Shao glanced over and didn't see Cheng Wuting.

With Cheng Wuting's identity and status, he should be at the forefront of the team.

In terms of management, Xue Shao, the governor of the school and the prefecture, is Cheng Wuting's top boss. In terms of personal relationships, there is no reason why Cheng Wuting should not come to greet Xue Shao. If the road is far away, the new Yunzhou Governor Xue Ne is much farther than Cheng Wu, and he is here.

"It seems that something is really going to happen...... Xue Shao couldn't help but sigh softly.