For the next half a month, Xue Shao turned into an otaku to recuperate at home and accompany his family, and he didn't see anyone behind closed doors, and he never went to the morning court.

His move was somewhat unexpected by many people. The queen of heaven and Pei Yan are so busy every day that they can't turn one day into two days, but Xue Shao, who is also the minister of Tuogu, why is he so idle?

Therefore, many people speculate that although Xue Shao is named General Tuogu, he has actually been suspended and idle, and his military power has long been aside, and he was vacated by Li Duozuo, a henchman appointed by the Queen of Heaven and Pei Yan.

Some people also speculate that Xue Shao's life was in danger after being assassinated, and the imperial court kept it a secret, for fear of causing the instability of the political situation to the floating of the army's heart.

Some people even threw out conspiracy theories, saying that now the Queen of Heaven and Pei Yan are jointly fighting for power, and the emperor Li Xian, who has just ascended the throne and has not had time to govern in person, is likely to become a "puppet". In order to avoid such a thing, Emperor Li Xian and Empress Wei are actively working to win over ministers, and Xue Shao is the most important one among them. In addition, there are also some overt or covert rivalries and suspicions between the Queen of Heaven and Pei Yan, which means that it is very likely that a situation of "Three Kingdoms" will be formed above the court. These three parties all want to win over Xue Shao - Xue Shao has not moved these days, but he is actually waiting for the price to sell. He wanted to see which of the three parties was the most worthy of refuge.

There were also many various rumors and speculations, all of which reached Xue Shao's ears through the scouts like Guo An.

Every time Xue Shao heard a new version, he couldn't help but laugh. I have to admit that some of the speculations are still more or less touched. For example, the conspiracy theory - although Xue Shao had already made a decision in his heart, he chose to disappear during this time, although it was not to be sold at a price, but it did have a bit of a meaning of "sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight".

Princess Taiping, who gets along with Xue Shao day and night, also heard these speculations and rumors, and she said to Xue Shao: "Xue Lang, you can't leave the door to thank you for your illness, and there are endless discussions and speculations from the outside world. Why don't you show up and shatter these rumors? ”

"Rumors stop at the wise, and I don't need to explain them." Xue Shao said calmly, "Besides, for those conspirators with complicated minds, my justification means covering up, and they will say that I am a thief with a weak heart, but the more and more black. ”

"Then in such an extraordinary period now, is it really okay for you to neither go to the court nor take care of military affairs?" Princess Taiping said worriedly.

Xue Shao smiled indifferently and said, "Actually, I don't want to do this either. I know that Li Duozuo and they have been very busy lately, and it is when they need me the most. But if I was too active at this time and formed a singing chorus with the behavior of the queen of heaven and Pei Yan, wouldn't it make people think that I was actively cooperating with the two of them to seize power? ”

Princess Taiping's eyes lit up, "That makes sense!" ”

"I must not get involved in the power struggle above the court. That's why I insisted on moving out of the palace, and I couldn't get out of the house. Xue Shao said, "At this juncture, I can't get too close to Xinjun, otherwise it will make the Queen of Heaven and Pei Yan think that I have taken refuge in Xinjun and deliberately fight for power with him; But I can't be too active like Pei Yan, because I'm just a general after all, and my duty is only to lead troops to protect the imperial capital. Now that my army is doing this, then I have done my part. As for anything else, I don't want to mix it up. As for the gossip, I don't have to take it to heart. ”

"I see!" Princess Taiping nodded suddenly and said in a low voice, "I remember that when Emperor Taizong and Prince Yin's brothers fought for power, the military commanders Li Jing and Li Tao took absolutely neutral measures, which won the respect and trust of Emperor Taizong. It seems that you not only learned the art of war from Duke Wei, but also learned this way of doing things for officials? ”

"I didn't learn, I was completely forced!" Xue Shao smiled bitterly and said, "Let me make an inappropriate analogy, the back of this hand and palm are full of meat, who can I favor?" - Take you as an example, if your Queen Mother and your Emperor brother get into a fight, who will you help? ”

Princess Taiping was stunned at first, and then became angry, "Don't say this!" ”

Xue Shao pursed his lips, "I'll just say it, it's a dilemma left and right, it's better to close the door and let them solve it by themselves!" ”

"Hey! ......" Princess Taiping sighed helplessly, and said faintly, "What my father was most worried about when he was alive has happened after all. He tried so hard to avoid such a situation, but he still couldn't do it! ”

Xue Shao blinked, "Do you mean that I disappointed the first emperor?" ”

"No......" Princess Taiping frowned and said, "Father and Emperor used you as a general to support Gu, not only to protect the prince's brother, but also for the sake of the Tang Dynasty's Jiangshan Society." I think my father has always been like a mirror, and he must have expected that you would face an embarrassing situation where the back of your hand and your palm are all meat. But isn't this embarrassing situation a fairly 'safe' situation? ——Whether it is the new monarch or the queen mother, or even Pei Yan, the minister who had some enmity with you before, they dare not underestimate you now, and they all want to win you over and win you. If you can emulate Li Jing and Li Tao and remain neutral and not take sides at such times, then you will be absolutely safe, and your position will be quite stable! In this way, you can get out of the party struggle, use the military power in your hands to defend the family and the country, and shake Li Tang's artifact - the true purpose of the father, isn't it achieved? ”

Xue Shao was slightly stunned, looked at Princess Taiping with a "surprised" look, and said, "Amazing, amazing!" How can you figure out the emperor's mind so thoroughly? ”

"What's all the fuss about? I was born in the emperor's family! Princess Taiping pursed her lips and said, "Actually, to put it bluntly, although my father hopes that the throne of the crown prince and brother can be as stable as Mount Tai, but his greater wish is that my Li Tang's country is stable and the society is stable." The royal family is in the world, and my father is definitely not only thinking about his own children and grandchildren, but the whole country and the whole world! ”

"Well said." Xue Shao nodded approvingly, this is probably the place where the mentality of people from the royal family is different from that of ordinary people. They regard the world as their home, and the affairs of the world as their family affairs. They may have the defects of domineering and selfishness, but they also have a far-sighted and generous sense of historical responsibility that ordinary people do not have.

"Xue Lang, I support your decision!" Princess Taiping took a deep breath with her eyebrows tightly locked, her expression was very strict, as if she had made a painful and great decision, and said very solemnly, "No matter how fierce the power struggle above the court is, don't get involved." Once something happens to Datang, you still need to stand up to protect the people of the territory and shake the artifact of the Society. Because you must always remain neutral, only in this way can you safely keep the power in your hands! - This is the greatest entrustment of the first emperor to you! This is what you should do as a general! ”

Xue Shao smiled slightly, and let out a long breath, "Those who know me are safe!" ”

……

Almost at the same time that Xue Shao and Princess Taiping were discussing these things, in the northern desert thousands of miles away, it was Xue Shao who had made all the grassland people talk about it-in the capital of Jinshan, a major event is happening that is enough to go down in history and affect the future hundred years of national fortune of the Central Plains Tang Dynasty!

Countless Turkic cavalry were like ant colonies, surrounding a large snow-white altar, all holding their breath and staring very solemnly at a strangely dressed witch doctor, kneeling under the wolf totem of the altar with a newborn baby in her arms, chanting incantations and praying.

The altar is large and surrounded by braziers. There was a raging flame burning in the brazier, and billowing black smoke drifted over the sun-drenched grassland. Directly north of the altar, there was a light gauze tent that was as pure white as a cloud, and the breeze caressed it, occasionally revealing Ashina Aiyan's tired and nervous face.

She was staring at the witch doctor, watching her hold the baby and kneeling in prayer. She looked a little further away, and on the periphery of the altar knelt Ashina 61 Bone Dulu and some of his important henchmen.

Around the altar were at least 30,000 cavalry!

Ai Yan couldn't help but sigh heavily, "It's finally come to this point!" “

At this moment, the witch doctor on the altar suddenly screamed loudly, and raised the baby in his hands high, and the baby cried loudly. Ai Yan was instinctively frightened, but fortunately, two henchmen and maidservants around her held her down, otherwise she would have bounced up.

Ashina Gu Dulu raised his hands high, and then knelt on the ground with his five bodies, cheering loudly. The other tens of thousands of Turks dismounted, fell to their knees like Gu Dulu, raised their hands to the sky, and fell to their knees.

At this moment, several bare-chested, oil-painted and feathered witch doctor assistants led a white horse to the altar and held the white horse down, one of them raised a huge axe, and with one axe, he cut off half of the white horse's head and neck!

Blood splattered, and the Turks shouted loudly again and bowed to the ground.

The witch doctor walked to the horse's corpse with the baby in his arms, dipped his hand in the horse's blood, and smeared charms on the baby's face and body, chanting strange and vague incantations as he smeared them.

At this time, Ashina 61 Gu Dulu said loudly, "Thank you to the supreme Tengger God, the son of the Condor who has bestowed auspiciousness and victory on our Turkic tribes!" - Ashina 61 carats and 61 Kus! ”

Tens of thousands of Turks knelt down and shouted a name loudly—

"Ashina 61 Krakus!"

"Ashina 61 Krakus!!"

In Turkic, Kra means "huge", Kusi means "Eagle Bird", and Krakus means "Condor" or "Phoenix".

The eagle represents the gods in the Turkic culture. The baby was named Ashina 61 Krakus, which means that he was the Son of God!

Ai Yan was smiling and tears were streaming down her face while lying in a white tent. She muttered to herself: "Ashina 61 Krakus, you are the son of Ashina Aiyan and the gods, and you are the auspiciousness and victory that the gods have bestowed on the grassland!" You are the Son of God! ”

"Huh, son of God?"

"Hehehe, son of God! ……”