As the saying goes, don't hit people with smiling faces, since Liu Yuanzhidu took the initiative to come to the door, Xue Shao had no choice but to open the door to greet him.

Before the two of them could sit down and say a useful word, the big voice of the eunuch suddenly came from the porter - "The Queen Mother has arrived!" ”

Liu Yuanzhi suddenly jumped up, "How can this be good?" ”

Xue Shao suddenly felt amused, "Why don't you ask Liu Xianggong to avoid it first?" ”

"Yes, yes!" Liu Yuanzhi hurriedly raised his legs and left, and immediately turned back after taking a few steps, and said nervously: "Xue Yuma, don't tell the Empress Dowager that I came here!" ”

"Don't worry, it won't." Xue Shao smiled.

"Thank you!" Liu Yuanzhi walked out of the back door in a hurry, and the transfer through the corridor was like a thief, and he hid directly in the backyard polo field.

Xue Shao shook his head and smiled, this is called a thief's heart and villain's behavior!

Wu Zetian came, and Xue Shao and Princess Taiping went out to greet him.

Wu Zetianren came first with laughter before he got out of the car, "Xue Lang, are you two still having fun these days?" ”

Princess Taiping blinked her eyes again and again, thinking that her mother was too good, and she only greeted Xue Lang when she met, and ignored me?

"Thanks to the blessing of the Queen Mother, we are all right." Xue Shao smiled and replied, "The Queen Mother is far away, and the ministers are surprised, please forgive me!" ”

"As a family, we don't have to say such unfamiliar words." Wu Zetian replied with a smile, then walked to Princess Taiping's side, looked at her with a slight bow, and reached out to gently lift it on her face, "Xiao Taiping, have you been well-behaved lately?" ”

"Huh?" Princess Taiping was stunned, "Mother, I'm not a child anymore!" ”

Wu Zetian laughed, "You are over 100 years old, and you are still a mother's child!" ”

Princess Taiping pursed her lips in disgust, thinking that her mother respected and treated Xue Lang like a peer, but coaxed me like a child...... Eccentricity! It's really annoying to me!

Xue Shao invited Wu Zetian to sit down in the main hall, except for Princess Taiping, there were no idle people. He thought in his heart: She arrived as soon as I returned to Chang'an, why is she so anxious?

"Xue Lang, something big happened in Chang'an, do you know?" Wu Zetian suddenly spoke.

Xue Shao blinked, "I don't know." What's the matter? ”

"Hongu ordered the news to be blocked. If you don't know, it's not surprising. Wu Zetian put down the teacup in his hand, his expression was more strict, and he whispered: "Cheng Qizhi, the hanging beam committed suicide!" ”

"What?!" Xue Shao was taken aback, "When did it happen?" ”

Wu Zetian sighed, "The day before yesterday." ”

He ...... Why did the cantilever commit suicide? Xue Shao was in a trance for a while, and asked casually.

Wu Zetian said three words meaningfully, "What do you say?" ”

"Hey......" Xue Shao sighed, thinking that Cheng Qizhi had not been able to pass his conscience after all...... After killing his wife to protect his family, he himself committed suicide by hanging himself!

"After the incident, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble caused by leaking the news, this palace ordered all the people in the Cheng family to be prosecuted." Wu Zetian's voice was a little low, revealing a smell of slaughter, "What is your opinion on this matter?" ”

Xue Shao was suddenly taken aback, "Queen Mother, you can't do this!" ”

"Why not?" Wu Zetian said lightly, "Are you afraid that this move will force Cheng Wuting to rebel?" ”

Xue Shao took a deep breath, stood up and bowed his hand formally, and said: "Queen Mother, people's hearts are flesh and blood, and Cheng Qizhi is wise to kill his wife in order to protect the family, this is his own choice." But afterwards, he couldn't stand the condemnation of his conscience and committed suicide, which was also his own choice. Although this matter is miserable, it is only limited to Cheng Qi after all. Now that the Queen Mother has detained the Cheng family, it is bound to make Cheng Wuting in the north think that his son and daughter-in-law were forced to die by the imperial court! …… That's self-defeating! ”

Wu Zetian smiled slightly, smiled coldly, and did not answer.

Xue Shao was stunned, "Queen Mother, did the minister say the wrong thing?" ”

"You didn't say anything wrong. Actually, your insight makes a lot of sense. Wu Zetian said, "But this palace's view is different from yours. ”

Xue Shao blinked, "Please also ask the Queen Mother for advice?" ”

Wu Zetian also stood up and said: "To be honest, Cheng Wuting was able to leave Pei Yan before the mutiny and invited himself to go to the northern Zhenshu frontier, and this palace admires him very much, and at the same time recognizes his loyalty. But after the Pei Yan incident, Cheng Wuting's father and son did not take a stand to the court at the first time, which shows that they are struggling in their hearts and that their loyalty to the court is not reliable. There is a way to be a thief with a weak heart, if it is really honest and frank and there is no ghost in his heart, is it necessary for Cheng Qizhi to kill his wife? ——At that time, the palace did not take any action against the Cheng family, you know this! ”

"Yes, I know......" Xue Shao nodded, thinking to himself that at that time, no movement is more scary than having a movement, okay?

"Even so, after Cheng Qizhi killed his wife wisely, the palace is not to blame for the past." Wu Zetian said, "This palace even plans to choose a martial artist's daughter for him to continue the string, you also know about this matter, right?" ”

"Yes, I know."

Wu Zetian sneered, "But Cheng Qizhi actually refused!" ”

Xue Shao was slightly stunned, "What?" ”

"You heard you right. He refused. Wu Zetian said coldly, "He said that he doesn't plan to marry another wife in his life." ”

"......" Xue Shao was speechless, and sighed in his heart - Cheng Qizhi, Cheng Qizhi, did you know that today must have been the beginning? Either you don't kill your wife, no one forced you to do this, I can do my best to keep your Cheng family. But since you have already been killed, and you are hypocritically refusing to marry, this will definitely make Wu Zetian think that you are resentful and uncooperative!

"If it is just a refusal to marry, this palace will also think that Cheng Qizhi is a person with deep affection. But how can a person who is deeply in love kill his wife? Wu Zetian sneered again, "There should be only one explanation for such contradictions, that is, the Cheng family's father and son have deep resentment towards the palace and the imperial court in their hearts!" Cheng Qizhi even used his own death to express his resistance and anger - of course he knew that if he died, his father would not give up! ”

"Queen Mother, this ......" Xue Shao was speechless for a while. To tell the truth, Cheng Qizhi's successive moves are indeed stupid! - When Pei Yan happened, he hid and didn't do anything, and afterwards he wanted to kill his wife wisely, and regretted it after killing himself, and the queen mother gave him a marriage and he didn't want to be hypocritical, and when he was hypocritical, he committed suicide by hanging himself - and pushed his father into a disadvantageous situation of being miserable and opposing the court!

Thinking of this, Xue Shao looked up to the sky and slapped his forehead - he is really not afraid of god-like enemies, but afraid of pig-like teammates!

"Hongu wants to know now, what do you think?" Wu Zetian asked.

Xue Shao's brows furrowed, and he fell into deep thought.

Wu Zetian was not in a hurry to ask, and waited quietly.

Princess Taiping, who had been listening quietly beside her, whispered: "Queen Mother, can I say a word?" ”

"Well, you name it!" Wu Zetian nodded and smiled, his face finally looked a little better.

"I think this matter should be made into a big thing and a small thing." Princess Taiping said, "Cheng Qizhi killed his wife and committed suicide, no one persecuted him. Since the imperial court has a clear conscience, why should it detain the Cheng family's family? In my humble opinion, the court might as well be generous and take the initiative to organize the funeral for Cheng Qizhi, and match him with a secret marriage to show his grief. At the same time, Cheng Wuting was summoned back to Beijing to attend the funeral. ”

After listening to this, Xue Shao thought about it carefully, Princess Taiping's words made some sense, but Wu Zetian was a person who didn't believe in "emotional power" so much. It is unlikely that she will pin the safety of the country on her personal feelings.

Sure enough, Wu Zetian said: "Taiping, you are still too young. The human heart is more complex and dark than you think. Cheng Wuting was jealous of Bengong, otherwise he would not have fled to the north. After Pei Yan's incident, Cheng Wuting didn't make any moves, he was like a hungry tiger crouching in the shadows, peeking at the movement and wind direction of the court. If Cheng Wuting was really a pillar loyal to the country, he should have borne the brunt of the Yangzhou rebellion and asked for his order to quell the rebellion. Now the rebellion in Yangzhou has not been quelled, and the capital is insufficient and empty. Cheng Wuting sits in Hebei with a strong army, as long as he has different ambitions, he can directly smash the two capitals and destroy the Tang Dynasty. Now his son and daughter-in-law have committed suicide because of Pei Yan's turmoil, which has given him an excuse to stir up trouble and raise troops - the safety of the country is more important than a qiē, and we must consider any unfavorable factors and worst results at the forefront. We must not be emotional, misleading the country and the people! ”

Xue Shao listened to these words, although he felt that Wu Zetian had enough belly, but he had to admit that this was the kind of Su zhì that a mature politician should have-the safety of the country is more important than a qiē, and he must not be emotional!

"Sons are taught!" After listening to this, Princess Taiping respectfully bowed to Wu Zetian, looking very well-behaved and humble.

Wu Zetian smiled, "My son has really grown up and become studious and humble!" ”

Princess Taiping smiled and looked at Xue Shao.

Xue Shao knew that Princess Taiping was actually helping herself to attract jade - she really knew me too well! She knows that the thoughts in my heart at the moment are actually similar to hers! But if the words she said just now were to be said by me, it would inevitably arouse Wu Zetian's strong disgust and even hostility. Because Princess Taiping is just a soy sauce beater, no matter how much nonsense she talks about, she will not become a "court testimony". And I, Xue Shao, am a general in command of the army and an important minister of the court, and what I say represents my political position and military decision-making!

The little couple glanced at each other, and Xue Shao cast a grateful look at Princess Taiping. Princess Taiping was full of innocence and innocence, hehe, smirking, as if she was still only seven years old, and she could talk nonsense in front of her mother at will!

…… This guy is getting more and more eccentric! In addition to being a genius conspirator, she is also a genius actor!

"Xue Shao, what do you think?" Wu Zetian's words interrupted Xue Shao's thoughts.

Xue Shao said: "The minister thinks that it can be two-pronged, loose on the outside and tight on the inside. ”

Wu Zetian suddenly became interested, "How to do a two-pronged approach, loose on the outside and tight on the inside?" ”

"One of the two pipes is the method that Her Royal Highness the princess just said, the court took the initiative to mourn for Cheng Qizhi, in order to express the court's clear conscience and dispel Cheng Wuting's suspicion and resentment. At the same time, Cheng Wuting was summoned to return to Beijing to attend the funeral. If he comes, it means that he has no dissent. Xue Shao said.

"What if he doesn't come?" Wu Zetian asked.

Xue Shao took a deep breath, "That's the second thing to do." The minister will personally lead the Weishui army and refuse to defend the dangerous pass of Taiyuan in case of accidents in the north! - Of course, this military operation must be carried out in secret, that is, the minister said that the outside is loose and the inside is tight. Don't let Cheng Wuting think that the imperial court has treated him as a thief to guard against. In this way, it will only intensify the speculation and anger in Cheng Wuting's heart. ”

"A good two-pronged approach, loose on the outside and ......tight on the inside," Wu Zetian pondered silently, thought for a long time, and suddenly said, "Things must be planned for the worst situation first, if Cheng Wuting really raises troops to rebel, are you sure to defeat him?" ”

Xue Shao's brows furrowed and he took a deep breath, "No." ”

"What did you say?" Wu Zetian's voice was raised, obviously taken aback.

"Cheng Wu is a tiger general in the world, and it is difficult to have an opponent in the world. The Hebei army has been on the battlefield for a long time and is brave and invincible. In the whole world, no one is sure that they will be able to defeat evil on the battlefield! Xue Shao clenched his fists heavily, "But Chen, you will definitely be able to defeat him somewhere else!" ”