Kuang Yin rushed from Jingdongyi Pegasus to the capital of the Zhouzhou Jiedu envoy, but it didn't take enough but four good horses ran to death. Three hundred miles of road, there are six post stations along the way, but now it is a troubled era, compared to the Tang Dynasty of the times, each post station only has two post horses for rotation, these two post horses have to go through the imperial edict of the Chinese book, and at the same time bear the burden of the local to the central government to report the official document seal, itself is already very nervous. The level of post administration in an era often determines the degree of the central government's ability to restrain local political power in this era, because the speed and frequency of news and instruction exchanges between local central governments are determined by the level of post administration.

If the speed of communication between a local government and the central government is more than two months, it is difficult for the central government to respond quickly and promptly to what is happening in that place; If the frequency of exchange of information between the local government and the central power is less than once a month, then the magistrate of that place is already equivalent to being able to claim the title of king.

Zhao Kuangyin did not alarm these local post stations, not because he had a big picture and was unwilling to occupy the already insufficient stagecoach resources, but because the task he undertook this time was too sensitive and important, he not only did not dare to have half a point of slack procrastination, but also did not dare to leak the slightest rumor - the open and secret battles between those big men in the court, although Zhao Kuangyin deliberately avoided it on weekdays, but he did not leave a penny, all in his eyes and in his heart. As the leader of the guards who walked around the emperor with a knife on his shoulder all day long, he knew that it was necessary for him not to be contaminated with these people and things, but if he was not careful. Once something happens, the first thing to lose your head is the head of your own class.

If you don't alarm the local post station, Zhongshu and the privy council will not know that the emperor has sent himself to issue a secret decree, although the Jingdong post station is also a post station, but it is under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Mansion, and now it is his top boss Zhang Yongde who meditates in Kaifeng Mansion, this is the emperor's most trusted relative general, and he is also a teacher and friend of his superior leader. Not as a last resort. He would never leak the news out of the way.

Rao is a good bone that he has been working hard since he was a child. The journey of more than 300 miles was rushed down day and night, and the person was so tired that he was almost out of shape, the bone joints up and down his body seemed to be scattered, the inner sides of his legs were ground into a blur of flesh and blood, and the calluses that had formed in the early years were all opened, and the blood oozing out of the ground stuck the middle coat tightly to the flesh and skin, and the heart ached when he moved. Dismounted in front of the capital yamen. The figure of this righteous society hero who was immediately kung fu shook and almost fell, he gritted his teeth and stood still, his palms slapped desperately for a while, and his two legs regained consciousness, and he staggered forward and pleaded with the guards to pass the message.

However, Chai Rong was not in the yamen.

The envoy of the Zhenning Army was on the embankment in the north of the city of Lanzhou at the moment, with the officers and soldiers of the river defense, and Zhao Kuangyin smiled bitterly after receiving the reward. But it didn't delay. Continue to fly on the horse and rush to the Yellow River embankment in the north of the city.

When a Zhenning army soldier led him to the only prince in front of today's knee, Zhao Kuangyin was stunned.

The young man in front of him was pale and haggard. The weariness and weariness on his face were no worse than that of his messenger, who had traveled more than three hundred miles in a day and night.

He did not wear official uniforms, but only a gray shirt woven of coarse linen, a pair of fat trousers looked bloated on his legs, the trouser legs were pulled up high, his two red calves were densely covered with tiny bloody wounds, and he wore a pair of tattered straw sandals on his feet, a belt tied around his waist, and a half-torn hat on his head that covered his hair.

On the emaciated and haggard face, a pair of big eyes are sunken into the frame, and the huge bags under the eyes show that this person has not rested well for a long time, and the half-pale temples and the thin crow's feet at the corners of the eyes make people never think that the person in front of him is only in his early thirties.

"It's Yuen Long...... Does my father have a secret edict? ”

In front of him, the "people" handed the wooden shovel in his hand to the soldier, took the dry cloth handed by another soldier on the side and wiped his hands, and asked with a little smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Exactly, Your Majesty has a decree, please accept the decree!"

Chai Rong nodded, waved his hand and ordered the soldiers to retreat, and then walked to the opposite side of Zhao Kuangyin, and knelt down on the frozen ground: "Erchen Zhenning Army Envoy Rong received the order——"

Zhao Kuangyin raised his head, kept his breathing stable and normal, and said slowly: "I said: Tell the Marquis of Taiyuan that he respectfully invited him to enter the Hajj, and I will approve it this time, and within one or two days, tell him to clean up the affairs of the state capital, and then return to Beijing to report on his work, don't delay!" Oh yes! ”

Chai Rong seemed to be stunned, and immediately returned to normal, and kowtowed: "Erchen is respectful!" ”

Zhao Kuangyin took a step forward and helped Chai Rong up: "Junhou, please get up!" ”

Chai Rong stood up, looked at Zhao Kuangyin steadily, and asked with a smile: "Yuen Long has also suffered a lot here, looking at your appearance, it seems that you are too tired to do it!" ”

Zhao Kuangyin's heart was hot, this Taiyuan Marquis was so tired that he still cared about others, he smiled: "The lowly king is in his body, he doesn't dare to delay, he is a little tired after a night of travel, but it seems to be more than the prince and the marquis."

……”

Chai Rong smiled: "I supervise the work on the river embankment, and I am used to it every day!" ”

As he spoke, he frowned: "Rushed all night? The emperor's edict was issued yesterday? ”

Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly explained: "Exactly, last night, His Majesty was edicted to be humble, and the humiliation was ordered to leave Beijing, and it has only been eight or nine hours until now......"

As he spoke, he took out the jade ornament from his bosom, handed it to Chai Rong and said, "This is the certificate of His Majesty's edict to the humble position!" ”

Chai Rong glanced at the jade ornament in a flash, and immediately his eyes became sharp, he stretched out his hands to take it, put it in his palm and looked at it carefully, and his eyes gradually revealed a soft and warm light.

Zhao Kuangyin didn't recognize this thing, but Chai Rong recognized it at a glance.

This piece of jade ornament is not unusual, but a piece of vulgar goods bought from the most ordinary shops, and its value is no more than four or five yuan, as a royal object. This value is almost negligible.

But this was the first piece of jewelry that his current titular father, Guo Wei, the son of the Great Zhou Dynasty, had purchased for his titular mother, his de facto aunt, the Empress Shengmu, when he was still a military chief......

At that time, the Chai family was originally a palace maid in the Later Tang Dynasty, and after the rebellion of Zhuang Zongling, he returned home with his savings and jewelry, and the family met Guo Wei, the current son of heaven, on the way to escape. Guo Wei's rank at that time was only similar to when Li Wenge was just a eunuch, and he was a big soldier who would not have a big career no matter how he looked at it. Chai fell in love with this rude and poor soldier at a glance, and resolutely married him despite the opposition of his parents. For a long time after marriage, Guo Weidi had very little food and could only make ends meet. So don't talk about buying jewelry. It's a slightly better looking shirt, and the Chai family has never worn it.

This jade ornament. It was Guo Wei who saved half a year at that time and bought it for the Chai family.

Later, Guo Wei developed, the official became bigger and bigger, and his subordinates had soldiers and money, and more and more jewelry was purchased for the Chai family. However, Chai Shi looked at other jewelry lightly, rarely wore it on weekdays, and even repeatedly advised her husband not to waste money for herself, but this jade jewelry has always been her treasure. never left for the rest of his life, Shi Hongzhao and Yang Wei's wives had secretly laughed at Chai's ignorance because of this, but Chai never cared about it. Chai Rong used to serve the Chai family back then, and he often saw the Chai family wearing this jade ornament, so others didn't recognize it, but he recognized it at a glance.

Before Chai died, he left her husband a wisp of green silk and this jade ornament as a promise of white heads. After Chai's burial, Guo Wei made a small bag of green silk and put it in a small bag. Day and night hanging on the chest. In addition to bathing, he refused to take it off, and this jade ornament was also taken by him with him, and after retiring from the dynasty, a person often took it out to play with his deceased wife.

Later, although Guo Wei first followed the two step-families of the Zhang family and the Dong family. However, he never asked for a decree for the two. After ascending the throne, he posthumously named the Chai family as the Empress Shengmu, the Zhang family as the noble concubine, and the Dong family as the concubine De, but he never refused to establish a new queen. In the depths of the soul of this seemingly rude Qiu Batianzi, there is only one woman who is truly worthy of the position of queen, and that is the deceased Chai family. Therefore, this jade ornament has become a cherished thing for the Son of Heaven, who has never been willing to show it easily, and has not even been willing to take it out for others to see, so he is naturally even more reluctant to give it to others easily.

Now that this jade ornament has appeared in Zhao Kuangyin's hands, it can only show one fact, Zhao Kuangyin is indeed a secret envoy sent by Guo Wei to pass on the decree, and he is a person who can definitely be trusted.

Chai Rong restrained the waves surging in his chest, and said with a gentle smile: "Three hundred miles in one day and one night, Yuen Long is loyal and brave, and Lanzhou is poor, there is nothing good to reward you, but it will not make you work hard in vain, you have been on an errand in front of the palace for almost two years, do you want to release a commander?" I went with the horse and told him to recommend him, and my father would allow it......"

Zhao Kuangyin was sincerely frightened, knelt down on one knee and said: "The gentleman is good, Kuangyin understands it, this is a matter of humble duty, and it should not be praised by the prince and marquis." Please also ask the prince to quickly clean up and stop, enter Beijing on a starry night, Your Majesty is in a hurry! ”

Chai Rong nodded and said, "Yuen Long will rest in the state government for one night, and tomorrow morning, I will enter Beijing with Yuen Long!" ”

Zhao Kuangyin was stunned for a moment, and hesitated: "Your Majesty did not say that you want the prince to return to Beijing with the lowly position, the lowly duty is the emperor's mission, and he dare not slack off, the prince accepted the order, and the lowly post resigned and returned to Beijing to return to His Majesty!" ”

Chai Rong smiled: "Is it so urgent?" Not really, right? ”

Zhao Kuangyin hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to make things clear without concealment, although this person in front of him is only a foreign town now, but he is the first person in the world who cannot afford to offend, it doesn't matter if he is perfunctory today, it is very bad for him to know it in the future.

He said sincerely: "Don't hide it from the prince, the lowly and a few brothers in the army have made an appointment, tomorrow evening in the Bianjing Iron Scraps Building, invite the Yanzhou Festival Marshal General Li Da to have a drink, yesterday received the emperor's order, the humble duty did not dare to slack off the leak, so he did not inform General Li to cancel the wine party, so he hurried to Lanzhou. It is a humble duty to treat a guest, although General Li will be considerate because of the emperor's order, but after all, it is a breach of trust, and he wants to rush back to His Majesty to return to his majesty, and then be able to rush to the iron scrap building to settle the bill. If the prince can lend Kuang Yin three good horses

I can't be grateful, and when the prince returns to Beijing, Kuang Yin will naturally return the ...... of the third middle school of the prince and the marquis."

Chai Rong laughed out loud when he heard it: "It's good that you are Zhao Yuanlang, you still have such a clear distinction with me." You're out of tolerance, with a few horses in the house, and so many rules......"

Zhao Kuangyin said seriously: "Humble to pass the decree." It is indeed an official matter, and if four horses are killed, it should also be counted as public attrition; However, the return trip was so urgent, but because of the private affairs of the lowly position, the horses used were naturally counted as private use, and the stallions could not be used privately, and if the lowly duty did not fill this hole, it would be a violation of military law. It's guilty! ”

Chai Rong glanced at him with appreciation: "What a clear distinction between public and private!" ”

He paused. "That's fine." I will turn back to the capital, take a bath and change clothes, explain the affairs of the state, and go back to Beijing with you overnight, two hours is enough, Yuen Long can wait? ”

Zhao Kuangyin said dumbfoundedly: "Why should the prince be like this, you are too tired to see that you are lowly and you don't have to accompany you to hurry." Rest for the night today, hit the road tomorrow, and be calm! ”

Chai Rong waved his hand and said: "No need, my father's will, even you refuse to slack off, how dare I, as a son, delay!" ”

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something. asked, "This General Li you are talking about." But just a few years ago, he worshiped the right Xiaowei general in Yanzhou Jiedu Li Wenge? ”

Zhao Kuangyin replied: "It is this General Li, the brothers in the low-ranking army have heard the deeds of the general, and they have some admiration. So I invited him to drink! ”

Chai Rong thought for a while and asked, "When did he enter Beijing?" Did his father receive him? ”

Zhao Kuangyin said: "I don't know about this humble position, I saw General Li at the Shangyuan Festival banquet yesterday, and His Majesty gave the general vinegar celery. According to the schedule, His Majesty will summon General Li in the Chongzheng Hall tomorrow......"

Chai Rong nodded: "It seems that this Hajj, Ben Hou should be able to meet this hero for a while......

……

At the same time that Zhao Kuangyin conveyed the secret edict to Chai Rong on the embankment of the Yellow River, a clear system was issued under the Zhongshu Gate of Bianliang Di, which eliminated the privy envoy Shangshu Zuo Servant and the Zhongshu Men under the Pingzhangshi Wang Jun Dahe Inspection Ambassador, and Fengjie left Beijing to inspect the river engineering and water conservancy situation at the confluence of the Yellow River in the lower reaches of the Bianhe River. This is the result of a day of discussion and discussion under the Zhongshu Sect. Feng Dao personally came to Zhongshu Province on this day and explained to several prime ministers the grim situation of the Dahe River Defense and the Bianhe River Transport this year, and the prime ministers agreed that a prime minister should be appointed to inspect and inspect the river defense garrison and the people, so as to take precautions.

Among the several governors in the center, except for Wang Jun, the others have no military power. This time, if Feng Dao recommended Li Gu, who had always been low-key and in charge of river affairs, Wang Jun would not have any objections, after all, Li Gu was the most suitable candidate.

But what is unbelievable is that Feng Dao insisted on recommending Fan Zhen to patrol the river defense this time, and this unusual move immediately aroused Wang Jun's vigilance. Fan Zhen is the prime minister who has the worst relationship with Wang Jun in Zhongshu, and he is also the opponent who has repeatedly restrained Wang Jun on military affairs. Wang Jun originally suspected that Fan Zhen wanted to get involved in military affairs, but this time Feng Dao ignored Li Gu and recommended Fan Zhen, which immediately aroused his suspicion and obstruction.

Wang Jun recommended Li Gu to inspect the river affairs in front of the emperor, but Li Gu just shirked the heavy affairs of the three divisions, and Wang Jun resolutely opposed Fan Zhen going out, the result was that Guo Wei made a final decision, and ordered Wang Jun to remove the inspection ambassador and inspect the river defense, while Fan Zhen stayed in Zhongshu and continued to escort him.

Wang Jun was very surprised by this result, and he couldn't understand the connection for a while. Although he was very unhappy that he had to leave Beijing to endure hardships on a cold day, after all, he was quite satisfied that he had successfully thwarted Fan Zhen's attempt to reach out to the army. He was not very worried about the situation in the central region, and the inspection of the river defense was actually only a matter of ten days and half a month, even if it was delayed, it would only take a month, and in such a short period of time, it was unlikely that the situation of the DPRK would change much. What's more, the Gyeongju incident itself has already made him disgraced in the center, and this time he went out just to avoid the attack of the political enemies of the DPRK and China, and by the day he returns to the DPRK, the matter should have been properly handled.

Therefore, although Guo Wei's decision surprised Wang Jun, but if he thinks about it carefully, he still thinks about himself a lot, and intends to let himself go out to avoid the limelight, and the Son of Heaven is also kind.

The most direct result of this incident is that on the morning of the inspection of the right servant of Fu Shangshu shooting the Zhenning Army Jiedu to make Guo Rong, the prince of Pingzhangshi, the prince of the Tongzhongshu Sect of the Assassin of Lanzhou, return to Beijing to meet him, Wang Jun and his entourage went out of the city from the west gate to inspect the river defense along the Bianhe River, and when he learned the news of Chai Rong's return to Beijing, it was already three days later......

It was also on the morning of this day that Guo Wei, the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, drove the Chongzheng Palace, dressed in Yan clothes and crowned his head, and summoned Li Wenge, the general of the Eighth Route Army, who entered Beijing to offer horses......