Xue Huai'an did not come alone, but brought his wife, and did not wear an official robe, but a civilian dress, looking like a kind family man, seeing Chu Huan waiting in front of the mansion, Xue Huai'an immediately smiled and said: "Brother Chu, I brought my wife to ask for a glass of water and wine, I heard that Brother Chu's mansion has a collection of fine wine, should I be reluctant to take it out, right?" ”

Xue Huai'an arrived, Chu Huan didn't think it was unusual, but bringing Mrs. Xue to come was a big surprise to Chu Huan, Mrs. Chu was nearly forty years old, several years younger than Xue Huai'an, but it was well maintained, obviously everyone was born, rich temperament, and decent manners, Chu Huan naturally didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly gave up, he didn't know that Mrs. Xue was coming, and when he saw Mrs. Xue at this time, he hurriedly asked people to call Su Niang.

After all, Su Niang is also the mistress of the family, and if a family member comes, she naturally wants the hostess of the family to come out to accompany her, this is the first time that an official's female family member has come to visit the house, Chu Huan was a little caught off guard, Xue Huaian had already smiled and said: "Madam heard that Brother Chu has a family member coming to Beijing, so she specially came to visit, Brother Chu, you are a little bit uninteresting, the family members came to Beijing, and they didn't say a word, so I still learned about it from someone else." ”

Chu Huan greeted the two of them into the mansion and apologized: "Lord Xue has been preparing for the ceremony before, and he is extremely busy, so I don't want to disturb ...... in the past!" ”

Before he finished speaking, Xue Huai'an had already said with a calm face: "Brother Chu, you have seen the outside, in front of outsiders, it doesn't hurt that you and I are commensurate with our official positions, and now you still have to be called adults?" You have forgotten that the old man was able to come back from Xiliang, it was you who saved a life, if it weren't for Brother Chu, I am afraid that I would have been buried in the desert a long time ago. ”

Mrs. Xue also smiled and said, "Lord Chu, don't be surprised to visit. The old man came back from Xiliang, and he kept talking about the kindness of Lord Chu, but the old man had been on official business a while ago, and he couldn't get out of his body. ”

Chu Huan smiled and said: "Madam is polite, the envoy to Xiliang is still Lord Xue'......!" Seeing Xue Huai'an glaring at him, he changed his words with a smile: "It's still the old brother who takes care of him in many places, if it weren't for the old brother, don't talk about Chu Huan, I'm afraid that the entire mission won't be able to come back." ”

Xue Huaian patted Chu Huan on the shoulder with a smile and said with a smile: "You and I don't want to say these foreign words." patted his stomach, "I came on an empty stomach today, you have to entertain well, if the hospitality is not good, I will not follow!" ”

Chu Huan laughed, and immediately asked people to prepare the banquet, and when he arrived at the main hall, before he sat down, he heard the sound of footsteps, Su Niang had already come in, entered the lobby, and immediately said: "Erlang, are you looking for me?" Seeing Xue Huai'an and his wife, he was stunned for a moment, but Mrs. Xue had already stepped forward quickly, and before Su Niang came to her senses, she took Su Niang's hand and looked her up and down, with a smile on her face.

Chu Huan coughed and introduced, "Su Niang, this is Lord Xue of the Ministry of Rites, and this is Mrs. Xue...... Hurry up and meet both! ”

Su Niang has been in the house these days, and she understands a little bit, seeing Xue Huai'an and Mrs. Xue wearing brocade clothes and jade belts, knowing that they are extremely rich and noble people, she is the first time she has been in contact with such a rich and noble official, and her heart suddenly became nervous, but she also knows that the more nervous she is at this time, the more she can't show her nervousness, the more she is graceful and generous, if she is afraid to shrink, she will lose Chu Huan's face, and try her best to suppress her nervousness at the moment, according to the etiquette she has just learned in the past two days, Slightly shortened, she saluted: "Su Niang has seen Lord Xue, and ...... Mrs. Xue!" ”

Mrs. Xue had already held on and said, "You're welcome." ”

Chu Huan had already said: "This is Uchiko Suniang!" ”

"Oh?" Xue Huai'an smiled: "It turns out that Brother Chu has already married a wife......!" He didn't seem to be smiling, he knew that Chu Huan married a Xiliang Talange in Xiliang, although he knew that Chu Huan's family members came to Beijing this time, but he couldn't figure out what kind of family members he was, and only then did he know that it was Chu Huan's wife, and Su Niang was not from a rich family, but it looked simple and dignified, knowing that Chu Huan was not from a noble background, and it was reasonable to have such a wife, and said with a smile: "Brother and sister are dignified and virtuous, Brother Chu is so blessed!" ”

Chu Huan glanced at Su Niang, and it seemed to be a little dignified, but could he see this virtuous at a glance?

Mrs. Xue took Su Niang's hand and didn't let go, and said with a smile: "Good girl, Master Chu is young and talented, and you are also like a flower, you are really a talented and beautiful woman, a match made in heaven." Now into Beijing, everything is fine, I am the most boring on weekdays, from today onwards, can be regarded as looking for a companion, I will take you around Beijing when I turn around, you are new to Beijing, maybe not very familiar, I grew up in Beijing since childhood, the size of the streets of Beijing, but very familiar. ”

Su Niang saw that Mrs. Xue was very kind, and her nervousness went to most of it, and said, "Madame, please sit down first, Su Niang will let people go to make tea ...... first!" ”

"Their men are talking here, and we women can't stay here to disturb." Mrs. Xue smiled like a flower, although she was nearly forty years old, but she was well maintained, her skin showed no signs of sagging, and she was quite white and tender, she must have been a beauty when she was young, and now she is also a half-old, her charm is especially good, holding Su Niang's hand, she said softly: "Why don't you take me around the house, I don't know?" ”

Su Niang glanced at Chu Huan, Chu Huan was also worried that Su Niang would not be able to cope well and be rude in front of Mrs. Xue, but if she refused at this time, it would be even more rude, and said with a smile: "Su Niang, since Madam is interested, you can take Madam around!" ”

When Su Niang heard Chu Huan say this, she naturally refused again, and took Mrs. Xue out of the house.

Chu Huan invited Xue Huai'an to sit down, and let people serve tea, then he smiled and said, "Brother Xue should be idle these days, right?" ”

He knew that although the Ministry of Rites was not idle, but now it was far more idle than the other yamen of the six ministries, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Households, and the Ministry of Industry were all busy with the war in the southeast, and the Criminal Department and Dali Temple were to liquidate the remnants of An Guogong.

The Ministry of Rites was indeed busy for a while for the ceremony of sacrificing to the heavens a while ago, and now that it has happened, it is naturally a lot more leisurely.

Xue Huai'an took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and said with a smile: "It's a lot easier." No, as soon as I was free, I came over to talk to Brother Chu. ”

Chu Huan smiled: "Actually, the little brother is also thinking about coming to the door another day to disturb him." ”

Xue Huai'an smiled, looked left and right, and then said, "Brother Chu, how are His Royal Highness King Qi these days?" ”

Chu Huan shook his head and said, "I don't know, I haven't seen His Highness in the past few days. ”

Xue Huai'an bowed slightly, and said: "I'm afraid His Royal Highness is frightened, the queen loves him very much, just after such an incident, the hearts of the people in the capital have not stabilized, and for a while, His Royal Highness should not leave the palace." ”

"There were not a few people who were frightened that day." Chu Huan sighed, "But fortunately, it's over, let's do a good job in the future." ”

Xue Huaian shook his head and said, "That's not what I said. As far as I know, King Qi was much more frightened than others that day. ”

"Oh?" Chu Huan frowned, "Why did the elder brother say this?" ”

Xue Huai'an sat face-to-face with Chu Huan at this time, as if he felt that the distance was too far, got up and walked to Chu Huan's side, sat down against Chu Huan, groaned slightly, seemed to be thinking about something, and after a while, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Chu hasn't seen Lang Wuxu for a few days?" ”

Chu Huan said: "I saw it in the yamen yesterday. It's just that the household department is now privately raising grain and grass, and wants to go to the southeast to replenish it, but there is no time to talk to him. ”

"It seems you don't know yet." Xue Huai'an said: "I heard that night in the Tongtian Palace, Lang Wuxuan made a great contribution!" ”

"Great credit?"

"Not bad." Xue Huai'an said in a low voice: "I heard that that night, if it weren't for Lang Wuxuan, His Royal Highness King Qi would have suffered an accident!" ”

"And this?" Chu Huan really didn't know, and frowned: "You mean that Lang Wuxu saved King Qi's life?" ”

"A lot of people know about it." Xue Huai'an said: "It is said that there were two Wu Jingwei who had been chasing and killing the King of Qi that night, and it seemed that they wanted to kill the King of Qi. Originally, Wu Jingwei was almost about to kill the King of Qi, but fortunately, at the critical moment, Xu Daxue and Lang Wuxu followed, and the King of Qi turned the danger into ......! ”

Chu Huan frowned and said, "You mean, that night, Wu Jingwei was going to take advantage of the chaos to kill His Highness?" ”

"I'm afraid that's not a lie." Xue Huai'an said: "There are many people who have witnessed it with their own eyes. ”

"That's weird." Chu Huan touched his chin, "Could it be that Huang Ju had arranged manpower in advance and was ready to be unfavorable to the king?" ”

Xue Huaian shook his head and said, "It's not very clear. However, Huang Ju's goal that night was directly aimed at the saint, and I think Huang Ju must have thought that he would win, as long as he controlled the overall situation, he would not care about one or two people. If Huang Ju and his party want to take the life of King Qi, why do they sit back and watch His Royal Highness the Crown Prince care? Compared with King Qi, the feud between the prince and the Han King Party is even deeper. ”

Chu Huan groaned slightly, and finally asked, "Brother Xue thinks there is a problem here?" ”

Xue Huai'an hurriedly waved his hand and said: "I have lived and died together with Brother Chu, and Brother Chu has a good relationship with King Qi, so I have the heart to remind one or two." If it was really Huang Ju who sent someone to take advantage of the chaos to find an opportunity to kill the King of Qi, it would not be a big deal, Huang Ju was already dead, and the matter would be over, I was worried that there was another reason for this, if so, the King of Qi would still have to be cautious in the future......! ”

Chu Huan bowed slightly.

No matter what Xue Huai'an's purpose was in telling him about this matter, Chu Huan knew one thing that his fate was closely linked to King Qi, and once King Qi had an accident, his career would come to an end.

"Thank you for the reminder." Chu Huan said softly, thinking of something, and asked, "Yes, there is one thing, I don't know whether to ask or not." ”

"Between you and me, there is no need to be so polite." Xue Huai'an said: "If there is anything, you can just say it." ”

Chu Huan thought for a while, and finally asked, "Actually, the little brother is very strange about one thing. After the night was pacified, the saint seemed to be in a good mood, but ......! ”

Xue Huai'an immediately understood what Chu Huan meant, and sighed: "Brother Chu wants to ask why the Holy Lord's temperament changed drastically and ordered the execution of Wu Jingwei?" Do you want to know what I said to the Holy One that night? ”

Chu Huan nodded and said with a smile: "This is just the curiosity of the younger brother, if it is inconvenient to say, the old brother is not embarrassed." ”