On the third day of a chance encounter with Dugu Shilang, Xuzi was summoned by His Majesty the Emperor again. When Wen Yao, the old eunuch who conveyed the saint's mouth, turned around, Li Xu was immediately surrounded by countless envious eyes. But he had already been mentally prepared, unhurriedly cleaned up, and slowly followed behind Wen Yao.

"After seeing Your Majesty, I should think about it first, what should be said and what should not be said. Your Majesty finally has some smiles, don't you know how to ruin his good mood! When he was a little far away from everyone, Wen Jia didn't look back, and dropped such a sentence in a low voice.

"Thank you for your care!" Li Xu took a few steps forward and stuffed a jade wrench in the sleeve of his robe into Wen Yao's hand. After begging for people for months in a row, he has become accustomed to the rules of officialdom. There is basically no money left in the monthly hand, and even the red goods that arrived in Su Si have to come out to help.

It's been almost three years, and the smell of blood on those treasures has been rinsed clean by the streamer. Xuzi almost forgot how he hated these hard-won riches back then, and only occasionally when he saw a few of them, did he recall certain people, certain things, and some regrets left by his youth and ignorance.

The Xi people's collections are far less exquisite than those made by the Central Plains, but they are large in size and pure in texture. Such a large piece of emerald would cost twenty or thirty yuan to say the least. After several years of hard work in the world, Li Xu has fully realized the value of these treasures. The old eunuch Wen was like him back then, and he was blind to the alluring luster emanating from the jadeite.

"You keep it, I don't bend the bow and arrows, what do you want these things for?" He flicked his sleeves lightly and threw the jade wrench back into Li Xu's arms.

Li Xu, who was already familiar with the rules of officialdom, was taken aback by the other party's performance, and the first reaction was that he had given the wrong gift, and then remembered what Yu Wenshi had said. The father-in-law in front of him is the only one among the eunuchs who does not accept gifts, and giving him gifts not only does not have the effect of bribery, but is counterproductive.

The young man's face turned red, and the flesh from the base of his ears to his neck burned with fire. He regretted that he had been negligent as soon as he was happy, but he could not find the bottom of the steps. It's not a pair of legs walking fast, it's not slowing down, it's even more embarrassing than a thief being caught.

Gonggong Wen has been walking inside and outside for many years, and when he saw Xuzi's expression as if he had just been slapped by someone, he immediately understood that his actions just now were excessive. He knew that Xuzi was following the customs, so he didn't want to embarrass the other party, so he took the initiative to slow down, waited for Xuzi to catch up, smiled, and explained in a low voice: "Our family has never been good at this, so it's better to leave such a valuable thing to others." Besides, those who have the ability don't need to be cared for, and those who don't have the ability to receive more care can't help Adou! ”

"My father-in-law is very right!" On a cold day, beads of sweat on Li Xu's forehead were clearly visible. Thinking that he was a able-bodied man but not as frank as a eunuch, he was so ashamed that he couldn't find a crack in the ground to drill down. But the officialdom of the Great Sui Dynasty was like this, and people who were not used to it couldn't eat anywhere. Doing so by yourself is just going with the flow, and it cannot be regarded as corruption and bending the law. Just as he was enlightening himself in the depths of his heart, a low sigh came from his ears.

"Hey, it's only been a few years, and the outer court has become like this, if you want to contribute to the country, you have to spend money, no wonder the officials are becoming more and more uncompetitive!" Wen Yao put his hands behind his back, and the expression on his face was very indignant. Without waiting for Li Xu to speak, the old eunuch shook his head again, turned around and advised: "Don't say these words in front of Your Majesty, you can't control it, mentioning it will only make Your Majesty upset." Folk affairs, it's better to talk less, you are just a martial arts general, always remember your identity, do your part, it's good, it's good! ”

"The last general obeys!" Li Xu clenched his fists and stood solemnly, thanking Gonggong Wen for his reminder. The news that His Majesty has not been in a good mood recently has long been spread among the civil and military officials who accompanied him. Everyone is afraid that when Jin meets the emperor, he will make a mistake and turn a lucky moment into misfortune. With these words of guidance from Father-in-law Wen, it is equivalent to overhearing the scope of the question from Mr. before the exam. The students were able to cope with it with much easier times.

Yang Guang's mood this morning was better than a few days ago, and after breakfast, he began to concentrate on handling state affairs. In several counties, there were large groups of anti-thieves, and their arrogance was very arrogant. The local officials were unable to suppress it, and implored the imperial court to send elite soldiers to support.

"Whew! Elite soldiers and strong generals, look for me in everything, what are you doing with these wastes? "Yang Guang" scolded in a low voice, very dissatisfied with the incompetence of the officials. Suddenly, he remembered the joke he overheard about Li Langjiang when he summoned his family for questioning yesterday. Remembering that the young man had been drying for three months, it was estimated that the edges and corners of his body had been almost sharpened, and he also met the conditions of the strong generals needed in the locality, so he decided to take a look at this tamed horse.

After Xuzi stepped forward and passed the courtesy of the monarch and ministers, he was given a seat, he didn't dare to sit down, and thanked him again and again, before he slightly touched half of his buttocks. Seeing his cautious appearance, Yang Guang laughed happily, waved his hand, and ordered loudly: "Don't pretend, I know you're not afraid." The people who have been killed in and out of the army several times will be like a cat when they see me, who will believe it! ”

"Your Majesty's heavenly power is better than thousands of troops." Li Xu tentatively slapped a sycophant, and then sat down firmly.

"You've learned to speak!" A smile welled up on the corner of Yang Guang's mouth. He knew that Xuzi was saying a word of flattery, but this kind of lame flattery was fresher in his ears than the praise of merit and virtue that he was used to hearing. "How's it going, are your wounds healed?" He asked with a smile, and at the same time felt the strength of his body regain little by little.

The young man in front of him was full of the smell of sunshine, and every time he saw this young man, Yang Guang would feel that he was also a little more energetic. This is one of the reasons why he admires Li Xu, everyone hopes that youth will last forever, and the emperor's family does not like aging even more.

"Your Majesty's inquiry, the wounds on the last general's body have been completely healed!" Li Xu tried his best to suppress his heart, which was almost beating out of his throat, raised his head, and met Yang Guang's gaze.

"Your Majesty asked me about my physical condition, are you going to send me out to lead the troops?" He thought happily. In order to leave a calm and powerful impression on Yang Guang, he deliberately sat up straight. The two eyes will never look randomly, and they will meet Yang Guang's eyes.

In Xu Zi's eyes, Yang Guang's face at this moment was more haggard than when he was in Liaodong a few months ago, and his body was becoming weaker and weaker. The results of the two fruitless expeditions to Liao seem to have crushed his body and spirit, and now, this body is completely devoid of the domineering spirit of the soldiers when he reviewed the soldiers on the bank of the Liao River last year, on the contrary, the twilight that Xu Zi felt through the imperial chariot was a little thicker, so thick that it was a little unbearable to adapt.

"Uh-huh!" A gentle cough came from behind the emperor, startling Li Xu. He knew that he had kept his gaze on His Majesty's face for too long, beyond the range of courtesy that a courtier should have maintained. Quickly lower your head and bury all the observations in your heart.

"Don't scare young people!" Yang Guang didn't care much about Li Xu's recklessness, turned around, and scolded Gonggong Wen in a low voice. When his eyes turned to Li Xu's side, he cared about his own image again. "Do I look older than I used to be, do you remember, when was the first time I saw you? Do you still have an impression of what it looks like? ”

"Your Majesty looks much haggard! But in the hearts of the ministers, he still remembers the heroic posture of His Majesty pointing out the three thousand miles of rivers and mountains in Liaodong! Li Xu didn't know how to answer the emperor's question properly, so he had to tell half the truth and add a kind comfort. His Majesty said at that time that he wanted to see what the strong men of the Great Sui garrisoned here looked like. Your Majesty said, "We have not disappointed you!" On that day, the generals vied with each other to fight, and the shouts of the brothers shook the rivers and chilled them! ”

"Hmm-" Wen Yao wanted to cough, but suddenly held back again. He greatly regretted why he didn't say a few more words just now, the young man in front of him was too reckless, and he casually mentioned the first battle of Liaodong. You know, that is the eternal pain in His Majesty's heart, and no matter who mentions it in this inner court, it will definitely be a storm.

The rainstorm had not yet arrived, but the air smelled of sadness. "Yes, I still remember the appearance of General Mai when he was on the fly. The river was red that day, and everything was still in front of you! Yang Guang sighed and agreed, with a bit of sadness and intensity in his voice.

That memory is so resonant that many people are thrilled to think about it. Yang Guang closed his eyes, his face was as if he had drunk a lot of wine, and a large flush appeared in an instant. His fingers curled indefinitely, clearly trying to stabilize his emotions. After a long time, he finally broke himself away from the memory, let out a long sigh, and was silent.

The room in the temporary palace was quiet, but there was no out-of-control scene that Gonggong Wen feared. On the contrary, the relationship between the monarch and the minister was suddenly drawn closer again. Obviously, while Yang Guang remembered his heroic appearance back then, he also remembered the youthful performance of the military general in front of him.

"Life flies so fast, I promoted you to be a lieutenant back then, and I was afraid that you would not be competent. In the blink of an eye, you have become the youngest martial artist in our Great Sui. After a while, Yang Guang opened his eyes and said with a sigh.

"Your Majesty's kindness will never be forgotten!" Li Xu hurriedly stood up and saluted again. This gratitude is from the heart, although because of Li Yuan's relationship, Yang Guang's trust in him is always strong and weak, and his attitude is sometimes good and sometimes bad. But overall, Yang Guang has never forgotten to promote him, and basically can be rewarded for his meritorious service. Compared with those who have lingered in the position of the six-rank martial arts all their lives, Xuzi knows that he is very lucky, and he has always been grateful to Yang Guang.

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