The Imperial Palace, above the Golden Palace.

The Empress sat upright on the dragon chair, the beads on her crown swaying slightly with her chuckle. She looked at Yue Rong, who was still fainting under the jade steps, and glanced at Yue Song, who was kneeling beside Yue Rong, and said unhurriedly: "Let's announce the imperial doctor first, I can't let my humerus minister faint to death on the Golden Palace like this." ”

An imperial physician quickly stepped in from the palace gate, saluted respectfully to the empress, and then half-squatted beside Yue Rong to treat him.

The empress stretched out her hand casually, and the palace people beside her immediately brought a bowl of warm milk and bowed down to serve her to drink. The empress took a few sips casually, glanced at the ministers under the seat, and said in a gentle and somewhat careless threat: "Since all the secretaries have no time to go to the northwest because their affairs at hand are too heavy, then select sons in law from each family to join the army, and then promote a suitable person on the spot to lead this army to the northwest to cure the plague." ”

As soon as these words came out, the ministers who were already kneeling on the ground even knocked their foreheads tightly on the ground, and shouted "Long live the anger" in their mouths, but still no one stood up and expressed their willingness to go to the place where the plague spread in the northwest.

The empress handed the milk bowl casually, and the palace people immediately took it and brought a warm handkerchief to wipe her hands. She looked down at the official hat that knelt down to her, and remembered what her brother, the former emperor, had said to herself when he was dying-

"There's no real heart there...... No more......"

The empress smiled faintly without a trace, and said to herself: "What do I want to do so much." She glanced at Ke Zhao, who was closest to her on the other side of the hall, and smiled slightly: "Why didn't Ke Aiqing help him?" Aren't you quite close? ”

Ke Zhao, who was kneeling on the ground, did not raise his head, and replied in a calm voice: "The minister is afraid! The minister, like General Yue, was burned all over the world because he couldn't share his worries for His Majesty, and he felt guilty, so he could only kneel here at the moment......"

"Oh," the Empress chuckled, "then let's all kneel." ”

"Your Majesty is angry." The voices of the ministers sounded in unison again, and the empress was inexplicably a little upset. Suddenly, there was a loud voice from the palace people at the entrance of the palace: "The lord of Guiying County has come to see you——"

The empress's expression suddenly relaxed, and she smiled slightly: "Xuan." ”

Yue Tang walked in heroically and quickly, walked to the jade steps of the dragon throne, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, the movement was like flowing water, the voice was like an eagle out of the valley, and the demeanor of the women inevitably made many courtiers present secretly praise.

The empress didn't let Yue Tang get up immediately as usual, but said with a smile: "Come to see your father?" ”

Yue Tang bowed his head and said, "Wei Chen was shocked to hear that his father had fainted on the Golden Palace, and hurriedly came to greet him—but he didn't know why, so he begged His Majesty to tell me. ”

"I don't know why?" The empress chuckled, "The servant who passed the message really deserved to be killed, and he let you break in like this without saying anything?" You're really protecting your father. ”

Yue Tang kowtowed: "Weichen is terrified!" ”

"That's it." The empress waved her hand casually, "It's just that Yue Rong refused to lead troops to the northwest to fight the plague, and refused to let your eldest brother go. ”

Before Yue Tang could speak, Yue Song hurriedly walked to the empress, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty Mingjian!" My father has no anger! It was only because he couldn't go to the northwest and saw that His Majesty was in a hurry that he was worried and guilty, and even fainted! Your Majesty, please be wise! ”

The empress just smiled and didn't answer, but her eyes glanced at Yue Tang faintly.

At this time, only Yue Tang knelt in the main hall, and the rest of the people touched the ground with their foreheads.

Yue Tang also felt something at this time, raised his eyes to look at the empress, and saw the empress's expression clearly.

She knew before she came that this was the opportunity.

Even if it's a chance to die.

"I want to go." Yue Tang lowered her eyes and bowed, she could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze because of her words.

The empress hooked her lips: "Would you like to go?" Where to go? She glanced at Yue Rong, who was still fainting, only to feel that his chest seemed to rise and fall much more rapidly than before.

Yue Tang replied clearly in a loud voice: "The minister is willing to go to the northwest to fight the plague, and if it is not successful, he will not pay it back." ”

If you don't succeed, you won't return to the court.

This is not only putting yourself in a cooking pot, but also adding a handful of flammable wood to the pot.

The ministers on the ground were a little uncontrollable, and they all tilted their heads slightly to exchange glances, and for a while, there was an undercurrent surging in the court. Although all the ministers are reluctant to go to the northwest to cure the plague in person or by their own sons-in-law, if there is a case, they can cure the plague and return to Beijing, it will be the supreme merit of today, and they will be richly rewarded, glorifying the lintel and sheltering the family.

No one is willing to give up this kind of credit to others, but because the anti-plague is too dangerous, no one should accept it, so the ministers are quite thoughtful and refuse them all, and even Yue Rong does not hesitate to pretend to be dizzy and avoid it. originally thought that the empress would disperse the dynasty, after all, she had just ascended the throne, and the forces of all parties were not very stable, and she still needed courtiers to help her, even if she was fierce, she might not be able to really move anyone. When the plague becomes more fierce after a while, the empress will reward and lure the ministers, and then she can ask for more rewards, which will be status and titles that are not easily attainable in ordinary times, as well as countless treasures and fields.

Since you have to risk death, the bigger the stake, the better.

When it is rich enough to be satisfied, it is not impossible to give even a concubine.

However, none of the ministers thought that the daughter of the Yue family suddenly ascended to the palace to invite herself to fight the plague, which disrupted the tacit plan of the ministers.

So the empress saw the official hats raised one after another, and they all raised their hands to salute and planned to open their mouths to snatch the battle, which was contrary to the lifelessness of Fang Cai. The smile on the empress's lips came out again, and she didn't pay attention to anyone's "Chen Qilu", but stared directly at Yue Tang, and made a final decision: "Quasi-playing." ”

Yue Tang immediately bowed to the ground: "Thank you, Your Majesty!" ”

The ministers were in an uproar, and before they could react, the empress asked again: "The six cities in the northwest have spread the plague to varying degrees, more than half of the local people and garrison have been infected with the epidemic, and at least half of the medical officers and most of the local doctors have died-Yue Tang, it is very likely that there will be no return, are you still willing to go?" ”

"I want to go." Yue Tang still replied short and forcefully, his back straight.

"Okay." The empress replied again, "Since you may never return, you can tell you what you want." She stood up and slowly walked down the jade steps, standing opposite Yue Tang and raising her hand to signal her to get up, and then looked at her levelly, gentle and calm as she first saw it.

Yue Tang glanced at the empress, immediately lowered his eyes respectfully, bowed half a minute, and replied quietly: "The minister does have something to ask for." ”

Yue Tang's eyes drooped to the ground, and what he saw was the auspicious cloud pattern and the Wanfu round emblem on the empress's noble purple robe. And in the afterglow, it was the eldest brother Yue Song who kept signaling to her urgently and carefully, just hoping that she would notice and immediately ask the empress for all kinds of benefits about the family.

For example, my father has been talking about the "gold medal for avoiding death".

But Yue Tang's eyes kept hanging on those cloud patterns and round emblems, and he never moved in the slightest.

"If the minister can triumph, ask Your Majesty to grant the minister the right to marry independently, without being interfered with by anyone," Yue Tang said clearly and steadily, raising his eyes to look at the empress, "Including you." ”

"Presumptuous!" Yue Rong, who had been fainting, sat up tremblingly, was helped by Yue Song to kneel down again, and bowed to the empress: "Your Majesty forgives the sin, the little girl really does not care about the severity, and she actually made such a big and rebellious request, you must know that marriage has always been ...... by the order of her parents."

"Quasi-play." The empress didn't look at Yue Rong, she responded directly to Yue Tang, and then walked back with a flick of her robe, shouting sharply: "Yue Tang obeys the order!" ”

Yue Tang immediately lifted his robe and knelt on the ground: "The minister is here!" ”

The empress stood on the jade steps, looked down at her condescendingly, and ordered aloud: "I have crowned you as a mighty and brave general, and immediately send 5,000 troops north out of the capital and go straight to Lanxi, and you will be limited to arrive within ten days!" ”

Yue Tang: "Yes! Commandment! Don't dare to make a mistake! ”

The empress glanced around slightly, and said: "If someone obstructs you during the anti-plague period, you can deal with it according to your situation, but if you think you should kill the person who should be killed, I will give you the right to cut first and then play!" ”

Yue Tang kowtowed and thanked him: "The minister's decree!" Thank you, Your Majesty! Then he bowed deeply to the ground.

The empress didn't speak again, glanced at the ministers arrogantly, turned around and strode towards the side hall door on the side of the dragon chair. The palace people immediately sang loudly: "Retreat from the dynasty - kneel - "

The ministers, who had not gotten up, bowed to the ground again, Yue Tang also knelt down, and Yue Song's rebuke immediately came from his side: "Be bold!" You're just-"

"Shut up." Yue Rong's rebuke stopped Yue Song, Yue Tang knew that his father just didn't want to make a fool of himself under the noses of the ministers, not to defend her.

After the figure of the empress disappeared at the palace gate, all the ministers walked out one after another with different expressions, and they all looked at the three members of the Yue family from time to time, which made the anger of the Yue family father and son have nowhere to vent, so they had to pretend to be calm and go out with Yue Tang, and then reprimand them outside the palace. Unexpectedly, as soon as he left the Golden Palace, Yue Tang gave up his hand to the two of them and said: "The Holy Purpose does not dare to delay in the slightest, I will lead the troops out of Beijing, father, eldest brother, take care." Without waiting for any response from the two of them, he turned around and strode away.

Yue Song hurriedly said: "Yue Tang! Four sisters! ”

Yue Rong pressed his arm, squinted his eyes and said in a deep voice: "No need to call, this is a plan she has made a long time ago, not a whim today." ”

Yue Song: "Just let her go?" ”

Yue Rong: "If she can triumph as she said, although she only asks the emperor for one thing, the emperor will definitely reward something else, even if it has nothing to do with the Yue family, but it is still a shelter for the Yue family; If he dies in the northwest, the emperor will definitely reward the Yue family - no matter what, it will be a benefit to the Yue family. ”

Yue Song's nervous mood gradually relaxed, and he nodded, "What my father said is true." He asked again, "What about the marriage with the Ke family—"

Yue Rong looked at Ke Zhao, who turned around and disappeared around the corner, and sneered: "He should be the one who is in a hurry right now." ”

North of the capital.

Yue Tang watched the three imperial doctors who came by order board the carriage and sat down, and was about to whip the horse and lead the team to set off, when he saw a person riding a horse, hurriedly turned over and dismounted near her, and said hurriedly and comfortingly: "Fortunately, I caught up." ”

Ke Zhao's face was flushed due to the rapid pursuit, and he looked a little out of breath at this time, but he still tried to stabilize his voice and said: "It's too late for the county lord to regret it now, I can save the county lord's life." ”

"Call me what?" Yue Tang raised the corners of his lips and looked at him, and the arrogant and cold look on his face was not hidden.

Ke Zhao smiled to himself, and changed his words: "General Yue, it's too late to regret it now......

Yue Tang interrupted him rather amusedly: "And then? Marry you with peace of mind and be the housewife in your house? I'm afraid that even if I can save my life, I will be stripped of all my identity, what's the matter, better to be manipulated by you? She casually flicked the horsewhip in her hand and made a soft "snap" sound, "Ke Saburo, you bothered to catch up just to say something out of tune?" ”

Ke Zhao's eyebrows were slightly anxious, but his tone was not chaotic at all: "I don't want to watch you die." The Northwest plague is far more serious than you think, it is not an ordinary plague in the past, as long as you take the right medicine, it can always be controlled. The imperial doctor sent before was the first of the Tai Hospital, and he has already died there, do you know? ”

Yue Tang's horsewhip waved at Ke Zhao: "Have you finished speaking, get out of the way." ”

Ke Zhao saw that she was unmoved, took out a cyan token and handed it to her: "I didn't expect to persuade you, you have this with you, it is my token, and you can mobilize the Ke family army over there in Lanxi." ”

Yue Tang raised his eyebrows, suddenly smiled, and his voice softened a lot: "Brother Ke family, tell me honestly, how many people from your Ke family are in the northwest?" ”

Ke Zhao had never seen her smile so graceful at herself, and she couldn't help but be slightly stunned, the token in her hand had been dragged by her along the silk silk, took it in her hand and looked left and right, and sneered lightly: "Brother Ke, what about you?" ”

Ke Zhao came back to his senses, approached her half a step and replied gently: "There are always two thousand. ”

"Yo," Yue Tang pinched the token and moved closer, "Brother Ke has raised a lot of private soldiers." ”

Ke Zhao shook his head with a smile: "Sister Yue said that she was laughing, but she just raised some idlers in case of emergency." ”

Yue Tang smiled and whistled, her horse ran towards her, she immediately turned over and got on the horse, looked at Ke Zhao conservingly on the horseback, shook the jade pendant in her hand with silk silk, and laughed loudly: "I understand General Ke's kindness, let's keep such an important token, according to what you said, I have a great chance of dying in the northwest, if this thing falls into the hands of someone with a heart, I don't know what kind of chaos will happen." With that, he threw the token back to Ke Zhao and ordered to the five thousand soldiers, "Leave immediately!" ”

"Yes!" Five thousand soldiers responded to the sound and followed Yue Tang, who was the leader, to ride away.

Ke Zhao held the token in his hand, his face a little gloomy.

Not only did Yue Tang not ask for this token, but he also threw it back to him in front of so many people - her exploits in the northwest after that really had nothing to do with the Ke family could not have anything to do with it.

He took a breath and watched as the vast procession departed from the northern gate, the horses dusting and flying, not like a death rush, but like a rush to freedom.