On the day Xie Zhixi left Beijing, the carriage stopped outside Chang'an City. He lifted the curtain and looked out, and there was a man and a rider in front of him blocking the way.

The man had his back to him, and he couldn't see his face clearly.

Seeing this scene in front of him, Xie Zhixi's heart suddenly ignited a little hope, this person appeared here at this time, isn't it Lord Chen? So he got up and got out of the car and walked towards the man.

The man sensed the movement behind him, turned his horse's head and turned around, and the two looked at each other, and what caught his eye was an unfamiliar face.

Seeing this face, Xie Zhixi was a little disappointed.

It's been two years by Chen Shao's side, and when he is leaving, there may be no chance of reunion in this farewell, so he is really indifferent?

At this moment, Xie Zhixi's heart was full of bitterness and extreme loss.

But since he has already gotten out of the car, he can't go back without saying a word, although it is not Chen Shao who came, but there are still others who are willing to pull him...... He cautiously opened his mouth and asked tentatively, "Who are you?"

"Lord Chen asked the lower officials to send one to you."

I saw that he took a burden from his horse and handed it to Xie Zhixi, his eyes were a little complicated. "There are three hundred taels of silver in this, although the lord can't allow you to be added to the rank of knight, but these silver can ensure that you don't have to worry about food and clothing, you can take it."

A warm current welled up from the bottom of Xie Zhixi's heart, and his eyes were hot unconsciously, he opened his mouth, and his voice trembled slightly. "Thank you, Lord Chen, for me."

After saying goodbye, the two parted ways. Xie Zhixi sat in the carriage, looked at the heavy burden in his hand, and then looked at his wife who was secretly crying beside him, and was full of emotion for a while, except for a long sigh, he couldn't say anything else.

He didn't notice that the figure outside the car was fading away, and when he looked back, there was murderous intent hidden in his eyes.

11th year of Changning, April

Chen Shao sat cross-legged in the lobby of the Criminal Department, with several case files piled up on the table, but his gaze kept wandering away, obviously absent-minded.

He waited for a long time, and finally when the figure appeared in the doorway, he hurried forward and bowed to him.

"How!"

The man smiled and said, "It's done."

Xie Zhixi left Chang'an City to the southwest, and when he passed through Shu County, he was robbed by more than ten people with knives and axes, and he heard that Xie Zhixi was greedy for money, and he was unwilling to hand over the three hundred taels of silver in his arms, and was killed by robbers.

Chen Shao looked at the letter he handed over, smiled happily, and sighed: "This person, you just can't care too much about money, money is something outside the body, why bother......

The twelfth year of Changning, winter

After nightfall, Chang'an City is surprisingly quiet, there should be lights and lights at this time, singing and dancing, but the cold winter wax moon snows all day long, and the road on the street is difficult to walk, and no one is really willing to go out and walk around.

It was getting late, and the charcoal fire in the house was extremely warm, Xue Ji leaned on the rattan chair covered with tiger skin, still holding official duties in his hand and unwilling to put it down. Shen Yurong sat aside, holding the embroidery shed in his hand and skillfully flying the needle and thread, and from time to time he glanced back at the tea bowl on the table beside Xue Ji, and if he saw the bottom, he would fill it up.

It wasn't until the sound of the watch came from outside that the silence of the night was shattered, Xue Ji finally put down the things in his hand, slowly sat up straight and moved twice.

Seeing this, Shen Yurong also put down the needle and thread, got up and approached and reached out to pinch his shoulder, and he didn't forget to say: "You don't know how to rest, you see people in your forties so late every night, you are really not afraid of old age and illness."

Xue Ji sighed and said helplessly, "Your Majesty is bedridden, these things can't be backlogged until next year."

Speaking of Qin Xu's illness, it is really worrying, firstly, the old illness has flare-up from time to time, and secondly, it has recently added heart disease......

At the end of last year, good news came from the queen's palace, saying that there was one, and Qin Xu was overjoyed after hearing it, and appreciated a lot of rare treasures. In the early autumn of this year, the queen somehow knocked down, was born prematurely in August, tossed all night, and finally gave birth to a daughter.

Qin Xu already has two princes, and it is not the first time he has been a father, so as usual, he should not be so excited. But when he heard that she was a princess, she was better than the emperor

The son was still happy, and even issued an amnesty to the world.

But less than two months after this decree was issued, the little princess who was born died young.

Qin Xu couldn't stand it in his heart, and he couldn't afford to get sick in winter.

At this time, Xue Ji, who is the prime minister, has to take over the affairs of the world, and on the other hand, he has to serve in front of the emperor, for fear that he will accidentally fall into the hat of a dictatorship and a monopoly on one person.

Shen Yurong knew that it was not easy for him, and when he heard this, he glared at him with disgust, and he didn't really complain about him. turned around and laid out the futon on the bed, and urged angrily: "Rest quickly, you don't want to sleep, I still want to sleep."

Xue Ji looked back at her, and was about to blow out the candle light on the side, but suddenly remembered something, hurriedly opened the box next to the bed, and rummaged through the thick stack of envelopes inside.

"Looking for what?" Shen Yurong was puzzled when he heard the voice, and leaned over to look at him.

"Your eldest brother sent a letter yesterday, and I was busy dealing with the roster handed over by the Criminal Department, and I forgot about it in a trance."

Hearing this, Shen Yurong was interested, but he was still so sleepy that he couldn't open his eyes, and he was completely sleepy at this time, so he sat up on the bed, just waiting for him to find out the letter.

Xue Ji flipped through the pages for a while, and finally found the letter sent by Shen Changqing, tore open the envelope and took out the letter paper inside, walked back a few steps and sat down next to Shen Yurong, before unfolding the letter and looking at it carefully with his wife beside him.

"Brother is coming to Chang'an?" Shen Yurong was a little surprised, in her memory, Shen Changqing had always been reluctant to set foot in the capital, even if he had business, he would hand it over to his cronies to negotiate, why did he suddenly change his temperament and pick this spring season?

There will be a major event in Beijing in the spring of the coming year, which is related to trade with neighboring countries, how many businessmen and families are staring at this piece of fat openly and secretly, Shen Changqing ...... You don't want a piece of the pie, do you?

Xue Ji also fell into deep thought, the Shen family did not have much business in Beijing, and it was definitely not easy to fight for this profit. Is Shen Changqing here to join in the fun, or does he have other plans?

"Anyway, I haven't seen each other for so many years, and since Brother Shen is coming to Chang'an, we have to take care of everything we say."

There are always a lot of things at the end of the year, and the affairs in the court have already made Xue Ji very busy, so the affairs at home naturally have to be left to Shen Yurong and Su Yu to worry about. Fortunately, Xue Chen took Princess Hua Du home from time to time to accompany him, and he would also take a hand in case of trouble, and the day before Chinese New Year's Eve, Xue Fu was finally stable.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, the sky gradually darkened, Xue Ji had changed into a date-colored python robe, and the carriage outside the door had been waiting for a long time, waiting to send him to the palace for a banquet.

Xue Ji got out of the carriage at the gate of the palace, and happened to meet Xu Yan who came from the other side, and the two took a look and walked inside side by side.

"How is Your Majesty's health?"

"It's good and bad, but it should be more stable when the weather warms up in the spring."

After entering the table, I only heard the sound of silk and bamboo coming from the hall, and then there were maids holding wine and vegetables and fish, and they were neatly placed in front of everyone.

Xue Ji didn't have much interest in these, just squinted at Qin Xu who was sitting above, although he was a little far away and couldn't see clearly, he could still notice that his face was a little pale, and his eyes showed tiredness.

Seeing him so weak, Xue Ji secretly felt bitter in his heart. Over the years, His Majesty has changed more and more, and it is no longer as heroic as it was more than ten years ago......

Xue Ji beckoned to Zhang Yu, the big eunuch on the side, and motioned for him to come over.

"When is this dinner party going today?"

Zhang Yu didn't know what he meant by asking, so he only lowered his head and replied respectfully and truthfully: "If you go back to Lord Xue, you have to pass the time and the time of approaching."

Hearing this, Xue Ji couldn't help frowning, and said secretly in his heart: So late? How can Your Majesty's dragon body hold up now?

"Can't you disperse sooner?"

Zhang Yuyu replied with a smile: "In previous years, it was this time, and I still have to keep the New Year at night, but I'm afraid it won't be early."

Xue Ji suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice: "Previous years are previous years, Your Majesty's current situation, how does it compare with usual!"

Zhang Yu was also helpless, hunched over for a long time, and could only cope

One sentence: "The slave went to persuade Your Majesty, don't worry, my lord......

Zhang Yu returned to the palace and really persuaded a few words euphemistically, but Qin Xu couldn't hear others saying that he was weak, so he reprimanded him in a cold voice and drove him down.

Xue Ji watched from afar, and could only see the two of them closing their mouths one by one, and they couldn't hear what they were saying, but looking at Qin Xu's impatient appearance, I am afraid that he and Zhang Yu were in vain.

The dancing girls in the hall changed batch after batch, Xue Ji didn't look at it at all, others talked and laughed and talked about wine, but his attention never left the dignity on the seat, and he couldn't wait to stick to him to persuade a few words, or let people take him back to rest.

After three rounds of drinking, Xue Ji was a little tired, and barely fell down while holding the table with one hand. The officials on both sides were still tirelessly toasting him, full of flattery, they never got tired of what they said, and Xue Ji was tired of listening to it.

Suddenly, he saw a little eunuch hurriedly running to Qin Xu's side, leaning over to his ear and whispering something, only to see Qin Xu smile with his eyebrows open, and he was about to leave the table when he got up.

Seeing this situation, Xue Ji sobered up. He shook his head violently, turned around and casually called out to someone and asked, "Your Majesty, what's the matter?"

Even Xue Ji, who didn't leave the Holy One all night, didn't know what was going on, let alone the others? At a glance, everyone was full of alcohol and their eyes were scattered, obviously unaware.

"Zhang Yu!"

Hearing Xue Ji call him, Zhang Yu hurriedly stepped forward: "Lord Xue has an order?"

"What's wrong with Your Majesty?"

I saw Zhang Yu's face full of joy, and said with a smile: "Only then did someone report that the concubine Niangniang has it, Your Majesty is in a hurry to go to Xihe Palace to accompany the concubine Niangniang."

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