When Wang Qu came to invite Wu Huai'an, he had already received the news from Jiangling urgently, and he was so anxious that he didn't know what to do, waving a spear to vent the anxiety in his heart, and he shouldn't be called by anyone.

"Young master, young master?" Wang Qu carefully avoided the waving spear, and stepped forward in a few steps to call him twice.

Wu Huai'an looked at him, the movement in his hand stopped, and he only heard the sound of the spear blade breaking into his ears, and the spear was stuck diagonally on the ground on the side. "Uncle Wang, but is there something wrong with Lord Xue?"

"The young master should already know, and the lord called you to go to Shangshu Province."

Wu Huai'an pretended to be in his heart, and he also knew what Xue Ji was looking for him, and after hearing this, he didn't ask anything else, so he led the horse, turned over and beat the horse and went to Shangshu Province.

"Master Xue, are you looking for me?"

Xue Jizheng lowered his head to write something, and when he caught a glimpse of the gradually enlarged figure at the door, he heard a familiar voice and subconsciously glanced up. The youthful appearance came into view, and Wu Huai'an grew a beard and grew up, looking much tougher than when he was young.

"It's about your father, and I want to ask you what you think."

Wu Huai'an took off his robe and sat aside, with more anxiety and sadness between his eyebrows. "What can I think, what can I do if I have an idea? Your Majesty can listen to my thoughts and do what I think?"

Xue Ji got up and approached him, dragged the chair next to him casually, and sat down beside him, only a low tea table between the two, and the pot of old tea on it had long since lost its temperature.

"I dare not say that he is not guilty, but at least he will not sin unto death. It's not Lord Wu's business that I'm looking for to ask you about today, it's about what your plans are."

"Me?" Wu Huaian chuckled a little self-deprecatingly. With a father who was convicted, and a wife and children and family members, he felt the pressure of Mount Tai in his heart, and he was inevitably irritable. "What's the use of just sin not death, I'm thousands of miles away from him, and I have an official position, how do I have to take care of his old man? What can I do?"

Xue Ji is nearly forty years old, and looking at Wu Huaian at this time is like seeing his former self, he was full of spirit when he was young, and he really became a family and established a business. Touched by feelings, the words naturally became much softer: "Do you have any siblings in your family?"

"There are no brothers, but there is a little sister."

"Where is she now?"

"Marrying a businessman is considered to be worry-free."

Xue Ji showed a happy smile in his eyes and said, "That's easy to do."

Wu Huai'an was puzzled, sat up straight and looked at him and asked, "How do you say this?"

Xue Ji clicked on the table at hand, and said Kankan: "Since you have a little sister, then Lord Wu is naturally not too depressed, Your Majesty has blue eyes for you, you have to stabilize the moment......

"Can you elaborate?" Wu Huai'an frowned, listening carefully to what he said while thinking.

Xue Ji's gaze glanced out of the door, and impartiality was the direction where the military headquarters was located. "Master Zhang is also getting old, and the military department has rarely seen young talents in recent years, and someone has to take over the position of Shangshu. Your Majesty has been very impressed with you before, and must have placed high hopes on you, if you are calm and willing to do things in a down-to-earth manner...... The future is bound to be promising."

Wu Huaian didn't answer, lowered his head and thought to himself.

He really listened to Xue Ji's words, and in the next half a month, there was another round of wind and rain in the DPRK, and he was silent, just conscientiously sticking to his duty.

It coincided with the cold winter, the heavy snow did not pass the streets of Chang'an, the autumn wind has gone away, and even the seven years of Changning are nearing the end.

The New Year is always busy, or Xue Ji has not been idle in the past few years, and the affairs that should be tossed are all done, and the decisions that should be debated are all finalized, and it is already the eve of Chinese New Year's Eve.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, the Holy Lord held a banquet, which was not only to welcome the New Year but also to reward hundreds of officials and courtiers.

I saw that the dancers in the banquet were dressed in tulle and danced lightly, and they didn't feel cold in such a cold winter. The palace maids who came and went pinned with water-red silk flower pompoms on their sideburns, adding a bit of joy, and smiling when they bent down to serve people to add wine, and there was a faint fragrance on their faces.

If you look closely, you can see that they are wearing gold sachets around their waists.

Xue Ji was not in a hurry to talk to people

, Naturally, someone rushed to cling to the wine glass, although he would not pour a glass, but he could not withstand such a pouring. dealt with a few people who were a little closer, and then a face-to-face official asked him to toast, so he pretended to be unwell and sent them all away.

It wasn't until the bell rang that Xue Ji woke up from his drunkenness that he realized that it was a new year, and it would be the eighth year of Changning from now on.

At this point, he remembered something.

Three years ago, Prime Minister Jiang Yan was worried about his mother and returned to his hometown, and now he should be reinstated at the end of his term.

However, no one mentioned it.

At the first court meeting in the eighth year of Changning, Xue Ji secretly ordered someone to be a first-class bird.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Jiang's three-year period of Ding Worry has expired, and the affairs of the DPRK and China are busy, and in recent years, the officials of the three provinces and six ministries have hardly been able to rest every night. Do you think you should ask the prime minister to return to the court?"

As soon as these words came out, there were indeed some small whispers in the crowd.

Qin Xu's expression remained unchanged, but he really couldn't tell the joy and anger from his water-like face.

Xue Ji noticed that someone gently tugged at his sleeve, and turned his head to look, Xu Yan's eyes were a little inquisitive, looking at him.

"You arranged it?"

Xue Ji smiled and did not respond, looking like he was watching a good show from the sidelines.

Qin Xu calmly ordered a few officials to ask for their opinions, but in fact, he didn't say anything useful, all echoing and hypocritical.

Every time like this, everyone wears a mask on their faces, and there are few words that are true when they speak, Qin Xu is a symbolic question, how can he really go to his heart. seemed to ponder and think about it, so he ordered someone to write an edict to invite Jiang Yan back.

One asked the ministers, and then other trivial matters.

Since there is nothing to do, then he will retreat.

Xu Yan followed Xue Ji's footsteps closely and hurriedly walked to his side. "Why did you suddenly remember this?"

Xue Ji slowed down and looked back at the person beside him, only from his expression, he couldn't see anything unusual, but he asked this...... always felt that he didn't want Jiang Yan to come back.

Why? This question caused a ripple in Xue Ji's heart, could it be that Xu Yan was really not as calm as he seemed? The position of prime minister, one person under ten thousand people, holding in his hands is the affairs of the world and the lifeblood of a country, Xu Yan is finally moved?

"As far as the matter is concerned, you and I, the temporary prime minister, can't we replace them for a lifetime, right?"

Xu Yan stopped, his eyes darkened, and he looked at Xue Ji who stopped close to him, his heart was a little complicated, but he couldn't say it.

He knows very well what His Majesty thinks in his heart, but he can't pass on His Majesty's thoughts, he speculates that His Majesty's holy will is His Majesty's secret promise, but His Majesty may not be able to be honored by others to see through his thoughts.

The words that were about to come out of his mouth slipped to his mouth several times and swallowed back, but Xu Yan still didn't say it in the end.

"Jiang Yan may not be willing to come back."

After that, Xu Yan turned around and was about to go to the imperial study, without explaining to him in detail.

Xue Ji was puzzled when he heard this, Jiang Yan mostly wanted to avoid the limelight when Ding Wei returned to his hometown, but now that the wind and rain have gradually stopped, he is in the position that hundreds of officials dream of, what reason does he have not to come back?

Within a month, the little official who had received the holy decree to deliver the message returned to the capital on a fast horse, but the news he brought back made people stunned.

In other words, it was all in Xu Yan's expectations.

Prime Minister Jiang Yan really refused the will to return to the dynasty on the grounds of physical weakness.

Qin Xu looked at the reply letter in his hand, and only sneered on his face, but he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

This old fellow is very thoughtful and intelligent.

Xu Yan had expected such a result, but there was no joy on his face, he was still extremely calm, and he lowered his eyebrows and did not say a word.

"Please."

Xu Yan was slightly stunned when he heard this, what does this mean?

"What if he refuses again?"

Qin Xu already had an idea in his heart, and said without hesitation, "Change someone and ask again."

Xu Yan continued to ask, "Excuse me again?"

"Reward him with a thousand gold, and send him back to his hometown with fine clothes."

Xu Yan knew that this was indeed the case.

Pity the little messenger who sent the message, ran back and forth twice, all because the two were playing with power tricks and looking for work for him for no reason.

Xue Ji sat in Shangshu Province, with the freshly brewed new tea on the table, and raised his eyebrows to look at the person in front of him, his eyes full of surprise.

"You said that the prime minister resigned twice and refused to return to the court?"

"Yes, the prime minister's two replies are the same, almost unchanged."

Xue Ji paused as he reached out to serve the tea bowl, his brows gradually furrowed, and he was even more puzzled.

At first, he couldn't understand what Jiang Yan was thinking in his heart, and why he gave up the position of prime minister. Second, he couldn't understand why Qin Xu had to order someone to invite him since he had already called himself sick and excused himself.

What is the figure? The name of Corporal Lixian?

Xue Ji pressed the doubts in his heart and returned home.

Recently, in addition to all kinds of trivial matters in the court, there is also a major event in the family.

That was the marriage of his eldest son Xue Chen and Princess Hua Du.

It's just that before Xue Ji had time to discuss carefully with Princess Wanyu, his focus was once again brought back to the affairs of the imperial court.

Just entered March, at noon on this day, Xue Jicai had just put down his affairs and was about to go out for dinner, when he saw Wang Qu hurriedly come in to report - someone from the palace came outside, saying that His Majesty had summoned him to the imperial study to discuss matters.

Xue Ji hesitated for a moment, then tidied up his clothes a little, and then drove his horse to the direction of the palace, and went to face the saint by order.

As soon as you enter the imperial study, you will bow and bow as usual, and then stroke your clothes and smooth your body. Qin Xu didn't talk nonsense with him either, he didn't beat around the bush, and went straight to the point - ordering him to personally invite Jiang Yan to return to the court.

Let Shang Shuling personally invite the prime minister, this has never happened.

"What is the significance of Your Majesty's move?" Xue Jichai didn't understand, so he simply asked directly.

"I want to know if he's really prevaricating or if he's trying to get away with it."

Xue Ji was silent, but what he secretly said in his heart was - why didn't you let Xu Yan invite?

Qin Xu sneered as if he could see through his thoughts, and then answered the doubts in his heart.

He said, "You know that I trust Xu Yan the most, and all the officials know that I trust Xu Yan the most, do you think Jiang Yan doesn't know?"