The emperor let Xi Yan accompany him after five days, and if he put aside his identity as the Son of Heaven, he may be a kind elder.

The emperor motioned for Xi Yan to follow him and drove up the road outside the hall. "It's been a few days since you entered the Chengming Palace, can you do things smoothly?" The emperor raised his eyes and looked at the palaces and pavilions of the Great Zhao Palace, and his robe was slightly swayed under the wind.

Xi Yan lowered his head slightly, and said with a smile: "Thanks to Your Majesty's love, the minister can handle these official affairs quite easily." Although the affairs are complicated, the ministers do not dare to take it lightly. ”

"Oh...... Do you have to do it? The emperor smiled and teased, "Are you waiting for me to praise you......"

"I don't dare." Xi Yan also lowered his eyes and smiled, and then said, "But if you can be praised by Your Majesty, the minister will be proud of it." ”

The Emperor looked up and laughed a few times, and said, "You are a little like your brother, although he is the eldest son, he was more energetic and flamboyant than you when he was young; Although you are a young son, you look tougher, not as pampered as the young son of the average family...... But you two brothers are young talents. ”

"The minister is not as good as the elder brother," Xi Yan's admiration for the eldest brother has always been frankly expressed, even in front of the emperor, "No matter how the minister is today, it is difficult to look at the back of the elder brother back then." ”

The emperor didn't seem to agree with Xi Yan's statement, and frowned: "Your brother has always been in the army back then, and you are a civilian...... How can it be compared? ”

Xi Yan smiled and responded respectfully: "Blowing the horn company camp is what many men think all their lives. When the minister was young and energetic, he also wanted to follow his brother's example to carry the jade dragon and order troops on the battlefield. ”

Speaking of this, Xi Yan's originally respectful eyes were also dyed with some sunshine, as long as he thought of those moving scenes, he felt a sense of pride in his chest.

"Well," the emperor raised his eyebrows and praised, "I, the Zhao people, have always been martial, but I didn't expect that you, a son of a noble family, still have a little bit of the courage of your ancestors, which is really rare." ”

"The minister has been with his brother since he was a child, and he has also heard the stories of his ancestors fighting in the south and the north, and he has heard about it...... Naturally more martial. ”

"Your brother, it's a pity...... the emperor sighed lightly, and his eyes became distant, "When he went to Shuiluo for the first time to quell the rebellion, the other three roads were defeated, only he pursued the enemy in depth alone, and personally beheaded the leader of the rebel army under the sword, and that time I named him General Yunlu, at the age of twenty-two. The second time Shuiluo quelled the chaos, he made great contributions...... I also named him the candidate of Huan. ”

Xi Yan had a smile on his face, he knew how heavy the word "Huan" was, and he was far away from the enemy, and Wuding Quartet was called Huan......

Before his brother, no courtier had ever received such a title, and even his grandfather, who enjoyed the position of the prince of the country, was only given the word "Jing" with the meaning of respect.

"I thought he would be another of my Da Zhao's pilots, but it's a pity...... It's a pity," the emperor sighed several times in a row, "the heavens do not fulfill people's wishes, and Huan Guohou, who is known for his strength and illness with soldiers, will never be able to step on the war horse again in his lifetime...... This is Heaven not allowing me to open up the territory! ”

Xi Yan saw that the emperor's fighting spirit was almost ignited by himself, and hurriedly relieved: "Now my Dazhao land is vast and vast, from Zhenyuan Pass in the west to Hanhai County in the north. ”

"That's it," the emperor flicked his sleeves and withdrew his distant gaze by the way, "it takes the power of the whole country to open up the territory, and I am getting older...... It's better to save more money for future generations. ”

"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and your efforts are the blessing of my great Zhao people."

"Okay, okay...... You just like to say good things," the emperor smiled and waved his hand, and suddenly asked, "You are also twenty-four this year, do you have a marriage match?" ”

Xi Yan was stunned for a moment, the emperor asked this, presumably not on a whim, so he said respectfully: "The marriage of the minister must obey the orders of his parents...... Chen's father had a child and in-law with General He in his early years, and the minister ......"

"What do you want to say?"

Xi Yan thought for a while, touched the ground on one knee and arched his hand: "It's just that the minister's self-cultivation has not been completed, why is the Qi family?" ”

The emperor didn't expect Xi Yan to have such a big reaction, and his eyes were full of doubts when he looked at him: "The ancients emphasized that they should start a family first, and then start a business. Let's just say that your brother, he has already married a wife when you are your age, you are so nervous, but you don't like He Fangping's daughter? ”

"Chen and Miss He are not familiar with each other, so I can't talk about whether I like it or not......"

"Well, I just asked casually," the Emperor stretched out his hand to help him, "you get up." ”

"Yes," Xi Yan got up and dressed and continued to walk with the emperor after him.

"Do you know how to dance a sword?"

"The minister has been with his brother since he was a child, and he has been taught by him...... Although the minister's swordsmanship is not as good as that of his brother, he can barely get by. ”

"Well......" the emperor paused against the railing, and thoughtfully pointed to a temple staircase not far away, "it is in that place." When the envoys of the Northern Qin Dynasty came to my Dazhao, one of them was named Fu Mang, who was very arrogant...... Several times I wanted to offend Tianwei, and even provoked a group of military ministers, wanting to compete with my big Zhao Wuchen on the spot. Although I don't hesitate, but I am the Son of Heaven, how can I deal with him? In the final analysis, Huan Guohou still has the ability, and within a hundred moves, he will ask Fu Mang to bow down and be a minister, to put it mildly...... Fu Mang is a lot older than him. ”

Listening to the emperor talk about the past, Xi Yan also listened attentively, when the envoys of the Northern Qin Dynasty came to Dazhao Nagong, Xi Yan was still very young, and Xi Luan was also a person who did not like to be publicized, so these past events of the elder brother, Xi Yan could only be heard between the words of the elders.

I didn't expect that my brother's pride back then would be wiped out by those changes......

The emperor may be getting older, and people have become fond of reminiscing about the past, "He was just crowned back then, and that demeanor ...... I wonder if you would like to dance your sword under this corridor? ”

"The minister respectfully obeys the holy commandment," Xi Yan bowed, and then followed the chamberlain to the palace to change clothes.

When he returned to the porch again, Xi Yan had already changed his complicated court clothes into a straight robe with slim and narrow sleeves. The emperor nodded with satisfaction and praised: "The sword is not yet in hand, and the whole person is like a sword, a sharp sword...... This sharpness did not let Brother Nai back then. ”

The chamberlain on the side had already taken a long sword with a strange shape, Xi Yan drew the sword in his hand, and twisted the sword trick behind his left hand. After the heart was as calm as water, the iron stegosaurus roared agitated. Xi Yan's face was calm and resolute, his lips were tightly pursed into a straight line, and under the shaking of his wrist, a green cold light flew out obliquely.

The figure of the sword-wielder changes rapidly, and often the residual momentum of the previous move has not yet dissipated, and the sharp momentum of the next move breaks through the air. Xi Yan's whole person is like a sword, straight and hard. The tricks are not fancy, but the moves are sharp...... In the simple and concise sword momentum, there is also a determination to hide the killing intent.

"Yes, the sword is like its man." The emperor bowed slightly, and commented, "The sword is straight, the sword is strong." The sword is a gentleman among soldiers, and you must also be a gentleman among men......"

"Remember Your Majesty's teachings," Xi Yan had already returned the long sword at this time, but there were still some beads of sweat on his forehead from when he had just danced the sword.

The emperor looked at Xi Yan's slightly undulating chest, and said casually: "This Tangxi sword, I will reward you......"

"Your Majesty," Xi Yan seemed to have not expected this unexpected joy, and bowed slightly in surprise, "Your Majesty is so loving, and the minister deserves it." ”

"What's the shame?" The emperor smiled loudly, raised his hand, and said, "Since I reward you, it means that you can afford it." But your sword is too strong, and it is still less elegant than your brother...... You also have to know that it is easy to break if it is too strong, and it will be humiliating if it is strong, understand? ”

"The minister remembered," Xi Yan lowered his eyes respectfully, he remembered the emperor's words, but he didn't know, remembering is not the same as understanding.

Something to say...... It is only after experiencing it that you can understand it deeply.

When the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the blue stone slab, Xi Yan also went out of the palace, and his narrow shadow was reflected by the setting sun in the doorway of the palace gate, like a long sword, but inserted in an inappropriate scabbard.

d will come