On the first day of the Lunar New Year, whether it is the emperor or the peddler's pawn, every family has to come down, and even the New Year's greeting has to start tomorrow, but the two carriages have quietly left Liangzhou, and they rushed to Lingzhou. On a carriage, in addition to Huyan Guanyin, who nominally served Xu Fengnian's food, clothing, housing and transportation, there was also a woman who said that she wanted to leave the palace to breathe a sigh, the two women were equal, and it was natural for literati to be light on each other and women to be jealous of each other, but Xu Fengnian ran to discuss Lingzhou affairs with Xu Beitong, and didn't pay attention to them, so it didn't matter whether they were harmonious or competitive. According to the agreement, several official documents from Beiliang Province will be issued to Huang Nan County on the sixth day of the first month, except for the promotion of Taishou Song Yan to the "Little Thorn History" Don't drive the Lingzhou known as it, Wang Luting of the Zijin Wang clan will also go to the golden thread weaving, and the two disciples of the Lingsu Wang family will also go to the two states of Youliang to serve as the county commander of Xia County and the county of Shang County, plus the commander Jiao Wuyi entered the Lingzhou General's Mansion and was promoted to the third commander of the Lingzhou military attache Yanxia Lieutenant, and at that time, the fool can also see that the new Lingzhou general, this is an iron heart to give the master who is also the history of Lingzhou thorn to give a simmer and slow stew Lao Wang Ba.

On the second day of the first lunar month, Lingzhou is very lively, some of the dignitaries and dignitaries who are far away according to common sense and can come to visit Lord Li in a few days later, all of them are crowded on the same day and hurriedly come, after a little bit of the mansion is busy, the steward and the porter of the Li Mansion have been regarded as particularly clever and clever in all directions, and they still can't entertain, one by one they can't wait to give birth to three heads and six arms, Li Gongde has not rested for a moment since the early morning, and he is busy until dusk, many old friends and confidants and former officials can only mean to drink wine even if they deal with the past, otherwise Li Gongde can not bear the turn of those guests even if he has a large number of guests, Li Hanlin did not go home for the New Year this year, wrote a letter written neatly and neatly, and looked at it as a family letter written by someone else, saying that he was going to play in the north and south of the country, and Li Cheng was really shocked to see it, and he couldn't wait to drag him home by the ears of this younger brother, and put down the family letter, picked it up and put it down, Li Cheng really had some resentment, she was indeed as her father said, she didn't understand what their men were thinking, why what could be too safe and stable, and enjoy the success of her father's shadow in the officialdom, but she still had to go to risk to earn fame. When her father finally took a breath, Li Yingzhen offered him a cup of hangover tea, helped him rub his shoulders, and asked softly: "Dad, why are so many people here? Are you an official and a big man, and you have to scramble to be the first? I'm afraid that you will be too late and you will wear small shoes?"

Li Gongde shook his head with a wry smile and said: "Didn't you see that the old scholar Yuan Deqing is here today, with his big shelf, even if your father becomes the official secretary who has now become the head of the six departments, this old man will also come to the door slowly, so that he is tall enough." The reason why they all rushed together was to take advantage of the absence of the current owner of our neighbor's house, for fear that His Royal Highness the Prince would return to the Lingzhou General's Mansion in two days, and they would show up again, not afraid of 10,000, just in case, in case the Lingzhou General who had taken office for this new official happened to bump into him, wouldn't it be boring for himself? Your father put on small shoes for people, but it was just to press their career climb, but the neighbor could directly let them lose their official hats. ”

Li Chengzhen sneered: "He did such an arrogant and unreasonable thing. ”

Li Gongde smiled: "Wrong, big mistake, Zhen'er, Dad knows that you never take your father's words seriously, this time since Dad let Guo Fufeng enter the house in your face, then you will listen to Dad seriously this time to say a few words from the bottom of your heart, how about it?"

Li Yingzhen snorted.

Li Gongde took a sip of tea and breathed a sigh of relief, and then said leisurely: "Father, as a strategic envoy of Beiliang Dao, is the head of civil officials, and according to the history of the assassination of Luling Prefecture, there must be someone else, but why does Dad have to hold this official position?" Of course, it is true that Dad has an official addiction, but His Royal Highness the Prince of the Family has come to our house next door to be the general of Lingzhou, it stands to reason that no matter how thick-skinned Dad is, he should also take the ladder and go downstairs to be wise, but Dad is really not at ease, nearly a thousand scholars have entered Beiliang, and Lingzhou is the majority, after the Beiliang civil and military division, the two sides are clearly distinguished, it is the trend of the times, if Dad does not have the position of Lingzhou Thorn History, then the words work and work, but it must be greatly discounted, Dad himself is only shallow, not as advantageous as Wang Xihua and others, if you miss this great opportunity to cultivate cronies, wait for Xu Beiji or who replaced Dad's position as a strategic envoy, the Li family may be ridden on the head to and pee soon, not afraid of the tree falling down, just afraid of the wall falling down and everyone pushing it, when Hanlin wants to support our family, it will be very tired. Your brother has a ruthlessness, Dad doesn't doubt that he can be a colonel, captain or even a general, but Dad is such a son, he can't lick blood on the border all his life, and return to the locality, and then it will be a strange officialdom in civilian government, Hanlin, a martial artist who is used to killing, may not be able to bypass the bend at once, so Dad thought that while he still had weight in his words, he quickly paved the way for Hanlin's future and built a bridge. But Dad didn't have the history of Lingzhou Thorn at this time, do you think those philistine snobbery would not play the drum in their hearts? So even if Dad came to the mansion in person and personally supported His Royal Highness the Prince, he still forced himself to eat the bear's heart and leopard gall, that is, he wanted to be a thorn for another year or two with a shy face, so that he had to get acquainted with those scholars and scholars before vacating this position. And His Royal Highness, unexpectedly, he can indeed bear it, in fact, if he really wants to tear his face and get straight to the point and ask your father for this Lingzhou Thorn History, Dad doesn't dare not hand over the Lingzhou Thorn History, or he deliberately has a hippie smile, and your father half-truths and half-truths that he is not fun to be a Lingzhou general, and if he wants to make another Thorn History, Dad has to offer it with both hands. But he didn't do anything, Dad felt that he had finally passed this level at first, it was Dad who wanted to be too simple, when you told Dad that he appeared at Song Yan's house, and the two were still talking happily, Dad knew bad things, it was funny, Dad and Yan Jiexi had been fighting openly and secretly, each betting, he was unlucky, he bet on Chen Zhibao, Dad had a unique vision, bet on His Royal Highness the Prince, Yan Jiexi saw that the situation was not right, and immediately rolled up his own cover and got out, but this guy was lucky, he escaped from Beiliang, otherwise Dad would have been able to kneel for three days and three nights to intercede for him, it would not help。 At that time, my father told him that His Royal Highness the Prince of the World was not so supportable, and he always liked to slander Yan Jiexi in private for not having eyesight, but when the result came, his father realized that he was just fifty steps and a hundred steps of laughter, His Royal Highness went to Huangnan County this time, and abducted the three heads of Huangnan County, plus one Song Yan, who is estimated to become the assassin of Lingzhou soon, is amazing. Zhen'er, you always think that Hanlin joined the army and went to the border pass, and His Royal Highness harmed him, but have you ever thought about why Hanlin, such a strong seed who drilled the horns of the bull, suddenly changed into a person? The reason is actually not complicated, and you know the Tao in your heart, but you just don't want to admit it. You told your mother that your brother felt that Yan Chiji, who went to the capital, and the boy from the Kong family had become officials, and with a splendid future, Hanlin felt that he had lost face, so he gritted his teeth and worked hard. You really don't know the Hanlin before the Dao, I wish that the three brothers were all lawless, just one of them ate barely, and then he could eat and drink as a matter of course, and this life would be a mess of the past. For him at that time, he was more proud of his brother's success than his own appearance. Why did he go to the border, why did he become a crossbowman, without it, it was Hanlin Zhilu who said that among the three brothers, His Royal Highness, who he admired the most, was already able to take charge of himself, and Hanlin only began to wake up at that time, plus he has always been studying His Royal Highness, His Royal Highness is messing around, he is messing around, since His Highness is not messing around, he naturally has to feel bored, so he has become Li Hanlin who his father and sister don't know. Zhen'er, do you dare to say that today's Li Hanlin doesn't make you feel gratified? Don't you feel honored? So, what do you have to complain about His Royal Highness, in the end, you still have ...... in your heart for so many years."

Li Yingzhen said flatly: "Dad, the tea is cold, I'll help you change a cup." ”

Li Gongde handed over the teacup and sighed softly, the twisted melon is not sweet, so what about the melon he twisted? Li Gongde retracted his thoughts and muttered to himself: "Forget it, the matter has come to this, it is better not to be the assassin of Lingzhou, hurry up and let it go, and you can still be remembered by the Xu family." It's time to return Lingzhou to a safe and stable officialdom. ”

The old steward He Chang stood outside the door with a look of indignation, knocked on the door, waited until Li Gongde turned his head, and said: " Master, there is a door on the door that claims to be the late born of the old man The guy wants to see the old man, and as soon as he made a move, he gave the small twenty taels of gold, which scared the small one, if it was usual, this gold would be earned by the master, but where is his turn to bother the old man today, a scholar who has no fame and no family background and only has some money left, and he is also worthy of showing off in our Li Mansion, I really don't know what to do, and today I can't even say two words to the six-rank official. ”

Li Gongde waved his hand, He Chang also turned to leave, and then sighed and woke up: "By the way, master, the thirty-year-old descendant said that his name was Xu Hun, and he was from Danyang County, Lingzhou, and he swore that as long as he said this, the master would definitely see him." ”

Li Gongde was absentmindedly bowing his head to drink tea, his fingers trembled, and just as the old steward He Chang was about to drive the descendant who didn't know the height of the sky and the thickness of the earth out of the mansion, he didn't think that the adult raised his head and said calmly: "Bring it here." ”

The old steward sighed, didn't dare to say more, pulled his legs and turned around, and heard Li Gongde ask softly, "Is the Lingzhou General's Mansion still empty?"

He Chang nodded and said, "It's empty, the Lingzhou general hasn't returned yet." ”

Li Gongde nodded, and after the loyal old butler left, he put the teacup on the table, stood up and joked to Li Yingzhen: "Dad still has to greet guests, don't you always dislike Dad and look down on Guo Fufeng, who was born in the cold, take him to see your mother." If the girl doesn't stay, her father will open one eye and close one eye, so he should endure the pain and spill your basin of water out of the house. ”

Staying in the past, Li Yingzhen must be happy to show his face, and at this time, with his intuition, he asked in a low voice: "Dad, this guest from Danyang County named Xu Hun?"

Li Gongde smiled indifferently: "A son of an old man, I have to see it." ”

Li Yingzhen was suspicious and left the house worried. The old steward hurriedly brought Xu Hun, who didn't look like a nobleman, and the adult who had already sat back in the chair squinted his eyes and took a closer look, hesitated, grabbed the lid of the cup with two fingers, and shook the tea that was already slightly cold.

The old housekeeper walked away with interest, and Xu Hun, who was ordinary-looking, stepped into the room gently, closed the door on his own initiative, and said with a smile: "Xu Hun thanks to his deceased uncle." ”

Li Gongde didn't speak from beginning to end, and lowered his head to drink tea. The heart has long been agitated, this Xu Hun is very unfamiliar to the whole Lingzhou, I'm afraid few people can recognize it, even if they have seen it, no one will remember, but Li Gongde is different from ordinary people, when Beiliang set up the Golden Thread Weaving Bureau, located in Danyang County, according to the original intention of the imperial court, the Golden Thread Weaving Li Xifeng should have been to the imperial study in the capital, no matter how big or small, on time and close to the military intelligence officials in Beiliang to govern the money and grain and impeachment and all the dynamics of the scholars' recommendations and customs and folklore, but Li Xifeng is probably under the fence, and he knows that Xu Xiao is not easy to mess with, and has been idle, and has turned a gloomy weaving bureau into a clear water yamen with a lot of doors, It's just a New Year's holiday, symbolically visited Li Gongde Yan Jiexi and other local bigwigs, Li Xifeng often traveled to the mountains and rivers of Beiliang, and never deliberately hid it, once met with Li Gongde, who was still the governor of Fengzhou at the time, at that time Li Xifeng let a groom show up for no reason, and intentionally or unintentionally named him, introducing that it was the descendant of his distant relative's family, called Xu Hun. Li Gongde was silent for a long time, and finally raised his head and glanced at Xu Hun, this person handed something to the envoy of the scripture, "It is the handwriting of the first assistant Zhang Julu, and the subordinate province Huan Wen also has a postscript." ”

Xu Hun saw that Li Gongde had no sign of taking over at all, smiled, carefully placed it on the table, and said calmly: "If the Lord of the Scriptures can't believe the secret letter, don't worry, you can find a way to verify the handwriting and seal in private." If you can't believe that the golden thread weaves Li Xifeng, you can take Xu Hun and send it to the Lingzhou General's Mansion next door. If you can't believe Xu Hun, you can escort the Golden Thread Weaving Bureau and then transfer it to Chu Lushan. If you can't trust the court, you can read the secret letter before making a decision. ”

Li Gongde sneered in return.

Xu Hun handled it calmly.

After a cup of tea, Li Gongde glanced at the desk and asked indifferently: "Why are there two secret letters, and what is written in them?"

Xu Hun said with a smile: "Xu Hun is a messenger, even if he dies, he won't know what is written in the letter, and Li Xifeng has never touched the secret letter from beginning to end." As for why there are two secret letters, since the Lord has asked about it, indicating that there is sincerity, then Xu Hun has to die. ”

Li Gongde frowned and said, "How do you say this?"

Xu Hun said calmly: "Xu Hun has escaped all the Lingzhou spies on this trip, please rest assured." You might as well tell the adults the truth, the Lu family in Qingzhou was attacked, and the Beiliang peregrine falcon suffered heavy casualties, and Zhao Gou was even more so, in fact, the main thing was not to prevent the Lu family from going to Liang, in order to attract the attention of Lingzhou, so that Xu Hun's trip would be foolproof. But this is not enough, the court asked me to tell why there are two secret letters after you intend to accept the secret letter. One is true and one is false. The color of the vermilion mud seal is more important than the true, and the light is false. That fake letter was used as a strategy to send the adult to the hands of the prince of Beiliang, of course, except for a secret letter is not enough for the adult to clear the suspicion, so Xu Hun will die, the golden wisp weaving Li Xifeng will also die, and even the entire golden wisp weaving bureau will cease to exist from now on. But Li Xifeng has received a weaving bureau, so that the imperial court has one more pillar of the temple, and at the same time let Beiliang have one less envoy, it is worth it!"

Xu Hun spit out a huge poison pill used as a temporary suicide pill from his mouth, and after peeling it off, a small ball of paper was revealed, the broken pill was hidden in the cuff, he read what was written on the paper, stuffed the paper ball into his mouth, swallowed it in his abdomen, and said expressionlessly: "The day after tomorrow." ”

Li Gongde did not speak.

Xu Hun explained: "The prince of Beiliang arrived in Lingzhou the day after tomorrow, Xu Hun left quietly today, and came back the day after tomorrow, and the Lord of the Economic Strategy will send Xu Hun to the Lingzhou General's Mansion at that time, after Xu Hun dies, the Golden Wisp Weaving Bureau will have a group of residual dead soldiers, as well as a group of elite Zhao Gou, and leave Beiliang with the Lord of the Economic Strategy." But only a maximum of eighteen people can be carried. In order to leave smoothly, Master Li had to cooperate with us, first give up the official position of Lingzhou Assassin, and then stay in Lingzhou for at least half a year. When Zhao Gou is suitable to make a move, someone will naturally inform Master Li at that time. ”

Li Gongde sneered: "It seems that the imperial court accidentally forgot my son Li Hanlin!"

Xu Hun said with a smile: "Li Gongzi has been ordered to go to the Southern Dynasty to act secretly, and he will first stop in Gusai Prefecture, and then go east along the border of the Youliang Northern Line, enter Jizhou, and finally join Master Li in the capital." ”

Li Gongde closed his eyes, gently knocked the lid of the teacup on the edge of the teacup, and said with a slight self-deprecation: "Yan Jiexi only brought out sixteen people last time, and the court cares a lot about this official." ”

Xu Hun was silent.

Li Gongde smiled: " Let the official do the math, now my Li Gongde is already a second-grade feudal official, and then go up, Zabei Liang doesn't have to think about it, but there are not a few positions in the capital, among the six Shangshu, except for the official Shangshu who has only recently been promoted to half a grade, the others can't take it, well, presumably the fake secret letter should have killed the official Shangshu, maybe it will be more childish, what is the household Shangshu and the criminal department, but the official is very curious, before the letter is opened, what is the reward on the true letter, Zhang Julu is in charge of Shangshu Province, can not be changed, Huan Wen only ascended to the door and the province, and it will not change, then only Zhongshu Province is left, except for entering the master here, It seems that this official can also have the title of more than one cabinet scholar, Li Gongde has been addicted to officials in his life, but he really never thought that one day he would be able to become a high position on a par with big names such as his blue-eyed son and grandson Xiji. ”

Xu Hun never said a word when he shouldn't have spoken.

Li Gongde smiled and asked, "Aren't you afraid that this official will bring you a letter to His Royal Highness the Prince now?"

Xu Hun said indifferently: "It's all death, why should Xu Hun die two days early?"

Li Gongde stared at his face for a moment and nodded.

"Thank you, Lord Li, for letting Xu Hun die as he deserves. ”

Xu Hun took a deep look, gently opened and closed the door, and quietly left the mansion of the envoy.

Li Gongde stood up, walked to the table, stretched out a hand, quickly retracted it once, and then slowly stretched out his hand, but it always stopped a few inches above the two secret letters, and his face was dark and uncertain.