Lu Ze got up to say goodbye after eating and drinking.

The words of the warning just now are enough to bear the banquet of King Mu's Mansion today.

Mu Qing left with the same interest soon after.

Only the Nihuang County Lord and Xia Dong were left in the side hall, and the atmosphere suddenly became cold.

The relationship between the two of them was already irreversible, if it weren't for the case of the Red Flame Army's rebellion back then, which was like a chasm between the two, they wouldn't have been so little in contact over the years.

And because of the assassination on the outskirts of Beijing, the relationship between the two has finally eased a little this year.

"Lu Hou is a very interesting person."

"If you will marry him, I will recognize you as a friend."

Xia Dong spoke softly.

It's just that the words are very contradictory to what Lu Ze said when he was at the table just now.

The Nihuang County Lord smiled faintly and said, "Didn't you just suggest that I get together with him?" ”

Xia Dong looked at the flickering candle in the hall, and his eyes were shining: "No matter how much he thinks about it and has great ambitions, there is only one good thing, that is, it has nothing to do with the things of the year, and the foundation of the Wuwei Marquis Mansion in Jinling City is clean enough." ”

"Otherwise, Your Majesty would not have given Lu Hou such an extraordinary holy favor."

Although Xia Dong doesn't like the intrigue and party strife in the court, she looks at many things from the Hanging Mirror Division and can see the essence through the surface.

Lu Ze became a hot figure in Kyoto, and at a young age, he took charge of the 30,000 soldiers and horses in the two states of Gan and Zi in the west, of course, not only because Lu Ze himself has the ability, but also has a relationship with the court, bloodline, and saints behind him.

The emperor acquiesced in the party struggle and even allowed his two sons to fight each other.

But Emperor Liang also understood that the imperial court needed people to do practical things.

Especially places like the border.

Lu Ze inherited the marquis of Wuwei and stood out from the battlefield in the west.

There are many similarities between the situation and the Nihuang County lord wearing filial piety clothes and fighting Nanchu back then.

Xia Dong looked at his friend's cheek like this, thinking about a lot of things, and his tone became gentle: "Although I don't like Lu Hou in some places, it is undeniable that Lu Ze is an extremely good person, and he is Wuhou, I know that the person you like must be a heroic man who can fight with you." ”

The Nihuang County Lord's eyebrows lowered: "This matter, let's talk about it later." ”

She still wanted to see again.

After Xia Dong left, Nihuang leaned on the wooden chair behind him alone, quickly went through the topics discussed at today's banquet in his mind, slowly got up and walked into the courtyard, looking at the location of the palace in the north.

"Ancestral sacrifice..."

"Your Majesty, do you really ignore my thoughts at all?"

She is Mu Nihuang, a handsome woman in the south, and there are 100,000 iron horsemen from Mu Wangfu behind her.

If Concubine Yue was demoted and moved out of Qingyi Palace in less than two months and restored the glory of the concubine, His Majesty the Emperor would not be afraid of the cold heart of the Nihuang County Lord and the entire Mu Wangfu?

As it turned out, there was really no fear.

Of course, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not perceive the place where the ancestral sacrifice could be operated, or Marquis Xie was keenly aware of this, Xie Yu secretly suggested that the prince should use this opportunity to enter the palace to cry and repent to the emperor, and ask for the restoration of the concubine position, even if it cannot be directly restored to the rank of the concubine, at least to fight for the position of the first palace.

The location of Qingyi Palace is far away from the harem, and it is no different from the Cold Palace.

The prince was overjoyed when he heard Xie Yu's idea, he made careful preparations, and then entered the palace and lay down in front of Emperor Liang's knees, crying bitterly for a full hour, desperately showing the benevolence and filial piety of the prince of the East Palace.

Actor, he's really professional.

Even Emperor Liang was moved by the prince's 'true cry', and he couldn't help but hesitate in his heart.

Compared with the old and decrepit palace, the graceful woman Yue is the emperor's beloved harem concubine, whether it is on the bed or below, it is very much in line with the emperor's heart, and Emperor Liang during this time really feels that there is something missing around him.

The Yue clan has only been deposed for a few months, and if it is so easy to be exempted, I am afraid that the Nihuang County Lord will be cold.

The crown prince was instructed and knew what Emperor Liang was hesitating, so he immediately hugged his legs, burst into tears, and said: "Father, the county lord's ministers will personally come to the door to apologize and compensate, and the county lord is well aware of the righteousness, and must understand that this is all for the year-end sacrifice and the stability of my Liang country." ”

His Majesty the Emperor was obviously moved, so he ordered Chen Yuan, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, to enter the palace for an audience.

The prince's sobbing became smaller, but his heart was overjoyed.

This is exactly the same as what Xie Yu said!

Chen Lao Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites is a veteran of the two dynasties, and he only admits death in this life, even if His Majesty the Emperor is at fault, this old Shangshu will leave no room to express his heart, and the prince and King Yu tossed so much in the court that they failed to shake him at all. It was because of this old Shangshu that the Ministry of Rites was lucky enough to become the only department among the six ministries that did not belong to any faction.

Of course, the most fundamental reason is that there is too little oil and water in the Ministry of Rites.

In addition, with such a stinky stone as Chen Laoshangshu, the prince and King Yu are unwilling to mix more with the Ministry of Rites.

Chen Yuanzhi is thin, his beard and hair are white, and he is already in his old age.

The emperor gave him a seat, and then asked about the year-end ancestral sacrifice, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was on the side to help replenish it.

Chen Laoshangshu didn't know the real reason why Concubine Yue was deposed, he only thought about the edict at that time, and thought that it was caused by a trivial dispute in the palace, so he did not object to His Majesty's consultation at this time.

Although there was no objection from the Ministry of Rites, Emperor Liang was still a little hesitant in his heart.

At this moment, Xie Yu entered the palace to invite him on the grounds of patrolling the camp, and the prince's eyes suddenly lit up, and the joy was fleeting.

Emperor Liang took in the changes in the prince's face.

Emperor Liang ordered someone to summon Xie Yu in, and then asked Xie Houye's opinion on whether the Yue clan should be reinstated.

Xie Yu thought for a while, and replied: "The minister thinks that the prince is virtuous, and the Yue family has made great contributions, and has been in the harem for many years, and has been loyal to His Majesty and takes care of him carefully. ”

"It's just that this is His Majesty's family affair after all."

"Now that Your Majesty's Sacred Heart has returned, and the intention is to be gracious, it is only a matter of will, so why hesitate?"

Emperor Liang listened to Xie Yu's answer, and was more certain about the relationship between him and the crown prince, but at this time, the emperor still wanted to know the opinion of Xie Yu, a person in the military lineage, and said with a smile: "Of course, the Yue clan has insulted Nihuang in the palace, and I am worried that an easy pardon will chill the hearts of the soldiers in the southern realm." ”

Hou Ye Xie felt the emperor's gaze, and always felt that the emperor's gaze was very meaningful.

But he still said according to the established saying, starting from the way of the monarch and the minister, and talked loudly: "If the subordinate is resentful because the superior is stunned for a while, this is not the way of the minister, even if the county lord has a high merit, but His Majesty has made a clear decree to reprimand the imperial concubine and punish the prince for her, which is really a great favor." The end-of-year ceremony is the most important ceremony of the country..."

Xie Houye's last words were poor and clear: "The minister was originally born in the army, so he naturally understands that the most likely person in the army is to grow up and be proud of his merits, and His Majesty should deliberately suppress it." ”

Xie Yu made a pun.

These words not only meant to the Nihuang County Lord and the Mu Wangfu behind him, but also implied Lu Ze.

Your Majesty, you have given too much to the Holy Favor of Marquis Lu during this time.

Emperor Liang frowned and snorted softly: "Nihuang is not such a person. ”

Although it was only for temptation, Xie Yu's words inevitably had a slight impact on Emperor Liang.

Xie Yu hurriedly knelt on the ground, bowed his head and apologized: "Of course, the minister didn't say that the Nihuang County Lord, just to remind Your Majesty that the Red Flame Army was so big that such a rebellion occurred, why not because Your Majesty trusted too much and did not control it earlier." ”

The hall suddenly became extremely quiet.

Emperor Liang remained silent, looked at Xie Yu who was kneeling on the ground not far away, and said in a cold voice: "The year-end ceremony is an important ceremony for the country, and the Yue family was convicted and demoted. ”

The prince was stunned.

Xie Yu, who knelt on the ground and didn't get up, was even more stunned.

The Emperor then closed his eyes wearily and waved his hand in the air.

And Gao Zhan, who had a full view of everything that happened today, said with a deep understanding of the holy will: "Your Majesty is tired, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Marquis Xie should step back together." ”

The prince couldn't control it for a while, his face showed a look of shock, and he just wanted to open his mouth but was secretly glared at by Xie Yu.

Xie Houye's body walked out of the hall extremely cold, his heart was full of strong doubts and faint uneasiness, everything today was going according to the trajectory expected by Xie Yu - the prince cried bitterly, and used the year-end ceremony to win a glimmer of life for the Yue family; His Majesty elected Chen Yuan, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, to enter the palace directly; Xie Yu turned to ask for a face under the pretext of military affairs, and became the best camel straw.

Out of the door of the main hall, Xie Yu did not greet the prince excessively, but walked lightly on the white jade steps, and the cold sunlight sprinkled on his body.

It takes about a stick of incense to come out of Taiqing Palace until you walk out of the palace gate.

Along the way, many things came to Xie Yu's mind.

Fragments of memories emerge one by one, and in the end, they are locked on a very small matter.

"Tianquan Villa, assassinate Lu Hou."

Xie Yu raised his head and looked directly at the bright sun above his head, only to feel that the clouds in his mind had dissipated, and he suddenly became brighter.

Your Majesty has long known about the relationship between me and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so it is not surprising that today's matter will come to such an ending as it is now, His Majesty the Emperor is not a stupid monarch who has been united and fooled together, and the matter of Concubine Yue's reinstatement has come to naught, and he, a first-class military marquis, has also begun to be disgusted by His Majesty.

Xie Yu walked out of the palace gate, and the carriage of Ning Guohou's Mansion stopped in the square in front of the gate.

The soldiers who came and went on patrol looked at Xie Houye's eyes full of admiration and respect, and Xie Yu got into the carriage expressionlessly.

"I'm so stupid."

"Lu Ze is a temperament that must be repaid."

Xie Yu finally understood that he had been cheated.

His wife Liyang leaked the matter planned by Zhaoren Palace, and Lu Ze successfully stripped the hidden Xie Yu in front of Emperor Liang with the assassination of Tianquan Villa.

Xie Yu said again: "I'm too stupid. ”

......

"Of course Marquis Xie is not stupid."

"It's just that in matters related to the prince and the Yue family, he takes it for granted."

In the Wuwei Hou Mansion, Lu Ze and his mother sat opposite each other and drank afternoon tea.

After listening to Lu Ze's words, Liu Qiushuang looked at his young son with extremely unfamiliar eyes, and said in shock: "Ningguo Marquis Xie Yu, the pillar of the imperial court, can he fall so easily?" ”

Liu Qiushuang felt that her world was spinning.

After Lu Ze returned to Beijing, he set off a lot of storms in Jinling City, but Liu Qiushuang never thought that her son's hand was so big, and she was deeply shocked by such a heart and courage.

Lu Ze shook his head: "Of course Hou Ye Xie has not fallen, but he needs to let some things out." ”

"For example, the patrol battalion, for example, the holy grace that hangs over him."

Liu Qiushuang was puzzled: "But why do you want to do this... Why bother? ”

Liu Qiushuang sighed, she had hit it off at first sight with the eldest princess of Liyang over the years, the last time the eldest princess ventured to come to the Marquis Mansion of Wuwei to deliver the news, but now her own mansion and the Marquis of Ningguo's Mansion are in such a relationship as they are now.

Lu Ze refilled the cup with his mother for himself, and said with a smile: "Because this Xie Hou Ye always makes trouble for me." ”

Yes.

I will repay it.

"The main reason is still Xie Yu himself."

"Hou Ye Xie found that his career has come to an end, and in the future, at best, he will be a false position from a first-class product and retire with honor."

Liu Qiushuang asked, "Is there anything wrong with this?" ”

"For ambitious people, of course, it's not a good ending, Marquis Xie may want to make the Xie family into a national mansion with a similar status as the Liu family."

"It's a pity that he tempted me too much, and I don't like it, so I can only tell the other party in this way."

Lu Ze smiled and chatted with his mother about the soon-to-be-opened shabu shabu restaurant.

"Your Majesty inscription?"

"How is that possible?"

Liu Qiushuang's reaction was similar to Xia Dong's.

How can His Majesty the Emperor deign to write an inscription in such a private business hall?

Lu Ze only felt that everyone was still not optimistic enough about him, so he said helplessly: "Xie Yu still has the four characters of the Pillar Stone of Protecting the Country at home, and I am now on the battlefield, so it is not a matter to ask Your Majesty to help inscribe a word." ”

Maybe only Lu Ze alone knows what the fundamental reason for Emperor Liang to give him endless holy grace is.

Compared to this reason, what is the inscription?

Lu Ze actually entered the palace the next day after returning to Beijing, and no one knew about it, only Gao Zhan, who accompanied the emperor, knew about it, so Lu Ze was able to wander around the palace at will, and he was even accompanied by Gao Gonggong.

"I want to sweep the world, and the biggest help at the moment must be the old emperor."

"Your Majesty may not have much faith in my ambitions, but he is willing to push me out and erect this new banner."

"In the West."

After all these years, the three words of the Red Flame Army are still a thorn in Emperor Liang's heart, and the emperor wants to completely eliminate the influence of the Red Flame Army on himself and Liang, because although those people are dead, their souls are still there.

Lu Ze is the brand new banner.

In the court, the people who can always stand in it do not rely on the so-called ability, relationship or background.

Rather, it relies on four simple words: indispensable.

There are many smart people in Kyoto, but very few people understand these four words.