According to Tang Law...... The soldiers who went out to return to Chang'an, must go through the East City Gate and op so more than ten miles outside the East City Gate called the post station of the Meritorious Post, it has become a very important place, the Tang Dynasty was founded for a thousand years, I don't know how many famous generals and warriors, with glory and achievements passed by this place, the stables in the post station and the poplars on the side of the straight official road, I don't know how many historical pictures I have seen with my own eyes.

Xiahou looked at the Xiongcheng in the west, silent, according to the rules of the imperial court, he and his subordinates should spend the night in the meritorious post station, enter the city early tomorrow morning, and then go directly to the palace to meet His Majesty.

Chang'an City in the twilight looks extremely majestic, the black and cyan city wall reflects the brilliance of the sunset, glowing with purple copper, it looks so indestructible, magnificent and extraordinary.

As one of the four most noble generals of the Tang Empire, Xiahou, who has been in the army for many years, naturally has deep feelings for Chang'an City, but not many people know that although he often returns to Beijing to report on his work, the general's mansion of the general of the Zhenjun is in Beicheng, but he has not lived in Chang'an City for much time.

For decades, he spent most of his time commanding tens of thousands of iron cavalry, stationed in the cold northern frontier, opening up territory for the empire, and threatening the cavalry of the Yan Kingdom and the Left Tent Palace. Now that he has finally left the cold northern frontier, and tens of thousands of iron horsemen have all stayed near the northeast military camp in Tuyang City, the imperial court has appointed General Shu Tao to take over, so there should be no problem.

Only a few dozen pro-soldiers followed him back, and the imperial court ordered him to bring more pro-soldiers back to Chang'an, but he was very cautious on the eve of returning to old age, and did not have a car to do these measures that might arouse the suspicion of Wenchen.

In order to reassure the imperial court, Xiahou's two sons are still in Chang'an City...... Confined to the general's mansion, his wife, relatives and loyal old servants had already returned to his hometown a few months ago, renovated the old fields, and took out the vegetables from the old cellar and turned them over, preparing to welcome his return to old age.

Of course, that is not Xiahou's real hometown, his real hometown is in the Arctic Cold Region...... It was the largest tribe of the Desolate People...... As the desolate people moved south, he could never go back to that old home...... Maybe since the day he betrayed Mingzong, he couldn't go back.

"Gu Xi is dead, Lin Ling is dead, and many people who followed him back then are dead......"

As the sun sank, the sky became darker and darker, and the copper-colored Chang'an city wall was gradually painted with an ominous blood red, Xiahou squinted at that side, thinking about the gradual departure of his cronies at the cost of death over the years, and couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

In the spring, the news of the death of Huang Xing and Yu Shuizhu spread from Chang'an City to the barracks, and this news did not make him sentimental...... But it made him a little cautious.

Sentimentality and caution are not the feelings that a strong person should have, and Xiahou has been forcibly suppressing these feelings, so he began to feel tired and coughed in the twilight.

The Datang military is a place where the strong are worshipped...... If you are an ordinary general, you are never willing to cough in front of your subordinates and show your vulnerable side. But Xiahou didn't care...... Because he knows how powerful he is in the eyes of his subordinates...... And he knew he was still strong.

Just like Xu Shi, the general of Zhenguo, he has been coughing for more than ten years, but he is still the first person in the Tang military, whether it is prestige or the favor of the axis, there will never be anyone to replace him.

Xiahou coughed repeatedly, probably thinking that after entering Chang'an City tomorrow, he would be armorless and light, and he didn't even have the last trace of fear, so he coughed very happily and even seemed a little presumptuous.

Standing at the door of the post station, the pro-soldier captain looked at the general's generous figure in front of him, listening to the coughing sound, with a worried look on his face, in his eyes, the general was indeed still strong, but in the wasteland, he had seen several battles between the strong man of the Demon Sect and the general, so he was very worried.

At this moment, the ground outside the wall of the post station suddenly trembled slightly, and neither the respectful officials in the post station nor the miscellaneous guards of Xiahou noticed the trembling horse.

Although Xia Hou was a peak martial arts powerhouse and one of the most powerful and terrifying men in the world, he was not a true god, so it was impossible for his cough to make the earth tremble.

He quietly looked at Chang'an City at sunset, then turned around and walked into the post station.

Someone was waiting for him in the inn room.

It was an extremely tall and burly man, half a head taller than Xiahou, with a solemn expression and a straight body, like an indestructible mountain.

This man was wearing a cloth robe, and traces of armor could be faintly seen under the thin fabric, and a solemn rune aura seeped out from under the cloth.

When Xia Hou stood in front of this mountain-like man, he was obviously shorter than the other party, but he felt more burly and powerful than the other party, so he didn't need to look up.

"If it is seen that Luo Kedi, the leader of the Xiling Temple's divine guards, suddenly appears in the post station closest to Chang'an City, it will definitely be considered a provocation to the Tang Dynasty. ”

He looked at the man coldly and said, "I know that you are a proud person, but do you really think that I don't have a master in the Tang Tianshu Division?" In this Chang'an City behind us, there are at least ten people who can easily kill you, and you appeared in front of me at this time, completely looking for death." ”

Luo Kedi said: "Since I dare to come, I am naturally not afraid of death, and in my opinion, General Xiahou, your return to Chang'an City is more like looking for death, can you come out alive again?"

Xiahou's expression remained unchanged, and he said indifferently: "In those small countries of the Southern Jin Dynasty and Song Yue, your status in the temple can allow you to gain infinite respect, but this is outside Chang'an City, in my eyes, you are just a dog raised in charge, what qualifications do you have to talk to me in this tone?"

A trace of anger flashed in the depths of Luo Kedi's eyes, but he forcibly suppressed it, and said with a sneer: "I admit that I am a dog raised by the master of the sect, and even if you are a male lion raised by Haotian, now that you have lost your sharpness and want to return to Chang'an City, do you really want to make your enemy happy?......

Xiahou shouted in a deep voice: "This is an agreement reached between General Ben and the academy, looking at the world, who dares to obstruct it? Even your master does not have this ability!"

"The temple would love to see General Xiahou have a good old age, but are you really willing?"

Luo Kedi took out a letter with a rune fire seal, handed it over, and said, "This is a personal letter from the master of the sect, and he invited the general to Xiling...... No, it's back to Xiling. ”

Xia Hou took the letter, and his expression still did not change.

Luo Kedi said: "The temple needs your strength very much, and the master of the sect said that returning to old age does not mean that you will live in the countryside forever, and there will always be a time to return." ”

Xia Hou looked at him, and the two eyebrows as tough as iron were slightly raised...... Said, "What can you give me?"

Luo Kedi said: "Since you are loyal to the queen mother, then the Xiling Temple promises that in the future in the battle for the throne of the Tang Dynasty, the temple will do its best to help the prince under the queen mother's knee succeed." ”

With the terrifying strength of the Xiling Temple, Titao has been ti Tao for a long time, and throwing out such a heavy bet with no room for him, for Xiahou...... I have to say that it is a very sincere invitation.

However, to Luo Kedi's surprise, in the face of the sincerity of the master of the sect, Xia Hou did not show the expected reaction at all, but said directly: "Don't send it." ”

Roke suppressed his anger and said, "The temple needs an answer. ”

Xia Hou said: "I am very emotional, and then I will seriously consider it, this is the answer." The ground of the Meritorious Post trembled slightly again...... Luo Kedi left quietly, and the officials and people in Chang'an City who were preparing for the welcome ceremony probably would never know that the Divine Guard Commander of the Xiling Temple had come to Chang'an City...... And tried to take General Xiahou to another path.

Looking at the handwritten letter from the Xiling Sect in his hand, Xia Hou showed a sneering smile on his face.

He knew that it was indeed a handwritten letter from the head of the sect, because all these years...... He had already received seven handwritten letters from the head of the sect, and he was very familiar with the handwriting on the cover of the letter.

He ridiculed the intention of the Xiling Temple, one to help the queen's biological prince ascend to the throne of the Tang Dynasty......? Knowing that the prince has half of the blood of a desolate man in his body, the breath of Mingzong, do the big people in the temple still dare to do this?

The mocking smile on Xia Hou's face turned into self-deprecation faintly, and his fingers were slightly forced, ready to crush this handwritten letter from the Xiling Sect into powder, but he didn't know why, he hesitated for a moment and then stopped moving.

General Xiahou, who has been stationed in northern Xinjiang for decades for the Tang Empire, was willing to disarm and return to old age without mentioning any conditions.

In the early morning, under the enthusiastic guidance of the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the loving gaze of the Yulin Army, Xiahou put on a brand new armor and rode to Chang'an City with dozens of personal soldiers.

The official road in front of the east gate of Chang'an City has already been sprinkled and cleaned, and in the solemn sound of music, His Royal Highness Li Youyan, the Prince of the Tang Dynasty, took hundreds of civil and military officials out of the city to wait, and countless celebrities in the city were waiting for him.

The imperial court had already prepared the will, just waiting for Xiahou to enter the palace to meet the decree, at this time was quietly resting in the palace under the will, with a dazzling reward and knighthood looking at the black crowd from afar, Xiahou ignored the persuasion of the officials of the Ministry of Rites, turned over and dismounted in advance, and pulled Ma Jiang to walk towards that side.

His Royal Highness looked at this scene, shook his head with a smile, waved his hand away from the eunuchs beside him, and walked towards him at the same time.

In front of the exit pavilion outside the east gate, the two met.

Xiahou calmly saluted His Royal Highness the Prince.

Li Youyan was a little difficult to calm down, looked at his dark face as iron, and said with emotion: "It's good to come back." ”

The Tang courtiers did not like General Xiahou, who was known for his arrogance and extravagance.

Because for decades, it has been rumored in the world that Xiahou killed prisoners, indiscriminately killed innocents and pretended to be military exploits, I don't know how many Tang laws were violated, but there has been no evidence, and everyone knows that this general is deeply valued by the empress, so it is equivalent to saying that he is also very valued by the emperor's majesty.

Probably because of this reason, the people of Chang'an City do not love General Xiahou as sincerely as they do for the other three generals of the empire, although Xiahou did not kill the Tang people indiscriminately, but the people of Chang'an, who are simple and direct in thinking, always feel that violence is not a real skill.

After all, Xiahou has been stationed in the cold and bitter northern Xinjiang for the empire for decades, and he is still warmly welcomed by Chang'an City today, and the crowded people on both sides of the street are split, and there are cheers and applause from time to time.

There was a teahouse on the side of the long street, and the shopkeeper and the men in the teahouse all ran out into the street to welcome the return of the general, and no one paid any attention to the business, but fortunately, there were not many guests in the teahouse itself at this time.

Ning Que and Sang Sang sat at the table by the window.

He listened to the cheers and applause coming from the long street, looked at the back of Xiahou who was rowing and riding past the teahouse, and said after a moment of silence: "Compared with Tuyang City, he is really much older. ”

(To be continued)