After Lord Chengfan issued the holy decree, Rong Gao went to work on official business. Taihao and Yingyu returned to the inn where they stayed the day before yesterday, because their package was still there.

When they arrived at the inn, they took their long swords to the backyard of the inn to find a spacious place and practice swordsmanship together.

I saw that they were holding long swords, and their bodies were like flowing water, and every move was full of power and beauty.

They practiced in the backyard for a long time, and they didn't stop until noon, when an innkeeper told them that lunch was ready.

After lunch, Tai Hao returned to his room, he lay on the bed, feeling the afternoon silence in the inn, with the occasional sound of insects chirping and the rustle of the leaves in the breeze outside the window.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, interrupting Taihao's sleepiness just now. Taihao opened the door and saw that it was a soldier, and the soldier arched his hand and said, "Lord Taihao, Lord Chengfan asked the little one to come and inform you that the emperor's army is about to arrive outside the city gate." ”

Taihao was shocked, and hurriedly called Yingyu and followed the soldiers to the city gate. Seeing that the officials of Heavenly Snow City and Lord Chengfan were already waiting outside the city gate, Taihao and Yingyu saluted them one by one, and then quietly watched the emperor's motorcade coming from a distance.

When the army was about 100 meters from the city gate, the officials, soldiers, and civilians who had come to greet them knelt on the ground. Taihao and Yingyu also knelt down, their hearts full of awe and reverence.

The army slowly stopped at the gate of the city, and the emperor got out of the car, only to hear the city lord of Ronggao shouting: "Welcome Your Majesty to Tianxue City, long live my emperor, long live, long live!" ”

Xuan Yu shouted: "Flat." The officials, the soldiers, and the people stood up. Xuanyu smiled and nodded in greeting to the crowd who came to greet the holy driver. Taihao felt the emperor's affinity, and admired him even more in his heart.

"Taihao, you follow me to the carriage, we will enter the city together, I have something to say to you." The emperor said cordially to Taihao.

Tai Hao hurriedly followed the emperor into the carriage, only to hear a chief manager shouting: "Start driving, ......" The army continued to move forward and entered Tianxue City.

In the carriage, Tai Hao first bowed to the emperor. Then he asked, "I wonder what Your Majesty has to say to Wei Chen?" ”

Xuan Yu looked at Tai Hao with a smile and asked, "Have you ever received my will?" ”

"Early this morning, I heard Master Cheng Fan read it." Taihao replied.

Xuan Yu continued: "This crusade against the traitors, you went with King Cheng, King Cheng has rich combat experience, so King Cheng served as the general of the crusade against thieves this time, and you are the deputy general." ”

Tai Hao asked: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen has something unclear, let King Cheng be a general, is it just because he has rich combat experience?" ”

Xuan Yu thought for a while and said, "Have you heard some rumors?" ”

Taihao didn't dare to hide it, so he told the emperor that he heard that His Royal Highness Chengwang had the intention of usurping the throne and plotting against him.

Xuanyu sighed and said: "These are all nonsense, King Cheng is loyal and dedicated to the country, and he will never do such a thing." I have found out the truth, and these rumors are all rumors spread by traitors, and they must not be trusted. ”

Taihao listened to the emperor's words and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He knew that the emperor trusted His Royal Highness King Cheng very much, and he should also believe in his loyalty and ability.

Xuan Yu said: "This crusade against the traitors is very important, and you need to go out with King Cheng to complete the task together. You will work closely together and support each other to defend against the traitors. ”

Taihao nodded, saying that he would definitely do his duty and live up to the expectations of the emperor and the people.

"Wechen will definitely do his duty and complete the task." Taihao solemnly assured Xuanyu.

Xuan Yu continued, "I believe in your strength and talent, and I believe that you are up to the task. But remember, war is brutal and you need to be vigilant at all times to keep yourself and your allies safe. ”

Taihao solemnly assured the emperor: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that Wechen will always be vigilant and protect the safety of himself and his companions. ”

Xuan Yu's voice became a little weak again, and he said, "In the past few days, the old diseases on my body have recurred more frequently, which is a bad sign. If the time is near, then only this cousin of mine will inherit the throne......"

Tai Hao hurriedly comforted: "Your Majesty, don't say that, Wei Chen saw that your dragon body has recovered well, maybe because the terrain here is higher, Your Majesty's dragon body is not suitable for a while, and it will be fine in two days." ”

Tai Hao's words made Xuan Yu smile slightly, he knew that Tai Hao was comforting him, but he also knew that his body was really not good.

"Thank you for your concern, Taihao. I also hope to be able to recover my health as soon as possible, but ......" Xuanyu paused and continued: "Having said that, I will still consider the succession to the throne, and if I really come to an end, I hope that you can help King Cheng ascend the throne smoothly." ”

Taihao listened to the emperor's words, and was a little shocked and uneasy in his heart. But he still solemnly assured the emperor: "When the time comes, Weichen will definitely follow His Majesty's will and do his best to assist His Royal Highness Chengwang so that he can successfully ascend the throne and become emperor." Then, in a puzzled tone, he asked, "Just...... How can Weichen He De help His Royal Highness the King? ”

Xuanyu said: "In the Eastern Empire, there are many potential rebels who covet the throne and want to seize power. Although I have no son, the passing of the throne to my cousin has never happened in history. Let me ask you a question, do you think Seung-beom is my confidant? ”

"Yes, Weichen knows that Lord Chengfan has always been His Majesty's right-hand man, and he has always been loyal to His Majesty, without the slightest second-heartedness." Taihao replied.

Xuan Yu nodded and said, "Cheng Fan is indeed my confidant, but in the political struggle, I don't have a so-called henchman to speak of. Seung Beom was absolutely opposed to me passing the throne to King Cheng, he had always wanted King Cheng's son to become the next emperor, and there were many ministers who were willing to do the same, and their reason was that the throne must be passed on to the next generation. There are also some officials who want to support Princess Changxiang as the empress, and their reason is that the succession to the throne must be my child. Of course, I have recently heard from a minister of the DPRK and China that the next throne should be passed to the concubine Shaoling, which is simply nonsense. Xuanyu lifted the curtain on the carriage window, looked out, and continued: "Diaotang, the daughter of King Cheng, was made a princess by me, and made peace with Zampu of the Tubo Kingdom, and she contributed to our Eastern Empire. I promised King Cheng that I would not treat him badly. I can't be swayed by the ministers in the court who have dissenting views on the succession to the throne, and I am the son of heaven, and I must keep my word. ”

"But Weichen's identity is only the general who guards the city, how can Weichen influence the thoughts of other ministers of the court?" Taihao asked.

Xuan Yu smiled and continued: "Your loyalty and ability have been recognized by me, and I have already informed you in the will I gave you, let you command 200,000 soldiers and horses, in the Eastern Empire, you can lead 200,000 soldiers and horses, it proves your identity, but you are not just a city defender." ”

Taihao was confused again when he heard this, Xuan Yu saw his doubts, and continued: "It's not that time yet, you just need to remember that when the time comes, you can support the king as the emperor." Of course, the most important thing now is to put down the rebellion. ”

At this point, the carriage slowly stopped. Tai Hao heard the footsteps of soldiers and the sound of lifting the sedan curtain outside the car, and he knew that they had arrived at the emperor's palace.

A soldier walked up to the carriage, respectfully lifted the curtain of the carriage, and then reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the palace has arrived. ”

Xuan Yu smiled and nodded, motioning for the soldiers to lower the sedan curtain. He stepped out of the carriage and stepped on solid ground, feeling a breath of fresh air and tranquility.

Tai Hao also got out of the carriage, Rong Gao, Cheng Fan and other ministers had also come to the gate of the emperor's palace, Ying Yu also followed, Tai Hao walked to Ying Yu's side, they looked at each other and smiled. Then, they followed the emperor together and walked into the palace.

The architecture of this palace is unique, the palace is tall and magnificent. The exterior walls of the palace are covered with red glazed tiles, which is very ornate. There is a wide square in front of the palace that is planted with all kinds of flowers and trees, which makes them feel refreshed. Xuan Yu ordered the army soldiers to rest in the square, and only let some officials continue to follow him forward.

Tai Hao saw a tall statue in the center of the square, with a phoenix carved on it, lifelike, as if it was about to spread its wings and fly. He knew that this was the phoenix, the national bird of the Eastern Empire, symbolizing the prosperity and prosperity of the country.

Walking into the interior of the palace, Taihao saw many exquisite furnishings and decorations. The walls of the palace are hung with many famous paintings and calligraphy, each of which is priceless. The floor is covered with a thick carpet, which is soft and comfortable to step on. There are also many precious artifacts and relics in the palace, which makes him dizzy.

At this time, the officials in the palace, in addition to the officials from Tianxue City, there were also civil and military ministers who followed the emperor from the capital. They were all important officials of the Eastern Empire, with different positions and powers.

Tai Hao noticed that among those ministers, in addition to Lord Chengfan, there were two officials he knew and could be named, and they were the two prime ministers, Zhengqi and Liangyu. Taihao remembered that when he didn't go to Pinghe City to be the deputy general of the city, Prime Minister Liangyu taught him a lot of things, which benefited him a lot.

Tai Hao looked at those ministers and thought to himself, these ministers are the pillars of the Eastern Empire, and their ability and wisdom are crucial to the stability and development of the country. Although he is a small general defending the city, he must always pay attention to national affairs and learn from the experience and wisdom of these ministers.

In the council hall, civil and military officials stand on both sides, with civil officials on the left and military attachés on the right. Under the auspices of the emperor, Taihao and other officials discussed how to deal with the attack of traitors and how to ensure the safety of people's lives and property. They expressed their opinions and put forward different opinions and suggestions. Taihao has been actively participating in the discussion and trying his best to put forward his own opinions and suggestions.

Xuan Yu asked Rong Gao: "Rong Gao Aiqing, I came to ask you, can you gather 200,000 soldiers and horses in Tianxue City within seven days?" ”

When Rong Gao heard this, his heart tightened. He knew it was a difficult question, but he also knew it had to be answered. So, he took a deep breath, and then said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, it is not easy to use seven days to gather 200,000 soldiers and horses. Although there were 100,000 soldiers in Heavenly Snow City, it would take a certain amount of time and preparation to get them all assembled. Moreover, if you want to gather so many people in a short period of time, you also need to consider the allocation of materials, training, and so on. ”