Pei Xiaoyuan was stunned and came back to his senses.

"Your Majesty, Wei Chen has heard a little."

The people behind the curtain were silent, and Pei Xiaoyuan lowered his eyes slightly.

"Do you know that he has a son who is still alive?" The voice asked slowly.

"I don't know." He really didn't know that.

"Then I will tell you that his name is Li Yan."

Pei Xiaoyuan did not respond.

"Do you know why I summoned you here tonight?"

"I don't know."

"You come forward!"

"Weichen doesn't dare to face the sky."

"I order you to come forward!"

Pei Xiaoyuan walked as he said. He lifted the curtain in front of him, walked behind the screen, and stopped.

Behind the screen, which was blocked by a screen, was originally an inner sanctum, which was arranged as a vihara. Unlike the bright lights in front of the curtain, the light in the ashram is dim. Through the light in front of the screen, Pei Xiaoyuan saw a bed in the center, and a hazy figure sat on it.

He hesitated, walked on, stepped into the retreat, and finally saw the appearance of the current emperor. He wore a wide gray slanted robe and sat cross-legged on a hemp futon. When he was young, this man's appearance must have been extremely outstanding, but now the emperor is thin and his cheeks are sunken, and even in such dim light, he can't hide the aging state around his body.

For some reason, in a flash, he felt that the contours of the emperor's face seemed to be familiar, but this feeling was fleeting. He stopped, knelt again before the emperor who was sitting cross-legged on the futon, and soon came to his feet.

"Li Yan, the son of Prince Jingsheng, is now outside, dreaming of foolishness, claiming to be orthodox, and has been secretly running around with the old party all these years, in a vain attempt to instigate the following vassal kings who were not dead to make the alliance rebellious again. This celebration of longevity is an excellent opportunity for him to join up with his henchmen to cause trouble, and it is not impossible for him to sneak into the capital to contact the old people. I order you to remove the calamity for me, and use the opportunity of longevity to uproot Li Yan and his comrades! ”

Pei Xiaoyuan was stunned, "I'm afraid Weichen can't take on such a heavy responsibility!" Please choose another suitable person from the court, so as not to delay important matters. ”

The emperor on the seat snorted lightly from his nose: "Wang Zhang, Liu Ceye in the court, and the generals in the Southern and Northern Divisions, all of them are either fighting for power and profit, or they are getting by but seeking no fault, protecting their own glory, whether they can use it or not, where to use it, I know it in my heart, I don't need you to say more!" ”

"Your Majesty, Wechen is really—"

"Why, you don't want to?"

Before Pei Xiaoyuan finished speaking, the emperor interrupted his words, leaned forward suddenly, put one hand on his bent knee, and his eyes fell on his face.

At this moment, the emperor on the futon was no longer in a declining state, and suddenly became a fierce tiger standing on top of the rock, his eyes were cold and solemn.

"Sixteen years ago, the feudal king rebelled, causing foreign invasions, and the world was almost half tilted, and countless Li people were devastated. You were young, but you shouldn't remember it, right? ”

"What is one, how can it be any more?"

Finally he asked, almost sharply.

Pei Xiaoyuan was silent.

The Emperor stared at him for a moment, then slowly retracted.

"I've been paying attention to you for a long time, and I use you this time to trust you."

He had regained his original demeanor, and said lightly, then he got down from the futon, and his feet landed on a huge piece of ground embroidered with crane grass, and slowly paced back and forth in the ashram.

"I decided to add another Lu Wusi under Jin Wuwei, and externally I said that I was in charge of the maintenance of longevity, but in fact I carried out the important task of purging Li Yan and his comrades. No matter who is involved, no matter what kind of family, as long as it is verified, I will not allow it to live—"

He stopped and turned to face Pei Xiaoyuan.

"Pei Xiaoyuan takes the order!"

Pei Xiaoyuan knelt down again.

"I give you the rank of captain of the light car on the eight turns and four grades, worship the Zhonglang general, take charge of the Jin Wuwei Lu Wu Division, and open the government office. Except for Han Kerang, the general of Jinwu, no one in the court can control it, and all the people from the left and right Jinwuwei from the rank of the sixth rank can be called by you anytime, anywhere! ”

Pei Xiaoyuan's figure condensed slightly.

"What, you're still not satisfied?"

"Thank you for your kindness."

Pei Xiaoyuan slowly kowtowed to the ground.

The emperor put his hands behind his back, his big sleeves hung down to the ground, looked at him for a long time, and said, "Stand down!" Three days later, I went out of the court and announced the matter. ”

Pei Xiaoyuan kowtowed again, immediately got up, slowly retreated under the gaze of the person opposite, and after exiting the fine house, he turned around and left.

"The eastern capital was left behind to make King Ning return to Beijing due to illness. Pei Ji was an old minister of the two dynasties, with profound qualifications and outstanding prestige. Over the years, he has also benefited the people a lot in the local area, and no one is more suitable for this position than him. I have sent someone to send an order, ordering him to replace King Ning as the envoy to the eastern capital, and he will arrive in a few days. ”

Suddenly, there was a flat voice behind him.

Li Yong, the king of Ning, is the imperial brother of the saint, who is highly respected and has always had a close relationship with the saint, and has been serving as a left-behind envoy in the eastern capital all these years.

Pei Xiaoyuan was taken aback, Huo Ran stopped, turned back suddenly, and saw that the emperor had gone, and his figure disappeared into the dim inner hall of the fine house.

He stood outside the ashram for a long time, and then walked again, and finally walked out of the palace filled with cigarette smoke.

The night breeze surged, and he suddenly felt a slight chill, and then he realized that a thin layer of cold sweat had broken out on his back, wetting his underwear.

Yuan Zhi was gone, and there was another figure standing solemnly under the steps, that person was burly and majestic, and when he saw him come out, he bowed his head slightly, and a smile appeared on his face.

"I'm Han Kerang, the general of the Golden Go. If there is something in the future, just come and find it. ”

Chapter 15

Yesterday evening it rained, bringing a bit of chill at night, but with the great white in the east, after sunrise, the spring breeze warmed up, and the road was lively. As far as the eye can see, it is no longer the bleak scenery of the mountains and barren hills in front of it, the willows on both sides of the official road are green, the flowers are full of branches, and all kinds of wine flags can be seen everywhere with the wind. Farther away, faintly can also see some ridges and cornices dotted in the mountains and forests, those are the villas and gardens placed outside the city by dignitaries, and there are also convoys covering vermilion and purple from time to time to go back and forth, I think they are all spring appreciators who come and go to watch the flowers, and the house slaves who accompany them ride on horses, all of them are brightly dressed and majestic. The wind stirred the brocade curtains around the carriage, accompanied by the pleasant jingling sound of the jade luan tied around the horse's neck, and the noble ladies in the carriage were indulging in laughter and laughter.

Today, Su Yu was lucky, and when he was tired of walking in the afternoon, he caught a mule cart carrying spring water to Xishi. The water is taken from the West Mountain, which is hundreds of miles west of the city. The original high valley in that area is deep, the water is sweet and clear, and the water of the well canal in the city can be compared, because the palace and the mansions of dignitaries and nobles are needed all the year round, giving birth to this trade, and there are many families near Xishan who make a living from it. In order to ensure the freshness of the spring water, they often have to go into the mountains in the middle of the night to fetch water, and the next day it will be delivered to the West Market in time to sell it to the merchants who specialize in collecting water there.

The owner of this waterwheel is an old man who lives in Xishan, with gray hair, dark hands, patches on his clothes, and straw sandals on his feet. ”

Su Yu thanked him and found a vacant place to sit down.

This car carried a dozen or so barrels of wine and sealed with green bamboo strips, and the weight was not light, so the speed was not fast, but in any case, it was better than her walking. Originally, she was worried that she might not be able to arrive before dark today, so she didn't have to worry.

She leaned on the barrel wall and pretended to sleep, and walked for more than ten miles, when there was a noise in her ears, and when she opened her eyes, she saw an official post on the side of the road in front of her, next to the official post, there were many inns and taverns of different sizes for ordinary travelers to settle down, travelers came and went, cars and horses came and went, just like a lively small market. On the tethered horse pile outside the official post, there are more than a dozen high-headed horses tied, the most conspicuous one, the saddle is painted, it is painted with treasure patterns, the horse's veins are decorated with gold, and even the saddle under the saddle used as a mud barrier is also wrapped with expensive Shu brocade. Through the open door, you can see the figure of the post guard running back and forth and hurriedly waiting, it should be a high-ranking official or dignitary who happened to pass by here and stopped to rest inside.

The horse team tied to the post took up almost half of the road, and the old man, fearing that he would touch it, drove his mule and carefully bypassed.

"That place is Lingao Station. Xiao Langjun doesn't know yet, let's Chang'an, one east and one west, the two official posts are the most famous. In the east, Changle Station outside the Tonghua Gate, and in the west is the Lingao Station here. Whether you go to Shuofang and Ganliang in the north or go south to Jiannan Shu Road, you must pass through here. Those who are officials, study, welcome guests, feast and drink, are also here, busy all year round. Let's pass this Lingao Station, and then one or two miles ahead, Chang'an will arrive! ”

The old man enthusiastically explained the story to Suyu, and unconsciously walked another mile or two, and suddenly found that the road ahead seemed to be blocked, and the carriages and horses lined up in a column, and at first they could continue to move slowly forward, but soon, they stopped completely.

From the name of the Lingao Station, you can know that the nearby water system is abundant, the roadbed is soft, and last night because of the rain, a junction in front of it collapsed, and the road that was more than enough for two cars to pass at the same time suddenly narrowed, leaving only a single car feasible. Here is another fork in the road, and all the carriages and horses from several directions converge. In addition to the ordinary passers-by, most of them are like the old man, who is going to deliver goods to the city, seeing that the sun is slanting in the west, who is not in a hurry to get on the road, but there are still many people, want to grab the road, how can others back down, they can't fight, and there are people who come up to persuade, dissatisfied and complaining, and make a bunch of coaxing, just like that, in the end, no one can pass, completely blocking the road.

The old man was forced to stop, waited in the back for a while, and saw that there was no sign of dredging in front of him, and it looked like he was about to fight, and when he raised his eyes to look at the sky, he couldn't help but start to be anxious.

Normally, at this time, he had already arrived in the West Market, but today because of the delay, he only came here now. If it is delayed any longer, even if it can arrive before the market closes in the evening, the water shop will definitely take the opportunity to lower the price, and this car of Qingquan from the deep mountains can only be sold at a cheap price.

If it's too late, it's too late to leave the city before the city gate closes and Jin Wuwei curfew, I'm afraid I'll have to find a place to spend the night in the city, and I won't be able to go back today.

The old man was in a hurry, and he was afraid that the young man who was hitchhiking was also worried about the delay of the trip, so he turned around and wanted to comfort a few words, when he found that there was another team of people on the road behind him.

This group is completely different from the ordinary people who walk on the road, more than a dozen knights are coherent from end to end, swinging out in a row, and the □□ are all healthy horses, galloping like the wind, and it seems that they are the group of people who rested in the official post just now.

Everyone was also alarmed by the movement from behind them, and they all turned their heads to look.

"Get out of the way!"

One of the entourage shouted, and everyone came back to their senses.

are all begging for a living in the city, how can they not see that at the feet of the Son of Heaven, outside the far gate, they dare to walk so aggressively, either the kings and grandsons, or the high-ranking magnates, such as ordinary people like them, who dares to block the way.

Before the aftermath of the shouting voice fell, the people who had been fighting for the break just now immediately retreated, and the horses drove the horses, and the mules and mules quickly separated.

The old man hurriedly threw his whip and drove the mule to the side of the road. The waterwheel was wide and heavy, and the steering was not effective, so it was naturally a few points slower than the others, and finally there was only this one car left on the road. Su Yu hurriedly came down to help, and dragged the mule with the old man, and finally led the car aside before the horse team arrived.

Before she could stop here, the leader of the group had galloped near, without pause, and before Su Yu could see the other party's appearance clearly, the man on horseback rode past her like the wind.

Not only that, but Su Yu felt like the other party was deliberately coming at her.

It was clear that the way was enough to pass alone, but the man seemed to pass by her closely, and the horse's hind hooves were raised high, and the mud and dust splashed her face, and the horse's hooves almost scraped her. Fortunately, she has always been vigilant and dodged quickly, so she was not grazed, but she did not stand firm under her feet, and the person fell to the ground.

After this horse, the horses that followed one after another passed by, and the road was so dusty that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes.

Su Yu was able to dodge it, but the mule was frightened and hurried to leave.

The old man only wanted to avoid it, and he didn't have time to park the car, and the outer wheels were only a few points wide from the ditch under the roadbed, which caused the body to twist, and the whole wheel fell down, and the body was also skewed.

With a "Kala" sound, the axle broke, the falling wheel was also stuck in the ditch on the side of the road, the body shook a few times, crooked, the barrels full of cars rolled down, one after another, the clear spring was scattered on the ground, and one of the buckets rolled towards the rain.

The bucket was half a man's height and filled with water, and if it was crushed, it would be no joke. The people around exclaimed, and Su Yu turned his head to see that it was too late to get up, so he rolled on the ground despite the embarrassment, so as to avoid being crushed.

The old man rushed up to block the bucket, turned around and hurriedly asked if Su Yu was injured.

When she fell down just now, she scratched the skin of her hands and feet, but it was not a big deal, but she was a little frightened, and when she saw this, she got up from the ground, shook her head and said it was okay.

"What a deception! This is deliberately aimed at people! Who are they? Is there any royal law? ”

A big man who was familiar with the old man came to help, grabbed the still struggling mule, and said angrily.

This person is called Gu Twelve, since he was a child, he encountered the chaos of the city when he was a teenager, and it is said that he also joined the official army to fight the rebels, and later came back, he was hired in the east and west cities, and did some dart work on weekdays. In the markets around the two cities, everyone knows that he has thrown himself into the army and killed people, and ordinary scoundrels and gangsters dare not provoke him. Just now, he didn't let the queue pass, so the quarrel started.

Su Yu didn't want to make trouble, and hurriedly said: "I'm fine, it's me who didn't stand firm." ”

Gu Twelve spat at the group of people and horses in front of him, and called for someone to help the old man carry the mule cart up, only to find that the axle was also broken.

The old man looked at the mess all over the place, and his expression was gloomy. Gu Twelve couldn't help but scold again, and the old man hurriedly pleaded: "It's just a few buckets of water, don't cause trouble!" ”

There was a lot of talk around them.

"Who knows?"

"It seems to be from the county king's mansion."

"Which county king's mansion?"

"The Xiping County Mansion surnamed Yuwen! Just now I was resting in the teahouse next to the official post, and I heard the post inside shouting, it seems that the son of the world is coming, and he should also come to Beijing to congratulate the saint on his long life......"

"That's too overbearing!"

"Yes! Oh, yes! ”

Su Yu's bag also fell out with her just now, and the paintbrush and other objects were scattered all over the ground. At the moment, I was cleaning up, and suddenly heard the words Xiping County Wangfu, my heart moved slightly, I turned my head to look, and saw that the people who had just passed had stopped, and the person who almost bumped into her turned around and came back.

At this time, it was finally clear that this was a very young man, eighteen or nineteen years old, with a purple shirt and jade belt, a handsome complexion, holding a gold-wrapped horsewhip, sitting on the back of a horse, and driving the horse back to the front in a blink of an eye, his eyes swept over her scattered brushes, and as if he had deliberately, he stopped in front of her flat chest, and the corners of his lips moved imperceptibly, and then revealed a hint of malicious ridicule.

The people around him who were still talking just now didn't notice it, but when they saw him coming back, they closed their mouths for a moment, and the surroundings fell silent.

Su Yu also understood at this time.