The capital, the Imperial Palace.

It was late at night, Yuwen Tianlu was wearing a royal python robe, and he was cautiously waiting for the decree in the side room outside the Wuying Palace, and he didn't know what the emperor Zhu Liye saw in the middle of the night.

This is a habit that Yuwen Tianlu has cultivated for many years, he pays great attention to details, and he has to personally inquire about the affairs under his jurisdiction, no matter how big or small, and even the three meals a day of the frontier soldiers.

Accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty is a suspicious and suspicious person. Over the years, he has lived in the palace of cultivating the heart, obsessed with cultivating the Tao and attaining immortality, and has never let go of his control over the government. For the bachelors of the cabinet, it will be changed every three or five years, and even the first assistant of the cabinet will only be two or three years at the longest.

However, Yuwen Tianlu is an exception. He has been in charge of the Ming border army for more than 20 years, and his official position is as stable as Mount Tai, the first is because he has real skills, the second is because he is loyal, and the third is that he has done some things for the emperor that are not humane, but he has always kept his mouth shut, which makes the emperor very relieved.

However, the Ming Emperor did not trust him unconditionally, on the one hand, he reused Yuwen Tianlu, and on the other hand, he supported Dengwenyuan to oppose it, Li Chuntie's mad dog, almost put more than half of Dengwenyuan's power on him, especially during this time, he was even more aggressive.

Yuwen Tianlu and Li Chuntie have no personal grudges, but he knows that sooner or later, the two of them will have a life-and-death situation. At this time, the master of ceremonies, Gao Yuan, and his father-in-law came to the side hall.

"The slave greets the Metropolitan Governor!"

After that, Gonggong Gao was about to bow down, Yuwen Tianlu hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, "Gonggong Gao, this can't be helped, it can't be helped!" He easily stuffed a silver ticket of 20,000 taels into Gonggong Gao's hand, "Father-in-law, Your Majesty saw you late at night, I don't know what happened?"

He knows the way of officialdom, especially the royal prelude, as long as Gao Yuan can reveal a little information, he can have a little more time to prepare, and when he is a saint later, he can be more calm. He is humble and courteous to the people around the emperor, even if he is a small eunuch who is a beast (night pot), he often shows favors, so in the palace, the reputation of this Duke An Guo is not good.

Gao Yuan sighed and said, "It's not because of the matter of the Imperial Mausoleum that Your Majesty has a nightmare again." ”

In just two sentences, Yuwen Tianlu obtained enough information.

The emperor's mausoleum has been built since the second year of Kaiyuan, it has been repaired for 19 years, five years ago, the construction of the imperial mausoleum broke out in a large-scale corruption, Zhu Liye ordered Yuwen Tianlu to personally investigate, killed more than 200 people, since then, the construction of the imperial mausoleum, it fell on Yuwen Tianlu's body.

Yuwen Tianlu was very dedicated, went to the imperial tomb at least once a month, and personally wrote a report to the emperor on the progress. Yuwen Tianlu is not a Qing official, in his opinion, a Qing official sells his reputation and cannot do anything, he is a practitioner of utilitarianism. However, he also knew that what silver could be stretched out and what money should never be touched, and he would never touch the money for repairing the emperor's mausoleum.

This is the third time in the past few months that the emperor has asked about the imperial tomb, especially after the nightmare of the black dragon pressing, Zhu Liye became moody.

"Grand Duke, Your Majesty invites you to come over in the palace. ”

Yuwen Tianlu tidied up his clothes and followed Gao Yuan to the Wuying Palace, where Emperor Zhu Liye of the Ming Dynasty was lying on his side in front of the dragon couch, closing his eyes and recuperating. Yuwen Tianlu knelt down and saluted, Zhu Liye opened his eyes, "Yuwenqing, no courtesy." ”

Yuwen Tianlu still finished saluting according to the etiquette system before slowly getting up.

"Gao Yuan, move an embroidery pier for Yu Wenqing. ”

After Yuwen Tianlu said three words, he sat empty, but he didn't dare to speak, waiting for the emperor to ask.

Zhu Liye said slowly, "Yu Wenqing, how is my imperial mausoleum built?"

Yuwen Tianlu got Gao Yuan's prompt in advance, and when he heard the emperor's question, he hurriedly got up and said respectfully: "Back to Your Majesty, the main project of the imperial mausoleum has been completed at the end of July, and is currently doing the construction of some gardens and heavenly roads, Weichen took five pine trees from Mount Tai, Huashan, Hengshan, Songshan, and Heng Mountain, and built Wuyue pine, which is now on the ......way."

Zhu Liye obviously didn't have the patience to listen to this, and directly interrupted: "I asked you when you can finish building?"

Yuwen Tianlu said: "It is expected to be before Qingming next year." ”

Zhu Liye pondered for a moment and said, "Then on Qingming Day next year, I will go to the imperial tomb." You can arrange it. ”

Yuwen Tianlu said: "The minister obeys the order." ”

Zhu Liye was a little stunned, and then smiled again, "Yuwen Tianlu, very good, very good." ”

Yuwen Tianlu was confused by his two sentences for no reason. Zhu Liye saw that he was puzzled, and said: "Aren't you like those pedantic scholars in the cabinet, I mentioned this matter to them today, and everyone knelt down to stop them, saying that it violated the ancestral system, hum, I am behind the land of thousands of generations, and I can't even take a look at it myself?"

Yuwen Tianlu had already received the news during the day that the emperor wanted to go to the imperial tomb to inspect, but several old guys in the cabinet kowtowed and resigned, and moved out of the rules of the ancestors to stop him, for which the emperor was very angry.

Yuwen Tianlu said: "Elder Xu Ge and Elder Zhang Ge are also for the sake of the Daming Society, hoping that Your Majesty will calm his anger." ”

Zhu Liye seemed to catch the loophole in his words, and asked rhetorically, "Aren't you for the sake of Daming Sheji?"

Yuwen Tianlu had already prepared, "Weichen is His Majesty's person, and the matter that His Majesty explains, the minister should never give up, as for the society, it is not something that the minister can consider." ”

Zhu Liye carefully understood this sentence and nodded.

Gao Yuan stood on the side, secretly praising this An Guogong in his heart, and his words were really leaky. Able ministers, favored ministers, and ministers, but in the emperor's thoughts, Yuwen Tianlu can think what His Majesty thinks, do what His Majesty wants to do, no wonder it has stood tall for 20 years.

"I'll leave this matter to you!"

After that, Zhu Liye closed his eyes. Yuwen Tianlu stood there, and didn't dare to talk, so he had to wait quietly for the edict, and after a while, the Ming Emperor asked, "How is the matter in Jiangnan?"

Yuwen Tianlu said: "The minister has sent Zhao Wou-Ki and another subordinate Wu Fatian to investigate, although these two people are a little perverse, but they are also dedicated, as soon as there is a situation, the minister immediately reports." ”

Zhu Liye nodded, "In terms of employing people, most of the Chinese military officials are inferior to you. ”

This sentence is true, Yuwen Tianlu was born as a scholar, and later abandoned literature and martial arts, mixed the rivers and lakes, and joined the army in the border. I don't look at my background, I don't ask about virtue, I only use my talents, I have the ability to be heroic, but I am loyal to the emperor, and I am afraid that the emperor is the only one who has such a praise from the emperor.

Zhu Liye asked again, "I'll let Li Chuntie check on you, you won't have any complaints, right?"

In the past few days, Dengwen Yuan has made frequent moves on Yuwen Tianlu's side, and his side has a feeling that he is powerless, and now that the emperor has asked so directly, Yuwen Tianlu suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and said: "Dean Li's side is also where the responsibility lies, and the ministers should only do things loyally, and the rest are not bothered." ”

His meaning is also clear, what I do is what the emperor has to do, and the emperor has the final say if there is a problem. When the emperor heard this, he didn't say anything, and waved his hand, "Stand down." ”

After Yuwen Tianlu left, Emperor Zhu Liye asked Gao Yuan, "Gonggong Gao, what do you think of Yuwen Tianlu?"

Gao Gonggong said that "his heart does not seem to be fake", so he did not express his position. I don't know if it's out of sincerity or the role of the silver ticket.

Yuwen Tianlu came out of the palace, constantly thinking about what he had just done in the Wuying Palace, lest there be any mistakes. Although he has strong martial arts and is known as the world's number one master after Zhang Benchu, he has no other thoughts in the palace and under the pressure of the emperor. Because he knew that in the palace, there was a mad dog Li Chuntie, and there was also a terrifying array, which was enough to kill all the masters under the Three Realms.

Back at the Guogong Mansion, the housekeeper Yu Wengui had already warmed a pot of red water wine, a small plate of broad beans, laid out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and waited quietly aside.

Yuwen Gui, formerly known as Li Gui, is a hunter in the west of the Ming Dynasty, in the battle with Western Chu, Yuwen Tianlu is a scout of the border army, during an assassination mission, he was seriously injured, and was desperately rescued by Li Gui, and then followed Yuwen Tianlu, and after being knighted, he became the manager of the Anguo Mansion, and Yuwen Tianlu gave the surname Yuwen, and it was changed to Yuwen Gui.

No matter how late it is, Yuwen Tianlu has to finish the affairs of the day, and then drink a glass of red water wine before going to rest. Over the years, Yuwen Tianlu has dealt with large and small affairs, and Yuwen Gui has been accompanied.

When the document was processed, it was already three watches and three quarters, and Yuwen Gui brought the red water wine. In the past 20 years, Yinyang City has changed countless prefects, but this Chishui wine is from a private workshop and has never changed.

The Chishui wine in Yinyang City is famous all over the world, but the kind of wine that Yuwen Tianlu drinks, the taste of the wine is mixed with a hint of bitterness, but it is not a century-old inheritance, this wine is in Yinyang City, but it is only twenty Wen a catty.

Yuwen Tianlu took a sip and frowned, "Why doesn't it taste right?"

Yuwen Gui said: "The new prefect Cao Zhizhao heard that the adults liked the Chishui wine aged by Li Ji, so he sent someone to take over the Li family's shop and improved the recipe of the Chishui wine. ”

As a steward, his duty is to report truthfully, and as for how to decide, he never interferes in the affairs of his master at that time.

Yuwen Tianlu's face sank, "Cao Zhizhao is too good at asserting, right?" and asked, "Then how is her wine shop doing?"

Yuwen Gui has been with Yuwen Tianlu for twenty years, and he knows who the "she" in his mouth is, and naturally he also knows the weight of that person in Yuwen Tianlu's heart.

Twenty years ago, the nineteen cities in the west had not yet returned to the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Yuwen Tianlu, the general of the expedition to the west, led the Ming army, all the way to the west, invincible, invincible, and famous.

However, in Yinyang City, Yuwen Tianlu broke his halberd and sank into the sand, leading an army of 100,000, but he died down and made a detour to Yinyang City, which was also the only battle that Yuwen Tianlu, the god of war, lost.

At that time, everyone said that Yuwen Tianlu was afraid of the city lord of Yinyang, the golden knife Li Qiuyi.

Yuwen Gui knew that it was because there was a girl in Hidden Yang City, who was selling wine.

He replied truthfully: "Cao Zhizhao heard that adults like the Li family's Chishui wine, two months ago, after Cao Zhizhao took over the shop, he sent his brother-in-law to operate Li Ji Aging, 'she' was driven to a tile kiln in the east of the city, opened a new wine shop, and sold a total of five coins of silver last month, of which three were for her husband to treat his illness. ”

A trace of anger flashed in Yuwen Tianlu's eyes.

Click.

The wine glass in his hand shattered into powder, and blood flowed down his hand.

Dragons have reverse scales.

Yu Wengui knew that Cao Zhizhao's life might not be saved.