Xiaoqi

"The general will pass first, and my subordinates will send the general off!" Dong Cheng said respectfully, leading his horse back to the side of the road as if relieved of a heavy burden.

"En." Li Li nodded slightly, then got on his horse and rode forward slowly.

However, the moment he passed by Dong Cheng, Li Li suddenly reined in his horse, as if suddenly remembering something, turned his head sideways and looked down at Dong Cheng, and said softly: "Oh, yes, I almost forgot the business!"

"I don't know if the general has anything else to ask, but the subordinates will know everything!" Dong Cheng was shocked when he heard the sound, and suddenly lifted his relaxed mind into the air, and said respectfully anxiously.

Li Li nodded slightly, and asked curiously in a low voice: "I heard that you have a young woman under your knees, who is beautiful, charming, and unmarried. I wonder if this is true?"

"This,,, it is true." Dong Cheng responded in astonishment, and immediately explained in a hurry: "The little girl's appearance is not bad, but she has not yet reached the age of marriage. Therefore, the rumors are not true, please The general is clearly aware!"

While bowing his head to answer, beads of sweat fell from Dong Cheng's forehead, and his legs trembled uncontrollably. Fortunately, the hem of the official robe was wide, covering his legs tightly, so it was not easy to be noticed.

In fact, it has been half an hour since the court, and Dong Cheng went back to the mansion without stopping for a moment.Unexpectedly, just after returning to the mansion, less than a cup of tea, the little yellow gate in the palace came to call him into the palace again, and revealed that the emperor was interested in his daughter, and asked him to enter the palace to discuss how to handle the matter.Dong Cheng was very excited when he heard the words, he was so excited that he danced and danced, and he had a great sense of accomplishment that he would live up to others.As long as his daughter enters the palace to serve the emperor, Dong Cheng will immediately become a close minister of the emperor; in the future, if his daughter can conceive a son and a half, he will be famous, then he will be worthy of the name.

It's exciting to think about.Dong Cheng was so happy that he rode out of the house in a hurry, took a shortcut and went straight to the palace.Unexpectedly, he bumped into Li Li, the general of the hussars, and a group of sergeants on the way, but Li Li unexpectedly got off his horse and talked with him. At the end, he happened to talk about his daughter's marriage.

This time, it really hit Dong Cheng's Achilles' heel, and he was so frightened that he jumped out of his body and ascended to the sky, breaking out in cold sweat.Terrified.He subconsciously thought that Li Li, a lustful guy, must have heard about his daughter's beauty from somewhere, and he might be thinking about his own daughter again.If Emperor Liu Xie hadn't revealed his words so far, Dong Cheng might still consider dedicating his daughter to Li Li, but now the emperor has expressed his intention.Then he would definitely not send his daughter to Li Li, a hungry wolf.

Therefore, he perfunctorily said that his daughter was still young.Not yet.In fact.He didn't lie, his daughter Dong Meiren is indeed not yet married, and she will be 16 in a month.Therefore, he is really not afraid of Li Li sending someone to verify it right now. As for what happens next, that's another matter.

Just when Dong Cheng was feeling apprehensive and frightened, Li Li shook his head in disappointment.He whispered: "So that's it. It seems that there have been too many rumors in Chang'an City recently, and it's time to strictly rectify them so as not to confuse the public. Originally, I wanted to get a concubine for my younger brother Li Xian, but I didn't expect Miss Dong to be too late. Heaven does not fulfill people's wishes, so we have no choice but to let it go."

While talking, Li Li rode forward, and without accosting Dong Cheng, Gu Zi led the guards and left slowly.

"Huh!" Watching Li Li and his party leave, Dong Chengchang let out a sigh, wiped off the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves, and then leaned against the wall with weak legs to take a deep breath.

He was really terrified just now, his heart was raised in his throat, and he was worried and worried all day long.Fortunately, Li Li was finally sent away, otherwise he might not be able to hold on and collapsed to the ground on the spot.

"Hmph! My Dong Cheng's daughter is something that rebels like you, Li Wenchang, can miss. A toad wants to eat swan meat, and it's beyond its means!" While panting, Dong Cheng cursed Li Li secretly.

However, he immediately thought that this matter had another magical effect, and he would definitely tell the emperor Liu Xie about it later, saying that Li Li coveted his daughter, and he resisted the pressure and refused to do so.From this point of view, Liu Xie must be greatly moved, and he will love Dong Meiren, because she is the woman that Li Li always misses, and her worth will naturally increase countless times.

With this in mind, Dong Cheng immediately got on his horse, excitedly jumped on the horse and whipped his whip, and went straight to the palace.

"My lord, why do you look at Dong Cheng differently?" After leaving the narrow alley, Li Zhi rode his horse and followed Li Li, asking softly rather puzzled.

"Look at him differently? Hehehe!" Li Li shook his head at the sound, and said with a sneer, "How can he deserve my special attention?"

Li Zhi nodded approvingly and said: "My lord is right. From the point of view of the general, Dong Cheng is only a third-rate general at best. There are many such characters in our army, so it is not worth mentioning at all. In addition, if you say that he has a big heart Strategy, I'm afraid it's not always true. He has followed Niu Fu for several years, and he has never heard of any strategy. A mediocre person who is not old enough is not useful at all. However,,,"

"But what? Zicheng just speaks out, don't be shy." Li Li was slightly surprised, and asked with a smile.

Li Zhi nodded happily and said, "Dong Cheng doesn't have much ability, he is just good at opportunistic and flattery. But he has a daughter with a pretty name, known as 'Dong Meiren', who is very beautiful and well-behaved. Most of the gentry princes know the name of this girl. In addition, the general also heard that Dong Cheng often brought Dong Meiren into the palace to play with the little emperor. It has been two or three months so far. He likes it very much, and occasionally rewards Dong Cheng with brocade silk and gold and silver money."

"Oh?" Li Li was slightly taken aback, frowned slightly, and asked in a deep voice: "The inner courtyard of the imperial palace is heavily guarded, how can Dong Cheng take his daughter in and out of the inner palace freely?"

Li Zhi heard the lord's displeasure, and immediately reported truthfully: "Dong Cheng was originally acquainted with the two generals Hu Zhen and Yang Ding. They have a very close personal relationship and often communicate in private. More than two months ago, the lord general of the imperial city The law and order and guards are all handed over to these two people, so Dong Cheng can naturally enter the inner courtyard of the palace without hindrance."

"So that's how it is." Li Li pondered for a while, then his expression returned to normal, and he said thoughtfully: "I thought that even though the two of them had disagreements, they just wanted to gain fame and fortune. Now it seems that I am too optimistic. I underestimated the ambitions of the two of them. If that’s the case, let them go. The sins of the heavens are still forgiven, and self-inflicted sins cannot be lived. I have done everything I can, if they still don’t know what to do, then they will die!"

Seeing Li Li's unkind expression, Li Zhi changed the subject and said, "Just now, why did my lord get off his horse and talk to Dong Chengxu, and also gave him the position of Zhonglang general, so it's possible that my lord really wants to marry a concubine to the major general?"

"General Zhonglang?" Li Li sneered with contempt on his face: "Just like what Zicheng said just now, if Dong Chengwen can't become a soldier, he can't be successful. Why should he be named Zhonglang General? Besides, the number of generals in our army is so great that we can surpass him. There are countless generals, even if you give him a school lieutenant, it is flattering him. As for the matter of marrying a concubine to Siam brother, it is just a test of Dong Cheng, just a joke. There are countless beautiful women in the world. What's the point, if there's one more her, not one more, and one more, what's the point?"

After a pause, Li Li showed a knowing smile on his face, and said in a harmonious voice: "In more than a month, Brother Siam and Yuan Zhong will get married, and younger sister Zhao Yu will marry Brother Siam as his wife. Now is the time, how can I marry Siam brother another concubine? If it makes their husband and wife discord after marriage, wouldn’t it be just looking for trouble and asking for trouble?”

Hearing Li Li mention the marriage between Zhao Yu and Li Xian, Li Zhi suddenly remembered that the four sisters of the Zhen family would also get married on the same day, to Li Xuan, Guo Jia, Huan Fei and Xu Chu respectively.

Thinking of this, Li Zhi asked in a low voice rather puzzlingly: "Then the lord treated Dong Cheng with courtesy just now, did he have other intentions?"

Li Li nodded slightly, and said softly: "Of course, I am not so free that I would dismount and talk to any official I meet. You must not underestimate such a small role as Dong Cheng. Now it seems that He has neither literary talent nor courage, and his name is not worth mentioning. He is just such a mediocre person who can't be found after being thrown into the crowd. Don't expect him to serve the battlefield or govern the county, let alone extravagant expectations. He can sit back and enjoy life in peace and contentment, because he is not a peaceful person at all. To us, this person is just a person who has more than enough success and failure, full of bad ideas, and sooner or later disturbs the peace of Chang'an City."

"In that case, then the general will kill him now to avoid future troubles!" Li Zhi said with slightly angry eyes.

Li Li shook his head with a chuckle, and said in a low voice: "No, leave him alone for now, let him jump up and down, and see how big waves he can make in the end."

"This,,, the end is really puzzling." Li Zhi said in surprise.

Li Li waved his hand and said: "There is no need to ask too much about this matter, I have my own concerns. Now let's go to Zhen's Mansion, and stop by to see if Zijing and Gongjin's Mansion have settled down. It will take at least two or three months, and the family affairs must be arranged so that they can go to the battlefield without any worries."

After speaking, Li Li rode his horse and whipped his whip. Li Zhi followed closely behind and headed straight for Beicheng with his guards.

Chapter 560

It was cloudy yesterday, but today is clear.

After all, the dark clouds that condensed all day did not brew heavy rain. In the early morning of the next day, the morning glow traversed the sky, and the morning fog shrouded the mountains and rivers.

In the morning, the first ray spreads to the world, and Chang'an City ushers in a new day. The haze that squeezed many people's minds yesterday dissipated, as if the night ushered in the dawn.

North Gate Campus.

Within five days, an imposing altar was erected. The altar was nine feet nine high, and the steps were divided into five floors, each with four steps.

Giant tripods are placed on both sides of the altar, and the tall case is backed by the eastern sun, and the incense burner and three animal sacrifices are placed on the case.

Right in front of the altar, more than [-] soldiers of the Golden Guards, the Bow and Crossbow Battalion, the Supply Battalion, and the county government soldiers are all waiting in line, and there are tens of thousands of defenders of the imperial city in the surrounding area. Soldiers.

During this swearing-in expedition, Li Li's army declared 15 cavalry, plus Beidi County soldiers and the Huben camp stationed in Beidi, they claimed to have an army of [-], which was comparable to Yufulo's army.

At three o'clock, the army was assembled, and all the generals who accompanied the army rode their horses and stood in front of the queue, looking up at the Ninety-Five Supreme Altar in front of them.

Under the altar, at the forefront of the army, all the civil servants and generals under the command of the Hussar General were present.Six of them stood in the first row. They were: Jia Xu from the left army, Guo Jia from the right, Li Xuan from Shang Shuling, Li Ru from the servant, Lu Su from the army, and Zhou Yu from the left middle man.The second row is the generals who went out this time, Zhang Liao, Cao Xing, Xu Chu, Chen Dao, Hu Che'er and dozens of generals above the rank of lieutenant.

"It's still early, Gongjin doesn't have to be so serious, Zijing is the same, relax, it's just an oath to go to war, it's not worth the effort."

At this moment, Guo Jia, Zhou Yu and Lu Su are standing on the left.And Jia Xu, Li Xuan and Li Ru are standing on the right.Zhou Yu and Lu Su, who experienced such a battle for the first time, stood upright with solemn expressions.Relatively speaking, Guo Jia, who had long been used to going out with the army, was more relaxed and natural. He turned his head from time to time to look around, and persuaded Zhou Yu and Lu Su not to be so formal.

Zhou Yu stood on Guo Jia's left, and Lu Su stood on his right, witnessing such a grand occasion.Guo Jia's words were so frivolous, the two of them were shocked by it, and they turned to look at Guo Jia with puzzled expressions.

"Why did Feng Xiao say that? The swearing-in of the army has always been the most solemn ceremony for the generals, and it is our highest honor. How can it be considered a child's play to shoulder the sacred mission?" Zhou Yu turned her head and whispered to Guo Jia.

Guo Jia nodded upon hearing this.He said softly: "What Gongjin said is not bad at all. Worship the heaven and the earth. It is naturally the glory of my life to fight with blood. I am aware of this. But this time the oath-warning expedition is indeed different from the past, and the deep meaning is quite intriguing. Naturally, it is not worthy of my serious treatment."

"Oh? I would like to hear the details." Zhou Yu and Lu Su were astonished, and listened carefully to Guo Jia's next explanation.

Guo Jia smiled slightly.He said softly: "Actually, the lord can complete this sacrificial expedition ceremony by himself. There is no need to ask the emperor to go up to the altar to worship the sky. However, the lord just did this. Let the emperor hand over such things as establishing prestige. It's quite thought-provoking, very strange, completely inconsistent with the actions of the lord in recent days. You two know why the lord intends to raise the prestige of the emperor this time?"

Lu Su and Zhou Yu looked at each other in surprise, then Lu Su said in a low voice: "I discussed with Gong Jin privately yesterday what Feng Xiao mentioned, but we didn't understand it after all. Normally, it's just like what Feng Xiao said , this time the lord is in command to go out in person, there is no need to invite the emperor, you can just call the soldiers and horses, mobilize the food and grass to go out. But the lord is so mobilizing the army to order people to build an altar to worship the heaven and the earth, and a few days are wasted. Giving Yu Fuluo's army a chance to breathe would be a bit of a waste of opportunity. It's just that the lord insists on doing so, and we, as ministers, are inconvenient to advise, so we can only follow orders."

Guo Jia laughed lightly when he heard the words, and said, "Zi Jing's words are not true. If Zi Jing really felt that the lord's action was inappropriate, he might have directly admonished the lord and asked the lord to take it back. I don't know if I said something wrong?"

Lu Su's expression changed slightly, he nodded slightly and said: "The military master's eyes are as bright as a torch, and he guessed right. I did guess a little bit, but I was not sure, so I hesitated and didn't advise the lord. The same is true of Gong Jin. That's why neither of us took the initiative to ask the lord why."

Zhou Yu happily answered, "What Zijing said is exactly what I thought. What the lord has done in the past few days is quite intriguing. He intended to suppress the emperor, but after the suppression, he was lifted out to establish his prestige. It was really unexpected. I can't figure it out. I don't know if the military division can solve the confusion for the two of them?"

Guo Jia nodded slightly, and said in a low voice, "Zijing and Gongjin don't have to be so polite. You two are new to Xiliang, and you don't know much about many things, so it's hard to make an accurate judgment. In fact, the reason why the lord Inviting the Son of Heaven to preside over the expedition ceremony is not to elevate the prestige of the Son of Heaven deliberately, but to borrow the name of the Son of Heaven to warn the princes of the world not to take advantage of the chaos and rob us and send troops to harass our Xiliang border. Because our barbarian army is a well-known division, and it is true. To be a teacher of justice is to contribute to the great Han, which is different from the strife and chaos of the princes. If someone takes the opportunity to plunder our Xiliang border, it will be helping the tyrants and indirectly helping the barbarians to fight against my great man. They are actually traitors of the Han, and they will be killed by our great man. The people cast aside.