Everyone loves Huo Qubing

The warm wind is blowing, the garden is full of spring, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, and it is lush.The Qilin Hall is brightly lit inside and outside, and the fragrance is pleasant. The maids in the palace come and go in a hurry, and they are extremely busy.

"Is it okay? You and Su Wu welcome the guests?" The second uncle looked through the long list of guests in his hand with a little worry.

"No problem." I replied confidently.

"Then I'll leave it to you here. I still have something to do, so let's go ahead."

"Uncle wait a moment." Taking advantage of the dim shadow between the pillars, I raised my head and quickly pecked my second uncle's lips, "Okay, you can go now."

"You brat is naughty enough, I'll have some sweets for you when I go back tonight." The second uncle slapped my butt lightly through the skirt and deep clothes.

"Hello General Gongsun, Auntie." I consciously stood at attention and saluted the person in front of me.

"That's right, wearing a uniform can also stand out in the style of our Han army." Gongsun Ao patted my shoulder, his hands as strong as ever.

"How did you recruit my nephew into your Jianzhang camp without grace?" Mrs. Gongsun finished refuting her husband, looked me up and down, and joked, "My nephew is dressed in white today, he is really handsome and beautiful, Mr. Chang'an Girls in the city will definitely like it when they see it.”

"Oh, my nephew is just trying to attract the 'girls' in Chang'an City." Gongsun Ao shook his head while biting the accent on the word "girl", completely ignoring me who was blushing.

"... Cavalier Captain Han Shuojie—madam?" I put down the invitation card and rubbed my eyes to make sure I read it correctly.Under the lights at night, Han with a mustache said, if it weren't for the gentle female family members snuggled up beside him and the hairy boy hanging in his arms, I would have thought it was Han Yan who had come back to life.

Han said happily shaking his son's hand: "Look, Xing'er, this is the Uncle Huo that Dad often mentioned to you. Isn't the real person very beautiful? Call him Uncle."

I silently rolled my eyes.

Over there, Han teased him for a long time, but Han Xing turned his head resolutely, and could only say bitterly: "This kid is late to speak, and he still doesn't know how to speak."

Everyone had already gone to take their seats, the number of guests at the door gradually decreased, and their stomachs began to growl.Glancing at Jingsheng's cousin, who was teaching Mrs. Wei and Zhang Mian to drink, I silently retreated into a corner of the palace, sorting out the greeting cards I had received.

Showing my face and communicating with each other is really not suitable for me; but Su Wu prefers such lively occasions, holding a banquet list full of the names of Chinese and North Korean generals, Sangong Jiuqing, and happily running back and forth, Zhang Luo left and right.

Suddenly someone hugged me from behind, firm arms passed under my ribs and strangled me, and then my fiery body immediately pressed against me.

"I'm busy, don't make trouble."

"I haven't seen you for more than a year, how come my beautiful brother has become so fierce?" The young man bit my ear root while giggling.

I turned around and looked at Pingyanghou happily.Long time no see, he seems to have grown a lot taller.

"I saw Xue Qi at the racecourse. It's well-raised. It's fat and strong." Cao Xiang stretched out her fingers to pick up my jawbone, and put on a playful tone, "It's you, brother, who's tanned and thin. Yes, it makes my brother feel very distressed."

"In public, please pay attention to your image." I slapped his wolf paw away.

As soon as the words fell, the eunuch hurried out.

"The banquet is about to begin, gentlemen, please sit inside, and leave the rest to the servants."

***

Today, the ministers are having a grand banquet to celebrate the general's triumphant return from sweeping up the Youxian King's tribe.Silk and bamboo wind music is playing lowly, and in the Qilin Hall, the mist generated by the burning of the cauldron condenses into a hazy veil, wrapping around the gorgeous lights.

On the main seat, the emperor is wearing a black embroidered dress with a sky-high crown, and his aunt is wearing a red and gold dress with a phoenix crown. His Highness Ju and the three princesses are sitting beside him.The second uncle took Su Jia and two young brothers to the guest seat.There is a row of military generals in the lower seat; on the opposite side are the prime minister Xue Ze, the imperial historian Gong Sunhong, the Ting Wei Zhang Tang and other foreign court officials and their families.

I bit my lip secretly.No matter how much my second uncle and I loved each other when we were in the Hou's house, I could never take Er Jinniang's place at such a formal banquet.

The Marquis of Pingyang finally let go of the hand on my shoulder reluctantly, and the attendant led him to Marquis Ruyin and his mother, Princess Pingyang; my four cousins ​​also went to find their own fathers. just sit down.I silently lowered my head, followed behind the waiter, and continued to walk to the Chen Zhanshi family at the lower seat.

Just as he was about to take a seat next to his mother, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from the chairman.

"Where are you going? Qubing, come here quickly, you are the only one missing." He patted the empty seat beside him.

All the guests turned their heads in unison.

The eunuch trotted over: "Your Majesty, this is a state banquet."

"The queen's nephew, why not sit closer." The emperor waved his hand impatiently, "Just sit like this and let the banquet begin."

"Play music!" The dancers, holding drums in their hands, filed in.

The emperor toasted: "Tonight's wine is different from the past. It is made from a kind of Western Region fruit called grapes. It was cultivated and picked by Zhang Qian, a doctor in the Taizhong, and sealed for nearly a year. The taste is different from my Central Plains fruit wine, and it is not easy to drink. , Gentlemen, let’s take a closer look.”

After drinking a glass, Gongsun Hong stood up and praised: "Your Majesty, this wine is clear and does not have the precipitation like apricot vermilion. It is sweet and delicious, really wonderful!"

After being praised by the doctor Yushi, Mr. Zhang Mian shook his head triumphantly.If the old-fashioned and stubborn Dr. Gongsun learned that the grapes were crushed by Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Wei standing in the barrel with their feet, would he still be able to drink them?

"General, I have something good for you here." After drinking for three rounds, the emperor put down the wine bottle, and clapped his hands to signal everyone to be quiet.

The eunuch took a volume of imperial edict and unfolded it.

"The great general Wei Qing, who led the soldiers, made great victories. He won more than ten people from the King of the Huns, and enfeoffed [-] households of Wei Qing. In addition, Wei Qing's son, Wei, and his wife were named Xuanchunhou, and Wei Buyi was named Yin'anhou." , Wei Deng is the Marquis of Fagan, and there are [-] households in each of the food towns."

After a brief silence, the audience was in an uproar.I looked up at my second uncle, only to see that he turned pale with shock, his beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows were tightly knit together, in stark contrast to the overjoyed Er Jinniang beside him.

A hand quietly stretched out from under the seat, took my hand, and faced each other with slightly wet and sweaty palms, interlocking fingers, exerting force secretly.

Surprised, I turned my head to the side and looked at the extremely serious emperor beside me. I held my breath, and my heart couldn't help but tighten.

In one battle, the three sons were named marquises, the second uncle himself had a total of [-] households, and Changpinghou's family had a total of [-] households.Issuing such a bizarre edict, it is obvious that the emperor has something to say.

I must admit that since the Son of Heaven launched a swift and violent pursuit of me, I have had a bad premonition in the past few days.After the main army left, His Majesty only had the forbidden soldiers of Chang'an City and a few school lieutenants at hand. Facing the empty Shanglin Garden, did he want to sleep with me at night because of his loneliness?All the generals belonged to the generals, and they were dispatched by the generals' orders. As a superior person, did he feel a certain sense of crisis, which made him want to test the second uncle?

I prayed silently in my heart.

In any case, on this occasion, no matter what objections there are, as long as the second uncle thanks you first, and then slowly bargain with His Majesty in private, with the trust they have built up over the years, there is nothing that cannot be discussed and reconciled.

When my second uncle, who was usually gentle and respectful, got up and left the banquet in a hurry, and bowed to the ground in front of the emperor, I just felt dizzy and my stomach was churning.

"In this battle, thanks to His Majesty's wholehearted trust, I was able to lead the army. I relied on the blessing of Your Majesty's gods to achieve a great victory. I relied on all the captains to fight desperately on the front line to achieve meritorious service. Your Majesty has given me a good title. Your Majesty His three sons are still in their infancy and have not made any contribution. If His Majesty grants them the title of Marquis, the ministers will not be able to encourage the soldiers to fight for His Majesty. Therefore, they dare not accept the title!"

The soft and beautiful voice on weekdays hits my heart word by word at this moment, making me feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles.I was about to get up to stop my second uncle from continuing, but the emperor firmly pressed my wrist with astonishing strength.I turned my head to the side, saw the emperor's slightly closed eyelids and his chest rising and falling, and heard his extremely suppressed breathing.

After what seemed like a long time, the Son of Heaven's grip finally relaxed.

"The captains have made great contributions with the general, how can I forget?" He raised his hand and called, "Zhao Yu."

"The minister is here."

"Read the imperial edict in your hand as well, those ministers drafted in accordance with the Han law will be rewarded."

The golden bottle of fine wine is intoxicating in the spring, and the sound of Zheng Yin lingers around the beam.

All the generals will be rewarded and granted titles, and some families will be happy and some will be sad.

"Congratulations, my lord Nan Maohou."

"You too, Marquis Le An, General of Light Chariots."

After thanking you several times, everyone began to drink gradually, and the wine was in full swing. There were not a few people who toasted and got up to invite dancers.I sat quietly next to His Majesty, looking at the frowning second uncle who was being gulped down by the generals in the guest seat.He drank a glass of the wine in his hand, and I also drank a glass, but the anxiety did not disappear with the wine, but my heart became heavier.

I have actually received affirmative answers to the questions I raised earlier from the responses of Your Majesty and the ministers.The emperor beside me, at this very moment, is watching those generals flocking to the second uncle who have accepted the title of marquis, celebrating the joy of victory with joy and encouragement.

Even if I am sitting next to the emperor, looking at the general who is like the stars holding the moon at this moment, I will be hit by this kind of loneliness with a strong contrast in front of me; How would you feel?

Suddenly a beautiful figure lightly landed in front of my eyes, blocking my sight of my second uncle.

"May I ask my brother to dance?" Princess Wei was wearing a gorgeous red skirt tonight, and she danced gently on her temples, powdered her face, and Zhu Dan's lips were slightly moistened by the wine, like a fairy descending to earth.

"What's the proper way to invite a girl to dance, please sit back in your own seat." The emperor scolded in a low voice displeased.

Two crimson clouds suddenly flew up on Wei Zhang's cheeks: "Father, Brother Qubing never takes the initiative to invite dancers. If you are happy today, let my daughter take the initiative."

"Then you might as well give it a try. Daddy won't help you if you save face." The emperor said so, and the hand that had been interlocking my fingers under the table tightened.

I sighed in my heart.Although I felt a little sorry for Chief Wei, I still couldn't break free from His Majesty, and instead took the princess's slender hands that stretched out in front of me.I clearly know that Chief Wei is just my cousin in my heart, and I have no interest in her at all, and I don't want to cause any illusion or misunderstanding from her.

Time passed bit by bit, Wei Zhang's fingers raised in the air began to tremble slightly, and disappointment gradually filled his big eyes.I turned my head and drank the dark red wine in my hand, not looking at her sad expression.

"I am willing to dance with the eldest princess." Half drunk, Ping Yanghou suddenly stood up, breaking the embarrassing atmosphere.

Cousin Wei Zhang still stubbornly maintained the posture of inviting me to dance, without turning around or looking back.

"Chief Wei, hurry up, everyone is watching." Auntie urged.

The music started again, the qin and the zither played harmoniously, Cao Xiang took the hand of the chief of the guard, and led her to dance in the hall.The lines of the emperor's face finally eased. During the entire banquet, until then the corners of the man's mouth began to turn up slightly, revealing a smug expression.

When the song ended, everyone applauded.

"Since it's to celebrate the great general, why don't you come to some appropriate programs, Qubing, how about you dance a sword for everyone?" The emperor suggested, "Chuntuo, go get my sword."

The Tianzi sword screams, the sheath handle of the dragon pattern, the sword body is strong and tough, the thrusts drive the wind, and the back block reflects the lights.

The jinse qin is clanging, with 25 strings, and the range is sharp and wide. When the gold and the dagger collide with each other, the horse neighs when the hand is overturned.

"Don't you say no clothes? I'm in the same robe as my son. Wang Yuxing master, repaired my spear, and shared my hatred with my son.

Do you say no clothes?Same with Zi.Wang Yuxing master, repaired my spear and halberd, and worked together with his son.

Do you say no clothes?Dress with your son.Wang Yuxing made his division, repaired my armor, and walked with my son. "

Wearing a curvy train and dancing sword, the sleeves and hem of the clothes are slightly in the way.At the end of the song, I put the sword away steadily, dipped the sweat on my forehead with my cuff, and handed the Emperor Sword back to the eunuch. Ignoring the fiery gazes from behind, Shi Shiran returned to sit beside the emperor.

A strange atmosphere floated in the Qilin Hall, and after a while, there were applause one after another.The emperor stretched out his hand quietly, this time, he moved gently, opened my palm, and lightly slid across my palm with his fingertips.

"I regret it, I shouldn't order you to dance swords in public." His breathing was heavy, and he pulled me towards his lower body.I broke free of him quickly.

When I looked up, my eyes intertwined with my second uncle; maybe it was my illusion, for a moment, the general's eyebrows seemed to be slightly twisted into a knot.

***

The emperor's bedroom was dimly lit, and the luxurious and spacious bath was filled with rich rosemary.

The second uncle was very preoccupied tonight, so he was overwhelmed with alcohol and left early.Now that the protagonists of the banquet had left, the emperor announced the end of the banquet early, leaving his aunt and princes behind in full view, and took me back to the greenhouse with a half-drunk me.

"My nephew doesn't seem very enthusiastic tonight. I'm not excited at all here. Thanks to me ordering so much incense from the Western Regions for you." The emperor pulled out his finger and said embarrassingly.

"Your Majesty, you are bullying Uncle." I lay on the shore and muttered dissatisfiedly, "You know that Uncle is an honest man and has always been loyal to you, so why did you choose to test him on this occasion? If you do this, It would make him sad."

The man frowned: "How do you know that Zhongqing is loyal to me?"

"Didn't you already come to this conclusion tonight?" I tried my best to turn around in the small space, met those black eyes full of desire, and pierced the other person's mind with one sentence, "Uncle, in front of a large audience, I would like to thank you. The rewards for my cousins ​​just prove that he is upright. If uncle obeys your advice and receives all the high rewards, it means that he has changed, doesn’t it?”

The man was stunned for a moment.Immediately, I was pressed against the wall of the pool by him, and the violent kiss fell on my head and face like a storm.

"Qu Bing, even when you were in my arms, did you still pretend to be your uncle in your heart?" Between sucking kisses, he murmured, "What kind of blessings did Zhongqing cultivate in the previous life to get someone like you?" Do you feel sorry for his child?"

When asked such a question, I couldn't help curling the corners of my mouth.Where does my uncle need to cultivate any blessings, I should have cultivated blessings in my previous life when I met him.

"The way my nephew smiles is so beautiful." Sweet words came out from his lips, and the man clung to him like an octopus, eagerly speaking with enthusiasm, "No matter who you are thinking about in your heart, I want you to know that I only have you in my heart. you."

"Please take it easy, I have equestrian training tomorrow." I frowned.

The waves in the hot spring bath undulate, slapping on the shore one after another, the water splashes and the heat is lingering.During the half-dream and half-awake interval, I heard the man beside me say:

"Qubing, tell me, what should I do to make your heart belong to me?"