auspicious time has come

Chapter 172 Can You Ask This Directly?
Then there was a gentle voice: "Xiao Jie envoy, please get up."

Hearing this familiar and long-lost voice, Xiao Mu lowered his gaze a little more, and said in a steady voice when he spoke: "Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Everyone in the hall saw that the prince helped him up himself, and they had different calculations in their hearts.

"The last time I saw Xiao Aiqing was four years ago..." The emperor looked at the young man in the purple robe in the hall, and praised: "See you today, not only you are more powerful, but also calm and extraordinary."

Xiao Mu lowered his eyes: "Your Majesty praises it very much, but my minister is terrified."

"No, Xiao Aiqing deserves this praise." The emperor's sickly face was full of undisguised admiration.

"At the age of last year, Xiao Aiqing took back five cities in the northern region one after another. In the end, the battle of Qianqiu City was even more bloodless, without costing a single soldier. Such outstanding military exploits have spread throughout the world and are well known. And I Calling Aiqing to Beijing this time is also for the purpose of offering rewards—I don’t know if Xiao Qing has any rewards you want? But anything I can do, I will never refuse. "

No objection.

The king's promise--

Some officials quietly looked at the young man standing in the temple.

It must be known that the last one who really believed this, was proud of his merits, and couldn't see his own identity, has already become an innocent soul by the bridge of Naihe.

"Even if the battle in the northern border has been successful in recent years, it is all due to His Majesty's blessings to the world and prosperity, not the merits of humble ministers, and I dare not invite rewards for ineffective achievements."

The young man's voice was clear and powerful, and there was no sense of flattery or hypocrisy in his tone of voice, as if the truth was true, and he believed it from the bottom of his heart.

A few of the most eloquent officials on weekdays secretly exchanged a look of "frightening young people" - the highest level of flattery is nothing like this.

The person who can take back Qianqiu City from the Khitan people without bloodshed is really not reckless.

The emperor laughed twice, and shook his head: "No, if you have meritorious service, you should be rewarded. Since Xiao Qing doesn't want to mention it, then I can only watch and give it..."

As he spoke, he seemed to think for a moment, and said with a concerned expression: "Speaking of which, Xiao Qing has been busy with wars all the year round, and every time he leads the army in person, he always has to do everything by himself... The ones who were sent to Beijing with the big and small victory reports before , There is also news that Xiao Qing has suffered another injury, every time I hear about it, I feel very worried."

Xiao Mu only expressed respect when he heard the words, and was not in a hurry to answer.

Sure enough, the emperor immediately said: "Now that the war in the northern border has stopped for a while, has Xiao Qing thought about resting in the capital for a few years to recuperate? I have ordered people to renovate the mansion in the capital for Xiao Qing, and Xiao Qing has been working hard on state affairs for these years, and she has already passed the age of discussing marriage, so she can take this opportunity to put her long-delayed lifelong affairs on the agenda."

The hall was even more silent for a moment, and a needle could be heard falling.

Rested in the capital for several years to recuperate from injuries...

--and then?

If you just hand in the military talisman and become an idle Marquis, that would be the best ending you can think of...

In this remark, there are too many things worth pondering.

A series of cryptic gazes silently focused on that young figure.

This Marquis of Dingbei is by no means a stupid person, he would not have guessed.

And the military commander is a little more bloody. Are you really willing to accept such a so-called "reward"?
The hall was quiet for a while.

Until the youngest Jiedu Envoy since the founding of the Dasheng Dynasty raised his hand and saluted, he said calmly: "Everything is up to His Majesty's proper arrangements, and I have no objections."

Standing at the head of civil servants, Jiang Zhengfu slightly turned his head to look at the young man.

I saw that the other party was not looking sideways, and there was no dissatisfaction or anxiety on his face.

The emperor came back to his senses, with a smile on his face: "I think Xiao Qing has really reached the age where she should start a family, and if she can stay with me, I can help take care of it..." At this point, I suddenly remembered that the matchmaker who was ordered by me to go to Yingzhou to marry Xiao Qing with the portrait of a lady in Beijing, did not seem to be doing his job well. A marriage comes out?"

Xiao Mu narrowed his eyes: "It's because I have never had time to take care of this matter, and I have neglected the matchmaker."

"So that's how it is." The emperor said with a kind face, "If you live in Beijing for a long time in the future, you will have many opportunities..."

Xiao Mu answered "Yes", and at this point, it seemed that the matter of staying in Beijing for a long time was about to be finalized, but from the beginning to the end, there was still no sign of any difference.

A few officials standing behind couldn't help but look thoughtful.

Although anyone can put on a dress and say a few words of humility, this time the envoy Xiao Jie was summoned to Beijing not only did not say anything, he even brought his old lady along with him!
No matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem to be rebellious...

Because of such a premise, such an attitude at this time makes people subconsciously want to believe a little bit.

After all, this is putting the lives of myself and my mother on the table, if one is not careful, it will be...

If you really have the heart of disobedience, how dare you do it?

Jiang Zhengfu's eyes dimmed for a moment, and when he was about to go out, he heard a voice speak in front of him——

"Father."

The prince respectfully said: "I think that although the northern border is stable for a while, it is because of the deterrence of the Xiao Jie envoy to recover the five cities one after another. If the northern border suddenly changes command at this time, I am afraid that those alien races will be moved by the wind. Let’s make trouble again—although the northern border has won many victories in recent years, it has also suffered a lot, and it is just the time when we need to recuperate, so it is really inappropriate to take this risk again.”

The emperor smiled when he heard the words: "I just mentioned it to Xiao Qing casually... such an important matter, it must be easy to discuss it."

Some officials secretly looked at each other.

Is that what testing means?

But listening to this meaning, it won't give up the idea just because the test has such a result...

The prince bowed and said, "Yes, father is always wise."

As he said that, he looked at Xiao Mu with a smile: "The northern region is not yet truly peaceful, and the envoy Xiao still needs to be in charge—it's just that I am so unwilling to let the envoy Xiao go idle, I don't know if the envoy Xiao will complain?"

Hearing the meaning of his words, Xiao Mu said: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is serious. As a military commander, it is his duty to protect the territory. The humble minister is only a warrior, he only knows how to fight, and he knows nothing about the political affairs of the country, so everything should be done by him. Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince are the masters, and my ministers only act according to orders, and do their best to keep the great prosperity and peace of the country."

A warrior?
Jiang Zhengfu sneered silently in his heart.

Since stepping into this hall, the other party's every move, every word and deed is not like the so-called "a martial artist".

The officials at the side quietly glanced at Jiang Zhengfu's expression, stood up and said: "I also think that Jieshi Xiao is so young, it is time to make meritorious deeds, if he stays in the capital for a long time, he is really overqualified, and all his martial arts strategies are wasted... ..."

After finishing speaking, he paused for a moment, then continued with a smile: "I heard that yesterday when the envoy Xiao Jie entered the city, there were thousands of people in the city empty alleys, and the people all went to greet him spontaneously. The scene was extremely sensational, which shows that the envoy Xiao Jie is not only famous It is also well-known in the entire northern part of the capital. It is heard that many people in the city say that General Xiao is a rare general in a hundred years, and the last one who made such outstanding military exploits at such a young age was..."

When he said this, he suddenly stopped silent, and the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by embarrassment and anxiety of "inadvertent slip of the tongue".

This sentence is not finished, but most people in the hall know who the so-called 'last one' is.

The one sitting on the dragon chair couldn't be more clear——

The emperor's slightly drooping eyelids trembled, his mind was suddenly affected, and he coughed in a hoarse voice.

"Your Majesty..." The eunuch at the side quickly patted the emperor on the back.

The official who "said the wrong thing" looked anxious and didn't know what to do for a while.

The prince pursed his lips.

Xiao Mu slightly raised his eyes, quietly looking at the coughing emperor.

The atmosphere in the hall was stagnant for a while, some people were silent and did not dare to lift their heads, and some people quietly looked at Xiao Mu with complex and sympathetic eyes.

The emperor's coughing stopped gradually, and he leaned weakly in the dragon chair, as if all his strength had been exhausted by the gigantic cough. His cloudy eyes were forced to tears by the gigantic cough, and his slightly trembling hands supported him. The dragon-shaped reliefs on both sides of the upper dragon chair.

In the silence, a young man's voice broke the silence: "I have heard the reputation of General Xiao for a long time, and this is the first time I saw a real person today. Speaking of which, when General Xiao entered the city yesterday, I was far away in a restaurant. Seeing the grand occasion in the city, I think that the day I entered the capital, I didn't have such ostentation!"

Xiao Mu looked at the boy upon hearing the sound.

If someone else were to say these words, they must have ulterior motives just like the official who "failed to speak" just now——

But if you change this one...

That's pure nonsense, following the trend.

Xiao Mu is very sure about this, after all, the other party can be regarded as the one he grew up watching.

This young man dressed in pro-dynasty clothes is the fourth son of the current sage, King Xiang, who just left Beijing for the fiefdom the year before last.

It seems that the food in Hunan is good. The small round dumplings in the past have grown into big dumplings.

Xiao Mu recognized the other party, and then said: "His Royal Highness the King of Xiang has promoted the minister, the minister seldom set foot in the capital, and there was not much movement when he entered the city yesterday, it should not disturb the people in the city, I don't know why there is a commotion In yesterday's situation, it is really hard to live up to the reputation, and I am really ashamed."

The prince immediately said after hearing the words: "Xiao Jieshi is too modest, such a grand event, Xiao Jieshi's merits are far worthy of it. It's just... what happened yesterday is indeed a little strange. Xiao Jieshi originally entered Beijing in a low-key manner, but It caused such a big commotion..."

The prince thought about it, and turned towards the direction of the imperial steps: "Father, I feel that this matter may be a little unusual, do you want to investigate it?"

There was a hint of hesitation in the emperor's muddy eyes, and after a while, he nodded slowly: "Dang check..."

King Xiang was stunned.

He just followed up so casually, why did he still want to check it?
Sensing that someone seemed to be looking at him with indescribable eyes, His Royal Highness Xiang was embarrassed, and was busy thinking about changing the topic, so he blurted out a question that had been curious for a long time: "By the way, Jieshi Xiao, I heard that you I have a treasure map in my hand, I don't know if it is true or not?"

Officials: "...?!"

Is this something that can be asked directly?
　Good night everyone~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)