A post station more than thirty miles away from Chang'an.
At the end of the year, more and more officials from all over the country went to Chang'an to attend the imperial meeting, and the post station was therefore extremely busy.
Postmaster Wu Hua liked this time the most. According to his words, in the past, most of the people who passed by the post were demoted officials, who looked depressed. But at the end of the year, officials from all over the place who went to Chang'an looked much fresher.
That’s right, it’s just much fresher.
I feel more energetic too.
"At the end of the year, farmers will also make themselves a pot of turbid wine, get a handful of baked beans, squat in front of their homes, blow the cold wind, point to the distance and look forward to their children and grandchildren in the coming year. The same goes for those officials, at the end of the year! When I go to Chang'an,
If you want to gain connections, you have to find ways to get promoted. People! You have to be motivated. With ambition, the person will be more alive to look at."
Wu Hua, who was short in stature, stood in the yard with his hands in his cuffs.
"Yicheng, what about you?" The postman carrying firewood to the kitchen asked with a smile.
"Me?" Wu Hua pointed to himself, "Those are noble people. If they enter my inn, they are my people. Get some good wine and food, get some hot water for washing your feet, get some clean bedding,
It's all a favor, isn't it? Maybe! A certain noble person took a fancy to me and led me to become rich."
"Hey! The sound of horse hooves!"
Someone said.
"Quite a few!" Wu Hua squinted his eyes, "Hey...at least a hundred riders are noble people."
It's the end of the year, and officials from all over the country are going to Chang'an with tributes, accompanied by students who will take part in the imperial examinations in the spring of next year. More than a hundred riders, almost.
Wu Hua said: "Everyone is busy!"
Only by showing a busy posture can you satisfy the noble person.
He smiled and walked out to welcome him, and said as he walked: "I don't know where the envoy or Sima Biejia is..."
The door was pushed open, and a cold wind blew in with snowflakes.
"Cough cough cough!" Wu Hua's throat was itchy due to the cold wind, and he squinted his eyes and said, "Which noble person?"
Two men came in. They looked at the yard, turned their eyes, and stared at Wu Hua, "Is there anyone living there?"
What a big air, Wu Hua said: "Not yet, but I can't tell what happens next."
A man came in and said, "Call everyone here."
Wu Hua felt something was wrong when he heard it, "You are..."
"Jinyiwei!"
A sign came up, and Wu Hua trembled, "Hurry up, assemble."
The postmen gathered together, and the man asked, "Are they all here?"
"Yes, everyone is here."
Wu Hua is definitely right.
"check!"
Jielong came in.
Immediately, dozens of people rushed in and searched the inn.
"Nothing unusual!"
Jielong nodded, "Okay!"
Wu Hua was a little uneasy, "My lord, I don't know who is coming..."
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask." Jie Long said with a cold face.
"Yes yes yes."
The fierce reputation of Jin Yiwei can make officials have nightmares at night, but Jin Yiwei with such a fierce reputation is actually standing in front of others at this moment.
Who could that person be?
The sound of horse hooves was heard outside.
After working in places like this for a long time, you can tell how many riders are coming just by listening.
More than three hundred!
More than three hundred, who could it be?
The sound of horse hooves came outside the door. Wu Hua smiled and wanted to greet him, but blocked the front with one arm.
"retreat!"
The Jin Yiwei who intercepted him immediately stood up with his hands tied.
Jielong walked behind the door and stood sideways.
Wu Hua took a look and saw that all Jin Yiwei were like this.
God!
A kind of guess made Wu Hua tremble.
"It looks good here."
"It's not bad. It has the charm of some mottled ancient ruins. When it rains next spring, it will make the literati and poets flock to it."
Following this voice, two men came in.
A middle-aged scribe, and one... turned out to be a monk.
"Mr. Han." Jielong smiled, "Master."
"Thank you for your hard work." Han Ji nodded.
Wu Hua smiled and said: "The villain Wu Hua is the postmaster here."
Mr. Han, isn’t that Han Ji?
As for the monk, he was probably the compassionate master beside the emperor.
He is indeed a noble man.
Wu Hua felt happy in his heart and thought of ways to please the two of them.
"Stone, slow down."
Someone outside said.
"I don't dare, slave."
Um?
Wu Hua was startled.
Then, I saw a man of considerable age come in. The man turned sideways, and then a man of about thirty years old came in. He smiled and looked up inside.
For some reason, Wu Hua felt that his legs were a little weak and he couldn't say those polite words.
"I have met His Majesty!"
The royal guards in the courtyard knelt down on one knee.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty?!"
Wu Hua was trembling, and without anyone's greeting, his legs went weak and he knelt down.
It was the emperor who came.
The man in front is Han Shitou.
The emperor walked in, looked at the courtyard, and said: "This stone slab looks old, and I don't know how many people have passed by it. History is written in the history books, but it is mottled on the stone slab."
Han Shitou said: "After all, it must be recorded in history books."
"No courtesy!" the emperor said.
When everyone stood up, the postmen discovered that the usually smooth Master Yi Cheng was stuttering and his movements were somewhat uncoordinated.
"I'll prepare the food later. Just prepare the ingredients." Qin Ze came over to hand over. As he said that, he glanced at Han Shitou.
He was the eunuch beside the emperor, which was Han Shitou's original position beside the false emperor.
According to the trend, he will gradually become the first person among the nobles in the palace.
What I didn't expect was that Han Shitou turned out to be...
He still remembered the scene of that day.
The emperor killed Li Yuan with one blow, and everyone discovered that Han Shitou was looking at the emperor intently with tears in his eyes.
That look!
It's like a long-lost relative.
The emperor was obviously stunned.
Then, he covered his forehead and said, "I showed my flaws back then, and I thought I would be discovered by the false emperor..."
"It was my slave who covered it up."
Han Shitou said.
"You..." Lin Feibao pointed at Han Shitou, "The late emperor told us before we left that for a period of twenty years, and someone would send a message within twenty years, then that would be the day when we leave the mountain. That day I was at the blacksmith
We are doing business in the shop, but paper balls bounce from outside, which is the signal for us to wait...Who is it?"
"It's us!"
Han Shitou was still looking at the emperor, "Looks like! Half looks like the late emperor, half looks like Huang Fengyi."
Lin Feibao's body was shocked, "His Majesty once said that he had arrangements, but refused to say who the person was. It turns out to be you!"
"Shitou!" Li Mi shouted frantically: "Han Shitou, are you lying to survive? Where is your loyalty?"
Han Shitou said coldly: "We are the late emperor's people from the beginning to the end, old dog. Over the years, we have been watching you act in reverse and see you being complacent. Now, your good days are over."
It turns out that Han Shitou was a person who respected the emperor.
Just thinking about the fact that the confidant eunuchs who stood behind the false emperor for many years turned out to be people who respected the emperor, Qin Ze couldn't help but feel chills on his spine.
And being able to stay by the side of the false emperor for decades without showing any flaws made Han Shitou even more terrifying.
Thinking of this, Qin Ze's eyes darkened.
Your Majesty will probably reuse Han Shitou!
After entering the inn and having a simple meal, a messenger from Chang'an arrived.
"His Royal Highness is preparing to greet you tomorrow, so your servant has brought a big cloak."
The chamberlain brought a large cloak.
The emperor brought it up and looked at it, "The fur is good." He asked, "How is the prince?"
"Everything is well, Your Highness."
"Is there anyone causing trouble?" the emperor asked casually.
But the people present were shocked.
It was as if I could smell blood.
"No." The chamberlain said respectfully: "I heard that His Majesty is coming back, Guanzhong is very quiet."
"As silent as a cicada?" The emperor laughed.
The emperor handed the cloak to Han Shitou, but Han Shitou did not dare to accept it. The emperor smiled and said: "Now that I think about it carefully, many things in these years have traces. Everything was planned by you in the palace. Under the nose of the false emperor
When you are acting undercover, if you make the slightest mistake, the secret will be exposed in an instant. It is not easy."
Qin Ze felt that if it were him, he would go crazy if he could persist for half a year.
Think about it, every day you serve your mortal enemy and think about how to kill him, but you need to pretend to be loyal and consider everything for him.
Isn't this crazy?
Qin Ze looked at Han Shitou with admiration.
"At first, the slave could not suppress his murderous intention, so he thought in his mind that this person was the slave's master, and he should serve him sincerely. Just thinking about it, sometimes he felt that he was the slave's master, and sometimes he felt that he was the slave's master.
He is my enemy. I just thought about it... and walked. Later, I was able to pretend to be loyal, but I was thinking about other things in my heart."
This is an improvement in acting skills.
Not easy!
The emperor put the great cloak on Han Shitou.
The two entered the room.
As the candlelight flickered, Han Shitou poured the emperor a cup of tea. The emperor asked: "Aye... what kind of person is he? Since he knew that the false emperor and his son were wrong, why didn't he take action?"
"The late Emperor was a compassionate and righteous man," Han Shitou said.
"Then..." The emperor held the tea cup in his hand and said with some confusion: "Since he knew that the pseudo-emperor and his son had bad intentions, why didn't he strike preemptively?"
"Back then..." Han Shitou squinted his eyes, as if he was back in time.
"At the beginning, the late emperor was focused on reforming the Tang Dynasty, and... made many enemies outside the country."
That dad is really brave!
The emperor's eyelids twitched when he thought of the enemies he had offended in the past.
"At that time, the late emperor had to deal with his enemies all day long, and there were many people impeached in the court. He also had to deal with his enemies in the court..."
"When the late emperor discovered that something was wrong with the false emperor and his son, he was already deeply involved in the whirlpool. If he attacks the false emperor and his son at this time, even the clan will fall out."
"Aristocratic families, officials, dignitaries, clans..." the emperor sighed: "Why is he like this?"
This is the rhythm of treating yourself as a sacrifice!
"The late emperor once said that when the Tang Dynasty reached this point, it was impossible to restore the country's destiny without using thunderbolt methods. But he used thunderbolt methods, but only in exchange for countless enemies."
"He lacks support," said the Emperor.
"Yes, the late emperor was like a lonely warrior." There were tears in Han Shitou's eyes.
"So, when did he tell you all this?" the emperor asked.
"On that night." Han Shitou said: "The next day, I went to find Li Mi and reported to the late emperor..."