It's New Year's Eve, the 18th year of Xingwu's reign.
After going to the graves of Yuan Tao and Gu Ying and paying homage to each other, Xu Mucai rode back to Changyang City in silence.
In the streets and alleys, people began to worship stoves. Festive Spring Festival couplets were posted all over the streets in bright red. There were children shaking rattles and grabbing grain dumplings, eating their mouths full.
From the stalls on both sides of the street, you can occasionally smell the aroma of roasting meat.
"Brother Mu, buy one, we will buy one." Si Hu begged.
"After the New Year's dinner later, you go to Lao Zhou's place and get a lot of mutton soup." Xu Mu replied speechlessly.
According to the rules of the Daji, there is no need to hold court in the imperial palace today. The emperor and his concubines and their clans eat a luxurious family banquet together.
Unfortunately, Yuan An was alone, and he did not even have a queen. In desperation, he had no choice but to be accompanied by a few ministers.
Xu Mu is also among them.
"My little boss...General Xu, preparations are already underway in the imperial dining room." Yu Wen, wearing tiger armor, saw Xu Mu entering the palace and hurriedly came over to hold him over.
"I heard that Commander Yu has also been promoted."
"Ouchi is a third-grade Golden Sword Guard, leading four thousand Imperial Guards." Yu Wen spoke calmly.
"Congratulations to the commander-in-chief."
Yu Wen thanked him, hesitated for a moment and then spoke, "General Xu and I are the decapitated soldiers who fought together. If anything happens, my little boss will speak up."
Xu Mu's heart moved slightly, and he raised his hand and patted Yu Wen's shoulder.
"Has Chen Changqing entered the palace?"
"I met you earlier. I have already brought people into the palace. There are about 4,000 iron guards."
Listening, Xu Mu frowned. If Chen Changqing didn't get rid of him for a day, he would feel sick.
"There is something I want to say to General Xu."
"Say it."
"Chen Changqing has been very close to His Majesty these days. We all know that General Xu must have the greatest credit for the attack on Changyang. Not only the Guanhead Army, but also the people in the National Salvation Camp all say so."
"Let's go into the palace first and then we'll talk." After thinking for a while, Xu Mu spoke calmly.
Yu Wen clenched his fists, and together with Xu Mu, they walked towards the palace.
…
The young emperor Yuan Lu was poisoned to death by a traitor, and many eunuchs Gong'e followed him to death. Today, there are not many eunuchs and palace eunuchs left in the entire palace.
When I walked to the side hall, I vaguely spotted two old eunuchs leading a dozen happy poor children to the cleansing room.
Xu Mu didn't stop him, but he felt a little uncomfortable. Compared with the prosperous times, being able to join the palace as a eunuch was already a very good thing.
"General Xu, please look, that is Chen Changqing's iron guard." Yu Wen said coldly as he approached the royal road.
Xu Mu looked up, and sure enough, he found an armored guard lined up on the royal road, holding a shield in one hand and a halberd in the other, which seemed to be a strong army.
"These armors were originally items from the arsenal of the imperial palace. The late emperor wanted to set up a guard army, but for some reason he put it on hold. Chen Changqing opened the arsenal and took them all away."
"We selected some soldiers from our headquarters to form this iron guard."
Xu Mu frowned, "Your Majesty, you are not to blame?"
"No, I heard that later, Chen Changqing went to plead guilty and was pardoned by His Majesty."
"Are you forgiven?"
Xu Mu couldn't figure out whether this was Yuan An's imperial intention or whether he didn't take it to heart at all.
Halfway through the imperial road, Xu Mu hesitated and turned around. He glanced at each other and both of them fell silent.
"General Xu, Commander Yu." An old eunuch stood in the slightly cold wind. When he saw the two men approaching, he hurriedly bowed and bowed.
"Your Majesty has already set up a New Year's banquet in the Tiande Hall, and ordered me to wait here."
"It's okay, father-in-law, please." Xu Mu also raised his hands and clasped his fists.
Because of Lianchun, he had a pretty good impression of these old eunuchs in the palace.
"Please, you two."
Lifting his steps, Xu Mu took one last look at Chen Changqing's iron guards, and his eyes suddenly darkened. Chen Changqing, who brought his private army into the palace, was really invincible.
"Xu Qing!"
Before arriving at the Tiande Palace, Xu Mu was surprised that Yuan An was standing on the royal road waiting for him with several guards in front of the palace.
"Xu Qing, please let me wait."
Yuan An took a few steps closer and held Xu Mu's hand enthusiastically. Yu Wen, who was beside him, stepped aside knowingly.
"Your Majesty, how virtuous and capable is Xu Mu?"
"Haha, the emperor said that Xu Qing is the only one in the world who can wholeheartedly think about the country. Naturally, I will personally welcome a great talent like Xu Qing."
If it were any other minister, he would have shed tears of gratitude at this moment.
But Xu Mu didn't. He started out as a brewer, and along the way, he had seen too many intrigues. To put it bluntly, if he had been careless, he would probably not even have the dregs left.
He really wanted to save the country and save the people of the world. Following Yuan Tao's footsteps, he hoped that one day, green hills would be seen everywhere throughout the Epoch Times.
However, Yuan Tao left one sentence.
If Yuan An can't afford it, he can choose.
"Xu Qing is attending the banquet with me. In order to entertain Xu Qing today, I specially ordered someone to sacrifice a winter deer."
"I am terrified."
"Xu Qing doesn't need to be like this. If it weren't for Xu Qing's righteousness, the country of this era would still be filthy."
Xu Mu pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.
As they approached the Tiande Hall, Yu Wen finally stepped forward to catch up. Si Hu, who was behind him, pursed his lips and stayed outside the hall to wait.
"Xu Qing, yes, and Yu Qing, please come into the palace. I am alone, but you are the only one left."
Xu Mu and Yu Wen both bowed in silence.
In the hall, in the first row under the dragon throne.
I don't know when, but there was already another figure sitting quietly on the banquet table.
"General Xu, this is Chen Changqing." Yu Wen leaned over and spoke solemnly.
Xu Mu frowned and raised his head seriously.
He had always had a murderous intention in his heart towards the person whom the young marquis insisted on killing. It was not just a mission, but he felt from the bottom of his heart that the General Dingbian of Muyun Prefecture in front of him was a very dangerous person.
people.
When Jia Zhou started the fire, it was Chen Changqing who immediately took the opportunity to send troops and occupied Dangyang County, which shows his ambition.
"General Xu." Chen Changqing stood up with a smile, facing Xu Mu and cupping his fists.
Xu Mu calmly raised his sleeves and held his fists, but in the end the short crossbow's mechanism was not triggered.
When you enter the palace for a New Year's banquet, you have to wear armor and lead private soldiers. It's really like no one else.
"Xu Qing, come to the front row and do it. You are my humerus minister."
In ancient times, the right was respected. For example, if someone was demoted, it would be called "moving to the left." On the contrary, if someone was promoted, it would be called "promoting to the right."
Chen Changqing sat in the first row on the right.
If Xu Mu wanted to sit, he could only sit in the left row.
He did not sit down. This is actually a very simple reason. If the things in the court have a fixed pattern, they will be passive everywhere.
"General Xu, this is the holy will." Chen Changqing smiled.
The minister of Guanglu Temple, who had just entered the palace, was about to ask for orders to present the imperial meal. Seeing this scene, he wisely withdrew again.
Yuan An sat on the dragon chair and was a little silent for a while.
…
Outside Tiande Hall.
Si Hu, who was secretly peeling peanuts, suddenly stopped, raised his head, and looked at the rickety figure in front of him.
He is neither human nor ghost, yet he is wearing an extremely luxurious scribe's robe.
"From today on, among the six masters in the inner city, why not add one more." Chen Lu stopped and said with a sarcastic tone, "Let's call him Silly Touhu."
Si Hu bulged his eyes, roared angrily, and rushed towards Chen Lu.