Mr. Lu returned from Chang'an. On the third day after Meng Xinghe returned to Jiangdu, his official sedan dropped in front of the Lu Mansion. This time he went to Chang'an for almost two months. Mr. Lu had not been to Chang'an for more than ten years. If there was no one at home, I would have really wanted to stay there to celebrate the New Year before coming back. After all, I met many former classmates and friends this time. Now everyone has become an official in the state capital. It feels like sighing at the passing of time when we meet each other. .
However, although the journey from Chang'an to Jiangdu was long and difficult, Mr. Lu had just returned to the mansion. When he heard the news that Meng Xinghe had returned from Lingnan, he immediately asked his servants to invite Meng Xinghe to the study without even taking a moment to rest.
The study is a forbidden area in Lu Mansion. No one dares to enter without Mr. Lu's consent. Even Miss Lu, who has always been naughty, is very tight-lipped in the face of this clause. I heard that Mr. Lu asked me to go to the study, and Meng Xinghe probably He must have guessed that the old man had brought him some news from Chang'an. Meng Xinghe, who urgently needed to know what was going on in Chang'an, did not dare to delay for a moment and had already walked to Mr. Lu's study.
In the study, the old man had been immersed in the backlog of unprocessed paperwork on the review table in recent months. The sound of Meng Xinghe pushing the door in did not interrupt his concentration on work, and Meng Xinghe did not bother him either, waiting in the room for a full hour. , the old man opposite raised his head. He first glanced at Meng Xinghe. He had no missing arms or legs. A heavy stone fell in his heart. After all, he was his son-in-law, so there was no reason to care.
"How are things in Lingnan?" The old man knew what Meng Xinghe was doing in Lingnan. That area would always be a worry for the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but what worried him more was Meng Xinghe's current identity. After all, he was the household secretary of the imperial court. Shangshu is still the leader of the Taiping Sect. After all, when he went to Chang'an this time, he heard words slandering Meng Xinghe in the court, and the speaker was none other than Li Chengqian, who was defeated by Meng Xinghe. The current crown prince is very likely He is the future king of Tang Dynasty.
"Yang Xuangan was defeated. Lingnan now belongs to the Taiping Sect." In front of Mr. Lu, Meng Xinghe would not hide anything. His current identity was only the leader of the Taiping Sect. Although Meng Xinghe had mentioned it in his conversation with Lord Du a few months ago. Xinghe learned about Li Shimin's current thoughts, but he was a rebel after all, and he took back Lingnan just to gain more bargaining chips in front of Li Shimin.
Knowing Meng Xinghe's current situation, the old man nodded and said, "I'm going to Chang'an now. The Holy Lord paid a special visit to me. He asked me to tell you something."
"What are you talking about?" Meng Xinghe thought in his heart, maybe he has to figure it out for himself.
The old man took up a pen and wrote a line of vigorous calligraphy on the paper in front of him, "The great road of the world is for the public."
Meng Xinghe was stunned for a moment. He remembered that he said this to the first person he met when he came back to this era. Now he has the Taiping Army in his hands plus the nearly 100,000 troops in Lingnan. It is not an exaggeration to describe why Li Shimin said this at this time. Meng Xinghe thought about it and suddenly realized it.
"I know what to do." Thinking of his previous conversation with Du Ruhui, Meng Xinghe felt even more that war was not a good way to solve the problem. At least those who suffered were not the high-ranking officials and nobles, but the ordinary poor people. Those who have already been exploited are struggling to survive, so why bother to get involved in endless wars again?
When it prospers, the people suffer; when it dies, the people suffer.
Meng Xinghe smiled bitterly, I'm afraid it's time for him to leave for Chang'an to meet Li Shimin.
Seeing the expression on Meng Xinghe's face, Mr. Lu knew that he had understood very clearly that such a thing was indeed too heavy to bear on him. He immediately gave a wry smile and said: "Okay, the Lord has spoken, and now it's time to tell you something good." News,”
"Good news." Could it be that Li Shimin wants to promote me to a higher position? "Old man, please stop teasing me. Please tell me about the good news."
"Huh," the old man snorted coldly, obviously dissatisfied with Meng Xinghe's current concern: "The good news is that you are going to be the Prince Consort. Congratulations, Lord Shangshu,"
"What, Prince Consort?" Meng Xinghe just wished he hadn't heard the good news, but then he thought about whether it was Li Shimin who wanted to marry Sister Xianzi to him, and immediately asked: "Old man, you are talking about the Tang Dynasty Is that princess Ningxian?" Meng Xinghe glanced at the old man secretly. Although it is common for men to have three wives and four concubines now, he still doesn't have the shame to discuss marriage with other women in front of his father-in-law.
Mr. Lu's voice was obviously a bit louder: "If it is Princess Ningxian, the old man has no objection, but she is a barbarian woman."
"Hu woman," Meng Xinghe said completely confused: "Old man, I beg you, tell me what you know about going to Chang'an this time, so that I can be prepared." It was so sudden. Why did a barbarian woman suddenly appear? It seems that I have to go to Chang'an. I don't know what happened there. If that day suddenly happened to me, I would be scared to death.
This incident was indeed a "surprise", but it was a pity that Meng Xinghe was surprised but not happy. He just waited quietly for Mr. Lu to explain the reason for the incident, but he seemed to have a vague idea in his heart.
"Could it be her?" Meng Xinghe suddenly thought of the Hu woman he met at the city gate when he returned to Jiangdu, and thought to himself, she would not ride from outside the Great Wall to the Central Plains just to take a look at herself.
Let's wait for Mr. Lu to say it, Meng Xinghe thought in his mind, and cast his eyes on Mr. Lu, quietly waiting for his answer.
Seeing the look in Meng Xinghe's eyes, Mr. Lu told everything he knew about his trip to Chang'an, saying: "When you went to Lingnan, although there were Turks who invaded the border area many times, fortunately General Qin and General Li Guarding at the border, the Turks did not get much benefit, but as our army went deeper into the Turkic territory, the resistance it encountered was not small. After the army passed the Helan Mountain area, the more it attacked the Turkic royal court, the more Difficulties, coupled with the freezing cold weather, the soldiers of the three armies there have to pay even more hardships. The current battle situation is that the two sides have stagnated in the west of Helan Mountain and reached a negotiation agreement. Among the bargaining chips in the negotiation, the Turks specially proposed One point is you,”
"Me," Meng Xinghe pointed at himself: "What do the Turks want me to do?" At the same time, Meng Xinghe thought in his heart that it was the wretched old man who wanted him to spend the rest of his life in the Turks.
Mr. Lu nodded: "Yes, it's you. Moreover, the conditions given by the Turks this time are quite tempting for a few days. It is estimated that it won't be long before the Holy Emperor will recruit you to Chang'an. If nothing happens, the negotiations will After this is over, I'm afraid you will marry the princess of the Turkic Kingdom and follow their people to herd sheep outside the Great Wall. Pity my Ning'er." Mr. Lu immediately beat his feet and chest. If Meng Xinghe went to that place outside the Great Wall, what would happen to his His daughter didn't want to go with him to suffer. He heard that the Hu people were very barbaric and unreasonable, and his daughter's life would definitely not be good in the past. He was also worried in his heart.
However, it is Meng Xinghe who should be worried about this matter.
No, in three days, you must talk to that barbarian woman. He clenched his fists. Meng Xinghe cannot be the object of others' buying and selling like the pork on the chopping board.