In the two days before Yuan Day, the Daming Palace became extremely busy. Envoys from various countries lined up in the Daming Palace, waiting to see His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Zhi, who had ignored government affairs for many years, spent these two days either in the Xuanzheng Hall or in the Hanyuan Hall where the Yuan Dynasty meeting was held. Together with Queen Wu Mei, he received envoys from various countries.
People were coming and going in the Daming Palace, which seemed extremely lively and busy. On the contrary, in the Prince's East Palace, the entrance and the palace were deserted, with few people.
Any foreign envoys who wanted to see Li Hong alone before Yuan Day were turned away by officials in the East Palace.
The reason is also very righteous: His Royal Highness is only the Crown Prince of the East Palace. During this period, it is not appropriate to receive envoys. If you have something to do, you should ask to see me, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, even Dai Zhide, who suddenly rushed back to Chang'an from Tibet this year, and Tibetan nominal Zanpu Mangsong Mangzan, also went to the Daming Palace to see Li Zhi on the night before Yuan Day. He immediately went to the East Palace to see Li Hong.
Dai Zhide came back this time, naturally in response to Li Hong's summons, and this return was also to commend him for his achievements in Tubo in the past ten years.
At the same time, Ge Xiyuan and Shi Zangjie also rushed back from Andong and Anbei. In addition to the generals who had been using troops, the supervisors of the major protective offices also rushed back to Chang'an, including the governors of various states. This year's imperial meeting came to Chang'an to meet with Li Zhi.
Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, this has been something that must be carried out whenever the Yuan Dynasty meets. Therefore, in the entire Chang'an City, walking on the crowded streets, maybe the person walking leisurely next to you is the governor of one party.
Li Zhi took the memorial from the East Palace and handed him the Yuan Ri memorial. On it was a list of officials who he wanted to give promotions to at the court meeting tomorrow according to Li Hong's wishes.
"I have really become a decoration now. He has to make the decision on this matter, but I can't get in the slightest opinion." Li Zhi was sitting in the study room of Zichen Hall, looking at the memorial that was missing several pictures. He couldn't help but sigh at the familiar name.
Wu Mei, who was teasing Li Ye, raised her head and looked at Li Zhi, who was shaking his head and sighing, and said lightly: "Of those people you want to seal, which one has as much hard work and merit as these people? Especially Dai Zhide, Xue Rengui, Hei Te Chang Among them, Ge Xiyuan and Shi Zangchao, as well as Pei Xingjian, Cui Zhibian and other military generals, these people have made great contributions to the defense of the Tang Dynasty. "
"I just grumbled casually, but don't you think I'm like a puppet emperor?" Li Zhi put the memorial aside, and Li Ye in his arms began to climb onto the desk. A fine jade pendant was caught by that He threw it casually on the thick carpet at his feet.
Li Zhi was not angry. He took the jade pendant picked up by the palace maid and handed it to Li Ye again. He watched the little guy swinging it around in his hand until he was about to stuff it into his mouth, and then he stopped him in time.
"Today Dai Zhide returned to Chang'an City. He heard that he was at Xiao Mingde Gate, so he knelt down in the direction of the palace, and then cried out four words with tears: The Great Tang Dynasty is mighty." Wu Mei said lightly. .
"Yeah, but I guess he should go to the East Palace now, right? He should go to meet Li Hong anyway."
"In the past two days, Li Hong has given you, the emperor, all his dignity and face. People who don't know better would have thought that the deserted Prince of the East Palace has been deposed by you. Not even a single envoy has come to see him. Even Concubine Xiao Shu came here today. He also secretly asked me if Hong'er had quarreled with you again and why the East Palace was so deserted, which made people feel a little scared." Wu Mei said with a sigh.
Li Zhi thought about the huge difference between the Daming Palace and the East Palace in the past two days, and sighed in his heart. Summoning envoys from various countries and accepting individual congratulations from them should have been his responsibility as the reigning prince, not his own. This matter is similar to that of an emperor, but the prince Li Hong still took his own feelings into consideration and allowed himself, an emperor who did not care about politics, to bear this honor.
"Your Highness, Sir Dai Zhidedai is asking for an audience." Hua Meng appeared in the Li Zheng Palace and said looking at Li Hong who was playing chess with Yan Lingbin.
"Let him wait for me in the study." Li Hong turned his head and glared at Pei Wanying who was watching the chess game next to him, snatched his cannon from Yu's hand, put it on the chessboard, and said dissatisfiedly: "I gave up a rook, a horse, and a cannon. You are greedy and want to take another one.”
"That cannon of yours was just eaten by Yan Lingbin. I was just playing with it in my hand." Pei Wanying's face was as shameless as a city wall. When no outsiders were present, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess did not act like a mother to the world.
Moreover, as Li Ye and Li Ye spend more and more time in the Daming Palace behind them, the princess is doing things more and more easily. After learning chess, backgammon and go, she started playing games with Yan Lingbin every day. Or just playing with Bai Chun.
Too lazy to pay attention to Pei Wanying who was making faces at him with a provocative, "What can you do with me" expression? Li Hong directly sank the car to kill Yan Lingbin, then stood up and patted Yan Lingbin's beautiful face comfortingly, and then accompanied by the palace maid , walked to the study room.
Behind him, Yan Lingbin looked at the miserable ending on the chessboard in frustration. Lao Gao pouted: "Next time, if you do it more secretly, he will always find out. How can we win?"
"Yes, if only An Xiaohe and Chen Qinghan were here and they could attract His Highness's attention, we would win."
"Forget it, be careful His Highness catches you both on the bed." Yan Lingbin's charming eyes took advantage of Pei Wanying's astonishment to touch her breasts, which were obviously plumper after giving birth, and then quickly run away.
"Hey, damn girl, I rebelled against you and attacked me again. Don't run away." Pei Wanying stood up with a smile and chased in the direction Yan Lingbin fled, leaving the palace maid standing aside with a relaxed smile on her face. , looking at such a harmonious and interesting scene in the East Palace.
"I wear my utmost virtue..."
"No need." Li Hong walked quickly to Dai Zhide, raised his hands and said.
Looking at Dai Zhide, who they had not seen for nearly ten years, the two of them naturally felt a sigh of relief in their hearts.
Especially Dai Zhide's skin color has become darker in recent years, his gray beard has become sparser, his eyes are a little cloudy, the corners of his eyes and forehead are covered with wrinkles, and his hands are also covered with age spots.
Fortunately, it was winter, and the thick clothes he wore on his body did not make his skinny body worrying. Although he had just rushed back to Chang'an City after a long journey, his energy and energy were pretty good.
The two sat down on the sofa together. Dai Zhide looked at the prince's study and said, "When I came back today, I almost thought I had entered a fairyland on earth instead of the Chang'an city I left back then."
"What? Are you surprised?" Li Hong smiled and pushed the tea that the palace maid handed him first to Dai Zhide's hand.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Dai Zhide saw Li Hong treating him so politely and hurriedly wanted to get up to thank him, but was stopped by Li Hong.
So he sat down and continued: "Yes, I really can't believe that in less than ten years, His Highness has built Chang'an City into such a magnificent and glorious capital. I think there is no other city in the world that can be like Chang'an." The city is so majestic, it can show the majesty of the Tang Dynasty." Dai Zhide admired sincerely, thinking about what he saw and heard in Chang'an City today.
"Then do you think that if you had followed your suggestions when you were the Minister of Rites, Chang'an City would have achieved what it has today?"
"Hahaha..." Dai Zhide was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed boldly, without any trace of embarrassment or dissatisfaction on his face, and said easily: "Your Highness, you really hold a grudge. It has been so many years, and you actually I still remember that I still use it to make fun of the old minister."
"They say that as people get older, their skin becomes less important, so I'll try it on an old man like you." Li Hong continued to tease Dai Zhide.
But after listening to Li Hong's words, Dai Zhide's expression became a little solemn. He smiled bitterly and thought for a moment and said: "I have to admire you, Your Highness. It was indeed the old minister who harmed the country back then. Thanks to your highness, he was able to remove the old minister and then re-activate him." My dear, let me do what I can for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Otherwise, if I waste these ten years at home and see the scene in Chang'an again, I will probably commit suicide in shame and anger. Presumably, Ge Xiyuan and Shi Zangjie will feel the same way when the old minister realizes this."
"Not to mention them, even my father and mother, including some of my father's ministers at that time, now hide away when they see me and don't dare to meet me." Li Hong looked at Dai Zhide and continued to joke. said.
"Then I wonder why His Highness summoned the old minister back this time? As long as there is an old minister who can relieve His Highness's worries, the old minister will be generous..."
"I'm overthinking it. It's been almost ten years. Letting you come back is the imperial court's great love for you border ministers and an opportunity to reward you for your contribution to the Tang Dynasty. So this time after you come back, I will give you two choices. Li Hong looked at Dai Zhide with a smile, and then said slowly: "One: Staying in Chang'an to take care of your old age, you must have trained many students in Tubo who are suitable for making contributions to the Tang Dynasty, right? Two: Then?" If you just don’t want to leave Tubo, I’ll let you go back to Tubo.”
Dai Zhide was silent. His Royal Highness seemed to speak easily and his expression was calm, but Dai Zhide also knew very well that His Highness might have something unspeakable.
Tubo now has a strong sense of belonging to the Tang Dynasty, which even he himself did not expect. But with such a successful example, wouldn’t His Highness be tempted
Dai Zhide had to think about the current situation of the imperial court in Anxi.
Qiwang, who has just gone to Tokora and Tutushi this year to open the Tang School, wants to spread the culture of the Tang Dynasty as he did in Tubo. I am afraid that the difficulties he will face will not be small.
"I'd better go back to Tubo. I've devoted all my efforts in the past ten years there. I still want to set an example for the new arrivals of the Five Surnames and Seven Looks. So Your Highness, I would like to ask you to continue returning to Tubo after Yuanri." ?”
"That's right." Li Hong stood up, walked behind the desk, and then took out a small delicate wooden box from the drawer below and handed it to Dai Zhide: "This is a gift for you. I will give it to you at the court meeting tomorrow. I won’t congratulate you.”
Dai Zhide was carrying an antique wooden box. Although the gifts in it were not very heavy, it made him feel His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's care and attention to him. Therefore, on the way out of the East Palace, no matter in his heart or in his hands, , he felt heavy.
(End of chapter)