Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

"This is actually a common thing!" Cui Hongdu said in a low voice: "I have heard people say before that the guards in the eastern and western capitals often lent the soldiers of Shangfan as child slaves, and everyone in the capital felt ashamed. 'Servant' is an insulting term! I originally thought it was an exaggeration, but unexpectedly it is true!"

Wang Wenzuo's face was ashen, and he walked back and forth in the room for a few times, and suddenly stopped: "Hongdu, go and check for me immediately, who is borrowing from the East Palace at ten rates! Damn, the new official takes office three times, others I'm too lazy to take care of it, so I'll burn the weeds in front of my house first!"

At noon the next day, Cui Hongdu came to Wang Wenzuo in a hurry, the corner of his mouth was full of joy that could not be concealed: "Sanlang, guess who borrowed the most people?"

"Who can guess this?" Wang Wenzuo replied impatiently: "There are so many nobles in the capital, and I only know a dozen or twenty at most! Don't be foolish, tell me!"

"Hey!" Cui Hongdu laughed twice: "It's not someone else, but that Zhou Guogong. He borrowed 200 people alone, and the others combined are not as many as him!"

"Wu Minzhi, what is he borrowing so many people for? To build a house?"

"Not bad!" Cui Hongdu laughed and said, "It's just building a house!"

"Forget it!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "With 200 people, the size of the mansion must be beyond the limit. Are you going to sue him for this? I'm afraid it won't be of much use, given how much your Majesties love him. , this matter will not hurt him at all, on the contrary, it will annoy him!"

"Sanlang, you don't know!" Cui Hongdu's face was full of complacent smiles: "If this matter is reported to the higher authorities, that guy will have to shed a layer of skin even if he doesn't die!"

"If you don't die, you have to shed a layer of skin?" Wang Wenzuo showed a curious look: "What's the matter?"

"Sanlang, do you know? A few days ago, Her Majesty's mother, Yang, passed away. Her Majesty gave Zhou Guogong a large sum of money to go to the Temple of Mercy, and asked the monks in the temple to build a separate courtyard to support the deceased. But this I borrowed the empress's money and silk but did not give it to the temple, but borrowed 200 people from us to work in the Ci'en Temple, and built a courtyard for Her Majesty the empress!"

"Is there such a thing?" Wang Wenzuo was taken aback: "The queen is his sister-in-law, and the queen's mother is his grandmother. Why is this fellow greedy for his own grandmother's support money?"

"Hey!" Cui Hongdu laughed and said, "So I said that if we report this matter to the palace and let the empress know, this guy will definitely be in bad luck!"

Wang Wenzuo did not speak. He reviewed the relationship between Wu Minzhi, Empress Wu, and Li Zhi in the past two days: Due to the poisoning of Mrs. Wei by Empress Wu, the relationship between Wu Minzhi and the Empress has been completely shattered. Destroyed, Wu Minzhi secretly resented the Wu family who killed his sister, but he was powerless to retaliate, and the external manifestation was rampant and self-defeating;
After Empress Wu learned of Wu Minzhi's performance, she probably had murderous intentions in her heart, but on the surface she still maintained her love and support for her nephew. No matter how suspicious you are, on the surface you still have to pretend that your aunt and nephew are enjoying themselves.As for Li Zhi, Wang Wenzuo really couldn't imagine what was wrapped under that cowardly and deceitful face. The only thing that is certain is that he should have a little affection for Wu Minzhi because of the relationship between his wife and Wu Minzhi's sister, but This feeling is also limited.

So the question now is, if she pokes this matter up, will Empress Wu take this opportunity to get rid of this thorn in her flesh, or she still feels that the weight is not enough, and a few words of reprimand will be enough.If it's the former, then everyone is happy, but if it's the latter, then I will completely tear myself apart with that guy. Although I am not afraid of him, Lu Zhaolin must be in trouble.

"Don't tell outsiders about this anymore!" Wang Wenzuo thought for a while, then said in a deep voice, "I have my own arrangements!"

"As ordered!"

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Daming Palace, Hanyuan Hall.

"The situation in Longshang is very unfavorable. Losing the Hehuang Valley is a heavy blow to us!" The queen said, "Wang Qing, there are not many ministers who are skilled in military affairs in the court. I want to hear your opinion first!"

"I obey, Your Majesty the Empress!" Wang Wenzuo raised his body slightly from the brocade mat, and cupped his hands forward: "May I allow you to take a look at the map first!"

"Wang Qing, please do it yourself!" The queen pushed the map on the table in the direction of Wang Wenzuo. Wang Wenzuo looked at it carefully for a while, and finally said: "I think Your Majesty doesn't need to worry too much!"

"Why do you say that? Does Wang Qing have any countermeasures?" The queen smiled happily when she heard the words.

"There is no countermeasure yet!" Wang Wenzuo shook his head: "What I mean is that after the defeat of Dafeichuan last year, the loss of the Hehuang Valley is a foregone conclusion. Unless the reconstruction of the Longyou Army is completed, any attempt to recover The actions in the Hehuang Valley are a waste of soldiers' lives!"

"Okay!" The queen sighed: "Pei Xingjian and you think the same way, and you both think that you should wait, but you two coincide with each other!"

"Pei Gong is very thoughtful and has lived in Longyou Anxi for a long time, which is beyond the reach of my subordinates!" Wang Wenzuo said.

"The Holy Majesty intends to let him serve as Longyou to fight against Tubo, what do you think?" Empress Wu asked.

"This is the blessing of the country!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile. This Pei Xingjian is the second son of Pei Renji, a doctor of Zuo Guanglu in the Sui Dynasty. , Anxi Duhu, etc., and has a good understanding of the military situation in the Northwest.Later, when he returned to the court, he was promoted to be the minister of the Ministry of officials. He was a well-known capable minister in both civil and military affairs in the court.

"Really?" Empress Wu smiled indifferently: "I think you are the better candidate. Although Pei Xingjian once led soldiers in Anxi, the countries in the Western Regions have always been famous for their weak soldiers. His military achievements There is a lot of water in it, and now we have to deal with Tibetans; and he has been in Chang'an for ten years, I am afraid he can't even ride a horse!"

"This woman is playing the trick of two peaches killing three soldiers again!" Wang Wenzuo slandered, but smiled on his face: "It's a pity that I was ordered to clean up the military affairs in Guanzhong. One body can't be used as two!"

"Cleaning up the government's military affairs is of course important, but it's not as good as resisting the Tubo people!" Empress Wu said with a smile: "If you want to go, I will tell the Holy One to let you go and let Pei Xingjian take over your mess!"

"Let Pei Xingjian take over my business? The empress wouldn't have any vendetta against this guy, would she? Otherwise, how could he be allowed to do the job of offending me?" Wang Wenzuo thought to himself, and said in his mouth, "I am a warrior. , the body is like an arrow, but the two holy majesties shoot it, whether it is in Longyou or Guanzhong, we all obey your will!"

"Okay! Sanlang is indeed a model of military officials in this dynasty!" The queen smiled slightly, she stretched out her right hand, and pulled back the map on the table: "Let's not talk about this matter, it will take some time before you are ordered to count the military affairs in Guanzhong Mansion. Yes, what's the result?"

Wang Wenzuo's heart skipped a beat, he gritted his teeth, and said in a deep voice, "I have discovered something these days, but I just don't know whether I should tell it or not!"

"There's nothing you shouldn't talk about!" The queen said with a smile, "This government soldier is the foundation of the imperial court. The Holy Majesty asked you to investigate this matter in order to clear up the accumulated evils and reproduce the grand occasion of the government soldiers in Wude and Zhenguan years. You Don't be afraid of offending people, the Holy Majesty is not feeling well today, so he asked the widow to come, you just say, no matter who is involved in the military affairs of the government, they must be strictly investigated and dealt with!"

"What your Majesty said is true!" Wang Wenzuo bowed and bowed: "The minister dared to say that a few days ago, the minister went to the East Palace and counted the ten soldiers of the East Palace. It turned out that many of the guards were killed. Borrowed, roughly calculated, there are more than [-] people."

"Borrowed?" A cold light flashed in Empress Wu's eyes: "Who have borrowed it, Wang Qing, you don't have to worry, tell the widows, and I will definitely give them a good look!"

"This is the list of borrowers!" Wang Wenzuo took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, and presented it to Empress Wu with both hands: "I feel that the relationship is very important, so I didn't let others know!"

Empress Wu knew the elegant meaning after hearing the string songs. Wang Wenzuo emphasized that the list was not seen by others, obviously trying to sell it to herself.She smiled, took the list, and the joy on her face froze immediately: "You bastard!"

"Damn it!" Wang Wenzuo hurriedly bowed down and said, "I didn't intend to make things difficult for the Duke of Zhou, but I was just worried that others would know about it and spread it at will, which would hurt the Duke's reputation!"

"That's all! Get up, it's not your fault!" Empress Wu took a deep breath, and calmed down her emotions: "I know about this matter, and I will teach that kid a lesson!"

"Yes!"

"You go back first!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

The queen leaned on the brocade couch, holding the list in her hand, thinking about something.She has no doubts about the authenticity of this list of borrowers—it is not difficult to verify, and the people on the list are either rich or noble. If Wang Wenzuo falsifies it, he will be exposed easily, and he will not do such a thing. Kind of stupid.What's more, doing this is quite similar to the style of his nephew's behavior recently. Since he found out that his sister was poisoned to death, he has completely changed, becoming gloomy and irritable, acting recklessly and impulsively.

"He Lan Minzhi, He Lan Minzhi, can't you bear it because of such a trivial matter? When I entered the palace at the age of 16, the blows I encountered were [-] times more than you are now! Didn't you get over it? The road to the position of supremacy is like this. It is steep, dangerous, and full of blades. How can someone as fragile as you be worthy of being my tool to lead the foreign court? If you really can’t do it, then I have no choice but to abandon you. A person is coming!"

"Come on!"

"The servant is here!" An eunuch knelt down on the ground.

"Go and check it right away!" The queen tore off the small piece of Wu Minzhi's name in the list: "Remember, check out the whole story and don't disturb other people, otherwise your nice!"

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Facts have proved that the eunuch's actions are very efficient. Empress Wu received the eunuch's report before the sky was dark. After she heard the report, her face was full of self-deprecation and disappointment: "Sister, sister, how did you get born like this?" A son, he has already taken the title of duke of the state before he was thirty, he is a regular servant on horseback, he is the chief secretary supervisor, and he is a bachelor of the Hongwen Museum; Even the construction expenses of the temple supported by my grandmother have to be stuffed into my own pocket. How is this different from a beast? No, no, no beast will do such a thing. Fortunately, I still plan to let him accumulate reputation in the Hongwen Museum , I will go to the Zhengshitang in two years, it seems that I am really blind! If it is not Wang Wenzuo, I will really keep him in the dark!"

"Come on!" the queen shouted, "Bring this bastard Wu Minzhi to the palace!"

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The rain wasn't heavy, but the spring night in Chang'an was freezing to the bone, just like Wu Minzhi's heart at this time.

Just now, he was recruited into the Daming Palace by a decree, and what awaited him was a scolding scolding from the Queen's aunt. At the end of the scolding, the Queen's aunt said coldly: "You did such a thing, how can you be like a beast?" Different? If you don’t want to repent and change your past, don’t think I can’t kill you! You must know that if I can change your surname to Wu, I can also change you back to Helan!”

Wu Minzhi remembered that he knelt on the ground instinctively, kowtowed again and again, and wriggled forward like a snake, to avenge the queen's aunt's leg and beg for forgiveness.But this only made the queen even more annoyed, she kicked Wu Minzhi to the ground, picked up the leather whip beside her and beat her while cursing: "Are you a man like you? Get out of here, don't stain my eyes !"

Wu Minzhi couldn't remember exactly how he escaped from Hanyuan Hall. When he regained consciousness, he found that his face, hands and feet were covered with dirt and bruises. It was beaten by the queen's aunt.The rain fell on his head, quenching first the anger of the pain, and then the bone-chilling fear.

"If I can change your surname to Wu, I can also change it back to Helan!"

Wu Minzhi is very aware of the subtext of Aunt Queen's words. Her surname is Wu, which means that she is the only political representative of the Wu family on the political stage in Chang'an. She needs a man from the same family to control the outside court instead of herself, so no matter what trouble Wu Minzhi caused outside, the aunt will settle it for him and make him rise up every step of the way. This is for Wu Minzhi, but also for herself.But if he is allowed to change his surname back, even though he is still the queen's nephew, he will no longer be a man of the Wu family, and all the political resources originally given to him will be taken away and given to another person.In addition, considering the fact that her sister was poisoned at the beginning, the queen is likely to kill herself.

"Yes, she will definitely kill me, definitely will!" Wu Minzhi's body trembled violently, and it was unknown whether it was because of the cold or fear.Only now did he feel how vulnerable and helpless he was. The power that had given everything to him in the past and allowed him to act recklessly had now turned into his enemy. This was really terrifying. (end of this chapter)