"Why? Why do you, Cao Ling, want to trample on my friendship with Gao Xun like dirt?"
After hearing Gao Xun's angry but heartfelt question, Cao Ling couldn't help but raise her eyes and look at the tall and handsome shadow in the mirror again. Because the bronze mirror was yellowed, she did not see the color of Gao Xun's face at the moment.
Looking at this man who was already regarded as a dragon and a phoenix among men, Cao Ling didn't have too many ripples in her heart.
She still remembers that spring day when she was more than ten years old, the boy was received by his father, Emperor Cao Pi, on the reception stage of the Imperial City. That day, she saw a solemn expression on her father's face that she had never shown in front of children.
She still remembered that she had made various pastries with her own hands, and secretly sent a servant from her palace to wait outside the man's favorite place, Huang Gong's Winery, to express her feelings, but she was ignored by that man. Cold rejection.
She could not forget that in the fourth year of Taihe, when the imperial grandmother was still alive, the imperial brother who had just ascended the throne for four years knew her feelings for that person and personally proposed to the newly crowned person in marriage. But what she did not expect was that , that man dared to refuse even the emperor's brother's offer of marriage for the sake of a Qi Di medical girl.
The person she had secretly promised to was none other than the owner of the Changling Marquis Mansion, Yulin Supervisor Xia Houxuan.
Gradually, she began to hate the joke about her father and Tingwei Gao Rou's baby kiss.
She thought that if there hadn't been this baby kiss that was originally a joke, then maybe Xia Houxuan wouldn't have rejected her so much, and maybe her husband today wouldn't be the person she didn't value so much.
To this day, the resentment in Cao Ling's heart for not being able to love her has gradually transferred to Gao Xun after she got married.
At this moment, facing Gao Xun's questioning, Cao Ling didn't offer a single defense or rebuttal.
At this moment, she was still just calmly letting the maid behind her do the snake bun that was originally created by Queen Wen Zhaozhen.
[Note 1: The snake bun is said to have been created by Empress Zhen, the empress of Emperor Wen of Cao Wei. "Cailan Magazine" records: "When Empress Zhen entered the Wei Palace, there was a green snake in the palace. It kept spitting out red pearls from its mouth. If the Wuzi was big, it would not hurt people, but people wanted to harm it. But it disappeared. Dress up every day, then The shape of a bun is tied in the back and front, and the back is different. It is made into a bun because of its effect. It is a clever workmanship. Therefore, the back bun is different every day. It is called the Spirit Snake Bun. The palace people drafted it, and there is no one or two in ten." I was inspired by the snake's coiled shape, so I imitated it and made a bun. 】
These past events have been widely publicized by good people in the market, how could Gao Xun not know about them.
He was questioning Cao Ling here today because he just wanted to hear her explanation. Gao Xun originally thought that even if Cao Ling just softened up a little or showed a little tenderness to him, he would not do it again. To care about these illusory things. But he didn't expect that his wife would acquiesce to these past events that were long gone.
Seeing this scene and thinking about it, Gao Xun, who was originally furious, actually regained his composure again. However, the warmth in his eyes when he looked at Cao Ling was no longer the same as before.
At this moment, he thought angrily to himself: I, Gao Xun, will definitely trample that man under my feet in the future, and let the world see who is more powerful, Gao Ziyu or Xiahou Taichu!
As soon as the thought occurred, Gao Xun fell into a demonic barrier.
In the past, the mentor and friend whom Gao Xun admired and loved so much became his biggest enemy in his life.
————
After Gao Jun and Gao Guang discussed the cases of Yiyang Diannong Liu Gui and Da Situ's subordinate Xie Hong with Gao Dan and Gao Xun, they went to the prison to interrogate the two men separately.
After Gao Jun and Gao Guang met the two of them respectively, they discovered that Liu Gui did not go to the Forbidden Garden to hunt wantonly. He just got lost after drinking and got excited, so he unintentionally hunted the people in the Royal Forbidden Garden. and Xie Hong is indeed in shape, with a haggard appearance due to longing for his late father. This is by no means what the emperor thought, but he lied about being ill just to gain fame.
The two brothers had already investigated clearly, so they immediately reported it to their father, Tingwei Gaorou.
It just so happened that today the emperor held a meeting with ministers at the Xuanwu Field outside Daxia Gate in the north of the city and at the foot of Mang Mountain. Therefore, Gao Rou planned to go there in person to clarify these two cases with the emperor to avoid heavy punishment for misdemeanors and wrongful harm to his filial son.
The Xuanwu Field is a large school field at the foot of Mang Mountain in the north of the Imperial City of Luoyang. Every time the Beijing soldiers go on an expedition, the Xuanwu Field is where the generals give lectures to boost their morale.
At this time, all the ministers gathered on the Xuanwu Field. Emperor Cao Rui and Queen Mother Guo were sitting facing south. Queen Mao, as well as the concubines and concubines who had been favored by Cao Rui recently, were accompanying the emperor. Zhen Xiang, Guo Biao, Bian Lan and other relatives of the emperor were also sitting on the high platform facing north and south. As for Qi King Cao Fang and Qin King Cao Xun's two three-year-old children, they were accompanying the emperor.
As for Tingwei Gaorou, Grand Situ Dong Zhao, Sima Shi Sima Zhao’s two sons, Taiwei Wuyang Hou Sima Yi, Changping Hou Cao Zhao, Huangmen Shilang Dingling Hou Zhongyu who accompanied his younger brother Zhong Hui, school official He Zeng, and Wang Hun, the governor of Liangzhou, who had come to Beijing with his youngest son Wang Rong to report on his duties, and Guanqiu Jian, who had been the governor of Jingzhou for more than a year, and others were sitting not far from the emperor's seat.
The central leader Xia Houxian, as well as the general Cao Shuang of the Wuwei, the deputy general Cao Xi, the general Qin Lang of the Xiaoqi, the captain of the infantry Bian Lin, and Xia Houxuan who is the supervisor of the Yulin, are now leading their Zhong base, Zhongjian, Wuwei, Xiaoqi, and The infantry battalions, as well as five hundred Yulin Lang, guarded the emperor on the bank of the high platform.
Due to poor health in recent years, Yuan Guang Luxun and Qia He Yangshi resigned from the military position of Guang Luxun and took up another position among the Nine Ministers, Taichang. As a result, his son He Kui was transferred away from Guang Luxun's subordinates and instead joined the Yulin camp of his wife Xia Houyu's brother Xia Houxuan. Yu Huan and Yu Shanjun were also recommended to join Yulin Camp half a year ago. At this moment, He Kui and Yu Huan, as Xia Houxuan's lieutenants, were standing beside Xia Houxuan.
Xia Houfeng, who wanted to gain experience in the military camp, deliberately joined the general Qin Lang's general Qin Lang's general, in order to prevent others from saying that his cousin Xia Houxuan and Xia Houxian were in cahoots for personal gain and nepotism. After more than half a year of training, Xia Houfeng had already changed. Became a qualified cavalryman. At this moment, he is also wearing armor and holding a halberd, standing solemnly in the Xuanwu Field.
Not long after, the courtiers arrived in twos and threes.
When the emperor saw all the ministers arriving, he nodded towards the soldiers guarding a large iron cage covered with red silk cloth in the distance.
The eight Forbidden Army officers guarding the big iron cage understood, and with a swipe of their hands, they uncovered the red silk covering the big iron cage.
All the ministers looked up and realized that what was locked in the big iron cage was a colorful tiger!
It turned out that a few days ago, Cao Rui, accompanied by Cao Zhao, Guanqiu Jian, He Zeng, Xia Houxian, Qin Lang, and the new soldier Cao Shangshu Sun Li, Sun Deda and others went to Dashi Mountain for hunting. Just when everyone was having fun, a beautiful tiger slowly walked out from the forest in the distance.
Everyone was startled when they saw the tiger's roar, which was so powerful and majestic and so sudden.
Cao Zhao and He Zeng were usually poor in martial arts, so they had no good strategy. Although Guanqiu Jian, Xia Houxian, and Qin Lang were skilled in martial arts, they still did not dare to act rashly at this moment. They were afraid of missing a single hit with their bows. It was too much physical strength, so he just took out his long weapon and surrounded the emperor, planning to wait for the opportunity.
At this critical moment, Sun Li, the Minister of War, slowly jumped off his horse and took out a pair of halberds he carried with him. He saw the right moment and swished twice, and the two halberds were fired in response, but Sun Li knew this in his heart. The halberd was light and small, and the tiger's skin and bones were strong and difficult to damage, so he threw the halberd just to divert the tiger's attention.
Sooner or later, the moment Sun Li threw the halberd, he immediately pulled out the long sword from his waist. He shouted loudly, took advantage of the tiger's gap to avoid the halberd, jumped up, and stabbed the tiger with one sword. But the tiger was no ordinary creature. Seeing Sun Li's sword coming to stab him, it suddenly dodged half a foot to the left. Sun Li's sword stabbed the tiger's right leg. The tiger was in pain and opened its mouth. He's going to bite Sun Li!
"Sun Li mounts up!"
At this time, Cao Rui shouted loudly behind him. Sun Li subconsciously took a few steps back after hearing this, and there was already an arrow above the tiger's right eye. When Sun Li took a closer look, he saw that it was the emperor's golden arrow.
At this time, Sun Li cheered up and took advantage of the tiger's eye pain to go crazy, and when it was rolling and biting randomly, he stepped forward again and stabbed the tendons of its left foot. The tiger had both legs broken, was blinded, and could no longer walk. With the combined efforts of Sun Li, Guanqiu Jian, Qin Lang, and Xia Houxian, the tiger was finally captured.
After the emperor caught the tiger, he smiled and said:
"This fierce tiger is so rampant that it is even better than the Shu captives and Wu thieves!"
In this way, Cao Rui came up with the idea of interrupting the tiger's minions in Xuanwu Field to demonstrate on a whim.
In this way, the tiger was captured by Cao Rui and locked in a large iron cage in the Xuanwu Field.
At this time, hundreds of officials were gathered on the high platform in the stadium. Under the high platform, there were military guards. There were even thousands of people around the Xuanwu Field watching.
Although the tiger was blinded and both legs were broken, it was still invincible. At this time, it used its remaining two hind legs and its full mouth of fangs to kick and bite the iron cage hard, and let out a low and deep roar. , a terrifying roar.
The sound of the tiger is extremely penetrating. At this moment, all the officials and people who were watching the tiger inside and outside the Xuanwu Field were shocked when they heard the trembling roar. Many scribes among the officials could not see such power, and they all He was so frightened that he fell down on the seat. What made Cao Rui interesting was that the three children at the table were actually more courageous than ordinary adults.
I saw Wang Rong, the seven-year-old son of Wang Hun, the governor of Liangzhou, motionless at this moment, with no fear in his face. Zhong Hui, the nine-year-old younger brother of Dingling Marquis Zhong Yu, was not intimidated by the tiger at this moment.
That Wang Rong was the grandson of Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, who had guarded the northern border for many years and had great prestige. Emperor Wen praised him for his courage, wisdom, skills, and civil and military demeanor.
In addition, Pei Xiu, the youngest son of Pei Qian and Pei Wenxing, the minister, and Zhong Hui, the younger brother of Dingling Marquis Zhong Yu, also looked calm and relaxed at this moment, showing no fear at all.
As for my own Fang'er, I don't know if it's because a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers, or if he is really born brave. At this moment, he is not afraid of the roaring tiger.
Seeing this, Cao Rui felt very happy.
It seems that my Wei Dynasty is full of talented people, and it can be regarded as a successor.
Not long after, the tiger's claws were finally cut off by the soldiers outside the cage with iron pliers.
