A few days after Fu Yanqing arrived in Beijing, the emperor and the governors held a palace banquet to entertain several Jiedu envoys who came to Beijing and watch polo in Xiyuan. However, this time all the cavalry troops from the Protecting Saint Army were present. There was no team from the feudal town, so naturally no one came to invite Guo Xin to play again.
It just so happened that Guo Xin didn't want to show off much recently, and the weather was getting hotter and hotter. Even if he was hiding in the study, he still felt hot all over.
Guo Xin remembered that when he was on an expedition, soldiers would often go shirtless in the army, but he always had to dress seriously, not out of shyness or pretentiousness. Although he has experienced several wars, and there have been too many winds and rains in the past two years, Guo Xin has long been out of the ranks of thin skin and tender meat, but he has not been injured so far. Compared with that group of people with two large and small scars, It is inevitable that warriors who can be counted on one hand will be criticized in private by military men.
Guo Xin was young and suspected of "relying on his father". As long as he was still leading the army, he had to consider the issue of convincing the public, so he was very concerned about even these small aspects. He hoped that he could get the sincere support of the soldiers, and at least be willing to treat him as one of their own.
Guo Xin was just thinking about it when the servants of the palace suddenly came to him and said eagerly that a messenger from the palace had come to the door with a decree that the Guo brothers and Guo Wei should enter the palace together.
Guo Xin was immediately shocked when he heard this. Today was not a day for duty, but due to the recent military situation between the Khitan and the Southern Tang Dynasty, Guo Wei was still in charge of the Privy Council. Why did the emperor suddenly hear about his two brothers? Will Liu Chengyou suddenly go crazy at this time?
The will from the palace must be welcomed personally. Guo Xin got up and got dressed, and his mind calmed down. Now that several vassal towns are still in the capital, it is not a good time for Liu Chengyou to do anything.
Guo Xin quickly packed up, and halfway there, he met Guo Pu who came to him, saying that the envoy had returned to the palace after meeting his brother Guo Tong in the front hall. Guo Tong asked Guo Xin to meet directly in the front yard and enter the palace with him. .
Guo Xin nodded, feeling even more that this was just an ordinary visit to the palace. However, out of careful consideration, he still ordered Guo Pu: "Quickly find two people, go to the houses of Shi Hongzhao and Wang Xianggong respectively, find a reason to ask the two Xianggongs whether they have also been summoned to the palace. Your majesty has seen them. If the two Xianggongs have also been summoned, When you enter the palace, stop us in front of Yemen."
When Guo Pu saw Guo Xin's serious expression, he didn't ask any questions at the moment. After accepting, he went out to do things.
Guo Xin walked to the front yard and saw that Guo Tong had prepared his carriage and horses. When he saw him, he said, "Erlang is coming too late. My father should wait at the government office. Let's go to the Privy Council and meet my father in the palace together." Queen Mother."
Guo Xin heard it clearly and immediately asked: "Is it the Queen Mother who is summoning you?"
Guo Tong nodded: "It's the Queen Mother's decree. I don't know the details. Let's go there first and talk about it later."
Guo Xin calmed down a little, and after saying that, Guo Tong had already boarded the carriage. However, due to the weather today, Guo Xin didn't want to be crowded with his brothers anymore, so he declined Guo Tong's invitation to ride together and brought a horse to accompany him into the palace.
Arriving at the cross street outside the palace, Guo Xin immediately saw Guo Pu on the corner of the street riding a horse and looking around. Guo Xin waved from a distance to indicate his position. Guo Pu saw him, patted his horse and approached and said: "The two husbands have not entered the palace, only the historian." Lang Jun invites Brother Yi to have a drink in a few days."
"I got it." Guo Xin was completely relieved at that moment. Since it was the Queen Mother who invited her, and only the Guo family was invited, nothing would happen. Maybe the Queen Mother just wanted to establish a relationship with her important ministers.
The two brothers left their carriages and horses outside the palace and walked into the palace through the Youye Gate. The Privy Council Office was on the north corridor on the east side of the Chao Road. Guo Tong attended the Shuo Wang Chao Meeting every month and wanted to be familiar with the palace. He led the way and introduced the palace buildings to him from time to time.
Although the imperial palace in Tokyo has experienced several generations of emperors, it was expanded on the military headquarters of Zhu Wen and Xuanwu. The scale of construction and the level of repairs are obviously not comparable to those of the palaces of the prosperous dynasties. The damaged bricks and stones in the outer palaces are desolate. Weeds can be seen everywhere, and only the bright red lanterns hung under the corridors on both sides of the road and on the pavilions in the distance to celebrate the birthdays of officials barely add some splendor to the palace.
But in Guo Xin's eyes, the palace city was already a place like a place of death. Within a short time, many swords and swords would be seen in the palace in front of him, and the lanterns seemed to be oozing blood red.
Not long after, the two brothers went to the Privy Council to declare their intention, and saw Guo Wei in a gallery room of the Privy Council Office. In addition to Guo Wei, there was also Privy Councilor Zan Jurun in the gallery room, and the two were discussing military plans.
When Zan Jurun saw Guo Xin and Guo Wei, he resigned to Guo Wei. Before leaving, he saluted Guo Xin: "I haven't seen General Guo for a long time. Zan will visit again another day."
Zan Jurun was barely recommended by Guo Xin to Guo Wei. However, Guo Xin had almost no time to relax since he came to Tokyo, and he was not in the same circle on weekdays. There were no opportunities for the two to enhance their relationship. However, Zan Jurun's performance still showed that he remembered Guo Xin. The grace of faith.
So Guo Xin smiled and said in return: "How can I condescend you?"
Zan Jurun also smiled, and he and Guo Tong bowed to each other and retreated out the door.
There were only three father and son left in the room, but Guo Wei did not get up in a hurry to enter the palace. Instead, he picked up the copper pot and poured himself a bowl of water. He took a slow sip and then said in a deep voice: "Now the court In the dark, I have no intention of participating in the disputes here anymore, and I intend to take the opportunity of moving the town to serve as a vassal. What do you brothers think?"
Guo Wei's topic was too sudden and unexpected, but it seemed very simple.
Guo Tong was the first to ask anxiously: "If this happens, wouldn't my father be relinquishing his position as Privy Councilor?"
Guo Wei was silent, and Guo Xin thought quickly in his mind. It was naturally a good choice for Guo Wei to stay away from Tokyo at this juncture, but the most important thing was to have military power in his hands! Otherwise, you will have no foundation when you go to another town, and your wealth and life will depend entirely on the outcome of the court struggle and the likes and dislikes of those in power.
So Guo Xin pondered for a moment and then asked: "I wonder where my father wants to go to become a vassal? My family has never established a government. If there are no government soldiers to rely on, how can we control the towns?"
Guo Wei said: "If there is no other change in the strategy of moving the town, it should be the Weizhou Tianxiong Army. This is also for the officials to guard Hebei and guard against the Khitan. According to the recent Hebei Tang News, the Khitan has invaded the town and Dingshu Prefecture. The towns are suffering uncontrollably, so I want to control some of the imperial troops and use them as troops to camp in the north to guard Weizhou to prevent changes in Khitan and Hebei."
Guo Wei always only expressed his judgment when he was absolutely sure. Guo Xin immediately believed that what Guo Wei said would probably come true. As long as Guo Wei could lead heavy troops in Hebei, history would become a reality! Although his family members cannot go to Weizhou with them, Guo Xin has already made emergency arrangements.
Thinking of this, Guo Xinxin suddenly felt a feeling that made him breathe quickly. It seemed that he and the people around him had embarked on a long and irreversible road.
Guo Xin glanced at the silent Guo Tong next to him again, wondering what his brother was thinking. But he remembered that when he went to Wang Pu's house for a banquet last time, Wang Pu's father, Wang Zuo, had revealed that Guo Tong's father-in-law, Wang Zhang, seemed to have accidentally left him alone.
So Guo Xin pretended to think for a moment, and then agreed: "My child thinks this is very good! If it can be done like this, my father will be famous in Hebei, and there will be a way out no matter what."
Guo Xin's words were only half of what he said. Of course, Guo Wei would have a way out after he took control. There would even be a way out after the situation in the court changed, and that would be to become the emperor himself!
