The golden basket and treasure-shaped cup was filled with fine wine, and it was filled with brilliance.
Li Linfu gently stroked the pattern on the cup wall with his fingers, his expression slightly solemn.
He is dividing the sphere of influence in the court with others and formulating the rules for getting along between the two factions.
No matter whether it is the height of the temple or the distance of the rivers and lakes, there are no rules and regulations, and officials cannot be allowed to criticize each other and fight and kill each other all day long.
"The salt law can only be tried in Hedong, and the truth cannot be seen that there are salt officials harming the people in other places."
"How about five years?"
Xue Bai did not agree too happily, and said thoughtfully: "Within five years, we will not interfere with the tax items outside Hedong. The general affairs of the world will still come from the Youxiang Mansion."
He put down the golden cup in his hand and felt that the osmanthus dew from Xiangfu was quite delicious. It was not too sweet and had a refreshing taste.
Li Linfu put forward another condition, saying: "Pei Kuan should give up the post of Minister of Household Affairs."
"The right minister is joking. The salt tax in Hedong depends entirely on Pei Gong. How can we agree?" Although Xue Bai knew that Pei Kuan would not be able to keep him sooner or later, he could not give up on him easily on such an occasion, so he asked reluctantly. : "How about giving up the post of imperial censor?"
Wang Xian and An Lushan were now competing for this position, so they simply threw the piece of meat away and let two wolves grab it.
Li Linfu saw through Xue Bai's thoughts, with contempt in his eyes, and said coldly: "The Minister of the Ministry of Finance must give way."
"Why rush? Although Duke Pei is in office, the household department is actually in the hands of Wang Zhi." Xue Bai said slowly, seeming to have remembered something, and asked: "Since he is in charge of the household department, Wang Zhi will Do you have to be appointed as a minister or minister?"
Li Linfu was silent for a while and finally gave up.
The two parties reached a consensus. Later, when talking about Yang Dang's popularization of bamboo paper, Xue Bai won some official positions as a general prisoner, and even promoted Li Xiu to the post of general prisoner.
We also asked several local officials from Sichuan and Sichuan to purchase bamboo materials.
Once the bamboo paper technology matures, the price of white rattan paper will first plummet, and some books and calligraphy will be discounted, which will cause countless troubles. Li Linfu thought that it would be better if he did it himself. Yang Dang was far from the power of the Right Prime Minister's Office. If he couldn't control it, he would definitely suffer backlash, so he could just watch with cold eyes.
Finally, it is the focus of cooperation between the two parties.
"Don't worry, the Pei Mian case cannot be investigated. The saint will not blame the right prime minister." Xue Bai said: "The right prime minister suffered a setback because of me. It was a time of grievance."
"Do I still need to thank you for the truth?"
Li Linfu didn't need reminding, he knew what to do.
Since the sage thought that he had not done well and promoted Yang Hao, he could have a little temper and said, "Yang Hao is so powerful, let Yang Hao go check it out."
To be honest, he was indeed a little annoyed. He had been investigating the East Palace for many years and had solved many cases. After checking and checking, he still refused to depose the prince. She raised him purely as a dog and made him bark at Li Heng all day long. In fact, he held the dog leash tightly to prevent the dog from actually biting him. Now he has an extra dog.
Having said that, Li Linfu was also curious about how Xue Bai would win over the prince's sworn brother, which was by no means an easy task. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he decided to test it out.
"If your guess is correct, do you plan to let Yang Hao take over the case and take the opportunity to intimidate Wang Zhongsi?"
Xue Bai shook his head.
If wooing Wang Zhongsi is like taking away someone's wife, Li Linfu's method is too simple and crude, "Wang Zhongsi, if you don't know what is good and what is good, will this big crime fall on you?"
"We won't investigate." Xue Bai said: "The right prime minister only needs to say that there are no clues and ask the saint to hand over the case to... the East Palace for investigation."
"Check it from Donggong?"
Li Linfu wanted to pick up the golden cup, but his movements froze when he heard this.
He was stunned for a moment. At that time, people called him Suo Douji and Meatloin Knife. Compared to the insidiousness of the young man in front of him, at this moment, he actually felt ashamed.
The look towards Xue Bai gradually became complicated. In addition to surprise and fear, there was also tacit understanding and a little bit of resentment... This was the son-in-law who was supposed to make suggestions for the Youxiang Mansion.
Xue Bai's treacherous plan is very vicious, because as long as the two of them join forces, they can decide what the East Palace can and cannot find, and even how the saint views the results found by the East Palace.
By then, estrangement between the prince and his sworn brother had changed from impossible to possible.
"The truth is clear." Li Linfu finally picked up the wine glass.
"Okay." Xue Bai said, "Then it's settled."
The two golden cups exchanged greetings in the air and reached a tacit understanding.
But one thing they didn't mention was that after alienating Li Heng and Wang Zhongsi, Li Linfu could also win over Wang Zhongsi.
Xue Bai did it on purpose. With this extra possibility, he could give Wang Zhongsi a little more chance of survival...
After the business was settled, Li Linfu signaled for the maids to come in and serve the wine, and once again imitated the saint's hearty laughter.
"At that time, you and your grandpa came together to present the engagement, but they were delayed due to some trivial matters. The marriage can continue to be discussed."
He was actually a little hesitant about marrying a daughter, and he didn't like Xue Baijian's eccentric style. But hesitation does not mean giving up. It is foreseeable that Li Heng will try his best to win over Xue Bai after today. This is by no means the result he wants to see.
"This time, that time." Xue Bai said: "You don't need to bring up old things again."
"King Guangping once planned to marry the Lord of Hezheng County to you." Although Li Linfu had a smile on his face, his words were habitually coercive, "Based on the facts, it is best for you to marry Qi Niang as soon as possible."
~~
"Go on and serve."
Li Xiu turned to look at the banquet hall and called the maids to make arrangements.
"I'll do it." Li Shiyiniang rushed forward, picked up the silver pot from a tray, and said with a smile: "Brother, you know that drinking with me is fun."
Li Xiu admitted this.
At the banquet, there is always a good-looking woman, brightly dressed, non-vegetarian talk, and fun. The atmosphere is always good. Li Shiniang is just such a person.
"But Xue Bai doesn't know how to drink."
"That's even better. A quick drink can lead to a deep friendship."
Li Shiniang got excited and started running with the wine bottle in hand, unable to stop her.
A gust of fragrant wind drifted by. The incense on her body was specially made, called "He Chun Xiang", and it actually had a slight aphrodisiac effect.
Li Xiu was helpless when he saw this situation.
The next moment, a figure hurriedly passed by him. He turned around and saw that it was Li Tengkong who was wearing a Taoist robe. Although he still looked like a fairy, he was clearly a little anxious.
"ha."
In fact, Li Tengkong was either anxious, or he felt that it would not be good if Xue Bai, a serious person, came to the house as a guest, and if Eleven Niang teased him as usual.
He ran hurriedly through the corridor and entered the banquet hall. Through the screen, he could hear the conversation inside, and there was a faint quarrel.
Sure enough, just by listening to Li Linfu's angry tone, she knew that Xue Bai was not willing to marry her.
"What? You still don't like the daughter of the Right Prime Minister!"
"If I must tell the truth, I like Qi Niang very much, but what I despise is the Right Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister's House."
"..."
The raised skirt of his robe fell, and Li Tengkong stopped. He almost fell down because he ran too fast. He quickly held on to the screen and was stunned.
Although Xue Bai always wrote poems to her, they were euphemistic after all, but today he was so straightforward and bold... She suddenly felt that her heart was beating too fast.
Ahead, before Xue Bai turned around, Li Shiniang was sitting at the side table holding a wine bottle. Li Tengkong wanted to retreat and didn't know whether to step forward or run away at this time.
suddenly.
"Boom, boom."
There were heavy footsteps in the corridor.
In the distance, there was a voice transmission.
"Right Prime Minister, Hu'er is here..."
Li Tengkong thought to himself that since there were foreign guests coming, Eleven Niang couldn't do anything too extreme, so she ran away immediately.
Xue Bai turned around and saw an elegant and pretty figure, with a hint of panic in the air.
He stood up and walked to the hall door. Li Tengkong was leading two maids quickly across the path and hiding in the backyard.
In the other direction, the heavy footsteps were getting louder and louder.
"Boom, boom."
Finally, a fat figure turned around the pink wall. An Lushan was running with his hands on his belly.
He actually didn't run very fast, but he created an earth-shaking posture and looked very enthusiastic.
"Uncle!"
An Lushan also saw Xue Bai standing outside the banquet hall, greeted him with a smile, and said, "Why did uncle come to greet Hu'er in person? Hu'er can't bear it, he can't bear it."
Xue Bai frowned, wondering why Hu'er came here?
Looking at the arrangements of the Youxiang Mansion today, Li Linfu probably did not invite An Lushan. There may be a possibility that An Lushan got the news, guessed that he was going to persuade Li Linfu to let Pei Kuan and Wang Zhongsi go, and came to stop him. Because from a standpoint, An Lushan was more afraid of these two people than Li Linfu.
But does Hu'er know that he wants to protect the king's loyal heir? He just said this today.
Xue Bai looked at the fat, smiling face, and all he saw was a look of innocence.
~~
"Originally, the saint wanted to recruit Hu'er to report his work at Xingqing Palace, but something delayed him." An Lushan laughed and said as soon as he sat down, "When I asked about it, it turned out that it was my uncle who donated the bamboo paper. It was really a great thing that benefited all people. .”
It's hard for him to say this without any hint of complaint, and he didn't need anyone else to answer, he could just continue talking on his own.
"Hu Er really admires my uncle so much. I even sent him a gift today, and then I found out that my uncle had come to the right prime minister's house for a banquet. Then I hurried over to ask for a drink, hehe."
"Oh." Li Linfu said, "Has Hu'er been to Xue's house yet?"
"Not only have I been to Xue's house, but I have also sent gifts to many places." An Lushan said: "The house where my uncle lives is too small. Hu'er doesn't stay in Chang'an often. He plans to tell the saint that the house in Daozhengfang will be given away. To uncle..."
"No." Xue Bai interrupted An Lushan's eloquence and said: "An Dafu is a general in the border town. I am just a white man. How dare I let the imperial officials give up my house."
"Uncle, you're welcome."
"I am not An Dafu's uncle, so there is no need to call him that."
Faced with such a cold attitude, An Lushan still smiled happily, holding his big belly and said: "It's fun, why should uncle be so serious? When uncle gets married to You Xiangfu again, we will all be a family."
Xue Bai suddenly understood and was sure that Hu'er was really here to do bad things.
He knew that Hu'er would be a big threat in the future, so he sipped a cup of osmanthus dew and avoided his gaze.
At present, his strength is weak and he is far from the opponent of the Jiedushi of these two towns. Moreover, An Lushan was not as scrupulous as Li Linfu, and he had many elite soldiers and generals under his command.
Facing such a smiling tiger, it is not appropriate for the other party to perceive the threat he poses.
Just as he was thinking about this, Xue Bai suddenly smelled a fragrance, and something soft touched his arm. He turned around and saw that it was Li Shiniang who came over with a wine glass.
"That's right, we are all one family. I'm looking forward to Xue Lang becoming my brother-in-law so we can play together."
Li Shiniang pursed her lips and smiled, poured the wine from her own cup into his cup, and said with a smile: "How can you have fun drinking some fruit juice? Come, Mr. Xue, try mine and have a drink together."
"Okay, okay, let's drink together." An Lushan also laughed, stirring up the atmosphere.
Xue Bai pretended to be flustered, and when he raised his hand, he spilled both glasses of wine that Li Shiniang had picked up.
"Yeah, these are my clothes."
"I'm sorry." Xue Bai's robe was also wet, and he stood up and said, "I'm too drunk, so I'm leaving now."
Instead of thinking about how to deal with An Lushan, it was better to go directly. Anyway, he had already convinced Li Linfu first.
Given the current situation, there is no reason for You Xiang's Mansion to force guests to stay. Only Li Shiniang is still unwilling to give in and wants to test how much her charm is better than that of Third Aunt Yang.
"Xue Lang, wait a minute, I'll see you off."
Li Shiniang deliberately led Xue Bai from the side yard, walked around the path, and suddenly called out, but the shawl on her shoulders was hung on a small branch.
She seemed to be trying to get out, and almost pulled off the straps by accident. She quickly waved to Xue Bai and called out in a coquettish and commanding tone: "Hey, why don't you come here quickly? Give me some relief."
This bossy and proud attitude does add a bit of charm to her, because it shows her power and makes men want to conquer her.
Not wanting to, Xue Bai walked away.
"you!"
There was a "hiss" sound behind him, and he walked forward without even bothering to look back.
Li Tengkong hurriedly rushed out from the flowers and trees, resumed his leisurely strolling posture and took two steps before turning around.
"Hey, it's you."
"I have some matters to discuss with you." Xue Bai asked, "Will you send me out?"
"good."
Li Tengkong turned around and led the way, deliberately wanting to tell him that she knew all the things he had done for her, including reconciling with Princess Xianyi and reconciling with You Xiangfu.
But when the words came to her lips, her tone became inscrutable.
"Worldly things can disturb people's state of mind. Don't take this matter to your heart, let alone worry about it. I said that getting along with you is a practice."
In fact, she just didn't want to embarrass him, but later on, she didn't know how to justify herself, so she raised her eyes to the sky and said calmly: "Just like those two clouds, the gathering and dispersing are all natural principles of Taoism and cannot be forced."
Xue Bai looked up and saw two layers of heavy dark clouds gathering together.
The next moment, water dropped on his face.
"It's raining?"
"Um?"
Li Tengkong was stunned, seeing that it was really raining. He felt inexplicably embarrassed and ashamed, and hurriedly pulled Xue Bai to the corridor to take shelter from the rain.
"I didn't mean..."
"I know, Taoism follows nature." Xue Bai smiled, looked at the sudden heavy rain outside the eaves, and said, "Let nature take its course."
…
Jiaonu took the umbrella and turned to the corridor. He saw Xue Bai and Li Tengkong watching the rain side by side. He wished he could force the two of them together to avoid so much trouble.
"Xue Lang, umbrella."
"Thanks."
Jiaonu glanced at Xue Bai, and suddenly thought that she was rarely wearing a skirt today, so she should seduce him according to the instructions of the eleventh mother, to show that she could marry with the seventeenth mother.
She then learned to shyly raise her eyes and gave him a charming look.
Xue Bai seemed a little confused by her move. He took the umbrella, opened it, and hurried into the rain.
~~
"Xue Bai, here!"
At the gate of Pingkangfang, Du Wulang sat in the carriage and looked around. When he saw Xue Bai coming out, he waved quickly.
"How did you come?"
"It's not that I'm worried that Ge Nu will be bad for you, so I came to pick you up." Du Wulang said proudly: "I knew it was going to rain just by looking at the sky, so I drove a carriage here. Isn't it awesome?"
"It's awesome."
Xue Bai thought to himself that Li Tengkong, a Taoist priest, couldn't tell the weather, but this silly boy did. In short, the Youxiang Mansion was also weird.
"How's it going? Have you decided to get married?"
"The situation is settled." Xue Bai said: "Just in time to explain the situation to Ge Nu before Zahu arrives."
"Speaking of this bastard, did you know that he sent gifts to my home?" Du Wulang said: "Not only my family, but also the Wuyang family and your teacher's family. In short, every family sent gifts, which is more considerate than Yang Zhao's gifts. , everyone says good things about him.”
"How considerate?"
"Let me tell you this, even my mother-in-law said that the chubby Fan Yang Jiedushi looks like a nice person. If the imperial concubine does not want to accept him as her godson, she can become his mother-in-law..."
Xue Bai soon realized how considerate An Lushan was in giving gifts.
As soon as he returned home, he heard Liu Xiangjun say that the Yan family's wife invited him to come over. When he arrived at the Yan family, he saw that Yan Gaoqing's family was also there. Wei Yun and Cui were looking at the three old ginseng trees on the table.
Wei Yun was a little uneasy, and without waiting for Xue Bai to salute, she hurriedly said: "Look at the gift given by An Dafu, I'm afraid it's too expensive."
"The thousand-year-old ginseng from Liaodong is a tribute. The saint gave it to An Dafu, and there are only these three in total." The steward of the Yan family said: "The person who came said that it was for Sanniang's medical treatment, so he put down the gift box and left. "
"How did he know about Sanniang's condition?"
Everyone then looked at Yan Gaoqing.
Yan Gaoqing shook his head and said: "I'm just in the camp in Hebei, so I don't deserve such a generous gift from An Dafu. He should be here for Xue Lang."
Wei Yun was worried and said: "Send it back?"
Xue Bai picked up a piece of old ginseng and smelled it. Thinking about the situation in Youxiang's Mansion, he became more and more aware of An Lushan's powerful methods, and couldn't help but feel a shiver in his heart.
After that, he smiled and said: "Master Wife, just accept it, it doesn't matter."
If he doesn't accept it now, An Lushan will wonder why he is so vigilant. There is no need to confront him head-on. The right way is to protect Wang Zhongsi.
~~
Right Prime Minister's Mansion.
An Lushan was still sitting in the banquet hall drinking happily, as if he was the one being hosted by Li Linfu today.
"Hu'er is coming to Beijing this time to get rid of Pei Kuan and Wang Zhongsi with the right prime minister. Now the right prime minister should not be coaxed by his uncle."
"No hurries?"
Li Linfu also relaxed a lot in front of An Lushan. He was not as alert as when talking to Xue Bai. When he leaned back, several maids came forward and used their soft bodies as backrests for him.
"It's okay to agree to them. Have you read the battle report in the northwest? Wang Zhongsi can clearly capture Shibao City, but he still looks forward and backward. In fact, he secretly wants to spy on the situation."
An Lushan laughed and said mockingly: "Hu'er can't stand his battle report."
"No, you have to look and see who made the meritorious service in this battle, and who made the meritorious service in the battle to destroy the Xiaobolu Kingdom."
"Hu'er is too stupid to understand what the right minister is talking about."
"In this matter, Xue Bai is not smart either. So far he only knows how to win over Wang Zhongsi. He is too rigid." Li Linfu's eyes flashed and he twirled his beard and said: "But I don't know that I only need to send a memorial to change the situation." The situation in the border town can push your beard even further."
"oh?!"
An Lushan didn't know what kind of powerful memorial he was going to give. When he heard this, he twisted his fat body and said, "The beard is too heavy. If your right minister can push it, he must be a god."
Li Linfu was really amused by him, and he couldn't help but feel proud when he recalled his wonderful method of complying with the holy will.
It was as if he had really held all the border towns in the world in his hands with just one breath of fairy air.
Sorry, I am writing slowly today. The second chapter is late again. Please don’t stay up late. Let’s read it tomorrow morning~~
(End of chapter)
