After recovering from his injuries in Shiqiao Village for a few days, and walking for half a month from Qingcheng County to Chang'an City, judging by the time, Li Longji and the court should have known what happened in Qingcheng County Yamen.

Gu Qing spoke confidently in front of Song Gensheng, but at the moment he was still a little uneasy. The Sacred Heart was unpredictable and could not be judged by common sense. It was the prince who committed the crime. Considering Li Longji's dim temperament, Gu Qing was really not sure whether Li Longji would

It will turn black into white, and in turn cure the sins of Gu Qing and Song Gensheng.

So Gu Qing looked at Li Guangbi worriedly and said, "What is your Majesty's reaction?"

Li Guangbi laughed, but avoided answering. Instead, he looked Gu Qing up and down and said, "I heard that you were also injured in this battle? Where is the injury? Is it serious?"

"It's just a skin injury. It's not serious. The injury has healed."

Li Guangbi stroked his messy beard, looked at Gu Qing for a long time, and then sighed: "He is a good boy. He can run thousands of miles to help his friends without hesitation and sacrifice his life for his friends. He obviously has a great future in Chang'an City, but for a county magistrate."

Fighting till the end is the blood of the Gu family, and the blood flowing in the bones is filled with the word 'loyalty'."

Gu Qing said in surprise: "Uncle Li, you suddenly praised me so hard, I'm a little shy...you don't want to borrow money from me, do you?"

Li Guangbi was stunned for a moment, then he sighed and cursed with a smile: "I'm not as thick-skinned as you, so I can't open my mouth to borrow money."

After a pause, Li Guangbi said seriously: "The incident in Qingcheng County was reported to Chang'an more than ten days ago. Zhang Jiuzhang and I also received your letter later. Zhang Jiuzhang sent his secret servants to quietly let out a little news, deliberately letting the DPRK and China

Several censors found out about it, and those censors were people who didn't have any scorn in their eyes. They immediately went to the Ministry of Secretariat, and the matter got into trouble, and the emperor found out about it the next day."

Gu Qing said anxiously: "What did the emperor say?"

Li Guangbi looked hesitant and said: "What's strange is that His Majesty didn't react at all, as if he was completely unaware. He didn't even reprimand King Ji. He neither issued an order to investigate nor punished King Ji."

Gu Qing frowned: "The palace privately raises dead soldiers, and sends more than 200 people to attack and assassinate the county magistrate. No matter how young the county magistrate is, he is appointed by the court. Wouldn't your majesty not pursue this kind of blatant assassination of a court official? At a more serious level.

, this is a provocation to the imperial power."

Li Guangbi shook his head: "Don't be anxious, the matter is not over yet. Your Majesty has not said a word, but the matter is not a big deal. If he only sent King Ji to the palace to reprimand him, and fined him a year and a half of salary, maybe the matter would be settled. Now,

If Your Majesty doesn't say a word, King Ji may be punished even more severely."

Gu Qing suddenly realized that this was logical. Otherwise, if a prince raised so many dead soldiers, and under the eyes of the emperor, this matter would not be taken lightly. Let’s not mention the matter of assassinating the county magistrate. Raising dead soldiers privately

It was difficult for Prince Ji to explain things clearly in front of his own father.

"What is King Ji doing these days?" Gu Qing asked.

Li Guangbi sneered twice and said: "In the imperial history, Shu Shen impeached Queen Ji. King Ji hurriedly entered the palace to ask for an audience with His Majesty. Unexpectedly, His Majesty did not see him, so he only ordered her to return to the palace. Later, King Ji went to His Majesty to explain his situation to Your Majesty. Your Majesty also

Without saying a word, Prince Ji has been in the palace these days in a state of panic, not even daring to leave the house."

"Why didn't Your Majesty deal with King Ji for so long? It would be better to deal with it earlier so that the public in the court can be silent."

Li Guangbi thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty has his own reasons. If an ordinary thing is seen in your Majesty's eyes, it will be unusual. Your Majesty has been in power for forty years. When it comes to the methods of employing people and doing things, among the emperors of the Tang Dynasty,

Your Majesty is quite outstanding."

Glancing at Gu Qing, Li Guangbi said leisurely: "Your Majesty must also know the news about your return to Chang'an. Just wait, His Majesty will definitely summon you tomorrow. You must be careful in dealing with matters in Qingcheng County in front of His Majesty, and don't get involved.

In the court camp, with your current status and official position, once you are involved, you will be like a bug being run over by a carriage, and there will be no suspense about your end."

Gu Qing's mood suddenly became as unhappy as his appearance: "Uncle Li, your words are kind and they sound very reasonable, but as a military general, you shouldn't use metaphors or rhetoric, okay?"

Li Guangbi smiled and said: "Isn't it appropriate?"

Gu Qing said seriously: "Uncle Li, the 'bedbug' you just described, I call you 'uncle'..."

Li Guangbi was stunned for a moment, then sighed: "That's sloppy..."

After chatting for a while, Li Guangbi suddenly felt that his mouth was dull. He was an alcoholic and would not be happy without drinking. He was about to order his servants to serve wine when Gu Qing hurriedly left.

He had had drinks with Li Guangbi several times, and Gu Qing knew very well about his drinking capacity. He couldn't afford to mess with this guy. If he had to go to the palace tomorrow, he would be in trouble with his body.

Before leaving, Li Guangbi suddenly stopped him and said with an extremely serious expression: "Gu Qing, tomorrow you will be very correct. Don't mention the matter of the powerful people occupying the land. Even if His Majesty mentions this matter, you must not talk to him. Remember."

Come on, this matter is very serious. If you say the wrong thing, you will offend the powerful people of the dynasty. The matter in Qingcheng County only involves King Ji. Do you understand?"

Gu Qing looked hesitant. The memorial written by Song Gensheng was still in his arms at this moment. Should this memorial be presented to Li Longji tomorrow?

It was a memorial written by Song Gensheng with all his efforts when countless living lives were fighting bloody battles with the enemy. It should be a wake-up call in the prosperous age, and should not be the last lamentation of the era.

…………

After leaving Li's Mansion and returning home, Hao Donglai and Shi Daxing were not there. Butler Xu welcomed him into the house attentively and told Gu Qing that the two shopkeepers were very busy now. After opening four shops in Chang'an, the two shopkeepers rarely came back and were almost always at home.

Taking care of business in the shop.

After dealing with Butler Xu's inquiries, Gu Qing went to bed very early. Before dawn the next day, Gu Qing got up early, put on his official uniform, put on his silver bag, and ordered his servants to bring a bunch of food brought from Shuzhou.

The gifts are loaded onto the carriage.

After doing this, Gu Qing sat calmly in the courtyard, waiting for the eunuch in the palace to call him.

The morning sun was rising, its red light was bright, and there was a little more warmth in the yard. The crows were perching on the bare trees and chirping vigorously. Gu Qing was sitting in the yard, slowly drinking the disgusting soufflé. He only took one sip.

frown.

The drinks these days are very simple, except for wine and milk puffs. Strictly speaking, tea is not a drink, but a ritual tool used by literati to discuss Taoism. It is defined as an elegant thing and ordinary people are not qualified to drink it.

Maybe even the rich and powerful don't like to drink it. After all, the taste of boiled tea is really hard to describe. No normal person should like that thing.

Counting the years, tea sage Lu Yu is still just a boy under twenty years old. He is still trying to change the method of making tea. The famous "Tea Classic" has not been published yet. Gu Qing is considering whether to follow the path of others again.

Let others have no way to go, just figure out the tea-frying method, don't use it to make money, just want to drink it happily.

In the future, you can also use fried tea to entertain guests. Throw a handful of tea leaves into a large porcelain cup. As soon as the boiling water is brewed, the room will be filled with fragrance. It is perfect to entertain friends. I believe they will soon become addicted to fried tea. Then

At that time, Gu Qing stood at the door of his house, waving a small handkerchief to greet his friends, "New tea is on the market, come and play." His friends must be very happy.

Gu Qing did it as soon as he thought of it. Gu Qing immediately called the housekeeper and asked him to collect fresh tea leaves after spring. The more the better, housekeeper Xu respectfully took note of it.

At Chen hour, the eunuch from the palace came indeed. Butler Xu had received instructions from Gu Qing in advance and enthusiastically welcomed the eunuch in. When the eunuch walked into the courtyard, he saw Gu Qing in official uniform, sitting leisurely in the courtyard with his legs crossed and basking in the sun.

The eunuch was stunned. Before he could speak, Gu Qing stood up and said with a smile: "Is it your Majesty's call? Stop talking nonsense and let's go."

After saying that, Gu Qing walked out of the door first and got into the carriage. The eunuch followed him and looked back at the gifts piled in the carriage. The eunuch couldn't help but smile and praised: "Gu Changshi, you are really a smart man..."

Gu Qing turned his hand, and there was a piece of broken silver the size of his thumb. He handed it to the eunuch. The eunuch took it in surprise and thanked him profusely.

Gu Qing blinked and smiled: "May I ask Mr. Huang, how is your Majesty's mood today?"

Of course, the money cannot be collected in vain. The eunuch is also an old sparrow in the palace, so he naturally understands the rules. After collecting the silver cake, the eunuch smiled and said: "Your Majesty is in a good mood today. He got up early and visited the Imperial Garden with Concubine Taizhen. I am far away."

Following from a distance, I heard His Majesty laughing a few times, so he must be in a good mood."

"Did your Majesty summon anyone else today?" Gu Qing continued to ask.

"I haven't summoned anyone else, but His Majesty issued a decree to give a royal meal to the East Palace, and also sent an order to the people in the East Palace to read the sages' books diligently and not to slack off in their studies."

Gu Qing groaned, his eyes flickered, and then asked: "Your Majesty often gives royal food to His Highness the Crown Prince?"

The eunuch smiled and said, "It's rare. In the past, most of the gifts were books, sutras, scriptures, silk, cloth, and rare and exotic treasures."

Gu Qing nodded. The broken silver just now was not in vain. In the seemingly useless conversation, he seemed to understand something.

The carriage stopped in front of the Xingqing Palace. Gu Qing tidied up his clothes and entered the palace. After the warriors in front of the palace inspected the gifts in the carriage one by one, they sent a group of people to follow Gu Qing into the palace holding the gifts.

In the calyx building, Li Longji and Yang Guifei were sitting there, and Gu Qing bowed to meet them after entering the hall.

Li Longji still smiled heartily. It must be said that although Li Longji's heart was very dark, his attitude towards his subordinates was very remarkable, and people could not detect the dark side of his heart at all.

No matter who he interacts with, he is very sunny and cheerful, as easy-going as if he were getting together with old friends. He is very much like his next door neighbor, Uncle Wang, who often comes to visit us.

"I haven't seen my talented young man Gu Langjun for many days. You still look unhappy, not festive at all, haha." Li Longji laughed.

Concubine Yang covered her mouth and smiled softly: "Thankfully, Sanlang has a sharp eye for recognizing heroes. Otherwise, even if he passed the Jinshi examination, he would not be able to get into the eyes of the officials in the Ministry of Personnel."

When Li Longji saw a group of warriors holding many gifts outside the palace, he couldn't help but asked in surprise: "What is that outside?"

Gu Qing hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I have just returned to Beijing from Shuzhou. I thought that the imperial concubine is also from Shuzhou, so I bought some local specialties in Shuzhou and returned to Chang'an to present them to your majesty and the imperial concubine to relieve the imperial concubine's homesickness.

"

Yang Guifei's eyes showed surprise and she said: "Is this a specialty of Shuzhou? Come and have a look."

The warriors entered the palace according to the order and stood in a row. Concubine Yang stepped forward to inspect them one by one.

The gifts prepared by Gu Qing were not expensive, but they were made with great care. They included Shu brocade, a specialty of Shuzhou, newly fired porcelain from Shiqiao Village, peace talismans obtained from Taoist temples in Qingcheng Mountain, mat cushions woven from Shu bamboo,

There are also Qingcheng’s unique local snacks and snacks.

The more Concubine Yang looked at her, the more surprised she became. She looked at Gu Qing and said with a smile: "You still know how to be considerate of others. I love you so much that I love you. I accept all my wishes and won't give you anything in return. You can show me more skills."

, make a great contribution to your majesty, and I will guarantee your promotion to a high official in front of your majesty."

As she spoke, Concubine Yang turned around and shook Li Longji's arm in a coquettish way: "I've said what I said. In the future, if Gu Qing makes new contributions to San Lang, San Lang must promote Gu Qing, otherwise I will lose face."

The coquettish act made Li Longji laugh loudly, and said: "Since the lady has spoken, I will definitely do it. Gu Qing, Jun has no joke. The lady often says that you have a lot of skills, so quickly use them in exchange for fame. I will not hesitate to be rewarded by the official position."

Gu Qing hurriedly saluted: "I thank your Majesty for your kindness."

Concubine Yang had lived in the palace for a long time and had an exquisite mind. After greeting Gu Qing, she resigned to Li Longji and ordered the palace servants to return to the harem with gifts.

Only Li Longji and Gu Qing were left in the huge hall.

Li Longji still had a smile on his face and said: "In the past, those who came to see me and my wife gave gifts that were all treasures. They seemed luxurious and rare, but they were always dead objects. They only saw the price but not the intention. You child

It's simple. Although the gift is not valuable, it is full of human kindness and local flavor. I can see that the lady really likes the gift you gave me. No wonder the lady often praises you in front of me for your youth and extraordinaryness. It seems that it is not just because you are her.

As a fellow countryman, you are also unique in how you behave."

Gu Qing said humbly: "Your Majesty is ridiculous. I am young and ignorant. I think your Majesty and the imperial concubine are used to seeing rare and exotic treasures. No matter how precious a gift you give me, it is just the icing on the cake. It is not enough, so I simply collected some products from my hometown."

, although they are not that valuable, but every ounce of my heart is in these worthless things."

Li Longji laughed and said: "Yes, whether you are a person or a deed, if every word and every thing is mixed with your heart, others can feel it even if you don't say it. Although I am old, I am not an old fool.

, I can still tell clearly at a glance who of the courtiers is doing things carefully and who is doing things perfunctorily."

Gu Qing lowered his head and frowned inadvertently.

Feeling that there was something in Li Longji's words, Gu Qing had to work hard to figure out whether these words meant something, a deliberate warning to him, or an occasional emotion?

His mind was spinning rapidly, but Gu Qing still said respectfully: "I will remember your Majesty's instructions."

Li Longji smiled and said: "This is not a warning, don't take it to heart."

After a pause, Li Longji asked again: "I heard that you returned to your hometown in Shuzhou a few days ago?"

"Yes, I left in a hurry, so I can only temporarily ask Zuowei Zuolang, Li Guangbi, to take leave of absence from General Guo on my behalf. I have been guilty of dereliction of duty, and please punish me."

Li Longji hummed lightly and said, "How are the customs and customs on the way back to Shuzhou from Chang'an?"

Gu Qing was stunned. He didn't know why he said this so suddenly. For this reason, shouldn't he ask about King Ji's assassination of the Qingcheng County Magistrate?

Gu Qing had naturally seen the customs and customs on the road, and objectively speaking, they were not very good. Along the way, large areas of farmland were deserted, and he encountered waves of refugees fleeing to the north. He had also seen government officials bullying the people.

Gu Qing originally planned to tell the truth about what he saw and heard, but just as he was about to speak, a warning signal suddenly sounded in his mind.

What kind of emperor was Li Longji? He may have been called a wise emperor in his middle age, but now Li Longji is definitely a faint emperor. The world has been harmed by the powerful, and he is still immersed in the prosperous Kaiyuan era he created with his own hands.

He cannot extricate himself from his great achievements.

Can such an emperor hear a single negative word?

Who says who is unlucky?

Of course, Gu Qing is not a loyal and upright minister. To be honest, if he had a more cheerful face, he would definitely give up his face and become a corrupt minister who flatters his superiors. Like Wei Zheng, the remonstrating minister who opposed Emperor Taizong in the early Tang Dynasty.

, sorry that Gu Qing could not follow suit, he admitted that he did not have the courage.

Although the current Gu Qing cannot be considered a loyal minister, at least he cannot be regarded as a treacherous minister. Some things can be kept silent, but he must not whitewash peace and tell lies. He is already a foolish king. Wouldn't he be happy to heaven after hearing these flattering lies?

"Back to Your Majesty, I was in a hurry and sat in the carriage without stopping. I have never seen the customs and customs of various places. I am ashamed."

Li Longji was quite disappointed with Gu Qing's answer. He glanced at him lightly and said, "Why are you going to your hometown in Shuzhou?"

Gu Qing was silent for a moment and said softly: "I don't dare to disturb the hearing of a private matter."

Li Longji raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Private matter?"

"Yes, private matter."

Li Longji said leisurely: "Gu Qing, do you know what your crime is for bullying you in front of me?"

"Going back to Your Majesty is indeed a private matter. My friend in my hometown has encountered a little trouble. I want to go back and help him."

Li Longji's tone gradually became colder: "Is the friend from your hometown you are talking about Song Gensheng, the magistrate of Qingcheng County?"

Gu Qing lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty has seen thousands of miles, and nothing can be hidden from you. I admire you very much."

"What trouble is he in?"

"The magistrate of Song County offended someone and was assassinated by Xiao Xiao."

Li Longji stared at his face and said, "Was he just assassinated by Xiao Xiao?"

"Yes. They were a group of Xiaoxiao with unknown origins. Fortunately, Song Gensheng practiced benevolent government in Qingcheng County and was loved by the people under his rule. With everyone's joint efforts to resist, the Xiaoxiao were all wiped out, so there was no danger."

This statement was thought up by Gu Qing before entering the palace.

You must not take the initiative to bring up King Ji, let alone the assassination of the county magistrate by the dead men of Prince Ji's palace. Use retreat to advance and simply pretend not to know anything. Whether to advance or retreat depends on Li Longji's attitude. If he wants to pursue this matter
Chapter completed!