There is a Cuju court behind Qingsi Hall, but it has been deserted for a long time.

Xue Bai has almost never played football here since he took over the Daming Palace, but sometimes he comes here to race horses.

Because the venue was large enough and could not accommodate assassins, the palace attendants could safely leave him alone, which made him feel as if the huge palace only belonged to him here.

On this day, when Yan Zhenqing came over, Xue Bai was laboriously moving a huge stone to the shade of a tree.

"What is your Majesty doing?"

"Move a stool."

Yan Zhenqing couldn't help laughing and said: "There are many comfortable stools in the palace, why does Your Majesty have to move a heavy stone?"

Xue Bai couldn't answer for a while, but he didn't stop moving his hands. When he finally moved the boulder to the tree trunk, he was sweating profusely.

He breathed a sigh of relief, sat down on the stone, and then replied: "Because I just want to sit here."

"Your Majesty only needs to give an order, and someone will naturally move it."

"I don't want too many people to come over." Xue Bai said, "Has your husband ever raised a cat?"

"No."

"No matter how close a cat is to you, it still needs a place that belongs only to it. Maybe, the same goes for people."

"The whole world is your Majesty's territory."

"It's just a statement that gives the monarch power." Xue Bai said, "The space I can lie down is only a few feet. There are people walking around in front of me everywhere in the palace, whether I am sleeping or not.

It’s okay, it’s okay to take a shower, it’s quieter here.”

Yan Zhenqing shook his head, disapproving of Xue Bai's strange habits, and got down to business, saying: "The news about Lingwu is back."

Xue Bai was not staying at the Xuanzheng Hall today and came here alone. He seemed not to care about this matter, but his face became more solemn after hearing this.

"Did Puguhuai'en rebel?" he asked.

Perhaps it was because on this occasion, Yan Zhenqing did not abide by the courtesy that a minister should have. Not only did he not answer immediately, but he asked instead: "Isn't your Majesty very sure that Pugu Huai'en does not dare to rebel?"

"Nothing is certain." Xue Bai said: "No one can predict the outcome before something happens."

He has always been very determined. To put it bluntly, he just knew that Tang Ting's original approach of condoning the feudal town was wrong, but he actually didn't know whether what he did was right or wrong.

"Your Majesty, don't you take a guess?"

"My father-in-law, just tell me straight away." Xue Bai said, "I will fight against all opinions on this matter. If I am wrong, I will be prepared to bear the consequences."

"He didn't rebel." Yan Zhenqing took out the memorial from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying: "This is Guo Ziyi's memorial. Pugu Huai'en and his son have handed over military power and returned to Beijing according to the order."

Xue Bai took it and read it. Guo Ziyi's writing was very concise. He didn't mention Pugu Huaien's little actions at all, only the results.

In addition, I mentioned that Pugu Huai'en suffered from back gangrene, which delayed government affairs, causing the court to misunderstand him, but in fact he was loyal.

The matter ended in such an ordinary way, and many emotions seemed to fade away quickly. The arguing voices became quieter little by little, until they were no longer audible. No one won or lost, and it seemed that there was not much of a disturbance in the first place.

It was just that the imperial court summoned Pu Gu Huai'en to return to the court, and Pu Gu Huai'en accepted the decree.

"Then let Guo Ziyi lead Shuofang's army to send troops to Hexi." Xue Bai said.

"The political hall has drawn up a decree."

"good."

Yan Zhenqing did not leave, but said again: "Pugu Huai'en will be arriving in Chang'an soon. Li Xiaozhou seems to have a way to cure his gangrene on the back."

Xue Bai shook his head and said: "It can't be cured."

"Your Majesty, no matter how far Pugu Huai'en has gone, on the surface it seems that he did not commit rebellion, but returned to the capital immediately following the order, which can serve as an example for the vassal town."

"I know, it looks like this from the results."

"In this way, if your majesty can send someone to cure his back ulcer, the governors of various places will also understand your majesty's virtue and know that going to the capital is a good thing and not a bad thing."

After hearing this, Xue Bai still shook his head and said lightly: "It can't be cured."

Yan Zhenqing said: "Pu Gu has a weak sense of kindness. If Your Majesty shows your generosity and shows kindness to him..."

Xue Bai raised his hand, stopped what he was saying, and said: "No matter what the result is on the surface, the imperial court has the attitude of the imperial court."

This matter has nothing to do with whether he was generous to Pugu Huai'en. It would be okay if Pugu Huai'en's back gangrene could be cured, but what if he died? The feudal towns would say that the imperial court summoned the person to Chang'an.

dead.

Now is no longer the time for the court to win over people's hearts, but the time to clean up the rules and regulations.

~~

Before leaving Daming Palace, Yan Zhenqing asked to see the queen again.

Although they were father and daughter, when he met Yan Yan, they were in the palace, so there were more red tape than meeting Xue Bai, and they even had to meet with etiquette.

Yan Yan did not accept her grandpa's gift and directly asked the palace servants to bring Li Zuo forward and said with a smile: "I know that my grandpa actually wanted to see this child and brought it to you."

"Zuo'er has met Aweng."

The two-year-old child was learning to salute with a babyish voice. Yan Zhenqing felt distressed when he saw it, but he just stroked his long beard and put on a serious look to teach this little prince.

Yong'er was now a talented person, and he still followed Yan Yan. He felt aggrieved for Li Zuo as he watched from the sidelines. On the contrary, Yan Yan could sit still and smiled for a while before letting Yong'er take Li Zuo away.

Take it down.

The strange thing is that it was clear that Yan Zhenqing was the harshest to Li Zuo, but Li Zuo was the closest to him. She hugged his legs and refused to go down, crying loudly. It was Yan Yan who scolded the child with a straight face to silence him.

Sound, go down honestly.

Only then could the father and daughter exchange a few words.

Yan Yan smiled and said: "Looking at my grandpa's sullen face all day long, he seems to be acting like a gentleman, and he doesn't seem to regard him as his grandson."

"He was the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty first." Yan Zhenqing said with concern: "You guys still indulge him too much. I have recently been looking for a few gentlemen for the East Palace."

Yan Yan responded with a smile, but didn't say that Xue Bai didn't think so.

She didn't know what Xue Bai was thinking, but anyway, he didn't try his best to cultivate the prince now. He always had an attitude of "let the children grow up healthily and happily". On one occasion, he even said, "Who can say what will happen a hundred years from now?"

Is it accurate?"

Sometimes she secretly guessed that maybe Xue Bai had been named Xue for more than 20 years of his life, but he gave his child the surname Li, so she felt a little uncomfortable.

She even laughed at him for being so naughty, but he smiled casually and said, "It doesn't matter what his last name is. I just don't want him to be manipulated by others all his life."

Yan Yan could probably understand what Xue Bai meant. It was probably that Li Longji gave the name "Li Zuo" not out of good intentions, but to use the child to ensure the continuation of the Li Tang Sheji.

But she felt that since she had given her son a kingdom, she should take advantage of it.

At that time, she criticized Xue Bai and said: "If this little thing is willing to be controlled, then you have to fight with him? I think you are the one who wants to control him."

This is very reasonable. After that, Xue Bai never opposed Yan Yan on his son's education. She and Yan Zhenqing taught Li Zuo various things since he was a child.

That day, father and daughter discussed Li Zuo's academic plans. Yan Zhenqing hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is the saint worried about something lately?"

"It's nothing more than a northwest thing."

"What about other than that?" Yan Zhenqing asked again.

Yan Yan smiled and said, "Apart from that, I don't have any other worries."

Yan Zhenqing said: "Today I saw the saint sitting alone in the Cuju field."

"Grandpa thinks too much. It's just that he feels that the state affairs are too heavy, so he takes a break from his busy schedule and goes to take a breather."

"That's good."

After meeting Yan Zhenqing, Yan Yan thought about it and realized something.

~~

When she met Xue Bai that night, Yan Yan dismissed the others and lit the refreshing incense. When the couple got on the bed, she seemed to say casually: "I said today that you have something on your mind."

"Because I moved a big rock beside the Cuju court?"

"Why move a stone?"

"Sit and enjoy the cool air, look at the clouds and enjoy the breeze."

Yan Yan smiled and said: "If you don't sit at the heart-enjoying pavilion by Taiye Pond, you have to move a stone yourself. No wonder you are being criticized."

"When those palace people saw me sitting by the Taiye Pond, they secretly ran to prepare melons and fruits in case I ordered them. If I told them not to prepare them, they would be in panic again, worrying whether they were the melons from last time.

If the fruit is not sweet, it is better for me to sit comfortably by myself."

"But to be such an emperor, isn't that what Lang Jun always wants?"

"Yes." Xue Bai also smiled and said: "I am greedy and want it all. I not only want the power of the emperor, but also hope that I can be free when I want to be free."

"I know." Yan Yan said, "I just wonder why my grandfather would ask more about such a small thing? He didn't care about such small things in the past."

After Xue Bai heard this, he knew that Yan Zhenqing had noticed some of his emotions.

But it doesn't matter, he has already figured it out, and there is no harm in talking to Yan Yan.

"My husband-in-law is worried that I will get into trouble like Pugu Huai'en."

"Um?"
To be continued...