Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

In the Golden Palace, when Qian Xu received the imperial edict, he felt a heavy burden on his body and could hardly stand. The content of the imperial edict was very simple, it was nothing more than ordering him to be a special envoy to select a husband for Empress Dou Qing and choose a date for the wedding. But this seemingly glamorous job was like a hot potato to him. How could he not be terrified?

After returning to the mansion, Qian Xu had not had time to catch his breath before representatives from the seven families and five surnames had gathered. With fake smiles on their faces, they recommended their own sons one after another, as if the position of the empress's husband was already in their pockets.

"Sir Qian, this is my son. He has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood and is proficient in music. He will definitely win the favor of the empress!" The speaker was the head of the Qinghe Cui family. As he spoke, he pushed the handsome young man next to him forward.

"Master Cui, you are joking. In my opinion, my nephew is better. He is not only talented in both civil and military affairs, but also has a handsome appearance. Standing with the empress, they are truly a match made in heaven!" The head of the Fanyang Lu family was not to be outdone, and his words were full of pride.

……

Qian Xu looked at the group of dignitaries who were fighting fiercely for the interests of their families, and he couldn't help but feel sad. When will the empress be able to decide on her own husband?

Qian Xu rubbed his swollen temples. These noble family children were all arrogant and thought they could win the favor of the empress with their family background. He cleared his throat and said loudly: "The talents recommended by the family heads are all excellent, but marriage is a big deal, how can it be a joke? The empress is responsible for the world, and her husband must not only be of noble birth, but also have good character, be responsible, and have wisdom to assist the empress in governing the world."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, obviously not expecting Qian Xu to say this. Qian Xu ignored their surprise and continued, "I have prepared some questions. If you can answer them fluently, I will report the truth to the Empress."

As soon as the voice fell, the originally noisy hall suddenly became quiet, leaving only the nervous breathing of the crowd. Qian Xu slowly asked the first question: "The war in the northern border is tense now. If you were the empress, how would you deal with it?"

As soon as this question came out, the young masters present were immediately panicked. They usually only cared about reciting poems and writing essays, pretending to be cultured, how could they know anything about war? Some hesitated and answered irrelevant questions, while others talked big but had no substance. Qian Xu observed their reactions calmly and took in their performance.

All of this was seen clearly by a pair of eyes behind the screen. Dou Qing sat behind the screen, not saying a word, carefully observing the performance of each candidate. Every question Qian Xu asked touched her heart. What she wanted was not a vase with a false reputation, but a partner who could fight side by side with her and share the ups and downs with her.

Qian Xu asked questions one after another, ranging from national affairs to people's livelihood, from the concept of governing the country to personal ambitions, each question went straight to the heart. He was like a sharp carving knife, peeling off the masks of these children of noble families layer by layer, revealing their true faces.

Under Qian Xu's sharp questioning, a young man from a prominent family, who usually loved to boast about his familiarity with the art of war and his wealth of strategies, was left speechless. In the end, he even made up nonsense, saying that he wanted to wipe out all the barbarians in the northern border to prevent future troubles.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qian Xu's face darkened, and he slammed the table and shouted, "Ridiculous! When two countries are at war, envoys are not killed. As a royal relative, you don't think about winning people over with virtue, but instead talk about slaughtering people. It's simply a disgrace to society!"

Qian Xu's rage frightened the young man so much that his face turned pale, his legs weakened, and he collapsed to the ground. Qian Xu didn't even look at him again and directly announced that he was eliminated.

This unexpected change made everyone present silent. They realized that Qian Xu was not just going through the motions, but was serious. A tense atmosphere filled the hall, and everyone's nerves were tense, fearing that they would be the next to be eliminated. Dou Qing saw all of this from behind the screen. Qian Xu's decisiveness and integrity left a deep impression on her.

As night fell, Qian Xu finished his busy day and walked out of the palace. He walked alone on the quiet street, and the dim lights lengthened his figure. Recalling the scene of today's interview, he felt mixed emotions. He knew that he had offended many people today, but he did not regret it. He just wanted to choose a truly talented and responsible husband for the empress.

Suddenly, he was aware that someone seemed to be following him. He slowed down his pace and listened carefully. As expected, he heard a slight sound of footsteps. Qian Xu quietly quickened his pace and secretly observed the situation around him. But the person following him seemed to be very cautious and kept a distance from him, so that he could not see the other person's appearance clearly.

Qian Xu had an ominous premonition in his heart, and he realized that he might be involved in an unknown danger.

He ran all the way, trying to shake off the pursuer, but the other party was like a leech, always chasing him. Qian Xu simply stopped, turned to face the darkness behind him, and shouted coldly: "You have been following me for a long time, I wonder if you have any advice?"

There was silence in the darkness for a moment, and then a deep voice slowly sounded: "Master Qian is indeed alert. I admire you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark figure walked out from the darkness. With the weak moonlight, Qian Xu saw who it was and was shocked. This person was tall and strong, with a stern face. It was Zhao Hu, the commander of the palace guards!

Zhao Hu walked up to Qian Xu, bowed and said, "Sir Qian, I am sorry to bother you so late at night. Please forgive me."

Qian Xu was even more confused and asked calmly, "Commander Zhao, you are too polite. What can I do for you?"

Zhao Hu looked embarrassed, and after hesitating for a moment, he lowered his voice and said, "Master Qian, my queen wants to see you."

"Madam?" Qian Xu frowned slightly, "I wonder which Madam Commander Zhao is referring to?"

"Of course it's the current emperor, His Majesty the Emperor Wu." Zhao Hu said in a deep voice.

Qian Xu was shocked. Why did the Emperor Wu summon him so late at night? He felt uneasy, but he could not disobey the Emperor's order, so he had to follow Zhao Hu to the palace.

The night was deep and the palace was silent. Only the occasional footsteps of the patrolling guards made the atmosphere even more depressing. Qian Xu followed Zhao Hu through the many palace gates and came to a remote palace.

"Sir Qian, the queen is waiting inside, please come in." After Zhao Hu said this, he stepped aside and said no more.

Qian Xu took a deep breath, suppressed the uneasiness in his heart, straightened his clothes, and walked into the palace.

There was only a dim oil lamp in the hall, and Qian Xu vaguely saw a slender figure sitting at the table with its back to him. He was about to step forward to pay his respects, but he heard a suppressed cry coming from that figure.

Qian Xu was shocked, this crying voice was very familiar to him, it was the voice of the current emperor, Emperor Wu!