Ping Zhao Lu

Dingguogong Mansion

"Master, the second young master is back!"

Following a loud shout, General Xu, who was originally lying leisurely in a rocking chair, holding a wonderful storybook in his left hand and chewing a delicious big pork elbow with his right hand, jumped up from the chair as if he had been electrocuted when he heard the news.

He just waved his arm, and the elbow that he hadn't finished eating drew an arc in the air and fell accurately into the hands of the servant next to him.

Then he hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his mouth to remove the oil stains. He then threw the dirty handkerchief to the servant beside him like a hot potato.

Then, he quickly tidied up his slightly messy clothes, put his hands behind his back, straightened his back, and instantly returned to his usual dignified appearance.

The servant standing by and witnessing the whole process was so shocked that he was stunned and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.

Seeing this, General Xu anxiously turned his head and winked at the still dazed servant, lowering his voice to urge, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry and take the things down, hurry up!"

Hearing this yell, the servant finally woke up from his dream, quickly responded, then hugged his elbows and handkerchief in his hands and staggered back in a hurry.

The servant had just turned around and left when Xu Zhouye strode into the yard.

When he saw that his old father still maintained his old solemn and dignified look, he did not think there was anything wrong with it. He had long been accustomed to it.

He smiled slightly, raised the corner of his mouth, walked forward steadily, and greeted, "Father."

General Xu nodded slightly and asked gravely, "Are you back? Did you inform His Majesty of your return?"

Xu Zhouye replied calmly, "Of course. I have reported the matter to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty has agreed. So, I have come to visit you."

General Xu stood in the courtyard, looking at the faint clouds in the sky, and sighed quietly: Actually, there is nothing worth visiting, I am living a pretty comfortable life.

As he thought about it, his face still maintained the deep expression of an old father who had experienced the vicissitudes of life. He slowly said, "I plan to go to court in two days."

Xu Zhouye nodded slightly, indicating that he had no objection, and then responded, "It just so happened that Wei Xian returned to the capital."

When General Xu heard the name "Wei Xian," his brows furrowed in thought. He snorted coldly and said with disdain, "What great things can that half-baked brat accomplish? His military exploits this time are probably exaggerated!"

Xu Zhouye just smiled and didn't say anything, but from his expression, it can be seen that he agreed with what his old father said from the bottom of his heart.

In his opinion, this was not just a matter of adding some water, it was simply pouring water into it!

You know, in his previous life, the reason why Wei Xian was able to achieve so-called military exploits was entirely because he secretly reached an agreement with the leader of the western tribe.

They deliberately provoked this war and created tension in order to deceive Chu Yunxiao, who was far away in Zhaojing, into believing that he was brave and resourceful and had made great military achievements, so that he could be promoted.

Of course, Chu Yunxiao had already seen through Wei Xian's plan, but he deliberately chose to comply with Wei Xian's intentions. Not only did he not expose his conspiracy, but he also took advantage of the situation to praise him highly.

In the end, when Wei Xian was self-righteous and made a big mistake, Chu Yunxiao took decisive action and exposed his crimes, which ended with him being torn into pieces by five horses.

Then again, there was a reason why his father hated Wei Xian so much.

Back then, when Wei Xian was in his father's army, he had already shown arrogance and contempt for others.

Furthermore, his style of conduct was truly intolerable: whenever a battle broke out, he would rush forward recklessly, seeking only military merit, with no regard for the overall situation or the safety of his comrades.

Once he has learned something or achieved some small success, he will show off everywhere, wishing that everyone in the world knows how great he is.

The most outrageous thing is that in a crucial front-line battle, the situation could still turn around, but in order to protect himself, he shamelessly betrayed his comrades and asked them to defend themselves against the enemy's swords and spears.

Upon hearing this, his father was furious and immediately went to question him. Unexpectedly, Wei Xian showed no remorse and shamelessly argued, "The battlefield is chaotic, and accidentally injuring friendly forces is inevitable."

Faced with such an unrepentant person, the father felt helpless. In a fit of anger, he had to transfer him away from the original camp to avoid trouble.

Everyone originally thought that after this incident, Wei Xian would keep a low profile and gradually disappear from everyone's sight.

Unexpectedly, he relied on the relationship between the Queen Mother and his aunt to gain popularity in the military camp where he served and became famous. Not only that, he was also fortunate enough to meet and get close to the daughter of the Fu family.

Afterwards, Fu Chuoren gave Wei Xian a legitimate opportunity to be promoted.

He took the initiative to write a letter to Chu Yunxiao to ask for permission to send Wei Xian to garrison in the western border.

In this way, this man with a bad record got a job that seemed to be extremely glorious.

But now that he has "returned with success", what awaits him soon is the loss of his head.

……

庄府

Zhuang Yan looked worried.

His mother kept nagging him about the marriage arrangements for the whole morning.

He has nothing to do today and does not need to go to the court to take up his post.

This rare opportunity to go out and relax was caught by his own mother, who insisted on pulling him over to look at the girl who had been watching him for the whole morning.

result……

I don’t like any of them.

In other words, no one liked him.

Who would care if you have a sour face all morning?

This made his mother very angry.

He threatened that if the marriage negotiation could not be concluded today, he would not be able to leave the house today.

Zhuang Yan complained bitterly.

Just when he felt hopeless and helpless, suddenly, a loud cry came:

"The Queen has arrived——"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yan's eyes widened instantly, with an expression of disbelief on his face.

Then, an indescribable joy surged in his heart. He felt like a drowning man struggling in the darkness who finally grabbed a life-saving straw, or like seedlings that were finally moistened by the rain after a long drought.

At this moment, for Zhuang Yan, the arrival of the queen was undoubtedly a savior from heaven!

Zhuang Yanru was pardoned!

Zhuang Yan's mother was originally sitting in a chair sipping tea. When she heard that the queen had arrived, the teacup in her hand trembled violently and some tea spilled out.

She felt as if struck by lightning and stood there in a daze. It took her a long time to come to her senses.

After she realized what was happening, she quickly put down her teacup, stood up, and pulled her child forward to greet him.

Xu Zhou's wild, black hair was half-draped, and his snow-white robe danced lightly in the breeze. A thin red string held his waist, making his figure appear even more slender. A jade pendant, as smooth as jade, dangled from the string, swaying with his steps, creating a crisp, melodious sound.

He walked calmly into the front hall of the manor.

Zhuang Yan saw this scene as if a deity had descended upon him, and he couldn't help but kneel down and shout, "Master! Please take me away! Life in this world is too bitter. I want to return to my cave immediately and cultivate with you for another thousand years!"

Xu Zhouye couldn't help laughing, how could one not see the excitement surging in his heart at the moment.

If he had not asked his servant at the door about Zhuang Yan's current situation, he would not have wanted to enter the mansion in a high-profile manner.

Zhuang's mother was quick-witted and quickly pulled her naughty child down. With a thud, they both knelt on the ground.

"Your humble servant pays homage to the Queen!" Zhuang's mother kowtowed respectfully, her forehead pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Zhuang Yan, who was standing aside, straightened his back and stared at the person in front of him who seemed like a savior.

Zhuang's mother caught a glimpse of her son's dazed look from the corner of her eye, and she felt something was amiss. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, she reached out and fiercely pinched Zhuang Yan's leg, lowering her voice and shouting, "What are you doing standing there like an idiot? Have you swallowed all your usual politeness?"

Hearing her mother's rebuke, Zhuang Yan suddenly woke up, but she was still somewhat bewildered. At this moment, Xu Zhouye, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly smiled faintly and said softly, "Madam Zhuang, please get up quickly."

Upon hearing the voice, Zhuang's mother hurriedly thanked him and stood up, but when she turned around, she saw that her beloved son was still kneeling on the ground stupidly, with no intention of greeting at all.

Zhuang's mother's brow furrowed instantly, the wrinkles so deep they could have pinched a fly to death. She gnashed her teeth in anger and roared in a low voice, "Zhuang Yan!"

This roar was like a bolt from the blue, frightening Zhuang Yan so much that he trembled all over and his soul returned to its place.

He was about to kowtow, but Xu Zhouye waved his hand and said with a smile, "Forget it, forget it. Young Master Zhuang must be feeling unwell. He may have a stiff neck from not sleeping well. There's no need to perform such a grand ceremony if you're feeling this uncomfortable."

Zhuang Yan looked up at Xu Zhouye with a puzzled expression, muttering to himself: What? My neck is stiff? How come I didn't know...

Zhuang's mother was also full of suspicion. She glanced back and forth at her son, thinking: Is this true? How come I can't see it at all?