Great Han Empire

Chapter 784
"Great General..." Cao Renran's voice came in again, "Master Cai Yong and Master Situ Cui Lie have arrived outside the gate of the residence..."

Li Hong shook his head and smiled wryly, "It's almost dawn, and I haven't seen my wife and child yet..."

Li Wei stood up unsteadily, beat his numb legs a few times, and said apologetically, "Then go and see the two wives and children, and I will go to greet the two adults on your behalf."

"No, it's too rude." Li Hong turned around and walked out of the house, "I'm going to go to court later, you should rest here with me."

Li Wei was extremely tired, and he didn't refuse, and fell asleep on the table.

=

Cai Yong and Cui Lie first congratulated the general for his victory, and then briefly talked about the rebellion in Liaodong.

Cai Yong advocated putting the affairs of Liaodong aside first, and concentrating on restoring the vitality of Hebei.Cui Lie advocated temporarily abandoning Liaodong, concentrating on calming down the world, and then going back to deal with those rebellious barbarians.

Li Hong teased Cui Lie with a smile and said, "Lord Cui, is there anyone in the court today like Lord Fu, the Marquis of the Zhuang Festival, shouting 'Kill Da Situ, and the world will be safe'?"

Cui Lie's face turned cold, and he said angrily: "What time is it now? If the imperial court has the strength to suppress the rebellion in Liaodong, why didn't they take advantage of the victory in Jizhou and go south to sweep the Central Plains? After winning a battle, they think they are great. This kind of people is the most stupid, and they are short-sighted."

Cai Yong coughed immediately, warning Cui Lie to be more careful.Li Hong knew the meaning of Cui Lie's words, and he pointed directly at the eldest princess.Now the one in the court who strongly advocates sending troops to Liaodong is the eldest princess.

"Since the general is back, the matter of Liaodong will be decided by the general. Let's not interfere too much." Cai Yong changed the subject, and immediately talked about the situation in Jinyang, and proposed the idea of ​​revising the official system.

The revision of the official system requires the joint signature of several prime ministers and ministers, especially Li Hong's support is extremely important.Li Hong has been listening quietly, without saying anything.

Cui Lie complained about Li Hong's return to Jinyang in the middle of the night. After complaining to Li Hong for a few words, he asked cautiously, "General, do you already have an idea about Jinyang? What do you think? "

"I agree to modify the official system." Li Hong said happily.

Cai Yong and Cui Lie looked at Li Hong in surprise, they didn't expect Li Hong to be so straightforward.

"Since I'm back, I don't want to do tomorrow's ceremony. It's too expensive, so let's save some money." Li Hong said with a smile, "Wait for the joint performance. I haven't met the eldest princess yet. What is the princess's opinion on this matter? After I figure it out, we will discuss it carefully."

"Okay, okay, great." Cui Lie said happily, "Everything is done according to the general's wishes."

"General, this matter..." Cai Yong hesitated and asked slowly, "You made up your mind so quickly?"

"When I entered Jinyang City, it was already decided." Li Hong said with a smile, "After the great victory in Jizhou, Hebei has been stabilized, and we are about to start the battle to calm the world, so the affairs of the imperial court must keep pace. Otherwise we may lose the chance to revive Dahan."

Cai Yong and Cui Lie stood up excitedly and said a lot of compliments.

=

After leaving the General's Mansion, Cui Lie looked at Li Hong who was still standing outside the gate with a complicated expression.

It has been 14 years since Li Hong's name first appeared in the court hall.I watched Li Hong step by step until today.Compared with Li Hong fourteen years ago, at this time, he has reached the peak in terms of prestige, intelligence, and power.I sometimes wonder, after the great Han Zhongxing, will Li Hong become the No. 1 general of the Great Han Zhongxing like Wu Han, or will he go on the road of usurpation like Wang Mang?
When the first emperor was alive, the whole court felt the threat from Li Hong, who knew that it was not Li Hong, but Dong Zhuo, who brought trouble to the great man in the end.Dong Zhuo pushed the big man into the abyss of defeat, what about Li Hong?Where will Li Hong push the big man?If the current Li Hong wanted to usurp him, it would be really easy.Compared to eight years ago, Li Hong's threat to the big man is no longer unstoppable.

From the first emperor, to Zhang Wenwen and his group of ministers to Northern Xinjiang, to the Eldest Princess taking power, everyone pinned their hopes of revitalizing the great man on Li Hong, but everyone is also working hard to restrain Li Hong, and they all want to put Li Hong's threat to the big man was minimized.Li Hong is also a human being, he also feels threatened, and he has to fight hard for survival.Will this increasingly acute contradiction collide violently, and finally lead to the complete subversion of the big man?

Cui Lie withdrew his gaze, lay heavily on the back of the carriage, and let out a long sigh.

=

Li Hong's loyalty to the big man and his determination to save the big man can be felt by the whole government and the public, but the things in this world are not something you can do well if you have loyalty and determination.

With the victory of the Jizhou War and the stability of Hebei, Li Hong's threat to the Dahan Sheji became more and more fierce, from the eldest princess to the court ministers, everyone was panicked, and everyone felt a sense of imminent disaster.Part of this threat came from Li Hong himself, but more from Li Hong's subordinates, the civil and military officials in northern Xinjiang who were very loyal to Li Hong.

The fundamental reason why the ruling and opposition parties feel this way is the loss of imperial power.

The most widely circulated in the past two years are Yuan's "Speaking of Prophecy" and "Theory of Five Virtues" in Daihan Dynasty, and what Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu brothers have done in the past few years have just added a lot of weight to this rumor.Cao Cao's reconstruction of the imperial line is even more treasonous. What is his purpose?Really want to revive the big man?With Cao Cao's current strength, I'm afraid even he himself can't believe that he can revive the big man, right?
The Yuan brothers are the strongest, but they first refused to recognize the imperial lineage, and after Emperor Xiaoxian died, they were reluctant to rebuild the imperial lineage. An idiot can guess the intention of the Yuan brothers to usurp.Cao Cao rebuilt the imperial line with his weak strength, which dealt a heavy blow to the majesty of the Han emperor and reduced the imperial power to the extreme.At this time, if there is another high-ranking official in the state and county who builds up the imperial line indiscriminately and tramples on the imperial power, the days of the great man's disintegration will be numbered.

However, as long as Li Hong is there, Beijiang is there, and Hebei is there, the Great Han still has hope of resurgence, but if Li Hong or many of Li Hong's subordinates try to usurp, then the Great Han will disappear overnight.

Therefore, today when the imperial power is gradually declining and Hebei is getting stronger and stronger, it has become a top priority to restrict Li Hong's power and split Li Hong's subordinates.

=

After Emperor Xiaoxian arrived in Jinyang to rebuild the court, Zhang Wenwen, Cui Lie and others had a premonition of the approaching threat, so they started planning to split northern Xinjiang very early.In their view, with the growth of Emperor Xiaoxian and the gradual development of Hebei, the division of northern Xinjiang was inevitable.However, the sky failed, because Emperor Xiaoxian was young and lacked understanding of state affairs, and because of the impatience of the eldest princess and her desire to revive the country, finally led to the death of Emperor Xiaoxian and the sharp decline of imperial power, which led to the death of Hebei. The outbreak of war.Li Hong and his power in northern Xinjiang not only did not get weakened and split, but became stronger.Under the ebb and flow, the hidden danger of the country's collapse inevitably came, and it came very early and very violently.

After the great victory in Jizhou, Li Hong's prestige increased even more, and the strength of Northern Xinjiang became stronger. Now, with the fall of the imperial power, what kind of position will Li Hong push to?As time went on, Li Hong would sweep the Central Plains and pacify the world. At that time, even Li Hong himself might not be able to stop the change of the imperial line and the change of the dynasty.

The eldest princess obviously saw the threat coming, so after she learned that the northern border army had launched a full-line counterattack, she immediately took advantage of the opportunity of Hebei's wealth to be exhausted, and persuaded Xu Rong and other northern officials that they were in a hurry. I started patiently.Her impatience remained the same, and she was extremely unconfident in the face of Li Hong's strength. She even gambled with the imperial power, and she even used Li Hong's love and trust for her to deceive Xu Rong and other officials in northern Xinjiang.

If Li Hong did not give up the military and political power of the six prefectures and four counties, the imperial power would be hit, and the forces in northern Xinjiang would also suffer a severe setback. With Li Hong as a man, he would never lay hands on his brothers.The eldest princess got a good idea of ​​Li Hong's character, and hit it with one blow, which not only consolidated and strengthened the imperial power, but also split the forces in northern Xinjiang without a trace.Now Li Hong was forced by the situation, not only had to hand over the military and political power of six prefectures and four counties, but also helped the eldest princess to fight against the counterattacks of the ministers of the court and the rich and powerful.

But Li Hong will give up power easily?

At this moment, it is still far away from the period of pacification of the world. The stability of Hebei will directly affect the success or failure of the great Han Zhongxing, and the life and death of more than 1000 million people in Hebei and 10,000+ soldiers in northern Xinjiang. No matter where you start, Li Hong dare not Relinquish power rashly.

Therefore, Li Hong will definitely fight back.Li Hong's method of counterattack was very simple. He took away the imperial power, took charge of the government himself, and began to usurp the establishment.

=

Cai Yong, Cui Lie, Liu He and other ministers tried their best to save the ending that might become a fact, and finally had no choice but to choose a method, changing the official system under the pretext of checking and balancing the imperial power, pushing the general to the position of prime minister, and continuing Let the generals control the military and political power.Although this will expand the power of the general, it is better to create a powerful minister than to create a rebellion that destroys the country.Moreover, with the continuation of time, the civil and military officials of northern Xinjiang will enter the court one after another, and the contradictions among the various forces in northern Xinjiang will rapidly expand in the court, and then split and confront, and eventually form a force that restricts and counteracts Li Hong .

In the past, Dong Zhuo resolutely refused to let his subordinates enter the court, and he held power alone, and finally lost.Li Hong learned the lesson of Dong Zhuo's defeat and spared no effort to push his subordinates into the court, hoping to maintain his own power by sharing power. However, this method has a huge disadvantage.

In addition, through the revision of the official system, all the powers of prime ministers have been taken back, so that many ministers who were born in wealthy families can take advantage of the opportunity of constantly revising national policies to make up for their losses or even get back greater benefits.Li Hong has governed Hebei for so many years, although the rich and powerful once had some losses, but later Li Hong compensated them through various methods.The rich and powerful now prefer to let Li Hong control the power, because Li Hong can give them more and more secure income, and the princess is far more powerful than the first emperor. She not only wants to squeeze the money of the rich and powerful in this life, but also It's crazy to extract money from their children and grandchildren.

=

"What are you thinking?" Seeing Cui Lie sitting there with his eyes closed, looking worried, Cai Yong asked with concern, "If you are too tired, don't go to court early."

Cui Lie woke up from his contemplation. He stretched out his bony hands, rubbed his eyes, and asked in a low voice, "Tell me, why did the general agree so happily?"

"That's because he has other countermeasures." Cai Yong said without hesitation, "The general agreed to modify the official system, but he did not agree to take the post of prime minister. For him, it doesn't matter whether he is prime minister or not. What he wants is the army .He became prime minister, what about the army? Who will command the army?"

Cui Lie sighed, "So, he still wants to be the Great General Sima?"

"If he is willing to be a 'Huo Guang' and wholeheartedly assist the emperor Zhongxing Dahan, it might not be a great man's blessing." Cai Yong's brows stretched, and a smile appeared on his face, "I still understand him. If he wants to usurp Li, they would not have attacked Chang'an to save Emperor Xiaoxian back then."

"Being 'Huo Guang'?" Cui Lie stroked his gray beard, "The eldest princess will give in?"

"Eldest Princess' actions have already hurt the Great General." Cai Yong shook his head regretfully, "According to common sense, after the Great General returns to Jinyang, the first thing to do is to go to the palace to meet the Eldest Princess, but this time..."

Cui Lie sat there without saying a word, thinking silently.

"Just now, you congratulated the general and said that Master Tian Chou is going to marry the daughter of the Zhen family in Jizhou. Is it true?" Cai Yong suddenly thought of something, stretched out his hand to push Cui Lie, and asked with a smile, "When did this happen? "

Cui Lie said "Oh..." "Master Zhen Yan sent me a letter a few days ago and told me specifically. I heard that the general proposed marriage, and Mr. Zhong Yao and Jia Xu were matchmakers."

"It seems that your Cui family is too powerful, too ostentatious..." Cai Yong said with a cheerful smile.

"This is a good thing." Cui Lie said, "I'm worried that our Cui family tree will attract attention. This time, the Zhen family in Jizhou and Mr. Tian Chou are getting married. I want to prepare a generous gift. Speaking of it, I have to thank the general for his thoughtfulness. .”

"The general is no longer the martial artist who didn't understand anything in the past." Cai Yong patted Cui Lie's arm, "From this incident, we can see that the general's mind is getting more and more careful, and he believes in Jinyang's affairs. It will definitely turn the crisis into safety."

Cui Lie seemed to have figured it out, he waved his hand and laughed lightly, "We are old and can't live for a few days, let them make trouble."

=

Li Hong walked into the bedroom lightly.

Both Feng Xue and Gu Yu threw themselves into Li Hong's capacious arms, weeping with joy.The husband and wife were tender for a while, said a few affectionate words, then embraced each other, and walked to the bed to watch the child.Both daughters are three years old, beautiful and healthy.Looking at the children's red, white and tender faces exposed outside the quilt, Li Hong was intoxicated, and the feeling of happiness and joy filled his body and mind.

"Do the kids know me?"

"You've only been away for half a year, so of course the children know you." Feng Xue said with a smile, "You won't be leaving again, will you?"

Li Hong didn't speak.He bent down to kiss the children's faces.

"Are you leaving again?" Xiao Yu asked in a trembling voice, "Didn't the battle just end?"

Li Hong sat on the side of the bed, looked at the two children affectionately, with an apologetic expression on his face, "I'm going to the desert soon."

Feng Xue's smile froze, and she stayed there, the joy in her eyes was gone.Xiao Yu hugged her tender body heartbrokenly, looked at Li Hong and asked, "Are you going to fight?"

"No." Li Hong stood up and hugged Feng Xue, and kissed her tenderly on the face, "I want to have a good talk with Kirby. He has grown up and is the king of the desert."

"Are you really not going to fight?" Feng Xue's voice was helpless and sad.

"Really don't fight, I swear to you."

=

Its daybreak.

Li Hong woke up Li Wei, and the two got into the carriage and hurried to Jinyang Palace.

"See the two ladies and children?"

Li Hong nodded, and shook his head helplessly, "The children have grown up, I feel sorry to see them, I..."

"When you become the prime minister, it will be difficult for you to have time to conquer the east and west." Li Wei smiled, "Then you can spend good time with the two children."

Li Hong looked at him, frowned and asked, "You want me to be prime minister so much?"

A hint of surprise appeared in Li Wei's eyes.

"Zhong Yuan, what's on your mind? When you were in Xijiang in the past, you only wanted to kill traitors and revive the big man. Now..."

"Don't mention the past." Li Wei interrupted Li Hong by shaking his hand repeatedly, "You must do this prime minister."

"why?"

"Because I got a message that the eldest princess has been thinking about revising the official system, but the official system modification she is considering is not to return the power of prime minister to the outer dynasty, but to concentrate more of the power of prime minister in China and North Korea, and then gradually Incorporating the Outer Dynasty into the Central Dynasty, allowing the Outer Dynasty and the Chinese Dynasty to become one, that is to say, in the future, the imperial power will override the prime minister's power, and the so-called check and balance between the imperial power and the prime minister's power is simply empty talk."

"What did your wife say?" Li Hong thought that Xiao Lan had been accompanying the eldest princess, and immediately made fun of Li Wei, "Zhong Yuan, you dare to reveal the secrets and important matters of the court. I think you don't want to live."

"General, I have an old man and a young man, and I recently added a young son, so please forgive me." Li Wei said with a wry face, cupping his hands repeatedly.

Li Hong laughed loudly.

"Did Xiao Lan tell you about the purpose of the eldest princess?"

"It is said that this was a wish of Lord Zhang Wenzhang before he died." Li Wei said solemnly, "The struggle for imperial power and prime minister power has lasted for hundreds of years in this dynasty, and there is still no result yet, but since Emperor Guangwu Zhongxing Dahan At the beginning, the imperial power has gradually surpassed the power of the prime minister. Mr. Zhang believes that as long as he is an emperor, he wants to take over the power and power. If the emperor is talented, then the imperial power overrides the power of the prime minister, which will help the prosperity of the country. On the contrary, if the emperor is fatuous and treacherous, then the country will be crumbling as it is now, and even collapsed quickly. Therefore, Mrs. Zhang told the eldest princess that it will be a matter of time before the imperial power overrides the power of the prime minister. There are always fights for the power of the prime minister. However, in order to prevent the muddle-headed emperor from abusing his power and ruining the society, the power of prime minister must have its independent status, so that even if the faint-hearted emperor harms the country, the court can continue to maintain good operation and maintain the survival of the land. "

Li Hong fell into deep thought.

"Zhongyuan, what do you think of Mr. Zhang Wen's suggestion..."

"This is a wish of Mr. Zhang, just a beautiful wish." Li Wei snorted, "This dynasty has been going on for 400 years since Emperor Gaozu, how many ancestors have worked hard to improve the official system, and even sacrificed their lives. But what was the result? Isn’t Emperor Xiaowu great? It’s just a matter of authority? Emperor Guangwu is great? It’s just that the power of prime minister is divided into three. Do whatever you want, and play with whatever is fresh. I think if this continues, sooner or later, the country will be finished. The emperor and the idiot are actually but a thin line."

Li Hong looked at Li Wei in surprise, and blurted out, "You boy, what are your intentions?"

=

In the court, the position of the emperor is empty.On the left side of the emperor's throne is the eldest princess.

The eldest princess sat there with a stern expression and all manners. From the beginning to the end, she didn't give the general a smile.

The general talked eloquently in the court hall.First, it played the whole story of the war in Jizhou in the Ming Dynasty, then speculated on the situation in the Central Plains and proposed a strategy of distant relations and short-term attacks, and then analyzed the rebellion in Liaodong and the situation in northern Xinjiang, and suggested the use of both suppression and appeasement.

"Your Highness, after General Lu Bu leads the northern army back to Jinyang, I will lead the cavalry from Changshuiying to go north to the desert to appease the Hus. Next spring, I will go directly from the desert to Youzhou and lead the army to attack Liaodong."

All the ministers in the hall were dumbfounded.This great general was away all year round, and he never stayed in Jinyang at all.Did he let go of Jinyang's affairs?
The eldest princess looked angry, looking at the general's eyes as if they were about to burst into flames.

Grand Tutor Cai Yong was very disappointed.He originally thought that the general would stay in Jinyang at least until next spring, but who knew that he would rush across the Yin Mountains to the desert before the snow fell.Calculated according to the time, he can only stay in Jinyang for five to ten days at most.What problems can be solved in such a short time?
"General, when will you come back?" Cai Yong asked tentatively.

"If the rebellion in Liaodong goes well, I will probably be able to return to Jinyang in a year's time."

The ministers fainted.

The eldest princess snorted angrily, left the ministers with sad faces, and walked away.

=

The eldest princess left, and the court proceedings continued under the auspices of Tai Fu Cai Yong.

The ministers knew that the general was coming back today, so they all prepared memorials, but the main content of the memorials was almost all focused on the revision of the land system, taxation system and official system. The content of the book was also brilliant, Li Hong felt dizzy and almost fell to the hall.

After finally disbanding, Li Hong was invited to the Shangshutai by Taifu Cai Yong and others, and continued to discuss with the Sangong Jiuqing, Zhuqing and the Shangshutai's ministers.Since the general is leaving soon, of course many important matters must be discussed immediately.The general is one of the four prime ministers in the court, and his opinion is very important.However, Li Hong adhered to his consistent principles and generally did not express his opinions on other matters except military decision-making.

At dusk, Li Hong bid farewell to the ministers and ministers, and hurried to the former Grand Tutor Zhao Qi's residence.After Zhao Qi became an official and returned home, he rested with peace of mind and his health improved a lot.Seeing Li Hong, Zhao Qi was very happy.The old and the young walked together in the garden, chatting and laughing happily.

"Are you leaving soon?" Zhao Qi was slightly surprised, "What about Jinyang?"

"I had a ten-year agreement with the imperial court." Li Hong smiled. "Although ten years have not yet arrived, Hebei has been stabilized after the battle of Jizhou. I should fulfill my promise and return power to the imperial court."

"A ten-year agreement?" Zhao Qi couldn't help laughing. "For so many years, your official position and authority have been changed again and again. How can there be any ten-year agreement?"

Li Hong smiled without saying a word.

"What about after handing over the power?" Zhao Qi asked, "I heard that the ministers in the court are going to recommend you as prime minister. Do you really want to be prime minister?"

"I can be a general, but I can't be a prime minister." Li Hong said honestly, "I won't do it."

Zhao Qi laughed, and patted Li Honghou's thick shoulder very lovingly, "Zimin, you are still the same as before, good, good, good, good."

"Boss, what do you think is the most appropriate way to deal with Jinyang's matter?"

"What do you think?" Zhao Qi asked back, stroking his long silver beard.

"Before I conquer the Central Plains and regain Luoyang, the interests of all parties in the imperial court must be taken into account. This is the only way to stabilize the imperial court."

"Go on." Zhao Qi nodded, "This idea is completely correct."

"But I don't know where to put myself?" Li Hong shook his head regretfully, "I can't give up my military power. ZTE needs force, and nothing can be done without force, but I have to take into account the interests of all parties. What position do I have to be able to do all this? At present, whether it is maintaining the status quo or modifying the official system according to the court's method, I cannot do this."

Zhao Qi laughed, "Zimin, it's very simple, you just need to integrate the current official system with the revised official system."

"So simple?" Li Hong asked in surprise.

"Subject, what was the position of Huo Guang in this dynasty?"

"Great General Sima." Li Hong was suddenly enlightened.

=

When we returned to the General's Mansion, it was already dark.

Outside the gate of the mansion, Xiao Yu was anxiously waiting for Li Hong, "The eldest princess is hosting a banquet in the palace, and I want to wash you off."

Li Hong recalled the scene in the morning hall, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty.The eldest princess has exhausted her heart and soul for the sake of the country. Although there are some things that are wrong, I really shouldn't care too much about her.

"Where is Xiaoxue and the children?"

"They're leaving first." Xiao Yu pulled him into the carriage and drove towards the palace.

"You didn't enter the palace when you came back last night?" Xiao Yu snuggled into Li Hong's arms and asked in a low voice.

Li Hong didn't speak.

"Princess...she..." Xiaoyu hesitated to say something.

"Do you often enter the palace?" Li Hong immediately interrupted Xiao Yu's words.

Xiao Yu nodded, "Sometimes, the Eldest Princess invites us to stay in the palace for a few days. The Eldest Princess likes the two children very much."

Li Hong frowned.Xiao Yu looked at Li Hong timidly, her cherry lips trembled a few times, and she quietly lowered her head.

=

Princess Yang'an embraced the emperor who was still learning to walk and accepted Li Hong's kneeling.

Unexpectedly, Fu Wan helped Li Hong up with a smile, and took Li Hong's arm affectionately and took the seat together.

The eldest princess was dressed in gorgeous costumes, she was radiant, and she was chatting and laughing with Li Hong's two children in a low voice, not looking up at Li Hong, with affection between her brows.

Fengxue and Xiaoyu whispered a few words, with a little uneasy expression on their faces.

"This is a family banquet, the general can be more casual, don't be too rigid." Fu Wan raised his glass to congratulate Li Hong, and leaned into Li Hong's ear and whispered, "Your Highness is very happy today, don't spoil the fun, let I will follow you to suffer the unthinkable disaster."

Li Hong pretended to smile, and whispered politely, "Are you in good health?"

Fu Wan smiled a bit reluctantly, "General, thank you for your concern. In fact, from the moment I walked into this palace gate, my fate has already been doomed. If I can have a good death in the future, I must thank my ancestors for their virtue. .”

Li Hong knew the pain in his heart, and made three nobles with him in a row, "It's ridiculous that everyone in the world wants to walk in this door."

Fu Wan smiled wryly, and said with deep meaning: "The sad thing is that some people want to escape from this door far away, but even if he escapes to the horizon, he still cannot escape in the end."

Li Hong's back felt cold, and he choked his throat with a sip of wine.

During the banquet, the Eldest Princess didn't talk much, although her face was full of smiles, her eyes were always fixed on Li Hong, which made Li Hong feel a little weak.

=

The feast is gone.Princess Yang'an sat and chatted with Feng Xue and Xiao Yu.Fu finished drinking a little more, drowsy.

The eldest princess invited Li Hong to take a walk in the garden.

"Last night, when you walked into Jinyang City, did you look up at the stars?" The eldest princess looked at the stars in the sky and asked tenderly.

Li Hong's eyes wandered, and he hummed vaguely.

"I've been here counting the stars in the sky, waiting for you until dawn."

Li Hong's heart trembled, and he took a step back involuntarily.

The eldest princess turned to look at Li Hong with resentment on her face, "Can I still wait for your gift?"

Li Hong smiled lightly, and took out an exquisite shell carved with talismans from his bosom, "I said that every time I return from an expedition, I must bring a gift to Your Highness. As long as I can come back alive."

The eldest princess took the shell in surprise, and looked at it fondly.If this was not the imperial palace, and if there were no maids standing around, the eldest princess might have thrown herself into Li Hong's arms.

"Why are you leaving right away?" The eldest princess smiled like a flower and asked excitedly, "Are you lying to me?"

Li Hong shook his head, "His Royal Highness, please give in, okay?"

"What about you? Are you going to be the prime minister? If you become the prime minister, we will be against each other. What should I do?" The eldest princess smiled suddenly.

"The Outer Court is the Prime Minister, Taiwei, and Doctor Yushi. The Central Court is the Great General Sima." Li Hong said in a low voice, "His Royal Highness is in charge of the Internal Court. When the Minister is away, His Highness supervises the Central Court. This is the only Method. Your Highness takes a step back, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs takes a step back, and the minister has no loss, and the minister can still help His Highness in a legitimate way."

"Emperor Xiaowu's plan to support Gu?" the eldest princess asked in surprise.

"I can be half a 'Huo Guang'." Li Hong bowed and said, "Although I don't have the ability of Master Huo Guang, Your Highness does. Whatever Your Highness wants to do, you can give orders to the minister, and then the minister will let the outer court carry out."

"For the sake of the stability of the society, Emperor Xiaowu entrusted several ministers such as Huo Guang, Jin Ridun, Shangguan Jie, and Sang Hongyang. Emperor Xiaowu asked Huo Guang, the great general of Sima, to lead the Shangshutai to control part of the imperial power and prime minister's power to check and balance Power struggles in the court. Today, this method can temporarily stabilize the court and stabilize Hebei. After the minister conquers the Central Plains and recovers Luoyang, His Highness can do whatever he wants, but before that, I beg His Highness to work together with the ministers, So that the ministers can pacify the world in the shortest possible time."

The eldest princess held the shell tightly in her hand, leaned into Li Hong quietly, and asked softly, "Tell me, did you watch the stars last night?"

=

(End of this chapter)