Chapter 478 The King of Wu Returns to Beijing

Almost at the same time when Qin Mubai received the imperial edict, dozens of horses stopped at the corner of the official road three miles east of Chang'an City.

The first man with a jade belt tied around his waist, lifted the head cover of the embroidered cloak tied to his head, revealing the golden three beams Jinxian crown and a heroic and resolute face.

"Chang'an!"

The two words were meaningfully spit out of his mouth, and then his face was full of attachment and an inexplicable sad smile.

"Your Highness the King of Wu, we have finally arrived!" Yiqi slowly stepped forward a few steps from his side. His voice was slightly mulberry and he was tired and hoarse. He said, "From the day we received the imperial edict, we have traveled more than 5,000 miles in twelve days. It can be said that the heart is like an arrow, wearing a star and a moon!"

The leading man is Li Ke, the king of Wu. The talk with him is Wu Wangfu and Quan Wanji.

"My father urgently called me back to Beijing and transferred me to Lanzhou to supervise the army." Li Ke turned his head. In the past, he was just a simple and handsome facial features. Because there was a circle of black and short beard on his lips, coupled with the experience and mulberry in the past few years, it added a lot of introversion and steady and the unique charm of adult men. He said, "The military situation is like fire, and I have to hurry up. It's just that the teacher has worked hard to eat with me all the way. After returning to Beijing, the teacher will ask the teacher to rest for a few days. Don't be exhausted.

"Your Highness is worried about it. For the time being, this old bone can still withstand this journey for the time being." Quan Wanji smiled with a gratifying smile and bowed his hand and said, "At this time, it was noon, presumably the emperor should still be reading the memorial in the imperial study of the Wude Hall. Your Highness can enter the palace as soon as possible. I will go back to the palace with General Yin and others first and wait for your Highness's good information.

"Good." Li Ke answered and was about to leave. Suddenly, he stopped again. He lowered his voice and said to Quan Wanji, "Teacher, the student has something to discuss with you."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"After I go back to Beijing this time, I want to do a private matter." When Li Ke said this, he frowned slightly and paused for a moment. Then he smiled and said, "I want to set up a concubine."

"This is a good thing!" Quan Wanji smiled happily and said, "Princess Wu has been gone for a long time, and Her Royal Highness has always lacked good help. Previously, I have also advised Your Highness to set up a concubine as soon as possible. Today, when I return to Beijing, I happen to invite His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress Shufei to be the master and choose a princess for your Highness.

"You don't have to choose. I already have the best candidate in my heart." Li Ke said, "I just don't know if my father and mother will agree?"

Quan Wanji was stunned and suddenly said, "Your Highness said, is it... the daughter of the Qin family?"

"That's right, it's Frost!"

"This! ..." Quan Wanji was dumb for a moment and frowned.

"Teacher, is there anything wrong?" Li Ke asked patiently.

"Your Highness, I know that you and Miss Qin are deeply in love, and you have long been married. However, it has not been fulfilled for various reasons for so many years. Now that the princess has died, Shuang'er has not married. With the current reputation of the Qin family, although the girl of Shuang'er is a concubine, she can also sit firmly in the position of Princess Wu. Presumably, your majesty and the Empress will not object. The Qin family now has His Royal Highness's best friend Qin Mubai, and no one raises any objection. For all this, it seems that there is nothing wrong with proposing marriage now, but in fact..." Quan Wanji stopped talking.

"If the teacher has something to say, you might as well speak frankly." Li Ke asked.

"Your Highness should think more about it." Quan Wanji lowered his voice, but said seriously, "Your Majesty suddenly called His Royal Highness back to the palace to supervise the army in Lanzhou. This move was really strange and quite amazing. It is not difficult to imagine that the ministers of the court will think, will your majesty take advantage of the battle in Lanzhou to determine the position of the crown prince? - Everyone knows that the commander of Lanzhou is Qin Mubai, and His Highness has been good friends with him for a long time. Now he has to propose to marry his own sister. Wouldn't this move be suspicious?

"What do you doubt?" Li Ke smiled indifferently at the corners of his mouth, "Do you suspect that I, Li Ke, are going to plot with the Qin family? Or do you suspect that I, Li Ke, the man who fell into the water, finally caught a life-saving straw, so he had to hold it tightly and refused to let go?

Quan Wanji frowned and nodded grimly, "The words are not rough. That's what I mean."

"Alas! ..." Li Ke took a long breath, smiled with a relaxed face, and said, "Teacher, the world is good at princes, but who knows the sadness of princes? In the emperor's house, it is difficult to find the truth. Shuang'er and I have known each other since childhood... If Li Ke can still understand what true love is in this life, he can only be with Shuang'er. I know that at this moment, my proposal to marry Shuang'er will attract a lot of rumors and suspicions. But Li Ke is walking straight and not afraid of these. My father sent me to Lanzhou to supervise the army, so I went to supervise the army. In addition, I don't think much about anything, and I don't do anything out of line; and marrying Shuang'er is my long-cherished wish for many years, and I have nothing to do with anything. In the past, I had this attitude when the Qin family fell; now that the Qin family is prosperous, I still have this attitude. No matter what happens in the future, I will still have this attitude. Shuang'er has been waiting for me for so many years, and I can't let her down again - let him know how others will guess!"

After saying that, the whip in Li Ke's hand suddenly sounded, and the dust galloped away.

"Hey..." Quan Wanji looked at Li Ke's figure, which gradually dissipated in a string of smoke and dust, and sighed leisurely, "After so much hard work, Your Highness is mature, wise and steady, but he is still the poor man who is deeply affectionate but has no place to return. Well, well, instead of shrinking and showing off, it's better to be frank and open. After all, with the friendship between the King of Wu and Qin Mubai, he did not need to use marriage to consolidate his relationship with the Qin family. Anyway, now, even His Majesty the Emperor has openly announced that the King of Wu has an alliance with the Qin family, plus a marriage, what's the matter? - It's time for the real sword and gun!"

"Is Quan Changshi going to Chang'an now?" The lieutenant of the military academy of the King of Wu, Yin Yang immediately came to ask.

"Go, keep up with His Royal Highness the King of Wu and enter the city!"

Half an hour later, Li Ke came to the door of the imperial study of Wude Hall to see the holy driver.

Li Shimin was reviewing the memorial. Hearing that the king of Wu asked for a meeting, he immediately put down his pen with joy, "Ke'er came back from Youzhou so soon? - Call him in and see me!"

Li Ke walked in quickly and knelt down on his knees in the hall. "I see my father!"

"Sanlang!" Li Shimin got up and stepped forward. He bent down and held Li Ke's arms. "I'm back! I'm back!"

"Yes, my son is back!" Li Ke raised his head, and his eyes were red and his voice was choppy. "Father, have you always been well?"

"Okay, I'm fine." Li Shimin looked at Li Ke carefully and nodded emotionally, "Sanlang has been away from Beijing for a long time. Thank you for your hard work. I see that you have lost a lot of weight and it's dark. You came back from Youzhou in less than 20 days after my imperial edict was issued. It must be hard - come on, get up quickly!"

"Thank you, Father!" Li Ke got up, turned his head, and waved his sleeves lightly to wipe away the tears from his eyelids.

Li Shimin laughed and patted Li Ke on the shoulder a few times, "It's not promising. Why are you crying!"

"My son... I'm happy to see my father!" Li Ke turned his face and said with red eyes and a little embarrassed.

"Just come back." Li Shimin sighed softly and said leisurely, "Guanshan is separated from flesh and blood, I miss you too!"

"Father, the emperor and son are not missing the father and mother's concubine, and the hometown of Chang'an!" With that, Li Ke couldn't suppress his tears.

For several years, only at this moment, in front of his father, Li Ke can cry so recklessly like a child. He was wandering around other countries, and the homesickness of Lengyue Bianguan was sprinkled out incisively and vividly.

Seeing that his son, who had always been strong and strong and added a mature and steady son, cried twice in front of him, Li Shimin also touched his liver and intestines and almost burst into tears. He walked to Li Ke and patted him on the shoulder repeatedly, "Okay, okay, Sanlang doesn't have to do this."

"Yes, father..." Li Ke waved his sleeves again to wipe his tears and strongly suppressed his emotions.

With his back to Li Ke, Li Shimin took a deep breath and stopped the tears in his eyes.

"Sanlang, I will transfer you back to Beijing this time, one is because I miss you very much with your mother's concubine; the other is also because of national affairs." After calming down, Li Shimin calmed down and said, "The Tang Dynasty has officially declared war with Tibet, and I have raised 400,000 troops to conquer the plateau. In this battle, you are not allowed to win or lose. You must know the stakes.

"The emperor understands." Li Ke bowed his hand and said goodbye.

"Hmm." Li Shimin nodded, "In this major national war, I should be in charge of my own war, but I can't get out of it. Therefore, I sent you to Lanzhou to replace me. The coach is Qin Mubai, and you serve as the captain of the march.

"The emperor obeys the order."

Li Shimin paused and said, "This battle is better than the Northern Expedition to the Turks in those years, regardless of the size of the use of troops and the difficulty of winning. I also bet almost the lifeline of the whole Tang Dynasty on this battle. Therefore, I hope that after you arrive in Lanzhou, you will always keep calm and focus on the overall situation. You don't have to worry about the gains and losses of World War I. What you have to focus on is the national fortune of the whole Tang Dynasty and the future of our Chinese race.

Hearing this, Li Ke couldn't help but tighten his heart and quickly arched his hand and said, "The emperor will definitely sleep at night and dare not relax at all. He will perform his duty conscientiously and will not disappoint his father!"

Hearing Li Ke's reply, Li Shimin's expression did not change, but there was a trace of softness and relief in his eyes, and he nodded gently. He thought to himself: Over the years, Ke'er has changed a lot. Instead of the sharpness and arrogance and indulgence in the past, he has always been strict with his own light and bide his time. His behavior and performance in all aspects deserve a word "Kier" given him - abide by his own virtue and his duty. But Zhizi Mo Ruo's father, no matter how low-key he is, I also know that he can become a great weapon in both literature and martial arts. After so much hardship and suffering, it's time for me to give him a chance; at the same time, this is also a chance for me. Just now, I provoked him with words and deliberately talked deeply about his responsibility, pressure and future. He was neither panic nor excited. He just looked at the long history of the march - this is very good! Be down-to-earth and never forget your job. This is what I want!

"Look at your simple and tired face, you must be exhausted." Li Shimin patted Li Ke on the back and said gently, "Go back to home for a few days, and then go to Lanzhou to take office!" By the way, you can visit your mother in the Hanbing Hall later. Presumably at this moment, she must be leaning against the door and looking forward to wearing autumn water!"

"Yes, father." Li Ke bowed his hand and answered the promise for a moment. Then he said, "In fact, when I came back this time, I have another private matter. I want to ask my father and mother to make the decision."

"Well, let's talk about it." Li Shimin asked with a smile.

"My son... I want to make a concubine."

"Yes." Li Shimin said without thinking, "I have talked to your mother more than once about this matter, and I have long had the intention to choose a good spouse for you as a princess. But you are far away from the capital, so you have never been able to do it. It's rare for you to take the initiative to mention it today, so I'll do it for you while you are in Chang'an.

"Thank you, Father!" Li Ke bowed down happily.

"Get up, why should there be so much courtesy between father and son?" Li Shimin smiled and said, "It's too late for my son to marry a daughter-in-law and be a father! - I will immediately order Zongzheng Temple to choose a daughter with both virtuousness and virtue for you and become a princess from the Xunluewang family in Chang'an!"

"Father's appearance... In fact, my son, I already have a favorite candidate who wants to marry the princess. I just don't know whether my father agrees or not. Li Ke asked cautiously.

"Oh? Does Ke'er already have someone he like? As long as the door is virtuous, that's okay. Li Shimin said with a smile, "Speak to me, whose daughter is it?"

"It's... the daughter of the Qin family." Li Ke replied carefully.

"Which Qin family?" Li Shimin didn't react for a moment.

"It's Qin Shuanger, the daughter of the late Duke of Yi, Qin Shubao." Li Ke replied.

"Oh?" Li Shimin frowned unexpectedly, then cut his back and walked with his hands, silent and thought in his heart.

Li Ke's heartstrings were so tight that he didn't dare to come out.

After a long time, Li Shimin said, "I have seen this Qin Shuanger several times. She seems to be the daughter of a concubine, but her mother has been corrected. Because of the outstanding achievements of the father and son of the Qin family, I have also given her mother as the second-grade wife. In this way, the Xunlie Qin family is in line with the family of our Li royal family. However, this Qin Shuang'er should be not young. How is her virtue?

"Father, in fact, I have already fallen in love with Shuang'er for a lifetime. Shuang'er has been waiting for her ministers for several years. Now she is just ten years old, her appearance is delicate and decent, and she is just like the emperor. As soon as Li Ke heard Li Shimin's words, he seemed to have hope. He was suddenly a little excited and replied, "The emperor has known her since he was a child and knows each other very well. I know that she is kind, gentle, filial and sincere, and has a deep affection for the emperor, so..."

Li Shimin smiled quietly, "Have you really figured it out?"

Li Ke couldn't help but flick his heart, gritted his teeth, knelt down and worshipped, "Please do it!"

"It's not difficult for me to complete your brown marriage." Li Shimin stepped on the imperial tomb and sat down. He said in a long voice with a meaningful desire to say, "But..."

Li Ke raised his head, opened his eyes wide and raised his ears, and waited anxiously for the following.

Li Shimin smiled, picked up the pen pole and said casually, "But your mother and the Qin family have to agree!"

"Thank you, Father!!!" Li Ke was immediately surprised and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Marriage is a big deal, the words of the parents' life matchmaker." Li Shimin smiled and said, "You have passed my pass. Well, let's discuss it with your mother!"

"Thank you, Father! My son left, and now I'm going to the Hanbing Hall to beg my mother!" Li Ke got up and worshiped excitedly.

"Go ahead!" Li Shimin waved his hand with a smile on his face.

Out of the imperial study, Li Ke's heart was as light as a swallow. He felt that the fatigue of the journey was swept away. He hurried to the Hanbing Hall of Daming Palace to see his mother, Yang Shufei.

Li Shimin held the pen at the edge of the imperial court and smiled and didn't care about what to read, so he simply put down the pen and said to himself, "Silly boy, although he is a little impatient, he is not arrogant. It's a little bit of your old temperament!"