Xue Shao changed into court clothes and returned to the long-lost Xia official office.

Wang Xiaojie, the Xia official Shangshu, did not work for a few days, and he took the initiative to resign because of the unfavorable recruitment in Hebei. But with such a confidant, the empress certainly has no reason to really abandon him. After the First Battle of Qinghai Lake, the empress Sizhi repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, and sent an order for Wang Xiaojie to go to the Western Regions and serve as the protector of Anxi.

Wang Xiaojie can lead troops to fight well, but he is not good at governing and is not good at becoming an official. It is indeed difficult for a talent like him to play a big role in the center of the court. On the contrary, in the war-torn land of the Western Regions, Wang Xiaojie was able to give full play to his expertise and stabilize the country with his military talents.

In the past few years, the personnel changes of the Xia Guanguan Office are not small. The two squires who originally followed Xue Shao are now gone, Yao Yuanchongrong was promoted to Fengge squire, and Zhang Guangfu became the prime minister and then fell into disrepute. The two waiters Xiao Zhizhong and Su Wei, who later filled the vacancy, are now only Xiao Zhizhong left. Su Wei was favored by the empress because of a good article, and he has been transferred to the Fengge Sheren to make a special pen. Wei Yuanzhong, who was recalled to the court for a short time to serve as a Xia official after his exile, has been promoted to the rank of Zhongcheng in the imperial history.

Xue Shao entered the official office, and officials of all sizes came to visit. He looked around at everyone, and among the main officials of Xia Guan, only Xiao Zhizhong, a familiar face, remained.

Xue Shao felt worried for a while, thinking that I had to hurry up and find the empress to ask for two good helpers. One fills the vacancy of the squire, and the other serves as a member of the outer lang and is responsible for the affairs of Shangwutai and Wuju.

He was about to go out and enter the palace, when a person recklessly broke into the Xia Guanguan Office, and almost collided with Xue Shao.

"You!" Xue Shao scolded angrily when he saw him, "What are you doing here?" ”

Guo Yuanzhen laughed so much that he shook something in his hand with a confused face, "I am the new Xia Guan Shilang, this place will be my nest from now on!" ”

"You?!" Xue Shao's eyes widened and stared at him, "Don't talk nonsense!" ”

"Don't believe it, the new official has told me, I spent a lot of money on Zhuling glue paint, and I just received it from the ministry!" Guo Yuanzhen unfolded the thing in his hand.

Xue Shao looked at it, it was true.

"It's over, it's over!" Xue Shao smiled bitterly at the moment, "Why did the empress throw you, a scourge, to my Xia Guan?" Isn't this a trick! ”

"Look at what you said!" Guo Yuanzhen said with a smile, "I've eaten sand at the border for ten years, and I finally got a four-grade waiter, is it easy for me?" In the future, I will follow you to eat and drink spicy food, don't want to get rid of me again! ”

"Come on, it's a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks to the dining hall anyway." Xue Shao smiled bitterly, "You go first to find Xiao Zhizhong to learn about the internal affairs of the official office and get acquainted with your colleagues." I need to go into the palace and do something. ”

"Wait, wait!" Guo Yuanzhen said hurriedly, "What are you doing when you enter the palace, take me with you!" ”

Xue Shao glanced around and said in a low voice, "I'm going to have a tryst with Shangguan Wan'er, do you want to come?" ”

"Uh......" Guo Yuanzhen rounded his eyes, "Shangguan Wan'er is in the inner court, there should be a lot of good sisters, right?" ”

"Get out!"

Xue Shao cruelly abandoned Guo Yuanzhen, a whimsical follower, and rode into the palace alone. Today is the day of the court, and the officials do not have to go to the court, so there are not many people walking around the palace. Xue Shao met a person at the door of the Vientiane Divine Palace, talking about Gongren.

He was standing at the door of the Vientiane Shrine, wandering left and right in confusion, as if he wanted to enter, but he didn't dare. Seeing Xue Shao here, Gong Ren was like seeing a savior, and hurriedly greeted him.

"I've seen Xue Gong." After entering the Guannei, Gong Ren followed the customs of the villagers and used the etiquette of the Central Plains Shi Dafu and bowed to Xue Shao.

"On the generals." Xue Shao looked at him, "What are you doing here?" ”

On Gongren smiled bitterly, "The empress sent me to the Hajj, I ...... Don't dare to go in. ”

Xue Shao smiled, "Why don't you dare?" ”

"I don't know. Seeing this majestic and gorgeous Vientiane Shrine, I was stunned for a while and didn't dare to enter. On Gongren said in a low voice with a flushed face, "I'm not used to it, I'm too unaccustomed to it." ”

"Come, come in with me!" Xue Shao patted him on the back, "In the future, you will slowly get used to it." ”

"Good ......"

The two entered the Vientiane Shrine together and went to the imperial study to see the empress. Coincidentally, the empress was meeting Zhang Renyuan, so she asked the two of them to go in together.

"All three are here, just right." Wu Zetian said with a smile on his face: "I have already sent someone to invite Guo Yuanzhen and Xue Chuyu. The five of you are all outstanding generals and talented men of the new generation of our dynasty. Today, I want to hold a separate banquet for you young talents. ”

Xue Shao smiled: "Why didn't Your Majesty say it earlier?" The minister just blasted Guo Yuanzhen away, and he had to rely on me to enter the palace with me. ”

Everyone laughed, and Wu Zetian said: "Guo Yuanzhen was originally born as a Jinshi, and then he has been training in the frontier for many years, and now he has become a great weapon. Therefore, I appointed him as the Xia official squire, hoping that he could become Xue Gong's right-hand man. ”

Xue Shao said with a smile: "Leading troops to fight against the enemy on the border, he must have no problem." Central Bunji, he still has to start all over again. ”

"That's why I want you, the Xia official Shangshu, to teach him more when you have time." Wu Zetian said, "Guo Yuanzhen, although he is rough on the outside, he does have internal talent. I believe that he can also make a difference in the center. ”

Xue Shao nodded, thinking that among the so many robe generals around me, Guo Yuanzhen, who was born in Jinshi, is indeed the strongest. Wu Zetian is indeed quite capable of understanding people, and she admired Guo Yuanzhen's talent very much many years ago. Now that so many years have passed, Guo Yuanzhen has proved with her practical actions that her vision is indeed not wrong.

At this time, Lou Shide also came.

Wu Zetian was very happy and said to everyone: "Lou Gong will soon be promoted to Nayan, and he will be in charge of Luantai." Today, I should have given Lou Gong a roast banquet in advance. ”

Lou Shide hurriedly thanked him.

Xue Shao and the others were a little surprised, and hurriedly congratulated Lou Shide.

Luantai is the province of Menxia, and Nayan is the highest governor of the province, which is the legal prime minister. Although there are now many "Tongfeng Pavilion Luantai Sanpin" or "Tongfeng Pavilion Luantai Pingzhangshi" in the political hall to share the prime minister's ministry, Nayan's status is still higher than that of this type of small prime minister. At the beginning, Pei Yan was the first assistant king as a servant.

After returning from the battle between the Garqin Mausoleum and Qinghai Lake, Lou Shide, who served as the deputy marshal, can be said to have achieved positive results.

So everyone began to speculate, the deputy marshal is still treated like this, what about Xue Shao, who is the chief marshal?

Wu Zetian did not say. Only after Guo Yuanzhen and Xue Chuyu arrived, she asked Xue Shao and others to drive with her to the inner court and board a boat to visit the lake in Kyushu Pond.

Singing and dancing on the dragon boat to promote wine and food, Wu Zetian personally persuaded everyone to drink, such a privileged treatment is indeed not something that ordinary people can enjoy.

During the banquet, Wu Zetian also announced two important edicts, on Gongren and Xue Chuyu were both promoted to the founding county princes, and on Gongren replaced Wu Yougui, and the official worshiped the right Yu Lin Wei general, and became a member of the imperial palace Imperial Forest General, directly on an equal footing with Li Duozuo.

On Gongren was very surprised, he didn't expect that he would be so reused when he first came to Chadao. He tried every means to refuse, but under the persuasion of Wu Zetian, Xue Shao and others, he had no choice but to accept it.

Xue Shao knew very well in his heart that Wu Zetian's special emphasis on Gong Ren was actually not strange at all. First of all, there is no doubt that Gong Ren had outstanding military talents. Secondly, Gong Ren is a general of the Fanguo, and he has no foundation and no complex network of relationships above the court, so it is easy for him to die for the empress and not be influenced by other political factions.

The general of the Royal Forest Army wants such a person. Li Duozuo's situation is also very similar to that of Gong Ren.

But after all, the bow is not bursting out of the cracks in the stones. His surrender and origin are inseparable from Xue Shao. Therefore, in a sense, Wu Zetian once again expressed his affirmation and trust in Xue Shao.

At this juncture of the battle for succession, Wu Zetian abolished Wu Youyi and used Gongren instead, and its implied political significance is even more extraordinary. She seemed to be expressing a will: the nephews of the samurai family, from now on, no longer fantasize about using the Imperial Forest Army to launch a mutiny to stage a drama to seize the throne!

But how should Xue Shao be rewarded and placed?

Wu Zetian still didn't say.

After the cruise, Wu Zetian led everyone to the island and came to the Yaoguang Palace. The cool breeze here is pleasant, and the scenery is pleasant, and it is a good "summer resort". When he arrived here, Wu Zetian asked the ministers to play for a while, and he wanted to change his clothes and rest for a while.

Guo Yuanzhen couldn't help it for a long time, and finally seized the opportunity at this time, and asked Xue Shao privately: "What do you think, how will Your Majesty give you an official and a knight?" ”

"I don't want to say goodbye, I don't have to add another product to Zhao Guogong." Xue Shao smiled, "Maybe reward me with a few beautiful beauties?" ”

"Come on!" Guo Yuanzhen pursed his lips, "Can you afford it?" ”

"It's a bit overwhelming." Xue Shao smiled, "How many of you are there?" ”

"Good, good, good!"

"Get out!"

Guo Yuanzhen's face cramped, "Within one day, you told me to roll twice!" ”

"If you make a fool of yourself, there will be a third time."

At this moment, a eunuch came and asked Xue Shao to go to the empress to listen.

Guo Yuanzhen sighed: "This is going to be a secret reward." ”

"Don't talk nonsense." Xue Shao glared at him, "The first lesson of being an official in the back court, take care of your broken mouth!" ”

Guo Yuanzhen smiled, "Okay, the lower official has been taught." ”

Xue Shao followed the eunuch into the hall, and Wu Zetian had already changed his clothes and sat waiting for him. Xue Shao went in to see that Shangguan Wan'er was also there.

As soon as the two of them touched their eyes, Xue Shao felt as if there was an electric current passing through his heart, and every cell was restless. If Wu Zetian was not present, Xue Shao would not hesitate to rush up and hug her tightly, and then do whatever he wanted.

Strange, why does Wan'er always give me such feelings? Xue Shao sighed secretly in his heart, she is really the magic star of my life!

"Xue Lang, those people must be guessing, right?" Wu Zetian spoke up and said, "How should I reward you, the commander who has made great achievements?" ”

Xue Shao said with a smile: "Your Majesty knows, the minister can't be the prime minister, and he doesn't lack money to spend, and he doesn't have any other hobbies except fishing." Why don't you just give me a fish pond? ”

"That's not going to work. The rewards and punishments are uneven, and everyone in the world will blame me. Wu Zetian said, "I plan to make you king!" ”