Back at home, Xue Shao didn't tell Princess Taiping about his imminent resignation. She is pregnant and about to give birth, so it is better to have a stable year first.

On the second day of the first lunar month, Xue Shao and Princess Taiping should enter the palace to pay New Year's greetings to the empress. But Princess Taiping was really not suitable to travel by car, so Xue Shao took her son into the palace alone. Wu Zetian was still happy to see Xue Linyu, everything was normal, as if nothing had happened.

After the banquet, Wu Zetian specially asked Xue Shao to accompany her to the imperial garden to enjoy the snow. The two of them walked for a while, and Wu Zetian suddenly handed Xue Shao something.

Xue Shao took a look at it, it was a salt and iron business license order. It stands to reason that such an order would have to go through strict scrutiny by many departments, and it would have to be notified to the yamen of various local prefectures and counties, and even if it could be done, it would take a lot of time. However, above this edict, it is directly stamped with the empress's treasure seal, and there is also a text written by Wu Zetian himself, which means that Princess Taiping has the right to open mountains and boil seas and salt and iron business, and all the imperial court offices and prefectures and counties should do their best to cooperate with them.

The Emperor had all the privileges above the law, but for the first time in history, he had given the princess the privilege of managing salt and iron. Take Li Tang of the previous dynasty as an example, it is difficult for the prince to get such privileges, let alone ordinary princes.

"Your Majesty, this ......" Xue Shao deliberately excused himself.

"Take it!" Wu Zetian said indifferently, "Taiping has said it many times. ”

Xue Shao nodded and accepted it, saying no more. Wu Zetian's meaning is actually obvious, this can be regarded as a material compensation for his "resignation". If she refuses to accept freedom, she will be unhappy.

Xue Shao couldn't help but think to himself that the old lady had a strong sense of businessman, she valued profits, and was more keen on exchanging interests. But she has always been fair in her "business", and she will never take the initiative to lose anyone. This may also be the reason why her "business" has been able to get bigger and bigger!

"On the 15th, there will be a big court meeting, and the Beijing officials and foreign ministers will discuss in the same palace." Wu Zetian said, "You take the blame and resign as soon as possible, don't let others take the lead." You know? ”

"Yes, I know." Xue Shao nodded, actually quite grateful in his heart.

How so?

Paper can't contain fire, and now there must be many people who know about Wang Yu. Xue Shao has a lot of political enemies, and now there must be people who are planning to use the matter of "Wang Yu" to bring down Xue Shao, and the court meeting on the 15th day of the first lunar month will be their best opportunity. In the face of such a "hard injury", Xue Shao is difficult to refute, and even Wu Zetian will be difficult to say if he wants to protect him, so it can only be Xue Shao who takes the initiative to strike first.

Wu Zetian is protecting himself, Xue Shao knows it very well in his heart.

"Taiping is about to give birth, right?" Wu Zetian asked again.

Xue Shao said that it was almost these days.

A smile appeared on Wu Zetian's face, "I hope it's a kid." ”

Xue Shao smiled: "Your Majesty also prefers boys? ”

"I like them all. But a man like you should have more sons. When he grows up, his son will serve his country in the inheritance of his father's business. Wu Zetian smiled and said, "You and Taiping still have only one son-in-law, too little." ”

Xue Shao smiled, Wu Zetian's words almost represent the current "mainstream values". The families of noble ministers should have more children, because they have the conditions to support more people, and they are more qualified to let their children receive a good education and edification, so that they have a relatively better chance of becoming talents. This is probably the reason why the law forced officials and ministers to take the number of concubines.

"Don't smirk, I'm serious." Wu Zetian deliberately made a stiff face and said, "Taiping's grandmother is in good health, and my health is also very good. It's as peaceful as me, and my body must not be bad. I was in my early forties before I gave birth to Taiping. You have a few more while you are young! ”

Xue Shao laughed out loud at this time, Wu Zetian's words were interesting, but they were also true. From Wu Zetian's mother to Princess Taiping, these three generations are all masters with good health and good birth. Moreover, Wu Zetian is now seventy years old, even in a modern society with developed medical care, he is an out-and-out retired old man, almost taking his grandson to watch the anti-Japanese thunder drama at home. But Wu Zetian is still radiant and not half old, looking like a noblewoman in her forties and fifties. Another miracle is that this seventy-year-old lady actually grew new eyebrows, and several new teeth that had been missing before.

Perhaps because of the maintenance method or perhaps because he reached the peak of his life, Wu Zetian actually germinated the second spring of his life at the age of seventy and began a very unscientific "reverse growth". If he hadn't seen these with his own eyes, Xue Shao would have been absolutely unbelievable. With her current physical condition, it would be absolutely fine to work for another ten years. In fact, Wu Zetian in history did sit on the throne until he was eighty-one years old.

This is also one of the important reasons why Xue Shao chose to take the initiative to "temporarily retire" at this time. Whether it is the study of the previous life or the contact in the present life, Xue Shao knows Wu Zetian too well, and he understands the current situation and the future historical trend better. Now that he is temporarily away from the court, it is simply harmless. There is Wu Zetian's strong control above the court, and there will definitely be no problems. Now that the problem of the Western Regions has been resolved, the Turkic harm is no longer very obvious. There is an old saying that "the cunning rabbit dies and the lackey cooks, and the bird hides the bow", and as a general in foreign warfare, he seems to have reached a fork in the road facing "unemployment". At this time, it is better to take the initiative to retreat than to be dragged down by the empress or other political enemies. Moreover, since he took the initiative to retreat, it will be easy to be recruited back in the future.

The three words "know how to advance and retreat" seem easy, but it is really not easy to implement them "just right".

Throughout the ages, so many capable ministers and generals have been killed because of "high merit and shocking the master", in fact, it may not be all the fault of the king alone. What king doesn't want his ministers to be competent and loyal? Who wants to destroy the Great Wall for no reason, isn't that enough to support? But there are many people who don't know much about current affairs, and they have to frequently commit the king's taboos. Between being depressed and threatened and the death of his courtiers, the king certainly preferred the latter.

Xue Shao believes that although this truth is not absolute, it has a certain universality. At least in Wu Zetian, it is applicable here. She has the ability to recognize people and tolerate people, but at the same time, she is also a decisive, ruthless and ruthless old politician. It doesn't work to talk to her about feelings, but if you don't tell her any feelings at all, that is, you will die on your own initiative.

When Xue Shao left, Wu Zetian watched him leave from afar, with a smile on his face all the time.

She hadn't seen a person go far in years.

Shangguan Wan'er stepped forward and put a warm thick coat on her.

"Wan'er, do you know what I admire most about Xue Shao?" Wu Zetian asked suddenly.

"This ......" is definitely not easy for Shangguan Wan'er to answer.

Wu Zetian smiled slightly, and said to himself: "In fact, in this world, there is no shortage of talents. No one is irreplaceable. But there are really not many people like Xue Shao who are both talented and not greedy for power, and can understand the painstaking efforts of the king. ”

"Your Majesty is a generation of holy lords. This is not only the blessing of Xue Gong, but also the blessing of the Manchu courtiers and contemporary scholars! Shangguan Wan'er said.

Wu Zetian smiled and said, "Wan'er, do you have such a feeling? ”

"I don't know what Your Majesty is referring to?" Shangguan Wan'er asked.

Wu Zetian said: "I always feel that Xue Shao is detached from things, even beyond the times. He always anticipates a lot of things one step ahead of others, and makes many correct choices one step ahead of others. Could it be that he really has the ability to predict the future, and he knows the certainty in the dark? ”

Shangguan Wan'er was slightly stunned, and then replied: "Your Majesty, the minister will tell you the truth. Xue Gong had never given his ministers such a feeling. However, His Majesty's wisdom and judgment always made Weichen feel that His Majesty had long been an unpredictable prophet. ”

Wu Zetian laughed, and then glared at him with a fake stunnedness, "I'm asking you seriously." ”

"Your Majesty, the minister also answered seriously and truthfully."

"That's it. I shouldn't have asked. Wu Zetian smiled in a relaxed mood, turned around and walked back.

Shangguan Wan'er followed Wu Zetian slowly, but she secretly sighed in her heart: It is said that women are jealous and suspicious, and the king is also suspicious, and the empress has both. Counting the heroes who have died at the hands of the empress over the years, there are really many heroes, and people like Li Yifu and Pei Yan who have given her a lot of strength have not been spared. But the empress has special appreciation and trust for the "transcendent" Xue Shao, which is really commendable!

When he returned home, Xue Shao knew that the matter could not be hidden, so he handed over the salt and iron business license to Princess Taiping, and told her about his imminent resignation.

Princess Taiping was really stunned, and even a little annoyed.

Xue Shao hurriedly persuaded her to calm her anger, and told her the reason for his resignation. Although Princess Taiping was difficult to accept for a while, she had always been smart and rational, and she understood both her mother and Xue Shao, so she accepted it silently after all.

In the final analysis, it is now the dynasty of the samurai. Xue Shao pressed Wu Chengsi and others on top of the court, which is actually a very unreasonable" phenomenon. It's safe for a while, but who can guarantee that after a long time, nothing will happen? Especially now that Xue Shao has revealed such a big flaw as "Wang Yu", it is strange that the enemy is not chasing after him.

So Xue Shao said to Princess Taiping: "It's like marching and fighting." At present, the enemy is strong and menacing, and it is not suitable for our army to fight in internal chaos, so I can only retreat and avoid the edge for the time being, and I will wait for an opportunity to counterattack in the future. ”

"There's nothing wrong with taking a break for a while." Princess Taiping understood Xue Shao very well, and persuaded him in turn, saying: "I don't dare to say anything else, but there is one thing, whether it is the Li family dynasty or the martial family dynasty, there will be a place for you in this court after all." Unless one day, they don't even recognize me, the princess of Taiping! ”

Xue Shao laughed, threw himself on the bed and hugged Princess Taiping's thighs very nonsensically, and rubbed his face vigorously.

Princess Taiping was tickled by him for a while, and laughed non-stop, "What are you doing?" What are you doing? ”

"Hug your thighs!" Xue Shao used the tone of the star master and said in a strange tone, "Weichen's admiration for Her Royal Highness the princess is like a surging river, and it is like the flooding of the Yellow River that is out of control. Your Highness, you can accept Weichen's dog's leg! ”

"you!" Princess Taiping laughed so hard that she couldn't catch her breath, "If outsiders see your virtue, especially your robed brothers, won't they all have to vomit blood and die?" ”

Xue Shao still hugged his thighs and kept laughing, "It's important to hug your thighs!" Others vomit blood, and they get used to it when they vomit and vomit, it's my business! ”