Liu Zhijun turned around like a guard in front of the palace, striding through the small hall, his leather boots making a clear sound on the marble floor. He clicked up the steps, pushed open the door, and met a man in a blue breastplate and a golden cloak. The man was tall, with a slender chin and an iron hand on his left wrist.

"I've seen General Zhao!" Liu Zhijun looked at the eye sockets that were a little deep, the forehead was slightly protruding, the hair was slightly yellow, and the eyes were bright. Behind him, stood eight black-armored and gold-robed guards in the same attire. Eight people stood in front of the door, expressionless, but they made people feel a terrible coercion. Liu Zhijun knew very well that these people were the most elite guards in the Qin army, and each of them was a special gift to wear a 'guard knife' with a knife of at least seven grades or above.

"General Liu!" Zhao Jiang smiled and said, "King Qin is waiting in the flower hall. ”

"Before meeting King Qin, please hand over all your weapons to us, and we will keep them for the time being." The golden-robed guard with a knife said to Liu Zhijun, "For the safety of King Qin, please forgive me!" ”

Liu Zhijun nodded, without any objections, and went to the room with the guards to hand over all the weapons on his body, and even changed the armor and robes on his body, and replaced them with a set of white robes prepared by the guards.

Liu Zhijun was originally a guard general of Xuzhou in the probation army, first surrendered to Qi at any time, and then captured Xuzhou and surrendered to Qin. Although the credit is not small, he has not been officially awarded the position at the moment, so the first time he came to Yanjing to meet Li Jing, he had to meet him in a white robe.

Zhao Jiang looked at the list in his hand, pointed to the names of the other generals and said, "Please take these people to the General Staff Courtyard first, and later, the King of Qin will hold a banquet to entertain the friends who come from Xuzhou." ”

"Yes!" There was a guard with a knife and replied.

"This one." Zhao Jiang said softly: "Liu Zhongfeng." He seems to be General Liu's brother. The King of Qin has an order. Let Liu Zhongfeng go in with General Liu. ”

Liu Zhijun was slightly surprised when he heard this, this time Liu Zhijun not only came by himself, but also many generals from Xuzhou and the prefectures and counties of the original probation army entered Beijing with the local tyrants of the big clans, and even the generals of Xuzhou also arrived. In addition, there is also Zhang Yun, the general of Harajuku Prefecture, who also entered Beijing this time. So many people came, but Li Jing only saw him first, not even Zhang Yun. But he called his brother Liu Zhongfeng again, which couldn't help but be a little surprised.

Liu Zhijun is a native of Pei County, Xuzhou, and is of the same clan as the owner of Liu Zhuang in Xiao County, who took in Zhu Wen's family. Although the Liu family is not a top family in Xuzhou, it can be regarded as a big family in Xuzhou, and the clan is the same and very famous.

Liu Zhijun was a young man with a strong appearance, suave and ambitious, and coupled with Liu's background, he was able to become a junior colonel in the probation army, and was appreciated by Shi Pu. Later, together with Zhang Yun and others, he contributed to Shi Pu. Helped him win the probation military festival and make the post. However, because Liu Zhijun himself has the ability and strategy, and the Liu family is very powerful in Xuzhou. Therefore, Shi Pu's suspicion was obtained.

Liu Zhijun is capable, and Liu's strength is very strong in Xuzhou, this time he took Xuzhou and surrendered, and it was natural for Li Jing to see him. But when he wanted to see his younger brother Liu Zhongfeng, he was a little surprised. Liu Zhongfeng is his uncle and can be regarded as a cousin. However, Liu Zhongfeng belongs to the grandson of the long house, and his father belongs to the partial house. Liu Zhongfeng's branch represents the Xuzhou Liu family. But Liu Zhongfeng is only eighteen years old this year, although he has practiced literature and martial arts, and has a skill that is not inferior to him, but he does not like to join the army, nor does he want to be an official, the future patriarch of the dignified Liu family, but he likes to do business, Xuzhou is located in Huaisi, and the water transportation is prosperous, Liu Zhongfeng bought a large number of ships, and established a fleet with hundreds of boats that specializes in running the Bianhe, Huaihe, Surabaya, Yingshui and other rivers. This time, Liu Zhijun came to Youzhou and brought him with him, just to help this cousin find a false official position, and to protect the Liu family under the rule of King Qin in the future. Unexpectedly, King Qin didn't see Zhang Yun and other generals, but wanted to see his brother.

When Zhao Jiang took Liu Zhijun and Liu Zhongfeng, who were dressed in white robes, to the flower hall, Li Jing was sitting alone at the table, drinking sugarcane wine. Young attendants were coming and going, cleaning up dishes and plates. He ordered the wine to be left and to continue tasting it. The war continued, and food became more and more precious, and the Qin clan had already banned grain to brew wine. Nowadays, almost all wine is made from various fruits, and a few are trafficked from other places.

Li Jing has established a number of sugarcane plantations in the Lingnan area, which can not only squeeze sugar but also make wine, which is a good project.

After everything was cleaned up, Gongsun Lan walked into the flower hall with a light purple robe, exuding the smell of lavender's ambergris.

"Saburo, are you still thinking about it? There is no need to think about it at all, and you should agree in every way. ”

"But why am I so bitter and my heart is clogged?" Li Jing stretched out his hand and rubbed his temples, "It's okay for the teacher to persuade you for this matter, and Ziming and they should persuade you, but you shouldn't also persuade me." ”

"I think you should say yes." Gongsun Lan replied: "The storm has come, the troubled times have begun, the feudal conquests, the vertical and horizontal, the big fish eat the small fish, but sometimes the small fish can form a huge school of fish against the big fish. Big fish also need to join forces with other fish to fight against the small fish. Fighting for the world is more terrible than sailing against the current, it is completely walking on the edge of the abyss, and we must go all out to seize any opportunity that can help us, not to be missed. ”

"Will my world be won by women?" Li Jing smiled bitterly.

Gongsun Lan reached out to hold Li Jing's hand, grabbed his wine glass, and stared at Li Jing with a pair of autumn eyes: "San Lang, when did you become so emotional, where is your rationality all along?" What's wrong with marriage? Haven't you done it before? You marry Wang Haojun, marry the Pei sisters, and even marry Da Yue'er, Zhang Hui'er, Xiao Yulou, isn't this actually a marriage? And Meghan and Julie, do you dare to say that marrying them is completely emotional? Even between you and the county lord and that Silla woman, it's not all affection, right? Besides, Yu Xiaoniang has also been true to you over the years, she has followed you for so many years, and now she can not only give her a name, but also be of great help to your career, why don't you agree? ”

"It's not quite the same!" Li Jing took the wine glass from Gongsun Lan's hand, poured another glass for himself, and drank it all.

"What's the difference. Didn't the Yu family just propose to let the young lady be your wife? What's this. Now you are the king of Qin. According to the system, one princess, two concubines, and ten concubines can be used, these are all high-grade women, not ordinary concubines. ”

"The Yu family will not agree to the young lady to be a concubine, what they want is for the young lady to be the princess of Qin."

"That's what I promised them."

Li Jing sighed, "Gui Niang has been with me for many years, and there is no fault, how can I do this?" ”

"But Gui Niang has never had children, and Mrs. Wang's family has no power. It doesn't help you. Besides, since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, haven't there been people who have married two wives, although there are few, it is not a thing. ”

"Then there are five queens in Northern Zhou Yuwenyun, do you want to persuade me like this?" Li Jing couldn't help laughing out loud, "Although there are many double wives since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but this is only a few, and the Yuwen clan has also crowned five queens in a row, but it is the emperor of the dead country." If I, Li Jing, set up two princesses. It's a joke for the whole world, besides. This is not a good thing for either Gui Niang or the young lady. ”

Gongsun Lan shook her head and said: "I think this is a very good solution, in fact, I have heard about it a long time ago, I heard that Princess Qin has always felt guilty because her brother framed you back then, and she has been childless since she got married, so she has been depressed." You should know the way, your current status, the role of a strong wife, and you should also know the way of the road, the help of a son-in-law. But the princess has no family power to help, and she can't even give birth to a son-in-law, so she blames herself in her heart and is not happy. I heard that the princess had already set up a Buddhist room in the house, eating fasting and worshipping the Buddha, and did not pay attention to mundane things. ”

"And the young lady has been in the Li family for many years, her identity is unknown, and she is also very aggrieved, so you should marry her. What's more, now Yu Xuan is the marshal of the Tianping Army, and the newly sealed marshal of Henan soldiers and horses, and Yu Cong is not only the left servant of Shangshu, the prime minister of Tongping Zhangshi, but also the princess of Guangde. In addition, Yu Qiu and Yu Gui respectively served as the envoy of the Lingnan West Road Festival and the Lingnan East Road Festival Envoy, and Yu's protégés are all over the world, and they have a very high reputation among the scholars. If you marry Yu Youniang as the princess of Qin, it will bring us great help. San Lang, you have thought about it carefully, the Yu family is very sincere this time, I heard that the Yu family has even proposed that Yu Xuan will marry his concubine to you, and Yu Cong, Yu Gui and Yu Qiu's three brothers, according to the previous etiquette system, each will marry a concubine as a concubine for the young lady. And I also heard the news that Zheng Zhen from the Son of Heaven to Fengxiang, as well as Zheng Congyan from Hedong, as well as Xin Yan, Kang Chengyu, and many marshals of feudal towns, as well as officials from all over the country, and the Gaomen clan, all said that they would give their concubines according to the rites of the pre-Qin Dynasty. ”

"San Lang, this is no longer just a matter of you and the young lady. What does this mean, you should know clearly, this is an opportunity for our Qin Domain to shake hands with the towns and nobles of the world. If you refuse, it will not only hurt your relationship with the young lady, you and the Yu family, but also make everyone in the world misunderstand your attitude towards them, which will push them to the opposite side of us. ”

"Shatuo's one-eyed wolf Li Keyong has just reached an alliance with Wang Jingchong in Yanmen and Chengde Town, and Li Keyong's concubine and Wang Jingchong's concubine have entered into a marriage contract, and the two parties are married. At the same time, Li Keyong and Wang Chongrong in the river became brothers, and Li Keyong's son and Wang Chongrong's daughter were engaged to marry and became in-laws. Also, Li Guochang and Yang Fugong became brothers, and now Li Keyong calls Yang Fugong and Yang Fuguang, the powerful eunuchs, uncles, and Li Keyong and the Khitan Yili Jianye Lu Pugu are only brothers, and the Shatuo people are frequently attacking and are desperately weaving a network of relationships. And now, you're going to turn off the great opportunity that came your way? ”

Li Jing was silent.

It's not that he doesn't know these powerful relationships, but sometimes he also wants to stick to the bottom line in his heart. At the beginning, marrying Wang Haojun and others was indeed a political marriage, but because he was just marrying as a concubine, he didn't have much resistance in his heart. But now, the condition of the Yu family is not to take a concubine but to marry a wife. The difference between a wife and a concubine is too big, if he agrees, it will hurt Gui Niang too much, but if he doesn't agree, he will also hurt the young lady, and Gongsun Lan is right, it will hurt the interests of the entire Qin Domain.

In fact, in his heart, Li Jing had already made a decision, but making this decision made him feel uncomfortable, so Li Jing, who has never been too fond of alcohol, would drink alone today.

Love the country or the beauty?

Facts have proved that in Li Jing's heart, after all, the weight of the country is heavier.

Poured another glass of wine, raised his head and drank it all, Li Jing snorted the wine, and said in a suppressed tone: "You tell Shangshu Province and the cabinet on my behalf, just say that I promised to marry the Yu family, and this matter will be handed over to the teacher Cui Gong to prepare." However, I will marry the young lady as the princess, but Gui Niang's identity will not change, my Li Jing's two wives are the same size, this is my bottom limit. ”

Gongsun Lan let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. When Li Jing finally agreed, she couldn't help but feel complicated in her heart, and she was slightly disappointed.

"Don't worry, the Yu family will agree to this result. Saburo, don't be upset, it's the right decision. ”

Li Jing smiled reluctantly at Gongsun Lan, "Yes, this is a correct decision, but it doesn't mean that I am happy with it." (To be continued......)