Originally, in the minds of the young Murong siblings, the King of Beiliang was just an empty title. In the distant Beiliang border, behind him was a vast number of armored cavalry. Three hundred thousand? They couldn't imagine what kind of number this was. Such a great vassal king who was privately called the Second Emperor should be a terrifying and ambitious person who could shake the entire dynasty with a stomp of his foot. However, it originally had nothing to do with them. That was until Murong Wuzhu and Murong Tonghuang arrived at the Beiliang Palace and stayed in the Wutong Garden. Borrowing His Royal Highness' influence, they ate at the same table with Tu several times. Although they never dared to look him in the eye, they seemed to feel that this Great General Xu was not a temperamental old man. On the contrary, he was very easy to talk to in front of His Royal Highness. Even they could see that in the Beiliang Palace, the one who had the most authority was not this vassal king, but his eldest son, Hsu Fengnian. Not to mention Murong Wuzhu, even Murong Tonghuang was confused. He could only stay in the Wutongin Palace while trembling with fear. Since they were living under someone else's roof, they should be careful in everything. The siblings rarely left the palace to relax. Fortunately, the courtyard was not lacking in anything. The zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and ancient collections were all priceless.
However, the maids in the courtyard with strange names did not give them any good expressions. The first maid, Sweet Potato, was still fine as she was more amiable. However, Cucumber, Green Ant, and the other second-class maids were all scowling, which made Murong Wuzhu tremble with fear. The so-called Prime Minister's concierge was a third-class official. How could she not be afraid? However, Murong Tonghuang was relatively more unyielding. He was justified in borrowing books and zither from the maids.
What made Murong Wuzhu feel relieved was the arrival of a Qingzhou woman who also lived in Wutong Garden. It was said that this Qingzhou woman named Lu Chengyan came from a prestigious family. Her ancestor was a pillar of the dynasty and her father, Lu Dongjiang, was already a county chief. She brought a young servant with double pupils into the manor. After meeting His Royal Highness, the young man with the strange double pupils went to the border. These rumors spread very quickly in Wutong Garden, but it was only spread in this courtyard. If it was said that the Murong siblings could not afford to fight and hide, then this woman from a first-class wealthy family would fight with the maids. The stubborn maid, Cucumber, always said strange things about the turtledove occupying the phoenix's nest. When His Royal Highness was here, the women still maintained a harmonious appearance on the surface. However, when His Royal Highness left, the situation changed. A room full of women, all of them were good at killing people without spilling blood. It seemed that they were more powerful than hundreds of flying swords. Murong Wuzhu admired Lu Chengyan very much. There were a few times when she timidly watched from afar and listened to her soft voice, but it could make people feel suffocated. She heard that in the future, she might be the first concubine of His Royal Highness. Murong Wuzhu thought that only such an intelligent and fearless woman was worthy of being the concubine of Beiliang.
The King of Beiliang walked into Wutong Garden alone. Other than Sweet Potato, the other maidservants stood at a distance and did what they were supposed to do. This was the old rule. Sweet Potato did not accompany them. To them, if they wanted to live comfortably in Wutong Garden, the most important thing was not to do something, but to not do something. Xu Xiao went directly to His Royal Highness's room. He did not sit down, but walked and stopped. It seemed that he was helping to pack up some small objects. The room was very spacious, and the light was good. Even though it was filled with a dazzling array of treasures, it did not seem cramped. In the evening, the desk by the window was covered with the afterglow of twilight. It was a warm light yellow. Xu Xiao stretched out his calloused hand and slowly slid it along the edge of the desk. After he stopped, there was no movement for a long time. He seemed to have thought of something and smiled gently. He withdrew his hand and put his hands in his sleeves. He faced the window and looked out the window.
Xu Xiao turned to look at the slender and elegant Lu Family's maidservant standing at the door. He waved his hand and smiled. "Chengyan, you've come. Come in and sit. Talk with uncle."
Lu Dongyan entered the room. After Xu Xiao sat down, she picked up an embroidered stool and sat down in a slightly reserved manner. Xu Xiao smiled and said, "Uncle is busy. I haven't been a good host recently. When you go back, don't talk about uncle in front of Lu Zhuguo."
Lu Dongyan shook her head and smiled. "I won't."
Xu Xiao laughed loudly. He paused and fell into his memories. He sighed and said, "I remember the first time I came to the capital to meet the Emperor. It was Minister Lu who treated me with respect and brought me, a young martial artist, to the Throne Room. It could be said that we walked together. At that time, I was puzzled. Why would a second-rank Minister of the Ministry of Personnel be willing to walk side by side with a sixth-rank military officer who had just received a promotion? Didn't he think it was beneath him? Now Uncle Xu understands. I've long heard that Shang Zhuguo knew some prophecies. It seems that he has been waiting for this day. If I had known at that time, I would have had the guts to curse him for being a sly old fox. "
Only now did Lu Dongyan know of such a relationship. She pursed her lips and smiled. Her eyes were pure and did not reveal too much awe or curiosity.
Xu Xiao's tone was milder. He said, "Uncle Xu has heard some things in Beiliang. You've just arrived in Beiliang and Wen Taiyi and Hong Lingshu, these two old fellows, are already making a ruckus in the capital. Chengyan, I remember that when you were young, you often visited their homes. Those two old fellows really don't care about old friendships at all. The old one bullies the young one when he can't. They've lived for so long, but the more they live, the more backward they become. These years in Qingzhou, if it weren't for Lu Zhuguo holding the fort, there wouldn't have been any Green Party, let alone Bi Yan's mischief. But then again, we're all family. If the old Minister had clenched his teeth and held on, although the Green Party could have survived for a few more years, your Lu Family would have been completely suppressed by Wen Hong. If the old Minister hadn't completely given up on the Green Party that he had created, he definitely wouldn't have let you come to Beiliang. As a result, the Green Party has already lost its last breath. "
Lu Chengyan whispered, "Ancestor said that at his age, he's already enjoyed all that he could. It's time to seek fortune for his descendants."
Xu Xiao finally smiled, he nodded and said, "I like Old Minister to be an honest person and speak the truth. To be honest, Uncle has never had much malice towards the Green Party. They want fame, fortune, power, and official positions. They are straightforward and throw everything and everyone on the scale. They will buy and sell as much as they weigh. They are never ambiguous. It's actually not hard to deal with such people. Old Wen and Old Man Wen haven't learned the good things from Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang in the capital, but they have learned the bad things from them. The Green Party originally didn't have any capable auxiliary talents and strategic strategies. How can the Green Party, which is not united, withstand a few disturbances from others? It's a pity that they will fall apart if they are distracted."
Lu Chengyan naturally didn't dare to speak.
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