Qinmen Pass is very close to Chang'an, and the total distance is only two or three hundred miles.

In the early years of Taizu's founding of the dynasty, the Xiongnu in the north frequently violated the border. At that time, the foundation of Dayong was unstable, and many times, the Turks broke through the border pass and approached Chang'an.

The Qinmen Pass at that time was the last barrier to Chang'an.

When the late emperor died, the late emperor died suddenly, and several princes in the dynasty took control of their own power, and there was a serious fight, and even a mutiny. It was at that time that the Turks attacked aggressively, all the way to the outside of Qinmen Pass.

It was at that time that Xu Zonglun saved the life of Emperor Qingping.

When people get older, they tend to get nostalgic.

On this day, the sky was clear and the air was clear, Emperor Qing Ping stood on the south gate of Chang'an, watching the soldiers outside the city ordering troops, he couldn't help but think of the scene of that year.

At that time, he finally defeated several of his brothers, and when he just ascended the throne, Beifang came to a rush, saying that the Qin gate was in danger.

He was young and energetic at the time, and he was impatient to face the forces left behind by the various princes of the Manchu Dynasty.

For the first time, he faced a bloody battlefield, and for the first time saw corpses all over the place and smoke everywhere.

That is, at that time, he led his troops to chase the evacuated Turks, and was surrounded by the Turks who were ambushing halfway, and almost died under the arrows.

It was Xu Zonglun who led his troops to rescue him from the siege. In order to block the arrow for him, Xu Zonglun was shot in the right chest by the stray arrow and nearly died.

Emperor Qing Ping always remembered the kindness of Xu Zonglun who sacrificed his life to save him.

Therefore, even if the Xu family did not stand on his side back then, he did not do much to them. Since then, he has been short of people in the court, and he has often handed over power and fat to the Xu family without hesitation.

After arriving, the Xu family gradually became more powerful and began to be arrogant and unpredictable. Only then did he manage to suppress the arrogance of the Xu family. Even so, he only used checks and balances and never really punished them.

Here, the Xu family has received too many favors.

But today's ordering of troops, the main general is not Xu Zonglun. According to his original arrangement, he handed over all the soldiers under Xu Zonglun to a general who was transferred back to the capital from the border.

After all, Emperor Qingping also knew that when the army went south and passed Jiangnan, the power would be handed over to Xue Yan after that. In this case, it is unnecessary to carefully select a high-ranking general, and there will be more incidents.

All he arranged for this general to do was to take over the power from Xu Zonglun and properly deliver it to Xue Yan.

Therefore, Emperor Qing Ping's gaze did not stay on the main general for too long, but just turned a little and fell on Xu Zonglun, who was on standby on the left side of the team.

"How long has it been since I saw Zong Lun?" Emperor Qingping paused and asked lightly.

Lifu next to him paused for a while, and quickly responded, "It's been four years since I returned to Your Majesty."

Emperor Qingping smiled lightly, with a bit of nostalgia in his tone; "He hasn't seen his old age very much."

Li Fu was speechless.

He received a secret letter from Xu Xiang yesterday and a tightly packed powder.

Only then did he know what the Xu family wanted to do and what they wanted him to do.

Lingfu wanted to leave a way out for himself, but now he is the eunuch in the palace, so he pushed his backer down with his own hands, which would simply let him destroy the Great Wall.

But now, it's hard to get over the water.

He has already stood in the Xu family's camp and told them the news of Jin Yiwei before, just to give them a chance to protect themselves, so as not to drag themselves down.

Unexpectedly, the courage and appetite of the Xu family were so great.

At this point, he, Daxu Qizong's late Lun Cheng's army, was already in his prime. When the soldiers approached Chang'an City, whether he agreed to the Xu family or not, it would be difficult for Emperor Qing Ping to protect him. If he did not agree and let the Xu family mutiny, he would not be able to survive when the army entered the imperial city.

And if he confessed to Emperor Qingping, even if he could save Emperor Qingping, with his understanding of Emperor Qingping, he would not be able to live.

He knows how suspicious the emperor is.

He would never leave a servant like him who betrayed him to serve by his side.

Now, only by obeying the Xu family and giving medicine to Emperor Qingping can he save his life.

Under the balance of the two, Lingfu made a choice.

He quickly pulled away from his thoughts, with a smile on his face, and followed Emperor Qingping to greet him: "The generals practice martial arts all the year round, and those who are strong always look younger."

Emperor Qingping laughed a few times.

"Your Majesty is merciful. After so long, I still miss General Xu." Lingfu looked at his expression and said tentatively.

Of course, Emperor Qingping would not dislike listening to such boasting. He smiled and said, "After all, Zong Lun saved my life."

Seeing this expression on his face, Lingfu had a bottom line in his heart.

"Then... General Xu is going to leave tomorrow. Does His Majesty need a servant to arrange something for His Majesty...?" he asked.

On weekdays, as a slave, he arranged such a thing for his master, which was naturally overstepping. But at this time, there were 100,000 heroic divisions standing under the tower, the drums were shaking, and the atmosphere was warm. Emperor Qingping recalled the past, and his emotions followed.

Lingfu is the most observant, and knows when it is most appropriate to speak to his master.

Sure enough, Emperor Qing Ping didn't think much about it, and said, "It's time to give the commander a farewell."

All he wants to see now is Xu Zonglun, but Xu Zonglun has been demoted by him as his deputy, not a general. Therefore, Emperor Qingping thought for a while, and then ordered: "You go and arrange, just say that I will give the main general a farewell. I even bring a few main generals in the army, and accompany them together."

Ling Fu hurriedly agreed.

——

Night falls.

Lights were lit everywhere in the palace, and the lights were bright, reflecting the stars and rivers in the sky.

The venue for the banquet is still Yongle Hall.

Before Emperor Qing Ping arrived, the generals who were about to go south had already taken their seats in the hall. The generals gathered together and it was always lively. A group of people sat here talking and laughing, and the atmosphere was good.

Looking around, the generals around are all old troops that Xu Zonglun brought back from Qinmenguan, and they have followed him for decades.

However, Xu Zonglun, who was supposed to be sitting at the top, sat next to the commander's left.

The general's surname was Hu, and he was originally a general of Yumen Pass. Yumenguan has always been peaceful, and the guard is Jun Huailang's uncle. This general was of mediocre aptitude. Under Uncle Jun Huailang, he managed to get a third-rank qualification based on his age. He was in his forties and was transferred back to the capital.

A military general like him, originally returned to Beijing, just to retire from idle work. Even this General Hu himself didn't dare to think that he didn't make any career at Yumen Pass, and when he returned to Chang'an, he had such a big piece of pie and hit him on the head.

He was actually appointed by the emperor as the chief general, and he was about to lead an army of 100,000 people from Qinmenguan to the south of Pingfan.

Even if he waited to go to the south, everything had to obey His Royal Highness King Guangling's urging, but the name of the main general still belonged to him.

The gatekeeper of Yumen has a clear-cut atmosphere, and after decades, he has cultivated a naive temperament, and he can't understand the twists and turns of the officials in Beijing at all.

When the sage appointed him, he felt that he was highly valued, and the jade was dusty, and now it was finally time for him to be a late bloomer.

And the original general of Qinmenguan, General Xu, was also very kind.

This time the main general should have been General Xu, but it fell on his head. He was a little worried at first, but General Xu found him immediately and had a drink with him.

General Xu said that something happened in his family, and now he cannot be trusted by the sage, and he has soldiers in his hands, which is also a burden. But fortunately, with him, he took over the military power in his hands, and also saved himself from the risk of being jealous of the emperor, so I should thank him.

General Hu was naturally flattered.

General Xu also said that in the future, as his deputy, he will definitely help him, so that he does not have to worry.

When General Hu heard this, he was naturally indescribably grateful. He immediately introduced Xu Zonglun as a confidant, drinking wine with him until late at night, and talking about everything.

He only thought that General Xu was a good man with an open mind and a reasonable mind.

Two days ago, General Xu found him again.

"I've thought about it, I'd better tell you." Xu Zonglun said. "As you know, His Majesty appointed you as the main general because of his trust in you. I also had some personal friendships with His Majesty back then, and I still know him well. After thinking about it, I still think that you should give His Majesty something to express your feelings. ."

"Send something?" General Hu was puzzled. "This, Your Majesty is rich in the world, what else can you lack?"

Xu Zonglun laughed.

"Naturally, there is a lack of sincerity as a minister of yours," he said. "It doesn't have to be expensive. Didn't you just come back from Yumenguan? There are some good wines or specialties that are rarely seen in Beijing. Did you bring them back?"

General Hu pondered: "I brought a few jars of good wine. But the wine we drink at the border is very rough. How can it compare to the fine wine in Chang'an?"

Xu Zonglun shook his head.

"Good wine in Beijing, what has your Majesty not been drinking? But he has never tasted the spirits in Border Pass," he said. "It happens that the banquet is going to drink. At that time, you will pour it to Your Majesty yourself, and you should drink it for fun. Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"

When General Hu heard this, he took it for granted, and felt that this was the truth.

He nodded again and again.

"I'm a rough guy, I never thought about it so much, and I would like to thank General Xu for his advice," he said.

Xu Zonglun laughed: "The general doesn't have to be polite to me. Now I'm a vassal of the general, and the general can call me a word."

General Hu only felt that the relationship between the two was a little closer.

Until today's banquet.

The emperor did not come, but the generals of Qinmenguan were very enthusiastic and chatted with him one after another. General Hu replied with a smile, feeling only complacent.

The sage is trusted, and the subordinates are appropriate. As a general, what more can he ask for?

The only way is to do what the sage ordered, guard the Dayong Rivers and Mountains, and lead this group of brothers to join the ranks.

General Hu only felt that the future was bright.

At this moment, a eunuch came to report, saying that the emperor was coming soon.

Everyone immediately sat upright.

Xu Zonglun next to him touched him lightly.

"Did you bring it?" Xu Zonglun asked in a low voice.

He meant something, and he asked about the jar of wine he asked General Hu to bring.

General Hu only thought that Xu Zonglun was concerned about him, nodded repeatedly, and turned sideways to show Xu Zonglun the wine jar at his feet.

"I brought it, I brought a whole altar!"

Xu Zonglun smiled lightly and nodded meaningfully.

"Just bring it," he said.