In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The building suddenly fell silent.

The assembled officials, who had just been clinking glasses, all rose and bowed in greeting.

Emperor Xuanzong arrived slowly, his steps were deliberate.

When Yang Xuan looked down, he only caught a glimpse of the hem of an ochre-yellow robe. But when he looked up after the ceremony, the Tang emperor was already seated on the throne.

Li Longji is old.

This was Yang Xuan's first thought upon seeing Emperor Xuanzong.

Historical records often describe him as a man of great talent and vigor in his youth, who single-handedly created the Kaiyuan Era of Prosperity, and whose literary and military talents made him a great ruler of his time.

But the sharpness between the man's brows had faded, replaced by a sense of relaxation and weariness that comes with long-term high position.

He remained dignified, still commanding the respect of all the nobles, but that dignification stemmed more from his position than from his own sharp edge.

Sitting next to him was Yang Guifei.

The room seemed to light up the moment she sat down.

Yang Xuan had only vaguely seen this aunt in the original owner's memories before, but seeing her in person today, he realized that the phrase "the most favored concubine in the harem" was no exaggeration.

Her beauty wasn't the sharp, aggressive kind, but rather a rich, luxurious kind that could overshadow all the jewels and ornaments in the room.

As soon as she sat down, the smile on Xuanzong's face became more genuine than before.

Consort Yang's gaze swept across the room, pausing slightly when it landed on Yang Xuan, as if she were somewhat surprised.

She was surprised that he didn't give her a charming smile first, as he usually did.

Yang Xuan pretended not to see them and took his seat again with the others.

Emperor Xuanzong raised his cup and, as was customary, began by saying something like, "Minister An has been stationed far away in the north, and his efforts and contributions are great."

The entire audience shouted "Long live the Emperor!" An Lushan knelt down with a thud, his fleshy body prostrate on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"I am originally a barbarian, but Your Majesty has not abandoned me and has treated me like a son! Even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could not repay even a fraction of Your Majesty's kindness!"

As he spoke, the fat man actually started wiping away tears, his shoulders shaking as he cried.

Many people in the building had their heads down, and their lips were twitching.

This performance is too polished.

But Emperor Xuanzong was exactly susceptible to this.

He laughed heartily, personally ordered his men to help An Lushan up, and rewarded him with wine and meat. He even pointed at Yang Guifei with a smile and said, "Ah Huan, look at this barbarian boy. He cries at the drop of a hat and is even more cunning than the children in the palace."

Consort Yang smiled, covering her face with her sleeve: "Now that Your Majesty has acknowledged this son, you should naturally dote on him more."

The moment the word "son" was uttered, many people at the table displayed varying expressions.

Yang Guozhong's smile almost froze for a moment.

Yang Xuan saw it clearly.

This is why Yang Guozhong was so determined to eliminate An Lushan.

The border town military governor was already a powerful and well-equipped army. With the added status of being the "adopted son of the imperial concubine," he was practically halfway into the inner court.

No matter how powerful Yang Guozhong is today, he is ultimately just an outsider.

What foreign officials fear most is never the size of their opponent's army, but rather that their opponent can reach directly into the emperor's ear.

Sure enough, the next moment An Lushan seized the opportunity and shamelessly knelt before Yang Guifei again, calling her "Mother".

The room fell silent for a moment.

Laughter immediately erupted.

Emperor Xuanzong laughed the loudest.

Yang Guifei was not annoyed, but simply covered her lips with her fan and said, "You barbarian, you're getting more and more unruly."

An Lushan looked up at his fleshy face and smiled innocently: "What rules do I know before Your Majesty and the Empress? I only know that the Emperor's grace is as vast as the sea, and tears are not enough to express my heart."

That's a slick, yet endearing way of saying things.

Even Gao Lishi offered a timely smile.

Yang Xuan felt a chill in his heart.

A person who is willing to throw their face to the ground and let others trample on it is often more dangerous than those who stubbornly cling to their aloofness.

Because he has no shame, he also has no bottom line.

As he was thinking, he suddenly felt a gaze fall on him.

Yang Xuan looked up.

It's Yang Guozhong.

Yang Guozhong held his wine cup, seemingly listening to Emperor Xuanzong and An Lushan chatting and laughing, but his eyes glanced in his direction and he nodded very lightly and quickly.

Second indication.

It's more obvious than the first time.

Yang Xuan remained motionless.

He simply lowered his eyes and took a sip of wine.

The liquor went down my throat with a slight burning sensation, which actually made my mind clearer.

Now is not the time.

In today's play, we must first make An Lushan fully portray the image of a "favored minister," and the higher he goes, the better.

The higher you climb, the louder you fall.

The music changed again during the gathering.

After a group of Orchid dancers withdrew, several eunuchs carried up large platters of delicacies.

Golden minced fish and jade slices, camel hump and bear white wine, cherry jewels, steamed deer tail, even the wine pot is inlaid with gemstones.

Looking at the plates of delicacies on the table, Yang Xuan suddenly recalled another account in the historical records of the late Tianbao era: the border troops were in arrears with their pay, the granaries in Guanzhong were empty day by day, and the bodies of the dead in Nanzhao were still cold after the war, while the court was still in a state of peace and prosperity.

Under the same sky, people in Chang'an city ate bear and camel hump, while people in Jiannan, Lingnan, and Hebei ate tree bark and grass roots.

No wonder An Lushan's call to arms was met with overwhelming support.

It wasn't entirely because his soldiers were so capable.

It is also because of this city that the resentment of the world has been nurtured for too long.

"Da Lang".

Suddenly someone whispered in his ear.

Yang Xuan turned his head and saw an unfamiliar eunuch, who was not very old and smiled cautiously.

"The Prime Minister has asked me to pass on a message to you."

Yang Xuan didn't say anything.

The eunuch leaned forward a little more, his voice extremely low: "The Prime Minister said that today's opportunity is rare, and that you should not forget what he said yesterday."

After saying that, he quickly stepped back, as if he had never come near.

Yang Xuan's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

Yang Guozhong finally couldn't sit still any longer.

It seems that An Lushan's performance of calling him "mother" and "son" just now really angered him.

The angrier he got, the more eager he became to have Yang Xuan rush up and bite the person for him.

But Yang Xuan refused.

At least not yet.

-

Meanwhile, at the Yang residence.

Princess Yanhe sat by the window, holding a scroll of scriptures, but half an hour passed without her turning a single page.

The maid Qingwu added more lamps and asked cautiously, "Princess, shall we serve dinner?"

Princess Yanhe raised her eyes and glanced at the sky outside the window.

It was already getting dark.

"Has the eldest young master not returned to the manor yet?"

"Not yet," Qingwu said in a low voice. "I heard from the front courtyard that the palace is holding a banquet for Governor An today, and the Prime Minister ordered the eldest son to go with him."

Princess Yanhe paused slightly with her fingertips.

She had been married into the Yang family for several years and had a clearer understanding of many things in the family than others.

Yang Guozhong was arrogant and domineering. Everyone in the Yang family looked up to him, and even the original eldest son of the family, Yang, lived a carefree and unrestrained life, never taking anything seriously.

But ever since returning from that banquet the day before yesterday, Yang Xuan seemed to have had his old, restless exterior ripped away.

He no longer joked, no longer flirted, and no longer deliberately came to her to seek that superficial warmth of a married couple.

Even last night, when she woke up in the middle of the night, she could vaguely hear the sound of pacing back and forth outside.

Like someone cornered by something, yet stubbornly refusing to utter a sound.

Princess Yanhe slowly closed the scroll.

"Green Wutong".

"This servant is here."

"Have someone keep watch in the front yard. If the eldest young master returns, report to me immediately."

Qingwu was somewhat surprised, but dared not ask any further questions, and simply responded.

The room fell silent again.

Princess Yanhe gazed at the flickering lamplight, her eyes gradually darkening.

She couldn't explain what she was worried about.

She was worried that Yang Xuan would be used as a knife by Yang Guozhong, or that her husband, who had suddenly become a stranger, was doing something extremely dangerous behind everyone's back.

But there was one thing she knew.

The Yang family's behavior has been increasingly off in recent years.

The tree is too tall, the fire is too fierce; onlookers can only see the wealth and glory, but not the ashes.