The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

As the saying goes, if you give a gift, your leader may not remember you, but if you don’t give a gift, your leader will definitely remember you.

Now, Su Ming remembered very clearly those military governors who ignored him, and had secretly put them in a small notebook, waiting to be settled later.

"I've been looking for you for such a long time, why are you hiding here?" The clear and beautiful voice was filled with curiosity and teasing.

Su Ming opened his eyes and saw a beautiful face that was both happy and angry appear in his sight. "Oh, don't mention it. Those memorials give me a headache."

"You can keep those memorials and not send them out. There's no need to reply to every one of them. However, after a while, your harem will be full, and that's when it will be lively." The empress had a light smile on her lips and a hint of jealousy in her eyes.

Su Ming tore off the book on his face, sat up, and said confidently, "Don't worry, by then, I will make it an iron rule that the harem cannot interfere in politics. Even if they want to make trouble, they must follow the rules I set. As long as it does not involve the outer court, it is nothing."

"The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs?" the empress murmured to herself, with a strange light in her beautiful eyes, as if she was showing some admiration.

"The interference of relatives in government has always been a major scourge for the court since ancient times, such as Mi Chu in the Qin Dynasty, the Lü and Dou clan in the Han Dynasty, and the Wu family children in this dynasty. These people rely on the support of the harem to act recklessly and undermine the court's rules and regulations, which has a very bad influence."

"If the daughters of the military governors enter the palace, they will definitely not be content to live in the harem. Otherwise, there would be no point in the military governors sending them here. More importantly, the Khitan princess Yelu Zhiwu is also going to enter the palace. She is even the queen. Once she interferes in government affairs, no one in the court can stop her, including me."

At the end, Su Ming sighed softly, with a helpless look on his face.

Looking at the helplessness and exhaustion on his face, the empress felt a strong maternal love and concern in her heart, and she even had the urge to hold him in her arms. After all, he was only less than twenty years old.

In terms of age, the empress is at least ten years older than him. In a sense, she can be considered his elder.

However, ever since Su Ming ascended the throne, the empress subconsciously ignored the age difference and treated him as a person of the same age, and was even willing to be inferior to him.

Fortunately, she suppressed this emotion in her heart. It came and went quickly.

Suddenly, the empress smiled charmingly and looked at him unhappily, "Alright, the Khitan princess is coming to the court, others want her so badly, but you are still looking down on her."

"By the way, Master Xu has sent a message that he will come to Luoyang. What do you think?"

Su Ming stood up and stretched. "What else can I do? Just let it go. If she thinks highly of me, she will naturally come forward to seek cooperation. If she doesn't think highly of me, even if Lin Xuan is my junior sister, she may not think highly of me."

As a major sect with a thousand-year heritage, Xuanwu Mountain has the confidence. Unlike the Jiedushi, who ruled a certain area and needed to use weapons to maintain their authority, the belief in Tianshi Mansion in the south is deeply rooted and difficult to eradicate.

Even a tyrannical person like Zhu Wen only dared to surround Xuanwu Mountain with his troops and secretly intimidate and cause trouble, but he did not dare to actually send troops to destroy Xuanwu Mountain.

It must be known that it is easy to destroy Xuanwu Mountain, but it is not easy to break his beliefs. Once it arouses resistance from the lower-class people, there will be no hope of going south.

The will of the people is a very fragile thing. It is the cornerstone of the establishment of a dynasty, but it is also very easy to be instigated and exploited. Faced with strong and brave soldiers, the people cannot resist and can only go with the flow, but this can invisibly weaken the rule.

Although Zhu Wen was cruel, he also understood this point and did not dare to take action for fear of hurting the rat.

"Master Xu is a heroine. Since she is coming to Luoyang, she must have a plan in mind. Otherwise, wouldn't it be better for her to write a letter and order Zhang Zifan and Lu Linxuan to return to Xuanwu Mountain to recuperate?"

"It's not like now, where we have to travel thousands of miles to Luoyang. Isn't this a waste of time?" The empress chuckled and didn't care about what he said.

Su Ming's lips curled up into a light smile, his eyes fell on the empress's face, "Speaking of which, you are more like a heroine than her. It must have been very difficult for you to maintain the Qi Kingdom for sixteen years."

The sudden change of topic caught the empress off guard. She withdrew her smile and said, "It's not that difficult. This is something that others would not even beg for."

"Really?" Su Ming looked into her eyes, as if trying to find out her true thoughts.

However, facing his inquiry, the empress did not dare to look at him, but lowered her eyes and said lightly, "These are all old things, Your Majesty, why bother to mention them again? I am your Majesty's subject now, and I only obey your Majesty's orders."

For a moment, Su Ming had to remain silent. It seemed that he would have to work harder to open her heart.

……

From Xuanwu Mountain to Luoyang, it's a long journey of thousands of miles.

Although the world is now divided into many factions, it is still generally stable. Although there are no major wars, small wars are constantly taking place. Xuanwu Mountain is well-known in both the white and black worlds, and the military governors of various places dare not intercept it. It can be said that it has a green light all the way.

However, the journey was long and tiring, but Master Xu and his companions were all Taoists with martial arts skills and had endurance far beyond that of ordinary people. They spared no effort and arrived in Luoyang quickly.

The tall city had mottled walls, and the scars of war were faintly visible. Xu Huan looked at the crowded city gate in front of him and felt a little surprised. They had entered many cities along the way, but no city had ever been as vibrant as Luoyang.

Whether it was the common people coming in and out or the soldiers guarding the gate, they all gave Xu Huan an indescribable feeling.

After entering the city, they first found an inn to rest, wash up, and get enough rest. They reported to the court three days later.

In fact, Su Ming learned the news not long after everyone from the Tianshi Mansion entered Luoyang, but he had been waiting and did not disturb them rashly.

A deal that comes to your doorstep is not a good deal.

Chapter 122 Xu Huan Enters the Palace

In Su Ming's view, the entire world can be divided into the following key parts.

Youyan, Guanzhong, Central Plains, Jianghuai, Jinghu, Jiangnan, and Western Regions. Among them, Central Plains is the most core area and the most densely populated place, which is almost the current Henan area.

The only area Su Ming could influence was the Central Plains with Luoyang as its center. Of course, this does not refer to the area he could control, but rather to his political influence.

In fact, until now, he is still an emperor whose decrees do not leave the imperial city, and there are not many people who truly obey his orders. However, as long as Su Ming can influence a limited number of people, he can spread his influence to various regions.

In ancient times, the so-called rule was the subcontracting of power. The imperial power did not extend to the countryside, and the influence of the court only reached the county level at most, and its influence on townships was very small.

The Tianshi Mansion in Xuanwu Mountain has a great influence in the south of the Yangtze River. From the officials of the Jiedushi to the common people, most of them believe in Tianshi Dao and it has a deep mass base.

If we can cooperate with the Tianshi Mansion, it will be easier to conquer the Jiangnan area in the future.

Not to mention the future, even now, the influence brought by the Tianshi Mansion coming to Luoyang is extraordinary. There are many Buddhist temples in the north, but it does not mean that there are no Taoist believers here.

On the contrary, the wealthy families in the north are not interested in Buddhism, but prefer Taoism. After all, Taoism has always been the state religion of the Tang Dynasty.

It has become a habit over the years.

Politics, in fact, is about making more friends and fewer enemies.

Ever since Su Ming became Li Xingyun, he has always done this. Whether it is Zhang Zifan, the empress, or Li Cun Yi and Li Cun Li, they are all his partners.

It’s just that the cooperation varies in size.

Xu Huan's audience with the emperor in the palace was definitely not during a court meeting. It was a private audience, not a formal meeting, because she came here under the name of visiting relatives and did not inform the court in advance.

Qianqiu Palace.

Su Ming was wearing plain clothes and his hair was tied up with a piece of red sandalwood. He had been growing his hair over the past year. His short hair, which was originally the same as Li Xingyun's, had now become shoulder-length hair. He also had a short beard on his lips. Although it was only a thin layer, he looked much more mature.

With an upright posture, long sword-like eyebrows, a full forehead, a ruddy complexion, bright eyes and a handsome appearance, he looks like a young and heroic emperor.

I have to say that Li Xingyun's appearance is still very good, otherwise he would not have attracted so many beauties. Of course, he is still inferior to that pretty boy Zhang Zifan, but in the world, he is still considered a handsome man.

When Xu Huan, who was sitting in the hall, saw Su Ming, he couldn't help but be stunned.

Such huge changes in just one year!

If it weren't for the same appearance, she would have thought that Li Xingyun had been replaced.

Although she was distracted for a moment, she quickly recovered and bowed gently, "I am Xu Huan, I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Su Ming raised his hand and smiled, "Aunt, there are no outsiders here, so there is no need to be so polite."

Having said that, Xu Huan did not necessarily dare to take it seriously. Etiquette should not be neglected, especially since the emperor's current situation was not so optimistic, she had to be more polite.

After all, this is someone else's territory, and the emperor is the nominal ruler of the world, so due respect should be shown.

This is a different time, and Xu Huan would not take advantage of his status as an elder to act superior in front of the emperor, nor would he look down on the emperor because of his age.

At this time, Su Ming was also looking at Xu Huan. After not seeing her for a year, this woman seemed to be even more beautiful.

Time seemed to have left no trace on her. On the contrary, after years of precipitation and fermentation, she became more mature and intellectual. Her tall figure was not inferior to that of men. With a smile on her lips, she looked bright and beautiful.

The wide Taoist robe could not conceal her graceful and exquisite figure. In the breeze, her gourd-shaped body was faintly visible. Her delicate facial features were very soft, and she exuded a mature and charming charm. She was like a lily, carrying the rain and morning dew of youth, bright and fragrant, and full of alluring breath.

In addition, she has been practicing Taoism for many years and is in charge of the Tianshi Temple, which gives people a sense of purity that can only be admired from afar and not touched.

Su Ming walked down the steps and came in front of her, pointing to the soft couch on the side of the hall, "Aunt, please take a seat and wait for a moment. Lin Xuan and Brother Zhang are in the harem. I have sent someone to take care of them. They will be here soon."

Looking at the soft couch with the small table and tea sets on it, Xu Huan hesitated for a moment, but then he agreed and was no longer as restrained as before.

The emperor's attitude towards her was better than she had imagined. Before coming, she had imagined many scenarios, but she did not expect that the atmosphere would be so harmonious when they met.

The emperor did not put on airs and act like an emperor, but treated her as a junior.

Xu Huan took a step forward, her graceful waist twisting and swaying, the slightly raised roundness supporting the Taoist robe with a perfect curve, so graceful!

Su Ming just glanced and then looked away. Warriors have sharp perceptions, and he couldn't let her discover that he was a licentious king.

Soon, the two sat opposite each other on the couch.

The sound of boiling water came from the copper kettle on the red clay stove. Su Ming said softly, "This is the tea I just made last year. The quantity is not much. I usually only use it to entertain guests. I can't bear to drink it myself."

He opened the open porcelain cup, poured out a little, and put it in the teacup, "Aunt, try my way of brewing tea, which is different from other ways. It tastes different."

Xu Huan's eyes were filled with surprise. She looked at Su Ming with her beautiful eyes, as if smiling, "Oh? Then I'll really taste it." Her gentle voice was soft and delicate, like the first cry of an oriole.

In the Tang Dynasty, drinking tea was not called drinking tea, but eating tea. This meant really eating tea. The tea leaves were ground into powder and added with various things (such as flowers, beans, etc.) to make it into a sticky paste, which could be eaten directly like black sesame paste.

Another way of making the tea is to add salt, onion, ginger and other seasonings when boiling the tea, which gives it a very special taste.

In this era, tea leaves are usually steamed instead of fried, so most people prefer to boil tea with water.

Su Ming's way of drinking tea is the same as the way people in later generations make tea. That was the way of making tea that became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it is very different from the way it is now.

He reached out and took down the copper kettle with a thin neck and a big belly. Boiling water spurted out from the mouth of the kettle in the shape of a white line, which suddenly stretched and fell accurately into the teacup.

After being rinsed with boiling water, the dark green tea leaves are filled with clear light and fragrant aroma.

Before tasting it, Xu Huan smelled the aroma and became even more excited about his different way of brewing tea.

After a simple brew, the tea is ready.

"please!"

Xu Huansu stretched out her hand, took the teacup and placed it in front of her. She looked down and saw that the light green color of the tea was like the first light at dawn outside a mountain window, or like the rippling of a green lake. When she sniffed it, it smelled more like the fragrance of orchids and penetrated into her lungs. Paired with the white porcelain cup, it was a beautiful sight.

I took a small sip. The slightly sweet tea had a bit of astringency, which was very different. But the incredible aroma lingered, penetrating through my internal organs, as if taking root in my body, making me feel relaxed and happy.

“Good tea!”

Chapter 123 Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law meet

Su Ming picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly. "Of course it's good tea."

There have been tea trees in the Luoyang Imperial Palace for a hundred years. Before the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the central government was in financial difficulties. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty at that time had to tighten his belt and be self-reliant. Steaming and drying tea leaves to sell was also a good source of income.

Moreover, these tea trees were once carefully selected treasures, growing one after another. After a hundred years of war, the people of that time are no longer here, but the tea trees have been cut down and grown again, still growing lush and green.

Xu Huan sipped the fragrant tea, his mouth watering. The rich aroma rushed straight to his forehead from the wings of his nose, and the boiling hot tea entered his mouth and then went to his stomach, making his chest feel warm. He felt so comfortable both physically and mentally that it was indescribable.

This feeling is not inferior to the various precious spices in their Tianshi Mansion.

However, for Su Ming, although these teas are good, they are not as good as the treasures of later generations. They are not even as good as the four famous teas, let alone the top-quality Dahongpao from Wuyi Mountain.

Luoyang is not the most suitable place for tea to grow. In terms of quality, the best tea is produced in the south. It's just that Su Ming's method of making tea is unique, so Xu Huan has this illusion.

As the saying goes, high-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods.