In the east of Luoyang City, in front of a manor with a water-behind edge.

Yu Cheng, a counselor from Chang'an, read out the imperial edict of the court with expressionless expression.

"...The criminals exiled by the court shall not stay in Luoyang on excuses, and set off on the day of the order to arrive at the east..."

Opposite was a group of officials from the East Palace who were headed by Zhang Cheng. At this time, they were bowing and listening. They were very dissatisfied with the imperial edict and still showed respectful attitude.

Only the handsome and tall Du He stood up and looked up at Yu Cheng who was Xuan Zhi, with a look of disdain in his eyes.

After reading the imperial edict, Yu Cheng looked up at the people opposite him coldly. When Xue Yuanchao saw it, he was about to come forward to receive the order, but was stopped by Du Heshen.

Yu Cheng saw it and asked sinisterly: "Do you want to disobey the will of the court?"

...

Everyone showed helplessness on their faces, and they were in a dilemma.

"hehe……"

Only Du He looked at Yu Cheng with no concern and sneered.

Seeing this, Yu Cheng felt extremely hatred and asked with a cold expression: "Mr. Du - why are you laughing at?"

Du He seemed to have heard some joke and actually burst into laughter.

"Hahaha……"

The hearty laughter was heard far away, and other officials around him were looking at each other.

Seeing that Du He completely ignored him, Yu Cheng turned red with anger and threatened with a ferocious look: "You criminals staying in Luoyang have violated the imperial court's laws. Now they dare to refuse to accept the imperial court's orders and laugh wildly. It is simply unforgivable..."

"snort!"

Du He interrupted Yu Cheng with a cold snorting, looking at Yu Cheng and said indifferently: "You are a criminal, and you dare to threaten me with a fake edict."

Yu Cheng was furious when he heard this and shouted loudly: "Rareless, I am an angel of the court, and read the imperial edict..."

Du He heard this and sneered: "Angel of the court? You are just a dog that is lost... You, Yu family in Luoyang, do not do evil, and are despised by the people in Chang'an, and even the ancestral tombs have been dug by the people...

His Highness, who is kind and only punishes the evildoers, exils you tribesmen to Lingnan. You dare to come back to help the evildoers. You really don’t know how to live or die.”

Yu Cheng was born in the Yu family in Luoyang and was the clan of Yu Zhining, the former Eastern Palace Zhanshifu.

At that time, Li Shimin instructed Yu Zhining to destroy Li Chengqian's hope in the name of admonition.

When Li Chengqian took over Yu Zhining, he mobilized the people of Chang'an to commit crimes in the deep Yu family. The Yu family's crimes were exposed to the public for several generations. The angry people of Chang'an dig up the ancestral tombs of the Yu family in Luoyang outside Chang'an City.

This is a shame for the entire Yu clan, and they are irreconcilable with Li Chengqian.

Changsun Wuji regained power to deal with Li Chengqian. The first thing he thought of was the Yu clan who was fleeing far away by Li Chengqian in Lingnan.

"Du, Du, Du He——"

Yu Cheng's face was astonished by Du He's confidence in his face, and he pointed at Du He and couldn't speak.

Du He looked at Yu Cheng, his face turned cold, and he shouted loudly: "Come here? Take down this traitor who has passed the false edict!"

Immediately walked out of his arms behind him, he grabbed Yu Cheng's arms behind him, and walked in with him? The guards brought by Yu Cheng from Chang'an had long been removed by Du He's escort.

Yu Cheng, who was taken away, struggled hard and shouted: "I am the imperial envoy of the imperial court to arrest me, which is equivalent to rebellion... Everyone can punish Du He and everyone can rebel."

Du He just laughed and said, "It's nonsense. This prince-consort just caught a misunderstanding who passed the imperial edict. You, Yu, did many evil deeds even the ancestral tombs were stripped by the people. What qualifications do you have to be an official in the court?"

After Du He said that, he couldn't help laughing again when he saw Yu Cheng not answering. The others around him were worried.

Du Zhenglun hesitated and said to Du He: "Will we detain Yu Cheng after Du's concubine? If we do not accept the imperial edict, how can we explain to the court?"

Du He asked with a look on his face, "The court? Is there a court in Chang'an now?"

Liu Xiangdao was shocked and said, "Your Majesty Du must not talk nonsense, Your Majesty is still in Tai Chi Palace."

Li Shimin ascended the throne for many years and had his lords of great power? Although these people were demoted for no reason, they did not dare to blatantly disobey his will. They just wanted to use Li Chengqian's power to overthrow Li Shimin.

Du He heard what Liu Xiang said? He covered his face with his hands facing Chang'an? He shouted in a sad tone: "Your Majesty? Your Majesty..."

When everyone saw Du He doing this, they thought that something happened to Li Shimin, and the king and his subjects were in trouble. Unconsciously, they all showed a sad expression.

Du Hejue's atmosphere was almost the same? He just put down his hand and said in a deep tone: "Your Majesty is afraid that's--."

"How is your Majesty?"

Zhu Suiliang was the most loyal to Li Shimin? He asked hurriedly when he saw Du He was only halfway through his words.

Everyone was also looking at Du He urgently? Waiting for him to continue.

Du He saw this and walked to the opposite side of everyone. He said solemnly: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally led a large army to pacify Liaodong and triumphantly train? He offered prisoners of Taimiao, and the whole country celebrated, and could show his kindness to the four barbarians.

How wise is Your Majesty? How could this be issued an edict at this time: To order His Highness the Crown Prince to station troops in Yandu?"

After saying that, Du He looked at everyone with hope, but when everyone heard this, they knew what Du He wanted to say? They were all silent.

Du He saw everyone pretending to be confused and was secretly annoyed, and asked loudly: "Everyone knows that the 'immortal medicine' that Your Majesty takes is a poison. The Emperor's Grandson died in Luoyang and you all saw him personally. Your Majesty was poisoned more deeply than the Emperor's Grandson. Can you be safe and sound?"

...

...

After Du He said that, he saw that everyone was still silent, knowing that these people needed to digest what he said, and that Li Chengqian would eventually make a decision on this matter.

Then he stopped approaching them and arched to the crowd: "Just live in Qiushi Garden with confidence, and you will not let anyone hurt you if you are ordered by His Highness."

After saying that, the bento walked in first.

...

...

Qiushi Garden is the outer garden of Luoyang Library. It holds regular monthly literary meetings here for scholars living in Luoyang City to publish new books and debate the meaning of the classics.

A few months ago, these ministers were demoted from Chang'an by Li Shimin and walked to Luoyang. Li Chengqian ordered the Luoyang government to leave these people in Luoyang, and these people lived in Qiushi Garden.

Zhang Chengxing, Du Zhenglun, Zhu Suiliang, Yan Shigu and others all had high positions and were knowledgeable. They were highly respected by Luoyang scholars. They also took advantage of the opportunity of studying and communicating with Luoyang to convey the situation in the court.

Only when Ma Zhou came to Luoyang, he had been lingering in illness and did not see any foreign visitors. Although Du He sent people to search for famous doctors everywhere, he carefully treated him but still did not improve.

Yu Cheng came to pass the imperial edict but did not disturb Ma Zhou.

However, the information Du He revealed is a bit scary, so Ju Suiliang signaled Xue Yuanchao, who had recently been close to Ma Zhou, to ask Ma Zhou for advice.

...

...

As soon as Xue Yuanchao walked into Ma Zhou's yard, he saw Ma Zhou, who was swollen and tilted weakly on the bamboo couch under the corridor to enjoy the cool air. Feng, an old servant who was lit in the yard, threw the paper with words in the brazier into the brazier, wiping tears while throwing it.

Xue Yuanchao was confused, so he asked, "What are you doing, Feng Da?"

Feng Da looked up at Xue Yuanchao. Before he could speak, Ma Zhou on the couch heard the sound and knew that Xue Yuanchao was coming. He just raised his head and squeezed an ugly smile on his face and said, "Yuanchao is here."

"I've met Mr. Ma."

Xue Yuanchao hurriedly bowed to Ma Chao.

Ma Zhou was blind at this time and could not see Xue Yuanchao. He just moved his face toward Xue Yuanchao based on Xue Yuanchao's voice and said, "No need to be polite."

Seeing this, Xue Yuanchao felt sad and forced a smile and walked to the corridor quickly and said, "Mr. Ma is much more energetic today. It seems that your illness is about to be cured."

Ma Zhou first patted the Arhat bed beneath him and signaled Xue Yuanchao to sit down. Seeing this, Xue Yuanchao sat on Ma Zhou's bamboo couch, and grabbed Ma Zhou's hand with his hand to signal him to be by his side.

Ma Zhou said with a smile on his face: "I also feel that I am much lighter today, so I ordered someone to lift me out and teach Feng Da that I have nothing to do after all."

Ma Zhou spoke with a relaxed expression, as if he was talking about an irrelevant person.

It was very uncomfortable to hear Xue Yuanchao's ears and hurriedly said, "Master Ma, you can't think like this, you still--"

After hearing this, Ma Zhou raised his hand to stop Xue Yuanchao's words and said calmly: "Yuanchao, I am very grateful for my illness thanks to your care these days. I feel that I have not had much time, so I am afraid I can no longer talk to you."

"Ma Xianggong--"

Xue Yuanchao just shouted and cried.

Xue Yuanchao was favored by Li Chengqian and promoted it, which made Li Chengqian very much admire him. Ma Zhou was praised by Li Chengqian as Jia Yi of the Tang Dynasty, so Xue Yuanchao also respected Ma Zhou's talent and knowledge. This time they exiled Ma Zhou together to seriously ill and his family was not around. As the younger one among the group, Xue Yuanchao took the initiative to take care of Ma Zhou.

After the two had been in contact for a while, Ma Zhou also admired Xue Yuanchao, a junior, and often guided Xue Yuanchao in his spare time on his academic and political issues.

Xue Yuanchao was very grateful for this and served Ma Zhou with his master's etiquette. Although the two did not have the name of master and apprentice, they were actually master and apprentice.

Seeing that Xue Yuanchao was really sad, Ma Zhou sighed and stretched out his other hand to pat the back of Xue Yuanchao's hand. After Xue Yuanchao's mood was stable, he continued: "It is natural for people to have birth, old age, sickness and death."

"But my husband is Jia Yi, the Tang Dynasty praised by His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness also needs you to assist in dominating the world..." Xue Yuanchao said anxiously.

Ma Zhou patiently waited for Xue Yuanchao to finish his words, smiled and said, "Your Majesty is now simply accusing me of being humble and using his talents to become the prime minister. Is it a poor scholar who can compare with Jia Yi?"

...

Ma Zhou paused and continued, "You are the 'one day' and the other day'. I am no longer able to serve the new master. Besides, the Crown Prince's talent is the only thing that the Tang Dynasty ruled the world. Is it up to me?"

...

"The Tang Dynasty was able to become strong today because His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were wise and wise. We are kind to the people of all the surnames. We don't need to show the little achievements of our ministers. Today, I ordered Feng Da to burn all the memorials I wrote in the past, so as not to use this memorial to show Your Majesty's faults in future generations...:"

"What?"

Xue Yuanchao was shocked when he heard this. Feng Dashao turned out to be the memorials written by Ma Zhou in the past. These memorials were written by Ma Zhou to Li Shimin. Many major policies during the Zhenguan period were implemented based on these memorials.
To be continued...