Chapter 2332: Enduring Friendship
Along with Chai Wei, there was also the imperial edict on how to deal with Guo Xiao. The emperor was very angry about Guo Xiao losing the city. He believed that Guo Xiao lost the city because of his carelessness.
The left chancellor of Kucha had clearly reminded people repeatedly to be careful of the people in the city, but he didn't take it seriously and didn't even send more patrols. This allowed the people in the city to collude with those outside the city and cause this disaster.
So the emperor directly stripped him of his official position.
As a result, when Chai Wei had walked a long way away, the old emperor came out of the hall one day. When he was blown by the cold wind outside, he stopped to look at the bleak winter scenery.
Gu Zhong quickly put a cloak on him and said carefully, "Your Majesty, it looks like it's going to snow today."
The emperor glanced at the dark clouds in the sky. Gu Zhong was right. It was indeed going to snow. Not long after he said this, snow began to fall from the sky.
The emperor looked at the snow for a long while, then sighed and ordered, "Have the Secretariat draft an edict to reinstate Guo Xiao's official position. Send someone to Xizhou to bring him back. Have the Ministry of Rites prepare funeral rites and mourn him."
Gu Zhong responded immediately, feeling a little excited. It was a good thing that His Majesty was concerned about him.
Manbao and his men knew nothing about this. When they returned to Xizhou, the new Anxi Protector had not arrived yet, and General Guo had already been buried in a coffin. General Guo had to wait for the court's order before he could carry the coffin back to his hometown. If the court was lenient, he would either have to bury his father in Xizhou or resign and return home.
General Guo's coffin was now in the National Temple in Xizhou. The next day after Manbao and his companions returned to Xizhou, they went to the National Temple to pay their respects to him as usual.
In Mr. Zhuang's words, "After all, we met once. Now that the person is dead, all hatred is over. Paying respect to him is a proper etiquette."
So Bai Shan and the others prepared funeral rites and went to pay their respects. Because Liu Huan was a relative, the funeral rites were even more solemn.
After General Guo died, he and General Guo started to interact as relatives, and when they met again, they called each other cousins.
General Guo Xiao also got over his pain and could joke with them. "You and I were already close, and you donated so much blood to me, so we are even closer."
Liu Huan nodded in agreement.
Bai Erlang said from the side: "Then we kissed too, the blood we gave you is the same."
Bai Shanze asked Manbao curiously, "Isn't it said that close relatives can't receive blood transfusions? How come Liu Huan was able to donate blood to General Guo?"
Manbao: "Are they close?"
"Of course," Liu Huan puffed out his chest and said, "My grandmother is his great-aunt."
Manbao calculated and said, "It's okay. There are several generations between them, and they are separated. Moreover, the blood has been lost for so long. If everything is fine now, then it must be fine."
At this time, the seven of them were sitting in a row on a railing of the National Temple, watching the busy monks and the people coming to worship Buddha below. General Meng asked General Guo, "Do you want to stay in Xizhou?"
General Guo Xiao said dejectedly, "I don't know if His Majesty will punish my father. If His Majesty allows, I still want to stay in Anxi."
His father has led this team for several years, and he has always been in this team. Even though it is bitterly cold in the Western Regions, he does not want to leave.
General Meng patted him on the shoulder and said, "I can ask my father to plead for you."
General Guo Xiao did not refuse and nodded, "Thank you."
Bai Shan said: "We can't really help you with this matter. If we return to the capital, we can plead for you in person."
Now that I am outside, it is obviously impossible for me to write memorials to participate in local military affairs.
General Guo Xiao smiled and said to them, "I know you're civil servants, so it's not very convenient. By the way, you also made contributions during this Western Expedition, right? Do you want to join the government after you return?"
Bai Shan sighed, "The new Anxi Protectorate has not yet arrived, and General Ashina hasn't confirmed when he will return to the capital. We have to wait. The Ministry of Rites holds examinations regularly, but the Ministry of Personnel only takes them once a year at the end of March. If we miss them, we'll have to wait another year. If we want to start our official career, we have to return to the capital before February."
Otherwise you can’t register.
General Guo: "...With your status and achievements, you can directly enter the government, right?"
Bai Shan was a little unwilling, "I have already passed the imperial examination. It would be a shame if I don't take the examination for the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel."
Bai Erlang also nodded repeatedly, "Exactly. If His Majesty directly grants an official position, will it be considered as a favor or our own ability? No, no, it's better to have a normal examiner."
Liu Huan asked him, "As a son-in-law, do you really want to be sent out to be a county magistrate?"
Bai Erlang choked and asked, "Why can't a son-in-law be sent out to serve as a county magistrate? Look, isn't General Ashina also a son-in-law? He's still leading troops in battle."
"But..." Liu Huan scratched his head and said, "But that was the princess of the previous generation. For the princesses of this generation, the princes-in-law seem to have only sinecure positions and no real jobs."
Everyone is living off the princess, so who would want to be a small county magistrate of the sixth or seventh rank?
"Besides, your status as a consort is more prestigious than other consorts. You are the consort of Princess Mingda."
There are also different levels among the princes-in-law. The husband's status depends on the wife. Princess Mingda is not only a legitimate princess, but also the most beloved daughter of the emperor and empress. Naturally, Bai Cheng is also more noble than other princes-in-law.
Liu Huan didn't understand him. "We don't want to be a consort because we don't want to be bullied by the princess. Since you are a consort, you must not mind relying on the princess. Why do you still want to be a county magistrate?"
Bai Jilang choked, then lowered his head in thought.
Seeing the approval on his face, Manbao said, "Mingda still wants to travel around, but His Majesty dotes on her and certainly doesn't want her to leave the capital. If you were to be sent out, wouldn't it be natural to take Mingda with you?"
Bai Erlang's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Yes, Mingda still wants to go somewhere else to play, I can take her with me when I'm sent out."
Now even General Guo became curious, "You become a consort, aren't you just looking to live off her?"
Bai Erlang said: "Of course I have to eat soft rice, but I won't eat just anyone's soft rice."
He said, "I just want to live off Princess Mingda."
Bai Shan turned and said to him, "You won't be able to catch up with the Jinshi exam this year, but you can try next year. If you pass next year, you can also take the exams for the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel the year after, which will be a year later than me. Then you can see if there are any new vacancies in the place where I'm stationed. You can be stationed there, since we'll be closer."
Manbao clapped his hands and said, "That's great. We can still come and play with you guys later."
Bai Erlang asked her, "It's OK for Bai Shan and I to be sent out, but can you also be sent out?"
Manbao chuckled and said, "You underestimate me, Bai Shan and I already have a plan, so it won't be a big problem. But for you, the most important thing is that you can get an official position outside the capital."
General Meng was filled with envy when he heard this, so he looked at General Guo and asked, "Why don't you come to Shazhou and we can guard Yumen Pass together?"
General Guo shook his head and said, "You should guard the interior of the pass, and I'll guard the exterior."
See you tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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