"Ah sneezing!"

Xiao Tang sneezed heavily, rubbed his nose again, and looked at the surrounding heat in confusion, thinking that the temperature in the bathroom was pleasant, and in theory he shouldn't have caught a cold.

After returning to his own residence in Bianjing, Xiao Tang hurried to visit Su Jinniang, who was pregnant with six families. Fortunately, when Shi Xiu and other brothers escorted Xiao Tang's family back to the Xiao Mansion in Bianliang, Su Jinniang had always been accompanied by Jin'er, Li Shishi, Hua Xiaomei and several maids in the back house who were intimate and friendly, and they did not see outsiders on weekdays. Therefore, the whole family of Bianjing didn't know that Xiao Tang's wife was pregnant.

Now Su Jinniang's belly is already high and bulging, and she is about to give birth. Tang Pengxiu and Gao Zhanling's eyes saw her husband touching Su Jinniang's round and bulging belly indulgent. While they were relieved and happy for Su Jinniang, they couldn't help but look at their still slender belly... And when Xiao Tang saw Tang Pengxiu and Gao Zhanling's bright eyes coming to him, he knew that the family in Chunbo was looking forward to him and that he had to work hard.

Then Xiao Tang, Yan Qing, Xiao Jiasui and other brothers held a banquet in the mansion to entertain Wang Huan, Han Cunbao, Zhang Kai and other colleagues in the court who welcomed him. It was not until the banquet was three o'clock in the Xu hour that Xiao Tang sent everyone out of the mansion that he was able to take a bath in a separate bathroom in the mansion to relieve his fatigue.

During the Song Dynasty, public bathing industry was already very developed. In the Tianshui Lane bathroom courtyard in Bianliang, Tokyo, the perfume shop and other popular public bathing halls, there are many families who built bathing pools in the mansion of the dignitaries. Now Xiao Tang had long plunged into the bathing pool and pledged a bath towel behind his head, lying comfortably in the pool made of sandalwood, with strange stones and green bamboos around it, and the water temperature was suitable.

As for bathing utensils, facial medicine, fumigation furnace, loofah, scented pulp, sour fragrance, bathrobes, saponin pancreas, hand towels and other toiletries, they have long been neatly placed in the bathroom by the servants. Although there are maids in wealthy families who serve their masters to wash their faces, feet, rub their backs, and do some indescribable things at this time, Xiao Tang is still not used to showing his naked body to women who have no emotional foundation.

Perhaps ordinary maids are used to serving their masters to bathe, but for Xiao Tang, both the maids have their own dignity and shame, and they are not useless. There is no need to show their identity and status by posing as a deputy official.

Although Xiao Tang had some bad thoughts before, he wanted to try the way to play with his wife in the water, but Su Jinniang, who was a lady from a family, did not make such a fool of himself (according to the Book of Rites, men and women, they did not dare to hang their shackles on their husbands, dare not hide them in their husbands' boxes, and dare not bathe together. If the husband is not here, he will hide them in his slaughter. He has just returned to his residence. Therefore, Xiao Tang, who has just returned to his residence, can take advantage of the bath alone, and can also think about the people he will meet in the past few days and do what he will do in the past few days.

The warm water in the bathtub wrapped around Xiao Tang's whole body, and Xiao Tang, who was gently caressed by the water waves, gradually felt that his spiritual platform was clear and clear. At this time, Xiao Tang thought of the daytime and came to greet him with Wang Huan, Han Cunbao and other colleagues in the court. There was also a central official sent by the provincial eunuch in the imperial city. The central official conveyed Zhao Ji's oral orders, saying that Xiao Aiqing was in danger in the territory of the Liao Kingdom and was rushing back to Bianjing for a lot of hard work. After returning to Beijing, he would take a break for a few days. I will meet him.

Xiao Tang was not surprised by Zhao Ji's arrangement. After all, he was just considered his "favorite minister". It was just because of the Golden Feng Yulu Tower and the Xingshou Liu Yingyan who had a deep friendship with him that the romantic emperor was very happy, so he valued his existence. However, Zhao Ji had many ways to have fun and pastime, and there were many treacherous ministers around him who tried his best to curry favor with him. Now Zhao Ji still remembers that there are people like Xiao Tang, even if he has a little human touch.

Xiao Tang did not expect any deep feelings with this example of a foolish emperor. After all, there is a precedent for Gao Qiu. As long as Zhao Ji, who is arbitrary and willful, still remembers that he can enjoy himself and make him have fun, then Xiao Tang can gain a foothold in the court with his so-called favor.

However, although Zhao Ji was easy to deal with, Xiao Tang had to cheer up, but he was thinking about another person. After returning to the prime minister, he also held the power of the Song court for more than ten years.

Although Cai Jing was a powerful traitor who had been infamous for thousands of years, Xiao Tang knew that he could never underestimate the power methods he had developed through ups and downs in his officialdom. As the leader of the six thieves at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, a speculative gangster in the struggle between the old and new parties, Cai Jing, who was criticized by many later generations, was criticized and scolded as the culprit for the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, was able to serve as prime minister four times, and he fought many political enemies through the ups and downs. Even after being taboo by Emperor Huizong of Song, he demoted and suppressed him, but then he had to regard him as a minister who was vague. If he talked about political skills and cunning skills, he would be far stronger than Gao Qiu. If he only catered to the emperor, he would be so good to deal with him in person, he would probably not be as easy to deal with when he was with Liang Shijie.

To be a powerful treacherous minister who has been famous for his eternal eternity, one must have real talent and knowledge. There are countless treacherous officials who have made their fortunes by relying on speculation and accumulating the situation and making a fuss in the court. However, when it comes to treacherous treacherous ministers of the Northern Song Dynasty, the first thing most people think of is Cai Jing.

But it is not yet time for Cai Jing to oppose the enemy...

This idea suddenly appeared in Xiao Tang's mind. Fortunately, he was a military general in the court. In the situation where the Song Dynasty was humble and noble, Xiao Tang thought that he would not have any conflicts of interest with Cai Jing, who was determined to be in charge of politics in the short term. He was not the opponent of Cai Jing, but other figures with extremely strong political energy such as Zheng Juzhong have long regarded Cai Jing as their mortal enemy, such as Tong Guan, Liang Shicheng, Li Bangyan, etc., all had their own thoughts... The courage of Bian Zhuangzi in the Lu Kingdom in Spring and Autumn was not as good as a fierce tiger, but he could take advantage of the two tigers fighting for food and assassinate the tiger when the two tigers were killed and injured, and achieved the name of killing two tigers in one fell swoop. Xiao Tang, who is still in the court, had no choice but to use the method of pretending to be a pig and eating tigers.

After thinking hard for a while, Xiao Tang, who had sorted out his mind a little, felt his mind tense again. He sighed and covered his face with a wet towel. The political game between the courts was indeed much more exhausting than when gathering in the mountains and forests. What happened next? Now I can only take one step at a time...

In the next two or three days, Xiao Tang and the insulator received many old friends from Bianjing who came to visit. During the period, Yang Xu, the chief manager of the mansion, also said that the news that he had not died in Liaodong had not yet reached the capital a few days ago, Gao Qiu also sent the minions in the palace commander's mansion to various shops under Xiao Tang's name to cause trouble. However, the court later received news and heard that Xiao Tang, who was still alive in the dangerous place, had set off on his way to Bianjing. Gao Qiu saw that Zhao Ji and even the whole capital were focusing on Xiao Tang again, so he had to stop temporarily.

After hearing this, Xiao Tang just smiled slightly and didn't take it seriously. It seemed that Gao Qiu had used a few tricks to harm some low-level officers. It was okay to wear down some civil servants. Now that he has returned to Bianjing, Gao Qiu, who has always had to act according to the official's eyes, would not dare to take advantage of this critical moment to make things worse.

Another day later, a minor official was sent to Xiao’s mansion in the inner palace of the Imperial City and summoned Xiao Tang to meet the emperor.
Chapter completed!