It was fine in the afternoon, and the family had lunch. At Li Xun's suggestion, everyone decided to go out for a walk and relax.

As soon as I left the gate, I saw more than a dozen cavalrymen waiting there quietly.

Li Xun glanced casually and realized that the officer in charge was Li Xiao.

Li Xun walked over there with a smile on his face, while Li Xiao turned over and dismounted.

"You boy has become dark and thin, and I almost didn't recognize him."

Li Xun punched Li Xiao and laughed.

Li Xiao rubbed his chest and smiled bitterly: "You are a great prime minister now. Can you be more steady?"

Li Xun smiled and said, "I'm nothing, you don't recognize me as your elder brother?"

Li Xiao laughed and said, "Even if you are a stinky beggar, you will always be my elder brother."

"You're just begging for food."

Li Xun punched Li Xiao again. Li Xiao screamed strangely and immediately fought back. He also punched Li Xun. Li Xun kicked him. Li Xiao fought back again. The two of them practiced against each other for a few times, and then both laughed.

Li Xiao's personal guards are now looking at each other. In their impression, his general is a taciturn person with a steady personality and a very serious person in his work. He doesn't even have a smile on his face, but he looks like this. How come he looks like today? This simply subverts their perception of Li Xiao.

Li Xun asked, "When did you come back?"

Li Xiao has been a team training envoy in Shannan in recent years. He has a good reputation. He has trained a team of elite soldiers of thousands of people. After Zhao Xun succeeded to the throne, he wanted to promote and reuse him several times, but Li Zhong got a high position because of his youth. He would fall heavily when he climbed high, which may cause criticism, and he refused to give in. That's right, Li Xiao is two years younger than Li Xun, and is less than twenty-four years old this year. No matter how strong he is, he is Li Zhong's son. If he is promoted too fast, it will definitely cause criticism from many people.

Li Xun is a living Liezi. Compared with Li Xiao, Li Xun is also very young. Whether he is lucky or capable, he has experienced the Battle of Jiangnan, the two Battles of Longyou, the political achievements in managing the western part of Longyou, and even conquered the entire Western Regions. Together, Li Xun's military achievements are already considered to be awesome, but his promotion to the Political Affairs Hall still caused great criticism and negative rumors.

After all, Li Xun is still less than 26 years old. At this young age, he has gained a status and power that most people can never imagine in their entire lives.

"I came back last night and went to the palace to pay homage to the emperor this morning. I'll come to you now and prepare to ask you to find a place to sit."

"How long have you been waiting here?"

"It wasn't long before we arrived at the door and saw this formation. I guess your family was going out today, so they didn't go in to find you. They were just waiting for you to come out, meet, say hello and leave."

Li Xiao looked at the carriage behind Li Xun, and Li Xun's family was getting into the carriage one by one, obviously preparing to go out.

Li Xun heard something from Li Xiao's words: "Are you in a hurry to leave?"

Li Xiao nodded: "Maybe he will leave early tomorrow morning."

"It's necessary to be so urgent?"

Li Xun said in confusion: "You haven't been back and forth in the past few years. You've been back and stayed for a day and left, and you won't be with your father?"

Li Xiao smiled bitterly and said, "You don't know what kind of temper my father has. He would rather I suffer and be burdened outside than I would have nothing to do at home."

Li Zhong is very strict with his children, and many people know this.

Li Xun glanced at Li Xiao. It was not that Li Xiao had no friends in Fengjing, but that he had many, but after meeting the emperor today, he came to find him immediately, and there must be other things.

Li Xun said: "If you are fine, follow me. If you have been tired outside for a few years, just take a vacation for yourself."

Li Xiao thought for a while, then nodded, and then he said to the personal soldiers behind him: "You guys go back and tell my father that I will come back before dinner."

"Yes, General."

The personal soldiers agreed and then rode their horses away.

The two of them rode slowly and walked in front.

Li Xun asked, "Is it the emperor's order you come back this time?"

The Ministry of War did not have a notice of Li Xiao's return to Beijing to report his work. Now that he suddenly comes back, there is only one possibility, that is, the emperor has issued an order to ask him to come back. Otherwise, even if he has something to do at home and asks for leave to return home, he still has to write a leave note. Through the Ministry of War’s approval, local military generals cannot leave their posts at will. Leaving without authorization is a serious crime.

"It was the Emperor who asked me to come back."

Afterwards, Li Xiao explained.

Li Xiao has been a local troupe training envoy for more than three years and has very good political achievements. Zhao Xun wanted to promote him several times, but Li Zhong refused to give in. This time, Zhao Xun was about to transfer Li Xiao back to Fengjing and serve as a senior general of the new army. Li Zhong refused to agree. For this matter, the two had a little unhappy. In the end, Li Zhong gave in and reluctantly agreed that the emperor could promote Li Xiao, but could not join the new army, but asked him to go to Zhezhou.

Li Xun was a little surprised: "Uncle Li asked you to go to Zhezhou?"

Li Xiao nodded and said, "The Emperor originally asked me to join the new army and commanded the third army's 10,000 soldiers of the Left Army under the position of General Zuo Wuwei. However, my father did not allow me to go to the new army, but asked me to go to Zhezhou. The emperor had no choice but to appoint me as the governor of Zhezhou, but my father refused."

"Uncle Li thinks you are too big!"

Li Xun laughed and said, "What was decided in the end?"

Li Xiao smiled bitterly and said, "The Zhezhou Defense Envoy, with my headquarters, we will use 3,000 troops to enrich the military power of Zhezhou, and leave the local taxes in Zhezhou for their own use. The emperor asked me to expand the troops in Zhezhou to 10,000 within one year."

The governor of a state is the fourth rank, comparable to the general of the Sixteen Guards, while the defensive commander is only from the fourth rank, and the general of the Sixteen Guards. Although it is only half a level different, there is still a certain difference in the power between the governor and the defensive commander.

Li Xun frowned and said, "The current situation in Zhezhou is very complicated. You are just a defensive commander, and you are bound to your hands and feet when doing things, which is very troublesome."

Li Xiao said: "The Emperor asked me to take office first, stabilize the situation as much as possible, and then find an opportunity to give me the position of deputy governor, and I actually have the power to be governor."

Li Xun asked, "What about money and food?"

Li Xiao sighed and said, "I gave me 30,000 military rations, and I have nothing but that."

Looking at Li Xiao’s sad face, Li Xun finally understood the reason why he was rushing to find him. He was asking for help.
Chapter completed!