In Ningshou Palace, the Queen Mother ordered the imperial chef to prepare delicious food and to entertain the Liu family father and son in the palace. Ling'er was so excited that she didn't sleep well all night when she learned that Liu Yixuan had entered the palace today. She ran to the Queen Mother's side early in the morning to wait for news. The Queen Mother sent several eunuchs to Xuande Hall to inquire. When there was news about Liu Yixuan, she came back to report. When the Queen Mother learned that Liu Yixuan had been awarded the deputy commander of the fourth-rank Imperial Guard and was awarded a gold medal, she was happy for him again.

It was about noon, and the eunuch who was in charge of inquiring about the news hurriedly replied: "Empress Dowager, the father and son of Liu Xiangguo have been ordered by the emperor to come to Ningshou Palace."

The Queen Mother said happily, "Okay, OK." She asked again, "Has the Emperor come here?"

The little eunuch shook his head and replied, "I only saw the father and son of Liu Xiangguo coming, but did not see the imperial guards of the official family. Maybe I will come back later."

The Empress Dowager said, "Okay, the Ai family knows, you guys go down and prepare first." Ling'er, who was watching the fun, ran over and asked, "What's wrong, is the emperor still here?"

The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and said, "Your emperor's brother should come over. This luncheon was originally sent by him to the Ai family, saying that he would entertain the father and son of the Liu family in Ningshou Palace. Later, the Ai family will send someone to ask, "Okay, don't worry, go and see if your uncle and your brother Xuan have come."

While the mother and daughter were chatting, the little eunuch came to report: "The Prime Minister Liu is waiting outside the palace gate." The empress dowager quickly sent an order to ask the father and the son to come in. After hearing the summons, the father and son of the Liu family quickly walked to Ningshou Palace to see the emperor. The father and son entered the palace gate and knelt down to the old empress dowager. The empress dowager asked the father and son to spare their respects and gave them a stool to sit down.

Liu Yixuan had noticed that Ling'er was also next to her, and quickly smiled at her, winking and conveying feelings. Liu Yixuan had not seen Ling'er for many days, and she missed her very much. She was even more happy to meet her in the palace today. The empress dowager called Liu Yixuan to the front, looked at him, and said, "Xuan'er went to the battlefield and was indeed tanned a lot, but it looked stronger than before." She asked again, "Xuan'er, I heard that you have made a lot of contributions on the front line. What official has the emperor appointed you today?"

Liu Yixuan smiled and said, "Report to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor has granted me the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard and also given me a gold medal, so that I can enter and exit the Meridian Gate freely."

"Deputy Chief of the Imperial Guard? What kind of official is this? What rank is it?" The Empress Dowager was obviously very concerned about her future son-in-law's future and hurriedly asked Liu Anguo next to her.

Liu Anguodao: "This deputy commander of the Imperial Guard is a fourth-rank officer. He is a job in the big house and is mainly responsible for protecting the safety of the emperor and your elderly."

"Oh, it turns out that it's such an official." He said again: "It's good that Xuan'er is on duty in the capital. From now on, you two will have a support for each other in the court. It's much better than those who have been given foreign responsibilities and become prefects and governors!"

"Yes, what the Empress Dowager said is very true." Liu Anguo echoed on the side. The Empress Dowager chatted with Liu Anguo for a few words, then asked Liu Yixuan about the border, and saw the palace maids coming and talking, saying that the lunch was ready and the banquet was ready. Seeing that Qin Zong Zhao Huan was in the future, the Empress Dowager asked the eunuchs to go to the imperial study room to ask. Liu Yixuan took the opportunity to wink at Ling'er, and the two secretly ran behind the pillars of the side hall to speak.

Liu Yixuan saw Ling'er wearing a crimson purple gauze skirt, as beautiful as a flower, with her cute pink and white face, a pair of watery eyes that were exuding aura, and her black hair, making Liu Yixuan even more intoxicated. Ling'er was staring at her like this, and she was already shy and silent. She lowered her head and said softly: "Brother Xuan, why do you look at her like this? It feels weird."

Liu Yixuan held her little hand and smiled and said, "Silly girl, I haven't seen you for more than three months. I have to see you enough today. Come on, beauty, let me take a look again!"

"I hate it, I'm saying this to coax me again. When you left, you didn't come to say anything to me, it made people worry about you every day." After that, he pretended to be angry and turned around and ignored Liu Yixuan.

Seeing that she complained about her farewell without saying goodbye, Liu Yixuan felt guilty and quickly apologized to Ling'er: "Good girl, don't be angry with me. I was going to the battlefield and wanted to say goodbye to you, but the military situation was urgent. I couldn't enter the palace for a while, so I couldn't say goodbye to you. Didn't I leave a letter to ask my mother to enter the palace and hand it over to you? Have you ever received it?"

Ling'er nodded and said, "Well, I received it. When I entered the palace, you had been going to the army for five days. When I heard that you went to the battlefield, I clamored to ask the emperor to recall you from the front line. Unexpectedly, the emperor scolded me. I was scared for a moment and didn't dare to say anything else..." As he said that, his eyes were filled with tears and his face looked aggrieved.

When Liu Yixuan heard that Ling'er was so worried about him and suffered a lot of grievances for him, he held her in his arms and apologized in her ears. "It's all my fault. I've made my sister wronged. Your emperor brother is really, why should you scold you? Such a good sister can't hurt! Okay, don't be sad. I'm back now and I will never be separated from you again, okay?"

Ling'er snuggled in Liu Yixuan's arms, full of happiness on his face, but suddenly heard the sound of someone coughing behind him. Ling'er quickly struggled out of Liu Yixuan's arms and hurriedly tidy up her clothes. Turning back, it turned out to be her close-fitting girl, the pearl curtain. When the pearl curtain saw Ling'er and Liu Yixuan hugging each other, she only laughed aside. Seeing that it was the pearl curtain, Ling'er quickly pretended to be angry and resented: "What a damn girl, how dare you eavesdrop on us, see I can spare you!"

The pearl curtain smiled and said, "Princess, you have wronged me. I am not here to eavesdrop on your whispers. It was the Queen Mother who asked me to come. The Queen Mother said that the banquet was ready, so I asked the princess and the prince consort to have a meal there."

After hearing this, the two looked at each other, and each felt happy, so they followed the pearl curtain to the front hall for dinner. Liu Yixuan and Ling'er came to the front hall and saw a large table in the living room, and all kinds of delicacies had been placed. The empress dowager saw her daughter's shy face and knew that they must have gone to a secluded place to talk to themselves again. The empress dowager naturally knew what her daughter was thinking, and she also felt that they were born with a pair, so she didn't ask much.

At this moment, the eunuch who was in charge of going to the imperial study room to question him ran back. The eunuch knelt down and reported: "Report to the Empress Dowager, the official said that the court affairs are busy today, so he will not come to Ningshou Palace for the banquet. The Empress Dowager will host the father and son of the Liu family on their behalf."

After hearing this, the empress dowager didn't know what Qin Zong was trying to do. She wondered: "Huan'er told me this morning that she would come to my palace for a banquet, why didn't she come again now? Is he so busy that he can't get out of his body?" She felt unhappy for a moment.

The Queen Mother asked: "What ministers and emperors are there in the imperial study? Why don't you even have the time to have a meal?"

The little eunuch replied: "It was Grand Master Zhu and several adults from the Ministry of War who were by the official's house."

The empress dowager frowned and said angrily: "It's this Grand Master Zhu again! I don't know what big things are going on. She took a group of disciples to discuss matters with Huan'er all day long. I think Huan'er has lost a lot of weight these days, and it's all caused by this Grand Master Zhu!"

The Empress Dowager felt sorry for her son. Seeing that his son worked hard all day, he pushed all his sins to the ministers. Although this was accusing Zhu Fan, Liu Anguo felt uncomfortable listening to him because he often took memorials from all over the country to discuss, and sometimes he was busy until late at night to let Qinzong rest. "What the Empress Dowager taught was that all the ministers were incompetent, and the emperor worked too much, and the old minister was guilty."

When the old empress dowager saw Liu Anguo apologizing, she knew that he was a loyal minister, so she was not willing to blame him. She smiled at him and said, "Liu Qing family should not be too careless. Ai family is not talking about you. Ai family is talking about Zhu Fan. If Master Zhu is in charge of the Monk of the Privy Council, he should share more worries for Huan'er. How can he bother Huan'er in everything?" She sighed, "Oh, it's easy to be a mother. I think Huan'er has not looked very good recently, so she is worried about his health. Empress Zhu has been in the palace for three years and has not given birth to a grandchild for the Ai family. When the Ai family thinks of this, they are worried! Okay, let's not talk about these troubles. Since the emperor has something to do, the Ai family will treat you two for him. Come and go to the table!"

After hearing what the Empress Dowager said, Liu Yixuan could only sigh helplessly. Qinzong was indeed a miserable emperor. He was weak and incompetent. In addition, he was ordered to manage such an internal and external dynasty, unless he was a god. As for the current situation in the Northern Song Dynasty, if Liu Yixuan traveled through time to become Qinzong Zhao Huan, how could he save the Northern Song Dynasty?

The internal troubles of the Northern Song Dynasty were party struggles. There were various parties such as new parties, old parties, war-torn factions, peace-making factions and centrists within the court. The core figures of these parties were both leaders of scholars and all held great power. They could be said to be a response. Even if they made up their minds to get rid of a party, it would inevitably encourage their arrogance to opposing parties. These party members were often closely connected. As long as others' remarks and opinions were slightly different from their own, they would accuse them of no matter whether they were good or bad, and they did not care about national interests or the safety of the country. The factions fought for power and profit, and fought openly and secretly, and had long lost the rationality they should have when dealing with emergencies.

The party struggles in the Song Dynasty were not a product of the Jingkang period. It had been born since the reforms in the Xining period of Emperor Shenzong of Song Dynasty. After continuous struggles between the reforms and the conservatives, the gentry in the world labeled themselves. Although the original intention of Wang Anshi's reform was to reform the system, the result of the reforms was to leave a disaster for the Northern Song Dynasty.

The reform of the Shenzong has been more than fifty years since the Jingkang period. It is definitely not easy to eliminate the party struggles in a short period of time. If someone really wants to travel back to save the Northern Song Dynasty, it is best to consider going back to the Xining period.

Of course, the biggest factor that led to the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty was not internal but external troubles, because there were all dynasties in party struggles. As long as the rulers could realize the harm of party struggles and kill in time, they could also adjust the administration of the court to a normal track. However, it would take a courageous monarch and a not too short time, but the Northern Song Dynasty was not so lucky at this time.

The Jurchens were emerging nations in the north. They unified Goryeo, destroyed the Great Liao, and tasted the sweetness of invasion and expansion. The entire nation was in a stage of high fighting spirit and desire. The Central Plains, a country rich in exquisite silk and porcelain, was full of beautiful women everywhere, which had long been coveted. After destroying the Great Liao, the Jin people wanted to force the Song Dynasty to pay more tribute to some porcelain beauties like the previous Liao Kingdom. Unexpectedly, the army went south and saw that the Song army was so vulnerable. Within two months, they occupied a large area of ​​Shanxi and Hebei, and the Jin soldiers who robbed a large number of jewelry and women, gradually figured out the background of the Song Dynasty. It turned out that these officials in power in the Song Dynasty were just weak scholars who could only write poetry, painting, tease and sing girls. It was simply unbearable for such a nation to not be enslaved by others!

At this time, Liu Yixuan didn't want to think about this anymore, because it was useless to think about it. She was just leaving her fate, and her future was uncertain, so she could not care about others. Looking at the smile on Ling'er's face, Liu Yixuan seemed to realize that her most important task now was to treat Ling'er well. Even if the Northern Song Dynasty would perish soon, she could no longer be wronged.

Seeing that Liu Yixuan and his son were a little restrained, the Empress Dowager hurriedly asked the palace maids to pick up food and pour wine for them, and said, "You two are you, don't be polite. When you arrive at Ai's house, it's like at home. Xuan'er, you must have suffered a lot in the border. You can eat more of these delicious foods."

Liu Yixuan nodded quickly and thanked him. After eating some food carefully, the father and son ate a meal in a hurry. Then he saw Eunuch Zhang beside Qin Zong rushing over. When the Eunuch Zhang saw the Empress Dowager, he hurriedly saluted. The Empress Dowager asked, "Eunuch Zhang, what's wrong with you coming here in such a hurry?"

Eunuch Zhang gasped and said, "When I returned to the Empress Dowager, it was the official who asked the slaves to come. The official had an order to ask Master Liu to go to the imperial study room to discuss matters after lunch, saying that there was something important to discuss."

"What's the point? Even eating doesn't make people relax!" the empress dowager complained.

Liu Anguo stood up and said, "The emperor sent Eunuch Zhang to pass the imperial eunuch. I believe there is indeed a matter of important matters to discuss. As the left prime minister, the old minister should be the emperor's worries." He also winked at Liu Yixuan and told him not to eat anymore. After Liu Yixuan got his father's hint, he stood up and listened.

Liu Anguodao: "Today, the Empress Dowager held a banquet to entertain him. My father and son were grateful for the love between the emperor and the empress dowager. He must be loyal to the emperor to the death. Now the emperor asked Eunuch Zhang to pass the imperial edict and summon the old minister to discuss matters. The old minister would take the dog son and say goodbye first!" After the memorial, he knelt down and thanked him.

The Empress Dowager said: "Liu Qing's family, have you both finished eating?"

Liu Anguodao: "Empress Dowager Xie is worried, I have eaten."

The Empress Dowager asked Liu Yixuan again: "Xuan'er, have you eaten? Your father has something to leave, and you have nothing to do. Let's wait here later."

Liu Yixuan glanced at his father and saw Liu Anguo frowned. He obviously did not want his son to stay here. First, he was afraid that Liu Yixuan would say something he shouldn't say, and second, there were many rules in the palace, and he was afraid that he would cause trouble. Liu Yixuan had to say, "If you answer the Queen Mother, I'll eat it too."

The empress dowager had no choice but to say, "Okay, since you have something to do, then I won't keep you." Then she said to Ling'er next to her, "Ling'er, send your uncle and brother to Ai's family."

After Ling'er received the orders of the Empress Dowager, she had to come outside the palace gate to say goodbye to Liu Yixuan in a hurry. After all, what happened in the Song Dynasty, and I will wait for the following text. (To be continued)
Chapter completed!