Just as the study room is the last piece of territory for men, Cui Yuan's study room is also not allowed to enter easily. He has two study rooms, one is the outer study room, which is used to receive some allies and confidants; the other is the inner study room, which is not allowed to enter except for a maid who specializes in cleaning the room.

Cui Yuan put Yu on the table and took out a small gold-patterned box from a red sandalwood box. He took out a golden key from the bottom and opened the box. He filled some letters inside. He flipped through the bottom and found a yellowed plain paper. His hands began to tremble slightly.

On the plain paper is a poem:

Return your pearl,

Xie Jun’s ruler.

Given to you and the sword of wisdom,

May you kill your lovesickness.

The signature is "Guangling Chu Wanlan."

"It's her, it's her jade plaque!" Cui Yuan murmured to himself. Wan Lan on the jade plaque and Wan Lan on the signature of the letter were exactly the same.

Cui Yuan carefully put the letter back on. He stared at the jade plaque in a daze, as if he remembered the years twenty years ago. That year, he was thirty-six years old and had just inherited the head of the family. Chu Wanlan was only seventeen years old, with a peerless appearance and unparalleled beauty. He had already married the daughter of the eldest son of another great family, Changsun Quanxu, and gave birth to a son Cui Xian. However, he fell in love with the seventeen-year-old Chu Wanlan like crazy, which of course made him sad.

More than twenty years have passed, and Cui Yuan, who is nearly sixty years old, has long forgotten these past events, but a jade plaque he met by chance has evoked his memories of the past events.

At this time, there were soft footsteps outside the door, and the butler whispered outside: "Master, the second master is here!"

The butler's voice interrupted Cui Yuan's memory. He smiled self-deprecatingly. Why do you want to do this at such an age?

"I understand, take him to my study room first!" Cui Yuan put Yu on the table and got up.

Just as Cui Yuan left, her daughter Cui Ning tiptoed outside the room.

"Father, are you inside?" Cui Ning gently knocked on the door of the study. He heard from the servant that his father went to the inner study room, but after knocking for a few times, there was no sound inside. She pushed it gently, and the door of the study room opened with a creaking sound.

The lights inside were bright, and a warm atmosphere came out from the crack of the door.

The warm atmosphere reminded Cui Ning of her childhood. She often sneaked into her father's study and covered his eyes. At that time, her father always hugged her and sat on his lap with a smile, took out some maps to tell her many interesting stories. These were things that happened many years ago, but it seemed to have happened yesterday.

"Father, are you here?" Cui Ning walked into the study lightly. His father was not there, and a string of sparks broke out in the brazier in the room, which scared her. Just as Cui Ning was about to withdraw, he suddenly saw a light green jade token on the table, which looked very familiar. She thought of the jade token under Zhang Huan's neck, and a trace of uneasiness arose in her heart. She quickly walked over and picked up the jade token, and there was indeed the word "Wan Lan" on it.

Without doubt, he had already fallen into his father's hand. Cui Ning was shocked and confused. He stood there and was at a loss. With a "crack!", another string of sparks exploded in the brazier. She woke up and then held the jade token in her hand and left in panic.

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Cui Yuan came to the outer study room, and Cui Qinggong was walking anxiously in the room. He had been busy pursuing military discipline these two days, but he didn't know about Cui Ning's kidnapping. It was not until Cui Ning returned home that he learned about it, and all this was caused by his bastard son.

Seeing the eldest brother come in, Cui Qinggong hurriedly stepped forward to salute. He said ashamedly: "It's all Xiong's son who caused trouble, Xiao Ning is wronged!"

Cui Yuan waved his hand and said, "Fortunately, Ning'er came back safely and nothing happened. I'll let it go for the time being."

"Where is Zhang Huan! Did he forget it too?"

After all, Cui Qinggong was still for Zhang Huan, and he said unwillingly: "Brother, this person will become the pillar of the Zhang family, and cannot be let go!"

Cui Yuan was silent. If Zhang Huan was not a child of the Zhang family, he would recruit him at all costs. He only saw outside Chunming Gate, and he forced himself away alone. Hundreds of cavalry galloped past him, but he didn't even blink his eyelids. With this courage alone, he could even recruit him as a son-in-law.

Unfortunately, he is a child of the Zhang family, and he will never become his right-hand man. Since he cannot be used by himself, he will never raise a tiger to cause trouble.

However, today's discovery of the jade made Cui Yuan suspicious of Zhang Huan's life experience. If Chu Wanlan was really his mother, then he shouldn't be just a concubine's son anyway. This doubt made Cui Yuan's desire to kill Zhang Huan a little shaken. At least before finding out the truth, he did not want to touch Zhang Huan for the time being.

"Someone has begun to intervene in the matter of Xiong's prosecution. You must not cause any more trouble, otherwise it will ruin my big deal. Have you heard of it?"

"But..." Cui Qinggong was still a little unwilling to accept it, "Brother, I can let those scholars go, but Zhang Huan kidnapped the daughter of the prime minister, how can he forgive him easily?"

Cui Yuan looked at him and said coldly: "Second brother, hatred will blind your eyes. Zhang Huan is not important. What is important is that Zhang Potian's words can make your generals give up the task. This is the big thing you should consider. You really disappoint me!"

Cui Qinggong's face turned into a pig's liver. He hurriedly explained to his elder brother, "The army who betrayed me made me beat him to death, and Liu Yuanqing, I now suspect that he was also released privately!"

"Nonsense!" Cui Yuan slapped the table and shouted sternly: "Can you scare them by killing people? If you kill people, you will force them towards Zhang Potian. Wouldn't you use other methods?"

The eldest brother's rare anger made Cui Qinggong stand up in fear. He said tremblingly: "Please give me instructions!"

"I can't even think of such a simple method!" Cui Yuan stood up and said to him word by word: "Our Cui family still has 150,000 troops in Shandong. Wouldn't you transfer their soldiers and generals to each other?"

The air in the study seemed to condense. Cui Qinggong's head was deep down. He didn't dare to say a word. Cui Yuan also realized his severity. He slowly sat down and used a gentle tone to ease the tension in the room.

"This time Wei Ye is coming in a fierce momentum, and next is a fierce battle. Among the seven major families, the Wang and Yang families have been used by our Cui family. Zhang Ruohao will naturally support Wei Ye. The remaining Chu and Pei families are extremely critical, especially Pei Jun, the fox. He will not agree without substantial benefits."

Cui Qinggong still didn't dare to speak. Cui Yuan glanced at his brother and smiled and said, "Xiong'er's wild horse should be in a cage. I plan to ask Xiong'er to marry his youngest daughter Pei Ying. What do you think?"

Cui Qinggong nodded and replied, "After everything you have to do!"

Cui Yuan waved his hand with a smile, and said, "You should concentrate on really capturing Fengxiang Army into your own hands first. In two days, I will think of bringing you into the cabinet first."

"Cabinet?" Cui Qinggong was stunned. The seven people in the cabinet were all heads of seven major families and the highest authority of the Tang Dynasty. How could others tolerate the Cui family getting two seats?

"Brother, I'm afraid this is a bit difficult!"

"Is there any difficulty? Is it still unclear?"

Cui Yuan smiled coldly, "You have to remember that our ultimate goal is the right prime minister rotation in June next year. The rest are just means. Letting you enter the cabinet is just a test for me!"

Cui Qinggong seemed to understand but not understand, and his eyes were confused. Cui Yuan smiled faintly and stopped explaining.

At this moment, a rapid footsteps came from the door, and the butler reported outside, "Master, Shangshu Zhang is visiting!"

"Zhang Ruohao?" Cui Yuan was a little surprised, but he immediately realized that Zhang Ruohao must have come for Zhang Huan, but how did he know that Zhang Huan is in his hands?

"Please wait for a while in the small room, and say I will change my clothes and come."

Cui Yuan turned around and said to Cui Qinggong: "Go! Take control of the army."

When Cui Qinggong left, Cui Yuan pondered for a moment and ordered his subordinates: "Go to the East Courtyard to bring Zhang Huan, treat him with courtesy, and do not neglect him."

When his subordinates were about to leave, Cui Yuan stopped him again, "Send someone to Taiyuan to check Zhang Huan's background, especially pay attention to his mother's situation!"

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Zhang Ruohao did come for Zhang Huan and received a letter of help from the owner of the grocery store. He rushed to the Cui Mansion without even changing his clothes. Now Zhang Huan is extremely important to him. He is a key figure in whether the Zhang family can revitalize it.

The Zhang family is not short of money; people, Hedong has been a densely populated place since ancient times. What the Zhang family lacks is a junior who has courage and a view of the overall situation, and a general who can rebuild the Hedong Army. Among the Zhang clan where decadent and comfort are prevalent, Zhang Huan is undoubtedly a person who has the ability to turn the tide. He first lets him rebuild the Hedong Army, and when the time is ripe, he will then make himself the position of monk leader. These are things that Zhang Ruohao has long considered mature.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Huan caused a huge wave as soon as he arrived in Chang'an, and now he was detained by Cui Yuan again. He was extremely worried that Cui Yuan would kill Zhang Huan, which would cause his many years of hard work to go east.

Just as Zhang Ruohao was waiting in the living room uneasyly, Cui Yuan's hearty laughter came from afar, "If Zhang Shangshu waited for a long time, Cui Yuan was guilty of being the most serious!" When the voice arrived, Cui Yuan appeared at the door with a smile.

Zhang Ruohao hurriedly stood up and bowed to him with a smile: "Come on uninvited, I should apologize!"

Cui Yuan stepped forward and grabbed his arm affectionately and smiled: "Shangshu Zhang would be better off coming every day, so that I will be happy."

Zhang Ruohao stroked the silver beard and smiled and said, "I just drink a lot of alcohol. I'm afraid I'll drink the little inventory in the Prime Minister's cellar every day."

"There are some wines, but I'm afraid Brother Zhang will not come and drink them!"

"There is such a thing?" Zhang Ruohao and Cui Yuan looked at each other and laughed.

Both sides sat down, and without waiting for Zhang Ruohao to speak, Cui Yuan smiled and said bluntly: "Shangshu Zhang must have come from Zhang Huan's business!"

"That's right, I heard that he was acting recklessly, Old Fult came to apologize."

Cui Yuan smiled faintly and said, "I can't afford Zhang Shangshu's apology. You can take away someone, but I have a small condition."

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Chapter completed!