Xiao smiled bitterly and said: "Zhong Yuangong is an authentic Confucian sect. Now that he has retired from office, why should he get involved in the muddy water of the court and spend all his energy and energy? Traveling in springs and forests, teaching and educating people, are the true Confucians. Pursue."
Kong Yingda's tea-making hand paused for a moment, then sighed: "Who in this world can truly be free and unrestrained without external things lingering in their heart?"
The Kong family seemed to have a respected position, but they never had real power.
Since the Warring States Period, rulers have not only relied on Confucianism to govern the world, but at the same time they have been wary of the so-called "authentic Confucianism" of the Confucian family, leaving the Confucian family with a supreme spiritual reputation but no actual power.
The Kong family is nominally the leader of the Shandong family, but how can those wealthy families be willing to accept the constraints of a family with no actual power?
Only by charging into battle and fighting in the world can the Kong family's status be ensured.
After thousands of years of inheritance, the Kong family has fallen into a period of decline, with no descendants and no successors. As a result, even if Kong Yingda retires from office, he has to work hard for the future of the family.
Born in the family, ended in the family, died in the family.
Even great Confucian scholars such as Kong Yingda are not exempt from vulgarity.
The autumn wind blew through the pavilion, and the heat of the tea was blown away one by one. Xiao Momo sat there on his knees, weighing the pros and cons and calculating the gains and losses in his heart.
Kong Yingda sighed with emotion, and when he saw Xiao's expression, he smiled and said: "Song Guogong doesn't have to be impatient. The matter is serious. It's better to discuss it with other Jiangnan nobles before making a choice. I just hope Song Guogong understands that if this time The alliance between you and me will not happen overnight, but for a long period of time in the future. We need to cooperate sincerely and not be scheming, otherwise we will have different plans, and in the end it will be our common enemy who will benefit."
Xiao nodded silently.
What these words refer to is that Xiao and Changsun Wuji had unintentionally cooperated once before to obtain the actual power of the Hanhai Protectorate and the Shanyu Protectorate respectively. They were afraid that they would be treacherous, have both sides, and secretly cooperate with the Guanlong nobles. They colluded with each other and sold the Shandong family as if they were fools.
Of course he would not be so short-sighted.
In the foreseeable future, the decline of the Guanlong nobles is inevitable, and it is almost a foregone conclusion that the Shandong noble family will replace them with their strong heritage. If the Shandong noble family is offended at this time, when they rise in the future, the Jiangnan nobles will inevitably face crazy revenge. .
That is something the Jiangnan gentry absolutely cannot afford.
Kong Yingda then said with a smile: "The autumn wind is blowing here and the scenery is pleasant. Let's not talk about these mundane matters. It is a pleasure for you and me to drink tea in the pavilion and overlook the beautiful scenery. Come and come, please drink tea."
Xiao Ye gathered his mood, buried all those thoughts in his heart, took the tea cup, and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, this place was originally deserted. If Fang Erlang hadn't temporarily placed the east and west cities beside the Kunming Pool, and on the hillside beside the pool, How could there be such a prosperous and beautiful scenery when an academy was built on it? This cup of fragrant tea was also made by Fang Erlang with his whims and whims. Fang Erlang is the most responsible for the splendor of this prosperous age."
Kong Yingda took a sip of tea and looked at the vast blue waves of Kunming Pool. There were still several warships cruising and practicing on the pool. He couldn't help but sigh softly and said: "This son has a smart mind. It is not an exaggeration to say that he knows the world. I have known him all his life." There are countless people, but there is no one like him who is young, mature, and full of ingenuity. In time, this son's achievements will be far above you and me, and it will be easy to leave a name in history and shine in the annals of history."
One of the two was Fang Jun's in-law, and the other had a long-lasting friendship with him. Naturally, they would not speak ill of him behind his back. Instead, they thought about Fang Jun's incredible actions, and were filled with emotion for a while.
Of course, these two people represented a meeting between the two major factions in the dynasty, which also determined the changes in the situation of the Tang Dynasty for a long time from now on.
*****
Jin Palace.
Jin Wang Li Zhi felt helpless when he saw his uncle Changsun Wuji coming uninvited.
He naturally knew what his uncle was thinking, and he also admitted that he had always coveted the position of supremacy, but this definitely did not mean that he could secretly use some means to frame or even persecute the prince in order to achieve his goals. Purpose.
He knows very well what kind of temper his father is. Only his father can decide the successor to the throne. Anyone who thinks they have enough power to force his father to make a decision simply doesn't know the word "death". Write……
Changsun Wuji was dressed in regular clothes, with a kind and warm smile on his round face. He first asked the Jin Princess, who was pregnant again, how she was doing, and told her to be careful and to have the imperial doctor diagnose and take care of her at all times. Be careless.
After Princess Jin resigned, Changsun Wuji faced Li Zhi, sighed and said, "The situation is not good."
Li Zhi remained silent.
It's you who are responsible for the trouble with the Long nobles. What does it have to do with me?
As if he understood what Li Zhi was thinking, Changsun Wuji said slowly: "Don't think that the current situation has nothing to do with His Highness. Without Guan Long's strong support, it would be almost impossible for His Highness to realize his wish. And His Majesty is stepping up now. In order to suppress Guan Long, it may be that he was aware of His Highness's intentions, so he intended to block all His Highness's roads in this way, so that His Highness would give up this intention."
Li Zhi raised his eyes and glanced at Changsun Wuji, his lips moved, but in the end he said nothing.
He considers himself smart, but he is also self-aware. Compared with people like Changsun Wuji, who have gone through countless turmoils in the court, he is no worse than the slightest bit inferior.
Perhaps...his father's great efforts to suppress the Guanlong nobles really had his own reasons?
Just thinking about it this way, apart from being frustrated, there is also a palpitation in his heart. He knows his father's character very well. Whoever dares to go against his father's will will definitely not end well!
Back then, I swung the butcher's knife on my elder brother and younger brother without hesitation. Is it possible that I don't dare to kill a traitor today?
Changsun Wuji added: "Since ancient times, the winner is a prince and the loser is a bandit. If you step forward, you will ascend to the great treasure and dominate the world. If you step back, you will be imprisoned for the rest of your life... Nowadays, the prince's position seems to be stable, but in fact, your majesty still has such a sense of unwillingness in his heart. , this is His Highness's only chance. Otherwise, when the Crown Prince succeeds to the throne in the future, facing His Highness, a brother who is deeply loved by his ministers and highly favored by His Majesty, will he really be able to have deep brotherhood and let you go? Even if His Highness the Crown Prince is kind-hearted If they can't bear to kill each other, how can those of his followers tolerate the existence of someone like His Highness who can threaten the throne at any moment? A glass of poisonous wine or three feet of white silk, I'm afraid that is His Highness's destiny."
Li Zhi looked at Changsun Wuji in surprise.
In the past, Changsun Wuji had tried to persuade him to stand up and fight for the throne several times, but his words had always been cryptic. However, it was unprecedented for him to be so straightforward and unscrupulous like today.
Thinking about it, it was my father's recent methods that scared my uncle. He was afraid that he would no longer be able to struggle under his father's pressure in the future, so he simply told the truth today without any taboos.
In other words, if today I still want to be as ambiguous as before, it will be almost impossible...
Swallowing his saliva, he said: "The king entrusts the minister with courtesy, and the minister serves the king with loyalty. If the king wants the minister to die, the minister has to die. If the father wants the son to die, the son has to die. If that day really comes, I will make it happen. If you lose the loyalty in your heart, what will happen if you die?"
"Hmph! Stupid!"
Changsun Wuji snorted coldly, glared at Li Zhi and said: "Only the virtuous occupy the position of ninety-five. The prince cannot obey the crowd. There are so many people in the world who have different minds. Even though His Highness is loyal and loyal, he cannot bear to resist and wants to die." With the full name, those who are dissatisfied will still rise up to resist. When the country is in chaos and wars are everywhere, will His Highness be able to meet his ancestors without any guilt under the Nine Springs? It is simply stupid!"
Li Zhi still shook his head and said in a firm tone: "Now that the matter has come to this, if I have never had the ambition to ascend to the throne, I am afraid that even my uncle will not believe it. But my uncle must know that this country belongs to the father. If the father gives I, I want it; if Father doesn’t give it to me, I will never snatch it away! This is the duty of a son of man, even if a steel knife is inserted into the neck and poison is put into the throat, I will never disobey Father in the slightest!"
Changsun Wuji was so angry that his nose was filled with smoke.
He valued Jin King Li Zhi because he was smart and clever, and he was favored by His Majesty Li Er. After King Wu and King Wei successively expressed their intention to give up the fight for the throne, they had no choice but to choose him, but he never thought about it. This kid is so cunning.
He covets the throne in his heart, but refuses to bear any infamy. Is this because he wants to blame all the bad things on me and steal the throne cleanly and innocently?
How shameless!
