A good man has his ambitions in all directions. When a broader world opens up before him, the things he once longed for and pursued may change overnight. This is naturally a good thing.
Li Jing raised his wine glass and sighed: "I wish I could have been born twenty years later, and personally participated in this war of opening up the sea, conquering all nations, and spreading the glory of the Tang Dynasty to all directions. Looking back on all the things that have happened in the past, more than ten years have been wasted, and now it has caused great confusion. I feel sorry for that.”
As an old man, it is inevitable to feel that time flies by and is wasted.
From being a "god of war" with unparalleled merits to being forced to live in an idle and secluded mansion, how can we empathize with the loneliness and wasted time in it unless we have experienced it personally?
In the most ambitious years of his life, his armor has been removed, his horse is covered in dust and his sword is rusty. On the outside, he looks indifferent and leisurely, but the pain and loss in his heart is indescribable.
Looking at the disciple in front of him who had suffered from him in the past and had no talent but had no choice but to be promoted or command an army, Li Jing's heart and eyes were full of comfort. If he hadn't met Fang Jun who was willing to lay him down and reuse him, Su Dingfang would probably be like him. A life is wasted, full of ambitions that cannot be stretched.
Of course, there is also envy among the comfort.
I have once tasted the feeling of holding thousands of troops and horses, sweeping through the den of thieves and galloping horizontally. How can I be willing to sleep under the eaves and stay with Kusanagi all day long?
How could Su Dingfang not hear the loneliness and regret in Li Jing's words, and comforted him: "Wei Gong is physically strong, and his energy is still as good as before. He should take good care of himself. Although the prince is gentle, he can also understand people and do his job well, and he has a generous heart. In the future, After he ascends the throne, he will surely accomplish something. Now that Duke Wei has trained six soldiers to form a team for the prince, it can be seen that the prince also has great trust in Duke Wei. When the day comes, the great armies of the Tang Dynasty will be rampant in the world, and Duke Wei will naturally have the opportunity to go into battle and show off his talents. Magnificent."
The reason why His Majesty Li Er was jealous of him back then was, on the one hand, Li Jing's outstanding achievements, and on the other hand, Li Jing's influence in the army was so great that even a heroic king like His Majesty Li Er was not allowed to do so. Without fear, even Li Jing himself was frightened, fearing that he would have evil thoughts in his heart for a moment and cause a disaster that would destroy his clan and his family.
However, times have changed, and the structure of the Tang army is no longer the same as it used to be. Countless old soldiers have long since discharged their armor and returned to the fields. They have returned to their hometowns to farm instead of joining the army and going on expeditions. The children and grandchildren who succeeded them only know the heroic deeds of Duke Wei back then, but they have never seen them with their own eyes. , the admiration naturally decreased a lot.
Instead, the younger generation like Fang Jun has emerged. They have impressive family backgrounds, resumes, and world-shaking achievements. They are respected and admired by countless young soldiers. Who is willing to follow veterans like Li Jing to share life and death? Just driven?
Without enough influence, the emperor's suspicion would naturally cease to exist.
As long as the prince ascends the throne, the day when Li Jing will rise again will not be far away. With people like Fang Jun helping him, and the prince himself is not a jealous character, how can he let a famous general like Li Jing, who is like a god in military skills, be left alone? Reuse it?
When he said this, Li Jing was also a little excited.
I had already taken advantage of the opportunity and was in a state of despair. Thinking about the magnificent scene of leading an army to gallop across the world, I actually felt a little bit of longing and expectation.
How can a man, who has been wrapped in horse leather and has a strong and fertile mind, rot in a stable?
Then he raised his glass and said with emotion: "Men are brave and loyal, and should shed blood for their country. If our humble name can be listed in the history, even if thousands of years later, children and grandchildren will read it every time, and they will be able to sigh at the heroism of their ancestors." Live up to this life! I share these words with you!"
Su Dingfang was also full of pride, clinking glasses and saying: "I will live up to my family and country, work with all my heart and courage, and die without regrets! Drink the Holy Drink!"
"Drinking Saint!"
A pair of master and apprentice clinked glasses and drank together, then looked at each other and laughed, full of emotions.
This is a turbulent era. How lucky and comforting it is to be born here and participate in it? An ambition can finally be fulfilled, and a skill can be placed on the family and the country. I would rather be shrouded in horse leather and leave a blood full of blood to illuminate the history!
*****
In the Dragon Palace, Fang Jun entered the palace to express his gratitude.
Although His Majesty Li Er's decree has been issued and the punishment has been made, according to the rules, as long as he is not beheaded or expelled from the capital and immediately exiled, he must enter the palace to express his gratitude.
The so-called "thunder, rain and dew are all your kindness"...
Looking at Fang Jun, who was bowing to the ground in front of him, His Majesty Li Er snorted coldly. Naturally, he didn't have a good look on his face. He reprimanded: "You are becoming more and more presumptuous. Even if you have any dissatisfaction in your heart, you should treat it in an appropriate way." Put it forward and resolve it. The Yamen of the Ministry of Civil Affairs is an important central place, and it has been turned upside down by your nonsense. Where is the dignity of the Ministry of Civil Affairs? Where is the majesty of the imperial court? It is simply a complete bastard!"
At this time, Fang Jun naturally would not argue arrogantly. He honestly admitted his mistake and said with a humble expression: "Your Majesty taught you rightly. A humble minister is reckless and guilty of a heinous crime. Next time, I will definitely follow your Majesty's teachings and resolve the matter calmly. No nonsense.”
His Majesty Li Er raised his sword eyebrows: "Do you still want a next time? Humph, if there really is a next time, I will send you to Qiongzhou and never come back to Beijing! Aren't you good at boating? Then go to Qiongzhou to build a Your shipyard, go to overseas countries to show off your power, and wander on the sea for the rest of your life!"
Fang Jun said hurriedly: "Wei Chen doesn't dare, because Wei Chen knows his crime."
"Don't pretend to be well-behaved and sensible in front of me. How can I not know your virtue? I'm afraid you may be submissive and submissive on the surface, but in your heart you are calling me a fool!"
His Majesty Li Er is not that easy to fool.
Fang Jun had no choice but to plead guilty again and again: "Your Majesty, Saint Ming Zhuzhao, is the most holy king throughout the ages. He has inherited the benevolence of Yao and Shun and is deeply loved by all people. I am willing to go through fire and water for your majesty. How dare I have the slightest disrespect?"
"Hmph, I'm sorry you don't even dare!"
"..."
Fang Jun was speechless. You knew I didn't dare and you still said that on purpose?
After Haosheng scolded him, His Majesty Li Er let out a breath of anger and pointed to the coffee table in front of him: "Sit down and make tea."
"Here."
Fang Jun breathed a sigh of relief, quickly knelt down in front of the coffee table, washed the tea set with boiling water, then made tea and placed the teacup respectfully in front of His Majesty Li Er.
His Majesty Li Er picked up the tea cup and took a sip. He looked up at Fang Jun and couldn't help but scolded: "You are really lawless. Are you becoming more and more lawless relying on my love for you?"
Fang Junxin said you're not done yet?
Naturally, he did not dare to refute, but at this moment, His Majesty Li Er had obviously calmed down, so he defended: "What your Majesty is scolding is that the humble minister is reckless. But although the humble minister is wrong in this matter, it is also because the officials do not follow the rules. First. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally transferred Pei Xingjian back to the capital to serve as an assistant in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. All the procedures were reasonable and legal, and Pei Xingjian himself was fully qualified to be promoted to the rank of doctor in the Ministry of Finance. However, due to the needs of the struggle, those Guanlong disciples Ignoring the laws of the court, he suppressed the appointment and delayed reading the signature. Your Majesty clearly knows the reason. He will naturally understand that it is the Guanlong disciples who monopolize the promotion of officials in the Ministry of Personnel. However, if he had not understood these secrets, he must have This will be attributed to His Majesty’s instructions..."
When a wise person speaks, you can just point it out and don't say it out loud.
His Majesty Li Er frowned. He could naturally taste the unexplained meaning in these words, and even thought about it more deeply.
It is entirely possible that the outside world does not know the reason and attributes this to his instigation. He was the one who originally promoted the King of Jin to compete with the Crown Prince for the heir apparent. The court had already had a lot of negative comments on this, but because he was a very prestigious emperor, many people dared to speak out, including the Crown Prince.
In this way, those people would easily think that he, the emperor, had secretly intervened in Pei Xingjian's order, with the purpose of suppressing the prince and supporting the king of Jin.
This inevitably gives people a feeling of favoring one over the other. They are both sons, and the prince was appointed early. Why do you want Yi Chu now but don't even give him a chance to compete fairly, and are obsessed with being the king?
This was a huge blow to the emperor's image of justice.
For His Majesty Li Er, who is so happy about his achievements and cares so much about his reputation, this is somewhat unacceptable...
It's even more than that.
What would the prince think?
As a father, you pushed the pheasant slave out to compete with me for the throne, and you kept claiming to be impartial. As a result, you placed the pheasant slave into the Ministry of War to try to dig up my foundation. However, I asked to come to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but you didn't even bother me. All capable assistants should be suppressed...
The prince, who was already full of resentment, felt an even greater thorn in his heart.
