When Linghu Xiuji told Linghu Defen about the "battle" in the royal study room that had been circulated today, Linghu Defen stroked his beard for a long time and did not come back to his senses.
After a long while, Linghu Defen rubbed his face and said, "Suddenly I feel a little hungry. Go and ask someone to prepare a few side dishes and boil a pot of good wine."
"Here."
Linghu Xiuji didn't know why his father was eating at this time, but he didn't dare to ask more questions and hurriedly turned around and went out.
Naturally, the kitchen of a wealthy family is always manned 20 hours a day. After a while, several maids came to the study with food boxes, placed several side dishes on the desk one by one, and took out a jug of good wine.
Linghu Defen waved his hand and said: "Everyone, go down and let Dalang accompany me."
After the maids left, Linghu Xiu closed the door, came back and sat across from the desk, and poured a glass of wine for his old father. He then saw his old father squinting his eyes, draining the cup of wine in one gulp, and savoring it for a moment. Let out a long breath.
"What a pleasure!"
A skinny and wrinkled old face was full of joy and comfort, as if the blockade that had been in his chest for many years was cleared away, and his whole person was in high spirits.
Linghu Xiuji was full of surprise. He thought it was just the usual good wine at home. How could it be so refreshing?
Thinking in my mind, I poured myself a glass and took a sip, thinking that was all...
Linghu Defen had a drink and felt that all the depression seemed to be relieved. It is inevitable to encounter many unsatisfactory things in life, and everyone has their own misfortunes, and no one can escape them. However, if you want to alleviate your own misfortunes, the best way is to see others more unfortunate than yourself...
I can't say that I am gloating over misfortune, and I have some petty thoughts. But if you are not a saint, who can really be as bright and great as the heaven and the earth?
I was humiliated by Wu Meiniang, and my reputation throughout my life was ruined, and I became the laughing stock of the world. Later, although I suddenly had an epiphany and lived in simplicity and wrote books, how could I really not care about it in my heart?
To put it bluntly, half of it is because the realm has improved and they don’t care about face, and the other half is just self-deception.
Now Changsun Wuji was actually beaten by Fang Jun's mallet. This kind of experience was worse than what he had experienced back then. How could he not feel comfortable in his heart?
Seeing that his son was actually pouring himself a drink in front of him, he immediately scolded him: "You don't have eyes, why don't you hurry up and pour some wine for your father?"
Linghu Xiuji quickly put down his wine glass, poured wine for his father, and handed him the chopsticks.
Father and son, you have a cup and I have a cup, eating and drinking freely.
Maybe he drank a few glasses of wine, or maybe he felt better after seeing someone who was worse off than himself. Linghu Defen pointed out to his son: "You did a good job by not getting involved in the affairs of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Now the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Staff have already It has become a battlefield for the competition between the prince and the king of Jin. Anyone involved will either make a contribution to the dragon and rise straight to the center, or become a victim and his career will never recover. My Linghu family has been rooted in Guanzhong for many years, and our ancestors have successively served as melons. Prefecture Sima, Dunhuang County Governor, Yingzhou Governor, and the title of Changcheng County. After three dynasties until now, the roots and background are naturally not trivial. There is no need to be like the Shandong aristocratic family and the Jiangnan gentry who have to risk everything and bet on their own future. If they don't succeed, Then you will become benevolent.”
Linghu Xiuji naturally knew this truth, but he questioned: "But if my family always stays away from the competition for the heirloom, and the new king comes to the throne in the future and has not made any achievements, won't it mean that it will be left idle and not reused?"
The advantage of being a neutral faction is that they won't be easily destroyed in the whirlpool of competition for the throne, but the disadvantage is that no one will regard you as one of their own. When the new king comes to the throne in the future and everyone appreciates it, where will your reward be?
Linghu Defen didn't see it that way.
After eating some food, he took a sip of wine and pointed out: "Your Majesty's current national policy is to suppress the aristocratic families and support the children of poor families. Among the aristocratic families, Guanlong is the most powerful. After all, Guanlong is deeply rooted and powerful. If If you don't suppress it, you may one day override the imperial power. How can your majesty tolerate it? However, precisely because Guanlong is deeply rooted, naturally it cannot be completely suppressed overnight. After the Eastern Expedition, your majesty's strategy will inevitably change. Adjust it, and while suppressing Guanlong, it will definitely be divided."
Linghu Xiuji said: "Fight one faction and pull another faction?"
"That's it!" Linghu Defen said happily: "The structure of power in the world is all about balance. Nowadays, the aristocratic families are divided into three. They conflict with each other and suppress each other, but they also rely on each other. Even if Guan Long is uprooted, he can still How? One goes down and the other goes up. Without Guanlong, Shandong and Jiangnan will take advantage of the situation and enter the court, and their actions will be exactly the same as those of Guan Long. His Majesty will not fail to understand this. Therefore, Guan Long’s existence is extremely important. It is necessary, after all, this was the foundation of His Majesty's career. While suppressing Guanlong, he also win over the moderates within Guanlong. This is the most correct way."
Linghu Xiuji was puzzled: "Then why does Your Majesty think that our Linghu family is moderate?"
"hehe."
Linghu Defen smiled, took a sip of wine, and said slowly: "The Guanlong lineage mostly established themselves with military merit. They were polite in the Zhou and Sui dynasties. They all wielded military power and were unruly. However, starting from my grandfather, The Linghu family studied classics and history like the famous Confucians of the time, and the family had countless books. By the time of my father's time, it was already the leading family of poetry and etiquette in the world. Guanlong never let go of military power, but my family entered literature early. Poetry and etiquette are incompatible with other families. Otherwise, why would our family be more and more excluded by Guanlong families? Civilization and martial arts have different paths. Civil servants are famous all over the world and are famous in the Spring and Autumn Period. However, the empty name is useless in the hands of generals. Only military power can make Your Majesty fearful. Since Your Majesty has divided the interior of Guanlong, how can you leave a family like our Linghu family with a reputation for literature all over the world but without any real power in their hands?"
Differentiation is a means, and the purpose is control. No one is more suitable to become a "horse bone" than a family like the Linghu family, which is famous all over the world and has a great reputation, but is incompatible with Guanlong.
As long as the Linghu family can completely turn to His Majesty and become supporters of His Majesty's policy of weakening the clan, it will inevitably affect the entire world.
With such a quick effect and almost no side effects, how could His Majesty not do it?
Linghu Defen said again: "So you can stay calm and remember that we neither support the prince nor the king of Jin. We only support your majesty and we only obey your majesty's orders."
Linghu Xiuji said solemnly, "My son, I remember."
Although it is difficult to choose between the prince and the king of Jin, who to support and who to oppose, once a mistake is made, it will lead to unpredictable backlash, so it is better to simply stand behind the emperor.
This world belongs to His Majesty Li Er after all. No matter whether the Crown Prince or the King of Jin ascends the throne in the future, we cannot blame our family for supporting the Emperor back then, right?
To rule the world and obey orders is the greatest political correctness.
Although this move is not as good as Conglong's merit, it is better than being stable and able to escape from the whirlpool of competition for the throne. Otherwise, a family with no real power, such as the Linghu family, would easily be in danger of overthrowing...
Someone was knocking on the door outside and said through the door: "Master of the house, Da Lang, Duke Zhao has come to the house in person to ask to see the master of the house."
In the study, father and son looked at each other.
Linghu Xiuji wondered: "Zhao Guogong has just lost his face. Why did he come to our house if he didn't try to find a way to regain his dignity?"
Linghu Defen covered his forehead and said helplessly: "This old Yin man is unwilling to let our family live freely. We have to be tied to him. That's all. You can hide for a while, but you can't hide for a lifetime. You go to the front door now. Welcome and meet him as a father to see what he wants."
Linghu Xiuji quickly stood up and said, "Then my son will usher Zhao Guogong into the main hall now. Father might as well go and freshen up and change his clothes."
For a long time, Linghu Defen ate and slept in the study, and saw no outsiders. He was as slovenly as an old farmer in the country. It would be a bit disrespectful to meet Changsun Wuji in this condition.
Linghu Defen shook his head and said, "Just bring him here. As a father, you don't need to wash yourself."
Linghu Xiuji didn't dare to say anything more, so he hurried out and walked quickly to the front door. He welcomed Changsun Wuji through the door and stayed in the study.
Changsun Wuji was dressed in a brocade robe, and his steps were neither hurried nor slow, and he had an air of dignity. Linghu Xiuji took a few peeks to one side and saw that he was wearing a wide futou on his head, covering his forehead, but could not see it. To the rumored injured forehead...
When he arrived at the door of the study, Changsun Wuji was obviously stunned. He looked at Linghu Xiuji and frowned, "Is your father right here?"
Linghu Xiuji said respectfully: "My father has been compiling the Book of Zhou in his study since many years ago. He has not left the house for several months. Please forgive me, Duke Zhao."
"Easy to say, easy to say."
Changsun Wuji's face turned gloomy and his tone was calm.
