In He Lianfang's house, Zhao Yao sat in front of the brazier, roasting rice cakes and chestnuts.
Bang, a loud noise was heard, and a chestnut was roasted. Zhao Yao hurriedly picked it up and handed it to He Lianfang.
He Lianfang was not polite and reached out to take it.
Seeing that the rice cake was cooked, Zhao Yao hurriedly picked it up and ate it while blowing on it.
"Why is there no movement from my father's side?"
He Lianfang raised her eyes to look at Zhao Yao and asked with slight confusion: "What's the movement?"
"The matter of Marquis Jingyang." Zhao Yao has been waiting for the follow-up of this matter, but there has been no movement. "It has been more than a month since Anyanghou and his son reported to the father that Jingyanghou colluded with the Huns. With the father's ability, it is impossible that nothing has been found for more than a month." After saying that, he baked the other one. The rice cake was handed to He Lianfang.
He Lianfang took over and was not in a hurry to eat, but asked Zhao Yao: "Why do you think your father has not made any move?"
Zhao Yao was stunned for a moment when he was asked. He blinked blankly, and after a while he said, "Isn't it that your father wants to wait for Fourth Brother and the others to come back before punishing Marquis Jingyang?"
He Lianfang said nothing.
Zhao Yao was shocked: "That's really the case, but why? The fact that Jingyang Marquis colluded with the Huns is a scandal, and the fourth brother and the others coming back after winning the war are a happy event. Why do they want to mix these two things together?" ?" My father's brain circuit is sometimes very strange and unpredictable.
"You have to ask your father." He Lianfang felt the same as Zhao Yao that it was unnecessary.
Zhao Yao curled his lips and said, "I'm not asking." Before he finished speaking, he thought of another thing, and his expression immediately changed and became a little heavy, "I wonder if Mr. Meng's illness is getting better?"
Some time ago, Mr. Meng returned to Jinling in the south of the Yangtze River, but fell ill as soon as he returned.
He Lianfang's face was also a little solemn: "You will be fine if you survive this winter." Once elderly people get sick, they are most afraid that they will not survive the winter. If you get through it, you'll be fine. If you can't get through it, there's really no hope.
"Mr. Meng should be able to survive this winter." Although Zhao Yao only had contact with Mr. Meng a few times, he respected Mr. Meng very much. His old man is a highly respected elder, and he doesn't want anything to happen to him.
He Lianfang comforted Zhao Yao and said, "Didn't you get the kang out? With the kang, Mr. Meng will definitely be able to survive the winter smoothly."
Zhao Yao thought about it, and the worry on his face disappeared instantly. He nodded vigorously and said, "Mr. Meng will be fine."
Mr. Meng, who was missed by Zhao Yao, was sitting on the bed and chatting with Zheng Xilin.
After learning that the old man was ill, Zheng Xilin came to visit him.
Zheng Xilin and Mr. Meng are close friends. Every year, Zheng Xilin would come to Jinling to visit his old man and talk to him.
"Even if I survive this winter, I'm afraid I won't have much time." I know my own body.
Zheng Xilin didn't like hearing such words, "Have you ever cursed yourself like this?"
"I didn't curse myself." Mr. Meng didn't care about his own life or death, and said very openly, "I am already at this age, and it is time for me to die."
"The Chinese New Year is coming soon, do you have to say such unlucky words?" Zheng Xilin pretended to be dissatisfied and said, "You are in good health, and you will definitely live longer than Nanshan."
Mr. Meng smiled slightly, then waved his hand and said: "If I really want to live longer than Nanshan, then I will become an old turtle."
Zheng Xilin joked: "There is nothing wrong with a turtle being healthy and living a long life."
Mr. Meng pointed at Zheng Xilin and cursed with a smile: "You are scolding me, you old fox."
Zheng Xilin smiled humbly: "I don't dare to call myself old in front of you."
"You, you..." Mr. Meng shook his head helplessly, and then said with a smile, "If I can live a little longer, I will naturally be happy."
"In that case, why do you curse yourself?"
"I still have some unfinished things. It would be a pity if I died like this."
"When you recover, you can continue teaching." Zheng Xilin thought that Mr. Meng's regret was that he did not finish the lecture. "Students all over the world are still waiting for you to continue teaching."
Mr. Meng shook his head slightly and said, "It's not about lecturing. This time I went out to give lectures and I said everything I needed to say. I have no regrets."
Hearing this, Zheng Xilin asked with surprise on his face: "If it's not a lecture, what is it?"
Mr. Meng looked at Zheng Xilin and suddenly asked, "Do you know the Tenth Prince?"
Hearing Mr. Meng's sudden question, Zheng Xilin was slightly startled, and then asked in confusion: "Why do you ask this?"
When Mr. Meng heard what Zheng Xilin said, he knew what he was talking about. He smiled and said, "I met the tenth prince when I went to the capital before."
Zheng Xilin asked: "What do you think of the Tenth Prince?"
"The tenth prince's appearance is beyond words." Mr. Meng knew a little about physiognomy, and his vision was very accurate.
Zheng Xilin said: "You are always right in judging people. If you say that the tenth prince is indescribably valuable, then he will really be indescribably valuable." After saying this, he asked curiously, "Why did you suddenly tell me that the tenth prince is indescribably valuable?" Something?"
"The regret I'm talking about is the tenth prince."
These words surprised Zheng Xilin: "Your regret is that the tenth prince is the prince. Why is that?"
"Because of……"
After hearing Mr. Meng's words, Zheng Xilin looked very surprised: "When it gets warmer next spring, you can invite the tenth prince to be your guest."
"I think I'm just afraid that the emperor won't agree."
"You ask, how could the emperor disagree?"
"Then I'll try."
Zheng Xilin said: "I will help you write a letter to the emperor."
Mr. Meng looked at Zheng Xilin and said jokingly: "If Lieutenant Zheng writes a letter for me, then the emperor will definitely agree."
"After hearing what you just said, I really want to see if the Tenth Prince is really as good as you said."
"You'll know it when you see it, cough cough cough cough..." Mr. Meng started coughing before he finished speaking. Zheng Xilin hurriedly helped him lie down and advised him to rest quickly.
After talking for a while, Mr. Meng was indeed a little tired and fell asleep not long after he lay down.
Zheng Xilin quietly retreated. At this time, someone around him sent a letter, which was sent from the capital. As soon as he looked at the envelope, he knew it was a letter from Zhao Yao. He opened the letter with a smile on his face. After reading the contents of the letter, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened unknowingly.
This time Zhao Yao's letter back to Zheng Xilin was about Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism and other thoughts. Zheng Xilin wrote to Zhao Yao before, asking him what he thought of these schools of thought.
When it comes to the ideas of these companies, Zhao Yao has read a lot of books about them at the suggestion of Zheng Xilin in the past few years, and has gained a lot of insights.
In this reply, Zhao Yao told Zheng Xilin his understanding of these companies' thoughts in detail.
Zheng Xilin put down the tea cup in his hand, looked at Zhao Yao's letter spread out on the table, and exclaimed: "This kid is really amazing." He originally had no intention of meeting Zhao Yao, but now he wants to meet this person he has never met before. Special students.
Zhao Yao, who was far away in the capital, suddenly wanted to sneeze, but did not sneeze. He rubbed his nose vigorously and continued to play chess with He Lianfang.
"Second uncle, I want to go to Lingnan in advance to take a look. Is there any way you can get my father to agree to my going to Lingnan?"
"It's very simple. Just commit a crime and be exiled to Lingnan by your father."
When Zhao Yao heard this idea, he said with a smile: "Second uncle, your proposal is really good, I thank you."
"Why did you want to go to Lingnan in advance?" He Lianfang asked, "What can you do if you go in advance?"
"I have to see what the situation will be like in my future territory." From the news coming back from Lingnan, it can be seen that the situation there is very complicated. But just how complicated it was, he had to see for himself, so that when he came to Lingnan as an adult, he would know what to do first. "And the toast over there is very difficult to make."
Many villages in Lingnan are controlled by chieftains, and chieftains are very powerful in the local area. If you want to manage Lingnan well, you must first take care of those toasts.
"By the way, people in Lingnan don't speak Mandarin. When I went there, I still couldn't understand what the people there were saying." This was Zhao Yao's biggest headache. "Also, the local people in Lingnan almost didn't understand. Mandarin, this is really...a big problem." Although there are many criminals who were exiled in Lingnan, there are still many locals.
At present, the situation in Lingnan is relatively closed. The locals do not learn Mandarin and disdain to speak Mandarin. The most important thing is that they don't listen to the court, they only listen to their chieftain.
"It's impossible for your father to agree to your going to Lingnan in advance." He Lianfang poured cold water on you unceremoniously, "Don't think about it."
Zhao Yao sighed heavily: "Oh, I knew it." After saying that, he rolled his eyes and had an idea in his mind, "Well, I can't go to Lingnan. Please find the second uncle for me." Let someone who can speak Lingnan dialect and be familiar with Lingnan conditions teach me."
"You want to learn Lingnan dialect?" This was something He Lianfang didn't expect.
"Yes, I have to learn the Lingnan dialect. Otherwise, when I go to Lingnan, I won't be able to understand what the people say. Wouldn't it be very disadvantageous?" Zhao Yao thought long-term, "Also, if they rely on us not being able to understand Lingnan Wouldn't it be bad to say something random? I don't like this situation."
"You are thoughtful." He Lianfang felt that Zhao Yao's words made sense. "In that case, I will find someone for you."
"By the way, we also need to understand the situation of the Lingnan chieftains." Zhao Yao frowned and said, "These chieftains have deep roots in Lingnan. They have existed for hundreds, even thousands of years. It is not easy to get rid of them. To get things easy, I have to understand their situation first." As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be victorious in every battle.
He Lianfang did not take these chieftains seriously. He said in a disdainful tone: "They are indeed the emperors of the local people, but they are not our opponents. If they are disobedient, then beat them until they are obedient. If they still don't understand, then They don’t have to live in this world.”
Hearing He Lianfang's simple and rude words, Zhao Yao said helplessly: "Second uncle, the local people only listen to the chieftain's words."
"Without the chieftain, do you think they will still listen to the chieftain?" He Lianfang said coldly, "As long as we conquer them, they will naturally be obedient."
"If this is the case, then they will not sincerely surrender to me, and they will cause trouble sooner or later." Zhao Yao did not agree with He Lianfang's method of subduing. Although it can be effective quickly, it is not a long-term solution. "We have to make them surrender from the bottom of their hearts."
"You want to win people's hearts?"
"Second uncle, don't underestimate people's hearts." Zhao Yao played with the chess piece in his hand and said thoughtfully, "I have to make the chieftain lose the support of the people and make the people of Lingnan come and trust me."
"How do you want to play with people's hearts?"
"Second uncle, don't use the word [playing]." Zhao Yao said with some disgust, "I'm trying to win people's hearts."
He Lianfang ignored Zhao Yao's correction, "I'm waiting to see how you play with people's hearts."
Zhao Yao was too lazy to correct He Lianfang, "After I understand the situation of the chieftain, I will think about how to win over the people." As he said that, he thought of Tong'an, "I don't know how good Tong'an's map drawings are."
More than a year ago, Tongan and Dingshan went to Lingnan together. Zhao Yao asked Tongan to go to Lingnan in advance so that he could draw the map of Lingnan. Dingshan was sent with him to protect him. As for Dingyuan, he used to study at Taixue, but he was lucky enough to become Mr. Meng's student a few months ago, and now he is studying with Mr. Meng.
"Lingnan is not a small country. He would not have been able to finish painting without spending three to five years."
"Second uncle, we can't find someone from Lingnan." Zhao Yao brought the topic back, "Look for a few more. I want to hear if what they say is the same. If it is the same, it means it is true. It is different. , indicating that there is something wrong with the person you found."
"good."
"There is also the miasma in Lingnan, which can only be treated with drugs. It treats the symptoms but not the root cause. The miasma problem must be completely solved." Zhao Yao was not in the mood to play chess. "The reason why the miasma persists all year round is because there are too many deep mountains and wild forests in Lingnan. The miasma has been permeating the forest and cannot escape. If you want the miasma to escape, you have to cut down some trees to allow the air to circulate."
He thought for a while and said: "As for the wood, it can be sold, but you have to think about where to sell it. Also, there are rivers and seas in Lingnan, so we have to make use of water transportation and sea transportation..."
He Lianfang did not interrupt Zhao Yao's soliloquy.
As Zhao Yao spoke, he sighed: "Oh, I haven't gone to Lingnan yet, so there are so many things to worry about. When I go to Lingnan, won't I be busy every day?" When he thought of him going to Lingnan, Zhao Yao felt horrified at the possibility of becoming as busy as his father, "Second uncle, I suddenly don't want to be a prince, and I don't want to go to Lingnan anymore. Just let me be a rich idler."
He Lianfang ignored Zhao Yao and signaled him to stop talking nonsense and continue playing chess.
Zhao Yao frowned when he saw that He Lianfang did not answer his words, and then obediently continued to play chess with He Lianfang.
After sitting for a while, he was surprised and asked: "Second uncle, do you think the money is enough?" When he went to Lingnan, there were too many things to do, and everything cost money. Now he was a little worried that he didn't have enough money. .
He Lianfang said calmly: "There are still a few years before you go to Lingnan, and you still have time to make money."
"I always feel that when I go to Lingnan, all the money I have earned over the years will be gone in a flash." Zhao Yao felt distressed when he thought that he would become a pauper when he went to Lingnan.
"If you are afraid that you don't have enough money, before you go to Lingnan, you can ask your father and brothers for some money."
Zhao Yao thought He Lianfang's idea was a good one, so he nodded repeatedly and said, "In addition to money, I have to ask for other things." He was now thinking about what he would want when the time comes.
"When the Marquis Jingyang matter is settled, you can ask your father to take the imperial examination."
Regarding He Lianfang's sudden change of topic to the imperial examination, Zhao Yao was a little unable to follow him because the topic changed too abruptly.
"Ah? I asked my father to take the imperial examination. Why?"
"When something happens to the Yuan family, the Xie family, the Wang family, and the Xun family may unite. Your father's proposal to select officials through the imperial examination at this time will shatter their alliance." He Lianfang suddenly raised the corner of his mouth. He smiled maliciously and said, "By then, the aristocratic families will be in chaos."
Zhao Yao understood what He Lianfang meant, so he looked at him with a strange look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Second uncle, are you helping my father?"
Hearing this, He Lianfang's face suddenly darkened, and she said in a cold tone: "When did I help your father? I am planning for you."
"I don't want to deal with the aristocratic family, what are you planning for me?" Zhao Yao deliberately teased He Lianfang, "Second uncle, I didn't expect you to care about my father so much..." Before he could finish his words, Zhao Yao was hit on the head by a chess piece. , it hurt so much that he couldn't help shouting, "Ouch!"
He Lianfang had a gloomy face, a very scary expression, and her tone was cold: "If you say such things again, try it."
Zhao Yao was afraid and smiled at He Lianfang in a flattering manner.
"Second uncle, I'm joking, don't take it seriously."
"Don't make jokes like this again."
Zhao Yao nodded very obediently: "I won't open it, and I won't open it again."
He Lianfang snorted coldly, and continued what he had just said: "When the imperial court opens the imperial examination, people from all over the Zhou Dynasty will know that they can become officials by taking the imperial examination, and people from Lingnan will naturally be willing to participate."
When Zhao Yao heard this, he understood what He Lianfang meant when he said he would help him plan.
"Okay, after the Marquis of Jingyang matter is over, I will propose the imperial examination to my father." He used to worry that proposing the imperial examination system would make him a target, but he doesn't have to be afraid now. "In a while, Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother will be back." Fourth Brother wrote before and said that he had brought him a special gift from Shu. He didn't know what it was. The fourth brother also said that he would definitely like it.
Bage really brought him some cooks from Shu, and they were the best cooks in Shu. When Bago comes back, he will be able to eat authentic Sichuan food.
Half a month later, King Chu and his companions finally arrived in the capital.
On the day they returned to Beijing, the emperor sent the prince to take Zhao Yao, the others, and the ministers to greet them at the city gate.
The prince and the king were naturally unwilling to welcome the king of Chu, but the emperor ordered that they had to go even if they didn't.
This time, the King of Chu's triumphal battle to regain Shu was not inferior to the battle of the King of Dai when he regained Liangzhou and returned to Beijing. The most important thing is that the reputation of King Chu in the capital is not inferior to that of King Dai.
People stood on both sides of Zhuque Avenue. They shouted in unison and excitedly, "His Royal Highness the King of Chu."
When the prince and the king saw this scene, although they still kept smiles on their faces, they were very jealous in their hearts.
Fellow veterans, I'm sorry, I haven't finished writing this update today, so I won't update it. I'll update it tomorrow.
Guess what gift King Chu brought to Yaoyao?
It’s the end of the month, fellow veterans, can I ask you for your monthly pass?
