I came to the Imperial Academy for three purposes, namely, Lao Jijiu, Zhang Gu, and the old man in front of me.
The suspicion was thick and clear from the start. The Imperial College is the highest academic institution in the world and implements the system of "taking teachers as officials". From the ministers who offer wine to the ministers, to the lecturers who teach and solve doubts, everyone is appointed by the Ministry of Personnel and is a "court official". So it stands to reason that an official in the center of politics, regardless of his political talent, should at least speak Mandarin, right? Otherwise, communicating with people will be a problem. But the elderly man in front of him spoke in Dajing Mandarin, but with a strong local accent. If you want to understand what he said, you have to listen carefully and guess what he means. The capital is the land of the Emperor, the most important royal land, and everything should be taken seriously. So how could the Imperial College recruit such an out-of-place old man?
Qin Fang found a place to sit down casually and said, "Master Nanzhao, please sit down and chat slowly."
Knowing that he was coming with bad intentions, the old man faced it calmly, sat down leisurely, and said in a cold voice: "The empress calls you such a name, I am afraid. Where did Nanzhao come from? Nanzhao has been destroyed long ago."
"The country perishes but the people do not perish. Since Mr. Xiang cherishes the years of Nanzhao Peiyin so much, it is naturally better to call him Nanzhao Imperial Master."
Qin Fang beat her legs and said slowly: "The Imperial Master of Nanzhao should know that I like to get straight to the point. So if you have something to say, I will tell you directly. I have come to disturb you today for the first time because I have something to ask for."
The old man sneered and said: "Don't you, the Dajing Dynasty, ask me for enough things? Just say it! If I can help, I will agree immediately. If there is nothing I can do, I hope the Queen will not force it."
"My son traveled to Dafeng alone at the beginning of this year."
"Traveling to Dafeng?" The old man was a little shocked. "Dafeng has been in war for three months since the Eight Kings Rebellion. The people have been devastated and devastated. Why did the prince go to a place like that?"
"The new emperor Dafeng was weak and the orthodox royal family was defeated. He went here to help the royal family regain the unity and quell the rebellion."
"This is a civil strife in Dafeng. What does it have to do with the prince? Even if Dafeng and you, Dajing, do have some close interests, it may not be as bad as the new master of Jiangshan. In this situation, there is no such thing as The risk of dying lips and cold teeth.”
"That being the case, sir, haven't you ever thought about it, what if the prince wants to get some benefits from it?"
"Profits?" the old man said disdainfully: "Your son is the prince, and he is destined to sit on that dragon chair in the future. They say that the son of a rich man cannot sit down. I really don't understand what interests there are in this world that can make a dynasty heir Do it even if you risk your life.”
Qin Fang smiled and said: "What if he wants to be the leader of the world?"
This statement is actually risking the disapproval of the world. The old man stood up angrily and reprimanded loudly: "Absurd! Isn't one dynasty emperor enough? The way of the emperor is to bless the people and bring good fortune to all things. Instead of attacking cities and plundering land to fight for the common master of the world, it is better to be diligent in politics and open up the world for all generations. Taiping, fight for the eternal holy name in the history books! Being ambitious is not advisable!"
Qin Fang waved her hand and said with a smile: "It's just a joke, Imperial Master, don't take it seriously."
"A joke?" the old man snorted coldly: "Then please ask the Queen to explain the reason for the Prince's trip!"
Among the thousands of courtiers, only the tall man in front of me dared to speak to the Queen so rudely. Of course, this is nothing. After all, don’t forget that he dared to refuse even His Majesty the Emperor.
Qin Fang didn't care about the old man's radical words, and replied calmly: "It is the prince's own choice to help the Dafeng royal family suppress the rebellion, and it has nothing to do with me or your majesty. I just said that he would fight for it The leader of the world is indeed a joke."
"However, you can't become a dragon by yourself, but you can help the dragon." Qin Fang narrowed her eyes, "Supporting the dragon is the purpose of the prince."
The old man's eyes widened with astonishment on his face, "Fu Long? The orthodox royal family of Da Feng is right there. Who does your prince want to help?"
Qin Fang held her chin in her hands and said slowly: "Is this orthodoxy really orthodox? The dynasty is still surnamed Feng, but the surnames of the royal family have been changed long ago."
"So what? Whose surname does Dafeng take? What does it have to do with your Dajing royal family? How does deposing the current Dafeng royal family and changing the banner differ from the Dafeng rebels? If this matter is really It’s done, isn’t your prince the co-lord of the world in the dark?”
The old man was so excited that he started coughing again.
Qin Fang shook her head, "Sir, you can ask about the wine ceremony. If Prime Minister Zhuang is still alive, you can even ask him. In short, you can ask the two people who have created such great achievements with His Majesty, whether the prince is willing. When you ascend the throne and claim the title of emperor, are you willing to sit on the dragon throne, are you willing to defend the country and die in the country? The answer they give you must be the same as the answer I give you. My family, Geiliu, does not care about the position of a secular emperor at all. .”
"Today's Dafeng orthodoxy, the national destiny has come to an end. Even if it can survive the Eight Kings Rebellion, it will not return to the prosperous times of the past. Just like an old man, suffering from the disease There is definitely more than one kind. So a dynasty that has declined will never have only one rebellion. In a word, the current Dafeng orthodoxy no longer has the ability to create a peaceful and prosperous age for the people of the world. Rather than being unable to repair it, it is better to establish a new one Archway. If the materials are appropriate and the craftsmen are careful, it will not collapse after hundreds of years of vicissitudes."
Qin Fang said loudly, "And we have this advantage! We have emperors with holy names throughout the ages, as well as loyal officials. We are confident that we can build this archway and create a truly peaceful and prosperous age for the world!"
The old man took a breath and forced himself to calm down. He admitted that there were many famous officials in the Dajing Dynasty, as well as many Confucian scholars who were able to inject fresh blood into the new national machinery. But from ancient times to the present, in the mountains of history books, how many emperors have been called saints throughout the ages? Are you, Qin Fang, so sure that you have found a suitable candidate for emperor? Besides, those who have good beginnings will become more successful, and those who can conquer the end will overwhelm the poor. Unless you, Qin Fang, can predict the future, how can you guarantee that the person you like will not change his mind after he becomes the emperor?
How many officials from poor families in the world, after leaping over the dragon gate, live more dissolute and extravagant lives than the rich and powerful?
Fearing poverty, after receiving the Golden Seal and Purple Award, he began to enjoy himself with a vengeance to make up for all the suffering he had suffered in the first half of his life.
There are so many examples like this in history books, shouldn’t we learn from them?
Let's just say that when Yu Mang, the former prime minister, ransacked his house, even the emperor was shocked. The wealth of one person was comparable to half of the taxes paid by millions of households in such a large dynasty. !
But he was Yu Mang. Back then he was just a down-and-out scholar seeking official positions. If he hadn't been "gentle, courteous, thrifty" and "benevolent, righteous, courteous, wise and trustworthy", how could the Minister of Civil Affairs promote him?
The old man clearly didn't say these thoughts, but Qin Fang said with a smile: "How do you know, sir, that the candidate for this palace must be a scholar who studied hard in a poor family?"
Although the old man was shocked in his heart, his expression remained unchanged, "Even if the candidate for the Queen is a young man from a well-off family, can he be guaranteed to be able to start well and be able to overcome the end? People can change, especially those in high positions, it is easier He can see the scenery clearly, so he is easier to be deceived than a trafficker."
"Sir, you are worthy of being the Nanzhao Imperial Preceptor in the past, and your thoughts are very reasonable." Qin Fang paused deliberately and said softly: "But if I tell you, sir, this candidate has an identity that no one else can match. Where is the grandson of the orthodox emperor’s master?”
"Didn't Zhang Pei's grandson die long ago in that mighty journey to Yongjia South?"
Before Qin Fang could give the answer, the old man sneered and said, "Oh, it turns out it was a fake death. No wonder, no wonder, your Dajing Dynasty likes to use this trick."
Qin Fang couldn't laugh or cry, "Sir, please don't misunderstand. It is different from His Majesty setting up a trap for you to fake your death. The situation of the Yongjia South Crossing was complicated and deeply involved, and we did not intervene. At first, we had the same understanding as everyone else in the world. , thinking that the grandson of the emperor's master really drowned in the escape. Later, the imperial master of Qin Tianjian discovered some clues through deduction of heavenly secrets, and then calculated and eliminated them one by one, and finally concluded that he was most likely still alive. The conclusion is that no one knows where he is. But my son is really favored by God. Last year he traveled south, and on his way back home at the end of the year, I accidentally bumped into him in an alley where chess was played. The two of them met him. There was also a game similar to the talk between monarch and minister. The final result was that just like Zhuang Tianji was willing to assist His Majesty, Zhang Gu was willing to follow the prince and join the official Dajing."
"Zhang Gu?"
The old man frowned slightly, feeling that this name seemed so familiar.
Qin Fang reminded with a smile: "It's the supervisor who has been in and out of the Etiquette Department recently. He has not yet become an official, he is just an intern."
The old man raised his head suddenly, "Just him? Is he Zhang Pei's grandson?"
Qin Fang nodded, "Sir, have you seen him?"
"I've seen it before!" The old man became excited and suddenly coughed violently. Qin Fang was helpless and could only watch.
Qin Fang suddenly thought of what Gui Qing said just now, and asked: "By the way, did you just know that we were standing outside the window?"
The old man who couldn't stop coughing couldn't speak and just nodded.
Qin Fang couldn't hold her breath for a moment. She stepped in front of him and said coldly: "Why can you see it?!"
The old man glanced at him, took several breaths back and forth, and said with difficulty: "Is it difficult to see such a big... person standing... there?"
Qin Fang was silent.
He definitely wasn't lying, but she was a little broken now.
The old man covered his chest with one hand and held the corner of the table with the other. His chest was tight and he was short of breath. He opened his mouth wide and tried to breathe. He said with difficulty again: "Does your daughter... know some magic skills? Hurry... call her here."
On the other side, Zhang Gu was making tea and playing chess with Gui Qing.
There is almost no difference in chess skills between the two, so the situation is tense and inseparable.
