At this moment, Zhang Xian was shaken.
He was really shaken, shaken from the bottom of his heart, because this Zhongcheng showed him a path he had never imagined...bizarre, shocking, but full of room for imagination. . .
Zhang Xing can almost imagine that once he nods and becomes the adopted son of this important royal minister, he will be able to easily overcome many invisible obstacles. He will be like a fish in water within Jing'antai. As long as he has the qualifications and cultivation level, he can easily become a representative. Zhu Shou, who entered the palace and entered the palace, was as smooth as walking on the ground, including his later transfer to the army, whether as a general or as a prime minister.
To put it bluntly, the identity of the adopted son of the sonless Prime Minister is just a ticket, a ticket that allows him to truly deserve his name... If he doesn't have the ability, he will just be a janitor like Xue Liang, but if he has the ability, he will be completely You can enter the hall and go directly to the yamen.
And if that's the case, even the little private thoughts between him and Bai Yousi will disappear. The problem that everyone has been avoiding - the huge difference in family background.
But this is not the rarest thing.
The most rare, or the most direct, and most heartwarming benefit for Zhang Xian was that as long as he nodded, he could immediately touch the supreme power of Wei.
Undoubtedly the highest power, because the Grand Master himself is the representative of the highest power in the empire. He is a pole of the Nanya rulers and independently controls most of the secret agents of the Wei Dynasty. To some extent, because of his The identity and characteristics of unrelated descendants have cut off a part of the imperial power - you know, by now, everyone can see the temperament of that saint to some extent. What he wants is a self-centered person, and the most despised person in his life is others. It was disobedient, but even such a master was completely powerless in the face of this imperial uncle.
In the most extreme ambush, three hundred swordsmen and axes are useless, or it is just a joke.
Then Zhang Xing can completely turn around and become the think tank of this Zhongcheng, and do some major things through this Zhongcheng, ranging from re-examining the local wealth to restraining the arrogance of the saint, and trying to act from the highest power. To unblock this regime, which is already extremely tight on fundamentals.
Zhang Xing even thought for a moment that if he did this directly, Zhong Cheng, who was strict about rules and loved order, would probably disagree. But it didn't matter. He, Zhang Sanlang, could mobilize the other seven or eight people of Zhong Cheng. The adopted son formed a political force that cannot be ignored, and then manipulated power within Jing'antai, pushing the powerful bureaucracy of Jing'antai to seize power and expand itself, and then used the imperial uncle to do things.
Then they continued to fight, and as long as the fight reached a certain level, it would be difficult for the emperor's uncle not to become a powerful minister... including to the throne.
Zhang Xing had already figured out the specific process. He stole the Fulong Seal, transferred and bribed the masters of Bei Ya, and then captured Xuanwu City in one night, went straight to Xiyuan, and fed the saints cakes... If something happened, who would be afraid of whom? ah?
In a word, as long as you agree to the other party, not only will you immediately have a huge backer, you will no longer have to worry about safety issues, you will also have a great future to look forward to, and there will even be a path visible to the naked eye that allows you to do your own thinking. The path lies before us.
At the same time, what are the consequences if you refuse?
It's best to give him a scolding, and he won't be promoted to Zhu Shou from now on, which will ruin the future of the Jing'antai system, right? The worst-case scenario is that he could be slapped into the dark cell at the bottom.
However, such a huge contrast of paths only exists now, and Zhang Xing has never been able to say anything clear.
"Zhongcheng."
Bai Yousi's voice suddenly sounded from behind him, and as soon as he heard it, he knew that he was out of control. "How can the world be so reasonable that a dignified ruler blatantly steals the talents entrained by his subordinates?"
"Why not?" Cao Lin didn't move at all and glanced directly at Bai Yousi, who was not far away. "This depends on Sisi, do you care about talents? What can you give to such a talent? To put it bluntly, if Zhang Sanlang becomes my adopted son, next time I go to your home and meet your father , maybe there will be a chair... Do you think so or not?"
"I am not using Zhang Xing for personal gain." Bai Yousi immediately expressed his feelings. "I really regard him as a friend of the same rank. My father did have an invitation that day, but Zhang Sanlang immediately rejected it."
"If that's the case, what kind of words can be said about bringing in talents?" Cao Lin responded with a smile, as if he was facing a little girl who was having a bad temper. "Actually, don't you still regard him as your private person?"
In fact, I'm afraid this is really the case, and Zhang Xing felt sad for a moment.
"This is a shallow commentary on the current situation, so I have no choice but to speak like this." Bai Yousi looked a little embarrassed and angry.
"Then let Zhang Sanlang use my power to break through this superficial discussion and soar into the sky." Cao Lin suddenly raised his other hand, his big sleeves fluttering, and the bells rang. He was so surprised that The tower is horrifying.
Zhang Xing was so shocked that he suddenly raised his head.
Even Bai Yousi couldn't speak without permission.
It wasn't that Bai Yousi was afraid of the great master, but that she had already figured out that Zhang Xing could only make the decision on this matter... Moreover, as soon as she thought about it, the female inspector had already made up her mind. If Zhang Xing She has her own plans, although she has nothing to say, but if Zhang Sanlang is willing to continue to fulfill the contract and go on another journey with her, even if it is just a decision today, it will only be a mere journey in the future, then she must risk her life. , try to keep this person safe.
Below Sima Zheng, Zhu Shou, Hei Shou, Bai Shou, Xunqi, although it is just one person's personal relationship and some things have nothing to do with them, but now that they are here, they can't trust Zhang Xing's talents, and they are willing to trust a Zhongcheng. How can you not care about vision?
Therefore, everyone had gathered their eyes early, but like Uncle Cao Huang, they only fell on Zhang Sanlang.
"Zhongcheng, I was shocked just now, but my thoughts have changed again." After waiting for a moment, Zhang Xing spoke slowly.
"Of course." Cao Lin laughed. "With your intelligence, you must have some considerations, so have you considered it properly?"
"I have three questions, which is quite presumptuous." Zhang Xing's words seemed extremely sincere. "Please forgive me for being so abrupt, Zhongcheng, and be sure to answer... Only then can you make up your mind."
"It doesn't matter." Cao Lin smiled. "I checked the copy and found out one of your strengths... that is, you can make plans, but when it comes to making decisions, you are never sloppy, you are always decisive... Today we are in this tower, not to mention three There are thirty questions, and I will answer them properly on the spot...let you make up your mind."
"First question, I would like to ask Zhongcheng. According to the rules, Zhongcheng has a call, and His Majesty has a call. Is there any similarity... I mean, His Majesty has a call, and those who follow it will be loyal, and those who do not will be unfaithful. Here is Zhongcheng. If you call me your son, of course you won't mention it. But if you don't, according to the rules, is there anything immoral?" Zhang Xing asked seriously. "I have rejected Mr. Bai's invitation before. At that time, I felt that there was nothing wrong with it, but I still didn't know what Zhongcheng's place was like. After all, Zhongcheng is my official superior."
"No." Cao Lin was silent for a moment and responded with the same seriousness. "There are four supreme beings in the sky, but in this world, there is only one saint, and only the saint can be powerful and blessing. Although I am a relative of the emperor, a ruler, and the official you are currently in charge of, I cannot be worthy of this word of loyalty... In fact, , this is what the late emperor often emphasized when he was in power. The separate driving of prefectures and counties, and the black ribbon, come from the central government, decentralizing power to the governor and county guards, so that the chief officials of the prefectures and counties cannot be powerful. This is what it means... I have a heart. This is what I mean by taking you out of the Bai family."
"Okay, second question, I would like to ask Zhongcheng, a close relative of the royal family inherits the destiny of the sky, and he is precious; the great master is powerful in the world, and he has become the world; Nanya Xianggong and Jing'an Zhongcheng are more capable of ruling the world and are known as Measure Sheji... And Zhongcheng is not only a relative of the emperor, but also an important minister, and also a great master, so I dare to ask Zhongcheng, which one is the foundation of Zhongcheng's career?" Zhang Xing continued to ask under pressure. "In other words, Zhong Cheng always talks about rules, but he doesn't know what kind of rules he is talking about at the most fundamental level?"
"Good question!" Cao Lin thought for a long time this time before answering slowly, "The family and the country are one, and the emperor's relatives and ministers are not contradictory. They all want to assist your majesty and make the Wei An peaceful... This is my most important thing. Fundamental rules. As for the identity of Grand Master, I did have some thoughts before, but as I get older, I just want Wei Antai to pass on to the world, and no longer demand personal gain. Of course, I don’t care about it completely. Instead, we should go with the flow and put our family and country first.”
Zhang Xing still looked solemn, and handed over his hand again: "One last question, if we want the Wei Dynasty to be long-term and stable, we must clean up the disasters. I dare to ask Zhongcheng, which part of the Wei Dynasty does Zhongcheng think is the most serious? It is because of the endless emergence of clans and iterations. , controlled the military and government? Or was there a large number of local powerful forces, which limited the power of the Wei Dynasty to the counties? Was it because Dongyi had won two victories, people were tired of war, and gradually lost the chance of unification? Or was it the remoteness of Beihuang and Nanling, which caused the Seven Demon Guards and Zhen The Fire Sect each relies on the supreme power to make the northern and southern counties difficult to name? Or is it that the Wu Clan is separated by natural dangers and is somewhat difficult to control after all?"
Cao Lin pondered for a moment, his figure remained motionless, but his expression became serious, and he actually asked back: "The first question, I know, you are afraid, and you are asking for your own safety; the second question, I also understand, you are afraid of Mingzhu. I am asking for my future, but what is this third question? Why are you asking?"
"For some selfish ambitions." Zhang Xing blurted out.
"Okay, okay, okay." Cao Lin already spread his hand and nodded heavily. "I know the question of whether you can take my hand and kneel down and call me your father, but regardless of whether we can get it right, you can ask about the situation in Wei, I have nothing to say... …This is not selfish, but public.”
Zhang Xing just quickly bowed his head slightly.
"The clan problem is indeed serious. The late emperor once said this. But I think, firstly, most of the talented people are still in the clan, and secondly, because of some things, the clan is already close to the royal family and has meritorious deeds... ...So, it is best to do this matter openly and aboveboard, use talents and talents, eliminate unnecessary things, and let nature take its course." At this point, Cao Lin couldn't help but laugh. "They have a high status, so just give them a position, and then the capable will go up, the mediocre will go, follow the prosperity, and the unfaithful will perish, that's all... I don't know if there is a position that is not given to them, how can it be given to unknown people? Better?"
Zhang Xing didn't show off.
"Powerful people are a big problem, especially in the hometown of Dong Qi and Nanchen. It is a fact that there are many powerful people. The reason why the imperial court used the Jing'an Taiwan patrol system is to suppress the powerful people." Cao Lin was still confident. "We must strictly adhere to this point and not slack off for even a moment."
Zhang Xing nodded heavily.
"As for the Dongyi people, the Wu people, and the Northern Wilderness and Nanling... they are actually very important." Cao Lin sighed. "The Dongyi people are the last big obstacle to unifying the world. The Northern Wasteland and the Southern Ridges are not only a matter of whether the Wei Dynasty can rule properly, but also involve the attitude of the two supremes towards the Wei Dynasty... Which one is not important? If you ask me, both are It is a necessary thing. But there are priorities, and there are internal and external problems... To fight against external forces, you must first settle the internal affairs, and the preparations must be made from the inside out. Therefore, these five things, let me put them in order, are the things to suppress the powerful. First; the affairs between the clan and the Dongyi will come later; the Northern Wilderness and the Southern Ridges will come later... As for the Wu Clan, unless the Northern Wilderness is properly dealt with and the natural dangers are dealt with, otherwise it will be difficult to achieve great things, so it is put at the end."
Zhang Xing nodded repeatedly, obviously feeling relieved.
"So, I've finished my answer, how do you answer it?" Cao Lin saw the other party's attitude and immediately asked with a smile.
"I'm sorry for your arrogance, but I dare not accept this great favor." Zhang Xing bowed his head respectfully and bowed his head. As expected, he was not sloppy.
There was silence in the tower again. Bai Yousi raised his head and stared ahead, but Zhang Xing could only lower his head further, and then he could only see the purple robe in front of him fluttering slightly in the wind.
A moment later, as a bell rang, the suffocating silence was broken, but there were only two simple words:
"Why?"
"Because Zhong Cheng's first two answers were very tolerant of his subordinates' mood, but he really disagreed with his third answer." Zhang Xing bowed his head.
After hearing this, not only Cao Lin, but also Bai Yousi, Sima Zheng and Qin Bao also changed their expressions slightly.
"Then what's your third answer?" After a moment, Cao Lin put away his hands and clasped them behind his back and asked.
"I dare not say anything." Zhang Xing gave a strange reply.
Cao Lin was about to sneer, but for some reason, he suddenly stopped and stood silent for a long time.
At the same time, the copper bell rang instead.
It was during the ringing of the bells that Bai Yousi suddenly woke up, but without hesitation he gritted his teeth and stepped forward: "Zhongcheng, Zhang Sanlang did not reject you out of selfish motives, but out of public motives. There are some things that even Zhongcheng cannot do. , and why force a young man in his twenties?"
Qin Bao and Zhou Xingfan quickly followed up and saluted with their hands raised. Qian Tang was stunned for a moment and then followed.
At this time, Cao Lin slowly turned his head and looked at Bai Yousi coldly, but remained silent.
Bai Yousi didn't care at all, but continued to respond: "He didn't dare to say it, but I risked my future and life to say it... Zhongcheng's order is naturally absolutely correct, but saints are the ones who decide the strategy, and it is the saints who Good luck to everyone... The princes of Nanya are obviously of the same mind, but they can't even persuade them to build the big golden pillar. And if they can't even persuade them to do this kind of thing, who can persuade the saint to put the inside first and then the outside? Zhang Sanlang's heart The ambition is to make the world peaceful. If he cannot do this, what if he becomes Zhongcheng's adopted son? He will just be paid away by Zhongcheng for nothing, and he will also have to bear the bad name of betraying me. "
Cao Lin didn't say a word, but the Grand Master was in harmony with nature and man, and was not afraid of being happy or angry. Everyone could see clearly that he was obviously angry after Zhang Xing refused.
Instead, he suddenly realized something and paused for a moment.
As for Bai Yousi's anger actually diminished slightly after he came forward, but his subsequent words clearly angered him, making him even more angry.
"Zhongcheng."
Sima Zheng saw this and stepped forward without hesitation. "I only have one thing to say... No matter what, Zhang Baishou is a man who serves the country and is understandable in both his heart and deeds. Should he not reward his merits and instead impose severe punishments for this kind of thing? If so, how do you think about it? Zhongcheng’s way of employing people?”
Zhang Changgong, who was wearing a mask, hesitated for a moment and actually stepped forward to offer his hand.
The atmosphere solidified again.
I don’t know how long it took, but finally, from the perspective of Zhang Xing, whose chin was dripping with sweat, Cao Lin’s purple robe stopped beating in the wind, and the copper bell that rang from time to time also rang softly, and then suddenly stopped. Come down.
Then, Cao Lin's purple robe turned out of sight.
At this time, Zhang Xing finally heard the other party's cold voice, but it turned out that he was not calling him: "Zhang Changgong!"
"My subordinate is here!" Zhang Changgong replied calmly.
"Why do you also ask for mercy?" Cao Lin's voice was sharp. "Do you know him? Have you seen what he's capable of? Or are you trying to sell someone a favor?"
"None of them." Zhang Changgong responded carefully. "My grandfather once gave us a small instruction, asking us to pay attention to a descendant of the Zhang family in Hedong... It was Zhang Xingyan who was involved in the rebellion and was forced to sell. I heard that he did not want to recognize his ancestor and return to the clan, but directly Joined the army in Taiyuan, and participated in the Second Conquest of Dongyi as one of the above five armies... Before I came to Jing'antai, I noticed Zhang Baishou, who was like a cone in the pocket, and I didn't dare not to be suspicious. "
Cao Lin was slightly startled, then his expression softened.
As for the people around him, from Bai Yousi to ordinary patrolling, everyone was surprised.
Only Zhang Xing himself is confused... He has read the relevant documents in Jing'an Terrace and knows that his body is called Zhang Xingyi, and he can match Du Meng... What the hell is Zhang Xingyan?
"Zhang Xing." Cao Lin suddenly shouted. "Are you Zhang Xingyan, deliberately faking amnesia?"
"No." Zhang Xing immediately raised his voice and answered. "I really lost my memory. Later I checked the documents and found out that he should be a wanderer from the North whose original name was Zhang Xingyi, but I just thought he had changed his name... and was not from a famous family."
After hearing this, Cao Lin exhaled slightly, and then finally issued the final verdict:
"Forget it this time, but don't come to the Black Tower in the future."
"Thank you, Zhongcheng, for your generosity." Zhang Xing looked relieved again.
"Don't thank me." Cao Lin sneered and began to look through the documents on his case.
"Yes, it's all thanks to the inspection and Sima Changjian." Zhang Xing corrected him immediately.
"It's not just them." Cao Lin shook his head slightly. "I just said that the disciples of a noble family still want to be prosperous and perish, let alone a person of unknown origin like you? The reason why I am willing to let you go is that the few people who work with you are willing to protect me. You; the other one, from the beginning to the end, despite your wild opinions, you have always shown your loyalty to the Wei Dynasty, and you have always been sincere... Putting aside the misunderstanding of Mr. Zhang, a few questions , although you are asking and I am answering, why is it that you are asking and answering yourself? Your self-reported thoughts leave me speechless. No matter who you follow or where you go in the future, don’t forget what is in your heart today. Ask and answer your own questions.”
"This is exactly my subordinate's intention." Zhang Xing raised his head suddenly, so that the sweat swayed and penetrated deep into the collar of his coat.
"I'll give you a black ribbon, let's go!" Cao Lin waved his hand and threw out a black ribbon and a piece of paper, but they landed impartially in the opponent's hand. "Don't come to this tower again in the future!"
Zhang Xing held the sealed document and immediately responded: "Thank you so much, Zhongcheng, for your kindness! Zhang Xing will definitely remember Zhongcheng's generosity today!"
This was a very honest statement, but Cao Lin didn't answer at all.
On the other side, as soon as he said the words, Zhang Sanlang also tried his best to step back. He took a few steps, almost two thousand, but suddenly felt a lightness in his body. When he looked back, he realized that it was Bai Yousi who had reached out to hold his arm. , so he completely relaxed, but was almost completely held up by the female patrol inspector.
Since the female inspector received the person, she did not hesitate. She bowed her head with one hand and saluted, then turned and left under the complicated eyes of Xue Liang and others. The other patrolmen could no longer hold on anymore and turned and fled.
Only Sima Zheng calmly stepped forward to salute and talked about something with Cao Lin, making the atmosphere less awkward.
The group of people came out of the Black Tower and ignored their colleagues on the road. Instead, they walked straight across the bridge to the outside of Jing'an Terrace. When they came to Tianjie Street, which was no longer crowded, Zhang Xingfang felt that he was alive, but then he woke up. , they were so nervous that they didn’t take the horses back.
"You guys are all gone." Bai Yousi looked around coldly. "I will send someone to find you tomorrow..."
The several patrolmen dispersed immediately as if they had received an amnesty. Qian Tang hesitated for a moment and then walked away silently. Only Qin Bao and Zhou Xingfan remained motionless for a while.
Zhang Xing took a breath and knew that Tianjie Street was not a place for talking, so he climbed over the wall with Qin Bao and Xiao Zhou and entered Chengfufang... It's ridiculous to say that after killing Zuo Youxian, Zhang Xing's cultivation level had reached ten levels. The Zhengmai was close to perfection, but he actually failed to climb over the wall once, and only got over it the second time.
But no one laughed at him. Who wouldn't have weak legs? Is that a great master?
"Where are the leopard and the yellow gelding?"
Arriving at home, Yueniang stuck her head out and glanced at Bai Yousi, as if she hadn't heard anything and just looked behind her. "Why did I lose my horse when I went out on an errand?"
"Close the door!" Zhang Xing was too lazy to say more. "Don't let anyone else in."
Yueniang immediately shut up and got out of the way. After waiting for the people to come in, she immediately locked the door, got into the kitchen again, and brought out tea and cakes.
But no one was eating or drinking.
"Brother Zhang...you are so brave." Zhou Xingfan was the first to speak, wiping his sweat repeatedly.
Zhang Xing ignored it.
"Third brother." After a moment, Qin Bao spoke. "Are you just taking such a big risk because Zhong Cheng can't persuade the saint?"
"No." Zhang Xing took a breath and looked at Bai Yousi before speaking calmly. "Different Taoist ideas do not lead to mutual conspiracy... The two of you should be clear about my thoughts. I have always believed that the problems of the Wei Dynasty are never internal or external, but the top and the bottom... And as early as the last Jiangdong incident After all, I knew that Zhongcheng had everything in his eyes, but not the lowest, so he was reluctant to recognize him as his godfather from the beginning. As for the last "dare not say", he just deliberately used Nanya's dissatisfaction with the saint , just use this as a inducement to make Zhong Cheng think so."
Qin Bao shook his head repeatedly: "That's it. A man can bend and stretch, so what if he saves his life first? Why do you have to humiliate him in front of him like this? Do you know that if Zhong Cheng had an unfavorable idea just now, with one palm of his hand, he would Nothing is left.”
"That's the key." Zhang Xing suddenly smiled, still staring at Bai Yousi. "A man can bend and stretch, but he is afraid that if he bends too much, he won't be able to straighten his waist anymore... To put it bluntly, he still can't get over the hurdle in his heart, and he really doesn't want to bend again, or bend to another person... This is the reason why he finally made up his mind. "
"As expected." Bai Yousi sighed slightly. "I knew it...but no matter what, you are still with me today. Even if you have to break away from me in the future, I can't forget today's friendship."
Qin Bao and Zhou Xingfan just lowered their heads and said nothing, while Yueniang couldn't help but open her eyes wide and look at Zhu Shou, a woman dressed as a man, as if she had been hit by some inexplicable shock.
Zhang Xing nodded and said no more words.
"Well said." At this moment, a voice suddenly came from above. "Zhang Baishou... No, Zhang Heishou, I have seen you many times, and I have been convinced many times... Based on your wisdom, bravery, benevolence and righteousness today, even if Zhu Shou's future has been cut off by Zhongcheng himself, why worry about not being able to make great achievements in the future?"
Zhang Xingdeng's face darkened immediately and he went to see Bai Yousi again.
Bai Yousi sneered: "He just came here, and he only heard Qin Bao's words after he said that a man can bend and stretch..."
Zhang Xing felt relieved and sighed again, but simply remained silent and sat in a daze, not even inviting Sima Erlong to come down to the room for a cup of tea.
And Sima Zheng was not embarrassed at all.
After all, how can I rely on the Heavenly Sword and cross the sea to kill a long whale? However, even if you borrow the Yitian Sword, you can only kill the whale on the Huaihe River. If you want to kill the whale in your heart with one sword like today, how can you not exhaust your mind?
ps: Good night everyone.
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