In the main hall of Chaohui Hall, Pei Shuying, Liu Rumei, and Zhang Chuchen were talking. They originally had important matters to find Yang Ji and Xiao Ying, but Qiu Shui and Qiu Yue refused to let them go upstairs, and gave them vague reminders. They suddenly felt worried. However, they sat in the lobby on the first floor waiting for Yang Ji and Xiao Ying instead of being sent into the tiger's mouth.
On the coffee table next to the three sisters, there is a luxurious gold-painted prayer sticker neatly placed, with the three characters "Yang Xuanting" written on it.
"Sister, Chuchen, you used to work in the Duke's Palace of Chu, do you know this Yang Xuanting?" Pei Shuying only knew that Yang Xuanting was the third son born to Yang Su and Zheng. Because Yang Yue had no children, Yang Su gave birth to the third son. He passed it on so that Yang Yue's incense could continue, but other than that, he knew nothing.
However, Yang Xuanting suddenly came to Zhangye City and handed over a greeting card. Pei Shuying didn't know what kind of person he was, let alone what the other party's purpose was. Out of caution, she wanted to know something about Liu Rumei and Zhang Chuchen.
"Situ has many heirs, but Master Xuanting is undoubtedly the most outstanding one." Liu Rumei sighed and continued: "From the current point of view, this is also the reason why Situ adopted him into the second master's lap."
Pei Shuying heard this and asked in confusion: "Since he is Situ's most outstanding son, why did Situ adopt him to someone else?"
Liu Rumei said: "The Hongnong Yang family is completely different from the Pei family. Although it is a member of the gentry family, it is inextricably linked to the royal family and Guanlong nobles, so it is between the royal family, the military family, and the gentry family. The strange existence between them. When Chu Gong was alive, Xu was afraid that one day he would miss the big family of Hongnong, so he took his own branch from the Yang family of Hongnong and let it go out."
"However, after the Situ clan became independent, they were neither civilized nor martial, and they were not particularly close to the royal family. After they lost their roots, they seemed to have "lost" their direction. Internally, they were exactly the same as small and medium-sized families who became rich overnight. The fight between the sons for power and material gain was particularly fierce."
"Although Young Master Xuanting is the most outstanding, he is the third son. Situ's inheritance rights are not destined for him, and Yang Xuangan and Yang Xuanzang are very careful about him. Situ Xu is worried that Young Master Xuanting will be killed when he is gone, so he adopted him. Give it to me, so they won’t be able to fight.”
Zhang Chuchen has a cheerful and generous character, and he can't hide anything he says. When Liu Rumei said this, he couldn't help but add: "This is not surprising at all! I have now seen through the whole family of the Duke of Chu's mansion. Well, except for Situ, everyone in their house is mediocre, jealous of talents, and ignorant of progress, and they will live in the glory left by Situ all day long."
"Nowadays, these people put more emphasis on the direct descendants than the direct descendants. They don't have the overall perspective that a big family should have. It is inevitable that the descendants of the common people will outnumber the direct descendants, so instead of supporting the talented peripheral descendants, they try their best to suppress them. There are also the old lady, Yang Xuangan’s first wife, Mrs. Zheng, is vicious and selfish!”
"In order to maintain Yang Xuangan's interests, the two aunts and nephews tried their best to suppress the concubines. But outside the gate of the Duke of Chu, they put their natal family first. Once the interests of the Duke of Chu or Yang Xuangan conflict with the Zheng family, In case of conflict, they do not hesitate to favor their natal family.”
"Yang Xuangan was originally a very smart and powerful man; he was fully capable and talented to inherit Situ Gong's career, but he had such a mother and such a wife, so he was turned into a big fool without any opinion. "
Having said this, Zhang Chuchen glanced at Pei Shuying and continued: "Such a family is really hard to describe and has an uncertain future. If the young master hadn't begged me to come over, I would have definitely run away secretly with my mother-in-law."
"Ah?" Pei Shuying was stunned. She could tell from Zhang Chuchen's tone that she seemed to have a strong resentment towards the Yang family. After a moment of silence, she asked cautiously: "Chuchen, do you hate the Yang family? "
Zhang Chuchen shook his head and said: "I was indeed afraid and hated before. When the young master asked me to remind them, I was still very scared and anxious. But when we actually met, I suddenly found that they were quite pathetic. They can’t afford to hate it anymore.”
Liu Rumei also said: "The days Chuchen and I lived in the Duke's Mansion of Chu State were by no means pleasant. But at least we learned martial arts and various skills. If not, we would not be qualified to beg the young master, let alone have any Today, so not only do I not hate them, but I am grateful to them.”
There was a hint of mischief in Zhang Chuchen's eyes.
Smiling, she said, "Sister Rumei is still educated. I didn't even have to speak, so she just said what was in my heart."
Liu Rumei: "..."
You are so good at talking and yet you say you are uneducated?
"What are you talking about?" Yang Ji walked out of the back hall after taking a bath. Seeing that the three women were talking with gusto, he asked curiously.
When the three girls heard this, they looked over and saw Yang Ji walking out quickly. The three sisters stood up and saluted in unison, and called out gently: "Mr. Lang!"
When Yang Ji sat down, Pei Shuying and Zhang Chuchen couldn't stop looking at Yang Ji. One of them said sweetly, "Young master, it's done!" The other said, "I thought I had to wait until dark for the young master and the eldest lady." Well, I didn’t expect it to be so fast!”
Hearing this, Yang Ji couldn't hold himself any longer. He glared at them both angrily and said, "It's been a long time! A Ying can't even get up."
"Beast!"
"hey-hey!"
"..." Yang Ji was speechless. These two guys were good at talking nasty things, even he was not as good as him. If they kept talking, he would definitely lose. He simply picked up the greeting card on the coffee table and read it.
After reading it, Yang Jida was surprised and asked: "How long has Yang Xuanting been here?"
Pei Shuying smiled and said: "I arrived more than an hour ago, and Mr. Ling is keeping me company in the living room."
When Yang Ji heard that Ling Jing was accompanying him, he was not in a hurry to see him right away, but asked, "Do you know why he is here?"
"Mr. Ling spread the news by asking someone to exchange tea." Liu Rumei said: "It is said that after Yang Yuogong lost his position as the internal historian, the saint appointed him as the censor Zhongcheng."
Yang Ji had never heard of this news, and said: "Yu Shi Zhongcheng is the fifth rank, and Yang Yue's previous Nei Shi Ling was the third rank. However, although the Nei Shi Ling is claimed to be the head of the Nei Shi Province, it is not actually the highest rank. Relatively speaking, the power of the Neishi Ling is far inferior to that of the powerful Yushi Zhongcheng. This can also prove that the saint's trust in the Duke of Chu line has not decreased, but has been strengthened."
"That's the theory!" Pei Shuying sighed and said helplessly: "But it's certainly true that their family went to worship the priests together on the day of Situ Mingshou. The key is that Yang Yue may have been moved by the scene, so he cried while , while criticizing the evils of the times, and then complained to others, and because of this, he lost his position as censor Zhongcheng."
Yang Ji heard a black line, and he had nothing to say about that family in his heart. Logically speaking, they should have summed up their gains and losses and kept a low profile. However, instead of learning their lesson, they were so willful and ignorant of current affairs. Isn't this looking for death?
Of course, they may be trying to maintain Yang Su's connections during his lifetime, so they are eager to prove themselves and prove that they are still so powerful even without Yang Su. However, they seem to have made a mistake.
"Perhaps they are aloof and busy for a long time, and they can't adapt to the deserted situation for a while, and they can't let go." Pei Shuying glanced at Yang Ji and continued: "Lang Jun, this afternoon, I just received a message from my mother (Mrs. Pei) In the letter sent home, based on Aye’s conversation, she specifically asked me to tell you not to get too close to the Duke of Chu, otherwise you will suffer serious consequences."
"Yes!" Yang Ji nodded, stood up and said, "I'm going to see Yang Xuanting!"
"Lang Jun!" Liu Rumei hesitated for a long time and asked in a somewhat embarrassed tone: "Yang Xuanting is Yang Yue's stepson. How can I say it? He is also one of Chuchen and I's old masters. Now that he has come all the way, I Do you want to accompany Izuku to meet him?"
Naturally, she didn't ask this because of her "old master", but mainly because of etiquette and the face of the palace. If she and Zhang Chuchen avoided seeing each other, she was worried that someone would say that the palace's tutors were not good in the future, which would affect the palace's reputation.
Yang Ji didn't take Liu Rumei's words to heart. The fact that she could say this just showed that she was someone who missed old friendships. He smiled and said, "He must have something important to discuss with me. If you are here, you can't talk; be prepared." Just serve the banquet.”
With that said, Yang Ji walked out.
. . . . . . . . .
In addition to the general manager Gongsun Huan, the palace also has three deputy general managers to help him handle affairs. They are Song Zhengben, Hao Yuan and Ling Jing.
The four general managers each performed their own duties, among which Gongsun Huan took overall planning and was in the middle; Song Zhengben, who served as Lintao Tongshou, was mainly responsible for Yongzhou affairs; Hao Yuan was in charge of Luoyang City in Yuzhou. Ling
Jing follows Yang Ji and assists in the affairs of Zhangye Yang Mansion. He is also the head of Yang Ji's current staff.
Although he, Gongsun Huan, and Hao Yuan were not in official positions, the four general managers had a transcendent status with their backs on the leafy tree of the palace. In addition, they were extremely intelligent, upright, and fair, which made King Wei's subordinates pay close attention to them. Admire it wholeheartedly and sincerely.
In the living room, Ling Jing was meeting the visiting Yang Xuanting and Yang Su's concubine Yang Jishan on behalf of Yang ***.
Because Yang Xuanting's biological father, Yang Su, had made great contributions in pacifying Yang Liang, Yang Guang awarded him the title of "Yitong Sansi", and was appointed as the prefect of Lujiang County by the court last autumn. However, due to the death of Yang Su, he was unable to take up the post, and was later accepted by his family. His actions were burdensome, and the post of governor was left in tatters. The first honor of the Three Divisions of Yitong was also lost because of the fault of his successor Yang Yue. Yang Xuanting turned into a completely white body.
The Yang family thought that the emperor was going to brutally suppress them, and they could no longer see the direction ahead. So at the suggestion of the old lady, they sent Yang Xuanting and Yang Jishan to Zhangye County for advice, hoping that they had helped them once. Yang Ji can point the way.
Yang Xuanting and his brothers had been at the house for more than an hour, but Yang Ji never showed up. Although Ling Jing said that Yang Ji was busy with official duties and would come to meet him soon, Yang Xuanting still felt a little uneasy and didn't know what the outcome of this trip would be. Whether he can complete the tasks assigned to him by the Presbyterian Council.
Just as the three of them were chatting together, a guard quickly entered the hall and saluted: "Manager Ling, the king is here."
As soon as these words came out, the three people who were originally talking in the hall stopped talking. Yang Xuanting raised his eyes and looked towards the door through the hazy night. I saw Yang Ji coming quickly. He was wearing a fitted black robe and a purple gold crown. The cold wind blew his open skirt, and the clothes inside clung to his body, making him appear taller and taller. Calm.
"Your Majesty!" Ling Jing called out first, glanced at Yang Ji's simple clothes, and asked with a smile, "Did you just come back from the military camp?"
After getting along with each other for many years, Yang Ji understood why Ling Jing asked this question. It must be that when he was communicating with Yang Xuanting and Yang Jishan, he said that he was in the military camp, so he nodded, following the meaning of the words, he cupped his hands to Yang Xuanting and said: "Brother, I have to compare with you." A battle, and then we arranged military affairs such as food, grass, supplies, etc. Brother Lao, I'm really sorry for waiting for so long."
"Your Majesty, you're welcome! I'm so presumptuous, but I still hope Haihan!" Yang Xuanting knew that Yang Ji had been busy with military affairs recently, so he didn't doubt his statement. Moreover, while chatting with Ling Jing, he learned that this relatively "narrow and simple" living room was usually used to receive the most distinguished and intimate guests. This shows that Yang Ji was very nostalgic and did not treat him as an ordinary person. Ordinary common people.
What's more important is that Yang Ji is wearing ordinary clothes at this moment, not official clothes, and his black hair is still wet, as if he had taken a bath specially to meet him; all this is enough to show that he has put down his figure and regarded himself as an "ordinary person" Come and see yourself as someone else. So he was sincerely moved by Yang Ji's "carefulness".
But the title of Yang Ji made Yang Xuanting blush a little. After all, although they were peers, Yang Ji had a high position and he had nothing. He couldn't bear the word "brother".
"See you, Your Majesty. I haven't seen you for several months. Your Majesty is even more handsome than before!" Yang Jishan understood his brother's embarrassment and quickly bowed his hands.
They were all familiar people, but when they met this time, Yang Jishan found that although Yang Ji was still as handsome, he obviously felt that Yang Ji was different from before. He had a pair of thick eyebrows like swords, bright eyes, and his face. That warm smile made him lose his previous high-spirited and scornful aura, and gained a bit more magnanimity that was hidden within and expressed outwardly.
Seeing the young prince walking steadily from afar, Yang Xuanting couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Just his graceful and calm demeanor was far superior to all the young men in their family.
"Brother, you're welcome! Brothers, please sit down!" Yang Ji sat down and glanced at the Yang brothers who were sitting down one after another. He looked through the seats and knew that Yang Xuanting was the protagonist of this business, so he said to him: "Brother Xuanting, Although Zhangye is far away from the capital, I have heard a little about Hui Bogong (named by Yang Yue)."
After pondering for a long time, he asked: "But I wonder how Uncle Hui is doing?"
The smile on Yang Xuanting's face froze for a moment, and he sighed: "My father's health is not very good. These twists and turns...
, which made him seriously ill; he didn’t know when he would be able to come out to serve the country! "
Yang Ji couldn't help but glance at Yang Xuanting. What the other party said was quite good. It not only told Yang Yue's current situation, but also took the opportunity to inquire about Yang Ji's attitude. After all, Yang Ji was the most famous person in the dynasty. With his current situation, Yang Ji couldn't help but glance at Yang Xuanting. Yang Yue's status and the extent of the emperor's trust, if he expressed his opinion or said a few good words to the emperor, the possibility of Yang Yue's comeback would be greatly increased. Then he slowly said: "The Sui Dynasty is in an unprecedented period of innovation. Uncle Hui is resourceful and strong. As long as he has a broad mind and a healthy body, he will definitely be able to serve the court."
Yang Xuanting was greatly disappointed. Yang Ji's words seemed nice and useful, but in fact they were just like "I wish you peace" and were useless.
Yang Jishan is also a person with keen reactions and outstanding intelligence. This is why the family decided to let him accompany Yang Xuanting. He knew that his brother was no longer able to speak to him at this time, so he directly stated his purpose: "Your Majesty, although officials should be treated as such. State affairs are the most important thing, but the Sui Dynasty emphasized filial piety first and respect between brothers and sisters. My uncle had a deep brotherly relationship with his late father. He went to pay homage to his brother on his birthday and cried bitterly. Although he made a mistake, it was a small matter. That’s it! No matter how you look at it, we won’t end up in this situation. Your Majesty, can you help my uncle to intercede?”
Yang Xuanting also answered and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, my father has been an official for decades. Wuyou has always been honest and conscientious. He has never been greedy for money or harmed anyone. What's more, after the "internal strife in the army" occurred in the fourth year of Renshou, At that time, he rode into Xijing alone, stabilized the situation in Xijing, and made great contributions to the saints and the imperial court. Now, the officials in Dongjing have jointly attacked my father because of my father's slight mistake. This is really unreasonable and unjust. ”
Yang Ji was silent when he heard the words. In fact, he knew that Yang Yue's ability was quite good. Let alone the censor Zhongcheng, he was more than enough to serve as a minister and a servant. What's even more rare is that Yang Yue is an upright and very self-disciplined person. If he works with peace of mind, he will definitely be a rare capable and famous minister.
However, being capable does not mean having foresight and a big picture. Since their family has a very talented Yang Su, they are accustomed to relying on Yang Su; Yang Su has set a clear direction for everything, and they only need to follow the set direction. Just walk; this is certainly a good thing, but it also resulted in the Yang family's children, including Yang Yue, Yang Wensi, and Yang Xuangan, not being able to exercise. They lacked long-term vision and independence, and their ability to control the general trend was also pitifully poor. . So when Yang Su left, their sky fell.
After losing their leader, they became a mess. Everyone was frightened and confused. Then they became helpless and did whatever the wind meant, and then they did some unbelievable stupid things.
However, he and Yang Yue had never interacted with each other. Yang Xuanting and Yang Jishan didn't know who they listened to, but they came to Zhangye in a hurry and sought medical treatment. The purpose was very obvious, just to let him help them speak.
Of course, what he said is indeed more effective than many people, but the Yang family is so impetuous and desperate, if they are unable to realize their mistakes and cannot calm down, then these words must not be said nonsense. ; Otherwise, not only will it be a thankless task, but he himself will also be dragged down by these people.
He frowned and asked: "My two brothers are so talented, do they really not know the reason why your house has reached this stage?"
As soon as these words came out, both Yang Xuanting and Yang Jishan looked a little uncomfortable. Yang Xuanting pretended to be confused and asked: "Isn't it because everyone pushed against the wall, so they joined forces to criticize it with words and writings?"
Yang Ji did not expose his lie, but said calmly: "What you say is not true in fact. I remember that when Situ was alive, he was impeached almost every day, and was dismissed by the late emperor because of family disputes. His problems and The situation was far more serious than it is now, but why did everyone push him down at that time? However, not only was he fine, he came back soon. Why? It's probably because Situ lost the small details but not the big ones."
"Hui Bogong first lost his internal history order, but as soon as the news passed, the saint immediately appointed him as the censor Zhongcheng. This move of deposing first and then using it, everyone knew that it was a clear reduction and a real promotion. At the same time, he promoted Wen Sigong to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Brother Xuangan is the Minister of Rites, and the prosperity of the holy family is far greater than when Situ was alive. However, why was Hui Bo Gong deposed again soon? Instead of standing like Situ? Have you ever thought about these questions? ?”
Yang Xuanting said expectantly: "Your Majesty, as long as you..." Finally, he felt that he could not
He spoke too clearly and immediately stopped talking.
Seeing that he was still determined to intercede, Yang Ji helplessly shook his head and said: "Although I am a prince and have many official positions in the court, my main job is Liangzhou Mu, so I have never interfered with the court." Appointment and dismissal of personnel? Besides, I have a lot of things here and I don’t have enough grasp of the upcoming war. How can I have time to participate in these? But now that the two brothers are here, I have a good idea. "
Yang Xuanting quickly asked: "What's a good idea? Please let me know clearly!"
Yang Jishan's eyes were full of expectation.
Yang Ji pretended to be thoughtful and said slowly: "Brother, as people in the situation, you may not know the root cause of the disease. But as a bystander, I know the cause of your disease very clearly. The cause of the disease is yourselves." I think the key for you right now is not to fight for positions, but to calm down, and then work together to formulate a comprehensive strategy. If you can't calm down and still can't let go, the saint will definitely be disappointed with you. Only then will the real If a good wall falls, everyone will push it down."
In fact, Yang Ji is controlling the pace of the conversation. If you talk to me about something, then I will block you out at the root of the matter.
Of course, the main reason is that the Yang family is moving in more and more strange directions, which makes people feel wary. In Yang Ji's memory, Yang Xuangan also accompanied Yang Guang in his expedition to Tuyuhun. When the army returned to Dadou Bugu, they encountered a heavy snowstorm, and most of the more than 200,000 elite soldiers were killed. At that time, Yang Xuangan wanted to rebel and kill the king, but it was also because Yang Shen said beside him, "The generals and officers of the Sui Dynasty are united in their will. Although the Sui Dynasty suffered heavy losses, its strength remains strong and the emperor's prestige has reached an unprecedented height. You must not act recklessly!" Only then did Yang Xuangan give up.
For this kind of bold and reckless guy, who likes to play with fire and take risks, it is really hard for people to get close to him, so it is better to stay away from him.
Yang Xuanting and Yang Jishan were speechless. They knew very well that Yang Ji pointed out that the cause of the Yang family's illness was himself. Even the unpleasant words Feng Deyi said when he made a fuss in the mourning hall were the key to the problem. But these, It's really not something they can change.
Ling Jing glanced at the Yang brothers with a half-smile, and said in his heart that this is the real cure, and you are obviously aware of this, but you don't think about your own mistakes, but you insist on dragging others down. What kind of skill is this? ?
