In Anren Hall, the conversation between Yang Guang and Yang Ji came to an end. Yang Guang picked up the tea cup and took a gentle sip of the tea soup. He let the tea soup slide into his mouth and savored the wonderful taste of the fragrant tea.
Making tea may seem simple and simple, and it is not as complicated as sencha tea with many condiments, but there is a lot of care involved. Whether it is the water quality, water temperature, heat, tea set, or the "myths and legends" that Yang Ji made up for the tea, they are all very picky and not vague at all, otherwise the taste of the tea will lack that feeling.
At first, most of the people in the ruling class were not used to drinking this kind of tea. Even if they drank it, it was to give face to Yang Ji, the inventor, and to Empress Xiao, the highly praised tea; but although this thing is not as mixed as "Bai", Chen's "decoction" could withstand hunger, but over time, people discovered that this tea had the effects of improving eyesight, refreshing people, helping digestion, etc., so their mentality changed, from having to drink it at first to accepting it, and then evolved. Become like, favor, infatuated.
Especially people like Yang Guang who are busy with work are obsessed with the fresh and timeless tea soup and the refreshing fragrance of tea floating in the air.
In fact, apart from tea, the folding fans created by Yang Ji were not liked at first. The reason is that although people think that the folding fan that can be opened and closed is far more convenient than the palace fan, people think that the act of opening and closing is too frivolous and rogue, so dignitaries and educated people do not approve of it.
The first group to accept the folding fan were not the dignitaries, but the dandies and brothel girls who were ahead of the fashion trend, and the gangsters who liked to be independent. After the promotion of these three groups, the folding fan has now replaced the inconvenient palace fan.
Yang Ji's act of giving folding fans with inscriptions and paintings on one side to friends/couples also became popular throughout the Sui Dynasty, forming a folding fan culture full of romance and poetry.
However, among the folding fans sold in Wangfu shops, iron bone fans and steel bone fans have the best sales; mainly because they can not only fan the wind, but also have the special ability to beat people half to death without being fatal, so they are favored by the dandy Young people, gangsters, and black men would use it as one of their first choice weapons in fights. After breaking it, they would buy new ones, causing the supply to be in short supply all year round.
While Yang Guang was sipping tea, he was thinking about how to impress the very calm Yang Ji——
Yang Guang fully recognized Yang Ji's plan of "four-party game against the Sui Navy", and decided to grant Pei Renji the position of deputy governor of the Northern Navy, and ordered officials from Shandong noble families to investigate arson cases and illegal generals in the Southern Navy. However, there were differences between the two on the issue of specific candidates for the investigation: Yang Ji meant to choose officials from the Lu family of Fanyang or the Li family of Zhaojun, while Yang Guang advocated choosing from the Cui family of Qinghe. Selected among department officials.
As a result, neither of them could convince the other, but they refused to tell the reasons for their choices, so they became deadlocked.
"Vajra slave, why don't you support the Cui family of Qinghe? What's the reason?" As the king of a country, Yang Guang has a lot of national affairs to deal with every day, and he is not as lazy as Yang Ji, so he doesn't want to A lot of time is wasted in boring confrontations. After just "confrontation" for a while, Yang Guang opened his mouth to break the deadlock.
Yang Ji didn't buy his fault. He put down the empty teacup in his hand and asked, "Then why do you want an official from the Cui family in Qinghe to investigate the case? What's the reason?"
Yang Guang suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, and patiently explained his intentions to Yang Ji: "As you know, I plan to lead the world's nobles to fight against the Guanlong nobles. Among the nobles, the Shandong nobles are mainly those who are deeply rooted. And among the Shandong nobles, The Cui family of Qinghe and the Cui family of Boling come from the same lineage. However, although the two are powerful and their cooperation is far greater than their disputes, the existence of disputes ultimately prevents them from being of one mind and working together to the end. But if I give Cui a great favor Opportunity, and if the Qinghe Cui family cannot afford it alone, then the Qinghe Cui family will definitely use the sentiment of fellow clan and prospects, and make real compromises with practical benefits in exchange for the full support of the Boling Cui family."
"The power of Er Cui's cooperation with external forces has not only put tremendous pressure on the Guanlong nobles, but has also become my most powerful help in dealing with the Guanlong nobles. As for how the two will work together, it has nothing to do with us."
"The truth contained in this is actually like your suggestion that I appoint Pei Renji as the Northern Navy.
Like the deputy governor, he also has an irresistible power. "
When Yang Guang governed the country and the army, he regarded the maxim that Yang Ji Renshou said at the court meeting as "the clearer the doctrine, the clearer the truth, the clearer the argument." However, as an emperor for so many years, he had been plotted too much and had already lost his heart. He shrunk to an extremely deep place; now in the officialdom, the only person who could make him speak openly and honestly like this was Yang Ji.
After saying so much, Yang Guang saw Yang Ji frowning and saying nothing, seeming to be thinking about something. In order to enhance his persuasion, he then made a heartfelt metaphor: "The deputy commander of the Northern Navy is a man with great power. Therefore, Pei, who has few generals, could not refuse and was willing to be used by us. For Er Cui, investigating the case is only the second step. The key is that the Southern Navy is not only the corruption of the army, it must also involve the local officialdom, so once I By appointing their people to investigate the case, they have the initiative. In order to create more vacancies to compete for, they will intensify the investigation and find out all the local officials who are corrupt."
"It is true that those investigating the case mainly consider Er Cui's interests, and at the same time they also want to create more positions for the Shandong nobles to strive for. However, as long as they can uncover corrupt officials, it will be a good thing for the country, the people and the military. . And the most important and critical thing is that it is in my hands to decide whether the southern navy generals and local officials are corrupt and whether to sentence them. Therefore, I am not worried that they will take the opportunity to exclude dissidents and kill good people while taking credit."
At this point, Yang Guang has changed from a superior person and a bystander to a player in the game, and has taken on the role of empathy; however, discussing and acting in this kind of empathic way is undoubtedly better than that of the superior person. A random guess is more accurate.
"There is another advantage." Seeing that there was no one around and the servants were guarding the palace gate from a distance, Yang Guang said in a low voice: "Jingzhou and Yangzhou have always been the world of the southern gentry and Jiangnan gentry, and the rebels have Thieves are more or less related to these forces. Once the court wants to make some changes, or there is some trouble in the court, they will unite tightly, and then use plots such as old grudges and regional prejudices to spread the word among the people that northerners look down upon them. Southerners, thus causing tension between the North and the South. This is also one of the important reasons for the estrangement between the North and the South that cannot be eliminated."
"During Aye's reign, he realized that the people in the south were not attached and the official power was too single, which was really not conducive to the stability of the Sui Dynasty. Moreover, whenever the court's deterrence was insufficient or the north was fighting, the southern forces would Those who are supported will make trouble. So Aye planned to introduce the Guanzhong, Shandong, and Hedong gentry into the south. However, the first enemy at that time was the Turkic Khanate, so Aye could not overly stimulate the southern forces, so he had to change infiltration to It was a means of showing mercy and appeasement. However, Aye's move was somewhat similar to drinking poison to quench thirst. Although it solved urgent needs and temporary worries, it also left heavy hidden dangers for the present and the future. If this matter cannot be dealt with in time, what will happen to the southern gentry? Like the Guanlong nobles, they have become a huge hidden danger that cannot be lost."
"But now, it is a great opportunity to gradually penetrate into the south. If I let the Shandong nobles go to the Southern Navy and Southern Jingzhou to investigate the case and catch a large number of corrupt officials, it will be a good thing for the country, the people and the army, and at the same time it can Take advantage of the situation and lead the Shandong nobles to the south."
"On the surface, the position I was conferred was a reward for the Shandong nobles' dedicated efforts in investigating the case, but in reality? It was to use the Shandong nobles, the southern nobles, and the Hedong nobles to eliminate the power of the Guanlong nobles in the navy and stir up troubles in all directions. The disputes between the forces also used the power of the Shandong gentry to dilute the control of the southern forces in the south, bringing the two into a balance conducive to national stability; at the same time, it also laid an important foundation for the disputes and conflicts between the Shandong gentry and the southern gentry. Foreshadowing."
Yang Guang had this idea before, but this method was too sinister and the motives were too impure. It would have been leaked to others in advance, and he would have gained a reputation as a mean and calculating minister of the emperor, so Yang Guang did not dare to reveal his thoughts. To foreign ministers. However, one person's wisdom alone cannot consider it so comprehensively and profoundly.
But when facing Yang Ji, he didn't have any worries. After the two brothers argued and distinguished, he was stimulated and inspired by Yang Ji, and the vague concepts in the past became very clear. .
When he finished speaking in one breath, Yang Guang's face was already glowing with excitement.
, his eyes were piercing, and his whole person became energetic.
After hearing so much, Yang Ji's intention of "confrontation" had long since disappeared, and his mind could not help but enter the role of a dog-headed strategist.
He now fully recognizes and is optimistic about Yang Guang's huge idea, and he also feels that as long as the imperial power is stable and the military power is in hand, Yang Guang will one day be able to follow this idea and bring every place into a criss-crossing balance of forces. situation. He pondered for a while and then said to Yang Guang: "Brother, this method is good, and you also said that I understand the role of Er Cui, but is there any other reason why you want to use the Cui family of Qinghe?"
When Yang Guang heard that Yang Ji had changed the subject again, his face suddenly froze with excitement, and then darkened again.
What he has been saying for so long, is it all nonsense?
"Brother, don't get me wrong." Yang Ji's face changed when he saw him, and he felt bad in his heart. He quickly explained: "I have no other intention, I just want to know more so that I can know everything. "
"This is more or less like a human saying." Yang Guang's expression softened a lot. He thought for a moment and said slowly: "Not long ago, the Five Kingdoms of Aye wanted to induce the Shandong nobles to restrain the Guanlong nobles. However, we He was also a family from the Guanlong nobles, and had a deep misunderstanding with the Shandong nobles. At that time, there were Nanchen in the south and the Turkic Khanate in the north. The situation in the world was unclear. Aye could neither overly stimulate the Guanlong nobles nor guarantee that the Shandong nobles would survive. Hui Qingqing, if he rashly implements the method of balance, there will definitely be no unity among the people, so he can't do that. However, since Aniang is the niece of the Cui family in Qinghe, he reused Aniang's cousin Cui Changren. "
"This man is a very gifted and talented man. He has been trained by Qing Cui family as a potential head of the family since he was a child. However, the excessive expectations and excessive protection of his elders have made him live in a depressed and safe place for a long time. In the atmosphere, although young people are old, they are not sophisticated. Therefore, as soon as he became an official and escaped the sight of his elders, he indulged himself, often did evil, oppressed the people, and committed unforgivable crimes."
"But Aye, who enforces the law very strictly, wanted to exempt Cui Changren from the death penalty because he was Aniang's cousin. Unexpectedly, he was even more selfless than Aye. When she learned the news, she said to Aye, 'The law is related to everything. In the Sui Dynasty and the Great Sui Dynasty, the most important thing for everyone in the world, how could the law be ignored because of personal feelings? If it were started at this time, wouldn't everyone else follow suit, and everyone would come to ask for mercy after committing a crime? What would happen then? ” Aye felt that Aniang’s words were reasonable, and soon Cui Changren was executed according to law. "
"The majesty of the Sui Dynasty's laws was thus upheld, and the people applauded one after another. However, the good relationship between our royal family and the Cui family has not yet officially begun, but it has regressed because of this incident. Although they will not meet each other in war, there will no longer be any It’s a personal relationship, and it’s absolutely impossible to want the other party to side with the royal family and serve the Sui Dynasty.”
"Seeing that the facts could not be changed, Aye, through Cui Zhongfang, successively asked Aji (Yang Jun's nickname) to marry Cui Hongdu's daughter, and Shiming to marry Cui Hongdu's niece and the daughter of Cui Hongsheng, the governor of Cizhou. When our Yang family and the Boling Cui family After the direct relationship was established, the relationship between the Yang family and the Cui family of Qinghe was eased through the Boling Cui family's argument. Later, I was allowed to take the daughter of Cui Junchuo of Qinghe as my concubine, so that the relationship between the two or three families continued to move forward. .”
"But later..." Yang Guang smiled bitterly and said, "Later, you also knew."
Princess Qin, who was born in the Bolingcui family, was a lover. Not only was she very jealous, she was also very impulsive. When she saw that Yang Jun had taken several beautiful concubines, she fell in love with her regardless of the consequences. The poison was poisoned and Yang Jun was sent to the sky directly.
Her stupid move not only killed Yang Jun, but also frightened her niece's husband, Yang Zhao. Yang Zhao was worried that his wife would do something like her aunt, so he asked her. Yang Jian said, "The rebellious princess (the princess) is (is) the bride's aunt... please leave her."
Yang Zhao successfully got rid of his first wife, but after Yang Jun's death and Yang Zhao's divorce and remarriage, the relationship between the three families went back.
Today, the past has slowly faded away. Now the Sui Dynasty is extremely prosperous and wealthy, Yang Guang's throne is stable, and his power is increasing day by day. If Yang Guang offers some benefits at this time, and there is Mrs. Cui as a contact point in the palace, Qinghe, who puts profits first, will
The Cui family would definitely not want to give up this great opportunity to expand their power. If their family cannot digest this benefit and opportunity, they will definitely join forces with the Bolingcui clan's Shandong noble clan as mentioned before to reap a huge benefit together.
As long as they do this, they will become a sharp blade in Yang Guang's hand, just like the Hedong faction headed by Pei and the Southern faction headed by Xiao Jue.
"Are you satisfied with this explanation? Isn't this method very clever?" Yang Guang asked quite contentedly when he saw that Yang Ji remained silent for a long time.
"Brilliant?" Yang Ji chuckled and said in a roundabout way, "It's weird to be brilliant!"
"Huh?" Yang Guang was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Is there a reason?"
Yang Ji said solemnly: "Although this method is good, brother has ignored two fatal loopholes."
"Oh? What loophole?" Yang Guang quickly sat upright and listened quietly.
Yang Ji said: "First, brother ignored the Xiao family's feelings. If you use the Cui family in Qinghe, you can't help but give Mrs. Cui a title, right? If you give it, how will the Xiao family feel? They also lead the South Gentleman, will you wholeheartedly help you eliminate the navy borers? This is one of them."
"Secondly, even if Er Cui does what you want and unites with external forces to deal with the Guanlong nobles in the navy and Jingzhou's officialdom, it will form a huge force. In order to deal with this powerful external force, the Guanlong nobles Not only will the three factions merge into one, but it is also possible to unite the southern gentry. If this happens, wouldn’t all the previous efforts be in vain?”
Looking at Yang Guang, Yang Ji continued: "This is why I recommend the Fan Yang Lu family or the Zhaojun Li family. After all, the two are not as powerful as Er Cui. If one of them is used, then the above two A loophole can turn it into nothing.”
