It was an open invitation to Huang Qiong, and Liu Chang seemed to have calmed down at this time. Although he has been waiting for this opportunity for ten years, he has been waiting for such an opportunity. Although he was extremely excited, he did not agree to Huang Qiong immediately. He just pondered for a long time before opening his mouth and saying with a wry smile: "It's not that I don't want to come to the prince's side, but does he know what he said?"
"Now that Prince Meng has not given up, it stands to reason that Xiaguan should be happy. But Xiaguan knows his fault and has heard about some things in the capital. What Xiaguan is afraid of is nothing else, but that he can't control what he says. , causing trouble for the Crown Prince. I know that countless people in the capital are waiting to find excuses for the Crown Prince. It is not a pity for me to die myself, but if the Crown Prince is involved, I will be in trouble. "
Huang Qiong was about to answer the concern in Liu Chang's tone. Several women came in with dinner, interrupting what Huang Qiong wanted to say next. When several women came in, Huang Qiong naturally didn't say a word. After a few women had arranged six dishes, one soup, and two staple foods, they left. After Huang Qiong took Liu Chang to the table, she used serving chopsticks to give him a chopstick to eat.
Then he smiled and said: "Master Liu, I always eat very simply, and I don't like drinking, so I am a little lazy. However, these dishes, Master Liu, may not seem simple, but the tastes are different. Yes. If you want to really taste the flavor, you have to taste it carefully. For example, in this braised fish fillet, many people don’t like the garlic in it, or even the taste of garlic, so they won’t put it in.”
"But in my opinion, the garlic is put just right. Otherwise, the flavor in this dish will be much less, and the fishy smell of the fish fillets will be much stronger. It is precisely with the garlic in it that the flavor of this dish is Only then can the fishy smell be completely covered up. Otherwise, although the fish’s fresh taste can remain the same, the fishy smell cannot be removed, and the fish’s taste will always feel much worse.”
"I don't like the fishy smell. As for me, as long as I can get rid of the fishy smell, I would rather add more garlic. And although garlic is spicier, the taste is also a bit strong. It scares many people, but it can cure it. It can prevent many diseases. It can also remove a lot of flavors when put into vegetables. So although garlic is a bit pungent, it is a rare good medicine."
"As long as it is placed in the right place, it will not ruin the deliciousness of the dish, but will even enhance the taste of the dish. As for me, what I like is the spiciness of garlic. If the dishes in this world are uniformly bland, , then what's the point? As for how much garlic to add, which will not destroy the taste of the fish itself, but can also remove the fishy smell of the dish, it depends on the skill of the cook. "
Although Huang Qiong's words were about the food. But in fact, it is a metaphor for things. Tell Liu Chang very straightforwardly, the people I like to use are people like you. Since I dare to use you, I naturally won't worry about what anyone will do with you. I, the initiator, are not afraid, so what do you have to be afraid of? Could it be that I, a dignified prince of the Qi Dynasty, cannot protect one of my own subordinates?
Liu Chang was able to pass the imperial examination, which shows that he is not the kind of person with low IQ. The setbacks he suffered were simply because his emotional intelligence was too low. Although Huang Qiong's words were a little convoluted, he understood them. Liu Chang, who was already a bit reluctant to eat, listened to Huang Qiong's words and stared at the braised fish fillet, as if he wanted to see what was different about the braised fish fillet.
Huang Qiong did not rush him, but waited quietly for something. After a long time, as if he suddenly remembered something, Liu Chang stood up suddenly, walked to the table, knelt down on the ground, kowtowed three times and said: "Thanks to the prince for not giving up, I am willing to keep Chang to serve by my side. From now on, Chang will be with you." I am willing to die for the prince. Chang guarantees that there will be another Su Changshi who dares to remonstrate with the prince."
After hearing Liu Chang mention Su Jin and help him up, Huang Qiong shook his head and said: "You can't be Su Jin, and I don't need you to be Su Jin. There are many people who have been admonished by scholars, not least like you. One. Eat now, and we will discuss other things tomorrow. I will ask someone to give you a badge, and when you figure it out, you can come to the palace to find me at any time. As for now, eating is the most important thing. "
Seeing that Huang Qiong did not want to continue on this topic, Liu Chang did not continue. After the two of them finished their dinner, Huang Qiong served tea to see them off. Liu Chang, who returned to his house, had been thinking about it all the way out of Tai Chi Palace, but he still didn't understand the truth of Huang Qiong's words that you can't be Su Jin, and I don't need you to be Su Jin. intention.
Liu Chang has always believed that his character and temperament make him suitable to be a public official such as a censor. Until Huang Qiong said those words, he had always thought that Huang Qiong recruited him to his side so that he could speak out about the current problems in the government. Isn't Su Jin, who is now highly valued by the prince, the one who is said to be unparalleled in the entire dynasty? Doesn't it mean that he can be favored by the prince because he dares to speak out?
But it wasn't until Huang Qiong said those words that he realized his cognitive error. It's just that he still couldn't understand that the newly minted prince's words did not mean that he would be the public speaker at all. But with his current official position and his bad temper, what else can he do if he doesn't become a public official? After all, it couldn't be this prince who transferred himself to him for the sake of being of great use in the future.
I was in a daze all night, and even after going to bed, I didn't calm down. Because I was thinking about something, I tossed and turned in bed but couldn't fall asleep. Looking at the extremely uneasy husband next to him, he never asked about his official affairs, and he still didn't know what happened to him today. But it was rare to see a wife with her husband looking like this, so she was a little curious and asked a few questions.
Faced with his wife's inquiry, Liu Chang, who had never told his wife about official affairs, made an exception and told his current experience, his conversation with Huang Qiong in the palace, and the person with whom he had a close relationship. Shen's wife spoke up. When Liu Chang finished speaking, his wife covered her mouth with laughter and said a bit coquettishly: "I thought you couldn't sleep, what was it? It turned out to be something like this."
"You, you are just thinking wildly here. Don't even think about it. That man is the current crown prince and has been in office for more than half a year before taking the throne. He must also know the talents of the officials in the court very clearly. Those are mediocre people, and those are really talented. Those are top-notch people, and those are people with real talents and hard work. With this gentleman’s nature, I’m afraid he’s figured it out already.”
"As for the shortcomings of the current government situation, judging from what you just said about his behavior, he sees it much more clearly than you, a seventh-grade official. Now that he has been crown prince, the emperor has no control over his handling of government affairs. It's quite letting go. It's strange that he doesn't want to build his own foundation at this time. Although we can't make a big move now to replace those who have done nothing, it will be a matter of time."
"Also, we can't tell much about this new crown prince yet, but judging from his behavior after arriving in Chang'an, it seems that he still wants to achieve something. How many people has he killed since he arrived in Longyou and Xijing? Officials? The two military envoys, those are the second-rank officials, and there are several prefects and military envoys who will be killed at will. Do you think this kind of person will be the kind of person who is willing to be ordinary and stick to the old ways?
"The current stability does not mean that he will be stable in the future. Based on the style of the prince you mentioned, if he really holds the power, I am afraid that there will be some turmoil after returning to Beijing. He is a prince, and he cannot be involved in everything. At the front, someone needs to charge for him. You are too strong-tempered, and you are the kind of person who refuses to go along with others. You will not be easily bribed by outsiders, which is why he values you."
At this point, Liu Chang's wife sighed, and then continued: "I don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse for you to be valued by this man. Judging from the things you said about him, he is quite willing to be informal. He is a wise man who selects talents carefully and is willing to be kind to those around him. As long as his ability catches his eye, even his former opponents are willing to reuse him. Just like the current Ningxia prefect you mentioned."
"Follow him and become a first- and second-grade official with your ability. There is no big problem. As a wife, I still know your ability as a husband. You are a thousand-mile horse. If you can meet Bole, you will be able to do it sooner or later. But this master, from what you said, I can see that he is a master who has a deep mind and does not rub sand in his eyes. Following him, you will also be very tired."
"Think about it, he is only nineteen years old this year. Such a young man, who has been out of the palace for less than two years, has flattened and rounded a group of officials who were his ancestors. He killed two frontier officials one after another and captured one. Privy Councilor, no one in the whole court dares to say a word. Even if those two people have solid evidence, but they are killed like this, who else dares? Even if the emperor comes in person, he has to weigh it."
, "But when he killed him, he didn't even ask for an order, he just killed him. Sitting in Longyou, he could still reach the capital. When he raised troops to put down the rebellion, he could also capture the privy minister of the dynasty. You said Master, are your skills and scheming simple? And what kind of soldiers are there in the Xijing Camp? I, a woman in this deep house, know a little bit about them, they are a group of arrogant soldiers and strong generals."
"Such an arrogant and powerful general was knocked down by him a few times. A few days ago, Old Sir Ouyang's affairs were so glorious. Who is Old Sir Ouyang? Those 50,000 troops and horses in the Xijing camp Among them, the actual prestige even exceeds that of the emperor. He made the affairs of Old Lord Ouyang so big that he almost reached the peak of human affairs, which is equivalent to having the entire Xijing camp in his hands. "
"I'm afraid that except for him, the entire army in the Xijing camp, and now that the emperor is here in person, is a little unable to command. If you charge into battle for this kind of person, he will not treat you badly. But following such a bold and cunning master , are also blessings and misfortunes. Although he is now the prince, he also has the great responsibility of governing. But now, after all, more of the power in the court is in the hands of the emperor. "
"You were recruited by him to serve as Zuo Zhongyun. Although your official position is not big, you are completely marked by him. The question is, can the emperor always trust him so much? The most noble father and son in the world. If there is any estrangement between the two, the emperor may not take action against his son, but as someone close to him, you will most likely become the target of the emperor's killing."
After hearing his wife's words, Liu Chang fell silent and didn't know how to answer for a while. The appearance of his wife made him feel a little enlightened. Things that I couldn't figure out before suddenly became clear to me. But the deep worry behind the words also made him a little worried. But challenges often come with opportunities. This time he was valued by the prince, which was a rare opportunity.
Although I have never thought about sealing a pavilion and worshiping the prime minister, I still have ambitions in my heart. But after ten years of wasted time since becoming a Jinshi, I am still a seventh-rank official, working as a neither salty nor light person. There is almost nothing to deal with at ordinary times. I just hang around in Dali Temple to judge things. Now that such a big opportunity is in front of him, he is really excited.
