"Zhuang Shun, how did you enter Aiyangkou? Who gave you the Fifth Army Commander's Mansion waist badge?"
Looking at the young official in front of him, Zhuang Shun was a little confused: "How do you know my name?"
"Nonsense!" The man next to him who asked someone to take him out of the cellar sneered: "My lord is the head of the imperial court's official affairs department. What doesn't he know? You'd better answer obediently and don't think about covering up for others!"
"Have you ever heard of Ji Fang Si?" The scholar next to him, who was dipping a goose feather in ink, said softly, "Did you not expect that you would be arrested so quickly?"
Zhuang Shun immediately broke out in cold sweat on his back, but he still asked: "Why do you think I am Zhuang Shun? Are you afraid of arresting the wrong person? I am just a businessman from Shanxi who wants to take a look at the business in the capital." It’s just a matter of chance.”
Li Dan smiled, thinking that this guy was really as tough as his brother said! "Only Zhuang Twenty-Seven has a tattoo of a goshawk pecking a swan on his back. What do you think? Do you want to take off your clothes and let us take a look?"
After he finished speaking, he saw a flash of color in Zhuang Shun's eyes, and immediately added: "Don't make that idea, you can't escape! The fact that we dare to loosen your bonds shows that we have this confidence and have recognized your identity.
This room is full of heroes fighting out of thousands of troops. Can you deal with one, two, or three or fifty? Besides, there are four self-generated fire guns behind you. Can you be faster than them? "
Zhuang Shun turned his head and looked around, feeling discouraged. He smacked his lips and thought, "How did you catch me?"
There was laughter all around, and Zhuang Shun knew that he had asked a stupid question. He originally thought he was sold to the inspectors by the fisherman, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be a worse job.
He never thought that he would fall into the hands of the Staff Division, and even looked down upon them, thinking that these guys were just copying messages and sending them to their superiors to receive rewards.
Zhuang Shun's mouth felt bitter when he heard the laughter. Then someone came in and said, "Sir, here is the list of brothers who participated in the operation yesterday, and their achievements are also recorded. You can take a look."
Zhuang Shun heard the familiar voice and turned his head. "Hey, Chief Zhuang, you haven't confessed yet?" Wang Xian faced him with a smile. "Is it you?" Zhuang Shun immediately realized: "You have already made plans and are waiting for me to come to your door, right?"
"That's not right." Li Dan signaled him to hand over the written report to Chen Chun, and then Wang Xian gave an unskilled military salute, turned around, patted Zhuang Shun on the shoulder and walked out.
"Since you walked out of the back door of the courtyard, you have never left our sight." Li Dan said, "Since you often help people in need and do good deeds, I want to give you a chance."
"How do you know when I've done something good?" Zhuang Shun felt that the young official was bluffing him and speaking at random.
"Okay, when did you save an official's family, when did you save a scholar in distress, we will remember it for you here?" Li Dan deliberately patted the pile of paper in front of him.
"Is it possible that you are clairvoyant and have ears for the wind?" Zhuang Shun was shocked.
"What if it's not the case? Fortunately, you didn't participate in the evil. Assuming that you were involved in the fact that Qimeier Khan was attacked and killed while walking, then I wouldn't talk so much nonsense and hand you over to the criminal trial directly. .”
Li Dan stared at him and said, "But you are also standing on the edge of helping the enemy. If you don't look back, there is an abyss ahead. Where to go, you can choose now!"
Zhuang Shun was silent for a moment and said: "I am not doing evil with any intention, and I am not a female cadre who helps Hu Can Han." After saying that, he promised to save the entire caravan, so he agreed to the three-year agreement. The story was told once.
"You are a man of faith. This is worthy of recognition. There is no way to make a deal with Ye Bi. There is still room for forgiveness." Li Dan leaned over and said, "But let me ask you, what news are you going back to the grassland to report?"
"Uh..." Zhuang Shun blushed and lowered his head without daring to raise it.
"If you tell Zhenlang the whereabouts of Yanlie Khan, then there will be another bloody storm. The woman who just lost her husband will now lose her son. Zhuang Twenty-Seven, is this your righteousness and your faith? "
"I, I didn't think about it that much. I just felt that it was about their grasslands and had nothing to do with us Han people." The sweat on Zhuang Shun's face dripped onto the floor tiles.
"What doesn't matter?" Shen Jie said angrily: "The Ula tribe's returning team also included the envoys sent by His Majesty to discuss marriage. The entire envoy of one hundred and twenty people was killed, and only one was left defecating behind the sand dunes. The guards fled back to report the news.
Can you say it doesn't matter? They deliberately chose to attack at the handover place between Ula and Huifa, hoping to provoke suspicion and war between them and between them and the imperial court. Can you say that it has nothing to do with us? "
Li Dan made a gesture to stop him, and then said to Zhuang Shun: "If Jun stays in the grassland for three years, it will be settled. But when Jun comes down to the capital, he will be in chaos and it is not up to you."
Zhuang Twenty-Seven, whether you like it or not, you are already in a whirlpool. They say that turning back is a good thing, but you have to make this determination yourself, and no one else can replace it.
So, are you willing to go ashore or not? Choose one for yourself! "
"I am originally from the Jianghu, and I have no choice but to live in a foreign land. Just because Ye Bihan has been kind to me, I always think about repaying you, and I never have any intention of betraying my compatriots."
Zhuang Shun was sweating like rain, and he hurriedly knelt down and said, "Zhuang Twenty-Qi has done something stupid, and I hope you will forgive me. If I can allow you to do something wrong, Twenty-Qi will be willing to find your way back, no matter what!"
Li Dan made eye contact with Chen Chun and Shen Jie, nodded and said, "If you intend to turn back, I can give you a chance. How about writing down your current sins and allowing you to make meritorious deeds to offset them?"
Zhuang Shun is very grateful. Li Dan pointed at Shen Jie: "Shendu will tell you what to do and what to do. You listen to his arrangements and answer his questions. Be honest and don't make any mistakes again!".z.
When Zhuang Shun saw that he knew all about his actions, he was so frightened that he lost his soul and kept saying yes. Li Dan nodded and left first, leaving the subsequent arrangements to Shen Jie and Chen Chu.
It turns out that the flower hall is very lively. Zhu Qing arrived today with a group of people! Accompanying him were Wu Ji, who was about to join the army and be responsible for military supplies, as well as Song Jiuyi, Yu Meiguang and Xu Xian, the third uncle of the Xu family.
Li Dan was overjoyed and ordered Song Jiuyi to stay in the capital to take charge of the security of the mansion and the moving matters after finding a new mansion. Yu Meiguang took over the standard protection bureau business from Song Xiaoniu.
Xu Xian's arrival surprised Li Dan. After getting to know him, he learned that their brothers had taken over the Jiangxi Negong rice business, so they hired a new shopkeeper named Zhang. This time he brought him to the capital to take up the post.
While he was talking, Lu Jiu suddenly ran in with a panicked expression and whispered in a low voice: "Sir, Mr. Liu is here!"
"Which Mr. Liu?" Li Dan was puzzled.
"The older one!"
Li Dan stood up and ordered: "Steward Jiao, please take everyone to the guest room to settle down first. I will talk to you after I go to meet the guests." After saying this, he clasped his fists in apology and hurriedly followed Lu Jiu to the corridor.
When he entered the corridor, he saw Liu Funian standing next to the carriage and giving him a mouthful. Li Dan took a look and saw a guard wearing long robes standing in the courtyard of Yang Yuexuan, and he immediately understood.
He and Lu Jiu murmured a few words, watched him dash away, straightened his clothes and walked in the door.
Yang Yuexuan is located at the corner of the entire courtyard. The main body is a two-story building with a refreshment room downstairs.
Climbing up the stairs, there are three rooms on the front of the second floor. The overhanging curved corridor goes around half the yard, leading to the rockery piled up against the wall under the west wall. There is a small circular pavilion on top with four cornices. It’s a great place to watch the full moon.
Four seasonal flowers such as forsythia, peony, silver osmanthus and wintersweet are planted up and down the rockery, with a tall and straight cypress tree in the center.
Zhao Tuo was standing halfway up the rockery and looked up at the tree. Eunuch Liu was standing at the foot of the steps a few steps behind. When he saw Li Dan bowing and clasping his fists, Li Dan hurriedly raised his hands in return.
"Qing, this tree is wonderfully planted and has a very good meaning!" Zhao Tuo smiled and blinked when he saw him coming: "Why haven't you seen this yard before when you came here?"
"It has just been repaired. Even the furniture was put up a few days ago." Li Dan saluted and pointed to the moon gate with a smile: "Your Majesty, you haven't walked inside to take a look, right? The view is better here."
"Oh?" Zhao Tuo became interested. He put away the Japanese fan and went down the mountain. He walked along the path paved with bluestones on the white crushed river sand and shell fragments. When he stopped by the moon gate, he already cheered: "Good scene. !」
It turns out that there is a rectangular opening on the right-hand side wall.
From this side, you can see a water pavilion on the opposite side, surrounded by a small pool. The water wheel continuously transports the water to high places, and then flows back into the pool along the split bamboo tubes.
Zhao Tuo couldn't wait to enter, and then he realized that the yard inside was not very big.
The small waterside pavilion is surrounded by water on three sides and is only a room and a half in size. There is a three-legged semicircular table and two square stools placed against the wall. The furniture is not exquisite, but it is very practical.
I sat down at the table and looked to the front and left. I saw that everywhere was green and roses blooming in early summer, which was refreshing.
Zhao Tuo found something hard and transparent on the window. He stretched out his fingers to flick it and asked in surprise: "Did you use crystal?"
Li Dan quickly waved his hand: "How can I have the financial resources? This is glass, the ancient Puli. Your Majesty, do you still remember the glass cups I gave you? This is just extending it into a flat plate.
It can also be made into various colors. When you go to the upper floor of Yangyue Tower, there will be a door made of colored glass mosaics. It is very beautiful! "
"You are so considerate in making these two courtyards and they are so beautiful!" Zhao Tuo praised.
"Your Majesty, this is just a reference to some Yangzhou salt merchants' gardening techniques, and it shows that it has three achievements!" Li Dan smiled bitterly:
"Because this courtyard has always been empty and full of garbage, I decided to renovate it after arriving in Beijing. I planned to use it to entertain distinguished guests, but I didn't want Your Majesty to get there first!"
Zhao Tuo laughed loudly, got up and walked out from the other side of the waterside pavilion. As he walked, he asked: "This waterside pavilion doesn't have a name yet?" Li Dan replied that he was busy with going to Liao Dynasty and would not be able to name it in the future.
The two returned to Yang Yuexuan and saw a figure walking below. Li Dan guessed that Lu Jiu had called Tao Niang as instructed, so he invited Zhao Tuo to sit upstairs.
Zhao Tuo asked Eunuch Liu to stay downstairs while he and Li Dan went upstairs. When they saw a table and chairs by the window, they went over to sit down first and ordered Li Dan to sit down opposite him and talk. "I'm here to see you off." He said softly. Li Dan thanked him quickly.
"There has always been a feeling between me and you... that we are both teachers and friends." Zhao Tuo looked out the window and smiled softly: "I don't know why, since the first time I saw your book, I have this feeling. Feel.
Moreover, I also feel that you are different from other ministers and ministers. They are frightened and fearful when facing me, but you are not.
Li Qing, you have more love for me and protection from my perspective. Do you think so? ” He looked away from the scenery in the garden and looked at Li Dan.
Li Dan smiled, straightened his back and raised his hands and asked, "I dare you to ask which one your Majesty likes more?"
"Haha, I really can't explain." Zhao Tuo touched the mustache beside his ear: "I am very satisfied with my ministers' fear, but sometimes I am also disgusted.
Because I am too frightened and frightened, I become submissive and wait and see, which makes me hate so much that I want to punch those weaklings to death! "
Li Dan laughed. At this time, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and a woman's voice said, "Sir, I'm here to serve you tea."
"Come up!"
Following Li Dan's instructions, Tao Niang responded and came upstairs.
Zhao Tuo glanced at it and suddenly remembered Li Dan's words about "having fun with two girls during the day" and almost couldn't help it. He suppressed a smile and turned to look out the window for fear of being rude. After she came downstairs, she asked in a low voice: "Is this...?"
"Hehe, one of them." Li Dan answered with his hands crossed.
Zhao Tuo couldn't help but burst into laughter. Li Dan grinned and his face turned red. He thought to himself, you are not sure what you will do in the palace, why come here to laugh at me?
After laughing for a long time, Zhao Tuo returned to his emperor's manner, and sighed: "I haven't laughed like this for a long time. I don't dare to do this without you, for fear of being said by others that I have lost the majesty of the emperor."
"Your Majesty's majesty comes from the love and admiration of his people, not from whether his words and deeds are superior.
Of course, having good manners and polite words and deeds are the basic qualities that an emperor should have, but it cannot be said that having qualities means having dignity and having reasons to convince the world. There is no inevitable connection between the two.
Look at Emperor Huizong of the former Song Dynasty, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, and Fu Jian of the former Qin Dynasty. They all
They were once dignified monarchs, and each was more talented than the other, but they all lost their kingdoms.
It cannot be said that they did not have the majesty of emperors, but their lessons made subsequent people constantly reflect on where they went wrong. "Li Dan always faced Zhao Tuo when he said this, and spoke every word carefully.
Zhao Tuo nodded: "The same words and the same truth, if they were said by other ministers, it would not sound like this. Li Sanlang, I am also curious, how are you different from them?
For example, if someone else heard what I said just now, if the emperor criticized him for not being fearful and awe-inspiring, he would have been frightened to death, and he would have been lying on the ground with his head bruised.
But you didn't. You just talked to me calmly, like... friends who have been familiar with each other for many years. Is this how it feels? "
"So, Your Majesty, when in the court and in the presence of other ministers, you want me to maintain your majesty and power, but in private, you want to have a friend with whom you can talk face to face. Is that so?" Li Dan smiled, Lean forward slightly.
Zhao Tuo thought for a while: "Well, that seems to be the case."
"Then, in this way, I'll consider it an agreement with His Majesty, okay?"
"good!"
Li Dan nodded and invited the emperor to have tea (Eunuch Liu must have checked downstairs).
Putting down the tea cup, Li Dan said slowly: "Just now, His Majesty asked me what is the difference between you and other ministers. I think it may be that your pursuit and understanding of power and wealth are different."
"Huh?" Zhao Tuo didn't understand: "What does this have to do with power and wealth?"
"Your Majesty, I am actually just a bastard in my family. I am not favored by my mistress and not favored by my family. I was forced to start my own business at the age of fifteen.
Fortunately, I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child and have such a good body. I became the leader of the people in the north of the city by relying on my fists and the recommendation of the gang. Later, I led these brothers to join the army and accomplished the feat of breaking through Fengqiguan, conquering Guangxin, and supplying Shangrao. , received the attention and favor of Governor Zhao.
Therefore, I have come step by step not by relying on official positions or family inheritance, but by hard work myself.
It can be said that whether I am leading an army, doing business, serving as an official or a minister, or running a hotel, building carriages, or making wine, I am confident that I will be the best.
Even if I am not allowed to do any of these things, I can be a cook, a monk, or even dig a pond and raise fish, and I am sure that I can survive and live a fulfilling life.
Therefore, I am not a person who particularly pursues power, nor a person who relies heavily on wealth, nor a person who must seek protection and rewards from others.
As the saying goes: Without desire, you are strong. I think it may be this characteristic of me that gives me confidence, the ability to do things in a calm manner, and the ability to prioritize things.
The vast majority of people in the world want to seek peace and security from others, or to have more wealth. Of course, there are also many people who expect those above them to give them more power.
Fundamentally, these desires are due to a person's lack of self-confidence and insecurity.
He wants these things - power or wealth, etc. - to reassure himself and enable him to control and influence more people.
Arranging the fate of others can reduce the threat to yourself. In other words, you can take the initiative in life. Let yourself take the initiative, and others will become passive. This is how security comes.
But I don't need these. There are various channels and methods to obtain security, ranging from national decisions to as small as a quill pen. Therefore, I don’t need to fear or flatter anyone in exchange for their pity, recognition or appreciation.
Your Majesty just said that I have a kind of love and protection for you, and it is indeed true! I speak frankly and ask your Majesty for your forgiveness.
The reason for this is that I believe that Your Majesty is a British master based on His Majesty's attitude towards Chen Tixue's case and his timely means of bringing order to things.
When you handle this matter, you can disregard your own face, act decisively, and put the empire's country and country first. I think this is the quality of a wise king.
Therefore, even though I had not yet met His Majesty at that time, I was already devoted to him and willing to assist His Majesty in achieving the great cause of ZTE!
Throughout the dynasties, I have been able to sit across from my ministers like this.
I listened calmly to what the other party said. I am afraid that besides His Majesty Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, he was the second person!
How lucky you are to be born in the age of a wise king. Even though Dan is young, he knows that it is not easy to get this opportunity for thousands of years. Therefore, he is willing to love and protect His Majesty with all his heart and uphold His Majesty's ambitions. Then he will have no regrets in this life! After Li Dan finished speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply to Zhao Tuo.
"Please, please get up!" Zhao Tuo's eyes were filled with tears. There were some parts of Li Dan's words that he didn't like, but the more he listened, the more he understood.
There are indeed many great things about the man in front of him. He could have been a wealthy man in the world, or he could have been a guerrilla with his military exploits, or he could have been famous as a general, but he gave up this to help himself. Everyone becomes an official in the court!
The emperor was shocked by this man's decisiveness, and admired him for daring to be so decisive at such a young age. He nodded and sighed, saying:
"I read the history and thought that there are only two people in the world who can compare with you. One is Wang Meng who chatted with Fu Jian at night, and the other is Li Bi who restored the Tang Dynasty in white clothes. These two are both prime ministers in civilian clothes, and I have you here. Oh, it’s really a blessing!”
Li Dan was taken aback, and hurriedly crossed his hands and said, "I am content to be used by Your Majesty, and I dare not have any more extravagant expectations. I only hope to be in harmony with Your Majesty as a monarch, and to work conscientiously for the prosperity of the country and the prosperity of the people, and do my best to contribute my meager strength!" "
Zhao Tuo nodded with satisfaction, beckoned him to sit down, leaned forward and asked in a low voice: "You will leave for the north in the near future. I am here today to ask for your advice. There are people from the courtiers who keep writing to make suggestions."
Li Dan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, don't talk about it for now. I guess these three things are north and south, civil and military, and copper coins?"
"Ha, as expected, you can't escape the eyes of an expert, it's just these three things."
"There is nothing more important than this today." Li Dan told the emperor: "I often hear people talking about these three things in the private sector and in the court. But in my opinion, the three things are actually talking about the same thing. "
"Huh?" The emperor was stunned. Since he took the throne, ministers have been writing letters about these three things, and they have come up with all kinds of ideas.
But no matter how fancy it was, Zhao Tuo finally understood and remembered that the main conflicts in the empire today revolve around these three things, and this is a chronic disease inherited from Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, which cannot be cured for many years.
Many veterans such as Er Yang also tried to solve the problem, but all failed. So these three things have become the target of public criticism. Either you will become famous in one fell swoop, or you will fall into the deep end.
Despite this, there are still countless ministers trying to test the waters on these three things, even if they can make the emperor remember his name. In such a lively situation, Zhao Tuo did not dare to touch these three things easily.
He raised this question today just to get a feel for what Li Dan thought about it. Unexpectedly, in his opinion, it was just "one thing"!
"What do you mean by this thing? Can you explain it in more detail?" Zhao Tuo picked up a piece of tea. It seemed that he would not withdraw his troops unless he understood it clearly.
Li Dan pointed with his hand: "Then let's start with this tea snack. Why does Your Majesty want to eat it?"
"I'm hungry, so I need to eat." Zhao Tuo spread his hands and said.
"Yes, everything in the world is provided when there is a need. If someone is hungry, someone will engage in catering and pastry business. Therefore, if you understand the essence of everything, it will be easier to solve the problem."
Li Dan changed the topic and asked: "So what are the three issues facing the court: civil and military, north and south, and copper coins?"
"Brother Dan, who has been personally named the Prime Minister in civilian clothes, is going to make great achievements! "
