"Dong dong dong..." There were several loud noises in succession, and several figures were thrown out of the flower hall and into the corridor outside.
"Ouch, my waist."
"It hurts me to death."
"asshole."
"..."
Liu Jin and Zhang Zhong took action. They couldn't even resist. They didn't have any guards around them, and they didn't dare to come with them. If their family members found out, it would be a waste if they didn't break their legs. Suffered.
But after all, they are the sons of officials, and they cannot be humiliated by just anyone. If they don't regain their status today, how will they be able to gain a foothold in the capital in the future.
"If you have the guts to leave your name, don't leave." Several people who were thrown out cursed and pointed at Liu Jin.
Liu Jin chuckled, didn't say anything, turned around and left. You are not worthy of going against our family. If you want to know who our family is, go back and tell your father if you have the guts. It's better to let these old guys come.
Wang Jinglong, the other two, Yang Shen and others were fine. Wang Jinglong ran out with the other two people, quickly helped a few people up, stood in the corridor, glared at Zhu Houzhao, and threatened; "Your Excellency is really overbearing in his behavior. , to embarrass us, your surname is Zhu, right? Do you dare to leave your full name?"
"Zhu Shou." Zhu Houzhao said calmly.
Wang Jinglong nodded coldly and said: "Okay, if you are brave, you are also a scholar, and you are here to participate in Enke. It is understandable for you and me to have fun, but brother is too domineering, and the flower lady is not Your confinement, Zhu Shou, is very good, and one day after tomorrow, it will be Enke, do you dare to make a bet with me? "
Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "What do you want?"
"My name is Wang Jinglong, and I would like to make a bet with Mr. Zhu. If you win, the flower girl will be yours. We will never harass her again. If you lose, please apologize to us publicly. From then on, when you meet us, you will take a detour and take Jinke’s ranking as a bet. As long as your name is on the list, I will lose.”
Liu Jin curled his lips in disdain, thinking it was some kind of bet, but that's all. It's not easy for Your Majesty to get his name on the list?
Zhang Zhong was indifferent, like a wooden man.
Yang Shen and Zhu Houzhao sat across from each other, looking at the two slaves behind Zhu Houzhao. The disdainful look on one of them made his heart tremble. Then looking at Zhu Houzhao calmly waving his fan, his indifferent attitude aroused his suspicion and suspicion. Curious.
Hua Niang heard the words behind the screen and spoke in a somewhat anxious tone: "I would like to thank Mr. Zhu."
Then she turned around and begged Wang Jinglong and others, "My lord, the fault is all the fault of the slave family. I have neglected a few of them, so I will apologize and invite you to give me a lot." She couldn't do it without speaking. Although Zhu Houzhao was not a simple person, she couldn't do it. It's just not simple. How can it be better than the son of seven court ministers? Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this bet is a dead end.
Wang Jinglong's father is Wang Qiong, a high-ranking minister of the imperial court. The others are either the sons of ministers or the sons of important ministers of the imperial court. Those who have hands and eyes are not very powerful. Although they cannot directly influence their father, they can just go back and chew their tongues. , let the fathers remember Zhu Shou, then he will be finished this time, and his official career may be hopeless from now on.
But Mr. Zhu was so arrogant that he gave his name when asked. He was seeking death.
Yang Shen also spoke on Zhu Shou's behalf, "Brother Wang, if you don't think I'm too mean, let's just forget about it. It's just a dispute of temper, why should it be so tense?"
Wang Jinglong had no choice but to give Yang Shen some face. After all, his father was a popular figure in the cabinet, and he would be his boss in the future. He could not afford to offend him, but he could not let himself and others lose face. He pondered for a moment and said; "Okay, the bet can be canceled. However, Brother Yang, as long as he compensates my brother for drinking and admits his mistake, I can treat this matter as if it never happened."
Hua Niang breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to thank her. After all, she got up because of herself.
Yang Shen looked at Zhu Houzhao opposite. This was the greatest concession he could make. He hoped that his good intentions would not be in vain. Hey, if he had known better, he would not have come to join in the fun. He and Zhu Houzhao were not familiar with each other.
Zhu Houzhao thanked him, pressed the folding fan in his hand, and signaled the flower girl to feel at ease. His attitude was casual and arrogant. He swayed the fan lightly in front of his chest and said with a smile: "Your bet is very interesting, but, I don't I agree with what you said about using Hua Niang as a bet. She is a human being, not a bet on goods. How about we change the bet?"
Hua Niang was moved when she heard him speak for her, and her eyes were slightly red. Although she was a poor woman, she was also a prostitute. Who really valued her? It was just her skin and reputation. She didn't expect that this Mr. Zhu would actually Can you not burst into tears for speaking up for her?
Yang Shen was also a straightforward person, and he felt ashamed after hearing this.
Wang Jinglong casually raised his hands to Yang Shen and said, "Brother Yang, it's not that I don't give you face, it's that Mr. Zhu doesn't accept your kindness. If this is the case, then I, Wang Jinglong, will be offended."
He turned to Zhu Houzhao and said in a deep voice: "What bet do you want to exchange?"
Zhu Houzhao said with a smile: "My bet is very simple. I don't want you to pay for the wine and apologize. As long as you do one thing, that's it?" He deliberately kept his appetite from finishing.
Wang Jinglong said angrily: "What?"
"Whenever you see me from now on, kowtow to me and shout grandpa three times, hahaha..."
After Wang Jinglong and others heard his bet, they were so angry that they were so insulting that they were speechless. They pointed at him and said, "You, you, you."
When Liu Jin saw someone dared to point at His Majesty, he shouted: "How dare you, get out of here."
Liu Jin prepared to fight, but Wang Jinglong and others were so frightened that they fled in panic, not daring to stay.
Yang Shenliu didn't follow them either. He was so embarrassed that he looked at Zhu Houzhao sympathetically and said, "Master Zhu, why are you doing this? I can't endure the calm for a while, now I'm in trouble."
Hua Niang also said at the side: "Master Zhu, you are really reckless. That Wang Jinglong is not someone to be trifled with."
However, he shook his fan and didn't care. He raised his glass and asked Yang Shen, "Brother Yang, don't worry. What can a few clowns do to me? Do they dare to say what happened today? Or just say it?" There is power behind them, but I don’t have the power behind them?”
When Yang Shen heard what he said, he stopped talking. Since you are not worried, I am worried about you. By the way, your surname is Zhu, right? Could it be that some of the descendants of the Zhu family are not successful? The descendants of the Zhu family still have to take the imperial examination. ?
Hua Niang thought to herself, "Maybe Mr. Zhu really won't be afraid of them."
It’s nothing unusual to cause trouble in Qionglou. After all this time, not a single restaurant thug came over to see what happened. As long as no one is killed, these gentlemen can make trouble as much as they like. Those who come here are either rich or noble, no matter where they are. None of them are offended by Qiong Lou, they are all big benefactors.
Although the power behind them is not small, they don't want to offend these people. When one party loses, it will naturally end, and there is nothing to see.
The extra people left, and Zhu Houzhao thanked Yang Shen again. After getting to know each other, the guests chatted happily. The flower lady served Zhu Houzhao, poured wine for the two of them, listened to the two chatting, and listened to the poems and songs. When it comes to music, chess, calligraphy and painting, Yang Shen knows almost everything. Zhu Houzhao admired it. The time was about the same. The two were familiar with each other, and they felt that it was too late to meet. Zhu Houzhao saw the picture and deliberately mentioned the current malpractice of the Ming Dynasty. Examine this The insights of a great genius.
"It's too late for me to meet Brother Yang. Brother Yang, when I read the history books, I found some opinions about the ills of past dynasties in the book. I have questions in my heart. I would like to hear what Brother Yang thinks about it. What does it mean to control chaos? The following?"
Yang Shen was shocked when he heard this. He looked around in panic and saw no one. He also looked at the indifferent expressions of the two servants behind him, then he breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice: "Brother Zhu, don't do this. If you let someone with a heart listen to your nonsense, great disaster is not far away." Looking at the flower lady beside him, the meaning was self-evident.
Although Hua Niang didn't understand what he meant, she also knew that Zhu Shou might have said something bad. Otherwise, why would even Young Master Yang be so frightened? She was a talented woman, and she only vaguely understood politics, so she left on the pretext of leaving. Go, Zhu Houzhao motioned for her to help herself.
"Brother Yang, don't be surprised. It comes from your mouth and into my ears. We are only talking about ancient history. Brother Yang, it's okay to say anything." Zhu Houzhao saw that he was frightened by him and reminded him that what we were talking about was ancient history, not the present day. encouraged.
Yang Shen breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't passed the imperial examination yet, but he didn't want to ruin his future because of his remarks.
In fact, his father Yang Tinghe occasionally talked about this problem at home. He was talking about the increasingly serious evils in the Ming Dynasty, which were constantly repeated in the Ming Dynasty and were hard to get rid of. There was only one way to get rid of these evils, innovation. However, innovation That's so easy.
The problem of the Ming Dynasty lies in four points: taxation, military household, vassal king, and land donation. Zhu Houzhao has already made some calculations in his heart. After all, this is his country. If he is killed by him, he doesn’t know what he will experience in the next life. what?
As soon as the topic started, Yang Shen let go and used old stories to talk about the current situation. Who could say otherwise? As they talked, Zhu Houzhao invisibly brought him back to the topic.
"Brother Zhu, how do the scholars of our dynasty compare with those of the previous Song Dynasty?" Yang Shen asked rhetorically after drinking and talking about sex.
Zhu Houzhao thought about the final outcome of the two courts, shook his head and said: "If the four bodies are not diligent, the five grains will not be separated." He summed it up in eight words.
Yang Shen, however, did not quite agree with it and shook his head: "It is true that the four bodies are not diligent, and it is good that the five grains are not distinguished, but it is not enough to describe the current scholars. Brother Zhu should say that both civil and military skills are useless, which is enough to explain the problem."
"Brother Yang's words are reasonable, incisive, and to the point, but how does this relate to the rules for controlling chaos we are talking about?" In fact, Zhu Houzhao already understood and asked this deliberately.
Yang Shen raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp. He became more courageous. Hearing this, he smiled and said: "Just now you asked me how to govern chaos. I asked you how scholars are today. Then I will ask you again. The best way to govern the world is to rely on scholars. Can you become an official after being elected? Then think about it, what benefit does it do to the country and the people if such a person becomes an official? Well, it’s fine as long as it doesn’t harm the country and the people." He is a straightforward person, and he is almost the same as his father. Character, if this sentence spreads, I will be scolded to death by scholars all over the world.
It's really crazy and straightforward, but I like it, hehe.
"It is said that the Ming Dynasty had three major disadvantages: commercial taxes, vassal kings, and the military household system. In fact, this is not true. Our dynasty Taizu was so powerful, and how many capable ministers he had when he ruled the world, how could we not see these problems? Of course not, At that time, I was forced to have no choice but to overthrow the water and find it difficult to collect you. I tried hard when I became an ancestor, but failed, so that it continues to this day. In fact, the most important thing now is to solve the problem of too little reading in our country. If the people are enlightened and the government's decrees are clear, There is no need for the petty officials below to misinterpret and mislead. The court will be much better off now. It will no longer be so difficult to collect commercial taxes, because the people know what commercial taxes are, and it will not be so difficult for military households, because they understand what military households are. Control, as for the vassal king, hiccup~." Yang Shen burped.
"That would be even simpler. Brother Zhu, have you ever thought about it? Taizu's original intention was for them to guard the four directions and divide them out, but Taizu can't transfer them without issuing an edict. Now, have there ever been internal troubles in the north and south that need to be guarded? ? Since there is no such thing, then move them all out. As long as the court agrees to autonomy, I don’t think anyone is willing to stay in the fiefdom and be a supported vassal king!" Yang Shen said more and more enthusiastically.
Zhu Houzhao also understood what he heard. He originally thought that the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty lay in the long-term disadvantages he mentioned. Now it seems that his knowledge is not as good as that of an ancient man. Unfortunately, he has traveled through time. Even the great men of the past life know that the people are not enlightened. If the country is not rich and powerful, this Yang Shen is really not simple. He is worthy of being the most talented man in the Ming Dynasty. Not to mention Jie Jin, if he was smart, he would not have died so miserably.
"According to what you said, what if the vassal king does not agree to transfer the title and starts a rebellion? How to prevent it?" Zhu Houzhao gradually leaned on the low chair and asked comfortably. He liked Yang Shen more and more, and he didn't I know how Zhu Houzhao let this great talent go in his previous life.
Yang Shen drank another drink, a little tipsy, with a rosy complexion, shaking his head and saying: "The Analects of Confucius, Duke Linggong of Wei, Zigong asked about benevolence. Confucius said, if a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. What is a tool?" Soldiers are fierce and deceitful. Today, Your Majesty is wise and wise, and his methods are unpredictable. He used not only the East-West Factory, the Royal Guards, the Imperial Army, but also those who have never heard of it to eradicate the rebellious King Ning and his accomplices. Are you talking about the Iron Eagle Guards? They are His Majesty's weapons, not His Majesty's swords! Your Majesty holds such sharp weapons, using them to coerce the government and the public, to use benevolence to the common people, and to use sharp weapons to eliminate bandits. Who dares? Opposite? Who will follow?" Yang Shen's answer was very clear.
Zhu Houzhao said "good" without hesitation.
Liu Jin and Zhang Zhong both felt relaxed and happy when they heard what Yang Shen said. He was very well-founded and quoted from scriptures. He also cited His Majesty's method of dealing with the rebellion of King Ning. This happened before their eyes and could not be faked until Yang Shen. After speaking out today, I understand that His Majesty is not simple. It is true that the authorities are confused but the onlookers know clearly.
They had been following His Majesty. Naturally, they only thought about Zhu Houzhao's past affairs, so although Prince Ning's incident surprised them, they did not feel that he was wise or powerful. When Yang Shen explained this analysis, they were immediately shocked. Isn't that the case? ?
Zhu Houzhao nodded frequently, feeling a little complacent.
