The originally relaxed atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. Cao Dejiang and Shi Changan both looked at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan looked at the two of them with a calm expression: "I am alone and have nothing to repay. I have a heart that belongs to me and I can't commit myself to the girl in your mansion. I have to repay Mr. Cao's great kindness, and you can't help me with the other things." If there is no shortage, I will accept you as a teacher with Tang Ning."
"There is no need to publicize this matter to the outside world for the time being. You are still your imperial censor in the court. If I can succeed in the future, I and Tang Ning will serve you tea as my master again and respect you as the emperor's master, and the children of the Cao family will be my brothers." , I allow you to use Rongsheng Academy as your base to educate the world."
"If anything goes wrong, just think that you are unlucky and have accepted two cheap disciples in vain. The Cao family does not need to be implicated by the two of us."
Cao Dejiang was shocked. Xiao Yan's words were equivalent to granting him the position of emperor's master and promising to protect the future of the Cao family without requiring him to bear any danger.
Keeping his apprenticeship secret to the outside world means that the Cao family does not need to be tied to Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan does not need him to take sides in the court and let him betray Emperor An and act for him.
Cao Dejiang has no doubt that Xiao Yan is fooling himself with his words. Not to mention that Xiao Yan has always been a stickler for his words. If Xiao Yan is really ambitious to win that position, what he said to him today is a promise, an emperor's promise. Extremely important.
If he goes back on his word, what's the difference between Xiao Yan and Emperor An?
Cao Dejiang pursed his lips: "There is no need to become a disciple."
Xiao Yan raised his eyes, thinking that Cao Dejiang would not refuse.
Cao Dejiang looked at Tang Ning: "I have some connections with Tang Ning. I was taught by Taifu Rong before I became his disciple. My teacher and Taifu Rong's teacher came from the same school. Before I entered the court, I still wanted to Call me Taifu to honor my senior brother."
"Based on the relationship here, this girl should call me uncle, even uncle and grandfather. If I drink your cup of apprenticeship tea, this little girl should call you uncle. "
He smiled half-heartedly and said to Xiao Yan:
"Of course, if you are not afraid of being a different generation from her, there is nothing wrong with becoming a disciple."
Xiao Yan changed his mind without hesitation: "You are always joking. How can Master have a brother-in-law?"
Cao Dejiang suddenly laughed out loud.
Shi Changan on the side also made a sound, holding the tongs to move the cracked chestnuts aside.
Tang Ning was curious: "Then why haven't you heard my grandfather mention this before?"
Cao Dejiang: "I have betrayed my master."
Tang Ning: "??"
Cao Dejiang laughed when he saw her wide-eyed look: "Why, it doesn't look like it?"
Tang Ning nodded: "It doesn't look like that."
Cao Dejiang does not look like such a "rebellious" person in any way. You must know that the master and master of heaven and earth are sometimes more difficult to distinguish between master and disciple than father and son, monarch and minister. Father is not joking.
Especially for literati, respecting teachers and teachings is the bottom line. Once you abandon it, you will be reviled by the world.
Cao Dejiang seemed to see Tang Ning's doubts and said quietly: "When I was young, I was extreme, acted recklessly, and was full of ambitions to get ahead. However, everyone in my sect was indifferent to fame and fortune. I only felt that if a scholar was tainted by power, he would dishonor the book. "
"Senior Brother Rong entered the imperial court because of his personal relationship with Taizu, and Taizu only came down from the mountain after visiting the thatched cottage three times. I am different from him. I relied on the shelter of my ancestors of the Cao family and used some not-so-good means to become an official. "
"The teacher thought I had lost his people, so he kicked me out of the school and didn't allow me to mention the past."
Not all the things in the past were good, and they could even be described as stains for Cao Dejiang, but he spoke very calmly.
"When I entered the imperial court, Senior Brother Rong was already in the third rank of officialdom and was ranked among the middle school officials. When I finally climbed into the Imperial Academy and was promoted to the fifth rank, Senior Brother Rong was already a first-rank official."
"At that time, I was arrogant and felt that I was more suitable for the court than Senior Brother Rong. However, I had never been appreciated by the palace. I was afraid that people would know that I came from the same school as him and would be ridiculed by others. I also didn't want to be said that I was clinging to him. In the Rong family, not even my parents and relatives know that he and I studied together, and no one in the court knows that we had old friends."
At that time, the Cao family was just a small family, even more inconspicuous compared to the eight major families.
He refused to give in and ask for help from Rong Qianan, so he could only slowly work his way through the court. It was not until he was appreciated by the prince and unexpectedly caught the eye of Emperor Taizu that he gradually gained status in the court, but he was already The relationship between Rong and Qian'an between the prince and his young master was not harmonious.
At that time, he was also walking in front of the Holy Spirit. Everyone knew that Cao Dejiang and Rong Qian An were at odds with each other and favored Taizu Bo. It was common for Cao Dejiang and Rong Qian An to have political disagreements.
He acted radically, while Rong Qianan was more diplomatic.
He does whatever it takes, and Rongqianan has a better bottom line.
But who would have thought that when Prince Ru wanted to eradicate the aristocratic family and reform the court, he would not agree with it for various reasons. He felt that the aristocratic family could coexist with the New Deal and gradually be assimilated and weakened.
On the contrary, Rong Qian'an, who had always acted carefully, seemed to be possessed. He felt that the aristocratic family was encroaching on the court and hindering the power of the Wei Dynasty, so he and the violent prince took action recklessly, and finally ended up in that situation.
Cao Dejiang did not elaborate on the grievances between him and Rong Qianan, but only said after a few words:
"After I entered the court, no one knew about our relationship. The only contact I had with Senior Brother Rong was when the prince was defeated. On the day of the fire in the East Palace, he suddenly sent a message to the palace, asking me to come to the palace immediately."
He said that the prince's defeat was a matter of life and death, and he hoped that his junior brother would come to the palace to help.
Rong Qian'an seemed to be sure that he would go, so he sent someone to deliver the message in a hurry, and then went straight to the late emperor to make a fuss, which attracted the attention of everyone in the palace.
And Cao Dejiang also went there because of the long-lost "junior brother", but because he went in a hurry and acted too hastily, he left traces and was discovered by Feng Lai.
Cao Dejiang's expression was complicated: "Back then, there were still survivors in the East Palace, which shocked me greatly. In a hurry, I could only find a young eunuch of the same age who happened to be seriously ill and sent him to the scene of the fire."
"Afterwards, I took the risk of taking away the escaped servant Xu. I took him out of captivity and placed him elsewhere in the suburbs of Beijing just in case. I also placed a child with a disfigured face next to him."
"If the palace notices that someone escaped from the fire in the East Palace, my people will kill them immediately."
Regardless of whether Empress Xu is willing or not, she will take the beggar beside her to die for the Lord and completely end the old affairs of the East Palace.
Who would have thought that the last person to die was Concubine Xue, and with Rong Qianan and Feng Lai secretly covering it up, no one in the palace noticed that there was something wrong with the bones that were taken out of the palace after the fire was extinguished.
Xiao Yan listened to Cao Dejiang's words and couldn't help but sigh softly: "Then, Waiter Xu, now..."
"In my house."
Cao Dejiang called outside: "Cong'an, go and ask Uncle Xu to come over."
After a moment of answering the sound outside, Canglang saw Cong An go to the side room next to Yan Lingju. After knocking on the door, someone came out.
The man followed Cong An with his head lowered. When he got closer and saw his face clearly, Canglang was startled.
He has seen this man before.
Waiter Xu followed Cong An into the house. The burning charcoal fire filled the room with heat, but it was not as strong as the surging feeling in his heart.
He walked eagerly to the inner room, then slowed down when he reached the steps.
Stepping aside from An, Waiter Xu stretched out his hand and tugged at the hem of his clothes, flattening his sleeves. Then, with red eyes full of excitement, he bent his knees towards Xiao Yan and landed on the ground with a bang.
"Old slave Xu Yu, come to see His Highness the Emperor's eldest grandson."
