After hearing Yu Qian's words, Cao Jixiang was obviously stunned.
Could it be that Yu Taibao has an incurable disease?
After being stunned for a moment, he noticed his gaffe again and hurriedly asked: "Yu Taibao, you..."
"Eunuch Cao, don't think too much. I'm fine. But now that I'm old, it's time to know my destiny. Just like this pot of water, before going to bed every day, I will always drink up all the water left today. , because I don’t know if I can wake up again tomorrow after sleeping..."
Yu Qian said with a smile.
The same is true for magnanimous people when facing life and death.
Cao Jixiang looked slightly moved after hearing this, and of course he breathed a sigh of relief.
There is no choice in life, and there is no choice in death. The grass and trees are in autumn, and life is all about adhering to the rules and moving forward. The sun will set from the west, and it can also rise again. But flowers will bloom again, and people will not be young.
Even though Yu Qian still retains the justice and courage that persisted throughout his life at this time, he is older and is no longer the high-spirited young Yu Tingyi who hated evil as much as he hated his enemies, angered King Ning, opened granaries and stocked grain.
But Yu Qian's words gave Cao Jixiang new ideas.
Although this small courtyard is Yu Qian's hometown, at this time, it is a prison where he is imprisoned. If no one changes, Yu Qian will eventually die in this small courtyard. Coupled with his personality, he may still survive. poor.
Therefore, Cao Jixiang decided to find a new way of life for Yu Qian, which would also allow him to spend his old age nourished.
"Yu Taibao, you have made great contributions to the country and the country. God appreciates your merits and will definitely grant you a long life."
In the feudal context at this time, the religion advocated the bliss of rebirth and reincarnation. Only by accumulating virtue and doing good deeds in this life can blessings be repaid in the next life. Some people believed it deeply, but others scorned it.
Cao Jixiang is the latter.
The blessings in this life will be used up in this life, and the consequences will be carried over to the next life. Isn't this just a debt to God and playing hooligans?
That's why Cao Jixiang said that he would live a long life out of humility.
Yu Qian now has no heavy burden on him, and he feels much more relaxed and comfortable when talking. After listening to Cao Jixiang's words, Yu Qian laughed.
He had never seen such a smile without regard for consequences and status when he was an official in Beijing.
"How can there be so many people who live a hundred years? Eunuch Cao, since you are here, stay with me for dinner. I also have the good wine that Zhu Ji sent me."
After hearing this, Cao Jixiang quickly refused.
It’s not that he disliked the environment of food and wine. When he first entered the yard, Cao Jixiang also saw the two servants. Good guys, they were probably much older than Yu Qian. They both had old arms and legs. Cao Jixiang really didn’t want to let these People are busy.
If he took Yu Qian out to a restaurant for a banquet, Yu Qian would definitely not agree, so Cao Jixiang could only refuse.
Yu Qian watched Cao Jixiang keep evading, and couldn't say anything more.
After the two chatted for a while, Cao Jixiang suddenly changed the topic to the current imperial staff system.
But Yu Qian didn't react for a moment, so he followed Cao Jixiang's words and said a few sentences. Officials only care about promotion and don't care about the people's suffering... In this case, after saying this, Yu Qian immediately stopped and then pointed out. Cao Jixiang smiled and said, "Eunuch Cao, Eunuch Cao, what do you mean? Didn't we all agree before you came? We only talked about old times and did not talk about the political affairs of the court."
Cao Jixiang waved his hand: "I really don't want to talk about political affairs here, I just reminisce about the past. But seeing how boring Yu Taibao's life is, I want to think of something fun for Yu Taibao."
Yu Qian looked at Cao Jixiang with helpless eyes.
You see, I am quite old now. Do I still care about playing?
"Yu Taibao, you just said that the officials below only care about promotion and do not care about the suffering of the people. In fact, this has been a chronic disease of all dynasties and is difficult to cure. As for you, you have nothing to do at home, so you might as well go out for a walk. , My Ming Dynasty has magnificent mountains and rivers. Firstly, it cultivates sentiments, and secondly, I can take care of some unfair things."
Yu Qian was about to refuse, but Cao Jixiang continued: "Yu Taibao, Zhu Yi, the father of Cheng Guogong, and I once talked about this world. Guess what Zhu Yi said to me."
"say what?"
"Zhu Yi told me that he kept going east, but in the end, he came back from the west..."
"It must be that he lost his way in the wind and rain."
"No, there is absolutely no loss of direction, because the sun rises from the east every day. Even if the sun and moon are not visible for several days at sea, they will still calibrate the direction after the sun comes out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. .”
Yu Qian listened to Cao Jixiang's words as if he was listening to a strange storybook that had just emerged in the past two years...
"Eunuch Cao, what are your intentions when you tell me these things? The more I listen, the more confused I become."
First of all, Yu Qian didn't believe Cao Jixiang's words at all. In his opinion, Zhu Yi was also a prodigal, and it was not surprising that there was no truth in his mouth.
Secondly, what Yu Qian is more curious about is what Cao Jixiang wants to do when he tells him.
"When I say this to Taibao, I just want to tell him that saints are not omniscient. There are still many magical places in this world that we need to explore. There are new nations and new people on that new continent. They are completely different from us, and they are also completely different from the Mongolians, Koreans, Annanese, and Japanese people.”
"The Ming Dynasty that Yu Taibao is familiar with may also be different from Yu Taibao's idea. It is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books. Now Yu Taibao is at home, going out for a walk, shopping, seeing the mountains and rivers, and understanding the people's livelihood. , but it’s much more meaningful than sitting here and waiting to die.”
"As for me, I want to be like Zheng He and die on a boat or at sea..."
After listening to Cao Jixiang's words, Yu Qian finally understood. "You are watching me idle and giving me something to do. Also, I, Yu Qian, have never offended Cao Jixiang. Why does he want to watch me so much?" I died in a foreign land, and my soul cannot return to my hometown...
"This may not be what I want in my heart. I'm getting old and I don't want to leave. I want to rest."
Yu Qian still refused.
It takes courage to live in seclusion and enter the world.
Now Yu Qian is ready to die in his old house and never go out to wander around again.
But now Cao Jixiang still wants to go on a long trip.
A traditional man like Yu Qian does not have the sentiments of an old man with ambitions for a thousand miles, and a martyr in his old age with endless aspirations.
Cao Jixiang was not discouraged after hearing Yu Qian's rejection again.
"Yu Taibao, although you have patrolled Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Henan and other places, the Ming Dynasty is not limited to these places. Don't you really want to see Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Liaodong outside the customs, and even the northwest and southwest, different places? Do you really not want to see the folk customs and different topography, and would you rather just live in this small courtyard and wait for death?"
"Yu Taibao, Yu Taibao, please don't think that this is His Majesty the Emperor's holy will. This is what I thought after seeing you."
"Don't be burdened. The horseman of the carriage I came to ride this time can be handed over to Taibao Yu. Although the carriage doesn't go very fast, it can save a lot of bumps and bumps..."
"I have a few pen boys here, and I can also give them to Yu Taibao. Everything you see along the way can be handed over to them for collection and transcription. You can also share your knowledge with His Majesty, so that the monarch can better understand his Ming Dynasty. , you can also take advantage of your prestige now to check on the sufferings of the people, and intervene when encountering injustice.…
"If you hesitate and wait until you can no longer walk, then you will have no way to regret it."
Cao Jixiang really felt it, and the emperor did not have any explanation with him.
Yu Qian's special status meant that he was actually violating some taboos by allowing him to go out to visit Manchuria. However, Cao Jixiang still persuaded Yu Qian in this way.
Because he can't bear to see the tragedy of the hero's twilight years.
A hero walking on the road is still a hero even if he dies...
Yu Qian still refused in his heart as always, but he didn't know what was going on, but when he listened to Cao Jixiang's words behind him, he felt an impulse...
It seemed that the distance described by Cao Jixiang had a deep attraction for him.
In Yu Qian's long life, it seems that he has never been to the far south, nor has he ever built a giant ship. It seems that he has experienced everything, and it seems that he has experienced nothing...
Yu Qian said nothing, allowing Cao Jixiang to seize the opportunity.
"If Taibao Yu doesn't want to tell me, I can present it to His Majesty after I return to Beijing..."
After Yu Qian listened, he paused for a moment and then said, "But if he died in another place, wouldn't it cause trouble for the children?"
When Cao Jixiang heard Yu Qian's childish rebuttal, he knew that he was already tempted.
"Hahaha, Yu Taibao, Yu Taibao, is already dead. Why are you still thinking about so many things? If you die on the road, in the southernmost part of the Ming Dynasty, your body will never be picked up by your son. The government will definitely I will send you to this small courtyard. As for the body stinking and rotting, there is no need to consider it. After death, sooner or later a person will turn into a pile of rotten flesh and white bones..."
Biquge
