"It's not about hiding your name to mix with current customs. You have to feel at ease when selling medicine and wine." [Xishan Yin]
Guanqiu Xing sat on the horse like a puppet, silent and silent. Liu Yao on the side quickly responded, waiting for the emperor's instructions.
"Go to the Imperial Academy and tell Pan Xuchen roughly what happened today. He knows what to do." The emperor said indifferently. Although he would not be cruel at this time, he asked the Imperial Academy servant to shoot him. Pan Xu could still use his power to eliminate a few bad apples.
Liu Yao heard the faint murderous intent in the emperor's tone, and with awe in his heart, he rode back to the city.
"It's a little hot here. Let's go to the river to enjoy the wind." After saying that, the emperor turned his horse's head and headed north to the bank of the rolling Wei River. At this time, the sun was setting in the west, shining on the river, and the water was flashing. Sparkling golden light. Looking at this scene, the emperor simply let go of the reins and let his mount carry him around as he pleased.
He was only accompanied by Zhou Yu, the Yulin Lang in front of the palace. This was a deliberate move by the emperor. Zhao Wen and his group could also see that the emperor wanted to talk alone with Zhou Yu, the young Yulin Lang. Everyone followed very consciously.
"Gong Jin." The emperor reined up his horse and stood on the river bank, looking deeply at the other bank, and said leisurely: "Can you jump from the Wei River to the other bank on horseback?"
"Your Majesty is joking." Zhou Yu replied with a smile, his smile was very free and natural, and his voice felt very comfortable: "The Wei River is dozens of feet wide. The horse I am riding is not a sacred horse, how can I easily jump over it? "
"What if I give you a divine horse?" The emperor was looking at the other side of the river alone and deep in thought. When he heard this, he couldn't help but turn around and take a look at Zhou Yu, looking at his handsome but not sharp appearance, and the look between his eyebrows. The heroic spirit that could not be hidden, he said in a concentrated voice: "I asked you to jump across this river, can you do it?"
Zhou Yu couldn't help but look a little solemn, and he didn't dare to answer easily. After a long time, he forced a smile and said: "I hope your majesty will forgive me. Regardless of whether there is a good horse or not, I will not jump across this river."
The emperor smiled and said: "I see that you are here, but your heart is already on the other side. It's not that you don't want to jump, but that you don't want to jump."
"Zhou Gongjin, what are you still hesitating about?"
This gentle question was like the emperor scolding him deep in his heart, causing Zhou Yu's face to change slightly. In just a few moments, many complex emotions were revealed on his face. He had mixed feelings for a while, and he didn't answer for a long time. .
"You have the talent of a general. This southern expedition is a great opportunity for you to become famous in one fell swoop. But you know why, Taishi Ci and Meng Dajie, who are both Yu Linlang in front of the palace, have gone with the army, but I prefer to Shall I not grant you the appointment?" The emperor turned his head back before he finished speaking, and once again looked at the sparkling waves on the Wei River and the green grass and yellow flowers growing on the other side: "It's because of the hesitation in your heart!"
"I saw it when you entered the court from Runan. If the situation had not been decided, you would have been more interested in following Sun Ce to make achievements and display your talents to your heart's content. Rather than staying in this court full of outstanding people, you would be a little uncomfortable. Shen will be buried, just like Guanqiu Jiren, who is busy beside me all day long. So you seem to obey the court and serve as ordered, but in fact... your heart is not here." The emperor seemed to want to completely separate the words today, and suddenly said: " If I hadn't managed to have some ZTE talent, I'm afraid you would be even more disappointed."
"I don't dare!" Zhou Yu finally reacted. He got off his horse, clasped his fists at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty is the emperor of the Holy Ming Dynasty, and he is the hope of the rejuvenation of the Han Dynasty. I am lucky enough to accompany the emperor, how dare you have second thoughts!"
The series of words the emperor just said struck a chord in his heart. Although they were not entirely correct, they were still inseparable. In fact, he was not bent on seducing Sun Ce and Jiangdong as the emperor said. That was the emperor's deliberate use of future generations.
He speculated based on his thoughts and used this to put pressure on Zhou Yu.
In fact, the deeper reason is that both of them are well aware of it. That is, Zhou Yu's initial plan was just for the future development of the Zhou family in Lujiang, and incidentally the future of his friend Sun Ce. Rather than like Zhao Wen, Zhang Chang, and Pan
Xu, like Yang Pei, while taking care of the interests of the family, he followed the emperor closely and became a backbone of the imperial party who followed the emperor's lead.
The emperor has his own way of employing people, such as Yang Qi and Liu Yao. He will not require them to be absolutely obedient to his position. As long as they are willing to pay a certain amount of fame and fortune, these people will be used by the emperor.
It's just that they will never become confidants, they will not be easy to use, and they will never be allowed to have great power.
But for people like Jia Xu, Zhou Yu, and even Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi and others who will be activated one by one in the future, the emperor's requirements for them are not just as simple as "cooperating with him for benefit", he needs a team to always stand on his side.
A loyal team. This team can have certain differences with each other and even with the emperor. They can even have their own small calculations and small actions in private, but they must be truly loyal to the emperor from the outside, inside and outside.
.
Instead of being like the two groups of scholars in Guandong and Kansai in the imperial court, they were loyal to the imperial court and the emperor in their hearts, but they never really had the same heart as the emperor.
If these people can't do it, then the emperor will observe it first, just like he tried to get Jia Xu and Xun You to return to their hearts, and then find an opportunity to either move them emotionally or use words to stimulate them rationally.
"I know you have no second thoughts. I have always favored you since you entered the court, and you know this." The emperor looked at him and said: "You are a smart man, and you know what I want you to do.
The same ministers are actually very different. Which one you want to do is entirely up to you, but I can assure you that no matter which one you choose, you are still Zhou Gongjin."
This is a time for Zhou Yu to make a decision. In fact, no matter what he says at this time, it is better to do it. Zhou Yu also knows that the emperor just wants to listen to his one sentence to express his stance. Different stances will give him different 'reactions'.
That is the major event that will determine his personal honor and disgrace in the future.
He looked at the emperor's silhouette standing on the bank. The slanting sunlight shone on the emperor's profile, making the fourteen-year-old boy in front of him somewhere between mature and immature. ww. Although he looked at the other side of the river casually,
But he is full of confident self-confidence. This is filled with great self-confidence, as if he has everything in the world in his hands, as if even if there are stormy waves in front of him, he can crush them with this confidence.
This kind of self-confidence and vitality that seems to be innate, Zhou Yu seems to have only seen in one person. He leaned over and said: "I came to the court from afar from Jianghuai, because I admired the emperor who could open the way for the resurgence of China."
It is my wish that I can serve His Majesty with all my wisdom and wisdom."
Although the words were vague, the meaning was very clear. Although the two had not yet been truly open and honest, and Zhou Yu did not yet know what the emperor really wanted to do, he naturally understood what the best choice was now.
The muscles in the corner of the emperor's eyes trembled. Although there was still some distance from the last step, it was already a big progress. He then smiled and said: "Good! A man is born in troubled times, and he should carry a three-foot sword to achieve unparalleled achievements." After saying that, he lowered his head and looked at Zhou Yu who was still standing on the ground: "Han Sui, the governor of Liangzhou, attacked Song Jian and it has not been defeated for a long time. This person is not Yi Yu's generation, so the court has to be careful. Now Anji General Zhang Ji is leading the army. Ten thousand troops are stationed in Hanyang. You will immediately replace Sima Zhi, and you and Guan Qiuxing will lead a thousand troops to help."
Anji General Zhang Ji stationed troops in Hanyang County, firstly to guard the western defense line for the imperial court, secondly to closely monitor Han Sui's war in Liangzhou with Zhong Yao, the governor of Yongzhou, and thirdly, as a reserve force to serve in Wudu County. Pei Mao and other troops were optimistic about the rear.
Now the emperor clearly expressed his distrust of Han Sui and sent Zhou Yu and Guanqiu Xing to Hanyang. It was not difficult for Zhou Yu to guess his intention.
What Zhou Yu couldn't figure out was that the emperor's 'reaction' did not seem to reflect what the emperor's confidants like Jia Xu and Zhao Wen should do.