On the shore of the green pool, Xie An was sitting on the bed, holding a fishing rod.
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was deep in thought.
Like all middle-aged and elderly men, Xie An, a noble official and the helmsman of a first-class wealthy family, also likes fishing.
Many young people don't understand the fun of fishing.
He just held a pole, reached into the water, and sat quietly like that, unable to do any other actions. An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Like Xie An, he often fishes by the lake in his house, which is not satisfactory. At least, there are many fish here and the swimming range is small. He can always catch a few fish in an hour.
But those fishing enthusiasts scattered along the rivers in Jiankang City are really hard to understand.
The river is so big and flows so fiercely that it is normal for an hour or two to go by without catching a single fish.
Just sitting like this is a waste of time.
The sound of gentle footsteps sounded, and Xie An opened his eyes.
"You came."
Xie Shi suddenly stopped and said with a smile: "I saw my eldest brother fishing, and I wanted to come over quietly. Unexpectedly, I was discovered by my eldest brother."
Xie An picked up the fishing rod. Sure enough, the bait on the fishing rod was gone, but there was still no fish.
He put away the fishing line, turned around and said, "It doesn't matter."
"I was not at ease, and I had no intention of catching fish."
"Brother, it's just my favorite concubine's birthday, why should I join in the fun?"
"It's so shameless!"
Compared to Xie An, Xie Shi is more open-minded. Originally, he was not averse to attending birthday parties.
However, Zhang Guiren...
This character is really unattractive.
"If it were Queen Wang's birthday, I would never say anything and would definitely participate."
"But now, Zhang Guiren comes from a humble background and has only been favored by His Majesty for more than a year. How can we, the children of the Xie family, support such a person?"
In order not to embarrass himself, Xie Shi is still making his last effort.
The thought of going to celebrate Zhang Guiren's birthday made Xie Shi feel uncomfortable all over. It reminded him of those sycophants in the past who flattered their beloved concubines just to get promotions.
As soon as I stood up, all the fish came over!
What are the intentions of these fish!
Xie An observed the water surface. He listened to some of his brother's words, but he didn't hear others at all.
Fishing is just one of Xie An's daily hobbies, and he never cares about the harvest.
Occasionally, when I catch a fish, I just unhook it and release it.
Even so, Lao Xie was very depressed because these fish were so disrespectful.
"What's this?"
"Didn't you see that Wang Aning also went?"
"Not only Wang Aning, but also the Queen is coming to the Langya Palace. Just watch, the Wang brothers and sisters must have other plans."
"Wang Aning doesn't care, so why do you care so much about face?"
The children of aristocratic families all take their face very seriously, and there are many people who flatter them, but that also depends on the person they are targeting.
For example, flattering the emperor or flattering the children of aristocratic families with higher official positions than one's own are normal operations and are harmless.
However, Xie Shi still couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart when he went to support a beloved concubine.
Then he retorted: "Brother, I don't care about face, I just don't like Zhang Guiren's pretentious gesture. Your Majesty didn't force us to let us go, why don't we just say we're sick and just decline!"
Xie An sighed. This younger brother has been an official in the court for many years, but his mind is still so simple. He couldn't help but wonder who would support the Xie family in the future, if he lived a hundred years later.
At present, it seems that Xie Xuan still has some qualifications.
I hope he can keep the Beifu Army firmly in his hands!
"Who said you are only allowed to flatter noble people!"
"There are so many people at the birthday banquet. What Wang Aning and the Queen are thinking, and what King Langya is doing, we need to pay attention to."
In order to convince Xie Shi to work seriously, Xie An also worked very hard.
In fact, with Xie An's authority at home, Xie Shi would still obediently go to Prince Langya's palace even if he didn't explain anything.
However, in that case, Xie An's goal would be hopeless.
"Your Majesty asked King Langya to record six things in the minister's book. It only happened in the past few days. Have you forgotten it?"
"Their brothers are now so close and have such a good relationship. I don't believe that he, Wang Aning, would be indifferent."
"Don't forget that it has always been the consensus of our major families to join forces to guard against the Sima family's power."
"In the past, the Sima family really had no signs of becoming powerful, and there were no outstanding people, so the families could fight each other."
"I have observed that this Sima Daozi is indeed different from his predecessors. He is young but very enterprising. He loves power and wants to fight for it."
"Such a person, even if his abilities are not that outstanding, can definitely make waves in the court as long as he dares to do it."
"In addition, Sima Yao is also a very ambitious person. Pushing Sima Daozi to the court is the first step of his temptation."
"For this kind of person, what we have to do is not to let him take the lead. As long as he dares to provoke and seize power, we will beat him back!"
Xie Shi was a little confused: "Didn't the eldest brother tacitly allow King Langya to enter the government?"
"How can this be!"
"Are you crazy!"
"If I think this way, how can I be worthy of the ancestors of the Xie family!"
Xie An's aggressive words proved his firm belief. He glared at his younger brother, worried that he could not reach the point of understanding with him.
What happened to him?
Did you lose your head after knocking off the five stones?
Xie Shi smiled awkwardly: "Brother, calm down, I didn't mean that. It's not been a day or two since King Langya entered the court. Brother has never responded before. I thought he didn't want to care about this matter."
"Since the eldest brother has other plans, the younger brother can rest assured and will definitely help." Xie Shi also breathed a sigh of relief.
With the current situation, the honor and disgrace of the Xie family are all tied to Xie An alone.
Xie An received the news that King Langya had recorded six things in the minister's book, the day before Sima Daozi went to the court to take charge of the government.
Sima Yao's intention with this move is very obvious, that is, he wants to make the rice cooked, so that even the Wang family and the Xie family can't stop him.
Surprisingly, Wang Gong did not make any move this time, and did not even write a memorial. Looking back, his eldest brother Xie An also waved his hand, as if nothing was wrong.
Xie Shi was worried for a while, thinking that from now on, the court would have the final say with Sima Daozi.
Xie An calmed down a little and encouraged: "Brothers, you and I should naturally work together. Look, didn't Sima Yao also pull his brother out to help?"
"This birthday banquet is a rare opportunity. The party atmosphere is relaxed and lively. Many things that are deliberately concealed on weekdays may be exposed."
"You must pay attention to the words and deeds of these important people. As an old man, I am not suitable to appear in such an occasion. I will leave this matter to you."
Xie Shi stood still and nodded firmly.
For a moment, he felt that sense of mission arise spontaneously. To safeguard the interests of the Xie family, I, Xie Shi, also have the duty to do so!