This sentence is naturally a compliment when applied to others, but to Yuan Cheng, it is just a reflection of his life.
Recalling his life, Yuan Cheng believed that he was not ashamed of heaven, nor could he be humbled by others, and he was worthy of his ancestors in the Tuoba family. It can be said that he devoted his whole life to the Yuan family and died.
But who could have expected that in the end, not only would he become Gao Ying's scapegoat, but he would also be abandoned like a pair of worn-out shoes and treated like dirt, which can be said to be the biggest scandal in the world.
After returning to the capital from Longxi, he was sent to Xihai as an envoy. It has been more than a month since Yuan Cheng. He has been worried about it, thinking about it day and night, almost racking his brains, but he can't solve this problem no matter what.
He treated him as a national scholar, why did Gao Ying regard him as an enemy bandit?
As the so-called long-term depression leads to illness, Yuan Cheng's heart has long been filled with depression, and it is getting deeper and deeper. Now being provoked by Li Chengzhi, the first servant, is like a sharp knife stabbing a poisonous sore.
Yuan Cheng felt like needles pricking his heart, and his vision went dark.
There was no one else around, Gao Zhao was wandering again, and by the time he realized it, it was already too late. Just like that, like pushing a mountain of gold and toppling a jade pillar, Yuan Cheng fell straight down.
Li Chengzhi was a little confused.
From the beginning to the end, he only said two sentences, and he actually made Yuan Cheng faint with anger?
Even Zhuge Liang's mouth is not that powerful, right?
Just when he was in shock, Yuan Yuan rushed over, picked up Yuan Cheng by the waist, and shouted: "Brother Wang...Brother Wang?"
However, Yuan Cheng's face was like gold paper, and his teeth were like iron. No matter how Yuan Yuan shouted, there was no movement at all.
Could it be that his anger burst his blood vessels and caused a cerebral hemorrhage?
Thinking secretly in his heart, Li Chengzhi went down the steps of the palace, held Yuan Cheng's middle finger with one hand, and pinched the tiger's mouth with the other hand, while pinching it hard at the same time.
Just like seeing a shadow immediately, Yuan Cheng woke up and turned around with a sound of "um".
When he raised his eyes, the first thing he saw was Li Chengzhi. Yuan Cheng was in a daze. After a moment of recall, he realized that only a few breaths had passed and he was still in the palace.
He made a mistake with his silver teeth and cursed in a hissing voice: "How dare you bully others like this..."
Yuan Yuan's expression changed as he drank, and he wanted to cover Yuan Yuan's mouth: "Uncle Wang be careful... If the Duke of the State had unparalleled medical skills, how could you wake up so quickly?"
Yuan Cheng laughed coldly and said: "I can only die, so why do I need him to save me?"
"If you really would rather die than give in, Li can express your admiration, but it's a pity..."
Li Chengzhi sighed leisurely and looked at Yuan Cheng with a half-smile, "But I heard that it was you who hurriedly chose the right path when you were in panic. Like a guiding light, you led tens of thousands of Tuyuhun's defeated troops to Shanshan, which led to Cui Yanbo's defeat.
…”
If the words just mentioned were careless, this sentence is more heart-wrenching than killing someone.
Yuan Cheng's eyes bulged, his throat rolled up, he heard several sharp coughs, and a mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth.
His body was as soft as noodles, and he slipped out of Yuan Yuan's arms.
"Brother Wang...Brother Wang..."
Yuan Yuan was sweating profusely, and Liu Fang and Gao Zhao also gathered around him.
Li Chengzhi was not panicked at all.
I have only heard of people suffering from cerebral hemorrhage and dying due to Qi, but I have never heard of Qi cutting off the heart. Besides, even if the heart is cut off, the blood will never spurt out from the mouth.
So either Yuan Cheng was acting, or he was suffering from a disease that blocked his lungs, and he was still far away from death.
Besides, even if he is really dead, what does it have to do with him, Li Chengzhi?
"Don't worry, you won't die!"
Li Chengzhi sneered and waved to Li Xiaoxian, "Carry him down and save him!"
Li Xiaoxian respectfully accepted the promise, called the guards to carry him into a soft couch, and carried Yuan Cheng out of the hall.
With this breath, Yuan Cheng felt relaxed all over. He had never felt so refreshed in the past month, and he was shocked and confused.
Could it be a flashback?
In shock, he suddenly sat up, pointed at Li Chengzhi and cursed: "I will never let you go even if I am a ghost..."
Fortunately, he still had some sense. He just cursed but did not dare to jump down and run wild in the palace, allowing the guards to carry him out.
Everyone was surprised. Looking at it now, they found that Yuan Cheng's complexion was much better than the previous two days.
Seeing him being carried out of the main hall and out of the Yamen, still cursing constantly and even more angry, Liu Fang and others suddenly realized: Did Li Chengzhi's provocation actually cure Yuan Cheng's hidden disease?
How strange, how strange!
Secretly surprised, Liu Fang quickly acquiesced: "King Rencheng lost his mind for a moment and spoke indiscriminately. Please don't be offended..."
Why do we need to know someone who is about to die?
If the hatred is difficult to calm down, just process it slowly and make Yuan Cheng submissive.
Li Chengzhi smiled calmly and said: "It doesn't matter, just continue the banquet!"
Liu Fang and others had no intention of having fun, and when they were disturbed by Yuan Cheng, they lost the taste of their food, just like chewing wax.
Li Chengzhi didn't force himself, and after a few drinks, he continued to eat and drink on his own.
Seeing him put down his chopsticks, it seemed that he had come to an end, Liu Fang took advantage of the opportunity and picked up the wine cup.
"The Duke and I are old acquaintances. It is for this reason that I received the grace of the Queen Mother and Your Majesty to go to the West Sea as an envoy. This trip was very cautious, like walking on thin ice. If anything goes wrong later, please forgive me..."
Does this mean to put the ugly words first?
Li Chengzhi smiled and picked up the wine cup: "I know the purpose of the temple minister's visit, and I also know the difficulties of the temple minister. I don't care about the rest, even if I think about the support and protection of the temple minister in the past, I will never
It will make it difficult for the temple minister to do..."
After a pause, he sighed again, "But I think there is no need to worry about stopping the war and making peace. If the temple minister is interested, why not let me accompany you first and have a good view of our Western Sea, and then discuss it
It’s not too late…”
Take a look?
Both Liu Fang and Yuan Yuan were secretly happy.
This trip to the peace talks is only secondary, coveting the reality of the West Sea is the key. Otherwise, why would we stop and go all the way and delay for so long?
The two of them were worried about how to find an excuse for Li Chengzhi to let go and take a walk around the West Sea after arriving in the West Sea. Even if they couldn't find out the strength of the army and whether there was enough food and grass, they should at least take a look at the people's livelihood.
As the saying goes, you can know the whole picture by taking a peek at a spot. With Liu Fang's experience, he might not be able to figure out some truths and falsehoods.
But unexpectedly, Li Chengzhi actually brought it up?
The two of them were pleasantly surprised. What they were happy about was that even if they couldn't come to an agreement, at least they would gain something. Even if it didn't work out, they would be able to do business after returning to Beijing.
What’s surprising is why Li Chengzhi is so generous. Is there some fraud involved?
However, Yang Shu and Gao Zhao looked on with indifferent expressions.
Although these two people have different positions, their thoughts are surprisingly the same: Is it that Li Chengzhi wants to give Liu Fang a blow so that he can retreat in the face of difficulties?
While thinking about it, I heard Li Chengzhi ask again: "What worries does the temple minister have?"
"What worries can there be?"
Liu Fang responded quickly, "It's my wish, but I don't dare to invite you!"
"That's good!"
Li Chengzhi nodded and smiled, and then instructed Li Xiaoxian, "Get your horses ready with all the imperial envoys, and inform Li Liang, Li Zhang, Chengxue, and uncle that I will invite the temple ministers to visit various places later and ask them to
Make preparations early..."
After saying that, he stood up and said, "Everyone, please!"
Everyone had different thoughts and followed him out of the government hall. They thought he was going out, but they didn't expect Li Chengzhi to turn right and go straight to Zhenyi Tower.
When Liu Fang and others entered the city, they took a closer look. Zhenyi City sounds like a city, but it occupies a very small area. It is only two miles in radius, which is smaller than the villages and fortresses of the Guanzhong gentry.
But after entering the city, I realized that there is something special in it: except for Li's house and a few other courtyards, most of the city is a government office.
The so-called sparrow is small, but it has all the five internal organs. Just like the inner city of Luojing, all the bureaucracies in the capital can be found here.
Such as the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Rites.
It's just that the names are different. They are all called Bu in Luo Jing, but here they are called Cao?
I think it's because Li Chengzhi has not yet established himself on his own, so calling him a "department" is somewhat untrue.
In addition, there is also the Zhenyi Tower that lives in the city. After asking Li Shiliang, I learned that this is where Li Chengzhi's office is located, and it is also where the heads of Cao Cao and the generals of the army attend meetings. It is the same as the imperial palace in the capital.
There are different approaches but the same effect.
When Li Chengzhi climbed up the steps, they knew that they were going to visit. Li Chengzhi was not going to choose another place to hold peace talks with them in the Zhenyi Tower, but was taking them up high to see the distance.
Zhenyi Tower is five stories high and more than six feet tall. As long as you climb to the top of the building, you can have a panoramic view for miles around. You can also clearly see the geography of Zhenyi City.
Regardless of the rest, how many gates the city has and where they are located. Which city is high and which is short, where is the river and where is the beam? You can tell at a glance.
If one day the imperial court really wants to attack the West Sea, Yuan Yuan and others will be the living map.
As far as Li Chengzhi is concerned, doesn't this mean that he exposes his own shortcomings and gives others leverage?
Everyone was surprised and followed closely. Liu Fang secretly winked at Yuan Yuan.
Yuan Yuan came to Xihai on this trip. He was named deputy envoy, but in fact he had to play more of a detailed role. Gao Ying ordered him to pay attention to his intentions whenever it was related to military affairs. So when he saw Liu Fang's eyes, he immediately understood that there was something subtle that could not be detected.
nodded.
The two made small movements and followed Li Chengzhi to the top of the building.
There is a pavilion built on the top, which is more than two feet high, so it is already seven feet above the ground.
Several people entered the pavilion and saw the sky high, the clouds wide, the water beautiful and the mountains clear. Suddenly a cool breeze blew by, and everyone subconsciously felt refreshed.
If you look closely, you can see criss-crossing streets, green mountains and green mountains, seemingly endless, and weak water like a jade belt, with no beginning or end.
Even though he had expected it, Yang Shu was still surprised.
When Hongnong Yang was not suspected by Yuan Ke, that is, seven or eight years ago, he served as the governor of Xiliang Prefecture. The prefectural government office was in Jiuquan, which was only more than two hundred miles away.
Biaoshi County is under its jurisdiction, and everything south of Heli Mountain is Biaoshi territory. In order to inspect people's livelihood, Yang Shu also inspected the salt pond twenty miles south, and even visited this place and climbed Heli Mountain.
I also visited the dilapidated Zhenyi Jiuguan.
He remembered very clearly: At that time, the surrounding areas of Zhenyi Pass were all barren mountains. I dare not say that there was no grass growing and no birds and animals were extinct, but it was definitely a barren land with thousands of miles of bare soil.
However, it has been almost five years since Li's tribe followed to the West Sea and plotted to Hexi. It has already been so prosperous?
Regardless of the rest, is it possible that all that grows in this vast green space is grass?
Although it is difficult to see clearly from a distance, at least the ditches and field ridges can be clearly distinguished.
What is in front of us is just the vicinity of Zhenyi. How much fertile land should there be in Heli Mountain to the north? What about counties to the south, Zhangye to the east, and Jiuquan to the west?
Not to mention that Li Chengzhi has occupied the more fertile Longxi, where there are ready-made fertile fields. There is no need to open up wasteland at all, let alone cultivate it, and it can be planted on the spot.
Given time...well, it doesn't even take much, just two or three years, what will the West Sea look like?
Feeling amazed in his heart, Yang Shu looked at Liu Fang's face again.
Sure enough, it was like being painted with ink or paint, Liu Fang's face was so heavy that water could squeeze out of her face.
Gao Zhao, for example, looked defeated and sighed sincerely: "In just four or five years, the desert sea can be turned into a mulberry field... Just for this reason, I am not as good as you!"
"It's nothing more than picking up the wisdom of previous generations, and there's nothing praiseworthy about it!"
Li Chengzhi smiled leisurely and said, "When Emperor Taiwu moved the people from Hexi to Pingcheng, the scenery here was ten times more prosperous than it was at that time. Therefore, it was already fertile land, and the weak water was so convenient that it only needed a little cultivation.
Then you can have thousands of grain fields...
But that’s not what I meant when I went up to the building today. I just thought that the temple minister would not be able to see clearly later, so I came here..."
Li Chengzhi waved his hand: "Send it up!"
Before he finished speaking, Li Xiao stepped into the pavilion, holding a lacquer plate in his hand, with several things like short sticks placed in it.
It is about a foot long, as thick as a child's arm, and its body is bright yellow, seemingly made of copper.
Li Chengzhi took one, pulled it smoothly, and handed it to Liu Fang: "This object is called a telescope. The saying that it is a thousand miles is an exaggeration, but it is not difficult to see a person's face clearly within ten miles... It is just for the temple minister, and it is also
You can look more carefully..."
You can see a person's face clearly within ten miles... Could you be joking?
Without waiting for Li Chengzhi to give in, Yuan Yuan picked up one like lightning. Just as he was about to bring it to his eyes, Li Chengzhi persuaded him: "This thing has three layers. It can be near or far. It needs to be stretched as far as possible.
Only then can you see the furthest point..."
As he spoke, he pulled, and the copper rod, which was about a foot long, grew three or four times longer.
Yuan Yuan quickly raised his eyes and was shocked.
He actually saw a beacon?
The beacon was square and square, standing on the top of the mountain, with two soldiers standing on top, as straight as javelins.
Just at this time, a big eagle fell from the sky and landed on the top of the beacon. The two soldiers turned their heads and looked at each other, murmured a few words, and one of them took off the long bow on his back.
Unexpectedly, the beast was so alert that it flapped its wings and flew away before the soldiers could string the bows. By the time the soldiers drew the bows, they had already flown twenty or thirty feet away.
He even saw the disappointment on the soldiers' faces...
Yuan Yuan was shocked and suspicious. He moved his eyes away and looked into the distance with only his eyesight. But no matter whether he opened or squinted his eyes, all he could see was Mount Heli, which stood about five or six miles away.
Not to mention the two soldiers, he couldn't even find the beacon.
He raised the telescope and looked at it a few more times, then put it down, looked at it a few more times, and put it down again... In this way, every time it was repeated, Yuan Yuan's face became whiter. After repeated several times, there was no trace of trace on his face.
Blood color, white as paper.
It's not just Yuan Yuan, it's the same for everyone else.
Liu Fang was not familiar with military affairs, so he was just surprised and had not reacted yet. However, Yuan Yuan, Gao Zhao and Yang Shu all had expressions that suddenly changed, and they were both shocked and horrified.