"Lord Xue is so ridiculous!" Li Kuo smiled wryly and shook his head: "Being a farmer in the morning and ascending to the Emperor's Hall in the evening. Who doesn't want this kind of life? Li is not like that.
of opportunity."
Li Kuo's words are not unreasonable. Although he is now the commander-in-chief of an army, it is contrary to his original intention of becoming an official and serving the king. To be honest, he would rather go to the temple and worry about the country and the people.
.
"Oh?" Xue Bo was obviously a little surprised. He initially thought that Li Kuo was just a Confucian general who had read a few military books, but he really didn't expect that Li Kuo had such ambitions.
"Haha, it is better to be a centurion than to be a scholar. General Li surrenders to serve the country. Isn't it more joyful and free than a poor scholar like this?" Xue Bo felt more and more that Li Kuo had a unique charm.
Naturally, interest in it is growing.
Xue Bo walked up the mountain for a few steps with his hands behind his back and suddenly stopped and asked: "General Li, look at these daisies blooming proudly all over the mountain, what is missing most?"
Li Kuo never thought that he would ask such a strange question. He thought for a moment and said, "It must be water."
"Yes, no matter how beautiful the chrysanthemums bloom, they will eventually wither if they lack the moisture of rain and the sunshine. If the chrysanthemums on this ridge lack snow water for irrigation, they will one day become a cracked and dead mass.
The domain will no longer have the original grand scene of blooming mountain flowers!"
The meaning of what he said was mysterious and mysterious. Li Kuo was shocked after hearing this. It seemed that Ni Xin's guess was correct!
Seeing the slight change in Li Kuo's expression, Xue Bo felt proud and continued: "Does General Li know Uncle Ye Gong?" (Note 1)
Li Kuo nodded slightly and said: "Ji Zhongsan's famous name is like thunder. Although Li has little talent and knowledge, he knows a little about his deeds. There have been fewer and fewer famous people like this since the Wei and Jin Dynasties."
"You are wrong. True celebrities have existed in all dynasties, and they will only increase! Do you think there are no true celebrities in the Southern and Northern Dynasties? Are there none in our dynasties? However, true celebrities are an unpleasant figure. No matter whether you are the king or not, you are wrong.
An emperor is still a prince, and no one likes celebrities who pretend to be noble."
These words are a bit extreme, especially when they come from the mouth of Xue Bo, who is well-educated and a Jinshi. You must know that regardless of the past dynasties, celebrities have always been the benchmark in the minds of scholars. If you cannot serve the country as an official, you will be hidden.
In Shanlong, practicing virtue is also a good choice.
“I know what you want to say, Taibai?”
It's just a tool, do you think that if you write a good poem, you can help the world and bring peace to the people? His Majesty the Emperor is a rare sage king in history, comparable to Yao and Shun, but he still can't stand Li Taibai's arrogance. Do you know why?
It’s because his back is so straight!”
Li Kuo's heart was suddenly shocked, and he was about to speak out to refute.
Xue Bo was the first to say: "Let's talk about Ji Kang. He "transcends the teachings and lets nature take its course" and "judges the noble and the low and understands the emotions of things." What a broad and free theory, it's just a cover-up to deceive yourself and others! You should be honest.
He didn't want to find a purple robe and honor his ancestors? Ji Zhongsan just couldn't pull off that old face! He married a girl from the Cao Wei family, so naturally he was a die-hard loyalist of the Cao Wei family. If you really want to blame him, you can only blame him for being on the wrong side.
Join the team!"
Li Kuo listened to him going more and more outrageous. He even spoke so unfavorably about Ji Kang. He was so angry that he said in his heart: "Master Xue, what do you mean? Ji Zhongsan is the first of the seven sages in the Bamboo Grove. He has left many masterpieces for generations to come."
?How can a person who is so respected by my scholars be so miserable?"
"Admire? Admire his arrogance for relying on his talent? Admire his health and death? 'Guangling San is now dead', he felt relieved when he said this. Has he ever been worthy of the three thousand imperial students who interceded for him?
Sons and daughters and wives! All the real celebrities in the Wei and Jin Dynasties scolded Wang Sunxing and laughed at himself! If the bridle and lock of fame can really be thrown away, why would Ruan Ji cry when he is desperate? Do you think he really knows that he is hard to find!"
"This, this..." Li Kuo choked for a moment. The other party was obviously prepared, and he couldn't find a word to refute.
Is everything he said right? No, it’s impossible!
"I believe that General Li is a smart man, and he definitely doesn't want to be such a real celebrity. Isn't it just to be famous in the world, to have a wife and a son? It's not a disappointment. With General Li's current background, he wants to be promoted a step further.
I’m afraid it will be difficult.”
Seeing that the time was ripe, Xue Bo pointed out the real purpose of this trip to appreciate the chrysanthemums.
"Master Xue, if you have anything to say, you may as well speak up. Li should be all ears." Li Kuo sighed and said with a wry smile.
"Okay! Xue likes General Li's refreshing energy!" After a slight pause, Xue Bo lowered his voice and said: "If I remember correctly, General Li once served as a guest of the prince, right?"
boom!
Although Xue Bo's voice was extremely low, it sounded like a thunderbolt from the blue to Li Kuo.
He is indeed a lobbyist, and a lobbyist sent by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!
Of course he remembered that he had served as a guest of the Crown Prince. In fact, this was the first important official position he held when he first entered the court. However, at that time, he only occasionally accompanied His Royal Highness King Guangping to study and practice calligraphy, and he did not interact with His Highness the Crown Prince at all.
There is no overly close contact.
Of course, in the eyes of the world, he seems to have become a member of the East Palace...
In fact, Li Kuo also considered joining the East Palace and becoming an assistant minister. However, the last time he met Gao Xiuyan in the prince's private residence, Li Linfu's ambush was still fresh in his mind. The prince's cowardice and unkindness made Li Kuo very disappointed.
The feeling of betrayal was very explicit, and the pain was so painful that it penetrated the bones. He was abandoned by the prince, abandoned without hesitation. Is such a person worth following and working for?
"If General Li has forgotten, Xue might as well remind General Li one or two. General Li should be holding a waist badge from the East Palace, right? This waist badge for the Crown Prince only costs ten yuan in total. Giving one to the general must be a gift.
High hopes, right?"
Seeing that Li Kuo was deep in thought, Xue Bo was even more proud. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said: "Now that you are guarding the country and guarding the border, your Majesty and your wife are still living in Chang'an. His Royal Highness is a kind-hearted person and often sends people to express condolences and care for you.
But how can people avoid diseases if they eat whole grains? If they contract a bad disease due to your stubbornness and unfortunately die of illness, I’m afraid that’s not what General Li wants to see, right?”
Note 1: Shu Ye, the famous master Ji Kang during the Three Kingdoms period and the leader of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, was later executed by Sima Zhao because he refused to obey the puppet Western Jin Dynasty.