After Song Yang thanked him, Fenglong suddenly stopped smiling: "The reason why I select extraordinary people is to demonstrate the power of Nanli, not to give gifts. Therefore, I have one more thing to ask you... If the Jingzhe is replaced by the Dragon Boat Festival
, Replace this place with the Yan Palace in Zoucheng, replace me with Emperor Yan Jingtai, and replace the ministers in this palace with the important ministers of the five countries, what country can you tell us about the way to make a strong country strong?"
It's not easy to ask, but at least... It's better for Fenglong to ask than not to ask.
"Quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes, and I have forgotten the two principles of heaven and earth. The common people have other strategies to strengthen Yan. If you can compete for the first rank, you should offer it to Emperor Yan." Song Yang did not pave the way for the most important issue.
He spoke directly: "The Quanrong worship the White Wolf, and there are shamans to serve the gods, but the shamans obey the barbarian lords. The sacred services are only limited to praying for blessings and promoting war, and nothing else. The king is supreme, and the sacred services are supplementary."
"Tubo firmly believes in Tantric Buddhism. The whole country respects the Living Buddha. The feudal lords in various places obey the laws and decrees of the Living Buddha. All wars and political affairs are presided over by the Living Buddha. The god is supreme and the king is the assistant."
"The Uighurs worship the fire. Wherever the holy fire rises, all the people are blazing. Since the founding of the country, kings of all ages have had another identity: the messenger of the holy fire. The king is a god, and the god is also a king. The two are in one."
"Three barbaric countries have all risen rapidly within a hundred years. They have almost no foundation to speak of, but the people's hearts are unprecedentedly united... Either the monarch, the god, or the monarch and the god are one, in the final analysis, they are all the same leader. But there is a big thunder in the Yan country.
There are two sacred places, Tai and Yan Palace in Zoucheng. It is not difficult for Yan to move up to the next level. He only needs to leave one of the two sacred places."
After Song Yang finished speaking, Fenglong tilted his head and looked at him: "This way of strengthening Yan... Do you think all the people of Yan are fools?"
Song Yang shook his head: "Whether they are stupid or not is beyond the control of ordinary people. They just tell the truth."
Fenglong suddenly laughed loudly: "It is indeed the truth!" Amidst the laughter, he waved his hand and retreated, without saying another word to Song Yang...
After the court affairs were over, all the dignitaries left the palace and exchanged a few words with each other before leaving. Only Mr. Right Prime Minister Ban ignored the others and got on the sedan chair and left directly.
Returning to the mansion, two charming maids came up to them and carefully helped the trembling old man to the hall to eat. The dishes and chopsticks had just been put out when footsteps sounded outside the door. Someone walked up to Mr. Ban and asked with a smile: "
how?"
The person who came was also an old man, but he was much younger than Mr. Ben. He was thin and ordinary in appearance. The only strange thing about him was that he had his hands in his sleeves.
Gu Zhaojun.
This time was different from the past. Gu Zhaojun's face was gloomy, and his forehead was wrapped with a thick bandage. When he walked, he no longer had the wind-swept ease before, and became limping.
Gu Zhaojun was injured, and the injury was serious. However, his expression was still the same, he smiled kindly, and said in a hypocritical manner: "You haven't eaten yet? Eat first, and then we'll talk after you finish. I'm not in a hurry." Mrs. Ban is too worried.
He was so old that it seemed difficult to even open his eyelids. He lowered his eyes and did not look at the other person. He started eating under the service of the maid, without saying a word. Gu Zhaojun was not in a hurry and sat aside quietly.
Just wait.
After the meal was finished and all the servants left, the class leader let out a long sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair and said, "Quite smart, smarter than I thought, and better than you said."
clever."
Gu Zhaojun shrugged his shoulders: "You only praised him for being smart but didn't talk about the situation in the imperial examination. Are you sincerely confusing me?"
Mr. Ban did not rush to say anything, but asked Gu Zhaojun: "Song Yang applied for the Nanli Qishi with the title of 'The Way to Strengthen the Country'. What do you think?"
Gu Zhaojun shook his head and gave a four-word comment: "So stupid!"
The Golden Palace selection is different from the Kyushu "audition". Everyone in the palace, except for the contestants and eunuchs, are all "leaders". People have been practicing official skills for several generations since their ancestors.
, dealing with power, folk skills, and national skills.
All other talents are good, but this is the only way to strengthen the country... He was born as a commoner, and with his quick mind and good knowledge, he went to a group of big guys who were thinking about and discussing how to strengthen the country every day, gesticulating and talking about their own strategies to strengthen the country.
?However, because it is a national selection of talents, everyone must be open-minded and courteous. Therefore, on the surface, their attitude is not bad, but in their hearts, you can imagine their initial resentment towards Song Yang and the Hong brothers. This is the simplest
However, the most normal mentality is no exception for everyone from the emperor to the ministers in the court.
Therefore, to apply for the election based on the 'way of strengthening a country' is just as Gu Zhaojun said: it is extremely stupid.
"The boy named Song first used this 'disgust' to erase the three Hong brothers who were against him; when it was his turn..." Mr. Zaiban's face had no expression, but his eyes were still bright.
: "Your Majesty, he said a mysterious number from heaven and earth. This number is a bit interesting, but the most interesting thing is not that. He only talked about the secrets of heaven and not about national policies."
It may be okay if the virtuous people who debate the way to strengthen the country behave well; once their shortcomings are exposed and someone catches them, they will definitely be punished to the end. The Hong family brothers fell into an irreversible situation because they received some money.
It has something to do with Song Yang, but at least half of the reason lies in this 'antipathy' towards them that even the emperor himself was not aware of.
A strong dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake... not to mention Song Yang or the Hong family brothers, they are not dragons yet, the people in the palace are the real beasts.
When he was preparing to select the topic in Yanziping, Song Yang wanted to understand this truth, so he came up with many gimmicks and tried hard to show that he was 'observing nature and comprehending the secrets of heaven'. This 'family education' itself has nothing to do with national policy
, it just can be used...
Perhaps he choked on his saliva after talking too much. Mr. Ban suddenly started coughing. The two were talking secretly. No one was around. Gu Zhaojun sat aside as if nothing happened, watching indifferently as the old man coughed and was about to lose his breath at any moment.
Come on... Finally, as thick phlegm came out, Mr. Ban took a long breath with great effort, and he was finally alive. Gu Zhaojun's face was full of disgust, and the other party's phlegm was spitting at his feet.
"Song Yang explained Xuan Shu carefully, but when discussing the application of Xuan Shu, he suddenly changed the subject and said that he had little knowledge and did not dare to make false statements about national policy." Mr. Ban took out an unknown pill from his arms and said,
Swallowing it with tea, he barely suppressed his confused breath: "In the final analysis, he wanted to tell the emperor two things: 'I understand nature, not criticize national policies. I want to use the mysterious principles of nature to strengthen the country, but really
It is definitely not me, but you, who can make good and evil complement each other and formulate good strategies to strengthen the country.' These two sentences were not stated explicitly, but they were firmly implanted in the emperor's heart."
Although he was not present during the imperial examination, Gu Zhaojun roughly understood the situation at that time based on his thoughts, and nodded in agreement: "With this, he changed from a wild boy who didn't know the heights of the world and talked about state affairs to a person who relied on family members.
I learned from the young talent who was eager to help and quietly changed his identity. This is a good job." After saying that, he did not forget to point to the medicine bottle in Lao Ban's hand with his chin: "What medicine? What kind of disease does it cure?
If it’s good medicine, I’ll take it too.”
Master Ban ignored him and carefully put the medicine bottle back into his arms, continuing Song Yang's topic: "Not only did he change his identity, he also used a crutch to lead the emperor to speak of weapons. Little tricks, not worth it.
He mentioned it once, but used it at the right time. He put that mysterious number into practice and used the emperor's strategy of strengthening the army to fulfill his own mysterious truth... When the dynasty finally dispersed, the emperor said that he was a talent from Nanli."
"A talent from Nanli? The emperor has recognized his identity. That's great!" Gu Zhaojun smiled happily.
Master Ban said coldly: "The emperor's compliment to him makes you so happy? Which talented person has not been praised by the emperor today?"
Gu Zhaojun looked good-tempered: "It's not like you don't know the emperor's temper, why should you act knowingly?"
Mr. Ben shook his head, but just as he shook it, he stopped again. The corners of his dry mouth twitched slightly, barely forming a smile: "As I get older, I don't want to sleep at night. I always want to find someone to talk to. Others are not as interesting as you."
Gu Zhaojun looked at Lord Ban quietly for a while, and finally smiled and said, treating the other party's "knowingly asking questions" as a story and just chatting with the old man: "This young emperor of your family does not have any great talents, but he also
I can't say that he is cruel and willful, he is quite law-abiding. However, young people will always be a little angry, and Fenglong is no exception. He is always afraid of being looked down upon by others. This is the root of the problem. Sending Qishi to compete in the first-level competition is already a problem.
Nanli showed weakness. Fenglong was afraid that the Qishi he sent would be too "soft" and would make other countries laugh even more if he saw everyone with weak legs. So he wanted to choose someone with a temper who dared to raise his head and speak. When he arrived in Yan
, at least you can’t, you can’t give in.”
As he said that, Gu Zhaojun rolled his eyelids, thought for a moment, and finally said with a smile: "It's just 'don't give in'. Haha, that's a good word."
Master Ban ignored his boasting and asked slowly: "So when you were selecting talents in Qingyang, you arranged for Tibetan businessmen to 'step up' for Song Yang?"
Gu Zhaojun knew that this matter could not be hidden from him, so he nodded and admitted it.
The old fox figured out the young emperor's thoughts and arranged for Song Yang to compete with the Tubo people. To put it bluntly, Gu Zhaojun helped Song Yang go to "Fenglong's favor" and give Song Yang an impression with the emperor in advance.
Mr. Ban frowned: "Another question, it doesn't matter if you don't want to answer it... Are those Tubo people your subordinates? When did you get involved with Tubo again?"
"Those gangsters are not my subordinates, but they are 'used' temporarily. It is not difficult to instigate them to come to power. When I was in Qingyang, that group of people lived in the same hotel as me, and they were very domineering. I just didn't like them.
"Gu Zhaojun shook his head and smiled: "These are not the important point. The important point is that Song Yang at that time could guess that I arranged the matter, but he could not guess the key point. Even so, he still made the show lively.
Keep singing."
"The matter of the poisonous and mute Hong brothers has nothing to do with me. It's just the three unlucky guys who brought it upon themselves. However, this matter is the same as Qingyang's previous dealings with the Tibetan businessmen. Both were seen by the emperor. Fenglong took a fancy to Song Dynasty.
He has a 'you come and I go' temperament, but he still has some doubts about his identity as a Yan person." Gu Zhaojun felt a little dry in the mouth, but there was no one around to give him tea, so he swallowed and continued:
"Today, Your Majesty, Fenglong's doubts about his identity have been eliminated, and Song Yang's chances of being selected will naturally increase... Laoban, what do you think are Song Yang's chances of participating in the competition?"
"About 50%." Mr. Ban said in a cold tone: "The way to strengthen a country is a subject with inherent deficiencies. If you perform well, you will only have a 50% chance of winning! Whether you can go to Yan as you wish or not is in the emperor's mind." Fenglong before leaving the court today.
The last question is what Mr. Ban calls "congenital deficiency". Song Yang's answer can only be regarded as satisfactory at best. No one can say whether he can pass the test.
Mr. Ban's eyes were half closed: "Song Yang has a very clear mind. How could he choose 'The Way to Strengthen a Country' to run for the election? If he didn't know this question, why would he lose 50% without having to compete?"
Gu Zhaojun smiled: "In my opinion, it's not that he is stupid, it's that he has nothing to do."
Hit the mark.
Song Yang had prepared for the problems he might encounter in the imperial examination. Since he expected that Fenglong would ask, "In which country do you have the strongest principles when it comes to Dayan?", he naturally thought of the "innate shortcomings" of the topic he chose, but he really
He had no other choice. He couldn't sing and dance, he couldn't be selected for martial arts training, and his poisoning and medical skills didn't make sense... What else could he do? What Song Yang hated most was that he didn't learn to blow glass or make steel in his previous life...
There was a smile in Mr. Ban's eyes: "Are you defending him? From your tone, it seems that you are trying to protect someone's shortcomings." After saying that, without waiting for Lao Gu's answer, he changed the subject: "Anyway,
You are all hoping that Song Yang can go to Yan State...can he do it? Is it worth it?"
Gu Zhaojun was silent, and after a while he said quietly: "I don't have many opportunities, so I can't think too much."
The class leader did not comment on this, but changed the topic again: "Their actions are not small. If you escaped this time, you may not be so lucky next time. You have to think clearly."
Gu Zhaojun's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he laughed loudly: "The person named Gu can't die!" After saying that, his expression became relaxed again, and he opened his mouth and yawned widely: "Go to bed! Your bed
It's too hard. I can't sleep well these days and can't stay up late." He stood up and walked out.
Mr. Ben answered unceremoniously: "If you find the bed too hard, get out."
Gu Zhaojun laughed and kept walking: "I will leave in three days at most, and I will give you a really soft bed then."
Mr. Ban also smiled, and what he said next was a bit incomprehensible: "No matter how comfortable the bed is now, I will still sleep in a cold and hard box in the future. Xiao Gu, while you still have a soft bed, just lie down for a while.
.No matter how busy you are now, you can't escape that cold box."
Gu Zhaojun's feet slowed down a little, and his tone became calmer: "When you really get into the box, you don't have to be busy."
Mr. Ben frowned and repeated blankly: "Yes. Once you really get into the box, you don't have to be busy."
And Gu Zhaojun confessed without looking back: "My man is not around, you find a woman for me to sleep with. Don't be a virgin, she will be stiff, stiff, not familiar with the style, and tasteless."
"I'll find three for you."
Surrounded by three women, the feeling of spring is boundless. Just when Gu Zhaojun fell into a gentle country, in the lobby of the Criminal Department in the west of the city, Du Shangshu was sitting quietly, staring at the candle on the table for a long time, not knowing what he was thinking.
An official from the Ministry of Punishment walked quickly from outside, stopped at the door, and whispered a few words to Tang Ham, who was on duty. Tang Ham nodded, entered the lobby, bowed slightly, and said softly to Du Shangshu: "Sir, we will take you to the prison tonight.
The Hong family brothers said that they are willing to expose the person who paid the bribe, and they only ask for a lighter sentence."
Du Shangshu finally withdrew his gaze. After looking at the candlelight for a long time, there would always be a beating light in front of his eyes, blurring the surrounding scenery. He liked this 'blurring': "The trial has not yet started, but they will
Confessed?"
After the three brothers left the palace, they were directly thrown into prison by Du Shangshu without any interrogation.
After Tang Ham nodded, Du Shangshu cooled off for a moment, and at the same time finally made up his mind, and said calmly: "The Hong family brothers had hidden diseases, and the hidden diseases broke out due to palpitations, and they died suddenly in prison before they had time to go to court."
Tang Ham was taken aback. He knew he shouldn't say anything, but he still couldn't help asking: "This... the case of the three brothers belongs to the Holy Father." Mr. Du was too lazy to pay attention to him and closed his eyes in silence.
Make a sound... Some cases must be solved, like the case of the Armillary Sphere hiding a corpse. But there are also some cases that cannot be solved easily, like this one. Starting from his grandfather's grandfather, he has been an official in the court.
, became a high official. After so many years, the Du family has never truly dominated one party, but it has never declined in the slightest. Since the founding of Nanli, there have been very few families that can be as evergreen as the Du family.
The secret to 'evergreen' lies in just two words: neutrality.
Mr. Du adheres to the ancestral precepts. No matter how great his official position is, he will not be tainted with right and wrong. This is the case with the Hong family brothers. It is easy to get to the bottom of the investigation, but what happens after that? It is easy to put a high-ranking official in the court on the opposite side.
.
Mr. Du doesn't like making friends, but he also doesn't want to make enemies. This matter ends here. The emperor's scolding is inevitable, but the favor he has given out will be returned sooner or later... Although his eyes have been closed,
However, the light was still dancing in front of Mr. Du's eyes.
Everything that happened in the palace today has been reported to the Hongbo Mansion in detail. Ren Xiaozhao was very excited after hearing this. He refused to sleep even in the middle of the night. He ran to the third sister's room and squeezed into the other person's bed without asking: "The last name is
Hong's three stingy scoundrels were taken away and imprisoned by Mr. Du before they had time to deal with Song Yang. Sister, do you think they were unjust?" It was a question, but before Ren Churong could answer, she giggled again.
: "I came here to fight against Song Yang for nothing. It's not unjust to be unlucky."
In response to this, Ren Churong just smiled slightly and reached out to hold her sister in her arms: "I think it's not unfair or not. Some people have planned everything and calculated everything... but they just didn't calculate it.