Chapter 127: How a Compassionate Son is not a Husband
Hearing the knock on the door, the Lord Warlord Envoy, who was flipping through a book of the previous dynasty, the Rites of Kaiyuan, raised his head, gently put down the book, straightened his lapel, and calmly said, “Come in.”
That familiar figure pushed the door in and said to Li Gongde, “General Lingshu see Lord Warlord Envoy.”
Li Gongde had a complicated expression, this second ranked officer who was known for his curt flattering power was purely perfect got up and said in a deep voice, “Your Highness the son of the world came in good time, but it was later than what Li Gongde expected in his heart. The reason why I say this is to prove that the matter of the two secret letters was indeed secretly planned by His Highness, and that Bei Liang needs such a Bei Liang King, hence the phrase ‘came well’. Come late, is dissatisfied with his highness’s women’s benevolence, even in Li Gongde just handed out a secret letter over, neither immediately turn the other cheek, also did not immediately open the letter, know that the secret letter is the real letter, which means that his highness are hesitant in the past few days, even if mistakenly thought that Li Gongde has been determined to rely on the imperial court, is still unwilling to kill, such a son of his highness, that is, when a lingzhou general lingshou assassins, and so on, but still counts more than enough, mercy does not control the army, how to drive the 300,000 majestic Northern Liang Iron Cavalry in the future?”
Xu Fengnian did not retort. Li Gongde smiled, moved two chairs out, the two of them sat opposite each other, and the extremely different from usual Lord Jingliu looked at this increasingly angular young face, and softly lamented: ”Your Highness, you may want to ask why Li Gongde would be superfluous, since he obviously didn’t defect to the imperial court, and wasn’t seduced by Zhang Julu, why would he purposely hide a ‘fake letter’. It’s simple, Your Highness has carefully laid out this time, almost making a fake letter to test Li Gongde, the head of the civil officials in Beiliang Dao, and Li Gongde also wants to know if it’s wise for him to stay in Beiliang. Your Highness ……”
Said here, Li Gongde stopped speech, different from the previous in the study that time, this time is from the bottom of the heart of the old tears, more than tears, Li Gongde also do not go to wipe, slowly said: “Your Highness came late, that Your Highness is not that in order to their own career everyone can kill the chaotic world of the lords, Li Gongde heart have regrets, but more still grateful, Hanlin was entrusted by me to such a king of Beiliang The day he really want him to die in battle, Li Gongde even if he bites his teeth, there will not be half a word of complaint. What no poison is not a man, Li Gongde for thirty years, I have not seen a few people are really desperate, and in the end, even if the death of honor and glory, but also all the scourge of the children and grandchildren, the upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is not crooked, since the ancient times and natural. Your highness means gloomy, but does not lose the heart good and mellow, with the great general like the same, this is Li Gongde really want that new Liang King. Really say, your highness may not believe, not Li Gongde cunning, a glance through your highness’s planning, but Li Gongde identified the general’s son, will not treat the Li family, will not be wrong Hanlin, which never thought to go to the court as what bullshit a powerful courtier, I if I go to the capital, Hanlin will not be with my father and son break, a lifetime of disowning me as a father? The machine counts all, but for the children and grandchildren for the welfare of the son are gone, Li Gongde has been more than fifty, when the power of the imperial court of the temple giant eunuchs, not a few years into the coffins of the scenery, an imperial posthumous name, there is egg use! In addition, to the unfamiliar capital as an official, can be compared to the north of the Liang as the Secretary of the comfort? Li Gongde has spent his whole life pondering the way to be an official and delving into the art of climbing up the ladder, as the old saying goes ginger is destined to be old and spicy, I’m not going to step out of a big dopey move at this age.”
“Your Highness, don’t worry, the matter of the secret letter, Li Gongde will never talk about it with Hanlin in his life. This matter your highness to the northern Liang ask heart no shame, more should not with Hanlin him for this to have a gap, as Li Gongde pleaded with your highness, so as not to Hanlin drilling bull’s-eye, your highness, at that time, Hanlin will only be able to die at the border ah! If your highness to Li Hanlin a guilty conscience, Li Gongde also begged your highness for the sake of Hanlin, never tell this matter!”
Li Gongde, who had never knelt before Xu Fengyen, slowly knelt down and said in a deep voice: “If Your Highness does not agree, Li Gongde will resign as the Minister of Strategy!”
Xu Fengyen exchanged the secret letter to the Lord Secretary of the Jingliu Envoy and calmly said, “Uncle Li, Xu Fengyen promised you one thing, if in the future there is still a chance to inform the descendants of the last words at the end of his life, he will promise that as long as there is a day of the Xu family’s glory, no matter whether afterward the children of the Li family will be loyal to the Xu family or not, even if they commit the great crime of treason, they will keep the Li family in a safe place, and the Xu family will never raise their swords to kill anyone. ”
Li Gongde’s body trembled, bowed his head and choked, “The old minister first thanked your highness for your great kindness!”
At the doorway, Li Negative Zhen saw the scene of his father kneeling and pointedly said, “Xu Fengnian! What are you going to do?!”
Li Gongde, who was helped to his feet by His Highness the World Son, shouted, “Zhen’er, don’t be rude!”
Xu Fenian laughed, “Uncle Li, I have to apologize to you, from today onwards, Xu Beihao is the Assassin of Lingzhou.”
Li Gongde wiped his face and hehehe laughed, “This is nothing too big to be told, it’s not worth it for your highness to tell you personally.”
“Also, Hanlin has returned to Youzhou safely.”
Xu Fengyen whispered these words and excused himself and left, rubbing shoulders with Li Negongzhen. Li Gongde, who was ecstatic in his heart, carefully hid the secret letter and glared at his daughter, “I don’t know what’s important!”
Li Negative Zhen angrily said, “Father, you are the strategic ambassador of Beiliang Road, you kneel to Uncle Xu, you slipped to Uncle Xu, why did my daughter ever say half a word of nonsense? But he Xu Fengnian is only a mausoleum state general, this is not hereditary reckless king of northern Liang, you have to let you kneel, what is he based on? He said uncle Li, his mouth is good to listen to, he has ever sincerely treat you as a senior?”
Li Gongde narrowed his eyes and stared at his daughter, smiling, “On what grounds? Just by virtue of the fact that His Highness the son of the world is turning over the clouds in Lingzhou, he has already made father, the Lord Secretary General, stretched to the limit, his hands in a frenzy. On the basis of he dared to take Zhong Hongwu in the Northern Liang army this piece of hardcore first under the knife, rather than picking up the soft persimmon pinch futile joke! By virtue of him living to this day!”
Li Gongde saw his daughter aggrieved to tears, some heartache, lower voice, approached to her, help her wipe tears, was Li Negative true skimmed the head to avoid, the Lord Secretary sighed: “Father why do not know that he did not take father truly as elders, then again, father was the same did not think of him as a son of His Highness, but in the future will not be the same. You ah, don’t gamble with father. Under the sky women do the most stupid thing, is the word gambling.”
Li Gongde still seemed to feel that he had spoken too much, and laughed softly, “Zhen’er, today is a double blessing for the Li family, it’s even more joyful than when dad became the ambassador of the Jingliu, have a drink with dad?”
Li negative true silence.
The old fox Li Gongde carelessly said: “Dad recently learned some of the details of the temple to the North Mang, alas, but unfortunately, Hanlin that child is not there, Dad has no one to talk about ah, or really you reluctantly listen to the father’s ramblings? Otherwise father alone drinking is really boring.”
Li Negative true hmmm.
……
Lingshou ruler Zhou Ta-Jen returned to the house, walked off the carriage is still red, Zhou Jianshu that mount white hoofed crow by the son of His Highness the son of the world son of a slap Zhou Congwen, fear that his father in the general’s mansion suffered a tragic accident, at the door waiting for half an hour to see his father’s face of joy, hanging in the throat of the heart is only put down, was about to open his mouth to ask, Zhou Jianshu smiled and said: “Back to the house to talk.”
After the father and son duo took their seats, waved his hand to disperse a few watery slave girls who were good at serving, Zhou Jianshu tugged on the collar of his official uniform, Zhou Congwen hurriedly asked: “Father, this trip to the mansion, what did that person say? Will our Zhou family be hated?”
Zhou Jianshu frowned, but since only father and son were secretly whispering, he didn’t bother to talk to his son on the title of His Royal Highness, and slowly said, “How can you be so calm, how did dad tell you in the past, smile and laugh, be quiet and calm, so that you can do great things and become a big official. Dad does not sell secrets with you, Wenquan Street matter, Lingshou general residence side simply do not want to pursue the meaning of His Highness, His Highness is very big, no effort with this group of ungrateful military reckless hook and corner. At the banquet, His Highness grandly introduced Huangnan County Song Yan and Longqing County Xu Beihao two people, respectively, as a shocking Lingshou special driver and Lingshou assassin, this is a good thing and a bad thing, father examined you a bit, you say see where the good and bad is?”
Zhou Congwen is not a stranger to officialdom tipping began to carefully consider, silent for a long time, said: “The good thing is that the father is the earliest batch of officials to walk into the general’s residence, the new governor of the two do not look at the face of the Buddha, want to pin down the father of this Lingshou rule, but also have to weigh the eyes of His Highness, the new official three fires, it seems that how to burn not burned on the head of the father. The bad thing is that His Highness does not settle scores with Dong Yue riding that old man, then their position is still temporarily solid, Dad in the military in Lingzhou to pull together and cultivate up the human relations in this Lingzhou storm in accordance with Dad’s instructions, most of the lieutenants have been holding back as a turtle, it seems that there is no opportunity to take advantage of the situation to get on the throne. I’m afraid to turn back to the father also have to make some amends with them in order to appease them, to say the least is a few hundred taels of silver, this time the New Year’s collection of a lot of gifts, but the original send out accounted for 70% to 80%, so, our family is completely no harvest. Since father became an official, the New Year does not earn money, but the first time ah.”
Zhou Jianshu twirled his whiskers and smiled, “Not bad. Silver and other things, father has never cared much, as long as continue to be an official, should fall into the bag, how will not be less. A lot of fools even if the family is not thin, but once you see the white flower silver, with the hungry man to see a pretty woman, eating too bad, is like sacrificing the end, in the officialdom can not go long.”
Zhou Congwen indignant sneer: “that Dong Yue riding three people are really ridiculous, that person is just said a word, a kneeling a crying a fight, this group of unread will be kind, do not mind the shame. But finally know to see the wind and make the helm, but it is too raw, far less than the father so no fireworks ah.”
Was his son patted a horse’s ass of the week of the Lord more and more smile, the corner of the mouth hooked up, “these pikers on the basis of the accumulation of military success all day nostrils skyward, don’t look at the father in the past with them and peace, in fact, where to look up to them half a point, others do not say, on the military engaged in the yellow bell, to today’s flip-flopping, but also only know to write their names within the ten words, on this old man can govern Can this old man manage the politics of Lingzhou well? His four sons, a bunch of grandchildren, there is no one good, bullying men and women, no evil, the key is to do bad things just, but also do so blatantly, it is not sticking his neck out to beg the Xu family to cut off his head? Also thanks to His Highness is still thinking of the old feelings, lazy to take into account, replaced by other masters, early to chop off the head strung into sugar gourds to stand up to the power.”
Zhou Congwen laughed coldly: “This Lingshou general is also too merciful and soft, in my place, I have long been in Lingshou to make an example of the death of a few of his will be planted in the family hundreds of people, anyway, are all the goods that deserve to die, and then to look at the fear of the city, who is not convinced! Can also get a good reputation on the side of the ignorant people.”
Zhou Jianshu laughed aloud, then collected his laughter, and said in a deep voice: “During this period of time, you should not go out of the house to show your face, His Highness will soon leave Lingzhou, and then when you go to meet with that group of general seed children again, remember, only allow to say His Highness’s good words, whoever contradicts with you, you’ll just turn your face with them on the spot!”
Zhou Congwen hesitated for a moment and laughed, “Just listen to father, that group of generals who call themselves brothers and sisters to me can still be of some use in the past, but the further they go, the less they’re worth, so sooner or later, I’m going to have to turn my back on them.”
Zhou Jianshu a face of relief.
……
Dong Mansion, in the Wenquan street lost face Dong Yue riding closed the door, Dong Zhen just watched her this in front of General Zhong can talk and laugh in front of the father, will be depressed, wearing clothes no longer bare chest, but always on the Yue riding lieutenant armor dazed. Dong Zhen several times to persuade his father to eat, do not listen, meals only to heat up again and again.
Dong Zhen, who was still a bit stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistake, cried and knelt at his father’s feet.
Dong Hongqiu sighed heavily, stretching out a right hand covered with calluses and scars, even when sleeping, even if you have to hold the hands of the Northern Liang knife in order to sleep peacefully. Dong Hongqiu touched his daughter’s head, said softly: “You think six hundred old pawns to send His Highness out of Northern Liang into the capital, father is blind? It’s just that dad doesn’t want to admit it. You think the market rumor that His Highness the son of the world alone broke through the North Mang, is the father killed will not believe? It’s just that I don’t want to believe it. Not only Lingshou, the entire North Liang with father like the old generals and military officials, are similar. But dad today kneeling, still not kneeling that young son, is kneeling great generals, kneeling those who have been killed in battle of the northern Liang robe. If it is not unarmored today, even Dad himself has forgotten how many arrow wounds and scars there are on his body. Do you remember what dad told you before? The reason why my father joined the army, the head chained to the waistband of the pants to go up and fight with the people, not my father is full of support, father’s ancestors are also officials, the official is not small, your great-grandfather is the Royal Historian of the Northern Han Dynasty, your grandfather also served as a county magistrate, that are reputable officials, and then the whole family to take advantage of the situation of instability and the chaos of the bandits to kill all of them, they kill red-eyed, see the officials to kill, no matter what a good official or bad official, as if they only need to kill the officials they are good people. It doesn’t matter if they are good or bad officials, as long as they kill the officials they are good people. When I first joined the army, I only thought that I had joined the Xu family army, which has strict military laws and clear-cut rewards and punishments, and that I had something to look forward to, and that I could take revenge by killing more bandits who killed innocents, so that I could take revenge, and maybe I could make the Dong family famous again in the history of the world. Maybe there are some things dad never told you, before is that there is no need to think, the daughter of the family, even the great generals back then have said that the son to be poor to raise the daughter to be rich, since you have an official father, that was born to enjoy the blessing of the life, dad also do not nag you about those words, today this change, dad just know that he is wrong, dad when I was young, the family rules are still in, when I was a child, I knew that I looked down on those who bully the son of the rich and powerful! Why, in the blink of an eye, has my daughter become a character that I don’t like? You remember the Meng Ya who grew up in our house, right? He is the orphan of your Uncle Meng, and he was originally engaged to be married to a child, but you refused to do so, thinking that he had no merit and no family background, so even if Dad had betrayed his trust, he would have admitted it for your sake. At first, if you are not uncle Meng for dad to block the west Sichuan spring mountain pass that behind the knife, I’m afraid that is to change into your fence for twenty years. Said this, not to persuade you to marry Meng Ya, but want to tell you, the city born of Uncle Meng in not dead that time, with me often said that in the future, if he became a big official, must be a good official not to bully the people, who dares to do wrong in his jurisdiction, he saw a kill one, if the generals do not agree to, he dared to scold the generals, hey, once he and dad’s group of old subordinates bragged about it with vigor, by the inspection of the barracks of the great generals! You Meng uncle was still a small lieutenant at that time, almost scared to pee his pants, guess what, the general not only did not teach this small lieutenant who had a big mouth, but also squatted down and chattered with us, saying that you Meng uncle will be an official, certainly a good official, the general also said he did not want to scold. Zhen’er, tell me, how did your father become as long as your Uncle Meng is alive, surely he is the first son of a bitch to kill?”
Dong Zhen, who was used to being arrogant and bratty in Lingzhou, just cried, as if the sky was falling, sobbing uncontrollably.
Dong Hongqiu walked to the mottled old armor in front of the mottled old armor, eyes downcast, whispered: “Zhen’er, don’t cry. Father will take you to that clothing grave, you will toast a few cups of wine to Uncle Meng, if Father remembers correctly, you haven’t been there since you were eleven years old. All these years you couldn’t look at Meng Ya, where did he look at you?”