Chapter 252 – Standing, Sitting, Kneeling and Lying Down

Practitioner Jin Xinan and the great real person Wu Lingsu did not leave the small building, Wu Lingsu although relying on the wrist of the side door to get a living god identity, but they have a few pounds of real skills, Wu Lingsu never clear, and not because of the city of Tai’an mixing with the wind and water on the forgetfulness, it is not that Wu Lingsu really have a good fixation, is really that the family has that tigress staring at him every time he does not wait for complacency will be Cold water on the head, want not to wake up is difficult to know the palace door every time to welcome the new and old sticker Zhu talisman, are from that bitch’s handwriting, he Wu Ling Su is just pretending to pull out the sleeve sticker only. At this time, Wu Ling Su thought of the request she made a short time ago, the body can not help but sway, sweating. Was it really necessary to be a two-caste slave? To be precise, it wasn’t exactly a two surname family slave, in fact, the family name was the same. But the son of heaven’s family of the same surname dispute, sibling rivalry, its bloody degree, can be more horrible than the temple on the party dispute tilting ah. If you can ensure that the Wu family wealth and prosperity, to ensure that the only son of Wu Shi Zhen can hereditary recklessness of the title of the Minister of the Fei Yi, it is just, but according to her to do, the hands of the rich and powerful is not small, the risk is also greater.

Wu Ling Su trembling, if it is before today, he still think that Liyang Zhao room can put a life preserver on his head, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, not to mention a far away in the northwest of the vassal king, but when that young man kills the city of Tai’an and even directly after the Chintian Supervisor, Wu Da Zhenjin will have to weigh.

Jin Xinan did not look deeply into the loss of temper of Wu Zhenren, only as a fake fairy met a real fairy, worrying that the Wu family’s position in the Liyang court is not guaranteed. Besides, Jin Xinan was too preoccupied with himself to bother with distractions to pay attention to a marionette puppet of a two-generation emperor. Jin Xinan looked up at the wall of those hanging images, the picture is still safe, but many of the characters in the picture has disappeared into thin air, which is a great blow to the practitioners of qi who want to be among the land immortals, and then rushed to the heavenly gate before the closure of the certificate of ascension, since ancient times, the people of cultivation are recognized as a dead theory, the ascended people to get a long life! But if even the immortals are likely to die, then their own help Xie Guan should be a tiger, even if the ascension, really escape the cycle of heaven?

The people in the court is good to be an official, want to be an immortal, why not so? Longhu Mountain Tianshifu why since Dafeng, almost generation after generation people ascension, while the same as the ancestral court of Wudang Mountain, but the incense withered? If Lu Zu did not pass the gate of heaven and not enter, with Lu Dongxuan that “ancestral shade”, is not very different? With Huang Man Mountain Wang Chonglu’s profound cultivation, ascension is not within reach? Why is it that there is no immortal in the blessed land for 400 years?

Compared to Wu Lingsu’s trepidation and Jin Xinan’s disorientation, the two elderly Taoist priests who are always here to honor the incense are withered, one of them leaning his back against the porch pillar, his eyes lax. One of them was kneeling reverently on a futon, silently reciting true words under his breath.

Xie Guanying lazily sat on the edge of the Tongtian Terrace, his feet hanging in the air, seemingly not worried at all about the city gates catching fire and the fish in the pond. In fact, whether it is hiding or escaping, he Xie Guanying thinks he is the second best in the world, no one really dares to call himself the first in the world. He was in the western Sichuan territory, avoided Deng Tai’a killing intent of thousands of miles flying sword, but in the earlier Hongjia end of the year, even more to avoid two can be described as a thrilling chase. When the North Xie South Li, he Xie Guanying and Li Yishan, both of them are young and vigorous pride of heaven, a hit together to comment on the world, especially proficient in prophecy Xie Guanying is to break the sky, the result of a huge disaster. Li Yishan is a cold man, only talent and no background, according to the reason has long deserved to die, but inadvertently evening Xu Snapdragon so tree, even to escape the storm, but the Xie Flying Fish, from a powerful valve, all the family was treated as an outcast not to mention, but also by the East China Sea Wudi City as a must-kill person, and even then took the throne of the old woman also have a grudge, and do not hesitate to let the Topaz Bodhisattva infiltrated into the Liyang assassinate him, so he had to hide in hiding. For this reason he had to hide his name, great hidden in the dynasty, even his own flesh and blood do not know his life and death. So the world no longer hope to leap the Dragon Gate of Xie’s flying fish, only should be hiding behind the curtain to see the self-satisfaction of Mr. Xie in Tai’an City.

In the eyes of Xie Guanying, who has been observing the world affairs for more than twenty years, Li Yishan and Nalan Yuci are the same kind of people. Xunping, Zhang Julu and Yuan Benxi are also in the same category. Huang Longshi, whose three-inch tongue had caused trouble in the Spring and Autumn Period, was even another kind of person.

But in the end, Xie Guan should feel that they are all the same kind of people, for others for a place for a country for the world to plan, but only not good for their own plan. If you can’t do it for yourself, how can you talk about helping the world? This Yuan Benxi is trying to plan for themselves, but can not plan. Huang Sanjia is able to do, but do not care for it. Xie Guan should seek, is really not a sound, he wants the Central Plains land sinking again, and then by their own hands to seek a thousand years of peace. If Xie Guan should be seeking a prime minister or imperial teacher status, or decades of peace and prosperity, or ascension to the immortal, that is too small look at his Xie Guan should, since Huang Longshi said that the world from the hundred years from the emperor of the millennium dynasty, then he Xie Guan should be with the self-proclaimed to know a thousand years of the “outsider” to pull the wrist.

Xie Guanying suddenly some loneliness, old faces of acquaintances, these years are gone almost, in addition to Nalan right Ci, seems to have died completely. The newcomer although more, but in fact, in addition to the official luck Chen Wang, others even if the future can be expected, but also need all kinds of polishing and scrutinized by all parties, compared to the North Liang Xu Beihao and Chen Xiliang is considered to stand out more quickly. The official supplement is not inferior to Chen Wang, has already reached the Ministry of Rites of the left minister of the Jin Lanting? Xie Guanying never put this kind of clown in the eyes, the fire cooking oil, never a long way, a flash in the pan only. Between the old and the new, Xie Guanying is not optimistic about Zhao Yuling and Yin Maochun, but Lu Baijie, Yuan Guo, Han Lin, these three or relegated or promoted to the local ministers, there is a hope that from the hands of Qiyanglong and Huan Wen to take over the burden of a short period of time in a very important person, but still for the Chen hope that the Yan Chi Chi set Li Jifu and others paved the way to build bridges only.

Yong Hui years, the real mainstay of the Liyang dynasty, only two, the text has a blue-eyed child Zhang Julu, martial arts people slaughter Xu Snapdragon, it is the existence of these two people, deterring the dynasty up and down all the dragons and snakes fish and shrimp. Zhang Julu in, have the heart of the literati honestly rule the country, advocate the literati continue to talk about the moon. Xu Snapdragon in, Chen Zhi Bao can not get out of Western Sichuan, Cao Changqing can not restore the country, Yanzhi King Zhao Bing do not dare to fanfare to the north, Gu Jiantang can only do his two Liao Liao Governor, the North Mang army even more dare not waved the division to the south.

But because of the two of them, one in the center of the temple, deciding the promotion of all the officials, and the other in the northwestern frontier, holding 300,000 iron horsemen, the late Emperor Zhao Dun would not dare to hand over the dragon chair to his son Zhao Zhuan, because there are too many thorns in the chair.

The biggest deadlock is that if Xu Snap is not dead, the Northern Mang will not dare to invade the Central Plains in a desperate attempt, and the Northern Liang will be able to defend instead of fight, and allow Liyang to flourish, and hold the Northern Mang in check and drag it to death, but if they take the initiative to go north to conquer the Desert, firstly, the Northern Liang will not have a good chance of winning, and secondly, Zhao Dun will not dare to do it, and Xu Snap will not turn against them, but if the Northern Expedition goes well, and Xu Fengyin, the son of the Emperor, establishes himself as a formidable person during the Northern Expedition, will Xu Snap have any idea? Xu Snapdragon will not rebel, but once his son Xu Fengnian has established his authority in the Northern Expedition, will Xu Snapdragon be tempted to give his own son a position bigger than that of a feudal lord? Even if Xu Snapdragon won’t, will Xu Fengyen himself rebel because of the White Clothes case in the capital? Even if the Xu family has only defeated half of Northern Mang, with the vast territory of Southern China as strategic depth and abundant supplies, how can Liyang withstand the battle-hardened iron horsemen of Northern Liang? When the time comes, the new ruler Zhao Zhuan, who doesn’t have much prestige to speak of, can he really rely on the lips of the civil officials in Tai’an City to stop the Northern Liang horse’s hooves?

With the help of Xichu’s rebellion to cut the clan and suppress the power of the local generals, and at the same time take the opportunity to perform martial arts on the battlefield of Guangling Road, it was the last resort strategy of the late emperor and Zhang Julu Huan Wen and Yuan Benxi, in fact, it is to buy time, while Xu Fengyen has not yet fully fledged, even if Xichu does not rebel, Liyang will force Cao Changqing to rise up, and the court successively allowed Gu Jiantang to sit in the town of the two Liaozhongs and Chen Zhi Bao to take over the clan of Xishushu, and made aggressive gestures to the Northern Liang in every aspect. The court has let Gu Jiantang personally sit on the two Liao and Chen Zhi Bao on the West Shu, and has made an aggressive stance towards Beiliang, and a Beiliang without helpers is not an opportunity for Beimang, which has been saving up for twenty years. There is hope that they will be able to take down Northern Liang without Xu Snapdragon leading the border troops. The significance of North Mang attacking Northern Liang is equivalent to when Xu Snap won the Battle of West Basement Wall, although the cost is huge, but after all, the result is remarkable. It was a battle to determine the name of the country!

Now it seems that the direction of the general trend of the two dynasties has not changed, but there have been a number of deviations. The Guangling Road war even after Wu Chongxuan broke away from the southern border and threw himself into the embrace of Liyang, it still didn’t change quickly. And North Liang even gained a stirring and tragic victory, tragic, but also magnificent. More surprising is the northern Liang border army than Li Yang deduction expected to die less than 100,000 people, especially the 1340,000 cavalry, but no major injuries, and now remains in the extremely substantial 100,000 people or so. Originally, not only did Northern Liang win miserably, but the second Liang-Mang battle would directly spread the flames of war to the territory of Northern Liang Dao, and possibly even Lingshou. Now it seems that it is not a fool’s errand for Beiliang to die fighting outside of the pass. So this time Xu Fengyen left the clan without authorization and Liyang stepped back, not that Tai’an City suddenly likes to be righteous and reasonable with people, but for fear that the bullying and proud Northern Liang will do something irreparable in a fit of rage.

Unfortunately, the old generation of the layout of the few people, in addition to a heart like a dead Tantan Weng, have now died one after another.

Now the key will be to see how the Qi Da Priestess, who was highly desired by Zhao Dun, will respond.

Before his death, Tun had done a lot of planning, secretly and openly, in the official field, many ambush, all give Zhao Zhuan after ascending to the throne to a large extent the opportunity to use the hand of grace and authority, so far, it seems that the young son of heaven did not do too bad. Huan Wen, who is holding a grudge in his heart, is still working hard in the new Xiangfu dynasty, and Qi Yanglong has not had too many obvious gaps to do the sewing of the river and mountain.

Unlike Xu Fengyen, who was able to win the hearts of Beiliang’s generals by virtue of his death on the battlefield, the young emperor Zhao Zhuan was like the most honorable bird in a cage under the sky, relying on the skin of the dragon robe only. Therefore, it took years and years of water polishing to forge his imperial demeanor. Of course, if Zhao Zhuan could have Xu Fengyen’s martial arts cultivation, such as when Cao Changqing and Princess Xichu came to the door to send gifts, and fucked Cao Guanzi before Gu Jiantang Liu Artemisia, that would be a different story. But the martial arts journey, there is never a good thing not to fight to become a great master, even if the strength of the Xuanyuan Qingfeng, that also did with Wang Xianzhi stopping the river to die a crazy act, talented and excellent such as Yuan Benxi’s illegitimate son of the river axe Ding, which has received a large group of masters within the Gujiantang Liu Artemisia Qi Jiajie instruction, in the end, the same as the East China Sea to hit the tide of the people.

Xie Guan should softly said: “several pillars of the country, can join hands to support a stormy Golden Palace. But a mainstay, but can make a dynasty in the encounter of a hundred years of storm, still standing. Zhao Zhuan, Chen Wang beside you, after all, is still too young. It takes time to become a character like Zhang Julu. You can wait, others are not willing to wait.”

Xie Guan Ying closed his eyes and was calm and relaxed.

He simply did not care about those Immortals who walked out of the hanging statue as if they were moths to the flame to die, anyway, what was lost was the qi of the Xu and Zhao families, Xie Guanying, who personally created this situation, could not even be too happy.

The north and south two sets of qi practitioners if all die out, more conducive to Xie Guanying’s long-term planning, so Jin Xinan can bow down and follow orders is the best, refused to, Xie Guanying is not the only ability to escape. However, Tantai calm mistakenly “dragged the family” to run to the northern Liang, is not good to start, and now she seems to be alone to go to the Guangling Road, is a hidden danger. As for the Western Ragged Mountain no longer cold eyes to avoid the world, after the death of Liu Songtao also put down the shelf, choose to enter the world dependent on the North Liang, white monk Li Dangxin also went to the North Liang, and even Huyen Daguan family of three …… how are dragging the family? The most recent, but also to add a without warning will leave the capital Diffractive Sheng Gong, to know that this saint not long ago also helped Liyang Zhao room to persuade Cao Changqing.

Xie Guanying, who was still somewhat smiling, suddenly frowned and sat up with his eyes open, looking out to the northwest.

Xie Guanying was a bit chagrined, the reason why his vision started to blur was because he had also become a player in the game?

Then Xie Guanying snapped back his vision and looked down, only to see that seemingly innocent teenage Supervisor Zheng, the child nicknamed Little Bookcase, grinning faintly at himself.

Also high above, the young Prince of Heaven on the roof of the great hall, Chen Wang and Lu Dang, did not speak much, only the Eunuch of the Palace of Ceremonies with the Pen stood under the eaves from time to time, and with a voice that was not too soft and not too heavy but just clear enough to reach his ears, he gave a detailed report of the situation on the side of the Qin Heavenly Supervisor.

When Zhao Zhuan heard that two carriages and four women appeared over there, the young emperor was somewhat self-deprecating and helpless.

Afterwards, his brother-in-law Yan Ji Ji’s entry into the palace for an audience was his own authorization, and asking Yan Ji Ji to rush off to deliver a message to Xu Fengyen was also an indispensable and important part of the process, but when Yan Ji Ji returned in a hurry and knelt down dead under the eaves, the young emperor was clearly somewhat enraged.

Even the eunuch in charge of the seal, Song Tanglu, was a little apprehensive.

Song Tanglu is clear, Yan Ji Ji in addition to the identity of the emperor’s relatives, but also an extremely special scale.

As for the scale in the late emperor’s heart, among them is the university scholar Yan Jiexi, the dual big brother of the literary world and officialdom in Beiliang betrayed Beiliang among the temple, naturally let the late emperor’s dragon face, the Yan family up and down also doubled the favor, Yan Jiexi was awarded one of the six Temple Pavilion university scholar, and his daughter Yan Dongwu is now the queen. In fact, Jin Lanting is also, so flat step to let the capital jaw-dropping. Yao Baifeng is also, but this science everyone several times in the court meeting in favor of Beiliang and Xu Snapdragon, so it is always a futile clear prestige but no real power of the State Children’s Prison Priest. As Zhang Lu’s old man Yuan Guo is even worse, it is not easy to come back, when the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites, because in the two matters of the canal and the edition of the wrong position, and soon rolled out of the city of Tai’an.

When the literati, whether or not there are bones is very important.

When the minister, there is no bones, far less important than the readers themselves imagine.

The difference between one word and the other is a world of difference.

His Majesty the Emperor and the young Huangmenlang, the monarch and the minister, both with good reputation, one high and one low, one sitting and one kneeling, so deadlocked.

Chen Wang smiled and stood up, the young son of heaven seems to be a little gambling said leave him alone, but Chen Wang is still along the ladder to the ground, help Yan Ji Ji, did not help up, Chen Wang also did not force, stood at the feet of the young man who is the rising star of the Hanlin Academy, looked at the closed palace door, softly said: ”Get up, the more you kneel, the more unhelpful it will not help. The matter of guessing the sacred heart, not deep into it, but not all or nothing. You’re not the kind of official who sells his name and reputation to invite favor with the straight, of course, you Yan Ji Ji does not need, in fact, you can not do it. Since this is the case, instead of letting his majesty take out his anger on the Northern Liang King, you might as well stand up and follow me up to the roof with a deadbeat, just as if it’s good to take a look at the scenery, or at the very least make a bad thing worse, isn’t that right?”

Yan Ji Ji bowed his head and knelt without saying a word.

Chen Wang, who had always been gentle and respectful, suddenly lowered his voice and said sternly, “What, aren’t you afraid of involving your father and your sister? Or do you mean that your Yan family is more prosperous than the Lu family in Jiangnan, less you a Yan Ji Ji, can casually carry out a few more? If you Yan Ji Ji is really capable, you can pull the Empress and the University Sergeant Yan together to kneel, and then I, Chen Wang, will accompany you to kneel together, so that we can all join in the fun, how about it?!”

Yan Chi Ji’s shoulders trembled, no longer shedding silent tears, but sobbing uncontrollably.

Chen Wang sighed and said softly, “I, Chen Wang, am not compared to you, Mr. Yan, just a poor scholar who studied hard in the cold, there are some fellow students in my hometown, there are some in the same year of the imperial examination, and there are some of my fellow colleagues in the officialdom nowadays, but there are very few people who can really be called friends, and it can even be said that almost none of them are there. So you kneeled down to plead with His Majesty, I disapprove, but also barely understand. Intentionality and righteousness, you and I are both rich, powerful and famous nowadays, how simple it actually is.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Wang intentionally glanced at the python-robed eunuch who stood still with his hands tied, and the latter did not move at all.

Chen Wang hesitated for a moment, or crouched down, squatting beside Yan Ji Ji, blandly said: “The old Liang Wang hands in the world’s most powerful soldiers, hundreds of thousands of iron cavalry, from the northwestern border to the city of Tai’an, in fact, not as far as we think, but every time the great general into the capital, are just a few personal escort. Which of the two things do you think is more difficult? For ordinary people, of course it’s the former, but for the Great General, it’s the latter. When a military general holds a heavy army in his hands, and when a civilian minister holds the handle of the court, the hard part is not the willfulness in the eyes of ordinary people, but not to go on a rampage, but to do the weighing one word at a time among the five words of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness and love.”

Chen Wang smiled, “New Liang King Xu Fengnian, your good brother, these years, of course, is also weighing the five words, as a subject, speaking loyalty. As a son, speak of filial piety. As a general, speak benevolence. For a brother, righteousness. As a husband, we should emphasize love. In my opinion, he entered the capital this time, is unexpected but reasonable things, leaving out the word of loyalty to pick up the word of filial piety. In fact, I am a little disappointed, disappointed that he abandoned the military and state affairs for his own selfishness, but I am also clear that this is only my inhuman please, is wishful thinking Xu Fengyen in the position of a saint, in fact, the opposite, I have long known that Xu Fengyen is never what a saint, in the final analysis, his bones are a jianghu people, but also more suitable for the jianghu, in the temple of the heights, he is a knot difficult to resolve private grudges difficult to eliminate the young vassal king, but in the far reaches of the jianghu, he was able to become a warrior whose elegance was not inferior to Li Chun Gang’s.”

“He chose to leave the jianghu, picking up the heavy burden to stand outside the North Liang border, no more half of the free and easy, only dead people dead people and then dead people, I think he Xu Fengyen has actually been very unhappy. Well, in short, is not happy. A very simple truth, but many people can’t see it.”

“If someone says that Xu Fenian should be contented, but I, Chen Wang, am a poor scholar from the bottom of the marketplace who has come to this position today step by step, but there are some things that I am also very unhappy about. You guys can’t say that I’m standing on my feet too, can you? Can’t! Anyone who says that and catches my ear, I’ll make them even more unhappy one day. See, I’m no saint. It doesn’t really matter whether or not I’m a Left Scattered Cavalry Standing Counselor now, or whether or not my official hat will be even bigger in the future.”

“None of us are saints.”

“So neither is Your Majesty.”

“Heaven and earth have axioms, people also have human feelings, following this reasoning for people in the world is definitely right. So Xu Fengnian, because he is the son of Xu Snapdragon, coming to the capital to head to the Qin Tian Supervisor, is not wrong. His Majesty, because he is the son of the late emperor, riding the tiger, unwilling to retreat any further, also not wrong.”

“In that case, you, Yan Chi Ji, have knelt as well, your reasoning is actually understood in my heart as well as His Majesty’s, so why do you want to give an inch regardless? Even the yellow mouths of the capital who all know one thing, how simple it is to kneel in the imperial court ah, to be able to stand, only difficult.”

“Otherwise I’ll take a look, is there gold or silver on the ground?”

Yan Ji Ji finally wiped his tears and got up.

When Yan Ji Ji wanted to bow and thank him, Chen Wang shook his head and said, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

Yan Chi Ji said frankly, “A gentleman is a group but not a party.”

Chen Wang froze for a moment, and then began to turn around to climb the ladder, muttering softly, “Wasted this close. Just as well, saves me from wasting silver buying you a drink.”

Yan Ji Ji, who had patted the wrong horse’s ass, suddenly blushed with incomparable embarrassment.

The corner of Song Tanglu’s mouth, who had been ignoring the two men’s words, quietly curled up.

On the roof of the hall, Chen Wang, who had been sitting next to the young prince, moved his position, and Yan Chi Ji had to sit between the emperor and Chen Wang with a stiff upper lip.

Zhao Zhuan said in a cold voice: “You don’t follow the example of those boneheaded courtiers who will live in history to admonish the emperor to the death?”

Yan Chi Ji bowed his head to not see his expression and said softly, “Lord Chen is right, when you’re an official, you have to think about promotion and advancement, it’s human nature.”

Immediately returned the color Chen Wang cried and laughed, the readers are not good things.

The other blind man over there, Lu Dang, smiled playfully.

Zhao Zhuan laughed a little to himself and sighed, “That’s right, you and Xu Fengyen are good brothers who have played together since childhood, so today you kneeled down to plead for him, if you Yan Chi Ji were merely a vassal of Liyang, I, the one who is the emperor, may be outwardly furious with the dragon’s face, and may even throw you into the Qing Shui Yamen to sit in the cold for a few years, but deep down inside I actually did not get how angry I was, and as for if I were to say that it’s nothing at all As for if I say there is no anger at all, it is definitely a lie. Only you are not only Xu Fengyin’s friend, I am also not only the emperor of Liyang, you and I are more than just a ruler and minister, but also a family ah, in the future, I may still choose a consort, but also destined to be more than just one, when the time comes, the abbot of the state uncle of the state will only become more and more, but I will tell you a sentence that is not a lie, you, Yan Chi Chi, are first the fourth prince’s brother-in-law, and then next is the state uncle of the current emperor of the state.”

Yan Chi Ji was stunned.

Zhao Zhuan wrapped his arm around Yan Ji Ji’s shoulders and laughed, reaching out to point to the distance, “Look! The winds are rising! I hope that one day the four of us, we will still be able to sit here together and watch the clouds rise!”

Chen Wang looked solemn and sat upright.

The blind man, Lu Dang, was looking out into the distance, his hands casually propped up on the ridge of the roof.

Tai’an city as the first good city, more people, the rules are naturally more, that is, the official residence is also divided into three, six, nine classes, roughly divided into the power of the rich and the poor and the rich, for example, Yan Guo Gong Huaiyang Marquis of the piece of the mansion group, most of the distinguished birth, the princes and marquises of the heap, such as Chen Wang such as the new face, if not previously relying on the county king climbed into the relationship between the son-in-law, otherwise any of the Chen Wang you do to the door under the province of the left loose riding standing minister, but also no way to get a mansion in the side. Get a mansion. Beijing Qingliu mostly out of the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial College and the Royal Academy, that is, the officials of Liyang, but also renowned literati and elegant scholar, living next door to each other, but also to save the journey to call friends and feet. In the city of Tai’an as an official, there are poor officials, such as the earliest Ministry of Rites, is a typical clear water Yamen, many rank is not high and is not a hand of the Ministry of Rites Master, and even need to rely on the Run Pen fee to live in poverty, while the day after the beauty of the name said that the two-sleeve breeze, which is not enough to say that the sour outside.

And rich people, like with the old household minister’s son Wang Yuan Yan, Yan Zhenchun Yan Tongshu grandson of the old generals, Song Tianbao, although there is a rich two Liao father, but in Tai’an City to buy a mansion, or will be very embarrassed, the public and marquis residence belongs to the side of the brain can not come together to the past, the side of the poor officials is to go to the uninteresting, all day long by the white eyes of the taste of the thought of the bad to bear, well in the there is another option, that is, the officials have the right and the rich and wealthy two pieces of the residence. The good thing is that there is another option, is in the powerful officials and rich tycoons in the middle of the two big pieces of mansions, to buy a big mansion, during the day to go to the capital official side of the bigwigs pretending to be a son as a grandson, at night from the rich than he did not have the money to make up for the body back.

There are good people have studied that in the end of Yong Hui Xiang Fu at the capital of the officials, roughly is “Dragon Xing” in the south of Tai’an City, the students of the city of poor people piled up, and then quickly among the northeast of the city of the right to be among the ranks of the rich and famous, and finally go to the east to buy a broad mansion, if one day to be able to move to the west side of the capital to settle down and take root like Chen Wang Chen Shao Bao, then this life is considered complete, not only their own, but also to buy a large mansion. Then this life is complete, not only have no regrets, but also to the ancestors and grandchildren are accountable.

Peng family led by the size of the northern clans, in xiangfu two years suddenly flocked to the northeast of the city of Tai’an, so that this area has been the inch of gold mansions become more and more in demand, which led to many hard to save some silver, thinking that finally be able to no longer rent a room for the day of the middle-level Beijing officials, began to resist in private cursing the barbarians of Liaodong in addition to the money, not at all a thing! As the capital northeast of the most important force of the old, the six officials of the Ministry of the Shangshu Province, there is no good face, and those who moved to the new Shi neighbors relationship is quite detached, which is also very normal, in the past two decades, especially in the old chief minister Biyaner personally presided over the exams, away from the sun is no longer in the imperial examinations on the matter of deliberate support for the north of the scholars, and therefore all the successor to the field of the winners, the southern scholars to overwhelming advantage of the dominance of the at least seventy percent! More than the seat, forming a very clear pattern of northern generals and southern ministers, but before Xiangfu Yonghui ten years later, the world no war, where the new generals emerge, the temple naturally more and more southern officials, known for unity in the field of the Qing Party is one of the most notable examples. With the four conquests of the four peace four towns, most of these great generals from the north, the old died of old death, Tai’an City, northeast of the more and more no northern soldiers straighten their backs to talk about the place, if not now finally left a conquest of the northern generals military horse Lu Lang to support the facade from the south of the officialdom of at least did not drive to the end of the officials, or else those northern officials are about to give a way to ostracize to the death of the desire for immortality.

Therefore, the Peng family in the purchase of new homes after the first thing, is a grand visit to the northern generals residence, although I heard that even the sick horse Lu Lang did not see the face, but after all, by the Ma family eldest son of the Andong generals Ma Zhongxian’s personal reception.

With the Peng family at the head of a good start, the collective migration of the two Liao magnates is quite smooth. And the Ministry of War Secretary Lu Baijie’s departure from the capital, the main pillar of the Green Party Hong Lingshu’s entry into the capital, it seems that the forces of Jiangnan in the temple in and out, no loss, in fact, a big injury is obvious. In this way, the large-scale entry of northern scholars into the capital is very chewy.

The official residence of the gate to be higher than the street, this is also inherited for hundreds of years of rules, the so-called steps in the official world, in fact, that is to say that the door of the steps, the number of steps is a lot to pay attention to, in accordance with the law of Liyang, first of all, to enter the flow of the first grade, and then only to the official high and low to determine the number of steps to build, the six grades but the third level, the four grades can be laid to the fourth level of the steps, which means that the local county magistrate and the generals of the unusual power are the same. Next most of the six ministers without special gifts, the residence is only five, six ministers is six, very few can reach seven steps, such as before the Ministry of Ministers Zhao right Ling, now the Ministry of Rites Secretary Sima Park Hua, was also honored, it is said that Sima’s family in the day of the additional steps for the mansion of the public, the old minister on the spot in tears on the lapel of the coat.

Interestingly, in the northeast of this incredibly rare seven steps, in Chen Shaobao Chen Wang in that area, belongs to the usual, you if the steps less than six, out of the cheek to say hello to people, as for the seven is also extremely common, Chen Wang’s father-in-law is the seven, and even such as Duke of Yan GaoShiZhi such as the eight steps is not uncommon. Only the capital officials all know, west of the city steps, that are false, is relying on the ancestral shade and Zhao family name to decorate the court facade, but the northeast side of the steps, it is real by the recent two generations of people’s official hat in exchange for, “West seven as rare as the North five” this statement, exactly this reason. And in the northeast of the capital, there is a saying, “horse eight Yan seven Shangshu six”, said this side of the Shangshu residence most of the six steps, but Yan House is as high as seven steps, Ma House is with the same specifications of the feudal king of the eight steps!

In recent times, not only the Ma family son Ma Zhongxian often rushed back to the inner city residence from the Gyeonggi Dongjun, even the first grandson, who often stayed out at night and smelled of cosmetics, also obediently stayed at home and closed the door to thank the guests.

Probably heard too many times the old master of the Ma family finally failed to rumors, the result is that every time you can still do, for Ma Zhongxian father and son of the two different, there are not a few people take it seriously.

But son Ma Zhongxian or grandson Ma Wenhou also, are clear, this time the old man may be really can not carry through.

Because the couch for many years the old man is not only no longer muddle-headed, but also a cross-born spirit, can sit up and drink a few mouthfuls of porridge, the eyes brighten up a lot.

This is called the return of light.

The wind candle, the wind candle, some old people, the dying dying, know that since they are dying, they no longer mind to the wind blowing out the last bit of candle flame.

Ma family old man in from his son Ma Zhongxian mouth to hear the North Liang won the North Mang, at that time, the old man just open sight cloudy eyes, trembling asked: “dead …… how much …… ”

Ma Zhongxian truthfully reported in fact is still very vague roughly the war situation, only even than the Ministry of War officials, have to be closer to the truth.

The old man for the first time unprecedented sit up, is heard of the young feudal king unauthorized entry into the capital, but the old man is probably too tired, not long to lie back, until I heard of eight hundred northern Liang light cavalry on the Jinggi-West army scared of the soul of the scattering, the old man only named to the recognized climate is not the first eldest grandson to return to the mansion, Ma Wenhou in the city of Tai’an is an odd person, said he is a playboy, with Wang Yuan Yan Yan Yan Tongshu’s stream in fact from childhood to play not a piece, but to say that his chest to play with a piece. Can not play a piece, but to say that he is ambitious, but also with Yin Changgeng Han wake up words these handsome never eye, so Ma Wenhou and the old chief minister Zhang Julu’s youngest son Zhang Bianguan, that live in the ugly alley and like to wander around the city of waste, and called “the capital strange”, but compared to the temperament of Zhang Bianguan, Ma Wenhou in fact, a good relationship, back then! Weak crown traveled, a go is away from home for more than two years, the East China Sea, Wudi City, the southern border of the mountains, Western Sichuan, South Zhao, Xiangfan, Qingzhou, Jizhou north, have been there.

Ma Wenhou was the old man Ma Zhongxian that night personally led people back to the Ma House, and the dying of the great general of the northern army Ma Lu Lang, it is also in the grandson Ma Wenhou’s assistance, the second time to sit up, after this, whether it is three meals and food or listen to Ma Wenhou reading, the old man is sitting more lying less.

Next, whether it is heard of the Northern Mang General Yang Yuanzan’s death of Youzhou Hulukou, or heard Gu Jiantang under the banner of the two Liao iron cavalry finally could not hold back, there are signs of stupidity, the sea of bureaucracy more than sixty years of the old man appear to be unperturbed.

However, when the old man personally handed over the tiger symbol, the old man for no reason lamented a “way to death”, I do not know whether it is to say that the young feudal lord or who is talking about.

Today morning, the old man seems to be a little want to go, but until his body can not carry the bumps, did not let the children and grandchildren difficult.

Under Ma Zhongxian’s secret authorization, several deep-seated Ma family offerings were spreading their nets, to do only one thing, staring at the young man surnamed Xu from afar.

Soon, there is one after another news back to the horse house, that young feudal lord left the lower Mawei stage hall, but not to participate in the court, but light car simple to go to the Liyang old Ministry of War Yamen, the door and not enter. Into the Ministry of Rites Yamen, the Minister Sima Park Hua slipped away. Finally, he went to the Chintian Temple and met with the Empress Dowager Zhao Piang and the owner’s wife of the Nine Nine Pavilions.

The old man commented on each message he heard separately.

The old man’s spirits were high, he became extremely talkative and thoughtful, as if he wanted to finish in one breath the words that had accumulated in his stomach over the past ten years before he would give up.

“The old Yamen of the Ministry of War, ah, is actually a piece of feng shui land, deserted, a pity.”

“Wen Hou ah, my Ma family is very early in the Liyang clan town power, only when the wind rudder fast, in fact, I was first thrown into the Ministry of War by your great grandfather, only eighteen years old, a lot of people think that your great grandfather fainted, put the family’s only seedling in the capital, is it really don’t want to ancestor’s foundation? And then wait for me to simmer for more than twenty years, finally simmered into the Ministry of War right minister, everyone shut up, some people are dead, can not open the mouth. Some people are out of power, do not have the cheek to run to me to whine. My whole life, ah, in the Ministry of War and military camps around, but Bieyi Tantuang generation know, I have never been on the battlefield in my life, much less killed, is not it funny? Such a number one person, and he ended up becoming the Great General of the North Conquest?”

“When I became a bigwig in the Ministry of War, I met many young generals, those with ambition, those with skill, and those who killed without blinking an eye. At that time, there was a Jinzhou barbarian surnamed Xu, who climbed particularly hard in the official world, always losing battles, and several times his troops and horses were all beaten up, almost becoming a bare pole. No one looked favorably on him, nor did I. Without roots, he relied on desperation. Wen Hou, you have to be clear, at that time, Liyang is not compared to the present world peace, there are always endless battles, nowadays kill a hundred or so North Mang barbarians can be a lieutenant, at that time, you may kill thousands of East Vietnam or North Han soldiers can not get the lieutenants, or hard to be, but tomorrow it becomes someone else’s military service, so once when the young man once again dusty to run to the government office, with us a group of military Department of the old men to ask for soldiers and horses for food and grass, no one is happy to take care of him, always feel that will not earn back the capital, the Ministry of the Army to get out of the tiger’s talisman in fact so a dozen or so, or else you have to use the unseen private army, to whom is not to give, why to give you a young man of the precariousness of the day?”

“If I remember correctly, it was raining that day, that young man from Jinzhou, who had an empty title of lieutenant at that time, stood in the courtyard of the heavy rain, with the box containing silver under his feet, his back straight, and he didn’t look like a person who would beg for money. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get the job done. Also worthy of the Ministry of War to draw to you seven or eight hundred people? Although we all know that this person is not greedy for money, as long as the battle is won, no matter how many people die, the first thing must be to take the property to the Ministry of War’s adults, but a thousand shouldn’t be ten thousand shouldn’t be, this guy in the last defeat of the war, killed a Ministry of War Langzhong sent into his army to fish for the success of his juniors, so ah, no one is happy to pay attention to him. Seen the war do not want to die, not his so do not want to die, every time the war are in the forefront, such a person, who dares to fully support? Just know how to fight a war, won’t be an official, may die that day, how can this work.”

“But that day I was in a good mood, because that military department langzhong always likes to go against me due to his old seniority, my idea was simple, it was just to be disgusted with that military department langzhong, so I went to that young man who I had never dealt with directly before, and promised to give him a troop of soldiers and horses.”

Hearing this, Ma Wenhou curiously said, “Wasn’t it a big victory with a pot full of money soon after?”

The old man smiled and shook his head, “I did win, and I won three battles in a row, but I gave that young man all my soldiers and horses, but of course, I definitely earned my capital back. At that time, human life was the most worthless thing, but once the young and strong put on armor and raised their swords and spears, it could still be counted as money per head. The Ma family’s current old base was accumulated little by little at that time. Many of the military generals who originally ruled a party, were also at that time little by little to exhaust their families.”

Ma Wenhou was speechless.

Most of the young people of their generation originally did not like to listen to the old generation chattering about the Spring and Autumn War, when they were young, their ears were calloused, and Ma Wenhou was no exception.

The old man lamented: ”That Jinzhou lieutenant who needed to look at your grandfather’s mood and face at that time, you must have guessed it long ago, it was Xu Snap. The later Liyang Man Slaughterer, the final Northern Liang King.”

Ma Wenhou nodded gently.

This old story, the old man had never mentioned it to anyone.

“The old saying that many deeds will lead to death, is right and not entirely true. No matter what, Xu Snap’s ability to die in his bed with all his injuries is probably God’s reward for his righteousness. But ‘many acts of unkindness, woe to the children and grandchildren’, grandpa I am a great believer, the Xu family is a good example, Xu Snapdragon killed so many people, you look at his several children, who is blessed? The eldest daughter died very early, the second daughter is paralyzed in a wheelchair, and the youngest son is a fool. As for the eldest son …… this young man, I think these years have not been painful. The bright side of the scenery, in fact, so much. People ah, is very strange, the poor feel rich people days certainly moist, the small people feel that the big power in the hands of the big man certainly do whatever they want, half wrong half, a very simple score, the ordinary people to the people for no reason in the street kicked a foot, perhaps cursing a few words, resentment for a few days, the threshold will cross, but if you Ma Wenhou it? If you give Yin Maochun’s son or Gu Jiantang’s son slapped, you are not tomorrow next year to forget this thorn? No. No, such an unpleasantness is actually about the same as the poor man’s dying to lose a dozen taels of silver.”

Ma Wenhou muttered in a low voice, “Yin Changgeng and that son of Old Gu dare to slap me? I won’t break their three legs?”

Ma Zhongxian glared angrily at him, “How old are you, do you know the importance of lightness? Thirty years old and thirty years old, what the hell is your kid standing for!”

The old man waved his hand, signaling Ma Zhongxian not to get angry, “Zhongxian, don’t look at your son’s mouth is not a door, in fact, it is bad, and don’t think that teaching the children and grandchildren of the two Yin Gu people is wrong, is it wrong? No, as long as the method is appropriate, in fact, is a good thing. This bit of enlightenment, you Ma Zhongxian than your son is a hundred thousand eighty thousand li.”

Ma Zhongxian hmmm, although this Andong general in the capital officialdom is notoriously untamed, but pure filial piety to the extreme, to Ma LuLang that is obedient, never feel that their wings hard or Ma LuLang old and confused.

Has been thin to skin and bones of the old man laughed happily, trembling reach out, gently pinched the son’s shoulders, “you are stronger than me, really fought in the war, made a battle, the nature of the simple, instead of the heavenly good, the most suitable to keep the success, especially at the foot of the emperor, the smart people mistakenly, clever is even more death. The burden of the Ma family, you are considered to have picked it up.”

The old man turned his head to gaze at Ma Wenhou who had been bumbling around for ten years, “Fighting the river and mountain is the responsibility of grandpa and your great grandpa’s generations, keeping the family business is your father’s burden, then the family’s revitalization or going to the next level, it’s your turn to do so.”

Ma Wenhou’s mouth was tightly closed and he did not speak.

Seeing his son’s sickly demeanor, Ma Zhongxian immediately surged with a nameless fire, just about to lash out, he gave the old man a glare and was immediately silenced.

The old man softly said: ”Wen Hou ah, grandfather me, son just your father so one, but grandson has four, granddaughter also has two, these years, your three younger brothers are busy fighting for favor and power, only you carefully protect your two sisters, this is very good. Those three no-good ones have no real skills, but they are capable of jealousy, which is even more than a woman. Handing over the family business to them, it will only take a generation to die, and the golden mountains can be lost.”

The old man aggravated his tone and repeated, “You’re good!”

Ma Zhongxian froze on the spot.

The old man skimmed his mouth and laughed somewhat coldly, “There are two kinds of people in the world that you can’t deal with, one kind of person is a perfect person who is nearly a sage, such as Biye’er, no matter what you do, it’s hard to have a personal relationship and benefit with them. There is also a kind of people without a bottom line, not afraid of people’s bottom line is low, after all, you know exactly what kind of person that is, be careful to be able to avoid trouble and seek profit, only people without a bottom line, you don’t know which day he will bring you a ‘surprise’, this kind of person, like the last heavenly official Zhao right age, and now the Ministry of Rites left minister Jin Lanting. If you have deep friendship with them, sooner or later you will be sold out by them, you are aggrieved and they are still smug. If the Ma family is a small family, the need to attach high branches, naturally, another matter, to be able to enter their eyes would be good. But although the Ma family is not considered to be the premier magnate of Tai’an City, the top ten is still barely there, then you can not bother with these people, both kinds of people should not approach.”

Speaking here, the old man said a piece of advice to his son and grandson respectively.

“Zhongxian, don’t spend your days thinking about setting up a heck of a battle, and especially don’t think about going to Guangling Road to get together. Remember, the king of a country, many times who want to die, not necessarily his own will, the late emperor really do not want to be able to and Zhang Julu Yan Zhenchun them, together with the good end of the good in the annals of history? At that time, the emperor wants you to die, you as a subject, who to find reason to go? Therefore, never have a great honor in the country, but be sure to have a small favor to the king. Remember to remember!”

“Wenhou, I’ll send you a saying that Tantan Weng told me in his early years: deep water flows slowly, and noble people are slow to speak. You ah, also do not recite those grandiose words, ‘do not hate I do not see the ancients, only hate the ancients do not see me’, ‘life when the feudal lords to worship the prime minister, death when the temple to accompany the sacrifice’, listen is quite relief, in fact, compared to Tantan Weng’s sentence, the road is worse than the street ah. Some words, put in the stomach is good, can not be said out. Men’s aspirations and ambitions, not more than a few months after a woman’s conception can be obvious.”

Ma Wenhou heatedly laughed: “Now also do not love to pull these, before is not thinking about the future in case one day really famous, the descendants write history, can be directly taken out of the use of it.”

The old man laughed and scolded: “Bunny!”

Ma Zhongxian was a bit innocent, depressed: “Father, how even I also scolded.”

The old man squeezed out a smile with some effort, once again reached out and touched Ma Zhongxian’s head, “You are also a rabbit. Well, all three have been scolded.”

Ma Zhongxian laughed, but there were already some tears in this coarse man’s eyes.

Ma Wenhou always held his grandfather’s arm with one hand and stopped the old man’s back with the other.

At this time, a nearly aged Ma Family Provider expert appeared at the doorway, his tone trembling a bit with some suppression as he slowly said, “Xu Fengnian has already killed more than thirty Immortals at the gate of the Qin Tian Supervisor. The 1,200 heavy cavalry army has not yet committed to the battlefield for the time being.”

The eyes of the Great General Army of the Conquest of the North, Ma Lu Lang, were a little dazed.

Then the old man suddenly snapped, “Zhongxian, hurry up and enter the palace to face the saint, even if you break your knees, you must stop His Majesty from utilizing that heavy cavalry army!”

Ma Zhongxian subconsciously stood up violently, but when he realized that the old man’s life was not long, he hesitated a little.

The old man angrily rebuked, “Fool, I’m using the face of the entire Ma family to serve as a ladder for His Majesty so that he can step down from the heights! Whoever His Majesty wants to appoint next as the commander of the Heavy Cavalry Army, anyone can do it, only you, Ma Zhongxian, cannot! Only in this way can Wen Hou hope to be among the center at the fastest speed.”

Ma Zhongxian vigorously wiped his eyes and turned away with great strides.

Ma Lu Lang gasped violently, and Ma Wenhou gently patted the old man’s back.

The old man laughed bitterly, “Let me lie down, I can’t hold it up anymore, and there’s no need to hold it up anymore.”

Ma Wenhou carefully let the old man lie down.

The old man held this first eldest grandson’s hand and laughed softly, “Life is seventy years old, grandpa is eighty-something years old, what do you have to be sad about.”

Ma Wenhou squeezed out a smile and choked, “This is not to dislike my father’s stupid mouth, even if he curses, he can’t curse to the point, grandpa has great wisdom, even if he doesn’t curse, I can listen to it.”

The old man lay there quietly, already less in than out of breath in a miserable light.

The old man calmly said, “Wen Hou, seventy years old and following his heart’s desires, not exceeding the rules. This is an interesting saying, grandpa really believed in it after seventy, if you don’t believe in it, then you must also live to this age ah. Your heart is not quiet enough, you need to read more, and when it’s late at night, you can go sit on those eight steps more often.”

Ma Wenhou grasped the old man’s hand and nodded vigorously.

Ma Lu Lang slowly closed his eyes, “Born earlier than you Xu Snapdragon, died later than you Xu Snapdragon, finally won you a game ah.”

When the old man finished that last sentence, he finally died swiftly.

“Now I, should die.”