Fang Jie and Zhuo Buyi carried the drunk Chen Heng and Chen Ha back to the shop to settle down. They looked at each other and then smiled. After walking to the back yard and sitting down, Fang Jie made a pot of tea and poured Zhuo Buyi a cup.
"Congratulations, I have to call you Sir from now on."
Zhuo Buyi said with a smile.
Fang Jie curled his lips: "This is not a good thing... Your Majesty asked me to go to Yongzhou in the southwest, why do I always feel uneasy?"
"Luo Yao is not a tiger."
Zhuo Buyi said: "You are just acting according to the order. You are also an imperial envoy. When you go to the local government, you can do whatever you want, but the local officials have to follow you? If you want to take some bribes, I guess You have to use a boat to pull it back. If you want to accept a few beauties, three wives and four concubines are not a problem."
"You envy you to go."
Fang Jie said: "I always feel that Luo Yao sent someone here at this time, and he has no good intentions. This person has been deeply rooted in the Southwest for so many years. He guards half of the country in the Southwest. He is also a first-class Duke. How could he take me seriously? Li. It's not like you don't know, I still have a bit of a holiday with his son. "
Zhuo Buyi said: "If Luo Yao didn't have such courage, how could he be able to achieve the position he is in today."
"He has strength, do you think his son also has strength?"
"He dare not."
Zhuo Buyi smiled and shook his head: "Sometimes you are clever and admirable. For example, the way you set up a scheme to wipe out Prince Yi's henchmen a few days ago is wonderful. Sometimes you are stupid and make people look down on you. Don't think about it. At the crucial point, why did Luo Yao suddenly send someone to ask His Majesty to marry him?"
"If I want to understand, I still ask?"
"It's actually simple."
Zhuo Buyi took a sip of tea and said lightly: "Because of your matter, does Luo Wen have something to be held by Hou Wenji? That day in Keshengju, Hou Wenji met Luo Wen in private. One thing. I caught Luo Wen’s men assassinating you, but Hou Wenji didn’t let anyone intervene during the interrogation, so I knew there must be something in it. Later, Luo Wen’s men died for no apparent reason In prison, this matter will be over. But I am sure that Hou Wenji and Luo Wen must have reached some kind of agreement at that time."
After he finished speaking, Fang Jie's eyes lit up immediately: "With Luo Yao's status, he naturally has eyes and ears. The distance from Chang'an to the northwest is almost the same as the distance from Yongzhou. We already know about the defeat in the Northwest, and maybe Luo Yao knows too. , Hou Wenji has turned his back on it. If Luo Yao is really capable, he might have gotten the news. From the incident when he went to Beijing to kill his son 20 years ago, it can be seen that Luo Yao is a person who cherishes his feathers very much... "
"right."
Zhuo Buyi smiled and said, "He's not sure if His Majesty knew about the secret between his son Luo Wen and Hou Wenji, that's why he sent someone to ask His Majesty to marry him. If His Majesty agrees, he will be relieved." A person has already killed a son with his own hands, and now that he is old, it is not easy to have a son. Even if it is easy, in another twenty years, Luo Yao will still be as powerful as he is now? So this time he Sending someone here should only be for his only son Luo Wen."
"He will cherish his son especially, and of course he will cherish his own future even more."
Fang Jie frowned and said, "But the emperor never intended to betroth the eldest princess to Luo Wen. If Luo Yao knew..."
"No problem."
Zhuo Buyi said: "As I said just now, Luo Yao was just testing. In fact, he is not sure about this marriage. As long as you let Luo Yao believe that the emperor believes in him, it doesn't matter whether the marriage will work or not."
"Understood."
Fang Jie slapped his forehead and said, "The emperor not only asked me to delay for a while, but also asked me to give Luo Yao a reassurance. Tell him that the emperor trusts him."
Zhuo Buyi nodded.
Fang Jie thought for a while: "Then I need to enter the palace and ask His Majesty for a magic weapon."
"What magic weapon?"
Fang Jie said: "From Luo Yao's pleading guilty to killing his son outside the palace, it can be seen that Luo Yao cares most about himself. Such a selfish and suspicious person, it is not easy for him to believe what I said After all, even if the emperor gave me the status of a first-class countryman, Luo Yao might not take it seriously. Therefore, if you want Luo Yao to feel at ease, you must at least give him enough sincerity for him to believe, His Majesty's sincerity."
"I intend to request an order to give Luo Wen some benefits."
Fang Jie thought for a while and said, "Such as a title?"
Zhuo Buyi curled his lips: "An idiot again, Luo Wen is Luo Yao's only son, and sooner or later the status of a first-class duke will be his. If His Majesty changes the title to another title, Luo Yao will be overwhelmed."
"Yeah..."
Fang Jie frowned: "How else can it benefit him?"
"Get promoted."
Zhuo Buyi said indifferently: "Because of the matter in the capital, Luo Wen did not directly make up for a lack of a fifth-rank or higher rank like the previous top three in the Academy of Martial Arts. You can go and ask for an order, and ask Your Majesty to grant Luo Wen a military post."
Fang Jie nodded: "I will enter the palace in a while."
"His Majesty is not in the palace."
"Where?"
"Yanwu Academy."
…
…
Yanwuyuan.
library.
The emperor personally brought a cup of tea to the drowsy old man sitting on the chair, with a respectful attitude like a student serving tea to his husband. The old man, who looked like he might be killed by time at any time, quickly sat up straight and took the teacup with both hands.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The emperor smiled and said: "Why should the old dean be polite to me? Since I came to visit you once when I came to the throne, it has been more than ten years in a flash. I always want to come again to listen to the teachings, but I know the old dean does not want to be treated by others." Annoyed, so I endured and didn't come to visit."
This old man was the old doorkeeper of the library who Fang Jie gave a pack of peanuts every day.
“Tea is good tea...”
The old man took a sip and grinned. When he smiled, he realized that there were not many teeth left in his mouth. I really don't know how I can eat peanuts already like this. At this time, on the table in front of him, there was half a bag left from his meal. He pinched one and threw it into his mouth, and precisely knocked the peanut with his few teeth.
"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so why worry about me, an old man who has been half buried in the ground. People say that old men are thieves. I often think that if I am a thief, what I steal may be time. Fortunately, it is not someone else's. After living for so many years, few people died prematurely because of me. I am fine here alone, drink tea and eat a few peanuts every day, and live a leisurely life... A while ago, there was a silly little guy who bought a pack of peanuts every day for free Give it to me, it saves me to spend my own money to buy it in the cafeteria, Your Majesty, you don't know that the things in the cafeteria of Yanwu Academy are ridiculously expensive... "
The foreword does not match the afterword.
He speaks completely for himself, and there is no logic at all.
Speaking of the little guy who bought him peanuts, the old man was obviously in a good mood: "That little guy has eyes and sees. He knows that the old man is the one who has the final say in this library. I read every book in this room. However, Your Majesty also knows that I have no other strengths, except that I have more time than others. So if you ask me what book you want to read, you can always remember where it is."
The emperor smiled along with him, but he was not interested in the little guy the old man was talking about. The most indispensable thing in the Martial Arts Academy is young talents, and it is not surprising that they have such thoughts.
He looked around and asked with a smile: "I would like to invite you to live in the palace, is it possible?"
The old man shook his head: "Where do so many books come from in the palace? How can someone treat me to peanuts. Besides, the high walls and halls in the palace are too chilling. I still like the colorful and colorful people in the martial arts academy. It's crowded with people."
The emperor persuaded: "You can live in the Changchun Garden. The scenery there is beautiful, the environment is good, and it is comfortable to live in. I have ordered people to tidy up a yard in the Changchun Garden. If you like to read, I can let people Send all the books stored in the palace. Besides, the cooks in the palace are better than those in the Yanwu Academy after all."
The old man still shook his head: "Changchun Garden is really nice, but I still don't want to go."
"Why?"
asked the emperor.
"Because it is not grounded, there are not many human fireworks."
The old man smiled and said: "During the reign of the first emperor, I went to the Changchun Garden. The pavilions, pavilions, and rock gardens are as beautiful as fairyland, and the maids are also beautiful. Walking through the Changchun Garden is like a fairy stepping on the clouds. It seems to be flying around. But because of this, it seems too isolated from the world. Whether it is the chilling of Taiji Palace or the fairyland of Changchun Garden, they are not suitable for me."
The emperor couldn't persuade him anymore, he was silent for a while and said: "I still have something to ask the old dean for your help."
The old man said: "Let's talk, Emperor Taizu and I are Wangnian friends. Since I promised to protect his descendants for him before he died, I still have to ignore what's going on with your Yang family. .”
"I want to hold a martial arts conference to re-evaluate the cultivation level of people in the world."
Hearing this sentence, the old man frowned slightly: "It's too complicated and huge, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it."
The emperor hurriedly said: "Of course you don't need everyone to comment. Below the ninth rank, I will naturally arrange for others to comment. The ones you want to comment are the great practitioners above the ninth rank."
"Above the ninth grade?"
The old man was stunned for a moment, and after a moment of silence, he said in a sad tone: "I remember that I had this idea more than a hundred years ago. But then I thought about it, how many people would fight for the false name of the ninth rank?" Blood flow? It would be better if the rivers and lakes are calmer, with less disputes, the rivers and lakes are peaceful, and the Great Sui Dynasty is also peaceful."
"I... I am going to conquer the Northwest by myself, and I need the help of people in the Jianghu. There is a Buddhist sect in Meng Yuan, and there are many great practitioners in the Buddhist sect. Even if I make an order, the people in the Jianghu in the Sui Dynasty may not be willing to listen. But if it is an old courtyard As long as you judge the strong men above the ninth rank at the martial arts conference, and the imperial court will reward them, they may serve the country. If you don’t break the Buddhist sect, you will not be able to truly defeat Meng Yuan.”
"Your Majesty...sometimes the ambition is too high, it may not be a good thing. Meng Yuan is strong, the country has been established for more than a thousand years, there are millions of men in armor, and monks are as powerful as a cow's hair. Meng Yuan is not Eastern Chu, not Nanchen, not Nanyan , nor is it Shang Guo... His Majesty's obsession is too deep, it may not be a good thing for Sui."
"As long as I live, there is only one wish. The old dean said that I am paranoid, and I will not deny it."
The emperor took a few steps forward and whispered something into the old man's ear. The old man's complexion suddenly changed, he raised his head to look at the emperor carefully, and then let out a long sigh.
"That's all..."
He shook his head slowly: "Since I promised Emperor Taizu back then, it would be great if I could help your Yang family more while I was still able to move. But... I am also a member of the Jianghu. Although I have lived in seclusion for so many years, I am not in the Jianghu. Within, but there is still Jianghu in my heart. Please remember, Your Majesty, don't go too far in everything."
The emperor gave a deep salute: "Don't worry, the old dean, I know the severity. I know what you said just now is correct, the world is peaceful, and the Sui Dynasty is also peaceful. So I understand that there is a measure for everything, and I will not break that scale."
"That's good."
The old man nodded: "Who does His Majesty plan to entrust this matter to?"
The emperor shook his head: "This matter is not urgent. It is not a short-term matter for the court to mobilize people. Because of the matter of the sixth child, the court can't find a suitable candidate for the time being. It stands to reason that Luo Weiran is the most suitable, but he I'm afraid the next few days will be very busy. Let's talk about it later, and see if I can choose a smart person to prepare and dispatch this matter."
The old man nodded: "I can help His Majesty with this matter, but I also have something to ask Your Majesty."
The emperor hurriedly said, "Say it."
The old man raised his head to look at the emperor, and said very seriously: "Prince Yi's rebellion has caused many disasters... They committed their own crimes, I shouldn't talk too much. But I still want to tell your majesty, if you can kill less people... kill less."
The emperor nodded after a moment of silence: "I will do my best."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The old man stood up and saluted solemnly.