The carriage and horses headed towards Duke Wei's mansion. Qin Mubai didn't say much along the way. Princess Gao Yang felt a little uncomfortable around her, feeling stuffy. She glanced at Qin Mubai from the car and saw that his face didn't look too good, so Princess Gao Yang asked cautiously: "Mu Bai, you seem unhappy?"
"No!" Qin Mubai smiled, feeling ashamed in his heart. Obviously, my cultivation is not enough, and I am still unable to be truly "calm" without showing emotions or anger. Even Princess Gaoyang's immature eyesight can see the clues.
Princess Gao Yang blinked and asked, "Did the Crown Prince and the King of Han just make things difficult for you?"
"How is that possible?" Qin Mubai smiled nonchalantly and changed the topic, "I was just muttering, how come that 'Satisfaction' turned into a statue?"
Princess Gao Yang suddenly felt cold all over, and her teeth felt sore, "How do you think about such a silly question?"
"Okay, I won't think about it anymore." Qin Mubai smiled, "When we get to Duke Wei's mansion later, you are not allowed to mess around, let alone capture Duke Wei's beard."
"Hehe, are you scared?" Princess Gaoyang smiled slyly, "You seem to be particularly nervous about Duke Wei?"
"It's respect." Qin Mubai smiled slightly, "I respect him like a father."
"from inner heart?"
"certainly."
"Okay, Qin Mubai! You bad guy!" Princess Gao Yang's face changed and she said angrily, "I've never heard of you saying that you respect my father from the bottom of your heart!"
Qin Mubai was startled, and then smiled bitterly: "You are really going to label others randomly. To your father...is there any need to say that? He is the king and I am the minister. That is not just respect, but awe."
Princess Gao Yang curled her lips and muttered: "Emperor, Emperor, in your eyes, he is just an emperor! You have never regarded him as your father-in-law."
"Uh..." Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment, rolling his eyes, "Is there any difference?"
"Of course!" Princess Gao Yang said angrily, "To me, the difference is huge!"
Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."
Princess Gao Yang's pretty and delicate face changed her expression instantly, and she said with a smile: "Do you really understand? That's right! From now on, my relatives will be your relatives, do you understand? "
"I know! When I was ten years old, I learned to nag like an old woman who was several decades old. Well, Duke Wei's mansion is here. Remember what I told you."
The two got off their carriages and horses. The door of Duke Wei's mansion, which was usually closed, was open today. There was also a man familiar to Qin Mubai standing at the door, Su Lie and Su Dingfang.
He seemed to know that Qin Mubai was coming today, so he waited at the door for a long time. At this time, he came up to him, bowed first, and then said with a smile: "Mu Bai, I knew you would come today."
"Hehe, you are Su Dingfang, right? I heard Mu Bai talk about you. You are Mu Bai's senior brother, right?" Princess Gao Yang rushed to speak, "Mu Bai said you are great, and you are the pride of Duke Wei. Protégé!”
"No, Your Highness the Princess has given you the compliment." Su Dingfang smiled indifferently, and cupped his hands, "You two, please."
Qin Mubai smiled in return, walked in with him, and asked about Li Jing's current situation. Everything was fine.
Li Jing moved the book desk to the main hall and was sitting there looking at a volume of books attentively. Qin Mubai saw that stance from a distance and knew that the old man was probably going to take the two-man military strategy test in school today. So he warned Princess Gaoyang: "We will discuss the art of war later, but don't disturb the situation!"
"What? It's like I'm really confused and always like to mess around..." Princess Gao Yang took advantage of Su Dingfang not paying attention and made a face at Qin Mubai sticking out her tongue.
The three of them entered the main hall. Li Jing looked up and was a little surprised to see Princess Gaoyang. He quickly stood up and prepared to salute. Princess Gao Yang smiled and ran over to help him, and said with a smile: "Okay, Duke Wei, I just followed Mu Bai to go to the door today, so don't make any big gestures. Otherwise, Mu Bai will scold me when I go back. ”
"Oh? Does he dare?" Li Jing laughed heartily after hearing this.
Qin Mubai stepped forward and saluted: "I have met my mentor."
Li Jing nodded to him and said with a smile: "Your Highness, please come and serve tea."
"No need!" Princess Gao Yang smiled and said, "As I said, I'm just here to accompany Mu Bai. Duke Wei, just think of me as Mu Bai's junior attendant, not a princess. Otherwise, You all need to be cautious."
"Oh?" Li Jing was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "I forgot, Her Royal Highness Princess Gaoyang is going to marry Mu Bai soon, haha! Marry a chicken, follow a chicken, marry a dog, follow a dog, eh, great Very good!"
"What kind of chickens and dogs..." Princess Gaoyang raised her face and murmured, "Mr. Wei Guo, are you going to accept these things as your students?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Qin Mubai glared at her angrily, "Princess, you'd better... go have fun in the yard!"
"Oh, just go, what's the harm!" Princess Gao Yang said bitterly, and actually said her goodbyes and went to play in the yard.
Li Jing stroked his beard and smiled: "Mubai, you still have some skills! You are probably the only person in the world who can treat Her Highness Princess Gaoyang so obediently."
"Thank you, my mentor." Qin Mubai chuckled, "It's been a long time since we parted ways, how are you doing, mentor?"
"Okay, very good." Li Jing smiled, and asked Qin Mubai and Su Dingfang to sit beside him, and said, "Mubai, if you don't come back from Lanzhou, I should write a letter in person to ask you to come back. ”
Qin Mubai was startled for a moment and said suspiciously: "Why did Duke Wei say this?"
Li Jing smiled and said nothing.
Su Dingfang wrote lightly: "Every time my mentor wins a battle, he always returns to Beijing as soon as possible and returns his military power. Even if His Majesty the Emperor intends to keep my mentor in the military, he will try his best to refuse."
Qin Mubai suddenly realized it and bowed his hands: "Student understands!"
Li Jing stroked his long beard, nodded and smiled, and said: "In fact, it is easy to be a minister, but it is even more difficult to be a king. Even if His Majesty the Emperor can completely trust you, he will not be able to compete with gossip. Not being jealous is mediocre, Mu Bai, as long as the state of mind Qingming, why not be indifferent?"
Qin Mubai nodded thoughtfully, carefully chewing on the meaning of Li Jing's words. It is not difficult to tell that since he was so popular in Lanzhou, he would inevitably be jealous of some of his fellow civil and military officials.
Who specifically? No need to ask this. The emperor would give Qin Mubai a "marriage leave" of half a year, and Li Jing would like to write a letter to call him back, which shows that he has a lot of background.
"As long as your mind is clear, why not be indifferent?" - This short number may be Li Jing's philosophy of being an official. But how easy is it to really be able to move and retract as freely as he does
Li Jing looked at Qin Mubai with a smile, his eyes were very soft, but they seemed to have the magic power to penetrate people's hearts. Qin Mubai felt that there was nothing to hide under his gaze.
"Mu Bai, you are very enlightened. I can tell you in front of Ding Fang that you are the most enlightened among my students." Li Jing laughed.
Su Dingfang also smiled calmly: "That's true. Lie, his qualifications are dull, not as good as Mu Bai Wanyi."
"But I can also tell Mu Bai in front of him that he is the one who works hardest and is the most diligent when it comes to formulating." Li Jing still smiled.
Qin Mubai smiled ashamedly, cupped his hands and said, "Students are indeed... not very focused."
"I can't blame you. Your environment and your personality determine that you can't fully specialize in one thing." Li Jing smiled, "You are a rare all-rounder, amazing. . Maybe you can't reach the top in one aspect, but your comprehensiveness also makes you outstanding. Mubai, I won't teach you the art of war anymore. That’s right. You can’t be perfect at everything. I won’t teach you more about the art of war, not because you don’t deserve it, but because you still have more to learn.”
"This..." Qin Mubai was a little confused for a moment. This was somewhat beyond his expectation.
Li Jing and Su Dingfang smiled at each other and said nothing, letting Qin Mubai look at them blankly.
"As long as your mind is clear, why not be indifferent?" Li Jing repeated this sentence again and said with a smile, "Mu Bai, this is what you have to learn from now on. The art of war is enough for you. If you continue to drill hard, It won't improve you much. On the contrary, Dingfang should continue to master the art of war throughout his life and aspire to become an outstanding military strategist, because he has no other way to go, Mu. white."
Qin Mubai suddenly understood, and he bowed his hands in front of him: "Thanks to my teacher for his guidance, the student suddenly became enlightened!"
Li Jing and Su Dingfang both laughed. Li Jing said, "Tell me, what do you understand?"
Qin Mubai smiled confidently and said, "My mentor's intention is that students should not only understand the art of war themselves, but also be able to gather people who understand the art of war."
"Great kindness." Li Jing laughed. It was the first time I smiled so freely and comfortably in front of Qin Mubai!
Su Dingfang still had a calm expression and said with a smile: "So, Mu Bai, you are destined to be more skilled than Su. You don't have to be modest. You not only want to gather people who understand the art of war, but also be able to control it. In addition to As a military strategist, you have to recruit and control politicians, officials, wealthy families, and even anyone who has a skill. This is a skill that is more profound than the art of war. But your mentor said, Qin Mubai, But it seems like he was born for this.”
"Yes! In this world, everyone has their own skills. Mu Bai, you are very versatile, just like one person." Li Jing said.
"Who?" Qin Mubai asked in confusion.
Li Jing's eyes fell on Qin Mubai very softly, but it made him feel a little uncomfortable. The next two words he spat out shocked Qin Mubai even more—
"Your Majesty."
Qin Mubai was stunned.
He didn't expect that such words would come out of the always cautious Li Jing's mouth. To say that a minister is like an emperor - isn't this a taboo or even treason
"Don't be surprised." Li Jing's expression remained calm and he smiled, "I didn't say these words."
Qin Mubai's expression became more solemn, and he asked: "Did His Majesty the Emperor say it himself?"
"You are indeed smart." Li Jing chuckled.
Su Dingfang said: "Putting aside his identity, the current Holy Emperor is definitely an all-rounder. He joined the army at the age of sixteen. He is a talented military strategist who is unfavorable in every battle. His bravery in battle is deeply loved by the soldiers. In addition, his ability He is talented in all aspects. He is proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and music; he is very good in horsemanship, archery, and martial arts. He even knows some astronomy, calendar, and medical horoscopes. He is familiar with several dialects of the Tang Dynasty and can speak Turkic and Tufan. Communicate easily with foreigners."
Qin Mubai was not shocked by what Su Dingfang said. He had served in Baiqi for a long time and was often by the emperor's side. Of course he knew this. He said: "But... what does this have to do with me?"
"Haha..." Li Jing said with a meaningful smile, "When the Lanzhou Planning Commission decided not to make a decision, His Majesty the Emperor came to me and talked about you. His Majesty said that when he saw you, he felt like he was seeing his younger self. Mu Bai , You don’t need to be panic-stricken. I think what His Majesty the Emperor means by this is that he believes you can accomplish great things!”
Qin Mubai nodded gently and remained silent.
"I don't know what aspect he means by 'achieving great things'." Li Jing said, "But I understand the emperor's intention. He wants to train you into an all-rounder who is not unfamiliar with all aspects. Use you To control...the kind of person who is particularly proficient in something and has a certain skill."
Hearing this, Qin Mubai was truly startled and looked at Li Jing with wide eyes.
Li Jing's old eyes narrowed, "Mu Bai, you have a bright future!"
This time, Qin Mubai was not polite to Li Jing as he was used to, but nodded knowingly, thinking: This is probably the reason why Li Jing no longer teaches me the art of war, right? ... As he said, Emperor Li Shimin has great hope in me because of my comprehensiveness. However, if I reach the pinnacle of military excellence, won't no one be able to suppress me? Li Jing didn't make his words clear, but what he meant was that he wanted me to learn the mind of a superior!
Could it be that I, Qin, will become a powerful official of the Tang Dynasty at some point in the future
Thinking of this, Qin Mubai couldn't help frowning. Power, no one wants it. But power is also a double-edged sword, and the heights are always cold. Greater power means more desires and greater risks. At the same time, more will be lost...
"Mubai, don't think too much." Li Jing seemed to see through Qin Mubai's thoughts and said calmly, "Remember what I said, as long as your mind is clear, why not be indifferent?"
"Yes, the student has remembered." Qin Mubai bowed his hands.
Li Jing nodded and smiled, then suddenly raised his finger to Su Dingfang and said, "When you go to Lanzhou again, take Dingfang with you."
"Yes." Qin Mubai said nothing and bowed his hands.
Su Dingfang also bowed his hands and said nothing.
Instead of discussing the art of war, the three of them sat and chatted for a while. Li Jing was afraid that Princess Gao Yang would be upset by waiting, so he asked Qin Mubai to go back early. Qin Mubai didn't stay long, said goodbye and left.
Before leaving, Li Jing took off a string of strange blue-green beads from his wrist and gave them to Qin Mubai, saying, "This was given to me by Jieli Khan when I conquered the Turks and captured him alive. He He said that this is a strange kind of Turkic jade, which symbolizes victory and glory. He was defeated and insisted on giving the beads to me in private. I can't refuse it. Today, I will give it to you. As a wedding gift to you and Princess Gaoyang, it is not for you to gain more victory and glory. You will not lack these."
"That's..." Qin Mubai took it curiously and held it in his palm, feeling a little cool.
Li Jing smiled slightly: "It will always be cool, and it will not get much warmer if it is attached to your body. Wear it on your wrist and always remind yourself that it is pure and indifferent."
"Thank you so much, master!" Qin Mubai bent down and bowed in front of him.
"Okay, let's go!" Li Jing waved his hand and smiled.
Qin Mubai and Princess Gao Yang left the Duke of Wei's Mansion. Qin Mubai was riding on his horse, thinking about Li Jing's words all the way, feeling a little absent-minded. Princess Gao Yang, however, muttered unhappily in the car: "It's so boring! You three grown men talked about the art of war and left me wandering around the yard alone for more than a dozen times. Mu Bai, what are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing." Qin Mubai smiled calmly and said, "Ling'er, my original plan was to go to Duke Wei's mansion for dinner, but it failed. How about it, are you interested in going to Qinxian Pavilion with me to have a tooth ceremony?"
"Okay!" Princess Gaoyang responded excitedly, but her expression immediately changed, "No! I don't like going there. There are too many women, and you have to be dishonest - go to the harem! Harem! Accompany my mother How about a vegetarian meal?"
Qin Mubai was startled for a moment, then nodded: "That's fine."
Concubine Yin De
long time no see…