It cannot be said that Confucianism has no merits. At least in an era when the rule of kings and ministers and imperial power is supreme, it is difficult for ministers to develop a truly hostile relationship with the king.
Although Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism has not yet appeared in this era, which is more poisonous to people's hearts: "The distinction between superior and inferior, the meaning of superiority and inferiority, the proper principles and the foundation of etiquette."
"The king, his ministers, his father and his son are the laws of the world, and nothing can escape between heaven and earth." Wait for a more specific concept like this.
But when a minister faces the king, he can only obey. The suppression of the monarch-minister way allows them to often forget all their grudges and grudges when facing the emperor.
Therefore, after Yang Sijian lost his beloved daughter, he was able to be reused by the prince again in his official career. For him, it was equivalent to Prince Li Hong giving him a second life. This made him feel grateful deep in his heart. , and nothing else.
Lin Shiling gave people an increasingly gloomy feeling, but fortunately when facing Li Hong, the smile on his face or the smile in his eyes still had some sunshine.
But as soon as he turns around to face others, no one knows what conspiracy, cruelty and coldness he hides with ulterior motives.
Quan Yi and Jing Hui were the most poisoned by this man's eyes, but now the three of them were stirring the pot in Tubo, and they had long been accustomed to the gusts of sinister wind behind them.
What's more, Lin Shiling behaved more or less openly and honestly when facing his colleagues, which made Quan Yi and Jinghui greatly appreciate this. Once they encountered a difficult matter like "nail house" in Tubo, they would They would all go to the house with a wine pot and invite Lin Shiling to "come out" to help with the renovation.
Jinghui was praised for his benevolence and stability, and Quan Yi was also known for his calmness and tact in leading troops in battle. Neither of them was as arbitrary and resourceful as their predecessors Pei Xingjian and Ma Zai, so they were very difficult in governing Tubo. In terms of personal matters, sometimes it is easy to be constrained by one's own personality and unable to maximize the majesty of the Protectorate.
At this time, Lin Shiling, who was working with the two of them, seemed very important and special. When it came to treating some of the "difficult and miscellaneous diseases" of Tubo, he had always been able to "cure the disease with medicine" without any delay, and Every time, Quan Yi and Jing Hui gave Lin Shiling a thumbs up sincerely, from the bottom of their hearts, and with sincerity.
As a result, over time, Lin Shiling, who was flattered by Jinghui and Quan Yi among the Tubo officials, nobles, and wealthy families as one of the medicine doctors, got a nickname that could stop the crying children of Tubo people: King of Medicine Hell.
But not everyone can get used to Lin Shiling's behavior. Dai Zhide, who has been in Tubo longer than the three of them, has regarded Tubo as his "second hometown" and even plans to be buried there after his death. , I just can’t understand some of Lin Shiling’s actions.
However, due to the fact that he was only a second-grade bachelor in Tubo, Dai Zhide could not participate in the real administrative work of Tubo. Therefore, whenever there was a banquet and drinking party at home, Lao Guqi never asked Lin Shiling to come over.
And every time Lin Shiling knew that he was accidentally missed by Lao Guqiu, he was not angry. He still went his own way with a smile, and did not pay attention to Dai Zhide's unreasonable behavior.
At every banquet, Dai Zhide would whisper a few words to Quan Yi and Jinghui in his ordinary identity as an old antique: You should not forget His Highness's expectations for you, and you should not let the King of Hell do whatever he wants. Ruined the Tubo country that His Highness worked so hard to conquer.
Every time, Quan Yi and Jinghui would listen carefully and obey orders, but when they went back, they would tell Lin Shiling word by word, how did Old Antique scold you again, etc.
Every time at this time, when Lin Shiling knew that Dai Zhide's dislike of him had deepened, he would proudly look through the window, facing the green mountains covered with white snow in the distance, and say deeply: I am here Accumulating a century-old foundation for His Highness is the same as the idea of the Tang Dynasty imperial power that he is spreading now. They are all for the sake of the Tang Dynasty, but the methods are different.
When Lin Shiling faced the window and looked at the snow-capped green mountains, it was also a silent act of seeing off guests, so every time the two of them saw Lin Shiling looking into the distance with his "windy" eyes, The two of them would wisely walk up to Lin Shiling, one patting his left shoulder and the other patting his right shoulder to express comfort.
Then the two of them would turn around in unison, put the wine on the table unsealed, and take the wine that Lin Shiling had been invited to help out last time, and then take it back and save it for the next time he invited the King of Hell to use it.
It is not a secret in Tubo that Lin Shiling does not drink, and since he was picked up by His Highness the Prince from Chang'an Street, this guy has quietly stopped drinking.
Quan Yi, Jing Hui, and even Dai Zhide once asked him if there was anything wrong with him and how could he stop drinking? It's such a cold day, and you have to hit the place with a stick when you urinate. Aren't you cold if you don't drink? Don't you need some wine to warm yourself up
Lin Shiling would look at the three curious people seriously every time, pick up the inferior tea without any impatience, and explain slowly: His Highness the Crown Prince allowed me, Lin Shiling, to come here because he trusts me. Accumulating merit for the Tang Dynasty also gave me, Lin Shiling, an opportunity to realize my original ambition. Whether it is based on His Highness's trust or my ambition, I should not delay His Highness's important events because of drinking.
After finishing speaking, he would look at the three people with disdain, and then proudly say the famous saying in "Chu Ci: Fisherman": The whole world is turbid, I am alone clear, everyone is drunk, and I am alone sober. A cup of clear tea goes to Tianshan and settles the affairs of the king and the world.
"You...the next two sentences are not from the Songs of Chu, are they? The last sentence seems to be a poem written by His Highness back then, right?" Dai Zhide listened to the poor poems and had to point them out every time.
Lin Shiling scratched his head, not embarrassed, and replied confidently: "I know that it was my idea to go to Tianshan with a cup of clear tea. The first two sentences are from Chu Ci, and the last sentence is from His Highness himself. But His Highness said that there is a lot of articles in the world. Copying, it depends on whether you can copy or not, no, Your Highness didn’t say anything, why do you care about me doing so much? You can’t stand reciting poems and writing poems?”
"I feel so wronged for Chu Ci and Your Highness. You have destroyed the artistic conception of a good poem, lowered its style, and lost its taste. It's just like... just like... the Tibetan people use horse dung to lean on meat skewers, and it looks like it's... Disgusting." Dai Zhide raised his cup and took a sip, and replied without giving up.
"Drink your drink."
"Drink your tea."
When an old man and a young man stare at each other and refuse to give in, the final peacemakers are always Jinghui and Quan Yi, but every time they try to persuade the old and the young, they end up in an embarrassing situation.
"You two traitors, did you tell him exactly what I said at the banquet at my house yesterday when I called him the King of Hell?" Dai Zhide put down his cup and looked at Quan Yi who was trying to persuade him. Jing Hui, who didn't show any kindness or self-respect due to his age, questioned the innocent two people while blowing his beard and staring.
"You two traitors, I'm going to help you solve the problem, but you still go and tell Lao Guzi? You just tell Lao Guzi, why do you have to repeat what he scolded me to me? Do you want to say that this is also what you feel? You just tell me Can't you just hold it in? Why don't you just listen to Old Antique? You might be able to hold him back to death that day, so don't tell me next time! A persuasive person complained.
The old man and the young man cooperated tacitly, leaving only Quan Yi and Jinghui in the middle. However, the two of them did not have a long memory, or they did it intentionally, and they always had to act as the old man and the young man. Then he was scolded by two people, one old and one young.
Life in Tubo is definitely not a life for people, let alone the four officials of the Tang Dynasty who shoulder heavy responsibilities. Even Dai Zhide has now taken all his family members to Tubo, but his age is not forgiving now, even if he is used to it Due to the hypoxic lifestyle, at this time, the only option is to stay in Tubo and control Tubo with Jinghui, without giving others the opportunity to take advantage of him.
Therefore, this seemingly disharmonious scene between the four of them has become one of the few joys of the four of them in Tubo. Joking and sarcasm of each other have become an inseparable part of their lives.
"The old man does not rely on his muscles and bones, so sometimes he should be given some slack. When I was arguing with him in the court, I was a little scared. After all, he is a great scholar of the generation, well-read and rich in knowledge, so why not It’s something I can argue with even a half-hearted effort. Write to Jinghui now and tell him that it was me who said that from now on, Dai Zhide will not drink more than two taels a day... Isn’t that a little too much?” Li Hong asked, looking at Quan Yi and Lin Shiling.
Lin Shiling and Quan Yi nodded hurriedly. If they can get more for Old Antique at this time, they should try to get more. Don't wait until they return to Tubo and be annoyed by Old Antique who has no wine to drink.
"Then just three taels. As for the wine... Quan Yi, you will be responsible for paying for the wine from now on. No, from now on you will be responsible for all the expenses of Dai Zhide's daily life, including Lin Shiling and Jing Hui's..." Li Hong ignored Quan Yi, who had a twitching expression on his face. He raised his head to the sky at forty-five degrees and said thoughtfully: "In the name of winter subsidies, as long as the three of them feel cold every year, your caravan has to give them to them for free. You are not allowed to collect money for coal, clothing, food, etc. You can tell your wife Yiyang this and say it was me."
Quan Yi looked at Li Hong with some embarrassment. When Lin Shiling could hardly hold back the gloating smile on his face, he hesitated and said coyly: "Your Highness, please don't be angry when the general says something disrespectful. The royal consort is not as good as you think. This... Her Royal Highness has always had the final say on the financial power. I am afraid that I will not be convincing if I write to her in the end. I am afraid that I will have to trouble you personally. Send her a letter."
"She is a rich woman now. Is there anyone richer than her in Chang'an City? Why do you still take money so seriously? She is obsessed with money!" Li Hong's eyes widened, as if he wanted to eat someone. Look at Quan Yi.
Quan Yi, who was startled by Li Hong, swallowed his saliva and before he could speak, he heard Lin Shiling next to him explaining for him: "Your Highness, you don't know something. In fact, Her Highness Princess Yiyang is in charge of his money. I'm afraid that he will find a few young girls in Tubo. Look at this talented, elegant, suave, handsome and unrestrained girl from Tubo. There are many eldest girls and young wives from Tubo who are ogling him and flirting with him every day. I wish I could trick General Quan into my bed."
(End of chapter)