Zhang Bian Guan slowly raised his head. With tears streaming down his face, he said in a trembling voice, "Father, you are always so high and far-sighted, saying the loudest words under the heavens, doing the boldest things under the heavens. But have you forgotten to turn around and look down at us, your children? "
Zhang Julu did not turn his head to look at his youngest son. He sneered and said, "What, are you afraid? That's right, who in this world is not afraid of death? Even those upright and upright officials who frequently ask their families to prepare coffins and then generously go to their deaths are also afraid of death. For some reason, I thought of an interesting matter. Some of the officials who had been thrown into the imperial prison were not afraid of death, but they were more afraid of dying without knowing why. Almost all of them used charcoal pens to write suicide letters on the walls of the prison. Perhaps the common people did not know that a charcoal pen in the imperial prison cost several hundred taels of silver to buy. For the poorer ones, it was not a problem for them. Dipping their fingers in blood, they were still able to write a letter in blood that was both praiseworthy and tragic. Your eldest brother is inflexible, he cannot do this kind of thing that can accumulate prestige the most. Your second brother is slightly more clever. If he is lucky enough to become an upright and noble official, he would not dare to do it even if he wanted to. As for you, Zhang Bian Guan, you probably feel it is beneath your dignity to do it? "
Zhang Bian Guan stood up and snatched the small stove from Zhang Julu's hands. He fiercely smashed it into the snowy ground below the steps. The raging charcoal fire that rolled out of the stove quickly dissipated.
Zhang Julu did not care about this son's "disobedient" behavior.
Not to mention licking his children's affection, he even wanted to personally serve his sons three bowls of death rice. Even if his son wanted to beat him, the Grand Secretary, a few times, it did not seem to be a big deal.
Zhang Julu slowly turned his head. Looking at his ashen-faced youngest son, he asked, "Do you really think your eldest brother and second brother do not know the situation of the imperial court at all? Do you really think they do not know the fate of the entire Zhang family? Only you, Zhang Bian Guan, can be smart all your life, but they can't be smart for once? "
Zhang Julu retracted his gaze and sneered, "Then you are too self-righteous. Among my sons, you, Zhang Bian Guan, are the most thoughtful. But your two brothers are pedantic, but how can they be stupid? They have been influenced by the political situation for so many years. No matter how pure their thoughts are, they have long been enlightened."
Zhang Bian Guan squatted down and murmured, "Back then, you insisted that our three sons could only marry women from small families. You were waiting for this day, right? If she was a woman from a noble family, she would implicate many people. When the time comes, when His Majesty the Emperor wants to kill people, he will also be overcautious. You really are a rarely seen Grand Secretary with a conscience, not making things difficult for the monarch sitting on the dragon throne. Eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law can both be considered to be good at managing their families. These years, their families can be considered to have benefited from the Zhang family's glory, profiting greatly in the open and in the dark, vaguely becoming a large family in the local counties. You even made an exception and turned a blind eye to this. Hey, you are doing this to make your conscience feel a bit better, right? "
Zhang Julu did not say anything.
Zhang Bian Guan rubbed his cheeks. He looked at the small stove left behind by his grandfather in the snow and said quietly, "Father, in order to become a good official, from the very beginning at my grandparents' side, you were not a good son. Then, you were not a good husband. Then, when you came to our side, you were not a good father. In the end, you were not even a good grandfather. Was it really worth it? "
Zhang Julu raised his hands and blew out a mouthful of fog. He smiled and said, "A good official?"
Zhang Julu was in a daze. He still remembered that his best friend Tantanon had once said some drunken words. To him, it was easy to be a loyal and treacherous official, it was easy to be an honest and muddle-headed official, but it was the most difficult to be a good official sandwiched between the monarch and the common people. It was difficult to explain clearly in a few words. It was already very difficult to control the monarch's world, and it was even more difficult to win a good reputation in life or in death.
Zhang Julu suddenly said, "When I was young, I read an anonymous frontier fortress poem. In it, there was a line, 'Riding a horse to the west, wanting to reach the sky, passing Qi to the west, feeling that the sky is low.' I was especially fascinated. I always thought that if one day the official career was not successful, at worst I would just throw away the pen and join the army. I would go and see with my own eyes the scenery of the vast wilderness and the sky at the border. That way, my life would not be in vain. But later, when the official career was stable, after your mother gave birth to you, she gave you the name 'Bian Guan'. "
For some reason, Zhang Bian Guan calmed down a lot. He squeezed out a smile and said self-mockingly, "Because of this unworthy name, I have been ridiculed for so many years by the group of second generation in the capital. They said that you, the Grand Secretary, should have been named Zhang Taian or Zhang Jingcheng."
Zhang Julu smiled and walked down the steps. He bent down to pick up the small stove. He picked up the iron tongs and put some charcoal into the fire. He handed it back to the young son and said softly, "I know that your hearts have been cold for many years. Father can't do anything."
Zhang Bian Guan was stunned and forgot to speak.
Zhang Julu waved his hand and asked the steward to bring a small stool. After sitting down, he asked, "The reason for this trip, is it because Man Er asked for a letter of divorce from you? Do you feel that you can't vent your anger? You have been with the chicken and the dog for so many years, but at this juncture, she abandoned you and left? Do you feel like husband and wife are birds in the same forest and fly away separately in the face of disaster? "
Zhang Bian Guan, who was asked several questions in a row, shook his head and said, "I don't mind her doing this."
Zhang Julu wanted to say something but stopped. In the end, he just said, "Don't be angry at her. Among the three daughters-in-law of the Zhang family, she has it the hardest. It's hard for her to be an evil person. She is such a smart and kind girl. Our Zhang family has let her down. "
Zhang Bian Guan looked straight at his father. The latter asked back, "Do you understand?"
Zhang Bian Guan suddenly remembered something and suddenly choked with sobs.
When a woman is ruthless, she is the most ruthless.
When a woman is infatuated, she is the most deeply moved.
Zhang Bian Guan seemed to have untied the knot in his heart and nodded vigorously.
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