Hsu Fengnian asked, "What's the news from the central plains? Is it that Wen Taiyi and Ma Zhongxian are finally no longer obstructing the grain issue? "
Song Dongming smiled and said, "This can't be considered important news."
Hsu Fengnian was slightly surprised. "There's a change in the situation that's more important than this?"
After Song Dongming and Hsu Fengnian took their seats in the meeting hall, this deputy administrator of Beiliang, who had already been acknowledged by the Ministry of Personnel of the Liyang imperial court, had a playful look in his eyes. "That King of Jing An, Zhao Xun, who was originally loyal to the imperial court, has just joined the two rebel vassals."
Hsu Fengnian was stunned where he stood.
Song Dongming sneered and said, "Waiting for the right price to sell, this move is really beautiful. I estimate that this vassal king, who is able to judge the situation, has sold himself for a sky-high price."
Hsu Fengnian felt this was absurd and said with a frown, "Could it be that Zhao Bing and Chen Zhibao want to push Zhao Xun out to be the emperor?"
Song Dongming smiled and said, "Wang Ye is right!"
Hsu Fengnian sank into deep thought.
If one added the Jing 'an Road in the middle of the central plains, and the Western Shu and Southern Zhao that had long been controlled by Chen Zhibao, then the entire area south of the Guangling River was completely united. Half of Li Yang's territory was already in the hands of the three vassals.
At this time, the King of Yan, Zhao Bing, who was the first to start the war and had the most power, seemed to be the most qualified to ascend to the throne and rule with Li Yang by dividing the river. However, in reality, it was the exact opposite. Zhao Bing was the least suitable to change his official robe for a dragon robe. No matter how bad Song Yushu described the Emperor of Li Yang in the imperial edict, the entire court, especially the nobles led by Gangnam-do, were still loyal to Great Peace City. Zhao Bing was not suitable to stand out, and Chen Zhibao, who did not have a proper surname, was even more unsuitable. Thus, the King of Jing, Zhao Xun, became the most difficult choice. In the Li Yang Dynasty that had not yet annexed the central plains, Zhao Xun and his son's branch of the Zhao clan were actually far more suitable for the orthodox status than Zhao Heng's branch of the Li Yang Dynasty. After the old King of Jing, Zhao Heng, failed to seize the throne and was "exiled" to Qing Province, there was a reason for his deep resentment. In the current Xiangfu Dynasty, there were probably not many officials who knew of this secret. Before Zhao Zhuan's grandfather ascended the throne, because Chun Wang Wang, who was of the same generation as him, did not have a son, the Imperial Clan Court had proposed that Zhao Heng be adopted by Chun Wang Wang Wang's branch. However, the process of Zhao Zhuan's grandfather ascending the throne was even more confusing than that of his son, Zhao Zhuan. In the end, Zhao Heng's identity became a muddled matter that even the elders of the Imperial Clan Court could not understand. However, if this old matter was brought up again now, it was better to be early than coincidental. It could be said to be just right.
Hsu Fengnian did not feel any jealousy towards Zhao Xun's meteoric rise, but he could not help but laugh. He thought of that pitiful fellow who had been thrown into the Spring God Lake by him twice. Did he really give him a dragon robe to sit on the dragon throne?
Hsu Fengnian gathered his thoughts. "No matter how chaotic the central plains are, that's it. Oh right, is there any movement in Great Peace City?"
Out of habit, Song Dongming used his thumb and forefinger to rub a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He smiled and said, "The eunuchs in charge of the Directorate of Credentials have all moved out. They're on their way to Beiliang with a large pile of fresh imperial edicts and decrees."
Hsu Fengnian said in bewilderment, "A large pile?"
Song Dongming couldn't help but laugh. "Otherwise, why would they need three or four eunuchs from the Directorate of Credentials to go out together? The most important is your title of Pillar of the Country, and the posthumous titles for Liu Jinu, Wang Lingbao, and the other generals of the Beiliang Frontier Army. For example, Great Peace City posthumously made Liu Jinu a first-rank count and gave him the title of 'Ge Jing.' Other than that, there are also the titles of noblewomen prepared for Lu Cheng and Yan Chu Dong. The eunuchs from the Directorate of Credentials have moved slowly probably because they want to wait for your marriage and hope for a good fortune. From this, it can be seen that the sincerity of Great Peace City this time is like the mud to the clouds compared to the last two times. "
Hsu Fengnian sank into deep thought.
Song Dongming did not disturb this young vassal king's thoughts.
Song Dongming looked calmly outside the room, his thoughts flowing.
The greatest feeling of this Beiliang civil official was the rise of Lu Sheng Xiang in the imperial court of Liyang. This person was able to be made a marquis and become a minister, not because this old man of the Spring Snow Building was skilled in the officialdom, but because he was too talented and had great military achievements. But the timing of Lu Sheng Xiang's rise was worth considering. He believed that Lu Sheng Xiang himself might not be as full of himself as the officialdom of Jingdou imagined. He might even be walking on thin ice compared to when he was the commander-in-chief of the Southern Expedition. Being in a high position under the general trend, what would happen when the general trend was gone? Would he be able to retire after succeeding? The old Prince of Liang Xu Xiao's evil title, and the old Grand Secretary Zhang Julu's family extermination, were they not examples of what happened before? The two emperors of Liyang before the current Son of Heaven Zhao Zhuan each wore two dragon robes. One was wise and powerful, the other grand and magnanimous. But it was undeniable that the sleeves were dripping with blood. The two emperors were not incapable rulers who would willfully kill the innocent, but when they wanted to kill someone, the person they killed was always the person with the greatest merit. Was Lu Sheng Xiang not worried that he would become a sacrifice when the new emperor after Zhao Zhuan ascended the throne?
Song Dongming finally understood. It was not difficult to make a living in the officialdom of Liyang. Great Peace City could accommodate scholars like Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen, who were both talented and virtuous. It could also accommodate scholars like Wen Shouren and Jin Lanting, who were angling for fame. It could also accommodate scholars like Sima Puhua, who only cultivated through official means. But it could not accommodate those scholars who insisted that the people were important and the monarch was not important. Similarly, it could not accommodate people who had no merit.
In Liyang and the Central Plains, it was easy to become an official for the Zhao family, but it was not so easy to work for the common people.
There were many things that even the Emperor would be constrained in every way. In the early years, Bi Yan managed the transport of grain and officials. Perhaps this was what the late Emperor Zhao Dun wanted to do. But the complex power that had accumulated around the Zhao family for hundreds of years, or the new nobles who had recently ascended to power in the imperial court, each had their own desires, each had their own selfish motives. It was like a deeply entangled net, covering the sky and the earth, covering the territory of the Central Plains. On this large net, there were all kinds of unimaginably complex situations mixed in. The struggle for imperial power, the struggle for power, the struggle for political parties, the struggle for civil and military power, the struggle for noble clans and cold clans, the struggle for the northern and southern regions, the struggle for the capital, the struggle for the position of nobleman and villain, the struggle for the position of superior and inferior within each government office, and the internal and external struggles between government offices.
Therefore, Song Dongming recognized Beiliang more and more.
Here, doing things was relatively simple.
But at the same time, Song Dongming also knew that this kind of precious simplicity would quickly deteriorate if the Beiliang Xu family was no longer limited to the four provinces of Beiliang in the future.
For example, between him and Bai Yu, between the "relatives" of the Lu and Wang families, between the young people like Xu Beizhi and Chen Xiliang and the old generals of the border army, between the outstanding people like Huang Shang and the notorious people like Huangfu Jin and Li Mofan, between the cavalry and the infantry of Beiliang, between the elite border army, and so on.
There might even be a day when a conflict would arise between Hsu Fengnian and the "people".
At this moment, Song Dongming had mixed feelings.
A voice rang by his ear. "Sir Song, what's going on in Beimang?"
Song Dongming came back to his senses and smiled. "That Beimang princess, who goes by the pseudonym Fan Bainu, entered the pass from Ji Province and came to our Youzhou. She reported her name to Huangfu Jin, and finally, under the 'escort' of the cavalry at Tong Pass, she will arrive at Mount Qing Liang in about two days."
Hsu Fengnian asked in surprise, "What is she doing here?"
Song Dongming shook his head. "I can't guess. But she brought a few retainers with her. They are all Qie Xue guards from the Beiting King's tent. "
Hsu Fengnian said self-deprecatingly, "When did Beiliang become so lively?"
Song Dongming was in high spirits, showing off his ability. He spread out his palms and then clenched them. "The ownership of the world is in the hands of Beiliang."
Hsu Fengnian laughed for no reason. "Xu Xiao loved to hear these words when he was alive."
Song Dongming laughed and asked, "Does Your Highness not like it?"
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said frankly, "There is no one in the world who doesn't like to be flattered."
After saying this, Hsu Fengnian's expression became somewhat lonely.
After Xu Xiao became successful and famous, as he gradually grew old, perhaps the only regret of that old man's life was that he had never heard his son say a single good word about him.
Not a single word.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
