"Does Your Highness know that fish and bear's paws are the same?" He Nan did not follow Qi Dan's intention to talk about Jiang Chen's case, but instead asked Qi Dan a question.
"The saying about fish and bear's paws comes from "Mencius: Gaozi 1"." Qi Dan said, "Fish is what I want, and bear's paws are also what I want. You can't have both. If you give up fish and take bear's paws, also."
"Life is what I want, and righteousness is also what I want; you cannot have both, and you are willing to sacrifice life for righteousness." He Nan heard Qi Dan explain the reason, and then he continued.
"Life is what I want, and what I want is more than life, so I won't get it; death is what I hate, and what I hate is more than the dead, so I won't get rid of it."
"If there is nothing more that people want to do than live, then why not do anything that can lead to life? If there is nothing that people can hate more than the dead, then if there is anything that can be done to save the sick, why not do it?"
...The two of them finished the article like a solitaire, one sentence at a time.
"I think... you just want to test whether I can recite this article, right?" Qi Dan joked.
"I don't dare." He Nan nodded slightly, "It's just that the current situation is like a choice between a fish and a bear's paw. I... am in a dilemma."
"You don't mean to say that you have to sacrifice your life for justice, do you?" Qi Dan narrowed his eyes, showing displeasure. In Qi Dan's view, He Nan was a smart person like himself, and he was the kind of person who put his eyes higher than his ability and was arrogant. It is precisely because he agreed that He Nan was a smart person that he could not understand why he had such a stupid idea as "sacrifice one's life for righteousness".
"Your Highness, you have misunderstood." He Nan explained, "I do not want to sacrifice my life for righteousness, not to mention that my life and death are not in my hands. I just want to state the interests and harms, and then Your Highness will naturally make a decision."
"Jiang Chen and I are like fish and bear's paws."
"Funny words and lies. Jiang Chen is a descendant of my Jiang family and a member of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Do you, a small eighth-grade official, dare to compare yourself with him?" Jiang Wenbing was very disdainful of He Nan's words, "Bear bear" His severed limbs and hands can actually be confused with a koi carp with golden scales and red tops."
He Nan glanced at Jiang Wenbing and made no rebuttal: "A single bear paw cannot be compared with the precious koi carp, but if you can tame a ferocious bear paw, it will be different."
"Continue." Qi Dan was curious about what He Nan meant by "a bear scorpion" and asked him to continue.
"If you want to deal with my master, the bear's paw will turn into a bear. The value... is far better than the fish that is worthless." He Nan actually said such treasonous words like this as if nothing had happened.
Is he... crazy? Qi Dan, Jiang Wenbing, Zhu Zhaoer, Zhang Siming, and even Du Liang, who was still drunk, were all shocked by He Nan. Everyone present knew that He Nan had the nickname "Crazy He" , but everyone thought that his usual behavior was just pretending to be crazy, who knew he would dare to make such wild remarks.
"You...but this doesn't explain why you can't have your cake and eat it too. In my opinion, there doesn't seem to be any conflict."
"It's very simple... Many people have heard about my attendance at your banquet today. If I deal with Jiang Chen after I go back, then these people will think that we have not reached an agreement. If Jiang Chen dies ——Then the conflict between me and the Jiang family is irreconcilable. Who can think that you would use Jiang Chen’s life as a bargaining chip to make me switch sides? After all, I am not an important person. But if I let Jiang Chen go after I go back, ... This behavior can't be washed away even by jumping into the Yellow River. Do you think my master will still trust me? So even if I ride on your high branch... it doesn't make sense to you or me. "He Nan made a cutting gesture towards his neck.
"You came to me just because you think I'm a chess piece buried under Shanhe Mansion and my master. It's pretty hidden and easy to use. But if someone pulls it out before the chess piece comes into play... the next one is still there.
Will it be so easy to bury?"
"I never said that I invited you to stumble Li Yushi... This is all your nonsense. And believe it or not, based on what you said now... I killed him on the spot.
You, the punishment you have committed is considered a minor crime." Qi Dan's eyes burst out with a sharp cold light, like two sharp swords pointed at He Nan's face.
"Whether it's my wishful thinking or nonsense, since you don't mean it, it means I'm talking too much. If I have the life to go back... I will definitely not chew on this tongue again, just treat it as nothing like that.
That's the case. If you are worried, you can kill me now. It doesn't matter if you accuse me of treason. Anyway, everyone present can prove that I am worthy of death for my rude words. But... three people become tigers, and I will die here today.
It's not unfair at all. I won't know what outsiders say. What if my master might have left such a knot in his heart? If he puts a knife under your pillow first, will you be able to sleep?
?" As the two talked, the atmosphere at the table gradually became subtle and solemn. In other words, He Nan was undoubtedly in a situation where he had a knife held to his neck, and he handed the knife to Qi Dan himself.
. However, his expression was as usual. He didn't seem to be afraid. Instead, he was confident and eloquent, which was unpredictable.
"I...can it be understood that you are bargaining?" Qi Dan couldn't understand the person in front of him. He was so afraid of death that he was almost peeing under Jiang Wenbing's hand, and he calmly said such treacherous words.
It’s true that you’re not afraid of death; it’s true that you can grit your teeth and refuse to let people go, and it’s true that An Neng can bend his eyebrows and bend his waist to serve the powerful. It seems true that he recommends himself that he can be a dog leg to himself...
"Yes, you can understand it however you want. You can even understand that I am threatening you, or sowing discord between you and Mr. Zuo Fengyi, or between you and my master." He Nan still had wine and meat in his mouth, and the glass and plate were in a mess.
The scene even gave people the illusion that he had calmly died and was eating his last meal.
Qi Dan was not angry at He Nan's words but smiled instead: "Hey Nan, He Nan... do you think that the status between you and me is equal? Or do you mean that the relationship between you and me is already familiar?
Are you so connected that you can speak out arrogant words without restraint and without respecting etiquette? Is it possible that we are all drunk and in a dream, and are you the real fifth prince of the Sheng Kingdom?"
"...Of course there are differences in status. You are the prince, and I am just a small official. But in this matter, our 'positions' are opposite - you came to me on your own initiative.
I have never had any intention of begging you. I know that you will not only have me as a choice, but I also know that you are not begging me, but soliciting. It is the superior who throws a rope for the inferior to climb up."
"Both you and my master have given me a rope. As long as I grab this rope, I will be like a pawn crossing the river - there is no turning back. At that time, it will be tied or pulled.
You decide how high I can climb and when to throw me down, it’s all a matter of you blinking an eye.”
"In other words... what I want doesn't depend on how much I want it, but whether you want it or not. So it doesn't matter which side I choose."
After hearing He Nan's "heartfelt words", Qi Dan's doubts could not be said to have been wiped away, but he also somewhat understood He Nan's mood.
The chaotic and blurry image of "Crazy He" in his eyes gradually became clearer, and he knew why he could see two completely opposite shadows in He Nan. Because he asked for something but did not get it, he was afraid of death; because he was a bitch
He has only one life, so he is not afraid of death; because he is a small pawn, he must follow a master; but he is only a small pawn, so it does not matter to him who he follows.
This is the pitiful thing about ants. Qi Dan suddenly felt this way in his heart. "The beautiful words are good. I think you are being honest at this time. But it seems that you and I don't trust each other enough to be like each other."
Isn’t this the extent of talking about what’s on your mind?”
He Nan didn't seem to take this sharp question seriously at all, "Since ancient times, the biggest problem for spies is loyalty. I can be loyal to my master because of friendship, or I can be loyal to you because of interests. Trust? This kind of
Things are nothing to spies. If you really have some energy left, you can guess how much of my advice to you is true and how false. Don’t worry, I won’t tell you everything.
...You don’t trust me either, right? But since I went to this banquet today, my master’s trust in me is not 100%.”
"If it's not 100%, what's the difference between it and zero? We're not in the same boat yet. If you don't trust me, or if you really have no intention of participating in the court dispute, take me off the boat now.
It's too late to kick me out. You can think that I am sent by my master to use countermeasures against you. But if you want something more than what you have now... I don't think everything I said before is considered a drunken gaffe.
."
Excellent counselors since ancient times have been good at settling accounts - settling their own accounts, settling their lord's accounts, settling the world's accounts... Su Qin's "He Zong", Zhang Yi's "Lian Heng", Zhuge Liang's "Long Zhong Du", Mao Zedong
Jie's "I obey the emperor's orders and refuse to submit"... and so on are undoubtedly the interpretation of "settling accounts" to the extreme. Of course, He Nan cannot be compared with the above, but he has already settled all the accounts in his words.
The calculation is very clear - what I want is not the current situation. Since the traitor in front of me can act with confidence, I have no reason not to give him a try. The worst result is just to tear him apart.
It's just that the time has been advanced, not to mention that he still holds other chips in his hand.
But Qi Dan was still a little unhappy - it seemed that he was being led away by the talkative guy in front of him. He Nan... actually taught himself a lesson called "preoccupying the guest with the host".
The fifth prince thought for a while and then waved to He Nan to follow him into the back hall. The two of them whispered in the back hall for about an hour before coming out.
Seeing that it was getting late and the banquet was almost gone, He Nan followed Zhu Zhaoer and said goodbye. Just as he stepped out of the hall, Qi Dan suddenly called him from behind.
"He Nan...you are really the most despicable and shameless person I have ever seen."
He turned around and looked at the fifth prince standing in the center of the hall with his hands behind his back. He showed a smile that was different from all the fake smiles and bitter smiles before. It was an extremely sincere smile. "You are so flattering."
This chapter has been completed!