Pang Tong looked at Zhang Shi, who was talking impassionedly below, but his thoughts were a little distracted.
Two days ago.
When Jia Xu arrived in Chang'an, he did not appear in public. He just quietly arrived at Pang Tong's home, and then sat together to drink and eat meat. Jia Xu liked beef, and beef tendon meat, which was braised to make it chewy and delicious, while Pang Tong liked it.
Fatty meat is best grilled to get the fat flavor.
Therefore, everyone is happy when they get what they need.
What if two people have good intentions and accidentally bump into each other?
It’s just a piece of meat, who eats it?
There is only one pit, who takes it?
There is going to be some fighting, and even if someone bows his head and endures it, it is impossible to endure it every time. It will eventually break out...
"Look, someone will eventually jump out and attack you... The big men are proud of their martial arts, and the folk customs in Longyou, Guanzhong, are fierce. If you just keep your head down and be patient, you will eventually be looked down upon... So when the time comes, you will definitely
Someone will come to disturb the situation..." Jia Xu licked the fingers that were pinching the beef and made a slurping sound.
Pang Tong laughed, then waved his fat palm, "Then I'll slap all those guys into the mud!" If you can't deal with even this small scene, how can you deal with more troubles in the future?
Jia Xu shook his head, narrowed his eyes and said, "You are wrong..." Then he sighed again, as if he hated iron for not being able to become steel, and as if he felt that Pang Tong was drifting now and could not find the north.
"Huh?" Pang Tong pinched his double-layered, um, triple-layered chin and pondered.
"Shi Yuan, what do you think the current generation lacks most?" Jia Xu pinched another piece of beef, threw it into his mouth, and shook his head.
"A fierce general? A soldier who has experienced hundreds of battles and is invincible?" Pang Tong blurted out.
Jia Xu shook his head and said, "That's what you think."
"So he's a counselor? A wise man with ever-changing resources and insight into opportunities?" Pang Tong continued.
Jia Xu still shook his head, "That's what others think."
"So..." Pang Tong frowned, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "According to what you said...I'm afraid that the trade money and food are all wrong...so, they are enemies?"
Jia Xu laughed loudly, "That's right! That's it! A big man needs rivals! If you don't have rivals outside, you'll be lazy; if you don't have rivals internally, you'll be lazy. More importantly, don't think that you are invincible..."
Pang Tong snorted, "Why do I feel like you are mocking me?"
Jia Xu continued to laugh, "Does this still need to be felt? I'm talking about you! You did well before, but now, it's too rough and obviously not delicate... Just like the meat you like to eat, directly
Will it taste good if you cut it? Cut it into thin slices, roast it slowly, wait until it is slightly brown and the fat is released, then dip it in the sauce, it is the most delicious... If it is too raw, it will not be fragrant enough, and if it is too cooked, it will inevitably burn.
Already..."
"Is it too hasty?" Pang Tong frowned and said, "The heat is not enough?"
Jia Xu nodded, then slowly picked up the drink, "You see, my lord, you are not in a hurry... Why are you in a hurry? These people... just like to pretend to be good people... No, they like to pretend to be saints..."
"People are always hard to distinguish between good and bad." Jia Xu pointed at himself, and then pointed at Pang Tong, "Just like you and me, we know that doing this is good, but if we do it, we will be seen as a bad person in the eyes of others.
, holding power, oppressing the good... Haha, and these people will stand tall, like saints in the world, compassionate to others, saying to this one to be tolerant, to that one to be considerate..."
"If the heat is not enough, these people will be left with excuses..." Jia Xu pinched a small roll of fine silk from his sleeve, and regardless of whether the oil on his hand had infected the silk cloth, he threw it to Pang Tong's shoulder.
On the desk, "Take a look first..."
"Zhang Shi, Yu Qing, Wu Yun, Zong Jing, Mu Chu..." Pang Tong looked at the lists one by one on the fine silk.
"There is a small courtyard with strange stones in the west of the city..." Jia Xu tapped the fine silk in Pang Tong's hand, "These people often go there...haven't you noticed?"
Pang Tong frowned and said: "I heard that it is just a literary society... So it is just under the guise of a cultural society... these people... could it be..."
Jia Xu said slowly: "If a person says that he is a good person or a disciple of a saint, he must be honest when he opens his mouth, and he must be upright when he shuts up. He always says that he must be loyal to the country, righteous to his friends, filial to his parents, and loving to his brothers.
, When you see injustice on the road, you speak out with passion, when you see injustice, you speak out angrily... How about such a person?"
Pang Tong narrowed his eyes slightly, "It depends on what he does...if he just talks but doesn't do anything..."
"What if we just say one thing and do another?" Jia Xu asked.
Pang Tong replied decisively, "He deserves to be killed!"
"Yes, it should be killed!" Jia Xu also nodded, but his smile was very weird, "But how can we kill..."
Jia Xu's smile gradually faded, but Zhang Shi, who was lowering his head, was still impassioned.
Pang Tong sat at the top and watched coldly.
Isn't Zhang Shi smart?
No, it's because he is too smart, and then he uses it in small ways. Especially after being blinded by desire, he can no longer see far.
It is really just like what Jia Xu said, these people will not give up the interests in their hands easily. Human nature is like this, even if death is imminent, few people will let go.
If it succeeds, the people headed by Zhang Shi will naturally become famous. It can be said that they will immediately replace Wei Duan, who is only obedient and dare not say much, and become the spokesperson of the new generation of Guanzhong gentry. If it fails, Zhang Shi will not lose anything and will speak up.
What's wrong?
What can I do if I say a few words?
Not to mention that opening one's mouth means benevolence and keeping one's mouth closed means morality. What's the matter? Are benevolence, morality and morality wrong?
For a time, public sentiment was high, and it seemed that more people meant greater power, and more people meant correctness...
As for whether Pang Tong was right to do this, and whether the wealthy Lianshao family had caused harm to the people, Zhang Shi and others did not care. They were more concerned about obtaining their own benefits from it.
This kind of benefit may not necessarily be the kind of gold and silver jewelry on the surface, it may also be invisible and intangible fame, or even just a sense of satisfaction in the heart...
Why did Zhang Shi dare to stand up?
Because I am confident.
Because what Zhang Shi talks about is benevolence, righteousness and morality. What, is it wrong to talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality? Can’t even talk about it?
And does this happy person following Zhang Shi really agree with Zhang Shi wholeheartedly?
It's not that, it's just a fluke.
Because someone took the lead, someone stood up, and then so many people were saying it, it must be true. Anyway, there are so many people, and I am not the only one missing. If it is right, then it is natural that we have done the right thing. If it is wrong,
, anyway, I am just an insignificant person, so I will not be punished. It can be said that I came out with others. Anyway, I can always find some reasons to exonerate myself.
What's more, occupying the moral high ground, criticizing this, commenting on that, has always been able to provide exciting dopamine. Just one word of pleasure can be pursued for a lifetime.
At this point, the overall chain has been formed. People with ulterior motives are the first to cause trouble, and then say some true and false specious words to occupy a high moral position, and then use some habitual cognition to confuse, or simply not to
Investigate right and wrong, and then use your power to overwhelm others.
Because Pang Tong was reasonable, they dared to talk nonsense.
If Pang Tong was unreasonable, these people would not dare to be reasonable.
Everyone looked at Pang Tong eagerly.
Interests are human nature and rules.
Since there are rules, you need to follow the rules when you enter the venue. Anyone who wants to disobey the rules either needs the power to break the rules or be swallowed up by the rules.
People often say that in the face of absolute power, everything is just a cloud, but what is absolute power? Facing ants, maybe one finger is "absolute power", but in front of an elephant, even if you try your best
, it may not be able to shake the elephant at all...
But there are still some people who don't understand this. Maybe they do, but they just think that their power is already great and they can challenge the rules.
That's why there is the Small Courtyard of Strange Stones, why there are the heroic words of Zhang Shi and others, and why there are so many people standing together now who want to use this to force Pang Tong.
"Zhang Shi, Zhang Zhongliang." Pang Tong took out a scroll from his sleeve, opened it, looked at it, rolled it up and put it back, then took out another volume, "Well, here it is... Zhang Zhongliang,
A native of Hedong, his family is in Yuwang County. In the fourth to fifth years of the Zhongping Dynasty, he studied in Luoyang, made many friends, and was quite famous as a chef... He lived in Jie County, Hedong County, on the side of Beimen Street. He had a wife, two sons and a daughter.
My parents are still alive..."
"At that time, he was recommended by the governor of Hedong and appointed Langguan..." Pang Tong continued to read without expression, "After Luoyang was in chaos, he returned home. In the second year of Taixing, he went to Chang'an and became an official. He served successively as secretary of Zheng County, Xinfeng
Hu Cao and Jing Zhaoyin are engaged in..."
"Is there any discrepancy?" Pang Tong asked as he raised his eyelids and looked at Zhang.
Zhang Shi was stunned for a moment, his eyes moved, and before he had time to speak, he heard Pang Tong continue to read: "... In the third year of Taixing, he bought the Qishishiaoyuan, and later claimed it as his own, and invited him widely.
People who use talking about the past and present as a cover-up actually become friends..."
"Absurd!" Zhang Shi said angrily, "We gather together just to enjoy ourselves, how can we talk about cliques?!"
"Oh?" Pang Tong glanced at it, "So... on the twelfth day of the first month of the fourth year of Taixing, someone gathered in the Qishi Xiaoyuan in the name of enjoying the snow, and there was a saying,... Well, that's right.
Full of pride... Haha, I don’t know who said it?」
Zhang Shi's anger disappeared a lot unknowingly, and Chichi said: "This...whose family doesn't make bold words when they are young, and that family's son does not want to rise to the throne? Is this also wrong? Where is the mistake?"
Pang Tong laughed and said, "I haven't said this is wrong yet, so why should Zhang Zheng be so excited?"
"Uh..." Zhang Shi was aroused by Pang Tong's high and low tricks.
Pang Tong waved his hand, and then said with a smile: "Zhang Zhizhi, I have a question, and I would like to ask Zhang Zhizhi for advice... I heard that the courtyards near Chang'an are quite expensive... I wonder how much this small courtyard with strange stones is worth?"
』
Zhang Shi was stunned for a moment, and after a moment he said: "This was purchased by a certain person last year, and it has nothing to do with the current matter!"
"As far as I know..." Pang Tong continued, "The price of the Qishi Courtyard is 5.5 million yuan...Zhang Zhizhi, I am just a little curious. Ruhedong's home only has a hundred acres of Susukada and a few mulberry forests...these five
Where did the one and a half million dollars come from?"
Unknowingly, the originally neat queue seemed to be shaking a little, and then someone quietly moved back...
Zhang Shi's heart skipped a beat and he said, "This was a gift from a village elder when I took office! This is a traditional custom. Not to mention Zhang, everyone else does it too!"
"No!"
"Brother Zhang, uh, why did Zhang Zheng say this?"
"I have never received any gifts from the villagers... Mr. Zhang must not talk nonsense..."
When Zhang Shi finished speaking, someone immediately retorted, and then more people left the queue while retorting, no longer standing behind Zhang Shi.
The originally huge team suddenly fell into disarray and became even more shaky.
"A gift from the village elder..." Pang Tong looked at the silk cloth in his hand again, "The Pei family in Hedong gave 100,000 yuan, the Xue family in Hedong gave 80,000 yuan, the Wang family 50,000 yuan, the Zhang family also 50,000 yuan, and there were also a few hundred and twenty thousand yuan."
Households, ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 yuan... These various things, the total adds up to only one million yuan... In addition, Zhang's salary is more than 600 dan, even if he doesn't eat or drink for a year, it may be difficult to collect these 5 yuan.
One and a half million...』
While Zhang Shi had thousands of teachings and scriptures, Pang Tong just grabbed some money.
Where did the money come from and where did it go...
It was said that it was given by someone else. Who gave it to me? Why did it come to me?
If you say you earned it yourself, how did you earn it and whose money did you earn it from?
It is said that it is an ancestral property, who left it behind, and who can prove it?
Zhang Shi's money does not have much connection with the big Lianshao family. Even if it does, it is only a small amount. Because Zhang Shi's position is not Zuo Fengyi, the source of Zhang Shi's money is basically Jingzhao Yin Zuojin.
of……
This is also the reason why Zhang Shi dared to stand up.
In addition, Zuo Fengyi's wealthy family was taken away. Will the wealthy families in Jing Zhaoyin feel that the matter has nothing to do with them? After all, fifteen families in Chang'an Mausoleum were arrested overnight, even though they were related to Chang'an Sanfu.
Compared with the total population, fifteen families is not a large number, but the big families in Jingzhaoyin are also afraid that it will be their turn next time, so they urgently need a spokesperson to test, or to block Pang Tong's red line, so he became
inevitable.
But it was obvious that Zhang Shi was unable to complete this task at the moment. Zhang Shi could not reveal the financial backer in public, so in the end he could only grit his teeth and say nothing.
At this moment, Zhang Shi suddenly realized that the person following him had unknowingly made a strategic change in small steps, leaving him alone here.
When a drum is broken, thousands of people beat it; when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down.
Those people who always called Brother Zhang before, and even wanted to kneel down and call him "Sir", were the quickest to abandon Zhang Shi. They even started to point fingers at Zhang Shi, expressing their innocence and wanting to draw a clear line with Zhang Shi.
Even those people who often went in and out of the Qishi Xiaoyuan and who once followed Zhang Shi and cheered him up when Zhang Shi teased them, saw that the situation was wrong and immediately and unceremoniously threw Zhang Shi away without any hesitation.
"Everything is what Zhang Shi said, and everything was done by Zhang Shi. I was just temporarily deceived by Zhang Shi..."
"I thought Zhang Shi was just joking, but I didn't expect Zhang Shi actually did it..."
"I am not specifically against anyone, nor am I targeting anyone, I am just upholding justice..."
Look, this is the team from Qishi Xiaoyuan.
"Zhang Zhizong..." Pang Tong was still smiling, as if he was not affected by the previous events at all, "I wonder who else Zhang Zongzong wants to vindicate? Who is wronged? Come on, Zhang Zongzong might as well tell you in detail, who is it?"
,What kind of injustice is it?』
If he hadn't realized that his family's butt curtain had been lifted, Zhang Shi would have made some nonsense, and then enthusiastically advocated for the interests of the big family, but now...
"Reporting to your Majesty... I'm here, I'm here..." Zhang Shi lowered his head. He couldn't do it without lowering his head. He originally thought that he had great power. Every word he spoke would bring about storms, and when he raised his hand, thousands of people would follow him. But now he realizes that he has great power.
, those are just my own fantasies, and I have to face reality after all, "I...Meng Lang...maybe there is no grievance...I, my words are inappropriate, I hope you can forgive me..."
"Whether Haihan or not is another matter..." Pang Tong chuckled, "It's getting late now, so I'll go to work on supervising the execution and send these traitors on their way! In order to avoid slander and confusion, they can't find the direction and don't know where Wangchuan is!"
It was Ma Yan who was originally supervising the beheading. After hearing Pang Tong's order, he stepped aside and said, "Zhang Zhizhi, please!"
Zhang Shi wanted to refuse, but in the end he was still not determined to defeat the enemy. He had to move to the position where Ma Yan was standing. His face twitched several times before he said: "Everyone, listen to the order... verify your identity... ask and kill according to the law..."
Although the temporarily changed supervisor Zhang Shi's orders were weak, the swords of the hussars soldiers who had been waiting impatiently were extremely sharp.
On the spot, there were soldiers who pulled the first batch of wealthy people with lotus spoons to the execution platform. After verifying their identities, they stepped on them and flashed their swords!
In the bloody light, heads rolled down!
Ordinary people who had been waiting for a long time let out bursts of exclamations...
After the heads are cut off, they will be placed in a pile of heads and will be disposed of after three days. The headless corpses will be buried in a large pit paved with lime. Perhaps thousands of years later, they will be buried in a large pit.
Later generations excavated it and thought it was a burial pit...
The blood spread, and as more and more heads fell to the ground, the smell of blood became thicker and thicker. The ordinary people who were originally celebrating with excitement gradually stopped cheering, and then watched silently...
Then when the blood dyed the execution platform red, and the muscles relaxed after death, causing the urine and feces to flow out, and the smell of blood and feces and urine were mixed together, the onlookers couldn't stand it any more, and some people vomited and staggered away.
, and then more people left silently, completely losing the excitement of watching before.
Pang Tong looked at it with a warm smile on his face.
This is human nature.
Jia Xu is right...
Ordinary people are not bloodthirsty maniacs. The reason why these ordinary people were so lively and elated at the beginning is not because they like to see dead people, but just a psychological desire.
Because most of the time they don't have the right to control other people's lives, so when they look at and shout at times like this, it's like they are involved and in control of everything...
Pang Tong glanced at Zhang Shi, who was shaking a little while standing at the execution site. Haha, did you think this was the end?