The tone can be high or low, and can even form a chapter of an aria.
Different from the miserable scene on the front line, the entrance to Gu's manor is now bustling with activity, crowded with many carriages and horses.
In the past, when these people came to visit Gu Yong, Gu's manager would usually stand in their way. After accepting the assassination, he would politely say that he was not feeling well, happened to be away, etc., and then give a return gift and let the people go back.
.
Today is different from the past. When news of the unexpected events on the front lines of Jiangdong's Eastern Conquest came, the sensitive Jiangdong gentry and country squires also smelled something different and came to visit Gu family one after another. Gu Yong had not been seen before.
But now it is finally opening its doors to accept guests. Although on the surface it still means that they will not talk about state affairs, but just talk about daily life, have some light meals, and enjoy some beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, but this is already a strong signal to those who are interested!
The place where Gu Yong entertained guests was the flower hall of the side courtyard.
This hall is built near the water, facing the lotus pond. It is three rooms wide, open to the north and south, and closed by gables on the east and west. There is a spacious platform in front of the hall, and in front of the platform is a deep pool with rockeries arranged in it.
Lotus flowers were planted, and some red carp were raised in the water. From time to time they would run to the edge of the pond, swaying and turning their tails, making ripples, just like those noble children in the flower hall, blowing inexplicable bubbles.
Gu Yong did not wear a crown, but wrapped his head with a piece of brocade silk. He was also dressed very casually and chatted casually with the visiting guests.
Jiangxi's unfavorable expedition to the east and west seems to be a sad and sad thing from any angle. However, in the flower hall, since state affairs are not discussed, there is no such thing as sadness.
It was really just casual chatting, not a word about important matters of family and country.
Servants and maids flowed through the flower hall.
Everyone present was chatting and laughing, and it seemed that every gap in the flower hall was filled with joy.
It doesn't really matter who said something to whom, or what was discussed or what was heard.
The important thing is that people are here.
Then, who didn't come?
Just like the leader may not remember who was toasting, but most likely he will remember who the hell dared to come and toast?
Now everyone knows that this is taking sides and comes with an attitude.
After a while, Gu Yong stood up, coughed twice, and said loudly: "Today the sun is shining brightly, the wind is gentle, and the scenery is so prosperous that it is really rare. We gather together with all the sages to talk about elegance and friendship.
Sincerely, it is a blessing. I have prepared a small banquet, but it is simple and negligent. Please bear with me."
Everyone agreed one after another.
When everyone was laughing, Gu's housekeeper came to Gu Yong's side quietly, as if he was going to pour water for Gu Yong...
Gu Yong's eyebrows moved.
The housekeeper of the Gu family nodded slightly, then said nothing, just added some liquid to Gu Yong, and then went back.
After a while, Gu Yong pretended to change his clothes, walked down the hall, turned to the back corridor, and saw the housekeeper standing in the corridor with his arms folded.
"Who is coming?" Gu Yong asked.
The housekeeper held out three fingers.
The third son of the Zhang family.
Zhang Fen.
Gu Yong snorted, "I guess it's him too. Coming from the main entrance?"
The steward shook his head and said, "You came in through the corner door. They have been arranged in the side hall."
"Uh-huh." Gu Yong nodded.
In the current situation, it is definitely impossible for those directly connected to Zhang Zhao to show up here. Only Zhang Fen, who is known as a libertine with "ignorance and no skills", seems to be able to do the thing of coming to the Gu family.
.
In fact, Zhang Fen is not just a man who only knows how to live and drink, he also has certain attainments in machinery and equipment. It is said that he has a share of credit for the design of Jiangdong Army's new battleship...
Gu Yong turned around the small garden, passed through the courtyard gate, and entered the side courtyard.
From a distance, I saw Zhang Fen at the door of the side hall, holding the newly bloomed peonies of the Gu family...
"Hand..." Gu Yong was startled and quickly stretched out his hand to say hello, but it was a pity that it was too late.
Zhang Fen had already pinched off the peony flower and inserted it into his ear with his backhand, "Ah haha, what a flower, what a peony!"
Seeing Gu Yong coming, Zhang Fen stepped forward and bowed his hands in greeting, "It's really extraordinary to see Gu's peonies today! You know, peonies are the most precious among flowers! At the beginning of spring, everything revives, and hundreds of flowers bloom, unique
Peonies bloom late, and it seems that the noble ones come later, so there is no competition to fight for it. Their appearance, graceful and luxurious, colorful, like a pile of brocade, are extremely beautiful. Their appearance, layer upon layer, is like a fairy gauze, swaying in the wind.
, graceful and graceful.』
"This flower here is like a pearl in the palm, adding color to all directions. It stands proudly among the flowers, showing its extraordinary magnanimity. Its gorgeous color, its graceful appearance, and its fragrant fragrance are all unmatched by flowers in the world. It can be said that
He is the best among flowers!"
Gu Yong laughed twice, twitching the corners of his mouth with some pain, and then glanced sideways at the steward.
The internal manager can only bow his head.
Who would have thought that this Fen would be able to take action as soon as he came up?
Gu Yong greeted Zhang Fen inside and seated the guests and hosts respectively.
Zhang Fen deliberately picked off the flower again, put it in front of his nose and smelled it vigorously, "Ah, it smells so good, (╯▽╰) It smells so good~~"
"Uh-huh!" Faced with Zhang Fen's rogue appearance, Gu Yong also had a headache, "Why is Mr. Zhang family like this? If you have something to do, just talk about it. Why destroy my beloved thing?"
"Oh?" Zhang Fen pretended to be surprised, "I never thought...it turned out to be...what a shameless brat, what a sin, what a sin..."
Gu Yong waved his hand, "Mr. Zhang family, if nothing happens, I will have to excuse myself. There are still guests in the front hall, so we can't wait any longer."
He said this, but Gu Yong had no intention of getting up, and just stared at Zhang Fen.
Zhang Fen no longer smiled playfully, and slowly became serious, throwing the flowers in his hand on the table, "Gu Shijun, I have something to say, I don't know whether to say it or not."
"Hmph." Gu Yong stretched out his hand to signal.
You are all here, and you still ask me whether I am a paddler or an oar?
Is it possible that if I say I can’t take it, I still can’t take it away?
"Kill the four thieves!" Zhang Fen said in a deep voice.
Gu Yong's eyebrows suddenly jumped!
The four thieves mentioned by Zhang Fen are Jin Qi, Mao Gan, Chen Pu and Zu Shan.
The atmosphere in the side hall suddenly almost solidified.
If Zhang Fen had just pinched Gu Yong's favorite flower before, then now it was like he slapped Gu Yong in the mouth or pulled off Gu Yong's crotch cloth.
In order to raise money for grain and labor to be sent to the front line, Sun Quan did not hesitate to make the people of Jiangdong suffer and endure it for a while. After all, it was for the great cause of Jiangdong and a better future, so the price of food in Jiangdong remained high.
People were displaced.
That's right, kill the chicken to get the egg.
The egg was later taken away by Sun Quan and sent to the front line.
So, after taking the eggs, what about the remaining chicken?
In the blink of an eye, all that was left was chicken feathers and a few miscellaneous bones.
Gu Yong squinted his eyes and stared at Zhang Fen, neither agreeing nor denying.
Just like some big gangs in the Mi Empire in later generations, if they have no connection with any PD, any congressman, or any company, will a pure and simple little white flower have the soil to grow in the garden?
Sect thieves and mountain thieves are all thieves.
White gloves, black gloves, gray gloves, all kinds of gloves.
Even the seafood seller needs to be covered, let alone such a big bandit?
"My Zhang family was responsible for all the scoldings before. At that time, our Zhang family didn't even eat a bite of meat!" Zhang Fen said slowly, "Now that I have been scolded, I can't even have to pay for eating meat."
Should I, the Zhang family, pay compensation? As a human being, you must speak with your conscience!"
Zhang Zhao was previously responsible for raising supplies and food for Sun Quan's Western Expedition and working as a laborer for the common people.
Gu Yong smiled and said, "Oh? That's really not true. I just don't know how much meat to prepare? How many people are there in Mr. Zhang's family?"
"Ah ha ha ha," Zhang Fen laughed, "it's really not that important if there are more people or less... the important thing is... ha ha ha ha, I heard that people who share meat generally have to get the last piece of meat.
My own, I wonder if Mr. Gu thinks so?"
Share the meat?
"There is some truth in what Zhang Jialangjun said," Gu Yong said with a smile, "but I have never done such a business trip, so I can't say that favorably."
"Oh?" Zhang Fen pointed in the direction of the Gu family's flower hall, "Is it possible that those people brought their own wine and meat to the Gu family's banquet?"
Gu Yong narrowed his eyes and said, "The husband of the Zhang family really loves to joke... Now that the knife is in the hands of others, I can't say whether it is more or less."
"Ah, this blade will become dull soon!" Zhang Fen yawned, "Either polish it again, or it can only be replaced with another one."
"Is this true?" Gu Yong asked.
Zhang Fen laughed and wiped the tears that overflowed from the corners of his eyes, "Gu Gong is really too... But, Gu Gong, although this knife is blunt, it is not impossible to use it to kill people... So these four thieves, why?"
To cause harm to Jiangdong, disturb the people, and kill innocent people... shouldn't we deal with it seriously to calm the people's hearts and comply with the will of the people? After all... if you keep holding this knife in your hand and it's bloody, who will come close to it?"
Gu Yong was silent for a long time, "This matter cannot be decided by just one person."
Zhang Fen burst into laughter, "I heard that Mr. Gu has good flowers, wine and delicious food here, but I wonder if I can tell you something?"
Gu Yong stood up and said, "Don't dislike Gu. Just wait and see."
After saying that, Gu Yong bowed his hands to Zhang Fen as a gift, then left the side hall and signaled to the steward, "Well done."
The housekeeper promised not to mention it.
Gu Yong was thinking as he walked forward. When passing through the corridor, he whispered: "Go and send a message to the three families... Let's get together tomorrow night..."
In the dark corner of the corridor, a shadow swayed, as if someone bowed to Gu Yong and then disappeared.
…
…
The place Gu Yong chose to meet with representatives of the three families was in a Taoist temple.
Compared to the bald monk, Gu Yong felt that the local Taoists were better.
The Taoist temple is located in the mountains and forests, with a cliff on one side and a slope on the other, so whoever comes can be seen from a high place. Although the Taoist temple is not prosperous during the day, people come and go to offer incense and pray to immortals.
There were still quite a few people, so Gu Yong and others in casual clothes were not too conspicuous.
When you go up the mountain, it's getting late, so it's normal to stay overnight in a guest room of a Taoist temple on the mountain and go back down the mountain at dawn the next day, so no one can find anything wrong.
Treetops in the moon.
Gu Yong sat quietly in the guest room.
I don’t know how long it took, but there was a shadow shaking under the corridor, "My lord, everyone is here."
"Yeah." Gu Yong responded, stood up, and walked out of the guest room.
Outside the guest room is a long corridor.
It was very quiet inside the Taoist temple.
Gu Yong walked slowly in the corridor. Because the wooden boards under his feet were loose, they inevitably made a slight creaking sound, rippling in the night.
Taoism developed earlier than Buddhism in Jiangdong Wu.
For example, Ge Tianshi's alchemy school is very famous in Jiangdong.
It's just that because of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the influence of the three Zhang Jiao brothers, some Taoists were regarded as dangerous elements and were suppressed for a while. In addition, Zhang Lu was trying to unify Hanzhong, which made the local princes unavoidable.
Everyone was alert in their hearts. However, as the Yellow Turban Rebellion was put down and the impact gradually dissipated, the world's strife changed from chaos to a state of unity, and the local suppression of Taoism was no longer so strict...
Outside the back hall door, a Taoist priest stood alone in charge of the inspection.
Gu Yong stopped and returned the courtesy.
The rear hall of the Taoist temple is dedicated to God Xuantian.
God Xuantian is also known as Emperor Xuanwu, Lord Yousheng and so on.
The late Eastern Han Dynasty was the stage when Xuanwu's status was rising, so there was no problem in worshiping Xuantian God here in Jiangdong.
After the formation of Taoism, Taoism respected the first of the seven constellations of Xuanwu, namely the Dou Xing, also known as the Nandou, because of the belief that "the Nandou is responsible for life, and the Beidou is responsible for death."
In the beginning, Xuanwu was just a guardian god in Taoism. However, as the people's belief in it continued to strengthen and deepen, its power and status eventually became more and more prominent, and it eventually became the god enshrined by Taoism.
Great God.
From a certain perspective, it is obvious that Xuantian God finally ascended to the position of Emperor of Heaven, relying on the faith of millions of people, and it is also a manifestation of the people's hearts and minds...
Gu Yong stood at the back door, looking up at the statues in the hall.
The light of the ever-burning lamp in front of the statue reflects on the statue.
"I dare to ask, sir, are there equal parts among the gods?" Gu Yong looked at the statues and asked softly.
The Taoist Master recited to the side the Immeasurable Heavenly Lord, and then said: "There are equal parts. Those who practice to become immortals will fly into the void, become invisible, and grow like the Tao. They will live forever for countless calamities. The immortals ascend to the sky in the daytime,
Those who live in the upper palaces will have immeasurable blessings. Those who live in the middle immortals can build palaces in the sky, drink the flowing clouds and feed the essence, and can travel thousands of miles in a single thought. Those who live in the lower immortals often live in caves and palaces in famous mountains, overseeing the ghosts and gods of the three realms, and managing life and death on the earth.
It’s a matter of the lower immortals having meritorious deeds and accumulating calamities, but also becoming the upper immortals to make up for the devastation. This is the difference between the upper and lower immortals.”
Gu Yong nodded, but after a moment he shook his head, "If you are an immortal, you will have to work hard and be in charge of ghosts and gods, worries about life and death..."
The Taoist leader inspected his head and said, "Under the great road, all are rotten dogs."
"..."
Gu Yong nodded, then bowed to God Xuantian in the apse, bid farewell to the Taoist priest, and turned around to pass through the apse.
The Taoist Master watched Gu Yong leave, and then worshiped in front of the statue of God Xuantian. His eyes were slightly closed, his lips were moving slightly, and he was chanting softly. His voice was so subtle that it would have been difficult to hear it if he wasn't very close, "...
… Sincerely worship the ancestor of Yin and Yang, the origin of heaven and earth, receive the imperial edict from God, and enshrine the mantra in the spiritual treasure. Collect the brocade and seal scripts, exhale the essence of the five qi, and create a red elixir bag, which emits the dazzling light of three lights. Refine your body shape and control the driving force.
The evil spirits, the great compassion and great wishes, the great sage and great mercy, the five spirits, five elders and five gods of the five directions save people and protect their lives..."
Gu Yong entered the backyard, turned around the patio, and walked a few more steps. There was a bamboo forest with a winding path in the forest, revealing a corner of a thatched cottage.
Inside the thatched cottage, the curtains had already been drawn, silver charcoal was lit to ward off the cold, and tea soup was being cooked.
The three people who came early were a little surprised when they saw Gu Yong coming in person, and immediately stepped out of the thatched cottage to greet him.
Gu Yong waved his hand and helped the three people up one by one. They immediately entered the thatched cottage and sat down in order.
After a short silence, Gu Yong whispered: "What do you think of Zhang Jiazi's words?"
Someone immediately said, "Don't take it seriously. If we really killed the Four Mountain Kings, wouldn't it be like cutting off our hands and feet?"
Jin Qi, Mao Gan, Chen Pu and the four thieves of Zushan are each called the king of the mountain.
"If Mr. Zhang comes in person... then that's it. Now he is just a son of the Zhang family, chatting in the fog, what kind of face is he worth from Mr. Gu?"
"That's right, that's right!"
"Gu Gong, please relax, the four mountain kings are all old, and their hands and tail are very sharp. Even if there are some shortcomings, just push them on the Yue people, won't they be wiped clean?"
"That's right, that's right..."
The three of them were chattering, and no matter what they said, they all had the same meaning, which was that it was better to keep the four bandit leaders and not kill them.
In fact, the reason why they couldn't be killed was not because the three families had any feelings towards the four bandit leaders, but because of their interests.
Gu Yong could also understand, but after listening to the three people's explanations, he said: "If this... is not Zhang Gong's intention, but the master wants to take action..."
"This...can't be possible?!"
The three of them were immediately shocked.
Gu Yong said softly: "After Zhu Junli was defeated and Lu Zijing rushed to see the lord, the lord sent more doctors and medicines to the governor of Zhou..."
"Is this Zhou Gongjin going to lead the army?"
"His body..."
"If this is just in case...it's still a life-threatening situation..."
"But, this and the Four Mountain Kings...oh, I understand...this really gives me a headache..."
The intelligence of the few people present is not low, especially the internal fighting skills are at full value, so they quickly understood what Gu Yong meant.
Now that Zhou Yu is very likely to take over the frontline military affairs, the unstable factors in Jiangdong's rear must be eliminated before Zhou Yu is dispatched, or at least suppressed for a while. Then the four bandits who performed "excellently" in the refugee wave not long ago
, naturally becomes the primary unstable factor that needs to be eliminated.
If Gu Yong and others take action on their own and sever ties, they can clear up some connections. If Zhou Yu takes action, the involvement will be even more troublesome...
Therefore, for Zhang Zhao, who both struggled and cooperated with the Jiangdong gentry, it became a natural choice to sell well at the right time. Anyway, Zhang Zhao and the main war faction have never gotten along, so he secretly tried to hinder the main war faction.
It's also basic.
"But if we really lost our arms...if something really happened, wouldn't we be like we were before? We could only be..."
"Yes, Brother Lu's death is especially before our eyes!"
"Yes, yes!"
"Hmm..." Gu Yong closed his eyes and sighed. After a while, he opened his eyes and glanced at the three of them. "I heard... that after King Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Bei and Liu Xuande are in Jiaozhou, appeasing the place, reducing taxes and rent, and recruiting people."
The wise men... can be said to have strong soldiers and horses, and have a heroic appearance..."
"hiss……"
"Mr. Gu, what do you mean..."
Gu Yong waved his hand and said: "I don't mean anything... It's just that this person should always be prepared for danger in times of peace..."
The three of them seemed to understand something.
The bamboo forest swayed and rustled, like swords rubbing against each other, which made people feel chilly.
