"Sir, I still don't quite understand why Empress Wei did this?
"She was the one who personally deposed the emperor at the beginning, and then demoted Prince Xunyang's family to common people. She was so determined that she even told the people in the palace that mother and son had broken up and would never see each other again.
"Empress Wei hates the deposed emperor's family the most. In the past ten years, she has ignored this family. Everyone knows this."
Xie Lingjiang's face was full of doubts. She couldn't care whether these words would be too unpleasant for some people's ears. She looked at Ouyang Rong with a complicated expression and said:
"But how come you have become the so-called spare tire when you come to Senior Brother's place, and are even granted the title of heir to the deposed King Xunyang?
"This U-turn is too outrageous. Putting aside personal likes and dislikes for the time being, if she goes back on her word herself, doesn't Empress Wei no longer want to be dignified and dignified?"
Ouyang Rong, who was about to leave, saw his junior sister's reaction, chuckled, shook his head, and sat down again.
"Little junior sister, why don't you ask the teacher?"
Ouyang Rong picked up the teacup and took a sip, frowned slightly, and looked down at the tea.
"Let me come, senior brother."
Xie Lingjiang immediately took a step forward and took the tea cup with a gentle voice. She stood in front of Ouyang Rong in a pretty manner, poured the tea obediently, and sat on the opposite side. She tilted her chin with her white palms and looked at him without blinking.
:
"I still want to hear what Senior Brother has to say. Besides, maybe my father doesn't understand it too much. After all, Senior Brother's words are indeed a bit shocking."
Xie Lingjiang paused for a moment, frowned slightly like Yuan Shandai, tilted his head and offered tea to Ouyang Rong, and said crisply:
"Elder brother, no one thought that the deposed emperor's family might still have a chance before. It's not that no one went to burn the cold stove. However, later on, Empress Wei's attitude and indifference for more than ten years led to her being demoted again.
Common people lost their qualifications to compete.
"No matter how remote Lengzao is, it is not so hot. Even the Wei family, who knows best about guessing the empress's thoughts, is too lazy to pay attention to the former Prince Xunyang's family. Later, only the most conservative and nostalgic veteran among the pro-Left ministers would do it from time to time.
If you take care of that family, you will be completely eliminated from the court."
Ouyang Rong suddenly pointed to the bookshelf not far away that contained a dazzling array of history books and said:
"Junior sister, have you been reading history often lately?"
Xie Lingjiang was stunned, but he still said truthfully: "I often read it when I was in Bailu Cave, but now I don't read it often."
"It's better to take a look at it from time to time. You'll have to chew on Qingshi for a lifetime."
Ouyang Rong picked up the tea cup without drinking tea, stared at the bookshelf, and said calmly:
"I have nothing to do recently, so I often read history. I opened the Chunqiu Zuozhuan, and there was an article in it that was quite interesting, and I couldn't help but read it again and again."
Qi practitioners originated in the pre-Qin period. During that period, qi practitioners were not yet prominent, so the history of the pre-Qin period, including the various schools of thought, is still as active as ever, and has not changed much from what Ouyang Rong remembers.
"Zuo Zhuan" is still a Confucian classic. As a Confucian translator, Xie Lingjiang must have read it.
And Ouyang Rong didn't lie to his junior sister. In the past few months since he woke up from the underground palace, he had indeed frequently read history books, just to understand the differences between the two worlds, but he also saw a lot of familiar history.
Xie Lingjiang asked curiously: "Oh? Which article can make even my senior brother who is busy with work never forget it."
Ouyang Rong said softly: "Zheng Bo Duan Yu Yan."
"Zheng Beke and Duan Yuyan." Xie Lingjiang laughed: "Isn't this the first chapter of Zuo Zhuan? Senior brother read it again and again. Isn't it always absent-minded? Every time I pick it up, I only turn to the first page?"
"Hey, junior sister still understands me."
Ouyang Rong also smiled, but then, his face suddenly turned pale and the conversation suddenly changed:
"Mrs. Jiang of the State of Zheng has been partial to her youngest son, Uncle Duan, since she was a child, and disliked her other son, Duke Zhuang, and wanted to replace him with Duke Zhuang. When Duke Zhuang came to the throne, he repeatedly indulged his mother and brother, inducing Uncle Duan to push his limits and become more arrogant, which finally aroused public outrage.
, Zhuang Gong sent troops to attack, and then defeated Shu Duan in Yandi, causing him to "run away".
"After the rebellion was suppressed, Duke Zhuang placed Mrs. Jiang in Chengying and swore that she would never see her again until she reached the underworld. But soon after, he felt regretful again, but he was afraid of breaking his oath and being laughed at, so he dug a tunnel through it.
To go to the spring is to go to the underworld.
"Then they built a house in the tunnel and ordered Mrs. Jiang to be brought in. When the mother and son met, they hugged each other and cried. History books say that mother and son recovered as before."
Ouyang Rong laughed, turned around and said:
"In just over 700 words, it tells the story of a brother who is not a brother, a younger brother who is not a younger brother, a mother who is not a mother, a king who is not a king, and a minister who is not a minister. It is also named Zheng Bo Duan Yu Yan, between flesh and blood, but with the word 'Ke'
The calligraphy is so expressive of the Spring and Autumn Period, and so subtle and meaningful.
"Historians took great pains in writing this book; Confucian disciples in later generations who focused on loyalty, filial piety and etiquette found it a real headache to read this piece of Qing history."
Ouyang Rong's laughter could be heard no matter in the outer room or the inner room.
Xie Ling Jiang Wei was startled for a while: "Why did senior brother suddenly tell me this? Is it... an analogy? Who is Duke Zhuang comparing to, who is Uncle Duan comparing to, and who is Mrs. Jiang comparing to..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"It's not important how you get the right position. What's important is, little junior sister, haven't you understood? Duke Zheng Zhuang is the most powerful ruler in the Spring and Autumn Period. He is impeccable in imperial power, but how does Duke Zhuang treat the relationship between flesh and blood?
"If the junior sister understands Zheng Bo and Duan Yuyan, she won't ask me the question just now. This is an imperial family matter that happened thousands of years ago, tsk tsk."
For a moment, Xie Lingjiang looked stern:
"After my senior brother said this, junior sister, I also think that the words in this article are really precise and worth reading carefully."
Ouyang Rong asked with a smile: "There is a sentence in this article that is the most expressive and interesting. I like it the most. Junior sister, do you know which sentence it is?"
Xie Lingjiang frowned, and this time he didn't ask stupid questions. He walked to the bookshelf on his own initiative, pulled out a copy of "Zuo Zhuan" and returned to his seat.
She lowered her head and glanced twice. She was already smart and alert, and had a photographic memory. After a while, she directly took up the pen and wrote a sentence on the paper. She put her two fingers on the table and gently pushed it out.
Ouyang Rong lowered his sleeves and glanced lightly:
Anyone who commits unrighteousness will be punished by his own death. Zigu will treat him accordingly!
This is what Zhuang Gong said to the people around him when he was preparing to send troops to conquer his younger brother Shu Duan, who was "annoyed by both men and gods" after playing hard to get.
"Elder brother?" Xie Lingjiang looked at Ouyang Rong with bright eyes, a searching and confirming look in his eyes.
"This sentence is also wonderful. It exposes Duke Zhuang's little thoughts... but it is not this sentence."
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, then reached out to take the pen holder that Xie Lingjiang held in his hand. Xie Lingjiang obediently and actively helped him grind ink and lay paper.
The penholder was still warm with the fragrance of sweat in the little junior sister's palms. Ouyang Rong didn't pay attention, silently wrote a word, put away the pen and drank tea.
Xie Ling Jiang Gai moved his head closer, raised his eyebrows, and opened his small white jade teeth:
"Then mother and son are as good as ever?"
She raised her face in confusion and muttered:
"Why is it the last sentence of this article? Doesn't this sentence mean that the mother and son have reconciled as before after going through all the chaos? It's a very normal ending. Senior brother likes this kind of warmth from an imperial family?"
Ouyang Rong's smile remained unchanged: "Mother and son are as good as before? What was the first relationship between Duke Zhuang and his mother, Mrs. Jiang, like?"
Xie Lingjiang's open pink lips froze and she was speechless. After a while, she said in a daze:
"What a word 'chu'. We looked at each other with disdain at first... If it hadn't been for the reminder from my senior brother, I almost missed this point."
Ouyang Rong drank tea slowly, while Xie Lingjiang bit her lip and lowered her eyes, pondering the aftertaste.
There was silence between the brothers and sisters for a long time.
Xie Lingjiang said seriously:
"Elder brother, I believe Empress Wei can do such a thing. The so-called separation of mother and son and never seeing each other is indeed not an obstacle in the emperor's family. There are many ways to get around it. As long as she can achieve her goal, even the legal principles
We can also find loopholes, so what about our identity as a commoner?"
She couldn't help feeling that she, who had always been innocent and pure, began to understand the rules of this power game.
Ouyang Rong nodded.
"Actually, the teacher should have taught you these."
"It's okay, senior brother is the same." Xie Lingjiang suddenly raised his head, then lowered his head, and whispered: "Besides... I listen more to senior brother's words."
You don’t like hearing what the old father says, right... Ouyang Rong shook his head speechlessly. He smiled gently, sipped his tea and asked:
"Junior sister, do you have any other questions?"
"No, senior brother, please continue speaking, I...want to hear it."
Xie Ling Jiang stood in awe, poured tea for Ouyang Rong respectfully, lowered his eyebrows and said softly.
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes and said slowly:
"Now that junior sister has understood that the current Holy Emperor is the same kind of king as Zheng Zhuanggong, and understands her desire for power, then the next thing can be easily explained.
“Let’s take a quick look at it first.
"The Wei family is an important pillar of power for the current emperor to establish the Great Zhou Dynasty. They have done all the dirty work in recent years.
"But in the eyes of the Holy Lord, the Wei family cannot be the only one. To uphold the emperor's skills, they need to set up a balancing hand in the court situation to make the Wei family more determined and easy to control. This is what the current Holy Lord chose at the time.
The reason for keeping His Royal Highness the Prime Minister in the deep palace of the divine capital.
"Over the years, the ministers who protect Li Qian have always been protecting His Highness the Prime Minister who took the initiative to give up the throne. The person who competed with King Wei of Wei for the position of emperor is also His Highness the Prime Minister who has now changed his surname to Wei.
"As for the current Holy Emperor, His Highness the Prime Minister not only changed his surname to Wei in an obedient and sensible manner, but also took the initiative to give up his throne before. It is relatively easy to control and can be used to curb the resentment towards the current Holy Emperor. The power of the civil servants is blocked at the same time, and the mouth of the people of the world is blocked.
"For more than ten years, the two factions have been fighting in the newly established court of the Great Zhou Dynasty without breaking up. However, the situation has become more and more intense in recent years... This was the basic situation of the court before. Junior Sister should know better than me."
Having said this, Ouyang Rong glanced at Xie Lingjiang. In fact, his mentor Xie Xun and his junior sister belonged to the latter category. They had always sympathized with His Highness the Prime Minister, and there was no need to elaborate on their stance.
Sure enough, Xie Lingjiang said sadly:
"I knew it, but I didn't expect that it turned out that all of this was part of Empress Wei's plan."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but shake his head:
"But no matter how docile a sheep is, one day it will turn into a fierce tiger.
"Junior sister has also said before that the rebellion in Yingzhou has damaged the prestige of the current Holy Emperor. The person directly responsible for the rebellion in Yingzhou is the Wei family. After this incident, if there are no major changes, the Wei family will no longer be able to help the Holy Emperor maintain his power. Then take a peek at Datong’s capabilities.
"In other words, it is difficult to rely on the Wei family to maintain the unification of the Zhou Dynasty. It seems that the heir of King Wei Wei will not be able to inherit the throne. What do you think of the name of the great prince of the Wei family? I just chose an heir, now I’m fine, whatever I take is what I’m missing.”
He chuckled softly, and his voice echoed in the study. Anyway, with the junior sister here, no one could easily approach and listen. Ouyang Rong just relaxed a little, and dared to say anything bold. Today, he no longer restrained himself and pretended to be confused. , I don’t want to be the Riddler anymore!
Not far behind him, a beaded curtain seemed to be swaying slightly in the breeze that leaked in through the uncovered windows of the inner room.
Ouyang Rong didn't pay attention to these side details and said calmly:
"But the current Holy Emperor is old, and His Highness the Prime Minister and the rebels behind him are increasingly likely to boldly join forces to endanger the current Holy Lord's power, and even force him to step down.
"There are some things that Emperor Taizong has not demonstrated in the Xuanwu Sect. He killed his brother with his younger brother and forced his father to abdicate. How long has it been since these things happened? Will the current emperor forget it?"
"Elder brother, this..."
Xie Lingjiang was frightened when he heard this and leaned back slightly. Ouyang Rong spoke louder and louder, leaning forward and looking straight at him:
"So I say that the Holy One must use that little bit of free time and start paving the way to bring the deposed King Xunyang's family back to the capital.
“The legal system of King Lixian of Xunyang is more pure than that of King Lilun of Xiangxiang! That’s because Emperor Gaozong chose Prince Lixian before his death!
"Once Li Xian's family is welcomed back to the capital, some of the Liberation faction will definitely move closer to him due to his pure legal status. And Li Lun has been in the capital for many years, and there is also a group of Liberation faction who have made bets around him and will not leave. , In this way, the powerful Liberation faction in the court was successfully split!
"Li Xian's family can play a huge role in restraining Xiang Wang Li Lun's family, and Li Xian is the elder brother. His Highness Xiang Wang can only greet him with a smile, has nothing to say, and even takes the initiative to give up his position as the emperor's heir. This is Legal suppression.
"And because they were welcomed back by the current Holy One with grace, Li Xian's family can only be grateful to the current Holy One and take the initiative to protect them. Moreover, Li Xian's family has been exiled for more than ten years and is a stranger in the government and the public. To the current Holy One,
It is very easy to control and shape, and she can use it as a lever to bring the court situation back under her control."
Xie Lingjiang lowered his head and drank tea frequently to hide his surprise and suspicion.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked: "Little junior sister, I only want to ask you one question. If the deposed emperor Li Xian and his family return to Luoyang, how will you and the teacher choose sides?"
Xie Lingjiang was silent for a long time, then looked away and said: "As long as the final emperor's heir is of the Li family's blood, I support it... In addition, the Wei family must be destroyed. The sins they have done over the years must be paid with blood!"
Ouyang Rong laughed and shook his head.
"Elder brother, what are you laughing at?" Xie Lingjiang glared, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of coquettishness.
"Junior sister is still a little naive."
Ouyang Rong shook his head gently: "As a loser in the fight for the throne, the Wei family does face the risk of being completely purged, but after all, it is an important support for the throne of the emperor and the emperor, and it is also a family member...
"You won't fall down easily. Welcoming Li Xian's family will also help ease the conflict between Li and Wei. After all, Li Xian's family doesn't have much grievances with the Wei family."
"How could this be possible? Then the previous fight would have been in vain!" Xie Lingjiang started to protest.
"So I said, this is not a question of who wins between the two sides. This is a question of whether the Holy Spirit will win big, medium or small."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and muttered: "By then, Your Majesty will also start preparing for the next move."
"What's the next move?" Xie Lingjiang stared.
Ouyang Rong sipped his tea and said nothing.
Xie Lingjiang poked his forearm with his finger and said eagerly: "Elder brother, please tell me, how can the Wei family be destroyed?"
Ouyang Rong sighed: "I can only say this. The rest may not be correct. These trends... are enough for your family to avoid risks."
"Elder brother!"
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but turn his head, Xie Lingjiang immediately tensed up...