Ji Chang's eyes were full of smiles. Under the illumination of the brazier on the side, his heavy forehead lines seemed to be full of ravines.
"How can a father kill his own child?"
"We actually don't have that much affection between us. I went to Chaoge City when I was a few years old."
Li Pingan said calmly.
To be honest, he didn't feel any pressure at all when facing Ji Chang. What he was thinking about most now was not to put more pressure on Ji Chang.
This Xibohou, who was majestic, wise, cheerful, and knowledgeable in many ways, was actually burdened with too much pressure, pressure that exceeded his own ability to bear, and... pressure that was enough to distort his heart.
Li Pingan continued:
"Father, I know what you are afraid of. You are afraid that I will bring trouble to the family.
"I can understand and imagine what a merchant looks like in your eyes. The Shang King in your eyes is the leader of the merchant group.
"But father, I am not a businessman. I am from Zhou. I was born in Xiqi and my roots are also in Xiqi.
"If you are worried that the news that I can scare away the gods will spread to Chaoge City later, which will arouse the suspicion of King Shang, then I can leave Xiqi City and go to Yu State to escape, or I can go anywhere else.
"There is no need for you to kill me here and then announce to the public that I was taken away by the gods.
"Although this is a good thing for you, you can take the opportunity to increase your prestige and influence on other princes, and let them see... Look, our Zhou Kingdom also has people in the God Realm."
Ji Chang's Adam's apple trembled slightly, and he smiled warmly: "What nonsense are you kidding? Tiger poison does not even eat its seeds."
"Because you are not only my father, you are also the Lord of Xiqi and the king of the Zhou people."
Li Pingan put his hands in his sleeves and sighed softly:
"I don't want to have any dispute with you, because I feel that if I were faced with this kind of pressure, I would not be able to do as well as you.
"Father, we can have a frank talk."
"Talk? What to talk about?"
"Destroy business."
Young Ji Dan's voice floated back and forth in the cellar.
Ji Chang frowned and looked at Ji Dan.
Li Ping'an's eyes were a bit mocking, which made Ji Chang, who was about to say angrily, "How dare you disobey the king?", inexplicably suppressed his anger.
Ji Chang pondered for a few times, his expression became calm and indifferent, and he stared at the young man in front of him.
A very strange boy.
"Why... why are you so smart, a hundred times smarter than your elder brother? This time you returned to Xiqi City, but the king asked you to test your father?"
"Father guessed wrong," Li Ping'an smiled and cupped his hands. "The King of Shang sent me back just because I had a disagreement with him. I think my father already knows what happened in Chaoge City."
Ji Chang said calmly: "Yes, the king seemed to have suddenly gone crazy. He killed the priests, wiped out the cooks, and announced that no more human animals were allowed to be used in the ceremony."
"Actually, your Majesty has already banned it before, but this time he did it more directly."
Li Pingan said slowly:
"Child, you can't tell the inside story here, because knowing this will interfere with the normal operation of the common people in Nanzhou.
"You can be a father, and your child is actually a god in the sky. It's just that all living beings in this world are suffering, so he came down to earth to try to change everything.
"The three gods who appeared today should also serve as examples here.
"So, if my father kills me tonight, I will not resist or need to resist. This is just a journey in the world for me. I can have a simpler and more direct way, like that king, violently
Go fix it all."
Ji Chang didn't speak for a long time.
He was digesting Li Ping'an's words.
Ji Chang asked: "Isn't it true that the king asked you to test me?"
"Do you think there are still a few people arranged by your father to be by your side?"
Li Pingan said warmly:
"Father should know that after the king went crazy this time, he became seriously ill.
"The child had a premonition that his temperament would change, so he returned early."
Ji Chang said in a deep voice: "It takes a month for the news from Chaoge City to reach here, but what you said does correspond to the time when you left Chaoge City. The officials in Chaoge City were frightened and thought that the king
This slumber is the gods punishing the king, and heaven will send down punishment."
"What does father think?" Li Ping'an asked softly.
Ji Chang said: "It must have angered the gods."
"Then let's understand it this way, father," Li Ping'an sighed softly.
Sure enough, the ideas of middle-aged people are the most difficult to change.
"The child came to the world and had his own mission. It was not for Shang or Zhou. That's it for now. The child should go back."
"stop!"
Ji Chang suddenly stood up and scolded him, and the dagger in his sleeve slipped out.
He held the dagger and stared at the young man's back in front of him.
Ji Chang's eyes kept struggling, struggling extremely, and the dagger in his hand trembled slightly.
Li Pingan closed his eyes and waited.
If Ji Chang decides to kill Ji Dan, he won't do anything more.
The world itself is wrong, and the source of everything lies in the myth made up by his teacher. At present, this is just a small thing among his many responsibilities.
Dang, Dang Dang.
The dagger in Ji Chang's hand fell to the ground.
He seemed to have lost his soul, standing there blankly, the shadow in his heart almost swallowing him completely.
"You, if you are a god, then tell me, what should I do? What can I do?"
Ji Chang's deep voice was a little weak and a little angry:
"We worked hard for the merchants, and we tried our best to capture the Qiang people, the people who had the same ancestors a thousand years ago, and make human sacrifices for them to offer sacrifices to their ancestors!
"My father was his Emperor Yi's dog! Even though he was a dog, he hunted so many prey for him and killed so many powerful enemies!
"The results of it?
"In the end, not a single body was left behind.
"Just because he is jealous, he feels that our Ji family is disloyal to him. He is the king and he can feel this way. Because he is the king, we must believe in him!"
Ji Chang's hands seemed to be hugging hot copper pillars, and his roaring voice echoed here:
"It's wrong for us Zhou people to become stronger, it's wrong for us to have more and more people, it's wrong for us to threaten their merchants, we've had to separate half of our tribe for a long time, and they still think we're wrong!
"Is this a king? Is this a king! Is he worthy...is he worthy..."
Li Pingan closed his eyes and said nothing.
Ji Chang kept shouting and releasing, and finally fell to the ground with tears in his eyes.
"Dan'er, I'm really driven crazy by them! I'm really, really."
"Father," Li Ping'an whispered, "if you want to kill me, I won't blame you, just do it."
"You know."
Ji Chang looked at the dagger and finally raised his head and sighed.
"If the country is destroyed, the family will also perish. So many Zhou people are watching me... I can't risk the lives of the Zhou people."
Li Pingan closed his eyes.
There is no greater sorrow for mortals than a father and his son killing each other.
He waited quietly and heard the slow and feeble footsteps.
Based on Ji Chang's current state, it would be easy for the young Ji Dan to fight back, but Li Ping'an did not move at this moment.
Pictures kept appearing in front of his eyes.
The wreckage of heaven and earth;
All sentient beings sink into a sea of misery in the flames of destruction;
The sky opens again and again, and the destiny is destined again and again.
No one knows his confusion, no one knows his anger, but now that he has survived, he can only move forward step by step, being pushed forward in a designed corridor.
All he wants now is to complete all of this and break down the walls in front of him.
It may be a good thing to leave here. He can concentrate more on planning to become a god, understand the many avenues, and walk the path he has to take.
Maybe, that's a good thing.
Dong Huang chose to fight his fate by forgetting and disappearing.
And he must find a way to heal the wounds left by the old man who left...
clatter.
A big hand pressed on Ji Dan's shoulder.
Li Ping'an was waiting for the pain of the dagger to stab his back.
The other hand suddenly pressed on his chest and pushed him back hard, causing him to fall into a not-so-wide embrace.
Li Pingan was stunned for a moment.
Ji Chang's choking sounds behind him made him unable to recover.
"How could I kill my own son, how could I kill my own son... You tell me what to do, Dan'er, tell me as a father, what should I do as a father, and what can I do to protect you...
There are so many ancestors of merchants."
Li Ping'an didn't answer and sighed secretly in his heart.
After that night, Ji Dan never appeared in Xibohou Mansion again.
Jichang, the Marquis of Xibo, released the news that his fourth son, Ji Dan, had been taken away by the gods.
Only a few close confidants and old guards around Xibohou knew that the Fourth Young Master was in Xibohou's mansion, but he was staying underground with a pair of heavy iron chains on his feet.
These old guards were responsible for delivering meals to Ji Dan, and each of them was illiterate and deaf-mute.
…
Imprisoned.
Li Ping'an really didn't expect that Ji Chang would use such a method.
However, Ji Chang's goal was completely achieved.
According to his observations in Heaven, Ji Chang released the news that his fourth son, Ji Dan, was taken away by the gods. In addition, there was widespread news inside and outside Xiqi City that Ji Dan could dream of meeting gods. The Ji family of Xibohou was ranked among the eight hundred princes
Its prestige skyrocketed.
News like this gradually spread to Chaoge City.
Shang King Di Xin did not have much reaction to this, but several ministers around Di Xin jointly submitted a petition.
"Your Majesty, the matter of the four sons of Marquis Xibo is now spreading in various places. If this matter is not dealt with, I am afraid that the princes will be tempted and lead to disaster."
"Oh?" Di Xin said Ji Dan's name.
He always felt that this name was very familiar and somewhat close to his heart, but after careful consideration, he finally felt that this matter was not a good thing as the ministers said.
Emperor Xin said: "How do the various princes evaluate Jichang now?"
"Well," Shang Rong said, "they all say that Ji Chang is virtuous and has a legacy from ancient times. The good weather in Xiqi City is due to the protection of the gods, and the Ji family should be prosperous."
Di Xin frowned slightly: "The Ji family is prosperous, so should I, a businessman, give way to the Zhou people?"
Several ministers spoke one after another:
"Your Majesty! The late Emperor killed Ji Li because he was afraid that the Zhou Kingdom would become too powerful. Ji Chang already harbored a grudge and disobedience."
"Your Majesty, the late emperor's execution of Ji Li has caused quite a lot of criticism among the princes. At least half of the princes say that the late emperor was cruel. If he has the intention to kill Ji Chang again, I am afraid that some princes will think of him and will rebel against him!"
"I think that we, the great merchants, have lost the strength to subjugate them. Moreover, over the past ten generations, my merchants' military skills such as soldiers, armor, chariots, and cavalry have all been learned by the princes. This matter is due to the current turmoil in the society.
The foundation! If we don’t show the power of our merchant army, how can we control the hearts of the princes?"
"Um."
The young Di Xin looked troubled and looked up at Bi Gan.
"What do you think, uncle Huang? How should we deal with this Ji Chang?"
Bigan smiled and said slowly: "You can kill or you can not kill."
"Oh?" Di Xin was puzzled, "How do you interpret what the emperor said?"
"Killing Jichang will destroy the Zhou Kingdom, and destroying Zhou will also destroy Yu. Both of these require the main force of our merchant army."
Bigan explained slowly:
"Therefore, this battle can only be won, not defeated. Ji Chang can only die, not live, otherwise Chaoge City will be swallowed up by the coalition forces of the princes.
"As soon as the army is launched, everything must be retreated, and weapons, armor, and food must be sufficient.
"If you don't kill him, it will be easier. If your majesty is worried about Ji Chang, why not let him come to Chaoge City to set an example for the princes and control each other between east and west."
Di Xin pondered slightly, frowning and saying nothing.
He turned to look at the figure sitting in front of a stone pillar on one side. Di Xin, who had just seen the "true skill" of this Grand Master recently, his voice became a little gentle.
He asked: "What does the Grand Master think?"
In fact, Emperor Xin had three or four young masters. After he ascended the throne, the young masters were automatically promoted to Taishi. Taishi was more like an honorific title.
And Wen Zhong, not long after returning from practicing practice on Jin'ao Island, had a magical eye on his forehead, which could call the wind and rain, soar into the clouds and ride the mist. He was also accompanied by a group of immortal Taoist friends. Emperor Xin was three times afraid.
Wen Zhong opened his eyes and said: "Your Majesty, I dare not say anything about this matter. I just feel that Ji Chang is a wise man praised by all the princes. If a wise man is killed by the king, the king will be infamy, but if he is a wise man,
If a person loses his reputation first and then gets his crime, how can anyone dare to say anything different?"
Di Xin nodded slowly, closed his eyes and thought, and then said slowly:
"The widow's wedding is about to take place. I have ordered the four princes to enter Chaoge City in advance. After the widow's wedding, I will divide the feud with them.
“It is a wonderful strategy to control each other between the East and the West.”
Most of the ministers breathed a sigh of relief.
The king may not care much about this, but they know that if they are conquering some small Fang countries or large princes who are relatively close to Chaoge City, it is actually very easy to destroy them without even thinking about it.
However, if the expedition to Xiqi is far away and a hard battle occurs, food and grass will be a huge problem.
Bigan sighed secretly in his heart.
The branches of the royal family were so large that they were like bottomless pits, swallowing up the blood of the Shang Kingdom.
However, he is not without solutions. As long as he is given a suitable opportunity later, he will innovate the old system as a businessman.
Wen Zhong sat back on his own seat, raised his forehead, closed his eyes, and stroked his beard in an incomprehensible manner.
actually……
'Oh, I've been away from Chaoge City for too long, and I'm a little bad at state affairs. Don't reveal your secret.'
…
Xiqi City, Xibohou Mansion, underground secret room.
Li Pingan beat his sore shoulders a few times, put the heavy bamboo slips back on the bookshelf, and walked back to his simple bed with the chain.
There is good news and there is bad news.
The good news is that although Ji Chang imprisoned him, he trusted him more and gave him a task.
The bad news is that Ji Chang wants his smartest son, Ji Dan, to inherit his sixty-four hexagrams, as well as various deduction methods, governance concepts, and strategies for raising the people. He also needs regular assessments and random inspections.
Li Ping'an really didn't expect it.
He is the majestic emperor of heaven, the master of the Tao, and the obsession of a transcendent person, and he can still cope with the exam one day.
Don't talk about it. He has a steady stream of insights into the way of all living beings every day. That's called the true way.