They were still staying at the Xianggong's residence in Daming Mansion, and they were still meeting Xiao Tang and Liang Shijie in the study. However, both of them could clearly feel that the atmosphere when they were getting along with each other seemed to have become a little more strange.
Xiao Tang gently blew the heat from the tea in his hand, and then tasted the mellow and refreshing Guzhu purple bamboo shoots. He suddenly felt the aroma was fragrant and the aftertaste was sweet. When Xiao Tang was savoring the feeling of the fragrance lingering on his lips and teeth,
, he also became more calm and casual when talking to Liang Shijie.
He wanted to return to Bianjing to resume his life, and he also came to visit Liang Shijie, his former Shangguan, both in public and private matters. Liang Shijie felt that Xiao Tang was becoming more and more elusive, and this time Xiao Tang "came back to life", the managers in the market town also
He will definitely tell Xiao Tang that he has considered replacing Xiaojiaji with Zengtou City, and wants to support a group of local powerful people to help Liang Taishu secretly make money.
However, now the six members of the Zeng family, father and son, have died one after another, but Xiao Tang is still sitting in front of him safely.
Liang Shijie coughed twice. He had noticed that the atmosphere in the study was a bit awkward. Although Xiao Tang answered all questions and seemed to be very polite to his former benefactor, Liang Shijie had been in the officialdom for a long time.
Before Xiao Tang went to the Liao Kingdom as an envoy, he felt that he was unpredictable, but now he could also vaguely sense that his former general had gradually escaped his control.
It seems that Xiao Tang has already known that I intend to conspire with Zengtou City and let him do business in various places in Hebei...
Liang Shijie felt resentful in his heart. After all, he was still Cai Jing's son-in-law, and he could be considered a relatively important figure in Cai's party. Even if you, Xiao Tang, were favored by officials again, our Song Dynasty has always valued civility over military affairs. Even
The common people also know that the nobles and the military are humble, but you still think that relying on the favor of the officials, you can be superior to many high-ranking officials in the court!? Let alone Gao Qiu, who has already formed a relationship with you, you are a childlike person.
Can you still be allowed to meddle with the military power of the Song Dynasty?
It's just that Liang Shijie was angry that Xiao Tang was playing with his attitude, but he didn't get angry on the spot. Cai Jing had just returned to the capital not long ago, and Cai's party members in the court during this period, except Cai Jing's eldest son Cai Bian, also behaved relatively poorly.
Keep a low profile. Once the parties in North Korea and China are on the wrong side in the struggle, even if they can be prosperous for a while, they will collapse in just a moment.
In Liang Shijie's view, Xiao Tang did not have much political wisdom, otherwise he would not have openly offended Gao Qiu, another celebrity close to the official, shortly after arriving in the capital. Therefore, it seemed that Xiao Tang was somewhat flirting with him.
It seems that according to Liang Shijie, Xiao Tang was also complacent because he had received the favor of the Holy One, and because he was angry that he did not miss his old love, during the period when he thought he was killed in Liaodong, he and other powerful men tried to annex the Xiao family.
This is why I feel dissatisfied with myself.
Thinking of this, Liang Shijie felt relieved, because if Xiao Tang was really so impatient, even if he wanted to break away from the Cai Party and establish a new branch, sooner or later, Xiao Tang would definitely be beaten by his father-in-law.
Cai Jing, who had already mastered the tricks of intrigue and scheming, was thrown into a place of eternal destruction.
Everything you have, Xiaotang, is given to you by my father-in-law and I. Since we can hold you high, we can of course make you fall down again and make you fall to pieces again!
Xiao Tang also noticed the change in Liang Shijie's expression and attitude. In his opinion, the left-behind prime minister of Daming Prefecture had changed a lot over the years. When Liang Shijie first arrived in Daming Prefecture and took over the post of left-behind prime minister, Xiao Tang
He felt very calm and restrained towards him, but after a few years, Xiao Tang found that Liang Shijie was often unable to keep his composure. During two or three discussions with him, his words would occasionally reveal that he had monopolized power in Daming Mansion and was subject to
Loved by all the people, you have been favored by this government, and you must do your best to repay...
Money, power, or the satisfaction of being admired by others, most people usually feel that the more they lack something, the more they care about it. As Cai Jing's son-in-law, Liang Shijie has benefited a lot in the officialdom, but I am afraid he has to pay a lot of price. Xiao Tang He also secretly said: The greedier the greedier, the more greedy the promotion, and the bigger the official, the more greedy... This phenomenon has become more and more obvious in the Song Dynasty court, and now I can understand the reason for it. .
At this time, Xiao Tang's eyes suddenly glanced at a copybook hanging on the wall of Liang Mansion's study room. He saw that the calligraphy on the copybook was beautiful and bold, and the bottom of the copybook was also printed with jade chopsticks and seal characters. Four big characters: Hanlin Cai Jing.
Now I only have to make a fuss with Liang Shijie, but in the Bianjing court, sooner or later I will have to face the traitor behind him, Cai Jing...
Xiao Tang also knew that he was still young and lacked prestige and qualifications in the court. The most important thing was that he still held a military position. For him, the safest official career path was to assist Cai Jing in controlling power with all his heart, and then accumulate more power. While he was senior in the court, he either defeated Gao Qiu and seized the important position of Taiwei of Sanya, and took over the power of the imperial army in Bianliang, Tokyo; or like Tong Guan, he intervened in the military power of the Western Army and took advantage of the Song Dynasty and Xixia As well as accumulating achievements when the war between the surrounding alien tribes resumes, it may be necessary to wait until Tong Guan is old and weak before making a smooth transition, or to break up with this concubine before that and erode the power he controls.
No matter which choice you make, you cannot offend all the traitors including Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Cai Jing, Liang Shicheng and so on. Since you were promoted by Liang Shijie, he will act under the civil service group headed by his father-in-law Cai Jing. At least if the imperial government slows down its development for more than ten years, then Xiao Tang's chances of being on an equal footing with those high officials in the imperial court will become greater and greater.
But Xiao Tang, who was well aware of the direction of history, knew that he could not afford to wait for more than ten years.
After a moment of silence, Liang Shijie finally spoke: "You gained the trust of the officials when you were in the capital court. This time, the Holy Emperor thought that you had died in Liao Dynasty, and the emperor's grace in conferring an official title on you was enough to treat you well." After returning to Bianjing, your official career will be smooth and your official career will be prosperous.
Now that Cai Gongxiang has returned to the capital, it is also the time to appoint people. Among the military-level courtiers, in terms of official career prospects, few can match you... And by then you will be in charge of the Palace Commander's Palace and the Privy Council. When he is promoted to an official title and Prime Minister Cai Gong returns to his position to control the political arena, his future will be limitless. I guess I don’t need to say more, right?"
If I, Xiao Tang, were really willing to obey the orders of the traitorous prime minister Cai, and only steadily maintained his position in the imperial court for the sake of the title of nobility, maybe by the time the Jin army went south, I would have been written into the "History of the Song Dynasty: Biography of the Traitorous Minister" .In the end, time waits for no one...
Xiao Tang had this idea in his heart, but of course he still pretended to be with Liang Shijie in terms of face. He smiled faintly and said: "I have been kind to you until the time comes. I will never forget your kindness. I will never forget your kindness until the time comes." After returning to the capital, I will go and pay a visit to Xianggong Cai. I am kind and considerate."
Liang Shijie frowned slightly and opened his mouth, wondering where to start. After a while, he snorted softly and asked again: "That's good. When do you plan to set off?"
Xiao Tang looked at the copybook hanging on the wall in the study room again, and said: "All the matters in the Xiao family collection have been arranged. After preparing the carriages and carriages, we can set off on the road back to the capital in two days.