Chen Shuren didn't know that there were ears behind the screen, so he continued to chat and laugh with King Lu for a while.
Even if he knew, it didn't matter to him.
A grown man is still afraid of people looking at him? He is worried that he can't find an excuse to get along with King Lu.
Over a cup of tea, Shen Shuren's understanding of King Lu deepened a lot. He discovered some things that were gratifying, but there were also some difficult things to deal with, which was a mixed blessing.
Fortunately, King Lu is indeed a weak and even cowardly person who is afraid of trouble and can be bullied.
If he can really be used as a puppet in the future, there is basically no need to worry about risks similar to "Liu Xie always has the idea of getting rid of Cao Cao". King Lu will most likely be happy to be the boss and follow the example of the ostrich and not care about anything.
As long as he manages the information channels around him and does not give other careerists the opportunity to approach King Lu to instigate him, he will basically be stable.
On the other hand, what depressed Chen Shuren about King Lu was also because of his cowardice and his avoidance of worldly fame, wealth and ambition.
How can a person who has absolutely no worldly ambitions burn the stove in advance to form a binding interest?
If Shen Shuren were like Yao Guangxiao looking for Zhu Di and directly said, "We have a plan to add a white hat to the prince in the future", he would definitely scare King Lu to his pee and make him pretend that he had not said anything (the revelation should be It won’t happen, because he doesn’t dare to, and it will get him into trouble. It’s better to pretend that he didn’t hear anything and it didn’t happen.)
At this point, the ambitious King Fu is relatively easy to handle. As soon as Shen Shuren entered the city, he came to express his gratitude. If Shen Shuren had an idea, he would definitely hit it off.
It's a pity that ambitious Shenshu people don't want to help, and those without ambition can't be helped too early.
If we just let nature take its course and do nothing, then the friendship and support for King Lu will have to be delayed for at least another year - no matter what, it will have to be delayed until Li Zicheng is really about to attack Beijing, and then he will say those words. , it seemed that he was not so rebellious, and that he just wanted to leave a way out for the Ming Dynasty.
…
Chen Shuren tried for a while, but couldn't find a breakthrough.
He had no choice but to find something to say, and then said some humble words to show his cautious personality, so that the other party could further relax their guard and pave the way for the future.
Chen Shuren had even made psychological preparations. If the other party really had no ambition, then it wouldn't hurt to wait for more than a year. When Chongzhen was about to die, it would be too late to pick out the last layer of window paper.
Therefore, Chen Shuren modestly pointed out an error in Zhu Changzi's title just now: "The prince does not meet with the subordinates, which is the prince's courtesy to the corporal. However, it is better to be cautious in the title.
From now on, the prince will still call me by his official name or title, but I really don’t dare to call him 'nephew' - the prince is the uncle of the current emperor, and even your majesty is your nephew. How can I, an outsider, be called 'good nephew'? nephew'?"
Zhu Changzi was having a lively conversation, but when he was interrupted like this, his expression became slightly awkward. He realized that in order to express his gratitude for the closeness, he had chosen words a little carelessly.
He quickly made up for it: "Shen Futai is the savior of our family, so let's call him his nephew. He can only treat Shen Shangshu as an orphan. By the way, I haven't asked Shen Futai's specific age. He has ever interacted with the imperial court. Which high-ranking family are you marrying into? Mr. Gu didn't take advantage of you, right?"
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The title of nephew makes it clear that there is absolutely no kinship, but only family friendship. Therefore, even if Zhu Changzi's blood nephew is Chongzhen, the emperor, and he calls someone else his nephew, there is no problem of overly elevating the other person's identity.
Of course, Shen Shuren had no need to hide this kind of issue, and told the truth directly: "Xiaguan is twenty-two years old this year, and he will be twenty-three after the new year. This is not because he has been in constant war since he became an official. , still unmarried.”
Originally, when Zhu Changzi asked about his age, he just said it casually and changed the subject. After hearing the answer, he was quite surprised and became more curious:
"You're twenty-two years old and you haven't been married yet? You haven't even made an engagement? That's really hard for the country. However, at such a young age, calling you my nephew is not taking advantage of you.
There is a saying, I still have to advise you. Even if you are traveling with the army and have no time to marry a wife, you can still decide on one first. My nephew should not suffer too much. Your Lord Shen Shangshu should also want to have grandchildren as soon as possible. My nephew can Are any other brothers already married?"
Chen Shuren sighed: "Ashamed, my first concubine gave birth to me. After my father married my stepmother, I gave birth to several more brothers and sisters, but now they are still young, none of them are over fifteen years old."
Xiaguan has never married. On the one hand, the Xiongnu have not been exterminated, so why should he have a family? On the other hand, there are actually difficulties - Xiaguan's promotion is too fast, and His Majesty does not want to see collusion and marriage between the feudal officials.
In order to avoid suspicion, as the official becomes bigger and bigger, the less likely he is to marry well-matched ministers in the court. This is also for the benefit of everyone. These words are a bit inappropriate, so the prince can just pretend that he has heard of them. We fell in love with the prince as soon as we met, and we confided in each other sincerely, so that’s why we told the truth like this.”
As Zhu Changzi listened, his heart trembled slightly.
To be honest, when he just heard Chen Shuren say that he had not married a wife or even been engaged, Zhu Changzi had an idea flashing through his mind and thought that he could examine the other party to see if he could be his son-in-law.
This does not mean that Zhu Changzi does not take his daughter's affairs seriously and makes decisions rashly.
But Shen Shu is indeed an outstanding person. He is in such a high position at a young age, has literary talent and strategy, and looks tall and strong. At first glance, there is no need to worry about marrying a sickly daughter like other literati who will not be happy in the future.
Therefore, if any high-ranking official or dignitary in the court today has talked to Shen Shuren and found out that he is not married, and that the other person has a daughter or a younger sister of the right age, he will subconsciously think of this person as a potential son-in-law. , are all normal.
Not to mention high-ranking officials, even Chongzhen himself, if Shen Shuren went to Beijing in a few years, he might consider whether his daughter Princess Kunxing could be used to win over Shen Shuren - it's just that Princess Kunxing is too young. Well, it is only the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, and Princess Kunxing is only thirteen years old. After the new year, she will only be fourteen years old.
But at this moment, Zhu Changqi calmed down a little after Shen Shuren confessed the reasons: "I'm afraid of being chewed, and it would be inconvenient to marry into a wealthy family if I become a big official."
He is a vassal king, or the emperor's closest uncle (living). If he casually marries a feudal official, His Majesty may be suspicious of him. Wouldn't that cause more trouble?
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Therefore, no matter what the final plan is for this matter, it must not be kept private.
Even if you have ideas in the future, you have to deal with business matters, such as finding ways to test His Majesty's tone and see if His Majesty can grant a marriage.
Of course, this is all a thing for later. Zhu Changzi still loves his daughter very much. He has only a daughter without a son, so of course he will consider what kind of person his daughter likes.
Seeing that the conversation was very pleasant, Zhu Changzi looked at the time and had been chatting for a long time. Out of politeness, he left Shen Shuren to eat, and Shen Shuren naturally would not refuse.
While ordering his servants to prepare the banquet, Zhu Changzi also led Shen Shuren to get up and go to the backyard, where he changed the conversation to some lighter topics.
Zhu Changzi loves the piano, so naturally the topic of piano music and appreciation came up while walking.
Chen Shuren is not very good at playing the guqin, but his level of appreciation of the guqin is still very high, so if he only talks but does not play, he will definitely be regarded as a master——
It is a shame to say that his appreciation of music and music all came from the beautiful maids and maids he adopted in his family.
Chen Yuanyuan is the best in the world of Kun Opera, and Li Xiangjun is the best in the world of Nan Opera. The two girls are also top piano players. They have also read poems, books, music scores, and appreciate music arts. Dong Xiaowan also knows the piano skills, but he is not as good as Chen Li. , even Bian Yujing, who occasionally comes as a guest, has musical attainments far above those of ordinary luthiers.
Even if Shen Shuren only passively accepted folk art training between the sheets, after a few years, he basically understood everything and could talk fluently.
So after just a few words, Zhu Changzi felt a little like a confidant towards Shen Shuren. He really didn't expect that Shen Shuren was so knowledgeable.
"Nephew Shen Shi is actually proficient in music? He is truly a versatile man with profound cultivation. I wonder if Nephew Shen has any experience in the technique and appreciation of the piece "Oul Lu Forgets the Machine"?"
Just as Chen Shuren was about to answer, the two of them had already turned around the screen and came from the back hall to the courtyard. Chen Shuren suddenly heard the sound of soft footsteps in front of him, but he didn't pay attention to it and just commented pertinently:
"'Oulu Wangji' is also considered a famous guqin song. I remember Wang Ye's book 'Guyin Zhengzong', so I would have included this piece. The technique should also be simple, simple, neutral and peaceful."
However, it is good to be indifferent and get close to the heaven, earth and nature, but it also depends on the time and the situation. If it is an empty beach with only people who are not distracted, the seagulls will look down on it. But if it is a beach with a bloody storm, or a gathering of ordinary people, and Where is the pure land where people with no distractions can get close to nature?
It is true that having no desires and desires can avoid disaster. However, desires are not only desires that arise actively from the heart, but also are involuntary due to status.
Empress Li of the Southern Tang Dynasty, why didn't he want to keep the spring flowers and autumn moon, and the east wind in the small building, but how could he allow others to snore next to Taizu's bed in the Song Dynasty? Empress Li wanted to have no desire, because his identity itself was a desire, and he could not get rid of it.
Li Yu, Zhao Ji and others are all "to be a talented man who is truly peerless, but to be pitiful and unlucky to be a king." For them, the best way in life is to be a wealthy man in a peaceful and prosperous age without being born into a king's family, and to concentrate on his life without any distractions. Study the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.
Secondly, if you are born into an emperor's family, you should pray like Liu Chan, the empress of the Han Dynasty, and get a wise minister like Zhuge Liang. No matter how big or small the political affairs are, he will be determined by Liang. Regardless of victory or defeat, the president will remain the same. Liu Chan only sacrifices to the few, and the government will be governed by Liang. Ge Shi, come and see the true form of the virtual king.
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The most tragic fate is like what Li Yu, Zhao Ji and others actually encountered. They were driven by the current situation and couldn't help themselves. They couldn't escape from governing the country and couldn't govern it well. In the end... well, let's talk about these unlucky things. It's the lower official who is ruining the scenery. He is obviously just chatting about Guqin music."
After Zhu Changzi heard this, he was also a little alert. He always felt that Shen Shuren was implying something in his words, as if he meant to compare him to Li Yu and Zhao Ji, but he could not provide any evidence.
Perhaps Shen Shuren was just comparing his artistic talent with Li Yu and Zhao Ji, not other aspects.
However, this also planted a seed in Zhu Changzi's heart: if someone like Li Yu and Zhao Ji were forced to become emperor, they might learn from Liu Chan, be good at employing people, and gain unconditional trust and respect after gaining a good prime minister, which is the easiest way to a good death. .
Of course, the premise is that you can really meet a sage like Zhuge Liang, who is already in power, will not usurp the world, will not threaten the emperor, and is willing to be a powerful minister for the rest of his life. This is really a rare thing.
Throughout the ages, there is only one Duke of Zhou left who can end up like Zhuge Liang. For thousands of years, it is too rare to find a third one.
The Tang Dynasty was as blessed as the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years. It reluctantly gave birth to Guo Ziyi, who could be regarded as a happy ending for the monarch and his ministers, and he was able to save the world. However, Guo Ziyi did not completely combine civil and military power, and could only be regarded as half. And the two In the 320th year of the Song Dynasty, the monarchs and ministers were even more jealous, and no such person could be found. If Yue Fei could recover the Central Plains alive, he might be able to surpass Guo Ziyi by half.
Since ancient times, only the Zhou and Han Dynasties had such people, and even the Tang and Song Dynasties were barely interested. The Ming Dynasty only lasted 260 years. How much kindness and blessings could it have to pray for a Zhuge Liang?
Zhu Changzi's thoughts couldn't help but fly, and the more he thought about it, the heavier he became. He didn't want to think about political affairs anymore, and just smiled bitterly and talked about piano art:
"My nephew's views on "Oll Forget the Machine" and other guqin music with the theme of being indifferent to distant disasters remind me of a person. My nephew's views are quite similar to hers."
Chen Shuren asked in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Oh? I don't know who he is, who can agree with me."
Zhu Changzi smiled awkwardly. He wanted to say that he had similar opinions to his daughter, but he felt that it was not humane, so he kept silent and just smiled bitterly.
At this moment, the two of them were about to turn around the hanging flower door and arrive at the backyard where the banquet was being held. Zhu Changzi's previous words caught the petite figure hiding behind the hanging flower door eavesdropping a little off guard. He was distracted for a moment, tripped and fell. On the ground.
Chen Shuren heard something moving at the corner behind the door, and took two steps forward to check. He saw a little girl lying there. Because the other person lowered his head and rubbed his ankles, Chen Shuren could not see clearly the other person's face. .But just by looking at her figure, she should be a beauty, definitely not ugly.
The little girl was also embarrassed when she met a foreigner. She quickly dusted off her skirt, bit her lip in embarrassment and thought for a second or two before finding a step for herself:
"I didn't eavesdrop on purpose... I was just passing by. I saw someone chatting with my father, so I just listened to a few words... My father, what are you embarrassed about? Why don't you tell this Master Shen openly, My views on "Oulu Wangji" are somewhat the same as Master Shen's."
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Chen Shuren heard her call Zhu Changzi "Father", and then he calmed down solemnly and looked straight: "It turns out you are the princess, I'm sorry, I have to ask you to avoid me for the time being..."
Zhu Changzi also felt a little embarrassed, but he doted on his only daughter. At this point, it was no big deal, so he said tolerantly:
"That's all, you kid is always running around. Fortunately, Shen Futai is also the savior of our family. Since you bumped into me, it's not too polite to thank him for the rescue."
After that, he turned to Shen Shuren and explained: "All the wives and concubines have not been able to give birth to children. Only this one woman is inevitably arrogant and indulgent, which makes people laugh."
Chen Shuren: "How dare you? The princess is just free and easy, how can she be rude? Judging from her words and deeds, she must be sensible."
Zhu Changzi nodded stiffly, with a hint of doting in his expression: "Indeed, this child has been smart and sensible since childhood. In fact, this morning, she also persuaded her to be an orphan.
Now Shen Shi's nephew also said the same thing, and he couldn't be wrong when he thought about it. Could it be that it turned out that Gu was really too cowardly to hide from trouble, and he should learn to be as responsible as the King of Zhou.
I have also read Shen Shi's nephew "The Theory of Flooding Thieves" and "Theory of Flooding Thieves Continued". The sentence "every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the world" is really well said, and it can be said that every word is like a pearl. Even if every man has a responsibility, let alone He is the vassal king, and he has certain responsibilities that cannot be avoided!"
After Shen Shuren's subtle transformation, and under the attack of foreign guests and family members, Zhu Changzi's character finally loosened a little.
Zhu Yuchan, who was on the sidelines, felt a little more grateful to Shen Shuren after hearing his father's words and attitude change.
She also always felt that her father's weakness and fear were too much, and that he should correct himself a little and become more resolute and responsible. Now that Brother Shen can help her change her father, it is of course a good thing.
Now that everything had been said, Zhu Changzi no longer asked his daughter to avoid him, and Zhu Yuchan also breathed a sigh of relief.
From now on, I can have more exchanges with this guest who “sees the same thing” and doesn’t need to meet outsiders. The next time he comes to the house, he can always learn from this example and never avoid it again.
As a princess, you can get to know real men and exchange opinions. This kind of opportunity is really rare. Who wouldn't want to do it? Even if it's just for curiosity and to understand the outside world.
——
PS: I have been shamelessly lazy in the past two days. I update every 5,000 words or so at noon. It will resume after the exemption ends the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow will be moved to two consecutive updates after 2 p.m., from 3 to 5. Just in between.
I admit it, I just want to shamelessly earn an extra hundred yuan...