Chapter 1272 Lu Hua asks
Chapter 1272 Lu Hua asks
There are indeed scholars in Shu.
It has been two years. No matter how long the reckoning takes, there is a limit. The time passes, the calmer it will be.
On this day, after receiving an urgent message from the capital, Yu Liang put down a file in his hand and said, "Forget it, let this man go."
Yu Yi, the assistant general of the bandit Cao, smiled and said, "It's just his luck."
He Dian, the former tutor of the crown prince Li Cheng, was recently reported to have communicated with the chieftain of the Liao people and provided him with military intelligence and geography of various places to facilitate his rebellion.
Evidence? Of course there is.
Next to the file that Yu Liang was reading was the "Ode to Shudu" written by He Dian himself, and the person to whom it was given was the chieftain of the Liao people.
"The houses are facing each other, and the hometowns are connected. Every family has a salt spring well, and every household has an orange and grapefruit garden" - this sentence means that the rich people in Shu were induced to launch a rebellion.
"In the east, Zuomian is in the middle of Ba, where hundreds of Pu people live. Outside, it is connected to Tongliang at Dangqu, and inside, it contains vital areas of good fortune" - this sentence reveals important military geography.
In short, the whole article is full of evidence of his guilt, which is irrefutable. There will be no problem in prosecuting him.
But he was lucky.
"Your Excellency." The household general and the shogunate's gatekeeper Yu Huaijin entered and reported, "Qiao Xianzhi requests to see you."
Yu Liang raised his lips slightly, waved his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and said, "This guy is very cunning. I haven't found any fault in two years. I don't know why he came here today."
"Yuan Gui asks even though he knows the answer." Yu Yi said with a smile.
Yu Liang also laughed and said, "He didn't come last time, but he comes now. He was arrogant at first but respectful later. This is how he is."
"This man is a famous scholar in Shu after all. If the emperor issues an edict, the Qiao family will have to come forward." Yu Yi said.
"Let him in." Yu Liang restrained his smile and ordered.
The doorman left quickly.
Yu Yi gave a look to several junior clerks in the hall, and the junior clerks understood and stepped forward to take the files away.
A moment later, Qiao Xianzhi arrived.
"My lord." Qiao Xianzhi bowed without saying a word.
Yu Liang lowered his hands from behind his back and said, "Why do you have to do this?"
Qiao Xianzhi stood up and said, "I have heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been given the title of Crown Prince and is the heir to the throne. His virtue is known to the whole country and his talent is as great as the mountains and rivers. This is not only a gift from heaven, but also thanks to your guidance as the Crown Prince's uncle. Although I am stupid, I know that if the sacred artifacts are returned to their rightful owners, then the Liang Dynasty can be revived. Your Excellency is in charge of the military and the garrison, and your prestige and virtue are far-reaching. When Your Highness ascends the throne in the future, you will be like your father-in-law who assisted the Zhou Dynasty and Xiao Cao who assisted the Han Dynasty, so that the Nine Tripods will be restored to peace and the eight states will be peaceful. Therefore, I should accept this gift."
Yu Liang took a deep breath and said in a calm tone: "You are overpraising me."
Yu Yi stood aside and glanced at Yu Liang secretly.
Yuan Gui was not a cunning person, but one could still tell that he was very happy.
In fact, this happiness came too suddenly and was too great. Even a veteran official could hardly hold himself back, let alone Yuan Gui? He was not a particularly patient person.
"Please come in." Yu Liang nodded and told Xiao Shi, "Make some tea."
Xiao Shi took the order and left.
The three of them then took their seats one by one.
Yu Liang was silent for a moment, then said, "You have come at the right time. The angel has come with an imperial edict, ordering all the scholars in the world to gather in Bianliang to discuss the Dao. You are a famous scholar in Shu, so you can enter the capital."
"May I ask what philosophy you are discussing? Is it the same as the one discussed in Jinyang?" Qiao Xianzhi asked after a little thought.
"No." Yu Liang shook his head, and then instructed Yu Yi to hand over the article written by Wang Yan, which was then revised beyond recognition by Shao Xun and Wang Huifeng.
Qiao Xianzhi took it and read it with doubt: "Luhua Wendui".
The first chapter "Asking the Way" is a dialogue——
The Master asked: "The Tao gave birth to all things, so how can all things be without traces of the Tao?"
The Prime Minister said, "Yes."
The emperor asked again, "Where is it?"
The Prime Minister said: "The cycle of life and death is all due to the Tao, so the Tao exists for all things."
The emperor asked him, "Why do you seek it?"
The Prime Minister said: "The great image has no form, and the truth has no trace, so it cannot be sought."
The emperor suddenly realized: "When Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, was he seeking the truth?"
The Prime Minister said, "Maybe it is so."
The emperor wondered: "How long did Shennong live?"
The Prime Minister said, "It has been said for a hundred and twenty years."
Shang Wu: "How can I prolong my life by obtaining the key to the Tao?"
The Prime Minister said, "That may be true."
After turning over this article, there was a second article, but he did not read it on the spot. He just looked at Yu Liang in confusion.
"Send someone to copy it." Yu Liang said, "Luhua Hall is a sandbar in the sand sea, with beautiful scenery. The emperor often visits Luhua Hall and summons his ministers to ask questions."
Qiao Xianzhi suddenly realized what was going on and immediately said, "I understand."
"You should set off as soon as possible, and you can copy and discuss with each other on the way," said Yu Liang.
"As you command." Qiao Xianzhi paused and asked, "Do you have any other instructions, sir?"
Hearing the word "instructions", Yu Liang was somewhat happy, but he deliberately kept a straight face and said: "You are Liang's ministers, so you should obey the emperor's instructions. Don't say these words in the future, otherwise I can't protect you."
"Yes, yes." Qiao Xianzhi said repeatedly.
Seeing that Yu Liang had nothing to say, he bowed and left.
Yu Yi watched Qiao Xianzhi leave, took the book on the table, and started reading it again. Shennong died of poison from tasting hundreds of herbs, and he was already 120 years old. Could he have died?
******
Jingzhou is close to Bianliang, so they received the news earlier than Yizhou.
Governor Xin Yan had just taken office and was inspecting various counties. When he arrived in Nanyang, he was invited by Le Kai to stay for a few days.
Le Kai was originally the Minister of the Central Secretariat. His aunt passed away in his hometown of Nanyang. This matter could be a big or small matter. It was reasonable to mourn, but it was not necessarily the case. The emperor did not make any statement, so Le Kai returned home.
Now that the mourning period is over, there is still no job assignment, so I can only continue to wait.
"The emperor summons scholars to the capital, will Hongxu set off?" Xin Yan asked calmly in casual clothes.
"Of course we have to set off." said Lekai.
He did not enter the capital as the Minister of the Central Secretariat, but participated in the elegant conversation as a scholar from Nanyang.
Perhaps as a show of care, the emperor personally sent someone to deliver a book to him and asked him to read it carefully.
He was in a bad mood and just glanced at it casually. So far, he had only read the second chapter "Alchemy".
It seems to be the question and answer between the emperor and Wang Yan in Luhua Hall.
The emperor asked: "Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and was close to the Tao, and lived to be 120 years old. Is there any other way to understand the Tao?"
The prime minister said: "The art of yellow and white may be useful."
The emperor asked him, "I have seen alchemists spending thousands of coins a day, some even losing their houses. Is it really effective?"
The Prime Minister said sternly, "This method is wrong."
The master asked, "What should we do?"
The prime minister explained in detail: "Record the materials for the elixir, distinguish their colors, shapes and properties, classify them and list them. Try them without stopping, and you may get the mysterious pearl."
The emperor sighed, "Wang Bin has tried to make the elixir hundreds and thousands of times, but to no avail. It is difficult to make a true elixir. If it fails, won't it be a waste of thousands of gold coins?"
The Prime Minister said, "I heard that Ge Hong of Danyang has the secret of turning stones into gold. Although he has not yet found the real elixir, he can still refine gold and silver to fill the treasury."
The emperor was surprised and asked, "Does he also follow this method?"
The Prime Minister said, "Yes."
To be honest, there are people in the Lekai tribe who make pills, and it costs a lot. It is normal to spend a thousand coins a day, and it is not even enough.
It is hard to say whether the elixir they refined was real. In any case, their lifespans were short and they died one after another at around forty years old.
Lekai didn't dare to eat it.
He believed that there was a real elixir, but he doubted whether ordinary people had the ability to make it.
He had also heard about Wang Bin and his daughter refining the elixir, and the cost was really huge. In order to refine the elixir, Wang Bin's daughter, Wang Danhu, did not get married, and devoted herself to studying the art of alchemy, but she has not achieved anything so far. It can be seen that the real elixir is hard to find, and it may not be obtained by ordinary people with such luck, but probably by immortals.
However, is it true that one can turn stone into gold? If one has this ability, it can be a second-best solution. After all, alchemy is really expensive, and it is good to be able to supplement the family income.
Xin Yan didn't know what Le Kai was thinking, so he just said, "There are many talented people in Nanyang. After entering the capital, Hongxu can recommend them to you. If the emperor personally sees you, it will be a good story. In this way, I will feel more at ease. As the governor of Jingzhou, I must do something for the elders."
"Of course I need an introduction." Lekai felt bitter when he said this.
Is there still hope for the scholars of Jingzhou? Perhaps, but the scholars of Yuzhou have a better chance.
The position of crown prince has been settled and cannot be shaken in a short period of time. These days are really difficult.
Xin Yan saw Le Kai's expression and understood his intention. After saying a few words to him, he said goodbye and went to rest.
Lekai sent him to the guest house and then returned to his study.
There are pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk.
Lekai thought for a long time and began to grind the ink.
"I have heard that a dragon hides in the abyss, not because it is afraid of ants, but because it is waiting for the meeting of wind and clouds; a tiger hides in the forest, not because it is afraid of deer, but because it is waiting for the sharpness of its claws and fangs. Your Highness should follow Fan Shaobo's example of sailing on the five lakes, hiding his abilities, showing a leisurely attitude on the outside, and cultivating strategies on the inside... Their faults are accumulated, while our virtues are accumulated. When the opportunity is revealed, we will shake our scales and make a move..."
A moment later, the letter was completed.
Le Kai remained silent for a long time, sighing.
The most frustrating thing is whether the King of Qi is willing to listen to him. This is the most frustrating thing.
You are the eldest son of a concubine. Even if you surrender, will others let you go? You are so stupid!
Lucky wanted to make one last effort.
If this nephew continues to hesitate and refuse to listen to him, there will be nothing he can do.
In order to avoid the disaster of ruining the family, the only thing to do is to cut off the relationship in advance - of course, it's just talk.
In fact, many elders of families such as the Liu family of Wancheng, the Fan family of Shunyang, and the Zong family of Ye County have personally asked about this recently. Some things are really worrying. Who doesn't want to get more official positions? Why do the scholars of Jingzhou fall below the scholars of Yuzhou?
Did Yu Yuangui have the generosity to tolerate others? Even if he did, the benefits that were distributed to the scholars in Jingzhou were still few.
After sealing the letter, Le Kai called his trusted servant and sent him to deliver it to the King of Qi immediately.
As time passed, as messengers and express horses arrived in various states across the country, local nobles set out for Bianliang one after another.
Many people actually don’t want to go, but many people are happy to go.
Those who don't want to go are worried that, just like the Jinyang Discussion, the three major concepts of "tolerance for the country", "peace between the barbarians and the Chinese", and "advancing with the times" will be forced upon them, allowing the military men to officially step to the forefront and share the benefits - in fact, the military men had already received many benefits, and that time was just the final word.
The so-called discussion of Tao is always about the result, not the cause.
Those who are willing to go want to show up and gain fame.
The emperor said that scholars did not have great works, and they mostly relied on shocking words to become famous. This was not entirely false.
Isn't this a good opportunity?
Just go. Even if you don’t become famous, it’s good to have fun and see what the emperor is trying to do.
(It’s late today. This content is too difficult to write. I racked my brains and spent countless energy. There will be another chapter in the evening. Vote quickly if you have tickets.)
(End of this chapter)