Chapter 2934 Where to go
When Linghu Xiuji told Linghu Defen about the "battle" in the royal study room that had been circulated today, Linghu Defen stroked his beard for a long time and did not come back to his senses.
After a long while, Linghu Defen rubbed his face and said, "Suddenly I feel a little hungry. Go and have someone prepare a few side dishes and boil a pot of good wine."
"Here."
Linghu Xiuji didn't know why his father was eating at this time, but he didn't dare to ask more questions and hurriedly turned around and went out.
Naturally, the kitchen of a wealthy family is always manned 20 hours a day. After a while, several maids came to the study with food boxes, placed several side dishes on the desk one by one, and took out a jug of good wine.
Linghu Defen waved his hand and said: "Let's all go down and let Dalang accompany me."
After the maids left, Linghu Xiu closed the door, came back and sat across from the desk, and poured a glass of wine for his old father. He then saw his old father squinting his eyes, draining the cup of wine in one gulp, and savoring it for a moment. Let out a long breath.
"What a pleasure!"
A skinny and wrinkled old face was full of joy and comfort, as if the blockade that had been in his chest for many years was cleared away, and his whole person was in high spirits.
Linghu Xiuji was full of surprise. He thought it was just the usual good wine at home. How could it be so refreshing?
Thinking in my mind, I poured myself a glass and took a sip. I thought that was it...
Linghu Defen had a drink and felt that all the depression seemed to be relieved. It is inevitable to encounter many unsatisfactory things in life, and everyone has their own misfortunes, and no one can escape them. However, if you want to alleviate your own misfortune, the best way is to see others more unfortunate than yourself...
I can't say that I am gloating over misfortune, and I have some petty thoughts. But if you are not a saint, who can really be as bright and great as the heaven and the earth?
I was humiliated by Wu Meiniang, and my reputation throughout my life was ruined, and I became the laughing stock of the world. Later, although I suddenly had an epiphany and lived in simplicity and wrote books, how could I really not care about it in my heart?
To put it bluntly, half of it is because the realm has improved and they don’t care about face, and the other half is just self-deception.
Now Changsun Wuji was actually beaten by Fang Jun's mallet. This kind of experience was worse than what he had experienced back then. How could he not feel comfortable in his heart?
Seeing his son actually pouring himself a drink in front of him, he immediately scolded him: "You don't have eyes, why don't you hurry up and pour some wine for your father?"
Linghu Xiuji quickly put down his wine glass, poured wine for his father, and handed him the chopsticks.
Father and son, you have a cup and I have a cup, eating and drinking freely.
Maybe he drank a few glasses of wine, or maybe he felt better after seeing someone who was worse off than himself. Linghu Defen pointed out to his son: "You did a good job by not interfering with the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. Now the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel have already It has become a battlefield for the competition between the prince and the king of Jin. Anyone involved will either make a contribution to the dragon and rise to the center from then on, or become a victim. His career has been in decline ever since. My Linghu family has been rooted in Guanzhong for many years. Our ancestors have successively served as the Sima of Guazhou, the governor of Dunhuang, and the governor of Yingzhou, and have been granted the title of son of Changcheng County. They have gone through three dynasties until now. Their roots are certainly not trivial, and it is not necessary to be a noble family in Shandong or Jiangnan. That way, if you risk everything for your own future, you will be successful if you don’t succeed.”
Linghu Xiuji naturally knew this truth, but he questioned: "But if my family always stays out of the competition for the reserve, and the new king comes to the throne in the future and has not made any achievements, wouldn't it mean that it will be left idle and not reused?"
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The advantage of being a neutral faction is that they will not be easily destroyed in the whirlpool of competition for the throne, but the disadvantage is that no one will treat you as one of their own. When the new king comes to the throne in the future and everyone appreciates it, where will your reward be?
Linghu Defen didn't see it that way.
After eating some food, he took a sip of wine and pointed out: "Your Majesty's current national policy is to suppress the aristocratic families and support the children of poor families. Among the aristocratic families, Guanlong is the most powerful. After all, Guanlong is deeply rooted and powerful. If If we don’t suppress them, we won’t be able to suppress them one day. How can His Majesty tolerate being above the imperial power? However, precisely because Guan Long is so deeply entrenched, it cannot be completely suppressed overnight. After the Eastern Expedition, His Majesty's strategy will inevitably be adjusted. While suppressing Guan Long, It will be differentiated”
Linghu Xiuji said: "Fight one faction and pull another faction?"
"That's it!" Linghu Defen said happily: "The structure of power in the world is all about balance. Nowadays, the aristocratic families are divided into three. They conflict with each other and suppress each other, but they also rely on each other. Even if Guanlong is uprooted, it can still How about this? If Guanlong is gone, Shandong and Jiangnan will take advantage of the situation and enter the court. , what he did was exactly the same as Guan Long's original actions. Your Majesty would not fail to understand this, so Guan Long's existence is extremely necessary. After all, this was the foundation of your Majesty's career. While suppressing Guan Long, you also win over him. For the moderates within Guanlong, this is the most correct way.”
Linghu Xiuji was puzzled: "Then why does Your Majesty think that our Linghu family is moderate?"
"Haha."
Linghu Defen smiled, took a sip of wine, and said slowly: "The Guanlong lineage mostly established themselves with military merit. They were polite in the Zhou and Sui dynasties, and they all wielded military power and were unruly. However, starting from my grandfather, Linghu's family and Those famous Confucian scholars at that time generally studied classics and history, and their families had countless books. By the time of my father's time, Guan Long had never let go of military power, but my family entered literature early. Poetry and etiquette are incompatible with other families. Otherwise, why would our family be more and more rejected by Guanlong families? Civil and military officials are famous all over the world and are famous throughout the Spring and Autumn Period. However, their empty names are useless, except for military commanders. Only the military power in your hands can make your Majesty afraid. Since your Majesty has divided Guanlong, how can we, the Linghu family, be famous all over the world but have no real power in our hands?"
Differentiation is a means, and the purpose is control. No one is more suitable to become a "horse bone" than a family like the Linghu family, which is famous all over the world and has a great reputation, but is incompatible with Guanlong.
As long as the Linghu family can completely turn to His Majesty and become supporters of His Majesty's policy of weakening the clan, it will inevitably affect the entire world.
With such a quick effect and almost no side effects, how could His Majesty not do it?
Linghu Defen said again: "So you can stay calm and remember that we neither support the prince nor the king of Jin. We only support your majesty and only obey your majesty's orders."
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Linghu Xiuji solemnly said: "My son has remembered."
Although it is difficult to choose between the prince and the king of Jin, who to support and who to oppose, once a mistake is made, it will lead to unpredictable backlash, so it is better to simply stand behind the emperor.
This world belongs to His Majesty Li Er after all. No matter whether the Crown Prince or the King of Jin ascends the throne in the future, we can’t blame our family for supporting the Emperor back then, right?
To rule the world and obey orders is the greatest form of political correctness.
Although this move is not as good as Conglong's merit, it is better than being stable and able to escape from the whirlpool of competition for the throne. Otherwise, a family with no real power, such as the Linghu family, would easily be in danger of overthrowing...
Someone was knocking on the door outside and said through the door: "Master, Da Lang, Duke Zhao has come to the house in person to ask to see the master."
In the study, father and son looked at each other.
Linghu Xiuji wondered: "Zhao Guogong has just lost his face. Why did he come to our house if he didn't find a way to get it back?"
Linghu Defen covered his forehead and said helplessly: "This old Yin man is unwilling to let our family live freely. We have to be tied to him. That's all. We can hide for a while, but we can't hide for a lifetime. You go to the front door right now. Welcome and meet him as a father to see what he wants.”
Linghu Xiuji quickly stood up and said: "Then my son will usher Zhao Guogong into the main hall now. Father might as well go and freshen up and change his clothes."
For a long time, Linghu Defen ate and slept in the study, and saw no outsiders. He was as slovenly as an old farmer in the country. It would be a bit disrespectful to meet Changsun Wuji in this condition.
Linghu Defen shook his head and said, "Just bring him here. As a father, you don't need to wash yourself."
Linghu Xiuji didn't dare to say anything more, so he hurried out and walked quickly to the front door. He welcomed Changsun Wuji through the door and stayed in the study.
Changsun Wuji was dressed in a brocade robe, and his steps were neither hurried nor slow, and his bearing was impressive. Linghu Xiuji took a few peeks to one side and saw that he was wearing a wide futou on his head, covering his forehead, and could not see the To the rumored injured forehead...
When he arrived at the door of the study, Changsun Wuji was obviously stunned. He looked at Linghu Xiuji and frowned, "Is your father right here?"
Linghu Xiuji said respectfully: "My father has been compiling the Book of Zhou in his study since years ago. He has not left the house for several months. Please forgive me, Duke Zhao."
"Easy to say, easy to say."
Changsun Wuji's face turned gloomy and his tone was calm. (End of chapter)