Chapter 247: Evil only grows when you are brave!
The banks of the Qinhuai River.
The autumn wind is bleak, and under the bright moonlight, sparkling waves appear on the water surface, which also brings up large pieces of withered yellow leaves.
Two men were sitting in a thatched pavilion by the river.
Zhou Ning frowned and glanced at Li Sheng, then sighed softly without turning his head: "Tell me, what did you want to say when you called me over this late at night."
Li Sheng didn't say anything. He looked at Zhou Ning, whose eyes were a little cold. He was also in a daze. Once upon a time, Zhou Ning was very close to him. But now, in just over a year, things have changed, and the closeness of the past is no longer the same. .
He whispered: "Uncle Zhou, you are old."
Zhou Ning said: "Everyone will grow old, and I will not be an exception. I am getting older, and I am more old-fashioned. It's normal, and birth, old age, sickness and death are all human nature. If you have anything to say, just say it. I don't have that much time to accompany you to fool around. The tasks at the salt factory are very heavy."
" I can’t get away for long.”
Zhou Ning still didn’t give Li Sheng much good looks.
Li Sheng nodded and said with a wry smile: "Uncle Zhou, I know I was wrong."
"I was motivated by interests for a while, and was bewitched by those people, and followed their ways. Now that I think about it, I really regret it. "It's too late."
Zhou Ning frowned and said coldly: "There is no need to talk about these nonsense. You have no regrets. I can't see any sign of regrets on your part. You are already high-minded. If you are so arrogant, you will never be able to do anything calmly. Even if you are not persuaded at the time, you will still leave in the future. "
"You have such a temper."
"What you call regret is just that. It's the Yanyun Division who is no longer close to you, or even alienated from you. You are a little panicked, worried that you will be retaliated by Mr. Xia, that's all. But you can rest assured that Mr. Xia is not that small-minded, even I don’t care about you at all.”
"Master Xia's eyes are for the world."
"The world." Li Sheng's face froze, and he said a little unnaturally: "Uncle Zhou, you think too highly of Xia Zhibai, what does he know about the world? He has been talking recently. I have heard of what he is doing. Isn’t he promoting the reform of the salt administration in the world?” Success?"
"How can such a good thing happen?"
"I did take away the drawings and stole a lot of information, but because of this, I took the opportunity to get to know each other. Many officials in the south have also learned about many situations in the south. The south is completely different from the north, and some things cannot be done if they change places. "
"Now that the public opinion in the south is boiling, it will be good if Xia Zhibai can protect himself." Li Sheng curled his lips with a hint of disdain in his eyes.
He did not admit his mistake.
He still doesn’t think he was wrong until now.
Good birds choose trees to roost in.
Xia Zhibai didn't pay attention to them at all. They had done so many things for Xia Zhibai and made so many things. But what did Xia Zhibai do to them? The monthly salary did not increase much, but they used their achievements to claim credit.
Xia Zhibai is now a fifth-rank official in the imperial court.
Where are the others?
It’s not that it hasn’t moved at all.
Zhou Ning shook his head.
As expected, Li Sheng did not repent at all, and even fell deeper and deeper into the situation.
Zhou Ning said: "If you just come to me to accuse Mr. Xia, then I will leave. You have your opinion, and I have mine. What is the need for chickens and ducks to talk?"
Li Sheng's eyes darkened slightly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle Zhou, you know my current situation is not very good." I went to hook up with Xia Zhibai and threw me aside. But how could they know that I had been in private contact with southern officials for more than a year?"
"Southern. I have debugged all the steam engines.”
“As long as steam engines are still used in the south, I, Li Sheng, will always have a place to use them.”
"Just staying in Yingtian Mansion is not an option."
"Uncle Zhou, I want to go south."
"I came to you this time because I wanted to ask Uncle Zhou to help me."< br>
Li Sheng looked at Zhou Ning, with a flash of hope in his eyes, and said excitedly: "Uncle Zhou, I have already made an agreement with the officials in the south."
"It's just that they heard it somewhere. According to the news, Xia Zhibai still has more advanced steam engine blueprints in his hands, and he even wants to promote them to the south. The governments in the south do not want to be so passive, so they want me to think of a way to get the blueprints in advance so that the south can have something. Prepare.”
"In this way, Xia Zhibai's idea is completely miscalculated."
Li Sheng licked his lips, his eyes filled with ambition and desire.
He was eager to get new drawings.
As long as he gets the new blueprints, he will not only be able to successfully go south, but also receive preferential treatment from the southern government. With the help of twice presenting the blueprints, he will be able to become a master in the south, with all his glory and wealth. .
Hear the words.
Zhou Ning was completely disappointed.
He came this time with the intention of persuading him to come back, but when he saw Li Sheng’s obsessed appearance, he didn’t know why. Li Sheng had completely fallen into it and had long since lost all pragmatism. , just want to cling to the powerful and please the officials in the south, so as to make themselves rich and well-fed.
But Li Sheng never thought that glory and wealth were really so easy to obtain?
No matter how developed the south is, it will still be under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
Seeing that Zhou Ning was unmoved, Li Sheng quickly said: "Uncle Zhou, don't worry, I have a close relationship with Uncle Zhou. How can I abandon Uncle Zhou and enjoy this glory to myself? I'm going south. When the time comes, I will take you, Uncle Zhou, with me, and I, Li Sheng, will take care of you in your old age.”
"Uncle Zhou, you know me. I am not a selfish person."
"I cannot be where I am today without Uncle Zhou's support."
"After it is done, I will I will repay you generously.”
It was quiet all around.
Only the sound of flowing water.
Zhou Ning stood up and said indifferently: "Li Sheng, enough is enough."
"Do you know what you are doing?"
"Master Xia is now a fifth-rank official in the court. How can you offend someone with no character like you?"
"You have already stolen the blueprint once before. Mr. Xia was magnanimous and did not argue with you. He forgave you once. Why are you still stubborn, Xia? The adults can forgive you once, but they may not forgive you the second time. "That's enough!"
"Don't say that I don't know the drawings. Even if I do, I won't give them to you."
"You should give up as soon as possible."
Li Sheng's expression changed after being scolded by Zhou Ning. He was also green and red, with a bit of anger in his eyes, and said: "Uncle Zhou, what kind of ecstasy soup did Xia Zhibai fill you with? Do you want to listen to him like this? What good is he? He has caused public outrage in the south this time , as long as I get the blueprint, without this new blueprint, Xia Zhibai will be in vain, he can't do anything, and no one can convince him."
"He is doomed!"< br>
“The fierce public opinion in the south is enough to ruin Xia Zhibai’s reputation.”
"Uncle Zhou, you should be able to tell."
Li Sheng's eyes showed a ruthless look.
Zhou Ning also laughed angrily and sneered: "Mud can't hold up a wall, and rotten wood can't be carved."
"Do you really think Master Xia only has one steam engine?"
< br> "Do you know what Mr. Xia did in the north? What did he bring back? I can tell you that steam engines, salt production is only a very insignificant part. The blueprint you are planning only took us more than half a month to come up with. It’s nothing at all.”
"You don't know Mr. Xia's true ability at all."
"The frog in the well is so ridiculous."
Zhou Ning's body was shaking with anger. He wanted to share his recent results It's just that these things haven't been seen by anyone yet. If he did say them and let the outside world know in advance, he might get angry. He is a timid person and he doesn't want to cause trouble for himself. .
Hear the words.
Li Sheng’s eyes lit up.
He said excitedly: "Uncle Zhou, are you serious about what you said?"
"Xia Zhibai came up with something else? Uncle Zhou, can you tell me in detail, what is it specifically and what is its specific function? If I can give these things away, I will definitely get a big reward."
"Uncle Zhou, you may not know something."
"I have come into contact with it. People, I’m afraid you didn’t even dare to think about it before.”
“The prince-in-law!”
"If I can take this opportunity to please the consort, I will have a bright future. Uncle Zhou will also be able to take advantage of it. And Uncle Zhou, don't be afraid of being retaliated by Xia Zhibai. Behind us is the consort of the dynasty. Who dares to come? Are we in trouble?"
Li Sheng persuaded passionately.
Seeing Li Sheng's appearance, Zhou Ning was completely disappointed.
He rolled up his sleeves and said: "That's enough."
"Since you are so ungrateful, then don't call me Uncle Zhou."
"I have repaid your father's help all these years ago. Don't come to me again in the future, and I will never talk to you again."
"Before I leave, I also give you advice. Just say it."
"People must be self-aware."
"If you don't have that ability, don't expect too much."
"Otherwise you will only reap the consequences."< br>
"You can take care of yourself!"
Finished.
Zhou Ning stopped staying and turned around to leave.
Seeing that Zhou Ning actually ignored his suggestion, Li Sheng also felt a little angry in his eyes.
All his hopes now lie in Zhou Ning.
If Zhou Ning doesn't care about him, even if he goes to the south, no one will care. He has enjoyed glory for a while, and he is unwilling to go back to the past. He will continue to be humble and look at other people's faces.
He didn't want to.
He was supposed to be a master.
Li Sheng stood up, gritted his teeth and roared: "Uncle Zhou, are you really not going to do me this little favor?"
"This is just something you say casually."
"As long as you and I don't tell, no one will know."
"As long as you help me, do you know what we can get? We will become the prince's guests, and we will get inexhaustible money. Uncle Zhou, are you really willing to sit in that shabby house all day long and do whatever you want to do, just by looking at other people’s faces?”
“We deserve better.”
< br>"Uncle Zhou!"
Zhou Ning paused for a moment, then walked faster.
See it.
Li Sheng said with a fierce look in his eyes: "Uncle Zhou, you forced me to do this."
"You can't be so selfish, let alone ruin my bright future, you It can't be like this."
"I will never accept this outcome."
Li Sheng looked at Zhou Ning's walking figure fiercely, and suddenly stretched his hand under the stone pier of the pavilion. , took out a bright dagger from below, and then rushed toward Zhou Ning quickly.
He must take the future glory into his own hands.
No one can stop it.
(End of this chapter)