They are already in the same boat.
Fortunately, Song Baopu was not too averse to this. Although he disliked forming cliques, he knew that in the court, going it alone would not yield good results. Even the most powerful and intelligent person needed allies, let alone him, a loser in a political struggle more than a decade ago.
Moreover, Wei Qinglou has made it clear that he will not interfere too much in his actions. In political matters, he still has independent opinions and the right to autonomy, which is enough for him.
He poured himself another glass of wine and said, "The friendship of yesteryear is just that—the friendship of yesteryear. Now I am no longer part of the Qingliu faction. With interests entangled everywhere, I am surrounded by political enemies and allies. Where are the old friends and acquaintances left? It's all up to you, Lord Shaoqing, to decide what to do."
"But I'm a proud man, and if you asked me to deal with them, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I hope you'll understand, Lord Shaoqing." Song Baopu toasted him, drank it all in one gulp, and laughed heartily.
In his youth, he was impetuous and thought that the upright officials were the upright officials and the aristocratic families were the aristocratic families, that the two were clearly distinct and irreconcilable. It was not until he got into trouble that he realized that there were also lackeys of aristocratic officials in the upright officials, and there were also new talents in the aristocratic families who supported reform. They could not be generalized.
Unfortunately, he realized this too late; otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a grave mistake.
"But what if I have concrete evidence of that person's crimes? In that case, would Mr. Song still be unwilling to reveal everything you know and testify against him?" Wei Qinglou looked into his eyes, his sharp eyebrows and eyes filled with a compelling sharpness, yet his tone remained as light as if he were discussing the taste of the wine.
He lowered his eyelids, looked at the carved silver cup in his hand, shook his head and smiled, "I have always believed that the fate between people is predetermined. Some people can accompany you for a lifetime, while others can only accompany you for a while."
"Sir, you treat old friends with the same affection as old acquaintances, but it seems you have never considered whether they, like you, still regard you as a close friend and comrade-in-arms?"
With just a few words, Song Baopu's originally firm resolve began to waver.
He put down his wine cup and looked at the young man in front of him.
The young civil official, just starting out in officialdom, had already shed his former naivety and matured to an astonishing degree in just a few months, becoming as mature as someone who had been immersed in officialdom for decades. However, beneath his smooth and tactful demeanor, he still retained his sharp edges.
He chuckled and sighed, "At first I thought that young lady was a lobbyist you had invited, but now it seems that's not entirely true."
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